Periplasmic binding protein structure and function. Refined X-ray structures of the leucine/isoleucine/valine-binding protein and its complex with leucine

The three-dimensional structure of the native unliganded form of the Leu/Ile/Val-binding protein (Mr = 36,700), an essential component of the high-affinity active transport system for the branched aliphatic amino acids in Escherichia coli, has been determined and further refined to a crystallographic R-factor of 0.17 at 2.4 A resolution. The entire structure consists of 2710 non-hydrogen atoms from the complete sequence of 344 residues and 121 ordered water molecules. Bond lengths and angle distances in the refined model have root-mean-square deviations from ideal values of 0.05 A and 0.10 A, respectively. The overall shape of the protein is a prolate ellipsoid with dimensions of 35 A x 40 A x 70 A. The protein consists of two distinct globular domains linked by three short peptide segments which, though widely separated in the sequence, are proximal in the tertiary structure and form the base of the deep cleft between the two domains. Although each domain is built from polypeptide segments located in both the amino (N) and the carboxy (C) terminal halves, both domains exhibit very similar supersecondary structures, consisting of a central beta-sheet of seven strands flanked on either side by two or three helices. The two domains are far apart from each other, leaving the cleft wide open by about 18 A. The cleft has a depth of about 15 A and a base of about 14 A x 16 A. Refining independently the structure of native Leu/Ile/Val-binding protein crystals soaked in a solution containing L-leucine at 2.8 A resolution (R-factor = 0.15), we have been able to locate and characterize an initial, major portion of the substrate-binding site of the Leu/Ile/Val-binding protein. The binding of the L-leucine substrate does not alter the native crystal structure, and the L-leucine is lodged in a crevice on the wall of the N-domain, which is in the inter-domain cleft. The L-leucine is held in place primarily by hydrogen-bonding of its alpha-ammonium and alpha-carboxylate groups with main-chain peptide units and hydroxyl side-chain groups; there are no salt-linkages. The charges on the leucine zwitterion are stabilized by hydrogen-bond dipoles. The side-chain of the L-leucine substrate lies in a depression lined with non-polar residues, including Leu77, which confers specificity to the site by stacking with the side-chain of the leucine substrate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Structure of YraM, a protein essential for growth of Haemophilus influenzae

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae is an obligate human parasite that often causes middle ear infections in children and exacerbates chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. There are no effective vaccines available for this strain. The lipoprotein YraM (gene HI1655) was identified as essential for the growth and viability of H. influenzae but its function is unknown. Sequence comparisons showed that YraM is a fusion of two protein modules. We grew crystals of the carboxyl-terminal module of YraM comprising residues 257-573 (YraM-C), phased the diffraction data by the multiwavelength anomalous diffraction technique, and refined the model to a crystallographic R-factor of 0.16 (R(free) = 0.19) with data to 1.35 A resolution. The two-domain structure of YraM-C adopts a fold similar to that observed for the open, unliganded forms of several periplasmic binding proteins (PBPs) involved in bacterial active transport. Sequence alignments of YraM homologues from other Gram-negative species showed that the most conserved residues of YraM-C cluster between the two domains in the location where other PBPs bind their cognate ligand. Modeling of YraM-C into a closed conformation similar to the leucine-bound form of the Leu/Ile/Val-binding protein (LIVBP) shows a putative binding pocket larger than the leucine-binding site in LIVBP. The pocket has both polar and nonpolar surfaces, with the latter located in the same area where a leucine side chain binds to LIVBP. We discuss possible biological functions of YraM considering its predicted location in the outer membrane, a novel place for such a binding protein.     

Refined structure of porcine pepsinogen at 1.8 A resolution

The molecular structure of porcine pepsinogen at 1.8 A resolution has been determined by a combination of molecular replacement and multiple isomorphous phasing techniques. The resulting structure was refined by restrained-parameter least-squares methods. The final R factor [formula: see text] is 0.164 for 32,264 reflections with I greater than or equal to sigma (I) in the resolution range of 8.0 to 1.8 A. The model consists of 2785 protein atoms in 370 residues, a phosphoryl group on Ser68 and 238 ordered water molecules. The resulting molecular stereochemistry is consistent with a well-refined crystal structure with co-ordinate accuracy in the range of 0.10 to 0.15 A for the well-ordered regions of the molecule (B less than 15 A2). For the enzyme portion of the zymogen, the root-mean-square difference in C alpha atom co-ordinates with the refined porcine pepsin structure is 0.90 A (284 common atoms) and with the C alpha atoms of penicillopepsin it is 1.63 A (275 common atoms). The additional 44 N-terminal amino acids of the prosegment (Leu1p to Leu44p, using the letter p after the residue number to distinguish the residues of the prosegment) adopt a relatively compact structure consisting of a long beta-strand followed by two approximately orthogonal alpha-helices and a short 3(10)-helix. Intimate contacts, both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, are made with residues in the pepsin active site. The N-terminal beta-strand, Leu1p to Leu6p, forms part of the six-stranded beta-sheet common to the aspartic proteinases. In the zymogen the first 13 residues of pepsin, Ile1 to Glu13, adopt a completely different conformation from that of the mature enzyme. The C alpha atom of Ile1 must move approximately 44 A in going from its position in the inactive zymogen to its observed position in active pepsin. Electrostatic interactions of Lys36pN and hydrogen-bonding interactions of Tyr37pOH, and Tyr90H with the two catalytic aspartate groups, Asp32 and Asp215, prevent substrate access to the active site of the zymogen. We have made a detailed comparison of the mammalian pepsinogen fold with the fungal aspartic proteinase fold of penicillopepsin, used for the molecular replacement solution. A structurally derived alignment of the two sequences is presented.     

Structure of myohemerythrin in the azidomet state at 1.7/1.3 A resolution

The molecular model of myohemerythrin, an oxygen-carrying protein from sipunculan worms, has been refined by stereochemically restrained least-squares minimization at 1.7/1.3 A resolution to a conventional R-value of 0.158. The estimated positional standard deviation is better than 0.15 A for most of the 979 protein atoms. The average isotropic displacement parameter, B, for the protein atoms is 23.1 A2. This high average B parameter appears to be due to the overall motion of the molecule, which correlates with the observed anisotropic diffraction. The side-chains of seven residues were modeled in two conformations, i.e. the side-chains were discretely disordered, and B parameters for several lysine and glutamate side-chains indicate that they are poorly localized. Of the residues in myohemerythrin, 66% are helical, with 62% occurring in four long alpha-helices with mean values for the backbone torsion angles of phi = -65 degrees, psi = -42 degrees, and for the hydrogen bonds distances of N ... O, 3.0 A and H ... O, 2.1 A, and angles of N ... O = C, 153 degrees, N-H ... O, 157 degrees, and H ... O = C, 147 degrees. For two-thirds of the alpha-helical residues, the torsional rotation of the C alpha-C beta bond, chi 1, is approximately -60 degrees, and for one-third chi 1 is approximately 180 degrees. Although most turns in myohemerythrin are well-categorized by previous classification, two do not fit in established patterns. Also included in the refined model are three sulfate ions, all partially occupied, and 157 water molecules, 40% of which are modeled fully occupied. Only one water molecule is internal to the protein, the remainder occur on the surface and are observed principally between symmetry-related molecules contributing, along with van der Waals' contacts, most of the interactions between molecules. There are eight intermolecular protein-protein hydrogen bonds, of which only four are between well-located atoms.     

Amino acid sequence of seminalplasmin, an antimicrobial protein from bull semen

Analytical ultracentrifugation of highly purified seminalplasmin revealed a molecular mass of 6300. Amino acid analysis of the protein preparation indicated the absence of sulfur-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine. The amino acid sequence of seminalplasmin was determined by manual Edman degradation of peptides obtained by proteolytic enzymes trypsin, chymotrypsin and thermolysin: NH₂-Ser Asp Glu Lys Ala Ser Pro Asp Lys His His Arg Phe Ser Leu Ser Arg Tyr Ala Lys Leu Ala Asn Arg Leu Ser Lys Trp Ile Gly Asn Arg Gly Asn Arg Leu Ala Asn Pro Lys Leu Leu Glu Thr Phe Lys Ser Val-COOH. The number of amino acids according to the sequence were 48, the molecular mass 6385. As predicted from the sequence, seminalplasmin very likely contains two α-helical domains in which residues 8-17 and 40-48 are involved. No evidence for the existence of β-sheet structures was obtained. Treatment of seminalplasmin with the above proteases as well as with amino peptidase M and carboxypeptidase Y completely eliminated biological activity.     

Structure of the [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin I from the blue-green alga Aphanothece sacrum at 2.2 A resolution

Crystals of a [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin (Fd) I with a relative molecular mass of 10,480 were obtained from the blue-green alga Aphanothece sacrum. Each asymmetric unit of the crystal contains four molecules. An electron density map calculated by the single isomorphous replacement method with the anomalous dispersion at 2.5 A resolution was refined by averaging the four molecules in the asymmetric unit. Positional and isotropic thermal parameters for the non-hydrogen atoms of the four molecules and 158 water molecules were refined to an R-factor (R = sigma[Fo-Fc[/sigma Fo) of 0.23 by the restrained least-squares method. The estimated root-mean-square (r.m.s.) error for the atomic positions is 0.3 A. The r.m.s. deviations of equivalent C alpha atoms of the asymmetric-unit molecules superposed by the least-squares method average 0.35 A. The Fd molecule has a structure like the beta-barrel in the molecule of the [2Fe-2S] Fd from Spirulina platensis. A [2Fe-2S] cluster is bonded covalently to the protein molecule by four Fe-S, in which three of the Fe-S bonds are in a loop segment from position 38 to 47. The hydrophobic core inside the beta-barrel is formed by seven conservative residues: Val15, Val18, Ile24, Leu51, Ile74, Ala79 and Ile87. The molecular surface around Tyr23, Tyr80 and the active center may interact with ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase. One of the two iron atoms of the [2Fe-2S] cluster should be more easily reduced than the other because of differences in the hydrogen-bonding scheme and the hydrophobicity around the atoms.     

The role of leucine and isoleucine in tuning the hydropathy of class A GPCRs

Leucine and Isoleucine are two amino acids that differ only by the positioning of one methyl group. This small difference can have important consequences in α-helices, as the β-branching of Ile results in helix destabilization. We set out to investigate whether there are general trends for the occurrences of Leu and Ile residues in the structures and sequences of class A GPCRs (G protein-coupled receptors). GPCRs are integral membrane proteins in which α-helices span the plasma membrane seven times and which play a crucial role in signal transmission. We found that Leu side chains are generally more exposed at the protein surface than Ile side chains. We explored whether this difference might be attributed to different functions of the two amino acids and tested if Leu tunes the hydrophobicity of the transmembrane domain based on the Wimley-White whole-residue hydrophobicity scales. Leu content decreases the variation in hydropathy between receptors and correlates with the non-Leu receptor hydropathy. Both measures indicate that hydropathy is tuned by Leu. To test this idea further, we generated protein sequences with random amino acid compositions using a simple numerical model, in which hydropathy was tuned by adjusting the number of Leu residues. The model was able to replicate the observations made with class A GPCR sequences. We speculate that the hydropathy of transmembrane domains of class A GPCRs is tuned by Leu (and to some lesser degree by Lys and Val) to facilitate correct insertion into membranes and/or to stably anchor the receptors within membranes.     

Native protein sequences are designed to destabilize folding intermediates

Hydrophobic core mutants of sperm whale apomyoglobin were constructed to investigate the amino acid sequence features that determine the folding properties. Replacements of all of the Ile residues with Leu and of all of the Ile and Val residues with Leu decreased the thermodynamic stability of the folded states against the unfolded states but increased the stability of the folding intermediates against the unfolded states, indicating that the amino acid composition of the protein core is important for the protein stability and folding cooperativity. To examine the effect of the arrangement of these hydrophobic residues, mutant proteins were further constructed: 12 sites out of the 18 Leu, 9 Ile, and 8 Val residues of the wild-type myoglobin were randomly replaced with each other so that the amino acid compositions were similar to that of the wild-type protein. Four mutant proteins were obtained without selection of the protein properties. These residue replacements similarly resulted in the stabilization of both the intermediate and folded states against the unfolded states, as compared to the wild-type protein. Thus, the arrangements of the hydrophobic residues in the native amino acid sequence are selected to destabilize the folding intermediate rather than to stabilize the folded state. The present results suggest that the two-state transition of protein folding or the transient formation of the unstable intermediate, which seems to be required for effective production of the functional proteins, has been a major driving force in the molecular evolution of natural globular proteins.     

Sequencing a protein by x-ray crystallography. II. Refinement of yeast hexokinase B co-ordinates and sequence at 2.1 A resolution.

Although the amino acid sequence of yeast hexokinase B has not been determined by chemical means, crystallographic refinement of the hexokinase monomer was carried out at 2.1 Å resolution to improve both the atomic co-ordinates and the amino acid sequence, which had been obtained from a 2.5 Å electron density map. The atomic co-ordinates were adjusted by real-space refinement into a multiple isomorphous replacement map, followed by automated difference Fourier refinement, and restrained parameter structure factor least-squares refinement. The amino acid sequence was altered periodically after visual inspection of (F_o ? F_c) difference electron density maps. Evidence of the improvement in the amino acid sequence was provided by the better agreement between the X-ray and chemically derived amino acid compositions, and most importantly by the ability to locate two short peptides which had been chemically sequenced. While only 6 out of the 18 residues in these two peptides agree with the sequence of the original model, 12 residues agree with the sequence of the refined model and the others differ by only an atom or two. The refined model contains 3293 of of the 3596 non-hydrogen atoms expected from the amino acid composition and 152 bound water molecules. The crystallographic R factor at 2.1 Å is 0.25.We show that there are several advantages to refining the structure of even a protein of unknown sequence. (1) Improved phases can be obtained to the resolution limit of the diffraction pattern starting with a model derived from a 2.5 Å map. (2) The accuracy of the amino acid sequence derived by X-ray methods alone can be substantially improved. (3) Functionally important residues can be identified before chemical sequence information is available. (4) The improved X-ray sequence should greatly reduce the effort required to obtain a chemical sequence; since peptides as short as eight or nine residues can be located in the refined X-ray sequence, peptides do not need to be overlapped by chemical means.     

The jigsaw puzzle model: search for conformational specificity in protein interiors

The jigsaw puzzle model postulates that the predominant factor relating primary sequence to three-dimensional fold lies in the stereospecific packing of interdigitating side-chains within densely packed protein interiors. An attempt has been made to check the validity of the model by means of a surface complementarity function. Out of a database of 100 highly resolved protein structures the contacts between buried hydrophobic residues (Leu, Ile, Val, Phe) and their neighbours have been categorized in terms of the extent of side-chain surface area involved in a contact (overlap) and their steric fit (Sm). The results show that the majority of contacts between a buried residue and its immediate neighbours (side-chains) are of high steric fit and in the case of extended overlap at least one of the angular parameters characterizing interresidue geometry to have pronounced deviation from a random distribution, estimated by chi(2). The calculations thus tend to support the "jigsaw puzzle" model in that 75-85% of the contacts involving hydrophobic residues are of high surface complementarity, which, coupled to high overlap, exercise fairly stringent constraints over the possible geometrical orientations between interacting residues. These constraints manifest in simple patterns in the distributions of orientational angles. Approximately 60-80% of the buried side-chain surface packs against neighbouring side-chains, the rest interacting with main-chain atoms. The latter partition of the surface maintains an equally high steric fit (relative to side-chain contacts) emphasizing a non-trivial though secondary role played by main-chain atoms in interior packing. The majority of this class of contacts, though of high complementarity, is of reduced overlap. All residues whether hydrophobic or polar/charged show similar surface complementarity measures upon burial, indicating comparable competence of all amino acids in packing effectively with their atomic environments. The specificity thus appears to be distributed over the entire network of contacts within proteins. The study concludes with a proposal to classify contacts as specific and non-specific (based on overlap and fit), with the former perhaps contributing more to the specificity between sequence and fold than the latter.     

Refined structure of the human histocompatibility antigen HLA-A2 at 2.6 A resolution

The three-dimensional structure of the human histocompatibility antigen HLA-A2 was determined at 3.5 A resolution by a combination of isomorphous replacement and iterative real-space averaging of two crystal forms. The monoclinic crystal form has now been refined by least-squares methods to an R-factor of 0.169 for data from 6 to 2.6 A resolution. A superposition of the structurally similar domains found in the heterodimer, alpha 1 onto alpha 2 and alpha 3 onto beta 2m, as well as the latter pair onto the ancestrally related immunoglobulin constant domain, reveals that differences are mainly in the turn regions. Structural features of the alpha 1 and alpha 2 domains, such as conserved salt-bridges that contribute to stability, specific loops that form contacts with other domains, and the antigen-binding groove formed from two adjacent helical regions on top of an eight-stranded beta-sheet, are analyzed. The interfaces between the domains, especially those between beta 2m and the HLA heavy chain presumably involved in beta 2m exchange and heterodimer assembly, are described in detail. A detailed examination of the binding groove confirms that the solvent-accessible amino acid side-chains that are most polymorphic in mouse and human alleles fill up the central and widest portion of the binding groove, while conserved side-chains are clustered at the narrower ends of the groove. Six pockets or sub-sites in the antigen-binding groove, of diverse shape and composition, appear suited for binding side-chains from antigenic peptides. Three pockets contain predominantly non-polar atoms; but others, especially those at the extreme ends of the groove, have clusters of polar atoms in close proximity to the "extra" electron density in the binding site. A possible role for beta 2m in stabilizing permissible peptide complexes during folding and assembly is presented.     

1.7 A X-ray structure of the periplasmic ribose receptor from Escherichia coli.

The X-ray structure of the periplasmic ribose receptor (binding protein) of Escherichia coli (RBP) was solved at 3 A resolution by the method of multiple isomorphous replacement. Alternating cycles of refitting and refinement have resulted in a model structure with an R-factor of 18.7% for 27,526 reflections from 7.5 to 1.7 A resolution (96% of the data). The model contains 2228 non-hydrogen atoms, including all 271 residues of the amino acid sequence, 220 solvent atoms and beta-D-ribose. The protein consists of two highly similar structural domains, each of which is composed of a core of parallel beta-sheet flanked on both sides by alpha-helices. The two domains are related to each other by an almost perfect 2-fold axis of rotation, with the C termini of the beta-strands of each sheet pointing toward the center of the molecule. Three short stretches of amino acid chain (from symmetrically related portions of the protein) link these two domains, and presumably act as a hinge to allow relative movement of the domains in functionally important conformational changes. Two water molecules are also an intrinsic part of the hinge, allowing crucial flexibility in the structure. The ligand beta-D-ribose (in the pyranose form) is bound between the domains, held by interactions with side-chains of the interior loops. The binding site is precisely tailored, with a combination of hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and steric effects giving rise to tight binding (0.1 microM for ribose) and high specificity. Four out of seven binding-site residues are charged (2 each of aspartate and arginine) and contribute two hydrogen bonds each. The remaining hydrogen bonds are contributed by asparagine and glutamine residues. Three phenylalanine residues supply the hydrophobic component, packing against both faces of the sugar molecule. The arrangement of these hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic residues results in an enclosed binding site with the exact shape of the allowed sugar molecules; in the process of binding, the ligand loses all of its surface-accessible area. The sites of two mutations that affect the rate of folding of the ribose receptor are shown to be located near small cavities in the wild-type protein. The cavities thus allow the incorporation of the larger residues in the mutant proteins. Since these alterations would seriously affect the ability of the protein to build the first portion of the hydrophobic core in the first domain, it is proposed that this process is the rate-limiting step in folding of the ribose receptor.     

Packing and hydrophobicity effects on protein folding and stability: effects of beta-branched amino acids, valine and isoleucine, on the formation and stability of two-stranded alpha-helical coiled coils/leucine zippers.

The aim of this study was to examine the differences between hydrophobicity and packing effects in specifying the three-dimensional structure and stability of proteins when mutating hydrophobes in the hydrophobic core. In DNA-binding proteins (leucine zippers), Leu residues are conserved at positions "d," and beta-branched amino acids, Ile and Val, often occur at positions "a" in the hydrophobic core. In order to discern what effect this selective distribution of hydrophobes has on the formation and stability of two-stranded alpha-helical coiled coils/leucine zippers, three Val or three Ile residues were simultaneously substituted for Leu at either positions "a" (9, 16, and 23) or "d" (12, 19, and 26) in both chains of a model coiled coil. The stability of the resulting coiled coils was monitored by CD in the presence of Gdn.HCl. The results of the mutations of Ile to Val at either positions "a" or "d" in the reduced or oxidized coiled coils showed a significant hydrophobic effect with the additional methylene group in Ile stabilizing the coiled coil (delta delta G values range from 0.45 to 0.88 kcal/mol/mutation). The results of mutations of Leu to Ile or Val at positions "a" in the reduced or oxidized coiled coils showed a significant packing effect in stabilizing the coiled coil (delta delta G values range from 0.59 to 1.03 kcal/mol/mutation). Our results also indicate the subtle control hydrophobic packing can have not only on protein stability but on the conformation adopted by the amphipathic alpha-helices. These structural findings correlate with the observation that in DNA-binding proteins, the conserved Leu residues at positions "d" are generally less tolerant of amino acid substitutions than the hydrophobic residues at positions "a."     

The core protein of alphaviruses. 1. Purification of peptides and complete amino-acid sequence of Semliki Forest virus core protein

The primary structure of the core protein of Semliki Forest virus has been established by protein chemical characterization of 102 peptides, generated by digestion with trypsin, pepsin, thermolysin, and by partial acid cleavage of the protein. Besides a difference in one position, the sequence as established by these experiments is in agreement with the sequence predicted from the nucleotide sequence of the mRNA [Garoff et al. (1980) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA, 77, 6376-6380]. The core protein has a blocked N terminus, consists of 267 amino acid residues, and has the following amino acid composition: Asp12, Asn9, Thr16, Ser10, Glu11, Gln15, Pro23, Gly20, Ala23, Val19, Met8, Ile11, Leu9, Tyr7, Phe6, His7, Lys37, Arg15, Trp5, Cys4, and an Mr of 29919. It contains 22.1% basic amino acids, mainly lysines, compared with a total of 8.6% acidic residues. The resulting surplus of positive charge is located in the N-terminal half of the protein (predominantly arginines at positions 12-21 and lysines at positions 66-114). Other amino acids are also unevenly distributed; proline and glutamine are accumulated in the N-terminal half of the sequence whereas histidine, glycine and the acidic residues are mainly present in the C-terminal part. This distribution suggests that the virus core protein consists of two or more structural domains.     

Identification of amino acids involved in protein structural uniqueness: implication for de novo protein design

Structural uniqueness is characteristic of native proteins and is essential to express their biological functions. The major factors that bring about the uniqueness are specific interactions between hydrophobic residues and their unique packing in the protein core. To find the origin of the uniqueness in their amino acid sequences, we analyzed the distribution of the side chain rotational isomers (rotamers) of hydrophobic amino acids in protein tertiary structures and derived deltaS(contact), the conformational-entropy changes of side chains by residue-residue contacts in each secondary structure. The deltaS(contact) values indicate distinct tendencies of the residue pairs to restrict side chain conformation by inter-residue contacts. Of the hydrophobic residues in alpha-helices, aliphatic residues (Leu, Val, Ile) strongly restrict the side chain conformations of each other. In beta-sheets, Met is most strongly restricted by contact with Ile, whereas Leu, Val and Ile are less affected by other residues in contact than those in alpha-helices. In designed and native protein variants, deltaS(contact) was found to correlate with the folding-unfolding cooperativity. Thus, it can be used as a specificity parameter for designing artificial proteins with a unique structure.     

Structure of a sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein from Nereis diversicolor refined at 2.0 A resolution.

The crystal structure of a sarcoplasmic Ca(2+)-binding protein (SCP) from the sandworm Nereis diversicolor has been determined and refined at 2.0 A resolution using restrained least-squares techniques. The two molecules in the crystallographic asymmetric unit, which are related by a non-crystallographic 2-fold axis, were refined independently. The refined model includes all 174 residues and three calcium ions for each molecule, as well as 213 water molecules. The root-mean-square difference in co-ordinates for backbone atoms and calcium ions of the two molecules is 0.51 A. The final crystallographic R-factor, based on 18,959 reflections in the range 2.0 A less than or equal to d less than or equal to 7.0 A, with intensities exceeding 2.0 sigma, is 0.182. Bond lengths and bond angles in the molecules have root-mean-square deviations from ideal values of 0.013 A and 2.2 degrees, respectively. SCP has four distinct domains with the typical helix-loop-helix (EF-hand) Ca(2+)-binding motif, although the second Ca(2+)-binding domain is not functional due to amino acid changes in the loop. The structure shows several unique features compared to other Ca(2+)-binding proteins with four EF-hand domains. The overall structure is highly compact and globular with a predominant hydrophobic core, unlike the extended dumbbell-shaped structure of calmodulin or troponin C. A hydrophobic tail at the COOH terminus adds to the structural stability by packing against a hydrophobic pocket created by the folding of the NH2 and COOH-terminal Ca(2+)-binding domain pairs. The first and second domains show different helix-packing arrangements from any previously described for Ca(2+)-binding proteins.     

Monitoring the structural consequences of Phe12-->D-Phe and Leu15-->Aib substitution in human/rat corticotropin releasing hormone. Implications for design of CRH antagonists.

A new human/rat CRH analogue has been synthesized using the Fmoc/tBu solid-phase synthetic protocol. The sequence of the new peptide differs from the original in two positions, 12 and 15, at which the native amino acids l-phenylalanine 12 and l-leucine 15 have been replaced by the nonprotein amino acids d-phenylalanine and alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib), respectively. The high resolution three-dimensional solution structure of [d-Phe12, Aib15]CRH has been determined by 688 distance constraints (656 meaningful NOE and 32 H-bonds distance limits) and 21 angle constraints. A family of 40 energy-minimized conformers was obtained with average rmsd of 0.39 +/- 0.16 A and 0.99 +/- 0.13 A for backbone and heavy atoms, respectively, and distance penalty functions of 0.42 +/- 0.03 A2. The NMR data acquired in a solvent system of water/trifluoroethanol (34%/66%, v/v) revealed that this 41-polypeptide adopts an almost linear helical structure in solution with helical content which reaches an 84% of the residues. Structural analysis confirmed the existence of two helical peptide fragments. The first was comprised of residues Ile6-Arg16 and the second of residues Glu20-Ile40, forming an angle of 34.2 degrees. The structural differences with respect to the native peptide have been identified in the region d-Phe12-Glu20 where double substitution at positions 12 and 15 seems to perturb the elements of the native 35-residue helix. These structural rearrangements promote non-native intramolecular interactions in the region of the molecule between either the hydrophobic side-chains of d-Phe12, Aib15 and Leu18, or the charged groups of the residue pairs Arg16-Glu20 and His13-Glu17 being responsible for changes in hormonal functionality. This CRH analogue currently exhibits lack of any activity.     

High polar content of long buried blocks of sequence in protein domains suggests selection against amyloidogenic non-polar sequences

Native protein structures achieve stability in part by burying hydrophobic side-chains. About 75% of all amino acid residues buried in protein interiors are non-polar. Buried residues are not uniformly distributed in protein sequences, but sometimes cluster as contiguous polypeptide stretches that run through the interior of protein domain structures. Such regions have an intrinsically high local sequence density of non-polar residues, creating a potential problem: local non-polar sequences also promote protein misfolding and aggregation into non-native structures such as the amyloid fibrils in Alzheimer's disease. Here we show that long buried blocks of sequence in protein domains of known structure have, on average, a lower content of non-polar amino acids (about 70%) than do isolated buried residues (about 80%). This trend is observed both in small and in large protein domains and is independent of secondary structure. Long, completely non-polar buried stretches containing many large side-chains are particularly avoided. Aspartate residues that are incorporated in long buried stretches were found to make fewer polar interactions than those in short stretches, hinting that they may be destabilizing to the native state. We suggest that evolutionary pressure is acting on non-native properties, causing buried polar residues to be placed at positions where they would break up aggregation-prone non-polar sequences, perhaps even at some cost to native state stability.     

A method for detecting hydrophobic patches on protein surfaces

A method for the detection of hydrophobic patches on the surfaces of protein tertiary structures is presented. It delineates explicit contiguous pieces of surface of arbitrary size and shape that consist solely of carbon and sulphur atoms using a dot representation of the solvent-accessible surface. The technique is also useful in detecting surface segments with other characteristics, such as polar patches. Its potential as a tool in the study of protein-protein interactions and substrate recognition is demonstrated by applying the method to myoglobin, Leu/Ile/Val-binding protein, lipase, lysozyme, azurin, triose phosphate isomerase, carbonic anhydrase, and phosphoglycerate kinase. Only the largest patches, having sizes exceeding random expectation, are deemed meaningful. In addition to well-known hydrophobic patches on these proteins, a number of other patches are found, and their significance is discussed. The method is simple, fast, and robust. The program text is obtainable by anonymous ftp. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Crystal structure of rat intestinal fatty-acid-binding protein. Refinement and analysis of the Escherichia coli-derived protein with bound palmitate

Rat intestinal fatty-acid-binding protein (I-FABP) is a small (15,124 Mr) cytoplasmic polypeptide that binds long-chain fatty acids in a non-covalent fashion. I-FABP is a member of a family of intracellular binding proteins that are thought to participate in the uptake, transport and/or metabolic targeting of hydrophobic ligands. The crystal structure of Escherichia coli-derived rat I-FABP with a single molecule of bound palmitate has been refined to 2 A resolution using a combination of least-squares methods, energy refinement and molecular dynamics. The combined methods resulted in a model with a crystallographic R-factor of 17.8% (7775 reflections, sigma greater than 2.0), root-mean-square bond length deviation of 0.009 A and root-mean-square bond angle deviation of 2.85 degrees. I-FABP contains ten antiparallel beta-strands organized into two approximately orthogonal, beta-sheets. The hydrocarbon tail of its single C16:0 ligand is present in a well-ordered, distinctively bent conformation. The carboxylate group of the fatty acid is located in the interior of I-FABP and forms a unique "quintet" of electrostatic interactions involving Arg106; Gln 115, and two solvent molecules. The hydrocarbon tail is bent with a slight left-handed helical twist from the carboxylate group to C-16. The bent methylene chain resides in a "cradle" formed by the side-chains of hydrophobic, mainly aromatic, amino acid residues. The refined molecular model of holo-I-FABP suggests several potential locations for entry and exiting of the fatty acid.