Mutations of ferritin H chain C-terminus produced by nucleotide insertions have altered stability and functional properties

Ferritin is an iron storage protein made of 24 subunits. Previous mutational analyses showed that ferritin C-terminal region has a major role in protein stability and assembly but is only marginally involved in the mechanism of iron incorporation. However, it has recently been shown that patients who carry alterations of ferritin C-terminal sequence caused by nucleotide insertions show neurological disorders possibly related to altered protein functionality and cellular iron deregulation. To re-evaluate the role of this region, five mutants of mouse H-ferritin were produced by 2-nucleotide insertions that modified the last 6-29 residues and extended the sequence of 14 amino acids. The mutants were expressed in Escherichia coli and analysed for solubility, stability and capacity to incorporate iron. The alteration of the last 6-residue non-helical extension had no evident effect on the properties of ferritin, while solubility and capacity to assemble in ferritin shells decreased progressively with the extension of the modified region. The results also showed that the modification of even a part of the terminal E-helix abolished the capacity of ferritin to incorporate iron during expression in the cells, probably caused by conformational modification of the hydrophobic channels. The data support the hypothesis that the pathogenic mutations alter cellular iron homeostasis.     

Mechanism of ferritin iron uptake: activity of the H-chain and deletion mapping of the ferro-oxidase site. A study of iron uptake and ferro-oxidase activity of human liver, recombinant H-chain ferritins, and of two H-chain deletion mutants

To study the functional differences between human ferritin H- and L-chains and the role of the protein shell in the formation and growth of the ferritin iron core, we have compared the kinetics of iron oxidation and uptake of ferritin purified from human liver (90% L) and of the H-chain homopolymer overproduced in Escherichia coli (100% H). As a control for iron autocatalytic activity, we analyzed the effect of Fe(III) on the iron uptake reaction. The results show that the H-chain homopolymer has faster rates of iron uptake and iron oxidation than liver ferritin in all the conditions analyzed and that the difference is reduced in the conditions in which iron autocatalysis in high: i.e. at pH 7 and in presence of iron core. We have also analyzed the properties of two engineered H-chains, one lacking the last 22 amino acids at the carboxyl terminus and the other missing the first 13 residues at the amino terminus. These mutant proteins assemble in ferritin-like proteins and maintain the ability to catalyze iron oxidation. The deletion at the carboxyl terminus, however, prevents the formation of a stable iron core. It is concluded that the ferritin H-chain has an iron oxidation site which is separated from the sites of iron transfer and hydrolysis and that either the integrity of the molecule or the presence of the amino acid sequences forming the hydrophobic channel is necessary for iron core formation.     

Mutation analysis of the human 5-lipoxygenase C-terminus: support for a stabilizing C-terminal loop

Lipoxygenases contain prosthetic iron, in human 5-lipoxygenase (5LO) the C-terminal isoleucine carboxylate constitutes one of five identified ligands. ATP is one of several factors determining 5LO activity. We compared properties of a series of 5LO C-terminal deletion mutants (one to six amino acid residues deleted). All mutants were enzymatically inactive (expected due to loss of iron), but expression yield (in E. coli) and affinity to ATP-agarose was markedly different. Deletion of up to four C-terminal residues was compatible with good expression and retained affinity to the ATP-column, as for wild-type 5LO. However when also the fifth residue was deleted (Asn-669) expression yield decreased and the affinity to ATP was markedly diminished. This was interpreted as a result of deranged structure and stability, due to loss of a hydrogen bond between Asn-669 and His-399. Mutagenesis of these residues supported this conclusion. In the structure of soybean lipoxygenase-1, a C-terminal loop was pointed out as important for correct orientation of the C-terminus. Accordingly, a hydrogen bond appears to stabilize such a C-terminal loop also in 5LO.     

Influence of site-directed modifications on the formation of iron cores in ferritin

The structure and crystal chemical properties of iron cores of reconstituted recombinant human ferritins and their site-directed variants have been studied by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The kinetics of Fe uptake have been compared spectrophotometrically. Recombinant L and H-chain ferritins, and recombinant H-chain variants incorporating modifications in the threefold (Asp131----His or Glu134----Ala) and fourfold (Leu169----Arg) channels, at the partially buried ferroxidase sites (Glu62,His65----Lys,Gly), a putative nucleation site on the inner surface (Glu61,Glu64,Glu67----Ala), and both the ferroxidase and nucleation sites (Glu62,His65----Lys,Gly and Glu61,Glu64,Glu67----Ala), were investigated. An additional H-chain variant, incorporating substitution of the last ten C-terminal residues for those of the L-chain protein, was also studied. Most of the proteins assimilated iron to give discrete electron-dense cores of the Fe(III) hydrated oxide, ferrihydrite (Fe2O3.nH2O). No differences were observed for variants modified in the three- or fourfold channels compared with the unmodified H-chain ferritin. The recombinant L-chain ferritin and H-chain variant depleted of the ferroxidase site, however, showed markedly reduced uptake kinetics and comprised cores of increased diameter and regularity. Depletion of the inner surface Glu residues, whilst maintaining the ferroxidase site, resulted in a partially reduced rate of Fe uptake and iron cores of wider particle size distribution. Modification of both ferroxidase and inner surface Glu residues resulted in complete inhibition of iron uptake and deposition. No cores were observed by electron microscopy although negative staining showed that the protein shell was intact. The general requirement of an appropriate spatial charge density across the cavity surface rather than specific amino acid residues could explain how, in spite of an almost complete lack of identity between the amino acid sequences of bacterioferritin and mammalian ferritins, ferrihydrite is deposited within the cavity of both proteins under similar reconstitution conditions.     

Hydrophilic residues 526 KNDAAD 531 in the flexible C-terminal region of the chaperonin GroEL are critical for substrate protein folding within the central cavity

The final 23 residues in the C-terminal region of Escherichia coli GroEL are invisible in crystallographic analyses due to high flexibility. To probe the functional role of these residues in the chaperonin mechanism, we generated and characterized C-terminal truncated, double ring, and single ring mutants of GroEL. The ability to assist the refolding of substrate proteins rhodanese and malate dehydrogenase decreased suddenly when 23 amino acids were truncated, indicating that a sudden change in the environment within the central cavity had occurred. From further experiments and analyses of the hydropathy of the C-terminal region, we focused on the hydrophilicity of the sequence region (26 KNDAAD 531 and generated two GroEL mutants where these residues were changed to a neutral hydropathy sequence (526 GGGAAG 531) and a hydrophobic sequence (526 IGIAAI 531), respectively. Very interestingly, the two mutants were found to be defective in function both in vitro and in vivo. Deterioration of function was not observed in mutants where this region was replaced by a scrambled (526 NKADDA 531) or homologous (526 RQEGGE 531) sequence, indicating that the hydrophilicity of this sequence was important. These results highlight the importance of the hydrophilic nature of 526 KNDAAD 531 residues in the flexible C-terminal region for proper protein folding within the central cavity of GroEL.     

"Opening" the ferritin pore for iron release by mutation of conserved amino acids at interhelix and loop sites.

Ferritin concentrates, stores, and detoxifies iron in most organisms. The iron is a solid, ferric oxide mineral (< or =4500 Fe) inside the protein shell. Eight pores are formed by subunit trimers of the 24 subunit protein. A role for the protein in controlling reduction and dissolution of the iron mineral was suggested in preliminary experiments [Takagi et al. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 18685-18688] with a proline/leucine substitution near the pore. Localized pore disorder in frog L134P crystals coincided with enhanced iron exit, triggered by reduction. In this report, nine additional substitutions of conserved amino acids near L134 were studied for effects on iron release. Alterations of a conserved hydrophobic pair, a conserved ion pair, and a loop at the ferritin pores all increased iron exit (3-30-fold). Protein assembly was unchanged, except for a slight decrease in volume (measured by gel filtration); ferroxidase activity was still in the millisecond range, but a small decrease indicates slight alteration of the channel from the pore to the oxidation site. The sensitivity of reductive iron exit rates to changes in conserved residues near the ferritin pores, associated with localized unfolding, suggests that the structure around the ferritin pores is a target for regulated protein unfolding and iron release.     

Signal and membrane anchor functions overlap in the type II membrane protein I gamma CAT

I gamma CAT is a hybrid protein that inserts into the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum as a type II membrane protein. These proteins span the membrane once and expose the NH2-terminal end on the cytoplasmic side and the COOH terminus on the exoplasmic side. I gamma CAT has a single hydrophobic segment of 30 amino acid residues that functions as a signal for membrane insertion and anchoring. The signal-anchor region in I gamma CAT was analyzed by deletion mutagenesis from its COOH-terminal end (delta C mutants). The results show that the 13 amino acid residues on the amino-terminal side of the hydrophobic segment are not sufficient for membrane insertion and translocation. Mutant proteins with at least 16 of the hydrophobic residues are inserted into the membrane, glycosylated, and partially proteolytically processed by a microsomal protease (signal peptidase). The degree of processing varies between different delta C mutants. Mutant proteins retaining 20 or more of the hydrophobic amino acid residues can span the membrane like the parent I gamma CAT protein and are not proteolytically processed. Our data suggest that in the type II membrane protein I gamma CAT, the signals for membrane insertion and anchoring are overlapping and that hydrophilic amino acid residues at the COOH-terminal end of the hydrophobic segment can influence cleavage by signal peptidase. From this and previous work, we conclude that the function of the signal-anchor sequence in I gamma CAT is determined by three segments: a positively charged NH2 terminus, a hydrophobic core of at least 16 amino acid residues, and the COOH-terminal flanking hydrophilic segment.     

Role of the second extracellular loop of human C3a receptor in agonist binding and receptor function

The C3a anaphylatoxin receptor (C3aR) is a G protein-coupled receptor with an unusually large second extracellular loop (e2 loop, approximately 172 amino acids). To determine the function of this unique structure, chimeric and deletion mutants were prepared and analyzed in transfected RBL-2H3 cells. Whereas replacement of the C3aR N-terminal segment with that from the human C5a receptor had minimal effect on C3a binding, substitution of the e2 loop with a smaller e2 loop from the C5a receptor (C5aR) abolished binding of 125I-C3a and C3a-stimulated calcium mobilization. However, as much as 65% of the e2 loop sequence (amino acids 198-308) may be removed without affecting C3a binding or calcium responses. The e2 loop sequences adjacent to the transmembrane domains contain multiple aspartate residues and are found to play an important role in C3a binding based on deletion mutagenesis. Replacement of five aspartate residues in the e2 loop with lysyl residues significantly compromised both the binding and functional capabilities of the C3a receptor mediated by intact C3a or by two C3a analog peptides. These data suggest a two-site C3a-C3aR interaction model similar to that established for C5a/C5aR. The anionic residues near the N and C termini of the C3aR e2 loop constitute a non-effector secondary interaction site with cationic residues in the C-terminal helical region of C3a, whereas the C3a C-terminal sequence LGLAR engages the primary effector site in C3aR.     

COOH-terminal requirements for the correct processing of a phosphatidylinositol-glycan anchored membrane protein

Placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) is anchored to the plasma membrane by a phosphatidylinositol-glycan (PI-G) moiety. During processing of nascent PLAP, a 29-residue COOH-terminal peptide is cleaved out and the PI-G moiety is attached to the newly created COOH terminus of the mature protein. To investigate the structural requirements of the COOH terminus of the nascent protein for PI-G tailing and anchoring to the plasma membrane, we have transfected COS cells with wild type and mutant forms of cDNA encoding human prepro-PLAP. Utilizing a series of COOH-terminal deletion mutants of prepro-PLAP, it was found that to be PI-G-tailed the newly synthesized protein must possess an uncharged, predominantly hydrophobic amino acid sequence of a minimal length in the COOH-terminal peptide. While forms of prepro-PLAP with 17 consecutive hydrophobic residues in the terminal sequence yielded PI-G-tailed and membrane-bound products, prepro-PLAP mutants with 13 or fewer of such residues yielded hydrophilic proteins that were no longer PI-G-tailed but efficiently secreted into the medium. Studies using cassette mutants demonstrated that the precise amino sequence of the COOH-terminal region could be altered as long as minimal hydrophobicity and length was maintained.     

Unraveling of the E-helices and Disruption of 4-Fold Pores Are Associated with Iron Mishandling in a Mutant Ferritin Causing Neurodegeneration

Mutations in the coding sequence of the ferritin light chain (FTL) gene cause a neurodegenerative disease known as neuroferritinopathy or hereditary ferritinopathy, which is characterized by the presence of intracellular inclusion bodies containing the mutant FTL polypeptide and by abnormal accumulation of iron in the brain. Here, we describe the x-ray crystallographic structure and report functional studies of ferritin homopolymers formed from the mutant FTL polypeptide p.Phe167SerfsX26, which has a C terminus that is altered in amino acid sequence and length. The structure was determined and refined to 2.85 Å resolution and was very similar to the wild type between residues Ile-5 and Arg-154. However, instead of the E-helices normally present in wild type ferritin, the C-terminal sequences of all 24 mutant subunits showed substantial amounts of disorder, leading to multiple C-terminal polypeptide conformations and a large disruption of the normally tiny 4-fold axis pores. Functional studies underscored the importance of the mutant C-terminal sequence in iron-induced precipitation and revealed iron mishandling by soluble mutant FTL homopolymers in that only wild type incorporated iron when in direct competition in solution with mutant ferritin. Even without competition, the amount of iron incorporation over the first few minutes differed severalfold. Our data suggest that disruption at the 4-fold pores may lead to direct iron mishandling through attenuated iron incorporation by the soluble form of mutant ferritin and that the disordered C-terminal polypeptides may play a major role in iron-induced precipitation and formation of ferritin inclusion bodies in hereditary ferritinopathy.     

Disrupted plasma membrane localization and loss of function reveal regions of human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 involved in structural integrity and activity

Human Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter 1 (hENT1) is an integral membrane protein that transports nucleosides and analog drugs across cellular membranes. Very little is known about intracellular processing and localization of hENT1. Here we show that disruption of a highly conserved triplet (PWN) near the N-terminus, or the last eight C-terminal residues (two hydrophobic triplets separated by a positive arginine) result in loss of plasma membrane localization and/or transport function. To understand the role of specific residues within these regions, we studied the localization patterns of N- or C-terminal deletion and/or substitution mutants of GFP-hENT1 using confocal microscopy. Quantification of GFP-hENT1 (mutant and wildtype) protein at the plasma membrane was conducted using nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBTI) binding. Functionality of the GFP-hENT1 mutants was determined by heterologous expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes followed by measurement of uridine uptake. Mutation of the proline within the PWN motif disrupts plasma membrane localization. C-terminal mutations (primarily within the hydrophobic triplets) lead to hENT1 retention within the cell (e.g. in the ER). Some mutants still localize to the plasma membrane but show reduced transport activity. These data suggest that these two regions contribute to the structural integrity and thus correct processing and function of hENT1.     

Iron-mediated aggregation and a localized structural change characterize ferritin from a mutant light chain polypeptide that causes neurodegeneration

Nucleotide insertions in the ferritin light chain (FTL) polypeptide gene cause hereditary ferritinopathy, a neurodegenerative disease characterized by abnormal accumulation of ferritin and iron in the central nervous system. Here we describe for the first time the protein structure and iron storage function of the FTL mutant p.Phe167SerfsX26 (MT-FTL), which has a C terminus altered in sequence and extended in length. MT-FTL polypeptides assembled spontaneously into soluble, spherical 24-mers that were ultrastructurally indistinguishable from those of the wild type. Far-UV CD showed a decrease in alpha-helical content, and 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate fluorescence revealed the appearance of hydrophobic binding sites. Near-UV CD and proteolysis studies suggested little or no structural alteration outside of the C-terminal region. In contrast to wild type, MT-FTL homopolymers precipitated at much lower iron loading, had a diminished capacity to incorporate iron, and were less thermostable. However, precipitation was significantly reversed by addition of iron chelators both in vitro and in vivo. Our results reveal substantial protein conformational changes localized at the 4-fold pore of MT-FTL homopolymers and imply that the C terminus of the MT-FTL polypeptide plays an important role in ferritin solubility, stability, and iron management. We propose that the protrusion of some portion of the C terminus above the spherical shell allows it to cross-link with other mutant polypeptides through iron bridging, leading to enhanced mutant precipitation by iron. Our data suggest that hereditary ferritinopathy pathogenesis is likely to result from a combination of reduction in iron storage function and enhanced toxicity associated with iron-induced ferritin aggregates.     

Mitochondrial energy-linked nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase. Membrane topography of the bovine enzyme

The mitochondrial energy-linked nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase is a homodimer of monomer Mr = 109,228. Hydropathy analysis of its cDNA-deduced amino acid sequence (1043 residues) has indicated that the molecule is composed of 3 domains: a 430-residue-long hydrophilic N-terminal domain which binds NAD(H), a 200-residue-long hydrophilic C-terminal domain which binds NADP(H), and a 400-residue-long hydrophobic central domain which appears to be made up mainly of about 14 hydrophobic clusters of approximately 20 residues each. In this study, antibodies were raised to the hydrophilic N- and C-terminal domains cleaved from the isolated transhydrogenase by proteolytic digestion, and to a synthetic, hydrophilic pentadecapeptide, which corresponded to position 540-554 within the central hydrophobic domain. Immunochemical experiments with mitoplasts (mitochondria denuded of outer membrane) and submitochondrial particles (inside-out inner membrane vesicles) as sources of antigens showed that essentially the entire N- and C-terminal hydrophilic domains of the transhydrogenase, as well as epitopes from the central pentadecapeptide, protrude from the inner membrane into the mitochondrial matrix, where the N- and C-terminal domains would be expected to come together to form the enzyme's catalytic site. Treatment of mitoplasts with several proteolytic enzymes indicated that large protease-sensitive masses of the transhydrogenase are not exposed on the cytosolic side of the inner membrane, which agreed with the exception that the central highly hydrophobic domain of the molecule should be largely membrane-intercalated. Trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin, and papain had little or no effect on the mitoplast-embedded transhydrogenase. Proteinase K, subtilisin (Nagarse), thermolysin, and pronase E each split the mitoplast-embedded enzyme into two fragments only, a fragment of approximately 70 kDa containing the N-terminal hydrophilic domain, and one of approximately 40 kDa bearing the C-terminal hydrophilic domain. The cleavage site of proteinase K was determined to be A690 -A691, which is located in a small hydrophilic segment within the central hydrophobic domain. This protease-sensitive loop appears to be exposed on the cytosolic side of the inner membrane. The proteinase K-nicked enzyme containing two peptides of 71 and 39 kDa was isolated from mitoplasts and shown to have high transhydrogenase activity.     

A mutational analysis of the epitopes of recombinant human H-ferritin.

Murine monoclonal antibodies were elicited by the recombinant human H-ferritin overexpressed in Escherichia coli. They had a specificity analogous to that of the antibodies elicited by natural human H-chain, and all of them showed low additivity in binding the recombinant ferritin. Four antibodies of each group were challenged with four H-ferritin mutants overexpressed in E. coli, altered in different accessible areas of the molecule. They consisted of deletions of the first 13 and last 22 amino acids, a duplication of an 18 amino acid sequence in the loop region, and a substitution of a 5 amino acid stretch in the three-fold symmetry axis region. Double diffusion, immunodot analyses and inhibition plots indicated that: (1) all the mutants were recognized by at least one antibody; (2) the deletion of the N-terminus and the duplication in the loop region had the strongest effect on antibody binding; and (3) epitope boundaries of the various antibodies could not be recognized. The antibodies were tested with H-containing ferritins from rat and hen hearts, and showed low or absent reactivities despite their high structural homology with human ferritin. Comparison of the amino acid sequences of human, mouse, rat and hen H-chains, together with mutational data, suggested that; (i) ferritin epitopes are large, probably encompassing a large portion of the subunit surface and (ii) Thr-5 and Cys-90 have a role in H-ferritin immunogenicity.     

Kinetic analysis of bovine spleen apoferritin and recombinant H and L chain homopolymers: Iron uptake suggests early stage H chain ferroxidase activity and second stage L chain cooperation

Ferritin utilizes ferroxidase activity to incorporate iron. Iron uptake kinetics of bovine spleen apoferritin (H: L = 1 : 1.1) were compared with those of recombinant H chain ferritin and L chain ferritin homopolymers. H chain ferritin homopolymer showed an iron uptake rate identical to bovine spleen apoferritin (0.19 and 0.21 mmol/min/micromol of protein, respectively), and both showed iron concentration-dependent uptake. In contrast, the L chain homopolymer, which lacks ferroxidase, did not incorporate iron and showed the same level of iron autoxidation in the absence of ferritin. Bovine spleen apoferritin was shown to have two iron concentration-dependent uptake pathways over a range of 0.02-0.25 mM ferrous ammonium sulfate (FAS) by an Eadie-Scatchard plot (v/[FAS] versus v), whereas the H chain ferritin homopolymer was found to have only one pathway. Of the two Km values found in bovine spleen apoferritin, the lower mean Km value was 9.0 microM, while that of the H chain homopolymer was 11.0 microM. H chain ferritin homopolymer reached a saturating iron uptake rate at 0.1 mM FAS, while bovine spleen apoferritin incorporated more iron even at 0.25 mM FAS. These results suggest that the intrinsic ferroxidase of ferritin plays a significant role in iron uptake, and the L chain cooperates with the H chain to increase iron uptake.     

The role of cysteine residues in the oxidation of ferritin

We have shown that ferritin is oxidized during iron loading using its own ferroxidase activity and that this oxidation results in its aggregation (Welch et al., Free Radic. Biol. Med. 31:999-1006; 2001). In this study we determined the role of cysteine residues in the oxidation of ferritin. Loading iron into recombinant human ferritin by its own ferroxidase activity decreased its conjugation by a cysteine specific spin label, indicating that cysteine residues were altered during iron loading. Using LC/MS, we demonstrated that tryptic peptides of ferritin that contained cysteine residues were susceptible to modification as a result of iron loading. To assess the role of cysteine residues in the oxidation of ferritin, we used site-directed mutagenesis to engineer variants of human ferritin H chain homomers where the cysteines were substituted with other amino acids. The cysteine at position 90, which is located at the end of the BC-loop, appeared to be critical for the formation of ferritin aggregates during iron loading. We also provide evidence that dityrosine moieties are formed during iron loading into ferritin by its own ferroxidase activity and that the dityrosine formation is dependent upon the oxidation of cysteine residues, especially cysteine 90. In conclusion, cysteine residues play an integral role in the oxidation of ferritin and are essential for the formation of ferritin aggregates.     

Molecular characterization of the TonB2 protein from the fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum

In the fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum the TonB2 protein is essential for the uptake of the indigenous siderophore anguibactin. Here we describe deletion mutants and alanine replacements affecting the final six amino acids of TonB2. Deletions of more than two amino acids of the TonB2 C-terminus abolished ferric-anguibactin transport, whereas replacement of the last three residues resulted in a protein with wild-type transport properties. We have solved the high-resolution solution structure of the TonB2 C-terminal domain by NMR spectroscopy. The core of this domain (residues 121-206) has an alphabetabetaalphabeta structure, whereas residues 76-120 are flexible and extended. This overall folding topology is similar to the Escherichia coli TonB C-terminal domain, albeit with two differences: the beta4 strand found at the C-terminus of TonB is absent in TonB2, and loop 3 is extended by 9 A (0.9 nm) in TonB2. By examining several mutants, we determined that a complete loop 3 is not essential for TonB2 activity. Our results indicate that the beta4 strand of E. coli TonB is not required for activity of the TonB system across Gram-negative bacterial species. We have also determined, through NMR chemical-shift-perturbation experiments, that the E. coli TonB binds in vitro to the TonB box from the TonB2-dependent outer membrane transporter FatA; moreover, it can substitute in vivo for TonB2 during ferric-anguibactin transport in V. anguillarum. Unexpectedly, TonB2 did not bind in vitro to the FatA TonB-box region, suggesting that additional factors may be required to promote this interaction. Overall our results indicate that TonB2 is a representative of a different class of TonB proteins.     

Molecular dissection of the large mechanosensitive ion channel (MscL) of E. coli: Mutants with altered channel gating and pressure sensitivity

In the search for the essential functional domains of the large mechanosensitive ion channel (MscL) of E. coli, we have cloned several mutants of the mscL gene into a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein expression system. The resulting mutated MscL proteins had either amino acid additions, substitutions or deletions in the amphipathic N-terminal region, and/or deletions in the amphipathic central or hydrophilic C-terminal regions. Proteolytic digestion of the isolated fusion proteins by thrombin yielded virtually pure recombinant MscL proteins that were reconstituted into artificial liposomes and examined for function by the patch-clamp technique. The addition of amino acid residues to the N-terminus of the MscL did not affect channel activity, whereas N-terminal deletions or changes to the N-terminal amino acid sequence were poorly tolerated and resulted in channels exhibiting altered pressure sensitivity and gating. Deletion of 27 amino acids from the C-terminus resulted in MscL protein that formed channels similar to the wild-type, while deletion of 33 C-terminal amino acids extinguished channel activity. Similarly, deletion of the internal amphipathic region of the MscL abolished activity. In accordance with a recently proposed spatial model of the MscL, our results suggest that (i) the N-terminal portion participates in the channel activation by pressure, and (ii) the essential channel functions are associated with both, the putative central amphipathic α-helical portion of the protein and the six C-terminal residues RKKEEP forming a charge cluster following the putative M2 membrane spanning α-helix. Received: 25 September 1996/Revised: 21 November 1996     

Characterisation of an IS1 induced mutation in the carboxy-terminal end of bacteriophage Mu transposase which affects several functional domains of the protein

We show that a mutation in bacteriophage Mu transposase (pA) which was isolated as a deletion of the C-terminal end of the protein actually consists of the replacement of the last 16 amino acids (which are mostly hydrophilic) by 26 mostly hydrophobic amino acids. This change almost completely inactivates the in vivo enzyme activity as well as its capacity to bind Mu ends in vitro, although the end-binding domain of the protein resides at least 150 amino acids from the C-terminus. This sharply contrasts with the properties of a series of missense mutations and short C-terminal deletions in pA described earlier which only slightly decrease the overall transposase activity.     

The primary structure of the iron-sulfur subunit of ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase from Neurospora, determined by cDNA and gene sequencing

The primary structure of the iron-sulfur subunit of ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase from Neurospora mitochondria was determined by cDNA and genomic DNA sequencing. A first cDNA was identified from a cDNA bank cloned in Escherichia coli by hybridization selection of mRNA, cell-free protein synthesis and immunoadsorption. Further cDNA and geonomic DNA were identified by colony filter hybridization. The N-terminal sequence of the mature protein was determined by automated Edman degradation. From the sequence a molecular mass of 24749 Da results for the precursor protein and of 21556 Da for the mature protein. The presequence consists of 32 amino acids with four arginines as the only charged residues. The mature protein consists of 199 amino acids. It is characterized by a small N-terminal hydrophilic part of 29 residues, a hydrophobic stretch of 25 residues and a large C-terminal hydrophilic domain of 145 residues. The only four cysteines of the protein, which are assumed to bind the 2 Fe-2S cluster, are located in a moderate hydrophobic region of this large domain. Cysteines 3 and 4 are unusually arranged in that they are separated by only one proline. From sequence data the arrangement of the subunit in the membrane is deduced.