Co-expression with RadA and the characterization of stRad55B, a RadA paralog from the hyperthermophilic crenarchaea Sulfolobus tokodaii

ST0838 (designed stRad55B) is one of the four RadA paralogs (or Rad55 homologues) in the genome of the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii. The gene is induced by UV irradiation, suggesting that it is involved in DNA recombinational repair in this organism. However, this protein could not be expressed normally in vitro. In this study, thermostable and soluble stRad55B was obtained by co-expression with S. tokodaii RadA (stRadA) in E. coli, and the enzymatic properties were examined. It was found that stRad55B bound ssDNA preferentially and had a very weak ATPase activity that was not stimulated by DNA. The recombinant protein inhibited the strand exchange activity promoted by stRadA, indicating that stRad55B might be an inhibitor to the homologous recombination in this archaeon. The results will be helpful for further functional and interaction analysis of RadA paralogs and for the understanding of the mechanism of recombinational repair in archaea. Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2004CB719604) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 30470386 and 30700011)     

超嗜热古菌Sulfolobus tokodaii RadA蛋白的克隆表达及 其辐射可诱导性

RecA/Rad51/RadA家族蛋白是细胞内重要的重组修复蛋白,在功能上非常保守.研究发现在细菌、真核生物、甲烷古菌和嗜盐古菌细胞内RecA/Rad51/RadA均可以受紫外线辐射诱导转录.而对极端嗜热古菌中的RadA辐射可诱导性仍存在争议.通过体外表达极端嗜热古菌Sulfolobus tokodaii的RadA蛋白,制备抗体,利用免疫学方法并结合RT-PCR分析,对嗜热古菌S.tokodaii中RadA的辐射诱导进行了研究.经过100J/m2和200J/m2 UV辐照处理,radA基因的转录分别上调了2倍和3倍,同时RadA蛋白的表达分别上升了1.5倍和1倍.实验结果表明S.tokodaii中RadA可以被紫外线辐射诱导表达,证实了极端嗜热古菌S.tokodaii细胞中存在DNA损伤诱导反应的观点.     

The Rad51 paralog complex Rad55-Rad57 acts as a molecular chaperone during homologous recombination

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Identification and characterization of an ATP-dependent hexokinase with broad substrate specificity from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii

As a new member of the glucose-phosphorylating enzymes, the ATP-dependent hexokinase from the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii was purified, identified, and characterized. Our results revealed that the enzyme differs from other known enzymes in primary structure and its broad substrate specificity for both phosphoryl donors and acceptors.     

Molecular and functional characterization of D-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase in the serine biosynthetic pathway of the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii

A gene (ST1218) encoding a d-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PGDH; EC 1.1.1.95) homolog was found in the genome of Sulfolobus tokodaii strain 7 by screening a database of enzymes likely to contribute to l-serine biosynthesis in hyperthermophilic archaea. After expressing the gene in Escherichia coli, the PGDH activity of the recombinant enzyme was assessed. Homogeneous PGDH was obtained using conventional chromatography steps, though during the purification an unexpected decline in enzyme activity was observed if the enzyme was stored in plastic tubes, but not in glass ones. The purified enzyme was a homodimer with a subunit molecular mass of about 35 kDa and was highly thermostable. It preferably acted as an NAD-dependent d-3-phosphoglycerate (3PGA) dehydrogenase. Although NADP had no activity as the electron acceptor, both NADPH and NADH acted as electron donors. Kinetic analyses indicated that the enzyme reaction proceeds via a Theorell-Chance Bi-Bi mechanism. Unlike E. coli PGDH, the S. tokodaii enzyme was not inhibited by l-serine. In addition, both the NAD-dependent 3PGA oxidation and the reverse reaction were enhanced by phosphate and sulfate ions, while NADPH-dependent 3-phosphohydroxypyruvate (PHP) reduction was inhibited. Thus S. tokodaii PGDH appears to be subject to a novel regulatory mechanism not seen elsewhere. A database analysis showed that ST1218 gene forms a cluster with ST1217 gene, and a functional analysis of the ST1217 product expressed in E. coli revealed that it possesses l-glutamate-PHP aminotransferase activity. Taken together, our findings represent the first example of a phosphorylated serine pathway in a hyperthermophilic archaeon.     

Molecular characterization of a thermostable aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii strain 7

Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) is a widely distributed enzyme in nature. Although many ALDHs have been reported until now, the detailed enzymatic properties of ALDH from Archaea remain elusive. Herein, we describe the characterization of an ALDH from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii. The enzyme (stALDH) could utilize various aldehydes as substrates, and maximal activity was found with acetaldehyde and the coenzyme NAD. The optimal temperature and pH were 80 °C and 8, respectively, and high thermostability was found with the half-life at 90 °C to be 4 h. The enzyme was considerably resistant to nitroglycerin (GTN) inhibition, which could be restored by reducing agent DTT or (±)-??-lipoic acid. Coenzyme NAD or NADP could regulate the enzymatic thermostability, as well as the esterase activity. Molecular modeling suggested that the enzyme harbored similar structural arrangement with its eukaryotic and bacterial counterparts. Sequence alignment showed the conserved catalytic residues E240 and C274 and cofactor interactive sites N142, K165, I168 and E370, the function of which were verified by site-directed mutagenesis analysis. This is the most thermostable ALDH reported until now and the unique property of this enzyme is potentially beneficial in the fields of biotechnology and biomedicine.     

The in vitro activity of a Rad55 homologue from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sulfolobus tokodaii</Emphasis>, a candidate mediator in RadA-catalyzed homologous recombination

Archaea have recombination proteins similar to those of eukaryote, but many have not been characterized. Here, the characterization of a Rad55 homologue from Sulfolobus tokodaii (stRad55A) was reported. StRad55A protein preferred binding to ssDNA and had ssDNA-dependent ATPase activity. In addition, UV light could induce the expression of this protein, which was different from RadB, a RadA paralog found in euryarchaeota. Most importantly, stRad55A could release the suppression of excessive stSSB (single strand DNA binding protein from S. tokodaii) on the strand exchange catalyzed by stRadA (RadA homologue from S. tokodaii), by interacting directly with both stRadA and stSSB. StRad55A may function as a mediator to accelerate the displacement of stSSB by stRadA. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

嗜热古菌Sulfolobus tokodaii strain 7中麦芽寡糖基海藻糖合酶的酶学性质

【目的】克隆表达嗜热古菌Sulfolobus tokodaii strain 7中的ST0929基因,并测定其酶活性。【方法】根据ST0929基因设计引物进行PCR扩增,将这段基因克隆到p ET-15b质粒上,重组质粒导入大肠杆菌BL21细胞中表达。亲和层析纯化酶蛋白,并测定其酶活性。【结果】SDS-PAGE分析表明其分子量大约为83 k D。酶学性质研究表明该酶的最适温度为75°C,最适p H为5.0,具有很强的热稳定性和p H稳定性。该酶还能对多种金属离子和有机溶剂具有一定的耐受性。底物特异性研究发现该酶能够利用麦芽糊精作底物,而不能利用壳寡糖、麦芽糖等。【结论】通过以上酶学性质的研究,说明这种来源于超嗜热古菌的麦芽寡糖基海藻糖合酶在工业生产海藻糖领域具有一定的应用前景。     

Crystal structure of ST2348, a CBS domain protein, from hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii

The crystal structure of a hypothetical protein ST2348 (GI: 47118305) from the hyperthermophilic bacteria Sulfolobus tokodaii has been determined using X-ray crystallography. The protein consists of two CBS (cystathione β synthase) domains, whose function has been analyzed and reported here. PSI-BLAST shows a conservation of this domain in about 100 proteins in various species. However, none of the close homologs of ST2348 have been functionally characterized so far. Structure and sequence comparison of ST2348 with human AMP-kinase γ1 subunit and the CBS domain pair of bacterial IMP dehydrogenase is suggestive of its binding to AMP and ATP. A highly conserved residue Asp118, located in a negatively charged patch near the ligand binding cleft, could serve as a site for phosphorylation similar to that found in the chemotatic signal protein CheY and thereby ST2348 can function as a signal transduction molecule.     

Cloning, overexpression, and characterization of a thermoactive nitrilase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus abyssi

Four open reading frames encoding putative nitrilases were identified in the genomes of the hyperthermophilic archaea Pyrococcus abyssi, Pyrococcus horikoshii, Pyrococcus furiosus, and Aeropyrum pernix (growth temperature 90-100 degrees C). The nitrilase encoding genes were cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Enzymatic activity could only be detected in the case of Py. abyssi. This recombinant nitrilase was purified by heat treatment of E. coli crude extract followed by anion-exchange chromatography with a yield of 88% and a specific activity of 0.14 U/mg. The recombinant enzyme, which represents the first archaeal nitrilase, is a dimer (29.8 kDa/subunit) with an isoelectric point of pI 5.3. The nitrilase is active at a broad temperature (60-90 degrees C) and neutral pH range (pH 6.0-8.0). The recombinant enzyme is highly thermostable with a half-life of 25 h at 70 degrees C, 9 h at 80 degrees C, and 6 h at 90 degrees C. Thermostability measurements by employing circular dichroism spectroscopy and differential scanning microcalorimetry, at neutral pH, have shown that the enzyme unfolds up to 90 degrees C reversibly and has a T(m) of 112.7 degrees C. An inhibition of the enzymatic activity was observed in the presence of acetone and metal ions such as Ag(2+) and Hg(2+). The nitrilase hydrolyzes preferentially aliphatic substrates and the best substrate is malononitrile with a K(m) value of 3.47 mM.     

Three-dimensional electron microscopy of the reverse gyrase from Sulfolobus tokodaii

Reverse gyrase is a type IA topoisomerase, found in various hyperthermophiles and promotes ATP-dependent positive supercoiling of DNA. Electron microscopy combined with single particle analyses revealed the three-dimensional structure of the DNA-free Sulfolobus tokodaii reverse gyrase and two-dimensional average images of both the protein alone and that complexed with double-stranded DNA. The 23A resolution map exhibited a parallelogrammatic morphology of 110 x 87 x 43A, which is in good agreement with the crystal structure of the Archaeoglobus fulgidus reverse gyrase. The average image of the complex revealed that the monomeric enzyme binds DNA duplex. Together with this average image of the complex, the three-dimensional map implies that, at the beginning of the supercoiling reaction, DNA is bound within a 10-20A wide cleft in the helicase-like domain. We also speculate that DNA may pass through a 20A wide hole at the end of the cleft.     

Identification of sn-Glycerol-1-phosphate Dehydrogenase Activity from Genomic Information on a Hyperthermophilic Archaeon,Sulfolobus tokodaii Strain 7

sn-Glycerol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase is responsible for the formation of sn-glycerol-1-phosphate, the backbone of membrane phospholipids of Archaea. This activity had never been detected in cell-free extract of Sulfolobus sp. Here we report the detection of this activity on the thermostable ST0344 protein of Sulfolobus tokodaii expressed in Escherichia coli, which was predicted from genomic information on S. tokodaii. This is another line of evidence for the general mechanism of sn-glycerol-1-phosphate formation by the enzyme.     

Crystal structures of an ATP-dependent hexokinase with broad substrate specificity from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii

Hexokinase catalyzes the phosphorylation of glucose to glucose 6-phosphate by using ATP as a phosphoryl donor. Recently, we identified and characterized an ATP-dependent hexokinase (StHK) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii, which can phosphorylate a broad range of sugar substrates, including glucose, mannose, glucosamine, and N-acetylglucosamine. Here we present the crystal structures of StHK in four different forms: (i) apo-form, (ii) binary complex with glucose, (iii) binary complex with ADP, and (iv) quaternary complex with xylose, Mg(2+), and ADP. Forms i and iii are in the open state, and forms ii and iv are in the closed state, indicating that sugar binding induces a large conformational change, whereas ADP binding does not. The four different crystal structures of the same enzyme provide "snapshots" of the conformational changes during the catalytic cycle. StHK exhibits a core fold characteristic of the hexokinase family, but the structures of several loop regions responsible for substrate binding are significantly different from those of other known hexokinase family members. Structural comparison of StHK with human N-acetylglucosamine kinase and other hexokinases provides an explanation for the ability of StHK to phosphorylate both glucose and N-acetylglucosamine. A Mg(2+) ion and coordinating water molecules are well defined in the electron density of the quaternary complex structure. This structure represents the first direct visualization of the binding mode for magnesium to hexokinase and thus allows for a better understanding of the catalytic mechanism proposed for the entire hexokinase family.     

Replication arrest-stimulated recombination: Dependence on the RecA paralog, RadA/Sms and translesion polymerase, DinB

Difficulties in replication can lead to breakage of the fork. Recombinational reactions restore the integrity of the fork through strand-invasion of the broken chromosome with its sister. If this occurs in the context of repeated DNA sequences, genetic rearrangements can result. We have proposed that this process accounts for stimulation of chromosomal rearrangements by mutations in Escherichia coli's replicative DNA helicase, DnaB. At its permissive temperature for growth, a dnaB107 mutant is a 1000-fold more likely to experience a deletion of a 787bp tandem repeated segment inserted in the E. coli chromosome than is a wild-type strain. We have previously shown that enhanced deletion in a dnaB107 strain is reduced in recA, recB and recG102 (formerly known as radC102) derivatives. Here I show that this enhanced recombination is dependent on other factors: the RuvA Holliday junction helicase, the RecJ single-strand DNA exonuclease, the RadA/Sms RecA-paralog protein of unknown function and, surprisingly, the DinB translesion polymerase. The requirement for these factors in DnaB-stimulated rearrangements is much greater than that observed for recombinational events such as P1 transduction. This may be because strand invasion into the repeats limits the extent of heteroduplex DNA that can be formed in the initial stage of recombination. I propose that RadA, RecG and RuvAB are critically required to stabilize the strand-invasion intermediate and that DinB polymerase extends the invading 3' strand to aid in re-initiation. The role of DinB in bacteria may be analogous to translesion DNA polymerase eta in eukaryotes, recently shown to aid recombination.     

Crystal structure of Sulfolobus tokodaii Sua5 complexed with L-threonine and AMPPNP

The hypermodified nucleoside N⁶‐threonylcarbamoyladenosine resides at position 37 of tRNA molecules bearing U at position 36 and maintains translational fidelity in the three kingdoms of life. The N⁶‐threonylcarbamoyl moiety is composed of L ‐threonine and bicarbonate, and its synthesis was genetically shown to require YrdC/Sua5. YrdC/Sua5 binds to tRNA and ATP. In this study, we analyzed the L ‐threonine‐binding mode of Sua5 from the archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii. Isothermal titration calorimetry measurements revealed that S. tokodaii Sua5 binds L ‐threonine more strongly than L ‐serine and glycine. The Kd values of Sua5 for L ‐threonine and L ‐serine are 9.3 μM and 2.6 mM, respectively. We determined the crystal structure of S. tokodaii Sua5, complexed with AMPPNP and L ‐threonine, at 1.8 Å resolution. The L ‐threonine is bound next to AMPPNP in the same pocket of the N‐terminal domain. Thr118 and two water molecules form hydrogen bonds with AMPPNP in a unique manner for adenine‐specific recognition. The carboxyl group and the side‐chain hydroxyl and methyl groups of L ‐threonine are buried deep in the pocket, whereas the amino group faces AMPPNP. The L ‐threonine is located in a suitable position to react together with ATP for the synthesis of N⁶‐threonylcarbamoyladenosine. Proteins 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Identification of sn-glycerol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase activity from genomic information on a hyperthermophilic archaeon, Sulfolobus tokodaii strain 7

sn-Glycerol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase is responsible for the formation of sn-glycerol-1-phosphate, the backbone of membrane phospholipids of Archaea. This activity had never been detected in cell-free extract of Sulfolobus sp. Here we report the detection of this activity on the thermostable ST0344 protein of Sulfolobus tokodaii expressed in Escherichia coli, which was predicted from genomic information on S. tokodaii. This is another line of evidence for the general mechanism of sn-glycerol-1-phosphate formation by the enzyme.     

Location of tyrosine 315, a target for phosphorylation by cAbl tyrosine kinase, at the edge of the subunit-subunit interface of the human Rad51 filament

Rad51 is a key element of recombinational DNA repair and its activity is regulated by phosphorylation of the tyrosine residue at position 315 by cAbl kinase. This phosphorylation could be involved in the resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy. We have investigated the role of this residue by comparing the three-dimensional structures of human Rad51 and its prokaryotic homologue, Escherichia coli RecA. The residue appeared to be on the edge of the subunit-subunit interacting site. The fluorescence intensity of the tryptophan residue inserted at position 315 of human Rad51 in the place of tyrosine was decreased by adding 3 M urea, although the protein was not unfolded as there was no large change in the fluorescence peak position or circular dichroism signal. This change in fluorescence occurred at a lower urea concentration when the protein was diluted, which favours dissociation. These results indicate that the change is related to the dissociation of Rad51 polymer and that residue 315 is close to the subunit-subunit interacting site. ATP and ADP, which affect the filament structure, caused a blue shift in the fluorescence peak. These nucleotides probably altered the subunit-subunit contacts and may thus affect the filament structure. Phosphorylation of this residue could therefore affect the formation and structure of the Rad51 filament. Correct prediction of subunit-subunit interface of Rad51 by simple comparison of structures of Rad51 and RecA supports the idea that Rad51 forms the filament in a similar way as does RecA.     

Cloning and overexpression in Escherichia coli of the gene encoding citrate synthase from the hyperthermophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus

The citrate synthase (CS) gene from the hyperthermophilic Archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus has been cloned and sequenced. The gene encodes a polypeptide of 378 amino acids with a calculated polypeptide molecular mass of 42 679. High-level expression was achieved in Escherichia coli and the recombinant citrate synthase was purified to homogeneity using a heat step and dye-ligand affinity chromatography. This procedure yielded approximately 26 mg of pure CS per liter of culture, with a specific activity of 41 U/mg. The enzyme exhibited a half-life of 8 min at 95°C. A homology-modelled structure of the S. solfataricus CS has been generated using the crystal structure of the enzyme from the thermoacidophilic Archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum with which it displays 58% sequence identity. The modelled structure is discussed with respect to the thermostability properties of the enzyme. Received: August 10, 1997 / Accepted: October 23, 1997