The HPr proteins from the thermophile Bacillus stearothermophilus can form domain-swapped dimers

The study of proteins from extremophilic organisms continues to generate interest in the field of protein folding because paradigms explaining the enhanced stability of these proteins still elude us and such studies have the potential to further our knowledge of the forces stabilizing proteins. We have undertaken such a study with our model protein HPr from a mesophile, Bacillus subtilis, and a thermophile, Bacillus stearothermophilus. We report here the high-resolution structures of the wild-type HPr protein from the thermophile and a variant, F29W. The variant proved to crystallize in two forms: a monomeric form with a structure very similar to the wild-type protein as well as a domain-swapped dimer. Interestingly, the structure of the domain-swapped dimer for HPr is very different from that observed for a homologous protein, Crh, from B.subtilis. The existence of a domain-swapped dimer has implications for amyloid formation and is consistent with recent results showing that the HPr proteins can form amyloid fibrils. We also characterized the conformational stability of the thermophilic HPr proteins using thermal and solvent denaturation methods and have used the high-resolution structures in an attempt to explain the differences in stability between the different HPr proteins. Finally, we present a detailed analysis of the solution properties of the HPr proteins using a variety of biochemical and biophysical methods.     

Folding and stability of a primitive protein

We have previously attempted to simulate domain creation in early protein evolution by recombining polypeptide segments from non-homologous proteins, and we have described the structure of one such de novo protein, 1b11, a segment-swapped tetramer with novel architecture. Here, we have analyzed the thermodynamic stability and folding kinetics of the 1b11 tetramer and its monomeric and dimeric intermediates, and of 1b11 mutants with changes at the domain interface. Denatured 1b11 polypeptides fold into transient, folded monomers with marginal stability (DeltaG<1kcalmol(-1)) which convert rapidly ( approximately 6x10(4)M(-1)s(-1)) into dimers (DeltaG=9.8kcal/mol) and then more slowly ( approximately 3M(-1)s(-1)) into tetramers (DeltaG=28kcalmol(-1)). Segment swapping takes place during dimerization, as suggested by mass spectroscopic analysis of covalently linked peptides derived from proteolysis of a disulfide-linked dimer. Our results confirm that segment swapping and associated oligomerization are both powerful ways of stabilizing proteins, and we suggest that this may have been a feature of early protein evolution.     

Structural basis for the recognition of Asef by adenomatous polyposis coli

Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) regulates cell-cell adhesion and cell migration through activating the APC-stimulated guanine nucleotide-exchange factor (GEF; Asef), which is usually autoinhibited through the binding between its Src homology 3 (SH3) and Dbl homology (DH) domains. The APC-activated Asef stimulates the small GTPase Cdc42, which leads to decreased cell-cell adherence and enhanced cell migration. In colorectal cancers, truncated APC constitutively activates Asef and promotes cancer cell migration and angiogenesis. Here, we report crystal structures of the human APC/Asef complex. We find that the armadillo repeat domain of APC uses a highly conserved surface groove to recognize the APC-binding region (ABR) of Asef, conformation of which changes dramatically upon binding to APC. Key residues on APC and Asef for the complex formation were mutated and their importance was demonstrated by binding and activity assays. Structural superimposition of the APC/Asef complex with autoinhibited Asef suggests that the binding between APC and Asef might create a steric clash between Asef-DH domain and APC, which possibly leads to a conformational change in Asef that stimulates its GEF activity. Our structures thus elucidate the molecular mechanism of Asef recognition by APC, as well as provide a potential target for pharmaceutical intervention against cancers.     

A new crystal form of the NK1 splice variant of HGF/SF demonstrates extensive hinge movement and suggests that the NK1 dimer originates by domain swapping

NK1 is a splice variant of the polypeptide growth factor HGF/SF that consists of the N terminal (N) and first kringle (K) domains and retains receptor binding and signalling. While NK1 behaves as a monomer in solution, two independent crystallographic structures have previously shown an identical, tightly packed dimer. Here we report a novel orthorhombic crystal form of NK1 at 2.5 A resolution in which four NK1 protomers are packed in two distinct dimers in the asymmetric unit. Although the basic architecture of the new NK1 dimers is similar to the two described earlier, the new crystal form demonstrates extensive hinge movement between the N and K domain that leads to re-orientation of the receptor-binding sites. The hinge bending is evidence of the paucity of strong interactions between domains within the protomer, in contrast to the extensive interactions between protomers in the dimer. These observations are consistent with domain swapping in the dimer, such that the interdomain interactions of the monomer are replaced by equivalent interprotomer interactions in the dimer and offer a route for protein engineering of NK1 variants which may act as receptor antagonists.     

Crystal Structure of a Bivalent Antibody Fab Fragment

We determined the crystal structure to 1.8 Å resolution of the Fab fragment of an affinity-matured human monoclonal antibody (HC84.26.5D) that recognizes the E2 envelope glycoprotein of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Unlike conventional Fabs, which are monovalent monomers, Fab HC84.26.5D assembles into a bivalent domain-swapped dimer in which the two V_L/V_H modules are separated by ~25 Å. In solution, Fab HC84.26.5D exists predominantly as a dimer (~80%) in equilibrium with the monomeric form of the Fab (~20%). Dimerization is mediated entirely by deletion of a single residue, V_HSer113 (Kabat numbering), in the elbow region linking the V_H and C_H1 domains. In agreement with the crystal structure, dimeric Fab HC84.26.5D is able to bind two HCV E2 molecules in solution. This is only the second example of a domain-swapped Fab dimer from among >3000 Fab crystal structures determined to date. Moreover, the architecture of the doughnut-shaped Fab HC84.26.5D dimer is completely different from that of the previously reported Fab 2G12 dimer. We demonstrate that the highly identifiable shape of dimeric Fab HC84.26.5D makes it useful as a fiducial marker for single-particle cryoEM analysis of HCV E2. Bivalent domain-swapped Fab dimers engineered on the basis of HC84.26.5D may also serve as a means of doubling the effective size of conventional Fab–protein complexes for cryoEM.     

小鼠富亮氨酸重复结构蛋白Lrig2基因、蛋白结构及组织定位分析

目的：分析小鼠富亮氨酸重复结构蛋白家族成员Lrig2的基因与蛋白的结构,明确其组织分布和定位,并对其功能进行初步预测。方法：利用生物信息学分析技术对小鼠Ln萨基因的染色体定位、蛋白结构进行分析预测;通过RT-PCR、mRNA原位杂交技术检测Lrig2基因在小鼠不同组织中的表达定位;通过系统进化树分析“薛与其他Lrrs蛋白家族成员的同源性。结果：生物信息学分析显示,H薛是一种跨膜蛋白受体,是Lrrs蛋白超家族成员之一,胞外区含有15个m模序、3个免疫球蛋白样结构域,存在单一的跨膜结构域;Lrig2在小鼠的多个组织中表达,其中在胸腺、脾脏等组织中表达较强;系统树分析显示,Lrigs蛋白是sLrPs超家族成员,是一种跨膜蛋白受体。结论：Lrig2在免疫组织中表达较强,推测其可能在肿瘤免疫应答进程中发挥重要的效能。     

小鼠富亮氨酸重复结构蛋白Lrig2 基因、蛋白结构及组织定位分析

目的:分析小鼠富亮氨酸重复结构蛋白家族成员Lrig2的基因与蛋白的结构,明确其组织分布和定位,并对其功能进行初步预测。方法:利用生物信息学分析技术对小鼠Lrig2基因的染色体定位、蛋白结构进行分析预测;通过RT-PCR、mRNA原位杂交技术检测Lrig2基因在小鼠不同组织中的表达定位;通过系统进化树分析Lrig2与其他Lrrs蛋白家族成员的同源性。结果:生物信息学分析显示,Lrig2是一种跨膜蛋白受体,是Lrrs蛋白超家族成员之一,胞外区含有15个Lrr模序、3个免疫球蛋白样结构域,存在单一的跨膜结构域;Lrig2在小鼠的多个组织中表达,其中在胸腺、脾脏等组织中表达较强;系统树分析显示,Lrigs蛋白是sLrPs超家族成员,是一种跨膜蛋白受体。结论:Lrig2在免疫组织中表达较强,推测其可能在肿瘤免疫应答进程中发挥重要的效能。     

Protein oligomerization through domain swapping: role of inter-molecular interactions and protein concentration

Domain swapping has been shown to be an important mechanism controlling multiprotein assembly and has been suggested recently as a possible mechanism underlying protein aggregation. Understanding oligomerization via domain swapping is therefore of theoretical and practical importance. By using a symmetrized structure-based (Gō) model, we demonstrate that in the free-energy landscape of domain swapping, a large free-energy barrier separates monomeric and domain-swapped dimeric configurations. We investigate the effect of finite monomer concentration, by implementing a new semi-analytical method, which involves computing the second virial coefficient, a thermodynamic indicator of inter-molecular interactions. This method, together with the symmetrized structure-based (Gō) model, minimizes the need for expensive many-protein simulations, providing a convenient framework to investigate concentration effect. Finally, we perform direct simulations of domain-swapped trimer formation, showing that this modeling approach can be used for higher-order oligomers.