Structure of the Human Rev1-DNA-dNTP Ternary Complex

Y-family DNA polymerases have proven to be remarkably diverse in their functions and in strategies for replicating through DNA lesions. The structure of yeast Rev1 ternary complex has revealed the most radical replication strategy, where the polymerase itself dictates the identity of the incoming nucleotide, as well as the identity of the templating base. We show here that many of the key elements of this highly unusual strategy are conserved between yeast and human Rev1, including the eviction of template G from the DNA helix and the pairing of incoming deoxycytidine 5'-triphosphate with a surrogate arginine residue. We also show that the catalytic core of human Rev1 is uniquely augmented by two large inserts, I1 and I2, wherein I1 extends > 20 Å away from the active site and may serve as a platform for protein-protein interactions specific for Rev1's role in translesion DNA synthesis in human cells, and I2 acts as a “flap” on the hydrophobic pocket accommodating template G. We suggest that these novel structural features are important for providing human Rev1 greater latitude in promoting efficient and error-free translesion DNA synthesis through the diverse array of bulky and potentially carcinogenic N²-deoxyguanosine DNA adducts in human cells.     

Cdk1 Regulates the Temporal Recruitment of Telomerase and Cdc13-Stn1-Ten1 Complex for Telomere Replication

In budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), the cell cycle-dependent telomere elongation by telomerase is controlled by the cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1). The telomere length homeostasis is balanced between telomerase-unextendable and telomerase-extendable states that both require Cdc13. The recruitment of telomerase complex by Cdc13 promotes telomere elongation, while the formation of Cdc13-Stn1-Ten1 (CST) complex at the telomere blocks telomere elongation by telomerase. However, the cellular signaling that regulates the timing of the telomerase-extendable and telomerase-unextendable states is largely unknown. Phosphorylation of Cdc13 by Cdk1 promotes the interaction between Cdc13 and Est1 and hence telomere elongation. Here, we show that Cdk1 also phosphorylates Stn1 at threonine 223 and serine 250 both in vitro and in vivo, and these phosphorylation events are essential for the stability of the CST complexes at the telomeres. By controlling the timing of Cdc13 and Stn1 phosphorylations during cell cycle progression, Cdk1 regulates the temporal recruitment of telomerase complexes and CST complexes to the telomeres to facilitate telomere maintenance.     

The Cytoplasmic Capping Complex Assembles on Adapter Protein Nck1 Bound to the Proline-Rich C-Terminus of Mammalian Capping Enzyme

Cytoplasmic capping is catalyzed by a complex that contains capping enzyme (CE) and a kinase that converts RNA with a 5′-monophosphate end to a 5′ diphosphate for subsequent addition of guanylic acid (GMP). We identify the proline-rich C-terminus as a new domain of CE that is required for its participation in cytoplasmic capping, and show the cytoplasmic capping complex assembles on Nck1, an adapter protein with functions in translation and tyrosine kinase signaling. Binding is specific to Nck1 and is independent of RNA. We show by sedimentation and gel filtration that Nck1 and CE are together in a larger complex, that the complex can assemble in vitro on recombinant Nck1, and Nck1 knockdown disrupts the integrity of the complex. CE and the 5′ kinase are juxtaposed by binding to the adjacent domains of Nck1, and cap homeostasis is inhibited by Nck1 with inactivating mutations in each of these domains. These results identify a new domain of CE that is specific to its function in cytoplasmic capping, and a new role for Nck1 in regulating gene expression through its role as the scaffold for assembly of the cytoplasmic capping complex.     

Structure and Stability of Human Telomeric G-Quadruplex with Preclinical 9-Amino Acridines

G-quadruplexes are higher-order DNA structures formed from guanine-rich sequences, and have been identified as attractive anticancer drug targets. Elucidating the three-dimensional structure of G-quadruplex with 9-amino acridines and the specific interactions involved in binding selectivity are the key to understanding their mechanism of action. Fluorescence titration assays, competitive dialysis and NMR studies have been used to study the binding specificity of 9-amino acridines to DNA. Structural models of the complexes with the telomeric DNA G-quadruplex based on NMR measurements were developed and further examined by molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations. Selective binding of 9-amino acridines for G-quadruplex sequences were observed. These compounds bind between A and G-tetrads, involving significant π-π interactions and several strong hydrogen bonds. The specific interactions between different moieties of the 9-amino acridines to the DNA were examined and shown to play a significant role in governing the overall stabilities of DNA G-quadruplex complexes. Both 9-amino acridines, with similar binding affinities to the G-quadruplex, were shown to induce different level of structural stabilization through intercalation. This unique property of altering structural stability is likely a contributing factor for affecting telomerase function and, subsequently, the observed differences in the anticancer activities between the two 9-amino acridines.     

Structure of the Human Core Centromeric Nucleosome Complex

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Structure, Dynamics and Thermodynamics of the Human Centrin 2/hSfi1 Complex

Centrin, an EF-hand calcium-binding protein, has been shown to be involved in the duplication of centrosomes, and Sfi1 (Suppressor of fermentation-induced loss of stress resistance protein 1) is one of its centrosomal targets. There are three isoforms of human centrin, but here we only considered centrin 2 (HsCen2). This protein has the ability to bind to any of the ∼ 25 repeats of human Sfi1 (hSfi1) with more or less affinity. In this study, we mainly focused on the 17th repeat (R17-hSfi1-20), which presents the highest level of similarity with a well-studied 17-residue peptide (P17-XPC) from human xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group C protein, another centrin target for DNA repair. The only known structure of HsCen2 was resolved in complex with P17-XPC. The 20-residue peptide R17-hSfi1-20 exhibits the motif L8L4W1, which is the reverse of the XPC motif, W1L4L8. Consequently, the dipole of the helix formed by this motif has a reverse orientation. We wished to ascertain the impact of this reversal on the structure, dynamics and affinity of centrin. To address this question, we determined the structure of C-HsCen2 [the C-terminal domain of HsCen2 (T94-Y172)] in complex with R17-hSfi1-20 and monitored its dynamics by NMR, after having verified that the N-terminal domain of HsCen2 does not interact with the peptide. The structure shows that the binding mode is similar to that of P17-XPC. However, we observed a 2 -Å translation of the R17-hSfi1-20 helix along its axis, inducing less anchorage in the protein and the disruption of a hydrogen bond between a tryptophan residue in the peptide and a well-conserved nearby glutamate in C-HsCen2. NMR dynamic studies of the complex strongly suggested the existence of an unusual calcium secondary binding mode in calcium-binding loop III, made possible by the uncommon residue composition of this loop. The secondary metal site is only populated at high calcium concentration and depends on the type of bound ligand.     

Folding and Unfolding Pathways of the Human Telomeric G-Quadruplex

Sequence analogs of human telomeric DNA such as d[AGGG(TTAGGG)₃] (Tel22) fold into monomeric quadruplex structures in the presence of a suitable cation. To investigate the pathway for unimolecular quadruplex formation, we monitored the kinetics of K⁺-induced folding of Tel22 by circular dichroism (CD), intrinsic 2-aminopurine fluorescence, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The results are consistent with a four-step pathway U ↔ I₁ ↔ I₂ ↔ I₃ ↔ F where U and F represent unfolded and folded conformational ensembles and I₁, I₂, and I₃ are intermediates. Previous kinetic studies have shown that I₁ is formed in a rapid pre-equilibrium and may consist of an ensemble of “prefolded” hairpin structures brought about by cation-induced electrostatic collapse of the DNA. The current study shows that I₁ converts to I₂ with a relaxation time τ₁ = 0.1 s at 25 °C in 25 mM KCl. The CD spectrum of I₂ is characteristic of an antiparallel quadruplex that could form as a result of intramolecular fold-over of the I₁ hairpins. I₃ is relatively slowly formed (τ₂ ≈ 3700 s) and has CD and FRET properties consistent with those expected of a triplex structure as previously observed in equilibrium melting studies. I₃ converts to F with τ₃ ≈ 750 s. Identical pathways with different kinetic constants involving a rapidly formed antiparallel intermediate were observed with oligonucleotides forming mixed parallel/antiparallel hybrid-1 and hybrid-2 topologies {e.g. d[TTGGG(TTAGGG)₃A] and d[TAGGG(TTAGGG)₃TT]}. Aspects of the kinetics of unfolding were also monitored by the spectroscopic methods listed above and by time-resolved fluorescence lifetime measurements using a complementary strand trap assay. These experiments reveal a slow, rate-limiting step along the unfolding pathway.     

Structure and Functional Implications of the Human Rad9-Hus1-Rad1 Cell Cycle Checkpoint Complex

Cellular DNA lesions are efficiently countered by DNA repair in conjunction with delays in cell cycle progression. Previous studies have demonstrated that Rad9, Hus1, and Rad1 can form a heterotrimeric complex (the 9-1-1 complex) that plays dual roles in cell cycle checkpoint activation and DNA repair in eukaryotic cells. Although the 9-1-1 complex has been proposed to form a toroidal structure similar to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which plays essential roles in DNA replication and repair, the structural basis by which it performs different functions has not been elucidated. Here we report the crystal structure of the human 9-1-1 complex at 3.2 Å resolution. The crystal structure, together with biochemical assays, reveals that the interdomain connecting loops (IDC loop) of hRad9, hHus1, and hRad1 are largely divergent, and further cocrystallization study indicates that a PCNA-interacting box (PIP box)-containing peptide derived from hFen1 binds tightly to the interdomain connecting loop of hRad1, providing the molecular basis for the damage repair-specific activity of the 9-1-1 complex in contrast to PCNA. Furthermore, structural comparison with PCNA reveals other unique structural features of the 9-1-1 complex that are proposed to contribute to DNA damage recognition.Cellular DNA damage triggers the activation of the cell cycle checkpoint, leading to a delay or arrest in cell cycle progression to prevent replication and inducing DNA damage repair (1, 2). In response to DNA damage, the 9-1-1³ complex can be loaded onto DNA lesion sites by Rad17-RFC2–5 (which consists of one large subunit, Rad17, and four small subunits, RFC2–5), where it triggers the activation of the cell cycle checkpoint (3, 4). Moreover, the 9-1-1 complex can also directly participate in DNA repair via physical association with many factors involved in base excision repair (BER), translesion synthesis, homologous recombination, and mismatch repair pathways (5–9).Although both the 9-1-1 and the PCNA complexes perform critical functions in eukaryotic cells with predicted similar structures (10), their specific roles are distinct. First, the 9-1-1 complex is a DNA damage sensor in the cell cycle checkpoint but does not function as a scaffold for the major DNA replication factors; however, PCNA plays exactly the opposite role (1, 11). Second, although both the complexes function in DNA repair, their specific activities are different. Previous observations indicated that some BER enzymes, such as MYH (MutY glycosylate homolog) (12), TDG (thymine DNA glycosylate) (7), and NEIL (Nei-like glycosylate) (8), interact with the 9-1-1 complex via motifs that are located outside the conserved PCNA-interacting box (the PIP box), implying that the 9-1-1 complex functions as a damage repair-specific clamp, in contrast to PCNA. However, the structural basis for this hypothesis remains unclear. Another important unresolved issue concerns the damage-sensing mechanism of the 9-1-1 complex. During the DNA replication process, the PCNA·RFC clamp·clamp loader specifically recognizes the primer-template junction (13). However, the molecular basis by which the 9-1-1·Rad17-RFC2–5 clamp·clamp loader specifically recognizes the damaged DNA is little known. To address these questions, we performed structural and biochemical studies on the 9-1-1 complex.     

Atomistic Picture for the Folding Pathway of a Hybrid-1 Type Human Telomeric DNA G-quadruplex

In this work we studied the folding process of the hybrid-1 type human telomeric DNA G-quadruplex with solvent and ions explicitly modeled. Enabled by the powerful bias-exchange metadynamics and large-scale conventional molecular dynamic simulations, the free energy landscape of this G-DNA was obtained for the first time and four folding intermediates were identified, including a triplex and a basically formed quadruplex. The simulations also provided atomistic pictures for the structures and cation binding patterns of the intermediates. The results showed that the structure formation and cation binding are cooperative and mutually supporting each other. The syn/anti reorientation dynamics of the intermediates was also investigated. It was found that the nucleotides usually take correct syn/anti configurations when they form native and stable hydrogen bonds with the others, while fluctuating between two configurations when they do not. Misfolded intermediates with wrong syn/anti configurations were observed in the early intermediates but not in the later ones. Based on the simulations, we also discussed the roles of the non-native interactions. Besides, the formation process of the parallel conformation in the first two G-repeats and the associated reversal loop were studied. Based on the above results, we proposed a folding pathway for the hybrid-1 type G-quadruplex with atomistic details, which is new and more complete compared with previous ones. The knowledge gained for this type of G-DNA may provide a general insight for the folding of the other G-quadruplexes.     

Single-Molecule TPM Studies on the Conversion of Human Telomeric DNA

Human telomere contains guanine-rich (G-rich) tandem repeats of single-stranded DNA sequences at its 3′ tail. The G-rich sequences can be folded into various secondary structures, termed G-quadruplexes (G4s), by Hoogsteen basepairing in the presence of monovalent cations (such as Na⁺ and K⁺). We developed a single-molecule tethered particle motion (TPM) method to investigate the unfolding process of G4s in the human telomeric sequence AGGG(TTAGGG)₃ in real time. The TPM method monitors the DNA tether length change caused by formation of the G4, thus allowing the unfolding process and structural conversion to be monitored at the single-molecule level. In the presence of its antisense sequence, the folded G4 structure can be disrupted and converted to the unfolded conformation, with apparent unfolding time constants of 82 s and 3152 s. We also observed that the stability of the G4 is greatly affected by different monovalent cations. The folding equilibrium constant of G4 is strongly dependent on the salt concentration, ranging from 1.75 at 5 mM Na⁺ to 3.40 at 15 mM Na⁺. Earlier spectral studies of Na⁺- and K⁺-folded states suggested that the spectral conversion between these two different folded structures may go through a structurally unfolded intermediate state. However, our single-molecule TPM experiments did not detect any totally unfolded intermediate within our experimental resolution when sodium-folded G4 DNA molecules were titrated with high-concentration, excess potassium ions. This observation suggests that a totally unfolding pathway is likely not the major pathway for spectral conversion on the timescale of minutes, and that interconversion among folded states can be achieved by the loop rearrangement. This study also demonstrates that TPM experiments can be used to study conformational changes in single-stranded DNA molecules.     

Structure and Conformational Dynamics of the Human Spliceosomal Bact Complex

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Crystal Structure of the Human Short Coiled Coil Protein and Insights into SCOC-FEZ1 Complex Formation

The short coiled coil protein (SCOC) forms a complex with fasciculation and elongation protein zeta 1 (FEZ1). This complex is involved in autophagy regulation. We determined the crystal structure of the coiled coil domain of human SCOC at 2.7 Å resolution. SCOC forms a parallel left handed coiled coil dimer. We observed two distinct dimers in the crystal structure, which shows that SCOC is conformationally flexible. This plasticity is due to the high incidence of polar and charged residues at the core a/d-heptad positions. We prepared two double mutants, where these core residues were mutated to either leucines or valines (E93V/K97L and N125L/N132V). These mutations led to a dramatic increase in stability and change of oligomerisation state. The oligomerisation state of the mutants was characterized by multi-angle laser light scattering and native mass spectrometry measurements. The E93V/K97 mutant forms a trimer and the N125L/N132V mutant is a tetramer. We further demonstrate that SCOC forms a stable homogeneous complex with the coiled coil domain of FEZ1. SCOC dimerization and the SCOC surface residue R117 are important for this interaction.     

Human Rap1 Interacts Directly with Telomeric DNA and Regulates TRF2 Localization at the Telomere

The TRF2-Rap1 complex suppresses non-homologous end joining and interacts with DNAPK-C to prevent end joining. We previously demonstrated that hTRF2 is a double strand telomere binding protein that forms t-loops in vitro and recognizes three- and four-way junctions independent of DNA sequence. How the DNA binding characteristics of hTRF2 to DNA is altered in the presence of hRap1 however is not known. Here we utilized EM and quantitative gel retardation to characterize the DNA binding properties of hRap1 and the TRF2-Rap1 complex. Both gel filtration chromatography and mass analysis from two-dimensional projections showed that the TRF2-Rap1 complex exists in solution and binds to DNA as a complex consisting of four monomers each of hRap1 and hTRF2. EM revealed for the first time that hRap1 binds to DNA templates in the absence of hTRF2 with a preference for double strand-single strand junctions in a sequence independent manner. When hTRF2 and hRap1 are in a complex, its affinity for ds telomeric sequences is 2-fold higher than TRF2 alone and more than 10-fold higher for telomeric 3′ ends. This suggests that as hTRF2 recruits hRap1 to telomeric sequences, hRap1 alters the affinity of hTRF2 and its binding preference on telomeric DNA. Moreover, the TRF2-Rap1 complex has higher ability to re-model telomeric DNA than either component alone. This finding underlies the importance of complex formation between hRap1 and hTRF2 for telomere function and end protection.     

Predicting Human Preferences Using the Block Structure of Complex Social Networks

With ever-increasing available data, predicting individuals'' preferences and helping them locate the most relevant information has become a pressing need. Understanding and predicting preferences is also important from a fundamental point of view, as part of what has been called a “new” computational social science. Here, we propose a novel approach based on stochastic block models, which have been developed by sociologists as plausible models of complex networks of social interactions. Our model is in the spirit of predicting individuals'' preferences based on the preferences of others but, rather than fitting a particular model, we rely on a Bayesian approach that samples over the ensemble of all possible models. We show that our approach is considerably more accurate than leading recommender algorithms, with major relative improvements between 38% and 99% over industry-level algorithms. Besides, our approach sheds light on decision-making processes by identifying groups of individuals that have consistently similar preferences, and enabling the analysis of the characteristics of those groups.     

Crystal Structure of Vaccinia Virus mRNA Capping Enzyme Provides Insights into the Mechanism and Evolution of the Capping Apparatus

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Structure of the Avian Mitochondrial Cytochrome bc 1 Complex

There are now four structures of vertebrate mitochondrial bc ₁ complexes available in theprotein databases and structures from yeast and bacterial sources are expected soon. Thisreview summarizes the new information with emphasis on the avian cytochrome bc ₁ complex(PDB entries 1BCC and 3BCC). The Rieske iron–sulfur protein is mobile and this has beenproposed to be important for catalysis. The binding sites for quinone have been located basedon structures containing inhibitors and, in the case of the quinone reduction site Qi, thequinone itself.     

Solution Structure and Characterisation of the Human Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex Core Assembly

Mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) is a key multi-enzyme assembly that is responsible for glucose homeostasis maintenance and conversion of pyruvate into acetyl-CoA. It comprises a central pentagonal dodecahedral core consisting of two subunit types (E2 and E3BP) to which peripheral enzymes (E1 and E3) bind tightly but non-covalently. Currently, there are two conflicting models of PDC (E2 + E3BP) core organisation: the ‘addition’ model (60 + 12) and the ‘substitution’ model (48 + 12). Here we present the first ever low-resolution structures of human recombinant full-length PDC core (rE2/E3BP), truncated PDC core (tE2/E3BP) and native bovine heart PDC core (bE2/E3BP) obtained by small-angle X-ray scattering and small-angle neutron scattering. These structures, corroborated by negative-stain and cryo electron microscopy data, clearly reveal open pentagonal core faces, favouring the ‘substitution’ model of core organisation. The native and recombinant core structures are all similar to the truncated bacterial E2 core crystal structure obtained previously. Cryo-electron microscopy reconstructions of rE2/E3BP and rE2/E3BP:E3 directly confirm that the core has open pentagonal faces, agree with scattering-derived models and show density extending outwards from their surfaces, which is much more structurally ordered in the presence of E3. Additionally, analytical ultracentrifugation characterisation of rE2/E3BP, rE2 (full-length recombinant E2-only) and tE2/E3BP supports the substitution model. Superimposition of the small-angle neutron scattering tE2/E3BP and truncated bacterial E2 crystal structures demonstrates conservation of the overall pentagonal dodecahedral morphology, despite evolutionary diversity. In addition, unfolding studies using circular dichroism and tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy show that the rE2/E3BP is less stable than its rE2 counterpart, indicative of a role for E3BP in core destabilisation. The architectural complexity and lower stability of the E2/E3BP core may be of benefit to mammals, where sophisticated fine-tuning is required for cores with optimal catalytic and regulatory efficiencies.