Dph3, a small protein required for diphthamide biosynthesis, is essential in mouse development

The translation elongation factor 2 in eukaryotes (eEF-2) contains a unique posttranslationally modified histidine residue, termed diphthamide, which serves as the only target for diphtheria toxin and Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A. Diphthamide biosynthesis is carried out by five highly conserved proteins, Dph1 to Dph5, and an as-yet-unidentified amidating enzyme. The evolutionary conservation of the complex diphthamide biosynthesis pathway throughout eukaryotes implies a key role for diphthamide in normal cellular physiology. Of the proteins required for diphthamide synthesis, Dph3 is the smallest, containing only 82 residues. In addition to having a role in diphthamide biosynthesis, Dph3 is also involved in modulating the functions of the Elongator complex in yeast. To explore the physiological roles of Dph3 and to begin to investigate the function of diphthamide, we generated dph3 knockout mice and showed that dph3+/- mice are phenotypically normal, whereas dph3-/- mice, which lack the diphthamide modification on eEF-2, are embryonic lethal. Loss of both dph3 alleles causes a general delay in embryonic development accompanied by lack of allantois fusion to the chorion and increased degeneration and necrosis in neural tubes and is not compatible with life beyond embryonic day 11.5. The dph3-/- placentas also developed abnormally, showing a thinner labyrinth lacking embryonic erythrocytes and blood vessels. These results attest to the physiological importance of Dph3 in development. The biological roles of Dph3 are also discussed.     

The diphthamide modification on elongation factor-2 renders mammalian cells resistant to ricin

Diphthamide is a post-translational derivative of histidine in protein synthesis elongation factor-2 (eEF-2) that is present in all eukaryotes with no known normal physiological role. Five proteins Dph1–Dph5 are required for the biosynthesis of diphthamide. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells mutated in the biosynthetic genes lack diphthamide and are resistant to bacterial toxins such as diphtheria toxin. We found that diphthamide-deficient cultured cells were threefold more sensitive than their parental cells towards ricin, a r ibosome- i nactivating p rotein (RIP). RIPs bind to ribosomes at the same site as eEF-2 and cleave the large ribosomal RNA, inhibiting translation and causing cell death. We hypothesized that one role of diphthamide may be to protect ribosomes, and therefore all eukaryotic life forms, from RIPs, which are widely distributed in nature. A protective role of diphthamide against ricin was further demonstrated by complementation where dph mutant CHO cells transfected with the corresponding DPH gene acquired increased resistance to ricin in comparison with the control-transfected cells, and resembled the parental CHO cells in their response to the toxin. These data show that the presence of diphthamide in eEF-2 provides protection against ricin and suggest the hypothesis that diphthamide may have evolved to provide protection against RIPs.     

Solution structure of Kti11p from Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals a novel zinc-binding module

Kti11p is a small, highly conserved CSL zinc finger-containing protein found in many eukaryotes. It was first identified as one of the factors required for maintaining the sensitivity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Kluyveromyces lactis zymocin. Then, it was found to be identical to Dph3, a protein required for diphthamide biosynthesis on eEF-2, the target of diphtheria toxin and Pseudomonas exotoxin A, in both yeast and higher eukaryotes. Furthermore, Kti11p/Dph3 was found to physically interact with core-Elongator, ribosomal proteins, eEF-2, two other proteins required for diphthamide modification on eEF-2, and DelGEF. Here, we determined the solution structure of Kti11p using NMR, providing the first structure of the CSL-class zinc-binding protein family. We present the first experimental evidence that Kti11p can bind a single Zn(2+) ion by its four conserved cysteine residues. The major structure of Kti11p comprises a beta sandwich as well as an alpha helix. Moreover, a structure-based similarity search suggests that it represents a novel structure and may define a new family of the zinc ribbon fold group. Therefore, our work provides a molecular basis for further understanding the multiple functions of Kti11p/Dph3 in different biological processes.     

Elongator's toxin-target (TOT) function is nuclear localization sequence dependent and suppressed by post-translational modification

The toxin target (TOT) function of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Elongator complex enables Kluyveromyces lactis zymocin to induce a G1 cell cycle arrest. Loss of a ubiquitin-related system (URM1-UBA4 ) and KTI11 enhances post-translational modification/proteolysis of Elongator subunit Tot1p (Elp1p) and abrogates its TOT function. Using TAP tagging, Kti11p contacts Elongator and translational proteins (Rps7Ap, Rps19Ap Eft2p, Yil103wp, Dph2p). Loss of YIL103w and DPH2 (involved in diphtheria toxicity) suppresses zymocicity implying that both toxins overlap in a manner mediated by Kti11p. Among the pool that co-fractionates with RNA polymerase II (pol II) and nucleolin, Nop1p, unmodified Tot1p dominates. Thus, modification/proteolysis may affect association of Elongator with pol II or its localization. Consistently, an Elongator-nuclear localization sequence (NLS) targets green fluorescent protein (GFP) to the nucleus, and its truncation yields TOT deficiency. Similarly, KAP120 deletion rescues cells from zymocin, suggesting that Elongator's TOT function requires NLS- and karyopherin-dependent nuclear import.     

OVCA1: tumor suppressor gene

OVCA1, also known as DPH2L1, is a tumor suppressor gene associated with ovarian carcinoma and other tumors. Ovca1 homozygous mutant mice die at birth with developmental delay and cell-autonomous proliferation defects. Ovca1 heterozygous mutant mice are tumor-prone but rarely develop ovarian tumors. OVCA1 appears to be the homolog of yeast DPH2, which participates in the first biosynthetic step of diphthamide, by modification of histidine on translation elongation factor 2 (EF-2). Yeast dph2 mutants are resistant to diphtheria toxin, which catalyses ADP ribosylation of EF-2 at diphthamide. Thus, there appears to be growing evidence implicating alterations in protein translation with tumorigenesis.     

A dominant-negative approach that prevents diphthamide formation confers resistance to Pseudomonas exotoxin A and diphtheria toxin

Diphtheria toxin (DT), Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exotoxin A (ETA) and cholix toxin from Vibrio cholerae share the same mechanism of toxicity; these enzymes ADP-rybosylate elongation factor-2 (EF-2) on a modified histidine residue called diphthamide, leading to a block in protein synthesis. Mutant Chinese hamster ovary cells that are defective in the formation of diphthamide have no distinct phenotype except their resistance to DT and ETA. These observations led us to predict that a strategy that prevents the formation of diphthamide to confer DT and ETA resistance is likely to be safe. It is well documented that Dph1 and Dph2 are involved in the first biochemical step of diphthamide formation and that these two proteins interact with each other. We hypothesized that we could block diphthamide formation with a dominant negative mutant of either Dph1 or Dph2. We report in this study the first cellular-targeted strategy that protects against DT and ETA toxicity. We have generated Dph2(C-), a dominant-negative mutant of Dph2, that could block very efficiently the formation of diphthamide. Cells expressing Dph2(C-) were 1000-fold more resistant to DT than parental cells, and a similar protection against Pseudomonas exotoxin A was also obtained. The targeting of a cellular component with this approach should have a reduced risk of generating resistance as it is commonly seen with antibiotic treatments.     

Identification of host cell factors required for intoxication through use of modified cholera toxin

We describe a novel labeling strategy to site-specifically attach fluorophores, biotin, and proteins to the C terminus of the A1 subunit (CTA1) of cholera toxin (CTx) in an otherwise correctly assembled and active CTx complex. Using a biotinylated N-linked glycosylation reporter peptide attached to CTA1, we provide direct evidence that ~12% of the internalized CTA1 pool reaches the ER. We also explored the sortase labeling method to attach the catalytic subunit of diphtheria toxin as a toxic warhead to CTA1, thus converting CTx into a cytolethal toxin. This new toxin conjugate enabled us to conduct a genetic screen in human cells, which identified ST3GAL5, SLC35A2, B3GALT4, UGCG, and ELF4 as genes essential for CTx intoxication. The first four encode proteins involved in the synthesis of gangliosides, which are known receptors for CTx. Identification and isolation of the ST3GAL5 and SLC35A2 mutant clonal cells uncover a previously unappreciated differential contribution of gangliosides to intoxication by CTx.     

Biosynthesis of diphthamide in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Partial purification and characterization of a specific S-adenosylmethionine:elongation factor 2 methyltransferase

The inactivation of elongation factor 2 (EF-2) by diphtheria toxin requires the presence of a post-translationally modified histidine residue in EF-2. This residue, diphthamide, has the structure 2-[3-carboxyamido-3-(trimethylammonio)propyl]histidine. The present work was undertaken to study the pathway of diphthamide biosynthesis using diphtheria toxin-resistant yeast mutants (Chen. J.-Y., Bodley, J. W., and Livingston, D. M. (1985) Mol. Cell. Biol. 5, 3357-3360) which are defective in diphthamide formation. We demonstrate here that one of these mutants (dph5) contains a toxin-resistant form of EF-2 which can be converted in vitro to a toxin-sensitive form through the action of an enzyme present in other yeast strains. Both this toxin-resistant EF-2 and its modifying enzyme have been partially purified and evidence is presented that the modifying enzyme is a specific S-adenosylmethionine:EF-2 methyltransferase. In vitro complementation to diphtheria toxin sensitivity required S-adenosylmethionine, and when partially purified components were incubated with [methyl-3H]S-adenosylmethionine, label was incorporated specifically into EF-2. Hydrolysis of labeled EF-2 yielded diphthine (the unamidated form of diphthamide) and a single chromatographically separable labeling intermediate. We conclude that the S-adenosylmethionine:EF-2 methyltransferase adds at least the last two of the three methyl groups present in diphthine and that this modification is sufficient to create diphtheria toxin sensitivity. Evidence is also presented for the existence of an ATP-dependent amidating enzyme which catalyzes the final step in the biosynthesis of diphthamide in EF-2.     

Human and Giardia ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs) complement ARF function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs) are approximately 20-kDa guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that stimulate the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of cholera toxin in vitro. ARFs are highly conserved, ubiquitously expressed in eukaryotic cells and appear to be involved in vesicular protein transport. The two yeast ARFs are > 60% identical to mammalian ARFs and are essential for cell viability (Stearns, T., Kahn, R. A., Botstein, D., and Hoyt, M. A. (1990) Mol. Cell. Biol. 10, 6690-6699). Although the two yeast ARF proteins are 96% identical in amino acid sequence, the yeast ARF1 gene is constitutively expressed, whereas the ARF2 gene is repressed by glucose. Human ARF5 and ARF6 and a Giardia ARF differ substantially in size and amino acid identity from other mammalian and eukaryotic ARFs but will, as befits their designation, activate cholera toxin. Expression of human ARF5, ARF6, or Giardia ARF cDNA rescued the lethal yeast ARF double mutant (arf1, arf2). Strains rescued by human ARF5, ARF6, or Giardia ARF grew much more slowly than wild-type yeast or strains rescued with yeast ARF1. We infer from the impaired growth of these rescued strains that the homologous ARFs may have specific targeting information that does not interact effectively or efficiently with the yeast protein membrane trafficking system.     

Diphtheria toxin receptor. Identification of specific diphtheria toxin-binding proteins on the surface of Vero and BS-C-1 cells

The biochemical characteristics of specific receptor molecules for diphtheria toxin on the surface of two toxin-sensitive cell lines (Vero and BS-C-1) were examined. Diphtheria toxin was found to bind to a number of different proteins in Nonidet P-40 solubilized extracts of 125I-labeled cells. In contrast, permitting diphtheria toxin to bind first to labeled intact cells, which were subsequently solubilized and subjected to immunoprecipitation with anti-diphtheria toxin, resulted in a far more restricted profile of diphtheria toxin-binding proteins that possessed Mrs in the range of 10,000-20,000. Direct chemical cross-linking of radioiodinated diphtheria toxin to cell surface proteins resulted in the appearance of several predominant bands possessing Mrs of approximately 80,000. The Mr approximately 80,000 complexes were shown to be composed of radiolabeled diphtheria toxin (Mr 60,000) and unlabeled Mr approximately 20,000 cellular proteins. These complexes were judged to be a result of specific binding in that their appearance could be preferentially inhibited by the addition of a 100-fold excess of unlabeled diphtheria toxin. The formation of the Mr approximately 80,000 complexes was sensitive to prior trypsin treatment of the cells and to known inhibitors of diphtheria toxin binding. Furthermore, prior incubation of the cells with diphtheria toxin at 37 degrees C ("down regulation") markedly and specifically reduced the subsequent formation of the Mr approximately 80,000 cross-linked complexes, and these down-regulated cells were less sensitive to diphtheria toxin in cytotoxicity assays. Further incubation of down-regulated cells at 37 degrees C restored their ability to form Mr approximately 80,000 complexes; this regeneration requires protein synthesis and restores the cells' sensitivity to diphtheria toxin-mediated cytotoxicity. These results strongly suggest that a Mr 10,000-20,000 cell surface protein is, or constitutes a portion of, the functional diphtheria toxin receptor.     

The pH-dependent conformational change of diphtheria toxin

Labeling by a hydrophobic photoactivatable reagent and limited proteolysis have been used to study conformational changes of diphtheria toxin related to its pH-dependent membrane insertion and translocation. TID (3-(trifluoromethyl)-3-(m-[125I]iodophenyl)diazirine) labels diphtheria toxin at pH 5 much more efficiently than at pH 7, both in the presence and absence of lipid vesicles. In the absence of membranes, the extent of labeling is greater and the pH dependence is stronger. As analyzed on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels and by high pressure liquid chromatography, both the A- and B-subunits and most of the cyanogen bromide fragments of the toxin are labeled by TID at acid pH. The products of trypsin cleavage of diphtheria toxin at pH 5 are different from those seen at neutral pH. Trypsin-susceptible sites were identified by gel electrophoresis of the trypsin fragments, combined with electrophoresis and high pressure liquid chromatography of CNBr digests of trypsin-treated toxin. At neutral pH, the main sites of digestion are at the junction between the A- and B-fragments and near the NH2 terminus of the A-fragment. At pH 5.2, these sites are less efficiently cut, and new sites appear near the NH2 terminus of the B-fragment, in an amphipathic portion of the sequence. Thus, even in the absence of membranes, acid pH induces a significant conformational change in diphtheria toxin. This change involves burial of some previously accessible sites, exposure of previously inaccessible sites, and the formation of hydrophobic regions over an extensive portion of the polypeptide chain.     

Biochemical and genetic characterization of three hamster cell mutants resistant to diphtheria toxin

We describe here three different hamster cell mutants which are resistant to diphtheria toxin and which provide models for investigating some of the functions required by the toxin inactivates elongation factor 2 (EF-2). Cell-free extracts from mutants Dtx(r)-3 was codominant. The evidence suggests that the codominant phenotype is the result of a mutation in a gene coding for EF-2. The recessive phenotype might arise by alteration of an enzyme which modifies the structure of EF-2 so that it becomes a substrate for reaction with the toxin. Another mutant, Dtx(r)-2, contained EF-2 that was sensitive to the toxin and this phenotype was recessive. Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin is known to inactivate EF-2 as does diphtheria toxin and we tested the mutants for cross-resistance to pseudomonas exotoxin. Dtx(r)-1 and Dtx(r)-3 were cross-resistant while Dtx(r)-2 was not. It is known that diphtheria toxin does not penetrate to the cytoplasm of mouse cells and that these cell have a naturally occurring phenotype of diphtheria toxin resistance. We fused each of the mutants with mouse 3T3 cells and measured the resistance. We fused each of the mutants with mouse 3T3 cells and measured the resistance of the hybrid cells to diphtheria toxin. Intraspecies hybrids containing the genome of mutants Dtx(r)-1 and Dtx(r)-3 had some resistance while those formed with Dtx(r)-2 were as sensitive as hybrids derived from fusions between wild-type hamster cells and mouse 3T3 cells.     

Protein degradation: recognition of ubiquitinylated substrates

A cell-free system has been developed in budding yeast that provides direct evidence that the Dsk2/Dph1, Rad23/Rhp23 and Rpn10/Pus1 multi-ubiquitin-binding proteins, long implicated in substrate recognition and presentation to the 26S proteasome, actually fulfil such a role.     

The cytosolic entry of diphtheria toxin catalytic domain requires a host cell cytosolic translocation factor complex

In vitro delivery of the diphtheria toxin catalytic (C) domain from the lumen of purified early endosomes to the external milieu requires the addition of both ATP and a cytosolic translocation factor (CTF) complex. Using the translocation of C-domain ADP-ribosyltransferase activity across the endosomal membrane as an assay, the CTF complex activity was 650-800-fold purified from human T cell and yeast extracts, respectively. The chaperonin heat shock protein (Hsp) 90 and thioredoxin reductase were identified by mass spectrometry sequencing in CTF complexes purified from both human T cell and yeast. Further analysis of the role played by these two proteins with specific inhibitors, both in the in vitro translocation assay and in intact cell toxicity assays, has demonstrated their essential role in the productive delivery of the C-domain from the lumen of early endosomes to the external milieu. These results confirm and extend earlier observations of diphtheria toxin C-domain unfolding and refolding that must occur before and after vesicle membrane translocation. In addition, results presented here demonstrate that thioredoxin reductase activity plays an essential role in the cytosolic release of the C-domain. Because analogous CTF complexes have been partially purified from mammalian and yeast cell extracts, results presented here suggest a common and fundamental mechanism for C-domain translocation across early endosomal membranes.     

Evolutionarily conserved and nonconserved cellular localizations and functions of human SIRT proteins

Sir2 is a NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase that extends lifespan in yeast and worms. This study examines seven human proteins homologous to Sir2 (SIRT1 through SIRT7) for cellular localization, expression profiles, protein deacetylation activity, and effects on human cell lifespan. We found that: 1) three nuclear SIRT proteins (SIRT1, SIRT6, and SIRT7) show different subnuclear localizations: SIRT6 and SIRT7 are associated with heterochromatic regions and nucleoli, respectively, where yeast Sir2 functions; 2) SIRT3, SIRT4, and SIRT5 are localized in mitochondria, an organelle that links aging and energy metabolism; 3) cellular p53 is a major in vivo substrate of SIRT1 deacetylase, but not the other six SIRT proteins; 4) SIRT1, but not the other two nuclear SIRT proteins, shows an in vitro deacetylase activity on histone H4 and p53 peptides; and 5) overexpression of any one of the seven SIRT proteins does not extend cellular replicative lifespan in normal human fibroblasts or prostate epithelial cells. This study supports the notion that multiple human SIRT proteins have evolutionarily conserved and nonconserved functions at different cellular locations and reveals that the lifespan of normal human cells, in contrast to that of lower eukaryotes, cannot be manipulated by increased expression of a single SIRT protein.     

Enhancement of immunotoxin efficacy by acid-cleavable cross-linking agents utilizing diphtheria toxin and toxin mutants

We have utilized a new class of acid-cleavable protein cross-linking reagents in the construction of antibody-diphtheria toxin conjugates (Srinivaschar, K., and Neville, D. M., Jr. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 2501-2509). The potency of anti-CD5 conjugates assayed by inhibition of protein synthesis on CD5 bearing cells (Jurkat) is correlated with cross-linker hydrolytic rates. The maximum increase in potency of the cleavable conjugates over non-cleavable conventional conjugates is 50-fold and is specific for the CD5 uptake route as judged by competition with excess anti-CD5. The potency of conjugates made from diphtheria toxin and the anti-high molecular weight melanoma-associated antigen (HMW-MAA) is enhanced 3-10-fold by a cleavable cross-linker. However the potency of transferrin or anti-CD3 diphtheria toxin conjugates is only minimally enhanced (2-3-fold). Mutant diphtheria toxins, CRM103 and CRM9, previously shown to express less than 1/100 of the wild type in binding affinity were substituted into these conjugates as probes for possible intracellular toxin receptor interactions. Both mutants were equally as toxic to Jurkat target cells exhibiting 1/700 the wild-type potency. CRM9 non-cleavable conjugates were equally as potent as wild-type conjugates for transferrin and anti-CD3-mediated uptake but not for anti-CD5-mediated uptake where toxicity was reduced 60-fold over the wild-type analog. The cleavable cross-linker enhanced the toxicity of anti-CD5-CRM103 and anti-CD5-CRM9 conjugates, but potency was only 1/10 that of the analogous wild-type cleavable conjugate. These data are consistent with a model in which potentiation of toxicity of the anti-CD5 and anti-high molecular weight melanoma-associated antigen conjugates by the cleavable cross-linker occurs from an enhanced intracellular toxin-toxin receptor interaction that ultimately results in increased toxin translocation to the cytosol compartment. In contrast, these data indicate that the anti-CD3 and transferrin uptake systems do not require this interaction in agreement with previous work (Johnson, V.G., Wilson, D., Greenfield, L., and Youle, R. J. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 1295-1300).     

The diphthamide modification pathway from Saccharomyces cerevisiae – revisited

Diphthamide is a conserved modification in archaeal and eukaryal translation elongation factor 2 (EF2). Its name refers to the target function for diphtheria toxin, the disease‐causing agent that, through ADP ribosylation of diphthamide, causes irreversible inactivation of EF2 and cell death. Although this clearly emphasizes a pathobiological role for diphthamide, its physiological function is unclear, and precisely why cells need EF2 to contain diphthamide is hardly understood. Nonetheless, the conservation of diphthamide biosynthesis together with syndromes (i.e. ribosomal frame‐shifting, embryonic lethality, neurodegeneration and cancer) typical of mutant cells that cannot make it strongly suggests that diphthamide‐modified EF2 occupies an important and translation‐related role in cell proliferation and development. Whether this is structural and/or regulatory remains to be seen. However, recent progress in dissecting the diphthamide gene network (DPH1–DPH7) from the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has significantly advanced our understanding of the mechanisms required to initiate and complete diphthamide synthesis on EF2. Here, we review recent developments in the field that not only have provided novel, previously overlooked and unexpected insights into the pathway and the biochemical players required for diphthamide synthesis but also are likely to foster innovative studies into the potential regulation of diphthamide, and importantly, its ill‐defined biological role.