Crystal structure of a phosphatase with a unique substrate binding domain from Thermotoga maritima

We have determined the crystal structure of a phosphatase with a unique substrate binding domain from Thermotoga maritima, TM0651 (gi 4981173), at 2.2 A resolution by selenomethionine single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) techniques. TM0651 is a member of the haloacid dehalogenase (HAD) superfamily, with sequence homology to trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase and sucrose-6(F)-phosphate phosphohydrolase. Selenomethionine labeled TM0651 crystallized in space group C2 with three monomers per asymmetric unit. Each monomer has approximate dimensions of 65 x 40 x 35 A(3), and contains two domains: a domain of known hydrolase fold characteristic of the HAD family, and a domain with a new tertiary fold consisting of a six-stranded beta-sheet surrounded by four alpha-helices. There is one disulfide bond between residues Cys35 and Cys265 in each monomer. One magnesium ion and one sulfate ion are bound in the active site. The superposition of active site residues with other HAD family members indicates that TM0651 is very likely a phosphatase that acts through the formation of a phosphoaspartate intermediate, which is supported by both NMR titration data and a biochemical assay. Structural and functional database searches and the presence of many aromatic residues in the interface of the two domains suggest the substrate of TM0651 is a carbohydrate molecule. From the crystal structure and NMR data, the protein likely undergoes a conformational change upon substrate binding.     

Structure and ligand binding of the soluble domain of a Thermotoga maritima membrane protein of unknown function TM1634

As a part of the Joint Center for Structural Genomics (JCSG) biological targets, the structures of soluble domains of membrane proteins from Thermotoga maritima were pursued. Here, we report the crystal structure of the soluble domain of TM1634, a putative membrane protein of 128 residues (15.1 kDa) and unknown function. The soluble domain of TM1634 is an alpha-helical dimer that contains a single tetratrico peptide repeat (TPR) motif in each monomer where each motif is similar to that found in Tom20. The overall fold, however, is unique and a DALI search does not identify similar folds beyond the 38-residue TPR motif. Two different putative ligand binding sites, in which PEG200 and Co(2+) were located, were identified using crystallography and NMR, respectively.     

Structure of a novel N-acetyl-L-citrulline deacetylase from Xanthomonas campestris

The structure of a novel acetylcitrulline deacetylase from the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris has been solved by multiple-wavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD) using crystals grown from selenomethionine-substituted protein and refined at 1.75 A resolution. The asymmetric unit of the crystal contains one monomer consisting of two domains, a catalytic domain and a dimerization domain. The catalytic domain is able to bind a single Co(II) ion at the active site with no change in conformation. The dimerization domain forms an interface between two monomers related by a crystallographic two-fold symmetry axis. The interface is maintained by hydrophobic interactions between helices and hydrogen bonding between two beta strands that form a continuous beta sheet across the dimer interface. Because the dimers are also related by two-fold crystallographic axes, they pack together across the crystal via the dimerization domain, suggesting that higher order oligomers may form in solution. The polypeptide fold of the monomer is similar to the fold of Pseudomonas sp. carboxypeptidase G2 and Neisseria meningitidis succinyl diaminopimelate desuccinylase. Structural comparison among these enzymes allowed modeling of substrate binding and suggests a possible catalytic mechanism, in which Glu130 functions as a bifunctional general acid-base catalyst and the metal ion polarizes the carbonyl of the acetyl group.     

Characterization and structure of a Zn2+ and [2Fe-2S]-containing copper chaperone from Archaeoglobus fulgidus

Bacterial CopZ proteins deliver copper to P1B-type Cu+-ATPases that are homologous to the human Wilson and Menkes disease proteins. The genome of the hyperthermophile Archaeoglobus fulgidus encodes a putative CopZ copper chaperone that contains an unusual cysteine-rich N-terminal domain of 130 amino acids in addition to a C-terminal copper binding domain with a conserved CXXC motif. The N-terminal domain (CopZ-NT) is homologous to proteins found only in extremophiles and is the only such protein that is fused to a copper chaperone. Surprisingly, optical, electron paramagnetic resonance, and x-ray absorption spectroscopic data indicate the presence of a [2Fe-2S] cluster in CopZ-NT. The intact CopZ protein binds two copper ions, one in each domain. The 1.8 A resolution crystal structure of CopZ-NT reveals that the [2Fe-2S] cluster is housed within a novel fold and that the protein also binds a zinc ion at a four-cysteine site. CopZ can deliver Cu+ to the A. fulgidus CopA N-terminal metal binding domain and is capable of reducing Cu2+ to Cu+. This unique fusion of a redox-active domain with a CXXC-containing copper chaperone domain is relevant to the evolution of copper homeostatic mechanisms and suggests new models for copper trafficking.     

Improved structures of full-length p97, an AAA ATPase: implications for mechanisms of nucleotide-dependent conformational change

The ATPases associated with various cellular activities (AAA) protein p97 has been implicated in a variety of cellular processes, including endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation and homotypic membrane fusion. p97 belongs to a subgroup of AAA proteins that contains two nucleotide binding domains, D1 and D2. We determined the crystal structure of D2 at 3.0 A resolution. This model enabled rerefinement of full-length p97 in different nucleotide states against previously reported low-resolution diffraction data to significantly improved R values and Ramachandran statistics. Although the overall fold remained similar, there are significant improvements, especially around the D2 nucleotide binding site. The rerefinement illustrates the importance of knowledge of high-resolution structures of fragments covering most of the whole molecule. The structures suggest that nucleotide hydrolysis is transformed into larger conformational changes by pushing of one D2 domain by its neighbor in the hexamer, and transmission of nucleotide-state information through the D1-D2 linker to displace the N-terminal, effector binding domain.     

The gate of the influenza virus M2 proton channel is formed by a single tryptophan residue

The influenza virus M2 proton-selective ion channel is known to be essential for acidifying the interior of virions during virus uncoating in the lumen of endosomes. The M2 protein is a homotetramer that contains four 19-residue transmembrane (TM) domains. These TM domains are multifunctional, because they contain the channel pore and also anchor the protein in membranes. The M2 protein is gated by pH, and thus we have measured pH-gated currents, the accessibility of the pore to Cu2+, and the effect of a protein-modifying reagent for a series of TM domain mutant M2 proteins. The results indicate that gating of the M2 ion channel is governed by a single side chain at residue 41 of the TM domain and that this property is mediated by an indole moiety. Unlike many ion channels where the gate is formed by a whole segment of a protein, our data suggest a model of striking simplicity for the M2 ion channel protein, with the side chain of Trp(41) blocking the pore of the M2 channel when pH(out) is high and with this side chain leaving the pore when pH(out) is low. Thus, the Trp(41) side chain acts as the gate that opens and closes the pore.     

Aspartate dehydrogenase,a novel enzyme identified from structural and functional studies of TM1643

The open reading frame TM1643 of Thermotoga maritima belongs to a large family of proteins, with homologues in bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. TM1643 is found in an operon with two other genes that encode enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of NAD. In several bacteria, the gene in the position occupied by TM1643 encodes an aspartate oxidase (NadB), which synthesizes iminoaspartate as a substrate for NadA, the next enzyme in the pathway. The amino acid sequence of TM1643 does not share any recognizable homology with aspartate oxidase or with other proteins of known functions or structures. To help define the biological functions of TM1643, we determined its crystal structure at 2.6A resolution and performed a series of screens for enzymatic function. The structure reveals the presence of an N-terminal Rossmann fold domain with a bound NAD(+) cofactor and a C-terminal alpha+beta domain. The structural information suggests that TM1643 may be a dehydrogenase and the active site of the enzyme is located at the interface between the two domains. The enzymatic characterization of TM1643 revealed that it possesses NAD or NADP-dependent dehydrogenase activity toward l-aspartate but no aspartate oxidase activity. The product of the aspartate dehydrogenase activity is also iminoaspartate. Therefore, our studies demonstrate that two different enzymes, an oxidase and a dehydrogenase, may have evolved to catalyze the first step of NAD biosynthesis in prokaryotes. TM1643 establishes a new class of amino acid dehydrogenases.     

Crystal structure of A. fulgidus Rio2 defines a new family of serine protein kinases

The RIO family of atypical serine/threonine kinases contains two subfamilies, Rio1 and Rio2, highly conserved from archaea to man. Both RIO proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae catalyze serine phosphorylation in vitro, and the presence of conserved catalytic residues is required for cell viability. The activity of Rio2 is necessary for rRNA cleavage in 40S ribosomal subunit maturation. We solved the X-ray crystal structure of Archaeoglobus fulgidus Rio2, with and without bound nucleotides, at 2.0 A resolution. The C-terminal RIO domain is indeed structurally homologous to protein kinases, although it differs from known serine kinases in ATP binding and lacks the regions important for substrate binding. Unexpectedly, the N-terminal Rio2-specific domain contains a winged helix fold, seen primarily in DNA-binding proteins. These discoveries have implications in determining the target and function of RIO proteins and define a distinct new family of protein kinases.     

Crystal structure of the cysteine-rich secretory protein stecrisp reveals that the cysteine-rich domain has a K+ channel inhibitor-like fold

Stecrisp from Trimeresurus stejnegeri snake venom belongs to a family of cysteine-rich secretory proteins (CRISP) that have various functions related to sperm-egg fusion, innate host defense, and the blockage of ion channels. Here we present the crystal structure of stecrisp refined to 1.6-angstrom resolution. It shows that stecrisp contains three regions, namely a PR-1 (pathogenesis-related proteins of group1) domain, a hinge, and a cysteine-rich domain (CRD). A conformation of solvent-exposed and -conserved residues (His60, Glu75, Glu96, and His115) in the PR-1 domain similar to that of their counterparts in homologous structures suggests they may share some molecular mechanism. Three flexible loops of hypervariable sequence surrounding the possible substrate binding site in the PR-1 domain show an evident difference in homologous structures, implying that a great diversity of species- and substrate-specific interactions may be involved in recognition and catalysis. The hinge is fixed by two crossed disulfide bonds formed by four of ten characteristic cysteines in the carboxyl-terminal region and is important for stabilizing the N-terminal PR-1 domain. Spatially separated from the PR-1 domain, CRD possesses a similar fold with two K+ channel inhibitors (Bgk and Shk). Several candidates for the possible functional sites of ion channel blocking are located in a solvent-exposed loop in the CRD. The structure of stecrisp will provide a prototypic architecture for a structural and functional exploration of the diverse members of the CRISP family.     

Crystal structure of the bovine lactadherin C2 domain, a membrane binding motif, shows similarity to the C2 domains of factor V and factor VIII

Lactadherin, a glycoprotein secreted by a variety of cell types, contains two EGF domains and two C domains with sequence homology to the C domains of blood coagulation proteins factor V and factor VIII. Like these proteins, lactadherin binds to phosphatidylserine (PS)-containing membranes with high affinity. We determined the crystal structure of the bovine lactadherin C2 domain (residues 1 to 158) at 2.4 A. The lactadherin C2 structure is similar to the C2 domains of factors V and VIII (rmsd of C(alpha) atoms of 0.9 A and 1.2 A, and sequence identities of 43% and 38%, respectively). The lactadherin C2 domain has a discoidin-like fold containing two beta-sheets of five and three antiparallel beta-strands packed against one another. The N and C termini are linked by a disulfide bridge between Cys1 and Cys158. One beta-turn and two loops containing solvent-exposed hydrophobic residues extend from the C2 domain beta-sandwich core. In analogy with the C2 domains of factors V and VIII, some or all of these solvent-exposed hydrophobic residues, Trp26, Leu28, Phe31, and Phe81, likely participate in membrane binding. The C2 domain of lactadherin may serve as a marker of cell surface phosphatidylserine exposure and may have potential as a unique anti-thrombotic agent.     

Crystal structure of the PH-BEACH domains of human LRBA/BGL

The beige and Chediak-Higashi syndrome (BEACH) domain defines a large family of eukaryotic proteins that have diverse cellular functions in vesicle trafficking, membrane dynamics, and receptor signaling. The domain is the only module that is highly conserved among all of these proteins, but the exact functions of this domain and the molecular basis for its actions are currently unknown. Our previous studies showed that the BEACH domain is preceded by a novel, weakly conserved pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. We report here the crystal structure at 2.4 A resolution of the PH-BEACH domain of human LRBA/BGL. The PH domain has the same backbone fold as canonical PH domains, despite sharing no sequence homology with them. However, our binding assays demonstrate that the PH domain in the BEACH proteins cannot bind phospholipids. The BEACH domain contains a core of several partially extended peptide segments that is flanked by helices on both sides. The structure suggests intimate association between the PH and the BEACH domains, and surface plasmon resonance studies confirm that the two domains of the protein FAN have high affinity for each other, with a K(d) of 120 nM.     

Crystal structure of human pFGE, the paralog of the Calpha-formylglycine-generating enzyme

In eukaryotes, sulfate esters are degraded by sulfatases, which possess a unique Calpha-formylglycine residue in their active site. The defect in post-translational formation of the Calpha-formylglycine residue causes a severe lysosomal storage disorder in humans. Recently, FGE (formylglycine-generating enzyme) has been identified as the protein required for this specific modification. Using sequence comparisons, a protein homologous to FGE was found and denoted pFGE (paralog of FGE). pFGE binds a sulfatase-derived peptide bearing the FGE recognition motif, but it lacks formylglycine-generating activity. Both proteins belong to a large family of pro- and eukaryotic proteins containing the DUF323 domain, a formylglycine-generating enzyme domain of unknown three-dimensional structure. We have crystallized the glycosylated human pFGE and determined its crystal structure at a resolution of 1.86 A. The structure reveals a novel fold, which we denote the FGE fold and which therefore serves as a paradigm for the DUF323 domain. It is characterized by an asymmetric partitioning of secondary structure elements and is stabilized by two calcium cations. A deep cleft on the surface of pFGE most likely represents the sulfatase polypeptide binding site. The asymmetric unit of the pFGE crystal contains a homodimer. The putative peptide binding site is buried between the monomers, indicating a biological significance of the dimer. The structure suggests the capability of pFGE to form a heterodimer with FGE.     

Crystal structure and putative function of small Toprim domain-containing protein from Bacillus stearothermophilus

The crystal structure of the Midwest Center for Structural Genomics target APC35832, a 14.7-kDa cytosolic protein from Bacillus stearothermophilus, has been determined at 1.3 A resolution by the single anomalous diffraction method from a mercury soaked crystal. The APC35832 protein is a representative of large group of bacterial and archeal proteins entirely consisting of the Toprim (topoisomerase-primase) domain. This domain is found in the catalytic centers of many enzymes catalyzing phosphodiester bond formation or cleavage, but the function of small Toprim domain proteins remains unknown. Consistent with the sequence analysis, the APC35832 structure shows a conserved Toprim fold, with a central 4-stranded parallel beta-sheet surrounded by four alpha-helixes. Comparison of the APC35832 structure with its closest structural homolog, the catalytic core of bacteriophage T7 primase, revealed structural conservation of a metal binding site and isothermal titration calorimetry indicates that APC35832 binds Mg2+ with a sub-millimolar dissociation constant (K(d)). The APC35832-Mg2+ complex structure was determined at 1.65 A and reveals the role of conserved acidic residues in Mg2+ ion coordination. The structural similarities to other Toprim domain containing proteins and potential function and substrates of APC35832 are discussed in this article.     

The first crystal structure of L-threonine dehydrogenase

L-threonine dehydrogenase (TDH) is an enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of L-threonine to 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate. We solved the first crystal structure of a medium chain L-threonine dehydrogenase from a hyperthermophilic archaeon, Pyrococcus horikoshii (PhTDH), by the single wavelength anomalous diffraction method using a selenomethionine-substituted enzyme. This recombinant PhTDH is a homo-tetramer in solution. Three monomers of PhTDHs were located in the crystallographic asymmetric unit, however, the crystal structure exhibits a homo-tetramer structure with crystallographic and non-crystallographic 222 symmetry in the cell. Despite the low level of sequence identity to a medium-chain NAD(H)-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and the different substrate specificity, the overall folds of the PhTDH monomer and tetramer are similar to those of the other ADH. Each subunit is composed of two domains: a nicotinamide cofactor (NAD(H))-binding domain and a catalytic domain. The NAD(H)-binding domain contains the alpha/beta Rossmann fold motif, characteristic of the NAD(H)-binding protein. One molecule of PhTDH contains one zinc ion playing a structural role. This metal ion exhibits coordination with four cysteine ligands and some of the ligands are conserved throughout the structural zinc-containing ADHs and TDHs. However, the catalytic zinc ion that is coordinated at the bottom of the cleft in the case of ADH was not observed in the crystal of PhTDH. There is a significant difference in the orientation of the catalytic domain relative to the coenzyme-binding domain that results in a larger interdomain cleft.     

The cysteine-rich secretory protein domain of Tpx-1 is related to ion channel toxins and regulates ryanodine receptor Ca2+ signaling

The cysteine-rich secretory proteins (Crisp) are predominantly found in the mammalian male reproductive tract as well as in the venom of reptiles. Crisps are two domain proteins with a structurally similar yet evolutionary diverse N-terminal domain and a characteristic cysteine-rich C-terminal domain, which we refer to as the Crisp domain. We presented the NMR solution structure of the Crisp domain of mouse Tpx-1, and we showed that it contains two subdomains, one of which has a similar fold to the ion channel regulators BgK and ShK. Furthermore, we have demonstrated for the first time that the ion channel regulatory activity of Crisp proteins is attributed to the Crisp domain. Specifically, the Tpx-1 Crisp domain inhibited cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR) 2 with an IC(50) between 0.5 and 1.0 microM and activated the skeletal RyR1 with an AC(50) between 1 and 10 microM when added to the cytoplasmic domain of the receptor. This activity was nonvoltage-dependent and weakly voltage-dependent, respectively. Furthermore, the Tpx-1 Crisp domain activated both RyR forms at negative bilayer potentials and showed no effect at positive bilayer potentials when added to the luminal domain of the receptor. These data show that the Tpx-1 Crisp domain on its own can regulate ion channel activity and provide compelling evidence for a role for Tpx-1 in the regulation of Ca(2+) fluxes observed during sperm capacitation.     

Crystal structure of the ENT domain of human EMSY

EMSY is a recently discovered gene encoding a BRCA2-associated protein and is amplified in some sporadic breast and ovarian cancers. The EMSY sequence contains no known domain except for a conserved approximately 100 residue segment at the N terminus. This so-called ENT domain is unique in the human genome, although multiple copies are found in Arabidopsis proteins containing members of the Royal family of chromatin remodelling domains. Here, we report the crystal structure of the ENT domain of EMSY, consisting of a unique arrangement of five alpha-helices that fold into a helical bundle arrangement. The fold shares regions of structural homology with the DNA-binding domain of homeodomain proteins. The ENT domain forms a homodimer via the anti-parallel packing of the extended N-terminal alpha-helix of each molecule. It is stabilized mainly by hydrophobic residues at the dimer interface and has a dissociation constant in the low micromolar range. The dimerisation of EMSY mediated by the ENT domain could provide flexibility for it to bind two or more different substrates simultaneously.     

Crystal structure of the bacterial YhcH protein indicates a role in sialic acid catabolism

The yhcH gene is part of the nan operon in bacteria that encodes proteins involved in sialic acid catabolism. Determination of the crystal structure of YhcH from Haemophilus influenzae was undertaken as part of a structural genomics effort in order to assist with the functional assignment of the protein. The structure was determined at 2.2-A resolution by multiple-wavelength anomalous diffraction. The protein fold is a variation of the double-stranded beta-helix. Two antiparallel beta-sheets form a funnel opened at one side, where a putative active site contains a copper ion coordinated to the side chains of two histidine and two carboxylic acid residues. A comparison to other proteins with a similar fold and analysis of the genomic context suggested that YhcH may be a sugar isomerase involved in processing of exogenous sialic acid.     

NMR structure and dynamics of a designed water-soluble transmembrane domain of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is an important therapeutic target for a wide range of pathophysiological conditions, for which rational drug designs often require receptor structures at atomic resolution. Recent proof-of-concept studies demonstrated a water-solubilization approach to structure determination of membrane proteins by NMR (Slovic et al., PNAS, 101: 1828-1833, 2004; Ma et al., PNAS, 105: 16537-42, 2008). We report here the computational design and experimental characterization of WSA, a water-soluble protein with ~83% sequence identity to the transmembrane (TM) domain of the nAChR α1 subunit. Although the design was based on a low-resolution structural template, the resulting high-resolution NMR structure agrees remarkably well with the recent crystal structure of the TM domains of the bacterial Gloeobacter violaceus pentameric ligand-gated ion channel (GLIC), demonstrating the robustness and general applicability of the approach. NMR T(2) dispersion measurements showed that the TM2 domain of the designed protein was dynamic, undergoing conformational exchange on the NMR timescale. Photoaffinity labeling with isoflurane and propofol photolabels identified a common binding site in the immediate proximity of the anesthetic binding site found in the crystal structure of the anesthetic-GLIC complex. Our results illustrate the usefulness of high-resolution NMR analyses of water-solubilized channel proteins for the discovery of potential drug binding sites.     

Crystal structure of the ATPase domain of translation initiation factor 4A from Saccharomyces cerevisiae--the prototype of the DEAD box protein family.

BACKGROUND: Translation initiation factor 4A (elF4A) is the prototype of the DEAD-box family of proteins. DEAD-box proteins are involved in a variety of cellular processes including splicing, ribosome biogenesis and RNA degradation. Energy from ATP hydrolysis is used to perform RNA unwinding during initiation of mRNA translation. The presence of elF4A is required for the 43S preinitiation complex to bind to and scan the mRNA. RESULTS: We present here the crystal structure of the nucleotide-binding domain of elF4A at 2.0 A and the structures with bound adenosinediphosphate and adenosinetriphosphate at 2.2 A and 2.4 A resolution, respectively. The structure of the apo form of the enzyme has been determined by multiple isomorphous replacement. The ATPase domain contains a central seven-stranded beta sheet flanked by nine alpha helices. Despite low sequence homology to the NTPase domains of RNA and DNA helicases, the three-dimensional fold of elF4A is nearly identical to the DNA helicase PcrA of Bacillus stearothermophilus and to the RNA helicase NS3 of hepatitis C virus. CONCLUSIONS: We have determined the crystal structure of the N-terminal domain of the elF4A from yeast as the first structure of a member of the DEAD-box protein family. The complex of the protein with bound ADP and ATP offers insight into the mechanism of ATP hydrolysis and the transfer of energy to unwind RNA. The identical fold of the ATPase domain of the DNA helicase PcrA of B. stearothermophilus and the RNA helicase of hepatitis C virus suggests a common fold for all ATPase domains of DExx- and DEAD-box proteins.