The gene coding for small ribosomal subunit RNA in the basidiomycete Ustilago maydis contains a group I intron.

The nucleotide sequence of the gene coding for small ribosomal subunit RNA in the basidiomycete Ustilago maydis was determined. It revealed the presence of a group I intron with a length of 411 nucleotides. This is the third occurrence of such an intron discovered in a small subunit rRNA gene encoded by a eukaryotic nuclear genome. The other two occurrences are in Pneumocystis carinii, a fungus of uncertain taxonomic status, and Ankistrodesmus stipitatus, a green alga. The nucleotides of the conserved core structure of 101 group I intron sequences present in different genes and genome types were aligned and their evolutionary relatedness was examined. This revealed a cluster including all group I introns hitherto found in eukaryotic nuclear genes coding for small and large subunit rRNAs. A secondary structure model was designed for the area of the Ustilago maydis small ribosomal subunit RNA precursor where the intron is situated. It shows that the internal guide sequence pairing with the intron boundaries fits between two helices of the small subunit rRNA, and that minimal rearrangement of base pairs suffices to achieve the definitive secondary structure of the 18S rRNA upon splicing.     

Dynamics of telescoping Inovirus: a mechanism for assembly at membrane adhesions

Telescoping of Inovirus (filamentous bacteriophage) into short hollow tubes by organic solvents suggests a molecular mechanism both for infection and for maturation of the virion at adhesions between the inner and outer bacterial membranes. The symmetry of alpha-helix subunit arrangement in the virion is related to the symmetry of leaf arrangement in plants (phyllotaxis) and is conserved in a molecular rearrangement model of the telescope.     

AMINO ACID SEQUENCE ANALYSIS OF THE SMALL SUBUNIT OF RIBULOSE BISPHOSPHATE CARBOXYLASE FROM FUCUS (PHAEOPHYCEAE)1

This paper reports for the first time amino acid sequence information for the small subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase / oxygenase (Rubisco) from a non-green alga. N-terminal sequences are presented for the polypeptide from three species of the genus Fucus (Phaeophyceae). Although homologous to small subunit polypeptides from other organisms, the Fucus sequences exhibit a unique N-terminal section resembling neither cyanobacterial nor chlorophytic sequences. This difference may be a consequence of the plastid DNA coding arrangement for the small subunit in chromophytes, a situation reported for the related organism Olisthodiscus but not previously investigated at the amino acid sequence level.     

Catalysis by the isolated tryptophan tryptophylquinone-containing subunit of aromatic amine dehydrogenase is distinct from native enzyme and synthetic model compounds and allows further probing of TTQ mechanism

Para-substituted benzylamines are poor reactivity probes for structure-reactivity studies with TTQ-dependent aromatic amine dehydrogenase (AADH). In this study, we combine kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) with structure-reactivity studies to show that para-substituted benzylamines are good reactivity probes of TTQ mechanism with the isolated TTQ-containing subunit of AADH. Contrary to the TTQ-containing subunit of methylamine dehydrogenase (MADH), which is catalytically inactive, the small subunit of AADH catalyzes the oxidative deamination of a variety of amine substrates. Observed rate constants are second order with respect to substrate and inhibitor (phenylhydrazine) concentration. Kinetic studies with para-substituted benzylamines and their dideuterated counterparts reveal KIEs (>6) larger than those observed with native AADH (KIEs approximately unity). This is attributed to formation of the benzylamine-derived iminoquinone requiring structural rearrangement of the benzyl side chain in the active site of the native enzyme. This structural reorganization requires motions from the side chains of adjacent residues (which are absent in the isolated small subunit). The position of Phealpha97 in particular is responsible for the conformational gating (and hence deflated KIEs) observed with para-substituted benzylamines in the native enzyme. Hammett plots for the small subunit exhibit a strong correlation of structure-reactivity data with electronic substituent effects for para-substituted benzylamines and phenethylamines, unlike native AADH for which a poor correlation is observed. TTQ reduction in the isolated subunit is enhanced by electron withdrawing substituents, contrary to structure-reactivity studies reported for synthetic TTQ model compounds in which rate constants are enhanced by electron donating substituents. We infer that para-substituted benzylamines are good reactivity probes of TTQ mechanism with the isolated small subunit. This is attributed to the absence of structural rearrangement prior to H-transfer that limits the rate of TTQ reduction by para-substituted benzylamines in native enzyme.     

Structural model of the Fe-hydrogenase/cytochrome c553 complex combining transverse relaxation-optimized spectroscopy experiments and soft docking calculations

Fe-hydrogenase is a 54-kDa iron-sulfur enzyme essential for hydrogen cycling in sulfate-reducing bacteria. The x-ray structure of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans Fe-hydrogenase has recently been solved, but structural information on the recognition of its redox partners is essential to understand the structure-function relationships of the enzyme. In the present work, we have obtained a structural model of the complex of Fe-hydrogenase with its redox partner, the cytochrome c(553), combining docking calculations and NMR experiments. The putative models of the complex demonstrate that the small subunit of the hydrogenase has an important role in the complex formation with the redox partner; 50% of the interacting site on the hydrogenase involves the small subunit. The closest contact between the redox centers is observed between Cys-38, a ligand of the distal cluster of the hydrogenase and Cys-10, a ligand of the heme in the cytochrome. The electron pathway from the distal cluster of the Fe-hydrogenase to the heme of cytochrome c(553) was investigated using the software Greenpath and indicates that the observed cysteine/cysteine contact has an essential role. The spatial arrangement of the residues on the interface of the complex is very similar to that already described in the ferredoxin-cytochrome c(553) complex, which therefore, is a very good model for the interacting domain of the Fe-hydrogenase-cytochrome c(553).     

Conversion of the central [4Fe-4S] cluster into a [3Fe-4S] cluster leads to reduced hydrogen-uptake activity of the F420-reducing hydrogenase of Methanococcus voltae.

As in many other hydrogenases, the small subunit of the F420-reducing hydrogenase of Methanococcus voltae contains three iron-sulfur clusters. The arrangement of the three [4Fe-4S] clusters corresponds to the arrangement of [Fe-S] clusters in the [NiFeSe] hydrogenase of Desulfomicrobium baculatum. Many other hydrogenases contain two [4Fe-4S] clusters and one [3Fe-4S] cluster with a relatively high redox potential, which is located in the central position between a proximal and a distal [4Fe-4S] cluster. We have investigated the role of the central [4Fe-4S] cluster in M. voltae with regard to its effect on the enzyme activity and its spectroscopic properties. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we constructed a strain in which one cysteine ligand of the central [4Fe-4S] cluster was replaced by proline. The mutant protein was purified, and the [4Fe-4S] to [3Fe-4S] cluster conversion was confirmed by EPR spectroscopy. The conversion resulted in an increase in the redox potential of the [3Fe-4S] cluster by about 400 mV. The [NiFe] active site was not affected significantly by the mutation as assessed by the unchanged Ni EPR spectrum. The specific activity of the mutated enzyme did not show any significant differences with the artificial electron acceptor benzyl viologen, but its specific activity with the natural electron acceptor F420 decreased tenfold.     

Molecular data and phylogeny of Nosema infecting lepidopteran forest defoliators in the genera Choristoneura and Malacosoma

ABSTRACT. Nosema isolates from five lepidopteran forest defoliators, Nosema fumiferanae from spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana ; a Nosema sp. from jack pine budworm, Choristoneura pinus pinus and western spruce budworm, Choristoneura occidentalis ( Nosema sp. CPP and Nosema sp. CO, respectively); Nosema thomsoni from large aspen tortrix, Choristoneura conflictana ; and Nosema disstriae , from the forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria were compared based on their small subunit (SSU) ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences. Four of the species sequenced, N. fumiferanae , Nosema sp. CPP, Nosema sp. CO, and N . disstriae have a high SSU rDNA sequence identity (0.6%–1.5%) and are members of the "true Nosema " clade. They all showed the reverse arrangement of the (large subunit [LSU]–internal transcribed spacer [ITS]–SSU) of the rRNA gene. The fifth species, N. thomsoni has the usual (SSU–ITS–LSU) arrangement and is not a member of this clade showing only an 82% sequence similarity. We speculate, therefore, that a genetic reversal may have occurred in the common ancestor to the "true Nosema " clade. Although, the mechanism for rearrangement of the rRNA gene subunits is not known we provide a possible explanation for the localization. N. fumiferanae , Nosema sp. CPP, and Nosema sp. CO clustered together on the inferred phylogenetic tree. The high sequence similarities, the reverse arrangement in the rRNA gene subunits, and the phylogenetic clustering suggest that these three species are closely related but separate species.     

F- and V-type ATPases in the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga neapolitana

Two gene clusters encoding F- or V-type ATPases were found in genomic DNA of the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga neapolitana. The subunit genes of each ATPase formed an operon. While the gene arrangement in the operon of the F-type ATPase resembled those in eukaryotic organelles and bacteria, that of the V-type ATPase was different from those reported for archaea, bacteria, or eukaryotes. Both ATPases were found to be expressed in the cells of T. neapolitana by Western blot analysis. Although V-type ATPase could not be rendered soluble, F-type ATPase was solubilized with 1% Triton X-100 and characterized. This is the first report of the coexistence of both F- and V-type ATPases in hyperthermophilic bacteria. It has recently been shown by a genome analysis that Thermotoga maritima has no V-type ATPase gene cluster but does have an F-type ATPase gene cluster; however, part of a gene for the D-subunit of the V-type ATPase gene has been reported in the T. maritima genome. Evolution of the two types of ATPases in Thermotoga is discussed.     

Formyl-CoA transferase encloses the CoA binding site at the interface of an interlocked dimer

Formyl-CoA transferase catalyses transfer of CoA from formate to oxalate in the first step of oxalate degradation by Oxalobacter formigenes, a bacterium present in the intestinal flora which is implicated in oxalate catabolism in mammals. Formyl-CoA transferase is a member of a family of CoA-transferases for which no structural information is available. We now report the three-dimensional structure of O.formigenes formyl-CoA transferase, which reveals a novel fold and a very striking assembly of the homodimer. The subunit is composed of a large and a small domain where residues from both the N- and C-termini of the subunit are part of the large domain. The linkers between the domains give the subunit a circular shape with a hole in the middle. The enzyme monomers are tightly interacting and are interlocked. This fold requires drastic rearrangement of approximately 75 residues at the C-terminus for formation of the dimer. The structure of a complex of formyl-CoA transferase with CoA is also reported and sets the scene for a mechanistic understanding of enzymes of this family of CoA-transferases.     

A central functional role for the 49-kDa subunit within the catalytic core of mitochondrial complex I

We have analyzed a series of eleven mutations in the 49-kDa protein of mitochondrial complex I (NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase) from Yarrowia lipolytica to identify functionally important domains in this central subunit. The mutations were selected based on sequence homology with the large subunit of [NiFe] hydrogenases. None of the mutations affected assembly of complex I, all decreased or abolished ubiquinone reductase activity. Several mutants exhibited decreased sensitivities toward ubiquinone-analogous inhibitors. Unexpectedly, seven mutations affected the properties of iron-sulfur cluster N2, a prosthetic group not located in the 49-kDa subunit. In three of these mutants cluster N2 was not detectable by electron-paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The fact that the small subunit of hydrogenase is homologous to the PSST subunit of complex I proposed to host cluster N2 offers a straightforward explanation for the observed, unforeseen effects on this iron-sulfur cluster. We propose that the fold around the hydrogen reactive site of [NiFe] hydrogenase is conserved in the 49-kDa subunit of complex I and has become part of the inhibitor and ubiquinone binding region. We discuss that the fourth ligand of iron-sulfur cluster N2 missing in the PSST subunit may be provided by the 49-kDa subunit.     

An active alpha'2beta2 derivative of tryptophean synthase formed by limited proteolysis.

A new approach to studying the arrangement of subunits in the multienzyme complex tryptophan synthase is reported. Comparative studies of limited tryptic proteolysis of the alpha2beta2 complex and of the separate beta2 and alpha subunits show that subunit association inhibits two types of proteolysis which occur with the separate subunits: (i) cleavage of the beta2 subunit to two fragments with consequent loss of activity and (ii) complete degradation of the alpha subunit with loss of activity. Trypsin treatment of the alpha2beta complex does, however, result in at least one cleavage of the alpha subunit and yields an active alpha'2beta2 complex. The alpha'2beta2 complex can be resolved into an active beta2 subunit and an active alpha derivative termed alpha'. These two species can reassociate into the active alpha'2beta2 complex. alpha' derivative can be separated into a large fragment of Mr approximately 20,000 to 23,000 and a small peptide by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions.     

Crystal structure of Escherichia coli SufA involved in biosynthesis of iron-sulfur clusters: implications for a functional dimer

IscA and SufA are paralogous proteins that play crucial roles in the biosynthesis of Fe-S clusters, perhaps through a mechanism involving transient Fe-S cluster formation. We have determined the crystal structure of E. coli SufA at 2.7A resolution. SufA exists as a homodimer, in contrast to the tetrameric organization of IscA. Furthermore, a C-terminal segment containing two essential cysteine residues (Cys-Gly-Cys), which is disordered in the IscA structure, is clearly visible in one molecule (the alpha1 subunit) of the SufA homodimer. Although this segment is disordered in the other molecule (the alpha2 subunit), computer modeling of this segment based on the well-defined conformation of alpha1 subunit suggests that the four cysteine residues (Cys114 and Cys116 in each subunit) in the Cys-Gly-Cys motif are positioned in close proximity at the dimer interface. The arrangement of these cysteines together with the nearby Glu118 in SufA dimer may allow coordination of an Fe-S cluster and/or an Fe atom.     

Genes encoding the alpha, gamma, delta, and four F0 subunits of ATP synthase constitute an operon in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120.

A cluster of genes encoding subunits of ATP synthase of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 was cloned, and the nucleotide sequences of the genes were determined. This cluster, denoted atp1, consists of four F0 genes and three F1 genes encoding the subunits a (atpI), c (atpH), b' (atpG), b (atpF), delta (atpD), alpha (aptA), and gamma (atpC) in that order. Closely linked upstream of the ATP synthase subunit genes is an open reading frame denoted gene 1, which is equivalent to the uncI gene of Escherichia coli. The atp1 gene cluster is at least 10 kilobase pairs distant in the genome from apt2, a cluster of genes encoding the beta (atpB) and epsilon (atpE) subunits of the ATP synthase. This two-clustered ATP synthase gene arrangement is intermediate between those found in chloroplasts and E. coli. A unique feature of the Anabaena atp1 cluster is overlap between the coding regions for atpF and atpD. The atp1 cluster is transcribed as a single 7-kilobase polycistronic mRNA that initiates 140 base pairs upstream of gene 1. The deduced translation products for the Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 subunit genes are more similar to chloroplast ATP synthase subunits than to those of E. coli.     

Delivery of iron-sulfur clusters to the hydrogen-oxidizing [NiFe]-hydrogenases in Escherichia coli requires the A-type carrier proteins ErpA and IscA

During anaerobic growth Escherichia coli synthesizes two membrane-associated hydrogen-oxidizing [NiFe]-hydrogenases, termed hydrogenase 1 and hydrogenase 2. Each enzyme comprises a catalytic subunit containing the [NiFe] cofactor, an electron-transferring small subunit with a particular complement of [Fe-S] (iron-sulfur) clusters and a membrane-anchor subunit. How the [Fe-S] clusters are delivered to the small subunit of these enzymes is unclear. A-type carrier (ATC) proteins of the Isc (iron-sulfur-cluster) and Suf (sulfur mobilization) [Fe-S] cluster biogenesis pathways are proposed to traffic pre-formed [Fe-S] clusters to apoprotein targets. Mutants that could not synthesize SufA had active hydrogenase 1 and hydrogenase 2 enzymes, thus demonstrating that the Suf machinery is not required for hydrogenase maturation. In contrast, mutants devoid of the IscA, ErpA or IscU proteins of the Isc machinery had no detectable hydrogenase 1 or 2 activities. Lack of activity of both enzymes correlated with the absence of the respective [Fe-S]-cluster-containing small subunit, which was apparently rapidly degraded. During biosynthesis the hydrogenase large subunits receive their [NiFe] cofactor from the Hyp maturation machinery. Subsequent to cofactor insertion a specific C-terminal processing step occurs before association of the large subunit with the small subunit. This processing step is independent of small subunit maturation. Using western blotting experiments it could be shown that although the amount of each hydrogenase large subunit was strongly reduced in the iscA and erpA mutants, some maturation of the large subunit still occurred. Moreover, in contrast to the situation in Isc-proficient strains, these processed large subunits were not membrane-associated. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that both IscA and ErpA are required for [Fe-S] cluster delivery to the small subunits of the hydrogen-oxidizing hydrogenases; however, delivery of the Fe atom to the active site might have different requirements.     

The complete mitochondrial genome of the relict frog Leiopelma archeyi: insights into the root of the frog Tree of Life

Determining the root of the anuran Tree of Life is still a contentious and open question in frog systematics. Two genera with disjunct distributions have been traditionally considered the most basal among extant frogs: Leiopelma, which is endemic to New Zealand, and Ascaphus, which lives in North America. However, their specific phylogenetic position is rather elusive because each genus shows many autapomorphies, and together they retain many symplesiomorphic characters. Therefore, several alternative hypotheses have been proposed regarding the relative phylogenetic position of both Leiopelma and Ascaphus. In order to distinguish among these competing phylogenetic hypotheses, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Leiopelma archeyi and used it along with previously reported frog mt genomes (including that of Ascaphus truei) to infer a robust phylogeny of major anuran lineages. The reconstructed maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference phylogenies recovered identical topology, which supports the sister group relationship of Ascaphus and Leiopelma, and the placement of this clade at the base of the anuran tree. Interestingly, the mt genome of L. archeyi displays a novel gene arrangement in frog mt genomes affecting the relative position of cytochrome b, trnT, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 6, trnE, and trnP genes. The tandem duplication-random loss model of gene order change explains the origin of this novel frog mt genome arrangement, which is convergent with others reported in some fishes and salamanders. These results, together with comparative data for other available vertebrate mt genomes, provide evidence that the 5' end of the control region is a hot spot for gene order rearrangement.     

The primary structure of the iron-sulfur subunit of ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase from Neurospora, determined by cDNA and gene sequencing

The primary structure of the iron-sulfur subunit of ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase from Neurospora mitochondria was determined by cDNA and genomic DNA sequencing. A first cDNA was identified from a cDNA bank cloned in Escherichia coli by hybridization selection of mRNA, cell-free protein synthesis and immunoadsorption. Further cDNA and geonomic DNA were identified by colony filter hybridization. The N-terminal sequence of the mature protein was determined by automated Edman degradation. From the sequence a molecular mass of 24749 Da results for the precursor protein and of 21556 Da for the mature protein. The presequence consists of 32 amino acids with four arginines as the only charged residues. The mature protein consists of 199 amino acids. It is characterized by a small N-terminal hydrophilic part of 29 residues, a hydrophobic stretch of 25 residues and a large C-terminal hydrophilic domain of 145 residues. The only four cysteines of the protein, which are assumed to bind the 2 Fe-2S cluster, are located in a moderate hydrophobic region of this large domain. Cysteines 3 and 4 are unusually arranged in that they are separated by only one proline. From sequence data the arrangement of the subunit in the membrane is deduced.     

The novel organization and complete sequence of the ribosomal RNA gene of Nosema bombycis

We present here for the first time the complete DNA sequence data (4301bp) of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene of the microsporidian type species, Nosema bombycis. Sequences for the large subunit gene (LSUrRNA: 2497bp, GenBank Accession No. ), the internal transcribed spacer (ITS: 179bp, GenBank Accession No. ), the small subunit gene (SSUrRNA: 1232bp), intergenic spacer (IGS: 279bp), and 5S region (114bp) are also given, and the secondary structure of the large subunit is discussed. The organization of the N. bombycis rRNA gene is LSUrRNA-ITS-SSUrRNA-IGS-5S. This novel arrangement, in which the LSU is 5' of the SSU, is the reverse of the organizational sequence (i.e., SSU-ITS-LSU) found in all previously reported microsporidian rRNAs, including Nosema apis. This unique character in the type species may have taxonomic implications for the members of the genus Nosema.     

Nitrogen fixation genes (nif K,D,H) in the filamentous nonheterocystous cyanobacteriumPlectonema boryanum do not rearrange

The organisation of the structural genes for nitrogen fixation (nif K,D and H) in a nonheterocystous, filamentous cyanobacteriumPlectonema boryanum has been examined in comparison with a heterocystous cyanobacterium,Anabaena torulosa. DNA from repressed (fix-) cultures ofA. torulosa showed a discontinuousnif region spread over approximately 18 kb, an arrangement typical of the vegetative cells of heterocystous cyanobacteria. The region contained a contiguousnif DH separated fromnif K. by nearly 11 kb DNA. The intervening 11 kb DNA harboured the genexis A involved in the rearrangement ofnif K,D,H to form a cluster during differentiation of heterocysts. DNA fromPlectonema boryanum had a small, contiguousnif KDH cluster spanning a region of approximately 4 kb. DNA homologous to the 11 kb excison with its residentxis A was not present.Nif hybridisation patterns of restriction digests of the DNA isolated from repressed (fix^-) or induced (fix^--) cultures ofP. boryanum were completely identical. These results unequivocally demonstrate that in the nonheterocystous cyanobacterium, unlike in the heterocystous strains, no gene rearrangement, either within thenif KDII cluster or in its vicinity, accompanies the expression of nitrogenase activity.