Myosin : Subunits and their interactions

There is fairly general agreement that myosin isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle has a molecular weight of about 500,000. The higher values that have been reported apparently reflect protein aggregation related to the method of preparation. On the basis of present evidence, the myosin molecule has an elongate helical core of two f subunits (average weight about 215,000) that extend into a globular head region containing three g subunits (average weight about 20,000). Myosin may be dissociated into subunits by a number of methods. In 5 M guanidine, the myosin molecule is dissociated into f and g subunits, while at pH above 10, the g subunits are dissociated from the intact fibrous core of myosin. The dissociation of g subunits at pH 10 is accompanied by the loss of both ATPase activity and actin-binding capacity; however, the exact biological significance of the g subunits is presently uncertain. In preliminary studies, the f subunits appear to contain the sulfhydryl residues currently implicated in myosin ATPase, and there is some indication of allosteric regulation of enzymic activity.     

Human CCT4 and CCT5 Chaperonin Subunits Expressed in Escherichia coli Form Biologically Active Homo-oligomers

Chaperonins are a family of chaperones that encapsulate their substrates and assist their folding in an ATP-dependent manner. The ubiquitous eukaryotic chaperonin, TCP-1 ring complex (TRiC), is a hetero-oligomeric complex composed of two rings, each formed from eight different CCT (chaperonin containing TCP-1) subunits. Each CCT subunit may have distinct substrate recognition and ATP hydrolysis properties. We have expressed each human CCT subunit individually in Escherichia coli to investigate whether they form chaperonin-like double ring complexes. CCT4 and CCT5, but not the other six CCT subunits, formed high molecular weight complexes within the E. coli cells that sedimented about 20S in sucrose gradients. When CCT4 and CCT5 were purified, they were both organized as two back-to-back rings of eight subunits each, as seen by negative stain and cryo-electron microscopy. This morphology is consistent with that of the hetero-oligomeric double-ring TRiC purified from bovine testes and HeLa cells. Both CCT4 and CCT5 homo-oligomers hydrolyzed ATP at a rate similar to human TRiC and were active as assayed by luciferase refolding and human γD-crystallin aggregation suppression and refolding. Thus, both CCT4 and CCT5 homo-oligomers have the property of forming 8-fold double rings absent the other subunits, and these complexes carry out chaperonin reactions without other partner subunits.     

Iron loading-induced aggregation and reduction of iron incorporation in heteropolymeric ferritin containing a mutant light chain that causes neurodegeneration

Hereditary ferritinopathy (HF) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by intracellular ferritin inclusion bodies (IBs) and iron accumulation throughout the central nervous system. Ferritin IBs are composed of mutant ferritin light chain as well as wild-type light (Wt-FTL) and heavy chain (FTH1) polypeptides. In vitro studies have shown that the mutant light chain polypeptide p.Phe167SerfsX26 (Mt-FTL) forms soluble ferritin 24-mer homopolymers having a specific structural disruption that explains its functional problems of reduced ability to incorporate iron and aggregation during iron loading. However, because ferritins are usually 24-mer heteropolymers and all three polypeptides are found in IBs, we investigated the properties of Mt-FTL/FTH1 and Mt-FTL/Wt-FTL heteropolymeric ferritins. We show here the facile assembly of Mt-FTL and FTH1 subunits into soluble ferritin heteropolymers, but their ability to incorporate iron was significantly reduced relative to Wt-FTL/FTH1 heteropolymers. In addition, Mt-FTL/FTH1 heteropolymers formed aggregates during iron loading, contrasting Wt-FTL/FTH1 heteropolymers and similar to what was seen for Mt-FTL homopolymers. The resulting precipitate contained both Mt-FTL and FTH1 polypeptides as do ferritin IBs in patients with HF. The presence of Mt-FTL subunits in Mt-FTL/Wt-FTL heteropolymers also caused iron loading-induced aggregation relative to Wt-FTL homopolymers, with the precipitate containing Mt- and Wt-FTL polypeptides again paralleling HF. Our data demonstrate that co-assembly with wild-type subunits does not circumvent the functional problems caused by mutant subunits. Furthermore, the functional problems characterized here in heteropolymers that contain mutant subunits parallel those problems previously reported in homopolymers composed exclusively of mutant subunits, which strongly suggests that the structural disruption characterized previously in Mt-FTL homopolymers occurs in a similar manner and to a significant extent in both Mt-FTL/FTH1 and Mt-FTL/Wt-FTL heteropolymers.     

Simulation of grana stacking in a model membrane system. Mediation by a purified light-harvesting pigment-protein complex from chloroplasts

An isolated light-harvesting pigment-protein complex contains polypeptides which bind chlorophyll a and b. The individual complexes can be purified from detergent-solubilized membranes. The isolated light-harvesting complex, when dialyzed to remove detergents, was examined by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. The material consisted of planar sheets of 80-Å subunits which interacted via an edge-to-edge contact. Addition of cations caused the planar light-harvesting complex sheets to become tightly appressed in multilamellar stacks, with distinct subunits still visible within each lamellar sheet. A transition of particle organization from random to crystalline occurred in parallel with the cation-induced lamellar association. Treatment of the dialyzed light-harvesting complex subunits with low levels of the proteolytic enzyme trypsin removed a 2000 molecular weight segment of the major polypeptide of the light-harvesting complex and blocked all subsequent cation-induced changes in structural organization of the isolated light-harvesting complex lamellar sheets.To gain further evidence for mechanisms of cation effects upon the organization of the light-harvesting complex in native membranes, the light-harvesting complex was incorporated into uncharged (phosphatidylcholine) lipid vesicles. The protein complexes spanned the lipid bilayer and were arranged in either a random pattern or in hexagonal crystalline lattices. Addition of either monovalent or divalent cations to ‘low-salt’ (20 mM monovalent cation) vesicles containing light-harvesting complex caused extensive regions of membrane appression to appear. It is concluded that this cation-induced membrane appression is mediated by surface-exposed segments of the light-harvesting complex since (a) phosphatidylcholine vesicles themselves did not undergo cation-induced aggregation, and (b) mild trypsin digestion of the surface-exposed regions of the light-harvesting complex blocked cation-induced lamellar appression. The particles in the appressed vesicle membranes tended to form long, linear arrays of particles, with occasional mixed quasi-crystalline arrays with an angular displacement near 72°. Surface-mediated interactions among light-harvesting complex subunits of different membranes are, therefore, related to changes in structural organization and interaction of the particles within the lipid phase of the membrane.Numerous previous studies have implicated the involvement of the light-harvesting complex in mediating grana stocking in intact chloroplast membranes. The data presented herein provide a simulation of the membrane appression phenomena using a single class of chloroplast-derived membrane subunits. The data demonstrate that specific surface-localized regions of the light-harvesting complex are involved in membrane-membrane interactions.     

Enzyme patterns in two species of Xenopus and their hybrids

Differences in the isozyme patterns of Xenopus laevis and Xenopus mulleri have been utilized to examine the expression of alleles of both species in hybrid animals. Mitochondrial MDH and tetrazolium oxidase phenotypes were examined during the development of non-hybrid embryos of each species and of reciprocal hybrids. Early stages of the hybrids resemble the enzyme phenotype of the maternal parent. Appearance of paternal enzyme takes place just prior to the active feeding tadpole stage for both mitochondrial MDH and oxidase. The maternal effect disappears shortly thereafter in early feeding tadpoles, at which point reciprocal hybrids have identical isozyme patterns. There is no evidence for a predominance of one species over the other. Examination of feeding tadpoles and adult toads indicates that both laevis and mulleri expression is stable. The appearance of paternal mitochondrial MDH does not correspond to the time when other mitochondrial components begin to increase in Xenopus. Multiple bands of MDH in both species and of oxidase in laevis are probably not due to the aggregation of subunits produced by different alleles at the same locus. There is no evidence for the formation of “hybrid” molecules consisting of subunits of both species.     

Epigenetic Control of Lactate Dehydrogenase Subunit Assembly

Fish lactate dehydrogenase differs from the mammalian enzyme by virtue of tissue-specific non-random tetramerization of its two subunits, which can be random in vitro. The primary structures of the subunits are therefore not the sole determinants of the quaternary structure of the completed molecule.     

Subunit composition of a high molecular weight oligomer: Limulus polyphemus hemocyanin

The hemocyanin of Limulus polyphemus is a 48-subunit aggregate. This 3.3 × 10⁶-dalton oligomer is composed of structurally and functionally heterogeneous subunits. Using polyacrylamide electrophoresis J. Markl, A. Markl, W. Schartau, and B. Linzen (J. Comp. Physiol. Ser. B130,283–292, 1979) observed 12 bands; while using immunoelectrophoresis, M. Hoylaerts, G. Preaux, R. Witters, and R. Lontie (Arch. Int. Physiol. Biochem.87, 417–418, 1979) and J. Lamy, J. Lamy, J. Weill, J. Bonaventura, C. Bonaventura, and M. Brenowitz. (Arch. Biochem. Biophys.196, 324–339, 1979) observed 8 subunits. To proceed with an analysis of subunit roles in assembly it is first necessary to determine the number of distinct subunits. Refinement of the chromatographic separation procedures has led to the isolation of 8 immunologically distinct subunits as well as additional charge isomers which cannot be distinguished immunologically. Alkaline electrophoresis revealed 15 bands and isoelectric focusing up to 17. On the basis of extensive control experiments, including composit acrylamide-agarose immunoelectrophoresis and checks for conformational isomers, aggregation, proteolysis, and other types of degradation, we conclude that the electrophoretic heterogeneity of immunologically identical subunits is not artifactual. We have extended the nomenclature used by Lamy et al. (1979) to include the electrophoretic heterogeneity by using primes (′) to denote electrophoretically distinguishable subunits which are immunologically identical. A number of patterns have become apparent by correlating the results obtained by the different techniques. For example, immunologically pure subunit II, which shows 3 bands on alkaline electrophoresis, is in fact a mixture of electrophoretically distinct subunits II, II′, II″. Except for subunits II, II′, and II″ immunoelectrophoretically identical subunits are typically homogeneous on sodium dodecyl sulfate-gels. However, slight differences in the apparent molecular weight are observed on high-resolution gels between immunologically unrelated subunits. The immunological identity and electrophoretic differences suggest that the charge isomers which are immunologically identical have similar antigenic surfaces. If a charge substitution is not in a critical location, we would expect the electrophoretically distinct but immunologically identical subunits to have identical assembly roles. Comparison of the results for Limulus hemocyanin with the hemocyanin of related species Eurypelma californicum and Androctanus australis, which have 7 and 8 immunologically distinct subunits, respectively, suggests that the calcium-mediated aggregation from 24 to 48 subunits of Limulus does not require more extensive subunit complexity.     

Heteromultimeric structure of the nitrate reductase complex of Chlamydomonas reinhardii

The NAD(P)H-nitrate reductase complex (overall-NR) of Chlamydomonas reinhardii exhibits two partial activities: NAD(P)H-cytochrome c reductase (diaphorase) and reduced benzyl viologen-NR (terminal-NR). Mild tryptic digestion of the enzyme complex resulted in the loss of both overall and terminal-NR activities, whereas diaphorase activity remained unaltered. The diaphorase activity of mutant 104 and the terminal-NR activity of mutant 305 of C. reinhardii, which are the sole activities related to NR present in these mutants, responded to tryptic treatment to the same extent as the corresponding activities of the wild enzyme complex. Trypsin disassembled the 220-kd NR native complex by destroying the aggregation capability of the diaphorase subunits without affecting their activity nor molecular size (45 kd). A 67-kd thermostable protein, containing molybdenum co-factor, was also released from trypsin-treated NR. This protein lacked diaphorase and NR activities but was able to reconstitute the overall-NR complex by complementation with untreated diaphorase subunit of mutant 104. Our results support a tetrameric structure for the C. reinhardii NR complex, containing two kinds of subunits.     

Confomational and molecular responses to pH variation of the purified membrane adenosine triphospate of Micrococcus lysodeikticus

A preparation of ATPase from the membranes of Micrococcus lysodeikticus, solubilized and more than 95 %. pure, showed two main bands in analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. They did not correspond to isoenzymes because one band could be converted into the other by exposure to a mildly alkaline pH value. The conversion was paralleled by changes in molecular weight, circular dichroism and catalytic properties. Denaturation by pH at 25 °C was followed by means of circular dichroism, ultracentrifugation and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A large conformational transition took place in the acid range with midpoints at about pH = 3.6 (I = 10^?4 M), 4.3 (I = 0.03 M) and 5.3 (I = 0.1 M). The transition was irreversible. Strong aggregation of the protein occurred in this range of pH. The final product was largely random coil, but even at pH 1.5 dissociation into individual subunits was not complete. However, partial dissociation took place at pH 5 (I = 0.028 M). At this pH value the enzyme was inactive, but 20–30 % of the activity could be recovered when the pH was returned to 7.5.In the alkaline region the midpoint of the transition occurred near pH = 11 (I = 0.028 M). The pK of most of the tyrosine residues of the protein was about 10.9. The unfolding was irreversible and the protein was soon converted into peptide species with molecular weights lower than those determined for the subunits by gel clectrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. Conventional proteolysis did not account for the transformation.     

Isolation,Characterization, and Aggregation of a Structured Bacterial Matrix Precursor

Biofilms are surface-associated groups of microbial cells that are embedded in an extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM is a network of biopolymers, mainly polysaccharides, proteins, and nucleic acids. ECM proteins serve a variety of structural roles and often form amyloid-like fibers. Despite the extensive study of the formation of amyloid fibers from their constituent subunits in humans, much less is known about the assembly of bacterial functional amyloid-like precursors into fibers. Using dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, circular dichroism, and infrared spectroscopy, we show that our unique purification method of a Bacillus subtilis major matrix protein component results in stable oligomers that retain their native α-helical structure. The stability of these oligomers enabled us to control the external conditions that triggered their aggregation. In particular, we show that stretched fibers are formed on a hydrophobic surface, whereas plaque-like aggregates are formed in solution under acidic pH conditions. TasA is also shown to change conformation upon aggregation and gain some β-sheet structure. Our studies of the aggregation of a bacterial matrix protein from its subunits shed new light on assembly processes of the ECM within bacterial biofilms.     

Self-association and oxygen-binding characteristics of the isolated subunits of Limulus polyphemus hemocyanin

The hemocyanin of the horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus is characteristic of arthropod hemocyanins in that it is a high-molecular-weight oligomer composed of functionally and structurally distinct subunits. The protein forms a 48-subunit complex, the largest form of arthropod hemocyanin, whose oxygen-binding characteristics are modulated by subunit interaction within the oligomer. It has previously been shown that a number of electrophoretic isozymes, which are identical immunochemically, are present in dissociated Limulus hemocyanin. In this study it is demonstrated that the electrophoretic differences in the antigenically identical subunits are not reflected in their oxygen-binding and self-assembly properties or in the roles they play in reassembly and function of the 48-subunit native molecule. The chloride-dependent modulation of the oxygen-binding properties of those Limulus subunits which do not self-assemble, as documented here, illustrates that this allosteric effect may be operable at the tertiary level. For each of the purified subunits the effects of pH and calcium ions on oxygen-binding characteristics and self-assembly reactions are reported, and the roles of specific subunits in reassembly of distinct aggregation states are further documented.     

Formation of Disulphide Cross-Linked Aggregates of Large Subunit from Higher Plant Ribulose-1, 5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase-Oxygenase

The properties of the large and small subunit polypeptides ofpurified wheat ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase(Rubisco, E.C. 4.1.1.39 [EC] ) were studied. The protein was dissociatedinto subunits by extreme pH or detergent treatment. The separatedsubunits were unable to reassemble into functional holoproteinwhen the starting conditions were restored. Some of the separatedsmall subunit polypeptides retained their ability to form functionalheterologous Rubisco when mixed with large subunits from a cyanobacterialRubisco. The separated large subunits of wheat Rubisco formednon-functional, high-molecular-weight aggregates. Treatmentwith both sodium dodecyl sulphate and thiol reductant was necessaryto disrupt the aggregated structures, which indicates that thelarge subunits had been cross-linked by disulphide bridges.Since added thiol reductant did not prevent aggregation of theseparated subunits during attempted reconstitution, oxidationof the sulphydryl groups apparently took place on contact facessheltered by the secondary and tertiary structures of the polypeptides.High concentration of large subunits or freezing and thawingof the solution stimulated the formation of disulphide cross-linksbetween the large subunits. The presence of small subunits didnot prevent aggregation of large subunits. The results suggestthat large subunits have a tendency to cross-link with disulphidebridges thus preventing proper assembly with small subunits. Key words: Rubisco, aggregates of large subunit, disulphide cross-linkage, assembly of Rubisco     

Isolation of a Periplasmic Molecular Chaperone-Like Protein of Rhodobacter sphaeroides f. sp. denitrificans That Is Homologous to the Dipeptide Transport Protein DppA of Escherichia coli

A periplasmic protein has been found to prevent aggregation of the acid-unfolded dimethyl sulfoxide reductase (DMSOR), the periplasmic terminal reductase of dimethyl sulfoxide respiration in the phototroph Rhodobacter sphaeroides f. sp. denitrificans, in a manner similar to that of the Escherichia coli chaperonin GroEL (Matsuzaki et al., Plant Cell Physiol. 37:333–339, 1996). The protein was isolated from the periplasm of the phototroph. It had a molecular mass of 58 kDa and had no subunits. The sequence of 14 amino-terminal residues of the protein was completely identical to that of the periplasmic dipeptide transport protein (DppA) of E. coli. The 58-kDa protein prevented aggregation to a degree comparable to that of GroEL on the basis of monomer protein. The 58-kDa protein also decreased aggregation of guanidine hydrochloride-denatured rhodanese, a mitochondrial matrix protein, during its refolding upon dilution. The 58-kDa protein is a kind of molecular chaperone and could be involved in maintaining unfolded DMSOR, after secretion of the latter into the periplasm, in a competent form for its correct folding.     

Delayed Osmotic Effect on in Vitro Assembly of RuBisCO : Relationship to Large Subunit-Binding Protein Complex Dissociation

Higher plant ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) cannot reassociate after dissociation, and its subunits do not assemble into active RuBisCO when synthesized in Escherichia coli. Newly synthesized subunits of RuBisCO are associated with a high molecular weight binding protein complex in pea chloroplasts. The immediate donor for large subunits which assemble into RuBisCO is a low molecular weight complex which may be derived from the high molecular weight binding protein complex. When the high molecular weight binding protein complex is diluted, it tends to dissociate, forming low molecular weight complexes. When the large subunit-binding protein complexes were examined after in organello protein synthesis, it was found that the low molecular weight complexes were more abundant when protein synthesis was carried out under hypotonic conditions. This increase in the assembly competent population of low molecular weight large subunit complexes can account for the increased amount of in vitro RuBisCO assembly which occurs under these conditions. The data indicate that the assembly of large subunits into RuBisCO is a function of the aggregation state of the large subunit binding protein complex during protein synthesis. This implies that the binding protein exerts its effects during or shortly after large subunit synthesis.     

Cryo-EM reveals an asymmetry in a novel single-ring viral chaperonin

Chaperonins are ubiquitously present protein complexes, which assist the proper folding of newly synthesized proteins and prevent aggregation of denatured proteins in an ATP-dependent manner. They are classified into group I (bacterial, mitochondrial, chloroplast chaperonins) and group II (archaeal and eukaryotic cytosolic variants). However, both of these groups do not include recently discovered viral chaperonins. Here, we solved the symmetry-free cryo-EM structures of a single-ring chaperonin encoded by the gene 246 of bacteriophage OBP Pseudomonas fluorescens, in the nucleotide-free, ATPγS-, and ADP-bound states, with resolutions of 4.3 Å, 5.0 Å, and 6 Å, respectively. The structure of OBP chaperonin reveals a unique subunit arrangement, with three pairs of subunits and one unpaired subunit. Each pair combines subunits in two possible conformations, differing in nucleotide-binding affinity. The binding of nucleotides results in the increase of subunits’ conformational variability. Due to its unique structural and functional features, OBP chaperonin can represent a new group.     

Structural and molecular characterization of the prefoldin beta subunit from Thermococcus strain KS-1

Prefoldin (PFD) is a heterohexameric molecular chaperone that is found in eukaryotic cytosol and archaea. PFD is composed of α and β subunits and forms a “jellyfish-like” structure. PFD binds and stabilizes nascent polypeptide chains and transfers them to group II chaperonins for completion of their folding. Recently, the whole genome of Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1 was reported and shown to contain the genes of two α and two β subunits of PFD. The genome of Thermococcus strain KS-1 also possesses two sets of α (α1 and α2) and β subunits (β1 and β2) of PFD (TsPFD). However, the functions and roles of each of these PFD subunits have not been investigated in detail. Here, we report the crystal structure of the TsPFD β1 subunit at 1.9 Å resolution and its functional analysis. TsPFD β1 subunits form a tetramer with four coiled-coil tentacles resembling the jellyfish-like structure of heterohexameric PFD. The β hairpin linkers of β1 subunits assemble to form a β barrel “body” around a central fourfold axis. Size-exclusion chromatography and multi-angle light-scattering analyses show that the β1 subunits form a tetramer at pH 8.0 and a dimer of tetramers at pH 6.8. The tetrameric β1 subunits can protect against aggregation of relatively small proteins, insulin or lysozyme. The structural and biochemical analyses imply that PFD β1 subunits act as molecular chaperones in living cells of some archaea.     

Letter: Conformational changes in ribosomal subunits following dissociation of the Escherichia coli 70 S ribosome

The reactivity of various Escherichia coli ribosomal proteins with N-ethylmaleimide has been used as a probe for ribosomal topography changes during the subunit-70 S transition. With the 70 S ribosome there are several proteins from both subunits which do not react with N-ethylmaleimide, but which do so after dissociation of the 70 S particle to free 30 S and 50 S subunits. The kinetics of their exposure is slow relative to that of the 70 S dissociation reaction suggesting conformational changes in both subunits subsequent to 70 S particle dissociation.     

Prion-Associated Toxicity is Rescued by Elimination of Cotranslational Chaperones

The nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) is a highly conserved but poorly characterized triad of proteins that bind near the ribosome exit tunnel. The NAC is the first cotranslational factor to bind to polypeptides and assist with their proper folding. Surprisingly, we found that deletion of NAC subunits in Saccharomyces cerevisiae rescues toxicity associated with the strong [PSI+] prion. This counterintuitive finding can be explained by changes in chaperone balance and distribution whereby the folding of the prion protein is improved and the prion is rendered nontoxic. In particular, the ribosome-associated Hsp70 Ssb is redistributed away from Sup35 prion aggregates to the nascent chains, leading to an array of aggregation phenotypes that can mimic both overexpression and deletion of Ssb. This toxicity rescue demonstrates that chaperone modification can block key steps of the prion life cycle and has exciting implications for potential treatment of many human protein conformational disorders.     

Staurosporine inhibits agrin-induced acetylcholine receptor phosphorylation and aggregation

Agrin, a protein that mediates nerve-induced acetylcholine receptor (AChR) aggregation at developing neuromuscular junctions, has been shown to cause an increase in phosphorylation of the beta, gamma, and delta subunits of AChRs in cultured myotubes. As a step toward understanding the mechanism of agrin-induced AChR aggregation, we examined the effects of inhibitors of protein kinases on AChR aggregation and phosphorylation in chick myotubes in culture. Staurosporine, an antagonist of both protein serine and tyrosine kinases, blocked agrin-induced AChR aggregation in a dose-dependent manner; 50% inhibition occurred at approximately 2 nM. The extent of inhibition was independent of agrin concentration, suggesting an effect downstream of the interaction of agrin with its receptor. Staurosporine blocked agrin-induced phosphorylation of the AChR beta subunit, which occurs at least in part on tyrosine residues, but did not reduce phosphorylation of the gamma and delta subunits, which occurs on serine/threonine residues. Staurosporine also prevented the agrin- induced decrease in the rate at which AChRs are extracted from intact myotubes by mild detergents. H-7, an antagonist of protein serine kinases, inhibited agrin-induced phosphorylation of the gamma and delta subunits but did not block agrin-induced phosphorylation of the AChR beta subunit, AChR aggregation, or the decrease in AChR extractability. The results provide support for the hypothesis that tyrosine phosphorylation of the beta subunit plays a role in agrin-induced AChR aggregation.