Thermodynamic analysis of the equilibrium, association and dissociation of 2'GMP and 3'GMP with ribonuclease T1 at pH 5.3.

Fluorescence titrations and temperature-jump relaxation experiments were performed as a function of temperature on ribonuclease T1 with the inhibitors 2'GMP and 3'GMP to obtain information on the energetics and molecular events controlling the binding of those inhibitors. Results from the titration and temperature-jump experiments were in agreement concerning the equilibrium constant. The larger equilibrium constant for 2'GMP is enthalpic in origin and is due to both a higher on rate and a lower off rate as compared to 3'GMP. On rates for both inhibitors appear to be below the diffusion controlled limit, apparently due to conformational changes in the portion of the active site responsible for recognition of the guanine base. Comparison of the measured enthalpic and entropic terms associated with the equilibrium constant determined from the fluorescence titrations are in disagreement with those calculated from the on and off rates indicating the presence of an induced conformational change in the 2'GMP-enzyme complex. This second conformational change appears to be due to additional interactions between 2'GMP and the catalytic portion of the active site, which may also be responsible for the differences in the binding constant, the on rate and the off rate between 2'GMP and 3'GMP.     

Kinetic studies of guanine recognition and a phosphate group subsite on ribonuclease T1 using substitution mutants at Glu46 and Lys41

Destruxin A, a cyclohexadepsipeptide related to the enniatins and beauvericin, exhibits ionophoric properties. Calcium ion mobilization across liposomal membrane barriers, for example, has been demonstrated using the calcium ion-sensitive dyes Arsenazo III and Fura-2. Initial molecular mechanics/molecular dynamics calculations indicate the potential for destruxin A to form a coordination complex with calcium in which the divalent cation is bound at the center of a sandwich formed by two molecules of destruxin A. This novel calcium ion binding may help explain the diverse biological effects exhibited by the destruxins.     

Three-dimensional structure of a mutant ribonuclease T1 (Y45W) complexed with non-cognizable ribonucleotide, 2'AMP, and its comparison with a specific complex with 2'GMP.

The crystal structure of a mutant ribonuclease T1 (Y45W) complexed with a non-cognizable ribonucleotide, 2'AMP, has been determined and refined to an R-factor of 0.159 using X-ray diffraction data at 1.7 A resolution. A specific complex of the enzyme with 2'GMP was also determined and refined to an R-factor of 0.173 at 1.9 A resolution. The adenine base of 2'AMP was found at a base-binding site that is far apart from the guanine recognition site, where the guanine base of 2'GMP binds. The binding of the adenine base is mediated by a single hydrogen bond and stacking interaction of the base with the imidazole ring of His92. The mode of stacking of the adenine base with His92 is similar to the stacking of the guanine base observed in complexes of ribonuclease T1 with guanylyl-2',5'-guanosine, reported by Koepke et al., and two guanosine bases, reported by Lenz et al., and in the complex of barnase with d(GpC), reported by Baudet & Janin. These observations suggest that the site is non-specific for base binding. The phosphate group of 2'AMP is tightly locked at the catalytic site with seven hydrogen bonds to the enzyme in a similar manner to that of 2'GMP. In addition, two hydrogen bonds are formed between the sugar moiety of 2'AMP and the enzyme. The 2'AMP molecule adopts the anti conformation of the glycosidic bond and C-3'-exo sugar pucker, whereas 2'GMP is in the syn conformation with C-3'-endo-C'-2'-exo pucker. The mutation enhances the binding of 2'GMP with conformational changes of the sugar ring and displacement of the phosphate group towards the interior of the catalytic site from the corresponding position in the wild-type enzyme complex. Comparison of two crystal structures obtained provides a solution to the problem that non-cognizable nucleotides exhibit unexpectedly strong binding to the enzyme, compared with high specificity in nucleolytic activity. The results indicate that the discrimination of the guanine base from the other nucleotide bases at the guanine recognition site is more effective than that estimated from nucleotide-binding experiments so far.     

Thiol-based angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 inhibitors: P1' modifications for the exploration of the S1' subsite

Explorations of the S(1') subsite of ACE2 via modifications of the P(1') methylene biphenyl moiety of thiol-based metalloprotease inhibitors led to improvements in ACE2 selectivity versus ACE and NEP, while maintaining potent ACE2 inhibition.     

Early intermediates in the photocycle of the Glu46Gln mutant of photoactive yellow protein: femtosecond spectroscopy

Transient absorption spectroscopy in the time range from -1 ps to 4 ns, and over the wavelength range from 420 to 550 nm, was applied to the Glu46Gln mutant of the photoactive yellow protein (PYP) from Ectothiorhodospira halophila. This has allowed us to elucidate the kinetic constants of excited state formation and decay and photochemical product formation, and the spectral characteristics of stimulated emission and the early photocycle intermediates. Both the quantum efficiency ( approximately 0.5) and the rate constants for excited state decay and the formation of the initial photochemical intermediate (I(0)) were found to be quite similar to those obtained for wild-type PYP. In contrast, the rate constants for the formation of the subsequent photocycle intermediates (I(0)(double dagger) and I(1)), as well as for I(2) and for ground state regeneration as determined in earlier studies, were found to be from 3- to 30-fold larger. The structural implications of these results are discussed.     

Phosphorescence and optically detected magnetic resonance measurements of the 2'AMP and 2'GMP complexes of a mutant ribonuclease T1 (Y45W) in solution: correlation with X-ray crystal structures.

Phosphorescence and ODMR measurements have been made on ribonuclease T1 (RNase T1), the mutated enzyme RNase T1 (Y45W), and their complexes with 2'GMP and 2'AMP. It is not possible to observe the phosphorescence of Trp45 in RNase T1 (Y45W). Only that of the naturally occurring Trp59 is seen. The binding of 2'GMP to wild-type RNase T1 produces only a minor red shift in the phosphorescence and no change in the ODMR spectrum of Trp59. However, a new tryptophan 0,0-band is found 8.2 nm to the red of the Trp59 0,0-band in the 2'GMP complex of the mutated RNase T1 (Y45W). Wavelength-selected ODMR measurements reveal that the red-shifted emission induced by 2'GMP binding, assigned to Trp45, occurs from a residue with significantly different zero-field splittings than those of Trp59, a buried residue subject to local polar interactions. The phosphorescence red shift and the zero-field splitting parameters demonstrate that Trp45 is located in a polarizable environment in the 2'GMP complex. In contrast with 2'GMP, binding of 2'AMP to RNase T1 (Y45W) induces no observable phosphorescence emission from Trp45, but leads only to a minor red shift in the phosphorescence origin of Trp59 in both the mutated and wild-type enzyme. The lack of resolved phosphorescence emission from Trp45 in RNase T1 (Y45W) implies that the emission of this residue is quenched in the uncomplexed enzyme. We conclude that local conformational changes that occur upon binding 2'GMP remove quenching residues from the vicinity of Trp45, restoring its luminescence.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Calculation of the relative binding free energy of 2'GMP and 2'AMP to ribonuclease T1 using molecular dynamics/free energy perturbation approaches

We present a calculation of the relative changes in binding free energy between the complex of ribonuclease T1 (RNase Tr) with its inhibitor 2'-guanosine monophosphate (2'GMP) and that of RNase T1-2'-adenosine monophosphate (2'AMP) by means of a thermodynamic perturbation method implemented with molecular dynamics. Using the available crystal structure of the RNase T1-2'GMP complex, the structure of the RNase T1-2'AMP complex was obtained as a final structure of the perturbation calculation. The calculated difference in the free energy of binding (delta delta Gbind) was 2.76 kcal/mol. This compares well with the experimental value of 3.07 kcal/mol. The encouraging agreement in delta delta Gbind suggests that the interactions of inhibitors with the enzyme are reasonably represented. Energy component analyses of the two complexes reveal that the active site of RNase T1 electrostatically stabilizes the binding of 2'GMP more than that of 2'AMP by 44 kcal/mol, while the van der Waals' interactions are similar in the two complexes. The analyses suggest that the mutation from Glu46 to Gln may lead to a preference of RNase T1 for adenine in contrast to the guanine preference of the wild-type enzyme. Although the molecular dynamics equilibration moves the atoms of the RNase T1-2'GMP system about 0.9 A from their X-ray positions and the mutation of the G to A in the active site increases the deviation from the X-ray structure, the mutation of the A back to G reduces the deviation. This and the agreement found for delta delta Gbind suggest that the molecular dynamics/free energy perturbation method will be useful for both energetic and structural analysis of protein-ligand interactions.     

Conformational stability and activity of ribonuclease T1 and mutants. Gln25----Lys, Glu58----Ala, and the double mutant

Ribonuclease T1 (RNase T1) and mutants Gln25----Lys, Glu58----Ala, and the double mutant were prepared from a chemically synthesized gene, cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The wild-type RNase T1 prepared from the cloned gene was identical in every functional and physical property examined to RNase T1 prepared from Aspergillus oryzae. Urea and thermal unfolding experiments show that Gln25----Lys is 0.9 kcal/mol more stable and Glu58----Ala is 0.8 kcal/mol less stable than wild-type RNase T1. In the double mutant, these contributions cancel and the stability does not differ significantly from that of wild-type RNase T1. For the double mutant, the dependence of delta G on urea concentration is significantly greater than for wild-type RNase T1 or the single mutants. This suggests that the double mutant unfolds more completely in urea than the other proteins. The activity of Gln25----Lys is identical with that of wild-type RNase T1. The activities of Glu58----Ala and the double mutant are 7% of wild-type when GpC hydrolysis is measured (due to a 35-fold decrease in kcat), and 37% of wild-type when RNA hydrolysis is measured. Thus, Glu58 is important, but not essential to the activity of RNase T1.     

Relative binding free energy calculations of inhibitors to two mutants (Glu46----Ala/Gln) of ribonuclease T1 using molecular dynamics/free energy perturbation approaches.

We present free energy perturbation calculations on the complexes of Glu46----Ala46 (E46A) and Glu46----Gln46 (E46Q) mutants of ribonuclease T1 (RNaseT1) with inhibitors 2'-guanosine monophosphate (GMP) and 2'-adenosine monophosphate (AMP) by a thermodynamic perturbation method implemented with molecular dynamics (MD). Using the available crystal structure of the RNaseT1-GMP complex, the structures of E46A-GMP and E46Q-GMP were model built and equilibrated with MD simulations. The structures of E46A-AMP and E46Q-AMP were obtained as a final structure of the GMP----AMP perturbation calculation respectively. The calculated difference in the free energy of binding (delta delta Gbind) was 0.31 kcal/mol for the E46A system and -1.04 kcal/mol for the E46Q system. The resultant free energies are much smaller than the experimental and calculated value of approximately 3 kcal/mol for the native RNaseT1, which suggests that both mutants have greater relative adenine affinities than native RNaseT1. Especially E46Q is calculated to have a larger affinity for adenine than guanine, as we suggested previously from the calculation on the native RNaseT1. Thus, the molecular dynamics/free energy perturbation method may be helpful in protein engineering, directed toward increasing or changing the substrate specificity of enzymes.     

Conformation of 2'GMP bound to a mutant ribonuclease T1 (Y45W) determined by X-ray diffraction and NMR methods.

The crystal structure of a mutant ribonuclease T1 (Y45W) complexed with a specific inhibitor, 2'GMP, has been determined by X-ray diffraction and refined at 1.9 A resolution to a conventional R-factor of 0.164. The mode of recognition of the guanine base by the enzyme is similar to that found for the wild-type ribonuclease T1 complexed with 2'GMP. The binding of the guanine base is clearly enhanced by maximum overlapping of the indole ring of Trp45 and the base. The glycosyl torsion angle of the inhibitor is in the syn conformation and the sugar exhibits a C3'-endo type pucker, which differs from that observed in the crystal of the complex between the wild-type ribonuclease T1 and 2'GMP. Analysis of 500-MHZ NMR spectra has also indicated that the 2'GMP molecule as bound to the mutant enzyme in solution exhibits a C3'-endo type pucker, similar to that bound to the wild-type enzyme in solution [Inagaki, Shimada, & Miyazawa (1985) Biochemistry 24, 1013-1020].     

Significance of hydrogen bonding at the S(1)' subsite of calpain I.

alpha-Ketohydroxamates were synthesized as bioisosteres of alpha-ketoamides. The alpha-ketohydroxamates were generally more potent than the corresponding alpha-ketoamides. The potency of the compounds suggests that hydrogen bonding and steric bulk of substituents on the nitrogen atom of the ketoamide moiety influence calpain inhibition.     

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray investigation of non-specific complexes of a mutant ribonuclease T1 (Y45W) with 2'AMP and 2'UMP

We have succeeded in crystallizing complexes of a mutant ribonuclease T1 (Y45W) with the non-cognizable ribonucleotides 2'AMP and 2'UMP by macroscopic seeding of microcrystals of the mutant enzyme complexed with 2'GMP, which is the cognizable nucleotide inhibitor. The mutant enzyme has a tryptophan residue instead of Tyr45 of the wild-type enzyme and thus this mutation enhances the binding of ribonucleotides to the enzyme. The space group is P212121 with unit cell dimensions a = 49.40 A, b = 46.71 A, c = 41.02 A for the complex with 2'AMP and a = 48.97, b = 46.58 A, c = 40.97 A for the complex with 2'UMP, both of which are poorly isomorphous to the mother crystals. Diffraction data for the complexes with 2'AMP and 2'UMP were collected on a diffractometer at 1.7 A and 2.4 A resolution, respectively. The present studies show that crystallization of non-specific complexes of other protein-ligand systems with the dissociation constants around 10(-3) M, or even larger, could be feasible by application of the seeding technique. A comparison of the crystal structures of the complexes with that with 2'GMP may serve as a structural basis for the determination of differences between the specific and non-specific interactions of the enzyme.     

Synthesis and expression of the native RNase T1 gene and several mutant genes

RNase T1 gene and several mutant genes were constructed by joining of chemically synthesized deoxyoligonucleotides. These genes were inserted into an expression vector and expressed as fused protein in E. coli. RNase T1 and its mutant enzymes were liberated by cyanogen bromide treatment and their activities were measured.     

1H-NMR investigation of the interaction between RNase T1 and a novel substrate analog, 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoroguanylyl-(3'-5')uridine

The interaction between RNase T1 and a non-hydrolysable substrate analog, 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoroguanylyl-(3'-5')uridine (GfpU), was investigated using 1H-NMR spectroscopy. In the complex, the Gfp portion takes the syn form around the glycosidic bond and the 3'-endo form for the ribose moiety, similar to those found in 3'-GMP and 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoroguanosine 3'-monophosphate (Gfp). However, in contrast to the cases of these two inhibitors, the complex formation with GfpU at pH 6.0 was found to shift the His-40 C2 proton resonance of RNase T1 to high field as much as 1 ppm. At pH 6.0, this histidine residue appears to be unprotonated in the complex, but is protonated in the free enzyme (pKa of His-40 being 7.9). His-40, rather than Glu-58, is probably involved in the catalytic mechanism as a Lewis base, supporting the recent results from site-directed mutagenesis.     

Crystal structure of the Glu328Gln mutant of Neisseria polysaccharea amylosucrase in complex with sucrose and maltoheptaose

Several enzymes acting on sucrose are found in glycoside hydrolase family 13 (the α–amylase family). They all transfer a glucosyl moiety from sucrose to an acceptor, but the products can be very different. The structure of a variant of one of these, the Glu328Gln mutant of Neisseria polysaccharea amylosucrase, has been determined in a ternary complex with sucrose and an oligosaccharide to 2.16 Å resolution using x-ray crystallography. Sucrose selectively binds in the active site and the oligosaccharide only binds at surface sites. When this structure is compared to structures of other enzymes acting on sucrose from glycoside hydrolase family 13, it is found that the active site residues are very similar around the glucose part of sucrose while much variation is seen around the fructose moiety.     

Analysis of subsite preferences of HIV-1 proteinase using MA/CA junction peptides substituted at the P3-P1' positions

The residues P3, P2, P1, and P1' of a peptide corresponding to the matrix/capsid protein junction in the HIV-1 gag protein (Ser-Gln-Asn-Tyr-Pro-Ile-Val) were systematically replaced and the effect of these single amino acid substitutions on the hydrolysis of each peptide by HIV-1 proteinase was studied. Subsites S1 and S1' of the enzyme showed explicit preference for hydrophobic moieties, but beta-branched amino acids and proline are not tolerated in S1. The S2 subsite shows a preference for small polar and apolar amino acids; it may be occupied by Asn, Asp, Glu, Cys, Ala, or Val, other substitutions, especially by Gln and Ser, prevent hydrolysis of the peptides. In subsite S3 all amino acids except proline can be accommodated.     

Role of the S1' subsite glutamine 215 in activity and specificity of stromelysin-3 by site-directed mutagenesis.

The influence of Gln215 in stromelysin-3 (MMP-11), a residue located in the S1' subsite, was determined by producing three single mutants of this position. As compared to wild-type stromelysin-3, the kinetic parameters K(M) and k(cat) for the degradation of the fluorogenic substrate Dns-Pro-Leu-Ala-Leu-Trp-Ala-Arg-NH(2) (Dns-Leu) by these mutants indicated that the Gln/Leu substitution led to a 4-fold decrease in catalytic efficiency, whereas the mutations Gln/Tyr and Gln/Arg increased this parameter by a factor 10. The cleavage of alpha1-protease inhibitor (alpha1-PI), a natural substrate of stromelysin-3, by these mutants was also determined. Their relative activities for the degradation of alpha1-PI correspond to those observed with the synthetic substrate Dns-Leu. The catalytic efficiency of wild-type stromelysin-3 and its mutants to cleave the P1' analogue of Dns-Leu, containing the unusual amino acid Cys(OMeBn) (Dns-Cys(OMeBn)), was also determined. The values of the specificity factor, calculated as the ratio (k(cat)/K(M))Dns-Cys(OMeBn))/(k(cat)/K(M))Dns-Leu, were observed to vary from 26 for the wild-type stromelysin-3 to 120 for the Gln/Leu mutant and 25 for the Gln/Arg mutant. The Gln/Tyr mutant did not cleave the substrate when its P1' position is substituted by the unusual amino acid Cys(OMeBn). Altogether these observations established that both the catalytic activity and the specificity of stromelysin-3 are dependent on the nature of the residue in position 215. Finally, the cleavage efficiency of the Dns substrates by three representative matrixins, namely, MMP-14 (215 = Leu), MMP-1 (215 = Arg), and MMP-7 (215 = Tyr), was determined. Interestingly, the trends observed for these enzymes were similar to those established for the three mutants of stromelysin-3, pointing out the influence of position 215 toward the selectivity in this family of enzymes.     

Quantitative analysis of the contribution of Glu46 and Asn98 to the guanosine specificity of ribonuclease T1

In the crystal structure of the ribonuclease T1 (RNase T1; EC 3.1.27.3)-2'-GMP complex the hydrogen-bonding potential of the guanine base is saturated [Arni, R., Heinemann, U., Tokuoka, R., & Saenger, W. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 15358-15368]. The oxygens of the Glu46 carboxylate and the Asn98 main-chain carbonyl act as hydrogen-bond acceptors for the N(1)H-C(2)-N(2)H2 part of the base. We measured the transesterification kinetics of wild-type and Glu46Ala RNase T1 using the GpU, IpU, and XpU series of analogous substrates. We found that the N(1)H---Glu46 O epsilon 1, the N(2)H---Glu46 O epsilon 2, and the N(2)H---Asn98 O hydrogen bonds have an apparent contribution of 2.7, 1.1, and 1.2 kcal/mol to the interaction energy of the enzyme and the transition state of the substrate. Wild-type RNase T1 discriminates guanine from nonionized xanthine (a guanine analogue in which the exocyclic amino group is replaced by an oxygen) by about 4.4 kcal/mol. Loss of the specific hydrogen bonds with the exocyclic amino group of the guanine base accounts for 2.4 kcal/mol of this discrimination energy; 2.0 kcal/mol is due to unfavorable non-H-bonded oxygen-oxygen contacts in the enzyme-xanthine complex. A pH dependence study shows that the deprotonated form of xanthine (i.e., the 6-keto-2-enolate anion; pKa = 5.4) is far less preferred, if not excluded, as substrate by wild-type RNase T1; this may be attributed to an electrostatic repulsion of the negatively charged xanthine by the Glu46 carboxylate group.