Probing the conformational and dynamical effects of O-glycosylation within the immunodominant region of a MUC1 peptide tumor antigen.

MUC1 mucin is a large transmembrane glycoprotein, the extracellular domain of which is formed by a repeating 20 amino acid sequence, GVTSAPDTRPAPGSTAPPAH. In normal breast epithelial cells, the extracellular domain is densely covered with highly branched complex carbohydrate structures. However, in neoplastic breast tissue, the extracellular domain is under-glycosylated, resulting in the exposure of a highly immunogenic core peptide epitope (PDTRP in bold above), as well as in the exposure of normally cryptic core Tn (GalNAc), STn (sialyl alpha2-6 GalNAc) and TF (Gal beta1-3 GalNAc) carbohydrates. Here, we report the results of 1H NMR structural studies, natural abundance 13C NMR relaxation measurements and distance-restrained MD simulations designed to probe the structural and dynamical effects of Tn-glycosylation within the PDTRP core peptide epitope. Two synthetic peptides were studied: a nine-residue MUC1 peptide of the sequence, Thr1-Ser2-Ala3-Pro4-Asp5-Thr6-Arg7-Pro8-Ala9, and a Tn-glycosylated version of this peptide, Thr1-Ser2-Ala3-Pro4-Asp5-Thr6(alphaGalNAc)-Arg7-Pro8-Ala9. The results of these studies show that a type I beta-turn conformation is adopted by residues PDTR within the PDTRP region of the unglycosylated MUC1 sequence. The existence of a similar beta-turn within the PDTRP core peptide epitope of the under-glycosylated cancer-associated MUC1 mucin protein might explain the immunodominance of this region in vivo, as the presence of defined secondary structure within peptide epitope regions has been correlated with increased immunogenicity in other systems. Our results have also shown that Tn glycosylation at the central threonine within the PDTRP core epitope region shifts the conformational equilibrium away from the type I beta-turn conformation and toward a more rigid and extended state. The significance of these results are discussed in relation to the possible roles that peptide epitope secondary structure and glycosylation state may play in MUC1 tumor immunogenicity.     

Solution conformation of endothelin, a potent vaso-constricting bicyclic peptide. A combined use of 1H NMR spectroscopy and distance geometry calculations

The solution structure of endothelin-1, a newly discovered potent bicyclic peptide vaso-constrictor agent, has been investigated using 1H NMR conformational constraints and distance geometry calculations. The conformation is constrained by two disulphide bridges between Cys1-Cys15 and Cys3-Cys11 but the NMR data and computed conformers show additional helical structure between residues Leu6 and Cys11. Our results are compared with previous conflicting reports on the solution conformation of this peptide.     

Stability and structure-forming properties of the two disulfide bonds of alpha-conotoxin GI

alpha-Conotoxin GI is a 13 residue snail toxin peptide cross-linked by Cys2-Cys7 and Cys3-Cys13 disulfide bridges. The formation of the two disulfide bonds by thiol/disulfide exchange with oxidized glutathione (GSSG) has been characterized. To characterize formation of the first disulfide bond in each of the two pathways by which the two disulfide bonds can form, two model peptides were synthesized in which Cys3 and Cys13 (Cono-1) or Cys2 and Cys7 (Cono-2) were replaced by alanines. Equilibrium constants were determined for formation of the single disulfide bonds of Cono-1 and Cono-2, and an overall equilibrium constant was measured for formation of the two disulfide bonds of alpha-conotoxin GI in pH 7.00 buffer and in pH 7. 00 buffer plus 8 M urea using concentrations obtained by HPLC analysis of equilibrium thiol/disulfide exchange reaction mixtures. The results indicate a modest amount of cooperativity in the formation of the second disulfide bond in both of the two-step pathways by which alpha-conotoxin GI folds into its native structure at pH 7.00. However, when considered in terms of the reactive thiolate species, the results indicate substantial cooperativity in formation of the second disulfide bond. The solution conformational and structural properties of Cono-1, Cono-2, and alpha-conotoxin GI were studied by 1H NMR to identify structural features which might facilitate formation of the disulfide bonds or are induced by formation of the disulfide bonds. The NMR data indicate that both Cono-1 and Cono-2 have some secondary structure in solution, including some of the same secondary structure as alpha-conotoxin GI, which facilitates formation of the second disulfide bond by thiol/disulfide exchange. However, both Cono-1 and Cono-2 are considerably less structured than alpha-conotoxin GI, which indicates that formation of the second disulfide bond to give the Cys2-Cys7, Cys3-Cys13 pairing induces considerable structure into the backbone of the peptide.     

Assignment of disulphide bonds in synthetic endothelin-1 isomers by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a 21-residue vasoconstrictor peptide possessing four cysteinyl residues at positions 1, 3, 11 and 15, was synthesized by random oxidation of a tetrahydro-ET-1. On reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, crude product was shown to be a mixture of two disulphide isomers. A method was developed to determine the disulphide structure of the isomers. The method consisted of (a) limited digestion with chymotrypsin, (b) cleavage with cyanogen bromide and (c) manual Edman degradation. Through this procedure, each isomer afforded specific fragments containing a single disulphide bond, which were identified by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. Isomer 1, the minor component, afforded a fragment containing Cys 3 and Cys 15, and isomer 2, the major component, afforded fragments containing Cys 3 and Cys 11. Since little disulphide exchange was observed, it could be concluded clearly that the disulphide bond pairs in isomer 1 were Cys 1-Cys 11 and Cys 3-Cys 15, while those in isomer 2 were Cys 1-Cys 15 and Cys 3-Cys 11 (the same as natural ET-1). The procedure was successfully applied to two synthetic analogues, [Gly18]-ET-1 and [Pro16]-ET-1.     

HIV-1 vaccine development: constrained peptide immunogens show improved binding to the anti-HIV-1 gp41 MAb

The human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) transmembrane glycoprotein gp41 mediates viral entry through fusion of the target cellular and viral membranes. A segment of gp41 containing the sequence Glu-Leu-Asp-Lys-Trp-Ala has previously been identified as the epitope of the HIV-1 neutralizing human monoclonal antibody 2F5 (MAb 2F5). The 2F5 epitope is highly conserved among HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins. Antibodies directed at the 2F5 epitope have neutralizing effects on a broad range of laboratory-adapted HIV-1 variants and primary isolates. Recently, a crystal structure of the epitope bound to the Fab fragment of MAb 2F5 has shown that the 2F5 peptide adopts a beta-turn conformation [Pai, E. F., Klein, M. H., Chong, P., and Pedyczak, A. (2000) World Intellectual Property Organization Patent WO-00/61618]. We have designed cyclic peptides to adopt beta-turn conformations by the incorporation of a side-chain to side-chain lactam bridge between the i and i + 4 residues containing the Asp-Lys-Trp segment. Synthesis of extended, nonconstrained peptides encompassing the 2F5 epitope revealed that the 13 amino acid sequence, Glu-Leu-Leu-Glu-Leu-Asp-Lys-Trp-Ala-Ser-Leu-Trp-Asn, maximized MAb 2F5 binding. Constrained analogues of this sequence were explored to optimize 2F5 binding affinity. The solution conformations of the constrained peptides have been characterized by NMR spectroscopy and molecular modeling techniques. The results presented here demonstrate that both inclusion of the lactam constraint and extension of the 2F5 segment are necessary to elicit optimal antibody binding activity. The ability of these peptide immunogens to stimulate a high titer, peptide-specific immune response incapable of viral neutralization is discussed in regard to developing an HIV-1 vaccine designed to elicit a 2F5-like immune response.     

Controlled syntheses of natural and disulfide-mispaired regioisomers of alpha-conotoxin SI.

Methods are reported for the unambiguous syntheses of all three possible disulfide regioisomers with the sequence of alpha-conotoxin SI, a tridecapeptide amide from marine cone snail venom that binds selectively to the muscle subtype of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The naturally occurring peptide has two 'interlocking' disulfide bridges connecting Cys2-Cys7 and Cys3-Cys13 (2/7&3/13), while in the two mispaired isomers the disulfide bridges connect Cys2-Cys13 and Cys3-Cys7 (2/13 & 3/7, 'nested') and Cys2-Cys3 and Cys7-Cys13 (2/3 & 7/13, 'discrete'), respectively. Alignment of disulfide bridges was controlled at the level of orthogonal protection schemes for the linear precursors, assembled by Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis on acidolyzable tris(alkoxy)benzylamide (PAL) supports. Side-chain protection of cysteine was provided by suitable pairwise combination of the S-9H-xanthen-9-yl (Xan) and S-acetamidomethyl (Acm) protecting groups. The first disulfide bridge was formed from the corresponding bis(thiol) precursor obtained by selective deprotection of S-Xan, and the second disulfide bridge was formed by orthogonal co-oxidation of S-Acm groups on the remaining two Cys residues. It was possible to achieve the desired alignments with either order of loop formation (smaller loop before larger, or vice versa). The highest overall yields were obtained when both disulfides were formed in solution, while experiments where either the first or both bridges were formed while the peptide was on the solid support revealed lower overall yields and poorer selectivities towards the desired isomers.     

Mapping of assembled epitopic regions of human chorionic gonadotropin reveals proximity of CTPα to the determinant loop β93–100

Three overlapping assembled epitopes of βhCG have been mapped using MAb probes and a single step solid phase radioimmunoassay. These epitopes have been shown to be at receptor binding region comprising of the loop region μ Cys93-Cys100. Importance of disulphide bonds in maintaining integrity of these epitopes is assessed. Two MAbs (INN 58 and INN 22) interact with the μ region as well as the β C-terminal peptide, while the other MAb INN 24 interacts with only the μ region. Cross-reactivity pattern with μhCG and hLH as well as the reported crystal structure of hCG substantiates the epitope identification. The results demonstrate utility of MAbs as probes in investigations on three-dimensional structure of gonadotropins     

Structural recognition of an ICAM-1 peptide by its receptor on the surface of T cells: conformational studies of cyclo (1, 12)-Pen-Pro-Arg-Gly-Gly-Ser-Val-Leu-Val-Thr-Gly-Cys-OH.

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the solution conformation of cyclic peptide 1 (cIBR), cyclo (1, 12)-Pen1-Pro2-Arg3-Gly4-Gly5-Ser6-Val7-Leu8-V al9-Thr10-Gly11-Cys12-OH, using NMR, circular dichroism (CD) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation experiments. cIBR peptide (1), which is derived from the sequence of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1, CD54), inhibits homotypic T-cell adhesion in vitro. The peptide hinders T-cell adhesion by inhibiting the leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1, CD11a/CD18) interaction with ICAM-1. Furthermore, Molt-3 T cells bind and internalize this peptide via cell surface receptors such as LFA-1. Peptide internalization by the LFA-1 receptor is one possible mechanism of inhibition of T-cell adhesion. The recognition of the peptide by LFA-1 is due to its sequence and conformation; therefore, this study can provide a better understanding for the conformational requirement of peptide-receptor interactions. The solution structure of 1 was determined using NMR, CD and MD simulation in aqueous solution. NMR showed a major and a minor conformer due to the presence of cis/trans isomerization at the X-Pro peptide bond. Because the contribution of the minor conformer is very small, this work is focused only on the major conformer. In solution, the major conformer shows a trans-configuration at the Pen1-Pro2 peptide bond as determined by HMQC NMR. The major conformer shows possible beta-turns at Pro2-Arg3-Gly4-Gly5, Gly5-Ser6-Val7-Leu8, and Val9-Thr10-Gly11-Cys12. The first beta-turn is supported by the ROE connectivities between the NH of Gly4 and the NH of Gly5. The connectivities between the NH of Ser6 and the NH of Val7, followed by the interaction between the amide protons of Val7 and Leu8, support the presence of the second beta-turn. Furthermore, the presence of a beta-turn at Val9-Thr10-Gly11-Cys12 is supported by the NH-NH connectivities between Thr10 and Gly11 and between Gly11 and Cys12. The propensity to form a type I beta-turn structure is also supported by CD spectral analysis. The cIBR peptide (1) shows structural similarity at residues Pro2 to Val7 with the same sequence in the X-ray structure of D1-domain of ICAM-1. The conformation of Pro2 to Val7 in this peptide may be important for its binding selectivity to the LFA-1 receptor.     

Effect of D-amino acid substitution in a mucin 2 epitope on mucin-specific monoclonal antibody recognition

We have studied the influence of D-amino acid substitution in the flanking region on the antibody recognition of the 19TGTQ22 epitope core in the tandem repeat of mucin 2 (MUC2) glycoprotein. Analogue peptides corresponding to the optimal epitope sequence (16PTPTGTQ22) have been prepared by the replacement of single or multiple L-amino acid residues at the N-terminal part of the molecule. According to previous studies, this portion of the all-L 16PTPTGTQ22 peptide possesses a beta-turn secondary structure important for efficient monoclonal antibody interaction. The binding properties of sequentially modified peptides (pTPTGTQ, ptPTGTQ, ptpTGTQ, and ptptGTQ) have been analyzed by a MUC2 glycoprotein specific monoclonal antibody (MAb 996) using RIA inhibition assay and characterized by IC50 values. At the same time, we have investigated the secondary structure of the compounds by circular dichroism and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in solution. Our data showed that the presence of D-amino acid residue(s) at position(s) 16P, 16PT17, or 16PTP18 resulted in gradually decreasing antibody binding, but the replacement of the L-Thr at position 19 almost abolished activity. Parallel with this reduction, changes in the conformer population have been detected. The propensity of the pTPTGTQ peptide to adopt folded, most probably beta-turn, structure in water can be in correlation with its essentially preserved antibody recognition. After further substitution, the peptide still contained beta- and/or gamma-turn folded secondary structural elements. The conformation of peptide ptptGTQ could be characterized mostly by semiextended (polyproline II) and probably classic gamma-turn conformers built up from D residues.     

MUC1 membrane trafficking is modulated by multiple interactions

MUC1 is a mucin-like transmembrane protein found on the apical surface of many epithelia. Because aberrant intracellular localization of MUC1 in tumor cells correlates with an aggressive tumor and a poor prognosis for the patient, experiments were designed to characterize the features that modulate MUC1 membrane trafficking. By following [(35)S]Met/Cys-labeled MUC1 in glycosylation-defective Chinese hamster ovary cells, we found previously that truncation of O-glycans on MUC1 inhibited its surface expression and stimulated its internalization by clathrin-mediated endocytosis. To identify signals for MUC1 internalization that are independent of its glycosylation state, the ectodomain of MUC1 was replaced with that of Tac, and chimera endocytosis was measured by the same protocol. Endocytosis of the chimera was significantly faster than for MUC1, indicating that features of the highly extended ectodomain inhibit MUC1 internalization. Analysis of truncation mutants and tyrosine mutants showed that Tyr(20) and Tyr(60) were both required for efficient endocytosis. Mutation of Tyr(20) significantly blocked coimmunoprecipitation of the chimera with AP-2, indicating that Y(20)HPM is recognized as a YXXphi motif by the mu2 subunit. The tyrosine-phosphorylated Y(60)TNP was previously identified as an SH2 site for Grb2 binding, and we found that mutation of Tyr(60) blocked coimmunoprecipitation of the chimera with Grb2. This is the first indication that Grb2 plays a significant role in the endocytosis of MUC1.     

Conformation NMR analysis of the spatial structure of Buthus eupeus insectotoxin I5A

1H NMR spectroscopy has been used to collect data related to the spatial structure of insectotoxin I5A Buthus eupeus: pH-dependence of the chemical shifts, deuterium exchange rates of individual amide hydrogens, spin-spin coupling of the H-N-C alpha-H and H-C alpha-C beta-H protons, and nuclear Overhauser effect between distinct protons belonging to amino acid residues remote in the sequence. Molecular conformation in the regions from Asp9 to Cys19 (beta-turn 9-12 and right-hand alpha-helix 12-19) and from Asn23 to Asn34 (antiparallel beta-sheet with the beta-turn 27-30) directly follows from the observed parameters. Pseudoatomic approach of distance geometry algorithm was used to solve the overall folding of the molecule and propose the most probable set of disulfide bridges: Cys2-Cys19, Cys5-Cys31, Cys16-Cys26 and Cys20-Cys33. The spatial structure of insectotoxin I5A B. eupeus demonstrates remarkable similarity with that of a "long" type scorpion neurotoxin V-3 Centruroides sculpturatus.     

Structural analysis and disulfide-bridge pairing of two odorant-binding proteins from Bombyx mori

Pheromone-binding protein (PBP) and general odorant-binding proteins (GOBPs) were purified from the antennae of Bombyx mori and structurally characterised. The amino acid sequence of GOBP-2 has been corrected. The disulphide arrangements of PBP and GOBP-2 have been determined by a combined mass spectrometric/Edman degradation approach. The same cysteine pairings, Cys19-Cys54, Cys50-Cys108, and Cys97-Cys117, were found in both proteins, suggesting that such patterns occur commonly throughout this family of molecules. This arrangement of disulphide bonds indicates that the three-dimensional structure of insect OBPs is defined by three loops, rich in helical content, which can vary in size and charge distribution from one protein to another.     

Solution structure of alpha-conotoxin PIA, a novel antagonist of alpha6 subunit containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

alpha-Conotoxin PIA is a novel nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist isolated from Conus purpurascens that targets nAChR subtypes containing alpha6 and alpha3 subunits. alpha-conotoxin PIA displays 75-fold higher affinity for rat alpha6/alpha3beta2beta3 nAChRs than for rat alpha3beta2 nAChRs. We have determined the three-dimensional structure of alpha-conotoxin PIA by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The alpha-conotoxin PIA has an "omega-shaped" overall topology as other alpha4/7 subfamily conotoxins. Yet, unlike other neuronally targeted alpha4/7-conotoxins, its N-terminal tail Arg1-Asp2-Pro3 protrudes out of its main molecular body because Asp2-Pro3-Cys4-Cys5 forms a stable type I beta-turn. In addition, a kink introduced by Pro15 in the second loop of this toxin provides a distinct steric and electrostatic environment from those in alpha-conotoxins MII and GIC. By comparing the structure of alpha-conotoxin PIA with other functionally related alpha-conotoxins we suggest structural features in alpha-conotoxin PIA that may be associated with its unique receptor recognition profile.     

Echistatin disulfide bridges: selective reduction and linkage assignment.

Echistatin is the smallest member of the disintegrin family of snake venom proteins, containing four disulfides in a peptide chain of 49 residues. Partial assignment of disulfides has been made previously by NMR and chemical approaches. A full assignment was made by a newly developed chemical approach, using partial reduction with tris-(2-carboxyethyl)-phosphine at acid pH. Reduction proceeded in a stepwise manner at pH 3, and the intermediates were isolated by high performance liquid chromatography. Alkylation of free thiols, followed by sequencer analysis, enabled all four bridges to be identified: (1) at 20 degrees C a single bridge linking Cys 2-Cys 11 was broken, giving a relatively stable intermediate; (2) with further treatment at 41 degrees C the bridges Cys 7-Cys 32 and Cys 8-Cys 37 became accessible to the reagent and were reduced at approx. equal rates; (3) the two bicyclic peptides produced in this manner were less stable and could be reduced at 20 degrees C to a peptide that retains a single bridge linking Cys 20-Cys 39; and (4) the monocyclic peptide can be reduced to the linear molecule at 20 degrees C. Some disulfide exchange occurred during alkylation of the bicyclic intermediates, but results unambiguously show the pattern to be [2-11; 7-32; 8-37; 20-39]. A comparison is made with kistrin, a longer disintegrin whose disulfide structure has been proposed from NMR analysis.     

Contribution of disulfide bridging to epitope expression of the dengue type 2 virus envelope glycoprotein

The individual contributions of each of the six conserved disulfide (SS) bonds in the dengue 2 virus envelope (E) glycoprotein (strain 16681) to epitope expression was determined by measuring the reactivities of a panel of well-defined monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) with LLC-MK(2) cells that had been transiently transformed with plasmid vectors expressing E proteins that were mutant in their SS bonds. Three domain I (DI) epitopes (C1, C3, and C4) were affected by elimination of any SS bond and were essentially the only epitopes affected by elimination of the amino-proximal SS1 formed between Cys 3 and Cys 30. The remaining DI epitope (C2) was sensitive to only SS3-bond (Cys 74-Cys 105) and SS6-bond (Cys 302-Cys 333) elimination. Of the four DII epitopes examined, reactivities of three anti-epitope MAbs (A1, A2, and A5) were reduced by elimination of SS2 (Cys 61-Cys 121), SS3, SS4 (Cys 94-Cys 116), SS5 (Cys 185-Cys 285), or SS6. The other DII epitope examined (A3) was sensitive only to SS2- and SS3-bond elimination. The three DIII epitopes tested (B2, B3, and B4) were most sensitive to elimination of SS6. The flavivirus group epitope (A1) was less sensitive to elimination of SS3 and SS6. This result may indicate that the region proximal to the E-protein fusion motif (amino acids 98 to 110) may have important linear components. If this observation can be confirmed, peptide mimics from this region of E protein might be able to interfere with flavivirus replication.     

Pi7, an orphan peptide from the scorpion Pandinus imperator: a 1H-NMR analysis using a nano-NMR Probe

The three-dimensional solution structure of a novel peptide, Pi7, purified from the venom of the scorpion Pandinus imperator, and for which no specific receptor has been found yet, was determined by two-dimensional homonuclear proton NMR methods from a nanomole amount of compound using a nano-nmr probe. Pandinus imperator peptide 7 does not block voltage-dependent K(+)-channels and does not displace labeled noxiustoxin from rat brain synaptosomal membranes. The toxin has 38 amino acid residues and, similarly to Pi1, is stabilized by four disulfide bridges (Cys6-Cys27, Cys12-Cys32, Cys16-Cys34, and Cys22-Cys37). In addition, the lysine at position 26 crucial for potassium-channel blocking is replaced in Pi7 by an arginine. Tyrosine 34, equivalent to Tyr36 of ChTX is present, but the N-terminal positions 1 and 2 are occupied by two acidic residues Asp and Glu, respectively. The dihedral angles and distance restraints obtained from measured NMR parameters were used in structural calculations in order to determine the conformation of the peptide. The disulfide-bridge topology was established using distance restraints allowing ambiguous partners between S atoms combined with NMR-derived structural information. The structure is organized around a short alpha-helix spanning residues Thr9 to Thr20/Gly21 and a beta-sheet. These two elements of secondary structure are stabilized by two disulfide bridges, Cys12-Cys32 and Cys16-Cys34. The antiparallel beta-sheet is composed of two strands extending from Asn22 to Cys34 with a tight turn at Ile28-Asn29 in contact with the N-terminal fragment Ile4 to Cys6.     

Analysis of tachykinin-binding site interactions using NMR and energy calculation data of potent cyclic analogues of substance P

The three-dimensional structures of [Cys3,6,Tyr8]-, [Gly2,Cys3,6,Tyr8]- and [DCys3,Cys6]substance P, designed as conformational analogues of substance P, have been studied by 1H-NMR (500 MHz) in different solvents and by energy calculations. As previously observed for substance P and physalaemin, two tachykinins acting via the NK-1 receptor, [Cys3,6,Tyr8]substance P presents an alpha-helical structure of the 4----8 sequence in methanol. This structure is stabilized by a beta-turn III via the formation of three hydrogen bonds involving the Cys-6, Phe-7 and Tyr-8 NH groups. In contrast to substance P, two of these hydrogen bonds are still present in dimethyl sulfoxide and in water the Cys-6 NH hydrogen bond is the only one remaining, such that a beta-turn structure inside the ring can be envisaged. In close agreement with the NMR data, the energy calculations lead to three types of folding for the core of [Cys3,6,Tyr8]substance P: a beta-turn III, a less stable beta-turn I (delta E = 3 kcal), and a beta-turn II (delta E = 4.6 kcal). The structure of Gly-Leu-Met-NH2 is strongly affected by changing the hydrophobicity of the medium. The most stable calculated conformation is the helix; however, numerous unrelated structures are destabilized by about 2-3 kcal/mol. These data are analyzed and discussed in connection with the high potency of [Cys3,6,Tyr8]substance P for both the NK-1 and NK-3 binding sites; that is the internal region of tachykinins (non-homologous amino acids) might present a similar three-dimensional structure when bound to the receptors (which may be at the origin of some lack of selectivity), whereas paradoxically the selectivity may be due to the common C-terminal sequence.     

Role of disulphide bonds in a thermophilic serine protease aqualysin I from Thermus aquaticus YT-1

A thermophilic serine protease, Aqualysin I, from Thermus aquaticus YT-1 has two disulphide bonds, which are also found in a psychrophilic serine protease from Vibrio sp. PA-44 and a proteinase K-like enzyme from Serratia sp. at corresponding positions. To understand the significance of these disulphide bonds in aqualysin I, we prepared mutants C99S, C194S and C99S/C194S (WSS), in which Cys69-Cys99, Cys163-Cys194 and both of these disulphide bonds, respectively, were disrupted by replacing Cys residues with Ser residues. All mutants were expressed stably in Escherichia coli. The C99S mutant was 68% as active as the wild-type enzyme at 40 degrees C in terms of k(cat) value, while C194S and WSS were only 6 and 3%, respectively, as active, indicating that disulphide bond Cys163-Cys194 is critically important for maintaining proper catalytic site conformation. Mutants C194S and WSS were less thermostable than wild-type enzyme, with a half-life at 90 degrees C of 10 min as compared to 45 min of the latter and with transition temperatures on differential scanning calorimetry of 86.7 degrees C and 86.9 degrees C, respectively. Mutant C99S was almost as stable as the wild-type aqualysin I. These results indicate that the disulphide bond Cys163-Cys194 is more important for catalytic activity and conformational stability of aqualysin I than Cys67-Cys99.     

Development of an optimized refolding process for recombinant Ala-Glu-IGF-1.

Denatured and reduced N-terminal extended insulin-like growth factor-1 (AE-IGF-1) was purified from Escherichia coli extracts and subjected to in vitro folding. The renaturation process was shown to be a function of the redox potential of the solution. Folding by different methods had no significant effect on the renaturation. A maximal yield of 60% (w/w) was obtained. The folded AE-IGF-1 was enzymatically converted to IGF-1. The major by-product (20% w/w) was identified as scrambled IGF-1. Enzymatic digestion at alkaline and acidic pH suggested two possible disulphide bond arrangements; (i) Cys6-Cys47, Cys18-Cys61, Cys48-Cys52; or (ii) Cys6-Cys52, Cys18-Cys61, Cys47 and Cys48 being in their reduced forms. Energy minimization and molecular modelling suggested that the scrambled IGF-1, having reduced cysteines at positions 47 and 48, was the energetically most stable conformation of the two.     

Effect of glycosylation on MUC1 humoral immune recognition: NMR studies of MUC1 glycopeptide-antibody interactions

MUC1 mucin is a large transmembrane glycoprotein, of which the extracellular domain is formed by a repeating 20 amino acid sequence, GVTSAPDTRPAPGSTAPPAH. In normal breast epithelial cells, the extracellular domain is densely covered with highly branched complex carbohydrate structures. However, in neoplastic breast tissue, the extracellular domain is underglycosylated, resulting in the exposure of a highly immunogenic core peptide epitope (PDTRP in bold above) as well as the normally cryptic core Tn (GalNAc), STn (sialyl alpha2-6 GalNAc), and TF (Gal beta1-3 GalNAc) carbohydrates. In the present study, NMR methods were used to correlate the effects of cryptic glycosylation outside of the PDTRP core epitope region to the recognition and binding of a monoclonal antibody, Mab B27.29, raised against the intact tumor-associated MUC1 mucin. Four peptides were studied: a MUC1 16mer peptide of the sequence Gly1-Val2-Thr3-Ser4-Ala5-Pro6-Asp7-Thr8-Arg9-Pro10-Ala11-Pro12-Gly13-Ser14-Thr15-Ala16, two singly Tn-glycosylated versions of this peptide at either Thr3 or Ser4, and a doubly Tn-glycosylated version at both Thr3 and Ser4. The results of these studies showed that the B27.29 MUC1 B-cell epitope maps to two separate parts of the glycopeptide, the core peptide epitope spanning the PDTRP sequence and a second (carbohydrate) epitope comprised of the Tn moieties attached at Thr3 and Ser4. The implications of these results are discussed within the framework of developing a glycosylated second-generation MUC1 glycopeptide vaccine.