Prevention of in Vitro thermal aggregation and inactivation of foreign proteins by the hyperthermophilic group II chaperonin α-subunit from Aeropyrum pernix K1

In this study, we report that the recombinant α subunit chaperonin protein (ApCpnA) from Aeropyrum pernix K1 can efficiently prevent the thermal aggregation and inactivation of foreign model proteins, such as citrate synthase (CS) from= porcine heart, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (four 37.5 kDa subunits), and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) from Thermus flavus (two 67 kDa subunits)K=In the presence of ApCpnA and ATP, the thermal aggregation of CS and ADH were prevented by 90 and 65%, respectively, at each 43 and 50°C. Also, the activities of CS, ADH, and MDH under the thermal inactivation conditions were stably maintained at higher than 80% by addition of ApCpnA and ATP, while the activities of those enzymes in the absence of ApCpnA and ATP were dramatically inactivated and decreased below 20% within 30 min. Based on these results, we propose that the α subunit chaperonin from the hyperthermophilic archaeon, A. pernix K1 can be utilized to enhance the durability and cost effectiveness of high-temperature biocatalysts.     

Inactivation of chloroplast H(+)-ATPase by modification of Lys beta 359, Lys alpha 176 and Lys alpha 266.

Treatment of isolated, latent chloroplast ATPase with pyridoxal-5-phosphate (pyridoxal-P) in presence of Mg2+ causes inhibition of dithiothreitol-activated plus heat-activated ATP hydrolysis. The amount of [3H]pyridoxal-P bound to chloroplast coupling factor 1 (CF1) was estimated to run up to 6 +/- 1 pyridoxal-P/enzyme, almost equally distributed between the alpha- and beta-subunits. Inactivation, however, is complete after binding of 1.5-2 pyridoxal-P/CF1, suggesting that two covalently modified lysines prevent the activation of the enzyme. ADP as well as ATP in presence of Mg2+ protects the enzyme against inactivation and concomittantly prevents incorporation of a part of the 3H-labeled pyridoxal-P into beta- and alpha-subunits. Phosphate prevents labeling of the alpha-subunit, but has only a minor effect on protection against inactivation. The data indicate a binding site at the interface between the alpha- and beta-subunits. Cleavage of the pyridoxal-P-labeled subunits with cyanogen bromide followed by sequence analysis of the labeled peptides led to the detection of Lys beta 359, Lys alpha 176 and Lys alpha 266, which are closely related to proposed nucleotide-binding regions of the alpha- and beta-subunits.     

Properties of the alpha subunit of a Chaperonin from the hyperthermophilic Crenarchaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1

The gene encoding for a putative thermosome from the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon Aeropyrum pernix K1 (ApcpnA) was cloned and the biochemical characteristics of the resulting recombinant protein were examined. The gene (accession no. APE0907) from A. pernix K1 showed some homology with other group II chaperonins from archaea. The recombinant ApcpnA protein has a molecular mass of 60 kDa, determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and exhibited ATPase activity with an optimum temperature and pH of 90 degrees C and 5.0, respectively. The ATPase activity was found to be dependent on manganese and potassium ions, but not magnesium ion. The K(m) for ATP at pH 5.0 and 90 degrees C was 10.04 (+/- 1.31) microM, and k(cat) was determined to be 2.21 (+/- 0.11) min(-1) for the ApcpnA monomer. The recombinant ApcpnA prevents thermal aggregation of bovine rhodanese and enhances the thermal stability of alcohol dehydrogenase in vitro, indicating that the protein is suitable as a molecular chaperonin in the high-temperature environment.     

Functional characterization of the recombinant group II chaperonin alpha from Thermoplasma acidophilum

The functional characteristics of group II chaperonins, especially those from archaea, have not been elucidated extensively. Here, we performed a detailed functional characterization of recombinant chaperonin alpha subunits (16-mer) (Ta-cpn alpha) from the thermophilic archaea Thermoplasma acidophilum as a model protein of archaeal group II chaperonins. Recombinant Ta-cpn alpha formed an oligomeric ring structure similar to that of native protein, and displayed an ATP hydrolysis activity (optimal temperature: 60 degrees C) in the presence of either magnesium, manganese or cobalt ions. Ta-cpn alpha was able to bind refolding intermediates of Thermus MDH and GFP in the absence of ATP, and to promote the refolding of Thermus MDH at 50 degrees C in the presence of Mg2+-, Mn2+-, or Co2+-ATP. Ta-cpn alpha also prevented thermal aggregation of rhodanese and luciferase at 50 degrees C. Interestingly, Ta-cpn alpha in the presence of Mn2+ ion showed an increased hydrophobicity, which correlated with an increased efficiency in substrate protein binding. Our finding that Ta-cpn alpha chaperonin system displays folding assistance ability with ATP-dependent substrate release may provide a detailed look at the potential functional capabilities of archaeal chaperonins.     

The palmitoleate: a natural selective denaturant of enzymes

A study has been carried out in order to explain the enzyme-palmitoleate interaction. The highly purified and crystalline enzymes representative of fundamental metabolic pathways were: alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICDH), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6P-DH), alkaline phosphatase. The enzyme-palmitoleate interaction was studied as a phenomenon time-independent (inhibition) and time-dependent (inactivation). Palmitoleate inhibited remarkably LDH, MDH, ICDH and G6P-DH. A kinetic analysis of the inhibitory action of palmitoleate on LDH and MDH was also carried out. Inactivation studies have shown that ADH and alkaline phosphatase are not sensitive to palmitoleate action, unlike the other enzymes. A comparison was made between the action of palmitoleate and that of a synthetic anionic detergent, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS).     

The separation of subunits of phenylalanyl-tRNA-synthetase from Escherichia coli MRE-600 by means of affinity chromatography in dissociation conditions

The method of affinity chromatography on sepharose with immobilized tRNA in the presence of urea was developed for separating the subunits of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase from E. coli MRE-600 (subunit structure alpha 2 beta 2). Specific binding of large beta-subunits of the enzyme on immobilized tRNA testifies the localization of the tRNA-binding center on the beta-subunit of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase. Separately alpha- and beta-subunits of the enzyme exhibit no catalytic activity. Incubation of the mixture of alpha- and beta-subunits in conditions leading to reassociation of the oligomeric structure results in restoration of catalytic activity of the enzyme. In the presence of urea resin with immobilised analogs of ATP binds alpha- and beta-subunits of the enzyme. This testifies the presence of nucleotide-binding sites on both subunits. The possibility of using the affinity chromatography method to separate non-identical subunits of different enzymes is discussed.     

Pyrophosphate-dependent phosphofructokinase. Conservation of protein sequence between the alpha- and beta-subunits and with the ATP-dependent phosphofructokinase

Full-length cDNA clones for the alpha- and beta-subunits of pyrophosphate-fructose 6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase have been isolated from a cDNA expression library derived from potato tuber poly(A)+ RNA. The nucleotide sequences indicate that the alpha- and beta-subunits are related with about 40% of amino acid residues being identical. A comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences of both subunits of this enzyme with that of the major ATP-dependent fructose 6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase from Escherichia coli (Shirakihara, Y., and Evans, P. R. (1988) J. Mol. Biol. 204, 973-994) showed little homology between the proteins except for regions involved in the binding of fructose 6-phosphate/fructose, 1,6-bisphosphate and possibly between regions binding pyrophosphate and the beta- and gamma-phosphates of ADP/ATP. A comparison of the derived secondary structures of the two subunits of the PPi-dependent enzyme with the known secondary structure of the E. coli ATP-dependent enzyme indicated that the overall structure of these enzymes is similar. These data suggest that catalytic activity resides on the beta-subunit of the pyrophosphate-dependent enzyme.     

The structure of an alcohol dehydrogenase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix

The structure of the recombinant medium chain alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Aeropyrum pernix has been solved by the multiple anomalous dispersion technique using the signal from the naturally occurring zinc ions. The enzyme is a tetramer with 222 point group symmetry. The ADH monomer is formed from a catalytic and a cofactor-binding domain, with the overall fold similar to previously solved ADH structures. The 1.62 A resolution A.pernix ADH structure is that of the holo form, with the cofactor NADH bound into the cleft between the two domains. The electron density found in the active site has been interpreted to be octanoic acid, which has been shown to be an inhibitor of the enzyme. This inhibitor is positioned with its carbonyl oxygen atom forming the fourth ligand of the catalytic zinc ion. The structural zinc ion of each monomer is present at only partial occupancy and in its absence a disulfide bond is formed. The enhanced thermal stability of the A.pernix ADH is thought to arise primarily from increased ionic and hydrophobic interactions on the subunit interfaces.     

Hydroimidazolone modification of human αA-crystallin: Effect on the chaperone function and protein refolding ability

AlphaA-crystallin is a molecular chaperone; it prevents aggregation of denaturing proteins. We have previously demonstrated that upon modification by a metabolic α-dicarbonyl compound, methylglyoxal (MGO), αA-crystallin becomes a better chaperone. AlphaA-crystallin also assists in refolding of denatured proteins. Here, we have investigated the effect of mild modification of αA-crystallin by MGO (with 20–500 µM) on the chaperone function and its ability to refold denatured proteins. Under the conditions used, mildly modified protein contained mostly hydroimidazolone modifications. The modified protein exhibited an increase in chaperone function against thermal aggregation of β_L- and γ-crystallins, citrate synthase (CS), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and chemical aggregation of insulin. The ability of the protein to assist in refolding of chemically denatured β_L- and γ-crystallins, MDH and LDH, and to prevent thermal inactivation of CS were unchanged after mild modification by MGO. Prior binding of catalytically inactive, thermally denatured MDH or the hydrophobic probe, 2-p-toluidonaphthalene-6-sulfonate (TNS) abolished the ability of αA-crystallin to assist in the refolding of denatured MDH. However, MGO modification of chaperone-null TNS-bound αA-crystallin resulted in partial regain of the chaperone function. Taken together, these results demonstrate that: 1) hydroimidazolone modifications are sufficient to enhance the chaperone function of αA-crystallin but such modifications do not change its ability to assist in refolding of denatured proteins, 2) the sites on the αA-crystallin responsible for the chaperone function and refolding are the same in the native αA-crystallin and 3) additional hydrophobic sites exposed upon MGO modification, which are responsible for the enhanced chaperone function, do not enhance αA-crystallin's ability to refold denatured proteins.     

Biosynthetic intermediates of HLA class II antigens from B lymphoblastoid cell lines

Detergent extracts of B lymphoblastoid cell lines (B-LCL) were subjected to immunoaffinity chromatography and gel filtration to purify HLA class II antigens. Class II antigens purified from B-LCL cultured for 24 hr in 10 microM monensin, in which glycoproteins are trapped in transit through the Golgi apparatus, exist in a large macromolecular complex composed of the alpha- and beta-subunits of class II molecules associated with the invariant (I) chain and a sulfated macromolecule that appears to be a proteoglycan. Gel filtration experiments on Sephacryl S-300 reveal that the complex has a Stokes radius corresponding to a globular protein of approximately 270,000 m.w. Analysis of radiolabeled preparations by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis suggests that the complex contains the alpha-, the beta-, and I chain subunits in a 1:1:1 ratio. Dissociation of the protein components followed by gel filtration of the proteoglycan indicates that the proteoglycan contributes approximately 180,000 m.w. to the complex. These results suggest that the complex contains one copy each of the alpha-, the beta-, and the I subunits associated with a proteoglycan molecule. This complex appears to represent a biosynthetic intermediate in the expression of class II molecules which is induced to accumulate intracellularly by monensin treatment of B-LCL.     

Targeted methylation of CMV and E1A viral promoters

Recombinant thermosomes from the Acidianus tengchongensis strain S5^T were purified to homogeneity and assembled in vitro into homo-oligomers (rATcpnα or rATcpnβ) and hetero-oligomers (rATcpnαβ). The symmetries of these complexes were determined by electron microscopy and image analysis. The rATcpnα homo-oligomer was shown to possess 8-fold symmetry while both rATcpnβ and rATcpnαβ oligomers adopted 9-fold symmetry. rATcpnαβ oligomers were shown to contain the α and β subunits in a 1:2 ratio. All of the complexes prevented the irreversible inactivation of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase at 55 °C and completely prevented the formation of aggregates during thermal inactivation of citrate synthase at 45 °C. All rATcpn complexes showed trace ATP hydrolysis activity. Furthermore, rATcpnβ sequestered fully chemically denatured substrates (GFP and thermophilic malic dehydrogenase) in vitro without refolding them in an ATP-dependent manner. This property is similar to previously reported properties of chaperonins from Sulfolobus tokodaii and Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. These features are consistent with the slow growth rates of these species of archaea in their native environment.     

Intrinsic nucleoside diphosphate kinase-like activity is a novel function of the 20 S proteasome

The eukaryotic 20 S proteasome is the prototype of a new family of the N-terminal nucleophil hydrolases and is composed of numerous low molecular mass subunits arranged in a stack of four rings, each containing seven different alpha- or beta-subunits. Among the beta-type subunits in the yeast proteasome, three proteolytically active ones were identified, although the functions of the other beta- and alpha-type subunits remain to be clarified. We report here that the purified 20 S proteasome exhibits intrinsic nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinase-like activity. The proteasome exhibited a preference for ATP and dATP as phosphate donors, and a broad specificity for NDPs, other than GDP, as phosphate acceptors, unlike conventional NDP kinase, which catalyzes the transfer of gamma-phosphate between NDPs and nucleoside triphosphates. During the transfer of gamma-phosphate, the proteasome formed acid-labile phosphohistidine as autophosphorylated intermediates, and NDP-dependent dephosphorylation of the latter then occurred. These enzymatic properties are similar to those of the molecular chaperone, Hsp70, which also exhibits intrinsic NDP kinase-like activity, instead of ATPase activity. C5 among the beta-type subunits and C8 among the alpha-type subunits were autophosphorylated during the gamma-phosphate transfer reaction and were photoaffinity labeled with 8-azido-[alpha-(32)P]ATP, suggesting that the C5 and C8 subunits of the proteasome are responsible for the NDP kinase-like activity.     

Influence of the alpha-, beta- and gamma-subunits of the energy-transducing adenosine triphosphates from Micrococcus lysodeikticus in the immunochemical properties of the protein and in their reconstitution studied by a radioimmunoassay method.

We developed a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay of the energy-transducing adenosine triphosphatase (F1-ATPase, EC 3.6.1.3) of Micrococcus lysodeikticus and extended the assay to the alpha-, beta- and gamma-subunits of the enzyme. We isolated these subunits and studied cross-reactions. We found the immunochemical properties of alpha- and beta-subunits to differ, and gamma-subunits showed an intermediate behaviour between that of alpha- and beta-subunits. Our findings indicate that each subunit of M. lysodeikticus F1-ATPase has its own identity and that conformational antigenic determinants and/or co-operative antigenic sites-arise from subunit assembly. Equimolecular amounts of alpha- and beta-subunits (up to three copies of each) reconstituted partially the immunochemical properties of the ATPase molecule, and addition of 2 mol of gamma-subunit per mol of alpha 3 beta 3 complex improved reconstitution. Our findings describe the first reconstitution of biological activity of this ATPase by assembly of the isolated subunits, and provide support for earlier proposals on the stoicheiometry of the alpha 3 beta 3 gamma 2 type for M. lysodeikticus F1-ATPase. The radioimmunoassay method affords opportunities to study the homologies between different energy-transducing ATPases and their constituent polypeptides before the primary structure of these complex proteins has been determined.     

Modification of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase from baker's yeast by proteolytic cleavage and properties of the trypsin-modified enzyme.

Earlier studies have shown that native phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase from baker's yeast contains two different kinds of subunits, alpha of molecular weight 73000 and beta of molecular weight 63000. The enzyme is an asymmetric tetramer alpha-2beta-2, which binds two moles of each ligand per mole. Incubation of the purified enzyme with trypsin results in an irreversible conversion: the alpha-subunit remains apparently unchanged but beta is rapidly degraded and yields a lighter species beta of molecular weight 41000. The trypsin-modified enzyme is an alpha-2beta-2 molecule which can still activate phenylalanine but cannot transfer it to tRNA-Phe; furthermore it does not bind tRNA-Phe but its kinetic parameters are identical to those of the native enzyme with respect to ATP and phenylalanine. Therefore the two beta subunits play a critical part in tRNA binding. Isolated alpha or beta subunits exhibit no significant activity and both types of subunit seem to be required for phenylalanine activation.     

Structure/function of the beta-barrel domain of F1-ATPase in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The first 90 amino acids of the alpha- and beta-subunits of mitochondrial F1-ATPase are folded into beta-barrel domains and were postulated to be important for stabilizing the enzyme (Abrahams, J. P., Leslie, A. G., Lutter, R., and Walker, J. E. (1994) Nature 370, 621-628). The role of the domains was studied by making chimeric enzymes, replacing the domains from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae enzyme with the corresponding domains from the enzyme of the thermophilic bacterium Bacillus PS3. The enzymes containing the chimeric alpha-, beta-, or alpha- and beta-subunits were not functional. However, gain-of-function mutations were obtained from the strain containing the enzyme with the chimeric PS3/yeast beta-subunit. The gain-of-function mutations were all in codons encoding the beta-barrel domain of the beta-subunit, and the residues appear to map out a region of subunit-subunit interactions. Gain-of-function mutations were also obtained that provided functional expression of the chimeric PS3/yeast alpha- and beta-subunits together. Biochemical analysis of this active chimeric enzyme indicated that it was not significantly more thermostable or labile than the wild type. The results of this study indicate that the beta-barrel domains form critical contacts (distinct from those between the alpha- and beta-subunits) that are important for the assembly of the ATP synthase.     

Nardilysin facilitates complex formation between mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase

Gel filtration chromatography showed that nardilysin activity in a rat testis or rat brain extract exhibited an apparent molecular weight of approximately 300 kDa compared to approximately 187 kDa for the purified enzyme. The addition of purified nardilysin to a rat brain extract, but not to an E. coli extract, produced the higher molecular species. The addition of a GST fusion protein containing the acidic domain of nardilysin eliminated the higher molecular weight nardilysin forms, suggesting that oligomerization involves the acidic domain of nardilysin. Using an immobilized nardilysin column, mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (mMDH) and citrate synthase (CS) were isolated from a fractionated rat brain extract. Porcine mMDH, but not porcine cytosolic MDH, was shown to form a heterodimer with nardilysin. Mitochondrial MDH increased nardilysin activity about 50%, while nardilysin stabilized mMDH towards heat inactivation. CS was co-immunoprecipitated with mMDH only in the presence of nardilysin showing that nardilysin facilitates complex formation.     

Separation and comparative characteristics of subunits of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli MRE-600 and Thermus thermophilus HB8

Separation of alpha- and beta-subunits of phenylalanyl-tRNA-synthetases from E. coli MRE-600 and Thermus thermophilus HB8 using FPLC has been carried out for the first time. The separated subunits of both enzymes do not possess any detectable tRNA-amino-acylation activity. It was found that in the case of the E. coli enzyme beta-subunits exist in solution mainly in the monomeric form with negligible formation of beta 2-dimers, while alpha-subunits predominantly form alpha 2-dimers over the same concentration range. In the case of Thermus thermophilus phenylalanyl-tRNA-synthetase, both alpha- and beta-subunits mainly exist in the dimeric form. The putative mechanisms of alpha-subunit aggregation and of subunit association for alpha 2 beta 2-type enzymes are discussed.     

Effect of colchicine and Triton X-100 on expression of the enzyme-encoding genes in nongerminating seeds of sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.)

The expression of the enzyme-coding genes, controlling glucose-phosphate isomerase (GPI), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), was examined in nongerminating seeds of sugarbeet after Triton X-100 (TX-100) and colchicine treatment. Two types of changes revealed included modification of the enzymatic loci expression (change of the isozyme electrophoretic mobility) and inactivation of standard profiles. In the MDH and GPI systems, these processes were found to be associated. Complete isozyme modification was accompanied with the disappearance of standard profiles. In the ADH system, the treatment with TX-100 and colchicine gave rise to two independent processes, including silencing of the Adh1 locus and the appearance of the ADH isozymes with abnormal electrophoretic mobility, which were probably the products of the Adh2 locus. It was suggested that the effect of TX-100 and colchicine on the expression of the enzyme-encoding genes examined depended on the intracellular localization of the encoded enzymes.     

Trinitrophenyl-ATP and -ADP bind to a single nucleotide site on isolated beta-subunit of Escherichia coli F1-ATPase. In vitro assembly of F1-subunits requires occupancy of the nucleotide-binding site on beta-subunit by nucleoside triphosphate

The stoichiometry of nucleotide binding to the isolated alpha- and beta-subunits of Escherichia coli F1-ATPase was investigated using two experimental techniques: (a) titration with fluorescent trinitrophenyl (TNP) derivatives of AMP, ADP, and ATP and (b) the centrifuge column procedure using the particular conditions of Khananshvili and Gromet-Elhanan (Khananshvili, D., and Gromet-Elhanan, Z. (1985) FEBS Lett. 178, 10-14). Both procedures showed that alpha-subunit contains one nucleotide-binding site, confirming previous work. TNP-ADP and TNP-ATP bound to a maximal level of 1 mol/mol beta-subunit, consistent with previous equilibrium dialysis studies which showed isolated beta-subunit bound 1 mol of ADP or ATP per mol (Issartel, J. P., and Vignais, P. V. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 6591-6595). However, binding of only approximately 0.1 mol of ATP or ADP per mol of beta-subunit was detected using centrifuge columns. Our results are consistent with the conclusion that each of the alpha- and beta-subunits contains one nucleotide-binding domain. Because the subunit stoichiometry is alpha 3 beta 3 gamma delta epsilon, this can account for the location of the six known nucleotide-binding sites in E. coli F1-ATPase. Studies of in vitro assembly of isolated alpha-, beta-, and gamma- subunits into an active ATPase showed that ATP, GTP, and ITP all supported assembly, with half-maximal reconstitution of ATPase occurring at concentrations of 100-200 microM, whereas ADP, GDP, and IDP did not. Also TNP-ATP supported assembly and TNP-ADP did not. The results demonstrate that (a) the nucleotide-binding site on beta-subunit has to be filled for enzyme assembly to proceed, whereas occupancy of the alpha-subunit nucleotide-binding site is not required, and (b) that enzyme assembly requires nucleoside triphosphate.