Crystal Structures of the Substrate-Bound Forms of Red Chlorophyll Catabolite Reductase: Implications for Site-Specific and Stereospecific Reaction

Red chlorophyll catabolite reductase (RCCR) catalyzes the ferredoxin-dependent reduction of the C20/C1 double bond of red chlorophyll catabolite (RCC), the catabolic intermediate produced in chlorophyll degradation. The crystal structure of substrate-free Arabidopsis thaliana RCCR (AtRCCR) demonstrated that RCCR folds into a characteristic α/β/α sandwich, similar to that observed in the ferredoxin-dependent bilin reductase (FDBR) family. Here we have determined the crystal structures of RCC-bound AtRCCR, RCC-bound F218V AtRCCR, and substrate-free F218V AtRCCR, a mutant protein that produces the stereoisomer of primary fluorescent chlorophyll catabolites at the C1 position. RCC is bound to the pocket between the β-sheet and the C-terminal α-helices, as seen in substrate-bound FDBRs, but RCC binding to RCCR is much looser than substrate binding to FDBRs. The loose binding seems beneficial to the large conformational change in RCC upon reduction. Two conserved acidic residues, Glu154 and Asp291, sandwich the C20/C1 double bond of RCC, suggesting that these two residues are involved in site-specific reduction. The RCC in F218V AtRCCR rotates slightly compared with that in wild type to fill in the space generated by the substitution of Phe218 with valine. Concomitantly, the two carboxy groups of Glu154 and Asp291 move slightly away from the C20/C1 double bond. The geometrical arrangement of RCC and the carboxy groups of Glu154 and Asp291 in RCCR would appear to be essential for the stereospecificity of the RCCR reaction.     

Thermodynamic Characterization of the Interaction between Prefoldin and Group II Chaperonin

Prefoldin (PFD) is a hexameric chaperone that captures a protein substrate and transfers it to a group II chaperonin (CPN) to complete protein folding. We have studied the interaction between PFD and CPN using those from a hyperthermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus strain KS-1 (T. KS-1). In this study, we determined the crystal structure of the T. KS-1 PFDβ2 subunit and characterized the interactions between T. KS-1 CPNs (CPNα and CPNβ) and T. KS-1 PFDs (PFDα1-β1 and PFDα2-β2). As predicted from its amino acid sequence, the PFDβ2 subunit conforms to a structure similar to those of the PFDβ1 subunit and the Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 PFDβ subunit, with the exception of the tip of its coiled-coil domain, which is thought to be the CPN interaction site. The interactions between T. KS-1 CPNs and PFDs (CPNα and PFDα1-β1; CPNα and PFDα2-β2; CPNβ and PFDα1-β1; and CPNβ and PFDα2-β2) were analyzed using the Biacore T100 system at various temperatures ranging from 20 to 45 ºC. The affinities between PFDs and CPNs increased with an increase in temperature. The thermodynamic parameters calculated from association constants showed that the interaction between PFD and CPN is entropy driven. Among the four combinations of PFD-CPN interactions, the entropy difference in binding between CPNβ and PFDα2-β2 was the largest, and affinity significantly increased at higher temperatures. Considering that expression of PFDα2-β2 and CPNβ subunit is induced upon heat shock, our results suggest that PFDα1-β1 is a general PFD for T. KS-1 CPNs, whereas PFDα2-β2 is specific for CPNβ.     

Calponin 3 Regulates Actin Cytoskeleton Rearrangement in Trophoblastic Cell Fusion

Cell–cell fusion is an intriguing differentiation process, essential for placental development and maturation. A proteomic approach identified a cytoplasmic protein, calponin 3 (CNN3), related to the fusion of BeWo choriocarcinoma cells. CNN3 was expressed in cytotrophoblasts in human placenta. CNN3 gene knockdown promoted actin cytoskeletal rearrangement and syncytium formation in BeWo cells, suggesting CNN3 to be a negative regulator of trophoblast fusion. Indeed, CNN3 depletion promoted BeWo cell fusion. CNN3 at the cytoplasmic face of cytoskeleton was dislocated from F-actin with forskolin treatment and diffused into the cytoplasm in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Phosphorylation sites were located at Ser293/296 in the C-terminal region, and deletion of this region or site-specific disruption of Ser293/296 suppressed syncytium formation. These CNN3 mutants were colocalized with F-actin and remained there after forskolin treatment, suggesting that dissociation of CNN3 from F-actin is modulated by the phosphorylation status of the C-terminal region unique to CNN3 in the CNN family proteins. The mutant missing these phosphorylation sites displayed a dominant negative effect on cell fusion, while replacement of Ser293/296 with aspartic acid enhanced syncytium formation. These results indicated that CNN3 regulates actin cytoskeleton rearrangement which is required for the plasma membranes of trophoblasts to become fusion competent.     

Expression profiling of muscles from Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy and laminin-alpha 2 deficient congenital muscular dystrophy; is congenital muscular dystrophy a primary fibrotic disease?

Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD) and laminin-alpha2 deficient congenital muscular dystrophy (MDC1A) are congenital muscular dystrophies (CMDs) and they both are categorized into the same clinical entity of muscular dystrophy as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). All three disorders share a common etiologic defect in the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex, which connects muscle structural proteins with the extracellular basement membrane. To investigate the pathophysiology of these CMDs, we generated microarray gene expression profiles of skeletal muscle from patients in various clinical stages. Despite diverse pathological changes, the correlation coefficient of overall gene expression among these samples was considerably high. We performed a multi-dimensional statistical analysis, the Distillation, to extract determinant genes that distinguish CMD muscle from normal controls. Up-regulated genes were primarily extracellular matrix (ECM) components, whereas down-regulated genes included structural components of mature muscle. These observations reflect active interstitial fibrosis with less active regeneration of muscle cell components in the CMDs, characteristics that are clearly distinct from those of DMD. Although the severity of fibrosis varied among the specimens tested, ECM gene expression was consistently high without substantial changes through the clinical course. Further, in situ hybridization showed more prominent ECM gene expression on muscle cells than on interstitial tissue cells, suggesting that ECM components are induced by regeneration process rather than by 'dystrophy.' These data imply that the etiology of FCMD and MDC1A differs from that of the chronic phase of classical muscular dystrophy, and the major pathophysiologic change in CMDs might instead result from primary active fibrosis.     

Study of hyaluronan synthase inhibitor, 4-methylumbelliferone derivatives on human pancreatic cancer cell (KP1-NL)

The structure of 4-methylumbelliferone (MU) consists of coumarin with 4-methyl group and 7-hydroxy group. MU inhibits HA synthesis and pericellular HA matrix formation. In this study, we used 10 MU derivatives which have hydroxy groups and methyl groups at various positions of coumarin to investigate a more effective HA inhibitor than MU. First, human pancreatic cancer cell (KP1-NL) growth assay was analyzed by Alamar Blue to determine the non-toxic concentration of MU derivatives, and the inhibitory effect on HA synthesis in the cell cultures was analyzed by HA measuring kit. Next, cell surfaces of cancer cells were analyzed by particle-exclusion assay. In conclusion, both hydroxy and methyl groups are necessary for HA inhibition by MU, and two hydroxy groups inhibited HA synthesis more strongly than MU.     

Hsp105 family proteins suppress staurosporine-induced apoptosis by inhibiting the translocation of Bax to mitochondria in HeLa cells

Hsp105 (Hsp105alpha and Hsp105beta), major heat shock proteins in mammalian cells, belong to a subgroup of the HSP70 family, HSP105/110. Previously, we have shown that Hsp105alpha has completely different effects on stress-induced apoptosis depending on cell type. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Hsp105alpha regulates stress-induced apoptosis are not fully understood. Here, we established HeLa cells that overexpress either Hsp105alpha or Hsp105beta by removing doxycycline and examined how Hsp105 modifies staurosporine (STS)-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells. Apoptotic features such as the externalization of phosphatidylserine on the plasma membrane and nuclear morphological changes were induced by the treatment with STS, and the STS-induced apoptosis was suppressed by overexpression of Hsp105alpha or Hsp105beta. In addition, we found that overexpression of Hsp105alpha or Hsp105beta suppressed the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9 by preventing the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria. Furthermore, the translocation of Bax to mitochondria, which results in the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria, was also suppressed by the overexpression of Hsp105alpha or Hsp105beta. Thus, it is suggested that Hsp105 suppresses the stress-induced apoptosis at its initial step, the translocation of Bax to mitochondria in HeLa cells.     

Crystal structure of Escherichia coli SufC, an ABC-type ATPase component of the SUF iron-sulfur cluster assembly machinery

SufC is an ATPase component of the SUF machinery, which is involved in the biosynthesis of Fe-S clusters. To gain insight into the function of this protein, we have determined the crystal structure of Escherichia coli SufC at 2.5A resolution. Despite the similarity of the overall structure with ABC-ATPases (nucleotide-binding domains of ABC transporters), some key differences were observed. Glu171, an invariant residue involved in ATP hydrolysis, is rotated away from the nucleotide-binding pocket to form a SufC-specific salt bridge with Lys152. Due to this salt bridge, D-loop that follows Glu171 is flipped out to the molecular surface, which may sterically inhibit the formation of an active dimer. Thus, the salt bridge may play a critical role in regulating ATPase activity and preventing wasteful ATP hydrolysis. Furthermore, SufC has a unique Q-loop structure on its surface, which may form a binding site for its partner proteins, SufB and/or SufD.     

Structure and spectroelectrochemical property of a ruthenium complex containing phenanthroline-quinone, and assembly of the complexes on a gold electrode

Ruthenium complexes containing pdon (pdon = 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione) were synthesized. Their spectroscopic and electrochemical properties were examined. The molecular structure with [Ru(pdon)(bpy)₂](ClO₄)₂ ([1](ClO₄)₂) (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridyl) was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The optically transparent thin-layer electrochemical measurements confirm that the quinone form of [1](ClO₄)₂ is reduced to the semi-quinone state in acetonitrile (E°′ = −8 mV). Comparing the model complex, [1](ClO₄)₂, and metal-free pdon, the positive charge on two carbon atoms of the o-quinone group is bigger than that of metal-free pdon. The assemblies of the complexes were finally examined using ligand substitution.     

Dual effects of mesenteric lymph isolated from rats with burn injury on contractile function in rat ventricular myocytes

Gut-derived factors in intestinal lymph have been shown to trigger myocardial contractile dysfunction. However, the underlying cellular mechanisms remain unclear. We examined the effects of physiologically relevant concentrations of mesenteric lymph collected from rats with 40% burn injury (burn lymph) on excitation-contraction coupling in rat ventricular myocytes. Burn lymph (0.1-5%), but not control mesenteric lymph from sham-burn animals, induced dual positive and negative inotropic effects depending on the concentrations used. At lower concentrations (<0.5%), burn lymph increased the amplitude of myocyte contraction (1.6 +/- 0.3-fold; n = 12). At higher concentrations (>0.5%), burn lymph initially enhanced myocyte contraction, which was followed by a block of contraction. These effects were partially reversible on washout. The initial positive inotropic effect was associated with a prolongation of action potential duration (measured at 90% repolarization, 2.5 +/- 0.6-fold; n = 10), leading to significant increases in the net Ca2+ influx (1.7 +/- 0.1-fold; n = 8). There were no significant changes in the resting membrane potential. The negative inotropic effect was accompanied by a decrease in the action potential plateau (overshoot decrease by 69 +/- 10%; n = 4) and membrane depolarization. Voltage-clamp experiments revealed that the positive inotropic effects of burn lymph were due to an inhibition of the transient outward K+ currents that prolong action potential duration, and the inhibitory effects were due to a concentration-dependent inhibition of Ca2+ currents that lead to a reduction of action potential plateau. These burn lymph-induced changes in cardiac myocyte Ca2+ handling can contribute to burn-induced contractile dysfunction and ultimately to heart failure.