Structure of the catalytic domain of human polo-like kinase 1

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is an attractive target for the development of anticancer agents due to its importance in regulating cell-cycle progression. Overexpression of Plk1 has been detected in a variety of cancers, and expression levels often correlate with poor prognosis. Despite high interest in Plk1-targeted therapeutics, there is currently no structure publicly available to guide structure-based drug design of specific inhibitors. We determined the crystal structures of the T210V mutant of the kinase domain of human Plk1 complexed with the nonhydrolyzable ATP analogue adenylylimidodiphosphate (AMPPNP) or the pyrrolo-pyrazole inhibitor PHA-680626 at 2.4 and 2.1 A resolution, respectively. Plk1 adopts the typical kinase domain fold and crystallized in a conformation resembling the active state of other kinases. Comparison of the kinetic parameters determined for the (unphosphorylated) wild-type enzyme, as well as the T210V and T210D mutants, shows that the mutations primarily affect the kcat of the reaction, with little change in the apparent Km for the protein or nucleotide substrates (kcat = 0.0094, 0.0376, and 0.0049 s-1 and Km(ATP) = 3.2, 4.0, and 3.0 microM for WT, T210D, and T210V, respectively). The structure highlights features of the active site that can be exploited to obtain Plk1-specific inhibitors with selectivity over other kinases and Plk isoforms. These include the presence of a phenylalanine at the bottom of the ATP pocket, combined with a cysteine (as opposed to the more commonly found leucine) in the roof of the binding site, a pocket created by Leu132 in the hinge region, and a cluster of positively charged residues in the solvent-exposed area outside of the adenine pocket adjacent to the hinge region.     

Backbone dynamics of inactive, active, and effector-bound Cdc42Hs from measurements of (15)N relaxation parameters at multiple field strengths.

Cdc42Hs, a member of the Ras superfamily of GTP-binding proteins, initiates a cascade that begins with the activation of several kinases, including p21-activated kinase (PAK). We have previously determined the structure of Cdc42Hs and found that the regions involved in effector (Switch I) and regulator (Switch II) actions are partially disordered [Feltham, J. L., et al. (1997) Biochemistry 36, 8755-8766]. Recently, we used a 46-amino acid fragment of PAK (PBD46) to define the binding surface on Cdc42Hs, which includes the beta2 strand and a portion of Switch I [Guo, W., et al. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 14030-14037]. Here we describe the backbone dynamics of three constructs of [(15)N]Cdc42Hs (GDP-, GMPPCP-, and GMPPCP- and PBD46-bound) using (15)N-(1)H NMR measurements of T(1), T(1)(rho), and the steady-state NOE at three magnetic field strengths. Residue-specific values of the generalized order parameters (S(s)(2) and S(f)(2)), local correlation time (tau(e)), and exchange rate (R(ex)) were obtained using the Lipari-Szabo model-free formalism. Residues in Switch I were found to exhibit high-amplitude (low-order) motions on a nanosecond time scale, whereas those in Switch II experience low-amplitude motion on the nanosecond time scale and chemical (conformational) exchange on a millisecond time scale. The Insert region of Cdc42Hs-GDP exhibits high-order, nanosecond motions; the time scale of motion in the Insert is reduced in Cdc42Hs-GMPPCP and Cdc42Hs-PBD46. Overall, significant flexibility was observed mainly in the regions of Cdc42Hs that are involved in protein-protein interactions (Switch I, Switch II, and Insert), and flexibility was reduced upon interaction with a protein ligand. These results suggest that protein flexibility is important for high-affinity binding interactions.     

The Group A Streptococcus serotype M2 pilus plays a role in host cell adhesion and immune evasion

Group A Streptococcus (GAS), or Streptococcus pyogenes, is a human pathogen that causes diseases ranging from skin and soft tissue infections to severe invasive diseases, such as toxic shock syndrome. Each GAS strain carries a particular pilus type encoded in the variable f ibronectin‐binding, c ollagen‐binding, T antigen (FCT) genomic region. Here, we describe the functional analysis of the serotype M2 pilus encoded in the FCT‐6 region. We found that, in contrast to other investigated GAS pili, the ancillary pilin 1 lacks adhesive properties. Instead, the backbone pilin is important for host cell adhesion and binds several host factors, including fibronectin and fibrinogen. Using a panel of recombinant pilus proteins, GAS gene deletion mutants and Lactococcus lactis gain‐of‐function mutants we show that, unlike other GAS pili, the FCT‐6 pilus also contributes to immune evasion. This was demonstrated by a delay in blood clotting, increased intracellular survival of the bacteria in macrophages, higher bacterial survival rates in human whole blood and greater virulence in a Galleria mellonella infection model in the presence of fully assembled FCT‐6 pili.     

Tumor suppressor Tsc1 is a new Hsp90 co‐chaperone that facilitates folding of kinase and non‐kinase clients

The tumor suppressors Tsc1 and Tsc2 form the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a regulator of mTOR activity. Tsc1 stabilizes Tsc2; however, the precise mechanism involved remains elusive. The molecular chaperone heat‐shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is an essential component of the cellular homeostatic machinery in eukaryotes. Here, we show that Tsc1 is a new co‐chaperone for Hsp90 that inhibits its ATPase activity. The C‐terminal domain of Tsc1 (998–1,164 aa) forms a homodimer and binds to both protomers of the Hsp90 middle domain. This ensures inhibition of both subunits of the Hsp90 dimer and prevents the activating co‐chaperone Aha1 from binding the middle domain of Hsp90. Conversely, phosphorylation of Aha1‐Y223 increases its affinity for Hsp90 and displaces Tsc1, thereby providing a mechanism for equilibrium between binding of these two co‐chaperones to Hsp90. Our findings establish an active role for Tsc1 as a facilitator of Hsp90‐mediated folding of kinase and non‐kinase clients—including Tsc2—thereby preventing their ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation.     

High yield expression of non-phosphorylated protein tyrosine kinases in insect cells

The key role of kinases in signal transduction and cell growth regulation has been a long standing interest among academics and the pharmaceutical industry. Recombinant enzymes have been used to understand the mechanism of action as well as to screen for chemical inhibitors. The baculo-insect system has been the primary method used to obtain soluble and active kinases, usually producing a mixture of the kinase in various phosphorylation states in different conformations. To obtain a homogenous preparation of non-phosphorylated kinases is critical for biochemical, biophysical and kinetic studies aimed at understanding the mechanism of kinase activation. Taking advantage of the eukaryotic expression property of insect cells, we were able to obtain high yield expression of non-phosphorylated protein tyrosine kinases BTK, JAK3 and Eph2A through coexpression with the tyrosine phosphatase YopH, which suggests that this method can be applied to protein tyrosine kinases in general. We have demonstrated that the fully non-phosphorylated BTK obtained with this method is suitable for various biochemical and kinetic studies.     

Comparative analysis reveals signatures of differentiation amid genomic polymorphism in Lake Malawi cichlids

Background  

Cichlid fish from East Africa are remarkable for phenotypic and behavioral diversity on a backdrop of genomic similarity. In 2006, the Joint Genome Institute completed low coverage survey sequencing of the genomes of five phenotypically and ecologically diverse Lake Malawi species. We report a computational and comparative analysis of these data that provides insight into the mechanisms that make closely related species different from one another.     

Control of viremia and prevention of AIDS following immunotherapy of SIV-infected macaques with peptide-pulsed blood

Effective immunotherapies for HIV are needed. Drug therapies are life-long with significant toxicities. Dendritic-cell based immunotherapy approaches are promising but impractical for widespread use. A simple immunotherapy, reinfusing fresh autologous blood cells exposed to overlapping SIV peptides for 1 hour ex vivo, was assessed for the control of SIV(mac251) replication in 36 pigtail macaques. An initial set of four immunizations was administered under antiretroviral cover and a booster set of three immunizations administered 6 months later. Vaccinated animals were randomized to receive Gag peptides alone or peptides spanning all nine SIV proteins. High-level, SIV-specific CD4 and CD8 T-cell immunity was induced following immunization, both during antiretroviral cover and without. Virus levels were durably approximately 10-fold lower for 1 year in immunized animals compared to controls, and a significant delay in AIDS-related mortality resulted. Broader immunity resulted following immunizations with peptides spanning all nine SIV proteins, but the responses to Gag were weaker in comparison to animals only immunized with Gag. No difference in viral outcome occurred in animals immunized with all SIV proteins compared to animals immunized against Gag alone. Peptide-pulsed blood cells are an immunogenic and effective immunotherapy in SIV-infected macaques. Our results suggest Gag alone is an effective antigen for T-cell immunotherapy. Fresh blood cells pulsed with overlapping Gag peptides is proceeding into trials in HIV-infected humans.     

Vaccination and timing influence SIV immune escape viral dynamics in vivo

CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) can be effective at controlling HIV-1 in humans and SIV in macaques, but their utility is partly offset by mutational escape. The kinetics of CTL escape and reversion of escape mutant viruses upon transmission to MHC-mismatched hosts can help us understand CTL-mediated viral control and the fitness cost extracted by immune escape mutation. Traditional methods for following CTL escape and reversion are, however, insensitive to minor viral quasispecies. We developed sensitive quantitative real-time PCR assays to track the viral load of SIV Gag164-172 KP9 wild-type (WT) and escape mutant (EM) variants in pigtail macaques. Rapid outgrowth of EM virus occurs during the first few weeks of infection. However, the rate of escape plateaued soon after, revealing a prolonged persistence of WT viremia not detectable by standard cloning and sequencing methods. The rate of escape of KP9 correlated with levels of vaccine-primed KP9-specific CD8+ T cells present at that time. Similarly, when non-KP9 responder (lacking the restricting Mane-A*10 allele) macaques were infected with SHIVmn229 stock containing a mixture of EM and WT virus, rapid reversion to WT was observed over the first 2 weeks following infection. However, the rate of reversion to WT slowed dramatically over the first month of infection. The serial quantitation of escape mutant viruses evolving during SIV infection shows that rapid dynamics of immune escape and reversion can be observed in early infection, particularly when CD8 T cells are primed by vaccination. However, these early rapid rates of escape and reversion are transient and followed by a significant slowing in these rates later during infection, highlighting that the rate of escape is significantly influenced by the timing of its occurrence.