Structural and functional analysis of the ligand specificity of the HtrA2/Omi PDZ domain

The mitochondrial serine protease HtrA2/Omi helps to maintain mitochondrial function by handling misfolded proteins in the intermembrane space. In addition, HtrA2/Omi has been implicated as a proapoptotic factor upon release into the cytoplasm during the cell death cascade. The protein contains a C-terminal PDZ domain that packs against the protease active site and inhibits proteolytic activity. Engagement of the PDZ domain by peptide ligands has been shown to activate the protease and also has been proposed to mediate substrate recognition. We report a detailed structural and functional analysis of the human HtrA2/Omi PDZ domain using peptide libraries and affinity assays to define specificity, X-ray crystallography to view molecular details of PDZ-ligand interactions, and alanine-scanning mutagenesis to probe the peptide-binding groove. We show that the HtrA2/Omi PDZ domain recognizes both C-terminal and internal stretches of extended, hydrophobic polypeptides. High-affinity ligand recognition requires contacts with up to five hydrophobic side chains by distinct sites on the PDZ domain. However, no particular residue type is absolutely required at any position, and thus, the HtrA2/Omi PDZ domain appears to be a promiscuous module adapted to recognize unstructured, hydrophobic polypeptides. This type of specificity is consistent with the biological role of HtrA2/Omi in mitochondria, which requires the recognition of diverse, exposed stretches of hydrophobic sequences in misfolded proteins. The findings are less consistent with, but do not exclude, a role for the PDZ domain in targeting the protease to specific substrates during apoptosis.     

利用GeneHub软件分析人类染色体相邻基因的表达相关性

利用我们研制的基因信息融合分析软件GeneHub,按染色体开窗的方法将人类基因组沿着染色体划分为一系列基因群,用不同的相关测度(Pearson相关、Spearman秩相关、欧氏距离)考察这些基因群中所有基因间在二套独立的基因表达谱数据中的平均表达相关性。实验结果表明,与随机基因群相比,染色体上的邻近基因具有显著的表达相关性。约有40％的被检测基因包含于我们检测到的邻近相似表达基因群中。该现象提示真核生物中的基因存在模块化的共表达趋势。     

Functional characterization and mutation analysis of family 11, Carbohydrate-Binding Module (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ct</Emphasis>CBM11) of cellulosomal bifunctional cellulase from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Clostridium thermocellum</Emphasis>

The non-catalytic, family 11 carbohydrate binding module (CtCBM11) belonging to a bifunctional cellulosomal cellulase from Clostridium thermocellum was hyper-expressed in E. coli and functionally characterized. Affinity electrophoresis of CtCBM11 on nondenaturing PAGE containing cellulosic polysaccharides showed binding with β-glucan, lichenan, hydroxyethyl cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose. In order to elucidate the involvement of conserved aromatic residues Tyr 22, Trp 65 and Tyr 129 in the polysaccharide binding, site-directed mutagenesis was carried out and the residues were changed to alanine. The results of affinity electrophoresis and binding adsorption isotherms showed that of the three mutants Y22A, W65A and Y129A of CtCBM11, two mutants Y22A and Y129A showed no or reduced binding affinity with polysaccharides. These results showed that tyrosine residue 22 and 129 are involved in the polysaccharide binding. These residues are present in the putative binding cleft and play a critical role in the recognition of all the ligands recognized by the protein.     

Structure dissection of human progranulin identifies well-folded granulin/epithelin modules with unique functional activities

Progranulin is a secreted protein with important functions in several physiological and pathological processes, such as embryonic development, host defense, and wound repair. Autosomal dominant mutations in the progranulin gene cause frontotemporal dementia, while overexpression of progranulin promotes the invasive progression of a range of tumors, including those of the breast and the brain. Structurally, progranulin consists of seven-and-a-half tandem repeats of the granulin/epithelin module (GEM), several of which have been isolated as discrete 6-kDa GEM peptides. We have expressed all seven human GEMs using recombinant DNA in Escherichia coli. High-resolution NMR showed that only the three GEMs, hGrnA, hGrnC, and hGrnF, contain relatively well-defined three-dimensional structures in solution, while others are mainly mixtures of poorly structured disulfide isomers. The three-dimensional structures of hGrnA, hGrnC, and hGrnF contain a stable stack of two beta-hairpins in their N-terminal subdomains, but showed a more flexible C-terminal subdomain. Interestingly, of the well-structured GEMs, hGrnA demonstrated potent growth inhibition of a breast cancer cell line, while hGrnF was stimulatory. Poorly folded peptides were either weakly inhibitory or without activity. The functionally active and structurally well-characterized human hGrnA offers a unique opportunity for detailed structure-function studies of these important GEM proteins as novel members of mammalian growth factors.     

Assembly of non-natural electron transfer conduits in the cytochrome P450 system: a critical assessment and update of artificial redox constructs amenable to exploitation in biotechnological areas

The high plasticity of the active-site cavity of cytochromes P450, permitting reactivity toward a vast array of compounds, makes these enzymes attractive targets for biotechnological application. Escalating attention in this area is driven by remarkable progress in the rational design by DNA shuffling of self-sufficient, multi-domain P450/electron donor constructs simplifying the composition of biocatalytic systems. Moreover, versatile approaches were undertaken to supersede the well-established, NAD(P)H-steered proteinaceous redox chains by cost-effective alternative electron transfer conduits constituted of organometallic mediators or photoactivatable redox triggers. Electrochemical techniques have proven particularly useful: employing different types of carbon- and metal-based electrodes for the fabrication of biosensors, the continuing challenge was to optimize the conductive properties of these devices by creating biocompatible interfaces for transferring electrons between sensor surfaces and redox proteins. The present review provides a critical update of the most significant breakthroughs in innovative manipulation of the redox machinery, giving an impulse to exploitation of P450s in fields such as the production of fine chemicals, drug processing, medicinal diagnostics and remediation of biotopes contaminated with harmful environmental pollutants.     

Physical association of the catalytic and helper modules of a family-9 glycoside hydrolase is essential for activity

Clostridium thermocellum cellulase 9I (Cel9I) is a non-cellulosomal tri-modular enzyme, consisting of a family-9 glycoside hydrolase (GH9) catalytic module and two family-3 carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM3c and CBM3b). The presence of CBM3c was previously shown to be essential for activity, however the mechanism by which it functions is unclear. We expressed the three recombinant modules independently in Escherichia coli and examined their interactions. Non-denaturing gel electrophoresis, isothermal titration calorimetry, and affinity purification of the GH9-CBM3c complex revealed a specific non-covalent binding interaction between the GH9 module and CBM3c. Their physical association was shown to recover 60-70% of the intact Cel9I endoglucanase activity.

Structured summary:

MINT-6946626:Cel9I (uniprotkb:Q02934) and Cel9I (uniprotkb:Q02934) bind (MI:0407) by comigration in non-denaturing gel electrophoresis (MI:0404)MINT-6946649:Cel9I (uniprotkb:Q02934) and Cel9I (uniprotkb:Q02934) bind (MI:0407) by molecular sieving (MI:0071)MINT-6946687:Cel9I (uniprotkb:Q02934) and Cel9I (uniprotkb:Q02934) bind (MI:0407) by isothermal titration calorimetry (MI:0065)MINT-6946706:Cel9I (uniprotkb:Q02934) binds (MI:0407) to Cel9I (uniprotkb:Q02934) by pull down (MI:0096)     

Engineered xyloglucan specificity in a carbohydrate-binding module

The field of plant cell wall biology is constantly growing and consequently so is the need for more sensitive and specific probes for individual wall components. Xyloglucan is a key polysaccharide widely distributed in the plant kingdom in both structural and storage tissues that exist in both fucosylated and non-fucosylated variants. Presently, the only xyloglucan marker available is the monoclonal antibody CCRC-M1 that is specific to terminal alpha-1,2-linked fucosyl residues on xyloglucan oligo- and polysaccharides. As a viable alternative to searches for natural binding proteins or creation of new monoclonal antibodies, an approach to select xyloglucan-specific binding proteins from a combinatorial library of the carbohydrate-binding module, CBM4-2, from xylanase Xyn10A of Rhodothermus marinus is described. Using phage display technology in combination with a chemoenzymatic method to anchor xyloglucan to solid supports, the selection of xyloglucan-binding modules with no detectable residual wild-type xylan and beta-glucan-binding ability was achieved.     

基于双聚类挖掘癌症共享的基因功能模块

基因多效性是癌症遗传机制中的普遍现象, 但罕见系统性的分析。文章提出采用双聚类挖掘基因功能模块的新思路探索癌症的共享分子机制和不同癌症间的关系。获取20种癌症的基因表达数据, 应用改良t检验和倍数法筛选出至少在两种癌症中差异表达的基因, 得到10417×20的数据矩阵; 采用双聚类方法获得22个癌症共享的基因簇; 进一步富集分析得到17个基因功能模块(Bonferroni校正后P<0.05), 主要参与有丝分裂染色单体分离的调控、细胞分化、免疫和炎症反应、胶原纤维组织等生物过程; 主要执行ATP结合和微管活动、MHCⅡ类受体活性、肽链内切酶抑制活性等分子功能; 活动区域主要在细胞骨架、染色体、MHCⅡ蛋白质复合体、中间丝蛋白、胶原纤维等。基于模块构建癌症相关网络, 显示胃癌、卵巢腺癌、宫颈鳞癌和间皮瘤等之间相关程度较高, 而两种血液系统癌症(急性髓细胞性白血病与多发性骨髓瘤)分子机制与其他癌症存在较大差异。可见癌症共享的基因功能模块与多种生物机制有关, 癌症之间相似性可能与组织起源、共同的致癌机制等有关。文章提出的基因多效性分析方法有助于解释人类复杂性疾病的共享分子机制。