N-Terminal sequencing by mass spectrometry through specific fluorescamine labeling of α-amino groups before tryptic digestion

We present a single-step procedure for the specific mass labeling of unblocked protein N termini. We show that the dye fluorescamine, which is commonly assumed to require mildly alkaline conditions for undergoing a nonspecific reaction with α- and ε-amino groups associated with amino acids, in fact shows a specific reaction only with α-amino groups present at protein N termini when mildly acidic conditions are used. We use this finding to label, identify, and sequence the trypsinolysis-derived N-terminal peptide of lysozyme, using only mass spectrometry, to illustrate how this method could be used with other proteins.     

Site-Specific Structural Variations Accompanying Tubular Assembly of the HIV-1 Capsid Protein

The 231-residue capsid (CA) protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) spontaneously self-assembles into tubes with a hexagonal lattice that is believed to mimic the surface lattice of conical capsid cores within intact virions. We report the results of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on HIV-1 CA tubes that provide new information regarding changes in molecular structure that accompany CA self-assembly, local dynamics within CA tubes, and possible mechanisms for the generation of lattice curvature. This information is contained in site-specific assignments of signals in two- and three-dimensional solid-state NMR spectra, conformation-dependent ¹⁵N and ¹³C NMR chemical shifts, detection of highly dynamic residues under solution NMR conditions, measurements of local variations in transverse spin relaxation rates of amide ¹H nuclei, and quantitative measurements of site-specific ¹⁵N–¹⁵N dipole–dipole couplings. Our data show that most of the CA sequence is conformationally ordered and relatively rigid in tubular assemblies and that structures of the N-terminal domain (NTD) and the C-terminal domain (CTD) observed in solution are largely retained. However, specific segments, including the N-terminal β-hairpin, the cyclophilin A binding loop, the inter-domain linker, segments involved in intermolecular NTD–CTD interactions, and the C-terminal tail, have substantial static or dynamical disorder in tubular assemblies. Other segments, including the 3₁₀-helical segment in CTD, undergo clear conformational changes. Structural variations associated with curvature of the CA lattice appear to be localized in the inter-domain linker and intermolecular NTD–CTD interface, while structural variations within NTD hexamers, around local 3-fold symmetry axes, and in CTD–CTD dimerization interfaces are less significant.     

Rapid characterization of spike variants via mammalian cell surface display

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The N-terminal part of Binder of SPerm 5 (BSP5), which promotes sperm capacitation in bovine species is intrinsically disordered

Bovine BSP5 belongs to the Binder of SPerm (BSP) family. BSP5 plays a role in the bovine sperm capacitation by promoting cholesterol and phospholipid efflux. The variable N-terminal part in the BSP proteins is the uncharacterized region with no known function. Full-length, N-terminal part, and individual fibronectin type II domains of bovine BSP5 were cloned, expressed and purified from Escherichia coli. His-S tagged N-terminal part showed large variation in migration on SDS-PAGE in comparison to other constructs. Using mass spectrometry it was demonstrated that the His-S-N-terminal part has the expected molecular mass (13 kDa). The recombinant N-terminal part was sensitive to E. coli endogenous proteases during purification. Denaturing purification involving boiling lysis of cells was carried out, as the protein was thermostable. The His-S-N-terminal part lacked structure as determined by CD analysis. Bioinformatics analyses confirmed that the N-terminal part of bovine BSP5 is intrinsically disordered. In addition, bioinformatics analysis indicated that rabbit BSP and multiple forms of BSP proteins of bovine and equine species possess partially or completely disordered N-terminus. The conservation of disorder at the N-terminus in BSP members belonging to different species suggests a role in biological process such as sperm capacitation and/or sperm-egg interactions.     

Point Mutations in Dimerization Motifs of the Transmembrane Domain Stabilize Active or Inactive State of the EphA2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinase

The EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase plays a central role in the regulation of cell adhesion and guidance in many human tissues. The activation of EphA2 occurs after proper dimerization/oligomerization in the plasma membrane, which occurs with the participation of extracellular and cytoplasmic domains. Our study revealed that the isolated transmembrane domain (TMD) of EphA2 embedded into the lipid bicelle dimerized via the heptad repeat motif L⁵³⁵X₃G⁵³⁹X₂A⁵⁴²X₃V⁵⁴⁶X₂L⁵⁴⁹ rather than through the alternative glycine zipper motif A⁵³⁶X₃G⁵⁴⁰X₃G⁵⁴⁴ (typical for TMD dimerization in many proteins). To evaluate the significance of TMD interactions for full-length EphA2, we substituted key residues in the heptad repeat motif (HR variant: G539I, A542I, G553I) or in the glycine zipper motif (GZ variant: G540I, G544I) and expressed YFP-tagged EphA2 (WT, HR, and GZ variants) in HEK293T cells. Confocal microscopy revealed a similar distribution of all EphA2-YFP variants in cells. The expression of EphA2-YFP variants and their kinase activity (phosphorylation of Tyr⁵⁸⁸ and/or Tyr⁵⁹⁴) and ephrin-A3 binding were analyzed with flow cytometry on a single cell basis. Activation of any EphA2 variant is found to occur even without ephrin stimulation when the EphA2 content in cells is sufficiently high. Ephrin-A3 binding is not affected in mutant variants. Mutations in the TMD have a significant effect on EphA2 activity. Both ligand-dependent and ligand-independent activities are enhanced for the HR variant and reduced for the GZ variant compared with the WT. These findings allow us to suggest TMD dimerization switching between the heptad repeat and glycine zipper motifs, corresponding to inactive and active receptor states, respectively, as a mechanism underlying EphA2 signal transduction.     

Recombinant human prorenin from CHO cells: Expression and purification

The gene for human preprorenin was obtained from total RNA prepared from primary human chorion cells. An expression vector was constructed containing an SV40 early promoter, a human preprorenin cDNA, bovine growth hormone poly-A addition signal, and a dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) expression cassette. This vector was inserted into the DXB-11 Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line. The recombinant protein was exported by CHO cells into the tissue culture media. At harvest the prorenin levels ranged from 1–5 mg/L. For prorenin isolation the cell culture supernatants were processed by filtration, concentration, dialysis, and batch extraction. Preparative-scale isolation of prorenin was accomplished using blue-dye chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography. The isolated prorenin yielded a single SDS-gel band with Mr 40,000. The proprotein was characterized with respect to N-terminal sequence and N-linked sugar composition. Trypsin-activated renin prepared from the proprotein was characterized with respect to N-terminal sequence andpH-activity profile. Enzyme activity was measured with a newly developed fluorogenic peptide substrate containing the P₆-P₃ sequence of human angiotensinogen.     

C1q,a collagen-like complement subcomponent,in dermatosparactic cattle: its extracellular modification is not affected by lack of procollagen N-terminal proteinase (pN-proteinase)

C1q, a collagen-like complement protein, was purified from the serum of a ddermatosparactic calf which lacks procollagen N-terminal proteinase (pN-proteinase). The specific hemolytic activity of the serum Clq from the dermatosparactic animal was identical to that of C1q from a normal calf. Gel-filtration of serum from dermatosparactic calf, on Sepharose 6B, showed the presence of C1q-antigenic material at only one position which was identical to the elution position of normal bovine C1q. No differdence, under dissociating conditions, could be seen in the size of the chains of C1q in specific immunoprecipitates isolated from the sera of dermatosparactic and normal animals, as judged by polyacrylamidegel electrophoresis (PAGE) in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The C1q from the dermatosparactic animal showed the same N-terminal amino acid and typtic-digest peptide pattern on HPLC as C1q from the normal calf. These results strongly suggest that pN-proteinase is not involved in the extracellular processing of C1q.     

Role of the N-terminal region of the A chain in beta 1-bungarotoxin from the venom of Bungarus multicinctus (Taiwan-banded krait)

The N-terminal -amino groups of ₁-bungarotoxin (₁-Bgt) fromBungarus multicinctus venom were modified with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid and the modified derivative was separated by high performance liquid chromatography. The trinitrophenylated (TNP) derivative contained two TNP groups at the -amino groups of A chain and B chain and showed a marked decrease in enzymatic activity. Methionine residues at positions 6 and 8 of the A chain were oxidized with chloramine T or cleaved with cyanogen bromide to remove the N-terminal octapeptide. Oxidation of methionine residues and removal of the N-terminal octapeptide caused a precipitous decrease in enzymatic activity, whereas antigenicity remained unchanged. The presence of dihexanoyllecithin influenced the interaction between ₁-Bgt and 8-antilinonaphthalene sulfonate (ANS) and revealed that ₁-Bgt consists of two types of ANS-binding sites, one at the substrate binding site of the A chain and the other might be at the B chain. The modified derivatives still retained their affinity for Ca²⁺ and ANS, indicating that the N-terminal region is not involved in Ca²⁺ and substrate binding. A fluorescence study revealed that the -amino group of the A chain was in the vicinity of substrate binding site and that the TNP -amino groups were in proximity to Trp-19 of the A chain. In addition, the study showed that the N-terminal region is important for stabilizing the architectural environment of Trp-19. The results, together with the proposal that Trp-19 of the A chain is involved in substrate binding, suggest that the N-terminal region of the A chain plays a crucial role in maintaining a functional active site for ₁-Bgt.     

Homologues of catalytic domains of Cellulomonas glucanases found in fungal and Bacillus glycosidases

We demonstrate homology between the catalytic domains of exoglucanase (1,4-beta-D-glucan cellobiohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.91) from Cellulomonas fimi and those of endoxylanases (1,4-beta-D-xylan xylanohydrolases, EC 3.2.1.8) from Bacillus sp. strain C-125 and the fungus Cryptococcus albidus; and between the catalytic domains of endoglucanase (1,4-(1,3:1,4)-beta-D-glucan 4-glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.4) from Cellulomonas fimi and exoglucanase II from Trichoderma reesei. These five enzymes apparently evolved by reshuffling of two catalytic domains and several substrate-binding domains.