Biomedical subjects

Arnaud Gruez

Publications and source records attributed to Arnaud Gruez.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Structural and functional basis for ADP-ribose and poly(ADP-ribose) binding by viral macro domains.

Macro domains constitute a protein module family found associated with specific histones and proteins involved in chromatin metabolism. In addition, a small number of animal RNA viruses, such as corona- and toroviruses, alphaviruses, and hepatitis E virus, encode macro domains for which, however, structural and functional information is extremely limited. Here, we characterized the macro domains from hepatitis E virus, Semliki Forest virus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The crystal structure of the SARS-CoV macro domain was determined at 1.8-Angstroms resolution in complex with ADP-ribose. Information derived from structural, mutational, and sequence analyses suggests a close phylogenetic and, most probably, functional relationship between viral and cellular macro domain homologs. The data revealed that viral macro domains have relatively poor ADP-ribose 1"-phosphohydrolase activities (which were previously proposed to be their biologically relevant function) but bind efficiently free and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1-bound poly(ADP-ribose) in vitro. Collectively, these results suggest to further evaluate the role of viral macro domains in host response to viral infection.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗

PubMed2004

Crystal structure and kinetics identify Escherichia coli YdcW gene product as a medium-chain aldehyde dehydrogenase.

In the context of a medium-scaled structural genomics program aiming at solving the structures of as many as possible bacterial unknown open reading frame products from Escherichia coli (Y prefix), we have solved the structure of YdcW at 2.1A resolution, using molecular replacement. According to its sequence identity, YdcW has been classified into the betaine aldehyde dehydrogenases family (EC 1.2.1.8), catalysing the oxidation of betaine aldehyde into glycine betaine. The structure of YdcW resembles that of other aldehyde dehydrogenases: it is tetrameric and binds a NADH molecule in each monomer. The NADH molecules, bound in the active site by soaking, are revealed to be in the "hydrolysis position". Activities experiments demonstrate that YdcW is more active on medium-chains aldehyde than on betaine aldehyde. However, soaking of betaine into YdcW crystals revealed its presence in one of the subunits, in two positions, a putative resting position and a hydride transfer ready position. Analysis of kinetics data and of the active site shape suggest an optimum binding of n-alkyl aldehydes up to seven to eight carbon atoms, possibly followed by a bulky cyclic or aromatic group.

Aldehyde Dehydrogenase↗

PubMed2003

Sulfur single-wavelength anomalous diffraction crystal structure of a pheromone-binding protein from the honeybee Apis mellifera L.

Pheromone binding proteins (PBPs) are small helical proteins ( approximately 13-17 kDa) present in several sensory organs from moth and other insect species. They are involved in the transport of pheromones from the sensillar lymph to the olfactory receptors. We report here the crystal structure of a PBP (Amel-ASP1) originating from the honey-bee (Apis mellifera) antennae and expressed as recombinant protein in the yeast Pichia pastoris. Crystals of Amel-ASP1 were obtained at pH 5.5 using the nano-drops technique of crystallization with a novel optimization procedure, and the structure was solved initially with the single-wavelength anomalous diffraction technique using sulfur anomalous dispersion. The structure of Amel-ASP1 has been refined at 1.6-A resolution. Its fold is roughly similar to that of other PBP/odorant binding proteins, presenting six helices and three disulfide bridges. Contrary to the PBPs from Bombyx mori (Sandler, B. H., Nikonova, L., Leal, W. S., and Clardy, J. (2000) Chem. Biol. 7, 143-151) and Leucophea maderae (Lartigue, A., Gruez, A., Spinelli, S., Riviere, S., Brossut, R., Tegoni, M., and Cambillau, C. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 30213-30218), the extended C terminus folds into the protein and forms a wall of the internal hydrophobic cavity. Its backbone groups establish two hydrogen bonds with a serendipitous ligand, n-butyl-benzene-sulfonamide, an additive used in plastics. This mode of binding might, however, mimic that used by one of the pheromonal blend components and illustrates the binding versatility of PBPs.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

The crystal structure of the globular head of complement protein C1q provides a basis for its versatile recognition properties.

C1q is a versatile recognition protein that binds to an amazing variety of immune and non-immune ligands and triggers activation of the classical pathway of complement. The crystal structure of the C1q globular domain responsible for its recognition properties has now been solved and refined to 1.9 A of resolution. The structure reveals a compact, almost spherical heterotrimeric assembly held together mainly by non-polar interactions, with a Ca2+ ion bound at the top. The heterotrimeric assembly of the C1q globular domain appears to be a key factor of the versatile recognition properties of this protein. Plausible three-dimensional models of the C1q globular domain in complex with two of its physiological ligands, C-reactive protein and IgG, are proposed, highlighting two of the possible recognition modes of C1q. The C1q/human IgG1 model suggests a critical role for the hinge region of IgG and for the relative orientation of its Fab domain in C1q binding.

C-Reactive Protein↗

PubMed2003

The crystal structure of the Escherichia coli YfdW gene product reveals a new fold of two interlaced rings identifying a wide family of CoA transferases.

Because of its toxicity, oxalate accumulation from amino acid catabolism leads to acute disorders in mammals. Gut microflora are therefore pivotal in maintaining a safe intestinal oxalate balance through oxalate degradation. Oxalate catabolism was first identified in Oxalobacter formigenes, a specialized, strictly anaerobic bacterium. Oxalate degradation was found to be performed successively by two enzymes, a formyl-CoA transferase (frc) and an oxalate decarboxylase (oxc). These two genes are present in several bacterial genomes including that of Escherichia coli. The frc ortholog in E. coli is yfdW, with which it shares 61% sequence identity. We have expressed the YfdW open reading frame product and solved its crystal structure in the apo-form and in complex with acetyl-CoA and with a mixture of acetyl-CoA and oxalate. YfdW exhibits a novel and spectacular fold in which two monomers assemble as interlaced rings, defining the CoA binding site at their interface. From the structure of the complex with acetyl-CoA and oxalate, we propose a putative formyl/oxalate transfer mechanism involving the conserved catalytic residue Asp169. The similarity of yfdW with bacterial orthologs (approximately 60% identity) and paralogs (approximately 20-30% identity) suggests that this new fold and parts of the CoA transfer mechanism are likely to be the hallmarks of a wide family of CoA transferases.

Acetyl Coenzyme A↗

PubMed2003

The crystal structure of a cockroach pheromone-binding protein suggests a new ligand binding and release mechanism.

Pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) are small helical proteins found in sensorial organs, particularly in the antennae, of moth and other insect species. They were proposed to solubilize and carry the hydrophobic pheromonal compounds through the antennal lymph to receptors, participating thus in the peri-receptor events of signal transduction. The x-ray structure of Bombyx mori PBP (BmorPBP), from male antennae, revealed a six-helix fold forming a cavity that contains the pheromone bombykol. We have identified a PBP (LmaPBP) from the cockroach Leucophaea maderae in the antennae of the females, the gender attracted by pheromones in this species. Here we report the crystal structure of LmaPBP alone or in complex with a fluorescent reporter (amino-naphthalen sulfonate, ANS) or with a component of the pheromonal blend, 3-hydroxy-butan-2-one. Both compounds bind in the internal cavity of LmaPBP, which is more hydrophilic than BmorPBP cavity. LmaPBP structure ends just after the sixth helix (helix F). BmorPBP structure extends beyond the sixth helix with a stretch of residues elongated at neutral pH and folding as a seventh internalized helix at low pH. These differences between LmaPBP and BmorPBP structures suggest that different binding and release mechanism may be adapted to the hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity of the pheromonal ligand.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

Optimization of crystals from nanodrops: crystallization and preliminary crystallographic study of a pheromone-binding protein from the honeybee Apis mellifera L.

Pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) are small helical proteins ( approximately 13-17 kDa) present in various sensory organs from moths and other insect species. They are involved in the transport of pheromones from the sensillar lymph to the olfactory receptors. Here, crystals of a PBP (Amel-ASP1) originating from honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) antennae and expressed as recombinant protein using the yeast Pichia pastoris are reported. Crystals of Amel-ASP1 have been obtained by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method using a nanodrop-dispensing robot under the following conditions: 200 nl of 40 mg ml(-1) protein solution in 10 mM Tris, 25 mM NaCl pH 8.0 was mixed with 100 nl of well solution containing 0.15 M sodium citrate, 1.5 M ammonium sulfate pH 5.5. The protein crystallizes in space group C222(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 74.8, b = 85.8, c = 50.2 A. With one molecule in the asymmetric unit, V(M) is 3.05 A(3) Da(-1) and the solvent content is 60%. A complete data set has been collected at 1.6 A resolution on beamline ID14-2 (ESRF, Grenoble). The nanodrop crystallization technique used with a novel optimization procedure made it possible to consume small amounts of protein and to obtain a unique crystal per nanodrop, suitable directly for data collection in-house or at a synchrotron-radiation source.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

Medium-scale structural genomics: strategies for protein expression and crystallization.

While high-throughput methods of protein production and crystallization are beginning to be well documented, owing to the output of large structural genomics programs, medium-throughput methods at the laboratory scale lag behind. In this paper, we report a possible way for an academic laboratory to adapt high-throughput to medium-throughput methods, on the basis of the first results of two projects aimed at solving the 3D structures of Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Tb) proteins of unknown function. We have developed sequential and iterative procedures as well as new technical processes for these programs. Our results clearly demonstrate the value of this medium-throughput approach. For instance, in the first 14 months of the E. coli program, 69 out of 108 target genes led to soluble proteins, 36 were brought to crystallization, and 28 yielded crystals; among the latter, 13 led to usable data sets and 9 to structures. These results, still incomplete, might help in planning future directions of expression and crystallization of proteins applied to medium-throughput structural genomics programs.

Crystallization↗

PubMed2002

A medium-throughput crystallization approach.

The first results of a medium-scale structural genomics program clearly demonstrate the value of using a medium-throughput crystallization approach based on a two-step procedure: a large screening step employing robotics, followed by manual or automated optimization of the crystallization conditions. The structural genomics program was based on cloning in the Gateway vectors pDEST17, introducing a long 21-residue tail at the N-terminus. So far, this tail has not appeared to hamper crystallization. In ten months, 25 proteins were subjected to crystallization; 13 yielded crystals, of which ten led to usable data sets and five to structures. Furthermore, the results using a robot dispensing 50-200 nl drops indicate that smaller protein samples can be used for crystallization. These still partial results might indicate present and future directions for those who have to make crucial choices concerning their crystallization platform in structural genomics programs.

Crystallization↗