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Biomedical subjects

Christian Lücke

Publications and source records attributed to Christian Lücke.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Fatty acyl benzamido antibacterials based on inhibition of DnaK-catalyzed protein folding.

We have reported that the hsp70 chaperone DnaK from Escherichia coli might assist protein folding by catalyzing the cis/trans isomerization of secondary amide peptide bonds in unfolded or partially folded proteins. In this study a series of fatty acylated benzamido inhibitors of the cis/trans isomerase activity of DnaK was developed and tested for antibacterial effects in E. coli MC4100 cells. N(alpha)-[Tetradecanoyl-(4-aminomethylbenzoyl)]-l-asparagine is the most effective antibacterial with a minimal inhibitory concentration of 100 +/- 20 microg/ml. The compounds were shown to compete with fluorophore-labeled sigma(32)-derived peptide for the peptide binding site of DnaK and to increase the fraction of aggregated proteins in heat-shocked bacteria. Despite its inability to serve as a folding helper in vivo a DnaK-inhibitor complex was still able to sequester an unfolded protein in vitro. Structure activity relationships revealed a distinct dependence of DnaK-assisted refolding of luciferase on the fatty acyl chain length, whereas the minimal inhibitory concentration was most sensitive to the structural nature of the benzamido core. We conclude that the isomerase activity of DnaK is a major survival factor in the heat shock response of bacteria and that small molecule inhibitors can lead to functional inactivation of DnaK and thus will display antibacterial activity.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2006

Isothermal calorimetry as a tool to investigate slow conformational changes in proteins and peptides.

A new calorimetric method has been developed to follow the time course of slow conformational changes during the refolding of denatured proteins. The method is based on the ability of isothermal titration calorimeters (ITC) to detect small amounts of heat continuously over a minute to an hour time range without being disturbed by baseline drift. We benchmarked the method on the basis of the slow kinetic phases resulting from prolyl cis/trans isomerization of oligopeptides. Using this method, the simultaneous investigation of the kinetics and thermodynamics of slow phases in the refolding of GdmCl-denatured RNase A by single jump techniques was performed. Time traces of heat production in the presence of a peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerase support the classical model of rate-limiting prolyl trans to cis isomerizations in the folding reactions of RNase A. However, we also observed that, unlike prolyl cis/trans isomerizations in oligopeptides, those found in RNase A refolding are highly exothermic. It appears that coupling between slow prolyl trans to cis isomerization and relocation of remote backbone segments increases the number of contacting sites during formation of the native protein. The results demonstrate that calorimetrically monitored folding kinetics will be of relevance in the detection of otherwise silent folding events.

Calorimetry↗
PubMed2006

Fatty-acid-binding protein from the flight muscle of Locusta migratoria: evolutionary variations in fatty acid binding.

Intracellular lipid-binding proteins have evolved from a common ancestral gene with the appearance of mitochondrial oxidation, to guarantee, for example, transport of fatty acids through the aqueous cytosol to their site of utilization. The mammalian forms of these lipid carriers are structurally well-characterized and have been categorized, on the basis of sequence similarities and several typical ligand-binding features, into four subfamilies. Only a single complex structure of an invertebrate fatty-acid-binding protein (FABP) has been reported to date, which reveals a unique ligand-binding arrangement yet unknown in vertebrate FABPs. In the present study, the structure of a second invertebrate FABP (locust muscle) complexed with a fatty acid has been determined on the basis of intermolecular NOE connectivities between the protein and the uniformly (13)C-enriched oleate ligand. The resulting ligand conformation, although resembling the closely related mammalian heart- and adipocyte-type FABPs, is characterized by certain binding features that differ significantly from the typical hairpin-turn ligand shapes of the latter forms. This is primarily due to an alanine-to-leucine substitution in locust FABPs that produces a steric hindrance for ligand binding. A comparison with an FABP from tobacco hornworm larvae furthermore demonstrates that certain amino acid substitutions that appear to be specific for invertebrates decidedly influence the binding arrangement inside the protein cavity. Hence, as a result of these evolutionary variations, invertebrate FABPs may display a much greater diversity in intracellular lipid binding than observed for the mammalian transport proteins, thus possibly providing new insights for the design of modified lipid carriers.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2006

Interactions between fatty acids and alpha-synuclein.

alpha-Synuclein (alphaS) is an amyloidogenic neuronal protein associated with several neurodegenerative disorders. Although unstructured in solution, alphaS forms alpha-helices in the presence of negatively charged lipid surfaces. Moreover, alphaS was shown to interact with FAs in a manner that promotes protein aggregation. Here, we investigate whether alphaS has specific FA binding site(s) similar to fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs), such as the intracellular FABPs. Our NMR experiments reveal that FA addition results in i) the simultaneous loss of alphaS signal in both (1)H and (13)C spectra and ii) the appearance of a very broad FA (13)C-carboxyl signal. These data exclude high-affinity binding of FA molecules to specific alphaS sites, as in FABPs. One possible mode of binding was revealed by electron microscopy studies of oleic acid bilayers at pH 7.8; these high-molecular-weight FA aggregates possess a net negative surface charge because they contain FA anions, and they were easily disrupted to form smaller particles in the presence of alphaS, indicating a direct protein-lipid interaction. We conclude that alphaS is not likely to act as an intracellular FA carrier. Binding to negatively charged membranes, however, appears to be an intrinsic property of alphaS that is most likely related to its physiological role(s) in the cell.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

The electron transfer complex between cytochrome c552 and the CuA domain of the Thermus thermophilus ba3 oxidase. A combined NMR and computational approach.

The structural analysis of the redox complex between the soluble cytochrome c552 and the membrane-integral cytochrome ba3 oxidase of Thermus thermophilus is complicated by the transient nature of this protein-protein interaction. Using NMR-based chemical shift perturbation mapping, however, we identified the contact regions between cytochrome c552 and the CuA domain, the fully functional water-soluble fragment of subunit II of the ba3 oxidase. First we determined the complete backbone resonance assignments of both proteins for each redox state. Subsequently, two-dimensional [15N,1H]TROSY spectra recorded for each redox partner both in free and complexed state indicated those surface residues affected by complex formation between the two proteins. This chemical shift analysis performed for both redox states provided a topological description of the contact surface on each partner molecule. Remarkably, very pronounced indirect effects, which were observed on the back side of the heme cleft only in the reduced state, suggested that alterations of the electron distribution in the porphyrin ring due to formation of the protein-protein complex are apparently sensed even beyond the heme propionate groups. The contact residues of each redox partner, as derived from the chemical shift perturbation mapping, were employed for a protein-protein docking calculation that provided a structure ensemble of 10 closely related conformers representing the complex between cytochrome c552 and the CuA domain. Based on these structures, the electron transfer pathway from the heme of cytochrome c552 to the CuA center of the ba3 oxidase has been predicted.

Cytochrome b Group↗
PubMed2006

The specific FKBP38 inhibitor N-(N',N'-dimethylcarboxamidomethyl)cycloheximide has potent neuroprotective and neurotrophic properties in brain ischemia.

FK506 and FK506-derived inhibitors of the FK506-binding protein (FKBP)-type peptidylprolyl cis/trans-isomerases (PPIase) display potent neuroprotective and neuroregenerative properties in various neurodegeneration models, showing the importance of neuroimmunophilins as targets for the treatment of acute and chronic neurodegenerative diseases. However, the PPIase activity targeted by active site-directed ligands remains unknown so far. Here we show that neurotrophic FKBP ligands, such as GPI1046 and N-[methyl(ethoxycarbonyl)]cycloheximide, inhibit the calmodulin/Ca(2+) (CaM/Ca(2+))-regulated FKBP38 with up to 80-fold higher affinity than FKBP12. In contrast, the non-neurotrophic rapamycin inhibits FKBP38.CaM/Ca(2+) 500-fold less affine than other neuroimmunophillins. In the context of the high expression of FKBP38 in neuroblastoma cells, these data suggest that FKBP38.CaM/Ca(2+) inhibition can mediate neurotrophic properties of FKBP ligands. The FKBP38-specific cycloheximide derivative, N-(N',N'-dimethylcarboxamidomethyl)cycloheximide (DM-CHX) was synthesized and used in a rat model of transient focal cerebral ischemia. Accordingly, DM-CHX caused neuronal protection as well as neural stem cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation at a dosage of 27.2 mug/kg. These effects were still dominant, if DM-CHX was applied 2-6 h post-insult. In parallel, sustained motor behavior deficits of diseased animals were improved by drug administration, revealing a potential therapeutic relevance. Thus, our results demonstrate that FKBP38 inhibition by DM-CHX regulates neuronal cell death and proliferation, providing a promising strategy for the treatment of acute and/or chronic neurodegenerative diseases.

Brain↗
PubMed2005

Mutational and structural studies of the diisopropylfluorophosphatase from Loligo vulgaris shed new light on the catalytic mechanism of the enzyme.

The active site, the substrate binding site, and the metal binding sites of the diisopropylfluorophosphatase (DFPase) from Loligo vulgaris have been modified by means of site-directed mutagenesis to improve our understanding of the reaction mechanism. Enzymatic characterization of mutants located in the major groove of the substrate binding pocket indicates that large hydrophobic side chains at these positions are favorable for substrate turnover. Moreover, the active site residue His287 proved to be beneficial, but not essential, for DFP hydrolysis. In most cases, hydrophobic side chains at position 287 led to significant catalytic activities although reduced relative to the wild-type enzyme. With respect to the Ca-1 binding site, where catalysis occurs, various mutants indicated that the net charge at this calcium-binding site as well as the relative positions of the charged calcium ligands is crucial for catalytic activity. The importance of the electrostatic potential at the active site was furthermore revealed by various mutations of residues lining the interior of the central water-filled tunnel, which traverses the entire protein structure. In this respect, the structural features of residue His181, which is located at the opposite end of the DFPase tunnel relative to the active site, were characterized extensively. It was concluded that a tunnel-spanning hydrogen bond network, which includes a large number of apparently slow exchanging water molecules, relays any modifications in the electrostatics of the system to the active site, thus affecting the catalytic reactivity of the enzyme.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Probing the pH-dependent structural features of alpha-KTx12.1, a potassium channel blocker from the scorpion Tityus serrulatus.

Potassium channels are widespread in living cells and are involved in many diseases. The scorpion toxin alpha-KTx(12.1) interacts with various K(+) channels, suggesting its capacity to match diverse channel pores. It is recognized that tissue injuries may affect the pH at toxins site of action, thereby modulating both protein conformation and activity. To better understand its molecular mechanism of action, we studied alpha-KTx(12.1) using pH as a tool to explore its plasticity and NMR in combination with MD calculations to detect it. The toxin solution structure consists of an alpha-helix and a triple-stranded beta-sheet stabilized by four disulfide bridges. The NMR results show, in addition, that His28 possesses an unusually low pK(a) of 5.2. The best set of protein conformers is obtained at pH 4.5, while at pH 7.0, the reduced number of NOEs resulting from a faster hydrogen exchange does not allow to reach a good structural convergence. Nonetheless, MD calculations show that the toxin structure does not vary significantly in that pH range, while conformational changes and modifications of the surface charge distribution occur when His28 is fully protonated. Moreover, essential dynamics analysis reveals variations in the toxin's coherent motions. In conclusion, His28, with its low pK(a) value, provides alpha-KTx(12.1) with the ability to preserve its active conformation over a wide pH interval, thus expanding the range of cellular conditions where the toxin can fully exhibit its activity. Overall, the results further underline the role of histidine as a natural controller of proteins' functionality.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2003

Water dynamics in the large cavity of three lipid-binding proteins monitored by (17)O magnetic relaxation dispersion.

Intracellular lipid-binding proteins contain a large binding cavity filled with water molecules. The role played by these water molecules in ligand binding is not well understood, but their energetic and dynamic properties must be important for protein function. Here, we use the magnetic relaxation dispersion (MRD) of the water 17O resonance to investigate the water molecules in the binding cavity of three different lipid-binding proteins: heart fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP), ileal lipid-binding protein (I-LBP) and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP). Whereas about half of the crystallographically visible water molecules appear to be expelled by the ligand, we find that ligand binding actually increases the number of water molecules within the cavity. At 300 K, the water molecules in the cavity exchange positions on a time-scale of about 1ns and exchange with external water on longer time-scales (0.01-1 micros). Exchange of water molecules among hydration sites within the cavity should be strongly coupled to ligand motion. Whereas a recent MD simulation indicates that the structure of the cavity water resembles a bulk water droplet, the present MRD results show that its dynamics is more than two orders of magnitude slower than in the bulk. These findings may have significant implications for the strength, specificity and kinetics of lipid binding.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Statistical analysis of crystallographic data obtained from squid ganglion DFPase at 0.85 A resolution.

The X-ray crystal structure of squid-type diisopropylfluorophosphatase (DFPase) has been refined to a resolution of 0.85 A and a crystallographic R value of 9.4%. Crystal annealing improved both the mosaicity and resolution of the crystals considerably. The overall structure of this protein represents a six-bladed beta-propeller with two calcium ions bound in a central water-filled tunnel. 496 water, two glycerol and two MES buffer molecules and 18 PEG fragments of different lengths could be refined in the solvent region. 45 of the 314 residues have been refined with alternative orientations. H atoms have been omitted from disordered residues. For the residues of the inner beta-strands, H atoms are visible in a normal F(o) - F(c) difference map of a hydrogen-deficient structure model. The 208 most reliable residues, without disorder or reduced occupancy in their side chains, were finally refined without restraints. A subsequent full-matrix refinement cycle for the positional parameters yielded estimated standard deviations (e.s.d.s) by matrix inversion. The thus calculated bond lengths and bond angles and their e.s.d.s were used to obtain averaged bond lengths and bond angles, which were compared with the restraints applied in the preceding refinement cycles. The lengths and angles of the hydrogen bonds inside the antiparallel beta-sheets of the DFPase structure were compared with data averaged over 11 high-resolution protein structures. Torsion angles were averaged according to angle types used as restraints in X-PLOR and CNS and subsequently compared with values obtained from 46 high-resolution structures. Side-chain torsion angles were also classified into rotamer types according to the Penultimate Rotamer Library. Moreover, precise dimensions for both Ca(2+)-coordination polyhedra could be obtained and the coordination of one Ca(2+) ion by an imidazole N atom was confirmed. This statistical analysis thus provides a first step towards a set of restraints that are founded completely on macromolecular data; however, 10-20 additional protein data sets of comparable accuracy and size will be required to obtain a larger statistical base, especially for side-chain analysis.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed2003

Solution structure of human intestinal fatty acid binding protein with a naturally-occurring single amino acid substitution (A54T) that is associated with altered lipid metabolism.

The human intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP) belongs to a family of intracellular lipid binding proteins. This 15 kDa protein binds dietary long-chain fatty acids in the cytosol of enterocytes. A naturally-occurring nucleotide polymorphism at codon 54, which produces either an alanine-containing (A54) or a threonine-containing (T54) protein, has been identified. These two I-FABP forms display differential binding and transport of fatty acids across cells, and their alleles are associated with in vivo insulin resistance and/or altered lipid metabolism in several human populations. The three-dimensional solution structure of the more common A54 form was previously determined in our lab. A direct comparison between human A54 and T54 I-FABP has now been performed to help elucidate the structural origins of their physiological distinctions. The solution structure of T54 I-FABP is highly homologous to that of A54 I-FABP, with the same overall three-dimensional fold that includes an antiparallel beta-clam motif. Chemical shift differences between the two proteins suggest only minor local structural changes within the "portal region" and no significant alterations elsewhere. Hence, the slightly stronger binding of fatty acids to T54 I-FABP does not originate from residues in direct contact with the bound fatty acid. Instead, it appears that the larger Thr(54) side chain affects the passage of the ligand through the entry portal. Structural details of this portal region will be discussed in view of the influence residue 54 exerts on the functional properties of human I-FABP.

Amino Acid Motifs↗
PubMed2003

Interaction of cytochrome c with cytochrome c oxidase: an NMR study on two soluble fragments derived from Paracoccus denitrificans.

The functional interactions between the various components of the respiratory chain are relatively short-lived, thus allowing high turnover numbers but at the same time complicating the structural analysis of the complexes. Chemical shift mapping by NMR spectroscopy is a useful tool to investigate such transient contacts, since it can monitor changes in the electron-shielding properties of a protein as the result of temporary contacts with a reaction partner. In this study, we investigated the molecular interaction between two components of the electron-transfer chain from Paracoccus denitrificans: the engineered, water-soluble fragment of cytochrome c(552) and the Cu(A) domain from the cytochrome c oxidase. Comparison of [(15)N,(1)H]-TROSY spectra of the [(15)N]-labeled cytochrome c(552) fragment in the absence and in the presence of the Cu(A) fragment showed chemical shift changes for the backbone amide groups of several, mostly uncharged residues located around the exposed heme edge in cytochrome c(552). The detected contact areas on the cytochrome c(552) surface were comparable under both fully reduced and fully oxidized conditions, suggesting that the respective chemical shift changes represent biologically relevant protein-protein interactions.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed2003

Solution structure and stability of the full-length excisionase from bacteriophage HK022.

Heteronuclear high-resolution NMR spectroscopy was employed to determine the solution structure of the excisionase protein (Xis) from the lambda-like bacteriophage HK022 and to study its sequence-specific DNA interaction. As wild-type Xis was previously characterized as a generally unstable protein, a biologically active HK022 Xis mutant with a single amino acid substitution Cys28-->Ser was used in this work. This substitution has been shown to diminish the irreversibility of Xis denaturation and subsequent degradation, but does not affect the structural or thermodynamic properties of the protein, as evidenced by NMR and differential scanning calorimetry. The solution structure of HK022 Xis forms a compact, highly ordered protein core with two well-defined alpha-helices (residues 5-11 and 18-27) and five beta-strands (residues 2-4, 30-31, 35-36, 41-44 and 48-49). These data correlate well with 1H2O-2H2O exchange experiments and imply a different organization of the HK022 Xis secondary structure elements in comparison with the previously determined structure of the bacteriophage lambda excisionase. Superposition of both Xis structures indicates a better correspondence of the full-length HK022 Xis to the typical 'winged-helix' DNA-binding motif, as found, for example, in the DNA-binding domain of the Mu-phage repressor. Residues 51-72, which were not resolved in the lambda Xis, do not show any regular structure in HK022 Xis and thus appear to be completely disordered in solution. The resonance assignments have shown, however, that an unusual connectivity exists between residues Asn66 and Gly67 owing to asparagine-isoaspartyl isomerization. Such an isomerization has been previously observed and characterized only in eukaryotic proteins.

Amino Acid Motifs↗
PubMed2002

Atomic resolution crystal structure of squid ganglion DFPase.

Diisopropylfluorophosphatases (DFP-ases) are capable of detoxifying chemical warfare agents like diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) by hydrolysis. The protein reported here was recombinantely expressed in E. coli. The X-ray crystal structure of this enzyme has been refined to a resolution of 0.85 A and a crystallographic R value of 9.4%. Reversible flash-cooling improved both, mosaicity and resolution of the crystals considerably. The overall structure of this protein represents a six-bladed beta-propeller with two calcium ions bound in a central water filled tunnel. 496 water, 2 glycerol, 2 MES-buffer molecules, and 18 PEG fragments of different lengths could be refined in the solvent region. The 208 most reliable residues, without disorder or reduced occupancy in their side-chains, were finally refined without restraints. A subsequent full-matrix refinement cycle for the positional parameters yielded estimated standard deviations (esds) by matrix inversion. The herewith calculated bond lengths and bond-esds were used to obtain averaged bond lengths, which have been compared to the restraints used in preceding refinement cycles.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Solution structure and backbone dynamics of human epidermal-type fatty acid-binding protein (E-FABP).

Human epidermal-type fatty acid-binding protein (E-FABP) belongs to a family of intracellular 14-15 kDa lipid-binding proteins, whose functions have been associated with fatty acid signalling, cell growth, regulation and differentiation. As a contribution to understanding the structure-function relationship, we report in the present study features of its solution structure and backbone dynamics determined by NMR spectroscopy. Applying multi-dimensional high-resolution NMR techniques on unlabelled and 15N-enriched recombinant human E-FABP, the 1H and 15N resonance assignments were completed. On the basis of 2008 distance restraints, the three-dimensional solution structure of human E-FABP was subsequently obtained (backbone atom root-mean-square deviation of 0.92+/-0.11 A; where 1 A=0.1 nm), consisting mainly of 10 anti-parallel beta-strands that form a beta-barrel structure. 15N relaxation experiments (T1, T2 and heteronuclear nuclear Overhauser effects) at 500, 600 and 800 MHz provided information on the internal dynamics of the protein backbone. Nearly all non-terminal backbone amide groups showed order parameters S(2)>0.8, with an average value of 0.88+/-0.04, suggesting a uniformly low backbone mobility in the nanosecond-to-picosecond time range. Moreover, hydrogen/deuterium exchange experiments indicated a direct correlation between the stability of the hydrogen-bonding network in the beta-sheet structure and the conformational exchange in the millisecond-to-microsecond time range. The features of E-FABP backbone dynamics elaborated in the present study differ markedly from those of the phylogenetically closely related heart-type FABP and the more distantly related ileal lipid-binding protein, implying a strong interdependence with the overall protein stability and possibly also with the ligand-binding affinity for members of the lipid-binding protein family.

Amino Acid Sequence↗