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Guy Lippens

Publications and source records attributed to Guy Lippens.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

A small CDC25 dual-specificity tyrosine-phosphatase isoform in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The dual-specificity CDC25 phosphatases are critical positive regulators of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). Even though an antagonistic Arabidopsis thaliana WEE1 kinase has been cloned and tyrosine phosphorylation of its CDKs has been demonstrated, no valid candidate for a CDC25 protein has been reported in higher plants. We identify a CDC25-related protein (Arath;CDC25) of A. thaliana, constituted by a sole catalytic domain. The protein has a tyrosine-phosphatase activity and stimulates the kinase activity of Arabidopsis CDKs. Its tertiary structure was obtained by NMR spectroscopy and confirms that Arath;CDC25 belongs structurally to the classical CDC25 superfamily with a central five-stranded beta-sheet surrounded by helices. A particular feature of the protein, however, is the presence of an additional zinc-binding loop in the C-terminal part. NMR mapping studies revealed the interaction with phosphorylated peptidic models derived from the conserved CDK loop containing the phosphothreonine-14 and phosphotyrosine-15. We conclude that despite sequence divergence, Arath;CDC25 is structurally and functionally an isoform of the CDC25 superfamily, which is conserved in yeast and in plants, including Arabidopsis and rice.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

The peptidyl prolyl cis/trans-isomerase Pin1 recognizes the phospho-Thr212-Pro213 site on Tau.

The interaction between the neuronal Tau protein and the Pin1 prolyl cis/trans-isomerase is dependent on the phosphorylation state of the former. The interaction site was mapped to the unique phospho-Thr231-Pro232 motif, despite the presence of many other Thr/Ser-Pro phosphorylation sites in Tau and structural evidence that the interaction site does not significantly extend beyond those very two residues. We demonstrate here by NMR and fluorescence mapping that the Alzheimer's disease specific epitope centered around the phospho-Thr212-Pro213 motif is also an interaction site, and that the sole phospho-Thr-Pro motif is already sufficient for interaction. Because a detectable fraction of the Pro213 amide bond in the peptide centered around the phospho-Thr212-Pro213 motif is in the cis conformation, catalysis of the isomerization by the catalytic domain of Pin1 could be investigated via NMR spectroscopy.

Amino Acid Motifs↗
PubMed2004

Proline-directed random-coil chemical shift values as a tool for the NMR assignment of the tau phosphorylation sites.

NMR spectroscopy of the full-length neuronal Tau protein has proved to be difficult due to the length of the protein and the unfavorable amino acid composition. We show that the random-coil chemical shift values and their dependence on the presence of a proline residue in the (i+1) position can successfully be exploited to assign all proline-directed phosphorylation sites. This is a first step toward the study of the phosphorylation of Tau by NMR spectroscopy.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed2004

Cobatoxin 1 from Centruroides noxius scorpion venom: chemical synthesis, three-dimensional structure in solution, pharmacology and docking on K+ channels.

CoTX1 (cobatoxin 1) is a 32-residue toxin with three disulphide bridges that has been isolated from the venom of the Mexican scorpion Centruroides noxius Hoffmann. Here we report the chemical synthesis, disulphide bridge organization, 3-D (three-dimensional) solution structure determination, pharmacology on K+ channel subtypes (voltage-gated and Ca2+-activated) and docking-simulation experiments. An enzyme-based cleavage of the synthetic folded/oxidized CoTX1 indicated half-cystine pairs between Cys3-Cys22, Cys8-Cys27 and Cys12-Cys29. The 3-D structure of CoTX1 (solved by 1H-NMR) showed that it folds according to the common alpha/beta scaffold of scorpion toxins. In vivo, CoTX1 was lethal after intracerebroventricular injection to mice (LD50 value of 0.5 microg/mouse). In vitro, CoTX1 tested on cells expressing various voltage-gated or Ca2+-activated (IKCa1) K+ channels showed potent inhibition of currents from rat K(v)1.2 ( K(d) value of 27 nM). CoTX1 also weakly competed with 125I-labelled apamin for binding to SKCa channels (small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels) on rat brain synaptosomes (IC50 value of 7.2 microM). The 3-D structure of CoTX1 was used in docking experiments which suggests a key role of Arg6 or Lys10, Arg14, Arg18, Lys21 (dyad), Ile23, Asn24, Lys28 and Tyr30 (dyad) residues of CoTX1 in its interaction with the rat K(v)1.2 channel. In addition, a [Pro7,Gln9]-CoTX1 analogue (ACoTX1) was synthesized. The two residue replacements were selected aiming to restore the RPCQ motif in order to increase peptide affinity towards SKCa channels, and to alter the CoTX1 dipole moment such that it is expected to decrease peptide activity on K(v) channels. Unexpectedly, ACoTX1 exhibited an activity similar to that of CoTX1 towards SKCa channels, while it was markedly more potent on IKCa1 and several voltage-gated K+ channels.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2003

Neurofibrillary degeneration of the Alzheimer-type: an alternate pathway to neuronal apoptosis?

Neuronal death is a process which may be either physiological or pathological. Apoptosis and necrosis are two of these processes which are particularly studied. However, in neurodegenerative disorders, some neurons escape to these types of death and "agonize" in a process referred to as neurofibrillary degeneration. Neurofibrillary degeneration is characterized by the intraneuronal aggregation of abnormally phosphorylated microtubule-associated Tau proteins. A number of studies have reported a reactivation of the cell cycle in the neurofibrillary degeneration process. This reactivation of the cell cycle is reminiscent of the initiation of apoptosis in post-mitotic cells where G1/S markers including cyclin D1 and cdk4/6, are commonly found. However, in neurons exhibiting neurofibrillary degeneration, both G1/S and G2/M markers are found suggesting that they do not follow the classical apoptosis and an aberrant cell cycle occurs. This aberrant response leading to neurofibrillary degeneration may be triggered by the sequential combination of three partners: the complex Cdk5/p25 induces both apoptosis and the "abnormal mitotic Tau phosphorylation". These mitotic epitopes may allow for the nuclear depletion of Pin1. This latter may be responsible for escaping classical apoptosis in a subset of neurons. Since neurofibrillary degeneration is likely to be a third way to die, molecular mechanisms leading to changes in Tau phosphorylation including activation of kinases such as cdk5 or other regulators such as Pin1 could be important drug targets as they are possibly involved in early stages of neurodegeneration.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed2003

HRMAS NMR observation of beta-sheet secondary structure on a water swollen solid support.

In this paper HRMAS NMR was used to investigate whether peptides on a peptidyl resin swollen in aqueous solution can adopt an intramolecular beta-sheet structure. A model peptide YQNPDGSQA, that was previously shown to adopt such a secondary structure in solution, (Blanco et al, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1993) was grafted onto three different solid supports that swell in aqueous solution to examine the influence of the resin on the structure. Both parameters of resin loading and pH inside the swollen peptidyl resin proved to be important for the physicochemical behaviour of the peptide on the support.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy↗
PubMed2003

Restricted linear least square treatment processing of heteronuclear spectra of biomolecules using the ANAFOR strategy.

We explore the use of a processing procedure based on restricted least square minimization as a tool for reducing the time versus resolution dilemma often encountered for biomolecular multidimensional spectra. Using a 2D spectrum as a reference, we obtain the necessary input of frequency components and linewidths. Combined even with a limited time evolution in the indirect dimension, the amplitudes of the correlation peaks in all planes of the 3D spectra can be extracted, and can be used to reconstruct the interferograms in the third dimension. Parameters such as number of lines, threshold choice, resolution, lineshape, number of experimental data points and finally signal to noise ratio of the spectrum are examined starting from a triple-resonance HNCA spectrum of ubiquitin.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2002

Fine-tuned characterization at the solid/solution interface of organotin compounds grafted onto cross-linked polystyrene by using high-resolution MAS NMR spectroscopy.

The structural characterization of organotin compounds that are grafted onto insoluble cross-linked polymers has necessarily been limited to elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and in a few instances, solid-state NMR spectroscopy. This important bottleneck in the development of such grafted systems has been addressed by using high-resolution magic angle spinning (hr-MAS) NMR spectroscopy. The great potential of this technique is demonstrated through the structural characterization of diphenylbutyl-(3,4) and dichlorobutylstannanes (5,6), grafted onto divinylbenzene cross-linked polystyrene by means of a suitable linker (1, 2). First, conditions suitable for the application of hr-MAS NMR spectroscopy were identified by characterizing the (1)H resonance line widths of the grafted organotin moiety following swelling of the functionalized beads in eight representative solvents. The presence of clearly identifiable tin coupling patterns in both the 1D (13)C and 2D (1)H-(13)C HSQC spectra, and the incorporation of (119)Sn chemical shift and connectivity information from hr-MAS 1D (119)Sn and 2D (1)H-(119)Sn HMQC spectra, provide an unprecedented level of characterization of grafted organotins directly at the solid/liquid interface. In addition, the use of hr-MAS (119)Sn NMR for reaction monitoring, impurity detection, and quantification and assessment of the extent of coordination reveals its promise as a novel tool for the investigation of polymer-grafted organotin compounds. The approach described here should be sufficiently general for extension to a variety of other nuclei of interest in polymer-supported organometallic chemistry.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy↗
PubMed2002

Solution structure of the single-domain prolyl cis/trans isomerase PIN1At from Arabidopsis thaliana.

The 119-amino acid residue prolyl cis/trans isomerase from Arabidopsis thaliana (PIN1At) is similar to the catalytic domain of the human hPIN1. However, PIN1At lacks the N-terminal WW domain that appears to be essential for the hPIN1 function. Here, the solution structure of PIN1At was determined by three-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The PIN1At fold could be superimposed on that of the catalytic domain of hPIN1 and had a 19 residue flexible loop located between strand beta1 and helix alpha1. The dynamical features of this beta1/alpha1-loop, which are characteristic for a region involved in protein-protein interactions, led to exchange broadening in the NMR spectra. When sodium sulfate salt was added to the protein sample, the beta1/alpha1 loop was stabilized and, hence, a complete backbone resonance assignment was obtained. Previously, with a phospho-Cdc25 peptide as substrate, PIN1At had been shown to catalyze the phosphoserine/phosphothreonine prolyl cis/trans isomerization specifically. To map the catalytic site of PIN1At, the phospho-Cdc25 peptide or sodium sulfate salt was added in excess to the protein and chemical shift changes in the backbone amide protons were monitored in the (1)H(N)-(15)N heteronuclear single quantum coherence spectrum. The peptide caused perturbations in the loops between helix alpha4 and strand beta3, between strands beta3 and beta4, in the alpha3 helix, and in the beta1/alpha1 loop. The amide groups of the residues Arg21 and Arg22 showed large chemical shift perturbations upon phospho-Cdc25 peptide or sulfate addition. We conclude that this basic cluster formed by Arg21 and Arg22, both located in the beta1/alpha1 loop, is homologous to that found in the hPIN1 crystal structure (Arg68 and Arg69), which also is involved in sulfate ion binding. We showed that the sulfate group competed for the interaction between PIN1At and the phospho-Cdc25 peptide. In the absence of the WW domain, three hydrophobic residues (Ile33, Ile34, and Leu35) located in the long flexible loop and specific for the plant PIN-type peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerases (PPIases) could be an additional interaction site in PIN1At. However, phospho-peptide addition did not affect the resonances of these residues significantly. Electrostatic potential calculations revealed a negatively charged area not found in hPIN1 on the PIN1At molecular surface, which corresponds to the surface shielded by the WW domain in hPIN1. Based on our experimental results and the molecular specificities of the PIN1At enzyme, functional implications of the lack of WW domains in this plant PIN-type PPIase will be discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Solid-phase enolate chemistry investigated using HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy.

Supported P4-t-Bu enolate chemistry of phenylacetyloxymethyl polystyrene (PS) resin was investigated using high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) NMR spectroscopy. Direct analysis of the crude reaction suspensions through the use of a diffusion filter (DF) allowed a rapid selection of the optimal experimental conditions, but also the characterization of the enolate on the solid phase. Comparison with solution experiments and literature data allowed us to address partially the structure of the enolate. HR-MAS NMR spectra of the enolate revealed also a tight interaction of P4-t-Bu base with the polymer matrix.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Solution NMR study of the monomeric form of p13suc1 protein sheds light on the hinge region determining the affinity for a phosphorylated substrate.

Cyclin-dependent kinase subunit (CKS) proteins bind to cyclin-dependent kinases and target various proteins to phosphorylation and proteolysis during cell division. Crystal structures showed that CKS can exist both in a closed monomeric conformation when bound to the kinase and in an inactive C-terminal beta-strand-exchanged conformation. With the exception of the hinge loop, however, both crystal structures are identical, and no new protein interface is formed in the dimer. Protein engineering studies have pinpointed the crucial role of the proline 90 residue of the p13(suc1) CKS protein from Schizosaccharomyces pombe in the monomer-dimer equilibrium and have led to the concept of a loaded molecular spring of the beta-hinge motif. Mutation of this hinge proline into an alanine stabilizes the protein and prevents the occurrence of swapping. However, other mutations further away from the hinge as well as ligand binding can equally shift the equilibrium between monomer and dimer. To address the question of differential affinity through relief of the strain, here we compare the ligand binding of the monomeric form of wild-type S. pombe p13(suc1) and its hinge mutant P90A in solution by NMR spectroscopy. We indeed observed a 5-fold difference in affinity with the wild-type protein being the most strongly binding. Our structural study further indicates that both wild-type and the P90A mutant proteins adopt in solution the closed conformation but display different dynamic properties in the C-terminal beta-sheet involved in domain swapping and protein interactions.

Alanine↗
PubMed2002

Resin dynamics contributes to the NMR line broadening of organic molecules grafted onto a polystyrene resin.

Despite the use of high resolution magic angle spinning NMR, the NMR linewidth of anchored molecules on the commonly used Merrifield solid phase resins remains larger than that of the corresponding molecules in solution. We investigate the different mechanisms that might be at the origin of this line broadening. Experimentally, we use the CPMG method to determine the (15)N relaxation times of a tethered tripeptide and show that the slow resin dynamics significantly contributes to the transverse relaxation.

Anisotropy↗
PubMed2002

Osmoregulated periplasmic glucans of the free-living photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides.

The osmoregulated periplasmic glucans (OPGs) produced by Rhodobacter sphaeroides, a free-living organism, were isolated by trichloracetic acid treatment and gel permeation chromatography. Compounds obtained were characterized by compositional analysis, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. R. sphaeroides predominantly synthesizes a cyclic glucan containing 18 glucose residues that can be substituted by one to seven succinyl esters residues at the C6 position of some of the glucose residues, and by one or two acetyl residues. The glucans were subjected to a mild alkaline treatment in order to remove the succinyl and acetyl substituents, analyzed by MALDI mass spectrometry and purified by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography. Methylation analysis revealed that this glucan is linked by 17 1,2 glycosidic bonds and one 1,6 glycosidic bond. Homonuclear and (1)H/(13)C heteronuclear NMR experiments revealed the presence of a single alpha-1,6 glycosidic linkage, whereas all other glucose residues are beta-1,2 linked. The different anomeric proton signals allowed a complete sequence-specific assignment of the glucan. The structural characteristics of this glucan are very similar to the previously described OPGs of Ralstonia solanacearum and Xanthomonas campestris, except for its different size and the presence of substituents. Therefore, similar OPGs are synthesized by phytopathogenic as well as free-living bacteria, suggesting these compounds are intrinsic components of the Gram-negative bacterial envelope.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Pin1: a therapeutic target in Alzheimer neurodegeneration.

In Alzheimer's disease, the peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerase Pin1 binds to phospho-Thr231 on Tau proteins and, hence, is found within degenerating neurons, where it is associated to the large amounts of abnormally phosphorylated Tau proteins. Conversely, Pin1 may restore the tubulin polymerization function of these hyperphosphorylated Tau. In the present work, we investigated, both at the cellular and molecular levels, the role of Pin1 in Alzheimer's disease through the study of its interactions with phosphorylated Tau proteins. We also showed that in neuronal cells, Pin1 upregulates the expression of cyclin D1. This, in turn, could facilitate the transition from quiescence to the G1 phase (re-entry in cell cycle) in a neuron and, subsequently, neuronal dedifferentiation and apoptosis. The involvement of Pin1 in the G0/G1 transition in neurons points to its function as a good target for the development of new therapeutic strategies in neurodegenerative disorders.

Alzheimer Disease↗