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Biomedical subjects

J Christopher Fromme

Publications and source records attributed to J Christopher Fromme.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Cranio-lenticulo-sutural dysplasia is caused by a SEC23A mutation leading to abnormal endoplasmic-reticulum-to-Golgi trafficking.

Cranio-lenticulo-sutural dysplasia (CLSD) is an autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by late-closing fontanels, sutural cataracts, facial dysmorphisms and skeletal defects mapped to chromosome 14q13-q21 (ref. 1). Here we show, using a positional cloning approach, that an F382L amino acid substitution in SEC23A segregates with this syndrome. SEC23A is an essential component of the COPII-coated vesicles that transport secretory proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi complex. Electron microscopy and immunofluorescence show that there is gross dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum in fibroblasts from individuals affected with CLSD. These cells also exhibit cytoplasmic mislocalization of SEC31. Cell-free vesicle budding assays show that the F382L substitution results in loss of SEC23A function. A phenotype reminiscent of CLSD is observed in zebrafish embryos injected with sec23a-blocking morpholinos. Our observations suggest that disrupted endoplasmic reticulum export of the secretory proteins required for normal morphogenesis accounts for CLSD.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed2005

Structure of human cytidine deaminase bound to a potent inhibitor.

Human cytidine deaminase (CDA) is an enzyme prominent for its role in catalyzing metabolic processing of nucleoside-type anticancer and antiviral agents. It is thus a promising target for the development of small molecule therapeutic adjuvants. We report the first crystal structure of human CDA as a complex with a tight-binding inhibitor, diazepinone riboside 1. The structure reveals that inhibitor 1 is able to establish a canonical pi/pi-interaction with a key active site residue, Phe 137.

Azepines↗
PubMed2005

COPII-coated vesicles: flexible enough for large cargo?

Cargo proteins exiting the endoplasmic reticulum en route to the Golgi are typically carried in 60-70 nm vesicles surrounded by the COPII protein coat. Some secretory cargo assemblies in specialized mammalian cells are too large for transport within such carriers. Recent studies on procollagen-I and chylomicron trafficking have reached conflicting conclusions regarding the role of COPII proteins in ER exit of these large biological assemblies. COPII is no doubt essential for such transport in vivo, but it remains unclear whether COPII envelops the membrane surrounding large cargo or instead plays a more indirect role in transport carrier biogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Structural basis for removal of adenine mispaired with 8-oxoguanine by MutY adenine DNA glycosylase.

The genomes of aerobic organisms suffer chronic oxidation of guanine to the genotoxic product 8-oxoguanine (oxoG). Replicative DNA polymerases misread oxoG residues and insert adenine instead of cytosine opposite the oxidized base. Both bases in the resulting A*oxoG mispair are mutagenic lesions, and both must undergo base-specific replacement to restore the original C*G pair. Doing so represents a formidable challenge to the DNA repair machinery, because adenine makes up roughly 25% of the bases in most genomes. The evolutionarily conserved enzyme adenine DNA glycosylase (called MutY in bacteria and hMYH in humans) initiates repair of A*oxoG to C*G by removing the inappropriately paired adenine base from the DNA backbone. A central issue concerning MutY function is the mechanism by which A*oxoG mispairs are targeted among the vast excess of A*T pairs. Here we report the use of disulphide crosslinking to obtain high-resolution crystal structures of MutY-DNA lesion-recognition complexes. These structures reveal the basis for recognizing both lesions in the A*oxoG pair and for catalysing removal of the adenine base.

Adenine↗
PubMed2004

DNA glycosylase recognition and catalysis.

DNA glycosylases are the enzymes responsible for recognizing base lesions in the genome and initiating base excision DNA repair. Recent structural and biochemical results have provided novel insights into DNA damage recognition and repair. The basis of the recognition of the oxidative lesion 8-oxoguanine by two structurally unrelated DNA glycosylases is now understood and has been revealed to involve surprisingly similar strategies. Work on MutM (Fpg) has produced structures representing three discrete reaction steps. The NMR structure of 3-methyladenine glycosylase I revealed its place among the structural families of DNA glycosylases and the X-ray structure of SMUG1 likewise confirmed that this protein is a member of the uracil DNA glycosylase superfamily. A novel disulfide cross-linking strategy was used to obtain the long-anticipated structure of MutY bound to DNA containing an A*oxoG mispair.

Catalysis↗
PubMed2003

DNA lesion recognition by the bacterial repair enzyme MutM.

MutM is a bacterial DNA glycosylase that removes the mutagenic lesion 8-oxoguanine (oxoG) from duplex DNA. The means of oxoG recognition by MutM (also known as Fpg) is of fundamental interest, in light of the vast excess of normal guanine bases present in genomic DNA. The crystal structure of a recognition-competent but catalytically inactive version of MutM in complex with oxoG-containing DNA reveals the structural basis for recognition. MutM binds the oxoG nucleoside in the syn glycosidic configuration and distinguishes oxoG from guanine by reading out the protonation state of the N7 atom. The segment of MutM principally responsible for oxoG recognition is a flexible loop, suggesting that conformational mobility influences lesion recognition and catalysis. Furthermore, the structure of MutM in complex with DNA containing an alternative substrate, dihydrouracil, demonstrates how MutM is able to recognize lesions other than oxoG.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed2003

Structure of a trapped endonuclease III-DNA covalent intermediate.

Nearly all cells express proteins that confer resistance to the mutagenic effects of oxidative DNA damage. The primary defense against the toxicity of oxidative nucleobase lesions in DNA is the base-excision repair (BER) pathway. Endonuclease III (EndoIII) is a [4Fe-4S] cluster-containing DNA glycosylase with repair activity specific for oxidized pyrimidine lesions in duplex DNA. We have determined the crystal structure of a trapped intermediate that represents EndoIII frozen in the act of repairing DNA. The structure of the protein-DNA complex provides insight into the ability of EndoIII to recognize and repair a diverse array of oxidatively damaged bases. This structure also suggests a rationale for the frequent occurrence in certain human cancers of a specific mutation in the related DNA repair protein MYH.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2003

Product-assisted catalysis in base-excision DNA repair.

Most spontaneous damage to bases in DNA is corrected through the action of the base-excision DNA repair pathway. Base excision repair is initiated by DNA glycosylases, lesion-specific enzymes that intercept aberrant bases in DNA and catalyze their excision. How such proteins accomplish the feat of catalyzing no fewer than five sequential reaction steps using a single active site has been unknown. To help answer this, we report the structure of a trapped catalytic intermediate in DNA repair by human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase. This structure and supporting biochemical results reveal that the enzyme sequesters the excised lesion base and exploits it as a cofactor to participate in catalysis. To our knowledge, the present example represents the first documented case of product-assisted catalysis in an enzyme-catalyzed reaction.

Amino Acid Substitution↗
PubMed2002

Structural insights into lesion recognition and repair by the bacterial 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase MutM.

MutM is a bacterial 8-oxoguanine glycosylase responsible for initiating base-excision repair of oxidized guanine residues in DNA. Here we report five different crystal structures of MutM-DNA complexes that represent different steps of the repair reaction cascade catalyzed by the protein and also differ in the identity of the base opposite the lesion (the 'estranged' base). These structures reveal that the MutM active site performs the multiple steps of base-excision and 3' and 5' nicking with minimal rearrangement of the DNA backbone.

Amino Acid Sequence↗