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J E Scheffler

Publications and source records attributed to J E Scheffler.

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Crystallographic structures of the ligand-binding domains of the androgen receptor and its T877A mutant complexed with the natural agonist dihydrotestosterone.

The structures of the ligand-binding domains (LBD) of the wild-type androgen receptor (AR) and the T877A mutant corresponding to that in LNCaP cells, both bound to dihydrotestosterone, have been refined at 2.0 A resolution. In contrast to the homodimer seen in the retinoid-X receptor and estrogen receptor LBD structures, the AR LBD is monomeric, possibly because of the extended C terminus of AR, which lies in a groove at the dimerization interface. Binding of the natural ligand dihydrotestosterone by the mutant LBD involves interactions with the same residues as in the wild-type receptor, with the exception of the side chain of threonine 877, which is an alanine residue in the mutant. This structural difference in the binding pocket can explain the ability of the mutant AR found in LNCaP cells (T877A) to accommodate progesterone and other ligands that the wild-type receptor cannot.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Structure of the Ras-binding domain of c-Raf-1 as determined by NMR spectroscopy and identification of the region that interacts with Ras.

The structure of the Ras-binding domain of human c-Raf-1 (residues 55 to 132) as determined in solution by NMR spectroscopy is presented. It consists of a five-stranded beta-sheet, a twelve residue alpha-helix, and an additional one-turn helix. The fold belongs to a known family whose members include ubiquitin and protein G. The surface of Raf55-132 that interacts with Ras has been identified by resonance perturbation mapping. The binding site is a spatially contiguous patch comprised of the two-N-terminal beta-strands, the loop between them, and the C-terminal end of the alpha-helix. A model of the Raf-Ras complex is presented, which was derived by analogy to the complex between protein G and a Fab fragment of IgG. In the model, edge beta-strands of each protein align in an antiparallel orientation, forming a unified beta-sheet, and side chains from both proteins are able to participate in ionic and hydrophobic interactions at the interface.

Binding Sites↗

Solution structure of the Ras-binding domain of c-Raf-1 and identification of its Ras interaction surface.

The structure of the Ras-binding domain of human c-Raf-1 (residues 55-132) has been determined in solution by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Following complete assignment of the backbone and side-chain 1H, 15N, and 13C resonances, the structure was calculated using the program CHARMM. Over 1300 NOE-derived constraints were applied, resulting in a detailed structure. The fold of Raf55-132 consists of a five-stranded beta-sheet, a 12-residue alpha-helix, and an additional one-turn helix. It is similar to those of ubiquitin and the IgG-binding domain of protein G, although the three proteins share very little sequence identity. The surface of Raf55-132 that interacts with Ras has been identified by monitoring perturbation of line widths and chemical shifts of 15N-labeled Raf55-132 resonances during titration with unlabeled Ras-GMPPNP. The Ras-binding site is contained within a spatially contiguous patch comprised of the N-terminal beta-hairpin and the C-terminal end of the alpha-helix.

Binding Sites↗

Ras-dependent maturation of Xenopus oocytes is blocked by modified peptides of GTPase activating protein (GAP).

Guanosine triphosphatase activating protein (GAP) is an important modulator of p21ras (Ras)-dependent signal transduction in mammalian cells and in insulin-induced maturation of Xenopus oocytes. A synthetic octapeptide from the catalytic domain of GAP, residues 899-906 (F899VFLRLIC906), inhibited GAP-stimulated hydrolysis of GTP to GDP by Ras in an in vitro biochemical assay (IC50 = 12 microM). The peptide was assayed for its ability to block insulin- (Ras-dependent) and progesterone- (Ras-independent) induced maturation of stage VI Xenopus laevis oocytes, marked by germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). Microinjection of 50 pmol of the peptide inhibited insulin- but not progesterone-induced GVBD by 50%. A 7-residue peptide lacking F899, GAP(900-906)-NH2, failed to inhibit GAP-stimulated GTPase activity and did not block GVBD. Replacement of the cysteine residue at position 906 with methionine resulted in a peptide with prolonged inhibitory activity in the oocyte. Moreover, sequential replacement of specific L-amino acid residues with the corresponding D-amino acids produced a peptide with a two-fold increased half-life after injection into oocytes. None of the peptides tested affected progesterone induced GVBD, suggesting that the modifications did not result in loss of specificity. These studies show that (a) peptides that were able to inhibit GAP-stimulated Ras GTPase activity in vitro were also able to block Ras-dependent GVBD in oocytes, and (b) specific substitutions in these peptides can result in improved stability in oocytes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Covalent modification of the interleukin-5 receptor by isothiazolones leads to inhibition of the binding of interleukin-5.

Using a fusion protein of the human interleukin-5-receptor alpha chain (hIL5R alpha) and the human IgG C gamma 3 chain (hIL5R alpha-h gamma 3), we have developed a solid-phase assay for high-flux screening of a collection of synthetic compounds. We report on the identification of isothiazolone derivatives as potent inhibitors of binding of interleukin-5 (IL5) to the hIL5R alpha, as measured in a solid-phase assay (soluble hIL5R alpha or hIL5R alpha-h gamma 3) or on COS-1 cells expressing the hIL5R alpha on the cell membrane. The binding of hIL4 and human granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (hGM-CSF) to their respective receptors is not inhibited by the isothiazolones in similar assay systems. Scatchard analysis revealed that these compounds caused a decrease in affinity of the IL5R alpha for IL5. The inhibition of binding IL5 to its receptor by the isothiazolone derivatives is abrogated by free-sulfhydryl-containing compounds such as dithiothreitol, indicating that the isothiazolones react with the sulfhydryl group of free cysteine residues in the hIL5R alpha. Mutation of Cys66 led to a receptor which still binds hIL5, but which was insensitive to the inhibition by isothiazolones. Mutation of Cys249 and Cys296 to serine resulted in complete loss of IL-5-binding activity. The use of radio-labeled isothiazolone confirmed that Cys66, present in the first domain of the receptor, is the target for covalent modification leading to a decrease in affinity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of a 78-residue fragment of c-Raf-1 that comprises a minimal binding domain for the interaction with Ras-GTP.

Four overlapping peptide fragments of human c-Raf-1 (residues 55-132, 55-117, 77-132, and 77-117) were expressed in Escherichia coli as carboxyl-terminal extensions of maltose binding protein (MBP). The MBP-Raf fusions were purified by affinity chromatography on amylose resin and tested for binding to Ras.GTP indirectly by measuring their ability to inhibit the stimulation of Ras GTPase activity by GTPase activating protein (GAP120) in vitro. MBP-Raf(55-132) was a potent inhibitor in this assay (50% inhibition at 100 nM concentration), but the other fusion proteins had no measurable effect. The fusion partners were cleaved with Factor Xa protease and separated by gel filtration. The 8960-dalton Raf(55-132) fragment retained full activity as a competitive inhibitor of GAP120. It also blocked Ras-stimulated germinal vesicle breakdown in frog oocytes. Raf(55-132) was further characterized by circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results indicate that this fragment of c-Raf-1 adopts a highly structured, monomeric conformation in solution.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

Chemical shift assignments and folding topology of the Ras-binding domain of human Raf-1 as determined by heteronuclear three-dimensional NMR spectroscopy.

Raf-1 is a 74-kDa serine-threonine kinase which serves as the immediate downstream target of Ras in the cell growth signal transduction pathway. Recent genetic and biochemical experiments have demonstrated that (1) Ras interacts directly with the amino-terminal domain of Raf and (2) residues 51-131 of the Raf sequence are sufficient to mediate this interaction [Vojtek, A. B., Hollenberg, S. M., & Cooper, J. A. (1993) Cell 74, 205-214]. We have expressed a corresponding segment of the human Raf sequence (Raf55-132) in Escherichia coli as a fusion with maltose binding protein. The fusion protein was purified by affinity chromatography and cleaved at a pre-engineered site with factor Xa protease to liberate the 78-residue fragment of Raf. Raf55-132 bound to Ras with high affinity in a competition assay with GAP. An unlabeled version of Raf55-132 was studied by 2D homonuclear NMR, and uniformly 15N- and 13C/15N-labeled versions of Raf55-132 were studied by 2D and 3D heteronuclear NMR. Nearly complete sequence-specific assignments were made for the backbone HN, H alpha, 15N, and 13C alpha resonances. NOEs were used to determine regions of secondary structure and the overall folding topology. Raf55-132 is an independently folded domain composed of a five-stranded beta-sheet, a three-turn alpha-helix, and possibly an additional one-turn helix. Its structure resembles that of ubiquitin, even though there is no more than 11% sequence homology between the two proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A role for the carboxyl terminus of human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in the binding of ligand to the alpha-subunit of the high affinity receptor.

A synthetic segment (110-127) of the carboxyl terminus of recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rh-GM-CSF) was used to generate a rabbit polyclonal antibody (345-6), which recognized both peptide and full-length Escherichia coli-derived rh-GM-CSF in a direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Antibody 345-6 was shown to antagonize the binding of 125I-labeled rh-GM-CSF to its receptor on the KG-1 cell line and to inhibit human GM-CSF-dependent proliferation of the AML-193 cell line. The purified IgG fraction of neutralizing antibody 345-6 was used as immunogen to obtain sheep anti-serum 1418. Antibody 1418 recognized antibody 345-6 on direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay but did not recognize rh-GM-CSF or the peptide 110-127 to which antibody 345-6 was raised. Antiserum 1418, as well as a purified IgG fraction of this serum, inhibited both rh-GM-CSF-stimulated cell proliferation and 125I-labeled rh-GM-CSF receptor binding but not 125I-labeled recombinant human interleukin-4 receptor binding. The anti-idiotypic antibody response derived from the anti-(110-127) antibody strongly suggests that the carboxyl-terminal region of rh-GM-CSF may be directly involved in the receptor-ligand interaction of this protein. The high affinity receptor consists of two different components (GM-R alpha beta) a cytokine-specific alpha-subunit and a beta-subunit that is shared by human GM-CSF, interleukin-3, and interleukin-5. In an effort to localize the epitope of antibody 1418 to either GMR alpha or GMR beta, several cell lines containing high, low, or both high and low affinity receptors were examined. Each was specifically and completely inhibited by antibody 1418. Interleukin-3-dependent cell proliferation of the AML-193 cell line was found to be unaffected by the antibody 1418. Thus, the carboxyl-terminal region of rh-GM-CSF is likely to be involved in the interaction of the ligand with the alpha-subunit of the high affinity receptor.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Mutational and kinetic analyses of the GTPase-activating protein (GAP)-p21 interaction: the C-terminal domain of GAP is not sufficient for full activity.

The GTPase-activating protein (GAP) stimulates the GTPase reaction of p21 by 5 orders of magnitude such that the kcat of the reaction is increased to 19 s-1. Mutations of residues in loop L1 (Gly-12 and Gly-13), in loop L2 (Thr-35 and Asp-38), and in loop L4 (Gln-61 and Glu-63) influence the reaction in different ways, but all of these mutant p21 proteins still form complexes with GAP. The C-terminal domain of the human GAP gene product, GAP334, which comprises residues 714 to 1047, is 20 times less active than full-length GAP on a molar basis and has a fourfold lower affinity. This finding indicates that the N terminus of GAP containing the SH2 domains modifies the interaction between the catalytic domain and p21.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

High-resolution proton and laser photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization NMR studies of cation binding to bovine alpha-lactalbumin.

alpha-Lactalbumin (alpha-LA) is a calcium binding protein that also binds Mn(II), lanthanide ions, A1(III), Zn(II), Co(II). The structural implications of cation binding were studied by high-resolution proton (200 MHz) NMR and photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP) spectroscopy. Marked changes were observed in the NMR spectra of the apoprotein upon addition of a stoichiometric amount of calcium to yield Ca(II)-alpha-LA, manifested particularly in ring current shifted aliphatic peaks and in several shifts in the aromatic region, all of which were under slow exchange conditions. The CIDNP results showed that two surface-accessible tyrosine residues, assigned as Tyr-18 and -36, became inaccessible to the solvent upon addition of 1:1 Ca(II) to apo-alpha-lactalbumin, while Tyr-103 and Trp-104 remained completely accessible in both conformers. The proton NMR spectra of apo-alpha-LA and A1(III)-alpha-LA were extremely similar, which was also consistent with intrinsic fluorescence results [Murakami, K., & Berliner, L. J. (1983) Biochemistry 22, 3370-3374]. The paramagnetic cation Mn(II) bound to the strong calcium binding site on apo-alpha-LA but also to the weak secondary Ca(II) binding site(s) on Ca(II)-alpha-LA. It was also found that Co(II) bound to some secondary sites on Ca(II)-alpha-LA that overlapped the weak calcium site. All of the lanthanide shift reagents [Pr(III), Eu(III), Tb(III), Dy(III), Tm(III), Yb(III)] bound under slow exchange conditions; their relative affinities for apo-alpha-lactalbumin from competitive binding experiments were Dy(III), Tb(III), and Pr(III) greater than Ca(II) greater than Yb(III).

Animals↗

Regulation of rabbit liver fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase by metals, nucleotides, and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate as determined from fluorescence studies.

The fluorescent nucleotide analogue formycin 5'-monophosphate (FMP) inhibits rabbit liver fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (I50 = 17 microM, Hill coefficient = 1.2), as does the natural regulator AMP (I50 = 13 microM, Hill coefficient = 2.3), but exhibits little or no cooperativity of inhibition. Binding of FMP to fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase can be monitored by the increased fluorescence emission intensity (a 2.7-fold enhancement) or the increased fluorescence polarization of the probe. A single dissociation constant for FMP binding of 6.6 microM (4 sites per tetramer) was determined by monitoring fluorescence intensity. AMP displaces FMP from the enzyme as evidenced by a decrease in FMP fluorescence and polarization. The substrates, fructose 6-phosphate and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, and inhibitors, methyl alpha-D-fructofuranoside 1,6-bisphosphate and fructose 2,6-bisphosphate, all increase the maximal fluorescence of enzyme-bound FMP but have little or no effect on FMP binding. Weak metal binding sites on rabbit liver fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase have been detected by the effect of Zn2+, Mn2+, and Mg2+ in displacing FMP from the enzyme. This is observed as a decrease in FMP fluorescence intensity and polarization in the presence of enzyme as a function of divalent cation concentration. The order of binding by divalent cations is Zn2+ = Mn2+ greater than Mg2+, and the Kd for Mn2+ displacement of FMP is 91 microM. Methyl alpha-D-fructofuranoside 1,6-bisphosphate, as well as fructose 6-phosphate and inorganic phosphate, enhances metal-mediated FMP displacement from rabbit liver fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization NMR study of yeast and horse muscle phosphoglycerate kinase.

A photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (photo-CIDNP) study of yeast and horse muscle phosphoglycerate kinase with flavin dyes was undertaken to identify the histidine, tryptophan, and tyrosine resonances in the aromatic region of the simplified 1H NMR spectra of these enzymes and to investigate the effect of substrates on the resonances observable by CIDNP. Identification of the CIDNP-enhanced resonances with respect to the type of amino acid residue has been achieved since only tyrosine yields emission peaks and the dye 8-aminoriboflavin enhances tryptophan but not histidine. By use of the known amino acid sequences and structures derived from X-ray crystallographic studies of the enzymes from the two species, assignment of the specific residues in the protein sequences giving rise to the CIDNP spectra was partially achieved. In addition, flavin dye accessibility was used to probe any changes in enzyme structure induced by substrate binding. The nine resonance peaks observed in the CIDNP spectrum of yeast phosphoglycerate kinase have been assigned tentatively to five residues: histidines-53 and -151, tryptophan-310, and tyrosines-48 and -195. The accessibility of a tyrosine to photoexcited flavin is reduced in the presence of MgATP. Since the tyrosine residues are located some distance from the MgATP binding site of the catalytic center, it is proposed either that this change is due to a distant conformational change or that a second metal-ATP site inferred from other studies lies close to one of the tyrosines. Horse muscle phosphoglycerate kinase exhibits seven resonances by CIDNP NMR.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Enzyme elements involved in the interconversion of L-carbamylaspartate and L-dihydroorotate by dihydroorotase from Clostridium oroticum.

Enzyme elements that are involved in the reversible cyclization of L-carbamylaspartate to L-dihdroorotate catalyzed by dihydroorotase (EC 3.5.2.3) from Clostridium oroticum (ATCC 25750) have been studied. Removal of Zn(II) from the enzyme by chelators followed by incubation of apoenzyme with Co(II) results in replacement of two to three of the four Zn(II) ions per molecule by Co(II). The catalytic properties of the Zn(II)Co(II) dihydroorotase are different from those of native enzyme. The Vmax is increased for both the synthesis and hydrolysis of L-dihydroorotate. The Km for L-dihydroorotate is unchanged, while the Km for L-carbamylaspartate is increased more than twofold. On the other hand, the kinetic properties of Zn(II)-reconstituted dihydroorotase are indistinguishable from those of native enzyme. The pH dependence of Vmax is also altered by the Co(II) substitution. For both Zn(II)- and Zn(II)Co(II)-dihydroorotase, this pH dependence is well described by a single ionization and the pK's for L-dihydroorotate synthesis and hydrolysis are different. Substitution with Co(II) increases the pK for both reaction directions to different extents. These results strongly support a role for the tightly bound metals in the catalytic mechanism. In addition, diethylpyrocarbonate rapidly inactivates the enzyme. The inactivation is prevented by L-dihydroorotate. This result is consistent with a role for at least one histidine in catalysis. The possibility that C. oroticum dihydroorotase may be useful model for the more complex mammalian enzyme is considered.

Amidohydrolases↗