PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K K Chohan

Publications and source records attributed to K K Chohan.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Protein dynamics enhance electronic coupling in electron transfer complexes.

Electron-transferring flavoproteins (ETFs) from human and Paracoccus denitrificans have been analyzed by small angle x-ray scattering, showing that neither molecule exists in a rigid conformation in solution. Both ETFs sample a range of conformations corresponding to a large rotation of domain II with respect to domains I and III. A model of the human ETF.medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase complex, consistent with x-ray scattering data, indicates that optimal electron transfer requires domain II of ETF to rotate by approximately 30 to 50 degrees toward domain I relative to its position in the x-ray structure. Domain motion establishes a new "robust engineering principle" for electron transfer complexes, tolerating multiple configurations of the complex while retaining efficient electron transfer.

Electron Transport↗
PubMed2000

Differential coupling through Val-344 and Tyr-442 of trimethylamine dehydrogenase in electron transfer reactions with ferricenium ions and electron transferring flavoprotein.

Modeling studies of the trimethylamine dehydrogenase-electron transferring flavoprotein (TMADH-ETF) electron transfer complex have suggested potential roles for Val-344 and Tyr-442, found on the surface of TMADH, in electronic coupling between the 4Fe-4S center of TMADH and the FAD of ETF. The importance of these residues in electron transfer, both to ETF and to the artificial electron acceptor, ferricenium (Fc(+)), has been studied by site-directed mutagenesis and stopped-flow spectroscopy. Reduction of the 6-(S)-cysteinyl FMN in TMADH is not affected by mutation of either Tyr-442 or Val-344 to a variety of alternate side chains, although there are modest changes in the rate of internal electron transfer from the 6-(S)-cysteinyl FMN to the 4Fe-4S center. The kinetics of electron transfer from the 4Fe-4S center to Fc(+) are sensitive to mutations at position 344. The introduction of smaller side chains (Ala-344, Cys-344, and Gly-344) leads to enhanced rates of electron transfer, and likely reflects shortened electron transfer "pathways" from the 4Fe-4S center to Fc(+). The introduction of larger side chains (Ile-344 and Tyr-344) reduces substantially the rate of electron transfer to Fc(+). Electron transfer to ETF is not affected, to any large extent, by mutation of Val-344. In contrast, mutation of Tyr-442 to Phe, Leu, Cys, and Gly leads to major reductions in the rate of electron transfer to ETF, but not to Fc(+). The data indicate that electron transfer to Fc(+) is via the shortest pathway from the 4Fe-4S center of TMADH to the surface of the enzyme. Val-344 is located at the end of this pathway at the bottom of a small groove on the surface of TMADH, and Fc(+) can penetrate this groove to facilitate good electronic coupling with the 4Fe-4S center. With ETF as an electron acceptor, the observed rate of electron transfer is substantially reduced on mutation of Tyr-442, but not Val-344. We conclude that the flavin of ETF does not penetrate fully the groove on the surface of TMADH, and that electron transfer from the 4Fe-4S center to ETF may involve a longer pathway involving Tyr-442. Mutation of Tyr-442 likely disrupts electron transfer by perturbing the interaction geometry of TMADH and ETF in the productive electron transfer complex, leading to less efficient coupling between the redox centers.

Cations, Divalent↗
PubMed2000

Structure of the complex of Cdc42Hs with a peptide derived from P-21 activated kinase.

Cdc42Hs is a member of the Ras superfamily of GTPases and initiates a cascade that begins with the activation of several kinases, including p21-activated kinase (PAK). We have previously used a 46 amino acid fragment of PAK (PBD46) to define the binding surface on Cdc42Hs [Guo et al. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 14030-14037]. Here we describe the three-dimensional solution structure of the Cdc42Hs. GMPPCP-PBD46 complex. Heteronuclear NMR methods were used to assign resonances in the complex, and approximately 2400 distance and dihedral restraints were used to calculate a set of 20 structures using a combination of distance geometry, simulated annealing, and chemical shift and Ramachandran refinement. The overall structure of Cdc42Hs in the complex differs from the uncomplexed structure in two major aspects: (1) the first alpha helix is reoriented to accommodate the binding of the peptide and (2) the regions corresponding to switch I and switch II are less disordered. As suggested by our previous work (Guo et al., 1998) and similar to the complex between Cdc42Hs and fACK [Mott et al. (1999) Nature 399, 384-388], PBD46 forms an intermolecular beta-sheet with beta2 of Cdc42Hs and contacts both switch I and switch II. The extensive binding surface between PBD46 and Cdc42Hs can account for both the high affinity of the complex and the inhibition by PBD46 of GTP hydrolysis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Cysteine mutagenesis and homology modeling of the ligand-binding site of a kainate-binding protein.

Glutamate receptors comprise the most abundant group of neurotransmitter receptors in the vertebrate central nervous system. Cysteine mutagenesis in combination with homology modeling has been used to study the determinants of kainate binding in a glutamate receptor subtype, a low molecular weight goldfish kainate-binding protein, GFKARbeta. A construct of GFKARbeta with no cysteines in the extracellular domain was produced, and single cysteine residues were introduced at selected positions. N-Ethylmaleimide or derivatized methanethiosulfonate reagents (neutral or charged) were used to modify the introduced cysteines covalently, and the effect on [(3)H]kainate binding was determined. In addition, cysteine mutants of GFKARbeta transiently expressed in HEK293 cells were labeled with a membrane-impermeable biotinylating reagent followed by precipitation with streptavidin beads and specific detection of GFKARbeta by Western blot analysis. The results are consistent with the proposal that the energy driving kainate binding is contributed both from residues within the binding site and from interactions between two regions (i.e. two lobes) of the protein that are brought into contact upon ligand binding in a manner analogous to that seen in bacterial amino acid-binding proteins.

Binding Sites↗