Biomedical subjects

K Suguna

Publications and source records attributed to K Suguna.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of winged bean acidic lectin.

The acidic lectin (WBAII) from the winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) binds to the H-antigenic determinant on human erythrocytes and to the T-antigenic disaccharide Gal-beta1,3-GalNAc. Two crystal forms of WBAII were obtained in the presence of methyl-alpha-D-galactose. Form I belongs to space group R3 with unit-cell dimensions a = b = 182.11, c = 44.99 A and has one dimer in the asymmetric unit. Form II belongs to space group C2 with unit-cell dimensions a = 135.36, b = 127.25, c = 139.98 A, beta = 95. 9 degrees and has four dimers in the asymmetric unit. Intensity data were collected to 3.0 A and to 3.5 A from crystals of form I and II, respectively. The structures were solved by the molecular-replacement method using the coordinates of the basic form of winged bean lectin.

Carbohydrate Metabolism↗

PubMed1999

Structure of basic winged-bean lectin and a comparison with its saccharide-bound form.

The crystal structure of the saccharide-free form of the basic form of winged-bean agglutinin (WBAI) has been solved by the molecular-replacement method and refined at 2.3 A resolution. The final R factor is 19.7% for all data in the resolution range 8.0-2.3 A. The asymmetric unit contains two half-dimers, each located on a crystallographic twofold axis. The structure of the saccharide-free form is compared with that of the complex of WBAI with methyl-alpha-D-galactoside. The complex is composed of two dimers in the asymmetric unit. The intersubunit interactions in the dimer are nearly identical in the two structures. The binding site of the saccharide-free structure contains three ordered water molecules at positions similar to those of the hydroxyl groups of the carbohydrate which are hydrogen bonded to the protein. Superposition of the saccharide-binding sites of the two structures shows that the major changes involve expulsion of these ordered water molecules and a shift of about 0.6 A of the main-chain atoms of the variable loop.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed1999

Structures of the complexes of peanut lectin with methyl-beta-galactose and N-acetyllactosamine and a comparative study of carbohydrate binding in Gal/GalNAc-specific legume lectins.

The crystal structures of complexes of peanut lectin with methyl-beta-galactose and N-acetyllactosamine have been determined at 2.8 and 2.7 A, respectively. These, and the complexes involving lactose and the T-antigenic disaccharide reported previously, permit a detailed characterization of peanut-lectin-carbohydrate association and the role of water molecules therein. The water molecules in the combining site are substantially conserved in the four complexes. The role of interacting sugar hydroxyl groups, when absent, are often mimicked by ordered water molecules not only at the primary combining site, but also at the site of the second sugar ring. The similarity of peanut-lectin-sugar interactions with those in other galactose/N-acetylgalactosamine-specific lectins also extend to a substantial degree to water bridges. The comparative study provides a structural explanation for the exclusive specificity of peanut lectin for galactose at the monosaccharide level, compared with that of the other lectins for galactose as well as N-acetylgalactosamine. The complexes also provide a qualitative structural rationale for differences in the strengths of binding of peanut lectin to different sugars.

Amino Sugars↗

PubMed1998

Carbohydrate specificity and quaternary association in basic winged bean lectin: X-ray analysis of the lectin at 2.5 A resolution.

The structure of basic Winged Bean Agglutinin (WBAI) with two dimeric molecules complexed with methyl-alpha-D-galactopyranoside in the asymmetric unit, has been determined by the molecular replacement method and refined with 2.5 A X-ray intensity data. The polypeptide chain of each monomer has the characteristic legume lectin tertiary fold. The structure clearly defines the lectin-carbohydrate interactions. It reveals how the unusually long variable loop in the binding region endows the lectin with its characteristic sugar specificity. The lectin forms non-canonical dimers of the type found in Erythrina corallodendron lectin (EcorL) even though glycosylation, unlike in EcorL, does not prevent the formation of canonical dimers. The structure thus further demonstrates that the mode of dimerisation of legume lectins is not necessarily determined by the covalently bound carbohydrate but is governed by features intrinsic to the protein. The present analysis and our earlier work on peanut lectin (PNA), show that legume lectins are a family of proteins in which small alterations in essentially the same tertiary structure lead to wide variations in quaternary association. A relationship among the non-canonical modes of dimeric association in legume lectins is presented.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1998

Topological mimicry and epitope duplication in the guanylyl cyclase C receptor.

Guanylyl cyclase C (GCC) is the receptor for the gastrointestinal hormones, guanylin, and uroguanylin, in addition to the bacterial heat-stable enterotoxins, which are one of the major causes of watery diarrhea the world over. GCC is expressed in intestinal cells, colorectal tumor tissue and tumors originating from metastasis of the colorectal carcinoma. We have earlier generated a monoclonal antibody to human GCC, GCC:B10, which was useful for the immunohistochemical localization of the receptor in the rat intestine (Nandi A et al., 1997, J Cell Biochem 66:500-511), and identified its epitope to a 63-amino acid stretch in the intracellular domain of GCC. In view of the potential that this antibody has for the identification of colorectal tumors, we have characterized the epitope for GCC:B10 in this study. Overlapping peptide synthesis indicated that the epitope was contained in the sequence HIPPENIFPLE. This sequence was unique to GCC, and despite a short stretch of homology with serum amyloid protein and pertussis toxin, no cross reactivity was detected. The core epitope was delineated using a random hexameric phage display library, and two categories of sequences were identified, containing either a single, or two adjacent proline residues. No sequence identified by phage display was identical to the epitope present in GCC, indicating that phage sequences represented mimotopes of the native epitope. Alignment of these sequences with HIPPENIFPLE suggested duplication of the recognition motif, which was confirmed by peptide synthesis. These studies allowed us not only to define the requirements of epitope recognition by GCC:B10 monoclonal antibody, but also to describe a novel means of epitope recognition involving topological mimicry and probable duplication of the cognate epitope in the native guanylyl cyclase C receptor sequence.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1996

Conformation, protein-carbohydrate interactions and a novel subunit association in the refined structure of peanut lectin-lactose complex.

The structure of the complex of the tetrameric peanut lectin with lactose has been refined to an R-value of 16.4% using 2.25 angstroms resolution X-ray diffraction data. The subunit conformation in the structure is similar to that in other legume lectins except in the loops. It has been shown that in the tertiary structure of legume lectins, the short five-stranded sheet plays a major role in connecting the larger flat six-stranded and curved seven-stranded sheets. Furthermore, the loops that connect the strands at the two ends of the seven-stranded sheet curve toward and interact with each other to produce a second hydrophobic core in addition to the one between the two large sheets. The protein-lactose interactions involve the invariant features observed in other legume lectins in addition to those characteristic of peanut lectin. The "open" quaternary association in peanut lectin is stabilised by hydrophobic, hydrogen-bonded and water-mediated interactions. Contrary to the earlier belief, the structure of peanut lectin demonstrates that the variability in quaternary association in legume lectins, despite all of them having nearly the same tertiary structure, is not necessarily caused by covalently bound carbohydrate. An attempt has been made to provide a structural rationale for this variability, on the basis of buried surface areas during dimerisation. A total of 45 water molecules remain invariant when the hydration shells of the four subunits are compared. A majority of them appear to be involved in stabilising loops.

Carbohydrate Metabolism↗

PubMed1995

Water-dependent domain motion and flexibility in ribonuclease A and the invariant features in its hydration shell. An X-ray study of two low-humidity crystal forms of the enzyme.

The crystal structures of 88 and 79% relative humidity forms of ribonuclease A, resulting from water-mediated transformations, have been refined employing the restrained least-squares method using X-ray data collected on an area detector to R = 0.173 for 15 326 observed reflections in the 10-1.5 A resolution shell and R = 0.176 for 8534 observed reflections in the 10-1.8 A shell, respectively. The comparison of these structures with those of the native, the phosphate-bound and the sulfate-bound forms demonstrates that the mobility of the ribonuclease A molecule involves hinge-bending movement of the two domains and local flexibility within them, particularly at the termini of regular secondary structures and in loops. The comparison also leads to the identification of 31 invariant water molecules in the hydration shell of the enzyme, many of which are involved in holding different parts of the molecule together and in stabilizing local structure. The conformational changes that accompany the partial removal of the surrounding water, particularly those observed in the 79% form, could be similar to those that occur during enzyme action.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1994

Crystal structure of peanut lectin, a protein with an unusual quaternary structure.

The x-ray crystal structure of the tetrameric T-antigen-binding lectin from peanut, M(r) 110,000, has been determined by using the multiple isomorphous replacement method and refined to an R value of 0.218 for 22,155 reflections within the 10- to 2.95-A resolution range. Each subunit has essentially the same characteristic tertiary fold that is found in other legume lectins. The structure, however, exhibits an unusual quaternary arrangement of subunits. Unlike other well-characterized tetrameric proteins with identical subunits, peanut lectin has neither 222 (D2) nor fourfold (C4) symmetry. A noncrystallographic twofold axis relates two halves of the molecule. The two monomers in each half are related by a local twofold axis. The mutual disposition of the axes is such that they do not lead to a closed point group. Furthermore, the structure of peanut lectin demonstrates that differences in subunit arrangement in legume lectins could be due to factors intrinsic to the protein molecule and, contrary to earlier suggestions, are not necessarily caused by interactions involving covalently linked sugar. The structure provides a useful framework for exploring the structural basis and the functional implications of the variability in the subunit arrangement in legume lectins despite all of them having nearly the same subunit structure, and also for investigating the general problem of "open" quaternary assembly in oligomeric proteins.

Arachis↗

PubMed1992

Structures of complexes of rhizopuspepsin with pepstatin and other statine-containing inhibitors.

The three-dimensional structures of the complexes of the aspartic proteinase from Rhizopus chinensis (Rhizopuspepsin, EC 3.4.23.6) with pepstatin and two pepstatin-like peptide inhibitors of renin have been determined by X-ray diffraction methods and refined by restrained least-squares procedures. The inhibitors adopt an extended conformation and lie in the deep groove located between the two domains of the enzyme. Inhibitor binding is accompanied by a conformational change at the "flap," a beta-hairpin loop region, that projects over the binding cleft and closes down over the inhibitor, excluding water molecules from the vicinity of the scissile bond. The hydroxyl group of the central statyl residue of the inhibitors replaces the water molecule found between the two active aspartates, Asp-35 and Asp-218, in the native structure. The refined structures provide additional data to define the specific subsites of the enzyme and also show a system of hydrogen bonding to the inhibitor backbone similar to that observed for a reduced inhibitor.

Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases↗

PubMed1987

Structure and refinement at 1.8 A resolution of the aspartic proteinase from Rhizopus chinensis.

The structure of rhizopuspepsin (EC 3.4.23.6), the aspartic proteinase from Rhizopus chinensis, has been refined to a crystallographic R-factor of 0.143 at 1.8 A resolution. The positions of 2417 protein atoms have been determined with a root-mean-square (r.m.s.) error of 0.12 A. In the final model, the r.m.s. deviation from ideality for bond distances is 0.010 A, and for angle distances it is 0.034 A. During the course of the refinement, a calcium ion and 373 water molecules, of which 17 are internal, have been located. The active aspartate residues, Asp35 and Asp218, are involved in similar hydrogen-bonding interactions with neighboring residues and with several water molecules. One water molecule is located between the two carboxyl groups of the catalytic aspartate residues in a tightly hydrogen-bonded position. The refinement resulted in an unambiguous interpretation of the highly mobile "flap", a beta-hairpin loop region that projects over the binding pocket. Large solvent channels are formed when the molecules pack in the crystal, exposing the binding pocket and making it easily accessible. Intermolecular contacts involve mainly solvent molecules and a few protein atoms. The three-dimensional structure of rhizopuspepsin closely resembles other aspartic proteinase structures. A detailed comparison with the structure of penicillopepsin showed striking similarities as well as subtle differences in the active site geometry and molecular packing.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1987

Binding of a reduced peptide inhibitor to the aspartic proteinase from Rhizopus chinensis: implications for a mechanism of action.

A peptide inhibitor, having the sequence D-His-Pro-Phe-His-Phe psi [CH2-NH]Phe-Val-Tyr, with a reduced bond between the two adjacent phenylalanines, has been diffused into crystals of the aspartic proteinase from Rhizopus chinensis (rhizopuspepsin, EC 3.4.23.6). X-ray diffraction data to 1.8-A resolution have been collected on the complex, which has been subjected to restrained least-squares refinement to an R-factor (R equals the sum of the absolute value of the difference between the observed and calculated structure factor amplitudes divided by the sum of the observed structure factor amplitudes) of 14.7%. The inhibitor lies within the major groove of the enzyme and is clearly defined with the exception of the amino-terminal D-histidine and the carboxyl-terminal tyrosine. The reduced peptide bond is located in the active site with close contacts to the two catalytic aspartyl groups. The active-site water molecule that is held between the two carboxyl groups is displaced by the inhibitor, as are a number of other water molecules seen in the binding groove of the native enzyme. A mechanism of action for this class of enzymes is proposed from these results.

Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases↗

PubMed1986

The crystal structure of pea lectin at 3.0-A resolution.

The structure of pea lectin has been determined to 3.0-A resolution based on multiple isomorphous replacement phasing to 6.0-A resolution and a combination of single isomorphous replacement, anomalous scattering, and density modification to 3.0-A resolution. The pea lectin model has been optimized by restrained least squares refinement against the data between 7.0- and 3.0-A resolution. The final model at 3.0 A gives an R factor of 0.24 and a root mean square deviation from ideal bond distances of 0.02 A. The two monomers in the asymmetric unit are related by noncrystallographic 2-fold symmetry to form a dimer. Monomers were treated independently in modeling and refinement, but are found to be virtually identical at this resolution. The molecular structure of the pea lectin monomer is very similar to that of concanavalin A, the lectin from the jack bean. Similarities extend from secondary and tertiary structures to the occurrence of a cis-peptide bond and the pattern of coordination of the Ca2+ and Mn2+ ions. Differences between the two lectin structures are confined primarily to the loop regions and to the chain termini, which are different and give rise to the unusual permuted relationship between the pea lectin and concanavalin A protein sequences.

Concanavalin A↗