Biomedical subjects

L Aravind

Publications and source records attributed to L Aravind.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

HutC/FarR-like bacterial transcription factors of the GntR family contain a small molecule-binding domain of the chorismate lyase fold.

Numerous bacterial transcription factors contain a DNA-binding helix-turn-helix domain and a signaling domain, linked together in a single polypeptide. Typically, this signaling domain is a small-molecule-binding domain that undergoes a conformational change upon recognizing a specific ligand. The HutC/FarR-like transcription factors of the GntR family are one of the largest groups of transcription factors in the proteomes of most free-living bacteria. Using sensitive sequence profile analysis we show that the HutC/FarR-like transcription factors contain a conserved ligand-binding domain, which possesses the same fold as chorismate lyase (Escherichia coli UbiC gene product). This relationship suggests that the C-terminal domain of the HutC/FarR-like transcription factors binds small molecules in a cleft similar to the substrate-binding site of the chorismate lyases. The sequence diversity within the predicted binding cleft of the HutC/FarR ligand-binding domains is consistent with the ability of these transcription factors to respond to diverse small molecules, such as histidine (HutC), fatty acids (FarR), sugars (TreR) and alkylphosphonate (PhnF). UbiC-like chorismate lyases function in the ubiquinone biosynthesis pathway, and have characteristic charged, catalytic residues. Genome comparisons reveal that chorismate lyase orthologs are found in several bacteria, chloroplasts of eukaryotic algae and euryarchaea. In contrast, the GntR transcription regulators lack the conserved catalytic residues of the chorismate lyases, and have so far been detected only in bacteria. An ancestral, generic small-molecule-binding domain appears to have given rise to the enzymatic and non-catalytic ligand-binding versions of the same fold under the influence of different selective pressures.

Archaea↗

PubMed2003

Diversification and spectral tuning in marine proteorhodopsins.

Proteorhodopsins, ubiquitous retinylidene photoactive proton pumps, were recently discovered in the cosmopolitan uncultured SAR86 bacterial group in oceanic surface waters. Two related proteorhodopsin families were found that absorb light with different absorption maxima, 525 nm (green) and 490 nm (blue), and their distribution was shown to be stratified with depth. Using structural modeling comparisons and mutagenesis, we report here on a single amino acid residue at position 105 that functions as a spectral tuning switch and accounts for most of the spectral difference between the two pigment families. Furthermore, looking at natural environments, we found novel proteorhodopsin gene clusters spanning the range of 540-505 nm and containing changes in the same identified key switch residue leading to changes in their absorption maxima. The results suggest a simultaneous diversification of green proteorhodopsin and the new key switch variant pigments. Our observations demonstrate that this single-residue switch mechanism is the major determinant of proteorhodopsin wavelength regulation in natural marine environments.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

Differential action of natural selection on the N and C-terminal domains of 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetases and the potential nuclease function of the C-terminal domain.

2'-5' Oligoadenylate synthetases (OAS) are a family of enzymes, which are best known for their important role in interferon-dependent antiviral mechanisms, but are also involved in the regulation of apoptosis, cell growth and differentiation in vertebrates. These enzymes bind double-stranded RNA and catalyze the synthesis of 2'-5' oligoadenylates from ATP. Several 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase-like proteins, which lack the ability to synthesize 2'-5' A, have been recently identified in humans and mice; the functions of these inactivated OAS derivatives remain unknown. Examination of phylogenetic trees shows that OAS inactivation in mammals occurred on several independent occasions. Comparative sequence analysis of OAS, poly(A)-polymerases, TRF4/sigma-family polymerases, archaeal CCA-adding enzymes and uridilyltransferases from trypanosomes resulted in the identification of a C-terminal domain, which is conserved in all these enzymes and is distinct from the nucleotidyltransferase domain. Secondary structure prediction shows that this domain has a four-helix core, which is most closely related to the ATP-cone domain, a regulatory nucleotide-binding domain present in ribonucleotide reductases and several other enzymes and transcription regulators. These observations, taken together with the experimental evidence of nuclease activity in the TRF4/sigma-family of polymerases, suggest that the C-terminal domain of OAS and their homologs might have nuclease activity. The putative nuclease domain is preferentially conserved in OAS derivatives that lack an active nucleotidyltransferase domain and, as indicated by the analysis of the ratio of synonymous to non-synonymous substitutions, appears to be subject to purifying selection in these proteins. In contrast, phylogenetic analysis provided evidence of episodic positive selection in the mouse OAS-like proteins with inactivated nucleotidyltransferase domains, which suggests that some of these proteins might have distinct antiviral functions.

2',5'-Oligoadenylate Synthetase↗

PubMed2003

Ancient conserved domains shared by animal soluble guanylyl cyclases and bacterial signaling proteins.

BACKGROUND: Soluble guanylyl cyclases (SGCs) are dimeric enzymes that transduce signals downstream of nitric oxide (NO) in animals. They sense NO by means of a heme moiety that is bound to their N-terminal extensions. RESULTS: Using sequence profile searches we show that the N-terminal extensions of the SGCs contain two globular domains. The first of these, the HNOB (Heme NO Binding) domain, is a predominantly alpha-helical domain and binds heme via a covalent linkage to histidine. Versions lacking this conserved histidine and are likely to interact with heme non-covalently. We detected HNOB domains in several bacterial lineages, where they occur fused to methyl accepting domains of chemotaxis receptors or as standalone proteins. The standalone forms are encoded by predicted operons that also contain genes for two component signaling systems and GGDEF-type nucleotide cyclases. The second domain, the HNOB associated (HNOBA) domain occurs between the HNOB and the cyclase domains in the animal SGCs. The HNOBA domain is also detected in bacteria and is always encoded by a gene, which occurs in the neighborhood of a gene for a HNOB domain. CONCLUSION: The HNOB domain is predicted to function as a heme-dependent sensor for gaseous ligands, and transduce diverse downstream signals, in both bacteria and animals. The HNOBA domain functionally interacts with the HNOB domain, and possibly binds a ligand, either in cooperation, or independently of the latter domain. Phyletic profiles and phylogenetic analysis suggest that the HNOB and HNOBA domains were acquired by the animal lineage via lateral transfer from a bacterial source.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Evolutionary history, structural features and biochemical diversity of the NlpC/P60 superfamily of enzymes.

BACKGROUND: Peptidoglycan is hydrolyzed by a diverse set of enzymes during bacterial growth, development and cell division. The N1pC/P60 proteins define a family of cell-wall peptidases that are widely represented in various bacterial lineages. Currently characterized members are known to hydrolyze D-gamma-glutamyl-meso-diaminopimelate or N-acetylmuramate-L-alanine linkages. RESULTS: Detailed analysis of the N1pC/P60 peptidases showed that these proteins define a large superfamily encompassing several diverse groups of proteins. In addition to the well characterized P60-like proteins, this superfamily includes the AcmB/LytN and YaeF/YiiX families of bacterial proteins, the amidase domain of bacterial and kinetoplastid glutathionylspermidine synthases (GSPSs), and several proteins from eukaryotes, phages, poxviruses, positive-strand RNA viruses, and certain archaea. The eukaryotic members include lecithin retinol acyltransferase (LRAT), nematode developmental regulator Egl-26, and candidate tumor suppressor H-rev107. These eukaryotic proteins, along with the bacterial YaeF/poxviral G6R family, show a circular permutation of the catalytic domain. We identified three conserved residues, namely a cysteine, a histidine and a polar residue, that are involved in the catalytic activities of this superfamily. Evolutionary analysis of this superfamily shows that it comprises four major families, with diverse domain architectures in each of them. CONCLUSIONS: Several related, but distinct, catalytic activities, such as murein degradation, acyl transfer and amide hydrolysis, have emerged in the N1pC/P60 superfamily. The three conserved catalytic residues of this superfamily are shown to be equivalent to the catalytic triad of the papain-like thiol peptidases. The predicted structural features indicate that the N1pC/P60 enzymes contain a fold similar to the papain-like peptidases, transglutaminases and arylamine acetyltransferases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

Evolutionary connection between the catalytic subunits of DNA-dependent RNA polymerases and eukaryotic RNA-dependent RNA polymerases and the origin of RNA polymerases.

BACKGROUND: The eukaryotic RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RDRP) is involved in the amplification of regulatory microRNAs during post-transcriptional gene silencing. This enzyme is highly conserved in most eukaryotes but is missing in archaea and bacteria. No evolutionary relationship between RDRP and other polymerases has been reported so far, hence the origin of this eukaryote-specific polymerase remains a mystery. RESULTS: Using extensive sequence profile searches, we identified bacteriophage homologs of the eukaryotic RDRP. The comparison of the eukaryotic RDRP and their homologs from bacteriophages led to the delineation of the conserved portion of these enzymes, which is predicted to harbor the catalytic site. Further, detailed sequence comparison, aided by examination of the crystal structure of the DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (DDRP), showed that the RDRP and the beta' subunit of DDRP (and its orthologs in archaea and eukaryotes) contain a conserved double-psi beta-barrel (DPBB) domain. This DPBB domain contains the signature motif DbDGD (b is a bulky residue), which is conserved in all RDRPs and DDRPs and contributes to catalysis via a coordinated divalent cation. Apart from the DPBB domain, no similarity was detected between RDRP and DDRP, which leaves open two scenarios for the origin of RDRP: i) RDRP evolved at the onset of the evolution of eukaryotes via a duplication of the DDRP beta' subunit followed by dramatic divergence that obliterated the sequence similarity outside the core catalytic domain and ii) the primordial RDRP, which consisted primarily of the DPBB domain, evolved from a common ancestor with the DDRP at a very early stage of evolution, during the RNA world era. The latter hypothesis implies that RDRP had been subsequently eliminated from cellular life forms and might have been reintroduced into the eukaryotic genomes through a bacteriophage. Sequence and structure analysis of the DDRP led to further insights into the evolution of RNA polymerases. In addition to the beta' subunit, beta subunit of DDRP also contains a DPBB domain, which is, however, distorted by large inserts and does not harbor a counterpart of the DbDGD motif. The DPBB domains of the two DDRP subunits together form the catalytic cleft, with the domain from the beta' subunit supplying the metal-coordinating DbDGD motif and the one from the beta subunit providing two lysine residues involved in catalysis. Given that the two DPBB domains of DDRP contribute completely different sets of active residues to the catalytic center, it is hypothesized that the ultimate ancestor of RNA polymerases functioned as a homodimer of a generic, RNA-binding DPBB domain. This ancestral protein probably did not have catalytic activity and served as a cofactor for a ribozyme RNA polymerase. Subsequent evolution of DDRP and RDRP involved accretion of distinct sets of additional domains. In the DDRPs, these included a RNA-binding Zn-ribbon, an AT-hook-like module and a sandwich-barrel hybrid motif (SBHM) domain. Further, lineage-specific accretion of SBHM domains and other, DDRP-specific domains is observed in bacterial DDRPs. In contrast, the orthologs of the beta' subunit in archaea and eukaryotes contains a four-stranded alpha + beta domain that is shared with the alpha-subunit of bacterial DDRP, eukaryotic DDRP subunit RBP11, translation factor eIF1 and type II topoisomerases. The additional domains of the RDRPs remain to be characterized. CONCLUSIONS: Eukaryotic RNA-dependent RNA polymerases share the catalytic double-psi beta-barrel domain, containing a signature metal-coordinating motif, with the universally conserved beta' subunit of DNA-dependent RNA polymerases. Beyond this core catalytic domain, the two classes of RNA polymerases do not have common domains, suggesting early divergence from a common ancestor, with subsequent independent domain accretion. The beta-subunit of DDRP contains another, highly diverged DPBB domain. The presence of two distinct DPBB domains in two subunits of DDRP is compatible with the hypothesis that the ith the hypothesis that the ultimate ancestor of RNA polymerases was a RNA-binding DPBB domain that had no catalytic activity but rather functioned as a homodimeric cofactor for a ribozyme polymerase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

Emergence of diverse biochemical activities in evolutionarily conserved structural scaffolds of proteins.

Comparative analysis of numerous protein structures that have become available in the past few years, combined with genome comparison, has yielded new insights into the evolution of enzymes and their functions. In addition to the well-known diversification of substrate specificities, enzymes with several widespread catalytic folds, particularly the TIM barrel, the RRM-like domain and the double-stranded beta-helix (cupin) domain, have been extensively explored in 'reaction space', resulting in the evolution of numerous, diverse catalytic activities supported by the same structural scaffold. Common protein folds differ widely in the diversity of catalyzed reactions. The biochemical plasticity of a fold seems to hinge on the presence of a generic, symmetrical substrate-binding pocket as opposed to highly specialized binding sites.

Catalysis↗

PubMed2003

Gene duplication with displacement and rearrangement: origin of the bacterial replication protein PriB from the single-stranded DNA-binding protein Ssb.

PriB is a proteobacterial protein that is involved in the pre-primosomal step of DNA replication and, unexpectedly, is encoded with a ribosomal protein operon. Detailed sequence comparisons and analysis of operon organization show that PriB evolved from the single-stranded DNA-binding (Ssb) via gene duplication with subsequent rapid sequence diversification. Duplication of the SSB gene was accompanied by a genome rearrangement which resulted in one of the paralogs retaining the original position, whereas the other was relocated. The functional specialization of the resulting paralogs apparently proceeded in an unexpected fashion: the original Ssb function remained with the relocated paralog, whereas the one within the ribosomal protein operon acquired a new, specialized function in replication.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Detection of novel members, structure-function analysis and evolutionary classification of the 2H phosphoesterase superfamily.

2',3' Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases are enzymes that catalyze at least two distinct steps in the splicing of tRNA introns in eukaryotes. Recently, the biochemistry and structure of these enzymes, from yeast and the plant Arabidopsis thaliana, have been extensively studied. They were found to share a common active site, characterized by two conserved histidines, with the bacterial tRNA-ligating enzyme LigT and the vertebrate myelin-associated 2',3' phosphodiesterases. Using sensitive sequence profile analysis methods, we show that these enzymes define a large superfamily of predicted phosphoesterases with two conserved histidines (hence 2H phosphoesterase superfamily). We identify several new families of 2H phosphoesterases and present a complete evolutionary classification of this superfamily. We also carry out a structure- function analysis of these proteins and present evidence for diverse interactions for different families, within this superfamily, with RNA substrates and protein partners. In particular, we show that eukaryotes contain two ancient families of these proteins that might be involved in RNA processing, transcriptional co-activation and post-transcriptional gene silencing. Another eukaryotic family restricted to vertebrates and insects is combined with UBA and SH3 domains suggesting a role in signal transduction. We detect these phosphoesterase modules in polyproteins of certain retroviruses, rotaviruses and coronaviruses, where they could function in capping and processing of viral RNAs. Furthermore, we present evidence for multiple families of 2H phosphoesterases in bacteria, which might be involved in the processing of small molecules with the 2',3' cyclic phosphoester linkages. The evolutionary analysis suggests that the 2H domain emerged through a duplication of a simple structural unit containing a single catalytic histidine prior to the last common ancestor of all life forms. Initially, this domain appears to have been involved in RNA processing and it appears to have been recruited to perform various other functions in later stages of evolution.

2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases↗

PubMed2002

The catalytic domains of thiamine triphosphatase and CyaB-like adenylyl cyclase define a novel superfamily of domains that bind organic phosphates.

BACKGROUND: The CyaB protein from Aeromonas hydrophila has been shown to possess adenylyl cyclase activity. While orthologs of this enzyme have been found in some bacteria and archaea, it shows no detectable relationship to the classical nucleotide cyclases. Furthermore, the actual biological functions of these proteins are not clearly understood because they are also present in organisms in which there is no evidence for cyclic nucleotide signaling. RESULTS: We show that the CyaB like adenylyl cyclase and the mammalian thiamine triphosphatases define a novel superfamily of catalytic domains called the CYTH domain that is present in all three superkingdoms of life. Using multiple alignments and secondary structure predictions, we define the catalytic core of these enzymes to contain a novel alpha+beta scaffold with 6 conserved acidic residues and 4 basic residues. Using contextual information obtained from the analysis of gene neighborhoods and domain fusions, we predict that members of this superfamily may play a central role in the interface between nucleotide and polyphosphate metabolism. Additionally, based on contextual information, we identify a novel domain (called CHAD) that is predicted to functionally interact with the CYTH domain-containing enzymes in bacteria and archaea. The CHAD is predicted to be an alpha helical domain, and contains conserved histidines that may be critical for its function. CONCLUSIONS: The phyletic distribution of the CYTH domain suggests that it is an ancient enzymatic domain that was present in the Last Universal Common Ancestor and was involved in nucleotide or organic phosphate metabolism. Based on the conservation of catalytic residues, we predict that CYTH domains are likely to chelate two divalent cations, and exhibit a reaction mechanism that is dependent on two metal ions, analogous to nucleotide cyclases, polymerases and certain phosphoesterases. Our analysis also suggests that the experimentally characterized members of this superfamily, namely adenylyl cyclase and thiamine triphosphatase, are secondary derivatives of proteins that performed an ancient role in polyphosphate and nucleotide metabolism.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

The PRC-barrel: a widespread, conserved domain shared by photosynthetic reaction center subunits and proteins of RNA metabolism.

BACKGROUND: The H subunit of the purple bacterial photosynthetic reaction center (PRC-H) is important for the assembly of the photosynthetic reaction center and appears to regulate electron transfer during the reduction of the secondary quinone. It contains a distinct cytoplasmic beta-barrel domain whose fold has no close structural relationship to any other well known beta-barrel domain. RESULTS: We show that the PRC-H beta-barrel domain is the prototype of a novel superfamily of protein domains, the PRC-barrels, approximately 80 residues long, which is widely represented in bacteria, archaea and plants. This domain is also present at the carboxyl terminus of the pan-bacterial protein RimM, which is involved in ribosomal maturation and processing of 16S rRNA. A family of small proteins conserved in all known euryarchaea are composed entirely of a single stand-alone copy of the domain. Versions of this domain from photosynthetic proteobacteria contain a conserved acidic residue that is thought to regulate the reduction of quinones in the light-induced electron-transfer reaction. Closely related forms containing this acidic residue are also found in several non-photosynthetic bacteria, as well as in cyanobacteria, which have reaction centers with a different organization. We also show that the domain contains several determinants that could mediate specific protein-protein interactions. CONCLUSIONS: The PRC-barrel is a widespread, ancient domain that appears to have been recruited to a variety of biological systems, ranging from RNA processing to photosynthesis. Identification of this versatile domain in numerous proteins could aid investigation of unexplored aspects of their biology.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

YjeQ, an essential, conserved, uncharacterized protein from Escherichia coli, is an unusual GTPase with circularly permuted G-motifs and marked burst kinetics.

The Escherichia coli protein YjeQ represents a protein family whose members are broadly conserved in bacteria and have been shown to be indispensable to the growth of E. coli and Bacillus subtilis [Arigoni, F., et al. (1998) Nat. Biotechnol. 16, 851]. Proteins of the YjeQ family contain all sequence motifs typical of the vast class of P-loop-containing GTPases, but show a circular permutation, with a G4-G1-G3 pattern of motifs as opposed to the regular G1-G3-G4 pattern seen in most GTPases. All YjeQ family proteins display a unique domain architecture, which includes a predicted N-terminal OB-fold RNA-binding domain, the central permuted GTPase module, and a zinc knuckle-like C-terminal cysteine cluster. This domain architecture suggests a possible role for YjeQ as a regulator of translation. YjeQ was overexpressed, purified to homogeneity, and shown to contain 0.6 equiv of GDP. Steady state kinetic analyses indicated slow GTP hydrolysis, with a k(cat) of 9.4 h(-)(1) and a K(m) for GTP of 120 microM (k(cat)/K(m) = 21.7 M(-)(1) s(-)(1)). YjeQ also hydrolyzed other nucleoside triphosphates and deoxynucleotide triphosphates such as ATP, ITP, and CTP with specificity constants (k(cat)/K(m)) ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 M(-)(1) s(-)(1). Pre-steady state kinetic analysis of YjeQ revealed a burst of nucleotide hydrolysis for GTP described by a first-order rate constant of 100 s(-)(1) as compared to a burst rate of 0.2 s(-)(1) for ATP. In addition, a variant in the G1 motif of YjeQ (S221A) was substantially impaired for GTP hydrolysis (0.3 s(-)(1)) with a less significant impact on the steady state rate (1.8 h(-)(1)). In summary, E. coli YjeQ is an unusual, circularly permuted P-loop-containing GTPase, which catalyzes GTP hydrolysis at a rate 45 000 times greater than that of turnover.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

PubMed2002

Role of Rpn11 metalloprotease in deubiquitination and degradation by the 26S proteasome.

The 26S proteasome mediates degradation of ubiquitin-conjugated proteins. Although ubiquitin is recycled from proteasome substrates, the molecular basis of deubiquitination at the proteasome and its relation to substrate degradation remain unknown. The Rpn11 subunit of the proteasome lid subcomplex contains a highly conserved Jab1/MPN domain-associated metalloisopeptidase (JAMM) motif-EX(n)HXHX(10)D. Mutation of the predicted active-site histidines to alanine (rpn11AXA) was lethal and stabilized ubiquitin pathway substrates in yeast. Rpn11(AXA) mutant proteasomes assembled normally but failed to either deubiquitinate or degrade ubiquitinated Sic1 in vitro. Our findings reveal an unexpected coupling between substrate deubiquitination and degradation and suggest a unifying rationale for the presence of the lid in eukaryotic proteasomes.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2002

Role of predicted metalloprotease motif of Jab1/Csn5 in cleavage of Nedd8 from Cul1.

COP9 signalosome (CSN) cleaves the ubiquitin-like protein Nedd8 from the Cul1 subunit of SCF ubiquitin ligases. The Jab1/MPN domain metalloenzyme (JAMM) motif in the Jab1/Csn5 subunit was found to underlie CSN's Nedd8 isopeptidase activity. JAMM is found in proteins from archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes, including the Rpn11 subunit of the 26S proteasome. Metal chelators and point mutations within JAMM abolished CSN-dependent cleavage of Nedd8 from Cul1, yet had little effect on CSN complex assembly. Optimal SCF activity in yeast and both viability and proper photoreceptor cell (R cell) development in Drosophila melanogaster required an intact Csn5 JAMM domain. We propose that JAMM isopeptidases play important roles in a variety of physiological pathways.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

PubMed2002

The SWIRM domain: a conserved module found in chromosomal proteins points to novel chromatin-modifying activities.

BACKGROUND: Eukaryotic chromosomal components, especially histones, are subject to a wide array of covalent modifications and catalytic reorganization. These modifications have an important role in the regulation of chromatin structure and are mediated by large multisubunit complexes that contain modular proteins with several conserved catalytic and noncatalytic adaptor domains. RESULTS: Using computational sequence-profile analysis methods, we identified a previously uncharacterized, predicted alpha-helical domain of about 85 residues in chromosomal proteins such as Swi3p, Rsc8p, Moira and several other uncharacterized proteins. This module, termed the SWIRM domain, is predicted to mediate specific protein-protein interactions in the assembly of chromatin-protein complexes. In one group of proteins, which are highly conserved throughout the crown-group eukaryotes, the SWIRM domain is linked to a catalytic domain related to the monoamine and polyamine oxidases. Another human protein has the SWIRM domain linked to a JAB domain that is involved in protein degradation through the ubiquitin pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of the SWIRM domain could help in directed experimental analysis of specific interactions in chromosomal proteins. We predict that the proteins in which it is combined with an amino-oxidase domain define a novel class of chromatin-modifying enzymes, which are likely to oxidize either the amino group of basic residues in histones and other chromosomal proteins or the polyamines in chromatin, and thereby alter the charge distribution. Other forms, such as KIAA1915, may link chromatin modification to ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

PubMed2002

Monophyly of class I aminoacyl tRNA synthetase, USPA, ETFP, photolyase, and PP-ATPase nucleotide-binding domains: implications for protein evolution in the RNA.

Protein sequence and structure comparisons show that the catalytic domains of Class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, a related family of nucleotidyltransferases involved primarily in coenzyme biosynthesis, nucleotide-binding domains related to the UspA protein (USPA domains), photolyases, electron transport flavoproteins, and PP-loop-containing ATPases together comprise a distinct class of alpha/beta domains designated the HUP domain after HIGH-signature proteins, UspA, and PP-ATPase. Several lines of evidence are presented to support the monophyly of the HUP domains, to the exclusion of other three-layered alpha/beta folds with the generic "Rossmann-like" topology. Cladistic analysis, with patterns of structural and sequence similarity used as discrete characters, identified three major evolutionary lineages within the HUP domain class: the PP-ATPases; the HIGH superfamily, which includes class I aaRS and related nucleotidyltransferases containing the HIGH signature in their nucleotide-binding loop; and a previously unrecognized USPA-like group, which includes USPA domains, electron transport flavoproteins, and photolyases. Examination of the patterns of phyletic distribution of distinct families within these three major lineages suggests that the Last Universal Common Ancestor of all modern life forms encoded 15-18 distinct alpha/beta ATPases and nucleotide-binding proteins of the HUP class. This points to an extensive radiation of HUP domains before the last universal common ancestor (LUCA), during which the multiple class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases emerged only at a late stage. Thus, substantial evolutionary diversification of protein domains occurred well before the modern version of the protein-dependent translation machinery was established, i.e., still in the RNA world.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

PubMed2002

The GOLD domain, a novel protein module involved in Golgi function and secretion.

BACKGROUND: Members of the p24 (p24/gp25L/emp24/Erp) family of proteins have been shown to be critical components of the coated vesicles that are involved in the transportation of cargo molecules from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi complex. The p24 proteins form hetero-oligomeric complexes and are believed to function as receptors for specific secretory cargo. RESULTS: Using sensitive sequence-profile analysis methods, we identified a novel beta-strand-rich domain, the GOLD (Golgi dynamics) domain, in the p24 proteins and several other proteins with roles in Golgi dynamics and secretion. This domain is predicted to mediate diverse protein-protein interactions. Other than in the p24 proteins, the GOLD domain is always found combined with lipid- or membrane-association domains such as the pleckstrin homology (PH), Sec14p and FYVE domains. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of the GOLD domain could aid in directed investigation of the role of the p24 proteins in the secretion process. The newly detected group of GOLD-domain proteins, which might simultaneously bind membranes and other proteins, point to the existence of a novel class of adaptors that could have a role in the assembly of membrane-associated complexes or in regulating assembly of cargo into membranous vesicles.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

The complete genome of hyperthermophile Methanopyrus kandleri AV19 and monophyly of archaeal methanogens.

We have determined the complete 1,694,969-nt sequence of the GC-rich genome of Methanopyrus kandleri by using a whole direct genome sequencing approach. This approach is based on unlinking of genomic DNA with the ThermoFidelase version of M. kandleri topoisomerase V and cycle sequencing directed by 2'-modified oligonucleotides (Fimers). Sequencing redundancy (3.3x) was sufficient to assemble the genome with less than one error per 40 kb. Using a combination of sequence database searches and coding potential prediction, 1,692 protein-coding genes and 39 genes for structural RNAs were identified. M. kandleri proteins show an unusually high content of negatively charged amino acids, which might be an adaptation to the high intracellular salinity. Previous phylogenetic analysis of 16S RNA suggested that M. kandleri belonged to a very deep branch, close to the root of the archaeal tree. However, genome comparisons indicate that, in both trees constructed using concatenated alignments of ribosomal proteins and trees based on gene content, M. kandleri consistently groups with other archaeal methanogens. M. kandleri shares the set of genes implicated in methanogenesis and, in part, its operon organization with Methanococcus jannaschii and Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicum. These findings indicate that archaeal methanogens are monophyletic. A distinctive feature of M. kandleri is the paucity of proteins involved in signaling and regulation of gene expression. Also, M. kandleri appears to have fewer genes acquired via lateral transfer than other archaea. These features might reflect the extreme habitat of this organism.

Base Sequence↗