Biomedical subjects

Ponraj Prabakaran

Publications and source records attributed to Ponraj Prabakaran.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Structure of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus receptor-binding domain complexed with neutralizing antibody.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV, or SCV), which caused a world-wide epidemic in 2002 and 2003, binds to a receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), through the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of its envelope (spike, S) glycoprotein. The RBD is very immunogenic; it is a major SCV neutralization determinant and can elicit potent neutralizing antibodies capable of out-competing ACE2. However, the structural basis of RBD immunogenicity, RBD-mediated neutralization, and the role of RBD in entry steps following its binding to ACE2 have not been elucidated. By mimicking immune responses with the use of RBD as an antigen to screen a large human antibody library derived from healthy volunteers, we identified a novel potent cross-reactive SCV-neutralizing monoclonal antibody, m396, which competes with ACE2 for binding to RBD, and determined the crystal structure of the RBD-antibody complex at 2.3-A resolution. The antibody-bound RBD structure is completely defined, revealing two previously unresolved segments (residues 376-381 and 503-512) and a new disulfide bond (between residues 378 and 511). Interestingly, the overall structure of the m396-bound RBD is not significantly different from that of the ACE2-bound RBD. The antibody epitope is dominated by a 10-residue-long protruding beta6-beta7 loop with two putative ACE2-binding hotspot residues (Ile-489 and Tyr-491). These results provide a structural rationale for the function of a major determinant of SCV immunogenicity and neutralization, the development of SCV therapeutics based on the antibody paratope and epitope, and a retrovaccinology approach for the design of anti-SCV vaccines. The available structural information indicates that the SCV entry may not be mediated by ACE2-induced conformational changes in the RBD but may involve other conformational changes or/and yet to be identified coreceptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2006

Structural mimicry of CD4 by a cross-reactive HIV-1 neutralizing antibody with CDR-H2 and H3 containing unique motifs.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) entry into cells is initiated by the binding of its envelope glycoprotein (Env) gp120 to receptor CD4. Antibodies that bind to epitopes overlapping the CD4-binding site (CD4bs) on gp120 can prevent HIV entry by competing with cell-associated CD4; their ability to outcompete CD4 is a major determinant of their neutralizing potency and is proportional to their avidity. The breadth of neutralization and the likelihood of the emergence of antibody-resistant virus are critically dependent on the structure of their epitopes. Because CD4bs is highly conserved, it is reasonable to hypothesize that antibodies closely mimicking CD4 could exhibit relatively broad cross-reactivity and a high probability of preventing the emergence of resistant viruses. Previously, in a search for antibodies that mimic CD4 or the co-receptor, we identified and characterized a broadly cross-reactive HIV-neutralizing CD4bs human monoclonal antibody (hmAb), m18. Here, we describe the crystal structure of Fab m18 at 2.03 A resolution, which reveals unique conformations of heavy chain complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) 2 and 3 (H2 and H3). H2 is highly bulged and lacks cross-linking interstrand hydrogen bonds observed in all four canonical structures. H3 is 17.5 A long and rigid, forming an extended beta-sheet decorated with an alpha-turn motif bearing a phenylalanine-isoleucine fork at the apex. It shows striking similarity to the Ig CDR2-like C'C'' region of the CD4 first domain D1 that dominates the binding of CD4 to gp120. Docking simulations suggest significant similarity between the m18 epitope and the CD4bs on gp120. Fab m18 does not enhance binding of CD4-induced (CD4i) antibodies, nor does it induce CD4-independent fusion mediated by the HIV Env. Thus, vaccine immunogens based on the m18 epitope structure are unlikely to elicit antibodies that could enhance infection. The structure can also serve as a basis for the design of novel, highly efficient inhibitors of HIV entry.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2006

ProTherm and ProNIT: thermodynamic databases for proteins and protein-nucleic acid interactions.

ProTherm and ProNIT are two thermodynamic databases that contain experimentally determined thermodynamic parameters of protein stability and protein-nucleic acid interactions, respectively. The current versions of both the databases have considerably increased the total number of entries and enhanced search interface with added new fields, improved search, display and sorting options. As on September 2005, ProTherm release 5.0 contains 17,113 entries from 771 proteins, retrieved from 1497 scientific articles (approximately 20% increase in data from the previous version). ProNIT release 2.0 contains 4900 entries from 273 research articles, representing 158 proteins. Both databases can be queried using WWW interfaces. Both quick search and advanced search are provided on this web page to facilitate easy retrieval and display of the data from these databases. ProTherm is freely available online at http://gibk26.bse.kyutech.ac.jp/jouhou/Protherm/protherm.html and ProNIT at http://gibk26.bse.kyutech.ac.jp/jouhou/pronit/pronit.html.

DNA↗

PubMed2006

Classification of protein-DNA complexes based on structural descriptors.

We attempt to classify protein-DNA complexes by using a set of 11 descriptors, mainly characterizing protein-DNA interactions, including the number of atomic contacts at major and minor grooves, conformational deviations from standard B- and A-DNA forms, widths of DNA grooves, GC content, specificity measures of direct and indirect readouts, and buried surface area at the complex interface. The cluster analyses were carried out for a unique set of 62 complexes including a variety of protein motifs, and 7 distinct clusters were revealed from the analyses. We found that some proteins with the same motif are classified into different clusters, whereas different proteins with distinct motifs are classified into the same cluster. These results suggest that the conventional motif-based classification of DNA binding proteins may not necessarily correspond to structural and functional properties of protein-DNA complexes, and that the present classification will help to identify common properties and rules that govern protein-DNA recognition.

Cluster Analysis↗

PubMed2006

Antibody-based inhibitors of HIV infection.

The demand for new treatment options against HIV is becoming increasingly desperate as the side effects and the expansion and spread of drug-resistant virus within the infected population limit the clinical benefits provided by available anti-HIV drugs. Preparations of polyclonal antibodies have a long history of proven clinical utility against some viruses; however, they have enjoyed very limited success against HIV. Recent clinical trials and in vitro experiments suggest that monoclonal antibodies against HIV may have promise clinically. These antibodies and antibody-based reagents target either the viral envelope glycoprotein, the receptor (CD4) or coreceptor (CCR5) molecules, or transition-state structures that appear during viral entry. The challenge is whether an antibody-based therapy can be identified (with or without their small molecule brethren) that presents long-term clinical efficacy, low toxicity and minimal risk of clinical failure from viral resistance.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

The SARS coronavirus S glycoprotein receptor binding domain: fine mapping and functional characterization.

The entry of the SARS coronavirus (SCV) into cells is initiated by binding of its spike envelope glycoprotein (S) to a receptor, ACE2. We and others identified the receptor-binding domain (RBD) by using S fragments of various lengths but all including the amino acid residue 318 and two other potential glycosylation sites. To further characterize the role of glycosylation and identify residues important for its function as an interacting partner of ACE2, we have cloned, expressed and characterized various soluble fragments of S containing RBD, and mutated all potential glycosylation sites and 32 other residues. The shortest of these fragments still able to bind the receptor ACE2 did not include residue 318 (which is a potential glycosylation site), but started at residue 319, and has only two potential glycosylation sites (residues 330 and 357). Mutation of each of these sites to either alanine or glutamine, as well as mutation of residue 318 to alanine in longer fragments resulted in the same decrease of molecular weight (by approximately 3 kDa) suggesting that all glycosylation sites are functional. Simultaneous mutation of all glycosylation sites resulted in lack of expression suggesting that at least one glycosylation site (any of the three) is required for expression. Glycosylation did not affect binding to ACE2. Alanine scanning mutagenesis of the fragment S319-518 resulted in the identification of ten residues (K390, R426, D429, T431, I455, N473, F483, Q492, Y494, R495) that significantly reduced binding to ACE2, and one residue (D393) that appears to increase binding. Mutation of residue T431 reduced binding by about 2-fold, and mutation of the other eight residues--by more than 10-fold. Analysis of these data and the mapping of these mutations on the recently determined crystal structure of a fragment containing the RBD complexed to ACE2 (Li, F, Li, W, Farzan, M, and Harrison, S. C., submitted) suggested the existence of two hot spots on the S RBD surface, R426 and N473, which are likely to contribute significant portion of the binding energy. The finding that most of the mutations (23 out of 34 including glycosylation sites) do not affect the RBD binding function indicates possible mechanisms for evasion of immune responses.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

A model of the ACE2 structure and function as a SARS-CoV receptor.

The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is an important regulator of the renin-angiotensin system and was very recently identified as a functional receptor for the SARS virus. The ACE2 sequence is similar (sequence identities 43% and 35%, and similarities 61% and 55%, respectively) to those of the testis-specific form of ACE (tACE) and the Drosophila homolog of ACE (AnCE). The high level of sequence similarity allowed us to build a robust homology model of the ACE2 structure with a root-mean-square deviation from the aligned crystal structures of tACE and AnCE less than 0.5A. A prominent feature of the model is a deep channel on the top of the molecule that contains the catalytic site. Negatively charged ridges surrounding the channel may provide a possible binding site for the positively charged receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the S-glycoprotein, which we recently identified [Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 312 (2003) 1159]. Several distinct patches of hydrophobic residues at the ACE2 surface were noted at close proximity to the charged ridges that could contribute to binding. These results suggest a possible binding region for the SARS-CoV S-glycoprotein on ACE2 and could help in the design of experiments to further elucidate the structure and function of ACE2.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Improved breadth and potency of an HIV-1-neutralizing human single-chain antibody by random mutagenesis and sequential antigen panning.

Several human monoclonal antibodies can neutralize a range of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) primary isolates but their potency and related ability to suppress generation of HIV-1 escape mutants is significantly lower than the activity of antiretroviral drugs currently in clinical use. Recently, a human Fab, X5, was identified and found to neutralize primary isolates from different clades. Further improvement of the potency and breadth of HIV-1 neutralization by this antibody could be critical for its potential use in the treatment of HIV-1-infected patients. However, increasing potency of an antibody by selection from libraries may lead to a decrease in the breadth of neutralization. In an attempt to solve this problem, we subjected a random mutagenesis library of the scFv X5 to sequential rounds of selection on non-homologous HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins (Envs) dubbed sequential antigen panning (SAP). By using SAP, we identified two scFv antibodies, m6 and m9, that were tested with a panel of 33 diverse primary HIV-1 infectious isolates in an assay based on a reporter cell-line expressing high levels of CD4, CCR5 and CXCR4. The IC(50) was less than 50 microg/ml for 21 (m6) and 19 (m9) out of 29 isolates from group M (subtypes A-C, F, G and CRF-01AE) and one isolate from group N; three isolates from group O were not significantly inhibited at 50 microg/ml. The average IC(50) values for the two antibodies were significantly (p<0.001, n=29) lower compared to scFv X5. Their inhibitory activity does not appear to be related to the HIV-1 subtype, coreceptor usage or the disease stage. m9 inhibited infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells by the primary isolates JRCSF, 89.6 and BR020 with IC(90) of 4, 6 and 25 microg/ml, respectively; for a single-round infection by pseudovirus, the IC(90) for JRSCF, 89.6, YU2 and HXBc2 was 15, 5, 15 and 5 microg/ml, respectively. In these two assays the IC(90) for m9 was, on average, two- to threefold lower than for scFv X5. These results demonstrate that both the potency and the breadth of HIV-1 neutralization of one of the few known potent broadly cross-reactive human monoclonal antibodies, scFv X5, could be improved significantly. However, only experiments in animal models and clinical trials in humans will show whether these new scFvs and the approach for their identification have potential in the development of prophylactics and therapeutics for HIV-1 infections.

Antibody Affinity↗

PubMed2002

A pseudo-quadruple hydrogen-bonding motif consisting of six N-H...O hydrogen bonds in trimethoprim formate.

The title compound, trimethoprim (TMP) formate [systematic name: 2,4-diamino-5-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl)pyrimidin-1-ium formate], C(14)H(19)N(4)O(3)(+).CHO(2)(-), reveals a pseudo-quadruple hydrogen-bonding motif consisting of six N-H.O hydrogen bonds involving two unpaired TMP cations and two formate anions which are symmetrically disposed. The hydrogen-bonding motif is strikingly comparable with that observed in other TMP salts where the aminopyrimidine moieties of the TMP cations are centrosymmetrically paired. These conserved hydrogen-bonding motifs may serve as robust synthons in crystal engineering and design. The characteristic pseudo-quadruple hydrogen-bonding motif and other intermolecular hydrogen bonds operating in the crystal form a two-dimensional supramolecular sheet structure.

Crystallography, X-Ray↗

PubMed2002

Comment on mu(1,3)-azido-diazidotetrakis(1,10-phenanthroline)dicopper(II) azide tetrahydrate.

The supramolecular structure of the title dimeric azido complex of copper(II), [Cu(2)(mu(1,3)-N(3))(N(3))(2)(phen)(4)](N(3)) x 4H(2)O (phen is 1,10-phenanthroline, C(12)H(8)N(2)) [Cheng, Hu, Wang & Ye (2002). Acta Cryst. C58, m12-m13], which was originally described in terms of hydrogen-bonded chains, has been re-interpreted as two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded sheets built from R(6)4(12) and R(10)10(28) rings, taking into account the complete hydogen-bonding pattern.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

ProTherm, Thermodynamic Database for Proteins and Mutants: developments in version 3.0.

The current release of ProTherm, Thermodynamic Database for Proteins and Mutants, contains more than 10 000 numerical data (300% of the first version) of several thermodynamic parameters, experimental methods and conditions, reversibility of folding, details about the surrounding residues in space for all mutants, structural, functional and literature information. In the current version, we have added information about the source of each protein, identification codes for SWISS-PROT and Protein Information Resource and unique Protein Data Bank (PDB) code for proteins with relevant source. We have also provided additional options to search for data based on PDB code, number of states and reversibility. ProTherm is cross-linked with other sequence, structural, functional and literature databases, and the mutant sites and surrounding residues are automatically mapped on the structure. The ProTherm database is freely available at http://www.rtc.riken.go.jp/jouhou/protherm/protherm.html.

Animals↗