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Differential steady-state tyrosine phosphorylation of two oligomeric forms of mitochondrial F0F1ATPsynthase: a structural proteomic analysis.

We investigated tyrosine phosphorylation of F(0)F(1)ATPsynthase using 3-D blue native (BN)-SDS-PAGE, a refinement of the electrophoretic analysis of mitochondrial complexes. Bovine heart mitochondria were detergent-solubilized and subjected to BN-PAGE. Bands of ATPsynthase monomer (Vmon) and dimer (Vdim) were excised and submitted to SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting. One protein corresponding to F(1)gamma subunit was detected by anti-phosphotyrosine antibody in monomer but not in dimer. This was confirmed by MS peptide mapping. LC-ESI/MS analysis after 3-D SDS-PAGE demonstrated phosphotyrosine in fragment 43-54. NetPhos scores predicted the phosphorylated residue to be Tyr52, in a solvent-accessible loop at the foot of the F(1) central stalk.

Animals↗

Calculation of the free energy of association for protein complexes.

We have developed a method for calculating the association energy of quaternary complexes starting from their atomic coordinates. The association energy is described as the sum of two solvation terms and an energy term to account for the loss of translational and rotational entropy. The calculated solvation energy, using atomic solvation parameters and the solvent accessible surface areas, has a correlation of 96% with experimentally determined values. We have applied this methodology to examine intermediates in viral assembly and to assess the contribution isomerization makes to the association energy of molecular complexes. In addition, we have shown that the calculated association can be used as a predictive tool for analyzing modeled molecular complexes.

Capsid↗

Modeling the antigen combining site of an anti-dinitrophenyl antibody, ANO2.

A model structure has been constructed for a monoclonal anti-dinitrophenyl antibody. The antibody, ANO2, has been sequenced and cloned (Anglister, J., Frey, T., & McConnell, H.M., 1984, Biochemistry 23, 1138-1142). Its amino acid sequence shows striking homology with the anti-lysozyme Fab fragments HyHel5 (83%) and HyHel10 (73%). Based on this homology, a model for the ANO2 variable heavy and variable light chain framework was constructed using a hybrid of the HyHel5 light chain and the HyHel10 heavy chain backbone, omitting the hypervariable loops. These coordinates were used as scaffolds for the model building of ANO2. The CONGEN conformational sampling algorithm (Bruccoleri, R.E. & Karplus, M., 1987, Biopolymers 26, 127-196) was used to model the six hypervariable loops that contain the antigen-combining site. All the possible conformations of the loop backbones were constructed and the best loop structures were selected using a combination of the CHARMM potential energy function and evaluation of the solvent-accessible surface area of the conformers. The order in which the loops were searched was carried out based on the relative locations of the loops with reference to the framework of the beta-barrel, namely, L2-H1-L3-H2-H3-L1. The model structures thus obtained were compared to the high resolution X-ray structure (Brünger, A.T., Leahy, D.J., Hynes, T.R., & Fox, R.O., 1991, J. Mol. Biol. 221, 239-256).

Algorithms↗

Recognition of related proteins by iterative template refinement (ITR).

Predicting the structural fold of a protein is an important and challenging problem. Available computer programs for determining whether a protein sequence is compatible with a known 3-dimensional structure fall into 2 categories: (1) structure-based methods, in which structural features such as local conformation and solvent accessibility are encoded in a template, and (2) sequence-based methods, in which aligned sequences of a set of related proteins are encoded in a template. In both cases, the programs use a static template based on a predetermined set of proteins. Here, we describe a computer-based method, called iterative template refinement (ITR), that uses templates combining structure-based and sequence-based information and employs an iterative search procedure to detect related proteins and sequentially add them to the templates. Starting from a single protein of known structure, ITR performs sequential cycles of database search to construct an expanding tree of templates with the aim of identifying subtle relationships among proteins. Evaluating the performance of ITR on 6 proteins, we found that the method automatically identified a variety of subtle structural similarities to other proteins. For example, the method identified structural similarity between arabinose-binding protein and phosphofructokinase, a relationship that has not been widely recognized.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Structure comparison of the pheromones Er-1, Er-10, and Er-2 from Euplotes raikovi.

The NMR structures of the homologous pheromones Er-1, Er-10, and Er-2 from the ciliated protozoan Euplotes raikovi are compared. For all 3 proteins the molecular architecture is made up of an antiparallel 3-helix bundle. The preservation of the core part of the structure is directly manifested by similar patterns of slowed backbone amide proton exchange rates, hydrogen bond formation, and relative solvent accessibility. To align the 6 half-cystine residues in the individual sequences within the preserved 3-dimensional core structure, several deletions and insertions had to be introduced that differ from those previously proposed on the basis of the primary structures. Of special interest is a deletion in the second helix of Er-2, which is accommodated by a transition from an alpha-helix in Er-1 and Er-10 to a 3(10)-helix in Er-2. The most significant structural differences are located in the C-terminal part of the proteins, which may have an important role in specific receptor recognition.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A structural comparison of 21 inhibitor complexes of the aspartic proteinase from Endothia parasitica.

The aspartic proteinases are an important family of enzymes associated with several pathological conditions such as hypertension (renin), gastric ulcers (pepsin), neoplastic disease (cathepsins D and E), and AIDS (HIV proteinase). Studies of inhibitor binding are therefore of great importance for design of novel inhibitors for potential therapeutic applications. Numerous X-ray analyses have shown that transition-state isostere inhibitors of aspartic proteinases bind in similar extended conformations in the active-site cleft of the target enzyme. Upon comparison of 21 endothiapepsin inhibitor complexes, the hydrogen bond lengths were found to be shortest where the isostere (P1-P'1) interacts with the enzyme's catalytic aspartate pair. Hydrogen bonds with good geometry also occur at P'2, and more so at P3, where a conserved water molecule is involved in the interactions. Weaker interactions also occur at P2, where the side-chain conformations of the inhibitors appear to be more variable than at the more tightly held positions. At P2 and, to a lesser extent, P3, the side-chain conformations depend intriguingly on interactions with spatially adjacent side chains, namely P'1 and P1, respectively. The tight binding at P1-P'1, P3, and P'2 is also reflected in the larger number of van der Waals contacts and the large decreases in solvent-accessible area at these positions, as well as their low temperature factors. Our analysis substantiates earlier proposals for the locations of protons in the transition-state complex. Aspartate 32 is probably ionized in the complexes, its charge being stabilized by 1, or sometimes 2, hydrogen bonds from the transition-state analogues at P1. The detailed comparison also indicates that the P1 and P2 residues of substrate in the ES complex may be strained by the extensive binding interactions at P3, P'1, and P'2 in a manner that would facilitate hydrolysis of the scissile peptide bond.

Ascomycota↗

Residue-residue contact substitution probabilities derived from aligned three-dimensional structures and the identification of common folds.

We report the derivation of scores that are based on the analysis of residue-residue contact matrices from 443 3-dimensional structures aligned structurally as 96 families, which can be used to evaluate sequence-structure matches. Residue-residue contacts and the more than 3 x 10(6) amino acid substitutions that take place between pairs of these contacts at aligned positions within each family of structures have been tabulated and segregated according to the solvent accessibility of the residues involved. Contact maps within a family of structures are shown to be highly conserved (approximately 75%) even when the sequence identity is approaching 10%. In a comparison involving a globin structure and the search of a sequence databank (> 21,000 sequences), the contact probability scores are shown to provide a very powerful secondary screen for the top scoring sequence-structure matches, where between 69% and 84% of the unrelated matches are eliminated. The search of an aligned set of 2 globins against a sequence databank and the subsequent residue contact-based evaluation of matches locates all 618 globin sequences before the first non-globin match. From a single bacterial serine proteinase structure, the structural template approach coupled with residue-residue contact substitution data lead to the detection of the mammalian serine proteinase family among the top matches in the search of a sequence databank.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Probing the solution structure of the DNA-binding protein Max by a combination of proteolysis and mass spectrometry.

A simple biochemical method that combines enzymatic proteolysis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry was developed to probe the solution structure of DNA-binding proteins. The method is based on inferring structural information from determinations of protection against enzymatic proteolysis, as governed by solvent accessibility and protein flexibility. This approach was applied to the study of the transcription factor Max--a member of the basic/helix-loop-helix/zipper family of DNA-binding proteins. In the absence of DNA and at low ionic strengths, Max is rapidly digested by each of six endoproteases selected for the study, results consistent with an open and flexible structure of the protein. At physiological salt levels, the rates of digestion are moderately slowed; this and the patterns of cleavage are consistent with homodimerization of the protein through a predominantly hydrophobic interface. In the presence of Max-specific DNA, the protein becomes dramatically protected against proteolysis, exhibiting up to a 100-fold reduction in cleavage rates. Over a 2-day period, both complete and partial proteolysis of the Max-DNA complex is observed. The partial proteolytic fragmentation patterns reflect a very high degree of protection in the N-terminal and helix-loop-helix regions of the protein, correlating with those expected of a stable dimer bound to DNA at its basic N-terminals. Less protection is seen at the C-terminal where a slow, sequential proteolytic cleavage occurs, correlating to the presence of a leucine zipper. The results also indicate a high affinity of Max for its target DNA that remains high even when the leucine zipper is proteolytically removed. In addition to the study of the helix-loop-helix protein Max, the present method appears well suited for a range of other structural biological applications.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Thermodynamics of the temperature-induced unfolding of globular proteins.

The heat capacity, enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs energy changes for the temperature-induced unfolding of 11 globular proteins of known three-dimensional structure have been obtained by microcalorimetric measurements. Their experimental values are compared to those we calculate from the change in solvent-accessible surface area between the native proteins and the extended polypeptide chain. We use proportionality coefficients for the transfer (hydration) of aliphatic, aromatic, and polar groups from gas phase to aqueous solution, we estimate vibrational effects, and we discuss the temperature dependence of each constituent of the thermodynamic functions. At 25 degrees C, stabilization of the native state of a globular protein is largely due to two favorable terms: the entropy of non-polar group hydration and the enthalpy of interactions within the protein. They compensate the unfavorable entropy change associated with these interactions (conformational entropy) and with vibrational effects. Due to the large heat capacity of nonpolar group hydration, its stabilizing contribution decreases quickly at higher temperatures, and the two unfavorable entropy terms take over, leading to temperature-induced unfolding.

Calorimetry↗

Synthesis, activity, and preliminary structure of the fourth EGF-like domain of thrombomodulin.

The fourth EGF-like domain of thrombomodulin (TM4), residues E346-F389 in the TM sequence, has been synthesized. Refolding of the synthetic product under redox conditions gave a single major product. The disulfide bonding pattern of the folded, oxidized domain was (1-3, 2-4, 5-6), which is the same as that found in EGF protein. TM4 was tested for TM anticoagulant activity because deletion and substitution mutagenesis experiments have shown that the fourth EGF-like domain of TM is essential for TM cofactor activity. TM4 showed no TM-like activity in two assay systems, both for inhibition of fibrin clot formation, and for cofactor activity in thrombin activation of protein C. A preliminary structure of TM4 was determined by 2D 1H NMR from 519 NOE-derived distance constraints. Distance geometry calculations yielded a single convergent structure. The structure resembles the structure of EGF and other known EGF-like domains but has some key differences. The central two-stranded beta-sheet is conserved despite the differences in the number of amino acids in the loops. The C-terminal loop formed by the disulfide bond between C372 and C386 in TM4 is five amino acids longer than the analogous loop between C33 and C42 of EGF protein. This loop appears to have a different fold in TM4 than in EGF protein. The loop forms the two outside strands of a broken, irregular tri-stranded beta-sheet, and amino acids H384-F389 lie between the two strands forming the middle strand of the sheet. Thus, although the C-terminus of EGF protein forms one of the outside strands of a tri-stranded antiparallel sheet, the C-terminus of TM4 forms the inside strand of an irregular tri-stranded parallel-anti-parallel sheet. The residues D349, E357, and E374, which were shown to be critical for cofactor activity by alanine scanning mutagenesis, all lie in a patch near the C-terminal loop, and are solvent accessible. The other critical residues, Y358 and F376, are largely buried and appear to play essential structural rather than functional roles.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A ligand-induced conformational change in the Yersinia protein tyrosine phosphatase.

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases) play critical roles in the intracellular signal transduction pathways that regulate cell transformation, growth, and proliferation. The structures of several different PTPases have revealed a conserved active site architecture in which a phosphate-binding loop, together with an invariant arginine, cradle the phosphate of a phosphotyrosine substrate and poise it for nucleophilic attack by an invariant cysteine nucleophile. We previously reported that binding of tungstate to the Yop51 PTPase from Yersinia induced a loop conformational change that moved aspartic acid 356 into the active site, where it can function as a general acid. This is consistent with the aspartic acid donating a proton to the tyrosyl leaving group during the initial hydrolysis step. In this report, using a similar structure of the inactive Cys 403-->Ser mutant of the Yersinia PTPase complexed with sulfate, we detail the structural and functional details of this conformational change. In response to oxyanion binding, small perturbations occur in active site residues, especially Arg 409, and trigger the loop to close. Interestingly, the peptide bond following Asp 356 has flipped to ligate a buried, active site water molecule that also hydrogen bonds to the bound sulfate anion and two invariant glutamines. Loop closure also significantly decreases the solvent accessibility of the bound oxyanion and could effectively shield catalytic intermediates from phosphate acceptors other than water. We speculate that the intrinsic loop flexibility of different PTPases may be related to their catalytic rate and may play a role in the wide range of activities observed within this enzyme family.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

X-ray crystallographic and mass spectrometric structure determination and functional characterization of succinylated porin from Rhodobacter capsulatus: implications for ion selectivity and single-channel conductance.

The role of charges near the pore mouth has been discussed in theoretical work about ion channels. To introduce new negative charges in a channel protein, amino groups of porin from Rhodobacter capsulatus 37b4 were succinylated with succinic anhydride, and the precise extent and sites of succinylations and structures of the succinylporins determined by mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography. Molecular weight and peptide mapping analyses using matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization mass spectrometry identified selective succinylation of three lysine-epsilon-amino groups (Lys-46, Lys-298, Lys-300) and the N-terminal alpha-amino group. The structure of a tetra-succinylated porin (TS-porin) was determined to 2.4 A and was generally found unchanged in comparison to native porin to form a trimeric complex. All succinylated amino groups found in a mono/di-succinylated porin (MS-porin) and a TS-porin are localized at the inner channel surface and are solvent-accessible: Lys-46 is located at the channel constriction site, whereas Lys-298, Lys-300, and the N-terminus are all near the periplasmic entrance of the channel. The Lys-46 residue at the central constriction loop was modeled as succinyl-lysine from the electron density data and shown to bend toward the periplasmic pore mouth. The electrical properties of the MS-and TS-porins were determined by reconstitution into black lipid membranes, and showed a negative charge effect on ion transport and an increased cation selectivity through the porin channel. The properties of a typical general diffusion porin changed to those of a channel that contains point charges near the pore mouth. The single-channel conductance was no longer a linear function of the bulk aqueous salt concentration. The substantially higher cation selectivity of the succinylated porins compared with the native protein is consistent with the increase of negatively charged groups introduced. These results show tertiary structure-selective modification of charged residues as an efficient approach in the structure-function evaluation of ion channels, and X-ray crystallography and mass spectrometry as complementary analytical tools for defining precisely the chemically modified structures.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Ribosome-mediated translational pause and protein domain organization.

Because regions on the messenger ribonucleic acid differ in the rate at which they are translated by the ribosome and because proteins can fold cotranslationally on the ribosome, a question arises as to whether the kinetics of translation influence the folding events in the growing nascent polypeptide chain. Translationally slow regions were identified on mRNAs for a set of 37 multidomain proteins from Escherichia coli with known three-dimensional structures. The frequencies of individual codons in mRNAs of highly expressed genes from E. coli were taken as a measure of codon translation speed. Analysis of codon usage in slow regions showed a consistency with the experimentally determined translation rates of codons; abundant codons that are translated with faster speeds compared with their synonymous codons were found to be avoided; rare codons that are translated at an unexpectedly higher rate were also found to be avoided in slow regions. The statistical significance of the occurrence of such slow regions on mRNA spans corresponding to the oligopeptide domain termini and linking regions on the encoded proteins was assessed. The amino acid type and the solvent accessibility of the residues coded by such slow regions were also examined. The results indicated that protein domain boundaries that mark higher-order structural organization are largely coded by translationally slow regions on the RNA and are composed of such amino acids that are stickier to the ribosome channel through which the synthesized polypeptide chain emerges into the cytoplasm. The translationally slow nucleotide regions on mRNA possess the potential to form hairpin secondary structures and such structures could further slow the movement of ribosome. The results point to an intriguing correlation between protein synthesis machinery and in vivo protein folding. Examination of available mutagenic data indicated that the effects of some of the reported mutations were consistent with our hypothesis.

Bacterial Proteins↗

A missing link in cupredoxins: crystal structure of cucumber stellacyanin at 1.6 A resolution.

Stellacyanins are blue (type I) copper glycoproteins that differ from other members of the cupredoxin family in their spectroscopic and electron transfer properties. Until now, stellacyanins have eluded structure determination. Here we report the three-dimensional crystal structure of the 109 amino acid, non-glycosylated copper binding domain of recombinant cucumber stellacyanin refined to 1.6 A resolution. The crystallographic R-value for all 18,488 reflections (sigma > 0) between 50-1.6 A is 0.195. The overall fold is organized in two beta-sheets, both with four beta-stands. Two alpha-helices are found in loop regions between beta-strands. The beta-sheets form a beta-sandwich similar to those found in other cupredoxins, but some features differ from proteins such as plastocyanin and azurin in that the beta-barrel is more flattened, there is an extra N-terminal alpha-helix, and the copper binding site is much more solvent accessible. The presence of a disulfide bond at the copper binding end of the protein confirms that cucumber stellacyanin has a phytocyanin-like fold. The ligands to copper are two histidines, one cysteine, and one glutamine, the latter replacing the methionine typically found in mononuclear blue copper proteins. The Cu-Gln bond is one of the shortest axial ligand bond distances observed to date in structurally characterized type I copper proteins. The characteristic spectroscopic properties and electron transfer reactivity of stellacyanin, which differ significantly from those of other well-characterized cupredoxins, can be explained by its more exposed copper site, its distinctive amino acid ligand composition, and its nearly tetrahedral ligand geometry. Surface features on the cucumber stellacyanin molecule that could be involved in interactions with putative redox partners are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A desolvation barrier to hydrophobic cluster formation may contribute to the rate-limiting step in protein folding.

To gain insight into the free energy changes accompanying protein hydrophobic core formation, we have used computer simulations to study the formation of small clusters of nonpolar solutes in water. A barrier to association is observed at the largest solute separation that does not allow substantial solvent penetration. The barrier reflects an effective increase in the size of the cavity occupied by the expanded but water-excluding cluster relative to both the close-packed cluster and the fully solvated separated solutes; a similar effect may contribute to the barrier to protein folding/unfolding. Importantly for the simulation of protein folding without explicit solvent, we find that the interactions between nonpolar solutes of varying size and number can be approximated by a linear function of the molecular surface, but not the solvent-accessible surface of the solutes. Comparison of the free energy of cluster formation to that of dimer formation suggests that the assumption of pair additivity implicit in current protein database derived potentials may be in error.

Kinetics↗

Predicting protein secondary structure with probabilistic schemata of evolutionarily derived information.

We demonstrate the applicability of our previously developed Bayesian probabilistic approach for predicting residue solvent accessibility to the problem of predicting secondary structure. Using only single-sequence data, this method achieves a three-state accuracy of 67% over a database of 473 non-homologous proteins. This approach is more amenable to inspection and less likely to overlearn specifics of a dataset than "black box" methods such as neural networks. It is also conceptually simpler and less computationally costly. We also introduce a novel method for representing and incorporating multiple-sequence alignment information within the prediction algorithm, achieving 72% accuracy over a dataset of 304 non-homologous proteins. This is accomplished by creating a statistical model of the evolutionarily derived correlations between patterns of amino acid substitution and local protein structure. This model consists of parameter vectors, termed "substitution schemata," which probabilistically encode the structure-based heterogeneity in the distributions of amino acid substitutions found in alignments of homologous proteins. The model is optimized for structure prediction by maximizing the mutual information between the set of schemata and the database of secondary structures. Unlike "expert heuristic" methods, this approach has been demonstrated to work well over large datasets. Unlike the opaque neural network algorithms, this approach is physicochemically intelligible. Moreover, the model optimization procedure, the formalism for predicting one-dimensional structural features and our previously developed method for tertiary structure recognition all share a common Bayesian probabilistic basis. This consistency starkly contrasts with the hybrid and ad hoc nature of methods that have dominated this field in recent years.

Algorithms↗

Thermodynamic and structural consequences of flexible loop deletion by circular permutation in the streptavidin-biotin system.

A circularly permuted streptavidin (CP51/46) has been designed to remove the flexible polypeptide loop that undergoes an open to closed conformational change when biotin is bound. The original termini have been joined by a tetrapeptide linker, and four loop residues have been removed, resulting in the creation of new N- and C-termini. Isothermal titration calorimetric studies show that the association constant has been reduced approximately six orders of magnitude below that of wild-type streptavidin to 10(7) M(-1). The deltaH degrees of biotin association for CP51/46 is reduced by 11.1 kcal/mol. Crystal structures of CP51/46 and its biotin complex show no significant alterations in the binding site upon removal of the loop. A hydrogen bond between Ser45 and Ser52 found in the absence of biotin is broken in the closed conformation as the side-chain hydroxyl of Ser45 moves to hydrogen bond to a ureido nitrogen of biotin. This is true in both the wild-type and CP51/46 forms of the protein, and the hydrogen bonding interaction might thus help nucleate closure of the loop. The reduced entropic cost of binding biotin to CP51/46 is consistent with the removal of this loop and a reduction in entropic costs associated with loop closure and immobilization. The reduced enthalpic contribution to the free energy of binding is not readily explainable in terms of the molecular structure, as the binding contacts are nearly entirely conserved, and only small differences in solvent accessible surfaces are observed relative to wild-type streptavidin.

Binding Sites↗

Refolding rate of stability-enhanced cytochrome c is independent of thermodynamic driving force.

N52I iso-2 cytochrome c is a variant of yeast iso-2 cytochrome c in which asparagine substitutes for isoleucine 52 in an alpha helical segment composed of residues 49-56. The N52I substitution results in a significant increase in both stability and cooperativity of equilibrium unfolding, and acts as a "global suppressor" of destabilizing mutations. The equilibrium m-value for denaturant-induced unfolding of N52I iso-2 increases by 30%, a surprisingly large amount for a single residue substitution. The folding/unfolding kinetics for N52I iso-2 have been measured by stopped-flow mixing and by manual mixing, and are compared to the kinetics of folding/unfolding of wild-type protein, iso-2 cytochrome c. The results show that the observable folding rate and the guanidine hydrochloride dependence of the folding rate are the same for iso-2 and N52I iso-2, despite the greater thermodynamic stability of N52I iso-2. Thus, there is no linear free-energy relationship between mutation-induced changes in stability and observable refolding rates. However, for N52I iso-2 the unfolding rate is slower and the guanidine hydrochloride dependence of the unfolding rate is smaller than for iso-2. The differences in the denaturant dependence of the unfolding rates suggest that the N52I substitution decreases the change in the solvent accessible hydrophobic surface between the native state and the transition state. Two aspects of the results are inconsistent with a two-state folding/unfolding mechanism and imply the presence of folding intermediates: (1) observable refolding rate constants calculated from the two-state mechanism by combining equilibrium data and unfolding rate measurements deviate from the observed refolding rate constants; (2) kinetically unresolved signal changes ("burst phase") are observed for both N52I iso-2 and iso-2 refolding. The "burst phase" amplitude is larger for N52I iso-2 than for iso-2, suggesting that the intermediates formed during the "burst phase" are stabilized by the N52I substitution.

Cytochrome c Group↗