Crystal structure of enoyl-CoA hydratase from Thermus thermophilus HB8.

Fatty-acid degradation is an oxidative process that involves four enzymatic steps and is referred to as the ß-oxidation pathway. During this process, long-chain acyl-CoAs are broken down into acetyl-CoA, which enters the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, resulting in the production of energy in the form of ATP. Enoyl-CoA hydratase (ECH) catalyzes the second step of the ß-oxidation pathway by the syn addition of water to the double bond between C2 and C3 of a 2-trans-enoyl-CoA, resulting in the formation of a 3-hydroxyacyl CoA. Here, the crystal structure of ECH from Thermus thermophilus HB8 (TtECH) is reported at 2.85 Šresolution. TtECH forms a hexamer as a dimer of trimers, and wide clefts are uniquely formed between the two trimers. Although the overall structure of TtECH is similar to that of a hexameric ECH from Rattus norvegicus (RnECH), there is a significant shift in the positions of the helices and loops around the active-site region, which includes the replacement of a longer α3 helix with a shorter α-helix and 310-helix in RnECH. Additionally, one of the catalytic residues of RnECH, Glu144 (numbering based on the RnECH enzyme), is replaced by a glycine in TtECH, while the other catalytic residue Glu164, as well as Ala98 and Gly141 that stabilize the enolate intermediate, is conserved. Their putative ligand-binding sites and active-site residue compositions are dissimilar.

Evaluating the strengths of salt bridges in the CutA1 protein using molecular dynamic simulations: a comparison of different force fields.

Ion-ion interactions (salt bridges) between favorable pairs of charged residues are important for the conformational stability of proteins. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations are useful for elucidating the interactions among charged residues fluctuating in solution. However, the quality of MD results depends strongly on the force fields used. In this study, we compared the strengths of salt bridges among force fields by performing MD simulations using the CutA1 protein (trimer) from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus horikoshii (PhCutA1), which has an unusually large proportion of charged residues. The force fields Chemistry at HARvard Macromolecular Mechanics (Charmm)27, Assisted Model Building and Energy Refinement (Amber)99sb, Amber14sb, GROningen Molecular Simulation (Gromos)43a1, and Gromos53a6 were used in combination with two different water models, tip3p (for Charmm27, Amber99sb, and Amber14sb) and simple point charge/extended (for Amber99sb, Gromos43a1, and Gromos53a6), yielding a total of six combinations. The RMSDs of all Cα atoms of PhCutA1 were similar among force fields, except for Charmm27, during 400-ns MD simulations at 300 K; however, the radius of gyration (Rg ) was greater for Amber99sb and shorter for Gromos43a1. The average strengths of salt bridges for each positively charged residue did not differ greatly among force fields, but the strengths at specific sites within the structure depended sensitively on the force field used. In the case of the Gromos group, positively charged residues could engage in favorable interactions with many more charged residues than in the other force fields, especially in loop regions; consequently, the apparent strength at each site was lower.

Thermodynamic analysis of unusually thermostable CutA1 protein from human brain and its protease susceptibility.

Unusually stable proteins are a disadvantage for the metabolic turnover of proteins in cells. The CutA1 proteins from Pyrococcus horikoshii and from Oryza sativa (OsCutA1) have unusually high denaturation temperatures (Td) of nearly 150 and 100 °C, respectively, at pH 7.0. It seemed that the CutA1 protein from the human brain (HsCutA1) also has a remarkably high stability. Therefore, the thermodynamic stabilities of HsCutA1 and its protease susceptibility were examined. The Td was remarkably high, being over 95 °C at pH 7.0. The unfolding Gibbs energy (ΔG(0)H2O) was 174 kJ/mol at 37 °C from the denaturant denaturation. The thermodynamic analysis showed that the unfolding enthalpy and entropy values of HsCutA1 were considerably lower than those of OsCutA1 with a similar stability to HsCutA1, which should be related to flexibility of the unstructured properties in both N- and C-terminals of HsCutA1. HsCutA1 was almost completely digested after 1-day incubation at 37 °C by subtilisin, although OsCutA1 was hardly digested at the same conditions. These results indicate that easily available fragmentation of HsCutA1 with remarkably high thermodynamic stability at the body temperature should be important for its protein catabolism in the human cells.

The structures of the CutA1 proteins from Thermus thermophilus and Pyrococcus horikoshii: characterization of metal-binding sites and metal-induced assembly.

CutA1 (copper tolerance A1) is a widespread cytoplasmic protein found in archaea, bacteria, plants and animals, including humans. In Escherichia coli it is implicated in divalent metal tolerance, while the mammalian CutA1 homologue has been proposed to mediate brain enzyme acetylcholinesterase activity and copper homeostasis. The X-ray structures of CutA1 from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus (TtCutA1) with and without bound Na(+) at 1.7 and 1.9 Šresolution, respectively, and from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus horikoshii (PhCutA1) in complex with Na(+) at 1.8 Šresolution have been determined. Both are short and rigid proteins of about 12 kDa that form intertwined compact trimers in the crystal and solution. The main difference in the structures is a wide-type ß-bulge on top of the TtCutA1 trimer. It affords a mechanism for lodging a single-residue insertion in the middle of ß2 while preserving the interprotomer main-chain hydrogen-bonding network. The liganded forms of the proteins provide new structural information about the metal-binding sites and CutA1 assembly. The Na(+)-TtCutA1 structure unveils a dodecameric assembly with metal ions in the trimer-trimer interfaces and the lateral clefts of the trimer. For Na(+)-PhCutA1, the metal ion associated with six waters in an octahedral geometry. The structures suggest that CutA1 may contribute to regulating intracellular metal homeostasis through various binding modes.

Structure of indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase from Thermus thermophilus HB8: implications for thermal stability.

The three-dimensional structure of indole-3-glycerol phosphate synthase (IGPS) from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus HB8 (TtIGPS) has been determined at 1.8 Å resolution. The structure adopts a typical (ß/α)(8)-barrel fold with an additional N-terminal extension of 46 residues. A detailed comparison of the crystal structure of TtIGPS with available structures of IGPS from the archaeon Sulfolobus solfataricus (SsIGPS) and the bacteria Thermotoga maritima (TmIGPS) and Escherichia coli (EcIGPS) has been performed. Although the overall folds of the proteins are the same, there are differences in amino-acid composition, structural rigidity, ionic features and stability clusters which may account for the high thermostability of the hyperthermophilic (SsIGPS and TmIGPS) and thermophilic (TtIGPS) proteins when compared with the mesophilic EcIGPS. The thermostability of IGPS seems to be established mainly by favourable interactions of charged residues, salt bridges and the spatial distribution of relatively rigid clusters of extensively interacting residues.

Remarkable improvement in the heat stability of CutA1 from Escherichia coli by rational protein design.

To enhance the heat stability of the CutA1 protein from Escherichia coli (EcCutA1) so that it has comparable stability to CutA1 from Pyrococcus horikoshii with a denaturation temperature (T(d)) of 150°C, we used the Stability Profile of Mutant Protein (SPMP) to examine the structure-sequence (3D-1D) compatibility between the conformation of EcCutA1 and its native sequence [J. Mol. Biol., 248, 733-738, (1995)]. We identified seven residues in EcCutA1 that were incompatible in terms of dihedral angles and hydrophobicity. These residues were replaced with appropriate amino acids, and the mutant proteins were evaluated for changes in stability by DSC and denaturant denaturation. The mutations that were introduced at five out of the seven positions improved the stability of EcCutA1. The T(d) values of single (S11A) and triple (S11V/E61V/Q73V) mutants improved by 16.5 and 26.6°C, respectively, compared to that of the wild-type protein (89.9°C). These analyses showed that (1) the stability of EcCutA1 is remarkably improved by slight substitutions, even though the stability of the wild-type protein is considerably high, (2) remarkable improvements in the stability can be quantitatively explained based on the newly solved native structure, and (3) SPMP is a powerful tool to examine substitutions that improve protein stability.

High-throughput crystallization-to-structure pipeline at RIKEN SPring-8 Center.

A high-throughput crystallization-to-structure pipeline for structural genomics was recently developed at the Advanced Protein Crystallography Research Group of the RIKEN SPring-8 Center in Japan. The structure determination pipeline includes three newly developed technologies for automating X-ray protein crystallography: the automated crystallization and observation robot system "TERA", the SPring-8 Precise Automatic Cryosample Exchanger "SPACE" for automated data collection, and the Package of Expert Researcher's Operation Network "PERON" for automated crystallographic computation from phasing to model checking. During the 5 years following April, 2002, this pipeline was used by seven researchers to determine 138 independent crystal structures (resulting from 437 purified proteins, 234 cryoloop-mountable crystals, and 175 diffraction data sets). The protocols used in the high-throughput pipeline are described in this paper.

Structure of putative CutA1 from Homo sapiens determined at 2.05 A resolution.

The structure of human brain CutA1 (HsCutA1) has been determined using diffraction data to 2.05 A resolution. HsCutA1 has been implicated in the anchoring of acetylcholinesterase in neuronal cell membranes, while its bacterial homologue Escherichia coli CutA1 is involved in copper tolerance. Additionally, the structure of HsCutA1 bears similarity to that of the signal transduction protein PII, which is involved in regulation of nitrogen metabolism. Although several crystal structures of CutA1 from various sources with different rotation angles and degrees of interaction between trimer interfaces have been reported, the specific functional role of CutA1 is still unclear. In this study, the X-ray structure of HsCutA1 was determined in space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 68.69, b = 88.84, c = 125.33 A and six molecules per asymmetric unit. HsCutA1 is a trimeric molecule with intertwined antiparallel beta-strands; each subunit has a molecular weight of 14.6 kDa and contains 135 amino-acid residues. In order to obtain clues to the possible function of HsCutA1, its crystal structure was compared with those of other CutA1 and PII proteins.

Structure of 3-oxoacyl-(acyl-carrier protein) synthase II from Thermus thermophilus HB8.

The beta-ketoacyl-(acyl carrier protein) synthases (beta-keto-ACP synthases; KAS) catalyse the addition of two-carbon units to the growing acyl chain during the elongation phase of fatty-acid synthesis. As key regulators of bacterial fatty-acid synthesis, they are promising targets for the development of new antibacterial agents. The crystal structure of 3-oxoacyl-ACP synthase II from Thermus thermophilus HB8 (TtKAS II) has been solved by molecular replacement and refined at 2.0 A resolution. The crystal is orthorhombic, space group P2(1)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = 72.07, b = 185.57, c = 62.52 A, and contains one homodimer in the asymmetric unit. The subunits adopt the well known alpha-beta-alpha-beta-alpha thiolase fold that is common to ACP synthases. The structural and sequence similarities of TtKAS II to KAS I and KAS II enzymes of known structure from other sources support the hypothesis of comparable enzymatic activity. The dimeric state of TtKAS II is important to create each fatty-acid-binding pocket. Closer examination of KAS structures reveals that compared with other KAS structures in the apo form, the active site of TtKAS II is more accessible because of the ;open' conformation of the Phe396 side chain.

Protein biotinylation visualized by a complex structure of biotin protein ligase with a substrate.

Biotin protein ligase (BPL) catalyzes the biotinylation of the biotin carboxyl carrier protein (BCCP) only at a special lysine residue. Here we report the first structure of BPL.BCCP complex crystals, which are prepared using two BPL mutants: R48A and R48A/K111A. From a detailed structural characterization, it is likely that the mutants retain functionality as enzymes but have a reduced activity to produce the reaction intermediate biotinyl-5'-AMP. The observed biotin and partly disordered ATP in the mutant structures may act as a non-reactive analog of the substrates or biotinyl-5'-AMP, thereby providing the complex crystals. The four crystallographically independent BPL.BCCP complexes obtained can be classified structurally into three groups: the formation stages 1 and 2 with apo-BCCP and the product stage with biotinylated holo-BCCP. Residues responsible for the complex formation as well as for the biotinylation reaction have been identified. The C-terminal domain of BPL shows especially large conformational changes to accommodate BCCP, suggesting its functional importance. The formation stage 1 complex shows the closest distance between the carboxyl carbon of biotin and the special lysine of BCCP, suggesting its relevance to the unobserved reaction stage. Interestingly, bound ATP and biotin are also seen in the product stage, indicating that the substrates may be recruited into the product stage complex before the release of holo-BCCP, probably for the next reaction cycle. The existence of formation and product stages before and after the reaction stage would be favorable to ensure both the reaction efficiency and the extreme substrate specificity of the biotinylation reaction.

Crystal structures of shikimate dehydrogenase AroE from Thermus thermophilus HB8 and its cofactor and substrate complexes: insights into the enzymatic mechanism.

Shikimate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.25) catalyses the fourth step of the shikimate pathway which is required for the synthesis of the aromatic amino acids and other aromatic compounds in bacteria, microbial eukaryotes, and plants. The crystal structures of the shikimate dehydrogenase AroE from Thermus thermophilus HB8 in its ligand-free form, binary complexes with cofactor NADP+ or substrate shikimate, and the ternary complex with both NADP(H) and shikimate were determined by X-ray diffraction method at atomic resolutions. The crystals are nearly isomorphous with the asymmetric unit containing a dimer, each subunit of which has a bi-domain structure of compact alpha/beta sandwich folds. The two subunits of the enzyme display asymmetry in the crystals due to different relative orientations between the N- and C-terminal domains resulting in a slightly different closure of the interdomain clefts. NADP(H) is bound to the more closed form only. This closed conformation with apparent higher affinity to the cofactor is also observed in the unliganded crystal form, indicating that the NADP(H) binding to TtAroE may follow the selection mode where the cofactor binds to the subunit that happens to be in the closed conformation in solution. Crystal structures of the closed subunits with and without NADP(H) show no significant structural difference, suggesting that the cofactor binding to the closed subunit corresponds to the lock-and-key model in TtAroE. On the other hand, shikimate binds to both open and closed subunit conformers of both apo and NADP(H)-liganded holo enzyme forms. The ternary complex TtAroE:NADP(H):shikimate allows unambiguous visualization of the SDH permitting elucidation of the roles of conserved residues Lys64 and Asp100 in the hydride ion transfer between NADP(H) and shikimate.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of the biotin carboxyl carrier protein and biotin protein ligase complex from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3.

Biotin protein ligase (BPL) catalyses the biotinylation of the biotin carboxyl carrier protein (BCCP) subunit of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. To elucidate the exact details of the protein-protein interactions in the biotinylation function, the C-terminal half fragment of BCCP (BCCPDeltaN76), the R48A mutant of BPL (BPL*) and the R48A K111A double mutant of BPL (BPL**), all of which are from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3, have been expressed, purified and successfully cocrystallized. Cocrystals of the BPL*-BCCPDeltaN76 and BPL**-BCCPDeltaN76 complexes as well as crystals of BPL*, BPL** and BCCPDeltaN76 were obtained by the oil-microbatch method using PEG 20 000 as a precipitant at 295 K. Complete X-ray diffraction data sets for BPL*-BCCPDeltaN76 and BPL**-BCCPDeltaN76 crystals were collected at 100 K to 2.7 and 2.0 A resolution, respectively, using synchrotron radiation. They belong to the monoclinic space group P2(1), with similar unit-cell parameters a = 69.85, b = 63.12, c = 75.64 A, beta = 95.9 degrees . Assuming two subunits of the complex per asymmetric unit gives a V(M) value of 2.45 A(3) Da(-1) and a solvent content of 50%.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of archaeal 6-pyruvoyl tetrahydrobiopterin synthase homologue PH0634 from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3.

6-Pyruvoyl tetrahydrobiopterin synthase (PTPS) catalyses the conversion of dihydroneopterin triphosphate to 6-pyruvoyl tetrahydropterin, the second of the three enzymatic steps in the synthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin from GTP. PH0634, a 13.51 kDa archaeal PTPS homologue from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3, was overexpressed as native and selenomethionine-substituted protein and the purified protein was crystallized by the oil-microbatch method at 295 K. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.1 A resolution from the native crystal using synchrotron radiation at 100 K. The crystal belongs to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 35.83, b = 95.71, c = 105.65 A. Threefold noncrystallographic symmetry was identified from self-rotation calculations. Assuming the presence of a trimer in the asymmetric unit, the solvent content is 45% (V(M) = 2.24 A3 Da(-1)). The selenomethionine-substituted crystal is isomorphous to the native crystal and diffracts X-rays to 2.9 A.

Hyper-thermostability of CutA1 protein, with a denaturation temperature of nearly 150 degrees C.

We found that the CutA1 protein, from Pyrococcus horikoshii (PhCutA1), has an extremely high denaturation temperature (T(d)) of nearly 150 degrees C, which exceeds the highest record determined by DSC by about 30 degrees C. To elucidate the mechanism of the ultra-high stability of PhCutA1, we analyzed the crystal structures of CutA1 proteins from three different sources, P. horikoshii, Thermus thermophilus, and Escherichia coli, with different growth temperatures (98, 75, and 37 degrees C). This analysis revealed that the remarkably increased number of ion pairs in the monomeric structure contributes to the stabilization of the trimeric structure and plays an important role in enhancing the T(d), up to 150 degrees C, for PhCutA1.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of RecA superfamily ATPase PH0284 from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3.

Circadian (daily) protein clocks are found in cyanobacteria, where a complex of the KaiA, KaiB and KaiC proteins generates circadian rhythms. The 28.09 kDa KaiC homologue PH0284 protein from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 was cloned and expressed and the purified protein was crystallized by the oil-microbatch method at 295 K. X-ray diffraction data from the crystal were collected to 2.0 angstroms resolution using synchrotron radiation at 100 K. The crystal belongs to the trigonal space group P3(2)21, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 96.06, c = 298.90 angstroms. Assuming the presence of one hexamer in the asymmetric unit gives a V(M) value of 2.36 angstroms3 Da(-1) and a solvent content of 47.9%. A cocrystal with ATP was prepared and a diffraction data set was collected at 2.3 angstroms resolution.

Crystal structures of biotin protein ligase from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 and its complexes: structural basis of biotin activation.

Biotin protein ligase (EC 6.3.4.15) catalyses the synthesis of an activated form of biotin, biotinyl-5'-AMP, from substrates biotin and ATP followed by biotinylation of the biotin carboxyl carrier protein subunit of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. The three-dimensional structure of biotin protein ligase from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 has been determined by X-ray diffraction at 1.6A resolution. The structure reveals a homodimer as the functional unit. Each subunit contains two domains, a larger N-terminal catalytic domain and a smaller C-terminal domain. The structural feature of the active site has been studied by determination of the crystal structures of complexes of the enzyme with biotin, ADP and the reaction intermediate biotinyl-5'-AMP at atomic resolution. This is the first report of the liganded structures of biotin protein ligase with nucleotide and biotinyl-5'-AMP. The structures of the unliganded and the liganded forms are isomorphous except for an ordering of the active site loop upon ligand binding. Catalytic binding sites are suitably arranged to minimize the conformational changes required during the reaction, as the pockets for biotin and nucleotide are located spatially adjacent to each other in a cleft of the catalytic domain and the pocket for biotinyl-5'-AMP binding mimics the combination of those of the substrates. The exact locations of the ligands and the active site residues allow us to propose a general scheme for the first step of the reaction carried out by biotin protein ligase in which the positively charged epsilon-amino group of Lys111 facilitates the nucleophilic attack on the ATP alpha-phosphate group by the biotin carboxyl oxygen atom and stabilizes the negatively charged intermediates.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of the biotin-protein ligase from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3.

Biotin-protein ligase is an enzyme that catalyzes the ATP-dependent biotinylation of a specific lysine residue in acetyl-CoA carboxylase. The biotin-protein ligase from Pyrococcus horikoshii OT3 has been cloned, overexpressed and purified. Crystallization was performed by the microbatch method or the vapour-diffusion method using PEG 2000 as a precipitant at 295 K. X-ray diffraction data have been collected to 1.6 A resolution from a native crystal and to 1.55 A resolution from a selenomethionine-derivative crystal for multiple anomalous dispersion phasing using synchrotron radiation at 100 K. The native crystal belongs to the monoclinic space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 38.601, b = 78.264, c = 70.147 A, beta = 101.48 degrees. Assuming a homodimer per asymmetric unit gives a VM value of 2.14 A3 Da(-1) and a solvent content of 42.5%. Cocrystals with biotin, ADP and biotinyl-5'-AMP were prepared and diffraction data sets were collected to 1.6, 1.6 and 1.45 A resolution, respectively.