Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of Atg10.

Atg10 is an E2-like enzyme that catalyzes the conjugation reaction between Atg12 and Atg5. The Atg12-Atg5 conjugate is essential for autophagy, the bulk degradation process of cytoplasmic components by the vacuolar/lysosomal system. Microcrystals of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Atg10 were obtained by the free-interface diffusion method using polyethylene glycol and sodium acetate as precipitants. Using these precipitants, large crystals suitable for data collection were obtained using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belong to space group P4(1)2(1)2 or P4(3)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 51.61, c = 256.16 A, and are estimated to contain two protein molecules per asymmetric unit. A native data set was collected to 2.3 A resolution from a single crystal.

Crystallization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae aminopeptidase 1, the major cargo protein of the Cvt pathway.

The vacuole hydrolase aminopeptidase 1 (Ape1) is a cargo protein transported to the vacuole by the cytosol-to-vacuole targeting (Cvt) pathway during conditions of growth and by autophagy during conditions of starvation. After transport to the vacuole, Ape1 is processed into mature Ape1 (mApe1). mApe1 has been expressed, purified and crystallized in two crystal forms. Form I belongs to space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 120.6, b = 219.5, c = 133.1 A, beta = 116.5 degrees. Form II belongs to space group R3, with unit-cell parameters a = 141.2, c = 349.4 A. Diffraction data were collected from these crystals to a resolution of 2.5 A for form I and 1.83 A for form II. Self-rotation functions and the volume-to-weight ratio values suggest that forms I and II contain 12 and four mApe1 molecules per asymmetric unit, respectively, and that mApe1 exists as a tetrahedral dodecamer in both crystal forms.

Full-length p40phox structure suggests a basis for regulation mechanism of its membrane binding.

The superoxide-producing phagocyte NADPH oxidase is activated during phagocytosis to destroy ingested microbes. The adaptor protein p40phox associates via the PB1 domain with the essential oxidase activator p67phox, and is considered to function by recruiting p67phox to phagosomes; in this process, the PX domain of p40phox binds to phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate [PtdIns(3)P], a lipid abundant in the phagosomal membrane. Here we show that the PtdIns(3)P-binding activity of p40phox is normally inhibited by the PB1 domain both in vivo and in vitro. The crystal structure of the full-length p40phox reveals that the inhibition is mediated via intramolecular interaction between the PB1 and PX domains. The interface of the p40phox PB1 domain for the PX domain localizes on the opposite side of that for the p67phox PB1 domain, and thus the PB1-mediated PX regulation occurs without preventing the PB1-PB1 association with p67phox.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of human Atg4B-LC3 complex.

The reversible modification of Atg8 with phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is crucial for autophagy, the bulk degradation process of cytoplasmic components by the vacuolar/lysosomal system. Atg4 is a cysteine protease that is responsible for the processing and deconjugation of Atg8. Human Atg4B (HsAtg4B; a mammalian orthologue of yeast Atg4) and LC3 (a mammalian orthologue of yeast Atg8) were expressed and purified and two complexes, one consisting of HsAtg4B(1-354) and LC3(1-120) (complex I; the product complex) and the other consisting of HsAtg4B(1-354) and LC3(1-124) (complex II; the substrate complex), were crystallized using polyethylene glycol 3350 as a precipitant. In both complexes His280 of HsAtg4B was mutated to alanine. The crystals belong to the same space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 47.5, b = 91.8, c = 102.6 A for complex I and a = 46.9, b = 90.9, c = 102.5 A for complex II. Diffraction data were collected to a resolution of 1.9 A from both crystals.

The crystal structure of Atg3, an autophagy-related ubiquitin carrier protein (E2) enzyme that mediates Atg8 lipidation.

Atg3 is an E2-like enzyme that catalyzes the conjugation of Atg8 and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). The Atg8-PE conjugate is essential for autophagy, which is the bulk degradation process of cytoplasmic components by the vacuolar/lysosomal system. We report here the crystal structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Atg3 at 2.5-A resolution. Atg3 has an alpha/beta-fold, and its core region is topologically similar to canonical E2 enzymes. Atg3 has two regions inserted in the core region, one of which consists of approximately 80 residues and has a random coil structure in solution and another with a long alpha-helical structure that protrudes from the core region as far as 30 A. In vivo and in vitro analyses suggested that the former region is responsible for binding Atg7, an E1-like enzyme, and that the latter is responsible for binding Atg8. A sulfate ion was bound near the catalytic cysteine of Atg3, suggesting a possible binding site for the phosphate moiety of PE. The structure of Atg3 provides a molecular basis for understanding the unique lipidation reaction that Atg3 carries out.

Structure of Atg5.Atg16, a complex essential for autophagy.

Atg5 is covalently modified with a ubiquitin-like modifier, Atg12, and the Atg12-Atg5 conjugate further forms a complex with the multimeric protein Atg16. The Atg12-Atg5.Atg16 multimeric complex plays an essential role in autophagy, the bulk degradation system conserved in all eukaryotes. We have reported here the crystal structure of Atg5 complexed with the N-terminal region of Atg16 at 1.97A resolution. Atg5 comprises two ubiquitin-like domains that flank a helix-rich domain. The N-terminal region of Atg16 has a helical structure and is bound to the groove formed by these three domains. In vitro analysis showed that Arg-35 and Phe-46 of Atg16 are crucial for the interaction. Atg16, with a mutation at these residues, failed to localize to the pre-autophagosomal structure and could not restore autophagy in Atg16-deficient yeast strains. Furthermore, these Atg16 mutants could not restore a severe reduction in the formation of the Atg8-phosphatidylethanolamine conjugate, another essential factor for autophagy, in Atg16-deficient strains under starvation conditions. These results taken together suggest that the direct interaction between Atg5 and Atg16 is crucial to the performance of their roles in autophagy.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of Atg3.

Atg3 is an E2-like enzyme that catalyzes the conjugation reaction between Atg8 and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). The Atg8-PE conjugate is essential for autophagy, the bulk degradation process of cytoplasmic components by the vacuolar/lysosomal system. Crystals of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Atg3 have been obtained by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method using ammonium sulfate and lithium sulfate as precipitants. A native data set was collected from a single crystal to 2.5 A resolution. The crystals belong to space group P4(1) or P4(3), with unit-cell parameters a = 59.33, c = 115.22 A, and are expected to contain one protein molecule per asymmetric unit.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of p40phox, a regulatory subunit of NADPH oxidase.

p40(phox) is a cytosolic component of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase, which is responsible for production of the superoxide that kills invasive microorganisms. Full-length p40(phox) was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method at 293 K using polyethylene glycol 20,000 as a precipitant. Diffraction data were collected to 3.0 A resolution at 100 K using synchrotron radiation. The crystal belongs to space group C222(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 146.27, b = 189.81, c = 79.88 A. This crystal was estimated to contain two or three protein molecules per asymmetric unit from the acceptable range of volume-to-weight ratio values.

Expression, purification and crystallization of the Atg5-Atg16 complex essential for autophagy.

Atg5 is a novel 34 kDa protein that is covalently modified by Atg12, a ubiquitin-like modifier, and forms a complex with Atg16. The Atg12-Atg5-Atg16 complex localizes to autophagosome precursors and plays an essential role in autophagosome formation. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Atg5 in complex with the N-terminal regions of Atg16 was expressed, purified and crystallized in four crystal forms. Forms I, II and III belong to space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 66.3, b = 104.4, c = 112.1 A, beta = 92.1 degrees (form I), a = 79.5, b = 101.4, c = 95.1 A, beta = 98.6 degrees (form II) or a = 56.9, b = 101.2, c = 66.5 A, beta = 100.6 degrees (form III). Form IV belongs to space group P4(2)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = 73.3, c = 148.1 A. Diffraction data were collected from all crystal forms and high-resolution data to beyond 2.0 A resolution were obtained from a form IV crystal.

Structural basis for the specificity and catalysis of human Atg4B responsible for mammalian autophagy.

Reversible modification of Atg8 with phosphatidylethanolamine is crucial for autophagy, the bulk degradation system conserved in eukaryotic cells. Atg4 is a novel cysteine protease that processes and deconjugates Atg8. Herein, we report the crystal structure of human Atg4B (HsAtg4B) at 1.9-A resolution. Despite no obvious sequence homology with known proteases, the structure of HsAtg4B shows a classical papain-like fold. In addition to the papain fold region, HsAtg4B has a small alpha/beta-fold domain. This domain is thought to be the binding site for Atg8 homologs. The active site cleft of HsAtg4B is masked by a loop (residues 259-262), implying a conformational change upon substrate binding. The structure and in vitro mutational analyses provide the basis for the specificity and catalysis of HsAtg4B. This will enable the design of Atg4-specific inhibitors that block autophagy.

Tor2 directly phosphorylates the AGC kinase Ypk2 to regulate actin polarization.

The target of rapamycin (TOR) protein kinases, Tor1 and Tor2, form two distinct complexes (TOR complex 1 and 2) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. TOR complex 2 (TORC2) contains Tor2 but not Tor1 and controls polarity of the actin cytoskeleton via the Rho1/Pkc1/MAPK cell integrity cascade. Substrates of TORC2 and how TORC2 regulates the cell integrity pathway are not well understood. Screening for multicopy suppressors of tor2, we obtained a plasmid expressing an N-terminally truncated Ypk2 protein kinase. This truncation appears to partially disrupt an autoinhibitory domain in Ypk2, and a point mutation in this region (Ypk2(D239A)) conferred upon full-length Ypk2 the ability to rescue growth of cells compromised in TORC2, but not TORC1, function. YPK2(D239A) also suppressed the lethality of tor2Delta cells, suggesting that Ypks play an essential role in TORC2 signaling. Ypk2 is phosphorylated directly by Tor2 in vitro, and Ypk2 activity is largely reduced in tor2Delta cells. In contrast, Ypk2(D239A) has increased and TOR2-independent activity in vivo. Thus, we propose that Ypk protein kinases are direct and essential targets of TORC2, coupling TORC2 to the cell integrity cascade.

The crystal structure of plant ATG12 and its biological implication in autophagy.

Atg12 is a post-translational modifier that is activated and conjugated to its single target, Atg5, by a ubiquitin-like conjugation system. The Atg12-Atg5 conjugate is essential for autophagy, the bulk degradation process of cytoplasmic components by the vacuolar/lysosomal system. Here, we demonstrate that the Atg12 conjugation system exists in Arabidopsis and is essential for plant autophagy as well as in yeast and mammals. We also report the crystal structure of Arabidopsis thaliana (At) ATG12 at 1.8 A resolution. Despite no obvious sequence homology with ubiquitin, the structure of AtATG12 shows a ubiquitin fold strikingly similar to those of mammalian homologs of Atg8, the other ubiquitin-like modifier essential for autophagy, which is conjugated to phosphatidylethanolamine. Two types of hydrophobic patches are present on the surface of AtATG12: one is conserved in both Atg12 and Atg8 orthologs, while the other is unique to Atg12 orthologs. Considering that they share Atg7 as an E1-like enzyme, we suggest that the first hydrophobic patch is responsible for the conjugation reaction, while the latter is involved in Atg12-specific functions.

Structure of a cell polarity regulator, a complex between atypical PKC and Par6 PB1 domains.

A complex of atypical PKC and Par6 is a common regulator for cell polarity-related processes, which is an essential clue to evolutionary conserved cell polarity regulation. Here, we determined the crystal structure of the complex of PKCiota and Par6alpha PB1 domains to a resolution of 1.5 A. Both PB1 domains adopt a ubiquitin fold. PKCiota PB1 presents an OPR, PC, and AID (OPCA) motif, 28 amino acid residues with acidic and hydrophobic residues, which interacts with the conserved lysine residue of Par6alpha PB1 in a front and back manner. On the interface, several salt bridges are formed including the conserved acidic residues on the OPCA motif of PKCiota PB1 and the conserved lysine residue on the Par6alpha PB1. Structural comparison of the PKCiota and Par6alpha PB1 complex with the p40phox and p67phox PB1 domain complex, subunits of neutrophil NADPH oxidase, reveals that the specific interaction is achieved by tilting the interface so that the insertion or extension in the sequence is engaged in the specificity determinant. The PB1 domain develops the interaction surface on the ubiquitin fold to increase the versatility of molecular interaction.

The crystal structure of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3, a mammalian homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Atg8.

Microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3), a mammalian homologue of yeast Atg8, plays an essential role in autophagy, which is involved in the bulk degradation of cytoplasmic components by the lysosomal system. Here, we report the crystal structure of LC3 at 2.05 A resolution with an R-factor of 21.8% and a free R-factor of 24.9%. The structure of LC3, which is similar to those of Golgi-associated ATPase enhancer of 16 kDa (GATE-16) and GABAA receptor-associated protein (GABARAP), contains a ubiquitin core with two alpha helices, alpha1 and alpha2, attached at its N-terminus. Some common and distinct features are observed among these proteins, including the conservation of residues required to form an interaction among alpha1, alpha2 and the ubiquitin core. However, the electrostatic potential surfaces of these helices differ, implicating particular roles to select specific binding partners. Hydrophobic patches on the ubiquitin core of LC3, GABARAP and GATE-16 are well conserved and are similar to the E1 binding surface of ubiquitin and NEDD8. Therefore, we propose that the hydrophobic patch is a binding surface for mammalian Atg7 similar to a ubiquitin-like conjugation system. We also propose the functional implications of the ubiquitin fold as a recognition module of target proteins.

A molecular mechanism for autoinhibition of the tandem SH3 domains of p47phox, the regulatory subunit of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase.

The phagocyte NADPH oxidase is a multisubunit enzyme responsible for the production of reactive oxygen species. p47(phox) is a cytosolic component of the NADPH oxidase and plays an important role in the assembly of the activated complex. The structural determination of the tandem SH3 domains of p47(phox) is crucial for elucidation of the molecular mechanism of the activation of p47(phox). We determined the X-ray crystal structure of the tandem SH3 domains with the polybasic/autoinhibitory region (PBR/AIR) of p47(phox). The GAPPR sequence involved in PBR/AIR forms a left-handed polyproline type-II helix (PPII) and interacts with the conserved SH3 binding surfaces of the SH3 domains simultaneously. These SH3 domains are related by a 2-fold pseudosymmetry axis at the centre of the binding groove and interact with the single PPII helix formed by the GAPPR sequence with opposite orientation. In addition, a number of intra-molecular interactions among the SH3 domains, PBR/AIR and the linker tightly hold the architecture of the tandem SH3 domains into the compact structure and stabilize the autoinhibited form synergistically. Phosphorylation of the serine residues in PBR/AIR could destabilize and successively release the intra-molecular interactions. Thus, the overall structure could be rearranged from the autoinhibitory conformation to the active conformation and the PPII ligand binding surfaces on the SH3 domains are now unmasked, which enables their interaction with the target sequence in p22(phox).

Structural basis for the specificity, catalysis, and regulation of human uridine-cytidine kinase.

Uridine-cytidine kinase (UCK) catalyzes the phosphorylation of uridine and cytidine and activates pharmacological ribonucleoside analogs. Here we present the crystal structures of human UCK alone and in complexes with a substrate, cytidine, a feedback inhibitor, CTP or UTP, and with phosphorylation products, CMP and ADP, respectively. Free UCK takes an alpha/beta mononucleotide binding fold and exists as a homotetramer with 222 symmetry. Upon inhibitor binding, one loop region was loosened, causing the UCK tetramer to be distorted. Upon cytidine binding, a large induced fit was observed at the uridine/cytidine binding site, which endows UCK with a strict specificity for pyrimidine ribonucleosides. The first UCK structure provided the structural basis for the specificity, catalysis, and regulation of human uridine-cytidine kinase, which give clues for the design of novel antitumor and antiviral ribonucleoside analogs that inhibit RNA synthesis.

Solution structure of the tandem Src homology 3 domains of p47phox in an autoinhibited form.

The phagocyte NADPH oxidase is a multisubunit enzyme responsible for the generation of superoxide anions (O(2).) that kill invading microorganisms. p47(phox) is a cytosolic subunit of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase, which plays a crucial role in the assembly of the activated NADPH oxidase complex. The molecular shapes of the p47(phox) tandem SH3 domains either with or without a polybasic/autoinhibitory region (PBR/AIR) at the C terminus were studied using small angle x-ray scattering. The tandem SH3 domains with PBR/AIR formed a compact globular structure, whereas the tandem SH3 domains lacking the PBR/AIR formed an elongated structure. Alignment anisotropy analysis by NMR based on the residual dipolar couplings revealed that the tandem SH3 domains with PBR/AIR were in good agreement with a globular module corresponding to the split half of the intertwisted dimer in crystalline state. The structure of the globular module was elucidated to represent a solution structure of the tandem SH3 domain in the autoinhibited form, where the PBR/AIR bundled the tandem SH3 domains and the linker forming a closed structure. Once PBR/AIR is released by phosphorylation, rearrangements of the SH3 domains may occur, forming an open structure that binds to the cytoplasmic proline-rich region of membrane-bound p22(phox).

Binding of FAD to cytochrome b558 is facilitated during activation of the phagocyte NADPH oxidase, leading to superoxide production.

The superoxide-producing phagocyte NADPH oxidase can be reconstituted in a cell-free system. The activity of NADPH oxidase is dependent on FAD, but the physiological status of FAD in the oxidase is not fully elucidated. To clarify the role of FAD in NADPH oxidase, FAD-free full-length recombinant p47(phox), p67(phox), p40(phox), and Rac were prepared, and the activity was reconstituted with these proteins and purified cytochrome b(558) (cyt b(558)) with different amounts of FAD. A remarkably high activity, over 100 micromol/s/micromol heme, was obtained in the oxidase with purified cyt b(558), ternary complex (p47-p67-p40(phox)), and Rac. From titration with FAD of the activity of NADPH oxidase reconstituted with purified FAD-devoid cyt b, the dissociation constant K(d) of FAD in cyt b(558) of reconstituted oxidase was estimated as nearly 1 nm. We also examined addition of FAD on the assembly process in reconstituted oxidase. The activity was remarkably enhanced when FAD was present during assembly process, and the efficacy of incorporating FAD into the vacant FAD site in purified cyt b(558) increased, compared when FAD was added after assembly processes. The absorption spectra of reconstituted oxidase under anaerobiosis showed that incorporation of FAD into cyt b(558) recovered electron flow from NADPH to heme. From both K(d) values of FAD and the amount of incorporated FAD in cyt b(558) of reconstituted oxidase, in combination with spectra, we propose the model in which the K(d) values of FAD in cyt b(558) is changeable after activation and FAD binding works as a switch to regulate electron transfer in NADPH oxidase.

X-ray crystal structure of IRF-3 and its functional implications.

Transcription factor IRF-3 is post-translationally activated by Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling and has critical roles in the regulation of innate immunity. Here we present the X-ray crystal structure of the C-terminal regulatory domain of IRF-3(175-427) (IRF-3 175C) at a resolution of 2.3 A. IRF-3 175C is structurally similar to the Mad homology domain 2 of the Smad family. Structural and functional analyses reveal phosphorylation-induced IRF-3 dimerization, which generates an extensive acidic pocket responsible for binding with p300/CBP. Although TLR and Smad signaling are evolutionarily independent, our results suggest that IRF-3 originates from Smad and acquires its function downstream of TLR.