A genetically encoded Förster resonance energy transfer sensor for monitoring in vivo trehalose-6-phosphate dynamics.

Trehalose-6-phosphate is a pivotal regulator of sugar metabolism, growth, and osmotic equilibrium in bacteria, yeasts, and plants. To directly visualize the intracellular levels of intracellular trehalose-6-phosphate, we developed a series of specific Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) sensors for in vivo microscopy. We demonstrated real-time monitoring of regulation in the trehalose pathway of Escherichia coli. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we could show that the concentration of free trehalose-6-phosphate during growth on glucose is in a range sufficient for inhibition of hexokinase. These findings support the hypothesis of trehalose-6-phosphate as the effector of a negative feedback system, similar to the inhibition of hexokinase by glucose-6-phosphate in mammalian cells and controlling glycolytic flux.

Protein and metal cluster structure of the wheat metallothionein domain γ-E(c)-1: the second part of the puzzle.

Metallothioneins (MTs) are small cysteine-rich proteins coordinating various transition metal ions, including Zn(II), Cd(II), and Cu(I). MTs are ubiquitously present in all phyla, indicating a successful molecular concept for metal ion binding in all organisms. The plant MT E(c)-1 from Triticum aestivum, common bread wheat, is a Zn(II)-binding protein that comprises two domains and binds up to six metal ions. The structure of the C-terminal four metal ion binding ß(E) domain was recently described. Here we present the structure of the N-terminal second domain, γ-E(c)-1, determined by NMR spectroscopy. The γ-E(c)-1 domain enfolds an M (2) (II) Cys(6) cluster and was characterized as part of the full-length Zn(6)E(c)-1 protein as well as in the form of the separately expressed domain, both in the Zn(II)-containing isoform and the Cd(II)-containing isoform. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis of Zn(2)γ-E(c)-1 clearly shows the presence of a ZnS(4) coordination sphere with average Zn-S distances of 2.33 Å. (113)Cd NMR experiments were used to identify the M(II)-Cys connectivity pattern, and revealed two putative metal cluster conformations. In addition, the general metal ion coordination abilities of γ-E(c)-1 were probed with Cd(II) binding experiments as well as by pH titrations of the Zn(II) and Cd(II) forms, the latter suggesting an interaction of the γ domain and the ß(E) domain within the full-length protein.

Metal ion release from metallothioneins: proteolysis as an alternative to oxidation.

Metallothioneins (MTs) are among others involved in the cellular regulation of essential Zn(II) and Cu(I) ions. However, the high binding affinity of these proteins requires additional factors to promote metal ion release under physiological conditions. The mechanisms and efficiencies of these processes leave many open questions. We report here a comprehensive analysis of the Zn(II)-release properties of various MTs with special focus on members of the four main subfamilies of plant MTs. Zn(II) competition experiments with the metal ion chelator 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR) in the presence of the cellular redox pair glutathione (GSH)/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) show that plant MTs from the subfamilies MT1, MT2, and MT3 are remarkably more affected by oxidative stress than those from the Ec subfamily and the well-characterized human MT2 form. In addition, we evaluated proteolytic digestion with trypsin and proteinase K as an alternative mechanism for selective promotion of metal ion release from MTs. Also here the observed percentage of liberated metal ions depends strongly on the MT form evaluated. Closer evaluation of the data additionally allowed deducing the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the Zn(II) release processes. The Cu(I)-form of chickpea MT2 was used to exemplify that both oxidation and proteolysis are also effective ways to increase the transfer of copper ions to other molecules. Zn(II) release experiments with the individual metal-binding domains of Ec-1 from wheat grain reveal distinct differences from the full-length protein. This triggers the question about the roles of the long cysteine-free peptide stretches typical for plant MTs.

The beta(E)-domain of wheat E(c)-1 metallothionein: a metal-binding domain with a distinctive structure.

Metallothioneins (MTs) are ubiquitous cysteine-rich proteins with a high affinity for divalent metal ions such as Zn(II), Cu(I), and Cd(II) that are involved in metal ion homeostasis and detoxification, as well as protection against reactive oxygen species. Here we show the NMR solution structure of the beta(E)-domain of the early cysteine-labeled protein (E(c)-1) from wheat (beta(E)-E(c)-1), which represents the first three-dimensional structure of a plant MT. The beta(E)-domain comprises the 51 C-terminal residues of E(c)-1 and exhibits a distinctive unprecedented structure with two separate metal-binding centers, a mononuclear Zn(II) binding site constituted by two cysteine and two highly conserved histidine residues as found in certain zinc-finger motifs, and a cluster formed by three Zn(II) ions coordinated by nine Cys residues that resembles the cluster in the beta-domain of vertebrate MTs. Cys-metal ion connectivities were determined by exhaustive structure calculations for all 7560 possible configurations of the three-metal cluster. Backbone dynamics investigated by (15)N relaxation experiments support the results of the structure determination in that beta(E)-E(c)-1 is a rigidly folded polypeptide. To further investigate the influence of metal ion binding on the stability of the structure, we replaced Zn(II) with Cd(II) ions and examined the effects of metal ion release on incubation with a metal ion chelator.

The two distinctive metal ion binding domains of the wheat metallothionein Ec-1.

Metallothioneins are small cysteine-rich proteins believed to play a role, among others, in the homeostasis of essential metal ions such as Zn(II) and Cu(I). Recently, we could show that wheat E(c)-1 is coordinating its six Zn(II) ions in form of metal-thiolate clusters analogously to the vertebrate metallothioneins. Specifically, two Zn(II) ions are bound in the N-terminal and four in the C-terminal domain. In the following, we will present evidence for the relative independence of the two domains from each other with respect to their metal ion binding abilities, and uncover three intriguing peculiarities of the protein. Firstly, one Zn(II) ion of the N-terminal domain is relative resistant to complete replacement with Cd(II) indicating the presence of a Zn(II)-binding site with increased stability. Secondly, the C-terminal domain is able to coordinate an additional fifth metal ion, though with reduced affinity, which went undetected so far. Finally, reconstitution of apoE(c)-1 with an excess of Zn(II) shows a certain amount of sub-stoichiometrically metal-loaded species. The possible relevance of these finding for the proposed biological functions of wheat E(c)-1 will be discussed. In addition, extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements on both, the full-length and the truncated protein, provide final evidence for His participation in metal ion binding.

Tris is a non-innocent buffer during intein-mediated protein cleavage.

Fusion protein purification systems based on self-cleavable protein splicing elements are well established nowadays and have the advantage of producing recombinant proteins with their native amino acid composition while abolishing the need of an additional proteolytic cleavage step for removal of a purification tag. However, a potential disadvantage is the concomitant generation of reactive thioester intermediates during the protein self-splicing process, which are prone to undergo side reactions yielding undesired adducts. We followed the formation of these adducts as well as ways to avoid them with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry using one of our target proteins, Triticum aestivum (wheat) E(c)-1, a plant metallothionein with the ability to bind a total of six zinc or cadmium ions in the form of metal-thiolate clusters. Our investigations show that one of the most commonly used buffer substances, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris), has to be applied with caution in combination with the described purification system, as it can itself react with the thioester intermediate forming a yet unreported stable adduct. This makes Tris a so called non-innocent buffer during the protein isolation procedure. Additionally, the results presented open up an interesting possibility to directly couple the one-step purification strategy with selective carboxy-terminal protein or peptide modification, e.g. the addition of fluorophors or PEGylation of peptides. Unrelated to the purification system used, we further observed a high amount of N-formylmethionine in the mass spectra when the protein of interest was expressed in cadmium-supplemented growth media.

Metal ion binding properties of Triticum [corrected] aestivum Ec-1 metallothionein: evidence supporting two separate metal thiolate clusters.

Metallothioneins are ubiquitous low molecular mass, cysteine-rich proteins with an extraordinary high metal ion content. In contrast to the situation for the vertebrate forms, information regarding the properties of members of the plant metallothionein family is still scarce. We present the first spectroscopic investigation aiming to elucidate the metal ion binding properties and metal thiolate cluster formation of the Triticum [corrected] aestivum (common wheat) early cysteine-labeled plant metallothionein (Ec-1). For this, the protein was overexpressed recombinantly in Escherichia coli. Recombinant Ec-1 is able to bind a total of six divalent d10 metal ions in a metal thiolate cluster arrangement. The pH stability of the zinc and cadmium clusters investigated is comparable to stabilities found for mammalian metallothioneins. Using cobalt(II) as a paramagnetic probe, we were able to show the onset of cluster formation taking place with the addition of a fourth metal ion equivalent to the apo protein. Limited proteolytic digestion experiments complemented with mass spectrometry and amino acid analysis provide clear evidence for the presence of two separate metal thiolate clusters. One cluster consists of four metal ions and is made up by a part of the protein containing 11 cysteine residues, comparable to the situation found in the mammalian counterparts. The second cluster features two metal ions coordinated by six cysteine residues. The occurrence of the latter cluster is unprecedented in the metallothionein superfamily so far.