Cap binding and immune evasion revealed by Lassa nucleoprotein structure.

Lassa virus, the causative agent of Lassa fever, causes thousands of deaths annually and is a biological threat agent, for which there is no vaccine and limited therapy. The nucleoprotein (NP) of Lassa virus has essential roles in viral RNA synthesis and immune suppression, the molecular mechanisms of which are poorly understood. Here we report the crystal structure of Lassa virus NP at 1.80 Å resolution, which reveals amino (N)- and carboxy (C)-terminal domains with structures unlike any of the reported viral NPs. The N domain folds into a novel structure with a deep cavity for binding the m7GpppN cap structure that is required for viral RNA transcription, whereas the C domain contains 3'-5' exoribonuclease activity involved in suppressing interferon induction. To our knowledge this is the first X-ray crystal structure solved for an arenaviral NP, which reveals its unexpected functions and indicates unique mechanisms in cap binding and immune evasion. These findings provide great potential for vaccine and drug development.

Crystallization and preliminary diffraction analysis of Wzi, a member of the capsule export and assembly pathway in Escherichia coli.

External polysaccharide capsules provide a physical barrier that is employed by many species of bacteria for the purposes of host evasion and persistence. Wzi is a 53 kDa outer membrane ß-barrel protein that is thought to play a role in the attachment of group 1 capsular polysaccharides to the cell surface. The purification and crystallization of an Escherichia coli homologue of Wzi is reported and diffraction data from native and selenomethionine-incorporated protein crystals are presented. Crystals of C-terminally His6-tagged Wzi diffracted to 2.8 Šresolution. Data processing showed that the crystals belonged to the orthorhombic space group C222, with unit-cell parameters a=128.8, b=152.8, c=94.4 Å, α=ß=γ=90°. A His-tagged selenomethionine-containing variant of Wzi has also been crystallized in the same space group and diffraction data have been recorded to 3.8 Šresolution. Data processing shows that the variant crystal has similar unit-cell parameters to the native crystal.

MOMP from Campylobacter jejuni Is a Trimer of 18-Stranded ß-Barrel Monomers with a Ca2+ Ion Bound at the Constriction Zone.

The Gram-negative organism Campylobacter jejuni is the major cause of food poisoning. Unlike Escherichia coli, which has two major porins, OmpC and OmpF, C. jejuni has one, termed major outer membrane protein (MOMP) through which nutrients and antibiotics transit. We report the 2.1-Å crystal structure of C. jejuni MOMP expressed in E. coli and a lower resolution but otherwise identical structure purified directly from C. jejuni. The 2.1-Å resolution structure of recombinant MOMP showed that although the protein has timeric arrangement similar to OmpC, it is an 18-stranded, not 16-stranded, ß-barrel. The structure has identified a Ca2+ bound at the constriction zone, which is functionally significant as suggested by molecular dynamics and single-channel experiments. The water-filled channel of MOMP has a narrow constriction zone, and single-molecule studies show a monomeric conductivity of 0.7±0.2 nS and a trimeric conductance of 2.2±0.2 nS. The ion neutralizes negative charges at the constriction zone, reducing the transverse electric field and reversing ion selectivity. Modeling of the transit of ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic of choice for treating Campylobacter infection, through the pore of MOMP reveals a trajectory that is dependent upon the presence metal ion.

High-resolution structure of the N-terminal endonuclease domain of the Lassa virus L polymerase in complex with magnesium ions.

Lassa virus (LASV) causes deadly hemorrhagic fever disease for which there are no vaccines and limited treatments. LASV-encoded L polymerase is required for viral RNA replication and transcription. The functional domains of L-a large protein of 2218 amino acid residues-are largely undefined, except for the centrally located RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) motif. Recent structural and functional analyses of the N-terminal region of the L protein from lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), which is in the same Arenaviridae family as LASV, have identified an endonuclease domain that presumably cleaves the cap structures of host mRNAs in order to initiate viral transcription. Here we present a high-resolution crystal structure of the N-terminal 173-aa region of the LASV L protein (LASV L173) in complex with magnesium ions at 1.72 Å. The structure is highly homologous to other known viral endonucleases of arena- (LCMV NL1), orthomyxo- (influenza virus PA), and bunyaviruses (La Crosse virus NL1). Although the catalytic residues (D89, E102 and K122) are highly conserved among the known viral endonucleases, LASV L endonuclease structure shows some notable differences. Our data collected from in vitro endonuclease assays and a reporter-based LASV minigenome transcriptional assay in mammalian cells confirm structural prediction of LASV L173 as an active endonuclease. The high-resolution structure of the LASV L endonuclease domain in complex with magnesium ions should aid the development of antivirals against lethal Lassa hemorrhagic fever.