In cellulo phosphorylation induces pharmacological reprogramming of maurocalcin, a cell-penetrating venom peptide.

The venom peptide maurocalcin (MCa) is atypical among toxins because of its ability to rapidly translocate into cells and potently activate the intracellular calcium channel type 1 ryanodine receptor (RyR1). Therefore, MCa is potentially subjected to posttranslational modifications within recipient cells. Here, we report that MCa Thr(26) belongs to a consensus PKA phosphorylation site and can be phosphorylated by PKA both in vitro and after cell penetration in cellulo. Unexpectedly, phosphorylation converts MCa from positive to negative RyR1 allosteric modulator. Thr(26) phosphorylation leads to charge neutralization of Arg(24), a residue crucial for MCa agonist activity. The functional effect of Thr(26) phosphorylation is partially mimicked by aspartyl mutation. This represents the first case, to our knowledge, of both ex situ posttranslational modification and pharmacological reprogramming of a small natural cystine-rich peptide by target cells. So far, phosphorylated MCa is the first specific negative allosteric modulator of RyR1, to our knowledge, and represents a lead compound for further development of phosphatase-resistant analogs.

High-throughput expression of animal venom toxins in Escherichia coli to generate a large library of oxidized disulphide-reticulated peptides for drug discovery.

BACKGROUND: Animal venoms are complex molecular cocktails containing a wide range of biologically active disulphide-reticulated peptides that target, with high selectivity and efficacy, a variety of membrane receptors. Disulphide-reticulated peptides have evolved to display improved specificity, low immunogenicity and to show much higher resistance to degradation than linear peptides. These properties make venom peptides attractive candidates for drug development. However, recombinant expression of reticulated peptides containing disulphide bonds is challenging, especially when associated with the production of large libraries of bioactive molecules for drug screening. To date, as an alternative to artificial synthetic chemical libraries, no comprehensive recombinant libraries of natural venom peptides are accessible for high-throughput screening to identify novel therapeutics. RESULTS: In the accompanying paper an efficient system for the expression and purification of oxidized disulphide-reticulated venom peptides in Escherichia coli is described. Here we report the development of a high-throughput automated platform, that could be adapted to the production of other families, to generate the largest ever library of recombinant venom peptides. The peptides were produced in the periplasm of E. coli using redox-active DsbC as a fusion tag, thus allowing the efficient formation of correctly folded disulphide bridges. TEV protease was used to remove fusion tags and recover the animal venom peptides in the native state. Globally, within nine months, out of a total of 4992 synthetic genes encoding a representative diversity of venom peptides, a library containing 2736 recombinant disulphide-reticulated peptides was generated. The data revealed that the animal venom peptides produced in the bacterial host were natively folded and, thus, are putatively biologically active. CONCLUSIONS: Overall this study reveals that high-throughput expression of animal venom peptides in E. coli can generate large libraries of recombinant disulphide-reticulated peptides of remarkable interest for drug discovery programs.

Gene design, fusion technology and TEV cleavage conditions influence the purification of oxidized disulphide-rich venom peptides in Escherichia coli.

BACKGROUND: Animal venoms are large, complex libraries of bioactive, disulphide-rich peptides. These peptides, and their novel biological activities, are of increasing pharmacological and therapeutic importance. However, recombinant expression of venom peptides in Escherichia coli remains difficult due to the significant number of cysteine residues requiring effective post-translational processing. There is also an urgent need to develop high-throughput recombinant protocols applicable to the production of reticulated peptides to enable efficient screening of their drug potential. Here, a comprehensive study was developed to investigate how synthetic gene design, choice of fusion tag, compartment of expression, tag removal conditions and protease recognition site affect levels of solubility of oxidized venom peptides produced in E. coli. RESULTS: The data revealed that expression of venom peptides imposes significant pressure on cysteine codon selection. DsbC was the best fusion tag for venom peptide expression, in particular when the fusion was directed to the bacterial periplasm. While the redox activity of DsbC was not essential to maximize expression of recombinant fusion proteins, redox activity did lead to higher levels of correctly folded target peptides. With the exception of proline, the canonical TEV protease recognition site tolerated all other residues at its C-terminus, confirming that no non-native residues, which might affect activity, need to be incorporated at the N-terminus of recombinant peptides for tag removal. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals that E. coli is a convenient heterologous host for the expression of soluble and functional venom peptides. Using the optimal construct design, a large and diverse range of animal venom peptides were produced in the µM scale. These results open up new possibilities for the high-throughput production of recombinant disulphide-rich peptides in E. coli.

Characterization of the interactions between the nucleoprotein and the phosphoprotein of Henipavirus.

The Henipavirus genome is encapsidated by the nucleoprotein (N) within a helical nucleocapsid that recruits the polymerase complex via the phosphoprotein (P). In a previous study, we reported that in henipaviruses, the N-terminal domain of the phosphoprotein and the C-terminal domain of the nucleoprotein (N(TAIL)) are both intrinsically disordered. Here we show that Henipavirus N(TAIL) domains are also disordered in the context of full-length nucleoproteins. We also report the cloning, purification, and characterization of the C-terminal X domains (P(XD)) of Henipavirus phosphoproteins. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, we show that N(TAIL) and P(XD) form a 1:1 stoichiometric complex that is stable under NaCl concentrations as high as 1 M and has a K(D) in the µM range. Using far-UV circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance, we show that P(XD) triggers an increase in the α-helical content of N(TAIL). Using fluorescence spectroscopy, we show that P(XD) has no impact on the chemical environment of a Trp residue introduced at position 527 of the Henipavirus N(TAIL) domain, thus arguing for the lack of stable contacts between the C termini of N(TAIL) and P(XD). Finally, we present a tentative structural model of the N(TAIL)-P(XD) interaction in which a short, order-prone region of N(TAIL) (α-MoRE; amino acids 473-493) adopts an α-helical conformation and is embedded between helices α2 and α3 of P(XD), leading to a relatively small interface dominated by hydrophobic contacts. The present results provide the first detailed experimental characterization of the N-P interaction in henipaviruses and designate the N(TAIL)-P(XD) interaction as a valuable target for rational antiviral approaches.

D-Maurocalcine, a pharmacologically inert efficient cell-penetrating peptide analogue.

Maurocalcine has been the first demonstrated animal toxin acting as a cell-penetrating peptide. Although it possesses competitive advantages, its use as a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) requires that analogues be developed that lack its characteristic pharmacological activity on ryanodine-sensitive calcium channels without affecting its cell-penetrating and vector efficiencies. Here, we present the synthesis, three-dimensional (1)H NMR structure, and activity of D-maurocalcine. We demonstrate that it possesses all of the desired features for an excellent CPP: preserved structure, lack of pharmacological action, conserved vector properties, and absence of cell toxicity. This is the first report of a folded/oxidized animal toxin in its D-diastereomer conformation for use as a CPP. The protease resistance of this new peptide analogue, combined with its efficient cell penetration at concentrations devoid of cell toxicity, suggests that D-maurocalcine should be an excellent vector for in vivo applications.

Structure of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa XcpT pseudopilin, a major component of the type II secretion system.

The bacterial type II protein secretion (T2S) and type IV piliation (T4P) systems share several common features. In particular, it is well established that the T2S system requires the function of a pilus-like structure, called pseudopilus, which is built upon assembly of pilin-like subunits, called pseudopilins. Pilins and pseudopilins have a hydrophobic N-terminal region, which precedes an extended hydrophilic C-terminal region. In the case of pilins, it was shown that oligomerisation and formation of helical fibers, takes place through interaction between the hydrophobic domains. XcpT, is the most abundant protein of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa T2S, and was proposed to be the main component in the pseudopilus. In this study we present the high-resolution NMR structure of the hydrophilic domain of XcpT (XcpTp). XcpTp is lacking the C-terminal disulfide bridged "D" domain found in type IV pilins and likely involved in receptor binding. This is in agreement with the idea that the XcpT-containing pseudopilus is required for protein secretion and not for bacterial attachment. Interestingly, by solving the 3D structure of XcpTp we revealed that the previously called alphabeta-loop pilin region is in fact highly conserved among major type II pseudopilins and constitutes a specific consensus motif for identifying major pseudopilins, which belong to this family.

Insecticidal peptides from the theraposid spider Brachypelma albiceps: an NMR-based model of Ba2.

Soluble venom and purified fractions of the theraposid spider Brachypelma albiceps were screened for insecticidal peptides based on toxicity to crickets. Two insecticidal peptides, named Ba1 and Ba2, were obtained after the soluble venom was separated by high performance liquid chromatography and cation exchange chromatography. The two insecticidal peptides contain 39 amino acid residues and three disulfide bonds, and based on their amino acid sequence, they are highly identical to the insecticidal peptides from the theraposid spiders Aphonopelma sp. from the USA and Haplopelma huwenum from China indicating a relationship among these genera. Although Ba1 and Ba2 were not able to modify currents in insect and vertebrate cloned voltage-gated sodium ion channels, they have noteworthy insecticidal activities compared to classical arachnid insecticidal toxins indicating that they might target unknown receptors in insect species. The most abundant insecticidal peptide Ba2 was submitted to NMR spectroscopy to determine its 3-D structure; a remarkable characteristic of Ba2 is a cluster of basic residues, which might be important for receptor recognition.

Solution structure of the C-terminal X domain of the measles virus phosphoprotein and interaction with the intrinsically disordered C-terminal domain of the nucleoprotein.

In this report, the solution structure of the nucleocapsid-binding domain of the measles virus phosphoprotein (XD, aa 459-507) is described. A dynamic description of the interaction between XD and the disordered C-terminal domain of the nucleocapsid protein, (N(TAIL), aa 401-525), is also presented. XD is an all alpha protein consisting of a three-helix bundle with an up-down-up arrangement of the helices. The solution structure of XD is very similar to the crystal structures of both the free and bound form of XD. One exception is the presence of a highly dynamic loop encompassing XD residues 489-491, which is involved in the embedding of the alpha-helical XD-binding region of N(TAIL). Secondary chemical shift values for full-length N(TAIL) were used to define the precise boundaries of a transient helical segment that coincides with the XD-binding domain, thus shedding light on the pre-recognition state of N(TAIL). Titration experiments with unlabeled XD showed that the transient alpha-helical conformation of N(TAIL) is stabilized upon binding. Lineshape analysis of NMR resonances revealed that residues 483-506 of N(TAIL) are in intermediate exchange with XD, while the 475-482 and 507-525 regions are in fast exchange. The N(TAIL) resonance behavior in the titration experiments is consistent with a complex binding model with more than two states.

The interaction between the measles virus nucleoprotein and the Interferon Regulator Factor 3 relies on a specific cellular environment.

BACKGROUND: The genome of measles virus consists of a non-segmented single-stranded RNA molecule of negative polarity, which is encapsidated by the viral nucleoprotein (N) within a helical nucleocapsid. The N protein possesses an intrinsically disordered C-terminal domain (aa 401-525, N(TAIL)) that is exposed at the surface of the viral nucleopcapsid. Thanks to its flexible nature, N(TAIL) interacts with several viral and cellular partners. Among these latter, the Interferon Regulator Factor 3 (IRF-3) has been reported to interact with N, with the interaction having been mapped to the regulatory domain of IRF-3 and to N(TAIL). This interaction was described to lead to the phosphorylation-dependent activation of IRF-3, and to the ensuing activation of the pro-immune cytokine RANTES gene. RESULTS: After confirming the reciprocal ability of IRF-3 and N to be co-immunoprecipitated in 293T cells, we thoroughly investigated the N(TAIL)-IRF-3 interaction using a recombinant, monomeric form of the regulatory domain of IRF-3. Using a large panel of spectroscopic approaches, including circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, we failed to detect any direct interaction between IRF-3 and either full-length N or NTAIL under conditions where these latter interact with the C-terminal X domain of the viral phosphoprotein. Furthermore, such interaction was neither detected in E. coli nor in a yeast two hybrid assay. CONCLUSION: Altogether, these data support the requirement for a specific cellular environment, such as that provided by 293T human cells, for the N(TAIL)-IRF-3 interaction to occur. This dependence from a specific cellular context likely reflects the requirement for a human or mammalian cellular co-factor.

Determination with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry of the extensive disulfide bonding in tarantula venom peptide Psalmopeotoxin I.

Psalmopeotoxin I (PcFK1) is a 33-residue peptide isolated from the venom of the tarantula Psalmopoeus cambridgei. This peptide specifically inhibits the intra-erythrocyte stage of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro. It contains six cysteine residues forming three disulfide bridges and belongs to the superfamily of natural peptides containing the inhibitor cystine knot (ICK) fold. We produced the wild-type and mutated forms of the recombinant peptide to examine the mechanism of action of PcFK1. The purified toxins were consistently produced as two isobaric peptides (r-PcFK1-1 and r-PcFK1-2) with different retention properties but identical anti-plasmodial -biological activity. Comparison of (15)N-NMR heteronuclear single quantum correlation spectra revealed that although rPcFK1-1 was highly structured, rPcFK1-2 does not have a stable three-dimensional structure. We used high-energy collision-induced fragmentation of the peptides with a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of- flight mass spectrometer to further investigate the structure of the native peptides in its natural form and produced in E. coli. The fragmentation spectra of the native peptides were very complex due to the occurrence in the spectrum of ions resulting from (1) cross-linking of fragments through a disulfide bridge and (2) asymmetric fragmentations of the disulfide bridges and (3) multiple neutral losses. The tandem mass spectrometry fragmentation pattern of r-PcFK1-1 was similar to that of the natural peptide isolated from crude venom, but r-PcFK1-2 had a clearly distinct fragmentation pattern, more closely resembling the fragmentation spectra of reduced and alkylated peptides. Observed ions could be attributed to specific fragments by comparing spectra between the wild-type and selected variants with point mutations (Y11W, R20T, Y26W, K28V). The disulfide connections in r-PcFK1-2 differed from those of the native peptide and showed a rare disulfide bridge between vicinal cysteine residues. The r-PcFK1_(R20T) variant showed a very limited fragmentation pattern when analyzed in positive mode but displayed much more fragmentation in negative mode pointing out the importance of the R20 residue in the fragmentation of PcFK1. Using the reductive matrix 1,5-diaminonaphtalene promoted strongly in source decay fragmentation of the peptides in MS mode. Our findings illustrated the critical role of the electronic environment around the central Cys(18)-Cys(19) doublet in PcFK1 in internal fragmentation of the peptide.