Structural basis for misaminoacylation by mutant E. coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase enzymes.

A single-site mutant of Escherichia coli glutaminyl-synthetase (D235N, GlnRS7) that incorrectly acylates in vivo the amber suppressor supF tyrosine transfer RNA (tRNA(Tyr] with glutamine has been described. Two additional mutant forms of the enzyme showing this misacylation property have now been isolated in vivo (D235G, GlnRS10; I129T, GlnRS15). All three mischarging mutant enzymes still retain a certain degree of tRNA specificity; in vivo they acylate supE glutaminyl tRNA (tRNA(Gln] and supF tRNA(Tyr) but not a number of other suppressor tRNA's. These genetic experiments define two positions in GlnRS where amino acid substitution results in a relaxed specificity of tRNA discrimination. The crystal structure of the GlnRS:tRNA(Gln) complex provides a structural basis for interpreting these data. In the wild-type enzyme Asp235 makes sequence-specific hydrogen bonds through its side chain carboxylate group with base pair G3.C70 in the minor groove of the acceptor stem of the tRNA. This observation implicates base pair 3.70 as one of the identity determinants of tRNA(Gln). Isoleucine 129 is positioned adjacent to the phosphate of nucleotide C74, which forms part of a hairpin structure adopted by the acceptor end of the complexed tRNA molecule. These results identify specific areas in the structure of the complex that are critical to accurate tRNA discrimination by GlnRS.

Structure of E. coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase complexed with tRNA(Gln) and ATP at 2.8 A resolution.

The crystal structure of Escherichia coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) complexed with its cognate glutaminyl transfer RNA (tRNA(Gln] and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) has been derived from a 2.8 angstrom resolution electron density map and the known protein and tRNA sequences. The 63.4-kilodalton monomeric enzyme consists of four domains arranged to give an elongated molecule with an axial ratio greater than 3 to 1. Its interactions with the tRNA extend from the anticodon to the acceptor stem along the entire inside of the L of the tRNA. The complexed tRNA retains the overall conformation of the yeast phenylalanine tRNA (tRNA(Phe] with two major differences: the 3' acceptor strand of tRNA(Gln) makes a hairpin turn toward the inside of the L, with the disruption of the final base pair of the acceptor stem, and the anticodon loop adopts a conformation not seen in any of the previously determined tRNA structures. Specific recognition elements identified so far include (i) enzyme contacts with the 2-amino groups of guanine via the tRNA minor groove in the acceptor stem at G2 and G3; (ii) interactions between the enzyme and the anticodon nucleotides; and (iii) the ability of the nucleotides G73 and U1.A72 of the cognate tRNA to assume a conformation stabilized by the protein at a lower free energy cost than noncognate sequences. The central domain of this synthetase binds ATP, glutamine, and the acceptor end of the tRNA as well as making specific interactions with the acceptor stem.2+t is

Conformational transitions and structural deformability of EcoRV endonuclease revealed by crystallographic analysis.

The structures of wild-type and mutant forms of the unliganded EcoRV endonuclease dimer have been determined at 2.4 A resolution in a new crystal lattice. Comparison of these structures with that of the free enzyme determined with different packing constraints shows that the conformations of the domain interfaces are not conserved between crystal forms. The unliganded enzyme and the enzyme-DNA complex delineate two distinct quaternary states separated by a 25 degrees intersubunit rotation, but considerable conformational heterogeneity, of the order of 10 degrees domain rotations, exists within each of these states. Comparison of the free enzyme structure between the two crystal forms further reveals that the C-terminal 28 amino acid residues are disordered and undergo an extensive local folding transition upon DNA binding. Introduction of the mutation T93A at the DNA-binding cleft causes large-scale effects on the protein conformation. Structural changes in the mutated unliganded enzyme propagate some 20 to 25 A to the dimerization interface and lead to a rearrangement of monomer subunits. Comparative analysis of these structures, a new structure of the enzyme cocrystallized with DNA and calcium ions, and previously determined cocrystal structures suggests important roles for a number of amino acid residues in facilitating the intersubunit motions and local folding transitions. In particular, the T93A structure reveals a pathway through the protein, by which DNA-binding may cause the domain movements required for proper alignment of catalytic groups. The key active-site residue Glu45 is located on a flexible helix inside this pathway, and this provides a direct means by which essential catalytic functions are coupled to the protein conformational change. It appears that indirect perturbation of the Glu45 conformation via an altered quaternary structure may be a contributing factor to the decreased catalytic efficiency of T93A, and this mechanism may also explain the diminished activities of other active site variants of EcoRV.

Role of protein-induced bending in the specificity of DNA recognition: crystal structure of EcoRV endonuclease complexed with d(AAAGAT) + d(ATCTT).

The crystal structure of EcoRV endonuclease has been determined at 2. 1 A resolution complexed to two five-base-pair DNA duplexes each containing the cognate recognition half-site. The highly localized 50 degrees bend into the major groove seen at the center TA-step of the continuous GATATC site is preserved in this discontinuous DNA complex lacking the scissile phosphates. Thus, this crystal structure provides evidence that covalent constraints associated with a continuous target site are not essential to enzyme-induced DNA bending, even when these constraints are removed directly at the locus of the bend. The scissile phosphates are also absent in the crystal structure of EcoRV bound to the non-specific site TCGCGA, which shows a straight B-like conformation. We conclude that DNA bending by EcoRV is governed only by the sequence and is not influenced by the continuity of the phosphodiester backbone. Together with other data showing that cleavable non-cognate sites are bent, these results indicate that EcoRV bends non-cognate sites differing by one or two base-pairs from GATATC, but does not bend non-specific sites that are less similar. Structural and thermodynamic considerations suggest that the sequence-dependent energy cost of DNA bending is likely to play an important role in determining the specificity of EcoRV. This differential cost is manifested at the binding step for bent non-cognate sequences and at the catalytic step for unbent non-specific sequences.

Overproduction and purification of Escherichia coli tRNA(2Gln) and its use in crystallization of the glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase-tRNA(Gln) complex.

We describe the genetically engineered overproduction of Escherichia coli tRNA(2Gln), its purification by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), and its subsequent use in the growth of crystals of the E. coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase-tRNA(Gln) complex. The overproduced tRNA represents 60 to 70% of the total tRNA extracted from the engineered strain. A single anion exchange HPLC column is then sufficient to increase the purity of this isoacceptor to 90 to 95%. Crystals of this material complexed with the monomeric E. coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase enzyme were obtained by vapor diffusion from solutions containing sodium citrate as the precipitating agent. The crystals diffract to beyond 2.8 A resolution (1 A = 0.1 nm) and are of the orthorhombic space group C222(1) with unit cell parameters a = 240.5 A, b = 93.9 A, c = 115.7 A. Gel electrophoresis of dissolved crystals demonstrates the presence of both protein and tRNA.

Catalytic efficiency and sequence selectivity of a restriction endonuclease modulated by a distal manganese ion binding site.

Crystal structures of EcoRV endonuclease bound in a ternary complex with cognate duplex DNA and manganese ions have previously revealed an Mn(2+)-binding site located between the enzyme and the DNA outside of the dyad-symmetric GATATC recognition sequence. In each of the two enzyme subunits, this metal ion bridges between a distal phosphate group of the DNA and the imidazole ring of His71. The new metal- binding site is specific to Mn(2+) and is not occupied in ternary cocrystal structures with either Mg(2+) or Ca(2+). Characterization of the H71A and H71Q mutants of EcoRV now demonstrates that these distal Mn(2+) sites significantly modulate activity toward both cognate and non-cognate DNA substrates. Single-turnover and steady-state kinetic analyses show that removal of the distal site in the mutant enzymes increases Mn(2+)-dependent cleavage rates of specific substrates by tenfold. Conversely, the enhancement of non-cognate cleavage at GTTATC sequences by Mn(2+) is significantly attenuated in the mutants. As a consequence, under Mn(2+) conditions EcoRV-H71A and EcoRV-H71Q are 100 to 700-fold more specific than the wild-type enzyme for cognate DNA relative to the GTTATC non-cognate site. These data reveal a strong dependence of DNA cleavage efficiency upon metal ion-mediated interactions located some 20 A distant from the scissile phosphodiester linkages. They also show that discrimination of cognate versus non-cognate DNA sequences by EcoRV depends in part on contacts with the sugar-phosphate backbone outside of the target site.

Relocating a negative charge in the binding pocket of trypsin.

The functional and structural consequences of altering the position of the negatively charged aspartate residue at the base of the specificity pocket of trypsin have been examined by site-directed mutagenesis, kinetic characterization and crystallographic analysis. Anionic rat trypsin D189G/G226D exhibits a high level of catalytic activity on activated amide substrates, but its relative preference for lysine versus arginine as the P1 site residue is shifted by 30 to 40-fold in favor of lysine. The crystal structure of this variant has been determined in complexes with BPTI (bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor), APPI (amyloid beta-protein precursor inhibitor domain) and benzamidine inhibitors, at resolutions of 2.1 A, 2.5 A and 2.2 A, respectively. Asp226 bridges the base of the specificity pocket with its negative charge partially buried by interactions made with Ser190 and Tyr228. An equal reduction in the affinity of the variant enzyme for Arg and Lys substrates is attributable to a decreased electrostatic interaction of each ligand with the relocated aspartate residue. Comparison of structural and functional parameters with those of wild-type trypsin suggests that direct hydrogen-bonding electrostatic contacts in the S1 site do not significantly improve the free energy of substrate binding relative to indirect water-mediated interactions. The conformation adopted by Asp226, as well as by other adjacent side-chain and backbone groups, depends upon the ligand bound in the primary specificity pocket. This structural flexibility may be of critical importance to the retention of catalytic activity by the variant enzyme.

Crystal structures of rat anionic trypsin complexed with the protein inhibitors APPI and BPTI.

The crystal structure of rat anionic trypsin D189G/G226D has been determined in complexes with each of the protein inhibitors APPI (amyloid beta-protein precursor inhibitor domain) and BPTI (bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor) at resolutions of 2.5 A and 2.1 A, respectively. Comparisons with the structure of the bovine trypsin-BPTI complex show that the enzyme-inhibitor interactions in rat trypsin are dominated to a much greater degree by attractive and repulsive electrostatic forces. Decreased structural complementarity in the flanking regions of the interface formed with BPTI is reflected in significantly weaker inhibition relative to bovine trypsin. The primary active site loop of BPTI adopts slightly different conformations when bound to rat and cow trypsins, reflecting a broader entrance to the binding pocket in the former. Tight complementarity of each loop conformer to the respective active sites then gives rise to significantly different overall orientations of the inhibitor when bound to the two enzymes. The crystal structures of trypsin bound to these protein inhibitors are excellent models of the Michaelis complexes, which permit visualization of substrate interactions both N and C-terminal to the cleaved bond, while maintaining identical reaction chemistry. They will be uniquely useful to the structure-function analysis of variant rat trypsin enzymes.

Influence of transfer RNA tertiary structure on aminoacylation efficiency by glutaminyl and cysteinyl-tRNA synthetases.

The position of the tertiary Levitt pair between nucleotides 15 and 48 in the transfer RNA core region suggests a key role in stabilizing the joining of the two helical domains, and in maintaining the relative orientations of the D and variable loops. E. coli tRNA(Gln) possesses the canonical Pu15-Py48 trans pairing at this position (G15-C48), while the tRNA(Cys) species from this organism instead features an unusual G15-G48 pair. To explore the structural context dependence of a G15-G48 Levitt pair, a number of tRNA(Gln) species containing G15-G48 were constructed and evaluated as substrates for glutaminyl and cysteinyl-tRNA synthetases. The glutaminylation efficiencies of these mutant tRNAs are reduced by two to tenfold compared with native tRNA(Gln), consistent with previous findings that the tertiary core of this tRNA plays a role in GlnRS recognition. Introduction of tRNA(Cys) identity nucleotides at the acceptor and anticodon ends of tRNA(Gln) produced a tRNA substrate which was efficiently aminoacylated by CysRS, even though the tertiary core region of this species contains the tRNA(Gln) G15-C48 pair. Surprisingly, introduction of G15-G48 into the non-cognate tRNA(Gln) tertiary core then significantly impairs CysRS recognition. By contrast, previous work has shown that CysRS aminoacylates tRNA(Cys) core regions containing G15-G48 with much better efficiency than those with G15-C48. Therefore, tertiary nucleotides surrounding the Levitt pair must significantly modulate the efficiency of aminoacylation by CysRS. To explore the detailed nature of the structural interdependence, crystal structures of two tRNA(Gln) mutants containing G15-G48 were determined bound to GlnRS. These structures show that the larger purine ring of G48 is accommodated by rotation into the syn position, with the N7 nitrogen serving as hydrogen bond acceptor from several groups of G15. The G15-G48 conformations differ significantly compared to that observed in the native tRNA(Cys) structure bound to EF-Tu, further implicating an important role for surrounding nucleotides in maintaining the integrity of the tertiary core and its consequent ability to present crucial recognition determinants to aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.

Structural basis of substrate specificity in the serine proteases.

Structure-based mutational analysis of serine protease specificity has produced a large database of information useful in addressing biological function and in establishing a basis for targeted design efforts. Critical issues examined include the function of water molecules in providing strength and specificity of binding, the extent to which binding subsites are interdependent, and the roles of polypeptide chain flexibility and distal structural elements in contributing to specificity profiles. The studies also provide a foundation for exploring why specificity modification can be either straightforward or complex, depending on the particular system.

A genetic selection elucidates structural determinants of arginine versus lysine specificity in trypsin.

A genetic selection has been used to isolate variants of the serine protease, trypsin (Tsn), altered in specificity toward lysine- and arginine-containing substrates. Growth of a lysine auxotroph of Escherichia coli was coupled to activation by Tsn of a non-nutritive source of lysine present in selective media. Nine Tsn variants possessing partial activities were isolated from a random library encompassing amino acids 189 and 190 at the base of the primary specificity pocket. Functional analysis of these isolates indicates that preservation of activity toward lysine-containing substrates is more tolerant to mutation than is activity toward equivalent arginine-containing substrates. Both the position, as well as the accessibility to substrate, of a negatively charged group in the binding pocket appear critical to maintenance of high-level catalytic potency by Tsn.

A structure-based multiple sequence alignment of all class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases.

The superimposable dinucleotide fold domains of MetRS, GlnRS and TyrRS define structurally equivalent amino acids which have been used to constrain the sequence alignments of the 10 class I aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRS). The conservation of those residues which have been shown to be critical in some aaRS enables to predict their location and function in the other synthetases, particularly: i) a conserved negatively-charged residue which binds the alpha-amino group of the amino acid substrate; ii) conserved residues within the inserted domain bridging the two halves of the dinucleotide-binding fold; and iii) conserved residues in the second half of the fold which bind the amino acid and ATP substrate. The alignments also indicate that the class I synthetases may be partitioned into two subgroups: a) MetRS, IleRS, LeuRS, ValRS, CysRS and ArgRS; b) GlnRS, GluRS, TyrRS and TrpRS.

Improving multiple isomorphous replacement phasing by heavy-atom refinement using solvent-flattened phases.

Solvent flattening of macromolecular MIR electron density maps is frequently used to improve the quality of the phases and the interpretability of resultant electron density maps. A new method is presented by which the heavy-atom parameters of isomorphous derivatives are refined against these same solvent-flattened phases and is shown to enhance convergence of the parameters by decoupling heavy-atom-parameter adjustment from parent-phase calculation. This approach is described here in the first example of its application in the solution of the glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase-tRNA(Gln)-ATP co-crystal structure.

Crystallographic snapshots along a protein-induced DNA-bending pathway.

Two new high-resolution cocrystal structures of EcoRV endonuclease bound to DNA show that a large variation in DNA-bending angles is sampled in the ground state binary complex. Together with previous structures, these data reveal a contiguous series of protein conformational states delineating a specific trajectory for the induced-fit pathway. Rotation of the DNA-binding domains, together with movements of two symmetry-related helices binding in the minor groove, causes base unstacking at a key base-pair step and propagates structural changes that assemble the active sites. These structures suggest a complex mechanism for DNA bending that depends on forces generated by interacting protein segments, and on selective neutralization of phosphate charges along the inner face of the bent double helix.

Alternative designs for construction of the class II transfer RNA tertiary core.

The structural requirements for assembly of functional class II transfer RNA core regions have been examined by sequence analysis and tested by reconstruction of alternative folds into the tertiary domain of Escherichia coli tRNA(2)Gln. At least four distinct designs have been identified that permit stable folding and efficient synthetase recognition, as assessed by thermal melting profiles and glutaminylation kinetics. Although most large variable-arm tRNAs found in nature possess an enlarged D-loop, lack of this feature can be compensated for by insertion of nucleotides either 3' to the variable loop or within the short acceptor/D-stem connector region. Rare pyrimidines at nt 9 in the core region can be accommodated in the class II framework, but only if specific nucleotides are present either in the D-loop or 3' to the variable arm. Glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase requires one or two unpaired uridines 3' to the variable arm to efficiently aminoacylate several of the class II frameworks. Because there are no specific enzyme contacts in the tRNAGln core region, these data suggest that tRNA discrimination by GlnRS depends in part on indirect readout of RNA sequence information.

Recognition of flanking DNA sequences by EcoRV endonuclease involves alternative patterns of water-mediated contacts.

The 2.1-A cocrystal structure of EcoRV endonuclease bound to 5'-CGGGATATCCC, in a crystal lattice isomorphous with the cocrystallized undecamer 5'-AAAGATATCTT previously determined, shows novel base recognition in the major groove of the DNA flanking the GATATC target site. Lys104 of the enzyme interacts through water molecules with the exocyclic N-4 amino groups of flanking cytosines. Steric exclusion of water molecule-binding sites by the 5-methyl group of thymine drives the adoption of alternative water-mediated contacts with AT versus GC flanks. This structure provides a rare example of structural adaptability in the recognition of different DNA sequences by a protein and suggests preferred strategies for the expansion of target site specificity by EcoRV.

Catalytic roles of divalent metal ions in phosphoryl transfer by EcoRV endonuclease.

The rate constant for the phosphoryl transfer step in site-specific DNA cleavage by EcoRV endonuclease has been determined as a function of pH and identity of the required divalent metal ion cofactor, for both wild-type and T93A mutant enzymes. These measurements show bell-shaped pH-rate curves for each enzyme in the presence of Mg2+ as a cofactor, indicating general base catalysis for the nucleophilic attack of hydroxide ion on the scissile phosphate, and general acid catalysis for protonation of the leaving 3'-O anion. The kinetic data support a model for phosphoryl transfer based on wild-type and T93A cocrystal structures, in which the ionizations of two distinct metal-ligated waters respectively generate the attacking hydroxide ion and the proton for donation to the leaving group. The model concurs with recent observations of two metal ions bound in the active sites of the type II restriction endonucleases BamHI and BglI, suggesting the possibility of a similar catalytic mechanism functioning in many or all members of this enzyme family.

Tertiary core rearrangements in a tight binding transfer RNA aptamer.

Guided by an in vitro selection experiment designed to obtain tight binding aptamers of Escherichia coli glutamine specific tRNA (tRNAGln) for glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS), we have engineered a tRNA mutant in which the five-nucleotide variable loop sequence 5'-44CAUUC48-3' is replaced by 5'-44AGGU48-3'. This mutant tRNA binds to GlnRS with 30-fold improved affinity compared to the wild type. The 2.7 A cocrystal structure of the RNA aptamer-GlnRS complex reveals major rearrangements in the central tertiary core of the tRNA, while maintaining an RNA-protein interface identical to the wild type. The repacked RNA core features a novel hydrogen bonding arrangement of the trans Levitt pair G15-U48, a new sulfate binding pocket in the major groove, and increased hydrophobic stacking interactions among the bases. These data suggest that enhanced protein binding to a mutant globular RNA can arise from stabilization of RNA tertiary interactions rather than optimization of RNA-protein contacts.

Structural basis of anticodon loop recognition by glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase.

The refined crystal structure of Escherichia coli glutaminyl transfer RNA synthetase complexed with transfer RNA(Gln) and ATP reveals that the structure of the anticodon loop of the enzyme-bound tRNA(Gln) differs extensively from that of the known crystal structures of uncomplexed tRNA molecules. The anticodon stem is extended by two non-Watson-Crick base pairs, leaving the three anti-codon bases unpaired and splayed out to bind snugly into three separate complementary pockets in the protein. These interactions suggest that the entire anticodon loop provides essential sites for glutaminyl tRNA synthetase discrimination among tRNA molecules.