Binding and Enhanced Binding between Key Immunity Proteins TRAF6 and TIFA.

Human tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor (TRAF)-interacting protein, with a forkhead-associated domain (TIFA), is a key regulator of NF-κB activation. It also plays a key role in the activation of innate immunity in response to bacterial infection, through heptose 1,7-bisphosphate (HBP); a metabolite of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, the mechanism of TIFA function is largely unexplored, except for the suggestion of interaction with TRAF6. Herein, we provide evidence for direct binding, albeit weak, between TIFA and the TRAF domain of TRAF6, and it is shown that the binding is enhanced for a rationally designed double mutant, TIFA S174Q/M179D. Enhanced binding was also demonstrated for endogenous full-length TRAF6. Furthermore, the structures of the TRAF domain complexes with the consensus TRAF-binding peptides from the C terminus of wild-type and S174Q/M179D mutant TIFA, showing salt-bridge formation between residues 177-181 of TIFA and the binding pocket residues of the TRAF domain, were solved. Taken together, the results provide direct evidence and a structural basis for the TIFA-TRAF6 interaction, and show how this important biological function can be modulated.

A GalNAc/Gal-specific lectin from the sea mussel Crenomytilus grayanus modulates immune response in macrophages and in mice.

A GalNAc/Gal-specific lectin (CGL) from the edible mussel Crenomytilus grayanus has been demonstrated to exhibit antibacterial properties. However, the mechanism of immune modulation by CGL in mammalian cells remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that CGL can activate immune responses in macrophages and in mice. In the in vitro cell models, CGL induced tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 secretion in mouse RAW264.7 macrophages, mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages, human THP-1 macrophages, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and human blood monocyte-derived macrophages. The CGL-mediated cytokine production was regulated by reactive oxygen species, mitogen-activated protein kinases, protein kinase C-α/δ and NF-κB. Interestingly, in lipopolysaccharide-activated macrophages, CGL induced endotoxin tolerance (characterized by the downregulation of nitric oxide, inducible nitric oxide synthase, interleukin-6 and cyclooxygenase II) via the downregulation of IRAK2 expression, JNK1/2 phosphorylation and NF-κB activation. CGL also slightly increased the bactericidal activity of macrophages and induced cytokine production in mouse models. Overall, our data indicate that CGL has the potential to be used as an immune modulator in mammals.

Antroquinonol, a Ubiquinone Derivative from the Mushroom Antrodia camphorata, Inhibits Colon Cancer Stem Cell-like Properties: Insights into the Molecular Mechanism and Inhibitory Targets.

Antroquinonol (ANQ) is a ubiquinone derivative from the unique mushroom Antrodia camphorata, which exhibits broad-spectrum bioactivities. The effects of ANQ on cancer stem cell-like properties in colon cancer, however, remain unclear. In this study, we found that ANQ inhibited growth of colon cancer cells. The 50% growth inhibitions (GI50) of ANQ on HCT15 and LoVo were 34.8 ± 0.07 and 17.9 ± 0.07 µM. Moreover, ANQ exhibited inhibitory activities toward migration/invasion and tumorsphere formation of colon cancer cells. Mechanistically, ANQ inhibited pluripotent and cancer stem cell-related genes and down-regulated ß-catenin/T-cell factor (TCF) signaling. Moreover, activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/ß-catenin signaling axis was identified to be crucial for regulating the expressions of pluripotent genes, whereas suppression of PI3K/AKT by ANQ inhibited expressions of ß-catenin and downstream targets. Molecular docking identified the potential interaction of ANQ with PI3K. Our data show for the first time that the bioactive component of A. camphorata, ANQ, suppresses stem cell-like properties via targeting PI3K/AKT/ß-catenin signaling. ANQ could be a promising cancer prevention agent for colon cancer.

Structural Basis for the Magnesium-Dependent Activation and Hexamerization of the Lon AAA+ Protease.

The Lon AAA+ protease (LonA) plays important roles in protein homeostasis and regulation of diverse biological processes. LonA behaves as a homomeric hexamer in the presence of magnesium (Mg(2+)) and performs ATP-dependent proteolysis. However, it is also found that LonA can carry out Mg(2+)-dependent degradation of unfolded protein substrate in an ATP-independent manner. Here we show that in the presence of Mg(2+) LonA forms a non-secluded hexameric barrel with prominent openings, which explains why Mg(2+)-activated LonA can operate as a diffusion-based chambered protease to degrade unstructured protein and peptide substrates efficiently in the absence of ATP. A 1.85 Å crystal structure of Mg(2+)-activated protease domain reveals Mg(2+)-dependent remodeling of a substrate-binding loop and a potential metal-binding site near the Ser-Lys catalytic dyad, supported by biophysical binding assays and molecular dynamics simulations. Together, these findings reveal the specific roles of Mg(2+) in the molecular assembly and activation of LonA.

A Multivalent Marine Lectin from Crenomytilus grayanus Possesses Anti-cancer Activity through Recognizing Globotriose Gb3.

In this study, we report the structure and function of a lectin from the sea mollusk Crenomytilus grayanus collected from the sublittoral zone of Peter the Great Bay of the Sea of Japan. The crystal structure of C. grayanus lectin (CGL) was solved to a resolution of 1.08 Å, revealing a ß-trefoil fold that dimerizes into a dumbbell-shaped quaternary structure. Analysis of the crystal CGL structures bound to galactose, galactosamine, and globotriose Gb3 indicated that each CGL can bind three ligands through a carbohydrate-binding motif involving an extensive histidine- and water-mediated hydrogen bond network. CGL binding to Gb3 is further enhanced by additional side-chain-mediated hydrogen bonds in each of the three ligand-binding sites. NMR titrations revealed that the three binding sites have distinct microscopic affinities toward galactose and galactosamine. Cell viability assays showed that CGL recognizes Gb3 on the surface of breast cancer cells, leading to cell death. Our findings suggest the use of this lectin in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Synthesis and evaluation of 3-ylideneoxindole acetamides as potent anticancer agents.

Indirubin, an active component in the traditional Chinese medicine formula Danggui Longhui Wan, shows promising anticancer effects. Meisoindigo is an analog derived from indirubin, which is less toxic and appears to be even more potent against cancer. In considering meisoindigo as a structural template for the development of new drugs, we designed and synthesized a series of 3-ylideneoxindole acetamides as novel anticancer agents. The acetamides were then evaluated for in vitro and in vivo anticancer activities. The 3-ylideneoxindole acetamides were found to have better anticancer activity than was indirubin-3'-oxime in several cancer cell lines and also displayed a spectrum of activity similar to that of the drug candidate roscovitine, a CDK inhibitor. Among the 3-ylideneoxindole acetamides, compound 10 showed particularly good efficacy. Cell cycle analysis further revealed that compound 10 arrested cells in the G1 phase and caused an increase in the sub-G1 population, indicating that the apoptosis pathway had been induced. In addition, exposure of cells to compound 10 led to the upregulation of the cell-cycle regulator cyclin D1, which was sustained at a high level. In contrast, the same compound induced a short-term elevation in the level of cyclin E, which was followed by a rapid decrease and the attenuation of Rb phosphorylation. Furthermore, a docking model suggests that compound 10 binds to the active site of CDK4. In testing the therapeutic potency of compound 10 on CT26-xenografted BALB/c mice, a significant reduction in tumor size comparable to that of cisplatin was found when administrated via the i.p. route. The mice presented no loss of body weight, indicating that this compound possesses low toxicity. In the future, we are planning in vivo investigations of these new active anticancer agents to better elucidate active mechanisms at the cellular level and thus benefit the development of anticancer therapies.

Structures of an ATP-independent Lon-like protease and its complexes with covalent inhibitors.

The Lon proteases are a unique family of chambered proteases with a built-in AAA+ (ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities) module. Here, crystal structures of a unique member of the Lon family with no intrinsic ATPase activity in the proteolytically active form are reported both alone and in complexes with three covalent inhibitors: two peptidomimetics and one derived from a natural product. This work reveals the unique architectural features of an ATP-independent Lon that selectively degrades unfolded protein substrates. Importantly, these results provide mechanistic insights into the recognition of inhibitors and polypeptide substrates within the conserved proteolytic chamber, which may aid the development of specific Lon-protease inhibitors.

Up-regulation of neutrophil activating protein in Helicobacter pylori under high-salt stress: structural and phylogenetic comparison with bacterial iron-binding ferritins.

It is generally accepted that most gastrointestinal diseases are probably caused by the bacterial pathogen Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). In this study we have focused on the comparison of protein expression profiles of H. pylori grown under normal and high-salt conditions by a proteomics approach. We have identified about 190 proteins whose expression levels changed after growth at high salt concentration. Among these proteins, neutrophil-activating protein (NapA) was found to be consistently up-regulated under osmotic stress brought by high salts. We have investigated the effect of high salt on secondary and tertiary structures of NapA by circular dichroism spectroscopy followed by analytical ultracentrifugation to monitor the change of quaternary structure of recombinant NapA with increasing salt concentration. The loss of iron-binding activity of NapA coupled with noticeable energetic variation in protein association of NapA as revealed by isothermal titration calorimetry was found under high salt condition. The phylogenetic tree analysis based on sequence comparison of 16 protein sequences encompassing NapA proteins and ferritin of H. pylori and other prokaryotic organisms pointed to the fact that all H. pylori NapA proteins of human origin are more homologous to NapA of Helicobacter genus than to other bacterial NapA. Based on computer modeling, NapA proteins from H. pylori of human isolates are found more similar to ferritin from H. pylori than to NapA from other species of bacteria. Taken together, these results suggested that divergent evolution of NapA and ferritin possessing dissimilar and diverse sequences follows a path distinct from that of convergent evolution of NapA and ferritin with similar dual functionality of iron-binding and ferroxidase activities.

Endopeptidase activity characterization of E. coli-derived infectious bursal disease virus protein 4 tubules.

Viral protein 4 (VP4) is a serine protease that catalyzes the hydrolysis of polyprotein pVP2-VP4-VP3 of infectious bursal disease virus. In this report, the recombinant VP4 with a His-tag and three mutants (VP4-S652A, VP4-K692A and VP4-S652A.K692A) were expressed in Escherichia coli. Soluble VP4 was purified using immobilized metal-ion affinity chromatography or sucrose density gradient following with gel-filtration chromatography. The purified VP4 has a tubular structure with 25-30 nm in width and ∼300 nm in length, as observed by transmission electron microscope. A similar tubular structure was also found for these three mutants. The endopeptidase activity of these VP4 tubules was characterized by fluorescence resonance energy transfer using a synthetic fluorogenic oligopeptide as a substrate. The results show that the tubule-like VP4 is a functional enzyme with K(m) of 43 ± 2 µM and k(cat) of 0.04 ± 0.01 min⁻¹; however, k(cat) of three mutants were significantly reduced. This is the first report to demonstrate that VP4 protein expressed in E. coli can self-assemble into functional tubule-like particles and its activity can be completely inhibited by 1 mM of Ni⁺² ions.

A Lon-like protease with no ATP-powered unfolding activity.

Lon proteases are a family of ATP-dependent proteases involved in protein quality control, with a unique proteolytic domain and an AAA(+) (ATPases associated with various cellular activities) module accommodated within a single polypeptide chain. They were classified into two types as either the ubiquitous soluble LonA or membrane-inserted archaeal LonB. In addition to the energy-dependent forms, a number of medically and ecologically important groups of bacteria encode a third type of Lon-like proteins in which the conserved proteolytic domain is fused to a large N-terminal fragment lacking canonical AAA(+) motifs. Here we showed that these Lon-like proteases formed a clade distinct from LonA and LonB. Characterization of one such Lon-like protease from Meiothermus taiwanensis indicated that it formed a hexameric assembly with a hollow chamber similar to LonA/B. The enzyme was devoid of ATPase activity but retained an ability to bind symmetrically six nucleotides per hexamer; accordingly, structure-based alignment suggested possible existence of a non-functional AAA-like domain. The enzyme degraded unstructured or unfolded protein and peptide substrates, but not well-folded proteins, in ATP-independent manner. These results highlight a new type of Lon proteases that may be involved in breakdown of excessive damage or unfolded proteins during stress conditions without consumption of energy.

Anti-UVC irradiation and metal chelation properties of 6-benzoyl-5,7-dihydroxy-4-phenyl-chromen-2-one: an implications for anti-cataract agent.

Coumarin derivative 1, 5,7-dihydroxy-6-(3-methyl-1-butyryl)-4-phenyl-chromen- 2-one, has been reported to possess radical scavenging activity and DNA protection. We have synthesized a series of coumarins with structural modifications at positions C4, C5, C6 and C7 and evaluated them for their anti-UVC properties. Coumarin 7, 6-benzoyl-5,6-dihydroxy-4-phenyl-chromen-2-one, was found to have the most potent activity in protecting porcine γ-crystallin against UVC insults. Results of fluorescence assays indicated that compound 7 was capable of decreasing the loss of intensity while lens crystallins and DNA PUC19 were irradiated with UVC. Presence of compound 7 decreased hydroxyl radical levels determined by probe 1b and the free iron concentrations determined by Ferrozine reagent. The chelation assay showed that compound 7 was chelated to metal via 6-CO and 5-OH on the benzopyrone ring. The observed protective effects of compound 7 towards crystallins from insults of UVC and free radicals may be due to its iron-chelating activity and its peak absorption at 254 nm.

Role of pirenoxine in the effects of catalin on in vitro ultraviolet-induced lens protein turbidity and selenite-induced cataractogenesis in vivo.

PURPOSE: In this study, we investigated the biochemical pharmacology of pirenoxine (PRX) and catalin under in vitro selenite/calcium- and ultraviolet (UV)-induced lens protein turbidity challenges. The systemic effects of catalin were determined using a selenite-induced cataractogenesis rat model. METHODS: In vitro cataractogenesis assay systems (including UVB/C photo-oxidation of lens crystallins, calpain-induced proteolysis, and selenite/calcium-induced turbidity of lens crystallin solutions) were used to screen the activity of PRX and catalin eye drop solutions. Turbidity was identified as the optical density measured using spectroscopy at 405 nm. We also determined the in vivo effects of catalin on cataract severity in a selenite-induced cataract rat model. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was applied to analyze the integrity of crystallin samples. RESULTS: PRX at 1,000 µM significantly delayed UVC-induced turbidity formation compared to controls after 4 h of UVC exposure (p<0.05), but not in groups incubated with PRX concentrations of <1,000 µM. Results were further confirmed by SDS-PAGE. The absolute γ-crystallin turbidity induced by 4 h of UVC exposure was ameliorated in the presence of catalin equivalent to 1~100 µM PRX in a concentration-dependent manner. Samples with catalin-formulated vehicle only (CataV) and those containing PRX equivalent to 100 µM had a similar protective effect after 4 h of UVC exposure compared to the controls (p<0.05). PRX at 0.03, 0.1, and 0.3 µM significantly delayed 10 mM selenite- and calcium-induced turbidity formation compared to controls on days 0~4 (p<0.05). Catalin (equivalent to 32, 80, and 100 µM PRX) had an initial protective effect against selenite-induced lens protein turbidity on day 1 (p<0.05). Subcutaneous pretreatment with catalin (5 mg/kg) also statistically decreased the mean cataract scores in selenite-induced cataract rats on post-induction day 3 compared to the controls (1.3±0.2 versus 2.4±0.4; p<0.05). However, catalin (equivalent to up to 100 µM PRX) did not inhibit calpain-induced proteolysis activated by calcium, and neither did 100 µM PRX. CONCLUSIONS: PRX at micromolar levels ameliorated selenite- and calcium-induced lens protein turbidity but required millimolar levels to protect against UVC irradiation. The observed inhibition of UVC-induced turbidity of lens crystallins by catalin at micromolar concentrations may have been a result of the catalin-formulated vehicle. Transient protection by catalin against selenite-induced turbidity of crystallin solutions in vitro was supported by the ameliorated cataract scores in the early stage of cataractogenesis in vivo by subcutaneously administered catalin. PRX could not inhibit calpain-induced proteolysis activated by calcium or catalin itself, and may be detrimental to crystallins under UVB exposure. Further studies on formulation modifications of catalin and recommended doses of PRX to optimize clinical efficacy by cataract type are warranted.

Upregulation of a non-heme iron-containing ferritin with dual ferroxidase and DNA-binding activities in Helicobacter pylori under acid stress.

Helicobacter pylori is a spiral Gram-negative microaerophilic bacterium. It is unique and distinctive among various bacterial pathogens for its ability to persist in the extreme acidic environment of human stomachs. To address and identify changes in the proteome of H. pylori in response to low pH, we have used a proteomic approach to study the protein expression of H. pylori under neutral (pH 7) and acidic (pH 5) conditions. Global protein-expression profiles of H. pylori under acid stress were analysed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE) followed by liquid chromatography (LC)-nanoESI-mass spectrometry (MS)/MS and bioinformatics database analysis. Among the proteins differentially expressed under acidic condition, a non-heme iron-containing ferritin of H. pylori (HP-ferritin) was found to be consistently upregulated at pH 5 as compared to pH 7. It was also found that HP-ferritin can switch from an iron-storage protein with ferroxidase activity to a DNA-binding/protection function under in vitro conditions upon exposure to acidic environment. Prokaryotic ferritins, such as non-heme iron-binding HP-ferritin with dual functionality reported herein, may play a significant urease-independent role in the acid adaptation of H. pylori under physiological conditions in vivo.

COOH-terminal truncations and site-directed mutations enhance thermostability and chaperone-like activity of porcine alphaB-crystallin.

PURPOSE: The COOH-terminal extension segment of alphaB-crystallin, a member of small heat shock protein (sHSP) family, appears to be a flexible polypeptide segment susceptible to proteolytic truncation and modifications under physiological conditions. To investigate its role on the structure and chaperone-like activity, we constructed various mutants of porcine alphaB-crystallin with either COOH-terminal serial truncations or site-specific mutagenesis on the last two residues. METHODS: The structures of these mutants were analyzed by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, fluorescence spectra, mass spectrometry, Gel-permeation FPLC, and dynamic light-scattering spectrophotometry. Chaperone activity assays were performed under thermal and non-thermal stresses. The stability of proteins was examined by turbidity assays and CD spectra. RESULTS: All mutants showed similar secondary and tertiary structural features to the wild-type alphaB-crystallin as revealed by circular dichroism. However, truncations of the COOH-terminal segment generated crystallin aggregates with a molecular size slightly smaller than that of the wild-type alphaB-crystallin. The deletion of 12 residues from the COOH-terminal end greatly reduced the solubility, thermostability, and chaperone activity of alphaB-crystallin. On the contrary, the truncation of only 10 residues or less resulted in increased thermostability and enhanced anti-aggregation chaperone activity of alphaB-crystallin, with a maximal effect occurring on elimination of the last two residues. Moreover, displacing the last two lysines with glutamates or other neutral amino acids tended to show even higher chaperone activity than the deletion mutants. CONCLUSIONS: Our study clearly demonstrated that both the length and electrostatic charge of the COOH-terminal segment play crucial roles in governing the structural stability and chaperone activity of alphaB-crystallin.

The N-terminal sequence after residue 247 plays an important role in structure and function of Lon protease from Brevibacillus thermoruber WR-249.

Previous studies on the N-terminal domain of Lon proteases have not clearly identified its function. Here we constructed randomly chosen N-terminal-truncated mutants of the Lon protease from Brevibacillus thermoruber WR-249 to elucidate the structure-function relationship of this domain. Mutants lacking amino acids from 1 to 247 of N terminus retained significant peptidase and ATPase activities, but lost approximately 90% of protease activity. Further truncation of the protein resulted in the loss of all three activities. Mutants lacking amino acids 246-259 or 248-256 also lost all activities and quaternary structure. Our results indicated that amino acids 248-256 (SEVDELRAQ) are important for the full function of the Lon protease.