Characterization of Mycobacterium leprae RecA intein, a LAGLIDADG homing endonuclease, reveals a unique mode of DNA binding, helical distortion, and cleavage compared with a canonical LAGLIDADG homing endonuclease.

Mycobacterium leprae, which has undergone reductive evolution leaving behind a minimal set of essential genes, has retained intervening sequences in four of its genes implicating a vital role for them in the survival of the leprosy bacillus. A single in-frame intervening sequence has been found embedded within its recA gene. Comparison of the M. leprae recA intervening sequence with the known intervening sequences indicated that it has the consensus amino acid sequence necessary for being a LAGLIDADG-type homing endonuclease. In light of massive gene decay and function loss in the leprosy bacillus, we sought to investigate whether its recA intervening sequence encodes a catalytically active homing endonuclease. Here we show that the purified M. leprae RecA intein (PI-MleI) binds to cognate DNA and displays endonuclease activity in the presence of alternative divalent cations, Mg2+ or Mn2+. A combination of approaches, including four complementary footprinting assays such as DNase I, copper-phenanthroline, methylation protection, and KMnO4, enhancement of 2-aminopurine fluorescence, and mapping of the cleavage site revealed that PI-MleI binds to cognate DNA flanking its insertion site, induces helical distortion at the cleavage site, and generates two staggered double strand breaks. Taken together, these results implicate that PI-MleI possesses a modular structure with separate domains for DNA target recognition and cleavage, each with distinct sequence preferences. From a biological standpoint, it is tempting to speculate that our findings have implications for understanding the evolution of the LAGLIDADG family of homing endonucleases.

Further biochemical characterization of Mycobacterium leprae laminin-binding proteins.

It has been demonstrated that the alpha2 chain of laminin-2 present on the surface of Schwann cells is involved in the process of attachment of Mycobacterium leprae to these cells. Searching for M. leprae laminin-binding molecules, in a previous study we isolated and characterized the cationic proteins histone-like protein (Hlp) and ribosomal proteins S4 and S5 as potential adhesins involved in M. leprae-Schwann cell interaction. Hlp was shown to bind alpha2-laminins and to greatly enhance the attachment of mycobacteria to ST88-14 Schwann cells. In the present study, we investigated the laminin-binding capacity of the ribosomal proteins S4 and S5. The genes coding for these proteins were PCR amplified and their recombinant products were shown to bind alpha2-laminins in overlay assays. However, when tested in ELISA-based assays and in adhesion assays with ST88-14 cells, in contrast to Hlp, S4 and S5 failed to bind laminin and act as adhesins. The laminin-binding property and adhesin capacity of two basic host-derived proteins were also tested, and only histones, but not cytochrome c, were able to increase bacterial attachment to ST88-14 cells. Our data suggest that the alanine/lysine-rich sequences shared by Hlp and eukaryotic H1 histones might be involved in the binding of these cationic proteins to laminin.

Further biochemical characterization of Mycobacterium leprae laminin-binding proteins

It has been demonstrated that the alpha2 chain of laminin-2 present on the surface of Schwann cells is involved in the process of attachment of Mycobacterium leprae to these cells. Searching for M. leprae laminin-binding molecules, in a previous study we isolated and characterized the cationic proteins histone-like protein (Hlp) and ribosomal proteins S4 and S5 as potential adhesins involved in M. leprae-Schwann cell interaction. Hlp was shown to bind alpha2-laminins and to greatly enhance the attachment of mycobacteria to ST88-14 Schwann cells. In the present study, we investigated the laminin-binding capacity of the ribosomal proteins S4 and S5. The genes coding for these proteins were PCR amplified and their recombinant products were shown to bind alpha2-laminins in overlay assays. However, when tested in ELISA-based assays and in adhesion assays with ST88-14 cells, in contrast to Hlp, S4 and S5 failed to bind laminin and act as adhesins. The laminin-binding property and adhesin capacity of two basic host-derived proteins were also tested, and only histones, but not cytochrome c, were able to increase bacterial attachment to ST88-14 cells. Our data suggest that the alanine/lysine-rich sequences shared by Hlp and eukaryotic H1 histones might be involved in the binding of these cationic proteins to laminin

Phosphorylation of Mycobacterium leprae heat-shock 70 protein at threonine 175 alters its substrate binding characteristics.

We have examined the functional properties including autophosphorylation of the Mycobacterium leprae Hsp70 homologue. Recombinant M. leprae Hsp70 had pH optima for its adenosine triphosphatase and autophosphorylating activities which were near pH 8 and 6, respectively. Both these activities were inhibited by reduced and alkylated bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor, but not other tested substrates. Autophosphorylation was augmented by up to 25 mM Ca2+. Using site-directed mutagenesis to construct two Thr-->Ala mutants at positions 175 and 193, and phosphoamino acid analysis, it was shown that Thr175 was the dominant threonine residue autophosphorylated in M. leprae Hsp70. Phosphorylation led to an increased affinity for a model polypeptide substrate, reduced and alkylated bovine albumin. These properties are compared with those of the DnaK protein of Escherichia coli.