Solution structure of the glucocorticoid receptor DNA-binding domain.

The three-dimensional structure of the DNA-binding domain (DBD) of the glucocorticoid receptor has been determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and distance geometry. The structure of a 71-residue protein fragment containing two "zinc finger" domains is based on a large set of proton-proton distances derived from nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectra, hydrogen bonds in previously identified secondary structure elements, and coordination of two zinc atoms by conserved cysteine residues. The DBD is found to consist of a globular body from which the finger regions extend. A model of the dimeric complex between the DBD and the glucocorticoid response element is proposed. The model is consistent with previous results indicating that specific amino acid residues of the DBD are involved in protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions.

The solution structure of the amino-terminal HHCC domain of HIV-2 integrase: a three-helix bundle stabilized by zinc.

BACKGROUND: Integrase mediates a crucial step in the life cycle of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The enzyme cleaves the viral DNA ends in a sequence-dependent manner and couples the newly generated hydroxyl groups to phosphates in the target DNA. Three domains have been identified in HIV integrase: an amino-terminal domain, a central catalytic core and a carboxy-terminal DNA-binding domain. The amino-terminal region is the only domain with unknown structure thus far. This domain, which is known to bind zinc, contains a HHCC motif that is conserved in retroviral integrases. Although the exact function of this domain is unknown, it is required for cleavage and integration. RESULTS: The three-dimensional structure of the amino-terminal domain of HIV-2 integrase has been determined using two-dimensional and three-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance data. We obtained 20 final structures, calculated using 693 nuclear Overhauser effects, which display a backbone root-mean square deviation versus the average of 0.25 A for the well defined region. The structure consists of three alpha helices and a helical turn. The zinc is coordinated with His 12 via the N epsilon 2 atom, with His16 via the N delta 1 atom and with the sulfur atoms of Cys40 and Cys43. The alpha helices form a three-helix bundle that is stabilized by this zinc-binding unit. The helical arrangement is similar to that found in the DNA-binding domains of the trp repressor, the prd paired domain and Tc3A transposase. CONCLUSION: The amino-terminal domain of HIV-2 integrase has a remarkable hybrid structure combining features of a three-helix bundle fold with a zinc-binding HHCC motif. This structure shows no similarity with any of the known zinc-finger structures. The strictly conserved residues of the HHCC motif of retroviral integrases are involved in metal coordination, whereas many other well conserved hydrophobic residues are part of the protein core.

The solution structure of Lac repressor headpiece 62 complexed to a symmetrical lac operator.

BACKGROUND: Lactose repressor protein (Lac) controls the expression of the lactose metabolic genes in Escherichia coli by binding to an operator sequence in the promoter of the lac operon. Binding of inducer molecules to the Lac core domain induces changes in tertiary structure that are propagated to the DNA-binding domain through the connecting hinge region, thereby reducing the affinity for the operator. Protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions involving the hinge region play a crucial role in the allosteric changes occurring upon induction, but have not, as yet, been analyzed in atomic detail. RESULTS: We have used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and restrained molecular dynamics (rMD) to determine the structure of the Lac repressor DNA-binding domain (headpeice 62; HP62) in complex with a symmetrized lac operator. Analysis of the structures reveals specific interactions between Lac repressor and DNA that were not found in previously investigated Lac repressor-DNA complexes. Important differences with the previously reported structures of the HP56-DNA complex were found in the loop following the helix-turn-helix (HTH) motif. The protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions involving the hinge region and the deformations in the DNA structure could be delineated in atomic detail. The structures were also used for comparison with the available crystallographic data on the Lac and Pur repressor-DNA complexes. CONCLUSIONS: The structures of the HP62-DNA complex provide the basis for a better understanding of the specific recognition in the Lac repressor-operator complex. In addition, the structural features of the hinge region provide detailed insight into the protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions responsible for the high affinity of the repressor for operator DNA.

The solution structure of serine protease PB92 from Bacillus alcalophilus presents a rigid fold with a flexible substrate-binding site.

BACKGROUND: Research on high-alkaline proteases, such as serine protease PB92, has been largely inspired by their industrial application as protein-degrading components of washing powders. Serine protease PB92 is a member of the subtilase family of enzymes, which has been extensively studied. These studies have included exhaustive protein engineering investigations and X-ray crystallography, in order to provide insight into the mechanism and specificity of enzyme catalysis. Distortions have been observed in the substrate-binding region of subtilisin crystal structures, due to crystal contacts. In addition, the structural variability in the substrate-binding region of subtilisins is often attributed to flexibility. It was hoped that the solution structure of this enzyme would provide further details about the conformation of this key region and give new insights into the functional properties of these enzymes. RESULTS: The three-dimensional solution structure of the 269-residue (27 kDa) serine protease PB92 has been determined using distance and dihedral angle constraints derived from triple-resonance NMR data. The solution structure is represented by a family of 18 conformers which overlay onto the average structure with backbone and all-heavy-atom root mean square deviations (for the main body of the molecule) of 0.88 and 1.21 A, respectively. The family of structures contains a number of regions of relatively high conformational heterogeneity, including various segments that are involved in the formation of the substrate-binding site. The presence of flexibility within these segments has been established from NMR relaxation parameters and measurements of amide proton exchange rates. CONCLUSIONS: The solution structure of the serine protease PB92 presents a well defined global fold which is rigid with the exception of a restricted number of sites. Among the limited number of residues involved in significant internal mobility are those of two pockets, termed S1 and S4, within the substrate-binding site. The presence of flexibility within the binding site supports the proposed induced fit mechanism of substrate binding.

Electron-transfer processes in carboxy-cytochrome c oxidase after photodissociation of cytochrome a3 2+ . CO.

Under continuous illumination the CO binding curve of reduced carboxy-cytochrome c oxidase maintains the shape of the binding curve in the dark. The apparent dissociation constant calculated from the binding curves at various light intensities is a linear function of the light intensity. Marked differences are observed between the light-induced difference spectra of the fully reduced carboxy-cytochrome c oxidase and the mixed-valence carboxy-cytochrome c oxidase. These differences are enhanced in the presence of ferricyanide as an electron acceptor and are explained by partial oxidation of cytochrome a3 in the mixed-valence enzyme after photodissociation. Upon addition of CO to partially reduced formate cytochrome c oxidase (a2+a3 3+ . HCOOH) the cytochrome a3 2+. CO compound is formed completely with a concomitant oxidation of cytochrome a and the Cu associated with cytochrome a. During photodissociation of the CO compound the formate rebinds to cytochrome a3 and cytochrome a and its associated Cu are simultaneously reduced. These electron transfer processes are fully reversible since in the dark the a3 3+ . HCOOH compound is dissociated slowly with a concomitant formation of the a3 2+ . CO compound and oxidation of cytochrome a. When these experiments are carried out in the presence of cytochrome c, both cytochrome c and cytochrome a are reduced upon illumination of the mixed-valence carboxy-cytochrome c oxidase. In the dark both cytochrome c and cytochrome a are reoxidized when formate dissociates from cytochrome a3 and the a2+ 3 . CO compound is formed back. Thus, in this system we are able to reverse and to modulate the redox state of the different components of the final part of the respiratory chain by light.

Electron transfer after flash photolysis of mixed-valence carboxycytochrome c oxidase.

The light-induced difference spectra of the fully reduced (a2+ a23+-CO) complex and the mixed-valence carboxycytochrome c oxidase (a3+ a23+-CO) during steady-state illumination and after flash photolysis showed marked differences. The differences appear to be due to electron transfer between the redox centres in the enzyme. The product of the absorbance coefficient and the quantum yield was found to be equal in both enzyme species, both when determined from the rates of photolysis and from the values of the dissociation constants of the cytochrome a23+-CO complex. This would confirm that the spectral properties of cytochrome a3 are not affected by the redox state of cytochrome a and CuA. When the absorbance changes after photolysis of cytochrome a23+-CO with a laser flash were followed on a time scale from 1 mus to 1 s in the fully reduced carboxycytochrome c oxidase, only the CO recombination reaction was observed. However, in the mixed-valence enzyme an additional fast absorbance change (k = 7 X 10(3) s-1) was detected. The kinetic difference spectrum of this fast change showed a peak at 415 nm and a trough at 445 nm, corresponding to oxidation of cytochrome a3. Concomitantly, a decrease of the 830 nm band was observed due to reduction of CuA. This demonstrates that in the partially reduced enzyme a pathway is present between CuA and the cytochrome a3-CuB pair, via which electrons are transferred rapidly.

EPR studies of the photodissociation reactions of cytochrome c oxidase-nitric oxide complexes.

Three complexes of NO with cytochrome c oxidase are described which are all photodissociable at low temperatures as measured by EPR. The EPR parameters of the cytochrome a2+(3)-NO complex are the same both in the fully reduced enzyme and in the mixed-valence enzyme. The kinetics of photodissociation of cytochrome a2+(3)-NO and recombination of NO with cytochrome a2+(3) (in the 30-70 K region) revealed no differences in structure between cytochrome a2+(3) in the fully reduced and the mixed-valence states. The action spectrum of the photodissociation of cytochrome a2+(3)-NO as measured by EPR has maxima at 595, 560 and 430 nm, and corresponds to the absorbance spectrum of cytochrome a2+(3)-NO. Photodissociation of cytochrome a2+(3)-NO in the mixed-valence enzyme changes the EPR intensity at g 3.03, due to electron transfer from cytochrome a2+(3) to cytochrome a3+. The extent of electron transfer was found to be temperature dependent. This suggests that a conformational change is coupled to this electron transfer. The complex of NO with oxidized cytochrome c oxidase shows a photodissociation reaction and recombination of NO (in the 20-40 K region) which differ completely from those observed in cytochrome a2+(3)-NO. The observed recombination occurs at a temperature 15 K lower than that found for the cytochrome a2+(3)-NO complex. The action spectrum of the oxidized complex shows a novel spectrum with maxima at 640 and below 400 nm; it is assigned to a Cu2+B-NO compound. The triplet species with delta ms = 2 EPR signals at g 4 and delta ms = 1 signals at g 2.69 and 1.67, that is observed in partially reduced cytochrome c oxidase treated with azide and NO, can also be photodissociated.

Ligand-binding effects on the kringle 4 domain from human plasminogen: a study by laser photo-CIDNP 1H-NMR spectroscopy.

Photo-chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (photo-CIDNP) one-dimensional and two-dimensional (2D) 1H-NMR techniques have been applied to the study of the kringle 4 domain of human plasminogen both ligand-free and complexed to the antifibrinolytic drugs epsilon-aminocaproic acid and p-benzylaminesulfonic acid (BASA). A number of aromatic side-chains (His3, Trp72, Tyr41, Tyr50 and Tyr74) appear to be exposed and accessible to 3-N-carboxymethyl-lumiflavin, the photopolarizing flavin dye, both in the presence and in the absence of ligands. A lesser exposure is observed for the Trp25 and Trp62 indole groups in the presence of BASA. The spin-spin (J-coupling) and dipolar (Overhauser) connectivities in the 2D experiments afford absolute assignment of aromatic resonances for the above residues, as well as of those stemming from the Trp72 ring in the presence of BASA. Moreover, a number of H beta resonances can be identified and sorted according to specific types of amino acid residues.

An EPR study of the photodissociation reactions of oxidised cytochrome c oxidase-nitric oxide complexes.

Complexes of oxidised cytochrome c oxidase with NO in the absence and presence of ligands such as formate, fluoride and cyanide are photodissociable. After photodissociation at 10 K the EPR spectrum of the high-spin cytochrome a3+3 in the absence of ligands or in the presence of fluoride or formate disappears - as does the EPR spectrum of the low-spin cytochrome a3+3 in the presence of cyanide. The action spectra of the photodissociation reaction of these complexes show slight differences but all have maxima at 640-660 nm and below 400 nm, and are assigned to a diamagnetic Cu+B-NO+ complex. The differences in the action spectra in the presence of various ligands are due to binding of these anions to the cytochrome (a3-CuB) couple. The disappearance of the cytochrome a3 signal upon photodissociation of the Cu+B-NO+ complex is explained by a magnetic interaction between cytochrome a3+3 and Cu2+B in the photodissociated complex. The temperature at which NO recombines with Cu2+B is about 30 K and slightly affected by the presence of added ligands. It is suggested that in the oxidised ligand-cytochrome c oxidase complexes the coupling ligand between cytochrome a3+3 and Cu2+B is cyanide, fluoride and formate. The observation that two ligands may bind simultaneously to the cytochrome a3-CuB couple leads to further support for the notion that during turnover of cytochrome c oxidase both metal ions are involved in binding and reduction of oxygen.

The cytochrome c oxidase-azide-nitric oxide complex as a model for the oxygen-binding site.

The complex of cytochrome c oxidase with NO and azide has been studied by EPR at 9.2 and 35 GHz. This complex which shows delta ms = 2 EPR triplet and strong anisotropic signals, due to the interaction of cytochrome a2+3 X NO (S = 1/2) and Cu2+B (S = 1/2), is photodissociable . Its action spectrum is similar to that of cytochrome a2+3 X NO with bands at 430, 560 and 595 nm, but shows an additional band in the near ultraviolet region. The quantum yield of the photodissociation process of cytochrome a2+3 X NO in the metal pair appears to depend on the redox state of CuB. When the photolysed sample was warmed to 77 K, a complex was observed with the EPR parameters of cytochrome a3+3 - N-3 - Cu1 +B (S = 1/2). This process of electron and ligand transfer can be reversed by heating the sample to 220 K. It is suggested that in the triplet species azide is bound to Cu2+B whereas NO is bridged between Cu2+B and the haem iron of the cytochrome a2+3. The complex has a triplet ground state and a singlet excited state with an exchange interaction J = -7.1 cm-1 between both spins. The anisotropy in the EPR spectra is mainly due to a magnetic dipole-dipole interaction between cytochrome a2+3 X NO and Cu2+B. From simulations of the triplet EPR spectra obtained at 9 and 35 GHz, a value for the distance between the nitroxide radical and Cu2+B of 0.33 nm was found. A model of the NO binding in the cytochrome a3-Cu pair shows a distance between the haem iron of cytochrome a3 and CuB of 0.45 nm. It is concluded that the cytochrome a3-CuB pair forms a cage in which the dioxygen molecule is bidentate coordinated to the two metals during the catalytic reaction.

The peroxidation of thiocyanate catalysed by myeloperoxidase and lactoperoxidase.

Peroxidation of SCN- to OSCN-, catalysed by myeloperoxidase and lactoperoxidase, was studied. The rate of this reaction showed sharp optima between pH 5 and 7.5, the position of which is determined by the concentrations of both SCN- and H2O2. At low pH values, both SCN- and H+ inhibited myeloperoxidase and lactoperoxidase competitively with respect to H2O2. The inhibition constants of SCN- for myeloperoxidase and lactoperoxidase (2 and 6 mM, respectively) are independent of pH. For these enzymes a Ki for H+ of 1 microM was found that corresponded to an ionisable group on the enzymes (pKa = 6) which controls the enzymic activity. A kinetic expression is proposed that explains most of the data. The physiological consequences of the corresponding mechanism are discussed.

The effect of pH and ionic strength on the pre-steady-state reaction of cytochrome c and cytochrome aa3.

(1) In the pH range between 5.0 and 8.0, the rate constants for the reaction of ferrocytochrome c with both the high- and low-affinity sites on the cytochrome aa3 increased by a factor of approx. 2 per pH unit. (2) The pre-steady-state reaction between ferrocytochrome c and cytochrome aa3 did nt cause a change in the pH of an unbuffered medium. Furthermore, it was found that this reaction and the steady-state reaction are equally fast in H2O and 2H2O. From these results it was concluded that no protons are directly involved in a rate-determining reaction step. (3) Arrhenius plots show that the reaction between ferrocytochrome c and cytochrome aa3 requires a higher enthalpy of activation at temperatures below 20 degrees C (15--16 kcal/mol) as compared to that at higher temperature (9 kcal/mol). We found no effect of ionic strength on the activation enthalpy of the pre-steady-state reaction, nor on that of the steady-state reaction. This suggests that ionic strength does not change the character of these reactions, but merely affects the electrostatic interaction between both cytochromes.

Hydration dynamics of the collagen triple helix by NMR.

The hydration of the collagen-like Ac-(Gly-Pro-Hyp)(6)-NH(2) triple-helical peptide in solution was investigated using an integrated set of high-resolution NMR hydration experiments, including different recently developed exchange-network editing methods. This approach was designed to explore the hydration dynamics in the proximity of labile groups, such as the hydroxyproline hydroxyl group, and revealed that the first shell of hydration in collagen-like triple helices is kinetically labile with upper limits for water molecule residence times in the nanosecond to sub-nanosecond range. This result is consistent with a "hopping" hydration model in which solvent molecules are exchanged in and out of solvation sites at a rate that is not directly correlated to the degree of site localization. The hopping model thus reconciles the dynamic view of hydration revealed by NMR with the previously suggested partially ordered semi-clathrate-like cylinder of hydration. In addition, the nanosecond to sub-nanosecond upper limits for water molecule residence times imply that hydration-dehydration events are not likely to be the rate-limiting step for triple helix self-recognition, complementing previous investigations on water dynamics in collagen fibers. This study has also revealed labile proton features expected to facilitate the characterization of the structure and folding of triple helices in collagen peptides.

Refined structure of lac repressor headpiece (1-56) determined by relaxation matrix calculations from 2D and 3D NOE data: change of tertiary structure upon binding to the lac operator.

The solution structure of the DNA binding domain of lac repressor (headpiece 1-56; HP56) has been refined using data from 2D and 3D NMR spectroscopy. The structure was derived from 1546 restraints (giving an average of 27.6 per residue), comprising 389 intraresidual, 402 sequential, 385 medium range and 325 long range distance restraints and also 30 phi and 15 chi 1 dihedral angle restraints. The structures were determined by the method of direct refinement against nuclear Overhauser enhancement peak volumes with the program DINOSAUR. The final set of 32 selected structures displayed an r.m.s. deviation from the average of 0.43(+/-0.08) A angstroms (backbone) and 0.95(+/-0.08) angstroms (all heavy atoms) for the best defined region of the protein (residues 3 to 49). The ensemble R-factor was 0.35, which indicates close correspondence with the experimental data. The structures revealed good stereochemical qualities. The conformations of the NMR structures of free and DNA complexed lac repressor headpiece were compared. The regions comprising the secondary structure elements show close correspondence for both conformations. However, the conformation of the loop between helix II and III changes considerably upon complexation of the headpiece. This change in the conformation of the loop in lac HP56 is essential for binding of the side-chains of residues Asn25 and His29 to the lac operator DNA. Finally, the lac headpiece residues that are intolerant to mutations were analysed. Most of these mutation-sensitive residues are important for a correct folding of the headpiece region, and a number of these residues are also involved in contacting the operator DNA.

Complex of lac repressor headpiece with a 14 base-pair lac operator fragment studied by two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance.

Two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectra are presented of the complex of lac repressor headpiece with a 14 base-pair lac operator fragment. Analysis of nuclear Overhauser enhancements observed between protein and DNA shows that the second helix of the headpiece ("the recognition helix") binds in the major groove of DNA as has been suggested, but that the orientation of this helix is approximately 180 degrees different from the proposed models.

Altered flexibility in the substrate-binding site of related native and engineered high-alkaline Bacillus subtilisins.

High-alkaline serine proteases have been successfully applied as protein degrading components of detergent formulations and are subject to extensive protein engineering efforts to improve their stability and performance. Dynamics has been suggested to play an important role in determining enzyme activity and specificity and it is therefore of interest to establish how local changes in internal mobility affect protein stability, specificity and performance. Here we present the dynamic properties of the 269 residue serine proteases subtilisin PB92 (Maxacal(TM)) and subtilisin BLS (Savinase(TM)), secreted by Bacillus lentus, and an engineered quadruple variant, DSAI, that has improved washing performance. T1, T2 and heteronuclear NOE measurements of the 15N nuclei indicate that for all three proteins the majority of the backbone is very rigid, with only a limited number of residues being involved in local mobility. Many of the residues that constitute the S1 and S4 pockets, determining substrate specificity, are flexible in solution. In contrast, the backbone amides of the residues that constitute the catalytic triad do not exhibit any motion. Subtilisins PB92, BLS and DSAI demonstrate similar but not identical NMR relaxation rates. A detailed analysis of local flexibility indicates that the motion of residues Thr143 and Ala194 becomes more restricted in subtilisin BLS and DSAI. Noteworthy, the loop regions involved in substrate binding become more structured in the engineered variant as compared with the two native proteases, suggesting a relation between altered dynamics and performance. Similar conclusions have been established by X-ray crystallograpic methods, as shown in the accompanying paper.

MONTY: a Monte Carlo approach to protein-DNA recognition.

A Monte Carlo method is described for automated docking of proteins on DNA. The simulation program MONTY keeps the entire DNA and the protein backbone and core fixed while protein surface side-chains are allowed to rotate freely. The entire protein is rotated and translated by small random steps in order to find the best fit with the DNA. New configurations are accepted on basis of their Boltzmann probability. Protein-DNA interaction is represented by square well potentials for hydrogen bond and van der Waals interactions. The structure with the largest interaction energy encountered during the simulation is saved. The method is tested on complexes of the 434 Cro protein and its operator DNA where the protein is shifted up or down one or two base-pairs and is subsequently allowed to find back its native binding site. This protocol is performed for shifted complexes derived from the crystal structure, shifted complexes where the crystal structure DNA is replaced by standard B-DNA and shifted complexes where in addition the protein is replaced by protein from the uncomplexed crystal structure. In all three cases the six lowest energy structures correspond to complexes close to the native complex. The quality of sequence specific recognition diminishes, however, when the molecular surface complementarity between protein and DNA decreases.

High-resolution structure of the phosphorylated form of the histidine-containing phosphocarrier protein HPr from Escherichia coli determined by restrained molecular dynamics from NMR-NOE data.

The solution structure of the phosphorylated form of the histidine-containing phosphocarrier protein, HPr, from Escherichia coli has been determined by NMR in combination with restrained molecular dynamics simulations. The structure of phospho-HPr (P-HPr) results from a molecular dynamics simulation in water, using time-dependent distance restraints to attain agreement with the measured NOEs. Experimental restraints were identified from both three-dimensional 1H-1H-15N HSQC-NOESY and two-dimensional 1H-1HNOESY spectra, and compared with those of the unphosphorylated form. Structural changes upon phosphorylation of HPr are limited to the active site, as evidenced by changes in chemical shifts, in 3JNHH alpha-coupling constants and NOE patterns. Chemical shift changes were obtained mainly for protons that were positioned close to the phosphoryl group attached to the His15 imidazole ring. Differences could be detected in the intensity of the NOEs involving the side-chain protons of His15 and Pro18, resulting from a change in the relative position of the two rings. In addition, a small change could be detected in the three-bond J-coupling between the amide proton and the H alpha proton of Thr16 and Arg17 upon phosphorylation, in agreement with the changes of the phi torsion angle of these two residues obtained from time-averaged restrained molecular dynamics simulations in water. The proposed role of the torsion-angle strain at residue 16 in the mechanism of Streptococcus faecalis HPr is not supported by these results. In contrast, phosphorylation seems to introduce torsion angle strain at residue His15. This strain could facilitate the transfer of the phosphoryl group to the A-domain at enzyme II. The phospho-histidine is not stabilised by hydrogen bonds to the side-chain group of Arg17; instead stable hydrogen bonds are formed between the phosphate group and the backbone amide protons of Thr16 and Arg17, which show the largest changes in chemical shift upon phosphorylation, and a hydrogen bond involving the side-chain O gamma proton of Thr16. HPr accepts the phosphoryl group from enzyme I and donates it subsequently to the A domain of various enzyme II species. The binding site for EI on HPr resembles that of the A domain of the mannitol-specific enzyme II, as can be concluded from the changes on the amide proton and nitrogen chemical shifts observed via heteromolecular single-quantum coherence spectroscopy.

Nuclear magnetic resonance solution structure of the Arc repressor using relaxation matrix calculations.

The Arc repressor of Salmonella bacteriophage P22 is a dimeric sequence-specific DNA-binding protein. The solution structure of Arc has been determined from 2D NMR data using an "ensemble" iterative relaxation matrix approach (IRMA) followed by direct NOE refinement with DINOSAUR. A set of 51 structures was generated with distance geometry and further refined with a combination of restrained energy minimization and restrained molecular dynamics in a parallel refinement protocol. Distance constraints were obtained from an extensive set of NOE build-ups in H2O and 2H2O via relaxation matrix calculations from the ensemble of structures. Methyl group rotation, aromatic ring flaps and internal mobility effects (via order parameters obtained from a free molecular dynamics run in water) were included in these calculations. The best structures were finally refined with direct NOE constraints following a slow-cooling simulated annealing protocol. In this final refinement stage, theoretical NOE intensities were directly compared with the experimental data and forces were derived using a simple two-spin approximation for the gradient of the NOE function. Dynamic assignment was applied to the peaks involving unassigned diastereotopic groups. The structure is determined to a precision (r.m.s.d. from the average excluding the ill defined C and N-terminal region) of 0.55 and 1.10 A for backbone and all atoms, respectively. The final structures, with R factor values around 0.35, have good stereochemical qualities, contain an extensive network of hydrogen bonds consistent with the secondary structure elements and structural features in concordance with genetic data. The overall folding of the solution and crystal structures is the same.

Structure of the complex of lac repressor headpiece and an 11 base-pair half-operator determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and restrained molecular dynamics.

The structure of the complex of lac repressor headpiece and an 11 base-pair lac half-operator has been determined by NMR spectroscopy and restrained Molecular Dynamics calculations. In total 508 distances were derived from two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement measurements, 260 of which are within the headpiece, 212 within the operator and 36 between operator and headpiece. An equilibrium restrained Molecular Dynamics calculation of the complex in aqueous solution, spanning 85 picoseconds, has been used to analyze the structure. Configuration sampling by an annealing procedure has been undertaken as well in order to estimate the precision of the structure determination. Our data confirm the results of previous two-dimensional NMR studies that the orientation of the recognition helix of lac repressor in the major groove of DNA with respect to the operator dyad axis is opposite to the orientation found in complexes of other DNA binding proteins of the helix-turn-helix class. We find a number of tight contacts between the protein and the operator that are in agreement with the available genetic and biochemical data. The anchoring of lac headpiece on the operator is similar to that of other repressors. Other features are unique for lac headpiece: relative few direct hydrogen bonds between side-chains and bases; extensive apolar contacts; many direct and water-bridged contacts to phosphates from residues in or close to the recognition helix. Overall, an interconnected set of interactions is observed, involving base-specific contacts, phosphate contacts, intra-protein and water-bridged hydrogen bonds. Several of these interactions appear to be dynamic, i.e. fluctuating in time, rather than static.