Observed octameric assembly of a Plasmodium yoelii peroxiredoxin can be explained by the replacement of native "ball-and-socket" interacting residues by an affinity tag.

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are ubiquitous and efficient antioxidant enzymes crucial for redox homeostasis in most organisms, and are of special importance for disease-causing parasites that must protect themselves against the oxidative weapons of the human immune system. Here, we describe reanalyses of crystal structures of two Prxs from malaria parasites. In addition to producing improved structures, we provide normalizing explanations for features that had been noted as unusual in the original report of these structures (Qiu et al., BMC Struct Biol 2012;12:2). Most importantly, we provide evidence that the unusual octameric assembly seen for Plasmodium yoelii Prx1a is not physiologically relevant, but arises because the structure is not of authentic P. yoelii Prx1a, but a variant we designate PyPrx1a(N*) that has seven native N-terminal residues replaced by an affinity tag. This N-terminal modification disrupts a previously unrecognized, hydrophobic "ball-and-socket" interaction conserved at the B-type dimer interface of Prx1 subfamily enzymes, and is accommodated by a fascinating two-residue "ß-slip" type register shift in the ß-strand association at a dimer interface. The resulting change in the geometry of the dimer provides a simple explanation for octamer formation. This study illustrates how substantive impacts can occur in protein variants in which native residues have been altered.

Mapping the active site helix-to-strand conversion of CxxxxC peroxiredoxin Q enzymes.

Peroxiredoxins (Prx) make up a family of enzymes that reduce peroxides using a peroxidatic cysteine residue; among these, members of the PrxQ subfamily are proposed to be the most ancestral-like yet are among the least characterized. In many PrxQ enzymes, a second "resolving" cysteine is located five residues downstream from the peroxidatic Cys, and these residues form a disulfide during the catalytic cycle. Here, we describe three hyperthermophilic PrxQ crystal structures originally determined by the RIKEN structural genomics group. We reprocessed the diffraction data and conducted further refinement to yield models with R(free) values lowered by 2.3-7.2% and resolution extended by 0.2-0.3 Å, making one, at 1.4 Å, one of the best resolved peroxiredoxins to date. Comparisons of two matched thiol and disulfide forms reveal that the active site conformational change required for disulfide formation involves a transition of ~20 residues from a pair of α-helices to a ß-hairpin and 3(10)-helix. Each conformation has ~10 residues with a high level of disorder providing slack that allows the dramatic shift, and the two conformations are anchored to the protein core by distinct nonpolar side chains that fill three hydrophobic pockets. Sequence conservation patterns confirm the importance of these and a few additional residues for function. From a broader perspective, this study raises the provocative question of how to make use of the valuable information in the Protein Data Bank generated by structural genomics projects but not described in the literature, perhaps remaining unrecognized and certainly underutilized.

Structural insights into the anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) activity of ceftobiprole.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an antibiotic-resistant strain of S. aureus afflicting hospitals and communities worldwide. Of greatest concern is its development of resistance to current last-line-of-defense antibiotics; new therapeutics are urgently needed to combat this pathogen. Ceftobiprole is a recently developed, latest generation cephalosporin and has been the first to show activity against MRSA by inhibiting essential peptidoglycan transpeptidases, including the ß-lactam resistance determinant PBP2a, from MRSA. Here we present the structure of the complex of ceftobiprole bound to PBP2a. This structure provides the first look at the molecular details of an effective ß-lactam-resistant PBP interaction, leading to new insights into the mechanism of ceftobiprole efficacy against MRSA.

First Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) Neglected Diseases and Innovation Symposium.

Universities Allied for Essential Medicines organized its first Neglected Diseases and Innovation Symposium to address expanding roles of public sector research institutions in innovation in research and development of biomedical technologies for treatment of diseases, particularly neglected tropical diseases. Universities and other public research institutions are increasingly integrated into the pharmaceutical innovation system. Academic entities now routinely undertake robust high-throughput screening and medicinal chemistry research programs to identify lead compounds for small molecule drugs and novel drug targets. Furthermore, product development partnerships are emerging between academic institutions, non-profit entities, and biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to create diagnostics, therapies, and vaccines for diseases of the poor. With not for profit mission statements, open access publishing standards, open source platforms for data sharing and collaboration, and a shift in focus to more translational research, universities and other public research institutions are well-placed to accelerate development of medical technologies, particularly for neglected tropical diseases.

Peroxiredoxins in parasites.

SIGNIFICANCE: Parasite survival and virulence relies on effective defenses against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species produced by the host immune system. Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are ubiquitous enzymes now thought to be central to such defenses and, as such, have potential value as drug targets and vaccine antigens. RECENT ADVANCES: Plasmodial and kinetoplastid Prx systems are the most extensively studied, yet remain inadequately understood. For many other parasites our knowledge is even less well developed. Through parasite genome sequencing efforts, however, the key players are being discovered and characterized. Here we describe what is known about the biochemistry, regulation, and cell biology of Prxs in parasitic protozoa, helminths, and fungi. At least one Prx is found in each parasite with a sequenced genome, and a notable theme is the common patterns of expression, localization, and functionality among sequence-similar Prxs in related species. CRITICAL ISSUES: The nomenclature of Prxs from parasites is in a state of disarray, causing confusion and making comparative inferences difficult. Here we introduce a systematic Prx naming convention that is consistent between organisms and informative about structural and evolutionary relationships. FUTURE DIRECTIONS: The new nomenclature should stimulate the crossfertilization of ideas among parasitologists and with the broader redox research community. The diverse parasite developmental stages and host environments present complex systems in which to explore the variety of roles played by Prxs, with a view toward parlaying what is learned into novel therapies and vaccines that are urgently needed.

A mecA-negative strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with high-level ß-lactam resistance contains mutations in three genes.

We previously generated a ceftobiprole-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain after high inoculum serial passage of a mecA-negative variant of strain COL (R. Banerjee, M. Gretes, L. Basuino, N. Strynadka, and H. F. Chambers, Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 52:2089-2096, 2008). Genome resequencing of this strain, CRB, revealed that it differs from its parent by five single-nucleotide polymorphisms in three genes, specifically, those encoding PBP4, a low-molecular-weight penicillin-binding protein, GdpP, a predicted signaling protein, and AcrB, a cation multidrug efflux transporter. CRB displayed resistance to a variety of ß-lactams but was hypersusceptible to cefoxitin.

Cyclobutanone analogues of beta-lactams revisited: insights into conformational requirements for inhibition of serine- and metallo-beta-lactamases.

The most important mode of bacterial resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics is the expression of beta-lactamases. New cyclobutanone analogues of penams and penems have been prepared and evaluated for inhibition of class A, B, C, and D beta-lactamases. Inhibitors which favor conformations in which the C4 carboxylate is equatorial were found to be more potent than those in which the carboxylate is axial, and molecular modeling studies with enzyme-inhibitor complexes indicate that an equatorial orientation of the carboxylate is required for binding to beta-lactamases. An X-ray structure of OXA-10 complexed with a cyclobutanone confirms that a serine hemiketal is formed in the active site and that the inhibitor adopts the exo envelope. An unsaturated penem analogue was also found to enhance the potency of meropenem against carbapenem-resistant MBL-producing strains of Chryseobacterium meningosepticum and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. These cyclobutanones represent the first type of reversible inhibitors to show moderate (low micromolar) inhibition of both serine- and metallo-beta-lactamases and should be considered for further development into practical inhibitors.

Insights into positive and negative requirements for protein-protein interactions by crystallographic analysis of the beta-lactamase inhibitory proteins BLIP, BLIP-I, and BLP.

Beta-lactamase inhibitory protein (BLIP) binds a variety of beta-lactamase enzymes with wide-ranging specificity. Its binding mechanism and interface interactions are a well-established model system for the characterization of protein-protein interactions. Published studies have examined the binding of BLIP to diverse target beta-lactamases (e.g., TEM-1, SME-1, and SHV-1). However, apart from point mutations of amino acid residues, variability on the inhibitor side of this enzyme-inhibitor interface has remained unexplored. Thus, we present crystal structures of two likely BLIP relatives: (1) BLIP-I (solved alone and in complex with TEM-1), which has beta-lactamase inhibitory activity very similar to that of BLIP; and (2) beta-lactamase-inhibitory-protein-like protein (BLP) (in two apo forms, including an ultra-high-resolution structure), which is unable to inhibit any tested beta-lactamase. Despite categorical differences in species of origin and function, BLIP-I and BLP share nearly identical backbone conformations, even at loop regions differing in BLIP. We describe interacting residues and provide a comparative structural analysis of the interactions formed at the interface of BLIP-I.TEM-1 versus those formed at the interface of BLIP.TEM-1. Along with initial attempts to functionally characterize BLP, we examine its amino acid residues that structurally correspond to BLIP/BLIP-I binding hotspots to explain its inability to bind and inhibit TEM-1. We conclude that the BLIP family fold is a robust and flexible scaffold that permits the formation of high-affinity protein-protein interactions while remaining highly selective. Comparison of the two naturally occurring, distinct binding interfaces built upon this scaffold (BLIP and BLIP-I) shows that there is substantial variation possible in the subnanomolar binding interaction with TEM-1. The corresponding (non-TEM-1-binding) BLP surface shows that numerous favorable backbone-backbone/backbone-side-chain interactions with a protein partner can be negated by the presence of a few, strongly unfavorable interactions, especially electrostatic repulsions.

The global access initiative at the University of British Columbia (UBC): Availability of UBC discoveries and technologies to the developing world.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) became the first university in Canada to develop a strategy for enhancing global access to its technologies. UBC's University-Industry Liaison Office, in collaboration with the UBC chapter of Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM), established a mandate and developed principles that provide the developing world with access to UBC technologies. This commentary will discuss these principles and provide examples of where they have been applied to several UBC technologies.

Structural details of the glycosyltransferase step of peptidoglycan assembly.

The importance of peptidoglycan in forming the basis of the bacterial cell wall has led to many studies investigating its synthesis. The step of cross-linkage via transpeptidation, and its inhibition by penicillins, has been extremely well characterized yet knowledge of the preceding glycosyltransfer reaction remained elusive until recently. The structures of two glycosyltransferase enzymes, catalyzing membrane-based polymerization of the lipid II monomer unit, have presented a means of elucidating the molecular details of this highly desirable antibiotic target. Evidence acquired before the publication of the structures is related here to these new findings, with particular emphasis on the recognition of substrates and inhibitors.

In vitro selection and characterization of ceftobiprole-resistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics because it expresses penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), a low-affinity penicillin-binding protein. An investigational broad-spectrum cephalosporin, ceftobiprole (BPR), binds PBP2a with high affinity and is active against MRSA. We hypothesized that BPR resistance could be mediated by mutations in mecA, the gene encoding PBP2a. We selected BPR-resistant mutants by passage in high-volume broth cultures containing subinhibitory concentrations of BPR. We used strain COLnex (which lacks chromosomal mecA) transformed with pAW8 (a plasmid vector only), pYK20 (a plasmid carrying wild-type mecA), or pYK21 (a plasmid carrying a mutant mecA gene corresponding to five PBP2a mutations). All strains became resistant to BPR by day 9 of passaging, but MICs continued to increase until day 21. MICs increased 256-fold (from 1 to 256 microg/ml) for pAW8, 32-fold (from 4 to 128 microg/ml) for pYK20, and 8-fold (from 16 to 128 mug/ml) for pYK21. Strains carrying wild-type or mutant mecA developed six (pYK20 transformants) or four (pYK21 transformants) new mutations in mecA. The transformation of COLnex with a mecA mutant plasmid conferred BPR resistance, and the loss of mecA converted resistant strains into susceptible ones. Modeling studies predicted that several of the mecA mutations altered BPR binding; other mutations may have mediated resistance by influencing interactions with other proteins. Multiple mecA mutations were associated with BPR resistance in MRSA. BPR resistance also developed in the strain lacking mecA, suggesting a role for chromosomal genes.

Cytochrome f from the Antarctic psychrophile, Chlamydomonas raudensis UWO 241: structure, sequence, and complementation in the mesophile, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Although cytochrome f from the Antarctic psychrophile, Chlamydomonas raudensis UWO 241, exhibits a lower apparent molecular mass (34 kD) than that of the mesophile C. reinhardtii (41 kD) based on SDS-PAGE, both proteins are comparable in calculated molecular mass and show 79% identity in amino acid sequence. The difference in apparent molecular mass was maintained after expression of petA from both Chlamydomonas species in either E. coli or a C. reinhardtii DeltapetA mutant and after substitution of a unique third cysteine-292 to phenylalanine in the psychrophilic cytochrome f. Moreover, the heme of the psychrophilic form of cytochrome f was less stable upon heating than that of the mesophile. In contrast to C. raudensis, a C. reinhardtii DeltapetA mutant transformed with petA from C. raudensis exhibited the ability to undergo state transitions and a capacity for intersystem electron transport comparable to that of C. reinhardtii wild type. However, the C. reinhardtii petA transformants accumulated lower levels of cytochrome b ( 6 ) /f complexes and exhibited lower light saturated rates of O(2) evolution than C. reinhardtii wild type. We show that the presence of an altered form of cytochrome f in C. raudensis does not account for its inability to undergo state transitions or its impaired capacity for intersystem electron transport as previously suggested. A combined survey of the apparent molecular mass, thermal stability and amino acid sequences of cytochrome f from a broad range of mesophilic species shows unequivocally that the observed differences in cytochrome f structure are not related to psychrophilly. Thus, caution must be exercised in relating differences in amino acid sequence and thermal stability to adaptation to cold environments.