Implications of a multiscale structure of the yeast nuclear pore complex.

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) direct the nucleocytoplasmic transport of macromolecules. Here, we provide a composite multiscale structure of the yeast NPC, based on improved 3D density maps from cryogenic electron microscopy and AlphaFold2 models. Key features of the inner and outer rings were integrated into a comprehensive model. We resolved flexible connectors that tie together the core scaffold, along with equatorial transmembrane complexes and a lumenal ring that anchor this channel within the pore membrane. The organization of the nuclear double outer ring reveals an architecture that may be shared with ancestral NPCs. Additional connections between the core scaffold and the central transporter suggest that under certain conditions, a degree of local organization is present at the periphery of the transport machinery. These connectors may couple conformational changes in the scaffold to the central transporter to modulate transport. Collectively, this analysis provides insights into assembly, transport, and NPC evolution.

Arabinose- and xylose-modified analogs of 2',3'-cGAMP act as STING agonists.

Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonists are promising candidates for vaccine adjuvants and antitumor immune stimulants. The most potent natural agonist of STING, 2',3'-cyclic GMP-AMP (2',3'-cGAMP), is subject to nuclease-mediated inherent metabolic instability, thereby placing limits on its clinical efficacy. Here, we report on a new class of chemically synthesized sugar-modified analogs of 2',3'-cGAMP containing arabinose and xylose sugar derivatives that bind mouse and human STING alleles with high affinity. The co-crystal structures demonstrate that such analogs act as 2',3'-cGAMP mimetics that induce the "closed" conformation of human STING. These analogs show significant resistance to hydrolysis mediated by ENPP1 and increased stability in human serum, while retaining similar potency as 2',3'-cGAMP at inducing IFN-ß secretion from human THP1 cells. The arabinose- and xylose-modified 2',3'-cGAMP analogs open a new strategy for overcoming the inherent nuclease-mediated vulnerability of natural ribose cyclic nucleotides, with the additional benefit of high translational potential as cancer therapeutics and vaccine adjuvants.

Affinity Isolation of Endogenous Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Nuclear Pore Complexes.

Studying protein complexes in vitro requires the production of a relatively pure sample that maintains the full complement, native organization, and function of that complex. This can be particularly challenging to achieve for large, multi-component, membrane embedded complexes using the traditional recombinant expression and reconstitution methodologies. However, using affinity capture from native cells, suitable whole endogenous protein complexes can be isolated. Here we present a protocol for the affinity isolation of baker's yeast (S. cerevisiae) nuclear pore complexes, which are ~50 MDa assemblies made up of 552 distinct proteins and embedded in a double-membraned nuclear envelope. Producing this sample allowed us for the first time to perform analyses to characterize the mass, stoichiometry, morphology, and connectivity of this complex and to obtain its integrative structure with ~9 Å precision. We believe this methodology can be applied to other challenging protein complexes to produce similar results.

Comprehensive structure and functional adaptations of the yeast nuclear pore complex.

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) mediate the nucleocytoplasmic transport of macromolecules. Here we provide a structure of the isolated yeast NPC in which the inner ring is resolved by cryo-EM at sub-nanometer resolution to show how flexible connectors tie together different structural and functional layers. These connectors may be targets for phosphorylation and regulated disassembly in cells with an open mitosis. Moreover, some nucleoporin pairs and transport factors have similar interaction motifs, which suggests an evolutionary and mechanistic link between assembly and transport. We provide evidence for three major NPC variants that may foreshadow functional specializations at the nuclear periphery. Cryo-electron tomography extended these studies, providing a model of the in situ NPC with a radially expanded inner ring. Our comprehensive model reveals features of the nuclear basket and central transporter, suggests a role for the lumenal Pom152 ring in restricting dilation, and highlights structural plasticity that may be required for transport.

Integrative structure and functional anatomy of a nuclear pore complex.

Nuclear pore complexes play central roles as gatekeepers of RNA and protein transport between the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm. However, their large size and dynamic nature have impeded a full structural and functional elucidation. Here we determined the structure of the entire 552-protein nuclear pore complex of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae at sub-nanometre precision by satisfying a wide range of data relating to the molecular arrangement of its constituents. The nuclear pore complex incorporates sturdy diagonal columns and connector cables attached to these columns, imbuing the structure with strength and flexibility. These cables also tie together all other elements of the nuclear pore complex, including membrane-interacting regions, outer rings and RNA-processing platforms. Inwardly directed anchors create a high density of transport factor-docking Phe-Gly repeats in the central channel, organized into distinct functional units. This integrative structure enables us to rationalize the architecture, transport mechanism and evolutionary origins of the nuclear pore complex.

Structure and Function of the Nuclear Pore Complex Cytoplasmic mRNA Export Platform.

The last steps in mRNA export and remodeling are performed by the Nup82 complex, a large conserved assembly at the cytoplasmic face of the nuclear pore complex (NPC). By integrating diverse structural data, we have determined the molecular architecture of the native Nup82 complex at subnanometer precision. The complex consists of two compositionally identical multiprotein subunits that adopt different configurations. The Nup82 complex fits into the NPC through the outer ring Nup84 complex. Our map shows that this entire 14-MDa Nup82-Nup84 complex assembly positions the cytoplasmic mRNA export factor docking sites and messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) remodeling machinery right over the NPC's central channel rather than on distal cytoplasmic filaments, as previously supposed. We suggest that this configuration efficiently captures and remodels exporting mRNP particles immediately upon reaching the cytoplasmic side of the NPC.

A robust pipeline for rapid production of versatile nanobody repertoires.

Nanobodies are single-domain antibodies derived from the variable regions of Camelidae atypical immunoglobulins. They show promise as high-affinity reagents for research, diagnostics and therapeutics owing to their high specificity, small size (∼15 kDa) and straightforward bacterial expression. However, identification of repertoires with sufficiently high affinity has proven time consuming and difficult, hampering nanobody implementation. Our approach generates large repertoires of readily expressible recombinant nanobodies with high affinities and specificities against a given antigen. We demonstrate the efficacy of this approach through the production of large repertoires of nanobodies against two antigens, GFP and mCherry, with Kd values into the subnanomolar range. After mapping diverse epitopes on GFP, we were also able to design ultrahigh-affinity dimeric nanobodies with Kd values as low as ∼30 pM. The approach presented here is well suited for the routine production of high-affinity capture reagents for various biomedical applications.

Observation of intermolecular interactions in large protein complexes by 2D-double difference nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy: application to the 44 kDa interferon-receptor complex.

NMR detection of intermolecular interactions between protons in large protein complexes is very challenging because it is difficult to distinguish between weak NOEs from intermolecular interactions and the much larger number of strong intramolecular NOEs. This challenging task is exacerbated by the decrease in signal-to-noise ratio in the often used isotope-edited and isotope-filtered experiments as a result of enhanced T(2) relaxation. Here, we calculate a double difference spectrum that shows exclusively intermolecular NOEs and manifests the good signal-to-noise ratio in 2D homonuclear NOESY spectra even for large proteins. The method is straightforward and results in a complete picture of all intermolecular interactions involving non exchangeable protons. Ninety-seven such (1)H-(1)H NOEs were assigned for the 44 KDa interferon-α2/IFNAR2 complex and used for docking these two proteins. The symmetry of the difference spectrum, its superb resolution, and unprecedented signal-to-noise ratio in this large protein/receptor complex suggest that this method is generally applicable to study large biopolymeric complexes.

Intermolecular interactions in a 44 kDa interferon-receptor complex detected by asymmetric reverse-protonation and two-dimensional NOESY.

Type I interferons (IFNs) make up a family of homologous helical cytokines initiating strong antiviral and antiproliferative activity. All type I IFNs bind to a common cell surface receptor consisting of two subunits, IFNAR1 and IFNAR2, associating upon binding of interferon. We studied intermolecular interactions between IFNAR2-EC and IFNalpha2 using asymmetric reverse-protonation of the different complex components and two-dimensional homonuclear NOESY. This new approach revealed with an excellent signal-to-noise ratio 24 new intermolecular NOEs between the two molecules despite the low concentration of the complex (0.25 mM) and its high molecular mass (44 kDa). Sequential and side chain assignment of IFNAR2-EC and IFNalpha2 in their binary complex helped assign the intermolecular NOEs to the corresponding protons. A docking model of the IFNAR2-EC-IFNalpha2 complex was calculated on the basis of the intermolecular interactions found in this study as well as four double mutant cycle constraints, previously observed NOEs between a single pair of residues and the NMR mapping of the binding sites on IFNAR2-EC and IFNalpha2. Our docking model doubles the buried surface area of the previous model and significantly increases the number of intermolecular hydrogen bonds, salt bridges, and van der Waals interactions. Furthermore, our model reveals the participation of several new regions in the binding site such as the N-terminus and A helix of IFNalpha2 and the C domain of IFNAR2-EC. As a result of these additions, the orientation of IFNAR2-EC relative to IFNalpha2 has changed by 30 degrees in comparison with a previously calculated model that was based on NMR mapping of the binding sites and double mutant cycle constraints. In addition, the new model strongly supports the recently proposed allosteric changes in IFNalpha2 upon binding of IFNAR1-EC to the binary IFNalpha2-IFNAR2-EC complex.