Structural Factors Enabling Successful GFP-Like Proteins with Alanine as the Third Chromophore-Forming Residue.

GFP-like proteins from lancelets (lanFPs) is a new and least studied group that already generated several outstanding biomarkers (mNeonGreen is the brightest FP to date) and has some unique features. Here, we report the study of four homologous lanFPs with GYG and GYA chromophores. Until recently, it was accepted that the third chromophore-forming residue in GFP-like proteins should be glycine, and efforts to replace it were in vain. Now, we have the first structure of a fluorescent protein with a successfully matured chromophore that has alanine as the third chromophore-forming residue. Consideration of the protein structures revealed two alternative routes of posttranslational transformation, resulting in either chromophore maturation or hydrolysis of GYG/GYA tripeptide. Both transformations are catalyzed by the same set of catalytic residues, Arg88 and Glu35-Wat-Glu211 cluster, whereas the residues in positions 62 and 102 shift the equilibrium between chromophore maturation and hydrolysis.

CiPerGenesis, A Mutagenesis Approach that Produces Small Libraries of Circularly Permuted Proteins Randomly Opened at a Focused Region: Testing on the Green Fluorescent Protein.

Circularly permuted proteins (cpPs) represent a novel type of mutant proteins with original termini that are covalently linked through a peptide connector and opened at any other place of the polypeptide backbone to create new ends. cpPs are finding wide applications in biotechnology because their properties may be quite different from those of the parental protein. However, the actual challenge for the creation of successful cpPs is to identify those peptide bonds that can be broken to create new termini and ensure functional and well-folded cpPs. Herein, we describe CiPerGenesis, a combinatorial mutagenesis approach that uses two oligonucleotide libraries to amplify a circularized gene by PCR, starting and ending from a focused target region. This approach creates small libraries of circularly permuted genes that are easily cloned in the correct direction and frame using two different restriction sites encoded in the oligonucleotides. Once expressed, the protein libraries exhibit a unique sequence diversity, comprising cpPs that exhibit ordinary breakpoints between adjacent amino acids localized at the target region as well as cpPs with new termini containing user-defined truncations and repeats of some amino acids. CiPerGenesis was tested at the lid region G134-H148 of green fluorescent protein (GFP), revealing that the most fluorescent variants were those starting at Leu141 and ending at amino acids Tyr145, Tyr143, Glu142, Leu141, Lys140, and H139. Purification and biochemical characterization of some variants suggested a differential expression, solubility and maturation extent of the mutant proteins as the likely cause for the variability in fluorescence intensity observed in colonies.

The Hcp-like protein HilE inhibits homodimerization and DNA binding of the virulence-associated transcriptional regulator HilD in Salmonella.

HilD is an AraC-like transcriptional regulator that plays a central role in Salmonella virulence. HilD controls the expression of the genes within the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) and of several genes located outside SPI-1, which are mainly required for Salmonella invasion of host cells. The expression, amount, and activity of HilD are tightly controlled by the activities of several factors. The HilE protein represses the expression of the SPI-1 genes through its interaction with HilD; however, the mechanism by which HilE affects HilD is unknown. In this study, we used genetic and biochemical assays revealing how HilE controls the transcriptional activity of HilD. We found that HilD needs to assemble in homodimers to induce expression of its target genes. Our results further indicated that HilE individually interacts with each the central and the C-terminal HilD regions, mediating dimerization and DNA binding, respectively. We also observed that these interactions consistently inhibit HilD dimerization and DNA binding. Interestingly, a computational analysis revealed that HilE shares sequence and structural similarities with Hcp proteins, which act as structural components of type 6 secretion systems in Gram-negative bacteria. In conclusion, our results uncover the molecular mechanism by which the Hcp-like protein HilE controls dimerization and DNA binding of the virulence-promoting transcriptional regulator HilD. Our findings may indicate that HilE's activity represents a functional adaptation during the evolution of Salmonella pathogenicity.

Perinatal exposure to organohalogen pollutants decreases vasopressin content and its mRNA expression in magnocellular neuroendocrine cells activated by osmotic stress in adult rats.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are environmental pollutants that produce neurotoxicity and neuroendocrine disruption. They affect the vasopressinergic system but their disruptive mechanisms are not well understood. Our group reported that rats perinatally exposed to Aroclor-1254 (A1254) and DE-71 (commercial mixtures of PCBs and PBDEs) decrease somatodendritic vasopressin (AVP) release while increasing plasma AVP responses to osmotic activation, potentially emptying AVP reserves required for body-water balance. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of perinatal exposure to A1254 or DE-71 (30mgkg/day) on AVP transcription and protein content in the paraventricular and supraoptic hypothalamic nuclei, of male and female rats, by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. cFOS mRNA expression was evaluated in order to determine neuroendocrine cells activation due to osmotic stimulation. Animal groups were: vehicle (control); exposed to either A1254 or DE-71; both, control and exposed, subjected to osmotic challenge. The results confirmed a physiological increase in AVP-immunoreactivity (AVP-IR) and gene expression in response to osmotic challenge as reported elsewhere. In contrast, the exposed groups did not show this response to osmotic activation, they showed significant reduction in AVP-IR neurons, and AVP mRNA expression as compared to the hyperosmotic controls. cFOS mRNA expression increased in A1254 dehydrated groups, suggesting that the AVP-IR decrease was not due to a lack of the response to the osmotic activation. Therefore, A1254 may interfere with the activation of AVP mRNA transcript levels and protein, causing a central dysfunction of vasopressinergic system.

Evaluation of three different formats of a neutralizing single chain human antibody against toxin Cn2: neutralization capacity versus thermodynamic stability.

The single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) 6009F, obtained by directed evolution, neutralizes the effects of the Cn2 toxin, which is the major toxic component of Centruroides noxius scorpion venom. In this work we compared the neutralization capacity and the thermodynamic stability of scFv 6009F with those of two other derived formats: Fab 6009F and diabody 6009F. Additionally, the affinity constants to Cn2 toxin of the three recombinant antibody fragments were determined by means of BIAcore. We found a correlation between the thermodynamic stability of these antibody fragments with their neutralization capacity. The order of thermodynamic stability determined was Fab≫scFv>diabody. The Fab and scFv were capable of neutralizing the toxic effects of Cn2 and whole venom but the diabody was unable to fully neutralize intoxication. In silico analysis of the diabody format indicates that the reduction of stability and neutralization capacity could be explained by a less cooperative interface between the heavy and the light variable domains.

The change of the scFv into the Fab format improves the stability and in vivo toxin neutralization capacity of recombinant antibodies.

The antigen-binding fragment (Fab) has been considered a more functionally stable version of recombinant antibodies than single chain antibody fragments (scFvs), however this intuitive consideration has not been sufficiently proven in vivo. This communication shows that three out of four specific scFvs against a scorpion toxin, with different affinities and stabilities, become neutralizing in vivo when expressed as Fabs, despite the fact that they are not neutralizing in the scFv format. A scFv fragment previously obtained from a neutralizing mouse antibody (BCF2) was used to produce three derived scFvs by directed evolution. Only one of them was neutralizing, however when expressed as Fab, all of them became neutralizing fragments in vivo. The initial scFvBCF2 (earlier used for directed evolution) was not neutralizing in the scFv format. After expressing it as Fab did not become a neutralizing fragment, but did reduce the intoxication symptoms of experimental mice. The stability of the four Fabs derived from their respective scFvs was improved when tested in the presence of guanidinium chloride. The in vitro stability of the Fab format has been shown earlier, but the physiological consequences of this stability are shown in this communication. The present results indicate that improved functional stability conferred by the Fab format can replace additional maturation steps, when the affinity and stability are close to the minimum necessary to be neutralizing.