RESUMO
Xylella fastidiosa is responsible for a wide range of economically important plant diseases. We report here the crystal structure and kinetic data of Xylellain, the first cysteine protease characterized from the genome of the pathogenic X. fastidiosa strain 9a5c. Xylellain has a papain-family fold, and part of the N-terminal sequence blocks the enzyme active site, thereby mediating protein activity. One novel feature identified in the structure is the presence of a ribonucleotide bound outside the active site. We show that this ribonucleotide plays an important regulatory role in Xylellain enzyme kinetics, possibly functioning as a physiological mediator.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Bactérias/química , Cisteína Proteases/química , Modelos Moleculares , Xylella/enzimologia , Substituição de Aminoácidos , Proteínas de Bactérias/agonistas , Proteínas de Bactérias/genética , Proteínas de Bactérias/metabolismo , Biocatálise , Domínio Catalítico , Cristalografia por Raios X , Cisteína Proteases/genética , Cisteína Proteases/metabolismo , Inibidores de Cisteína Proteinase/farmacologia , Ativação Enzimática , Cinética , Mutagênese Sítio-Dirigida , Proteínas Mutantes/agonistas , Proteínas Mutantes/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteínas Mutantes/química , Proteínas Mutantes/metabolismo , Mutação Puntual , Dobramento de Proteína , Estrutura Quaternária de Proteína , Proteínas Recombinantes/agonistas , Proteínas Recombinantes/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteínas Recombinantes/química , Proteínas Recombinantes/metabolismo , Difosfato de Uridina/química , Difosfato de Uridina/metabolismoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is the primary vector for the viruses that cause yellow fever, mostly in tropical regions of Africa and in parts of South America, and human dengue, which infects 100 million people yearly in the tropics and subtropics. A better understanding of the structural biology of olfactory proteins may pave the way for the development of environmentally-friendly mosquito attractants and repellents, which may ultimately contribute to reduction of mosquito biting and disease transmission. METHODOLOGY: Previously, we isolated and cloned a major, female-enriched odorant-binding protein (OBP) from the yellow fever mosquito, AaegOBP1, which was later inadvertently renamed AaegOBP39. We prepared recombinant samples of AaegOBP1 by using an expression system that allows proper formation of disulfide bridges and generates functional OBPs, which are indistinguishable from native OBPs. We crystallized AaegOBP1 and determined its three-dimensional structure at 1.85 A resolution by molecular replacement based on the structure of the malaria mosquito OBP, AgamOBP1, the only mosquito OBP structure known to date. CONCLUSION: The structure of AaegOBP1 ( = AaegOBP39) shares the common fold of insect OBPs with six alpha-helices knitted by three disulfide bonds. A long molecule of polyethylene glycol (PEG) was built into the electron-density maps identified in a long tunnel formed by a crystallographic dimer of AaegOBP1. Circular dichroism analysis indicated that delipidated AaegOBP1 undergoes a pH-dependent conformational change, which may lead to release of odorant at low pH (as in the environment in the vicinity of odorant receptors). A C-terminal loop covers the binding cavity and this "lid" may be opened by disruption of an array of acid-labile hydrogen bonds thus explaining reduced or no binding affinity at low pH.
Assuntos
Aedes/metabolismo , Receptores Odorantes/química , Receptores Odorantes/fisiologia , Animais , Dicroísmo Circular , Cristalização , Cristalografia por Raios X/métodos , Dimerização , Dissulfetos , Concentração de Íons de Hidrogênio , Insetos , Modelos Moleculares , Conformação Molecular , Polietilenoglicóis/química , Conformação Proteica , Estrutura Terciária de ProteínaRESUMO
The kinetoplast genetic code deviates from the universal code in that 90% of mitochondrial tryptophans are specified by UGA instead of UGG codons. A single nucleus-encoded tRNA Trp(CCA) is used by both nuclear and mitochondria genes, since all kinetoplast tRNAs are imported into the mitochondria from the cytoplasm. To allow decoding of the mitochondrial UGA codons as tryptophan, the tRNA Trp(CCA) anticodon is changed to UCA by an editing event. Two tryptophanyl tRNA synthetases (TrpRSs) have been identified in Trypanosoma brucei: TbTrpRS1 and TbTrpRS2 which localize to the cytoplasm and mitochondria respectively. We used inducible RNA interference (RNAi) to assess the role of TbTrpRSs. Our data validates previous observations of TrpRS as potential drug design targets and investigates the RNAi effect on the mitochondria of the parasite.
Assuntos
Interferência de RNA , RNA de Protozoário/metabolismo , RNA de Transferência/metabolismo , Trypanosoma brucei brucei/enzimologia , Triptofano-tRNA Ligase/metabolismo , Animais , Expressão Gênica , RNA de Protozoário/genética , RNA de Transferência/genética , Fatores de Tempo , Trypanosoma brucei brucei/citologia , Trypanosoma brucei brucei/genética , Triptofano-tRNA Ligase/genéticaRESUMO
Glyoxalase II is a hydrolytic enzyme part of the glyoxalase system, responsible for detoxifying several cytotoxic compounds employing glutathione. Glyoxalase II belongs to the superfamily of metallo-beta-lactamases, with a conserved motif able to bind up to two metal ions in their active sites, generally zinc. Instead, several eukaryotic glyoxalases II have been characterized with different ratios of iron, zinc, and manganese ions. We have expressed a gene coding for a putative member of this enzyme superfamily from Salmonella typhimurium that we demonstrate, on the basis of its activity, to be a glyoxalase II, named GloB. Recombinant GloB expressed in Escherichia coli was purified with variable amounts of iron, zinc, and manganese. All forms display similar activities, as can be shown from protein expression in minimal medium supplemented with specific metal ions. The crystal structure of GloB solved at 1.4 A shows a protein fold and active site similar to those of its eukaryotic homologues. NMR and EPR experiments also reveal a conserved electronic structure at the metal site. GloB is therefore able to accommodate these different metal ions and to carry out the hydrolytic reaction with similar efficiencies in all cases. The metal promiscuity of this enzyme (in contrast to other members of the same superfamily) can be accounted for by the presence of a conserved Asp residue acting as a second-shell ligand that is expected to increase the hardness of the metal binding site, therefore favoring iron uptake in glyoxalases II.
Assuntos
Metais/metabolismo , Salmonella typhimurium/enzimologia , Tioléster Hidrolases/química , Tioléster Hidrolases/metabolismo , Sítios de Ligação , Escherichia coli/genética , Cinética , Espectroscopia de Ressonância Magnética , Metais/química , Modelos Moleculares , Ligação Proteica , Estrutura Secundária de Proteína , Estrutura Terciária de Proteína , Proteínas Recombinantes/química , Proteínas Recombinantes/metabolismo , Salmonella typhimurium/genética , Especificidade por Substrato , Tioléster Hidrolases/genética , Zinco/química , Zinco/metabolismoRESUMO
The kinetoplast genetic code deviates from the universal code in that 90 percent of mitochondrial tryptophans are specified by UGA instead of UGG codons. A single nucleus-encoded tRNA Trp(CCA) is used by both nuclear and mitochondria genes, since all kinetoplast tRNAs are imported into the mitochondria from the cytoplasm. To allow decoding of the mitochondrial UGA codons as tryptophan, the tRNA Trp(CCA) anticodon is changed to UCA by an editing event. Two tryptophanyl tRNA synthetases (TrpRSs) have been identified in Trypanosoma brucei: TbTrpRS1 and TbTrpRS2 which localize to the cytoplasm and mitochondria respectively. We used inducible RNA interference (RNAi) to assess the role of TbTrpRSs. Our data validates previous observations of TrpRS as potential drug design targets and investigates the RNAi effect on the mitochondria of the parasite.
