Crystal structure of an anti-carbohydrate antibody directed against Vibrio cholerae O1 in complex with antigen: molecular basis for serotype specificity.

The crystal structure of the murine Fab S-20-4 from a protective anti-cholera Ab specific for the lipopolysaccharide Ag of the Ogawa serotype has been determined in its unliganded form and in complex with synthetic fragments of the Ogawa O-specific polysaccharide (O-SP). The upstream terminal O-SP monosaccharide is shown to be the primary antigenic determinant. Additional perosamine residues protrude outwards from the Ab surface and contribute only marginally to the binding affinity and specificity. A complementary water-excluding hydrophobic interface and five Ab-Ag hydrogen bonds are crucial for carbohydrate recognition. The structure reported here explains the serotype specificity of anti-Ogawa Abs and provides a rational basis toward the development of a synthetic carbohydrate-based anti-cholera vaccine.

Use of site-directed mutagenesis to probe the structure, function and isoniazid activation of the catalase/peroxidase, KatG, from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

A series of mutants bearing single amino acid substitutions often encountered in the catalase/peroxidase, KatG, from isoniazid-resistant isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been produced by site-directed mutagenesis. The resultant enzymes were overexpressed, purified and characterized. Replacing Cys-20 by Ser abolished disulphide-bridge formation, but did not affect either dimerization of the enzyme or catalysis. The substitution of Thr-275, which is probably involved in electron transfer from the haem, by proline resulted in a highly unstable enzyme with insignificant enzyme activities. The most commonly occurring substitution in drug-resistant clinical isolates is the replacement of Ser-315 by Thr; this lowered catalase and peroxidase activities by 50% and caused a significant decrease in the KatG-mediated inhibition of the activity of the NADH-dependent enoyl-[acyl-carrier protein] reductase, InhA, in vitro. The ability of this enzyme to produce free radicals from isoniazid was severely impaired, as judged by its loss of NitroBlue Tetrazolium reduction activity. Replacement of Leu-587 by Pro resulted in marked instability of KatG, indicating that the C-terminal domain is also important for structural and functional integrity.

Crystallization of a family 8 cellulase from Clostridium thermocellum.

The catalytic domain of cellulase CelA, a family 8 glycohydrolase from C. thermocellum, has been crystallized in the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with unit cell dimensions a = 50.12 A, b = 63.52 A, c = 104.97 A. The diffraction pattern extends beyond 1.5 A resolution.

The crystal structure of a family 5 endoglucanase mutant in complexed and uncomplexed forms reveals an induced fit activation mechanism.

The structures of the Glu140-->Gln mutant of the Clostridium thermocellum endoglucanase CelC in unliganded form (CelC(E140Q)) and in complex with cellohexaose (CelC(E140Q)-Gl(C6)) have been refined to crystallographic R-factors of 19.4% at 1.9 A and 17.8% at 2.3 A resolution, respectively. The structure of CelC(E140Q)-Gl(C6) complex shows two D-glucosyl residues bound to the non-reducing end of the substrate-binding cleft. Comparison of the unliganded and complexes structures reveals conformational changes due to substrate binding, including a significant reorientation of the loop 138-141 which carries the general acid/base catalyst Glu140 in wild-type CelC. Endoglucanase CelC, a family 5 glycohydrolase, exhibits a (beta/alpha)8-fold with an additional subdomain of 54 amino acids inserted between beta-strand 6 and alpha-helix 6. Seven amino acid residues (Arg46, His90, Asn139, Glu140, His198, Tyr200, and Glu280) located close to the catalytic reaction center are strictly conserved in family 5 cellulases. Only three of these residues (His90, Gln140 and Glu280) make direct contacts with the substrate, but all participate in a network of hydrogen bonds which contribute to the stability of the active site architecture and may influence the protonation state of the two catalytic residues. Residue Trp313, which interacts with the nucleophile Glu280 and is within hydrogen bonding distance of the substrate, is involved in a non-proline cis-peptide bond. An aromatic residue occurs at an equivalent position in many other (beta/alpha)8-barrel glycosidases; the presence of a cis-peptide bond at this position in the structures of family 1 beta-glucosidases, family 2 beta-galactosidases, family 5 cellulases, family 17 beta-glucanases, and family 18 chitinases provides further evidence of an evolutionary relationship between glycosyl hydrolases with a (beta/alpha)8- architecture.

The crystal structure of endoglucanase CelA, a family 8 glycosyl hydrolase from Clostridium thermocellum.

BACKGROUND: Cellulases, which catalyze the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds in cellulose, can be classified into several different protein families. Endoglucanase CelA is a member of glycosyl hydrolase family 8, a family for which no structural information was previously available. RESULTS: The crystal structure of CelA was determined by multiple isomorphous replacement and refined to 1.65 A resolution. The protein folds into a regular (alpha/alpha)6 barrel formed by six inner and six outer alpha helices. Cello-oligosaccharides bind to an acidic cleft containing at least five D-glucosyl-binding subsites (A-E) such that the scissile glycosidic linkage lies between subsites C and D. The strictly conserved residue Glu95, which occupies the center of the substrate-binding cleft and is hydrogen bonded to the glycosidic oxygen, has been assigned the catalytic role of proton donor. CONCLUSIONS: The present analysis provides a basis for modeling homologous family 8 cellulases. The architecture of the active-site cleft, presenting at least five glucosyl-binding subsites, explains why family 8 cellulases cleave cello-oligosaccharide polymers that are at least five D-glycosyl subunits long. Furthermore, the structure of CelA allows comparison with (alpha/alpha)6 barrel glycosidases that are not related in sequence, suggesting a possible, albeit distant, evolutionary relationship between different families of glycosyl hydrolases.

Crystal structure of a cross-reaction complex between Fab F9.13.7 and guinea fowl lysozyme.

The crystal structure of the complex between the cross-reacting antigen Guinea fowl lysozyme and the Fab from monoclonal antibody F9.13.7, raised against hen egg lysozyme, has been determined by x-ray diffraction to 3-A resolution. The antibody interacts with exposed residues of an alpha-helix and surrounding loops adjacent to the lysozyme active site cleft. The epitope of lysozyme bound by antibody F9.13.7 overlaps almost completely with that bound by antibody HyHEL10; the same 12 residues of the antigen interact with the two antibodies. The antibodies, however, have different combining sites with no sequence homology at any of their complementarity-determining regions and show a dissimilar pattern of cross-reactivity with heterologous antigens. Side chain mobility of epitope residues contributes to confer steric and electrostatic complementarity to differently shaped combining sites, allowing functional mimicry to occur. The capacity of two antibodies that have different fine specificities to bind the same area of the antigen emphasizes the operational character of the definition of an antigenic determinant. This example demonstrates that degenerate binding of the same structural motif does not require the existence of sequence homology or other chemical similarities between the different binding sites.

A common protein fold and similar active site in two distinct families of beta-glycanases.

The structure of Clostridium thermocellum endoglucanase CelC, a member of the largest cellulase family (family A), has been determined at 2.15 A resolution. The protein folds into an (alpha/beta)8 barrel, with a deep active-site cleft generated by the insertion of a helical subdomain. The structure of the catalytic core of xylanase XynZ, which belongs to xylanase family F, has been determined at 1.4 A resolution. In spite of significant differences in substrate specificity and structure (including the absence of the helical subdomain), the general polypeptide folding pattern, architecture of the active site and catalytic mechanism of XynZ and CelC are similar, suggesting a common evolutionary origin.

Structural and functional analysis of the metal-binding sites of Clostridium thermocellum endoglucanase CelD.

Crystallographic analysis indicated that Clostridium thermocellum endoglucanase CelD contained three Ca(2+)-binding sites, termed A, B, and C, and one Zn(2+)-binding site. The protein contributed five, six, and three of the coordinating oxygen atoms present at sites A, B, and C, respectively. Proteins altered by mutation in site A (CelDD246A), B (CelDD361A), or C (CelDD523A) were compared with wild type CelD. The Ca(2+)-binding isotherm of wild type CelD was compatible with two high affinity sites (Ka = 2 x 10(6) M-1) and one low affinity site (Ka < 10(5) M-1). The Ca(2+)-binding isotherms of the mutated proteins showed that sites A and B were the two high affinity sites and that site C was the low affinity site. Atomic absorption spectrometry confirmed the presence of one tightly bound Zn2+ atom per CelD molecule. The inactivation rate of CelD at 75 degrees C was decreased 1.9-fold upon increasing the Ca2+ concentration from 2 x 10(-5) to 10(-3) M. The Km of CelD was decreased 1.8-fold upon increasing the Ca2+ concentration from 5 x 10(-6) to 10(-4) M. Over similar ranges of concentration, Ca2+ did not affect the thermostability nor the kinetic properties of CelDD523A. These findings suggest that Ca2+ binding to site C stabilizes the active conformation of CelD in agreement with the close vicinity of site C to the catalytic center.

Multiple crystal forms of endoglucanase CelD: signal peptide residues modulate lattice formation.

The crystal structure of Clostridium thermocellum endoglucanase CelD revealed an extended NH2-terminal segment (involving residues from the putative leader peptide) sticking out from the enzyme core to interact with a symmetry related molecule through an intermolecular salt bridge (Lys38-Asp201). Enzymatic digestion of CelD with various proteases emphasized the flexibility of the NH2-segment in solution. Proteolytic removal of Lys38 or the substitution of bridge-forming residues by site-directed mutagenesis promoted crystal packing arrangements that differ from that of wild type CelD. Crystals of wild-type CelD (a = 99.3 A c = 191.8 A) are trigonal, space group P3(1)21, with one molecule in the asymmetric unit (form A), whereas crystals of papain-treated CelD (a = 100.4 A, c = 248.7 A), of CelDK38M (a = 100.1 A, c = 248.4 A) and of papain-treated CelDD201A (a = 99.9 A, c = 250.0 A) are trigonal, space group P3(1)21, with two crystallographically independent molecules (form B), and crystals of chymotrypsin-treated CelD (a = 100.0 A, c = 254.3 A) and of CelDD201A (a = 99.8 A, c = 254.7 A) are hexagonal, space group P6(1)22, with one molecule in the asymmetric unit (form C). Only chymotrypsin-treated CelD (which preserves both Lys38 and Asp201) can grow in crystal form A upon macroseeding, indicating that formation of the intermolecular salt bridge is critical for stability of this crystal form. Flexible NH2- and COOH-terminal peptide extensions were found to influence crystal nucleation, but not crystal growth. The crystal structures of papain-treated CelD and chymotrypsin-treated CelD, determined at 3.5 A resolution by molecular replacement techniques, demonstrate that a small change in molecular orientation promoted by Lys38 account for the differences between crystal forms B and C.

Three-dimensional structures of the free and the antigen-complexed Fab from monoclonal anti-lysozyme antibody D44.1.

The three-dimensional structures of the free and antigen-complexed Fabs from the mouse monoclonal anti-hen egg white lysozyme antibody D44.1 have been solved and refined by X-ray crystallographic techniques. The crystals of the free and lysozyme-bound Fabs were grown under identical conditions and their X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.1 and 2.5 A, respectively. Two molecules of the Fab-lysozyme complex in the asymmetric unit of the crystals show nearly identical conformations and thus confirm the essential structural features of the antigen-antibody interface. Three buried water molecules enhance the surface complementarity at the interface and provide hydrogen bonds to stabilize the complex. Two hydrophobic buried holes are present at the interface which, although large enough to accommodate solvent molecules, are void. The combining site residues of the complexed FabD44.1 exhibit reduced temperature factors compared with those of the free Fab. Furthermore, small perturbations in atomic positions and rearrangements of side-chains at the combining site, and a relative rearrangement of the variable domains of the light (VL) and the heavy (VH) chains, detail a Fab accommodation of the bound lysozyme. The amino acid sequence of the VH domain, as well as the epitope of lysozyme recognized by D44.1 are very close to those previously reported for the monoclonal antibody HyHEL-5. A feature central to the FabD44.1 and FabHyHEL-5 complexes with lysozyme are three salt bridges between VH glutamate residues 35 and 50 and lysozyme arginine residues 45 and 68. The presence of the three salt bridges in the D44.1-lysozyme interface indicates that these bonds are not responsible for the 1000-fold increase in affinity for lysozyme that HyHEL-5 exhibits relative to D44.1.

Characterization of two crystal forms of Clostridium thermocellum endoglucanase CelC.

Endoglucanase CelC from Clostridium thermocellum expressed in Escherichia coli has been crystallized in two different crystal forms by the hanging drop method. Crystals of form I were grown with polyethylene glycol as a precipitant. They are orthorhombic, space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with cell dimensions a = 51.4 A, b = 84.3 A, and c = 87.5 A. Crystals of form II, obtained in ammonium sulfate solutions, belong to the tetragonal space group P4(1)2(1)2 (or P4(3)2(1)2) with cell dimensions of a = b = 130.7 A and c = 69.6 A. Diffraction data to 2.8 A resolution were observed for both crystal forms with a rotating anode generator. Preliminary oscillation images of the orthorhombic form I crystals using a synchrotron radiation source show diffraction to 2.2 A resolution, indicating that these crystals are suitable for high resolution crystallographic analysis.

Crystal structures of pheasant and guinea fowl egg-white lysozymes.

The crystal structures of pheasant and guinea fowl lysozymes have been determined by X-ray diffraction methods. Guinea fowl lysozyme crystallizes in space group P6(1)22 with cell dimensions a = 89.2 A and c = 61.7 A. The structure was refined to a final crystallographic R-factor of 17.0% for 8,854 observed reflections in the resolution range 6-1.9 A. Crystals of pheasant lysozyme are tetragonal, space group P4(3)2(1)2, with a = 98.9 A, c = 69.3 A and 2 molecules in the asymmetric unit. The final R-factor is 17.8% to 2.1 A resolution. The RMS deviation from ideality is 0.010 A for bond lengths and 2.5 degrees for bond angles in both models. Three amino acid positions beneath the active site are occupied by Thr 40, Ile 55, and Ser 91 in hen, pheasant, and other avian lysozymes, and by Ser 40, Val 55, and Thr 91 in guinea fowl and American quail lysozymes. In spite of their internal location, the structural changes associated with these substitutions are small. The pheasant enzyme has an additional N-terminal glycine residue, probably resulting from an evolutionary shift in the site of cleavage of prelysozyme. In the 3-dimensional structure, this amino acid partially fills a cleft on the surface of the molecule, close to the C alpha atom of Gly 41 and absent in lysozymes from other species (which have a large side-chain residue at position 41: Gln, His, Arg, or Lys). The overall structures are similar to those of other c-type lysozymes, with the largest deviations occurring in surface loops. Comparison of the unliganded and antibody-bound models of pheasant lysozyme suggests that surface complementarity of contacting surfaces in the antigen-antibody complex is the result of local, small rearrangements in the epitope. Structural evidence based upon this and other complexes supports the notion that antigenic variation in c-type lysozymes is primarily the result of amino acid substitutions, not of gross structural changes.

Bound water molecules and conformational stabilization help mediate an antigen-antibody association.

We report the three-dimensional structures, at 1.8-A resolution, of the Fv fragment of the anti-hen egg white lysozyme antibody D1.3 in its free and antigen-bound forms. These structures reveal a role for solvent molecules in stabilizing the complex and provide a molecular basis for understanding the thermodynamic forces which drive the association reaction. Four water molecules are buried and others form a hydrogen-bonded network around the interface, bridging antigen and antibody. Comparison of the structures of free and bound Fv fragment of D1.3 reveals that several of the ordered water molecules in the free antibody combining site are retained and that additional water molecules link antigen and antibody upon complex formation. This solvation of the complex should weaken the hydrophobic effect, and the resulting large number of solvent-mediated hydrogen bonds, in conjunction with direct protein-protein interactions, should generate a significant enthalpic component. Furthermore, a stabilization of the relative mobilities of the antibody heavy- and light-chain variable domains and of that of the third complementarity-determining loop of the heavy chain seen in the complex should generate a negative entropic contribution opposing the enthalpic and the hydrophobic (solvent entropy) effects. This structural analysis is consistent with measurements of enthalpy and entropy changes by titration calorimetry, which show that enthalpy drives the antigen-antibody reaction. Thus, the main forces stabilizing the complex arise from antigen-antibody hydrogen bonding, van der Waals interactions, enthalpy of hydration, and conformational stabilization rather than solvent entropy (hydrophobic) effects.

Crystallization and preliminary diffraction analysis of the catalytic domain of xylanase Z from Clostridium thermocellum.

The catalytic domain of a thermostable xylanase from Clostridium thermocellum has been expressed in Escherichia coli and crystallized from a polyethylene glycol 2000 solution by the hanging drop method. Crystals belong to the triclinic space group P1 with cell dimensions a = 46.8 A, b = 50.8 A, c = 70.3 A, alpha = 100.7 degrees, beta = 83.8 degrees, gamma = 101.6 degrees, and two molecules in the unit cell. These crystals diffract X-rays to at least 1.8 A resolution and are suitable for high-resolution X-ray analysis.

Three-dimensional structure of a heteroclitic antigen-antibody cross-reaction complex.

Although antibodies are highly specific, cross-reactions are frequently observed. To understand the molecular basis of this phenomenon, we studied the anti-hen egg lysozyme (HEL) monoclonal antibody (mAb) D11.15, which cross-reacts with several avian lysozymes, in some cases with a higher affinity (heteroclitic binding) than for HEL. We have determined the crystal structure of the Fv fragment of D11.15 complexed with pheasant egg lysozyme (PHL). In addition, we have determined the structure of PHL, Guinea fowl egg lysozyme, and Japanese quail egg lysozyme. Differences in the affinity of D11.15 for the lysozymes appear to result from sequence substitutions in these antigens at the interface with the antibody. More generally, cross-reactivity is seen to require a stereochemically permissive environment for the variant antigen residues at the antibody-antigen interface.

Crystallization, preliminary X-ray diffraction study, and crystal packing of a complex between anti-hen lysozyme antibody F9.13.7 and guinea-fowl lysozyme.

The complex formed between the Fab fragment of a murine monoclonal antihen egg lysozyme antibody F9.13.7 and the heterologous antigen Guinea-fowl egg lysozyme has been crystallized by the hanging drop technique. The crystals, which diffract X-rays to 3 A resolution, belong to the monoclinic space group P2(1), with a = 83.7 A, b = 195.5 A, c = 50.2 A, beta = 108.5 degrees and have two molecules of the complex in the asymmetric unit. The three-dimensional structure has been determined from a preliminary data set to 4 A using molecular replacement techniques. The lysozyme-Fab complexes are arranged with their long molecular axes approximately parallel to the crystallographic unique axis. Fab F9.13.7 binds an antigenic determinant that partially overlaps the epitope recognized by antilysozyme antibody HyHEL10.

Three-dimensional structure and antigen binding specificity of antibodies.

A number of specific Fab and Fv fragments and their complexes with antigens (avian lysozymes), haptens, and anti-idiotopic Fabs have been studied by immunochemical and crystallographic techniques. Antigen and antibody interact through closely complementary contacting surfaces, without major conformational changes. An idiotopic determinant of a monoclonal antibody is shown to include parts of most of its complementarity determining regions. The specificity of antigen recognition resides in the close complementarity of the antigenic determinant with the antibody combining site.

Nucleotide sequence of the VH, VL regions of an anti-idiotopic antibody reacting with a private idiotope of the anti-lysozyme D1.3 antibody.

Antibody E225 reacts with a private idiotope of the anti-lysozyme antibody D1.3. A complex between the Fab fragments from these BALB/c monoclonal antibodies has been crystallized and the determination of the three-dimensional structure of this idiotope-anti-idiotope complex is under way. The nucleotide VH and VL sequences of E225 presented here have been determined to provide the amino acid sequence information necessary for the interpretation of the high resolution electron density maps of the complex, obtained by X-ray crystallography. The cDNAs synthesized from the Vkappa and VH mRNAs were cloned in E. coli. Both cDNA strands were sequenced by the dideoxy termination method. The translated amino acid sequence shows that Vkappa, VH correspond to groups five (V) and II(b) of mouse immunoglobulin light and heavy chains, respectively. Sequence alignments between the complementarity determining regions of E225 and the antigenic determinant of lysozyme recognized by D1.3 do not indicate whether or not the anti-idiotopic antibody structurally mimics the external antigen.

Crystallization and preliminary x-ray diffraction studies of two new antigen-antibody (lysozyme-Fab) complexes.

The complexes between the Fab fragments of two monoclonal anti-lysozyme antibodies, Fab10.6.6 (high affinity) and D44.2 (lower affinity), and their specific antigen, hen egg-white lysozyme, have been crystallized. The antibodies recognize an antigenic determinant including Arg68, but differ significantly in their association constants for the antigen. Two crystalline forms were obtained for the complex with FabF10.6.6, the higher affinity antibody. One of them is monoclinic, space group P21, with unit cell dimensions a = 145.6 A, b = 78.1 A, c = 63.1 A, beta = 89.05 degrees, consistent with the presence of two molecules of the complex in the asymmetric unit. These crystals diffract X-rays beyond 3 A making this form suitable for high-resolution X-ray diffraction studies. The second form crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1, with unit cell dimensions a = 134.0 A, b = 144.7 A, c = 98.6 A, alpha = 90.30 degrees, beta = 97.1 degrees, gamma = 90.20 degrees, consistent with the presence of 10 to 12 molecules of the complex in the unit cell. These crystals do not diffract X-rays beyond 5 A resolution. The antigen-antibody complex between FabD44.2, the lower affinity antibody, and hen egg-white lysozyme crystallizes in space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit cell dimensions a = 99.7 A, b = 167.3 A, c = 84.7 A, consistent with the presence of two molecules of the complex in the asymmetric unit. These crystals diffract X-rays beyond 2.5 A resolution.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of antigen--antibody complexes.

Monoclonal antibodies of predefined specificity have been purified and crystallized as single components or complexed with their specific antigens. The intersegmental flexibility of antibody molecules has imposed the strategy of attempting to crystallize their Fab fragments separately. Intrasegmental mobility in Fabs has rarely been an obstacle to their crystallization. The immune system, however, provides a large functional and structural diversity of antibody molecules suitable for crystallization and X-ray diffraction studies.