Structural insights into the substrate specificity of SP_0149, the substrate-binding protein of a methionine ABC transporter from Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Successful pathogenesis is a cumulative effect of the virulence factors of a pathogen and its capability to efficiently utilize the available nutrients from the host. Streptococcus pneumoniae, a Gram-positive opportunistic pathogen, may either reside asymptomatically as a nasopharyngeal commensal inside the human host or cause lethal diseases, including pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis. S. pneumoniae is known to acquire methionine (Met) from its host through a Met importer. Here, the crystal structure of the substrate-binding protein (SBP; SP_0149) of an ABC importer with Met bound is reported at a resolution of 1.95 Å. The three-dimensional structure of SBP shows that it is composed of two distinct domains, each consisting of a mixed ß-sheet flanked by helices. The substrate, Met, is bound in the central part of the interface between the two domains. The overall structure of SP_0149 resembles those of SBPs from other reported bacterial Met and Gly-Met dipeptide transporters. However, a detailed analysis of these structures shows notable variations in the amino-acid composition of the substrate-binding pockets of the SP_0149-Met and GmpC-Gly-Met structures. In particular, SP_0149 harbors Thr212 and Tyr114, whereas the corresponding residues in GmpC are Gly and Val. This difference is likely to be the underlying basis for their differential substrate specificity. In summary, the structure of the SP_0149-Met complex provides insights into the transport function of SP_0149 and its interactions with methionine. It opens up avenues for the rational design of inhibitors of SP_0149 through a structure-mediated approach.

The voltage-gated sodium channel pore exhibits conformational flexibility during slow inactivation.

Slow inactivation in voltage-gated sodium channels (NaVs) directly regulates the excitability of neurons, cardiac myocytes, and skeletal muscles. Although NaV slow inactivation appears to be conserved across phylogenies-from bacteria to humans-the structural basis for this mechanism remains unclear. Here, using site-directed labeling and EPR spectroscopic measurements of membrane-reconstituted prokaryotic NaV homologues, we characterize the conformational dynamics of the selectivity filter region in the conductive and slow-inactivated states to determine the molecular events underlying NaV gating. Our findings reveal profound conformational flexibility of the pore in the slow-inactivated state. We find that the P1 and P2 pore helices undergo opposing movements with respect to the pore axis. These movements result in changes in volume of both the central and intersubunit cavities, which form pathways for lipophilic drugs that modulate slow inactivation. Our findings therefore provide novel insight into the molecular basis for state-dependent effects of lipophilic drugs on channel function.

Structural basis for the D-stereoselectivity of human DNA polymerase ß.

Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) with L-stereochemistry have long been an effective treatment for viral infections because of the strong D-stereoselectivity exhibited by human DNA polymerases relative to viral reverse transcriptases. The D-stereoselectivity of DNA polymerases has only recently been explored structurally and all three DNA polymerases studied to date have demonstrated unique stereochemical selection mechanisms. Here, we have solved structures of human DNA polymerase ß (hPolß), in complex with single-nucleotide gapped DNA and L-nucleotides and performed pre-steady-state kinetic analysis to determine the D-stereoselectivity mechanism of hPolß. Beyond a similar 180° rotation of the L-nucleotide ribose ring seen in other studies, the pre-catalytic ternary crystal structures of hPolß, DNA and L-dCTP or the triphosphate forms of antiviral drugs lamivudine ((-)3TC-TP) and emtricitabine ((-)FTC-TP) provide little structural evidence to suggest that hPolß follows the previously characterized mechanisms of D-stereoselectivity. Instead, hPolß discriminates against L-stereochemistry through accumulation of several active site rearrangements that lead to a decreased nucleotide binding affinity and incorporation rate. The two NRTIs escape some of the active site selection through the base and sugar modifications but are selected against through the inability of hPolß to complete thumb domain closure.

Structural Insights into the Post-Chemistry Steps of Nucleotide Incorporation Catalyzed by a DNA Polymerase.

DNA polymerases are essential enzymes that faithfully and efficiently replicate genomic information.1-3 The mechanism of nucleotide incorporation by DNA polymerases has been extensively studied structurally and kinetically, but several key steps following phosphodiester bond formation remain structurally uncharacterized due to utilization of natural nucleotides. It is thought that the release of pyrophosphate (PPi) triggers reverse conformational changes in a polymerase in order to complete a full catalytic cycle as well as prepare for DNA translocation and subsequent incorporation events. Here, by using the triphosphates of chain-terminating antiviral drugs lamivudine ((-)3TC-TP) and emtricitabine ((-)FTC-TP), we structurally reveal the correct sequence of post-chemistry steps during nucleotide incorporation by human DNA polymerase ß (hPolß) and provide a structural basis for PPi release. These post-catalytic structures reveal hPolß in an open conformation with PPi bound in the active site, thereby strongly suggesting that the reverse conformational changes occur prior to PPi release. The results also help to refine the role of the newly discovered third divalent metal ion for DNA polymerase-catalyzed nucleotide incorporation. Furthermore, a post-chemistry structure of hPolß in the open conformation, following incorporation of (-)3TC-MP, with a second (-)3TC-TP molecule bound to the active site in the absence of PPi, suggests that nucleotide binding stimulates PPi dissociation and occurs before polymerase translocation. Our structural characterization defines the order of the elusive post-chemistry steps in the canonical mechanism of a DNA polymerase.

VCP recruitment to mitochondria causes mitophagy impairment and neurodegeneration in models of Huntington's disease.

Mutant Huntingtin (mtHtt) causes neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease (HD) by evoking defects in the mitochondria, but the underlying mechanisms remains elusive. Our proteomic analysis identifies valosin-containing protein (VCP) as an mtHtt-binding protein on the mitochondria. Here we show that VCP is selectively translocated to the mitochondria, where it is bound to mtHtt in various HD models. Mitochondria-accumulated VCP elicits excessive mitophagy, causing neuronal cell death. Blocking mtHtt/VCP mitochondrial interaction with a peptide, HV-3, abolishes VCP translocation to the mitochondria, corrects excessive mitophagy and reduces cell death in HD mouse- and patient-derived cells and HD transgenic mouse brains. Treatment with HV-3 reduces behavioural and neuropathological phenotypes of HD in both fragment- and full-length mtHtt transgenic mice. Our findings demonstrate a causal role of mtHtt-induced VCP mitochondrial accumulation in HD pathogenesis and suggest that the peptide HV-3 might be a useful tool for developing new therapeutics to treat HD.

Crystal structures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis HspAT and ArAT reveal structural basis of their distinct substrate specificities.

Aminotransferases of subfamily Iß, which include histidinol phosphate aminotransferases (HspATs) and aromatic amino acid aminotransferases (ArATs), are structurally similar but possess distinct substrate specificities. This study, encompassing structural and biochemical characterisation of HspAT and ArAT from Mycobacterium tuberculosis demonstrates that the residues lining the substrate binding pocket and N-terminal lid are the primary determinants of their substrate specificities. In mHspAT, hydrophilic residues in the substrate binding pocket and N-terminal lid allow the entry and binding of its preferential substrate, Hsp. On the other hand, the hydrophobic nature of both the substrate binding pocket and the N-terminal lid of mArAT is responsible for the discrimination of a polar substrate such as Hsp, while facilitating the binding of Phe and other aromatic residues such as Tyr and Trp. In addition, the present study delineates the ligand induced conformational rearrangements, providing insights into the plasticity of aminotransferases. Furthermore, the study also demonstrates that the adventitiously bound ligand 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid (MES) is indeed a specific inhibitor of HspAT. These results suggest that previously untapped morpholine-ring scaffold compounds could be explored for the design of new anti-TB agents.

Mechanistic Basis for the Bypass of a Bulky DNA Adduct Catalyzed by a Y-Family DNA Polymerase.

1-Nitropyrene (1-NP), an environmental pollutant, induces DNA damage in vivo and is considered to be carcinogenic. The DNA adducts formed by the 1-NP metabolites stall replicative DNA polymerases but are presumably bypassed by error-prone Y-family DNA polymerases at the expense of replication fidelity and efficiency in vivo. Our running start assays confirmed that a site-specifically placed 8-(deoxyguanosin-N(2)-yl)-1-aminopyrene (dG(1,8)), one of the DNA adducts derived from 1-NP, can be bypassed by Sulfolobus solfataricus DNA polymerase IV (Dpo4), although this representative Y-family enzyme was paused strongly by the lesion. Pre-steady-state kinetic assays were employed to determine the low nucleotide incorporation fidelity and establish a minimal kinetic mechanism for the dG(1,8) bypass by Dpo4. To reveal a structural basis for dCTP incorporation opposite dG(1,8), we solved the crystal structures of the complexes of Dpo4 and DNA containing a templating dG(1,8) lesion in the absence or presence of dCTP. The Dpo4·DNA-dG(1,8) binary structure shows that the aminopyrene moiety of the lesion stacks against the primer/template junction pair, while its dG moiety projected into the cleft between the Finger and Little Finger domains of Dpo4. In the Dpo4·DNA-dG(1,8)·dCTP ternary structure, the aminopyrene moiety of the dG(1,8) lesion, is sandwiched between the nascent and junction base pairs, while its base is present in the major groove. Moreover, dCTP forms a Watson-Crick base pair with dG, two nucleotides upstream from the dG(1,8) site, creating a complex for "-2" frameshift mutation. Mechanistically, these crystal structures provide additional insight into the aforementioned minimal kinetic mechanism.

Viewing Human DNA Polymerase ß Faithfully and Unfaithfully Bypass an Oxidative Lesion by Time-Dependent Crystallography.

One common oxidative DNA lesion, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanine (8-oxoG), is highly mutagenic in vivo due to its anti-conformation forming a Watson-Crick base pair with correct deoxycytidine 5'-triphosphate (dCTP) and its syn-conformation forming a Hoogsteen base pair with incorrect deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate (dATP). Here, we utilized time-resolved X-ray crystallography to follow 8-oxoG bypass by human DNA polymerase ß (hPolß). In the 12 solved structures, both Watson-Crick (anti-8-oxoG:anti-dCTP) and Hoogsteen (syn-8-oxoG:anti-dATP) base pairing were clearly visible and were maintained throughout the chemical reaction. Additionally, a third Mg(2+) appeared during the process of phosphodiester bond formation and was located between the reacting α- and ß-phosphates of the dNTP, suggesting its role in stabilizing reaction intermediates. After phosphodiester bond formation, hPolß reopened its conformation, pyrophosphate was released, and the newly incorporated primer 3'-terminal nucleotide stacked, rather than base paired, with 8-oxoG. These structures provide the first real-time pictures, to our knowledge, of how a polymerase correctly and incorrectly bypasses a DNA lesion.

Structural and kinetic insights into binding and incorporation of L-nucleotide analogs by a Y-family DNA polymerase.

Considering that all natural nucleotides (D-dNTPs) and the building blocks (D-dNMPs) of DNA chains possess D-stereochemistry, DNA polymerases and reverse transcriptases (RTs) likely possess strongD-stereoselectivity by preferably binding and incorporating D-dNTPs over unnatural L-dNTPs during DNA synthesis. Surprisingly, a structural basis for the discrimination against L-dNTPs by DNA polymerases or RTs has not been established although L-deoxycytidine analogs (lamivudine and emtricitabine) and L-thymidine (telbivudine) have been widely used as antiviral drugs for years. Here we report seven high-resolution ternary crystal structures of a prototype Y-family DNA polymerase, DNA, and D-dCTP, D-dCDP, L-dCDP, or the diphosphates and triphosphates of lamivudine and emtricitabine. These structures reveal that relative to D-dCTP, each of these L-nucleotides has its sugar ring rotated by 180° with an unusual O4'-endo sugar puckering and exhibits multiple triphosphate-binding conformations within the active site of the polymerase. Such rare binding modes significantly decrease the incorporation rates and efficiencies of these L-nucleotides catalyzed by the polymerase.

Structural basis for the binding and incorporation of nucleotide analogs with L-stereochemistry by human DNA polymerase λ.

Although lamivudine and emtricitabine, two L-deoxycytidine analogs, have been widely used as antiviral drugs for years, a structural basis for D-stereoselectivity against L-dNTPs, enantiomers of natural nucleotides (D-dNTPs), by any DNA polymerase or reverse transcriptase has not been established due to lack of a ternary structure of a polymerase, DNA, and an incoming L-dNTP. Here, we report 2.10-2.25 Å ternary crystal structures of human DNA polymerase λ, DNA, and L-deoxycytidine 5'-triphosphate (L-dCTP), or the triphosphates of lamivudine ((-)3TC-TP) and emtricitabine ((-)FTC-TP) with four ternary complexes per asymmetric unit. The structures of these 12 ternary complexes reveal that relative to D-deoxycytidine 5'-triphosphate (D-dCTP) in the canonical ternary structure of Polλ-DNA-D-dCTP, L-dCTP, (-)3TC-TP, and (-)FTC-TP all have their ribose rotated by 180°. Among the four ternary complexes with a specific L-nucleotide, two are similar and show that the L-nucleotide forms three Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds with the templating nucleotide dG and adopts a chair-like triphosphate conformation. In the remaining two similar ternary complexes, the L-nucleotide surprisingly interacts with the side chain of a conserved active site residue R517 through one or two hydrogen bonds, whereas the templating dG is anchored by a hydrogen bond with the side chain of a semiconserved residue Y505. Furthermore, the triphosphate of the L-nucleotide adopts an unprecedented N-shaped conformation. Our mutagenic and kinetic studies further demonstrate that the side chain of R517 is critical for the formation of the abovementioned four complexes along proposed catalytic pathways for L-nucleotide incorporation and provide the structural basis for the D-stereoselectivity of a DNA polymerase.

Structures of native, substrate-bound and inhibited forms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis imidazoleglycerol-phosphate dehydratase.

Imidazoleglycerol-phosphate dehydratase (IGPD; HisB), which catalyses the conversion of imidazoleglycerol-phosphate (IGP) to imidazoleacetol-phosphate in the histidine biosynthesis pathway, is absent in mammals. This feature makes it an attractive target for herbicide discovery. Here, the crystal structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) IGPD is reported together with the first crystal structures of substrate-bound and inhibited (by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole; ATZ) forms of IGPD from any organism. The overall tertiary structure of Mtb IGPD, a four-helix-bundle sandwiched between two four-stranded mixed ß-sheets, resembles the three-dimensional structures of IPGD from other organisms; however, Mtb IGPD possesses a unique structural feature: the insertion of a one-turn 310-helix followed by a loop ten residues in length. The functional form of IGPD is 24-meric, exhibiting 432 point-group symmetry. The structure of the IGPD-IGP complex revealed that the imidazole ring of the IGP is firmly anchored between the two Mn atoms, that the rest of the substrate interacts through hydrogen bonds mainly with residues Glu21, Arg99, Glu180, Arg121 and Lys184 which protrude from three separate protomers and that the 24-mer assembly contains 24 catalytic centres. Both the structural and the kinetic data demonstrate that the inhibitor 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole inhibits IGPD competitively.

Sample preparation, crystallization and structure solution of HisC from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Histidinolphosphate aminotransferase (HisC; Rv1600) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis was overexpressed in M. smegmatis and purified to homogeneity using nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid metal-affinity and gel-filtration chromatography. Diffraction-quality crystals suitable for X-ray analysis were grown by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique using 30% polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether 2000 as the precipitant. The crystals belonged to the hexagonal space group P3221, with an unusual high solvent content of 74.5%. X-ray diffraction data were recorded to 3.08 Å resolution from a single crystal using in-house Cu Kα radiation. The structure of HisC was solved by the molecular-replacement method using its Corynebacterium glutamicum counterpart as a search model. HisC is a dimer in the crystal as well as in solution.

Structures of ternary complexes of aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (Rv3708c) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv.

Aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (Asd; ASADH; EC 1.2.1.11) is the enzyme that lies at the first branch point in the biosynthetic pathway of important amino acids including lysine and methionine and the cell-wall component diaminopimelate (DAP). The enzymatic reaction of ASADH is the reductive dephosphorylation of aspartyl-ß-phosphate (ABP) to aspartate ß-semialdehyde (ASA). Since the aspartate pathway is absolutely essential for the survival of many microbes and is absent in humans, the enzymes involved in this pathway can be considered to be potential antibacterial drug targets. In this work, the structure of ASADH from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv (Mtb-ASADH) has been determined in complex with glycerol and sulfate at 2.18 Å resolution and in complex with S-methyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide (SMCS) and sulfate at 1.95 Å resolution. The overall structure of Mtb-ASADH is similar to those of its orthologues. However, in the Mtb-ASADH-glycerol complex structure the glycerol molecule is noncovalently bound to the active-site residue Cys130, while in the Mtb-ASADH-SMCS complex structure the SMCS (Cys) is covalently linked to Cys130. The Mtb-ASADH-SMCS complex structurally mimics one of the intermediate steps in the proposed mechanism of ASADH enzyme catalysis. Comparison of the two complex structures revealed that the amino acids Glu224 and Arg249 undergo conformational changes upon binding of glycerol. Moreover, the structures reported here may help in the development of species-specific antibacterial drug molecules against human pathogens.

Molecular cloning, overexpression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of histidinol phosphate aminotransferase (HisC2) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

HisC2 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis was overexpressed in M. smegmatis and purified to homogeneity using nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid metal-affinity and gel-filtration chromatography. Diffraction-quality crystals were grown using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique from a condition consisting of 7 mg ml(-1) HisC2 (in 20 mM Tris pH 8.8, 50 mM NaCl and 5% glycerol), 1 M succinic acid pH 7.0, 0.1 M HEPES pH 7.0 and 1%(w/v) polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether 2000. The crystals belonged to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = 255.98, b=77.09, c = 117.97 Å. X-ray diffraction data were recorded to 2.45 Å resolution from a single crystal using the in-house X-ray facility.

HisB from Mycobacterium tuberculosis: cloning, overexpression in Mycobacterium smegmatis, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis.

HisB, encoded by open reading frame Rv1601, possesses enzymatic activity as an imidazoleglycerol-phosphate dehydratase in the histidine-biosynthetic pathway of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A recombinant form of HisB was crystallized in three crystal forms: crystals grown using 20% PEG 1500 as a precipitant belonged to either the cubic space group P432 or the tetragonal space group P4, while an orthorhombic crystal form belonging to space group P2(1)2(1)2 was obtained using 15% PEG 5000 and 10 mM MnCl(2) as precipitant. The structure of HisB in the orthorhombic crystal form was solved by the molecular-replacement method using the crystal structure of its Arabidopsis thaliana counterpart, which shares 47% sequence identity with Rv1601, as the search model.

Cloning, overexpression, purification, crystallization, and preliminary X-ray studies of SP_0149, the substrate binding protein of an ABC transporter from Streptococcus pneumoniae.

A truncated (29 residues from the N-terminus) and N-terminal His-tagged form of SP_0149 from pneumococcal strain ATCC BAA-334 was overexpressed and purified to homogeneity using affinity and gel-filtration chromatography. Diffraction quality crystals were grown at 293 K using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion technique. X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.3 Šresolution from a single-crystal that belonged to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with the unit-cell parameters a=54.56, b=75.61, c=75.52 Å. The calculated values of the Matthews coefficient assuming one molecule (with calculated molecular weight of 30 400 Da) in the crystal asymmetric unit and the corresponding solvent content were 2.56 Å3 Da(-1) and 52.0%, respectively.

Peptidoglycan biosynthesis machinery: a rich source of drug targets.

The range of antibiotic therapy for the control of bacterial infections is becoming increasingly limited because of the rapid rise in multidrug resistance in clinical bacterial isolates. A few diseases, such as tuberculosis, which were once thought to be under control, have re-emerged as serious health threats. These problems have resulted in intensified research to look for new inhibitors for bacterial pathogens. Of late, the peptidoglycan (PG) layer, the most important component of the bacterial cell wall has been the subject of drug targeting because, first, it is essential for the survivability of eubacteria and secondly, it is absent in humans. The last decade has seen tremendous inputs in deciphering the 3-D structures of the PG biosynthetic enzymes. Many inhibitors against these enzymes have been developed using virtual and high throughput screening techniques. This review discusses the mechanistic and structural properties of the PG biosynthetic enzymes and inhibitors developed in the last decade.

Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (Rv3708c) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Asd, ASADH, Rv3708c), which is the second enzyme in the lysine/homoserine-biosynthetic pathways, has been expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli. The enzyme was purified using affinity and gel-filtration chromatographic techniques and crystallized in two different crystal forms. Preliminary diffraction data analysis suggested the presence of up to four monomers in the asymmetric unit of the orthorhombic crystal form A and of one or two monomers in the cubic crystal form B.