ATG7(2) Interacts With Metabolic Proteins and Regulates Central Energy Metabolism.

Macroautophagy/autophagy is an essential catabolic process that targets a wide variety of cellular components including proteins, organelles, and pathogens. ATG7, a protein involved in the autophagy process, plays a crucial role in maintaining cellular homeostasis and can contribute to the development of diseases such as cancer. ATG7 initiates autophagy by facilitating the lipidation of the ATG8 proteins in the growing autophagosome membrane. The noncanonical isoform ATG7(2) is unable to perform ATG8 lipidation; however, its cellular regulation and function are unknown. Here, we uncovered a distinct regulation and function of ATG7(2) in contrast with ATG7(1), the canonical isoform. First, affinity-purification mass spectrometry analysis revealed that ATG7(2) establishes direct protein-protein interactions (PPIs) with metabolic proteins, whereas ATG7(1) primarily interacts with autophagy machinery proteins. Furthermore, we identified that ATG7(2) mediates a decrease in metabolic activity, highlighting a novel splice-dependent function of this important autophagy protein. Then, we found a divergent expression pattern of ATG7(1) and ATG7(2) across human tissues. Conclusively, our work uncovers the divergent patterns of expression, protein interactions, and function of ATG7(2) in contrast to ATG7(1). These findings suggest a molecular switch between main catabolic processes through isoform-dependent expression of a key autophagy gene.

X-ray crystal structure of Vibrio alkaline phosphatase with the non-competitive inhibitor cyclohexylamine.

BACKGROUND: Para-nitrophenyl phosphate, the common substrate for alkaline phosphatase (AP), is available as a cyclohexylamine salt. Here, we report that cyclohexylamine is a non-competitive inhibitor of APs. METHODS: Cyclohexylamine inhibited four different APs. Co-crystallization with the cold-active Vibrio AP (VAP) was performed and the structure solved. RESULTS: Inhibition of VAP fitted a non-competitive kinetic model (Km unchanged, Vmax reduced) with IC50 45.3 mM at the pH optimum 9.8, not sensitive to 0.5 M NaCl, and IC50 27.9 mM at pH 8.0, where the addition of 0.5 M NaCl altered the inhibition to the level observed at pH 9.8. APs from E. coli and calf intestines were less sensitive to cyclohexylamine, whereas an Antarctic bacterial AP was similar to VAP in this respect. X-ray crystallography at 2.3 Å showed two binding sites, one in the active site channel and another at the surface close to dimer interface. Antarctic bacterial AP and VAP have Trp274 in common in their active-sites, that takes part in binding cyclohexylamine. VAP variants W274A, W274K, and W274H gave IC50 values of 179 mM, 188 mM and 187 mM, respectively, at pH 9.8. CONCLUSIONS: The binding of cyclohexylamine in locations at the dimeric interface and/or in the active site of APs may delay product release or reduce the rate of catalytic step(s) involving conformational changes and intersubunit communications. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Cyclohexylamine is a common chemical in industries and used as a counterion in substrates for alkaline phosphatase, a clinically important and common enzyme in the biosphere.