A proposed carbon-utilization and virulence protein A, CuvA (Rv1422), from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv: crystallization, X-ray diffraction analysis and ligand binding.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis possesses the ability to undergo physiological adaptations in order to persist during the prolonged course of infection despite the active immune response of the host and in order to overcome multiple environmental changes. Previous studies have proposed that M. tuberculosis CuvA (Rv1422; MtCuvA) might play a critical role in the adaptation of the bacterium to environmental changes, such as nutrient utilization and alteration of the growth rate. However, the detailed function of MtCuvA still remains unclear owing to a lack of structural information. To better understand its role in host adaptation, MtCuvA was purified to homogeneity and was crystallized for the first time using the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method. The crystal of MtCuvA diffracted to a resolution of 2.1 Šand belonged to the orthorhombic space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 47.27, b = 170.93, c = 178.10 Å. The calculated Matthews coefficient (VM) was 2.4 Å3 Da-1, with a solvent content of 48.02%, and thus four molecules appeared to be present in the asymmetric unit. Moreover, it is reported that MtCuvA can bind to the cell-wall precursor components uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucose and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine.

Crystal structure of hypothetical protein PA4202 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 in complex with nitroethane as a nitroalkane substrate.

Nitroalkane oxidase (NAO) and nitronate monooxygenase (NMO) are two different types of nitroalkane oxidizing flavoenzymes identified in nature. A previous study suggested that the hypothetical protein PA4202 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 is NMO and utilizes only anionic nitronates. However, the structural similarity between the PA4202 protein and Streptomyces ansochromogenes NAO has motivated investigation for what features of the two enzymes differentiate between the NAO and NMO activities. Herein, we report the crystal structure of PA4202 in a ternary complex with a neutral nitroethane (NE) and flavin mononucleotide (FMN) cofactor to elucidate the substrate recognition mechanism using a site-directed mutagenesis. The ternary complex structure indicates that the NE is bound with an orientation, which is poised for the proton transfer to H183 (which is the essential first catalytic step with nitroalkanes), and subsequent reactions with FMN. Moreover, a kinetic study reveals that the catalytic reactions of the wild type and H183 mutants PA4202s with nitroalkane substrates may yield the products of hydrogen peroxide and nitrite that are specified to NAO, although they show a low catalytic efficiency. Our results provide the first structure-based molecular insight into the substrate binding property of the hypothetical protein PA4202, including the interactions with neutral nitroalkanes as the substrate.

Crystal structure of the C-terminal domain of Bacillus subtilis GabR reveals a closed conformation by γ-aminobutyric acid binding, inducing transcriptional activation.

Bacillus subtilis GabR (BsGabR) is involved in the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) catabolism as a transcriptional regulator, consisting of an N-terminal helix-turn-helix DNA-binding domain and a C-terminal aminotransferase-like (AT-like) domain. Research on the C-terminal AT-like domain of BsGabR (BsGabR-CTD) has focused on the interaction with GABA as an effector, but most its functional details remain unclear. To understand the underlying mechanism, we report the crystal structure of BsGabR-CTD in complex with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) and GABA at 2.0 Å resolution. The structure of ligand-bound BsGabR-CTD revealed two distinct monomeric states in a homodimer. One subunit is a closed-form containing the PLP-GABA adduct, and the other subunit is a PLP-bound open-form. Our structural studies provide a detailed mechanism indicating that the open-to-closed transition by the binding of GABA induces the conformational rearrangement of BsGabR-CTD, which may trigger the activation of transcription.

Structure-based functional studies for the cellular recognition and cytolytic mechanism of pneumolysin from Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) contribute to various pathogenesis by Gram-positive bacterial pathogens. Among them, pneumolysin (PLY) produced by Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major contributor to pneumococcal infections. Despite numerous studies of the cytolytic mechanism of PLY, little structural information on its interactions with a specific receptor of the cell membrane is available. We report here the first crystal structures of PLY in an apo-form and in a ternary complex with two mannoses at 2.8Å and 2.5Å resolutions, respectively. Both structures contained one monomer in an asymmetric unit and were comprised of four discontinuous domains, similar to CDC structures reported previously. The ternary complex structure showed that loop 3 and the undecapeptide region in domain 4 might contribute to cellular recognition by binding to mannose, as a component of a specific cell-surface receptor. Moreover, mutational studies and docking simulations for four residues (Leu431, Trp433, Thr459, and Leu460) in domain 4 indicated that Leu431 and Trp433 in the undecapeptide might be involved in the binding of cholesterol, together with the Thr459-Leu460 pair in loop 1. Our results provide structure-based molecular insights into the interaction of PLY with the target cell membrane, including the binding of mannose and cholesterol.

Structural insight into the substrate inhibition mechanism of NADP(+)-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase from Streptococcus pyogenes.

Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenases (SSADHs) are ubiquitous enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of succinic semialdehyde (SSA) to succinic acid in the presence of NAD(P)(+), and play an important role in the cellular mechanisms including the detoxification of accumulated SSA or the survival in conditions of limited nutrients. Here, we report the inhibitory properties and two crystal structures of SSADH from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpSSADH) in a binary (ES) complex with SSA as the substrate and a ternary (ESS) complex with the substrate SSA and the inhibitory SSA, at 2.4 Å resolution for both structures. Analysis of the kinetic inhibitory parameters revealed significant substrate inhibition in the presence of NADP(+) at concentrations of SSA higher than 0.02 mM, which exhibited complete uncompetitive substrate inhibition with the inhibition constant (Ki) value of 0.10 ± 0.02 mM. In ES-complex of SpSSADH, the SSA showed a tightly bound bent form nearby the catalytic residues, which may be caused by reduction of the cavity volume for substrate binding, compared with other SSADHs. Moreover, structural comparison of ESS-complex with a binary complex with NADP(+) of SpSSADH indicated that the substrate inhibition was induced by the binding of inhibitory SSA in the cofactor-binding site, instead of NADP(+). Our results provide first structure-based molecular insights into the substrate inhibition mechanism of SpSSADH as the Gram-positive bacterial SSADH.

Kinetic and structural characterization for cofactor preference of succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase from Streptococcus pyogenes.

The γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) that is found in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms has been used in various ways as a signaling molecule or a significant component generating metabolic energy under conditions of nutrient limitation or stress, through GABA catabolism. Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH) catalyzes the oxidation of succinic semialdehyde to succinic acid in the final step of GABA catabolism. Here, we report the catalytic properties and two crystal structures of SSADH from Streptococcus pyogenes (SpSSADH) regarding its cofactor preference. Kinetic analysis showed that SpSSADH prefers NADP(+) over NAD(+) as a hydride acceptor. Moreover, the structures of SpSSADH were determined in an apo-form and in a binary complex with NADP(+) at 1.6 Šand 2.1 Šresolutions, respectively. Both structures of SpSSADH showed dimeric conformation, containing a single cysteine residue in the catalytic loop of each subunit. Further structural analysis and sequence comparison of SpSSADH with other SSADHs revealed that Ser158 and Tyr188 in SpSSADH participate in the stabilization of the 2'-phosphate group of adenine-side ribose in NADP(+). Our results provide structural insights into the cofactor preference of SpSSADH as the gram-positive bacterial SSADH.

Kinetic characterization and molecular modeling of NAD(P)(+)-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase from Bacillus subtilis as an ortholog YneI.

Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH) catalyzes the oxidation of succinic semialdehyde (SSA) into succinic acid in the final step of γ-aminobutyric acid degradation. Here, we characterized Bacillus subtilis SSADH (BsSSADH) regarding its cofactor discrimination and substrate inhibition. BsSSADH showed similar values of the catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) in both NAD(+) and NADP(+) as cofactors, and exhibited complete uncompetitive substrate inhibition at higher SSA concentrations. Further analyses of the sequence alignment and homology modeling indicated that the residues of catalytic and cofactor-binding sites in other SSADHs were highly conserved in BsSSADH.

Expression, purification and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of nitroalkane oxidase (NAO) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Nitroalkane oxidase (NAO) is a flavin-dependent enzyme which catalyses the oxidation of nitroalkanes to the corresponding aldehydes or ketones, nitrite and hydrogen peroxide. In order to better understand the structure and function of this enzyme, NAO from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was purified and crystallized as a native and a selenomethionine-substituted (SeMet) enzyme. Both crystals diffracted to a resolution of 1.9 Å and belonged to the primitive orthorhombic space group P21, with unit-cell parameters a = 70.06, b = 55.43, c = 87.74 Å, ß = 96.56° for native NAO and a = 69.89, b = 54.83, c = 88.20 Å, ß = 95.79° for SeMet NAO. Assuming the presence of two molecules in the asymmetric unit in both crystals, the Matthews coefficients (VM) for native and SeMet NAO were calculated to be 2.30 and 2.48 ų Da⁻¹, with estimated solvent contents of 46.50 and 50.37%, respectively.

Crystal structure of the response regulator spr1814 from Streptococcus pneumoniae reveals unique interdomain contacts among NarL family proteins.

Spr1814 belongs to the NarL/FixJ subfamily of signal transduction response regulators (RR), and has been predicted to regulate the neighboring ABC transporter, which translocates antibiotic molecules in Streptococcus pneumoniae. Here, we report the crystal structure of full-length unphosphorylated spr1814 at 1.7Å resolution. The asymmetric unit contains two spr1814 molecules, which display very different conformations. Through comparisons with other RRs structures, we concluded that one molecule adopts a general inactive conformation, whereas the other molecule adopts an intermediate conformation. The superposition of each molecule showed that rotational change of the effector domain occurred in intermediate conformational state, implying that domain rearrangement could occur upon phosphorylation.

The structure of a shellfish specific GST class glutathione S-transferase from antarctic bivalve Laternula elliptica reveals novel active site architecture.

Glutathione-S-transferases have been identified in all the living species examined so far, yet little is known about their function in marine organisms. In a previous report, the recently identified GST from Antarctic bivalve Laternula elliptica (LeGST) was classified into the rho class GST, but there are several unique features of LeGST that may justify reclassification, which could represent specific shellfish GSTs. Here, we determined the crystal structure of LeGST, which is a shellfish specific class of GST. The structural analysis showed that the relatively open and wide hydrophobic H-site of the LeGST allows this GST to accommodate various substrates. These results suggest that the H-site of LeGST may be the result of adaptation to their environments as sedentary organisms.

Characterization of pneumolysin from Streptococcus pneumoniae, interacting with carbohydrate moiety and cholesterol as a component of cell membrane.

The cytolytic mechanism of cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) requires the presence of cholesterol in the target cell membrane. Membrane cholesterol was thought to serve as the common receptor for these toxins, but not all CDCs require cholesterol for binding. One member of this toxin family, pneumolysin (PLY) is a major virulence factor of Streptococcus pneumoniae, and the mechanism via which PLY binds to its putative receptor or cholesterol on the cell membrane is still poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated that PLY interacted with carbohydrate moiety and cholesterol as a component of the cell membrane, using the inhibitory effect of hemolytic activity. The hemolytic activity of PLY was inhibited by cholesterol-MßCD, which is in a 3ß configuration at the C3-hydroxy group, but is not in a 3α-configuration. In the interaction between PLY and carbohydrate moiety, the mannose showed a dose-dependent increase in the inhibition of PLY hemolytic activity. The binding ability of mannose with truncated PLYs, as determined by the pull-down assay, showed that mannose might favor binding to domain 4 rather than domains 1-3. These studies provide a new model for the mechanism of cellular recognition by PLY, as well as a foundation for future investigations into whether non-sterol molecules can serve as receptors for other members of the CDC family of toxins.

Crystal structure of receiver domain of putative NarL family response regulator spr1814 from Streptococcus pneumoniae in the absence and presence of the phosphoryl analog beryllofluoride.

Spr1814 of Streptococcus pneumoniae is a putative response regulator (RR) that has four-helix helix-turn-helix DNA-binding domain and belongs to the NarL family. The prototypical RR contains two domains, an N-terminal receiver domain linked to a variable effector domain. The receiver domain functions as a phosphorylation-activated switch and contains the typical doubly wound five-stranded α/ß fold. Here, we report the crystal structure of the receiver domain of spr1814 (spr1814(R)) determined in the absence and presence of beryllofluoride as a phosphoryl analog. Based on the overall structure, spr1814(R) was shown to contain the typical fold similar with other structures of the receiver domain; however, an additional linker region connecting the receiver and DNA-binding domain was inserted into the dimer interface of spr1814(R), resulting in the formation of unique dimer interface. Upon phosphorylation, the conformational change of the linker region was observed and this suggests that domain rearrangement between the receiver domain and effector domain could occur in full-length spr1814.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase from Streptococcus pyogenes.

Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH) plays a critical role in the metabolism of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and catalyzes the NAD(P)(+)-coupled oxidation of succinic semialdehyde (SSA) to succinic acid (SA). SSADH from Streptococcus pyogenes has been purified and crystallized as the apoenzyme and in a complex with NAD(+). The crystals of native and NAD(+)-complexed SSADH diffracted to resolutions of 1.6 and 1.7 Å, respectively, using a synchrotron-radiation source. Both crystals belonged to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 93.3, b = 100.3, c = 105.1 Å for the native crystal and a = 93.3, b = 100.3, c = 105.0 Å for the complex crystal. Preliminary molecular replacement confirmed the presence of one dimer in both crystals, corresponding to a Matthews coefficient (V(M)) of 2.37 Å(3) Da(-1) and a solvent content of 48.0%.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic studies of enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (FabI) from Psuedomonas aeruginosa.

During fatty-acid biosynthesis, enoyl-acyl carrier protein (enoyl-ACP) reductase catalyzes the reduction of trans-2-enoyl-ACP to fully saturated acyl-ACP via the ubiquitous fatty-acid synthase system. NADH-dependent enoyl-ACP reductase (FabI) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been purified and crystallized as an apoenzyme and in a complex form with NADH and triclosan. Triclosan is an inhibitor of FabI and forms a stable ternary complex in the presence of NADH. The crystals of native and complexed FabI diffracted to resolutions of 2.6 and 1.8 Å, respectively. The crystals both belonged to space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 117.32, b = 155.844, c = 129.448 Å, ß = 111.061° for the native enzyme and a = 64.784, b = 107.573, c = 73.517 Å, ß = 116.162° for the complex. Preliminary molecular replacement further confirmed the presence of four tetramers of native FabI and one tetramer of the complex in the asymmetric unit, corresponding to Matthews coefficients (V(M)) of 2.46 and 2.05 Å(3) Da(-1) and solvent contents of 50.1 and 40.1%, respectively.

Structural and functional conservation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis GroEL paralogs suggests that GroEL1 Is a chaperonin.

GroEL is a group I chaperonin that facilitates protein folding and prevents protein aggregation in the bacterial cytosol. Mycobacteria are unusual in encoding two or more copies of GroEL in their genome. While GroEL2 is essential for viability and likely functions as the general housekeeping chaperonin, GroEL1 is dispensable, but its structure and function remain unclear. Here, we present the 2.2-Å resolution crystal structure of a 23-kDa fragment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis GroEL1 consisting of an extended apical domain. Our X-ray structure of the GroEL1 apical domain closely resembles those of Escherichia coli GroEL and M. tuberculosis GroEL2, thus highlighting the remarkable structural conservation of bacterial chaperonins. Notably, in our structure, the proposed substrate-binding site of GroEL1 interacts with the N-terminal region of a symmetry-related neighboring GroEL1 molecule. The latter is consistent with the known GroEL apical domain function in substrate binding and is supported by results obtained from using peptide array technology. Taken together, these data show that the apical domains of M. tuberculosis GroEL paralogs are conserved in three-dimensional structure, suggesting that GroEL1, like GroEL2, is a chaperonin.

Structural and kinetic analysis of free methionine-R-sulfoxide reductase from Staphylococcus aureus: conformational changes during catalysis and implications for the catalytic and inhibitory mechanisms.

Free methionine-R-sulfoxide reductase (fRMsr) reduces free methionine R-sulfoxide back to methionine, but its catalytic mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we have determined the crystal structures of the reduced, substrate-bound, and oxidized forms of fRMsr from Staphylococcus aureus. Our structural and biochemical analyses suggest the catalytic mechanism of fRMsr in which Cys(102) functions as the catalytic residue and Cys(68) as the resolving Cys that forms a disulfide bond with Cys(102). Cys(78), previously thought to be a catalytic Cys, is a non-essential residue for catalytic function. Additionally, our structures provide insights into the enzyme-substrate interaction and the role of active site residues in substrate binding. Structural comparison reveals that conformational changes occur in the active site during catalysis, particularly in the loop of residues 97-106 containing the catalytic Cys(102). We have also crystallized a complex between fRMsr and isopropyl alcohol, which acts as a competitive inhibitor for the enzyme. This isopropyl alcohol-bound structure helps us to understand the inhibitory mechanism of fRMsr. Our structural and enzymatic analyses suggest that a branched methyl group in alcohol seems important for competitive inhibition of the fRMsr due to its ability to bind to the active site.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of a GroEL1 fragment from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv.

Full-length GroEL1 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv was cloned, overexpressed and purified. Crystals were obtained by the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method and contained a 23 kDa GroEL1 fragment. A complete native data set was collected from a single frozen crystal that belonged to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = 75.47, b = 78.67, c = 34.89 A, alpha = beta = gamma = 90 degrees , and diffracted to 2.2 A resolution on a home X-ray source.

Structural studies of human brain-type creatine kinase complexed with the ADP-Mg2+-NO3- -creatine transition-state analogue complex.

Creatine kinase is a member of the phosphagen kinase family, which catalyzes the reversible phosphoryl transfer reaction that occurs between ATP and creatine to produce ADP and phosphocreatine. Here, three structural aspects of human-brain-type-creatine-kinase (hBB-CK) were identified by X-ray crystallography: the ligand-free-form at 2.2A; the ADP-Mg2+, nitrate, and creatine complex (transition-state-analogue complex; TSAC); and the ADP-Mg2+-complex at 2.0A. The structures of ligand-bound hBB-CK revealed two different monomeric states in a single homodimer. One monomer is a closed form, either bound to TSAC or the ADP-Mg2+-complex, and the second monomer is an unliganded open form. These structural studies provide a detailed mechanism indicating that the binding of ADP-Mg2+ alone may trigger conformational changes in hBB-CK that were not observed with muscle-type-CK.

Overexpression, purification, and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of human brain-type creatine kinase.

Creatine kinase (CK; E.C. 2.7.3.2) is an important enzyme that catalyzes the reversible transfer of a phosphoryl group from ATP to creatine in energy homeostasis. The brain-type cytosolic isoform of creatine kinase (BB-CK), which is found mainly in the brain and retina, is a key enzyme in brain energy metabolism, because high-energy phosphates are transferred through the creatine kinase/phosphocreatine shuttle system. The recombinant human BB-CK protein was overexpressed as a soluble form in Escherichia coli and crystallized at 22 degrees C using PEG 4000 as a precipitant. Native X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.2 A resolution using synchrotron radiation. The crystals belonged to the tetragonal space group P43212, with cell parameters of a=b=97.963, c= 164.312 A, and alpha=beta=gamma=90 degrees. The asymmetric unit contained two molecules of CK, giving a crystal volume per protein mass (Vm) of 1.80 A3 Da-1 and a solvent content of 31.6%.

Structure of a protein-DNA complex essential for DNA protection in spores of Bacillus species.

The DNA-binding alpha/beta-type small acid-soluble proteins (SASPs) are a major factor in the resistance and long-term survival of spores of Bacillus species by protecting spore DNA against damage due to desiccation, heat, toxic chemicals, enzymes, and UV radiation. We now report the crystal structure at 2.1 A resolution of an alpha/beta-type SASP bound to a 10-bp DNA duplex. In the complex, the alpha/beta-type SASP adopt a helix-turn-helix motif, interact with DNA through minor groove contacts, bind to approximately 6 bp of DNA as a dimer, and the DNA is in an A-B type conformation. The structure of the complex provides important insights into the molecular details of both DNA and alpha/beta-type SASP protection in the complex and thus also in spores.