Advances in our structural understanding of orphan nuclear receptors.

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are key players in the regulation of gene expression, coordinating protein assemblies upon their surfaces. NRs are regulated by ligand binding, which remodels the interaction surfaces and subsequently influences macromolecular complex formation. Structural biology has been instrumental in the discovery of some of these ligands, but there are still orphan NRs (ONRs) whose bona fide ligands have yet to be identified. Over the past decade, fundamental structural and functional breakthroughs have led to a deeper understanding of ONR actions and their multidomain organization. Here, we summarize the structural advances in ONRs with implications for the therapeutic treatment of diseases such as metabolic syndrome and cancer.

Silencing LRH-1 in colon cancer cell lines impairs proliferation and alters gene expression programs.

Colorectal cancers (CRCs) account for nearly 10% of all cancer deaths in industrialized countries. Recent evidence points to a central role for the nuclear receptor liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1) in intestinal tumorigenesis. Interaction of LRH-1 with the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, highly active in a critical subpopulation of CRC cells, underscores the importance of elucidating LRH-1's role in this disease. Reduction of LRH-1 diminishes tumor burden in murine models of CRC; however, it is not known whether LRH-1 is required for tumorigenesis, for proliferation, or for both. In this work, we address this question through shRNA-mediated silencing of LRH-1 in established CRC cell lines. LRH-1 mRNA knockdown results in significantly impaired proliferation in a cell line highly expressing the receptor and more modest impairment in a cell line with moderate LRH-1 expression. Cell-cycle analysis shows prolongation of G0/G1 with LRH-1 silencing, consistent with LRH-1 cell-cycle influences in other tissues. Cluster analysis of microarray gene expression demonstrates significant genome wide alterations with major effects in cell-cycle regulation, signal transduction, bile acid and cholesterol metabolism, and control of apoptosis. This study demonstrates a critical proproliferative role for LRH-1 in established colon cancer cell lines. LRH-1 exerts its effects via multiple signaling networks. Our results suggest that selected CRC patients could benefit from LRH-1 inhibitors.

Structure-based discovery of NANOG variant with enhanced properties to promote self-renewal and reprogramming of pluripotent stem cells.

NANOG (from Irish mythology Tír na nÓg) transcription factor plays a central role in maintaining pluripotency, cooperating with OCT4 (also known as POU5F1 or OCT3/4), SOX2, and other pluripotency factors. Although the physiological roles of the NANOG protein have been extensively explored, biochemical and biophysical properties in relation to its structural analysis are poorly understood. Here we determined the crystal structure of the human NANOG homeodomain (hNANOG HD) bound to an OCT4 promoter DNA, which revealed amino acid residues involved in DNA recognition that are likely to be functionally important. We generated a series of hNANOG HD alanine substitution mutants based on the protein-DNA interaction and evolutionary conservation and determined their biological activities. Some mutant proteins were less stable, resulting in loss or decreased affinity for DNA binding. Overexpression of the orthologous mouse NANOG (mNANOG) mutants failed to maintain self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells without leukemia inhibitory factor. These results suggest that these residues are critical for NANOG transcriptional activity. Interestingly, one mutant, hNANOG L122A, conversely enhanced protein stability and DNA-binding affinity. The mNANOG L122A, when overexpressed in mouse embryonic stem cells, maintained their expression of self-renewal markers even when retinoic acid was added to forcibly drive differentiation. When overexpressed in epiblast stem cells or human induced pluripotent stem cells, the L122A mutants enhanced reprogramming into ground-state pluripotency. These findings demonstrate that structural and biophysical information on key transcriptional factors provides insights into the manipulation of stem cell behaviors and a framework for rational protein engineering.

The signaling phospholipid PIP3 creates a new interaction surface on the nuclear receptor SF-1.

The signaling phosphatidylinositol lipids PI(4,5)P2 (PIP2) and PI(3,4,5)P3 (PIP3) bind nuclear receptor 5A family (NR5As), but their regulatory mechanisms remain unknown. Here, the crystal structures of human NR5A1 (steroidogenic factor-1, SF-1) ligand binding domain (LBD) bound to PIP2 and PIP3 show the lipid hydrophobic tails sequestered in the hormone pocket, as predicted. However, unlike classic nuclear receptor hormones, the phosphoinositide head groups are fully solvent-exposed and complete the LBD fold by organizing the receptor architecture at the hormone pocket entrance. The highest affinity phosphoinositide ligand PIP3 stabilizes the coactivator binding groove and increases coactivator peptide recruitment. This receptor-ligand topology defines a previously unidentified regulatory protein-lipid surface on SF-1 with the phosphoinositide head group at its nexus and poised to interact with other proteins. This surface on SF-1 coincides with the predicted binding site of the corepressor DAX-1 (dosage-sensitive sex reversal, adrenal hypoplasia critical region on chromosome X), and importantly harbors missense mutations associated with human endocrine disorders. Our data provide the structural basis for this poorly understood cluster of human SF-1 mutations and demonstrates how signaling phosphoinositides function as regulatory ligands for NR5As.

Structural and functional insight into TAF1-TAF7, a subcomplex of transcription factor II D.

Transcription factor II D (TFIID) is a multiprotein complex that nucleates formation of the basal transcription machinery. TATA binding protein-associated factors 1 and 7 (TAF1 and TAF7), two subunits of TFIID, are integral to the regulation of eukaryotic transcription initiation and play key roles in preinitiation complex (PIC) assembly. Current models suggest that TAF7 acts as a dissociable inhibitor of TAF1 histone acetyltransferase activity and that this event ensures appropriate assembly of the RNA polymerase II-mediated PIC before transcriptional initiation. Here, we report the 3D structure of a complex of yeast TAF1 with TAF7 at 2.9 Å resolution. The structure displays novel architecture and is characterized by a large predominantly hydrophobic heterodimer interface and extensive cofolding of TAF subunits. There are no obvious similarities between TAF1 and known histone acetyltransferases. Instead, the surface of the TAF1-TAF7 complex contains two prominent conserved surface pockets, one of which binds selectively to an inhibitory trimethylated histone H3 mark on Lys27 in a manner that is also regulated by phosphorylation at the neighboring H3 serine. Our findings could point toward novel roles for the TAF1-TAF7 complex in regulation of PIC assembly via reading epigenetic histone marks.

Structure of Liver Receptor Homolog-1 (NR5A2) with PIP3 hormone bound in the ligand binding pocket.

The nuclear receptor LRH-1 (Liver Receptor Homolog-1, NR5A2) is a transcription factor that regulates gene expression programs critical for many aspects of metabolism and reproduction. Although LRH-1 is able to bind phospholipids, it is still considered an orphan nuclear receptor (NR) with an unknown regulatory hormone. Our prior cellular and structural studies demonstrated that the signaling phosphatidylinositols PI(4,5)P2 (PIP2) and PI(3,4,5)P3 (PIP3) bind and regulate SF-1 (Steroidogenic Factor-1, NR5A1), a close homolog of LRH-1. Here, we describe the crystal structure of human LRH-1 ligand binding domain (LBD) bound by PIP3 - the first phospholipid with a head group endogenous to mammals. We show that the phospholipid hormone binds LRH-1 with high affinity, stabilizing the receptor LBD. While the hydrophobic PIP3 tails (C16/C16) are buried inside the LRH-1 ligand binding pocket, the negatively charged PIP3 head group is presented on the receptor surface, similar to the phosphatidylinositol binding mode observed in the PIP3-SF-1 structure. Thus, data presented in this work reinforce our earlier findings demonstrating that signaling phosphatidylinositols regulate the NR5A receptors LRH-1 and SF-1.

Structural basis of coactivation of liver receptor homolog-1 by ß-catenin.

We report the three-dimensional structure of a ß-catenin armadillo repeat in complex with the liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1) ligand binding domain at 2.8 Å resolution as the first structure of ß-catenin in complex with any nuclear receptor. The surface of ß-catenin that binds LRH-1 partly overlaps defined contact sites for peptide segments of ß-catenin partners, including T-cell factor-4. The surface of LRH-1 that engages ß-catenin is comprised of helices 1, 9, and 10 and is distinct from known interaction surfaces of LRH-1, including corepressor and coactivator binding sites. Targeted mutagenesis of amino acids forming both sides of the LRH-1/ß-catenin interface reveals that they are essential for stable interactions between these proteins in solution. The LRH-1 binding site in ß-catenin is also required for association with androgen receptor, providing evidence that the observed LRH-1/ß-catenin interaction may be prototypic.

Structure-based discovery of antagonists of nuclear receptor LRH-1.

Liver receptor homolog 1 (nuclear receptor LRH-1, NR5A2) is an essential regulator of gene transcription, critical for maintenance of cell pluripotency in early development and imperative for the proper functions of the liver, pancreas, and intestines during the adult life. Although physiological hormones of LRH-1 have not yet been identified, crystallographic and biochemical studies demonstrated that LRH-1 could bind regulatory ligands and suggested phosphatidylinositols as potential hormone candidates for this receptor. No synthetic antagonists of LRH-1 are known to date. Here, we identify the first small molecule antagonists of LRH-1 activity. Our search for LRH-1 modulators was empowered by screening of 5.2 million commercially available compounds via molecular docking followed by verification of the top-ranked molecules using in vitro direct binding and transcriptional assays. Experimental evaluation of the predicted ligands identified two compounds that inhibit the transcriptional activity of LRH-1 and diminish the expression of the receptor's target genes. Among the affected transcriptional targets are co-repressor SHP (small heterodimer partner) as well as cyclin E1 (CCNE1) and G0S2 genes that are known to regulate cell growth and proliferation. Treatments of human pancreatic (AsPC-1), colon (HT29), and breast adenocarcinoma cells T47D and MDA-MB-468 with the LRH-1 antagonists resulted in the receptor-mediated inhibition of cancer cell proliferation. Our data suggest that specific antagonists of LRH-1 could be used as specific molecular probes for elucidating the roles of the receptor in different types of malignancies.

Nuclear receptor liver receptor homologue 1 (LRH-1) regulates pancreatic cancer cell growth and proliferation.

An essential regulator of gene transcription, nuclear receptor liver receptor homologue 1 (LRH-1) controls cell differentiation in the developing pancreas and maintains cholesterol homeostasis in adults. Recent genome-wide association studies linked mutations in the LRH-1 gene and its up-stream regulatory regions to development of pancreatic cancer. In this work, we show that LRH-1 transcription is activated up to 30-fold in human pancreatic cancer cells compared to normal pancreatic ductal epithelium. This activation correlates with markedly increased LRH-1 protein expression in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas in vivo. Selective blocking of LRH-1 by receptor specific siRNA significantly inhibits pancreatic cancer cell proliferation in vitro. The inhibition is tracked in part to the attenuation of the receptor's transcriptional targets controlling cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation. Previously, LRH-1 was shown to contribute to formation of intestinal tumors. This study demonstrates the critical involvement of LRH-1 in development and progression of pancreatic cancer, suggesting the LRH-1 receptor as a plausible therapeutic target for treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas.

Targeting the regulation of androgen receptor signaling by the heat shock protein 90 cochaperone FKBP52 in prostate cancer cells.

Drugs that target novel surfaces on the androgen receptor (AR) and/or novel AR regulatory mechanisms are promising alternatives for the treatment of castrate-resistant prostate cancer. The 52 kDa FK506 binding protein (FKBP52) is an important positive regulator of AR in cellular and whole animal models and represents an attractive target for the treatment of prostate cancer. We used a modified receptor-mediated reporter assay in yeast to screen a diversified natural compound library for inhibitors of FKBP52-enhanced AR function. The lead compound, termed MJC13, inhibits AR function by preventing hormone-dependent dissociation of the Hsp90-FKBP52-AR complex, which results in less hormone-bound receptor in the nucleus. Assays in early and late stage human prostate cancer cells demonstrated that MJC13 inhibits AR-dependent gene expression and androgen-stimulated prostate cancer cell proliferation.

Structure of the complex of a mitotic kinesin with its calcium binding regulator.

Much of the transport, tension, and movement in mitosis depends on kinesins, the ATP-powered microtubule-based motors. We report the crystal structure of a kinesin complex, the mitotic kinesin KCBP bound to its principal regulator KIC. Shown to be a Ca(2+) sensor, KIC works as an allosteric trap. Extensive intermolecular interactions with KIC stabilize kinesin in its ADP-bound conformation. A critical component of the kinesin motile mechanism, called the neck mimic, switches its association from kinesin to KIC, stalling the motor. KIC denies access of the motor to its track by steric interference. Two major features of this regulation, allosteric trapping and steric blocking, are likely to be general for all kinesins.

Hormone binding and co-regulator binding to the glucocorticoid receptor are allosterically coupled.

The glucocorticoid receptor initiates the cellular response to glucocorticoid steroid hormones in vertebrates. Co-regulator proteins dock to the receptor in response to hormone binding and potentiate the transcriptional activity of the receptor by modifying DNA and recruiting essential transcription factors like RNA polymerase II. Hormones and co-regulators bind at distinct sites in the ligand binding domain yet function cooperatively to mediate transcriptional control. This study reveals and quantifies energetic coupling between two binding sites using purified components. Using a library of peptides taken from co-regulator proteins, we determine the pattern of co-regulator binding to the glucocorticoid receptor ligand binding domain. We show that peptides from co-regulators differ in their effects on hormone binding and kinetics. Peptides from DAX1 and SRC1 bind with similar affinity, but DAX1 binding is coupled to hormone binding, and SRC1 is not. Mechanistic details of co-regulator binding and coupling to the hormone binding pocket are uncovered by analysis of properties endowed by mutation of a key residue in the allosteric network connecting the sites.

The structure of corepressor Dax-1 bound to its target nuclear receptor LRH-1.

The Dax-1 protein is an enigmatic nuclear receptor that lacks an expected DNA binding domain, yet functions as a potent corepressor of nuclear receptors. Here we report the structure of Dax-1 bound to one of its targets, liver receptor homolog 1 (LRH-1). Unexpectedly, Dax-1 binds to LRH-1 using a new module, a repressor helix built from a family conserved sequence motif, PCFXXLP. Mutations in this repressor helix that are linked with human endocrine disorders dissociate the complex and attenuate Dax-1 function. The structure of the Dax-1:LRH-1 complex provides the molecular mechanism for the function of Dax-1 as a potent transcriptional repressor.

Decoration of microtubules in solution by the kinesin-14, Ncd.

The kinesin-14, Ncd, is a cellular motor involved in microtubule spindle assembly and contraction during mitosis and meiosis. Like other members of the kinesin superfamily, Ncd consists of two motor heads connected by a linker and a long cargo-carrying stalk. The motor heads hydrolyze ATP to ADP to provide the power stroke that moves them and the cargo along the microtubule. Whereas conventional kinesins move processively along the sense of the microtubule right-handed helix, Ncd moves in the opposite direction, apparently using a different motive mechanism. According to the current model, the microtubule-binding state of Ncd is bound by one head and then released during the motive cycle. This is distinguished from the binding states of conventional kinesins, in which the motor heads are always bound in the motive cycle with alternating one-head and two-head binding. The objective was to determine the extent of binding, the binding states of Ncd in the presence of an ATP analogue, AMPPNP, and whether the binding is cooperative. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) of microtubules decorated with a deuterated Ncd construct, Ncd281, in solution containing 42% D(2)O was used. These conditions render the microtubule `invisible' to SANS, while amplifying the SANS from the Ncd constructs. In the presence of AMPPNP, 75% of Ncd281 was not bound. The remainder was bound cooperatively by one of its motor heads to the microtubule.

Accommodation of structural rearrangements in the huntingtin-interacting protein 1 coiled-coil domain.

Huntingtin-interacting protein 1 (HIP1) is an important link between the actin cytoskeleton and clathrin-mediated endocytosis machinery. HIP1 has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease. The binding of HIP1 to actin is regulated through an interaction with clathrin light chain. Clathrin light chain binds to a flexible coiled-coil domain in HIP1 and induces a compact state that is refractory to actin binding. To understand the mechanism of this conformational regulation, a high-resolution crystal structure of a stable fragment from the HIP1 coiled-coil domain was determined. The flexibility of the HIP1 coiled-coil region was evident from its variation from a previously determined structure of a similar region. A hydrogen-bond network and changes in coiled-coil monomer interaction suggest that the HIP1 coiled-coil domain is uniquely suited to allow conformational flexibility.

Structure of SF-1 bound by different phospholipids: evidence for regulatory ligands.

Despite the fact that many nuclear receptors are ligand dependent, the existence of obligate regulatory ligands is debated for some receptors, including steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1). Although fortuitously bound bacterial phospholipids were discovered in the structures of the SF-1 ligand-binding domain (LBD), these lipids might serve merely as structural ligands. Thus, we examined whether exogenously added phospholipids would exchange for these bacterial lipids and bind to SF-1. Here, we report the first crystal structure of the SF-1 LBD bound by the exchanged phosphatidylcholine. Although the bound phosphatidylcholine phospholipid mimics the conformation of bound bacterial phosphoplipids, two surface loops, L2-3 and L11-12, surrounding the entrance to the pocket vary significantly between different SF-1 LBD structures. Based on this observation, we hypothesized that a bound ligand might control the conformations of loops L2-3 and L11-12, and that conserved residues in these dynamic loops could influence ligand binding and the receptor function. Consistent with this hypothesis, impaired phospholipid exchange and diminished transcriptional activity were observed for loop L11-12 SF-1 mutants and for the loop L2-3 human mutant R255L. The endocrine disease associated with this L2-3 mutation coupled with our cellular and biochemical data suggest that critical residues at the mouth of the ligand-binding pocket have evolved for efficient binding of phospholipid ligands and for achieving optimal SF-1 activity.

Molecular basis for dimer formation of TRbeta variant D355R.

Protein quality and stability are critical during protein purification for X-ray crystallography. A target protein that is easy to manipulate and crystallize becomes a valuable product useful for high-throughput crystallography for drug design and discovery. In this work, a single surface mutation, D355R, was shown to be crucial for converting the modestly stable monomeric ligand binding domain of the human thyroid hormone receptor (TR LBD) into a stable dimer. The structure of D335R TR LBD mutant was solved using X-ray crystallography and refined to 2.2 A resolution with R(free)/R values of 24.5/21.7. The crystal asymmetric unit reveals the TR dimer with two molecules of the hormone-bound LBD related by twofold symmetry. The ionic interface between the two LBDs comprises residues within loop H10-H11 and loop H6-H7 as well as the C-terminal halves of helices 8 of both protomers. Direct intermolecular contacts formed between the introduced residue Arg 355 of one TR molecule and Glu 324 of the second molecule become a part of the extended dimerization interface of 1330 A(2) characteristic for a strong complex assembly that is additionally strengthened by buffer solutes.

The structure of chagasin in complex with a cysteine protease clarifies the binding mode and evolution of an inhibitor family.

Protein inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes regulate proteolysis and prevent the pathological effects of excess endogenous or exogenous proteases. Cysteine proteases are a large family of enzymes found throughout the plant and animal kingdoms. Disturbance of the equilibrium between cysteine proteases and natural inhibitors is a key event in the pathogenesis of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and emphysema. A family (I42) of cysteine protease inhibitors (http://merops.sanger.ac.uk) was discovered in protozoan parasites and recently found widely distributed in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. We report the 2.2 A crystal structure of the signature member of the I42 family, chagasin, in complex with a cysteine protease. Chagasin has a unique variant of the immunoglobulin fold with homology to human CD8alpha. Interactions of chagasin with a target protease are reminiscent of the cystatin family inhibitors. Protein inhibitors of cysteine proteases may have evolved more than once on nonhomologous scaffolds.

Covalent Modification and Regulation of the Nuclear Receptor Nurr1 by a Dopamine Metabolite.

Nurr1, a nuclear receptor essential for the development, maintenance, and survival of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, is a potential therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease, a neurological disorder characterized by the degeneration of these same neurons. Efforts to identify Nurr1 agonists have been hampered by the recognition that it lacks several classic regulatory elements of nuclear receptor function, including the canonical ligand-binding pocket. Here we report that the dopamine metabolite 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) binds directly to and modulates the activity of Nurr1. Using biophysical assays and X-ray crystallography, we show that DHI binds to the ligand-binding domain within a non-canonical pocket, forming a covalent adduct with Cys566. In cultured cells and zebrafish, DHI stimulates Nurr1 activity, including the transcription of target genes underlying dopamine homeostasis. These findings suggest avenues for developing synthetic Nurr1 ligands to ameliorate the symptoms and progression of Parkinson's disease.

Structural dynamics of the microtubule binding and regulatory elements in the kinesin-like calmodulin binding protein.

Kinesins are molecular motors that power cell division and transport of various proteins and organelles. Their motor activity is driven by ATP hydrolysis and depends on interactions with microtubule tracks. Essential steps in kinesin movement rely on controlled alternate binding to and detaching from the microtubules. The conformational changes in the kinesin motors induced by nucleotide and microtubule binding are coordinated by structural elements within their motor domains. Loop L11 of the kinesin motor domain interacts with the microtubule and is implicated in both microtubule binding and sensing nucleotide bound to the active site of kinesin. Consistent with its proposed role as a microtubule sensor, loop L11 is rarely seen in crystal structures of unattached kinesins. Here, we report four structures of a regulated plant kinesin, the kinesin-like calmodulin binding protein (KCBP), determined by X-ray crystallography. Although all structures reveal the kinesin motor in the ATP-like conformation, its loop L11 is observed in different conformational states, both ordered and disordered. When structured, loop L11 adds three additional helical turns to the N-terminal part of the following helix alpha4. Although interactions with protein neighbors in the crystal support the ordering of loop L11, its observed conformation suggests the conformation for loop L11 in the microtubule-bound kinesin. Variations in the positions of other features of these kinesins were observed. A critical regulatory element of this kinesin, the calmodulin binding helix positioned at the C-terminus of the motor domain, is thought to confer negative regulation of KCBP. Calmodulin binds to this helix and inserts itself between the motor and the microtubule. Comparison of five independent structures of KCBP shows that the positioning of the calmodulin binding helix is not decided by crystal packing forces but is determined by the conformational state of the motor. The observed variations in the position of the calmodulin binding helix fit the regulatory mechanism previously proposed for this kinesin motor.