Recognition of a cell-surface oligosaccharide of pathogenic Salmonella by an antibody Fab fragment.

The 2.05 angstrom (A) resolution crystal structure of a dodecasaccharide-Fab complex revealed an unusual carbohydrate recognition site, defined by aromatic amino acids and a structured water molecule, rather than the carboxylic acid and amide side chains and a structured water molecule, rather than the carboxylic acid and amide side chains that are features of transport and other carbohydrate binding proteins. A trisaccharide epitope of a branched bacterial lipopolysaccharide fills this hydrophobic pocket (8 A deep by 7 A wide) in an entropy-assisted association (association constant = 2.05 x 10(5) liters per mole, enthalpy = -20.5 +/- 1.7 kilojoules per mole, and temperature times entropy = +10.0 +/- 2.9 kilojoules per mole). The requirement for the complementarity of van der Waals surfaces and the requirements of saccharide-saccharide and protein-saccharide hydrogen-bonding networks determine the antigen conformation adopted in the bound state.

Composite active site of chondroitin lyase ABC accepting both epimers of uronic acid.

Enzymes have evolved as catalysts with high degrees of stereospecificity. When both enantiomers are biologically important, enzymes with two different folds usually catalyze reactions with the individual enantiomers. In rare cases a single enzyme can process both enantiomers efficiently, but no molecular basis for such catalysis has been established. The family of bacterial chondroitin lyases ABC comprises such enzymes. They can degrade both chondroitin sulfate (CS) and dermatan sulfate (DS) glycosaminoglycans at the nonreducing end of either glucuronic acid (CS) or its epimer iduronic acid (DS) by a beta-elimination mechanism, which commences with the removal of the C-5 proton from the uronic acid. Two other structural folds evolved to perform these reactions in an epimer-specific fashion: (alpha/alpha)(5) for CS (chondroitin lyases AC) and beta-helix for DS (chondroitin lyases B); their catalytic mechanisms have been established at the molecular level. The structure of chondroitinase ABC from Proteus vulgaris showed surprising similarity to chondroitinase AC, including the presence of a Tyr-His-Glu-Arg catalytic tetrad, which provided a possible mechanism for CS degradation but not for DS degradation. We determined the structure of a distantly related Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron chondroitinase ABC to identify additional structurally conserved residues potentially involved in catalysis. We found a conserved cluster located approximately 12 A from the catalytic tetrad. We demonstrate that a histidine in this cluster is essential for catalysis of DS but not CS. The enzyme utilizes a single substrate-binding site while having two partially overlapping active sites catalyzing the respective reactions. The spatial separation of the two sets of residues suggests a substrate-induced conformational change that brings all catalytically essential residues close together.

Creation of a ribonuclease abzyme through site-directed mutagenesis.

The development of abzymes (antibody/enzymes) is one method of creating reagents with novel catalytic activity. To date, most abzymes have been obtained by immunization with transition state analogs. We have chosen to start with an existing antibody and convert it into an enzyme by the addition of catalytic residues to the binding site. We have introduced a histidine residue into antibody Jel 103 and converted it into an abzyme that cleaves poly(rI) with a kinetic efficiency of about 100 M(-1) sec(-1).

The 3-D structure of a folate-dependent dehydrogenase/cyclohydrolase bifunctional enzyme at 1.5 A resolution.

BACKGROUND: The interconversion of two major folate one-carbon donors occurs through the sequential activities of NAD(P)-dependent methylene[H4]folate dehydrogenase (D) and methenyl[H4]folate cyclohydrolase (C). These activities often coexist as part of a multifunctional enzyme and there are several lines of evidence suggesting that their substrates bind at overlapping sites. Little is known, however, about the nature of this site or the identity of the active-site residues for this enzyme family. RESULTS: We have determined, to 1.5 A resolution, the structure of a dimer of the D/C domain of the human trifunctional cytosolic enzyme with bound NADP cofactor, using the MAD technique. The D/C subunit is composed of two alpha/beta domains that assemble to form a wide cleft. The cleft walls are lined with highly conserved residues and NADP is bound along one wall. The NADP-binding domain has a Rossmann fold, characterized by a modified diphosphate-binding loop fingerprint-GXSXXXG. Dimerization occurs by antiparallel interaction of two NADP-binding domains. Superposition of the two subunits indicates domain motion occurs about a well-defined hinge region. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of the structure suggests strongly that folate-binding sites for both activities are within the cleft, providing direct support for the proposed overlapping site model. The orientation of the nicotinamide ring suggests that in the dehydrogenase-catalyzed reaction hydride transfer occurs to the pro-R side of the ring. The identity of the cyclohydrolase active site is not obvious. We propose that a conserved motif-Tyr52-X-X-X-Lys56- and/or a Ser49-Gln100-Pro102 triplet have a role in this activity.

Structure of apoptosis-linked protein ALG-2: insights into Ca2+-induced changes in penta-EF-hand proteins.

BACKGROUND: The Ca2+ binding apoptosis-linked gene-2 (ALG-2) protein acts as a proapoptotic factor in a variety of cell lines and is required either downstream or independently of caspases for apoptosis to occur. ALG-2 belongs to the penta-EF-hand (PEF) protein family and has two high-affinity and one low-affinity Ca2+ binding sites. Like other PEF proteins, its N terminus contains a Gly/Pro-rich segment. Ca2+ binding is required for the interaction with the target protein, ALG-2 interacting protein 1 (AIP1). RESULTS: We present the 2.3 A resolution crystal structure of Ca2+-Ioaded des1-20ALG-2 (aa 21-191), which was obtained by limited proteolysis of recombinant ALG-2 with elastase. The molecule contains eight alpha helices that fold into five EF-hands, and, similar to other members of this protein family, the molecule forms dimers. Ca2+ ions bind to EF1, EF3, and, surprisingly, to EF5. In the related proteins calpain and grancalcin, the EF5 does not bind Ca2+ and is thought to primarily facilitate dimerization. Most importantly, the conformation of des1-20ALG-2 is significantly different from that of calpain and grancalcin. This difference can be described as a rigid body rotation of EF1-2 relative to EF4-5 and the dimer interface, with a hinge within the EF3 loop. An electron density, which is interpreted as a hydrophobic Gly/Pro-rich decapeptide that is possibly derived from the cleaved N terminus, was found in a hydrophobic cleft between these two halves of the molecule. CONCLUSIONS: A different relative orientation of the N- and C-terminal halves of des1-20ALG-2 in the presence of Ca2+ and the peptide as compared to other Ca2+loaded PEF proteins changes substantially the shape of the molecule, exposing a hydrophobic patch on the surface for peptide binding and a large cleft near the dimer interface. We postulate that the binding of a Gly/ Pro-rich peptide in the presence of Ca2+ induces a conformational rearrangement in ALG-2, and that this mechanism is common to other PEF proteins.

Structure of rat procathepsin B: model for inhibition of cysteine protease activity by the proregion.

BACKGROUND: Cysteine proteases of the papain superfamily are synthesized as inactive precursors with a 60-110 residue N-terminal prosegment. The propeptides are potent inhibitors of their parent proteases. Although the proregion binding mode has been elucidated for all other protease classes, that of the cysteine proteases remained elusive. RESULTS: We report the three-dimensional structure of rat procathepsin B, determined at 2.8 A resolution. The 62-residue proregion does not form a globular structure on its own, but folds along the surface of mature cathepsin B. The N-terminal part of the proregion packs against a surface loop, with Trp24p (p indicating the proregion) playing a pivotal role in these interactions. Inhibition occurs by blocking access to the active site: part of the proregion enters the substrate-binding cleft in a similar manner to a natural substrate, but in a reverse orientation. CONCLUSIONS: The structure of procathepsin B provides the first insight into the mode of interaction between a mature cysteine protease from the papain superfamily and its prosegment. Maturation results in only one loop of cathepsin B changing conformation significantly, replacing contacts lost by removal of the prosegment. Contrary to many other proproteases, no rearrangement of the N terminus occurs following activation. Binding of the prosegment involves interaction with regions of the enzyme remote from the substrate-binding cleft and suggests a novel strategy for inhibitor design. The region of the prosegment where the activating cleavage occurs makes little contact with the enzyme, leading to speculation on the activation mechanism.

The open conformation of a Pseudomonas lipase.

BACKGROUND: . The interfacial activation of lipases results primarily from conformational changes in the enzymes which expose the active site and provide a hydrophobic surface for interaction with the lipid substrate. Comparison of the crystallization conditions used and the structures observed for a variety of lipases suggests that the enzyme conformation is dependent on solution conditions. Pseudomonas cepacia lipase (PCL) was crystallized in conditions from which the open, active conformation of the enzyme was expected. Its three-dimensional structure was determined independently in three different laboratories and was compared with the previously reported closed conformations of the closely related lipases from Pseudomonas glumae (PGL) and Chromobacterium viscosum (CVL). These structures provide new insights into the function of this commercially important family of lipases. RESULTS: . The three independent structures of PCL superimpose with only small differences in the mainchain conformations. As expected, the observed conformation reveals a catalytic site exposed to the solvent. Superposition of PCL with the PGL and CVL structures indicates that the rearrangement from the closed to the open conformation involves three loops. The largest movement involves a 40 residue stretch, within which a helical segment moves to afford access to the catalytic site. A hydrophobic cleft that is presumed to be the lipid binding site is formed around the active site. CONCLUSIONS: . The interfacial activation of Pseudomonas lipases involves conformational rearrangements of surface loops and appears to conform to models of activation deduced from the structures of fungal and mammalian lipases. Factors controlling the conformational rearrangement are not understood, but a comparison of crystallization conditions and observed conformation suggests that the conformation of the protein is determined by the solution conditions, perhaps by the dielectric constant.

Structure and conformational flexibility of Candida rugosa lipase.

Three-dimensional structures of a number of lipases determined in the past decade have provided a solid structural foundation for our understanding of lipase function. The structural studies of Candida rugosa lipase summarized here have addressed many facets of interfacial catalysis. These studies have revealed a fold and catalytic site common to other lipases. Different conformations likely to correlate with interfacial activation of the enzyme were observed in different crystal forms. The structures of enzyme-inhibitor complexes have identified the binding site for the scissile fatty acyl chain, provided the basis for molecular modeling of triglyceride binding and provided insight into the structural basis of the common enantiopreferences shown by lipases.

Channeling efficiency in the bifunctional methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase/cyclohydrolase domain: the effects of site-directed mutagenesis of NADP binding residues.

The three-dimensional structure of the dehydrogenase-cyclohydrolase bifunctional domain of the human trifunctional enzyme indicates that Arg-173 and Ser-197 are within 3 A of the 2'-phosphate of bound NADP. Site-directed mutagenesis confirms that Arg-173 is essential for efficient binding and cannot be substituted by lysine. R173A and R173K have detectable dehydrogenase activity, but the K(m) values for NADP are increased by at least 500-fold. The S197A mutant has a K(m) for NADP that is only 20-fold higher than wild-type, indicating that it plays a supporting role. Forward and reverse cyclohydrolase activities of all the mutants were unchanged, except that the reverse cyclohydrolase activity of mutants that bind NADP poorly, or lack Ser-197, cannot be stimulated by 2',5'-ADP. The 50% channeling efficiency in the forward direction is not improved by the addition of exogenous NADPH and cannot be explained by premature dissociation of the dinucleotide from the ternary complex. As well, channeling is unaffected in mutants that exhibit a wide range of dinucleotide binding. Given that dinucleotide binding is unrelated to substrate channeling efficiency in the D/C domain, we propose that the difference in forward and reverse channeling efficiencies can be explained solely by the movement of the methenylH(4)folate between two overlapping subsites to which it has different binding affinities.

Conformation of complementarity determining region L1 loop in murine IgG lambda light chain extends the repertoire of canonical forms.

The refined structure of Se155-4 Fab fragment, the first murine antibody with the lambda light chain, reveals a novel conformation of the light chain complementarity determining region L1. This conformation extends the repertoire of canonical structures. The main determinant of this conformation is the packing of the Val27c side-chain into a hydrophobic pocket formed by the side-chains of Ala33, Leu66, Ala71 and Leu90. The framework L-FR3 loop, encompassing residues 66 to 72, which packs next to the L1 loop, bends significantly more toward the exterior of the molecule than in other Fab fragments. Sequence analysis suggests that the conformations of the L1 and L-FR3 loops observed in Se155-4 are adopted by a majority of murine lambda light chains.

1.8 A refined structure of the lipase from Geotrichum candidum.

A lipase from the fungus Geotrichum candidum is one of only three interfacially activated lipases whose structures have been reported to date. We have previously reported the partially refined 2.2 A structure of this enzyme. We have subsequently extended the resolution and here report the fully refined 1.8 A structure of this lipase. The structure observed in the crystal is apparently not the lipolytic conformation, as the active site is not accessible from the surface of the molecule. A single large cavity is found in the interior of the molecule and extends from the catalytic Ser to two surface helices, suggesting that this face may be the region that interacts with the lipid interface. The mobility of local segments on this face is indicated by temperature factors larger than elsewhere in the molecule and by the observation of several residues whose side-chains are discretely disordered. These observations strongly suggest that this portion of the molecule is involved in interfacial and substrate binding, but the exact nature of the conformational changes induced by binding to the lipid interface can not be determined.

Crystal structure of chondroitin AC lyase, a representative of a family of glycosaminoglycan degrading enzymes.

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), highly sulfated polymers built of hexosamine-uronic acid disaccharide units, are major components of the extracellular matrix, mostly in the form of proteoglycans. They interact with a large array of proteins, in particular of the blood coagulation cascade. Degradation of GAGs in mammalian systems occurs by the action of GAG hydrolases. Bacteria express a large number of GAG-degrading lyases that break the hexosamine-uronic acid bond to create an unsaturated sugar ring. Flavobacterium heparinum produces at least five GAG lyases of different specificity. Chondroitin AC lyase (chondroitinase AC, 75 kDa) is highly active toward chondroitin 4-sulfate and chondroitin-6 sulfate. Its crystal structure has been determined to 1.9 A resolution. The enzyme is composed of two domains. The N-terminal domain of approximately 300 residues contains mostly alpha-helices which form a doubly-layered horseshoe (a subset of the (alpha/alpha)6 toroidal topology). The approximately 370 residues long C-terminal domain is made of beta-strands arranged in a four layered beta-sheet sandwich, with the first two sheets having nine strands each. This fold is novel and has no counterpart in full among known structures. The sequence of chondroitinase AC shows low level of homology to several hyaluronate lyases, which likely share its fold. The shape of the molecule, distribution of electrostatic potential, the pattern of conservation of the amino acids and the results of mutagenesis of hyaluronate lyases, indicate that the enzymatic activity resides primarily within the N-terminal domain. The most likely candidate for the catalytic base is His225. Other residues involved in catalysis and/or substrate binding are Arg288, Arg292, Lys298 and Lys299.

Crystal structure of human grancalcin, a member of the penta-EF-hand protein family.

Grancalcin is a Ca(2+)-binding protein expressed at high level in neutrophils. It belongs to the PEF family, proteins containing five EF-hand motifs and which are known to associate with membranes in Ca(2+)-dependent manner. Prototypic members of this family are Ca(2+)-binding domains of calpain. Our recent finding that grancalcin interacts with L-plastin, a protein known to have actin bundling activity, suggests that grancalcin may play a role in regulation of adherence and migration of neutrophils. The structure of human grancalcin has been determined at 1.9 A resolution in the absence of calcium (R-factor of 0.212 and R-free of 0.249) and at 2. 5 A resolution in the presence of calcium (R-factor of 0.226 and R-free of 0.281). The molecule is predominantly alpha-helical: it contains eight alpha-helices and only two short stretches of two-stranded beta-sheets between the loops of paired EF-hands. Grancalcin forms dimers through the association of the unpaired EF5 hands in a manner similar to that observed in calpain, confirming this mode of association as a paradigm for the PEF family. Only one Ca(2+) was found per dimer under crystallization conditions that included CaCl(2). This cation binds to EF3 in one molecule, while this site in the second molecule of the dimer is unoccupied. This unoccupied site shows higher mobility. The structure determined in the presence of calcium, although does not represent a fully Ca(2+)-loaded form, suggests that calcium induces rather small conformational rearrangements. Comparison with calpain suggests further that the relatively small magnitude of conformational changes invoked by calcium alone may be a characteristic feature of the PEF family. Moreover, the largest differences are localized to the EF1, thus supporting the notion that calcium signaling occurs through this portion of the molecule and that it may involve the N-terminal Gly/Pro rich segment. Electrostatic potential distribution shows significant differences between grancalcin and calpain domain VI demonstrating their distinct character.

Multiple crystal forms of lipases from Geotrichum candidum.

Multiple stable crystal forms of two lipases from the fungus Geotrichum candidum have been obtained. The diffraction pattern extends to beyond 2.0 A resolution. Similarity of the cell dimensions of various forms suggested similar packing of molecules in different crystals. This was confirmed by rotation function results. Four heavy-atoms derivatives have been identified.

Crystal structure of human procathepsin X: a cysteine protease with the proregion covalently linked to the active site cysteine.

Human cathepsin X is one of many proteins discovered in recent years through the mining of sequence databases. Its sequence shows clear homology to cysteine proteases from the papain family, containing the characteristic residue patterns, including the active site. However, the proregion of cathepsin X is only 38 residues long, the shortest among papain-like enzymes, and the cathepsin X sequence has an atypical insertion in the regions proximal to the active site. This protein was recently expressed and partially characterized biochemically. Unlike most other cysteine proteases from the papain family, procathepsin X is incapable of autoprocessing in vitro but can be processed under reducing conditions by exogenous cathepsin L. Atypically, the mature enzyme is primarily a carboxypeptidase and has extremely poor endopeptidase activity. We have determined the three-dimensional structure of the procathepsin X at 1.7 A resolution. The overall structure of the mature enzyme is characteristic for enzymes of the papain superfamily, but contains several novel features. Most interestingly, the short proregion binds to the enzyme with the aid of a covalent bond between the cysteine residue in the proregion (Cys10p) and the active site cysteine residue (Cys31). This is the first example of a zymogen in which the inhibition of enzyme's proteolytic activity by the proregion is achieved through a reversible covalent modification of the active site nucleophile. Such mode of binding requires less contact area between the proregion and the enzyme than observed in other procathepsins, and no auxiliary binding site on the enzyme surface is used. A three-residue insertion in a highly conserved region, just prior to the active site cysteine residue, confers a significantly different shape on the S' subsites, compared to other proteases from papain family. The 3D structure provides an explanation for the rather unusual carboxypeptidase activity of this enzyme and confirms the predictions based on homology modeling. Another long insertion in the cathepsin X amino acid sequence forms a beta-hairpin pointing away from the active site. This insertion, thought to be an equivalent of cathepsin B occluding loop, is located on the side of the protein, distant from the substrate binding site.

Preliminary crystal structure analysis of an Fab specific for a Salmonella O-polysaccharide antigen.

The Fab from an IgG1, lambda murine monoclonal antibody with specificity for the O-polysaccharide antigen of Salmonella typhimurium has been crystallized in the absence and presence of hapten. The conditions for crystal growth were vapor diffusion equilibration with 16 to 23% polyethylene glycol 8000 solutions. Data have been collected from crystals of the complex in space group P212121, a = 60.6 A, b = 111.3 A, c = 61.1 A, and refinement of a molecular replacement solution is underway.

Preparation, characterization and crystallization of an antibody Fab fragment that recognizes RNA. Crystal structures of native Fab and three Fab-mononucleotide complexes.

Fab fragments from Jel 103, an antibody which specifically binds to single-stranded poly(rl), were prepared by papain digestion, separated into eight isoforms and characterized by mass spectrometry. One of the purified isoforms yielded crystals suitable for structural studies by X-ray diffraction and its crystal structure was determined to 2.4 A resolution. Soaking the crystals in solutions containing either of the mononucleotides inosine-5'-diphosphate, guanosine-5'-diphosphate or deoxyinosine-5'-monophosphate resulted in binding of the nucleotide in a single binding site. However, adenosine-5'-diphosphate does not bind to this antibody. The recognition of the base is achieved through hydrogen bonds to the C6 carbonyl oxygen and the imino NH group of the purine in a pattern similar to that of the base-base interactions in a double-stranded nucleic acid. Additional binding energy is provided by stacking of the base and the Tyr32L side-chain and by interaction of the alpha-phosphate with the antibody in an anionic binding site. Most of the side-chains interacting with the nucleotide come from the light chain. Surprisingly, this antibody shares the VL sequence with another nucleic acid-binding antibody, BV04-1. The latter binds to a single stranded DNA with a high preference for thymine bases. The structures of the unliganded and complexed Jel 103 Fab are compared to those of BV-04-1 Fab and while they show similarity in recognition of the base of the immunodominant nucleotide, their 5' phosphates occupy different positions, suggesting different orientation of the nucleic acid bound to these two antibodies. Differences in the conformations of the L1 loops between the two Fabs have been noted.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction studies of the lepidopteran-specific insecticidal crystal protein CrylA(a).

A trypsin-activated CrylA(a) protein from Bacillus thuringiensis has been purified and crystallized. Crystals belong to orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with cell dimensions a = 53.3, b = 111.3 and c = 154.7 A. The crystals diffract to at least 2.2 angstrum resolution and are suitable for X-ray structural analysis. They contain a single molecule in the asymmetric unit.

Crystal structure of histidinol phosphate aminotransferase (HisC) from Escherichia coli, and its covalent complex with pyridoxal-5'-phosphate and l-histidinol phosphate.

The biosynthesis of histidine is a central metabolic process in organisms ranging from bacteria to yeast and plants. The seventh step in the synthesis of histidine within eubacteria is carried out by a pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent l-histidinol phosphate aminotransferase (HisC, EC 2.6.1.9). Here, we report the crystal structure of l-histidinol phosphate aminotransferase from Escherichia coli, as a complex with pyridoxamine-5'-phosphate (PMP) at 1.5 A resolution, as the internal aldimine with PLP, and in a covalent, tetrahedral complex consisting of PLP and l-histidinol phosphate attached to Lys214, both at 2.2 A resolution. This covalent complex resembles, in structural terms, the gem-diamine intermediate that is formed transiently during conversion of the internal to external aldimine.HisC is a dimeric enzyme with a mass of approximately 80 kDa. Like most PLP-dependent enzymes, each HisC monomer consists of two domains, a larger PLP-binding domain having an alpha/beta/alpha topology, and a smaller domain. An N-terminal arm contributes to the dimerization of the two monomers. The PLP-binding domain of HisC shows weak sequence similarity, but significant structural similarity with the PLP-binding domains of a number of PLP-dependent enzymes. Residues that interact with the PLP cofactor, including Tyr55, Asn157, Asp184, Tyr187, Ser213, Lys214 and Arg222, are conserved in the family of aspartate, tyrosine and histidinol phosphate aminotransferases. The imidazole ring of l-histidinol phosphate is bound, in part, through a hydrogen bond with Tyr110, a residue that is substituted by Phe in the broad substrate specific HisC enzymes from Zymomonas mobilis and Bacillus subtilis. Comparison of the structures of the HisC internal aldimine, the PMP complex and the HisC l-histidinol phosphate complex reveal minimal changes in protein or ligand structure. Proton transfer, required for conversion of the gem-diamine to the external aldimine, does not appear to be limited by the distance between substrate and lysine amino groups. We propose that the tetrahedral complex has resulted from non-productive binding of l-histidinol phosphate soaked into the HisC crystals, resulting in its inability to be converted to the external aldimine at the HisC active site.

The crystal structure of Escherichia coli MoeA, a protein from the molybdopterin synthesis pathway.

MoeA is involved in synthesis of the molybdopterin cofactor, although its function is not yet clearly defined. The three-dimensional structure of the Escherichia coli protein was solved at 2.2 A resolution. The locations of highly conserved residues among the prokaryotic and eukaryotic MoeA homologs identifies a cleft in the dimer interface as the likely functional site. Of the four domains of MoeA, domain 2 displays a novel fold and domains 1 and 4 each have only one known structural homolog. Domain 3, in contrast, is structurally similar to many other proteins. The protein that resembles domain 3 most closely is MogA, another protein required for molybdopterin cofactor synthesis. The overall similarity between MoeA and MogA, and the similarities in a constellation of residues that are strongly conserved in MoeA, suggests that these proteins bind similar ligands or substrates and may have similar functions.