The N-terminal methionine of cellular proteins as a degradation signal.

The Arg/N-end rule pathway targets for degradation proteins that bear specific unacetylated N-terminal residues while the Ac/N-end rule pathway targets proteins through their N(α)-terminally acetylated (Nt-acetylated) residues. Here, we show that Ubr1, the ubiquitin ligase of the Arg/N-end rule pathway, recognizes unacetylated N-terminal methionine if it is followed by a hydrophobic residue. This capability of Ubr1 expands the range of substrates that can be targeted for degradation by the Arg/N-end rule pathway because virtually all nascent cellular proteins bear N-terminal methionine. We identified Msn4, Sry1, Arl3, and Pre5 as examples of normal or misfolded proteins that can be destroyed through the recognition of their unacetylated N-terminal methionine. Inasmuch as proteins bearing the Nt-acetylated N-terminal methionine residue are substrates of the Ac/N-end rule pathway, the resulting complementarity of the Arg/N-end rule and Ac/N-end rule pathways enables the elimination of protein substrates regardless of acetylation state of N-terminal methionine in these substrates.

Ultrafast infrared spectroscopy of an isotope-labeled photoactivatable flavoprotein.

The blue light using flavin (BLUF) domain photosensors, such as the transcriptional antirepressor AppA, utilize a noncovalently bound flavin as the chromophore for photoreception. Since the isoalloxazine ring of the chromophore is unable to undergo large-scale structural change upon light absorption, there is intense interest in understanding how the BLUF protein matrix senses and responds to flavin photoexcitation. Light absorption is proposed to result in alterations in the hydrogen-bonding network that surrounds the flavin chromophore on an ultrafast time scale, and the structural changes caused by photoexcitation are being probed by vibrational spectroscopy. Here we report ultrafast time-resolved infrared spectra of the AppA BLUF domain (AppA(BLUF)) reconstituted with isotopically labeled riboflavin (Rf) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), which permit the first unambiguous assignment of ground and excited state modes arising directly from the flavin carbonyl groups. Studies of model compounds and DFT calculations of the ground state vibrational spectra reveal the sensitivity of these modes to their environment, indicating that they can be used as probes of structural dynamics.

Mechanistic insights on riboflavin synthase inspired by selective binding of the 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine exomethylene anion.

Riboflavin synthase catalyzes the transfer of a four-carbon fragment between two molecules of the substrate, 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine, resulting in the formation of riboflavin and 5-amino-6-ribitylamino-2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinedione. Earlier, a pentacyclic adduct formed from two substrate molecules was shown to be a catalytically competent intermediate, but the mechanism of its formation is still poorly understood. The present study shows that the recombinant N-terminal domain of riboflavin synthase from Escherichia coli interacts specifically with the exomethylene-type anion of 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine but not with any of the tricyclic adduct-type anions that dominate the complex anion equilibrium in aqueous solution. Whereas these findings can be implemented into previously published mechanistic hypotheses, we also present a novel, hypothetical reaction sequence that starts with the transfer of a hydride ion from the 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine exomethylene anion to an electroneutral 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine molecule. The pair of dehydrolumazine and dihydrolumazine molecules resulting from this hydride transfer is proposed to undergo a 4 + 2 cycloaddition, affording the experimentally documented pentacyclic intermediate. In contrast to earlier mechanistic concepts requiring the participation of a nucleophilic agent, which is not supported by structural and mutagenesis data, the novel concept has no such requirement. Moreover, it requires fewer reaction steps and is consistent with all experimental data.

Coupled Methyl Group Rotation in FMN Radicals Revealed by Selective Deuterium Labeling.

Flavin semiquinones are common intermediate redox states in flavoproteins, and thus, knowledge of their electronic structure is essential for fully understanding their chemistry and chemical versatility. In this contribution, we use a combination of high-field electron nuclear double resonance spectroscopy and selective deuterium labeling of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) with subsequent incorporation as cofactor into a variant Avena sativa LOV domain to extract missing traits of the electronic structure of a protein-bound FMN radical. From these experiments, precise values of small proton hyperfine and deuterium nuclear quadrupole couplings could be extracted. Specifically, isotropic hyperfine couplings of -3.34, -0.11, and +0.91 MHz were obtained for the protons H(6), H(9), and H(7α), respectively. These values are discussed in the light of specific protein-cofactor interactions. Furthermore, the temperature behavior of the H(7α) methyl-group rotation elicited by its energy landscape was analyzed in greater detail. Pronounced interplay between the two methyl groups at C(7) and C(8) of FMN could be revealed. Most strikingly, this rotational behavior could be modulated by selective deuterium editing.

Ligand binding properties of the N-terminal domain of riboflavin synthase from Escherichia coli.

Riboflavin synthase from Escherichia coli is a homotrimer of 23.4 kDa subunits and catalyzes the formation of one molecule each of riboflavin and 5-amino-6-ribitylamino- 2,4(1H,3H)-pyrimidinedione by the transfer of a 4-carbon moiety between two molecules of the substrate, 6,7- dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine. Each subunit comprises two closely similar folding domains. Recombinant expression of the N-terminal domain is known to provide a c(2)-symmetric homodimer. In this study, the binding properties of wild type as well as two mutated proteins of N-terminal domain of riboflavin synthase with various ligands were tested. The replacement of the amino acid residue A43, located in the second shell of riboflavin synthase active center, in the recombinant N-terminal domain dimer reduces the affinity for 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine. The mutation of the amino acid residue C48 forming part of activity cavity of the enzyme causes significant (19)F NMR chemical shift modulation of trifluoromethyl derivatives of 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine in complex with the protein, while substitution of A43 results in smaller chemical shift changes.

Ultrafast Structural Dynamics of BlsA, a Photoreceptor from the Pathogenic Bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii.

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important human pathogen that can form biofilms and persist under harsh environmental conditions. Biofilm formation and virulence are modulated by blue light, which is thought to be regulated by a BLUF protein, BlsA. To understand the molecular mechanism of light sensing, we have used steady-state and ultrafast vibrational spectroscopy to compare the photoactivation mechanism of BlsA to the BLUF photosensor AppA from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Although similar photocycles are observed, vibrational data together with homology modeling identify significant differences in the ß5 strand in BlsA caused by photoactivation, which are proposed to be directly linked to downstream signaling.

Vibrational assignment of the ultrafast infrared spectrum of the photoactivatable flavoprotein AppA.

The blue light using flavin (BLUF) domain proteins, such as the transcriptional antirepressor AppA, are a novel class of photosensors that bind flavin noncovalently in order to sense and respond to high-intensity blue (450 nm) light. Importantly, the noncovalently bound flavin chromophore is unable to undergo large-scale structural change upon light absorption, and thus there is significant interest in understanding how the BLUF protein matrix senses and responds to flavin photoexcitation. Light absorption is proposed to result in alterations in the hydrogen-bonding network that surrounds the flavin chromophore on an ultrafast time scale, and the structural changes caused by photoexcitation are being probed by vibrational spectroscopy. Here we report ultrafast time-resolved infrared spectra of the AppA BLUF domain (AppA(BLUF)) reconstituted with isotopes of FAD, specifically [U-(13)C(17)]-FAD, [xylene-(13)C(8)]-FAD, [U-(15)N(4)]-FAD, and [4-(18)O(1)]-FAD both in solution and bound to AppA(BLUF). This allows for unambiguous assignment of ground- and excited-state modes arising directly from the flavin. Studies of model compounds and DFT calculations of the ground-state vibrational spectra reveal the sensitivity of these modes to their environment, indicating they can be used as probes of structural dynamics.