Structures of an HIV and MHC binding fragment from human CD4 as refined in two crystal lattices.

BACKGROUND: The T-cell surface glycoprotein CD4 interacts with class II molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) enhancing the signal for T-cell activation. Human CD4 also interacts, at high affinity, with the HIV envelope glycoprotein, gp120, to mediate T-cell infection by HIV. Crystal structures of amino-terminal two-domain (D1D2) fragments of human CD4, which contain the residues implicated in HIV and MHC interactions, have been reported earlier. RESULTS: We have determined the crystal structure of a new D1D2 construct by molecular replacement from a previously described crystal structure of D1D2. This structure has more uniform lattice contacts than are in the first. This gives an improved image of domain D2, which in turn has permitted further refinement of the initial structure at 2.3 A resolution against a more complete data set. The structure of the second crystal form was also refined at 2.9 A resolution. In both models, all residues from 1 to 178 are now well defined, including the loop regions in D2. CONCLUSIONS: Similarities of the molecular structure in the two lattices suggest that the D1D2 fragment works as a unit, with segmental flexibility largely restricted to the junction between domains D2 and D3. Variability of conformation in loops, including those implicated in MHC and HIV binding, requires an 'induced fit' in these interactions. Well defined density for the exposed side chain of Phe43 in both crystals confirms a prominent role for this residue in gp120 binding.

The native strains in the hydrophobic core and flexible reactive loop of a serine protease inhibitor: crystal structure of an uncleaved alpha1-antitrypsin at 2.7 A.

BACKGROUND: The protein alpha1-antitrypsin is a prototype member of the serpin (serine protease inhibitor) family and is known to inhibit the activity of neutrophil elastase in the lower respiratory tract. Members of this family undergo a large structural rearrangement upon binding to a target protease, involving cleavage of the reactive-site loop. This loop is then inserted into the main body of the enzyme following the opening of a central beta sheet, leading to stabilization of the structure. Random mutageneses of alpha1-antitrypsin identified various mutations that stabilize the native structure and retard the insertion of the reactive-site loop. Structural studies of these mutations may reveal the mechanism of the conformational change. RESULTS: We have determined the three-dimensional structure of an uncleaved alpha1-antitrypsin with seven such stabilizing mutations (hepta alpha1-antitrypsin) at 2.7 A resolution. From the comparison of the structure with other serpin structures, we found that hepta alpha1-antitrypsin is stabilized due to the release of various strains that exist in native wild type alpha1-antitrypsin, including unfavorable hydrophobic interactions in the central hydrophobic core. The reactive-site loop of hepta alpha1-antitrypsin is an extended strand, different from that of the previously determined structure of another uncleaved alpha1-antitrypsin, and indicates the inherent flexibility of the loop. CONCLUSIONS: The present structural study suggests that the uncleaved alpha1-antitrypsin has many folding defects which can be improved by mutations. These folding defects seem to be utilized in a coordinated fashion in the regulation of the conformational switch of alpha1-antitrypsin. Some of the defects, represented by the Phe51 region and possibly the Met374 and the Thr59 regions, are part of the sheet-opening mechanism.

Production of hepatitis B virus preS polypeptide in Escherichia coli by mutation of the 5'-end coding sequence and its purification and characterization.

The preS1 and preS2 antigens (preS Ag) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) elicit virus-neutralizing and protective antibodies which can overcome nonresponsiveness to the currently available vaccine for HBV and also carry the attachment site to HBV hepatocyte receptor. Therefore, in order to study the development of more effective vaccine and the receptor-ligand interaction, it will be helpful to obtain high-level production of the preS Ag from bacteria. We have found that the native preS region gene was not expressed under the control of commonly used promoters in Escherichia coli. By site-directed mutagenesis of some nucleotides at the 5'-end of the preS1 region gene, we have generated a mutant gene which is highly expressed in soluble form in E. coli. The produced polypeptide could be efficiently purified by 20% ammonium sulfate precipitation and a gel permeation chromatography and the purified polypeptide was demonstrated to exhibit the antigenicity and the immunogenicity of the preS1 and preS2 Ag, suggesting that it is functional.

Binding and regulation of HIF-1alpha by a subunit of the proteasome complex, PSMA7.

The hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) is an important transcription factor for cellular responses to oxygen tension. It is rapidly degraded under normoxic conditions by the ubiquitin-dependent proteasome pathway. Here we report a critical role of the 20S proteasome subunit PSMA7 in HIF-1alpha regulation. PSMA7 was found to interact specifically with two subdomains of HIF-1alpha. PSMA7 inhibited the transactivation function of HIF-1alpha under both normoxic and hypoxia-mimicking conditions. In addition, we show that the PSMA7-mediated regulation of HIF-1alpha activity is associated with the proteasome pathway.

Identification of tyrosine-nitrated proteins in HT22 hippocampal cells during glutamate-induced oxidative stress.

OBJECTIVES: Nitration of tyrosine residues in protein is a post-translational modification, which occurs under oxidative stress, and is associated with several neurodegenerative diseases. To understand the role of nitrated proteins in oxidative stress-induced cell death, we identified nitrated proteins and checked correlation of their nitration in glutamate-induced HT22 cell death. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nitrated proteins were detected by western blotting using an anti-nitrotyrosine antibody, extracted from matching reference 2-dimensional electrophoresis gels, and identified with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Glutamate treatment induced apoptosis in HT22 cells, while reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitor or neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) inhibitor blocked glutamate-induced HT22 cell death. Nitration levels of 13 proteins were increased after glutamate stimulation; six of them were involved in regulation of energy production and two were related to apoptosis. The other nitrated proteins were associated with calcium signal modulation, ER dysfunction, or were of unknown function. CONCLUSIONS: The 13 tyrosine-nitrated proteins were detected in these glutamate-treated HT22 cells. Results demonstrated that cell death, ROS accumulation and nNOS expression were related to nitration of protein tyrosine in the glutamate-stimulated cells.

Homology modeling of the receptor binding domain of human thrombopoietin.

Platelet production in blood is regulated by a lineage specific humoral factor, thrombopoietin (TPO). The amino terminal domain of TPO (TPO-N) is responsible for the signal transduction mediated by the TPO receptor, c-mpl. From the predicted length of helices we found that TPO-N belongs to the long-chain subfamily of the four-helix bundle cytokine family. We built a three dimensional model of TPO-N by a comparative homology modeling procedure. The four helices of TPO-N with an up-up-down-down topology are stabilized by a tightly packed central hydrophobic core and the extended loop AB makes an additional hydrophobic core with helices B and D outside of the four helix bundle scaffold. An interpretation of the previous site directed mutageneses results in light of the model enabled us to identify two isolated receptor binding sites. The surface made of Lys 136, Lys 138 and Lys 140 in helix D, and Pro 42 and Glu 50 in loop AB forms the first receptor binding site, while the surface of Asp 8, Arg 10 and Lys 14 in helix A represents the second binding site for the sequential receptor oligomerization.

Effects of metal ions on the activity of protein tyrosine phosphatase VHR: highly potent and reversible oxidative inactivation by Cu2+ ion.

The posttranslational regulation of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) has been suggested to have a crucial role in maintaining the phosphotyrosine level in cells. Here we examined the regulatory effects of metal ions on human dual-specificity vaccinia H1-related protein tyrosine phosphatase (VHR) in vitro. Among various metal ions examined, Fe3+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ exerted their inactivational effects on VHR, and Cu2+ is the most potent inactivator. The VHR activity inactivated by the metal ions except Cu2+ was significantly restored by EDTA. The efficacy of Cu2+ for the VHR inactivation was about 200-fold more potent than that of H2O2. Cu2+ also inactivated other PTPs including PTP1B and SHP-1. The Cu2+-mediated inactivation at the submicromolar range was eradicated by dithiothreitol treatment. The loss of VHR activity correlated with the decreased [14C]iodoacetate labeling of active-site cysteine, suggesting that Cu2+ brought about the oxidation of the active-site cysteine. On the contrary, Zn2+ that exerted an inactivational effect at millimolar concentrations appeared not directly linked to the active-site cysteine, as indicated by the fact that [14C]iodoacetate labeling was unaffected and that the effect of Zn2+ on the Y78F mutant was increased. The reduction potential of VHR was estimated to be -331 mV by utilizing the reversibility of the redox state of VHR. Thus, we conclude that the highly potent Cu2+ inactivation of VHR is a consequence of the oxidation of the active-site cysteine and the mode of Zn2+ inactivation is distinct from that of Cu2+.

Mutational analysis of the interaction between CD4 and class II MHC: class II antigens contact CD4 on a surface opposite the gp120-binding site.

Using functional and adhesion assays, we have studied the ability of 30 human CD4 mutants to interact with class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules and also with gp120 from human immunodeficiency virus. The mutants cover the four domains (D1-D4) of CD4 and include several single-site substitutions. Analysis of the results, in the context of the CD4 crystal structure, shows that mutations that affect the interaction with class II MHC molecules are located on three exposed loops from CD4 domains 1 and 2. The specifically implicated residues, 19, 89, and 165, are separated from one another by 9 A, 24 A, and 24 A on one face of the CD4 molecule. Moreover, the class II binding site does not include residues 43 to 49 of the CD4 molecule, a region on an opposite face known to be involved in the binding of gp120.

Crystallization and preliminary x-ray crystallographic studies of ketosteroid isomerase from Pseudomonas putida biotype B.

The delta(5)-3-ketosteroid isomerase from Pseudomonas putida biotype B has been crystallized. The crystals belong to the space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with unit cell dimensions of a = 36.48 angstrom, b = 74.30 angstrom, c = 96.02 angstrom, and contain one homodimer per asymmetric unit. Native diffraction data to 2.19 Angstrom resolution have been obtained from one crystal at room temperature indicating that the crystals are quite suitable for structure determination by multiple isomorphous replacement.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a thermoalkalophilic lipase from Bacillus stearothermophilus L1.

A thermoalkalophilic lipase from Bacillus stearothermophilus L1 (L1 lipase) was crystallized in two different crystal forms using a low concentration of the enzyme and a calcium-exchange process. The first, needle-like, crystal form, which diffracts to about 3.5 A, belongs to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 67.84, b = 72.96, c = 104.41 A. The second, monoclinic, crystal form, which behaves better than the first form for crystallographic analyses, belongs to the monoclinic space group C2 and has unit-cell parameters a = 119.62, b = 85.05, c = 98.36 A, beta = 99.73 degrees. From the monoclinic crystals, a native data set and a samarium-derivative data set were collected to 2.0 and 2.3 A resolution, respectively. The difference Patterson map between the two data sets shows strong heavy-atom peaks, indicating that the crystals are suitable for a high-resolution structure determination.

Crystal structure of proteolytic fragments of the redox-sensitive Hsp33 with constitutive chaperone activity.

Heat shock protein 33 (Hsp33) inhibits aggregation of partially denatured proteins during oxidative stress. The chaperone activity of Hsp33 is unique among heat shock proteins because the activity is reversibly regulated by cellular redox status. We report here the crystal structure of the N-terminal region of Hsp33 fragments with constitutive chaperone activity. The structure reveals that the N-terminal portion of Hsp33 forms a tightly associated dimer formed by a domain crossover. A concave groove on the dimeric surface contains an elongated hydrophobic patch that could potentially bind denatured protein substrates. The termini of the subunits are located near the hydrophobic patch, indicating that the cleaved C-terminal domain may shield the hydrophobic patch in an inactive state. Two of the four conserved zinc-coordinating cysteines are in the end of the N-terminal domain, and the other two are in the cleaved C-terminal domain. The structural information and subsequent biochemical characterizations suggest that the redox switch of Hsp33 occurs by a reversible dissociation of the C-terminal regulatory domain through oxidation of zinc-coordinating cysteines and zinc release.

Crystal structure of a novel human peroxidase enzyme at 2.0 A resolution.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been implicated recently as an intracellular messenger that affects cellular processes including protein phosphorylation, transcription and apoptosis. A set of novel peroxidases, named peroxiredoxins (Prx), regulate the intracellular concentration of H2O2 by reducing it in the presence of an appropriate electron donor. The crystal structure of a human Prx enzyme, hORF6, reveals that the protein contains two discrete domains and forms a dimer. The N-terminal domain has a thioredoxin fold and the C-terminal domain is used for dimerization. The active site cysteine (Cys 47), which exists as cysteine-sulfenic acid in the crystal, is located at the bottom of a relatively narrow pocket. The positively charged environment surrounding Cys 47 accounts for the peroxidase activity of the enzyme, which contains no redox cofactors.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies of hORF6, a novel human antioxidant enzyme.

HORF6 is a member of the novel antioxidant enzyme family found in humans. A recombinant form of hORF6 expressed and purified from E. coli has been crystallized by the hanging-drop method using various PEG's as precipitating agents. HORF6 crystallizes in two different monoclinic space groups, P21 and C2. The P21 crystals have unit-cell dimensions of a = 47.85, b = 75.17, c = 63.30 A and beta = 110.21 degrees and contain two monomers per asymmetric unit, while the C2 crystals have unit-cell dimensions of a = 165.27, b = 95.44, c = 166.44 A and beta = 128.97 degrees and contain more than six monomers per asymmetric unit. The P21 crystals with the smaller unit cell diffract X-rays better and behave well for the X-ray analysis. A native data set from a single crystal of the P21 space group gas been collected to 2.0 A resolution.

Structural basis of the redox switch in the OxyR transcription factor.

The Escherichia coli OxyR transcription factor senses H2O2 and is activated through the formation of an intramolecular disulfide bond. Here we present the crystal structures of the regulatory domain of OxyR in its reduced and oxidized forms, determined at 2.7 A and 2.3 A resolutions, respectively. In the reduced form, the two redox-active cysteines are separated by approximately 17 A. Disulfide bond formation in the oxidized form results in a significant structural change in the regulatory domain. The structural remodeling, which leads to different oligomeric associations, accounts for the redox-dependent switch in OxyR and provides a novel example of protein regulation by "fold editing" through a reversible disulfide bond formation within a folded domain.

A region in domain 1 of CD4 distinct from the primary gp120 binding site is involved in HIV infection and virus-mediated fusion.

The high affinity binding site for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) envelope glycoprotein gp120 resides within the amino-terminal domain (D1) of CD4. Mutational and antibody epitope analyses have implicated the region encompassing residues 40-60 in D1 as the primary binding site for gp120. Outside of this region, a single residue substitution at position 87 abrogates syncytium formation without affecting gp120 binding. We describe two groups of CD4 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) which recognize distinct epitopes associated with these regions in D1. These mAbs distinguish between the gp120 binding event and virus infection and virus-induced cell fusion. One cluster of mAbs, which bind at or near the high affinity gp120 binding site, blocked gp120 binding to CD4 and, as expected, also blocked HIV infection of CD4+ cells and virus-induced syncytium formation. A second cluster of mAbs, which recognize the CDR-3 like loop, did not block gp120 binding as demonstrated by their ability to form ternary complexes with CD4 and gp120. Yet, these mAbs strongly inhibited HIV infection of CD4+ cells and HIV-envelope/CD4-mediated syncytium formation. The structure of D1 has recently been solved at atomic resolution and in its general features resembles IgVk regions as predicted from sequence homology and mAb epitopes. In the D1 structure, the regions recognized by these two groups of antibodies correspond to the C'C" (Ig CDR2) and FG (Ig CDR3) hairpin loops, respectively, which are solvent-exposed beta turns protruding in two different directions on a face of D1 distal to the D2 domain. This face is straddled by the longer BC (Ig CDR1) loop which bisects the plain formed by C'C'' and FG. This structure is consistent with C'C'' and FG forming two distinct epitope clusters within D1. We conclude that the initial interaction between gp120 and CD4 is not sufficient for HIV infection and syncytium formation and that CD4 plays a critical role in the subsequent virus-cell and cell-cell membrane fusion events. We propose that the initial binding of CD4 to gp120 induces conformational changes in gp120 leading to subsequent interactions of the FG loop with other regions in gp120 or with the fusogenic gp41 potion of the envelope gp160 glycoprotein.

Molecular characteristics of recombinant human CD4 as deduced from polymorphic crystals.

We have grown crystals of a soluble recombinant form of human CD4, a transmembrane glycoprotein found predominantly on the surface of helper T cells. Crystals composed of the entire extracellular portion of CD4 exhibit extensive polymorphism. Of the five crystal types that have been grown, the best diffracts to Bragg spacings of 4.9 A. Symmetry considerations and characterization of the asymmetric unit by volume-specific amino acid analysis lead to the suggestion that a tetramer is the fundamental unit of crystallization. The characterization also showed that several of the crystal types have unusually high solvent contents. Because high solvent content and weak diffraction are indicative of an extended flexible structure, we examined the molecular shape of the recombinant CD4 with ultracentrifugation and found that it has an axial ratio of roughly 6, when modeled as a prolate ellipsoid. These results, combined with crystal packing constraints, suggest dimensions of approximately 25 x 25 x 125 A for a monomer. The structural features deduced here may be relevant to the biological function of CD4 as a receptor mediating cell-cell and cell-virus interactions.

Identification of functionally important residues of human thrombopoietin.

Thrombopoietin (TPO) is a megakaryocyte growth and differentiation factor. It consists of a characteristic two domain structure. The amino-terminal domain of TPO has a sequence homology with erythropoietin and is required for the binding and activation of its receptor c-Mpl. To determine the functionally important regions interacting with its receptor, a series of site-directed mutants of TPO were constructed based on a three-dimensional model of the amino-terminal domain. Two strategies of mutagenesis were employed: 1) nonnative N-linked glycosylation scan of 12 residues predicted to be on the surface, and 2) alanine replacement scan of mostly charged 44 amino acid residues. Each TPO mutein was transiently expressed in COS7 cells, and the specific bioactivity of the TPO protein secreted into the culture medium was measured using a recombinant BaF3 cell line expressing human c-Mpl. Four alanine substitutions at Arg10, Pro42, Glu50, and Lys138 nearly or completely abolished the activity, whereas the mutation at Arg14 slightly decreased the activity, suggesting that these residues are functionally important in interacting with its receptor. These residues mapped to helix A, loop AB, and helix D. Sequence comparison between human TPO and other mammalian TPO showed that the identified residues are completely conserved among the species. However, unlike the recent report on the mutational analysis of TPO, alanine substitutions at Lys52, Lys59, Arg136, and Arg140 did not affect the TPO activity significantly in our system. The identified receptor binding regions of TPO are analogous to those of human growth hormone and erythropoietin. Based on the similarity of these three cytokines, we propose that Lys138 of helix D and Pro42 and Glu50 of loop AB may constitute one binding region, whereas Arg10 and Lys14 of helix A may constitute the other binding region to dimerize the receptors.

Crystallization and preliminary x-ray crystallographic analysis of NAD+-dependent DNA ligase from Thermus filiformis.

A highly thermostable DNA ligase from Thermus filiformis has been crystallized at room temperature using methoxypolyethylene glycol 5000 as a precipitant. The crystal belongs to the monoclinic space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 90.63, b = 117.80, c = 98. 65 A, beta = 115.56 degrees. Two molecules of DNA ligase are present in the asymmetric unit, giving a crystal volume per protein mass (V(m)) of 3.1 A(3) Da(-1) and a solvent content of 61%. A native data set extending to 3.0 A resolution has been collected at 100 K using synchrotron X-rays.

Crystal structure of an HIV-binding recombinant fragment of human CD4.

CD4 glycoprotein on the surface of T cells helps in the immune response and is the receptor for HIV infection. The structure of a soluble fragment of CD4 determined at 2.3 A resolution reveals that the molecule has two intimately associated immunoglobulin-like domains. Residues implicated in HIV recognition by analysis of mutants and antibody binding are salient features in domain D1. Domain D2 is distinguished by a variation on the beta-strand topologies of antibody domains and by an intra-sheet disulphide bridge.