RNA targeting by the type III-A CRISPR-Cas Csm complex of Thermus thermophilus.

CRISPR-Cas is a prokaryotic adaptive immune system that provides sequence-specific defense against foreign nucleic acids. Here we report the structure and function of the effector complex of the Type III-A CRISPR-Cas system of Thermus thermophilus: the Csm complex (TtCsm). TtCsm is composed of five different protein subunits (Csm1-Csm5) with an uneven stoichiometry and a single crRNA of variable size (35-53 nt). The TtCsm crRNA content is similar to the Type III-B Cmr complex, indicating that crRNAs are shared among different subtypes. A negative stain EM structure of the TtCsm complex exhibits the characteristic architecture of Type I and Type III CRISPR-associated ribonucleoprotein complexes. crRNA-protein crosslinking studies show extensive contacts between the Csm3 backbone and the bound crRNA. We show that, like TtCmr, TtCsm cleaves complementary target RNAs at multiple sites. Unlike Type I complexes, interference by TtCsm does not proceed via initial base pairing by a seed sequence.

Structure and activity of the RNA-targeting Type III-B CRISPR-Cas complex of Thermus thermophilus.

The CRISPR-Cas system is a prokaryotic host defense system against genetic elements. The Type III-B CRISPR-Cas system of the bacterium Thermus thermophilus, the TtCmr complex, is composed of six different protein subunits (Cmr1-6) and one crRNA with a stoichiometry of Cmr112131445361:crRNA1. The TtCmr complex copurifies with crRNA species of 40 and 46 nt, originating from a distinct subset of CRISPR loci and spacers. The TtCmr complex cleaves the target RNA at multiple sites with 6 nt intervals via a 5' ruler mechanism. Electron microscopy revealed that the structure of TtCmr resembles a "sea worm" and is composed of a Cmr2-3 heterodimer "tail," a helical backbone of Cmr4 subunits capped by Cmr5 subunits, and a curled "head" containing Cmr1 and Cmr6. Despite having a backbone of only four Cmr4 subunits and being both longer and narrower, the overall architecture of TtCmr resembles that of Type I Cascade complexes.

The role of ribonucleases in regulating global mRNA levels in the model organism Thermus thermophilus HB8.

BACKGROUND: RNA metabolism, including RNA synthesis and RNA degradation, is one of the most conserved biological systems and has been intensively studied; however, the degradation network of ribonucleases (RNases) and RNA substrates is not fully understood. RESULTS: The genome of the extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus HB8 includes 15 genes that encode RNases or putative RNases. Using DNA microarray analyses, we examined the effects of disruption of each RNase on mRNA abundance. Disruption of the genes encoding RNase J, RecJ-like protein and RNase P could not be isolated, indicating that these RNases are essential for cell viability. Disruption of the TTHA0252 gene, which was not previously considered to be involved in mRNA degradation, affected mRNA abundance, as did disruption of the putative RNases, YbeY and PhoH-like proteins, suggesting that they have RNase activity. The effects on mRNA abundance of disruption of several RNase genes were dependent on the phase of cell growth. Disruption of the RNase Y and RNase HII genes affected mRNA levels only during the log phase, whereas disruption of the PhoH-like gene affected mRNA levels only during the stationary phase. Moreover, disruption of the RNase R and PNPase genes had a greater impact on mRNA abundance during the stationary phase than the log phase, whereas the opposite was true for the TTHA0252 gene disruptant. Similar changes in mRNA levels were observed after disruption of YbeY or PhoH-like genes. The changes in mRNA levels in the bacterial Argonaute disruptant were similar to those in the RNase HI and RNase HII gene disruptants, suggesting that bacterial Argonaute is a functional homolog of RNase H. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that T. thermophilus HB8 has 13 functional RNases and that each RNase has a different function in the cell. The putative RNases, TTHA0252, YbeY and PhoH-like proteins, are suggested to have RNase activity and to be involved in mRNA degradation. In addition, PhoH-like and YbeY proteins may act cooperatively in the stationary phase. This study also suggests that endo-RNases function mainly during the log phase, whereas exo-RNases function mainly during the stationary phase. RNase HI and RNase HII may have similar substrate selectivity.

LdrP, a cAMP receptor protein/FNR family transcriptional regulator, serves as a positive regulator for the light-inducible gene cluster in the megaplasmid of Thermus thermophilus.

LdrP (TT_P0055) (LitR-dependent regulatory protein) is one of the four cAMP receptor protein (CRP)/FNR family transcriptional regulators retained by the extremely thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus. Previously, we reported that LdrP served as a positive regulator for the light-induced transcription of crtB, a carotenoid biosynthesis gene encoded on the megaplasmid of this organism. Here, we showed that LdrP also functions as an activator of the expression of genes clustered around the crtB gene under the control of LitR, an adenosyl B12-bound light-sensitive regulator. Transcriptome analysis revealed the existence of 19 LitR-dependent genes on the megaplasmid. S1 nuclease protection assay confirmed that the promoters preceding TT_P0044 (P44), TT_P0049 (P49) and TT_P0070 (P70) were activated upon illumination in the WT strain. An ldrP mutant lost the ability to activate P44, P49 and P70, whilst disruption of litR resulted in constitutive transcription from these promoters irrespective of illumination, indicating that these genes were photo-dependently regulated by LdrP and LitR. An in vitro transcription experiment demonstrated that LdrP directly activated mRNA synthesis from P44 and P70 by the Thermus RNA polymerase holocomplex. The present evidence indicated that LdrP was the positive regulator essential for the transcription of the T. thermophilus light-inducible cluster encoded on the megaplasmid.

Genome-wide comprehensive analysis of transcriptional regulation by ArgR in Thermus thermophilus.

ArgR is known to serve as a repressor/activator of the metabolism of arginine. To elucidate the role of ArgR in the metabolism of Thermus thermophilus cells, comparative genome-wide comprehensive analysis was conducted for wild-type T. thermophilus and its mutant lacking the argR gene. Transcriptome analysis and chromatin affinity precipitation coupled with high-density tiling chip (ChAP-chip) analysis identified 34 genetic loci that are directly regulated by ArgR and indicated that ArgR decreases the expression of arginine biosynthesis and also regulates several other genes involved in amino acid metabolism, including lysine biosynthetic genes, as suggested by our previous study. Among genes whose expression was regulated by ArgR, the largest effect of argR knockout was observed in a putative operon, including genes TTHA0284, TTHA0283, and TTHA0282 involved in arginine biosynthesis. The promoter of this operon, argG, was repressed approximately 21-fold by ArgR. DNase I footprint analysis coupled with electrophoretic mobility shift assay suggested that high arginine-dependent repression was attributed to the fact that the promoter contains three operators for ArgR binding and ArgR is bound to the binding sites cooperatively, possibly forming a DNA loop, in the hexameric form stabilized by arginine binding.

Structure and function of a TetR family transcriptional regulator, SbtR, from thermus thermophilus HB8.

SbtR is one of the four TetR family transcriptional regulators present in the extremely thermophilic bacterium, Thermus thermophilus HB8. We identified 10 genes controlled by four promoters with negative regulation by SbtR in vitro. The SbtR-regulated gene products include probable transporters, probable enzymes for sugar or amino acid metabolism, and nucleic acid-related enzymes. SbtR binds pseudopalindromic sequences, with the consensus sequence of 5'-TGACCCNNKGGTCA-3' surrounding the promoters, and has a proposed 1:1 dimer binding stoichiometry. The X-ray crystal structure analysis revealed that SbtR comprises either nine or 10 α-helices and forms a dimer, as in the typical TetR family proteins. Similar to many characterized TetR family regulators, SbtR has a predicted ligand-binding pocket at the center of each monomer. Interestingly, the SbtR dimer contains an intermolecular disulfide bridge, formed between the Cys164 residues at the entrance of the pocket. The Cys164Ser and Cys164Ala mutant SbtR proteins formed homodimers similar to that of the wild type, but their thermal stabilities were lower by about 8°C, indicating that the disulfide bridge contributes to the thermal stability of the protein. However, altered repression activity of the mutants was not observed in vitro. From these results, we propose that ligand-binding is essential for SbtR to disengage from DNA, in a similar manner to the other characterized TetR family regulators. The formation and reduction of the disulfide bond might function in controlling the ligand-binding affinity of this transcriptional regulator.

Integrated database of information from structural genomics experiments.

Information from structural genomics experiments at the RIKEN SPring-8 Center, Japan has been compiled and published as an integrated database. The contents of the database are (i) experimental data from nine species of bacteria that cover a large variety of protein molecules in terms of both evolution and properties (http://database.riken.jp/db/bacpedia), (ii) experimental data from mutant proteins that were designed systematically to study the influence of mutations on the diffraction quality of protein crystals (http://database.riken.jp/db/bacpedia) and (iii) experimental data from heavy-atom-labelled proteins from the heavy-atom database HATODAS (http://database.riken.jp/db/hatodas). The database integration adopts the semantic web, which is suitable for data reuse and automatic processing, thereby allowing batch downloads of full data and data reconstruction to produce new databases. In addition, to enhance the use of data (i) and (ii) by general researchers in biosciences, a comprehensible user interface, Bacpedia (http://bacpedia.harima.riken.jp), has been developed.

Transcriptional repression mediated by a TetR family protein, PfmR, from Thermus thermophilus HB8.

PfmR is one of four TetR family transcriptional regulators found in the extremely thermophilic bacterium, Thermus thermophilus HB8. We identified three promoters with strong negative regulation by PfmR, both in vivo and in vitro. PfmR binds pseudopalindromic sequences, with the consensus sequence of 5'-TACCGACCGNTNGGTN-3' surrounding the promoters. According to the amino acid sequence and three-dimensional structure analyses of the PfmR-regulated gene products, they are predicted to be involved in phenylacetic acid and fatty acid metabolism. In vitro analyses revealed that PfmR weakly cross-regulated with the TetR family repressor T. thermophilus PaaR, which controls the expression of the paa gene cluster putatively involved in phenylacetic acid degradation but not with another functionally identified TetR family repressor, T. thermophilus FadR, which is involved in fatty acid degradation. The X-ray crystal structure of the N-terminal DNA-binding domain of PfmR and the nucleotide sequence of the predicted PfmR-binding site are quite similar to those of the TetR family repressor QacR from Staphylococcus aureus. Similar to QacR, two PfmR dimers bound per target DNA. The bases recognized by QacR within the QacR-binding site are conserved in the predicted PfmR-binding site, and they were important for PfmR to recognize the binding site and properly assemble on it. The center of the PfmR molecule contains a tunnel-like pocket, which may be the ligand-binding site of this regulator.

Phenylacetyl coenzyme A is an effector molecule of the TetR family transcriptional repressor PaaR from Thermus thermophilus HB8.

Phenylacetic acid (PAA) is a common intermediate in the catabolic pathways of several structurally related aromatic compounds. It is converted into phenylacetyl coenzyme A (PA-CoA), which is degraded to general metabolites by a set of enzymes. Within the genome of the extremely thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus HB8, a cluster of genes, including a TetR family transcriptional regulator, may be involved in PAA degradation. The gene product, which we named T. thermophilus PaaR, negatively regulated the expression of the two operons composing the gene cluster in vitro. T. thermophilus PaaR repressed the target gene expression by binding pseudopalindromic sequences, with a consensus sequence of 5'-CNAACGNNCGTTNG-3', surrounding the promoters. PA-CoA is a ligand of PaaR, with a proposed binding stoichiometry of 1:1 protein monomer, and was effective for transcriptional derepression. Thus, PaaR is a functional homolog of PaaX, a GntR transcriptional repressor found in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas strains. A three-dimensional structure of T. thermophilus PaaR was predicted by homology modeling. In the putative structure, PaaR adopts the typical three-dimensional structure of the TetR family proteins, with 10 α-helices. A positively charged surface at the center of the molecule is similar to the acyl-CoA-binding site of another TetR family transcriptional regulator, T. thermophilus FadR, which is involved in fatty acid degradation. The CoA moiety of PA-CoA may bind to the center of the PaaR molecule, in a manner similar to the binding of the CoA moiety of acyl-CoA to FadR.

Crystal structure of Sulfolobus tokodaii Sua5 complexed with L-threonine and AMPPNP.

The hypermodified nucleoside N(6)-threonylcarbamoyladenosine resides at position 37 of tRNA molecules bearing U at position 36 and maintains translational fidelity in the three kingdoms of life. The N(6)-threonylcarbamoyl moiety is composed of L-threonine and bicarbonate, and its synthesis was genetically shown to require YrdC/Sua5. YrdC/Sua5 binds to tRNA and ATP. In this study, we analyzed the L-threonine-binding mode of Sua5 from the archaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii. Isothermal titration calorimetry measurements revealed that S. tokodaii Sua5 binds L-threonine more strongly than L-serine and glycine. The Kd values of Sua5 for L-threonine and L-serine are 9.3 µM and 2.6 mM, respectively. We determined the crystal structure of S. tokodaii Sua5, complexed with AMPPNP and L-threonine, at 1.8 Å resolution. The L-threonine is bound next to AMPPNP in the same pocket of the N-terminal domain. Thr118 and two water molecules form hydrogen bonds with AMPPNP in a unique manner for adenine-specific recognition. The carboxyl group and the side-chain hydroxyl and methyl groups of L-threonine are buried deep in the pocket, whereas the amino group faces AMPPNP. The L-threonine is located in a suitable position to react together with ATP for the synthesis of N(6)-threonylcarbamoyladenosine.

TetR-family transcriptional repressor Thermus thermophilus FadR controls fatty acid degradation.

In the extremely thermophilic bacterium Thermus thermophilus HB8, one of the four TetR-family transcriptional regulators, which we named T. thermophilus FadR, negatively regulated the expression of several genes, including those involved in fatty acid degradation, both in vivo and in vitro. T. thermophilus FadR repressed the expression of the target genes by binding pseudopalindromic sequences covering the predicted -10 hexamers of their promoters, and medium-to-long straight-chain (C10-18) fatty acyl-CoA molecules were effective for transcriptional derepression. An X-ray crystal structure analysis revealed that T. thermophilus FadR bound one lauroyl (C12)-CoA molecule per FadR monomer, with its acyl chain moiety in the centre of the FadR molecule, enclosed within a tunnel-like substrate-binding pocket surrounded by hydrophobic residues, and the CoA moiety interacting with basic residues on the protein surface. The growth of T. thermophilus HB8, with palmitic acid as the sole carbon source, increased the expression of FadR-regulated genes. These results indicate that in T. thermophilus HB8, medium-to-long straight-chain fatty acids can be used for metabolic energy under the control of FadR, although the major fatty acids found in this strain are iso- and anteiso-branched-chain (C15 and 17) fatty acids.

Crystal structures, dynamics and functional implications of molybdenum-cofactor biosynthesis protein MogA from two thermophilic organisms.

Molybdenum-cofactor (Moco) biosynthesis is an evolutionarily conserved pathway in almost all kingdoms of life, including humans. Two proteins, MogA and MoeA, catalyze the last step of this pathway in bacteria, whereas a single two-domain protein carries out catalysis in eukaryotes. Here, three crystal structures of the Moco-biosynthesis protein MogA from the two thermophilic organisms Thermus thermophilus (TtMogA; 1.64 Šresolution, space group P2(1)) and Aquifex aeolicus (AaMogA; 1.70 Šresolution, space group P2(1) and 1.90 Šresolution, space group P1) have been determined. The functional roles and the residues involved in oligomerization of the protein molecules have been identified based on a comparative analysis of these structures with those of homologous proteins. Furthermore, functional roles have been proposed for the N- and C-terminal residues. In addition, a possible protein-protein complex of MogA and MoeA has been proposed and the residues involved in protein-protein interactions are discussed. Several invariant water molecules and those present at the subunit interfaces have been identified and their possible structural and/or functional roles are described in brief. In addition, molecular-dynamics and docking studies with several small molecules (including the substrate and the product) have been carried out in order to estimate their binding affinities towards AaMogA and TtMogA. The results obtained are further compared with those obtained for homologous eukaryotic proteins.

SCOPE enables type III CRISPR-Cas diagnostics using flexible targeting and stringent CARF ribonuclease activation.

Characteristic properties of type III CRISPR-Cas systems include recognition of target RNA and the subsequent induction of a multifaceted immune response. This involves sequence-specific cleavage of the target RNA and production of cyclic oligoadenylate (cOA) molecules. Here we report that an exposed seed region at the 3' end of the crRNA is essential for target RNA binding and cleavage, whereas cOA production requires base pairing at the 5' end of the crRNA. Moreover, we uncover that the variation in the size and composition of type III complexes within a single host results in variable seed regions. This may prevent escape by invading genetic elements, while controlling cOA production tightly to prevent unnecessary damage to the host. Lastly, we use these findings to develop a new diagnostic tool, SCOPE, for the specific detection of SARS-CoV-2 from human nasal swab samples, revealing sensitivities in the atto-molar range.

Substrate specificity determinants of the methanogen homoaconitase enzyme: structure and function of the small subunit.

The aconitase family of hydro-lyase enzymes includes three classes of proteins that catalyze the isomerization of alpha-hydroxy acids to beta-hydroxy acids. Besides aconitase, isopropylmalate isomerase (IPMI) proteins specifically catalyze the isomerization of alpha,beta-dicarboxylates with hydrophobic gamma-chain groups, and homoaconitase (HACN) proteins catalyze the isomerization of tricarboxylates with variable chain length gamma-carboxylate groups. These enzymes' stereospecific hydro-lyase activities make them attractive catalysts to produce diastereomers from unsaturated precursors. However, sequence similarity and convergent evolution among these proteins lead to widespread misannotation and uncertainty about gene function. To find the substrate specificity determinants of homologous IPMI and HACN proteins from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, the small-subunit HACN protein (MJ1271) was crystallized for X-ray diffraction. The structural model showed characteristic residues in a flexible loop region between alpha2 and alpha3 that distinguish HACN from IPMI and aconitase proteins. Site-directed mutagenesis of MJ1271 produced loop-region variant proteins that were reconstituted with wild-type MJ1003 large-subunit protein. The heteromers formed promiscuous hydro-lyases with reduced activity but broader substrate specificity. Both R26K and R26V variants formed relatively efficient IPMI enzymes, while the T27A variant had uniformly lower specificity constants for both IPMI and HACN substrates. The R26V T27Y variant resembles the MJ1277 IPMI small subunit in its flexible loop sequence but demonstrated the broad substrate specificity of the R26V variant. These mutations may reverse the evolution of HACN activity from an ancestral IPMI gene, demonstrating the evolutionary potential for promiscuity in hydro-lyase enzymes. Understanding these specificity determinants enables the functional reannotation of paralogous HACN and IPMI genes in numerous genome sequences. These structural and kinetic results will help to engineer new stereospecific hydro-lyase enzymes for chemoenzymatic syntheses.

Structures of apo and GTP-bound molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis protein MoaC from Thermus thermophilus HB8.

The first step in the molybdenum cofactor (Moco) biosynthesis pathway involves the conversion of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) to precursor Z by two proteins (MoaA and MoaC). MoaA belongs to the S-adenosylmethionine-dependent radical enzyme superfamily and is believed to generate protein and/or substrate radicals by reductive cleavage of S-adenosylmethionine using an Fe-S cluster. MoaC has been suggested to catalyze the release of pyrophosphate and the formation of the cyclic phosphate of precursor Z. However, structural evidence showing the binding of a substrate-like molecule to MoaC is not available. Here, apo and GTP-bound crystal structures of MoaC from Thermus thermophilus HB8 are reported. Furthermore, isothermal titration calorimetry experiments have been carried out in order to obtain thermodynamic parameters for the protein-ligand interactions. In addition, molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations have been carried out on the protein-ligand complex of known structure and on models of relevant complexes for which X-ray structures are not available. The biophysical, structural and MD results reveal the residues that are involved in substrate binding and help in speculating upon a possible mechanism.

Free and ATP-bound structures of Ap4A hydrolase from Aquifex aeolicus V5.

Asymmetric diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap(4)A) hydrolases degrade the metabolite Ap(4)A back into ATP and AMP. The three-dimensional crystal structure of Ap(4)A hydrolase (16 kDa) from Aquifex aeolicus has been determined in free and ATP-bound forms at 1.8 and 1.95 A resolution, respectively. The overall three-dimensional crystal structure of the enzyme shows an alphabetaalpha-sandwich architecture with a characteristic loop adjacent to the catalytic site of the protein molecule. The ATP molecule is bound in the primary active site and the adenine moiety of the nucleotide binds in a ring-stacking arrangement equivalent to that observed in the X-ray structure of Ap(4)A hydrolase from Caenorhabditis elegans. Binding of ATP in the active site induces local conformational changes which may have important implications in the mechanism of substrate recognition in this class of enzymes. Furthermore, two invariant water molecules have been identified and their possible structural and/or functional roles are discussed. In addition, modelling of the substrate molecule at the primary active site of the enzyme suggests a possible path for entry and/or exit of the substrate and/or product molecule.

Structural and functional characterization of the transcriptional repressor CsoR from Thermus thermophilus HB8.

The TTHA1719 gene from Thermus thermophilus HB8 encodes an orthologue of the copper-sensing transcriptional repressor CsoR. X-ray crystal structure analysis of T. thermophilus CsoR indicated that it forms a homotetramer. The structures of the CsoR monomer and dimer are similar to those of Mycobacterium tuberculosis CsoR. In the absence of copper ions, T. thermophilus CsoR bound to the promoter region of the copper-sensitive operon copZ-csoR-copA, which encodes the copper chaperone CopZ, CsoR and the copper efflux P-type ATPase CopA, to repress their expression, while in the presence of approximately an equal amount of copper ion, CsoR was released from the DNA, to allow expression of the downstream genes. Both Cu(II) and Cu(I) ions could bind CsoR, and were effective for transcriptional derepression. Additionally, CsoR could also sense various other metal ions, such as Zn(II), Ag(I), Cd(II) and Ni(II), which led to transcriptional derepression. The copper-binding motif of T. thermophilus CsoR contains C-H-H, while those of most orthologues contain C-H-C. The X-ray crystal structure of T. thermophilus CsoR suggests that a histidine residue in the N-terminal domain is also involved in metal-ion binding; that is, the binding motif could be H-C-H-H, like that of Escherichia coli RcnR, which binds Ni(II)/Co(II). The non-conserved H70 residue in the metal-binding motif of T. thermophilus CsoR is important for its DNA-binding affinity and metal-ion responsiveness.

Very rapid induction of a cold shock protein by temperature downshift in Thermus thermophilus.

A rapid temperature downshift induces the expression of many proteins termed 'cold-induced' proteins. Although some of these proteins are known to participate in metabolism, transcription, translation and protein folding, processes that are affected by cold stress, it has not yet been identified which proteins sense the temperature downshift. Here we analyzed the mRNA expression profiles of genes induced immediately following a temperature downshift in Thermus thermophilus HB8. The cold shock protein gene ttcsp2 displayed the most rapid and drastic increase in mRNA. ttcsp2 mRNA was induced at 30s after temperature downshift, although ttCSP2 protein was first detected at 10 min. A temperature-dependent secondary structure was predicted to form in the 5'-untranslated region, including the Shine-Dalgarno sequence, of ttcsp2 mRNA. Stabilization of this secondary structure at 45 degrees C was assumed to prevent degradation of ttcsp2 mRNA and to slow translation. Thus, ttCSP2 is considered to act as a 'thermosensor' during temperature downshift through changes in its secondary structure.

Structures of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (TTHA0220) from Thermus thermophilus HB8.

Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRTase), which is a key enzyme in the purine-salvage pathway, catalyzes the synthesis of IMP or GMP from alpha-D-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate and hypoxanthine or guanine, respectively. Structures of HGPRTase from Thermus thermophilus HB8 in the unliganded form, in complex with IMP and in complex with GMP have been determined at 2.1, 1.9 and 2.2 A resolution, respectively. The overall fold of the IMP complex was similar to that of the unliganded form, but the main-chain and side-chain atoms of the active site moved to accommodate IMP. The overall folds of the IMP and GMP complexes were almost identical to each other. Structural comparison of the T. thermophilus HB8 enzyme with 6-oxopurine PRTases for which structures have been determined showed that these enzymes can be tentatively divided into groups I and II and that the T. thermophilus HB8 enzyme belongs to group I. The group II enzymes are characterized by an N-terminal extension with additional secondary elements and a long loop connecting the second alpha-helix and beta-strand compared with the group I enzymes.

Expression, purification and X-ray analysis of 1,3-propanediol dehydrogenase (Aq_1145) from Aquifex aeolicus VF5.

1,3-Propanediol dehydrogenase is an enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of 1,3-propanediol to 3-hydroxypropanal with the simultaneous reduction of NADP(+) to NADPH. SeMet-labelled 1,3-propanediol dehydrogenase protein from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus VF5 was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. Crystals of this protein were grown from an acidic buffer with ammonium sulfate as the precipitant. Single-wavelength data were collected at the selenium peak to a resolution of 2.4 A. The crystal belonged to space group P3(2), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 142.19, c = 123.34 A. The structure contained two dimers in the asymmetric unit and was solved by the MR-SAD approach.