Caspases, IAPs and Smac/DIABLO: mechanisms from structural biology.

Caspases are the central component of the apoptotic machinery that irreversibly commits a cell to die. Whereas all caspases are structurally similar, those involved in apoptosis can be categorized functionally as either initiator or effector caspases, which are activated by distinct mechanisms. The activated caspases are subject to inhibition by the inhibitor of apoptosis family of proteins. This inhibition can be removed by Smac/DIABLO during apoptosis. The underlying molecular mechanisms of caspase regulation are discussed in this article.

Engineering a dimeric caspase-9: a re-evaluation of the induced proximity model for caspase activation.

Caspases are responsible for the execution of programmed cell death (apoptosis) and must undergo proteolytic activation, in response to apoptotic stimuli, to function. The mechanism of initiator caspase activation has been generalized by the induced proximity model, which is thought to drive dimerization-mediated activation of caspases. The initiator caspase, caspase-9, exists predominantly as a monomer in solution. To examine the induced proximity model, we engineered a constitutively dimeric caspase-9 by relieving steric hindrance at the dimer interface. Crystal structure of the engineered caspase-9 closely resembles that of the wild-type (WT) caspase-9, including all relevant structural details and the asymmetric nature of two monomers. Compared to the WT caspase-9, this engineered dimer exhibits a higher level of catalytic activity in vitro and induces more efficient cell death when expressed. However, the catalytic activity of the dimeric caspase-9 is only a small fraction of that for the Apaf-1-activated caspase-9. Furthermore, in contrast to the WT caspase-9, the activity of the dimeric caspase-9 can no longer be significantly enhanced in an Apaf-1-dependent manner. These findings suggest that dimerization of caspase-9 may be qualitatively different from its activation by Apaf-1, and in conjunction with other evidence, posit an induced conformation model for the activation of initiator caspases.

Crystal structure of a FYVE-type zinc finger domain from the caspase regulator CARP2.

The caspase-associated ring proteins (CARP1 and CARP2) are distinguished from other caspase regulators by the presence of a FYVE-type zinc finger domain. FYVE-type domains are divided into two known classes: FYVE domains that specifically bind to phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate in lipid bilayers and FYVE-related domains of undetermined function. Here, we report the crystal structure of the N-terminal region of CARP2 (44-139) including the FYVE-type domain and its associated helical bundle at 1.7 A resolution. The structure reveals a cramped phosphoinositide binding pocket and a blunted membrane insertion loop. These structural features indicate that the domain is not optimized to bind to phosphoinositides or insert into lipid bilayers. The CARP2 FYVE-like domain thus defines a third subfamily of FYVE-type domains that are functionally and structurally distinct. Structural analyses provide insights into the possible function of this unique subfamily of FYVE-type domains.

Oligomerization and activation of caspase-9, induced by Apaf-1 CARD.

Apaf-1 facilitates the proteolytic activation of procaspase-9 and maintains the hyperactive state of the processed caspase-9. The underlying molecular mechanisms for these activities remain poorly characterized. Here we report that the isolated Apaf-1 caspase recruitment domain (CARD) forms a large hetero-oligomer with the active caspase-9. The catalytic activity of caspase-9 is significantly enhanced in this complex, demonstrating that Apaf-1 CARD allosterically up-regulates caspase-9 activity. Point mutations that inactivate the interactions between Apaf-1 CARD and the prodomain of caspase-9 also abolished the formation of this complex. Based on these observations, we discuss the implications of this complex on the observed Apaf-1 function.

Structure of the BRCT repeats of BRCA1 bound to a BACH1 phosphopeptide: implications for signaling.

The recognition of the phosphorylated BACH1 helicase by the BRCA1 C-terminal (BRCT) repeats is important to the tumor suppressor function of BRCA1. Here we report the crystal structure of the BRCT repeats of human BRCA1 bound to a phosphorylated BACH1 peptide at 2.3 A resolution. The phosphorylated serine 990 and phenylalanine 993 of BACH1 anchor the binding to BRCA1 through specific interactions with a surface cleft at the junction of the two BRCT repeats. This surface cleft is highly conserved in BRCA1 across species, suggesting an evolutionarily conserved function of phosphopeptide recognition. Importantly, conserved amino acids critical for BACH1 binding are frequently targeted for missense mutations in breast cancer. These mutations greatly diminish the ability of BRCA1 to interact with the phosphorylated BACH1 peptide. Additional structural analysis revealed significant implications for understanding the function of the BRCT family of proteins in DNA damage and repair signaling.

Essential features of the catalytic core of peptidyl-alpha-hydroxyglycine alpha-amidating lyase.

Bioactive peptides frequently terminate with an essential alpha-amide that is generated from a COOH-terminal Gly in a two-step enzymatic process occurring within the lumen of the secretory pathway. The first enzyme, peptidylglycine alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase, is a member of the copper- and ascorbate-dependent monooxygenase family. The second enzyme, peptidyl-alpha-hydroxyglycine alpha-amidating lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.2.5), has no known homologues. Examination of the catalytic core of PAL (PALcc) using trypsin, BNPS skatole, and COOH-terminally truncated proteins failed to identify stable subdomains. Treatment of PALcc with divalent metal ion chelators inactivated the enzyme and increased its protease and thermal sensitivity, suggesting a structural role for bound metal. Purified PALcc contained 0.7 +/- 0.4 mol of zinc/mol of enzyme. Since the four Cys residues in PALcc form two disulfide bonds, potential Zn ligands include conserved Asp, Glu, and His residues. The secretion and activity of PALcc bearing mutations in each conserved Asp, Glu, and His residue were evaluated. Mutation of three conserved Asp residues and two conserved His residues yielded a protein that could not be secreted, suggesting that these residues play a structural role. Analysis of mutants that were efficiently secreted identified three His residues along with single Asp residue that may play a role in catalysis. These essential residues occur in a pattern unique to PAL.

Mechanism of XIAP-mediated inhibition of caspase-9.

The inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins potently inhibit the catalytic activity of caspases. While profound insight into the inhibition of the effector caspases has been gained in recent years, the mechanism of how the initiator caspase-9 is regulated by IAPs remains enigmatic. This paper reports the crystal structure of caspase-9 in an inhibitory complex with the third baculoviral IAP repeat (BIR3) of XIAP at 2.4 A resolution. The structure reveals that the BIR3 domain forms a heterodimer with a caspase-9 monomer. Strikingly, the surface of caspase-9 that interacts with BIR3 also mediates its homodimerization. We demonstrate that monomeric caspase-9 is catalytically inactive due to the absence of a supporting sequence element that could be provided by homodimerization. Thus, XIAP sequesters caspase-9 in a monomeric state, which serves to prevent catalytic activity. These studies, in conjunction with other observations, define a unified mechanism for the activation of all caspases.