Kong, Leopold; Huang, Chih-chin; Coales, Stephen J.; Molnar, Kathleen S.; Skinner, Jeff; Hamuro, Yoshitomo; Kwong, Peter D.
2010-01-01
The binding reaction of the HIV-1 gp120 envelope glycoprotein to the CD4 receptor involves exceptional changes in enthalpy and entropy. Crystal structures of gp120 in unliganded and various ligand-bound states, meanwhile, reveal an inner domain able to fold into diverse conformations, a structurally invariant outer domain, and, in the CD4-bound state, a bridging sheet minidomain. These studies, however, provide only hints as to the flexibility of each state. Here we use amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange coupled to mass spectrometry to provide quantifications of local conformational stability for HIV-1 gp120 in unliganded and CD4-bound states. On average, unliganded core gp120 displayed >10,000-fold slower exchange of backbone-amide hydrogens than a theoretically unstructured protein of the same composition, with binding by CD4 reducing the rate of gp120 amide exchange a further 10-fold. For the structurally constant CD4, alterations in exchange correlated well with alterations in binding surface (P value = 0.0004). For the structurally variable gp120, however, reductions in flexibility extended outside the binding surface, and regions of expected high structural diversity (inner domain/bridging sheet) displayed roughly 20-fold more rapid exchange in the unliganded state than regions of low diversity (outer domain). Thus, despite an extraordinary reduction in entropy, neither unliganded gp120 nor free CD4 was substantially unstructured, suggesting that most of the diverse conformations that make up the gp120 unliganded state are reasonably ordered. The results provide a framework for understanding how local conformational stability influences entropic change, conformational diversity, and structural rearrangements in the gp120-CD4 binding reaction. PMID:20660185
Genome-wide activity of unliganded estrogen receptor-α in breast cancer cells
Caizzi, Livia; Ferrero, Giulio; Cutrupi, Santina; Cordero, Francesca; Ballaré, Cecilia; Miano, Valentina; Reineri, Stefania; Ricci, Laura; Friard, Olivier; Testori, Alessandro; Corà, Davide; Caselle, Michele; Di Croce, Luciano; De Bortoli, Michele
2014-01-01
Estrogen receptor-α (ERα) has central role in hormone-dependent breast cancer and its ligand-induced functions have been extensively characterized. However, evidence exists that ERα has functions that are independent of ligands. In the present work, we investigated the binding of ERα to chromatin in the absence of ligands and its functions on gene regulation. We demonstrated that in MCF7 breast cancer cells unliganded ERα binds to more than 4,000 chromatin sites. Unexpectedly, although almost entirely comprised in the larger group of estrogen-induced binding sites, we found that unliganded-ERα binding is specifically linked to genes with developmental functions, compared with estrogen-induced binding. Moreover, we found that siRNA-mediated down-regulation of ERα in absence of estrogen is accompanied by changes in the expression levels of hundreds of coding and noncoding RNAs. Down-regulated mRNAs showed enrichment in genes related to epithelial cell growth and development. Stable ERα down-regulation using shRNA, which caused cell growth arrest, was accompanied by increased H3K27me3 at ERα binding sites. Finally, we found that FOXA1 and AP2γ binding to several sites is decreased upon ERα silencing, suggesting that unliganded ERα participates, together with other factors, in the maintenance of the luminal-specific cistrome in breast cancer cells. PMID:24639548
Na Ayutthaya, Pratchaya Pramoj; Chanchao, Chanpen; Chunsrivirot, Surasak
2018-01-01
Honey from the European honeybee, Apis mellifera, is produced by α-glucosidases (HBGases) and is widely used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Categorized by their substrate specificities, HBGases have three isoforms: HBGase I, II and III. Previous experimental investigations showed that wild-type HBGase III from Apis mellifera (WT) preferred sucrose to maltose as a substrate, while the Y227H mutant (MT) preferred maltose to sucrose. This mutant can potentially be used for malt hydrolysis because it can efficiently hydrolyze maltose. In this work, to elucidate important factors contributing to substrate specificity of this enzyme and gain insight into how the Y227H mutation causes substrate specificity change, WT and MT homology models were constructed, and sucrose/maltose was docked into active sites of the WT and MT. AMBER14 was employed to perform three independent molecular dynamics runs for these four complexes. Based on the relative binding free energies calculated by the MM-GBSA method, sucrose is better than maltose for WT binding, while maltose is better than sucrose for MT binding. These rankings support the experimentally observed substrate specificity that WT preferred sucrose to maltose as a substrate, while MT preferred maltose to sucrose, suggesting the importance of binding affinity for substrate specificity. We also found that the Y227H mutation caused changes in the proximities between the atoms necessary for sucrose/maltose hydrolysis that may affect enzyme efficiency in the hydrolysis of sucrose/maltose. Moreover, the per-residue binding free energy decomposition results show that Y227/H227 may be a key residue for preference binding of sucrose/maltose in the WT/MT active site. Our study provides important and novel insight into the binding of sucrose/maltose in the active site of Apis mellifera HBGase III and into how the Y227H mutation leads to the substrate specificity change at the molecular level. This knowledge could be beneficial in the design of this enzyme for increased production of desired products.
Structure of apo-CAP reveals that large conformational changes are necessary for DNA binding
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Sharma, Hitesh; Yu, Shaoning; Kong, Jilie
2009-10-21
The binding of cAMP to the Escherichia coli catabolite gene activator protein (CAP) produces a conformational change that enables it to bind specific DNA sequences and regulate transcription, which it cannot do in the absence of the nucleotide. The crystal structures of the unliganded CAP containing a D138L mutation and the unliganded WT CAP were determined at 2.3 and 3.6 {angstrom} resolution, respectively, and reveal that the two DNA binding domains have dimerized into one rigid body and their two DNA recognition helices become buried. The WT structure shows multiple orientations of this rigid body relative to the nucleotide bindingmore » domain supporting earlier biochemical data suggesting that the inactive form exists in an equilibrium among different conformations. Comparison of the structures of the liganded and unliganded CAP suggests that cAMP stabilizes the active DNA binding conformation of CAP through the interactions that the N{sup 6} of the adenosine makes with the C-helices. These interactions are associated with the reorientation and elongation of the C-helices that precludes the formation of the inactive structure.« less
The interplay between effector binding and allostery in an engineered protein switch.
Choi, Jay H; Xiong, Tina; Ostermeier, Marc
2016-09-01
The protein design rules for engineering allosteric regulation are not well understood. A fundamental understanding of the determinants of ligand binding in an allosteric context could facilitate the design and construction of versatile protein switches and biosensors. Here, we conducted extensive in vitro and in vivo characterization of the effects of 285 unique point mutations at 15 residues in the maltose-binding pocket of the maltose-activated β-lactamase MBP317-347. MBP317-347 is an allosteric enzyme formed by the insertion of TEM-1 β-lactamase into the E. coli maltose binding protein (MBP). We find that the maltose-dependent resistance to ampicillin conferred to the cells by the MBP317-347 switch gene (the switch phenotype) is very robust to mutations, with most mutations slightly improving the switch phenotype. We identified 15 mutations that improved switch performance from twofold to 22-fold, primarily by decreasing the catalytic activity in the absence of maltose, perhaps by disrupting interactions that cause a small fraction of MBP in solution to exist in a partially closed state in the absence of maltose. Other notable mutations include K15D and K15H that increased maltose affinity 30-fold and Y155K and Y155R that compromised switching by diminishing the ability of maltose to increase catalytic activity. The data also provided insights into normal MBP physiology, as select mutations at D14, W62, and F156 retained high maltose affinity but abolished the switch's ability to substitute for MBP in the transport of maltose into the cell. The results reveal the complex relationship between ligand binding and allostery in this engineered switch. © 2016 The Protein Society.
Ross, Breyan; Krapp, Stephan; Augustin, Martin; Kierfersauer, Reiner; Arciniega, Marcelino; Geiss-Friedlander, Ruth; Huber, Robert
2018-02-13
Dipeptidyl peptidases 8 and 9 are intracellular N-terminal dipeptidyl peptidases (preferentially postproline) associated with pathophysiological roles in immune response and cancer biology. While the DPP family member DPP4 is extensively characterized in molecular terms as a validated therapeutic target of type II diabetes, experimental 3D structures and ligand-/substrate-binding modes of DPP8 and DPP9 have not been reported. In this study we describe crystal and molecular structures of human DPP8 (2.5 Å) and DPP9 (3.0 Å) unliganded and complexed with a noncanonical substrate and a small molecule inhibitor, respectively. Similar to DPP4, DPP8 and DPP9 molecules consist of one β-propeller and α/β hydrolase domain, forming a functional homodimer. However, they differ extensively in the ligand binding site structure. In intriguing contrast to DPP4, where liganded and unliganded forms are closely similar, ligand binding to DPP8/9 induces an extensive rearrangement at the active site through a disorder-order transition of a 26-residue loop segment, which partially folds into an α-helix (R-helix), including R160/133, a key residue for substrate binding. As vestiges of this helix are also seen in one of the copies of the unliganded form, conformational selection may contributes to ligand binding. Molecular dynamics simulations support increased flexibility of the R-helix in the unliganded state. Consistently, enzyme kinetics assays reveal a cooperative allosteric mechanism. DPP8 and DPP9 are closely similar and display few opportunities for targeted ligand design. However, extensive differences from DPP4 provide multiple cues for specific inhibitor design and development of the DPP family members as therapeutic targets or antitargets.
Discrimination between NL1- and NL2-Mediated Nuclear Localization of the Glucocorticoid Receptor
Savory, Joanne G. A.; Hsu, Brian; Laquian, Ian R.; Giffin, Ward; Reich, Terry; Haché, Robert J. G.; Lefebvre, Yvonne A.
1999-01-01
Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) cycles between a free liganded form that is localized to the nucleus and a heat shock protein (hsp)-immunophilin-complexed, unliganded form that is usually localized to the cytoplasm but that can also be nuclear. In addition, rapid nucleocytoplasmic exchange or shuttling of the receptor underlies its localization. Nuclear import of liganded GR is mediated through a well-characterized sequence, NL1, adjacent to the receptor DNA binding domain and a second, uncharacterized motif, NL2, that overlaps with the ligand binding domain. In this study we report that rapid nuclear import (half-life [t1/2] of 4 to 6 min) of agonist- and antagonist-treated GR and the localization of unliganded, hsp-associated GRs to the nucleus in G0 are mediated through NL1 and correlate with the binding of GR to pendulin/importin α. By contrast, NL2-mediated nuclear transfer of GR occurred more slowly (t1/2 = 45 min to 1 h), was agonist specific, and appeared to be independent of binding to importin α. Together, these results suggest that NL2 mediates the nuclear import of GR through an alternative nuclear import pathway. Nuclear export of GR was inhibited by leptomycin B, suggesting that the transfer of GR to the cytoplasm is mediated through the CRM1-dependent pathway. Inhibition of GR nuclear export by leptomycin B enhanced the nuclear localization of both unliganded, wild-type GR and hormone-treated NL1− GR. These results highlight that the subcellular localization of both liganded and unliganded GRs is determined, at least in part, by a flexible equilibrium between the rates of nuclear import and export. PMID:9891038
Medrano, Francisco Javier; de Souza, Cristiane Santos; Romero, Antonio; Balan, Andrea
2014-01-01
The uptake of maltose and related sugars in Gram-negative bacteria is mediated by an ABC transporter encompassing a periplasmic component (the maltose-binding protein or MalE), a pore-forming membrane protein (MalF and MalG) and a membrane-associated ATPase (MalK). In the present study, the structure determination of the apo form of the putative maltose/trehalose-binding protein (Xac-MalE) from the citrus pathogen Xanthomonas citri in space group P6522 is described. The crystals contained two protein molecules in the asymmetric unit and diffracted to 2.8 Å resolution. Xac-MalE conserves the structural and functional features of sugar-binding proteins and a ligand-binding pocket with similar characteristics to eight different orthologues, including the residues for maltose and trehalose interaction. This is the first structure of a sugar-binding protein from a phytopathogenic bacterium, which is highly conserved in all species from the Xanthomonas genus. PMID:24817711
Escherichia coli mutants impaired in maltodextrin transport.
Wandersman, C; Schwartz, M; Ferenci, T
1979-10-01
Wild-type Escherichia coli K-12 was found to grow equally well on maltose and on maltodextrins containing up to seven glucose residues. Three classes of mutants unable to grow on maltodextrins, but still able to grow on maltose, were investigated in detail. The first class, already known, was composed of phage lambda-resistant mutants, which lack the outer membrane protein coded by gene lamB. These mutants grow on maltose and maltotriose but not at all on maltotetraose and longer maltodextrins which cannot cross the outer membrane. A second class of mutants were affected in malE, the structural gene of the periplasmic maltose binding protein. The maltose binding proteins isolated from the new mutants were altered in their substrate binding properties, but not in a way that could account for the mutant phenotypes. Rather, the results of growth experiments and transport studies suggest that these malE mutants are impaired in their ability to transport maltodextrins across the outer membrane. This implies that the maltose binding protein (in wild-type strains) cooperates with the lambda receptor in permeation through the outer membrane. The last class of mutants described in this paper were affected in malG, or perhaps in an as yet undetected gene close to malG. They were defective in the transfer of maltodextrins from the periplasmic space to the cytoplasm but only slightly affected in the transport of maltose.
Structure of unliganded HSV gD reveals a mechanism for receptor-mediated activation of virus entry
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Krummenacher, Claude; Supekar, Vinit M.; Whitbeck, J. Charles
2010-07-19
Herpes simplex virus (HSV) entry into cells requires binding of the envelope glycoprotein D (gD) to one of several cell surface receptors. The 50 C-terminal residues of the gD ectodomain are essential for virus entry, but not for receptor binding. We have determined the structure of an unliganded gD molecule that includes these C-terminal residues. The structure reveals that the C-terminus is anchored near the N-terminal region and masks receptor-binding sites. Locking the C-terminus in the position observed in the crystals by an intramolecular disulfide bond abolished receptor binding and virus entry, demonstrating that this region of gD moves uponmore » receptor binding. Similarly, a point mutant that would destabilize the C-terminus structure was nonfunctional for entry, despite increased affinity for receptors. We propose that a controlled displacement of the gD C-terminus upon receptor binding is an essential feature of HSV entry, ensuring the timely activation of membrane fusion.« less
Mascarenhas, Nahren Manuel; Kästner, Johannes
2013-02-01
A well-studied periplasmic-binding protein involved in the abstraction of maltose is maltose-binding protein (MBP), which undergoes a ligand-induced conformational transition from an open (ligand-free) to a closed (ligand-bound) state. Umbrella sampling simulations have been us to estimate the free energy of binding of maltose to MBP and to trace the potential of mean force of the unbinding event using the center-of-mass distance between the protein and ligand as the reaction coordinate. The free energy thus obtained compares nicely with the experimentally measured value justifying our theoretical basis. Measurement of the domain angle (N-terminal-domain - hinge - C-terminal-domain) along the unbinding pathway established the existence of three different states. Starting from a closed state, the protein shifts to an open conformation during the initial unbinding event of the ligand then resides in a semi-open conformation and later resides predominantly in an open-state. These transitions along the ligand unbinding pathway have been captured in greater depth using principal component analysis. It is proposed that in mixed-model, both conformational selection and an induced-fit mechanism combine to the ligand recognition process in MBP. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Chai, Kian Piaw; Othman, Noor Farhan Binti; Teh, Aik-Hong; Ho, Kok Lian; Chan, Kok-Gan; Shamsir, Mohd Shahir; Goh, Kian Mau; Ng, Chyan Leong
2016-03-15
A new subfamily of glycosyl hydrolase family GH13 was recently proposed for α-amylases from Anoxybacillus species (ASKA and ADTA), Geobacillus thermoleovorans (GTA, Pizzo, and GtamyII), Bacillus aquimaris (BaqA), and 95 other putative protein homologues. To understand this new GH13 subfamily, we report crystal structures of truncated ASKA (TASKA). ASKA is a thermostable enzyme capable of producing high levels of maltose. Unlike GTA, biochemical analysis showed that Ca(2+) ion supplementation enhances the catalytic activities of ASKA and TASKA. The crystal structures reveal the presence of four Ca(2+) ion binding sites, with three of these binding sites are highly conserved among Anoxybacillus α-amylases. This work provides structural insights into this new GH13 subfamily both in the apo form and in complex with maltose. Furthermore, structural comparison of TASKA and GTA provides an overview of the conformational changes accompanying maltose binding at each subsite.
Modulation of dimerization by residues distant from the interface in bovine neurophysin-II.
Zheng, C; Peyton, D; Breslow, E
1997-09-01
The crystal structure of bovine neurophysin-II in its liganded state (Chen et al. [1991] Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 4240-4244) indicates that the 1-6 sequence has a disordered conformation, lacks noncovalent contacts to other regions of the protein and is distant from the monomer-monomer interface. Cleavage of the 1-6 sequence by Staphylococcus protease V8 yielded a protein that, for the first time, crystallized in both liganded and unliganded states. Insights into the role of the 1-6 sequence in the unliganded state were obtained by NMR and related biophysical comparisons of the native and des-1-6 proteins. NMR spectra demonstrated that the environment and/or conformation of residues in the 1-6 sequence differed in liganded and unliganded states. Additionally, the unliganded des-1-6 protein exhibited a dimerization constant four to five times that of the native protein, potentially accounting for the observation that its peptide affinity was also increased. NMR studies further indicated that the increased dimerization constant of the des-1-6 protein correlated with the presence in the native protein of two isoenergetic forms of the monomer, in contrast to only a single form in the des-1-6 protein, as evidenced by signals from an internal dimerization-sensitive alpha-proton. Thus, the 1-6 sequence reduces the dimerization constant by stabilization of an alternative monomer conformation. A second product of Staphylococcus protease V8 digestion of the native protein was identified as the des-1-6 protein with an internal clip after binding site residue Glu-47, the clip presumably breaking the short 3,10 helix that most directly connects the interface to the interface to the binding site. This product, although unable to bind peptide, retained the dimerization constant of the des-1-6 protein, suggesting a lack of importance of the helix in dimerization and contrasting with the effects of the 1-6 sequence. A model is proposed in which the 1-6 sequence stabilizes the second conformation of the unliganded monomer via interactions affecting the loop region that separates the two neurophysin domains and which has been shown to influence neurophysin self-association.
Iijima, Issei; Hohsaka, Takahiro
2009-04-17
Position-specific incorporation of fluorescent groups is a useful method for analysis of the functions and structures of proteins. We have developed a method for the incorporation of visible-wavelength-fluorescent non-natural amino acids into proteins in a cell-free translation system. Using this technique, we introduced one or two BODIPY-linked amino acids into maltose-binding protein (MBP) to obtain MBP derivatives showing ligand-dependent changes in fluorescence intensity or intensity ratio. BODIPY-FL-aminophenylalanine was incorporated in place of 15 tyrosines, as well as the N-terminal Lys1, and the C-terminal Lys370 of MBP. Fluorescence measurements revealed that MBP containing a BODIPY-FL moiety in place of Tyr210 showed a 13-fold increase in fluorescence upon binding of maltose. Tryptophan-to-phenylalanine substitutions suggest that the increase in fluorescence was the result of a decrease in the quenching of BODIPY-FL by tryptophan located around the binding site. MBP containing a BODIPY-558 moiety also showed a maltose-dependent increase in fluorescence. BODIPY-FL was then additionally incorporated in place of Lys1 of the BODIPY-558-containing MBP as a response to the amber codon. Fluorescence measurements with excitation of BODIPY-FL showed a large change in fluorescence intensity ratio (0.13 to 1.25) upon binding of maltose; this change can be attributed to fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and maltose-dependent quenching of BODIPY-558. These results demonstrate the usefulness of the position-specific incorporation of fluorescent amino acids in the fluorescence-based detection of protein functions.
Chai, Kian Piaw; Othman, Noor Farhan Binti; Teh, Aik-Hong; Ho, Kok Lian; Chan, Kok-Gan; Shamsir, Mohd Shahir; Goh, Kian Mau; Ng, Chyan Leong
2016-01-01
A new subfamily of glycosyl hydrolase family GH13 was recently proposed for α-amylases from Anoxybacillus species (ASKA and ADTA), Geobacillus thermoleovorans (GTA, Pizzo, and GtamyII), Bacillus aquimaris (BaqA), and 95 other putative protein homologues. To understand this new GH13 subfamily, we report crystal structures of truncated ASKA (TASKA). ASKA is a thermostable enzyme capable of producing high levels of maltose. Unlike GTA, biochemical analysis showed that Ca2+ ion supplementation enhances the catalytic activities of ASKA and TASKA. The crystal structures reveal the presence of four Ca2+ ion binding sites, with three of these binding sites are highly conserved among Anoxybacillus α-amylases. This work provides structural insights into this new GH13 subfamily both in the apo form and in complex with maltose. Furthermore, structural comparison of TASKA and GTA provides an overview of the conformational changes accompanying maltose binding at each subsite. PMID:26975884
Dahl, M K; Manson, M D
1985-01-01
In Escherichia coli, the periplasmic maltose-binding protein (MBP), the product of the malE gene, is the primary recognition component of the transport system for maltose and maltodextrins. It is also the maltose chemoreceptor, in which capacity it interacts with the signal transducer Tar (taxis to aspartate and some repellents). In studies of the maltose system in other members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, we found that MBP is produced by Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Serratia marcescens. MBP from all of these species cross-reacted with antibody against the E. coli protein and had a similar molecular weight (about 40,000). The Shigella flexneri and Proteus mirabilis strains we examined did not synthesize MBP. The isoelectric points of MBP from different species varied from the acid extreme of E. coli (4.8) to the basic extreme of E. aerogenes (8.9). All species with MBP transported maltose with high affinity, although the Vmax for K. pneumoniae was severalfold lower than that for the other species. Maltose chemotaxis was observed only in E. coli and E. aerogenes. In S. typhimurium LT2, Tar was completely inactive in maltose taxis, although it signaled normally in response to aspartate. MBP isolated from all five species could be used to reconstitute maltose transport and taxis in a delta malE strain of E. coli after permeabilization of the outer membrane with calcium. Images PMID:3905762
Edwards, Katie A; Baeumner, Antje J
2013-03-05
A periplasmic binding protein (PBP) was investigated as a novel binding species in a similar manner to an antibody in a competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), resulting in a highly sensitive and specific assay utilizing liposome-based signal amplification. PBPs are located at high concentrations (10(-4) M) between the inner and outer membranes of gram negative bacteria and are involved in the uptake of solutes and chemotaxis of bacteria toward nutrient sources. Previous sensors relying on PBPs took advantage of the change in local environment or proximity of site-specific fluorophore labels resulting from the significant conformational shift of these proteins' two globular domains upon target binding. Here, rather than monitoring conformational shifts, we have instead utilized the maltose binding protein (MBP) in lieu of an antibody in an ELISA. To our knowledge, this is the first PBP-based sensor without the requirement for engineering site-specific modifications within the protein. MBP conjugated fluorescent dye-encapsulating liposomes served to provide recognition and signal amplification in a competitive assay for maltose using amylose magnetic beads in a microtiter plate-based format. The development of appropriate binding buffers and competitive surfaces are described, with general observations expected to extend to PBPs for other analytes. The resulting assay was specific for d-(+)-maltose versus other sugar analogs including d-(+)-raffinose, sucrose, d-trehalose, d-(+)-xylose, d-fructose, 1-thio-β-d-glucose sodium salt, d-(+)-galactose, sorbitol, glycerol, and dextrose. Cross-reactivity with d-lactose and d-(+)-glucose occurred only at concentrations >10(4)-fold greater than d-(+)-maltose. The limit of detection was 78 nM with a dynamic range covering over 3 orders of magnitude. Accurate detection of maltose as an active ingredient in a pharmaceutical preparation was demonstrated. This method offers a significant improvement over existing enzymatic detection approaches that cannot discriminate between maltose and glucose and over existing fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based detection methods that are sensitivity limited. In addition, it opens up a new strategy for the development of biosensors to difficult analytes refractory to immunological detection.
Bao, Huan; Duong, Franck
2013-08-16
The signal-transducing protein EIIA(Glc) belongs to the phosphoenolpyruvate carbohydrate phosphotransferase system. In its dephosphorylated state, EIIA(Glc) is a negative regulator for several permeases, including the maltose transporter MalFGK2. How EIIA(Glc) is targeted to the membrane, how it interacts with the transporter, and how it inhibits sugar uptake remain obscure. We show here that acidic phospholipids together with the N-terminal tail of EIIA(Glc) are essential for the high affinity binding of the protein to the transporter. Using protein docking prediction and chemical cross-linking, we demonstrate that EIIA(Glc) binds to the MalK dimer, interacting with both the nucleotide-binding and the C-terminal regulatory domains. Dissection of the ATPase cycle reveals that EIIA(Glc) does not affect the binding of ATP but rather inhibits the capacity of MalK to cleave ATP. We propose a mechanism of maltose transport inhibition by this central amphitropic regulatory protein.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Kwon, Young Do; Finzi, Andrés; Wu, Xueling
2013-03-04
The HIV-1 envelope (Env) spike (gp120{sub 3}/gp41{sub 3}) undergoes considerable structural rearrangements to mediate virus entry into cells and to evade the host immune response. Engagement of CD4, the primary human receptor, fixes a particular conformation and primes Env for entry. The CD4-bound state, however, is prone to spontaneous inactivation and susceptible to antibody neutralization. How does unliganded HIV-1 maintain CD4-binding capacity and regulate transitions to the CD4-bound state? To define this mechanistically, we determined crystal structures of unliganded core gp120 from HIV-1 clades B, C, and E. Notably, all of these unliganded HIV-1 structures resembled the CD4-bound state. Conformationalmore » fixation with ligand selection and thermodynamic analysis of full-length and core gp120 interactions revealed that the tendency of HIV-1 gp120 to adopt the CD4-bound conformation was restrained by the V1/V2- and V3-variable loops. In parallel, we determined the structure of core gp120 in complex with the small molecule, NBD-556, which specifically recognizes the CD4-bound conformation of gp120. Neutralization by NBD-556 indicated that Env spikes on primary isolates rarely assume the CD4-bound conformation spontaneously, although they could do so when quaternary restraints were loosened. Together, the results suggest that the CD4-bound conformation represents a 'ground state' for the gp120 core, with variable loop and quaternary interactions restraining unliganded gp120 from 'snapping' into this conformation. A mechanism of control involving deformations in unliganded structure from a functionally critical state (e.g., the CD4-bound state) provides advantages in terms of HIV-1 Env structural diversity and resistance to antibodies and inhibitors, while maintaining elements essential for entry.« less
A new maltose-inducible high-performance heterologous expression system in Bacillus subtilis.
Yue, Jie; Fu, Gang; Zhang, Dawei; Wen, Jianping
2017-08-01
To improve heterologous proteins production, we constructed a maltose-inducible expression system in Bacillus subtilis. An expression system based on the promoter for maltose utilization constructed in B. subtilis. Successively, to improve the performance of the P malA -derived system, mutagenesis was employed by gradually shortening the length of P malA promoter and altering the spacing between the predicted MalR binding site and the -35 region. Furthermore, deletion of the maltose utilization genes (malL and yvdK) improved the P malA promoter activity. Finally, using this efficient maltose-inducible expression system, we enhanced the production of luciferase and D-aminoacylase, compared with the P hpaII system. A maltose-inducible expression system was constructed and evaluated. It could be used for high level expression of heterologous proteins production.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Zhang, Yanfeng; Gao, Xiaoli; Michael Garavito, R., E-mail: garavito@msu.edu
2011-04-22
Highlights: {yields} Crystal structure of the intracellular domain of (pro)renin receptor (PRR-IC) as MBP fusion protein at 2.0 A (maltose-free) and 2.15 A (maltose-bound). {yields} MBP fusion protein is a dimer in crystals in the presence and absence of maltose. {yields} PRR-IC domain is responsible for the dimerization of the fusion protein. {yields} Residues in the PRR-IC domain, particularly two tyrosines, dominate the intermolecular interactions, suggesting a role for the PRR-IC domain in PRR dimerization. -- Abstract: The (pro)renin receptor (PRR) is an important component of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which regulates blood pressure and cardiovascular function. The integral membranemore » protein PRR contains a large extracellular domain ({approx}310 amino acids), a single transmembrane domain ({approx}20 amino acids) and an intracellular domain ({approx}19 amino acids). Although short, the intracellular (IC) domain of the PRR has functionally important roles in a number of signal transduction pathways activated by (pro)renin binding. Meanwhile, together with the transmembrane domain and a small portion of the extracellular domain ({approx}30 amino acids), the IC domain is also involved in assembly of V{sub 0} portion of the vacuolar proton-translocating ATPase (V-ATPase). To better understand structural and multifunctional roles of the PRR-IC, we report the crystal structure of the PRR-IC domain as maltose-binding protein (MBP) fusion proteins at 2.0 A (maltose-free) and 2.15 A (maltose-bound). In the two separate crystal forms having significantly different unit-cell dimensions and molecular packing, MBP-PRR-IC fusion protein was found to be a dimer, which is different with the natural monomer of native MBP. The PRR-IC domain appears as a relatively flexible loop and is responsible for the dimerization of MBP fusion protein. Residues in the PRR-IC domain, particularly two tyrosines, dominate the intermonomer interactions, suggesting a role for the PRR-IC domain in protein oligomerization.« less
Lyhne-Iversen, Louise; Hobley, Timothy J.; Kaasgaard, Svend G.; Harris, Pernille
2006-01-01
Recombinant Bacillus halmapalus α-amylase (BHA) was studied in two different crystal forms. The first crystal form was obtained by crystallization of BHA at room temperature in the presence of acarbose and maltose; data were collected at cryogenic temperature to a resolution of 1.9 Å. It was found that the crystal belonged to space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 47.0, b = 73.5, c = 151.1 Å. A maltose molecule was observed and found to bind to BHA and previous reports of the binding of a nonasaccharide were confirmed. The second crystal form was obtained by pH-induced crystallization of BHA in a MES–HEPES–boric acid buffer (MHB buffer) at 303 K; the solubility of BHA in MHB has a retrograde temperature dependency and crystallization of BHA was only possible by raising the temperature to at least 298 K. Data were collected at cryogenic temperature to a resolution of 2.0 Å. The crystal belonged to space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 38.6, b = 59.0, c = 209.8 Å. The structure was solved using molecular replacement. The maltose-binding site is described and the two structures are compared. No significant changes were seen in the structure upon binding of the substrates. PMID:16946462
A Maltose-Binding Protein Fusion Construct Yields a Robust Crystallography Platform for MCL1
Clifton, Matthew C.; Dranow, David M.; Leed, Alison; Fulroth, Ben; Fairman, James W.; Abendroth, Jan; Atkins, Kateri A.; Wallace, Ellen; Fan, Dazhong; Xu, Guoping; Ni, Z. J.; Daniels, Doug; Van Drie, John; Wei, Guo; Burgin, Alex B.; Golub, Todd R.; Hubbard, Brian K.; Serrano-Wu, Michael H.
2015-01-01
Crystallization of a maltose-binding protein MCL1 fusion has yielded a robust crystallography platform that generated the first apo MCL1 crystal structure, as well as five ligand-bound structures. The ability to obtain fragment-bound structures advances structure-based drug design efforts that, despite considerable effort, had previously been intractable by crystallography. In the ligand-independent crystal form we identify inhibitor binding modes not observed in earlier crystallographic systems. This MBP-MCL1 construct dramatically improves the structural understanding of well-validated MCL1 ligands, and will likely catalyze the structure-based optimization of high affinity MCL1 inhibitors. PMID:25909780
Henrich, Alexander; Kuhlmann, Nora; Eck, Alexander W.; Krämer, Reinhard
2013-01-01
The Gram-positive Corynebacterium glutamicum efficiently metabolizes maltose by a pathway involving maltodextrin and glucose formation by 4-α-glucanotransferase, glucose phosphorylation by glucose kinases, and maltodextrin degradation via maltodextrin phosphorylase and α-phosphoglucomutase. However, maltose uptake in C. glutamicum has not been investigated. Interestingly, the presence of maltose in the medium causes increased expression of ptsG in C. glutamicum by an unknown mechanism, although the ptsG-encoded glucose-specific EII permease of the phosphotransferase system itself is not required for maltose utilization. We identified the maltose uptake system as an ABC transporter encoded by musK (cg2708; ATPase subunit), musE (cg2705; substrate binding protein), musF (cg2704; permease), and musG (cg2703; permease) by combination of data obtained from characterization of maltose uptake and reanalyses of transcriptome data. Deletion of the mus gene cluster in C. glutamicum Δmus abolished maltose uptake and utilization. Northern blotting and reverse transcription-PCR experiments revealed that musK and musE are transcribed monocistronically, whereas musF and musG are part of an operon together with cg2701 (musI), which encodes a membrane protein of unknown function with no homologies to characterized proteins. Characterization of growth and [14C]maltose uptake in the musI insertion strain C. glutamicum IMcg2701 showed that musI encodes a novel essential component of the maltose ABC transporter of C. glutamicum. Finally, ptsG expression during cultivation on different carbon sources was analyzed in the maltose uptake-deficient strain C. glutamicum Δmus. Indeed, maltose uptake by the novel ABC transport system MusEFGK2I is required for the positive effect of maltose on ptsG expression in C. glutamicum. PMID:23543710
Krug, Michael; Lee, Sung-Jae; Boos, Winfried; Diederichs, Kay; Welte, Wolfram
2013-01-01
TrmB is a repressor that binds maltose, maltotriose, and sucrose, as well as other α-glucosides. It recognizes two different operator sequences controlling the TM (Trehalose/Maltose) and the MD (Maltodextrin) operon encoding the respective ABC transporters and sugar-degrading enzymes. Binding of maltose to TrmB abrogates repression of the TM operon but maintains the repression of the MD operon. On the other hand, binding of sucrose abrogates repression of the MD operon but maintains repression of the TM operon. The three-dimensional structure of TrmB in complex with sucrose was solved and refined to a resolution of 3.0 Å. The structure shows the N-terminal DNA binding domain containing a winged-helix-turn-helix (wHTH) domain followed by an amphipathic helix with a coiled-coil motif. The latter promotes dimerization and places the symmetry mates of the putative recognition helix in the wHTH motif about 30 Å apart suggesting a canonical binding to two successive major grooves of duplex palindromic DNA. This suggests that the structure resembles the conformation of TrmB recognizing the pseudopalindromic TM promoter but not the conformation recognizing the nonpalindromic MD promoter. PMID:23576322
Snapshots of the maltose transporter during ATP hydrolysis
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Oldham, Michael L.; Chen, Jue
2011-12-05
ATP-binding cassette transporters are powered by ATP, but the mechanism by which these transporters hydrolyze ATP is unclear. In this study, four crystal structures of the full-length wild-type maltose transporter, stabilized by adenosine 5{prime}-({beta},{gamma}-imido)triphosphate or ADP in conjunction with phosphate analogs BeF{sub 3}{sup -}, VO{sub 4}{sup 3-}, or AlF{sub 4}{sup -}, were determined to 2.2- to 2.4-{angstrom} resolution. These structures led to the assignment of two enzymatic states during ATP hydrolysis and demonstrate specific functional roles of highly conserved residues in the nucleotide-binding domain, suggesting that ATP-binding cassette transporters catalyze ATP hydrolysis via a general base mechanism.
The cover picture shows the binding of a PLHSpT derivative, 6q, to the polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) polo-box domain (PBD), thereby uncovering a new hydrophobic channel (magnified upper right), which is absent in the unliganded protein (magnified lower left). The authors explain how, as a consequence of the additional interaction with the channel, the peptide binds to the Plk1 PBD
Arciniega, Marcelino; Beck, Philipp; Lange, Oliver F.; Groll, Michael; Huber, Robert
2014-01-01
Two clusters of configurations of the main proteolytic subunit β5 were identified by principal component analysis of crystal structures of the yeast proteasome core particle (yCP). The apo-cluster encompasses unliganded species and complexes with nonpeptidic ligands, and the pep-cluster comprises complexes with peptidic ligands. The murine constitutive CP structures conform to the yeast system, with the apo-form settled in the apo-cluster and the PR-957 (a peptidic ligand) complex in the pep-cluster. In striking contrast, the murine immune CP classifies into the pep-cluster in both the apo and the PR-957–liganded species. The two clusters differ essentially by multiple small structural changes and a domain motion enabling enclosure of the peptidic ligand and formation of specific hydrogen bonds in the pep-cluster. The immune CP species is in optimal peptide binding configuration also in its apo form. This favors productive ligand binding and may help to explain the generally increased functional activity of the immunoproteasome. Molecular dynamics simulations of the representative murine species are consistent with the experimentally observed configurations. A comparison of all 28 subunits of the unliganded species with the peptidic liganded forms demonstrates a greatly enhanced plasticity of β5 and suggests specific signaling pathways to other subunits. PMID:24979800
Nallamsetty, Sreedevi; Waugh, David S.
2007-01-01
Certain highly soluble proteins, such as Escherichia coli maltose-binding protein (MBP), have the ability to enhance the solubility of their fusion partners, making them attractive vehicles for the production of recombinant proteins, yet the mechanism of solubility enhancement remains poorly understood. Here, we report that the solubility-enhancing properties of MBP are dramatically affected by amino acid substitutions that alter the equilibrium between its “open” and “closed” conformations. Our findings indicate that the solubility-enhancing activity of MBP is mediated by its open conformation and point to a likely role for the ligand-binding cleft in the mechanism of solubility enhancement. PMID:17964542
From the Cover: Visualization of maltose uptake in living yeast cells by fluorescent nanosensors
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fehr, Marcus; Frommer, Wolf B.; Lalonde, Sylvie
2002-07-01
Compartmentation of metabolic reactions and thus transport within and between cells can be understood only if we know subcellular distribution based on nondestructive dynamic monitoring. Currently, methods are not available for in vivo metabolite imaging at cellular or subcellular levels. Limited information derives from methods requiring fixation or fractionation of tissue (1, 2). We thus developed a flexible strategy for designing protein-based nanosensors for a wide spectrum of solutes, allowing analysis of changes in solute concentration in living cells. We made use of bacterial periplasmic binding proteins (PBPs), where we show that, on binding of the substrate, PBPs transform their hinge-bend movement into increased fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between two coupled green fluorescent proteins. By using the maltose-binding protein as a prototype, nanosensors were constructed allowing in vitro determination of FRET changes in a concentration-dependent fashion. For physiological applications, mutants with different binding affinities were generated, allowing dynamic in vivo imaging of the increase in cytosolic maltose concentration in single yeast cells. Control sensors allow the exclusion of the effect from other cellular or environmental parameters on ratio imaging. Thus the myriad of PBPs recognizing a wide spectrum of different substrates is suitable for FRET-based in vivo detection, providing numerous scientific, medical, and environmental applications.
The trehalose/maltose-binding protein as the sensitive element of a glucose biosensor
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Fonin, A. V.; Povarova, O. I.; Staiano, M.; D'Auria, S.; Turoverov, K. K.; Kuznetsova, I. M.
2014-08-01
The promising direction of the development of a modern glucometer is the construction of sensing element on the basis of stained (dyed) protein which changes its fluorescence upon glucose binding. One of the proteins that can be used for this purpose is the D-trehalose/D-maltose-binding protein (TMBP) from the thermophilic bacteria Thermococcus litoralis. We investigated the physical-chemical properties of the protein and evaluated its stability to the denaturing action of GdnHCl and heating. It was confirmed that TMBP is an extremely stable protein. In vivo, the intrinsic ligands of TMBP are trehalose and maltose, but TMBP can also bind glucose. The dissociation constant of the TMBP-glucose complex is in the range of 3-8 mM. The binding of glucose does not noticeably change the intrinsic fluorescence of the TMBP. To register protein-glucose binding, we used the fluorescence of the thiol-reactive dye BADAN attached to TMBP. Because the fluorescence of BADAN attached to the cysteine Cys182 of TMBP does not change upon glucose binding, the mutant forms ТМВР/C182S/X_Cys were created. In these mutant proteins, Cys182 is replaced by Ser, removing intrinsic binding site of BADAN and a new dye binding sites were introduced. The largest increase (by 1.4 times) in the intensity of the dye fluorescence was observed upon TMBP/C182S/A14C-BADAN-Glc complex formation. The dissociation constant of this complex is 3.4 ± 0.1 mM. We consider TMBP/C182S/A14C mutant form with attached fluorescent dye BADAN as a good basis for further research aimed to develop of series of TMBP mutant forms with different affinities to glucose labeled with fluorescent dyes.
Ke, Wei; Laurent, Abigail H.; Armstrong, Morgan D.; Chen, Yuchao; Smith, William E.; Liang, Jing; Wright, Chapman M.; Ostermeier, Marc; van den Akker, Focco
2012-01-01
Engineering novel allostery into existing proteins is a challenging endeavor to obtain novel sensors, therapeutic proteins, or modulate metabolic and cellular processes. The RG13 protein achieves such allostery by inserting a circularly permuted TEM-1 β-lactamase gene into the maltose binding protein (MBP). RG13 is positively regulated by maltose yet is, serendipitously, inhibited by Zn2+ at low µM concentration. To probe the structure and allostery of RG13, we crystallized RG13 in the presence of mM Zn2+ concentration and determined its structure. The structure reveals that the MBP and TEM-1 domains are in close proximity connected via two linkers and a zinc ion bridging both domains. By bridging both TEM-1 and MBP, Zn2+ acts to “twist tie” the linkers thereby partially dislodging a linker between the two domains from its original catalytically productive position in TEM-1. This linker 1 contains residues normally part of the TEM-1 active site including the critical β3 and β4 strands important for activity. Mutagenesis of residues comprising the crystallographically observed Zn2+ site only slightly affected Zn2+ inhibition 2- to 4-fold. Combined with previous mutagenesis results we therefore hypothesize the presence of two or more inter-domain mutually exclusive inhibitory Zn2+ sites. Mutagenesis and molecular modeling of an intact TEM-1 domain near MBP within the RG13 framework indicated a close surface proximity of the two domains with maltose switching being critically dependent on MBP linker anchoring residues and linker length. Structural analysis indicated that the linker attachment sites on MBP are at a site that, upon maltose binding, harbors both the largest local Cα distance changes and displays surface curvature changes, from concave to relatively flat becoming thus less sterically intrusive. Maltose activation and zinc inhibition of RG13 are hypothesized to have opposite effects on productive relaxation of the TEM-1 β3 linker region via steric and/or linker juxtapositioning mechanisms. PMID:22720063
Honorio-Felício, Nathalie; Carepo, Marta S P; de F Paulo, Tércio; de França Lopes, Luiz Gonzaga; Sousa, Eduardo H S; Diógenes, Izaura C N; Bernhardt, Paul V
2016-11-01
Conformational changes associated to sensing mechanisms of heme-based protein sensors are a key molecular event that seems to modulate not only the protein activity but also the potential of the Fe III/II redox couple of the heme domain. In this work, midpoint potentials (E m ) assigned to the Fe III/II redox couple of the heme domain of FixL from Rhizobium etli (ReFixL) in the unliganded and liganded states were determined by spectroelectrochemistry in the presence of inorganic mediators. In comparison to the unliganded ReFixL protein (+19mV), the binding to ligands that switch off the kinase activity induces a negative shift, i. e. E m =-51, -57 and -156mV for O 2 , imidazole and CN - , respectively. Upon binding to CO, which does not affect the kinase active, E m was observed at +21mV. The potential values observed for Fe III/II of the heme domain of ReFixL upon binding to CO and O 2 do not follow the expected trend based on thermodynamics, assuming that positive potential shift would be expected for ligands that bind to and therefore stabilize the Fe II state. Our results suggest that the conformational changes that switch off kinase activity upon O 2 binding have knock-on effects to the local environment of the heme, such as solvent rearrangement, destabilize the Fe II state and counterbalances the Fe II -stabilizing influence of the O 2 ligand. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Li, Changqing; Tian, Mi; Yuan, Ye; Zhou, Qinxin
2008-12-01
Human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (hPPARs) are ligand-activated transcription factors and are the target for the treatment of many diseases. Screening of their ligands is mainly based on assays of ligand binding to the ligand binding domain (LBD) of hPPARs.However, such assays are difficult because of the preparation of hPPARs LBD. In order to yield functional hPPARs LBD for screening ligands, hPPARs LBD was fused with maltose-binding protein(MBP) using the pMAL-p2x expression system through the gene engineering technique. The radioligand binding assay showed that MBP did not affect ligand binding with hPPARs LBD in the fusion proteins, which means that MBP-hPPARs LBD can be used instead of hPPARs LBD in ligand screening work. The results show that the new strategy using MBP as a fusion tag for preparing hPPARs LBD for screening ligands is a convenient and reliable method. It may be used to easily obtain the other nuclear receptors.
Purification of Proteins Fused to Maltose-Binding Protein.
Lebendiker, Mario; Danieli, Tsafi
2017-01-01
Maltose-Binding Protein (MBP) is one of the most popular fusion partners being used for producing recombinant proteins in bacterial cells. MBP allows the use of a simple capture affinity step on Amylose-Agarose or Dextrin-Sepharose columns, resulting in a protein that is often 70-90 % pure in a single step. In addition to protein isolation applications, MBP provides a high degree of translation, and facilitates the proper folding and solubility of the target protein. This paper describes efficient procedures for isolating highly purified MBP target proteins. Special attention is given to considerations for downstream applications such as structural determination studies, protein activity assays, and assessing the chemical characteristics of the target protein.
Dowling, Daniel P; Gantt, Stephanie L; Gattis, Samuel G; Fierke, Carol A; Christianson, David W
2008-12-23
Metal-dependent histone deacetylases (HDACs) require Zn(2+) or Fe(2+) to regulate the acetylation of lysine residues in histones and other proteins in eukaryotic cells. Isozyme HDAC8 is perhaps the archetypical member of the class I HDAC family and serves as a paradigm for studying structure-function relationships. Here, we report the structures of HDAC8 complexes with trichostatin A and 3-(1-methyl-4-phenylacetyl-1H-2-pyrrolyl)-N-hydroxy-2-propenamide (APHA) in a new crystal form. The structure of the APHA complex reveals that the hydroxamate CO group accepts a hydrogen bond from Y306 but does not coordinate to Zn(2+) with favorable geometry, perhaps due to the constraints of its extended pi system. Additionally, since APHA binds to only two of the three protein molecules in the asymmetric unit of this complex, the structure of the third monomer represents the first structure of HDAC8 in the unliganded state. Comparison of unliganded and liganded structures illustrates ligand-induced conformational changes in the L2 loop that likely accompany substrate binding and catalysis. Furthermore, these structures, along with those of the D101N, D101E, D101A, and D101L variants, support the proposal that D101 is critical for the function of the L2 loop. However, amino acid substitutions for D101 can also trigger conformational changes of Y111 and W141 that perturb the substrate binding site. Finally, the structure of H143A HDAC8 complexed with an intact acetylated tetrapeptide substrate molecule confirms the importance of D101 for substrate binding and reveals how Y306 and the active site zinc ion together bind and activate the scissile amide linkage of acetyllysine.
Bowden, Thomas A.; Crispin, Max; Harvey, David J.; Jones, E. Yvonne; Stuart, David I.
2010-01-01
Hendra virus is a negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus within the Paramyxoviridae family which, together with Nipah virus, forms the Henipavirus genus. Infection with bat-borne Hendra virus leads to a disease with high mortality rates in humans. We determined the crystal structure of the unliganded six-bladed β-propeller domain and compared it to the previously reported structure of Hendra virus attachment glycoprotein (HeV-G) in complex with its cellular receptor, ephrin-B2. As observed for the related unliganded Nipah virus structure, there is plasticity in the Glu579-Pro590 and Lys236-Ala245 ephrin-binding loops prior to receptor engagement. These data reveal that henipaviral attachment glycoproteins undergo common structural transitions upon receptor binding and further define the structural template for antihenipaviral drug design. Our analysis also provides experimental evidence for a dimeric arrangement of HeV-G that exhibits striking similarity to those observed in crystal structures of related paramyxovirus receptor-binding glycoproteins. The biological relevance of this dimer is further supported by the positional analysis of glycosylation sites from across the paramyxoviruses. In HeV-G, the sites lie away from the putative dimer interface and remain accessible to α-mannosidase processing on oligomerization. We therefore propose that the overall mode of dimer assembly is conserved for all paramyxoviruses; however, while the geometry of dimerization is rather closely similar for those viruses that bind flexible glycan receptors, significant (up to 60°) and different reconfigurations of the subunit packing (associated with a significant decrease in the size of the dimer interface) have accompanied the independent switching to high-affinity protein receptor binding in Hendra and measles viruses. PMID:20375167
Lateral diffusion of proteins in the periplasm of Escherichia coli.
Brass, J M; Higgins, C F; Foley, M; Rugman, P A; Birmingham, J; Garland, P B
1986-01-01
We have introduced biologically active, fluorescently labeled maltose-binding protein into the periplasmic space of Escherichia coli and measured its lateral diffusion coefficient by the fluorescence photobleaching recovery method. Diffusion of this protein in the periplasm was found to be surprisingly low (lateral diffusion coefficient, 0.9 X 10(-10) cm2 s-1), about 1,000-fold lower than would be expected for diffusion in aqueous medium and almost 100-fold lower than for an equivalent-size protein in the cytoplasm. Galactose-binding protein, myoglobin, and cytochrome c were also introduced into the periplasm and had diffusion coefficients identical to that determined for the maltose-binding protein. For all proteins nearly 100% recovery of fluorescence was obtained after photobleaching, indicating that the periplasm is a single contiguous compartment surrounding the cell. These data have considerable implications for periplasmic structure and for the role of periplasmic proteins in transport and chemotaxis. Images PMID:3005237
PEGylation of a Maltose Biosensor Promotes Enhanced Signal Response
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Dattelbaum, Andrew; Baker, Gary A; Fox, John M
2009-01-01
A robust method to immobilize a maltose biosensor is described using an engineered maltose periplasmic binding protein (PBP) covalently coupled to NBDamide, an environmentally sensitive fluorophore. A mesoporous silica sol-gel derived from diglycerylsilane (DGS) was constructed to embed the maltose biosensor, and the ligand reporting fluorescence properties were meas red. When sequestered in the DGS-derived silica matrix, the biosensor retained maltose-dependent fluorescence sensing capability with micromolar affinity, which is consistent with the protein free in solution. The MBP-NBD conjugate was further modified by covalent conjugation with poly(ethylene glycol)-5000 (PEG) to promote the retention of water molecules around the protein andmore » to reduce possible steric effects between the silica matrix and protein. Bioconjugation with PEG molecules does not significantly affect the signaling response of the protein in solution. When immobilized in the DGS polymer, a consistent increase in fluorescence intensity was observed as compared to the protein not functionalized with PEG. To our knowledge, this report presents the first successful method to embed a PBP biosensor in a polymerized matrix and retain signaling response using an environmentally sensitive probe. The immobilization method presented here should be easily adaptable to all conformation-dependent biosensors.« less
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pérez-Castillo, Yunierkis; Froeyen, Matheus; Cabrera-Pérez, Miguel Ángel; Nowé, Ann
2011-04-01
Bacterial β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase III (FabH) has become an attractive target for the development of new antibacterial agents which can overcome the increased resistance of these pathogens to antibiotics in clinical use. Despite several efforts have been dedicated to find inhibitors for this enzyme, it is not a straightforward task, mainly due its high flexibility which makes difficult the structure-based design of FabH inhibitors. Here, we present for the first time a Molecular Dynamics (MD) study of the E. colil FabH enzyme to explore its conformational space. We compare the flexibility of this enzyme for the unliganded protein and an enzyme-inhibitor complex and find a correspondence between our modeling results and the experimental evidence previously reported for this enzyme. Furthermore, through a 100 ns MD simulation of the unliganded enzyme we extract useful information related to the concerted motions that take place along the principal components of displacement. We also establish a relation between the presence of water molecules in the oxyanion hole with the conformational stability of structural important loops. Representative conformations of the binding pocket along the whole trajectory of the unliganded protein are selected through cluster analysis and we find that they contain a conformational diversity which is not provided by the X-ray structures of ecFabH. As a proof of this last hypothesis, we use a set of 10 FabH inhibitors and show that they cannot be correctly modeled in any available X-ray structure, while by using our set of conformations extracted from the MD simulations, this task can be accomplish. Finally, we show the ability of short MD simulations for the refinement of the docking binding poses and for MM-PBSA calculations to predict stable protein-inhibitor complexes in this enzyme.
Brunkhorst, Claudia; Andersen, Christian; Schneider, Erwin
1999-01-01
The pseudooligosaccharide acarbose is a potent inhibitor of amylases, glucosidases, and cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase and is clinically used for the treatment of so-called type II or insulin-independent diabetes. The compound consists of an unsaturated aminocyclitol, a deoxyhexose, and a maltose. The unsaturated aminocyclitol moiety (also called valienamine) is primarily responsible for the inhibition of glucosidases. Due to its structural similarity to maltotetraose, we have investigated whether acarbose is recognized as a substrate by the maltose/maltodextrin system of Escherichia coli. Acarbose at millimolar concentrations specifically affected the growth of E. coli K-12 on maltose as the sole source of carbon and energy. Uptake of radiolabeled maltose was competitively inhibited by acarbose, with a Ki of 1.1 μM. Maltose-grown cells transported radiolabeled acarbose, indicating that the compound is recognized as a substrate. Studying the interaction of acarbose with purified maltoporin in black lipid membranes revealed that the kinetics of acarbose binding to LamB is asymmetric. The on-rate of acarbose is approximately 30 times lower when the molecule enters the pore from the extracellular side than when it enters from the periplasmic side. Acarbose could not be utilized as a carbon source since the compound alone was not a substrate of amylomaltase (MalQ) and was only poorly attacked by maltodextrin glucosidase (MalZ). PMID:10198028
Shelburne, Samuel A.; Keith, David B.; Davenport, Michael T.; Horstmann, Nicola; Brennan, Richard G.; Musser, James M.
2008-01-01
Summary We previously demonstrated that the cell-surface lipoprotein MalE contributes to GAS maltose/maltodextrin utilization, but MalE inactivation does not completely abrogate GAS catabolism of maltose or maltotriose. Using a genome-wide approach, we identified the GAS phosphotransferase system (PTS) responsible for non-MalE maltose/maltotriose transport. This PTS is encoded by an open reading frame (M5005_spy1692) previously annotated as ptsG based on homology with the glucose PTS in Bacillus subtilis. Genetic inactivation of M5005_spy1692 significantly reduced transport rates of radiolabeled maltose and maltotriose, but not glucose, leading us to propose its reannotation as malT for maltose transporter. The ΔmalT, ΔmalE, and ΔmalE:malT strains were significantly attenuated in their growth in human saliva and in their ability to catabolize α-glucans digested by purified human salivary α-amylase. Compared to wild-type, the three isogenic mutant strains were significantly impaired in their ability to colonize the mouse oropharynx. Finally, we discovered that the transcript levels of maltodextrin utilization genes are regulated by competitive binding of the maltose repressor MalR and catabolite control protein A. These data provide novel insights into regulation of the GAS maltodextrin genes and their role in GAS host-pathogen interaction, thereby increasing the understanding of links between nutrient acquisition and virulence in common human pathogens. PMID:18485073
Neugebauer, Heidi; Herrmann, Christina; Kammer, Winfried; Schwarz, Gerold; Nordheim, Alfred; Braun, Volkmar
2005-01-01
Analysis of the genome sequence of Caulobacter crescentus predicts 67 TonB-dependent outer membrane proteins. To demonstrate that among them are proteins that transport nutrients other than chelated Fe3+ and vitamin B12—the substrates hitherto known to be transported by TonB-dependent transporters—the outer membrane protein profile of cells grown on different substrates was determined by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Maltose induced the synthesis of a hitherto unknown 99.5-kDa protein, designated here as MalA, encoded by the cc2287 genomic locus. MalA mediated growth on maltodextrins and transported [14C]maltodextrins from [14C]maltose to [14C]maltopentaose. [14C]maltose transport showed biphasic kinetics, with a fast initial rate and a slower second rate. The initial transport had a Kd of 0.2 μM, while the second transport had a Kd of 5 μM. It is proposed that the fast rate reflects binding to MalA and the second rate reflects transport into the cells. Energy depletion of cells by 100 μM carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone abolished maltose binding and transport. Deletion of the malA gene diminished maltose transport to 1% of the wild-type malA strain and impaired transport of the larger maltodextrins. The malA mutant was unable to grow on maltodextrins larger than maltotetraose. Deletion of two C. crescentus genes homologous to the exbB exbD genes of Escherichia coli abolished [14C]maltodextrin binding and transport and growth on maltodextrins larger than maltotetraose. These mutants also showed impaired growth on Fe3+-rhodotorulate as the sole iron source, which provided evidence of energy-coupled transport. Unexpectedly, a deletion mutant of a tonB homolog transported maltose at the wild-type rate and grew on all maltodextrins tested. Since Fe3+-rhodotorulate served as an iron source for the tonB mutant, an additional gene encoding a protein with a TonB function is postulated. Permeation of maltose and maltotriose through the outer membrane of the C. crescentus malA mutant was slower than permeation through the outer membrane of an E. coli lamB mutant, which suggests a low porin activity in C. crescentus. The pores of the C. crescentus porins are slightly larger than those of E. coli K-12, since maltotetraose supported growth of the C. crescentus malA mutant but failed to support growth of the E. coli lamB mutant. The data are consistent with the proposal that binding of maltodextrins to MalA requires energy and MalA actively transports maltodextrins with Kd values 1,000-fold smaller than those for the LamB porin and 100-fold larger than those for the vitamin B12 and ferric siderophore outer membrane transporters. MalA is the first example of an outer membrane protein for which an ExbB/ExbD-dependent transport of a nutrient other than iron and vitamin B12 has been demonstrated. PMID:16321934
EphA2 Receptor Unliganded Dimers Suppress EphA2 Pro-tumorigenic Signaling*
Singh, Deo R.; Ahmed, Fozia; King, Christopher; Gupta, Nisha; Salotto, Matt; Pasquale, Elena B.; Hristova, Kalina
2015-01-01
The EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase promotes cell migration and cancer malignancy through a ligand- and kinase-independent distinctive mechanism that has been linked to high Ser-897 phosphorylation and low tyrosine phosphorylation. Here, we demonstrate that EphA2 forms dimers in the plasma membrane of HEK293T cells in the absence of ephrin ligand binding, suggesting that the current seeding mechanism model of EphA2 activation is incomplete. We also characterize a dimerization-deficient EphA2 mutant that shows enhanced ability to promote cell migration, concomitant with increased Ser-897 phosphorylation and decreased tyrosine phosphorylation compared with EphA2 wild type. Our data reveal a correlation between unliganded dimerization and tumorigenic signaling and suggest that EphA2 pro-tumorigenic activity is mediated by the EphA2 monomer. Thus, a therapeutic strategy that aims at the stabilization of EphA2 dimers may be beneficial for the treatment of cancers linked to EphA2 overexpression. PMID:26363067
Grøntved, Lars; Waterfall, Joshua J; Kim, Dong Wook; Baek, Songjoon; Sung, Myong-Hee; Zhao, Li; Park, Jeong Won; Nielsen, Ronni; Walker, Robert L; Zhu, Yuelin J; Meltzer, Paul S; Hager, Gordon L; Cheng, Sheue-yann
2015-04-28
A bimodal switch model is widely used to describe transcriptional regulation by the thyroid hormone receptor (TR). In this model, the unliganded TR forms stable, chromatin-bound complexes with transcriptional co-repressors to repress transcription. Binding of hormone dissociates co-repressors and facilitates recruitment of co-activators to activate transcription. Here we show that in addition to hormone-independent TR occupancy, ChIP-seq against endogenous TR in mouse liver tissue demonstrates considerable hormone-induced TR recruitment to chromatin associated with chromatin remodelling and activated gene transcription. Genome-wide footprinting analysis using DNase-seq provides little evidence for TR footprints both in the absence and presence of hormone, suggesting that unliganded TR engagement with repressive complexes on chromatin is, similar to activating receptor complexes, a highly dynamic process. This dynamic and ligand-dependent interaction with chromatin is likely shared by all steroid hormone receptors regardless of their capacity to repress transcription in the absence of ligand.
Younger, Andrew K D; Su, Peter Y; Shepard, Andrea J; Udani, Shreya V; Cybulski, Thaddeus R; Tyo, Keith E J; Leonard, Joshua N
2018-02-01
Naturally evolved metabolite-responsive biosensors enable applications in metabolic engineering, ranging from screening large genetic libraries to dynamically regulating biosynthetic pathways. However, there are many metabolites for which a natural biosensor does not exist. To address this need, we developed a general method for converting metabolite-binding proteins into metabolite-responsive transcription factors-Biosensor Engineering by Random Domain Insertion (BERDI). This approach takes advantage of an in vitro transposon insertion reaction to generate all possible insertions of a DNA-binding domain into a metabolite-binding protein, followed by fluorescence activated cell sorting to isolate functional biosensors. To develop and evaluate the BERDI method, we generated a library of candidate biosensors in which a zinc finger DNA-binding domain was inserted into maltose binding protein, which served as a model well-studied metabolite-binding protein. Library diversity was characterized by several methods, a selection scheme was deployed, and ultimately several distinct and functional maltose-responsive transcriptional biosensors were identified. We hypothesize that the BERDI method comprises a generalizable strategy that may ultimately be applied to convert a wide range of metabolite-binding proteins into novel biosensors for applications in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Dahms, Sven O.; Arciniega, Marcelino; Steinmetzer, Torsten; Huber, Robert; Than, Manuel E.
2016-01-01
Proprotein convertases (PCs) are highly specific proteases required for the proteolytic modification of many secreted proteins. An unbalanced activity of these enzymes is connected to pathologies like cancer, atherosclerosis, hypercholesterolaemia, and infectious diseases. Novel protein crystallographic structures of the prototypical PC family member furin in different functional states were determined to 1.8–2.0 Å. These, together with biochemical data and modeling by molecular dynamics calculations, suggest essential elements underlying its unusually high substrate specificity. Furin shows a complex activation mechanism and exists in at least four defined states: (i) the “off state,” incompatible with substrate binding as seen in the unliganded enzyme; (ii) the active “on state” seen in inhibitor-bound furin; and the respective (iii) calcium-free and (iv) calcium-bound forms. The transition from the off to the on state is triggered by ligand binding at subsites S1 to S4 and appears to underlie the preferential recognition of the four-residue sequence motif of furin. The molecular dynamics simulations of the four structural states reflect the experimental observations in general and provide approximations of the respective stabilities. Ligation by calcium at the PC-specific binding site II influences the active-site geometry and determines the rotamer state of the oxyanion hole-forming Asn295, and thus adds a second level of the activity modulation of furin. The described crystal forms and the observations of different defined functional states may foster the development of new tools and strategies for pharmacological intervention targeting furin. PMID:27647913
Bi, Changfen; Zhao, Yingran; Shen, Lijin; Zhang, Kai; He, Xiwen; Chen, Langxing; Zhang, Yukui
2015-11-11
The development of methods to isolate and enrich low-abundance glycopeptides from biological samples is crucial to glycoproteomics. Herein, we present an easy and one-step surface modification strategy to prepare hydrophilic maltose functionalized Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs). First, based on the chelation of the catechol ligand with iron atoms, azido-terminated dopamine (DA) derivative was assembled on the surface of magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles by sonication. Second, the hydrophilic maltose-functionalized Fe3O4 (Fe3O4-DA-Maltose) NPs were obtained via copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (click chemistry). The morphology, structure, and composition of Fe3O4-DA-Maltose NPs were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Meanwhile, hydrophilicity of the obtained NPs was evaluated by water contact angle measurement. The hydrophilic Fe3O4-DA-Maltose NPs were applied in isolation and enrichment of glycopeptides from horseradish peroxidase (HRP), immunoglobulin (IgG) digests. The MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric analysis indicated that the novel NPs exhibited high detection sensitivity in enrichment from HRP digests at concentration as low as 0.05 ng μL(-1), a large binding capacity up to 43 mg g(-1), and good recovery for glycopeptides enrichment (85-110%). Moreover, the Fe3O4-DA-Maltose NPs were applied to enrich glycopeptides from human renal mesangial cells (HRMC) for identification of N-glycosylation sites. Finally, we identified 115 different N-linked glycopeptides, representing 93 gene products and 124 glycosylation sites in HRMC.
Structural Basis for Sialoglycan Binding by the Streptococcus sanguinis SrpA Adhesin*♦
Bensing, Barbara A.; Loukachevitch, Lioudmila V.; McCulloch, Kathryn M.; Yu, Hai; Vann, Kendra R.; Wawrzak, Zdzislaw; Anderson, Spencer; Chen, Xi; Sullam, Paul M.; Iverson, T. M.
2016-01-01
Streptococcus sanguinis is a leading cause of infective endocarditis, a life-threatening infection of the cardiovascular system. An important interaction in the pathogenesis of infective endocarditis is attachment of the organisms to host platelets. S. sanguinis expresses a serine-rich repeat adhesin, SrpA, similar in sequence to platelet-binding adhesins associated with increased virulence in this disease. In this study, we determined the first crystal structure of the putative binding region of SrpA (SrpABR) both unliganded and in complex with a synthetic disaccharide ligand at 1.8 and 2.0 Å resolution, respectively. We identified a conserved Thr-Arg motif that orients the sialic acid moiety and is required for binding to platelet monolayers. Furthermore, we propose that sequence insertions in closely related family members contribute to the modulation of structural and functional properties, including the quaternary structure, the tertiary structure, and the ligand-binding site. PMID:26833566
Levdikov, Vladimir M; Blagova, Elena; Young, Vicki L; Belitsky, Boris R; Lebedev, Andrey; Sonenshein, Abraham L; Wilkinson, Anthony J
2017-02-17
CodY is a branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) and GTP sensor and a global regulator of transcription in low G + C Gram-positive bacteria. It controls the expression of over 100 genes and operons, principally by repressing during growth genes whose products are required for adaptations to nutrient limitation. However, the mechanism by which BCAA binding regulates transcriptional changes is not clear. It is known that CodY consists of a GAF (c G MP-stimulated phosphodiesterases, a denylate cyclases, F hlA) domain that binds BCAAs and a winged helix-turn-helix (wHTH) domain that binds to DNA, but the way in which these domains interact and the structural basis of the BCAA dependence of this interaction are unknown. To gain new insights, we determined the crystal structure of unliganded CodY from Bacillus subtilis revealing a 10-turn α-helix linking otherwise discrete GAF and wHTH domains. The structure of CodY in complex with isoleucine revealed a reorganized GAF domain. In both complexes CodY was tetrameric. Size exclusion chromatography with multiangle laser light scattering (SEC-MALLS) experiments showed that CodY is a dimer at concentrations found in bacterial cells. Comparison of structures of dimers of unliganded CodY and CodY-Ile derived from the tetramers showed a splaying of the wHTH domains when Ile was bound; splaying is likely to account for the increased affinity of Ile-bound CodY for DNA. Electrophoretic mobility shift and SEC-MALLS analyses of CodY binding to 19-36-bp operator fragments are consistent with isoleucine-dependent binding of two CodY dimers per duplex. The implications of these observations for effector control of CodY activity are discussed. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Crystal structures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis GlgE and complexes with non-covalent inhibitors
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Lindenberger, Jared J.; Kumar Veleti, Sri; Wilson, Brittney N.
GlgE is a bacterial maltosyltransferase that catalyzes the elongation of a cytosolic, branched α-glucan. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb), inactivation of GlgE (Mtb GlgE) results in the rapid death of the organism due to a toxic accumulation of the maltosyl donor, maltose-1-phosphate (M1P), suggesting that GlgE is an intriguing target for inhibitor design. In this study, the crystal structures of the Mtb GlgE in a binary complex with maltose and a ternary complex with maltose and a maltosyl-acceptor molecule, maltohexaose, were solved to 3.3 Å and 4.0 Å, respectively. The maltohexaose structure reveals a dominant site for α-glucan binding. Tomore » obtain more detailed interactions between first generation, non-covalent inhibitors and GlgE, a variant Streptomyces coelicolor GlgEI (Sco GlgEI-V279S) was made to better emulate the Mtb GlgE M1P binding site. The structure of Sco GlgEI-V279S complexed with α-maltose-C-phosphonate (MCP), a non-hydrolyzable substrate analogue, was solved to 1.9 Å resolution, and the structure of Sco GlgEI-V279S complexed with 2,5-dideoxy-3-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-2,5-imino-D-mannitol (DDGIM), an oxocarbenium mimic, was solved to 2.5 Å resolution. These structures detail important interactions that contribute to the inhibitory activity of these compounds, and provide information on future designs that may be exploited to improve upon these first generation GlgE inhibitors.« less
The Mechanism of the Long Noncoding RNA HOTAIR in Breast Cancer
2014-10-01
a MS2 RNA aptamer at their 3’ ends to allow purification of the RNA via MS2-Maltose binding protein (MS2-MBP) conjugated to amylose resin (Figure...tethering HOTAIR RNA, tagged with a tandem PP7 and tobramycin-binding aptamer (termed the RAT tag), to DNA and chromatin. We performed PCR with a
Purohit, Prasad
2011-01-01
The extent to which agonists activate synaptic receptor-channels depends on both the intrinsic tendency of the unliganded receptor to open and the amount of agonist binding energy realized in the channel-opening process. We examined mutations of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor transmitter binding site (α subunit loop B) with regard to both of these parameters. αGly147 is an “activation” hinge where backbone flexibility maintains high values for intrinsic gating, the affinity of the resting conformation for agonists and net ligand binding energy. αGly153 is a “deactivation” hinge that maintains low values for these parameters. αTrp149 (between these two glycines) serves mainly to provide ligand binding energy for gating. We propose that a concerted motion of the two glycine hinges (plus other structural elements at the binding site) positions αTrp149 so that it provides physiologically optimal binding and gating function at the nerve-muscle synapse. PMID:21115636
Seniya, Chandrabhan; Yadav, Ajay; Uchadia, Kuldeep; Kumar, Sanjay; Sagar, Nitin; Shrivastava, Priyanka; Shrivastava, Shilpi; Wadhwa, Gulshan
2012-01-01
The study of Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in humans and animal models in last 31 years suggested that it is a causative agent of AIDS. This causes serious pandemic public health concern globally. It was reported that the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) played a critical role in the life cycle of HIV. Therefore, inhibition of HIV-1RT enzyme is one of the major and potential targets in the treatment of AIDS. The enzyme (HIV-1RT) was successfully targeted by non nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). But frequent application of NNRTIs led drug resistance mutation on HIV infections. Therefore, there is a need to search new NNRTIs with appropriate pharmacophores. For the purpose, a virtually screened 3D model of unliganded HIV-1RT (1DLO) was explored. The unliganded HIV-1RT (1DLO) was docked with 4-thiazolidinone and its derivatives (ChemBank Database) by using AutoDock4. The best seven docking solutions complex were selected and analyzed by Ligplot. The analysis showed that derivative (5E)-3-(2- aminoethyl)-5-(2- thienylmethylene)-1, 3-thiazolidine-2, 4-dione (CID 3087795) has maximum potential against unliganded HIV-1RT (1DLO). The analysis was done on the basis of scoring and binding ability. The derivative (5E)-3-(2- aminoethyl)-5-(2- thienylmethylene)-1, 3-thiazolidine-2, 4-dione (CID 3087795) indicated minimum energy score and highest number of interactions with active site residue and could be a promising inhibitor for HIV-1 RT as Drug target.
Hansen, Michael Riis; Harris, Richard; Barr, Eric W; Cheng, Hong; Girvin, Mark E; Grubmeyer, Charles
2014-04-01
The type I phosphoribosyltransferase OMP synthase (EC 2.4.2.10) is involved in de novo synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides forming the UMP precursor orotidine 5'-monophosphate (OMP). The homodimeric enzyme has a Rossman α/β core topped by a base-enclosing "hood" domain and a flexible domain-swapped catalytic loop. High-resolution X-ray structures of the homologous Salmonella typhimurium and yeast enzymes show that a general compacting of the core as well as movement of the hood and a major disorder-to-order transition of the loop occur upon binding of ligands MgPRPP and orotate. Here we present backbone NMR assignments for the unliganded yeast enzyme (49 kDa) and its complex with product OMP. We were able to assign 212-213 of the 225 non-proline backbone (15)N and amide proton resonances. Significant difference in chemical shifts of the amide cross peaks occur in regions of the structure that undergo movement upon ligand occupancy in the S. typhimurium enzyme.
EphA2 Receptor Unliganded Dimers Suppress EphA2 Pro-tumorigenic Signaling.
Singh, Deo R; Ahmed, Fozia; King, Christopher; Gupta, Nisha; Salotto, Matt; Pasquale, Elena B; Hristova, Kalina
2015-11-06
The EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase promotes cell migration and cancer malignancy through a ligand- and kinase-independent distinctive mechanism that has been linked to high Ser-897 phosphorylation and low tyrosine phosphorylation. Here, we demonstrate that EphA2 forms dimers in the plasma membrane of HEK293T cells in the absence of ephrin ligand binding, suggesting that the current seeding mechanism model of EphA2 activation is incomplete. We also characterize a dimerization-deficient EphA2 mutant that shows enhanced ability to promote cell migration, concomitant with increased Ser-897 phosphorylation and decreased tyrosine phosphorylation compared with EphA2 wild type. Our data reveal a correlation between unliganded dimerization and tumorigenic signaling and suggest that EphA2 pro-tumorigenic activity is mediated by the EphA2 monomer. Thus, a therapeutic strategy that aims at the stabilization of EphA2 dimers may be beneficial for the treatment of cancers linked to EphA2 overexpression. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Shelburne, Samuel A.; Fang, Han; Okorafor, Nnaja; Sumby, Paul; Sitkiewicz, Izabela; Keith, David; Patel, Payal; Austin, Celest; Graviss, Edward A.; Musser, James M.; Chow, Dar-Chone
2007-01-01
Study of the maltose/maltodextrin binding protein MalE in Escherichia coli has resulted in fundamental insights into the molecular mechanisms of microbial transport. Whether gram-positive bacteria employ a similar pathway for maltodextrin transport is unclear. The maltodextrin binding protein MalE has previously been shown to be key to the ability of group A Streptococcus (GAS) to colonize the oropharynx, the major site of GAS infection in humans. Here we used a multifaceted approach to elucidate the function and binding characteristics of GAS MalE. We found that GAS MalE is a central part of a highly efficient maltodextrin transport system capable of transporting linear maltodextrins that are up to at least seven glucose molecules long. Of the carbohydrates tested, GAS MalE had the highest affinity for maltotriose, a major breakdown product of starch in the human oropharynx. The thermodynamics and fluorescence changes induced by GAS MalE-maltodextrin binding were essentially opposite those reported for E. coli MalE. Moreover, unlike E. coli MalE, GAS MalE exhibited no specific binding of maltose or cyclic maltodextrins. Our data show that GAS developed a transport system optimized for linear maltodextrins longer than two glucose molecules that has several key differences from its well-studied E. coli counterpart. PMID:17259319
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Spampinato, Valentina; Parracino, Mariaantonietta; La Spina, Rita; Rossi, Francois; Ceccone, Giacomo
2016-02-01
In this work, Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) have been used to characterize the surface chemistry of gold substrates before and after functionalization with thiol-modified glucose self-assembled monolayers and subsequent biochemical specific recognition of maltose binding protein (MBP). The results indicate that the surface functionalization is achieved both on flat and nanoparticles gold substrates thus showing the potential of the developed system as biodetection platform. Moreover, the method presented here has been found to be a sound and valid approach to characterize the surface chemistry of nanoparticles functionalized with large molecules. Both techniques were proved to be very useful tools for monitoring all the functionalization steps, including the investigation of the biological behaviour of the glucose-modified particles in presence of the maltose binding protein.
Spampinato, Valentina; Parracino, Maria Antonietta; La Spina, Rita; Rossi, Francois; Ceccone, Giacomo
2016-01-01
In this work, Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) have been used to characterize the surface chemistry of gold substrates before and after functionalization with thiol-modified glucose self-assembled monolayers and subsequent biochemical specific recognition of maltose binding protein (MBP). The results indicate that the surface functionalization is achieved both on flat and nanoparticles gold substrates thus showing the potential of the developed system as biodetection platform. Moreover, the method presented here has been found to be a sound and valid approach to characterize the surface chemistry of nanoparticles functionalized with large molecules. Both techniques were proved to be very useful tools for monitoring all the functionalization steps, including the investigation of the biological behavior of the glucose-modified particles in the presence of the maltose binding protein. PMID:26973830
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
This study tested the hypothesis that removal of maltose binding protein from recombinant antigen used for plate coating would improve the specificity of Anaplasma antibody competitive ELISA. Three hundred and eight sera with significant MBP antibody binding (=30%I) in Anaplasma negative herds was 1...
Bogdanov, Ivan V; Shenkarev, Zakhar O; Finkina, Ekaterina I; Melnikova, Daria N; Rumynskiy, Eugene I; Arseniev, Alexander S; Ovchinnikova, Tatiana V
2016-04-30
Plant lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) assemble a family of small (7-9 kDa) ubiquitous cationic proteins with an ability to bind and transport lipids as well as participate in various physiological processes including defense against phytopathogens. They also form one of the most clinically relevant classes of plant allergens. Nothing is known to date about correlation between lipid-binding and IgE-binding properties of LTPs. The garden pea Pisum sativum is widely consumed crop and important allergenic specie of the legume family. This work is aimed at isolation of a novel LTP from pea seeds and characterization of its structural, functional, and allergenic properties. Three novel lipid transfer proteins, designated as Ps-LTP1-3, were found in the garden pea Pisum sativum, their cDNA sequences were determined, and mRNA expression levels of all the three proteins were measured at different pea organs. Ps-LTP1 was isolated for the first time from the pea seeds, and its complete amino acid sequence was determined. The protein exhibits antifungal activity and is a membrane-active compound that causes a leakage from artificial liposomes. The protein binds various lipids including bioactive jasmonic acid. Spatial structure of the recombinant uniformly (13)C,(15)N-labelled Ps-LTP1 was solved by heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy. In solution the unliganded protein represents the mixture of two conformers (relative populations ~ 85:15) which are interconnected by exchange process with characteristic time ~ 100 ms. Hydrophobic residues of major conformer form a relatively large internal tunnel-like lipid-binding cavity (van der Waals volume comes up to ~1000 Å(3)). The minor conformer probably corresponds to the protein with the partially collapsed internal cavity. For the first time conformational heterogeneity in solution was shown for an unliganded plant lipid transfer protein. Heat denaturation profile and simulated gastrointestinal digestion assay showed that Ps-LTP1 displayed a high thermal and digestive proteolytic resistance proper for food allergens. The reported structural and immunological findings seem to describe Ps-LTP1 as potential cross-reactive allergen in LTP-sensitized patients, mostly Pru p 3(+) ones. Similarly to allergenic LTPs the potential IgE-binding epitope of Ps-LTP1 is located near the proposed entrance into internal cavity and could be involved in lipid-binding.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Nemčovičová, Ivana; Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK 84505 Bratislava; Zajonc, Dirk M., E-mail: dzajonc@liai.org
2014-03-01
The crystal structure of Human cytomegalovirus immune modulator UL141 was solved at 3.25 Å resolution. Here, a detailed analysis of its intimate dimerization interface and the biophysical properties of its receptor (TRAIL-R2 and CD155) binding interactions are presented. Natural killer (NK) cells are critical components of the innate immune system as they rapidly detect and destroy infected cells. To avoid immune recognition and to allow long-term persistence in the host, Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has evolved a number of genes to evade or inhibit immune effector pathways. In particular, UL141 can inhibit cell-surface expression of both the NK cell-activating ligand CD155more » as well as the TRAIL death receptors (TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2). The crystal structure of unliganded HCMV UL141 refined to 3.25 Å resolution allowed analysis of its head-to-tail dimerization interface. A ‘dimerization-deficient’ mutant of UL141 (ddUL141) was further designed, which retained the ability to bind to TRAIL-R2 or CD155 while losing the ability to cross-link two receptor monomers. Structural comparison of unliganded UL141 with UL141 bound to TRAIL-R2 further identified a mobile loop that makes intimate contacts with TRAIL-R2 upon receptor engagement. Superposition of the Ig-like domain of UL141 on the CD155 ligand T-cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT) revealed that UL141 can potentially engage CD155 similar to TIGIT by using the C′C′′ and GF loops. Further mutations in the TIGIT binding site of CD155 (Q63R and F128R) abrogated UL141 binding, suggesting that the Ig-like domain of UL141 is a viral mimic of TIGIT, as it targets the same binding site on CD155 using similar ‘lock-and-key’ interactions. Sequence alignment of the UL141 gene and its orthologues also showed conservation in this highly hydrophobic (L/A)X{sub 6}G ‘lock’ motif for CD155 binding as well as conservation of the TRAIL-R2 binding patches, suggesting that these host–receptor interactions are evolutionary conserved.« less
Alicea, Ismael; Marvin, Jonathan S; Miklos, Aleksandr E; Ellington, Andrew D; Looger, Loren L; Schreiter, Eric R
2011-12-02
The phnD gene of Escherichia coli encodes the periplasmic binding protein of the phosphonate (Pn) uptake and utilization pathway. We have crystallized and determined structures of E. coli PhnD (EcPhnD) in the absence of ligand and in complex with the environmentally abundant 2-aminoethylphosphonate (2AEP). Similar to other bacterial periplasmic binding proteins, 2AEP binds near the center of mass of EcPhnD in a cleft formed between two lobes. Comparison of the open, unliganded structure with the closed 2AEP-bound structure shows that the two lobes pivot around a hinge by ~70° between the two states. Extensive hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions stabilize 2AEP, which binds to EcPhnD with low nanomolar affinity. These structures provide insight into Pn uptake by bacteria and facilitated the rational design of high signal-to-noise Pn biosensors based on both coupled small-molecule dyes and autocatalytic fluorescent proteins. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Alicea, Ismael; Marvin, Jonathan S.; Miklos, Aleksandr E.; Ellington, Andrew D.; Looger, Loren L.; Schreiter, Eric R.
2012-01-01
The phnD gene of Escherichia coli encodes the periplasmic binding protein of the phosphonate uptake and utilization pathway. We have crystallized and determined structures of E. coli PhnD (EcPhnD) in the absence of ligand and in complex with the environmentally abundant 2-aminoethylphosphonate (2AEP). Similar to other bacterial periplasmic binding proteins, 2AEP binds near the center of mass of EcPhnD in a cleft formed between two lobes. Comparison of the open, unliganded structure with the closed 2AEP-bound structure shows that the two lobes pivot around a hinge by ~70° between the two states. Extensive hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions stabilize 2AEP, which binds to EcPhnD with low nanomolar affinity. These structures provide insight into phosphonate uptake by bacteria and facilitated the rational design of high signal-to-noise phosphonate biosensors based both on coupled small molecule dyes and autocatalytic fluorescent proteins. PMID:22019591
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Alicea, Ismael; Marvin, Jonathan S.; Miklos, Aleksandr E.
2012-09-17
The phnD gene of Escherichia coli encodes the periplasmic binding protein of the phosphonate (Pn) uptake and utilization pathway. We have crystallized and determined structures of E. coli PhnD (EcPhnD) in the absence of ligand and in complex with the environmentally abundant 2-aminoethylphosphonate (2AEP). Similar to other bacterial periplasmic binding proteins, 2AEP binds near the center of mass of EcPhnD in a cleft formed between two lobes. Comparison of the open, unliganded structure with the closed 2AEP-bound structure shows that the two lobes pivot around a hinge by {approx}70{sup o} between the two states. Extensive hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactionsmore » stabilize 2AEP, which binds to EcPhnD with low nanomolar affinity. These structures provide insight into Pn uptake by bacteria and facilitated the rational design of high signal-to-noise Pn biosensors based on both coupled small-molecule dyes and autocatalytic fluorescent proteins.« less
Structural Basis for Sialoglycan Binding by the Streptococcus sanguinis SrpA Adhesin.
Bensing, Barbara A; Loukachevitch, Lioudmila V; McCulloch, Kathryn M; Yu, Hai; Vann, Kendra R; Wawrzak, Zdzislaw; Anderson, Spencer; Chen, Xi; Sullam, Paul M; Iverson, T M
2016-04-01
Streptococcus sanguinisis a leading cause of infective endocarditis, a life-threatening infection of the cardiovascular system. An important interaction in the pathogenesis of infective endocarditis is attachment of the organisms to host platelets.S. sanguinisexpresses a serine-rich repeat adhesin, SrpA, similar in sequence to platelet-binding adhesins associated with increased virulence in this disease. In this study, we determined the first crystal structure of the putative binding region of SrpA (SrpABR) both unliganded and in complex with a synthetic disaccharide ligand at 1.8 and 2.0 Å resolution, respectively. We identified a conserved Thr-Arg motif that orients the sialic acid moiety and is required for binding to platelet monolayers. Furthermore, we propose that sequence insertions in closely related family members contribute to the modulation of structural and functional properties, including the quaternary structure, the tertiary structure, and the ligand-binding site. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Bairagya, Hridoy R; Bansal, Manju
2016-03-01
Human Guanine Monophosphate Synthetase (hGMPS) converts XMP to GMP, and acts as a bifunctional enzyme with N-terminal "glutaminase" (GAT) and C-terminal "synthetase" domain. The enzyme is identified as a potential target for anti-cancer and immunosuppressive therapies. GAT domain of enzyme plays central role in metabolism, and contains conserved catalytic residues Cys104, His190, and Glu192. MD simulation studies on GAT domain suggest that position of oxyanion in unliganded conformation is occupied by one conserved water molecule (W1), which also stabilizes that pocket. This position is occupied by a negatively charged atom of the substrate or ligand in ligand bound crystal structures. In fact, MD simulation study of Ser75 to Val indicates that W1 conserved water molecule is stabilized by Ser75, while Thr152, and His190 also act as anchor residues to maintain appropriate architecture of oxyanion pocket through water mediated H-bond interactions. Possibly, four conserved water molecules stabilize oxyanion hole in unliganded state, but they vacate these positions when the enzyme (hGMPS)-substrate complex is formed. Thus this study not only reveals functionally important role of conserved water molecules in GAT domain, but also highlights essential role of other non-catalytic residues such as Ser75 and Thr152 in this enzymatic domain. The results from this computational study could be of interest to experimental community and provide a testable hypothesis for experimental validation. Conserved sites of water molecules near and at oxyanion hole highlight structural importance of water molecules and suggest a rethink of the conventional definition of chemical geometry of inhibitor binding site. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tanaka, Tomohiro; Zhou, Yue; Ozawa, Tatsuhiko; Okizono, Ryuya; Banba, Ayako; Yamamura, Tomohiro; Oga, Eiji; Muraguchi, Atsushi; Sakurai, Hiroaki
2018-02-16
The canonical description of transmembrane receptor function is initial binding of ligand, followed by initiation of intracellular signaling and then internalization en route to degradation or recycling to the cell surface. It is known that low concentrations of extracellular ligand lead to a higher proportion of receptor that is recycled and that non-canonical mechanisms of receptor activation, including phosphorylation by the kinase p38, can induce internalization and recycling. However, no connections have been made between these pathways; i.e. it has yet to be established what happens to unbound receptors following stimulation with ligand. Here we demonstrate that a minimal level of activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase by low levels of ligand is sufficient to fully activate downstream mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, with most of the remaining unbound EGFR molecules being efficiently phosphorylated at intracellular serine/threonine residues by activated mitogen-activated protein kinase. This non-canonical, p38-mediated phosphorylation of the C-tail of EGFR, near Ser-1015, induces the clathrin-mediated endocytosis of the unliganded EGFR monomers, which occurs slightly later than the canonical endocytosis of ligand-bound EGFR dimers via tyrosine autophosphorylation. EGFR endocytosed via the non-canonical pathway is largely recycled back to the plasma membrane as functional receptors, whereas p38-independent populations are mainly sorted for lysosomal degradation. Moreover, ligand concentrations balance these endocytic trafficking pathways. These results demonstrate that ligand-activated EGFR signaling controls unliganded receptors through feedback phosphorylation, identifying a dual-mode regulation of the endocytic trafficking dynamics of EGFR. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Crystal structure of the Candida albicans Kar3 kinesin motor domain fused to maltose-binding protein
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Delorme, Caroline; Joshi, Monika; Allingham, John S., E-mail: allinghj@queensu.ca
2012-11-30
Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The Candida albicans Kar3 motor domain structure was solved as a maltose-binding protein fusion. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The electrostatic surface and part of the ATPase pocket of the motor domain differs markedly from other kinesins. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The MBP-Kar3 interface highlights a new site for intramolecular or intermolecular interactions. -- Abstract: In the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans, the Kinesin-14 motor protein Kar3 (CaKar3) is critical for normal mitotic division, nuclear fusion during mating, and morphogenic transition from the commensal yeast form to the virulent hyphal form. As a first step towards detailed characterization of this motor of potential medical significance,more » we have crystallized and determined the X-ray structure of the motor domain of CaKar3 as a maltose-binding protein (MBP) fusion. The structure shows strong conservation of overall motor domain topology to other Kar3 kinesins, but with some prominent differences in one of the motifs that compose the nucleotide-binding pocket and the surface charge distribution. The MBP and Kar3 modules are arranged such that MBP interacts with the Kar3 motor domain core at the same site where the neck linker of conventional kinesins docks during the 'ATP state' of the mechanochemical cycle. This site differs from the Kar3 neck-core interface in the recent structure of the ScKar3Vik1 heterodimer. The position of MBP is also completely distinct from the Vik1 subunit in this complex. This may suggest that the site of MBP interaction on the CaKar3 motor domain provides an interface for the neck, or perhaps a partner subunit, at an intermediate state of its motile cycle that has not yet been observed for Kinesin-14 motors.« less
2014-01-01
Anuran metamorphosis involves a complex series of tissue transformations that change an aquatic tadpole to a terrestrial frog and resembles the postembryonic perinatal period in mammals. Thyroid hormone (TH) plays a causative role in amphibian metamorphosis and its effect is mediated by TH receptors (TRs). Molecular analyses during Xenopus development have shown that unliganded TR recruits histone deacetylase (HDAC)-containing N-CoR/SMRT complexes and causes histone deacetylation at target genes while liganded TR leads to increased histone acetylations and altered histone methylations at target genes. Transgenic studies involving mutant TR-cofactors have shown that corepressor recruitment by unliganded TR is required to ensure proper timing of the onset of metamorphosis while coactivator levels influence the rate of metamorphic progression. In addition, a number of factors that can influence cellular free TH levels appear to contribute the timing of metamorphic transformations of different organs by regulating the levels of unliganded vs. liganded TR in an organ-specific manner. Thus, the recruitment of HDAC-containing corepressor complexes by unliganded TR likely controls both the timing of the initiation of metamorphosis and the temporal regulation of organ-specific transformations. Similar mechanisms likely mediate TR function in mammals as the maturation of many organs during postembryonic development is dependent upon TH and resembles organ metamorphosis in amphibians. PMID:23962846
Takagi, M; Hashida, S; Goldstein, M A; Doi, R H
1993-01-01
We overexpressed one of the hydrophobic repeated domains (HBDs) (110 amino acid residues) of the cellulose-binding protein (CbpA) from Clostridium cellulovorans by making a hybrid protein with the Escherichia coli maltose-binding protein (MalE). The HBD was purified to homogeneity, and interactions between the HBD and endoglucanases were analyzed by a novel interaction Western blotting (immunoblotting) method. The HBD had specific interactions with endoglucanases (EngB and EngD) from C. cellulovorans. These results indicated that the HBD was an endoglucanase binding site of CbpA. Images PMID:8226657
Rapid experimental SAD phasing and hot-spot identification with halogenated fragments
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Bauman, Joseph D.; Harrison, Jerry Joe E. K.; Arnold, Eddy
2016-01-01
Through X-ray crystallographic fragment screening, 4-bromopyrazole was discovered to be a `magic bullet' that is capable of binding at many of the ligand `hot spots' found in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT). The binding locations can be in pockets that are `hidden' in the unliganded crystal form, allowing rapid identification of these sites forin silicoscreening. In addition to hot-spot identification, this ubiquitous yet specific binding provides an avenue for X-ray crystallographic phase determination, which can be a significant bottleneck in the determination of the structures of novel proteins. The anomalous signal from 4-bromopyrazole or 4-iodopyrazole was sufficient to determine the structuresmore » of three proteins (HIV-1 RT, influenza A endonuclease and proteinase K) by single-wavelength anomalous dispersion (SAD) from single crystals. Both compounds are inexpensive, readily available, safe and very soluble in DMSO or water, allowing efficient soaking into crystals.« less
MDA5 cooperatively forms dimers and ATP-sensitive filaments upon binding double-stranded RNA
Berke, Ian C; Modis, Yorgo
2012-01-01
Melanoma differentiation-associated gene-5 (MDA5) detects viral double-stranded RNA in the cytoplasm. RNA binding induces MDA5 to activate the signalling adaptor MAVS through interactions between the caspase recruitment domains (CARDs) of the two proteins. The molecular mechanism of MDA5 signalling is not well understood. Here, we show that MDA5 cooperatively binds short RNA ligands as a dimer with a 16–18-basepair footprint. A crystal structure of the MDA5 helicase-insert domain demonstrates an evolutionary relationship with the archaeal Hef helicases. In X-ray solution structures, the CARDs in unliganded MDA5 are flexible, and RNA binds on one side of an asymmetric MDA5 dimer, bridging the two subunits. On longer RNA, full-length and CARD-deleted MDA5 constructs assemble into ATP-sensitive filaments. We propose a signalling model in which the CARDs on MDA5–RNA filaments nucleate the assembly of MAVS filaments with the same polymeric geometry. PMID:22314235
Sack, Eveline L. W.; van der Kooij, Dick
2014-01-01
Biopolymers are important substrates for heterotrophic bacteria in (ultra)oligotrophic freshwater environments, but information about their utilization at microgram-per-liter levels by attached freshwater bacteria is lacking. This study aimed at characterizing biopolymer utilization in drinking-water-related biofilms by exposing such biofilms to added carbohydrates or proteins at 10 μg C liter−1 in flowing tap water for up to 3 months. Individually added amylopectin was not utilized by the biofilms, whereas laminarin, gelatin, and caseinate were. Amylopectin was utilized during steady-state biofilm growth with simultaneously added maltose but not with simultaneously added acetate. Biofilm formation rates (BFR) at 10 μg C liter−1 per substrate were ranked as follows, from lowest to highest: blank or amylopectin (≤6 pg ATP cm−2 day−1), gelatin or caseinate, laminarin, maltose, acetate alone or acetate plus amylopectin, and maltose plus amylopectin (980 pg ATP cm−2 day−1). Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses revealed that the predominant maltose-utilizing bacteria also dominated subsequent amylopectin utilization, indicating catabolic repression and (extracellular) enzyme induction. The accelerated BFR with amylopectin in the presence of maltose probably resulted from efficient amylopectin binding to and hydrolysis by inductive enzymes attached to the bacterial cells. Cytophagia, Flavobacteriia, Gammaproteobacteria, and Sphingobacteriia grew during polysaccharide addition, and Alpha-, Beta-, and Gammaproteobacteria, Cytophagia, Flavobacteriia, and Sphingobacteriia grew during protein addition. The succession of bacterial populations in the biofilms coincided with the decrease in the specific growth rate during biofilm formation. Biopolymers can clearly promote biofilm formation at microgram-per-liter levels in drinking water distribution systems and, depending on their concentrations, might impair the biological stability of distributed drinking water. PMID:24487544
Sack, Eveline L W; van der Wielen, Paul W J J; van der Kooij, Dick
2014-04-01
Biopolymers are important substrates for heterotrophic bacteria in (ultra)oligotrophic freshwater environments, but information about their utilization at microgram-per-liter levels by attached freshwater bacteria is lacking. This study aimed at characterizing biopolymer utilization in drinking-water-related biofilms by exposing such biofilms to added carbohydrates or proteins at 10 μg C liter(-1) in flowing tap water for up to 3 months. Individually added amylopectin was not utilized by the biofilms, whereas laminarin, gelatin, and caseinate were. Amylopectin was utilized during steady-state biofilm growth with simultaneously added maltose but not with simultaneously added acetate. Biofilm formation rates (BFR) at 10 μg C liter(-1) per substrate were ranked as follows, from lowest to highest: blank or amylopectin (≤6 pg ATP cm(-2) day(-1)), gelatin or caseinate, laminarin, maltose, acetate alone or acetate plus amylopectin, and maltose plus amylopectin (980 pg ATP cm(-2) day(-1)). Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses revealed that the predominant maltose-utilizing bacteria also dominated subsequent amylopectin utilization, indicating catabolic repression and (extracellular) enzyme induction. The accelerated BFR with amylopectin in the presence of maltose probably resulted from efficient amylopectin binding to and hydrolysis by inductive enzymes attached to the bacterial cells. Cytophagia, Flavobacteriia, Gammaproteobacteria, and Sphingobacteriia grew during polysaccharide addition, and Alpha-, Beta-, and Gammaproteobacteria, Cytophagia, Flavobacteriia, and Sphingobacteriia grew during protein addition. The succession of bacterial populations in the biofilms coincided with the decrease in the specific growth rate during biofilm formation. Biopolymers can clearly promote biofilm formation at microgram-per-liter levels in drinking water distribution systems and, depending on their concentrations, might impair the biological stability of distributed drinking water.
Robertson, Brooklyn A.; Schroeder, Gottfried K.; Jin, Zhinan; Johnson, Kenneth A.; Whitman, Christian P.
2009-01-01
Isomer-specific 3-chloroacrylic acid dehalogenases catalyze the hydrolytic dehalogenation of the cis- and trans-isomers of 3-chloroacrylate to yield malonate semialdehyde. These reactions represent key steps in the degradation of the nematocide, 1,3-dichloropropene. The kinetic mechanism of cis-3-chloroacrylic acid dehalogenase (cis-CaaD) has now been examined using stopped-flow and chemical-quench techniques. Stopped-flow analysis of the reaction, following the fluorescence of an active site tryptophan, is consistent with a minimal three-step model involving substrate binding, chemistry, and product release. Chemical quench experiments show burst kinetics, indicating that product release is at least partially rate limiting. Global fitting of all of the kinetic results by simulation is best accommodated by a four-step mechanism. In the final kinetic model, the enzyme binds substrate and isomerizes to an alternate fluorescent form, chemistry occurs, and is followed by the ordered release of two products, with the release of the first product as the rate-limiting step. Bromide ion is a competitive inhibitor of the reaction indicating that it binds to the free enzyme rather than to the enzyme with one product still bound. This observation suggests that malonate semialdehyde is the first product released by the enzyme (rate limiting), followed by halide. A comparison of the unliganded cis-CaaD crystal structure with that of an inactivated cis-CaaD where the prolyl nitrogen of Pro-1 is covalently attached to (R)-2-hydroxypropanoate provides a possible explanation for the isomerization step. The structure of the covalently modified enzyme shows that a 7-residue loop comprised of residues 32-38 is closed down on the active site cavity where the backbone amides of two residues (Phe-37 and Leu-38) interact with the carboxylate group of the adduct. In the unliganded form, the same loop points away from the active site cavity. Similarly, substrate binding may cause this loop to close down on the active site and sequester the reaction from the external environment. PMID:19856961
Enzymes Required for Maltodextrin Catabolism in Enterococcus faecalis Exhibit Novel Activities
Joyet, Philippe; Mokhtari, Abdelhamid; Riboulet-Bisson, Eliette; Blancato, Víctor S.; Espariz, Martin; Magni, Christian; Sauvageot, Nicolas
2017-01-01
ABSTRACT Maltose and maltodextrins are formed during the degradation of starch or glycogen. Maltodextrins are composed of a mixture of maltooligosaccharides formed by α-1,4- but also some α-1,6-linked glucosyl residues. The α-1,6-linked glucosyl residues are derived from branching points in the polysaccharides. In Enterococcus faecalis, maltotriose is mainly transported and phosphorylated by a phosphoenolpyruvate:carbohydrate phosphotransferase system. The formed maltotriose-6″-phosphate is intracellularly dephosphorylated by a specific phosphatase, MapP. In contrast, maltotetraose and longer maltooligosaccharides up to maltoheptaose are taken up without phosphorylation via the ATP binding cassette transporter MdxEFG-MsmX. We show that the maltose-producing maltodextrin hydrolase MmdH (GenBank accession no. EFT41964) in strain JH2-2 catalyzes the first catabolic step of α-1,4-linked maltooligosaccharides. The purified enzyme converts even-numbered α-1,4-linked maltooligosaccharides (maltotetraose, etc.) into maltose and odd-numbered (maltotriose, etc.) into maltose and glucose. Inactivation of mmdH therefore prevents the growth of E. faecalis on maltooligosaccharides ranging from maltotriose to maltoheptaose. Surprisingly, MmdH also functions as a maltogenic α-1,6-glucosidase, because it converts the maltotriose isomer isopanose into maltose and glucose. In addition, E. faecalis contains a glucose-producing α-1,6-specific maltodextrin hydrolase (GenBank accession no. EFT41963, renamed GmdH). This enzyme converts panose, another maltotriose isomer, into glucose and maltose. A gmdH mutant had therefore lost the capacity to grow on panose. The genes mmdH and gmdH are organized in an operon together with GenBank accession no. EFT41962 (renamed mmgT). Purified MmgT transfers glucosyl residues from one α-1,4-linked maltooligosaccharide molecule to another. For example, it catalyzes the disproportionation of maltotriose by transferring a glucosyl residue to another maltotriose molecule, thereby forming maltotetraose and maltose together with a small amount of maltopentaose. IMPORTANCE The utilization of maltodextrins by Enterococcus faecalis has been shown to increase the virulence of this nosocomial pathogen. However, little is known about how this organism catabolizes maltodextrins. We identified two enzymes involved in the metabolism of various α-1,4- and α-1,6-linked maltooligosaccharides. We found that one of them functions as a maltose-producing α-glucosidase with relaxed linkage specificity (α-1,4 and α-1,6) and exo- and endoglucosidase activities. A third enzyme, which resembles amylomaltase, exclusively transfers glucosyl residues from one maltooligosaccharide molecule to another. Similar enzymes are present in numerous other Firmicutes, such as streptococci and lactobacilli, suggesting that these organisms follow the same maltose degradation pathway as E. faecalis. PMID:28455338
Hewitt, Stephen N.; Choi, Ryan; Kelley, Angela; Crowther, Gregory J.; Napuli, Alberto J.; Van Voorhis, Wesley C.
2011-01-01
Despite recent advances, the expression of heterologous proteins in Escherichia coli for crystallization remains a nontrivial challenge. The present study investigates the efficacy of maltose-binding protein (MBP) fusion as a general strategy for rescuing the expression of target proteins. From a group of sequence-verified clones with undetectable levels of protein expression in an E. coli T7 expression system, 95 clones representing 16 phylogenetically diverse organisms were selected for recloning into a chimeric expression vector with an N-terminal histidine-tagged MBP. PCR-amplified inserts were annealed into an identical ligation-independent cloning region in an MBP-fusion vector and were analyzed for expression and solubility by high-throughput nickel-affinity binding. This approach yielded detectable expression of 72% of the clones; soluble expression was visible in 62%. However, the solubility of most proteins was marginal to poor upon cleavage of the MBP tag. This study offers large-scale evidence that MBP can improve the soluble expression of previously non-expressing proteins from a variety of eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. While the behavior of the cleaved proteins was disappointing, further refinements in MBP tagging may permit the more widespread use of MBP-fusion proteins in crystallographic studies. PMID:21904041
Crystal structures of 3-methyladenine DNA glycosylase MagIII and the recognition of alkylated bases
Eichman, Brandt F.; O’Rourke, Eyleen J.; Radicella, J.Pablo; Ellenberger, Tom
2003-01-01
DNA glycosylases catalyze the excision of chemically modified bases from DNA. Although most glycosylases are specific to a particular base, the 3-methyladenine (m3A) DNA glycosylases include both highly specific enzymes acting on a single modified base, and enzymes with broader specificity for alkylation-damaged DNA. Our structural understanding of these different enzymatic specificities is currently limited to crystal and NMR structures of the unliganded enzymes and complexes with abasic DNA inhibitors. Presented here are high-resolution crystal structures of the m3A DNA glycosylase from Helicobacter pylori (MagIII) in the unliganded form and bound to alkylated bases 3,9-dimethyladenine and 1,N6-ethenoadenine. These are the first structures of a nucleobase bound in the active site of a m3A glycosylase belonging to the helix–hairpin–helix superfamily. MagIII achieves its specificity for positively-charged m3A not by direct interactions with purine or methyl substituent atoms, but rather by stacking the base between two aromatic side chains in a pocket that excludes 7-methylguanine. We report base excision and DNA binding activities of MagIII active site mutants, together with a structural comparison of the HhH glycosylases. PMID:14517230
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP) causes Johne’s disease (JD) in ruminants. Proteomic studies have shown that MAP expresses certain proteins when exposed to in vitro physiological stress conditions similar to the conditions experienced within a host during natural infection. Such prot...
Identification of an opd (organophosphate degradation) gene in an Agrobacterium isolate.
Horne, Irene; Sutherland, Tara D; Harcourt, Rebecca L; Russell, Robyn J; Oakeshott, John G
2002-07-01
We isolated a bacterial strain, Agrobacterium radiobacter P230, which can hydrolyze a wide range of organophosphate (OP) insecticides. A gene encoding a protein involved in OP hydrolysis was cloned from A. radiobacter P230 and sequenced. This gene (called opdA) had sequence similarity to opd, a gene previously shown to encode an OP-hydrolyzing enzyme in Flavobacterium sp. strain ATCC 27551 and Brevundimonas diminuta MG. Insertional mutation of the opdA gene produced a strain lacking the ability to hydrolyze OPs, suggesting that this is the only gene encoding an OP-hydrolyzing enzyme in A. radiobacter P230. The OPH and OpdA proteins, encoded by opd and opdA, respectively, were overexpressed and purified as maltose-binding proteins, and the maltose-binding protein moiety was cleaved and removed. Neither protein was able to hydrolyze the aliphatic OP malathion. The kinetics of the two proteins for diethyl OPs were comparable. For dimethyl OPs, OpdA had a higher k(cat) than OPH. It was also capable of hydrolyzing the dimethyl OPs phosmet and fenthion, which were not hydrolyzed at detectable levels by OPH.
Mokhtari, Abdelhamid; Blancato, Víctor S.; Repizo, Guillermo; Henry, Céline; Pikis, Andreas; Bourand, Alexa; de Fátima Álvarez, María; Immel, Stefan; Mechakra-Maza, Aicha; Hartke, Axel; Thompson, John; Magni, Christian; Deutscher, Josef
2013-01-01
Summary Similar to Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis transports and phosphorylates maltose via a phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP):maltose phosphotransferase system (PTS). The maltose-specific PTS permease is encoded by the malT gene. However, E. faecalis lacks a malA gene encoding a 6-phospho-α-glucosidase which in B. subtilis hydrolyses maltose-6’-P into glucose and glucose-6-P. Instead, an operon encoding a maltose phosphorylase (MalP), a phosphoglucomutase and a mutarotase starts upstream from malT. MalP was suggested to split maltose-6-P into glucose-1-P and glucose-6-P. However, purified MalP phosphorolyses maltose but not maltose-6’-P. We discovered that the gene downstream from malT encodes a novel enzyme (MapP) that dephosphorylates maltose-6’-P formed by the PTS. The resulting intracellular maltose is cleaved by MalP into glucose and glucose-1-P. Slow uptake of maltose probably via a maltodextrin ABC transporter allows poor growth for the mapP but not the malP mutant. Synthesis of MapP in a B. subtilis mutant accumulating maltose-6’-P restored growth on maltose. MapP catalyzes the dephosphorylation of intracellular maltose-6’-P, and the resulting maltose is converted by the B. subtilis maltose phosphorylase into glucose and glucose-1-P. MapP therefore connects PTS-mediated maltose uptake to maltose phosphorylase-catalyzed metabolism. Dephosphorylation assays with a wide variety of phospho-substrates revealed that MapP preferably dephosphorylates disaccharides containing an O-α-glycosyl linkage. PMID:23490043
The structure of unliganded reverse transcriptase from the human immunodeficiency virus type 1.
Rodgers, D W; Gamblin, S J; Harris, B A; Ray, S; Culp, J S; Hellmig, B; Woolf, D J; Debouck, C; Harrison, S C
1995-01-01
The crystal structure of the reverse transcriptase (RT) from the type 1 human immunodeficiency virus has been determined at 3.2-A resolution. Comparison with complexes between RT and the polymerase inhibitor Nevirapine [Kohlstaedt, L.A., Wang, J., Friedman, J.M., Rice, P.A. & Steitz, T.A. (1992) Science 256, 1783-1790] and between RT and an oligonucleotide [Jacobo-Molina, A., Ding, J., Nanni, R., Clark, A. D., Lu, X., Tantillo, C., Williams, R. L., Kamer, G., Ferris, A. L., Clark, P., Hizi, A., Hughes, S. H. & Arnold, E. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 6320-6324] reveals changes associated with ligand binding. The enzyme is a heterodimer (p66/p51), with domains labeled "fingers," "thumb," "palm," and "connection" in both subunits, and a ribonuclease H domain in the larger subunit only. The most striking difference between RT and both complex structures is the change in orientation of the p66 thumb (approximately 33 degrees rotation). Smaller shifts relative to the core of the molecule were also found in other domains, including the p66 fingers and palm, which contain the polymerase active site. Within the polymerase catalytic region itself, there are no rearrangements between RT and the RT/DNA complex. In RT/Nevirapine, the drug binds in the p66 palm near the polymerase active site, a region that is well-packed hydrophobic core in the unliganded enzyme. Room for the drug is provided by movement of a small beta-sheet within the palm domain of the Nevirapine complex. The rearrangement within the palm and thumb, as well as domain shifts relative to the enzyme core, may prevent correct placement of the oligonucleotide substrate when the drug is bound. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 PMID:7532306
Hespen, Charles W; Bruegger, Joel J; Guo, Yirui; Marletta, Michael A
2018-06-15
Heme nitric oxide/oxygen sensing (H-NOX) domains are direct NO sensors that regulate a variety of biological functions in both bacteria and eukaryotes. Previous work on H-NOX proteins has shown that upon NO binding, a conformational change occurs along two glycine residues on adjacent helices (termed the glycine hinge). Despite the apparent importance of the glycine hinge, it is not fully conserved in all H-NOX domains. Several H-NOX sensors from the family Flavobacteriaceae contain a native alanine substitution in one of the hinge residues. In this work, the effect of the increased steric bulk within the Ala-Gly hinge on H-NOX function was investigated. The hinge in Kordia algicida OT-1 ( Ka H-NOX) is composed of A71 and G145. Ligand-binding properties and signaling function for this H-NOX were characterized. The variant A71G was designed to convert the hinge region of Ka H-NOX to the typical Gly-Gly motif. In activity assays with its cognate histidine kinase (HnoK), the wild type displayed increased signal specificity compared to A71G. Increasing titrations of unliganded A71G gradually inhibits HnoK autophosphorylation, while increasing titrations of unliganded wild type H-NOX does not inhibit HnoK. Crystal structures of both wild type and A71G Ka H-NOX were solved to 1.9 and 1.6 Å, respectively. Regions of H-NOX domains previously identified as involved in protein-protein interactions with HnoK display significantly higher b-factors in A71G compared to wild-type H-NOX. Both biochemical and structural data indicate that the hinge region controls overall conformational flexibility of the H-NOX, affecting NO complex formation and regulation of its HnoK.
Influence of transport energization on the growth yield of Escherichia coli.
Muir, M; Williams, L; Ferenci, T
1985-09-01
The growth yields of Escherichia coli on glucose, lactose, galactose, maltose, maltotriose, and maltohexaose were estimated under anaerobic conditions in the absence of electron acceptors. The yields on these substrates exhibited significant differences when measured in carbon-limited chemostats at similar growth rates and compared in terms of grams (dry weight) of cells produced per mole of hexose utilized. Maltohexaose was the most efficiently utilized substrate, and galactose was the least efficiently utilized under these conditions. All these sugars were known to be metabolized to glucose 6-phosphate and produced the same pattern of fermentation products. The differences in growth yields were ascribed to differences in energy costs for transport and phosphorylation of these sugars. A formalized treatment of these factors in determining growth yields was established and used to obtain values for the cost of transport and hence the energy-coupling stoichiometries for the transport of substrates via proton symport and binding-protein-dependent mechanisms in vivo. By this approach, the proton-lactose stoichiometry was found to be 1.1 to 1.8 H+ per lactose, equivalent to approximately 0.5 ATP used per lactose transported. The cost of transporting maltose via a binding-protein-dependent mechanism was considerably higher, being over 1 to 1.2 ATP per maltose or maltodextrin transported. The formalized treatment also permitted estimation of the net ATP yield from the metabolism of these sugars; it was calculated that the growth yield data were consistent with the production of 2.8 to 3.2 ATP in the metabolism of glucose 6-phosphate to fermentation products.
Influence of transport energization on the growth yield of Escherichia coli.
Muir, M; Williams, L; Ferenci, T
1985-01-01
The growth yields of Escherichia coli on glucose, lactose, galactose, maltose, maltotriose, and maltohexaose were estimated under anaerobic conditions in the absence of electron acceptors. The yields on these substrates exhibited significant differences when measured in carbon-limited chemostats at similar growth rates and compared in terms of grams (dry weight) of cells produced per mole of hexose utilized. Maltohexaose was the most efficiently utilized substrate, and galactose was the least efficiently utilized under these conditions. All these sugars were known to be metabolized to glucose 6-phosphate and produced the same pattern of fermentation products. The differences in growth yields were ascribed to differences in energy costs for transport and phosphorylation of these sugars. A formalized treatment of these factors in determining growth yields was established and used to obtain values for the cost of transport and hence the energy-coupling stoichiometries for the transport of substrates via proton symport and binding-protein-dependent mechanisms in vivo. By this approach, the proton-lactose stoichiometry was found to be 1.1 to 1.8 H+ per lactose, equivalent to approximately 0.5 ATP used per lactose transported. The cost of transporting maltose via a binding-protein-dependent mechanism was considerably higher, being over 1 to 1.2 ATP per maltose or maltodextrin transported. The formalized treatment also permitted estimation of the net ATP yield from the metabolism of these sugars; it was calculated that the growth yield data were consistent with the production of 2.8 to 3.2 ATP in the metabolism of glucose 6-phosphate to fermentation products. PMID:3928598
Conformational Plasticity in Broadly Neutralizing HIV-1 Antibodies Triggers Polyreactivity.
Prigent, Julie; Jarossay, Annaëlle; Planchais, Cyril; Eden, Caroline; Dufloo, Jérémy; Kök, Ayrin; Lorin, Valérie; Vratskikh, Oxana; Couderc, Thérèse; Bruel, Timothée; Schwartz, Olivier; Seaman, Michael S; Ohlenschläger, Oliver; Dimitrov, Jordan D; Mouquet, Hugo
2018-05-29
Human high-affinity antibodies to pathogens often recognize unrelated ligands. The molecular origin and the role of this polyreactivity are largely unknown. Here, we report that HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) are frequently polyreactive, cross-reacting with non-HIV-1 molecules, including self-antigens. Mutating bNAb genes to increase HIV-1 binding and neutralization also results in de novo polyreactivity. Unliganded paratopes of polyreactive bNAbs with improved HIV-1 neutralization exhibit a conformational flexibility, which contributes to enhanced affinity of bNAbs to various HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins and non-HIV antigens. Binding adaptation of polyreactive bNAbs to the divergent ligands mainly involves hydrophophic interactions. Plasticity of bNAbs' paratopes may, therefore, facilitate accommodating divergent viral variants, but it simultaneously triggers promiscuous binding to non-HIV-1 antigens. Thus, a certain level of polyreactivity can be a mark of adaptable antibodies displaying optimal pathogens' recognition. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Wang, Yong; Tang, Chun; Wang, Erkang; Wang, Jin
2012-01-01
An increasing number of biological machines have been revealed to have more than two macroscopic states. Quantifying the underlying multiple-basin functional landscape is essential for understanding their functions. However, the present models seem to be insufficient to describe such multiple-state systems. To meet this challenge, we have developed a coarse grained triple-basin structure-based model with implicit ligand. Based on our model, the constructed functional landscape is sufficiently sampled by the brute-force molecular dynamics simulation. We explored maltose-binding protein (MBP) which undergoes large-scale domain motion between open, apo-closed (partially closed) and holo-closed (fully closed) states responding to ligand binding. We revealed an underlying mechanism whereby major induced fit and minor population shift pathways co-exist by quantitative flux analysis. We found that the hinge regions play an important role in the functional dynamics as well as that increases in its flexibility promote population shifts. This finding provides a theoretical explanation of the mechanistic discrepancies in PBP protein family. We also found a functional “backtracking” behavior that favors conformational change. We further explored the underlying folding landscape in response to ligand binding. Consistent with earlier experimental findings, the presence of ligand increases the cooperativity and stability of MBP. This work provides the first study to explore the folding dynamics and functional dynamics under the same theoretical framework using our triple-basin functional model. PMID:22532792
Nikitkova, A.E.; Haase, E.M.; Scannapieco, F.A.
2012-01-01
SUMMARY Streptococcus gordonii is a common oral commensal bacterial species in tooth biofilm (dental plaque) and specifically binds to salivary amylase through the surface exposed amylase-binding protein A (AbpA). When S. gordonii cells are pretreated with amylase, amylase bound to AbpA facilitates growth with starch as a primary nutrition source. The goal of this study was to explore possible regulatory effects of starch, starch metabolites and amylase on the expression of S. gordonii AbpA. An amylase ligand-binding assay was used to assess the expression of AbpA in culture supernatants and on bacterial cells from S. gordonii grown in defined medium supplemented with 1% starch, 0.5 mg ml−1 amylase, with starch and amylase together, or with various linear malto-oligosaccharides. Transcription of abpA was determined by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. AbpA was not detectable in culture supernatants containing either starch alone or amylase alone. In contrast, the amount of AbpA was notably increased when starch and amylase were both present in the medium. The expression of abpA was significantly increased (P < 0.05) following 40 min of incubation in defined medium supplemented with starch and amylase. Similar results were obtained in the presence of maltose and other short-chain malto-oligosacchrides. These results suggest that the products of starch hydrolysis produced from the action of salivary α-amylase, particularly maltose and maltotriose, regulate AbpA expression in S. gordonii. PMID:22759313
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Tara, Sylvia; Straatsma, TP; Mccammon, Andy
1999-06-01
A 1 ns molecular dynamics simulation of unliganded mouse acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is compared to a previous simulation of mouse AChE complexed with Huperzine A (HupA). Several common features are observed. In both simulations, the active site gorge fluctuates in size during the 1 ns trajectory, and is completely pinched off several times. Many of the residues in the gorge that formed hydrogen bonds with HupA in the simulation of the complex, now form hydrogen bonds with other protein residues and water molecules in the gorge. The opening of a "backdoor" entrance to the active site that was found in themore » simulation of the complex is also observed in the unliganded simulation. Differences between the two simulations include overall lower structural RMS deviations for residues in the gorge in the unliganded simulation, a smaller diameter of the gorge in the absence of HupA, and the disappearance of a side channel that was frequently present in the liganded simulation. The differences between the two simulations can be attributed, in part, to the interaction of AChE with HupA.« less
Structure of the Apo Form of Bacillus stearothermophilus Phosphofructokinase
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Mosser, Rockann; Reddy, Manchi C.M.; Bruning, John B.
2012-02-08
The crystal structure of the unliganded form of Bacillus stearothermophilus phosphofructokinase (BsPFK) was determined using molecular replacement to 2.8 {angstrom} resolution (Protein Data Bank entry 3U39). The apo BsPFK structure serves as the basis for the interpretation of any structural changes seen in the binary or ternary complexes. When the apo BsPFK structure is compared with the previously published liganded structures of BsPFK, the structural impact that the binding of the ligands produces is revealed. This comparison shows that the apo form of BsPFK resembles the substrate-bound form of BsPFK, a finding that differs from previous predictions.
Johnson, M L; Halvorson, H R; Ackers, G K
1976-11-30
Resolution of the linkage functions between oxygenation and subunit association-dissociation equilibria in human hemoglobin into the constituent microscopic terms has been explored by numerical simulation and least-squares analysis. The correlation properties between parameters has been studied using several choices of parameter sets in order to optimize resolution. It is found that, with currently available levels of experimental precision and ranges of variables, neither linkage function can provide sufficient resolution of all the desired energy terms. The most difficult quantities to resolve always include the dimer-tetramer association constant for unliganded hemoglobin and the oxygen binding constants to alphabeta dimers. A feasible experimental strategy for overcoming these difficulties lies in independent determination of the dimer-tetramer association constants for unliganded and fully oxygenated hemoglobin. These constants, in combination with the median lignad concentration, provide an estimate of the energy for total oxygenation of tetramers which is essentially independent of the other constituent energies. It is shown that if these separately determinable parameters are fixed, the remaining terms may be estimated to good accuracy using data which represents either linkage function. In general it is desirable to combine information from both types of experimental quantities. A previous paper (Mills, F.C., Johnson, M.L., and Ackers, G.K. (1976), Biochemestry, 15, the preceding paper in this issue) describes the experimental implementation of this strategy.
Anti-Angiogenic Action of Neutral Endopeptidase
2007-11-01
message levels of NEP in hypoxia treated PC cells. Messenger RNA levels of NEP decreased between 50-75% relative to normoxic controls with high...GAGCATC-3 (sense) and 5-ATATGAATTCTCAGCTCT- TAGCAGACATGGAAGAAAG-3 ( antisense ) for glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion proteins and 5-ATGGCAGCCGG...GAGCATC-3 (sense) and 5-CCCCAAGCTTTTAGCTCT- TAGCAGACAT-3 ( antisense ) for maltose-binding protein fusion proteins, as previously described (13
Bataille, Laure; Dieryck, Wilfrid; Hocquellet, Agnès; Cabanne, Charlotte; Bathany, Katell; Lecommandoux, Sébastien; Garbay, Bertrand; Garanger, Elisabeth
2015-06-01
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are biodegradable polymers with interesting physico-chemical properties for biomedical and biotechnological applications. The recombinant expression of hydrophobic elastin-like polypeptides is often difficult because they possess low transition temperatures, and therefore form aggregates at sub-ambient temperatures. To circumvent this difficulty, we expressed in Escherichia coli three hydrophobic ELPs (VPGIG)n with variable lengths (n=20, 40, and 60) in fusion with the maltose-binding protein (MBP). Fusion proteins were soluble and yields of purified MBP-ELP ranged between 66 and 127mg/L culture. After digestion of the fusion proteins by enterokinase, the ELP moiety was purified by using inverse transition cycling. The purified fraction containing ELP40 was slightly contaminated by traces of undigested fusion protein. Purification of ELP60 was impaired because of co-purification of the MBP tag during inverse transition cycling. ELP20 was successfully purified to homogeneity, as assessed by gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry analyses. The transition temperature of ELP20 was measured at 15.4°C in low salt buffer. In conclusion, this method can be used to produce hydrophobic ELP of low molecular mass. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Structural Basis for High Affinity Volatile Anesthetic Binding in a Natural 4-helix Bundle Protein
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Liu,R.; Loll, P.; Eckenhoff, R.
2005-01-01
Physiologic sites for inhaled anesthetics are presumed to be cavities within transmembrane 4-{alpha}-helix bundles of neurotransmitter receptors, but confirmation of binding and structural detail of such sites remains elusive. To provide such detail, we screened soluble proteins containing this structural motif, and found only one that exhibited evidence of strong anesthetic binding. Ferritin is a 24-mer of 4-{alpha}-helix bundles; both halothane and isoflurane bind with K{sub A} values of {approx}10{sup 5} M{sup -1, } higher than any previously reported inhaled anesthetic-protein interaction. The crystal structures of the halothane/apoferritin and isoflurane/apoferritin complexes were determined at 1.75 Angstroms resolution, revealing a commonmore » anesthetic binding pocket within an interhelical dimerization interface. The high affinity is explained by several weak polar contacts and an optimal host/guest packing relationship. Neither the acidic protons nor ether oxygen of the anesthetics contribute to the binding interaction. Compared with unliganded apoferritin, the anesthetic produced no detectable alteration of structure or B factors. The remarkably high affinity of the anesthetic/apoferritin complex implies greater selectivity of protein sites than previously thought, and suggests that direct protein actions may underlie effects at lower than surgical levels of anesthetic, including loss of awareness.« less
Kozakov, Dima; Grove, Laurie E.; Hall, David R.; Bohnuud, Tanggis; Mottarella, Scott; Luo, Lingqi; Xia, Bing; Beglov, Dmitri; Vajda, Sandor
2016-01-01
FTMap is a computational mapping server that identifies binding hot spots of macromolecules, i.e., regions of the surface with major contributions to the ligand binding free energy. To use FTMap, users submit a protein, DNA, or RNA structure in PDB format. FTMap samples billions of positions of small organic molecules used as probes and scores the probe poses using a detailed energy expression. Regions that bind clusters of multiple probe types identify the binding hot spots, in good agreement with experimental data. FTMap serves as basis for other servers, namely FTSite to predict ligand binding sites, FTFlex to account for side chain flexibility, FTMap/param to parameterize additional probes, and FTDyn to map ensembles of protein structures. Applications include determining druggability of proteins, identifying ligand moieties that are most important for binding, finding the most bound-like conformation in ensembles of unliganded protein structures, and providing input for fragment based drug design. FTMap is more accurate than classical mapping methods such as GRID and MCSS, and is much faster than the more recent approaches to protein mapping based on mixed molecular dynamics. Using 16 probe molecules, the FTMap server finds the hot spots of an average size protein in less than an hour. Since FTFlex performs mapping for all low energy conformers of side chains in the binding site, its completion time is proportionately longer. PMID:25855957
Thermodynamic effects of proline introduction on protein stability.
Prajapati, Ravindra Singh; Das, Mili; Sreeramulu, Sridhar; Sirajuddin, Minhajuddin; Srinivasan, Sankaranarayanan; Krishnamurthy, Vaishnavi; Ranjani, Ranganathan; Ramakrishnan, C; Varadarajan, Raghavan
2007-02-01
The amino acid Pro is more rigid than other naturally occurring amino acids and, in proteins, lacks an amide hydrogen. To understand the structural and thermodynamic effects of Pro substitutions, it was introduced at 13 different positions in four different proteins, leucine-isoleucine-valine binding protein, maltose binding protein, ribose binding protein, and thioredoxin. Three of the maltose binding protein mutants were characterized by X-ray crystallography to confirm that no structural changes had occurred upon mutation. In the remaining cases, fluorescence and CD spectroscopy were used to show the absence of structural change. Stabilities of wild type and mutant proteins were characterized by chemical denaturation at neutral pH and by differential scanning calorimetry as a function of pH. The mutants did not show enhanced stability with respect to chemical denaturation at room temperature. However, 6 of the 13 single mutants showed a small but significant increase in the free energy of thermal unfolding in the range of 0.3-2.4 kcal/mol, 2 mutants showed no change, and 5 were destabilized. In five of the six cases, the stabilization was because of reduced entropy of unfolding. However, the magnitude of the reduction in entropy of unfolding was typically several fold larger than the theoretical estimate of -4 cal K(-1) mol(-1) derived from the relative areas in the Ramachandran map accessible to Pro and Ala residues, respectively. Two double mutants were constructed. In both cases, the effects of the single mutations on the free energy of thermal unfolding were nonadditive. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Jansen, Mickel L. A.; Daran-Lapujade, Pascale; de Winde, Johannes H.; Piper, Matthew D. W.; Pronk, Jack T.
2004-01-01
Prolonged cultivation (>25 generations) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in aerobic, maltose-limited chemostat cultures led to profound physiological changes. Maltose hypersensitivity was observed when cells from prolonged cultivations were suddenly exposed to excess maltose. This substrate hypersensitivity was evident from massive cell lysis and loss of viability. During prolonged cultivation at a fixed specific growth rate, the affinity for the growth-limiting nutrient (i.e., maltose) increased, as evident from a decreasing residual maltose concentration. Furthermore, the capacity of maltose-dependent proton uptake increased up to 2.5-fold during prolonged cultivation. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis showed that the increased maltose transport capacity was not primarily due to increased transcript levels of maltose-permease genes upon prolonged cultivation. We propose that selection for improved substrate affinity (ratio of maximum substrate consumption rate and substrate saturation constant) in maltose-limited cultures leads to selection for cells with an increased capacity for maltose uptake. At the same time, the accumulative nature of maltose-proton symport in S. cerevisiae leads to unrestricted uptake when maltose-adapted cells are exposed to a substrate excess. These changes were retained after isolation of individual cell lines from the chemostat cultures and nonselective cultivation, indicating that mutations were involved. The observed trade-off between substrate affinity and substrate tolerance may be relevant for metabolic engineering and strain selection for utilization of substrates that are taken up by proton symport. PMID:15066785
Smirnova, Julia; Fernie, Alisdair R; Spahn, Christian M T; Steup, Martin
2017-09-01
Maltose frequently occurs as intermediate of the central carbon metabolism of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Various mutants possess elevated maltose levels. Maltose exists as two anomers, (α- and β-form) which are rapidly interconverted without requiring enzyme-mediated catalysis. As maltose is often abundant together with other oligoglucans, selective quantification is essential. In this communication, we present a photometric maltose assay using 4-alpha-glucanotransferase (AtDPE2) from Arabidopsis thaliana. Under in vitro conditions, AtDPE2 utilizes maltose as glucosyl donor and glycogen as acceptor releasing the other hexosyl unit as free glucose which is photometrically quantified following enzymatic phosphorylation and oxidation. Under the conditions used, DPE2 does not noticeably react with other di- or oligosaccharides. Selectivity compares favorably with that of maltase frequently used in maltose assays. Reducing end interconversion of the two maltose anomers is in rapid equilibrium and, therefore, the novel assay measures total maltose contents. Furthermore, an AtDPE2-based continuous photometric assay is presented which allows to quantify β-amylase activity and was found to be superior to a conventional test. Finally, the AtDPE2-based maltose assay was used to quantify leaf maltose contents of both Arabidopsis wild type and AtDPE2-deficient plants throughout the light-dark cycle. These data are presented together with assimilatory starch levels. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Substrate Binding and Catalytic Mechanism of Human Choline Acetyltransferase
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Kim,A.; Rylett, J.; Shilton, B.
2006-01-01
Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) catalyzes the synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from choline and acetyl-CoA, and its presence is a defining feature of cholinergic neurons. We report the structure of human ChAT to a resolution of 2.2 {angstrom} along with structures for binary complexes of ChAT with choline, CoA, and a nonhydrolyzable acetyl-CoA analogue, S-(2-oxopropyl)-CoA. The ChAT-choline complex shows which features of choline are important for binding and explains how modifications of the choline trimethylammonium group can be tolerated by the enzyme. A detailed model of the ternary Michaelis complex fully supports the direct transfer of the acetyl group from acetyl-CoAmore » to choline through a mechanism similar to that seen in the serine hydrolases for the formation of an acyl-enzyme intermediate. Domain movements accompany CoA binding, and a surface loop, which is disordered in the unliganded enzyme, becomes localized and binds directly to the phosphates of CoA, stabilizing the complex. Interactions between this surface loop and CoA may function to lower the K{sub M} for CoA and could be important for phosphorylation-dependent regulation of ChAT activity.« less
Higgins, Vincent J.; Braidwood, Mark; Bell, Phil; Bissinger, Peter; Dawes, Ian W.; Attfield, Paul V.
1999-01-01
Strain selection and improvement in the baker’s yeast industry have aimed to increase the speed of maltose fermentation in order to increase the leavening activity of industrial baking yeast. We identified two groups of baker’s strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that can be distinguished by the mode of regulation of maltose utilization. One group (nonlagging strains), characterized by rapid maltose fermentation, had at least 12-fold more maltase and 130-fold-higher maltose permease activities than maltose-lagging strains in the absence of inducing sugar (maltose) and repressing sugar (glucose). Increasing the noninduced maltase activity of a lagging strain 13-fold led to an increase in CO2 production in unsugared dough. This increase in CO2 production also was seen when the maltose permease activity was increased 55-fold. Only when maltase and maltose permease activities were increased in concert was CO2 production by a lagging strain similar to that of a nonlagging strain. The noninduced activities of maltase and maltose permease constitute the largest determinant of whether a strain displays a nonlagging or a lagging phenotype and are dependent upon the MALx3 allele. Previous strategies for strain improvement have targeted glucose derepression of maltase and maltose permease expression. Our results suggest that increasing noninduced maltase and maltose permease levels is an important target for improved maltose metabolism in unsugared dough. PMID:9925600
Wang, Huanchen; Robinson, Howard; Ke, Hengming
2010-01-01
The activity of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) is specific for cGMP and is regulated by cGMP binding to GAF-A in its regulatory domain. To better understand the regulatory mechanism, x-ray crystallographic and biochemical studies were performed on constructs of human PDE5A1 containing the N-terminal phosphorylation segment, GAF-A, and GAF-B. Superposition of this unliganded GAF-A with the previously reported NMR structure of cGMP-bound PDE5 revealed dramatic conformational differences and suggested that helix H4 and strand B3 probably serve as two lids to gate the cGMP-binding pocket in GAF-A. The structure also identified an interfacial region among GAF-A, GAF-B, and the N-terminal loop, which may serve as a relay of the cGMP signal from GAF-A to GAF-B. N-terminal loop 98–147 was physically associated with GAF-B domains of the dimer. Biochemical analyses showed an inhibitory effect of this loop on cGMP binding and its involvement in the cGMP-induced conformation changes. PMID:20861010
Conformation changes, N-terminal involvement and cGMP signal relay in phosphodiesterase-5 GAF domain
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Wang, H.; Robinson, H.; Ke, H.
2010-12-03
The activity of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) is specific for cGMP and is regulated by cGMP binding to GAF-A in its regulatory domain. To better understand the regulatory mechanism, x-ray crystallographic and biochemical studies were performed on constructs of human PDE5A1 containing the N-terminal phosphorylation segment, GAF-A, and GAF-B. Superposition of this unliganded GAF-A with the previously reported NMR structure of cGMP-bound PDE5 revealed dramatic conformational differences and suggested that helix H4 and strand B3 probably serve as two lids to gate the cGMP-binding pocket in GAF-A. The structure also identified an interfacial region among GAF-A, GAF-B, and the N-terminal loop, whichmore » may serve as a relay of the cGMP signal from GAF-A to GAF-B. N-terminal loop 98-147 was physically associated with GAF-B domains of the dimer. Biochemical analyses showed an inhibitory effect of this loop on cGMP binding and its involvement in the cGMP-induced conformation changes.« less
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
H Wang; H Robinson; H Ke
2011-12-31
The activity of phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) is specific for cGMP and is regulated by cGMP binding to GAF-A in its regulatory domain. To better understand the regulatory mechanism, x-ray crystallographic and biochemical studies were performed on constructs of human PDE5A1 containing the N-terminal phosphorylation segment, GAF-A, and GAF-B. Superposition of this unliganded GAF-A with the previously reported NMR structure of cGMP-bound PDE5 revealed dramatic conformational differences and suggested that helix H4 and strand B3 probably serve as two lids to gate the cGMP-binding pocket in GAF-A. The structure also identified an interfacial region among GAF-A, GAF-B, and the N-terminal loop, whichmore » may serve as a relay of the cGMP signal from GAF-A to GAF-B. N-terminal loop 98-147 was physically associated with GAF-B domains of the dimer. Biochemical analyses showed an inhibitory effect of this loop on cGMP binding and its involvement in the cGMP-induced conformation changes.« less
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Flechsig, Holger
2016-02-01
ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are integral membrane proteins which mediate the exchange of diverse substrates across membranes powered by ATP molecules. Our understanding of their activity is still hampered since the conformational dynamics underlying the operation of such proteins cannot yet be resolved in detailed molecular dynamics studies. Here a coarse grained model which allows to mimic binding of nucleotides and follow subsequent conformational motions of full-length transporter structures in computer simulations is proposed and implemented. To justify its explanatory quality, the model is first applied to the maltose transporter system for which multiple conformations are known and we find that the model predictions agree remarkably well with the experimental data. For the MalK subunit the switching from open to the closed dimer configuration upon ATP binding is reproduced and, moreover, for the full-length maltose transporter, progression from inward-facing to the outward-facing state is correctly obtained. For the heme transporter HmuUV, for which only the free structure could yet be determined, the model was then applied to predict nucleotide-induced conformational motions. Upon binding of ATP-mimicking ligands the structure changed from a conformation in which the nucleotide-binding domains formed an open shape, to a conformation in which they were found in tight contact, while, at the same time, a pronounced rotation of the transmembrane domains was observed. This finding is supported by normal mode analysis, and, comparison with structural data of the homologous vitamin B12 transporter BtuCD suggests that the observed rotation mechanism may contribute a common functional aspect for this class of ABC transporters. Although in HmuuV noticeable rearrangement of essential transmembrane helices was detected, there are no indications from our simulations that ATP binding alone may facilitate propagation of substrate molecules in this transporter. Possible explanations are discussed in the light of currently debated transport scenarios of ABC transporters.
Yamashita, A; Kato, H; Wakatsuki, S; Tomizaki, T; Nakatsu, T; Nakajima, K; Hashimoto, T; Yamada, Y; Oda, J
1999-06-15
Tropinone reductase-II (TR-II) catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reduction of the carbonyl group of tropinone to a beta-hydroxyl group. The crystal structure of TR-II complexed with NADP+ and pseudotropine (psi-tropine) has been determined at 1.9 A resolution. A seven-residue peptide near the active site, disordered in the unliganded structure, is fixed in the ternary complex by participation of the cofactor and substrate binding. The psi-tropine molecule is bound in an orientation which satisfies the product configuration and the stereochemical arrangement toward the cofactor. The substrate binding site displays a complementarity to the bound substrate (psi-tropine) in its correct orientation. In addition, electrostatic interactions between the substrate and Glu156 seem to specify the binding position and orientation of the substrate. A comparison between the active sites in TR-II and TR-I shows that they provide different van der Waals surfaces and electrostatic features. These differences likely contribute to the correct binding mode of the substrates, which are in opposite orientations in TR-II and TR-I, and to different reaction stereospecificities. The active site structure in the TR-II ternary complex also suggests that the arrangement of the substrate, cofactor, and catalytic residues is stereoelectronically favorable for the reaction.
Robrish, S A; Fales, H M; Gentry-Weeks, C; Thompson, J
1994-01-01
Phosphoenolypyruvate-dependent maltose:phosphotransferase activity was induced in cells of Fusobacterium mortiferum ATCC 25557 during growth on maltose. The disaccharide was rapidly metabolized by washed cells maintained under anaerobic conditions, but fermentation ceased immediately upon exposure of the cell suspension to air. Coincidentally, high levels of a phosphorylated derivative accumulated within the cells. Chemical and enzymatic analyses, in conjunction with data from 1H, 13C, and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, established the structure of the purified compound as 6-O-phosphoryl-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-4)-D-glucose (maltose 6-phosphate). A method for the preparation of substrate amounts of this commercially unavailable disaccharide phosphate is described. Permeabilized cells of F. mortiferum catalyzed the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphorylation of maltose under aerobic conditions. However, the hydrolysis of maltose 6-phosphate (to glucose 6-phosphate and glucose) by permeabilized cells or cell-free preparations required either an anaerobic environment or addition of dithiothreitol to aerobic reaction mixtures. The first step in dissimilation of the phosphorylated disaccharide appears to be catalyzed by an oxygen-sensitive maltose 6-phosphate hydrolase. Cells of F. mortiferum, grown previously on maltose, fermented a variety of alpha-linked glucosides, including maltose, turanose, palatinose, maltitol, alpha-methylglucoside, trehalose, and isomaltose. Conversely, cells grown on the separate alpha-glucosides also metabolized maltose. For this anaerobic pathogen, we suggest that the maltose:phosphotransferase and maltose 6-phosphate hydrolase catalyze the phosphorylative translocation and cleavage not only of maltose but also of structurally analogous alpha-linked glucosides. Images PMID:8195080
Keung, Hoi Yee; Li, Tsz Kai; Sham, Lok To; Cheung, Man Kit; Cheung, Peter Chi Keung
2017-01-01
ABSTRACT Bifidobacteria exert beneficial effects on hosts and are extensively used as probiotics. However, due to the genetic inaccessibility of these bacteria, little is known about their mechanisms of carbohydrate utilization and regulation. Bifidobacterium breve strain JCM1192 can grow on water-insoluble yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cell wall glucans (YCWG), which were recently considered as potential prebiotics. According to the results of 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry, the YCWG were composed of highly branched (1→3,1→6)-β-glucans and (1→4,1→6)-α-glucans. Although the YCWG were composed of 78.3% β-glucans and 21.7% α-glucans, only α-glucans were consumed by the B. breve strain. The ABC transporter (malEFG1) and pullulanase (aapA) genes were transcriptionally upregulated in the metabolism of insoluble yeast glucans, suggesting their potential involvement in the process. A nonsense mutation identified in the gene encoding an ABC transporter ATP-binding protein (MalK) led to growth failure of an ethyl methanesulfonate-generated mutant with yeast glucans. Coculture of the wild-type strain and the mutant showed that this protein was responsible for the import of yeast glucans or their breakdown products, rather than the export of α-glucan-catabolizing enzymes. Further characterization of the carbohydrate utilization of the mutant and three of its revertants indicated that this mutation was pleiotropic: the mutant could not grow with maltose, glycogen, dextrin, raffinose, cellobiose, melibiose, or turanose. We propose that insoluble yeast α-glucans are hydrolyzed by extracellular pullulanase into maltose and/or maltooligosaccharides, which are then transported into the cell by the ABC transport system composed of MalEFG1 and MalK. The mechanism elucidated here will facilitate the development of B. breve and water-insoluble yeast glucans as novel synbiotics. IMPORTANCE In general, Bifidobacterium strains are genetically intractable. Coupling classic forward genetics with next-generation sequencing, here we identified an ABC transporter ATP-binding protein (MalK) responsible for the import of insoluble yeast glucan breakdown products by B. breve JCM1192. We demonstrated the pleiotropic effects of the ABC transporter ATP-binding protein in maltose/maltooligosaccharide, raffinose, cellobiose, melibiose, and turanose transport. With the addition of transcriptional analysis, we propose that insoluble yeast glucans are broken down by extracellular pullulanase into maltose and/or maltooligosaccharides, which are then transported into the cell by the ABC transport system composed of MalEFG1 and MalK. The mechanism elucidated here will facilitate the development of B. breve and water-insoluble yeast glucans as novel synbiotics. PMID:28115383
Keung, Hoi Yee; Li, Tsz Kai; Sham, Lok To; Cheung, Man Kit; Cheung, Peter Chi Keung; Kwan, Hoi Shan
2017-04-01
Bifidobacteria exert beneficial effects on hosts and are extensively used as probiotics. However, due to the genetic inaccessibility of these bacteria, little is known about their mechanisms of carbohydrate utilization and regulation. Bifidobacterium breve strain JCM1192 can grow on water-insoluble yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) cell wall glucans (YCWG), which were recently considered as potential prebiotics. According to the results of 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry, the YCWG were composed of highly branched (1→3,1→6)-β-glucans and (1→4,1→6)-α-glucans. Although the YCWG were composed of 78.3% β-glucans and 21.7% α-glucans, only α-glucans were consumed by the B. breve strain. The ABC transporter ( malEFG1 ) and pullulanase ( aapA ) genes were transcriptionally upregulated in the metabolism of insoluble yeast glucans, suggesting their potential involvement in the process. A nonsense mutation identified in the gene encoding an ABC transporter ATP-binding protein (MalK) led to growth failure of an ethyl methanesulfonate-generated mutant with yeast glucans. Coculture of the wild-type strain and the mutant showed that this protein was responsible for the import of yeast glucans or their breakdown products, rather than the export of α-glucan-catabolizing enzymes. Further characterization of the carbohydrate utilization of the mutant and three of its revertants indicated that this mutation was pleiotropic: the mutant could not grow with maltose, glycogen, dextrin, raffinose, cellobiose, melibiose, or turanose. We propose that insoluble yeast α-glucans are hydrolyzed by extracellular pullulanase into maltose and/or maltooligosaccharides, which are then transported into the cell by the ABC transport system composed of MalEFG1 and MalK. The mechanism elucidated here will facilitate the development of B. breve and water-insoluble yeast glucans as novel synbiotics. IMPORTANCE In general, Bifidobacterium strains are genetically intractable. Coupling classic forward genetics with next-generation sequencing, here we identified an ABC transporter ATP-binding protein (MalK) responsible for the import of insoluble yeast glucan breakdown products by B. breve JCM1192. We demonstrated the pleiotropic effects of the ABC transporter ATP-binding protein in maltose/maltooligosaccharide, raffinose, cellobiose, melibiose, and turanose transport. With the addition of transcriptional analysis, we propose that insoluble yeast glucans are broken down by extracellular pullulanase into maltose and/or maltooligosaccharides, which are then transported into the cell by the ABC transport system composed of MalEFG1 and MalK. The mechanism elucidated here will facilitate the development of B. breve and water-insoluble yeast glucans as novel synbiotics. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.
Structural basis for the antifolding activity of a molecular chaperone
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Huang, Chengdong; Rossi, Paolo; Saio, Tomohide; Kalodimos, Charalampos G.
2016-09-01
Molecular chaperones act on non-native proteins in the cell to prevent their aggregation, premature folding or misfolding. Different chaperones often exert distinct effects, such as acceleration or delay of folding, on client proteins via mechanisms that are poorly understood. Here we report the solution structure of SecB, a chaperone that exhibits strong antifolding activity, in complex with alkaline phosphatase and maltose-binding protein captured in their unfolded states. SecB uses long hydrophobic grooves that run around its disk-like shape to recognize and bind to multiple hydrophobic segments across the length of non-native proteins. The multivalent binding mode results in proteins wrapping around SecB. This unique complex architecture alters the kinetics of protein binding to SecB and confers strong antifolding activity on the chaperone. The data show how the different architectures of chaperones result in distinct binding modes with non-native proteins that ultimately define the activity of the chaperone.
Qiu, Y; Davidson, J N
1998-01-01
Residues Asp-90 and Arg-269 of Escherichia coli aspartate transcarbamylase seem to interact at the interface of adjacent catalytic subunits. Alanine substitutions at the analogous positions in the hamster aspartate transcarbamylase of a chimaeric protein carrying an E. coli maltose-binding domain lead to changes in both the kinetics of the enzyme and the quaternary structure of the protein. The Vmax for the Asp-90-->Ala and Arg-269-->Ala substitutions is decreased to 1/21 and 1/50 respectively, the [S]0.5 for aspartate is increased 540-fold and 826-fold respectively, and the [S]0.5 for carbamoyl phosphate is increased 60-fold for both. These substitutions decrease the oligomeric size of the protein. Whereas the native chimaeric protein behaves as a pentamer, the Asp-90 variant is a trimer and the Arg-269 variant is a dimer. The altered enzymes also exhibit marked decreases in thermal stability and are inactivated at much lower concentrations of urea than is the unaltered enzyme. Taken together, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that both Asp-90 and Arg-269 have a role in the enzymic function and structural integrity of hamster aspartate transcarbamylase. PMID:9425105
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Ren, Y.L.; Garges, S.; Adhya, S.
1988-06-01
Four cAMP-independent receptor protein mutants (designated CRP* mutants) isolated previously are able to activate in vivo gene transcription in the absence of cAMP and their activity can be enhanced by cAMP or cGMP. One of the four mutant proteins, CRP*598 (Arg-142 to His, Ala-144 to Thr), has been characterized with regard to its conformational properties and ability to bind to and support abortive initiation from the lac promoter. Binding of wild-type CRP to its site on the lac promoter and activation of abortive initiation by RNA polymerase on this promoter are effected by cAMP but not by cGMP. CRP*598 canmore » activate lacP{sup +}-directed abortive initiation in the presence of cAMP and less efficiently in the presence of cGMP or in the absence of cyclic nucleotide. DNase I protection (footprinting) indicates that cAMP-CRP* binds to its site on the lac promoter whereas unliganded CRP* and cGMP-CRP* form a stable complex with the ({sup 32}P)lacP{sup +} fragment only in the presence of RNA polymerase, showing cooperative binding of two heterologous proteins. This cooperative binding provides strong evidence for a contact between CRP and RNA polymerase for activation of transcription. Although cGMP binds to CRP, it cannot replace cAMP in effecting the requisite conformational transition necessary for site-specific promoter binding.« less
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Cherney, L.T.; Cherney, M.M.; Garen, C.R.
2009-05-12
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) gene product encoded by open reading frame Rv1657 is an arginine repressor (ArgR). All genes involved in the L-arginine (hereafter arginine) biosynthetic pathway are essential for optimal growth of the Mtb pathogen, thus making MtbArgR a potential target for drug design. The C-terminal domains of arginine repressors (CArgR) participate in oligomerization and arginine binding. Several crystal forms of CArgR from Mtb (MtbCArgR) have been obtained. The X-ray crystal structures of MtbCArgR were determined at 1.85 {angstrom} resolution with bound arginine and at 2.15 {angstrom} resolution in the unliganded form. These structures show that six molecules ofmore » MtbCArgR are arranged into a hexamer having approximate 32 point symmetry that is formed from two trimers. The trimers rotate relative to each other by about 11{sup o} upon binding arginine. All residues in MtbCArgR deemed to be important for hexamer formation and for arginine binding have been identified from the experimentally determined structures presented. The hexamer contains six regular sites in which the arginine molecules have one common binding mode and three sites in which the arginine molecules have two overlapping binding modes. The latter sites only bind the ligand at high (200 mM) arginine concentrations.« less
Effects of SNF1 on Maltose Metabolism and Leavening Ability of Baker's Yeast in Lean Dough.
Zhang, Cui-Ying; Bai, Xiao-Wen; Lin, Xue; Liu, Xiao-Er; Xiao, Dong-Guang
2015-12-01
Maltose metabolism of baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in lean dough is negatively influenced by glucose repression, thereby delaying the dough fermentation. To improve maltose metabolism and leavening ability, it is necessary to alleviate glucose repression. The Snf1 protein kinase is well known to be essential for the response to glucose repression and required for transcription of glucose-repressed genes including the maltose-utilization genes (MAL). In this study, the SNF1 overexpression and deletion industrial baker's yeast strains were constructed and characterized in terms of maltose utilization, growth and fermentation characteristics, mRNA levels of MAL genes (MAL62 encoding the maltase and MAL61 encoding the maltose permease) and maltase and maltose permease activities. Our results suggest that overexpression of SNF1 was effective to glucose derepression for enhancing MAL expression levels and enzymes (maltase and maltose permease) activities. These enhancements could result in an 18% increase in maltose metabolism of industrial baker's yeast in LSMLD medium (the low sugar model liquid dough fermentation medium) containing glucose and maltose and a 15% increase in leavening ability in lean dough. These findings provide a valuable insight of breeding industrial baker's yeast for rapid fermentation. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®
Alternating carrier models of asymmetric glucose transport violate the energy conservation laws.
Naftalin, Richard J
2008-11-01
Alternating access transporters with high-affinity externally facing sites and low-affinity internal sites relate substrate transit directly to the unliganded asymmetric "carrier" (Ci) distribution. When both bathing solutions contain equimolar concentrations of ligand, zero net flow of the substrate-carrier complex requires a higher proportion of unliganded low-affinity inside sites (proportional, variant 1/KD(in)) and slower unliganded "free" carrier transit from inside to outside than in the reverse direction. However, asymmetric rates of unliganded carrier movement, kij, imply that an energy source, DeltaGcarrier = RT ln (koi/kio) = RT ln (Cin/Cout) = RT ln (KD(in)/KD(out)), where R is the universal gas constant (8.314 Joules/M/K degrees), and T is the temperature, assumed here to be 300 K degrees , sustains the asymmetry. Without this invalid assumption, the constraints of carrier path cyclicity, combined with asymmetric ligand affinities and equimolarity at equilibrium, are irreconcilable, and any passive asymmetric uniporter or cotransporter model system, e.g., Na-glucose cotransporters, espousing this fundamental error is untenable. With glucose transport via GLUT1, the higher maximal rate and Km of net ligand exit compared to net ligand entry is only properly simulated if ligand transit occurs by serial dissociation-association reactions between external high-affinity and internal low-affinity immobile sites. Faster intersite transit rates occur from lower-affinity sites than from higher-affinity sites and require no other energy source to maintain equilibrium. Similar constraints must apply to cotransport.
Inhibition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae growth by simultaneous uptake of glucose and maltose.
Hatanaka, Haruyo; Mitsunaga, Hitoshi; Fukusaki, Eiichiro
2018-01-01
Saccharomyces cerevisiae expresses α-glucoside transporters, such as MalX1p (X=1(Agt1p), 2, 3, 4, and 6), which are proton symporters. These transporters are regulated at transcriptional and posttranslational levels in the presence of glucose. Malt wort contains glucose, maltose, and maltotriose, and the assimilation of maltose is delayed as a function of glucose concentration. With the objective of increasing beer fermentation rates, we characterized α-glucoside transporters and bred laboratory yeasts that expressed various α-glucoside transporters for the simultaneous uptake of different sugars. Mal21p was found to be the most resistant transporter to glucose-induced degradation, and strain (HD17) expressing MAL21 grew on a medium containing glucose or maltose, but not on a medium containing both sugars (YPDM). This unexpected growth defect was observed on a medium containing glucose and >0.1% maltose but was not exhibited by a strain that constitutively expressed maltase. The defect depended on intracellular maltose concentration. Although maltose accumulation caused a surge in turgor pressure, addition of sorbitol to YPDM did not increase growth. When strain HD17 was cultivated in a medium containing only maltose, protein synthesis was inhibited at early times but subsequently resumed with reduction in accumulated maltose, but not if the medium was exchanged for YPDM. We conclude that protein synthesis was terminated under the accumulation of maltose, regardless of extracellular osmolarity, and HD17 could not resume growth, because the intracellular concentration of maltose did not decrease due to insufficient synthesis of maltase. Yeast should incorporate maltose after expressing adequate maltase in beer brewing. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Minini, Lucía; Ferraro, Florencia; Cancela, Saira; Merlino, Alicia
2017-11-01
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder worldwide for which there is currently no cure. Recently, caspase-3 has been proposed as a potential therapeutic target for treating AD. Since this enzyme is overexpressed in brains from AD patients its selective modulation by non-covalent inhibitors becomes an interesting strategy in the search of potential drugs against this neuropathology. With this in mind, we have combined molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations and QM calculations of unliganded caspase-3 and caspase-7 and in complex with a series of known inhibitors of caspase-3 described in the literature in order to assess the structural features responsible for good inhibitory activity and selectivity against this potential target. This work has allowed us to identify hotspots for drug binding as well as the importance of shape and charge distribution for interacting into the substrate binding cleft or into the dimer interface in each enzyme. Our results showed that most selective compounds against caspsase-3 bind into the substrate binding cleft acting as competitive inhibitors whereas in caspase-7 they bind close to an allosteric site at the dimer interface but since they are weakly bound their presence would not be affecting enzyme dynamics or function. In addition, for both enzymes we have found evidence indicating that differences in shape and accessibility exist between the substrate binding site of each monomer which could be modulating the binding affinity of non-covalent molecules.
Shibata, Aika; Takahashi, Fumio; Kasahara, Masahiro; Imamura, Nobutaka
2016-11-01
The endosymbiotic green algae of Paramecium bursaria are known to release a photosynthate to the host cells. The endosymbiont Chlorella variabilis F36-ZK isolated in Japan releases maltose under acidic conditions, and such release requires both light and low pH. However, whether photosynthate release is due to light sensing by photoreceptors or is merely a consequence of active photosynthesis is unclear. Herein, we studied the effect of light on maltose release from C. variabilis F36-ZK; we measured maltose release using a combination of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone derivative and 14 C-tracer methods. Blue (450nm) or red (around 600nm) light was most effective to stimulate maltose release. This suggests that the photosynthetic pathway probably participates in maltose release, because the effective wavelength corresponds to the absorption spectrum of chlorophyll. Furthermore, maltose release was slightly affected by addition of a photosynthetic inhibitor, 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea, but was abolished by another inhibitor of photosynthesis, 2,5-dibromo-6-isopropyl-3-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone, suggesting that electron flow through photosystem I may be more involved in maltose release. Interestingly, starving F36-ZK cells cultured under prolonged dark conditions did not release maltose but retained their photosynthetic capacity. Our results thus show that maltose release is regulated by light and cellular conditions in endosymbiotic Chlorella. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier GmbH.
A fluorescence resonance energy transfer quantum dot explosive nanosensor (Invited Paper)
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Medintz, Igor L.; Goldman, Ellen R.; Clapp, Aaron R.; Uyeda, H. T.; Lassman, Michael E.; Hayhurst, Andrew; Mattoussi, Hedi
2005-04-01
Quantum dots (QDs) are a versatile synthetic photoluminescent nanomaterial whose chemical and photo-physical properties suggest that they may be superior to conventional organic fluorophores for a variety of biosensing applications. We have previously investigated QD-fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) interactions by using the E. coli bacterial periplasmic binding protein - maltose binding protein (MBP) which was site-specifically dye-labeled and self assembled onto the QD surface and allowed us to monitor FRET between the QD donor and the acceptor dye. FRET efficiency increased as a function of the number of dye-acceptor moieties arrayed around the QD donor. We used this system to further demonstrate a prototype FRET based biosensor that functioned in the chemical/nutrient sensing of maltose. There are a number of potential benefits to using this type of QD-FRET based biosensing strategy. The protein attached to the QDs surface functions as a biosensing and biorecognition element in this configuration while the QD acts as both nanoscaffold and FRET energy donor. In this report, we show that the sensor design can be extended to target a completely unrelated analyte, namely the explosive TNT. The sensor consists of anti-TNT antibody fragments self-assembled onto the QD surface with a dye-labeled analog of TNT (TNB coupled to AlexaFluor 555 dye) prebound in the fragment binding site. The close proximity of dye to QD establishes a baseline level of FRET and addition of TNT displaces the TNB-dye analog, recovering QD photoluminescence in a concentration dependent manner. Potential benefits of this QD sensing strategy are discussed.
Mutational studies on HslU and its docking mode with HslV.
Song, H K; Hartmann, C; Ramachandran, R; Bochtler, M; Behrendt, R; Moroder, L; Huber, R
2000-12-19
HslVU is an ATP-dependent prokaryotic protease complex. Despite detailed crystal and molecular structure determinations of free HslV and HslU, the mechanism of ATP-dependent peptide and protein hydrolysis remained unclear, mainly because the productive complex of HslV and HslU could not be unambiguously identified from the crystal data. In the crystalline complex, the I domains of HslU interact with HslV. Observations based on electron microscopy data were interpreted in the light of the crystal structure to indicate an alternative mode of association with the intermediate domains away from HslV. By generation and analysis of two dozen HslU mutants, we find that the amidolytic and caseinolytic activities of HslVU are quite robust to mutations on both alternative docking surfaces on HslU. In contrast, HslVU activity against the maltose-binding protein-SulA fusion protein depends on the presence of the I domain and is also sensitive to mutations in the N-terminal and C-terminal domains of HslU. Mutational studies around the hexameric pore of HslU seem to show that it is involved in the recognition/translocation of maltose-binding protein-SulA but not of chromogenic small substrates and casein. ATP-binding site mutations, among other things, confirm the essential role of the "sensor arginine" (R393) and the "arginine finger" (R325) in the ATPase action of HslU and demonstrate an important role for E321. Additionally, we report a better refined structure of the HslVU complex crystallized along with resorufin-labeled casein.
Proteins with similar architecture exhibit similar large-scale dynamic behavior.
Keskin, O; Jernigan, R L; Bahar, I
2000-01-01
We have investigated the similarities and differences in the computed dynamic fluctuations exhibited by six members of a protein fold family with a coarse-grained Gaussian network model. Specifically, we consider the cofactor binding fragment of CysB; the lysine/arginine/ornithine-binding protein (LAO); the enzyme porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD); the ribose-binding protein (RBP); the N-terminal lobe of ovotransferrin in apo-form (apo-OVOT); and the leucine/isoleucine/valine-binding protein (LIVBP). All have domains that resemble a Rossmann fold, but there are also some significant differences. Results indicate that similar global dynamic behavior is preserved for the members of a fold family, and that differences usually occur in regions only where specific function is localized. The present work is a computational demonstration that the scaffold of a protein fold may be utilized for diverse purposes. LAO requires a bound ligand before it conforms to the large-scale fluctuation behavior of the three other members of the family, CysB, PBGD, and RBP, all of which contain a substrate (cofactor) at the active site cleft. The dynamics of the ligand-free enzymes LIVBP and apo-OVOT, on the other hand, concur with that of unliganded LAO. The present results suggest that it is possible to construct structure alignments based on dynamic fluctuation behavior. PMID:10733987
Arabidopsis dynamin-related protein 1A polymers bind, but do not tubulate, liposomes
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Backues, Steven K.; Bednarek, Sebastian Y., E-mail: sybednar@wisc.edu
2010-03-19
The Arabidopsis dynamin-related protein 1A (AtDRP1A) is involved in endocytosis and cell plate maturation in Arabidopsis. Unlike dynamin, AtDRP1A does not have any recognized membrane binding or protein-protein interaction domains. We report that GTPase active AtDRP1A purified from Escherichia coli as a fusion to maltose binding protein forms homopolymers visible by negative staining electron microscopy. These polymers interact with protein-free liposomes whose lipid composition mimics that of the inner leaflet of the Arabidopsis plasma membrane, suggesting that lipid-binding may play a role in AtDRP1A function. However, AtDRP1A polymers do not appear to assemble and disassemble in a dynamic fashion andmore » do not have the ability to tubulate liposomes in vitro, suggesting that additional factors or modifications are necessary for AtDRP1A's in vivo function.« less
Hao, Qing; Liu, Xiaoguang; Zhao, Guozhong; Jiang, Lu; Li, Ming; Zeng, Bin
2016-03-01
To characterize biochemically the lipid metabolism-regulating acyl-CoA binding protein (ACBP) from the industrially-important fungus Aspergillus oryzae. A full-length cDNA encoding a candidate ACBP from A. oryzae (AoACBP) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli as a maltose-binding protein (MBP) fusion protein. The MBP-AoACBP protein was purified by an amylose resin chromatography column. SDS-PAGE showed that MBP-AoACBP has an estimated molecular weight of 82 kDa. Microscale thermophoresis binding assay showed that the recombinant AoACBP displayed much greater affinity for palmitoyl-CoA (K d = 80 nM) than for myristoyl-CoA (K d = 510 nM), thus demonstrating the preference of AoACBP for long-chain acyl-CoA. The data support the identification of AoACBP as a long-chain ACBP in A. oryzae.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Nemoto, Takayuki; Ohara-Nemoto, Yuko; Denis, M.
1990-02-20
High-salt treatment of cytosolic glucocorticoid receptor (GR) preparations reduces the steroid-binding ability of the receptor and induces the conversion of the receptor from a nontransformed (non-DNA-binding) 9S form to a transformed (DNA-binding) 4S entity. Therefore, the authors decided to investigate the possible relationship between these two phenomena. The binding of ({sup 3}H)triamcinolone acetonide (({sup 3}H)TA) to the 9S form was almost saturated at a concentration of 20 nM, whereas ({sup 3}H)TA was hardly bound to the 4S form at this concentration. The 4S form was efficiently labeled at 200 nM. Scatchard analysis of the GR showed the presence of twomore » types of binding sites. In the absence of molybdate, the ratio of the lower affinity site was increased, but the total number of binding sites was not modified. The GR with the low ({sup 3}H)TA-binding affinity bound to DNA-cellulose even in its unliganded state, whereas the form with the high affinity did not. These results indicate that the transformed GR has a reduced ({sup 3}H)TA-binding affinity as compared to the nontransformed GR. The steroid-binding domain (amino acids 477-777) and the DNA- and steroid-binding domains (amino acids 415-777) of the human GR were expressed in Escherichia coli as protein A fused proteins. Taken together, these results suggest that the component(s) associating with the nontransformed GR, possibly the heat shock protein hsp 90, play(s) an important role in stabilizing the GR in a high-affinity state for steroids.« less
Jansen, Chimed; Wang, Huanchen; Kooistra, Albert J.; de Graaf, Chris; Orrling, Kristina; Tenor, Hermann; Seebeck, Thomas; Bailey, David; de Esch, Iwan J.P.; Ke, Hengming; Leurs, Rob
2013-01-01
Trypanosoma brucei cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase B1 (TbrPDEB1) and TbrPDEB2 have recently been validated as new therapeutic targets for human African Trypanosomiasis by both genetic and pharmacological means. In this study we report the crystal structure of the catalytic domain of the unliganded TbrPDEB1 and its use for the in silico screening for new TbrPDEB1 inhibitors with novel scaffolds. The TbrPDEB1 crystal structure shows the characteristic folds of human PDE enzymes, but also contains the parasite-specific P-pocket found in the structures of Leishmania major PDEB1 and Trypanosoma cruzi PDEC. The unliganded TbrPDEB1 X-ray structure was subjected to a structure-based in silico screening approach that combines molecular docking simulations with a protein-ligand interaction fingerprint (IFP) scoring method. This approach identified, six novel TbrPDEB1 inhibitors with IC50 values of 10–80 μM, which may be further optimized as potential selective TbrPDEB inhibitors. PMID:23409953
Szent-Gyorgyi, Chris; Stanfield, Robyn L.; Andreko, Susan; Dempsey, Alison; Ahmed, Mushtaq; Capek, Sara; Waggoner, Alan; Wilson, Ian A.; Bruchez, Marcel P.
2013-01-01
We report that a symmetric small molecule ligand mediates the assembly of antibody light chain variable domains (VLs) into a correspondent symmetric ternary complex with novel interfaces. The L5* Fluorogen Activating Protein (FAP) is a VL domain that binds malachite green dye (MG) to activate intense fluorescence. Crystallography of liganded L5* reveals a 2:1 protein:ligand complex with inclusive C2 symmetry, where MG is almost entirely encapsulated between an antiparallel arrangement of the two VL domains. Unliganded L5* VL domains crystallize as a similar antiparallel VL/VL homodimer. The complementarity determining regions (CDRs) are spatially oriented to form novel VL/VL and VL/ligand interfaces that tightly constrain a propeller conformer of MG. Binding equilibrium analysis suggests highly cooperative assembly to form a very stable VL/MG/VL complex, such that MG behaves as a strong chemical inducer of dimerization. Fusion of two VL domains into a single protein tightens MG binding over 1,000-fold to low picomolar affinity without altering the large binding enthalpy, suggesting that bonding interactions with ligand and restriction of domain movements make independent contributions to binding. Fluorescence activation of a symmetrical fluorogen provides a selection mechanism for the isolation and directed evolution of ternary complexes where unnatural symmetric binding interfaces are favored over canonical antibody interfaces. As exemplified by L5*, these self-reporting complexes may be useful as modulators of protein association or as high affinity protein tags and capture reagents. PMID:23978698
Thermodynamic effects of replacements of Pro residues in helix interiors of maltose-binding protein.
Prajapati, R S; Lingaraju, G M; Bacchawat, Kiran; Surolia, Avadhesha; Varadarajan, Raghavan
2003-12-01
Introduction of Pro residues into helix interiors results in protein destabilization. It is currently unclear if the converse substitution (i.e., replacement of Pro residues that naturally occur in helix interiors would be stabilizing). Maltose-binding protein is a large 370-amino acid protein that contains 21 Pro residues. Of these, three nonconserved residues (P48, P133, and P159) occur at helix interiors. Each of the residues was replaced with Ala and Ser. Stabilities were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as a function of pH and by isothermal urea denaturation studies as a function of temperature. The P48S and P48A mutants were found to be marginally more stable than the wild-type protein. In the pH range of 5-9, there is an average increase in T(m) values of P48A and P48S of 0.4 degrees C and 0.2 degrees C, respectively, relative to the wild-type protein. The other mutants are less stable than the wild type. Analysis of the effects of such Pro substitutions in MBP and in three other proteins studied to date suggests that substitutions are more likely to be stabilizing if the carbonyl group i-3 or i-4 to the mutation site is not hydrogen bonded in the wild-type protein. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Dälken, Benjamin; Jabulowsky, Robert A.; Oberoi, Pranav; Benhar, Itai; Wels, Winfried S.
2010-01-01
Background The apoptosis-inducing serine protease granzyme B (GrB) is an important factor contributing to lysis of target cells by cytotoxic lymphocytes. Expression of enzymatically active GrB in recombinant form is a prerequisite for functional analysis and application of GrB for therapeutic purposes. Methods and Findings We investigated the influence of bacterial maltose-binding protein (MBP) fused to GrB via a synthetic furin recognition motif on the expression of the MBP fusion protein also containing an N-terminal α-factor signal peptide in the yeast Pichia pastoris. MBP markedly enhanced the amount of GrB secreted into culture supernatant, which was not the case when GrB was fused to GST. MBP-GrB fusion protein was cleaved during secretion by an endogenous furin-like proteolytic activity in vivo, liberating enzymatically active GrB without the need of subsequent in vitro processing. Similar results were obtained upon expression of a recombinant fragment of the ErbB2/HER2 receptor protein or GST as MBP fusions. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that combination of MBP as a solubility enhancer with specific in vivo cleavage augments secretion of processed and functionally active proteins from yeast. This strategy may be generally applicable to improve folding and increase yields of recombinant proteins. PMID:21203542
Kadamur, Ganesh; Ross, Elliott M
2016-05-20
Mammalian phospholipase C-β (PLC-β) isoforms are stimulated by heterotrimeric G protein subunits and members of the Rho GTPase family of small G proteins. Although recent structural studies showed how Gαq and Rac1 bind PLC-β, there is a lack of consensus regarding the Gβγ binding site in PLC-β. Using FRET between cerulean fluorescent protein-labeled Gβγ and the Alexa Fluor 594-labeled PLC-β pleckstrin homology (PH) domain, we demonstrate that the PH domain is the minimal Gβγ binding region in PLC-β3. We show that the isolated PH domain can compete with full-length PLC-β3 for binding Gβγ but not Gαq, Using sequence conservation, structural analyses, and mutagenesis, we identify a hydrophobic face of the PLC-β PH domain as the Gβγ binding interface. This PH domain surface is not solvent-exposed in crystal structures of PLC-β, necessitating conformational rearrangement to allow Gβγ binding. Blocking PH domain motion in PLC-β by cross-linking it to the EF hand domain inhibits stimulation by Gβγ without altering basal activity or Gαq response. The fraction of PLC-β cross-linked is proportional to the fractional loss of Gβγ response. Cross-linked PLC-β does not bind Gβγ in a FRET-based Gβγ-PLC-β binding assay. We propose that unliganded PLC-β exists in equilibrium between a closed conformation observed in crystal structures and an open conformation where the PH domain moves away from the EF hands. Therefore, intrinsic movement of the PH domain in PLC-β modulates Gβγ access to its binding site. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Kadamur, Ganesh
2016-01-01
Mammalian phospholipase C-β (PLC-β) isoforms are stimulated by heterotrimeric G protein subunits and members of the Rho GTPase family of small G proteins. Although recent structural studies showed how Gαq and Rac1 bind PLC-β, there is a lack of consensus regarding the Gβγ binding site in PLC-β. Using FRET between cerulean fluorescent protein-labeled Gβγ and the Alexa Fluor 594-labeled PLC-β pleckstrin homology (PH) domain, we demonstrate that the PH domain is the minimal Gβγ binding region in PLC-β3. We show that the isolated PH domain can compete with full-length PLC-β3 for binding Gβγ but not Gαq, Using sequence conservation, structural analyses, and mutagenesis, we identify a hydrophobic face of the PLC-β PH domain as the Gβγ binding interface. This PH domain surface is not solvent-exposed in crystal structures of PLC-β, necessitating conformational rearrangement to allow Gβγ binding. Blocking PH domain motion in PLC-β by cross-linking it to the EF hand domain inhibits stimulation by Gβγ without altering basal activity or Gαq response. The fraction of PLC-β cross-linked is proportional to the fractional loss of Gβγ response. Cross-linked PLC-β does not bind Gβγ in a FRET-based Gβγ-PLC-β binding assay. We propose that unliganded PLC-β exists in equilibrium between a closed conformation observed in crystal structures and an open conformation where the PH domain moves away from the EF hands. Therefore, intrinsic movement of the PH domain in PLC-β modulates Gβγ access to its binding site. PMID:27002154
Kaplan, Fatma; Guy, Charles L
2005-12-01
It has been suggested that beta-amylase (BMY) induction during temperature stress in Arabidopsis could lead to starch-dependent maltose accumulation, and that maltose may contribute to protection of the electron transport chain and proteins in the chloroplast stroma during acute stress. A time-course transcript profiling analysis for cold shock at 4 degrees C revealed that BMY8 (At4g17090) was induced specifically in response to cold shock, while major induction was not observed for any of the other eight beta-amylases. A parallel metabolite-profiling analysis revealed a robust transient maltose accumulation during cold shock. BMY8 RNAi lines with lower BMY8 expression exhibited a starch-excess phenotype, and a dramatic decrease in maltose accumulation during a 6-h cold shock at 4 degrees C. The decreased maltose content was also accompanied by decreased glucose, fructose and sucrose content in the BMY8 RNAi plants, consistent with the roles of beta-amylase and maltose in transitory starch metabolism. BMY8 RNAi lines with reduced soluble sugar content exhibited diminished chlorophyll fluorescence as F(v)/F(m) ratio compared with wild type, suggesting that PSII photochemical efficiency was more sensitive to freezing stress. Together, carbohydrate analysis and freezing stress results of BMY8 RNAi lines indicate that increased maltose content, by itself or together through a maltose-dependent increase in other soluble sugars, contributes to the protection of the photosynthetic electron transport chain during freezing stress.
Sluchanko, Nikolai N; Tugaeva, Kristina V; Faletrov, Yaroslav V; Levitsky, Dmitrii I
2016-03-01
Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) is responsible for the rapid delivery of cholesterol to mitochondria where the lipid serves as a source for steroid hormones biosynthesis in adrenals and gonads. Despite many successful investigations, current understanding of the mechanism of StAR action is far from being completely clear. StAR was mostly obtained using denaturation/renaturation or in minor quantities in a soluble form at decreased temperatures that, presumably, limited the possibilities for its consequent detailed exploration. In our hands, existing StAR expression constructs could be bacterially expressed almost exclusively as insoluble forms, even upon decreased expression temperatures and in specific strains of Escherichia coli, and isolated protein tended to aggregate and was difficult to handle. To maximize the yield of soluble protein, optimized StAR sequence encompassing functional domain STARD1 (residues 66-285) was fused to the C-terminus of His-tagged Maltose-Binding Protein (MBP) with the possibility to cleave off the whole tag by 3C protease. The developed protocol of expression and purification comprising of a combination of subtractive immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) and size-exclusion chromatography allowed us to obtain up to 25 mg/1 L culture of completely soluble StAR protein, which was (i) homogenous according to SDS-PAGE, (ii) gave a single symmetrical peak on a gel-filtration, (iii) showed the characteristic CD spectrum and (iv) pH-dependent ability to bind a fluorescently-labeled cholesterol analogue. We conclude that our strategy provides fully soluble and native StAR protein which in future could be efficiently used for biotechnology and drug discovery aimed at modulation of steroids production. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Viigand, Katrin; Visnapuu, Triinu; Mardo, Karin; Aasamets, Anneli; Alamäe, Tiina
2016-08-01
Saccharomyces cerevisiae maltases use maltose, maltulose, turanose and maltotriose as substrates, isomaltases use isomaltose, α-methylglucoside and palatinose and both use sucrose. These enzymes are hypothesized to have evolved from a promiscuous α-glucosidase ancMALS through duplication and mutation of the genes. We studied substrate specificity of the maltase protein MAL1 from an earlier diverged yeast, Ogataea polymorpha (Op), in the light of this hypothesis. MAL1 has extended substrate specificity and its properties are strikingly similar to those of resurrected ancMALS. Moreover, amino acids considered to determine selective substrate binding are highly conserved between Op MAL1 and ancMALS. Op MAL1 represents an α-glucosidase in which both maltase and isomaltase activities are well optimized in a single enzyme. Substitution of Thr200 (corresponds to Val216 in S. cerevisiae isomaltase IMA1) with Val in MAL1 drastically reduced the hydrolysis of maltose-like substrates (α-1,4-glucosides), confirming the requirement of Thr at the respective position for this function. Differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) of the catalytically inactive mutant Asp199Ala of MAL1 in the presence of its substrates and selected monosaccharides suggested that the substrate-binding pocket of MAL1 has three subsites (-1, +1 and +2) and that binding is strongest at the -1 subsite. The DSF assay results were in good accordance with affinity (Km ) and inhibition (Ki ) data of the enzyme for tested substrates, indicating the power of the method to predict substrate binding. Deletion of either the maltase (MAL1) or α-glucoside permease (MAL2) gene in Op abolished the growth of yeast on MAL1 substrates, confirming the requirement of both proteins for usage of these sugars. © 2016 The Authors. Yeast published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2016 The Authors. Yeast published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hxt-carrier-mediated glucose efflux upon exposure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to excess maltose.
Jansen, Mickel L A; De Winde, Johannes H; Pronk, Jack T
2002-09-01
When wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains pregrown in maltose-limited chemostat cultures were exposed to excess maltose, release of glucose into the external medium was observed. Control experiments confirmed that glucose release was not caused by cell lysis or extracellular maltose hydrolysis. To test the hypothesis that glucose efflux involved plasma membrane glucose transporters, experiments were performed with an S. cerevisiae strain in which all members of the hexose transporter (HXT) gene family had been eliminated and with an isogenic reference strain. Glucose efflux was virtually eliminated in the hexose-transport-deficient strain. This constitutes experimental proof that Hxt transporters facilitate export of glucose from S. cerevisiae cells. After exposure of the hexose-transport-deficient strain to excess maltose, an increase in the intracellular glucose level was observed, while the concentrations of glucose 6-phosphate and ATP remained relatively low. These results demonstrate that glucose efflux can occur as a result of uncoordinated expression of the initial steps of maltose metabolism and the subsequent reactions in glucose dissimilation. This is a relevant phenomenon for selection of maltose-constitutive strains for baking and brewing.
Hxt-Carrier-Mediated Glucose Efflux upon Exposure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Excess Maltose
Jansen, Mickel L. A.; De Winde, Johannes H.; Pronk, Jack T.
2002-01-01
When wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains pregrown in maltose-limited chemostat cultures were exposed to excess maltose, release of glucose into the external medium was observed. Control experiments confirmed that glucose release was not caused by cell lysis or extracellular maltose hydrolysis. To test the hypothesis that glucose efflux involved plasma membrane glucose transporters, experiments were performed with an S. cerevisiae strain in which all members of the hexose transporter (HXT) gene family had been eliminated and with an isogenic reference strain. Glucose efflux was virtually eliminated in the hexose-transport-deficient strain. This constitutes experimental proof that Hxt transporters facilitate export of glucose from S. cerevisiae cells. After exposure of the hexose-transport-deficient strain to excess maltose, an increase in the intracellular glucose level was observed, while the concentrations of glucose 6-phosphate and ATP remained relatively low. These results demonstrate that glucose efflux can occur as a result of uncoordinated expression of the initial steps of maltose metabolism and the subsequent reactions in glucose dissimilation. This is a relevant phenomenon for selection of maltose-constitutive strains for baking and brewing. PMID:12200274
Determining Membrane Protein-Lipid Binding Thermodynamics Using Native Mass Spectrometry.
Cong, Xiao; Liu, Yang; Liu, Wen; Liang, Xiaowen; Russell, David H; Laganowsky, Arthur
2016-04-06
Membrane proteins are embedded in the biological membrane where the chemically diverse lipid environment can modulate their structure and function. However, the thermodynamics governing the molecular recognition and interaction of lipids with membrane proteins is poorly understood. Here, we report a method using native mass spectrometry (MS), to determine thermodynamics of individual ligand binding events to proteins. Unlike conventional methods, native MS can resolve individual ligand binding events and, coupled with an apparatus to control the temperature, determine binding thermodynamic parameters, such as for protein-lipid interactions. We validated our approach using three soluble protein-ligand systems (maltose binding protein, lysozyme, and nitrogen regulatory protein) and obtained similar results to those using isothermal titration calorimetry and surface plasmon resonance. We also determined for the first time the thermodynamics of individual lipid binding to the ammonia channel (AmtB), an integral membrane protein from Escherichia coli. Remarkably, we observed distinct thermodynamic signatures for the binding of different lipids and entropy-enthalpy compensation for binding lipids of variable chain length. Additionally, using a mutant form of AmtB that abolishes a specific phosphatidylglycerol (PG) binding site, we observed distinct changes in the thermodynamic signatures for binding PG, implying these signatures can identify key residues involved in specific lipid binding and potentially differentiate between specific lipid binding sites.
Verhoeven, Nicolas; Neoh, Tze Loon; Ohashi, Tetsuya; Furuta, Takeshi; Kurozumi, Sayaka; Yoshii, Hidefumi
2012-04-01
β-Maltose monohydrate was transformed into an anhydrous form by ethanol-mediated method under several temperatures with agitation. A new stable anhydrous form of β-maltose (Mβ(s)) was obtained, as substantiated by the X-ray diffraction patterns. Mβ(s) obtained by this method presented a fine porous structure, resulting in greater specific surface area compared to those of β-maltose monohydrate and anhydrous β-maltose obtained by vacuum drying (Mβ(h)). The crystal transformation presumably consisted of two steps: dehydration reaction from the hydrous to amorphous forms and crystal formation from the amorphous forms to the noble anhydrous form. The kinetics of these reactions were determined by thermal analysis using Jander's equation and Arrhenius plots. The overall activation energies of the dehydration reaction and the formation of anhydrous maltose were evaluated to be 100 and 90 kJ/mol, respectively. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Ohdate, Takumi; Omura, Fumihiko; Hatanaka, Haruyo; Zhou, Yan; Takagi, Masami; Goshima, Tetsuya; Akao, Takeshi; Ono, Eiichiro
2018-01-01
For maltose fermentation, budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae operates a mechanism that involves transporters (MALT), maltases (MALS) and regulators (MALR) collectively known as MAL genes. However, functional relevance of MAL genes during sake brewing process remains largely elusive, since sake yeast is cultured under glucose-rich condition achieved by the co-culture partner Aspergillus spp.. Here we isolated an ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS)-mutagenized sake yeast strain exhibiting enhanced maltose fermentation compared to the parental strain. The mutant carried a single nucleotide insertion that leads to the extension of the C-terminal region of a previously uncharacterized MALR gene YPR196W-2, which was renamed as MAL73. Introduction of the mutant allele MAL73L with extended C-terminal region into the parental or other sake yeast strains enhanced the growth rate when fed with maltose as the sole carbon source. In contrast, disruption of endogenous MAL73 in the sake yeasts decreased the maltose fermentation ability of sake yeast, confirming that the original MAL73 functions as a MALR. Importantly, the MAL73L-expressing strain fermented more maltose in practical condition compared to the parental strain during sake brewing process. Our data show that MAL73(L) is a novel MALR gene that regulates maltose fermentation, and has been functionally attenuated in sake yeast by single nucleotide deletion during breeding history. Since the MAL73L-expressing strain showed enhanced ability of maltose fermentation, MAL73L might also be a valuable tool for enhancing maltose fermentation in yeast in general.
Lin, Xue; Yu, Ai-Qun; Zhang, Cui-Ying; Pi, Li; Bai, Xiao-Wen; Xiao, Dong-Guang
2017-11-09
Tup1 is a general transcriptional repressor of diverse gene families coordinately controlled by glucose repression, mating type, and other mechanisms in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Several functional domains of Tup1 have been identified, each of which has differing effects on transcriptional repression. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of Tup1 and its domains in maltose metabolism of industrial baker's yeast. To this end, a battery of in-frame truncations in the TUP1 gene coding region were performed in the industrial baker's yeasts with different genetic background, and the maltose metabolism, leavening ability, MAL gene expression levels, and growth characteristics were investigated. The results suggest that the TUP1 gene is essential to maltose metabolism in industrial baker's yeast. Importantly, different domains of Tup1 play different roles in glucose repression and maltose metabolism of industrial baker's yeast cells. The Ssn6 interaction, N-terminal repression and C-terminal repression domains might play roles in the regulation of MAL transcription by Tup1 for maltose metabolism of baker's yeast. The WD region lacking the first repeat could influence the regulation of maltose metabolism directly, rather than indirectly through glucose repression. These findings lay a foundation for the optimization of industrial baker's yeast strains for accelerated maltose metabolism and facilitate future research on glucose repression in other sugar metabolism.
Lebot, Vincent
2017-03-01
When a raw sweet potato root is analysed, only sucrose, glucose and fructose are present but during cooking, starch is hydrolysed into maltose giving the sweet flavour to cooked roots. This study aimed at developing an HPTLC protocol for the rapid quantitative determination of maltose and total sugars in four commercial varieties and to compare them to 243 hybrids grouped by flesh colour (white, orange, purple). In commercial varieties, mean maltose content varied from 10.26 to 15.60% and total sugars from 17.83 to 27.77% on fresh weight basis. Hybrids showed significant variation in maltose content within each group, with means ranging from 7.65% for white-fleshed, to 8.53% in orange- and 11.98% in purple-fleshed. Total mean sugars content was 20.24, 22.11 and 26.84% respectively for white, orange and purple flesh hybrids. No significant correlations were detected between individual sugars but maltose and total sugars content were highly correlated. Compared to the best commercial variety ( Baby ), 25 hybrids (10.3%) presented a higher maltose content and 40 (16.5%) showed a higher total sugars content. HPTLC was observed as an attractive, cost efficient, high-throughput technique for quantitating maltose and total sugars in sweet potatoes. Perspectives for improving sweet potato quality for consumers' requirements are also discussed.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-04-01
...) Nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners. Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup...
21 CFR 131.206 - Nonfat yogurt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-04-01
...) Nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners. Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dired malt extract; malt sirup...
21 CFR 131.206 - Nonfat yogurt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-04-01
...) Nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners. Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dired malt extract; malt sirup...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-04-01
...) Nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners. Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-04-01
...) Nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners. Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup...
21 CFR 131.206 - Nonfat yogurt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-04-01
...) Nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners. Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dired malt extract; malt sirup...
21 CFR 131.206 - Nonfat yogurt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-04-01
...) Nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners. Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dired malt extract; malt sirup...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-04-01
...) Nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners. Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup...
21 CFR 131.206 - Nonfat yogurt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-04-01
...) Nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners. Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dired malt extract; malt sirup...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-04-01
...) Nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners. Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup...
Structural consequences of cutting a binding loop: two circularly permuted variants of streptavidin
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Le Trong, Isolde; University of Washington, Box 357742, Seattle, WA 98195-7742; Chu, Vano
2013-06-01
The crystal structures of two circularly permuted streptavidins probe the role of a flexible loop in the tight binding of biotin. Molecular-dynamics calculations for one of the mutants suggests that increased fluctuations in a hydrogen bond between the protein and biotin are associated with cleavage of the binding loop. Circular permutation of streptavidin was carried out in order to investigate the role of a main-chain amide in stabilizing the high-affinity complex of the protein and biotin. Mutant proteins CP49/48 and CP50/49 were constructed to place new N-termini at residues 49 and 50 in a flexible loop involved in stabilizing themore » biotin complex. Crystal structures of the two mutants show that half of each loop closes over the binding site, as observed in wild-type streptavidin, while the other half adopts the open conformation found in the unliganded state. The structures are consistent with kinetic and thermodynamic data and indicate that the loop plays a role in enthalpic stabilization of the bound state via the Asn49 amide–biotin hydrogen bond. In wild-type streptavidin, the entropic penalties of immobilizing a flexible portion of the protein to enhance binding are kept to a manageable level by using a contiguous loop of medium length (six residues) which is already constrained by its anchorage to strands of the β-barrel protein. A molecular-dynamics simulation for CP50/49 shows that cleavage of the binding loop results in increased structural fluctuations for Ser45 and that these fluctuations destabilize the streptavidin–biotin complex.« less
Moua, Pachai S; Gonzalez, Alfonso; Oshiro, Kristin T; Tam, Vivian; Li, Zhiguo Harry; Chang, Jennifer; Leung, Wilson; Yon, Amy; Thor, Der; Venkatram, Sri; Franz, Andreas H; Risser, Douglas D; Lin-Cereghino, Joan; Lin-Cereghino, Geoff P
2016-08-01
The Escherichia coli maltose binding protein (MBP) is an N-terminal fusion partner that was shown to enhance the secretion of some heterologous proteins from the yeast Pichia pastoris, a popular host for recombinant protein expression. The amount of increase in secretion was dependent on the identity of the cargo protein, and the fusions were proteolyzed prior to secretion, limiting its use as a purification tag. In order to overcome these obstacles, we used the MBP as C-terminal partner for several cargo peptides. While the Cargo-MBP proteins were no longer proteolyzed in between these two moieties when the MBP was in this relative position, the secretion efficiency of several fusions was lower than when MBP was located at the opposite end of the cargo protein (MBP-Cargo). Furthermore, fluorescence analysis suggested that the MBP-EGFP and EGFP-MBP proteins followed different routes within the cell. The effect of several Pichia pastoris beta-galactosidase supersecretion (bgs) strains, mutants showing enhanced secretion of select reporters, was also investigated on both MBP-EGFP and EGFP-MBP. While the secretion efficiency, proteolysis and localization of the MBP-EGFP was influenced by the modified function of Bgs13, EGFP-MBP behavior was not affected in the bgs strain. Taken together, these results indicate that the location of the MBP in a fusion affects the pathway and trans-acting factors regulating secretion in P. pastoris. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Optimization of NMR spectroscopy of encapsulated proteins dissolved in low viscosity fluids
Nucci, Nathaniel V.; Marques, Bryan S.; Bédard, Sabrina; Dogan, Jakob; Gledhill, John M.; Moorman, Veronica R.; Peterson, Ronald W.; Valentine, Kathleen G.; Wand, Alison L.; Wand, A. Joshua
2014-01-01
Comprehensive application of solution NMR spectroscopy to studies of macromolecules remains fundamentally limited by the molecular rotational correlation time. For proteins, molecules larger than 30 kDa require complex experimental methods, such as TROSY in conjunction with isotopic labeling schemes that are often expensive and generally reduce the potential information available. We have developed the reverse micelle encapsulation strategy as an alternative approach. Encapsulation of proteins within the protective nano-scale water pool of a reverse micelle dissolved in ultra-low viscosity nonpolar solvents overcomes the slow tumbling problem presented by large proteins. Here, we characterize the contributions from the various components of the protein-containing reverse micelle system to the rotational correlation time of the encapsulated protein. Importantly, we demonstrate that the protein encapsulated in the reverse micelle maintains a hydration shell comparable in size to that seen in bulk solution. Using moderate pressures, encapsulation in ultra-low viscosity propane or ethane can be used to magnify this advantage. We show that encapsulation in liquid ethane can be used to reduce the tumbling time of the 43 kDa maltose binding protein from ~23 ns to ~10 ns. These conditions enable, for example, acquisition of TOCSY-type data resolved on the adjacent amide NH for the 42 kDa encapsulated maltose binding protein dissolved in liquid ethane, which is typically impossible for proteins of such size without use of extensive deuteration or the TROSY effect. PMID:21748265
ATP Hydrolysis Mechanism in a Maltose Transporter Explored by QM/MM Metadynamics Simulation.
Hsu, Wei-Lin; Furuta, Tadaomi; Sakurai, Minoru
2016-11-03
Translocation of substrates across the cell membrane by adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette (ABC) transporters depends on the energy provided by ATP hydrolysis within the nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs). However, the detailed mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we focused on maltose transporter NBDs (MalK 2 ) and performed a quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) well-tempered metadynamics simulation to address this issue. We explored the free-energy profile along an assigned collective variable. As a result, it was determined that the activation free energy is approximately 10.5 kcal/mol, and the reaction released approximately 3.8 kcal/mol of free energy, indicating that the reaction of interest is a one-step exothermic reaction. The dissociation of the ATP γ-phosphate seems to be the rate-limiting step, which supports the so-called dissociative model. Moreover, Glu159, located in the Walker B motif, acts as a base to abstract the proton from the lytic water, but is not the catalytic base, which corresponds to an atypical general base catalysis model. We also observed two interesting proton transfers: transfer from the His192 ε-position nitrogen to the dissociated inorganic phosphate, Pi, and transfer from the Lys42 side chain to adenosine 5'-diphosphate β-phosphate. These proton transfers would stabilize the posthydrolysis state. Our study provides significant insight into the ATP hydrolysis mechanism in MalK 2 from a dynamical viewpoint, and this insight would be applicable to other ABC transporters.
Albers, Michael; Blume, Beatrix; Schlueter, Thomas; Wright, Matthew B; Kober, Ingo; Kremoser, Claus; Deuschle, Ulrich; Koegl, Manfred
2006-02-24
Partial, selective activation of nuclear receptors is a central issue in molecular endocrinology but only partly understood. Using LXRs as an example, we show here that purely agonistic ligands can be clearly and quantitatively differentiated from partial agonists by the cofactor interactions they induce. Although a pure agonist induces a conformation that is incompatible with the binding of repressors, partial agonists such as GW3965 induce a state where the interaction not only with coactivators, but also corepressors is clearly enhanced over the unliganded state. The activities of the natural ligand 22(R)-hydroxycholesterol and of a novel quinazolinone ligand, LN6500 can be further differentiated from GW3965 and T0901317 by their weaker induction of coactivator binding. Using biochemical and cell-based assays, we show that the natural ligand of LXR is a comparably weak partial agonist. As predicted, we find that a change in the coactivator to corepressor ratio in the cell will affect NCoR recruiting compounds more dramatically than NCoR-dissociating compounds. Our data show how competitive binding of coactivators and corepressors can explain the tissue-specific behavior of partial agonists and open up new routes to a rational design of partial agonists for LXRs.
21 CFR 131.203 - Lowfat yogurt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-04-01
... (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose, maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar...
21 CFR 131.203 - Lowfat yogurt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-04-01
... (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose, maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-04-01
.... Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-04-01
.... Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple...
21 CFR 131.203 - Lowfat yogurt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-04-01
... (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose, maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-04-01
.... Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple...
21 CFR 131.203 - Lowfat yogurt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-04-01
... (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose, maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-04-01
.... Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple...
21 CFR 131.203 - Lowfat yogurt.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-04-01
... (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose, maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar...
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-04-01
.... Sugar (sucrose), beet or cane; invert sugar (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple...
Vidgren, Virve; Ruohonen, Laura; Londesborough, John
2005-12-01
Maltose and maltotriose are the major sugars in brewer's wort. Brewer's yeasts contain multiple genes for maltose transporters. It is not known which of these express functional transporters. We correlated maltose transport kinetics with the genotypes of some ale and lager yeasts. Maltose transport by two ale strains was strongly inhibited by other alpha-glucosides, suggesting the use of broad substrate specificity transporters, such as Agt1p. Maltose transport by three lager strains was weakly inhibited by other alpha-glucosides, suggesting the use of narrow substrate specificity transporters. Hybridization studies showed that all five strains contained complete MAL1, MAL2, MAL3, and MAL4 loci, except for one ale strain, which lacked a MAL2 locus. All five strains also contained both AGT1 (coding a broad specificity alpha-glucoside transporter) and MAL11 alleles. MPH genes (maltose permease homologues) were present in the lager but not in the ale strains. During growth on maltose, the lager strains expressed AGT1 at low levels and MALx1 genes at high levels, whereas the ale strains expressed AGT1 at high levels and MALx1 genes at low levels. MPHx expression was negligible in all strains. The AGT1 sequences from the ale strains encoded full-length (616 amino acid) polypeptides, but those from both sequenced lager strains encoded truncated (394 amino acid) polypeptides that are unlikely to be functional transporters. Thus, despite the apparently similar genotypes of these ale and lager strains revealed by hybridization, maltose is predominantly carried by AGT1-encoded transporters in the ale strains and by MALx1-encoded transporters in the lager strains.
Choi, Kyoung-Hwa; Hwang, Sungmin
2013-01-01
A putative maltose/maltodextrin operon was found in the Sulfolobus acidocaldarius DSM639 genome. The gene cluster consisted of 7 genes (malA, trmB, amyA, malG, malF, malE, and malK). Here, we report the identification of MalA, which is responsible for the hydrolysis of maltose or maltodextrin to glucose in S. acidocaldarius. The transcription level of malA was increased 3-fold upon the addition of maltose or starch to the medium. Moreover, the α-glucosidase activity for maltose as a substrate in cell extracts of S. acidocaldarius DSM639 was also 11- and 10-fold higher during growth in YT medium (Brock's mineral salts, 0.1% [wt/vol] tryptone, and 0.005% [wt/vol] yeast extract) containing maltose or starch, respectively, than during growth on other sugars. The gene encoding MalA was cloned and expressed in S. acidocaldarius. The enzyme purified from the organism was a dodecamer in its active state and showed strong maltose-hydrolyzing activity at 100°C and pH 5.0. MalA was remarkably thermostable, with half-lives of 33.8 h, 10.6 h, and 1.8 h at 95°C, 100°C, and 105°C, respectively. Substrate specificity and kinetic studies of MalA with maltooligosaccharides indicated that MalA efficiently hydrolyzed maltose to maltopentaose, which is a typical characteristic of GH31-type α-glucosidases. However, glycogen or starch was not hydrolyzed. Reverse transcription-PCR, sugar uptake, and growth studies of the wild-type DSM639 and ΔmalEFG mutant on different sugars demonstrated that MalA located in the mal operon gene cluster is involved in maltose and starch metabolism in S. acidocaldarius. PMID:23396915
Miyazaki, Takatsugu; Ishizaki, Yuichi; Ichikawa, Megumi; Nishikawa, Atsushi; Tonozuka, Takashi
2015-07-01
Glycoside hydrolase family 31 (GH31) proteins have been reportedly identified as exo-α-glycosidases with activity for α-glucosides and α-xylosides. We focused on a GH31 subfamily, which contains proteins with low sequence identity (<24%) to the previously reported GH31 glycosidases and characterized two enzymes from Pedobacter heparinus and Pedobacter saltans. The enzymes unexpectedly exhibited α-galactosidase activity, but were not active on α-glucosides and α-xylosides. The crystal structures of one of the enzymes, PsGal31A, in unliganded form and in complexes with D-galactose or L-fucose and the catalytic nucleophile mutant in unliganded form and in complex with p-nitrophenyl-α-D-galactopyranoside, were determined at 1.85-2.30 Å (1 Å=0.1 nm) resolution. The overall structure of PsGal31A contains four domains and the catalytic domain adopts a (β/α)8-barrel fold that resembles the structures of other GH31 enzymes. Two catalytic aspartic acid residues are structurally conserved in the enzymes, whereas most residues forming the active site differ from those of GH31 α-glucosidases and α-xylosidases. PsGal31A forms a dimer via a unique loop that is not conserved in other reported GH31 enzymes; this loop is involved in its aglycone specificity and in binding L-fucose. Considering potential genes for α-L-fucosidases and carbohydrate-related proteins within the vicinity of Pedobacter Gal31, the identified Gal31 enzymes are likely to function in a novel sugar degradation system. This is the first report of α-galactosidases which belong to GH31 family. © 2015 Authors; published by Portland Press Limited.
Structural reorganization of the interleukin-7 signaling complex
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
McElroy, Craig A.; Holland, Paul J.; Zhao, Peng
2012-06-29
We report here an unliganded receptor structure in the common gamma-chain ({gamma}{sub c}) family of receptors and cytokines. The crystal structure of the unliganded form of the interleukin-7 alpha receptor (IL-7R{alpha}) extracellular domain (ECD) at 2.15 {angstrom} resolution reveals a homodimer forming an 'X' geometry looking down onto the cell surface with the C termini of the two chains separated by 110 {angstrom} and the dimer interface comprising residues critical for IL-7 binding. Further biophysical studies indicate a weak association of the IL-7R{alpha} ECDs but a stronger association between the {gamma}{sub c}/IL-7R{alpha} ECDs, similar to previous studies of the full-lengthmore » receptors on CD4{sup +} T cells. Based on these and previous results, we propose a molecular mechanism detailing the progression from the inactive IL-7R{alpha} homodimer and IL-7R{alpha}-{gamma}{sub c} heterodimer to the active IL-7-IL-7R{alpha}-{gamma}{sub c} ternary complex whereby the two receptors undergo at least a 90{sup o} rotation away from the cell surface, moving the C termini of IL-7R{alpha} and {gamma}{sub c} from a distance of 110 {angstrom} to less than 30 {angstrom} at the cell surface. This molecular mechanism can be used to explain recently discovered IL-7- and {gamma}{sub c}-independent gain-of-function mutations in IL-7R{alpha} from B- and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. The mechanism may also be applicable to other {gamma}{sub c} receptors that form inactive homodimers and heterodimers independent of their cytokines.« less
S-SAD phasing study of death receptor 6 and its solution conformation revealed by SAXS
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Ru, Heng; Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100 049; Zhao, Lixia
A comparative analysis of sulfur phasing of death receptor 6 (DR6) using data collected at wavelengths of 2.0 and 2.7 Å is presented. SAXS analysis of unliganded DR6 defines a dimer as the minimum physical unit in solution. A subset of tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily members contain death domains in their cytoplasmic tails. Death receptor 6 (DR6) is one such member and can trigger apoptosis upon the binding of a ligand by its cysteine-rich domains (CRDs). The crystal structure of the ectodomain (amino acids 1–348) of human death receptor 6 (DR6) encompassing the CRD region was phased usingmore » the anomalous signal from S atoms. In order to explore the feasibility of S-SAD phasing at longer wavelengths (beyond 2.5 Å), a comparative study was performed on data collected at wavelengths of 2.0 and 2.7 Å. In spite of sub-optimal experimental conditions, the 2.7 Å wavelength used for data collection showed potential for S-SAD phasing. The results showed that the R{sub ano}/R{sub p.i.m.} ratio is a good indicator for monitoring the anomalous data quality when the anomalous signal is relatively strong, while d′′/sig(d′′) calculated by SHELXC is a more sensitive and stable indicator applicable for grading a wider range of anomalous data qualities. The use of the ‘parameter-space screening method’ for S-SAD phasing resulted in solutions for data sets that failed during manual attempts. SAXS measurements on the ectodomain suggested that a dimer defines the minimal physical unit of an unliganded DR6 molecule in solution.« less
Stubborn contaminants: influence of detergents on the purity of the multidrug ABC transporter BmrA.
Wiseman, Benjamin; Kilburg, Arnaud; Chaptal, Vincent; Reyes-Mejia, Gina Catalina; Sarwan, Jonathan; Falson, Pierre; Jault, Jean-Michel
2014-01-01
Despite the growing interest in membrane proteins, their crystallization remains a major challenge. In the course of a crystallographic study on the multidrug ATP-binding cassette transporter BmrA, mass spectral analyses on samples purified with six selected detergents revealed unexpected protein contamination visible for the most part on overloaded SDS-PAGE. A major contamination from the outer membrane protein OmpF was detected in purifications with Foscholine 12 (FC12) but not with Lauryldimethylamine-N-oxide (LDAO) or any of the maltose-based detergents. Consequently, in the FC12 purified BmrA, OmpF easily crystallized over BmrA in a new space group, and whose structure is reported here. We therefore devised an optimized protocol to eliminate OmpF during the FC12 purification of BmrA. On the other hand, an additional band visible at ∼110 kDa was detected in all samples purified with the maltose-based detergents. It contained AcrB that crystallized over BmrA despite its trace amounts. Highly pure BmrA preparations could be obtained using either a ΔacrAB E. coli strain and n-dodecyl-β-D-maltopyranoside, or a classical E. coli strain and lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol for the overexpression and purification, respectively. Overall our results urge to incorporate a proteomics-based purity analysis into quality control checks prior to commencing crystallization assays of membrane proteins that are notoriously arduous to crystallize. Moreover, the strategies developed here to selectively eliminate obstinate contaminants should be applicable to the purification of other membrane proteins overexpressed in E. coli.
Stubborn Contaminants: Influence of Detergents on the Purity of the Multidrug ABC Transporter BmrA
Chaptal, Vincent; Reyes-Mejia, Gina Catalina; Sarwan, Jonathan; Falson, Pierre; Jault, Jean-Michel
2014-01-01
Despite the growing interest in membrane proteins, their crystallization remains a major challenge. In the course of a crystallographic study on the multidrug ATP-binding cassette transporter BmrA, mass spectral analyses on samples purified with six selected detergents revealed unexpected protein contamination visible for the most part on overloaded SDS-PAGE. A major contamination from the outer membrane protein OmpF was detected in purifications with Foscholine 12 (FC12) but not with Lauryldimethylamine-N-oxide (LDAO) or any of the maltose-based detergents. Consequently, in the FC12 purified BmrA, OmpF easily crystallized over BmrA in a new space group, and whose structure is reported here. We therefore devised an optimized protocol to eliminate OmpF during the FC12 purification of BmrA. On the other hand, an additional band visible at ∼110 kDa was detected in all samples purified with the maltose-based detergents. It contained AcrB that crystallized over BmrA despite its trace amounts. Highly pure BmrA preparations could be obtained using either a ΔacrAB E. coli strain and n-dodecyl-β-D-maltopyranoside, or a classical E. coli strain and lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol for the overexpression and purification, respectively. Overall our results urge to incorporate a proteomics-based purity analysis into quality control checks prior to commencing crystallization assays of membrane proteins that are notoriously arduous to crystallize. Moreover, the strategies developed here to selectively eliminate obstinate contaminants should be applicable to the purification of other membrane proteins overexpressed in E. coli. PMID:25517996
21 CFR 131.111 - Acidified milk.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-04-01
... (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar; or any of the sweeteners listed in...
21 CFR 131.112 - Cultured milk.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-04-01
... (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar; or any of the sweeteners listed in...
21 CFR 131.112 - Cultured milk.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-04-01
... (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar; or any of the sweeteners listed in...
21 CFR 131.111 - Acidified milk.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-04-01
... (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar; or any of the sweeteners listed in...
21 CFR 131.112 - Cultured milk.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR
2013-04-01
... (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar; or any of the sweeteners listed in...
21 CFR 131.112 - Cultured milk.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-04-01
... (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar; or any of the sweeteners listed in...
21 CFR 131.111 - Acidified milk.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR
2011-04-01
... (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar; or any of the sweeteners listed in...
21 CFR 131.112 - Cultured milk.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR
2010-04-01
... (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar; or any of the sweeteners listed in...
21 CFR 131.111 - Acidified milk.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR
2014-04-01
... (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar; or any of the sweeteners listed in...
21 CFR 131.111 - Acidified milk.
Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR
2012-04-01
... (in paste or sirup form); brown sugar; refiner's sirup; molasses (other than blackstrap); high fructose corn sirup; fructose; fructose sirup; maltose; maltose sirup, dried maltose sirup; malt extract, dried malt extract; malt sirup, dried malt sirup; honey; maple sugar; or any of the sweeteners listed in...
Structure of the C-terminal domain of the arginine repressor protein from Mycobacterium tuberculosis
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Cherney, Leonid T.; Cherney, Maia M.; Garen, Craig R.
2008-09-01
The structure of the core domain of the arginine repressor protein from M. tuberculosis has been determined with (1.85 Å resolution) and without (2.15 Å resolution) the arginine corepressor bound. Three additional arginine molecules have been found to bind to the core domain hexamer at high (0.2 M) arginine concentration. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) gene product encoded by open reading frame Rv1657 is an arginine repressor (ArgR). All genes involved in the l-arginine (hereafter arginine) biosynthetic pathway are essential for optimal growth of the Mtb pathogen, thus making MtbArgR a potential target for drug design. The C-terminal domains of argininemore » repressors (CArgR) participate in oligomerization and arginine binding. Several crystal forms of CArgR from Mtb (MtbCArgR) have been obtained. The X-ray crystal structures of MtbCArgR were determined at 1.85 Å resolution with bound arginine and at 2.15 Å resolution in the unliganded form. These structures show that six molecules of MtbCArgR are arranged into a hexamer having approximate 32 point symmetry that is formed from two trimers. The trimers rotate relative to each other by about 11° upon binding arginine. All residues in MtbCArgR deemed to be important for hexamer formation and for arginine binding have been identified from the experimentally determined structures presented. The hexamer contains six regular sites in which the arginine molecules have one common binding mode and three sites in which the arginine molecules have two overlapping binding modes. The latter sites only bind the ligand at high (200 mM) arginine concentrations.« less
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
McCormack, T.; Petrovich,; Mercier, K
2010-01-01
We identified a homologue of the molluscan acetylcholine-binding protein (AChBP) in the marine polychaete Capitella teleta, from the annelid phylum. The amino acid sequence of C. teleta AChBP (ct-AChBP) is 21-30% identical with those of known molluscan AChBPs. Sequence alignments indicate that ct-AChBP has a shortened Cys loop compared to other Cys loop receptors, and a variation on a conserved Cys loop triad, which is associated with ligand binding in other AChBPs and nicotinic ACh receptor (nAChR) {alpha} subunits. Within the D loop of ct-AChBP, a conserved aromatic residue (Tyr or Trp) in nAChRs and molluscan AChBPs, which has beenmore » implicated directly in ligand binding, is substituted with an isoleucine. Mass spectrometry results indicate that Asn122 and Asn216 of ct-AChBP are glycosylated when expressed using HEK293 cells. Small-angle X-ray scattering data suggest that the overall shape of ct-AChBP in the apo or unliganded state is similar to that of homologues with known pentameric crystal structures. NMR experiments show that acetylcholine, nicotine, and {alpha}-bungarotoxin bind to ct-AChBP with high affinity, with KD values of 28.7 {micro}M, 209 nM, and 110 nM, respectively. Choline bound with a lower affinity (K{sub D} = 163 {micro}M). Our finding of a functional AChBP in a marine annelid demonstrates that AChBPs may exhibit variations in hallmark motifs such as ligand-binding residues and Cys loop length and shows conclusively that this neurotransmitter binding protein is not limited to the phylum Mollusca.« less
Yang, Li-Quan; Sang, Peng; Tao, Yan; Fu, Yun-Xin; Zhang, Ke-Qin; Xie, Yue-Hui; Liu, Shu-Qun
2013-01-01
Proteins are dynamic entities in cellular solution with functions governed essentially by their dynamic personalities. We review several dynamics studies on serine protease proteinase K and HIV-1 gp120 envelope glycoprotein to demonstrate the importance of investigating the dynamic behaviors and molecular motions for a complete understanding of their structure–function relationships. Using computer simulations and essential dynamic (ED) analysis approaches, the dynamics data obtained revealed that: (i) proteinase K has highly flexible substrate-binding site, thus supporting the induced-fit or conformational selection mechanism of substrate binding; (ii) Ca2+ removal from proteinase K increases the global conformational flexibility, decreases the local flexibility of substrate-binding region, and does not influence the thermal motion of catalytic triad, thus explaining the experimentally determined decreased thermal stability, reduced substrate affinity, and almost unchanged catalytic activity upon Ca2+ removal; (iii) substrate binding affects the large concerted motions of proteinase K, and the resulting dynamic pocket can be connected to substrate binding, orientation, and product release; (iv) amino acid mutations 375 S/W and 423 I/P of HIV-1 gp120 have distinct effects on molecular motions of gp120, facilitating 375 S/W mutant to assume the CD4-bound conformation, while 423 I/P mutant to prefer for CD4-unliganded state. The mechanisms underlying protein dynamics and protein–ligand binding, including the concept of the free energy landscape (FEL) of the protein–solvent system, how the ruggedness and variability of FEL determine protein's dynamics, and how the three ligand-binding models, the lock-and-key, induced-fit, and conformational selection are rationalized based on the FEL theory are discussed in depth. PMID:23527883
Yang, Li-Quan; Sang, Peng; Tao, Yan; Fu, Yun-Xin; Zhang, Ke-Qin; Xie, Yue-Hui; Liu, Shu-Qun
2014-01-01
Proteins are dynamic entities in cellular solution with functions governed essentially by their dynamic personalities. We review several dynamics studies on serine protease proteinase K and HIV-1 gp120 envelope glycoprotein to demonstrate the importance of investigating the dynamic behaviors and molecular motions for a complete understanding of their structure-function relationships. Using computer simulations and essential dynamic (ED) analysis approaches, the dynamics data obtained revealed that: (i) proteinase K has highly flexible substrate-binding site, thus supporting the induced-fit or conformational selection mechanism of substrate binding; (ii) Ca(2+) removal from proteinase K increases the global conformational flexibility, decreases the local flexibility of substrate-binding region, and does not influence the thermal motion of catalytic triad, thus explaining the experimentally determined decreased thermal stability, reduced substrate affinity, and almost unchanged catalytic activity upon Ca(2+) removal; (iii) substrate binding affects the large concerted motions of proteinase K, and the resulting dynamic pocket can be connected to substrate binding, orientation, and product release; (iv) amino acid mutations 375 S/W and 423 I/P of HIV-1 gp120 have distinct effects on molecular motions of gp120, facilitating 375 S/W mutant to assume the CD4-bound conformation, while 423 I/P mutant to prefer for CD4-unliganded state. The mechanisms underlying protein dynamics and protein-ligand binding, including the concept of the free energy landscape (FEL) of the protein-solvent system, how the ruggedness and variability of FEL determine protein's dynamics, and how the three ligand-binding models, the lock-and-key, induced-fit, and conformational selection are rationalized based on the FEL theory are discussed in depth.
Ali, M S
1988-01-01
A liquid chromatographic (LC) method for the simultaneous determination of dextrose, sucrose, maltose, and lactose in sausage products has been developed. Dextrose, sucrose, maltose, and lactose are extracted from comminuted meat products with 52% ethanol. After filtration, the extracts are purified by passing them through a C18 Sep-Pak cartridge and 2 ion exchange resin Econo-columns in series. After concentration and filtration, extracts are analyzed by LC using a normal phase amino column and a differential refractometer detector. Homogeneously ground samples of cooked and fresh sausages are fortified with dextrose, sucrose, maltose, and lactose at 4 different concentrations. Average recovery for dextrose, sucrose, maltose, and lactose at all 4 levels of fortification was greater than 80% with a coefficient of variation less than 10%.
2009-10-22
ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR( S ) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME( S ) AND ADDRESS(ES...MONITORING AGENCY NAME( S ) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM( S ) 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER( S ) 12. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT...fusion protein C*-BR( S )-Y* expression vector pET/C*-CyaA1488-1680-Y*, nonfluorescent CFP expression vector pET/CFP*, and the maltose binding protein-RTX
Maltose Biochemistry and Transport in Plant Leaves
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Thomas D. Sharkey
Final Technical Report for DOE grant DE-FG02-04ER15565 Maltose Biochemistry and Transport in Plant Leaves PI Thomas D. Sharkey University of Wisconsin-Madison Starch is a desirable plant product for both food and biofuel. Leaf starch is ideal for use in biofuels because it does not compete with grain starch, which is used for food. Starch is accumulated in plant leaves during the day and broken down at night. If we can manipulate leaf starch breakdown it may be possible to design a plant that provides both grain starch for food and leaf starch for biofuel. The pathway of leaf starch breakdownmore » was not known when this work started. Preliminary evidence had shown that maltose was the primary product of leaf starch breakdown (Weise, Weber & Sharkey, 2004) and that it was metabolized by a disproportionating enzyme called amylomaltase but given the initials DPE2 (Lu & Sharkey, 2004). In this work we showed that only one form of maltose was metabolically active (Weise et al., 2005a) and that maltose was located in two different places when the amylomaltase was knocked out but only inside the chloroplast when the maltose transporter was knocked out (Lu et al., 2006a). This allowed us to estimate the energetics of maltose export and to show that maltose export is more efficient than glucose export (Weise et al., 2005b). We examined how daylength affected starch breakdown rate and found that starch breakdown rate could respond to changes in daylength within one day (Lu, Gehan & Sharkey, 2005). We also were able to show a second starch breakdown pathway by chloroplastic starch phosphorylase (Weise et al., 2006). Work to this point was summarized in a review (Lu & Sharkey, 2006). We were able to show that the amylomaltase in plants could substitute for the amylomaltase in bacteria (Lu et al., 2006b). In this paper we also showed the importance of a second enzyme called alpha-glucan phosphorylase in starch breakdown. Finally, we were able to determine the enzymatic mechanism of the amylomaltase (Steichen, Petty & Sharkey, 2008). These results have laid the groundwork for manipulating plants for improved biofuel production. Lu Y., Gehan J.P. & Sharkey T.D. (2005) Daylength and circadian effects on starch degradation and maltose metabolism. Plant Physiology, 138, 2280-2291 Lu Y. & Sharkey T.D. (2004) The role of amylomaltase in maltose metabolism in the cytosol of photosynthetic cells. Planta, 218, 466-473 Lu Y. & Sharkey T.D. (2006) The importance of maltose in transitory starch breakdown. Plant, Cell and Environment, 29, 353-366 Lu Y., Steichen J.M., Weise S.E. & Sharkey T.D. (2006a) Cellular and organ level localization of maltose in maltose-excess Arabidopsis mutants. Planta, 224, 935-943 Lu Y., Steichen J.M., Yao J. & Sharkey T.D. (2006b) The role of cytosolic α-glucan phosphorylase in maltose metabolism and the comparison of amylomaltase in Arabidopsis and E. coli. Plant Physiology, 142 878-889 Steichen J.M., Petty R.V. & Sharkey T.D. (2008) Domain characterization of a 4-α-glucanotransferase essential for maltose metabolism in photosynthetic leaves. J. Biol. Chem., 283, 20797-20804 Weise S.E., Kim K.S., Stewart R.P. & Sharkey T.D. (2005a) Beta-maltose is the metabolically active anomer of maltose during transitory starch degradation. Plant Physiology, 137, 756-761 Weise S.E., Schrader S.M., Kleinbeck K.R. & Sharkey T.D. (2006) Carbon balance and circadian regulation of hydrolytic and phosphorolytic breakdown of transitory starch. Plant Physiology, 141, 879-886 Weise S.E., Sharkey T.D., van der Est A. & Bruce D. (2005b) Energetics of carbon export from the chloroplast at night. In: Photosynthesis: Fundamental aspects to global perspectives, the proceedings of the 13th international congress on photosynthesis, pp. 816-818. International Society of Photosynthesis/Alliance Communications Group, Lawrence. Weise S.E., Weber A. & Sharkey T.D. (2004) Maltose is the major form of carbon exported from the chloroplast at night. Planta, 218, 474-482« less
Characterization of the aes gene of Escherichia coli encoding an enzyme with esterase activity.
Peist, R; Koch, A; Bolek, P; Sewitz, S; Kolbus, T; Boos, W
1997-01-01
malQ mutants of Escherichia coli lacking amylomaltase cannot grow on maltose. They express the maltose system constitutively and are sensitive to maltose when grown on another carbon source. In an attempt to isolate a multicopy suppressor that would result in growth on maltose, we transformed a malQ mutant with a gene bank of E. coli DNA which had been digested with Sau3a and cloned in pBR322. We screened the transformants on MacConkey maltose plates. A colony was isolated that appeared to be resistant to maltose and was pink on these plates, but it was still unable to grow on minimal medium with maltose as the carbon source. The plasmid was isolated, and the gene causing this phenotype was characterized. The deduced amino acid sequence of the encoded protein shows homology to that of lipases and esterases. We termed the gene aes, for acetyl esterase. Extracts of cells harboring plasmid-encoded aes under its own promoter exhibit a fivefold higher capacity to hydrolyze p-nitrophenyl acetate than do extracts of cells of plasmid-free strains. Similarly, strains harboring plasmid-encoded aes are able to grow on triacetyl glycerol (triacetin) whereas the plasmid-free strains are not. The expression of plasmid-encoded aes resulted in strong repression of the maltose transport genes in malT+ strains (10-fold reduction), but not in a malT(Con) strain which is independent of the inducer. Also, overproduction of MalT counteracted the Aes-dependent repression, indicating a direct interaction between MalT and Aes. PMID:9401025
Unliganded fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 forms density-independent dimers.
Comps-Agrar, Laëtitia; Dunshee, Diana Ronai; Eaton, Dan L; Sonoda, Junichiro
2015-10-02
Fibroblast growth factors receptors (FGFRs) are thought to initiate intracellular signaling cascades upon ligand-induced dimerization of the extracellular domain. Although the existence of unliganded FGFR1 dimers on the surface of living cells has been proposed, this notion remains rather controversial. Here, we employed time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer combined with SNAP- and ACP-tag labeling in COS7 cells to monitor dimerization of full-length FGFR1 at the cell-surface with or without the coreceptor βKlotho. Using this approach we observed homodimerization of unliganded FGFR1 that is independent of its surface density. The homo-interaction signal observed for FGFR1 was indeed as robust as that obtained for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and was further increased by the addition of activating ligands or pathogenic mutations. Mutational analysis indicated that the kinase and the transmembrane domains, rather than the extracellular domain, mediate the ligand-independent FGFR1 dimerization. In addition, we observed a formation of a higher order ligand-independent complex by the c-spliced isoform of FGFR1 and βKlotho. Collectively, our approach provides novel insights into the assembly and dynamics of the full-length FGFRs on the cell surface. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
27ps DFTMD Simulations of Maltose using a Reduced Basis Set
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The disaccharide, a-maltose, has been studied using constant energy density functional molecular dynamics (DFTMD) at the B3LYP/6-31+G*/4-31G+COSMO (solvent) level of theory. Maltose is of particular interest as the variation in glycosidic dihedral angles has been found to be dependent upon the star...
Enhanced leavening ability of baker's yeast by overexpression of SNR84 with PGM2 deletion.
Lin, Xue; Zhang, Cui-Ying; Bai, Xiao-Wen; Xiao, Dong-Guang
2015-06-01
Dough-leavening ability is one of the main aspects considered when selecting a baker's yeast strain for baking industry. Generally, modification of maltose metabolic pathway and known regulatory networks of maltose metabolism were used to increase maltose metabolism to improve leavening ability in lean dough. In this study, we focus on the effects of PGM2 (encoding for the phosphoglucomutase) and SNR84 (encoding for the H/ACA snoRNA) that are not directly related to both the maltose metabolic pathway and known regulatory networks of maltose metabolism on the leavening ability of baker's yeast in lean dough. The results show that the modifications on PGM2 and/or SNR84 are effective ways in improving leavening ability of baker's yeast in lean dough. Deletion of PGM2 decreased cellular glucose-1-phosphate and overexpression of SNR84 increased the maltose permease activity. These changes resulted in 11, 19 and 21% increases of the leavening ability for PGM2 deletion, SNR84 overexpression and SNR84 overexpression combining deleted PGM2, respectively.
Effect of Detergents on Galactoside Binding by Melibiose Permeases.
Amin, Anowarul; Hariharan, Parameswaran; Chae, Pil Seok; Guan, Lan
2015-09-29
The effect of various detergents on the stability and function of the melibiose permeases of Escherichia coli (MelBEc) and Salmonella typhimurium (MelBSt) was studied. In n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (DDM) or n-undecyl-β-d-maltoside (UDM), WT MelBSt binds melibiose with an affinity similar to that in the membrane. However, with WT MelBEc or MelBSt mutants (Arg141 → Cys, Arg295 → Cys, or Arg363 → Cys), galactoside binding is not detected in these detergents, but binding to the phosphotransferase protein IIA(Glc) is maintained. In the amphiphiles lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol (MNG-3) or glyco-diosgenin (GDN), galactoside binding with all of the MelB proteins is observed, with slightly reduced affinities. MelBSt is more thermostable than MelBEc, and the thermostability of either MelB is largely increased in MNG-3 or GDN. Therefore, the functional defect with DDM or UDM likely results from the relative instability of the sensitive MelB proteins, and stability, as well as galactoside binding, is retained in MNG-3 or GDN. Furthermore, isothermal titration calorimetry of melibiose binding with MelBSt shows that the favorable entropic contribution to the binding free energy is decreased in MNG-3, indicating that the conformational dynamics of MelB is restricted in this detergent.
Effect of detergents on galactoside binding by melibiose permeases
Amin, Anowarul; Hariharan, Parameswaran; Chae, Pil Seok; Guan, Lan
2015-01-01
The effect of various detergents on the stability and function of melibiose permeases of Escherichia coli (MelBEc) or Salmonella typhimurium (MelBSt) were studied. In n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (DDM) or n-undecyl-β-d-maltoside (UDM), WT MelBSt binds melibiose with an affinity similar to that in the membrane. However, with WT MelBEc or MelBSt mutants (Arg141→Cys, Arg295→Cys or Arg363→Cys), galactoside binding is not detected in these detergents, but binding to the phosphotransferase protein IIAGlc is maintained. In the amphiphiles lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol (MNG-3) or glyco-diosgenin (GDN), galactoside binding with all the MelB proteins is observed, with slightly reduced affinities. MelBSt is more thermostable than MelBEc, and the thermostability of either MelB is largely increased in MNG-3 or GDN. Therefore, the functional defect with DDM or UDM likely results from relative instability of the sensitive MelB proteins, and stability, as well as galactoside binding, is retained in MNG-3 or GDN. Furthermore, isothermal titration calorimetry of melibiose binding with MelBSt shows that the favorable entropic contribution to the binding free energy is decreased in MNG-3, indicating that the conformational dynamics of MelB is restricted in this detergent. PMID:26352464
Molecular analysis of maltotriose transport and utilization by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Day, Rachel E; Rogers, Peter J; Dawes, Ian W; Higgins, Vincent J
2002-11-01
Efficient fermentation of maltotriose is a desired property of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for brewing. In a standard wort, maltotriose is the second most abundant sugar, and slower uptake leads to residual maltotriose in the finished product. The limiting factor of sugar metabolism is its transport, and there are conflicting reports on whether a specific maltotriose permease exists or whether the mechanisms responsible for maltose uptake also carry out maltotriose transport. In this study, radiolabeled maltotriose was used to show that overexpression of the maltose permease gene, MAL61, in an industrial yeast strain resulted in an increase in the rate of transport of maltotriose as well as maltose. A strain derived from W303-1A and lacking any maltose or maltotriose transporter but carrying a functional maltose transport activator (MAL63) was developed. By complementing this strain with permeases encoded by MAL31, MAL61, and AGT1, it was possible to measure their specific transport kinetics by using maltotriose and maltose. All three permeases were capable of high-affinity transport of maltotriose and of allowing growth of the strain on the sugar. Maltotriose utilization from the permease encoded by AGT1 was regulated by the same genetic mechanisms as those involving the maltose transcriptional activator. Competition studies carried out with two industrial strains, one not containing any homologue of AGT1, showed that maltose uptake and maltotriose uptake were competitive and that maltose was the preferred substrate. These results indicate that the presence of residual maltotriose in beer is not due to a genetic or physiological inability of yeast cells to utilize the sugar but rather to the lower affinity for maltotriose uptake in conjunction with deteriorating conditions present at the later stages of fermentation. Here we identify molecular mechanisms regulating the uptake of maltotriose and determine the role of each of the transporter genes in the cells.
Proteomic Analysis of the Secretory Response of Aspergillus niger to D-Maltose and D-Xylose
Ferreira de Oliveira, José Miguel P.; van Passel, Mark W. J.; Schaap, Peter J.; de Graaff, Leo H.
2011-01-01
Fungi utilize polysaccharide substrates through extracellular digestion catalyzed by secreted enzymes. Thus far, protein secretion by the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger has mainly been studied at the level of individual proteins and by genome and transcriptome analyses. To extend these studies, a complementary proteomics approach was applied with the aim to investigate the changes in secretome and microsomal protein composition resulting from a shift to a high level secretion condition. During growth of A. niger on d-sorbitol, small amounts of d-maltose or d-xylose were used as inducers of the extracellular amylolytic and xylanolytic enzymes. Upon induction, protein compositions in the extracellular broth as well as in enriched secretory organelle (microsomal) fractions were analyzed using a shotgun proteomics approach. In total 102 secreted proteins and 1,126 microsomal proteins were identified in this study. Induction by d-maltose or d-xylose resulted in the increase in specific extracellular enzymes, such as glucoamylase A on d-maltose and β-xylosidase D on d-xylose, as well as of microsomal proteins. This reflects the differential expression of selected genes coding for dedicated extracellular enzymes. As expected, the addition of extra d-sorbitol had no effect on the expression of carbohydrate-active enzymes, compared to addition of d-xylose or d-maltose. Furthermore, d-maltose induction caused an increase in microsomal proteins related to translation (e.g., Rpl15) and vesicular transport (e.g., the endosomal-cargo receptor Erv14). Millimolar amounts of the inducers d-maltose and d-xylose are sufficient to cause a direct response in specific protein expression levels. Also, after induction by d-maltose or d-xylose, the induced enzymes were found in microsomes and extracellular. In agreement with our previous findings for d-xylose induction, d-maltose induction leads to recruitment of proteins involved in proteasome-mediated degradation. PMID:21698107
Proteomic analysis of the secretory response of Aspergillus niger to D-maltose and D-xylose.
de Oliveira, José Miguel P Ferreira; van Passel, Mark W J; Schaap, Peter J; de Graaff, Leo H
2011-01-01
Fungi utilize polysaccharide substrates through extracellular digestion catalyzed by secreted enzymes. Thus far, protein secretion by the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger has mainly been studied at the level of individual proteins and by genome and transcriptome analyses. To extend these studies, a complementary proteomics approach was applied with the aim to investigate the changes in secretome and microsomal protein composition resulting from a shift to a high level secretion condition. During growth of A. niger on D-sorbitol, small amounts of D-maltose or D-xylose were used as inducers of the extracellular amylolytic and xylanolytic enzymes. Upon induction, protein compositions in the extracellular broth as well as in enriched secretory organelle (microsomal) fractions were analyzed using a shotgun proteomics approach. In total 102 secreted proteins and 1,126 microsomal proteins were identified in this study. Induction by D-maltose or D-xylose resulted in the increase in specific extracellular enzymes, such as glucoamylase A on D-maltose and β-xylosidase D on D-xylose, as well as of microsomal proteins. This reflects the differential expression of selected genes coding for dedicated extracellular enzymes. As expected, the addition of extra D-sorbitol had no effect on the expression of carbohydrate-active enzymes, compared to addition of D-xylose or D-maltose. Furthermore, D-maltose induction caused an increase in microsomal proteins related to translation (e.g., Rpl15) and vesicular transport (e.g., the endosomal-cargo receptor Erv14). Millimolar amounts of the inducers D-maltose and D-xylose are sufficient to cause a direct response in specific protein expression levels. Also, after induction by D-maltose or D-xylose, the induced enzymes were found in microsomes and extracellular. In agreement with our previous findings for D-xylose induction, D-maltose induction leads to recruitment of proteins involved in proteasome-mediated degradation.
Characterization of D-maltose as a T2 -exchange contrast agent for dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.
Goldenberg, Joshua M; Pagel, Mark D; Cárdenas-Rodríguez, Julio
2018-09-01
We sought to investigate the potential of D-maltose, D-sorbitol, and D-mannitol as T 2 exchange magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. We also sought to compare the in vivo pharmacokinetics of D-maltose with D-glucose with dynamic contrast enhancement (DCE) MRI. T 1 and T 2 relaxation time constants of the saccharides were measured using eight pH values and nine concentrations. The effect of echo spacing in a multiecho acquisition sequence used for the T 2 measurement was evaluated for all samples. Finally, performances of D-maltose and D-glucose during T 2 -weighted DCE-MRI were compared in vivo. Estimated T 2 relaxivities (r 2 ) of D-glucose and D-maltose were highly and nonlinearly dependent on pH and echo spacing, reaching their maximum at pH = 7.0 (∼0.08 mM -1 s -1 ). The r 2 values of D-sorbitol and D-mannitol were estimated to be ∼0.02 mM -1 s -1 and were invariant to pH and echo spacing for pH ≤7.0. The change in T 2 in tumor and muscle tissues remained constant after administration of D-maltose, whereas the change in T 2 decreased in tumor and muscle after administration of D-glucose. Therefore, D-maltose has a longer time window for T 2 -weighted DCE-MRI in tumors. We have demonstrated that D-maltose can be used as a T 2 exchange MRI contrast agent. The larger, sustained T 2 -weighted contrast from D-maltose relative to D-glucose has practical advantages for tumor diagnoses during T 2 -weighted DCE-MRI. Magn Reson Med 80:1158-1164, 2018. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Substrate-Induced Conformational Changes Occur in All Cleaved Forms of Caspase-6
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
S Vaidya; E Velazquez-Delgado; G Abbruzzese
2011-12-31
Caspase-6 is an apoptotic cysteine protease that also governs disease progression in Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases. Caspase-6 is of great interest as a target for treatment of these neurodegenerative diseases; however, the molecular basis of caspase-6 function and regulation remains poorly understood. In the recently reported structure of caspase-6, the 60's and 130's helices at the base of the substrate-binding groove extend upward, in a conformation entirely different from that of any other caspase. Presently, the central question about caspase-6 structure and function is whether the extended conformation is the catalytically competent conformation or whether the extended helices must undergomore » a large conformational rearrangement in order to bind substrate. We have generated a series of caspase-6 cleavage variants, including a novel constitutively two-chain form, and determined crystal structures of caspase-6 with and without the intersubunit linker. This series allows evaluation of the role of the prodomain and intersubunit linker on caspase-6 structure and function before and after substrate binding. Caspase-6 is inherently more stable than closely related caspases. Cleaved caspase-6 with both the prodomain and the linker present is the most stable, indicating that these two regions act in concert to increase stability, but maintain the extended conformation in the unliganded state. Moreover, these data suggest that caspase-6 undergoes a significant conformational change upon substrate binding, adopting a structure that is more like canonical caspases.« less
Yoshimune, Kazuaki; Shirakihara, Yasuo; Wakayama, Mamoru; Yumoto, Isao
2010-02-01
Glutaminase from Micrococcus luteus K-3 [Micrococcus glutaminase (Mglu); 456 amino acid residues (aa); 48 kDa] is a salt-tolerant enzyme. Our previous study determined the structure of its major 42-kDa fragment. Here, using new crystallization conditions, we determined the structures of the intact enzyme in the presence and absence of its product L-glutamate and its activator Tris, which activates the enzyme by sixfold. With the exception of a 'lid' part (26-29 aa) and a few other short stretches, the structures were all very similar over the entire polypeptide chain. However, the presence of the ligands significantly reduced the length of the disordered regions: 41 aa in the unliganded structure (N), 21 aa for L-glutamate (G), 8 aa for Tris (T) and 6 aa for both L-glutamate and Tris (TG). L-glutamate was identified in both the G and TG structures, whereas Tris was only identified in the TG structure. Comparison of the glutamate-binding site between Mglu and salt-labile glutaminase (YbgJ) from Bacillus subtilis showed significantly smaller structural changes of the protein part in Mglu. A comparison of the substrate-binding pocket of Mglu, which is highly specific for L-glutamine, with that of Erwinia carotovora asparaginase, which has substrates other than L-glutamine, shows that Mglu has a larger substrate-binding pocket that prevents the binding of L-asparagine with proper interactions.
The Crystal Structure of the Escherichia coli Autoinducer-2 Processing Protein LsrF
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Diaz, Z.; Xavier, K; Miller, S
2009-01-01
Many bacteria produce and respond to the quorum sensing signal autoinducer-2 (AI-2). Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium are among the species with the lsr operon, an operon containing AI-2 transport and processing genes that are up regulated in response to AI-2. One of the Lsr proteins, LsrF, has been implicated in processing the phosphorylated form of AI-2. Here, we present the structure of LsrF, unliganded and in complex with two phospho-AI-2 analogues, ribose-5-phosphate and ribulose-5-phosphate. The crystal structure shows that LsrF is a decamer of (??)8-barrels that exhibit a previously unseen N-terminal domain swap and have high structural homology withmore » aldolases that process phosphorylated sugars. Ligand binding sites and key catalytic residues are structurally conserved, strongly implicating LsrF as a class I aldolase.« less
Gallagher, D T; Karageorgos, I; Hudgens, J W; Galvin, C V
2018-02-01
The reported data describe the crystallization, crystal packing, structure determination and twinning of the unliganded Fab (antigen-binding fragment) from the NISTmAb (standard reference material 8671). The raw atomic coordinates are available as Protein Data Bank structure 5K8A and biological aspects are described in the article, (Karageorgos et al., 2017) [1]. Crystal data show that the packing is unique, and show the basis for the crystal's twinned growth. Twinning is a common and often serious problem in protein structure determination by x-ray crystallography [2]. In the present case the twinning is due to a small deviation (about 0.3 nm) from 4-fold symmetry in the primary intermolecular interface. The deviation produces pseudosymmetry, generating slightly different conformations of the protein, and alternating strong and weak forms of key packing interfaces throughout the lattice.
Toremifene interacts with and destabilizes the Ebola virus glycoprotein.
Zhao, Yuguang; Ren, Jingshan; Harlos, Karl; Jones, Daniel M; Zeltina, Antra; Bowden, Thomas A; Padilla-Parra, Sergi; Fry, Elizabeth E; Stuart, David I
2016-07-07
Ebola viruses (EBOVs) are responsible for repeated outbreaks of fatal infections, including the recent deadly epidemic in West Africa. There are currently no approved therapeutic drugs or vaccines for the disease. EBOV has a membrane envelope decorated by trimers of a glycoprotein (GP, cleaved by furin to form GP1 and GP2 subunits), which is solely responsible for host cell attachment, endosomal entry and membrane fusion. GP is thus a primary target for the development of antiviral drugs. Here we report the first, to our knowledge, unliganded structure of EBOV GP, and high-resolution complexes of GP with the anticancer drug toremifene and the painkiller ibuprofen. The high-resolution apo structure gives a more complete and accurate picture of the molecule, and allows conformational changes introduced by antibody and receptor binding to be deciphered. Unexpectedly, both toremifene and ibuprofen bind in a cavity between the attachment (GP1) and fusion (GP2) subunits at the entrance to a large tunnel that links with equivalent tunnels from the other monomers of the trimer at the three-fold axis. Protein–drug interactions with both GP1 and GP2 are predominately hydrophobic. Residues lining the binding site are highly conserved among filoviruses except Marburg virus (MARV), suggesting that MARV may not bind these drugs. Thermal shift assays show up to a 14 °C decrease in the protein melting temperature after toremifene binding, while ibuprofen has only a marginal effect and is a less potent inhibitor. These results suggest that inhibitor binding destabilizes GP and triggers premature release of GP2, thereby preventing fusion between the viral and endosome membranes. Thus, these complex structures reveal the mechanism of inhibition and may guide the development of more powerful anti-EBOV drugs.
Purdy, Sarah J.; Bussell, John D.; Nunn, Christopher P.; Smith, Steven M.
2013-01-01
Background Arabidopsis plants accumulate maltose from starch breakdown during cold acclimation. The Arabidopsis mutant, maltose excess1-1, accumulates large amounts of maltose in the plastid even in the warm, due to a deficient plastid envelope maltose transporter. We therefore investigated whether the elevated maltose level in mex1-1 in the warm could result in changes in metabolism and physiology typical of WT plants grown in the cold. Principal Findings Grown at 21 °C, mex1-1 plants were much smaller, with fewer leaves, and elevated carbohydrates and amino acids compared to WT. However, after transfer to 4 °C the total soluble sugar pool and amino acid concentration was in equal abundance in both genotypes, although the most abundant sugar in mex1-1 was still maltose whereas sucrose was in greatest abundance in WT. The chlorophyll a/b ratio in WT was much lower in the cold than in the warm, but in mex1-1 it was low in both warm and cold. After prolonged growth at 4 °C, the shoot biomass, rosette diameter and number of leaves at bolting were similar in mex1-1 and WT. Conclusions The mex1-1 mutation in warm-grown plants confers aspects of cold acclimation, including elevated levels of sugars and amino acids and low chlorophyll a/b ratio. This may in turn compromise growth of mex1-1 in the warm relative to WT. We suggest that elevated maltose in the plastid could be responsible for key aspects of cold acclimation. PMID:24223944
Chang, Tao-Hsin; Hsieh, Fu-Lien; Zebisch, Matthias; Harlos, Karl; Elegheert, Jonathan; Jones, E Yvonne
2015-01-01
Wnt signalling regulates multiple processes including angiogenesis, inflammation, and tumorigenesis. Norrin (Norrie Disease Protein) is a cystine-knot like growth factor. Although unrelated to Wnt, Norrin activates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Signal complex formation involves Frizzled4 (Fz4), low-density lipoprotein receptor related protein 5/6 (Lrp5/6), Tetraspanin-12 and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Here, we report crystallographic and small-angle X-ray scattering analyses of Norrin in complex with Fz4 cysteine-rich domain (Fz4CRD), of this complex bound with GAG analogues, and of unliganded Norrin and Fz4CRD. Our structural, biophysical and cellular data, map Fz4 and putative Lrp5/6 binding sites to distinct patches on Norrin, and reveal a GAG binding site spanning Norrin and Fz4CRD. These results explain numerous disease-associated mutations. Comparison with the Xenopus Wnt8–mouse Fz8CRD complex reveals Norrin mimics Wnt for Frizzled recognition. The production and characterization of wild-type and mutant Norrins reported here open new avenues for the development of therapeutics to combat abnormal Norrin/Wnt signalling. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06554.001 PMID:26158506
Cheng, Min-Wen; Chegeni, Mohammad; Kim, Kee-Hong; Zhang, Genyi; Benmoussa, Mustapha; Quezada-Calvillo, Roberto; Nichols, Buford L.; Hamaker, Bruce R.
2014-01-01
Using the small intestine enterocyte Caco-2 cell model, sucrase-isomaltase (SI, the mucosal α-glucosidase complex) expression and modification were examined relative to exposure to different mono- and disaccharide glycemic carbohydrates. Caco-2/TC7 cells were grown on porous supports to post-confluence for complete differentiation, and dietary carbohydrate molecules of glucose, sucrose (disaccharide of glucose and fructose), maltose (disaccharide of two glucoses α-1,4 linked), and isomaltose (disaccharide of two glucoses α-1,6 linked) were used to treat the cells. qRT-PCR results showed that all the carbohydrate molecules induced the expression of the SI gene, though maltose (and isomaltose) showed an incremental increase in mRNA levels over time that glucose did not. Western blot analysis of the SI protein revealed that only maltose treatment induced a higher molecular weight band (Mw ~245 kDa), also at higher expression level, suggesting post-translational processing of SI, and more importantly a sensing of maltose. Further work is warranted regarding this putative sensing response as a potential control point for starch digestion and glucose generation in the small intestine. PMID:24426192
Cheng, Min-Wen; Chegeni, Mohammad; Kim, Kee-Hong; Zhang, Genyi; Benmoussa, Mustapha; Quezada-Calvillo, Roberto; Nichols, Buford L; Hamaker, Bruce R
2014-01-01
Using the small intestine enterocyte Caco-2 cell model, sucrase-isomaltase (SI, the mucosal α-glucosidase complex) expression and modification were examined relative to exposure to different mono- and disaccharide glycemic carbohydrates. Caco-2/TC7 cells were grown on porous supports to post-confluence for complete differentiation, and dietary carbohydrate molecules of glucose, sucrose (disaccharide of glucose and fructose), maltose (disaccharide of two glucoses α-1,4 linked), and isomaltose (disaccharide of two glucoses α-1,6 linked) were used to treat the cells. qRT-PCR results showed that all the carbohydrate molecules induced the expression of the SI gene, though maltose (and isomaltose) showed an incremental increase in mRNA levels over time that glucose did not. Western blot analysis of the SI protein revealed that only maltose treatment induced a higher molecular weight band (Mw ~245 kDa), also at higher expression level, suggesting post-translational processing of SI, and more importantly a sensing of maltose. Further work is warranted regarding this putative sensing response as a potential control point for starch digestion and glucose generation in the small intestine.
Aduri, Nanda G; Ernst, Heidi A; Prabhala, Bala K; Bhatt, Shweta; Boesen, Thomas; Gajhede, Michael; Mirza, Osman
2018-01-08
The human proton coupled folic acid transporter PCFT is the major import route for dietary folates. Mutations in the gene encoding PCFT cause hereditary folic acid malabsorption, which manifests itself by compromised folate absorption from the intestine and also in impaired folate transport into the central nervous system. Since its recent discovery, PCFT has been the subject of numerous biochemical studies aiming at understanding its structure and mechanism. One major focus has been its oligomeric state, with some reports supporting oligomers and others a monomer. Here, we report the overexpression and purification of recombinant PCFT. Following detergent screening, n-Dodecyl β-D-maltoside (DDM) and lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol (LMNG) were chosen for further work as they exhibited the most optimal solubilization. We found that purified detergent solubilized PCFT was able to bind folic acid, thus indicating a functionally active protein. Size exclusion chromatography showed that PCFT in DDM was polydisperse; the LMNG preparation was clearly monodisperse but with shorter retention time than the major DDM peak. To assess the oligomeric state negative stain electron microscopy was performed which showed a particle with the size of a PCFT dimer. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Development and testing of a fluorescence biosensor for glucose sensing
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Aloraefy, Mamdouh; Pfefer, Joshua; Ramella-Roman, Jessica; Sapsford, Kim
2012-06-01
Rapid, accurate, and minimally-invasive biosensors for glucose measurement have the potential to enhance management of diabetes mellitus and improve patient outcome in intensive care settings. Recent studies have indicated that implantable biosensors based on Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) can provide high sensitivity in quantifying glucose concentrations. However, standard approaches for determining the potential for interference from other biological constituents have not been established. The aim of this work was to design and optimize a FRET-based glucose sensor and assess its specificity to glucose. A sensor based on competitive binding between concanavalin A and dextran, labeled with long-wavelength acceptor and donor fluorophores, was developed. This process included optimization of dextran molecular weight and donor concentration, acceptor to donor ratio, and hydrogel concentration, as well as the number of polymer layers for encapsulation. The biosensor performance was characterized in terms of its response to clinically relevant glucose concentrations. The potential for interference and the development of test methods to evaluate this effect were studied using a potential clinical interferent, maltose. Results indicated that our biosensor had a prediction accuracy of better than 11% and that the robustness to maltose was highly dependent on glucose level.
Stochasticity in the Expression of LamB and its Affect on λ phage Infection
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Chapman, Emily; Wu, Xiao-Lun
2006-03-01
λ phage binds to E. Coli's lamB protein and injects its DNA into the cell. The phage quickly replicates and after a latent period the bacteria bursts, emitting mature phages. We developed a mathematical model based on the known physical events that occur when a λ phage infects an E.Coli cell. The results of these models predict that the bacteria and phage populations become extinct unless the parameters of the model are very finely tuned, which is untrue in the nature. The lamB protein is part of the maltose regulon and can be repressed to minimal levels when grown in the absence of inducer. Therefore, a cell that is not expressing any lamB protein at that moment is resistant against phage infection. We studied the dynamic relationship between λ phage and E. Coli when the concentration of phage greatly outnumbers the concentration of bacteria. We study how the stochasticity of the expression of lamB affects the percentage of cells that the λ phage infects. We show that even in the case when the maltose regulon is fully induced a percentage of cells continue to persist against phage infection.
Structural determinants of phosphoinositide selectivity in splice variants of Grp1 family PH domains
Cronin, Thomas C; DiNitto, Jonathan P; Czech, Michael P; Lambright, David G
2004-01-01
The pleckstrin homology (PH) domains of the homologous proteins Grp1 (general receptor for phosphoinositides), ARNO (Arf nucleotide binding site opener), and Cytohesin-1 bind phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) 3,4,5-trisphosphate with unusually high selectivity. Remarkably, splice variants that differ only by the insertion of a single glycine residue in the β1/β2 loop exhibit dual specificity for PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 and PtdIns(4,5)P2. The structural basis for this dramatic specificity switch is not apparent from the known modes of phosphoinositide recognition. Here, we report crystal structures for dual specificity variants of the Grp1 and ARNO PH domains in either the unliganded form or in complex with the head groups of PtdIns(4,5)P2 and PtdIns(3,4,5)P3. Loss of contacts with the β1/β2 loop with no significant change in head group orientation accounts for the significant decrease in PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 affinity observed for the dual specificity variants. Conversely, a small increase rather than decrease in affinity for PtdIns(4,5)P2 is explained by a novel binding mode, in which the glycine insertion alleviates unfavorable interactions with the β1/β2 loop. These observations are supported by a systematic mutational analysis of the determinants of phosphoinositide recognition. PMID:15359279
Luo, Hong; Wang, Le Feng; Imoto, Toshiaki; Hiji, Yasutake
2001-01-01
AIM: To compare the combinative and individual effect of acarbose and gymnemic acid (GA) on maltose absorption and hydrolysis in small intestine to determine whether nutrient control in diabetic care can be improved by combination of them. METHODS: The absorption and hydrolysis of maltose were studied by cyclic perfusion of intestinal loops in situ and motility of the intestine was recorded with the intestinal ring in vitro using Wistar rats. RESULTS: The total inhibitory rate of maltose absorption was improved by the combination of GA (0.1 g/L-1.0 g/L) and acarbose (0.1 mmol/L-2.0 mmol/L) throughout their effective duration (P < 0.05, U test of Mann-Whitney), although the improvement only could be seen at a low dosage during the first hour. With the combination, inhibitory duration of acarbose on maltose absorption was prolonged to 3 h and the inhibitory effect onset of GA was fastened to 15 min. GA suppressed the intestinal mobility with a good correlation (r = 0.98) to the inhibitory effect of GA on maltose absorption and the inhibitory effect of 2 mmol/L (high dose) acarbose on maltose hydrolysis was dual modulated by 1 g/L GA in vivo indicating that the combined effects involved the functional alteration of intestinal barriers. CONCLUSION: There are augmented effects of acarbose and GA, which involve pre-cellular and paracellular barriers. Diabetic care can be improved by employing the combination. PMID:11819725
Resource partitioning in relation to cohabitation of Lactobacillus species in the mouse forestomach
Tannock, Gerald W; Wilson, Charlotte M; Loach, Diane; Cook, Gregory M; Eason, Jocelyn; O'Toole, Paul W; Holtrop, Grietje; Lawley, Blair
2012-01-01
Phylogenetic analysis of gut communities of vertebrates is advanced, but the relationships, especially at the trophic level, between commensals that share gut habitats of monogastric animals have not been investigated to any extent. Lactobacillus reuteri strain 100–23 and Lactobacillus johnsonii strain 100–33 cohabit in the forestomach of mice. According to the niche exclusion principle, this should not be possible because both strains can utilise the two main fermentable carbohydrates present in the stomach digesta: glucose and maltose. We show, based on gene transcription analysis, in vitro physiological assays, and in vivo experiments that the two strains can co-exist in the forestomach habitat because 100–23 grows more rapidly using maltose, whereas 100–33 preferentially utilises glucose. Mutation of the maltose phosphorylase gene (malA) of strain 100–23 prevented its growth on maltose-containing culture medium, and resulted in the numerical dominance of 100–33 in the forestomach. The fundamental niche of L. reuteri 100–23 in the mouse forestomach can be defined in terms of ‘glucose and maltose trophism'. However, its realised niche when L. johnsonii 100–33 is present is ‘maltose trophism'. Hence, nutritional adaptations provide niche differentiation that assists cohabitation by the two strains through resource partitioning in the mouse forestomach. This real life, trophic phenomenon conforms to a mathematical model based on in vitro bacterial doubling times, in vitro transport rates, and concentrations of maltose and glucose in mouse stomach digesta. PMID:22094343
Cheung, Luthur Siu-Lun; Kanwar, Manu; Ostermeier, Marc; Konstantopoulos, Konstantinos
2012-01-01
Nonantibody scaffolds such as designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) can be rapidly engineered to detect diverse target proteins with high specificity and offer an attractive alternative to antibodies. Using molecular simulations, we predicted that the binding interface between DARPin off7 and its ligand (maltose binding protein; MBP) is characterized by a hot-spot motif in which binding energy is largely concentrated on a few amino acids. To experimentally test this prediction, we fused MBP to a transmembrane domain to properly orient the protein into a polymer-cushioned lipid bilayer, and characterized its interaction with off7 using force spectroscopy. Using this, to our knowledge, novel technique along with surface plasmon resonance, we validated the simulation predictions and characterized the effects of select mutations on the kinetics of the off7-MBP interaction. Our integrated approach offers scientific insights on how the engineered protein interacts with the target molecule. PMID:22325262
Soleimanpour, Saman; Hassannia, Tahereh; Motiee, Mahdieh; Amini, Abbas Ali; Rezaee, S A R
2017-05-01
Affinity tags are vital tools for the production of high-throughput recombinant proteins. Several affinity tags, such as the hexahistidine tag, maltose-binding protein, streptavidin-binding peptide tag, calmodulin-binding peptide, c-Myc tag, glutathione S-transferase and FLAG tag, have been introduced for recombinant protein production. The fragment crystallizable (Fc) domain of the IgG1 antibody is one of the useful affinity tags that can facilitate detection, purification and localization of proteins and can improve the immunogenicity, modulatory effects, physicochemical and pharmaceutical properties of proteins. Fcγ recombinant forms a group of recombinant proteins called Fc-fusion proteins (FFPs). FFPs are widely used in drug discovery, drug delivery, vaccine design and experimental research on receptor-ligand interactions. These fusion proteins have become successful alternatives to monoclonal antibodies for drug developments. In this review, the physicochemical, biochemical, immunological, pharmaceutical and therapeutic properties of recombinant FFPs were discussed as a new generation of bioengineering strategies.
Weusthuis, R A; Visser, W; Pronk, J T; Scheffers, W A; van Dijken, J P
1994-04-01
Growth and metabolite formation were studied in oxygen-limited chemostat cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CBS 8066 and Candida utilis CBS 621 growing on glucose or maltose at a dilution rate of 0.1 h-1. With either glucose or maltose S. cerevisiae could be grown under dual limitation of oxygen and sugar. Respiration and alcoholic fermentation occurred simultaneously and the catabolite fluxes through these processes were dependent on the magnitude of the oxygen feed. C. utilis could also be grown under dual limitation of glucose and oxygen. However, at very low oxygen feed rates (i.e. below 4 mmol l-1 h-1) growth was limited by oxygen only, as indicated by the high residual glucose concentration in the culture. In contrast to S. cerevisiae, C. utilis could not be grown anaerobically at a dilution rate of 0.1 h-1. With C. utilis absence of oxygen resulted in wash-out, despite the presence of ergosterol and Tween-80 in the growth medium. The behaviour of C. utilis with respect to maltose utilization in oxygen-limited cultures was remarkable: alcoholic fermentation did not occur and the amount of maltose metabolized was dependent on the oxygen supply. Oxygen-limited cultures of C. utilis growing on maltose always contained high residual sugar concentrations. These observations throw new light on the so-called Kluyver effect. Apparently, maltose is a non-fermentable sugar for C. utilis CBS 621, despite the fact that it can serve as a substrate for growth of this facultatively fermentative yeast. This is not due to the absence of key enzymes of alcoholic fermentation. Pyruvate decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase were present at high levels in maltose-utilizing cells of C. utilis grown under oxygen limitation. It is concluded that the Kluyver effect, in C. utilis growing on maltose, results from a regulatory mechanism that prevents the sugar from being fermented. Oxygen is not a key factor in this phenomenon since under oxygen limitation alcoholic fermentation of maltose was not triggered.
Stapleton, P C; Dobson, A D W
2003-04-25
Cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) production in Trametes versicolor is induced in the presence of cellulose, but decreases when additional carbon sources such as glucose and maltose are added to the fungal cultures. Using T. versicolor-specific cdh primers in a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-based approach, it appears that this repression in CDH production is being mediated at the level of gene transcription. When a 1.6-kb upstream region of the T. versicolor cdh gene was cloned and sequenced, a number of putative CreA-like binding sites were observed. We propose that these sites may be involved in mediating this repressive effect, based on their similarity to the consensus [5'-SYGGRGG-3'] site for binding of the CreA and Cre1 repressor proteins.
Abe, Koichi; Sunagawa, Naoki; Terada, Tohru; Takahashi, Yuta; Arakawa, Takatoshi; Igarashi, Kiyohiko; Samejima, Masahiro; Nakai, Hiroyuki; Taguchi, Hayao; Nakajima, Masahiro; Fushinobu, Shinya
2018-06-08
β-1,2-Glucans are bacterial carbohydrates that exist in cyclic or linear forms and play an important role in infections and symbioses involving Gram-negative bacteria. Although several β-1,2-glucan-associated enzymes have been characterized, little is known about how β-1,2-glucan and its shorter oligosaccharides (Sop n s) are captured and imported into the bacterial cell. Here, we report the biochemical and structural characteristics of the Sop n -binding protein (SO-BP, Lin1841) associated with the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter from the Gram-positive bacterium Listeria innocua Calorimetric analysis revealed that SO-BP specifically binds to Sop n s with a degree of polymerization of 3 or more, with K d values in the micromolar range. The crystal structures of SO-BP in an unliganded open form and in closed complexes with tri-, tetra-, and pentaoligosaccharides (Sop 3-5 ) were determined to a maximum resolution of 1.6 Å. The binding site displayed shape complementarity to Sop n , which adopted a zigzag conformation. We noted that water-mediated hydrogen bonds and stacking interactions play a pivotal role in the recognition of Sop 3-5 by SO-BP, consistent with its binding thermodynamics. Computational free-energy calculations and a mutational analysis confirmed that interactions with the third glucose moiety of Sop n s are significantly responsible for ligand binding. A reduction in unfavorable changes in binding entropy that were in proportion to the lengths of the Sop n s was explained by conformational entropy changes. Phylogenetic and sequence analyses indicated that SO-BP ABC transporter homologs, glycoside hydrolases, and other related proteins are co-localized in the genomes of several bacteria. This study may improve our understanding of bacterial β-1,2-glucan metabolism and promote the discovery of unidentified β-1,2-glucan-associated proteins. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Does maltose influence on the elasticity of SOPC membrane?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Genova, J.; Zheliaskova, A.; Mitov, M. D.
2010-11-01
Thermally induced shape fluctuations of giant quasi-spherical lipid vesicles are used to study the influence of the disaccharide maltose, dissolved in the aqueous solution, on the curvature elasticity kc of a lipid membrane. The influence of the carbohydrate solute is investigated throughout a considerably wide interval of concentrations. The values of the bending elastic modulus for 200 mM and 400 mM of maltose in the water solution are obtained. The data for kc in presence of maltose is compared with previously obtained results for this constant for the most popular hydrocarbons: monosaccharides glucose and fructose and disaccharides sucrose and trehalose. It is shown that the presence of maltose, dissolved in the aqueous phase surrounding the membrane does not influence on the bending elasticity with the increase of its concentration in the aqueous solution. Up to our knowledge this is the first sugar that does not show decrease of the bending elastic modulus of the lipid membrane, when present in the water surrounding it in concentration up to 400mM.
Wendler, Sergej; Otto, Andreas; Ortseifen, Vera; Bonn, Florian; Neshat, Armin; Schneiker-Bekel, Susanne; Wolf, Timo; Zemke, Till; Wehmeier, Udo F; Hecker, Michael; Kalinowski, Jörn; Becher, Dörte; Pühler, Alfred
2016-01-10
Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 is known for the production of the α-glucosidase inhibitor and anti-diabetic drug acarbose. Acarbose (acarviosyl-maltose) is produced as the major product when the bacterium is grown in medium with maltose, while acarviosyl-glucose is the major product when glucose is the sole carbon source in the medium. In this study, a state-of-the-art proteomics approach was applied combining subcellular fractionation, in vivo metabolic labeling and shotgun mass spectrometry to analyze differences in the proteome of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 cultures grown in minimal medium containing either maltose or glucose as the sole carbon source. To study proteins in distinct subcellular locations, a cytosolic, an enriched membrane, a membrane shaving and an extracellular fraction were included in the analysis. Altogether, quantitative proteome data was obtained for 2497 proteins representing about 30% of the ca. 8270 predicted proteins of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110. When comparing protein quantities of maltose- to glucose-grown cultures, differences were observed for saccharide transport and metabolism proteins, whereas differences for acarbose biosynthesis gene cluster proteins were almost absent. The maltose-inducible α-glucosidase/maltase MalL as well as the ABC-type saccharide transporters AglEFG, MalEFG and MstEAF had significantly higher quantities in the maltose growth condition. The only highly abundant saccharide transporter in the glucose condition was the monosaccharide transporter MstEAF, which may indicate that MstEAF is the major glucose importer. Taken all findings together, the previously observed formation of acarviosyl-maltose and acarviosyl-glucose is more closely connected to the transport of saccharides than to a differential expression of the acarbose gene cluster. Diabetes is a global pandemic accounting for about 11% of the worldwide healthcare expenditures (>600 billion US dollars) and is projected to affect 592 million people by 2035 (www.idf.org). Whether Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 produces type 2 diabetes drug acarbose (acarviosyl-maltose) or another acarviose metabolite such as acarviosyl-glucose as the major product depends on the offered carbon source. The differences observed in this proteome in this study suggest that the differences in the formation of acarviosyl-maltose and acarviosyl-glucose are more closely connected to the transport of saccharides than to a differential expression of the acarbose gene cluster. In addition, the present study provides a comprehensive overview of the proteome of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Verdino, P.; Aldag, C.; Hilvert, D.
2009-05-26
Molecular recognition by the adaptive immune system relies on specific high-affinity antibody receptors that are generated from a restricted set of starting sequences through homologous recombination and somatic mutation. The steroid binding antibody DB3 and the catalytic Diels-Alderase antibody 1E9 derive from the same germ line sequences but exhibit very distinct specificities and functions. However, mutation of only two of the 36 sequence differences in the variable domains, Leu{sup H47}Trp and Arg{sup H100}Trp, converts 1E9 into a high-affinity steroid receptor with a ligand recognition profile similar to DB3. To understand how these changes switch binding specificity and function, we determinedmore » the crystal structures of the 1E9 Leu{sup H47}Trp/Arg{sup H100}Trp double mutant (1E9dm) as an unliganded Fab at 2.05 {angstrom} resolution and in complex with two configurationally distinct steroids at 2.40 and 2.85 {angstrom}. Surprisingly, despite the functional mimicry of DB3, 1E9dm employs a distinct steroid binding mechanism. Extensive structural rearrangements occur in the combining site, where residue H47 acts as a specificity switch and H100 adapts to different ligands. Unlike DB3, 1E9dm does not use alternative binding pockets or different sets of hydrogen-bonding interactions to bind configurationally distinct steroids. Rather, the different steroids are inserted more deeply into the 1E9dm combining site, creating more hydrophobic contacts that energetically compensate for the lack of hydrogen bonds. These findings demonstrate how subtle mutations within an existing molecular scaffold can dramatically modulate the function of immune receptors by inducing unanticipated, but compensating, mechanisms of ligand interaction.« less
He, Mingyue; Hamon, Maureen; Liu, Hong; Corper, Adam L; Taussig, Michael J
2006-09-01
The crystal structures of the Fab' fragment of the anti-progesterone monoclonal antibody DB3 and its complexes with steroid haptens have shown that the D-JH junctional residue TrpH100 is a key contributor to binding site interactions with ligands. The indole group of TrpH100 also undergoes a significant conformational change between the bound and unliganded states, effectively opening and closing the combining site pocket. In order to explore the effect of substitutions at this position on steroid recognition, we have carried out mutagenesis on a construct encoding a three-domain single-chain fragment (VH/K) of DB3 expressed in Escherichia coli. TrpH100 was replaced by 13 different amino acids or deleted, and the functional and antigenic properties of the mutated fragments were analyzed. Most substitutions, including small, hydrophobic, hydrophilic, neutral, and negatively charged side chains, were reduced or abolished binding to free progesterone, although binding to progesterone-BSA was partially retained. The reduction in antigen binding was paralleled by alteration of the idiotype associated with the DB3 combining site. In contrast, the replacement of TrpH100 by Arg produced a mutant that retained wild-type antibody affinity and idiotype, but with altered specificity. Significant changes in this mutant included increased relative affinities of 10(4)-fold for progesterone-3-carboxymethyloxime and 10-fold for aetiocholanolone. Our results demonstrate an essential role for the junctional residue H100 in determining steroid-binding specificity and combining site idiotype and show that these properties can be changed by a single amino acid substitution at this position.
Boehm, M K; Corper, A L; Wan, T; Sohi, M K; Sutton, B J; Thornton, J D; Keep, P A; Chester, K A; Begent, R H; Perkins, S J
2000-03-01
MFE-23 is the first single-chain Fv antibody molecule to be used in patients and is used to target colorectal cancer through its high affinity for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a cell-surface member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. MFE-23 contains an N-terminal variable heavy-chain domain joined by a (Gly(4)Ser)(3) linker to a variable light-chain (V(L)) domain (kappa chain) with an 11-residue C-terminal Myc-tag. Its crystal structure was determined at 2.4 A resolution by molecular replacement with an R(cryst) of 19.0%. Five of the six antigen-binding loops, L1, L2, L3, H1 and H2, conformed to known canonical structures. The sixth loop, H3, displayed a unique structure, with a beta-hairpin loop and a bifurcated apex characterized by a buried Thr residue. In the crystal lattice, two MFE-23 molecules were associated back-to-back in a manner not seen before. The antigen-binding site displayed a large acidic region located mainly within the H2 loop and a large hydrophobic region within the H3 loop. Even though this structure is unliganded within the crystal, there is an unusually large region of contact between the H1, H2 and H3 loops and the beta-sheet of the V(L) domain of an adjacent molecule (strands DEBA) as a result of intermolecular packing. These interactions exhibited remarkably high surface and electrostatic complementarity. Of seven MFE-23 residues predicted to make contact with antigen, five participated in these lattice contacts, and this model for antigen binding is consistent with previously reported site-specific mutagenesis of MFE-23 and its effect on CEA binding.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Marcella, Aaron M.; Culbertson, Sannie J.; Shogren-Knaak, Michael A.
The Escherichia coli holo-(acyl carrier protein) synthase (ACPS) catalyzes the coenzyme A-dependent activation of apo-ACPP to generate holo-(acyl carrier protein) (holo-ACPP) in an early step of fatty acid biosynthesis. E. coli ACPS is sufficiently different from the human fatty acid synthase to justify the development of novel ACPS-targeting antibiotics. Models of E. coli ACPS in unliganded and holo-ACPP-bound forms solved by X-ray crystallography to 2.05 and 4.10 Å, respectively, revealed that ACPS bound three product holo-ACPP molecules to form a 3:3 hexamer. Solution NMR spectroscopy experiments validated the ACPS binding interface on holo-ACPP using chemical shift perturbations and by determiningmore » the relative orientation of holo-ACPP to ACPS by fitting residual dipolar couplings. The binding interface is organized to arrange contacts between positively charged ACPS residues and the holo-ACPP phosphopantetheine moiety, indicating product contains more stabilizing interactions than expected in the enzyme:substrate complex. Indeed, holo-ACPP bound the enzyme with greater affinity than the substrate, apo-ACPP, and with negative cooperativity. The first equivalent of holo-ACPP bound with a KD = 62 ± 13 nM, followed by the binding of two more equivalents of holo-ACPP with KD = 1.2 ± 0.2 μM. Cooperativity was not observed for apo-ACPP which bound with KD = 2.4 ± 0.1 μM. Strong product binding and high levels of holo-ACPP in the cell identify a potential regulatory role of ACPS in fatty acid biosynthesis.« less
Marinelli, Fabrizio; Kuhlmann, Sonja I; Grell, Ernst; Kunte, Hans-Jörg; Ziegler, Christine; Faraldo-Gómez, José D
2011-12-06
Numerous membrane importers rely on accessory water-soluble proteins to capture their substrates. These substrate-binding proteins (SBP) have a strong affinity for their ligands; yet, substrate release onto the low-affinity membrane transporter must occur for uptake to proceed. It is generally accepted that release is facilitated by the association of SBP and transporter, upon which the SBP adopts a conformation similar to the unliganded state, whose affinity is sufficiently reduced. Despite the appeal of this mechanism, however, direct supporting evidence is lacking. Here, we use experimental and theoretical methods to demonstrate that an allosteric mechanism of enhanced substrate release is indeed plausible. First, we report the atomic-resolution structure of apo TeaA, the SBP of the Na(+)-coupled ectoine TRAP transporter TeaBC from Halomonas elongata DSM2581(T), and compare it with the substrate-bound structure previously reported. Conformational free-energy landscape calculations based upon molecular dynamics simulations are then used to dissect the mechanism that couples ectoine binding to structural change in TeaA. These insights allow us to design a triple mutation that biases TeaA toward apo-like conformations without directly perturbing the binding cleft, thus mimicking the influence of the membrane transporter. Calorimetric measurements demonstrate that the ectoine affinity of the conformationally biased triple mutant is 100-fold weaker than that of the wild type. By contrast, a control mutant predicted to be conformationally unbiased displays wild-type affinity. This work thus demonstrates that substrate release from SBPs onto their membrane transporters can be facilitated by the latter through a mechanism of allosteric modulation of the former.
Takamizawa, Tetsuya; Satoh, Tetsurou; Miyamoto, Tomoko; Nakajima, Yasuyo; Ishizuka, Takahiro; Tomaru, Takuya; Yoshino, Satoshi; Katano-Toki, Akiko; Nishikido, Ayaka; Sapkota, Santosh; Watanabe, Takuya; Okamura, Takashi; Ishida, Emi; Horiguchi, Kazuhiko; Matsumoto, Syunichi; Ishii, Sumiyasu; Ozawa, Atsushi; Shibusawa, Nobuyuki; Okada, Shuichi; Yamada, Masanobu
2018-05-23
Mutations in TBL1X, a component of the nuclear receptor co-repressor (N-CoR) and silencing mediator of retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptor co-repressor complexes, have recently been implicated in isolated central hypothyroidism (CeH). However, the mechanisms by which TBL1X mutations affect negative feedback regulation in the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis remain unclear. N-CoR was previously reported to paradoxically enhance the ligand-independent stimulation of TRH and TSHβ gene promoters by thyroid hormone receptors (TR) in cell culture systems. We herein investigated whether TBL1X affects the unliganded TR-mediated stimulation of the promoter activities of genes negatively regulated by T3 in cooperation with N-CoR. In a hypothalamic neuronal cell line, the unliganded TR-mediated stimulation of the TRH gene promoter was significantly enhanced by co-transfected TBL1X, and the co-transfection of TBL1X with N-CoR further enhanced promoter activity. In contrast, the knockdown of endogenous Tbl1x using short interfering RNA significantly attenuated the N-CoR-mediated enhancement of promoter activity in the presence of unliganded TR. The co-transfection of N365Y or Y458C, TBL1X mutants identified in CeH patients, showed impaired co-activation with N-CoR for the ligand-independent stimulation of the TRH promoter by TR. In the absence of T3, similar or impaired enhancement of the TSHβ gene promoter by the wild type or TBL1X mutants, respectively, was observed in the presence of co-transfected TR and N-CoR in CV-1 cells. These results suggest that TBL1X is needed for the full activation of TRH and TSHβ gene promoters by unliganded TR. Mutations in TBL1X may cause CeH due to the impaired up-regulation of TRH and/or TSHβ gene transcription despite low T3 levels.
Wang, Nian; Lu, Shi-En; Records, Angela R.; Gross, Dennis C.
2006-01-01
Production of the phytotoxins syringomycin and syringopeptin by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae is controlled by the regulatory genes salA and syrF. Analysis with 70-mer oligonucleotide microarrays established that the syr-syp genes responsible for synthesis and secretion of syringomycin and syringopeptin belong to the SyrF regulon. Vector pMEKm12 was successfully used to express both SalA and SyrF proteins fused to a maltose-binding protein (MBP) in Escherichia coli and P. syringae pv. syringae. Both the MBP-SalA and MBP-SyrF fusion proteins were purified by maltose affinity chromatography. Gel shift analysis revealed that the purified MBP-SyrF, but not the MBP-SalA fusion protein, bound to a 262-bp fragment of the syrB1 promoter region containing the syr-syp box. Purified MBP-SalA caused a shift of a 324-bp band containing the putative syrF promoter. Gel filtration analysis and cross-linking experiments indicated that both SalA and SyrF form homodimers in vitro. Overexpression of the N-terminal regions of SalA and SyrF resulted in decreased syringomycin production by strain B301D and reduced levels of β-glucuronidase activities of the sypA::uidA and syrB1::uidA reporters by 59% to 74%. The effect of SalA on the expression of the syr-syp genes is mediated by SyrF, which activates the syr-syp genes by directly binding to the promoter regions. Both SalA and SyrF resemble other LuxR family proteins in dimerization and interaction with promoter regions of target genes. PMID:16621822
Lai, Yen-Ting; Cheng, Chao-Sheng; Liu, Yu-Nan; Liu, Yaw-Jen; Lyu, Ping-Chiang
2008-09-01
Plant nonspecific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) are small, basic proteins constituted mainly of alpha-helices and stabilized by four conserved disulfide bridges. They are characterized by the presence of a tunnel-like hydrophobic cavity, capable of transferring various lipid molecules between lipid bilayers in vitro. In this study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed at room temperature to investigate the effects of lipid binding on the dynamic properties of rice nsLTP1. Rice nsLTP1, either in the free form or complexed with one or two lipids was subjected to MD simulations. The C-terminal loop was very flexible both before and after lipid binding, as revealed by calculating the root-mean-square fluctuation. After lipid binding, the flexibility of some residues that were not in direct contact with lipid molecules increased significantly, indicating an increase of entropy in the region distal from the binding site. Essential dynamics analysis revealed clear differences in motion between unliganded and liganded rice nsLTP1s. In the free form of rice nsLTP1, loop1 exhibited the largest directional motion. This specific essential motion mode diminished after binding one or two lipid molecules. To verify the origin of the essential motion observed in the free form of rice nsLTP1, we performed multiple sequence alignments to probe the intrinsic motion encoded in the primary sequence. We found that the amino acid sequence of loop1 is highly conserved among plant nsLTP1s, thus revealing its functional importance during evolution. Furthermore, the sequence of loop1 is composed mainly of amino acids with short side chains. In this study, we show that MD simulations, together with essential dynamics analysis, can be used to determine structural and dynamic differences of rice nsLTP1 upon lipid binding. 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Role of Maltose Enzymes in Glycogen Synthesis by Escherichia coli▿
Park, Jong-Tae; Shim, Jae-Hoon; Tran, Phuong Lan; Hong, In-Hee; Yong, Hwan-Ung; Oktavina, Ershita Fitria; Nguyen, Hai Dang; Kim, Jung-Wan; Lee, Tae Soo; Park, Sung-Hoon; Boos, Winfried; Park, Kwan-Hwa
2011-01-01
Mutants with deletion mutations in the glg and mal gene clusters of Escherichia coli MC4100 were used to gain insight into glycogen and maltodextrin metabolism. Glycogen content, molecular mass, and branch chain distribution were analyzed in the wild type and in ΔmalP (encoding maltodextrin phosphorylase), ΔmalQ (encoding amylomaltase), ΔglgA (encoding glycogen synthase), and ΔglgA ΔmalP derivatives. The wild type showed increasing amounts of glycogen when grown on glucose, maltose, or maltodextrin. When strains were grown on maltose, the glycogen content was 20 times higher in the ΔmalP strain (0.97 mg/mg protein) than in the wild type (0.05 mg/mg protein). When strains were grown on glucose, the ΔmalP strain and the wild type had similar glycogen contents (0.04 mg/mg and 0.03 mg/mg protein, respectively). The ΔmalQ mutant did not grow on maltose but showed wild-type amounts of glycogen when grown on glucose, demonstrating the exclusive function of GlgA for glycogen synthesis in the absence of maltose metabolism. No glycogen was found in the ΔglgA and ΔglgA ΔmalP strains grown on glucose, but substantial amounts (0.18 and 1.0 mg/mg protein, respectively) were found when they were grown on maltodextrin. This demonstrates that the action of MalQ on maltose or maltodextrin can lead to the formation of glycogen and that MalP controls (inhibits) this pathway. In vitro, MalQ in the presence of GlgB (a branching enzyme) was able to form glycogen from maltose or linear maltodextrins. We propose a model of maltodextrin utilization for the formation of glycogen in the absence of glycogen synthase. PMID:21421758
Guo, Mengzhe; Yin, Dengyang; Han, Jie; Zhang, Liyan; Li, Xiao; He, Dandan; Du, Yan; Tang, Daoquan
2016-09-01
Maltose, a common auxiliary material of pharmaceutical preparation, may disturb the analysis of total amino acids in sepia capsule by aldolization. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the maltose through a convenient method. In this work, a phenylboronic acid modified solid-phase extraction column has been synthesized and used to remove the maltose. The materials were synthesized by one step "thiol-ene" reaction and the parameters of the column such as absorption capacity, recovery, and absorption specificity have been investigated. The results showed the column (0.5 cm of length × 0.5 cm of inner diameter) can absorb 4.6 mg maltose with a linear absorption and absorption specificity. Then this technique was applied in the quantification of amino acids in sepia capsule. After the optimization of the method, four kinds of amino acids, which were the most abundant, were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The amounts of the four kinds of amino acids are 1.5∼2 times more than that without the treatment of solid-phase extraction column, which almost overcomes the influence of the maltose. All the results indicate that the phenylboronic acid modified solid-phase extraction column can successfully help to accurately quantify the total amino acids in sepia capsule. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Kanzler, Clemens; Schestkowa, Helena; Haase, Paul T; Kroh, Lothar W
2017-10-11
In this study, the Maillard reaction of maltose and d-glucose in the presence of l-alanine was investigated in aqueous solution at 130 °C and pH 5. The reactivity of both carbohydrates was compared in regards of their degradation, browning, and antioxidant activity. In order to identify relevant differences in the reaction pathways, the concentrations of selected intermediates such as 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds, furans, furanones, and pyranones were determined. It was found, that the degradation of maltose predominantly yields 1,2-dicarbonyls that still carry a glucosyl moiety and thus subsequent reactions to HMF, furfural, and 2-acetylfuran are favored due to the elimination of d-glucose, which is an excellent leaving group in aqueous solution. Consequently, higher amounts of these heterocycles are formed from maltose. 3-deoxyglucosone and 3-deoxygalactosone represent the only relevant C 6 -1,2-dicarbonyls in maltose incubations and are produced in nearly equimolar amounts during the first 60 min of heating as byproducts of the HMF formation.
Accurate high-throughput structure mapping and prediction with transition metal ion FRET
Yu, Xiaozhen; Wu, Xiongwu; Bermejo, Guillermo A.; Brooks, Bernard R.; Taraska, Justin W.
2013-01-01
Mapping the landscape of a protein’s conformational space is essential to understanding its functions and regulation. The limitations of many structural methods have made this process challenging for most proteins. Here, we report that transition metal ion FRET (tmFRET) can be used in a rapid, highly parallel screen, to determine distances from multiple locations within a protein at extremely low concentrations. The distances generated through this screen for the protein Maltose Binding Protein (MBP) match distances from the crystal structure to within a few angstroms. Furthermore, energy transfer accurately detects structural changes during ligand binding. Finally, fluorescence-derived distances can be used to guide molecular simulations to find low energy states. Our results open the door to rapid, accurate mapping and prediction of protein structures at low concentrations, in large complex systems, and in living cells. PMID:23273426
Multivalent interaction based carbohydrate biosensors for signal amplification
Wang, Yanyan; Chalagalla, Srinivas; Li, Tiehai; Sun, Xue-long; Zhao, Wei; Wang, Peng; Zeng, Xiangqun
2010-01-01
Multivalent interaction between boronic acids immobilized on Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) sensor surface and the carbohydrates modified Au - nanoparticle (AuNP) has been demonstrated for the development of a sensitive carbohydrate biosensor. Briefly, a boronic acid - containing polymer (boropolymer) as multivalent carbohydrate receptor was oriented immobilized on the cysteamine coated electrode through isourea bond formation. Carbohydrates were conjugated to AuNPs to generate a multivalent carbohydrates moiety to amplify the response signal. Thus, the binding of the carbohydrate conjugated AuNPs to the boropolymer surface are multivalent which could simultaneously increase the binding affinity and specificity. We systematically studied the binding between five carbohydrate conjugated AuNPs and the boropolymer. Our studies show that the associate constant (Ka) was in the order of fucose < glucose < mannose < galactose < maltose. A linear response in the range from 23 µM to 3.83 mM was observed for mannose conjugated AuNPs and the boropolymer recognition elements, with the lower detection limit of 1.5 µM for the carbohydrate analytes. Furthermore, the multivalent binding between carbohydrates and boronic acids are reversible and allow the regeneration of boropolymer surface by using 1M acetic acid so as to sequentially capture and release the carbohydrate analytes. PMID:20863680
Stanley, Frederick M.; Linder, Kathryn M.; Cardozo, Timothy J.
2015-01-01
Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) is a multifunctional protein that has important roles in inflammation and wound healing. Its aberrant regulation may contribute to many disease processes such as heart disease. The PAI-1 promoter is responsive to multiple inputs including cytokines, growth factors, steroids and oxidative stress. The statin drugs, atorvastatin, mevastatin and rosuvastatin, increased basal and stimulated expression of the PAI-1 promoter 3-fold. A statin-responsive, nuclear hormone response element was previously identified in the PAI-1 promoter, but it was incompletely characterized. We characterized this direct repeat (DR) of AGGTCA with a 3-nucleotide spacer at -269/-255 using deletion and directed mutagenesis. Deletion or mutation of this element increased basal transcription from the promoter suggesting that it repressed PAI-1 transcription in the unliganded state. The half-site spacing and the ligand specificity suggested that this might be a pregnane X receptor (PXR) responsive element. Computational molecular docking showed that atorvastatin, mevastatin and rosuvastatin were structurally compatible with the PXR ligand-binding pocket in its agonist conformation. Experiments with Gal4 DNA binding domain fusion proteins showed that Gal4-PXR was activated by statins while other DR + 3 binding nuclear receptor fusions were not. Overexpression of PXR further enhanced PAI-1 transcription in response to statins. Finally, ChIP experiments using Halo-tagged PXR and RXR demonstrated that both components of the PXR-RXR heterodimer bound to this region of the PAI-1 promoter. PMID:26379245
Understanding Cryptic Pocket Formation in Protein Targets by Enhanced Sampling Simulations.
Oleinikovas, Vladimiras; Saladino, Giorgio; Cossins, Benjamin P; Gervasio, Francesco L
2016-11-02
Cryptic pockets, that is, sites on protein targets that only become apparent when drugs bind, provide a promising alternative to classical binding sites for drug development. Here, we investigate the nature and dynamical properties of cryptic sites in four pharmacologically relevant targets, while comparing the efficacy of various simulation-based approaches in discovering them. We find that the studied cryptic sites do not correspond to local minima in the computed conformational free energy landscape of the unliganded proteins. They thus promptly close in all of the molecular dynamics simulations performed, irrespective of the force-field used. Temperature-based enhanced sampling approaches, such as Parallel Tempering, do not improve the situation, as the entropic term does not help in the opening of the sites. The use of fragment probes helps, as in long simulations occasionally it leads to the opening and binding to the cryptic sites. Our observed mechanism of cryptic site formation is suggestive of an interplay between two classical mechanisms: induced-fit and conformational selection. Employing this insight, we developed a novel Hamiltonian Replica Exchange-based method "SWISH" (Sampling Water Interfaces through Scaled Hamiltonians), which combined with probes resulted in a promising general approach for cryptic site discovery. We also addressed the issue of "false-positives" and propose a simple approach to distinguish them from druggable cryptic pockets. Our simulations, whose cumulative sampling time was more than 200 μs, help in clarifying the molecular mechanism of pocket formation, providing a solid basis for the choice of an efficient computational method.
Overexpression of an archaeal geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase in Escherichia coli cells.
Ohto, C; Nakane, H; Hemmi, H; Ohnuma, S; Obata, S; Nishino, T
1998-06-01
An archaeal geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase was overexpressed in Escherichia coli cells as fusion proteins. These fusion proteins retained their thermostability and had higher specific activity than did a partially purified native enzyme Previously reported. We purified 24.3 mg of MBP (maltose-binding protein)-fusion protein and 5.4 mg of GST (glutathione S-transferase)-fusion protein from a one-liter culture of E. coli. The MBP-fusion proteins existed in dimer, tetramer, octamer, or dodecamer form, and their product specificities were altered according to the oligomerization. The MBP-fusion protein has protease-sensitive sites in the portion corresponding to geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cheung, Luthur Siu-Lun; Shea, Daniel J.; Nicholes, Nathan; Date, Amol; Ostermeier, Marc; Konstantopoulos, Konstantinos
2015-02-01
Monobodies are antibody alternatives derived from fibronectin that are thermodynamically stable, small in size, and can be produced in bacterial systems. Monobodies have been engineered to bind a wide variety of target proteins with high affinity and specificity. Using alanine-scanning mutagenesis simulations, we identified two scaffold residues that are critical to the binding interaction between the monobody YS1 and its ligand, maltose-binding protein (MBP). Steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations predicted that the E47A and R33A mutations in the YS1 scaffold substantially destabilize the YS1-MBP interface by reducing the bond rupture force and the lifetime of single hydrogen bonds. SMD simulations further indicated that the R33A mutation weakens the hydrogen binding between all scaffold residues and MBP and not just between R33 and MBP. We validated the simulation data and characterized the effects of mutations on YS1-MBP binding by using single-molecule force spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance. We propose that interfacial stability resulting from R33 of YS1 stacking with R344 of MBP synergistically stabilizes both its own bond and the interacting scaffold residues of YS1. Our integrated approach improves our understanding of the monobody scaffold interactions with a target, thus providing guidance for the improved engineering of monobodies.
Vidgren, Virve; Huuskonen, Anne; Virtanen, Hannele; Ruohonen, Laura; Londesborough, John
2009-04-01
The use of more concentrated, so-called high-gravity and very-high-gravity (VHG) brewer's worts for the manufacture of beer has economic and environmental advantages. However, many current strains of brewer's yeasts ferment VHG worts slowly and incompletely, leaving undesirably large amounts of maltose and especially maltotriose in the final beers. alpha-Glucosides are transported into Saccharomyces yeasts by several transporters, including Agt1, which is a good carrier of both maltose and maltotriose. The AGT1 genes of brewer's ale yeast strains encode functional transporters, but the AGT1 genes of the lager strains studied contain a premature stop codon and do not encode functional transporters. In the present work, one or more copies of the AGT1 gene of a lager strain were repaired with DNA sequence from an ale strain and put under the control of a constitutive promoter. Compared to the untransformed strain, the transformants with repaired AGT1 had higher maltose transport activity, especially after growth on glucose (which represses endogenous alpha-glucoside transporter genes) and higher ratios of maltotriose transport activity to maltose transport activity. They fermented VHG (24 degrees Plato) wort faster and more completely, producing beers containing more ethanol and less residual maltose and maltotriose. The growth and sedimentation behaviors of the transformants were similar to those of the untransformed strain, as were the profiles of yeast-derived volatile aroma compounds in the beers.
Physical basis behind achondroplasia, the most common form of human dwarfism.
He, Lijuan; Horton, William; Hristova, Kalina
2010-09-24
Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that plays an important role in long bone development. The G380R mutation in FGFR3 transmembrane domain is known as the genetic cause for achondroplasia, the most common form of human dwarfism. Despite many studies, there is no consensus about the exact mechanism underlying the pathology. To gain further understanding into the physical basis behind the disorder, here we measure the activation of wild-type and mutant FGFR3 in mammalian cells using Western blots, and we analyze the activation within the frame of a physical-chemical model describing dimerization, ligand binding, and phosphorylation probabilities within the dimers. The data analysis presented here suggests that the mutation does not increase FGFR3 dimerization, as proposed previously. Instead, FGFR3 activity in achondroplasia is increased due to increased probability for phosphorylation of the unliganded mutant dimers. This finding has implications for the design of targeted molecular treatments for achondroplasia.
CCR5 adopts three homodimeric conformations that control cell surface delivery.
Jin, Jun; Momboisse, Fanny; Boncompain, Gaelle; Koensgen, Florian; Zhou, Zhicheng; Cordeiro, Nelia; Arenzana-Seisdedos, Fernando; Perez, Franck; Lagane, Bernard; Kellenberger, Esther; Brelot, Anne
2018-05-08
Biophysical methods and x-ray crystallography have revealed that class A G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) can form homodimers. We combined computational approaches with receptor cross-linking, energy transfer, and a newly developed functional export assay to characterize the residues involved in the dimerization interfaces of the chemokine receptor CCR5, the major co-receptor for HIV-1 entry into cells. We provide evidence of three distinct CCR5 dimeric organizations, involving residues of transmembrane helix 5. Two dimeric states corresponded to unliganded receptors, whereas the binding of the inverse agonist maraviroc stabilized a third state. We found that CCR5 dimerization was required for targeting the receptor to the plasma membrane. These data suggest that dimerization contributes to the conformational diversity of inactive class A GPCRs and may provide new opportunities to investigate the cellular entry of HIV-1 and mechanisms for its inhibition. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.
Austin, Ryan J.; Smidansky, Heidi M.; Holstein, Carly A.; Chang, Deborah K.; Epp, Angela; Josephson, Neil C.; Martin, Daniel B.
2012-01-01
The strength of the streptavidin/biotin interaction poses challenges for the recovery of biotinylated molecules from streptavidin resins. As an alternative to high temperature elution in urea containing buffers, we show mono-biotinylated proteins can be released with relatively gentle heating in the presence of biotin and 2% SDS/Rapigest, avoiding protein carbamylation and minimizing streptavidin dissociation. We demonstrate the utility of this mild elution strategy in two studies of the human androgen receptor (AR). In the first, in which formaldehyde crosslinked complexes are analyzed in yeast, a mass spectrometry-based comparison of the AR complex using SILAC reveals an association between the androgen activated AR and the Hsp90 chaperonin, while Hsp70 chaperonins associate specifically with the unliganded complex. In the second study, the endogenous AR is quantified in the LNCaP cell line by absolute SILAC and MRM-MS showing approximately 127,000 AR copies per cell, substantially more than previously measured using radioligand binding. PMID:22116683
Physical Basis behind Achondroplasia, the Most Common Form of Human Dwarfism*
He, Lijuan; Horton, William; Hristova, Kalina
2010-01-01
Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that plays an important role in long bone development. The G380R mutation in FGFR3 transmembrane domain is known as the genetic cause for achondroplasia, the most common form of human dwarfism. Despite many studies, there is no consensus about the exact mechanism underlying the pathology. To gain further understanding into the physical basis behind the disorder, here we measure the activation of wild-type and mutant FGFR3 in mammalian cells using Western blots, and we analyze the activation within the frame of a physical-chemical model describing dimerization, ligand binding, and phosphorylation probabilities within the dimers. The data analysis presented here suggests that the mutation does not increase FGFR3 dimerization, as proposed previously. Instead, FGFR3 activity in achondroplasia is increased due to increased probability for phosphorylation of the unliganded mutant dimers. This finding has implications for the design of targeted molecular treatments for achondroplasia. PMID:20624921
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
French, Jarrod B.; Ealick, Steven E.
The stereospecific oxidative degradation of uric acid to (S)-allantoin was recently shown to proceed via three enzymatic steps. The final conversion is a decarboxylation of the unstable intermediate 2-oxo-4-hydroxy-4-carboxy-5-ureidoimidazoline (OHCU) and is catalyzed by OHCU decarboxylase. Here we present the structures of Klebsiella pneumoniae OHCU decarboxylase in unliganded form and with bound allantoin. These structures provide evidence that ligand binding organizes the active site residues for catalysis. Modeling of the substrate and intermediates provides additional support for this hypothesis. In addition we characterize the steady state kinetics of this enzyme and report the first OHCU decarboxylase inhibitor, allopurinol, a structuralmore » isomer of hypoxanthine. This molecule is a competitive inhibitor of K. pneumoniae OHCU decarboxylase with a K{sub i} of 30 {+-} 2 {micro}m. Circular dichroism measurements confirm structural observations that this inhibitor disrupts the necessary organization of the active site. Our structural and biochemical studies also provide further insights into the mechanism of catalysis of OHCU decarboxylation.« less
Mapping the binding domain of the F18 fimbrial adhesin.
Smeds, A; Pertovaara, M; Timonen, T; Pohjanvirta, T; Pelkonen, S; Palva, A
2003-04-01
F18 fimbrial Esherichia coli strains are associated with porcine postweaning diarrhea and pig edema disease. Recently, the FedF subunit was identified as the adhesin of the F18 fimbriae. In this study, adhesion domains of FedF were further studied by constructing deletions within the fedF gene and expressing FedF proteins with deletions either together with the other F18 fimbrial subunits or as fusion proteins tagged with maltose binding protein. The region essential for adhesion to porcine intestinal epithelial cells was mapped between amino acid residues 60 and 109 of FedF. To map the binding domain even more closely, all eight charged amino acid residues within this region were independently replaced by alanine. Three of these single point mutants expressing F18 fimbriae exhibited significantly diminished capabilities to adhere to porcine epithelial cells in vitro. In addition, a triple point mutation and a double point mutation completely abolished receptor adhesiveness. The result further confirmed that the region between amino acid residues 60 and 109 is essential for the binding of F18 fimbriae to their receptor. In addition, the adhesion capability of the binding domain was eliminated after treatment with iodoacetamide, suggesting the formation of a disulfide bridge between Cys-63 and Cys-83, whereas Cys-111 and Cys-116 could be deleted without affecting the binding ability of FedF.
Lang, Julien; Vigouroux, Armelle; Planamente, Sara; El Sahili, Abbas; Blin, Pauline; Aumont-Nicaise, Magali; Dessaux, Yves; Moréra, Solange; Faure, Denis
2014-10-01
By modifying the nuclear genome of its host, the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens induces the development of plant tumours in which it proliferates. The transformed plant tissues accumulate uncommon low molecular weight compounds called opines that are growth substrates for A. tumefaciens. In the pathogen-induced niche (the plant tumour), a selective advantage conferred by opine assimilation has been hypothesized, but not experimentally demonstrated. Here, using genetics and structural biology, we deciphered how the pathogen is able to bind opines and use them to efficiently compete in the plant tumour. We report high resolution X-ray structures of the periplasmic binding protein (PBP) NocT unliganded and liganded with the opine nopaline (a condensation product of arginine and α-ketoglurate) and its lactam derivative pyronopaline. NocT exhibited an affinity for pyronopaline (K(D) of 0.6 µM) greater than that for nopaline (KD of 3.7 µM). Although the binding-mode of the arginine part of nopaline/pyronopaline in NocT resembled that of arginine in other PBPs, affinity measurement by two different techniques showed that NocT did not bind arginine. In contrast, NocT presented specific residues such as M117 to stabilize the bound opines. NocT relatives that exhibit the nopaline/pyronopaline-binding mode were only found in genomes of the genus Agrobacterium. Transcriptomics and reverse genetics revealed that A. tumefaciens uses the same pathway for assimilating nopaline and pyronopaline. Fitness measurements showed that NocT is required for a competitive colonization of the plant tumour by A. tumefaciens. Moreover, even though the Ti-plasmid conjugal transfer was not regulated by nopaline, the competitive advantage gained by the nopaline-assimilating Ti-plasmid donors led to a preferential horizontal propagation of this Ti-plasmid amongst the agrobacteria colonizing the plant-tumour niche. This work provided structural and genetic evidences to support the niche construction paradigm in bacterial pathogens.
Planamente, Sara; El Sahili, Abbas; Blin, Pauline; Aumont-Nicaise, Magali; Dessaux, Yves; Moréra, Solange; Faure, Denis
2014-01-01
By modifying the nuclear genome of its host, the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens induces the development of plant tumours in which it proliferates. The transformed plant tissues accumulate uncommon low molecular weight compounds called opines that are growth substrates for A. tumefaciens. In the pathogen-induced niche (the plant tumour), a selective advantage conferred by opine assimilation has been hypothesized, but not experimentally demonstrated. Here, using genetics and structural biology, we deciphered how the pathogen is able to bind opines and use them to efficiently compete in the plant tumour. We report high resolution X-ray structures of the periplasmic binding protein (PBP) NocT unliganded and liganded with the opine nopaline (a condensation product of arginine and α-ketoglurate) and its lactam derivative pyronopaline. NocT exhibited an affinity for pyronopaline (KD of 0.6 µM) greater than that for nopaline (KD of 3.7 µM). Although the binding-mode of the arginine part of nopaline/pyronopaline in NocT resembled that of arginine in other PBPs, affinity measurement by two different techniques showed that NocT did not bind arginine. In contrast, NocT presented specific residues such as M117 to stabilize the bound opines. NocT relatives that exhibit the nopaline/pyronopaline-binding mode were only found in genomes of the genus Agrobacterium. Transcriptomics and reverse genetics revealed that A. tumefaciens uses the same pathway for assimilating nopaline and pyronopaline. Fitness measurements showed that NocT is required for a competitive colonization of the plant tumour by A. tumefaciens. Moreover, even though the Ti-plasmid conjugal transfer was not regulated by nopaline, the competitive advantage gained by the nopaline-assimilating Ti-plasmid donors led to a preferential horizontal propagation of this Ti-plasmid amongst the agrobacteria colonizing the plant-tumour niche. This work provided structural and genetic evidences to support the niche construction paradigm in bacterial pathogens. PMID:25299655
Lv, Yan; Yang, Mei; Hu, Dan; Yang, Zeyu; Ma, Siqi; Li, Xianghua; Xiong, Lizhong
2017-02-01
Cold stress is one of the major limiting factors for rice (Oryza sativa) productivity. Several MYB transcriptional factors have been reported as important regulators in the cold stress response, but the molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we characterized a cold-responsive R2R3-type MYB gene, OsMYB30, for its regulatory function in cold tolerance in rice. Functional analysis revealed that overexpression of OsMYB30 in rice resulted in increased cold sensitivity, while the osmyb30 knockout mutant showed increased cold tolerance. Microarray and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses revealed that a few β-amylase (BMY) genes were down-regulated by OsMYB30. The BMY activity and maltose content, which were decreased and increased in the OsMYB30 overexpression and osmyb30 knockout mutant, respectively, were correlated with the expression patterns of the BMY genes. OsMYB30 was shown to bind to the promoters of the BMY genes. These results suggested that OsMYB30 exhibited a regulatory effect on the breakdown of starch through the regulation of the BMY genes. In addition, application of maltose had a protective effect for cell membranes under cold stress conditions. Furthermore, we identified an OsMYB30-interacting protein, OsJAZ9, that had a significant effect in suppressing the transcriptional activation of OsMYB30 and in the repression of BMY genes mediated by OsMYB30. These results together suggested that OsMYB30 might be a novel regulator of cold tolerance through the negative regulation of the BMY genes by interacting with OsJAZ9 to fine-tune the starch breakdown and the content of maltose, which might contribute to the cold tolerance as a compatible solute. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.
Maltose Biochemistry and Transport in Plant Leaves
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Sharkey, Thomas D
Starch is a desirable plant product for both food and biofuel. Leaf starch is ideal for use in biofuels because it does not compete with grain starch, which is used for food. Starch is accumulated in plant leaves during the day and broken down at night. If we can manipulate leaf starch breakdown it may be possible to design a plant that provides both grain starch for food and leaf starch for biofuel. The pathway of leaf starch breakdown was not known when this work started. Preliminary evidence had shown that maltose was the primary product of leaf starch breakdownmore » (Weise, Weber & Sharkey, 2004) and that it was metabolized by a disproportionating enzyme called amylomaltase but given the initials DPE2 (Lu & Sharkey, 2004). In this work we showed that only one form of maltose was metabolically active (Weise et al., 2005a) and that maltose was located in two different places when the amylomaltase was knocked out but only inside the chloroplast when the maltose transporter was knocked out (Lu et al., 2006a). This allowed us to estimate the energetics of maltose export and to show that maltose export is more efficient than glucose export (Weise et al., 2005b). We examined how daylength affected starch breakdown rate and found that starch breakdown rate could respond to changes in daylength within one day (Lu, Gehan & Sharkey, 2005). We also were able to show a second starch breakdown pathway by chloroplastic starch phosphorylase (Weise et al., 2006). Work to this point was summarized in a review (Lu & Sharkey, 2006). We were able to show that the amylomaltase in plants could substitute for the amylomaltase in bacteria (Lu et al., 2006b). In this paper we also showed the importance of a second enzyme called alpha-glucan phosphorylase in starch breakdown. Finally, we were able to determine the enzymatic mechanism of the amylomaltase (Steichen, Petty & Sharkey, 2008). These results have laid the groundwork for manipulating plants for improved biofuel production.« less
Suzuki, Kuta; Tanaka, Mizuki; Konno, Yui; Ichikawa, Takanori; Ichinose, Sakurako; Hasegawa-Shiro, Sachiko; Shintani, Takahiro; Gomi, Katsuya
2015-02-01
The production of amylolytic enzymes in Aspergillus oryzae is induced in the presence of starch or maltose, and two Zn2Cys6-type transcription factors, AmyR and MalR, are involved in this regulation. AmyR directly regulates the expression of amylase genes, and MalR controls the expression of maltose-utilizing (MAL) cluster genes. Deletion of malR gene resulted in poor growth on starch medium and reduction in α-amylase production level. To elucidate the activation mechanisms of these two transcription factors in amylase production, the expression profiles of amylases and MAL cluster genes under carbon catabolite derepression condition and subcellular localization of these transcription factors fused with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) were examined. Glucose, maltose, and isomaltose induced the expression of amylase genes, and GFP-AmyR was translocated from the cytoplasm to nucleus after the addition of these sugars. Rapid induction of amylase gene expression and nuclear localization of GFP-AmyR by isomaltose suggested that this sugar was the strongest inducer for AmyR activation. In contrast, GFP-MalR was constitutively localized in the nucleus and the expression of MAL cluster genes was induced by maltose, but not by glucose or isomaltose. In the presence of maltose, the expression of amylase genes was preceded by MAL cluster gene expression. Furthermore, deletion of the malR gene resulted in a significant decrease in the α-amylase activity induced by maltose, but had apparently no effect on the expression of α-amylase genes in the presence of isomaltose. These results suggested that activation of AmyR and MalR is regulated in a different manner, and the preceding activation of MalR is essential for the utilization of maltose as an inducer for AmyR activation.
Structural basis of semaphorin–plexin signalling
Janssen, Bert J. C.; Robinson, Ross A.; Pérez-Brangulí, Francesc; Bell, Christian H.; Mitchell, Kevin J.; Siebold, Christian; Jones, E. Yvonne
2013-01-01
Cell-cell signalling of semaphorin ligands through interaction with plexin receptors is important for the homeostasis and morphogenesis of many tissues and is widely studied for its role in neural connectivity, cancer, cell migration and immune responses1. SEMA4D and Sema6A exemplify two diverse vertebrate, membrane-spanning semaphorin classes (4 and 6) that are capable of direct signalling through members of the two largest plexin classes, B and A, respectively2,3. In the absence of any structural information on the plexin ectodomain or its interaction with semaphorins the extracellular specificity and mechanism controlling plexin signalling has remained unresolved. Here we present crystal structures of cognate complexes of the semaphorin-binding regions of plexins B1 and A2 with semaphorin ectodomains (human PLXNB11–2–SEMA4Decto and murine PlxnA21–4–Sema6Aecto), plus unliganded structures of PlxnA21–4 and Sema6Aecto. These structures, together with biophysical and cellular assays of wild-type and mutant proteins, reveal that semaphorin dimers independently bind two plexin molecules and that signalling is critically dependent on the avidity of the resulting bivalent 2:2 complex (monomeric semaphorin binds plexin but fails to trigger signalling). In combination, our data favour a cell-cell signalling mechanism involving semaphorin-stabilized plexin dimerization, possibly followed by clustering, which is consistent with previous functional data. Furthermore, the shared generic architecture of the complexes, formed through conserved contacts of the amino-terminal seven-bladed β-propeller (sema) domains of both semaphorin and plexin, suggests that a common mode of interaction triggers all semaphorin–plexin based signalling, while distinct insertions within or between blades of the sema domains determine binding specificity. PMID:20877282
Marcella, Aaron M; Culbertson, Sannie J; Shogren-Knaak, Michael A; Barb, Adam W
2017-11-24
The Escherichia coli holo-(acyl carrier protein) synthase (ACPS) catalyzes the coenzyme A-dependent activation of apo-ACPP to generate holo-(acyl carrier protein) (holo-ACPP) in an early step of fatty acid biosynthesis. E. coli ACPS is sufficiently different from the human fatty acid synthase to justify the development of novel ACPS-targeting antibiotics. Models of E. coli ACPS in unliganded and holo-ACPP-bound forms solved by X-ray crystallography to 2.05and 4.10Å, respectively, revealed that ACPS bound three product holo-ACPP molecules to form a 3:3 hexamer. Solution NMR spectroscopy experiments validated the ACPS binding interface on holo-ACPP using chemical shift perturbations and by determining the relative orientation of holo-ACPP to ACPS by fitting residual dipolar couplings. The binding interface is organized to arrange contacts between positively charged ACPS residues and the holo-ACPP phosphopantetheine moiety, indicating product contains more stabilizing interactions than expected in the enzyme:substrate complex. Indeed, holo-ACPP bound the enzyme with greater affinity than the substrate, apo-ACPP, and with negative cooperativity. The first equivalent of holo-ACPP bound with a K D =62±13nM, followed by the binding of two more equivalents of holo-ACPP with K D =1.2±0.2μM. Cooperativity was not observed for apo-ACPP which bound with K D =2.4±0.1μM. Strong product binding and high levels of holo-ACPP in the cell identify a potential regulatory role of ACPS in fatty acid biosynthesis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Thyroid hormones regulate anxiety in the male mouse.
Buras, Alexander; Battle, Loxley; Landers, Evan; Nguyen, Tien; Vasudevan, Nandini
2014-02-01
Thyroid hormone levels are implicated in mood disorders in the adult human but the mechanisms remain unclear partly because, in rodent models, more attention has been paid to the consequences of perinatal hypo and hyperthyroidism. Thyroid hormones act via the thyroid hormone receptor (TR) α and β isoforms, both of which are expressed in the limbic system. TR's modulate gene expression via both unliganded and liganded actions. Though the thyroid hormone receptor (TR) knockouts and a transgenic TRα1 knock-in mouse have provided us valuable insight into behavioral phenotypes such as anxiety and depression, it is not clear if this is because of the loss of unliganded actions or liganded actions of the receptor or due to locomotor deficits. We used a hypothyroid mouse model and supplementation with tri-iodothyronine (T3) or thyroxine (T4) to investigate the consequences of dysthyroid hormone levels on behaviors that denote anxiety. Our data from the open field and the light-dark transition tests suggest that adult onset hypothyroidism in male mice produces a mild anxiogenic effect that is possibly due to unliganded receptor actions. T3 or T4 supplementation reverses this phenotype and euthyroid animals show anxiety that is intermediate between the hypothyroid and thyroid hormone supplemented groups. In addition, T3 but not T4 supplemented animals have lower spine density in the CA1 region of the hippocampus and in the central amygdala suggesting that T3-mediated rescue of the hypothyroid state might be due to lower neuronal excitability in the limbic circuit. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Schwientek, Patrick; Wendler, Sergej; Neshat, Armin; Eirich, Christina; Rückert, Christian; Klein, Andreas; Wehmeier, Udo F; Kalinowski, Jörn; Stoye, Jens; Pühler, Alfred
2013-08-20
Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 is known as the producer of the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor acarbose, a potent drug in the treatment of type-2 diabetes mellitus. We conducted the first whole transcriptome analysis of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110, using RNA-sequencing technology for comparative gene expression studies between cells grown in maltose minimal medium, maltose minimal medium with trace elements, and glucose complex medium. We first studied the behavior of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 cultivations in these three media and found that the different media had significant impact on growth rate and in particular on acarbose production. It was demonstrated that Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 grew well in all three media, but acarbose biosynthesis was only observed in cultures grown in maltose minimal medium with and without trace elements. When comparing the expression profiles between the maltose minimal media with and without trace elements, only few significantly differentially expressed genes were found, which mainly code for uptake systems of metal ions provided in the trace element solution. In contrast, the comparison of expression profiles from maltose minimal medium and glucose complex medium revealed a large number of differentially expressed genes, of which the most conspicuous genes account for iron storage and uptake. Furthermore, the acarbose gene cluster was found to be highly expressed in maltose-containing media and almost silent in the glucose-containing medium. In addition, a putative antibiotic biosynthesis gene cluster was found to be similarly expressed as the acarbose cluster. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Lei, Hongjie; Xu, Huaide; Feng, Li; Yu, Zhimin; Zhao, Haifeng; Zhao, Mouming
2016-11-01
The effects of glucose, sucrose and maltose supplementations on the fermentation performance and stress tolerance of lager yeast (Saccharomyces pastorianus) during high gravity (18°P) and very high gravity (24°P) fermentations were studied. Results showed that throughout 18°P wort fermentation, fermentation performance of lager yeast was significantly improved by glucose or sucrose supplementation, compared with maltose supplementation, especially for sucrose supplementation increasing wort fermentability and ethanol production by 6% and 8%, respectively. However, in the later stage of 24°P wort fermentation, fermentation performance of lager yeast was dramatically improved by maltose supplementation, which increased wort fermentability and ethanol production by 14% and 10%, respectively, compared with sucrose supplementation. Furthermore, higher HSP12 expression level and more intracellular trehalose accumulation in yeast cells were observed by maltose supplementation with increase of the wort gravity from 18°P to 24°P, indicating higher stress response of yeast cells. The excretion of Gly and Ala, and the absorption of Pro in the later stage of fermentation were promoted by maltose supplementation. In addition, with increase of the wort gravity from 18°P to 24°P, higher alcohols level was decreased with maltose supplementation, while esters formation was increased significantly with glucose supplementation. This study suggested that the choice of optimal fermentable sugars maintaining better fermentation performance of lager yeast should be based on not only strain specificity, but also wort gravity. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Substrate specificity of the high-affinity glucose transport system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Wylie, J L; Worobec, E A
1993-07-01
Specificity of the high-affinity glucose transport system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was examined. At a concentration of [14C]glucose near the Vmax of the system, inhibition by maltose, galactose, and xylose was detected. This inhibition is similar to that detected in earlier in vivo studies and correlates with the known specificity of OprB, a glucose-specific porin of P. aeruginosa. At a level of [14C]glucose 100 times lower, only unlabelled glucose inhibited uptake to any extent. This matches the known in vitro specificity of the periplasmic glucose binding protein. These findings were used to explain the discrepancy between earlier in vivo and in vitro results reported in the literature.
Hiramoto, Tetsuya; Tanaka, Mizuki; Ichikawa, Takanori; Matsuura, Yuka; Hasegawa-Shiro, Sachiko; Shintani, Takahiro; Gomi, Katsuya
2015-09-01
In the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae, amylolytic enzyme production is induced by the presence of maltose. Previously, we identified a putative maltose permease (MalP) gene in the maltose-utilizing cluster of A. oryzae. malP disruption causes a significant decrease in α-amylase activity and maltose consumption, indicating that MalP is a maltose transporter required for amylolytic enzyme production in A. oryzae. Although the expression of amylase genes and malP is repressed by the presence of glucose, the effect of glucose on the abundance of functional MalP is unknown. In this study, we examined the effect of glucose and other carbon sources on the subcellular localization of green fluorescence protein (GFP)-tagged MalP. After glucose addition, GFP-MalP at the plasma membrane was internalized and delivered to the vacuole. This glucose-induced internalization of GFP-MalP was inhibited by treatment with latrunculin B, an inhibitor of actin polymerization. Furthermore, GFP-MalP internalization was inhibited by repressing the HECT ubiquitin ligase HulA (ortholog of yeast Rsp5). These results suggest that MalP is transported to the vacuole by endocytosis in the presence of glucose. Besides glucose, mannose and 2-deoxyglucose also induced the endocytosis of GFP-MalP and amylolytic enzyme production was inhibited by the addition of these sugars. However, neither the subcellular localization of GFP-MalP nor amylolytic enzyme production was influenced by the addition of xylose or 3-O-methylglucose. These results imply that MalP endocytosis is induced when amylolytic enzyme production is repressed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Erlitzki, Noa; Huang, Kenneth; Xhani, Suela; Farahat, Abdelbasset A; Kumar, Arvind; Boykin, David W; Poon, Gregory M K
2017-12-01
Previous investigations of sequence-specific DNA binding by model minor groove-binding compounds showed that the ligand/DNA complex was destabilized in the presence of compatible co-solutes. Inhibition was interpreted in terms of osmotic stress theory as the uptake of significant numbers of excess water molecules from bulk solvent upon complex formation. Here, we interrogated the AT-specific DNA complex formed with the symmetric heterocyclic diamidine DB1976 as a model for minor groove DNA recognition using both ionic (NaCl) and non-ionic cosolutes (ethylene glycol, glycine betaine, maltose, nicotinamide, urea). While the non-ionic cosolutes all destabilized the ligand/DNA complex, their quantitative effects were heterogeneous in a cosolute- and salt-dependent manner. Perturbation with NaCl in the absence of non-ionic cosolute showed that preferential hydration water was released upon formation of the DB1976/DNA complex. As salt probes counter-ion release from charged groups such as the DNA backbone, we propose that the preferential hydration uptake in DB1976/DNA binding observed in the presence of osmolytes reflects the exchange of preferentially bound cosolute with hydration water in the environs of the bound DNA, rather than a net uptake of hydration waters by the complex. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Diverse binding site structures revealed in homology models of polyreactive immunoglobulins
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ramsland, Paul A.; Guddat, Luke W.; Edmundson, Allen B.; Raison, Robert L.
1997-09-01
We describe here computer-assisted homology models of the combiningsite structure of three polyreactive immunoglobulins. Template-based modelsof Fv (VL-VH) fragments were derived forthe surface IgM expressed by the malignant CD5 positive B cells from threepatients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The conserved frameworkregions were constructed using crystal coordinates taken from highlyhomologous human variable domain structures (Pot and Hil). Complementaritydetermining regions (CDRs) were predicted by grafting loops, taken fromknown immunoglobulin structures, onto the Fv framework models. The CDRtemplates were chosen, where possible, to be of the same length and of highresidue identity or similarity. LCDR1, 2 and 3 as well as HCDR1 and 2 forthe Fv were constructed using this strategy. For HCDR3 prediction, adatabase containing the Cartesian coordinates of 30 of these loops wascompiled from unliganded antibody X-ray crystallographic structures and anHCDR3 of the same length as that of the B CLL Fv was selected as a template.In one case (Yar), the resulting HCDR3 model gave unfavourable interactionswhen incorporated into the Fv model. This HCDR3 was therefore modelled usingan alternative strategy of construction of the loop stems, using apreviously described HCDR3 conformation (Pot), followed by chain closurewith a β-turn. The template models were subjected to positionalrefinement using energy minimisation and molecular dynamics simulations(X-PLOR). An electrostatic surface description (GRASP) did not reveal acommon structural feature within the binding sites of the three polyreactiveFv. Thus, polyreactive immunoglobulins may recognise similar and multipleantigens through a diverse array of binding site structures.
Wang, Jun; Kliks, Michael M; Jun, Soojin; Jackson, Mel; Li, Qing X
2010-03-01
Quantitative analysis of glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose in different geographic origin honey samples in the world using the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and chemometrics such as partial least squares (PLS) and principal component regression was studied. The calibration series consisted of 45 standard mixtures, which were made up of glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose. There were distinct peak variations of all sugar mixtures in the spectral "fingerprint" region between 1500 and 800 cm(-1). The calibration model was successfully validated using 7 synthetic blend sets of sugars. The PLS 2nd-derivative model showed the highest degree of prediction accuracy with a highest R(2) value of 0.999. Along with the canonical variate analysis, the calibration model further validated by high-performance liquid chromatography measurements for commercial honey samples demonstrates that FTIR can qualitatively and quantitatively determine the presence of glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose in multiple regional honey samples.
Engineered Escherichia coli Silver-Binding Periplasmic Protein That Promotes Silver Tolerance
Hall Sedlak, Ruth; Hnilova, Marketa; Grosh, Carolynn; Fong, Hanson; Baneyx, Francois; Schwartz, Dan; Sarikaya, Mehmet; Tamerler, Candan
2012-01-01
Silver toxicity is a problem that microorganisms face in medical and environmental settings. Through exposure to silver compounds, some bacteria have adapted to growth in high concentrations of silver ions. Such adapted microbes may be dangerous as pathogens but, alternatively, could be potentially useful in nanomaterial-manufacturing applications. While naturally adapted isolates typically utilize efflux pumps to achieve metal resistance, we have engineered a silver-tolerant Escherichia coli strain by the use of a simple silver-binding peptide motif. A silver-binding peptide, AgBP2, was identified from a combinatorial display library and fused to the C terminus of the E. coli maltose-binding protein (MBP) to yield a silver-binding protein exhibiting nanomolar affinity for the metal. Growth experiments performed in the presence of silver nitrate showed that cells secreting MBP-AgBP2 into the periplasm exhibited silver tolerance in a batch culture, while those expressing a cytoplasmic version of the fusion protein or MBP alone did not. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of silver-tolerant cells revealed the presence of electron-dense silver nanoparticles. This is the first report of a specifically engineered metal-binding peptide exhibiting a strong in vivo phenotype, pointing toward a novel ability to manipulate bacterial interactions with heavy metals by the use of short and simple peptide motifs. Engineered metal-ion-tolerant microorganisms such as this E. coli strain could potentially be used in applications ranging from remediation to interrogation of biomolecule-metal interactions in vivo. PMID:22286990
LeMaster, David M.; Mustafi, Sourajit M.; Brecher, Matthew; ...
2015-05-07
Interchanging Leu-119 for Pro-119 at the tip of the β 4-β 5 loop in the first FK506 binding domain (FK1) of the FKBP51 and FKBP52 proteins, respectively, has been reported to largely reverse the inhibitory (FKBP51) or stimulatory (FKBP52) effects of these co-chaperones on the transcriptional activity of glucocorticoid and androgen receptor-protein complexes. Previous NMR relaxation studies have identified exchange line broadening, indicative of submillisecond conformational motion, throughout the β 4-β 5 loop in the FK1 domain of FKBP51, which are suppressed by the FKBP52-like L119P substitution. This substitution also attenuates exchange line broadening in the underlying β 2 andmore » β 3a strands that is centered near a bifurcated main chain hydrogen bond interaction between these two strands. The present study demonstrates that these exchange line broadening effects arise from two distinct coupled conformational transitions, and the transition within the β 2 and β 3a strands samples a transient conformation that resembles the crystal structures of the selectively inhibited FK1 domain of FKBP51 recently reported. Although the crystal structures for their series of inhibitors were interpreted as evidence for an induced fit mechanism of association, the presence of a similar conformation being significantly populated in the unliganded FKBP51 domain is more consistent with a conformational selection binding process. As a result, the contrastingly reduced conformational plasticity of the corresponding FK1 domain of FKBP52 is consistent with the current model in which FKBP51 binds to both the apo- and hormone-bound forms of the steroid receptor to modulate its affinity for ligand, whereas FKBP52 binds selectively to the latter state.« less
Chen, Wei; Qu, Mingbo; Zhou, Yong; Yang, Qing
2018-02-23
Chitin is a linear homopolymer of N -acetyl-β-d-glucosamines and a major structural component of insect cuticles. Chitin hydrolysis involves glycoside hydrolase family 18 (GH18) chitinases. In insects, chitin hydrolysis is essential for periodic shedding of the old cuticle ecdysis and proceeds via a pathway different from that in the well studied bacterial chitinolytic system. Group II chitinase (ChtII) is a widespread chitinolytic enzyme in insects and contains the greatest number of catalytic domains and chitin-binding domains among chitinases. In Lepidopterans, ChtII and two other chitinases, ChtI and Chi-h, are essential for chitin hydrolysis. Although ChtI and Chi-h have been well studied, the role of ChtII remains elusive. Here, we investigated the structure and enzymology of Of ChtII, a ChtII derived from the insect pest Ostrinia furnacalis We present the crystal structures of two catalytically active domains of Of ChtII, Of ChtII-C1 and Of ChtII-C2, both in unliganded form and complexed with chitooligosaccharide substrates. We found that Of ChtII-C1 and Of ChtII-C2 both possess long, deep substrate-binding clefts with endochitinase activities. Of ChtII exhibited structural characteristics within the substrate-binding cleft similar to those in Of Chi-h and Of ChtI. However, Of ChtII lacked structural elements favoring substrate binding beyond the active sites, including an extra wall structure present in Of Chi-h. Nevertheless, the numerous domains in Of ChtII may compensate for this difference; a truncation containing one catalytic domain and three chitin-binding modules ( Of ChtII-B4C1) displayed activity toward insoluble polymeric substrates that was higher than those of Of Chi-h and Of ChtI. Our observations provide the last piece of the puzzle of chitin hydrolysis in insects. © 2018 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Wang, Junqing; Ren, Xudong; Wang, Ruiming; Su, Jing; Wang, Feng
2017-09-06
Trehalose has important applications in the food industry and pharmaceutical manufacturing. The thermostable enzyme trehalose synthase from Thermobaculum terrenum (TtTS) catalyzes the reversible interconversion of maltose and trehalose. Here, we investigated the structural characteristics of TtTS in complex with the inhibitor TriS. TtTS exhibits the typical three domain glycoside hydrolase family 13 structure. The catalytic cleft consists of Asp202-Glu244-Asp310 and various conserved substrate-binding residues. However, among trehalose synthases, TtTS demonstrates obvious thermal stability. TtTS has more polar (charged) amino acids distributed on its protein structure surface and more aromatic amino acids buried within than other mesophilic trehalose synthases. Furthermore, TtTS structural analysis revealed four potential metal ion-binding sites rather than the two in a homologous structure. These factors may render TtTS relatively more thermostable among mesophilic trehalose synthases. The detailed thermophilic enzyme structure provided herein may provide guidance for further protein engineering in the design of stabilized enzymes.
Çulha, Mustafa; Kalay, Şaban; Sevim, Elif; Pinarbaş, Müberra; Baş, Yıldız; Akpinar, Rahşan; Karaoğlu, Şengül Alpay
2017-12-01
Bee disease caused by spore-forming Paenibacillus larvae and Paenibacillus alvei is a serious problem for honey production. Thus, there is an ongoing effort to find an effective agent that shows broad biocidal activity with minimal environmental hazard. In this study, the biocidal effect of maltose reduced silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is evaluated against American foulbrood and European foulbrood pathogens. The results demonstrate that the maltose reduced AgNPs are excellent short and long-term biocides against P. larvae isolates. The long-term effect suggests that the Ag + ions are released from the AgNPs with increasing time in a controlled manner.
Ding, Shilei; Medjahed, Halima; Prévost, Jérémie; Coutu, Mathieu; Xiang, Shi-Hua
2016-01-01
ABSTRACT Binding of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) gp120 exterior envelope glycoprotein to CD4 triggers conformational changes in gp120 that promote its interaction with one of the chemokine receptors, usually CCR5, ultimately leading to gp41-mediated virus-cell membrane fusion and entry. We previously described that topological layers (layer 1, layer 2, and layer 3) in the gp120 inner domain contribute to gp120-trimer association in the unliganded state but also help secure CD4 binding. Relative to layer 1 of HIV-1 gp120, the SIVmac239 gp120 layer 1 plays a more prominent role in maintaining gp120-trimer association but is minimally involved in promoting CD4 binding, which could be explained by the existence of a well-conserved tryptophan at position 375 (Trp 375) in HIV-2/SIVsmm. In this study, we investigated the role of SIV layer 3 in viral entry, cell-to-cell fusion, and CD4 binding. We observed that a network of interactions involving some residues of the β8-α5 region in SIVmac239 layer 3 may contribute to CD4 binding by helping shape the nearby Phe 43 cavity, which directly contacts CD4. In summary, our results suggest that layer 3 in SIV has a greater impact on CD4 binding than in HIV-1. This work defines lineage-specific differences in layer 3 from HIV-1 and that from SIV. IMPORTANCE CD4-induced conformational changes in the gp120 inner domain involve rearrangements between three topological layers. While the role of layers 1 to 3 for HIV-1 and layers 1 and 2 for SIV on gp120 transition to the CD4-bound conformation has been reported, the role of SIV layer 3 remains unknown. Here we report that SIV layer 3 has a greater impact on CD4 binding than does layer 3 in HIV-1 gp120. This work defines lineage-specific differences in layer 3 from HIV-1 and SIV. PMID:27535053
Thermodynamics of Activation Gating in Olfactory-Type Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated (CNGA2) Channels
Nache, Vasilica; Kusch, Jana; Biskup, Christoph; Schulz, Eckhard; Zimmer, Thomas; Hagen, Volker; Benndorf, Klaus
2008-01-01
Olfactory-type cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) ion channels open by the binding of cyclic nucleotides to a binding domain in the C-terminus. Employing the Eyring rate theory, we performed a thermodynamic analysis of the activation gating in homotetrameric CNGA2 channels. Lowering the temperature shifted the concentration-response relationship to lower concentrations, resulting in a decrease of both the enthalpy ΔH and entropy ΔS upon channel opening, suggesting that the order of an open CNGA2 channel plus its environment is higher than that of the closed channel. Activation time courses induced by cGMP concentration jumps were used to study thermodynamics of the transition state. The activation enthalpies ΔH‡ were positive at all cGMP concentrations. In contrast, the activation entropy ΔS‡ was positive at low cGMP concentrations and became then negative at increasing cGMP concentrations. The enthalpic and entropic parts of the activation energies approximately balance each other at all cGMP concentrations, leaving the free enthalpy of activation in the range between 19 and 21 kcal/mol. We conclude that channel activation proceeds through different pathways at different cGMP concentrations. Compared to the unliganded channel, low cGMP concentrations generate a transitional state of lower order whereas high cGMP concentrations generate a transitional state of higher order. PMID:18567637
A small peptide promotes EphA2 kinase-dependent signaling by stabilizing EphA2 dimers.
Singh, Deo R; Pasquale, Elena B; Hristova, Kalina
2016-09-01
The EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase is known to promote cancer cell malignancy in the absence of activation by ephrin ligands. This behavior depends on high EphA2 phosphorylation on Ser897 and low tyrosine phosphorylation, resulting in increased cell migration and invasiveness. We have previously shown that EphA2 forms dimers in the absence of ephrin ligand binding, and that dimerization of unliganded EphA2 can decrease EphA2 Ser897 phosphorylation. We have also identified a small peptide called YSA, which binds EphA2 and competes with the naturally occurring ephrin ligands. Here, we investigate the effect of YSA on EphA2 dimer stability and EphA2 function using quantitative FRET techniques, Western blotting, and cell motility assays. We find that the YSA peptide stabilizes the EphA2 dimer, increases EphA2 Tyr phosphorylation, and decreases both Ser897 phosphorylation and cell migration. The experiments demonstrate that the small peptide ligand YSA reduces EphA2 Ser897 pro-tumorigenic signaling by stabilizing the EphA2 dimer. This work is a proof-of-principle demonstration that EphA2 homointeractions in the plasma membrane can be pharmacologically modulated to decrease the pro-tumorigenic signaling of the receptor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Economou, Nicoleta J.; Zentner, Isaac J.; Lazo, Edwin
2013-04-01
Using a carrier-protein strategy, the structure of teicoplanin bound to its bacterial cell-wall target has been determined. The structure reveals the molecular determinants of target recognition, flexibility in the antibiotic backbone and intrinsic radiation sensitivity of teicoplanin. Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections are commonly treated with glycopeptide antibiotics such as teicoplanin. This drug inhibits bacterial cell-wall biosynthesis by binding and sequestering a cell-wall precursor: a d-alanine-containing peptide. A carrier-protein strategy was used to crystallize the complex of teicoplanin and its target peptide by fusing the cell-wall peptide to either MBP or ubiquitin via native chemical ligation and subsequently crystallizing the protein–peptide–antibiotic complex.more » The 2.05 Å resolution MBP–peptide–teicoplanin structure shows that teicoplanin recognizes its ligand through a combination of five hydrogen bonds and multiple van der Waals interactions. Comparison of this teicoplanin structure with that of unliganded teicoplanin reveals a flexibility in the antibiotic peptide backbone that has significant implications for ligand recognition. Diffraction experiments revealed an X-ray-induced dechlorination of the sixth amino acid of the antibiotic; it is shown that teicoplanin is significantly more radiation-sensitive than other similar antibiotics and that ligand binding increases radiosensitivity. Insights derived from this new teicoplanin structure may contribute to the development of next-generation antibacterials designed to overcome bacterial resistance.« less
He, Yuqin; Zhang, Haide; Wen, Nana; Hu, Rongsuo; Wu, Guiping; Zeng, Ying; Li, Xiong; Miao, Xiaodan
2018-01-01
Arabica coffee is a sub-tropical agricultural product in China. Coffee undergoes a series of thermal reactions to form abundant volatile profiles after roasting, so it loses a lot of reducing sugars and amino acids. Adding carbonyl compounds with amino acids before roasting could ensure the nutrition and flavour of coffee. The technology is versatile for the development of coffee roasting process. This investigation evaluates the effects of combining maltose and lysine (Lys) to modify coffee aroma and the possibly related mechanisms. Arabica coffee was pretreated with a series of solvent ratios of maltose and Lys with an identical concentration (0.25 mol L -1 ) before microwave heating. It was found that the combination of maltose and Lys significantly (P ≤ 0.05) influenced quality indices of coffee (pH and browning degree). Ninety-six aromatic volatiles have been isolated and identified. Twelve volatile profiles revealed the relationship between fragrance difference and compound content in coffee. Moreover, coffee aroma was modified by a large number of volatiles with different chemical classes and character. Thus, our results suggest that the combination of reagents changed overall aroma quality through a series of complex thermal reactions, especially the ratio of Lys/maltose over 2:1. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
Darwin; Charles, Wipa; Cord-Ruwisch, Ralf
2018-05-03
Anaerobic acidification of sugars can produce some useful end-products such as alcohol, volatile fatty acids (e.g. acetate, propionate, and butyrate) and lactic acid. The production of end-products is highly dependent on factors including pH, temperature, hydraulic retention time and the types of sugar being fermented. Results of this current study indicate that the pH and hydraulic retention time played significant roles in determining the end products from the anaerobic acidification of maltose and glucose. Under uncontrolled pH, the anaerobic acidification of maltose ceased when pH in the reactor dropped below 5 while anaerobic acidification of glucose continued and produced ethanol as the main end-product. Under controlled pH, lactic acid was found to be the dominant end-product produced from both maltose and glucose at pH 5. Acetate was the main end-product from both maltose and glucose fermented at neutral pH (6 and 7). Short hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 2 days could induce the production of ethanol from the anaerobic acidification of glucose. However, the anaerobic acidification of maltose could stop when short HRT of 2 days was applied in the reactor. This finding is significant for industrial fermentation and waste management systems, and selective production of different types of organic acids could be achieved by managing pH and HRT in the reactor.
Asanuma-Date, Kimie; Hirano, Yuki; Le, Na; Sano, Kotone; Kawasaki, Nana; Hashii, Noritaka; Hiruta, Yoko; Nakayama, Ken-ichi; Umemura, Mariko; Ishikawa, Kazuhiko; Sakagami, Hiromi; Ogawa, Haruko
2012-01-01
Porcine pancreatic α-amylase (PPA) binds to N-linked glycans of glycoproteins (Matsushita, H., Takenaka, M., and Ogawa, H. (2002) J. Biol Chem., 277, 4680–4686). Immunostaining revealed that PPA is located at the brush-border membrane (BBM) of enterocytes in the duodenum and that the binding is inhibited by mannan but not galactan, indicating that PPA binds carbohydrate-specifically to BBM. The ligands for PPA in BBM were identified as glycoprotein N-glycans that are significantly involved in the assimilation of glucose, including sucrase-isomaltase (SI) and Na+/Glc cotransporter 1 (SGLT1). Binding of SI and SGLT1 in BBM to PPA was dose-dependent and inhibited by mannan. Using BBM vesicles, we found functional changes in PPA and its ligands in BBM due to the N-glycan-specific interaction. The starch-degrading activity of PPA and maltose-degrading activity of SI were enhanced to 240 and 175%, respectively, while Glc uptake by SGLT1 was markedly inhibited by PPA at high but physiologically possible concentrations, and the binding was attenuated by the addition of mannose-specific lectins, especially from Galanthus nivalis. Additionally, recombinant human pancreatic α-amylases expressed in yeast and purified by single-step affinity chromatography exhibited the same carbohydrate binding specificity as PPA in binding assays with sugar-biotinyl polymer probes. The results indicate that mammalian pancreatic α-amylases share a common carbohydrate binding activity and specifically bind to the intestinal BBM. Interaction with N-glycans in the BBM activated PPA and SI to produce much Glc on the one hand and to inhibit Glc absorption by enterocytes via SGLT1 in order to prevent a rapid increase in blood sugar on the other. PMID:22584580
Crystallogenesis of bacteriophage P22 tail accessory factor gp26 at acidic and neutral pH
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Cingolani, Gino, E-mail: cingolag@upstate.edu; Andrews, Dewan; Casjens, Sherwood
2006-05-01
The crystallogenesis of bacteriophage P22 tail-fiber gp26 is described. To study possible pH-induced conformational changes in gp26 structure, native trimeric gp26 has been crystallized at acidic pH (4.6) and a chimera of gp26 fused to maltose-binding protein (MBP-gp26) has been crystallized at neutral and alkaline pH (7-10). Gp26 is one of three phage P22-encoded tail accessory factors essential for stabilization of viral DNA within the mature capsid. In solution, gp26 exists as an extended triple-stranded coiled-coil protein which shares profound structural similarities with class I viral membrane-fusion protein. In the cryo-EM reconstruction of P22 tail extracted from mature virions, gp26more » forms an ∼220 Å extended needle structure emanating from the neck of the tail, which is likely to be brought into contact with the cell’s outer membrane when the viral DNA-injection process is initiated. To shed light on the potential role of gp26 in cell-wall penetration and DNA injection, gp26 has been crystallized at acidic, neutral and alkaline pH. Crystals of native gp26 grown at pH 4.6 diffract X-rays to 2.0 Å resolution and belong to space group P2{sub 1}, with a dimer of trimeric gp26 molecules in the asymmetric unit. To study potential pH-induced conformational changes in the gp26 structure, a chimera of gp26 fused to maltose-binding protein (MBP-gp26) was generated. Hexagonal crystals of MBP-gp26 were obtained at neutral and alkaline pH using the high-throughput crystallization robot at the Hauptman–Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA. These crystals diffract X-rays to beyond 2.0 Å resolution. Structural analysis of gp26 crystallized at acidic, neutral and alkaline pH is in progress.« less
Baumdick, Martin; Brüggemann, Yannick; Schmick, Malte; Xouri, Georgia; Sabet, Ola; Davis, Lloyd; Chin, Jason W; Bastiaens, Philippe IH
2015-01-01
Autocatalytic activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) coupled to dephosphorylating activity of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) ensures robust yet diverse responses to extracellular stimuli. The inevitable tradeoff of this plasticity is spontaneous receptor activation and spurious signaling. We show that a ligand-mediated switch in EGFR trafficking enables suppression of spontaneous activation while maintaining EGFR’s capacity to transduce extracellular signals. Autocatalytic phosphorylation of tyrosine 845 on unliganded EGFR monomers is suppressed by vesicular recycling through perinuclear areas with high PTP1B activity. Ligand-binding results in phosphorylation of the c-Cbl docking tyrosine and ubiquitination of the receptor. This secondary signal relies on EGF-induced EGFR self-association and switches suppressive recycling to directional trafficking. The re-routing regulates EGFR signaling response by the transit-time to late endosomes where it is switched-off by high PTP1B activity. This ubiquitin-mediated switch in EGFR trafficking is a uniquely suited solution to suppress spontaneous activation while maintaining responsiveness to EGF. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.12223.001 PMID:26609808
Applying Pose Clustering and MD Simulations To Eliminate False Positives in Molecular Docking.
Makeneni, Spandana; Thieker, David F; Woods, Robert J
2018-03-26
In this work, we developed a computational protocol that employs multiple molecular docking experiments, followed by pose clustering, molecular dynamic simulations (10 ns), and energy rescoring to produce reliable 3D models of antibody-carbohydrate complexes. The protocol was applied to 10 antibody-carbohydrate co-complexes and three unliganded (apo) antibodies. Pose clustering significantly reduced the number of potential poses. For each system, 15 or fewer clusters out of 100 initial poses were generated and chosen for further analysis. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations allowed the docked poses to either converge or disperse, and rescoring increased the likelihood that the best-ranked pose was an acceptable pose. This approach is amenable to automation and can be a valuable aid in determining the structure of antibody-carbohydrate complexes provided there is no major side chain rearrangement or backbone conformational change in the H3 loop of the CDR regions. Further, the basic protocol of docking a small ligand to a known binding site, clustering the results, and performing MD with a suitable force field is applicable to any protein ligand system.
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Using the small intestine enterocyte Caco-2 cell model, sucrase-isomaltase (SI, the mucosal alpha-glucosidase complex) expression and modification were examined relative to exposure to different mono- and disaccharide glycemic carbohydrates. Caco-2/TC7 cells were grown on porous supports to post-con...
Conventional taxonomy of lactobacilli surviving radurization of meat.
Hastings, J W; Holzapfel, W H
1987-03-01
All of the 113 catalase-negative, Gram-positive, rod-shaped strains isolated from radurized minced beef (5 kGy) were homofermentative, non-thermophilic, and belonged to the sub-genus Streptobacterium. The majority of the strains (100) were identified as Lactobacillus sake. These were divided into four sub-groups based on their sugar fermentation pattern: group IA1 (melibiose (+), maltose (-), amygdalin (-), 76 strains); group IA2 (melibiose (+), maltose (-), amygdalin (+), 14 strains); group IB1 (melibiose (+), maltose (+), amygdalin (+), four strains); group IB2 (melibiose (+), maltose (+), amygdalin (-), six strains). Of the remaining strains, two produced L(+)-lactic acid and were identified as L. farciminis, three were identified as L. curvatus and eight showed characteristics of both L. sake and L. curvatus and were designated 'L. sake/curvatus.' With one exception, all strains were aciduric and relatively insensitive to the chemical preservatives tested. Most L. sake strains produced significant amounts of H2O2. Electron microscopy confirmed a possible relationship between the thickness of the cells and radiation resistance. The problems and limitations of this type of taxonomic study and possible reasons for the predominance of L. sake species in radurized meat are discussed.
Structure of the enzymatically synthesized fructan inulin.
Heyer, A G; Schroeer, B; Radosta, S; Wolff, D; Czapla, S; Springer, J
1998-12-15
Construction, purification and characterization of a fusion protein of maltose-binding protein of Escherichia coli and the fructosyltransferase of Streptococcus mutans is described. With the purified protein, in vitro synthesis of inulin was performed. The obtained polysaccharide was characterized by high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) and static light scattering (SLS) in dilute aqueous and dimethyl sulfoxide solution. For all samples very high molecular weights between 60 x 10(6) and 90 x 10(6) g/mol and a remarkable small polydispersity index of 1.1 have been determined. Small root-mean-square radii of gyration point to a compact conformation in dilute solution. No difference between native and enzymatically synthesized inulin was observed by X-ray powder diffraction and thermoanalysis of solid samples.
Multiple α-Glucoside Transporter Genes in Brewer’s Yeast
Jespersen, Lene; Cesar, Lene B.; Meaden, Philip G.; Jakobsen, Mogens
1999-01-01
Maltose and maltotriose are the two most abundant fermentable sugars in brewer’s wort, and the rate of uptake of these sugars by brewer’s yeast can have a major impact on fermentation performance. In spite of this, no information is currently available on the genetics of maltose and maltotriose uptake in brewing strains of yeast. In this work, we studied 30 brewing strains of yeast (5 ale strains and 25 lager strains) with the aim of examining the alleles of maltose and maltotriose transporter genes contained by them. To do this, we hybridized gene probes to chromosome blots. Studies performed with laboratory strains have shown that maltose utilization is conferred by any one of five unlinked but highly homologous MAL loci (MAL1 to MAL4 and MAL6). Gene 1 at each locus encodes a maltose transporter. All of the strains of brewer’s yeast examined except two were found to contain MAL11 and MAL31 sequences, and only one of these strains lacked MAL41. MAL21 was not present in the five ale strains and 12 of the lager strains. MAL61 was not found in any of the yeast strains. In three of the lager strains, there was evidence that MAL transporter gene sequences occurred on chromosomes other than those known to carry MAL loci. Sequences corresponding to the AGT1 gene, which encodes a transporter of several α-glucosides, including maltose and maltotriose, were detected in all but one of the yeast strains. Homologues of AGT1 were identified in three of the lager strains, and two of these homologues were mapped, one to chromosome II and the other to chromosome XI. AGT1 appears to be a member of a family of closely related genes, which may have arisen in brewer’s yeast in response to selective pressure. PMID:9925567
Poliovirus 2C protein forms homo-oligomeric structures required for ATPase activity.
Adams, Peter; Kandiah, Eaazhisai; Effantin, Grégory; Steven, Alasdair C; Ehrenfeld, Ellie
2009-08-14
The poliovirus protein 2C plays an essential role in viral RNA replication, although its precise biochemical activities or structural requirements have not been elucidated. The protein has several distinctive properties, including ATPase activity and membrane and RNA binding, that are conserved among orthologs of many positive-strand RNA viruses. Sequence alignments have placed these proteins in the SF3 helicase family, a subset of the AAA+ ATPase superfamily. A feature common to AAA+ proteins is the formation of oligomeric rings that are essential for their catalytic functions. Here we show that a recombinant protein, MBP-2C, in which maltose-binding protein was fused to 2C, formed soluble oligomers and that ATPase activity was restricted to oligomer-containing fractions from gel-filtration chromatography. The active fraction was visualized by negative-staining electron microscopy as ring-like particles composed of 5-8 protomers. This conclusion was confirmed by mass measurements obtained by scanning transmission electron microscopy. Mutation of amino acid residues in the 2C nucleotide-binding domain demonstrated that loss of the ability to bind or hydrolyze ATP did not affect oligomerization. Co-expression of active MBP-2C and inactive mutant proteins generated mixed oligomers that exhibited little ATPase activity, suggesting that incorporation of inactive subunits eliminates the function of the entire particle. Finally, deletion of the N-terminal 38 amino acids blocked oligomerization of the fusion protein and eliminated ATPase activity, despite retention of an unaltered nucleotide-binding domain.
Poliovirus 2C Protein Forms Homo-oligomeric Structures Required for ATPase Activity*
Adams, Peter; Kandiah, Eaazhisai; Effantin, Grégory; Steven, Alasdair C.; Ehrenfeld, Ellie
2009-01-01
The poliovirus protein 2C plays an essential role in viral RNA replication, although its precise biochemical activities or structural requirements have not been elucidated. The protein has several distinctive properties, including ATPase activity and membrane and RNA binding, that are conserved among orthologs of many positive-strand RNA viruses. Sequence alignments have placed these proteins in the SF3 helicase family, a subset of the AAA+ ATPase superfamily. A feature common to AAA+ proteins is the formation of oligomeric rings that are essential for their catalytic functions. Here we show that a recombinant protein, MBP-2C, in which maltose-binding protein was fused to 2C, formed soluble oligomers and that ATPase activity was restricted to oligomer-containing fractions from gel-filtration chromatography. The active fraction was visualized by negative-staining electron microscopy as ring-like particles composed of 5–8 protomers. This conclusion was confirmed by mass measurements obtained by scanning transmission electron microscopy. Mutation of amino acid residues in the 2C nucleotide-binding domain demonstrated that loss of the ability to bind or hydrolyze ATP did not affect oligomerization. Co-expression of active MBP-2C and inactive mutant proteins generated mixed oligomers that exhibited little ATPase activity, suggesting that incorporation of inactive subunits eliminates the function of the entire particle. Finally, deletion of the N-terminal 38 amino acids blocked oligomerization of the fusion protein and eliminated ATPase activity, despite retention of an unaltered nucleotide-binding domain. PMID:19520852
Hayashi, Tomohiko; Chiba, Shuntaro; Kaneta, Yusuke; Furuta, Tadaomi; Sakurai, Minoru
2014-11-06
ATP binding cassette (ABC) proteins belong to a superfamily of active transporters. Recent experimental and computational studies have shown that binding of ATP to the nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) of ABC proteins drives the dimerization of NBDs, which, in turn, causes large conformational changes within the transmembrane domains (TMDs). To elucidate the active substrate transport mechanism of ABC proteins, it is first necessary to understand how the NBD dimerization is driven by ATP binding. In this study, we selected MalKs (NBDs of a maltose transporter) as a representative NBD and calculated the free-energy change upon dimerization using molecular mechanics calculations combined with a statistical thermodynamic theory of liquids, as well as a method to calculate the translational, rotational, and vibrational entropy change. This combined method is applied to a large number of snapshot structures obtained from molecular dynamics simulations containing explicit water molecules. The results suggest that the NBD dimerization proceeds with a large gain of water entropy when ATP molecules bind to the NBDs. The energetic gain arising from direct NBD-NBD interactions is canceled by the dehydration penalty and the configurational-entropy loss. ATP hydrolysis induces a loss of the shape complementarity between the NBDs, which leads to the dissociation of the dimer, due to a decrease in the water-entropy gain and an increase in the configurational-entropy loss. This interpretation of the NBD dimerization mechanism in concert with ATP, especially focused on the water-mediated entropy force, is potentially applicable to a wide variety of the ABC transporters.
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
Maltose, the primary product of starch degradation during mashing, has the potential as a compatible solute to affect the activity of and increase the thermostability of barley malt alpha-amylase activity at high temperatures used in mashing and temperatures above those normally used in mashing. To ...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Periyannan, Gopal R.; Lawrence, Barbara A.; Egan, Annie E.
2015-01-01
A [superscript 1]H NMR spectroscopy-based laboratory experiment explores mono- and disaccharide structural chemistry, and the enzyme-substrate specificity of glycosidic bond cleavage by ß-glucosidase towards cellobiose (ß-linked gluco-disaccharide) and maltose (a-linked gluco-disaccharide). Structural differences between cellobiose, maltose, and…
27ps DFT Molecular Dynamics Simulation of a-maltose: A Reduced Basis Set Study.
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
DFT molecular dynamics simulations are time intensive when carried out on carbohydrates such as alpha-maltose, requiring up to three or more weeks on a fast 16-processor computer to obtain just 5ps of constant energy dynamics. In a recent publication [1] forces for dynamics were generated from B3LY...
Yokoyama, Masaru; Nomaguchi, Masako; Doi, Naoya; Kanda, Tadahito; Adachi, Akio; Sato, Hironori
2016-01-01
Variable V1/V2 and V3 loops on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope-gp120 core play key roles in modulating viral competence to recognize two infection receptors, CD4 and chemokine-receptors. However, molecular bases for the modulation largely remain unclear. To address these issues, we constructed structural models for a full-length gp120 in CD4-free and -bound states. The models showed topologies of gp120 surface loop that agree with those in reported structural data. Molecular dynamics simulation showed that in the unliganded state, V1/V2 loop settled into a thermodynamically stable arrangement near V3 loop for conformational masking of V3 tip, a potent neutralization epitope. In the CD4-bound state, however, V1/V2 loop was rearranged near the bound CD4 to support CD4 binding. In parallel, cell-based adaptation in the absence of anti-viral antibody pressures led to the identification of amino acid substitutions that individually enhance viral entry and growth efficiencies in association with reduced sensitivity to CCR5 antagonist TAK-779. Notably, all these substitutions were positioned on the receptors binding surfaces in V1/V2 or V3 loop. In silico structural studies predicted some physical changes of gp120 by substitutions with alterations in viral replication phenotypes. These data suggest that V1/V2 loop is critical for creating a gp120 structure that masks co-receptor binding site compatible with maintenance of viral infectivity, and for tuning a functional balance of gp120 between immune escape ability and infectivity to optimize HIV-1 replication fitness. PMID:26903989
Ruzanski, Christian; Smirnova, Julia; Rejzek, Martin; Cockburn, Darrell; Pedersen, Henriette L.; Pike, Marilyn; Willats, William G. T.; Svensson, Birte; Steup, Martin; Ebenhöh, Oliver; Smith, Alison M.; Field, Robert A.
2013-01-01
Controlled conversion of leaf starch to sucrose at night is essential for the normal growth of Arabidopsis. The conversion involves the cytosolic metabolism of maltose to hexose phosphates via an unusual, multidomain protein with 4-glucanotransferase activity, DPE2, believed to transfer glucosyl moieties to a complex heteroglycan prior to their conversion to hexose phosphate via a cytosolic phosphorylase. The significance of this complex pathway is unclear; conversion of maltose to hexose phosphate in bacteria proceeds via a more typical 4-glucanotransferase that does not require a heteroglycan acceptor. It has recently been suggested that DPE2 generates a heterogeneous series of terminal glucan chains on the heteroglycan that acts as a “glucosyl buffer” to ensure a constant rate of sucrose synthesis in the leaf at night. Alternatively, DPE2 and/or the heteroglycan may have specific properties important for their function in the plant. To distinguish between these ideas, we compared the properties of DPE2 with those of the Escherichia coli glucanotransferase MalQ. We found that MalQ cannot use the plant heteroglycan as an acceptor for glucosyl transfer. However, experimental and modeling approaches suggested that it can potentially generate a glucosyl buffer between maltose and hexose phosphate because, unlike DPE2, it can generate polydisperse malto-oligosaccharides from maltose. Consistent with this suggestion, MalQ is capable of restoring an essentially wild-type phenotype when expressed in mutant Arabidopsis plants lacking DPE2. In light of these findings, we discuss the possible evolutionary origins of the complex DPE2-heteroglycan pathway. PMID:23950181
USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database
The hypothesis that maltose would increase the thermostability of barley malt beta-amylase activity during isothermal mashing was tested at 68, 73 and 78°C and compared to isothermal mashing at 63°C. Finely ground malts of the two-row cultivar Harrington and the six-row cultivar Morex were incubated...
Solanki, Ashish K.; Rathore, Yogendra S.; Badmalia, Maulik D.; Dhoke, Reema R.; Nath, Samir K.; Nihalani, Deepak; Ashish
2014-01-01
Asymmetric disposition of Fab arms in the structures solved for the broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody (nmAb) IgG1 b12 raised the question of whether the unusual shape observed for b12 is common for all IgG1 mAbs or if there is a difference in the overall shape of nmAbs versus non-nmAbs. We compared small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) data-based models and limited proteolysis profiles of some IgG1 mAbs known to be having and lacking HIV-1 neutralizing potency. In non-nmAbs, the Fab arms were found to be symmetrically disposed in space relative to central Fc, but in most nmAbs, the Fab arms were asymmetrically disposed, as seen for IgG1 b12. The only exceptions were 2G12 and 4E10, where both Fab arms were closed above Fc, suggesting some Fab-Fc and/or Fab-Fab interaction in the nmAbs that constrained extension of the Fab-Fc linker. Interestingly, these observations were correlated with differential proteolysis profiles of the mAbs by papain. Under conditions when papain could cut both Fab arms of non-nmAbs, only one Fab arm could be removed from neutralizing ones (except for 2G12 and 4E10). Chromatography and small angle x-ray scattering results of papain-digested products revealed that 1) the Fab-Fc or Fab-Fab interactions in unliganded mAbs are retained in digested products, and 2) whereas anti-gp120 non-nmAbs could bind two gp120 molecules, nmAbs could bind only one gp120. Additional experiments showed that except for 2G12 and 4E10, unopen shapes of nmAbs remain uninfluenced by ionic strength but can be reversibly opened by low pH of buffer accompanied by loss of ligand binding ability. PMID:25331945
Solanki, Ashish K.; Rathore, Yogendra S.; Badmalia, Maulik D.; ...
2014-10-20
Asymmetric disposition of Fab arms in the structures solved for the broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody (nmAb) IgG1 b12 raised the question of whether the unusual shape observed for b12 is common for all IgG1 mAbs or if there is a difference in the overall shape of nmAbs versus non-nmAbs. In this paper, we compared small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) data-based models and limited proteolysis profiles of some IgG1 mAbs known to be having and lacking HIV-1 neutralizing potency. In non-nmAbs, the Fab arms were found to be symmetrically disposed in space relative to central Fc, but in most nmAbs, themore » Fab arms were asymmetrically disposed, as seen for IgG1 b12. The only exceptions were 2G12 and 4E10, where both Fab arms were closed above Fc, suggesting some Fab-Fc and/or Fab-Fab interaction in the nmAbs that constrained extension of the Fab-Fc linker. Interestingly, these observations were correlated with differential proteolysis profiles of the mAbs by papain. Under conditions when papain could cut both Fab arms of non-nmAbs, only one Fab arm could be removed from neutralizing ones (except for 2G12 and 4E10). Chromatography and small angle x-ray scattering results of papain-digested products revealed that 1) the Fab-Fc or Fab-Fab interactions in unliganded mAbs are retained in digested products, and 2) whereas anti-gp120 non-nmAbs could bind two gp120 molecules, nmAbs could bind only one gp120. Finally, additional experiments showed that except for 2G12 and 4E10, unopen shapes of nmAbs remain uninfluenced by ionic strength but can be reversibly opened by low pH of buffer accompanied by loss of ligand binding ability.« less
Chegeni, Mohammad; Amiri, Mahdi; Nichols, Buford L; Naim, Hassan Y; Hamaker, Bruce R
2018-02-20
Dietary starch is finally converted to glucose for absorption by the small intestine mucosal α-glucosidases (sucrase-isomaltase [SI] and maltase-glucoamylase), and control of this process has health implications. Here, the molecular mechanisms were analyzed associated with starch-triggered maturation and transport of SI. Biosynthetic pulse-chase in Caco-2 cells revealed that the high MW SI species (265 kDa) induced by maltose (an α-amylase starch digestion product) had a higher rate of early trafficking and maturation compared with a glucose-induced SI (245 kDa). The maltose-induced SI was found to have higher affinity to lipid rafts, which are associated with enhanced targeting to the apical membrane and higher activity. Accordingly, in situ maltose-hydrolyzing action was enhanced in the maltose-treated cells. Thus, starch digestion products at the luminal surface of small intestinal enterocytes are sensed and accelerate the intracellular processing of SI to enhance starch digestion capacity in the intestinal lumen.-Chegeni, M., Amiri, M., Nichols, B. L., Naim, H. Y., Hamaker, B. R. Dietary starch breakdown product sensing mobilizes and apically activates α-glucosidases in small intestinal enterocytes.
Iliev, I; Vassileva, T; Ignatova, C; Ivanova, I; Haertlé, T; Monsan, P; Chobert, J-M
2008-01-01
To find different types of glucosyltransferases (GTFs) produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides strain Lm 28 and its mutant forms, and to check the effectiveness of gluco-oligosaccharide synthesis using maltose as the acceptor. Constitutive mutants were obtained after chemical mutagenesis by ethyl methane sulfonate. Lm M281 produced more active GTFs than that obtained by the parental strain cultivated on sucrose. GTF from Lm M286 produced a resistant glucan, based on endo-dextranase and amyloglucosidase hydrolysis. The extracellular enzymes from Lm M286 catalyse acceptor reactions and transfer the glucose unit from sucrose to maltose to produce gluco-oligosaccharides (GOS). By increasing the sucrose/maltose ratio, it was possible to catalyse the synthesis of oligosaccharides of increasing degree of polymerization (DP). Different types of GTFs (dextransucrase, alternansucrase and levansucrase) were produced from new constitutive mutants of Leuc. mesenteroides. GTFs from Lm M286 can catalyse the acceptor reaction in the presence of maltose, leading to the synthesis of branched oligosaccharides. Conditions were optimized to synthesize GOS by using GTFs from Lm M286, with the aim of producing maximum quantities of branched-chain oligosaccharides with DP 3-5. This would allow the use of the latter as prebiotics.
Histone deacetylase inhibition reduces hypothyroidism-induced neurodevelopmental defects in rats.
Kumar, Praveen; Mohan, Vishwa; Sinha, Rohit Anthony; Chagtoo, Megha; Godbole, Madan M
2015-11-01
Thyroid hormone (TH) through its receptor (TRα/β) influences spatio-temporal regulation of its target gene repertoire during brain development. Though hypothyroidism in WT rodent models of perinatal hypothyroidism severely impairs neurodevelopment, its effect on TRα/β knockout mice is less severe. An explanation to this paradox is attributed to a possible repressive action of unliganded TRs during development. Since unliganded TRs suppress gene expression through the recruitment of histone deacetylase (HDACs) via co-repressor complexes, we tested whether pharmacological inhibition of HDACs may prevent the effects of hypothyroidism on brain development. Using valproate, an HDAC inhibitor, we show that HDAC inhibition significantly blocks the deleterious effects of hypothyroidism on rat cerebellum, evident by recovery of TH target genes like Bdnf, Pcp2 and Mbp as well as improved dendritic structure of cerebellar Purkinje neurons. Together with this, HDAC inhibition also rescues hypothyroidism-induced motor and cognitive defects. This study therefore provides an insight into the role of HDACs in TH insufficiency during neurodevelopment and their inhibition as a possible therapeutics for treatment. © 2015 Society for Endocrinology.
Do unliganded thyroid hormone receptors have physiological functions?
Chassande, O
2003-08-01
Thyroid hormone (TH) is required for the development of vertebrates and exerts numerous homeostatic functions in adults. TH acts through nuclear receptors which control the transcription of target genes. Unliganded and liganded thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) have been shown to exert opposite effects on the transcription of target genes in vitro. However, the occurance of an aporeceptor activity in vivo and its potential physiological significance has not been clearly addressed. Several data generated using experimental hypothyroidism and thyrotoxicosis in wild type and TR knockout mice support the notion that apoTRs have an intrinsic activity in several tIssues. ApoTRs, and in particular TRalpha1, are predominant during the early stages of vertebrate development and must be turned into holoTRs for post-natal development to proceed normally. However, the absence of striking alterations of embryonic and fetal development in mice devoid of TRs indicates that apoTRs do not play a fundamental role. During development, as well as in adults, apoTRs rather appears as a system which increases the range of transcriptional responses to moderate variations of T3.
Caner, Sami; Nguyen, Nham; Aguda, Adeleke; Zhang, Ran; Pan, Yuan T; Withers, Stephen G; Brayer, Gary D
2013-01-01
Trehalose synthase (TreS) catalyzes the reversible conversion of maltose into trehalose in mycobacteria as one of three biosynthetic pathways to this nonreducing disaccharide. Given the importance of trehalose to survival of mycobacteria, there has been considerable interest in understanding the enzymes involved in its production; indeed the structures of the key enzymes in the other two pathways have already been determined. Herein, we present the first structure of TreS from Mycobacterium smegmatis, thereby providing insights into the catalytic machinery involved in this intriguing intramolecular reaction. This structure, which is of interest both mechanistically and as a potential pharmaceutical target, reveals a narrow and enclosed active site pocket within which intramolecular substrate rearrangements can occur. We also present the structure of a complex of TreS with acarbose, revealing a hitherto unsuspected oligosaccharide-binding site within the C-terminal domain. This may well provide an anchor point for the association of TreS with glycogen, thereby enhancing its role in glycogen biosynthesis and degradation. PMID:23735230
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Farrugia, Mark A.; Han, Linjie; Zhong, Yueyang; Boer, Jodi L.; Ruotolo, Brandon T.; Hausinger, Robert P.
2013-09-01
Maturation of the nickel-containing urease of Klebsiella aerogenes is facilitated by the UreD, UreF, and UreG accessory proteins along with the UreE metallo-chaperone. A fusion of the maltose binding protein and UreD (MBP-UreD) was co-isolated with UreF and UreG in a soluble complex possessing a (MBP-UreD:UreF:UreG)2 quaternary structure. Within this complex a UreF:UreF interaction was identified by chemical cross-linking of the amino termini of its two UreF protomers, as shown by mass spectrometry of tryptic peptides. A pre-activation complex was formed by the interaction of (MBP-UreD:UreF:UreG)2 and urease. Mass spectrometry of intact protein species revealed a pathway for synthesis of the urease pre-activation complex in which individual hetero-trimer units of the (MBP-UreD:UreF:UreG)2 complex bind to urease. Together, these data provide important new insights into the structures of protein complexes associated with urease activation.
Gorzkiewicz, Michał; Buczkowski, Adam; Appelhans, Dietmar; Voit, Brigitte; Pułaski, Łukasz; Pałecz, Bartłomiej; Klajnert-Maculewicz, Barbara
2018-06-10
Adenosine analogue drugs (such as fludarabine or cladribine) require transporter-mediated uptake into cells and subsequent phosphorylation for anticancer activity. Therefore, application of nanocarrier systems for direct delivery of active triphosphate forms has been proposed. Here, we applied isothermal titration calorimetry and zeta potential titration to determine the stoichiometry and thermodynamic parameters of interactions between 4th generation poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers (unmodified or sugar-modified for increased biocompatibility) and ATP as a model adenosine nucleotide. We showed that glycodendrimers have the ability to efficiently interact with nucleoside triphosphates and to form stable complexes via electrostatic interactions between the ionized phosphate and amino groups on the nucleotide and the dendrimer, respectively. The complexation process is spontaneous, enthalpy-driven and depends on buffer composition (strongest interactions in organic buffer) and pH (more binding sites in acidic pH). These properties allow us to consider maltose-modified dendrimers as especially promising carriers for adenosine analogues. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Modular protein switches derived from antibody mimetic proteins.
Nicholes, N; Date, A; Beaujean, P; Hauk, P; Kanwar, M; Ostermeier, M
2016-02-01
Protein switches have potential applications as biosensors and selective protein therapeutics. Protein switches built by fusion of proteins with the prerequisite input and output functions are currently developed using an ad hoc process. A modular switch platform in which existing switches could be readily adapted to respond to any ligand would be advantageous. We investigated the feasibility of a modular protein switch platform based on fusions of the enzyme TEM-1 β-lactamase (BLA) with two different antibody mimetic proteins: designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) and monobodies. We created libraries of random insertions of the gene encoding BLA into genes encoding a DARPin or a monobody designed to bind maltose-binding protein (MBP). From these libraries, we used a genetic selection system for β-lactamase activity to identify genes that conferred MBP-dependent ampicillin resistance to Escherichia coli. Some of these selected genes encoded switch proteins whose enzymatic activity increased up to 14-fold in the presence of MBP. We next introduced mutations into the antibody mimetic domain of these switches that were known to cause binding to different ligands. To different degrees, introduction of the mutations resulted in switches with the desired specificity, illustrating the potential modularity of these platforms. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
Intein-mediated one-step purification of Escherichia coli secreted human antibody fragments.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Wu, Wan-Yi; Miller, Keith D.; Coolbaugh, Michael
In this work, we apply self-cleaving affinity tag technology to several target proteins secreted into the Escherichia coli periplasm, including two with disulfide bonds. The target proteins were genetically fused to a self-cleaving chitin-binding domain intein tag for purification via a chitin agarose affinity resin. By attaching the intein-tagged fusion genes to the PelB secretion leader sequence, the tagged target proteins were secreted to the periplasmic space and could be recovered in active form by simple osmotic shock. After chitin-affinity purification, the target proteins were released from the chitin-binding domain tag via intein self-cleaving. This was induced by a smallmore » change in pH from 8.5 to 6.5 at room temperature, allowing direct elution of the cleaved target protein from the chitin affinity resin. The target proteins include the E. coli maltose-binding protein and b-lactamase enzyme, as well as two human antibody fragments that contain disulfide bonds. In all cases, the target proteins were purified with good activity and yield, without the need for refolding. Overall, this work demonstrates the compatibility of the DI-CM intein with the PelB secretion system in E. coli, greatly expanding its potential to more complex proteins.« less
Mapping of the immunophilin-immunosuppressant site of interaction on calcineurin.
Husi, H; Luyten, M A; Zurini, M G
1994-05-13
The interaction of the immunosuppressive complexes cyclosporin A-cyclophilin A and FK506 binding protein-FK506 with the Ca(2+)- and calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase calcineurin has been investigated by means of photoaffinity labeling and chemical cross-linking. Photolabeling of purified bovine brain calcineurin with the affinity label [O-[4-[4-(1-diazo-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)benzoyl]aminobutanoyl]-D- serine8]cyclosporin in the presence of cyclophilin A results, in addition to the labeling of cyclophilin itself, in the transfer of some of the chemical probe to both the catalytic subunit A and the regulatory subunit B of calcineurin. Chemical cross-linking studies with disuccinimidyl suberate in the presence of either cyclophilin A, B, or C in complex with cyclosporin A or FK506 binding protein-FK506 result on the other hand in the apparently exclusive and strictly immunosuppressant-dependent formation of covalent immunophilin-calcineurin B subunit products. Cross-linking of immunophilins to calcineurin B subunit requires the presence of subunit A. In the present study, using a set of recombinant maltose-binding protein fusion products representing different stretches of the catalytic subunit A, we were able to map the minimal calcineurin A sequence necessary for immunophilin-ligand-calcineurin B interaction to occur.
Pajatsch, Markus; Gerhart, Maria; Peist, Ralf; Horlacher, Reinhold; Boos, Winfried; Böck, August
1998-01-01
Klebsiella oxytoca M5a1 has the capacity to transport and to metabolize α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrins. Cyclodextrin transport is mediated by the products of the cymE, cymF, cymG, cymD, and cymA genes, which are functionally homologous to the malE, malF, malG, malK, and lamB gene products of Escherichia coli. CymE, which is the periplasmic binding protein, has been overproduced and purified. By substrate-induced fluorescence quenching, the binding of ligands was analyzed. CymE bound α-cyclodextrin, β-cyclodextrin, and γ-cyclodextrin, with dissociation constants (Kd) of 0.02, 0.14 and 0.30 μM, respectively, and linear maltoheptaose, with a Kd of 70 μM. In transport experiments, α-cyclodextrin was taken up by the cym system of K. oxytoca three to five times less efficiently than maltohexaose by the E. coli maltose system. Besides α-cyclodextrin, maltohexaose was also taken up by the K. oxytoca cym system, but because of the inability of maltodextrins to induce the cym system, growth of E. coli mal mutants on linear maltodextrin was not observed when the cells harbored only the cym uptake system. Strains which gained this capacity by mutation could easily be selected, however. PMID:9573146
Vargas-Cortez, Teresa; Morones-Ramirez, Jose Ruben; Balderas-Renteria, Isaias; Zarate, Xristo
2016-02-01
Escherichia coli is still the preferred organism for large-scale production of recombinant proteins. The use of fusion proteins has helped considerably in enhancing the solubility of heterologous proteins and their purification with affinity chromatography. Here, the use of a small metal-binding protein (SmbP) from Nitrosomonas europaea is described as a new fusion protein for protein expression and purification in E. coli. Fluorescent proteins tagged at the N-terminal with SmbP showed high levels of solubility, compared with those of maltose-binding protein and glutathione S-transferase, and low formation of inclusion bodies. Using commercially available IMAC resins charged with Ni(II), highly pure recombinant proteins were obtained after just one chromatography step. Proteins may be purified from the periplasm of E. coli if SmbP contains the signal sequence at the N-terminal. After removal of the SmbP tag from the protein of interest, high-yields are obtained since SmbP is a protein of just 9.9 kDa. The results here obtained suggest that SmbP is a good alternative as a fusion protein/affinity tag for the production of soluble recombinant proteins in E. coli. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Chow, Sih Yao; Wang, Yung Lin; Hsieh, Yu Chiao; Lee, Guan Chiun; Liaw, Shwu Huey
2017-11-01
Trehalose synthase (TS) catalyzes the reversible conversion of maltose to trehalose and belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 13 (GH13). Previous mechanistic analysis suggested a rate-limiting protein conformational change, which is probably the opening and closing of the active site. Consistently, crystal structures of Deinococcus radiodurans TS (DrTS) in complex with the inhibitor Tris displayed an enclosed active site for catalysis of the intramoleular isomerization. In this study, the apo structure of the DrTS N253F mutant displays a new open conformation with an empty active site. Analysis of these structures suggests that substrate binding induces a domain rotation to close the active site. Such a substrate-induced domain rotation has also been observed in some other GH13 enzymes.
Unrelated solubility-enhancing fusion partners MBP and NusA utilize a similar mode of action
Raran-Kurussi, Sreejith; Waugh, David S.
2014-01-01
The tendency of recombinant proteins to accumulate in the form of insoluble aggregates in Escherichia coli is a major hindrance to their overproduction. One of the more effective approaches to circumvent this problem is to use translation fusion partners (solubility-enhancers, SEs). E. coli maltose binding protein (MBP) and N-utilization substance A (NusA) are arguably the most effective solubilizing agents that have been discovered so far. Here, we show that although these two proteins are structurally, functionally, and physiochemically distinct, they influence the solubility and folding of their fusion partners in a very similar manner. These SEs act as “holdases” that prevent the aggregation of their fusion partners. Subsequent folding of the passenger proteins, when it occurs, is either spontaneous or chaperone-mediated. PMID:24942647
Pretorius, Etheresia; Bester, Janette; Vermeulen, Natasha; Lipinski, Boguslaw; Gericke, George S.; Kell, Douglas B.
2014-01-01
It is well-known that individuals with increased iron levels are more prone to thrombotic diseases, mainly due to the presence of unliganded iron, and thereby the increased production of hydroxyl radicals. It is also known that erythrocytes (RBCs) may play an important role during thrombotic events. Therefore the purpose of the current study was to assess whether RBCs had an altered morphology in individuals with hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), as well as some who displayed hyperferritinemia (HF). Using scanning electron microscopy, we also assessed means by which the RBC and fibrin morphology might be normalized. An important objective was to test the hypothesis that the altered RBC morphology was due to the presence of excess unliganded iron by removing it through chelation. Very striking differences were observed, in that the erythrocytes from HH and HF individuals were distorted and had a much greater axial ratio compared to that accompanying the discoid appearance seen in the normal samples. The response to thrombin, and the appearance of a platelet-rich plasma smear, were also markedly different. These differences could largely be reversed by the iron chelator desferal and to some degree by the iron chelator clioquinol, or by the free radical trapping agents salicylate or selenite (that may themselves also be iron chelators). These findings are consistent with the view that the aberrant morphology of the HH and HF erythrocytes is caused, at least in part, by unliganded (‘free’) iron, whether derived directly via raised ferritin levels or otherwise, and that lowering it or affecting the consequences of its action may be of therapeutic benefit. The findings also bear on the question of the extent to which accepting blood donations from HH individuals may be desirable or otherwise. PMID:24416376
Role of Annular Lipids in the Functional Properties of Leucine Transporter LeuT Proteomicelles.
LeVine, Michael V; Khelashvili, George; Shi, Lei; Quick, Matthias; Javitch, Jonathan A; Weinstein, Harel
2016-02-16
Recent work has shown that the choice of the type and concentration of detergent used for the solubilization of membrane proteins can strongly influence the results of functional experiments. In particular, the amino acid transporter LeuT can bind two substrate molecules in low concentrations of n-dodecyl β-d-maltopyranoside (DDM), whereas high concentrations reduce the molar binding stoichiometry to 1:1. Subsequent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of LeuT in DDM proteomicelles revealed that DDM can penetrate to the extracellular vestibule and make stable contacts in the functionally important secondary substrate binding site (S2), suggesting a potential competitive mechanism for the reduction in binding stoichiometry. Because annular lipids can be retained during solubilization, we performed MD simulations of LeuT proteomicelles at various stages of the solubilization process. We find that at low DDM concentrations, lipids are retained around the protein and penetration of detergent into the S2 site does not occur, whereas at high concentrations, lipids are displaced and the probability of DDM binding in the S2 site is increased. This behavior is dependent on the type of detergent, however, as we find in the simulations that the detergent lauryl maltose-neopentyl glycol, which is approximately twice the size of DDM and structurally more closely resembles lipids, does not penetrate the protein even at very high concentrations. We present functional studies that confirm the computational findings, emphasizing the need for careful consideration of experimental conditions, and for cautious interpretation of data in gathering mechanistic information about membrane proteins.
Role of Annular Lipids in the Functional Properties of Leucine Transporter LeuT Proteomicelles
2016-01-01
Recent work has shown that the choice of the type and concentration of detergent used for the solubilization of membrane proteins can strongly influence the results of functional experiments. In particular, the amino acid transporter LeuT can bind two substrate molecules in low concentrations of n-dodecyl β-d-maltopyranoside (DDM), whereas high concentrations reduce the molar binding stoichiometry to 1:1. Subsequent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of LeuT in DDM proteomicelles revealed that DDM can penetrate to the extracellular vestibule and make stable contacts in the functionally important secondary substrate binding site (S2), suggesting a potential competitive mechanism for the reduction in binding stoichiometry. Because annular lipids can be retained during solubilization, we performed MD simulations of LeuT proteomicelles at various stages of the solubilization process. We find that at low DDM concentrations, lipids are retained around the protein and penetration of detergent into the S2 site does not occur, whereas at high concentrations, lipids are displaced and the probability of DDM binding in the S2 site is increased. This behavior is dependent on the type of detergent, however, as we find in the simulations that the detergent lauryl maltose-neopentyl glycol, which is approximately twice the size of DDM and structurally more closely resembles lipids, does not penetrate the protein even at very high concentrations. We present functional studies that confirm the computational findings, emphasizing the need for careful consideration of experimental conditions, and for cautious interpretation of data in gathering mechanistic information about membrane proteins. PMID:26811944
Chae, Pil Seok; Rasmussen, Søren G F; Rana, Rohini R; Gotfryd, Kamil; Chandra, Richa; Goren, Michael A; Kruse, Andrew C; Nurva, Shailika; Loland, Claus J; Pierre, Yves; Drew, David; Popot, Jean-Luc; Picot, Daniel; Fox, Brian G; Guan, Lan; Gether, Ulrik; Byrne, Bernadette; Kobilka, Brian; Gellman, Samuel H
2010-12-01
The understanding of integral membrane protein (IMP) structure and function is hampered by the difficulty of handling these proteins. Aqueous solubilization, necessary for many types of biophysical analysis, generally requires a detergent to shield the large lipophilic surfaces of native IMPs. Many proteins remain difficult to study owing to a lack of suitable detergents. We introduce a class of amphiphiles, each built around a central quaternary carbon atom derived from neopentyl glycol, with hydrophilic groups derived from maltose. Representatives of this maltose-neopentyl glycol (MNG) amphiphile family show favorable behavior relative to conventional detergents, as manifested in multiple membrane protein systems, leading to enhanced structural stability and successful crystallization. MNG amphiphiles are promising tools for membrane protein science because of the ease with which they may be prepared and the facility with which their structures may be varied.
Characterization of Clostridium botulinum Type B Neurotoxin Associated with Infant Botulism in Japan
Kozaki, Shunji; Kamata, Yoichi; Nishiki, Tei-ichi; Kakinuma, Hiroaki; Maruyama, Hiromi; Takahashi, Hiroaki; Karasawa, Tadahiro; Yamakawa, Kiyotaka; Nakamura, Shinichi
1998-01-01
The neurotoxin of strain 111 (111/NT) associated with type B infant botulism showed antigenic and biological properties different from that (Okra/NT) produced by a food-borne botulism-related strain, Okra. The specific toxicity of 111/NT was found to be about 10 times lower than that of Okra/NT. The monoclonal antibodies recognizing the light chain cross-reacted with both neurotoxins, whereas most of the antibodies recognizing the carboxyl-terminal half of the heavy chain of Okra/NT did not react to 111/NT. Binding experiments with rat brain synaptosomes revealed that 125I-labeled 111/NT bound to a single binding site with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 2.5 nM; the value was rather lower than that (0.42 nM) of 125I-Okra/NT for the high-affinity binding site. In the lipid vesicles reconstituted with ganglioside GT1b, 125I-Okra/NT interacted with the amino-terminal domain of synaptotagmin 1 (Stg1N) or synaptotagmin 2 (Stg2N), fused with the maltose-binding protein, in the same manner as the respective full-length synaptotagmins, and the Kd values accorded with those of the low- and high-affinity binding sites in synaptosomes. However, 125I-111/NT only exhibited a low capacity for binding to the lipid vesicles containing Stg2N, but not Stg1N, in the presence of ganglioside GT1b. Moreover, synaptobrevin-2, an intracellular target protein, was digested to the same extent by the light chains of both neurotoxins in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings indicate that the 111/NT molecule possesses the receptor-recognition site structurally different from Okra/NT, probably causing a decreased specific toxicity. PMID:9746583
Liu, Aihua; Lang, Qiaolin; Liang, Bo; Shi, Jianguo
2017-01-15
Glucoamylase-displayed bacteria (GA-bacteria) and glucose dehydrogenase-displayed bacteria (GDH-bacteria) were co-immobilized on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to construct GA-bacteria/GDH-bacteria/MWNTs/GCE biosensor. The biosensor was developed by optimizing the loading amount and the ratio of GA-bacteria to GDH-bacteria. The as-prepared biosensor exhibited a wide dynamic range of 0.2-10mM and a low detection limit of 0.1mM maltose (S/N=3). The biosensor also had a linear response to glucose in the range of 0.1-2.0mM and a low detection limit of 0.04mM glucose (S/N=3). Interestingly, at the same concentration, glucose was 3.75-fold sensitive than that of maltose at the proposed biosensor. No interferences were observed for other possible mono- and disaccharides. The biosensor also demonstrated good long-term storage stability and repeatability. Further, using both GDH-bacteria/MWNTs/GCE biosensor and GA-bacteria/GDH-bacteria/MWNTs/GCE biosensor, glucose and maltose in real samples can be detected. Therefore, the proposed biosensor is capable of monitoring the food manufacturing and fermentation process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Sun, Li-Hui; Li, Ming-Gang; Wang, Yuan-Shan; Zheng, Yu-Guo
2012-06-01
Acarbose, a pseudo-oligosaccharide, is widely used clinically in therapies for non-insulin-dependent diabetes. In the present study, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) was added to selected media in order to investigate its effect on acarbose fermentation by Actinoplanes utahensis ZJB- 08196. Acarbose titer was seen to increase markedly when concentrations of SAM were added over a period of time. The effects of glucose and maltose on the production of acarbose were investigated in both batch and fed-batch fermentation. Optimal acarbose production was observed at relatively low glucose levels and high maltose levels. Based on these results, a further fed-batch experiment was designed so as to enhance the production of acarbose. Fed-batch fermentation was carried out at an initial glucose level of 10 g/l and an initial maltose level of 60 g/l. Then, 12 h post inoculation, 100 micromol/l SAM was added. In addition, 8 g/l of glucose was added every 24 h, and 20 g/l of maltose was added at 96 h. By way of this novel feeding strategy, the maximum titer of acarbose achieved was 6,113 mg/l at 192 h. To our knowledge, the production level of acarbose achieved in this study is the highest ever reported.
Ethanol teratogenesis in the C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, and A/J inbred mouse strains.
Boehm, S L; Lundahl, K R; Caldwell, J; Gilliam, D M
1997-01-01
Research has shown variations in susceptibility to alcohol-related birth defects in humans. Genetic differences are one reason for this variability. This study compared three inbred mouse strains to determine whether they differ in their susceptibilities to ethanol teratogenesis because previous studies have generated conflicting data. Pregnant C57BL/6J (B6), DBA/2J (D2), and A/J (A) dams were intubated intragastrically with either an acute dose of ethanol (5.8 g/kg) or an isocaloric amount of maltose-dextrine on day 9 of pregnancy. Litters were removed on day 18 of pregnancy and examined for gross, soft-tissue, and skeletal malformations. Results showed that ethanol-exposed B6 litters had a higher percentage of digit (19%), kidney (24%), and skeletal (32%, mostly vertebral) malformations than their maltose-exposed controls (7% or below). Prenatal exposure to ethanol increased skeletal (68%, both rib and vertebral) malformations for A litters when compared to their maltose-exposed controls (4%), but did not increase digit or kidney malformations. Ethanol-exposed D2 litters did not differ from maltose-exposed controls. Maternal blood ethanol levels did not differ among the B6, D2, and A strains. These results provide additional evidence suggesting a genetic component to ethanol teratogenesis.
Duan, Xuguo
2017-01-01
The maltohexaose-forming, Ca2+-independent α-amylase gene from Bacillus stearothermophilus (AmyMH) was efficiently expressed in Brevibacillus choshinensis SP3. To improve the production of AmyMH in B. choshinensis SP3, the temperature and initial pH of culture medium were optimized. In addition, single-factor and response surface methodologies were pursued to optimize culture medium. Addition of proline to the culture medium significantly improved the production of recombinant α-amylase in B. choshinensis SP3. This improvement may result from improved cellular integrity of recombinant B. choshinensis SP3 in existence of proline. Culture medium optimization resulted in an 8-fold improvement in α-amylase yield, which reached 1.72 × 104 U·mL−1. The recombinant α-amylase was applied to the production of maltose on a laboratory scale. A maltose content of 90.72%, which could be classified as an extremely high maltose syrup, could be achieved using 15% (m/v) corn starch as the substrate. This study demonstrated that the B. choshinensis SP3 expression system was able to produce substantial quantities of recombinant α-amylase that has potential application in the starch industry. PMID:29250543
Entian, K D
1980-01-01
The previously isolated recessive mutant allele hex2-3 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae caused a defect in carbon catabolite repression of maltase, invertase, malate dehydrogenase, and respiration but at the same time led to an extreme sensitivity to maltose (Zimmerman and Scheel, 1977; Entian and Zimmermann, 1980). Addition of maltose to a growing culture of a hex2-3 mutant resulted within 60 to 90 min in an inhibition of growth, glycolysis, and de novo protein synthesis. This was not accompanied by any abnormal levels of glycolysis metabolites or glycolytic enzyme activities. However, inhibitory effects coincided with a dramatic increase in intracellular glucose up to 150 mM relative to cell water as opposed to 2.5 mM in wild-type cells. This abnormal behavior is interpreted as a result of an uncontrolled maltose uptake in hex2 mutants, which in combination with increasing maltase activity results in an accumulation of intracellular glucose. Obviously the amount of available glucose surpassed glycolytic capacity in hex2 mutants. Properties of mutant alleles hex2 and hex1 (see Entian and Zimmermann, 1980) clearly show, that specific gene functions are involved in adapting the rate of sugar uptake into the cell to the actual glycolytic capacity.
Wendler, Sergej; Hürtgen, Daniel; Kalinowski, Jörn; Klein, Andreas; Niehaus, Karsten; Schulte, Fabian; Schwientek, Patrick; Wehlmann, Hermann; Wehmeier, Udo F; Pühler, Alfred
2013-08-20
The pseudotetrasaccharide acarbose is a medically relevant secondary metabolite produced by strains of the genera Actinoplanes and Streptomyces. In this study gene products involved in acarbose metabolism were identified by analyzing the cytosolic and extracellular proteome of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 cultures grown in a high-maltose minimal medium. The analysis by 2D protein gel electrophoresis of cytosolic proteins of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 resulted in 318 protein spots and 162 identified proteins. Nine of those were acarbose cluster proteins (Acb-proteins), namely AcbB, AcbD, AcbE, AcbK, AcbL, AcbN, AcbR, AcbV and AcbZ. The analysis of proteins in the extracellular space of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 cultures resulted in about 100 protein spots and 22 identified proteins. The identifications included the three acarbose gene cluster proteins AcbD, AcbE and AcbZ. After their identification, proteins were classified into functional groups. The dominant functional groups were the carbohydrate binding, carbohydrate cleavage and carbohydrate transport proteins. The other functional groups included protein cleavage, amino acid degradation, nucleic acid cleavage and a number of functionally uncharacterized proteins. In addition, signal peptide structures of extracellularly found proteins were analyzed. Of the 22 detected proteins 19 contained signal peptides, while 2 had N-terminal transmembrane helices explaining their localization. The only protein having neither of them was enolase. Under the conditions applied, the secretome of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 was dominated by seven proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism (PulA, AcbE, AcbD, MalE, AglE, CbpA and Cgt). Of special interest were the identified extracellular pullulanase PulA and the two solute-binding proteins MalE and AglE. The identifications suggest that Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 has two maltose/maltodextrin import systems. We postulate the identified MalEFG transport system of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/100 as the missing acarbose-metabolite importer and present a model of acarbose metabolism that is extended by the newly identified gene products. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Reinhold, Heike; Soyk, Sebastian; Šimková, Klára; Hostettler, Carmen; Marafino, John; Mainiero, Samantha; Vaughan, Cara K.; Monroe, Jonathan D.; Zeeman, Samuel C.
2011-01-01
Plants contain β-amylase–like proteins (BAMs; enzymes usually associated with starch breakdown) present in the nucleus rather than targeted to the chloroplast. They possess BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT1 (BZR1)-type DNA binding domains—also found in transcription factors mediating brassinosteroid (BR) responses. The two Arabidopsis thaliana BZR1-BAM proteins (BAM7 and BAM8) bind a cis-regulatory element that both contains a G box and resembles a BR-responsive element. In protoplast transactivation assays, these BZR1-BAMs activate gene expression. Structural modeling suggests that the BAM domain’s glucan binding cleft is intact, but the recombinant proteins are at least 1000 times less active than chloroplastic β-amylases. Deregulation of BZR1-BAMs (the bam7bam8 double mutant and BAM8-overexpressing plants) causes altered leaf growth and development. Of the genes upregulated in plants overexpressing BAM8 and downregulated in bam7bam8 plants, many carry the cis-regulatory element in their promoters. Many genes that respond to BRs are inversely regulated by BZR1-BAMs. We propose a role for BZR1-BAMs in controlling plant growth and development through crosstalk with BR signaling. Furthermore, we speculate that BZR1-BAMs may transmit metabolic signals by binding a ligand in their BAM domain, although diurnal changes in the concentration of maltose, a candidate ligand produced by chloroplastic β-amylases, do not influence their transcription factor function. PMID:21487098
Reinhold, Heike; Soyk, Sebastian; Simková, Klára; Hostettler, Carmen; Marafino, John; Mainiero, Samantha; Vaughan, Cara K; Monroe, Jonathan D; Zeeman, Samuel C
2011-04-01
Plants contain β-amylase-like proteins (BAMs; enzymes usually associated with starch breakdown) present in the nucleus rather than targeted to the chloroplast. They possess BRASSINAZOLE RESISTANT1 (BZR1)-type DNA binding domains--also found in transcription factors mediating brassinosteroid (BR) responses. The two Arabidopsis thaliana BZR1-BAM proteins (BAM7 and BAM8) bind a cis-regulatory element that both contains a G box and resembles a BR-responsive element. In protoplast transactivation assays, these BZR1-BAMs activate gene expression. Structural modeling suggests that the BAM domain's glucan binding cleft is intact, but the recombinant proteins are at least 1000 times less active than chloroplastic β-amylases. Deregulation of BZR1-BAMs (the bam7bam8 double mutant and BAM8-overexpressing plants) causes altered leaf growth and development. Of the genes upregulated in plants overexpressing BAM8 and downregulated in bam7bam8 plants, many carry the cis-regulatory element in their promoters. Many genes that respond to BRs are inversely regulated by BZR1-BAMs. We propose a role for BZR1-BAMs in controlling plant growth and development through crosstalk with BR signaling. Furthermore, we speculate that BZR1-BAMs may transmit metabolic signals by binding a ligand in their BAM domain, although diurnal changes in the concentration of maltose, a candidate ligand produced by chloroplastic β-amylases, do not influence their transcription factor function.
Lu, Xin; Sun, Jibin; Nimtz, Manfred; Wissing, Josef; Zeng, An-Ping; Rinas, Ursula
2010-04-20
The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger is well-known as a producer of primary metabolites and extracellular proteins. For example, glucoamylase is the most efficiently secreted protein of Aspergillus niger, thus the homologous glucoamylase (glaA) promoter as well as the glaA signal sequence are widely used for heterologous protein production. Xylose is known to strongly repress glaA expression while maltose is a potent inducer of glaA promoter controlled genes. For a more profound understanding of A. niger physiology, a comprehensive analysis of the intra- and extracellular proteome of Aspergillus niger AB1.13 growing on defined medium with xylose or maltose as carbon substrate was carried out using 2-D gel electrophoresis/Maldi-ToF and nano-HPLC MS/MS. The intracellular proteome of A. niger growing either on xylose or maltose in well-aerated controlled bioreactor cultures revealed striking similarities. In both cultures the most abundant intracellular protein was the TCA cycle enzyme malate-dehydrogenase. Moreover, the glycolytic enzymes fructose-bis-phosphate aldolase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase and the flavohemoglobin FhbA were identified as major proteins in both cultures. On the other hand, enzymes involved in the removal of reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide dismutase and peroxiredoxin, were present at elevated levels in the culture growing on maltose but only in minor amounts in the xylose culture. The composition of the extracellular proteome differed considerably depending on the carbon substrate. In the secretome of the xylose-grown culture, a variety of plant cell wall degrading enzymes were identified, mostly under the control of the xylanolytic transcriptional activator XlnR, with xylanase B and ferulic acid esterase as the most abundant ones. The secretome of the maltose-grown culture did not contain xylanolytic enzymes, instead high levels of catalases were found and glucoamylase (multiple spots) was identified as the most abundant extracellular protein. Surprisingly, the intracellular proteome of A. niger growing on xylose in bioreactor cultures differed more from a culture growing in shake flasks using the same medium than from the bioreactor culture growing on maltose. For example, in shake flask cultures with xylose as carbon source the most abundant intracellular proteins were not the glycolytic and the TCA cycle enzymes and the flavohemoglobin, but CipC, a protein of yet unknown function, superoxide dismutase and an NADPH dependent aldehyde reductase. Moreover, vacuolar proteases accumulated to higher and ER-resident chaperones and foldases to lower levels in shake flask compared to the bioreactor cultures. The utilization of xylose or maltose was strongly affecting the composition of the secretome but of minor influence on the composition of the intracellular proteome. On the other hand, differences in culture conditions (pH control versus no pH control, aeration versus no aeration and stirring versus shaking) have a profound effect on the intracellular proteome. For example, lower levels of ER-resident chaperones and foldases and higher levels of vacuolar proteases render shake flask conditions less favorable for protein production compared to controlled bioreactor cultures.
2010-01-01
Background The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger is well-known as a producer of primary metabolites and extracellular proteins. For example, glucoamylase is the most efficiently secreted protein of Aspergillus niger, thus the homologous glucoamylase (glaA) promoter as well as the glaA signal sequence are widely used for heterologous protein production. Xylose is known to strongly repress glaA expression while maltose is a potent inducer of glaA promoter controlled genes. For a more profound understanding of A. niger physiology, a comprehensive analysis of the intra- and extracellular proteome of Aspergillus niger AB1.13 growing on defined medium with xylose or maltose as carbon substrate was carried out using 2-D gel electrophoresis/Maldi-ToF and nano-HPLC MS/MS. Results The intracellular proteome of A. niger growing either on xylose or maltose in well-aerated controlled bioreactor cultures revealed striking similarities. In both cultures the most abundant intracellular protein was the TCA cycle enzyme malate-dehydrogenase. Moreover, the glycolytic enzymes fructose-bis-phosphate aldolase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase and the flavohemoglobin FhbA were identified as major proteins in both cultures. On the other hand, enzymes involved in the removal of reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide dismutase and peroxiredoxin, were present at elevated levels in the culture growing on maltose but only in minor amounts in the xylose culture. The composition of the extracellular proteome differed considerably depending on the carbon substrate. In the secretome of the xylose-grown culture, a variety of plant cell wall degrading enzymes were identified, mostly under the control of the xylanolytic transcriptional activator XlnR, with xylanase B and ferulic acid esterase as the most abundant ones. The secretome of the maltose-grown culture did not contain xylanolytic enzymes, instead high levels of catalases were found and glucoamylase (multiple spots) was identified as the most abundant extracellular protein. Surprisingly, the intracellular proteome of A. niger growing on xylose in bioreactor cultures differed more from a culture growing in shake flasks using the same medium than from the bioreactor culture growing on maltose. For example, in shake flask cultures with xylose as carbon source the most abundant intracellular proteins were not the glycolytic and the TCA cycle enzymes and the flavohemoglobin, but CipC, a protein of yet unknown function, superoxide dismutase and an NADPH dependent aldehyde reductase. Moreover, vacuolar proteases accumulated to higher and ER-resident chaperones and foldases to lower levels in shake flask compared to the bioreactor cultures. Conclusions The utilization of xylose or maltose was strongly affecting the composition of the secretome but of minor influence on the composition of the intracellular proteome. On the other hand, differences in culture conditions (pH control versus no pH control, aeration versus no aeration and stirring versus shaking) have a profound effect on the intracellular proteome. For example, lower levels of ER-resident chaperones and foldases and higher levels of vacuolar proteases render shake flask conditions less favorable for protein production compared to controlled bioreactor cultures. PMID:20406453
Machado Benelli, Elaine; Buck, Martin; Polikarpov, Igor; Maltempi de Souza, Emanuel; Cruz, Leonardo M; Pedrosa, Fábio O
2002-07-01
PII-like proteins are signal transduction proteins found in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. They mediate a variety of cellular responses. A second PII-like protein, called GlnK, has been found in several organisms. In the diazotroph Herbaspirillum seropedicae, PII protein is involved in sensing nitrogen levels and controlling nitrogen fixation genes. In this work, the crystal structure of the unliganded H. seropedicae PII was solved by X-ray diffraction. H. seropedicae PII has a Gly residue, Gly108 preceding Pro109 and the main-chain forms a beta turn. The glycine at position 108 allows a bend in the C-terminal main-chain, thereby modifying the surface of the cleft between monomers and potentially changing function. The structure suggests that the C-terminal region of PII proteins may be involved in specificity of function, and nonenteric diazotrophs are found to have the C-terminal consensus XGXDAX(107-112). We are also proposing binding sites for ATP and 2-oxoglutarate based on the structural alignment of PII with PII-ATP/GlnK-ATP, 5-carboxymethyl-2-hydroxymuconate isomerase and 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase bound to the inhibitor 2-oxo-3-pentynoate.
Lee, Soon Goo; Krishnan, Hari B; Jez, Joseph M
2014-04-29
The symbiosis between rhizobial microbes and host plants involves the coordinated expression of multiple genes, which leads to nodule formation and nitrogen fixation. As part of the transcriptional machinery for nodulation and symbiosis across a range of Rhizobium, NolR serves as a global regulatory protein. Here, we present the X-ray crystal structures of NolR in the unliganded form and complexed with two different 22-base pair (bp) double-stranded operator sequences (oligos AT and AA). Structural and biochemical analysis of NolR reveals protein-DNA interactions with an asymmetric operator site and defines a mechanism for conformational switching of a key residue (Gln56) to accommodate variation in target DNA sequences from diverse rhizobial genes for nodulation and symbiosis. This conformational switching alters the energetic contributions to DNA binding without changes in affinity for the target sequence. Two possible models for the role of NolR in the regulation of different nodulation and symbiosis genes are proposed. To our knowledge, these studies provide the first structural insight on the regulation of genes involved in the agriculturally and ecologically important symbiosis of microbes and plants that leads to nodule formation and nitrogen fixation.
2010-01-01
hematocrit, low oxygen tension, acetaminophen, uric acid , ascorbic acid , maltose, galactose, xy- lose, lactose, operator inexperience, age of strips, heat...Biomedical, Waltham, MA) that corrects for the effects of anemia, low oxygen tension, acetaminophen, uric acid , ascorbic acid , maltose, galactose, xylose, and...resulted in inappropriately high glucometer values (data not shown). The effects of interfering substances (acetaminophen, uric acid , ascorbic acid
Bell, P J; Higgins, V J; Attfield, P V
2001-04-01
To compare the fermentative capacity of wild and domesticated isolates of the genus Saccharomyces. The fermentative capacity of yeasts from a variety of wild and domesticated sources was tested in synthetic dough media that mimic major bread dough types. Domesticated yeast strains were found to have better maltose-utilizing capacity than wild yeast strains. The capacity to ferment sugars under high osmotic stress was randomly distributed amongst wild and baking strains of Saccharomyces. The domestication of bakers' yeast has enhanced the ability of yeasts to ferment maltose, without a similar impact on the fermentative capacity under high osmotic conditions. This study, combined with molecular studies of both wild and domesticated yeast, showed that domestication of bakers' yeast has resulted in improved maltose utilization, apparently via the duplication and mutation of the MAL genes.
Detection of maltose fermentation genes in the baking yeast strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Oda, Y; Tonomura, K
1996-10-01
The presence of any one of the five unlinked MAL loci (MAL1, MAL2, MAL3, MAL4 and MAL6) confers the ability to ferment maltose on the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Each locus is composed of three genes encoding maltose permease, alpha-glucosidase and MAL activator. Chromosomal DNA of seven representative baking strains has been separated by pulse-field gel electrophoresis and probed with three genes in MAL6 locus. The DNA bands to which all of the three MAL-derived probes simultaneously hybridized were chromosome VII carrying MAL1 in all of the strains tested, chromosome XI carrying MAL4 in six strains, chromosome III carrying MAL2 in three strains and chromosomes II and VIII carrying MAL3 and MAL6, respectively, in the one strain. The number of MAL loci in baking strains was comparable to those of brewing strains.
Chae, Pil Seok; Rasmussen, Søren G. F.; Rana, Rohini; Gotfryd, Kamil; Chandra, Richa; Goren, Michael A.; Kruse, Andrew C.; Nurva, Shailika; Loland, Claus J.; Pierre, Yves; Drew, David; Popot, Jean-Luc; Picot, Daniel; Fox, Brian G.; Guan, Lan; Gether, Ulrik; Byrne, Bernadette; Kobilka, Brian; Gellman, Samuel H.
2011-01-01
The understanding of integral membrane protein (IMP) structure and function is hampered by the difficulty of handling these proteins. Aqueous solubilization, necessary for many types of biophysical analysis, generally requires a detergent to shield the large lipophilic surfaces displayed by native IMPs. Many proteins remain difficult to study owing to a lack of suitable detergents. We introduce a class of amphiphiles, each of which is built around a central quaternary carbon atom derived from neopentyl glycol, with hydrophilic groups derived from maltose. Representatives of this maltose-neopentyl glycol (MNG) amphiphile family display favorable behavior relative to conventional detergents, as tested on multiple membrane protein systems, leading to enhanced structural stability and successful crystallization. MNG amphiphiles are promising tools for membrane protein science because of the ease with which they may be prepared and the facility with which their structures may be varied. PMID:21037590
Wimmer, B; Lottspeich, F; Ritter, J; Bronnenmeier, K
1997-01-01
An alpha-glucosidase with the ability to attack polymeric substrates was purified to homogeneity from culture supernatants of Thermoanaerobacter thermohydrosulfuricus DSM 567. The enzyme is apparently a glycoprotein with a molecular mass of 160 kDa. Maximal activity is observed between pH5 and 7 at 75 degrees C. The alpha-glucosidase is active towards p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-glucoside, maltose, malto-oligosaccharides, starch and pullulan. Highest activity is displayed towards the disaccharide maltose. In addition to glucose, maltohexaose and maltoheptaose can be detected as the initial products of starch hydrolysis. After short incubations of pullulan, glucose is found as the only product. At high substrate concentrations, maltose and malto-oligosaccharide, but not glucose, are used as acceptors for glucosyl-transfer. These findings indicate that the T. thermohydrosulfuricus enzyme represents a novel type of alpha-glucosidase exhibiting maltase, glucohydrolase and 'maltodextrinohydrolase' activity. PMID:9371718
Walker, D. J.
1968-01-01
Synthesis of reserve polysaccharide by mixed rumen organisms fermenting glucose, maltose, cellobiose, and xylose has been studied in relation to the adenosine triphosphate energy calculated to be available from substrate fermentation. About 80% of the energy available from glucose and xylose was used for polysaccharide synthesis, whereas, assuming hydrolytic cleavage of the disaccharides, more than 100% was used when cellobiose and maltose were the substrates. If, however, phosphorolytic cleavage of the disaccharides, for which there is evidence, was involved, the energy from both maltose and cellobiose fermentation was used with about the same efficiency as that from glucose and xylose fermentation. The rumen fluid used was collected 24 hr after feeding, and growth of microorganisms in such samples was sufficient to account for utilization of less than 10% of the total energy becoming available during the 40-min incubation period. PMID:16349819
The Pasting and Gel Textural Properties of Corn Starch in Glucose, Fructose and Maltose Syrup
Sun, Qingjie; Xing, Yan; Qiu, Chao; Xiong, Liu
2014-01-01
The pasting and gel textural properties of corn starch in syrup at different concentrations were investigated by Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) and Texture profile analysis (TPA) tests. The results showed that the pasting temperatures of corn starch greatly increased, especially at higher sugar concentration. Increasing concentration of syrup caused an increase in peak, trough and final viscosity of corn starch. Peak viscosity and the disintegration rate of starch increased in the following order: fructose syrup> maltose syrup> glucose syrup. Increasing syrup concentration to 13%, 25% and 50% resulted in a lower retrogradation rate than the control. When the maltose syrup concentration increased to 50%, the retrogradation rate decreased to 14.30% from 33.38%. The highest hardness was observed when the syrup concentration was 25%. There was a particular low hardness when the concentration of syrup was 50%. The springiness of starch gels in syrup was similar at different concentrations. PMID:24755772
The pasting and gel textural properties of corn starch in glucose, fructose and maltose syrup.
Sun, Qingjie; Xing, Yan; Qiu, Chao; Xiong, Liu
2014-01-01
The pasting and gel textural properties of corn starch in syrup at different concentrations were investigated by Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) and Texture profile analysis (TPA) tests. The results showed that the pasting temperatures of corn starch greatly increased, especially at higher sugar concentration. Increasing concentration of syrup caused an increase in peak, trough and final viscosity of corn starch. Peak viscosity and the disintegration rate of starch increased in the following order: fructose syrup> maltose syrup> glucose syrup. Increasing syrup concentration to 13%, 25% and 50% resulted in a lower retrogradation rate than the control. When the maltose syrup concentration increased to 50%, the retrogradation rate decreased to 14.30% from 33.38%. The highest hardness was observed when the syrup concentration was 25%. There was a particular low hardness when the concentration of syrup was 50%. The springiness of starch gels in syrup was similar at different concentrations.
AtSPX1 affects the AtPHR1-DNA-binding equilibrium by binding monomeric AtPHR1 in solution.
Qi, Wanjun; Manfield, Iain W; Muench, Stephen P; Baker, Alison
2017-10-23
Phosphorus is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and is deficient in ∼50% of agricultural soils. The transcription factor phosphate starvation response 1 (PHR1) plays a central role in regulating the expression of a subset of phosphate starvation-induced (PSI) genes through binding to a cis -acting DNA element termed P1BS (PHR1-binding sequences). In Arabidopsis and rice, activity of AtPHR1/OsPHR2 is regulated in part by their downstream target SPX ( S yg1, P ho81, X pr1) proteins through protein-protein interaction. Here, we provide kinetic and affinity data for interaction between AtPHR1 and P1BS sites. Using surface plasmon resonance, a tandem P1BS sequence showed ∼50-fold higher affinity for MBPAtdPHR1 (a fusion protein comprising the DNA-binding domain and coiled-coil domain of AtPHR1 fused to maltose-binding protein) than a single site. The affinity difference was largely reflected in a much slower dissociation rate from the 2× P1BS-binding site, suggesting an important role for protein co-operativity. Injection of AtSPX1 in the presence of phosphate or inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP6) failed to alter the MBPAtdPHR1-P1BS dissociation rate, while pre-mixing of these two proteins in the presence of either 5 mM Pi or 500 µM InsP6 resulted in a much lower DNA-binding signal from MBPAtdPHR1. These data suggest that, in the Pi-restored condition, AtSPX1 can bind to monomeric AtPHR1 in solution and therefore regulate PSI gene expression by tuning the AtPHR1-DNA-binding equilibrium. This Pi-dependent regulation of AtPHR1-DNA-binding equilibrium also generates a negative feedback loop on the expression of AtSPX1 itself, providing a tight control of PSI gene expression. © 2017 The Author(s).
High ferritin levels have major effects on the morphology of erythrocytes in Alzheimer's disease.
Bester, Janette; Buys, Antoinette V; Lipinski, Boguslaw; Kell, Douglas B; Pretorius, Etheresia
2013-01-01
Unliganded iron both contributes to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and also changes the morphology of erythrocytes (RBCs). We tested the hypothesis that these two facts might be linked, i.e., that the RBCs of AD individuals have a variant morphology, that might have diagnostic or prognostic value. We included a literature survey of AD and its relationships to the vascular system, followed by a laboratory study. Four different microscopy techniques were used and results statistically compared to analyze trends between high and normal serum ferritin (SF) AD individuals. Light and scanning electron microscopies showed little difference between the morphologies of RBCs taken from healthy individuals and from normal SF AD individuals. By contrast, there were substantial changes in the morphology of RBCs taken from high SF AD individuals. These differences were also observed using confocal microscopy and as a significantly greater membrane stiffness (measured using force-distance curves). We argue that high ferritin levels may contribute to an accelerated pathology in AD. Our findings reinforce the importance of (unliganded) iron in AD, and suggest the possibility both of an early diagnosis and some means of treating or slowing down the progress of this disease.
Daughtry, Kelly D; Xiao, Youli; Stoner-Ma, Deborah; Cho, Eunsun; Orville, Allen M; Liu, Pinghua; Allen, Karen N
2012-02-08
Herein, the structure resulting from in situ turnover in a chemically challenging quaternary ammonium oxidative demethylation reaction was captured via crystallographic analysis and analyzed via single-crystal spectroscopy. Crystal structures were determined for the Rieske-type monooxygenase, stachydrine demethylase, in the unliganded state (at 1.6 Å resolution) and in the product complex (at 2.2 Å resolution). The ligand complex was obtained from enzyme aerobically cocrystallized with the substrate stachydrine (N,N-dimethylproline). The ligand electron density in the complex was interpreted as proline, generated within the active site at 100 K by the absorption of X-ray photon energy and two consecutive demethylation cycles. The oxidation state of the Rieske iron-sulfur cluster was characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy throughout X-ray data collection in conjunction with resonance Raman spectra collected before and after diffraction data. Shifts in the absorption band wavelength and intensity as a function of absorbed X-ray dose demonstrated that the Rieske center was reduced by solvated electrons generated by X-ray photons; the kinetics of the reduction process differed dramatically for the liganded complex compared to unliganded demethylase, which may correspond to the observed turnover in the crystal.
2012-08-01
carboxylic, amine, hydroxyl). Molasses produced more carboxylic acid groups than the corn syrup -based material and was composed of high ...molecular weight EPS units (as high as 800 KDa). Corn syrup -derived biopolymer, on the other hand, showed a greater number of small molecular weight...biopolymer by R. tropici: corn syrup , maltose, sorghum, and molasses. The maltose, being a very expensive carbon source, has been replaced by the sorghum
2012-08-01
carboxylic, amine, hydroxyl). Molasses produced more carboxylic acid groups than the corn syrup -based material and was composed of high ...molecular weight EPS units (as high as 800 KDa). Corn syrup -derived biopolymer, on the other hand, showed a greater number of small molecular weight...biopolymer by R. tropici: corn syrup , maltose, sorghum, and molasses. The maltose, being a very expensive carbon source, has been replaced by the sorghum
Anfora, Gianfranco; Loy, Francesco; Banni, Sebastiano; Crnjar, Roberto
2017-01-01
The peripheral sensitivity and palatability of different carbohydrates was evaluated and their nutritional value assessed in adult females of D. suzukii by means of an electrophysiological, behavioural and metabolic approach. The electrophysiological responses were recorded from the labellar “l” type sensilla stimulated with metabolizable mono- and disaccharides (glucose and maltose) and a non-metabolizable sugar (sucralose); the response rating and the palatability to the same sugars, evaluated by recording the proboscis extension reflex (PER), was maltose>glucose>sucralose. The nutritional value of carbohydrates was assessed by means of survival trials and fatty acids profile. Flies fed on a diet containing maltose had a longer lifespan than flies on monosaccharides, while flies fed on a diet containing sucralose had a shorter one. In addition, the ability to store fat seems to be influenced by the different sugars in the diet and is in relationship with their palatability. In fact, data showed a higher synthesis of palmitic and palmitoleic acids, most likely derived from de-novo lipogenesis with glucose as precursor, in flies fed with maltose and glucose than with non-metabolizable sucralose. In conclusion, these results suggest that the ability to select different sugars on the basis of their palatability may favour the storage of energy reserves such as fat by de-novo lipogenesis, determining a longer survival capability during prolonged periods of fasting. PMID:28817633
Biolchini, Maurizio; Murru, Elisabetta; Anfora, Gianfranco; Loy, Francesco; Banni, Sebastiano; Crnjar, Roberto; Sollai, Giorgia
2017-01-01
The peripheral sensitivity and palatability of different carbohydrates was evaluated and their nutritional value assessed in adult females of D. suzukii by means of an electrophysiological, behavioural and metabolic approach. The electrophysiological responses were recorded from the labellar "l" type sensilla stimulated with metabolizable mono- and disaccharides (glucose and maltose) and a non-metabolizable sugar (sucralose); the response rating and the palatability to the same sugars, evaluated by recording the proboscis extension reflex (PER), was maltose>glucose>sucralose. The nutritional value of carbohydrates was assessed by means of survival trials and fatty acids profile. Flies fed on a diet containing maltose had a longer lifespan than flies on monosaccharides, while flies fed on a diet containing sucralose had a shorter one. In addition, the ability to store fat seems to be influenced by the different sugars in the diet and is in relationship with their palatability. In fact, data showed a higher synthesis of palmitic and palmitoleic acids, most likely derived from de-novo lipogenesis with glucose as precursor, in flies fed with maltose and glucose than with non-metabolizable sucralose. In conclusion, these results suggest that the ability to select different sugars on the basis of their palatability may favour the storage of energy reserves such as fat by de-novo lipogenesis, determining a longer survival capability during prolonged periods of fasting.
Rathnasekara, Renuka; El Rassi, Ziad
2017-07-28
Two neutral polyhydroxylated silica bonded stationary phases, namely maltose-silica (MALT-silica) and sorbitol-silica (SOR-silica), have been introduced and chromatographically characterized in hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) for a wide range of polar compounds. The bonding of the maltose and sorbitol to the silica surface was brought about by first converting bare silica to an epoxy-activated silica surface via reaction with γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) followed by attaching maltose and sorbitol to the epoxy surface in the presence of the Lewis acid catalyst BF 3 .ethereate. Both silica based columns offered the expected retention characteristics usually encountered for neutral polar surface. The retention mechanism is majorly based on solute' differential partitioning between an organic rich hydro-organic mobile phase (e.g., ACN rich mobile phase) and an adsorbed water layer on the surface of the stationary phase although additional hydrogen bonding was also responsible in some cases for solute retention. The MALT-silica column proved to be more hydrophilic and offered higher retention, separation efficiency and resolution than the SOR-silica column among the tested polar solutes such as derivatized mono- and oligosaccharides, weak phenolic acids, cyclic nucleotide monophosphate and nucleotide-5'-monophosphates, and weak bases, e.g., nucleobases and nucleosides. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Evaluation of Maltose-Induced Chemical Degradation at the Interface of Bilayer Tablets.
Matsuzaki, Naoya; Yamamoto, Yousuke; Murayama, Daisuke; Katakawa, Yoshifumi; Mimura, Hisashi; Kimura, Shin-Ichiro; Iwao, Yasunori; Itai, Shigeru
2017-01-01
Fixed dose combination tablets consisting of mirabegron (MB) and solifenacin succinate (SS) were developed and formulated into bilayer tablets in the current study. The results of a chemical stability study showed that the original formulation for the tablets led to a significant increase of unknown degradants in the SS layer. Two compatibility studies were conducted to simulate the interface between the MB and SS layers, and the results revealed that the degradants only formed in the presence of both active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and that the presence of maltose in the SS layer was critical to inducing degradation. High resolution mass spectroscopy coupled with high performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the chemical structures of the degradants, which were identified to MB derivatives bearing one or two sugar units. These findings therefore suggested that the degradation of the API could be attributed to the addition of sugar units from maltose to MB under the acidic conditions caused by SS. With this in mind, we developed a new formulation by replacing maltose with hydroxypropyl cellulose as a polymer-type binder. The results showed that this formulation suppressed the formation of the degradants. The results of this study have shown that chemical degradation can occur at the interface of bilayer tablets and that an alternative strategy is available to formulate more stable MB/SS bilayer tablets.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Abdulmalik, Osheiza; Ghatge, Mohini S.; Musayev, Faik N.
2011-11-01
Pyridyl derivatives of vanillin increase the fraction of the more soluble oxygenated sickle hemoglobin and/or directly increase the solubility of deoxygenated sickle hemoglobin. Crystallographic analysis reveals the structural basis of the potent and dual antisickling activity of these derivatives. Vanillin has previously been studied clinically as an antisickling agent to treat sickle-cell disease. In vitro investigations with pyridyl derivatives of vanillin, including INN-312 and INN-298, showed as much as a 90-fold increase in antisickling activity compared with vanillin. The compounds preferentially bind to and modify sickle hemoglobin (Hb S) to increase the affinity of Hb for oxygen. INN-312 also ledmore » to a considerable increase in the solubility of deoxygenated Hb S under completely deoxygenated conditions. Crystallographic studies of normal human Hb with INN-312 and INN-298 showed that the compounds form Schiff-base adducts with the N-terminus of the α-subunits to constrain the liganded (or relaxed-state) Hb conformation relative to the unliganded (or tense-state) Hb conformation. Interestingly, while INN-298 binds and directs its meta-positioned pyridine-methoxy moiety (relative to the aldehyde moiety) further down the central water cavity of the protein, that of INN-312, which is ortho to the aldehyde, extends towards the surface of the protein. These studies suggest that these compounds may act to prevent sickling of SS cells by increasing the fraction of the soluble high-affinity Hb S and/or by stereospecific inhibition of deoxygenated Hb S polymerization.« less
Dual allosteric activation mechanisms in monomeric human glucokinase
Whittington, A. Carl; Larion, Mioara; Bowler, Joseph M.; Ramsey, Kristen M.; Brüschweiler, Rafael; Miller, Brian G.
2015-01-01
Cooperativity in human glucokinase (GCK), the body’s primary glucose sensor and a major determinant of glucose homeostatic diseases, is fundamentally different from textbook models of allostery because GCK is monomeric and contains only one glucose-binding site. Prior work has demonstrated that millisecond timescale order-disorder transitions within the enzyme’s small domain govern cooperativity. Here, using limited proteolysis, we map the site of disorder in unliganded GCK to a 30-residue active-site loop that closes upon glucose binding. Positional randomization of the loop, coupled with genetic selection in a glucokinase-deficient bacterium, uncovers a hyperactive GCK variant with substantially reduced cooperativity. Biochemical and structural analysis of this loop variant and GCK variants associated with hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia reveal two distinct mechanisms of enzyme activation. In α-type activation, glucose affinity is increased, the proteolytic susceptibility of the active site loop is suppressed and the 1H-13C heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (HMQC) spectrum of 13C-Ile–labeled enzyme resembles the glucose-bound state. In β-type activation, glucose affinity is largely unchanged, proteolytic susceptibility of the loop is enhanced, and the 1H-13C HMQC spectrum reveals no perturbation in ensemble structure. Leveraging both activation mechanisms, we engineer a fully noncooperative GCK variant, whose functional properties are indistinguishable from other hexokinase isozymes, and which displays a 100-fold increase in catalytic efficiency over wild-type GCK. This work elucidates specific structural features responsible for generating allostery in a monomeric enzyme and suggests a general strategy for engineering cooperativity into proteins that lack the structural framework typical of traditional allosteric systems. PMID:26283387
Role of co-regulators in metabolic and transcriptional actions of thyroid hormone.
Astapova, Inna
2016-04-01
Thyroid hormone (TH) controls a wide range of physiological processes through TH receptor (TR) isoforms. Classically, TRs are proposed to function as tri-iodothyronine (T3)-dependent transcription factors: on positively regulated target genes, unliganded TRs mediate transcriptional repression through recruitment of co-repressor complexes, while T3 binding leads to dismissal of co-repressors and recruitment of co-activators to activate transcription. Co-repressors and co-activators were proposed to play opposite roles in the regulation of negative T3 target genes and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, but exact mechanisms of the negative regulation by TH have remained elusive. Important insights into the roles of co-repressors and co-activators in different physiological processes have been obtained using animal models with disrupted co-regulator function. At the same time, recent studies interrogating genome-wide TR binding have generated compelling new data regarding effects of T3, local chromatin structure, and specific response element configuration on TR recruitment and function leading to the proposal of new models of transcriptional regulation by TRs. This review discusses data obtained in various mouse models with manipulated function of nuclear receptor co-repressor (NCoR or NCOR1) and silencing mediator of retinoic acid receptor and thyroid hormone receptor (SMRT or NCOR2), and family of steroid receptor co-activators (SRCs also known as NCOAs) in the context of TH action, as well as insights into the function of co-regulators that may emerge from the genome-wide TR recruitment analysis. © 2016 Society for Endocrinology.
Dual allosteric activation mechanisms in monomeric human glucokinase.
Whittington, A Carl; Larion, Mioara; Bowler, Joseph M; Ramsey, Kristen M; Brüschweiler, Rafael; Miller, Brian G
2015-09-15
Cooperativity in human glucokinase (GCK), the body's primary glucose sensor and a major determinant of glucose homeostatic diseases, is fundamentally different from textbook models of allostery because GCK is monomeric and contains only one glucose-binding site. Prior work has demonstrated that millisecond timescale order-disorder transitions within the enzyme's small domain govern cooperativity. Here, using limited proteolysis, we map the site of disorder in unliganded GCK to a 30-residue active-site loop that closes upon glucose binding. Positional randomization of the loop, coupled with genetic selection in a glucokinase-deficient bacterium, uncovers a hyperactive GCK variant with substantially reduced cooperativity. Biochemical and structural analysis of this loop variant and GCK variants associated with hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia reveal two distinct mechanisms of enzyme activation. In α-type activation, glucose affinity is increased, the proteolytic susceptibility of the active site loop is suppressed and the (1)H-(13)C heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence (HMQC) spectrum of (13)C-Ile-labeled enzyme resembles the glucose-bound state. In β-type activation, glucose affinity is largely unchanged, proteolytic susceptibility of the loop is enhanced, and the (1)H-(13)C HMQC spectrum reveals no perturbation in ensemble structure. Leveraging both activation mechanisms, we engineer a fully noncooperative GCK variant, whose functional properties are indistinguishable from other hexokinase isozymes, and which displays a 100-fold increase in catalytic efficiency over wild-type GCK. This work elucidates specific structural features responsible for generating allostery in a monomeric enzyme and suggests a general strategy for engineering cooperativity into proteins that lack the structural framework typical of traditional allosteric systems.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Murphy, Jesse R.; Donini, Stefano; Kappock, T. Joseph, E-mail: kappock@purdue.edu
2015-09-23
Citrate synthase from the thermophilic euryarchaeon T. acidophilum fused to a hexahistidine tag was purified and biochemically characterized. The structure of the unliganded enzyme at 2.2 Å resolution contains tail–active site contacts in half of the active sites. Citrate synthase (CS) plays a central metabolic role in aerobes and many other organisms. The CS reaction comprises two half-reactions: a Claisen aldol condensation of acetyl-CoA (AcCoA) and oxaloacetate (OAA) that forms citryl-CoA (CitCoA), and CitCoA hydrolysis. Protein conformational changes that ‘close’ the active site play an important role in the assembly of a catalytically competent condensation active site. CS from themore » thermoacidophile Thermoplasma acidophilum (TpCS) possesses an endogenous Trp fluorophore that can be used to monitor the condensation reaction. The 2.2 Å resolution crystal structure of TpCS fused to a C-terminal hexahistidine tag (TpCSH6) reported here is an ‘open’ structure that, when compared with several liganded TpCS structures, helps to define a complete path for active-site closure. One active site in each dimer binds a neighboring His tag, the first nonsubstrate ligand known to occupy both the AcCoA and OAA binding sites. Solution data collectively suggest that this fortuitous interaction is stabilized by the crystalline lattice. As a polar but almost neutral ligand, the active site–tail interaction provides a new starting point for the design of bisubstrate-analog inhibitors of CS.« less
Design of Cyclic Peptide Based Glucose Receptors and Their Application in Glucose Sensing.
Li, Chao; Chen, Xin; Zhang, Fuyuan; He, Xingxing; Fang, Guozhen; Liu, Jifeng; Wang, Shuo
2017-10-03
Glucose assay is of great scientific significance in clinical diagnostics and bioprocess monitoring, and to design a new glucose receptor is necessary for the development of more sensitive, selective, and robust glucose detection techniques. Herein, a series of cyclic peptide (CP) glucose receptors were designed to mimic the binding sites of glucose binding protein (GBP), and CPs' sequence contained amino acid sites Asp, Asn, His, Asp, and Arg, which constituted the first layer interactions of GBP. The properties of these CPs used as a glucose receptor or substitute for the GBP were studied by using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique. It was found that CPs can form a self-assembled monolayer at the Au quartz electrode surface, and the monolayer's properties were characterized by using cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The CPs' binding affinity to saccharide (i.e., galactose, fructose, lactose, sucrose, and maltose) was investigated, and the CPs' sensitivity and selectivity toward glucose were found to be dependent upon the configuration,i.e., the amino acids sequence of the CPs. The cyclic unit with a cyclo[-CNDNHCRDNDC-] sequence gave the highest selectivity and sensitivity for glucose sensing. This work suggests that a synthetic peptide bearing a particular functional sequence could be applied for developing a new generation of glucose receptors and would find huge application in biological, life science, and clinical diagnostics fields.
A Plasmodium falciparum copper-binding membrane protein with copper transport motifs
2012-01-01
Background Copper is an essential catalytic co-factor for metabolically important cellular enzymes, such as cytochrome-c oxidase. Eukaryotic cells acquire copper through a copper transport protein and distribute intracellular copper using molecular chaperones. The copper chelator, neocuproine, inhibits Plasmodium falciparum ring-to-trophozoite transition in vitro, indicating a copper requirement for malaria parasite development. How the malaria parasite acquires or secretes copper still remains to be fully elucidated. Methods PlasmoDB was searched for sequences corresponding to candidate P. falciparum copper-requiring proteins. The amino terminal domain of a putative P. falciparum copper transport protein was cloned and expressed as a maltose binding fusion protein. The copper binding ability of this protein was examined. Copper transport protein-specific anti-peptide antibodies were generated in chickens and used to establish native protein localization in P. falciparum parasites by immunofluorescence microscopy. Results Six P. falciparum copper-requiring protein orthologs and a candidate P. falciparum copper transport protein (PF14_0369), containing characteristic copper transport protein features, were identified in PlasmoDB. The recombinant amino terminal domain of the transport protein bound reduced copper in vitro and within Escherichia coli cells during recombinant expression. Immunolocalization studies tracked the copper binding protein translocating from the erythrocyte plasma membrane in early ring stage to a parasite membrane as the parasites developed to schizonts. The protein appears to be a PEXEL-negative membrane protein. Conclusion Plasmodium falciparum parasites express a native protein with copper transporter characteristics that binds copper in vitro. Localization of the protein to the erythrocyte and parasite plasma membranes could provide a mechanism for the delivery of novel anti-malarial compounds. PMID:23190769
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Crouch, E.; Hartshorn, K; Horlacher, T
2009-01-01
Surfactant protein D (SP-D) plays important roles in antiviral host defense. Although SP-D shows a preference for glucose/maltose, the protein also recognizes d-mannose and a variety of mannose-rich microbial ligands. This latter preference prompted an examination of the mechanisms of mannose recognition, particularly as they relate to high-mannose viral glycans. Trimeric neck plus carbohydrate recognition domains from human SP-D (hNCRD) preferred ?1-2-linked dimannose (DM) over the branched trimannose (TM) core, ?1-3 or ?1-6 DM, or d-mannose. Previous studies have shown residues flanking the carbohydrate binding site can fine-tune ligand recognition. A mutant with valine at 343 (R343V) showed enhanced bindingmore » to mannan relative to wild type and R343A. No alteration in affinity was observed for d-mannose or for ?1-3- or ?1-6-linked DM; however, substantially increased affinity was observed for ?1-2 DM. Both proteins showed efficient recognition of linear and branched subdomains of high-mannose glycans on carbohydrate microarrays, and R343V showed increased binding to a subset of the oligosaccharides. Crystallographic analysis of an R343V complex with 1,2-DM showed a novel mode of binding. The disaccharide is bound to calcium by the reducing sugar ring, and a stabilizing H-bond is formed between the 2-OH of the nonreducing sugar ring and Arg349. Although hNCRDs show negligible binding to influenza A virus (IAV), R343V showed markedly enhanced viral neutralizing activity. Hydrophobic substitutions for Arg343 selectively blocked binding of a monoclonal antibody (Hyb 246-05) that inhibits IAV binding activity. Our findings demonstrate an extended ligand binding site for mannosylated ligands and the significant contribution of the 343 side chain to specific recognition of multivalent microbial ligands, including high-mannose viral glycans.« less
THE RHODOPSIN-TRANSDUCIN COMPLEX HOUSES TWO DISTINCT RHODOPSIN MOLECULES
Jastrzebska, Beata; Ringler, Philipe; Palczewski, Krzysztof; Engel, Andreas
2013-01-01
Upon illumination the visual receptor rhodopsin (Rho) transitions to the activated form Rho*, which binds the heterotrimeric G protein, transducin (Gt) causing GDP to GTP exchange and Gt dissociation. Using succinylated concanavalin A (sConA) as a probe, we visualized native Rho dimers solubilized in 1 mM n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside (DDM) and Rho monomers 5 mM in DDM. By nucleotide depletion and affinity chromatography together with crosslinking and size exclusion chromatography, we trapped and purified nucleotide-free Rho*•Gt and sConA-Rho*•Gt complexes kept in solution by either DDM or lauryl-maltose-neopentyl-glycol (LMNG). The 3-D envelope calculated from projections of negatively stained Rho*•Gt-LMNG complexes accommodated two Rho molecules, one Gt heterotrimer and a detergent belt. Visualization of triple sConA-Rho*•Gt complexes unequivocally demonstrated a pentameric assembly of the Rho*•Gt complex in which the photoactivated Rho* dimer serves as a platform for binding the Gt heterotrimer. Importantly, individual monomers of the Rho* dimer in the heteropentameric complex exhibited different capabilities to be regenerated with either 11-cis or 9-cis-retinal. PMID:23458690
cDNA encoding a polypeptide including a hevein sequence
Raikhel, Natasha V.; Broekaert, Willem F.; Chua, Nam-Hai; Kush, Anil
1999-05-04
A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea brasiliensis latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1018 nucleotides long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187 amino acid polypeptide. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino-termini of wound-induced genes in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74-79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems and latex, but not in roots, as shown by using the cDNA as a probe. A fusion protein was produced in E. coli from the protein of the present invention and maltose binding protein produced by the E. coli.
cDNA encoding a polypeptide including a hev ein sequence
Raikhel, Natasha V.; Broekaert, Willem F.; Chua, Nam-Hai; Kush, Anil
2000-07-04
A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea brasiliensis latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1018 nucleotides long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187 amino acid polypeptide. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino-termini of wound-induced genes in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74-79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems and latex, but not in roots, as shown by using the cDNA as a probe. A fusion protein was produced in E. coli from the protein of the present invention and maltose binding protein produced by the E. coli.
cDNA encoding a polypeptide including a hevein sequence
Raikhel, N.V.; Broekaert, W.F.; Chua, N.H.; Kush, A.
1999-05-04
A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea brasiliensis latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1018 nucleotides long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187 amino acid polypeptide. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino-termini of wound-induced genes in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74--79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems and latex, but not in roots, as shown by using the cDNA as a probe. A fusion protein was produced in E. coli from the protein of the present invention and maltose binding protein produced by the E. coli. 12 figs.
CDNA encoding a polypeptide including a hevein sequence
Raikhel, Natasha V.; Broekaert, Willem F.; Chua, Nam-Hai; Kush, Anil
1995-03-21
A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea brasiliensis latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1018 nucleotides long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187 amino acid polypeptide. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino-termini of wound-induced genes in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74-79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems and latex, but not in roots, as shown by using the cDNA as a probe. A fusion protein was produced in E. coli from the protein of the present invention and maltose binding protein produced by the E. coli.
cDNA encoding a polypeptide including a hevein sequence
Raikhel, N.V.; Broekaert, W.F.; Chua, N.H.; Kush, A.
1995-03-21
A cDNA clone (HEV1) encoding hevein was isolated via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using mixed oligonucleotides corresponding to two regions of hevein as primers and a Hevea brasiliensis latex cDNA library as a template. HEV1 is 1,018 nucleotides long and includes an open reading frame of 204 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence contains a putative signal sequence of 17 amino acid residues followed by a 187 amino acid polypeptide. The amino-terminal region (43 amino acids) is identical to hevein and shows homology to several chitin-binding proteins and to the amino-termini of wound-induced genes in potato and poplar. The carboxyl-terminal portion of the polypeptide (144 amino acids) is 74--79% homologous to the carboxyl-terminal region of wound-inducible genes of potato. Wounding, as well as application of the plant hormones abscisic acid and ethylene, resulted in accumulation of hevein transcripts in leaves, stems and latex, but not in roots, as shown by using the cDNA as a probe. A fusion protein was produced in E. coli from the protein of the present invention and maltose binding protein produced by the E. coli. 11 figures.
Masterson, Larry R; Bortone, Nadia; Yu, Tao; Ha, Kim N; Gaffarogullari, Ece C; Nguyen, Oanh; Veglia, Gianluigi
2009-04-01
Extensive X-ray crystallographic studies carried out on the catalytic-subunit of protein kinase A (PKA-C) enabled the atomic characterization of inhibitor and/or substrate peptide analogues trapped at its active site. Yet, the structural and dynamic transitions of these peptides from the free to the bound state are missing. These conformational transitions are central to understanding molecular recognition and the enzymatic cycle. NMR spectroscopy allows one to study these phenomena under functionally relevant conditions. However, the amounts of isotopically labeled peptides required for this technique present prohibitive costs for solid-phase peptide synthesis. To enable NMR studies, we have optimized both expression and purification of isotopically enriched substrate/inhibitor peptides using a recombinant fusion protein system. Three of these peptides correspond to the cytoplasmic regions of the wild-type and lethal mutants of the membrane protein phospholamban, while the fourth peptide correspond to the binding epitope of the heat-stable protein kinase inhibitor (PKI(5-24)). The target peptides were fused to the maltose binding protein (MBP), which is further purified using a His(6) tag approach. This convenient protocol allows for the purification of milligram amounts of peptides necessary for NMR analysis.
Farrugia, Mark A.; Han, Linjie; Zhong, Yueyang; Boer, Jodi L.; Ruotolo, Brandon T.; Hausinger, Robert P.
2013-01-01
Maturation of the nickel-containing urease of Klebsiella aerogenes is facilitated by the UreD, UreF, and UreG accessory proteins along with the UreE metallo-chaperone. A fusion of the maltose binding protein and UreD (MBP-UreD) was co-isolated with UreF and UreG in a soluble complex possessing a (MBP-UreD:UreF:UreG)2 quaternary structure. Within this complex a UreF:UreF interaction was identified by chemical cross-linking of the amino termini of its two UreF protomers, as shown by mass spectrometry of tryptic peptides. A pre-activation complex was formed by the interaction of (MBP-UreD:UreF:UreG)2 and urease. Mass spectrometry of intact protein species revealed a pathway for synthesis of the urease pre-activation complex in which individual hetero-trimer units of the (MBP-UreD:UreF:UreG)2 complex bind to urease. Together, these data provide important new insights into the structures of protein complexes associated with urease activation. PMID:23797863
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Shin, Moo-Kwang; Kang, Byunghoon; Yoon, Nam-Kyung; Kim, Myeong-Hoon; Ki, Jisun; Han, Seungmin; Ahn, Jung-Oh; Haam, Seungjoo
2016-12-01
Immobilizing enzymes on artificially fabricated carriers for their efficient use and easy removal from reactants has attracted enormous interest for decades. Specifically, binding platforms using inorganic nanoparticles have been widely explored because of the benefits of their large surface area, easy surface modification, and high stability in various pH and temperatures. Herein, we fabricated Fe3O4 encapsulated ‘sea-urchin’ shaped nickel-silicate nanoparticles with a facile synthetic route. The enzymes were then rapidly and easily immobilized with poly-histidine tags (His-tags) and nickel ion affinity. Porous nickel silicate covered nanoparticles achieved a high immobilization capacity (85 μg mg-1) of His-tagged tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease. To investigate immobilized TEV protease enzymatic activity, we analyzed the cleaved quantity of maltose binding protein-exendin-fused immunoglobulin fusion protein, which connected with the TEV protease-specific cleavage peptide sequence. Moreover, TEV protease immobilized nanocomplexes conveniently removed and recollected from the reactant by applying an external magnetic field, maintained their enzymatic activity after reuse. Therefore, our newly developed nanoplatform for His-tagged enzyme immobilization provides advantageous features for biotechnological industries including recombinant protein processing.
Chao, Julie; Weathersbee, Carolyn J.
1974-01-01
Cyclic adenosine 3′, 5′-monophosphate (AMP) stimulates maltodextrin phosphorylase synthesis in Escherichia coli cells induced with maltose. A maximal effect occurs at 2 to 3 mM cyclic AMP. The action of cyclic AMP is specific, inasmuch as adenosine triphosphate, 3′-AMP, 5′-AMP, adenosine, and dibutyryl cyclic AMP are inactive. Glucose, α-methyl glucoside, 2-deoxyglucose, and pyridoxal 5′-phosphate repress maltodextrin phosphorylase synthesis. This repression is reversed by cyclic AMP. The action of cyclic AMP appears to be at the transcriptional level, since cyclic AMP fails to stimulate phosphorylase production in induced cells in which messenger ribonucleic acid synthesis has been arrested by rifampin or by inducer removal. The two other enzymes involved in the metabolism of maltose, amylomaltase and maltose permease, are also induced in this strain of E. coli and affected by glucose and cyclic AMP in a manner similar to phosphorylase. PMID:4358043
Li, Ning; Wang, Hengwei; Li, Lijuan; Cheng, Huiling; Liu, Dawen; Cheng, Hairong; Deng, Zixin
2016-08-10
An alternative strategy that integrated enzyme production, trehalose biotransformation, and bioremoval in one bioreactor was developed in this study, thus simplifying the traditional procedures used for trehalose production. The trehalose synthase gene from a thermophilic archaea, Picrophilus torridus, was first fused to the YlPir1 anchor gene and then inserted into the genome of Yarrowia lipolytica, thus yielding an engineered yeast strain. The trehalose yield reached 73% under optimal conditions. The thermal and pH stabilities of the displayed enzyme were improved compared to those of its free form purified from recombinant Escherichia coli. After biotransformation, the glucose byproduct and residual maltose were directly fermented to ethanol by a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. Ethanol can be separated by distillation, and high-purity trehalose can easily be obtained from the fermentation broth. The results show that this one-pot procedure is an efficient approach to the economical production of trehalose from maltose.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Solanki, Ashish K.; Rathore, Yogendra S.; Badmalia, Maulik D.
Asymmetric disposition of Fab arms in the structures solved for the broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibody (nmAb) IgG1 b12 raised the question of whether the unusual shape observed for b12 is common for all IgG1 mAbs or if there is a difference in the overall shape of nmAbs versus non-nmAbs. In this paper, we compared small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) data-based models and limited proteolysis profiles of some IgG1 mAbs known to be having and lacking HIV-1 neutralizing potency. In non-nmAbs, the Fab arms were found to be symmetrically disposed in space relative to central Fc, but in most nmAbs, themore » Fab arms were asymmetrically disposed, as seen for IgG1 b12. The only exceptions were 2G12 and 4E10, where both Fab arms were closed above Fc, suggesting some Fab-Fc and/or Fab-Fab interaction in the nmAbs that constrained extension of the Fab-Fc linker. Interestingly, these observations were correlated with differential proteolysis profiles of the mAbs by papain. Under conditions when papain could cut both Fab arms of non-nmAbs, only one Fab arm could be removed from neutralizing ones (except for 2G12 and 4E10). Chromatography and small angle x-ray scattering results of papain-digested products revealed that 1) the Fab-Fc or Fab-Fab interactions in unliganded mAbs are retained in digested products, and 2) whereas anti-gp120 non-nmAbs could bind two gp120 molecules, nmAbs could bind only one gp120. Finally, additional experiments showed that except for 2G12 and 4E10, unopen shapes of nmAbs remain uninfluenced by ionic strength but can be reversibly opened by low pH of buffer accompanied by loss of ligand binding ability.« less
Wards in the keyway: amino acids with anomalous pK(a)s in calycins.
Eberini, Ivano; Sensi, Cristina; Bovi, Michele; Molinari, Henriette; Galliano, Monica; Bonomi, Franco; Iametti, Stefania; Gianazza, Elisabetta
2012-12-01
As a follow-up to our recent analysis of the electrostatics of bovine β-lactoglobulin (Eberini et al. in Amino Acids 42:2019-2030, 2011), we investigated whether the occurrence in the native structure of calycins-the superfamily to which β-lactoglobulin belongs-of amino acids with anomalous pK (a)s is an infrequent or, on the contrary, a common occurrence, and whether or not a general pattern may be recognized. To this aim, we randomly selected four calycins we had either purified from natural sources or prepared with recombinant DNA technologies during our previous and current structural and functional studies on this family. Their pIs vary over several pH units and their known functions are as diverse as carriers, enzymes, immunomodulators and/or extracellular chaperones. In our survey, we used both in silico prediction methods and in vitro procedures, such as isoelectric focusing, electrophoretic titration curves and spectroscopic techniques. By comparing the results under native conditions (no exposure of the proteins to chaotropic agents) to those after protein unfolding (in the presence of 8 M urea), a shift is observed in the pK (a) of at least one amino acid per protein, which results in a measurable change in pI. Three types of amino acids are involved: Cys, Glu, and His, their position varies along the calycin sequence. Although no common mechanism may thus be recognized, we hypothesize that the 'normalization' of anomalous pK (a)s may be the phenomenon that accompanies, and favors, structural rearrangements such as those involved in ligand binding by these proteins. An interesting, if anecdotal, validation to this view comes from the behavior of human retinol binding protein, for which the pI of the folded and liganded protein is intermediate between those of the folded and unliganded and of the unfolded protein forms. Likewise, both solid (from crystallography) and solution state (from CD spectroscopy) data confirm that the protein undergoes structural rearrangement upon retinol binding.
Thyroid hormone and COUP-TF1 regulate kallikrein-binding protein (KBP) gene expression.
Liu, Yan-Yun; Nakatani, Teruyo; Kogai, Takahiko; Mody, Kaizeen; Brent, Gregory A
2011-03-01
Kallikrein-binding protein (KBP) is a component of the kallikrein-kinin system that mediates vasodilation and inhibits tumor growth by antagonizing vascular endothelial growth factor-mediated angiogenesis. We demonstrate that KBP gene expression is repressed by T(3) and modulated by the orphan nuclear receptor, chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor 1 (COUP-TF1). In hypothyroid mice, KBP mRNA expression in the testis was increased 2.1-fold compared with euthyroid mice. We have identified two negative thyroid hormone response elements (nTREs) in the mouse KBP gene, nTRE1 located in the 5' flanking region (-53 to -29) and nTRE2, located in the first intron (104-132). We used functional assays, cofactor knockdown, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays to characterize nTRE1 and nTRE2 in hepatic (HepG2) and testes (GC-1spg) cell lines. Reporter expression directed by both elements was enhanced with addition of thyroid hormone receptor and repressed with the addition of T(3). COUP-TF1 enhanced basal expression of both elements but blunted unliganded thyroid hormone receptor enhancement and T(3) repression of nTRE1 but not nTRE2. Both nTREs bound nuclear corepressor and binding increased in response to T(3). Nuclear corepressor knockdown resulted in loss of T(3) repression of both nTRE1 and nTRE2. COUP-TF1, which usually represses T(3) induction of positive thyroid hormone response elements, reverses T(3) repression mediated by nTRE1 in the mouse KBP gene. Endogenous KBP expression is repressed by T(3) and two functional nTREs, both of which are required, have been characterized in the KBP gene. COUP-TF1 may be an important factor to modulate expression of genes that are repressed by T(3).
Thyroid Hormone and COUP-TF1 Regulate Kallikrein-Binding Protein (KBP) Gene Expression
Liu, Yan-Yun; Nakatani, Teruyo; Kogai, Takahiko; Mody, Kaizeen
2011-01-01
Kallikrein-binding protein (KBP) is a component of the kallikrein-kinin system that mediates vasodilation and inhibits tumor growth by antagonizing vascular endothelial growth factor-mediated angiogenesis. We demonstrate that KBP gene expression is repressed by T3 and modulated by the orphan nuclear receptor, chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor 1 (COUP-TF1). In hypothyroid mice, KBP mRNA expression in the testis was increased 2.1-fold compared with euthyroid mice. We have identified two negative thyroid hormone response elements (nTREs) in the mouse KBP gene, nTRE1 located in the 5′ flanking region (−53 to −29) and nTRE2, located in the first intron (104–132). We used functional assays, cofactor knockdown, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays to characterize nTRE1 and nTRE2 in hepatic (HepG2) and testes (GC-1spg) cell lines. Reporter expression directed by both elements was enhanced with addition of thyroid hormone receptor and repressed with the addition of T3. COUP-TF1 enhanced basal expression of both elements but blunted unliganded thyroid hormone receptor enhancement and T3 repression of nTRE1 but not nTRE2. Both nTREs bound nuclear corepressor and binding increased in response to T3. Nuclear corepressor knockdown resulted in loss of T3 repression of both nTRE1 and nTRE2. COUP-TF1, which usually represses T3 induction of positive thyroid hormone response elements, reverses T3 repression mediated by nTRE1 in the mouse KBP gene. Endogenous KBP expression is repressed by T3 and two functional nTREs, both of which are required, have been characterized in the KBP gene. COUP-TF1 may be an important factor to modulate expression of genes that are repressed by T3. PMID:21266512
Crystal structure of the second PDZ domain of SAP97 in complex with a GluR-A C-terminal peptide.
von Ossowski, Ingemar; Oksanen, Esko; von Ossowski, Lotta; Cai, Chunlin; Sundberg, Maria; Goldman, Adrian; Keinänen, Kari
2006-11-01
Synaptic targeting of GluR-A subunit-containing glutamate receptors involves an interaction with synapse-associated protein 97 (SAP97). The C-terminus of GluR-A, which contains a class I PDZ ligand motif (-x-Ser/Thr-x-phi-COOH where phi is an aliphatic amino acid) associates preferentially with the second PDZ domain of SAP97 (SAP97(PDZ2)). To understand the structural basis of this interaction, we have determined the crystal structures of wild-type and a SAP97(PDZ2) variant in complex with an 18-mer C-terminal peptide (residues 890-907) of GluR-A and of two variant PDZ2 domains in unliganded state at 1.8-2.44 A resolutions. SAP97(PDZ2) folds to a compact globular domain comprising six beta-strands and two alpha-helices, a typical architecture for PDZ domains. In the structure of the peptide complex, only the last four C-terminal residues of the GluR-A are visible, and align as an antiparallel beta-strand in the binding groove of SAP97(PDZ2). The free carboxylate group and the aliphatic side chain of the C-terminal leucine (Leu907), and the hydroxyl group of Thr905 of the GluR-A peptide are engaged in essential class I PDZ interactions. Comparison between the free and complexed structures reveals conformational changes which take place upon peptide binding. The betaAlpha-betaBeta loop moves away from the C-terminal end of alphaB leading to a slight opening of the binding groove, which may better accommodate the peptide ligand. The two conformational states are stabilized by alternative hydrogen bond and coulombic interactions of Lys324 in betaAlpha-betaBeta loop with Asp396 or Thr394 in betaBeta. Results of in vitro binding and immunoprecipitation experiments using a PDZ motif-destroying L907A mutation as well as the insertion of an extra alanine residue between the C-terminal Leu907 and the stop codon are also consistent with a 'classical' type I PDZ interaction between SAP97 and GluR-A C-terminus.
Huang, Wen; Xu, Fei; Qu, Tao; Zhang, Rui; Li, Li; Que, Huayong; Zhang, Guofan
2015-01-01
Thyroid hormones (THs) play important roles in development, metamorphosis, and metabolism in vertebrates. During the past century, TH functions were regarded as a synapomorphy of vertebrates. More recently, accumulating evidence has gradually convinced us that TH functions also occur in invertebrate chordates. To date, however, TH-related studies in non-chordate invertebrates have been limited. In this study, THs were qualitatively detected by two reliable methods (HPLC and LC/MS) in a well-studied molluscan species, the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. Quantitative measurement of THs during the development of C. gigas showed high TH contents during embryogenesis and that oyster embryos may synthesize THs endogenously. As a first step in elucidating the TH signaling cascade, an ortholog of vertebrate TH receptor (TR), the most critical gene mediating TH effects, was cloned in C. gigas. The sequence of CgTR has conserved DNA-binding and ligand-binding domains that normally characterize these receptors. Experimental results demonstrated that CgTR can repress gene expression through binding to promoters of target genes and can interact with oyster retinoid X receptor. Moreover, CgTR mRNA expression was activated by T4 and the transcriptional activity of CgTR promoter was repressed by unliganded CgTR protein. An atypical thyroid hormone response element (CgDR5) was found in the promoter of CgTR, which was verified by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). These results indicated that some of the CgTR function is conserved. However, the EMSA assay showed that DNA binding specificity of CgTR was different from that of the vertebrate TR and experiments with two dual-luciferase reporter systems indicated that l-thyroxine, 3,3′,5-triiodothyronine, and triiodothyroacetic acid failed to activate the transcriptional activity of CgTR. This is the first study to functionally characterize TR in mollusks. The presence of THs and the functions of CgTR in mollusks contribute to better understanding of the evolution of the TH system. PMID:26710071
Ali, Mohammad; Abbasi, Bilal Haider; Ahmad, Nisar; Ali, Syed Shujait; Ali, Shahid; Ali, Gul Shad
2016-12-01
Natural products are gaining tremendous importance in pharmaceutical industry and attention has been focused on the applications of in vitro technologies to enhance yield and productivity of such products. In this study, we investigated the accumulation of biomass and antioxidant secondary metabolites in response to different carbohydrate sources (sucrose, maltose, fructose and glucose) and sucrose concentrations (1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 %). Moreover, the effects of 3 % repeated sucrose feeding (day-12, -18 and -24) were also investigated. The results showed the superiority of disaccharides over monosaccharides for maximum biomass and secondary metabolites accumulation. Comparable profiles for maximum biomass were observed in response to sucrose and maltose and initial sucrose concentrations of 3 and 5 %. Maximum total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were displayed by cultures treated with sucrose and maltose; however, initial sucrose concentrations of 5 and 7 % were optimum for both classes of metabolites, respectively. Following 3 % extra sucrose feeding, cultures fed on day-24 (late-log phase) showed higher biomass, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents as compared to control cultures. Highest antioxidant activity was exhibited by maltose-treated cultures. Moreover, sucrose-treated cultures displayed positive correlation of antioxidant activity with total phenolics and total flavonoids production. This work describes the stimulatory role of disaccharides and sucrose feeding strategy for higher accumulation of phenolics and flavonoids, which could be potentially scaled up to bioreactor level for the bulk production of these metabolites in suspension cultures of A. absinthium.
Alves-Araújo, C; Pacheco, A; Almeida, M J; Spencer-Martins, I; Leão, C; Sousa, M J
2007-03-01
The highly osmo- and cryotolerant yeast species Torulaspora delbrueckii is an important case study among the non-Saccharomyces yeast species. The strain T. delbrueckii PYCC 5321, isolated from traditional corn and rye bread dough in northern Portugal, is considered particularly interesting for the baking industry. This paper reports the sugar utilization patterns of this strain, using media with glucose, maltose and sucrose, alone or in mixtures. Kinetics of growth, biomass and ethanol yields, fermentation and respiration rates, hydrolase activities and sugar uptake rates were used to infer the potential applied relevance of this yeast in comparison to a conventional baker's strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The results showed that both maltase and maltose transport in T. delbrueckii were subject to glucose repression and maltose induction, whereas invertase was subject to glucose control but not dependent on sucrose induction. A comparative analysis of specific sugar consumption rates and transport capacities suggests that the transport step limits both glucose and maltose metabolism. Specific rates of CO(2) production and O(2) consumption showed a significantly higher contribution of respiration to the overall metabolism in T. delbrueckii than in S. cerevisiae. This was reflected in the biomass yields from batch cultures and could represent an asset for the large-scale production of the former species. This work contributes to a better understanding of the physiology of a non-conventional yeast species, with a view to the full exploitation of T. delbrueckii by the baking industry.
Xu, Ying; Zang, Ying; Jiang, Ting; Zheng, Zhaojuan; Quyang, Jia
2014-12-01
An analytical method for the determination of trehalose, maltose, and glucose in biotransformation samples was developed by using high performance anion exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed ampere detection (HPAEC-PAD). The analysis was performed on a CarboPac™ 10 column (250 mm x 2 mm) with the gradient elution of NaOH-NaAc as the mobile phase. The column temperature was set at 30 °C, the flow rate was 0. 30 mL/min. The results showed that trehalose, maltose, and glucose in biotransformation system were completely separated and determined in 15 min. The linear ranges and the working curves were determined by using standard samples. The correlation coefficients of three kinds of carbohydrates were over 0. 9998 . The detection limits (LODs) were 0. 010 - 0. 100 mg/L. Under the optimized separation conditions, the recoveries of saccharides in the transformation system at three different spiked levels ranged from 89. 4% to 103. 2%. In biotransformation system, 50 IU trehalose synthase were added into 200 g/L maltose for reaction of 8 h at 37 °C, pH 8. 0. Under the above conditions, the concentration of trehalose in biotransformation sample was 101. 084 g/L, and the conversion rate of trehalose reached 50. 5%. The method can be applied to determine the composition in the transformation system with the advantages of simplicity and convenience.
Ai, Jing; Du, Jie; Wang, Ning; Du, Zhi-Min; Yang, Bao-Feng
2004-01-01
AIM: To investigate the inhibitory effects of sodium orthovanadate on small-intestinal glucose and maltose absorption in rats and its mechanism. METHODS: Normal Wistar rats were lavaged with sodium orthovanadate (16 mg/kg, 4 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg) for 6 d. Blood glucose values were measured after fasting and 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 h after glucose and maltose feeding with oxidation-enzyme method. α-glucosidase was abstracted from the upper small intestine, and its activity was examined. mRNA expression of α-glucosidase and glucose-transporter 2 (GLUT2) in epithelial cells of the small intestine was observed by in situ hybridization. RESULTS: Sodium orthovanadate could delay the increase of plasma glucose concentration after glucose and maltose loading, area under curve (AUC) in these groups was lower than that in control group. Sodium orthovanadate at dosages of 10 μmol/L, 100 μmol/L and 1000 μmol/L could suppress the activity of α-glucosidase in the small intestine of normal rats, with an inhibition rate of 68.18%, 87.22% and 91.91%, respectively. Sodium orthovanadate reduced mRNA expression of α-glucosidase and GLUT2 in epithelial cells of small intestine. CONCLUSION: Sodium orthovanadate can reduce and delay the absorption of glucose and maltose. The mechanism may be that it can inhibit the activity and mRNA expression of α-glucosidase, as well as mRNA expression of GLUT2 in small intestine. PMID:15534916
Ferreira-Nozawa, M S; Rezende, J L; Guimarães, L H S; Terenzi, H F; Jorge, J A; Polizeli, M L T M
2008-04-01
Two strains (15.1 and 15.8) of the thermophilic fungus Scytalidium thermophilum produced high levels of intracellular glucoamylases, with potential for industrial applications. The isoform I of the glucoamylase produced by 15.1 strain was sequentially submitted to DEAE-Cellulose and CM-Cellulose chromatography, and purified 141-fold, with 5.45% recovery. The glucoamylase of strain 15.8 was purified 71-fold by CM- Cellulose and Concanavalin A-Sepharose chromatography, with 7.38% recovery. Temperature and pH optima were in the range of 50-60°C and 5.0-6.0, respectively, using starch and maltose as substrates. The glucoamylase of S. thermophilum 15.8 was more stable (t50 > 60 min) than that of S. thermophilum 15.1 (t50= 11-15 min), at 60°C. The glucoamylase activities were enhanced by several ions (e.g. Mn(2+) and Ca(2+)) and inhibited by β- mercaptoethanol. The glucoamylase from 15.1 strain showed a Km of 0.094 mg/ml and 0.029 mg/ml and Vmax of 202 U/mg prot and 109 U/mg prot, for starch and maltose, respectively. The hydrolysis products of starch and maltose, analyzed by TLC, demonstrated glucose as end product and confirming the character of the enzyme as glucoamylase. Differences were observed in relation to the products formed with maltose as substrate between the two strains studied. S. thermophilum 15.8 formed maltotriose in contrast with S. thermophilum 15.1.
Ferreira-Nozawa, M.S.; Rezende, J.L.; Guimarães, L.H.S.; Terenzi, H.F.; Jorge, J.A.; Polizeli, M.L.T.M.
2008-01-01
Two strains (15.1 and 15.8) of the thermophilic fungus Scytalidium thermophilum produced high levels of intracellular glucoamylases, with potential for industrial applications. The isoform I of the glucoamylase produced by 15.1 strain was sequentially submitted to DEAE-Cellulose and CM-Cellulose chromatography, and purified 141-fold, with 5.45% recovery. The glucoamylase of strain 15.8 was purified 71-fold by CM- Cellulose and Concanavalin A-Sepharose chromatography, with 7.38% recovery. Temperature and pH optima were in the range of 50-60°C and 5.0-6.0, respectively, using starch and maltose as substrates. The glucoamylase of S. thermophilum 15.8 was more stable (t50 > 60 min) than that of S. thermophilum 15.1 (t50= 11-15 min), at 60°C. The glucoamylase activities were enhanced by several ions (e.g. Mn2+ and Ca2+) and inhibited by β- mercaptoethanol. The glucoamylase from 15.1 strain showed a Km of 0.094 mg/ml and 0.029 mg/ml and Vmax of 202 U/mg prot and 109 U/mg prot, for starch and maltose, respectively. The hydrolysis products of starch and maltose, analyzed by TLC, demonstrated glucose as end product and confirming the character of the enzyme as glucoamylase. Differences were observed in relation to the products formed with maltose as substrate between the two strains studied. S. thermophilum 15.8 formed maltotriose in contrast with S. thermophilum 15.1. PMID:24031228
Sobrado, Pablo; Goren, Michael A.; James, Declan; Amundson, Carissa K.; Fox, Brian G.
2008-01-01
A specialized vector backbone from the Protein Structure Initiative was used to express full-length human cytochrome b5 as a C-terminal fusion to His8-maltose binding protein in Escherichia coli. The fusion protein could be completely cleaved by tobacco etch virus protease, and a yield of ~18 mg of purified full-length human cytochrome b5 per liter of culture medium was obtained (2.3 mg per]of wet weight bacterial cells). In situ proteolysis of the fusion protein in the presence of chemically defined synthetic liposomes allowed facile spontaneous delivery of the functional peripheral membrane protein into a defined membrane environment without prior exposure to detergents or other lipids. The utility of this approach as a delivery method for production and incorporation of monotopic (peripheral) membrane proteins is discussed. PMID:18226920
Sobrado, Pablo; Goren, Michael A; James, Declan; Amundson, Carissa K; Fox, Brian G
2008-04-01
A specialized vector backbone from the Protein Structure Initiative was used to express full-length human cytochrome b5 as a C-terminal fusion to His8-maltose binding protein in Escherichia coli. The fusion protein could be completely cleaved by tobacco etch virus protease, and a yield of approximately 18 mg of purified full-length human cytochrome b5 per liter of culture medium was obtained (2.3mg per g of wet weight bacterial cells). In situ proteolysis of the fusion protein in the presence of chemically defined synthetic liposomes allowed facile spontaneous delivery of the functional peripheral membrane protein into a defined membrane environment without prior exposure to detergents or other lipids. The utility of this approach as a delivery method for production and incorporation of monotopic (peripheral) membrane proteins is discussed.
Blankenship, Elise; Vukoti, Krishna; Miyagi, Masaru; Lodowski, David T.
2014-01-01
With more than 500 crystal structures determined, serine proteases make up greater than one-third of all proteases structurally examined to date, making them among the best biochemically and structurally characterized enzymes. Despite the numerous crystallographic and biochemical studies of trypsin and related serine proteases, there are still considerable shortcomings in the understanding of their catalytic mechanism. Streptomyces erythraeus trypsin (SET) does not exhibit autolysis and crystallizes readily at physiological pH; hence, it is well suited for structural studies aimed at extending the understanding of the catalytic mechanism of serine proteases. While X-ray crystallographic structures of this enzyme have been reported, no coordinates have ever been made available in the Protein Data Bank. Based on this, and observations on the extreme stability and unique properties of this particular trypsin, it was decided to crystallize it and determine its structure. Here, the first sub-angstrom resolution structure of an unmodified, unliganded trypsin crystallized at physiological pH is reported. Detailed structural analysis reveals the geometry and structural rigidity of the catalytic triad in the unoccupied active site and comparison to related serine proteases provides a context for interpretation of biochemical studies of catalytic mechanism and activity. PMID:24598752
Blankenship, Elise; Vukoti, Krishna; Miyagi, Masaru; Lodowski, David T
2014-03-01
With more than 500 crystal structures determined, serine proteases make up greater than one-third of all proteases structurally examined to date, making them among the best biochemically and structurally characterized enzymes. Despite the numerous crystallographic and biochemical studies of trypsin and related serine proteases, there are still considerable shortcomings in the understanding of their catalytic mechanism. Streptomyces erythraeus trypsin (SET) does not exhibit autolysis and crystallizes readily at physiological pH; hence, it is well suited for structural studies aimed at extending the understanding of the catalytic mechanism of serine proteases. While X-ray crystallographic structures of this enzyme have been reported, no coordinates have ever been made available in the Protein Data Bank. Based on this, and observations on the extreme stability and unique properties of this particular trypsin, it was decided to crystallize it and determine its structure. Here, the first sub-angstrom resolution structure of an unmodified, unliganded trypsin crystallized at physiological pH is reported. Detailed structural analysis reveals the geometry and structural rigidity of the catalytic triad in the unoccupied active site and comparison to related serine proteases provides a context for interpretation of biochemical studies of catalytic mechanism and activity.
Ashford, Paul; Moss, David S; Alex, Alexander; Yeap, Siew K; Povia, Alice; Nobeli, Irene; Williams, Mark A
2012-03-14
Protein structures provide a valuable resource for rational drug design. For a protein with no known ligand, computational tools can predict surface pockets that are of suitable size and shape to accommodate a complementary small-molecule drug. However, pocket prediction against single static structures may miss features of pockets that arise from proteins' dynamic behaviour. In particular, ligand-binding conformations can be observed as transiently populated states of the apo protein, so it is possible to gain insight into ligand-bound forms by considering conformational variation in apo proteins. This variation can be explored by considering sets of related structures: computationally generated conformers, solution NMR ensembles, multiple crystal structures, homologues or homology models. It is non-trivial to compare pockets, either from different programs or across sets of structures. For a single structure, difficulties arise in defining particular pocket's boundaries. For a set of conformationally distinct structures the challenge is how to make reasonable comparisons between them given that a perfect structural alignment is not possible. We have developed a computational method, Provar, that provides a consistent representation of predicted binding pockets across sets of related protein structures. The outputs are probabilities that each atom or residue of the protein borders a predicted pocket. These probabilities can be readily visualised on a protein using existing molecular graphics software. We show how Provar simplifies comparison of the outputs of different pocket prediction algorithms, of pockets across multiple simulated conformations and between homologous structures. We demonstrate the benefits of use of multiple structures for protein-ligand and protein-protein interface analysis on a set of complexes and consider three case studies in detail: i) analysis of a kinase superfamily highlights the conserved occurrence of surface pockets at the active and regulatory sites; ii) a simulated ensemble of unliganded Bcl2 structures reveals extensions of a known ligand-binding pocket not apparent in the apo crystal structure; iii) visualisations of interleukin-2 and its homologues highlight conserved pockets at the known receptor interfaces and regions whose conformation is known to change on inhibitor binding. Through post-processing of the output of a variety of pocket prediction software, Provar provides a flexible approach to the analysis and visualization of the persistence or variability of pockets in sets of related protein structures.
Park, Sun-Ha; Lee, Chang Woo; Cho, Sung Mi; Lee, Hyoungseok; Park, Hyun; Lee, Jungeun; Lee, Jun Hyuck
2018-01-01
Chalcone isomerase (CHI) is an important enzyme for flavonoid biosynthesis that catalyzes the intramolecular cyclization of chalcones into (S)-flavanones. CHIs have been classified into two types based on their substrate specificity. Type I CHIs use naringenin chalcone as a substrate and are found in most of plants besides legumes, whereas type II CHIs in leguminous plants can also utilize isoliquiritigenin. In this study, we found that the CHI from the Antarctic plant Deschampsia antarctica (DaCHI1) is of type I based on sequence homology but can use type II CHI substrates. To clarify the enzymatic mechanism of DaCHI1 at the molecular level, the crystal structures of unliganded DaCHI1 and isoliquiritigenin-bound DaCHI1 were determined at 2.7 and 2.1 Å resolutions, respectively. The structures revealed that isoliquiritigenin binds to the active site of DaCHI1 and induces conformational changes. Additionally, the activity assay showed that while DaCHI1 exhibits substrate preference for naringenin chalcone, it can also utilize isoliquiritigenin although the catalytic activity was relatively low. Based on these results, we propose that DaCHI1 uses various substrates to produce antioxidant flavonoids as an adaptation to oxidative stresses associated with harsh environmental conditions.
Alenghat, Theresa; Yu, Jiujiu; Lazar, Mitchell A
2006-01-01
Unliganded thyroid hormone receptor (TR) actively represses transcription via the nuclear receptor corepressor (N-CoR)/histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) complex. Although transcriptional activation by liganded receptors involves chromatin remodeling, the role of ATP-dependent remodeling in receptor-mediated repression is unknown. Here we report that SNF2H, the mammalian ISWI chromatin remodeling ATPase, is critical for repression of a genomically integrated, TR-regulated reporter gene. N-CoR and HDAC3 are both required for recruitment of SNF2H to the repressed gene. SNF2H does not interact directly with the N-CoR/HDAC3 complex, but binds to unacetylated histone H4 tails, suggesting that deacetylase activity of the corepressor complex is critical to SNF2H function. Indeed, HDAC3 as well as SNF2H are required for nucleosomal organization on the TR target gene. Consistent with these findings, reduction of SNF2H induces expression of an endogenous TR-regulated gene, dio1, in liver cells. Thus, although not apparent from studies of transiently transfected reporter genes, gene repression by TR involves the targeting of chromatin remodeling factors to repressed genes by the HDAC activity of nuclear receptor corepressors. PMID:16917504
Lee, Hyoungseok; Park, Hyun; Lee, Jungeun
2018-01-01
Chalcone isomerase (CHI) is an important enzyme for flavonoid biosynthesis that catalyzes the intramolecular cyclization of chalcones into (S)-flavanones. CHIs have been classified into two types based on their substrate specificity. Type I CHIs use naringenin chalcone as a substrate and are found in most of plants besides legumes, whereas type II CHIs in leguminous plants can also utilize isoliquiritigenin. In this study, we found that the CHI from the Antarctic plant Deschampsia antarctica (DaCHI1) is of type I based on sequence homology but can use type II CHI substrates. To clarify the enzymatic mechanism of DaCHI1 at the molecular level, the crystal structures of unliganded DaCHI1 and isoliquiritigenin-bound DaCHI1 were determined at 2.7 and 2.1 Å resolutions, respectively. The structures revealed that isoliquiritigenin binds to the active site of DaCHI1 and induces conformational changes. Additionally, the activity assay showed that while DaCHI1 exhibits substrate preference for naringenin chalcone, it can also utilize isoliquiritigenin although the catalytic activity was relatively low. Based on these results, we propose that DaCHI1 uses various substrates to produce antioxidant flavonoids as an adaptation to oxidative stresses associated with harsh environmental conditions. PMID:29394293
Fabrication of hierarchical hybrid structures using bio-enabled layer-by-layer self-assembly.
Hnilova, Marketa; Karaca, Banu Taktak; Park, James; Jia, Carol; Wilson, Brandon R; Sarikaya, Mehmet; Tamerler, Candan
2012-05-01
Development of versatile and flexible assembly systems for fabrication of functional hybrid nanomaterials with well-defined hierarchical and spatial organization is of a significant importance in practical nanobiotechnology applications. Here we demonstrate a bio-enabled self-assembly technique for fabrication of multi-layered protein and nanometallic assemblies utilizing a modular gold-binding (AuBP1) fusion tag. To accomplish the bottom-up assembly we first genetically fused the AuBP1 peptide sequence to the C'-terminus of maltose-binding protein (MBP) using two different linkers to produce MBP-AuBP1 hetero-functional constructs. Using various spectroscopic techniques, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), we verified the exceptional binding and self-assembly characteristics of AuBP1 peptide. The AuBP1 peptide tag can direct the organization of recombinant MBP protein on various gold surfaces through an efficient control of the organic-inorganic interface at the molecular level. Furthermore using a combination of soft-lithography, self-assembly techniques and advanced AuBP1 peptide tag technology, we produced spatially and hierarchically controlled protein multi-layered assemblies on gold nanoparticle arrays with high molecular packing density and pattering efficiency in simple, reproducible steps. This model system offers layer-by-layer assembly capability based on specific AuBP1 peptide tag and constitutes novel biological routes for biofabrication of various protein arrays, plasmon-active nanometallic assemblies and devices with controlled organization, packing density and architecture. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Skottrup, Peter Durand; Sørensen, Grete; Ksiazek, Miroslaw; Potempa, Jan; Riise, Erik
2012-01-01
Tannerella forsythia is a gram-negative bacteria, which is strongly associated with the development of periodontal disease. Karilysin is a newly identified metalloprotease-like enzyme, that is secreted from T. forsythia. Karilysin modulates the host immune response and is therefore considered a likely drug target. In this study peptides were selected towards the catalytic domain from Karilysin (Kly18) by phage display. The peptides were linear with low micromolar binding affinities. The two best binders (peptide14 and peptide15), shared the consensus sequence XWFPXXXGGG. A peptide15 fusion with Maltose Binding protein (MBP) was produced with peptide15 fused to the N-terminus of MBP. The peptide15-MBP was expressed in E. coli and the purified fusion-protein was used to verify Kly18 specific binding. Chemically synthesised peptide15 (SWFPLRSGGG) could inhibit the enzymatic activity of both Kly18 and intact Karilysin (Kly48). Furthermore, peptide15 could slow down the autoprocessing of intact Kly48 to Kly18. The WFP motif was important for inhibition and a truncation study further demonstrated that the N-terminal serine was also essential for Kly18 inhibition. The SWFP peptide had a Ki value in the low micromolar range, which was similar to the intact peptide15. In conclusion SWFP is the first reported inhibitor of Karilysin and can be used as a valuable tool in structure-function studies of Karilysin.
A dominant conformational role for amino acid diversity in minimalist protein–protein interfaces
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Gilbreth, Ryan N.; Esaki, Kaori; Koide, Akiko
Recent studies have shown that highly simplified interaction surfaces consisting of combinations of just two amino acids, Tyr and Ser, exhibit high affinity and specificity. The high functional levels of such minimalist interfaces might thus indicate small contributions of greater amino acid diversity seen in natural interfaces. Toward addressing this issue, we have produced a pair of binding proteins built on the fibronectin type III scaffold, termed “monobodies.” One monobody contains the Tyr/Ser binary-code interface (termed YS) and the other contains an expanded amino acid diversity interface (YSX), but both bind to an identical target, maltose-binding protein. The YSX monobodymore » bound with higher affinity, a slower off rate and a more favorable enthalpic contribution than the YS monobody. High-resolution X-ray crystal structures revealed that both proteins bound to an essentially identical epitope, providing a unique opportunity to directly investigate the role of amino acid diversity in a protein interaction interface. Surprisingly, Tyr still dominates the YSX paratope and the additional amino acid types are primarily used to conformationally optimize contacts made by tyrosines. Scanning mutagenesis showed that while all contacting Tyr side chains are essential in the YS monobody, the YSX interface was more tolerant to mutations. These results suggest that the conformational, not chemical, diversity of additional types of amino acids provided higher functionality and evolutionary robustness, supporting the dominant role of Tyr and the importance of conformational diversity in forming protein interaction interfaces.« less
A Dominant Conformational Role for Amino Acid Diversity in Minimalist Protein-Protein Interfaces
Gilbreth, Ryan N.; Esaki, Kaori; Koide, Akiko; Sidhu, Sachdev S.; Koide, Shohei
2008-01-01
Recent studies have shown that highly simplified interaction surfaces consisting of combinations of just two amino acids, Tyr and Ser, exhibit high affinity and specificity. The high functional levels of such minimalist interfaces might thus indicate small contributions of greater amino acid diversity seen in natural interfaces. Toward addressing this issue, we have produced a pair of binding proteins built on the fibronectin type III scaffold, termed “monobodies”. One monobody contains the Tyr/Ser binary-code interface (termed YS) and the other contains an expanded amino acid diversity interface (YSX), but both bind to an identical target, maltose binding protein (MBP). The YSX monobody bound with higher affinity, a slower off rate and a more favorable enthalpic contribution than the YS monobody. High-resolution x-ray crystal structures revealed that both proteins bound to an essentially identical epitope, providing a unique opportunity to directly investigate the role of amino acid diversity in a protein interaction interface. Surprisingly, Tyr still dominates the YSX paratope and the additional amino acid types are primarily used to conformationally optimize contacts made by tyrosines. Scanning mutagenesis showed that while all contacting Tyr side-chains are essential in the YS monobody, the YSX interface was more tolerant to mutations. These results suggest that the conformational, not chemical, diversity of additional types of amino acids provided higher functionality and evolutionary robustness, supporting the dominant role of Tyr and the importance of conformational diversity in forming protein interaction interfaces. PMID:18602117
Wang, Liwen; Qin, Yali; Ilchenko, Serguei; Bohon, Jen; Shi, Wuxian; Cho, Michael W.; Takamoto, Keiji; Chance, Mark R.
2010-01-01
Structural characterization of the HIV envelope protein gp120 is very important to provide an understanding of the protein's immunogenicity and it's binding to cell receptors. So far, crystallographic structure determination of gp120 with an intact V3 loop (in the absence of CD4 co-receptor or antibody) has not been achieved. The third variable region (V3) of the gp120 is immunodominant and contains glycosylation signatures that are essential for co-receptor binding and viral entry to T-cells. In this study, we characterized the structure of the outer domain of gp120 with an intact V3 loop (gp120-OD8) purified from Drosophila S2 cells utilizing mass spectrometry-based approaches. We mapped the glycosylation sites and calculated glycosylation occupancy of gp120-OD8; eleven sites from fifteen glycosylation motifs were determined as having high mannose or hybrid glycosylation structures. The specific glycan moieties of nine glycosylation sites from eight unique glycopeptides were determined by a combination of ECD and CID MS approaches. Hydroxyl radical-mediated protein footprinting coupled with mass spectrometry analysis was employed to provide detailed information on protein structure of gp120-OD8 by directly identifying accessible and hydroxyl radical-reactive side chain residues. Comparison of gp120-OD8 experimental footprinting data with a homology model derived from the ligated CD4/ gp120-OD8 crystal structure revealed a flexible V3 loop structure where the V3 tip may provide contacts with the rest of the protein while residues in the V3 base remain solvent accessible. In addition, the data illustrate interactions between specific sugar moieties and amino acid side chains potentially important to the gp120-OD8 structure. PMID:20825246
Moschetti, Tommaso; Sharpe, Timothy; Fischer, Gerhard; Marsh, May E; Ng, Hong Kin; Morgan, Matthew; Scott, Duncan E; Blundell, Tom L; R Venkitaraman, Ashok; Skidmore, John; Abell, Chris; Hyvönen, Marko
2016-11-20
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are increasingly important targets for drug discovery. Efficient fragment-based drug discovery approaches to tackle PPIs are often stymied by difficulties in the production of stable, unliganded target proteins. Here, we report an approach that exploits protein engineering to "humanise" thermophilic archeal surrogate proteins as targets for small-molecule inhibitor discovery and to exemplify this approach in the development of inhibitors against the PPI between the recombinase RAD51 and tumour suppressor BRCA2. As human RAD51 has proved impossible to produce in a form that is compatible with the requirements of fragment-based drug discovery, we have developed a surrogate protein system using RadA from Pyrococcus furiosus. Using a monomerised RadA as our starting point, we have adopted two parallel and mutually instructive approaches to mimic the human enzyme: firstly by mutating RadA to increase sequence identity with RAD51 in the BRC repeat binding sites, and secondly by generating a chimeric archaeal human protein. Both approaches generate proteins that interact with a fourth BRC repeat with affinity and stoichiometry comparable to human RAD51. Stepwise humanisation has also allowed us to elucidate the determinants of RAD51 binding to BRC repeats and the contributions of key interacting residues to this interaction. These surrogate proteins have enabled the development of biochemical and biophysical assays in our ongoing fragment-based small-molecule inhibitor programme and they have allowed us to determine hundreds of liganded structures in support of our structure-guided design process, demonstrating the feasibility and advantages of using archeal surrogates to overcome difficulties in handling human proteins. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Mitra, Ruchira; Chaudhuri, Surabhi; Dutta, Debjani
2017-01-01
In the present investigation, growth kinetics of Kocuria marina DAGII during batch production of β-Cryptoxanthin (β-CRX) was studied by considering the effect of glucose and maltose as a single and binary substrate. The importance of mixed substrate over single substrate has been emphasised in the present study. Different mathematical models namely, the Logistic model for cell growth, the Logistic mass balance equation for substrate consumption and the Luedeking-Piret model for β-CRX production were successfully implemented. Model-based analyses for the single substrate experiments suggested that the concentrations of glucose and maltose higher than 7.5 and 10.0 g/L, respectively, inhibited the growth and β-CRX production by K. marina DAGII. The Han and Levenspiel model and the Luong product inhibition model accurately described the cell growth in glucose and maltose substrate systems with a R 2 value of 0.9989 and 0.9998, respectively. The effect of glucose and maltose as binary substrate was further investigated. The binary substrate kinetics was well described using the sum-kinetics with interaction parameters model. The results of production kinetics revealed that the presence of binary substrate in the cultivation medium increased the biomass and β-CRX yield significantly. This study is a first time detailed investigation on kinetic behaviours of K. marina DAGII during β-CRX production. The parameters obtained in the study might be helpful for developing strategies for commercial production of β-CRX by K. marina DAGII.
Kaminski, K; Wlodarczyk, P; Paluch, M
2011-10-28
Very recently Kwon et al. [H.-J. Kwon, J.-A. Seo, H. K. Kim, and Y. H. Hwang, J. Chem. Phys. 134, 014508 (2011)] published an article on the study of dielectric relaxation in trehalose and maltose glasses. They carried out broadband dielectric measurements at very wide range of temperatures covering supercooled liquid as well as glassy state of both saccharides. It is worth to mention that authors have also applied a new method for obtaining anhydrous glasses of trehalose and maltose that enables avoiding their caramelization. Four relaxation processes were identified in dielectric spectra of both saccharides. The slower one was identified as structural relaxation process the next one, not observed by the others, was assigned as Johari-Goldstein (JG) β-relaxation, while the last two secondary modes were of the same nature as found by Kaminski et al. [K. Kaminski, E. Kaminska, P. Wlodarczyk, S. Pawlus, D. Kimla, A. Kasprzycka, M. Paluch, J. Ziolo, W. Szeja, and K. L. Ngai, J. Phys. Chem. B 112, 12816 (2008)]. In this comment we show that the authors mistakenly assigned the slowest relaxation process as structural mode of disaccharides. We have proven that this relaxation process is an effect of formation of thin layer of air or water between plate of capacitor and sample. The same effect can be observed if plates of capacitor are oxidized. Thus, we concluded that their slowest mode is connected to the dc conduction process while their β JG process is primary relaxation of trehalose and maltose.
Soldatkin, O O; Peshkova, V M; Saiapina, O Y; Kucherenko, I S; Dudchenko, O Y; Melnyk, V G; Vasylenko, O D; Semenycheva, L M; Soldatkin, A P; Dzyadevych, S V
2013-10-15
The aim of this work was to develop an array of biosensors for simultaneous determination of four carbohydrates in solution. Several enzyme systems selective to lactose, maltose, sucrose and glucose were immobilised on the surface of four conductometric transducers and served as bio-recognition elements of the biosensor array. Direct enzyme analysis carried out by the developed biosensors was highly sensitive to the corresponding substrates. The analysis lasted 2 min. The dynamic range of substrate determination extended from 0.001 mM to 1.0-3.0mM, and strongly depended on the enzyme system used. An effect of the solution pH, ionic strength and buffer capacity on the biosensors responses was investigated; the conditions of simultaneous operation of all biosensors were optimised. The data on cross-impact of the substrates of all biosensors were obtained; the biosensor selectivity towards possible interfering carbohydrates was tested. The developed biosensor array showed good signal reproducibility and storage stability. The biosensor array is suited for simultaneous, quick, simple, and selective determination of maltose, lactose, sucrose and glucose. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Biodegradation of sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) by two different bacterial consortia.
Khleifat, Khaled M
2006-11-01
Two bacterial consortia capable of degrading SLES were isolated from a wastewater treatment plant. The two consortia consisted of three members, Acinetobacter calcoacetiacus and Klebsiella oxytoca in one co-culture (A-K) and Serratia odorifera in the second co-culture (S-A), which contains Acinetobacter calcoacetiacus as well. In all experiments, cells were grown on SLES (1000-7000 ppm) containing the M9 minimal medium as sole carbon source. The co-culture A-K demonstrated a higher growth rate (0.26 h(-1)) and significant greater viability than that of the co-culture S-A (0.21 h(-1)). Glucose, sucrose, maltose, mannitol, and succinic acid as carbon sources produced the same degradation rate (approximately 100 ppm/h) and enhanced the SLES degradation rate by 3-fold upon the control (without an added carbon source). In the case of the co-culture S-A, the situation was different; all the carbon sources being tested except maltose caused a repression in the degradation ability in a range between 25-100%. Maltose causes an enhancement by almost fivefold, compared with the positive control.
Maltotriose fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Zastrow, C R; Hollatz, C; de Araujo, P S; Stambuk, B U
2001-07-01
Maltotriose, the second most abundant sugar of brewer's wort, is not fermented but is respired by several industrial yeast strains. We have isolated a strain capable of growing on a medium containing maltotriose and the respiratory inhibitor, antimycin A. This strain produced equivalent amounts of ethanol from 20 g l(-1) glucose, maltose, or maltotriose. We performed a detailed analysis of the rates of active transport and intracellular hydrolysis of maltotriose by this strain, and by a strain that does not ferment this sugar. The kinetics of sugar hydrolysis by both strains was similar, and our results also indicated that yeast cells do not synthesize a maltotriose-specific alpha-glucosidase. However, when considering active sugar transport, a different pattern was observed. The maltotriose-fermenting strain showed the same rate of active maltose or maltotriose transport, while the strain that could not ferment maltotriose showed a lower rate of maltotriose transport when compared with the rates of active maltose transport. Thus, our results revealed that transport across the plasma membrane, and not intracellular hydrolysis, is the rate-limiting step for the fermentation of maltotriose by these Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells.
Sun, Ye; Mei, Wending; Ouyang, Jia
2015-01-01
Trehalose is a non-reducing disaccharide, which can protect proteins, lipid membranes, and cells from desiccation, refrigeration, dehydration, and other harsh environments. Trehalose can be produced by different pathways and trehalose synthase pathway is a convenient, practical, and low-cost pathway for the industrial production of trehalose. In this study, 3 candidate treS genes were screened from genomic databases of Pseudomonas and expressed in Escherichia coli. One of them from P. stutzeri A1501 exhibited the best transformation ability from maltose into trehalose and the least byproduct. Thus, whole cells of this recombinant E. coli were used as biocatalyst for trehalose production. In order to improve the conversion rate of maltose to trehalose, optimization of the permeabilization and biotransformation were carried out. Under optimal conditions, 92.2 g/l trehalose was produced with a high productivity of 23.1 g/(l h). No increase of glucose was detected during the whole course. The biocatalytic process developed in this study might serve as a candidate for the large scale production of trehalose. PMID:26462117
Xia, Wei; Chen, Wei; Peng, Wei-Fu; Li, Kun-Tai
2015-06-01
The aerobic Pseudomonas denitrificans is widely used for industrial and commercial vitamin B12 fermentation, due to its higher productivity compared to the anaerobic vitamin B12-producing microorganisms. This paper aimed to develop a cost-effective fermentation medium for industrial vitamin B12 production by P. denitrificans in 120,000-l fermenter. It was found that maltose syrup (a low-cost syrup from corn starch by means of enzymatic or acid hydrolysis) and corn steep liquor (CSL, a by-product of starch industry) were greatly applicable to vitamin B12 production by P. denitrificans. Under the optimal fermentation medium performed by response surface methodology, 198.27 ± 4.60 mg/l of vitamin B12 yield was obtained in 120,000-l fermenter, which was close to the fermentation with the refined sucrose (198.80 mg/l) and was obviously higher than that obtained under beet molasses utilization (181.75 mg/l). Therefore, maltose syrups and CSL were the efficient and economical substrates for industrial vitamin B12 fermentation by P. denitrificans.
Struyf, Nore; Laurent, Jitka; Lefevere, Bianca; Verspreet, Joran; Verstrepen, Kevin J; Courtin, Christophe M
2017-03-01
It is generally believed that maltose drives yeast-mediated bread dough fermentation. The relative importance of fructose and glucose, released from wheat fructan and sucrose by invertase, compared to maltose is, however, not documented. This is surprising given the preference of yeast for glucose and fructose over maltose. This study revealed that, after 2h fermentation of wheat flour dough, about 44% of the sugars consumed were generated by invertase-mediated degradation of fructan, raffinose and sucrose. The other 56% were generated by amylases. In whole meal dough, 70% of the sugars consumed were released by invertase activity. Invertase-mediated sugar release seems to be crucial during the first hour of fermentation, while amylase-mediated sugar release was predominant in the later stages of fermentation, which explains why higher amylolytic activity prolonged the productive fermentation time only. These results illustrate the importance of wheat fructan and sucrose content and their degradation for dough fermentations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Effects of cooking methods on starch and sugar composition of sweetpotato storage roots
Wei, Shuying; Lu, Guoquan; Cao, Heping
2017-01-01
Sweetpotato has rich nutrition, good ecological adaptability and high yield. There is a lack of knowledge about the effects of cooking methods on starch and sugar components in elite Chinese cultivars. In this study, sweetpotato storage roots from four cultivars “Xinxiang”, “Jinyu”, “Zimei” and “Yuzishu 263” were treated by baking, boiling and steaming and subsequently analyzed for starch content, amylase activity and sugar contents including glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose. Results indicated that cooking reduced starch content and final amylase activity and increased reducing sugar content especially maltose content, but did not have significant influence on non-reducing sugar content. These effects were different among the four cultivars and three cooking methods. Baking led to the least starch reduction. Storage roots of “Jinyu” contained the highest amount of sugar content and thus sweetest. Sugar composition analysis suggested that cultivars “Xinxiang” and “Jinyu” belong to high-maltose cultivars. This study may provide useful information for evaluating the cooking quality of sweetpotato cultivars. PMID:28827808
HIV Structural Database using Chem BLAST for all classes of AIDS inhibitors
National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway
SRD 155 HIV Structural Database using Chem BLAST for all classes of AIDS inhibitors (Web, free access) The HIV structural database (HIVSDB) is a comprehensive collection of the structures of HIV protease, both of unliganded enzyme and of its inhibitor complexes. It contains abstracts and crystallographic data such as inhibitor and protein coordinates for 248 data sets, of which only 141 are from the Protein Data Bank (PDB).
Progesterone Receptor Scaffolding Function in Breast Cancer
2012-10-01
phosphorylation is dependent on the serine- threonine kinase, ck2. Cumulatively, these data suggest that mutation of PR’s CD domain alters the program...liganded and unliganded PR (43, 62, 79). The serine- threonine protein kinase ck2 (formerly casein kinase II) is ubiquitously expressed with over 300...400, 554, 676 (Zhang et al., 1997; Knotts et al., 2001) and threonine 430 (Knotts et al., 2001). Additionally, while Ser294 is phosphorylated by MAPK
Sarabipour, Sarvenaz; Del Piccolo, Nuala; Hristova, Kalina
2015-08-18
Here we describe an experimental tool, termed quantitative imaging Förster resonance energy transfer (QI-FRET), that enables the quantitative characterization of membrane protein interactions. The QI-FRET methodology allows us to acquire binding curves and calculate association constants for complex membrane proteins in the native plasma membrane environment. The method utilizes FRET detection, and thus requires that the proteins of interest are labeled with florescent proteins, either FRET donors or FRET acceptors. Since plasma membranes of cells have complex topologies precluding the acquisition of two-dimensional binding curves, the FRET measurements are performed in plasma membrane derived vesicles that bud off cells as a result of chemical or osmotic stress. The results overviewed here are acquired in vesicles produced with an osmotic vesiculation buffer developed in our laboratory, which does not utilize harsh chemicals. The concentrations of the donor-labeled and the acceptor-labeled proteins are determined, along with the FRET efficiencies, in each vesicle. The experiments utilize transient transfection, such that a wide variety of concentrations is sampled. Then, data from hundreds of vesicles are combined to yield dimerization curves. Here we discuss recent findings about the dimerization of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), membrane proteins that control cell growth and differentiation via lateral dimerization in the plasma membrane. We focus on the dimerization of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3), a RTK that plays a critically important role in skeletal development. We study the role of different FGFR3 domains in FGFR3 dimerization in the absence of ligand, and we show that FGFR3 extracellular domains inhibit unliganded dimerization, while contacts between the juxtamembrane domains, which connect the transmembrane domains to the kinase domains, stabilize the unliganded FGFR3 dimers. Since FGFR3 has been documented to harbor many pathogenic single amino acid mutations that cause skeletal and cranial dysplasias, as well as cancer, we also study the effects of these mutations on dimerization. First, we show that the A391E mutation, linked to Crouzon syndrome with acanthosis nigricans and to bladder cancer, significantly enhances FGFR3 dimerization in the absence of ligand and thus induces aberrant receptor interactions. Second, we present results about the effect of three cysteine mutations that cause thanatophoric dysplasia, a lethal phenotype. Such cysteine mutations have been hypothesized previously to cause constitutive dimerization, but we find instead that they have a surprisingly modest effect on dimerization. Most of the studied pathogenic mutations also altered FGFR3 dimer structure, suggesting that both increases in dimerization propensities and changes in dimer structure contribute to the pathological phenotypes. The results acquired with the QI-FRET method further our understanding of the interactions between FGFR3 molecules and RTK molecules in general. Since RTK dimerization regulates RTK signaling, our findings advance our knowledge of RTK activity in health and disease. The utility of the QI-FRET method is not restricted to RTKs, and we thus hope that in the future the QI-FRET method will be applied to other classes of membrane proteins, such as channels and G protein-coupled receptors.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Pasek, Marta; Boeggeman, Elizabeth; Ramakrishnan, Boopathy
The expression of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli often leads to inactive aggregated proteins known as the inclusion bodies. To date, the best available tool has been the use of fusion tags, including the carbohydrate-binding protein; e.g., the maltose-binding protein (MBP) that enhances the solubility of recombinant proteins. However, none of these fusion tags work universally with every partner protein. We hypothesized that galectins, which are also carbohydrate-binding proteins, may help as fusion partners in folding the mammalian proteins in E. coli. Here we show for the first time that a small soluble lectin, human galectin-1, one member of amore » large galectin family, can function as a fusion partner to produce soluble folded recombinant human glycosyltransferase, {beta}-1,4-galactosyltransferase-7 ({beta}4Gal-T7), in E. coli. The enzyme {beta}4Gal-T7 transfers galactose to xylose during the synthesis of the tetrasaccharide linker sequence attached to a Ser residue of proteoglycans. Without a fusion partner, {beta}4Gal-T7 is expressed in E. coli as inclusion bodies. We have designed a new vector construct, pLgals1, from pET-23a that includes the sequence for human galectin-1, followed by the Tev protease cleavage site, a 6x His-coding sequence, and a multi-cloning site where a cloned gene is inserted. After lactose affinity column purification of galectin-1-{beta}4Gal-T7 fusion protein, the unique protease cleavage site allows the protein {beta}4Gal-T7 to be cleaved from galectin-1 that binds and elutes from UDP-agarose column. The eluted protein is enzymatically active, and shows CD spectra comparable to the folded {beta}4Gal-T1. The engineered galectin-1 vector could prove to be a valuable tool for expressing other proteins in E. coli.« less
The rhodopsin-transducin complex houses two distinct rhodopsin molecules.
Jastrzebska, Beata; Ringler, Philippe; Palczewski, Krzysztof; Engel, Andreas
2013-05-01
Upon illumination the visual receptor rhodopsin (Rho) transitions to the activated form Rho(∗), which binds the heterotrimeric G protein, transducin (Gt) causing GDP to GTP exchange and Gt dissociation. Using succinylated concanavalin A (sConA) as a probe, we visualized native Rho dimers solubilized in 1mM n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (DDM) and Rho monomers in 5mM DDM. By nucleotide depletion and affinity chromatography together with crosslinking and size exclusion chromatography, we trapped and purified nucleotide-free Rho(∗)·Gt and sConA-Rho(∗)·Gt complexes kept in solution by either DDM or lauryl-maltose-neopentyl-glycol (LMNG). The 3 D envelope calculated from projections of negatively stained Rho(∗)·Gt-LMNG complexes accommodated two Rho molecules, one Gt heterotrimer and a detergent belt. Visualization of triple sConA-Rho(∗)·Gt complexes unequivocally demonstrated a pentameric assembly of the Rho(∗)·Gt complex in which the photoactivated Rho(∗) dimer serves as a platform for binding the Gt heterotrimer. Importantly, individual monomers of the Rho(∗) dimer in the heteropentameric complex exhibited different capabilities for regeneration with either 11-cis or 9-cis-retinal. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Do, Bich Hang; Nguyen, Minh Tan; Song, Jung-A; Park, Sangsu; Yoo, Jiwon; Jang, Jaepyeong; Lee, Sunju; So, Seoungjun; Yoon, Yejin; Kim, Inki; Lee, Kyungjin; Jang, Yeon Jin; Choe, Han
2017-12-28
Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is considered as an antitumor agent owing to its ability to induce apoptosis of cancer cells without imparting toxicity toward most normal cells. TRAIL is produced in poor yield because of its insoluble expression in the cytoplasm of E. coli . In this study, we achieved soluble expression of TRAIL by fusing maltose-binding protein (MBP), b'a' domain of protein disulfide isomerase (PDIb'a'), or protein disulfide isomerase at the N-terminus of TRAIL. The TRAIL was purified using subsequent immobilized metal affinity chromatography and amylose-binding chromatography, with the tag removal using tobacco etch virus protease. Approximately 4.5 mg of pure TRAIL was produced from 125 ml flask culture with a purification yield of 71.6%. The endotoxin level of the final product was 0.4 EU/μg, as measured by the Limulus amebocyte lysate endotoxin assay. The purified TRAIL was validated and shown to cause apoptosis of HeLa cells with an EC₅₀ and Hill coefficient of 0.6 ± 0.03 nM and 2.41 ± 0.15, respectively. The high level of apoptosis in HeLa cells following administration of purified TRAIL indicates the significance and novelty of this method for producing high-grade and high-yield TRAIL.
An approach to crystallizing proteins by metal-mediated synthetic symmetrization
Laganowsky, Arthur; Zhao, Minglei; Soriaga, Angela B; Sawaya, Michael R; Cascio, Duilio; Yeates, Todd O
2011-01-01
Combining the concepts of synthetic symmetrization with the approach of engineering metal-binding sites, we have developed a new crystallization methodology termed metal-mediated synthetic symmetrization. In this method, pairs of histidine or cysteine mutations are introduced on the surface of target proteins, generating crystal lattice contacts or oligomeric assemblies upon coordination with metal. Metal-mediated synthetic symmetrization greatly expands the packing and oligomeric assembly possibilities of target proteins, thereby increasing the chances of growing diffraction-quality crystals. To demonstrate this method, we designed various T4 lysozyme (T4L) and maltose-binding protein (MBP) mutants and cocrystallized them with one of three metal ions: copper (Cu2+), nickel (Ni2+), or zinc (Zn2+). The approach resulted in 16 new crystal structures—eight for T4L and eight for MBP—displaying a variety of oligomeric assemblies and packing modes, representing in total 13 new and distinct crystal forms for these proteins. We discuss the potential utility of the method for crystallizing target proteins of unknown structure by engineering in pairs of histidine or cysteine residues. As an alternate strategy, we propose that the varied crystallization-prone forms of T4L or MBP engineered in this work could be used as crystallization chaperones, by fusing them genetically to target proteins of interest. PMID:21898649
The Role of α-Glucosidase in Germinating Barley Grains1[W][OA
Stanley, Duncan; Rejzek, Martin; Naested, Henrik; Smedley, Mark; Otero, Sofía; Fahy, Brendan; Thorpe, Frazer; Nash, Robert J.; Harwood, Wendy; Svensson, Birte; Denyer, Kay; Field, Robert A.; Smith, Alison M.
2011-01-01
The importance of α-glucosidase in the endosperm starch metabolism of barley (Hordeum vulgare) seedlings is poorly understood. The enzyme converts maltose to glucose (Glc), but in vitro studies indicate that it can also attack starch granules. To discover its role in vivo, we took complementary chemical-genetic and reverse-genetic approaches. We identified iminosugar inhibitors of a recombinant form of an α-glucosidase previously discovered in barley endosperm (ALPHA-GLUCOSIDASE97 [HvAGL97]), and applied four of them to germinating grains. All four decreased the Glc-to-maltose ratio in the endosperm 10 d after imbibition, implying inhibition of maltase activity. Three of the four inhibitors also reduced starch degradation and seedling growth, but the fourth did not affect these parameters. Inhibition of starch degradation was apparently not due to inhibition of amylases. Inhibition of seedling growth was primarily a direct effect of the inhibitors on roots and coleoptiles rather than an indirect effect of the inhibition of endosperm metabolism. It may reflect inhibition of glycoprotein-processing glucosidases in these organs. In transgenic seedlings carrying an RNA interference silencing cassette for HvAgl97, α-glucosidase activity was reduced by up to 50%. There was a large decrease in the Glc-to-maltose ratio in these lines but no effect on starch degradation or seedling growth. Our results suggest that the α-glucosidase HvAGL97 is the major endosperm enzyme catalyzing the conversion of maltose to Glc but is not required for starch degradation. However, the effects of three glucosidase inhibitors on starch degradation in the endosperm indicate the existence of unidentified glucosidase(s) required for this process. PMID:21098673
Arriola, Matthew B; Velmurugan, Natarajan; Zhang, Ying; Plunkett, Mary H; Hondzo, Hanna; Barney, Brett M
2018-02-01
Green algae represent a key segment of the global species capable of photoautotrophic-driven biological carbon fixation. Algae partition fixed-carbon into chemical compounds required for biomass, while diverting excess carbon into internal storage compounds such as starch and lipids or, in certain cases, into targeted extracellular compounds. Two green algae were selected to probe for critical components associated with sugar production and release in a model alga. Chlorella sorokiniana UTEX 1602 - which does not release significant quantities of sugars to the extracellular space - was selected as a control to compare with the maltose-releasing Micractinium conductrix SAG 241.80 - which was originally isolated from an endosymbiotic association with the ciliate Paramecium bursaria. Both strains were subjected to three sequencing approaches to assemble their genomes and annotate their genes. This analysis was further complemented with transcriptional studies during maltose release by M. conductrix SAG 241.80 versus conditions where sugar release is minimal. The annotation revealed that both strains contain homologs for the key components of a putative pathway leading to cytosolic maltose accumulation, while transcriptional studies found few changes in mRNA levels for the genes associated with these established intracellular sugar pathways. A further analysis of potential sugar transporters found multiple homologs for SWEETs and tonoplast sugar transporters. The analysis of transcriptional differences revealed a lesser and more measured global response for M. conductrix SAG 241.80 versus C. sorokiniana UTEX 1602 during conditions resulting in sugar release, providing a catalog of genes that might play a role in extracellular sugar transport. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
De Vuyst, Luc; Schrijvers, Vincent; Paramithiotis, Spiros; Hoste, Bart; Vancanneyt, Marc; Swings, Jean; Kalantzopoulos, George; Tsakalidou, Effie; Messens, Winy
2002-01-01
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from Greek traditional wheat sourdoughs manufactured without the addition of baker's yeast. Application of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of total cell protein, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR, DNA-DNA hybridization, and 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis, in combination with physiological traits such as fructose fermentation and mannitol production, allowed us to classify the isolated bacteria into the species Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus paralimentarius, and Weissella cibaria. This consortium seems to be unique for the Greek traditional wheat sourdoughs studied. Strains of the species W. cibaria have not been isolated from sourdoughs previously. No Lactobacillus pontis or Lactobacillus panis strains were found. An L. brevis-like isolate (ACA-DC 3411 t1) could not be identified properly and might be a new sourdough LAB species. In addition, fermentation capabilities associated with the LAB detected have been studied. During laboratory fermentations, all heterofermentative sourdough LAB strains produced lactic acid, acetic acid, and ethanol. Mannitol was produced from fructose that served as an additional electron acceptor. In addition to glucose, almost all of the LAB isolates fermented maltose, while fructose as the sole carbohydrate source was fermented by all sourdough LAB tested except L. sanfranciscensis. Two of the L. paralimentarius isolates tested did not ferment maltose; all strains were homofermentative. In the presence of both maltose and fructose in the medium, induction of hexokinase activity occurred in all sourdough LAB species mentioned above, explaining why no glucose accumulation was found extracellularly. No maltose phosphorylase activity was found either. These data produced a variable fermentation coefficient and a unique sourdough metabolite composition. PMID:12450829
De Vuyst, Luc; Schrijvers, Vincent; Paramithiotis, Spiros; Hoste, Bart; Vancanneyt, Marc; Swings, Jean; Kalantzopoulos, George; Tsakalidou, Effie; Messens, Winy
2002-12-01
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from Greek traditional wheat sourdoughs manufactured without the addition of baker's yeast. Application of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of total cell protein, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR, DNA-DNA hybridization, and 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis, in combination with physiological traits such as fructose fermentation and mannitol production, allowed us to classify the isolated bacteria into the species Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus paralimentarius, and Weissella cibaria. This consortium seems to be unique for the Greek traditional wheat sourdoughs studied. Strains of the species W. cibaria have not been isolated from sourdoughs previously. No Lactobacillus pontis or Lactobacillus panis strains were found. An L. brevis-like isolate (ACA-DC 3411 t1) could not be identified properly and might be a new sourdough LAB species. In addition, fermentation capabilities associated with the LAB detected have been studied. During laboratory fermentations, all heterofermentative sourdough LAB strains produced lactic acid, acetic acid, and ethanol. Mannitol was produced from fructose that served as an additional electron acceptor. In addition to glucose, almost all of the LAB isolates fermented maltose, while fructose as the sole carbohydrate source was fermented by all sourdough LAB tested except L. sanfranciscensis. Two of the L. paralimentarius isolates tested did not ferment maltose; all strains were homofermentative. In the presence of both maltose and fructose in the medium, induction of hexokinase activity occurred in all sourdough LAB species mentioned above, explaining why no glucose accumulation was found extracellularly. No maltose phosphorylase activity was found either. These data produced a variable fermentation coefficient and a unique sourdough metabolite composition.
Conformational transitions in DNA polymerase I revealed by single-molecule FRET
Santoso, Yusdi; Joyce, Catherine M.; Potapova, Olga; Le Reste, Ludovic; Hohlbein, Johannes; Torella, Joseph P.; Grindley, Nigel D. F.; Kapanidis, Achillefs N.
2010-01-01
The remarkable fidelity of most DNA polymerases depends on a series of early steps in the reaction pathway which allow the selection of the correct nucleotide substrate, while excluding all incorrect ones, before the enzyme is committed to the chemical step of nucleotide incorporation. The conformational transitions that are involved in these early steps are detectable with a variety of fluorescence assays and include the fingers-closing transition that has been characterized in structural studies. Using DNA polymerase I (Klenow fragment) labeled with both donor and acceptor fluorophores, we have employed single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer to study the polymerase conformational transitions that precede nucleotide addition. Our experiments clearly distinguish the open and closed conformations that predominate in Pol-DNA and Pol-DNA-dNTP complexes, respectively. By contrast, the unliganded polymerase shows a broad distribution of FRET values, indicating a high degree of conformational flexibility in the protein in the absence of its substrates; such flexibility was not anticipated on the basis of the available crystallographic structures. Real-time observation of conformational dynamics showed that most of the unliganded polymerase molecules sample the open and closed conformations in the millisecond timescale. Ternary complexes formed in the presence of mismatched dNTPs or complementary ribonucleotides show unique FRET species, which we suggest are relevant to kinetic checkpoints that discriminate against these incorrect substrates. PMID:20080740
Liganded and unliganded activation of estrogen receptor and hormone replacement therapies
Maggi, Adriana
2011-01-01
Over the past two decades, our understanding of estrogen receptor physiology in mammals widened considerably as we acquired a deeper appreciation of the roles of estrogen receptor alpha and beta (ERα and ERβ) in reproduction as well as in bone and metabolic homeostasis, depression, vascular disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. In addition, our insights on ER transcriptional functions in cells increased considerably with the demonstration that ER activity is not strictly dependent on ligand availability. Indeed, unliganded ERs may be transcriptionally active and post-translational modifications play a major role in this context. The finding that several intracellular transduction molecules may regulate ER transcriptional programs indicates that ERs may act as a hub where several molecular pathways converge: this allows to maintain ER transcriptional activity in tune with all cell functions. Likely, the biological relevant role of ER was favored by evolution as a mean of integration between reproductive and metabolic functions. We here review the post-translational modifications modulating ER transcriptional activity in the presence or in the absence of estrogens and underline their potential role for ER tissue-specific activities. In our opinion, a better comprehension of the variety of molecular events that control ER activity in reproductive and non-reproductive organs is the foundation for the design of safer and more efficacious hormone-based therapies, particularly for menopause. PMID:21605666
Gruber, Patrick; Vieths, Stefan; Wangorsch, Andrea; Nerkamp, Jörg; Hofmann, Thomas
2004-06-16
The influence of thermal processing and nonenymatic as well as polyphenoloxidase-catalyzed browning reaction on the allergenicity of the major cherry allergen Pru av 1 was investigated. After thermal treatment of the recombinant protein rPru av 1 in the absence or presence of carbohydrates, SDS-PAGE, enzyme allergosorbent tests, and inhibition assays revealed that thermal treatment of rPru av 1 alone did not show any influence on the IgE-binding activity of the protein at least for 30 min, thus correlating well with the refolding of the allergen in buffer solution as demonstrated by CD spectroscopic experiments. Incubation of the protein with starch and maltose also showed no effect on IgE-binding activity, whereas reaction with glucose and ribose and, even more pronounced, with the carbohydrate breakdown products glyceraldehyde and glyoxal induced a strong decrease of the IgE-binding capacity of rPru av 1. In the second part of the study, the effect of polyphenoloxidase-catalyzed oxidation of polyphenols on food allergen activity was investigated. Incubation of rPru av 1 with epicatechin in the presence of tyrosinase led to a drastic decrease in IgE-binding activity of the protein. Variations of the phenolic compound revealed caffeic acid and epicatechin as the most active inhibitors of the IgE-binding activity of rPru av 1, followed by catechin and gallic acid, and, finally, by quercetin and rutin, showing significantly lower activity. On the basis of these data, reactive intermediates formed during thermal carbohydrate degradation as well as during enzymatic polyphenol oxidation are suggested as the active chemical species responsible for modifying nucleophilic amino acid side chains of proteins, thus inducing an irreversible change in the tertiary structure of the protein and resulting in a loss of conformational epitopes of the allergen.
Obacunone Represses Salmonella Pathogenicity Islands 1 and 2 in an envZ-Dependent Fashion
Vikram, Amit; Jayaprakasha, Guddadarangavvanahally K.; Jesudhasan, Palmy R.
2012-01-01
Obacunone belongs to a class of unique triterpenoids called limonoids, present in Citrus species. Previous studies from our laboratory suggested that obacunone possesses antivirulence activity and demonstrates inhibition of cell-cell signaling in Vibrio harveyi and Escherichia coli O157:H7. The present work sought to determine the effect of obacunone on the food-borne pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 by using a cDNA microarray. Transcriptomic studies indicated that obacunone represses Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI1), the maltose transporter, and the hydrogenase operon. Furthermore, phenotypic data for the Caco-2 infection assay and maltose utilization were in agreement with microarray data suggesting repression of SPI1 and maltose transport. Further studies demonstrated that repression of SPI1 was plausibly mediated through hilA. Additionally, obacunone seems to repress SPI2 under SPI2-inducing conditions as well as in Caco-2 infection models. Furthermore, obacunone seems to repress hilA in an EnvZ-dependent fashion. Altogether, the results of the study seems to suggest that obacunone exerts an antivirulence effect on S. Typhimurium and may serve as a lead compound for development of antivirulence strategies for S. Typhimurium. PMID:22843534
Obacunone represses Salmonella pathogenicity islands 1 and 2 in an envZ-dependent fashion.
Vikram, Amit; Jayaprakasha, Guddadarangavvanahally K; Jesudhasan, Palmy R; Pillai, Suresh D; Patil, Bhimanagouda S
2012-10-01
Obacunone belongs to a class of unique triterpenoids called limonoids, present in Citrus species. Previous studies from our laboratory suggested that obacunone possesses antivirulence activity and demonstrates inhibition of cell-cell signaling in Vibrio harveyi and Escherichia coli O157:H7. The present work sought to determine the effect of obacunone on the food-borne pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 by using a cDNA microarray. Transcriptomic studies indicated that obacunone represses Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI1), the maltose transporter, and the hydrogenase operon. Furthermore, phenotypic data for the Caco-2 infection assay and maltose utilization were in agreement with microarray data suggesting repression of SPI1 and maltose transport. Further studies demonstrated that repression of SPI1 was plausibly mediated through hilA. Additionally, obacunone seems to repress SPI2 under SPI2-inducing conditions as well as in Caco-2 infection models. Furthermore, obacunone seems to repress hilA in an EnvZ-dependent fashion. Altogether, the results of the study seems to suggest that obacunone exerts an antivirulence effect on S. Typhimurium and may serve as a lead compound for development of antivirulence strategies for S. Typhimurium.
The synergistic effect of maltose enhances the anti-melanogenic activity of acarbose.
Bin, Bum-Ho; Kim, Sung Tae; Bhin, Jinhyuk; Byoun, Kyounghee; Lee, Tae Ryong; Cho, Eun-Gyung
2017-04-01
Melanocytes play an important role in maintaining epidermal homeostasis by producing melanin and protecting the skin from harmful environmental factors. However, excessive up- or down-regulation of melanin production often causes hyper- or hypo-pigmented disorders, respectively, which affect the patient's quality of life. Therefore, various strategies for modulating melanin levels have been developed by the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. We reported previously that voglibose, which is a well-known anti-hyperglycemic agent, could be used as an anti-melanogenic agent by inhibiting α-glucosidase activity and reducing tyrosinase protein levels. Of the other representative anti-hyperglycemic agents, acarbose showed less anti-melanogenic activity despite its potent anti-hyperglycemic efficacy. In this study, we report that acarbose exhibited considerable anti-melanogenic activity when melanocytes were co-treated with acarbose and a digestible sugar, such as maltose. Simultaneous treatment with maltose augmented the inhibitory effect of acarbose on α-glucosidase activity by enhancing its stability under physiological conditions, leading to the down-regulation of tyrosinase. These results suggest that the co-treatment of anti-hyperglycemic agents with hydrolysable sugars may be a useful tool for reducing glucosidase-associated melanogenesis as a potent sugar-based anti-melanogenic regimen.
Identification of endogenous inducers of the mal regulon in Escherichia coli.
Ehrmann, M; Boos, W
1987-01-01
The expression of the maltose regulon in Escherichia coli is induced when maltose or maltodextrins are present in the growth medium. Mutations in malK, which codes for a component of the transport system, result in the elevated expression of the remaining mal genes. Uninduced expression in the wild type, as well as elevated expression in malK mutants, is strongly repressed at high osmolarity. In the absence of malQ-encoded amylomaltase, expression remains high at high osmolarity. We found that uninduced expression in the wild type and elevated expression in malK mutants were paralleled by the appearance of two types of endogenous carbohydrates. One, produced primarily at high osmolarity, was identified as comprising maltodextrins that are derived from glycogen or glycogen-synthesizing enzymes. The other, produced primarily at low osmolarity, consisted of an oligosaccharide that was not derived from glycogen. We isolated a mutant that no longer synthesized this oligosaccharide. The gene carrying this mutation, termed malI, was mapped at min 36 on the E. coli linkage map. A Tn10 insertion in malI also resulted in the loss of constitutivity at low osmolarity and delayed the induction of the maltose regulon by exogenous inducers. Images PMID:3038842
Synthesis of [18F]-labelled Maltose Derivatives as PET Tracers for Imaging Bacterial Infection
Namavari, Mohammad; Gowrishankar, Gayatri; Hoehne, Aileen; Jouannot, Erwan; Gambhir, Sanjiv S
2015-01-01
Purpose To develop novel positron emission tomography (PET) agents for visualization and therapy monitoring of bacterial infections. Procedures It is known that maltose and maltodextrins are energy sources for bacteria. Hence, 18F-labelled maltose derivatives could be a valuable tool for imaging bacterial infections. We have developed methods to synthesize 4-O-(α-D-glucopyranosyl)-6-deoxy-6-[18F]fluoro-D-glucopyranoside (6-[18F]fluoromaltose) and 4-O-(α-D-glucopyranosyl)-1-deoxy-1-[18F]fluoro-D-glucopyranoside (1-[18F]fluoromaltose) as bacterial infection PET imaging agents. 6-[18F]fluoromaltose was prepared from precursor 1,2,3-tri-O-acetyl-4-O-(2′,3′,-di-O-acetyl-4′,6′-benzylidene-α-D-glucopyranosyl)-6-deoxy-6-nosyl-D-glucopranoside (5). The synthesis involved the radio-fluorination of 5 followed by acidic and basic hydrolysis to give 6-[18F]fluoromaltose. In an analogous procedure, 1-[18F]fluoromaltose was synthesized from 2,3, 6-tri-O-acetyl-4-O-(2′,3′,4′,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl)-1-deoxy-1-O-triflyl-D-glucopranoside (9). Stability of 6-[18F]fluoromaltose in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and human and mouse serum at 37 °C was determined. Escherichia coli uptake of 6-[18F]fluoromaltose was examined. Results A reliable synthesis of 1- and 6-[18F]fluoromaltose has been accomplished with 4–6 and 5–8 % radiochemical yields, respectively (decay-corrected with 95 % radiochemical purity). 6-[18F]fluoromaltose was sufficiently stable over the time span needed for PET studies (~96 % intact compound after 1-h and ~65 % after 2-h incubation in serum). Bacterial uptake experiments indicated that E. coli transports 6-[18F]fluoromaltose. Competition assays showed that the uptake of 6-[18F]fluoromaltose was completely blocked by co-incubation with 1 mM of the natural substrate maltose. Conclusion We have successfully synthesized 1- and 6-[18F]fluoromaltose via direct fluorination of appropriate protected maltose precursors. Bacterial uptake experiments in E. coli and stability studies suggest a possible application of 6-[18F]fluoromaltose as a new PET imaging agent for visualization and monitoring of bacterial infections. PMID:25277604
Layton, Curtis J; Hellinga, Homme W
2011-01-01
Assays that integrate detection of binding with cell-free protein expression directly from DNA can dramatically increase the pace at which protein–protein interactions (PPIs) can be analyzed by mutagenesis. In this study, we present a method that combines in vitro protein production with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure PPIs. This method uses readily available commodity instrumentation and generic antibody–affinity tag interactions. It is straightforward and rapid to execute, enabling many interactions to be assessed in parallel. In traditional ELISAs, reporter complexes are assembled stepwise with one layer at a time. In the method presented here, all the members of the reporter complex are present and assembled together. The signal strength is dependent on all the intercomponent interaction affinities and concentrations. Although this assay is straightforward to execute, establishing proper conditions and analysis of the results require a thorough understanding of the processes that determine the signal strength. The formation of the fully assembled reporter sandwich can be modeled as a competition between Langmuir adsorption isotherms for the immobilized components and binding equilibria of the solution components. We have shown that modeling this process provides semiquantitative understanding of the effects of affinity and concentration and can guide strategies for the development of experimental protocols. We tested the method experimentally using the interaction between a synthetic ankyrin repeat protein (Off7) and maltose-binding protein. Measurements obtained for a collection of alanine mutations in the interface between these two proteins demonstrate that a range of affinities can be analyzed. PMID:21674663
Tandem SUMO fusion vectors for improving soluble protein expression and purification.
Guerrero, Fernando; Ciragan, Annika; Iwaï, Hideo
2015-12-01
Availability of highly purified proteins in quantity is crucial for detailed biochemical and structural investigations. Fusion tags are versatile tools to facilitate efficient protein purification and to improve soluble overexpression of proteins. Various purification and fusion tags have been widely used for overexpression in Escherichia coli. However, these tags might interfere with biological functions and/or structural investigations of the protein of interest. Therefore, an additional purification step to remove fusion tags by proteolytic digestion might be required. Here, we describe a set of new vectors in which yeast SUMO (SMT3) was used as the highly specific recognition sequence of ubiquitin-like protease 1, together with other commonly used solubility enhancing proteins, such as glutathione S-transferase, maltose binding protein, thioredoxin and trigger factor for optimizing soluble expression of protein of interest. This tandem SUMO (T-SUMO) fusion system was tested for soluble expression of the C-terminal domain of TonB from different organisms and for the antiviral protein scytovirin. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Comprehensive proteomic analysis of the human spliceosome
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zhou, Zhaolan; Licklider, Lawrence J.; Gygi, Steven P.; Reed, Robin
2002-09-01
The precise excision of introns from pre-messenger RNA is performed by the spliceosome, a macromolecular machine containing five small nuclear RNAs and numerous proteins. Much has been learned about the protein components of the spliceosome from analysis of individual purified small nuclear ribonucleoproteins and salt-stable spliceosome `core' particles. However, the complete set of proteins that constitutes intact functional spliceosomes has yet to be identified. Here we use maltose-binding protein affinity chromatography to isolate spliceosomes in highly purified and functional form. Using nanoscale microcapillary liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, we identify ~145 distinct spliceosomal proteins, making the spliceosome the most complex cellular machine so far characterized. Our spliceosomes comprise all previously known splicing factors and 58 newly identified components. The spliceosome contains at least 30 proteins with known or putative roles in gene expression steps other than splicing. This complexity may be required not only for splicing multi-intronic metazoan pre-messenger RNAs, but also for mediating the extensive coupling between splicing and other steps in gene expression.
Sweet Polymers: Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) Glycopolymers by Reductive Amination.
Mees, Maarten A; Effenberg, Christiane; Appelhans, Dietmar; Hoogenboom, Richard
2016-12-12
Carbohydrates are important in signaling, energy storage, and metabolism. Depending on their function, carbohydrates can be part of larger structures, such as glycoproteins, glycolipids, or other functionalities (glycoside). To this end, polymers can act as carriers of carbohydrates in so-called glycopolymers, which mimic the multivalent carbohydrate functionalities. We chose a biocompatible poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEtOx) as the basis for making glycopolymers. Via the partial hydrolysis of PEtOx, a copolymer of PEtOx and polyethylenimine (PEI) was obtained; the subsequent reductive amination with the linear forms of glucose and maltose yielded the glycopolymers. The ratios of PEtOx and carbohydrates were varied systematically, and the solution behaviors of the resulting glycoconjugates are discussed. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) revealed that, depending on the carbohydrate ratio, the glycopolymers were either fully water-soluble or formed agglomerates in a temperature-dependent manner. Finally, these polymers were tested for their biological availability by studying their lectin binding ability with Concanavalin A.
GraDeR: Membrane Protein Complex Preparation for Single-Particle Cryo-EM.
Hauer, Florian; Gerle, Christoph; Fischer, Niels; Oshima, Atsunori; Shinzawa-Itoh, Kyoko; Shimada, Satoru; Yokoyama, Ken; Fujiyoshi, Yoshinori; Stark, Holger
2015-09-01
We developed a method, named GraDeR, which substantially improves the preparation of membrane protein complexes for structure determination by single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). In GraDeR, glycerol gradient centrifugation is used for the mild removal of free detergent monomers and micelles from lauryl maltose-neopentyl glycol detergent stabilized membrane complexes, resulting in monodisperse and stable complexes to which standard processes for water-soluble complexes can be applied. We demonstrate the applicability of the method on three different membrane complexes, including the mammalian FoF1 ATP synthase. For this highly dynamic and fragile rotary motor, we show that GraDeR allows visualizing the asymmetry of the F1 domain, which matches the ground state structure of the isolated domain. Therefore, the present cryo-EM structure of FoF1 ATP synthase provides direct structural evidence for Boyer's binding change mechanism in the context of the intact enzyme. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Kikuta, Yukio; Yamada, Gen; Mitsumori, Tomonori; Takeuchi, Takayuki; Nakayama, Koji; Katsuda, Yoshio; Hatanaka, Akikazu; Matsuda, Kazuhiko
2013-01-01
We have recently discovered that a GDSL lipase/esterase (TcGLIP) in Tanacetum cinerariifolium catalyzed acyltransferase activity to form an ester bond in the natural insecticide, pyrethrin. TcGLIP contained Ser40 in Block I, Gly64 in Block II, Asn168 in Block III and Asp318 and His321 in Block V, suggesting underlying hydrolase activity, although little is known about their role in acyltransferase activity. We expressed TcGLIP here in Esherichia coli as a fusion with maltose-binding protein (MBP), part of the fusion being cleaved with a protease to obtain MBP-free TcGLIP. A kinetic analysis revealed that the MBP moiety scarcely influenced the kinetic parameters. The effects on acyltransferase activity of mutations of Gly64, Asn168, Asp318 and His321 were investigated by using MBP-fused TcGLIP. Mutations of these amino acids markedly reduced the acyltransferase activity, suggesting their critical role in the production of pyrethrins.
Jeon, Won Bae
2015-01-01
Experimental bioinformatics data obtained from an E. coli cell-based eukaryotic protein purification experiment were analyzed in order to identify any bottleneck as well as the factors affecting the target purification. All targets were expressed as His-tagged maltose-binding protein (MBP) fusion constructs and were initially purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC). The targets were subsequently separated from the His-tagged MBP through TEV protease cleavage followed by a second IMAC isolation. Of the 743 total purification trials, 342 yielded more than 3 mg of target proteins for structural studies. The major reason for failure of target purification was poor TEV proteolysis. The overall success rate for target purification decreased linearly as cysteine content or isoelectric point (pI) of the target increased. This pattern of pI versus overall success rate strongly suggests that pI should be incorporated into target scoring criteria with a threshold value. PMID:20510014
Kinetics and inhibition of cyclomaltodextrinase from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. I-5.
Kim, M J; Park, W S; Lee, H S; Kim, T J; Shin, J H; Yoo, S H; Cheong, T K; Ryu, S; Kim, J C; Kim, J W; Moon, T W; Robyt, J F; Park, K H
2000-01-01
The cyclomaltodextrinase from alkalophilic Bacillus sp. I-5 (CDase I-5) was expressed in Escherichia coli and the purified enzyme was used for characterization of the enzyme action. The hydrolysis products were monitored by both HPLC and high-performance ion chromatography analysis that enable the kinetic analysis of the cyclomaltodextrin (CD)-degrading reaction. Analysis of the kinetics of cyclomaltodextrin hydrolysis by CDase I-5 indicated that ring-opening of the cyclomaltodextrin was the major limiting step and that CDase I-5 preferentially degraded the linear maltodextrin chain by removing the maltose unit. The substrate binding affinity of the enzyme was almost same for those of cyclomaltodextrins while the rate of ring-opening was the fastest for cyclomaltoheptaose. Acarbose and methyl 6-amino-6-deoxy-alpha-d-glucopyranoside were relatively strong competitive inhibitors with K(i) values of 1.24 x 10(-3) and 8.44 x 10(-1) mM, respectively. Both inhibitors are likely to inhibit the ring-opening step of the CD degradation reaction. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.
Moon, Andrea F; Mueller, Geoffrey A; Zhong, Xuejun; Pedersen, Lars C
2010-01-01
Protein crystallographers are often confronted with recalcitrant proteins not readily crystallizable, or which crystallize in problematic forms. A variety of techniques have been used to surmount such obstacles: crystallization using carrier proteins or antibody complexes, chemical modification, surface entropy reduction, proteolytic digestion, and additive screening. Here we present a synergistic approach for successful crystallization of proteins that do not form diffraction quality crystals using conventional methods. This approach combines favorable aspects of carrier-driven crystallization with surface entropy reduction. We have generated a series of maltose binding protein (MBP) fusion constructs containing different surface mutations designed to reduce surface entropy and encourage crystal lattice formation. The MBP advantageously increases protein expression and solubility, and provides a streamlined purification protocol. Using this technique, we have successfully solved the structures of three unrelated proteins that were previously unattainable. This crystallization technique represents a valuable rescue strategy for protein structure solution when conventional methods fail. PMID:20196072
Plasmids encoding therapeutic agents
Keener, William K [Idaho Falls, ID
2007-08-07
Plasmids encoding anti-HIV and anti-anthrax therapeutic agents are disclosed. Plasmid pWKK-500 encodes a fusion protein containing DP178 as a targeting moiety, the ricin A chain, an HIV protease cleavable linker, and a truncated ricin B chain. N-terminal extensions of the fusion protein include the maltose binding protein and a Factor Xa protease site. C-terminal extensions include a hydrophobic linker, an L domain motif peptide, a KDEL ER retention signal, another Factor Xa protease site, an out-of-frame buforin II coding sequence, the lacZ.alpha. peptide, and a polyhistidine tag. More than twenty derivatives of plasmid pWKK-500 are described. Plasmids pWKK-700 and pWKK-800 are similar to pWKK-500 wherein the DP178-encoding sequence is substituted by RANTES- and SDF-1-encoding sequences, respectively. Plasmid pWKK-900 is similar to pWKK-500 wherein the HIV protease cleavable linker is substituted by a lethal factor (LF) peptide-cleavable linker.
A fast parallel clustering algorithm for molecular simulation trajectories.
Zhao, Yutong; Sheong, Fu Kit; Sun, Jian; Sander, Pedro; Huang, Xuhui
2013-01-15
We implemented a GPU-powered parallel k-centers algorithm to perform clustering on the conformations of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The algorithm is up to two orders of magnitude faster than the CPU implementation. We tested our algorithm on four protein MD simulation datasets ranging from the small Alanine Dipeptide to a 370-residue Maltose Binding Protein (MBP). It is capable of grouping 250,000 conformations of the MBP into 4000 clusters within 40 seconds. To achieve this, we effectively parallelized the code on the GPU and utilize the triangle inequality of metric spaces. Furthermore, the algorithm's running time is linear with respect to the number of cluster centers. In addition, we found the triangle inequality to be less effective in higher dimensions and provide a mathematical rationale. Finally, using Alanine Dipeptide as an example, we show a strong correlation between cluster populations resulting from the k-centers algorithm and the underlying density. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Lazennec, G; Kern, L; Valotaire, Y; Salbert, G
1997-01-01
The rainbow trout estrogen receptor (rtER) is a positively autoregulated gene in liver cells. In a previous report, we showed that upregulation is mediated by an estrogen response element (ERE) located in the proximal promoter of the gene and that a half binding site for nuclear receptors (5'-TGACCT-3') located 15 bp upstream of the ERE is involved in the magnitude of the estrogen response. We now report that the human orphan receptor COUP-TF and a COUP-TF-like protein from trout liver are able to bind to the consensus half-site. When cotransfected with the rtER gene proximal promoter, COUP-TF had no regulatory functions on its own. Interestingly, COUP-TF enhanced rtER transactivation properties in the presence of estradiol in a dose-dependent manner when cotransfected with the rtER gene promoter. Unliganded retinoid receptor heterodimers had the same helper function as COUP-TF in the presence of estradiol but were switched to repressors when the ligand all-trans-retinoic acid was added. Mutation of the consensus half-site only slightly reduced COUP-TF helper function, suggesting that it actually results from a complex mechanism that probably involves both DNA binding of COUP-TF to the promoter and protein-protein interaction with another transcription factor bound to the promoter. Nevertheless, a DNA-binding-defective mutant of COUP-TF was also defective in ER helper function. Competition footprinting analysis suggested that COUP-TF actually establishes contacts with the consensus upstream half-site and the downstream ERE half-site that would form a DR-24-like response element. Interaction of COUP-TF with the DR-24 element was confirmed in footprinting assays by using nuclear extracts from Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing COUP-TF. Finally, interaction of COUP-TF with mutants of the rtER gene promoter showed that COUP-TF recognizes the ERE when the upstream half-site is mutated. These data show that COUP-TF may activate transcription through interaction with other nuclear receptors. This cross-talk between liganded nuclear receptors and orphan receptors is likely to modulate the spectrum of action of a particular ligand-receptor complex and may participate in the cell-type specificity of the ligand effect. PMID:9271383
Lu, Xuequan; Zhou, Rong; Sharma, Indrajeet; Li, Xiaokai; Kumar, Gyanendra; Swaminathan, Subramanyam
2012-01-01
MenE, the o-succinylbenzoate (OSB)-CoA synthetase from bacterial menaquinone biosynthesis, is a promising new antibacterial target. Sulfonyladenosine analogues of the cognate reaction intermediate, OSB-AMP, have been developed as inhibitors of the MenE enzymes from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (mtMenE), Staphylococcus aureus (saMenE) and Escherichia coli (ecMenE). Both a free carboxylate and ketone moiety on the OSB side chain are required for potent inhibitory activity. OSB-AMS (4) is a competitive inhibitor of mtMenE with respect to ATP (Ki = 5.4 ± 0.1 nM) and a non-competitive inhibitor with respect to OSB (Ki = 11.2 ± 0.9 nM). These data are consistent with a bi uni uni bi ping-pong kinetic mechanism for these enzymes. In addition, OSB-AMS inhibits saMenE with Kiapp of 22 ± 8 nM and ecMenE with KiOSB=128±5nM. Putative active site residues, Arg-222, which may interact with the OSB aromatic carboxylate, and Ser-302, which may bind the OSB ketone oxygen, have been identified through computational docking of OSB-AMP with the unliganded crystal structure of saMenE. A pH-dependent interconversion of the free keto acid and lactol forms of the inhibitors is also described, along with implications for inhibitor design. PMID:22109989
Harris, Golda G.; Lombardi, Patrick M.; Pemberton, Travis A.; Matsui, Tsutomu; Weiss, Thomas M.; Cole, Kathryn E.; Köksal, Mustafa; Murphy, Frank V.; Vedula, L. Sangeetha; Chou, Wayne K.W.; Cane, David E.; Christianson, David W.
2015-01-01
Geosmin synthase from Streptomyces coelicolor (ScGS) catalyzes an unusual, metal-dependent terpenoid cyclization and fragmentation reaction sequence. Two distinct active sites are required for catalysis: the N-terminal domain catalyzes the ionization and cyclization of farnesyl diphosphate to form germacradienol and inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi), and the C-terminal domain catalyzes the protonation, cyclization, and fragmentation of germacradienol to form geosmin and acetone through a retro-Prins reaction. A unique αα domain architecture is predicted for ScGS based on amino acid sequence: each domain contains the metal-binding motifs typical of a class I terpenoid cyclase, and each domain requires Mg2+ for catalysis. Here, we report the X-ray crystal structure of the unliganded N-terminal domain of ScGS and the structure of its complex with 3 Mg2+ ions and alendronate. These structures highlight conformational changes required for active site closure and catalysis. Although neither full-length ScGS nor constructs of the C-terminal domain could be crystallized, homology models of the C-terminal domain were constructed based on ~36% sequence identity with the N-terminal domain. Small-angle X-ray scattering experiments yield low resolution molecular envelopes into which the N-terminal domain crystal structure and the C-terminal domain homology model were fit, suggesting possible αα domain architectures as frameworks for bifunctional catalysis. PMID:26598179
Ramesh, Pandian; Sundaresan, S S; Sathya Moorthy, Pon; Balasubramanian, M; Ponnuswamy, M N
2013-11-01
Haemoglobin (Hb) is a tetrameric iron-containing protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to tissues and carbon dioxide from tissues back to the lungs. Pisces are the advanced aquatic vertebrates capable of surviving at wide depth ranges. The shortfin mako shark (SMS) is the pelagic, largest, fastest and most sophisticated species of the shark kingdom with well developed eyes. Mostly the pisces species are cold blooded in nature. Distinctly, the SMSs are warm-blooded animals with an advanced circulatory system. SMSs are capable of maintaining elevated muscle temperatures up to 33 K above the ambient water temperatures at a depth of 150-500 m. SMSs have a diverged air-breathing mechanism compared with other vertebrates. The haemoglobin molecule consists of four polypeptide chains, namely two α chains, each with 140 amino acids and two β chains each having 136 amino acids. The SMS Hb was found to crystallize in monoclinic space group P21 using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method at room temperature. The crystal packing parameters for the SMS Hb structure contain one whole biological molecule in the asymmetric unit with a solvent content of 47%. The SMS Hb quaternary structural features interface-interface interactions and heme binding sites are discussed with different state Hbs and the results reveal that SMS Hb adopts an unliganded deoxy T state conformation.
Androgen receptor antagonism drives cytochrome P450 17A1 inhibitor efficacy in prostate cancer
Norris, John D.; Ellison, Stephanie J.; Baker, Jennifer G.; Stagg, David B.; Wardell, Suzanne E.; Park, Sunghee; Alley, Holly M.; Baldi, Robert M.; Yllanes, Alexander; Andreano, Kaitlyn J.; Stice, James P.; Lawrence, Scott A.; Eisner, Joel R.; Price, Douglas K.; Moore, William R.; Figg, William D.; McDonnell, Donald P.
2017-01-01
The clinical utility of inhibiting cytochrome P450 17A1 (CYP17), a cytochrome p450 enzyme that is required for the production of androgens, has been exemplified by the approval of abiraterone for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Recently, however, it has been reported that CYP17 inhibitors can interact directly with the androgen receptor (AR). A phase I study recently reported that seviteronel, a CYP17 lyase–selective inhibitor, ædemonstrated a sustained reduction in prostate-specific antigen in a patient with CRPC, and another study showed seviteronel’s direct effects on AR function. This suggested that seviteronel may have therapeutically relevant activities in addition to its ability to inhibit androgen production. Here, we have demonstrated that CYP17 inhibitors, with the exception of orteronel, can function as competitive AR antagonists. Conformational profiling revealed that the CYP17 inhibitor–bound AR adopted a conformation that resembled the unliganded AR (apo-AR), precluding nuclear localization and DNA binding. Further, we observed that seviteronel and abiraterone inhibited the growth of tumor xenografts expressing the clinically relevant mutation AR-F876L and that this activity could be attributed entirely to competitive AR antagonism. The results of this study suggest that the ability of CYP17 inhibitors to directly antagonize the AR may contribute to their clinical efficacy in CRPC. PMID:28463227
Pan, Haiyun; Zhou, Rui; Louie, Gordon V.; Mühlemann, Joëlle K.; Bomati, Erin K.; Bowman, Marianne E.; Dudareva, Natalia; Dixon, Richard A.; Noel, Joseph P.; Wang, Xiaoqiang
2014-01-01
The enzymes cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR) and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) catalyze the two key reduction reactions in the conversion of cinnamic acid derivatives into monolignol building blocks for lignin polymers in plant cell walls. Here, we describe detailed functional and structural analyses of CCRs from Medicago truncatula and Petunia hybrida and of an atypical CAD (CAD2) from M. truncatula. These enzymes are closely related members of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily. Our structural studies support a reaction mechanism involving a canonical SDR catalytic triad in both CCR and CAD2 and an important role for an auxiliary cysteine unique to CCR. Site-directed mutants of CAD2 (Phe226Ala and Tyr136Phe) that enlarge the phenolic binding site result in a 4- to 10-fold increase in activity with sinapaldehyde, which in comparison to the smaller coumaraldehyde and coniferaldehyde substrates is disfavored by wild-type CAD2. This finding demonstrates the potential exploitation of rationally engineered forms of CCR and CAD2 for the targeted modification of monolignol composition in transgenic plants. Thermal denaturation measurements and structural comparisons of various liganded and unliganded forms of CCR and CAD2 highlight substantial conformational flexibility of these SDR enzymes, which plays an important role in the establishment of catalytically productive complexes of the enzymes with their NADPH and phenolic substrates. PMID:25217505
Activation Energies of Fragmentations of Disaccharides by Tandem Mass Spectrometry
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kuki, Ákos; Nagy, Lajos; Szabó, Katalin E.; Antal, Borbála; Zsuga, Miklós; Kéki, Sándor
2014-03-01
A simple multiple collision model for collision induced dissociation (CID) in quadrupole was applied for the estimation of the activation energy (Eo) of the fragmentation processes for lithiated and trifluoroacetated disaccharides, such as maltose, cellobiose, isomaltose, gentiobiose, and trehalose. The internal energy-dependent rate constants k(Eint) were calculated using the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus (RRKM) or the Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel (RRK) theory. The Eo values were estimated by fitting the calculated survival yield (SY) curves to the experimental ones. The calculated Eo values of the fragmentation processes for lithiated disaccharides were in the range of 1.4-1.7 eV, and were found to increase in the order trehalose < maltose < isomaltose < cellobiose < gentiobiose.
Leaf starch degradation comes out of the shadows.
Lloyd, James R; Kossmann, Jens; Ritte, Gerhard
2005-03-01
During the day, plants accumulate starch in their leaves as an energy source for the coming night. Based on recent findings, the prevailing view of how the transitory starch is remobilized needs considerable revision. Analyses of transgenic and mutant plants demonstrate that plastidic glucan phosphorylase is not required for normal starch breakdown and cast doubt on the presumed essential role of alpha-amylase but do show that beta-amylase is important. Repression of the activity of a plastidic beta-amylase, the export of its product (maltose) or further metabolism of maltose by a newly identified transglucosidase impairs starch degradation. Breakdown of particulate starch also depends on the activity of glucan-water dikinase, which phosphorylates glucosyl residues within the polymer.
Qin, Ling; Hiser, Carrie; Mulichak, Anne; Garavito, R. Michael; Ferguson-Miller, Shelagh
2006-01-01
Well ordered reproducible crystals of cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) from Rhodobacter sphaeroides yield a previously unreported structure at 2.0 Å resolution that contains the two catalytic subunits and a number of alkyl chains of lipids and detergents. Comparison with crystal structures of other bacterial and mammalian CcOs reveals that the positions occupied by native membrane lipids and detergent substitutes are highly conserved, along with amino acid residues in their vicinity, suggesting a more prevalent and specific role of lipid in membrane protein structure than often envisioned. Well defined detergent head groups (maltose) are found associated with aromatic residues in a manner similar to phospholipid head groups, likely contributing to the success of alkyl glycoside detergents in supporting membrane protein activity and crystallizability. Other significant features of this structure include the following: finding of a previously unreported crystal contact mediated by cadmium and an engineered histidine tag; documentation of the unique His–Tyr covalent linkage close to the active site; remarkable conservation of a chain of waters in one proton pathway (D-path); and discovery of an inhibitory cadmium-binding site at the entrance to another proton path (K-path). These observations provide important insight into CcO structure and mechanism, as well as the significance of bound lipid in membrane proteins. PMID:17050688
The architecture of the DNA replication origin recognition complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Chen, Zhiqiang; Speck, Christian; Wendel, Patricia; Tang, Chunyan; Stillman, Bruce; Li, Huilin
2008-01-01
The origin recognition complex (ORC) is conserved in all eukaryotes. The six proteins of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ORC that form a stable complex bind to origins of DNA replication and recruit prereplicative complex (pre-RC) proteins, one of which is Cdc6. To further understand the function of ORC we recently determined by single-particle reconstruction of electron micrographs a low-resolution, 3D structure of S. cerevisiae ORC and the ORC–Cdc6 complex. In this article, the spatial arrangement of the ORC subunits within the ORC structure is described. In one approach, a maltose binding protein (MBP) was systematically fused to the N or the C termini of the five largest ORC subunits, one subunit at a time, generating 10 MBP-fused ORCs, and the MBP density was localized in the averaged, 2D EM images of the MBP-fused ORC particles. Determining the Orc1–5 structure and comparing it with the native ORC structure localized the Orc6 subunit near Orc2 and Orc3. Finally, subunit–subunit interactions were determined by immunoprecipitation of ORC subunits synthesized in vitro. Based on the derived ORC architecture and existing structures of archaeal Orc1–DNA structures, we propose a model for ORC and suggest how ORC interacts with origin DNA and Cdc6. The studies provide a basis for understanding the overall structure of the pre-RC. PMID:18647841
Molecular recognition of parathyroid hormone by its G protein-coupled receptor
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Pioszak, Augen A.; Xu, H. Eric
Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is central to calcium homeostasis and bone maintenance in vertebrates, and as such it has been used for treating osteoporosis. It acts primarily by binding to its receptor, PTH1R, a member of the class B G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family that also includes receptors for glucagon, calcitonin, and other therapeutically important peptide hormones. Despite considerable interest and much research, determining the structure of the receptor-hormone complex has been hindered by difficulties in purifying the receptor and obtaining diffraction-quality crystals. Here, we present a method for expression and purification of the extracellular domain (ECD) of human PTH1R engineeredmore » as a maltose-binding protein (MBP) fusion that readily crystallizes. The 1.95-{angstrom} structure of PTH bound to the MBP-PTH1R-ECD fusion reveals that PTH docks as an amphipathic helix into a central hydrophobic groove formed by a three-layer {alpha}-{beta}-{beta}{alpha} fold of the PTH1R ECD, resembling a hot dog in a bun. Conservation in the ECD scaffold and the helical structure of peptide hormones emphasizes this hot dog model as a general mechanism of hormone recognition common to class B GPCRs. Our findings reveal critical insights into PTH actions and provide a rational template for drug design that targets this hormone signaling pathway.« less
HIGH GLUCOSE POTENTIATES L-FABP MEDIATED FIBRATE INDUCTION OF PPARα IN MOUSE HEPATOCYTES
Petrescu, Anca D.; McIntosh, Avery L.; Storey, Stephen M.; Huang, Huan; Martin, Gregory G.; Landrock, Danilo; Kier, Ann B.; Schroeder, Friedhelm
2013-01-01
Although liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) binds fibrates and PPARα in vitro and enhances fibrate induction of PPARα in transformed cells, the functional significance of these findings is unclear, especially in normal hepatocytes. Studies with cultured primary mouse hepatocytes show that: 1) At physiological (6 mM) glucose, fibrates (bezafibrate, fenofibrate) only weakly activated PPARα transcription of genes in LCFA β-oxidation; 2) High (11–20 mM) glucose, but not maltose (osmotic control), significantly potentiated fibrate-induction of mRNA of these and other PPARα target genes to increase LCFA β-oxidation. These effects were associated with fibrate-mediated redistribution of L-FABP into nuclei—an effect prolonged by high glucose—but not with increased de novo fatty acid synthesis from glucose; 3) Potentiation of bezafibrate action by high glucose required an intact L-FABP/PPARα signaling pathway as shown with L-FABP null, PPARα null, PPARα inhibitor-treated WT, or PPARα-specific fenofibrate-treated WT hepatocytes. High glucose alone in the absence of fibrate was ineffective. Thus, high glucose potentiation of PPARα occurred through FABP/PPARα rather than indirectly through other PPARs or glucose induced signaling pathways. These data indicated L-FABP’s importance in fibrate-induction of hepatic PPARα LCFA β-oxidative genes, especially in the context of high glucose levels. PMID:23747828
Zimmerman, Carl-Ulrich R; Rosengarten, Renate; Spergser, Joachim
2013-01-01
Phase variation of two loci (‘mba locus’ and ‘UU172 phase-variable element’) in Ureaplasma parvum serovar 3 has been suggested as result of site-specific DNA inversion occurring at short inverted repeats. Three potential tyrosine recombinases (RipX, XerC, and CodV encoded by the genes UU145, UU222, and UU529) have been annotated in the genome of U. parvum serovar 3, which could be mediators in the proposed recombination event. We document that only orthologs of the gene xerC are present in all strains that show phase variation in the two loci. We demonstrate in vitro binding of recombinant maltose-binding protein fusions of XerC to the inverted repeats of the phase-variable loci, of RipX to a direct repeat that flanks a 20-kbp region, which has been proposed as putative pathogenicity island, and of CodV to a putative dif site. Co-transformation of the model organism Mycoplasma pneumoniae M129 with both the ‘mba locus’ and the recombinase gene xerC behind an active promoter region resulted in DNA inversion in the ‘mba locus’. Results suggest that XerC of U. parvum serovar 3 is a mediator in the proposed DNA inversion event of the two phase-variable loci. PMID:23305333
Liganded and unliganded activation of estrogen receptor and hormone replacement therapies.
Maggi, Adriana
2011-08-01
Over the past two decades, our understanding of estrogen receptor physiology in mammals widened considerably as we acquired a deeper appreciation of the roles of estrogen receptor alpha and beta (ERα and ERβ) in reproduction as well as in bone and metabolic homeostasis, depression, vascular disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. In addition, our insights on ER transcriptional functions in cells increased considerably with the demonstration that ER activity is not strictly dependent on ligand availability. Indeed, unliganded ERs may be transcriptionally active and post-translational modifications play a major role in this context. The finding that several intracellular transduction molecules may regulate ER transcriptional programs indicates that ERs may act as a hub where several molecular pathways converge: this allows to maintain ER transcriptional activity in tune with all cell functions. Likely, the biological relevant role of ER was favored by evolution as a mean of integration between reproductive and metabolic functions. We here review the post-translational modifications modulating ER transcriptional activity in the presence or in the absence of estrogens and underline their potential role for ER tissue-specific activities. In our opinion, a better comprehension of the variety of molecular events that control ER activity in reproductive and non-reproductive organs is the foundation for the design of safer and more efficacious hormone-based therapies, particularly for menopause. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Translating Nuclear receptors from health to disease. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Jeon, Hye-Yeon; Kim, Na-Ri; Lee, Hye-Won; Choi, Hye-Jeong; Choung, Woo-Jae; Koo, Ye-Seul; Ko, Dam-Seul; Shim, Jae-Hoon
2016-03-23
A novel maltose (G2)-forming α-amylase from Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum ST-III was expressed in Escherichia coli and characterized. Analysis of conserved amino acid sequence alignments showed that L. plantarum maltose-producing α-amylase (LpMA) belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 13. The recombinant enzyme (LpMA) was a novel G2-producing α-amylase. The properties of purified LpMA were investigated following enzyme purification. LpMA exhibited optimal activity at 30 °C and pH 3.0. It produced only G2 from the hydrolysis of various substrates, including maltotriose (G3), maltopentaose (G5), maltosyl β-cyclodextrin (G2-β-CD), amylose, amylopectin, and starch. However, LpMA was unable to hydrolyze cyclodextrins. Reaction pattern analysis using 4-nitrophenyl-α-d-maltopentaoside (pNPG5) demonstrated that LpMA hydrolyzed pNPG5 from the nonreducing end, indicating that LpMA is an exotype α-amylase. Kinetic analysis revealed that LpMA had the highest catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km ratio) toward G2-β-CD. Compared with β-amylase, a well-known G2-producing enzyme, LpMA produced G2 more efficiently from liquefied corn starch due to its ability to hydrolyze G3.
Abe, Kenji; Kuroda, Akio; Takeshita, Ryo
2017-03-01
Industrial glucose feedstock prepared by enzymatic digestion of starch typically contains significant amounts of disaccharides such as maltose and isomaltose and trisaccharides such as maltotriose and panose. Maltose and maltosaccharides can be utilized in Escherichia coli fermentation using industrial glucose feedstock because there is an intrinsic assimilation pathway for these sugars. However, saccharides that contain α-1,6 bonds, such as isomaltose and panose, are still present after fermentation because there is no metabolic pathway for these sugars. To facilitate more efficient utilization of glucose feedstock, we introduced glvA, which encodes phospho-α-glucosidase, and glvC, which encodes a subunit of the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent maltose phosphotransferase system (PTS) of Bacillus subtilis, into E. coli. The heterologous expression of glvA and glvC conferred upon the recombinant the ability to assimilate isomaltose and panose. The recombinant E. coli assimilated not only other disaccharides but also trisaccharides, including alcohol forms of these saccharides, such as isomaltitol. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to show the involvement of the microbial PTS in the assimilation of trisaccharides. Furthermore, we demonstrated that an L-lysine-producing E. coli harboring glvA and glvC converted isomaltose and panose to L-lysine efficiently. These findings are expected to be beneficial for industrial fermentation.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Doan, Thuc N.; Fujihara, Akimasa
2018-03-01
In order to investigate chemical evolution in interstellar molecular clouds, enantiomer-selective photo-induced chemical reactions between an amino acid and disaccharides in the gas phase were examined using a tandem mass spectrometer containing an electrospray ionization source and a cold ion trap. Ultraviolet photodissociation mass spectra of cold gas-phase noncovalent complexes of protonated tryptophan (Trp) enantiomers with disaccharides consisting of two d-glucose units, such as d-maltose or d-cellobiose, were obtained by photoexcitation of the indole ring of Trp. NH2CHCOOH loss via cleavage of the Cα-Cβ bond in Trp induced by hydrogen atom transfer from the NH3 + group of a protonated Trp was observed in a noncovalent heterochiral H+( l-Trp)( d-maltose) complex. In contrast, a photo-induced chemical reaction forming the product ion with m/z 282 occurs in homochiral H+( d-Trp)( d-maltose). For d-cellobiose, both NH2CHCOOH elimination and the m/z 282 product ion were observed, and no enantiomer-selective phenomena occurred. The m/z 282 product ion indicates that the photo-induced C-glycosylation, which links d-glucose residues to the indole moiety of Trp via a C-C bond, can occur in cold gas-phase noncovalent complexes, and its enantiomer-selectivity depends on the structure of the disaccharide.
Interference studies with two hospital-grade and two home-grade glucose meters.
Lyon, Martha E; Baskin, Leland B; Braakman, Sandy; Presti, Steven; Dubois, Jeffrey; Shirey, Terry
2009-10-01
Interference studies of four glucose meters (Nova Biomedical [Waltham, MA] StatStrip [hospital grade], Roche Diagnostics [Indianapolis, IN] Accu-Chek Aviva [home grade], Abbott Diabetes Care [Alameda, CA] Precision FreeStyle Freedom [home grade], and LifeScan [Milpitas, CA] SureStep Flexx [hospital grade]) were evaluated and compared to the clinical laboratory plasma hexokinase reference method (Roche Hitachi 912 chemistry analyzer). These meters were chosen to reflect the continuum of care from hospital to home grade meters commonly seen in North America. Within-run precision was determined using a freshly prepared whole blood sample spiked with concentrated glucose to give three glucose concentrations. Day-to-day precision was evaluated using aqueous control materials supplied by each vendor. Common interferences, including hematocrit, maltose, and ascorbate, were tested alone and in combination with one another on each of the four glucose testing devices at three blood glucose concentrations. Within-run precision for all glucose meters was <5% except for the FreeStyle (up to 7.6%). Between-day precision was <6% for all glucose meters. Ascorbate caused differences (percentage change from a sample without added interfering substances) of >5% with pyrroloquinolinequinone (PQQ)-glucose dehydrogenase-based technologies (Aviva and Freestyle) and the glucose oxidase-based Flexx meter. Maltose strongly affected the PQQ-glucose dehydrogenase-based meter systems. When combinations of interferences (ascorbate, maltose, and hematocrit mixtures) were tested, the extent of the interference was up to 193% (Aviva), 179% (FreeStyle), 25.1% (Flexx), and 5.9% (StatStrip). The interference was most pronounced at low glucose (3.9-4.4 mmol/L). All evaluated glucose meter systems demonstrated varying degrees of interference by hematocrit, ascorbate, and maltose mixtures. PQQ-glucose dehydrogenase-based technologies showed greater susceptibility than glucose oxidase-based systems. However, the modified glucose oxidase-based amperometric method (Nova StatStrip) was less affected in comparison with the glucose oxidase-based photometric method (LifeScan SureStep Flexx).
Solubility of carbohydrates in heavy water.
Cardoso, Marcus V C; Carvalho, Larissa V C; Sabadini, Edvaldo
2012-05-15
The solubility of several mono-(glucose and xylose), di-(sucrose and maltose), tri-(raffinose) and cyclic (α-cyclodextrin) saccharides in H(2)O and in D(2)O were measured over a range of temperatures. The solution enthalpies for the different carbohydrates in the two solvents were determined using the vant' Hoff equation and the values in D(2)O are presented here for the first time. Our findings indicate that the replacement of H(2)O by D(2)O remarkably decreases the solubilities of the less soluble carbohydrates, such as maltose, raffinose and α-cyclodextrin. On the other hand, the more soluble saccharides, glucose, xylose, and sucrose, are practically insensitive to the H/D replacement in water. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Fatehi Hassanabad, Mostafa; Chang, Tom; Pirani, Nawaz; Bona, Diane; Edwards, Aled M.
2013-01-01
A variety of bacterial pathogenicity determinants, including the type VI secretion system and the virulence cassettes from Photorhabdus and Serratia, share an evolutionary origin with contractile-tailed myophages. The well-characterized Escherichia coli phage P2 provides an excellent system for studies related to these systems, as its protein composition appears to represent the “minimal” myophage tail. In this study, we used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to determine the solution structure of gpX, a 68-residue tail baseplate protein. Although the sequence and structure of gpX are similar to those of LysM domains, which are a large family associated with peptidoglycan binding, we did not detect a peptidoglycan-binding activity for gpX. However, bioinformatic analysis revealed that half of all myophages, including all that possess phage T4-like baseplates, encode a tail protein with a LysM-like domain, emphasizing a widespread role for this domain in baseplate function. While phage P2 gpX comprises only a single LysM domain, many myophages display LysM domain fusions with other tail proteins, such as the DNA circulation protein found in Mu-like phages and gp53 of T4-like phages. Electron microscopy of P2 phage particles with an incorporated gpX-maltose binding protein fusion revealed that gpX is located at the top of the baseplate, near the junction of the baseplate and tail tube. gpW, the orthologue of phage T4 gp25, was also found to localize to this region. A general colocalization of LysM-like domains and gpW homologues in diverse phages is supported by our bioinformatic analysis. PMID:24097944
Conformational analysis and design of cross-strand disulfides in antiparallel β-sheets.
Indu, S; Kochat, V; Thakurela, S; Ramakrishnan, C; Varadarajan, Raghavan
2011-01-01
Cross-strand disulfides bridge two cysteines in a registered pair of antiparallel β-strands. A nonredundant data set comprising 5025 polypeptides containing 2311 disulfides was used to study cross-strand disulfides. Seventy-six cross-strand disulfides were found of which 75 and 1 occurred at non-hydrogen-bonded (NHB) and hydrogen-bonded (HB) registered pairs, respectively. Conformational analysis and modeling studies demonstrated that disulfide formation at HB pairs necessarily requires an extremely rare and positive χ¹ value for at least one of the cysteine residues. Disulfides at HB positions also have more unfavorable steric repulsion with the main chain. Thirteen pairs of disulfides were introduced in NHB and HB pairs in four model proteins: leucine binding protein (LBP), leucine, isoleucine, valine binding protein (LIVBP), maltose binding protein (MBP), and Top7. All mutants LIVBP T247C V331C showed disulfide formation either on purification, or on treatment with oxidants. Protein stability in both oxidized and reduced states of all mutants was measured. Relative to wild type, LBP and MBP mutants were destabilized with respect to chemical denaturation, although the sole exposed NHB LBP mutant showed an increase of 3.1°C in T(m). All Top7 mutants were characterized for stability through guanidinium thiocyanate chemical denaturation. Both exposed and two of the three buried NHB mutants were appreciably stabilized. All four HB Top7 mutants were destabilized (ΔΔG⁰ = -3.3 to -6.7 kcal/mol). The data demonstrate that introduction of cross-strand disulfides at exposed NHB pairs is a robust method of improving protein stability. All four exposed Top7 disulfide mutants showed mild redox activity. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Folding pathway of the pyridoxal 5′-phosphate C-S lyase MalY from Escherichia coli
2005-01-01
MalY from Escherichia coli is a bifunctional dimeric PLP (pyridoxal 5′-phosphate) enzyme acting as a β-cystathionase and as a repressor of the maltose system. The spectroscopic and molecular properties of the holoenzyme, in the untreated and NaBH4-treated forms, and of the apoenzyme have been elucidated. A systematic study of the urea-induced unfolding of MalY has been monitored by gel filtration, cross-linking, ANS (8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulphonic acid) binding and by visible, near- and far-UV CD, fluorescence and NMR spectroscopies under equilibrium conditions. Unfolding proceeds in at least three stages. The first transition, occurring between 0 and 1 M urea, gives rise to a partially active dimeric species that binds PLP. The second equilibrium transition involving dimer dissociation, release of PLP and loss of lyase activity leads to the formation of a monomeric equilibrium intermediate. It is a partially unfolded molecule that retains most of the native-state secondary structure, binds significant amounts of ANS (a probe for exposed hydrophobic surfaces) and tends to self-associate. The self-associated aggregates predominate at urea concentrations of 2–4 M for holoMalY. The third step represents the complete unfolding of the enzyme. These results when compared with the urea-induced unfolding profiles of apoMalY and NaBH4-reduced holoenzyme suggest that the coenzyme group attached to the active-site lysine residue increases the stability of the dimeric enzyme. Both holo- and apo-MalY could be successfully refolded into the active enzyme with an 85% yield. Further refolding studies suggest that large misfolded soluble aggregates that cannot be refolded could be responsible for the incomplete re-activation. PMID:15823094
Petrescu, Anca D.; Huang, Huan; Martin, Gregory G.; McIntosh, Avery L.; Storey, Stephen M.; Landrock, Danilo; Kier, Ann B.
2013-01-01
Liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP) is the major soluble protein that binds very-long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) in hepatocytes. However, nothing is known about L-FABP's role in n-3 PUFA-mediated peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-α (PPARα) transcription of proteins involved in long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) β-oxidation. This issue was addressed in cultured primary hepatocytes from wild-type, L-FABP-null, and PPARα-null mice with these major findings: 1) PUFA-mediated increase in the expression of PPARα-regulated LCFA β-oxidative enzymes, LCFA/LCFA-CoA binding proteins (L-FABP, ACBP), and PPARα itself was L-FABP dependent; 2) PPARα transcription, robustly potentiated by high glucose but not maltose, a sugar not taken up, correlated with higher protein levels of these LCFA β-oxidative enzymes and with increased LCFA β-oxidation; and 3) high glucose altered the potency of n-3 relative to n-6 PUFA. This was not due to a direct effect of glucose on PPARα transcriptional activity nor indirectly through de novo fatty acid synthesis from glucose. Synergism was also not due to glucose impacting other signaling pathways, since it was observed only in hepatocytes expressing both L-FABP and PPARα. Ablation of L-FABP or PPARα as well as treatment with MK886 (PPARα inhibitor) abolished/reduced PUFA-mediated PPARα transcription of these genes, especially at high glucose. Finally, the PUFA-enhanced L-FABP distribution into nuclei with high glucose augmentation of the L-FABP/PPARα interaction reveals not only the importance of L-FABP for PUFA induction of PPARα target genes in fatty acid β-oxidation but also the significance of a high glucose enhancement effect in diabetes. PMID:23238934
Wolf, Timo; Droste, Julian; Gren, Tetiana; Ortseifen, Vera; Schneiker-Bekel, Susanne; Zemke, Till; Pühler, Alfred; Kalinowski, Jörn
2017-07-25
Acarbose is used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus type II and is produced by Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110. Although the biosynthesis of acarbose has been intensively studied, profound knowledge about transcription factors involved in acarbose biosynthesis and their binding sites has been missing until now. In contrast to acarbose biosynthetic gene clusters in Streptomyces spp., the corresponding gene cluster of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 lacks genes for transcriptional regulators. The acarbose regulator C (AcrC) was identified through an in silico approach by aligning the LacI family regulators of acarbose biosynthetic gene clusters in Streptomyces spp. with the Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 genome. The gene for acrC, located in a head-to-head arrangement with the maltose/maltodextrin ABC transporter malEFG operon, was deleted by introducing PCR targeting for Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110. Characterization was carried out through cultivation experiments, genome-wide microarray hybridizations, and RT-qPCR as well as electrophoretic mobility shift assays for the elucidation of binding motifs. The results show that AcrC binds to the intergenic region between acbE and acbD in Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110 and acts as a transcriptional repressor on these genes. The transcriptomic profile of the wild type was reconstituted through a complementation of the deleted acrC gene. Additionally, regulatory sequence motifs for the binding of AcrC were identified in the intergenic region of acbE and acbD. It was shown that AcrC expression influences acarbose formation in the early growth phase. Interestingly, AcrC does not regulate the malEFG operon. This study characterizes the first known transcription factor of the acarbose biosynthetic gene cluster in Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110. It therefore represents an important step for understanding the regulatory network of this organism. Based on this work, rational strain design for improving the biotechnological production of acarbose can now be implemented.
Sun, Tianjun; Gauthier, Sherry Y; Campbell, Robert L; Davies, Peter L
2015-10-08
Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) adsorb to ice through an extensive, flat, relatively hydrophobic surface. It has been suggested that this ice-binding site (IBS) organizes surface waters into an ice-like clathrate arrangement that matches and fuses to the quasi-liquid layer on the ice surface. On cooling, these waters join the ice lattice and freeze the AFP to its ligand. Evidence for the generality of this binding mechanism is limited because AFPs tend to crystallize with their IBS as a preferred protein-protein contact surface, which displaces some bound waters. Type III AFP is a 7 kDa globular protein with an IBS made up two adjacent surfaces. In the crystal structure of the most active isoform (QAE1), the part of the IBS that docks to the primary prism plane of ice is partially exposed to solvent and has clathrate waters present that match this plane of ice. The adjacent IBS, which matches the pyramidal plane of ice, is involved in protein-protein crystal contacts with few surface waters. Here we have changed the protein-protein contacts in the ice-binding region by crystallizing a fusion of QAE1 to maltose-binding protein. In this 1.9 Å structure, the IBS that fits the pyramidal plane of ice is exposed to solvent. By combining crystallography data with MD simulations, the surface waters on both sides of the IBS were revealed and match well with the target ice planes. The waters on the pyramidal plane IBS were loosely constrained, which might explain why other isoforms of type III AFP that lack the prism plane IBS are less active than QAE1. The AFP fusion crystallization method can potentially be used to force the exposure to solvent of the IBS on other AFPs to reveal the locations of key surface waters.
Viigand, Katrin; Visnapuu, Triinu; Mardo, Karin; Aasamets, Anneli
2016-01-01
Abstract Saccharomyces cerevisiae maltases use maltose, maltulose, turanose and maltotriose as substrates, isomaltases use isomaltose, α‐methylglucoside and palatinose and both use sucrose. These enzymes are hypothesized to have evolved from a promiscuous α‐glucosidase ancMALS through duplication and mutation of the genes. We studied substrate specificity of the maltase protein MAL1 from an earlier diverged yeast, Ogataea polymorpha (Op), in the light of this hypothesis. MAL1 has extended substrate specificity and its properties are strikingly similar to those of resurrected ancMALS. Moreover, amino acids considered to determine selective substrate binding are highly conserved between Op MAL1 and ancMALS. Op MAL1 represents an α‐glucosidase in which both maltase and isomaltase activities are well optimized in a single enzyme. Substitution of Thr200 (corresponds to Val216 in S. cerevisiae isomaltase IMA1) with Val in MAL1 drastically reduced the hydrolysis of maltose‐like substrates (α‐1,4‐glucosides), confirming the requirement of Thr at the respective position for this function. Differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) of the catalytically inactive mutant Asp199Ala of MAL1 in the presence of its substrates and selected monosaccharides suggested that the substrate‐binding pocket of MAL1 has three subsites (–1, +1 and +2) and that binding is strongest at the –1 subsite. The DSF assay results were in good accordance with affinity (K m) and inhibition (K i) data of the enzyme for tested substrates, indicating the power of the method to predict substrate binding. Deletion of either the maltase (MAL1) or α‐glucoside permease (MAL2) gene in Op abolished the growth of yeast on MAL1 substrates, confirming the requirement of both proteins for usage of these sugars. © 2016 The Authors. Yeast published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:26919272
Laurie, Sunette M; Faber, Mieke; Calitz, Frikkie J; Moelich, Erika I; Muller, Nina; Labuschagne, Maryke T
2013-05-01
As eating quality is important for adoption of new varieties, nine orange-fleshed and three cream-fleshed sweet potato varieties were assessed for sensory characteristics, dry mass and free sugar content, instrumental texture and colour and consumer acceptability (n = 216) in a peri-urban South African setting. Cream-fleshed varieties were higher in yellow-green colour and sweet potato-like flavour and lower in graininess. Orange-fleshed varieties were higher in pumpkin-like flavour, orange colour, discolouration and sucrose content. Partial least squares regression analysis showed that the most accepted varieties (Impilo, Excel, Resisto, 2001_5_2, Serolane, W-119 and Monate) were associated with sweet flavour, dry mass and maltose content, while the least accepted varieties (Beauregard, Khano and 1999_1_7) were associated with wateriness. Pearson correlation analysis highlighted correlations of sensory attributes yellow and orange with instrumental colour measurements (colour a* and colour b*), instrumental firmness with sensory firmness, dry mass with sensory wateriness, and maltose content with sensory sweet and sweet potato-like flavour. The varieties were clustered into three groups. Consumer acceptability for eating quality correlated with maltose content, dry mass and sweet flavour. Chemical and instrumental measurements were identified to evaluate key attributes and will be useful in the intermediate phases of sweet potato varietal development. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Song, Kyung-Mo; Shim, Jae-Hoon; Park, Jong-Tae
2010-06-18
The transglycosylation reaction of maltodextrin glucosidase (MalZ) cloned and purified from Escherichia coli K12 was characterized and applied to the synthesis of branched oligosaccharides. Purified MalZ preferentially catalyzed the hydrolysis of maltodextrin, {gamma}-cyclodextrin (CD), and cycloamylose (CA). In addition, when the enzyme was incubated with 5% maltotriose (G3), a series of transfer products were produced. The resulting major transfer products, annotated as T1, T2, and T3, were purified and their structures were determined by TLC, MALDI-TOF/MS, {sup 13}C NMR, and enzymatic analysis. T1 was identified as a novel compound, maltosyl {alpha}-1,3-maltose, whereas T2 and T3 were determined to be isopanosemore » and maltosyl-{alpha}-1,6-maltose, respectively. These results indicated that MalZ transferred sugar moiety mainly to C-3 or C-6-OH of glucose of the acceptor molecule. To obtain highly concentrated transfer products, the enzyme was reacted with 10% liquefied cornstarch, and then glucose and maltose were removed by immobilized yeast. The T1 content of the resulting reaction mixture reached 9.0%. The mixture of T1 containing a nigerose moiety can have an immunopotentiating effect on the human body and may be a potential functional sugar stuff.« less
Grenby, T H; Mistry, M
2000-10-01
The objective of the study was to examine the cariogenic potentials of maltodextrins and glucose syrups (two glucose polymers derived from starch) using a range of techniques in vitro and in laboratory animals. The experimental methods used were: (1) measurement of acid production from glucose syrups and maltodextrins by human dental plaque micro-organisms; (2) evaluation of the role salivary alpha-amylase in degrading oligosaccharides (degree of polymerisation > 3) in the glucose polymers, estimating the products by HPLC; (3) assessment of the fermentability of trioses relative to maltose; (4) measurement of dental caries levels in three large-scale studies in laboratory rats fed on diets containing the glucose polymers. It was found that acid production from the glucose polymers increased as their higher saccharide content fell. Salivary alpha-amylase rapidly degraded the oligosaccharides (degree of polymerisation > 3), mainly to maltose and maltotriose. In the presence of oral micro-organisms, maltotriose took longer to ferment than maltose, but by the end of a 2 h period the total amount of acid produced was the same from both. Incorporated into the diets in solid form, the glucose syrups and maltodextrins were associated with unexpectedly high levels of dental caries. In conclusion, the findings were unforeseen in the light of earlier data that a glucose syrup was less cariogenic than sucrose.
Orotidine 5'-Monophosphate Decarboxylase: Probing the Limits of the Possible for Enzyme Catalysis.
Richard, John P; Amyes, Tina L; Reyes, Archie C
2018-04-17
The mystery associated with catalysis by what were once regarded as protein black boxes, diminished with the X-ray crystallographic determination of the three-dimensional structures of enzyme-substrate complexes. The report that several high-resolution X-ray crystal structures of orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase (OMPDC) failed to provide a consensus mechanism for enzyme-catalyzed decarboxylation of OMP to form uridine 5'-monophosphate, therefore, provoked a flurry of controversy. This controversy was fueled by the enormous 10 23 -fold rate acceleration for this enzyme, which had " jolted many biochemists' assumptions about the catalytic potential of enzymes." Our studies on the mechanism of action of OMPDC provide strong evidence that catalysis by this enzyme is not fundamentally different from less proficient catalysts, while highlighting important architectural elements that enable a peak level of performance. Many enzymes undergo substrate-induced protein conformational changes that trap their substrates in solvent occluded protein cages, but the conformational change induced by ligand binding to OMPDC is incredibly complex, as required to enable the development of 22 kcal/mol of stabilizing binding interactions with the phosphodianion and ribosyl substrate fragments of OMP. The binding energy from these fragments is utilized to activate OMPDC for catalysis of decarboxylation at the orotate fragment of OMP, through the creation of a tight, catalytically active, protein cage from the floppy, open, unliganded form of OMPDC. Such utilization of binding energy for ligand-driven conformational changes provides a general mechanism to obtain specificity in transition state binding. The rate enhancement that results from the binding of carbon acid substrates to enzymes is partly due to a reduction in the carbon acid p K a that is associated with ligand binding. The binding of UMP to OMPDC results in an unusually large >12 unit decrease in the p K a = 29 for abstraction of the C-6 substrate hydrogen, due to stabilization of an enzyme-bound vinyl carbanion, which is also an intermediate of OMPDC-catalyzed decarboxylation. The protein-ligand interactions operate to stabilize the vinyl carbanion at the enzyme active site compared to aqueous solution, rather than to stabilize the transition state for the concerted electrophilic displacement of CO 2 by H + that avoids formation of this reaction intermediate. There is evidence that OMPDC induces strain into the bound substrate. The interaction between the amide side chain of Gln-215 from the phosphodianion gripper loop and the hydroxymethylene side chain of Ser-154 from the pyrimidine umbrella of ScOMPDC position the amide side chain to interact with the phosphodianion of OMP. There are no direct stabilizing interactions between dianion gripper protein side chains Gln-215, Tyr-217, and Arg-235 and the pyrimidine ring at the decarboxylation transition state. Rather these side chains function solely to hold OMPDC in the catalytically active closed conformation. The hydrophobic side chains that line the active site of OMPDC in the region of the departing CO 2 product may function to stabilize the decarboxylation transition state by providing hydrophobic solvation of this product.
Lu, Xuequan; Zhou, Rong; Sharma, Indrajeet; Li, Xiaokai; Kumar, Gyanendra; Swaminathan, Subramanyam; Tonge, Peter J; Tan, Derek S
2012-01-02
MenE, the o-succinylbenzoate (OSB)-CoA synthetase from bacterial menaquinone biosynthesis, is a promising new antibacterial target. Sulfonyladenosine analogues of the cognate reaction intermediate, OSB-AMP, have been developed as inhibitors of the MenE enzymes from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (mtMenE), Staphylococcus aureus (saMenE) and Escherichia coli (ecMenE). Both a free carboxylate and a ketone moiety on the OSB side chain are required for potent inhibitory activity. OSB-AMS (4) is a competitive inhibitor of mtMenE with respect to ATP (K(i) =5.4±0.1 nM) and a noncompetitive inhibitor with respect to OSB (K(i) =11.2±0.9 nM). These data are consistent with a Bi Uni Uni Bi Ping-Pong kinetic mechanism for these enzymes. In addition, OSB-AMS inhibits saMenE with K(i)(app) =22±8 nM and ecMenE with K(i)(OSB) =128±5 nM. Putative active-site residues, Arg222, which may interact with the OSB aromatic carboxylate, and Ser302, which may bind the OSB ketone oxygen, have been identified through computational docking of OSB-AMP with the unliganded crystal structure of saMenE. A pH-dependent interconversion of the free keto acid and lactol forms of the inhibitors is also described, along with implications for inhibitor design. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
Order–Disorder Transitions Govern Kinetic Cooperativity and Allostery of Monomeric Human Glucokinase
Bruschweiler-Li, Lei; Miller, Brian G.; Brüschweiler, Rafael
2012-01-01
Glucokinase (GCK) catalyzes the rate-limiting step of glucose catabolism in the pancreas, where it functions as the body's principal glucose sensor. GCK dysfunction leads to several potentially fatal diseases including maturity–onset diabetes of the young type II (MODY-II) and persistent hypoglycemic hyperinsulinemia of infancy (PHHI). GCK maintains glucose homeostasis by displaying a sigmoidal kinetic response to increasing blood glucose levels. This positive cooperativity is unique because the enzyme functions exclusively as a monomer and possesses only a single glucose binding site. Despite nearly a half century of research, the mechanistic basis for GCK's homotropic allostery remains unresolved. Here we explain GCK cooperativity in terms of large-scale, glucose-mediated disorder–order transitions using 17 isotopically labeled isoleucine methyl groups and three tryptophan side chains as sensitive nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probes. We find that the small domain of unliganded GCK is intrinsically disordered and samples a broad conformational ensemble. We also demonstrate that small-molecule diabetes therapeutic agents and hyperinsulinemia-associated GCK mutations share a strikingly similar activation mechanism, characterized by a population shift toward a more narrow, well-ordered ensemble resembling the glucose-bound conformation. Our results support a model in which GCK generates its cooperative kinetic response at low glucose concentrations by using a millisecond disorder–order cycle of the small domain as a “time-delay loop,” which is bypassed at high glucose concentrations, providing a unique mechanism to allosterically regulate the activity of human GCK under physiological conditions. PMID:23271955
Pan, Haiyun; Zhou, Rui; Louie, Gordon V; Mühlemann, Joëlle K; Bomati, Erin K; Bowman, Marianne E; Dudareva, Natalia; Dixon, Richard A; Noel, Joseph P; Wang, Xiaoqiang
2014-09-01
The enzymes cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR) and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) catalyze the two key reduction reactions in the conversion of cinnamic acid derivatives into monolignol building blocks for lignin polymers in plant cell walls. Here, we describe detailed functional and structural analyses of CCRs from Medicago truncatula and Petunia hybrida and of an atypical CAD (CAD2) from M. truncatula. These enzymes are closely related members of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) superfamily. Our structural studies support a reaction mechanism involving a canonical SDR catalytic triad in both CCR and CAD2 and an important role for an auxiliary cysteine unique to CCR. Site-directed mutants of CAD2 (Phe226Ala and Tyr136Phe) that enlarge the phenolic binding site result in a 4- to 10-fold increase in activity with sinapaldehyde, which in comparison to the smaller coumaraldehyde and coniferaldehyde substrates is disfavored by wild-type CAD2. This finding demonstrates the potential exploitation of rationally engineered forms of CCR and CAD2 for the targeted modification of monolignol composition in transgenic plants. Thermal denaturation measurements and structural comparisons of various liganded and unliganded forms of CCR and CAD2 highlight substantial conformational flexibility of these SDR enzymes, which plays an important role in the establishment of catalytically productive complexes of the enzymes with their NADPH and phenolic substrates. © 2014 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.
Screening, Gene Cloning, and Characterizations of an Acid-Stable α-Amylase.
Liu, Xinyu; Jia, Wei; An, Yi; Cheng, Kun; Wang, Mingdao; Yang, Sen; Chen, Hongge
2015-06-01
Based on its α-amylase activity at pH 5.0 and optimal pH of the crude enzyme, a strain (named B-5) with acid α-amylase production was screened. The B-5 strain was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens through morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics analysis, as well as 16S rDNA phylogenetic analysis. Its α-amylase gene of GenBank Accession No. GU318401 was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The purified recombinant α-amylase AMY-Ba showed the optimal pH of 5.0, and was stable at a pH range of 4.0-6.0. When hydrolyzing soluble starch, amylose, and amylopectin, AMY-Ba released glucose and maltose as major end products. The α-amylase AMY-Ba in this work was a different type from the well-investigated J01542 (GenBank Accession No.)-type α-amylase from the same species. AMY-Ba exhibited notable adsorption and hydrolysis ability towards various raw starches. Structure analysis of AMY-Ba suggested the presence of a new starch-binding domain at its C-terminal region.
Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for the biosynthesis of 2-pyrrolidone
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Zhang, Jingwei; Kao, Emily; Wang, George
2-Pyrrolidone is a valuable bulk chemical with myriad applications as a solvent, polymer precursor and active pharmaceutical intermediate. A novel 2-pyrrolidone synthase, ORF27, from Streptomyces aizunensis was identified to catalyze the ring closing dehydration of γ-aminobutyrate. ORF27's tendency to aggregate was resolved by expression at low temperature and fusion to the maltose binding protein (MBP). Recombinant Escherichia coli was metabolically engineered for the production of 2-pyrrolidone from glutamate by expressing both the genes encoding GadB, a glutamate decarboxylase, and ORF27. Incorporation of a GadB mutant lacking H465 and T466, GadB_δHT, improved the efficiency of one-pot 2-pyrrolidone biosynthesis in vivo. Whenmore » the recombinant E. coli strain expressing the E. coli GadB_δHT mutant and the ORF27-MBP fusion was cultured in ZYM-5052 medium containing 9. g/L of l-glutamate, 7.7. g/L of l-glutamate was converted to 1.1. g/L of 2-pyrrolidone within 31. h, achieving 25% molar yield from the consumed substrate.« less
Meng, Xiangfeng; Pijning, Tjaard; Tietema, Martin; Dobruchowska, Justyna M; Yin, Huifang; Gerwig, Gerrit J; Kralj, Slavko; Dijkhuizen, Lubbert
2017-02-15
Exopolysaccharides produced by lactic acid bacteria are extensively used for food applications. Glucansucrase enzymes of lactic acid bacteria use sucrose to catalyze the synthesis of α-glucans with different linkage compositions, size and physico-chemical properties. Crystallographic studies of GTF180-ΔN show that at the acceptor binding sites +1 and +2, residue W1065 provides stacking interactions to the glucosyl moiety. However, the detailed functional roles of W1065 have not been elucidated. We performed random mutagenesis targeting residue W1065 of GTF180-ΔN, resulting in the generation of 10 mutant enzymes that were characterized regarding activity and product specificity. Characterization of mutant enzymes showed that residue W1065 is critical for the activity of GTF180-ΔN. Using sucrose, and sucrose (donor) plus maltose (acceptor) as substrates, the mutant enzymes synthesized polysaccharides and oligosaccharides with changed linkage composition. The stacking interaction of an aromatic residue at position 1065 is essential for polysaccharide synthesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KatG-Mediated Oxidation Leading to Reduced Susceptibility of Bacteria to Kanamycin
2018-01-01
Resistance to antibiotics has become a serious problem for society, and there are increasing efforts to understand the reasons for and sources of resistance. Bacterial-encoded enzymes and transport systems, both innate and acquired, are the most frequent culprits for the development of resistance, although in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the catalase-peroxidase, KatG, has been linked to the activation of the antitubercular drug isoniazid. While investigating a possible link between aminoglycoside antibiotics and the induction of oxidative bursts, we observed that KatG reduces susceptibility to aminoglycosides. Investigation revealed that kanamycin served as an electron donor for the peroxidase reaction, reducing the oxidized ferryl intermediates of KatG to the resting state. Loss of electrons from kanamycin was accompanied by the addition of a single oxygen atom to the aminoglycoside. The oxidized form of kanamycin proved to be less effective as an antibiotic. Kanamycin inhibited the crystallization of KatG, but the smaller, structurally related glycoside maltose did cocrystallize with KatG, providing a suggestion as to the possible binding site of kanamycin. PMID:29732452
Positional effects of fusion partners on the yield and solubility of MBP fusion proteins.
Raran-Kurussi, Sreejith; Keefe, Karina; Waugh, David S
2015-06-01
Escherichia coli maltose-binding protein (MBP) is exceptionally effective at promoting the solubility of its fusion partners. However, there are conflicting reports in the literature claiming that (1) MBP is an effective solubility enhancer only when it is joined to the N-terminus of an aggregation-prone passenger protein, and (2) MBP is equally effective when fused to either end of the passenger. Here, we endeavor to resolve this controversy by comparing the solubility of a diverse set of MBP fusion proteins that, unlike those analyzed in previous studies, are identical in every way except for the order of the two domains. The results indicate that fusion proteins with an N-terminal MBP provide an excellent solubility advantage along with more robust expression when compared to analogous fusions in which MBP is the C-terminal fusion partner. We find that only intrinsically soluble passenger proteins (i.e., those not requiring a solubility enhancer) are produced as soluble fusions when they precede MBP. We also report that even subtle differences in inter-domain linker sequences can influence the solubility of fusion proteins. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Positional effects of fusion partners on the yield and solubility of MBP fusion proteins
Raran-Kurussi, Sreejith; Keefe, Karina; Waugh, David S.
2015-01-01
Escherichia coli maltose-binding protein (MBP) is exceptionally effective at promoting the solubility of its fusion partners. However, there are conflicting reports in the literature claiming that 1) MBP is an effective solubility enhancer only when it is joined to the N-terminus of an aggregation-prone passenger protein, and 2) MBP is equally effective when fused to either end of the passenger. Here, we endeavor to resolve this controversy by comparing the solubility of a diverse set of MBP fusion proteins that, unlike those analyzed in previous studies, are identical in every way except for the order of the two domains. The results indicate that fusion proteins with an N-terminal MBP provide an excellent solubility advantage along with more robust expression when compared to analogous fusions in which MBP is the C-terminal fusion partner. We find that only intrinsically soluble passenger proteins (i.e., those not requiring a solubility enhancer) are produced as soluble fusions when they precede MBP. We also report that even subtle differences in inter-domain linker sequences can influence the solubility of fusion proteins. PMID:25782741
He, Ying-Ying; Liu, Shu-Bai; Lee, Wen-Hui; Qian, Jin-Qiao; Zhang, Yun
2008-10-01
Snake venom Kunitz/BPTI members are good tools for understanding of structure-functional relationship between serine proteases and their inhibitors. A novel dual Kunitz/BPTI serine proteinase inhibitor named OH-TCI (trypsin- and chymotrypsin-dual inhibitor from Ophiophagus hannah) was isolated from king cobra venom by three chromatographic steps of gel filtration, trypsin affinity and reverse phase HPLC. OH-TCI is composed of 58 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 6339Da. Successful expression of OH-TCI was performed as the maltose-binding fusion protein in E. coli DH5alpha. Much different from Oh11-1, the purified native and recombinant OH-TCI both had strong inhibitory activities against trypsin and chymotrypsin although the sequence identity (74.1%) between them is very high. The inhibitor constants (K(i)) of recombinant OH-TCI were 3.91 x 10(-7) and 8.46 x10(-8)M for trypsin and chymotrypsin, respectively. To our knowledge, it was the first report of Kunitz/BPTI serine proteinase inhibitor from snake venom that had equivalent trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory activities.
Raran-Kurussi, Sreejith; Waugh, David S
2017-01-01
Rapid advances in bioengineering and biotechnology over the past three decades have greatly facilitated the production of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli. Affinity-based methods that employ protein or peptide based tags for protein purification have been instrumental in this progress. Yet insolubility of recombinant proteins in E. coli remains a persistent problem. One way around this problem is to fuse an aggregation-prone protein to a highly soluble partner. E. coli maltose-binding protein (MBP) is widely acknowledged as a highly effective solubilizing agent. In this chapter, we describe how to construct either a His 6 - or a dual His 6 -MBP tagged fusion protein by Gateway ® recombinational cloning and how to evaluate their yield and solubility. We also describe a simple and rapid procedure to test the solubility of proteins after removing their N-terminal fusion tags by tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease digestion. The choice of whether to use a His 6 tag or a His 6 -MBP tag can be made on the basis of this solubility test.
Molecular cloning of a cDNA coding for GTP cyclohydrolase I from Dictyostelium discoideum.
Witter, K; Cahill, D J; Werner, T; Ziegler, I; Rödl, W; Bacher, A; Gütlich, M
1996-01-01
The GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTP-CH) gene of the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum has been cloned and sequenced. The 855 bp cDNA of this gene contains the open reading frame (ORF) encoding 232 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of approx. 26 kDa. Southern blot analysis indicated the presence of a single gene for GTP-CH in Dictyostelium. PCR amplification of the ORF from chromosomal DNA and sequencing showed the existence of a 101 bp intron in the GTP-CH gene of Dictyostelium discoideum. The amino acid sequence has 47% and 49% positional identity to those of the human and yeast enzymes respectively. Most of the sequence variation between species is located in the N-terminal part of the protein. The overall identity with the E. coli protein is markedly lower. The enzyme was expressed in E. coli and purified as a 68 kDa fusion protein with the maltose-binding protein of E. coli. GTP-CH of Dictyostelium is heat-stable and showed maximal activity at 60 degrees C. The Km value for GTP is 50 microM. PMID:8870645
Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli for the biosynthesis of 2-pyrrolidone
Zhang, Jingwei; Kao, Emily; Wang, George; ...
2016-12-01
2-Pyrrolidone is a valuable bulk chemical with myriad applications as a solvent, polymer precursor and active pharmaceutical intermediate. A novel 2-pyrrolidone synthase, ORF27, from Streptomyces aizunensis was identified to catalyze the ring closing dehydration of γ-aminobutyrate. ORF27's tendency to aggregate was resolved by expression at low temperature and fusion to the maltose binding protein (MBP). Recombinant Escherichia coli was metabolically engineered for the production of 2-pyrrolidone from glutamate by expressing both the genes encoding GadB, a glutamate decarboxylase, and ORF27. Incorporation of a GadB mutant lacking H465 and T466, GadB_δHT, improved the efficiency of one-pot 2-pyrrolidone biosynthesis in vivo. Whenmore » the recombinant E. coli strain expressing the E. coli GadB_δHT mutant and the ORF27-MBP fusion was cultured in ZYM-5052 medium containing 9. g/L of l-glutamate, 7.7. g/L of l-glutamate was converted to 1.1. g/L of 2-pyrrolidone within 31. h, achieving 25% molar yield from the consumed substrate.« less
Effect of MSTN propeptide protein on the growth and development of Altay lamb muscle.
Du, W; Zhang, Y; Yang, J Z; Li, H B; Xia, J; Li, N; Zhang, J S; Yan, X M; Zhou, Z Y
2016-06-24
Prokaryotic expression technology was used to express maltose-binding protein binding myostatin (MSTN) propeptide fusion protein. Six disease-free Altay lambs were used in this study. The right leg gastrocnemii were injected with MSTN recombinant propeptide protein. The left leg gastrocnemii (the control group) were injected with the same dose of phosphate based saline. The lambs were fed during four months under the same conditions and then slaughtered. Gastrocnemius samples were hematoxylin-eosin stained and the size of the muscle fibers was measured. A real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed that single gastrocnemius cells in the experimental group had an average area of 1163.01 µm(2), while it was 845.09 µm(2) in the control group (P < 0.05). This indicates that the MSTN propeptide biological agents had an inhibitory effect on MSTN. In order to reveal its mechanism, RT-PCR was conducted to detect the expression of the differentiation-associated genes MyoD, Myf5, Myogenin, p21, and Smad3. The results showed that, in the MSTN propeptide biological agent injected group, expression levels of MSTN, Smad3, and p21 were lower than the control group, while Myf5, MyoD, and Myogenin were higher compared to the control group. This indicates that, when expression of the MSTN gene was inhibited, muscle cell differentiation and growth can be promoted by Smad3 up-regulated expression of Myf5, MyoD, and Myogenin.
Kawata, Tetsuhiro; Matsuo, Toshihiko; Uchida, Tetsuya
2014-01-01
Glass transition temperature is a main indicator for amorphous polymers and biological macromolecules as materials, and would be a key for understanding the role of trehalose in protecting proteins and cells against desiccation. In this study, we measured the glass transition temperature by differential scanning calorimetry of dried lens tissues as a model of a whole biological tissue to know the effect of pretreatment by trehalose and other sugars. Isolated porcine lenses were incubated with saline, 100 or 1000 mM concentration of trehalose, maltose, or cyclic tetrasaccharide dissolved in saline at room temperature for 150 minutes. The solutions were removed and all samples were dried at room temperature in a desiccator until no weight change. The dried tissues were ground into powder and placed in a measuring pan for differential scanning calorimetry. The glass transition temperature of the dried lens tissues, as a mean and standard deviation, was 63.0 ± 6.4°C (n = 3) with saline pretreatment; 53.0 ± 0.8°C and 56.3 ± 2.7°C (n = 3), respectively, with 100 and 1000 mM trehalose pretreatment; 56.0 ± 1.6°C and 55.8 ± 1.1°C (n = 3), respectively, with 100 and 1000 mM maltose pretreatment; 60.0 ± 8.8°C and 59.2 ± 6.3°C (n = 3), respectively, with 100 and 1000 mM cyclic tetrasaccharide pretreatment. The glass transition temperature appeared lower, although not significantly, with trehalose and maltose pretreatments than with saline and cyclic tetrasaccharide pretreatments (P > 0.05, Kruskal-Wallis test). The glass transition temperature of the dried lens tissues with trehalose pretreatment appeared more noticeable on the thermogram, compared with other pretreatments. The glass transition temperature was measured for the first time in the dried lens tissues as an example of a whole biological tissue and might provide a basis for tissue preservation in the dried condition.
Bouma, C L; Reizer, J; Reizer, A; Robrish, S A; Thompson, J
1997-01-01
The Fusobacterium mortiferum malH gene, encoding 6-phospho-alpha-glucosidase (maltose 6-phosphate hydrolase; EC 3.2.1.122), has been isolated, characterized, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The relative molecular weight of the polypeptide encoded by malH (441 residues; Mr of 49,718) was in agreement with the estimated value (approximately 49,000) obtained by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for the enzyme purified from F. mortiferum. The N-terminal sequence of the MalH protein obtained by Edman degradation corresponded to the first 32 amino acids deduced from the malH sequence. The enzyme produced by the strain carrying the cloned malH gene cleaved [U-14C]maltose 6-phosphate to glucose 6-phosphate (Glc6P) and glucose. The substrate analogs p-nitrophenyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside 6-phosphate (pNP alphaGlc6P) and 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside 6-phosphate (4MU alphaGlc6P) were hydrolyzed to yield Glc6P and the yellow p-nitrophenolate and fluorescent 4-methylumbelliferyl aglycons, respectively. The 6-phospho-alpha-glucosidase expressed in E. coli (like the enzyme purified from F. mortiferum) required Fe2+, Mn2+, Co2+, or Ni2+ for activity and was inhibited in air. Synthesis of maltose 6-phosphate hydrolase from the cloned malH gene in E. coli was modulated by addition of various sugars to the growth medium. Computer-based analyses of MalH and its homologs revealed that the phospho-alpha-glucosidase from F. mortiferum belongs to the seven-member family 4 of the glycosylhydrolase superfamily. The cloned 2.2-kb Sau3AI DNA fragment from F. mortiferum contained a second partial open reading frame of 83 residues (designated malB) that was located immediately upstream of malH. The high degree of sequence identity of MalB with IIB(Glc)-like proteins of the phosphoenol pyruvate dependent:sugar phosphotransferase system suggests participation of MalB in translocation of maltose and related alpha-glucosides in F. mortiferum. PMID:9209025
Gift, Syna Kuriakose; Leaman, Daniel P; Zhang, Lei; Kim, Arthur S; Zwick, Michael B
2017-12-15
The trimeric envelope glycoprotein spike (Env) of HIV-1 is the target of vaccine development to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Env trimer instability and heterogeneity in principle make subunit interfaces inconsistent targets for the immune response. Here, we investigate how functional stability of Env relates to neutralization sensitivity to V2 bnAbs and V3 crown antibodies that engage subunit interfaces upon binding to unliganded Env. Env heterogeneity was inferred when antibodies neutralized a mutant Env with a plateau of less than 100% neutralization. A statistically significant correlation was found between the stability of mutant Envs and the MPN of V2 bnAb, PG9, as well as an inverse correlation between stability of Env and neutralization by V3 crown antibody, 447-52D. A number of Env-stabilizing mutations and V2 bnAb-enhancing mutations were identified in Env, but they did not always overlap, indicating distinct requirements of functional stabilization versus antibody recognition. Blocking complex glycosylation of Env affected V2 bnAb recognition, as previously described, but also notably increased functional stability of Env. This study shows how instability and heterogeneity affect antibody sensitivity of HIV-1 Env, which is relevant to vaccine design involving its dynamic apex. IMPORTANCE The Env trimer is the only viral protein on the surface of HIV-1 and is the target of neutralizing antibodies that reduce viral infectivity. Quaternary epitopes at the apex of the spike are recognized by some of the most potent and broadly neutralizing antibodies to date. Being that their glycan-protein hybrid epitopes are at subunit interfaces, the resulting heterogeneity can lead to partial neutralization. Here, we screened for mutations in Env that allowed for complete neutralization by the bnAbs. We found that when mutations outside V2 increased V2 bnAb recognition, they often also increased Env stability-of-function and decreased binding by narrowly neutralizing antibodies to the V3 crown. Three mutations together increased neutralization by V2 bnAb and eliminated binding by V3 crown antibodies. These results may aid the design of immunogens that elicit antibodies to the trimer apex. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.
Gift, Syna Kuriakose; Leaman, Daniel P.; Zhang, Lei; Kim, Arthur S.
2017-01-01
ABSTRACT The trimeric envelope glycoprotein spike (Env) of HIV-1 is the target of vaccine development to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Env trimer instability and heterogeneity in principle make subunit interfaces inconsistent targets for the immune response. Here, we investigate how functional stability of Env relates to neutralization sensitivity to V2 bnAbs and V3 crown antibodies that engage subunit interfaces upon binding to unliganded Env. Env heterogeneity was inferred when antibodies neutralized a mutant Env with a plateau of less than 100% neutralization. A statistically significant correlation was found between the stability of mutant Envs and the MPN of V2 bnAb, PG9, as well as an inverse correlation between stability of Env and neutralization by V3 crown antibody, 447-52D. A number of Env-stabilizing mutations and V2 bnAb-enhancing mutations were identified in Env, but they did not always overlap, indicating distinct requirements of functional stabilization versus antibody recognition. Blocking complex glycosylation of Env affected V2 bnAb recognition, as previously described, but also notably increased functional stability of Env. This study shows how instability and heterogeneity affect antibody sensitivity of HIV-1 Env, which is relevant to vaccine design involving its dynamic apex. IMPORTANCE The Env trimer is the only viral protein on the surface of HIV-1 and is the target of neutralizing antibodies that reduce viral infectivity. Quaternary epitopes at the apex of the spike are recognized by some of the most potent and broadly neutralizing antibodies to date. Being that their glycan-protein hybrid epitopes are at subunit interfaces, the resulting heterogeneity can lead to partial neutralization. Here, we screened for mutations in Env that allowed for complete neutralization by the bnAbs. We found that when mutations outside V2 increased V2 bnAb recognition, they often also increased Env stability-of-function and decreased binding by narrowly neutralizing antibodies to the V3 crown. Three mutations together increased neutralization by V2 bnAb and eliminated binding by V3 crown antibodies. These results may aid the design of immunogens that elicit antibodies to the trimer apex. PMID:28978711
Identification of a novel heteroglycan-interacting protein, HIP 1.3, from Arabidopsis thaliana.
Fettke, Joerg; Nunes-Nesi, Adriano; Fernie, Alisdair R; Steup, Martin
2011-08-15
Plastidial degradation of transitory starch yields mainly maltose and glucose. Following the export into the cytosol, maltose acts as donor for a glucosyl transfer to cytosolic heteroglycans as mediated by a cytosolic transglucosidase (DPE2; EC 2.4.1.25) and the second glucosyl residue is liberated as glucose. The cytosolic phosphorylase (Pho2/PHS2; EC 2.4.1.1) also interacts with heteroglycans using the same intramolecular sites as DPE2. Thus, the two glucosyl transferases interconnect the cytosolic pools of glucose and glucose 1-phosphate. Due to the complex monosaccharide pattern, other heteroglycan-interacting proteins (HIPs) are expected to exist. Identification of those proteins was approached by using two types of affinity chromatography. Heteroglycans from leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana (Col-0) covalently bound to Sepharose served as ligands that were reacted with a complex mixture of buffer-soluble proteins from Arabidopsis leaves. Binding proteins were eluted by sodium chloride. For identification, SDS-PAGE, tryptic digestion and MALDI-TOF analyses were applied. A strongly interacting polypeptide (approximately 40kDa; designated as HIP1.3) was observed as product of locus At1g09340. Arabidopsis mutants deficient in HIP1.3 were reduced in growth and contained heteroglycans displaying an altered monosaccharide pattern. Wild type plants express HIP1.3 most strongly in leaves. As revealed by immuno fluorescence, HIP1.3 is located in the cytosol of mesophyll cells but mostly associated with the cytosolic surface of the chloroplast envelope membranes. In an HIP1.3-deficient mutant the immunosignal was undetectable. Metabolic profiles from leaves of this mutant and wild type plants as well were determined by GC-MS. As compared to the wild type control, more than ten metabolites, such as ascorbic acid, fructose, fructose bisphosphate, glucose, glycine, were elevated in darkness but decreased in the light. Although the biochemical function of HIP1.3 has not yet been elucidated, it is likely to possess an important function in the central carbon metabolism of higher plants. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
Synthesis and characterization of maltose-based amphiphiles as supramolecular hydrogelators.
Clemente, María J; Fitremann, Juliette; Mauzac, Monique; Serrano, José L; Oriol, Luis
2011-12-20
Low molecular mass amphiphilic glycolipids have been prepared by linking a maltose polar head and a hydrophobic linear chain either by amidation or copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne [3 + 2] cycloaddition. The liquid crystalline properties of these amphiphilic materials have been characterized. The influence of the chemical structure of these glycolipids on the gelation properties in water has also been studied. Glycolipids obtained by the click coupling of the two components give rise to stable hydrogels at room temperature. The fibrillar structure of supramolecular hydrogels obtained by the self-assembly of these gelators have been characterized by electron microscopy. Fibers showed some torsion, which could be related with a chiral supramolecular arrangement of amphiphiles, as confirmed by circular dichroism (CD). The sol-gel transition temperature was also determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and NMR. © 2011 American Chemical Society
vanKuyk, Patricia A; Benen, Jaques A E; Wösten, Han A B; Visser, Jaap; de Vries, Ronald P
2012-01-01
AmyR is commonly considered a regulator of starch degradation whose activity is induced by the presence of maltose, the disaccharide building block of starch. In this study, we demonstrate that the role of AmyR extends beyond starch degradation. Enzyme activity assays, genes expression analysis and growth profiling on D-glucose- and D-galactose-containing oligo- and polysaccharides showed that AmyR regulates the expression of some of the Aspergillus niger genes encoding α- and β-glucosidases, α- and β- galactosidases, as well as genes encoding α-amlyases and glucoamylases. In addition, we provide evidence that D-glucose or a metabolic product thereof may be the inducer of the AmyR system in A. niger and not maltose, as is commonly assumed.
Exposure to Glycolytic Carbon Sources Reveals a Novel Layer of Regulation for the MalT Regulon
Reimann, Sylvia A.; Wolfe, Alan J.
2011-01-01
Bacteria adapt to changing environments by means of tightly coordinated regulatory circuits. The use of synthetic lethality, a genetic phenomenon in which the combination of two nonlethal mutations causes cell death, facilitates identification and study of such circuitry. In this study, we show that the E. coli ompR malT con double mutant exhibits a synthetic lethal phenotype that is environmentally conditional. MalTcon, the constitutively active form of the maltose system regulator MalT, causes elevated expression of the outer membrane porin LamB, which leads to death in the absence of the osmoregulator OmpR. However, the presence and metabolism of glycolytic carbon sources, such as sorbitol, promotes viability and unveils a novel layer of regulation within the complex circuitry that controls maltose transport and metabolism. PMID:21912549
Exposure to Glycolytic Carbon Sources Reveals a Novel Layer of Regulation for the MalT Regulon.
Reimann, Sylvia A; Wolfe, Alan J
2011-01-01
Bacteria adapt to changing environments by means of tightly coordinated regulatory circuits. The use of synthetic lethality, a genetic phenomenon in which the combination of two nonlethal mutations causes cell death, facilitates identification and study of such circuitry. In this study, we show that the E. coli ompR malT(con) double mutant exhibits a synthetic lethal phenotype that is environmentally conditional. MalT(con), the constitutively active form of the maltose system regulator MalT, causes elevated expression of the outer membrane porin LamB, which leads to death in the absence of the osmoregulator OmpR. However, the presence and metabolism of glycolytic carbon sources, such as sorbitol, promotes viability and unveils a novel layer of regulation within the complex circuitry that controls maltose transport and metabolism.
STREPTOCOCCI OCCURRING IN SOUR MILK
Jones, F. S.
1921-01-01
A well defined group of rod-like and coccoid organisms arranged in pairs and chains has been encountered in sour milk. The group comprises at least three species; the largest number ferment dextrose, lactose, maltose, mannitol, and salicin, and fail to ferment saccharose, raffinose, and inulin. A smaller number ferment saccharose in addition to dextrose, lactose, maltose, mannitol, and salicin. A few fail to attack mannitol. All three types grow luxuriantly at room temperature, coagulate milk, reduce litmus, and produce large amounts of acid in fermented bouillon containing dextrose. Specific morphological and cultural differences exist between the lactic acid streptococci and those associated with mastitis and those occurring in the udder. The lactic acid organisms outgrow the udder streptococci in the milk-souring process. When both types are implanted in sterile milk the udder type soon disappears. PMID:19868477
Behavioural responses of the snail Lymnaea acuminata to carbohydrates in snail-attractant pellets
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Tiwari, Farindra; Singh, D. K.
Snail control is one of the most important tools in the campaign to reduce the incidence of fascioliasis. In order to attain this objective, the method of bait formulation in order to contain an attractant and a molluscicide is an expedient approach to lure the target snail population to the molluscicide. This study identifies certain carbohydrates, namely sucrose, maltose, glucose, fructose and starch, for preparing such baits. These were tested on Lymnaea acuminata, an intermediate host of the digenean trematodes Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. The behavioural responses of snails to these carbohydrates were examined. Significant variations in behavioural responses were observed in the snail even when the five carbohydrates were used in low concentrations in snail-attractant pellets. Starch emerged as the strongest attractant for Lymnaea acuminata, followed by maltose.
Venturi, Manuel; Guerrini, Simona; Vincenzini, Massimo
2012-08-01
The microbiota occurring in all the manufacturing phases of two Italian sourdough sweet-leavened baked goods (a typical Genoese dry biscuit, Lagaccio, and a soft stuffed North Italian typical cake, Panettone) were investigated over a period of three years. The two sourdough mother sponges were characterized by the stable presence of three dominant microbial species in potential competition for carbohydrates: Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, Candida milleri, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genotypic and phenotypic characterizations of microbial isolates pointed out that each mother sponge harbored its own strains, well distinguishable by molecular methods of analysis but not differing in their main metabolic properties from those known for the corresponding species. The microbial and biochemical evolution during the whole production protocol of both manufactures demonstrated that the three microbial species grew at almost the same growth rates, without exhausting any of the main carbon substrates (maltose, glucose and fructose). The quite similar growth dynamics under practical conditions and the constant presence of all fermentable carbohydrates were recognized as responsible for the stable non competitive association of maltose-positive and maltose-negative species in both sourdoughs. However, the two sourdoughs were characterized by quite different LAB to yeast ratio, with values significantly higher in Panettone than in Lagaccio. The cause of this difference could mainly be ascribed to the temperature of the mother sponge regeneration phase, that, in the case of Panettone manufacture, occurred under conditions of moderate refrigeration. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Kaplon, Rachelle E; Hill, Sierra D; Bispham, Nina Z; Santos-Parker, Jessica R; Nowlan, Molly J; Snyder, Laura L; Chonchol, Michel; LaRocca, Thomas J; McQueen, Matthew B; Seals, Douglas R
2016-06-01
We hypothesized that supplementation with trehalose, a disaccharide that reverses arterial aging in mice, would improve vascular function in middle-aged and older (MA/O) men and women. Thirty-two healthy adults aged 50-77 years consumed 100 g/day of trehalose (n=15) or maltose (n=17, isocaloric control) for 12 weeks (randomized, double-blind). In subjects with Δbody mass less than 2.3kg (5 lb.), resistance artery endothelial function, assessed by forearm blood flow to brachial artery infusion of acetylcholine (FBFACh), increased ~30% with trehalose (13.3±1.0 vs. 10.5±1.1 AUC, P=0.02), but not maltose (P=0.40). This improvement in FBFACh was abolished when endothelial nitric oxide (NO) production was inhibited. Endothelium-independent dilation, assessed by FBF to sodium nitroprusside (FBFSNP), also increased ~30% with trehalose (155±13 vs. 116±12 AUC, P=0.03) but not maltose (P=0.92). Changes in FBFACh and FBFSNP with trehalose were not significant when subjects with Δbody mass ≥ 2.3kg were included. Trehalose supplementation had no effect on conduit artery endothelial function, large elastic artery stiffness or circulating markers of oxidative stress or inflammation (all P>0.1) independent of changes in body weight. Our findings demonstrate that oral trehalose improves resistance artery (microvascular) function, a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, in MA/O adults, possibly through increasing NO bioavailability and smooth muscle sensitivity to NO.
Kaplon, Rachelle E.; Hill, Sierra D.; Bispham, Nina Z.; Santos-Parker, Jessica R.; Nowlan, Molly J.; Snyder, Laura L.; Chonchol, Michel; LaRocca, Thomas J.; McQueen, Matthew B.; Seals, Douglas R.
2016-01-01
We hypothesized that supplementation with trehalose, a disaccharide that reverses arterial aging in mice, would improve vascular function in middle-aged and older (MA/O) men and women. Thirty-two healthy adults aged 50-77 years consumed 100 g/day of trehalose (n=15) or maltose (n=17, isocaloric control) for 12 weeks (randomized, double-blind). In subjects with Δbody mass<2.3kg (5 lb.), resistance artery endothelial function, assessed by forearm blood flow to brachial artery infusion of acetylcholine (FBFACh), increased ∼30% with trehalose (13.3±1.0 vs. 10.5±1.1 AUC, P=0.02), but not maltose (P=0.40). This improvement in FBFACh was abolished when endothelial nitric oxide (NO) production was inhibited. Endothelium-independent dilation, assessed by FBF to sodium nitroprusside (FBFSNP), also increased ∼30% with trehalose (155±13 vs. 116±12 AUC, P=0.03) but not maltose (P=0.92). Changes in FBFACh and FBFSNP with trehalose were not significant when subjects with Δbody mass≥2.3kg were included. Trehalose supplementation had no effect on conduit artery endothelial function, large elastic artery stiffness or circulating markers of oxidative stress or inflammation (all P>0.1) independent of changes in body weight. Our findings demonstrate that oral trehalose improves resistance artery (microvascular) function, a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, in MA/O adults, possibly through increasing NO bioavailability and smooth muscle sensitivity to NO. PMID:27208415
Kahar, Ummirul Mukminin; Chan, Kok-Gan; Salleh, Madihah Md.; Hii, Siew Mee; Goh, Kian Mau
2013-01-01
An amylopullulanase of the thermophilic Anoxybacillus sp. SK3-4 (ApuASK) was purified to homogeneity and characterized. Though amylopullulanases larger than 200 kDa are rare, the molecular mass of purified ApuASK appears to be approximately 225 kDa, on both SDS-PAGE analyses and native-PAGE analyses. ApuASK was stable between pH 6.0 and pH 8.0 and exhibited optimal activity at pH 7.5. The optimal temperature for ApuASK enzyme activity was 60 °C, and it retained 54% of its total activity for 240 min at 65 °C. ApuASK reacts with pullulan, starch, glycogen, and dextrin, yielding glucose, maltose, and maltotriose. Interestingly, most of the previously described amylopullulanases are unable to produce glucose and maltose from these substrates. Thus, ApuASK is a novel, high molecular-mass amylopullulanase able to produce glucose, maltose, and maltotriose from pullulan and starch. Based on whole genome sequencing data, ApuASK appeared to be the largest protein present in Anoxybacillus sp. SK3-4. The α-amylase catalytic domain present in all of the amylase superfamily members is present in ApuASK, located between the cyclodextrin (CD)-pullulan-degrading N-terminus and the α-amylase catalytic C-terminus (amyC) domains. In addition, the existence of a S-layer homology (SLH) domain indicates that ApuASK might function as a cell-anchoring enzyme and be important for carbohydrate utilization in a streaming hot spring. PMID:23759984
Ganesan, M; Jayabalan, N
2005-10-01
Highly reproducible and simple protocol for cotton somatic embryogenesis is described here by using different concentrations of maltose, glucose, sucrose and fructose. Maltose (30 g/l) is the best carbon source for embryogenic callus induction and glucose (30 g/l) was suitable for induction, maturation of embryoids and plant regeneration. Creamy white embryogenic calli of hypocotyl explants were formed on medium containing MS basal salts, myo-inositol (100 mg/l), thiamine HCI (0.3 mg/l), picloram (0.3 mg/l), Kin (0.1 mg/l) and maltose (30 g/l). During embryo induction and maturation, accelerated growth was observed in liquid medium containing NH3NO4 (1 g/l), picloram (2.0 mg/l), 2 ip (0.2 mg/l), Kin (0.1 mg/l) and glucose (30 g/l). Before embryoid induction, large clumps of embryogenic tissue were formed. These tissues only produced viable embryoids. Completely matured somatic embryos were germinated successfully on the medium fortified with MS salts, myo-inositol (50 mg/l), thiamine HCl (0.2 mg/l), GA3 (0.2 mg/l), BA (1.0 mg/l) and glucose (30 g/l). Compared with earlier reports, 65% of somatic embryo germination was observed. The abnormal embryo formation was highly reduced by using glucose (30 g/l) compared to other carbon sources. The regenerated plantlets were fertile but smaller in height than the seed derived control plants.
Overexpression of ERβ is sufficient to inhibit hypoxia-inducible factor-1 transactivation
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Park, Choa; Lee, YoungJoo, E-mail: yjlee@sejong.ac.kr
2014-07-18
Highlights: • We examined the effect of ERβ specific ligand on HIF-1 inhibition. • DPN down-regulates the ARNT protein levels in PC3 cells. • DPN did not show additional effect in ERβ transfected MCF-7 cells. • Our study shows that unliganded ERβ is sufficient to inhibit HIF-1 in systems of overexpression. - Abstract: Estrogen receptor (ER) β is predicted to play an important role in the prevention of breast cancer development and progression. We have previously shown that ERβ suppresses hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1-mediated transcription through aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) degradation via ubiquitination processes. In this study, wemore » attempted to examine the effect of ERβ specific ligand on HIF-1 inhibition in ERβ positive PC3 cells and ERβ transfected MCF-7 cells. ERβ specific agonist diarylpropionitrile (DPN) stimulated estrogen response element (ERE)-luciferase activity in a similar fashion to estradiol in PC3 cells. We observed that DPN down-regulates the ARNT protein levels leading to an attenuation of hypoxia-induced hypoxia response element (HRE)-driven luciferase reporter gene activation in PC3 cells. Treatment of DPN reduced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and co-treatment with ERβ specific antagonist PHTPP abrogated the effect in PC3 cells. We then examined the effect of DPN in ERβ transfected MCF-7 cells. HIF-1 transcriptional activity repression by ERβ was not further reduced by DPN, as examined by HRE-driven luciferase assays. Expression of ERβ significantly decreased VEGF secretion and ARNT expression under hypoxic conditions. However, DPN did not additionally affect this suppression in MCF-7 cells transfected with ERβ. This result shows that unliganded ERβ is sufficient to inhibit HIF-1 in systems of overexpression.« less
JavanMoghadam, Sonia; Weihua, Zhang; Hunt, Kelly K.; Keyomarsi, Khandan
2016-01-01
ABSTRACT Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) has been implicated in several cell cycle regulatory events and is an important predictive marker of disease outcome in breast cancer patients. Here, we aimed to elucidate the mechanism through which ERα influences proliferation in breast cancer cells. Our results show that ERα protein is cell cycle-regulated in human breast cancer cells and that the presence of 17-β-estradiol (E2) in the culture medium shortened the cell cycle significantly (by 4.5 hours, P < 0.05) compared with unliganded conditions. The alterations in cell cycle duration were observed in the S and G2/M phases, whereas the G1 phase was indistinguishable under liganded and unliganded conditions. In addition, ERα knockdown in MCF-7 cells accelerated mitotic exit, whereas transfection of ERα-negative MDA-MB-231 cells with exogenous ERα significantly shortened the S and G2/M phases (by 9.1 hours, P < 0.05) compared with parental cells. Finally, treatment of MCF-7 cells with antiestrogens revealed that tamoxifen yields a slower cell cycle progression through the S and G2/M phases than fulvestrant does, presumably because of the destabilizing effect of fulvestrant on ERα protein. Together, these results show that ERα modulates breast cancer cell proliferation by regulating events during the S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle in a ligand-dependent fashion. These results provide the rationale for an effective treatment strategy that includes a cell cycle inhibitor in combination with a drug that lowers estrogen levels, such as an aromatase inhibitor, and an antiestrogen that does not result in the degradation of ERα, such as tamoxifen. PMID:27049344
JavanMoghadam, Sonia; Weihua, Zhang; Hunt, Kelly K; Keyomarsi, Khandan
2016-06-17
Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) has been implicated in several cell cycle regulatory events and is an important predictive marker of disease outcome in breast cancer patients. Here, we aimed to elucidate the mechanism through which ERα influences proliferation in breast cancer cells. Our results show that ERα protein is cell cycle-regulated in human breast cancer cells and that the presence of 17-β-estradiol (E2) in the culture medium shortened the cell cycle significantly (by 4.5 hours, P < 0.05) compared with unliganded conditions. The alterations in cell cycle duration were observed in the S and G2/M phases, whereas the G1 phase was indistinguishable under liganded and unliganded conditions. In addition, ERα knockdown in MCF-7 cells accelerated mitotic exit, whereas transfection of ERα-negative MDA-MB-231 cells with exogenous ERα significantly shortened the S and G2/M phases (by 9.1 hours, P < 0.05) compared with parental cells. Finally, treatment of MCF-7 cells with antiestrogens revealed that tamoxifen yields a slower cell cycle progression through the S and G2/M phases than fulvestrant does, presumably because of the destabilizing effect of fulvestrant on ERα protein. Together, these results show that ERα modulates breast cancer cell proliferation by regulating events during the S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle in a ligand-dependent fashion. These results provide the rationale for an effective treatment strategy that includes a cell cycle inhibitor in combination with a drug that lowers estrogen levels, such as an aromatase inhibitor, and an antiestrogen that does not result in the degradation of ERα, such as tamoxifen.
Figuerola, F E; Estévez, A M; Castillo, E
1987-06-01
The feasibility of adding chick-pea flour substituting part of wheat flour in yeast-leavened bread-making in order to increase the protein value, was studied. A 70% extraction chick-pea flour of commercial granulometry (150 mu) was prepared. Wheat flours of 74% and 78% extraction were then blended with 5%, 10% and 15% of chick-pea flour. Every flour and blend were subsequently analyzed to determine protein, ash, fiber, fat and maltose content, as well as sedimentation, farinogram and bread-making. Addition of chick-pea flour increased protein, fiber, ash and fat content in the blends, not causing a severe effect on quality, even at the 15% level of substitution. Blends showed an increase in maltose content, W value and bread specific volume. Furthermore, breads prepared were of good quality even without the use of maturing agents.
Production of UC-labeled gas in BACTEC Neisseria Differentiation kits by Neisseria cinerea
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Boyce, J.M.; Mitchell, E.B. Jr.; Knapp, J.S.
1985-09-01
Six strains of Neisseria cinerea were tested in BACTEC Neisseria Differentiation kits (Johnston Laboratories, Inc., Towson, Md.), and all yielded positive glucose growth indices and negative maltose and fructose growth indices. These results were similar to those achieved with Neisseria gonorrhoeae. However, most of the N. cinerea isolates tested yielded 3-h glucose growth indices that were lower than those obtained with gonococci. UC-labeled gas was produced significantly faster by N. gonorrhoeae than by N. cinerea. Additional studies suggested that the UC-labeled gas produced by N. cinerea was carbon dioxide. N. cinerea strains were similar to Branhamella catarrhalis strains because bothmore » species failed to produce detectable acid from glucose, maltose, sucrose, fructose, and lactose in cysteine-tryptic agar media. However, in contrast to N. cinerea strains, B. catarrhalis strains did not metabolize glucose in BACTEC Neisseria Differentiation kits.« less
Enhanced acarbose production by Streptomyces M37 using a two-stage fermentation strategy.
Ren, Fei; Chen, Long; Xiong, Shuangli; Tong, Qunyi
2017-01-01
In this work, we investigated the effect of pH on Streptomyces M37 growth and its acarbose biosynthesis ability. We observed that low pH was beneficial for cell growth, whereas high pH favored acarbose synthesis. Moreover, addition of glucose and maltose to the fermentation medium after 72 h of cultivation promoted acarbose production. Based on these results, a two-stage fermentation strategy was developed to improve acarbose production. Accordingly, pH was kept at 7.0 during the first 72 h and switched to 8.0 after that. At the same time, glucose and maltose were fed to increase acarbose accumulation. With this strategy, we achieved an acarbose titer of 6210 mg/L, representing an 85.7% increase over traditional batch fermentation without pH control. Finally, we determined that the increased acarbose production was related to the high activity of glutamate dehydrogenase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase.
Enhanced acarbose production by Streptomyces M37 using a two-stage fermentation strategy
Ren, Fei; Chen, Long; Xiong, Shuangli; Tong, Qunyi
2017-01-01
In this work, we investigated the effect of pH on Streptomyces M37 growth and its acarbose biosynthesis ability. We observed that low pH was beneficial for cell growth, whereas high pH favored acarbose synthesis. Moreover, addition of glucose and maltose to the fermentation medium after 72 h of cultivation promoted acarbose production. Based on these results, a two-stage fermentation strategy was developed to improve acarbose production. Accordingly, pH was kept at 7.0 during the first 72 h and switched to 8.0 after that. At the same time, glucose and maltose were fed to increase acarbose accumulation. With this strategy, we achieved an acarbose titer of 6210 mg/L, representing an 85.7% increase over traditional batch fermentation without pH control. Finally, we determined that the increased acarbose production was related to the high activity of glutamate dehydrogenase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase. PMID:28234967
Smart phone: a popular device supports amylase activity assay in fisheries research.
Thongprajukaew, Karun; Choodum, Aree; Sa-E, Barunee; Hayee, Ummah
2014-11-15
Colourimetric determinations of amylase activity were developed based on a standard dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) staining method, using maltose as the analyte. Intensities and absorbances of red, green and blue (RGB) were obtained with iPhone imaging and Adobe Photoshop image analysis. Correlation of green and analyte concentrations was highly significant, and the accuracy of the developed method was excellent in analytical performance. The common iPhone has sufficient imaging ability for accurate quantification of maltose concentrations. Detection limits, sensitivity and linearity were comparable to a spectrophotometric method, but provided better inter-day precision. In quantifying amylase specific activity from a commercial source (P>0.02) and fish samples (P>0.05), differences compared with spectrophotometric measurements were not significant. We have demonstrated that iPhone imaging with image analysis in Adobe Photoshop has potential for field and laboratory studies of amylase. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Vidgren, Virve; Londesborough, John
2018-05-31
Plain and fluorescently tagged versions of Agt1, Mtt1 and Malx1 maltose transporters were over-expressed in two laboratory yeasts and one lager yeast. The plain and tagged versions of each transporter supported similar transport activities, indicating that they are similarly trafficked and have similar catalytic activities. When they were expressed under the control of the strong constitutive PGK1 promoter only minor proportions of the fluorescent transporters were associated with the plasma membrane, the rest being found in intracellular structures. Transport activity of each tagged transporter in each host was roughly proportional to the plasma membrane-associated fluorescence. All three transporters were subject to glucose-triggered inactivation when the medium glucose concentration was abruptly raised. Results also suggest competition between endogenous and over-expressed transporters for access to the plasma membrane. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Protective effect of natural honey against acetic acid-induced colitis in rats.
Mahgoub, A A; el-Medany, A H; Hagar, H H; Sabah, D M
2002-01-01
The protective effects of natural honey against acetic acid-induced colitis were investigated in rats. Honey and glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose mixture were administered, orally and rectally, daily for a period of 4 days. Induction of colitis was done on the third day using 3% acetic acid. Animals were killed on day 4 two hours after administration of the dose and colonic biopsies were taken for macroscopic scoring, histopathological and biochemical studies. Honey dose-dependently afforded protection against acetic acid-induced colonic damage. There was almost 100% protection with the highest dose (5 g/kg) used while glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose mixture produced no significant protective effect. Also, honey prevented the depletion of the antioxidant enzymes reduced glutathione and catalase and restored the lipid peroxide malondialdehyde towards normal levels. Further studies are required to explore the active ingredients responsible for the antioxidant effect of honey and its therapeutic potential in humans.
Donnini, C; Lodi, T; Ferrero, I; Puglisi, P P
1992-02-01
The IMP2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is involved in the nucleo-mitochondrial control of maltose, galactose and raffinose utilization as shown by the inability of imp2 mutants to grow on these carbon sources in respiratory-deficient conditions or in the presence of ethidium bromide and erythromycin. The negative phenotype cannot be scored in the presence of inhibitors of respiration and oxidative phosphorylation, indicating that the role of the mitochondria in the utilization of the above-mentioned carbon sources in imp2 mutants is not at the energetical level. Mutations in the IMP2 gene also confer many phenotypic alterations in respiratory-sufficient conditions, e.g. leaky phenotype on oxidizable carbon sources, sensitivity to heat shock and sporulation deficiency. The IMP2 gene has been cloned, sequenced and disrupted. The phenotype of null imp2 mutants is indistinguishable from that of the originally isolated mutant.
The Plasmodium falciparum exported protein PF3D7_0402000 binds to erythrocyte ankyrin and band 4.1
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Shakya, Bikash; Penn, Wesley D.; Nakayasu, Ernesto S.
Plasmodium falciparum extensively modifies the infected red blood cell (RBC), resulting in changes in deformability, shape and surface properties. These alterations suggest that the RBC cytoskeleton is a major target for modification during infection. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to these changes are largely unknown. To begin to address this question, we screened for exported P. falciparum proteins that bound to the erythrocyte cytoskeleton proteins ankyrin 1 (ANK1) and band 4.1 (4.1R), which form critical interactions with other cytoskeletal proteins that contribute to the deformability and stability of RBCs. Yeast two-hybrid screens with ANK1 and 4.1R identified eight interactions withmore » P. falciparum exported proteins, including an interaction between 4.1R and PF3D7_0402000 (PFD0090c). This interaction was first identified in a large-scale screen (Vignali et al., Malaria J, 7:211, 2008), which also reported an interaction between PF3D7_0402000 and ANK1. We confirmed the interactions of PF3D7_0402000 with 4.1R and ANK1 in pair-wise yeast two-hybrid and co-precipitation assays. In both cases, an intact PHIST domain in PF3D7_0402000 was required for binding. Complex purification followed by mass spectrometry analysis provided additional support for the interaction of PF3D7_0402000 with ANK1 and 4.1R. RBC ghost cells loaded with maltose-binding protein (MBP)-PF3D7_0402000 passed through a metal microsphere column less efficiently than mock- or MBP-loaded controls, consistent with an effect of PF3D7_0402000 on RBC rigidity or membrane stability. This study confirmed the interaction of PF3D7_0402000 with 4.1R in multiple independent assays, provided the first evidence that PF3D7_0402000 also binds to ANK1, and suggested that PF3D7_0402000 affects deformability or membrane stability of uninfected RBC ghosts.« less
Ranjani, Velayudhan; Janeček, Štefan; Chai, Kian Piaw; Shahir, Shafinaz; Rahman, Raja Noor Zaliha Raja Abdul; Chan, Kok-Gan; Goh, Kian Mau
2014-01-01
The α-amylases from Anoxybacillus species (ASKA and ADTA), Bacillus aquimaris (BaqA) and Geobacillus thermoleovorans (GTA, Pizzo and GtamyII) were proposed as a novel group of the α-amylase family GH13. An ASKA yielding a high percentage of maltose upon its reaction on starch was chosen as a model to study the residues responsible for the biochemical properties. Four residues from conserved sequence regions (CSRs) were thus selected, and the mutants F113V (CSR-I), Y187F and L189I (CSR-II) and A161D (CSR-V) were characterised. Few changes in the optimum reaction temperature and pH were observed for all mutants. Whereas the Y187F (t1/2 43 h) and L189I (t1/2 36 h) mutants had a lower thermostability at 65°C than the native ASKA (t1/2 48 h), the mutants F113V and A161D exhibited an improved t1/2 of 51 h and 53 h, respectively. Among the mutants, only the A161D had a specific activity, kcat and kcat/Km higher (1.23-, 1.17- and 2.88-times, respectively) than the values determined for the ASKA. The replacement of the Ala-161 in the CSR-V with an aspartic acid also caused a significant reduction in the ratio of maltose formed. This finding suggests the Ala-161 may contribute to the high maltose production of the ASKA. PMID:25069018
The History of Maltose-active Disaccharidases.
Lentze, Michael J
2018-06-01
The history of maltose-active disaccharidases is closely related to the history of the sugar and starch industry. It began in the 19th century, when a shortage of cane sugar occurred in continental Europe, because Napoleon Bonaparte decreed that no goods could be imported from England to the countries he occupied. Other sugar sources had to be found, and it led to the identification of sugar beets as alternative source of sugar by Marggraf in 1774, to the detection of starch hydrolysis by diluted sulfuric acid by Kirchhoff in 1812, and to the starch digestion enzyme, α-amylase, by Payen in 1833. In the 20th century, Borkström's group in Sweden investigated the absorption of nutrients in human adults by transintubation techniques and found that the luminal concentration of invertase was small compared to that of α-amylase. They speculated that the major locus of this enzyme activity must be in the intestinal cells. Borkström's coworker, Dahlqvist, investigated the maltose-active enzymes in pig intestine, and a second group around Semenza studied the maltase-active enzymes in rabbit intestine. After the first descriptions of congenital sucrase-isomaltase deficiency in 1960 and 1961, the research on disaccharidases increased. Dahlqvist published the first quantitative method to measure these enzymes. Consecutive research led to the discovery of 4 maltases, which were later identified as 2 complex enzymes: the sucrase-isomaltase complex and the maltase-glucoamylase complex. The homology of the 2 enzyme complexes was later determined when the cDNA sequences of the 2 complexes in human intestine were identified.
Lee, Han-Seung; Shockley, Keith R.; Schut, Gerrit J.; Conners, Shannon B.; Montero, Clemente I.; Johnson, Matthew R.; Chou, Chung-Jung; Bridger, Stephanie L.; Wigner, Nathan; Brehm, Scott D.; Jenney, Francis E.; Comfort, Donald A.; Kelly, Robert M.; Adams, Michael W. W.
2006-01-01
Pyrococcus furiosus utilizes starch and its degradation products, such as maltose, as primary carbon sources, but the pathways by which these α-glucans are processed have yet to be defined. For example, its genome contains genes proposed to encode five amylolytic enzymes (including a cyclodextrin glucanotransferase [CGTase] and amylopullulanase), as well as two transporters for maltose and maltodextrins (Mal-I and Mal-II), and a range of intracellular enzymes have been purified that reportedly metabolize maltodextrins and maltose. However, precisely which of these enzymes are involved in starch processing is not clear. In this study, starch metabolism in P. furiosus was examined by biochemical analyses in conjunction with global transcriptional response data for cells grown on a variety of glucans. In addition, DNA sequencing led to the correction of two key errors in the genome sequence, and these change the predicted properties of amylopullulanase (now designated PF1935*) and CGTase (PF0478*). Based on all of these data, a pathway is proposed that is specific for starch utilization that involves one transporter (Mal-II [PF1933 to PF1939]) and only three enzymes, amylopullulanase (PF1935*), 4-α-glucanotransferase (PF0272), and maltodextrin phosphorylase (PF1535). Their expression is upregulated on starch, and together they generate glucose and glucose-1-phosphate, which then feed into the novel glycolytic pathway of this organism. In addition, the results indicate that several hypothetical proteins encoded by three gene clusters are also involved in the transport and processing of α-glucan substrates by P. furiosus. PMID:16513741
Wells, Stephen A; van der Kamp, Marc W; McGeagh, John D; Mulholland, Adrian J
2015-01-01
Large-scale conformational change is a common feature in the catalytic cycles of enzymes. Many enzymes function as homodimers with active sites that contain elements from both chains. Symmetric and anti-symmetric cooperative motions in homodimers can potentially lead to correlated active site opening and/or closure, likely to be important for ligand binding and release. Here, we examine such motions in two different domain-swapped homodimeric enzymes: the DcpS scavenger decapping enzyme and citrate synthase. We use and compare two types of all-atom simulations: conventional molecular dynamics simulations to identify physically meaningful conformational ensembles, and rapid geometric simulations of flexible motion, biased along normal mode directions, to identify relevant motions encoded in the protein structure. The results indicate that the opening/closure motions are intrinsic features of both unliganded enzymes. In DcpS, conformational change is dominated by an anti-symmetric cooperative motion, causing one active site to close as the other opens; however a symmetric motion is also significant. In CS, we identify that both symmetric (suggested by crystallography) and asymmetric motions are features of the protein structure, and as a result the behaviour in solution is largely non-cooperative. The agreement between two modelling approaches using very different levels of theory indicates that the behaviours are indeed intrinsic to the protein structures. Geometric simulations correctly identify and explore large amplitudes of motion, while molecular dynamics simulations indicate the ranges of motion that are energetically feasible. Together, the simulation approaches are able to reveal unexpected functionally relevant motions, and highlight differences between enzymes.
McGeagh, John D.; Mulholland, Adrian J.
2015-01-01
Large-scale conformational change is a common feature in the catalytic cycles of enzymes. Many enzymes function as homodimers with active sites that contain elements from both chains. Symmetric and anti-symmetric cooperative motions in homodimers can potentially lead to correlated active site opening and/or closure, likely to be important for ligand binding and release. Here, we examine such motions in two different domain-swapped homodimeric enzymes: the DcpS scavenger decapping enzyme and citrate synthase. We use and compare two types of all-atom simulations: conventional molecular dynamics simulations to identify physically meaningful conformational ensembles, and rapid geometric simulations of flexible motion, biased along normal mode directions, to identify relevant motions encoded in the protein structure. The results indicate that the opening/closure motions are intrinsic features of both unliganded enzymes. In DcpS, conformational change is dominated by an anti-symmetric cooperative motion, causing one active site to close as the other opens; however a symmetric motion is also significant. In CS, we identify that both symmetric (suggested by crystallography) and asymmetric motions are features of the protein structure, and as a result the behaviour in solution is largely non-cooperative. The agreement between two modelling approaches using very different levels of theory indicates that the behaviours are indeed intrinsic to the protein structures. Geometric simulations correctly identify and explore large amplitudes of motion, while molecular dynamics simulations indicate the ranges of motion that are energetically feasible. Together, the simulation approaches are able to reveal unexpected functionally relevant motions, and highlight differences between enzymes. PMID:26241964
Giastas, Petros; Andreou, Athena; Papakyriakou, Athanasios; Koutsioulis, Dimitris; Balomenou, Stavroula; Tzartos, Socrates J; Bouriotis, Vassilis; Eliopoulos, Elias E
2018-02-06
The cell wall peptidoglycan is recognized as a primary target of the innate immune system, and usually its disintegration results in bacterial lysis. Bacillus cereus, a close relative of the highly virulent Bacillus anthracis, contains 10 polysaccharide deacetylases. Among these, the peptidoglycan N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase Bc1974 is the highest homologue to the Bacillus anthracis Ba1977 that is required for full virulence and is involved in resistance to the host's lysozyme. These metalloenzymes belong to the carbohydrate esterase family 4 (CE4) and are attractive targets for the development of new anti-infective agents. Herein we report the first X-ray crystal structures of the NodB domain of Bc1974, the conserved catalytic core of CE4s, in the unliganded form and in complex with four known metalloenzyme inhibitors and two amino acid hydroxamates that target the active site metal. These structures revealed the presence of two conformational states of a catalytic loop known as motif-4 (MT4), which were not observed previously for peptidoglycan deacetylases, but were recently shown in the structure of a Vibrio clolerae chitin deacetylase. By employing molecular docking of a substrate model, we describe a catalytic mechanism that probably involves initial binding of the substrate in a receptive, more open state of MT4 and optimal catalytic activity in the closed state of MT4, consistent with the previous observations. The ligand-bound structures presented here, in addition to the five Bc1974 inhibitors identified, provide a valuable basis for the design of antibacterial agents that target the peptidoglycan deacetylase Ba1977.