scholarly journals Characterization of iron-binding motifs in Candida albicans high-affinity iron permease CaFtr1p by site-directed mutagenesis

2002 ◽  
Vol 368 (2) ◽  
pp. 641-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao-Ming FANG ◽  
Yue WANG
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Candida Albicans ◽  
Iron Uptake ◽  
Iron Transport ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Detectable Effect ◽  
Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Iron Binding ◽  
Direct Binding

A peptide motif Glu-Xaa-Xaa-Glu has been implicated in direct binding of ferric iron in several proteins involved in iron transport, sensing or storage. However, it is not known whether the motif alone is sufficient for iron binding and whether functional replacement of the conserved residues by other amino acids with similar properties is possible. We previously identified a Candida albicans iron permease, CaFtr1p, which contains five Glu-Xaa-Xaa-Glu motifs [Ramanan and Wang (2000) Science 288, 1062—1065]. In this study, we investigated the role of each of these motifs in iron uptake by site-directed mutagenesis. Substitution of Ala for any one of the two Glu residues in Glu-Gly-Leu-Glu158—161 abolished iron-uptake activity, while the same substitution in any of the other four motifs had little effect, indicating that only the motif at position 158—161 is required for iron transport. We then evaluated the importance of each of the residues within and immediately adjacent to this motif in iron uptake. The permease remained active when any one of the Glu residues was replaced by Asp, while it became inactive when both were replaced. We also found that the amino acid immediately in front of Glu-Gly-Leu-Glu158—161 must be either Arg or Lys. In addition, substitution of any of the two residues in the middle with several structurally distinct amino acids had no detectable effect on iron uptake. Here we propose to extend the iron-binding motif to Arg/Lys-Glu/Asp-Xaa-Xaa-Glu or Arg/Lys-Glu-Xaa-Xaa-Glu/Asp, which may serve as a guide for the identification of potential iron-binding sites in proteins.

scholarly journals Site-directed mutagenesis at aspartate and glutamate residues of xylanase from Bacillus pumilus

1992 ◽  
Vol 288 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
E P Ko ◽  
H Akatsuka ◽  
H Moriyama ◽  
A Shinmyo ◽  
Y Hata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Reaction Mechanism ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Bacillus Pumilus ◽  
Specific Activity ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Amino Acid Sequence Similarity ◽  
Directed Mutagenesis

To elucidate the reaction mechanism of xylanase, the identification of amino acids essential for its catalysis is of importance. Studies have indicated the possibility that the reaction mechanism of xylanase is similar to that of hen's egg lysozyme, which involves acidic amino acid residues. On the basis of this assumption, together with the three-dimensional structure of Bacillus pumilus xylanase and its amino acid sequence similarity to other xylanases of different origins, three acidic amino acids, namely Asp-21, Glu-93 and Glu-182, were selected for site-directed mutagenesis. The Asp residue was altered to either Ser or Glu, and the Glu residues to Ser or Asp. The purified mutant xylanases D21E, D21S, E93D, E93S, E182D and E182S showed single protein bands of about 26 kDa on SDS/PAGE. C.d. spectra of these mutant enzymes show no effect on the secondary structure of xylanase, except that of D21E, which shows a little variation. Furthermore, mutations of Glu-93 and Glu-182 resulted in a drastic decrease in the specific activity of xylanase as compared with mutation of Asp-21. On the basis of these results we propose that Glu-93 and Glu-182 are the best candidates for the essential catalytic residues of xylanase.

scholarly journals Identification by site-directed mutagenesis of amino acids contributing to ligand-binding specificity or signal transduction properties of the human FP prostanoid receptor

2003 ◽  
Vol 371 (2) ◽  
pp. 443-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank NEUSCHÄFER-RUBE ◽  
Eva ENGEMAIER ◽  
Sina KOCH ◽  
Ulrike BÖER ◽  
Gerhard P. PÜSCHEL
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Ligand Binding ◽  
G Protein ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Membrane Receptors ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Receptor Subtypes ◽  
Plasma Membrane Receptors

Prostanoid receptors belong to the class of heptahelical plasma membrane receptors. For the five prostanoids, eight receptor subtypes have been identified. They display an overall sequence similarity of roughly 30%. Based on sequence comparison, single amino acids in different subtypes of different species have previously been identified by site-directed mutagenesis or in hybrid receptors that appear to be essential for ligand binding or G-protein coupling. Based on this information, a series of mutants of the human FP receptor was generated and characterized in ligand-binding and second-messenger-formation studies. It was found that mutation of His-81 to Ala in transmembrane domain 2 and of Arg-291 to Leu in transmembrane domain 7, which are putative interaction partners for the prostanoid's carboxyl group, abolished ligand binding. Mutants in which Ser-263 in transmembrane domain 6 or Asp-300 in transmembrane domain 7 had been replaced by Ala or Gln, respectively, no longer discriminated between prostaglandins PGF2α and PGD2. Thus distortion of the topology of transmembrane domains 6 and 7 appears to interfere with the cyclopentane ring selectivity of the receptor. PGF2α-induced inositol formation was strongly reduced in the mutant Asp-300Gln, inferring a role for this residue in agonist-induced G-protein activation.

scholarly journals Finding the Binding Site of Peloruside A and its Secondary Effects in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae using a  Chemical Genetics Approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Reem Hanna
Keyword(s):  
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae ◽  
Cell Cycle ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Binding Site ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Peloruside A ◽  
Microtubule Function

<p>Peloruside A, a natural product isolated from the marine sponge Mycale hentscheli, is a microtubule-stabilising agent that has a similar mechanism of action to the anticancer drug paclitaxel and is cytotoxic to cultured mammalian cells. Peloruside appears to bind to a distinct site on mammalian tubulin that is different from that of the taxoid-site drugs. Because of the high sequence homology between yeast and mammalian tubulin, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) was used as a model organism to characterise the peloruside-binding site with the aim of advancing our understanding about this site on mammalian tubulin. Wild type S. cerevisiae (BY4741) was sensitive to peloruside at uM concentrations; however, a strain that lacks the mad2 (Mitotic Arrest Deficient 2) gene showed increased sensitivity to the drug at much lower uM concentrations. This gene is a component of the spindle-assembly checkpoint complex that delays the onset of anaphase in cells with defects in mitotic spindle assembly. The main aims of this project were to define the binding site of peloruside A using yeast tubulin to see if microtubule function and/or morphology is altered in yeast by peloruside, and to identify any secondary drug targets "friends of the target" through chemical genetic interactions profiling (Homozygous deletion profiling microarray). Site-directed mutagenesis was used to mutate two conserved amino acids (A296T; R306H) known to confer resistance to peloruside in mammalian cells. Based on a published computer model of the peloruside binding site on mammalian tubulin, we also mutated three other amino acids, two that were predicted to affect peloruside binding (Q291M and N337L), and one that was predicted to affect laulimalide binding but have little affect on peloruside binding (V333W). We also included a negative control that was predicted to have no effect on peloruside binding (R282Q) and would affect epothilone binding. We found that of the six point mutations, only Q291M failed to confer resistance in yeast and instead it increased the inhibition to the drug. Using a bud index assay, confocal microscopy, and flow cytometry, 40-50 uM peloruside was shown to block cells in G2/M of the cell cycle, confirming a direct action of the drug on microtubule function. Homozygous profiling (HOP) microarray analysis of a deletion mutant set of yeast genes was also carried out to identify gene products that interact with peloruside in order to link the drug to specific networks or biochemical pathways in the cells. From site-directed mutagenesis, we concluded that peloruside binds to yeast B-tubulin in the region predicted by the published model of the binding site, and therefore mapping the site on yeast tubulin could provide useful information about the mammalian binding site for peloruside. The bud index, flow cytometry, and confocal microscopy experiments provided further evidence that peloruside interacts with yeast tubulin. From HOP we found that peloruside has roles in the cell cycle, as expected, and has effects on protein transport, secretion, cell wall synthesis, and steroid biosynthesis pathways.</p>

scholarly journals Identification of amino acids essential for DNA binding and dimerization in p67SRF: implications for a novel DNA-binding motif

1993 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-132
Author(s):  
A D Sharrocks ◽  
H Gille ◽  
P E Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Dna Binding ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Serum Response Factor ◽  
Alpha Helix ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Amino Acid Peptide ◽  
Serum Response

The serum response factor (p67SRF) binds to a palindromic sequence in the c-fos serum response element (SRE). A second protein, p62TCF binds in conjunction with p67SRF to form a ternary complex, and it is through this complex that growth factor-induced transcriptional activation of c-fos is thought to take place. A 90-amino-acid peptide, coreSRF, is capable for dimerizing, binding DNA, and recruiting p62TCF. By using extensive site-directed mutagenesis we have investigated the role of individual coreSRF amino acids in DNA binding. Mutant phenotypes were defined by gel retardation and cross-linking analyses. Our results have identified residues essential for either DNA binding or dimerization. Three essential basic amino acids whose conservative mutation severely reduced DNA binding were identified. Evidence which is consistent with these residues being on the face of a DNA binding alpha-helix is presented. A phenylalanine residue and a hexameric hydrophobic box are identified as essential for dimerization. The amino acid phasing is consistent with the dimerization interface being presented as a continuous region on a beta-strand. A putative second alpha-helix acts as a linker between these two regions. This study indicates that p67SRF is a member of a protein family which, in common with many DNA binding proteins, utilize an alpha-helix for DNA binding. However, this alpha-helix is contained within a novel domain structure.

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