Conformational flexibility and allosteric regulation of cathepsin K

2010 ◽  
Vol 429 (2) ◽  
pp. 379-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marko Novinec ◽  
Lidija Kovačič ◽  
Brigita Lenarčič ◽  
Antonio Baici

The human cysteine peptidase cathepsin K is a key enzyme in bone homoeostasis and other physiological functions. In the present study we investigate the mechanism of cathepsin K action at physiological plasma pH and its regulation by modifiers that bind outside of the active site. We show that at physiological plasma pH the enzyme fluctuates between multiple conformations that are differently susceptible to macromolecular inhibitors and can be manipulated by varying the ionic strength of the medium. The behaviour of the enzyme in vitro can be described by the presence of two discrete conformations with distinctive kinetic properties and different susceptibility to inhibition by the substrate benzyloxycarbonyl-Phe-Arg-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin. We identify and characterize sulfated glycosaminoglycans as natural allosteric modifiers of cathepsin K that exploit the conformational flexibility of the enzyme to regulate its activity and stability against autoproteolysis. All sulfated glycosaminoglycans act as non-essential activators in assays using low-molecular-mass substrates. Chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate bind at one site on the enzyme, whereas heparin binds at an additional site and has a strongly stabilizing effect that is unique among human glycosaminoglycans. All glycosaminoglycans stimulate the elastinolytic activity of cathepsin K at physiological plasma pH, but only heparin also increases the collagenolytic activity of the enzyme under these conditions. Altogether these results provide novel insight into the mechanism of cathepsin K function at the molecular level and its regulation in the extracellular space.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Todd ◽  
Chun-Yang Li ◽  
Jason Crack ◽  
Simone Newton-Payne ◽  
Andrew Murphy ◽  
...  

Abstract Marine algae and bacteria produce eight billion tonnes of the organosulfur molecule dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) in Earth’s surface oceans every year. DMSP is an anti-stress compound and, once released into the environment, a major nutrient, signalling molecule and source of climate-active gases. The methionine transamination pathway for DMSP synthesis is used by most known DMSP-producing algae and bacteria. The S-directed S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase (SAM-MT) 4-methylthio-2-hydroxybutyrate (MTHB) S-methyltransferase, encoded by the dsyB/DSYB gene, is the key enzyme of this pathway, generating S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) and 4-dimethylsulfonio-2-hydroxybutyrate (DMSHB). dsyB/DSYB, present in most DMSP-producing bacteria and haptophyte and dinoflagellate algae with the highest known DMSP concentrations, is shown to be far more abundant and transcribed in marine environments than any other known DMSP synthesis pathway S-methyltransferase gene. Furthermore, we demonstrate in vitro activity of the bacterial DsyB enzyme from Nisaea denitrificans, and provide its crystal structure in complex with SAM and SAH-MTHB, which together provide the first mechanistic insights into a DMSP synthesis enzyme. Structural and mutational analyses imply that DsyB adopts a novel mechanism, distinct from any previously reported SAM-MT, in which the DsyB residue Tyr142 activates the sulfur atom of MTHB for nucleophilic attack on the SAM methyl group. Sequence analysis suggests that this mechanism is common to all bacterial DsyB enzymes and also, importantly, eukaryotic DSYB enzymes from e.g., algae that are the major DMSP producers in Earth’s surface oceans.


Author(s):  
Rachael A. Mansbach ◽  
Srirupa Chakraborty ◽  
Kien Nguyen ◽  
David C. Montefiori ◽  
Bette Korber ◽  
...  

SummaryThe COVID-19 pandemic underwent a rapid transition with the emergence of a SARS-CoV-2 variant that carried the amino acid substitution D614G in the Spike protein that became globally prevalent. The G-form is both more infectious in vitro and associated with increased viral loads in infected people. To gain insight into the mechanism underlying these distinctive characteristics, we employed multiple replicas of microsecond all-atom simulations to probe the molecular-level impact of this substitution on Spike’s closed and open states. The open state enables Spike interactions with its human cellular receptor, ACE2. Here we show that changes in the inter-protomer energetics due to the D614G substitution favor a higher population of infection-capable (open) states. The inter-protomer interactions between S1 and S2 subunits in the open state of the D-form are asymmetric. This asymmetry is resolved in the G-form due to the release of tensile hydrogen bonds resulting in an increased population of open conformations. Thus, the increased infectivity of the G-form is likely due to a higher rate of profitable binding encounters with the host receptor. It is also predicted to be more neutralization sensitive due to enhanced exposure of the receptor binding domain, a key target region for neutralizing antibodies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (529) ◽  
pp. eaaw6143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingxin Zhu ◽  
Yi Tang ◽  
Xiao-Yan Li ◽  
Evan T. Keller ◽  
Jingwen Yang ◽  
...  

Osteoclasts actively remodel both the mineral and proteinaceous components of bone during normal growth and development as well as pathologic states ranging from osteoporosis to bone metastasis. The cysteine proteinase cathepsin K confers osteoclasts with potent type I collagenolytic activity; however, cathepsin K–null mice, as well as cathepsin K–mutant humans, continue to remodel bone and degrade collagen by as-yet-undefined effectors. Here, we identify a cathepsin K–independent collagenolytic system in osteoclasts that is composed of a functionally redundant network of the secreted matrix metalloproteinase MMP9 and the membrane-anchored matrix metalloproteinase MMP14. Unexpectedly, whereas deleting either of the proteinases individually leaves bone resorption intact, dual targeting of Mmp9 and Mmp14 inhibited the resorptive activity of mouse osteoclasts in vitro and in vivo and human osteoclasts in vitro. In vivo, Mmp9/Mmp14 conditional double-knockout mice exhibited marked increases in bone density and displayed a highly protected status against either parathyroid hormone– or ovariectomy-induced pathologic bone loss. Together, these studies characterize a collagenolytic system operative in mouse and human osteoclasts and identify the MMP9/MMP14 axis as a potential target for therapeutic interventions for bone-wasting disease states.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (15) ◽  
pp. 2766
Author(s):  
Ewa Habza-Kowalska ◽  
Agnieszka A. Kaczor ◽  
Justyna Żuk ◽  
Dariusz Matosiuk ◽  
Urszula Gawlik-Dziki

The aim of this study was to estimate the mode of thyroid peroxidase (TPO) inhibition by polyphenols: Chlorogenic acid, rosmarinic acid, quercetin, and rutin. All the tested polyphenols inhibited TPO; the IC50 values ranged from 0.004 mM to 1.44 mM (for rosmarinic acid and rutin, respectively). All these pure phytochemical substances exhibited different modes of TPO inhibition. Rutin and rosmarinic acid showed competitive, quercetin—uncompetitive and chlorogenic acid—noncompetitive inhibition effect on TPO. Homology modeling was used to gain insight into the 3D structure of TPO and molecular docking was applied to study the interactions of the inhibitors with their target at the molecular level. Moreover, the type and strength of mutual interactions between the inhibitors (expressed as the combination index, CI) were analyzed. Slight synergism, antagonism, and moderate antagonism were found in the case of the combined addition of the pure polyphenols. Rutin and quercetin as well as rutin and rosmarinic acid acted additively (CI = 0.096 and 1.06, respectively), while rutin and chlorogenic acid demonstrated slight synergism (CI = 0.88) and rosmarinic acid with quercetin and rosmarinic acid with chlorogenic acid showed moderate antagonism (CI = 1.45 and 1.25, respectively). The mixture of chlorogenic acid and quercetin demonstrated antagonism (CI = 1.79). All the polyphenols showed in vitro antiradical ability against 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), ABTS. The highest ability (expressed as IC50) was exhibited by rosmarinic acid (0.12 mM) and the lowest value was ascribed to quercetin (0.45 mM).


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (16) ◽  
pp. eabf3671
Author(s):  
Rachael A. Mansbach ◽  
Srirupa Chakraborty ◽  
Kien Nguyen ◽  
David C. Montefiori ◽  
Bette Korber ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic underwent a rapid transition with the emergence of a dominant viral variant (from the “D-form” to the “G-form”) that carried an amino acid substitution D614G in its “Spike” protein. The G-form is more infectious in vitro and is associated with increased viral loads in the upper airways. To gain insight into the molecular-level underpinnings of these characteristics, we used microsecond all-atom simulations. We show that changes in the protein energetics favor a higher population of infection-capable states in the G-form through release of asymmetry present in the D-form inter-protomer interactions. Thus, the increased infectivity of the G-form is likely due to a higher rate of profitable binding encounters with the host receptor. It is also predicted to be more neutralization sensitive owing to enhanced exposure of the receptor binding domain, a key target region for neutralizing antibodies. These results are critical for vaccine design.


2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy D. Weaver ◽  
Huanchen Wang ◽  
Stephen B. Shears

We obtained detailed kinetic characteristics–stoichiometry, reaction rates, substrate affinities and equilibrium conditions–of human PPIP5K2 (diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate kinase 2). This enzyme synthesizes ‘high-energy’ PP-InsPs (diphosphoinositol polyphosphates) by metabolizing InsP6 (inositol hexakisphosphate) and 5-InsP7 (5-diphosphoinositol 1,2,3,4,6-pentakisphosphate) to 1-InsP7 (1-diphosphoinositol 2,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate) and InsP8 (1,5-bis-diphosphoinositol 2,3,4,6-tetrakisphosphate), respectively. These data increase our insight into the PPIP5K2 reaction mechanism and clarify the interface between PPIP5K catalytic activities and cellular bioenergetic status. For example, stochiometric analysis uncovered non-productive, substrate-stimulated ATPase activity (thus, approximately 2 and 1.2 ATP molecules are utilized to synthesize each molecule of 1-InsP7 and InsP8, respectively). Impaired ATPase activity of a PPIP5K2-K248A mutant increased atomic-level insight into the enzyme's reaction mechanism. We found PPIP5K2 to be fully reversible as an ATP-synthase in vitro, but our new data contradict previous perceptions that significant ‘reversibility’ occurs in vivo. PPIP5K2 was insensitive to physiological changes in either [AMP] or [ATP]/[ADP] ratios. Those data, together with adenine nucleotide kinetics (ATP Km=20–40 μM), reveal how insulated PPIP5K2 is from cellular bioenergetic challenges. Finally, the specificity constants for PPIP5K2 revise upwards by one-to-two orders of magnitude the inherent catalytic activities of this enzyme, and we show its equilibrium point favours 80–90% depletion of InsP6/5-InsP7.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 5944
Author(s):  
Wendy Lilián Gómez-Monsivais ◽  
Feliciano Monterrubio-Ledezma ◽  
Jazmin Huerta-Cantillo ◽  
Ricardo Mondragon-Gonzalez ◽  
Alma Alamillo-Iniesta ◽  
...  

β-dystroglycan (β-DG) assembles with lamins A/C and B1 and emerin at the nuclear envelope (NE) to maintain proper nuclear architecture and function. To provide insight into the nuclear function of β-DG, we characterized the interaction between β-DG and emerin at the molecular level. Emerin is a major NE protein that regulates multiple nuclear processes and whose deficiency results in Emery–Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD). Using truncated variants of β-DG and emerin, via a series of in vitro and in vivo binding experiments and a tailored computational analysis, we determined that the β-DG–emerin interaction is mediated at least in part by their respective transmembrane domains (TM). Using surface plasmon resonance assays we showed that emerin binds to β-DG with high affinity (KD in the nanomolar range). Remarkably, the analysis of cells in which DG was knocked out demonstrated that loss of β-DG resulted in a decreased emerin stability and impairment of emerin-mediated processes. β-DG and emerin are reciprocally required for their optimal targeting within the NE, as shown by immunofluorescence, western blotting and immunoprecipitation assays using emerin variants with mutations in the TM domain and B-lymphocytes of a patient with EDMD. In summary, we demonstrated that β-DG plays a role as an emerin interacting partner modulating its stability and function.


2020 ◽  
Vol 477 (8) ◽  
pp. 1483-1497
Author(s):  
Huijuan Liu ◽  
Saibin Wu ◽  
Dewei Ran ◽  
Wei Xie

Nucleotide 34 in tRNA is extensively modified to ensure translational fidelity and efficacy in cells. The deamination of adenosine at this site catalyzed by the enzyme TadA gives rise to inosine (I), which serves as a typical example of the wobble hypothesis due to its diverse basepairing capability. However, recent studies have shown that tRNAArgACG in Mycoplasma capricolum contains unmodified adenosine, in order to decode the CGG codon. The structural basis behind the poorly performing enzyme M. capricolum TadA (McTadA) is largely unclear. Here we present the structures of the WT and a mutant form of McTadA determined at high resolutions. Through structural comparison between McTadA and other active TadA enzymes as well as modeling efforts, we found that McTadA presents multiple structural conflicts with RNA substrates and thus offered support to previous studies from a structural perspective. These clashes would potentially lead to reduced substrate binding affinity of McTadA, consistent with our in vitro deamination activity and binding assays. To rescue the deamination activity of McTadA, we carried out two rounds of protein engineering through structure-guided design. The unsuccessful attempts of the activity restoration could be attributed to the altered dimer interface and stereo hindrance from the non-catalytic subunit of McTadA, which could be the inevitable outcome of the natural evolution. Our study provides structural insight into an alternative decoding and evolutionary strategy by a compromised TadA enzyme at a molecular level.


2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (15) ◽  
pp. 9556-9565 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Gunnar Andersson ◽  
P. C. Joost Haasnoot ◽  
Ning Xu ◽  
Saideh Berenjian ◽  
Ben Berkhout ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We show that human adenovirus inhibits RNA interference (RNAi) at late times of infection by suppressing the activity of two key enzyme systems involved, Dicer and RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). To define the mechanisms by which adenovirus blocks RNAi, we used a panel of mutant adenoviruses defective in virus-associated (VA) RNA expression. The results show that the virus-associated RNAs, VA RNAI and VA RNAII, function as suppressors of RNAi by interfering with the activity of Dicer. The VA RNAs bind Dicer and function as competitive substrates squelching Dicer. Further, we show that VA RNAI and VA RNAII are processed by Dicer, both in vitro and during a lytic infection, and that the resulting short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are incorporated into active RISC. Dicer cleaves the terminal stem of both VA RNAI and VA RNAII. However, whereas both strands of the VA RNAI-specific siRNA are incorporated into RISC, the 3′ strand of the VA RNAII-specific siRNA is selectively incorporated during a lytic infection. In summary, our work shows that adenovirus suppresses RNAi during a lytic infection and gives insight into the mechanisms of RNAi suppression by VA RNA.


1999 ◽  
Vol 82 (11) ◽  
pp. 1462-1468 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Fernández ◽  
Jari Petäjä ◽  
John Griffin

SummaryUnfractionated heparin potentiates the anticoagulant action of activated protein C (APC) through several mechanisms, including the recently described enhancement of proteolytic inactivation of factor V. Possible anticoagulant synergism between APC and physiologic glycosaminoglycans, pharmacologic low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs), and other heparin derivatives was studied. Dermatan sulfate showed potent APC-enhancing effect. Commercial LMWHs showed differing abilities to promote APC activity, and the molecular weight of LMWHs correlated with enhancement of APC activity. Degree of sulfation of the glycosaminoglycans influenced APC enhancement. However, because dextran sulfates did not potentiate APC action, the presence of sulfate groups per se on a polysaccharide is not sufficient for APC enhancement. As previously for unfractionated heparin, APC anticoagulant activity was enhanced by glycosaminoglycans when factor V but not factor Va was the substrate. Thus, dermatan sulfate and LMWHs exhibit APC enhancing activity in vitro that could be of physiologic and pharmacologic significance.


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