scholarly journals Structure, function and regulation of pyruvate carboxylase

1999 ◽  
Vol 340 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarawut JITRAPAKDEE ◽  
John C. WALLACE
Keyword(s):  
Pyruvate Carboxylase ◽  
Limited Proteolysis ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Molecular Defects ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Neurotransmitter Substances ◽  
Translational Mechanisms ◽  
Structural Region

Pyruvate carboxylase (PC; EC 6.4.1.1), a member of the biotin-dependent enzyme family, catalyses the ATP-dependent carboxylation of pyruvate to oxaloacetate. PC has been found in a wide variety of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In mammals, PC plays a crucial role in gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis, in the biosynthesis of neurotransmitter substances, and in glucose-induced insulin secretion by pancreatic islets. The reaction catalysed by PC and the physical properties of the enzyme have been studied extensively. Although no high-resolution three-dimensional structure has yet been determined by X-ray crystallography, structural studies of PC have been conducted by electron microscopy, by limited proteolysis, and by cloning and sequencing of genes and cDNA encoding the enzyme. Most well characterized forms of active PC consist of four identical subunits arranged in a tetrahedron-like structure. Each subunit contains three functional domains: the biotin carboxylation domain, the transcarboxylation domain and the biotin carboxyl carrier domain. Different physiological conditions, including diabetes, hyperthyroidism, genetic obesity and postnatal development, increase the level of PC expression through transcriptional and translational mechanisms, whereas insulin inhibits PC expression. Glucocorticoids, glucagon and catecholamines cause an increase in PC activity or in the rate of pyruvate carboxylation in the short term. Molecular defects of PC in humans have recently been associated with four point mutations within the structural region of the PC gene, namely Val145 → Ala, Arg451 → Cys, Ala610 → Thr and Met743 → Thr.

scholarly journals An Intramolecular Salt Bridge in Bacillus thuringiensis Cry4Ba Toxin Is Involved in the Stability of Helix α-3, Which Is Needed for Oligomerization and Insecticidal Activity

2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabino Pacheco ◽  
Isabel Gómez ◽  
Jorge Sánchez ◽  
Blanca-Ines García-Gómez ◽  
Mario Soberón ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Double Point ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Salt Bridge ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Cry Toxins ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Domain I

ABSTRACT Bacillus thuringiensis three-domain Cry toxins kill insects by forming pores in the apical membrane of larval midgut cells. Oligomerization of the toxin is an important step for pore formation. Domain I helix α-3 participates in toxin oligomerization. Here we identify an intramolecular salt bridge within helix α-3 of Cry4Ba (D111-K115) that is conserved in many members of the family of three-domain Cry toxins. Single point mutations such as D111K or K115D resulted in proteins severely affected in toxicity. These mutants were also altered in oligomerization, and the mutant K115D was more sensitive to protease digestion. The double point mutant with reversed charges, D111K-K115D, recovered both oligomerization and toxicity, suggesting that this salt bridge is highly important for conservation of the structure of helix α-3 and necessary to promote the correct oligomerization of the toxin. IMPORTANCE Domain I has been shown to be involved in oligomerization through helix α-3 in different Cry toxins, and mutations affecting oligomerization also elicit changes in toxicity. The three-dimensional structure of the Cry4Ba toxin reveals an intramolecular salt bridge in helix α-3 of domain I. Mutations that disrupt this salt bridge resulted in changes in Cry4Ba oligomerization and toxicity, while a double point reciprocal mutation that restored the salt bridge resulted in recovery of toxin oligomerization and toxicity. These data highlight the role of oligomer formation as a key step in Cry4Ba toxicity.

Crystal structure of the hinge domain of Smchd1 reveals its dimerization mode and nucleic acid–binding residues

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (636) ◽  
pp. eaaz5599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelan Chen ◽  
Richard W. Birkinshaw ◽  
Alexandra D. Gurzau ◽  
Iromi Wanigasuriya ◽  
Ruoyun Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Nucleic Acid Binding ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Hinge Domain

Structural maintenance of chromosomes flexible hinge domain containing 1 (SMCHD1) is an epigenetic regulator in which polymorphisms cause the human developmental disorder, Bosma arhinia micropthalmia syndrome, and the degenerative disease, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. SMCHD1 is considered a noncanonical SMC family member because its hinge domain is C-terminal, because it homodimerizes rather than heterodimerizes, and because SMCHD1 contains a GHKL-type, rather than an ABC-type ATPase domain at its N terminus. The hinge domain has been previously implicated in chromatin association; however, the underlying mechanism involved and the basis for SMCHD1 homodimerization are unclear. Here, we used x-ray crystallography to solve the three-dimensional structure of the Smchd1 hinge domain. Together with structure-guided mutagenesis, we defined structural features of the hinge domain that participated in homodimerization and nucleic acid binding, and we identified a functional hotspot required for chromatin localization in cells. This structure provides a template for interpreting the mechanism by which patient polymorphisms within the SMCHD1 hinge domain could compromise function and lead to facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.

scholarly journals SVFX: a machine-learning framework to quantify the pathogenicity of structural variants

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sushant Kumar ◽  
Arif Harmanci ◽  
Jagath Vytheeswaran ◽  
Mark B. Gerstein
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Ras Signaling ◽  
Cancer Genes ◽  
Structural Variations ◽  
Pathogenic Variants

AbstractA rapid decline in sequencing cost has made large-scale genome sequencing studies feasible. One of the fundamental goals of these studies is to catalog all pathogenic variants. Numerous methods and tools have been developed to interpret point mutations and small insertions and deletions. However, there is a lack of approaches for identifying pathogenic genomic structural variations (SVs). That said, SVs are known to play a crucial role in many diseases by altering the sequence and three-dimensional structure of the genome. Previous studies have suggested a complex interplay of genomic and epigenomic features in the emergence and distribution of SVs. However, the exact mechanism of pathogenesis for SVs in different diseases is not straightforward to decipher. Thus, we built an agnostic machine-learning-based workflow, called SVFX, to assign a “pathogenicity score” to somatic and germline SVs in various diseases. In particular, we generated somatic and germline training models, which included genomic, epigenomic, and conservation-based features for SV call sets in diseased and healthy individuals. We then applied SVFX to SVs in six different cancer cohorts and a cardiovascular disease (CVD) cohort. Overall, SVFX achieved high accuracy in identifying pathogenic SVs. Moreover, we found that predicted pathogenic SVs in cancer cohorts were enriched among known cancer genes and many cancer-related pathways (including Wnt signaling, Ras signaling, DNA repair, and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis). Finally, we note that SVFX is flexible and can be easily extended to identify pathogenic SVs in additional disease cohorts.

MRPC (Missing Regions in Polypeptide Chains): a knowledgebase

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 1422-1426
Author(s):  
Rajendran Santhosh ◽  
Namrata Bankoti ◽  
Adgonda Malgonnavar Padmashri ◽  
Daliah Michael ◽  
Jeyaraman Jeyakanthan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Structures ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Protein Molecule ◽  
Data Bank ◽  
Protein Crystal ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Protein Structure Analysis ◽  
Three Dimensional Structure ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Polypeptide Chains

Missing regions in protein crystal structures are those regions that cannot be resolved, mainly owing to poor electron density (if the three-dimensional structure was solved using X-ray crystallography). These missing regions are known to have high B factors and could represent loops with a possibility of being part of an active site of the protein molecule. Thus, they are likely to provide valuable information and play a crucial role in the design of inhibitors and drugs and in protein structure analysis. In view of this, an online database, Missing Regions in Polypeptide Chains (MRPC), has been developed which provides information about the missing regions in protein structures available in the Protein Data Bank. In addition, the new database has an option for users to obtain the above data for non-homologous protein structures (25 and 90%). A user-friendly graphical interface with various options has been incorporated, with a provision to view the three-dimensional structure of the protein along with the missing regions using JSmol. The MRPC database is updated regularly (currently once every three months) and can be accessed freely at the URL http://cluster.physics.iisc.ac.in/mrpc.

Structure and conformation of the hydrochloride of pseudoisocytidine, an antileukemic C-nucleoside

1980 ◽  
Vol 58 (16) ◽  
pp. 1633-1638 ◽  
Author(s):  
George I. Birnabaum ◽  
Kyoichi A. Watanabe ◽  
Jack J. Fox
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Atom ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Direct Methods ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Side Chain ◽  
Hydrogen Atoms ◽  
Triclinic Space Group ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Cell Dimensions ◽  
Sugar Ring

The three-dimensional structure of pseudoisocytidine hydrochloride was determined by X-ray crystallography. The crystals belong to the triclinic space group P1 and the cell dimensions are a = 6.623(2), b = 8.053(2), c = 6.201(2) Å, α = 108.35(2), β = 101.36(2), γ = 93.54(2) °. Intensity data were measured with a diffractometer and the structure was solved by a combination of heavy-atom and direct methods. Least-squares refinement, which included hydrogen atoms, converged at R = 0.040. The conformation about the glycosyl bond is anti (χCC = 21.6°), the pucker of the furanose ring is C(1′)exo, and the conformation of the —CH2OH side chain is gauche–trans (t). An examination of bond lengths indicates that of the three main resonance forms of the isocytosine cation the fully conjugated one contributes more to the structure than the cross-conjugated one. Bond angles in the sugar ring reflect its rare conformation.

Structural modeling and role of HAX-1 as a positive allosteric modulator of human serine protease HtrA2

2019 ◽  
Vol 476 (20) ◽  
pp. 2965-2980
Author(s):  
Lalith K. Chaganti ◽  
Shubhankar Dutta ◽  
Raja Reddy Kuppili ◽  
Mriganka Mandal ◽  
Kakoli Bose
Keyword(s):  
Pdz Domain ◽  
Limited Proteolysis ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Multifunctional Protein ◽  
Promising Therapeutic Target ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Structural Details ◽  
Structural Architecture ◽  
First Time

Abstract HAX-1, a multifunctional protein involved in cell proliferation, calcium homeostasis, and regulation of apoptosis, is a promising therapeutic target. It regulates apoptosis through multiple pathways, understanding of which is limited by the obscurity of its structural details and its intricate interaction with its cellular partners. Therefore, using computational modeling, biochemical, functional enzymology and spectroscopic tools, we predicted the structure of HAX-1 as well as delineated its interaction with one of it pro-apoptotic partner, HtrA2. In this study, three-dimensional structure of HAX-1 was predicted by threading and ab initio tools that were validated using limited proteolysis and fluorescence quenching studies. Our pull-down studies distinctly demonstrate that the interaction of HtrA2 with HAX-1 is directly through its protease domain and not via the conventional PDZ domain. Enzymology studies further depicted that HAX-1 acts as an allosteric activator of HtrA2. This ‘allosteric regulation’ offers promising opportunities for the specific control and functional modulation of a wide range of biological processes associated with HtrA2. Hence, this study for the first time dissects the structural architecture of HAX-1 and elucidates its role in PDZ-independent activation of HtrA2.

scholarly journals Role of Computational Methods in Going beyond X-ray Crystallography to Explore Protein Structure and Dynamics

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 3401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashutosh Srivastava ◽  
Tetsuro Nagai ◽  
Arpita Srivastava ◽  
Osamu Miyashita ◽  
Florence Tama
Keyword(s):  
Protein Dynamics ◽  
Computational Methods ◽  
Protein Structures ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Insight Into

Protein structural biology came a long way since the determination of the first three-dimensional structure of myoglobin about six decades ago. Across this period, X-ray crystallography was the most important experimental method for gaining atomic-resolution insight into protein structures. However, as the role of dynamics gained importance in the function of proteins, the limitations of X-ray crystallography in not being able to capture dynamics came to the forefront. Computational methods proved to be immensely successful in understanding protein dynamics in solution, and they continue to improve in terms of both the scale and the types of systems that can be studied. In this review, we briefly discuss the limitations of X-ray crystallography in studying protein dynamics, and then provide an overview of different computational methods that are instrumental in understanding the dynamics of proteins and biomacromolecular complexes.

scholarly journals Topography Prediction of Helical Transmembrane Proteins by a New Modification of the Sliding Window Method

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria N. Simakova ◽  
Nikolai N. Simakov
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Proteins ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Domain Boundary ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Transmembrane Proteins ◽  
Sliding Window ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Window Method

Protein functions are specified by its three-dimensional structure, which is usually obtained by X-ray crystallography. Due to difficulty of handling membrane proteins experimentally to date the structure has only been determined for a very limited part of membrane proteins (<4%). Nevertheless, investigation of structure and functions of membrane proteins is important for medicine and pharmacology and, therefore, is of significant interest. Methods of computer modeling based on the data on the primary protein structure or the symbolic amino acid sequence have become an actual alternative to the experimental method of X-ray crystallography for investigating the structure of membrane proteins. Here we presented the results of the study of 35 transmembrane proteins, mainly GPCRs, using the novel method of cascade averaging of hydrophobicity function within the limits of a sliding window. The proposed method allowed revealing 139 transmembrane domains out of 140 (or 99.3%) identified by other methods. Also 236 transmembrane domain boundary positions out of 280 (or 84%) were predicted correctly by the proposed method with deviation from the predictions made by other methods that does not exceed the detection error of this method.

scholarly journals Structure-function studies of the myosin motor domain: importance of the 50-kDa cleft.

1996 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 1123-1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
K M Ruppel ◽  
J A Spudich
Keyword(s):  
Active Site ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Random Mutagenesis ◽  
Motor Domain ◽  
Actin Binding ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Null Cell ◽  
Myosin Motor Domain ◽  
Cell Phenotypes

We used random mutagenesis to create 21 point mutations in a highly conserved region of the motor domain of Dictyostelium myosin and classified them into three distinct groups based on the ability to complement myosin null cell phenotypes: wild type, intermediate, and null. Biochemical analysis of the mutated myosins also revealed three classes of mutants that correlated well with the phenotypic classification. The mutated myosins that were not fully functional showed defects ranging from ATP nonhydrolyzers to myosins whose enzymatic and mechanical properties are uncoupled. Placement of the mutations onto the three-dimensional structure of myosin showed that the mutated region lay along the cleft that separates the active site from the actin-binding domain and that has been shown to move in response to changes at the active site. These results demonstrate that this region of myosin plays a key role in transduction of chemical energy to mechanical displacement.

Type I interferon structures: Possible scaffolds for the interferon-alpha receptor complex

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (8) ◽  
pp. 1166-1173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tattanahalli L Nagabhushan ◽  
Paul Reichert ◽  
Mark R Walter ◽  
Nicholas J Murgolo
Keyword(s):  
Structural Model ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cell Receptor ◽  
Type I Interferons ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Type I ◽  
Receptor Complex ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Receptor Complexes

The structures of several type I interferons (IFNs) are known. We review the structural information known for IFN alphas and compare them to other interferons and cytokines. We also review the structural information known or proposed for IFN–cell receptor complexes. However, the structure of the IFN – cell receptor – IFN receptor2 (IFNAR2) and IFN receptor1 (IFNAR1) complex has not yet been determined. This paper describes a structural model of human IFN-IFNAR2/IFNAR1 complex using human IFN-α2b dimer as the ligand. Both the structures of recombinant human IFN-α2b and IFN-β were determined by X-ray crystallography as zinc-mediated dimers. Our proposed model was generated using human IFN-α2b dimer docked with IFNAR2/IFNAR1. We compare our model with the receptor complex models proposed for IFN-β and IFN-γ to contrast similarities and differences. The mutual binding sites of human IFN-α2b and IFNAR2/IFNAR1 complex are consistent with available mutagenesis studies.Key words: three dimensional structure, antiviral activity, receptor, interferon.

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