scholarly journals Two distinct mechanisms of transcriptional regulation by the redox sensor YodB

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (35) ◽  
pp. E5202-E5211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang Jae Lee ◽  
In-Gyun Lee ◽  
Ki-Young Lee ◽  
Dong-Gyun Kim ◽  
Hyun-Jong Eun ◽  
...  

For bacteria, cysteine thiol groups in proteins are commonly used as thiol-based switches for redox sensing to activate specific detoxification pathways and restore the redox balance. Among the known thiol-based regulatory systems, the MarR/DUF24 family regulators have been reported to sense and respond to reactive electrophilic species, including diamide, quinones, and aldehydes, with high specificity. Here, we report that the prototypical regulator YodB of the MarR/DUF24 family from Bacillus subtilis uses two distinct pathways to regulate transcription in response to two reactive electrophilic species (diamide or methyl-p-benzoquinone), as revealed by X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and biochemical experiments. Diamide induces structural changes in the YodB dimer by promoting the formation of disulfide bonds, whereas methyl-p-benzoquinone allows the YodB dimer to be dissociated from DNA, with little effect on the YodB dimer. The results indicate that B. subtilis may discriminate toxic quinones, such as methyl-p-benzoquinone, from diamide to efficiently manage multiple oxidative signals. These results also provide evidence that different thiol-reactive compounds induce dissimilar conformational changes in the regulator to trigger the separate regulation of target DNA. This specific control of YodB is dependent upon the type of thiol-reactive compound present, is linked to its direct transcriptional activity, and is important for the survival of B. subtilis. This study of B. subtilis YodB also provides a structural basis for the relationship that exists between the ligand-induced conformational changes adopted by the protein and its functional switch.

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark F. Mabanglo ◽  
Elisa Leung ◽  
Siavash Vahidi ◽  
Thiago V. Seraphim ◽  
Bryan T. Eger ◽  
...  

Abstract Bacterial ClpP is a highly conserved, cylindrical, self-compartmentalizing serine protease required for maintaining cellular proteostasis. Small molecule acyldepsipeptides (ADEPs) and activators of self-compartmentalized proteases 1 (ACP1s) cause dysregulation and activation of ClpP, leading to bacterial cell death, highlighting their potential use as novel antibiotics. Structural changes in Neisseria meningitidis and Escherichia coli ClpP upon binding to novel ACP1 and ADEP analogs were probed by X-ray crystallography, methyl-TROSY NMR, and small angle X-ray scattering. ACP1 and ADEP induce distinct conformational changes in the ClpP structure. However, reorganization of electrostatic interaction networks at the ClpP entrance pores is necessary and sufficient for activation. Further activation is achieved by formation of ordered N-terminal axial loops and reduction in the structural heterogeneity of the ClpP cylinder. Activating mutations recapitulate the structural effects of small molecule activator binding. Our data, together with previous findings, provide a structural basis for a unified mechanism of compound-based ClpP activation.


Blood ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 102 (4) ◽  
pp. 1155-1159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian-Ping Xiong ◽  
Thilo Stehle ◽  
Simon L. Goodman ◽  
M. Amin Arnaout

Abstract Integrins are cell adhesion receptors that communicate biochemical and mechanical signals in a bidirectional manner across the plasma membrane and thus influence most cellular functions. Intracellular signals switch integrins into a ligand-competent state as a result of elicited conformational changes in the integrin ectodomain. Binding of extracellular ligands induces, in turn, structural changes that convey distinct signals to the cell interior. The structural basis of this bidirectional signaling has been the focus of intensive study for the past 3 decades. In this perspective, we develop a new hypothesis for integrin activation based on recent crystallographic, electron microscopic, and biochemical studies.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0241325
Author(s):  
Supaporn Baiya ◽  
Salila Pengthaisong ◽  
Sunan Kitjaruwankul ◽  
James R. Ketudat Cairns

Monolignol glucosides are storage forms of monolignols, which are polymerized to lignin to strengthen plant cell walls. The conversion of monolignol glucosides to monolignols is catalyzed by monolignol β-glucosidases. Rice Os4BGlu18 β-glucosidase catalyzes hydrolysis of the monolignol glucosides, coniferin, syringin, and p-coumaryl alcohol glucoside more efficiently than other natural substrates. To understand more clearly the basis for substrate specificity of a monolignol β-glucosidase, the structure of Os4BGlu18 was determined by X-ray crystallography. Crystals of Os4BGlu18 and its complex with δ-gluconolactone diffracted to 1.7 and 2.1 Å resolution, respectively. Two protein molecules were found in the asymmetric unit of the P212121 space group of their isomorphous crystals. The Os4BGlu18 structure exhibited the typical (β/α)8 TIM barrel of glycoside hydrolase family 1 (GH1), but the four variable loops and two disulfide bonds appeared significantly different from other known structures of GH1 β-glucosidases. Molecular docking studies of the Os4BGlu18 structure with monolignol substrate ligands placed the glycone in a similar position to the δ-gluconolactone in the complex structure and revealed the interactions between protein and ligands. Molecular docking, multiple sequence alignment, and homology modeling identified amino acid residues at the aglycone-binding site involved in substrate specificity for monolignol β-glucosides. Thus, the structural basis of substrate recognition and hydrolysis by monolignol β-glucosidases was elucidated.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Rocchio ◽  
Ramona Duman ◽  
Kamel El Omari ◽  
Vitaliy Mykhaylyk ◽  
Zhen Yan ◽  
...  

AbstractX-ray crystallography is generally used to take single snapshots of a protein’s conformation. The important but difficult task of characterizing structural ensembles in crystals is typically limited to small conformational changes, such as multiple side-chain conformations. A crystallographic method was recently introduced that utilizes Residual Anomalous and Electron Density (READ) to characterize structural ensembles encompassing large-scale structural changes. Key to this method is an ability to accurately measure anomalous signals and distinguish them from noise or other anomalous scatterers. This report presents an optimized data collection and analysis strategy for partially occupied iodine anomalous signals. Using the long wavelength-optimized beamline I23 at Diamond Light Source, the ability to accurately distinguish the positions of anomalous scatterers with as low as ~12% occupancy is demonstrated. The number and position of these anomalous scatterers are consistent with previous biophysical, kinetic and structural data that suggest the protein Im7 binds to the chaperone Spy in multiple partially occupied conformations. This study shows that a long-wavelength beamline results in easily validated anomalous signals that are strong enough to be used to detect and characterize highly dynamic sections of crystal structures.SynopsisStructural studies on partially occupied, dynamic protein systems by crystallography are difficult. We present methods here for detecting these states in crystals.


2020 ◽  
Vol 477 (6) ◽  
pp. 1123-1136
Author(s):  
Roma Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Kelly N. Chacón ◽  
Jacqueline M. Jarvis ◽  
Marat R. Talipov ◽  
Erik T. Yukl

Bacterial heme nitric oxide/oxygen (H-NOX) domains are nitric oxide (NO) or oxygen sensors. This activity is mediated through binding of the ligand to a heme cofactor. However, H-NOX from Vibrio cholerae (Vc H-NOX) can be easily purified in a heme-free state that is capable of reversibly responding to oxidation, suggesting a heme-independent function as a redox sensor. This occurs by oxidation of Cys residues at a zinc-binding site conserved in a subset of H-NOX homologs. Remarkably, zinc is not lost from the protein upon oxidation, although its ligation environment is significantly altered. Using a combination of computational and experimental approaches, we have characterized localized structural changes that accompany the formation of specific disulfide bonds between Cys residues upon oxidation. Furthermore, the larger-scale structural changes accompanying oxidation appear to mimic those changes observed upon NO binding to the heme-bound form. Thus, Vc H-NOX and its homologs may act as both redox and NO sensors by completely separate mechanisms.


2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (14) ◽  
pp. 6546-6555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma L. Nason ◽  
Siba K. Samal ◽  
B. V. Venkataram Prasad

ABSTRACT Aquareovirus, a member of the familyReoviridae, is a large virus with multiple capsid layers surrounding a genome composed of 11 segments of double-stranded RNA. Biochemical studies have shown that treatment with the proteolytic agent trypsin significantly alters the infectivity of the virus. The most infectious stage of the virus is produced by a 5-min treatment with trypsin. However, prolonged trypsin treatment almost completely abolishes the infectivity. We have used three-dimensional electron cryomicroscopy to gain insight into the structural basis of protease-induced alterations in infectivity by examining the structural changes in the virion at various time intervals of trypsin treatment. Our data show that after 5 min of trypsinization, projection-like spikes made of VP7 (35 kDa), associated with the underlying trimeric subunits, are completely removed. Concurrent with the removal of VP7, conformational changes are observed in the trimeric subunit composed of putative VP5 (71 kDa). The removal of VP7 and the accompanied structural changes may expose regions in the putative VP5 important for cell entry processes. Prolonged trypsinization not only entirely removes the outer capsid layer, producing the poorly infectious core particle, but also causes significant conformational changes in the turret protein. These changes result in shortening of the turret and narrowing of its central channel. The turret, as in orthoreoviruses, is likely to play a major role in the capping and translocation of mRNA during transcription, and the observed conformational flexibility in the turret protein may have implications in rendering the particle transcriptionally active or inactive.


eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Chen ◽  
Saumya Gopalkrishnan ◽  
Courtney Chiu ◽  
Albert Y Chen ◽  
Elizabeth A Campbell ◽  
...  

TraR and its homolog DksA are bacterial proteins that regulate transcription initiation by binding directly to RNA polymerase (RNAP) rather than to promoter DNA. Effects of TraR mimic the combined effects of DksA and its cofactor ppGpp, but the structural basis for regulation by these factors remains unclear. Here, we use cryo-electron microscopy to determine structures of Escherichia coli RNAP, with or without TraR, and of an RNAP-promoter complex. TraR binding induced RNAP conformational changes not seen in previous crystallographic analyses, and a quantitative analysis revealed TraR-induced changes in RNAP conformational heterogeneity. These changes involve mobile regions of RNAP affecting promoter DNA interactions, including the βlobe, the clamp, the bridge helix, and several lineage-specific insertions. Using mutational approaches, we show that these structural changes, as well as effects on σ70 region 1.1, are critical for transcription activation or inhibition, depending on the kinetic features of regulated promoters.


2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Geetika Singh ◽  
Cristina D. Guibao ◽  
Jayaraman Seetharaman ◽  
Anup Aggarwal ◽  
Christy R. Grace ◽  
...  

AbstractBCL-2 proteins regulate mitochondrial poration in apoptosis initiation. How the pore-forming BCL-2 Effector BAK is activated remains incompletely understood mechanistically. Here we investigate autoactivation and direct activation by BH3-only proteins, which cooperate to lower BAK threshold in membrane poration and apoptosis initiation. We define in trans BAK autoactivation as the asymmetric “BH3-in-groove” triggering of dormant BAK by active BAK. BAK autoactivation is mechanistically similar to direct activation. The structure of autoactivated BAK BH3-BAK complex reveals the conformational changes leading to helix α1 destabilization, which is a hallmark of BAK activation. Helix α1 is destabilized and restabilized in structures of BAK engaged by rationally designed, high-affinity activating and inactivating BID-like BH3 ligands, respectively. Altogether our data support the long-standing hit-and-run mechanism of BAK activation by transient binding of BH3-only proteins, demonstrating that BH3-induced structural changes are more important in BAK activation than BH3 ligand affinity.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximilian M. Sauer ◽  
M. Alexandra Tortorici ◽  
Young-Jun Park ◽  
Alexandra C. Walls ◽  
Leah Homad ◽  
...  

Three highly pathogenic β-coronaviruses crossed the animal-to-human species barrier in the past two decades: SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 64 million people worldwide, claimed over 1.4 million lives and is responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We isolated a monoclonal antibody, termed B6, cross-reacting with eight β-coronavirus spike glycoproteins, including all five human-infecting β-coronaviruses, and broadly inhibiting entry of pseudotyped viruses from two coronavirus lineages. Cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography characterization reveal that B6 binds to a conserved cryptic epitope located in the fusion machinery and indicate that antibody binding sterically interferes with spike conformational changes leading to membrane fusion. Our data provide a structural framework explaining B6 cross-reactivity with β-coronaviruses from three lineages along with proof-of-concept for antibody-mediated broad coronavirus neutralization elicited through vaccination. This study unveils an unexpected target for next-generation structure-guided design of a pan-coronavirus vaccine.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (44) ◽  
pp. eabc9174
Author(s):  
Marco Lolicato ◽  
Andrew M. Natale ◽  
Fayal Abderemane-Ali ◽  
David Crottès ◽  
Sara Capponi ◽  
...  

K2P potassium channels regulate cellular excitability using their selectivity filter (C-type) gate. C-type gating mechanisms, best characterized in homotetrameric potassium channels, remain controversial and are attributed to selectivity filter pinching, dilation, or subtle structural changes. The extent to which such mechanisms control C-type gating of innately heterodimeric K2Ps is unknown. Here, combining K2P2.1 (TREK-1) x-ray crystallography in different potassium concentrations, potassium anomalous scattering, molecular dynamics, and electrophysiology, we uncover unprecedented, asymmetric, potassium-dependent conformational changes that underlie K2P C-type gating. These asymmetric order-disorder transitions, enabled by the K2P heterodimeric architecture, encompass pinching and dilation, disrupt the S1 and S2 ion binding sites, require the uniquely long K2P SF2-M4 loop and conserved “M3 glutamate network,” and are suppressed by the K2P C-type gate activator ML335. These findings demonstrate that two distinct C-type gating mechanisms can operate in one channel and underscore the SF2-M4 loop as a target for K2P channel modulator development.


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