scholarly journals A flipped ion pair at the dynein–microtubule interface is critical for dynein motility and ATPase activation

2015 ◽  
Vol 208 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seiichi Uchimura ◽  
Takashi Fujii ◽  
Hiroko Takazaki ◽  
Rie Ayukawa ◽  
Yosuke Nishikawa ◽  
...  

Dynein is a motor protein that moves on microtubules (MTs) using the energy of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis. To understand its motility mechanism, it is crucial to know how the signal of MT binding is transmitted to the ATPase domain to enhance ATP hydrolysis. However, the molecular basis of signal transmission at the dynein–MT interface remains unclear. Scanning mutagenesis of tubulin identified two residues in α-tubulin, R403 and E416, that are critical for ATPase activation and directional movement of dynein. Electron cryomicroscopy and biochemical analyses revealed that these residues form salt bridges with the residues in the dynein MT-binding domain (MTBD) that work in concert to induce registry change in the stalk coiled coil and activate the ATPase. The R403-E3390 salt bridge functions as a switch for this mechanism because of its reversed charge relative to other residues at the interface. This study unveils the structural basis for coupling between MT binding and ATPase activation and implicates the MTBD in the control of directional movement.

2015 ◽  
Vol 467 (3) ◽  
pp. 529-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark W. Richards ◽  
Laura O'Regan ◽  
Daniel Roth ◽  
Jessica M. Montgomery ◽  
Anne Straube ◽  
...  

Proteins of the echinoderm microtubule (MT)-associated protein (EMAP)-like (EML) family contribute to formation of the mitotic spindle and interphase MT network. EML1–4 consist of Trp-Asp 40 (WD40) repeats and an N-terminal region containing a putative coiled-coil. Recurrent gene rearrangements in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) fuse EML4 to anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) causing expression of several oncogenic fusion variants. The fusions have constitutive ALK activity due to self-association through the EML4 coiled-coil. We have determined crystal structures of the coiled-coils from EML2 and EML4, which describe the structural basis of both EML self-association and oncogenic EML4–ALK activation. The structures reveal a trimeric oligomerization state directed by a conserved pattern of hydrophobic residues and salt bridges. We show that the trimerization domain (TD) of EML1 is necessary and sufficient for self-association. The TD is also essential for MT binding; however, this property requires an adjacent basic region. These observations prompted us to investigate MT association of EML4–ALK and EML1–ABL1 (Abelson 1) fusions in which variable portions of the EML component are present. Uniquely, EML4–ALK variant 3, which includes the TD and basic region of EML4 but none of the WD40 repeats, was localized to MTs, both when expressed recombinantly and when expressed in a patient-derived NSCLC cell line (H2228). This raises the question of whether the mislocalization of ALK activity to MTs might influence downstream signalling and malignant properties of cells. Furthermore, the structure of EML4 TD may enable the development of protein–protein interaction inhibitors targeting the trimerization interface, providing a possible avenue towards therapeutic intervention in EML4–ALK NSCLC.


2019 ◽  
Vol 476 (21) ◽  
pp. 3227-3240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanshan Wang ◽  
Yanxiang Zhao ◽  
Long Yi ◽  
Minghe Shen ◽  
Chao Wang ◽  
...  

Trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P) synthase (Tps1) catalyzes the formation of T6P from UDP-glucose (UDPG) (or GDPG, etc.) and glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), and structural basis of this process has not been well studied. MoTps1 (Magnaporthe oryzae Tps1) plays a critical role in carbon and nitrogen metabolism, but its structural information is unknown. Here we present the crystal structures of MoTps1 apo, binary (with UDPG) and ternary (with UDPG/G6P or UDP/T6P) complexes. MoTps1 consists of two modified Rossmann-fold domains and a catalytic center in-between. Unlike Escherichia coli OtsA (EcOtsA, the Tps1 of E. coli), MoTps1 exists as a mixture of monomer, dimer, and oligomer in solution. Inter-chain salt bridges, which are not fully conserved in EcOtsA, play primary roles in MoTps1 oligomerization. Binding of UDPG by MoTps1 C-terminal domain modifies the substrate pocket of MoTps1. In the MoTps1 ternary complex structure, UDP and T6P, the products of UDPG and G6P, are detected, and substantial conformational rearrangements of N-terminal domain, including structural reshuffling (β3–β4 loop to α0 helix) and movement of a ‘shift region' towards the catalytic centre, are observed. These conformational changes render MoTps1 to a ‘closed' state compared with its ‘open' state in apo or UDPG complex structures. By solving the EcOtsA apo structure, we confirmed that similar ligand binding induced conformational changes also exist in EcOtsA, although no structural reshuffling involved. Based on our research and previous studies, we present a model for the catalytic process of Tps1. Our research provides novel information on MoTps1, Tps1 family, and structure-based antifungal drug design.


2012 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. BBI.S9902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Divya P. Syamaladevi ◽  
Margaret S Sunitha ◽  
S. Kalaimathy ◽  
Chandrashekar C. Reddy ◽  
Mohammed Iftekhar ◽  
...  

Myosins are one of the largest protein superfamilies with 24 classes. They have conserved structural features and catalytic domains yet show huge variation at different domains resulting in a variety of functions. Myosins are molecules driving various kinds of cellular processes and motility until the level of organisms. These are ATPases that utilize the chemical energy released by ATP hydrolysis to bring about conformational changes leading to a motor function. Myosins are important as they are involved in almost all cellular activities ranging from cell division to transcriptional regulation. They are crucial due to their involvement in many congenital diseases symptomatized by muscular malfunctions, cardiac diseases, deafness, neural and immunological dysfunction, and so on, many of which lead to death at an early age. We present Myosinome, a database of selected myosin classes (myosin II, V, and VI) from five model organisms. This knowledge base provides the sequences, phylogenetic clustering, domain architectures of myosins and molecular models, structural analyses, and relevant literature of their coiled-coil domains. In the current version of Myosinome, information about 71 myosin sequences belonging to three myosin classes (myosin II, V, and VI) in five model organisms ( Homo Sapiens, Mus musculus, D. melanogaster, C. elegans and S. cereviseae) identified using bioinformatics surveys are presented, and several of them are yet to be functionally characterized. As these proteins are involved in congenital diseases, such a database would be useful in short-listing candidates for gene therapy and drug development. The database can be accessed from http://caps.ncbs.res.in/myosinome .


2000 ◽  
Vol 16 (16) ◽  
pp. 1689-1694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abel C. S. Chun ◽  
Yuan Zhou ◽  
Chi-Ming Wong ◽  
Hsiang-Fu Kung ◽  
Kuan-Teh Jeang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 2727-2732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Zhao ◽  
Zhi-Wen Hu ◽  
Pei Tong ◽  
Yong-Xiang Chen ◽  
Yu-Fen Zhao ◽  
...  

1988 ◽  
Vol 53 (11) ◽  
pp. 2810-2824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilmars Sekacis ◽  
Mark Shenderovich ◽  
Gregory Nikiforovich ◽  
Edvards Liepinš ◽  
Ludmila Polevaya ◽  
...  

A group of synthetic peptides including Boc-Lys-Phe-X-Y, X = Ala (I, III) or Thr (II), Y = Pro (I, II) or Ala (III) was studied by means of 1H NMR spectroscopy and theoretical conformational analysis. Compound I in DMSO shows two conformers with the trans- and cis-configuration of the peptide bond Ala-Pro. The salt bridge between the Lys ε-amino group and the C-terminal carboxyl is featured by magnetic nonequivalence of the Lys CεH2 protons. The space structure of I and II was found to possess a salt bridge fixed by an unusual turn in the chain formed by the Lys side chain and the C-terminal dipeptide with the trans-peptide bond X-Pro. Since a stable ionic bond in III and in the cis-conformer of I has not been observed, its contribution to stabilization of the space structure of the peptides in DMSO appears rather small.


2002 ◽  
Vol 137 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 65-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Meier ◽  
Ariel Lustig ◽  
Ueli Aebi ◽  
Peter Burkhard
Keyword(s):  
De Novo ◽  

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean P. Carney ◽  
Wen Ma ◽  
Kevin D. Whitley ◽  
Haifeng Jia ◽  
Timothy M. Lohman ◽  
...  

AbstractUvrD, a model for non-hexameric Superfamily 1 helicases, utilizes ATP hydrolysis to translocate stepwise along single-stranded DNA and unwind the duplex. Previous estimates of its step size have been indirect, and a consensus on its stepping mechanism is lacking. To dissect the mechanism underlying DNA unwinding, we use optical tweezers to measure directly the stepping behavior of UvrD as it processes a DNA hairpin and show that UvrD exhibits a variable step size averaging ~3 base pairs. Analyzing stepping kinetics across ATP reveals the type and number of catalytic events that occur with different step sizes. These single-molecule data reveal a mechanism in which UvrD moves one base pair at a time but sequesters the nascent single strands, releasing them non-uniformly after a variable number of catalytic cycles. Molecular dynamics simulations point to a structural basis for this behavior, identifying the protein-DNA interactions responsible for strand sequestration. Based on structural and sequence alignment data, we propose that this stepping mechanism may be conserved among other non-hexameric helicases.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. R. Morton ◽  
N. J. Rzechorzek ◽  
J. D. Maman ◽  
M. Kuramochi ◽  
H. Sekiguchi ◽  
...  

AbstractThe DNA repair factor CtIP has a critical function in Double-Strand Break (DSB) repair by Homologous Recombination, promoting the assembly of the repair apparatus at DNA ends and participating in DNA-end resection. However, the molecular mechanisms of CtIP function in DSB repair remain unclear. Here we present an atomic model for the three-dimensional architecture of human CtIP, derived from a multi-disciplinary approach that includes X-ray crystallography, Small-angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and Diffracted X-ray Tracking (DXT). Our data show that CtIP adopts an extended dimer-of-dimers structure, in agreement with a role in bridging distant sites on chromosomal DNA during recombinational repair. The zinc-binding motif in CtIP’s N-terminus alters dynamically the coiled coil structure, with functional implications for the long-range interactions of CtIP with DNA. Our results provide a structural basis for the three-dimensional arrangement of chains in the CtIP tetramer, a key aspect of CtIP function in DNA DSB repair.


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