Identification of the active site and characterization of a novel sporulation-specific cysteine protease YabG from Bacillus subtilis

Author(s):  
Ryuji Yamazawa ◽  
Ritsuko Kuwana ◽  
Kenji Takeuchi ◽  
Hiromu Takamatsu ◽  
Yoshitaka Nakajima ◽  
...  

Abstract In order to characterize the probable protease gene yabG found in the genomes of spore-forming bacteria, Bacillus subtilis yabG was expressed as a 35 kDa His-tagged protein (BsYabG) in Escherichia coli cells. During purification using Ni-affinity chromatography, the 35 kDa protein was degraded via several intermediates to form a 24 kDa protein. Furthermore, it was degraded after an extended incubation period. The effect of protease inhibitors, including certain chemical modification reagents, on the conversion of the 35 kDa protein to the 24 kDa protein was investigated. Reagents reacting with sulfhydryl groups exerted significant effects, strongly suggesting that the yabG gene product is a cysteine protease with autolytic activity. Site-directed mutagenesis of the conserved Cys and His residues indicated that Cys218 and His172 are active site residues. No degradation was observed in the C218A/S and H172A mutants. In addition to the chemical modification reagents, benzamidine inhibited the degradation of the 24 kDa protein. Determination of the N-terminal amino acid sequences of the intermediates revealed trypsin-like specificity for YabG protease. Based on the relative positions of His172 and Cys218 and their surrounding sequences, we propose the classification of YabG as a new family of clan CD in the Merops peptidase database.

2005 ◽  
Vol 79 (20) ◽  
pp. 12721-12731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ákos Putics ◽  
Witold Filipowicz ◽  
Jonathan Hall ◽  
Alexander E. Gorbalenya ◽  
John Ziebuhr

ABSTRACT Replication of the ∼30-kb plus-strand RNA genome of coronaviruses and synthesis of an extensive set of subgenome-length RNAs are mediated by the replicase-transcriptase, a membrane-bound protein complex containing several cellular proteins and up to 16 viral nonstructural proteins (nsps) with multiple enzymatic activities, including protease, polymerase, helicase, methyltransferase, and RNase activities. To get further insight into the replicase gene-encoded functions, we characterized the coronavirus X domain, which is part of nsp3 and has been predicted to be an ADP-ribose-1"-monophosphate (Appr-1"-p) processing enzyme. Bacterially expressed forms of human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) and severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus X domains were shown to dephosphorylate Appr-1"-p, a side product of cellular tRNA splicing, to ADP-ribose in a highly specific manner. The enzyme had no detectable activity on several other nucleoside phosphates. Guided by the crystal structure of AF1521, an X domain homolog from Archaeoglobus fulgidus, potential active-site residues of the HCoV-229E X domain were targeted by site-directed mutagenesis. The data suggest that the HCoV-229E replicase polyprotein residues, Asn 1302, Asn 1305, His 1310, Gly 1312, and Gly 1313, are part of the enzyme's active site. Characterization of an Appr-1"-pase-deficient HCoV-229E mutant revealed no significant effects on viral RNA synthesis and virus titer, and no reversion to the wild-type sequence was observed when the mutant virus was passaged in cell culture. The apparent dispensability of the conserved X domain activity in vitro indicates that coronavirus replicase polyproteins have evolved to include nonessential functions. The biological significance of the novel enzymatic activity in vivo remains to be investigated.


2004 ◽  
Vol 382 (2) ◽  
pp. 751-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pakorn WINAYANUWATTIKUN ◽  
Albert J. KETTERMAN

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are dimeric proteins that play a major role in cellular detoxification. The GSTs in mosquito Anopheles dirus species B, an important malaria vector in South East Asia, are of interest because they can play an important role in insecticide resistance. In the present study, we characterized the Anopheles dirus (Ad)GST D3-3 which is an alternatively spliced product of the adgst1AS1 gene. The data from the crystal structure of GST D3-3 shows that Ile-52, Glu-64, Ser-65, Arg-66 and Met-101 interact directly with glutathione. To study the active-site function of these residues, alanine substitution site-directed mutagenesis was performed resulting in five mutants: I52A (Ile-52→Ala), E64A, S65A, R66A and M101A. Interestingly, the E64A mutant was expressed in Escherichia coli in inclusion bodies, suggesting that this residue is involved with the tertiary structure or folding property of this enzyme. However, the I52A, S65A, R66A and M101A mutants were purified by glutathione affinity chromatography and the enzyme activity characterized. On the basis of steady-state kinetics, difference spectroscopy, unfolding and refolding studies, it was concluded that these residues: (1) contribute to the affinity of the GSH-binding site (‘G-site’) for GSH, (2) influence GSH thiol ionization, (3) participate in kcat regulation by affecting the rate-limiting step of the reaction, and in the case of Ile-52 and Arg-66, influenced structural integrity and/or folding of the enzyme. The structural perturbations from these mutants are probably transmitted to the hydrophobic-substrate-binding site (‘H-site’) through changes in active site topology or through effects on GSH orientation. Therefore these active site residues appear to contribute to various steps in the catalytic mechanism, as well as having an influence on the packing of the protein.


Glycobiology ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 1021-1028 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Garcia-Casado ◽  
C. Collada ◽  
I. Allona ◽  
R. Casado ◽  
L. F. Pacios ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 94 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shangen Xu ◽  
Junwei Zhou ◽  
Yingjin Chen ◽  
Xue Tong ◽  
Zixin Wang ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The 3C-like protease (3CLpro) of nidovirus plays an important role in viral replication and manipulation of host antiviral innate immunity, which makes it an ideal antiviral target. Here, we characterized that porcine torovirus (PToV; family Tobaniviridae, order Nidovirales) 3CLpro autocatalytically releases itself from the viral precursor protein by self-cleavage. Site-directed mutagenesis suggested that PToV 3CLpro, as a serine protease, employed His53 and Ser160 as the active-site residues. Interestingly, unlike most nidovirus 3CLpro, the P1 residue plays a less essential role in N-terminal self-cleavage of PToV 3CLpro. Substituting either P1 or P4 residue of substrate alone has little discernible effect on N-terminal cleavage. Notably, replacement of the two residues together completely blocks N-terminal cleavage, suggesting that N-terminal self-cleavage of PToV 3CLpro is synergistically affected by both P1 and P4 residues. Using a cyclized luciferase-based biosensor, we systematically scanned the polyproteins for cleavage sites and identified (FXXQ↓A/S) as the main consensus sequences. Subsequent homology modeling and biochemical experiments suggested that the protease formed putative pockets S1 and S4 between the substrate. Indeed, mutants of both predicted S1 (D159A, H174A) and S4 (P62G/L185G) pockets completely lost the ability of cleavage activity of PToV 3CLpro. In conclusion, the characterization of self-processing activities and substrate specificities of PToV 3CLpro will offer helpful information for the mechanism of nidovirus 3C-like proteinase’s substrate specificities and the rational development of the antinidovirus drugs. IMPORTANCE Currently, the active-site residues and substrate specificities of 3C-like protease (3CLpro) differ among nidoviruses, and the detailed catalytic mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, porcine torovirus (PToV) 3CLpro cleaves 12 sites in the polyproteins, including its N- and C-terminal self-processing sites. Unlike coronaviruses and arteriviruses, PToV 3CLpro employed His53 and Ser160 as the active-site residues that recognize a glutamine (Gln) at the P1 position. Surprisingly, mutations of P1-Gln impaired the C-terminal self-processing but did not affect N-terminal self-processing. The “noncanonical” substrate specificity for its N-terminal self-processing was attributed to the phenylalanine (Phe) residue at the P4 position in the N-terminal site. Furthermore, a double glycine (neutral) substitution at the putative P4-Phe-binding residues (P62G/L185G) abolished the cleavage activity of PToV 3CLpro suggested the potential hydrophobic force between the PToV 3CLpro and P4-Phe side chains.


2007 ◽  
Vol 189 (12) ◽  
pp. 4456-4464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Vidal-Ingigliardi ◽  
Shawn Lewenza ◽  
Nienke Buddelmeijer

ABSTRACT Apolipoprotein N-acyl transferase (Lnt) is an essential membrane-bound protein involved in lipid modification of all lipoproteins in gram-negative bacteria. Essential residues in Lnt of Escherichia coli were identified by using site-directed mutagenesis and an in vivo complementation assay. Based on sequence conservation and known protein structures, we predict a model for Lnt, which is a member of the CN hydrolase family. Besides the potential catalytic triad E267-K335-C387, four residues that directly affect the modification of Braun's lipoprotein Lpp are absolutely required for Lnt function. Residues Y388 and E389 are part of the hydrophobic pocket that constitutes the active site. Residues W237 and E343 are located on two flexible arms that face away from the active site and are expected to open and close upon the binding and release of phospholipid and/or apolipoprotein. Substitutions causing temperature-dependent effects were located at different positions in the structural model. These mutants were not affected in protein stability. Lnt proteins from other proteobacteria, but not from actinomycetes, were functional in vivo, and the essential residues identified in Lnt of E. coli are conserved in these proteins.


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