scholarly journals A two-site flexible clamp mechanism for RET-GDNF-GFRα1 assembly reveals both conformational adaptation and strict geometric spacing

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Adams ◽  
Andrew G. Purkiss ◽  
Phillip P. Knowles ◽  
Andrea Nans ◽  
David C. Briggs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Spatial Separation ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
List Type ◽  
Calcium Dependent ◽  
Rich Domain ◽  
Receptor Recognition ◽  
Receptor Plasticity ◽  
Receptor Dimers

AbstractRET receptor tyrosine kinase plays vital developmental and neuroprotective roles in metazoans. GDNF family ligands (GFLs) when bound to cognate GFRα co-receptors recognise and activate RET stimulating its cytoplasmic kinase function. The principles for RET ligand-co-receptor recognition are incompletely understood. Here we report a crystal structure of the cadherin-like module (CLD1-4) from zebrafish RET revealing interdomain flexibility between CLD2-CLD3. Comparison with a cryo-EM structure of a ligand-engaged zebrafish RETECD-GDNF-GFRα1 complex indicates conformational changes within a clade-specific CLD3 loop adjacent to co-receptor. Our observations indicate RET is a molecular clamp with a flexible calcium-dependent arm that adapts to different GFRα co-receptors, while its rigid arm recognises a GFL dimer to align both membrane-proximal cysteine-rich domains. We also visualise linear arrays of RETECD-GDNF-GFRα1 suggesting a conserved contact stabilises higher-order species. Our study reveals ligand-co-receptor recognition by RET involves both receptor plasticity and strict spacing of receptor dimers by GFL ligands.HighlightsCrystal structure of zebrafish RET cadherin-like module reveals conformational flexibility at the calcium-dependent CLD2-CLD3 interfaceComparison of X-ray and cryo-EM structures indicate conformational differences between unliganded and liganded RET involving a clade-specific CLD3 loopStrict spatial separation of RETECD C-termini is imposed by each cysteine-rich domain interaction with GFL dimerDifferences in co-receptor engagement and higher-order ligand-bound RET complexes indicate potentially divergent signalling mechanisms

scholarly journals Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 by destruction of the prefusion Spike

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiandong Huo ◽  
Yuguang Zhao ◽  
Jingshan Ren ◽  
Daming Zhou ◽  
Helen ME Duyvesteyn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
List Type ◽  
Receptor Binding Domain ◽  
Converting Enzyme ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 ◽  
Cryptic Epitope

SummaryThere are as yet no licenced therapeutics for the COVID-19 pandemic. The causal coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) binds host cells via a trimeric Spike whose receptor binding domain (RBD) recognizes angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), initiating conformational changes that drive membrane fusion. We find that monoclonal antibody CR3022 binds the RBD tightly, neutralising SARS-CoV-2 and report the crystal structure at 2.4 Å of the Fab/RBD complex. Some crystals are suitable for screening for entry-blocking inhibitors. The highly conserved, structure-stabilising, CR3022 epitope is inaccessible in the prefusion Spike, suggesting that CR3022 binding would facilitate conversion to the fusion-incompetent post-fusion state. Cryo-EM analysis confirms that incubation of Spike with CR3022 Fab leads to destruction of the prefusion trimer. Presentation of this cryptic epitope in an RBD-based vaccine might advantageously focus immune responses. Binders at this epitope may be useful therapeutically, possibly in synergy with an antibody blocking receptor attachment.HighlightsCR3022 neutralises SARS-CoV-2Neutralisation is by destroying the prefusion SPIKE conformationThis antibody may have therapeutic potential alone or with one blocking receptor attachment

Double Lock of a Potent Human Monoclonal Antibody against SARS-CoV-2

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling Zhu ◽  
Yong-Qiang Deng ◽  
Rong-Rong Zhang ◽  
Zhen Cui ◽  
Chun-Yun Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monoclonal Antibody ◽  
Membrane Fusion ◽  
Receptor Binding ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Rhesus Macaques ◽  
Human Monoclonal Antibody ◽  
List Type ◽  
Viral Receptor ◽  
Successful Infection ◽  
Receptor Recognition

SummaryReceptor recognition and subsequent membrane fusion are essential for the establishment of successful infection by SARS-CoV-2. Halting these steps can cure COVID-19. Here we have identified and characterized a potent human monoclonal antibody, HB27, that blocks SARS-CoV-2 attachment to its cellular receptor at sub-nM concentrations. Remarkably, HB27 can also prevent SARS-CoV-2 membrane fusion. Consequently, a single dose of HB27 conferred effective protection against SARS-CoV-2 in two established mouse models. Rhesus macaques showed no obvious adverse events when administrated with 10-fold of effective dose of HB27. Cryo-EM studies on complex of SARS-CoV-2 trimeric S with HB27 Fab reveal that three Fab fragments work synergistically to occlude SARS-CoV-2 from binding to ACE2 receptor. Binding of the antibody also restrains any further conformational changes of the RBD, possibly interfering with progression from the prefusion to the postfusion stage. These results suggest that HB27 is a promising candidate for immuno-therapies against COVID-19.HighlightsSARS-CoV-2 specific antibody, HB27, blocks viral receptor binding and membrane fusionHB27 confers prophylactic and therapeutic protection against SARS-CoV-2 in mice modelsRhesus macaques showed no adverse side effects when administered with HB27Cryo-EM studies suggest that HB27 sterically occludes SARS-CoV-2 from its receptor

scholarly journals Structural and biophysical characterization of the tandem substrate-binding domains of the ABC importer GlnPQ

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelyn Ploetz ◽  
Gea K. Schuurman-Wolters ◽  
Niels Zijlstra ◽  
Amarins W. Jager ◽  
Douglas A. Griffith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Ligand Binding ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Substrate Binding ◽  
List Type ◽  
Binding Affinities ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Conformational States ◽  
Binding Domains

ABSTRACTThe ATP-binding cassette transporter GlnPQ is an essential uptake system that transports glutamine, glutamic acid, and asparagine in Gram-positive bacteria. It features two extracytoplasmic substrate-binding domains (SBDs) that are linked in tandem to the transmembrane domain of the transporter. The two SBDs differ in their ligand specificities, binding affinities and their distance to the transmembrane domain. Here, we elucidate the effects of the tandem arrangement of the domains on the biochemical, biophysical and structural properties of the protein. For this, we determined the crystal structure of the ligand-free tandem SBD1-2 protein from L. lactis in the absence of the transporter and compared the tandem to the isolated SBDs. We also used isothermal titration calorimetry to determine the ligand-binding affinity of the SBDs and single-molecule Förster-resonance energy transfer (smFRET) to relate ligand binding to conformational changes in each of the domains of the tandem. We show that substrate binding and conformational changes are not notably affected by the presence of the adjoining domain in the wild-type protein, and changes only occur when the linker between the domains is shortened. In a proof-of-concept experiment, we combine smFRET with protein-induced fluorescence enhancement and show that a decrease in SBD linker length is observed as a linear increase in donor-brightness for SBD2 while we can still monitor the conformational states (open/closed) of SBD1. These results demonstrate the feasibility of PIFE-FRET to monitor protein-protein interactions and conformational states simultaneously.HIGHLIGHTSResolved crystal structure of tandem SBD1-2 of GlnPQ from Lactococcus lactisConformational states and ligand binding affinities of individual domains SBD1 and SBD2 are similar to tandem SBD1-2No cooperative effects are seen for different ligands for SBDs in the tandemProof of concept experiments show that PIFE-FRET can monitor SBD conformations and protein-protein interaction simultaneously

Criteria for the evaluation of low-temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy

1986 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 902-903
Author(s):  
Alan Beckett
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Scanning Electron Microscopy ◽  
Low Temperature ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Chemical Vapour ◽  
List Type ◽  
Dimensional Changes ◽  
Critical Point Drying ◽  
Temperature Scanning ◽  
Scanning Electron

Low temperature scanning electron microscopy (LTSEM) has been evaluated with special reference to its application to the study of morphology and development in microorganisms. A number of criteria have been considered and have proved valuable in assessing the standard of results achieved. To further aid our understanding of these results, it has been necessary to compare those obtained by LTSEM with those from more conventional preparatory procedures such as 1) chemical fixation, dehydration and critical point-drying; 2) freeze-drying with or without chemical vapour fixation before hand.The criteria used for assessing LTSEM for the above purposes are as follows: 1)Specimen immobilization and stabilization2)General preservation of external morphology3)General preservation of internal morphology4)Exposure to solvents5)Overall dimensional changes6)Cell surface texture7)Differential conformational changes8)Etching frozen-hydrated material9)Beam damage10)Specimen resolution11)Specimen life

scholarly journals Crystal structure of caspase recruiting domain (CARD) of apoptosis repressor with CARD (ARC) and its implication in inhibition of apoptosis

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tae-ho Jang ◽  
Seong Hyun Kim ◽  
Jae-Hee Jeong ◽  
Sunghwan Kim ◽  
Yeon-Gil Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Death Domain ◽  
Apoptosis Pathway ◽  
Effector Domains ◽  
Inhibitory Function ◽  
Rich Domain ◽  
Extrinsic Apoptosis ◽  
Optimal Target ◽  
Death Effector ◽  
Disc Formation

Abstract Apoptosis repressor with caspase recruiting domain (ARC) is a multifunctional inhibitor of apoptosis that is unusually over-expressed or activated in various cancers and in the state of the pulmonary hypertension. Therefore, ARC might be an optimal target for therapeutic intervention. Human ARC is composed of two distinct domains, N-terminal caspase recruiting domain (CARD) and C-terminal P/E (proline and glutamic acid) rich domain. ARC inhibits the extrinsic apoptosis pathway by interfering with DISC formation. ARC CARD directly interacts with the death domains (DDs) of Fas and FADD, as well as with the death effector domains (DEDs) of procaspase-8. Here, we report the first crystal structure of the CARD domain of ARC at a resolution of 2.4 Å. Our structure was a dimer with novel homo-dimerization interfaces that might be critical to its inhibitory function. Interestingly, ARC did not exhibit a typical death domain fold. The sixth helix (H6), which was detected at the typical death domain fold, was not detected in the structure of ARC, indicating that H6 may be dispensable for the function of the death domain superfamily.

Improved resolution crystal structure of Acanthamoeba actophorin reveals structural plasticity not induced by microgravity

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Quirk ◽  
Raquel L. Lieberman
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Acanthamoeba Castellanii ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Molecular Replacement ◽  
International Space ◽  
Microgravity Conditions ◽  
Turn Region

Actophorin, a protein that severs actin filaments isolated from the amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii, was employed as a test case for crystallization under microgravity. Crystals of purified actophorin were grown under microgravity conditions aboard the International Space Station (ISS) utilizing an interactive crystallization setup between the ISS crew and ground-based experimenters. Crystals grew in conditions similar to those grown on earth. The structure was solved by molecular replacement at a resolution of 1.65 Å. Surprisingly, the structure reveals conformational changes in a remote β-turn region that were previously associated with actophorin phosphorylated at the terminal residue Ser1. Although crystallization under microgravity did not yield a higher resolution than crystals grown under typical laboratory conditions, the conformation of actophorin obtained from solving the structure suggests greater flexibility in the actophorin β-turn than previously appreciated and may be beneficial for the binding of actophorin to actin filaments.

scholarly journals Biophysical and functional characterization of Norrin signaling through Frizzled4

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (35) ◽  
pp. 8787-8792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Injin Bang ◽  
Hee Ryung Kim ◽  
Andrew H. Beaven ◽  
Jinuk Kim ◽  
Seung-Bum Ko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ligand Binding ◽  
Wnt Signaling ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Cellular Response ◽  
Transmembrane Domain ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Intracellular Loop ◽  
Ligand Interaction ◽  
Rich Domain ◽  
Linker Domain

Wnt signaling is initiated by Wnt ligand binding to the extracellular ligand binding domain, called the cysteine-rich domain (CRD), of a Frizzled (Fzd) receptor. Norrin, an atypical Fzd ligand, specifically interacts with Fzd4 to activate β-catenin–dependent canonical Wnt signaling. Much of the molecular basis that confers Norrin selectivity in binding to Fzd4 was revealed through the structural study of the Fzd4CRD–Norrin complex. However, how the ligand interaction, seemingly localized at the CRD, is transmitted across full-length Fzd4 to the cytoplasm remains largely unknown. Here, we show that a flexible linker domain, which connects the CRD to the transmembrane domain, plays an important role in Norrin signaling. The linker domain directly contributes to the high-affinity interaction between Fzd4 and Norrin as shown by ∼10-fold higher binding affinity of Fzd4CRD to Norrin in the presence of the linker. Swapping the Fzd4 linker with the Fzd5 linker resulted in the loss of Norrin signaling, suggesting the importance of the linker in ligand-specific cellular response. In addition, structural dynamics of Fzd4 associated with Norrin binding investigated by hydrogen/deuterium exchange MS revealed Norrin-induced conformational changes on the linker domain and the intracellular loop 3 (ICL3) region of Fzd4. Cell-based functional assays showed that linker deletion, L430A and L433A mutations at ICL3, and C-terminal tail truncation displayed reduced β-catenin–dependent signaling activity, indicating the functional significance of these sites. Together, our results provide functional and biochemical dissection of Fzd4 in Norrin signaling.

scholarly journals Generalizations and applications of Young’s integral inequality by higher order derivatives

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun-Qing Wang ◽  
Bai-Ni Guo ◽  
Feng Qi
Keyword(s):  
Differential Geometry ◽  
Integral Inequality ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Integral Inequalities ◽  
List Type ◽  
Definite Integral ◽  
Exponential Integral ◽  
Definite Integrals ◽  
Logarithmic Integral

Abstract In the paper, the authors generalize Young’s integral inequality via Taylor’s theorems in terms of higher order derivatives and their norms, and apply newly-established integral inequalities to estimate several concrete definite integrals, including a definite integral of a function which plays an indispensable role in differential geometry and has a connection with the Lah numbers in combinatorics, the exponential integral, and the logarithmic integral.

scholarly journals Crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 main protease in complex with a Chinese herb inhibitor shikonin

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Li ◽  
Xuelan Zhou ◽  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Fanglin Zhong ◽  
Cheng Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Drug Targets ◽  
Chinese Herb ◽  
Binding Modes ◽  
High Potency ◽  
Main Protease ◽  
Covalent Inhibitors ◽  
Catalytic Dyad ◽  
Important Drug

AbstractMain protease (Mpro, also known as 3CLpro) has a major role in the replication of coronavirus life cycle and is one of the most important drug targets for anticoronavirus agents. Here we report the crystal structure of main protease of SARS-CoV-2 bound to a previously identified Chinese herb inhibitor shikonin at 2.45 angstrom resolution. Although the structure revealed here shares similar overall structure with other published structures, there are several key differences which highlight potential features that could be exploited. The catalytic dyad His41-Cys145 undergoes dramatic conformational changes, and the structure reveals an unusual arrangement of oxyanion loop stabilized by the substrate. Binding to shikonin and binding of covalent inhibitors show different binding modes, suggesting a diversity in inhibitor binding. As we learn more about different binding modes and their structure-function relationships, it is probable that we can design more effective and specific drugs with high potency that can serve as effect SARS-CoV-2 anti-viral agents.

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