scholarly journals The Structural Basis for Glycerol Permeation by human AQP7

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Zhang ◽  
Deqiang Yao ◽  
Fu Zhou ◽  
Qing Zhang ◽  
Ying Xia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physiological Condition ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Glycerol Metabolism ◽  
Functional Assay ◽  
Substrate Binding Pocket ◽  
Glycerol Molecule ◽  
Cytoplasmic Side

AbstractHuman glycerol channel AQP7 conducts glycerol release from adipocyte and entry into the cells in pancreatic islets, muscles and kidney tubule, and thus regulate glycerol metabolism in those tissues. Compared with other human aquaglyceroporins, AQP7 shows a less conserved “NPA” motif in the center cavity, and a pair of aromatic residues at Ar/R selectivity filter. To understand the structural basis for the glycerol conductance, we crystallized the human AQP7 and determined the structure at 3.7 Å. A substrate binding pocket was found near to the Ar/R filter and the bound glycerol molecule stabilized by R229. In vivo functional assay on human AQP7 as well as AQP3 and AQP10 demonstrated strong glycerol transportation activities at physiological condition. The human AQP7 structure reveals a fully closed conformation with its permeation pathway strictly confined by Ar/R filter at the exoplasmic side and the gate at the cytoplasmic side, and the dislocation of the residues at narrowest parts of glycerol pathway in AQP7 play a critical role in controlling the glycerol flux.

scholarly journals Structural basis of AdoMet-dependent aminocarboxypropyl transfer reaction catalyzed by tRNA-wybutosine synthesizing enzyme, TYW2

2009 ◽  
Vol 106 (37) ◽  
pp. 15616-15621 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masataka Umitsu ◽  
Hiroshi Nishimasu ◽  
Akiko Noma ◽  
Tsutomu Suzuki ◽  
Ryuichiro Ishitani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structures ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Binding Modes ◽  
Substrate Binding Pocket ◽  
Methyl Group ◽  
Group Transfer ◽  
Canonical Class ◽  
Functional Analyses

S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) is a methyl donor used by a wide variety of methyltransferases, and it is also used as the source of an α-amino-α-carboxypropyl (“acp”) group by several enzymes. tRNA-yW synthesizing enzyme-2 (TYW2) is involved in the biogenesis of a hypermodified nucleotide, wybutosine (yW), and it catalyzes the transfer of the “acp” group from AdoMet to the C7 position of the imG-14 base, a yW precursor. This modified nucleoside yW is exclusively located at position 37 of eukaryotic tRNAPhe, and it ensures the anticodon-codon pairing on the ribosomal decoding site. Although this “acp” group has a significant role in preventing decoding frame shifts, the mechanism of the “acp” group transfer by TYW2 remains unresolved. Here we report the crystal structures and functional analyses of two archaeal homologs of TYW2 from Pyrococcus horikoshii and Methanococcus jannaschii. The in vitro mass spectrometric and radioisotope-labeling analyses confirmed that these archaeal TYW2 homologues have the same activity as yeast TYW2. The crystal structures verified that the archaeal TYW2 contains a canonical class-I methyltransferase (MTase) fold. However, their AdoMet-bound structures revealed distinctive AdoMet-binding modes, in which the “acp” group, instead of the methyl group, of AdoMet is directed to the substrate binding pocket. Our findings, which were confirmed by extensive mutagenesis studies, explain why TYW2 transfers the “acp” group, and not the methyl group, from AdoMet to the nucleobase.

scholarly journals Crystal structure of yeast Sis1 peptide-binding fragment and Hsp70 Ssa1 C-terminal complex

2006 ◽  
Vol 398 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingzhi Li ◽  
Yunkun Wu ◽  
Xinguo Qian ◽  
Bingdong Sha
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Peptide Binding ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Terminal Form ◽  
Charged Residues ◽  
Domain I

Heat shock protein (Hsp) 40 facilitates the critical role of Hsp70 in a number of cellular processes such as protein folding, assembly, degradation and translocation in vivo. Hsp40 and Hsp70 stay in close contact to achieve these diverse functions. The conserved C-terminal EEVD motif in Hsp70 has been shown to regulate Hsp40–Hsp70 interaction by an unknown mechanism. Here, we provide a structural basis for this regulation by determining the crystal structure of yeast Hsp40 Sis1 peptide-binding fragment complexed with the Hsp70 Ssa1 C-terminal. The Ssa1 extreme C-terminal eight residues, G634PTVEEVD641, form a β-strand with the domain I of Sis1 peptide-binding fragment. Surprisingly, the Ssa1 C-terminal binds Sis1 at the site where Sis1 interacts with the non-native polypeptides. The negatively charged residues within the EEVD motif in Ssa1 C-terminal form extensive charge–charge interactions with the positively charged residues in Sis1. The structure-based mutagenesis data support the structural observations.

scholarly journals Structural basis for VIPP1 oligomerization and maintenance of thylakoid membrane integrity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tilak Kumar Gupta ◽  
Sven Klumpe ◽  
Karin Gries ◽  
Steffen Heinz ◽  
Wojciech Wietrzynski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Point Mutations ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Thylakoid Membranes ◽  
Lipid Binding ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Amphipathic Helices ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy

AbstractVesicle-inducing protein in plastids (VIPP1) is essential for the biogenesis and maintenance of thylakoid membranes, which transform light into life. However, it is unknown how VIPP1 performs its vital membrane-shaping function. Here, we use cryo-electron microscopy to determine structures of cyanobacterial VIPP1 rings, revealing how VIPP1 monomers flex and interweave to form basket-like assemblies of different symmetries. Three VIPP1 monomers together coordinate a non-canonical nucleotide binding pocket that is required for VIPP1 oligomerization. Inside the ring’s lumen, amphipathic helices from each monomer align to form large hydrophobic columns, enabling VIPP1 to bind and curve membranes. In vivo point mutations in these hydrophobic surfaces cause extreme thylakoid swelling under high light, indicating an essential role of VIPP1 lipid binding in resisting stress-induced damage. Our study provides a structural basis for understanding how the oligomerization of VIPP1 drives the biogenesis of thylakoid membranes and protects these life-giving membranes from environmental stress.

scholarly journals Poliovirus Polymerase Residue 5 Plays a Critical Role in Elongation Complex Stability

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (16) ◽  
pp. 8072-8084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Hobdey ◽  
Brian J. Kempf ◽  
Benjamin P. Steil ◽  
David J. Barton ◽  
Olve B. Peersen
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Polymerase Activity ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Elongation Complex ◽  
Virus Growth ◽  
The Stability

ABSTRACT The structures of polio-, coxsackie-, and rhinovirus polymerases have revealed a conserved yet unusual protein conformation surrounding their buried N termini where a β-strand distortion results in a solvent-exposed hydrophobic amino acid at residue 5. In a previous study, we found that coxsackievirus polymerase activity increased or decreased depending on the size of the amino acid at residue 5 and proposed that this residue becomes buried during the catalytic cycle. In this work, we extend our studies to show that poliovirus polymerase activity is also dependent on the nature of residue 5 and further elucidate which aspects of polymerase function are affected. Poliovirus polymerases with mutations of tryptophan 5 retain wild-type elongation rates, RNA binding affinities, and elongation complex formation rates but form unstable elongation complexes. A large hydrophobic residue is required to maintain the polymerase in an elongation-competent conformation, and smaller hydrophobic residues at position 5 progressively decrease the stability of elongation complexes and their processivity on genome-length templates. Consistent with this, the mutations also reduced viral RNA production in a cell-free replication system. In vivo, viruses containing residue 5 mutants produce viable virus, and an aromatic phenylalanine was maintained with only a slightly decreased virus growth rate. However, nonaromatic amino acids resulted in slow-growing viruses that reverted to wild type. The structural basis for this polymerase phenotype is yet to be determined, and we speculate that amino acid residue 5 interacts directly with template RNA or is involved in a protein structural interaction that stabilizes the elongation complex.

Understanding the highly efficient catalysis of prokaryotic peptide deformylases by shedding light on the determinants specifying the low activity of the human counterpart

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 242-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Fieulaine ◽  
Michel Desmadril ◽  
Thierry Meinnel ◽  
Carmela Giglione
Keyword(s):  
Sequence Similarity ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Human Counterpart ◽  
Low Activity

Peptide deformylases (PDFs), which are essential and ubiquitous enzymes involved in the removal of theN-formyl group from nascent chains, are classified into four subtypes based on the structural and sequence similarity of specific conserved domains. All PDFs share a similar three-dimensional structure, are functionally interchangeablein vivoand display similar propertiesin vitro, indicating that their molecular mechanism has been conserved during evolution. The human mitochondrial PDF is the only exception as despite its conserved fold it reveals a unique substrate-binding pocket together with an unusual kinetic behaviour. Unlike human PDF, the closely related mitochondrial PDF1As from plants have catalytic efficiencies and enzymatic parameters that are similar to those of other classes of PDFs. Here, the aim was to identify the structural basis underlying the properties of human PDF compared with all other PDFs by focusing on plant mitochondrial PDF1A. The construction of a chimaera composed of plant PDF1A with the nonrandom substitutions found in a conserved motif of its human homologue converted it into an enzyme with properties similar to the human enzyme, indicating the crucial role of these positions. The crystal structure of this human-like plant PDF revealed that substitution of two residues leads to a reduction in the volume of the ligand-binding site together with the introduction of negative charges, unravelling the origin of the weak affinity of human PDF for its substrate. In addition, the substitution of the two residues of human PDF modifies the transition state of the reaction through alteration of the network of interactions between the catalytic residues and the substrate, leading to an overall reduced reaction rate.

scholarly journals The Molecular Basis of Specific DNA Binding by the BRG1 AT-hook and Bromodomain

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julio C. Sanchez ◽  
Liyang Zhang ◽  
Stefania Evoli ◽  
Nicholas J. Schnicker ◽  
Maria Nunez-Hernandez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Chromatin Remodeling ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Atpase Subunit ◽  
Baf Complex ◽  
Chromatin Remodeling Complex ◽  
Cancer Mutations ◽  
Dna Specificity

AbstractThe ATP-dependent BAF chromatin remodeling complex plays a critical role in gene regulation by modulating chromatin architecture, and is frequently mutated in cancer. Indeed, subunits of the BAF complex are found to be mutated in >20% of human tumors. The mechanism by which BAF properly navigates chromatin is not fully understood, but is thought to involve a multivalent network of histone and DNA contacts. We previously identified a composite domain in the BRG1 ATPase subunit that is capable of associating with both histones and DNA in a multivalent manner. Mapping the DNA binding pocket revealed that it contains several cancer mutations. Here, we utilize SELEX-seq to identify the DNA specificity of this composite domain and NMR spectroscopy and molecular modelling to determine the structural basis of DNA binding. Finally, we demonstrate that cancer mutations in this domain alter the mode of DNA association.

scholarly journals Structural insights into the sequence-specific recognition of Piwi by Drosophila Papi

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (13) ◽  
pp. 3374-3379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuhan Zhang ◽  
Weiwei Liu ◽  
Ronghong Li ◽  
Jiaqi Gu ◽  
Ping Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Biochemical Analysis ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Direct Interaction ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Binding Partner ◽  
Transposon Silencing ◽  
Tudor Domain ◽  
Structural Insights

The Tudor domain-containing (Tdrd) family proteins play a critical role in transposon silencing in animal gonads by recognizing the symmetrically dimethylated arginine (sDMA) on the (G/A)R motif of the N-terminal of PIWI family proteins via the eTud domains. Papi, also known as “Tdrd2,” is involved in Zucchini-mediated PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) 3′-end maturation. Intriguingly, a recent study showed that, in papi mutant flies, only Piwi-bound piRNAs increased in length, and not Ago3-bound or Aub-bound piRNAs. However, the molecular and structural basis of the Papi–Piwi complex is still not fully understood, which limits mechanistic understanding of the function of Papi in piRNA biogenesis. In the present study, we determined the crystal structures of Papi-eTud in the apo form and in complex with a peptide containing unmethylated or dimethylated R10 residues. Structural and biochemical analysis showed that the Papi interaction region on the Drosophila Piwi contains an RGRRR motif (R7–R11) distinct from the consensus (G/A)R motif recognized by canonical eTud. Mass spectrometry results indicated that Piwi is the major binding partner of Papi in vivo. The papi mutant flies suffered from both fertility and transposon-silencing defects, supporting the important role conferred to Papi in piRNA 3′ processing through direct interaction with Piwi proteins.

Structural basis for substrate specificity of heteromeric transporters of neutral amino acids

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (49) ◽  
pp. e2113573118
Author(s):  
Carlos F. Rodriguez ◽  
Paloma Escudero-Bravo ◽  
Lucía Díaz ◽  
Paola Bartoccioni ◽  
Carmen García-Martín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Substrate Specificity ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Substrate Binding ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Neutral Amino Acid ◽  
Substrate Preference ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Substrate Binding Pocket

Despite having similar structures, each member of the heteromeric amino acid transporter (HAT) family shows exquisite preference for the exchange of certain amino acids. Substrate specificity determines the physiological function of each HAT and their role in human diseases. However, HAT transport preference for some amino acids over others is not yet fully understood. Using cryo–electron microscopy of apo human LAT2/CD98hc and a multidisciplinary approach, we elucidate key molecular determinants governing neutral amino acid specificity in HATs. A few residues in the substrate-binding pocket determine substrate preference. Here, we describe mutations that interconvert the substrate profiles of LAT2/CD98hc, LAT1/CD98hc, and Asc1/CD98hc. In addition, a region far from the substrate-binding pocket critically influences the conformation of the substrate-binding site and substrate preference. This region accumulates mutations that alter substrate specificity and cause hearing loss and cataracts. Here, we uncover molecular mechanisms governing substrate specificity within the HAT family of neutral amino acid transporters and provide the structural bases for mutations in LAT2/CD98hc that alter substrate specificity and that are associated with several pathologies.

scholarly journals Amino acid residue 247 in canine sulphotransferase SULT1D1: a new determinant of substrate selectivity

2004 ◽  
Vol 378 (2) ◽  
pp. 687-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carrie TSOI ◽  
Mikael WIDERSTEN ◽  
Ralf MORGENSTERN ◽  
Stellan SWEDMARK
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Substrate Binding Pocket ◽  
Site Selectivity ◽  
Km Value ◽  
Exogenous Compounds

The SULT (sulphotransferase) family plays a critical role in the detoxification and activation of endogenous and exogenous compounds as well as in the regulation of steroid hormone actions and neurotransmitter functions. The structure–activity relationships of the human SULTs have been investigated with focus on the amino acid 146 in hSULT1A3 and its impact on dopamine/PNP (p-nitrophenol) specificity. In the present study, we have generated canine SULT1D1 (cSULT1D1) variants with mutations at amino acid residues in the substrate-binding pocket [A146E (Ala-146→Glu), A146D, A146Q, I86D or D247L]. These mutation sites were chosen with regard to their possible contribution to the marked dopamine/PNP preference of cSULT1D1. After characterization, we found that the overall sulphation efficiencies for the cSULT1D1 A146 and the I86 mutants were strongly decreased for both substrates compared with wild-type cSULT1D1 but the substrate preference was unchanged. In contrast, the D247L mutant was found to be more than 21-fold better at sulphating PNP (120-fold decrease in Km value) but 54-fold less efficient in sulphating dopamine (8-fold increase in Km value) and the preference was switched from dopamine to PNP, indicating the importance of this amino acid in the dopamine/PNP preference in cSULT1D1. Our results show that Asp-247 has a pronounced effect on the substrate specificity of cSULT1D1 and thus we have identified a previously unrecognized contributor to active-site selectivity.

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