scholarly journals Antigenic Importance of the Carboxy-Terminal Beta-Strand of the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Nucleocapsid Protein

2001 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 598-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Wootton ◽  
Gabriella Koljesar ◽  
Liuzhan Yang ◽  
Kyoung-Jin Yoon ◽  
Dongwan Yoo
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Secondary Structure ◽  
Nucleocapsid Protein ◽  
Conformational Epitope ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Respiratory Syndrome Virus ◽  
Beta Strand ◽  
N Protein ◽  
Terminal Domain ◽  
C Terminus

ABSTRACT Five domains of antigenic importance were previously mapped on the nucleocapsid protein (N) of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), and a domain comprised of the 11 C-terminal-most amino acids (residues 112 to 123) was shown to be essential for binding of N-specific conformation-dependent monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). In the present study, the importance of individual residues within this C-terminal domain for antigenicity was investigated using eight different mutant constructs of N expressed in HeLa cells. Single amino acid substitutions were introduced into the C-terminal domain of the N protein, and the significance of individual amino acids for MAb reactivity was determined by immunoprecipitation. None of the MAbs tested recognized the mutant with a leucine-to-proline substitution at residue 114 (L114P), while V112P, R113P, R113D, I115P, and R116P reduced MAb binding significantly. Conversely, substitution of amino acids at positions 118 (T118S) and 121 (P121A) had little effect on MAb binding. Secondary-structure predictions indicate that amino acids 111 to 117 form a beta-strand. In view of the fact that replacement of beta-strand-forming amino acids with proline elicited the greatest effect on MAb binding, it appears that secondary structure in the C terminus of the N protein is an important determinant of conformational epitope formation. While the crystal structure of the PRRSV N protein remains to be determined, results from these studies broaden our understanding of the secondary structures that make up the PRRSV N protein and shed some light on how they may relate to function.

scholarly journals Glycoprotein 3 of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Exhibits an Unusual Hairpin-Like Membrane Topology

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
Minze Zhang ◽  
Ludwig Krabben ◽  
Fangkun Wang ◽  
Michael Veit
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Membrane Topology ◽  
Respiratory Syndrome Virus ◽  
Amphipathic Helix ◽  
Hydrophobic Region ◽  
Virus Particles ◽  
Terminal Domain ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Amino Acid Variability

ABSTRACTGlycoprotein 3 (GP3) of the arterivirus porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) consists of a cleaved signal peptide, a highly glycosylated domain, a short hydrophobic region, and an unglycosylated C-terminal domain. GP3 is supposed to form a complex with GP2 and GP4 in virus particles, but secretion of GP3 from cells has also been reported. We analyzed the membrane topology of GP3 from various PRRSV strains. A fraction of the protein is secreted from transfected cells, GP3 from PRRSV-1 strains to a greater extent than GP3 from PRRSV-2 strains. This secretion behavior is reversed after exchange of the variable C-terminal domain. A fluorescence protease protection assay shows that the C terminus of GP3, fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP), is resistant to proteolytic digestion in permeabilized cells. Furthermore, glycosylation sites inserted into the C-terminal part of GP3 are used. Both experiments indicate that the C terminus of GP3 is translocated into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. Deletion of the conserved hydrophobic region greatly enhances secretion of GP3, and fusion of this domain to GFP promotes membrane anchorage. Bioinformatics suggests that the hydrophobic region forms an amphipathic helix. Accordingly, exchanging only a few amino acids in its hydrophilic face prevents secretion of GP3 and in its hydrophobic face enhances it. Exchanging the latter amino acids in the context of the viral genome did not affect release of virions, but released particles were not infectious. In sum, GP3 exhibits an unusual hairpin-like membrane topology that might explain why a fraction of the protein is secreted.IMPORTANCEPRRSV is the most important pathogen in the pork industry. It causes persistent infections that lead to reduced weight gain of piglets; highly pathogenic strains even kill 90% of an infected pig population. PRRSV cannot be eliminated from pig farms by vaccination due to the large amino acid variability between the existing strains, especially in the glycoproteins. Here, we analyzed basic structural features of GP3 from various PRRSV strains. We show that the protein exhibits an unusual hairpin-like membrane topology; membrane anchoring might occur via an amphipathic helix. This rather weak membrane anchor explains why a fraction of the protein is secreted from cells. Interestingly, PRRSV-1 strains secrete more GP3 than PRRSV-2. We speculate that secreted GP3 plays a role during PRRSV infection of pigs: it might serve as a decoy to distract antibodies away from virus particles.

scholarly journals Glycoprotein 3 of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus exhibits an unusual hairpin-like membrane topology

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minze Zhang ◽  
Ludwig Krabben ◽  
Fangkun Wang ◽  
Michael Veit
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Membrane Topology ◽  
Respiratory Syndrome Virus ◽  
Amphipathic Helix ◽  
Hydrophobic Region ◽  
Virus Particles ◽  
Terminal Domain ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Amino Acid Variability

ABSTRACTThe glycoprotein GP3 of the Arterivirus porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) consists of a cleaved signal peptide, a highly glycosylated domain, a short hydrophobic region and an unglycosylated C-terminal domain. GP3 is supposed to form a complex with GP2 and GP4 in virus particles, but secretion of GP3 from cells has also been reported.We analyzed the membrane topology of GP3 from various PRRSV strains. A fraction of the protein is secreted from transfected cells; GP3 from PRRSV-1 strains to a greater extent than GP3 from PRRSV-2 strains. This secretion behavior is reversed after exchange of the variable C-terminal domain. A fluorescence protease protection assay shows that the C-terminus of GP3, fused to GFP, is resistant against proteolytic digestion in permeabilized cells. Furthermore, glycosylation sites inserted into the C-terminal part of GP3 are used. Both experiments indicate that the C-terminus of GP3 is translocated into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. Deletion of the conserved hydrophobic region greatly enhances secretion of GP3 and fusion of this domain to GFP promotes membrane anchorage. Bioinformatics suggests that the hydrophobic region might form an amphipathic helix. Accordingly, exchanging only a few amino acids in its hydrophilic face prevents and in its hydrophobic face enhances secretion of GP3. Exchanging the latter amino acids in the context of the viral genome did not affect release of virions, but released particles were not infectious. In sum, GP3 exhibits an unusual hairpin-like membrane topology that might explain why a fraction of the protein is secreted.IMPORTANCEThe porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the most important pathogen in the pork industry. It causes persistent infections that lead to reduced weight gain of piglets; highly pathogenic strains even kill 90% of an infected pig population. PRRSV cannot be eliminated from pig farms by vaccination due to the large amino acid variability between the existing strains, especially in the glycoproteins. Here we analyzed basic structural features of glycoprotein 3 (GP3) from various PRRSV strains. We show that the protein exhibits an unusual hairpin-like membrane topology; membrane anchoring might occur via an amphipathic helix. This rather weak membrane anchor explains why a fraction of the protein is secreted from cells. Interestingly, PRRSV-1 strains secrete more GP3 than PRRSV-2. We speculate that secreted GP3 might play a role during PRRSV infection of pigs; it might serve as a decoy to distract antibodies away from virus particles.

scholarly journals The C-Terminal Flexible Domain of the Heme Chaperone CcmE Is Important but Not Essential for Its Function

2003 ◽  
Vol 185 (13) ◽  
pp. 3821-3827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Enggist ◽  
Linda Thöny-Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Heme Binding ◽  
Membrane Anchor ◽  
Terminal Domain ◽  
Conserved Domain ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Helical Turn ◽  
Low Activity

ABSTRACT CcmE is a heme chaperone active in the cytochrome c maturation pathway of Escherichia coli. It first binds heme covalently to strictly conserved histidine H130 and subsequently delivers it to apo-cytochrome c. The recently solved structure of soluble CcmE revealed a compact core consisting of a β-barrel and a flexible C-terminal domain with a short α-helical turn. In order to elucidate the function of this poorly conserved domain, CcmE was truncated stepwise from the C terminus. Removal of all 29 amino acids up to crucial histidine 130 did not abolish heme binding completely. For detectable transfer of heme to type c cytochromes, only one additional residue, D131, was required, and for efficient cytochrome c maturation, the seven-residue sequence 131DENYTPP137 was required. When soluble forms of CcmE were expressed in the periplasm, the C-terminal domain had to be slightly longer to allow detection of holo-CcmE. Soluble full-length CcmE had low activity in cytochrome c maturation, indicating the importance of the N-terminal membrane anchor for the in vivo function of CcmE.

scholarly journals Monoclonal Antibodies Detect a Single Amino Acid Difference Between the Coat Proteins of Soilborne Wheat Mosaic Virus Isolates: Implications for Virus Structure

1997 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianping Chen ◽  
Lesley Torrance ◽  
Graham H. Cowan ◽  
Stuart A. MacFarlane ◽  
Gerald Stubbs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Monoclonal Antibodies ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Mosaic Virus ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Amino Acid Difference ◽  
Coat Proteins ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Readthrough Protein

Four monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were prepared against an isolate of soilborne wheat mosaic furovirus from Oklahoma (SBWMV Okl-7). Three MAbs had different reactivities in tests on SBWMV isolates from Nebraska (Lab1), France, and Japan. One MAb (SCR 133) also reacted with oat golden stripe furovirus. None of the MAbs cross-reacted with other rod-shaped viruses including beet necrotic yellow vein furovirus, potato mop-top furovirus, and tobacco rattle tobravirus. Sequence analysis of nucleotides between 334 and 1,000 of RNA 2, the region that encodes the coat protein (CP) and the first 44 amino acids of a readthrough protein, of the four SBWMV isolates revealed up to 27 base changes from the published sequence of a Nebraska field isolate of SBWMV. Most changes were translationally silent, but some caused differences of one to three amino acids in residues located near either the N- or C-terminus of the CPs of the different isolates. Two further single amino acid changes were found at the beginning of the readthrough domain of the CP-readthrough protein. Some of these amino acid changes could be discriminated by MAbs SCR 132, SCR 133, and SCR 134. Peptide scanning (Pepscan) analysis indicated that the epitope recognized by SCR 134 is located near the N-terminus of the CP. SCR 132 was deduced to react with a discontinuous CP epitope near the C-terminus, and SCR 133 reacted with a surface-located continuous epitope also near the C-terminus. Predictions of CP structure from computer-assisted three-dimensional model building, by comparison with the X-ray fiber diffraction structure of tobacco mosaic virus, suggested that the three CP amino acids found to differ between isolates of SBWMV were located near the viral surface and were in regions predicted to be antigenic.

scholarly journals Mutational Analysis of the Bunyamwera Orthobunyavirus Nucleocapsid Protein Gene

2009 ◽  
Vol 83 (21) ◽  
pp. 11307-11317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saleh A. Eifan ◽  
Richard M. Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Nucleocapsid Protein ◽  
Rna Synthesis ◽  
Mutational Analysis ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
N Protein ◽  
Recombinant Viruses ◽  
Ribonucleoprotein Complexes ◽  
Wide Range

ABSTRACT The bunyavirus nucleocapsid protein, N, is a multifunctional protein that encapsidates each of the three negative-sense genome segments to form ribonucleoprotein complexes that are the functional templates for viral transcription and replication. In addition, N protein molecules interact with themselves to form oligomers, with the viral L (RNA polymerase) protein, with the carboxy-terminal regions of either or both of the virion glycoproteins, and probably also with host cell proteins. Bunyamwera virus (BUNV), the prototype bunyavirus, encodes an N protein of 233 amino acids in length. To learn more about the roles of individual amino acids in the different interactions of N, we performed a wide-scale mutagenic analysis of the protein, and 110 single-point mutants were obtained. When the mutants were employed in a minireplicon assay to examine their effects on viral RNA synthesis, a wide range of activities compared to those of wild-type N protein were observed; changes at nine amino acid positions resulted in severely impaired RNA synthesis. Seventy-seven mutant clones were selected for use in the bunyavirus reverse genetics system, and 57 viable recombinant viruses were recovered. The recombinant viruses displayed a range of plaque sizes and titers in cell culture (from approximately 103 to 108 PFU/ml), and a number of viruses were shown to be temperature sensitive. Different assays were applied to determine why 20 mutant N proteins could not be recovered into infectious virus. Based on these results, a preliminary domain map of the BUNV N protein is proposed.

scholarly journals Identification of In Vivo-Interacting Domains of the Murine Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Protein

2009 ◽  
Vol 83 (14) ◽  
pp. 7221-7234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelley R. Hurst ◽  
Cheri A. Koetzner ◽  
Paul S. Masters
Keyword(s):  
Nucleocapsid Protein ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Hepatitis Virus ◽  
M Protein ◽  
N Protein ◽  
Terminal Domain ◽  
Domain 3 ◽  
Positive Strand Rna ◽  
Carboxy Terminal

ABSTRACT The coronavirus nucleocapsid protein (N), together with the large, positive-strand RNA viral genome, forms a helically symmetric nucleocapsid. This ribonucleoprotein structure becomes packaged into virions through association with the carboxy-terminal endodomain of the membrane protein (M), which is the principal constituent of the virion envelope. Previous work with the prototype coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) has shown that a major determinant of the N-M interaction maps to the carboxy-terminal domain 3 of the N protein. To explore other domain interactions of the MHV N protein, we expressed a series of segments of the MHV N protein as fusions with green fluorescent protein (GFP) during the course of viral infection. We found that two of these GFP-N-domain fusion proteins were selectively packaged into virions as the result of tight binding to the N protein in the viral nucleocapsid, in a manner that did not involve association with either M protein or RNA. The nature of each type of binding was further explored through genetic analysis. Our results defined two strongly interacting regions of the N protein. One is the same domain 3 that is critical for M protein recognition during assembly. The other is domain N1b, which corresponds to the N-terminal domain that has been structurally characterized in detail for two other coronaviruses, infectious bronchitis virus and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus.

scholarly journals Identification and Characterization of a Regulatory Domain on the Carboxyl Terminus of the Measles Virus Nucleocapsid Protein

2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (17) ◽  
pp. 8737-8746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinsheng Zhang ◽  
Candace Glendening ◽  
Hawley Linke ◽  
Christopher L. Parks ◽  
Charles Brooks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Binding Affinity ◽  
Reporter Gene ◽  
Nucleocapsid Protein ◽  
Measles Virus ◽  
Reporter Gene Expression ◽  
Regulatory Domain ◽  
N Protein ◽  
Basal Activity

ABSTRACT The paramyxovirus template for transcription and genome replication consists of the RNA genome encapsidated by the nucleocapsid protein (N protein). The activity of the complex, consisting of viral polymerase plus template, can be measured with minireplicons in which the genomic coding sequence is replaced by chloramphenical acetyltransferase (CAT) antisense RNA. Using this approach, we showed that the C-terminal 24 amino acids of the measles virus N protein are dispensable for transcription and replication, based upon the truncation of N proteins used to support minireplicon reporter gene expression. Truncation at the C-terminal or penultimate amino acid 524 resulted in no change in CAT expression, whereas larger truncations spanning residues 523 to 502 were accompanied by an approximately twofold increase in basal activity. Reporter gene expression was enhanced by supplementation with the major inducible 70-kDa heat shock protein (Hsp72) for minireplicons with the N protein or the N protein truncated at position 525 or 524 but not in systems with a truncation at position 523 or 522. Naturally occurring sequence variants of the N protein with variations at positions 522 and 523 were also shown to lack Hsp72 responsiveness independent of changes in basal activity. Since these residues lie within a linear sequence predicting a direct Hsp72 interaction, N protein-Hsp72 binding reactions were analyzed by using surface plasmon resonance technology. Truncation of the C-terminal portion of the N protein by protease digestion resulted in a reduced binding affinity between Hsp72 and the N protein. Furthermore, with synthetic peptides, we established a correlation between the functional responsiveness and the binding affinity for Hsp72 of C-terminal N protein sequences. Collectively, these results show that the C-terminal 24 amino acids of the N protein represent a regulatory domain containing a functional motif that mediates a direct interaction with Hsp72.

scholarly journals Positive and Negative Regulation of Poly(A) Nuclease

2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
pp. 5521-5533 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Mangus ◽  
Matthew C. Evans ◽  
Nathan S. Agrin ◽  
Mandy Smith ◽  
Preetam Gongidi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Binding Pocket ◽  
Negative Regulation ◽  
Single Amino Acid ◽  
Carboxy Terminus ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
C Terminus

ABSTRACT PAN, a yeast poly(A) nuclease, plays an important nuclear role in the posttranscriptional maturation of mRNA poly(A) tails. The activity of this enzyme is dependent on its Pan2p and Pan3p subunits, as well as the presence of poly(A)-binding protein (Pab1p). We have identified and characterized the associated network of factors controlling the maturation of mRNA poly(A) tails in yeast and defined its relevant protein-protein interactions. Pan3p, a positive regulator of PAN activity, interacts with Pab1p, thus providing substrate specificity for this nuclease. Pab1p also regulates poly(A) tail trimming by interacting with Pbp1p, a factor that appears to negatively regulate PAN. Pan3p and Pbp1p both interact with themselves and with the C terminus of Pab1p. However, the domains required for Pan3p and Pbp1p binding on Pab1p are distinct. Single amino acid changes that disrupt Pan3p interaction with Pab1p have been identified and define a binding pocket in helices 2 and 3 of Pab1p's carboxy terminus. The importance of these amino acids for Pab1p-Pan3p interaction, and poly(A) tail regulation, is underscored by experiments demonstrating that strains harboring substitutions in these residues accumulate mRNAs with long poly(A) tails in vivo.

scholarly journals Molecular characterization of the TonB2 protein from the fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum

2009 ◽  
Vol 418 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia S. López ◽  
R. Sean Peacock ◽  
Jorge H. Crosa ◽  
Hans J. Vogel
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Solution Structure ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Vibrio Anguillarum ◽  
Fish Pathogen ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Terminal Domain ◽  
C Terminus

In the fish pathogen Vibrio anguillarum the TonB2 protein is essential for the uptake of the indigenous siderophore anguibactin. Here we describe deletion mutants and alanine replacements affecting the final six amino acids of TonB2. Deletions of more than two amino acids of the TonB2 C-terminus abolished ferric-anguibactin transport, whereas replacement of the last three residues resulted in a protein with wild-type transport properties. We have solved the high-resolution solution structure of the TonB2 C-terminal domain by NMR spectroscopy. The core of this domain (residues 121–206) has an αββαβ structure, whereas residues 76–120 are flexible and extended. This overall folding topology is similar to the Escherichia coli TonB C-terminal domain, albeit with two differences: the β4 strand found at the C-terminus of TonB is absent in TonB2, and loop 3 is extended by 9 Å (0.9 nm) in TonB2. By examining several mutants, we determined that a complete loop 3 is not essential for TonB2 activity. Our results indicate that the β4 strand of E. coli TonB is not required for activity of the TonB system across Gram-negative bacterial species. We have also determined, through NMR chemical-shift-perturbation experiments, that the E. coli TonB binds in vitro to the TonB box from the TonB2-dependent outer membrane transporter FatA; moreover, it can substitute in vivo for TonB2 during ferric-anguibactin transport in V. anguillarum. Unexpectedly, TonB2 did not bind in vitro to the FatA TonB-box region, suggesting that additional factors may be required to promote this interaction. Overall our results indicate that TonB2 is a representative of a different class of TonB proteins.

scholarly journals Stem-Loop Binding Protein Facilitates 3′-End Formation by Stabilizing U7 snRNP Binding to Histone Pre-mRNA

1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 3561-3570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zbigniew Dominski ◽  
Lian-Xing Zheng ◽  
Ricardo Sanchez ◽  
William F. Marzluff
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Rna Binding ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Nuclear Extract ◽  
Stable Complex ◽  
Stem Loop ◽  
Terminal Domain ◽  
C Terminus ◽  
Loop Sequence ◽  
U7 Snrnp

ABSTRACT The 3′ end of histone mRNA is formed by an endonucleolytic cleavage of the primary transcript after a conserved stem-loop sequence. The cleavage reaction requires at least two trans-acting factors: the stem-loop binding protein (SLBP), which binds the stem-loop sequence, and the U7 snRNP that interacts with a sequence downstream from the cleavage site. Removal of SLBP from a nuclear extract abolishes 3′-end processing, and the addition of recombinant SLBP restores processing activity of the depleted extract. To determine the regions of human SLBP necessary for 3′ processing, various deletion mutants of the protein were tested for their ability to complement the SLBP-depleted extract. The entire N-terminal domain and the majority of the C-terminal domain of human SLBP are dispensable for processing. The minimal protein that efficiently supports cleavage of histone pre-mRNA consists of 93 amino acids containing the 73-amino-acid RNA-binding domain and 20 amino acids located immediately next to its C terminus. Replacement of these 20 residues with an unrelated sequence in the context of the full-length SLBP reduces processing >90%. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments with the anti-SLBP antibody demonstrated that SLBP and U7 snRNP form a stable complex only in the presence of pre-mRNA substrates containing a properly positioned U7 snRNP binding site. One role of SLBP is to stabilize the interaction of the histone pre-mRNA with U7 snRNP.

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