scholarly journals Crystal Structure of ORF12 from Lactococcus lactis Phage p2 Identifies a Tape Measure Protein Chaperone

2008 ◽  
Vol 191 (3) ◽  
pp. 728-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Siponen ◽  
Giuliano Sciara ◽  
Manuela Villion ◽  
Silvia Spinelli ◽  
Julie Lichière ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We report here the characterization of the nonstructural protein ORF12 of the virulent lactococcal phage p2, which belongs to the Siphoviridae family. ORF12 was produced as a soluble protein, which forms large oligomers (6- to 15-mers) in solution. Using anti-ORF12 antibodies, we have confirmed that ORF12 is not found in the virion structure but is detected in the second half of the lytic cycle, indicating that it is a late-expressed protein. The structure of ORF12, solved by single anomalous diffraction and refined at 2.9-Å resolution, revealed a previously unknown fold as well as the presence of a hydrophobic patch at its surface. Furthermore, crystal packing of ORF12 formed long spirals in which a hydrophobic, continuous crevice was identified. This crevice exhibited a repeated motif of aromatic residues, which coincided with the same repeated motif usually found in tape measure protein (TMP), predicted to form helices. A model of a complex between ORF12 and a repeated motif of the TMP of phage p2 (ORF14) was generated, in which the TMP helix fitted exquisitely in the crevice and the aromatic patches of ORF12. We suggest, therefore, that ORF12 might act as a chaperone for TMP hydrophobic repeats, maintaining TMP in solution during the tail assembly of the lactococcal siphophage p2.

2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaofei Lu ◽  
Gregory R. Bluemling ◽  
Paul Collop ◽  
Michael Hager ◽  
Damien Kuiper ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging human pathogen that is spreading rapidly through the Americas and has been linked to the development of microcephaly and to a dramatically increased number of Guillain-Barré syndrome cases. Currently, no vaccine or therapeutic options for the prevention or treatment of ZIKV infections exist. In the study described in this report, we expressed, purified, and characterized full-length nonstructural protein 5 (NS5) and the NS5 polymerase domain (NS5pol) of ZIKV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Using purified NS5, we developed an in vitro nonradioactive primer extension assay employing a fluorescently labeled primer-template pair. Both purified NS5 and NS5pol can carry out in vitro RNA-dependent RNA synthesis in this assay. Our results show that Mn2+ is required for enzymatic activity, while Mg2+ is not. We found that ZIKV NS5 can utilize single-stranded DNA but not double-stranded DNA as a template or a primer to synthesize RNA. The assay was used to compare the efficiency of incorporation of analog 5′-triphosphates by the ZIKV polymerase and to calculate their discrimination versus that of natural ribonucleotide triphosphates (rNTPs). The 50% inhibitory concentrations for analog rNTPs were determined in an alternative nonradioactive coupled-enzyme assay. We determined that, in general, 2′-C-methyl- and 2′-C-ethynyl-substituted analog 5′-triphosphates were efficiently incorporated by the ZIKV polymerase and were also efficient chain terminators. Derivatives of these molecules may serve as potential antiviral compounds to be developed to combat ZIKV infection. This report provides the first characterization of ZIKV polymerase and demonstrates the utility of in vitro polymerase assays in the identification of potential ZIKV inhibitors.


2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 1017-1021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisca N. Rein ◽  
Weizhong Chen ◽  
Brian L. Scott ◽  
Reginaldo C. Rocha

We report the structural characterization of [6′,6′′-bis(pyridin-2-yl)-2,2′:4′,4′′:2′′,2′′′-quaterpyridine](2,2′-bipyridine)chloridoruthenium(II) hexafluoridophosphate, [RuCl(C10H8N2)(C30H20N6)]PF6, which contains the bidentate ligand 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) and the tridendate ligand 6′,6′′-bis(pyridin-2-yl)-2,2′:4′,4′′:2′′,2′′′-quaterpyridine (tpy–tpy). The [RuCl(bpy)(tpy–tpy)]+monocation has a distorted octahedral geometry at the central RuIIion due to the restricted bite angle [159.32 (16)°] of the tridendate ligand. The Ru-bound tpy and bpy moieties are nearly planar and essentially perpendicular to each other with a dihedral angle of 89.78 (11)° between the least-squares planes. The lengths of the two Ru—N bonds for bpy are 2.028 (4) and 2.075 (4) Å, with the shorter bond being opposite to Ru—Cl. For tpy–tpy, the mean Ru—N distance involving the outer N atomstransto each other is 2.053 (8) Å, whereas the length of the much shorter bond involving the central N atom is 1.936 (4) Å. The Ru—Cl distance is 2.3982 (16) Å. The free uncoordinated moiety of tpy–tpy adopts atrans,transconformation about the interannular C—C bonds, with adjacent pyridyl rings being only approximately coplanar. The crystal packing shows significant π–π stacking interactions based on tpy–tpy. The crystal structure reported here is the first for a tpy–tpy complex of ruthenium.


2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 274-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akiko Takenaka-Uema ◽  
Norasuthi Bangphoomi ◽  
Chieko Shioda ◽  
Kazuyuki Uchida ◽  
Fumihiro Gen ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 91 (22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke D. Bussiere ◽  
Promisree Choudhury ◽  
Bryan Bellaire ◽  
Cathy L. Miller

ABSTRACT Within infected host cells, mammalian orthoreovirus (MRV) forms viral factories (VFs), which are sites of viral transcription, translation, assembly, and replication. The MRV nonstructural protein μNS comprises the structural matrix of VFs and is involved in recruiting other viral proteins to VF structures. Previous attempts have been made to visualize VF dynamics in live cells, but due to current limitations in recovery of replicating reoviruses carrying large fluorescent protein tags, researchers have been unable to directly assess VF dynamics from virus-produced μNS. We set out to develop a method to overcome this obstacle by utilizing the 6-amino-acid (CCPGCC) tetracysteine (TC) tag and FlAsH-EDT2 reagent. The TC tag was introduced into eight sites throughout μNS, and the capacity of the TC-μNS fusion proteins to form virus factory-like (VFL) structures and colocalize with virus proteins was characterized. Insertion of the TC tag interfered with recombinant virus rescue in six of the eight mutants, likely as a result of loss of VF formation or important virus protein interactions. However, two recombinant (r)TC-μNS viruses were rescued and VF formation, colocalization with associating virus proteins, and characterization of virus replication were subsequently examined. Furthermore, the rTC-μNS viruses were utilized to infect cells and examine VF dynamics using live-cell microscopy. These experiments demonstrate active VF movement with fusion events as well as transient interactions between individual VFs and demonstrate the importance of microtubule stability for VF fusion during MRV infection. This work provides important groundwork for future in-depth studies of VF dynamics and host cell interactions. IMPORTANCE MRV has historically been used as a model to study the double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) Reoviridae family, the members of which infect and cause disease in humans, animals, and plants. During infection, MRV forms VFs that play a critical role in virus infection but remain to be fully characterized. To study VFs, researchers have focused on visualizing the nonstructural protein μNS, which forms the VF matrix. This work provides the first evidence of recovery of replicating reoviruses in which VFs can be labeled in live cells via introduction of a TC tag into the μNS open reading frame. Characterization of each recombinant reovirus sheds light on μNS interactions with viral proteins. Moreover, utilizing the TC-labeling FlAsH-EDT2 biarsenical reagent to visualize VFs, evidence is provided of dynamic VF movement and interactions at least partially dependent on intact microtubules.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (32) ◽  
pp. 812-819
Author(s):  
G. DELGADO ◽  
M. GUILLEN ◽  
A. J. MORA

Polymorphism is known as the ability of a solid material to exist in more than one form or crystal structure, with important applications in the preparation of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Characterization of different polymorphs of the specific metabolite of 4-xylene can contribute to the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Polymorphism is of particular importance in industrial processes, where different physical properties of polymorphic forms can substantially alter the viability and quality of a manufactured product. This is particularly so for the design and production of drugs in the pharmaceutical industry, as varying physical properties between different polymorphs can affect shelf life and durability, solubility, as well as bioavailability and manufacturing of the drug. The crystallization, spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction characterization of two polymorph and one solvatomorph of 4-methylhippuric acid are presented. These compounds crystallizes in different crystalline systems. Polymorph I (4mH-I) crystalize in an orthorhombic cell with space group P212121. Polymorph II (4mHII) crystallizes in a monoclinic space group P21/c. Solvatomorph (4mH-S) crystallizes in a triclinic P-1 cell. All polymorphs crystallize in neutral form. The crystal packing of the three compounds are governed by hydrogen bonds intermolecular interactions of the type N--H···O and O--H···O forming tridimensional networks.


2010 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. e75-e80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Xiao-meng ◽  
Jiang Li-fang ◽  
Tang Yun-xia ◽  
Yin Yue ◽  
Liu Wen-quan ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 288 (38) ◽  
pp. 27002-27018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise E. Kemp ◽  
Marion Rusch ◽  
Alexander Adibekian ◽  
Hayley E. Bullen ◽  
Arnault Graindorge ◽  
...  

In eukaryotic organisms, cysteine palmitoylation is an important reversible modification that impacts protein targeting, folding, stability, and interactions with partners. Evidence suggests that protein palmitoylation contributes to key biological processes in Apicomplexa with the recent palmitome of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum reporting over 400 substrates that are modified with palmitate by a broad range of protein S-acyl transferases. Dynamic palmitoylation cycles require the action of an acyl-protein thioesterase (APT) that cleaves palmitate from substrates and conveys reversibility to this posttranslational modification. In this work, we identified candidates for APT activity in Toxoplasma gondii. Treatment of parasites with low micromolar concentrations of β-lactone- or triazole urea-based inhibitors that target human APT1 showed varied detrimental effects at multiple steps of the parasite lytic cycle. The use of an activity-based probe in combination with these inhibitors revealed the existence of several serine hydrolases that are targeted by APT1 inhibitors. The active serine hydrolase, TgASH1, identified as the homologue closest to human APT1 and APT2, was characterized further. Biochemical analysis of TgASH1 indicated that this enzyme cleaves substrates with a specificity similar to APTs, and homology modeling points toward an APT-like enzyme. TgASH1 is dispensable for parasite survival, which indicates that the severe effects observed with the β-lactone inhibitors are caused by the inhibition of non-TgASH1 targets. Other ASH candidates for APT activity were functionally characterized, and one of them was found to be resistant to gene disruption due to the potential essential nature of the protein.


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