In vitro mutagenesis of Caenorhabditis elegans cuticle collagens identifies a potential subtilisin-like protease cleavage site and demonstrates that carboxyl domain disulfide bonding is required for normal function but not assembly

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 2722-2730
Author(s):  
J Yang ◽  
J M Kramer

The importance of conserved amino acids in the amino and carboxyl non-Gly-X-Y domains of Caenorhabditis elegans cuticle collagens was examined by analyzing site-directed mutations of the sqt-1 and rol-6 collagen genes in transgenic animals. Altered collagen genes on transgenic arrays were shown to produce appropriate phenotypes by injecting in vivo cloned mutant alleles. Equivalent alterations in sqt-1 and rol-6 generally produced the same phenotypes, indicating that conserved amino acids in these two collagens have similar functions. Serine substitutions for either of two conserved carboxyl domain cysteines produced LRol phenotypes. Substitution for both cysteines in sqt-1 also resulted in an LRol phenotype, demonstrating that disulfide bonding is important for normal function but not required for assembly. Arg-1 or Arg-4 to Cys mutations in homology block A (HBA; consensus, 1-RXRRQ-5; in the amino non-Gly-X-Y domain) caused RRol phenotypes, while the same alteration at Arg-3 had no effect, indicating that Arg-3 is functionally different from Arg-1 and Arg-4. Substitutions of Arg-4 with Ser, Leu, or Glu also produced the RRol phenotype, while Lys substitutions for Arg-1 or Arg-4 did not generate any abnormal phenotypes. His substitutions for Arg-1 or Arg-4 caused somewhat less severe RRol phenotypes. Therefore, strong positively charged residues, Arg or Lys, are required at positions 1 and 4 for normal function. The conserved pattern of arginines in HBA matches the cleavage sites of the subtilisin-like endoproteinases. HBA may be a cleavage site for a subtilisin-like protease, and cleavage may be important for cuticle collagen processing.

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 2722-2730 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Yang ◽  
J M Kramer

The importance of conserved amino acids in the amino and carboxyl non-Gly-X-Y domains of Caenorhabditis elegans cuticle collagens was examined by analyzing site-directed mutations of the sqt-1 and rol-6 collagen genes in transgenic animals. Altered collagen genes on transgenic arrays were shown to produce appropriate phenotypes by injecting in vivo cloned mutant alleles. Equivalent alterations in sqt-1 and rol-6 generally produced the same phenotypes, indicating that conserved amino acids in these two collagens have similar functions. Serine substitutions for either of two conserved carboxyl domain cysteines produced LRol phenotypes. Substitution for both cysteines in sqt-1 also resulted in an LRol phenotype, demonstrating that disulfide bonding is important for normal function but not required for assembly. Arg-1 or Arg-4 to Cys mutations in homology block A (HBA; consensus, 1-RXRRQ-5; in the amino non-Gly-X-Y domain) caused RRol phenotypes, while the same alteration at Arg-3 had no effect, indicating that Arg-3 is functionally different from Arg-1 and Arg-4. Substitutions of Arg-4 with Ser, Leu, or Glu also produced the RRol phenotype, while Lys substitutions for Arg-1 or Arg-4 did not generate any abnormal phenotypes. His substitutions for Arg-1 or Arg-4 caused somewhat less severe RRol phenotypes. Therefore, strong positively charged residues, Arg or Lys, are required at positions 1 and 4 for normal function. The conserved pattern of arginines in HBA matches the cleavage sites of the subtilisin-like endoproteinases. HBA may be a cleavage site for a subtilisin-like protease, and cleavage may be important for cuticle collagen processing.


2012 ◽  
Vol 444 (3) ◽  
pp. 529-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaohua Zheng ◽  
Syazwani I. Amran ◽  
Jiuxiang Zhu ◽  
Oleg Schmidt-Kittler ◽  
Kenneth W. Kinzler ◽  
...  

The binding mechanism of a new class of lipid-competitive, ATP non-competitive, p110α isoform-selective PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) inhibitors has been elucidated. Using the novel technique of isoform reciprocal mutagenesis of non-conserved amino acids in the p110α and p110β isoforms, we have identified three unique binding mechanisms for the p110α-selective inhibitors PIK-75, A-66S and J-32. Each of the inhibitor's p110α-isoform-selective binding was found to be due to interactions with different amino acids within p110. The PIK-75 interaction bound the non-conserved region 2 amino acid p110α Ser773, A-66S bound the region 1 non-conserved amino acid p110α Gln859, and J-32 binding had an indirect interaction with Lys776 and Ile771. The isoform reciprocal mutagenesis technique is shown to be an important analytical tool for the rational design of isoform-selective inhibitors.


1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randal J Kaufman ◽  
Debra D Pittman ◽  
Louise C Wasley ◽  
W Barry Foster ◽  
Godfrey W Amphlett ◽  
...  

Factor VIII is a high molecular weight plasma glycoprotein that functions in the blood clotting cascade as the cofactor for factor DCa proteolytic activation of factor X. Factor VIII does not function proteolytically in this reaction hut itself can be proteolytically activated by other coagulation enzymes such as factor Xa and thrombin. In the plasma, factor VIII exists as a 200 kDa amino-terminal fragment in a metal ion stabilized complex with a 76 kDa carboxy-terminal fragment. The isolation of the cENA for human factor VIII provided the deduced primary amino acid sequence of factor VIIT and revealed three distinct structural domains: 1) a triplicated A domain of 330 amino acids which has homology to ceruloplasmin, a plasma copper binding protein, 2) a duplicated C domain of 150 amino acids, and 3) a unique B domain of 980 amino acids. These domains are arranged as shown below. We have previously reported the B domain is dispensible far cofactor activity in vitro (Toole et al. 1986 Proc. Natl. Acad 5939). The in vivo efficacy of factor VIII molecules harboring the B domain deletion was tested by purification of the wildtype and modified forms and infusion into factor VIII deficient, hemophilic, dogs. The wildtype and the deleted forms of recombinant derived factor VIII exhibited very similar survival curves (Tl/2 = 13 hrs) and the cuticle bleeding times suggested that both preparations appeared functionally equivalent. Sepharose 4B chromatography indicated that both factor VIII molecules were capable of binding canine plasma vWF.Further studies have addressed what cleavages are necessary for activation of factor VIII. The position of the thrombin, factor Xa, and activated protein C (AFC) cleavage sites within factor VIII are presented below, site-directed ENA medicated mutagenesis has been performed to modify the arginine at the amino side of each cleavagesite to an soleucine. In all cases this modification resulted in molecules that were resistant to cleavage by thrombin at the modified site. Modification of the thrombin cleavage sites at 336 and 740 and modification of the factor Xa cleavage site at 1721 resulted in no loss of cofactor activity. Modification of the thrombin cleavage site at either 372 or 1689 destroyed oofactor activity. Modification of the thrombin cleavage site at 336 resulted in a factor VIII having an increased activity, possibly due to resistance to inactivation. These results suggest the requirement of cleavage at residues 372 and 1689 for cofactor activity.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 854-854
Author(s):  
Zhenyin Tao ◽  
Leticia Nolasco ◽  
Bernardo Aubrey ◽  
Lawrence Rice ◽  
Joel F. Moake ◽  
...  

Abstract Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is characterized by severe thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, and diffuse and non-focal neurological findings. Microthrombi found in these patients are predominantly composed of platelets and von Willebrand factor (VWF). Recent studies suggest that the systemic thrombosis in TTP is mostly due to the congenital or acquired deficiency of the VWF-cleaving metalloprotease ADAMTS-13, which cleaves the ultra-large and hyperreactive VWF to smaller and less active form found in plasma. Most congenital cases of TTP have so far been identified in children. Here, we report a 60-year-old Caucasian man with a history of chronic relapsing TTP over thirty years, requiring plasma transfusion every 24 days in recent years. Repeat assays showed no ADAMTS13 activity in patient’s plasma under both static and flow conditions without inhibitors being detected. We therefore examined the possible genetic defects in the ADAMTS-13 gene of this patient. Genomic DNA was extracted from patient’s white blood cells and exons of ADAMTS-13 gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction. The amplified DNA fragments were then screened for mutations by direct DNA sequencing. We identified a deletion of 18 base pairs from G1095 to G1112 (GTGCTCCAAGGGTCGCTG) in the exon10 of ADAMTS-13 gene, resulting in a deletion of six amino acids (C366 to C371) in the disintegrin domain of the metalloprotease. A point mutation (W365C) occurred immediately before the deletion due to a nucleotide realignment. The patient is heterozygote for the deletion. This is the first report of a deletion mutant (without frame shift and truncations) in the disintegrin region that has previously been demonstrated as critical for the ADAMTS-13 function by in vitro mutagenesis, epitope mapping of autoantibody to the metalloprotease in patients with adult acquired TTP, and identification of natural occurring mutations in patients with congenital TTP. Our ongoing studies are to determine the impact of these two mutations on the synthesis, release, and cleavage of ADAMTS-13.


2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (22) ◽  
pp. 10269-10273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Leigh Brown ◽  
Heather M. Precious ◽  
Jeannette M. Whitcomb ◽  
Joseph K. Wong ◽  
Marlynne Quigg ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Recently, significant numbers of individuals with primary human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have been found to harbor viral strains with reduced susceptibility to antiretroviral drugs. In one study, HIV from 16% of such antiretroviral-naive individuals was shown to have a susceptibility to nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors (NNRTIs) between 2.5- and 10-fold lower than that of a wild-type control. Mutations in the RT domain that had previously been associated with antiretroviral resistance were not shared by these strains. We have analyzed by logistic regression 46 variable amino acid sites in RT for their effect on susceptibility and have identified two novel sites influencing susceptibility to NNRTIs: amino acids 135 and 283 in RT. Eight different combinations of amino acids at these sites were observed among these patients. These combinations showed a 14-fold range in mean susceptibility to both nevirapine and delavirdine. In vitro mutagenesis of the control strain combined with a phenotypic assay confirmed the significance of amino acid variation at these sites for susceptibility to NNRTIs.


2006 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 275-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Ruckenstuhl ◽  
Silvia Lang ◽  
Andrea Poschenel ◽  
Armin Eidenberger ◽  
Pravas Kumar Baral ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Squalene epoxidase (SE) is the target of terbinafine, which specifically inhibits the fungal enzyme in a noncompetitive manner. On the basis of functional homologies to p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase (PHBH) from Pseudomonas fluorescens, the Erg1 protein contains two flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) domains and one nucleotide binding (NB) site. By in vitro mutagenesis of the ERG1 gene, which codes for the Saccharomyces cerevisiae SE, we isolated erg1 alleles that conferred increased terbinafine sensitivity or that showed a lethal phenotype when they were expressed in erg1-knockout strain KLN1. All but one of the amino acid substitutions affected conserved FAD/nucleotide binding sites. The G25S, D335X (W, F, P), and G210A substitutions in the FADI, FADII, and NB sites, respectively, rendered the SE variants nonfunctional. The G30S and L37P variants exhibited decreased enzymatic activity, accompanied by a sevenfold increase in erg1 mRNA levels and an altered sterol composition, and rendered KLN1 more sensitive not only to allylamines (10 to 25 times) but also to other ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors. The R269G variant exhibited moderately reduced SE activity and a 5- to 10-fold increase in allylamine sensitivity but no cross-sensitivity to the other ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors. To further elucidate the roles of specific amino acids in SE function and inhibitor interaction, a homology model of Erg1p was built on the basis of the crystal structure of PHBH. All experimental data obtained with the sensitive Erg1 variants support this model. In addition, the amino acids responsible for terbinafine resistance, although they are distributed along the sequence of Erg1p, cluster on the surface of the Erg1p model, giving rise to a putative binding site for allylamines.


Glycobiology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Musumeci ◽  
A. Faridmoayer ◽  
Y. Watanabe ◽  
M. F. Feldman

2013 ◽  
Vol 94 (7) ◽  
pp. 1535-1546 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Neubauer ◽  
Martina Aumayr ◽  
Irene Gösler ◽  
Tim Skern

The 2A proteinase (2Apro) of human rhinoviruses cleaves the virally encoded polyprotein between the C terminus of VP1 and its own N terminus. Poor understanding of the 2Apro substrate specificity of this enzyme has hampered progress in developing inhibitors that may serve as antiviral agents. We show here that the 2Apro of human rhinovirus (HRV) 1A and 2 (rhinoviruses from genetic group A) cannot self-process at the HRV14 (a genetic group B rhinovirus) cleavage site. When the amino acids in the cleavage site of HRV2 2Apro (Ile-Ile-Thr-Thr-Ala*Gly-Pro-Ser-Asp) were singly or doubly replaced with the corresponding HRV14 residues (Asp-Ile-Lys-Ser-Tyr*Gly-Leu-Gly-Pro) at positions from P3 to P2′, HRV1A and HRV2 2Apro cleavage took place at WT levels. However, when three or more positions of the HRV1A or 2 2Apro were substituted (e.g. at P2, P1 and P2′), cleavage in vitro was essentially eliminated. Introduction of the full HRV14 cleavage site into a full-length clone of the HRV1A and transfection of HeLa cells with a transcribed RNA did not give rise to viable virus. In contrast, revertant viruses bearing cysteine at the P1 position or proline at P2′ were obtained when an RNA bearing the three inhibitory amino acids was transfected. Reversions in the enzyme affecting substrate specificity were not found in any of the in vivo experiments. Modelling of oligopeptide substrates onto the structure of HRV2 2Apro revealed no appreciable differences in residues of HRV2 and HRV14 in the respective substrate binding sites, suggesting that the overall shape of the substrate is important in determining binding efficiency.


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