A novel approach for predicting protein S-glutathionylation

Abstract Background S-glutathionylation is the formation of disulfide bonds between the tripeptide glutathione and cysteine residues of the protein, protecting them from irreversible oxidation and in some cases causing change in their functions. Regulatory glutathionylation of proteins is a controllable and reversible process associated with cell response to the changing redox status. Prediction of cysteine residues that undergo glutathionylation allows us to find new target proteins, which function can be altered in pathologies associated with impaired redox status. We set out to analyze this issue and create new tool for predicting S-glutathionylated cysteine residues. Results One hundred forty proteins with experimentally proven S-glutathionylated cysteine residues were found in the literature and the RedoxDB database. These proteins contain 1018 non-S-glutathionylated cysteines and 235 S-glutathionylated ones. Based on 235 S-glutathionylated cysteines, non-redundant positive dataset of 221 heptapeptide sequences of S-glutathionylated cysteines was made. Based on 221 heptapeptide sequences, a position-specific matrix was created by analyzing the protein sequence near the cysteine residue (three amino acid residues before and three after the cysteine). We propose the method for calculating the glutathionylation propensity score, which utilizes the position-specific matrix and a criterion for predicting glutathionylated peptides. Conclusion Non-S-glutathionylated sites were enriched by cysteines in − 3 and + 3 positions. The proposed prediction method demonstrates 76.6% of correct predictions of S-glutathionylated cysteines. This method can be used for detecting new glutathionylation sites, especially in proteins with an unknown structure.

Download Full-text

Intra- and Intermolecular Disulfide Bonds of theGP2b Glycoprotein of Equine Arteritis Virus: Relevance forVirus Assembly andInfectivity

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.77.24.12996-13004.2003 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 77 (24) ◽

pp. 12996-13004 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Roeland Wieringa ◽

Antoine A. F. de Vries ◽

Sabine M. Post ◽

Peter J. M. Rottier

Keyword(s):

Viral Entry ◽

Disulfide Bonds ◽

Rna Virus ◽

Cysteine Residue ◽

Envelope Proteins ◽

Equine Arteritis Virus ◽

Cysteine Residues ◽

Virus Infectivity ◽

Particle Assembly ◽

Positive Strand Rna

ABSTRACT Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is an enveloped, positive-strand RNA virus belonging to the family Arteriviridae of the order Nidovirales. EAV virions contain six different envelope proteins. The glycoprotein GP5 (previously named GL) and the unglycosylated membrane protein M are the major envelope proteins, while the glycoproteins GP2b (previously named GS), GP3, and GP4 are minor structural proteins. The unglycosylated small hydrophobic envelope protein E is present in virus particles in intermediate molar amounts compared to the other transmembrane proteins. The GP5 and M proteins are both essential for particle assembly. They occur as covalently linked heterodimers that constitute the basic protein matrix of the envelope. The GP2b, GP3, and GP4 proteins occur as a heterotrimeric complex in which disulfide bonds play an important role. The function of this complex has not been established yet, but the available data suggest it to be involved in the viral entry process. Here we investigated the role of the four cysteine residues of the mature GP2b protein in the assembly of the GP2b/GP3/GP4 complex. Open reading frames encoding cysteine-to-serine mutants of the GP2b protein were expressed independently or from a full-length infectious EAV cDNA clone. The results of these experiments support a model in which the cysteine residue at position 102 of GP2b forms an intermolecular cystine bridge with one of the cysteines of the GP4 protein, while the cysteine residues at positions 48 and 137 of GP2b are linked by an intrachain disulfide bond. In this model, another cysteine residue in the GP4 protein is responsible for the covalent association of GP3 with the disulfide-linked GP2b/GP4 heterodimer. In addition, our data highlight the importance of the correct association of the minor EAV envelope glycoproteins for their efficient incorporation into viral particles and for virus infectivity.

Download Full-text

Modification of cysteine residues for mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis: facts and artifacts

Biomeditsinskaya Khimiya ◽

10.18097/pbmc20206601018 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 66 (1) ◽

pp. 18-29

Author(s):

K.G. Kuznetsova ◽

E.M. Solovyeva ◽

A.V. Kuzikov ◽

M.V. Gorshkov ◽

S.A. Moshkovskii

Keyword(s):

Sample Preparation ◽

Proteomic Analysis ◽

Disulfide Bonds ◽

Adverse Reactions ◽

Alkylating Agents ◽

Cysteine Residue ◽

Mass Spectrometric ◽

Cysteine Residues ◽

Nucleotide Substitutions ◽

Special Groups

Mass spectrometric proteomic analysis at the sample preparation stage involves the artificial reduction of disulfide bonds in proteins formed between cysteine residues. Such bonds, when preserved in their native state, complicate subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis and interpretation of the research results. To prevent the re-formation of the disulfide bonds, cysteine residues are protected by special groups, most often by alkylation. In this review, we consider the methods used to modify cysteine residues during sample preparation, as well as possible artifacts of this stage. Particularly, adverse reactions of the alkylating agents with other amino acid residues are described. The most common alkylating compound used to protect cysteine residues in mass spectrometric proteomic analysis is iodoacetamide. However, an analysis of the literature in this area indicates that this reagent causes more adverse reactions than other agents used, such as chloroacetamide and acrylamide. The latter can be recommended for wider use. In the review we also discuss the features of the cysteine residue modifications and their influence on the efficiency of the search for post-translational modifications and protein products of single nucleotide substitutions.

Download Full-text

Peptide inhibitors of the interaction of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain with the ACE2 cell receptor

Biomeditsinskaya Khimiya ◽

10.18097/pbmc20216703244 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 67 (3) ◽

pp. 244-250

Author(s):

R.Sh. Bibilashvili ◽

M.V. Sidorova ◽

U.S. Dudkina ◽

M.E. Palkeeva ◽

A.S. Molokoedov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acid ◽

Receptor Binding ◽

Disulfide Bonds ◽

Protein S ◽

Cell Receptor ◽

Binding Domain ◽

Amino Acid Sequences ◽

Receptor Binding Domain ◽

Amino Acid Residues ◽

Chimeric Molecules

Computer simulation has been used to identify peptides that mimic the natural target of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus spike (S) protein, the angiotensin converting enzyme type 2 (ACE2) cell receptor. Based on the structure of the complex of the protein S receptor-binding domain (RBD) and ACE2, the design of chimeric molecules consisting of two 22-23-mer peptides linked to each other by disulfide bonds was carried out. The chimeric molecule X1 was a disulfide dimer, in which edge cysteine residues in the precursor molecules h1 and h2 were connected by the S-S bond. In the chimeric molecule X2, the disulfide bond was located in the middle of the molecule of each of the precursor peptides. The precursors h1 and h2 modelled amino acid sequences of α1- and α2-helices of the extracellular peptidase domain of ACE2, respectively, keeping intact most of the amino acid residues involved in the interaction with RBD. The aim of the work was to evaluate the binding efficiency of chimeric molecules and their RBD-peptides (particularly in dependence of the middle and edge methods of fixing the initial peptides h1 and h2). The proposed polypeptides and chimeric molecules were synthesized by chemical methods, purified (to 95-97% purity), and characterized by HPLC and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The binding of the peptides to the SARS-CoV-2 RBD was evaluated by microthermophoresis with recombinant domains corresponding in sequence to the original Chinese (GenBank ID NC_045512.2) and the British (B. 1.1.7, GISAID EPI_ISL_683466) variants. Binding to the original RBD of the Chinese variant was detected in three synthesized peptides: linear h2 and both chimeric variants. Chimeric peptides were also bound to the RBD of the British variant with micromolar constants. The antiviral activity of the proposed peptides in Vero cell culture was also evaluated.

Download Full-text

Primary structure of a constituent polypeptide chain (AIII) of the giant haemoglobin from the deep-sea tube worm Lamellibrachia. A possible H2S-binding site

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj2660221 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 266 (1) ◽

pp. 221-225 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

T Suzuki ◽

T Takagi ◽

S Ohta

Keyword(s):

Amino Acid ◽

Deep Sea ◽

Thiol Group ◽

Cysteine Residue ◽

Amino Acid Sequences ◽

Intact Protein ◽

Cysteine Residues ◽

British Library ◽

Amino Acid Residues ◽

The Family

The deep-sea tube worm Lamellibrachia, belonging to the Phylum Vestimentifera, contains two giant extracellular haemoglobins, a 3000 kDa haemoglobin and a 440 kDa haemoglobin. The former consists of four haem-containing chains (AI-AIV) and two linker chains (AV and AVI) for the assembly of the haem-containing chains [Suzuki, Takagi & Ohta (1988) Biochem. J. 255, 541-545]. The tube-worm haemoglobins are believed to have a function of transporting sulphide (H2S) to internal bacterial symbionts, as well as of facilitating O2 transport [Arp & Childress (1983) Science 219, 295-297]. We have determined the complete amino acid sequence of Lamellibrachia chain AIII by automated or manual Edman sequencing. The chain is composed of 144 amino acid residues, has three cysteine residues at positions 3, 74 and 133, and has a molecular mass of 16,620 Da, including a haem group. The sequence showed significant homology (30-50% identity) with those of haem-containing chains of annelid giant haemoglobins. Two of the three cysteine residues are located at the positions where an intrachain disulphide bridge is formed in all annelid chains, but the remaining one (Cys-74) was located at a unique position, compared with annelid chains. Since the chain AIII was shown to have a reactive thiol group in the intact 3000 kDa molecule by preliminary experiments, the cysteine residue at position 74 appears to be one of the most probable candidates for the sulphide-binding sites. A phylogenetic tree was constructed from nine chains of annelid giant haemoglobins and one chain of vestimentiferan tube-worm haemoglobin now determined. The tree clearly showed that Lamellibrachia chain AIII belongs to the family of strain A of annelid giant haemoglobins, and that the two classes of Annelida, polychaete and oligochaete, and the vestimentiferan tube worm diverged at almost the same time. H.p.l.c. patterns of peptides (Figs. 4-7), amino acid compositions of peptides (Table 2) and amino acid sequences of intact protein and peptides (Table 3) have been deposited as Supplementary Publication SUP 50154 (13 pages) at the British Library Document Supply Centre, Boston Spa, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ, U.K., from whom copies can be obtained on the terms indicated in Biochem. J. (1990) 265, 5.

Download Full-text

Disulfide Bond Configuration of Human Cytomegalovirus Glycoprotein B

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.76.12.6073-6082.2002 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 76 (12) ◽

pp. 6073-6082 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Matthew Lopper ◽

Teresa Compton

Keyword(s):

Human Cytomegalovirus ◽

Disulfide Bond ◽

Disulfide Bonds ◽

Cysteine Residue ◽

Multiple Roles ◽

Glycoprotein B ◽

Cysteine Residues ◽

Amino Terminal ◽

High Degree ◽

Human Herpesviruses

ABSTRACT Glycoprotein B (gB) is the most highly conserved of the envelope glycoproteins of human herpesviruses. The gB protein of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) serves multiple roles in the life cycle of the virus. To investigate structural properties of gB that give rise to its function, we sought to determine the disulfide bond arrangement of gB. To this end, a recombinant form of gB (gB-S) comprising the entire ectodomain of the glycoprotein (amino acids 1 to 750) was constructed and expressed in insect cells. Proteolytic fragmentation and mass spectrometry were performed using purified gB-S, and the five disulfide bonds that link 10 of the 11 highly conserved cysteine residues of gB were mapped. These bonds are C94-C550, C111-C506, C246-C250, C344-C391, and C573-C610. This configuration closely parallels the disulfide bond configuration of herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2) gB (N. Norais, D. Tang, S. Kaur, S. H. Chamberlain, F. R. Masiarz, R. L. Burke, and F. Markus, J. Virol. 70:7379-7387, 1996). However, despite the high degree of conservation of cysteine residues between CMV gB and HSV-2 gB, the disulfide bond arrangements of the two homologs are not identical. We detected a disulfide bond between the conserved cysteine residue 246 and the nonconserved cysteine residue 250 of CMV gB. We hypothesize that this disulfide bond stabilizes a tight loop in the amino-terminal fragment of CMV gB that does not exist in HSV-2 gB. We predicted that the cysteine residue not found in a disulfide bond of CMV gB, cysteine residue 185, would play a role in dimerization, but a cysteine substitution mutant in cysteine residue 185 showed no apparent defect in the ability to form dimers. These results indicate that gB oligomerization involves additional interactions other than a single disulfide bond. This work represents the second reported disulfide bond structure for a herpesvirus gB homolog, and the discovery that the two structures are not identical underscores the importance of empirically determining structures even for highly conserved proteins.

Download Full-text

The Role of RodA-Conserved Cysteine Residues in the Aspergillus fumigatus Conidial Surface Organization

Journal of Fungi ◽

10.3390/jof6030151 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 151

Author(s):

Isabel Valsecchi ◽

Emmanuel Stephen-Victor ◽

Sarah Sze Wah Wong ◽

Anupama Karnam ◽

Margaret Sunde ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parental Strain ◽

Disulfide Bonds ◽

Deletion Mutant ◽

Cysteine Residue ◽

Cysteine Residues ◽

Fungal Cell ◽

Differential Reactivity ◽

Alternative Approach ◽

Conidial Surface

Immune inertness of Aspergillusfumigatus conidia is attributed to its surface rodlet-layer made up of RodAp, characterized by eight conserved cysteine residues forming four disulfide bonds. Earlier, we showed that the conserved cysteine residue point (ccrp) mutations result in conidia devoid of the rodlet layer. Here, we extended our study comparing the surface organization and immunoreactivity of conidia carrying ccrp-mutations with the RODA deletion mutant (∆rodA). Western blot analysis using anti-RodAp antibodies indicated the absence of RodAp in the cytoplasm of ccrp-mutant conidia. Immunolabeling revealed differential reactivity to conidial surface glucans, the ccrp-mutant conidia preferentially binding to α-(1,3)-glucan, ∆rodA conidia selectively bound to β-(1,3)-glucan; the parental strain conidia showed negative labeling. However, permeability of ccrp-mutants and ∆rodA was similar to the parental strain conidia. Proteomic analyses of the conidial surface exposed proteins of the ccrp-mutants showed more similarities with the parental strain, but were significantly different from the ∆rodA. Ccrp-mutant conidia were less immunostimulatory compared to ∆rodA conidia. Our data suggest that (i) the conserved cysteine residues are essential for the trafficking of RodAp and the organization of the rodlet layer on the conidial surface, and (ii) targeted point mutation could be an alternative approach to study the role of fungal cell-wall genes in host–fungal interaction.

Download Full-text

Amino acid sequence of a four-iron-four-sulphur ferredoxin isolated from Bacillus stearothermophilus

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj1590055 ◽

1976 ◽

Vol 159 (1) ◽

pp. 55-63 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

T Hase ◽

N Ohmiya ◽

H Matsubara ◽

R N Mullinger ◽

K K Rao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acid ◽

Bacillus Stearothermophilus ◽

Cysteine Residue ◽

Cysteine Residues ◽

Amino Acid Residues ◽

X Ray ◽

Desulfovibrio Gigas ◽

Single Polypeptide Chain ◽

Single Polypeptide ◽

First Time

1. The primary structure of a 4Fe-4S ferredoxin from Bacillus stearothermophilus was determined and shown to consist of a single polypeptide chain of 81 amino acid residues. The molecular weight of the holoprotein is about 9120. 2. There are only four cysteine residues in the molecule; three of these are located near the N-terminus as a Cys-X-X-Cys-X-X-Cys segment, and the fourth cysteine residue is followed by a proline and located in the C-terminal half. 3. The Fe-S chromophore in B. stearothermophilus ferredoxin was previously well characterized and was shown to consist of a single 4Fe-4S cluster. This ferredoxin sequence establishes for the first time the relative location of the four cysteine residues necessary to bind the 4Fe-4S cluster of a 4Fe ferredoxin, and is in agreement with the criteria for the relative positions of the cysteines proposed from X-ray-crystallographic studies on an 8Fe (two 4Fe-4S clusters) ferredoxin. 4. The sequence of B. stearothermophilus ferredoxin is homologous in many segments to that of other bacterial ferredoxins, the degree of homology being greater towards ferredoxins from Desulfovibrio gigas and photosynthetic bacteria than to Clostridial ferredoxins. 5. The presence of a relatively higher number of glutamic acid and lower number of cysteine residues in the molecule may explain the greater thermal stability and oxygen-insenstivity of this ferredoxin.

Download Full-text

Primary- and secondary-structural analysis of a unique prokaryotic metallothionein from a Synechococcus sp. cyanobacterium

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bj2510691 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 251 (3) ◽

pp. 691-699 ◽

Cited By ~ 106

Author(s):

R W Olafson ◽

W D McCubbin ◽

C M Kay

Keyword(s):

Amino Acid ◽

Metal Binding ◽

Helical Structure ◽

Basic Amino Acid ◽

Cysteine Residues ◽

Amino Acid Residues ◽

C Terminus ◽

Empirical Relations ◽

Heavy Metal Binding ◽

Synechococcus Sp

Biochemical and physiological studies of Synechococcus cyanobacteria have indicated the presence of a low-Mr heavy-metal-binding protein with marked similarity to eukaryotic metallothioneins (MTs). We report here the characterization of a Synechococcus prokaryotic MT isolated by gel-permeation and reverse-phase chromatography. The large number of variants of this molecule found during chromatographic separation could not be attributed to the presence of major isoproteins as assessed by amino acid analysis and amino acid sequencing of isoforms. Two of the latter were shown to have identical primary structures that differed substantially from the well-described eukaryotic MTs. In addition to six long-chain aliphatic residues, two aromatic residues were found adjacent to one another near the centre of the molecule, making this the most hydrophobic MT to be described. Other unusual features included a pair of histidine residues located in repeating Gly-His-Thr-Gly sequences near the C-terminus and a complete lack of association of hydroxylated residues with cysteine residues, as is commonly found in eukaryotes. Similarly, aside from a single lysine residue, no basic amino acid residues were found adjacent to cysteine residues in the sequence. Most importantly, sequence alignment analyses with mammalian, invertebrate and fungal MT sequences showed no statistically significant homology aside from the presence of Cys-Xaa-Cys structures common to all MTs. On the other hand, like other MTs, the prokaryotic molecule appears to be free of alpha-helical structure but has a considerable amount of beta-structure, as predicted by both c.d. measurements and the Chou & Fasman empirical relations. Considered together, these data suggested that some similarity between the metal-thiolate clusters of the prokaryote and eukaryote MTs may exist.

Download Full-text

Labile disulfide bonds are common at the leucocyte cell surface

Open Biology ◽

10.1098/rsob.110010 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 110010 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Clive Metcalfe ◽

Peter Cresswell ◽

Laura Ciaccia ◽

Benjamin Thomas ◽

A. Neil Barclay

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Membrane Proteins ◽

Cell Surface ◽

Disulfide Bonds ◽

Reduction Process ◽

Cysteine Residue ◽

Surface Proteins ◽

Protein Activity ◽

Functional Changes ◽

Reducing Conditions

Redox conditions change in events such as immune and platelet activation, and during viral infection, but the biochemical consequences are not well characterized. There is evidence that some disulfide bonds in membrane proteins are labile while others that are probably structurally important are not exposed at the protein surface. We have developed a proteomic/mass spectrometry method to screen for and identify non-structural, redox-labile disulfide bonds in leucocyte cell-surface proteins. These labile disulfide bonds are common, with several classes of proteins being identified and around 30 membrane proteins regularly identified under different reducing conditions including using enzymes such as thioredoxin. The proteins identified include integrins, receptors, transporters and cell–cell recognition proteins. In many cases, at least one cysteine residue was identified by mass spectrometry as being modified by the reduction process. In some cases, functional changes are predicted (e.g. in integrins and cytokine receptors) but the scale of molecular changes in membrane proteins observed suggests that widespread effects are likely on many different types of proteins including enzymes, adhesion proteins and transporters. The results imply that membrane protein activity is being modulated by a ‘redox regulator’ mechanism.

Download Full-text

The Carboxy-Terminal Domain of Glycoprotein N of Human Cytomegalovirus Is Required for Virion Morphogenesis

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.01463-06 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 81 (10) ◽

pp. 5212-5224 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Michael Mach ◽

Karolina Osinski ◽

Barbara Kropff ◽

Ursula Schloetzer-Schrehardt ◽

Magdalena Krzyzaniak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Human Cytomegalovirus ◽

Critical Role ◽

Point Mutations ◽

Cysteine Residue ◽

Cysteine Residues ◽

Type I ◽

Terminal Domain ◽

Carboxy Terminal Domain ◽

Carboxy Terminal ◽

Assembly Compartment

ABSTRACT Glycoproteins M and N (gM and gN, respectively) are among the few proteins that are conserved across the herpesvirus family. The function of the complex is largely unknown. Whereas deletion from most alphaherpesviruses has marginal effects on the replication of the respective viruses, both proteins are essential for replication of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). We have constructed a series of mutants in gN to study the function of this protein. gN of HCMV is a type I glycoprotein containing a short carboxy-terminal domain of 14 amino acids, including two cysteine residues directly adjacent to the predicted transmembrane anchor at positions 125 and 126. Deletion of the entire carboxy-terminal domain as well as substitution with the corresponding region from alpha herpesviruses or mutations of both cysteine residues resulted in a replication-incompetent virus. Recombinant viruses containing point mutations of either cysteine residue could be generated. These viruses were profoundly defective for replication. Complex formation of the mutant gNs with gM and transport of the complex to the viral assembly compartment appeared unaltered compared to the wild type. However, in infected cells, large numbers of capsids accumulated in the cytoplasm that failed to acquire an envelope. Transiently expressed gN was shown to be modified by palmitic acid at both cysteine residues. In summary, our data suggest that the carboxy-terminal domain of gN plays a critical role in secondary envelopment of HCMV and that palmitoylation of gN appears to be essential for function in secondary envelopment of HCMV and virus replication.

Download Full-text