scholarly journals Identification of a Region in the Common Amino-Terminal Domain of Hendra Virus P, V, and W Proteins Responsible for Phase Transition and Amyloid Formation

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1324
Author(s):  
Edoardo Salladini ◽  
Frank Gondelaud ◽  
Juliet F. Nilsson ◽  
Giulia Pesce ◽  
Christophe Bignon ◽  
...  

Henipaviruses are BSL-4 zoonotic pathogens responsible in humans for severe encephalitis. Their V protein is a key player in the evasion of the host innate immune response. We previously showed that the Henipavirus V proteins consist of a long intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain (NTD) and a β-enriched C-terminal domain (CTD). These terminals are critical for V binding to DDB1, which is a cellular protein that is a component of the ubiquitin ligase E3 complex, as well as binding to MDA5 and LGP2, which are two host sensors of viral RNA. Here, we serendipitously discovered that the Hendra virus V protein undergoes a liquid-to-hydrogel phase transition and identified the V region responsible for this phenomenon. This region, referred to as PNT3 and encompassing residues 200–310, was further investigated using a combination of biophysical and structural approaches. Congo red binding assays, together with negative-staining transmisison electron microscopy (TEM) studies, show that PNT3 forms amyloid-like fibrils. Fibrillation abilities are dramatically reduced in a rationally designed PNT3 variant in which a stretch of three contiguous tyrosines, falling within an amyloidogenic motif, were replaced by three alanines. Worthy to note, Congo red staining experiments provided hints that these amyloid-like fibrils form not only in vitro but also in cellula after transfection or infection. The present results set the stage for further investigations aimed at assessing the functional role of phase separation and fibrillation by the Henipavirus V proteins.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edoardo Salladini ◽  
Claire Debarnot ◽  
Vincent Delauzun ◽  
Maria Grazia Murrali ◽  
Priscila Sutto-Ortiz ◽  
...  

AbstractHenipaviruses are severe human pathogens responsible for severe encephalitis. Their V protein is a key player in the evasion of the host innate immune response. We have previously reported a biophysical characterization of the Henipavirus V proteins and shown that they interact with DDB1, a cellular protein that is a component of the ubiquitin ligase E3 complex. Here, we serendipitously discovered that the Hendra virus V protein undergoes a liquidhydrogel phase transition. By combining experimental and bioinformatics approaches, we have identified the V region responsible for this phenomenon. This region (referred to as PNT3), which falls within the long intrinsically disordered region of V, was further investigated using a combination of biophysical and structural approaches. ThioflavinT and Congo red binding assays, together with negative-staining electron microscopy studies, show that this region forms amyloid-like, β-enriched structures. Such structures are also formed in mammal cells transfected to express PNT3. Those cells also exhibit a reduced viability in the presence of a stress agent. Interestingly, mammal cells expressing a rationally designed, non-amyloidogenic PNT3 variant (PNT33A), appear to be much less sensitive to the stress agent, thus enabling the establishment of a link between fibril formation and cell toxicity. The present findings therefore pinpoint a so far never reported possible mechanism of virus-induced cell toxicity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Zhao ◽  
Alan Blayney ◽  
Xiaorong Liu ◽  
Lauren Gandy ◽  
Weihua Jin ◽  
...  

AbstractEpigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) from green tea can induce apoptosis in cancerous cells, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Using SPR and NMR, here we report a direct, μM interaction between EGCG and the tumor suppressor p53 (KD = 1.6 ± 1.4 μM), with the disordered N-terminal domain (NTD) identified as the major binding site (KD = 4 ± 2 μM). Large scale atomistic simulations (>100 μs), SAXS and AUC demonstrate that EGCG-NTD interaction is dynamic and EGCG causes the emergence of a subpopulation of compact bound conformations. The EGCG-p53 interaction disrupts p53 interaction with its regulatory E3 ligase MDM2 and inhibits ubiquitination of p53 by MDM2 in an in vitro ubiquitination assay, likely stabilizing p53 for anti-tumor activity. Our work provides insights into the mechanisms for EGCG’s anticancer activity and identifies p53 NTD as a target for cancer drug discovery through dynamic interactions with small molecules.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 7173-7181 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Foster ◽  
K Q Hu ◽  
D A Shaywitz ◽  
J Settleman

In mitogenically stimulated cells, a specific complex forms between the Ras GTPase-activating protein (RasGAP) and the cellular protein p190. We have previously reported that p190 contains a carboxy-terminal domain that functions as a GAP for the Rho family GTPases. Thus, the RasGAP-p190 complex may serve to couple Ras- and Rho-mediated signalling pathways. In addition to its RhoGAP domain, p190 contains an amino-terminal domain that contains sequence motifs found in all known GTPases. Here, we report that p190 binds GTP and GDP through this conserved domain and that the structural requirements for binding are similar to those seen with other GTPases. While the purified protein is unable to hydrolyze GTP, we detect an activity in cell lysates that can promote GTP hydrolysis by p190. A mutated form of p190 that fails to bind nucleotide retains its RasGAP binding and RhoGAP activities, indicating that GTP binding by p190 is not required for these functions. The sequence of p190 in the GTP-binding domain, which shares structural features with both the Ras-like small GTPases and the larger G proteins, suggests that this protein defines a novel class of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins.


2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 3230-3239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miran Yoon ◽  
Deborah H. Smith ◽  
Peter Ward ◽  
Francisco J. Medrano ◽  
Aneel K. Aggarwal ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The unique ability of adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV) to site-specifically integrate its genome into a defined sequence on human chromosome 19 (AAVS1) makes it of particular interest for use in targeted gene delivery. The objective underlying this study is to provide evidence for the feasibility of retargeting site-specific integration into selected loci within the human genome. Current models postulate that AAV DNA integration is initiated through the interactions of the products of a single viral open reading frame,REP, with sequences present in AAVS1 that resemble the minimal origin for AAV DNA replication. Here, we present a cell-free system designed to dissect the Rep functions required to target site-specific integration using functional chimeric Rep proteins derived from AAV Rep78 and Rep1 of the closely related goose parvovirus. We show that amino-terminal domain exchange efficiently redirects the specificity of Rep to the minimal origin of DNA replication. Furthermore, we establish that the amino-terminal 208 amino acids of Rep78/68 constitute a catalytic domain of Rep sufficient to mediate site-specific endonuclease activity.


FEBS Letters ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 581 (17) ◽  
pp. 3197-3203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Herring ◽  
Alexandre Ambrogelly ◽  
Sarath Gundllapalli ◽  
Patrick O'Donoghue ◽  
Carla R. Polycarpo ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mainak Bose ◽  
Julia Mahamid ◽  
Anne Ephrussi

SummaryAsymmetric localization of oskar RNP granules to the oocyte posterior is crucial for abdominal patterning and germline formation of the Drosophila embryo. We show that oskar RNP granules in the oocyte are condensates with solid-like physical properties. Using purified oskar RNA and scaffold proteins Bruno and Hrp48, we confirm in vitro that oskar granules undergo a liquid-to-solid phase transition. Whereas the liquid phase allows RNA incorporation, the solid phase precludes incorporation of additional RNA while allowing RNA-dependent partitioning of specific proteins. Genetic modification of scaffold granule proteins, or tethering the intrinsically disordered region of human Fused in Sarcoma to oskar mRNA, allowed modulation of granule material properties in vivo. The resulting liquid-like properties impaired oskar localization and translation with severe consequences on embryonic development. Our study reflects how physiological phase transitions shape RNA-protein condensates to regulate localization and expression of a maternal RNA that instructs germline formation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Unekwu M. Yakubu ◽  
Kevin A. Morano

AbstractMolecular chaperones maintain protein homeostasis (proteostasis) by ensuring the proper folding of polypeptides. Loss of proteostasis has been linked to the onset of numerous neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease. Hsp110 is related to the canonical Hsp70 class of protein folding molecular chaperones and interacts with Hsp70 as a nucleotide exchange factor (NEF), promoting rapid cycling of ADP for ATP. In addition to its NEF activity, Hsp110 possesses an Hsp70-like substrate binding domain (SBD) whose biological roles remain undefined. Previous work in Drosophila melanogaster has shown that loss of the sole Hsp110 gene (Hsc70cb) accelerates the aggregation of polyglutamine (polyQ)-expanded human Huntingtin, while its overexpression protects against polyQ-mediated neuronal cell death. We hypothesize that in addition to its role as an Hsp70 NEF, Drosophila Hsp110 may function in the fly as a protective protein “holdase”, preventing the aggregation of unfolded polypeptides via the SBD-β subdomain. Using an in vitro protein aggregation assay we demonstrate for the first time that Drosophila Hsp110 effectively prevents aggregation of the model substrate citrate synthase. We also report the discovery of a redundant and heretofore unknown potent holdase capacity in a 138 amino-acid region of Hsp110 carboxyl-terminal to both SBD-β and SBD-α (henceforth called the C-terminal extension). This sequence is highly conserved in metazoan Hsp110 genes, completely absent from fungal representatives, including Saccharomyces cerevisiae SSE1, and is computationally predicted to contain an intrinsically disordered region (IDR). We demonstrate that this IDR sequence within the human Hsp110s, Apg-1 and Hsp105α, inhibits the formation of amyloid Aβ-42 and α-synuclein fibrils in vitro but cannot mediate fibril disassembly. Together these findings demonstrate the existence of a second independent, passive holdase property of metazoan Hsp110 chaperones capable of suppressing both general protein aggregation and amyloidogenesis and raise the possibility of exploitation of this IDR for therapeutic benefit in combating neurodegenerative disease.


1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 7173-7181
Author(s):  
R Foster ◽  
K Q Hu ◽  
D A Shaywitz ◽  
J Settleman

In mitogenically stimulated cells, a specific complex forms between the Ras GTPase-activating protein (RasGAP) and the cellular protein p190. We have previously reported that p190 contains a carboxy-terminal domain that functions as a GAP for the Rho family GTPases. Thus, the RasGAP-p190 complex may serve to couple Ras- and Rho-mediated signalling pathways. In addition to its RhoGAP domain, p190 contains an amino-terminal domain that contains sequence motifs found in all known GTPases. Here, we report that p190 binds GTP and GDP through this conserved domain and that the structural requirements for binding are similar to those seen with other GTPases. While the purified protein is unable to hydrolyze GTP, we detect an activity in cell lysates that can promote GTP hydrolysis by p190. A mutated form of p190 that fails to bind nucleotide retains its RasGAP binding and RhoGAP activities, indicating that GTP binding by p190 is not required for these functions. The sequence of p190 in the GTP-binding domain, which shares structural features with both the Ras-like small GTPases and the larger G proteins, suggests that this protein defines a novel class of guanine nucleotide-binding proteins.


2000 ◽  
Vol 113 (7) ◽  
pp. 1267-1276 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Granes ◽  
J.M. Urena ◽  
N. Rocamora ◽  
S. Vilaro

The syndecan family of heparan sulfate proteoglycans is known to associate with the actin cytoskeleton, possibly transducing signals from the extracellular matrix. In the search for proteins that could mediate the association of syndecan-2 with the actin cytoskeleton we found that ezrin, a protein which links membrane receptors to the cytoskeleton, coimmunoprecipitated with syndecan-2 in COS-1 cells. In vitro assays indicated a direct association between the amino-terminal domain of ezrin and the cytoplasmic domain of syndecan-2. Confocal microscopy showed colocalization of ezrin and syndecan-2 in actin-rich microspikes in COS-1 cells. The syndecan-2/ezrin protein complex was resistant to 0.2% Triton X-100 extraction but the syndecan-2/amino-terminal domain of ezrin complex was not, which indicated that carboxi-terminal domain of ezrin is involved in the cytoskeleton anchorage of this protein complex. Additionally we observed that the activation of rhoA GTPase increased syndecan-2 insolubility in 0.2% Triton X-100 and syndecan-2/ezrin association. Taken together, these results indicate that ezrin connects syndecan-2 to the actin cytoskeleton.


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