Structural dynamics of AAA+ ATPase Drg1 and mechanism of benzo-diazaborine inhibition

The AAA+ ATPase Drg1 is a ribosome assembly factor in yeast, and functions to release Rlp24, another assembly factor, from the pre-60S particle just exported from nucleus to initiate its further cytoplasmic maturation. Being a type II AAA+ protein with two ATPase domains (D1 and D2), its activity in ribosome assembly can be inhibited by a drug molecule diazaborine. In human, mutations of Drg1 homologue has been linked to a disease condition called epilepsy, hearing loss, and mental retardation syndrome. Although the general structure of Drg1 hexamer was recently reported, its complete structure and dynamic conformational rearrangements driven by ATP-hydrolysis are poorly understood. Here, we report a comprehensive structural characterization of Drg1 hexamers in different nucleotide-binding and benzo-diazaborine treated states. Our data show that Drg1 hexamers transits between two extreme conformations, characterized by a planar or helical arrangement of its six protomers. By forming covalent adducts with the ATP molecules in the active centers of both D1 and D2, benzo-diazaborine locks Drg1 hexamers in a more symmetric and non-productive conformation. In addition, we obtained the structure of a mutant Drg1 hexamer (Walker B mutations) with a polypeptide trapped in the central channel, representing a 3D snapshot of its functional, substrate-processing form. Conserved pore loops on the ATPase domains of Drg1 form a spiral staircase to interact with the substrate through a sequence-independent manner. These results suggest that Drg1, similar as Cdc48/p97, acts as a molecular unfoldase to remodel pre-60S particles, and benzo-diazaborine inhibits both the inter-protomer and inter-ring communication to disable the conformational cycling of Drg1 protomers required for the unfolding activity.

Molecular Dynamics of DNA Translocation by FtsK

The bacterial FtsK motor harvests energy from ATP to translocate double-stranded DNA during cell division. Here, we probe the molecular mechanisms underlying coordinated DNA translocation in FtsK by performing long timescale simulations of its hexameric assembly and individual subunits. From these simulations we predict signaling pathways that connect the ATPase active site to DNA-gripping residues, which allows the motor to coordinate its translocation activity with its ATPase activity. Additionally, we utilize well-tempered metadynamics simulations to compute free-energy landscapes that elucidate the extended-to-compact transition involved in force generation. We show that nucleotide binding promotes a compact conformation of a motor subunit, whereas the apo subunit is flexible. Together, our results support a mechanism whereby each ATP-bound subunit of the motor conforms to the helical pitch of DNA, and ATP hydrolysis/product release causes a subunit to lose grip of DNA. By ordinally engaging and disengaging with DNA, the FtsK motor unidirectionally translocates DNA.

Characterization of glutamine synthetase from the ammonium-excreting strain HM053 of Azospirillum brasilense

Glutamine synthetase (GS), encoded by glnA, catalyzes the conversion of L-glutamate and ammonium to L-glutamine. This ATP hydrolysis driven process is the main nitrogen assimilation pathway in the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Azospirillum brasilense. The A. brasilense strain HM053 has poor GS activity and leaks ammonium into the medium under nitrogen fixing conditions. In this work, the glnA genes of the wild type and HM053 strains were cloned into pET28a, sequenced and overexpressed in E. coli. The GS enzyme was purified by affinity chromatography and characterized. The GS of HM053 strain carries a P347L substitution, which results in low enzyme activity and rendered the enzyme insensitive to adenylylation by the adenilyltransferase GlnE.

pH-dependent 11° F1FO ATP synthase sub-steps reveal insight into the FO torque generating mechanism

Most cellular ATP is made by rotary F1FO ATP synthases using proton translocation-generated clockwise torque on the FO c-ring rotor, while F1-ATP hydrolysis can force counterclockwise rotation and proton pumping. The FO torque-generating mechanism remains elusive even though the FO interface of stator subunit-a, which contains the transmembrane proton half-channels, and the c-ring is known from recent F1FO structures. Here, single-molecule F1FO rotation studies determined that the pKa values of the half-channels differ, show that mutations of residues in these channels change the pKa values of both half-channels, and reveal the ability of FO to undergo single c-subunit rotational stepping. These experiments provide evidence to support the hypothesis that proton translocation through FO operates via a Grotthuss mechanism involving a column of single water molecules in each half-channel linked by proton translocation-dependent c-ring rotation. We also observed pH-dependent 11° ATP synthase-direction sub-steps of the E. coli c10-ring of F1FO against the torque of F1-ATPase-dependent rotation that result from H+ transfer events from FO subunit-a groups with a low pKa to one c-subunit in the c-ring, and from an adjacent c-subunit to stator groups with a high pKa. These results support a mechanism in which alternating proton translocation-dependent 11° and 25° synthase-direction rotational sub-steps of the c10-ring occur to sustain F1FO ATP synthesis.

Information flow, Gating, and Energetics in dimeric molecular motors

Molecular motors belonging to the kinesin and myosin super family hydrolyze ATP by cycling through a sequence of chemical states. These cytoplasmic motors are dimers made up of two linked identical monomeric globular proteins. Fueled by the free energy generated by ATP hydrolysis, the motors walk on polar tracks (microtubule or filamentous actin) processively, which means that only one head detaches and executes a mechanical step while the other stays bound to the track. Thus, the one motor head must regulate chemical state of the other, referred to as "gating", a concept that is not fully understood. Inspired by experiments, showing that only a fraction of the energy from ATP hydrolysis is used to advance the kinesin motors against load, we demonstrate that additional energy is used for coordinating the chemical cycles of the two heads in the dimer - a feature that characterizes gating. To this end, we develop a general framework based on information theory and stochastic thermodynamics, and establish that gating could be quantified in terms of information flow between the motor heads. Applications of the theory to kinesin-1 and Myosin V show that information flow occurs, with positive cooperativity, at external resistive loads that are less than a critical value, Fc. When force exceeds Fc, effective information flow ceases. Interestingly, Fc, which is independent of the input energy generated through ATP hydrolysis, coincides with force at which the probability of backward steps starts to increase. Our findings suggest that transport efficiency is optimal only at forces less than Fc, which implies that these motors must operate at low loads under in vivo conditions.

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene Editing of Vacuolar ATPase Subunit D Mediates Phytohormone Biosynthesis and Virus Resistance in Rice

Background: Vacuolar ATPases (v-ATPases) are proton pumps for proton translocation across membranes that utilize energy derived from ATP hydrolysis; Previous research revealed Osv-ATPases mediates phytohormes levels and resistance in rice. Osv-ATPase subunit d (Osv-ATPase d) is part of an integral, membrane-embedded V0 complex of V-ATPases complex, whether Osv-ATPase d involves in phytohormes biosynthesis and resistance in rice remains unknown.Finding: The knockout mutant line (line 5) of Osv-ATPase d was generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, mutation of Osv-ATPase d did not show any detrimental effect on plant growth or yield productivity. Transcriptomic results showed Osv-ATPase d probably involved in mediating the biosynthesis of plant hormones and resistance in rice. Mutation of Osv-ATPase d significantly increased JA and ABA biosynthesis than wild type. Compared to wild type, mutation of Osv-ATPase d increased the resistance against Southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV), however, decreased the resistance against Rice stripe virus (RSV) in rice. Conclusion: Taken together, our data reveal the Osv-ATPase d mediates phytohormone biosynthesis and virus resistance in rice, which can be selected as a potential target for resistance breeding in rice.

Temperature Regulates Stability, Ligand Binding (Mg2+ and ATP) and Stoichiometry of GroEL/GroES Complexes

Chaperonins are nanomachines that harness ATP hydrolysis to power and catalyze protein folding, chemical action that is directly linked to the maintenance of cell function through protein folding/refolding and assembly. GroEL and the GroEL-GroES complex are archetypal examples of such protein folding machines. Here, variable-temperature-electrospray ionization (vT-ESI) native mass spectrometry is used to delineate the effects of solution temperature and ATP concentrations on the stabilities of GroEL and GroEL/GroES complexes. The results show clear evidences for destabilization of both GroEL14 and GroES7 at temperatures of 50 oC and 45 oC, respectively, substantially below the previously reported melting temperature (Tm ~ 70 oC). This destabilization is accompanied by temperature-dependent reaction products that have previously unreport-ed stoichiometries, viz. GroEL14-GroESx-ATPy, where x = 1, 2, 8 and y = 0, 1, 2, that are also dependent on Mg2+ and ATP concentrations. Variable-temperature native mass spectrometry reveals new insights about the stability of GroEL in response to several environmental effects: (i) temperature-dependent ATP binding to GroEL (ii) effects of temperature as well as Mg2+ and ATP concentrations on the stoichiometry of the GroEL-GroES complex, with Mg2+ showing greater effects compared to ATP; and, (iii) a change in the temperature-dependent stoichiometries of the GroEL-GroES complex (GroEL14-GroES7 vs GroEL14-GroES8) between 24 to 56 oC. The similarities between results obtained using native MS and cryo-EM (Clare et al., An expanded protein folding cage in the GroEL-gp31 complex. J Mol Biol 2006, 358, 905-11; Ranson et al., Allosteric signaling of ATP hydrolysis in GroEL–GroES complexes. Nat. Struct. Mol. Biol. 2006, 13, 147-152.) underscores the util-ity of native MS for investigations of molecular machines as well as identification of key intermediates involved in the chaperone-assisted protein folding cycle.

Sterol Extraction from Isolated Plant Plasma Membrane Vesicles Affects H+-ATPase Activity and H+-Transport

Plasma membrane H+-ATPase is known to be detected in detergent-resistant sterol-enriched fractions, also called “raft” domains. Studies on H+-ATPase reconstituted in artificial or native membrane vesicles have shown both sterol-mediated stimulations and inhibitions of its activity. Here, using sealed isolated plasma membrane vesicles, we investigated the effects of sterol depletion in the presence of methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) on H+-ATPase activity. The rate of ATP-dependent ∆µH+ generation and the kinetic parameters of ATP hydrolysis were evaluated. We show that the relative sterols content in membrane vesicles decreased gradually after treatment with MβCD and reached approximately 40% of their initial level in 30 mM probe solution. However, changes in the hydrolytic and H+-transport activities of the enzyme were nonlinear. The extraction of up to 20% of the initial sterols was accompanied by strong stimulation of ATP-dependent H+-transport in comparison with the hydrolytic activity of enzymes. Further sterol depletion led to a significant inhibition of active proton transport with an increase in passive H+-leakage. The solubilization of control and sterol-depleted vesicles in the presence of dodecyl maltoside negated the differences in the kinetics parameters of ATP hydrolysis, and all samples demonstrated maximal hydrolytic activities. The mechanisms behind the sensitivity of ATP-dependent H+-transport to sterols in the lipid environment of plasma membrane H+-ATPase are discussed.