Overcoming non-isomorphism by phase permutation and likelihood scoring: solution of the TrpRS crystal structure

Entropy maximization to maximum likelihood, constrained jointly by the best available experimental phases and by a sufficiently good envelope, can bring about substantial model-independent map improvement, even at medium (3.1 A) resolution [Xiang, Carter, Bricogne & Gilmore (1993). Acta Cryst. D49, 193-212]. In the crystal structure determination of the Bacillus stearothermophilus tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (TrpRS), however, the following had to be dealt with simultaneously: (1) a serious lack of isomorphism in the heavy-atom derivatives, resulting in large starting-phase errors; and (2) an initially poorly known molecular envelope. Because the constraints--both phases and envelope--were insufficiently well determined at the outset, maximum-entropy solvent flattening as previously applied was unsuccessful. Rather than improving the maps, it led to a deterioration of their quality, accompanied by a dramatic decrease of the log-likelihood gain as phases were extended from about 5 A resolution to the 2.9 A limit of the diffraction data. This deadlock was broken by the identification of strong reflections, which were initially unphased and which were inaccessible by maximum-entropy extrapolation from the phased ones, and by permutation of the phases of these reflections so as to sample the space of possible electron-density and envelope modifications they represented. Permutation was carried out by successive full and incomplete factorial designs [Carter & Carter (1979). J. Biol. Chem. 254, 12219-12223] for 28 strong reflections selected in decreasing order of their 'renormalized' structure-factor amplitudes. The permuted reflections included one reflection for which the probability distribution from multiple isomorphous replacement with anomalous scattering (MIRAS) indicated an incorrect phase with a high figure of merit and which consequently had a large renormalized structure factor. A similar permutation was carried out for six different binary choices related to the calculation and description of the molecular envelope. Permutation experiments were scored using the log-likelihood gain and contrasts for each main effect were analyzed by multiple-regression least squares. Student t tests provided significant and reliable indications for a large majority of the permuted reflections and for all six hypotheses related to the molecular envelope. The resulting phase improvement made it possible to assign positions (hitherto unobtainable) for nine of the ten selenium atoms in an isomorphous difference Fourier map for selenomethionine-substituted TrpRS crystals and hence to solve the structure. Phase-permutation methods continued to be useful in producing improved maps from all the available isomorphous-replacement phase information and therefore played a critical role in solving the structure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Cytidine deaminase. The 2.3 A crystal structure of an enzyme: transition-state analog complex

We have solved the structure of Escherichia coli cytidine deaminase (CDA) complexed to the transition state analog, 5-fluoroprimidin-2-one riboside. The monomer of the alpha 2 CDA dimer is composed of a small N-terminal alpha-helical domain with no obvious connection to the active sites, and two, larger, core domains. The two core domains have nearly identical tertiary structures and are related by approximate 2-fold symmetry, but lack internal amino acid sequence homology. Comparison of the core domain structure with known structures by sequence homology and structural compatibility searches suggests that the CDA tertiary structure cannot be superimposed on any known protein structure. The two active sites per dimer are formed across the subunit interface. The N-terminal core domain provides a pyrimidine nucleoside and zinc-binding pocket and the structurally homologous C-terminal core domain in the other monomer covers this active-site cleft, completely sequestering the ligand from solvent. The deeply buried zinc-binding site is formed by a novel "topological switch point" at the amino termini of two alpha-helices in consecutive alpha-beta-alpha-beta segments. The transition state analog is bound as a covalent hydrate at C4. The inhibitor hydroxyl oxygen atom interacts both with the zinc atom and the Glu104 carboxylate group, affording high differential affinity for the hydroxyl group relative to a hydrogen atom, in a manner reminiscent of that observed in adenosine deaminase (ADA). Unlike the latter enzyme, the zinc atom is coordinated in a tetrahedral ligand field to two cysteine and one histidine ligands, plus the hydroxyl group. Moreover, the inhibitor stereochemistry is of the opposite hand from that of the corresponding ADA inhibitor at C4(R), but is the same at the hydroxyl group O4(S). A consequence of these stereochemical differences is that in CDA a single conserved carboxylate side-chain, Glu104, can provide all of the necessary proton transfer functions involved in generating the zinc hydroxide nucleophile, and protonating the pyrimidine ring nitrogen atom and leaving amino group. The differences in zinc ligands, ligand-binding stereochemistry, and tertiary structures of CDA and ADA strongly suggest that the common features of transition state stabilization arose by convergent evolution.