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Augustine J, Baksh KA, Prosser RS, Zamble DB. Insights into the Allosteric Response to Acidity by the Helicobacter pylori NikR Transcription Factor. Biochemistry 2023; 62:3265-3275. [PMID: 37917856 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Helicobacter pylori NikR (HpNikR) is a nickel-responsive transcription factor that regulates genes involved in nickel homeostasis, which is essential for the survival of this pathogen within the acidic human stomach. HpNikR also responds to drops in pH and regulates genes controlling acid acclimation of the bacteria, independently of nickel. We previously showed that nickel binding biases the conformational ensemble of HpNikR to the more DNA-binding competent states via an allosteric network of residues encompassing the nickel binding sites and the interface between the metal- and DNA-binding domains. Here, we examine how acidity promotes this response using 19F-NMR, mutagenesis, and DNA-binding studies. 19F-NMR revealed that a drop in pH from 7.6 to 6.0 does little to shift the conformational ensemble of HpNikR to the DNA binding-compatible cis conformer. Nevertheless, DNA-binding affinities of apo-HpNikR at pH 6.0 and Ni(II)-HpNikR at pH 7.6 are comparable for the ureA promoter. Histidine residues of the nickel binding sites were shown to be important for pH-dependent DNA binding and thus likely impart positive charge to the protein, initiating long-range electrostatic interactions with DNA that induce DNA complexation. The results point to a different DNA-binding mechanism in response to acidity compared to the conformational selection mechanism in response to nickel and overall provide new insights into the influence of pH on HpNikR activity, which contributes to H. pylori viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry Augustine
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Karina A Baksh
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Robert Scott Prosser
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Deborah B Zamble
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
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Baksh KA, Augustine J, Sljoka A, Prosser RS, Zamble DB. Mechanistic insights into the nickel-dependent allosteric response of the Helicobacter pylori NikR transcription factor. J Biol Chem 2022; 299:102785. [PMID: 36502919 PMCID: PMC9860126 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In Helicobacter pylori, the nickel-responsive NikR transcription factor plays a key role in regulating intracellular nickel concentrations, which is an essential process for survival of this pathogen in the acidic human stomach. Nickel binding to H. pylori NikR (HpNikR) allosterically activates DNA binding to target promoters encoding genes involved in nickel homeostasis and acid adaptation, to either activate or repress their transcription. We previously showed that HpNikR adopts an equilibrium between an open conformation and DNA-binding competent cis and trans states. Nickel binding slows down conformational exchange between these states and shifts the equilibrium toward the binding-competent states. The protein then becomes stabilized in a cis conformation upon binding the ureA promoter. Here, we investigate how nickel binding creates this response and how it is transmitted to the DNA-binding domains. Through mutagenesis, DNA-binding studies, and computational methods, the allosteric response to nickel was found to be propagated from the nickel-binding sites to the DNA-binding domains via the β-sheets of the metal-binding domain and a network of residues at the inter-domain interface. Our computational results suggest that nickel binding increases protein rigidity to slow down the conformational exchange. A thymine base in the ureA promoter sequence, known to be critical for high affinity DNA binding by HpNikR, was also found to be important for the allosteric response, while a modified version of this promoter further highlighted the importance of the DNA sequence in modulating the response. Collectively, our results provide insights into regulation of a key protein for H. pylori survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina A. Baksh
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jerry Augustine
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adnan Sljoka
- RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, RIKEN, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan,For correspondence: R. Scott Prosser; Adnan Sljoka
| | - R. Scott Prosser
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,For correspondence: R. Scott Prosser; Adnan Sljoka
| | - Deborah B. Zamble
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Bacterial Transcriptional Regulators: A Road Map for Functional, Structural, and Biophysical Characterization. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042179. [PMID: 35216300 PMCID: PMC8879271 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The different niches through which bacteria move during their life cycle require a fast response to the many environmental queues they encounter. The sensing of these stimuli and their correct response is driven primarily by transcriptional regulators. This kind of protein is involved in sensing a wide array of chemical species, a process that ultimately leads to the regulation of gene transcription. The allosteric-coupling mechanism of sensing and regulation is a central aspect of biological systems and has become an important field of research during the last decades. In this review, we summarize the state-of-the-art techniques applied to unravel these complex mechanisms. We introduce a roadmap that may serve for experimental design, depending on the answers we seek and the initial information we have about the system of study. We also provide information on databases containing available structural information on each family of transcriptional regulators. Finally, we discuss the recent results of research about the allosteric mechanisms of sensing and regulation involving many transcriptional regulators of interest, highlighting multipronged strategies and novel experimental techniques. The aim of the experiments discussed here was to provide a better understanding at a molecular level of how bacteria adapt to the different environmental threats they face.
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Mazzei L, Musiani F, Żerko S, Koźminski W, Cianci M, Beniamino Y, Ciurli S, Zambelli B. Structure, dynamics, and function of SrnR, a transcription factor for nickel-dependent gene expression. Metallomics 2021; 13:6445039. [PMID: 34850061 DOI: 10.1093/mtomcs/mfab069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Streptomyces griseus, a bacterium producing antibacterial drugs and featuring possible application in phytoremediation, expresses two metal-dependent superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes, containing either Fe(II) or Ni(II) in their active site. In particular, the alternative expression of the two proteins occurs in a metal-dependent mode, with the Fe(II)-enzyme gene (sodF) repressed at high intracellular Ni(II) concentrations by a two-component system (TCS). This complex involves two proteins, namely SgSrnR and SgSrnQ, which represent the transcriptional regulator and the Ni(II) sensor of the system, respectively. SgSrnR belongs to the ArsR/SmtB family of metal-dependent transcription factors; in the apo-form and in the absence of SgSrnQ, it can bind the DNA operator of sodF, upregulating gene transcription. According to a recently proposed hypothesis, Ni(II) binding to SgSrnQ would promote its interaction with SgSrnR, causing the release of the complex from DNA and the consequent downregulation of the sodF expression. SgSrnQ is predicted to be highly disordered, thus the understanding, at the molecular level, of how the SgSrnR/SgSrnQ TCS specifically responds to Ni(II) requires the knowledge of the structural, dynamic, and functional features of SgSrnR. These were investigated synergistically in this work using X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, atomistic molecular dynamics calculations, isothermal titration calorimetry, and in silico molecular docking. The results reveal that the homodimeric apo-SgSrnR binds to its operator in a two-step process that involves the more rigid globular portion of the protein and leaves its largely disordered regions available to possibly interact with the disordered SgSrnQ in a Ni-dependent process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Mazzei
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), University of Bologna, Via Giuseppe Fanin 40, I-40127 Bologna. Italy
| | - Francesco Musiani
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), University of Bologna, Via Giuseppe Fanin 40, I-40127 Bologna. Italy
| | - Szymon Żerko
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wiktor Koźminski
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michele Cianci
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Ylenia Beniamino
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), University of Bologna, Via Giuseppe Fanin 40, I-40127 Bologna. Italy
| | - Stefano Ciurli
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), University of Bologna, Via Giuseppe Fanin 40, I-40127 Bologna. Italy
| | - Barbara Zambelli
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), University of Bologna, Via Giuseppe Fanin 40, I-40127 Bologna. Italy
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Falconer RJ, Schuur B, Mittermaier AK. Applications of isothermal titration calorimetry in pure and applied research from 2016 to 2020. J Mol Recognit 2021; 34:e2901. [PMID: 33975380 DOI: 10.1002/jmr.2901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The last 5 years have seen a series of advances in the application of isothermal titration microcalorimetry (ITC) and interpretation of ITC data. ITC has played an invaluable role in understanding multiprotein complex formation including proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACS), and mitochondrial autophagy receptor Nix interaction with LC3 and GABARAP. It has also helped elucidate complex allosteric communication in protein complexes like trp RNA-binding attenuation protein (TRAP) complex. Advances in kinetics analysis have enabled the calculation of kinetic rate constants from pre-existing ITC data sets. Diverse strategies have also been developed to study enzyme kinetics and enzyme-inhibitor interactions. ITC has also been applied to study small molecule solvent and solute interactions involved in extraction, separation, and purification applications including liquid-liquid separation and extractive distillation. Diverse applications of ITC have been developed from the analysis of protein instability at different temperatures, determination of enzyme kinetics in suspensions of living cells to the adsorption of uremic toxins from aqueous streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Falconer
- School of Chemical Engineering & Advanced Materials, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Boelo Schuur
- Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
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Baksh KA, Pichugin D, Prosser RS, Zamble DB. Allosteric regulation of the nickel-responsive NikR transcription factor from Helicobacter pylori. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100069. [PMID: 33199369 PMCID: PMC7949043 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.015459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Nickel is essential for the survival of the pathogenic bacteria Helicobacter pylori in the fluctuating pH of the human stomach. Due to its inherent toxicity and limited availability, nickel homeostasis is maintained through a network of pathways that are coordinated by the nickel-responsive transcription factor NikR. Nickel binding to H. pylori NikR (HpNikR) induces an allosteric response favoring a conformation that can bind specific DNA motifs, thereby serving to either activate or repress transcription of specific genes involved in nickel homeostasis and acid adaptation. Here, we examine how nickel induces this response using 19F-NMR, which reveals conformational and dynamic changes associated with nickel-activated DNA complex formation. HpNikR adopts an equilibrium between an open state and DNA-binding competent states regardless of nickel binding, but a higher level of dynamics is observed in the absence of metal. Nickel binding shifts the equilibrium toward the binding-competent states and decreases the mobility of the DNA-binding domains. The nickel-bound protein is then able to adopt a single conformation upon binding a target DNA promoter. Zinc, which does not promote high-affinity DNA binding, is unable to induce the same allosteric response as nickel. We propose that the allosteric mechanism of nickel-activated DNA binding by HpNikR is driven by conformational selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina A Baksh
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dmitry Pichugin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert Scott Prosser
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Deborah B Zamble
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Zambelli B, Mazzei L, Ciurli S. Intrinsic disorder in the nickel-dependent urease network. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 174:307-330. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Jin X, Hapsari ND, Lee S, Jo K. DNA binding fluorescent proteins as single-molecule probes. Analyst 2020; 145:4079-4095. [DOI: 10.1039/d0an00218f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
DNA binding fluorescent proteins are useful probes for a broad range of biological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuelin Jin
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated Biotechnology
- Sogang University
- Seoul
- Republic of Korea
| | - Natalia Diyah Hapsari
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated Biotechnology
- Sogang University
- Seoul
- Republic of Korea
- Chemistry Education Program
| | - Seonghyun Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated Biotechnology
- Sogang University
- Seoul
- Republic of Korea
| | - Kyubong Jo
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Program of Integrated Biotechnology
- Sogang University
- Seoul
- Republic of Korea
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9
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Abstract
Nickel is essential for the survival of many pathogenic bacteria. E. coli and H. pylori require nickel for [NiFe]-hydrogenases. H. pylori also requires nickel for urease. At high concentrations nickel can be toxic to the cell, therefore, nickel concentrations are tightly regulated. Metalloregulators help to maintain nickel concentration in the cell by regulating the expression of the genes associated with nickel import and export. Nickel import into the cell, delivery of nickel to target proteins, and export of nickel from the cell is a very intricate and well-choreographed process. The delivery of nickel to [NiFe]-hydrogenase and urease is complex and involves several chaperones and accessory proteins. A combination of biochemical, crystallographic, and spectroscopic techniques has been utilized to study the structures of these proteins, as well as protein-protein interactions resulting in an expansion of our knowledge regarding how these proteins sense and bind nickel. In this review, recent advances in the field will be discussed, focusing on the metal site structures of nickel bound to metalloregulators and chaperones.
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Guo Y, Guan C, Wan H, Zhang Z, Li H, Sun H, Xia W. Inactivation of NikR from Helicobacter pylori by a bismuth drug. J Inorg Biochem 2019; 196:110685. [PMID: 30999221 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2019.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The NikR protein is an essential DNA regulator of Helicobacter pylori, a human pathogen, which infects almost half of the world's population. Herein, we comprehensively characterized the interaction of a bismuth drug with Helicobacter pylori NikR. We show that Bi(III) can occupy the high-affinity Ni(II) site of NikR. The highly-conserved residue Cys107 at this site is critical for Bi(III) binding. Importantly, such a binding disassembles physiologically functional NikR tetramer into inactive dimer, leading to abrogation of the DNA-binding capability of NikR. Bi(III)-binding also significantly disturbs regulatory function of Helicobacter pylori NikR in vivo. Therefore, NikR might serve as a potential intracellular target of a bismuth drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Guo
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510275
| | - Chujun Guan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510275
| | - Heiyu Wan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510275
| | - Zhengrui Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510275
| | - Hongyan Li
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hongzhe Sun
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Wei Xia
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, 510275.
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Nosrati R, Golichenari B, Nezami A, Taghdisi SM, Karimi B, Ramezani M, Abnous K, Shaegh SAM. Helicobacter pylori point-of-care diagnosis: Nano-scale biosensors and microfluidic systems. Trends Analyt Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2017.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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12
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Monitoring drug–serum protein interactions for early ADME prediction through Surface Plasmon Resonance technology. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2017; 144:188-194. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2017.03.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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