In vitro assembly of an anion-stimulated ATPase from peptide fragments

Life in Phases: Intra- and Inter- Molecular Phase Transitions in Protein Solutions

Proteins, these evolutionarily-edited biological polymers, are able to undergo intramolecular and intermolecular phase transitions. Spontaneous intramolecular phase transitions define the folding of globular proteins, whereas binding-induced, intra- and inter- molecular phase transitions play a crucial role in the functionality of many intrinsically-disordered proteins. On the other hand, intermolecular phase transitions are the behind-the-scenes players in a diverse set of macrosystemic phenomena taking place in protein solutions, such as new phase nucleation in bulk, on the interface, and on the impurities, protein crystallization, protein aggregation, the formation of amyloid fibrils, and intermolecular liquid-liquid or liquid-gel phase transitions associated with the biogenesis of membraneless organelles in the cells. This review is dedicated to the systematic analysis of the phase behavior of protein molecules and their ensembles, and provides a description of the major physical principles governing intramolecular and intermolecular phase transitions in protein solutions.

The anion-stimulated ATPase ArsA shows unisite and multisite catalytic activity

ArsA, an anion-stimulated ATPase, consists of two nucleotide binding domains, A1 in the N terminus and A2 in the C terminus of the protein, connected by a linker. The A1 domain contains a high affinity ATP binding site, whereas the A2 domain has low affinity and it requires the allosteric ligand antimonite for binding ATP. ArsA is known to form a UV-activated adduct with [alpha-(32)P]ATP in the linker region. This study shows that on addition of antimonite, much more adduct is formed. Characterization of the nature of the adduct suggests that it is between ArsA and ADP, instead of ATP, indicating that the adduct formation reflects hydrolysis of ATP. The present study also demonstrates that the A1 domain is capable of carrying out unisite catalysis in the absence of antimonite. On addition of antimonite, multisite catalysis involving both A1 and A2 sites occurs, resulting in a 40-fold increase in ATPase activity. Studies with mutant proteins suggest that the A2 site may be second in the sequence of events, so that its role in catalysis is dependent on a functional A1 site. It is also proposed that ArsA goes through an ATP-bound and an ADP-bound conformation, and the linker region, where ADP binds under both unisite and multisite catalytic conditions, may play an important role in the energy transduction process.

A chromosomal ars operon homologue of Pseudomonas aeruginosa confers increased resistance to arsenic and antimony in Escherichia coli

Operons encoding homologous arsenic-resistance determinants (ars) have been discovered in bacterial plasmids from Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms, as well as in the Escherichia coli chromosome. However, evidence for this arsenic-resistance determinant in the medically and environmentally important bacterial species Pseudomonas aeruginosa is conflicting. Here the identification of a P. aeruginosa chromosomal ars operon homologue via cloning and complementation of an E. coli ars mutant is reported. The P. aeruginosa chromosomal ars operon contains three potential ORFs encoding proteins with significant sequence similarity to those encoded by the arsR, arsB and arsC genes of the plasmid-based and E. coli chromosomal ars operons. The cloned P. aeruginosa chromosomal ars operon confers augmented resistance to arsenic and antimony oxyanions in an E. coli arsB mutant and in wild-type P. aeruginosa. Expression of the operon was induced by arsenite at the mRNA level. DNA sequences homologous with this operon were detected in some, but not all, species of the genus Pseudomonas, suggesting that its conservation follows their taxonomic-based evolution.

Nucleotide binding to the C-terminal nucleotide binding domain of ArsA. Studies with an ATP analogue, 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenosine

ArsA protein, the catalytic component of the plasmid-encoded anion-translocating ATPase in Escherichia coli, contains two consensus nucleotide binding domains, A1 and A2, that are connected by a flexible linker. ATP has previously been shown to cross-link to the A1 domain upon activation with UV light but not to the A2 domain. The ATP analogue, 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenosine (FSBA) was used to probe the nucleotide binding domains of ArsA. The covalently labeled protein was subjected to partial trypsin proteolysis, followed by Western blot analysis of the fragments with the anti-FSBA serum. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the labeled fragment showed that FSBA binds preferentially to the C-terminal domain A2 both in the absence and the presence of antimonite. Occupancy of the two nucleotide binding sites was determined by protection from trypsin proteolysis. Trypsin cleaved the ArsA protein at Arg290 in the linker to generate a 32-kDa N-terminal and a 27-kDa C-terminal fragment. The 32-kDa fragment is compact and largely inaccessible to trypsin; however, the 27-kDa was cleaved further. Incubation with FSBA, which binds to the C-terminal domain, resulted in significant protection of the 27-kDa fragment. This fragment was not protected upon incubation with ATP alone, indicating that A2 might be unoccupied. However, upon incubation with ATP and antimonite, almost complete protection from trypsin was seen. ATP and FSBA together mimicked the effect of ATP and antimonite, implying that this fully protected conformation might be the result of both sites occupied with the nucleotide. It is proposed that the A1 site in ArsA is a high affinity ATP site, whereas the allosteric ligand antimonite is required to allow ATP binding to A2, resulting in catalytic cooperativity. Thus antimonite binding may act as a switch in regulating ATP binding to A2 and hence the ATPase activity of ArsA.

Steric limitations in the interaction of the ATP binding domains of the ArsA ATPase

ArsA, the catalytic subunit of an anion-translocating ATPase, has two consensus nucleotide binding sites, one N-terminal and one C-terminal. A mutation producing a G15C substitution in the N-terminal domain resulted in substantial reductions in arsenite resistance, transport, and ATPase activity. A second site revertant (A344V) adjacent to the C-terminal nucleotide binding site was previously shown to restore arsenite resistance, suggesting the interaction of the nucleotide binding sites in ArsA (Li, J., Liu, S., and Rosen, B. P. (1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 25247-25252). In this study, it is shown that alteration of Ala-344 to bulkier residues, including Cys, Thr, Pro, Asp, Leu, Phe, Tyr, or Arg, also suppressed the G15C substitution. However, A344G or A344S substitutions only marginally suppressed the primary mutation. Alteration of Gly-15 to Ala, Cys, Asp, Tyr, or Arg each resulted in decreased arsenite resistance. The larger the residue volume of the substitution, the lower the resistance, with a G15R substitution producing the least resistance. Resistance in a strain expressing an arsA gene encoding the G15R substitution could be rescued by A344S, A344T, A344D, A344R, or A344V second site suppressors. The larger the residue is then the greater the suppression is. The in vitro ArsA ATPase activities from purified wild type, G15A, G15C, and G15R exhibits an inverse relationship between activity and residue volume. Purified G15A and G15C exhibited both an increase in the Km for ATP and a decrease in Vmax. The results are consistent with a physical interaction of the two nucleotide binding domains and indicate that the geometry at the interface between the N- and C-terminal nucleotide binding sites places spatial constraints on allowable residues in that interface.

When an ATPase is not an ATPase: at low temperatures the C-terminal domain of the ABC transporter CvaB is a GTPase

The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters belong to a large superfamily of proteins which share a common function and a common nucleotide-binding domain. The CvaB protein from Escherichia coli is a member of the bacterial ABC exporter subfamily and is essential for the export of the peptide antibiotic colicin V. Here we report that, surprisingly, the CvaB carboxyl-terminal nucleotide-binding domain (BCTD) can be preferentially cross-linked to GTP but not to ATP at low temperatures. The cross-linking is Mg2+ and Mn2+ dependent. However, BCTD possesses similar GTPase and ATPase activities at 37 degrees C, with the same kinetic parameters and with similar responses to inhibitors. Moreover, a point mutation (D654H) in CvaB that completely abolishes colicin V secretion severely impairs both GTPase and ATPase activities in the corresponding BCTD, indicating that the two activities are from the same enzyme. Interestingly, hydrolysis activity of ATP is much more cold sensitive than that of GTP: BCTD possesses mainly GTP hydrolysis activity at 10 degrees C, consistent with the cross-linking results. These findings suggest a novel mechanism for an ABC protein-mediated transport with specificity for GTP hydrolysis.

Expression and characterization of DrrA and DrrB proteins of Streptomyces peucetius in Escherichia coli: DrrA is an ATP binding protein

Streptomyces peucetius, a microorganism that produces the anticancer drugs doxorubicin and daunorubicin, is itself resistant to the action of these drugs. The genes conferring resistance to doxorubicin and daunorubicin in S. peucetius have been sequenced (P. G. Guilfoile and R. Hutchinson, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:8553-8557, 1991). Two open reading frames, drrA and drrB, were proposed to encode for an ABC (ATP-binding cassette) type of permease that carries out export of the antibiotics in an ATP-dependent manner. This article reports subcloning of the drrA and drrB genes into Escherichia coli expression vectors and characterization of their gene products. Upon induction from the lac promoter, a 36-kDa DrrA protein could be identified on Coomassie blue-stained gels. The DrrB protein was identified by use of a polyclonal antiserum generated against a synthetic peptide corresponding to a portion of the DrrB protein. Together, the DrrA and DrrB proteins conferred resistance to doxorubicin in E. coli. The DrrB protein was localized to the cell membrane. The DrrA protein bound ATP or GTP in a Mg2+-dependent fashion. ATP binding was enhanced on addition of doxorubicin or daunorubicin.

Interaction of ATP binding sites in the ArsA ATPase, the catalytic subunit of the Ars pump

The ArsA ATPase is the catalytic subunit of the Ars pump that catalyzes arsenical extrusion in Escherichia coli, thus providing resistance. The active form of ArsA is a homodimer with four nucleotide binding sites, two from each monomer. The codons for Gly-15 in the N-terminal consensus nucleotide binding sequence and Gly-334 in the C-terminal sequence were individually mutated to cysteine codons. Cells expressing an arsAG334C mutation retained arsenite resistance, while an arsAG15C mutation resulted in substantial reductions in arsenite resistance, transport, and ATPase activity. Selection for suppression of the G15C mutation that restored arsenite resistance yielded an A344V substitution. Ala-344 is located adjacent to the C-terminal nucleotide binding sequence. The second site mutation did not suppress the loss of resistance resulting from G18D, G20S, or T22I substitutions in the N-terminal nucleotide binding site. Cells expressing the G15C/A344V double mutant regained arsenite extrusion. These results suggest a spatial proximity of Gly-15 and Ala-344 and support a model for interaction of the nucleotide binding sites in ArsA.

Ion efflux systems involved in bacterial metal resistances

Studying metal ion resistance gives us important insights into environmental processes and provides an understanding of basic living processes. This review concentrates on bacterial efflux systems for inorganic metal cations and anions, which have generally been found as resistance systems from bacteria isolated from metal-polluted environments. The protein products of the genes involved are sometimes prototypes of new families of proteins or of important new branches of known families. Sometimes, a group of related proteins (and presumedly the underlying physiological function) has still to be defined. For example, the efflux of the inorganic metal anion arsenite is mediated by a membrane protein which functions alone in Gram-positive bacteria, but which requires an additional ATPase subunit in some Gram-negative bacteria. Resistance to Cd2+ and Zn2+ in Gram-positive bacteria is the result of a P-type efflux ATPase which is related to the copper transport P-type ATPases of bacteria and humans (defective in the human hereditary diseases Menkes' syndrome and Wilson's disease). In contrast, resistance to Zn2+, Ni2+, Co2+ and Cd2+ in Gram-negative bacteria is based on the action of proton-cation antiporters, members of a newly-recognized protein family that has been implicated in diverse functions such as metal resistance/nodulation of legumes/cell division (therefore, the family is called RND). Another new protein family, named CDF for 'cation diffusion facilitator' has as prototype the protein CzcD, which is a regulatory component of a cobalt-zinc-cadmium resistance determinant in the Gram-negative bacterium Alcaligenes eutrophus. A family for the ChrA chromate resistance system in Gram-negative bacteria has still to be defined.