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Chivers PT, Basak P, Maroney MJ. One His, two His…the emerging roles of histidine in cellular nickel trafficking. J Inorg Biochem 2024; 259:112668. [PMID: 39053077 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2024.112668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Biological environments present a complex array of metal-binding ligands. Metal-binding proteins have been the overwhelming focus of study because of their important and well-defined biological roles. Consequently, the presence of functional low molecular weight (LMW) metal-ligand complexes has been overlooked in terms of their roles in metallobiochemistry, particularly within cells. Recent studies in microbial systems have illuminated the different roles of L-histidine in nickel uptake, gene expression, and metalloenzyme maturation. In this focused critical review, these roles are surveyed in the context of the coordination chemistry of Ni(II) ions and the amino acid histidine, and the physico-chemical properties of nickel complexes of histidine. These complexes are fundamentally important to cellular metal homeostasis and further work is needed to fully define their contributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter T Chivers
- Departments of Biosciences and Chemistry, University of Durham, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Priyanka Basak
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01002, United States of America
| | - Michael J Maroney
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01002, United States of America.
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2
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Zhang M, Wang X, Xu S, Ge F, Paixao IC, Song J, Yu DJ. MetalTrans: A Biological Language Model-Based Approach for Predicting Disease-Associated Mutations in Protein Metal-Binding Sites. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:6216-6229. [PMID: 39092854 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00739] [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: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
The critical importance of accurately predicting mutations in protein metal-binding sites for advancing drug discovery and enhancing disease diagnostic processes cannot be overstated. In response to this imperative, MetalTrans emerges as an accurate predictor for disease-associated mutations in protein metal-binding sites. The core innovation of MetalTrans lies in its seamless integration of multifeature splicing with the Transformer framework, a strategy that ensures exhaustive feature extraction. Central to MetalTrans's effectiveness is its deep feature combination strategy, which merges evolutionary-scale modeling amino acid embeddings with ProtTrans embeddings, thus shedding light on the biochemical properties of proteins. Employing the Transformer component, MetalTrans leverages the self-attention mechanism to delve into higher-level representations. Utilizing mutation site information for feature fusion not only enriches the feature set but also sidesteps the common pitfall of overestimation linked to protein sequence-based predictions. This nuanced approach to feature fusion is a key differentiator, enabling MetalTrans to outperform existing methods significantly, as evidenced by comparative analyses. Our evaluations across varied metal binding site data sets (specifically Zn, Ca, Mg, and Mix) underscore MetalTrans's superior performance, which achieved the average AUC values of 0.971, 0.965, 0.980, and 0.945 on multiple 5-fold cross-validation, respectively. Remarkably, against the multichannel convolutional neural network method on a benchmark independent test set, MetalTrans demonstrated unparalleled robustness and superiority, boasting the AUC score of 0.998 on multiple 5-fold cross-validation. Our comprehensive examination of the predicted outcomes further confirms the effectiveness of the model. The source codes, data sets, and prediction results for MetalTrans can be accessed for academic usage at https://github.com/EduardWang/MetalTrans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Zhang
- School of Computer, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, 666 Changhui Road, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Xiaohua Wang
- School of Computer, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, 666 Changhui Road, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Shanruo Xu
- Duke Kunshan University, Duke Avenue, Kunshan, Jiangsu 215316, China
| | - Fang Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Ian Costa Paixao
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Monash Data Futures Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Jiangning Song
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
- Monash Data Futures Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Dong-Jun Yu
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, 200 Xiaolingwei, Nanjing 210094, China
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Arioli S, Mangieri N, Zanchetta Y, Russo P, Mora D. Substitution of Asp29 with Asn29 in the metallochaperone UreE of Streptococcus thermophilus DSM 20617 T increases the urease activity and anticipates urea hydrolysis during milk fermentation. Int J Food Microbiol 2024; 416:110684. [PMID: 38513545 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2024.110684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Urease operon is highly conserved within the species Streptococcus thermophilus and urease-negative strains are rare in nature. S. thermophilus MIMO1, isolated from commercial yogurt, was previously characterized as urease-positive Ni-dependent strain. Beside a mutation in ureQ, coding for a nickel ABC transporter permease, the strain MIMO1 showed a mutation in ureE gene which code for a metallochaperone involved in Ni delivery to the urease catalytic site. The single base mutation in ureE determined a substitution of Asp29 with Asn29 in the metallochaperone in a conserved protein region not involved in the catalytic activity. With the aim to investigate the role Asp29vs Asn29 substitution in UreE on the urease activity of S. thermophilus, ureE gene of the reference strain DSM 20617T (ureEDSM20617) was replaced by ureE gene of strain MIMO1 (ureEMIMO1) to obtain the recombinant ES3. In-gel detection of urease activity revealed that the substitution of Asp29 with Asn29 in UreE resulted in a higher stability of the enzyme complexes. Moreover, the recombinant ES3 showed higher level of urease activity compared to the wildtype without any detectable increase in the expression level of ureC gene, thus highlighting the role of UreE not only in Ni assembly but also on the level of urease activity. During the growth in milk, the recombinant ES3 showed an anticipated urease activity compared to the wildtype, and analogous milk fermentation performance. The overall data obtained by comparing urease-positive and urease-negative strains/mutants confirmed that urease activity strongly impacts on the milk fermentation process and specifically on the yield of the homolactic fermentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Arioli
- Department of Food Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Mangieri
- Department of Food Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Ylenia Zanchetta
- Department of Food Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Pasquale Russo
- Department of Food Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Diego Mora
- Department of Food Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
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4
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Zhang X, Xiong Z, He Y, Zheng N, Zhao S, Wang J. Epiberberine: a potential rumen microbial urease inhibitor to reduce ammonia release screened by targeting UreG. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:289. [PMID: 38587649 PMCID: PMC11001712 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13131-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Rumen microbial urease inhibitors have been proposed for regulating nitrogen emission and improving nitrogen utilization efficiency in ruminant livestock industry. However, studies on plant-derived natural inhibitors of rumen microbial urease are limited. Urease accessory protein UreG, plays a crucial role in facilitating urease maturation, is a new target for design of urease inhibitor. The objective of this study was to select the potential effective inhibitor of rumen microbial urease from major protoberberine alkaloids in Rhizoma Coptidis by targeting UreG. Our results showed that berberine chloride and epiberberine exerted superior inhibition potential than other alkaloids based on GTPase activity study of UreG. Berberine chloride inhibition of UreG was mixed type, while inhibition kinetics type of epiberberine was uncompetitive. Furthermore, epiberberine was found to be more effective than berberine chloride in inhibiting the combination of nickel towards UreG and inducing changes in the second structure of UreG. Molecular modeling provided the rational structural basis for the higher inhibition potential of epiberberine, amino acid residues in G1 motif and G3 motif of UreG formed interactions with D ring of berberine chloride, while interacted with A ring and D ring of epiberberine. We further demonstrated the efficacy of epiberberine in the ruminal microbial fermentation with low ammonia release and urea degradation. In conclusion, our study clearly indicates that epiberberine is a promising candidate as a safe and effective inhibitor of rumen microbial urease and provides an optimal strategy and suitable feed additive for regulating nitrogen excretion in ruminants in the future. KEY POINTS: • Epiberberine is the most effective inhibitor of rumen urease from Rhizoma Coptidis. • Urease accessory protein UreG is an effective target for design of urease inhibitor. • Epiberberine may be used as natural feed additive to reducing NH3 release in ruminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhanbo Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Yue He
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Nan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Shengguo Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
| | - Jiaqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
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Lu J, Liu X, Li X, Li H, Shi L, Xia X, He BL, Meyer TF, Li X, Sun H, Yang X. Copper regulates the host innate immune response against bacterial infection via activation of ALPK1 kinase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2311630121. [PMID: 38232278 PMCID: PMC10823219 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2311630121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Copper is an essential trace element for the human body, and its requirement for optimistic immune functions has been recognized for decades. How copper is involved in the innate immune pathway, however, remains to be clarified. Here, we report that copper serves as a signal molecule to regulate the kinase activity of alpha-kinase 1 (ALPK1), a cytosolic pattern-recognition receptor (PRR), and therefore promotes host cell defense against bacterial infection. We show that in response to infection, host cells actively accumulate copper in the cytosol, and the accumulated cytosolic copper enhances host cell defense against evading pathogens, including intracellular and, unexpectedly, extracellular bacteria. Subsequently, we demonstrate that copper activates the innate immune pathway of host cells in an ALPK1-dependent manner. Further mechanistic studies reveal that copper binds to ALPK1 directly and is essential for the kinase activity of this cytosolic PRR. Moreover, the binding of copper to ALPK1 enhances the sensitivity of ALPK1 to the bacterial metabolite ADP-heptose and eventually prompts host cells to elicit an enhanced immune response during bacterial infection. Finally, using a zebrafish in vivo model, we show that a copper-treated host shows an increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, enhanced recruitment of phagosome cells, and promoted bacterial clearance. Our findings uncover a previously unrecognized role of copper in the modulation of host innate immune response against bacterial pathogens and advance our knowledge on the cross talk between cytosolic copper homeostasis and immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Lu
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| | - Xue Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| | - Xinghua Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| | - Hongyan Li
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences-The University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Metallomics on Health and Environment, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Liwa Shi
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| | - Xin Xia
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| | - Bai-liang He
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| | - Thomas F. Meyer
- Department of Molecular Biology, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin10117, Germany
- Laboratory of Infection Oncology, Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Christian Albrecht’s University of Kiel, University Hospital Schleswig Holstein, Kiel24105, Germany
| | - Xiaofeng Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
| | - Hongzhe Sun
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences-The University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Metallomics on Health and Environment, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Xinming Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Research Center of Molecular Imaging, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Joint Laboratory of Interventional Medicine, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai519000, China
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Nim YS, Fong IYH, Deme J, Tsang KL, Caesar J, Johnson S, Pang LTH, Yuen NMH, Ng TLC, Choi T, Wong YYH, Lea SM, Wong KB. Delivering a toxic metal to the active site of urease. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf7790. [PMID: 37083535 PMCID: PMC10121161 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf7790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Urease is a nickel (Ni) enzyme that is essential for the colonization of Helicobacter pylori in the human stomach. To solve the problem of delivering the toxic Ni ion to the active site without diffusing into the cytoplasm, cells have evolved metal carrier proteins, or metallochaperones, to deliver the toxic ions to specific protein complexes. Ni delivery requires urease to form an activation complex with the urease accessory proteins UreFD and UreG. Here, we determined the cryo-electron microscopy structures of H. pylori UreFD/urease and Klebsiella pneumoniae UreD/urease complexes at 2.3- and 2.7-angstrom resolutions, respectively. Combining structural, mutagenesis, and biochemical studies, we show that the formation of the activation complex opens a 100-angstrom-long tunnel, where the Ni ion is delivered through UreFD to the active site of urease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yap Shing Nim
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ivan Yu Hang Fong
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Justin Deme
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
- Center for Structural Biology, CCR, NCI, Boyles Street, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Ka Lung Tsang
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Joseph Caesar
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
- Center for Structural Biology, CCR, NCI, Boyles Street, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Steven Johnson
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
- Center for Structural Biology, CCR, NCI, Boyles Street, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Longson Tsz Hin Pang
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Nicholas Man Hon Yuen
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tin Long Chris Ng
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tung Choi
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yakie Yat Hei Wong
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Susan M. Lea
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
- Center for Structural Biology, CCR, NCI, Boyles Street, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Kam-Bo Wong
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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Zhong H, Zheng N, Wang J, Zhao S. Isolation and pan-genome analysis of Enterobacter hormaechei Z129, a ureolytic bacterium, from the rumen of dairy cow. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1169973. [PMID: 37089548 PMCID: PMC10117971 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1169973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Urea is an important non-protein nitrogen source for ruminants. In the rumen, ureolytic bacteria play critical roles in urea-nitrogen metabolism, however, a few ureolytic strains have been isolated and genomically sequenced. The purpose of this study was to isolate a novel ureolytic bacterial strain from cattle rumen and characterize its genome and function. Methods The ureolytic bacterium was isolated using an anaerobic medium with urea and phenol red as a screening indicator from the rumen fluid of dairy cattle. The genome of isolates was sequenced, assembled, annotated, and comparatively analyzed. The pan-genome analysis was performed using IPGA and the biochemical activity was also analyzed by test kits. Results A gram-positive ureolytic strain was isolated. Its genome had a length of 4.52 Mbp and predicted genes of 4223. The 16S rRNA gene and genome GTDB-Tk taxonomic annotation showed that it was a novel strain of Enterobacter hormaechei, and it was named E. hormaechei Z129. The pan-genome analysis showed that Z129 had the highest identity to E. hormaechei ATCC 49162 with a genome average nucleotide identity of 98.69% and possessed 238 unique genes. Strain Z129 was the first E. hormaechei strain isolated from the rumen as we know. The functional annotation of the Z129 genome showed genes related to urea metabolism, including urea transport (urtA-urtE), nickel ion transport (ureJ, tonB, nixA, exbB, exbD, and rcnA), urease activation (ureA-ureG) and ammonia assimilation (gdhA, glnA, glnB, glnE, glnL, glsA, gltB, and gltD) were present. Genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism were also present, including starch hydrolysis (amyE), cellulose hydrolysis (celB and bglX), xylose transport (xylF-xylH) and glycolysis (pgi, pgk, fbaA, eno, pfkA, gap, pyk, gpmL). Biochemical activity analysis showed that Z129 was positive for alkaline phosphatase, leucine arylamidase, acid phosphatase, naphthol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase, α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, and pyrrolidone arylaminase, and had the ability to use D-ribose, L-arabinose, and D-lactose. Urea-nitrogen hydrolysis rate of Z129 reached 55.37% at 48 h of incubation. Discussion Therefore, the isolated novel ureolytic strain E. hormaechei Z129 had diverse nitrogen and carbon metabolisms, and is a preferred model to study the urea hydrolysis mechanism in the rumen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jiaqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shengguo Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
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Xiong Z, Zhang N, Xu L, Deng Z, Limwachiranon J, Guo Y, Han Y, Yang W, Scharf DH. Urease of Aspergillus fumigatus Is Required for Survival in Macrophages and Virulence. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0350822. [PMID: 36916906 PMCID: PMC10100864 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03508-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of patients suffering from fungal diseases has constantly increased during the last decade. Among the fungal pathogens, the airborne filamentous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus can cause chronic and fatal invasive mold infections. So far, only three major classes of drugs (polyenes, azoles, and echinocandins) are available for the treatment of life-threatening fungal infections, and all present pharmacological drawbacks (e.g., low solubility or toxicity). Meanwhile, clinical antifungal-resistant isolates are continuously emerging. Therefore, there is a high demand for novel antifungal drugs, preferentially those that act on new targets. We studied urease and the accessory proteins in A. fumigatus to determine their biochemical roles and their influence on virulence. Urease is crucial for the growth on urea as the sole nitrogen source, and the transcript and protein levels are elevated on urea media. The urease deficient mutant displays attenuated virulence, and its spores are more susceptible to macrophage-mediated killing. We demonstrated that this observation is associated with an inability to prevent the acidification of the phagosome. Furthermore, we could show that a nickel-chelator inhibits growth on urea. The nickel chelator is also able to reverse the effects of urease on macrophage killing and phagosome acidification, thereby reducing virulence in systemic and trachea infection models. IMPORTANCE The development of antifungal drugs is an urgent task, but it has proven to be difficult due to many similarities between fungal and animal cells. Here, we characterized the urease system in A. fumigatus, which depends on nickel for activity. Notably, nickel is not a crucial element for humans. Therefore, we went further to explore the role of nickel-dependent urease in host-pathogen interactions. We were able to show that urease is important in preventing the acidification of the phagosome and therefore reduces the killing of conidia by macrophages. Furthermore, the deletion of urease shows reduced virulence in murine infection models. Taken together, we identified urease as an essential virulence factor of A. fumigatus. We were able to show that the application of the nickel-chelator dimethylglyoxime is effective in both in vitro and in vivo infection models. This suggests that nickel chelators or urease inhibitors are potential candidates for the development of novel antifungal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Xiong
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liru Xu
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhiduo Deng
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jarukitt Limwachiranon
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yaojie Guo
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Han
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Biophysics and Department of Neurosurgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Daniel H. Scharf
- Department of Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammatory Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
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9
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Zambelli B, Basak P, Hu H, Piccioli M, Musiani F, Broll V, Imbert L, Boisbouvier J, Maroney MJ, Ciurli S. The structure of the high-affinity nickel-binding site in the Ni,Zn-HypA•UreE2 complex. Metallomics 2023; 15:mfad003. [PMID: 36638839 PMCID: PMC10001889 DOI: 10.1093/mtomcs/mfad003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The maturation pathway for the nickel-dependent enzyme urease utilizes the protein UreE as a metallochaperone to supply Ni(II) ions. In Helicobacter pylori urease maturation also requires HypA and HypB, accessory proteins that are commonly associated with hydrogenase maturation. Herein we report on the characterization of a protein complex formed between HypA and the UreE2 dimer. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) coupled with molecular modelling show that the protein complex apo, Zn-HypA•UreE2, forms between the rigorously conserved Met-His-Glu (MHE motif) Ni-binding N-terminal sequence of HypA and the two conserved His102A and His102B located at the dimer interface of UreE2. This complex forms in the absence of Ni(II) and is supported by extensive protein contacts that include the use of the C-terminal sequences of UreE2 to form additional strands of β-sheet with the Ni-binding domain of HypA. The Ni-binding properties of apo, Zn-HypA•UreE2 and the component proteins were investigated by isothermal titration calorimetry using a global fitting strategy that included all of the relevant equilibria, and show that the Ni,Zn-HypA•UreE2 complex contains a single Ni(II)-binding site with a sub-nanomolar KD. The structural features of this novel Ni(II) site were elucidated using proteins produced with specifically deuterated amino acids, protein point mutations, and the analyses of X-ray absorption spectroscopy, hyperfine shifted NMR features, as well as molecular modeling coupled with quantum-mechanical calculations. The results show that the complex contains a six-coordinate, high-spin Ni(II) site with ligands provided by both component proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Zambelli
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Priyanka Basak
- Department of Chemistry and Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Heidi Hu
- Department of Chemistry and Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Mario Piccioli
- Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Florence Italy
| | - Francesco Musiani
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valquiria Broll
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lionel Imbert
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Grenoble, France
| | - Jerome Boisbouvier
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Grenoble, France
| | - Michael J Maroney
- Department of Chemistry and Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Stefano Ciurli
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Florence Italy
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10
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Osman D, Robinson NJ. Protein metalation in a nutshell. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:141-150. [PMID: 36124565 PMCID: PMC10087151 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Metalation, the acquisition of metals by proteins, must avoid mis-metalation with tighter binding metals. This is illustrated by four selected proteins that require different metals: all show similar ranked orders of affinity for bioavailable metals, as described in a universal affinity series (the Irving-Williams series). Crucially, cellular protein metalation occurs in competition with other metal binding sites. The strength of this competition defines the intracellular availability of each metal: its magnitude has been estimated by calibrating a cells' set of DNA-binding, metal-sensing, transcriptional regulators. This has established that metal availabilities (as free energies for forming metal complexes) are maintained to the inverse of the universal series. The tightest binding metals are least available. With these availabilities, correct metalation is achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deenah Osman
- Department of Biosciences, University of Durham, UK.,Department of Chemistry, University of Durham, UK
| | - Nigel J Robinson
- Department of Biosciences, University of Durham, UK.,Department of Chemistry, University of Durham, UK
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11
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Xia X. Multiple regulatory mechanisms for pH homeostasis in the gastric pathogen, Helicobacter pylori. ADVANCES IN GENETICS 2022; 109:39-69. [PMID: 36334916 DOI: 10.1016/bs.adgen.2022.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Acid-resistance in gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori requires the coordination of four essential processes to regulate urease activity. Firstly, urease expression above a base level needs to be finely tuned at different ambient pH. Secondly, as nickel is needed to activate urease, nickel homeostasis needs to be maintained by proteins that import and export nickel ions, and sequester, store and release nickel when needed. Thirdly, urease accessary proteins that activate urease activity by nickel insertion need to be expressed. Finally, a reliable source of urea needs to be maintained by both intrinsic and extrinsic sources of urea. Two-component systems (arsRS and flgRS), as well as a nickel response regulator (NikR), sense the change in pH and act on a variety of genes to accomplish the function of acid resistance without causing cellular overalkalization and nickel toxicity. Nickel storage proteins also feature built-in switches to store nickel at neutral pH and release nickel at low pH. This review summarizes the current status of H. pylori research and highlights a number of hypotheses that need to be tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuhua Xia
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada; Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Ottawa, Canada.
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12
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Xia Y, Cheng Z, Hou C, Peplowski L, Zhou Z, Chen X. Discovery of the ATPase Activity of a Cobalt-Type Nitrile Hydratase Activator and Its Promoting Effect on Enzyme Maturation. Biochemistry 2022; 61:2940-2947. [PMID: 35673797 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
An activator protein and a metal ion are two factors known to be indispensable for the maturation of nitrile hydratase (NHase). Here, the third key factor, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), was identified to play an important role in the activation of Co-type NHase. Free phosphate measurements revealed that the Co-type activator protein can hydrolyze ATP/GTP with appreciable performance and that such catalytic performance is related to NHase activity. Computational analysis and site-directed mutagenesis identified several potential hot spot residues involved in the binding of ATP to Co-type activator protein, and an E60A/W61A/D62A/I139A/T141A combinatorial variant reduced the ATPase activity to 18% of its original level. Further NHase activation studies using the combinatorial variant demonstrated that although the ATPase activity of the Co-type activator protein correlated with NHase activity, a low ATP concentration of 0.5 mmol/L was optimal for NHase activation, with higher ATP concentrations potentially inhibiting NHase activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Xia
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Zhongyi Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Chen Hou
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Lukasz Peplowski
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Grudziadzka 5, 87-100 Torun, Poland
| | - Zhemin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xianzhong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi 214122, China
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13
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Abstract
Metals are essential components in life processes and participate in many important biological processes. Dysregulation of metal homeostasis is correlated with many diseases. Metals are also frequently incorporated into diagnosis and therapeutics. Understanding of metal homeostasis under (patho)physiological conditions and the molecular mechanisms of action of metallodrugs in biological systems has positive impacts on human health. As an emerging interdisciplinary area of research, metalloproteomics involves investigating metal-protein interactions in biological systems at a proteome-wide scale, has received growing attention, and has been implemented into metal-related research. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in metalloproteomics methodologies and applications. We also highlight emerging single-cell metalloproteomics, including time-resolved inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, mass cytometry, and secondary ion mass spectrometry. Finally, we discuss future perspectives in metalloproteomics, aiming to attract more original research to develop more advanced methodologies, which could be utilized rapidly by biochemists or biologists to expand our knowledge of how metal functions in biology and medicine. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biochemistry, Volume 91 is June 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhou
- Department of Chemistry and CAS-HKU Joint Laboratory of Metallomics on Health and Environment, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; ,
| | - Hongyan Li
- Department of Chemistry and CAS-HKU Joint Laboratory of Metallomics on Health and Environment, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; ,
| | - Hongzhe Sun
- Department of Chemistry and CAS-HKU Joint Laboratory of Metallomics on Health and Environment, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; ,
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14
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Abstract
Hydrogenases and ureases play vital metabolic functions in all three domains of life. However, nickel ions are cytotoxic because they can inactivate enzymes that require less competitive ions (e.g. Mg2+) in the Irving-Williams series to function. Life has evolved elegant mechanisms to solve the problem of delivering the toxic metal to the active site of nickel-containing enzymes inside the cells. Here, we review our current understanding of nickel trafficking along the hydrogenase and urease maturation pathways. Metallochaperones and accessory proteins (SlyD, HypA, HypB, UreD, UreE, UreF, and UreG) form specific protein complexes to allow the transfer of nickel from one protein to another without releasing the toxic metal into the cytoplasm. The role of SlyD is not fully understood, but it can interact with and transfer its nickel to HypB. In the hydrogenase maturation pathway, nickel is transferred from HypB to HypA, which can then deliver its nickel to the hydrogenase large subunit precursor. In Helicobacter pylori, the urease maturation pathway receives its nickel from HypA of the hydrogenase maturation pathway via the formation of a HypA/UreE2 complex. Guanosine triphosphate (GTP) binding promotes the formation of a UreE2G2 complex, where UreG receives a nickel from UreE. In the final step of the urease maturation, nickel/GTP-bound UreG forms an activation complex with UreF, UreD, and apo-urease. Upon GTP hydrolysis, nickel is released from UreG to the urease. Finally, some common themes learned from the hydrogenase-urease maturation pathway are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Lung Tsang
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kam-Bo Wong
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
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15
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Griffith DM, Li H, Werrett MV, Andrews PC, Sun H. Medicinal chemistry and biomedical applications of bismuth-based compounds and nanoparticles. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:12037-12069. [PMID: 34533144 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs00031k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Bismuth as a relatively non-toxic and inexpensive metal with exceptional properties has numerous biomedical applications. Bismuth-based compounds are used extensively as medicines for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders including dyspepsia, gastric ulcers and H. pylori infections. Recently, its medicinal application was further extended to potential treatments of viral infection, multidrug resistant microbial infections, cancer and also imaging, drug delivery and biosensing. In this review we have highlighted the unique chemistry and biological chemistry of bismuth-209 as a prelude to sections covering the unique antibacterial activity of bismuth including a description of research undertaken to date to elucidate key molecular mechanisms of action against H. pylori, the development of novel compounds to treat infection from microbes beyond H. pylori and the significant role bismuth compounds can play as resistance breakers. Furthermore we have provided an account of the potential therapeutic application of bismuth-213 in targeted alpha therapy as well as a summary of the biomedical applications of bismuth-based nanoparticles and composites. Ultimately this review aims to provide the state of the art, highlight the untapped biomedical potential of bismuth and encourage original contributions to this exciting and important field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren M Griffith
- Department of Chemistry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St. Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland.,SSPC, Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical Centre, Ireland
| | - Hongyan Li
- Department of Chemistry and CAS-HKU Joint Laboratory of Metallomics for Health and Environment, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
| | | | - Philip C Andrews
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Hongzhe Sun
- Department of Chemistry and CAS-HKU Joint Laboratory of Metallomics for Health and Environment, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
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16
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Edmonds KA, Jordan MR, Giedroc DP. COG0523 proteins: a functionally diverse family of transition metal-regulated G3E P-loop GTP hydrolases from bacteria to man. Metallomics 2021; 13:6327566. [PMID: 34302342 PMCID: PMC8360895 DOI: 10.1093/mtomcs/mfab046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Transition metal homeostasis ensures that cells and organisms obtain sufficient metal to meet cellular demand while dispensing with any excess so as to avoid toxicity. In bacteria, zinc restriction induces the expression of one or more Zur (zinc-uptake repressor)-regulated Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COG) COG0523 proteins. COG0523 proteins encompass a poorly understood sub-family of G3E P-loop small GTPases, others of which are known to function as metallochaperones in the maturation of cobalamin (CoII) and NiII cofactor-containing metalloenzymes. Here, we use genomic enzymology tools to functionally analyse over 80 000 sequences that are evolutionarily related to Acinetobacter baumannii ZigA (Zur-inducible GTPase), a COG0523 protein and candidate zinc metallochaperone. These sequences segregate into distinct sequence similarity network (SSN) clusters, exemplified by the ZnII-Zur-regulated and FeIII-nitrile hydratase activator CxCC (C, Cys; X, any amino acid)-containing COG0523 proteins (SSN cluster 1), NiII-UreG (clusters 2, 8), CoII-CobW (cluster 4), and NiII-HypB (cluster 5). A total of five large clusters that comprise ≈ 25% of all sequences, including cluster 3 which harbors the only structurally characterized COG0523 protein, Escherichia coli YjiA, and many uncharacterized eukaryotic COG0523 proteins. We also establish that mycobacterial-specific protein Y (Mpy) recruitment factor (Mrf), which promotes ribosome hibernation in actinomycetes under conditions of ZnII starvation, segregates into a fifth SSN cluster (cluster 17). Mrf is a COG0523 paralog that lacks all GTP-binding determinants as well as the ZnII-coordinating Cys found in CxCC-containing COG0523 proteins. On the basis of this analysis, we discuss new perspectives on the COG0523 proteins as cellular reporters of widespread nutrient stress induced by ZnII limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Edmonds
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405-7102, USA
| | - Matthew R Jordan
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405-7102, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - David P Giedroc
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405-7102, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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17
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Chelerythrine Chloride: A Potential Rumen Microbial Urease Inhibitor Screened by Targeting UreG. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22158212. [PMID: 34360977 PMCID: PMC8347364 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of ruminal microbial urease is of particular interest due to its crucial role in regulating urea-N utilization efficiency and nitrogen pollution in the livestock industry. Acetohydroxamic acid (AHA) is currently the only commercially available urease inhibitor, but it has adverse side effects. The urease accessory protein UreG, which facilitates the functional incorporation of the urease nickel metallocentre, has been proposed in developing urease inhibitor through disrupting urease maturation. The objective of this study was to screen natural compounds as potential urease inhibitors by targeting UreG in a predominant ruminal microbial urease. In silico screening and in vitro tests for potential inhibitors were performed using molecular docking and an assay for the GTPase activity of UreG. Chelerythrine chloride was selected as a potential urease inhibitor of UreG with an inhibition concentration IC50 value of 18.13 μM. It exhibited mixed inhibition, with the Ki value being 26.28 μM. We further explored its inhibition mechanism using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and we found that chelerythrine chloride inhibited the binding of nickel to UreG and induced changes in the secondary structure, especially the α-helix and β-sheet of UreG. Chelerythrine chloride formed a pi-anion interaction with the Asp41 residue of UreG, which is an important residue in initiating the conformational changes of UreG. In conclusion, chelerythrine chloride exhibited a potential inhibitory effect on urease, which provided new evidence for strategies to develop novel urease inhibitors targeting UreG to reduce nitrogen excretion from ruminants.
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18
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Masetti M, Bertazzo M, Recanatini M, Ciurli S, Musiani F. Probing the transport of Ni(II) ions through the internal tunnels of the Helicobacter pylori UreDFG multimeric protein complex. J Inorg Biochem 2021; 223:111554. [PMID: 34325209 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2021.111554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The survival of several pathogenic bacteria, such as Helicobacter pylori (Hp), relies on the activity of the nickel-dependent enzyme urease. Nickel insertion into urease is mediated by a multimeric chaperone complex (HpUreDFG) that is responsible for the transport of Ni(II) from a conserved metal binding motif located in the UreG dimer (CPH motif) to the catalytic site of the enzyme. The X-ray structure of HpUreDFG revealed the presence of water-filled tunnels that were proposed as a route for Ni(II) translocation. Here, we probe the transport of Ni(II) through the internal tunnels of HpUreDFG, from the CPH motif to the external surface of the complex, using microsecond-long enhanced molecular dynamics simulations. The results suggest a "bucket-brigade" mechanism whereby Ni(II) can be transported through a series of stations found along these internal pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Masetti
- Laboratory of Computational Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, via Belmeloro 6, I-40126 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Martina Bertazzo
- Laboratory of Computational Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, via Belmeloro 6, I-40126 Bologna, Italy; Computational Sciences, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Maurizio Recanatini
- Laboratory of Computational Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, via Belmeloro 6, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefano Ciurli
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, viale G. Fanin 40, I-40127 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Francesco Musiani
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, viale G. Fanin 40, I-40127 Bologna, Italy.
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19
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Nickel as a virulence factor in the Class I bacterial carcinogen, Helicobacter pylori. Semin Cancer Biol 2021; 76:143-155. [PMID: 33865991 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2021.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Helicobacter pylori is a human bacterial pathogen that causes peptic ulcers and has been designated a Class I carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Its ability to survive in the acid environment of the stomach, to colonize the stomach mucosa, and to cause cancer, are linked to two enzymes that require nickel-urease and hydrogenase. Thus, nickel is an important virulence factor and the proteins involved in nickel trafficking are potential antibiotic targets. This review summarizes the nickel biochemistry of H. pylori with a focus on the roles of nickel in virulence, nickel homeostasis, maturation of urease and hydrogenase, and the unique nickel trafficking that occurs between the hydrogenase maturation pathway and urease nickel incorporation that is mediated by the metallochaperone HypA and its partner, HypB.
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20
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Kelley BR, Lu J, Haley KP, Gaddy JA, Johnson JG. Metal homeostasis in pathogenic Epsilonproteobacteria: mechanisms of acquisition, efflux, and regulation. Metallomics 2021; 13:mfaa002. [PMID: 33570133 PMCID: PMC8043183 DOI: 10.1093/mtomcs/mfaa002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Epsilonproteobacteria are a diverse class of eubacteria within the Proteobacteria phylum that includes environmental sulfur-reducing bacteria and the human pathogens, Campylobacter jejuni and Helicobacter pylori. These pathogens infect and proliferate within the gastrointestinal tracts of multiple animal hosts, including humans, and cause a variety of disease outcomes. While infection of these hosts provides nutrients for the pathogenic Epsilonproteobacteria, many hosts have evolved a variety of strategies to either sequester metals from the invading pathogen or exploit the toxicity of metals and drive their accumulation as an antimicrobial strategy. As a result, C. jejuni and H. pylori have developed mechanisms to sense changes in metal availability and regulate their physiology in order to respond to either metal limitation or accumulation. In this review, we will discuss the challenges of metal availability at the host-pathogen interface during infection with C. jejuni and H. pylori and describe what is currently known about how these organisms alter their gene expression and/or deploy bacterial virulence factors in response to these environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittni R Kelley
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Jacky Lu
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kathryn P Haley
- Department of Biology, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
| | - Jennifer A Gaddy
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Tennessee Valley Healthcare Systems, Department of Veterans Affairs, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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21
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Osman D, Cooke A, Young TR, Deery E, Robinson NJ, Warren MJ. The requirement for cobalt in vitamin B 12: A paradigm for protein metalation. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2021; 1868:118896. [PMID: 33096143 PMCID: PMC7689651 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2020.118896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Vitamin B12, cobalamin, is a cobalt-containing ring-contracted modified tetrapyrrole that represents one of the most complex small molecules made by nature. In prokaryotes it is utilised as a cofactor, coenzyme, light sensor and gene regulator yet has a restricted role in assisting only two enzymes within specific eukaryotes including mammals. This deployment disparity is reflected in another unique attribute of vitamin B12 in that its biosynthesis is limited to only certain prokaryotes, with synthesisers pivotal in establishing mutualistic microbial communities. The core component of cobalamin is the corrin macrocycle that acts as the main ligand for the cobalt. Within this review we investigate why cobalt is paired specifically with the corrin ring, how cobalt is inserted during the biosynthetic process, how cobalt is made available within the cell and explore the cellular control of cobalt and cobalamin levels. The partitioning of cobalt for cobalamin biosynthesis exemplifies how cells assist metalation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deenah Osman
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK; Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Anastasia Cooke
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK.
| | - Tessa R Young
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK; Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Evelyne Deery
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK.
| | - Nigel J Robinson
- Department of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK; Department of Chemistry, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - Martin J Warren
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK; Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UQ, UK; Biomedical Research Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK.
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22
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Zhang X, Zhao S, He Y, Zheng N, Yan X, Wang J. Substitution of residues in UreG to investigate UreE interactions and nickel binding in a predominant urease gene cluster from the ruminal metagenome. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 161:1591-1601. [PMID: 32755703 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.07.260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Microbial ureases catalyze the hydrolysis of urea to ammonia, and inhibition of these enzymes in rumen has the potential to improve urea utilization efficiency and reduce urinary nitrogen excretion. Urease activity is catalyzed by a protein complex encoded by a gene cluster, and its accessory proteins (especially UreE and UreG) play important roles in transferring nickel to the active site for urease maturation. In this study, a predominant urease gene cluster (5290 bp) from the ruminal microbial metagenome was identified. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) analyses showed that the reaction of identified UreE with UreG was endothermic, and was dominated by a hydrophobic interaction, in which each UreE dimer bound 2 M equivalents of UreG monomer to form a UreE2-2UreG complex. Mutagenesis analyses showed that the UreG residues Glu-23, Asp-41, Glu-46, Glu-66, Cys-70, His-72, Asp-78, and Asp-118 were involved in the GTPase activity of UreG. Furthermore, variants of Cys-70 and His-72 involved in CPH motif of UreG, as well as the nearby Glu-66 and Asp-78, not only prevented interactions with UreE, but also prevented nickel binding. These data provide additional information regarding UreG residues that may be targeted for the design of new urease inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shengguo Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yue He
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Nan Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xianghua Yan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiaqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
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23
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Pierro A, Etienne E, Gerbaud G, Guigliarelli B, Ciurli S, Belle V, Zambelli B, Mileo E. Nickel and GTP Modulate Helicobacter pylori UreG Structural Flexibility. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E1062. [PMID: 32708696 PMCID: PMC7408563 DOI: 10.3390/biom10071062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
UreG is a P-loop GTP hydrolase involved in the maturation of nickel-containing urease, an essential enzyme found in plants, fungi, bacteria, and archaea. This protein couples the hydrolysis of GTP to the delivery of Ni(II) into the active site of apo-urease, interacting with other urease chaperones in a multi-protein complex necessary for enzyme activation. Whereas the conformation of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) UreG was solved by crystallography when it is in complex with two other chaperones, in solution the protein was found in a disordered and flexible form, defining it as an intrinsically disordered enzyme and indicating that the well-folded structure found in the crystal state does not fully reflect the behavior of the protein in solution. Here, isothermal titration calorimetry and site-directed spin labeling coupled to electron paramagnetic spectroscopy were successfully combined to investigate HpUreG structural dynamics in solution and the effect of Ni(II) and GTP on protein mobility. The results demonstrate that, although the protein maintains a flexible behavior in the metal and nucleotide bound forms, concomitant addition of Ni(II) and GTP exerts a structural change through the crosstalk of different protein regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Pierro
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP, Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, IMM, Marseille, France; (A.P.); (E.E.); (G.G.); (B.G.); (V.B.)
| | - Emilien Etienne
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP, Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, IMM, Marseille, France; (A.P.); (E.E.); (G.G.); (B.G.); (V.B.)
| | - Guillaume Gerbaud
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP, Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, IMM, Marseille, France; (A.P.); (E.E.); (G.G.); (B.G.); (V.B.)
| | - Bruno Guigliarelli
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP, Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, IMM, Marseille, France; (A.P.); (E.E.); (G.G.); (B.G.); (V.B.)
| | - Stefano Ciurli
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Valérie Belle
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP, Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, IMM, Marseille, France; (A.P.); (E.E.); (G.G.); (B.G.); (V.B.)
| | - Barbara Zambelli
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Elisabetta Mileo
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP, Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines, IMM, Marseille, France; (A.P.); (E.E.); (G.G.); (B.G.); (V.B.)
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Targeting the Protein Tunnels of the Urease Accessory Complex: A Theoretical Investigation. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25122911. [PMID: 32599898 PMCID: PMC7355429 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25122911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Urease is a nickel-containing enzyme that is essential for the survival of several and often deadly pathogenic bacterial strains, including Helicobacter pylori. Notwithstanding several attempts, the development of direct urease inhibitors without side effects for the human host remains, to date, elusive. The recently solved X-ray structure of the HpUreDFG accessory complex involved in the activation of urease opens new perspectives for structure-based drug discovery. In particular, the quaternary assembly and the presence of internal tunnels for nickel translocation offer an intriguing possibility to target the HpUreDFG complex in the search of indirect urease inhibitors. In this work, we adopted a theoretical framework to investigate such a hypothesis. Specifically, we searched for putative binding sites located at the protein–protein interfaces on the HpUreDFG complex, and we challenged their druggability through structure-based virtual screening. We show that, by virtue of the presence of tunnels, some protein–protein interfaces on the HpUreDFG complex are intrinsically well suited for hosting small molecules, and, as such, they possess good potential for future drug design endeavors.
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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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26
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Wang R, Li H, Ip TKY, Sun H. Bismuth drugs as antimicrobial agents. Med Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.adioch.2019.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Koohi-Moghadam M, Wang H, Wang Y, Yang X, Li H, Wang J, Sun H. Predicting disease-associated mutation of metal-binding sites in proteins using a deep learning approach. NAT MACH INTELL 2019. [DOI: 10.1038/s42256-019-0119-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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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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Abstract
Maturation of urease involves post-translational insertion of nickel ions to form an active site with a carbamylated lysine ligand and is assisted by urease accessory proteins UreD, UreE, UreF and UreG. Here, we review our current understandings on how these urease accessory proteins facilitate the urease maturation. The urease maturation pathway involves the transfer of Ni2+ from UreE → UreG → UreF/UreD → urease. To avoid the release of the toxic metal to the cytoplasm, Ni2+ is transferred from one urease accessory protein to another through specific protein–protein interactions. One central theme depicts the role of guanosine triphosphate (GTP) binding/hydrolysis in regulating the binding/release of nickel ions and the formation of the protein complexes. The urease and [NiFe]-hydrogenase maturation pathways cross-talk with each other as UreE receives Ni2+ from hydrogenase maturation factor HypA. Finally, the druggability of the urease maturation pathway is reviewed.
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Jordan MR, Wang J, Weiss A, Skaar EP, Capdevila DA, Giedroc DP. Mechanistic Insights into the Metal-Dependent Activation of Zn II-Dependent Metallochaperones. Inorg Chem 2019; 58:13661-13672. [PMID: 31247880 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.9b01173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Members of the COG0523 subfamily of candidate GTPase metallochaperones function in bacterial transition-metal homeostasis, but the nature of the cognate metal, mechanism of metal transfer, and identification of target protein(s) for metal delivery remain open questions. Here, we explore the multifunctionality of members of the subfamily linked to delivering ZnII to apoprotein targets under conditions of host-imposed transition-metal depletion. We examine two zinc-uptake repressor (Zur)-regulated COG0523 family members, each from a major human pathogen, Acinetobacter baumannii (AbZigA) and Staphylococcus aureus (SaZigA), in an effort to develop a model for ZnII metallochaperone activity. ZnII chelator competition experiments reveal one high-affinity (KZn1 ≈ 1010-1011 M-1) metal-binding site in each GTPase, while AbZigA and SaZigA are characterized by an additional one and two (lower-affinity) metal-binding sites, respectively. CoII titrations reveal that both metallochaperones have similar electronic absorption characteristics that indicate the presence of two tetrahedral metal coordination sites. High-affinity metal binding at the CXCC motif activates the GTPase activity of both enzymes, with ZnII more effective than CoII. Both GTPases bind the product, GDP, more tightly in the apoprotein than the ZnII-bound state and exhibit what is best described as a "locked" conformation around the GTP substrate. Negative thermodynamic linkage is observed between nucleotide binding and metal binding, leading to a new mechanistic model for COG0523-catalyzed metal delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andy Weiss
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee 37232 , United States
| | - Eric P Skaar
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology , Vanderbilt University Medical Center , Nashville , Tennessee 37232 , United States
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Abstract
Covering: up to the end of 2017 The human body is composed of an equal number of human and microbial cells. While the microbial community inhabiting the human gastrointestinal tract plays an essential role in host health, these organisms have also been connected to various diseases. Yet, the gut microbial functions that modulate host biology are not well established. In this review, we describe metabolic functions of the human gut microbiota that involve metalloenzymes. These activities enable gut microbial colonization, mediate interactions with the host, and impact human health and disease. We highlight cases in which enzyme characterization has advanced our understanding of the gut microbiota and examples that illustrate the diverse ways in which metalloenzymes facilitate both essential and unique functions of this community. Finally, we analyze Human Microbiome Project sequencing datasets to assess the distribution of a prominent family of metalloenzymes in human-associated microbial communities, guiding future enzyme characterization efforts.
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Li H, Wang R, Sun H. Systems Approaches for Unveiling the Mechanism of Action of Bismuth Drugs: New Medicinal Applications beyond Helicobacter Pylori Infection. Acc Chem Res 2019; 52:216-227. [PMID: 30596427 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.8b00439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Metallodrugs have been widely used as diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Understanding their mechanisms of action may lead to advances in rational drug design. However, to achieve this, diversified approaches are required because of the complexity of metal-biomolecule interactions. Bismuth drugs in combination with antibiotics as a quadruple therapy show excellent success rates in the eradication of Helicobacter pylori, even for antibiotic-resistant strains, and in fact, they have been used in the clinic for decades for the treatment of infection. Understanding the mechanism of action of bismuth drugs may extend their medicinal application beyond the treatment of H. pylori infection. This Account describes several general strategies for mechanistic studies of metallodrugs, including system pharmacology and metalloproteomics approaches. The application of these approaches is exemplified using bismuth drugs. Through a system pharmacology approach, we showed that glutathione- and multidrug-resistance-associated protein 1-mediated self-propelled disposal of bismuth in human cells might explain the selective toxicity of bismuth drugs to H. pylori but not the human host. The development of metalloproteomics has enabled extensive studies of the putative protein targets of metallodrugs with a dynamic range of affinity. Continuous-flow GE-ICP-MS allows simultaneous monitoring of metals and their associated proteins with relatively high affinity on a proteome-wide scale. The fluorescence approach relies on unique M n+-NTA-based fluorescence probes and is particularly applicable for mining those proteins that bind to metals/metallodrugs weakly or transiently. Integration of these methods with quantitative proteomics makes it possible to maximum coverage of bismuth-associated proteins, and the sustained efficacy of bismuth drugs lies in their ability to disrupt multiple biological pathways through binding and functional perturbation of key enzymes. The knowledge acquired by mechanistic studies of bismuth drugs led to the discovery of UreG as a new target for the development of urease inhibitors. The ability of Bi(III) to inhibit metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) activity through displacement of the Zn(II) cofactor renders bismuth drugs new potential as broad-spectrum inhibitors of MBLs. Therefore, bismuth drugs could be repurposed together with clinically used antibiotics as a cotherapy to cope with the current antimicrobial resistance crisis. We anticipate that the methodologies described in this Account are generally applicable for understanding the (patho)physiological roles of metals/metallodrugs. Our mechanism-guided discovery of new druggable targets as well as new medicinal applications of bismuth drugs will inspire researchers in relevant fields to engage in the rational design of drugs and reuse of existing drugs, eventually leading to the development of new effective therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyan Li
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Runming Wang
- 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
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Li C, Huang P, Wong K, Xu Y, Tan L, Chen H, Lu Q, Luo C, Tam C, Zhu L, Su Z, Xie J. Coptisine-induced inhibition of Helicobacter pylori: elucidation of specific mechanisms by probing urease active site and its maturation process. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2018; 33:1362-1375. [PMID: 30191728 PMCID: PMC6136390 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2018.1501044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we examined the anti-Helicobactor pylori effects of the main protoberberine-type alkaloids in Rhizoma Coptidis. Coptisine exerted varying antibacterial and bactericidal effects against three standard H. pylori strains and eleven clinical isolates, including four drug-resistant strains, with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 25 to 50 μg/mL and minimal bactericidal concentrations ranging from 37.5 to 125 μg/mL. Coptisine’s anti-H. pylori effects derived from specific inhibition of urease in vivo. In vitro, coptisine inactivated urease in a concentration-dependent manner through slow-binding inhibition and involved binding to the urease active site sulfhydryl group. Coptisine inhibition of H. pylori urease (HPU) was mixed type, while inhibition of jack bean urease was non-competitive. Importantly, coptisine also inhibited HPU by binding to its nickel metallocentre. Besides, coptisine interfered with urease maturation by inhibiting activity of prototypical urease accessory protein UreG and formation of UreG dimers and by promoting dissociation of nickel from UreG dimers. These findings demonstrate that coptisine inhibits urease activity by targeting its active site and inhibiting its maturation, thereby effectively inhibiting H. pylori. Coptisine may thus be an effective anti-H. pylori agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cailan Li
- a Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Development and Research of Chinese Medicine, Mathematical Engineering Academy of Chinese Medicine , Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine , Guangzhou , P. R. China
| | - Ping Huang
- b School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine , Guangzhou , P. R. China
| | - Kambo Wong
- c School of Life Sciences , Center for Protein Science and Crystallography, The Chinese University of Hong Kong , P. R. China
| | - Yifei Xu
- b School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine , Guangzhou , P. R. China
| | - Lihua Tan
- a Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Development and Research of Chinese Medicine, Mathematical Engineering Academy of Chinese Medicine , Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine , Guangzhou , P. R. China
| | - Hanbin Chen
- d The First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine , Guangzhou , P. R. China
| | - Qiang Lu
- e Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Resource from Lingnan, Ministry of Education and Research Center of Chinese Herbal Resource Science and Engineering , Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine , Guangzhou , P. R. China
| | - Chaodan Luo
- a Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Development and Research of Chinese Medicine, Mathematical Engineering Academy of Chinese Medicine , Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine , Guangzhou , P. R. China
| | - Chunlai Tam
- c School of Life Sciences , Center for Protein Science and Crystallography, The Chinese University of Hong Kong , P. R. China
| | - Lixiang Zhu
- b School of Pharmaceutical Sciences , Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine , Guangzhou , P. R. China
| | - Ziren Su
- a Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Development and Research of Chinese Medicine, Mathematical Engineering Academy of Chinese Medicine , Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine , Guangzhou , P. R. China
| | - Jianhui Xie
- f Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome , The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine , Guangzhou , P. R. China
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Hu HQ, Huang HT, Maroney MJ. The Helicobacter pylori HypA·UreE 2 Complex Contains a Novel High-Affinity Ni(II)-Binding Site. Biochemistry 2018; 57:2932-2942. [PMID: 29708738 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Helicobacter pylori is a human pathogen that colonizes the stomach, is the major cause of ulcers, and has been associated with stomach cancers. To survive in the acidic environment of the stomach, H. pylori uses urease, a nickel-dependent enzyme, to produce ammonia for maintenance of cellular pH. The bacteria produce apo-urease in large quantities and activate it by incorporating nickel under acid shock conditions. Urease nickel incorporation requires the urease-specific metallochaperone UreE and the (UreFGH)2 maturation complex. In addition, the H. pylori nickel urease maturation pathway recruits accessory proteins from the [NiFe] hydrogenase maturation pathway, namely, HypA and HypB. HypA and UreE dimers (UreE2) are known to form a protein complex, the role of which in urease maturation is largely unknown. Herein, we examine the nickel-binding properties and protein-protein interactions of HypA and UreE2 using isothermal titration calorimetry and fluorometric methods under neutral and acidic pH conditions to gain insight into the roles played by HypA in urease maturation. The results reveal that HypA and UreE2 form a stable complex with micromolar affinity that protects UreE from hydrolytic degradation. The HypA·UreE2 complex contains a unique high-affinity (nanomolar) Ni2+-binding site that is maintained under conditions designed to mimic acid shock (pH 6.3). The data are interpreted in terms of a proposed mechanism wherein HypA and UreE2 act as co-metallochaperones that target the delivery of Ni2+ to apo-urease with high fidelity.
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A Structural Model of the Urease Activation Complex Derived from Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry and Integrative Modeling. Structure 2018; 26:599-606.e3. [PMID: 29576318 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2018.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The synthesis of active Klebsiella aerogenes urease via an 18-subunit enzyme apoprotein-accessory protein pre-activation complex has been well studied biochemically, but thus far this complex has remained refractory to direct structural characterization. Using ion mobility-mass spectrometry, we characterized several protein complexes between the core urease apoprotein and its accessory proteins, including the 610-kDa (UreABC)3(UreDFG)3 complex. Using our recently developed computational modeling workflow, we generated ensembles of putative (UreABC)3(UreDFG)3 species consistent with experimental restraints and characterized the structural ambiguity present in these models. By integrating structural information from previous studies, we increased the resolution of the ion mobility-mass spectrometry-derived models substantially, and we observe a discrete population of structures consistent with all of the available data for this complex.
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Yang X, Koohi-Moghadam M, Wang R, Chang YY, Woo PCY, Wang J, Li H, Sun H. Metallochaperone UreG serves as a new target for design of urease inhibitor: A novel strategy for development of antimicrobials. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2003887. [PMID: 29320492 PMCID: PMC5779714 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2003887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Urease as a potential target of antimicrobial drugs has received considerable attention given its versatile roles in microbial infection. Development of effective urease inhibitors, however, is a significant challenge due to the deeply buried active site and highly specific substrate of a bacterial urease. Conventionally, urease inhibitors are designed by either targeting the active site or mimicking substrate of urease, which is not efficient. Up to now, only one effective inhibitor—acetohydroxamic acid (AHA)—is clinically available, but it has adverse side effects. Herein, we demonstrate that a clinically used drug, colloidal bismuth subcitrate, utilizes an unusual way to inhibit urease activity, i.e., disruption of urease maturation process via functional perturbation of a metallochaperone, UreG. Similar phenomena were also observed in various pathogenic bacteria, suggesting that UreG may serve as a general target for design of new types of urease inhibitors. Using Helicobacter pylori UreG as a showcase, by virtual screening combined with experimental validation, we show that two compounds targeting UreG also efficiently inhibited urease activity with inhibitory concentration (IC)50 values of micromolar level, resulting in attenuated virulence of the pathogen. We further demonstrate the efficacy of the compounds in a mammalian cell infection model. This study opens up a new opportunity for the design of more effective urease inhibitors and clearly indicates that metallochaperones involved in the maturation of important microbial metalloenzymes serve as new targets for devising a new type of antimicrobial drugs. Urease, a metalloenzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of urea, plays important roles in the survival and virulence of many microbial pathogens, and has long been considered an important drug target for the development of novel antimicrobials. However, its deeply buried active site and highly specific substrate of bacterial urease make it very challenging to design effective urease inhibitors by conventional approaches. In this study, we reveal that a bismuth-based drug (colloidal bismuth subcitrate) inhibits urease activity in an unusual way. This drug binds the urease accessary protein UreG and inhibits its GTPase activity, thus perturbing nickel insertion into the apo-urease, a process called urease maturation. UreG is therefore proposed as an alternative target for the development of urease inhibitors. Using H. pylori UreG as an example, combined with virtual screening and experimental validation, we further show that several small molecules that bind and functionally disrupt UreG could indeed inhibit urease activity in bacteria and in a cell infection model and possess potent antimicrobial activity. In summary, we discovered metallochaperone UreG as a new target for the design of urease inhibitors. Such a strategy should have a broad application in the development of metalloenzyme inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinming Yang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Mohamad Koohi-Moghadam
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Center for Genomic Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Center for Individualized Medicine & Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Runming Wang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Yuen-Yan Chang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Patrick C. Y. Woo
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- The Research Centre of Infection and Immunology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Junwen Wang
- Center for Individualized Medicine & Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona, United States of America
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Arizona State University, Scottsdale, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Hongyan Li
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- * E-mail: (HS); (HL)
| | - Hongzhe Sun
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- * E-mail: (HS); (HL)
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Structural insights into how GTP-dependent conformational changes in a metallochaperone UreG facilitate urease maturation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E10890-E10898. [PMID: 29203664 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1712658114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of metallochaperones to allosterically regulate the binding/release of metal ions and to switch protein-binding partners along the metal delivery pathway is essential to the metallation of the metalloenzymes. Urease, catalyzing the hydrolysis of urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide, contains two nickel ions bound by a carbamylated lysine in its active site. Delivery of nickel ions for urease maturation is dependent on GTP hydrolysis and is assisted by four urease accessory proteins UreE, UreF, UreG, and UreH(UreD). Here, we determined the crystal structure of the UreG dimer from Klebsiella pneumoniae in complex with nickel and GMPPNP, a nonhydrolyzable analog of GTP. Comparison with the structure of the GDP-bound Helicobacter pylori UreG (HpUreG) in the UreG2F2H2 complex reveals large conformational changes in the G2 region and residues near the 66CPH68 metal-binding motif. Upon GTP binding, the side chains of Cys66 and His68 from each of the UreG protomers rotate toward each other to coordinate a nickel ion in a square-planar geometry. Mutagenesis studies on HpUreG support the conformational changes induced by GTP binding as essential to dimerization of UreG, GTPase activity, in vitro urease activation, and the switching of UreG from the UreG2F2H2 complex to form the UreE2G2 complex with the UreE dimer. The nickel-charged UreE dimer, providing the sole source of nickel, and the UreG2F2H2 complex could activate urease in vitro in the presence of GTP. Based on our results, we propose a mechanism of how conformational changes of UreG during the GTP hydrolysis/binding cycle facilitate urease maturation.
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Lai YT, Yang Y, Hu L, Cheng T, Chang YY, Koohi-Moghadam M, Wang Y, Xia J, Wang J, Li H, Sun H. Integration of fluorescence imaging with proteomics enables visualization and identification of metallo-proteomes in living cells. Metallomics 2017; 9:38-47. [PMID: 27830853 DOI: 10.1039/c6mt00169f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Metalloproteins account for nearly one-third of proteins in proteomes. To date, the identification of metalloproteins relies mainly on protein purification and the subsequent characterization of bound metals, which often leads to losses of metal ions bound weakly and transiently. Herein, we developed a strategy to visualize and subsequently identify endogenous metalloproteins and metal-binding proteins in living cells via integration of fluorescence imaging with proteomics. We synthesized a "metal-tunable" fluorescent probe (denoted as Mn+-TRACER) that rapidly enters cells to target proteins with 4-40 fold fluorescence enhancements. By using Ni2+-TRACER as an example, we demonstrate the feasibility of tracking Ni2+-binding proteins in vitro, while cellular small molecules exhibit negligible interference on the labeling. We identified 44 Ni2+-binding proteins from microbes using Helicobacter pylori as a showcase. We further applied Cu2+-TRACER to mammalian cells and found 54 Cu2+-binding proteins. The strategy we report here provides a great opportunity to track various endogenous metallo-proteomes and to mine potential targets of metallodrugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yau-Tsz Lai
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.
| | - Ya Yang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.
| | - Ligang Hu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.
| | - Tianfan Cheng
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.
| | - Yuen-Yan Chang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.
| | - Mohamad Koohi-Moghadam
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.
| | - Yuchuan Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Jiang Xia
- Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - Junwen Wang
- Center for Individualized Medicine & Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ 85259 USA and Department of Biomedical Informatics, Arizona State University, Scottsdale, AZ 85259 USA
| | - Hongyan Li
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.
| | - Hongzhe Sun
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China.
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Myrach T, Zhu A, Witte CP. The assembly of the plant urease activation complex and the essential role of the urease accessory protein G (UreG) in delivery of nickel to urease. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:14556-14565. [PMID: 28710280 PMCID: PMC5582847 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.780403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Urease is a ubiquitous nickel metalloenzyme. In plants, its activation requires three urease accessory proteins (UAPs), UreD, UreF, and UreG. In bacteria, the UAPs interact with urease and facilitate activation, which involves the channeling of two nickel ions into the active site. So far this process has not been investigated in eukaryotes. Using affinity pulldowns of Strep-tagged UAPs from Arabidopsis and rice transiently expressed in planta, we demonstrate that a urease-UreD-UreF-UreG complex exists in plants and show its stepwise assembly. UreG is crucial for nickel delivery because UreG-dependent urease activation in vitro was observed only with UreG obtained from nickel-sufficient plants. This activation competence could not be generated in vitro by incubation of UreG with nickel, bicarbonate, and GTP. Compared with their bacterial orthologs, plant UreGs possess an N-terminal extension containing a His- and Asp/Glu-rich hypervariable region followed by a highly conserved sequence comprising two potential HXH metal-binding sites. Complementing the ureG-1 mutant of Arabidopsis with N-terminal deletion variants of UreG demonstrated that the hypervariable region has a minor impact on activation efficiency, whereas the conserved region up to the first HXH motif is highly beneficial and up to the second HXH motif strictly required for activation. We also show that urease reaches its full activity several days after nickel becomes available in the leaves, indicating that urease activation is limited by nickel accessibility in vivo Our data uncover the crucial role of UreG for nickel delivery during eukaryotic urease activation, inciting further investigations of the details of this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Till Myrach
- From the Freie Universität Berlin, Dahlem Centre of Plant Sciences, Department of Plant Biochemistry, Königin-Luise-Strasse 12-16, 14195 Berlin, Germany and
| | - Anting Zhu
- Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institute of Plant Nutrition, Molecular Nutrition and Biochemistry of Plants, Herrenhäuser Strasse 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
| | - Claus-Peter Witte
- Leibniz Universität Hannover, Institute of Plant Nutrition, Molecular Nutrition and Biochemistry of Plants, Herrenhäuser Strasse 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany
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40
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Metallochaperones and metalloregulation in bacteria. Essays Biochem 2017; 61:177-200. [PMID: 28487396 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20160076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial transition metal homoeostasis or simply 'metallostasis' describes the process by which cells control the intracellular availability of functionally required metal cofactors, from manganese (Mn) to zinc (Zn), avoiding both metal deprivation and toxicity. Metallostasis is an emerging aspect of the vertebrate host-pathogen interface that is defined by a 'tug-of-war' for biologically essential metals and provides the motivation for much recent work in this area. The host employs a number of strategies to starve the microbial pathogen of essential metals, while for others attempts to limit bacterial infections by leveraging highly competitive metals. Bacteria must be capable of adapting to these efforts to remodel the transition metal landscape and employ highly specialized metal sensing transcriptional regulators, termed metalloregulatory proteins,and metallochaperones, that allocate metals to specific destinations, to mediate this adaptive response. In this essay, we discuss recent progress in our understanding of the structural mechanisms and metal specificity of this adaptive response, focusing on energy-requiring metallochaperones that play roles in the metallocofactor active site assembly in metalloenzymes and metallosensors, which govern the systems-level response to metal limitation and intoxication.
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Musiani F, Gioia D, Masetti M, Falchi F, Cavalli A, Recanatini M, Ciurli S. Protein Tunnels: The Case of Urease Accessory Proteins. J Chem Theory Comput 2017; 13:2322-2331. [PMID: 28379694 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.7b00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Transition metals are both essential micronutrients and limited in environmental availability. The Ni(II)-dependent urease protein, the most efficient enzyme known to date, is a paradigm for studying the strategies that cells use to handle an essential, yet toxic, metal ion. Urease is a virulence factor of several human pathogens, in addition to decreasing the efficiency of soil organic nitrogen fertilization. Ni(II) insertion in the urease active site is performed through the action of three essential accessory proteins: UreD, UreF, and UreG. The crystal structure of the UreD-UreF-UreG complex from the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori (HpUreDFG) revealed the presence of tunnels that cross the entire length of both UreF and UreD, potentially able to deliver Ni(II) ions from UreG to apo-urease. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations performed on the HpUreDFG complex in explicit solvent and at physiological ionic conditions demonstrate the stability of these protein tunnels in solution and provide insights on the trafficking of water molecules inside the tunnels. The presence of different alternative routes across the identified tunnels for Ni(II) ions, water molecules, and carbonate ions, all involved in urease activation, is highlighted here, and their potential role in the urease activation mechanism is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Musiani
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna , Viale G. Fanin 40, I-40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Dario Gioia
- Laboratory of Computational Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna , Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Matteo Masetti
- Laboratory of Computational Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna , Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Federico Falchi
- Compunet, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Andrea Cavalli
- Laboratory of Computational Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna , Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126 Bologna, Italy.,Compunet, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Maurizio Recanatini
- Laboratory of Computational Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna , Via Belmeloro 6, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefano Ciurli
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna , Viale G. Fanin 40, I-40127 Bologna, Italy
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Xia W, Li H, Sun H. Nickel Metallochaperones: Structure, Function, and Nickel-Binding Properties. THE BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY OF NICKEL 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/9781788010580-00284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Nickel-containing enzymes catalyze a series of important biochemical processes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The maturation of the enzymes requires the proper assembly of the nickel-containing active sites, which involves a battery of nickel metallochaperones that exert metal delivery and storage functions. “Cross-talk” also exists between different nickel enzyme maturation processes. This chapter summarizes the updated knowledge about the nickel chaperones based on biochemical and structural biology research, and discusses the possible nickel delivery mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xia
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou 510275 China
| | - Hongyan Li
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Hongzhe Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou 510275 China
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
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Zeer-Wanklyn CJ, Zamble DB. Microbial nickel: cellular uptake and delivery to enzyme centers. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2017; 37:80-88. [PMID: 28213182 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2017.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Revised: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Nickel enzymes allow microorganisms to access chemistry that can be vital for survival and virulence. In this review we highlight recent work on several systems that import nickel ions and deliver them to the active sites of these enzymes. Small molecules, in particular l-His and derivatives, may chelate nickel ions before import at TonB-dependent outer-membrane and ABC-type inner-membrane transporters. Inside the cell, nickel ions are used by maturation factors required to produce nickel enzymes such as [NiFe]-hydrogenase, urease and lactate racemase. These accessory proteins often exhibit metal selectivity and frequently include an NTP-hydrolyzing metallochaperone protein. The research described provides a deeper understanding of the processes that allow microorganisms to access nickel ions from the environment and incorporate them into nickel proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor J Zeer-Wanklyn
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Deborah B Zamble
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
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Non-thiolate ligation of nickel by nucleotide-free UreG of Klebsiella aerogenes. J Biol Inorg Chem 2016; 22:497-503. [PMID: 28004186 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-016-1429-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Nickel-dependent ureases are activated by a multiprotein complex that includes the GTPase UreG. Prior studies showed that nucleotide-free UreG from Klebsiella aerogenes is monomeric and binds one nickel or zinc ion with near-equivalent affinity using an undefined binding site, whereas nucleotide-free UreG from Helicobacter pylori selectively binds one zinc ion per dimer via a universally conserved Cys-Pro-His motif in each protomer. Iodoacetamide-treated K. aerogenes UreG was nearly unaffected in nickel binding compared to non-treated sample, suggesting the absence of thiolate ligands to the metal. X-ray absorption spectroscopy of nickel-bound UreG showed the metal possessed four-coordinate geometry with all O/N donor ligands including one imidazole, thus confirming the absence of thiolate ligation. The nickel site in Strep-tag II-modified protein possessed six-coordinate geometry, again with all O/N donor ligands, but now including two or three imidazoles. An identical site was noted for the Strep-tag II-modified H74A variant, substituted in the Cys-Pro-His motif, ruling out coordination by this His residue. These results are consistent with metal binding to both His6 and a His residue of the fusion peptide in Strep-tagged K. aerogenes UreG. We conclude that the nickel- and zinc-binding site in nucleotide-free K. aerogenes UreG is distinct from that of nucleotide-free H. pylori UreG and does not involve the Cys-Pro-His motif. Further, we show the Strep-tag II can perturb metal coordination of this protein.
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Wang Y, Tsang CN, Xu F, Kong PW, Hu L, Wang J, Chu IK, Li H, Sun H. Bio-coordination of bismuth in Helicobacter pylori revealed by immobilized metal affinity chromatography. Chem Commun (Camb) 2016; 51:16479-82. [PMID: 26391105 DOI: 10.1039/c5cc04958j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Over 300 Bi-binding peptides from 166 proteins in H. pylori were identified by Bi-IMAC. Bi(3+) exhibits high selectivity towards peptide enriched by cysteines and histidines with dominated motif patterns of CXnC, CXnH and HXnH. Structural rationalization and functional categorization on the identified Bi-binding peptides and proteins provide an insight into the inhibitory action of bismuth drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchuan Wang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
| | - Cheuk-Nam Tsang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
| | - Feng Xu
- Centre for Genomic Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - Pak-Wing Kong
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
| | - Ligang Hu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
| | - Junwen Wang
- Centre for Genomic Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China
| | - Ivan Keung Chu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
| | - Hongyan Li
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
| | - Hongzhe Sun
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
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Loke MF, Ng CG, Vilashni Y, Lim J, Ho B. Understanding the dimorphic lifestyles of human gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori using the SWATH-based proteomics approach. Sci Rep 2016; 6:26784. [PMID: 27222005 PMCID: PMC4879699 DOI: 10.1038/srep26784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Helicobacter pylori may reside in the human stomach as two morphological forms: the culturable spiral form and the viable but non-culturable (VBNC) coccoid form. This bacterium transforms from spiral to coccoid under in vitro suboptimal conditions. However, both spiral and coccoid have demonstrated its infectivity in laboratory animals, suggesting that coccoid may potentially be involved in the transmission of H. pylori. To determine the relevance of the coccoid form in viability and infectivity, we compared the protein profiles of H. pylori coccoids obtained from prolonged (3-month-old) culture with that of 3-day-old spirals of two H. pylori standard strains using SWATH (Sequential Window Acquisition of all Theoretical mass spectra)-based approach. The protein profiles reveal that the coccoids retained basal level of metabolic proteins and also high level of proteins that participate in DNA replication, cell division and biosynthesis demonstrating that coccoids are viable. Most interestingly, these data also indicate that the H. pylori coccoids possess higher level of proteins that are involved in virulence and carcinogenesis than their spiral counterparts. Taken together, these findings have important implications in the understanding on the pathogenesis of H. pylori-induced gastroduodenal diseases, as well as the probable transmission mode of this bacterium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mun Fai Loke
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Chow Goon Ng
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yeespana Vilashni
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Justin Lim
- AB SCIEX Ltd, 10 Biopolis Rd, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - Bow Ho
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Farrugia MA, Wang B, Feig M, Hausinger RP. Mutational and Computational Evidence That a Nickel-Transfer Tunnel in UreD Is Used for Activation of Klebsiella aerogenes Urease. Biochemistry 2015; 54:6392-401. [PMID: 26401965 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.5b00942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Nickel-containing urease from Klebsiella aerogenes requires four accessory proteins for proper active site metalation. The metallochaperone UreE delivers nickel to UreG, a GTPase that forms a UreD/UreF/UreG complex, which binds to urease apoprotein via UreD. Prior in silico analysis of the homologous, structurally characterized UreH/UreF/UreG complex from Helicobacter pylori identified a water tunnel originating at a likely nickel-binding motif in UreG, passing through UreF, and exiting UreH, suggestive of a role for the channel in providing the metal to urease apoprotein for its activation; however, no experimental support was reported for the significance of this tunnel. Here, specific variants were designed to disrupt a comparable 34.6 Å predicted internal tunnel, alternative channels, and surface sites for UreD. Cells producing a set of tunnel-disrupting variants of UreD exhibited greatly reduced urease specific activities, whereas other mutants had no appreciable effect on activity. Affinity pull-down studies of cell-free extracts from tunnel-disrupting mutant cultures showed no loss of UreD interactions with urease or UreF/UreG. The nickel contents of urease samples enriched from activity-deficient cultures were decreased, while zinc and iron incorporation increased. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed size restrictions in the internal channels of the UreD variants. These findings support the role of a molecular tunnel in UreD as a direct facilitator of nickel transfer into urease, illustrating a new paradigm in active site metallocenter assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Farrugia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ‡Department of Chemistry, and §Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Beibei Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ‡Department of Chemistry, and §Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Michael Feig
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ‡Department of Chemistry, and §Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Robert P Hausinger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ‡Department of Chemistry, and §Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
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Musiani F, Ciurli S. Evolution of Macromolecular Docking Techniques: The Case Study of Nickel and Iron Metabolism in Pathogenic Bacteria. Molecules 2015; 20:14265-92. [PMID: 26251891 PMCID: PMC6332059 DOI: 10.3390/molecules200814265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Revised: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction between macromolecules is a fundamental aspect of most biological processes. The computational techniques used to study protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions have evolved in the last few years because of the development of new algorithms that allow the a priori incorporation, in the docking process, of experimentally derived information, together with the possibility of accounting for the flexibility of the interacting molecules. Here we review the results and the evolution of the techniques used to study the interaction between metallo-proteins and DNA operators, all involved in the nickel and iron metabolism of pathogenic bacteria, focusing in particular on Helicobacter pylori (Hp). In the first part of the article we discuss the methods used to calculate the structure of complexes of proteins involved in the activation of the nickel-dependent enzyme urease. In the second part of the article, we concentrate on two applications of protein-DNA docking conducted on the transcription factors HpFur (ferric uptake regulator) and HpNikR (nickel regulator). In both cases we discuss the technical expedients used to take into account the conformational variability of the multi-domain proteins involved in the calculations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Musiani
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Viale G. Fanin 40, Bologna I-40127, Italy.
| | - Stefano Ciurli
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Viale G. Fanin 40, Bologna I-40127, Italy.
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Wang Y, Hu L, Yang X, Chang YY, Hu X, Li H, Sun H. On-line coupling of continuous-flow gel electrophoresis with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry to quantitatively evaluate intracellular metal binding properties of metallochaperones HpHypA and HpHspA in E. coli cells. Metallomics 2015; 7:1399-406. [PMID: 26000660 DOI: 10.1039/c5mt00054h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
On-line coupling of gel electrophoresis with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (GE-ICP-MS) offers a strategy to monitor intracellular metals and their associated proteins simultaneously. Herein, we examine the feasibility of the GE-ICP-MS system in the quantitative analysis of intracellular metal binding properties using two Helicobacter pylori metallochaperones HypA and HspA overexpressed in E. coli cells as showcases. We show that parallel detection of metal and sulfur signals allows accurate quantification of intracellular metal-protein stoichiometries, even for metalloproteins that bind metal ions with micromolar affinities. Using this approach, we demonstrate that only a trace amount of Ni(2+) is associated with HpHypA in cells, distinct from the in vitro observation of stoichiometric binding, while HpHypA exhibits high fidelity towards its structural metal Zn(2+) with stoichiometric Zn(2+) binding. In contrast, HpHspA associates with Zn(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+) and Co(2+) from an essential metal pool with ca. 0.5 molar equivalents of total metals bound per HpHspA monomer. The metal binding properties of both HpHypA and HpHspA were altered by Bi(3+). The binding of both Zn(2+) and Ni(2+) to HpHypA was suppressed under the stress of Bi(3+) in cells, different from in vitro studies that showed that Bi(3+) interfered with Zn(2+) but not Ni(2+) binding. This study provides an analytical approach to investigate the intracellular metal selectivity of overexpressed metalloproteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchuan Wang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, P. R. China.
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