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Selenourea for Experimental Phasing of Membrane Protein Crystals Grown in Lipid Cubic Phase. CRYSTALS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst12070976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Heavy-atom soaking has been a major method for experimental phasing, but it has been difficult for membrane proteins, partly owing to the lack of available sites in the scarce soluble domain for non-invasive heavy-metal binding. The lipid cubic phase (LCP) has proven to be a successful method for membrane protein crystallization, but experimental phasing with LCP-grown crystals remains difficult, and so far, only 68 such structures were phased experimentally. Here, the selenourea was tested as a soaking reagent for the single-wavelength anomalous dispersion (SAD) phasing of crystals grown in LCP. Using a single crystal, the structure of the glycerol 3-phosphate acyltransferase (PlsY, ~21 kDa), a very hydrophobic enzyme with 80% membrane-embedded residues, was solved. Remarkably, a total of 15 Se sites were found in the two monomers of PlsY, translating to one selenourea-binding site per every six residues in the accessible extramembrane protein. Structure analysis reveals that surface-exposed selenourea sites are mostly contributed by mainchain amides and carbonyls. This low-specificity binding pattern may explain its high loading ratio. Importantly, both the crystal diffraction quality and the LCP integrity were unaffected by selenourea soaking. Taken together, selenourea presents a promising and generally useful reagent for heavy-atom soaking of membrane protein crystals grown in LCP.
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2
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Esmaili M, Eldeeb MA, Moosavi-Movahedi AA. Current Developments in Native Nanometric Discoidal Membrane Bilayer Formed by Amphipathic Polymers. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 11:1771. [PMID: 34361157 PMCID: PMC8308186 DOI: 10.3390/nano11071771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Unlike cytosolic proteins, membrane proteins (MPs) are embedded within the plasma membrane and the lipid bilayer of intracellular organelles. MPs serve in various cellular processes and account for over 65% of the current drug targets. The development of membrane mimetic systems such as bicelles, short synthetic polymers or amphipols, and membrane scaffold proteins (MSP)-based nanodiscs has facilitated the accommodation of synthetic lipids to stabilize MPs, yet the preparation of these membrane mimetics remains detergent-dependent. Bio-inspired synthetic polymers present an invaluable tool for excision and liberation of superstructures of MPs and their surrounding annular lipid bilayer in the nanometric discoidal assemblies. In this article, we discuss the significance of self-assembling process in design of biomimetic systems, review development of multiple series of amphipathic polymers and the significance of these polymeric "belts" in biomedical research in particular in unraveling the structures, dynamics and functions of several high-value membrane protein targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansoore Esmaili
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Mohamed A. Eldeeb
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada;
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt
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3
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Huang CY, Meier N, Caffrey M, Wang M, Olieric V. 3D-printed holders for in meso in situ fixed-target serial X-ray crystallography. J Appl Crystallogr 2020; 53:854-859. [PMID: 32684901 PMCID: PMC7312129 DOI: 10.1107/s1600576720002897] [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: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The in meso in situ serial X-ray crystallography method was developed to ease the handling of small fragile crystals of membrane proteins and for rapid data collection on hundreds of microcrystals directly in the growth medium without the need for crystal harvesting. To facilitate mounting of these in situ samples on a goniometer at cryogenic or at room temperatures, two new 3D-printed holders have been developed. They provide for cubic and sponge phase sample stability in the X-ray beam and are compatible with sample-changing robots. The holders can accommodate a variety of window material types, as well as bespoke samples for diffraction screening and data collection at conventional macromolecular crystallography beamlines. They can be used for convenient post-crystallization treatments such as ligand and heavy-atom soaking. The design, assembly and application of the holders for in situ serial crystallography are described. Files for making the holders using a 3D printer are included as supporting information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Ying Huang
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen-PSI, 5232, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Meier
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen-PSI, 5232, Switzerland
| | - Martin Caffrey
- Membrane Structural and Functional Biology Group, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, D02 R590, Ireland
| | - Meitian Wang
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen-PSI, 5232, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Olieric
- Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen-PSI, 5232, Switzerland
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4
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Structure and Functional Characterization of Membrane Integral Proteins in the Lipid Cubic Phase. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:5104-5123. [PMID: 32113953 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The lipid cubic phase (LCP) has been used extensively as a medium for crystallizing membrane proteins. It is an attractive environment in which to perform such studies because it incorporates a lipid bilayer. It is therefore considered a useful and a faithful biomembrane mimetic. Here, we bring together evidence that supports this view. Biophysical characterizations are described demonstrating that the cubic phase is a porous medium into and out of which water-soluble molecules can diffuse for binding to and reaction with reconstituted proteins. The proteins themselves are shown to be functionally reconstituted into and to have full mobility in the bilayered membrane, a prerequisite for LCP crystallogenesis. Spectroscopic methods have been used to characterize the conformation and disposition of proteins in the mesophase. Procedures for performing activity assays on enzymes directly in the cubic phase have been reported. Specific examples described here include a kinase and two transferases, where quantitative kinetics and mechanism-defining measurements were performed directly or via a coupled assay system. Finally, ligand-binding assays are described, where binding to proteins in the mesophase membrane was monitored directly by eye and indirectly by fluorescence quenching, enabling binding constant determinations for targets with affinity values in the micromolar and nanomolar range. These results make a convincing case that the lipid bilayer of the cubic mesophase is an excellent membrane mimetic and a suitable medium in which to perform not only crystallogenesis but also biochemical and biophysical characterizations of membrane proteins.
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5
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Yao H, Cai H, Li D. Thermostabilization of Membrane Proteins by Consensus Mutation: A Case Study for a Fungal Δ8-7 Sterol Isomerase. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:5162-5183. [PMID: 32105736 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Membrane proteins are generally challenging to work with because of their notorious instability. Protein engineering has been used increasingly to thermostabilize labile membrane proteins such as G-protein-coupled receptors for structural and functional studies in recent years. Two major strategies exist. Scanning mutagenesis systematically eliminates destabilizing residues, whereas the consensus approach assembles mutants with the most frequent residues among selected homologs, bridging sequence conservation with stability. Here, we applied the consensus concept to stabilize a fungal homolog of the human sterol Δ8-7 isomerase, a 26.4 kDa protein with five transmembrane helices. The isomerase is also called emopamil-binding protein (EBP), as it binds this anti-ischemic drug with high affinity. The wild-type had an apparent melting temperature (Tm) of 35.9 °C as measured by the fluorescence-detection size-exclusion chromatography-based thermostability assay. A total of 87 consensus mutations sourced from 22 homologs gained expression level and thermostability, increasing the apparent Tm to 69.9 °C at the cost of partial function loss. Assessing the stability and activity of several systematic chimeric constructs identified a construct with an apparent Tm of 79.8 °C and two regions for function rescue. Further back-mutations of the chimeric construct in the two target regions yielded the final construct with similar apparent activity to the wild-type and an elevated Tm of 88.8 °C, totaling an increase of 52.9 °C. The consensus approach is effective and efficient because it involves fewer constructs compared with scanning mutagenesis. Our results should encourage more use of the consensus strategy for membrane protein thermostabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hebang Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, National Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 333 Haike Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Hongmin Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, National Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 333 Haike Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Dianfan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, National Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 333 Haike Road, Shanghai 201210, China.
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6
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Huang CY, Olieric V, Caffrey M, Wang M. In Meso In Situ Serial X-Ray Crystallography (IMISX): A Protocol for Membrane Protein Structure Determination at the Swiss Light Source. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2127:293-319. [PMID: 32112330 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0373-4_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The lipid cubic phases (LCP) have enabled the determination of many important high-resolution structures of membrane proteins such as G-protein-coupled receptors, photosensitive proteins, enzymes, channels, and transporters. However, harvesting the crystals from the glass or plastic plates in which crystals grow is challenging. The in meso in situ serial X-ray crystallography (IMISX) method uses thin plastic windowed plates that minimize LCP crystal manipulation. The method, which is compatible with high-throughput in situ measurements, allows systematic diffraction screening and rapid data collection from hundreds of microcrystals in in meso crystallization wells without direct crystal harvesting. In this chapter, we describe an IMISX protocol for in situ serial X-ray data collection of LCP-grown crystals at both cryogenic and room temperatures which includes the crystallization setup, sample delivery, automated serial diffraction data collection, and experimental phasing. We also detail how the IMISX method was applied successfully for the structure determination of two novel targets-the undecaprenyl-pyrophosphate phosphatase BacA and the chemokine G-protein-coupled receptor CCR2A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Ying Huang
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen-PSI, 5232, Switzerland.
| | - Vincent Olieric
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen-PSI, 5232, Switzerland
| | - Martin Caffrey
- Membrane Structural and Functional Biology (MS&FB) Group, School of Medicine and School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Meitian Wang
- Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut, Forschungsstrasse 111, Villigen-PSI, 5232, Switzerland
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Structures of human ENT1 in complex with adenosine reuptake inhibitors. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2019; 26:599-606. [PMID: 31235912 PMCID: PMC6705415 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-019-0245-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The human Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter 1 (hENT1), a member of the SLC29 family, plays crucial roles in adenosine signaling, cellular uptake of nucleoside for DNA and RNA synthesis, and nucleoside-derived anticancer and antiviral drug transport in human. Because of its central role in adenosine signaling, it is the target of adenosine reuptake inhibitors (AdoRI), several of which are clinically used. Despite its importance in human physiology and pharmacology, the molecular basis of hENT1-mediated adenosine transport and its inhibition by AdoRIs are limited due to the absence of structural information on hENT1. Here we present crystal structures of hENT1 in complex with two chemically distinct AdoRIs: dilazep and S-(4-Nitrobenzyl)-6-thioinosine (NBMPR). Combined with mutagenesis study, our structural analyses elucidate two distinct inhibitory mechanisms exhibited on hENT1, while giving insight into adenosine recognition and transport. Our studies provide the platform for improved pharmacological intervention of adenosine and nucleoside analog drug transport by hENT1.
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Birch J, Axford D, Foadi J, Meyer A, Eckhardt A, Thielmann Y, Moraes I. The fine art of integral membrane protein crystallisation. Methods 2018; 147:150-162. [PMID: 29778646 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2018.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 05/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Integral membrane proteins are among the most fascinating and important biomolecules as they play a vital role in many biological functions. Knowledge of their atomic structures is fundamental to the understanding of their biochemical function and key in many drug discovery programs. However, over the years, structure determination of integral membrane proteins has proven to be far from trivial, hence they are underrepresented in the protein data bank. Low expression levels, insolubility and instability are just a few of the many hurdles one faces when studying these proteins. X-ray crystallography has been the most used method to determine atomic structures of membrane proteins. However, the production of high quality membrane protein crystals is always very challenging, often seen more as art than a rational experiment. Here we review valuable approaches, methods and techniques to successful membrane protein crystallisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Birch
- Membrane Protein Laboratory, Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK; Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Danny Axford
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK
| | - James Foadi
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Arne Meyer
- XtalConcepts GmbH, Schnackenburgallee 13, 22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Annette Eckhardt
- XtalConcepts GmbH, Schnackenburgallee 13, 22525 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yvonne Thielmann
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Molecular Membrane Biology, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 3, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Isabel Moraes
- Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK; Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK; National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington TW11 0LW, UK.
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9
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Abstract
Exciting new technological developments have pushed the boundaries of structural biology, and have enabled studies of biological macromolecules and assemblies that would have been unthinkable not long ago. Yet, the enhanced capabilities of structural biologists to pry into the complex molecular world have also placed new demands on the abilities of protein engineers to reproduce this complexity into the test tube. With this challenge in mind, we review the contents of the modern molecular engineering toolbox that allow the manipulation of proteins in a site-specific and chemically well-defined fashion. Thus, we cover concepts related to the modification of cysteines and other natural amino acids, native chemical ligation, intein and sortase-based approaches, amber suppression, as well as chemical and enzymatic bio-conjugation strategies. We also describe how these tools can be used to aid methodology development in X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance, cryo-electron microscopy and in the studies of dynamic interactions. It is our hope that this monograph will inspire structural biologists and protein engineers alike to apply these tools to novel systems, and to enhance and broaden their scope to meet the outstanding challenges in understanding the molecular basis of cellular processes and disease.
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Li Z, Tang Y, Wu Y, Zhao S, Bao J, Luo Y, Li D. Structural insights into the committed step of bacterial phospholipid biosynthesis. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1691. [PMID: 29167463 PMCID: PMC5700162 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01821-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The membrane-integral glycerol 3-phosphate (G3P) acyltransferase PlsY catalyses the committed and essential step in bacterial phospholipid biosynthesis by acylation of G3P, forming lysophosphatidic acid. It contains no known acyltransferase motifs, lacks eukaryotic homologs, and uses the unusual acyl-phosphate as acyl donor, as opposed to acyl-CoA or acyl-carrier protein for other acyltransferases. Previous studies have identified several PlsY inhibitors as potential antimicrobials. Here we determine the crystal structure of PlsY at 1.48 Å resolution, revealing a seven-transmembrane helix fold. Four additional substrate- and product-bound structures uncover the atomic details of its relatively inflexible active site. Structure and mutagenesis suggest a different acylation mechanism of ‘substrate-assisted catalysis’ that, unlike other acyltransferases, does not require a proteinaceous catalytic base to complete. The structure data and a high-throughput enzymatic assay developed in this work should prove useful for virtual and experimental screening of inhibitors against this vital bacterial enzyme. The first step in bacterial phospholipid biosynthesis is the acylation of glycerol 3-phosphate to form lysophosphatidic acid. Here, the authors present the high resolution crystal structure of the glycerol 3-phosphate acyltransferase PlsY, a membrane protein and give insights into its catalytical mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenjian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Shanghai Science Research Center, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 333 Haike Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Yannan Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Shanghai Science Research Center, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 333 Haike Road, Shanghai, 201210, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Yiran Wu
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 333 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Suwen Zhao
- iHuman Institute, ShanghaiTech University, 333 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 333 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Juan Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Shanghai Science Research Center, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 333 Haike Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Yitian Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Shanghai Science Research Center, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 333 Haike Road, Shanghai, 201210, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201210, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 333 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Dianfan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Shanghai Science Research Center, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 333 Haike Road, Shanghai, 201210, China.
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11
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Hansen SB, Laursen NS, Andersen GR, Andersen KR. Introducing site-specific cysteines into nanobodies for mercury labelling allows de novo phasing of their crystal structures. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2017; 73:804-813. [PMID: 28994409 PMCID: PMC5633906 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798317013171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The generation of high-quality protein crystals and the loss of phase information during an X-ray crystallography diffraction experiment represent the major bottlenecks in the determination of novel protein structures. A generic method for introducing Hg atoms into any crystal independent of the presence of free cysteines in the target protein could considerably facilitate the process of obtaining unbiased experimental phases. Nanobodies (single-domain antibodies) have recently been shown to promote the crystallization and structure determination of flexible proteins and complexes. To extend the usability of nanobodies for crystallographic work, variants of the Nb36 nanobody with a single free cysteine at one of four framework-residue positions were developed. These cysteines could be labelled with fluorophores or Hg. For one cysteine variant (Nb36-C85) two nanobody structures were experimentally phased using single-wavelength anomalous dispersion (SAD) and single isomorphous replacement with anomalous signal (SIRAS), taking advantage of radiation-induced changes in Cys-Hg bonding. Importantly, Hg labelling influenced neither the interaction of Nb36 with its antigen complement C5 nor its structure. The results suggest that Cys-Hg-labelled nanobodies may become efficient tools for obtaining de novo phase information during the structure determination of nanobody-protein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Boje Hansen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nick Stub Laursen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Gregers Rom Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kasper R. Andersen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10C, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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Mylona A, Carr S, Aller P, Moraes I, Treisman R, Evans G, Foadi J. A Novel Approach to Data Collection for Difficult Structures: Data Management for Large Numbers of Crystals with the BLEND Software. CRYSTALS 2017; 7:242. [PMID: 29456874 PMCID: PMC5813789 DOI: 10.3390/cryst7080242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The present article describes how to use the computer program BLEND to help assemble complete datasets for the solution of macromolecular structures, starting from partial or complete datasets, derived from data collection from multiple crystals. The program is demonstrated on more than two hundred X-ray diffraction datasets obtained from 50 crystals of a complex formed between the SRF transcription factor, its cognate DNA, and a peptide from the SRF cofactor MRTF-A. This structure is currently in the process of being fully solved. While full details of the structure are not yet available, the repeated application of BLEND on data from this structure, as they have become available, has made it possible to produce electron density maps clear enough to visualise the potential location of MRTF sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Mylona
- Signalling and Transcription Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Stephen Carr
- Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxford OX11 0FA, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Pierre Aller
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Isabel Moraes
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Richard Treisman
- Signalling and Transcription Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Gwyndaf Evans
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
| | - James Foadi
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
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13
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The cubicon method for concentrating membrane proteins in the cubic mesophase. Nat Protoc 2017; 12:1745-1762. [DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2017.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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14
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Melnikov I, Polovinkin V, Kovalev K, Gushchin I, Shevtsov M, Shevchenko V, Mishin A, Alekseev A, Rodriguez-Valera F, Borshchevskiy V, Cherezov V, Leonard GA, Gordeliy V, Popov A. Fast iodide-SAD phasing for high-throughput membrane protein structure determination. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1602952. [PMID: 28508075 PMCID: PMC5429034 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1602952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We describe a fast, easy, and potentially universal method for the de novo solution of the crystal structures of membrane proteins via iodide-single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (I-SAD). The potential universality of the method is based on a common feature of membrane proteins-the availability at the hydrophobic-hydrophilic interface of positively charged amino acid residues with which iodide strongly interacts. We demonstrate the solution using I-SAD of four crystal structures representing different classes of membrane proteins, including a human G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), and we show that I-SAD can be applied using data collection strategies based on either standard or serial x-ray crystallography techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Melnikov
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Vitaly Polovinkin
- Institut de Biologie Structurale Jean-Pierre Ebel, Université Grenoble Alpes–Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives–CNRS, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS), ICS-6, Structural Biochemistry, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Kirill Kovalev
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS), ICS-6, Structural Biochemistry, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Ivan Gushchin
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS), ICS-6, Structural Biochemistry, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Mikhail Shevtsov
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Vitaly Shevchenko
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS), ICS-6, Structural Biochemistry, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
- Institute of Crystallography, University of Aachen (RWTH), Aachen, Germany
| | - Alexey Mishin
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Alexey Alekseev
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS), ICS-6, Structural Biochemistry, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Francisco Rodriguez-Valera
- Department of Vegetal Production and Microbiology, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, San Juan de Alicante, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Vadim Cherezov
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
- Departments of Chemistry, Biological Sciences, and Physics & Astronomy, Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | | | - Valentin Gordeliy
- Institut de Biologie Structurale Jean-Pierre Ebel, Université Grenoble Alpes–Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives–CNRS, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS), ICS-6, Structural Biochemistry, Research Centre Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Alexander Popov
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38043 Grenoble, France
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Schieferstein JM, Pawate AS, Sun C, Wan F, Sheraden PN, Broecker J, Ernst OP, Gennis RB, Kenis PJA. X-ray transparent microfluidic chips for high-throughput screening and optimization of in meso membrane protein crystallization. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2017; 11:024118. [PMID: 28469762 PMCID: PMC5403737 DOI: 10.1063/1.4981818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating and clarifying the function of membrane proteins ultimately requires atomic resolution structures as determined most commonly by X-ray crystallography. Many high impact membrane protein structures have resulted from advanced techniques such as in meso crystallization that present technical difficulties for the set-up and scale-out of high-throughput crystallization experiments. In prior work, we designed a novel, low-throughput X-ray transparent microfluidic device that automated the mixing of protein and lipid by diffusion for in meso crystallization trials. Here, we report X-ray transparent microfluidic devices for high-throughput crystallization screening and optimization that overcome the limitations of scale and demonstrate their application to the crystallization of several membrane proteins. Two complementary chips are presented: (1) a high-throughput screening chip to test 192 crystallization conditions in parallel using as little as 8 nl of membrane protein per well and (2) a crystallization optimization chip to rapidly optimize preliminary crystallization hits through fine-gradient re-screening. We screened three membrane proteins for new in meso crystallization conditions, identifying several preliminary hits that we tested for X-ray diffraction quality. Further, we identified and optimized the crystallization condition for a photosynthetic reaction center mutant and solved its structure to a resolution of 3.5 Å.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M Schieferstein
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Ashtamurthy S Pawate
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Chang Sun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Frank Wan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Paige N Sheraden
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Jana Broecker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S IA8, Canada
| | | | - Robert B Gennis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Paul J A Kenis
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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Caffrey M. A comprehensive review of the lipid cubic phase or in meso method for crystallizing membrane and soluble proteins and complexes. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION F-STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS 2015; 71:3-18. [PMID: 25615961 PMCID: PMC4304740 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x14026843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 12/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
A comprehensive and up-to-date review of the lipid cubic phase or in meso method for crystallizing membrane and soluble proteins and complexes is reported. Recent applications of the method for in situ serial crystallography at X-ray free-electron lasers and synchrotrons are described. The lipid cubic phase or in meso method is a robust approach for crystallizing membrane proteins for structure determination. The uptake of the method is such that it is experiencing what can only be described as explosive growth. This timely, comprehensive and up-to-date review introduces the reader to the practice of in meso crystallogenesis, to the associated challenges and to their solutions. A model of how crystallization comes about mechanistically is presented for a more rational approach to crystallization. The possible involvement of the lamellar and inverted hexagonal phases in crystallogenesis and the application of the method to water-soluble, monotopic and lipid-anchored proteins are addressed. How to set up trials manually and automatically with a robot is introduced with reference to open-access online videos that provide a practical guide to all aspects of the method. These range from protein reconstitution to crystal harvesting from the hosting mesophase, which is noted for its viscosity and stickiness. The sponge phase, as an alternative medium in which to perform crystallization, is described. The compatibility of the method with additive lipids, detergents, precipitant-screen components and materials carried along with the protein such as denaturants and reducing agents is considered. The powerful host and additive lipid-screening strategies are described along with how samples that have low protein concentration and cell-free expressed protein can be used. Assaying the protein reconstituted in the bilayer of the cubic phase for function is an important element of quality control and is detailed. Host lipid design for crystallization at low temperatures and for large proteins and complexes is outlined. Experimental phasing by heavy-atom derivatization, soaking or co-crystallization is routine and the approaches that have been implemented to date are described. An overview and a breakdown by family and function of the close to 200 published structures that have been obtained using in meso-grown crystals are given. Recommendations for conducting the screening process to give a more productive outcome are summarized. The fact that the in meso method also works with soluble proteins should not be overlooked. Recent applications of the method for in situ serial crystallography at X-ray free-electron lasers and synchrotrons are described. The review ends with a view to the future and to the bright prospects for the method, which continues to contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of some of nature’s most valued proteinaceous robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Caffrey
- Membrane Structural and Functional Biology Group, School of Medicine and School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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