Structure-based identification of inositol polyphosphate 1-phosphatase from Entamoeba histolytica

Structural and functional insights into the stationary-phase survival protein SurE, an important virulence factor of Brucella abortus

The stationary-phase survival protein SurE from Brucella abortus (BaSurE) is a metal-dependent phosphatase that is essential for the survival of this bacterium in the stationary phase of its life cycle. Here, BaSurE has been biochemically characterized and its crystal structure has been determined to a resolution of 1.9 Å. BaSurE was found to be a robust enzyme, showing activity over wide ranges of temperature and pH and with various phosphoester substrates. The active biomolecule is a tetramer and each monomer was found to consist of two domains: an N-terminal domain, which forms an approximate α + β fold, and a C-terminal domain that belongs to the α/β class. The active site lies at the junction of these two domains and was identified by the presence of conserved negatively charged residues and a bound Mg(2+) ion. Comparisons of BaSurE with its homologues have revealed both common features and differences in this class of enzymes. The number and arrangement of some of the equivalent secondary structures, which are seen to differ between BaSurE and its homologues, are responsible for a difference in the size of the active-site area and the overall oligomeric state of this enzyme in other organisms. As it is absent in mammals, it has the potential to be a drug target.

Evidence that the Entamoeba histolytica Mitochondrial Carrier Family Links Mitosomal and Cytosolic Pathways through Exchange of 3'-Phosphoadenosine 5'-Phosphosulfate and ATP

Entamoeba histolytica, a microaerophilic protozoan parasite, possesses mitosomes. Mitosomes are mitochondrion-related organelles that have largely lost typical mitochondrial functions, such as those involved in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. The biological roles of Entamoeba mitosomes have been a long-standing enigma. We previously demonstrated that sulfate activation, which is not generally compartmentalized to mitochondria, is a major function of E. histolytica mitosomes. Sulfate activation cooperates with cytosolic enzymes, i.e., sulfotransferases (SULTs), for the synthesis of sulfolipids, one of which is cholesteryl sulfate. Notably, cholesteryl sulfate plays an important role in encystation, an essential process in the Entamoeba life cycle. These findings identified a biological role for Entamoeba mitosomes; however, they simultaneously raised a new issue concerning how the reactions of the pathway, separated by the mitosomal membranes, cooperate. Here, we demonstrated that the E. histolytica mitochondrial carrier family (EhMCF) has the capacity to exchange 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) with ATP. We also confirmed the cytosolic localization of all the E. histolytica SULTs, suggesting that in Entamoeba, PAPS, which is produced through mitosomal sulfate activation, is translocated to the cytosol and becomes a substrate for SULTs. In contrast, ATP, which is produced through cytosolic pathways, is translocated into the mitosomes and is a necessary substrate for sulfate activation. Taking our findings collectively, we suggest that EhMCF functions as a PAPS/ATP antiporter and plays a crucial role in linking the mitosomal sulfate activation pathway to cytosolic SULTs for the production of sulfolipids.