DATASW, a tool for HPLC-SAXS data analysis

Molecular basis for different substrate-binding sites and chaperone functions of the BRICHOS domain

Proteins can misfold into fibrillar or amorphous aggregates and molecular chaperones act as crucial guardians against these undesirable processes. The BRICHOS chaperone domain, found in several otherwise unrelated proproteins that contain amyloidogenic regions, effectively inhibits amyloid formation and toxicity but can in some cases also prevent non-fibrillar, amorphous protein aggregation. Here, we elucidate the molecular basis behind the multifaceted chaperone activities of the BRICHOS domain from the Bri2 proprotein. High-confidence AlphaFold2 and RoseTTAFold predictions suggest that the intramolecular amyloidogenic region (Bri23) is part of the hydrophobic core of the proprotein, where it occupies the proposed amyloid binding site, explaining the markedly reduced ability of the proprotein to prevent an exogenous amyloidogenic peptide from aggregating. However, the BRICHOS-Bri23 complex maintains its ability to form large polydisperse oligomers that prevent amorphous protein aggregation. A cryo-EM-derived model of the Bri2 BRICHOS oligomer is compatible with surface-exposed hydrophobic motifs that get exposed and come together during oligomerization, explaining its effects against amorphous aggregation. These findings provide a molecular basis for the BRICHOS chaperone domain function, where distinct surfaces are employed against different forms of protein aggregation.

Recent advances in structural characterization of biomacromolecules in foods via small-angle X-ray scattering

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is a method for examining the solution structure, oligomeric state, conformational changes, and flexibility of biomacromolecules at a scale ranging from a few Angstroms to hundreds of nanometers. Wide time scales ranging from real time (milliseconds) to minutes can be also covered by SAXS. With many advantages, SAXS has been extensively used, it is widely used in the structural characterization of biomacromolecules in food science and technology. However, the application of SAXS in charactering the structure of food biomacromolecules has not been reviewed so far. In the current review, the principle, theoretical calculations and modeling programs are summarized, technical advances in the experimental setups and corresponding applications of in situ capabilities: combination of chromatography, time-resolved, temperature, pressure, flow-through are elaborated. Recent applications of SAXS for monitoring structural properties of biomacromolecules in food including protein, carbohydrate and lipid are also highlighted, and limitations and prospects for developing SAXS based on facility upgraded and artificial intelligence to study the structural properties of biomacromolecules are finally discussed. Future research should focus on extending machine time, simplifying SAXS data treatment, optimizing modeling methods in order to achieve an integrated structural biology based on SAXS as a practical tool for investigating the structure-function relationship of biomacromolecules in food industry.

EFAMIX, a tool to decompose inline chromatography SAXS data from partially overlapping components

Small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) is an established technique for structural analysis of biological macromolecules in solution. During the last decade, inline chromatography setups coupling SAXS with size exclusion (SEC‐SAXS) or ion exchange (IEC‐SAXS) have become popular in the community. These setups allow one to separate individual components in the sample and to record SAXS data from isolated fractions, which is extremely important for subsequent data interpretation, analysis, and structural modeling. However, in case of partially overlapping elution peaks, inline chromatography SAXS may still yield scattering profiles from mixtures of components. The deconvolution of these scattering data into the individual fractions is nontrivial and potentially ambiguous. We describe a cross‐platform computer program, EFAMIX, for restoring the scattering and concentration profiles of the components based on the evolving factor analysis (EFA). The efficiency of the program is demonstrated in a number of simulated and experimental SEC‐SAXS data sets. Sensitivity and limitations of the method are explored, and its applicability to IEC‐SAXS data is discussed. EFAMIX requires minimal user intervention and is available to academic users through the program package ATSAS as from release 3.1.

Multi-scale ensemble properties of the Escherichia coli RNA degradosome

In organisms from all domains of life, multi-enzyme assemblies play central roles in defining transcript lifetimes and facilitating RNA-mediated regulation of gene expression. An assembly dedicated to such roles, known as the RNA degradosome, is found amongst bacteria from highly diverse lineages. About a fifth of the assembly mass of the degradosome of Escherichia coli and related species is predicted to be intrinsically disordered - a property that has been sustained for over a billion years of bacterial molecular history and stands in marked contrast to the high degree of sequence variation of that same region. Here, we characterize the conformational dynamics of the degradosome using a hybrid structural biology approach that combines solution scattering with ad hoc ensemble modelling, cryo-electron microscopy, and other biophysical methods. The E. coli degradosome can form punctate bodies in vivo that may facilitate its functional activities, and based on our results, we propose an electrostatic switch model to account for the propensity of the degradosome to undergo programmable puncta formation.

Megabodies expand the nanobody toolkit for protein structure determination by single-particle cryo-EM

Nanobodies are popular and versatile tools for structural biology. They have a compact single immunoglobulin domain organization, bind target proteins with high affinities while reducing their conformational heterogeneity and stabilize multi-protein complexes. Here we demonstrate that engineered nanobodies can also help overcome two major obstacles that limit the resolution of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy reconstructions: particle size and preferential orientation at the water-air interfaces. We have developed and characterized constructs, termed megabodies, by grafting nanobodies onto selected protein scaffolds to increase their molecular weight while retaining the full antigen-binding specificity and affinity. We show that the megabody design principles are applicable to different scaffold proteins and recognition domains of compatible geometries and are amenable for efficient selection from yeast display libraries. Moreover, we demonstrate that megabodies can be used to obtain three-dimensional reconstructions for membrane proteins that suffer from severe preferential orientation or are otherwise too small to allow accurate particle alignment.

Structural basis of SALM3 dimerization and synaptic adhesion complex formation with PTPσ

Synaptic adhesion molecules play an important role in the formation, maintenance and refinement of neuronal connectivity. Recently, several leucine rich repeat (LRR) domain containing neuronal adhesion molecules have been characterized including netrin G-ligands, SLITRKs and the synaptic adhesion-like molecules (SALMs). Dysregulation of these adhesion molecules have been genetically and functionally linked to various neurological disorders. Here we investigated the molecular structure and mechanism of ligand interactions for the postsynaptic SALM3 adhesion protein with its presynaptic ligand, receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase σ (PTPσ). We solved the crystal structure of the dimerized LRR domain of SALM3, revealing the conserved structural features and mechanism of dimerization. Furthermore, we determined the complex structure of SALM3 with PTPσ using small angle X-ray scattering, revealing a 2:2 complex similar to that observed for SALM5. Solution studies unraveled additional flexibility for the complex structure, but validated the uniform mode of action for SALM3 and SALM5 to promote synapse formation. The relevance of the key interface residues was further confirmed by mutational analysis with cellular binding assays and artificial synapse formation assays. Collectively, our results suggest that SALM3 dimerization is a pre-requisite for the SALM3-PTPσ complex to exert synaptogenic activity.

Structure and catalytic regulation of Plasmodium falciparum IMP specific nucleotidase

Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) relies solely on the salvage pathway for its purine nucleotide requirements, making this pathway indispensable to the parasite. Purine nucleotide levels are regulated by anabolic processes and by nucleotidases that hydrolyse these metabolites into nucleosides. Certain apicomplexan parasites, including Pf, have an IMP-specific-nucleotidase 1 (ISN1). Here we show, by comprehensive substrate screening, that PfISN1 catalyzes the dephosphorylation of inosine monophosphate (IMP) and is allosterically activated by ATP. Crystal structures of tetrameric PfISN1 reveal complex rearrangements of domain organization tightly associated with catalysis. Immunofluorescence microscopy and expression of GFP-fused protein indicate cytosolic localization of PfISN1 and expression in asexual and gametocyte stages of the parasite. With earlier evidence on isn1 upregulation in female gametocytes, the structures reported in this study may contribute to initiate the design for possible transmission-blocking agents.

Plasmodium falciparum IMP-specific 5′-nucleotidase 1 (PfISN1) is of interest as a potential malaria drug target. Here, the authors report that IMP is a substrate, and ATP an allosteric activator, of PfISN1 and present PfISN1 crystal structures in the ligand-free state and bound to either IMP or ATP.

Structures of influenza A virus RNA polymerase offer insight into viral genome replication

Influenza A viruses are responsible for seasonal epidemics, and pandemics can arise from the transmission of novel zoonotic influenza A viruses to humans1,2. Influenza A viruses contain a segmented negative-sense RNA genome, which is transcribed and replicated by the viral-RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (FluPolA) composed of PB1, PB2 and PA subunits3-5. Although the high-resolution crystal structure of FluPolA of bat influenza A virus has previously been reported6, there are no complete structures available for human and avian FluPolA. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms of genomic viral RNA (vRNA) replication-which proceeds through a complementary RNA (cRNA) replicative intermediate, and requires oligomerization of the polymerase7-10-remain largely unknown. Here, using crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, we determine the structures of FluPolA from human influenza A/NT/60/1968 (H3N2) and avian influenza A/duck/Fujian/01/2002 (H5N1) viruses at a resolution of 3.0-4.3 Å, in the presence or absence of a cRNA or vRNA template. In solution, FluPolA forms dimers of heterotrimers through the C-terminal domain of the PA subunit, the thumb subdomain of PB1 and the N1 subdomain of PB2. The cryo-electron microscopy structure of monomeric FluPolA bound to the cRNA template reveals a binding site for the 3' cRNA at the dimer interface. We use a combination of cell-based and in vitro assays to show that the interface of the FluPolA dimer is required for vRNA synthesis during replication of the viral genome. We also show that a nanobody (a single-domain antibody) that interferes with FluPolA dimerization inhibits the synthesis of vRNA and, consequently, inhibits virus replication in infected cells. Our study provides high-resolution structures of medically relevant FluPolA, as well as insights into the replication mechanisms of the viral RNA genome. In addition, our work identifies sites in FluPolA that could be targeted in the development of antiviral drugs.

The domain architecture of the protozoan protein J-DNA-binding protein 1 suggests synergy between base J DNA binding and thymidine hydroxylase activity

J-DNA-binding protein 1 (JBP1) contributes to the biosynthesis and maintenance of base J (β-d-glucosyl-hydroxymethyluracil), an epigenetic modification of thymidine (T) confined to pathogenic protozoa such as Trypanosoma and Leishmania JBP1 has two known functional domains: an N-terminal T hydroxylase (TH) homologous to the 5-methylcytosine hydroxylase domain in TET proteins and a J-DNA-binding domain (JDBD) that resides in the middle of JBP1. Here, we show that removing JDBD from JBP1 results in a soluble protein (Δ-JDBD) with the N- and C-terminal regions tightly associated together in a well-ordered structure. We found that this Δ-JDBD domain retains TH activity in vitro but displays a 15-fold lower apparent rate of hydroxylation compared with JBP1. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments on JBP1 and JDBD in the presence or absence of J-DNA and on Δ-JDBD enabled us to generate low-resolution three-dimensional models. We conclude that Δ-JDBD, and not the N-terminal region of JBP1 alone, is a distinct folding unit. Our SAXS-based model supports the notion that binding of JDBD specifically to J-DNA can facilitate T hydroxylation 12-14 bp downstream on the complementary strand of the J-recognition site. We postulate that insertion of the JDBD module into the Δ-JDBD scaffold during evolution provided a mechanism that synergized J recognition and T hydroxylation, ensuring inheritance of base J in specific sequence patterns following DNA replication in kinetoplastid parasites.

The structure of SALM5 suggests a dimeric assembly for the presynaptic RPTP ligand recognition

Synaptic adhesion molecules play a crucial role in the regulation of synapse development and maintenance. Recently, several families of leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain-containing neuronal adhesion molecules have been characterised, including netrin-G ligands, LRRTMs and the synaptic adhesion-like molecule (SALM) family proteins. Most of these are expressed at the excitatory glutamatergic synapses, and dysfunctions of these genes are genetically linked with cognitive disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. The SALM family proteins SALM3 and SALM5, similar to SLITRKs, have been shown to bind to the presynaptic receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase (RPTP) family ligands. Here, we present the 3.1 Å crystal structure of the SALM5 LRR-Ig-domain construct and biophysical studies that verify the crystallographic results. We show that SALM1, SALM3 and SALM5 form similar dimeric structures, in which the LRR domains form the dimer interface. Both SALM3 and SALM5 bind to RPTP immunoglobulin domains with micromolar affinity. SALM3 shows a clear preference for the RPTP ligands with the meB splice insert. Our structural studies and sequence conservation analysis suggests a ligand-binding site and mechanism for RPTP binding via the dimeric LRR domain region.

Structure and nucleotide-induced conformational dynamics of the Chlorobium tepidum Roco protein

The LRR (leucine-rich repeat)-Roc (Ras of complex proteins)-COR (C-terminal of Roc) domains are central to the action of nearly all Roco proteins, including the Parkinson's disease-associated protein LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase 2). We previously demonstrated that the Roco protein from Chlorobium tepidum (CtRoco) undergoes a dimer-monomer cycle during the GTPase reaction, with the protein being mainly dimeric in the nucleotide-free and GDP (guanosine-5'-diphosphate)-bound states and monomeric in the GTP (guanosine-5'-triphosphate)-bound state. Here, we report a crystal structure of CtRoco in the nucleotide-free state showing for the first time the arrangement of the LRR-Roc-COR. This structure reveals a compact dimeric arrangement and shows an unanticipated intimate interaction between the Roc GTPase domains in the dimer interface, involving residues from the P-loop, the switch II loop, the G4 region and a loop which we named the 'Roc dimerization loop'. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled to mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) is subsequently used to highlight structural alterations induced by individual steps along the GTPase cycle. The structure and HDX-MS data propose a pathway linking nucleotide binding to monomerization and relaying the conformational changes via the Roc switch II to the LRR and COR domains. Together, this work provides important new insights in the regulation of the Roco proteins.

Machine Learning Methods for X-Ray Scattering Data Analysis from Biomacromolecular Solutions

Small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) of biological macromolecules in solutions is a widely employed method in structural biology. SAXS patterns include information about the overall shape and low-resolution structure of dissolved particles. Here, we describe how to transform experimental SAXS patterns to feature vectors and how a simple k-nearest neighbor approach is able to retrieve information on overall particle shape and maximal diameter (Dmax) as well as molecular mass directly from experimental scattering data. Based on this transformation, we develop a rapid multiclass shape-classification ranging from compact, extended, and flat categories to hollow and random-chain-like objects. This classification may be employed, e.g., as a decision block in automated data analysis pipelines. Further, we map protein structures from the Protein Data Bank into the classification space and, in a second step, use this mapping as a data source to obtain accurate estimates for the structural parameters (Dmax, molecular mass) of the macromolecule under study based on the experimental scattering pattern alone, without inverse Fourier transform for Dmax. All methods presented are implemented in a Fortran binary DATCLASS, part of the ATSAS data analysis suite, available on Linux, Mac, and Windows and free for academic use.

Recent developments in small-angle X-ray scattering and hybrid method approaches for biomacromolecular solutions

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) has become a streamline method to characterize biological macromolecules, from small peptides to supramolecular complexes, in near-native solutions. Modern SAXS requires limited amounts of purified material, without the need for labelling, crystallization, or freezing. Dedicated beamlines at modern synchrotron sources yield high-quality data within or below several milliseconds of exposure time and are highly automated, allowing for rapid structural screening under different solutions and ambient conditions but also for time-resolved studies of biological processes. The advanced data analysis methods allow one to meaningfully interpret the scattering data from monodisperse systems, from transient complexes as well as flexible and heterogeneous systems in terms of structural models. Especially powerful are hybrid approaches utilizing SAXS with high-resolution structural techniques, but also with biochemical, biophysical, and computational methods. Here, we review the recent developments in the experimental SAXS practice and in analysis methods with a specific focus on the joint use of SAXS with complementary methods.

Recent advances in the UltraScan SOlution MOdeller (US-SOMO) hydrodynamic and small-angle scattering data analysis and simulation suite

The UltraScan SOlution MOdeller (US-SOMO) is a comprehensive, public domain, open-source suite of computer programs centred on hydrodynamic modelling and small-angle scattering (SAS) data analysis and simulation. We describe here the advances that have been implemented since its last official release (#3087, 2017), which are available from release #3141 for Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems. A major effort has been the transition from the legacy Qt3 cross platform software development and user interface library to the modern Qt5 release. Apart from improved graphical support, this has allowed the direct implementation of the newest, almost two-orders of magnitude faster version of the ZENO hydrodynamic computation algorithm for all operating systems. Coupled with the SoMo-generated bead models with overlaps, ZENO provides the most accurate translational friction computations from atomic-level structures available (Rocco and Byron Eur Biophys J 44:417-431, 2015a), with computational times comparable with or faster than those of other methods. In addition, it has allowed us to introduce the direct representation of each atom in a structure as a (hydrated) bead, opening interesting new modelling possibilities. In the small-angle scattering (SAS) part of the suite, an indirect Fourier transform Bayesian algorithm has been implemented for the computation of the pairwise distance distribution function from SAS data. Finally, the SAS HPLC module, recently upgraded with improved baseline correction and Gaussian decomposition of not baseline-resolved peaks and with advanced statistical evaluation tools (Brookes et al. J Appl Cryst 49:1827-1841, 2016), now allows automatic top-peak frame selection and averaging.

Analysis of the natively unstructured RNA/protein-recognition core in the Escherichia coli RNA degradosome and its interactions with regulatory RNA/Hfq complexes

The RNA degradosome is a multi-enzyme assembly that plays a central role in the RNA metabolism of Escherichia coli and numerous other bacterial species including pathogens. At the core of the assembly is the endoribonuclease RNase E, one of the largest E. coli proteins and also one that bears the greatest region predicted to be natively unstructured. This extensive unstructured region, situated in the C-terminal half of RNase E, is punctuated with conserved short linear motifs that recruit partner proteins, direct RNA interactions, and enable association with the cytoplasmic membrane. We have structurally characterized a subassembly of the degradosome-comprising a 248-residue segment of the natively unstructured part of RNase E, the DEAD-box helicase RhlB and the glycolytic enzyme enolase, and provide evidence that it serves as a flexible recognition centre that can co-recruit small regulatory RNA and the RNA chaperone Hfq. Our results support a model in which the degradosome captures substrates and regulatory RNAs through the recognition centre, facilitates pairing to cognate transcripts and presents the target to the ribonuclease active sites of the greater assembly for cooperative degradation or processing.

A homologue of the Parkinson's disease-associated protein LRRK2 undergoes a monomer-dimer transition during GTP turnover

Mutations in LRRK2 are a common cause of genetic Parkinson's disease (PD). LRRK2 is a multi-domain Roco protein, harbouring kinase and GTPase activity. In analogy with a bacterial homologue, LRRK2 was proposed to act as a GTPase activated by dimerization (GAD), while recent reports suggest LRRK2 to exist under a monomeric and dimeric form in vivo. It is however unknown how LRRK2 oligomerization is regulated. Here, we show that oligomerization of a homologous bacterial Roco protein depends on the nucleotide load. The protein is mainly dimeric in the nucleotide-free and GDP-bound states, while it forms monomers upon GTP binding, leading to a monomer-dimer cycle during GTP hydrolysis. An analogue of a PD-associated mutation stabilizes the dimer and decreases the GTPase activity. This work thus provides insights into the conformational cycle of Roco proteins and suggests a link between oligomerization and disease-associated mutations in LRRK2.

BioXTAS RAW: improvements to a free open-source program for small-angle X-ray scattering data reduction and analysis

BioXTAS RAW is a graphical-user-interface-based free open-source Python program for reduction and analysis of small-angle X-ray solution scattering (SAXS) data. The software is designed for biological SAXS data and enables creation and plotting of one-dimensional scattering profiles from two-dimensional detector images, standard data operations such as averaging and subtraction and analysis of radius of gyration and molecular weight, and advanced analysis such as calculation of inverse Fourier transforms and envelopes. It also allows easy processing of inline size-exclusion chromatography coupled SAXS data and data deconvolution using the evolving factor analysis method. It provides an alternative to closed-source programs such as Primus and ScÅtter for primary data analysis. Because it can calibrate, mask and integrate images it also provides an alternative to synchrotron beamline pipelines that scientists can install on their own computers and use both at home and at the beamline.

Regulator-dependent mechanisms of C3b processing by factor I allow differentiation of immune responses

The complement system labels microbes and host debris for clearance. Degradation of surface-bound C3b is pivotal to direct immune responses and protect host cells. How the serine protease factor I (FI), assisted by regulators, cleaves either two or three distant peptide bonds in the CUB domain of C3b remains unclear. We present a crystal structure of C3b in complex with FI and regulator factor H (FH; domains 1-4 with 19-20). FI binds C3b-FH between FH domains 2 and 3 and a reoriented C3b C-terminal domain and docks onto the first scissile bond, while stabilizing its catalytic domain for proteolytic activity. One cleavage in C3b does not affect its overall structure, whereas two cleavages unfold CUB and dislodge the thioester-containing domain (TED), affecting binding of regulators and thereby determining the number of cleavages. These data explain how FI generates late-stage opsonins iC3b or C3dg in a context-dependent manner, to react to foreign, danger or healthy self signals.

ATSAS 2.8: a comprehensive data analysis suite for small-angle scattering from macromolecular solutions

Developments and improvements of the ATSAS software suite (versions 2.5–2.8) for analysis of small-angle scattering data of biological macromolecules or nanoparticles are described.

ATSAS is a comprehensive software suite for the analysis of small-angle scattering data from dilute solutions of biological macromolecules or nanoparticles. It contains applications for primary data processing and assessment, ab initio bead modelling, and model validation, as well as methods for the analysis of flexibility and mixtures. In addition, approaches are supported that utilize information from X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy or atomistic homology modelling to construct hybrid models based on the scattering data. This article summarizes the progress made during the 2.5–2.8 ATSAS release series and highlights the latest developments. These include AMBIMETER, an assessment of the reconstruction ambiguity of experimental data; DATCLASS, a multiclass shape classification based on experimental data; SASRES, for estimating the resolution of ab initio model reconstructions; CHROMIXS, a convenient interface to analyse in-line size exclusion chromatography data; SHANUM, to evaluate the useful angular range in measured data; SREFLEX, to refine available high-resolution models using normal mode analysis; SUPALM for a rapid superposition of low- and high-resolution models; and SASPy, the ATSAS plugin for interactive modelling in PyMOL. All these features and other improvements are included in the ATSAS release 2.8, freely available for academic users from https://www.embl-hamburg.de/biosaxs/software.html.

N-terminal half of transportin SR2 interacts with HIV integrase

The karyopherin transportin SR2 (TRN-SR2, TNPO3) is responsible for shuttling specific cargoes such as serine/arginine-rich splicing factors from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. This protein plays a key role in HIV infection by facilitating the nuclear import of the pre-integration complex (PIC) that contains the viral DNA as well as several cellular and HIV proteins, including the integrase. The process of nuclear import is considered to be the bottleneck of the viral replication cycle and therefore represents a promising target for anti-HIV drug design. Previous studies have demonstrated that the direct interaction between TRN-SR2 and HIV integrase predominantly involves the catalytic core domain (CCD) and the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the integrase. We aimed at providing a detailed molecular view of this interaction through a biochemical characterization of the respective protein complex. Size-exclusion chromatography was used to characterize the interaction of TRN-SR2 with a truncated variant of the HIV-1 integrase, including both the CCD and CTD. These experiments indicate that one TRN-SR2 molecule can specifically bind one CCD-CTD dimer. Next, the regions of the solenoid-like TRN-SR2 molecule that are involved in the interaction with integrase were identified using AlphaScreen binding assays, revealing that the integrase interacts with the N-terminal half of TRN-SR2 principally through the HEAT repeats 4, 10, and 11. Combining these results with small-angle X-ray scattering data for the complex of TRN-SR2 with truncated integrase, we propose a molecular model of the complex. We speculate that nuclear import of the PIC may proceed concurrently with the normal nuclear transport.

Molecular mechanism governing ratio-dependent transcription regulation in the ccdAB operon

Bacteria can become transiently tolerant to several classes of antibiotics. This phenomenon known as persistence is regulated by small genetic elements called toxin-antitoxin modules with intricate yet often poorly understood self-regulatory features. Here, we describe the structures of molecular complexes and interactions that drive the transcription regulation of the ccdAB toxin-antitoxin module. Low specificity and affinity of the antitoxin CcdA2 for individual binding sites on the operator are enhanced by the toxin CcdB2, which bridges the CcdA2 dimers. This results in a unique extended repressing complex that spirals around the operator and presents equally spaced DNA binding sites. The multivalency of binding sites induces a digital on-off switch for transcription, regulated by the toxin:antitoxin ratio. The ratio at which this switch occurs is modulated by non-specific interactions with the excess chromosomal DNA. Altogether, we present the molecular mechanisms underlying the ratio-dependent transcriptional regulation of the ccdAB operon.

Structural and biochemical analysis of Escherichia coli ObgE, a central regulator of bacterial persistence

The Obg protein family belongs to the TRAFAC (translation factor) class of P-loop GTPases and is conserved from bacteria to eukaryotes. Essential roles in many different cellular processes have been suggested for the Obg protein from Escherichia coli (ObgE), and we recently showed that it is a central regulator of bacterial persistence. Here, we report the first crystal structure of ObgE at 1.85-Å resolution in the GDP-bound state, showing the characteristic N-terminal domain and a central G domain that are common to all Obg proteins. ObgE also contains an intrinsically disordered C-terminal domain, and we show here that this domain specifically contributed to GTP binding, whereas it did not influence GDP binding or GTP hydrolysis. Biophysical analysis, using small angle X-ray scattering and multi-angle light scattering experiments, revealed that ObgE is a monomer in solution, regardless of the bound nucleotide. In contrast to recent suggestions, our biochemical analyses further indicate that ObgE is neither activated by K⁺ ions nor by homodimerization. However, the ObgE GTPase activity was stimulated upon binding to the ribosome, confirming the ribosome-dependent GTPase activity of the Obg family. Combined, our data represent an important step toward further unraveling the detailed molecular mechanism of ObgE, which might pave the way to further studies into how this GTPase regulates bacterial physiology, including persistence.

A Successful Combination: Coupling SE-HPLC with SAXS

A monodispersed and ideal solution is a central (unique?) requirement of SAXS to allow one to extract structural information from the recorded pattern. On-line Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) marked a major breakthrough, separating particles present in solution according to their size. Identical frames under an elution peak can be averaged and further processed free from contamination. However, this is not always straightforward, separation is often incomplete and software have been developed to deconvolve the contributions from the different species (molecules or oligomeric forms) within the sample. In this chapter, we present the general workflow of a SEC-SAXS experiment. We present recent instrumental and data analysis improvements that have improved the quality of recorded data, extended its potential and turn it into a mainstream approach. We describe into some details two specific applications of SEC-SAXS that provide more than just separating associated forms from the particle of interest.

US-SOMO HPLC-SAXS module: dealing with capillary fouling and extraction of pure component patterns from poorly resolved SEC-SAXS data

The US-SOMO HPLC-SAXS (high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with small-angle X-ray scattering) module is an advanced tool for the comprehensive analysis of SEC-SAXS (size-exclusion chromatography coupled with SAXS) data. It includes baseline and band-broadening correction routines, and Gaussian decomposition of overlapping skewed peaks into pure components.

Size-exclusion chromatography coupled with SAXS (small-angle X-ray scattering), often performed using a flow-through capillary, should allow direct collection of monodisperse sample data. However, capillary fouling issues and non-baseline-resolved peaks can hamper its efficacy. The UltraScan solution modeler (US-SOMO) HPLC-SAXS (high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with SAXS) module provides a comprehensive framework to analyze such data, starting with a simple linear baseline correction and symmetrical Gaussian decomposition tools [Brookes, Pérez, Cardinali, Profumo, Vachette & Rocco (2013 ▸). J. Appl. Cryst.46, 1823–1833]. In addition to several new features, substantial improvements to both routines have now been implemented, comprising the evaluation of outcomes by advanced statistical tools. The novel integral baseline-correction procedure is based on the more sound assumption that the effect of capillary fouling on scattering increases monotonically with the intensity scattered by the material within the X-ray beam. Overlapping peaks, often skewed because of sample interaction with the column matrix, can now be accurately decomposed using non-symmetrical modified Gaussian functions. As an example, the case of a polydisperse solution of aldolase is analyzed: from heavily convoluted peaks, individual SAXS profiles of tetramers, octamers and dodecamers are extracted and reliably modeled.

A unique hetero-hexadecameric architecture displayed by the Escherichia coli O157 PaaA2-ParE2 antitoxin-toxin complex

Many bacterial pathogens modulate their metabolic activity, virulence and pathogenicity through so-called "toxin-antitoxin" (TA) modules. The genome of the human pathogen Escherichia coli O157 contains two three-component TA modules related to the known parDE module. Here, we show that the toxin EcParE2 maps in a branch of the RelE/ParE toxin superfamily that is distinct from the branches that contain verified gyrase and ribosome inhibitors. The structure of EcParE2 closely resembles that of Caulobacter crescentus ParE but shows a distinct pattern of conserved surface residues, in agreement with its apparent inability to interact with GyrA. The antitoxin EcPaaA2 is characterized by two α-helices (H1 and H2) that serve as molecular recognition elements to wrap itself around EcParE2. Both EcPaaA2 H1 and H2 are required to sustain a high-affinity interaction with EcParE2 and for the inhibition of EcParE2-mediated killing in vivo. Furthermore, evidence demonstrates that EcPaaA2 H2, but not H1, determines specificity for EcParE2. The initially formed EcPaaA2-EcParE2 heterodimer then assembles into a hetero-hexadecamer, which is stable in solution and is formed in a highly cooperative manner. Together these findings provide novel data on quaternary structure, TA interactions and activity of a hitherto poorly characterized family of TA modules.