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Biswas S, Hossen MR, Akter S, Ali MA, Halim MA, Ullah MO. Structural dynamics and functional analysis of Saprolegnia parasitica chitin synthases 5 in a phospholipid bilayer. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:461-474. [PMID: 36995127 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2193993] [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: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Saprolegnia parasitica is an oomycete responsible for a fish disease called saprolegniosis, which poses an economic and environmental burden on aquaculture production. In Saprolegnia, CHS5 of S. parasitica (SpCHS5) contains an N-terminal domain, a catalytic domain of the glycosyltransferase -2 family containing a GT-A fold, and a C-terminal transmembrane domain. No three-dimensional structure of SpCHS5 is reported yet disclosing the structural details of this protein. We have developed a structural model of full-length SpCHS5 and validated it by molecular dynamics simulation technique. From the 1 microsecond simulations, we retrieved the stable RoseTTAFold model SpCHS5 protein to explain characteristics and structural features. Furthermore, from the analysis of the movement of chitin in the protein cavity, we assumed that ARG 482, GLN 527, PHE 529, PHE 530, LEU 540, SER 541, TYR 544, ASN 634, THR 641, TYR 645, THR 641, ASN 772 residues as a main cavity lining site. In SMD analysis, we investigated the opening of the transmembrane cavity required for chitin translocation. The pulling of chitin from the internal cavity to the extracellular region was observed through steered molecular dynamics simulations. A comparison of the initial and final structures of chitin complex showed that there's a transmembrane cavity opening in the simulations. Overall, this present work will help us understand the structural and functional basis of CHS5 and design inhibitors against SpCHS5.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sourav Biswas
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Computer-Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Md Rubel Hossen
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Computer-Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shaila Akter
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Computer-Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Ackas Ali
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Computer-Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
| | - Mohammad A Halim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
| | - M Obayed Ullah
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Computer-Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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Chen W, Cao P, Liu Y, Yu A, Wang D, Chen L, Sundarraj R, Yuchi Z, Gong Y, Merzendorfer H, Yang Q. Structural basis for directional chitin biosynthesis. Nature 2022; 610:402-408. [PMID: 36131020 PMCID: PMC9556331 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05244-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Chitin, the most abundant aminopolysaccharide in nature, is an extracellular polymer consisting of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) units1. The key reactions of chitin biosynthesis are catalysed by chitin synthase2-4, a membrane-integrated glycosyltransferase that transfers GlcNAc from UDP-GlcNAc to a growing chitin chain. However, the precise mechanism of this process has yet to be elucidated. Here we report five cryo-electron microscopy structures of a chitin synthase from the devastating soybean root rot pathogenic oomycete Phytophthora sojae (PsChs1). They represent the apo, GlcNAc-bound, nascent chitin oligomer-bound, UDP-bound (post-synthesis) and chitin synthase inhibitor nikkomycin Z-bound states of the enzyme, providing detailed views into the multiple steps of chitin biosynthesis and its competitive inhibition. The structures reveal the chitin synthesis reaction chamber that has the substrate-binding site, the catalytic centre and the entrance to the polymer-translocating channel that allows the product polymer to be discharged. This arrangement reflects consecutive key events in chitin biosynthesis from UDP-GlcNAc binding and polymer elongation to the release of the product. We identified a swinging loop within the chitin-translocating channel, which acts as a 'gate lock' that prevents the substrate from leaving while directing the product polymer into the translocating channel for discharge to the extracellular side of the cell membrane. This work reveals the directional multistep mechanism of chitin biosynthesis and provides a structural basis for inhibition of chitin synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Peng Cao
- Faculty of Environment and Life, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yuansheng Liu
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Ailing Yu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dong Wang
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Rajamanikandan Sundarraj
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery and High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhiguang Yuchi
- Tianjin Key Laboratory for Modern Drug Delivery and High-Efficiency, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yong Gong
- Center for Multi-disciplinary Research, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Hans Merzendorfer
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, School of Science and Technology, University of Siegen, Siegen, Germany
| | - Qing Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China.
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Brown C, Patrick J, Liebau J, Mäler L. The MIT domain of chitin synthase 1 from the oomycete Saprolegnia monoica interacts specifically with phosphatidic acid. Biochem Biophys Rep 2022; 30:101229. [PMID: 35198741 PMCID: PMC8851075 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2022.101229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Chitin synthases are vital for growth in certain oomycetes as chitin is an essential component in the cell wall of these species. In Saprolegnia monoica, two chitin synthases have been found, and both contain a Microtubule Interacting and Trafficking (MIT) domain. The MIT domain has been implicated in lipid interaction, which in turn may be of significance for targeting of chitin synthases to the plasma membrane. In this work we have investigated the lipid interacting properties of the MIT domain from chitin synthase 1 in Saprolegnia monoica. We show by fluorescence spectroscopy techniques that the MIT domain interacts preferentially with phosphatidic acid (PA), while it does not interact with phosphatidylglycerol (PG) or phosphatidylcholine (PC). These results strongly suggest that the specific properties of PA are required for membrane interaction of the MIT domain. PA is negatively charged, binds basic side chains with high affinity and its small headgroup gives rise to membrane packing defects that enable intercalation of hydrophobic amino acids. We propose a mode of lipid interaction that involves a combination of basic amino acid residues and Trp residues that anchor the MIT domain specifically to bilayers that contain PA. MIT from chitin synthase 1 in S. monoica interacts specifically with PA. Interactions with lipids is does not depend only on charge. MIT does not alter its structure in response to lipids. Specific interaction with PA suggests a role for MIT in trafficking or insertion of chitin synthase 1.
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Rzeszutek E, Díaz-Moreno SM, Bulone V. Identification and Characterization of the Chitin Synthase Genes From the Fish Pathogen Saprolegnia parasitica. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2873. [PMID: 31921051 PMCID: PMC6923183 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Saprolegnia parasitica is a pathogenic oomycete responsible for severe fish infections. Despite its low abundance in the cell wall of S. parasitica, chitin is essential for hyphal growth as the inhibition of its biosynthesis leads to highly reduced growth. Here we identified and characterized chitin synthases (CHS) from S. parasitica as potential targets for anti-oomycete drugs. Bioinformatics analyses allowed the identification of six different putative Chs genes in the genome of the pathogen. The total number of genes was confirmed by Southern blot analysis and their expression levels were determined by quantitative PCR. Four of the six Chs genes were expressed in the mycelium, while the two others exhibited undetectable levels of expression. The mycelium was highly sensitive to the addition of nikkomycin Z (NZ) in the culture medium, which led to a decreased amount of chitin in the cell wall by up to 40% in the conditions tested, and to the formation of abnormal branching structures in the hyphae. The presence of NZ increased the expression level of one of the genes, Chs3, suggesting that the corresponding product is compensating the disruption of chitin biosynthesis in the hyphae. In addition, the activity of isolated CHS was strongly inhibited by NZ in vitro. Altogether our data indicate the importance of CHS for the vegetative growth of S. parasitica and demonstrate that these enzymes represent promising targets for the control of diseases caused by oomycetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elzbieta Rzeszutek
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sara M Díaz-Moreno
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vincent Bulone
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, Stockholm, Sweden.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, The University of Adelaide, Urrbrae, SA, Australia
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Diversity and evolution of chitin synthases in oomycetes (Straminipila: Oomycota). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2019; 139:106558. [PMID: 31288106 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2019.106558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The oomycetes are filamentous eukaryotic microorganisms, distinct from true fungi, many of which act as crop or fish pathogens that cause devastating losses in agriculture and aquaculture. Chitin is present in all true fungi, but it occurs in only small amounts in some Saprolegniomycetes and it is absent in Peronosporomycetes. However, the growth of several oomycetes is severely impacted by competitive chitin synthase (CHS) inhibitors. Here, we shed light on the diversity, evolution and function of oomycete CHS proteins. We show by phylogenetic analysis of 93 putative CHSs from 48 highly diverse oomycetes, including the early diverging Eurychasma dicksonii, that all available oomycete genomes contain at least one putative CHS gene. All gene products contain conserved CHS motifs essential for enzymatic activity and form two Peronosporomycete-specific and six Saprolegniale-specific clades. Proteins of all clades, except one, contain an N-terminal microtubule interacting and trafficking (MIT) domain as predicted by protein domain databases or manual analysis, which is supported by homology modelling and comparison of conserved structural features from sequence logos. We identified at least three groups of CHSs conserved among all oomycete lineages and used phylogenetic reconciliation analysis to infer the dynamic evolution of CHSs in oomycetes. The evolutionary aspects of CHS diversity in modern-day oomycetes are discussed. In addition, we observed hyphal tip rupture in Phytophthora infestans upon treatment with the CHS inhibitor nikkomycin Z. Combining data on phylogeny, gene expression, and response to CHS inhibitors, we propose the association of different CHS clades with certain developmental stages.
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