Discovery of a Potent Chloroacetamide GPX4 Inhibitor with Bioavailability to Enable Target Engagement in Mice, a Potential Tool Compound for Inducing Ferroptosis In Vivo

Compounds that inhibit glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) hold promise as cancer therapeutics in their ability to induce a form of nonapoptotic cell death called ferroptosis. Our research identified 24, a structural analog of the potent GPX4 inhibitor RSL3, that has much better plasma stability (t_1/2 > 5 h in mouse plasma). The bioavailability of 24 provided efficacious plasma drug concentrations with IP dosing, thus enabling in vivo studies to assess tolerability and efficacy. An efficacy study in mouse using a GPX4-sensitive tumor model found that doses of 24 up to 50 mg/kg were tolerated for 20 days but had no effect on tumor growth, although partial target engagement was observed in tumor homogenate.

Total Synthesis of Sanctolide A and Formal Synthesis of (2S)-Sanctolide A

Two synthetic strategies employing phosphate tether-mediated one-pot sequential protocols for the total synthesis of the polyketide nonribosomal peptide macrolide, sanctolide A, and the formal synthesis of the (2S)-epimer of sanctolide A are reported. In this work, a phosphate tether-mediated one-pot sequential ring-closing metathesis/cross metathesis/substrate-controlled "H2"/tether removal approach was developed to accomplish the total synthesis of the natural product sanctolide A.

Tetracycline-inactivating enzymes from environmental, human commensal, and pathogenic bacteria cause broad-spectrum tetracycline resistance

Tetracycline resistance by antibiotic inactivation was first identified in commensal organisms but has since been reported in environmental and pathogenic microbes. Here, we identify and characterize an expanded pool of tet(X)-like genes in environmental and human commensal metagenomes via inactivation by antibiotic selection of metagenomic libraries. These genes formed two distinct clades according to habitat of origin, and resistance phenotypes were similarly correlated. Each gene isolated from the human gut encodes resistance to all tetracyclines tested, including eravacycline and omadacycline. We report a biochemical and structural characterization of one enzyme, Tet(X7). Further, we identify Tet(X7) in a clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate and demonstrate its contribution to tetracycline resistance. Lastly, we show anhydrotetracycline and semi-synthetic analogues inhibit Tet(X7) to prevent enzymatic tetracycline degradation and increase tetracycline efficacy against strains expressing tet(X7). This work improves our understanding of resistance by tetracycline-inactivation and provides the foundation for an inhibition-based strategy for countering resistance.

Semisynthetic Analogues of Anhydrotetracycline as Inhibitors of Tetracycline Destructase Enzymes

The synthesis and biological evaluation of semisynthetic anhydrotetracycline analogues as small molecule inhibitors of tetracycline-inactivating enzymes are reported. Inhibitor potency was found to vary as a function of enzyme (major) and substrate-inhibitor pair (minor), and anhydrotetracycline analogue stability to enzymatic and nonenzymatic degradation in solution contributes to their ability to rescue tetracycline activity in whole cell Escherichia coli expressing tetracycline destructase enzymes. Taken collectively, these results provide the framework for the rational design of next-generation inhibitor libraries en route to a viable and proactive adjuvant approach to combat the enzymatic degradation of tetracycline antibiotics.

Tetracycline-Inactivating Enzymes

Tetracyclines have been foundational antibacterial agents for more than 70 years. Renewed interest in tetracycline antibiotics is being driven by advancements in tetracycline synthesis and strategic scaffold modifications designed to overcome established clinical resistance mechanisms including efflux and ribosome protection. Emerging new resistance mechanisms, including enzymatic antibiotic inactivation, threaten recent progress on bringing these next-generation tetracyclines to the clinic. Here we review the current state of knowledge on the structure, mechanism, and inhibition of tetracycline-inactivating enzymes.

Lactobacillus demonstrate thiol-independent metabolism of methylglyoxal: Implications toward browning prevention in Parmesan cheese

Endogenous production of α-dicarbonyls by lactic acid bacteria can influence the quality and consistency of fermented foods and beverages. Methylglyoxal (MG) in Parmesan cheese can contribute toward undesired browning during low temperature ripening and storage conditions, leading to the economic depreciation of affected cheeses. We demonstrate the effects of exogenously added MG on browning and volatile formation using a Parmesan cheese extract (PCE). To determine the influence of Lactobacillus on α-dicarbonyls, strains were screened for their ability to modulate concentrations of MG, glyoxal, and diacetyl in PCE. It was found that a major metabolic pathway of MG in Lactobacillus is a thiol-independent reduction, whereby MG is partially or fully reduced to acetol and 1,2-propanediol, respectively. The majority of lactobacilli grown in PCE accumulated the intermediate acetol, whereas Lactobacillus brevis 367 formed exclusively 1,2-propanediol and Lactobacillus fermentum 14931 formed both metabolites. In addition, we determined the inherent tolerance to bacteriostatic concentrations of MG among lactobacilli grown in rich media. It was found that L. brevis 367 reduces MG exclusively to 1,2-propanediol, which correlates to both its ability to significantly decrease MG concentrations in PCE, as well as its significantly higher tolerance to MG, in comparison to other lactobacilli screened. These findings have broader implications toward lactobacilli as a viable solution for reducing MG-mediated browning of Parmesan cheese.

P-Tether-Mediated, Iterative SN2'-Cuprate Alkylation Strategy to Skipped Polyol Stereotetrads: Utility of an Oxidative "Function Switch" with Phosphite-Borane Tethers

The development of a P-tether-mediated, iterative S_N2'-cuprate alkylation protocol for the formation of 1,3-skipped polyol stereotetrads is reported. This two-directional synthetic strategy builds molecular complexity from simple, readily prepared C₂-symmetric dienediols and unites the chemistry of both temporary phosphite-borane tethers and temporary phosphate tethers-through an oxidative "function switch" of the P-tether itself-to generate intermediates that were previously inaccessible via either method alone.

P-Stereogenic Bicyclo[4.3.1]phosphite Boranes: Synthesis and Utility of Tunable P-Tether Systems for the Desymmetrization of C2-Symmetric 1,3-anti-Diols

The development of P-stereogenic bicyclo[4.3.1]phosphite borane tether systems for the desymmetrization of C₂-symmetric dienediols is reported. This report highlights preliminary studies including tether installation and removal as well as chemoselective functionalization of the exocyclic olefin via diimide reduction or cross-metathesis. Most notably, a divergent oxidation strategy allows for the transformation of the bicyclic phosphite borane complexes to the corresponding phosphate or thiophosphate systems, highlighting the electronic attenuation of this P-tether system.

Phosphate Tether-Mediated Ring-Closing Metathesis for the Generation of P-Stereogenic, Z-Configured Bicyclo[7.3.1]- and Bicyclo[8.3.1]phosphates

A phosphate tether-mediated ring-closing metathesis (RCM) study to the synthesis of Z-configured, P-stereogenic bicyclo[7.3.1]- and bicyclo[8.3.1]phosphates is reported. Investigations suggest that C3-substitution, olefin substitution, and proximity of the forming olefin to the bridgehead carbon of the bicyclic affect the efficiency and stereochemical outcome of the RCM event. This study demonstrates the utility of phosphate tether-mediated desymmetrization of C2-symmetric, 1,3-anti-diol-containing dienes in the generation of macrocyclic phosphates with potential synthetic and biological utility.

Phosphate tethers in natural product synthesis

Recent advances in phosphate tether-mediated natural product synthesis are reviewed. Synthetic approaches toward dolabelide C, (-)-salicylihalimide A, (-)-tetrahydrolipstatin, and (+)-strictifolione are included. In addition, current efforts in method development are briefly reviewed, including a detailed study on the effect of stereochemical complexity on the phosphate-mediated, diastereoselective ring-closing metathesis reaction and recent advances in multi-reaction, one-pot sequential processes mediated by the phosphate tether. Overall, this review seeks to highlight the utility of phosphate triesters to serve as multifunctional tethers with protecting group and latent leaving group characteristics and the ability to orchestrate multiple, orthogonal reaction pathways to allow for the facile synthesis of complex, bioactive small molecules and their analogs.

Phosphate-tether-mediated ring-closing metathesis for the preparation of complex 1,3-anti-diol-containing subunits

An array of examples of diastereoselective, phosphate-tether-mediated ring-closing metathesis reactions, which highlight the importance of product ring size and substrate stereochemical compatibility, as well as complexity, is reported. Studies focus primarily on the formation of bicyclo[n.3.1]phosphates, involving the coupling of C₂-symmetric dienediol subunits with a variety of simple, as well as complex, alcohol partners.

Some plant leaves have orientation-dependent EPR and NMR spectra

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR) spectra of leaves from 50 plant species were obtained at a spectrometer frequency of 470 MHz. Water present in leaf samples gives rise to characteristic spectral patterns. Most species show only one broad (1)H NMR peak; however, the leaves of some plants display complex, orientation-dependent spectra in which a common three-line pattern is discerned. The pattern varies with the angle between the leaf surface and the external magnetic field. Proton relaxation measurements show the presence of at least two water compartments in the leaves. The compartments are responsible for different components of the spectral pattern. EPR spectra, obtained at 35 GHz and at a temperature of -180 degrees C, of plant leaf sections are dominated by the strong signals of manganous ions. We find that most plant leaves have isotropic Mn(2+) EPR spectra. However, in some species (including ones that exhibit orientation-dependent (1)H NMR spectra) we detect orientation-dependent intensities in the forbidden lines; the spectra indicate that Mn(2+) ions occupy binding sites with axial or lower symmetry on nonrandomly oriented membranes. Both the NMR and the EPR results suggest that the chloroplasts of some plants are preferentially aligned with respect to the leaf surface.

Evidence for pH-induced release of RNA from belladonna mottle virus and the stabilizing effect of polyamines and cations

The RNA of belladonna mottle virus (BDMV) is released from virions by increasing the pH to neutrality or above, leaving behind intact protein shells. In contrast, much harsher conditions are required to release the RNA from the closely related turnip yellow mosaic virus (TYMV). The heat-induced or pH-dependent escape of RNA from BDMV has been investigated by 31P NMR spectroscopy and ultracentrifugation. The methods show a transition pH near 6.8 at which the RNA undergoes a structural alteration probably caused by disruption of protein-RNA linkages. Addition of cations or polyamines to BDMV prevents the RNA loss at alkaline pH; the virions become stable to pH values up to 11.5 as observed for TYMV. We suggest that repulsion of the negatively charged phosphate groups of the nucleic acid provides the driving force for RNA release at pH values above the threshold point where protein-RNA interactions are broken. The polyamines effectively counter the phosphate charge in BDMV and thereby prevent RNA loss. Since TYMV is packaged with polyamines and BDMV is not (R. Virudachalam, K. Sitaraman, K. L. Heuss, P. Argos, and J. L. Markley, Virology 130, 360-371, 1983), the different conditions required for RNA escape from the two viruses are explained. Heating of BDMV virions at pH 7.0 to 40 degrees resulted in their partial disruption; the product some intact particles, empty capsids, and RNA fragments with a sedimentation coefficient of 5S.

Structure of the trigonal form of recombinant oxidized flavodoxin from Anabaena 7120 at 1.40 A resolution

The oxidized recombinant flavodoxin from the cyanobacterium Anabaena 7120 has been crystallized in a trigonal form. The recombinant protein has an identical primary structure to that purified directly from Anabaena, which functions as a substitute for ferredoxin in an iron-deficient environment for electron transfer from photosystem I to ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductase. X-ray data to 1.40 A were collected on a Siemens area detector. Of the 311 379 reflections collected, 36069 reflections were unique in space group P3(1)21 (a = 55.36, c = 102.59 A) with an R(merge) of 3.8%. The structure was solved by molecular replacement using coordinates from the wild-type monoclinic structure previously solved in this laboratory [Rao, Shaffie, Yu, Satyshur, Stockman & Markley (1992). Protein Sci. 1, 1413-1427]. The structure was refined with X-PLOR and SHELXL93 to a crystallographic R-factor of 13.9% for 32963 reflections with I> 2sigma(I). The final structure contains 2767 atoms including 31 flavin mononucleotide (FMN) atoms, 299 water molecules, and one sulfate ion. The protein is comprised of a central five-stranded beta-sheet surrounded by five helices and binds a single molecule of FMN at the C-terminus of the sheet. The trigonal protein structure and the crystal packing are compared with the monoclinic wild-type protein. Helix alpha3 in this structure is less distorted than in the monoclinic structure and shows additional hydrogen bonds in the N-terminal portion of the helix. The trigonal structure is extensively hydrogen bonded in three major areas with neighboring molecules compared with five regions in the monoclinic structure, but using significantly fewer hydrogen bonds to stabilize the lattice. There are several hydrogen bonds to the amide groups from water molecules several of which stabilize and extend the ends of the beta-sheet.

Natural J-coupling analysis: interpretation of scalar J-couplings in terms of natural bond orbitals

The natural J-coupling (NJC) method presented here analyzes the Fermi contact portion of J-coupling in the framework of finite perturbation theory applied to ab initio/density function theory (DFT) wave functions, to compute individual and pairwise orbital contributions to the net J-coupling. The approach is based on the concepts and formalisms of natural bond orbital (NBO) methods. Computed coupling contributions can be classified as Lewis (individual orbital contributions corresponding to the natural Lewis structure of the molecule), delocalization (resulting from pairwise donor-acceptor interactions), and residual repolarization (corresponding to correlation-like interactions). This approach is illustrated by an analysis of the angular and distance dependences of the contributions to vicinal (3)J(HH) couplings in ethane and to the long-range (6)J(HH) couplings in pentane. The results indicate that approximately 70% or more of the net J-coupling is propagated by steric exchange antisymmetry interactions between Lewis orbitals (predominantly sigma bonding orbitals). Hyperconjugative sigma to sigma delocalization interactions account for the remainder of the coupling. Calculated pairwise-steric and hyperconjugative-delocalization energies provide a means for relating coupling mechanisms to molecular energetics. In this way, J-coupling contributions can be related directly to the localized features of the molecular electronic structure in order to explain measured J-coupling patterns and to predict J-coupling trends that have yet to be measured.

NMR chemical shift mapping of the binding site of a protein proteinase inhibitor: changes in the (1)H, (13)C and (15)N NMR chemical shifts of turkey ovomucoid third domain upon binding to bovine chymotrypsin A(alpha)

The substrate-like inhibition of serine proteinases by avian ovomucoid domains has provided an excellent model for protein inhibitor-proteinase interactions of the standard type. 1H,15N and 13C NMR studies have been undertaken on complexes formed between turkey ovomucoid third domain (OMTKY3)2 and chymotrypsin A(alpha) (Ctr) in order to characterize structural changes occurring in the Ctr binding site of OMTKY3. 15N and 13C were incorporated uniformly into OMTKY3, allowing backbone resonances to be assigned for OMTKY3 in both its free and complex states. Chemical shift perturbation mapping indicates that the two regions, K13-P22 and N33-A40, are the primary sites in OMTKY3 involved in Ctr binding, in full agreement with the 12 consensus proteinase-contact residues of OMTKY3 defined previously on the basis of X-ray crystallographic and mutational analysis. Smaller chemical shift perturbations in selected other regions may result from minor structural changes on binding. Through-bond 15N-13C correlations between P1-13C' and P1'-15N in two-dimensional H(N)CO and HN(CO) NMR spectra of selectively labeled OMTKY3 complexed with Ctr indicate that the scissile peptide bond between L18 and E19 of the inhibitor is intact in the complex. The chemical shifts of the reactive site peptide bond indicate that it is predominantly trigonal, although the data are not inconsistent with a slight perturbation of the hybridization of the peptide bond toward the first tetrahedral state along the reaction coordinate.

Ovine caveolin-1: cDNA cloning, E. coli expression, and association with endothelial nitric oxide synthase

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1), the principal coat protein of caveolae, plays an obligatory role in regulating the activity of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS). We propose that Cav-1 may be critical to eNOS-NO mediated uterine vasodilatation during pregnancy and estrogen replacement therapy. To test this hypothesis in the sheep model, we isolated the full-length cDNA of ovine Cav-1 (oCav-1) from a Lambda ZAP cDNA library of ovine placental artery endothelial cells. Thirty-two positive oCav-1 clones were recognized by a partial oCav-1 cDNA from this library, of which eight were sequenced. Restriction digestion of these clones revealed that the cDNAs of oCav-1 ranged from approximately 2.1 to 2.7 kb. Northern analysis of Cav-1 mRNAs in ovine uterine artery endothelial cells (UAEC) showed two transcripts of approximately 2.1 and 2.7 kb, respectively. Immunoreactive Cav-1 protein, but not caveolin-2 or caveolin-3, was detected in UAEC. Sequence analysis revealed that in addition to a 537-bp open reading frame encoding a 178 amino acid oCav-1 protein, full-length oCav-1 cDNAs apparently possess a approximately 1.6-2.1 kb 3'-untranslated region. Database searches with oCav-1 cDNA revealed that the coding region of mammalian Cav-1 genes is highly conserved. We prepared a recombinant full-length oCav-1 protein in which six consecutive histidine residues were tagged at the end of its COOH-terminus and developed a [His]6-tagged oCav-1 'pull-down assay' for studying the association of eNOS with Cav-1. Incubation of exogenous [His]6-tagged oCav-1 with resting UAEC extracts led to the formation of a [His]6-tagged oCav-1-eNOS complex. In the presence of a synthetic caveolin-scaffolding domain (CSD, aa 82-101) peptide, but not a mutated CSD peptide, [His]6-tagged oCav-1 associated eNOS was dose (0-10 microM)-dependently inhibited. eNOS association with Cav-1 in UAEC was further confirmed by the facts that eNOS co-immunoprecipitated with Cav-1 and vice versa, and that eNOS co-existed with Cav-1 during the isolation of caveolae membranes. Because dissociation of eNOS from Cav-1 is required for the activation of eNOS, eNOS association with Cav-1 in UAEC suggests an important role of Cav-1 in regulating UAEC production of NO and possibly NO-mediated uterine vasodilatation.

Solution structure of the toluene 4-monooxygenase effector protein (T4moD)

Toluene 4-monooxygenase (T4MO) from Pseudomonas mendocina catalyzes the NADH- and O(2)-dependent hydroxylation of toluene to form p-cresol. The complex consists of an NADH oxidoreductase (T4moF), a Rieske ferredoxin (T4moC), a diiron hydroxylase [T4moH, with (alphabetagamma)(2) quaternary structure], and a catalytic effector protein (T4moD). The solution structure of the 102-amino acid T4moD effector protein has been determined from 2D and 3D (1)H, (13)C, and (15)N NMR spectroscopic data. The structural model was refined through simulated annealing by molecular dynamics in torsion angle space (DYANA software) with input from 1467 experimental constraints, comprising 1259 distance constraints obtained from NOEs, 128 dihedral angle constraints from J-couplings, and 80 hydrogen bond constraints. Of 60 conformers that met the acceptance criteria, the 20 that best satisfied the input constraints were selected to represent the solution structure. With exclusion of the ill-defined N- and C-terminal segments (Ser1-Asn11 and Asp99-Met102), the atomic root-mean-square deviation for the 20 conformers with respect to the mean coordinates was 0.71 A for the backbone and 1.24 A for all non-hydrogen atoms. The secondary structure of T4moD consists of three alpha-helices and seven beta-strands arranged in an N-terminal betaalphabetabeta and a C-terminal betaalphaalphabetabetabeta domain topology. Although the published NMR structures of the methane monooxygenase effector proteins from Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b and Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) have a similar secondary structure topology, their three-dimensional structures differ from that of T4moD. The major differences in the structures of the three effector proteins are in the relative orientations of the two beta-sheets and the interactions between the alpha-helices in the two domains. The structure of T4moD is closer to that of the methane monooxygenase effector protein from M. capsulatus (Bath) than that from M. trichosporium OB3b. The specificity of T4moD as an effector protein was investigated by replacing it in reconstituted T4MO complexes with effector proteins from monooxygenases from other bacterial species: Pseudomonas pickettii PKO1 (TbuV, toluene 3-monooxygenase); Pseudomonas species JS150 (TbmC, toluene 2-monooxygenase); and Burkeholderia cepacia G4 (S1, toluene 2-monooxygenase). The results showed that the closely related TbuV effector protein (55% sequence identity) provided partial activation of the complex, whereas the more distantly related TbmC (34% sequence identity) and S1 (29% sequence identity) did not. The (1)H NMR chemical shifts of the side-chain amide protons of Asn34, a conserved, structurally relevant amino acid, were found to be similar in spectra of effector proteins T4moD and TbuV but not in the spectrum of TbmC. This suggests that the region around Asn34 may be involved in structural aspects contributing to functional specificity.

Functional recombinant rabbit muscle phosphoglucomutase from Escherichia coli

The gene coding for phosphoglucomutase (PGM) from Oryctolagus cuniculus (rabbit) has been expressed in Escherichia coli under a T7 expression system with a His-tag. About half of the expressed PGM protein was present in inclusion bodies, but this protein was inactive when solubilized. The protein in the soluble cell fraction was isolated and purified in one step on a Ni-NTA column. The eluate from this column was adjusted to 95% saturated ammonium sulfate, and the resulting protein precipitate was resuspended in sodium phosphate buffer and dialyzed against 2.5 M ammonium sulfate. The final yield of protein was about 10 mg per liter of LB medium. The protein was judged to be greater than 90% pure on the basis of gel electrophoresis and activity measurements (128 U per milligram). Our motivation for developing this bacterial production system for PGM has been to prepare sufficient quantities of stable-isotope-labeled protein for experiments that utilize recently developed NMR technologies suitable for proteins the size of PGM (61.6 kDa). Preliminary NMR studies indicate that the current level of purity is adequate for this work. The construct described here was designed to incorporate an N-terminal His-tag for ease of isolation. Although PGM is a metalloprotein, the His-tag does not appear to interfere with activity. The presence of the His-tag should not pose a problem for proposed (31)P NMR investigations of the protein and its complexes in aqueous solution or incorporated into reverse micelles. However, we plan to design a cleavable His-tag for later (1)H, (13)C, (15)N studies of the active site, which includes essential histidine residues.

Sweetness determinant sites of brazzein, a small, heat-stable, sweet-tasting protein

Brazzein, originally isolated from the fruit of the African plant Pentadiplandra brazzeana Baillon, is the smallest, most heat-stable and pH-stable member of the set of proteins known to have intrinsic sweetness. These properties make brazzein an ideal system for investigating the chemical and structural requirements of a sweet-tasting protein. We have used the three-dimensional structure of the protein (J. E. Caldwell et al. (1998) Nat. Struct. Biol. 5, 427-431) as a guide in designing 15 synthetic genes in expression constructs aimed at delineating the sweetness determinants of brazzein. Protein was produced heterologously in Escherichia coli, isolated, and purified as described in the companion paper (Assadi-Porter, F. M., Aceti, D., Cheng, H., and Markley, J. L., this issue). Analysis by one-dimensional (1)H NMR spectroscopy indicated that all but one of these variants had folded properly under the conditions used. A taste panel compared the gustatory properties of solutions of these proteins to those of sucrose and brazzein isolated from fruit. Of the 14 mutations in the des-pGlu1-brazzein background, four exhibited almost no sweetness, six had significantly reduced sweetness, two had taste properties equivalent to des-pGlu1-brazzein (two times as sweet as the major form of brazzein isolated from fruit which contains pGlu1), and two were about twice as sweet as des-pGlu1-brazzein. Overall, the results suggest that two regions of the protein are critical for the sweetness of brazzein: a region that includes the N- and C-termini of the protein, which are located close to one another, and a region that includes the flexible loop around Arg43.

Efficient production of recombinant brazzein, a small, heat-stable, sweet-tasting protein of plant origin

Brazzein is a 54-amino-acid sweet-tasting protein first isolated from the fruit of Pentadiplandra brazzeana Baillon found in West Africa. Brazzein, as isolated from the fruit, is 500 times sweeter than sucrose on a weight basis (9500 times sweeter on a per-molecule basis). A minor component of brazzein from fruit, des-pGlu1-brazzein, has 53 amino acid residues and has twice the sweetness of the parent protein. We have designed a gene for des-pGlu1- brazzein that incorporates codons that are optimal for protein production in Escherichia coli. Production of brazzein from the chemically synthesized gene resulted in recombinant protein with sweetness similar to that of brazzein isolated from the original source. The best yields were achieved by producing brazzein as a fusion with staphylococcal nuclease with a designed cyanogen bromide cleavage site. Because of its intense sweetness and stability at high pH and temperature, brazzein is an ideal system for investigating the chemical and structural requirements involved in sweet-taste properties. This efficient protein production system for brazzein will facilitate such investigations.

Electron-nuclear interactions in two prototypical [2Fe-2S] proteins: selective (chiral) deuteration and analysis of (1)H and (2)H NMR signals from the alpha and beta hydrogens of cysteinyl residues that ligate the iron in the active sites of human ferredoxin and Anabaena 7120 vegetative ferredoxin

A vertebrate ferredoxin (human ferredoxin) and a plant-type ferredoxin (the ferredoxin from the vegetative form of Anabaena 7120) were labeled selectively with deuterium at their active site cysteines. The recombinant proteins were produced in Escherichia coli and labeled by replacing natural abundance cysteine in the defined culture medium with (2)H(alpha)-cysteine, (2)H(beta2), (2)H(beta3)-cysteine, or (2)H(beta2)-cystine. The chiral labeled cystine ((2)H(beta2)-cystine) was prepared by selective hydrogen exchange catalyzed by cystathionine gamma-synthase. NMR spectra of these samples in their oxidized and reduced states support unambiguous identifications by atom type of (1)H and (2)H NMR signals from the cysteine alpha and beta hydrogens. These signals lie outside the normal diamagnetic spectral region as a result of interaction of the hydrogens with unpaired electron density from the iron-sulfur cluster, and their chemical shifts are highly dependent on local conformation at the active site. The very different chemical properties of the iron centers of plant-type and vertebrate ferredoxins reflect relatively small differences in the conformation of the iron-sulfur cluster ligands.

Oligomerization of the EK18 mutant of the trp repressor of Escherichia coli as observed by NMR spectroscopy

The regulation of the trp repressor system of Escherichia coli is frequently modeled by a single equilibrium, that between the aporepressor (TR) and the corepressor, l-tryptophan (Trp), at their intracellular concentrations. The actual mechanism, which is much more complex and more finely tuned, involves multiple equilibria: TR and Trp association, TR oligomerization, specific and nonspecific binding of various states of TR to DNA, and interactions between these various species and ions. TR in isolation exists primarily as a homodimer, but the state of oligomerization increases as the TR concentration goes up and/or the salt concentration goes down, leading to species with lower affinity for DNA. We have used multinuclear, multidimensional NMR spectroscopy to investigate structural changes that accompany the oligomerization of TR. For these investigations, the superrepressor mutant EK18 (TR with Glu 18 replaced by Lys) was chosen because it exhibits less severe oligomerization at higher protein concentration than other known variants; this made it possible to study the dimer to tetramer oligomerization step by NMR. The NMR results suggest that the interaction between TR dimers is structurally linked to folding of the DNA binding domain and that it likely involves direct contacts between the C-terminal residues of the C-helix of one dimer with the next dimer. This implies that oligomerization can compete with DNA binding and thus serves as a factor in the fine-tuning of gene expression.

Thermodynamic criterion for the conformation of P1 residues of substrates and of inhibitors in complexes with serine proteinases

Eglin c, turkey ovomucoid third domain, and bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz) are all standard mechanism, canonical protein inhibitors of serine proteinases. Each of the three belongs to a different inhibitor family. Therefore, all three have the same canonical conformation in their combining loops but differ in their scaffoldings. Eglin c (Leu45 at P1) binds to chymotrypsin much better than its Ala45 variant (the difference in standard free energy changes on binding is -5.00 kcal/mol). Similarly, turkey ovomucoid third domain (Leu18 at P1) binds to chymotrypsin much better than its Ala18 variant (the difference in standard free energy changes on binding is -4.70 kcal/mol). As these two differences are within the +/-400 cal/mol bandwidth (expected from the experimental error), one can conclude that the system is additive. On the basis that isoenergetic is isostructural, we expect that within both the P1 Ala pair and the P1 Leu pair, the conformation of the inhibitor's P1 side chain and of the enzyme's specificity pocket will be identical. This is confirmed, within the experimental error, by the available X-ray structures of complexes of bovine chymotrypsin Aalpha with eglin c () and with turkey ovomucoid third domain (). A comparison can also be made between the structures of P1 (Lys+)15 of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz) ( and ) and of the P1 (Lys+)18 variant of turkey ovomucoid third domain (), both interacting with chymotrypsin. In this case, the conformation of the side chains is strikingly different. Bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor with (Lys+)15 at P1 binds to chymotrypsin more strongly than its Ala15 variant (the difference in standard free energy changes on binding is -1.90 kcal/mol). In contrast, turkey ovomucoid third domain variant with (Lys+)18 at P1 binds to chymotrypsin less strongly than its Ala18 variant (the difference in standard free energies of association is 0.95 kcal/mol). In this case, P1 Lys+ is neither isostructural nor isoenergetic. Thus, a thermodynamic criterion for whether the conformation of a P1 side chain in the complex matches that of an already determined one is at hand. Such a criterion may be useful in reducing the number of required X-ray crystallographic structure determinations. More importantly, the criterion can be applied to situations where direct determination of the structure is extremely difficult. Here, we apply it to determine the conformation of the Lys+ side chain in the transition state complex of a substrate with chymotrypsin. On the basis of kcat/KM measurements, the difference in free energies of activation for Suc-AAPX-pna when X is Lys+ and X is Ala is 1.29 kcal/mol. This is in good agreement with the corresponding difference for turkey ovomucoid third domain variants but in sharp contrast to the bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz) data. Therefore, we expect that in the transition state complex of this substrate with chymotrypsin, the P1 Lys+ side chain is deeply inserted into the enzyme's specificity pocket as it is in the (Lys+)18 turkey ovomucoid third domain complex with chymotrypsin.

NMR studies of retinoid-protein interactions: the conformation of [13C]-beta-ionones bound to beta-lactoglobulin B

PURPOSE

Vitamin A (retinol) and its metabolites comprise the natural retinoids. While the biological action of these molecules are thought to be primarily mediated by ca. 55 kDa nuclear retinoic acid receptors, a number of structurally similar 15-20 kDa proteins are involved in the transport, and possibly metabolism, of these compounds. The milk protein beta-lactoglobulin B (beta-LG) is an 18 kDa protein which binds retinol and may be involved in oral delivery of retinol to neonates. beta-LG also binds drugs and other natural products and is of potential interest as a protective delivery vehicle.

METHODS

To examine the conformation of the model retinoid beta-ionone both in solution and when bound to beta-LG, NMR and computational methods have been employed.

RESULTS

Taken together, NMR studies of beta-ionone in solution measuring scalar and dipolar coupling, as well as CHARMm calculations, suggest beta-ionone prefers a slightly twisted 6-s-cis conformation. Isotope-edited NMR studies of 13C-labeled beta-ionones bound to beta-LG, primarily employing the HMQC-NOE experiment, suggest beta-ionone also binds to beta-LG in its 6-s-cis conformation.

CONCLUSIONS

The methods employed here allow estimates of protein-bound ligand conformation. However, additional sites of ligand labeling will be necessary to aid in binding site localization.

Structure of the insect cytokine peptide plasmatocyte-spreading peptide 1 from Pseudoplusia includens

The structure of the recently identified plasmatocyte spreading peptide from the moth Pseudoplusia includens (PSP1) has been determined by NMR spectroscopy. This novel insect cytokine consists of 23 amino acid residues and a single disulfide bond. Torsion angle dynamics calculations utilizing a total of 337 distance constraints yielded an ensemble of 30 structures with an average backbone root mean square deviation for residues 7-22 of 0.18 A from the mean structure. The structure consists of a disordered N-terminal region and a well defined core that is stabilized by numerous hydrophobic interactions and a short beta-hairpin. Structural comparisons confirm that PSP1 adopts an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like fold with close similarity to the C-terminal subdomain of EGF-like module 5 of human thrombomodulin. The combination of the three-dimensional structure of PSP1 and the extensive literature on EGF-receptor interactions should accelerate the process of identifying the specific residues responsible for receptor binding activity of this family of immunoregulatory peptides.

Properties of the His57-Asp102 dyad of rat trypsin D189S in the zymogen, activated enzyme, and alpha1-proteinase inhibitor complexed forms

Structural and biochemical studies suggest that serpins induce structural rearrangements in their target serine-proteinases. Previous NMR studies of the complex between a serpin, alpha1-proteinase inhibitor, and a mutant of recombinant rat trypsin (the Asp189 to Ser mutant, D189S, which is much more stable than wild-type rat trypsin against autoproteolysis) provided information about the state of catalytic residues in this complex: the hydrogen bond between Asp102 and His57 remains intact in the complex, and spectral properties of His57 are more like those of the zymogen than of the activated enzyme (G. Kaslik, et al., 1997, Biochemistry 36, 5455-5464). Here we report the protonation and exchange behavior of His57 of recombinant rat trypsin D189S in three states: the zymogen, the active enzyme, and the complex with human alpha1-proteinase inhibitor and compare these with analogous behavior of His57 of bovine chymotrypsinogen and alpha-chymotrypsin. In these studies the pKa of His57 has been determined from the pH dependence of the 1H NMR signal from the Hdelta1 proton of histidine in the Asp102-His57 dyad, and a measure of the accessibility of this part of the active site has been obtained from the rate of appearance of this signal following its selective saturation. The activation of rat trypsinogen D189S (zymogen, pKa = 7.8 +/- 0.1; Hill coefficient = 0. 86 +/- 0.05) decreased the pKa of His57 by 1.1 unit and made the protonation process cooperative (active enzyme, pKa = 6.7 +/- 0.1; Hill coefficient = 1.37 +/- 0.08). The binding of alpha1-proteinase inhibitor to trypsin D189S led to an increase in the pKa value of His57 to a value higher than that of the zymogen and led to negative cooperativity in the protonation process (complex, pKa = 8.1 +/- 0. 1; Hill coefficient = 0.70 +/- 0.08), as was observed for the zymogen. In spite of these differences in the pKa of His57 in the zymogen, active enzyme, and alpha1-proteinase inhibitor complex, the solvent exchange lifetime of the His57 Hdelta1 proton was the same, within experimental error, in all three states (lifetime = 2 to 12.5 ms). The linewidth of the 1H NMR signal from the Hdelta1 proton of His57 was relatively sharp, at temperatures between 5 and 20 degrees C at both low pH (5.2) and high pH (10.0), in spectra of bovine alpha-chymotrypsin, recombinant rat trypsin D189S, and the complex between rat trypsin D189S and human alpha1-proteinase inhibitor; however, in spectra of the complex between alpha-chymotrypsin and human alpha1-proteinase inhibitor, the peak was broader and could be well-resolved only at the lower temperature (5 degrees C).

Detection and classification of hyperfine-shifted 1H, 2H, and 15N resonances of the Rieske ferredoxin component of toluene 4-monooxygenase

T4MOC is a 12.3 kDa soluble Rieske ferredoxin that is obligately required for electron transfer between the oxidoreductase and diiron hydroxylase components of toluene 4-monooxygenase from Pseudomonas mendocina KR1. Our preliminary 1H NMR studies of oxidized and reduced T4MOC [Markley, J. L., Xia, B., Chae, Y. K., Cheng, H., Westler, W. M., Pikus, J. D., and Fox, B. G. (1996) in Protein Structure Function Relationships (Zaidi, Z., and Smith, D., Eds.) pp 135-146, Plenum Press, London] revealed the presence of hyperfine-shifted 1H resonances whose short relaxation times made it impractical to use nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) measurements for assignment purposes. We report here the use of selective isotopic labeling to analyze the hyperfine-shifted 1H, 2H, and 15N signals from T4MOC. Selective deuteration led to identification of signals from the four Hbeta atoms of cluster ligands C45 and C64 in the oxidized and reduced forms of T4MOC. In the reduced state, the Curie temperature dependence of the Hbeta protons corresponded to that predicted from the simple vector spin-coupling model for nuclei associated with the localized ferric site. The signal at 25.5 ppm in the 1H spectrum of reduced T4MOC was assigned on the basis of selective 2H labeling to the His Hepsilon1 atom of one of the cluster ligands (H47 or H67). This assignment was corroborated by a one bond 1H-13C correlation (at 25.39 ppm 1H and 136.11 ppm 13C) observed in spectra of [U-13C]T4MOC with a 1H-13C coupling constant of approximately 192 Hz. The carbon chemical shift and one bond coupling constant are those expected for 1Hepsilon1-13Cepsilon1 in the imidazolium ring of histidine and are inconsistent with values expected for cysteine 1Halpha-13Calpha. The His Hepsilon1 proton exhibited weak Curie temperature dependence from 283 to 303 K, contrary to the anti-Curie temperature dependence predicted from the spin coupling model for nuclei associated with the localized ferrous site. A 1H peak at -12.3 ppm was observed in spectra of reduced T4MOC; this signal was found to correspond to a hydrogen (probably in an H-bond to the cluster) that exchanged with solvent with a half-time of about 2 days in the oxidized state but with a much longer (undetectable) half-time in the reduced state. These results with T4MOC call into question certain 1H assignments recently reported on the basis of NOE measurements for the comparable Rieske ferredoxin component of an evolutionarily related alkene monooxygenase from Xanthobacter sp. Py2 [Holz, R. C., Small, F. J., and Ensign, S. A, (1997) Biochemistry 36, 14690-14696]. Selective 15N labeling was used to identify hyperfine-shifted 15N NMR signals from the backbone nitrogens of all four cluster ligands (C45, H47, C64, and H67), from the Nepsilon2 atoms of the two histidine ligands (H47 and H67), and from nonligand Gln and Ala residues (Q48 and A66) present in the cluster-binding motif of T4MOC in the oxidized and reduced states. The results indicate that the Ndelta1 of each of the two ligand histidines of T4MOC are ligated to an iron atom and reveal a pattern of H-bonding to the Rieske [2Fe-2S] center involving four (H47, Q48, A66, and H67 of T4MOC) of the five backbone amide H-bonds expected on the basis of comparison with the crystal structures of other related Rieske proteins; the fifth backbone amide (I50 of T4MOC) failed to exhibit a hyperfine shift. This anomaly may arise from the lack of an associated disulfide in T4MOC, a fundamental structural difference between the three types of Rieske proteins that may be related to functional diversity in this protein family.

Fractionation factors and activation energies for exchange of the low barrier hydrogen bonding proton in peptidyl trifluoromethyl ketone complexes of chymotrypsin

NMR investigations have been carried out of complexes between bovine chymotrypsin Aalpha and a series of four peptidyl trifluoromethyl ketones, listed here in order of increasing affinity for chymotrypsin: N-Acetyl-L-Phe-CF3, N-Acetyl-Gly-L-Phe-CF3, N-Acetyl-L-Val-L-Phe-CF3, and N-Acetyl-L-Leu-L-Phe-CF3. The D/H fractionation factors (phi) for the hydrogen in the H-bond between His 57 and Asp 102 (His 57-Hdelta1) in these four complexes at 5 degreesC were in the range phi = 0.32-0.43, expected for a low-barrier hydrogen bond. For this series of complexes, measurements also were made of the chemical shifts of His 57-Hepsilon1 (delta2,2-dimethylsilapentane-5-sulfonic acid 8.97-9. 18), the exchange rate of the His 57-Hdelta1 proton with bulk water protons (284-12.4 s-1), and the activation enthalpies for this hydrogen exchange (14.7-19.4 kcal.mol-1). It was found that the previously noted correlations between the inhibition constants (Ki 170-1.2 microM) and the chemical shifts of His 57-Hdelta1 (delta2, 2-dimethylsilapentane-5-sulfonic acid 18.61-18.95) for this series of peptidyl trifluoromethyl ketones with chymotrypsin [Lin, J., Cassidy, C. S. & Frey, P. A. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 11940-11948] could be extended to include the fractionation factors, hydrogen exchange rates, and hydrogen exchange activation enthalpies. The results support the proposal of low barrier hydrogen bond-facilitated general base catalysis in the addition of Ser 195 to the peptidyl carbonyl group of substrates in the mechanism of chymotrypsin-catalyzed peptide hydrolysis. Trends in the enthalpies for hydrogen exchange and the fractionation factors are consistent with a strong, double-minimum or single-well potential hydrogen bond in the strongest complexes. The lifetimes of His 57-Hdelta1, which is solvent shielded in these complexes, track the strength of the hydrogen bond. Because these lifetimes are orders of magnitude shorter than those of the complexes themselves, the enzyme must have a pathway for hydrogen exchange at this site that is independent of dissociation of the complexes.

Analysis of error propagation from NMR-derived internuclear distances into molecular structure of cyclo-pro-gly

Analytical expressions have been derived that translate uncertainties in distance constraints (obtained from NMR investigations) into uncertainties in atom positions in the maximum likelihood (ML) structure consistent with these inputs. As a test of this approach, a comparison was made between test structures reconstructed by the new ML approach, which yields a single structure and a covariance matrix for coordinates, and those reconstructed by metric matrix distance-geometry (MMDG), which yields a family of structures that sample uncertainty space. The test structures used were 560 polyhedra, with edges of arbitrary length containing up to 50 vertices, and one polyhedron, with 100 vertices; randomized distance constraints generated from these structures were used in reconstructing the polyhedra. The uncertainties derived from the two methods showed excellent agreement, and the correlation improved, as expected, with increasingly larger numbers of MMDG structures. This agreement supports the validity of the rapid analytical ML approach, which requires the calculation of only a single structure. As a second test of the ML method, the approach was applied to the determination of uncertainties in the structure of a cyclic dipeptide, cyclo(DL-Pro-Gly) (cPG), derived from NMR cross-relaxation data. The input data were interproton distances calculated from NOEs measured for a solution of the peptide in 2:1 DMSO:H2O at -40 degreesC (so as to yield large negative NOEs). In order to evaluate effects of the quality of the input spectral parameters on the precision of the resulting NMR structure, information from the covalent geometry of cPG was not used in the structure calculations. Results obtained from the analytical ML approach compared favorably with those from the much slower random-walk variant of the Monte Carlo method applied to the same input data. As a third test, the ML approach was used with synthetic structural constraints for a small protein; the results indicate that it will be feasible to use this rapid method to translate uncertainties associated with a given set of distance restraints into uncertainties in atom positions in larger molecules.

Lipid binding ridge on loops 2 and 3 of the C2A domain of synaptotagmin I as revealed by NMR spectroscopy

The C2A domain of synaptotagmin I, which binds Ca2+ and anionic phospholipids, serves as a Ca2+ sensor during excitation-secretion coupling. We have used multidimensional NMR to locate the region of C2A from rat synaptotagmin I that interacts, in the presence of Ca2+, with phosphatidylserine. Untagged, recombinant C2A was double-labeled with 13C and 15N, and triple-resonance NMR data were collected from C2A samples containing either Ca2+ alone or Ca2+ plus 6:0 phosphatidylserine. Phospholipid binding led to changes in chemical shifts of backbone atoms in residues Arg233 and Phe234 of loop 3 (a loop that also binds Ca2+) and His198, Val205, and Phe206 of loop 2. These residues lie along a straight line on a surface ridge of the C2A domain. The only other residue that exhibited appreciable chemical shift changes upon adding lipid was His254; however, because His254 is located on the other side of the molecule from the phospholipid docking site defined by the other residues, its shifts may result from nonspecific interactions. The results show that the "docking ridge" responsible for Ca2+-dependent membrane association is localized on the opposite side of the C2A domain from the transmembrane and C2B domains of synaptotagmin.

NMR solution structure of type II human cellular retinoic acid binding protein: implications for ligand binding

The structure of human apo-cellular retinoic acid binding protein II (apo-CRABPII) in solution at pH 7.3 has been determined by NMR spectroscopy. The sequential assignments of the 1H, 13C, and 15N resonances of apo-CRABPII were established by multinuclear, multidimensional NMR spectroscopy. The solution structure of apo-CRABPII was derived from 2382 experimental NMR restraints using a hybrid distance geometry-simulated annealing protocol. The root-mean-square deviation of the ensemble of 25 refined conformers that represent the structure from the mean coordinate set derived from them was 0.54 +/- 0.18 and 0.92 +/- 0.20 A for the backbone atoms and all heavy atoms, respectively, of all residues except Ala32-Pro39 and Thr57-Glu62, which are in disordered regions. The solution structure of apo-CRABPII is similar to the crystal structure of holo-CRABPII [Kleywegt, G. J., Bergfors, T., Senn, H., Le Motte, P., Gsell, B., Shudo, K., and Jones, T. A. (1994) Structure 2, 1241-1258] except the ligand entrance, which is sufficiently enlarged in the apoprotein to be readily accessible to retinoic acid. The enlargement of the ligand entrance of apo-CRABPII relative to that of holo-CRABPII is due mainly to a concerted conformational change in three structural elements, namely, the second helix, the betaC-betaD loop, and the betaE-betaF loop. Furthermore, the ligand-binding pocket of apo-CRABPII showed evidence of dynamic disorder; among the 21 residues that constitute this pocket, 16 residues had weak or no detectable cross-peaks in the two-dimensional 1H-15N HSQC spectrum recorded under conditions of minimal water saturation or dephasing. Apo-CRABPII is largely monomeric in solution, with no evidence for the dimeric structure shown in the crystal structure of apo-CRABPI which was suggested to be a prerequisite for ligand entry [Thompson, J. R., Bratt, J. M., and Banaszak, L. J. (1995) J. Mol. Biol. 252, 433-446]. Thus, the widening of the ligand entrance required for entry of retinoic acid appears to be a property of monomeric apo-CRABPII.

Recommendations for the presentation of NMR structures of proteins and nucleic acids--IUPAC-IUBMB-IUPAB Inter-Union Task Group on the standardization of data bases of protein and nucleic acid structures determined by NMR spectroscopy

The recommendations presented here are designed to support easier communication of NMR data and NMR structures of proteins and nucleic acids through unified nomenclature and reporting standards. Much of this document pertains to the reporting of data in journal articles; however, in the interest of the future development of structural biology, it is desirable that the bulk of the reported information be stored in computer-accessible form and be freely accessible to the scientific community in standardized formats for data exchange. These recommendations stem from an IUPAC-IUBMB-IUPAB inter-union venture with the direct involvement of ICSU and CODATA. The Task Group has reviewed previous formal recommendations and has extended them in the light of more recent developments in the field of biomolecular NMR spectroscopy. Drafts of the recommendations presented here have been examined critically by more than 50 specialists in the field and have gone through two rounds of extensive modification to incorporate suggestions and criticisms.

Solution structure and backbone dynamics of component IV Glycera dibranchiata monomeric hemoglobin-CO

The solution structure and backbone dynamics of the recombinant, ferrous CO-ligated form of component IV monomeric hemoglobin from Glycera dibranchiata (GMH4CO) have been characterized by NMR spectroscopy. Distance geometry and simulated annealing calculations utilizing a total of 2550 distance and torsion angle constraints yielded an ensemble of 29 structures with an overall average backbone rmsd of 0.48 A from the average structure. Differences between the solution structure and a related crystal structure are confined to regions of lower precision in either the NMR or X-ray structure, or in regions where the amino acid sequences differ. 15N relaxation measurements at 76.0 and 60.8 MHz were analyzed with an extended model-free approach, and revealed low-frequency motions in the vicinity of the heme, concentrated in the F helix. Amide proton protection factors were obtained from H-D amide exchange measurements on 15N-labeled protein. Patterns in the backbone dynamics and protection factors were shown to correlate with regions of heterogeneity and disorder in the ensemble of NMR structures and with large crystallographic B-factors in the X-ray structures. Surprisingly, while the backbone atoms of the F helix have higher rmsds and larger measures of dynamics on the microsecond to millisecond time scale than the other helices, amide protection factors for residues in the F helix were observed to be similar to those of the other helices. This contrasts with H-D amide exchange measurements on sperm whale myoglobin which indicated low protection for the F helix (S. N. Loh and B. F. Volkman, unpublished results). These results for GMH4 suggest a model in which the F helix undergoes collective motions as a relatively rigid hydrogen-bonded unit, possibly pivoting about a central position near residue Val87.

Practical model fitting approaches to the direct extraction of NMR parameters simultaneously from all dimensions of multidimensional NMR spectra

A maximum likelihood (ML)-based approach has been established for the direct extraction of NMR parameters (e.g., frequency, amplitude, phase, and decay rate) simultaneously from all dimensions of a D-dimensional NMR spectrum. The approach, referred to here as HTFD-ML (hybrid time frequency domain maximum likelihood), constructs a time-domain model composed of a sum of exponentially-decaying sinusoidal signals. The apodized Fourier transform of this time-domain signal is a model spectrum that represents the 'best-fit' to the equivalent frequency-domain data spectrum. The desired amplitude and frequency parameters can be extracted directly from the signal model constructed by the HTFD-ML algorithm. The HTFD-ML approach presented here, as embodied in the software package CHIFIT, is designed to meet the challenges posed by model fitting of D-dimensional NMR data sets, where each consists of many data points (10(8) is not uncommon) encoding information about numerous signals (up to 10(5) for a protein of moderate size) that exhibit spectral overlap. The suitability of the approach is demonstrated by its application to the concerted analysis of a series of ten 2D 1H-15N HSQC experiments measuring 15N T1 relaxation. In addition to demonstrating the practicality of performing maximum likelihood analysis on large, multidimensional NMR spectra, the results demonstrate that this parametric model-fitting approach provides more accurate amplitude and frequency estimates than those obtained from conventional peak-based analysis of the FT spectrum. The improved performance of the model fitting approach derives from its ability to take into account the simultaneous contributions of all signals in a crowded spectral region (deconvolution) as well as to incorporate prior knowledge in constructing models to fit the data.

Recommendations for the presentation of NMR structures of proteins and nucleic acids

The recommendations presented here are designed to support easier communication of NMR data and NMR structures of proteins and nucleic acids through unified nomenclature and reporting standards. Much of this document pertains to the reporting of data in journal articles; however, in the interest of the future development of structural biology, it is desirable that the bulk of the reported information be stored in computer-accessible form and be freely accessible to the scientific community in standardized formats for data exchange. These recommendations stem from an IUPAC-IUBMB-IUPAB inter-union venture with the direct involvement of ICSU and CODATA. The Task Group has reviewed previous formal recommendations and has extended them in the light of more recent developments in the field of biomolecular NMR spectroscopy. Drafts of the recommendations presented here have been examined critically by more than 50 specialists in the field and have gone through two rounds of extensive modification to incorporate suggestions and criticisms.

An electrochemical, kinetic, and spectroscopic characterization of [2Fe-2S] vegetative and heterocyst ferredoxins from Anabaena 7120 with mutations in the cluster binding loop

Residues within the cluster binding loops of plant-type [2Fe-2S] ferredoxins are highly conserved and serve to structurally stabilize this unique region of the protein. We have investigated the influence of these residues on the thermodynamic reduction potentials and rate constants of electron transfer to ferredoxin:NADP+ reductase (FNR) by characterizing various single and multiple site-specific mutants of both the vegetative (VFd) and the heterocyst (HFd) [2Fe-2S] ferredoxins from Anabaena. Incorporation of residues from one isoform into the polypeptide backbone of the other created hybrid mutants whose reduction potentials either were not significantly altered or were shifted, but did not reconcile the 33-mV potential difference between VFd and HFd. The reduction potential of VFd appears relatively insensitive to mutations in the binding loop, excepting nonconservative variations at position 78 (T78A/I) which resulted in approximately 40- to 50-mV positive shifts compared to wild type. These perturbations may be linked to the role of the T78 side chain in stabilizing an ordered water channel between the iron-sulfur cluster and the surface of the wild-type protein. While no thermodynamic barrier to electron transfer to FNR is created by these potential shifts, the electron-transfer reactivities of mutants T78A/I (as well as T48A which has a wild-type-like potential) are reduced to approximately 55-75% that of wild type. These studies suggest that residues 48 and 78 are involved in the pathway of electron transfer between VFd and FNR and/or that mutations at these positions induce a unique, but unproductive orientation of the two proteins within the protein-protein complex.

Recommendations for the presentation of NMR structures of proteins and nucleic acids. IUPAC-IUBMB-IUPAB Inter-Union Task Group on the Standardization of Data Bases of Protein and Nucleic Acid Structures Determined by NMR Spectroscopy

The recommendations presented here are designed to support easier communication of NMR data and NMR structures of proteins and nucleic acids through unified nomenclature and reporting standards. Much of this document pertains to the reporting of data in journal articles; however, in the interest of the future development of structural biology, it is desirable that the bulk of the reported information be stored in computer-accessible form and be freely accessible to the scientific community in standardized formats for data exchange. These recommendations stem from an IUPAC-IUBMB-IUPAB inter-union venture with the direct involvement of ICSU and CODATA. The Task Group has reviewed previous formal recommendations and has extended them in the light of more recent developments in the field of biomolecular NMR spectroscopy. Drafts of the recommendations presented here have been examined critically by more than 50 specialists in the field and have gone through two rounds of extensive modification to incorporate suggestions and criticisms.

Solution structure of the transmembrane H+-transporting subunit c of the F1F0 ATP synthase

Subunit c is the H+-translocating component of the F1F0 ATP synthase complex. H+ transport is coupled to conformational changes that ultimately lead to ATP synthesis by the enzyme. The properties of the monomeric subunit in a single-phase solution of chloroform-methanol-water (4:4:1) have been shown to mimic those of the protein in the native complex. Triple resonance NMR experiments were used to determine the complete structure of monomeric subunit c in this solvent mixture. The structure of the protein was defined by >2000 interproton distances, 64 (3)JN alpha, and 43 hydrogen-bonding NMR-derived restraints. The root mean squared deviation for the backbone atoms of the two transmembrane helices was 0.63 A. The protein folds as a hairpin of two antiparallel helical segments, connected by a short structured loop. The conserved Arg41-Gln42-Pro43 form the top of this loop. The essential H+-transporting Asp61 residue is located at a slight break in the middle of the C-terminal helix, just prior to Pro64. The C-terminal helix changes direction by 30 +/- 5 degrees at the conserved Pro64. In its protonated form, the Asp61 lies in a cavity created by the absence of side chains at Gly23 and Gly27 in the N-terminal helix. The shape and charge distribution of the molecular surface of the monomeric protein suggest a packing arrangement for the oligomeric protein in the F0 complex, with the front face of one monomer packing favorably against the back face of a second monomer. The packing suggests that the proton (cation) binding site lies between packed pairs of adjacent subunit c.

Solution structure of the thermostable sweet-tasting protein brazzein

The fruit of Pentadiplandra brazzeana Baillon contains a small, sweet-tasting protein named brazzein. The structure of brazzein in solution was determined by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy at pH 5.2 and 22 degrees C. The brazzein fold, which contains one alpha-helix and three strands of antiparallel beta-sheet, does not resemble that of either of the other two sweet-tasting proteins with known structures, monellin and thaumatin. Instead, the structure of brazzein resembles those of plant gamma-thionins and defensins and arthropod toxins. Sequence comparisons predict that members of a newly-identified family of serine proteinase inhibitors share the brazzein fold.

Pressure denaturation of proteins: evaluation of compressibility effects

One of the key pieces of information from pressure denaturation experiments is the standard volume change for unfolding (Delta V(o)). The pressure dependence of the volume change, the standard compressibility change (Delta K(o)T), is typically assumed to be zero in the analysis of these experiments. We show here that this assumption can be incorrect and that the neglect of compressibility differences can skew the interpretation of experimental results. Analysis of experimental, variable-pressure NMR data for bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A in 2H2O at pH 2.0 and 295 K yielded the following statistically significant, non-zero values: Delta K(o) T = 0.015 +/- 0.002 mL mol-1 bar-1, Delta V(o) = -21 +/- 2 mL mol-1, and Delta G(o) = 2.8 +/- 0.3 kcal mol-1. The experimental protein stability is in good agreement with one (Delta G(o) = 2.5 kcal mol-1) determined independently for the same protein by calorimetry at atmospheric pressure under equivalent conditions [Makhatadze, G. I., Clore, G. M., and Gronenborn, A. M. (1995) Nat. Struct. Biol. 2, 852-855]. The positive value for Delta K(o)T indicates that the denatured form of ribonuclease A is more compressible than the native form; this is explained in terms of an interplay between the intrinsic compressibility of the protein and solvation effects. When the same data were fitted to a model that assumes a zero compressibility change, the Delta G(o) value of 4. 0 +/- 0.1 kcal mol-1 returned by the model no longer agreed with the independent measurement, and the Delta V(o) returned by the model was a very different -59 +/- 1 mL mol-1. By contrast, it was not possible to carry out a similar thermodynamic analysis of fluorescence spectroscopic data for the denaturation of staphylococcal nuclease to yield well-defined values of Delta G(o), Delta V(o), and Delta K(o)T. This limitation was shown by evaluation of synthetic data to be intrinsic to spectroscopic data whose analysis requires fitting of the plateaus at either side of the transition. Because NMR data do not have this requirement, they can be analyzed more rigorously.

Evidence for oxidation-state-dependent conformational changes in human ferredoxin from multinuclear, multidimensional NMR spectroscopy

Human ferredoxin belongs to the vertebrate ferredoxin family which includes bovine adrenodoxin. It is a small (13.8 kDa) acidic protein with a [2Fe-2S] cluster. It functions as an electron shuttle in the cholesterol side-chain cleavage reaction which is the first step of steroid hormone biosynthesis. The protein studied here was produced in Escherichia coli and doubly labeled with 13C and 15N. The diamagnetic 15N, 13C', 13C alpha, 13C beta, 1H alpha, and 1HN resonances from about 70% of the 124 amino acid residues for oxidized human ferredoxin and 80% of those for the reduced protein have been assigned primarily on the basis of results from three-dimensional, triple-resonance experiments. Secondary structure features for human ferredoxin in its oxidized and reduced states have been identified from a combination of chemical shift index and NOE data. Comparison of NMR results from the protein in its oxidized and reduced states indicates that structural changes accompany the change in the oxidation state of the [2Fe-2S] cluster. Major differences are localized at two regions: residues 29-31 and residues 109-124; the latter stretch forms the C-terminal region of the protein. The possible functional significance of these oxidation-state-dependent structural changes is discussed.

The role of aromatic and acidic amino acids in the electron transfer reaction catalyzed by spinach ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase

Treatment of the ferredoxin-dependent, spinach glutamate synthase with N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) modifies 2 mol of tryptophan residues per mol of enzyme, without detectable modification of other amino acids, and inhibits enzyme activity by 85% with either reduced ferredoxin or reduced methyl viologen serving as the source of electrons. The inhibition of ferredoxin-dependent activity resulting from NBS treatment arises entirely from a decrease in the turnover number. Complex formation of glutamate synthase with ferredoxin prevented both the modification of tryptophan residues by NBS and inhibition of the enzyme. NBS treatment had no effect on the secondary structure of the enzyme, did not affect the Kms for 2-oxoglutarate and glutamine, did not affect the midpoint potentials of the enzyme's prosthetic groups and did not decrease the ability of the enzyme to bind ferredoxin. It thus appears that the ferredoxin-binding site(s) of glutamate synthase contains at least one, and possibly two, tryptophans. Replacement of either phenylalanine at position 65, in the ferredoxin from the cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120, with a non-aromatic amino acid, or replacement of the glutamate at ferredoxin position 94, decreased the turnover number compared to that observed with wild-type Anabaena ferredoxin. The effect of the change at position 65 was quite modest compared to that at position 94, suggesting that an aromatic amino acid is not absolutely essential at position 65, but that glutamate 94 is essential for optimal electron transfer.

Detailed NMR analysis of the heme-protein interactions in component IV Glycera dibranchiata monomeric hemoglobin-CO

Complete 13C, 15N, and 1H resonance assignments have been obtained for the recombinant, ferrous CO-ligated from of component IV monomeric hemoglobin from Glycera dibranchiata. This 15642 Da myoglobin-like protein contains a large number of glycine and alanine residues (47) and a heme prosthetic group. Coupling constant information has allowed the determination of chi(1) and chi(2) torsion angles, backbone phi angles, as well as 43 of 81 possible assignments to H beta 2/beta 3 pairs. The 13C alpha, 13 beta, 13C', and 1H alpha assignments yield a consensus chemical shift index (CSI) that, in combination with NOE information and backbone torsion angles, defines seven distinct helical regions for the protein's global architecture. Discrepancies between the CSI and NOE/3JHNH alpha-based secondary structure definitions have been attributed to heme ring current shifts on the basis of calculations from a model structure [Alam et al. (1994) J. Protein Chem., 13, 151-164]. The agreement can be improved by correcting the 1H alpha chemical shifts for the ring current contributions. Because the holoprotein was assembled from isotopically enriched globin and natural isotope-abundance heme, data from 13C-filtered/13C-edited and 13C-filtered/13C-filtered 2D NOESY experiments could be used to determine complete heme proton assignments and to position the heme within the protein. The results confirm the unusual presence of Phe31 (B10) and Leu58 (E7) side chains near the heme ligand binding site which may alter the polarity and steric environment and thus the functional properties of this protein.