scholarly journals Purification of the Escherichia coli ammonium transporter AmtB reveals a trimeric stoichiometry

2002 ◽  
Vol 364 (2) ◽  
pp. 527-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan BLAKEY ◽  
Andrew LEECH ◽  
Gavin H. THOMAS ◽  
Graham COUTTS ◽  
Kim FINDLAY ◽  
...  

The Amt family of high-affinity ammonium transporters is a family of integral membrane proteins that are found in archaea, bacteria, fungi, plants and animals. Furthermore, the family has recently been extended to humans with the recognition that both the erythroid and non-erythroid Rhesus proteins are also ammonium transporters. The Escherichia coli AmtB protein offers a good model system for the Amt family and in order to address questions relating to both its structure and function we have overproduced a histidine-tagged form of the protein (AmtB6H) and purified it to homogeneity. We examined the quaternary structure of AmtB6H (which is active in vivo) by SDS/PAGE, gel-filtration chromatography, dynamic light scattering and sedimentation ultracentrifugation. The protein was resistant to dissociation by SDS and behaved as a stable oligomer on SDS/PAGE. By equilibrium desorption chromatography we determined the mass ratio of dodecyl β-d-maltoside to AmtB in the detergent-solubilized complex to be 1.03±0.03, and this allowed us to calculate, from analytical-ultracentrifugation data, that AmtB purifies as a trimer.

2005 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 469-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Sobczak ◽  
Magdalena Blazejczyk ◽  
Grzegorz Piszczek ◽  
Gang Zhao ◽  
Jacek Kuznicki ◽  
...  

The EF-hand Ca(2+)-binding protein calmyrin is expressed in many tissues and can interact with multiple effector proteins, probably as a sensor transferring Ca(2+) signals. As oligomerization may represent one of Ca(2+)-signal transduction mechanisms, we characterised recombinant calmyrin forms using non-reducing SDS/PAGE, analytical ultracentrifugation and gel filtration. We also aimed at identification of biologically active calmyrin forms. Non-reducing SDS/PAGE showed that in vitro apo- and Ca(2+)-bound calmyrin oligomerizes forming stable intermolecular disulfide bridges. Ultracentrifugation indicated that at a 220 microM initial protein concentration apo-calmyrin existed in an equilibrium of a 21.9 kDa monomer and a 43.8 kDa dimer (trimeric or tetrameric species were not detected). The dimerization constant was calculated as Ka = 1.78 x 103 M(-1) at 6 degrees C. Gel filtration of apo- and Ca(2+)-bound calmyrin at a 100 microM protein concentration confirmed an equilibrium of a monomer and a covalent dimer state. Importantly, both monomer and dimer underwent significant conformational changes in response to binding of Ca(2+). However, when calmyrin forms were analyzed under non-reducing conditions in cell extracts by Western blotting, only monomeric calmyrin was detected in human platelets and lymphocytes, and in rat brain. Moreover, in contrast to recombinant calmyrin, crosslinking did not preserve any dimeric species of calmyrin regardless of Ca(2+) concentrations. In summary, our data indicate that although calmyrin forms stable covalent dimers in vitro, it most probably functions as a monomer in vivo.


2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (24) ◽  
pp. 7821-7823 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Linke ◽  
Nagarajan Periasamy ◽  
Matthias Ehrmann ◽  
Roland Winter ◽  
Rudi F. Vogel

ABSTRACT High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is suggested to influence the structure and function of membranes and/or integrated proteins. We demonstrate for the first time HHP-induced dimer dissociation of membrane proteins in vivo with Vibrio cholerae ToxR variants in Escherichia coli reporter strains carrying ctx::lacZ fusions. Dimerization ceased at 20 to 50 MPa depending on the nature of the transmembrane segments rather than on changes in the ToxR lipid bilayer environment.


Open Biology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 130172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Franke ◽  
Alexander Gasch ◽  
Dayté Rodriguez ◽  
Mohamed Chami ◽  
Muzamil M. Khan ◽  
...  

MuRF1 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase central to muscle catabolism. It belongs to the TRIM protein family characterized by a tripartite fold of RING, B-box and coiled-coil (CC) motifs, followed by variable C-terminal domains. The CC motif is hypothesized to be responsible for domain organization in the fold as well as for high-order assembly into functional entities. But data on CC from this family that can clarify the structural significance of this motif are scarce. We have characterized the helical region from MuRF1 and show that, contrary to expectations, its CC domain assembles unproductively, being the B2- and COS-boxes in the fold (respectively flanking the CC) that promote a native quaternary structure. In particular, the C-terminal COS-box seemingly forms an α-hairpin that packs against the CC, influencing its dimerization. This shows that a C-terminal variable domain can be tightly integrated within the conserved TRIM fold to modulate its structure and function. Furthermore, data from transfected muscle show that in MuRF1 the COS-box mediates the in vivo targeting of sarcoskeletal structures and points to the pharmacological relevance of the COS domain for treating MuRF1-mediated muscle atrophy.


2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (12) ◽  
pp. 1501-1511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Bin Wu ◽  
Hui-Chin Peng ◽  
Tur-Fu Huang

SummaryBinding of von Willebrand factor (vWF) to a variety of extracellular matrix (ECM) components and to platelet glycoprotein (GP) Ib-IX-V complex is important in mediating platelet adhesion and aggregation in the early stage of hemostasis. We previously purified a potent antithrombotic protein, named crotalin, functionally acting as a GP Ib antagonist (1). In this study, we further characterized crotalin as a P-I metalloproteinase with a molecular mass of 25 kDa as determined by gel filtration and two-dimensional SDS-PAGE. Crotalin is a vWF binding and cleaving metalloproteinase. In addition, crotalin cleaved platelet GP Ib as judged by flow cytometry and Western blotting. The multiple effects of crotalin on vWF and platelet GP Ib antagonized ristocetin-, but not collagen and thrombin-induced platelet aggregation, suggesting that its effect is specific. We also found that crotalin auto-proteolytically degraded to ~14 and ~10 kDa fragments in the presence of SDS. Interestingly, both degradation fragments, intact and reduced crotalin were able to bind vWF, suggesting the binding of crotalin to vWF is conformation-independent. In conclusion, the results presented further explain the potent antithrombotic effect of crotalin in vivo. In addition, the multiple effects of crotalin may be used as a tool to determine the binding motifs that are responsible for the vWF-ECMs or vWF-GP Ib interaction.


1998 ◽  
Vol 66 (9) ◽  
pp. 4374-4381 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. McMichael ◽  
Michael J. Fiske ◽  
Ross A. Fredenburg ◽  
Deb N. Chakravarti ◽  
Karl R. VanDerMeid ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The UspA1 and UspA2 proteins of Moraxella catarrhalisare potential vaccine candidates for preventing disease caused by this organism. We have characterized both proteins and evaluated their vaccine potential using both in vitro and in vivo assays. Both proteins were purified from the O35E isolate by Triton X-100 extraction, followed by ion-exchange and hydroxyapatite chromatography. Analysis of the sequences of internal peptides, prepared by enzymatic and chemical cleavage of the proteins, revealed that UspA1 and UspA2 exhibited distinct structural differences but shared a common sequence including an epitope recognized by the monoclonal antibody 17C7. By sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), purified UspA1 exhibited a molecular weight of approximately 350,000 when unheated and a molecular weight of 100,000 after being heated for 10 min at 100°C. In contrast, purified UspA2 exhibited an apparent molecular weight of 240,000 by SDS-PAGE that did not change with the length of time of heating. Their sizes as determined by gel filtration were 1,150,000 and 830,000 for UspA1 and UspA2, respectively. Preliminary results indicate the proteins have separate functions in bacterial pathogenesis. Purified UspA1 was found to bind HEp-2 cells, and sera against UspA1, but not against UspA2, blocked binding of the O35E isolate to the HEp-2 cells. UspA1 also bound fibronectin and appears to have a role in bacterial attachment. Purified UspA2, however, did not bind fibronectin but had an affinity for vitronectin. Both proteins elicited bactericidal antibodies in mice to homologous and heterologous disease isolates. Finally, mice immunized with each of the proteins, followed by pulmonary challenge with either the homologous or a heterologous isolate, cleared the bacteria more rapidly than mock-immunized mice. These results suggest that UspA1 and UspA2 serve different virulence functions and that both are promising vaccine candidates.


2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (a1) ◽  
pp. C1283-C1283
Author(s):  
Gilles Labesse ◽  
Thomas Alexandre ◽  
Laurène Vaupré ◽  
Isabelle Salard-Arnaud ◽  
Joséphine Lai Kee Him ◽  
...  

Inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase (1, 2) (IMPDH) is a major target for antiviral, antiparasitic, antileukemic and immunosuppressive therapies. It is an ubiquitous and essential enzyme for the biosynthesis of guanosine nucleotides. Up to now, IMPDHs have been reported as tetrameric enzymes harbouring a catalytic domain and a tandem of cystathionine-ß-synthase (CBS) modules. The latter had no precise function assigned despite their nearly absolute conservation among IMPDHs and consistent indication of their importance in vivo. The aim of our study was to provide evidence for the role of the CBS modules on the quaternary structure and on the regulation of IMPDHs. A multidisciplinary approach involving enzymology, site-directed mutagenesis, analytical ultracentrifugation, X-ray crystallography, SAXS, cryo-electron microscopy and molecular modelling allowed us to demonstrate that the Pseudomonas aeruginosa IMPDH is functionally active as an octamer and allosterically regulated by MgATP via each CBS module. Revisiting deposited structural data, we found this newly discovered octameric organization conserved in other IMPDH structures. Meanwhile, we demonstrated that the human IMPDH1 formed two distinct octamers that can pile up into isolated fibres in the presence of MgATP while its pathogenic mutant D226N, localised into the CBS domains, appeared to form massively aggregating fibres. The dramatic impact of this mutation could explain the severe retinopathy adRP10. Our data (3) revealed for the first time that IMPDH has an octameric architecture modulated by MgATP binding to the CBS modules, inducing large structural rearrangements. Thus, the regulatory CBS modules in IMPDHs are functional and they can either modulate catalysis or/and macromolecular assembly. Targeting the conserved effector binding pockets identified within the CBS modules might be promising to develop antibacterial compounds or drugs to counter retinopathy onset.


Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi My Trinh ◽  
Tran Linh Thuoc ◽  
Dang Thi Phuong Thao

Background: The recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor con-jugated with polyethylene glycol (PEGylated GCSF) has currently been used as an efficient drug for the treatment of neutropenia caused by chemotherapy due to its long circulating half-life. Previous studies showed that Granulocyte Colony Stimula-ting Factor (GCSF) could be expressed as non-classical Inclusion Bodies (ncIBs), which contained likely correctly folded GCSF inside at low temperature. Therefore, in this study, a simple process was developed to produce PEGylated GCSF from ncIBs. Methods: BL21 (DE3)/pET-GCSF cells were cultured in the LiFlus GX 1.5 L bioreactor and the expression of GCSF was induced by adding 0.5 mM IPTG. After 24 hr of fermentation, cells were collected, resuspended, and disrupted. The insoluble fraction was obtained from cell lysates and dissolved in 0.1% N-lauroylsarcosine solution. The presence and structure of dissolved GCSF were verified using SDS-PAGE, Native-PAGE, and RP-HPLC analyses. The dissolved GCSF was directly used for the con-jugation with 5 kDa PEG. The PEGylated GCSF was purified using two purification steps, including anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. Results: PEGylated GCSF was obtained with high purity (~97%) and was finally demonstrated as a form containing one GCSF molecule and one 5 kDa PEG molecule (monoPEG-GCSF). Conclusion: These results clearly indicate that the process developed in this study might be a potential and practical approach to produce PEGylated GCSF from ncIBs expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli).


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna A. Shiriaeva ◽  
Ekaterina Savitskaya ◽  
Kirill A. Datsenko ◽  
Irina O. Vvedenskaya ◽  
Iana Fedorova ◽  
...  

Abstract Type I CRISPR-Cas loci provide prokaryotes with a nucleic-acid-based adaptive immunity against foreign DNA. Immunity involves adaptation, the integration of ~30-bp DNA fragments, termed prespacers, into the CRISPR array as spacers, and interference, the targeted degradation of DNA containing a protospacer. Interference-driven DNA degradation can be coupled with primed adaptation, in which spacers are acquired from DNA surrounding the targeted protospacer. Here we develop a method for strand-specific, high-throughput sequencing of DNA fragments, FragSeq, and apply this method to identify DNA fragments accumulated in Escherichia coli cells undergoing robust primed adaptation by a type I-E or type I-F CRISPR-Cas system. The detected fragments have sequences matching spacers acquired during primed adaptation and function as spacer precursors when introduced exogenously into cells by transformation. The identified prespacers contain a characteristic asymmetrical structure that we propose is a key determinant of integration into the CRISPR array in an orientation that confers immunity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 202 (23) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasiia N. Klimova ◽  
Steven J. Sandler

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli PriA and PriC recognize abandoned replication forks and direct reloading of the DnaB replicative helicase onto the lagging-strand template coated with single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSB). Both PriA and PriC have been shown by biochemical and structural studies to physically interact with the C terminus of SSB. In vitro, these interactions trigger remodeling of the SSB on ssDNA. priA341(R697A) and priC351(R155A) negated the SSB remodeling reaction in vitro. Plasmid-carried priC351(R155A) did not complement priC303::kan, and priA341(R697A) has not yet been tested for complementation. Here, we further studied the SSB-binding pockets of PriA and PriC by placing priA341(R697A), priA344(R697E), priA345(Q701E), and priC351(R155A) on the chromosome and characterizing the mutant strains. All three priA mutants behaved like the wild type. In a ΔpriB strain, the mutations caused modest increases in SOS expression, cell size, and defects in nucleoid partitioning (Par−). Overproduction of SSB partially suppressed these phenotypes for priA341(R697A) and priA344(R697E). The priC351(R155A) mutant behaved as expected: there was no phenotype in a single mutant, and there were severe growth defects when this mutation was combined with ΔpriB. Analysis of the priBC mutant revealed two populations of cells: those with wild-type phenotypes and those that were extremely filamentous and Par− and had high SOS expression. We conclude that in vivo, priC351(R155A) identified an essential residue and function for PriC, that PriA R697 and Q701 are important only in the absence of PriB, and that this region of the protein may have a complicated relationship with SSB. IMPORTANCE Escherichia coli PriA and PriC recruit the replication machinery to a collapsed replication fork after it is repaired and needs to be restarted. In vitro studies suggest that the C terminus of SSB interacts with certain residues in PriA and PriC to recruit those proteins to the repaired fork, where they help remodel it for restart. Here, we placed those mutations on the chromosome and tested the effect of mutating these residues in vivo. The priC mutation completely abolished function. The priA mutations had no effect by themselves. They did, however, display modest phenotypes in a priB-null strain. These phenotypes were partially suppressed by SSB overproduction. These studies give us further insight into the reactions needed for replication restart.


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