Buckwheat trypsin inhibitor with helical hairpin structure belongs to a new family of plant defence peptides

2012 ◽  
Vol 446 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter B. Oparin ◽  
Konstantin S. Mineev ◽  
Yakov E. Dunaevsky ◽  
Alexander S. Arseniev ◽  
Mikhail A. Belozersky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trypsin Inhibitor ◽  
Disulfide Bonds ◽  
Plant Defence ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Structural Similarity ◽  
Reversed Phase ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
New Family ◽  
Helical Hairpin

A new peptide trypsin inhibitor named BWI-2c was obtained from buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) seeds by sequential affinity, ion exchange and reversed-phase chromatography. The peptide was sequenced and found to contain 41 amino acid residues, with four cysteine residues involved in two intramolecular disulfide bonds. Recombinant BWI-2c identical to the natural peptide was produced in Escherichia coli in a form of a cleavable fusion with thioredoxin. The 3D (three-dimensional) structure of the peptide in solution was determined by NMR spectroscopy, revealing two antiparallel α-helices stapled by disulfide bonds. Together with VhTI, a trypsin inhibitor from veronica (Veronica hederifolia), BWI-2c represents a new family of protease inhibitors with an unusual α-helical hairpin fold. The linker sequence between the helices represents the so-called trypsin inhibitory loop responsible for direct binding to the active site of the enzyme that cleaves BWI-2c at the functionally important residue Arg19. The inhibition constant was determined for BWI-2c against trypsin (1.7×10−10 M), and the peptide was tested on other enzymes, including those from various insect digestive systems, revealing high selectivity to trypsin-like proteases. Structural similarity shared by BWI-2c, VhTI and several other plant defence peptides leads to the acknowledgement of a new widespread family of plant peptides termed α-hairpinins.

Buckwheat trypsin inhibitor with helical hairpin structure belongs to a new family of plant defence peptides

2012 ◽  
Vol 446 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-331
Author(s):  
P. B. Oparin ◽  
K. S. Mineev ◽  
Y. E. Dunaevsky ◽  
A. S. Arseniev ◽  
M. A. Belozersky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trypsin Inhibitor ◽  
Plant Defence ◽  
Hairpin Structure ◽  
New Family ◽  
Helical Hairpin

scholarly journals An Unusual Helix-Turn-Helix Protease Inhibitory Motif in a Novel Trypsin Inhibitor from Seeds of Veronica (Veronica hederifolia L.)

2007 ◽  
Vol 282 (38) ◽  
pp. 27760-27768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Conners ◽  
Alexander V. Konarev ◽  
Jane Forsyth ◽  
Alison Lovegrove ◽  
Justin Marsh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protease Inhibitors ◽  
Trypsin Inhibitor ◽  
Disulfide Bonds ◽  
Serine Proteases ◽  
Enzyme Inhibitors ◽  
Noncovalent Complex ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Scissile Bond ◽  
Proteinaceous Inhibitor

The storage tissues of many plants contain protease inhibitors that are believed to play an important role in defending the plant from invasion by pests and pathogens. These proteinaceous inhibitor molecules belong to a number of structurally distinct families. We describe here the isolation, purification, initial inhibitory properties, and three-dimensional structure of a novel trypsin inhibitor from seeds of Veronica hederifolia (VhTI). The VhTI peptide inhibits trypsin with a submicromolar apparent Ki and is expected to be specific for trypsin-like serine proteases. VhTI differs dramatically in structure from all previously described families of trypsin inhibitors, consisting of a helix-turn-helix motif, with the two α helices tightly associated by two disulfide bonds. Unusually, the crystallized complex is in the form of a stabilized acyl-enzyme intermediate with the scissile bond of the VhTI inhibitor cleaved and the resulting N-terminal portion of the inhibitor remaining attached to the trypsin catalytic serine 195 by an ester bond. A synthetic, truncated version of the VhTI peptide has also been produced and co-crystallized with trypsin but, surprisingly, is seen to be uncleaved and consequently forms a noncovalent complex with trypsin. The VhTI peptide shows that effective enzyme inhibitors can be constructed from simple helical motifs and provides a new scaffold on which to base the design of novel serine protease inhibitors.

scholarly journals Functional Analysis of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis FAD-Dependent Thymidylate Synthase, ThyX, Reveals New Amino Acid Residues Contributing to an Extended ThyX Motif

2008 ◽  
Vol 190 (6) ◽  
pp. 2056-2064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan E. Ulmer ◽  
Yap Boum ◽  
Christopher D. Thouvenel ◽  
Hannu Myllykallio ◽  
Carol Hopkins Sibley
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Thymidylate Synthase ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Pyrimidine Ring ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Catalytic Residue ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Insight Into

ABSTRACT A novel FAD-dependent thymidylate synthase, ThyX, is present in a variety of eubacteria and archaea, including the mycobacteria. A short motif found in all thyX genes, RHRX7-8S, has been identified. The three-dimensional structure of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ThyX enzyme has been solved. Building upon this information, we used directed mutagenesis to produce 67 mutants of the M. tuberculosis thyX gene. Each enzyme was assayed to determine its ability to complement the defect in thymidine biosynthesis in a ΔthyA strain of Escherichia coli. Enzymes from selected strains were then tested in vitro for their ability to catalyze the oxidation of NADPH and the release of a proton from position 5 of the pyrimidine ring of dUMP. The results defined an extended motif of amino acids essential to enzyme activity in M. tuberculosis (Y44X24 H69X25R95HRX7 S105XRYX90R199 [with the underlined histidine acting as the catalytic residue and the underlined serine as the nucleophile]) and provided insight into the ThyX reaction mechanism. ThyX is found in a variety of bacterial pathogens but is absent in humans, which depend upon an unrelated thymidylate synthase, ThyA. Therefore, ThyX is a potential target for development of antibacterial drugs.

scholarly journals Conformation and membrane interaction studies of the potent antimicrobial and anticancer peptide palustrin-Ca

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Brendan Timmons ◽  
Chandralal M Hewage
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Dodecyl ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Dynamics Simulation ◽  
Peptide Sequence ◽  
Helical Conformation ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Anticancer Activities ◽  
American Bullfrog ◽  
Α Helix

Palustrin-Ca (GFLDIIKDTGKEFAVKILNNLKCKLAGGCPP) is a host defense peptide with potent antimicrobial and anticancer activities, first isolated from the skin of the American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus. The peptide is 31 amino acid residues long, cationic and amphipathic. Two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy was employed to characterise its three-dimensional structure in a 50/50% water/2,2,2-trifluoroethanol-d3 mixture. The structure is defined by an α-helix that spans between Ile6-Ala26, and a cyclic disulphide bridged domain at the C-terminal end of the peptide sequence, between residues 23 and 29. A molecular dynamics simulation was employed to model the peptide's interactions with sodium dodecyl sulphate micelles, a widely used bacterial membrane-mimicking environment. Throughout the simulation, the peptide was found to maintain its α-helical conformation between residues Ile6-Ala26, while adopting a position parallel to the surface to micelle, which is energetically-favourable due to many hydrophobic and electrostatic contacts with the micelle.

Characteristics of Two Forms of α-Amylases and Structural Implication

1999 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 4652-4658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kohji Ohdan ◽  
Takashi Kuriki ◽  
Hiroki Kaneko ◽  
Jiro Shimada ◽  
Toshikazu Takada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Amino Acid Residues ◽  
Amylase Gene ◽  
Raw Starch ◽  
Raw Starch Binding ◽  
Terminal Amino ◽  
Carboxyl Terminal

ABSTRACT Complete (Ba-L) and truncated (Ba-S) forms of α-amylases fromBacillus subtilis X-23 were purified, and the amino- and carboxyl-terminal amino acid sequences of Ba-L and Ba-S were determined. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence of the α-amylase gene indicated that Ba-S was produced from Ba-L by truncation of the 186 amino acid residues at the carboxyl-terminal region. The results of genomic Southern analysis and Western analysis suggested that the two enzymes originated from the same α-amylase gene and that truncation of Ba-L to Ba-S occurred during the cultivation of B. subtilis X-23 cells. Although the primary structure of Ba-S was approximately 28% shorter than that of Ba-L, the two enzyme forms had the same enzymatic characteristics (molar catalytic activity, amylolytic pattern, transglycosylation ability, effect of pH on stability and activity, optimum temperature, and raw starch-binding ability), except that the thermal stability of Ba-S was higher than that of Ba-L. An analysis of the secondary structure as well as the predicted three-dimensional structure of Ba-S showed that Ba-S retained all of the necessary domains (domains A, B, and C) which were most likely to be required for functionality as α-amylase.

scholarly journals Purification, Characterization, and Gene Sequence of Michiganin A, an Actagardine-Like Lantibiotic Produced by the Tomato Pathogen Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis

2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (9) ◽  
pp. 5814-5821 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Holtsmark ◽  
D. Mantzilas ◽  
V. G. H. Eijsink ◽  
M. B. Brurberg
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Reversed Phase ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Sequence Information ◽  
Type B ◽  
Clavibacter Michiganensis ◽  
Ring Rot ◽  
A Genome ◽  
Tomato Pathogen

ABSTRACT Members of the actinomycete genus Clavibacter are known to produce antimicrobial compounds, but so far none of these compounds has been purified and characterized. We have isolated an antimicrobial peptide, michiganin A, from the tomato pathogen Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, using ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by cation-exchange and reversed-phase chromatography steps. Upon chemical derivatization of putative dehydrated amino acids and lanthionine bridges by alkaline ethanethiol, Edman degradation yielded sequence information that proved to be sufficient for cloning of the gene by a genome-walking strategy. The mature unmodified peptide consists of 21 amino acids, SSSGWLCTLTIECGTIICACR. All of the threonine residues undergo dehydration, and three of them interact with cysteines via thioether bonds to form methyllanthionine bridges. Michiganin A resembles actagardine, a type B lantibiotic with a known three-dimensional structure, produced by Actinoplanes liguriae, which is a filamentous actinomycete. The DNA sequence of the gene showed that the michiganin A precursor contains an unusual putative signal peptide with no similarity to well-known secretion signals and only very limited similarity to the (only two) available leader peptides of other type B lantibiotics. Michiganin A inhibits the growth of Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus, the causal agent of ring rot of potatoes, with MICs in the low nanomolar range. Thus, michiganin A may have some potential in biological control of potato ring rot.

A murrel cysteine protease, cathepsin L: bioinformatics characterization, gene expression and proteolytic activity

Biologia ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Venkatesh Kumaresan ◽  
Prasanth Bhatt ◽  
Rajesh Palanisamy ◽  
Annie Gnanam ◽  
Mukesh Pasupuleti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Cathepsin L ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Structural Similarity ◽  
Data Bank ◽  
Minimum Free Energy ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Peptide Bonds ◽  
Gene Expression Studies

AbstractCathepsin L, a lysosomal endopeptidase, is a member of the peptidase C1 family (papain-like family) of cysteine proteinases that cleave peptide bonds of lysosomal proteins. In this study, we report a cathepsin L sequence identified from the constructed cDNA library of striped murrel Channa striatus (designated as CsCath L) using genome sequencing FLXTM technology. The full-length CsCath L contains three eukaryotic thiol protease domains at positions 134-145, 278-288 and 299-318. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the CsCath L was clustered together with other cathepsin L from teleosts. The three-dimensional structure of CsCath L modelled by the I-Tasser program was compared with structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank to find out the structural similarity of CsCath L with experimentally identified structures. The results showed that the CsCath L exhibits maximum structural identity with pro-cathepsin L from human. The RNA fold structure of CsCath L was predicted along with its minimum free energy (−471.93 kcal/mol). The highest CsCath L gene expression was observed in liver, which was also significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that detected in other tissues taken for analysis. In order to investigate the mRNA transcription profile of CsCath L during infection, C. striatus were injected with fungus (Aphanomyces invadans) and bacteria (Aeromonas hydrophila) and its expression was up-regulated in liver at various time points. Similar to gene expression studies, the highest CsCath L enzyme activity was also observed in liver and its activity was up-regulated by fungal and bacterial infections.

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