Multiple haem lyase genes indicate substrate specificity in cytochrome c biogenesis

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Hartshorne ◽  
D.J. Richardson ◽  
J. Simon
Keyword(s):  
Cytochrome C ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Covalent Attachment ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Binding Motifs ◽  
Cytochrome C Biogenesis ◽  
Multiple Copies ◽  
Energy Conserving ◽  
Eukaryotic Organisms

c-Type cytochromes are a widespread class of proteins that play a vital role in the energy-conserving metabolism of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. The key event in cytochrome c biogenesis is the covalent attachment of the haem cofactor to two (or rarely one) cysteine residues arranged in a haem c-binding motif such as CX2–4CH, CXXCK or X3CH. This reaction is catalysed by the membrane-bound enzyme CCHL (cytochrome c haem lyase). Different CCHLs have been described and some of them are dedicated to distinct haem c-binding motifs of cytochromes that are encoded in the vicinity of the respective CCHL gene. Various bacterial genomes contain multiple copies of CCHL-encoding genes, suggesting the presence of non-conventional or even as yet unrecognized haem c-binding motifs. This assumption is exemplified in the present study using the proteobacterium Wolinella succinogenes as a model organism whose genome encodes three CCHL isoenzymes. The discovery of a novel conserved multihaem cytochrome c (MccA) is described.

What is the substrate specificity of the System I cytochrome c biogenesis apparatus?

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.W.A. Allen ◽  
S.J. Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Cytochrome C ◽  
Substrate Specificity ◽  
Nitrogen Cycle ◽  
Covalent Attachment ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Gram Negative Bacteria ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Cytochrome C Maturation ◽  
Cytochrome C Biogenesis

c-Type cytochromes are characterized by covalent attachment of haem to protein through thioether bonds between the vinyl groups of the haem and the thiols of a CXXCH motif. Proteins of this type play crucial roles in the biochemistry of the nitrogen cycle. Many Gram-negative bacteria use the Ccm (cytochrome c maturation) proteins for the post-translational haem attachment to their c-type cytochromes; in the present paper, we discuss the substrate specificity of the Ccm apparatus. The main conclusion is that the feature recognized and required in the apocytochrome is simply the two cysteines and the histidine of the haem-binding motif.

scholarly journals The histidine of the c-type cytochrome CXXCH haem-binding motif is essential for haem attachment by the Escherichia coli cytochrome c maturation (Ccm) apparatus

2005 ◽  
Vol 389 (2) ◽  
pp. 587-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. A. Allen ◽  
Nicholas Leach ◽  
Stuart J. Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Cytochrome C ◽  
Covalent Attachment ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Binding Motifs ◽  
Cytochrome C Maturation ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Cytochrome B562

c-type cytochromes are characterized by covalent attachment of haem to the protein by two thioether bonds formed between the haem vinyl groups and the cysteine sulphurs in a CXXCH peptide motif. In Escherichia coli and many other Gram-negative bacteria, this post-translational haem attachment is catalysed by the Ccm (cytochrome c maturation) system. The features of the apocytochrome substrate required and recognized by the Ccm apparatus are uncertain. In the present study, we report investigations of maturation of cytochrome b562 variants containing CXXCR, CXXCK or CXXCM haem-binding motifs. None of them showed any evidence for correct maturation by the Ccm system. However, we have determined, for each variant, that the proteins (i) were expressed in large amounts, (ii) could bind haem in vivo and/or in vitro and (iii) were not degraded in the cell. Together with previous observations, these results strongly suggest that the apocytochrome substrate feature recognized by the Ccm system is simply the two cysteine residues and the histidine of the CXXCH haem-binding motif. Using the same experimental approach, we have also investigated a cytochrome b562 variant containing the special CWSCK motif that binds the active-site haem of E. coli nitrite reductase NrfA. Whereas a CWSCH analogue was matured by the Ccm apparatus in large amounts, the CWSCK form was not detectably matured either by the Ccm system or by the dedicated Nrf biogenesis proteins, implying that the substrate recognition features for haem attachment in NrfA may be more extensive than the CWSCK motif.

scholarly journals Variant c-type cytochromes as probes of the substrate specificity of the E. coli cytochrome c maturation (Ccm) apparatus

2009 ◽  
Vol 419 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. A. Allen ◽  
Elizabeth B. Sawyer ◽  
Michael L. Ginger ◽  
Paul D. Barker ◽  
Stuart J. Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Cytochrome C ◽  
Substrate Specificity ◽  
Cysteine Residue ◽  
Covalent Attachment ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Post Translational Modification ◽  
Cytochrome C Maturation ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Cytochrome B562 ◽  
Genome Analyses

c-type cytochromes are normally characterized by covalent attachment of the iron cofactor haem to protein through two thioether bonds between the vinyl groups of the haem and the thiol groups of a CXXCH (Cys–Xaa–Xaa–Cys–His) motif. In cells, the haem attachment is an enzyme-catalysed post-translational modification. We have previously shown that co-expression of a variant of Escherichia coli cytochrome b562 containing a CXXCH haem-binding motif with the E. coli Ccm (cytochrome c maturation) proteins resulted in homogeneous maturation of a correctly formed c-type cytochrome. In contrast, in the absence of the Ccm apparatus, the product holocytochrome was heterogeneous, the main species having haem inverted and attached through only one thioether bond. In the present study we use further variants of cytochrome b562 to investigate the substrate specificity of the E. coli Ccm apparatus. The system can mature c-type cytochromes with CCXXCH, CCXCH, CXCCH and CXXCHC motifs, even though these are not found naturally and the extra cysteine residue might, in principle, disrupt the biogenesis proteins which must interact intricately with disulfide-bond oxidizing and reducing proteins in the E. coli periplasm. The Ccm proteins can also attach haem to motifs of the type CXnCH where n ranges from 2 to 6. For n=3 and 4, the haem attachment was correct and homogeneous, but for higher values of n the holocytochromes displayed oxidative addition of sulfur and/or oxygen atoms associated with the covalent haem-attachment process. The implications of our observations for the haem-attachment reaction, for genome analyses and for the substrate specificity of the Ccm system, are discussed.

scholarly journals The FtsHi Enzymes of Arabidopsis thaliana: Pseudo-Proteases with an Important Function

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 5917
Author(s):  
Laxmi S. Mishra ◽  
Christiane Funk
Keyword(s):  
Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽  
Protein Import ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Aaa Atpase ◽  
Seed Growth ◽  
Membrane Bound ◽  
And Oxidative Stress ◽  
Zinc Binding Motif

FtsH metalloproteases found in eubacteria, animals, and plants are well-known for their vital role in the maintenance and proteolysis of membrane proteins. Their location is restricted to organelles of endosymbiotic origin, the chloroplasts, and mitochondria. In the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana, there are 17 membrane-bound FtsH proteases containing an AAA+ (ATPase associated with various cellular activities) and a Zn2+ metalloprotease domain. However, in five of those, the zinc-binding motif HEXXH is either mutated (FtsHi1, 2, 4, 5) or completely missing (FtsHi3), rendering these enzymes presumably inactive in proteolysis. Still, homozygous null mutants of the pseudo-proteases FtsHi1, 2, 4, 5 are embryo-lethal. Homozygous ftshi3 or a weak point mutant in FTSHi1 are affected in overall plant growth and development. This review will focus on the findings concerning the FtsHi pseudo-proteases and their involvement in protein import, leading to consequences in embryogenesis, seed growth, chloroplast, and leaf development and oxidative stress management.

scholarly journals Variation of the axial haem ligands and haem-binding motif as a probe of the Escherichia coli c-type cytochrome maturation (Ccm) system

2003 ◽  
Vol 375 (3) ◽  
pp. 721-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. A. ALLEN ◽  
Stuart J. FERGUSON
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Cytochrome C ◽  
Covalent Attachment ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Cytochrome C Maturation ◽  
Cytochromes C ◽  
Cytochrome C552 ◽  
Haem Iron ◽  
Made In ◽  
Uncatalysed Reaction

Cytochromes c are typically characterized by the covalent attachment of haem to polypeptide through two thioether bonds with the cysteine residues of a Cys-Xaa-Xaa-Cys-His peptide motif. In many Gram-negative bacteria, the haem is attached to the polypeptide by the periplasmically functioning cytochrome c maturation (Ccm) proteins. Exceptionally, Hydrogenobacter thermophilus cytochrome c552 can be expressed as a stable holocytochrome both in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli in an apparently uncatalysed reaction and also in the periplasm in a Ccm-mediated reaction. In the present study we show that a Met60→Ala variant of c552, which does not have the usual distal methionine ligand to the haem iron of the mature cytochrome, can be made in the periplasm by the Ccm system. However, no holocytochrome could be detected when this variant was expressed cytoplasmically. These data highlight differences between the two modes of cytochrome c assembly. In addition, we report investigations of haem attachment to cytochromes altered to have the special Cys-Trp-Ser-Cys-Lys haem-binding motif, and Cys-Trp-Ser-Cys-His and Cys-Trp-Ala-Cys-His analogues, of the active-site haem of nitrite reductase NrfA.

scholarly journals Searching for G-Quadruplex-Binding Proteins in Plants: New Insight into Possible G-Quadruplex Regulation

BioTech ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Adriana Volná ◽  
Martin Bartas ◽  
Jakub Nezval ◽  
Vladimír Špunda ◽  
Petr Pečinka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Binding Proteins ◽  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Binding Motifs ◽  
Core Proteins ◽  
G Quadruplex ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Nucleic Acid Structures

G-quadruplexes are four-stranded nucleic acid structures occurring in the genomes of all living organisms and viruses. It is increasingly evident that these structures play important molecular roles; generally, by modulating gene expression and overall genome integrity. For a long period, G-quadruplexes have been studied specifically in the context of human promoters, telomeres, and associated diseases (cancers, neurological disorders). Several of the proteins for binding G-quadruplexes are known, providing promising targets for influencing G-quadruplex-related processes in organisms. Nonetheless, in plants, only a small number of G-quadruplex binding proteins have been described to date. Thus, we aimed to bioinformatically inspect the available protein sequences to find the best protein candidates with the potential to bind G-quadruplexes. Two similar glycine and arginine-rich G-quadruplex-binding motifs were described in humans. The first is the so-called “RGG motif”-RRGDGRRRGGGGRGQGGRGRGGGFKG, and the second (which has been recently described) is known as the “NIQI motif”-RGRGRGRGGGSGGSGGRGRG. Using this general knowledge, we searched for plant proteins containing the above mentioned motifs, using two independent approaches (BLASTp and FIMO scanning), and revealed many proteins containing the G4-binding motif(s). Our research also revealed the core proteins involved in G4 folding and resolving in green plants, algae, and the key plant model organism, Arabidopsis thaliana. The discovered protein candidates were annotated using STRINGdb and sorted by their molecular and physiological roles in simple schemes. Our results point to the significant role of G4-binding proteins in the regulation of gene expression in plants.

Probing why trypanosomes assemble atypical cytochrome c with an AxxCH haem-binding motif instead of CxxCH

2012 ◽  
Vol 448 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael L. Ginger ◽  
Katharine A. Sam ◽  
James W. A. Allen
Keyword(s):  
Cytochrome C ◽  
Cysteine Residue ◽  
Cysteine Residues ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Post Translational Modification ◽  
Cytochrome C Biogenesis ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Trypanosomatid Parasites ◽  
Core Components

Mitochondrial cytochromes c and c1 are core components of the respiratory chain of all oxygen-respiring eukaryotes. These proteins contain haem, covalently bound to the polypeptide in a catalysed post-translational modification. In all eukaryotes, except members of the protist phylum Euglenozoa, haem attachment is to the cysteine residues of a CxxCH haem-binding motif. In the Euglenozoa, which include medically relevant trypanosomatid parasites, haem attachment is to a single cysteine residue in an AxxCH haem-binding motif. Moreover, genes encoding known c-type cytochrome biogenesis machineries are all absent from trypanosomatid genomes, indicating the presence of a novel biosynthetic apparatus. In the present study, we investigate expression and maturation of cytochrome c with a typical CxxCH haem-binding motif in the trypanosomatids Crithidia fasciculata and Trypanosoma brucei. Haem became attached to both cysteine residues of the haem-binding motif, indicating that, in contrast with previous hypotheses, nothing prevents formation of a CxxCH cytochrome c in euglenozoan mitochondria. The cytochrome variant was also able to replace the function of wild-type cytochrome c in T. brucei. However, the haem attachment to protein was not via the stereospecifically conserved linkage universally observed in natural c-type cytochromes, suggesting that the trypanosome cytochrome c biogenesis machinery recognized and processed only the wild-type single-cysteine haem-binding motif. Moreover, the presence of the CxxCH cytochrome c resulted in a fitness cost in respiration. The level of cytochrome c biogenesis in trypanosomatids was also found to be limited, with the cells operating at close to maximum capacity.

scholarly journals Maturation of the unusual single-cysteine (XXXCH) mitochondrial c-type cytochromes found in trypanosomatids must occur through a novel biogenesis pathway

2004 ◽  
Vol 383 (3) ◽  
pp. 537-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
James W. A. ALLEN ◽  
Michael L. GINGER ◽  
Stuart J. FERGUSON
Keyword(s):  
Cytochrome C ◽  
Covalent Attachment ◽  
Binding Motif ◽  
Intermembrane Space ◽  
Cytochrome C Maturation ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Cytochromes C ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Mitochondrial Intermembrane Space ◽  
Mitochondrial Cytochromes

The c-type cytochromes are characterized by the covalent attachment of haem to the polypeptide via thioether bonds formed from haem vinyl groups and, normally, the thiols of two cysteines in a CXXCH motif. Intriguingly, the mitochondrial cytochromes c and c1 from two euglenids and the Trypanosomatidae contain only a single cysteine within the haem-binding motif (XXXCH). There are three known distinct pathways by which c-type cytochromes are matured post-translationally in different organisms. The absence of genes encoding any of these c-type cytochrome biogenesis machineries is established here by analysis of six trypanosomatid genomes, and correlates with the presence of single-cysteine cytochromes c and c1. In contrast, we have identified a comprehensive catalogue of proteins required for a typical mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation apparatus. Neither spontaneous nor catalysed maturation of the single-cysteine Trypanosoma brucei cytochrome c occurred in Escherichia coli. However, a CXXCH variant was matured by the E. coli cytochrome c maturation machinery, confirming the proposed requirement of the latter for two cysteines in the haem-binding motif and indicating that T. brucei cytochrome c can accommodate a second cysteine in a CXXCH motif. The single-cysteine haem attachment conserved in cytochromes c and c1 of the trypanosomatids is suggested to be related to their cytochrome c maturation machinery, and the environment in the mitochondrial intermembrane space. Our genomic and biochemical studies provide very persuasive evidence that the trypanosomatid mitochondrial cytochromes c are matured by a novel biogenesis system.

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