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Estudos de complexos macromoleculares por crio-microscopia eletrônica e técnicas biofísicas / Studies of macromolecular complexes using electron cryo-electron microscopy and biophysical techniquesPortugal, Rodrigo Villares 12 September 2006 (has links)
Este trabalho apresenta o estudo e caracterização de dois complexos moleculares, hRXRálfadeltaAB e hemocianina de Acanthoscurria gomesiana, através de técnicas estruturais e biofísicas. O uso da técnica de crio-microscopia eletrônica para o estudo da hemocianina de Acanthoscurria gomesiana, resultou em um modelo estrutural com resolução de 14 angstron- pelo métodode Fourier Shell Correlation com critério de 1/2 bit. Neste limite de resolução, já é possível observar detalhes estruturais que o mostram como sendo comptível com outros modelos de hemocianinas. Com relação ao estudo de hRXRalfadeltaAB, mostrou-se, através das técnicas de cromatografia analítica de exclusão por tamanho, eletroforese de gel de poliacrilamida e SAXS, que a proteína pode se apresentar no estado dimérico em solução, mesmo na ausência do seu ligante, 9-cis-RA. Também foi estudado a associação de hRXRalfadeltaAB a elementos responsivos: DR1, DR4, F2 e PAL. Suas constantes de dissociação foram calculadas através da técnica de espectroscopia por anisotropia de fluorescência. Os resultados obtidos mostram maior afinidade por DR1 e DR2 e indicam uma origem entrópica para o processo de associação / This work describes characterization of two biomolecular complexes: hRXR deltaAB and a hemocyanin from Acanthoscurria gomesiana using structural and biophysical techniques. Application of cryo-electron microscopy to studies of a hemocyanin from Acanthoscurria gomesiana resulted in its structural model to 14Å resolution, which was calculated by Fourier Shell Correlation with cut-off of 1/2 bit. At this resolution limit one can observe structural details of the complex which are compatible with other hemocyanin models. With respect to hRXR deltaAB, we showed using analytic size exclusion chromatography, SDS PAGE and SAXS, that the protein is dimeric in solution even at the absence of its ligand, 9-cis-RA. hRXR deltaAB binding to the responsive elements of DNA, DR1, DR4, F2 and PAL was investigated and the binding constants to these responsive elements have been determined using fluorescence anisotropy technique. Our results show higher affinity of the receptor to DR1 and DR4 and indicate entropic mechanism of DNA binding
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Strategies to stabilize RNP complexes for structural determination by 3D cryo-electron microscopyLiu, Wen-ti 30 October 2013 (has links)
No description available.
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Estudos de complexos macromoleculares por crio-microscopia eletrônica e técnicas biofísicas / Studies of macromolecular complexes using electron cryo-electron microscopy and biophysical techniquesRodrigo Villares Portugal 12 September 2006 (has links)
Este trabalho apresenta o estudo e caracterização de dois complexos moleculares, hRXRálfadeltaAB e hemocianina de Acanthoscurria gomesiana, através de técnicas estruturais e biofísicas. O uso da técnica de crio-microscopia eletrônica para o estudo da hemocianina de Acanthoscurria gomesiana, resultou em um modelo estrutural com resolução de 14 angstron- pelo métodode Fourier Shell Correlation com critério de 1/2 bit. Neste limite de resolução, já é possível observar detalhes estruturais que o mostram como sendo comptível com outros modelos de hemocianinas. Com relação ao estudo de hRXRalfadeltaAB, mostrou-se, através das técnicas de cromatografia analítica de exclusão por tamanho, eletroforese de gel de poliacrilamida e SAXS, que a proteína pode se apresentar no estado dimérico em solução, mesmo na ausência do seu ligante, 9-cis-RA. Também foi estudado a associação de hRXRalfadeltaAB a elementos responsivos: DR1, DR4, F2 e PAL. Suas constantes de dissociação foram calculadas através da técnica de espectroscopia por anisotropia de fluorescência. Os resultados obtidos mostram maior afinidade por DR1 e DR2 e indicam uma origem entrópica para o processo de associação / This work describes characterization of two biomolecular complexes: hRXR deltaAB and a hemocyanin from Acanthoscurria gomesiana using structural and biophysical techniques. Application of cryo-electron microscopy to studies of a hemocyanin from Acanthoscurria gomesiana resulted in its structural model to 14Å resolution, which was calculated by Fourier Shell Correlation with cut-off of 1/2 bit. At this resolution limit one can observe structural details of the complex which are compatible with other hemocyanin models. With respect to hRXR deltaAB, we showed using analytic size exclusion chromatography, SDS PAGE and SAXS, that the protein is dimeric in solution even at the absence of its ligand, 9-cis-RA. hRXR deltaAB binding to the responsive elements of DNA, DR1, DR4, F2 and PAL was investigated and the binding constants to these responsive elements have been determined using fluorescence anisotropy technique. Our results show higher affinity of the receptor to DR1 and DR4 and indicate entropic mechanism of DNA binding
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Condensation of DNA by spermine in the bulk and in the bacteriophage capsid : a cryo-electron microscopy studySung, Baeckkyoung 25 August 2011 (has links) (PDF)
By using cryo-electron microscopy, we analyzed the morphology and structure of long double-stranded DNA chains condensed upon addition of varying amounts of the tetravalent polycation spermine (polyamine). Experiments have been performed i) with chains diluted in the bulk and ii) with individual chains confined in a virus capsid.Bulk experiments have been done with lambda DNA (48.5 kbp) at low concentration (0.03 mM Ph) and in low salt conditions (10 mM Tris HCl, 1 mM EDTA, pH 7.6). We explored a wide range of spermine concentration, from the onset of precipitation (0.05 mM sp) up to above the resolubilization limit (400 mM sp). Sixteen min after mixing spermine and DNA, samples have been trapped in thin films and vitrified in liquid ethane to keep ionic conditions unchanged, and imaged at low temperature with low doses of electrons (cryoTEM). DNA chains mostly form large aggregates of toroids in which DNA chains are hexagonally packed with interhelical spacings of 2.93, 2.88, and 2.95 nm at 0.05, 1 and 100 mM spermine, respectively, in agreement with previous X-ray data. At higher spermine concentration (200 mM), hexagonal toroids are replaced by cholesteric bundles with a larger interhelical spacing (3.32 nm). We conclude that the shape and the structure of the liquid crystalline sp-DNA condensates are linked to the DNA interhelix spacing and determined by the ionic conditions i.e. by the cohesive energy between DNA strands. Outside of the precipitation domain (400 mM spermine), DNA chains form a soluble network of thin fibers (4-6 nm in diameter) that let us reconsider the state of these DNA chains in excess of spermine. We also designed experiments to visualize condensates formed 6-60 sec after mixing Lambda DNA with 0.05 mM spermine, under identical buffer conditions. Among multiple original shapes (not found after 16 min), the presence of stretched and helical elongated fibers seen only 9sec after addition of spermine let us propose that DNA chains are immediately stretched upon addition of spermine, relax into helical structures and finally form small toroids (containing in some cases less than one Lambda chain) that further grow and aggregate. We also analyzed the dimensions and structural details of the complete collection of toroids, and reveal the existence of geometric constraints that remain to be clarified. Since it was only exceptionally possible to prevent the aggregation of DNA in dilute solution, we used another approach to observe the collapse of single DNA chains. We handled a population of T5 viruses containing a fraction of their initial genome (12-54 kbp long). The Na-DNA chain, initially confined in the small volume of the capsid (80nm in diameter) is collapsed by the addition of spermine. Compared to the first set of experiments, we explored a higher DNA concentration range (0.45 mM Phosphates in the whole sample) and the spermine concentration was varied from 0.05 to 0.5 mM (which corresponds to much lower +/- charge ratios). Experiments are thus performed close to the precipitation line, in the coexistence region, between the region where all chains are in a coil conformation, and the region where all chains are collapsed into toroids. We describe the existence of intermediate states between the coil and the toroidal globule that were not reported yet. In these "hairy toroids", part of the DNA chain is condensed in the toroid and the other part stays uncondensed outside of it. The interhelical spacing was also measured; it is larger in these partly-condensed toroids than in the fully organized toroids formed at higher spermine concentration.These two series of experiments show the interest of cryoEM to analyze the structural polymorphism and local structure of spermine-DNA aggregates. We also demonstrated how the confinement interferes with DNA condensation and the interest to investigate such effects that are important in the biological context.
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Condensation of DNA by spermine in the bulk and in the bacteriophage capsid : a cryo-electron microscopy study / Condensation de l'ADN par la spermine en solution et dans la capside de bactériophage : une étude par cryo-microscopie électroniqueSung, Baeckkyoung 25 August 2011 (has links)
Nous avons analysé par cryomicroscopie électronique la morphologie et la structure de longues chaines d’ADN condensées par un polycation tétravalent, la spermine (polyamine). Les expériences ont été réalisées i) avec des solutions de chaînes diluées et ii) avec des chaines isolées confinées dans la capside d’un virus.Les expériences ont été réalisées avec de l’ADN Lambda (48kbp) en solution diluée (0.03 mM Ph) et à faible concentration ionique (10 mM Tris HCl, 1 mM EDTA, pH 7.6). Nous avons exploré une large gamme de concentrations en spermine, allant du seuil de précipitation (0.05 mM sp) jusqu’à la limite de re-solubilization et au-delà (400 mM sp). Seize minutes après mélange de l’ADN et de la spermine, les échantillons sont piégés en film mince et vitrifiés à basse température pour garder intactes les conditions ioniques, puis imagés à basse température sous faibles doses d’électrons (cryoMET). La plupart des chaînes d’ADN forment des agrégats de tores de structure hexagonale avec des interdistances entre hélices de 2.93, 2.88, et 2.95 nm pour des concentrations en spermine respectivement égales à 0.05, 1 et 100 mM spermine, ce qui est en bon accord avec les données collectées précédemment par diffraction des rayons X. A concentration plus élevée en spermine (200mM), les tores hexagonaux sont remplacés par des faisceaux cholestériques de structure plus lâche (3.32 nm entre hélices). Nous en déduisons que la forme comme la structure des condensats cristallins liquides ADN-sp sont liées aux interdistances entre hélices et déterminés par les conditions ioniques i.e. par l’énergie cohésive entre chaînes d’ADN. En dehors du domaine de précipitation (400mM sp), les molécules d’ADN forment un réseau soluble de fines fibres (4-6nm de diamètre) qui nous amènent à reconsidérer l’état de ces chaiînes en présence de spermine. Nous avons également conçu des expériences pour visualiser les agrégats formés 6 à 60 sec après addition de la spermine dans les mêmes conditions de tampon. Parmi les nombreuses formes originales que nous avons observées (absentes après 16 min), la présence de fibres étirées ou en hélice, visibles seulement après 9sec, nous conduit à proposer que les chaines d’ADN soient immédiatement étirées après addition de spermine puis relaxent sous forme de fibres hélicoïdales qui donnent naissance à de petits toroids (comprenant quelquefois moins d’une chaine) qui grandissent et fusionnent. Nous avons également analysé les dimensions de l’ensemble des tores observés et montré l’existence de contraintes géométriques qui restent à élucider. Puisqu’il était généralement impossible de prévenir l’agrégation des chaines d’ADN, nous avons choisi une autre approche pour analyser le collapse de chaines d’ADN individuelles. Nous avons utilisé une population de virus T5 contenant une fraction de leur génome initial (12-54 kbp). La molécule d’ADN, initialement confinée dans le petit volume de la capside (de de 80nm diamètre) est collapsée par addition de spermine. Par comparaison avec le premier jeu de données, nous avons travaillé à concentration plus élevée en ADN (0.45 mM Phosphates dans l’ensemble de l’échantillon) et la concentration en spermine a été ajustée entre 0.05 et 0.5 mM (ce qui correspond à des rapports de charges +/- bien inférieurs). Ces expériences ont donc été réalisées au voisinage de la ligne de précipitation, dans la « région de coexistence », entre le domaine où les chaines sont en condition de pelote et le domaine ou les chaines sont toutes collapsées sous forme de tores. Nous avons montré l’existence de formes intermédiaires entre ces deux états que nous appelons « tores chevelus » dans lesquels une partie de la molécule est condensées dans le tore alors que l’autre partie reste non condensée. Les distances entre hélices ont également été mesurées. Elles sont plus grandes dans ces structures intermédiaires que dans les tores formés à plus forte concentration en spermine. Ces deux séries d’expériences montrent l’intérêt des méthodes de cryo-microscopie pour étudier la structure locale des phases condensées de l’ADN. Nous avons montré comment le confinement modifie le comportement de l’ADN en solution et l’intérêt d’étudier ces effets compte tenu de son importance dans le contexte biologique. / By using cryo-electron microscopy, we analyzed the morphology and structure of long double-stranded DNA chains condensed upon addition of varying amounts of the tetravalent polycation spermine (polyamine). Experiments have been performed i) with chains diluted in the bulk and ii) with individual chains confined in a virus capsid.Bulk experiments have been done with lambda DNA (48.5 kbp) at low concentration (0.03 mM Ph) and in low salt conditions (10 mM Tris HCl, 1 mM EDTA, pH 7.6). We explored a wide range of spermine concentration, from the onset of precipitation (0.05 mM sp) up to above the resolubilization limit (400 mM sp). Sixteen min after mixing spermine and DNA, samples have been trapped in thin films and vitrified in liquid ethane to keep ionic conditions unchanged, and imaged at low temperature with low doses of electrons (cryoTEM). DNA chains mostly form large aggregates of toroids in which DNA chains are hexagonally packed with interhelical spacings of 2.93, 2.88, and 2.95 nm at 0.05, 1 and 100 mM spermine, respectively, in agreement with previous X-ray data. At higher spermine concentration (200 mM), hexagonal toroids are replaced by cholesteric bundles with a larger interhelical spacing (3.32 nm). We conclude that the shape and the structure of the liquid crystalline sp-DNA condensates are linked to the DNA interhelix spacing and determined by the ionic conditions i.e. by the cohesive energy between DNA strands. Outside of the precipitation domain (400 mM spermine), DNA chains form a soluble network of thin fibers (4-6 nm in diameter) that let us reconsider the state of these DNA chains in excess of spermine. We also designed experiments to visualize condensates formed 6-60 sec after mixing Lambda DNA with 0.05 mM spermine, under identical buffer conditions. Among multiple original shapes (not found after 16 min), the presence of stretched and helical elongated fibers seen only 9sec after addition of spermine let us propose that DNA chains are immediately stretched upon addition of spermine, relax into helical structures and finally form small toroids (containing in some cases less than one Lambda chain) that further grow and aggregate. We also analyzed the dimensions and structural details of the complete collection of toroids, and reveal the existence of geometric constraints that remain to be clarified. Since it was only exceptionally possible to prevent the aggregation of DNA in dilute solution, we used another approach to observe the collapse of single DNA chains. We handled a population of T5 viruses containing a fraction of their initial genome (12-54 kbp long). The Na-DNA chain, initially confined in the small volume of the capsid (80nm in diameter) is collapsed by the addition of spermine. Compared to the first set of experiments, we explored a higher DNA concentration range (0.45 mM Phosphates in the whole sample) and the spermine concentration was varied from 0.05 to 0.5 mM (which corresponds to much lower +/- charge ratios). Experiments are thus performed close to the precipitation line, in the coexistence region, between the region where all chains are in a coil conformation, and the region where all chains are collapsed into toroids. We describe the existence of intermediate states between the coil and the toroidal globule that were not reported yet. In these “hairy toroids”, part of the DNA chain is condensed in the toroid and the other part stays uncondensed outside of it. The interhelical spacing was also measured; it is larger in these partly-condensed toroids than in the fully organized toroids formed at higher spermine concentration.These two series of experiments show the interest of cryoEM to analyze the structural polymorphism and local structure of spermine-DNA aggregates. We also demonstrated how the confinement interferes with DNA condensation and the interest to investigate such effects that are important in the biological context.
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The Structural Basis for Microtubule Binding and Release by DyneinRedwine, William Bret 06 February 2015 (has links)
Eukaryotic cells face a considerable challenge organizing a complicated interior with spatial and temporal precision. They do so, in part, through the deployment of the microtubule- based molecular motors kinesin and dynein, which translate chemo-mechanical force production into the movement of diverse cargo. Many aspects of kinesin’s motility mechanism are now known in detail, whereas fundamental aspects of dynein’s motility mechanism remain unclear. An important unresolved question is how dynein couples rounds of ATP binding and hydrolysis to changes in affinity for its track, a requisite for a protein that takes steps. Here we report a sub- nanometer cryo-EM reconstruction of the high affinity state of dynein’s microtubule binding domain in complex with the microtubule. Using molecular dynamics flexible fitting, we determined a pseudoatomic model of the high affinity state. When compared to previously reported crystal structure of the free microtubule binding domain, our model revealed the conformational changes underlying changes in affinity. Surprisingly, our simulations suggested that specific residues within the microtubule binding domain may tune dynein’s affinity for the microtubule. We confirmed this observation by directly measuring dynein’s motile properties using in vitro single molecule motility assays, which demonstrated that single point mutations of these residues dramatically enhance dynein’s processivity. We then sought to understand why dynein has been selected to be a restrained motor, and found that dynein-driven nuclear oscillations in budding yeast are defective in the context of highly processive mutants. Together, these results provide a mechanism for the coupling of ATPase activity to microtubule binding and release by dynein, and the degree to which evolution has fine-tuned this mechanism. I conclude with a roadmap of future approaches to gain further insight into dynein’s motility mechanism, and describe our work developing materials and methods towards this goal.
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Structural Characterisation of Proteins from the Peroxiredoxin FamilyPhillips, Amy January 2014 (has links)
The oligomerisation of protein subunits is an area of much research interest, in particular the relationship to protein function. In the last decade, the potential to control the interactions involved in order to design constructs with tuneable oligomeric properties in vitro has been pursued. The subject of this thesis is the quaternary structure of members of the peroxiredoxin family, which have been seen to assume an intriguing array of organisations. Human Peroxiredoxin 3 (HsPrx3) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (MtAhpE) catalyse the detoxification of reactive species, preferentially hydrogen peroxide and peroxynitrite respectively, and form an essential part of the antioxidant defence system. As well as their biomedical interest, the ability of these proteins to form organised supramolecular assemblies makes them of interest in protein nanotechnology.
The work described focusses on the elucidation of the quaternary structure of both proteins, resolving previous debates about their oligomeric state. The factors influencing oligomerisation were examined through biophysical characterisation in different conditions, using solution techniques including chromatography, light and X-ray scattering, and electron microscopy. The insight gained, along with analysis of the protein-protein interfaces, was used to alter the quaternary structure through site-directed mutagenesis. This resulted in a level of control over the protein’s oligomeric state to be achieved, and novel structures with potential applications in nanotechnology to be generated. The activity of the non-native structures was also assessed, to begin to unravel the relationship between peroxiredoxin quaternary structure to enzyme activity.
The formation and structure of very high molecular weight complexes of HsPrx3 were explored using electron microscopy. The first high resolution structural data for such a complex is presented, analysis of which allowed the theory of an assembly mechanism to be proposed.
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Structural Asymmetry of FlavivirusesMatthew D Therkelsen (6589034) 15 May 2019 (has links)
<p>Flaviviruses are enveloped, positive-strand RNA viruses that
are spread by mosquitoes and ticks and can cause serious disease in humans.
Flavivirus virions undergo extensive structural changes during their life
cycle, including during maturation and fusion. Flaviviruses are initially
assembled at the endoplasmic reticulum in a non-infectious, immature state, and
then traffic to the trans-Golgi network, where a pH drop triggers a structural
rearrangement of glycoproteins prM and E on the virus surface from 60 trimers
to 90 dimers. A host protease, furin, then cleaves prM which makes the
transition irreversible. Upon exiting the host cell, pr disassociates from the
virus and the infectious, mature virus is able to enter a new cell. <br></p><p><br></p>
<p> </p>
<p>In Chapter 1, an overview of flaviviruses is presented,
including a brief history of their discovery and interaction with humans,
followed by what is known about their life cycle and the maturation process.
The structure of a mature flavivirus is then described, including the
symmetrical arrangement of glycoproteins on the virion surface, the lipid
membrane, and the nucleocapsid core, followed by an introduction of the
structural proteins that assemble into the virion. The structure of the
immature flavivirus is then described. The chapter concludes with a description
of the dynamics and heterogeneity observed for flaviviruses.</p><p><br></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The conformational rearrangements that occur during
flavivirus maturation remain unclear. The structures of immature and mature
flaviviruses determined with cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) demonstrated
that flaviviruses are icosahedral particles with 180 copies of glycoproteins on
their surface. Icosahedral viruses typically have a quasi-equivalent
arrangement of glycoproteins, but flaviviruses lack quasi-equivalence and
instead the three subunits within an asymmetric unit occupy different chemical
environments. Although the subunits are the same proteins, the unique
environment of each subunit can be exploited for tracking subunits during
conformational rearrangements. For example, the unique labeling of a subunit
can be used to identify it in the immature and mature virion.</p><p><br></p>
<p> </p>
<p>In Chapter 2, the maturation process was studied by
developing tools to differentially label protein subunits and trap potential
intermediates of maturation. The tools included heavy-atom compounds and
antibody Fabs, which were used to probe Kunjin virus (KUNV), an Australian
subtype of West Nile virus (WNV). One heavy-atom compound, potassium
tetranitroplatinate(II), was found to derivatize immature KUNV, likely at sites
on both E and prM. Higher-resolution studies will be required to determine if
the compound differentially labeled the three subunits. The other tool
developed was the E16 Fab. E16 Fab, originally isolated from a mouse immunized
with WNV E and found to bind to two out of three subunits on mature WNV, was
used to differentially label subunits in immature KUNV. Based on poor epitope
accessibility on immature KUNV, E16 Fab was hypothesized to trap an
intermediate state of maturation. In the cryo-EM reconstruction of E16 Fab
bound to immature KUNV it was found that the virion had localized distorted density
and apparent non-uniform binding of the E16 Fab. Based on this result it was
proposed that flaviviruses had imperfect icosahedral symmetry. <br></p><p><br></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The structural asymmetry of immature and mature flaviviruses
was investigated in Chapter 3. Icosahedral symmetry has always been imposed
during cryo-EM reconstructions of flaviviruses, as it led to stable convergence
of orientations. When reconstructions of immature KUNV and ZIKV were performed
without imposing symmetry, the reconstructions showed that the flaviviruses had
an eccentric nucleocapsid core, which was positioned closer to the membrane at
one pole. At the opposite pole, the glycoprotein and inner leaflet densities
were weak and distorted. Furthermore, there were protrusions from the core that
contacted the transmembrane helices of the glycoproteins. In the asymmetric
reconstruction of mature KUNV, the core was positioned concentric with the
glycoprotein shell, in contrast to the immature virion, indicating that
maturation alters the interactions between the core and the glycoproteins. The
asymmetric reconstructions suggested that there is variable contact between the
core and glycoproteins during assembly, which may be due to membrane curvature
restrictions in the budding process. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><br></p><p>In Chapter 4, extracellular vesicles (EVs) that were
released during dengue virus (DENV) infection were characterized by mass
spectrometry. EVs may play a significant role in flavivirus infection, as they
have been shown to transport both viral proteins and infectious RNA. EVs likely
represent alternative modes of virus transmission and aid in immune evasion.
However, previous studies on EVs are controversial because EVs are potential
contaminated during assays by co-purifying virions and other particulates. The
identification of EV biomarkers would greatly reduce contamination because
biomarkers would enable isolation of pure EVs by affinity purification.
Therefore, a strategy was developed to isolate EVs and profile them with
proteomics. The four proteins cystatin-A, filamin B, fibrinogen beta chain, and
endothelin converting enzyme 1 were found to be statistically enriched in the
DENV sample and represent potential EV biomarkers. </p>
<p> </p>
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Quaternary Structure Analysis of Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II Alpha by Cryo-Electron MicroscopyScott C. Bolton (5929526) 09 December 2019 (has links)
<div><div><div><p>Calcium-dependent protein kinase II alpha (CaMKIIα) is a highly abundant protein within the hippocampus, the region of the brain responsible for memory and learning. CaMKII has both structural and signaling roles in the regulation of the connective strength of synapses in excitatory neurons. It has a unique structure comprised of twelve subunits that form a dynamic assembly and is highly flexible. Its structural behavior has been shown to affect its activity, and a comprehensive mechanism of structure and function is still not fully understood. The determination of the quaternary structure of the CaMKII holoenzyme has been attempted for nearly 20 years by a variety of methods, with no one method giving a definitive structure. Problems in obtaining a structure originated with observation methods that estimated quaternary shape from low-resolution ensemble averages or required significant alteration of the protein to enforce a particular conformation. In this work, experiments were conducted to remove these limitations and provide a path towards the quaternary structure of CaMKIIα. Different expression and purification methods were evaluated to produce an optimal protocol for the generation of samples of concentrated, monodisperse, autoinhibited full-length wild-type CaMKIIα for study with cryo-electron microscopy. Strategies for microscopy sample preparation were investigated, including affinity girds, graphene-coated grids, and holey carbon grids. Lastly, experiments using negative stain electron microscopy, cryo-electron microscopy with single particle analysis, and cryo-electron tomography with subtomogram averaging were conducted to reveal the conditions required to produce an unambiguous three-dimensional structure. It was found that the assembly of the hexameric hub rings appeared to have flexible orientation, and superposition problems inherent in two-dimensional projection averaging requires the use of cryo-electron tomography to unravel the ambiguity in both hub orientation and catalytic module placement within the reconstructed volume. A subtomogram average of a limited number of particles revealed a hub domain that matched the morphology of prior reports, but the determination of catalytic module placement was not resolved. The cumulative result of this work establishes a strategy for the large-scale data collection needed to fully elucidate the structure of this challenging and fascinating protein.</p></div></div></div>
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The Role of the Cytosolic Chaperonin CCT in Folding β-Propeller ProteinsLudlam, William Grant 14 June 2021 (has links)
Many Proteins require the aid of molecular chaperones to achieve a stable folding state and avoid misfolding pathologies. A major eukaryotic chaperone is the cytosolic chaperonin CCT. While CCT is known to fold a significant portion of all cytosolic proteins, there is no general model for the mechanism CCT uses to fold substrate proteins. One class of proteins that CCT is known to fold are β-propeller containing proteins. Here, we present structural and biochemical data on the processes that CCT uses to fold three distinct β-propeller proteins: the G-protein Beta 5 (Gβ5) subunit of the Gβ5-RGS complex, mLST8 of the mTOR complexes, and BBS2, 7, and 9 of the BBSome. We also explore the mechanisms by which these proteins are assembled into their respective signaling complexes after being folded by CCT. We found that each CCT substrate follows a unique folding trajectory and posit that the major determinants underlying each trajectory are governed by interactions between the substrate and CCT and interactions with downstream binding partners.
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