No description available.

No description available.

Human methionine synthase reductase (MSR) is a 78-kDa diflavin enzyme involved in folate and methionine metabolism. It regenerates the cofactor of methionine synthase (MS), cob(II), to reduce inactive MS. MSR and one of its the FAD/NADPH binding domain were cloned as GST-tagged fusion proteins for expression and purification in Escherichia coli. And a 1.9 Å Crystals of the FAD/NADPH binding domain of MSR with and without NADP+ were produced and carried out X-ray diffraction experiment and the structure of the crystal was solved by molecule replacement method. The activation domain of human MS was also expressed and purified in Escherichia coli and crystallization conditions determined. A new expression vector for full-length MSR, which contains a N-terminal GST tag, and C-terminal 6× His tag, was constructed and validated by sequencing, restriction enzymes digestion and successfully expressed in E. coli and Yeast Pichia pastoris. Based on the structure information, site-directed mutagenesis on the two positions Asp652 and trpytophan697 of MSR were designed and completed. The variants D652A, D652R, D652N of the FAD/NADPH binding domain of MSR and the variants D652A,D652R,D652N, W696A,W697H of the full-length MSR were cloned and expressed in BL21 (E. coli). The proteins of these mutants were purified by affinity chromatography, anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. And the kinetic studies on these variants of MSR were investigated in steady state kinetic study, steady state inhibition studies, stopped-flow pre steady-state kinetic and redox potential studies. Compared with the data of the wild type MSR, the turnover number of variants all decreased, the catalytic ability become lower and the midpoint potential of cofactor FAD occurred positive shift. Both 2'5-ADP and NADP+ were competitive inhibitors for variants of MSR. However, 2'5'-ADP was relative strong inhibitor than NADP+. All the data on variants of MSR suggested the Asp652 and tryptophan697 were two important structural and function determinant of MSR. To investigate the dynamic properties of EPR, ENDOR and ESMME are used to investigate the existence of the semiquinone flavin cofactors, FAD and FMN, and the hyperfine coupling arising from the interaction of some nuclei with the unpaired electron spin. ELDOR spectroscopy was applied to measure the distance between the FAD and FMN in MSR under the binding of 2', 5'-ADP, NADP and the activation domain of MS to further check the conformational change of MSR.

No description available.

Thesis advisor: Evan R. Kantrowitz / Thesis advisor: Mary F. Roberts / Living organisms depend on enzymes for the synthesis using small molecule precursors of cellular building blocks. For example, the amino acid aspartate is synthesized in one step by the amination of oxaloacetate, an intermediate compound produced in the citric acid cycle, exclusively by means of an aminotransferase enzyme. Therefore, function of this aminotransferase is critical to produce the amino acid. In the Kantrowitz Lab, we seek to understand the molecular rational for the function of enzymes that control rates for the biosynthesis of cellular building blocks. If one imagines the above aspartate-synthesis example as a single running conveyer belt, any oxaloacetate that finds its way onto that belt will be chemically transformed to give aspartate. We can extend this notion of a conveyer belt to any enzyme. Therefore, the rate at which the belt moves dictates the rate of synthesis. Now imagine many, many conveyer belts lined in a row to give analogy to a biosynthesis pathway requiring more than one enzyme for complete chemical synthesis. This is such the case for the biosynthesis of nucleotides and glucose. Nature has developed clever tricks to exquisitely control the rate of product output but means of altering the rate of one or some of the belts in the line of many, without affecting the rate of others. This type of biosynthetic rate regulation is termed allostery. Studies described in this dissertation will address questions of allosteric processes and the chemistry performed by two entirely different enzymes and biosynthetic pathways. The first enzyme of interest is fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) and its role in the biosynthesis of glucose. Following FBPase introduction in Chapter One, Chapter Two describes the minimal atomic scaffold necessary in a new class of allosteric type 2 diabetes drug molecules to effect catalytic inhibition of <italic>Homo sapiens</italic> FBPase. Following, is the second enzyme of interest, aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) and its role in the biosynthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides. Succeeding ATCase introduction in Chapter Three, Chapter Four describes a body of work exclusively about the catalysis by ATCase. This work was inspired by the human form of the enzyme following the human genome project completion providing data that show likely <italic>Homo sapiens</italic> ATCase is not allosterically regulated. Chapter Five describes work on a allosterically-regulated, mutant ATCase and provides a biochemical model for the molecular rational for the catalytic inhibition upon cytidine triphosphate (CTP) binding to the allosteric site. The experimental techniques used for answering research questions were enzyme X-ray crystallography, <italic>in silico</italic> docking, kinetic assay experiments, genetic sub-cloning and genetic mutation. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Chemistry.

The World Health Organization regards tuberculosis as a world pandemic disease. There is increased demand for new drugs to tackle this threat. This threat has been further elevated with the emergence of drug resistant strains of the causative pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), thereby increasing the urgency for development of novel anti-tubercular drugs. Success in whole genome sequence determination of Mtb revealed a large cohort of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. Research on these Mtb P450s has shown that several of them are critical to the survival of the pathogen. CYP121A1 and CYP128A1 have been demonstrated to be essential using knockout experiments. CYP125A1 and CYP142A1 have been shown to play crucial roles in bacterial catabolism of host steroids, with CYP125A1 also shown to be located within a gene cluster highly important for bacterial virulence and infectivity. CYP144A1 was shown to be one of the genes whose expression is elevated when Mtb was exposed to macrophage-like conditions, and gene knockout studies using the H37Rv virulent strain of Mtb indicated the ΔCYP144A1 mutant to be more sensitive to the clotrimazole antifungal. CYP126A1 was shown to be located within a cluster of genes highly important for the de novo synthesis of purines in Mtb. These and other data suggested these enzymes to be important to the growth process of Mtb and thus potential drug targets for developing novel therapeutics. Findings in this PhD have revealed that many characteristics of CYP144A1 and CYP126A1 are comparable to previous Mtb P450s reported to date. CYP144A1 is highly conserved within the Mycobacterium genus and specifically within pathogenic species. Transcriptomic analysis has revealed an alternative truncated transcript leading to the production of two physiologically relevant versions of CYP144A1. Our comparative biophysical characterization of both versions (CYP144A1-FLV and -TRV) show both enzymes to be similar in their binding tightly to azole antifungals. EPR and DSC studies show that the 30 amino acid truncation (to form CYP144A1-TRV) does not affect the heme electronic environment and the overall thermal stability of the enzymes. X-ray crystallography was utilized to determine the first crystal structure of a Mtb CYP144 family enzyme. The structure reveals that CYP144A1 possesses a large hydrophobic active site primed for accommodating large hydrophobic substrates. Further chemoproteomic profiling identified novel compounds, which bind in both inhibitor-like and substrate-like modes to CYP144A1, resulting in the development of novel CYP144A1 compounds for use as chemical probes for this P450. Fragment and compound screening identified several ligands with varying binding affinities for CYP126A1, suggesting that this P450 is capable of binding and catalyzing reactions with a wide range of substrates. Turnover experiments proved catalytic activity of CYP126A1 on one of these compounds (Compound 4). Crystallization of CYP126A1 with various compound “hits” (compounds 1 and 7, the azole drug ketoconazole) revealed involvement of several important residues within the active site of CYP126A1 in interactions with these molecules, thus providing important information for designing inhibitors for this enzyme. Both CYP144A1 and CYP126A1 display important characteristics that contribute to our general understanding of cytochromes P450 as a whole, and of Mtb P450s in particular. This PhD project has established the first instance of leaderless transcripts in Mtb P450s and has presented the first crystal structures of both CYP144A1 and CYP126A1, as well as identifying novel, useful chemicals that can be used as mechanistic probes for these enzymes as well as providing the basis for Mtb P450 isoform-specific inhibitors.

The ability of proteins to bind other molecules in response to various stimuli in their microenvironment serves as a platform for extensive regulatory networks coordinating downstream cell actions. The correct function of these signaling pathways depends mostly on noncovalent interactions often affecting the structure of proteins and protein complexes. Understanding the molecular mechanism of a protein function in cell signaling therefore often depends on our knowledge of a three-dimensional structure. In this doctoral thesis, I present the work that led to the understanding of several protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions implicated in cell signaling at the molecular level. I applied nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, small angle X-ray scattering and other biophysical methods to determine the molecular basis of inhibition of four signaling proteins: Calcium/Calmodulin (Ca2+ /CaM)-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2); protease Caspase-2; Forkhead transcription factor FOXO3, and Apoptosis signal-regulating protein kinase 1 (ASK1). In particular, I investigated the distinct roles of 14-3-3 and Ca2+ /CaM in the regulation of CaMKK2 activity. I also studied in detail the mechanism how 14-3-3 interferes with the caspase-2 oligomerization and its nuclear localization as well as...

Hemocyanins (Hcs) and phenoloxidases (POs) are both members of the type-3 copper protein family, possessing di-cupric active sites which facilitate the binding of dioxygen. While Hcs and POs share a high degree of sequence homology, Hcs have been associated traditionally with oxygen transport whereas POs are catalytic proteins with a role in innate immunity. Evidence gathered in recent years details numerous immune functions for Hc, including an inducible PO activity. Unlike the pro-phenoloxidase activation cascade in arthropods, the endogenous mechanism(s) involved in the conversion of Hc into an immune enzyme is lacking in detail. The overall aim of this research was to characterise the physiological circumstances in which Hc is converted into a PO-like enzyme during immune challenge. A series of biochemical, biophysical and cellular techniques were used to assess the ability of phospholipid liposomes to mimic the well-characterised induction of PO activity in Hc by SDS micelles. Incubation of Hc purified from Limulus polyphemus, in the presence of phosphatidylserine (PS) liposomes, yielded ~ 90% of the PO activity observed upon incubation of Hc with the non-physiological activator, SDS. Phospholipid–induced PO activity in Hc was accompanied by secondary and tertiary structural changes similar to those observed in the presence of SDS. Subsequent analysis revealed that electrostatic interactions appear to be important in the PS-Hc activation complex. In vivo, PS-Hc interactions are assumed to be limited in quiescent cells. However, amebocytes undergoing apoptosis redistribute PS onto the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane, resulting in the potential for increased Hc-PS interactions. In the absence of a reliable culturing technique for L. polyphemus amebocytes, in vitro conditions were optimised for the short term maintenance of this labile cell type. Amebocytes retained viability and functionality in a medium that mimicked most-closely, the biochemical properties of L. polyphemus hemolymph. When presented with a fungal, bacterial or synthetic challenge, ~9% of amebocytes in vitro were found to be phagocytically active. Target internalisation was confirmed via the use of fluorescent quenchers and membrane probes. Within 4 hours of target internalisation, amebocytes underwent apoptosis, characterised by the loss of plasma and mitochondrial membrane potential, increased caspase-3 activity and extracellularisation of PS. Phagocytosis-induced cell death led to a proportional increase in the level of Hc-derived PO activity, suggesting that Hc may be interacting with PS present on terminal amebocyte membranes. The PO activity of Hc was investigated further in order to address an economically important issue; hyperpigmentation in commercial shellfish. While PO enzymes are thought to be the cause of hyperpigmentation in Nephrops norvegicus, evidence presented here suggests that cellular PO is inactivated after freeze-thawing, while extracellular Hc retains stability and displays a heightened level of inducible PO activity under similar treatments. Known PO inhibitors were used successfully to reduce Hc-derived PO activity, with inhibitors assumed to bind Hc in a manner similar to PO-inhibitor complexes. Structural and functional studies of hemocyanins and immune cells presented here provide new insights into the interactions of hemocyanin-activator complexes in invertebrates.