Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 2004. / "December 2004" Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 208-226). Also issued on the Internet.

The biophysical properties, biological activity and function of macromolecular systems are highly dependent on their structure. Structure-activity relationships of proteins and their binding partners are critical for drug discovery, biochemical and medical research. While the gas-phase environment might present as an unusual venue from which to explore protein structure, for over the past two decades, nano-electrospray ionization (nESI) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) has been recognized as having great potential for analysis of protein structure and protein non-covalent complexes. In conjunction with related technique of ion mobility (IM), mass spectrometry (IM-MS) provides insights into protein native-like conformations and any structural changes in may undergo upon ligand binding or alternations induced via physical parameters such as temperature, pressure or solution conditions. As most proteins tend to exist as multiple domains; from the distribution of oligomeric states in the Protein Data Base (PDB) 86% of proteins exist as oligomers; the work presented in this thesis focuses on application of MS techniques to probe the tertiary and quaternary structure of various large and multimeric protein complexes, their dynamics and/or conformational changes. Wherever relevant, the gas-phase studies reported here are complemented by other techniques, such as hydrogen deuterium exchange MS (HDX), molecular modelling (MD) and analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC). Firstly, the dynamics of intact monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and their fragments are explored with IM-MS. Variations observed in conformational landscapes occupied by two mAb isotypes are rationalized by differences in disulfide linkages and non-covalent interactions between the antibody peptide chains. Moreover, mAb intrinsic flexibility is compared to other multimeric protein complexes in terms of collision cross section distribution span. Secondly, variable temperature MS (VT-MS) and variable temperature IM-MS (IM-MS) are used to probe unfolding and dissociation of four standard multimeric protein complexes (TTR, avidin, conA and SAP) as a function of the of analysis environment temperature. VT-MS is found to allow for decoupling of their melting temperature (Tm) from the protein complex dissociation temperature (TGPD). Whereas, VT-IM-MS is used to investigate structural changes of these protein complexes at elevated temperatures and provide insights into the thermally induced dissociation (TID) mechanism, as well as strength of the non-covalent interactions between subunits. Thirdly, VT-(IM)-MS methodology is applied to study behaviour of three mAbs: IgG1, IgG4 and an engineered IgG4 of increased thermal stability. Such analysis shows to be promising for comparative thermal stability studies for proteins of therapeutic interest. Lastly, the structure of ATP-phosphoribosyltransferase (MtATPPRT), an enzyme catalysing the first step of the biosynthesis of L-histidine in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is explored. Conformational changes occurring upon feedback allosteric inhibition by L-histidine are probed with MS, IM-MS, HDX-MS and AUC. Reported results serve as the basis for IM-MS/HDX-MS based screening method to be used for screening of a library of novel and promising anti-tuberculosis agents.

Common crystallization procedures, X-ray diffraction method and crystallographic software to determine and refine the structure of haloalkane dehalogenase enzyme were used in this thesis.

A técnica de espectroscopia por Ressonância Magnética Nuclear (NMR) de alta resolução foi utilizada para estudos estruturais em duas biomoléculas: a proteína HPr da bactéria Staphylococcus aureus, e o peptídeo C da insulina humana. Ambas estão relacionadas com a regulação da absorção de glicose pelas células, no primeiro caso em procariontes, e no segundo em organismos superiores. A proteína HPr (\"Histidine-containing protein\") de Staphylococcus aureus é uma das componentes centrais do sistema PTS (fosfoenolpiruvato:açúcar-fosfotransferase) de translocação grupal, responsável pelo transporte ativo de açúcar para o interior da célula bacterial. Nesse processo, a His15 do sítio ativo de HPr é fosforilada pela enzima EI, transferindo, a seguir, o grupo fosfato para a enzima EUA A mutação His15&#8594Ala interrompe a transferência do grupo fosfato; apesar disso, a afinidade entre HPr(H15A) e as enzimas EI/EIlA se mostrou semelhante à da nativa. Utilizando técnicas de NMR bidimensionais (COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, HSQC) etridimensionais (HNCA, HNCO, NOESY-HSQC) foi determinada a estrutura da mutante His15&#8594Ala de HPr de S. aureus. Sua estrutura consiste de um sanduíche-aberto, composto de 3 hélices-a paralelamente empacotadas contra uma folha formada por 4 fitas-&#946 anti-paralelas. Esse padrão é encontrado em todas as proteínas HPr já determinadas em diversas espécies, divergindo, porém, significativamente da estrutura previamente publicada para a proteína nativa de S. aureus com relação à orientação relativa de alguns elementos de estrutura secundária. Através de uma análise detalhada dos espectros NOESY das proteínas HPr mutante e nativa puderam ser encontradas diferenças conformacionais na região em tomo do sítio-ativo. Uma comparação com as outras estruturas de HPr já publicadas revelou uma maior semelhança entre a proteína mutante de S. aureus e a proteína no complexo HPr/EI de E. coli, fornecendo evidências de que a estrutura encontrada para a mutante represente a conformação assumida pela proteína HPr no momento de sua interação com a enzima EI, assim explicando a sua afinidade inalterada. O peptídeo-C da proinsulina é importante para a biosíntese da insulina, tendo sido considerado, por muito tempo, biologicamente inerte. Estudos recentes em pacientes diabéticos retomaram a discussão quanto a sua possível atividade reguladora. Utilizando a técnica de espectroscopia de NMR bidimensional (COSY, TOCSY, NOESY), foram realizados estudos estruturais no peptídeo-C da proinsulina humana. Quando dissolvido em 50%/50% água e TFE, o peptídeo-C apresentou 3 regiões centrais (9-12, 15-18, 22-25) com tendência à formação de dobras, uma região N-terminal (2-5) com 2 conformações em voltas-&#946 tipo I e I, e uma região Cterminal (26-31), de conformação extremamente bem definida, incluindo uma volta-&#946 tipo III\' (27-30). Em estudos descritos na literatura já foi demonstrada a atividade do pentapeptídeo C-terminal (EGSLQ), na forma de interações quirais com um receptor ainda desconhecido. Estudos anteriores por NMR prevêem a existência de uma estrutura na região C-terminal, a qual foi denominada de \"CA-Knuckle\". Nossa proposta é que a estrutura aqui obtida para o pentapeptídeo C-terminal seja justamente o \"CA-Knuckle\", representando o sítio-ativo do peptídeo-C da proinsulina humana. / High resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy has been used for structural studies on two biological macromolecules; the HPr protein from the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, and the Cpeptide from human proinsulin. Both are related to the regulation of glucose absorption by celIs, the former case in prokaryotes and the latter in higher organisms. The HPr protein (Histidine Containing Protein) from S. aureus is one of the central components of the PTS (Phosphoenolpyruvate;sugar-phosphotransferase) system responsible for the active transport of sugars into the bacterial celI. During this process, His15 of the HPr active site is phosphorylated by enzyme I (EI), and then subsequently transfers this phosphate onto enzyme lIA (EIIA). The His15&#8594Ala mutant of HPr, whilst unable to participate in phosphate transfer, nevertheless retains similar affinities for both EI and EIIA. Using two-dimensional (COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, HSQC) and three-dimensional (HNCA, HNCO, NOESY-HSQC) NMR techniques, the structure of the His15Ala mutant of the HPr protein from S. aureus was determined. Its structure consists of an open &#946-sandwich, composed of three &#945-helices packed against a four-stranded anti-parallel &#946-sheet. This pattern has been seen in all other HPr proteins from other species so far determined but is markedly different from the previously published native structure from S. aureus with respect to the relative orientations of some of the elements of secondary structure. A detailed comparison of the native and mutant structures revealed differences in the conformation of the active site loop. The latter assumes a conformation similar to that seen in the structure of the complex between E. coli HPr and EI. This may explain the normal affinities of the mutant protein for EI and EIIA despite the absence of the active site histidine. The C-peptide of proinsulin is important for the biosynthesis of insulin but has been considered for a long time to be biologically inert. Recent studies in diabetic patients have stimulated a new debate concerning its possible regulatory role. Structural studies of the C-peptide were performed using two dimensional NMR spectroscopy (COSY, TOCSY and NOESY). ln the presence of 50% TFE three central regions of the molecule (residues 9-12, 15-18 and 22-25) showed tendencies to form ~-bends. The N terminal region (residues 2 to 5) was present in the form of either a type I or I\' &#946-turn, whilst the C terminal region (26-31) presented the most welI-defrnedstructure of the whole molecule which included a type III\' &#946-turn. The C-terminal pentapeptide (EGSLQ) has been described in the literature as being responsible for chiral interactions with an as yet uncharacterized receptor. Previous NMR studies have predicted the existence of a well-defined structure at the C-terminus of the C-peptide, kwown as the CAknuckle. We propose that the structure described here for the C-terminal pentapeptide is the CA-knuckle and represents the active site of the C-peptide of human proinsulin.

Abstract The correct three dimensional structures of proteins are essential for their ability to function properly. Proteins start to fold as soon as they are synthesized in the ribosomes from activated amino acids. Many secreted, cell-surface, secretory pathway and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumenal proteins have in their amino acid sequence cysteine residues which form intra- and intermolecular disulfide bridges that stabilize the overall fold of the proteins and protein complexes. The formation of correct disulfide bonds is a complex process which takes place within the ER. Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is the key enzyme in the formation and rearrangement of correct disulfide bonds in the ER. It is an archetypal and the best studied member of the PDI family, i.e. a group of ER proteins that resemble thioredoxin (TRX), a protein reductase, in their structure. PDI has a four domain a-b-b'-a' structure the a and a' domains having the catalytic activity and amino acid sequence similarity to TRX. In addition to its function as a thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase, PDI acts as the β subunit in two protein complexes: collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylase (C-P4H) and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP). The closest homologue of PDI is the multifunctional enzyme and chaperone ERp57 that functions in concert with two lectins, calnexin (CNX) and calreticulin (CRT) specifically in the folding of proteins that have sugar moieties linked to them. ERp57 is 56% similar to PDI in its amino acid sequence and has also the four-domain architecture. Despite the high similarity in their structures ERp57 cannot substitute for PDI as the β subunit of C-P4H. The minimum requirement for the C-P4H tetramer assembly is fulfilled by domains b' and a' of PDI, while domains a and b enhance this function and can be substituted in part by those of ERp57. Until very recently the structural information of any of the PDI family members, which contains the TRX active site was limited to solution structures of human PDI domains a and b. In this research the domain boundaries of the full length ERp57 were defined and the individual domains characterized. Furthermore the solution structures of the catalytically active domains a and a' of ERp57 were studied by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).

The pentameric ligand gated ion channel super family plays a central role in fast synaptic communication between neurons and at the neuromuscular junction. Extensive studies on the prototypic pLGIC, the Torpedo nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) have revealed an exquisite lipid sensitivity, with the nAChR adopting a novel uncoupled conformation in membranes lacking activating anionic and neutral lipids. The lipid-exposed transmembrane alpha-helix, M4, in each homologous subunit likely acts as a lipid sensor. One model proposes that activating lipids promote M4 “binding” to the adjacent alpha-helices, M1 and M3, to enhance interactions between the M4 C-terminus and the Cys-loop of the agonist-binding domain, with such interactions promoting coupling between the agonist site and channel gate. The first part of my thesis indirectly tests this hypothesis by exploring the effects of membrane hydrophobic thickness on nAChR function. Specifically, I tested the hypothesis that thicker membranes, which should promote alignment of M4 parallel to M1/M3 and thus helix-helix interactions, favor a coupled conformation. Although I found that the nAChR is uncoupled in all membranes tested, regardless of hydrophobic thickness, thicker membranes promote transitions from uncoupled to ultimately the desensitized state over the minutes to hours time frame. In contrast to anionic lipids, which influence function primarily via a conformational selection mechanism, membrane hydrophobic thickness influences function via a kinetic mechanism - thick membranes lower the activation energy between uncoupled and coupled conformations to promote conformational transitions. In the second part of my thesis, I used the two prokaryotic homologs, GLIC and ELIC, to explore how amino acid interactions at the interface between M4 and M1/M3 influence channel activity. Alanine scanning mutagenesis of this interface shows that disruption of almost any interaction in GLIC leads to a loss of folding and/or function, while analogous mutations in ELIC typically lead to no change or produce gains in function. Sequence comparisons with other members of the pLGIC superfamily suggest that the transmembrane domains of GLIC and ELIC represent two distinct archetypes. Each archetype may strike a different balance between the need for strong M4 binding to M1/M3 to promote folding and pentamer assembly, and the need for weaker interactions that allow for greater conformational flexibility during function.

Bioinformática estrutural de proteínas modificadas por eventos de splicing alternativo / Structural Bioinformatics of Proteins modified by Alternative Splicing

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第23218号 / 工博第4862号 / 新制||工||1759(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科分子工学専攻 / (主査)教授 田中 庸裕, 教授 跡見 晴幸, 准教授 菅瀬 謙治, 教授 梶 弘典 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DGAM

Univerzita Karlova v Praze Přírodovědecká fakulta Studijní program: Fyzikální chemie Mgr. Lenka Řežábková Studium úlohy proteinů 14-3-3 v regulaci G-proteinové signalizace Role of the 14-3-3 proteins in the regulation of G-protein signaling Disertační práce Školitel: doc. RNDr. Tomáš Obšil, Ph.D. Konzultanti: doc. RNDr. Petr Heřman, CSc. doc. RNDr. Jaroslav Večeř, CSc. Praha, 2012 Abstract The 14-3-3 family of phosphoserine/phosphothreonine-binding proteins dynamically regulates the activity of their binding partners in various signaling pathways that control diverse physiological and pathological processes such as signal transduction, metabolic pathways, cell cycle and apoptosis. More than 300 different cellular proteins from diverse eukaryotic organisms have been described as binding partners for the 14-3-3 proteins. During my Ph.D., I was particularly interested in the role of 14-3-3 proteins in the regulation of G protein signaling pathway. The 14-3-3 proteins affect the G protein signaling via the interaction with negative regulators of G protein cascade - the RGS proteins and phosducin. I employed both biochemical and biophysical approaches to understand how the activity and function of RGS3/14-3-3 and phosducin/14-3-3 complexes are regulated. I solved the low-resolution solution structure of...

Citrus fruits are some of the most widely consumed fruits in the world and contain significant levels of flavonoids, a category of plant secondary metabolites which control taste, color, plant defense, and overall marketability. In citrus and other plants, flavonoids are found in their glucosylated form. Glucosyltransferases (GT’s) are enzymes that add glucose to secondary metabolites like flavonoids. They make up a diverse class of enzymes ubiquitous throughout the plant and animal kingdoms. While many GT’s have been identified, they vary greatly in their structural identity, and their chemical properties make it such that only a small percentage of existing GT’s have been functionally characterized. Research on GT structure function relationships strengthens the reliability of genomic databases and makes significant contributions to the field of enzyme biotechnology. Bioenergy research and custom enzyme synthesis rely on GT structural data, making this research critical to the success of many promising current and future projects. A GT was isolated from grapefruit and was shown to glucosylate the flavonol class of flavonoids at the 3-OH position, called CP3GT. Subsequent analysis showed there are specific arrangements of amino-acids inside the catalytic cleft of CP3GT that likely account for its specificity with flavonols. These interactions are not fully understood and make CP3GT an excellent model for elucidating unique structure function relationships of a GT enzyme. X-ray crystallography is one of the best methods for structure determination that allows a 3D image of the protein in question to be resolved at the molecular level. This method has vast potential for advancing plant enzymology, yet to date only 6 plant glucosyltransferases have had their crystal structures solved. The structural similarities and complementary specificities that CP3GT shares with these crystallized GT’s make CP3GT an excellent candidate for crystallization. This research hypothesizes that there are unique structural features that give CP3GT its specificity, and that these features can be elucidated using x-ray crystallography. Wild type CP3GT and 3 recently characterized mutants are being prepared for crystallization. The crystallization of 3 CP3GT mutants in addition to wild type will compliment structure/function analysis by providing insight into how structural modifications can alter enzyme function. It is recommended that protein be in its native form for crystallization, thus a thrombin-cleavage site was inserted into WT CP3GT and 3 mutants to remove tags following purification. Some studies have suggested that the presence of tags alters enzyme activity, thus this presented the opportunity to test the effect of tags by assaying both native and tagged enzyme. Initial results showed that WT CP3GT treated with thrombin retained 70 percent activity after a 2-hour treatment at 4o C. Additional assays will be conducted to fully determine tag effects and will run concurrently with crystallization experiments