Christopher A. G. Söderberg

Detection of Crosslinks within and between Proteins by LC-MALDI-TOFTOF and the Software FINDX to Reduce the MSMS-Data to Acquire for Validation.

Lysine-specific chemical crosslinking in combination with mass spectrometry is emerging as a tool for the structural characterization of protein complexes and protein-protein interactions. After tryptic digestion of crosslinked proteins there are thousands of peptides amenable to MSMS, of which only very few are crosslinked peptides of interest. Here we describe how the advantage offered by off-line LC-MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry is exploited in a two-step workflow to focus the MSMS-acquisition on crosslinks mainly. In a first step, MS-data are acquired and all the peak list files from the LC-separated fractions are merged by the FINDX software and screened for presence of crosslinks which are recognized as isotope-labeled doublet peaks. Information on the isotope doublet peak mass and intensity can be used as search constraints to reduce the number of false positives that match randomly to the observed peak masses. Based on the MS-data a precursor ion inclusion list is generated and used in a second step, where a restricted number of MSMS-spectra are acquired for crosslink validation. The decoupling of MS and MSMS and the peptide sorting with FINDX based on MS-data has the advantage that MSMS can be restricted to and focused on crosslinks of Type 2, which are of highest biological interest but often lowest in abundance. The LC-MALDI TOF/TOF workflow here described is applicable to protein multisubunit complexes and using 14N/15N mixed isotope strategy for the detection of inter-protein crosslinks within protein oligomers.

Oligomerization Propensity and Flexibility of Yeast Frataxin Studied by X-ray Crystallography and Small-Angle X-ray Scattering.

Frataxin is a mitochondrial protein with a central role in iron homeostasis. Defects in frataxin function lead to Friedreichs ataxia, a progressive neurodegenerative disease with childhood onset. The function of frataxin has been shown to be closely associated with its ability to form oligomeric species; however, the factors controlling oligomerization and the types of oligomers present in solution are a matter of debate. Using small-angle X-ray scattering, we found that Co(2+), glycerol, and a single amino acid substitution at the N-terminus, Y73A, facilitate oligomerization of yeast frataxin, resulting in a dynamic equilibrium between monomers, dimers, trimers, hexamers, and higher-order oligomers. Using X-ray crystallography, we found that Co(2+) binds inside the channel at the 3-fold axis of the trimer, which suggests that the metal has an oligomer-stabilizing role. The results reveal the types of oligomers present in solution and support our earlier suggestions that the trimer is the main building block of yeast frataxin oligomers. They also indicate that different mechanisms may control oligomer stability and oligomerization in vivo.

The molecular basis of iron-induced oligomerization of frataxin and the role of the ferroxidation reaction in oligomerization.

Background: Iron-induced oligomerization of frataxin is still poorly understood. Results: The molecular basis of iron-induced oligomerization of yeast and bacterial frataxin is revealed. Catalyzed ferroxidation is required for correct oligomerization of Yfh1. Conclusion: Frataxin forms different oligomeric species at physiological conditions. Significance: Iron availability controls frataxin oligomerization, which in turn may control the processes that require iron delivery by frataxin. The role of the mitochondrial protein frataxin in iron storage and detoxification, iron delivery to iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis, heme biosynthesis, and aconitase repair has been extensively studied during the last decade. However, still no general consensus exists on the details of the mechanism of frataxin function and oligomerization. Here, using small-angle x-ray scattering and x-ray crystallography, we describe the solution structure of the oligomers formed during the iron-dependent assembly of yeast (Yfh1) and Escherichia coli (CyaY) frataxin. At an iron-to-protein ratio of 2, the initially monomeric Yfh1 is converted to a trimeric form in solution. The trimer in turn serves as the assembly unit for higher order oligomers induced at higher iron-to-protein ratios. The x-ray crystallographic structure obtained from iron-soaked crystals demonstrates that iron binds at the trimer-trimer interaction sites, presumably contributing to oligomer stabilization. For the ferroxidation-deficient D79A/D82A variant of Yfh1, iron-dependent oligomerization may still take place, although >50% of the protein is found in the monomeric state at the highest iron-to-protein ratio used. This demonstrates that the ferroxidation reaction controls frataxin assembly and presumably the iron chaperone function of frataxin and its interactions with target proteins. For E. coli CyaY, the assembly unit of higher order oligomers is a tetramer, which could be an effect of the much shorter N-terminal region of this protein. The results show that understanding of the mechanistic features of frataxin function requires detailed knowledge of the interplay between the ferroxidation reaction, iron-induced oligomerization, and the structure of oligomers formed during assembly.

Penicillin-binding protein SpoVD disulphide is a target for StoA in Bacillus subtilis forespores.

The bacterial endospore is a dormant and heat‐resistant form of life. StoA (SpoIVH) in Bacillus subtilis is a membrane‐bound thioredoxin‐like protein involved in endospore cortex synthesis. It is proposed to reduce disulphide bonds in hitherto unknown proteins in the intermembrane compartment of developing forespores. Starting with a bioinformatic analysis combined with mutant studies we identified the sporulation‐specific, high‐molecular‐weight, class B penicillin‐binding protein SpoVD as a putative target for StoA. We then demonstrate that SpoVD is a membrane‐bound protein with two exposed redox‐active cysteine residues. Structural modelling of SpoVD, based on the well characterized orthologue PBP2x of Streptococcus pneumoniae, confirmed that a disulphide bond can form close to the active site of the penicillin‐binding domain restricting access of enzyme substrate or functional association with other cortex biogenic proteins. Finally, by exploiting combinations of mutations in the spoVD, stoA and ccdA genes in B. subtilis cells, we present strong in vivo evidence that supports the conclusion that StoA functions to specifically break the disulphide bond in the SpoVD protein in the forespore envelope. The findings contribute to our understanding of endospore biogenesis and open a new angle to regulation of cell wall synthesis and penicillin‐binding protein activity.

The AAA(+) motor complex of subunits CobS and CobT of cobaltochelatase visualized by single particle electron microscopy.

Cobalamins belong to the tetrapyrrole family of prosthetic groups. The presence of a metal ion is a key feature of these compounds. In the oxygen-dependent (aerobic) cobalamin biosynthetic pathway, cobalt is inserted into a ring-contracted tetrapyrrole called hydrogenobyrinic acid a,c-diamide (HBAD) by a cobaltochelatase that is constituted by three subunits, CobN, CobS and CobT, with molecular masses of 137, 37 and 71kDa, respectively. Based on the similarities with magnesium chelatase, cobaltochelatase has been suggested to belong to the AAA(+) superfamily of proteins. In this paper we present the cloning of the Brucella melitensis cobN, cobS and cobT, the purification of the encoded protein products, and a single-particle reconstruction of the macromolecular assembly formed between CobS and CobT from negatively stained electron microscopy images of the complex. The results show for the first time that subunits CobS and CobT form a chaperone-like complex, characteristic for the AAA(+) class of proteins. The molecules are arranged in a two-tiered ring structure with the six subunits in each ring organized as a trimer of dimers. The similarity between this structure and that of magnesium chelatase, as well as analysis of the amino acid sequences confirms the suggested evolutionary relationship between the two enzymes.

Architecture of the Yeast Mitochondrial Iron-Sulfur Cluster Assembly Machinery: The Sub-Complex Formed by the Iron Donor, Yfh1, and the Scaffold, Isu1.

The biosynthesis of Fe-S clusters is a vital process involving the delivery of elemental iron and sulfur to scaffold proteins via molecular interactions that are still poorly defined. We reconstituted a stable, functional complex consisting of the iron donor, Yfh1 (yeast frataxin homologue 1), and the Fe-S cluster scaffold, Isu1, with 1:1 stoichiometry, [Yfh1]24·[Isu1]24. Using negative staining transmission EM and single particle analysis, we obtained a three-dimensional reconstruction of this complex at a resolution of ∼17 Å. In addition, via chemical cross-linking, limited proteolysis, and mass spectrometry, we identified protein-protein interaction surfaces within the complex. The data together reveal that [Yfh1]24·[Isu1]24 is a roughly cubic macromolecule consisting of one symmetric Isu1 trimer binding on top of one symmetric Yfh1 trimer at each of its eight vertices. Furthermore, molecular modeling suggests that two subunits of the cysteine desulfurase, Nfs1, may bind symmetrically on top of two adjacent Isu1 trimers in a manner that creates two putative [2Fe-2S] cluster assembly centers. In each center, conserved amino acids known to be involved in sulfur and iron donation by Nfs1 and Yfh1, respectively, are in close proximity to the Fe-S cluster-coordinating residues of Isu1. We suggest that this architecture is suitable to ensure concerted and protected transfer of potentially toxic iron and sulfur atoms to Isu1 during Fe-S cluster assembly.

Structure of the Cyanobacterial Magnesium Chelatase H Subunit Determined by Single Particle Reconstruction and Small-angle X-ray Scattering

Background: In chlorophyll biosynthesis, ChlH is the protoporphyrin-binding subunit of magnesium chelatase. Results: ChlH has an ∼132-kDa domain with a cavity, connected to an ∼16-kDa domain. Conclusion: ChlH could enclose the magnesium protoporphyrin product, chaperoning it to the next enzyme in the pathway. Significance: The structure of ChlH will help to unravel its multiple catalytic and regulatory functions. The biosynthesis of chlorophyll, an essential cofactor for photosynthesis, requires the ATP-dependent insertion of Mg2+ into protoporphyrin IX catalyzed by the multisubunit enzyme magnesium chelatase. This enzyme complex consists of the I subunit, an ATPase that forms a complex with the D subunit, and an H subunit that binds both the protoporphyrin substrate and the magnesium protoporphyrin product. In this study we used electron microscopy and small-angle x-ray scattering to investigate the structure of the magnesium chelatase H subunit, ChlH, from the thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus elongatus. Single particle reconstruction of negatively stained apo-ChlH and Chl-porphyrin proteins was used to reconstitute three-dimensional structures to a resolution of ∼30 Å. ChlH is a large, 148-kDa protein of 1326 residues, forming a cage-like assembly comprising the majority of the structure, attached to a globular N-terminal domain of ∼16 kDa by a narrow linker region. This N-terminal domain is adjacent to a 5 nm-diameter opening in the structure that allows access to a cavity. Small-angle x-ray scattering analysis of ChlH, performed on soluble, catalytically active ChlH, verifies the presence of two domains and their relative sizes. Our results provide a basis for the multiple regulatory and catalytic functions of ChlH of oxygenic photosynthetic organisms and for a chaperoning function that sequesters the enzyme-bound magnesium protoporphyrin product prior to its delivery to the next enzyme in the chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway, magnesium protoporphyrin methyltransferase.

Structural model of dodecameric heat-shock protein Hsp21 : Flexible N-terminal arms interact with client proteins while C-terminal tails maintain the dodecamer and chaperone activity

Small heat-shock proteins (sHsps) prevent aggregation of thermosensitive client proteins in a first line of defense against cellular stress. The mechanisms by which they perform this function have been hard to define due to limited structural information; currently, there is only one high-resolution structure of a plant sHsp published, that of the cytosolic Hsp16.9. We took interest in Hsp21, a chloroplast-localized sHsp crucial for plant stress resistance, which has even longer N-terminal arms than Hsp16.9, with a functionally important and conserved methionine-rich motif. To provide a framework for investigating structure-function relationships of Hsp21 and understanding these sequence variations, we developed a structural model of Hsp21 based on homology modeling, cryo-EM, cross-linking mass spectrometry, NMR, and small-angle X-ray scattering. Our data suggest a dodecameric arrangement of two trimer-of-dimer discs stabilized by the C-terminal tails, possibly through tail-to-tail interactions between the discs, mediated through extended IXVXI motifs. Our model further suggests that six N-terminal arms are located on the outside of the dodecamer, accessible for interaction with client proteins, and distinct from previous undefined or inwardly facing arms. To test the importance of the IXVXI motif, we created the point mutant V181A, which, as expected, disrupts the Hsp21 dodecamer and decreases chaperone activity. Finally, our data emphasize that sHsp chaperone efficiency depends on oligomerization and that client interactions can occur both with and without oligomer dissociation. These results provide a generalizable workflow to explore sHsps, expand our understanding of sHsp structural motifs, and provide a testable Hsp21 structure model to inform future investigations.

Bacterial ferrochelatase turns human: Tyr13 determines the apparent metal specificity of Bacillus subtilis ferrochelatase.

Ferrochelatase catalyzes the insertion of Fe2+ into protoporphyrin IX. The enzymatic product heme (protoheme IX) is a well-known cofactor in a wide range of proteins. The insertion of metal ions other than Fe2+ occurs rarely in vivo, but all ferrochelatases that have been studied can insert Zn2+ at a good rate in vitro. Co2+, but not Cu2+, is known to be a good substrate of the mammalian and Saccharomyces cerevisiae ferrochelatases. In contrast, Cu2+, but not Co2+, has been found to be a good substrate of bacterial Bacillus subtilis ferrochelatase. It is not known how ferrochelatase discriminates between different metal ion substrates. Structural analysis of B. subtilis ferrochelatase has shown that Tyr13 is an indirect ligand of Fe2+ and a direct ligand of a copper mesoporphyrin product. A structure-based comparison revealed that Tyr13 aligns with a Met residue in the S. cerevisiae and human ferrochelatases. Tyr13 was changed to Met in the B. subtilis enzyme by site-directed mutagenesis. Enzymatic measurements showed that the modified enzyme inserted Co2+ at a higher rate than the wild-type B. subtilis ferrochelatase, but it had lost the ability to use Cu2+ as a substrate. Thus, the B. subtilis Tyr13Met ferrochelatase showed the same metal specificity as that of the ferrochelatases from S. cerevisiae and human.

Thiol-exchange in DTSSP crosslinked peptides is proportional to cysteine content and precisely controlled in crosslink detection by two-step LC-MALDI MSMS

The lysine‐specific crosslinker 3,3′‐dithiobis(sulfosuccinimidylpropionate) (DTSSP) is commonly used in the structural characterization of proteins by chemical crosslinking and mass spectrometry and we here describe an efficient two‐step LC‐MALDI‐TOF/TOF procedure to detect crosslinked peptides. First MS data are acquired, and the properties of isotope‐labeled DTSSP are used in data analysis to identify candidate crosslinks. MSMS data are then acquired for a restricted number of precursor ions per spot for final crosslink identification. We show that the thiol‐catalyzed exchange between crosslinked peptides, which is due to the disulfide bond in DTSSP and known to possibly obscure data, can be precisely quantified using isotope‐labeled DTSSP. Crosslinked peptides are recognized as 8 Da doublet peaks and a new isotopic peak with twice the intensity appears in the middle of the doublet as a consequence of the thiol‐exchange. False‐positive crosslinks, formed exclusively by thiol‐exchange, yield a 1:2:1 isotope pattern, whereas true crosslinks, formed by two lysine residues within crosslinkable distance in the native protein structure, yield a 1:0:1 isotope pattern. Peaks with a 1:X:1 isotope pattern, where 0 < X < 2, can be trusted as true crosslinks, with a defined proportion of the signal [2X/(2 + X)] being noise from the thiol‐exchange. The thiol‐exchange was correlated with the protein cysteine content and was minimized by shortening the trypsin incubation time, and for two molecular chaperone proteins with known structure all crosslinks fitted well to the structure data. The thiol‐exchange can thus be controlled and isotope‐labeled DTSSP safely used to detect true crosslinks between lysine residues in proteins.