Daniela Verzili

Dimeric and tetrameric hemoglobins from the mollusc Scapharca inaequivalvis: Structural and functional properties

The bivalve mollusc Scapharca inaequivalvis contains in the coelomic fluid erythrocytes with a dimeric (HbI) and a tetrameric (HbII) hemoglobin like the other members of the arcid family. The tetrameric protein is made up from two types of polypeptide chain, while the dimeric protein is made from a single type of chain which differs from the other two in terms of molecular weight and isoelectric point. The optical and circular dichroism spectra show that the heme environment in HbI and HbII resembles that of vertebrate hemoglobins, although distinctive features are present in the deoxygenated derivative. p]The dimeric HbI in the pH range 6 to 9 does not change its association state upon deoxygenation, while the tetrameric HbII polymerizes as indicated by the appearance of a fast peak in the sedimentation velocity patterns. The dependence of the areas and sedimentation coefficients of the fast and slow peaks on protein concentration is characteristic of a rapidly established association-dissociation equilibrium between tetramers and polymers higher than octamers. The pH, ionic strength and temperature dependence of polymer formation indicate that both hydrophobic and ionic interactions stabilize the polymers. The functional properties of HbI and HbII differ. HbI shows co-operative oxygen binding (h = 1·5) and a constant oxygen affinity (p12 = 7.8 mm Hg) over the pH range 5.5 to 9.5. HbII likewise shows co-operativity in oxygen binding (h = 2·0). Its oxygen affinity at neutral and alkaline pH values is slightly lower (p12 = 9.1 mm Hg) than that of the dimeric protein, but becomes higher at pH values below 6.5 due to the presence of an acid Bohr effect. At high protein concentrations, under conditions of extensive polymerization of the deoxygenated derivative, the oxygen affinity is lowered and co-operativity slightly increased. Both phenomena require that the oxygen affinity of the polymer be lower than that of the tetramer, consistent with the predictions of linkage theory.

Calcium-dependent translocation of sorcin to membranes: functional relevance in contractile tissue.

Sorcin, a 22 kDa calcium binding protein present in abundance in cardiac tissue and in multi‐drug resistant cells and previously described as a soluble protein, is now shown to undergo a calcium‐dependent translocation process from the cytosol to cellular membranes in both systems. The translocation process takes place also in E. coli BL21 cells that express recombinant sorcin, r‐sorcin, and can be exploited in the purification of the protein. Calcium binding to purified r‐sorcin occurs at micromolar concentrations of the metal and is accompanied by a conformational change that renders the protein soluble in the non‐ionic detergent Triton X‐114. This finding suggests that lipids are the target of sorcin on cellular membranes. The possible significance of the calcium‐dependent translocation of sorcin in the specialized functions of sorcin‐expressing cells is discussed.

The sorcin-annexin VII calcium-dependent interaction requires the sorcin N-terminal domain

Surface plasmon resonance experiments show that at neutral pH the stability of the complex between sorcin and annexin VII (synexin) increases dramatically between 3 and 6 μM calcium; at the latter cation concentration the K D value is 0.63 μM. In turn, the lack of complex formation between the sorcin Ca2+ binding domain (33–198) and synexin maps the annexin binding site to the N‐terminal region of the sorcin polypeptide chain. Annexin VII likewise employs the N‐terminal domain, more specifically the first 31 amino acids, to interact with sorcin [Brownawell, A.M. and Creutz, C.E. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 22182–22190]. The interaction may involve similar structural motifs in the two proteins, namely GGYY and GYGG in sorcin and GYPP in synexin.

Amino acid sequence of the cooperative homodimeric hemoglobin from the mollusc Scapharca inaequivalvis and topology of the intersubunit contacts

The dimeric hemoglobin (HbI) from Scapharca inaequivalvis is highly homologous to the other known dimeric Arcid hemoglobins. The sequence has a distinctive hydrophobicity profile in the region corresponding to the E and F helices with respect to both the hemoglobin and myoglobin chains from vertebrates due to the presence of several additional hydrophobic residues. The characteristic topology of the E and F helices is conserved in all the known sequences of Arcid hemoglobins including that of the so‐called α chain of the tetrameric component from Anadara trapezia. The rationale for this conservation lies in the unusual assembly of Arcid hemoglobins where the E and F helices are involved in the interdimeric contact. It is suggested that the extra hydrophobic residues play a major role in the assembly of the basic dimeric unit in these hemoglobins.

Interaction of lactoferrin with Escherichia coli cells and correlation with antibacterial activity

It has been established that the antimicrobial activity of lactoferrin towards Escherichia coli is enhanced by a direct contact between the protein and the microbial cell and that, in the case of E. coli K-12 strains, an antibacterial activity of lactoferrin unrelated to iron withdrawal is present. Evidence is now reported that lactoferrin binds to surface structures expressed in E. coli K-12 strains grown in either an “excess” or “stress” of iron. Under the experimental conditions used, lactoferrin binding both in the apo and in the iron-saturated form yields a maximum of 1.6 × 105 bound molecules/E. coli K-12 cell; the amount of lactoferrin bound does not depend on the expression of the iron-regulated outer membrane proteins. In contrast, lactoferrin does not bind to E. coli clinical isolates. Apo-lactoferrin (at 500 μ/ml in a chemically defined medium) inhibits the growth of E. coli K-12 strains but not of clinical isolates. These findings suggest that the antibacterial activity of the protein could be associated to its binding to the cell surface.

CALCIUM- AND PH-LINKED OLIGOMERIZATION OF SORCIN CAUSING TRANSLOCATION FROM CYTOSOL TO MEMBRANES

Sorcin, a cytosolic calcium‐binding protein containing a pair of EF‐hand motifs, undergoes a Ca2+‐dependent translocation to the cell membrane. The underlying conformational change is similar at pH 6.0 and 7.5 and consists in an increase in overall hydrophobicity that involves the aromatic residues and in particular the two tryptophan residues which become less exposed to solvent. The concomitant association from dimers to tetramers indicates that the tryptophan residues, which are located between the EF‐hand sites, become buried at the dimer–dimer interface. Ca2+‐bound sorcin displays a striking difference in solubility as a function of pH that has been ascribed to the formation of calcium‐stabilized aggregates.

The hydrolysis of α-CBZ-l-lysine-p-nitrophenyl ester by two forms of human urokinase

Abstract The catalytic properties of human urokinase have been investigated using a synthetic chromogenic substrate; α-CBZ- l -lysine-p-nitrophenyl ester (ZLNP). The enzymatic assay based on the rate of hydrolysis of ZLNP offers several advantages over other methods currently employed in different laboratories. The steady state parameters of the two purified forms of human urokinase, which differ in molecular weight (33,000 and 54,000 daltons), have been determined over the pH range 5.2–7.8, and found to be indistinguishable.

Activation of the cardiac Na+–Ca2+ exchanger by sorcin via the interaction of the respective Ca2+-binding domains

Sorcin is a penta-EF-hand protein that interacts with intracellular target proteins after Ca2+ binding. The sarcolemmal Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX1) may be an important sorcin target in cardiac muscle. In this study, RNAi knockdown of sorcin, purified sorcin or sorcin variants was employed in parallel measurements of: (i) NCX activity in isolated rabbit cardiomyocytes using electrophysiological techniques and (ii) sorcin binding to the NCX1 calcium binding domains (CBD1 and (iii) using surface plasmon resonance and gel overlay techniques. Sorcin is activated by Ca2+ binding to the EF3 and EF2 regions, which are connected by the D helix. To investigate the importance of this region in the interaction with NCX1, three variants were examined: W105G and W99G, mutated respectively near EF3 and EF2, and E124A that does not bind Ca2+ due to a mutation at EF3. Downregulation of sorcin decreased and supplementation with wt sorcin (3 μM) increased NCX activity in isolated cardiomyocytes. The relative stimulatory effects of the sorcin variants were: W105G > wt sorcin > Sorcin Calcium Binding Domain (SCBD) > W99G > E124A. Sorcin binding to both CBD1 and 2 was observed. In the presence of 50 µM Ca2+, the interaction with CBD1 followed the order W105G > SCBD > wt sorcin > W99G > E124A. In sorcin, the interacting surface can be mapped on the C-terminal Ca2+-binding domain in the D helix region comprising W99. The fast association/dissociation rates that characterize the interaction of sorcin with CBD1 and 2 may permit complex formation/dissociation during an excitation/contraction cycle.

The Salmonella enterica ZinT structure, zinc affinity and interaction with the high-affinity uptake protein ZnuA provide insight into the management of periplasmic zinc

BACKGROUND In Gram-negative bacteria the ZnuABC transporter ensures adequate zinc import in Zn(II)-poor environments, like those encountered by pathogens within the infected host. Recently, the metal-binding protein ZinT was suggested to operate as an accessory component of ZnuABC in periplasmic zinc recruitment. Since ZinT is known to form a ZinT-ZnuA complex in the presence of Zn(II) it was proposed to transfer Zn(II) to ZnuA. The present work was undertaken to test this claim. METHODS ZinT and its structural relationship with ZnuA have been characterized by multiple biophysical techniques (X-ray crystallography, SAXS, analytical ultracentrifugation, fluorescence spectroscopy). RESULTS The metal-free and metal-bound crystal structures of Salmonella enterica ZinT show one Zn(II) binding site and limited structural changes upon metal removal. Spectroscopic titrations with Zn(II) yield a KD value of 22±2nM for ZinT, while those with ZnuA point to one high affinity (KD<20nM) and one low affinity Zn(II) binding site (KD in the micromolar range). Sedimentation velocity experiments established that Zn(II)-bound ZinT interacts with ZnuA, whereas apo-ZinT does not. The model of the ZinT-ZnuA complex derived from small angle X-ray scattering experiments points to a disposition that favors metal transfer as the metal binding cavities of the two proteins face each other. CONCLUSIONS ZinT acts as a Zn(II)-buffering protein that delivers Zn(II) to ZnuA. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Knowledge of the ZinT-ZnuA relationship is crucial for understanding bacterial Zn(II) uptake.

Molecular basis for the impaired function of the natural F112L sorcin mutant: X-ray crystal structure, calcium affinity, and interaction with annexin VII and the ryanodine receptor

The penta‐EF hand protein sorcin participates in the modulation of Ca2+‐induced calcium‐release in the heart through the interaction with several Ca2+ channels such as the ryanodine receptor. The modulating activity is impaired in the recently described natural F112L mutant. The F112 residue is located at the end of the D helix next to Asp113, one of the calcium ligands in the EF3 hand endowed with the highest affinity for the metal. The F112L‐sorcin X‐ray crystal structure at 2.5 Å resolution displays marked alterations in the EF3 hand, where the hydrogen bonding network established by Phe112 is disrupted, and in the EF1 region, which is tilted in both monomers that give rise to the dimer, the stable form of the molecule. In turn, the observed tilt is indicative of an increased flexibility of the N‐terminal part of the molecule. The structural alterations result in a 6‐fold decrease in calcium affinity with respect to the wild‐type protein and to an even larger impairment of the interaction with annexin VII and of the ability of sorcin to interact with and inhibit ryanodine receptors. These results provide a plausible structural and functional framework that helps elucidate the phenotypic alterations of mice overexpressing F112L‐sorcin.— Franceschini, S., Ilari, A., Verzili, D., Zamparelli, C., Antaramian, A., Rueda, A., Valdivia, H. H., Chiancone, E., and Colotti, G. Molecular basis for the impaired function of the natural F112L sorcin mutant: X‐ray crystal structure, calcium affinity, and interaction with annexin VII and the ryanodine receptor. FASEB J. 22, 295–306 (2008)