Erik W. Debler

The Structure of the Nuclear Pore Complex

In eukaryotic cells, the spatial segregation of replication and transcription in the nucleus and translation in the cytoplasm imposes the requirement of transporting thousands of macromolecules between these two compartments. Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are the sole gateways that facilitate this macromolecular exchange across the nuclear envelope with the help of soluble transport receptors. Whereas the mobile transport machinery is reasonably well understood at the atomic level, a commensurate structural characterization of the NPC has only begun in the past few years. Here, we describe the recent progress toward the elucidation of the atomic structure of the NPC, highlight emerging concepts of its underlying architecture, and discuss key outstanding questions and challenges. The applied structure determination as well as the described design principles of the NPC may serve as paradigms for other macromolecular assemblies.

Dual modes of RNA-silencing suppression by Flock House virus protein B2.

As a counter-defense against antiviral RNA silencing during infection, the insect Flock House virus (FHV) expresses the silencing suppressor protein B2. Biochemical experiments show that B2 binds to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) without regard to length and inhibits cleavage of dsRNA by Dicer in vitro. A cocrystal structure reveals that a B2 dimer forms a four-helix bundle that binds to one face of an A-form RNA duplex independently of sequence. These results suggest that B2 blocks both cleavage of the FHV genome by Dicer and incorporation of FHV small interfering RNAs into the RNA-induced silencing complex.

A Fence-like Coat for the Nuclear Pore Membrane

We recently proposed a cylindrical coat for the nuclear pore membrane in the nuclear pore complex (NPC). This scaffold is generated by multiple copies of seven nucleoporins. Here, we report three crystal structures of the nucleoporin pair Seh1*Nup85, which is part of the coat cylinder. The Seh1*Nup85 assembly bears resemblance in its shape and dimensions to that of another nucleoporin pair, Sec13*Nup145C. Furthermore, the Seh1*Nup85 structures reveal a hinge motion that may facilitate conformational changes in the NPC during import of integral membrane proteins and/or during nucleocytoplasmic transport. We propose that Seh1*Nup85 and Sec13*Nup145C form 16 alternating, vertical rods that are horizontally linked by the three remaining nucleoporins of the coat cylinder. Shared architectural and mechanistic principles with the COPII coat indicate a common evolutionary origin and support the notion that the NPC coat represents another class of membrane coats.

Structural and functional analysis of the interaction between the nucleoporin Nup214 and the DEAD-box helicase Ddx19.

Key steps in the export of mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm are the transport through the nuclear pore complex (NPC) and the subsequent remodeling of messenger RNA-protein (mRNP) complexes that occurs at the cytoplasmic side of the NPC. Crucial for these events is the recruitment of the DEAD-box helicase Ddx19 to the cytoplasmic filaments of the NPC that is mediated by the nucleoporin Nup214. Here, we present the crystal structure of the Nup214 N-terminal domain in complex with Ddx19 in its ADP-bound state at 2.5 Å resolution. Strikingly, the interaction surfaces are not only evolutionarily conserved but also exhibit strongly opposing surface potentials, with the helicase surface being positively and the Nup214 surface being negatively charged. We speculate that the positively charged surface of the interacting ADP-helicase binds competitively to a segment of mRNA of a linearized mRNP, passing through the NPC on its way to the cytoplasm. As a result, the ADP-helicase would dissociate from Nup214 and replace a single bound protein from the mRNA. One cycle of protein replacement would be accompanied, cooperatively, by nucleotide exchange, ATP hydrolysis, release of the ADP-helicase from mRNA and its rebinding to Nup214. Repeat of these cycles would remove proteins from a mRNP, one at a time, akin to a ratchet mechanism for mRNA export.

Structural and functional analysis of Nup120 suggests ring formation of the Nup84 complex

The Nup84 complex constitutes a key building block in the nuclear pore complex (NPC). Here we present the crystal structure of one of its 7 components, Nup120, which reveals a β propeller and an α-helical domain representing a novel fold. We discovered a previously unidentified interaction of Nup120 with Nup133 and confirmed the physiological relevance in vivo. As mapping of the individual components in the Nup84 complex places Nup120 and Nup133 at opposite ends of the heptamer, our findings indicate a head-to-tail arrangement of elongated Nup84 complexes into a ring structure, consistent with a fence-like coat for the nuclear pore membrane. The attachment site for Nup133 lies at the very end of an extended unstructured region, which allows for flexibility in the diameter of the Nup84 complex ring. These results illuminate important roles of terminal unstructured segments in nucleoporins for the architecture, function, and assembly of the NPC.

Structure of a trimeric nucleoporin complex reveals alternate oligomerization states

The heptameric Nup84 complex constitutes an evolutionarily conserved building block of the nuclear pore complex. Here, we present the crystal structure of the heterotrimeric Sec13·Nup145C·Nup84 complex, the centerpiece of the heptamer, at 3.2-Å resolution. Nup84 forms a U-shaped α-helical solenoid domain, topologically similar to two other members of the heptamer, Nup145C and Nup85. The interaction between Nup84 and Nup145C is mediated via a hydrophobic interface located in the kink regions of the two solenoids that is reinforced by additional interactions of two long Nup84 loops. The Nup84 binding site partially overlaps with the homo-dimerization interface of Nup145C, suggesting competing binding events. Fitting of the elongated Z-shaped heterotrimer into electron microscopy (EM) envelopes of the heptamer indicates that structural changes occur at the Nup145C·Nup84 interface. Docking the crystal structures of all heptamer components into the EM envelope constitutes a major advance toward the completion of the structural characterization of the Nup84 complex.

Deeply Inverted Electron-Hole Recombination in a Luminescent Antibody-Stilbene Complex

The blue-emissive antibody EP2-19G2 that has been elicited against trans-stilbene has unprecedented ability to produce bright luminescence and has been used as a biosensor in various applications. We show that the prolonged luminescence is not stilbene fluorescence. Instead, the emissive species is a charge-transfer excited complex of an anionic stilbene and a cationic, parallel π-stacked tryptophan. Upon charge recombination, this complex generates exceptionally bright blue light. Complex formation is enabled by a deeply penetrating ligand-binding pocket, which in turn results from a noncanonical interface between the two variable domains of the antibody.

Characterization of two novel missense mutations in the AQP2 gene causing nephrogenic diabetes insipidus

Here, we report the aquaporin 2 (AQP2) mutational analysis of a patient with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus heterozygote due to two novel missense mutations. Direct sequencing of DNA in the male patient revealed that he was compound heterozygote for two mutations in the AQP2 gene: a thymine-to-adenine transversion at position 450 (c.450T>A) in exon 2 and a guanine-to-thymine at nucleotide position 643 (c.643G>T) in exon 4. The double heterozygous 450T>A and 643G>T transversion causes the amino acid substitution D150E and G215C. Direct sequencing of exons 2 and 4 of the AQP2 gene from each of the parents revealed that the c.450T>A mutation was inherited from the father while the c.643G>T mutation was inherited from the mother. Analysis of AQP2 excretion demonstrated that no AQP2 was detectable in the urine of the proband, whereas normal AQP2 levels were measured in both parents. When expressed in renal cells, both proteins were retarded in the endoplasmic reticulum and no redistribution was observed after forskolin stimulation. Of note, homology modeling revealed that the two mutations involve two highly conserved residues providing important clues about the role of the wt residues in AQP2 stability and function.

Structural and functional analysis of an essential nucleoporin heterotrimer on the cytoplasmic face of the nuclear pore complex

So far, only a few of the interactions between the ≈30 nucleoporins comprising the modular structure of the nuclear pore complex have been defined at atomic resolution. Here we report the crystal structure, at 2.6 Å resolution, of a heterotrimeric complex, composed of fragments of three cytoplasmically oriented nucleoporins of yeast: Nup82, Nup116, and Nup159. Our data show that the Nup82 fragment, representing more than the N-terminal half of the molecule, folds into an extensively decorated, seven-bladed β-propeller that forms the centerpiece of this heterotrimeric complex and anchors both a C-terminal fragment of Nup116 and the C-terminal tail of Nup159. Binding between Nup116 and Nup82 is mutually reinforced via two loops, one emanating from the Nup82 β-propeller and the other one from the β-sandwich fold of Nup116, each contacting binding pockets in their counterparts. The Nup82-Nup159 interaction occurs through an amphipathic α-helix of Nup159, which is cradled in a large hydrophobic groove that is generated from several large surface decorations of the Nup82 β-propeller. Although Nup159 and Nup116 fragments bind to the Nup82 β-propeller in close vicinity, there are no direct contacts between them, consistent with the noncooperative binding that was detected biochemically. Extensive mutagenesis delineated hot-spot residues for these interactions. We also showed that the Nup82 β-propeller binds to other yeast Nup116 family members, Nup145N, Nup100 and to the mammalian homolog, Nup98. Notably, each of the three nucleoporins contains additional nuclear pore complex binding sites, distinct from those that were defined here in the heterotrimeric Nup82•Nup159•Nup116 complex.

Bromodomain Proteins Contribute to Maintenance of Bloodstream Form Stage Identity in the African Trypanosome

Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, is transmitted to its mammalian host by the tsetse. In the fly, the parasite’s surface is covered with invariant procyclin, while in the mammal it resides extracellularly in its bloodstream form (BF) and is densely covered with highly immunogenic Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG). In the BF, the parasite varies this highly immunogenic surface VSG using a repertoire of ~2500 distinct VSG genes. Recent reports in mammalian systems point to a role for histone acetyl-lysine recognizing bromodomain proteins in the maintenance of stem cell fate, leading us to hypothesize that bromodomain proteins may maintain the BF cell fate in trypanosomes. Using small-molecule inhibitors and genetic mutants for individual bromodomain proteins, we performed RNA-seq experiments that revealed changes in the transcriptome similar to those seen in cells differentiating from the BF to the insect stage. This was recapitulated at the protein level by the appearance of insect-stage proteins on the cell surface. Furthermore, bromodomain inhibition disrupts two major BF-specific immune evasion mechanisms that trypanosomes harness to evade mammalian host antibody responses. First, monoallelic expression of the antigenically varied VSG is disrupted. Second, rapid internalization of antibodies bound to VSG on the surface of the trypanosome is blocked. Thus, our studies reveal a role for trypanosome bromodomain proteins in maintaining bloodstream stage identity and immune evasion. Importantly, bromodomain inhibition leads to a decrease in virulence in a mouse model of infection, establishing these proteins as potential therapeutic drug targets for trypanosomiasis. Our 1.25Å resolution crystal structure of a trypanosome bromodomain in complex with I-BET151 reveals a novel binding mode of the inhibitor, which serves as a promising starting point for rational drug design.