Jun Young Jang

Helicobacter pylori proinflammatory protein up-regulates NF-κB as a cell-translocating Ser/Thr kinase

There has been considerable interest in virulence genes in the plasticity region of Helicobacter pylori, but little is known about many of these genes. JHP940, one of the virulence factors encoded by the plasticity region of H. pylori strain J99, is a proinflammatory protein that induces tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-8 secretion as well as enhanced translocation of NF-κB in cultured macrophages. Here we have characterized the structure and function of JHP940 to provide the framework for better understanding its role in inflammation by H. pylori. Our work demonstrates that JHP940 is the first example of a eukaryotic-type Ser/Thr kinase from H. pylori. We show that JHP940 is catalytically active as a protein kinase and translocates into cultured human cells. Furthermore, the kinase activity is indispensable for indirectly up-regulating phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 at Ser276. Our results, taken together, contribute significantly to understanding the molecular basis of the role of JHP940 in inflammation and subsequent pathogenesis caused by H. pylori. We propose to rename the jhp940 gene as ctkA (cell translocating kinase A).

Crystal structure of YlqF, a circularly permuted GTPase: Implications for its GTPase activation in 50 S ribosomal subunit assembly

Members of the GTPase superfamily play important roles in diverse cellular processes such as cell division, cell cycling, signal transduction, mRNA translation (initiation, elongation, and termination), and ribosome assembly.1 They have been divided into two large classes, TRAFAC (named after translation factors) and SIMBI (after signal recognition particle, MinD, and BioD).2 One of the distinct families of TRAFAC class GTPases is the YlqF/YawG family, which consists of five distinct subfamilies, typified by the proteins YlqF (from Bacillus subtilis), YqeH (B. subtilis), YjeQ (Escherichia coli), MJ1464 (Methanocaldococcus jannaschii), and YawG (Schizosaccharomyces pombe). A special feature of this YlqF/YawG family is a circular permutation of the GTPase signature motifs.2 Members of the YlqF subfamily are broadly conserved in eukaryotes, archaea, and bacteria.3 Several members of this subfamily from human (NGP-1 and nucleostemin) and yeast (Nug1p, Nug2p, and Nog2p) have been shown to localize to the nucleolus, and some of them are closely associated with ribosomal assembly and nucleolar/nuclear export of ribosomal subunits.4 One member of this group, nucleostemin, was preferentially expressed in nucleoli of central nervous system stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and other cancer cell lines, and may control cell-cycle progression.4 Recently, multiple GTP-binding proteins have been implicated in the assembly of bacterial ribosomes. Of the 13 essential GTP-binding proteins in B. subtilis, seven (Era, Obg, YphC, YsxC, YlqF, YqeH, and YloQ) have been reported to associate with the 50 S or 30 S ribosomal subunits.5 In B. subtilis, the circularly permuted GTPase YlqF participates in the late step of 50 S subunit assembly and is essential for cell viability.6 It was proposed to rename the ylqF gene rbgA (ribosome biogenesis GTPase A).6 B. subtilis YlqF was shown to be targeted to the premature 50 S subunit lacking ribosomal proteins L16 and L27 to assemble a functional 50 S subunit through a GTPase activity-dependent conformational change of 23 S rRNA.7 The GTPase activity of B. subtilis YlqF is stimulated by binding of the premature 50 S subunit or the 50 S subunit.6,7 B. subtilis YlqF can bind stably to the free 50 S subunit in the presence of the nonhydrolyzable GTP analog GTPgS, suggesting that a possible conformational change from the GTPto GDP-bound form is important for the dissociation of YlqF from the mature 50 S subunit.7 Despite these recent findings, little is known about the activation mechanism of the YlqF GTPase activity and the nature of the possible conformational change that accompanies GTP hydrolysis. Therefore, structure determination of YlqF bound with GTP and GDP is essential for the elucidation of the activation

Structure of Csd3 from Helicobacter pylori, a cell shape-determining metallopeptidase

H. pylori Csd3 (HP0506), together with other peptidoglycan hydrolases, plays an important role in determining cell shape. Its crystal structure in the latent state is reported.

The Cell Shape-determining Csd6 Protein from Helicobacter pylori Constitutes a New Family of l,d-Carboxypeptidase

Background: Csd6 is one of the cell shape-determining proteins in H. pylori. Results: The active site of Csd6 is tailored to function as an l,d-carboxypeptidase in the peptidoglycan-trimming process. Conclusion: Csd6 constitutes a new family of l,d-carboxypeptidase. Significance: The substrate limitation of Csd6 is a strategy that H. pylori uses to regulate its helical cell shape and motility. Helicobacter pylori causes gastrointestinal diseases, including gastric cancer. Its high motility in the viscous gastric mucosa facilitates colonization of the human stomach and depends on the helical cell shape and the flagella. In H. pylori, Csd6 is one of the cell shape-determining proteins that play key roles in alteration of cross-linking or by trimming of peptidoglycan muropeptides. Csd6 is also involved in deglycosylation of the flagellar protein FlaA. To better understand its function, biochemical, biophysical, and structural characterizations were carried out. We show that Csd6 has a three-domain architecture and exists as a dimer in solution. The N-terminal domain plays a key role in dimerization. The middle catalytic domain resembles those of l,d-transpeptidases, but its pocket-shaped active site is uniquely defined by the four loops I to IV, among which loops I and III show the most distinct variations from the known l,d-transpeptidases. Mass analyses confirm that Csd6 functions only as an l,d-carboxypeptidase and not as an l,d-transpeptidase. The d-Ala-complexed structure suggests possible binding modes of both the substrate and product to the catalytic domain. The C-terminal nuclear transport factor 2-like domain possesses a deep pocket for possible binding of pseudaminic acid, and in silico docking supports its role in deglycosylation of flagellin. On the basis of these findings, it is proposed that H. pylori Csd6 and its homologs constitute a new family of l,d-carboxypeptidase. This work provides insights into the function of Csd6 in regulating the helical cell shape and motility of H. pylori.

Crystal structures of Pseudomonas aeruginosa guanidinobutyrase and guanidinopropionase, members of the ureohydrolase superfamily

Pseudomonas aeruginosa guanidinobutyrase (GbuA) and guanidinopropionase (GpuA) catalyze the hydrolysis of 4-guanidinobutyrate and 3-guanidinopropionate, respectively. They belong to the ureohydrolase superfamily, which includes arginase, agmatinase, proclavaminate amidinohydrolase, and formiminoglutamase. In this study, we have determined the crystal structures of GbuA and GpuA from P. aeruginosa to provide a structural insight into their substrate specificity. Although GbuA and GpuA share a common structural fold of the typical ureohydrolase superfamily, they exhibit significant variations in two active site loops. Mutagenesis of Met161 of GbuA and Tyr157 of GpuA, both of which are located in the active site loop 1 and predicted to be involved in substrate recognition, significantly affected their enzymatic properties, implying their important roles in catalysis.

Crystal structures of two archaeal Pelotas reveal inter-domain structural plasticity.

Dom34 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is one of the key players in no-go mRNA decay, a surveillance pathway by which an abnormal mRNA stalled during translation is degraded by an endonucleolytic cleavage. Its homologs called Pelota are found in other species. We showed previously that S. cerevisiae Dom34 (domain 1) has an endoribonuclease activity, which suggests its direct catalytic role in no-go decay. Pelota from Thermoplasma acidophilum and Dom34 from S. cerevisiae have been structurally characterized, revealing a tripartite architecture with a significant difference in their overall conformations. To gain further insights into structural plasticity of the Pelota proteins, we have determined the crystal structures of two archaeal Pelotas from Archaeoglobus fulgidus and Sulfolobus solfataricus. Despite the structural similarity of their individual domains to those of T. acidophilum Pelota and S. cerevisiae Dom34, their overall conformations are distinct from those of T. acidophilum Pelota and S. cerevisiae Dom34. Different overall conformations are due to conformational flexibility of the two linker regions between domains 1 and 2 and between domains 2 and 3. The observed inter-domain structural plasticity of Pelota proteins suggests that large conformational changes are essential for their functions.

Structural Basis for the Enhanced Anti-Diabetic Efficacy of Lobeglitazone on PPARγ

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. It functions as a ligand-activated transcription factor and plays important roles in the regulation of adipocyte differentiation, insulin resistance, and inflammation. Here, we report the crystal structures of PPARγ in complex with lobeglitazone, a novel PPARγ agonist, and with rosiglitazone for comparison. The thiazolidinedione (TZD) moiety of lobeglitazone occupies the canonical ligand-binding pocket near the activation function-2 (AF-2) helix (i.e., helix H12) in ligand-binding domain as the TZD moiety of rosiglitazone does. However, the elongated p-methoxyphenol moiety of lobeglitazone interacts with the hydrophobic pocket near the alternate binding site of PPARγ. The extended interaction of lobeglitazone with the hydrophobic pocket enhances its binding affinity and could affect the cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5)-mediated phosphorylation of PPARγ at Ser245 (in PPARγ1 numbering; Ser273 in PPARγ2 numbering). Lobeglitazone inhibited the phosphorylation of PPARγ at Ser245 in a dose-dependent manner and exhibited a better inhibitory effect on Ser245 phosphorylation than rosiglitazone did. Our study provides new structural insights into the PPARγ regulation by TZD drugs and could be useful for the discovery of new PPARγ ligands as an anti-diabetic drug, minimizing known side effects.

Structural Basis of the Heterodimer Formation between Cell Shape-Determining Proteins Csd1 and Csd2 from Helicobacter pylori

Colonization of the human gastric mucosa by Helicobacter pylori requires its high motility, which depends on the helical cell shape. In H. pylori, several genes (csd1, csd2, csd3/hdpA, ccmA, csd4, csd5, and csd6) play key roles in determining the cell shape by alteration of cross-linking or by trimming of peptidoglycan stem peptides. H. pylori Csd1, Csd2, and Csd3/HdpA are M23B metallopeptidase family members and may act as d,d-endopeptidases to cleave the d-Ala4-mDAP3 peptide bond of cross-linked dimer muropeptides. Csd3 functions also as the d,d-carboxypeptidase to cleave the d-Ala4-d-Ala5 bond of the muramyl pentapeptide. To provide a basis for understanding molecular functions of Csd1 and Csd2, we have carried out their structural characterizations. We have discovered that (i) Csd2 exists in monomer-dimer equilibrium and (ii) Csd1 and Csd2 form a heterodimer. We have determined crystal structures of the Csd2121–308 homodimer and the heterodimer between Csd1125–312 and Csd2121–308. Overall structures of Csd1125–312 and Csd2121–308 monomers are similar to each other, consisting of a helical domain and a LytM domain. The helical domains of both Csd1 and Csd2 play a key role in the formation of homodimers or heterodimers. The Csd1 LytM domain contains a catalytic site with a Zn2+ ion, which is coordinated by three conserved ligands and two water molecules, whereas the Csd2 LytM domain has incomplete metal ligands and no metal ion is bound. Structural knowledge of these proteins sheds light on the events that regulate the cell wall in H. pylori.

Crystal structure of Rv2258c from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, an S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent methyltransferase

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis Rv2258c protein is an S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferase (MTase). Here, we have determined its crystal structure in three forms: a ligand-unbound form, a binary complex with sinefungin (SFG), and a binary complex with S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (SAH). The monomer structure of Rv2258c consists of two domains which are linked by a long α-helix. The N-terminal domain is essential for dimerization and the C-terminal domain has the Class I MTase fold. Rv2258c forms a homodimer in the crystal, with the N-terminal domains facing each other. It also exists as a homodimer in solution. A DALI structural similarity search with Rv2258c reveals that the overall structure of Rv2258c is very similar to small-molecule SAM-dependent MTases. Rv2258c interacts with the bound SFG (or SAH) in an extended conformation maintained by a network of hydrogen bonds and stacking interactions. Rv2258c has a relatively large hydrophobic cavity for binding of the methyl-accepting substrate, suggesting that bulky nonpolar molecules with aromatic rings might be targeted for methylation by Rv2258c in M. tuberculosis. However, the ligand-binding specificity and the biological role of Rv2258c remain to be elucidated due to high variability of the amino acid residues defining the substrate-binding site.

Structure of STM3169, a tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic transporter

Substrate-binding proteins (SBPs) form a group of proteins that are commonly related to membrane protein complexes for transport or cell signal transduction. SBPs are comprised of prokaryotic ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-transporters, prokaryotic tripartite ATPindependent periplasmic (TRAP)-transporters, prokaryotic two-component regulatory systems, eukaryotic guanylatecyclase-atrial natriuretic peptide receptors, G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ligand-gated ion channels (Berntsson et al., 2010).The TRAP transporters are less known as compared with ABC transporters but are ubiquitous in prokaryotes. The TRAP transporters are important elements of solute uptake systems in prokaryotes. These transporters contain two membrane protein components, predicted to have four and twelve transmembrane helices, respectively. In the TRAP transporters of DctP-type, substrate recognition is mediated through a well-conserved and specific arginine/carboxylate interaction in the SBP (Mulligan et al., 2011). Here we have determined the crystal structure of the TRAP transporter from Salmonella entericaserovarTyphimurium. Unexpectedly, this structure shows that various ligands can bind to the TRAP transporters. It provides insights into substrate binding mechanism in the TRAP transporter system.