Kimiko Umemoto

Distance mapping of protein-binding sites using spin-labeled oligosaccharide ligands

The binding of a nitroxide spin‐labeled analog of N‐acetyllactosamine to galectin‐3, a mammalian lectin of 26 kD size, is studied to map the binding sites of this small oligosaccharide on the protein surface. Perturbation of intensities of cross‐peaks in the 15N heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) spectrum of full‐length galectin‐3 owing to the bound spin label is used qualitatively to idey protein residues proximate to the binding site for N‐acetyllactosamine. A protocol for converting intensity measurements to a more quantitative determination of distances between discrete protein amide protons and the bound spin label is then described. This protocol is discussed as part of a drug design strategy in which subsequent perturbation of chemical shifts of distance mapped amide cross‐peaks can be used effectively to screen a library of compounds for other ligands that bind to the target protein at distances suitable for chemical linkage to the primary ligand. This approach is novel in that it bypasses the need for structure determination and resonance assignment of the target protein.

Intra- and intermolecular interactions of human galectin-3: assessment by full-assignment-based NMR

Galectin-3 is an adhesion/growth-regulatory protein with a modular design comprising an N-terminal tail (NT, residues 1-111) and the conserved carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD, residues 112-250). The chimera-type galectin interacts with both glycan and peptide motifs. Complete (13)C/(15)N-assignment of the human protein makes NMR-based analysis of its structure beyond the CRD possible. Using two synthetic NT polypeptides covering residues 1-50 and 51-107, evidence for transient secondary structure was found with helical conformation from residues 5 to 15 as well as proline-mediated, multi-turn structure from residues 18 to 32 and around PGAYP repeats. Intramolecular interactions occur between the CRD F-face (the 5-stranded β-sheet behind the canonical carbohydrate-binding 6-stranded β-sheet of the S-face) and NT in full-length galectin-3, with the sequence P(23)GAW(26)…P(37)GASYPGAY(45) defining the primary binding epitope within the NT. Work with designed peptides indicates that the PGAX motif is crucial for self-interactions between NT/CRD. Phosphorylation at position Ser6 (and Ser12) (a physiological modification) and the influence of ligand binding have minimal effect on this interaction. Finally, galectin-3 molecules can interact weakly with each other via the F-faces of their CRDs, an interaction that appears to be assisted by their NTs. Overall, our results add insight to defining binding sites on galectin-3 beyond the canonical contact area for β-galactosides.

Intermolecular nuclear Overhauser effect and atomic pair potential approaches to wheat germ agglutinin-sugar binding.

The detailed binding mechanism of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) with N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) was investigated using intermolecular 1H-1H nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) and atomic pair potential (APP) calculations. Negative NOE was observed on the 1H spectrum of 1-O-methyl derivative of GlcNAc in a solution containing WGA, when the aromatic region of the WGA spectrum was irradiated. Analyses of the time dependence of NOE revealed that H2 and the N-acetyl methyl protons of the sugar are in close proximity to the aromatic protons of WGA in the bound state. This was confirmed and further elucidated by the APP calculations. According to the calculation, the major binding force comes from a hydrogen-bonding between C3-OH of sugar and an acidic residue present in each of the two binding sites of WGA: Glu115 in site 1 and Asp29 in site 2. The binding is further assisted by the N-acetyl group which interacts with a few more polar amino acid residues in the binding sites. The optimized binding mode suggested by the APP calculations supports the NMR results in that H2 and a part of the N-acetyl methyl protons are within 4.5 A distance from protons of both Tyr64 and Tyr73 in site 1 and of Tyr159 in site 2.

Solution structure of sialyl Lewis X mimics studied by two-dimensional NMR ☆

Abstract A structure of the peptidic mimic of sialyl Lewis X (Sle X ) (α- N -acetyl-neuraminyl-(2,3)-β- d -galactopyranosyl-(1,4)-[α- l -fucopyranosyl-(1,3)-β- d - N -acetyl-glucosamine]) in an aqueous solution was studied using two-dimensional 1 H NMR spectroscopy. Complete assignments of 1 H NMR chemical shift of the SLe X mimic have been performed. The presence of three conformers of the SLe X mimic in a solution was proposed by using distance geometry calculation based on NOE constraints, which were obtained from NOESY experiments. In addition, intermolecular interaction between the mimic and the crystal structure of E-selectin was refined using molecular dynamics. This suggested the conformational rearrangement of the functional groups of the conformers to the active sites of E-selectin. The relationship between the binding activities toward E-selectin and the three-dimensional structures of other mimics was also discussed.