Kunhua Li

Interdomain and Intermodule Organization in Epimerization Domain Containing Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases are large, complex multidomain enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of a wide range of peptidic natural products. Inherent to synthetase chemistry is the thioester templated mechanism that relies on protein/protein interactions and interdomain dynamics. Several questions related to structure and mechanism remain to be addressed, including the incorporation of accessory domains and intermodule interactions. The inclusion of nonproteinogenic d-amino acids into peptide frameworks is a common and important modification for bioactive nonribosomal peptides. Epimerization domains, embedded in nonribosomal peptide synthetases assembly lines, catalyze the l- to d-amino acid conversion. Here we report the structure of the epimerization domain/peptidyl carrier protein didomain construct from the first module of the cyclic peptide antibiotic gramicidin synthetase. Both holo (phosphopantethiene post-translationally modified) and apo structures were determined, each representing catalytically relevant conformations of the two domains. The structures provide insight into domain-domain recognition, substrate delivery during the assembly line process, in addition to the structural organization of homologous condensation domains, canonical players in all synthetase modules.

Structural basis for precursor protein-directed ribosomal peptide macrocyclization

Macrocyclization is a common feature of natural product biosynthetic pathways including the diverse family of ribosomal peptides. Microviridins are architecturally complex cyanobacterial ribosomal peptides whose members target proteases with potent reversible inhibition. The product structure is constructed by three macrocyclizations catalyzed sequentially by two members of the ATP-grasp family, a unique strategy for ribosomal peptide macrocyclization. Here, we describe the detailed structural basis for the enzyme-catalyzed macrocyclizations in the microviridin J pathway of Microcystis aeruginosa. The macrocyclases, MdnC and MdnB, interact with a conserved α-helix of the precursor peptide using a novel precursor peptide recognition mechanism. The results provide insight into the unique protein/protein interactions key to the chemistry, suggest an origin of the natural combinatorial synthesis of microviridin peptides and provide a framework for future engineering efforts to generate designed compounds.

Microbial siderophore-based iron assimilation and therapeutic applications

Siderophores are structurally diverse, complex natural products that bind metals with extraordinary specificity and affinity. The acquisition of iron is critical for the survival and virulence of many pathogenic microbes and diverse strategies have evolved to synthesize, import and utilize iron. There has been a substantial increase of known siderophore scaffolds isolated and characterized in the past decade and the corresponding biosynthetic gene clusters have provided insight into the varied pathways involved in siderophore biosynthesis, delivery and utilization. Additionally, therapeutic applications of siderophores and related compounds are actively being developed. The study of biosynthetic pathways to natural siderophores augments the understanding of the complex mechanisms of bacterial iron acquisition, and enables a complimentary approach to address virulence through the interruption of siderophore biosynthesis or utilization by targeting the key enzymes to the siderophore pathways.

Structural characterization of acyl-CoA oxidases reveals a direct link between pheromone biosynthesis and metabolic state in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Significance In nematodes, acyl-CoA oxidases function not only in primary metabolism, where they participate in the breakdown of long-chain fatty acids, but also in secondary metabolism, where they participate in the biosynthesis of the ascarosides, a family of pheromones that regulate development and behavior. Here, we provide a molecular basis for the diverse substrate specificities of the acyl-CoA oxidases. Unlike their homologs in other organisms, the acyl-CoA oxidases of nematodes bind ATP at the dimer interface, leading to a conformational change that promotes FAD cofactor binding and enzyme activity. Our results suggest a mechanism by which the biosynthesis of most ascarosides is increased under conditions that promote higher cellular ATP concentrations in the worm. Caenorhabditis elegans secretes ascarosides as pheromones to communicate with other worms and to coordinate the development and behavior of the population. Peroxisomal β-oxidation cycles shorten the side chains of ascaroside precursors to produce the short-chain ascaroside pheromones. Acyl-CoA oxidases, which catalyze the first step in these β-oxidation cycles, have different side chain-length specificities and enable C. elegans to regulate the production of specific ascaroside pheromones. Here, we determine the crystal structure of the acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (ACOX-1) homodimer and the ACOX-2 homodimer bound to its substrate. Our results provide a molecular basis for the substrate specificities of the acyl-CoA oxidases and reveal why some of these enzymes have a very broad substrate range, whereas others are quite specific. Our results also enable predictions to be made for the roles of uncharacterized acyl-CoA oxidases in C. elegans and in other nematode species. Remarkably, we show that most of the C. elegans acyl-CoA oxidases that participate in ascaroside biosynthesis contain a conserved ATP-binding pocket that lies at the dimer interface, and we identify key residues in this binding pocket. ATP binding induces a structural change that is associated with tighter binding of the FAD cofactor. Mutations that disrupt ATP binding reduce FAD binding and reduce enzyme activity. Thus, ATP may serve as a regulator of acyl-CoA oxidase activity, thereby directly linking ascaroside biosynthesis to ATP concentration and metabolic state.

Crystal structure of the homocysteine methyltransferase MmuM from Escherichia coli.

Homocysteine S-methyltransferases (HMTs, EC 2.1.1.0) catalyse the conversion of homocysteine to methionine using S-methylmethionine or S-adenosylmethionine as the methyl donor. HMTs play an important role in methionine biosynthesis and are widely distributed among micro-organisms, plants and animals. Additionally, HMTs play a role in metabolite repair of S-adenosylmethionine by removing an inactive diastereomer from the pool. The mmuM gene product from Escherichia coli is an archetypal HMT family protein and contains a predicted zinc-binding motif in the enzyme active site. In the present study, we demonstrate X-ray structures for MmuM in oxidized, apo and metallated forms, representing the first such structures for any member of the HMT family. The structures reveal a metal/substrate-binding pocket distinct from those in related enzymes. The presented structure analysis and modelling of co-substrate interactions provide valuable insight into the function of MmuM in both methionine biosynthesis and cofactor repair.

Probing the structural basis of oxygen binding in a cofactor-independent dioxygenase

The enzyme DpgC is included in the small family of cofactor-independent dioxygenases. The chemistry of DpgC is uncommon as the protein binds and utilizes dioxygen without the aid of a metal or organic cofactor. Previous structural and biochemical studies identified the substrate-binding mode and the components of the active site that are important in the catalytic mechanism. In addition, the results delineated a putative binding pocket and migration pathway for the co-substrate dioxygen. Here, structural biology is utilized, along with site-directed mutagenesis, to probe the assigned dioxygen-binding pocket. The key residues implicated in dioxygen trafficking were studied to probe the process of binding, activation and chemistry. The results support the proposed chemistry and provide insight into the general mechanism of dioxygen binding and activation.

Effects of Hinge-region Natural Polymorphisms on Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Type 1 Protease Structure, Dynamics, and Drug Pressure Evolution.

Multidrug resistance to current Food and Drug Administration-approved HIV-1 protease (PR) inhibitors drives the need to understand the fundamental mechanisms of how drug pressure-selected mutations, which are oftentimes natural polymorphisms, elicit their effect on enzyme function and resistance. Here, the impacts of the hinge-region natural polymorphism at residue 35, glutamate to aspartate (E35D), alone and in conjunction with residue 57, arginine to lysine (R57K), are characterized with the goal of understanding how altered salt bridge interactions between the hinge and flap regions are associated with changes in structure, motional dynamics, conformational sampling, kinetic parameters, and inhibitor affinity. The combined results reveal that the single E35D substitution leads to diminished salt bridge interactions between residues 35 and 57 and gives rise to the stabilization of open-like conformational states with overall increased backbone dynamics. In HIV-1 PR constructs where sites 35 and 57 are both mutated (e.g. E35D and R57K), x-ray structures reveal an altered network of interactions that replace the salt bridge thus stabilizing the structural integrity between the flap and hinge regions. Despite the altered conformational sampling and dynamics when the salt bridge is disrupted, enzyme kinetic parameters and inhibition constants are similar to those obtained for subtype B PR. Results demonstrate that these hinge-region natural polymorphisms, which may arise as drug pressure secondary mutations, alter protein dynamics and the conformational landscape, which are important thermodynamic parameters to consider for development of inhibitors that target for non-subtype B PR.

Cytotoxic protein from the mushroom Coprinus comatus possesses a unique mode for glycan binding and specificity

Significance Glycan binding proteins (GBPs) play an important and ever-emerging role in decoding the structural diversity of cell surface glycans into function. New GBPs provide useful tools to probe and manipulate biological processes. Here we describe the characterization of the Y3 protein from the mushroom Coprinus comatus as a unique GBP that shows selective cytotoxicity toward human T-cell leukemia Jurkat cells through caspase-associated apoptosis. Structural analysis along with glycan array screening of Y3 reveals a unique tertiary structure and a specific interaction with GalNAcβ1-4(Fucα1-3)GlcNAc, a glycan abundant in invertebrates but uncommon in humans. This work expands on promising novel GBPs available in less-explored sources for biomedical and research applications. Glycans possess significant chemical diversity; glycan binding proteins (GBPs) recognize specific glycans to translate their structures to functions in various physiological and pathological processes. Therefore, the discovery and characterization of novel GBPs and characterization of glycan–GBP interactions are significant to provide potential targets for therapeutic intervention of many diseases. Here, we report the biochemical, functional, and structural characterization of a 130-amino-acid protein, Y3, from the mushroom Coprinus comatus. Biochemical studies of recombinant Y3 from a yeast expression system demonstrated the protein is a unique GBP. Additionally, we show that Y3 exhibits selective and potent cytotoxicity toward human T-cell leukemia Jurkat cells compared with a panel of cancer cell lines via inducing caspase-dependent apoptosis. Screening of a glycan array demonstrated GalNAcβ1–4(Fucα1–3)GlcNAc (LDNF) as a specific Y3-binding ligand. To provide a structural basis for function, the crystal structure was solved to a resolution of 1.2 Å, revealing a single-domain αβα-sandwich motif. Two monomers were dimerized to form a large 10-stranded, antiparallel β-sheet flanked by α-helices on each side, representing a unique oligomerization mode among GBPs. A large glycan binding pocket extends into the dimeric interface, and docking of LDNF identified key residues for glycan interactions. Disruption of residues predicted to be involved in LDNF/Y3 interactions resulted in the significant loss of binding to Jurkat T-cells and severely impaired their cytotoxicity. Collectively, these results demonstrate Y3 to be a GBP with selective cytotoxicity toward human T-cell leukemia cells and indicate its potential use in cancer diagnosis and treatment.