Lindsay G. Sparrow

Structure of the insulin receptor ectodomain reveals a folded-over conformation

The insulin receptor is a phylogenetically ancient tyrosine kinase receptor found in organisms as primitive as cnidarians and insects. In higher organisms it is essential for glucose homeostasis, whereas the closely related insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) is involved in normal growth and development. The insulin receptor is expressed in two isoforms, IR-A and IR-B; the former also functions as a high-affinity receptor for IGF-II and is implicated, along with IGF-1R, in malignant transformation. Here we present the crystal structure at 3.8 Å resolution of the IR-A ectodomain dimer, complexed with four Fabs from the monoclonal antibodies 83-7 and 83-14 (ref. 4), grown in the presence of a fragment of an insulin mimetic peptide. The structure reveals the domain arrangement in the disulphide-linked ectodomain dimer, showing that the insulin receptor adopts a folded-over conformation that places the ligand-binding regions in juxtaposition. This arrangement is very different from previous models. It shows that the two L1 domains are on opposite sides of the dimer, too far apart to allow insulin to bind both L1 domains simultaneously as previously proposed. Instead, the structure implicates the carboxy-terminal surface of the first fibronectin type III domain as the second binding site involved in high-affinity binding.

HETERONUCLEAR RIBONUCLEOPROTEINS C1 AND C2, COMPONENTS OF THE SPLICEOSOME,ARE SPECIFIC TARGETS OF INTERLEUKIN 1BETA -CONVERTING ENZYME-LIKE PROTEASES IN APOPTOSIS

Apoptosis induced by a variety of agents results in the proteolytic cleavage of a number of cellular substrates by enzymes related to interleukin 1β-converting enzyme (ICE). A small number of substrates for these enzymes have been identified to date, including enzymes involved in DNA repair processes: poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and DNA-dependent protein kinase. We describe here for the first time the specific cleavage of the heteronuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) C1 and C2 in apoptotic cells induced to undergo apoptosis by a variety of stimuli, including ionizing radiation, etoposide, and ceramide. No cleavage was observed in cells that are resistant to apoptosis induced by ionizing radiation. Protease inhibitor data implicate the involvement of an ICE-like protease in the cleavage of hnRNP C. Using recombinant ICE-like proteases and purified hnRNP C proteins in vitro, we show that the C proteins are cleaved by Mch3α and CPP32 and, to a lesser extent, by Mch2α, but not by ICE, Nedd2, Tx, or the cytotoxic T-cell protease granzyme B. The results described here demonstrate that the hnRNP C proteins, abundant nuclear proteins thought to be involved in RNA splicing, belong to a critical set of protein substrates that are cleaved by ICE-like proteases during apoptosis.

The Disulfide Bonds in the C-terminal Domains of the Human Insulin Receptor Ectodomain

The human insulin receptor is a homodimer consisting of two monomers linked by disulfide bonds. Each monomer comprises an α-chain that is entirely extracellular and a β-chain that spans the cell membrane. The α-chain has a total of 37 cysteine residues, most of which form intrachain disulfide bonds, whereas the β-chain contains 10 cysteine residues, four of which are in the extracellular region. There are two classes of disulfide bonds in the insulin receptor, those that can be reduced under mild reducing conditions to give α-β monomers (class I) and those that require stronger reducing conditions (class II). The number of class I disulfides is small and includes the α-α dimer bond Cys524. In this report we describe the use of cyanogen bromide and protease digestion of the exon 11 plus form of the receptor ectodomain to identify disulfide linkages between the β-chain residues Cys798 and Cys807 and between the α-chain Cys647 and the β-chain Cys872. The latter bond is the sole α-β link in the molecule and implies a side-by-side alignment of the two fibronectin III domains of the receptor. Also presented is evidence for additional α-α dimer bond(s) involving at least one of the cysteine residues of the triplet at positions 682, 683, and 685. Evidence is also presented to show that Cys884 exists as a buried thiol in the soluble ectodomain.

N-linked glycans of the human insulin receptor and their distribution over the crystal structure

The human insulin receptor (IR) homodimer is heavily glycosylated and contains a total of 19 predicted N‐linked glycosylation sites in each monomer. The recent crystal structure of the IR ectodomain shows electron density consistent with N‐linked glycosylation at the majority of sites present in the construct. Here, we describe a refined structure of the IR ectodomain that incorporates all of the N‐linked glycans and reveals the extent to which the attached glycans mask the surface of the IR dimer from interaction with antibodies or other potential therapeutic binding proteins. The usefulness of Fab complexation in the crystallization of heavily glycosylated proteins is also discussed. The compositions of the glycans on IR expressed in CHO‐K1 cells and the glycosylation deficient Lec8 cell line were determined by protease digestion, glycopeptide purification, amino acid sequence analysis, and mass spectrometry. Collectively the data reveal: multiple species of complex glycan at residues 25, 255, 295, 418, 606, 624, 742, 755, and 893 (IR‐B numbering); multiple species of high‐mannose glycan at residues 111 and 514; a single species of complex glycan at residue 671; and a single species of high‐mannose glycan at residue 215. Residue 16 exhibited a mixture of complex, hybrid, and high‐mannose glycan species. Of the remaining five predicted N‐linked sites, those at residues 397 and 906 were confirmed by amino acid sequencing to be glycosylated, while that at residue 78 and the atypical (NKC) site at residue 282 were not glycosylated. The peptide containing the final site at residue 337 was not recovered but is seen to be glycosylated in the electron density maps of the IR ectodomain. The model of the fully glycosylated IR reveals that the sites carrying high‐mannose glycans lie at positions of relatively low steric accessibility. Proteins 2008.

The esterase profile of a lipase from Candida cylindracea

A commercial preparation of a lipase produced by Candida cylindracea catalysed the hydrolysis of both long- and short-chain esters of p-nitrophenol. Six major bands of hydrolytic activity to alpha-naphthyl acetate were detected on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and two on isoelectric focusing. The esterase activity fractionated into two major peaks of activity on ion-exchange chromatography and into several peaks of activity on hydrophobic interaction chromatography. These esterase activities showed different substrate specificities to p-nitrophenyl esters, tributyrin and cetyl palmitate.

Structural homology between hard α-keratin and the intermediate filament proteins desmin and vimentin

Although it has been assumed that the microfibrils in hard -keratin are members of the class of structures known as intermediate filaments (IF), no firm chemical evidence relating the low-sulfur proteins in hard -keratin to other IF proteins has yet been published. We now present primary sequence data for two components from wool keratin which show striking similarities with two IF proteins, desmin and vimentin. The sequences show marked homology, a heptad repeat and a 9.5-residue periodicity in the linear disposition of the acidic and the basic residues. These data thus provide the first evidence that the low-sulfur proteins in hard -keratin and the other IF proteins do indeed have both a similar structure and a common evolutionary origin.

The location and characterisation of the O‐linked glycans of the human insulin receptor

O‐linked glycosylation is a post‐translational and post‐folding event involving exposed S/T residues at β‐turns or in regions with extended conformation. O‐linked sites are difficult to predict from sequence analyses compared to N‐linked sites. Here we compare the results of chemical analyses of isolated glycopeptides with the prediction using the neural network prediction method NetOGlyc3.1, a procedure that has been reported to correctly predict 76% of O‐glycosylated residues in proteins. Using the heavily glycosylated human insulin receptor as the test protein six sites of mucin‐type O‐glycosylation were found at residues T744, T749, S757, S758, T759, and T763 compared to the three sites (T759 and T763‐ correctly, T756‐ incorrectly) predicted by the neural network method. These six sites occur in a 20 residue segment that begins nine residues downstream from the start of the insulin receptor β‐chain. This region which also includes N‐linked glycosylation sites at N742 and N755, is predicted to lack secondary structure and is followed by residues 765–770, the known linear epitope for the monoclonal antibody 18–44. Proteins 2007.

A Human Monoclonal Antibody against Insulin-Like Growth Factor-II Blocks the Growth of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines In vitro and In vivo

Elevated expression of insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) is frequently observed in a variety of human malignancies, including breast, colon, and liver cancer. As IGF-II can deliver a mitogenic signal through both IGF-IR and an alternately spliced form of the insulin receptor (IR-A), neutralizing the biological activity of this growth factor directly is a potential alternative option to IGF-IR–directed agents. Using a Fab-displaying phage library and a biotinylated precursor form of IGF-II (1–104 amino acids) as a target, we isolated Fabs specific for the E-domain COOH-terminal extension form of IGF-II and for mature IGF-II. One of these Fabs that bound to both forms of IGF-II was reformatted into a full-length IgG, expressed, purified, and subjected to further analysis. This antibody (DX-2647) displayed a very high affinity for IGF-II/IGF-IIE (KD value of 49 and 10 pmol/L, respectively) compared with IGF-I (∼10 nmol/L) and blocked binding of IGF-II to IGF-IR, IR-A, a panel of insulin-like growth factor–binding proteins, and the mannose-6-phosphate receptor. A crystal complex of the parental Fab of DX-2647 bound to IGF-II was resolved to 2.2 Å. DX-2647 inhibited IGF-II and, to a lesser extent, IGF-I–induced receptor tyrosine phosphorylation, cellular proliferation, and both anchorage-dependent and anchorage-independent colony formation in various cell lines. In addition, DX-2647 slowed tumor progression in the Hep3B xenograft model, causing decreased tumoral CD31 staining as well as reduced IGF-IIE and IGF-IR phosphorylation levels. Therefore, DX-2647 offers an alternative approach to targeting IGF-IR, blocking IGF-II signaling through both IGF-IR and IR-A. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(6); 1809–19. ©2010 AACR.

Biochemical Characterization of Individual Human Glycosylated pro-Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF)-II and big-IGF-II Isoforms Associated with Cancer

Background: Aberrant processing of the pro-IGF-II transcript produces pro- and big-IGF-II, which are secreted in a range of cancers. Results: These induce potent receptor activation and cell proliferation and retard ternary complex formation with ALS and IGFBP-3 and -5. Conclusion: They elicit unique biological responses that can be completely different from IGF-II. Significance: Understanding the effects induced by these individual isoforms is crucial to elucidate their role in tumorigenesis. Insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) is a major embryonic growth factor belonging to the insulin-like growth factor family, which includes insulin and IGF-I. Its expression in humans is tightly controlled by maternal imprinting, a genetic restraint that is lost in many cancers, resulting in up-regulation of both mature IGF-II mRNA and protein expression. Additionally, increased expression of several longer isoforms of IGF-II, termed “pro” and “big” IGF-II, has been observed. To date, it is ambiguous as to what role these IGF-II isoforms have in initiating and sustaining tumorigenesis and whether they are bioavailable. We have expressed each individual IGF-II isoform in their proper O-glycosylated format and established that all bind to the IGF-I receptor and both insulin receptors A and B, resulting in their activation and subsequent stimulation of fibroblast proliferation. We also confirmed that all isoforms are able to be sequestered into binary complexes with several IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP-2, IGFBP-3, and IGFBP-5). In contrast to this, ternary complex formation with IGFBP-3 or IGFBP-5 and the auxillary protein, acid labile subunit, was severely diminished. Furthermore, big-IGF-II isoforms bound much more weakly to purified ectodomain of the natural IGF-II scavenging receptor, IGF-IIR. IGF-II isoforms thus possess unique biological properties that may enable them to escape normal sequestration avenues and remain bioavailable in vivo to sustain oncogenic signaling.

Taking down the FLAG! How Insect Cell Expression Challenges an Established Tag-System

In 1988 the preceding journal of Nature Biotechnology, Bio/Technology, reported a work by Hopp and co-workers about a new tag system for the identification and purification of recombinant proteins: the FLAG-tag. Beside the extensively used hexa-his tag system the FLAG-tag has gained broad popularity due to its small size, its high solubility, the presence of an internal Enterokinase cleavage site, and the commercial availability of high-affinity anti-FLAG antibodies. Surprisingly, considering the heavy use of FLAG in numerous laboratories world-wide, we identified in insect cells a post-translational modification (PTM) that abolishes the FLAG-anti-FLAG interaction rendering this tag system ineffectual for secreted proteins. The present publication shows that the tyrosine that is part of the crucial FLAG epitope DYK is highly susceptible to sulfation, a PTM catalysed by the enzyme family of Tyrosylprotein-Sulfo-transferases (TPSTs). We showed that this modification can result in less than 20% of secreted FLAG-tagged protein being accessible for purification questioning the universal applicability of this established tag system.