Masatoshi Inoue

Fumiquinazolines, novel metabolites of a fungus isolated from a saltfish

Abstract Fumiquinazolines A, B and C, exhibiting moderate cytotoxicity, were isolated from the mycelium of a strain of Aspergillus fumigatus which existed in the gastrointestinal tract of the saltwater fish Pseudolabrus japonicus . Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction analyses and chemical evidence.

Crystal structure of papain-E64-c complex. Binding diversity of E64-c to papain S2 and S3 subsites.

In order to investigate the binding mode of E64-c (a synthetic cysteine proteinase inhibitor) to papain at the atomic level, the crystal structure of the complex was analysed by X-ray diffraction at 1.9 A (1 A is expressed in SI units as 0.1 nm) resolution. The crystal has a space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with a = 43.37, b = 102.34 and c = 49.95 A. A total of 21,135 observed reflections were collected from the same crystal, and 14811 unique reflections of up to 1.9 A resolution [Fo > 3 sigma(Fo)] were used for the structure solution and refinement. The papain structure was determined by means of the molecular replacement method, and then the inhibitor was observed on a (2 magnitude of Fo-magnitude of Fc) difference Fourier map. The complex structure was finally refined to R = 19.4% including 207 solvent molecules. Although this complex crystal (Form II) was polymorphous as compared with the previously analysed one (Form I), the binding modes of leucine and isoamylamide moieties of E64-c were significantly different from each other. By the calculation of accessible surface area for each complex atom, these two different binding modes were both shown to be tight enough to prevent the access of solvent molecules to the papain active site. With respect to the E64-c-papain binding mode, molecular-dynamics simulations proposed two kinds of stationary states which were derived from the crystal structures of Forms I and II. One of these, which corresponds to the binding mode simulated from Form I, was essentially the same as that observed in the crystal structure, and the other was somewhat different from the crystal structure of Form II, especially with respect to the binding of the isoamylamide moiety with the papain S subsites. The substrate specificity for the papain active site is discussed on the basis of the present results.

Mode of binding of E-64-c, a potent thiol protease inhibitor, to papain as determined by X-ray crystal analysis of the complex

The three‐dimensional structure of the E‐64‐c‐papain complex has been determined by X‐ray crystal analysis at 2.5 Å resolution (conventional R = 26.9%). The structure determined indicates that: (i) the C2 atom of the oxirane ring of E‐64‐c is covalently bound by the Sγ atom of Cys‐25 of papain; (ii) this covalent bond formation results in a configurational conversion of the oxirane C2 atom from the S‐ to the R‐form; and (iii) extensive hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions are responsible for the specific interaction of the E‐64‐c molecule with papain.

Structural elucidation of epalrestat(ONO-2235), a potent aldose reductase inhibitor, and isomerization of its double bonds

Abstract The structure of epalrestat (ONO-2235) is revised by X-ray single crystal analysis. The structures of the photoisomers are proposed on the basis of NMR and UV spectroscopic evidences.

A selective recognition mode of a nucleic acid base by an aromatic amino acid: L-phenylalanine-7-methylguanosine 5′-monophosphate stacking interaction

The conformation of 7-methylguanosine 5-monophosphate (m7GMP) and its interaction with L-phenylalanine (Phe) have been investigated by X-ray crystallographic, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance, and energy calculation methods. The N(7) methylation of the guanine base shifts m7GMP toward an anti--gauche, gauche conformation about the glycosyl and exocyclic C(4)-C(5) bonds, respectively. The prominent stacking observed between the benzene ring of Phe and guanine base of m7GMP is primarily due to the N(7) guarternization of the guanine base. The formation of a hydrogen bonding pair between the anionic carboxyl group and the guanine base further stabilizes this stacking interaction. The present results imply the importance of aromatic amino acids as a hallmark for the selective recognition of a nucleic acid base.

Structure of acidic phospholipase A2 for the venom of Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii at 2.8Åresolution

The crystal structure of acidic phospholipase A2 from the venom of Agkistrodon halys blomhoffii has been determined by molecular replacement methods based on the known structure of Crotalus atrox PLA2, a same group II enzyme. The overall structures, except the calcium-binding regions, are very similar to each other. A calcium ion is pentagonally ligated to two carboxylate oxygen atoms of Asp-49 and each carbonyl oxygen atoms of Tyr-28, Gly-30 and Ala-31. A reason why the former enzyme functions as monomeric form, while the latter one does as dimer, could be presumed by the structural comparison of these calcium-binding regions. Although Gly-32 is usually participated as a ligand in the coordination with calcium ion in group I PLA2, it is characteristically replaced to Ala-31 in the present structure, and thus the coordination geometry of calcium ion is rather different from the usually observed one.

A possible recognition mode of mRNA cap terminal structure by peptide: Cooperative stacking and hydrogen-bond pairing interactions between m7GpppA and Trp-Leu-Glu

1H-NMR and fluorescence spectroscopic studies on the interaction between the Trp-Leu-Glu and m7GpppA have shown a specific binding mode, in which the pi-pi stacking interaction of the Trp indole ring and the hydrogen-bond pairing of Glu carboxyl side group with 7-methylguanine base are simultaneously formed.

Cooperative stacking and hydrogen bond pairing interactions of fragment peptide in cap binding protein with mRNA cap structure

The stacking and hydrogen bonding abilities of Trp-(Gly)n-Glu (n = 0 approximately 3) for the interaction with 7-methylguanine (m7G) base were examined by fluorescence and 1H-NMR methods, and it was shown that they correlate with the distance between the Trp and Glu residues, and become most significant when both residues are separated from each other by two Gly residues (n = 2). Based on this insight, the sequence conserved between the human and yeast cap binding proteins (CBPs) was surveyed, and the sequence of Trp-Glu-Asp-Glu (No. 102-105 in human CBP) was selected as a probable site for the binding with mRNA cap structure. Thus, the stacking and hydrogen bonding abilities of Trp-Glu-Asp-Glu with m7G cap structure were examined by comparative experiments using its analogous peptides. The results showed that the fourth Glu residue is important not only for the construction of hydrogen bond pairing with m7G base but also for strengthening the stacking interaction between the Trp indole ring and m7G base. Taking account of the recognition analysis using the mutant CBP proteins by site-directed mutagenesis (Ueda, H., Iyo, H., Doi, M., Inoue, M., Ishida, T., Morioka, H., Tanaka, T., Nishikawa, S. and Uesugi, S. (1991) FEBS Lett. 280, 207-210), this cooperative interaction could be important for the recognition of mRNA cap structure.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray study of the cathepsin B complexed with CA074, a selective inhibitor

Cathepsin B from bovine spleen has been purified and crystallized as a complex with a specific inhibitor CA074 [N-(L-3-trans-propylcarbamoyloxirane-2-carbonyl)-L- isoleucyl-L-proline], using the hanging-drop method. The complex crystals obtained from 50 mM-citrate buffer (pH 3.5) belong to the tetragonal space group P4(1) (or P4(3)) with a = 73.06 A and c = 141.59 A, and diffract beyond 2.2 A resolution. There are two complex molecules per asymmetric unit giving a packing density of 3.37 A3/Da and indicating a high solvent content of 63.5%.

Combination of Trp and Glu residues for recognition of mRNA cap structure : analysis of m7G base recognition site of human cap binding protein (IF-4E) by site-directed mutagenesis

Four mutants of the human cap binding protein (hCBP), in which Trp‐102, Glu‐103, Asp‐104 or Glu‐105 was changed to the aliphatic Leu or Ala, were prepared, and their cap binding abilities were examined. Cap binding abilities of two mutants. W102L (Trp‐102→Leu) and E105A (Glu‐105→Ala), were significantly decreased in comparison with the wild‐type hCBP. This result suggest that Trp‐102 and Glu‐105 are both necessary for the cap binding, and the most probable binding mode with the m7G of cap structure is the combination of the stacking by Trp‐102 and the hydrogen‐bond pairing by Glu‐105, as was already proposed from the model studies.