Matteo de Rosa

Structural and functional diversity of ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductases

Although all ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductases (FNRs) catalyze the same reaction, i.e. the transfer of reducing equivalents between NADP(H) and ferredoxin, they belong to two unrelated families of proteins: the plant-type and the glutathione reductase-type of FNRs. Aim of this review is to provide a general classification scheme for these enzymes, to be used as a framework for the comparison of their properties. Furthermore, we report on some recent findings, which significantly increased the understanding of the structure-function relationships of FNRs, i.e. the ability of adrenodoxin reductase and its homologs to catalyze the oxidation of NADP(+) to its 4-oxo derivative, and the properties of plant-type FNRs from non-photosynthetic organisms. Plant-type FNRs from bacteria and Apicomplexan parasites provide examples of novel ways of FAD- and NADP(H)-binding. The recent characterization of an FNR from Plasmodium falciparum brings these enzymes into the field of drug design.

DE loop mutations affect beta2-microglobulin stability and amyloid aggregation

Beta2-microglobulin (beta2m) is the light chain component of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I). beta2m is an intrinsically amyloidogenic protein that can assemble into amyloid fibrils in vitro and in vivo. Several recent reports suggested that the polypeptide loop comprised between beta-strands D and E of beta2m is important for protein stability and for the protein propensity to aggregate as amyloid fibrils. In particular, the roles of Trp60 for MHC-I assembly and beta2m stability have been highlighted by showing that the beta2m Trp60-->Gly mutant is more stable and less prone to aggregation than the wild type protein. To further analyse such properties, the Trp60-->Cys and Asp59-->Pro beta2m mutants have been expressed, purified, and their crystal structures determined. The stability to thermal denaturation and propensity to fibrillar aggregation have also been analysed. The experimental evidences gathered on the two mutants reinforce the hypothesis that conformational strain in the DE loop can affect beta2m stability and amyloid aggregation properties.

Crystal structure of a junction between two Z-DNA helices.

The double helix of DNA, when composed of dinucleotide purine-pyrimidine repeats, can adopt a left-handed helical structure called Z-DNA. For reasons not entirely understood, such dinucleotide repeats in genomic sequences have been associated with genomic instability leading to cancer. Adoption of the left-handed conformation results in the formation of conformational junctions: A B-to-Z junction is formed at the boundaries of the helix, whereas a Z-to-Z junction is commonly formed in sequences where the dinucleotide repeat is interrupted by single base insertions or deletions that bring neighboring helices out of phase. B-Z junctions are shown to result in exposed nucleotides vulnerable to chemical or enzymatic modification. Here we describe the three-dimensional structure of a Z-Z junction stabilized by Zα, the Z-DNA binding domain of the RNA editing enzyme ADAR1. We show that the junction structure consists of a single base pair and leads to partial or full disruption of the helical stacking. The junction region allows intercalating agents to insert themselves into the left-handed helix, which is otherwise resistant to intercalation. However, unlike a B-Z junction, in this structure the bases are not fully extruded, and the stacking between the two left-handed helices is not continuous.

Rational design of mutations that change the aggregation rate of a protein while maintaining its native structure and stability

A wide range of human diseases is associated with mutations that, destabilizing proteins native state, promote their aggregation. However, the mechanisms leading from folded to aggregated states are still incompletely understood. To investigate these mechanisms, we used a combination of NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations to compare the native state dynamics of Beta-2 microglobulin (β2m), whose aggregation is associated with dialysis-related amyloidosis, and its aggregation-resistant mutant W60G. Our results indicate that W60G low aggregation propensity can be explained, beyond its higher stability, by an increased average protection of the aggregation-prone residues at its surface. To validate these findings, we designed β2m variants that alter the aggregation-prone exposed surface of wild-type and W60G β2m modifying their aggregation propensity. These results allowed us to pinpoint the role of dynamics in β2m aggregation and to provide a new strategy to tune protein aggregation by modulating the exposure of aggregation-prone residues.

A recurrent D‐strand association interface is observed in β‐2 microglobulin oligomers

β‐2 microglobulin (β2m) is an amyloidogenic protein responsible for dialysis‐related amyloidosis in man. In the early stages of amyloid fibril formation, β2m associates into dimers and higher oligomers, although the structural details of such aggregates are poorly understood. To characterize the protein–protein interactions supporting the formation of oligomers, three individual β2m cysteine mutants and their disulfide‐linked homodimers (DIMC20, DIMC50 and DIMC60) were prepared. Amyloid propensity, oligomerization state in solution and crystallogenesis were tested for each β2m homodimer: DIMC20 and DIMC50 display a mixture of tetrameric and dimeric species in solution and also yield protein crystals and amyloid fibrils, whereas DIMC60 is dimeric in solution but does not form protein crystals nor amyloid fibrils. The X‐ray structures of DIMC20 and DIMC50 show that the two engineered dimers form a tetrameric assembly; for both tetrameric species, the noncovalent association interface is based on the interaction of facing β2m D‐strands and is conserved. Notably, DIMC20 and DIMC50 trigger amyloid formation in wild‐type β2m in unseeded reactions. Thus, when the D‐D‐strand interface is impaired by an intermolecular disulfide bond (as in DIMC60), the formation of tetramers is hindered, and the protein is not amyloidogenic and does not promote amyloid aggregation of wild‐type β2m. Implications for β2m oligomerization are discussed.

Crystal Structure of a Poxvirus-Like Zalpha Domain from Cyprinid Herpesvirus 3

ABSTRACT Zalpha domains are a subfamily of the winged helix-turn-helix domains sharing the unique ability to recognize CpG repeats in the left-handed Z-DNA conformation. In vertebrates, domains of this family are found exclusively in proteins that detect foreign nucleic acids and activate components of the antiviral interferon response. Moreover, poxviruses encode the Zalpha domain-containing protein E3L, a well-studied and potent inhibitor of interferon response. Here we describe a herpesvirus Zalpha-domain-containing protein (ORF112) from cyprinid herpesvirus 3. We demonstrate that ORF112 also binds CpG repeats in the left-handed conformation, and moreover, its structure at 1.75 Å reveals the Zalpha fold found in ADAR1, DAI, PKZ, and E3L. Unlike other Zalpha domains, however, ORF112 forms a dimer through a unique domain-swapping mechanism. Thus, ORF112 may be considered a new member of the Z-domain family having DNA binding properties similar to those of the poxvirus E3L inhibitor of interferon response.

Structural basis for Z-DNA binding and stabilization by the zebrafish Z-DNA dependent protein kinase PKZ

The RNA-dependent protein kinase PKR plays a central role in the antiviral defense of vertebrates by shutting down protein translation upon detection of viral dsRNA in the cytoplasm. In some teleost fish, PKZ, a homolog of PKR, performs the same function, but surprisingly, instead of dsRNA binding domains, it harbors two Z-DNA/Z-RNA-binding domains belonging to the Zalpha domain family. Zalpha domains have also been found in other proteins, which have key roles in the regulation of interferon responses such as ADAR1 and DNA-dependent activator of IFN-regulatory factors (DAI) and in viral proteins involved in immune response evasion such as the poxviral E3L and the Cyprinid Herpesvirus 3 ORF112. The underlying mechanism of nucleic acids binding and stabilization by Zalpha domains is still unclear. Here, we present two crystal structures of the zebrafish PKZ Zalpha domain (DrZalphaPKZ) in alternatively organized complexes with a (CG)6 DNA oligonucleotide at 2 and 1.8 Å resolution. These structures reveal novel aspects of the Zalpha interaction with DNA, and they give insights on the arrangement of multiple Zalpha domains on DNA helices longer than the minimal binding site.

Edge strand engineering prevents native‐like aggregation in Sulfolobus solfataricus acylphosphatase

β‐proteins are constantly threatened by the risk of aggregation because β‐sheets are inherently structured for edge‐to‐edge interactions. To avoid native‐like aggregation, evolution has resulted in a set of strategies that prevent intermolecular β‐interactions. Acylphosphatase from Sulfolobus solfataricus (Sso AcP) represents a suitable model for the study of such a process. Under conditions promoting aggregation, Sso AcP acquires a native‐like conformational state whereby an unstructured N‐terminal segment interacts with the edge β‐strand B4 of an adjacent Sso AcP molecule. Because B4 is poorly protected against aggregation, this interaction triggers the aggregation cascade without the need for unfolding. Recently, three single Sso AcP mutants (V84D, Y86E and V84P) were designed to engineer additional protection against aggregation in B4 and were observed to successfully impair native‐like aggregation in all three variants at the expense of a lower stability. To understand the structural basis of the reduced aggregation propensity and lower stability, the crystal structures of the Sso AcP variants were determined in the present study. Structural analysis reveals that the V84D and Y86E mutations exert protection by the insertion of an edge negative charge. A conformationally less regular B4 underlies protection against aggregation in the V84P mutant. The thermodynamic basis of instability is discussed. Moreover, kinetic experiments indicate that aggregation of the three mutants is not native‐like and is independent of the interaction between B4 and the unstructured N‐terminal segment. The reported data rationalize previous evidence regarding Sso AcP native‐like aggregation and provide a basis for the design of aggregation‐free proteins.

Decoding the Structural Bases of D76N ß2-Microglobulin High Amyloidogenicity through Crystallography and Asn-Scan Mutagenesis

D76N is the first natural variant of human β-2 microglobulin (β2m) so far identified. Contrary to the wt protein, this mutant readily forms amyloid fibres in physiological conditions, leading to a systemic and severe amyloidosis. Although the Asp76Asn mutant has been extensively characterized, the molecular bases of its instability and aggregation propensity remain elusive. In this work all Asp residues of human β2m were individually substituted to Asn; D-to-N mutants (D34N, D38N, D53N, D59N, D96N and D98N) were characterised in terms of thermodynamic stability and aggregation propensity. Moreover, crystal structures of the D38N, D53N, D59N and D98N variants were solved at high-resolution (1.24–1.70 Å). Despite showing some significant variations in their thermal stabilities, none showed the dramatic drop in melting temperature (relative to the wt protein) as observed for the pathogenic mutant. Consistently, none of the variants here described displayed any increase in aggregation propensity under the experimental conditions tested. The crystal structures confirmed that D-to-N mutations are generally well tolerated, and lead only to minor reorganization of the side chains in close proximity of the mutated residue. D38N is the only exception, where backbone readjustments and a redistribution of the surface electrostatic charges are observed. Overall, our results suggest that neither removing negative charges at sites 34, 38, 53, 59, 96 and 98, nor the difference in β2m pI, are the cause of the aggressive phenotype observed in D76N. We propose that the dramatic effects of the D76N natural mutation must be linked to effects related to the crucial location of this residue within the β2m fold.

Enzymatic oxidation of NADP+ to its 4‐oxo derivative is a side‐reaction displayed only by the adrenodoxin reductase type of ferredoxin‐NADP+ reductases

We have previously shown that Mycobacterium tuberculosis FprA, an NADPH‐ferredoxin reductase homologous to mammalian adrenodoxin reductase, promotes the oxidation of NADP+ to its 4‐oxo derivative 3‐carboxamide‐4‐pyridone adenine dinucleotide phosphate [Bossi RT, Aliverti A, Raimondi D, Fischer F, Zanetti G, Ferrari D, Tahallah N, Maier CS, Heck AJ, Rizzi M et al. (2002) Biochemistry41, 8807–8818]. Here, we provide a detailed study of this unusual enzyme reaction, showing that it occurs at a very slow rate (0.14 h−1), requires the participation of the enzyme‐bound FAD, and is regiospecific in affecting only the C4 of the NADP nicotinamide ring. By protein engineering, we excluded the involvement in catalysis of residues Glu214 and His57, previously suggested to be implicated on the basis of their localization in the three‐dimensional structure of the enzyme. Our results substantiate a catalytic mechanism for 3‐carboxamide‐4‐pyridone adenine dinucleotide phosphate formation in which the initial and rate‐determining step is the nucleophilic attack of the nicotinamide moiety by an active site water molecule. Whereas plant‐type ferredoxin reductases were unable to oxidize NADP+, the mammalian adrenodoxin reductase also catalyzed this unusual reaction. Thus, the 3‐carboxamide‐4‐pyridone adenine dinucleotide phosphate formation reaction seems to be a peculiar feature of the mitochondrial type of ferredoxin reductases, possibly reflecting conserved properties of their active sites. Furthermore, we showed that 3‐carboxamide‐4‐pyridone adenine dinucleotide phosphate is good ligand and a competitive inhibitor of various dehydrogenases, making this nucleotide analog a useful tool for the characterization of the cosubstrate‐binding site of NADPH‐dependent enzymes.