Saburo Aimoto

Structural conversion of neurotoxic amyloid-[beta]1-42 oligomers to fibrils

The amyloid-β1–42 (Aβ42) peptide rapidly aggregates to form oligomers, protofibils and fibrils en route to the deposition of amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimers disease. We show that low-temperature and low-salt conditions can stabilize disc-shaped oligomers (pentamers) that are substantially more toxic to mouse cortical neurons than protofibrils and fibrils. We find that these neurotoxic oligomers do not have the β-sheet structure characteristic of fibrils. Rather, the oligomers are composed of loosely aggregated strands whose C termini are protected from solvent exchange and which have a turn conformation, placing Phe19 in contact with Leu34. On the basis of NMR spectroscopy, we show that the structural conversion of Aβ42 oligomers to fibrils involves the association of these loosely aggregated strands into β-sheets whose individual β-strands polymerize in a parallel, in-register orientation and are staggered at an intermonomer contact between Gln15 and Gly37.

Presence of non-selective type of endothelin receptor on vascular endothelium and its linkage to vasodilation

We studied the role of non‐selective type (ET14) of endothelin (ET) receptor in the vasculature, using a ligand specific to the ET14 receptor, [Glu9]‐sarafotoxin S6b ([Glu9]SRTb). Endothelium‐containing rat thoracic aorta possessed specific binding sites for 125I‐[Glu9]SRTb, which were almost eliminated by removal of the endothelium, while ET‐3‐specific binding sites were not detected in the endothelium‐intact rat aorta. Only ET14 receptor was detected in the membranes from the endothelium of porcine thoracic aorta. [Glu9]SRTb exerted only vasodilation in rat aortic ring. These findings indicate that ET14 receptors are located on vascular endothelium and linked to vasodilation.

Polypeptide synthesis by the thioester method.

A novel method for polypeptide synthesis, in which partially protected peptide thioesters are used as building blocks, has been developed. Partially protected peptide thioesters are easily prepared by solid-phase methodology. The thioester moiety is converted to an active ester in the presence of a silver compound such as AgNO(3) or AgCl and an active ester component such as 1-hydroxybenzotriazole or 3,4-dihydro-3-hydro-4-oxo-1,2, 3-benzotriazine. Segment condensation can be accomplished using partially protected peptide segments. The consecutive condensation of the partially protected peptide segments is realized by the selective removal of the 9-flourenylmethoxycarbonyl group, for terminal amino protection, after segment condensation has been achieved. In this method, large peptide segments can easily be used. Thus, the products obtained by the thioester method can be separated from by-products by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography, even when no purification process was performed during the prior segment condensation procedures. This indicates that proteins that have no specific features such as enzymatic or biological activities can be obtained after isolation, solely based on their chromatographic profiles. Thus, the thioester method will provide a new basis for protein studies including phosphorylated and glycosylated polypeptides.

Direct preparation of peptide thioesters using an Fmoc solid-phase method

Abstract Aiming at the direct preparation of peptide thioesters by an Fmoc solid-phase method, we searched a new deblocking reagent, which efficiently removed Fmoc groups while keeping the thioester intact. The deblocking reagent, which contains 1-methylpyrrolidine, hexamethyleneimine and HOBt in a one to one mixture of NMP and DMSO, realized the preparation of peptide thioesters by an Fmoc solid-phase method in a yield equivalent to that obtained by a Boc solid-phase method.

Comparison of the free and DNA-complexed forms of the DNA-binding domain from c-Myb.

The DNA-binding domain of c-Myb consists of three imperfect tandem repeats (R1, R2 and R3). The three repeats have similar overall architectures, each containing a helix-turn-helix variation motif. The three conserved tryptophans in each repeat participate in forming a hydrophobic core. Comparison of the three repeat structures indicated that cavities are found in the hydrophobic core of R2, which is thermally unstable. On complexation with DNA, the orientations of R2 and R3 are fixed by tight binding and their conformations are slightly changed. No significant changes occur in the chemical shifts of R1 consistent with its loose interaction with DNA.

Amyloidogenic Processing but Not Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) Intracellular C-terminal Domain Production Requires a Precisely Oriented APP Dimer Assembled by Transmembrane GXXXG Motifs

The β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) is the major constituent of the amyloid core of senile plaques found in the brain of patients with Alzheimer disease. Aβ is produced by the sequential cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β- and γ-secretases. Cleavage of APP by γ-secretase also generates the APP intracellular C-terminal domain (AICD) peptide, which might be involved in regulation of gene transcription. APP contains three Gly-XXX-Gly (GXXXG) motifs in its juxtamembrane and transmembrane (TM) regions. Such motifs are known to promote dimerization via close apposition of TM sequences. We demonstrate that pairwise replacement of glycines by leucines or isoleucines, but not alanines, in a GXXXG motif led to a drastic reduction of Aβ40 and Aβ42 secretion. β-Cleavage of mutant APP was not inhibited, and reduction of Aβ secretion resulted from inhibition of γ-cleavage. It was anticipated that decreased γ-cleavage of mutant APP would result from inhibition of its dimerization. Surprisingly, mutations of the GXXXG motif actually enhanced dimerization of the APP C-terminal fragments, possibly via a different TM α-helical interface. Increased dimerization of the TM APP C-terminal domain did not affect AICD production.

Amino acid sequence of a heat-stable enterotoxin isolated from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain 18D

A heat‐stable enterotoxin produced by a strain of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli 18D was purified by ion‐exchange and reversed‐phase high‐pressure liquid chromatography. The amino acid sequence of the purified toxin was determined by Edman‐degradation and a combination of fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and carboxypeptidase digestion to be Asn‐Thr‐Phe‐Tyr‐Cys‐Cys‐Glu‐Leu‐Cys‐Cys‐Asn‐Pro‐Ala‐Cys‐Ala‐Gly‐Cys‐Tyr.

Implications of threonine hydrogen bonding in the glycophorin A transmembrane helix dimer.

The transmembrane helix of glycophorin A contains a seven-residue motif, LIxxGVxxGVxxT, that mediates protein dimerization. Threonine is the only polar amino acid in this motif with the potential to stabilize the dimer through hydrogen-bonding interactions. Polarized Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy is used to establish a robust protocol for incorporating glycophorin A transmembrane peptides into membrane bilayers. Analysis of the dichroic ratio of the 1655-cm(-1) amide I vibration indicates that peptides reconstituted by detergent dialysis have a transmembrane orientation with a helix crossing angle of <35 degrees. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is used to establish high resolution structural restraints on the conformation and packing of Thr-87 in the dimer interface. Rotational resonance measurement of a 2.9-A distance between the gamma-methyl and backbone carbonyl carbons of Thr-87 is consistent with a gauche- conformation for the chi1 torsion angle. Rotational-echo double-resonance measurements demonstrate close packing (4.0 +/- 0.2 A) of the Thr-87 gamma-methyl group with the backbone nitrogen of Ile-88 across the dimer interface. The short interhelical distance places the beta-hydroxyl of Thr-87 within hydrogen-bonding range of the backbone carbonyl of Val-84 on the opposing helix. These results refine the structure of the glycophorin A dimer in membrane bilayers and highlight the complementary role of small and polar residues in the tight association of transmembrane helices in membrane proteins.

Essential structure for full enterotoxigenic activity of heat-stable enterotoxin produced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.

Several analogues of heat‐stable enterotoxins (STh and STP) produced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli were synthesized. Peptides (STh[6–18] and STP[5–17]) consisting of 13 amino acid residues from the Cys residue near the N‐terminus to the Cys residue near the C‐terminus and linked by three disulfide bonds had the same biological and immunological properties as native STh and STP, respectively. The results indicated that the sequence with the 13 amino acid residues and three disulfide linkages is essential for full biological activity of ST.

A helix-to-coil transition at the epsilon-cut site in the transmembrane dimer of the amyloid precursor protein is required for proteolysis.

Processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by γ-secretase is the last step in the formation of the Aβ peptides associated Alzheimers disease. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy is used to establish the structural features of the transmembrane (TM) and juxtamembrane (JM) domains of APP that facilitate proteolysis. Using peptides corresponding to the APP TM and JM regions (residues 618–660), we show that the TM domain forms an α-helical homodimer mediated by consecutive GxxxG motifs. We find that the APP TM helix is disrupted at the intracellular membrane boundary near the ε-cleavage site. This helix-to-coil transition is required for γ-secretase processing; mutations that extend the TM α-helix inhibit ε cleavage, leading to a low production of Aβ peptides and an accumulation of the α- and β-C-terminal fragments. Our data support a progressive cleavage mechanism for APP proteolysis that depends on the helix-to-coil transition at the TM-JM boundary and unraveling of the TM α-helix.