Samuel Tranier

Insights into Class D β-Lactamases Are Revealed by the Crystal Structure of the OXA10 Enzyme from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

BACKGROUND beta-lactam antibiotic therapies are commonly challenged by the hydrolytic activities of beta-lactamases in bacteria. These enzymes have been grouped into four classes: A, B, C, and D. Class B beta-lactamases are zinc dependent, and enzymes of classes A, C, and D are transiently acylated on a serine residue in the course of the turnover chemistry. While class A and C beta-lactamases have been extensively characterized by biochemical and structural methods, class D enzymes remain the least studied despite their increasing importance in the clinic. RESULTS The crystal structure of the OXA10 class D beta-lactamase has been solved to 1.66 A resolution from a gold derivative and MAD phasing. This structure reveals that beta-lactamases from classes D and A, despite very poor sequence similarity, share a similar overall fold. An additional beta strand in OXA10 mediates the association into dimers characterized by analytical ultracentrifugation. Major differences are found when comparing the molecular details of the active site of this class D enzyme to the corresponding regions in class A and C beta-lactamases. In the native structure of the OXA10 enzyme solved to 1.8 A, Lys-70 is carbamylated. CONCLUSIONS Several features were revealed by this study: the dimeric structure of the OXA10 beta-lactamase, an extension of the substrate binding site which suggests that class D enzymes may bind other substrates beside beta-lactams, and carbamylation of the active site Lys-70 residue. The CO2-dependent activity of the OXA10 enzyme and the kinetic properties of the natural OXA17 mutant protein suggest possible relationships between carbamylation, inhibition of the enzyme by anions, and biphasic behavior of the enzyme.

Functional and Structural Characterization of alpha-(1 -> 2) Branching Sucrase Derived from DSR-E Glucansucrase

Background: The transglucosidase GBD-CD2 shows a unique α-(1→2) branching specificity among GH70 family members when catalyzing dextran glucosylation from sucrose. Results: The truncated form ΔN123-GBD-CD2 was biochemically studied and structurally characterized at 1.90 Å resolution. Conclusion: Dextran recognition and regiospecificity clearly involves a residue in subsite +1. Significance: This is the first three-dimensional structure of a GH70 enzyme that reveals determinants of α-(1→2) linkage specificity. ΔN123-glucan-binding domain-catalytic domain 2 (ΔN123-GBD-CD2) is a truncated form of the bifunctional glucansucrase DSR-E from Leuconostoc mesenteroides NRRL B-1299. It was constructed by rational truncation of GBD-CD2, which harbors the second catalytic domain of DSR-E. Like GBD-CD2, this variant displays α-(1→2) branching activity when incubated with sucrose as glucosyl donor and (oligo-)dextran as acceptor, transferring glucosyl residues to the acceptor via a ping-pong bi-bi mechanism. This allows the formation of prebiotic molecules containing controlled amounts of α-(1→2) linkages. The crystal structure of the apo α-(1→2) branching sucrase ΔN123-GBD-CD2 was solved at 1.90 Å resolution. The protein adopts the unusual U-shape fold organized in five distinct domains, also found in GTF180-ΔN and GTF-SI glucansucrases of glycoside hydrolase family 70. Residues forming subsite −1, involved in binding the glucosyl residue of sucrose and catalysis, are strictly conserved in both GTF180-ΔN and ΔN123-GBD-CD2. Subsite +1 analysis revealed three residues (Ala-2249, Gly-2250, and Phe-2214) that are specific to ΔN123-GBD-CD2. Mutation of these residues to the corresponding residues found in GTF180-ΔN showed that Ala-2249 and Gly-2250 are not directly involved in substrate binding and regiospecificity. In contrast, mutant F2214N had lost its ability to branch dextran, although it was still active on sucrose alone. Furthermore, three loops belonging to domains A and B at the upper part of the catalytic gorge are also specific to ΔN123-GBD-CD2. These distinguishing features are also proposed to be involved in the correct positioning of dextran acceptor molecules allowing the formation of α-(1→2) branches.

A Novel Protein Fold and Extreme Domain Swapping in the Dimeric TorD Chaperone from Shewanella massilia

TorD is the cytoplasmic chaperone involved in the maturation of the molybdoenzyme TorA prior to the translocation of the folded protein into the periplasm. The X-ray structure at 2.4 A resolution of the TorD dimer reveals extreme domain swapping between the two subunits. The all-helical architecture of the globular domains within the intertwined molecular dimer shows no similarity with known protein structures. According to sequence similarities, this new fold probably represents the architecture of the chaperones associated with the bacterial DMSO/TMAO reductases and also that of proteins of yet unknown functions. The occurrence of multiple oligomeric forms and the chaperone activity of both monomeric and dimeric TorD raise questions about the possible biological role of domain swapping in this protein.

Characterization and multiple molecular forms of TorD from Shewanella massilia, the putative chaperone of the molybdoenzyme TorA

Several bacteria use trimethylamine N‐oxyde (TMAO) as an exogenous electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration. This metabolic pathway involves expression of the tor operon that codes for a periplasmic molybdopterin‐containing reductase of the DMSO/TMAO family, a pentahemic c‐type cytochrome, and the TorD cytoplasmic chaperone, possibly required for acquisition of the molybdenum cofactor and translocation of the reductase by the twin‐arginine translocation system. In this report, we show that the TorD chaperone from Shewanella massilia forms multiple and stable oligomeric species. The monomeric, dimeric, and trimeric forms were purified to homogeneity and characterized by analytical ultracentrifugation. Small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) and preliminary diffraction data indicated that the TorD dimer is made of identical protein modules of similar size to the monomeric species. Interconversion of the native oligomeric forms occurred at acidic pH value. In this condition, ANS fluorescence indicates a non‐native conformation of the polypeptide chain in which, according to the circular dichroism spectra, the α‐helical content is similar to that of the native species. Surface plasmon resonance showed that both the monomeric and dimeric species bind the mature TorA enzyme, but that the dimer binds its target protein more efficiently. The possible biologic significance of these oligomers is discussed in relation to the chaperone activity of TorD, and to the ability of another member of the TorD family to bind the Twin Arginine leader sequences of the precursor of DMSO/TMAO reductases.

The molecular puzzle of two-component signaling cascades.

Two-component systems constitute prevalent signaling pathways in bacteria and mediate a large variety of adaptative cellular responses. Signaling proceeds through His-Asp phosphorelay cascades that involve two central partners, the histidine protein kinase and the response regulator protein. Structural studies have provided insights into some design principles and activation mechanisms of these multi-domain proteins implicated in the control of virulence gene expression in several pathogens.

Applying pairwise combinations of amino Acid mutations for sorting out highly efficient glucosylation tools for chemo-enzymatic synthesis of bacterial oligosaccharides.

Iterative saturation mutagenesis and combinatorial active site saturation focused on vicinal amino acids were used to alter the acceptor specificity of amylosucrase from Neisseria polysaccharea , a sucrose-utilizing α-transglucosidase, and sort out improved variants. From the screening of three semirational sublibraries accounting in total for 20,000 variants, we report here the isolation of three double mutants of N. polysaccharea amylosucrase displaying a spectacular specificity enhancement toward both sucrose, the donor substrate, and the allyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-glucopyranoside acceptor as compared to the wild-type enzyme. Such levels of activity improvement have never been reported before for this class of carbohydrate-active enzymes. X-ray structure of the best performing enzymes supported by molecular dynamics simulations showed local rigidity of the -1 subsite as well as flexibility of loops involved in active site topology, which both account for the enhanced catalytic performances of the mutants. The study well illustrates the importance of taking into account the local conformation of catalytic residues as well as protein dynamics during the catalytic process, when designing enzyme libraries.

Crystal structure of human CD1e reveals a groove suited for lipid-exchange processes

CD1e is the only human CD1 protein existing in soluble form in the late endosomes of dendritic cells, where it facilitates the processing of glycolipid antigens that are ultimately recognized by CD1b-restricted T cells. The precise function of CD1e remains undefined, thus impeding efforts to predict the participation of this protein in the presentation of other antigens. To gain insight into its function, we determined the crystal structure of recombinant CD1e expressed in human cells at 2.90-Å resolution. The structure revealed a groove less intricate than in other CD1 proteins, with a significantly wider portal characterized by a 2 Å-larger spacing between the α1 and α2 helices. No electron density corresponding to endogenous ligands was detected within the groove, despite the presence of ligands unequivocally established by native mass spectrometry in recombinant CD1e. Our structural data indicate that the water-exposed CD1e groove could ensure the establishment of loose contacts with lipids. In agreement with this possibility, lipid association and dissociation processes were found to be considerably faster with CD1e than with CD1b. Moreover, CD1e was found to mediate in vitro the transfer of lipids to CD1b and the displacement of lipids from stable CD1b–antigen complexes. Altogether, these data support that CD1e could have evolved to mediate lipid-exchange/editing processes with CD1b and point to a pathway whereby the repertoire of lipid antigens presented by human dendritic cells might be expanded.

Structural Investigation of the Thermostability and Product Specificity of Amylosucrase from the Bacterium Deinococcus geothermalis

Background: Amylosucrases (AS) hold great potential for glycodiversification. Results: The first three-dimensional structure of AS from Deinococcus geothermalis solved here revealed an unusual dimer organization. Structures of complex of AS with turanose were also determined. Conclusion: Dimerization may contribute to thermostability. Turanose versus trehalulose formation is controlled by residues from subsite +1. Significance: This study improves the comprehension of AS properties and provides new insight for AS design. Amylosucrases are sucrose-utilizing α-transglucosidases that naturally catalyze the synthesis of α-glucans, linked exclusively through α1,4-linkages. Side products and in particular sucrose isomers such as turanose and trehalulose are also produced by these enzymes. Here, we report the first structural and biophysical characterization of the most thermostable amylosucrase identified so far, the amylosucrase from Deinoccocus geothermalis (DgAS). The three-dimensional structure revealed a homodimeric quaternary organization, never reported before for other amylosucrases. A sequence signature of dimerization was identified from the analysis of the dimer interface and sequence alignments. By rigidifying the DgAS structure, the quaternary organization is likely to participate in the enhanced thermal stability of the protein. Amylosucrase specificity with respect to sucrose isomer formation (turanose or trehalulose) was also investigated. We report the first structures of the amylosucrases from Deinococcus geothermalis and Neisseria polysaccharea in complex with turanose. In the amylosucrase from N. polysaccharea (NpAS), key residues were found to force the fructosyl moiety to bind in an open state with the O3′ ideally positioned to explain the preferential formation of turanose by NpAS. Such residues are either not present or not similarly placed in DgAS. As a consequence, DgAS binds the furanoid tautomers of fructose through a weak network of interactions to enable turanose formation. Such topology at subsite +1 is likely favoring other possible fructose binding modes in agreement with the higher amount of trehalulose formed by DgAS. Our findings help to understand the inter-relationships between amylosucrase structure, flexibility, function, and stability and provide new insight for amylosucrase design.

Distinction between Pore Assembly by Staphylococcal α-Toxin versus Leukotoxins

The staphylococcal bipartite leukotoxins and the homoheptameric α-toxin belong to the same family of β-barrel pore-forming toxins despite slight differences. In the α-toxin pore, the N-terminal extremity of each protomer interacts as a deployed latch with two consecutive protomers in the vicinity of the pore lumen. N-terminal extremities of leukotoxins as seen in their three-dimensional structures are heterogeneous in length and take part in the β-sandwich core of soluble monomers. Hence, the interaction of these N-terminal extremities within structures of adjacent monomers is questionable. We show here that modifications of their N-termini by two different processes, using fusion with glutathione S-transferase (GST) and bridging of the N-terminal extremity to the adjacent β-sheet via disulphide bridges, are not deleterious for biological activity. Therefore, bipartite leukotoxins do not need a large extension of their N-terminal extremities to form functional pores, thus illustrating a microheterogeneity of the structural organizations between bipartite leukotoxins and α-toxin.

Structural bases for N-glycan processing by mannoside phosphorylase

Crystal structures of the GH130 enzyme Uhgb_MP in the apo form and in complex with mannose and N-acetylglucosamine are described and the structural determinants of the functional specificities of the enzymes involved in N-glycan breakdown by human gut bacteria are identified.