Shin Kondo

Trivalent recognition unit of innate immunity system: crystal structure of trimeric human M-ficolin fibrinogen-like domain.

Ficolins are a kind of pathogen-recognition molecule in the innate immune systems. To investigate the discrimination mechanism between self and non-self by ficolins, we determined the crystal structure of the human M-ficolin fibrinogen-like domain (FD1), which is the ligand-binding domain, at 1.9Å resolution. Although the FD1 monomer shares a common fold with the fibrinogen γ fragment and tachylectin-5A, the Asp-282–Cys-283 peptide bond, which is the predicted ligand-binding site on the C-terminal P domain, is a normal trans bond, unlike the cases of the other two proteins. The trimeric formation of FD1 results in the separation of the three P domains, and the spatial arrangement of the three predicted ligand-binding sites on the trimer is very similar to that of the trimeric collectin, indicating that such an arrangement is generally required for pathogen-recognition. The ligand binding study of FD1 in solution indicated that the recombinant protein binds to N-acetyl-d-glucosamine and the peptide Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro and suggested that the ligand-binding region exhibits a conformational equilibrium involving cis-trans isomerization of the Asp-282–Cys-283 peptide bond. The crystal structure and the ligand binding study of FD1 provide an insight of the self- and non-self discrimination mechanism by ficolins.

Synthesis of unnatural alkaloid scaffolds by exploiting plant polyketide synthase

HsPKS1 from Huperzia serrata is a type III polyketide synthase (PKS) with remarkable substrate tolerance and catalytic potential. Here we present the synthesis of unnatural unique polyketide–alkaloid hybrid molecules by exploiting the enzyme reaction using precursor-directed and structure-based approaches. HsPKS1 produced novel pyridoisoindole (or benzopyridoisoindole) with the 6.5.6-fused (or 6.6.5.6-fused) ring system by the condensation of 2-carbamoylbenzoyl-CoA (or 3-carbamoyl-2-naphthoyl-CoA), a synthetic nitrogen-containing nonphysiological starter substrate, with two molecules of malonyl-CoA. The structure-based S348G mutant not only extended the product chain length but also altered the cyclization mechanism to produce a biologically active, ring-expanded 6.7.6-fused dibenzoazepine, by the condensation of 2-carbamoylbenzoyl-CoA with three malonyl-CoAs. Thus, the basic nitrogen atom and the structure-based mutagenesis enabled additional C─C and C─N bond formation to generate the novel polyketide-alkaloid scaffold.

Structure of the biotin carboxylase subunit of pyruvate carboxylase from Aquifex aeolicus at 2.2 Å resolution

Pyruvate carboxylase (PC) is distributed in many eukaryotes as well as in some prokaryotes. PC catalyzes the ATP-dependent carboxylation of pyruvate to form oxalacetate. PC has three functional domains, one of which is a biotin carboxylase (BC) domain. The BC subunit of PC from Aquifex aeolicus (PC-beta) was crystallized in an orthorhombic form with space group P2(1)2(1)2, unit-cell parameters a = 92.4, b = 122.1, c = 59.0 A and one molecule in the asymmetric unit. Diffraction data were collected at 100 K on BL24XU at SPring-8. The crystal structure was determined by the molecular-replacement method and refined against 20.0-2.2 A resolution data, giving an R factor of 0.199 and a free R factor of 0.236. The crystal structure revealed that PC-beta forms a dimeric quaternary structure consisting of two molecules related by crystallographic twofold symmetry. The overall structure of PC-beta is similar to other biotin-dependent carboxylases, such as acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). Although some parts of domain B were disordered in ACC, the corresponding parts of PC-beta were clearly determined in the crystal structure. From comparison between the active-site structure of ACC with ATP bound and a virtual model of PC-beta with ATP bound, it was shown that the backbone torsion angles of Glu203 in PC-beta change and some of water molecules in the active site of PC-beta are excluded upon ATP binding.

Expression, purification and crystallization of a human tau-tubulin kinase 2 that phosphorylates tau protein

Tau-tubulin kinase 2 (TTBK2) is a Ser/Thr kinase that putatively phosphorylates residues Ser208 and Ser210 (numbered according to a 441-residue human tau isoform) in tau protein. Functional analyses revealed that a recombinant kinase domain (residues 1-331) of human TTBK2 expressed in insect cells with a baculovirus overexpression system retains kinase activity for tau protein. The kinase domain of TTBK2 was crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belong to space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 55.6, b = 113.7, c = 117.3 A, alpha = beta = gamma = 90.0 degrees. Diffraction data were collected to 2.9 A resolution using synchrotron radiation at BL24XU of SPring-8.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of an acridone-producing novel multifunctional type III polyketide synthase from Huperzia serrata

Polyketide synthase 1 (PKS1) from Huperzia serrata is a plant-specific type III polyketide synthase that shows an unusually versatile catalytic potential, producing various aromatic tetraketides, including chalcones, benzophenones, phlorogulucinols and acridones. Recombinant H. serrata PKS1 expressed in Escherichia coli was crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belonged to space group I222 or I2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 73.3, b = 85.0, c = 137.7 A, alpha = beta = gamma = 90.0 degrees. Diffraction data were collected to 2.0 A resolution using synchrotron radiation at BL24XU of SPring-8.

Structure of the biotin carboxylase domain of pyruvate carboxylase from Bacillus thermodenitrificans

The biotin carboxylase (BC) domain of pyruvate carboxylase (PC) from Bacillus thermodenitrificans (BC-bPC) was crystallized in an orthorhombic form (space group P2(1)2(1)2(1)), with unit-cell parameters a = 79.6, b = 116.0, c = 115.7 A. Two BC protomers are contained in the asymmetric unit. Diffraction data were collected at 100 K and the crystal structure was solved by the molecular-replacement method and refined against reflections in the 20.0-2.4 A resolution range, giving an R factor of 0.235 and a free R factor of 0.292. The overall structure of BC-bPC is similar to those of the BC subunits of Aquifex aeolicus PC (BC-aPC) and Escherichia coli ACC (BC-eACC). The crystal structure revealed that BC-bPC forms a unique dimeric quaternary structure, which might be caused as a result of the division of the BC domain from the rest of the protein. The position of domain B in BC-bPC differs from those in other enzymes of similar structure (BC-aPC and BC-eACC).

Trimeric structure and conformational equilibrium of M-ficolin fibrinogen-like domain

The crystal structure and ligand-binding study of M-ficolin provides an insight into its discrimination mechanism between self and non-self.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of an octaketide-producing plant type III polyketide synthase

Octaketide synthase (OKS) from Aloe arborescens is a plant-specific type III polyketide synthase that produces SEK4 and SEK4b from eight molecules of malonyl-CoA. Recombinant OKS expressed in Escherichia coli was crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belonged to space group I422, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 110.2, c = 281.4 A, alpha = beta = gamma = 90.0 degrees . Diffraction data were collected to 2.6 A resolution using synchrotron radiation at BL24XU of SPring-8.

Overexpression, purification and preliminary crystallographic analysis of human M-ficolin fibrinogen-like domain.

Ficolins, which are comprised of a collagen-like domain and a fibrinogen-like domain, are a kind of pattern-recognition molecule for pathogens in the innate immunity system. To investigate the molecular mechanism of the discrimination between self and non-self by ficolins, human M-ficolin fibrinogen-like domain (FD1), which contains the ligand-binding site, was overexpressed in Pichia pastoris, purified and crystallized using the vapour-diffusion method at 293 K. The crystals belong to the monoclinic space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 55.16, b = 117.45, c = 55.19 angstroms, beta = 99.88 degrees, and contain three molecules per asymmetric unit. An X-ray data set was collected to 1.9 angstroms resolution using synchrotron radiation at beamline BL24XU at the SPring-8 facility in Japan.

Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of a plant type III polyketide synthase that produces benzalacetone

Benzalacetone synthase (BAS) from Rheum palmatum is a plant-specific type III polyketide synthase that catalyzes the one-step decarboxylative condensation of 4-coumaroyl-CoA with malonyl-CoA to produce the diketide 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-but-3-en-2-one. Recombinant BAS expressed in Escherichia coli was crystallized by the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belong to space group P2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 54.6, b = 89.6, c = 81.1 A, alpha = gamma = 90.0, beta = 100.5 degrees . Diffraction data were collected to 1.8 A resolution using synchrotron radiation at BL24XU of SPring-8.