Stefaan Sansen

Structural Basis for Inhibition of Aspergillus niger Xylanase by Triticum aestivum Xylanase Inhibitor-I

Plants developed a diverse battery of defense mechanisms in response to continual challenges by a broad spectrum of pathogenic microorganisms. Their defense arsenal includes inhibitors of cell wall-degrading enzymes, which hinder a possible invasion and colonization by antagonists. The structure of Triticum aestivum xylanase inhibitor-I (TAXI-I), a first member of potent TAXI-type inhibitors of fungal and bacterial family 11 xylanases, has been determined to 1.7-Å resolution. Surprisingly, TAXI-I displays structural homology with the pepsin-like family of aspartic proteases but is proteolytically nonfunctional, because one or more residues of the essential catalytical triad are absent. The structure of the TAXI-I·Aspergillus niger xylanase I complex, at a resolution of 1.8 Å, illustrates the ability of tight binding and inhibition with subnanomolar affinity and indicates the importance of the C-terminal end for the differences in xylanase specificity among different TAXI-type inhibitors.

His374 of wheat endoxylanase inhibitor TAXI-I stabilizes complex formation with glycoside hydrolase family 11 endoxylanases

Wheat endoxylanase inhibitor TAXI‐I inhibits microbial glycoside hydrolase family 11 endoxylanases. Crystallographic data of an Aspergillus niger endoxylanase‐TAXI‐I complex showed His374 of TAXI‐I to be a key residue in endoxylanase inhibition [Sansen S, De Ranter CJ, Gebruers K, Brijs K, Courtin CM, Delcour JA & Rabijns A (2004) J Biol Chem 279, 36022–36028]. Its role in enzyme–inhibitor interaction was further investigated by site‐directed mutagenesis of His374 into alanine, glutamine or lysine. Binding kinetics and affinities of the molecular interactions between A. niger, Bacillus subtilis, Trichoderma longibrachiatumendoxylanases and wild‐type TAXI‐I and TAXI‐I His374 mutants were determined by surface plasmon resonance analysis. Enzyme–inhibitor binding was in accordance with a simple 1 : 1 binding model. Association and dissociation rate constants of wild‐type TAXI‐I towards the endoxylanases were in the range between 1.96 and 36.1 × 104m−1·s−1 and 0.72–3.60 × 10−4·s−1, respectively, resulting in equilibrium dissociation constants in the low nanomolar range. Mutation of TAXI‐I His374 to a variable degree reduced the inhibition capacity of the inhibitor mainly due to higher complex dissociation rate constants (three‐ to 80‐fold increase). The association rate constants were affected to a smaller extent (up to eightfold decrease). Substitution of TAXI‐I His374 therefore strongly affects the affinity of the inhibitor for the enzymes. In addition, the results show that His374 plays a critical role in the stabilization of the endoxylanase–TAXI‐I complex rather than in the docking of inhibitor onto enzyme.

Identification of structural determinants for inhibition strength and specificity of wheat xylanase inhibitors TAXI‐IA and TAXI‐IIA

Triticum aestivum xylanase inhibitor (TAXI)‐type inhibitors are active against microbial xylanases from glycoside hydrolase family 11, but the inhibition strength and the specificity towards different xylanases differ between TAXI isoforms. Mutational and biochemical analyses of TAXI‐I, TAXI‐IIA and Bacillus subtilis xylanase A showed that inhibition strength and specificity depend on the identity of only a few key residues of inhibitor and xylanase [Fierens K et al. (2005) FEBS J272, 5872–5882; Raedschelders G et al. (2005) Biochem Biophys Res Commun335, 512–522; Sørensen JF & Sibbesen O (2006) Protein Eng Des Sel19, 205–210; Bourgois TM et al. (2007) J Biotechnol130, 95–105]. Crystallographic analysis of the structures of TAXI‐IA and TAXI‐IIA in complex with glycoside hydrolase family 11 B. subtilis xylanase A now provides a substantial explanation for these observations and a detailed insight into the structural determinants for inhibition strength and specificity. Structures of the xylanase–inhibitor complexes show that inhibition is established by loop interactions with active‐site residues and substrate‐mimicking contacts in the binding subsites. The interaction of residues Leu292 of TAXI‐IA and Pro294 of TAXI‐IIA with the −2 glycon subsite of the xylanase is shown to be critical for both inhibition strength and specificity. Also, detailed analysis of the interaction interfaces of the complexes illustrates that the inhibition strength of TAXI is related to the presence of an aspartate or asparagine residue adjacent to the acid/base catalyst of the xylanase, and therefore to the pH optimum of the xylanase. The lower the pH optimum of the xylanase, the stronger will be the interaction between enzyme and inhibitor, and the stronger the resulting inhibition.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction study of a cell-wall invertase from Arabidopsis thaliana.

Cell-wall invertase 1 (AtcwINV1), a plant protein from Arabidopsis thaliana which is involved in the breakdown of sucrose, has been crystallized in two different crystal forms. Crystal form I grows in space group P3(1) or P3(2), whereas crystal form II grows in space group C222(1). Data sets were collected for crystal forms I and II to resolution limits of 2.40 and 2.15 A, respectively.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction study of fructan 1-exohydrolase IIa from Cichorium intybus.

Fructan 1-exohydrolase IIa (1-FEH IIa), a plant enzyme involved in fructan breakdown, has been crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method at 277 K. The crystals are tetragonal, belonging to space group P4(1)2(1)2 or P4(3)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = 139.83, b = 139.83, c = 181.94 A. Calculation of the Matthews coefficient indicates there to be two or three molecules in the asymmetric unit. Synchrotron radiation was used to collect a complete native data set to a resolution of 2.35 A.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction study of two complexes of a TAXI-type xylanase inhibitor with glycoside hydrolase family 11 xylanases from Aspergillus niger and Bacillus subtilis

Endo-beta-1,4-xylanases hydrolyze arabinoxylan, a major constituent of cereal cell walls, and are nowadays widely used in biotechnological processes. Purified complexes of family 11 xylanases from Aspergillus niger and Bacillus subtilis with TAXI I, a TAXI-type xylanase inhibitor from Triticum aestivum L., were prepared. In both cases the complex was crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The needle-like crystals of TAXI I in complex with A. niger xylanase belong to the trigonal space group P3(1) or P3(2), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 88.43, c = 128.99 A, and diffract to 1.8 A resolution. TAXI I in complex with B. subtilis xylanase crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2, with a = 107.89, b = 95.33, c = 66.31 A, beta = 122.24 degrees. Complete data sets were collected for both crystal types using synchrotron radiation.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction study of a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) TAXI-type endoxylanase inhibitor

A TAXI-type endoxylanase inhibitor from T. aestivum L. wheat flour has been crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The needle-like crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 49.92, b = 66.45, c = 106.42 A. From these crystals, a native data set and a gold-derivative data set were collected to 2.25 and 1.75 A resolution, respectively. The heavy-atom derivative of this crystal form was obtained by the soaking method and allowed determination of the initial phases.