Thomas C. Elleman

Crystal Structure of a Truncated Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Extracellular Domain Bound to Transforming Growth Factor α

We report the crystal structure, at 2.5 A resolution, of a truncated human EGFR ectodomain bound to TGFalpha. TGFalpha interacts with both L1 and L2 domains of EGFR, making many main chain contacts with L1 and interacting with L2 via key conserved residues. The results indicate how EGFR family members can bind a family of highly variable ligands. In the 2:2 TGFalpha:sEGFR501 complex, each ligand interacts with only one receptor molecule. There are two types of dimers in the asymmetric unit: a head-to-head dimer involving contacts between the L1 and L2 domains and a back-to-back dimer dominated by interactions between the CR1 domains of each receptor. Based on sequence conservation, buried surface area, and mutagenesis experiments, the back-to-back dimer is favored to be biologically relevant.

The Crystal Structure of a Truncated ErbB2 Ectodomain Reveals an Active Conformation, Poised to Interact with Other ErbB Receptors

ErbB2 does not bind ligand, yet appears to be the major signaling partner for other ErbB receptors by forming heteromeric complexes with ErbB1, ErbB3, or ErbB4. The crystal structure of residues 1-509 of ErbB2 at 2.5 A resolution reveals an activated conformation similar to that of the EGFR when complexed with ligand and very different from that seen in the unactivated forms of ErbB3 or EGFR. The structure explains the inability of ErbB2 to bind known ligands and suggests why ErbB2 fails to form homodimers. Together, the data suggest a model in which ErbB2 is already in the activated conformation and ready to interact with other ligand-activated ErbB receptors.

Crystal structure of the first three domains of the type-1 insulin-like growth factor receptor

The type-1 insulin-like growth-factor receptor (IGF-1R) and insulin receptor (IR) are closely related members of the tyrosine-kinase receptor superfamily. IR is essential for glucose homeostasis, whereas IGF-1R is involved in both normal growth and development and malignant transformation. Homologues of these receptors are found in animals as simple as cnidarians. The epidermal growth-factor receptor (EGFR) family is closely related to the IR family and has significant sequence identity to the extracellular portion we describe here. We now present the structure of the first three domains of IGF-1R (L1–Cys-rich–L2) determined to 2.6 Å resolution. The L domains each consist of asingle-stranded right-handed β-helix. The Cys-rich region is composed of eight disulphide-bonded modules, seven of which form a rod-shaped domain with modules associated in an unusual manner. The three domains surround a central space of sufficient size to accommodate a ligand molecule. Although the fragment (residues 1–462) does not bind ligand, many of the determinants responsible for hormone binding and ligand specificity map to this central site. This structure therefore shows how the IR subfamily might interact with their ligands.

Structure of the insulin receptor ectodomain reveals a folded-over conformation

The insulin receptor is a phylogenetically ancient tyrosine kinase receptor found in organisms as primitive as cnidarians and insects. In higher organisms it is essential for glucose homeostasis, whereas the closely related insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) is involved in normal growth and development. The insulin receptor is expressed in two isoforms, IR-A and IR-B; the former also functions as a high-affinity receptor for IGF-II and is implicated, along with IGF-1R, in malignant transformation. Here we present the crystal structure at 3.8 Å resolution of the IR-A ectodomain dimer, complexed with four Fabs from the monoclonal antibodies 83-7 and 83-14 (ref. 4), grown in the presence of a fragment of an insulin mimetic peptide. The structure reveals the domain arrangement in the disulphide-linked ectodomain dimer, showing that the insulin receptor adopts a folded-over conformation that places the ligand-binding regions in juxtaposition. This arrangement is very different from previous models. It shows that the two L1 domains are on opposite sides of the dimer, too far apart to allow insulin to bind both L1 domains simultaneously as previously proposed. Instead, the structure implicates the carboxy-terminal surface of the first fibronectin type III domain as the second binding site involved in high-affinity binding.

High affinity insulin binding by soluble insulin receptor extracellular domain fused to a leucine zipper

Insulin receptors (IRs) that are truncated at the end of the ectodomain form dimers that bind insulin with different characteristics to wild type receptors. These soluble IRs have lowered affinity for insulin compared with full‐length IR, and exhibit linear Scatchard plots in contrast to the curvilinear plots obtained with full‐length IR, IR truncated at the C‐terminus of the transmembrane region and IR ectodomains fused to the self‐associating constant domains from Fc or λ immunoglobulins. In this report, we have fused the IR ectodomain to the 33 residue leucine zipper from the transcriptional activator GCN4 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This fusion protein binds insulin with high affinity in a manner comparable to native receptor. The respective dissociation constants were K d1 8.2×10−11 M and K d2 1.6×10−8 M for hIRedZip and K d1 5.7×10−11 M and K d2 6.3×10−9 M for membrane‐anchored, native receptor.

Isolation of the gene encoding pilin of Bacteroides nodosus (strain 198), the causal organism of ovine footrot

The gene for pilin, the monomeric protein subunit from which the pilus of Bacteroides nodosus is constructed, has been isolated. Isolation was achieved by cloning the fragmented genome of B. nodosus in Escherichia coli RR1 using the plasmid vector pBR322. Pilin‐producing colonies were identified by screening with a colony immunoassay using antiserum from a sheep immunized against purified pili from B. nodosus strain 198, and were further characterized by immunoblot analysis. Final confirmation of the presence of the pilin gene was by nucleotide sequence data which translated to the known pilin amino acid sequence.

Properties of an insulin receptor with an IGF-1 receptor loop exchange in the cysteine-rich region.

The insulin receptor (IR) and the insulin‐like growth factor‐I receptor (IGF‐1R) show differential binding of insulin and IGFs. The specificity determinants for IGF‐1 binding are known to be located in the cysteine‐rich (Cys‐rich) region between residues 223 and 274 of human IGF‐1R, which includes a loop that protrudes into the putative ligand binding site. In this report we have replaced residues 260–277 of human IR with residues 253–266 of the human IGF‐1R to produce an IR‐based, cysteine loop exchange chimaera, termed hIR‐Cys loop exchange (CLX), in which all 14 amino acid residues in the exchanged loop differ from wild‐type insulin receptor. This loop exchange had a detrimental effect on the efficiency of pro‐receptor processing and on the binding of the mouse monoclonal antibody 83‐7. However, this antibody, which binds hIR but not hIGF‐1R, was still capable of immunoprecipitating the mature chimaeric receptor, indicating that the conformational epitope recognised by this antibody is not primarily determined by the loop region exchanged. The loop exchange did not significantly affect the ability of insulin to displace bound radiolabelled insulin, but increased the capacity of IGF‐1 to competitively displace labelled insulin by at least 10 fold.

The amino acid sequence of protein SCMK-B2A from the high-sulphur fraction of wool keratin

1. The amino acid sequence of protein SCMK-B2A, a reduced and S-carboxymethylated protein from the high-sulphur fraction of wool, has been determined. 2. This protein of 171 amino acid residues displays both a high degree of internal homology and extensive external homology with other members of the SCMK-B2 group of proteins. 3. Evidence is presented which suggests that the SCMK-B2 group of proteins are produced by separate non-allelic genes.

Sequence of pilin from Bacteroides nodosus 351 (serogroup H) and implications for serogroup classification

The nucleotide sequence of the pilin gene from Bacteroides nodosus strain 351, currently classified as serogroup H, subgroup 2 (H2) has been determined. The gene encodes a single polypeptide (prepilin) of 160 amino acids and Mr 17,150. However, pilin isolated from B. nodosus 351 migrates as two distinct bands in sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, due to an internal peptide bond cleavage. Amino acid sequence studies of pilin from B. nodosus 351 have established that the cleavage occurs between 72Ala and 73Ser of the mature protein sequence. Comparisons of gene and amino acid sequences of pilin from B. nodosus 351 with the corresponding sequences from strains of serogroups D and H1 indicate that these sequences share a close relationship. However, the level of sequence identity between B. nodosus 351 pilin and pilin from strain 265 of serogroup H1 is lower than anticipated for strains within a serogroup and suggests that B. nodosus 265 and B. nodosus 351 should not be classified within the same serogroup.