Vincent Truffault

The HAMP Domain Structure Implies Helix Rotation in Transmembrane Signaling

HAMP domains connect extracellular sensory with intracellular signaling domains in over 7500 proteins, including histidine kinases, adenylyl cyclases, chemotaxis receptors, and phosphatases. The solution structure of an archaeal HAMP domain shows a homodimeric, four-helical, parallel coiled coil with unusual interhelical packing, related to the canonical packing by rotation of the helices. This suggests a model for the mechanism of signal transduction, in which HAMP alternates between the observed conformation and a canonical coiled coil. We explored this mechanism in vitro and in vivo using HAMP domain fusions with a mycobacterial adenylyl cyclase and an E. coli chemotaxis receptor. Structural and functional studies show that the equilibrium between the two forms is dependent on the side-chain size of residue 291, which is alanine in the wild-type protein.

Design, synthesis, and NMR structure of linear and cyclic oligomers containing novel furanoid sugar amino acids.

Sugar Amino Acids (SAAs) are sugar moieties containing at least one amino and one carboxyl group. The straightforward synthesis of two furanoid SAAs, 3-amino-3-deoxy-1,2-isopropylidene-alpha-D-ribofuranoic acid (f-SAA1) and 3-amino-3-deoxy-1,2-isopropylidene-alpha-D-allofuranoic acid (f-SAA2) starting from diacetone glucose, is described. These SAAs were used as structural templates aiming at new structures for peptidomimetic drug design. f-SAA1 resembles a beta-amino acid, whereas f-SAA2 is a gamma-amino acid mimetic. Thus, for the synthesis of the mixed, linear and cyclic oligomers of f-SAA1, beta-homo-glycine (beta-hGly, also called beta-alanine) was chosen as an amino acid counterpart, while for the oligomer of f-SAA2 gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) was chosen. Fmoc-[f-SAA1-beta-hGly](3)-OH (3) and cyclo[f-SAA1-beta-hGly](3) (5) resemble linear and cyclic beta-peptides with a very different substitution pattern, compared with the beta-peptides known so far in the literature, whereas Fmoc-[f-SAA2-GABA](3)-OH (4) resembles a gamma-peptide. The linear f-SAA oligomers 3 and 4 were synthesized on the solid-phase using Fmoc strategy. 23 unambiguous interresidue NOE contacts (from a total of 76 NOE values), obtained from extensive NMR studies in C(3)CN, were used in subsequent simulated annealing and MD calculations, to elucidate the 12/10/12-helical structure of oligomer 3 in CH(3)CN. The results indicate that f-SAA1 strongly induces a secondary structure. A characteristic CD curve for the linear oligomer 3 is observed up to 75 degrees C in both CH(3)CN and CH(3)CN/H(2)O, even though 3 contains beta-hGly, which is known to destabilize helices. By contrast, 4 does not seem to form a stable conformation in solution. The cyclic SAA containing oligomer cyclo [f-SAA1-beta-hGly](3) (5) exhibits a C(3) symmetric conformation on the NMR chemical shift time scale.

Control of eukaryotic phosphate homeostasis by inositol polyphosphate sensor domains.

Peptide domain links phosphate need to uptake Cellular phosphate (Pi) levels are tightly controlled, but it is not clear how eukaryotic cells actually “measure” the concentration of Pi. Wild et al. now show that inositol polyphosphate (InsP) signaling molecules regulate Pi homeostasis in fungi, plants, and humans by interacting with SPX-domain-containing proteins. SPX domains are found in many eukaryotic Pi transporters, Pi-regulated enzymes, and signaling proteins. InsP binding allowed SPX domains to interact with different target proteins. In plants, one such target protein is a transcription factor. During normal growth, high levels of InsP promoted formation of a SPX protein-transcription factor complex. Under Pi starvation, InsP levels dropped, releasing the transcription factor to promote Pi starvation-response gene transcription. Science, this issue p. 986 A conserved peptide domain allows a cell to sense how much phosphate it has and regulate uptake of more phosphate if needed. Phosphorus is a macronutrient taken up by cells as inorganic phosphate (Pi). How cells sense cellular Pi levels is poorly characterized. Here, we report that SPX domains—which are found in eukaryotic phosphate transporters, signaling proteins, and inorganic polyphosphate polymerases—provide a basic binding surface for inositol polyphosphate signaling molecules (InsPs), the concentrations of which change in response to Pi availability. Substitutions of critical binding surface residues impair InsP binding in vitro, inorganic polyphosphate synthesis in yeast, and Pi transport in Arabidopsis. In plants, InsPs trigger the association of SPX proteins with transcription factors to regulate Pi starvation responses. We propose that InsPs communicate cytosolic Pi levels to SPX domains and enable them to interact with a multitude of proteins to regulate Pi uptake, transport, and storage in fungi, plants, and animals.

Structural Basis for the Mutually Exclusive Anchoring of P Body Components Edc3 and Tral to the Dead Box Protein Ddx6/Me31B.

The DEAD box helicase DDX6/Me31B functions in translational repression and mRNA decapping. How particular RNA helicases are recruited specifically to distinct functional complexes is poorly understood. We present the crystal structure of the DDX6 C-terminal RecA-like domain bound to a highly conserved FDF sequence motif in the decapping activator EDC3. The FDF peptide adopts an alpha-helical conformation upon binding to DDX6, occupying a shallow groove opposite to the DDX6 surface involved in RNA binding and ATP hydrolysis. Mutagenesis of Me31B shows the relevance of the FDF interaction surface both for Me31Bs accumulation in P bodies and for its ability to repress the expression of bound mRNAs. The translational repressor Tral contains a similar FDF motif. Together with mutational and competition studies, the structure reveals why the interactions of Me31B with EDC3 and Tral are mutually exclusive and how the respective decapping and translational repressor complexes might hook onto an mRNA substrate.

Trimeric structure and flexibility of the L1ORF1 protein in human L1 retrotransposition

The LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposon emerges as a major source of human interindividual genetic variation, with important implications for evolution and disease. L1 retrotransposition is poorly understood at the molecular level, and the mechanistic details and evolutionary origin of the L1-encoded L1ORF1 protein (L1ORF1p) are particularly obscure. Here three crystal structures of trimeric L1ORF1p and NMR solution structures of individual domains reveal a sophisticated and highly structured, yet remarkably flexible, RNA-packaging protein. It trimerizes via an N-terminal, ion-containing coiled coil that serves as scaffold for the flexible attachment of the central RRM and the C-terminal CTD domains. The structures explain the specificity for single-stranded RNA substrates, and a mutational analysis indicates that the precise control of domain flexibility is critical for retrotransposition. Although the evolutionary origin of L1ORF1p remains unclear, our data reveal previously undetected structural and functional parallels to viral proteins.

A direct interaction between DCP1 and XRN1 couples mRNA decapping to 5′ exonucleolytic degradation

The removal of the mRNA 5′ cap structure by the decapping enzyme DCP2 leads to rapid 5′→3′ mRNA degradation by XRN1, suggesting that the two processes are coordinated, but the coupling mechanism is unknown. DCP2 associates with the decapping activators EDC4 and DCP1. Here we show that XRN1 directly interacts with EDC4 and DCP1 in human and Drosophila melanogaster cells, respectively. In D. melanogaster cells, this interaction is mediated by the DCP1 EVH1 domain and a DCP1-binding motif (DBM) in the XRN1 C-terminal region. The NMR structure of the DCP1 EVH1 domain bound to the DBM reveals that the peptide docks at a conserved aromatic cleft, which is used by EVH1 domains to recognize proline-rich ligands. Our findings reveal a role for XRN1 in decapping and provide a molecular basis for the coupling of decapping to 5′→3′ mRNA degradation.

The Structural Basis of Edc3- and Scd6-Mediated Activation of the Dcp1:Dcp2 Mrna Decapping Complex.

The Dcp1:Dcp2 decapping complex catalyses the removal of the mRNA 5′ cap structure. Activator proteins, including Edc3 (enhancer of decapping 3), modulate its activity. Here, we solved the structure of the yeast Edc3 LSm domain in complex with a short helical leucine‐rich motif (HLM) from Dcp2. The motif interacts with the monomeric Edc3 LSm domain in an unprecedented manner and recognizes a noncanonical binding surface. Based on the structure, we identified additional HLMs in the disordered C‐terminal extension of Dcp2 that can interact with Edc3. Moreover, the LSm domain of the Edc3‐related protein Scd6 competes with Edc3 for the interaction with these HLMs. We show that both Edc3 and Scd6 stimulate decapping in vitro, presumably by preventing the Dcp1:Dcp2 complex from adopting an inactive conformation. In addition, we show that the C‐terminal HLMs in Dcp2 are necessary for the localization of the Dcp1:Dcp2 decapping complex to P‐bodies in vivo. Unexpectedly, in contrast to yeast, in metazoans the HLM is found in Dcp1, suggesting that details underlying the regulation of mRNA decapping changed throughout evolution.

A Divergent Sm Fold in EDC3 Proteins Mediates DCP1 Binding and P-Body Targeting

ABSTRACT Members of the (L)Sm (Sm and Sm-like) protein family are found across all kingdoms of life and play crucial roles in RNA metabolism. The P-body component EDC3 (enhancer of decapping 3) is a divergent member of this family that functions in mRNA decapping. EDC3 is composed of a N-terminal LSm domain, a central FDF domain, and a C-terminal YjeF-N domain. We show that this modular architecture enables EDC3 to interact with multiple components of the decapping machinery, including DCP1, DCP2, and Me31B. The LSm domain mediates DCP1 binding and P-body localization. We determined the three-dimensional structures of the LSm domains of Drosophila melanogaster and human EDC3 and show that the domain adopts a divergent Sm fold that lacks the characteristic N-terminal α-helix and has a disrupted β4-strand. This domain remains monomeric in solution and lacks several features that canonical (L)Sm domains require for binding RNA. The structures also revealed a conserved patch of surface residues that are required for the interaction with DCP1 but not for P-body localization. The conservation of surface and of critical structural residues indicates that LSm domains in EDC3 proteins adopt a similar fold that has separable novel functions that are absent in canonical (L)Sm proteins.

Similar Modes of Interaction Enable Trailer Hitch and EDC3 To Associate with DCP1 and Me31B in Distinct Protein Complexes

ABSTRACT Trailer Hitch (Tral or LSm15) and enhancer of decapping-3 (EDC3 or LSm16) are conserved eukaryotic members of the (L)Sm (Sm and Like-Sm) protein family. They have a similar domain organization, characterized by an N-terminal LSm domain and a central FDF motif; however, in Tral, the FDF motif is flanked by regions rich in charged residues, whereas in EDC3 the FDF motif is followed by a YjeF_N domain. We show that in Drosophila cells, Tral and EDC3 specifically interact with the decapping activator DCP1 and the DEAD-box helicase Me31B. Nevertheless, only Tral associates with the translational repressor CUP, whereas EDC3 associates with the decapping enzyme DCP2. Like EDC3, Tral interacts with DCP1 and localizes to mRNA processing bodies (P bodies) via the LSm domain. This domain remains monomeric in solution and adopts a divergent Sm fold that lacks the characteristic N-terminal α-helix, as determined by nuclear magnetic resonance analyses. Mutational analysis revealed that the structural integrity of the LSm domain is required for Tral both to interact with DCP1 and CUP and to localize to P-bodies. Furthermore, both Tral and EDC3 interact with the C-terminal RecA-like domain of Me31B through their FDF motifs. Together with previous studies, our results show that Tral and EDC3 are structurally related and use a similar mode to associate with common partners in distinct protein complexes.

The RRM domain in GW182 proteins contributes to miRNA-mediated gene silencing

Proteins of the GW182 family interact with Argonaute proteins and are required for miRNA-mediated gene silencing. These proteins contain two structural domains, an ubiquitin-associated (UBA) domain and an RNA recognition motif (RRM), embedded in regions predicted to be unstructured. The structure of the RRM of Drosophila melanogaster GW182 reveals that this domain adopts an RRM fold, with an additional C-terminal α-helix. The helix lies on the β-sheet surface, generally used by these domains to bind RNA. This, together with the absence of aromatic residues in the conserved RNP1 and RNP2 motifs, and the lack of general affinity for RNA, suggests that the GW182 RRM does not bind RNA. The domain may rather engage in protein interactions through an unusual hydrophobic cleft exposed on the opposite face of the β-sheet. We further show that the GW182 RRM is dispensable for P-body localization and for interaction of GW182 with Argonaute-1 and miRNAs. Nevertheless, its deletion impairs the silencing activity of GW182 in a miRNA target-specific manner, indicating that this domain contributes to silencing. The conservation of structural and surface residues suggests that the RRM domain adopts a similar fold with a related function in insect and vertebrate GW182 family members.