Enzyme-mononucleotide interactions: three different folds share common structural elements for ATP recognition. (1/1100)

Three ATP-dependent enzymes with different folds, cAMP-dependent protein kinase, D-Ala:D-Ala ligase and the alpha-subunit of the alpha2beta2 ribonucleotide reductase, have a similar organization of their ATP-binding sites. The most meaningful similarity was found over 23 structurally equivalent residues in each protein and includes three strands each from their beta-sheets, in addition to a connecting loop. The equivalent secondary structure elements in each of these enzymes donate four amino acids forming key hydrogen bonds responsible for the common orientation of the "AMP" moieties of their ATP-ligands. One lysine residue conserved throughout the three families binds the alpha-phosphate in each protein. The common fragments of structure also position some, but not all, of the equivalent residues involved in hydrophobic contacts with the adenine ring. These examples of convergent evolution reinforce the view that different proteins can fold in different ways to produce similar structures locally, and nature can take advantage of these features when structure and function demand it, as shown here for the common mode of ATP-binding by three unrelated proteins.  (+info)

A 20-kDa domain is required for phosphatidic acid-induced allosteric activation of phospholipase D from Streptomyces chromofuscus. (2/1100)

Two phospholipase D (PLD) enzymes with both hydrolase and transferase activities were isolated from Streptomyces chromofuscus. There were substantial differences in the kinetic properties of the two PLD enzymes towards monomeric, micellar, and vesicle substrates. The most striking difference was that the higher molecular weight enzyme (PLD57 approximately 57 kDa) could be activated allosterically with a low mole fraction of phosphatidic acid (PA) incorporated into a PC bilayer (Geng et al., J. Biol. Chem. 273 (1998) 12195-12202). PLD42/20, a tightly associated complex of two peptides, one of 42 kDa and the other 20 kDa, had a 4-6-fold higher Vmax toward PC substrates than PLD57 and was not activated by PA. N-Terminal sequencing of both enzymes indicated that both components of PLD42/20 were cleavage products of PLD57. The larger component included the N-terminal segment of PLD57 and contained the active site. The N-terminus of the smaller peptide corresponded to the C-terminal region of PLD57; this peptide had no PLD activity by itself. Increasing the pH of PLD42/20 to 8.9, followed by chromatography of PLD42/20 on a HiTrap Q column at pH 8.5 separated the 42- and 20-kDa proteins. The 42-kDa complex had about the same specific activity with or without the 20-kDa fragment. The lack of PA activation for the 42-kDa protein and for PLD42/20 indicates that an intact C-terminal region of PLD57 is necessary for activation by PA. Furthermore, the mechanism for transmission of the allosteric signal requires an intact PLD57.  (+info)

Stimulation of P-glycoprotein-mediated drug transport by prazosin and progesterone. Evidence for a third drug-binding site. (3/1100)

P-glycoprotein is a plasma membrane protein of mammalian cells that confers multidrug resistance by acting as a broad-specificity, ATP-dependent efflux transporter of diverse lipophilic neutral or cationic compounds. Previously, we identified two positively cooperative drug-binding sites of P-glycoprotein involved in transport [Shapiro, A. B. & Ling, V. (1997) Eur. J. Biochem. 250, 130-137]. The H site is selective for Hoechst 33342 and colchicine. The R site is selective for rhodamine 123 and anthracyclines. Substrate binding to one site stimulates transport by the other. In this paper, we show that prazosin and progesterone stimulate the transport of both Hoechst 33342 and rhodamine 123. Rhodamine 123 and prazosin (or progesterone) in combination stimulate Hoechst 33342 transport in an additive manner. In contrast, Hoechst 33342 and either prazosin or progesterone interfere with each other, so that the stimulatory effect of the combination on rhodamine 123 transport is less than that of each individually. Non-P-glycoprotein-specific effects of prazosin on membrane fluidity and permeability were excluded. These results indicate the existence of a third drug-binding site on P-glycoprotein with a positive allosteric effect on drug transport by the H and R sites. This allosteric site appears to be one of the sites of photoaffinity labeling of P-glycoprotein by [125I]iodoarylazidoprazosin [Safa, A. R., Agresti, M., Bryk, D. & Tamai, I. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 256-265] and is likely not to be capable of drug transport.  (+info)

Flavodoxin: an allosteric inhibitor of AMP nucleosidase from Azotobacter vinelandii. (4/1100)

Flavodoxin, which participates in nitrogen fixation, was found to be a potent allosteric inhibitor of AMP nucleosidase [EC 3.2.2.4] from Azotobacter vinelandii. It inhibited the enzyme by decreasing its affinity for ATP without affecting the maximum velocity. The inhibition constant for flavodoxin was estimated to be 10 muM, which is within the range of physiological concentration in the cells. The concentration of flavodoxin able to alter the activity in vitro suggests that this phenomenon could be of significance in the regulation of flavin biosynthesis in vivo. Flavin mononucleotide (FMN), a prosthetic group of flavodoxin, was also found to act as an allosteric inhibitor. Since no inhibitory action of apo-flavodoxin was observed, it was concluded that the FMN chromophore of the flavodoxin is responsible for the inhibition of the enzyme by this protein.  (+info)

Structural elements of the gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor conferring subtype selectivity for benzodiazepine site ligands. (5/1100)

gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors comprise a subfamily of ligand-gated ion channels whose activity can be modulated by ligands acting at the benzodiazepine binding site on the receptor. The benzodiazepine binding site was characterized using a site-directed mutagenesis strategy in which amino acids of the alpha5 subunit were substituted by their corresponding alpha1 residues. Given the high affinity and selectivity of alpha1-containing compared with alpha5-containing GABAA receptors for zolpidem, mutated alpha5 subunits were co-expressed with beta2 and gamma2 subunits, and the affinity of recombinant receptors for zolpidem was measured. One alpha5 mutant (bearing P162T, E200G, and T204S) exhibited properties similar to that of the alpha1 subunit, notably high affinity zolpidem binding and potentiation by zolpidem of GABA-induced chloride current. Two of these mutations, alpha5P162T and alpha5E200G, might alter binding pocket conformation, whereas alpha5T204S probably permits formation of a hydrogen bond with a proton acceptor in zolpidem. These three amino acid substitutions also influenced receptor affinity for CL218872. Our data thus suggest that corresponding amino acids of the alpha1 subunit, particularly alpha1-Ser204, are the crucial residues influencing ligand selectivity at the binding pocket of alpha1-containing receptors, and a model of this binding pocket is presented.  (+info)

Metal complexes as allosteric effectors of human hemoglobin: an NMR study of the interaction of the gadolinium(III) bis(m-boroxyphenylamide)diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid complex with human oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. (6/1100)

The boronic functionalities on the outer surface of the Gd(III) bis(m-boroxyphenylamide)DTPA complex (Gd(III)L) enable it to bind to fructosamine residues of oxygenated glycated human adult hemoglobin. The formation of the macromolecular adduct can be assessed by NMR spectroscopy via observation of the enhancement of the solvent water proton relaxation rate. Unexpectedly, a strong binding interaction was also observed for the oxygenated unglycated human adult hemoglobin, eventually displaying a much higher relaxation enhancement. From relaxation rate measurements it was found that two Gd(III)L complexes interact with one hemoglobin tetramer (KD = 1.0 x 10(-5) M and 4.6 x 10(-4) M, respectively), whereas no interaction has been observed with monomeric hemoproteins. A markedly higher affinity of the Gd(III)L complex has been observed for oxygenated and aquo-met human adult hemoglobin derivatives with respect to the corresponding deoxy derivative. Upon binding, a net change in the quaternary structure of hemoglobin has been assessed by monitoring the changes in the high-resolution 1H-NMR spectrum of the protein as well as in the Soret absorption band. On the basis of these observations and the 11B NMR results obtained with the diamagnetic La(III)L complex, we suggest that the interaction between the lanthanide complex and deoxygenated, oxygenated, and aquo-met derivatives of human adult hemoglobin takes place at the 2, 3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) binding site, through the formation of N-->B coordinative bonds at His143beta and His2beta residues of different beta-chains. The stronger binding to the oxygenated form is then responsible for a shift of the allosteric equilibrium toward the high-affinity R-state. Accordingly, Gd(III)L affinity for oxygenated human fetal hemoglobin (lacking His143beta) is significantly lower than that observed for the unglycated human adult tetramer.  (+info)

Mutations in the human UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase gene define the disease sialuria and the allosteric site of the enzyme. (7/1100)

Sialuria is a rare inborn error of metabolism characterized by cytoplasmic accumulation and increased urinary excretion of free N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc, sialic acid). Overproduction of NeuAc is believed to result from loss of feedback inhibition of uridinediphosphate-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase (UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase) by cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-Neu5Ac). We report the cloning and characterization of human UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase cDNA, with mutation analysis of three patients with sialuria. Their heterozygote mutations, R266W, R266Q, and R263L, indicate that the allosteric site of the epimerase resides in the region of codons 263-266. The heterozygous nature of the mutant allele in all three patients reveals a dominant mechanism of inheritance for sialuria.  (+info)

Steric effects on multivalent ligand-receptor binding: exclusion of ligand sites by bound cell surface receptors. (8/1100)

Steric effects can influence the binding of a cell surface receptor to a multivalent ligand. To account for steric effects arising from the size of a receptor and from the spacing of binding sites on a ligand, we extend a standard mathematical model for ligand-receptor interactions by introducing a steric hindrance factor. This factor gives the fraction of unbound ligand sites that are accessible to receptors, and thus available for binding, as a function of ligand site occupancy. We derive expressions for the steric hindrance factor for various cases in which the receptor covers a compact region on the ligand surface and the ligand expresses sites that are distributed regularly or randomly in one or two dimensions. These expressions are relevant for ligands such as linear polymers, proteins, and viruses. We also present numerical algorithms that can be used to calculate steric hindrance factors for other cases. These theoretical results allow us to quantify the effects of steric hindrance on ligand-receptor kinetics and equilibria.  (+info)