Bottom-up fabrication of a proteasome-nanopore that unravels and processes single proteins.

The precise assembly and engineering of molecular machines capable of handling biomolecules play crucial roles in most single-molecule methods. In this work we use components from all three domains of life to fabricate an integrated multiprotein complex that controls the unfolding and threading of individual proteins across a nanopore. This 900 kDa multicomponent device was made in two steps. First, we designed a stable and low-noise ß-barrel nanopore sensor by linking the transmembrane region of bacterial protective antigen to a mammalian proteasome activator. An archaeal 20S proteasome was then built into the artificial nanopore to control the unfolding and linearized transport of proteins across the nanopore. This multicomponent molecular machine opens the door to two approaches in single-molecule protein analysis, in which selected substrate proteins are unfolded, fed to into the proteasomal chamber and then addressed either as fragmented peptides or intact polypeptides.

Structural studies of geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase, a prenyltransferase found in thermophilic Euryarchaeota.

Archaea are uniquely adapted to thrive in harsh environments, and one of these adaptations involves the archaeal membrane lipids, which are characterized by their isoprenoid alkyl chains connected via ether linkages to glycerol 1-phosphate. The membrane lipids of the thermophilic and acidophilic euryarchaeota Thermoplasma volcanium are exclusively glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers. The first committed step in the biosynthetic pathway of these archaeal lipids is the formation of the ether linkage between glycerol 1-phosphate and geranylgeranyl diphosphate, and is catalyzed by the enzyme geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase (GGGPS). The 1.72 Šresolution crystal structure of GGGPS from T. volcanium (TvGGGPS) in complex with glycerol and sulfate is reported here. The crystal structure reveals TvGGGPS to be a dimer, which is consistent with the absence of the aromatic anchor residue in helix α5a that is required for hexamerization in other GGGPS homologs; the hexameric quaternary structure in GGGPS is thought to provide thermostability. A phylogenetic analysis of the Euryarchaeota and a parallel ancestral state reconstruction investigated the relationship between optimal growth temperature and the ancestral sequences. The presence of an aromatic anchor residue is not explained by temperature as an ecological parameter. An examination of the active site of the TvGGGPS dimer revealed that it may be able to accommodate longer isoprenoid substrates, supporting an alternative pathway of isoprenoid membrane-lipid synthesis.

Exploring long-range cooperativity in the 20S proteasome core particle from Thermoplasma acidophilum using methyl-TROSY-based NMR.

The 20S core particle (CP) proteasome is a molecular assembly catalyzing the degradation of misfolded proteins or proteins no longer required for function. It is composed of four stacked heptameric rings that form a barrel-like structure, sequestering proteolytic sites inside its lumen. Proteasome function is regulated by gates derived from the termini of α-rings and through binding of regulatory particles (RPs) to one or both ends of the barrel. The CP is dynamic, with an extensive allosteric pathway extending from one end of the molecule to catalytic sites in its center. Here, using methyl-transverse relaxation optimized spectroscopy (TROSY)-based NMR optimized for studies of high-molecular-weight complexes, we evaluate whether the pathway extends over the entire 150-Å length of the molecule. By exploiting a number of different labeling schemes, the two halves of the molecule can be distinguished, so that the effects of 11S RP binding, or the introduction of gate or allosteric pathway mutations at one end of the barrel can be evaluated at the distal end. Our results establish that while 11S binding and the introduction of key mutations affect each half of the CP allosterically, they do not further couple opposite ends of the molecule. This may have implications for the function of so-called "hybrid" proteasomes where each end of the CP is bound with a different regulator, allowing the CP to be responsive to both RPs simultaneously. The methodology presented introduces a general NMR strategy for dissecting pathways of communication in homo-oligomeric molecular machines.

Crystal structure of (S)-3-O-geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase from Thermoplasma acidophilum in complex with the substrate sn-glycerol 1-phosphate.

(S)-3-O-Geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate synthase (GGGPS) catalyzes the initial ether-bond formation between sn-glycerol 1-phosphate (G1P) and geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate to synthesize (S)-3-O-geranylgeranylglyceryl phosphate in the production of an archaeal cell-membrane lipid molecule. Archaeal GGGPS proteins are divided into two groups (group I and group II). In this study, the crystal structure of the archaeal group II GGGPS from Thermoplasma acidophilum (TaGGGPS) was determined at 2.35 Šresolution. The structure of TaGGGPS showed that it has a TIM-barrel fold, the third helix of which is disordered (α3*), and that it forms a homodimer, although a pre-existing structure of an archaeal group II GGGPS (from Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus) showed a hexameric form. The structure of TaGGGPS showed the precise G1P-recognition mechanism of an archaeal group II GGGPS. The structure of TaGGGPS and molecular-dynamics simulation analysis showed fluctuation of the ß2-α2, α3* and α5a regions, which is predicted to be important for substrate uptake and/or product release by TaGGGPS.

Probing the Substrate Promiscuity of Isopentenyl Phosphate Kinase as a Platform for Hemiterpene Analogue Production.

Isoprenoids are a large class of natural products with wide-ranging applications. Synthetic biology approaches to the manufacture of isoprenoids and their new-to-nature derivatives are limited due to the provision in nature of just two hemiterpene building blocks for isoprenoid biosynthesis. To address this limitation, artificial chemo-enzymatic pathways such as the alcohol-dependent hemiterpene (ADH) pathway serve to leverage consecutive kinases to convert exogenous alcohols into pyrophosphates that could be coupled to downstream isoprenoid biosynthesis. To be successful, each kinase in this pathway should be permissive of a broad range of substrates. For the first time, we have probed the promiscuity of the second enzyme in the ADH pathway-isopentenyl phosphate kinase from Thermoplasma acidophilum-towards a broad range of acceptor monophosphates. Subsequently, we evaluate the suitability of this enzyme to provide unnatural pyrophosphates and provide a critical first step in characterizing the rate-limiting steps in the artificial ADH pathway.

Conversion of Mevalonate 3-Kinase into 5-Phosphomevalonate 3-Kinase by Single Amino Acid Mutations.

Mevalonate 3-kinase plays a key role in a recently discovered modified mevalonate pathway specific to thermophilic archaea of the order Thermoplasmatales The enzyme is homologous to diphosphomevalonate decarboxylase, which is involved in the widely distributed classical mevalonate pathway, and to phosphomevalonate decarboxylase, which is possessed by halophilic archaea and some Chloroflexi bacteria. Mevalonate 3-kinase catalyzes the ATP-dependent 3-phosphorylation of mevalonate but does not catalyze the subsequent decarboxylation as related decarboxylases do. In this study, a substrate-interacting glutamate residue of Thermoplasma acidophilum mevalonate 3-kinase was replaced by smaller amino acids, including its counterparts in diphosphomevalonate decarboxylase and phosphomevalonate decarboxylase, with the aim of altering substrate specificity. These single amino acid mutations resulted in the conversion of mevalonate 3-kinase into 5-phosphomevalonate 3-kinase, which can synthesize 3,5-bisphosphomevalonate from 5-phosphomevalonate. The mutants catalyzing the hitherto undiscovered reaction enabled the construction of an artificial mevalonate pathway in Escherichia coli cells, as was demonstrated by the accumulation of lycopene, a red carotenoid pigment.IMPORTANCE Isoprenoid is the largest family of natural compounds, including important bioactive molecules such as vitamins, hormones, and natural medicines. The mevalonate pathway is a target for metabolic engineering because it supplies precursors for isoprenoid biosynthesis. Mevalonate 3-kinase is an enzyme involved in the modified mevalonate pathway specific to limited species of thermophilic archaea. Replacement of a single amino acid residue in the active site of the enzyme changed its substrate preference and allowed the mutant enzymes to catalyze a previously undiscovered reaction. Using the genes encoding the mutant enzymes and other archaeal enzymes, we constructed an artificial mevalonate pathway, which can produce the precursor of isoprenoid through an unexplored route, in bacterial cells.

On the damage done to the structure of the Thermoplasma acidophilum proteasome by electron radiation.

It has long been known that proteins are damaged when they are exposed to the electron beam in an electron microscope. Here we show that exposure to electrons under cryo-EM conditions leads to a small change in the quaternary structure of the Thermoplasma acidophilum proteasome, and that backbones atoms belonging to the α-helices in this molecule appear to be particular prone to chemical damage. A chemical mechanism is proposed for this damage. Both this local chemical effect and the more global quaternary structure effect appear to heterogenize samples leading to a radiation dose-dependent degradation of the resolution of the EM maps obtained from this molecule.

Cotranslocational processing of the protein substrate calmodulin by an AAA+ unfoldase occurs via unfolding and refolding intermediates.

Protein remodeling by AAA+ enzymes is central for maintaining proteostasis in a living cell. However, a detailed structural description of how this is accomplished at the level of the substrate molecules that are acted upon is lacking. Here, we combine chemical cross-linking and methyl transverse relaxation-optimized NMR spectroscopy to study, at atomic resolution, the stepwise unfolding and subsequent refolding of the two-domain substrate calmodulin by the VAT AAA+ unfoldase from Thermoplasma acidophilum By engineering intermolecular disulphide bridges between the substrate and VAT we trap the substrate at different stages of translocation, allowing structural studies throughout the translocation process. Our results show that VAT initiates substrate translocation by pulling on intrinsically unstructured N or C termini of substrate molecules without showing specificity for a particular amino acid sequence. Although the B1 domain of protein G is shown to unfold cooperatively, translocation of calmodulin leads to the formation of intermediates, and these differ on an individual domain level in a manner that depends on whether pulling is from the N or C terminus. The approach presented generates an atomic resolution picture of substrate unfolding and subsequent refolding by unfoldases that can be quite different from results obtained via in vitro denaturation experiments.

Probing the cooperativity of Thermoplasma acidophilum proteasome core particle gating by NMR spectroscopy.

The 20S proteasome core particle (20S CP) plays an integral role in cellular homeostasis by degrading proteins no longer required for function. The process is, in part, controlled via gating residues localized to the ends of the heptameric barrel-like CP structure that occlude substrate entry pores, preventing unregulated degradation of substrates that might otherwise enter the proteasome. Previously, we showed that the N-terminal residues of the α-subunits of the CP from the archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum are arranged such that, on average, two of the seven termini are localized inside the lumen of the proteasome, thereby plugging the entry pore and functioning as a gate. However, the mechanism of gating remains unclear. Using solution NMR and a labeling procedure in which a series of mixed proteasome rings are prepared such that the percentage of gate-containing subunits is varied, we address the energetics of gating and establish whether gating is a cooperative process involving the concerted action of residues from more than a single protomer. Our results establish that the intrinsic probability of a gate entering the lumen favors the in state by close to 20-fold, that entry of each gate is noncooperative, with the number of gates that can be accommodated inside the lumen a function of the substrate entry pore size and the bulkiness of the gating residues. Insight into the origin of the high affinity for the in state is obtained from spin-relaxation experiments. More generally, our approach provides an avenue for dissecting interactions of individual protomers in homo-oligomeric complexes.

Reaction Mechanism of Isopentenyl Phosphate Kinase: A QM/MM Study.

Isopentenyl phosphate kinase (IPK) catalyzes the Mg2+-ATP dependent phosphorylation reactions to produce isopentenyl diphosphate, an important precursor in the synthesis of isopentenols. However, the position of the divalent metal ion in the crystal structures of IPK in complex with ATP and its native substrate IP has not been definitively resolved, and as a result ambiguity surrounds the catalytic mechanism of IP, limiting its exploitation as a biofuel and in drug design. Here we report the catalytically competent structure in complex with the metal ion Mg2+ and elucidate the phosphorylation reaction mechanism using molecular dynamic simulations and density functional theory-based quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations (B97d/AMBER99). Comparing the substrate-bound and substrate-free IPK complexes, we observed that substrate binding results in significant conformational change of three residues Lys204, Glu207, and Lys211 located on the αG helix to form a strong salt bridge network with Asp145, which in turn tethers the invariant Ser142 via H-bond interaction. The conformational change shuts the subtrate entrance channel formed between the αG and αE helices. Further, we demonstrate the phosphorylation reaction occurs with a reaction barrier of 17.58 kcal/mol, which is in agreement with the previous experimental kinetic data. We found that a highly conserved Gly8 on a glycine-rich loop, together with Lys14, stabilizes the transition state.

In vitro site-specific recombination mediated by the tyrosine recombinase XerA of Thermoplasma acidophilum.

In organisms with circular chromosomes, such as bacteria and archaea, an odd number of homologous recombination events can generate a chromosome dimer. Such chromosome dimers cannot be segregated unless they are converted to monomers before cell division. In Escherichia coli, dimer-to-monomer conversion is mediated by the paralogous XerC and XerD recombinases at a specific dif site in the replication termination region. Dimer resolution requires the highly conserved cell division protein/chromosome translocase FtsK, and this site-specific chromosome resolution system is present or predicted in most bacteria. However, most archaea have only XerA, a homologue of the bacterial XerC/D proteins, but no homologues of FtsK. In addition, the molecular mechanism of XerA-mediated chromosome resolution in archaea has been less thoroughly elucidated than those of the corresponding bacterial systems. In this study, we identified two XerA-binding sites (dif1 and dif2) in the Thermoplasma acidophilum chromosome. In vitro site-specific recombination assays showed that dif2, but not dif1, serves as a target site for XerA-mediated chromosome resolution. Mutational analysis indicated that not only the core consensus sequence of dif2, but also its flanking regions play important roles in the recognition and recombination reactions mediated by XerA.

Structure of a AAA+ unfoldase in the process of unfolding substrate.

AAA+ unfoldases are thought to unfold substrate through the central pore of their hexameric structures, but how this process occurs is not known. VAT, the Thermoplasma acidophilum homologue of eukaryotic CDC48/p97, works in conjunction with the proteasome to degrade misfolded or damaged proteins. We show that in the presence of ATP, VAT with its regulatory N-terminal domains removed unfolds other VAT complexes as substrate. We captured images of this transient process by electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) to reveal the structure of the substrate-bound intermediate. Substrate binding breaks the six-fold symmetry of the complex, allowing five of the six VAT subunits to constrict into a tight helix that grips an ~80 Å stretch of unfolded protein. The structure suggests a processive hand-over-hand unfolding mechanism, where each VAT subunit releases the substrate in turn before re-engaging further along the target protein, thereby unfolding it.

The RecJ2 protein in the thermophilic archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum is a 3'-5' exonuclease that associates with a DNA replication complex.

RecJ/cell division cycle 45 (Cdc45) proteins are widely conserved in the three domains of life, i.e. in bacteria, Eukarya, and Archaea. Bacterial RecJ is a 5'-3' exonuclease and functions in DNA repair pathways by using its 5'-3' exonuclease activity. Eukaryotic Cdc45 has no identified enzymatic activity but participates in the CMG complex, so named because it is composed of Cdc45, minichromosome maintenance protein complex (MCM) proteins 2-7, and GINS complex proteins (Sld5, Psf11-3). Eukaryotic Cdc45 and bacterial/archaeal RecJ share similar amino acid sequences and are considered functional counterparts. In Archaea, a RecJ homolog in Thermococcus kodakarensis was shown to associate with GINS and accelerate its nuclease activity and was, therefore, designated GAN (GINS-associated nuclease); however, to date, no archaeal RecJ·MCM·GINS complex has been isolated. The thermophilic archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum has two RecJ-like proteins, designated TaRecJ1 and TaRecJ2. TaRecJ1 exhibited DNA-specific 5'-3' exonuclease activity, whereas TaRecJ2 had 3'-5' exonuclease activity and preferred RNA over DNA. TaRecJ2, but not TaRecJ1, formed a stable complex with TaGINS in a 2:1 molar ratio. Furthermore, the TaRecJ2·TaGINS complex stimulated activity of TaMCM (T. acidophilum MCM) helicase in vitro, and the TaRecJ2·TaMCM·TaGINS complex was also observed in vivo However, TaRecJ2 did not interact with TaMCM directly and was not required for the helicase activation in vitro These findings suggest that the function of archaeal RecJ in DNA replication evolved divergently from Cdc45 despite conservation of the CMG-like complex formation between Archaea and Eukarya.

Characterization of a Thermostable 8-Oxoguanine DNA Glycosylase Specific for GO/N Mismatches from the Thermoacidophilic Archaeon Thermoplasma volcanium.

The oxidation of guanine (G) to 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (GO) forms one of the major DNA lesions generated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The GO can be corrected by GO DNA glycosylases (Ogg), enzymes involved in base excision repair (BER). Unrepaired GO induces mismatched base pairing with adenine (A); as a result, the mismatch causes a point mutation, from G paired with cytosine (C) to thymine (T) paired with adenine (A), during DNA replication. Here, we report the characterization of a putative Ogg from the thermoacidophilic archaeon Thermoplasma volcanium. The 204-amino acid sequence of the putative Ogg (TVG_RS00315) shares significant sequence homology with the DNA glycosylases of Methanocaldococcus jannaschii (MjaOgg) and Sulfolobus solfataricus (SsoOgg). The six histidine-tagged recombinant TVG_RS00315 protein gene was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The Ogg protein is thermostable, with optimal activity near a pH of 7.5 and a temperature of 60°C. The enzyme displays DNA glycosylase, and apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) lyase activities on GO/N (where N is A, T, G, or C) mismatch; yet it cannot eliminate U from U/G or T from T/G, as mismatch glycosylase (MIG) can. These results indicate that TvoOgg-encoding TVG_RS00315 is a member of the Ogg2 family of T. volcanium.

Unfolding the mechanism of the AAA+ unfoldase VAT by a combined cryo-EM, solution NMR study.

The AAA+ (ATPases associated with a variety of cellular activities) enzymes play critical roles in a variety of homeostatic processes in all kingdoms of life. Valosin-containing protein-like ATPase of Thermoplasma acidophilum (VAT), the archaeal homolog of the ubiquitous AAA+ protein Cdc48/p97, functions in concert with the 20S proteasome by unfolding substrates and passing them on for degradation. Here, we present electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) maps showing that VAT undergoes large conformational rearrangements during its ATP hydrolysis cycle that differ dramatically from the conformational states observed for Cdc48/p97. We validate key features of the model with biochemical and solution methyl-transverse relaxation optimized spectroscopY (TROSY) NMR experiments and suggest a mechanism for coupling the energy of nucleotide hydrolysis to substrate unfolding. These findings illustrate the unique complementarity between cryo-EM and solution NMR for studies of molecular machines, showing that the structural properties of VAT, as well as the population distributions of conformers, are similar in the frozen specimens used for cryo-EM and in the solution phase where NMR spectra are recorded.

Cryo-EM single particle analysis with the Volta phase plate.

We present a method for in-focus data acquisition with a phase plate that enables near-atomic resolution single particle reconstructions. Accurate focusing is the determining factor for obtaining high quality data. A double-area focusing strategy was implemented in order to achieve the required precision. With this approach we obtained a 3.2 Å resolution reconstruction of the Thermoplasma acidophilum 20S proteasome. The phase plate matches or slightly exceeds the performance of the conventional defocus approach. Spherical aberration becomes a limiting factor for achieving resolutions below 3 Å with in-focus phase plate images. The phase plate could enable single particle analysis of challenging samples in terms of small size, heterogeneity and flexibility that are difficult to solve by the conventional defocus approach.

Crystal structure of Thermoplasma acidophilum XerA recombinase shows large C-shape clamp conformation and cis-cleavage mode for nucleophilic tyrosine.

Site-specific Xer recombination plays a pivotal role in reshuffling genetic information. Here, we report the 2.5 Å crystal structure of XerA from the archaean Thermoplasma acidophilum. Crystallographic data reveal a uniquely open conformational state, resulting in a C-shaped clamp with an angle of ~ 48° and a distance of 57 Å between the core-binding and the catalytic domains. The catalytic nucleophile, Tyr264, is positioned in cis-cleavage mode by XerA's C-term tail that interacts with the CAT domain of a neighboring monomer without DNA substrate. Structural comparisons of tyrosine recombinases elucidate the dynamics of Xer recombinase.

Mechanism of DNA loading by the DNA repair helicase XPD.

The xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD) helicase is a component of the transcription factor IIH complex in eukaryotes and plays an essential role in DNA repair in the nucleotide excision repair pathway. XPD is a 5' to 3' helicase with an essential iron-sulfur cluster. Structural and biochemical studies of the monomeric archaeal XPD homologues have aided a mechanistic understanding of this important class of helicase, but several important questions remain open. In particular, the mechanism for DNA loading, which is assumed to require large protein conformational change, is not fully understood. Here, DNA binding by the archaeal XPD helicase from Thermoplasma acidophilum has been investigated using a combination of crystallography, cross-linking, modified substrates and biochemical assays. The data are consistent with an initial tight binding of ssDNA to helicase domain 2, followed by transient opening of the interface between the Arch and 4FeS domains, allowing access to a second binding site on helicase domain 1 that directs DNA through the pore. A crystal structure of XPD from Sulfolobus acidocaldiarius that lacks helicase domain 2 has an otherwise unperturbed structure, emphasizing the stability of the interface between the Arch and 4FeS domains in XPD.

FANCM interacts with PCNA to promote replication traverse of DNA interstrand crosslinks.

FANCM is a highly conserved DNA remodeling enzyme that promotes the activation of the Fanconi anemia DNA repair pathway and facilitates replication traverse of DNA interstrand crosslinks. However, how FANCM interacts with the replication machinery to promote traverse remains unclear. Here, we show that FANCM and its archaeal homolog Hef from Thermoplasma acidophilum interact with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), an essential co-factor for DNA polymerases in both replication and repair. The interaction is mediated through a conserved PIP-box; and in human FANCM, it is strongly stimulated by replication stress. A FANCM variant carrying a mutation in the PIP-box is defective in promoting replication traverse of interstrand crosslinks and is also inefficient in promoting FANCD2 monoubiquitination, a key step of the Fanconi anemia pathway. Our data reveal a conserved interaction mode between FANCM and PCNA during replication stress, and suggest that this interaction is essential for FANCM to aid replication machines to traverse DNA interstrand crosslinks prior to post-replication repair.

Multisite-specific archaeosine tRNA-guanine transglycosylase (ArcTGT) from Thermoplasma acidophilum, a thermo-acidophilic archaeon.

Archaeosine (G(+)), which is found only at position 15 in many archaeal tRNA, is formed by two steps, the replacement of the guanine base with preQ0 by archaeosine tRNA-guanine transglycosylase (ArcTGT) and the subsequent modification of preQ0 to G(+) by archaeosine synthase. However, tRNA(Leu) from Thermoplasma acidophilum, a thermo-acidophilic archaeon, exceptionally has two G(+)13 and G(+)15 modifications. In this study, we focused on the biosynthesis mechanism of G(+)13 and G(+)15 modifications in this tRNA(Leu). Purified ArcTGT from Pyrococcus horikoshii, for which the tRNA recognition mechanism and structure were previously characterized, exchanged only the G15 base in a tRNA(Leu) transcript with (14)C-guanine. In contrast, T. acidophilum cell extract exchanged both G13 and G15 bases. Because T. acidophilum ArcTGT could not be expressed as a soluble protein in Escherichia coli, we employed an expression system using another thermophilic archaeon, Thermococcus kodakarensis. The arcTGT gene in T. kodakarensis was disrupted, complemented with the T. acidophilum arcTGT gene, and tRNA(Leu) variants were expressed. Mass spectrometry analysis of purified tRNA(Leu) variants revealed the modifications of G(+)13 and G(+)15 in the wild-type tRNA(Leu). Thus, T. acidophilum ArcTGT has a multisite specificity and is responsible for the formation of both G(+)13 and G(+)15 modifications.