Structure of Cry3A delta-endotoxin within phospholipid membranes.

Interaction of delta-endotoxin and its proteolytic fragments with phospholipid vesicles was studied using electron microscopy, scanning microcalorimetry, and limited proteolysis. It was shown that native protein destroys liposomes. The removal of 4 N-terminal alpha-helices and the extreme 56 C-terminal amino acid residues did not affect this ability. The results obtained by limited proteolysis of delta-endotoxin bound to lipid vesicles show essential conformational changes in three or four N-terminal helices and in the C-terminal region. The calorimetric method used in this study provides a unique possibility for the validation of existing models of protein binding and for a more accurate determination of the regions where conformational changes take place. It was found that the binding of the protein to model liposomes does not alter its structure in the regions starting with the fourth alpha-helix of domain I. This can be concluded from the fact that the activation energy of denaturation of the protein remains unchanged upon its binding to the phospholipid membranes. A new structural model has been proposed which agrees with the data obtained.

[Characteristic of mutants of Pseudomonas putida IPM-36 recombinant strains, selected by anticipating growth on a media containing an inducer of cry3A gene expression]. / Kharakteristika mutantov rekombinantnogo shtamma Pseudomonas putida IPM-36, otobrannykh po priznaku operezhaiushchego rosta na srede s induktorom ékspressii cry3A-gena.

Induction of the expression of the delta-endotoxin gene from Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis in the recombinant strain Pseudomonas putida IPM-36 negatively affected the viability and the growth rate of the culture. In order to optimize the insecticide production by the recombinant strain, mutant clones exhibiting anticipating growth on an inducer-containing medium were selected and studied. These clones differed in such aspects as the localization of mutations (either in plasmid pBTN11, carrying the cry3A gene, or in the chromosome), growth rate, or the level of delta-endotoxin synthesis after induction. Several mutants obtained proved much superior to P. putida IPM-36 in their structural and segregation stability, although they were as efficient as the original strain with respect to the production of the insecticide (protei Cry3A).

Transition state of the rate-limiting step of heat denaturation of Cry3A delta-endotoxin.

Heat denaturation of Cry3A delta-endotoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis and its 55 kDa fragment was studied by differential scanning microcalorimetry at low pH. Analysis of the calorimetric data has shown that denaturation of Cry3A delta-endotoxin is a nonequilibrium process at heating rates from 0. 125 to 2 K/min. This means that the stability of delta-endotoxin (the apparent temperature of denaturation Tm) under these conditions is under kinetic control rather than under thermodynamic control. It has been shown that heat denaturation of this protein is a one-step kinetic process. The enthalpy of the process and its activation energy were measured as functions of temperature. The data obtained allow confirmation of the fact that the conformation of delta-endotoxin at the transition state only slightly differs from its native conformation with respect to compactness and extent of hydration. The comparison of the activation energy for intact delta-endotoxin and the 55 kDa fragment showed that the transition of the molecule to a transition state does not cause any changes in the conformation of three N-terminal alpha-helices. Complete removal of the N-terminal domain of delta-endotoxin and 40 amino acids from the C-terminus beta-sheet domain III causes an irreversible loss of the tertiary structure. Thus, during protein folding the nucleation core determining protein stability does not involve its three initial alpha-helices but may include the remaining alpha-helices of the N-terminal domain. The functional significance of peculiarities of structure arrangement of the delta-endotoxin molecule is discussed.

[Features of the production of CryIIIA delta-endotoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis in a recombinant strain of Pseudomonas putida under control of Pm and xylS regulatory elements]. / Osobennosti produktsii CryIIIA delta-éndotoksina Bacillus thuringiensis v rekombinantnom shtamme Pseudomonas putida pod kontrolem reguliatornykh élementov Pm i xylS.

The addition of 3-methyl benzoate to the culture of the recombinant strain Pseudomonas putida IPM-36 (bearing the cryIIIA gene of B. thuringiensis subsp, tenebrionis under the control of the Pm promoter and the regulator gene xylS) slowed down the growth rate of the recombinant strain and increased, under non-selective conditions, the number of plasmid-free cells. Intense synthesis of the Coleoptera-specific delta-endotoxin encoded by the cryIIIA gene began 6-8 h after the addition of the inducer 3-methyl benzoate, no matter whether it was added in the early or late logarithmic phase. Maximal production of endotoxin (0.5-0.6 g/l) was observed when the inducer was added in the early logarithmic phase (3 h of growth). Overproduction of delta-endotoxin impaired cell division, so that filamentous cells became predominant in the culture. delta-Endotoxin accumulated in overproducing cells as irregular crystalloid inclusions.

Application of free-flow electrophoresis for isolation and purification of proteins and peptides.

Free-flow electrophoresis (FFE) has been applied to the separation and purification of a variety of proteins and polypeptides: bee venom, tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1beta, interferon-gamma and superoxide dismutase. FFE at constant pH and conductivity of the carrying buffer is shown to be efficient at various separation schemes. In some cases, the method allows us to obtain proteins with a purity of more than 90% at a productivity of 20-30 mg/h. An electrophoretic apparatus with a new, multi-sectional construction of the electrophoretic chamber and a system for cross-displacement of carrying buffer in the chamber is described.

[Thermodynamic analysis of domain organization of Bacillus thuringiensis toxins]. / Termodinamicheskii analiz domennoi organizatsii toksinov Bacillus thuringiensis.

The structure of delta-endotoxins CryIA(c) and CryIIIA from Bacillus thuringiensis was studied by differential scanning microcalorimerty. The analysis of molecular melting showed that the N- and C-terminal halves of the CryIA(c) protoxin from B. thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki HD-73 are thermodynamically independent subunits, with the C-terminal fragment being denatured at a much lower temperature than the N-terminal fragment. The tertiary structure of the N-terminal fragment undergoes no changes during the protoxin-toxin transition. The melting of the native structure of CryIA(c) at pH 9.7-11.0 suggests that it consists of two domains. In CryIIIA from B. thuringiensis subspecies tenebrionis, the transition from the native to denatured state under alkaline conditions (pH 9.7-11.0) proceeds by the "two-state" principle; i.e., the protein melts as one cooperative domain. The melting of the CryIIIA toxin at pH 2.2-3.5 is described by two transitions overlapping by temperatures, indicating the presence of two domains.

Correlation of the character of intramolecular melting with digestibility by pepsin in precipitating and non-precipitating pig anti-Dnp antibodies.

Precipitating and non-precipitating pig anti-2,4-dinitrophenyl group (Dnp) antibodies were investigated by differential adiabatic scanning microcalorimetry in the pH range 3.7-4.5. The partial heat capacity functions obtained revealed a notable difference between the two antibody types when the analysis was done at pH 4.5 or 4.0. The transition observed at temps around 50 degrees C in a non-precipitating antibody was absent in a precipitating antibody. Under analogous conditions, pH 4.5, the precipitating antibody was fully resistant to pepsin, while the non-precipitating antibody yielded appropriate F(ab')2 and pFc'fragments. At pH 3.7 no substantial difference in the partial heat capacity function could be observed between the two antibody types. Below pH 4.0 the precipitating antibody became susceptible to peptic cleavage and yielded fragments of the same general character as the non-precipitating antibody. This finding lends support to the view that the structural block in immunoglobulin G that melts first, i.e. at temps near 50 degrees C, is the CH2 domain or a part of it.

Conformational changes induced by hapten in murine monoclonal antibodies to dinitrophenyl groups--the analysis by temperature-perturbation spectroscopy.

Two samples of murine monoclonal antibodies to dinitrophenyl groups were studied by difference thermal perturbation spectroscopy with particular attention to changes in the amount of perturbed chromophores induced in antibodies as a result of hapten binding (epsilon-2,4-dinitrophenyl-L-lysine). Despite the fact that both antibody samples belong to immunoglobulin G1 and have the same type of light chain, kappa, they were found to differ significantly in the number of the chromophores perturbed by temperature. The binding of hapten decreases the perturbation of chromophores only in the sample with the less rigid structure, as regards thermal perturbation. These data provide evidence that differences in the rigidity of the structure of variable domains affect the extent of conformational changes induced in the antibodies due to the interaction with an antigen.

Conformational changes induced by hapten in pig antibodies to the dinitrophenyl group. Analysis by temperature-perturbation and solvent-perturbation spectroscopy.

Pig antibodies to the dinitrophenyl group and fragments derived from them by limited proteolysis were studied by temperature-perturbation and solvent-perturbation spectroscopy with particular attention to differences between the number of perturbed chromophores in free antibodies and in antibody-hapten complexes. The position of the maxima in the difference spectra show that solvent-perturbed chromophores are exposed to water, but thermally perturbed chromophores are located in a microenvironment the polarity of which corresponds to 25-50% ethylene glycol. A significant fraction of tyrosine residues (65-90%) and tryptophan residues (20-45%) is perturbed by temperature. Much lower fractions, i.e. 35-45% of tyrosine residues and less than 15% of tryptophan residues, are perturbed by 20% glycerol. The numbers of perturbed chromophores in fragments constituting the molecule are lower than or equal to the numbers in the original molecule. The effect of hapten binding is significant only with one of the antibody types, the precipitating antibody. The number of thermally perturbed tyrosine residues is by about 17% lower in the liganded antibody. The absence of an analogous effect in the Fab fragment suggests that the fine conformational mechanism of signal transfer from the binding sites operates only in intact antibody molecules.