Structural details of a calcium-induced molecular switch: X-ray crystallographic analysis of the calcium-saturated N-terminal domain of troponin C at 1.75 A resolution.

We have solved and refined the crystal and molecular structures of the calcium-saturated N-terminal domain of troponin C (TnC) to 1.75 A resolution. This has allowed for the first detailed analysis of the calcium binding sites of this molecular switch in the calcium-loaded state. The results provide support for the proposed binding order and qualitatively, for the affinity of calcium in the two regulatory calcium binding sites. Based on a comparison with the high-resolution apo-form of TnC we propose a possible mechanism for the calcium-mediated exposure of a large hydrophobic surface that is central to the initiation of muscle contraction within the cell.

Crystal and molecular structures of human progastricsin at 1.62 A resolution.

The crystal and molecular structures of human progastricsin (hPGC) have been determined using multiple isomorphous replacement methods and anomalous scattering in conjunction with a phased translation function. The structure has been refined to a conventional R-factor (= sigma parallel Fo magnitude of - magnitude of Fc parallel / sigma magnitude of Fo magnitude of) of 0.179 with data to 1.62 A resolution. The first 37 amino acid residues of the prosegment are similar in conformation to the equivalent residues of porcine pepsinogen (pPGN). As in pPGN, the N zeta atom of Lys37p sits between the active-site carboxylate groups of Asp32 and Asp217, thereby preventing catalysis. The side-chains of Tyr38p and Tyr9 sit in the S1' and S1 substrate-binding pockets of hPGC, respectively, in an analogous manner to what is observed in porcine pepsinogen. There are large conformational differences centered around the region containing residues Arg39p to Pro6, relative to the equivalent region in the structure of pPGN. Two surface loops in the vicinity of this segment are also displaced relative to those in pPGN and in mature aspartic proteinases (Phe71 to Thr81 (the "flap"), and Tyr125 to Thr131). In hPGC, Tyr75 O eta does not make its usual hydrogen bond to Trp39 N epsilon 1. Rather, the "flap" containing Tyr75 is excluded from the active site by the polypeptide segment Arg39p to Pro6. However, the conformation of the inhibitory segment, Lys37p to Tyr38p, is virtually identical with that observed in pPGN. Hence the structures of these two proteins indicate that aspartic proteinase zymogens keep themselves inactive at neutral pH by a very similar mechanism in human progastricsin and porcine pepsinogen. This similarity likely carries over to all members of both the pepsinogen A and C families of aspartic proteinase zymogens.

Refined crystal structure of rat parvalbumin, a mammalian alpha-lineage parvalbumin, at 2.0 A resolution.

We present here the X-ray crystal structure of the rat alpha-parvalbumin from fast twitch muscle. This protein (M(r) 11.8 kDa) crystallizes in space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with unit cell dimensions of a = 34.3 A, b = 55.0 A, c = 156.1 A and three molecules in the asymmetric unit. The protein structure was solved by the molecular replacement method and has been refined to a crystallographic R-factor [formula: see text] of 0.181 for all reflections with I/sigma(I) > or = 2 (I = intensity) between 8.0 and 2.0 A resolution. The molecules located most easily in the molecular replacement rotation function had lower overall thermal motion parameters and higher numbers of intermolecular crystal packing contacts. The overall fold of the polypeptide chain for the rat alpha-parvalbumin is similar to other known parvalbumin structures (root-mean-square deviations in alpha-carbon atom positions range from 0.60 to 0.87 A). There are two Ca(2+)-binding sites in parvalbumins, and there is some evidence for a third ion-binding site, adjacent to the CD site, in the rat species. The level of structural variability among the best-ordered regions of the three independent rat alpha-parvalbumin molecules in the crystallographic asymmetric unit is two to three times higher than the mean coordinate error (0.10 A), indicating flexibility in the molecule. Sequence differences between alpha and beta-lineage parvalbumins result in repacking of the hydrophobic core and some shifts in the protein backbone. The shifts are localized, however, and entire helices do not shift as rigid units.

Crystallographic analysis of transition state mimics bound to penicillopepsin: difluorostatine- and difluorostatone-containing peptides.

Difluorostatine- and difluorostatone-containing peptides have been evaluated as potent inhibitors of penicillopepsin, a member of the aspartic proteinase family of enzymes. Isovaleryl-Val-Val-StaF2NHCH3 [StaF2 = (S)-4-amino-2,2-difluoro-(R)-3-hydroxy-6-methylheptanoic acid] and isovaleryl-Val-Val-StoF2NHCH3 [StoF2 = (S)-4-amino-2,2-difluoro-3-oxo-6-methylheptanoic acid] have measured Ki's of 10 x 10(-9) and 1 x 10(-9) M, respectively, with this fungal proteinase. The StoF2-containing peptide binds 32-fold more tightly to the enzyme than the analogous peptide containing the non-fluorinated statine ethyl ester. Each compound was cocrystallized with penicillopepsin, intensity data were collected to 1.8-A resolution, and the atomic coordinates were refined to an R factor [formula: see text] of 0.131 for both complexes. The inhibitors bind in the active site of penicillopepsin in much the same fashion as do other statine-containing inhibitors of penicillopepsin analyzed earlier [James, M. N. G., Sielecki, A. Salituro, F., Rich, D. H., & Hofmann, T. (1982) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 79, 6137-6141; James, M.N.G., Sielecki, A., & Hofmann, T. (1985) in Aspartic Proteinases and their Inhibitors (Kosta, V., Ed.) pp 163-177, Walter deGruyter, Berlin]. The (R)-3-hydroxyl group in StaF2 binds between the active site carboxyl groups of Asp33 and Asp213, making hydrogen-bonding contacts to each one. The ketone functional group of the StoF2 inhibitor is bound as a hydrated species, with the gem-diol situated between the two aspartic acid carboxyl groups in a manner similar to that predicted for the tetrahedral intermediate expected during the catalytic hydrolysis of a peptide bond [James, M. N. G., & Sielecki, A. (1985) Biochemistry 24, 3701-3713]. One hydrogen-bonding interaction from the "outer" hydroxyl group is made to O delta 1 of Asp33, and the "inner" hydroxyl group forms two hydrogen-bonding contacts, one to each of the carboxyl groups of Asp33 (O delta 2) and Asp213 (O delta 2). The only structural difference between the StaF2 and StoF2 inhibitors that accounts for the factor of 10 in their Ki's is the additional (R)-3-OH group on the tetrahedral sp3 carbon atom of the hydrated StoF2 inhibitor. The intermolecular interactions involving the fluorine atoms of each inhibitor are normal van der Waals contacts to one of the carboxyl oxygen atoms of Asp213 (F2-O delta 2 Asp213, 2.9 A). The observed stereochemistry of the bound StoF2 group in the active site of penicillopepsin has stimulated our reappraisal of the catalytic pathway for the aspartic proteinases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Refined structure of porcine pepsinogen at 1.8 A resolution.

The molecular structure of porcine pepsinogen at 1.8 A resolution has been determined by a combination of molecular replacement and multiple isomorphous phasing techniques. The resulting structure was refined by restrained-parameter least-squares methods. The final R factor [formula: see text] is 0.164 for 32,264 reflections with I greater than or equal to sigma (I) in the resolution range of 8.0 to 1.8 A. The model consists of 2785 protein atoms in 370 residues, a phosphoryl group on Ser68 and 238 ordered water molecules. The resulting molecular stereochemistry is consistent with a well-refined crystal structure with co-ordinate accuracy in the range of 0.10 to 0.15 A for the well-ordered regions of the molecule (B less than 15 A2). For the enzyme portion of the zymogen, the root-mean-square difference in C alpha atom co-ordinates with the refined porcine pepsin structure is 0.90 A (284 common atoms) and with the C alpha atoms of penicillopepsin it is 1.63 A (275 common atoms). The additional 44 N-terminal amino acids of the prosegment (Leu1p to Leu44p, using the letter p after the residue number to distinguish the residues of the prosegment) adopt a relatively compact structure consisting of a long beta-strand followed by two approximately orthogonal alpha-helices and a short 3(10)-helix. Intimate contacts, both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, are made with residues in the pepsin active site. The N-terminal beta-strand, Leu1p to Leu6p, forms part of the six-stranded beta-sheet common to the aspartic proteinases. In the zymogen the first 13 residues of pepsin, Ile1 to Glu13, adopt a completely different conformation from that of the mature enzyme. The C alpha atom of Ile1 must move approximately 44 A in going from its position in the inactive zymogen to its observed position in active pepsin. Electrostatic interactions of Lys36pN and hydrogen-bonding interactions of Tyr37pOH, and Tyr90H with the two catalytic aspartate groups, Asp32 and Asp215, prevent substrate access to the active site of the zymogen. We have made a detailed comparison of the mammalian pepsinogen fold with the fungal aspartic proteinase fold of penicillopepsin, used for the molecular replacement solution. A structurally derived alignment of the two sequences is presented.

Molecular and crystal structures of monoclinic porcine pepsin refined at 1.8 A resolution.

The molecular structure of the archetypal aspartic proteinase, porcine pepsin (EC 3.4.23.1), has been refined using data collected from a single monoclinic crystal on a twin multiwire detector system to 1.8 A resolution. The current crystallographic R-factor (= sigma parallel to Fo/-/Fc parallel to/sigma/Fo/) is 0.174 for the 20,519 reflections with /Fo/ greater than or equal to 3 sigma (Fo) in the range 8.0 to 1.8 A (/Fo/ and /Fc/ are the observed and calculated structure factor amplitudes respectively). The refinement has shown conclusively that there are only 326 amino acid residues in porcine pepsin. Ile230 is not present in the molecule. The two catalytic residues Asp32 and Asp215 have dispositions in porcine pepsin very similar to the dispositions of the equivalent residues in the other aspartic proteinases of known structure. A bound solvent molecule is associated with both carboxyl groups at the active site. No bound ethanol molecule could be identified conclusively in the structure. The average thermal motion parameter of the residues that comprise the C-terminal domain of pepsin is approximately twice that of the residues in the N-terminal domain. Comparisons of the tertiary structure of pepsin with porcine pepsinogen, penicillopepsin, rhizopus pepsin and endothia pepsin reveal that the N-terminal domains are topographically more similar than the conformationally flexible C-terminal domains. The conformational differences may be modeled as rigid-body movements of "reduced" C-terminal domains (residues 193 to 212 and 223 to 298 in pepsin numbering). A similar movement of the C-terminal domain of endothia pepsin has been observed upon inhibitor binding. A phosphoryl group covalently attached to Ser68 O gamma has been identified in the electron density map of porcine pepsin. The low pKa1 value for this group, coupled with unusual microenvironments for several of the aspartyl carboxylate groups, ensures a net negative charge on porcine pepsin in a strongly acid medium. Thus, there is a structural explanation for the very early observations of "anodic migration" of porcine pepsin at pH 1. In the crystals, the molecules are packed tightly into a monoclinic unit cell. There are 190 direct contacts (less than or equal to 4.0 A) between a central pepsin molecule and the five unique symmetry-related molecules surrounding it in the crystalline lattice. The tight packing in this cell makes pepsin's active site and binding cleft relatively inaccessible to substrate analogs or inhibitors.

Structure of recombinant human renin, a target for cardiovascular-active drugs, at 2.5 A resolution.

The x-ray crystal structure of recombinant human renin has been determined. Molecular dynamics techniques that included crystallographic data as a restraint were used to improve an initial model based on porcine pepsinogen. The present agreement factor for data from 8.0 to 2.5 angstroms (A) is 0.236. Some of the surface loops are poorly determined, and these disordered regions border a 30 A wide solvent channel. Comparison of renin with other aspartyl proteinases shows that, although the structural cores and active sites are highly conserved, surface residues, some of which are critical for specificity, vary greatly (up to 10A). Knowledge of the actual structure, as opposed to the use of models based on related enzymes, should facilitate the design of renin inhibitors.

Crystal and molecular structures of the complex of alpha-chymotrypsin with its inhibitor turkey ovomucoid third domain at 1.8 A resolution.

The molecular structure of the complex between bovine pancreatic alpha-chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.4.5) and the third domain of the Kazal-type ovomucoid from Turkey (OMTKY3) has been determined crystallographically by the molecular replacement method. Restrained-parameter least-squares refinement of the molecular model of the complex has led to a conventional agreement factor R of 0.168 for the 19,466 reflections in the 1.8 A (1 A = 0.1 nm) resolution shell [I greater than or equal to sigma (I)]. The reactive site loop of OMTKY3, from Lys13I to Arg21I (I indicates inhibitor), is highly complementary to the surface of alpha-chymotrypsin in the complex. A total of 13 residues on the inhibitor make 113 contacts of less than 4.0 A with 21 residues of the enzyme. A short contact (2.95 A) from O gamma of Ser195 to the carbonyl-carbon atom of the scissile bond between Leu18I and Glu19I is present; in spite of it, this peptide remains planar and undistorted. Analysis of the interactions of the inhibitor with chymotrypsin explains the enhanced specificity that chymotrypsin has for P'3 arginine residues. There is a water-mediated ion pair between the guanidinium group on this residue and the carboxylate of Asp64. Comparison of the structure of the alpha-chymotrypsin portion of this complex with the several structures of alpha and gamma-chymotrypsin in the uncomplexed form shows a high degree of structural equivalence (root-mean-square deviation of the 234 common alpha-carbon atoms averages 0.38 A). Significant differences occur mainly in two regions Lys36 to Phe39 and Ser75 to Lys79. Among the 21 residues that are in contact with the ovomucoid domain, only Phe39 and Tyr146 change their conformations significantly as a result of forming the complex. Comparison of the structure of the OMTKY3 domain in this complex to that of the same inhibitor bound to a serine proteinase from Streptomyces griseus (SGPB) shows a central core of 44 amino acids (the central alpha-helix and flanking small 3-stranded beta-sheet) that have alpha-carbon atoms fitting to within 1.0 A (root-mean-square deviation of 0.45 A) whereas the residues of the reactive-site loop differ in position by up to 1.9 A (C alpha of Leu18I). The ovomucoid domain has a built-in conformational flexibility that allows it to adapt to the active sites of different enzymes. A comparison of the SGPB and alpha-chymotrypsin molecules is made and the water molecules bound at the inhibitor-enzyme interface in both complexes are analysed for similarities and differences.

Molecular structure of an aspartic proteinase zymogen, porcine pepsinogen, at 1.8 A resolution.

The only well-understood mechanism of zymogen activation is that of the serine proteinases, in which proteolytic cleavage leads to conformational changes resulting in a functional active site. A different mechanism is now unveiled by the crystal structure of pepsinogen. Salt bridges that stabilize the positioning of the N-terminal proenzyme segment across the active site of pepsin are disrupted at low pH, releasing the amino-terminal segment and thereby exposing the catalytic apparatus and the substrate-binding sites.

Stereochemical analysis of peptide bond hydrolysis catalyzed by the aspartic proteinase penicillopepsin.

The X-ray crystal structures of native penicillopepsin and of its complex with a synthetic analogue of the inhibitor pepstatin have been refined recently at 1.8-A resolution. These highly refined structures permit a detailed examination of peptide hydrolysis in the aspartic proteinases. Complexes of penicillopepsin with substrate and catalytic intermediates were modeled, by using computer graphics, with minimal perturbation of the observed inhibitor complex. A thallium ion binding experiment shows that the position of solvent molecule O39, between Asp-33(32) and Asp-213(215) in the native structure, is favorable for cations, a fact that places constraints on possible mechanisms. A mechanism for hydrolysis is proposed in which Asp-213(215) acts as an electrophile by protonating the carbonyl oxygen of the substrate, thereby polarizing the carbon-oxygen bond, a water molecule bound to Asp-33(32) (O284 in the native structure) attacks the carbonyl carbon as the nucleophile in a general-base mechanism, the newly pyramidal peptide nitrogen is protonated, either from the solvent after nitrogen inversion or by an internal proton transfer via Asp-213(215) from a hydroxyl of the tetrahedral carbon, and the tetrahedral intermediate breaks down in a manner consistent with the stereoelectronic hypothesis. The models permit the rationalization of observed subsite preferences for substrates and may be useful in predicting subsite preferences of other aspartic proteinases.

Structure of the complex of Streptomyces griseus protease B and the third domain of the turkey ovomucoid inhibitor at 1.8-A resolution.

The structure of the complex between the serine protease Streptomyces griseus protease B (SGPB) and the third domain of the Kazal-type ovomucoid inhibitor from turkey has been solved at 1.8-A resolution and refined to a conventional R factor of 0.125. As others have reported previously for analogous complexes of proteases and protein inhibitors, the inhibitor binds in a fashion similar to that of a substrate; it is not cleaved, but there is a close approach (2.7 A) of the active site nucleophile Ser-195 O gamma to the carbonyl carbon of the reactive peptide bond of the inhibitor. Contrary to the structural reports regarding the other enzyme-inhibitor complexes, we conclude that there is no evidence for a significant distortion of this peptide bond from planarity. The mechanism of inhibition can be understood in terms of the equilibrium thermodynamic parameters Ka, the enzyme-inhibitor association constant, and Khyd, the equilibrium constant for inhibitor hydrolysis. These thermodynamic parameters can be rationalized in terms of the observed structure.

Active site of alpha-lytic protease: enzyme-substrate interactions.

The active site of alpha-lytic protease has been studied with a number of synthetic peptides and compared with similar data published for elastase. The kinetic data indicate that the active site of alpha-lytic protease extends over at least six subsites (S4--S2'). This extended active site has the effect of increasing kcat/Km by more than 10(6)-fold on going from an N-acetylated amino acid amide to a hexapeptide, due mainly to increases in kcat. There are major differences between alpha-lytic protease and elastase, both in terms of the kinetic parameters for a number of substrates and in terms of the tertiary structure of the active site. The ability of the S1 subsite to interact with various P1 amino acid side chains differs markedly between the two enzymes, and can be rationalized in terms of the tertiary structural differences. For alpha-lytic protease, enzyme-substrate interactions made in subsite S2 appears to be of primary importance, whereas subsite S4 is most important for elastase. The tertiary structural homology of alpha-lytic protease with another bacterial serine protease, Streptomyces griseus protease A, has allowed detailed model building of a tetrapeptide Ac-Pro-Ala-Pro-Ala-OH at the active site. In this way, the subsites S1--S4 have been examined for alpha-lytic protease and compared to other serine proteases.

X-ray crystallography of the binding of the bacterial cell wall trisaccharide NAM-NAG-NAM to lysozyme.

Hen egg white lysozyme was the first enzyme whose structure was determined by X-ray crystallography. The proposed mechanism based on this structure involves the distortion of the saccharide residue (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-muramic acid, NAM) in the natural substrate (an alternating beta (1 leads to 4) linked oligomer of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose (NAG) and NAM residues) bound to site D in the binding cleft. The importance of substrate distortion has prompted numerous enzymatic, chemical, theoretical, and physical studies, but there is little direct crystallographic evidence on the conformation of a NAM residue bound at site D. We now present the X-ray structure of the non-hydrolysed trisaccharide NAM-NAG-NAM bound in subsites B, C, D. Our interpretation of the 2.5-A resolution difference map does not involve distortion of this residue in site D. Comparison with the structure of the delta-lactone derived from tetra N-acetylchitotetraose (NAG)3NAL) bound to lysozyme suggests we may be looking at a Michaelis complex.