The refined crystal structure of the 3C gene product from hepatitis A virus: specific proteinase activity and RNA recognition.

The virally encoded 3C proteinases of picornaviruses process the polyprotein produced by the translation of polycistronic viral mRNA. The X-ray crystallographic structure of a catalytically active mutant of the hepatitis A virus (HAV) 3C proteinase (C24S) has been determined. Crystals of this mutant of HAV 3C are triclinic with unit cell dimensions a = 53.6 A, b = 53.5 A, c = 53.2 A, alpha = 99.1 degrees, beta = 129.0 degrees, and gamma = 103.3 degrees. There are two molecules of HAV 3C in the unit cell of this crystal form. The structure has been refined to an R factor of 0.211 (Rfree = 0.265) at 2.0-A resolution. Both molecules fold into the characteristic two-domain structure of the chymotrypsin-like serine proteinases. The active-site and substrate-binding regions are located in a surface groove between the two beta-barrel domains. The catalytic Cys 172 S(gamma) and His 44 N(epsilon2) are separated by 3.9 A; the oxyanion hole adopts the same conformation as that seen in the serine proteinases. The side chain of Asp 84, the residue expected to form the third member of the catalytic triad, is pointed away from the side chain of His 44 and is locked in an ion pair interaction with the epsilon-amino group of Lys 202. A water molecule is hydrogen bonded to His 44 N(delta1). The side-chain phenolic hydroxyl group of Tyr 143 is close to this water and to His 44 N(delta1) and may be negatively charged. The glutamine specificity for P1 residues of substrate cleavage sites is attributed to the presence of a highly conserved His 191 in the S1 pocket. A very unusual environment of two water molecules and a buried glutamate contribute to the imidazole tautomer believed to be important in the P1 specificity. HAV 3C proteinase has the conserved RNA recognition sequence KFRDI located in the interdomain connection loop on the side of the molecule diametrically opposite the proteolytic site. This segment of polypeptide is located between the N- and C-terminal helices, and its conformation results in the formation of a well-defined surface with a strongly charged electrostatic potential. Presumably, this surface of HAV 3C participates in the recognition of the 5' and 3' nontranslated regions of the RNA genome during viral replication.

The crystal structure of PR3, a neutrophil serine proteinase antigen of Wegener's granulomatosis antibodies.

The crystal structure of PR3, a serine proteinase from the azurophilic granules of human polymorphonuclear neutrophils, has been solved by molecular replacement using the human leukocyte elastase structure. The PR3 structure has been refined to an R-factor (= sigma parallel Fo magnitude of-Fc parallel/sigma magnitude of Fo) of 0.201 for all data in the range of 10.0 to 2.2 A resolution. The enzyme was crystallized in space group P21 with four molecules in the asymmetric unit (Vm approximately equal to 2.6 A/Da). The overall fold consists of two domains of beta-barrel structures typical of the chymotrypsin family of serine proteinases. In general, the substrate binding sites, S4 to S3', are more polar than comparable sites in the related proteinase, human leukocyte elastase. The experimentally observed preference of PR3 for small aliphatic residues at the P1 position of a substrate is explained by the Val to Ile substitution at position 190 when compared to the elastase structure. The substitution of Ala by Asp at position 213 at the back of S1 should not affect its specificity greatly, as the Asp side-chain points back into the interior of the protein. The PR3 structure includes a disaccharide unit (N-linked 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranose and 1,6-linked alpha-L-fucopyranose) covalently attached to Asn 159. The linear antigenic sites of PR3 reported to react with Wegener's granulomatosis autoantibodies occur in regions of the three-dimensional structure that may implicate the inactive pro-form of the enzyme in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Crystal structure of human pepsin and its complex with pepstatin.

The three-dimensional crystal structure of human pepsin and that of its complex with pepstatin have been solved by X-ray crystallographic methods. The native pepsin structure has been refined with data collected to 2.2 A resolution to an R-factor of 19.7%. The pepsin:pepstatin structure has been refined with data to 2.0 A resolution to an R-factor of 18.5%. The hydrogen bonding interactions and the conformation adopted by pepstatin are very similar to those found in complexes of pepstatin with other aspartic proteinases. The enzyme undergoes a conformational change upon inhibitor binding to enclose the inhibitor more tightly. The analysis of the binding sites indicates that they form an extended tube without distinct binding pockets. By comparing the residues on the binding surface with those of the other human aspartic proteinases, it has been possible to rationalize some of the experimental data concerning the different specificities. At the S1 site, valine at position 120 in renin instead of isoleucine, as in the other enzymes, allows for binding of larger hydrophobic residues. The possibility of multiple conformations for the P2 residue makes the analysis of the S2 site difficult. However, it is possible to see that the specific interactions that renin makes with histidine at P2 would not be possible in the case of the other enzymes. At the S3 site, the smaller volume that is accessible in pepsin compared to the other enzymes is consistent with its preference for smaller residues at the P3 position.

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.

[A comparative study of the thermal stability of phenylalanyl tRNA synthetase from Escherichia coli MRE-600 and Thermus thermophilus HB 8]. / Sravnitel'noe issledovanie termostabil'nosti fenilalanil-tRNK-sintetaz iz Escherichia coli MRE-600 i Thermus thermophilus HB 8.

The thermal stability of phenylalanyl-tRNA-synthetase (PTS) from E. coli and T.thermophilus HB 8 was studied in solution at various conditions by scanning microcalorimetry. It has been shown that the value of heating rate, concentration of the enzyme and Mg2+ ions in the solution affects the parameters of thermal denaturation of both enzymes. The higher thermal stability of PTS from T. thermophilus was observed as well as the independence of its properties upon broad variations of experimental conditions. The role of thermostability of the enzymes are discussed with respect to the biological properties of E. coli and T.thermophilus.

Picornaviral 3C cysteine proteinases have a fold similar to chymotrypsin-like serine proteinases.

The picornavirus family includes several pathogens such as poliovirus, rhinovirus (the major cause of the common cold), hepatitis A virus and the foot-and-mouth disease virus. Picornaviral proteins are expressed by direct translation of the genomic RNA into a single, large polyprotein precursor. Proteolysis of the viral polyprotein into the mature proteins is assured by the viral 3C enzymes, which are cysteine proteinases. Here we report the X-ray crystal structure at 2.3 A resolution of the 3C proteinase from hepatitis A virus (HAV-3C). The overall architecture of HAV-3C reveals a fold resembling that of the chymotrypsin family of serine proteinases, which is consistent with earlier predictions. Catalytic residues include Cys 172 as nucleophile and His 44 as general base. The 3C cleavage specificity for glutamine residues is defined primarily by His 191. The overall structure suggests that an intermolecular (trans) cleavage releases 3C and that there is an active proteinase in the polyprotein.

Crystal structure of the holotoxin from Shigella dysenteriae at 2.5 A resolution.

Shigella dysenteriae is the pathogen responsible for the severe form of dysentery in humans. It produces Shiga toxin, the prototype of a family of closely related bacterial protein toxins. We have determined the structure of the holotoxin, an AB5 hexamer, by X-ray crystallography. The five B subunits form a pentameric ring, encircling a helix at the carboxy terminus of the A subunit. The A subunit interacts with the B pentamer via this C-terminal helix and a four-stranded mixed beta-sheet. The fold of the rest of the A subunit is similar to that of the A chain of the plant toxin ricin; both are N-glycosidases. However, the active site in the bacterial holotoxin is blocked by a segment of polypeptide chain. These residues of the A subunit would be released as part of the activation mechanism of the toxin.

Hepatitis A virus 3C proteinase: some properties, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic characterization.

Several isoforms of the wild-type and three mutant hepatitis A virus (HAV) 3C proteinases have been isolated and characterized. The active site cysteine residue (residue 172) was found to be responsible for the formation of some of these isoforms. The double mutant C24S/C172A of the HAV 3C proteinase, in which both cysteine residues have been replaced by site-directed mutagenesis, was crystallized. The crystals belong to the hexagonal space group P6(1)22 (or its enantiomorph, P6(5)22) with unit cell dimensions a = b = 65.2 A, c = 246.1 A and diffract X-rays to 2.3 A resolution.

Purification and crystallization of Shiga toxin from Shigella dysenteriae.

The protein toxin produced by Shigella dysenteriae consists of one enzymatically active A subunit of 293 amino acid residues and five B subunits of 69 amino acid residues that are involved with cell attachment. The holotoxin has been purified by blue Sepharose and chromatofocusing column chromatography. Two crystal forms of purified holotoxin have been grown by vapor diffusion. One grows as fine needles, hexagonal in cross-section, which do not diffract well enough to characterize crystallographically. The second grows as thin plates that diffract to at least 3 A resolution. Their space group is P2(1)2(1)2(1) with unit cell dimensions of a = 132.0 A, b = 146.0 A and c = 82.5 A. The asymmetric unit of the crystals is likely to contain two AB5 units.

[X-ray structural study of the crystalline structure of human progastricsin by a molecular replacement method]. / Rentgenostrukturnoe issledovanie kristallicheskoi struktury progastriksina cheloveka metodom molekuliarnogo zameshcheniia.

The human progastricsin crystal structure has been solved by the molecular replacement method. The intensities of reflections from native progastricsin crystals were measured at the 4.0 A resolution by the omega-scan method with a Nicolet P3 diffractometer operated in automatic regime. To determine the orientation and position of progastricsin molecules in the unit cell, programme packages MERLOT and BRUTE were applied running on a MicroVAX-II computer. Prior to the translation search, several rotation function peaks were subjected to a rigid body refinement against the correlation coefficient between the observed and calculated structure factors. This approach clearly identified the correct orientation of the molecule. The solution obtained from the BRUTE translation function map was refined by the 6-dimensional correlation search and then by programme CORELS. The human progastricsin molecules packing in the crystal unit ell is described.

[Isolation and crystallization of phenylalanyl-tRNA-synthetase from Thermus thermophilus HB8]. / Vydelenie i kristallizatsiia fenilalanil-tRNK-sintetazy iz Thermus thermophilus HB8.

Method of isolation of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase from Thermus thermophilus HB8 is described, including chromatography on DEAE-sepharose, ammonium sulfate fractionation, hydrofobic chromatography on Toyopearl, gel filtration on ultrogel AcA-34, chromatography on phenylalanylaminohexyl-sepharose and heparine-sepharose. Yield of the purified enzyme was 10 mg from 1 kg of T. thermophilus cells. The enzyme is found to consist of two types of subunits with molecular masses 92 and 36 kDa and is likely to be a tetramer protein with molecular mass 250 kDa. Crystals of phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase suitable for X-ray structural studies have been obtained.

[Leucine aminopeptidase crystals from the bovine pancreas]. / Issledovanie kristallov leitsinaminopeptidazy iz podzheludochnoi zhelezy byka.

Crystals of leucinaminopeptidase from bovine pancreas were obtained. Space group (P6322), parameters of the cell a-b-132 A, c = 122 A and distribution of spot intensities on precessional X-ray patterns were in full agreement with corresponding parameters for leucinaminopeptidase crystals from bovine eye lens. A conclusion is drawn about similarity between the spatial structures of leucinaminopeptidase from bovine pancreas and eye lens.

[Biospecific chromatography of acid proteinases. The role of ionic and hydrophobic interactions]. / Biospetsificheskaia khromatografiia kislykh proteinaz. Vklad ionnogo obmena i gidrofobnykh vzaimodeistvii

Pepsin chromatography was studied on peptide ligand sorbents, differing in the length of the polypeptide chains, ionogenic groups and the nature of hydrophobic side groups. Pepsin sorption was found to be dependent of a specific interaction of the substrate analogs with the enzyme and ionic interactions with the matrix and ionogenic groups of the ligand. Non-specific hydrophobic interactions of the enzyme and the ligand have little effect on the sorption. Efficient methods for the isolation of pepsin and separation of the mixture of bovine chymosin and pepsin are described.