The peripheral subunit-binding domain of the dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex of Bacillus stearothermophilus: preparation and characterization of its binding to the dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase component.

The peripheral subunit-binding domain of the dihydrolipoyl acetyltransferase polypeptide chain of the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex of Bacillus stearothermophilus was released by limited proteolysis from a di-domain (lipoyl domain plus binding domain) encoded by a subgene over-expressed in Escherichia coli. The domain was characterized by N-terminal sequence analysis, electrospray m.s. and c.d. spectroscopy. It was found to be identical in all respects to a chemically synthesized peptide of the same sequence. The association of the di-domain and binding domain (both natural and synthetic) with dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase was analysed in detail and a tight binding was demonstrated. As judged by several different techniques, it was found that only one peripheral subunit-binding domain is bound to one dimer of dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase, implying that the association is highly anti-cooperative.

The high-resolution structure of the peripheral subunit-binding domain of dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase from the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex of Bacillus stearothermophilus.

The three-dimensional structure of a 43-residue active, synthetic peptide encompassing the peripheral subunit-binding domain of dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase from the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex of Bacillus stearothermophilus has been determined by means of a multi-cooling dynamical simulated annealing protocol using restraints derived from 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A total of 442 experimentally derived restraints including 13 dihedral angle (phi, chi 1) restraints were used. A final set of 35 structures was calculated with a root-mean-square deviation from the mean co-ordinates of 0.36 A for the backbone atoms and 0.96 A when side-chain heavy atoms were included for the well-defined region comprising residues Val7 to Leu39. Although assignments were made and sequential connectivities observed for the N-terminal six and C-terminal four residues, the absence of long-range NOEs suggests that the terminal regions are largely unstructured. The binding domain contains two short parallel alpha-helices (residues Val7 to Lys14 and Lys32 to Leu39), a3(10)-helix (residues Asp17 to Val21) and a structured loop made up of overlapping beta-turns (residues Gln22 to Leu31), which enclose a close-packed hydrophobic core. The loop is stabilized to a large extent by Asp34. This residue is conserved in all peripheral subunit-binding domains and its carboxylate side-chain forms a set of side-chain-main-chain hydrogen bonds with the main-chain amide protons of Gly23, Thr24, Gly25 and Leu31 and a side-chain-side-chain hydrogen bond with the hydroxyl group of Thr24. We propose that a peripheral subunit-binding site may be located in the loop region, which contains a series of highly conserved residues and provides a number of potential recognition sites. The structured region of the binding domain, comprising 33 residues, represents an exceptionally short amino acid sequence with defined tertiary structure that has no disulphide bond, ligand or cofactor to stabilize the fold. It may be approaching the lower size limit for a three-dimensional structure possessing features characteristic of larger structures, including a close-packed, non-polar interior. The organization of the side-chains in the hydrophobic core may have implications for de novo protein design.

Expression in Escherichia coli of a sub-gene encoding the lipoyl and peripheral subunit-binding domains of the dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex of Bacillus stearothermophilus.

A sub-gene encoding the N-terminal 170 residues of the dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase chain of the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex of Bacillus stearothermophilus was over-expressed in Escherichia coli. The expressed polypeptide consists of the lipoyl domain, inter-domain linker and peripheral subunit-binding domain; these were found to have folded into their native functional conformations as judged by reductive acetylation of the lipoyl domain, limited proteolysis of the linker region and ability to bind the dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase dimer. The di-domain was largely (80%) unlipoylated; a small proportion (4%) was correctly modified with lipoic acid and the remainder (16%) was aberrantly modified with octanoic acid. A polyclonal antiserum was raised that recognized both the di-domain and the individual component domains. The 400 MHz 1H-n.m.r. spectrum of the di-domain showed resonances corresponding to those seen in spectra of the lipoyl domain, plus others characteristic of amino acid residues in the flexible linker region. Further, as yet unidentified, resonances are likely to be derived from the peripheral subunit-binding domain. The existence and independent folding of the peripheral subunit-binding domain is thus confirmed and its purification in large-scale amounts for detailed structural analysis is now possible.

Purification and characterization of human 72-kDa gelatinase (type IV collagenase). Use of immunolocalisation to demonstrate the non-coordinate regulation of the 72-kDa and 95-kDa gelatinases by human fibroblasts.

Human gingival fibroblast gelatinase (type IV collagenase) has been purified to homogeneity using a combination of ion exchange chromatography, gel filtration and affinity chromatography. The purified proenzyme electrophoresed under reducing conditions as a single band of 72 kDa which could be activated to a species of 65 kDa. Gelatinase was activated by organomercurials by a process apparently initiated by a conformational change and involving self-cleavage. It was not activated by trypsin or plasmin unlike the other family members, collagenase and stromelysin. Gelatinase otherwise exhibited properties typical of the metalloproteinases: it was inhibited by metal chelating agents and by the specific inhibitor TIMP (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases). Its major substrate was shown to be denatured collagen although it was also able to degrade native type IV and V collagens. A polyclonal antibody was raised in a sheep using the purified enzyme as antigen. The antiserum recognised and specifically inhibited the 72-kDa gelatinase but not a 95-kDa gelatinase from pig leukocytes. It was used in immunolocalisation studies on human fibroblasts to investigate the regulation of the production of the two Mr forms of gelatinase. These studies clearly demonstrate that human fibroblasts constitutively synthesize and secrete 72-kDa gelatinase but that 95-kDa gelatinase was inducible by agents such as cytokines. The significance of these results in relation to the likely in vivo rôle of gelatinases is discussed.