Aspartic protease inhibitors designed from computer-generated templates bind as predicted.

[reaction: see text] Novel tripeptide-derived peptidomimetics 1, 7ab, and 8ab, inspired by templates generated by the structure-generating program GrowMol, were synthesized, shown to inhibit Rhizopus chinensis pepsin, and found by X-ray crystallography to bind to the enzyme in the GrowMol-predicted mode. Repetitive evaluation of the computer-generated templates for synthetic feasibility and optimal enzyme interactions led to the designed compounds.

Design and synthesis of unsymmetrical peptidyl urea inhibitors of aspartic peptidases.

[structure: see text] The design, synthesis, and enzyme inhibition of a new class of aspartic peptidase inhibitors is described. Unsymmetrical ureas were designed from computer-generated structures. Using mechanism-based and substrate-based design techniques, potent pepsin inhibitors were developed and the binding mode was established. Two X-ray crystal structures of enzyme-bound inhibitors revealed a new binding mode that is closely related to the computer-generated binding mode.

A cyclic side-chain-linked biphenyl ether tripeptide: H3N(+)-cyclo-[Phe(4-O)Phe-Phe(3-O)]-OMe.Cl-.

The crystal structure of the chloride salt of H3N(+)-cyclo-(Phe(4-O)-Phe-Phe(3-O)-OMe, cyclo-phenylalanyl-phenylalanyl-phenylalaninium chloride methyl esther, C28H30N3O5+.Cl(-), is described. It is oxidatively linked through a biaryl ether linkage formed from the hydroxyl of 4-hydroxyphenylalanine and the meta position of the distal phenylalanine residue. This is the first reported crystal-structure determination of a cyclic 17-membered biphenyl ether tripeptide, a class which includes the natural products K-13 and OF4949 I-IV. An unusual C-H...O hydrogen bond is formed between the methine H atom of the N-terminal C alpha and a carbonyl-O atom of a neighboring molecule [C...O = 2.995 (4) A].

X-ray structures of Mn, Cd and Tb metal complexes of troponin C.

The crystal structures of three metal complexes of troponin C (TnC) have been determined and refined where the two occupied structural Ca(2+) sites in the C domain have been substituted by Mn(2+), Cd(2+) and Tb(3+). The X-ray intensity data were collected to 2.1, 1.8 and 1.8 A resolution, respectively, on the three metal complexes, which are isomorphous with Ca-TnC. The three complexes have r.m.s. deviations of 0.27, 0.25 and 0.35 A, respectively, for all protein atoms, from Ca-TnC. Irrespective of the charge on the metal (+2 or +3), the occupied sites 3 and 4 exhibit a distorted pentagonal bipyramidal coordination, like Ca-TnC, with seven ligands, six from the 12-residue binding loop and the seventh from a water molecule. Mn(2+) at site 4 seems to display a longer distance to one of the carboxyl bidentate ligands representing an intermediate coordination simulating the six-coordinate Mg(2+). The carboxyl O atoms of the bidentate Glu12 are displaced on the side of the equatorial plane passing through the remaining three ligands with one O atom closer to the plane (Delta of 0.11 to 0.76 A) than the other (Delta of 0.93 to 1.38 A). The two axial ligands are an aspartic carboxyl O atom and a water molecule. The metal is displaced (0.18 to 0.56 A) towards the water facing the water channel.

Structure of chicken skeletal muscle troponin C at 1.78 A resolution.

The structure of chicken skeletal muscle troponin C (TnC) has been refined to an R value of 0.168, using 14 788 reflections, in the resolution range 8.0-1.78 A. Our earlier 2 A resolution structure [Satyshur, Rao, Pyzalska, Drendel, Greaser & Sundaralingam (1988). J. Biol. Chem. 263, 1628-1647] served as the starting model. The refined model includes atoms for all protein residues (1-162), 2 Ca(2+) ions, 169 water molecules and one sulfate ion. The high-resolution refinement shows more clearly the details of the protein and water structure. The side chains Glu63, Cysl01, Arg123, Aspl40 and Asp152 adopt two discretely ordered conformations. The long central helix is only slightly curved/bent (7.9 degrees ) and all the central helix NH.O=C hydrogen bonds are intact. Seven of the nine carbonyl O atoms of the mid segment of this helix, including the D/E linker region, are hydrogen bonded to water molecules which weakens the helix hydrogen bonds. In contrast, in each of the protected upper and lower thirds of the long central helix, only two carbonyl O atoms are hydrogen bonded to water molecules. The hydrogen-bonding patterns displayed by some of the carbonyl O atoms of NT and A helices of the N-terminal domain and the F and H helices of the C-terminal domain, which are on the exposed surface of the protein, are similar. The B helix of the calcium-free site I is kinked, with the local helix axes at either end making an angle of 39 degrees, by two inserted water molecules between N-H and O=C groups, breaking the adjacent helix hydrogen bonds. A sulfate ion from the crystallization buffer is also trapped in the B helix between the guanidinium group of Arg47 and these two inserted water molecules. The C helix of site II is devoid of similar hydration and is probably responsible for the different interhelical angles A/B at site I (134 degrees ) and C/D at site II (149 degrees ). Extensive interhelix hydrogen bonds occur between the side chains of the C and D helices of the 'apo' site II: Gln51-Asp89, Asn52-Asp89, Glu57-Gln85, Glu57-Glu88 and Glu64-Arg84, which apparently are disrupted upon Ca uptake and the resulting rearrangement of the helices expose the side chains, lining the palm of the N-(and C-) terminal domains, for interaction with specific peptide fragment of troponin I (Tnl) during muscle contraction. The dominant crystal packing motif involves a head-to-tail interaction between the N-terminal domain A helix of one molecule and the palm of the C-terminal domain of the 3(2)-related molecule, in a manner similar to that which can be expected for the TnC-TnI complex. Similar interactions may also be responsible for the dimerization of TnC at low pH.

Structure of Paramecium tetraurelia calmodulin at 1.8 A resolution.

The crystal structure of calmodulin (CaM; M(r) 16,700, 148 residues) from the ciliated protozoan Paramecium tetraurelia (PCaM) has been determined and refined using 1.8 A resolution area detector data. The crystals are triclinic, space group P1, a = 29.66, b = 53.79, c = 25.49 A, alpha = 92.84, beta = 97.02, and gamma = 88.54 degrees with one molecule in the unit cell. Crystals of the mammalian CaM (MCaM; Babu et al., 1988) and Drosophila CaM (DCaM; Taylor et al., 1991) also belong to the same space group with very similar cell dimensions. All three CaMs have 148 residues, but there are 17 sequence changes between PCaM and MCaM and 16 changes between PCaM and DCaM. The initial difference in the molecular orientation between the PCaM and MCaM crystals was approximately 7 degrees as determined by the rotation function. The reoriented Paramecium model was extensively refitted using omit maps and refined using XPLOR. The R-value for 11,458 reflections with F > 3 sigma is 0.21, and the model consists of protein atoms for residues 4-147, 4 calcium ions, and 71 solvent molecules. The root mean square (rms) deviations in the bond lengths and bond angles in the model from ideal values are 0.016 A and 3 degrees, respectively. The molecular orientation of the final PCaM model differs from MCaM by only 1.7 degrees. The overall Paramecium CaM structure is very similar to the other calmodulin structures with a seven-turn long central helix connecting the two terminal domains, each containing two Ca-binding EF-hand motifs. The rms deviation in the backbone N, Ca, C, and O atoms between PCaM and MCaM is 0.52 A and between PCaM and DCaM is 0.85 A. The long central helix regions differ, where the B-factors are also high, particularly in PCaM and MCaM. Unlike the MCaM structure, with one kink at D80 in the middle of the linker region, and the DCaM structure, with two kinks at K75 and I85, in our PCaM structure there are no kinks in the helix; the distortion appears to be more gradually distributed over the entire helical region, which is bent with an apparent radius of curvature of 74.5(2) A. The different distortions in the central helical region probably arise from its inherent mobility.

Structure of the oxidized long-chain flavodoxin from Anabaena 7120 at 2 A resolution.

The structure of the long-chain flavodoxin from the photosynthetic cyanobacterium Anabaena 7120 has been determined at 2 A resolution by the molecular replacement method using the atomic coordinates of the long-chain flavodoxin from Anacystis nidulans. The structure of a third long-chain flavodoxin from Chondrus crispus has recently been reported. Crystals of oxidized A. 7120 flavodoxin belong to the monoclinic space group P2(1) with a = 48.0, b = 32.0, c = 51.6 A, and beta = 92 degrees, and one molecule in the asymmetric unit. The 2 A intensity data were collected with oscillation films at the CHESS synchrotron source and processed to yield 9,795 independent intensities with Rmerg of 0.07. Of these, 8,493 reflections had I > 2 sigma and were used in the analysis. The model obtained by molecular replacement was initially refined by simulated annealing using the XPLOR program. Repeated refitting into omit maps and several rounds of conjugate gradient refinement led to an R-value of 0.185 for a model containing atoms for protein residues 2-169, flavin mononucleotide (FMN), and 104 solvent molecules. The FMN shows many interactions with the protein with the isoalloxazine ring, ribityl sugar, and the 5'-phosphate. The flavin ring has its pyrimidine end buried into the protein, and the functional dimethyl benzene edge is accessible to solvent. The FMN interactions in all three long-chain structures are similar except for the O4' of the ribityl chain, which interacts with the hydroxyl group of Thr 88 side chain in A. 7120, while with a water molecule in the other two. The phosphate group interacts with the atoms of the 9-15 loop as well as with NE1 of Trp 57. The N5 atom of flavin interacts with the amide NH of Ile 59 in A. 7120, whereas in A. nidulans it interacts with the amide NH of Val 59 in a similar manner. In C. crispus flavodoxin, N5 forms a hydrogen bond with the side chain hydroxyl group of the equivalent Thr 58. The hydrogen bond distances to the backbone NH groups in the first two flavodoxins are 3.6 A and 3.5 A, respectively, whereas in the third flavodoxin the distance is 3.1 A, close to the normal value. Even though the hydrogen bond distances are long in the first two cases, still they might have significant energy because their microenvironment in the protein is not accessible to solvent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Refined structure of chicken skeletal muscle troponin C in the two-calcium state at 2-A resolution.

The structure of troponin C has been refined at 2A resolution to an R value of 0.172 using a total of 8,100 reflections. Troponin C has an unusual dumbbell shape with only the two C-domain high affinity sites III and IV occupied with metals, while the pair of N-domain low affinity sites I and II are devoid of metals. The coordination of the Ca2+ approaches seven with the last glutamic acid residue in each site forming an asymmetric bidentate ligand. The flanking helices in the metal-bound EF hands are in similar orientation (both 113 degrees) while in the apo sites they are more obtuse (134 and 149 degrees). The EF hands of holo sites III and IV are similar while the apo sites I and II are less similar (rms for backbone atoms, 0.78 and 1.44). The half-loops of the 12-residue holo and apo sites show better agreement than the full loops themselves, suggesting a hinge motion at the midpoint of the loops. The long central helix is stabilized by electrostatic interactions and salt bridges between charged side chains spaced at 3 or 4 residues along the helix. A cluster of water molecules encircle the long helix and hydrogen bond to the backbone carbonyls. At the beginning of the B-helix, a water molecule is interposed at each of two consecutive backbone NH...OC hydrogen bonds. The terminal pair of helices A/D (apo) match with E/H (holo), and the internal pair of helices B/C (apo) match with F/G (holo). Thus, muscle contraction may be triggered by Ca2+ binding to loops I and II which results in a concerted rearrangement of residues in the loops, including the essential Gly at position 6 in each loop. This rearrangement than causes a reorientation of helices B and C along with the BC linker.

Preliminary crystallographic study of protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The enzyme protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase (EC 1.13.11.3) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa consisting of eight identical subunits (total Mr = 783,100) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group 12 with unit cell dimensions a = 204, b = 129, c = 137 A, and beta = 97.5 degrees. The measured density is 1.26 g ml-1. The Matthews coefficient is 2.27 A3/dalton. The large rod-like crystals diffract to about 2.5 A resolution. The asymmetric unit contains one-half of the enzyme and the enzyme contains an exact 2-fold axis of symmetry.