Crystallization and structure determination of the catalytic trimer of Methanococcus jannaschii aspartate transcarbamoylase.

Aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATCase) catalyzes the first step in the pyrimidine biosynthetic pathway, the reaction between carbamoyl phosphate and L-aspartate to form N-carbamoyl-L-aspartate and phosphate. The structural analysis of the ATCase catalytic trimer from Methanococcus jannaschii, a unicellular thermophilic archaeabacterium, has been undertaken in order to gain insight into the structural features that are responsible for the thermostability of the enzyme. As a first step, the catalytic trimer was crystallized in space group R32, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 265.3, c = 195.5 A and two trimers in the asymmetric unit. Its structure was determined using molecular replacement and Patterson methods. In general, structures containing multiple copies of molecules in the asymmetric unit are difficult to determine. In this case, the two trimers in the asymmetric unit are parallel to each other and use of the Patterson function greatly simplified the structure solution.

Electron spin-echo envelope modulation study of multicrystalline Cu(2+)-insulin: effects of Cd(2+) on the nuclear quadrupole interaction of the Cu(2+)-coordinated imidazole remote nitrogen.

A comparison of electron spin-echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectra from multi-crystalline Cu(2+)-insulin with and without additional Cd(2+) show a dramatic change in the quadrupole coupling parameters of the remote nitrogens of the two histidine imidazoles that ligate to copper. Without Cd(2+), the quadrupole parameters are like those observed in blue copper proteins and in copper substituted lactoferrin. With Cd(2+) soaked into the Cu(2+)-insulin crystals, the quadrupole parameters are similar to those found in galactose oxidase. Theoretical simulations of ESEEM spectra guided by structure modeling suggest that these changes originate from differences in the hydrogen bonding environments of the imidazole remote nitrogen. In addition, a compilation of results from previous ESEEM studies of copper proteins reveals that the asymmetry parameter, eta, may be an indicator of type of hydrogen bond the imidazole remote nitrogen makes. When eta > or = 0.9, the nitrogen hydrogen bonds to water, whereas when eta < 0.9, the nitrogen hydrogen bonds to the protein.

Three-dimensional structure of the Gly121Tyr dimeric form of ornithine decarboxylase from Lactobacillus 30a.

Ornithine decarboxylases catalyze the conversion of ornithine to putrescine at the beginning of the polyamine pathway. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) from Lactobacillus 30a is a 990612 Da dodecamer composed of six homodimers. A single point mutation (Gly121Tyr) was found to prevent association of dimers into dodecamers. The dimeric protein has been crystallized at pH 7.0 in the presence of guanosine triphosphate (GTP). Crystals belong to space group P3(2)21, with unit-cell parameters a = 111.8, c = 135.9 A and one monomer in the asymmetric unit. The structure was determined by molecular replacement and refined using simulated annealing to R = 0.211 at 2. 7 A resolution. The GTP-binding site was analyzed in detail. The protein exhibits a novel binding mode for GTP which is different from that seen in most G-proteins or GTPases. Central to this binding scheme appear to be three lysines, Lys190, Lys374 and Lys382, which form salt bridges with the three phosphates, and Thr191, which hydrogen bonds with the guanine base. Furthermore, the structure suggests that there is some flexibility in the wing domain, which can change its orientation as the protein adapts to its environment. The active site is similar to that of the native enzyme, consistent with the observation that the enzyme activity does not depend on its dodecameric state.

Sequence profile of the parallel beta helix in the pectate lyase superfamily.

The parallel beta helix structure found in the pectate lyase superfamily has been analyzed in detail. A comparative analysis of known structures has revealed a unique sequence profile, with a strong positional preference for specific amino acids oriented toward the interior of the parallel beta helix. Using the unique sequence profile, search patterns have been constructed and applied to the sequence databases to identify a subset of proteins that are likely to fold into the parallel beta helix. Of the 19 families identified, 39% are known to be carbohydrate-binding proteins, and 50% belong to a broad category of proteins with sequences containing leucine-rich repeats (LRRs). The most striking result is the sequence match between the search pattern and four contiguous segments of internalin A, a surface protein from the bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. A plausible model of the repetitive LRR sequences of internalin A has been constructed and favorable 3D-1D profile scores have been calculated. Moreover, spectroscopic features characteristic of the parallel beta helix topology in the pectate lyases are present in the circular dichroic spectrum of internalin A. Altogether, the data support the hypothesis that sequence search patterns can be used to identify proteins, including a subset of LRR proteins, that are likely to fold into the parallel beta helix.

The tree-dimensional structure of aspergillus niger pectin lyase B at 1.7-A resolution.

The three-dimensional structure of Aspergillus niger pectin lyase B (PLB) has been determined by crystallographic techniques at a resolution of 1.7 A. The model, with all 359 amino acids and 339 water molecules, refines to a final crystallographic R factor of 16.5%. The polypeptide backbone folds into a large right-handed cylinder, termed a parallel beta helix. Loops of various sizes and conformations protrude from the central helix and probably confer function. The largest loop of 53 residues folds into a small domain consisting of three antiparallel beta strands, one turn of an alpha helix, and one turn of a 3(10) helix. By comparison with the structure of Erwinia chrysanthemi pectate lyase C (PelC), the primary sequence alignment between the pectate and pectin lyase subfamilies has been corrected and the active site region for the pectin lyases deduced. The substrate-binding site in PLB is considerably less hydrophilic than the comparable PelC region and consists of an extensive network of highly conserved Trp and His residues. The PLB structure provides an atomic explanation for the lack of a catalytic requirement for Ca2+ in the pectin lyase family, in contrast to that found in the pectate lyase enzymes. Surprisingly, however, the PLB site analogous to the Ca2+ site in PelC is filled with a positive charge provided by a conserved Arg in the pectin lyases. The significance of the finding with regard to the enzymatic mechanism is discussed.

Structure of a bovine thrombin-hirudin51-65 complex determined by a combination of molecular replacement and graphics. Incorporation of known structural information in molecular replacement.

Crystals of the bovine thrombin-hirudins(51-65) complex have space group P6(1)22 with cell constants a = 116.4, and c = 200.6 A and two thrombin molecules in the asymmetric unit. Only one thrombin molecule could be located by generalized molecular replacement; the second was fit visually as a rigid body to an improved electron-density difference map. The structure was refined to R = 0.192 with two B values per residue (main chain and side chain) at 3.2 A. The polar interactions of the peptides with the exosite of thrombin show differences consistent with the known flexibility in the interactions of the C-terminal peptide of hirudin with thrombin. The hirudin peptide in complex 2 has a higher temperature factor as compared with peptide 1 which may be correlated partly with a larger number of short-range electrostatic interactions between peptide 1 and thrombin and partly with the fact that thrombin 2 is epsilon-thrombin which is cleaved at Thr149A near the peptide binding site. Later, using this structure as a test case, it was shown that the position for the second thrombin could also be determined by a novel modification of the molecular-replacement method in which the contribution of the known molecule is subtracted from the structure factors. This approach is facile and applicable to any crystal containing two or more macromolecules in the asymmetric unit in which some but not all of the molecules can be determined by molecular replacement.

Middle ultraviolet spectroscopy of suppressant-flame interactions.

By minimization of stray light, it is possible to use the middle ultraviolet to gain useful information on flame-suppressant mechanisms.

Crystallization of hemoglobins II and III of the symbiont-harboring clam Lucina pectinata.

Diffraction data to 2.7 A resolution were measured on crystals of the homotetramers of components II and III of the cytoplasmic hemoglobin of the symbiont-harboring clam Lucina pectinata. Even though the crystallization conditions are different and the sequence homology of the two hemoglobins is only 63%, the crystals are isomorphous to each other and to the heterotetramer Hb II/III, implying that the residues primarily involved in the intermolecular interactions and responsible for crystal cohesion may be invariant.

The structure of a complex of bovine alpha-thrombin and recombinant hirudin at 2.8-A resolution.

Crystals of the complex of bovine alpha-thrombin with recombinant hirudin variant 1 have space group C222(1) with cell constants a = 59.11, b = 102.62, and c = 143.26 A. The orientation and position of the thrombin component was determined by molecular replacement and the hirudin molecule was fit in 2 magnitude of Fo - magnitude of Fc electron density maps. The structure was refined by restrained least squares and simulated annealing to R = 0.161 at 2.8-A resolution. The binding of hirudin to thrombin is generally similar to that observed in the crystals of human thrombin-hirudin. Several differences in the interactions of the COOH-terminal polypeptide of hirudin, specifically of residues Asp-55h, Phe-56h, Glu-57h, and Glu-58h, and a few differences in the interactions of the hirudin core, specifically of residues Asp-5h, Ser-19h, and Asn-20h, with thrombin from human thrombin-hirudin suggest that there is some flexibility in the binding of these 2 molecules. Most of the residues in the 9 subsites that bind fibrinopeptide A7-16 to thrombin also interact with the NH2-terminal domain of hirudin. The S1 subsite is a notable exception in that only 1 of its 6 residues, namely Ser-214, interacts with hirudin. The only difference between human and bovine thrombins that appears to influence the binding of hirudin is the replacement of Lys-149E by an acidic glutamate in the bovine enzyme.

Crystal structure of an anti-Lewis alpha Fab determined by molecular replacement methods.

The anti-Lewis alpha mouse immunoglobulin CF4C4 (IgGl, k) Fab has been crystallized from 58% saturated ammonium sulfate in space group Pl; unit cell dimensions a = 43.4 A b = 41.7 A, c = 62.0 A, a = 72.7 degrees, beta = 96.6 degrees, gamma = 100.1 degrees. X-ray diffraction data have been measured beyond 3.0 A Bragg spacing. The crystal structure has been determined by molecular replacement methods, using as search models the constant and variable domains of the mouse immunoglobulin McPC603 (IgA, kappa) Fab. The crystallographic residual for the data 5.0 to 4.0 A, is 0.47. The approximate 2-fold axis relating the VL and the VH domains forms an angle of 164 degrees with the 2-fold axis relating the constant domains. The crystal packing is reasonable.

Wage differences and the concentration of women in hospital occupations.

Women earn substantially less money than men. Many argue that this situation is the result of wage discrimination. The effect of the concentration of female employees within selected hospital jobs on wage rates is examined.