Solution of a Fab (26-10)/digoxin complex by generalized molecular replacement

Gyre and gimble: a maximum-likelihood replacement for Patterson correlation refinement

Descriptions are given of the maximum-likelihood gyre method implemented in Phaser for optimizing the orientation and relative position of rigid-body fragments of a model after the orientation of the model has been identified, but before the model has been positioned in the unit cell, and also the related gimble method for the refinement of rigid-body fragments of the model after positioning. Gyre refinement helps to lower the root-mean-square atomic displacements between model and target molecular-replacement solutions for the test case of antibody Fab(26-10) and improves structure solution with ARCIMBOLDO_SHREDDER.

Automatic multiple-zone rigid-body refinement with a large convergence radius

Rigid-body refinement is the constrained coordinate refinement of one or more groups of atoms that each move (rotate and translate) as a single body. The goal of this work was to establish an automatic procedure for rigid-body refinement which implements a practical compromise between runtime requirements and convergence radius. This has been achieved by analysis of a large number of trial refinements for 12 classes of random rigid-body displacements (that differ in magnitude of introduced errors), using both least-squares and maximum-likelihood target functions. The results of these tests led to a multiple-zone protocol. The final parameterization of this protocol was optimized empirically on the basis of a second large set of test refinements. This multiple-zone protocol is implemented as part of the phenix.refine program.

Structure of the Ebola virus glycoprotein bound to an antibody from a human survivor

Ebola virus (EBOV) entry requires the surface glycoprotein (GP) to initiate attachment and fusion of viral and host membranes. Here we report the crystal structure of EBOV GP in its trimeric, pre-fusion conformation (GP1+GP2) bound to a neutralizing antibody, KZ52, derived from a human survivor of the 1995 Kikwit outbreak. Three GP1 viral attachment subunits assemble to form a chalice, cradled by the GP2 fusion subunits, while a novel glycan cap and projected mucin-like domain restrict access to the conserved receptor-binding site sequestered in the chalice bowl. The glycocalyx surrounding GP is likely central to immune evasion and may explain why survivors have insignificant neutralizing antibody titres. KZ52 recognizes a protein epitope at the chalice base where it clamps several regions of the pre-fusion GP2 to the amino terminus of GP1. This structure provides a template for unravelling the mechanism of EBOV GP-mediated fusion and for future immunotherapeutic development.

Ab initio molecular-replacement phasing for symmetric helical membrane proteins

Obtaining phases for X-ray diffraction data can be a rate-limiting step in structure determination. Taking advantage of constraints specific to membrane proteins, an ab initio molecular-replacement method has been developed for phasing X-ray diffraction data for symmetric helical membrane proteins without prior knowledge of their structure or heavy-atom derivatives. The described method is based on generating all possible orientations of idealized transmembrane helices and using each model in a molecular-replacement search. The number of models is significantly reduced by taking advantage of geometrical and structural restraints specific to membrane proteins. The top molecular-replacement results are evaluated based on noncrystallographic symmetry (NCS) map correlation, OMIT map correlation and R(free) value after refinement of a polyalanine model. The feasibility of this approach is illustrated by phasing the mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) with only 4 A diffraction data. No prior structural knowledge was used other than the number of transmembrane helices. The search produced the correct spatial organization and the position in the asymmetric unit of all transmembrane helices of MscL. The resulting electron-density maps were of sufficient quality to automatically build all helical segments of MscL including the cytoplasmic domain. The method does not require high-resolution diffraction data and can be used to obtain phases for symmetrical helical membrane proteins with one or two helices per monomer.

Structure of the calmodulin alphaII-spectrin complex provides insight into the regulation of cell plasticity

AlphaII-spectrin is a major cortical cytoskeletal protein contributing to membrane organization and integrity. The Ca2+-activated binding of calmodulin to an unstructured insert in the 11th repeat unit of alphaII-spectrin enhances the susceptibility of spectrin to calpain cleavage but abolishes its sensitivity to several caspases and to at least one bacterially derived pathologic protease. Other regulatory inputs including phosphorylation by c-Src also modulate the proteolytic susceptibility of alphaII-spectrin. These pathways, acting through spectrin, appear to control membrane plasticity and integrity in several cell types. To provide a structural basis for understanding these crucial biological events, we have solved the crystal structure of a complex between bovine calmodulin and the calmodulin-binding domain of human alphaII-spectrin (Protein Data Bank ID code 2FOT). The structure revealed that the entire calmodulin-spectrin-binding interface is hydrophobic in nature. The spectrin domain is also unique in folding into an amphiphilic helix once positioned within the calmodulin-binding groove. The structure of this complex provides insight into the mechanisms by which calmodulin, calpain, caspase, and tyrosine phosphorylation act on spectrin to regulate essential cellular processes.

Crystal structure of aurora-2, an oncogenic serine/threonine kinase

Aurora-2 is a key member of a closely related subgroup of serine/threonine kinases that plays important roles in the completion of essential mitotic events. Aurora-2 is oncogenic and amplified in various human cancers and could be an important therapeutic target for inhibitory molecules that would disrupt the cell cycle and block proliferation. We report the first crystal structure of Aurora-2 kinase in complex with adenosine. Analysis of residues in the active site suggests differences with structurally and biologically related protein kinases. The activation loop, which contains residues specific to the Aurora family of kinases, has a unique conformation. These results provide valuable insight into the design of selective and highly potent ATP-competitive inhibitors of the Aurora kinases.

Kinase recognition by calmodulin: modeling the interaction with the autoinhibitory region of human cardiac titin kinase

Calmodulin (CaM)-protein interactions are usually described by studying complexes between synthetic targets of ca 25 amino acids and CaM. To understand the relevance of contacts outside the protein-binding region, we investigated the complex between recombinant human CaM (hCaM) and P7, a 38-residue peptide corresponding to the autoinhibitory domain of human cardiac titin kinase (hTK). To expedite the structure determination of hCaM-P7 we relied upon the high degree of similarity with other CaM-kinase peptide complexes. By using a combined homonuclear NMR spectroscopy and molecular modeling approach, we verified for the bound hCaM similar trends in chemical shifts as well as conservation of NOE patterns, which taken together imply the conservation of CaM secondary structure. P7 was anchored to the protein with 52 experimental intermolecular contacts. The hCaM-P7 structure is very similar to known CaM complexes, but the presence of NOE contacts outside the binding cavity appears to be novel. Comparison with the hTK crystal structure indicates that the P7 charged residues all correspond to accessible side-chains, while the putative anchoring hydrophobic side-chains are partially buried. To test this finding, we also modeled the early steps of the complex formation between Ca(2+)-loaded hCaM and hTK. The calculated trajectories strongly suggest the existence of an "electrostatic funnel", driving the long-range recognition of the two proteins. On the other hand, on a nanosecond time scale, no intermolecular interaction is formed as the P7 hydrophobic residues remain buried inside hTK. These results suggest that charged residues in hTK might be the anchoring points of Ca(2+)/hCaM, favoring the intrasteric regulation of the kinase. Furthermore, our structure, the first of CaM bound to a peptide derived from a kinase whose three-dimensional structure is known, suggests that special care is needed in the choice of template peptides to model protein-protein interactions.

Structural identification of a key protective B-cell epitope in Lyme disease antigen OspA

Outer surface protein A (OspA) is a major lipoprotein of the Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Vaccination with OspA generates an immune response that can prevent bacterial transmission to a mammalian host during the attachment of an infected tick. However, the protective capacity of immune sera cannot be predicted by measuring total anti-OspA antibody. The murine monoclonal antibody LA-2 defines an important protective B-cell epitope of OspA against which protective sera have strong levels of reactivity. We have now mapped the LA-2 epitope of OspA using both NMR chemical-shift perturbation measurements in solution and X-ray crystal structure determination. LA-2 recognizes the three surface-exposed loops of the C-terminal domain of OspA that are on the tip of the elongated molecule most distant from the lipid-modified N terminus. The structure suggests that the natural variation at OspA sequence position 208 in the first loop is a major limiting factor for antibody cross-reactivity between different Lyme disease-causing Borrelia strains. The unusual Fab-dominated lattice of the crystal also permits a rare view of antigen flexibility within an antigen:antibody complex. These results provide a rationale for improvements in OspA-based vaccines and suggest possible designs for more direct tests of antibody protective levels in vaccinated individuals.

Crystal structure of glutamine phosphoribosylpyrophosphate amidotransferase from Escherichia coli

Crystal structures of glutamine phosphoribosylpyrophosphate (PRPP) amidotransferase from Escherichia coli have been determined to 2.0-A resolution in the absence of ligands, and to 2.5-A resolution with the feedback inhibitor AMP bound to the PRPP catalytic site. Glutamine PRPP amidotransferase (GPATase) employs separate catalytic domains to abstract nitrogen from the amide of glutamine and to transfer nitrogen to the acceptor substrate PRPP. The unliganded and AMP-bound structures, which are essentially identical, are interpreted as the inhibited form of the enzyme because the two active sites are disconnected and the PRPP active site is solvent exposed. The structures were compared with a previously reported 3.0-A structure of the homologous Bacillus subtilis enzyme (Smith JL et al., 1994, Science 264:1427-1433). The comparison indicates a pattern of conservation of peptide structures involved with catalysis and variability in enzyme regulatory functions. Control of glutaminase activity, communication between the active sites, and regulation by feedback inhibitors are addressed differently by E. coli and B. subtilis GPATases. The E. coli enzyme is a prototype for the metal-free GPATases, whereas the B. subtilis enzyme represents the metal-containing enzymes. The structure of the E. coli enzyme suggests that a common ancestor of the two enzyme subfamilies may have included an Fe-S cluster.

Crystallization of ADP-ribosyl cyclase from Aplysia californica

ADP-ribosyl cyclase synthesizes the secondary messenger cyclic ADP-ribose from NAD+. Diffraction quality crystals of the enzyme from ovotestes of Aplysia californica have been obtained. Crystallographic analysis of this enzyme will yield insight into the mode of binding of the novel cyclic nucleotide and the mechanism by which NAD+ is cyclized.

The crystal structure of the catalytic domain of human urokinase-type plasminogen activator

BACKGROUND

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) promotes fibrinolysis by catalyzing the conversion of plasminogen to the active protease plasmin via the cleavage of a peptide bond. When localized to the external cell surface it contributes to tissue remodelling and cellular migration; inhibition of its activity impedes the spread of cancer. u-PA has three domains: an N-terminal receptor-binding growth factor domain, a central kringle domain and a C-terminal catalytic protease domain. The biological roles of the fibrinolytic enzymes render them therapeutic targets, however, until now no structure of the protease domain has been available. Solution of the structure of the u-PA serine protease was undertaken to provide such data.

RESULTS

The crystal structure of the catalytic domain of recombinant, non-glycosylated human u-PA, complexed with the inhibitor Glu-Gly-Arg chloromethyl ketone (EGRcmk), has been determined at a nominal resolution of 2.5 A and refined to a crystallographic R-factor of 22.4% on all data (20.4% on data > 3 sigma). The enzyme has the expected topology of a trypsin-like serine protease.

CONCLUSIONS

The enzyme has an S1 specificity pocket similar to that of trypsin, a restricted, less accessible, hydrophobic S2 pocket and a solvent-accessible S3 pocket which is capable of accommodating a wide range of residues. The EGRcmk inhibitor binds covalently at the active site to form a tetrahedral hemiketal structure. Although the overall structure is similar to that of homologous serine proteases, at six positions insertions of extra residues in loop regions create unique surface areas. One of these loop regions is highly mobile despite being anchored by the disulphide bridge which is characteristic of a small subset of serine proteases namely tissuetype plasminogen activator, Factor XII and Complement Factor I.

Three-dimensional structures of the free and the antigen-complexed Fab from monoclonal anti-lysozyme antibody D44.1

The three-dimensional structures of the free and antigen-complexed Fabs from the mouse monoclonal anti-hen egg white lysozyme antibody D44.1 have been solved and refined by X-ray crystallographic techniques. The crystals of the free and lysozyme-bound Fabs were grown under identical conditions and their X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.1 and 2.5 A, respectively. Two molecules of the Fab-lysozyme complex in the asymmetric unit of the crystals show nearly identical conformations and thus confirm the essential structural features of the antigen-antibody interface. Three buried water molecules enhance the surface complementarity at the interface and provide hydrogen bonds to stabilize the complex. Two hydrophobic buried holes are present at the interface which, although large enough to accommodate solvent molecules, are void. The combining site residues of the complexed FabD44.1 exhibit reduced temperature factors compared with those of the free Fab. Furthermore, small perturbations in atomic positions and rearrangements of side-chains at the combining site, and a relative rearrangement of the variable domains of the light (VL) and the heavy (VH) chains, detail a Fab accommodation of the bound lysozyme. The amino acid sequence of the VH domain, as well as the epitope of lysozyme recognized by D44.1 are very close to those previously reported for the monoclonal antibody HyHEL-5. A feature central to the FabD44.1 and FabHyHEL-5 complexes with lysozyme are three salt bridges between VH glutamate residues 35 and 50 and lysozyme arginine residues 45 and 68. The presence of the three salt bridges in the D44.1-lysozyme interface indicates that these bonds are not responsible for the 1000-fold increase in affinity for lysozyme that HyHEL-5 exhibits relative to D44.1.

The structure of Trypanosoma cruzi trypanothione reductase in the oxidized and NADPH reduced state

The three-dimensional structure of trypanothione reductase (TR) (EC 1.6.4.8) from Trypanosoma cruzi has been solved at 0.33 nm resolution by molecular replacement using the structure of C. fasciculata TR as a starting model. Elucidation of the T. cruzi TR structure represents the first step in the rational design of a drug against Chagas' disease. The structure of T. cruzi TR is compared with those of C. fasciculata TR as well as human and E. coli glutathione reductase (GR). In the FAD-binding domain, TR has two insertions, each about 10 residues long, which do not occur in GR. The first one is a rigid loop stabilizing the position of helix 91-117 which is responsible for the wider active site of TR as compared to GR. The second insertion does not occur where it is predicted by sequence alignment; rather the residues extend three strands of the 4-stranded beta-sheet by one or two residues each. This increases the number of hydrogen bonds within the sheet structure. The structure of the NADPH.TR complex has been solved at 0.33 nm resolution. The nicotinamide ring is sandwiched between the flavin ring and the side chain of Phe-198 which undergoes the same conformational change upon coenzyme binding as Tyr-197 in GR. In addition to Arg-222 and Arg-228, which are conserved in TR and GR, Tyr-221--the last residue of the second beta-sheet strand of the beta alpha beta dinucleotide binding fold--is in hydrogen bonding distance to the 2' phosphate group of NADPH.

Anatomy of the antibody molecule

The structures of the various regions of an antibody molecule are analysed and correlated with biological function. The structural features which relate to potential applications are detailed.

X-ray structures of fragments from binding and nonbinding versions of a humanized anti-CD18 antibody: structural indications of the key role of VH residues 59 to 65

X-ray crystal structures of fragments from two different humanized anti-CD18 antibodies are reported. The Fv fragment of the nonbinding version has been refined in space group C2 with a = 64.2 A, b = 61.3 A, c = 51.8 A, and beta = 99 degrees to an R-value of 18.0% at 1.9 A, and the Fab fragment of the tight-binding version has been refined in space group P3 with a = 101. A and c = 45.5 A to an R-value of 17.8% at 3.0 A resolution. The very large difference in their binding affinity (> 1000-fold) is attributed to large and local structural differences in the C-terminal part of CDR-H2, and from this we conclude there is direct contact between this region and antigen when they combine. X-ray structures of antibody-antigen complexes available in the literature have yet to show this part of CDR-H2 in contact with antigen, despite its hypervariable sequence. Implications of this result for antibody humanization are discussed.

The intact and cleaved human antithrombin III complex as a model for serpin-proteinase interactions

Antithrombin is a member of the serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin) family which contain a flexible reactive site loop that interacts with, and is cleaved by the target proteinase. In cleaved and latent serpins, the reactive site loop is inserted into a large central beta-sheet in the same molecule, whereas in ovalbumin, a nonfunctional serpin, the reactive site loop is completely exposed and in an alpha-helical conformation. However, in neither conformation can the reactive site loop bind to target proteinases. Here we report the structure of an intact and cleaved human antithrombin complex. The intact reactive site loop is in a novel conformation that seems well suited for interaction with proteinases such as thrombin and blood coagulation factor Xa.

Growth and analysis of crystal forms of toxic shock syndrome toxin 1

Native toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1) purified from Staphylococcus aureus has been crystallized in four different forms. The highest resolution data (2.05 A) was collected from orthorhombic crystals belonging to the space group C222(1). The unit cell dimensions are a = 108.7 A, b = 177.5 A, c = 97.6 A. Rotation function analysis of this form indicates that there is trimer of toxin molecules in the asymmetric unit with a local 3-fold axis parallel to the crystallographic c axis. Crystals of a double mutant of TSST-1 have been grown which has a single molecule in the asymmetric unit and diffract to 1.9 A. The space group is P2(1) with unit cell parameters of a = 44.4 A, b = 34.0 A, c = 55.2 A, beta = 93.0 degrees.

26-10 Fab-digoxin complex: affinity and specificity due to surface complementarity

We have determined the three-dimensional structures of the antigen-binding fragment of the anti-digoxin monoclonal antibody 26-10 in the uncomplexed state at 2.7 A resolution and as a complex with digoxin at 2.5 A resolution. Neither the antibody nor digoxin undergoes any significant conformational changes upon forming the complex. Digoxin interacts primarily with the antibody heavy chain and is oriented such that the carbohydrate groups are exposed to solvent and the lactone ring is buried in a deep pocket at the bottom of the combining site. Despite extensive interactions between antibody and antigen, no hydrogen bonds or salt links are formed between 26-10 and digoxin. Thus the 26-10-digoxin complex is unique among the known three-dimensional structures of antibody-antigen complexes in that specificity and high affinity arise primarily from shape complementarity.

Characterization of an anti-digoxin antibody binding site by site-directed in vitro mutagenesis

In vitro mutagenesis and immunoglobulin gene transfection were used to investigate the binding site of a monoclonal antibody, 2610, that binds to digoxin, a cardiac glycoside. A computer model was generated in order to select sites in the complementarity determining regions (CDR) that would participate in binding. Residues in the CDR segments were chosen that possess high solvent exposure and were located in a putative cleft. The cloned heavy and light chain variable regions were subjected to in vitro mutagenesis at these sites. The mutated variable regions in M13 were then subcloned into expression vectors and transfected. The affinities and specificity binding properties of the resultant expressed antibodies were measured. Many of the mutants of the putative contact residues showed significant but not major alterations of binding properties. Since most of the residues in the binding site are non-polar and aromatic and since many of the mutations resulted in only modest binding changes, we theorize that much of the high affinity binding (> 10(9)/M) is the cumulation of many weak interactions, arising from dispersion forces and hydrophobic effects in the pocket. Preliminary mutagenesis of two L chain positions proposed to bind to the lactone end of digoxin have larger binding effects. Specificity studies show that the mutants more frequently possess altered binding to the lactone ring of digoxin that altered binding to other digoxin moieties. The data are most suggestive of a model in which lactone is at the bottom of a binding pocket, followed by the steroid nucleus and then by the sugar moiety extruding out of the pocket. The binding information may be useful in understanding the immune response to large, hydrophobic haptens.

Computational challenges for macromolecular structure determination by X-ray crystallography and solution NMR-spectroscopy

Macromolecular structure determination by X-ray crystallography and solution NMR spectroscopy has experienced unprecedented growth during the past decade.

The crystal structure of diphtheria toxin

The crystal structure of the diphtheria toxin dimer at 2.5 A resolution reveals a Y-shaped molecule of three domains. The catalytic domain, called fragment A, is of the alpha + beta type. Fragment B actually consists of two domains. The transmembrane domain consists of nine alpha-helices, two pairs of which are unusually apolar and may participate in pH-triggered membrane insertion and translocation. The receptor-binding domain is a flattened beta-barrel with a jelly-roll-like topology. Three distinct functions of the toxin, each carried out by a separate structural domain, can be useful in designing chimaeric proteins, such as immunotoxins, in which the receptor-binding domain is substituted with antibodies to target other cell types.

2.9 A resolution structure of an anti-dinitrophenyl-spin-label monoclonal antibody Fab fragment with bound hapten

The crystal structure of the Fab fragment of the murine monoclonal anti-dinitrophenyl-spin-label antibody AN02 complexed with its hapten has been solved at 2.9 A resolution using a novel molecular replacement method. Prior to translation searches, a large number of the most likely rotation function solutions were subjected to a rigid body refinement against the linear correlation coefficient between intensities of observed and calculated structure factors. First, the overall orientation of the search model and then the orientations and positions of the four Fab domains (VH, VL, CH1 and CL) were refined. This procedure clearly identified the correct orientation of the search model. The refined search model was then subjected to translation searches which unambiguously determined the enantiomer and position in the unit cell of the crystal. The successful search model was refined 2.5 A crystal structure of the Fab fragment of HyHel-5 from which non-matching residues in the variable domains had been removed. HyHel-5 is a murine monoclonal antibody whose heavy and light chains are of the same subclass (gamma 1, kappa, respectively) as AN02. After molecular replacement the structure of the AN02 Fab has been refined using simulated annealing in combination with model building and conjugate gradient refinement to a current crystallographic R-factor of 19.5% for 12,129 unique reflections between 8.0 and 2.9 A. The root-mean-square (r.m.s.) deviation from ideal bond lengths is 0.014 A, and the r.m.s. deviation from ideal bond angles is 3.1 degrees. The electron density reveals the hapten sitting in a pocket formed by the loops of the complementarity determining region. The dinitrophenyl ring of the hapten is sandwiched between the indole rings of Trp96 of the heavy-chain and Trp91 of the light-chain. The positioning of the hapten and general features of the combining site are in good agreement with the results of earlier nuclear magnetic resonance experiments.