1
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Byer AS, Pei X, Patterson MG, Ando N. Small-angle X-ray scattering studies of enzymes. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 72:102232. [PMID: 36462455 PMCID: PMC9992928 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.102232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Enzyme function requires conformational changes to achieve substrate binding, domain rearrangements, and interactions with partner proteins, but these movements are difficult to observe. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) is a versatile structural technique that can probe such conformational changes under solution conditions that are physiologically relevant. Although it is generally considered a low-resolution structural technique, when used to study conformational changes as a function of time, ligand binding, or protein interactions, SAXS can provide rich insight into enzyme behavior, including subtle domain movements. In this perspective, we highlight recent uses of SAXS to probe structural enzyme changes upon ligand and partner-protein binding and discuss tools for signal deconvolution of complex protein solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda S Byer
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Xiaokun Pei
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Michael G Patterson
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Nozomi Ando
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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2
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Thalhammer A, Bröker NK. Biophysical Approaches for the Characterization of Protein-Metabolite Interactions. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2554:199-229. [PMID: 36178628 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2624-5_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
With an estimate of hundred thousands of protein molecules per cell and the number of metabolites several orders of magnitude higher, protein-metabolite interactions are omnipresent. In vitro analyses are one of the main pillars on the way to establish a solid understanding of how these interactions contribute to maintaining cellular homeostasis. A repertoire of biophysical techniques is available by which protein-metabolite interactions can be quantitatively characterized in terms of affinity, specificity, and kinetics in a broad variety of solution environments. Several of those provide information on local or global conformational changes of the protein partner in response to ligand binding. This review chapter gives an overview of the state-of-the-art biophysical toolbox for the study of protein-metabolite interactions. It briefly introduces basic principles, highlights recent examples from the literature, and pinpoints promising future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Thalhammer
- Physical Biochemistry, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Nina K Bröker
- Physical Biochemistry, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
- Health and Medical University Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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3
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Burnim AA, Xu D, Spence MA, Jackson CJ, Ando N. Analysis of insertions and extensions in the functional evolution of the ribonucleotide reductase family. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4483. [PMID: 36307939 PMCID: PMC9669993 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) are used by all free-living organisms and many viruses to catalyze an essential step in the de novo biosynthesis of DNA precursors. RNRs are remarkably diverse by primary sequence and cofactor requirement, while sharing a conserved fold and radical-based mechanism for nucleotide reduction. In this work, we expand on our recent phylogenetic inference of the entire RNR family and describe the evolutionarily relatedness of insertions and extensions around the structurally homologous catalytic barrel. Using evo-velocity and sequence similarity network (SSN) analyses, we show that the N-terminal regulatory motif known as the ATP-cone domain was likely inherited from an ancestral RNR. By combining SSN analysis with AlphaFold2 predictions, we also show that the C-terminal extensions of class II RNRs can contain folded domains that share homology with an Fe-S cluster assembly protein. Finally, using sequence analysis and AlphaFold2, we show that the sequence motif of a catalytically essential insertion known as the finger loop is tightly coupled to the catalytic mechanism. Based on these results, we propose an evolutionary model for the diversification of the RNR family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey A. Burnim
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Da Xu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
| | - Matthew A. Spence
- Research School of ChemistryAustralian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Colin J. Jackson
- Research School of ChemistryAustralian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein ScienceAustralian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Synthetic BiologyAustralian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Nozomi Ando
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical BiologyCornell UniversityIthacaNew YorkUSA
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4
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Levitz TS, Andree GA, Jonnalagadda R, Dawson CD, Bjork RE, Drennan CL. A rapid and sensitive assay for quantifying the activity of both aerobic and anaerobic ribonucleotide reductases acting upon any or all substrates. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269572. [PMID: 35675376 PMCID: PMC9176816 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) use radical-based chemistry to catalyze the conversion of all four ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides. The ubiquitous nature of RNRs necessitates multiple RNR classes that differ from each other in terms of the phosphorylation state of the ribonucleotide substrates, oxygen tolerance, and the nature of both the metallocofactor employed and the reducing systems. Although these differences allow RNRs to produce deoxyribonucleotides needed for DNA biosynthesis under a wide range of environmental conditions, they also present a challenge for establishment of a universal activity assay. Additionally, many current RNR assays are limited in that they only follow the conversion of one ribonucleotide substrate at a time, but in the cell, all four ribonucleotides are actively being converted into deoxyribonucleotide products as dictated by the cellular concentrations of allosteric specificity effectors. Here, we present a liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based assay that can determine the activity of both aerobic and anaerobic RNRs on any combination of substrates using any combination of allosteric effectors. We demonstrate that this assay generates activity data similar to past published results with the canonical Escherichia coli aerobic class Ia RNR. We also show that this assay can be used for an anaerobic class III RNR that employs formate as the reductant, i.e. Streptococcus thermophilus RNR. We further show that this class III RNR is allosterically regulated by dATP and ATP. Lastly, we present activity data for the simultaneous reduction of all four ribonucleotide substrates by the E. coli class Ia RNR under various combinations of allosteric specificity effectors. This validated LC-MS/MS assay is higher throughput and more versatile than the historically established radioactive activity and coupled RNR activity assays as well as a number of the published HPLC-based assays. The presented assay will allow for the study of a wide range of RNR enzymes under a wide range of conditions, facilitating the study of previously uncharacterized RNRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talya S. Levitz
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Gisele A. Andree
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Rohan Jonnalagadda
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Christopher D. Dawson
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Rebekah E. Bjork
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Catherine L. Drennan
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America,Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America,Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America,* E-mail:
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5
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Narasimhan J, Letinski S, Jung SP, Gerasyuto A, Wang J, Arnold M, Chen G, Hedrick J, Dumble M, Ravichandran K, Levitz T, Cui C, Drennan CL, Stubbe J, Karp G, Branstrom A. Ribonucleotide reductase, a novel drug target for gonorrhea. eLife 2022; 11:e67447. [PMID: 35137690 PMCID: PMC8865847 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) are an emerging public health threat due to increasing numbers of multidrug resistant (MDR) organisms. We identified two novel orally active inhibitors, PTC-847 and PTC-672, that exhibit a narrow spectrum of activity against Ng including MDR isolates. By selecting organisms resistant to the novel inhibitors and sequencing their genomes, we identified a new therapeutic target, the class Ia ribonucleotide reductase (RNR). Resistance mutations in Ng map to the N-terminal cone domain of the α subunit, which we show here is involved in forming an inhibited α4β4 state in the presence of the β subunit and allosteric effector dATP. Enzyme assays confirm that PTC-847 and PTC-672 inhibit Ng RNR and reveal that allosteric effector dATP potentiates the inhibitory effect. Oral administration of PTC-672 reduces Ng infection in a mouse model and may have therapeutic potential for treatment of Ng that is resistant to current drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jiashi Wang
- PTC Therapeutics, IncSouth PlainfieldUnited States
| | | | | | - Jean Hedrick
- PTC Therapeutics, IncSouth PlainfieldUnited States
| | | | - Kanchana Ravichandran
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Talya Levitz
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Chang Cui
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Catherine L Drennan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - JoAnne Stubbe
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeUnited States
| | - Gary Karp
- PTC Therapeutics, IncSouth PlainfieldUnited States
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6
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Burgos R, Weber M, Gallo C, Lluch-Senar M, Serrano L. Widespread ribosome stalling in a genome-reduced bacterium and the need for translational quality control. iScience 2021; 24:102985. [PMID: 34485867 PMCID: PMC8403727 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Trans-translation is a ubiquitous bacterial mechanism of ribosome rescue mediated by a transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) that adds a degradation tag to the truncated nascent polypeptide. Here, we characterize this quality control system in a genome-reduced bacterium, Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MPN), and perform a comparative analysis of protein quality control components in slow and fast-growing prokaryotes. We show in vivo that in MPN the sole quality control cytoplasmic protease (Lon) degrades efficiently tmRNA-tagged proteins. Analysis of tmRNA-mutants encoding a tag resistant to proteolysis reveals extensive tagging activity under normal growth. Unlike knockout strains, these mutants are viable demonstrating the requirement of tmRNA-mediated ribosome recycling. Chaperone and Lon steady-state levels maintain proteostasis in these mutants suggesting a model in which co-evolution of Lon and their substrates offer simple mechanisms of regulation without specialized degradation machineries. Finally, comparative analysis shows relative increase in Lon/Chaperone levels in slow-growing bacteria suggesting physiological adaptation to growth demand. Lon degrades efficiently tmRNA-tagged proteins in a genome-reduced bacterium tmRNA-tag mutants are viable and reveal extensive tagging activity in M. pneumoniae Co-evolution of Lon and their substrates offer simple mechanisms of regulation Chaperone and Lon relative levels correlate with bacterial growth rates
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Burgos
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Corresponding author
| | - Marc Weber
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Carolina Gallo
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Maria Lluch-Senar
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Luis Serrano
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Pg. Lluis Companys 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain
- Corresponding author
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7
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Hasan M, Banerjee I, Rozman Grinberg I, Sjöberg BM, Logan DT. Solution Structure of the dATP-Inactivated Class I Ribonucleotide Reductase From Leeuwenhoekiella blandensis by SAXS and Cryo-Electron Microscopy. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:713608. [PMID: 34381817 PMCID: PMC8350387 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.713608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The essential enzyme ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) is highly regulated both at the level of overall activity and substrate specificity. Studies of class I, aerobic RNRs have shown that overall activity is downregulated by the binding of dATP to a small domain known as the ATP-cone often found at the N-terminus of RNR subunits, causing oligomerization that prevents formation of a necessary α2β2 complex between the catalytic (α2) and radical generating (β2) subunits. In some relatively rare organisms with RNRs of the subclass NrdAi, the ATP-cone is found at the N-terminus of the β subunit rather than more commonly the α subunit. Binding of dATP to the ATP-cone in β results in formation of an unusual β4 tetramer. However, the structural basis for how the formation of the active complex is hindered by such oligomerization has not been studied. Here we analyse the low-resolution three-dimensional structures of the separate subunits of an RNR from subclass NrdAi, as well as the α4β4 octamer that forms in the presence of dATP. The results reveal a type of oligomer not previously seen for any class of RNR and suggest a mechanism for how binding of dATP to the ATP-cone switches off catalysis by sterically preventing formation of the asymmetrical α2β2 complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmudul Hasan
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Dept. of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ipsita Banerjee
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Dept. of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Britt-Marie Sjöberg
- Dept. of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Derek T Logan
- Biochemistry and Structural Biology, Dept. of Chemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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8
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Meisburger SP, Xu D, Ando N. REGALS: a general method to deconvolve X-ray scattering data from evolving mixtures. IUCrJ 2021; 8:225-237. [PMID: 33708400 PMCID: PMC7924237 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252521000555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mixtures of biological macromolecules are inherently difficult to study using structural methods, as increasing complexity presents new challenges for data analysis. Recently, there has been growing interest in studying evolving mixtures using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in conjunction with time-resolved, high-throughput or chromatography-coupled setups. Deconvolution and interpretation of the resulting datasets, however, are nontrivial when neither the scattering components nor the way in which they evolve are known a priori. To address this issue, the REGALS method (regularized alternating least squares) is introduced, which incorporates simple expectations about the data as prior knowledge, and utilizes parameterization and regularization to provide robust deconvolution solutions. The restraints used by REGALS are general properties such as smoothness of profiles and maximum dimensions of species, making it well suited for exploring datasets with unknown species. Here, REGALS is applied to the analysis of experimental data from four types of SAXS experiment: anion-exchange (AEX) coupled SAXS, ligand titration, time-resolved mixing and time-resolved temperature jump. Based on its performance with these challenging datasets, it is anticipated that REGALS will be a valuable addition to the SAXS analysis toolkit and enable new experiments. The software is implemented in both MATLAB and Python and is available freely as an open-source software package.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve P. Meisburger
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, 259 East Avenue, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Da Xu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, 259 East Avenue, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Nozomi Ando
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, 259 East Avenue, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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9
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Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) catalyze the de novo conversion of nucleotides to deoxynucleotides in all organisms, controlling their relative ratios and abundance. In doing so, they play an important role in fidelity of DNA replication and repair. RNRs' central role in nucleic acid metabolism has resulted in five therapeutics that inhibit human RNRs. In this review, we discuss the structural, dynamic, and mechanistic aspects of RNR activity and regulation, primarily for the human and Escherichia coli class Ia enzymes. The unusual radical-based organic chemistry of nucleotide reduction, the inorganic chemistry of the essential metallo-cofactor biosynthesis/maintenance, the transport of a radical over a long distance, and the dynamics of subunit interactions all present distinct entry points toward RNR inhibition that are relevant for drug discovery. We describe the current mechanistic understanding of small molecules that target different elements of RNR function, including downstream pathways that lead to cell cytotoxicity. We conclude by summarizing novel and emergent RNR targeting motifs for cancer and antibiotic therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon L Greene
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Gyunghoon Kang
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;
| | - Chang Cui
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Marina Bennati
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniel G Nocera
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Catherine L Drennan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - JoAnne Stubbe
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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10
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Ravichandran K, Olshansky L, Nocera DG, Stubbe J. Subunit Interaction Dynamics of Class Ia Ribonucleotide Reductases: In Search of a Robust Assay. Biochemistry 2020; 59:1442-1453. [PMID: 32186371 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) catalyze the conversion of nucleotides (NDP) to deoxynucleotides (dNDP), in part, by controlling the ratios and quantities of dNTPs available for DNA replication and repair. The active form of Escherichia coli class Ia RNR is an asymmetric α2β2 complex in which α2 contains the active site and β2 contains the stable diferric-tyrosyl radical cofactor responsible for initiating the reduction chemistry. Each dNDP is accompanied by disulfide bond formation. We now report that, under in vitro conditions, β2 can initiate turnover in α2 catalytically under both "one" turnover (no external reductant, though producing two dCDPs) and multiple turnover (with an external reductant) assay conditions. In the absence of reductant, rapid chemical quench analysis of a reaction of α2, substrate, and effector with variable amounts of β2 (1-, 10-, and 100-fold less than α2) yields 3 dCDP/α2 at all ratios of α2:β2 with a rate constant of 8-9 s-1, associated with a rate-limiting conformational change. Stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy with a fluorophore-labeled β reveals that the rate constants for subunit association (163 ± 7 μM-1 s-1) and dissociation (75 ± 10 s-1) are fast relative to turnover, consistent with catalytic β2. When assaying in the presence of an external reducing system, the turnover number is dictated by the ratio of α2:β2, their concentrations, and the concentration and nature of the reducing system; the rate-limiting step can change from the conformational gating to a step or steps involving disulfide rereduction, dissociation of the inhibited α4β4 state, or both. The issues encountered with E. coli RNR are likely of importance in all class I RNRs and are central to understanding the development of screening assays for inhibitors of these enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanchana Ravichandran
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Lisa Olshansky
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.,Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Daniel G Nocera
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - JoAnne Stubbe
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States.,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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11
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Thomas WC, Brooks FP, Burnim AA, Bacik JP, Stubbe J, Kaelber JT, Chen JZ, Ando N. Convergent allostery in ribonucleotide reductase. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2653. [PMID: 31201319 PMCID: PMC6572854 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10568-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) use a conserved radical-based mechanism to catalyze the conversion of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides. Within the RNR family, class Ib RNRs are notable for being largely restricted to bacteria, including many pathogens, and for lacking an evolutionarily mobile ATP-cone domain that allosterically controls overall activity. In this study, we report the emergence of a distinct and unexpected mechanism of activity regulation in the sole RNR of the model organism Bacillus subtilis. Using a hypothesis-driven structural approach that combines the strengths of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), crystallography, and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), we describe the reversible interconversion of six unique structures, including a flexible active tetramer and two inhibited helical filaments. These structures reveal the conformational gymnastics necessary for RNR activity and the molecular basis for its control via an evolutionarily convergent form of allostery. Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the conversion of ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides, which is an essential step in DNA synthesis. Here the authors use small-angle X-ray scattering, X-ray crystallography, and cryo-electron microscopy to capture active and inactive forms of the Bacillus subtilis RNR and provide mechanistic insights into a convergent form of allosteric regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- William C Thomas
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - F Phil Brooks
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Audrey A Burnim
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - John-Paul Bacik
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - JoAnne Stubbe
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Jason T Kaelber
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - James Z Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Nozomi Ando
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA. .,Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA.
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12
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Rose HR, Maggiolo AO, McBride MJ, Palowitch GM, Pandelia ME, Davis KM, Yennawar NH, Boal AK. Structures of Class Id Ribonucleotide Reductase Catalytic Subunits Reveal a Minimal Architecture for Deoxynucleotide Biosynthesis. Biochemistry 2019; 58:1845-1860. [PMID: 30855138 PMCID: PMC6456427 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b01252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Class I ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) share a common mechanism of nucleotide reduction in a catalytic α subunit. All RNRs initiate catalysis with a thiyl radical, generated in class I enzymes by a metallocofactor in a separate β subunit. Class Id RNRs use a simple mechanism of cofactor activation involving oxidation of a MnII2 cluster by free superoxide to yield a metal-based MnIIIMnIV oxidant. This simple cofactor assembly pathway suggests that class Id RNRs may be representative of the evolutionary precursors to more complex class Ia-c enzymes. X-ray crystal structures of two class Id α proteins from Flavobacterium johnsoniae ( Fj) and Actinobacillus ureae ( Au) reveal that this subunit is distinctly small. The enzyme completely lacks common N-terminal ATP-cone allosteric motifs that regulate overall activity, a process that normally occurs by dATP-induced formation of inhibitory quaternary structures to prevent productive β subunit association. Class Id RNR activity is insensitive to dATP in the Fj and Au enzymes evaluated here, as expected. However, the class Id α protein from Fj adopts higher-order structures, detected crystallographically and in solution. The Au enzyme does not exhibit these quaternary forms. Our study reveals structural similarity between bacterial class Id and eukaryotic class Ia α subunits in conservation of an internal auxiliary domain. Our findings with the Fj enzyme illustrate that nucleotide-independent higher-order quaternary structures can form in simple RNRs with truncated or missing allosteric motifs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah R. Rose
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Ailiena O. Maggiolo
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Molly J. McBride
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Gavin M. Palowitch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | | | - Katherine M. Davis
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Neela H. Yennawar
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Amie K. Boal
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
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13
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher K Mathews
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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Khan CA, Meisburger SP, Ando N, Fitzpatrick PF. The phenylketonuria-associated substitution R68S converts phenylalanine hydroxylase to a constitutively active enzyme but reduces its stability. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:4359-4367. [PMID: 30674554 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.006477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The naturally occurring R68S substitution of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PheH) causes phenylketonuria (PKU). However, the molecular basis for how the R68S variant leads to PKU remains unclear. Kinetic characterization of R68S PheH establishes that the enzyme is fully active in the absence of allosteric binding of phenylalanine, in contrast to the WT enzyme. Analytical ultracentrifugation establishes that the isolated regulatory domain of R68S PheH is predominantly monomeric in the absence of phenylalanine and dimerizes in its presence, similar to the regulatory domain of the WT enzyme. Fluorescence and small-angle X-ray scattering analyses establish that the overall conformation of the resting form of R68S PheH is different from that of the WT enzyme. The data are consistent with the substitution disrupting the interface between the catalytic and regulatory domains of the enzyme, shifting the equilibrium between the resting and activated forms ∼200-fold, so that the resting form of R68S PheH is ∼70% in the activated conformation. However, R68S PheH loses activity 2 orders of magnitude more rapidly than the WT enzyme at 37 °C and is significantly more sensitive to proteolysis. We propose that, even though this substitution converts the enzyme to a constitutively active enzyme, it results in PKU because of the decrease in protein stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystal A Khan
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229 and
| | - Steve P Meisburger
- the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
| | - Nozomi Ando
- the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
| | - Paul F Fitzpatrick
- From the Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78229 and
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