1
|
Ginex T, Marco-Marín C, Wieczór M, Mata CP, Krieger J, Ruiz-Rodriguez P, López-Redondo ML, Francés-Gómez C, Melero R, Sánchez-Sorzano CÓ, Martínez M, Gougeard N, Forcada-Nadal A, Zamora-Caballero S, Gozalbo-Rovira R, Sanz-Frasquet C, Arranz R, Bravo J, Rubio V, Marina A, Geller R, Comas I, Gil C, Coscolla M, Orozco M, Llácer JL, Carazo JM. The structural role of SARS-CoV-2 genetic background in the emergence and success of spike mutations: The case of the spike A222V mutation. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010631. [PMID: 35816514 PMCID: PMC9302720 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The S:A222V point mutation, within the G clade, was characteristic of the 20E (EU1) SARS-CoV-2 variant identified in Spain in early summer 2020. This mutation has since reappeared in the Delta subvariant AY.4.2, raising questions about its specific effect on viral infection. We report combined serological, functional, structural and computational studies characterizing the impact of this mutation. Our results reveal that S:A222V promotes an increased RBD opening and slightly increases ACE2 binding as compared to the parent S:D614G clade. Finally, S:A222V does not reduce sera neutralization capacity, suggesting it does not affect vaccine effectiveness. Since early 2020, the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic has mostly been shaped by the appearance of novel variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Accordingly, much of the scientific effort has been directed toward the question of explaining, understanding, and predicting the evolutionary fate of individual mutations in the viral genome. In this article, we focus on A222V, a particular mutation in the Spike protein that emerged in Spain in mid-2020 and reappeared independently in the AY.4.2 subvariant of Delta one year later. As reemerging mutations often indicate an evolutionary advantage, we explored potential mechanisms linking A222V to biologically relevant outcomes. Using serological, functional, structural, and computational approaches, we identified key molecular-level differences conferred by A222V that potentially explain its repeated emergence in different genetic backgrounds. Our results point to subtle changes in the dynamic behavior of the receptor-binding domain in the binding-competent "up" conformation, ones that affect receptor binding itself, but can also act synergistically with other mutations by changing the accessibility of key residues involved in molecular recognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Ginex
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CIB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Clara Marco-Marín
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Miłosz Wieczór
- Molecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carlos P. Mata
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología (CNM-ISCIII), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - James Krieger
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula Ruiz-Rodriguez
- ISysBio, University of Valencia-CSIC, FISABIO Joint Research Unit Infection and Public Health, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Clara Francés-Gómez
- ISysBio, University of Valencia-CSIC, FISABIO Joint Research Unit Infection and Public Health, Valencia, Spain
| | - Roberto Melero
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Marta Martínez
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Nadine Gougeard
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alicia Forcada-Nadal
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Rocío Arranz
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jeronimo Bravo
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
| | - Vicente Rubio
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Marina
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Ron Geller
- ISysBio, University of Valencia-CSIC, FISABIO Joint Research Unit Infection and Public Health, Valencia, Spain
| | - Iñaki Comas
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
- Centro para Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Valencia, Spain
| | - Carmen Gil
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CIB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mireia Coscolla
- ISysBio, University of Valencia-CSIC, FISABIO Joint Research Unit Infection and Public Health, Valencia, Spain
| | - Modesto Orozco
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Luis Llácer
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), Valencia, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Rubio V, Marco-Marín C, Llácer JL. Nitrogen storage regulation by PII protein: lessons learned from taxonomic outliers. FEBS J 2020; 287:439-442. [PMID: 31943764 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The paper 'Interaction of N-acetyl-l-glutamate kinase with the PII signal transducer in the non-photosynthetic alga Polytomella parva: Co-evolution towards a hetero-oligomeric enzyme' by Selim et al. highlights how the study of a true taxonomic oddity, the heterotrophic unicellular alga P. parva, has been instrumental in uncovering the large potential for adaptive variation in the signaling complex of PII with the enzyme N-acetylglutamate kinase (NAGK). This complex modifies the regulatory properties of NAGK, allowing nitrogen stockpiling as arginine. In P. parva, a stable PII-NAGK complex is formed which lacks regulation by canonical PII effectors but which exhibits novel adaptive responses to nitrogen abundance mediated by glutamine, a neo-effector of PII proteins of photosynthetic eukaryotes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Rubio
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER-ISCIII), Valencia, Spain
| | - Clara Marco-Marín
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER-ISCIII), Valencia, Spain
| | - José Luis Llácer
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia (IBV-CSIC), CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER-ISCIII), Valencia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gordiyenko Y, Llácer JL, Ramakrishnan V. Structural basis for the inhibition of translation through eIF2α phosphorylation. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2640. [PMID: 31201334 PMCID: PMC6572841 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10606-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the responses to stress by eukaryotic cells is the down-regulation of protein synthesis by phosphorylation of translation initiation factor eIF2. Phosphorylation results in low availability of the eIF2 ternary complex (eIF2-GTP-tRNAi) by affecting the interaction of eIF2 with its GTP-GDP exchange factor eIF2B. We have determined the cryo-EM structure of yeast eIF2B in complex with phosphorylated eIF2 at an overall resolution of 4.2 Å. Two eIF2 molecules bind opposite sides of an eIF2B hetero-decamer through eIF2α-D1, which contains the phosphorylated Ser51. eIF2α-D1 is mainly inserted between the N-terminal helix bundle domains of δ and α subunits of eIF2B. Phosphorylation of Ser51 enhances binding to eIF2B through direct interactions of phosphate groups with residues in eIF2Bα and indirectly by inducing contacts of eIF2α helix 58–63 with eIF2Bδ leading to a competition with Met-tRNAi. During stress, protein synthesis is inhibited through phosphorylation of the initiation factor eIF2 on its alpha subunit and its interaction with eIF2B. Here the authors describe a structure of the yeast eIF2B in complex with its substrate - the GDP-bound phosphorylated eIF2, providing insights into how phosphorylation results in a tighter interaction with eIF2B.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuliya Gordiyenko
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| | - José Luis Llácer
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK. .,Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and CIBERER-ISCIII, Valencia, 46010, Spain.
| | - V Ramakrishnan
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 0QH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Forcada-Nadal A, Llácer JL, Contreras A, Marco-Marín C, Rubio V. The P II-NAGK-PipX-NtcA Regulatory Axis of Cyanobacteria: A Tale of Changing Partners, Allosteric Effectors and Non-covalent Interactions. Front Mol Biosci 2018; 5:91. [PMID: 30483512 PMCID: PMC6243067 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2018.00091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [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: 08/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PII, a homotrimeric very ancient and highly widespread (bacteria, archaea, plants) key sensor-transducer protein, conveys signals of abundance or poorness of carbon, energy and usable nitrogen, converting these signals into changes in the activities of channels, enzymes, or of gene expression. PII sensing is mediated by the PII allosteric effectors ATP, ADP (and, in some organisms, AMP), 2-oxoglutarate (2OG; it reflects carbon abundance and nitrogen scarcity) and, in many plants, L-glutamine. Cyanobacteria have been crucial for clarification of the structural bases of PII function and regulation. They are the subject of this review because the information gathered on them provides an overall structure-based view of a PII regulatory network. Studies on these organisms yielded a first structure of a PII complex with an enzyme, (N-acetyl-Lglutamate kinase, NAGK), deciphering how PII can cause enzyme activation, and how it promotes nitrogen stockpiling as arginine in cyanobacteria and plants. They have also revealed the first clear-cut mechanism by which PII can control gene expression. A small adaptor protein, PipX, is sequestered by PII when nitrogen is abundant and is released when is scarce, swapping partner by binding to the 2OG-activated transcriptional regulator NtcA, co-activating it. The structures of PII-NAGK, PII-PipX, PipX alone, of NtcA in inactive and 2OG-activated forms and as NtcA-2OG-PipX complex, explain structurally PII regulatory functions and reveal the changing shapes and interactions of the T-loops of PII depending on the partner and on the allosteric effectors bound to PII. Cyanobacterial studies have also revealed that in the PII-PipX complex PipX binds an additional transcriptional factor, PlmA, thus possibly expanding PipX roles beyond NtcA-dependency. Further exploration of these roles has revealed a functional interaction of PipX with PipY, a pyridoxal-phosphate (PLP) protein involved in PLP homeostasis whose mutations in the human ortholog cause epilepsy. Knowledge of cellular levels of the different components of this PII-PipX regulatory network and of KD values for some of the complexes provides the basic background for gross modeling of the system at high and low nitrogen abundance. The cyanobacterial network can guide searches for analogous components in other organisms, particularly of PipX functional analogs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Forcada-Nadal
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain.,Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - José Luis Llácer
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain.,Group 739, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras - Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valencia, Spain
| | - Asunción Contreras
- Departamento de Fisiología, Genética y Microbiología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Clara Marco-Marín
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain.,Group 739, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras - Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valencia, Spain
| | - Vicente Rubio
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Valencia, Spain.,Group 739, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras - Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Valencia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Palanca C, Pedro-Roig L, Llácer JL, Camacho M, Bonete MJ, Rubio V. The structure of a PII signaling protein from a halophilic archaeon reveals novel traits and high-salt adaptations. FEBS J 2014; 281:3299-314. [PMID: 24946894 DOI: 10.1111/febs.12881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2014] [Revised: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED To obtain insights into archaeal nitrogen signaling and haloadaptation of the nitrogen/carbon/energy-signaling protein PII, we determined crystal structures of recombinantly produced GlnK2 from the extreme halophilic archaeon Haloferax mediterranei, complexed with AMP or with the PII effectors ADP or ATP, at respective resolutions of 1.49 Å, 1.45 Å, and 2.60 Å. A unique trait of these structures was a three-tongued crown protruding from the trimer body convex side, formed by an 11-residue, N-terminal, highly acidic extension that is absent from structurally studied PII proteins. This extension substantially contributed to the very low pI value, which is a haloadaptive trait of H. mediterranei GlnK2, and participated in hexamer-forming contacts in one crystal. Similar acidic N-extensions are shown here to be common among PII proteins from halophilic organisms. Additional haloadaptive traits prominently represented in H. mediterranei GlnK2 are a very high ratio of small residues to large hydrophobic aliphatic residues, and the highest ratio of polar to nonpolar exposed surface for any structurally characterized PII protein. The presence of a dense hydration layer in the region between the three T-loops might also be a haloadaptation. Other unique findings revealed by the GlnK2 structure that might have functional relevance are: the adoption by its T-loop of a three-turn α-helical conformation, perhaps related to the ability of GlnK2 to directly interact with glutamine synthetase; and the firm binding of AMP, confirmed by biochemical binding studies with ATP, ADP, and AMP, raising the possibility that AMP could be an important PII effector, at least in archaea. DATABASE The atomic coordinates and structure factors have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank under the accession numbers 4OZL (hmGlnK2-AMP), 4OZJ (hmGlnK2-ADP), and 4OZN (hmGlnK2-ATP). STRUCTURED DIGITAL ABSTRACT hmGlnK2 and hmGlnK2 bind by x-ray crystallography (View interaction).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carles Palanca
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Valencia of the CSIC (IBV-CSIC), Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Martínez-Bisbal MC, Monleon D, Assemat O, Piotto M, Piquer J, Llácer JL, Celda B. Determination of metabolite concentrations in human brain tumour biopsy samples using HR-MAS and ERETIC measurements. NMR Biomed 2009; 22:199-206. [PMID: 18833546 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.1304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Accurate determination of the concentration of the metabolites contained in intact human biopsies of 10 glioblastoma multiforme samples was achieved using one-dimensional (1)H high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) NMR combined with ERETIC (electronic reference to in vivo concentrations) measurements. The amount of sample used ranged from 6.8 to 12.9 mg. Metabolite concentrations were measured in each sample using two methods: with DSS (2,2-dimethyl-2-silapentane-5-sulfonate sodium salt) as an internal reference and with ERETIC as an external electronically generated reference. The ERETIC signal was shown to be highly reproducible and did not affect the spectral quality. The concentrations calculated by the ERETIC method in model solutions were shown to be independent of the salt concentration in the range typically found in biological samples (0-250 mM). The ERETIC method proved to be straightforward to use in tissues and much more robust than the internal standard method. The concentrations calculated using the internal DSS concentration were systematically found to be higher than those determined using the ERETIC technique. These results indicate a possible interaction of the DSS molecules with the biopsy sample. Moreover, variations in the sample preparation process, with possible loss of DSS solution, may hamper the quantification process, as happens in one of the ten samples analysed. In this study, the ERETIC method was validated on model solutions and used in brain tumour tissues. Calculated metabolite concentrations obtained with the ERETIC procedure matched the values determined in the same type of tumours by in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro methodologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Carmen Martínez-Bisbal
- Networking Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Valencia, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Broseta J, García-March G, Sánchez-Ledesma MJ, Gonçalves J, Silva I, Barcia JA, Llácer JL, Barcia-Salorio JL. High-cervical spinal cord electrical stimulation in brain low perfusion syndromes: experimental basis and preliminary clinical report. Stereotact Funct Neurosurg 1994; 62:171-8. [PMID: 7631063 DOI: 10.1159/000098614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies of our group showed that C1-C2 spinal cord stimulation increases carotid and brain blood flow in normal conditions in the goat and dog and it has a beneficial vasomotor effect in a model of vasospasm in the rat. For further clinical application it seemed rational to investigate the possible vascular changes mediated by this technique in experimental brain infarction. To this aim, 45 New Zealand rabbits were used. Brain infarction was produced by bilateral carotid ligation in 15, unilateral microcoagulation of the middle cerebral artery in 15 and by microcoagulation of the vertebral artery at the craniocervical junction in the other 15. One week later, following daily clinical scoring and cortical and posterior fossa blood flow readings by laser Doppler, a period of 120 min of right C1-C2 spinal cord electric stimulation was performed. A mean of 27% increase in previous blood flow recordings was obtained at the right hemisphere and a mean of 32% in the posterior fossa. This procedure was used in 10 patients presenting with various cerebral low perfusion syndromes. Though not constant, an increase in alertness, retention, speech, emotional lability and performance in skilled acts was achieved. No MR changes were observed, though SPECT readings showed an increase in blood flow in the penumbral perilesional area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Broseta
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Salamanca, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|