Near-complete backbone resonance assignments of acid-denatured human cytochrome c in dimethylsulfoxide: a prelude to studying interactions with phospholipids

Human cytochrome c plays a central role in the mitochondrial electron transfer chain and in the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Through the interaction with the phospholipid cardiolipin, cytochrome c triggers release of pro-apoptotic factors, including itself, from the mitochondrion into the cytosol of cells undergoing apoptosis. The cytochrome c/cardiolipin complex has been extensively studied through various spectroscopies, most recently with high-field solution and solid-state NMR spectroscopies, but there is no agreement between the various studies on key structural features of cytochrome c in its complex with cardiolipin. In the present study, we report backbone 1H, 13C, 15N resonance assignments of acid-denatured human cytochrome c in the aprotic solvent dimethylsulfoxide. These have led to the assignment of a reference 2D 1H-15N HSQC spectrum in which out of the 99 non-proline residues 87% of the backbone amides are assigned. These assignments are being used in an interrupted H/D exchange strategy to map the binding site of cardiolipin on human cytochrome c

Solution structures of the Bacillus cereus metallo-β-lactamase BcII and its complex with the broad spectrum inhibitor R-thiomandelic acid

Metallo-β-lactamases, enzymes which inactivate β-lactam antibiotics, are of increasing biological and clinical significance as a source of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. In the present study we describe the high-resolution solution NMR structures of the Bacillus cereus metallo-β-lactamase BcII and of its complex with R-thiomandelic acid, a broad-spectrum inhibitor of metallo-β-lactamases. This is the first reported solution structure of any metallo-β-lactamase. There are differences between the solution structure of the free enzyme and previously reported crystal structures in the loops flanking the active site, which are important for substrate and inhibitor binding and catalysis. The binding of R-thiomandelic acid and the roles of active-site residues are defined in detail. Changes in the enzyme structure upon inhibitor binding clarify the role of the mobile β3–β4 loop. Comparisons with other metallo-β-lactamases highlight the roles of individual amino-acid residues in the active site and the β3–β4 loop in inhibitor binding and provide information on the basis of structure–activity relationships among metallo-β-lactamase inhibitors

Structural Probes in Quadruplex Nucleic Acid Structure Determination by NMR

Traditionally, isotope-labelled DNA and RNA have been fundamental to nucleic acid structural studies by NMR. Four-stranded nucleic acid architectures studies increasingly benefit from a plethora of nucleotide conjugates for resonance assignments, the identification of hydrogen bond alignments, and improving the population of preferred species within equilibria. In this paper, we review their use for these purposes. Most importantly we identify reasons for the failure of some modifications to result in quadruplex formation

A variety of roles for versatile zinc in metallo-b-lactamases

Metallo-b-lactamases are important as a major source of resistance of pathogenic bacteria to the widely used b-lactam antibiotics. They show considerable diversity in terms of sequence and are grouped into three subclasses, B1, B2 and B3, which share a common overall fold. In each case the active enzyme has binding sites for two zinc ions in close proximity, although the amino-acid residues which coordinate the metals vary from one subclass to another. In subclasses B1 and B3, there has been controversy about whether both zinc ions are required for activity, but the most recent evidence indicates that there is positive cooperativity in zinc binding and that the catalytically relevant species is the di-zinc enzyme. Subclass B2 enzymes, on the other hand, are active in the mono-zinc state and are inhibited by the binding of a second zinc ion. Evidence for the importance of the zinc ions in substrate binding has come from structures of product complexes which indicate that the b-lactam core binds to subclass B1 and B3 enzymes in a rather consistent fashion, interactions with the zinc ions being centrally important. The zinc ions play key roles in the catalytic mechanism, including facilitating nucleophilic attack on the amide carbonyl by the zinc-bound hydroxide ion, stabilising the anionic tetrahedral intermediate and coordinating the departing amine nitrogen

Complete 1H, 15N and 13C resonance assignments of Bacillus cereus metallo-b-lactamase and its complex with the inhibitor R-thiomandelic acid

b-Lactamases inactivate b-lactam antibiotics by hydrolysis of their endocyclic b-lactam bond and are a major cause of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. The zinc dependent metallo-b-lactamase enzymes are of particular concern since they are located on highly transmissible plasmids and have a broad spectrum of activity against almost all b-lactam antibiotics. We present here essentially complete ([96 %) backbone and sidechain sequence-specific NMR resonance assignments for the Bacillus cereus subclass B1 metallo-b-lactamase, BcII, and for its complex with R-thiomandelic acid, a broad spectrum inhibitor of metallo-b-lactamases. These assignments have been used as the basis for determination of the solution structures of the enzyme and its inhibitor complex and can also be used in a rapid screen for other metallo-b-lactamase inhibitors

Complete [superscript 1]H, [superscript 15]N and [superscript 13]C resonance assignments of Bacillus cereus metallo-β-lactamase and its complex with the inhibitor R-thiomandelic acid

β-Lactamases inactivate β-lactam antibiotics by hydrolysis of their endocyclic β-lactam bond and are a major cause of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. The zinc dependent metallo- β-lactamase enzymes are of particular concern since they are located on highly transmissible plasmids and have a broad spectrum of activity against almost all β-lactam antibiotics. We present here essentially complete (>96 %) backbone and sidechain sequence-specific NMR resonance assignments for the Bacillus cereus subclass B1 metallo-β-lactamase, BcII, and for its complex with R-thiomandelic acid, a broad spectrum inhibitor of metallo-β-lactamases. These assignments have been used as the basis for determination of the solution structures of the enzyme and its inhibitor complex and can also be used in a rapid screen for other metallo-β-lactamase inhibitors

Solution structures of the Bacillus cereus metallo-β-lactamase BcII and its complex with the broad spectrum inhibitor R-thiomandelic acid

Metallo-β-lactamases, enzymes which inactivate β-lactam antibiotics, are of increasing biological and clinical significance as a source of antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. We describe the high resolution solution NMR structures of the Bacillus cereus metallo-β-lactamase, BcII, and of its complex with R-thiomandelic acid, a broad spectrum inhibitor of metallo-β-lactamases. This is the first reported solution structure of any metallo-β-lactamase. There are differences between the solution structure of the free enzyme and previously reported crystal structures in the loops flanking the active site, which are important for substrate and inhibitor binding and catalysis. The binding of R-thiomandelic acid and the roles of active site residues are defined in detail. Changes in the enzyme structure upon inhibitor binding clarify the role of the mobile β3-β4 loop. Comparisons with other metallo-β-lactamases highlight the roles of individual amino-acid residues in the active site and the β3-β4 loop in inhibitor binding and provide information on the basis of structure-activity relationships among metallo-β-lactamase inhibitors

The role of active site flexible loops in catalysis and of zinc in conformational stability of Bacillus cereus 569/H/9 beta-lactamase.

Metallo-beta-lactamases catalyse the hydrolysis of most beta-lactam antibiotics and hence represent a major clinical concern. The development of inhibitors for these enzymes is complicated by the diversity and flexibility of their substrate binding sites, motivating research into their structure and function. In this study, we examined the conformational properties of the Bacillus cereus beta-lactamase II in the presence of chemical denaturants using a variety of biochemical and biophysical techniques. The apoenzyme was found to unfold cooperatively, with a Gibbs free energy of stabilization (DeltaG degrees ) of 32 +/- 2 kJ.mol11. For holoBcII, a first non-cooperative transition leads to multiple interconverting native-like states, in which both zinc atoms remain bound in an apparently unaltered active site and the protein displays a well-organized compact hydrophobic core with structural changes confined to the enzyme surface, but with no catalytic activity. 2D NMR data revealed that the loss of activity occurs concomitantly with perturbations in two loops that border the enzyme active site. A second cooperative transition, corresponding to global unfolding, is observed at higher denaturant concentrations, with DeltaG degrees value of 65 +/- 1.4 kJ.mol11. These combined data highlight the importance of the two zinc ions in maintaining structure as well as a relatively well-defined conformation for both active site loops in order to maintain enzymatic activity