Distinct 3D architecture and dynamics of the human HtrA2(Omi) protease and its mutated variants

HtrA2(Omi) protease controls protein quality in mitochondria and plays a major role in apoptosis. Its HtrA2S306A mutant (with the catalytic serine routinely disabled for an X-ray study to avoid self-degradation) is a homotrimer whose subunits contain the serine protease domain (PD) and the regulatory PDZ domain. In the inactive state, a tight interdomain interface limits penetration of both PDZ-activating ligands and PD substrates into their respective target sites. We successfully crystalized HtrA2V226K/S306A, whose active counterpart HtrA2V226K has had higher proteolytic activity, suggesting higher propensity to opening the PD-PDZ interface than that of the wild type HtrA2. Yet, the crystal structure revealed the HtrA2V226K/S306A architecture typical of the inactive protein. To get a consistent interpretation of crystallographic data in the light of kinetic results, we employed molecular dynamics (MD). V325D inactivating mutant was used as a reference. Our simulations demonstrated that upon binding of a specific peptide ligand NH2-GWTMFWV-COOH, the PDZ domains open more dynamically in the wild type protease compared to the V226K mutant, whereas the movement is not observed in the V325D mutant. The movement relies on a PDZ vs. PD rotation which opens the PD-PDZ interface in a lid-like (budding flower-like in trimer) fashion. The noncovalent hinges A and B are provided by two clusters of interfacing residues, harboring V325D and V226K in the C- and N-terminal PD barrels, respectively. The opening of the subunit interfaces progresses in a sequential manner during the 50 ns MD simulation. In the systems without the ligand only minor PDZ shifts relative to PD are observed, but the interface does not open. Further activation-associated events, e.g. PDZ-L3 positional swap seen in any active HtrA protein (vs. HtrA2), were not observed. In summary, this study provides hints on the mechanism of activation of wtHtrA2, the dynamics of the inactive HtrA2V325D, but does not allow to explain an increased activity of HtrA2V226K

Interaction of class A G protein-coupled receptors with G protein.

A model for interaction of class A G protein-coupled receptor with the G protein Gα subunit is proposed using the rhodopsin-transducin (RD/Gt) prototype. The model combines the resolved interactions/distances, essential in the active RD*/Gt system, with the structure of Gtα C-terminal peptide bound to RD* while stabilizing it. Assuming the interactions involve conserved parts of the partners, the model specifies the conserved Helix 2 non-polar X- - -X, Helix 3 DRY and Helix 7/8 NP- -Y- - F RD* motifs interacting with the Gtα C-terminal peptide, in compliance with the structure of the latter. A concomitant role of Gtα and Gtγ>C-termini in stabilizing RD* could possibly be resolved assuming a receptor dimer as requisite for G protein activation

Theoretical models of catalytic domains of protein phosphatases 1 and 2A with Zn2+ and Mn2+ metal dications and putative bioligands in their catalytic centers.

The oligomeric metalloenzymes protein phosphatases dephosphorylate OH groups of Ser/Thr or Tyr residues of proteins whose actions depend on the phosphorus signal. The catalytic units of Ser/Thr protein phosphatases 1, 2A and 2B (PP1c, PP2Ac and PP2Bc, respectively), which exhibit about 45% sequence similarity, have their active centers practically identical. This feature strongly suggests that the unknown structure of PP2Ac could be successfully homology-modeled from the known structures of PP1c and/or PP2Bc. Initially, a theoretical model of PP1c was built, including a phosphate and a metal dication in its catalytic site. The latter was modeled, together with a structural hydroxyl anion, as a triangular pseudo-molecule (Zno or Mno), composed of two metal cations (double Zn2+ or Mn2+, respectively) and the OH- group. To the free PP1c two inhibitor sequences R29RRRPpTPAMLFR40 of DARPP-32 and R30RRRPpTPATLVLT42 of Inhibitor-1, and two putative substrate sequences LRRApSVA and QRRQRKpRRTI were subsequently docked. In the next step, a free PP2Ac model was built via homology re-modeling of the PP1c template and the same four sequences were docked to it. Thus, together, 20 starting model complexes were built, allowing for combination of the Zno and Mno pseudo-molecules, free enzymes and the peptide ligands docked in the catalytic sites of PP1c and PP2Ac. All models were subsequently subjected to 250-300 ps molecular dynamics using the AMBER 5.0 program. The equilibrated trajectories of the final 50 ps were taken for further analyses. The theoretical models of PP1c complexes, irrespective of the dication type, exhibited increased mobilities in the following residue ranges: 195-200, 273-278, 287-209 for the inhibitor sequences and 21-25, 194-200, 222-227, 261, 299-302 for the substrate sequences. Paradoxically, the analogous PP2Ac models appeared much more stable in similar simulations, since only their "prosegment" residues 6-10 and 14-18 exhibited an increased mobility in the inhibitor complexes while no areas of increased mobility were found in the substrate complexes. Another general observation was that the complexes with Mn dications were more stable than those with Zn dications for both PP1c and PP2Ac units