Tracking Water Molecules on Protein Surfaces

この論文は国立情報学研究所の電子図書館事業により電子化されました。研究会報告Water is recognized to have many important roles in influencing protein structure, folding and function. Understanding protein hydration requires the elucidation of the effects of both the solvent and the protein. While a variety of physical techniques (e.g., X-ray crystallography, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), electron microscopy, NMR spectroscopy, computer simulations) are available for the characterization of protein structures in the solid state and in solution, the description of the behavior of water molecules around proteins is much more problematic, owing to the peculiarities of preferentially bound waters (short residence times, higher average density than bulk water, etc.). Localizing water molecules on protein surfaces or in crevices requires the determination of anhydrous and hydrated protein volumes and surfaces, on the one hand, and elucidation of exact topographies of protein envelopes and possible (hydrophilic) water binding sites, on the other. The latter aspect requires knowledge of the 3D structure of proteins and of the amino acid (AA) building blocks

Acute glucose starvation activates the nuclear localization signal of a stress-specific yeast transcription factor

In yeast, environmental conditions control the transcription factor Msn2, the nuclear accumulation and function of which serve as a sensitive indicator of nutrient availablity and environmental stress load. We show here that the nuclear localization signal (NLS) of Msn2 is a direct target of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAPK). Genetic analysis suggests that Msn2-NLS function is inhibited by phosphorylation and activated by dephosphorylation. Msn2-NLS function is unaffected by many stress conditions that normally induce nuclear accumulation of full-length Msn2. The Msn2-NLS phosphorylation status is, however, highly sensitive to carbohydrate fluctuations during fermentative growth. Dephosphorylation occurs in >2 min after glucose withdrawal but the effect is reversed rapidly by refeeding with glucose. This response to glucose depletion is due to changes in cAPK activity rather than an increase in protein phosphatase activity. Surprisingly, the classical glucose-sensing systems are not connected to this rapid response system. Our results further imply that generic stress signals do not cause short-term depressions in cAPK activity. They operate on Msn2 by affecting an Msn5-dependent nuclear export and/or retention mechanism

Computational and Experimental Evidence for the Evolution of a (betaalpha)(8)-Barrel Protein from an Ancestral Quarter-Barrel Stabilised by Disulfide Bonds

The evolution of the prototypical (beta alpha)(8)-barrel protein imidazole glycerol phosphate synthase (HisF) was studied by complementary computational and experimental approaches. The 4-fold symmetry of HisF suggested that its constituting (beta alpha)(2) quarter-barrels have a common evolutionary origin. This conclusion was supported by the computational reconstruction of the HisF sequence of the last common ancestor, which showed that its quarter-barrels were more similar to each other than are those of extant HisF proteins. A comprehensive sequence analysis identified HisF-N1 [corresponding to (beta alpha)(1-2)] as the slowest evolving quarter-barrel. This finding indicated that it is the closest relative of the common (beta alpha)(2) predecessor, which must have been a stable and presumably tetrameric protein. In accordance with this prediction, a recombinantly produced HisF-N1 protein was properly folded and formed a tetramer being stabilised by disulfide bonds. The introduction of a disulfide bond in HisF-C1 [corresponding to (beta alpha)(5-6)] also resulted in the formation of a stable tetramer. The fusion of two identical HisF-N1 quarter-barrels yielded the stable dimeric half-barrel HisF-N1N1. Our findings suggest a two-step evolutionary pathway in which a HisF-N1-like predecessor was duplicated and fused twice to yield HisF. Most likely, the (beta alpha)(2) quarter-barrel and (beta alpha)(4) half-barrel intermediates on this pathway were stabilised by disulfide bonds that became dispensable upon consolidation of the (beta alpha)(8)-barrel

Integrity of Proteins in Human Saliva after Sterilization by Gamma Irradiation▿

Microbial contamination of whole human saliva is unwanted for certain in vitro applications, e.g., when utilizing it as a growth substratum for biofilm experiments. The aim of this investigation was to test gamma irradiation for its suitability to sterilize saliva and to investigate the treatment's influence on the composition and integrity of salivary proteins in comparison to filter sterilization. For inhibition of bacterial growth by gamma irradiation, a sterility assurance level of 10−6 was determined to be reached at a dose of 3.5 kGy. At this dose, the integrity of proteins, as measured by fluorescence, circular dichroism, and gel electrophoretic banding pattern, and the enzymatic activities of salivary amylase and lysozyme were virtually unchanged. Filtration reduced the total protein concentration to about half of its original value and decreased lysozyme activity to about 10%. It can be concluded that irradiation is suitable for sterilizing whole saliva in its native form

Diazaborine Treatment of Yeast Cells Inhibits Maturation of the 60S Ribosomal Subunit

Diazaborine treatment of yeast cells was shown previously to cause accumulation of aberrant, 3′-elongated mRNAs. Here we demonstrate that the drug inhibits maturation of rRNAs for the large ribosomal subunit. Pulse-chase analyses showed that the processing of the 27S pre-rRNA to consecutive species was blocked in the drug-treated wild-type strain. The steady-state level of the 7S pre-rRNA was clearly reduced after short-term treatment with the inhibitor. At the same time an increase of the 35S pre-rRNA was observed. Longer incubation with the inhibitor resulted in a decrease of the 27S precursor. Primer extension assays showed that an early step in 27S pre-rRNA processing is inhibited, which results in an accumulation of the 27SA2 pre-rRNA and a strong decrease of the 27SA3, 27SB1L, and 27SB1S precursors. The rRNA processing pattern observed after diazaborine treatment resembles that reported after depletion of the RNA binding protein Nop4p/Nop77p. This protein is essential for correct pre-27S rRNA processing. Using a green fluorescent protein-Nop4 fusion, we found that diazaborine treatment causes, within minutes, a rapid redistribution of the protein from the nucleolus to the periphery of the nucleus, which provides a possible explanation for the effect of diazaborine on rRNA processing