Spectrométrie de masse des modifications induites ou post-traductionnelles de protéines : méthodologie et application à des protéines d’intérêt thérapeutique

Protein modifications, whether post-translational (PTMs) or chemically induced, play a crucial role on the activity of proteins. Mass spectrometry (MS) techniques such as HRMS, CID/ETD MS/MS, and biochemistrybased methods for structural and kinetic characterization of protein-ligand complexes and PTMs have been developed. MS combined with several biochemical tools has been used to sequence the proteinase inhibitor gregline and to detect a novel PTM. A similar approach shows that the transposase MOS1, a model for the design of HIV integrase inhibitors, is both phosphorylated and acetylated. For the lyase Abf2, a strategy of trapping, purification, proteolysis, and DNA hydrolysis of the Abf2-DNA covalent complex, coupled to MS analysis, has been developed. Finally, the interaction between the metastasis suppressor hPEBP1 and locostatin was dissected. Upon binding to hPEBP1, locostatin undergoes hydrolysis. To identify the site targeted by locostatin, the conditions of reaction and proteolysis were optimized. The qualitative approach reveals the presence of non-specific reactions, leading to the development of 1) a mathematical model to determine the optimum bound fraction for discriminating the specific site from non-specific sites, and 2) a method for the parallel and exhaustive quantification of the degree of modification of all modified sites of a protein. These tools are widely applicable to covalent protein ligands and/or PTMs.Les modifications de protéines, qu’elles soient post-traductionnelles (PTMs) ou induites chimiquement, ont une influence considérable sur l'activité des protéines. Des méthodes de spectrométrie de masse (MS) HRMS, MS/MS CID et ETD, et de biochimie ont été développées pour la caractérisation structurale et cinétique de complexes protéine-ligand et de PTMs, dans le but de disséquer leur mécanisme et de concevoir des médicaments covalents contre des protéines liant des protéases, des kinases, ou l'ADN. La MS combinée avec des outils biochimiques a permis de séquencer l'inhibiteur de protéases grégline, et de détecter une PTM originale. De même, la transposase MOS1, modèle de l'intégrase du VIH pour la conception d'inhibiteurs, s'avère être à la fois acétylée et phosphorylée. Pour la lyase Abf2, une stratégie de piégeage, purification, protéolyse et hydrolyse ADN du complexe covalent Abf2-ADN, couplée à l’analyse MS, a été développée. Enfin, l’interaction entre le surpresseur de métastase hPEBP1 et la locostatine a été disséquée sur la protéine entière et par approche bottom-up. La locostatine s’hydrolyse en butyrate après fixation. Afin d’identifier le site ciblé par la locostatine, les conditions de réaction et de protéolyse ont été optimisées. La présence de réactions non spécifiques a conduit au développement 1) d'un modèle mathématique permettant de déterminer la fraction de liaison optimale pour discriminer le site spécifique des sites non-spécifiques, et 2) d'une méthode pour la quantification parallèle et exhaustive du degré de modification de tous les sites modifiés d'une protéine. Ces outils sont applicables aux ligands covalents de protéines et/ou à leurs PTMs

Alpha-fetoprotein controls female fertility and prenatal development of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone pathway through an antiestrogenic action

peer reviewedIt has been shown previously that female mice homozygous for an alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) null allele are sterile as a result of anovulation, probably due to a defect in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Here we show that these female mice exhibit specific anomalies in the expression of numerous genes in the pituitary, including genes involved in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone pathway, which are underexpressed. In the hypothalamus, the gonadotropin-releasing hormone gene, Gnrh1, was also found to be down-regulated. However, pituitary gene expression could be normalized and fertility could be rescued by blocking prenatal estrogen synthesis using an aromatase inhibitor. These results show that AFP protects the developing female brain from the adverse effects of prenatal estrogen exposure and clarify a long-running debate on the role of this fetal protein in brain sexual differentiation

Formation of the conserved pseudouridine at position 55 in archaeal tRNA

Pseudouridine (Ψ) located at position 55 in tRNA is a nearly universally conserved RNA modification found in all three domains of life. This modification is catalyzed by TruB in bacteria and by Pus4 in eukaryotes, but so far the Ψ55 synthase has not been identified in archaea. In this work, we report the ability of two distinct pseudouridine synthases from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus to specifically modify U55 in tRNA in vitro. These enzymes are (pfu)Cbf5, a protein known to play a role in RNA-guided modification of rRNA, and (pfu)PsuX, a previously uncharacterized enzyme that is not a member of the TruB/Pus4/Cbf5 family of pseudouridine synthases. (pfu)PsuX is hereafter renamed (pfu)Pus10. Both enzymes specifically modify tRNA U55 in vitro but exhibit differences in substrate recognition. In addition, we find that in a heterologous in vivo system, (pfu)Pus10 efficiently complements an Escherichia coli strain deficient in the bacterial Ψ55 synthase TruB. These results indicate that it is probable that (pfu)Cbf5 or (pfu)Pus10 (or both) is responsible for the introduction of pseudouridine at U55 in tRNAs in archaea. While we cannot unequivocally assign the function from our results, both possibilities represent unexpected functions of these proteins as discussed herein

THUMP from archaeal tRNA:m(2)(2)G10 methyltransferase, a genuine autonomously folding domain

The tRNA:m(2)(2)G10 methyltransferase of Pyrococus abyssi (PAB1283, a member of COG1041) catalyzes the N(2),N(2)-dimethylation of guanosine at position 10 in tRNA. Boundaries of its THUMP (THioUridine synthases, RNA Methyltransferases and Pseudo-uridine synthases)—containing N-terminal domain [1–152] and C-terminal catalytic domain [157–329] were assessed by trypsin limited proteolysis. An inter-domain flexible region of at least six residues was revealed. The N-terminal domain was then produced as a standalone protein (THUMPα) and further characterized. This autonomously folded unit exhibits very low affinity for tRNA. Using protein fold-recognition (FR) methods, we identified the similarity between THUMPα and a putative RNA-recognition module observed in the crystal structure of another THUMP-containing protein (ThiI thiolase of Bacillus anthracis). A comparative model of THUMPα structure was generated, which fulfills experimentally defined restraints, i.e. chemical modification of surface exposed residues assessed by mass spectrometry, and identification of an intramolecular disulfide bridge. A model of the whole PAB1283 enzyme docked onto its tRNA(Asp) substrate suggests that the THUMP module specifically takes support on the co-axially stacked helices of T-arm and acceptor stem of tRNA and, together with the catalytic domain, screw-clamp structured tRNA. We propose that this mode of interactions may be common to other THUMP-containing enzymes that specifically modify nucleotides in the 3D-core of tRNA

Crystal structures of the tRNA:m2G6 methyltransferase Trm14/TrmN from two domains of life

Methyltransferases (MTases) form a major class of tRNA-modifying enzymes needed for the proper functioning of tRNA. Recently, RNA MTases from the TrmN/Trm14 family that are present in Archaea, Bacteria and Eukaryota have been shown to specifically modify tRNAPhe at guanosine 6 in the tRNA acceptor stem. Here, we report the first X-ray crystal structures of the tRNA m2G6 (N2-methylguanosine) MTase TTCTrmN from Thermus thermophilus and its ortholog PfTrm14 from Pyrococcus furiosus. Structures of PfTrm14 were solved in complex with the methyl donor S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM or AdoMet), as well as the reaction product S-adenosyl-homocysteine (SAH or AdoHcy) and the inhibitor sinefungin. TTCTrmN and PfTrm14 consist of an N-terminal THUMP domain fused to a catalytic Rossmann-fold MTase (RFM) domain. These results represent the first crystallographic structure analysis of proteins containing both THUMP and RFM domain, and hence provide further insight in the contribution of the THUMP domain in tRNA recognition and catalysis. Electrostatics and conservation calculations suggest a main tRNA binding surface in a groove between the THUMP domain and the MTase domain. This is further supported by a docking model of TrmN in complex with tRNAPhe of T. thermophilus and via site-directed mutagenesis

Formation of m2G6 in Methanocaldococcus jannaschii tRNA catalyzed by the novel methyltransferase Trm14

The modified nucleosides N2-methylguanosine and N22-dimethylguanosine in transfer RNA occur at five positions in the D and anticodon arms, and at positions G6 and G7 in the acceptor stem. Trm1 and Trm11 enzymes are known to be responsible for several of the D/anticodon arm modifications, but methylases catalyzing post-transcriptional m2G synthesis in the acceptor stem are uncharacterized. Here, we report that the MJ0438 gene from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii encodes a novel S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase, now identified as Trm14, which generates m2G at position 6 in tRNACys. The 381 amino acid Trm14 protein possesses a canonical RNA recognition THUMP domain at the amino terminus, followed by a γ-class Rossmann fold amino-methyltransferase catalytic domain featuring the signature NPPY active site motif. Trm14 is associated with cluster of orthologous groups (COG) 0116, and most closely resembles the m2G10 tRNA methylase Trm11. Phylogenetic analysis reveals a canonical archaeal/bacterial evolutionary separation with 20–30% sequence identities between the two branches, but it is likely that the detailed functions of COG 0116 enzymes differ between the archaeal and bacterial domains. In the archaeal branch, the protein is found exclusively in thermophiles. More distantly related Trm14 homologs were also identified in eukaryotes known to possess the m2G6 tRNA modification

Male-like sexual behavior of female mouse lacking fucose mutarotase

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mutarotases are recently characterized family of enzymes that are involved in the anomeric conversions of monosaccharides. The mammalian fucose mutarotase (FucM) was reported in cultured cells to facilitate fucose utilization and incorporation into protein by glycosylation. However, the role of this enzyme in animal has not been elucidated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We generated a mutant mouse specifically lacking the fucose mutarotase (FucM) gene. The <it>FucM </it>knockout mice displayed an abnormal sexual receptivity with a drastic reduction in lordosis score, although the animals were fertile due to a rare and forced intromission by a typical male. We examined the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPv) of the preoptic region in brain and found that the mutant females showed a reduction in tyrosine hydoxylase positive neurons compared to that of a normal female. Furthermore, the mutant females exhibited a masculine behavior, such as mounting to a normal female partner as well as showing a preference to female urine. We found a reduction of fucosylated serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in a mutant embryo relative to that of a wild-type embryo.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The observation that <it>FucM</it>^-/-female mouse exhibits a phenotypic similarity to a wild-type male in terms of its sexual behavior appears to be due to the neurodevelopmental changes in preoptic area of mutant brain resembling a wild-type male. Since the previous studies indicate that AFP plays a role in titrating estradiol that are required to consolidate sexual preference of female mice, we speculate that the reduced level of AFP in <it>FucM</it>^-/-mouse, presumably resulting from the reduced fucosylation, is responsible for the male-like sexual behavior observed in the FucM knock-out mouse.</p

Revealing Higher Order Protein Structure Using Mass Spectrometry

International audienceThe development of rapid, sensitive, and accurate mass spectrometric methods for measuring peptides, proteins, and even intact protein assemblies has made mass spectrometry (MS) an extraordinarily enabling tool for structural biology. Here, we provide a personal perspective of the increasingly useful role that mass spectrometric techniques are exerting during the elucidation of higher order protein structures. Areas covered in this brief perspective include MS as an enabling tool for the high resolution structural biologist, for compositional analysis of endogenous protein complexes, for stoichiometry determination, as well as for integrated approaches for the structural elucidation of protein complexes. We conclude with a vision for the future role of MS-based techniques in the development of a multi-scale molecular microscope

Mass spectrometry for induced or post-translational modifications : methodology and application to proteins of therapeutic interest

Les modifications de protéines, qu’elles soient post-traductionnelles (PTMs) ou induites chimiquement, ont une influence considérable sur l'activité des protéines. Des méthodes de spectrométrie de masse (MS) HRMS, MS/MS CID et ETD, et de biochimie ont été développées pour la caractérisation structurale et cinétique de complexes protéine-ligand et de PTMs, dans le but de disséquer leur mécanisme et de concevoir des médicaments covalents contre des protéines liant des protéases, des kinases, ou l'ADN. La MS combinée avec des outils biochimiques a permis de séquencer l'inhibiteur de protéases grégline, et de détecter une PTM originale. De même, la transposase MOS1, modèle de l'intégrase du VIH pour la conception d'inhibiteurs, s'avère être à la fois acétylée et phosphorylée. Pour la lyase Abf2, une stratégie de piégeage, purification, protéolyse et hydrolyse ADN du complexe covalent Abf2-ADN, couplée à l’analyse MS, a été développée. Enfin, l’interaction entre le surpresseur de métastase hPEBP1 et la locostatine a été disséquée sur la protéine entière et par approche bottom-up. La locostatine s’hydrolyse en butyrate après fixation. Afin d’identifier le site ciblé par la locostatine, les conditions de réaction et de protéolyse ont été optimisées. La présence de réactions non spécifiques a conduit au développement 1) d'un modèle mathématique permettant de déterminer la fraction de liaison optimale pour discriminer le site spécifique des sites non-spécifiques, et 2) d'une méthode pour la quantification parallèle et exhaustive du degré de modification de tous les sites modifiés d'une protéine. Ces outils sont applicables aux ligands covalents de protéines et/ou à leurs PTMs.Protein modifications, whether post-translational (PTMs) or chemically induced, play a crucial role on the activity of proteins. Mass spectrometry (MS) techniques such as HRMS, CID/ETD MS/MS, and biochemistrybased methods for structural and kinetic characterization of protein-ligand complexes and PTMs have been developed. MS combined with several biochemical tools has been used to sequence the proteinase inhibitor gregline and to detect a novel PTM. A similar approach shows that the transposase MOS1, a model for the design of HIV integrase inhibitors, is both phosphorylated and acetylated. For the lyase Abf2, a strategy of trapping, purification, proteolysis, and DNA hydrolysis of the Abf2-DNA covalent complex, coupled to MS analysis, has been developed. Finally, the interaction between the metastasis suppressor hPEBP1 and locostatin was dissected. Upon binding to hPEBP1, locostatin undergoes hydrolysis. To identify the site targeted by locostatin, the conditions of reaction and proteolysis were optimized. The qualitative approach reveals the presence of non-specific reactions, leading to the development of 1) a mathematical model to determine the optimum bound fraction for discriminating the specific site from non-specific sites, and 2) a method for the parallel and exhaustive quantification of the degree of modification of all modified sites of a protein. These tools are widely applicable to covalent protein ligands and/or PTMs