The Cryptosporidium parvum Kinome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hundreds of millions of people are infected with cryptosporidiosis annually, with immunocompromised individuals suffering debilitating symptoms and children in socioeconomically challenged regions at risk of repeated infections. There is currently no effective drug available. In order to facilitate the pursuit of anti-cryptosporidiosis targets and compounds, our study spans the classification of the <it>Cryptosporidium parvum </it>kinome and the structural and biochemical characterization of representatives from the CDPK family and a MAP kinase.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The <it>C</it>. <it>parvum </it>kinome comprises over 70 members, some of which may be promising drug targets. These <it>C. parvum </it>protein kinases include members in the AGC, Atypical, CaMK, CK1, CMGC, and TKL groups; however, almost 35% could only be classified as OPK (other protein kinases). In addition, about 25% of the kinases identified did not have any known orthologues outside of <it>Cryptosporidium spp</it>. Comparison of specific kinases with their <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>and <it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>orthologues revealed some distinct characteristics within the <it>C. parvum </it>kinome, including potential targets and opportunities for drug design. Structural and biochemical analysis of 4 representatives of the CaMK group and a MAP kinase confirms features that may be exploited in inhibitor design. Indeed, screening <it>Cp</it>CDPK1 against a library of kinase inhibitors yielded a set of the pyrazolopyrimidine derivatives (PP1-derivatives) with IC₅₀values of < 10 nM. The binding of a PP1-derivative is further described by an inhibitor-bound crystal structure of <it>Cp</it>CDPK1. In addition, structural analysis of <it>Cp</it>CDPK4 identified an unprecedented Zn-finger within the CDPK kinase domain that may have implications for its regulation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Identification and comparison of the <it>C. parvum </it>protein kinases against other parasitic kinases shows how orthologue- and family-based research can be used to facilitate characterization of promising drug targets and the search for new drugs.</p

PhD

dissertationProteins containing C 2 H 2 type zinc finger motifs are perhaps the largest class of nucleic acid-binding proteins found in nature. This dissertation describes studies on a novel zinc finger protein, dsRBP-ZFa, isolated by screening a Xenopus cDNA expression library with dsRNA. The protein consists of a basic N-terminal region containing seven C 2 H 2 zinc finger motifs and an acidic C-terminal region that is not required for binding. The last four zinc finger motifs, and the linkers that join them, are nearly identical repeats, while the first three motifs and their linkers are each unique. I show that dsRBP-ZFa binds dsRNA and RNA-DNA hybrids with nanomolar dissociation constants and in a sequence independent manner. Additionally, ssRNA and DNA fail to compete for binding suggesting that dsRBP-ZFa prefers to bind an A-form helix. Studies using fragments of dsRBP-ZFa encompassing the three N-terminal, unique zinc finger motifs, and another encompassing the last three of the nearly identically motifs, show that these have binding properties similar to the full-length protein. I have conducted in situ mRNA hybridization experiments to investigate the expression pattern of dsRBP-ZFa mRNA in Xenopus embryos. These experiments revealed that dsRBP-ZFa mRNA is broadly expressed spatially and temporally within the Xenopus nervous system. Using western analyses, I also show that dsRBP-ZFa protein is primarily localized to the nucleus of stage 6 Xenopus oocytes and is present in Xenopus eggs. While other proteins have been shown to bind dsRNA, dsRBP-ZFa is the first example of a zinc finger protein with this activity. Possible biological roles for dsRBP-ZFa and experiments to elucidate these are discussed

Structural insights into the inhibited states of the Mer receptor tyrosine kinase

The mammalian ortholog of the retroviral oncogene v-Eyk, and a receptor tyrosine kinase upstream of antiapoptotic and transforming signals, Mer (MerTK) is a mediator of the phagocytic process, being involved in retinal and immune cell clearance and platelet aggregation. Mer knockout mice are viable and are protected from epinephrine-induced pulmonary thromboembolism and ferric chloride-induced thrombosis. Mer overexpression, on the other hand, is associated with numerous carcinomas. Although Mer adaptor proteins and signaling pathways have been identified, it remains unclear how Mer initiates phagocytosis. When bound to its nucleotide cofactor, the high-resolution structure of Mer shows an autoinhibited αC-Glu-out conformation with insertion of an activation loop residue into the active site. Mer complexed with compound-52 (C52: 2-(2-hydroxyethylamino)-6-(3-chloroanilino)-9-isopropylpurine), a ligand identified from a focused library, retains its DFG-Asp-in and αC-Glu-out conformation, but acquires other conformational changes. The αC helix and DFGL region is closer to the hinge region and the ethanolamine moiety of C52 binds in the groove formed between Leu593 and Val601 of the P-loop, causing a compression of the active site pocket. These conformational states reveal the mechanisms of autoinhibition, the pathophysiological basis of disease-causing mutations, and a platform for the development of chemical probes

Structural and biochemical characterization of the human cyclophilin family of peptidyl-prolyl isomerases.

Peptidyl-prolyl isomerases catalyze the conversion between cis and trans isomers of proline. The cyclophilin family of peptidyl-prolyl isomerases is well known for being the target of the immunosuppressive drug cyclosporin, used to combat organ transplant rejection. There is great interest in both the substrate specificity of these enzymes and the design of isoform-selective ligands for them. However, the dearth of available data for individual family members inhibits attempts to design drug specificity; additionally, in order to define physiological functions for the cyclophilins, definitive isoform characterization is required. In the current study, enzymatic activity was assayed for 15 of the 17 human cyclophilin isomerase domains, and binding to the cyclosporin scaffold was tested. In order to rationalize the observed isoform diversity, the high-resolution crystallographic structures of seven cyclophilin domains were determined. These models, combined with seven previously solved cyclophilin isoforms, provide the basis for a family-wide structure:function analysis. Detailed structural analysis of the human cyclophilin isomerase explains why cyclophilin activity against short peptides is correlated with an ability to ligate cyclosporin and why certain isoforms are not competent for either activity. In addition, we find that regions of the isomerase domain outside the proline-binding surface impart isoform specificity for both in vivo substrates and drug design. We hypothesize that there is a well-defined molecular surface corresponding to the substrate-binding S2 position that is a site of diversity in the cyclophilin family. Computational simulations of substrate binding in this region support our observations. Our data indicate that unique isoform determinants exist that may be exploited for development of selective ligands and suggest that the currently available small-molecule and peptide-based ligands for this class of enzyme are insufficient for isoform specificity

The Cryptosporidium parvum Kinome

Abstract Background Hundreds of millions of people are infected with cryptosporidiosis annually, with immunocompromised individuals suffering debilitating symptoms and children in socioeconomically challenged regions at risk of repeated infections. There is currently no effective drug available. In order to facilitate the pursuit of anti-cryptosporidiosis targets and compounds, our study spans the classification of the Cryptosporidium parvum kinome and the structural and biochemical characterization of representatives from the CDPK family and a MAP kinase. Results The C. parvum kinome comprises over 70 members, some of which may be promising drug targets. These C. parvum protein kinases include members in the AGC, Atypical, CaMK, CK1, CMGC, and TKL groups; however, almost 35% could only be classified as OPK (other protein kinases). In addition, about 25% of the kinases identified did not have any known orthologues outside of Cryptosporidium spp. Comparison of specific kinases with their Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii orthologues revealed some distinct characteristics within the C. parvum kinome, including potential targets and opportunities for drug design. Structural and biochemical analysis of 4 representatives of the CaMK group and a MAP kinase confirms features that may be exploited in inhibitor design. Indeed, screening Cp CDPK1 against a library of kinase inhibitors yielded a set of the pyrazolopyrimidine derivatives (PP1-derivatives) with IC50 values of < 10 nM. The binding of a PP1-derivative is further described by an inhibitor-bound crystal structure of Cp CDPK1. In addition, structural analysis of Cp CDPK4 identified an unprecedented Zn-finger within the CDPK kinase domain that may have implications for its regulation. Conclusions Identification and comparison of the C. parvum protein kinases against other parasitic kinases shows how orthologue- and family-based research can be used to facilitate characterization of promising drug targets and the search for new drugs

A conserved mechanism of autoinhibition for the AMPK kinase domain: ATP-binding site and catalytic loop refolding as a means of regulation

A 1.9 Å resolution crystal structure of the isolated kinase domain from the α2 subunit of human AMPK, the first from a multicellular organism, is presented