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D W Rice

Publications and source records attributed to D W Rice.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Detecting protein function and protein-protein interactions from genome sequences.

A computational method is proposed for inferring protein interactions from genome sequences on the basis of the observation that some pairs of interacting proteins have homologs in another organism fused into a single protein chain. Searching sequences from many genomes revealed 6809 such putative protein-protein interactions in Escherichia coli and 45,502 in yeast. Many members of these pairs were confirmed as functionally related; computational filtering further enriches for interactions. Some proteins have links to several other proteins; these coupled links appear to represent functional interactions such as complexes or pathways. Experimentally confirmed interacting pairs are documented in a Database of Interacting Proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1999

Insights into the mechanism of domain closure and substrate specificity of glutamate dehydrogenase from Clostridium symbiosum.

Comparisons of the structures of glutamate dehydrogenase (GluDH) and leucine dehydrogenase (LeuDH) have suggested that two substitutions, deep within the amino acid binding pockets of these homologous enzymes, from hydrophilic residues to hydrophobic ones are critical components of their differential substrate specificity. When one of these residues, K89, which hydrogen-bonds to the gamma-carboxyl group of the substrate l-glutamate in GluDH, was altered by site-directed mutagenesis to a leucine residue, the mutant enzyme showed increased substrate activity for methionine and norleucine but negligible activity with either glutamate or leucine. In order to understand the molecular basis of this shift in specificity we have determined the crystal structure of the K89L mutant of GluDH from Clostridium symbiosum. Analysis of the structure suggests that further subtle differences in the binding pocket prevent the mutant from using a branched hydrophobic substrate but permit the straight-chain amino acids to be used as substrates. The three-dimensional crystal structure of the GluDH from C. symbiosum has been previously determined in two distinct forms in the presence and absence of its substrate glutamate. A comparison of these two structures has revealed that the enzyme can adopt different conformations by flexing about the cleft between its two domains, providing a motion which is critical for orienting the partners involved in the hydride transfer reaction. It has previously been proposed that this conformational change is triggered by substrate binding. However, analysis of the K89L mutant shows that it adopts an almost identical conformation with that of the wild-type enzyme in the presence of substrate. Comparison of the mutant structure with both the wild-type open and closed forms has enabled us to separate conformational changes associated with substrate binding and domain motion and suggests that the domain closure may well be a property of the wild-type enzyme even in the absence of substrate.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1999

Crystallization of Escherichia coli RuvA complexed with a synthetic Holliday junction.

During homologous recombination in Escherichia coli the RuvA, B and C proteins interact specifically with the Holliday junction formed by the action of RecA to promote the strand-exchange reaction. RuvA, a homotetrameric protein of molecular weight 88 kDa, has been overexpressed in E. coli, purified and co-crystallized with a synthetic Holliday junction substrate made from four 18-base deoxyoligonucleotides. Crystals were grown using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method with sodium acetate as the precipitant. The crystals diffract to a resolution of 6 A and belong to the monoclinic system, space group C2, with cell parameters a = 148, b = 148, c = 106 A and beta = 123 degrees. The X-ray analysis of these crystals should reveal the structure of the Holliday junction and its mode of binding to RuvA, providing new insights into the molecular mechanism of genetic recombination.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1999

Molecular genetic analysis of enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase inhibition by diazaborine.

Diazaborine and isoniazid are, at first sight, unrelated anti-bacterial agents that inhibit the enoyl-ACP reductase (ENR) of Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium tuberculosis respectively. The crystal structures of these enzymes including that of the diazaborine-inhibited E. coli ENR have been obtained at high resolution. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to study the importance of amino acid residues in diazaborine susceptibility and enzyme function. The results show that drug binding and inhibition require the presence of a glycine residue at position 93 of E. coli ENR or at the structurally equivalent position in the plant homologue, which is naturally resistant to the drug. The data confirm the hypothesis that any amino acid side-chain other than hydrogen at this position within the three-dimensional structure of these enzymes will affect diazaborine resistance by encroaching into the drug binding site. Substitutions of Gly-93 by amino acids with small side-chains, such as serine, alanine, cysteine and valine, hardly affected the catalytic parameters and rendered the bacterial host resistant to the drug. Larger amino acid side-chains, such as that of arginine, histidine, lysine and glutamine, completely inactivated the activity of the enzyme.

Alleles↗
PubMed1998

The X-ray structure of Escherichia coli enoyl reductase with bound NAD+ at 2.1 A resolution.

Enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase catalyses the last reductive step of fatty acid biosynthesis, reducing an enoyl acyl carrier protein to an acyl-acyl carrier protein with NAD(P)H as the cofactor. The crystal structure of enoyl reductase (ENR) from Escherichia coli has been determined to 2.1 A resolution using a combination of molecular replacement and isomorphous replacement and refined using data from 10 A to 2.1 A to an R-factor of 0.16. The final model consists of the four subunits of the tetramer, wherein each subunit is composed of 247 of the expected 262 residues, and a NAD+ cofactor for each subunit of the tetramer contained in the asymmetric unit plus a total of 327 solvent molecules. There are ten disordered residues per subunit which form a loop near the nucleotide binding site which may become ordered upon substrate binding. Each monomer is composed of a seven-stranded parallel beta-sheet flanked on each side by three alpha-helices with a further helix lying at the C terminus of the beta-sheet. This fold is highly reminiscent of the Rossmann fold, found in many NAD(P)H-dependent enzymes. Analysis of the sequence and structure of ENR and comparisons with the family of short-chain alcohol dehydrogenases, identify a conserved tyrosine and lysine residue as important for catalytic activity. Modelling studies suggest that a region of the protein surface that contains a number of strongly conserved hydrophobic residues and lies adjacent to the nicotinamide ring, forms the binding site for the fatty acid substrate.

Alcohol Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed1998

Protein thermostability above 100 degreesC: a key role for ionic interactions.

The discovery of hyperthermophilic microorganisms and the analysis of hyperthermostable enzymes has established the fact that multisubunit enzymes can survive for prolonged periods at temperatures above 100 degreesC. We have carried out homology-based modeling and direct structure comparison on the hexameric glutamate dehydrogenases from the hyperthermophiles Pyrococcus furiosus and Thermococcus litoralis whose optimal growth temperatures are 100 degreesC and 88 degreesC, respectively, to determine key stabilizing features. These enzymes, which are 87% homologous, differ 16-fold in thermal stability at 104 degreesC. We observed that an intersubunit ion-pair network was substantially reduced in the less stable enzyme from T. litoralis, and two residues were then altered to restore these interactions. The single mutations both had adverse effects on the thermostability of the protein. However, with both mutations in place, we observed a fourfold improvement of stability at 104 degreesC over the wild-type enzyme. The catalytic properties of the enzymes were unaffected by the mutations. These results suggest that extensive ion-pair networks may provide a general strategy for manipulating enzyme thermostability of multisubunit enzymes. However, this study emphasizes the importance of the exact local environment of a residue in determining its effects on stability.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Insights into the molecular basis of thermal stability from the analysis of ion-pair networks in the glutamate dehydrogenase family.

The recent structure determination of glutamate dehydrogenase from the hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus and the comparison of this structure with its counterparts from the mesophiles Clostridium symbiosum and Escherichia coli has highlighted the formation of extended networks of ion-pairs as a possible explanation for the superior thermal stability of the hyperthermostable enzyme. In the light of this, we have carried out a homology-based modelling study using sequences of a range of glutamate dehydrogenases drawn from species which span a wide spectrum of optimal growth temperatures. We have attempted to analyse the extent of the formation of ion-pair networks in these different enzymes and tried to correlate this with the observed thermal stability. The results of this analysis indicate that the ion-pair networks become more fragmented as the temperature stability of the enzyme decreases and are consistent with a role for the involvement of such networks in the adaptation of enzymes to extreme temperatures.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Mechanism of action of diazaborines.

The diazaborine family of compounds have antibacterial properties against a range of gram-negative bacteria. Initially, this was thought to be due to the prevention of lipopolysaccharide synthesis. More recently, the molecular target of diazaborines has been identified as the NAD(P)H-dependent enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase (ENR), which catalyses the last reductive step of fatty acid synthase. ENR from Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the target for the front-line antituberculosis drug isoniazid. The emergence of isoniazid resistance strains of M. tuberculosis, a chronic infectious disease that already kills more people than any other infection, is currently causing great concern over the prospects for its future treatment, and it has reawakened interest in the mechanism of diazaborine action. Diazaborines only inhibit ENR in the presence of the nucleotide cofactor, and this has been explained through the analysis of the x-ray crystallographic structures of a number of Escherichia coli ENR-NAD+-diazaborine complexes that showed the formation of a covalent bond between the boron atom in the diazaborines and the 2'-hydroxyl of the nicotinamide ribose moiety that generates a noncovalently bound bisubstrate analogue. The similarities in catalytic chemistry and in the conformation of the nucleotide cofactor across the wider family of NAD(P)-dependent oxidoreductases suggest that there are generic opportunities to mimic the interactions seen here in the rational design of bisubstrate analogue inhibitors for other NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductases.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1998

Crystallization of the alanine dehydrogenase from Phormidium lapideum.

Amino-acid dehydrogenases catalyse the interconversion of their respective amino acids to the corresponding keto acid, with concomitant reduction of NAD or NADP. The enzymes phenylalanine, glutamate, leucine and valine dehydrogenase all share a similar three-dimensional subunit structure and a high degree of sequence similarity, indicating that they belong to an enzyme superfamily related by divergent evolution. In contrast, alanine dehydrogenase shows no sequence similarity with any of these enzymes despite catalysing a reaction with the same chemistry and thus it is predicted that it possesses a different three-dimensional structure. The alanine dehydrogenase from Phormidium lapideum has been crystallized in space group R32, cell dimensions a = b = 123.1 and c = 184.8 A, with a monomer in the asymmetric unit. The structure determination of this enzyme will shed light on how nature has evolved two different systems to carry out the same reaction.

Alanine Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed1998

Crystallization of the NADP-dependent beta-keto acyl carrier protein reductase from Escherichia coli.

The NADP-dependent beta-keto acyl carrier protein reductase (BKR) from E. coli has been crystallized by the hanging-drop method of vapour diffusion using poly(ethylene glycol) of average molecular weight 1450. The crystals belong to the hexagonal space group P6122 or P6522 with unit-cell dimensions a = b = 67.8, c = 355.8 A. Calculated values for Vm and consideration of the packing suggest that the asymmetric unit contains a dimer. BKR catalyses the first reductive step in the elongation cycle of fatty-acid biosynthesis. It shares extensive sequence homology with the enzyme which catalyzes the second reductive step in the cycle, enoyl acyl carrier protein reductase (ENR), and thus provides an opportunity to study the evolution of enzyme function in a metabolic pathway. The structure determination will permit the analysis of the molecular basis of its catalytic mechanism and substrate specificity.

3-Oxoacyl-(Acyl-Carrier-Protein) Reductase↗
PubMed1998

Structural similarities between Escherichia coli RuvA protein and other DNA-binding proteins and a mutational analysis of its binding to the holliday junction.

Comparison of the structure of Escherichia coli RuvA with other proteins in the Protein Data Bank gives insights into the probable modes of association of RuvA with the Holliday junction during homologous recombination. All three domains of the RuvA protein possess striking structural similarities to other DNA-binding proteins. Additionally, the second domain of RuvA contains two copies of the helix-hairpin-helix (HhH) structural motif, which has been implicated in non-sequence-specific DNA binding. The two copies of the motif are related by approximate 2-fold symmetry and may form a bidentate DNA-binding module. The results described provide support for the organization of the arms of the DNA in our RuvA/Holliday junction complex model and support the involvement of the HhH motifs in DNA binding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Insights into the molecular basis of salt tolerance from the study of glutamate dehydrogenase from Halobacterium salinarum.

A homology-based modeling study on the extremely halophilic glutamate dehydrogenase from Halobacterium salinarum has been used to provide insights into the molecular basis of salt tolerance. The modeling reveals two significant differences in the characteristics of the surface of the halophilic enzyme that may contribute to its stability in high salt. The first of these is that the surface is decorated with acidic residues, a feature previously seen in structures of halophilic enzymes. The second is that the surface displays a significant reduction in exposed hydrophobic character. The latter arises not from a loss of surface-exposed hydrophobic residues, as has previously been proposed, but from a reduction in surface-exposed lysine residues. This is the first report of such an observation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Crystallization of NAD+-dependent phenylalanine dehydrogenase from Nocardia sp239.

The NAD+-dependent phenylalanine dehydrogenase from Nocardia sp239 has been crystallized by the hanging-drop method of vapour diffusion using ammonium sulfate as the precipitant. Two crystal forms were obtained in the presence and absence of the enzyme substrates phenylpyruvic acid or phenylalanine and its coenzyme NADH. Crystals of the native protein belong to the hexagonal system, with the space group being one of the enantiomorphic pair P6122 or P6522. The cell dimensions are a = b = 111.0, c = 174.5 A, alpha = beta = 90 and gamma = 120 degrees. Crystals grown from the protein co-crystallized with its substrates all belong to the trigonal system, space group P3121 or P3221, with unit-cell dimensions of a = b = 88.1, c = 112.6 A, alpha = beta = 90 and gamma = 120 degrees. Preliminary protein-sequencing experiments have established that this enzyme is related to the octameric PheDH's which are members of the wider superfamily of amino-acid dehydrogenases. However, gel-filtration studies suggest that this enzyme is active as a monomer. The full determination of the three-dimensional structure of this phenylalanine dehydrogenase will add to the understanding of the molecular basis of the differential substrate specificity within this enzyme superfamily. In turn this will contribute to the rational design of an amino-acid dehydrogenase which could be used for the diagnosis of phenylketonuria and for the chiral synthesis of high-value pharmaceuticals.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1998

A monomeric mutant of Clostridium symbiosum glutamate dehydrogenase: comparison with a structured monomeric intermediate obtained during refolding.

The refolding of Clostridium symbiosum glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) involves the formation of an inactive structured monomeric intermediate prior to its concentration-dependent association. The structured monomer obtained after removal of guanidinium chloride was stable and competent for reconstitution into active hexamers. Site-directed mutagenesis of C. symbiosum gdh gene was performed to replace the residues Arg-61 and Phe-187 which are involved in subunit-subunit interactions, as determined by three-dimensional structure analysis. Heterologous over-expression in Escherichia coli of the double mutant (R61E/F187D) led to the production of a soluble protein with a molecular mass consistent with the monomeric form of clostridial GDH. This protein is catalytically inactive but cross-reacts with an anti-wild-type GDH antibody preparation. The double mutant R61E/F187D does not assemble into hexamers. The physical properties and the stability toward guanidinium chloride and urea of R61E/F187D were studied and compared to those of the structured monomeric intermediate.

Anilino Naphthalenesulfonates↗
PubMed1998

Analysis of the structure and substrate binding of Phormidium lapideum alanine dehydrogenase.

The structure of the hexameric L-alanine dehydrogenase from Phormidium lapideum reveals that the subunit is constructed from two domains, each having the common dinucleotide binding fold. Despite there being no sequence similarity, the fold of alanine dehydrogenase is closely related to that of the family of D-2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenases, with a similar location of the active site, suggesting that these enzymes are related by divergent evolution. L-alanine dehydrogenase and the 2-hydroxyacid dehydrogenases also use equivalent functional groups to promote substrate recognition and catalysis. However, they are arranged differently on the enzyme surface, which has the effect of directing opposite faces of the keto acid to the dinucleotide in each case, forcing a change in absolute configuration of the product.

Alanine↗
PubMed1998

Crystal structure and active site location of N-(1-D-carboxylethyl)-L-norvaline dehydrogenase.

Opine dehydrogenases catalyze the NAD(P)H-dependent reversible reaction to form opines that contain two asymmetric centers exhibiting either (L,L) or (D,L) stereochemistry. The first structure of a (D,L) superfamily member, N-(1-D-carboxylethyl)-L-norvaline dehydrogenase (CENDH) from Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C, has been determined at 1.8 A resolution and the location of the bound nucleotide coenzyme has been identified. Six conserved residues cluster in the cleft between the enzyme's two domains, close to the nucleotide binding site, and are presumed to define the enzyme's catalytic machinery. Conservation of a His-Asp pair as part of this cluster suggests that the enzyme mechanism is related to the 2-hydroxy acid dehydrogenases. The pattern of sequence conservation and substitution between members of this enzyme family has permitted the tentative location of the residues that define their differential substrate specificities.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Crystal structure of E.coli RuvA with bound DNA Holliday junction at 6 A resolution.

Here we present the crystal structure of the Escherichia coli protein RuvA bound to a key DNA intermediate in recombination, the Holliday junction. The structure, solved by isomorphous replacement and density modification at 6 A resolution, reveals the molecular architecture at the heart of the branch migration and resolution reactions required to process Holliday intermediates into recombinant DNA molecules. It also reveals directly for the first time the structure of the Holliday junction. A single RuvA tetramer is bound to one face of a junction whose four DNA duplex arms are arranged in an open and essentially four-fold symmetric conformation. Protein-DNA contacts are mediated by two copies of a helix-hairpin-helix motif per RuvA subunit that contact the phosphate backbone in a very similar manner. The open structure of the junction stabilized by RuvA binding exposes a DNA surface that could be bound by the RuvC endonuclease to promote resolution.

Bacterial Proteins↗