Biomedical subjects

E Y Jones

Publications and source records attributed to E Y Jones.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1996

Production and crystallization of MHC class I B allele single peptide complexes.

Major histocompatibility complex class I B alleles, HLA B8, B53 and B3501 have been cloned, expressed, refolded and crystallized in specific complexes with a number of different 8-mer and 9-mer peptides. For some of these crystallization was initiated by cross-seeding between different B allele complexes. All crystallize in the space group P212121, with similar unit cell dimensions of approximately 52 A X 81 A X 112 A, contain one complex per asymmetric unit and diffract to approximately 2.0 A resolution.

Alleles↗

PubMed1996

Crystals of the neurotrophins.

The neurotrophins show a high degree of amino acid sequence homology, share similar solution properties, and display distinct but parallel functionalities. Here we report the crystallization and preliminary X-ray characterization of three neurotrophins: brain-derived neurotrophin, neurotrophin 3, and the heterodimer between brain-derived neurotrophin and neurotrophin 4. These findings are related to other published crystal parameters for neurotrophins, leading to the observation that, although crystal packing is highly variant, neurotrophins share common solubilities with respect to crystal growth.

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor↗

PubMed1996

Three-dimensional structure of cell adhesion molecules.

Recent structural data have provided insights into various forms of specific cell adhesion interactions, including both protein-protein and protein-glycoconjugate recognition events. The major advances have been made in the structural characterization of cadherin-cadherin and integrin-ligand mediated adhesion.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

An altered position of the alpha 2 helix of MHC class I is revealed by the crystal structure of HLA-B*3501.

The crystal structure of the human major histocompatibility complex class I B allele HLA B*3501 complexed with the 8-mer peptide epitope HIV1 Nef 75-82 (VPLRPMTY) has been determined at 2.0 angstrom resolution. Comparison with the crystal structure of the closely related allele HLA B*5301 reveals the structural basis for the tyrosine specificity of the B*3501 F pocket. The structure also reveals a novel conformation of the 8-mer peptide within the binding groove. The positions of the peptide N and C termini are nonstandard, but the classic pattern of hydrogen bonding to nonpolymorphic MHC class I residues is maintained, at the N terminus by addition of a water molecule, and at the C terminus by a substantial shift in the alpha 2 helix.

Alleles↗

PubMed1996

Bound water structure and polymorphic amino acids act together to allow the binding of different peptides to MHC class I HLA-B53.

The structure of the human MHC class I molecule HLA-B53 complexed to two nonameric peptide epitopes (from the malaria parasite P. falciparum and the HIV2 gag protein) has been determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.3 angstrom resolution. The structures reveal the architecture of a Pro-specific B pocket common to many HLA-B alleles. Relative to other alleles, the B53 peptide-binding groove is widened by a significant (up to 1.25 angstrom) shift in the position of the alpha 1 helix. Within this groove, bound water molecules, acting in concert with the side chains of polymorphic residues, provide the functional malleability of the MHC, which enables the high affinity/low specificity binding of multiple peptide epitopes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

The crystal structure of murine leukemia inhibitory factor.

We have determined the structure of murine leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) by X-ray crystallography at 2.0 A resolution. The current crystal structure comprises native LIF residues 9 to 180 with 40 ordered water molecules. For this model the R value (with a bulk solvent correction) is 18.6% on all data from 20.0 A to 2.0 A with stereochemistry typified by root mean square deviations from ideal bond lengths of 0.015 A. The mainchain fold conforms to the four alpha-helix bundle topology previously observed for several members of the hematopoietic cytokine family. Of these, LIF shows closest structural homology to granulocyte colony stimulating factor and growth hormone. Sequence alignments for the functionally related molecules oncostatin M and ciliary neurotrophic factor, when mapped to the LIF structure, indicate regions of conserved structural and surface character. Analysis of published mutagenesis data implicate two regions of receptor interaction which are located in the fourth helix and the preceding loop. A model for receptor binding based on the structure of the growth hormone ligand/receptor complex requires additional, novel features to account for these data.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

The crystal structure of the catalytic domain of human urokinase-type plasminogen activator.

BACKGROUND: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) promotes fibrinolysis by catalyzing the conversion of plasminogen to the active protease plasmin via the cleavage of a peptide bond. When localized to the external cell surface it contributes to tissue remodelling and cellular migration; inhibition of its activity impedes the spread of cancer. u-PA has three domains: an N-terminal receptor-binding growth factor domain, a central kringle domain and a C-terminal catalytic protease domain. The biological roles of the fibrinolytic enzymes render them therapeutic targets, however, until now no structure of the protease domain has been available. Solution of the structure of the u-PA serine protease was undertaken to provide such data. RESULTS: The crystal structure of the catalytic domain of recombinant, non-glycosylated human u-PA, complexed with the inhibitor Glu-Gly-Arg chloromethyl ketone (EGRcmk), has been determined at a nominal resolution of 2.5 A and refined to a crystallographic R-factor of 22.4% on all data (20.4% on data > 3 sigma). The enzyme has the expected topology of a trypsin-like serine protease. CONCLUSIONS: The enzyme has an S1 specificity pocket similar to that of trypsin, a restricted, less accessible, hydrophobic S2 pocket and a solvent-accessible S3 pocket which is capable of accommodating a wide range of residues. The EGRcmk inhibitor binds covalently at the active site to form a tetrahedral hemiketal structure. Although the overall structure is similar to that of homologous serine proteases, at six positions insertions of extra residues in loop regions create unique surface areas. One of these loop regions is highly mobile despite being anchored by the disulphide bridge which is characteristic of a small subset of serine proteases namely tissuetype plasminogen activator, Factor XII and Complement Factor I.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Functions of fibroblast growth factors and their receptors.

Fibroblast growth factors were first characterized twenty years ago as mitogens of cultured fibroblasts. Despite a wealth of data from experiments in vitro, insights have begun to emerge only recently on the normal function of these growth factors in mice and humans, as a result of studies of natural and experimental mutations in the factors and their receptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Structure of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor/neurotrophin 3 heterodimer.

The development and sustenance of specific neuronal populations in the peripheral and central nervous systems are controlled through the binding of neurotrophic factors to high-affinity cell surface receptors. The neurotrophins (nerve growth factor, NGF; brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF; neurotrophin 3, NT3; and neurotrophin 4, NT4) are dimeric molecules which share approximately 50% sequence identity. The crystal structure of the murine NGF homodimer [McDonald et al. (1991) Nature 354, 411-414] indicated that the dimer interface corresponds to regions of high sequence conservation throughout the neurotrophin family. This potential compatibility was duly exploited for the production in vitro of noncovalent heterodimers between the different neurotrophins [Radziejewski, C., & Robinson, R.C. (1993) Biochemistry 32, 13350-13356; Jungbluth et al. (1994) Eur. J. Biochem. 221, 677-685]. Here, we report the X-ray structure at 2.3 A resolution of one such heterodimer, between human BDNF, and human NT3. The NGF, BDNF, and NT3 protomers share the same topology and are structurally equivalent in regions which contribute to the dimer interface in line with the propensity of the neurotrophins to form heterodimers. Analysis of the structure of regions of the BDNF/NT3 heterodimer involved in receptor specificity led us to conclude that heterodimer binding to p75 involves distant binding sites separately located on each protomer of the heterodimer. In contrast, heterodimer interactions with the trk receptors probably utilize hybrid binding sites comprised of residues contributed by both protomers in the heterodimer. The existence of such hybrid binding sites for the trk receptor provides an explanation for the lower activity of the BDNF/NT3 heterodimer in comparison to the homodimers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Crystal structure of an integrin-binding fragment of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 at 1.8 A resolution.

The cell-surface glycoprotein vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1; ref. 1) mediates intercellular adhesion by specific binding to the integrin very-late antigen-4 (VLA-4, alpha 4 beta 1; ref. 3). VCAM-1, with the intercellular adhesion molecules ICAM-1, ICAM-2, ICAM-3 and the mucosal vascular addressin MAd-CAM-1, forms an integrin-binding subgroup of the immunoglobulin superfamily. In addition to their clinical relevance in inflammation, these molecules act as cellular receptors for viral and parasitic agents. The predominant form of VCAM-1 in vivo has an amino-terminal extracellular region comprising seven immunoglobulin-like domains. Functional studies have identified a conserved integrin-binding motif in domains 1 and 4, variants of which are present in the N-terminal domain of all members of the immunoglobulin superfamily subgroup. We report here the crystal structure of a VLA-4-binding fragment composed of the first two domains of VCAM-1. The integrin-binding motif (Q38IDSPL) is highly exposed and forms the N-terminal region of the loop between beta-strands C and D of domain 1. This motif exhibits a distinctive conformation which we predict will be common to all the integrin-binding IgSF molecules. These, and additional data, map VLA-4 binding to the face of the CFG beta-sheet, the surface previously identified as the site for intercellular adhesive interactions between members of the immunoglobulin superfamily.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1995

Ligand binding by the immunoglobulin superfamily recognition molecule CD2 is glycosylation-independent.

The evolutionary success of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) is thought to reflect the ability of IgSF protein domains to form stable structural units. The role of glycosylation in stabilizing these domains is controversial, however. In this study a systematic analysis of the effect of glycosylation on the ligand-binding properties of the cell-cell recognition molecule CD2, which consists of two IgSF domains, was undertaken. A form of human soluble CD2 (hsCD2) with single N-acetylglucosamine residues at each glycosylation site was produced by inhibiting glucosidase I with N-butyldeoxynojirimycin during expression in Chinese hamster ovary cells and digesting the expressed hsCD2 with endoglycosidase H. The ligand and antibody binding properties of this form of hsCD2 were indistinguishable from those of fully glycosylated hsCD2 as determined by surface plasmon resonance analyses. The protein also formed diffraction quality crystals and analysis of the 2.5-A resolution crystal structure indicated that the single N-acetylglucosamine residue present on domain 1 is unlikely to stabilize the ligand binding face of hsCD2. A second, fully deglycosylated form of hsCD2 also bound the ligand and antibodies although this form of the protein tended to aggregate. In contrast to the results of previous studies, the current data indicate that the structural integrity and ligand binding function of human CD2 are glycosylation-independent.

1-Deoxynojirimycin↗

PubMed1995

Recognition at the cell surface: recent structural insights.

In the past few years, structural biology has begun to reveal details of some of the receptors and associated interactions responsible for protein-mediated recognition events at the cell surface. Recent data span the fields of cytokine-receptor interactions, cell adhesion molecules and viral infection.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction characterisation of both a native and selenomethionyl VLA-4 binding fragment of VCAM-1.

Soluble fragments of the extracellular region of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) expressed in Escherichia coli retain functional adhesive activity. An integrin (VLA-4) binding fragment consisting of the N-terminal two immunoglobulin-like domains (VCAM-d1,2) has been crystallized. The crystals belong to space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with cell dimensions of a = 52.7 A, b = 66.5 A, c = 113.2 A and contain two molecules in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. A batch of protein produced in the standard E. coli strain (HW1110), but grown in the presence of selenomethionine enriched media, showed 85% incorporation of selenium in place of sulphur at methionine residues. The selenomethionyl VCAM-d1,2 was crystallized by microseeding techniques initially using the native crystals for nucleation. Both native and selenomethionyl crystals diffract X-rays to a minimum Bragg spacing of 1.8 A.

Cell Adhesion Molecules↗

PubMed1994

Crystal structure of the extracellular region of human tissue factor.

Tissue factor is a cell-surface glycoprotein receptor which initiates the blood coagulation cascade after vessel injury by interacting with blood clotting factor VII/VIIa and which is implicated in various pathological processes. When bound to tissue factor, factor VII is readily converted to the active protease factor VIIa by trace amounts of factors Xa, IXa or VIIa. Human tissue factor consists of 263 residues, the first 219 of which comprise the extracellular region. We have determined the crystal structure of the extracellular region at a resolution of 2.2 A. Tissue factor consists of two immunoglobulin-like domains associated through an extensive, novel, interdomain interface region. The binding site for factor VII lies at the interface region and involves residues from domain 1 and an extended loop (binding 'finger') of domain 2. This is the first reported structure of a representative of the class 2 cytokine receptor family, which also includes interferon-alpha, interferon-gamma (refs 2, 3) and interleukin-10 (ref. 4) receptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Crystal structure of the extracellular region of the human cell adhesion molecule CD2 at 2.5 A resolution.

BACKGROUND: The T-lymphocyte antigen CD2 is an adhesion molecule implicated in immune responses in vivo. The extracellular regions of the human and rat homologues of CD2 share only 45% sequence identity and bind different protein ligands. Comparison of the human and rat soluble CD2 (sCD2) structures should provide insights into the structural basis of cell surface recognition. RESULTS: We therefore determined the crystal structure of a form of human sCD2 with single N-acetylglucosamine residues at each glycosylation site to 2.5 A resolution with an R-factor of 19.3%. It is composed of two immunoglobulin superfamily domains similar to those of rat sCD2, but the relative orientation of the domains in the two homologues differs by up to 20 degrees. An interaction involving the flat, highly charged, ligand binding GFCC'C" faces of crystallographically related human sCD2 molecules duplicates, in a different lattice, that observed in the rat sCD2 crystals. CONCLUSIONS: Intramolecular flexibility appears to be a conserved feature of CD2. The head-to-head interaction between molecules represents a general model for interactions between adhesion molecules of this structural class. Ligand specificity may be influenced by the distribution of charged residues on the binding face.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

The crystal structure and biological function of leukemia inhibitory factor: implications for receptor binding.

The structure of murine leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) has been determined by X-ray crystallography at 2.0 A resolution. The main chain fold conforms to the four alpha-helix bundle topology previously observed for several members of the hematopoietic cytokine family. Of these, LIF shows closest structural homology to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and growth hormone (GH). Sequence alignments for the functionally related molecules oncostatin M and ciliary neurotrophic factor, when mapped to the LIF structure, indicate regions of conserved surface character. Analysis of the biological function and receptor specificity of a series of human-mouse LIF chimeras implicate two regions of receptor interaction that are located in the fourth helix and the preceding loop. A model for receptor binding based on the structure of the GH ligand-receptor complex requires additional, novel features to account for these data.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Expression cloning of an equine T-lymphocyte glycoprotein CD2 cDNA. Structure-based analysis of conserved sequence elements.

An equine CD2 cDNA has been isolated by monoclonal antibody screening of a T-lymphocyte cDNA library. The cDNA contained an open reading frame of 1041 bp encoding a translated product of 347 amino acids. Northern blotting analysis revealed a single mRNA species expressed in spleen, thymus and activated peripheral lymphocytes. The predicted amino acid sequence has 50-65% identity with the human, rat and mouse CD2 sequences with greatest similarity shared with the human homologue. Evolutionarily conserved structural and functional domains in CD2 were identified by comparing the sequences of the equine, human, mouse and rat CD2 homologues in the context of the recently derived crystal structure of rat soluble CD2 [Jones, E. Y., Davis, S. J., Williams, A. F., Harlos, K. & Stuart, D. I. (1992) Nature 360, 232-239]. The key conserved features of the extracellular region included core residues necessary to preserve the structural integrity of the molecule, residues in the linker region likely to maintain the unique domain organization of CD2, an array of highly charged residues in the putative ligand-binding face of the molecule and glycosylation-signal distributions that render the putative ligand-binding GFCC'C" face of domain 1 relatively unhindered by glycosylation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1994

Structural basis of superantigen action inferred from crystal structure of toxic-shock syndrome toxin-1.

Superantigens stimulate T cells bearing particular T-cell receptor V beta sequences, so they are extremely potent polyclonal T-cell mitogens. T-cell activation is preceded by binding of superantigens to class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. To further the structural characterization of these interactions, the crystal structure of a toxin associated with toxic-shock syndrome, TSST-1, which is a microbial superantigen, has been determined at 2.5 A resolution. The N- and C-terminal domains of the structure both contain regions involved in MHC class II association; the C-terminal domain is also implicated in binding the T-cell receptor. Despite low sequence conservation, the TSST-1 topology is similar to the structure reported for the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin B4. But TSST-1 lacks several of the structural features highlighted as central to superantigen activity in the staphylococcal enterotoxin B and we therefore reappraise the structural basis of superantigen action.

Amino Acid Sequence↗