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J Buchner

Publications and source records attributed to J Buchner.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Domain interactions stabilize the alternatively folded state of an antibody Fab fragment.

The structure of the Fab fragment of the monoclonal antibody MAK 33 (kappa/IgG1) at pH 2 was characterized. Spectroscopic and kinetic analysis revealed a molten globule-like state, characterized by elements of secondary structure but less defined tertiary contacts than in the native state. However, some aromatic side chains are in an asymmetrical environment. This structure was not detected using the isolated light chain or a Fab fragment lacking the covalent linkage of the light chain and Fd via the C-terminal disulfide bond. Therefore, interactions between the two chains, stabilized by the interchain disulfide within the Fab fragment, are essential for formation of the alternatively folded state.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1995

Characterization of a quaternary-structured folding intermediate of an antibody Fab-fragment.

Antibody folding is a complex process comprising folding and association reactions. Although it is usually difficult to characterize kinetic folding intermediates, in the case of the antibody Fab fragment, domain-domain interactions lead to a rate-limiting step of folding, thus accumulating folding intermediates at a late step of folding. Here, we analyzed a late folding intermediate of the Fab fragment of the monoclonal antibody MAK 33 from mouse (kappa/IgG1). As a strategy for accumulation of this intermediate we used partial denaturation of the native Fab by guanidinium chloride. This denaturation intermediate, which can be populated to about 90%, is indistinguishable from a late-folding intermediate with respect to denaturation and renaturation kinetics. The spectroscopic analysis reveals a native-like secondary structure of this intermediate with aromatic side chains only slightly more solvent exposed than in the native state. The respective partner domains are weekly associated. From these data we conclude that the intramolecular association of the two chains during folding, with all domains in a native-like structure, follows a two-step mechanism. In this mechanism, presumably hydrophobic interactions are followed by rearrangements leading to the exact complementarity of the contact sites of the respective domains.

Acrylamides↗
PubMed1994

Correlation between the stability of the GroEL-protein ligand complex and the release mechanism.

The protein-protein interactions during GroE-mediated protein refolding are of crucial importance for understanding how the assisted refolding of non-native proteins is achieved. Since GroEL seems to be a rather promiscuous polypeptide-binding protein it is not surprising that conditions for efficient dissociation from GroEL are promiscuous as well. To understand assisted protein refolding it is necessary to elucidate the underlying principles of the different partial steps of the functional cycle. Here we show a correlation between the overall stability of the complex between GroEL and ligand protein and the conditions for functional release from the chaperonin. As a model system, differently denatured species of an antibody Fab fragment were used. While weakly bound Fab fragments are functionally released in the absence of GroES, stably associated non-native forms of the same protein are dependent on the presence of the co-chaperonin for optimal GroE-mediated reactivation, suggesting that complex stability determines the release requirement. However, the observed overall stability of the complex between GroEL and substrate protein may be regarded as the net product of constant binding and rebinding of the ligand protein, once associated with GroEL, as shown by competition experiments.

Chaperonin 10↗
PubMed1994

Symmetric complexes of GroE chaperonins as part of the functional cycle.

The particular structural arrangement of chaperonins probably contributes to their ability to assist in the folding of proteins. The interaction of the oligomeric bacterial chaperonin GroEL and its cochaperonin, GroES, in the presence of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) forms an asymmetric complex. However, in the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) or its nonhydrolyzable analogs, symmetric complexes were found by electron microscopy and image analysis. The existence of symmetric chaperonin complexes is not predicted by current models of the functional cycle for GroE-mediated protein folding. Because complete folding of a nonnative substrate protein in the presence of GroEL and GroES only occurs in the presence of ATP, but not with ADP, the symmetric chaperonin complexes formed during the GroE cycle are proposed to be functionally significant.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1994

Influence of protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) on antibody folding in vitro.

The role of eucaryotic protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) in the folding and reoxidation of proteins in vitro was investigated using an antibody Fab fragment as a model substrate, since PDI is known to participate in the disulfide bond formation of immunoglobulins in vivo. PDI has no effect on the folding of the Fab fragment with intact disulfide bonds, suggesting that, at least in this system, PDI is not able to influence the folding process in a chaperone-like manner. Instead, the role of PDI is limited to disulfide bond formation as demonstrated for the folding of the denatured and reduced Fab fragment. Here, PDI influences the yield of reactivation enormously with a maximum effect at about stoichiometric amounts of PDI and Fab. Furthermore, PDI changes the redox dependence of the reaction. In the presence of PDI, formation of the correct disulfide bonds is possible at higher oxidizing conditions compared to the spontaneous reaction. The requirements both for stoichiometric amounts of PDI and for the presence of PDI during the first seconds of refolding suggest that there is a kinetic competition between rapid structure formation of the antibody domains and interaction of PDI with cysteine residues in the folding protein.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

On the role of groES in the chaperonin-assisted folding reaction. Three case studies.

The mechanism by which correctly folded proteins are recovered from stable complexes with groEL is not well understood. Certain target proteins require ATP and groES, while others seemingly dispense with the cochaperonin. Here, we examine the chaperonin-assisted folding of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase, malate dehydrogenase, and citrate synthase, three proteins that are believed to require both chaperonin components for successful reactivation. Surprisingly, in all cases, the need for groES depended on the folding environment. Under "non-permissive" conditions, where unassisted spontaneous folding could not occur, reactivation to the native state required the complete chaperonin system (e.g. groEL, groES, and MgATP). However, under "permissive" conditions where spontaneous folding could occur groES was no longer mandatory. Instead, upon the addition of ATP alone, all three target proteins could be released from groEL, in a form that was capable of reaching the native state. In the permissive setting, groES merely accelerated the rate of the ATP-dependent release process. The results suggest that the incompletely folded protein species that are released from groEL, in the absence of groES, are not necessarily committed to the native state. Similar to the unassisted folding reaction, they still partition between productive and unproductive folding pathways in an environment-dependent manner. It follows that the mechanistic contribution of the co-chaperonin, groES, and its physiological significance in cellular protein folding, could be entirely missed in a permissive in vitro environment.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Stress- and mitogen-induced phosphorylation of the small heat shock protein Hsp25 by MAPKAP kinase 2 is not essential for chaperone properties and cellular thermoresistance.

Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) show a very rapid stress- and mitogen-dependent phosphorylation by MAPKAP kinase 2. Based on this observation, phosphorylation of sHsps was thought to play a key role in mediating thermoresistance immediately after heat shock, before the increased synthesis of heat shock proteins becomes relevant. We have analysed the phosphorylation dependence of the chaperone and thermoresistance-mediating properties of the small heat shock protein Hsp25. Surprisingly, overexpression of Hsp25 mutants, which are not phosphorylated in the transfected cells, confers the same thermoresistant phenotype as overexpression of wild type Hsp25, which is either mono- or bis-phosphorylated at serine residues 15 and 86 within the cells. Furthermore, in vitro phosphorylated Hsp25 shows the same oligomerization properties and the same chaperone activity as the nonphosphorylated protein. No differences between phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated Hsp25 are detected in preventing thermal aggregation of unfolding proteins and assisting refolding of denatured proteins. The results suggest that chaperone properties of the small heat shock proteins contribute to the increased cellular thermoresistance in a phosphorylation-independent manner.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1994

Assisting spontaneity: the role of Hsp90 and small Hsps as molecular chaperones.

Hsp90 and small Hsps are two abundant types of eukaryotic stress protein whose function has remained largely enigmatic. In the cell, Hsp90 exists in a complex (with other Hsps and prolyl isomerases) possibly implicated in interactions with non-native proteins. Recent biochemical analysis of both Hsp90 and small Hsps has revealed that they may act as ATP-independent molecular chaperones involved in protein folding and unfolding events.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

The N-terminal region of the 37-kDa translocated fragment of Pseudomonas exotoxin A aborts translocation by promoting its own export after microsomal membrane insertion.

The 37-kDa C-terminal fragment of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE; termed PE37 and composed of aa 280-613 of PE) translocates to the cell cytosol to cause cell death. PE37 requires a C-terminal endoplasmic reticulum retention sequence to be cytotoxic, indicating that the toxin may translocate to the cytosol from the endoplasmic reticulum. We show here that the N-terminal region of nascent PE37 can be inserted into the membrane of canine pancreatic microsomes by the preprocecropin signal sequence but then is exported or released from microsomes. The 34 N-terminal amino acids of the toxin fragment are sufficient to arrest translocation and prevent the microsomal accumulation of nascent chains that otherwise are sequestered into microsomes. These data support a role for the N-terminal region of PE37 in the translocation of the toxin from the endoplasmic reticulum to the cytosol in mammalian cells.

ADP Ribose Transferases↗
PubMed1993

Hsc70, immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein, and Hsp90 differ in their ability to stimulate transport of precursor proteins into mammalian microsomes.

Ribonucleoparticle-independent transport of precursor proteins into mammalian microsomes is stimulated by 70-kDa heat shock proteins (Hsc70) and an additional cytosolic protein. Here we addressed the question of whether other molecular chaperones can replace Hsc70 in facilitating protein transport into the endoplasmic reticulum. Specifically, we asked if members of the same family of stress proteins, i.e. the microsomal protein immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein or the bacterial protein DnaK, can substitute for Hsc70. Furthermore, we investigated whether molecular chaperones with a proven role in protein folding and belonging to the other two major families of stress proteins, i.e. Hsp60 or Hsp90, can substitute for Hsc70. We show that none of these stress proteins was able to substitute for Hsc70 in facilitating protein transport into mammalian microsomes. GroEL (the bacterial member of the Hsp60 family) and Hsp90, however, competed with Hsc70 for binding of the non-native precursor protein. Therefore, we conclude that there are both substrate and functional specificity in the action of molecular chaperones.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Small heat shock proteins are molecular chaperones.

Small heat shock proteins (sHsp) with a molecular mass of 15-30 kDa are ubiquitous and conserved. Up to now their function has remained enigmatic. Increased expression under heat shock conditions and their protective effect on cell viability at elevated temperatures suggest that they may have a function in the formation or maintenance of the native conformation of cytosolic proteins. To test this hypothesis we studied the influence of murine Hsp25, human Hsp27, and bovine alpha-B-crystallin (an eye lens protein homologous to sHsps) on the unfolding and refolding of citrate synthase and alpha-glucosidase in vitro. Here we show that all sHsps investigated act as molecular chaperones in these folding reactions. At stoichiometric amounts they maximally prevent the aggregation of citrate synthase and alpha-glucosidase under heat shock conditions and stabilize the proteins. Furthermore, they promote the functional refolding of these proteins after urea denaturation similar to GroE and Hsp90. The interaction both with unfolding and refolding proteins seems to be ATP-independent.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1993

Prolyl isomerases catalyze antibody folding in vitro.

Some slow-folding phases in the in vitro refolding of proteins originate from the isomerization of prolyl-peptide bonds, which can be accelerated by a class of enzymes called prolyl isomerases (PPIs). We used the in vitro folding of an antibody Fab fragment as a model system to study the effect of PPI on a folding reaction that is only partially reversible. We show here that members of both subclasses of PPIs, cyclophilin and FK 506 binding protein (FKBP), accelerate the refolding process and increase the yield of correctly folded molecules. An acceleration of folding was not observed in the presence of the specific inhibitor cyclosporin A, but still the yield of correctly folded molecules was increased. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) increased the yield comparable to cyclophilin but, in contrast, did not influence the rate of reactivation. These effects were observed only when cyclophilin or BSA were present during the first few seconds of refolding. However, the rate-limiting reactivation reaction is still accelerated when PPI is added several minutes after starting refolding. In contrast, the prokaryotic chaperone GroEL influences the refolding yield when added several minutes after initiating refolding. The results show that PPIs influence the folding of Fab in two different ways. (1) They act as true catalysts of protein folding by accelerating the rate-limiting isomerization of Xaa-Pro peptide bonds. Proline isomerization is obviously a late folding step and has no influence on the formation of aggregates within the first seconds of the refolding reaction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Isomerases↗
PubMed1992

GroE dependence of refolding and holoenzyme formation of 6-hydroxy-D-nicotine oxidase.

In Escherichia coli cells expressing 6-hydroxy-D-nicotine oxidase (6-HDNO), a flavoprotein with covalently bound FAD, approximately 40% of the polypeptide is in its apoform. We investigated whether in vivo holoenzyme formation was influenced by the association of the apoenzyme with cellular chaperones. Immunoprecipitation of apoenzyme-containing cell extract with protein-A-Sepharose-bound 6-HDNO- or GroEL-specific antibodies failed to reveal the formation of complexes between these proteins. The limiting factor in holoenzyme formation in vivo appeared to be the intracellular supply of phosphorylated tricarbon compounds (e.g. glycerol-3-P) acting as allosteric effectors in the flavinylation reaction. When holoenzyme formation from purified apo6-HDNO was investigated in vitro, addition of GroEL and GroES to the reaction assays increased the yield of holoenzyme formation. The observed increase in apoenzyme to holoenzyme transition was ATP independent, and the effect of GroE could be simulated by high concentrations of glycerol (40%). Apparently, a nonspecific protein-protein interaction between the GroE proteins and the apo6-HDNO favored holoenzyme formation. The refolding of guanidinium hydrochloride-unfolded holoenzyme, however, was catalyzed by GroEL and GroES in an ATP-dependent reaction. Recovery of the native, enzymatically active, conformation ranged from 30 to 40%. When apo6-HDNO was denatured and refolded, the same dependence on GroE and ATP was observed in the recovery of a conformation able to incorporate FAD and to holoenzyme. [14C] FAD in the refolding assay yielded radioactively labeled 6-HDNO demonstrating the autocatalytical covalent incorporation of FAD into the polypeptide during the folding process.

Apoenzymes↗
PubMed1992

Interaction of GroE with an all-beta-protein.

Molecular chaperones are involved in protein folding both in vivo and in vitro. The Escherichia coli chaperone GroEL interacts with a number of nonnative proteins. A common structural motif of nonnative proteins, which is recognized by GroEL, has not yet been identified. In order to study the role of beta-sheet secondary structure on the interaction of nonnative proteins with GroEL, we used the F(ab) fragment of a monoclonal antibody as a model substrate protein. Here we show that GroEL interacts functionally with this all-beta-protein during reactivation. Antibody fragments refold spontaneously in good yield from the guanidine-denatured state. Functional refolding to the native state is inhibited transiently by GroEL, but there is no complete folding arrest in the absence of Mg-ATP and GroES. The yield of these unspecifically released GroEL-bound F(ab) fragments corresponds to that of the spontaneous reactivation in the absence of chaperones. However, the refolding kinetics in the presence of GroEL are considerably slower. The addition of Mg-ATP to the GroEL.F(ab) complex results in an immediate release of bound substrate protein and a significant increase in the amount of reconstituted antibody fragments compared to spontaneous reactivation. GroES is not essential for functional GroEL-mediated refolding of the F(ab) fragment but affects the reactivation yield to a small extent. Interestingly, stimulation of the GroEL-mediated F(ab) refolding depends primarily on the binding and not on hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphates. Previous results indicate the binding of alpha-helices to GroEL. The results presented in this paper suggest that beta-sheet secondary structural elements are recognized by GroEL. We therefore conclude that the interaction of a nonnative protein with GroEL depends mainly on the nature of the early folding intermediate but not on a specific element of secondary structure.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1992

Hsp90 chaperones protein folding in vitro.

The heat-shock protein Hsp90 is the most abundant constitutively expressed stress protein in the cytosol of eukaryotic cells, where it participates in the maturation of other proteins, modulation of protein activity in the case of hormone-free steroid receptors, and intracellular transport of some newly synthesized kinases. A feature of all these processes could be their dependence on the formation of protein structure. If Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone involved in maintaining a certain subset of cellular proteins in an inactive form, it should also be able to recognize and bind non-native proteins, thereby influencing their folding to the native state. Here we investigate whether Hsp90 can influence protein folding in vitro and show that Hsp90 suppresses the formation of protein aggregates by binding to the target proteins at a stoichiometry of one Hsp90 dimer to one or two substrate molecule(s). Furthermore, the yield of correctly folded and functional protein is increased significantly. The action of Hsp90 does not depend on the presence of nucleoside triphosphates, so it may be that Hsp90 uses a novel molecular mechanism to assist protein folding in vivo.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Glycosylation inhibits the interaction of invertase with the chaperone GroEL.

During refolding and reassociation of chemically denatured non-glycosylated invertase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, aggregation competes with correct folding, leading to low yields of reactivation (Kern et al. (1992) Protein Sci. 1, 120-131). In the presence of the chaperone GroEL, refolding is completely arrested. This suggests the formation of a stable complex between GroEL and non-native non-glycosylated invertase. Addition of MgATP results in a slow release of active invertase from the chaperone complex. When GroEL/ES and MgATP are present during refolding, the final reactivation yield increases from 14% to 36%. In contrast, refolding of the core-glycosylated and the high-mannose glycosylated forms of invertase is not arrested by GroEL. Only a short lag phase at the beginning of reactivation and a slightly increased reactivation yield (64% to 86% for core-glycosylated and 62% to 76% for external invertase) indicate a weak interaction of the glycosylated forms with the chaperone.

Bacterial Proteins↗