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Biomedical subjects

Roland Riek

Publications and source records attributed to Roland Riek.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The stoichiometry of host PrPC glycoforms modulates the efficiency of PrPSc formation in vitro.

A central event in the formation of infectious prions is the conformational change of a host-encoded glycoprotein, PrPC, into a pathogenic isoform, PrPSc. However, the molecular requirements for efficient PrP conversion remain unknown. In this study, we employed the recently developed protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) and scrapie cell assay (SCA) techniques to study the role of N-linked glycosylation on prion formation in vitro. The results show that unglycosylated PrPC molecules are required to propagate mouse RML prions, whereas diglycosylated PrPC molecules are required to propagate hamster Sc237 prions. Furthermore, the formation of Sc237 prions is inhibited by substoichiometric levels of hamster unglycosylated PrPC molecules. Thus, interactions between different PrPC glycoforms appear to control the efficiency of prion formation in a species-specific manner.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Observation of highly flexible residues in amyloid fibrils of the HET-s prion.

We report the observation of undetected (until now) residues of the prion protein fragment HET-s(218-289) which give rise to well-resolved (13)C, (15)N, and (1)H NMR resonances under high-resolution magic-angle spinning (HRMAS) conditions. The observed signals belong to large polymeric units as shown by measuring the lateral diffusion constants. The amino acids identified in the spectra are compatible with their localization in the segments of the protein which could not be detected in earlier solid-state NMR experiments. The observed chemical shifts indicate that these residues are in a random-coil conformation. Complementary experiments which detect only dynamic or static residues, respectively, strongly suggest that they belong to different parts of the same molecule.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2006

The formation of bioactive amyloid species by prion proteins in vitro and in cells.

Amyloid proteins are a group of proteins that can polymerize into cross beta-sheeted amyloid species. We have found that enhancing cellular 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) formazan exocytosis is a common property of bioactive amyloid species formed from all of the amyloid proteins tested to date. In this report, we show that the infectious amyloid species of the prion protein HET-s of the filamentous fungus Podospora anserina, like other amyloidogenic proteins, also enhances MTT formazan exocytosis. More strikingly, cellular MTT formazan exocytosis revealed the formation of bioactive amyloid species in prion-infected mouse N2a neuroblastoma cells. These findings suggest that cellular MTT formazan exocytosis can be useful for studying the roles of bioactive amyloid species in prion infectivity and prion-induced neurodegeneration.

Amyloid beta-Peptides↗
PubMed2006

Novel sst2-selective somatostatin agonists. Three-dimensional consensus structure by NMR.

The 3D NMR structures of six octapeptide agonist analogues of somatostatin (SRIF) in the free form are described. These analogues, with the basic sequence H-DPhe/Phe2-c[Cys3-Xxx7-DTrp8-Lys9-Thr10-Cys14]-Thr-NH2 (the numbering refers to the position in native SRIF), with Xxx7 being Ala/Aph, exhibit potent and highly selective binding to human SRIF type 2 (sst2) receptors. The backbone of these sst2-selective analogues have the usual type-II' beta-turn reported in the literature for sst2/3/5-subtype-selective analogues. Correlating the biological results and NMR studies led to the identification of the side chains of DPhe2, DTrp8, and Lys9 as the necessary components of the sst2 pharmacophore. This is the first study to show that the aromatic ring at position 7 (Phe7) is not critical for sst2 binding and that it plays an important role in sst3 and sst5 binding. This pharmacophore is, therefore, different from that proposed by others for sst2/3/5 analogues.

Humans↗
PubMed2006

Fast multidimensional NMR spectroscopy by spin-state selective off-resonance decoupling (SITAR).

Spin-state selective off-resonance decoupling (SITAR) is applied to the amide proton-to-nitrogen-to-alpha-carbon correlation (HNCA) triple-resonance experiment by measuring the 15N chemical shift during the acquisition simultaneously with the 1H chemical shift. The simultaneous detection of both 1H and 15N chemical shifts in SITAR reduces the dimensionality of the HNCA-type experiment from three dimensions to two dimensions with a 15N chemical shift resolution of approximately 0.4 ppm. This enables the recording of triple-resonance experiments in several minutes. SITAR is furthermore applied to the amide proton-to-nitrogen-to-alpha-carbon-and-beta-carbon correlation (HNCACB) triple-resonance experiment and the 15N-resolved [1H,1H]-nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (NOESY) experiment with similar success. The accompanied peak crowding and chemical shift degeneracy of the amide protons in the SITAR two-dimensional (2D) spectra, which are inherent properties of pseudo-dimensional experiments, are resolved by local correlation of the two sub-spectra. With this procedure a 13C--1H strip for each 15N--1H moiety is generated resulting in a three-dimensional (3D) strip list known from the conventional 3D spectra. The quality of the strip list in terms of peak crowding and chemical shift degeneracy is comparable to their corresponding 3D counterparts. An analysis-software within the CARA package is presented, which generates, visualizes and manages the SITAR spectra, the corresponding strip lists and the assignment process.

Carbon Isotopes↗
PubMed2006

13C, 15N resonance assignment of parts of the HET-s prion protein in its amyloid form.

The partial 15N and 13C solid-state NMR resonance assignment of the HET-s prion protein fragment 218-289 in its amyloid form is presented. It is based on experiments measured at MAS frequencies in the range of 20-40 kHz using exclusively adiabatic polarization-transfer schemes. The resonance assignment within each residue is based on two-dimensional 13C-13C correlation spectra utilizing the DREAM mixing scheme. The sequential linking of the assigned residues used a set of two- and three-dimensional 15N-13C correlation experiments. Almost all cross peaks visible in the spectra are assigned, but only resonances from 43 of the 78 amino-acid residues could be detected. The missing residues are thought to be highly disordered and/or highly dynamic giving rise to broad resonance lines that escaped detection in the experiments applied. The line widths of the observed resonances are narrow and comparable to line widths observed in micro-crystalline samples. The 43 assigned residues are located in two fragments of about 20 residues.

Carbon Isotopes↗
PubMed2006

NMR techniques for very large proteins and rnas in solution.

Three-dimensional structure determination of small proteins and oligonucleotides by solution NMR is established. With the development of novel NMR and labeling techniques, structure determination is now feasible for proteins with a molecular mass of up to approximately 100 kDa and RNAs of up to 35 kDa. Beyond these molecular masses special techniques and approaches are required for applying NMR as a multiprobe method for structural investigations of proteins and RNAs. It is the aim of this review to summarize the NMR techniques and approaches available to advance the molecular mass limit of NMR both for proteins (up to 1 MDa) and RNAs (up to 100 kDa). Physical pictures of the novel techniques, their experimental applications, as well as labeling and assignment strategies are discussed and accompanied by future perspectives.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2006

The three-dimensional structure of the N-terminal domain of corticotropin-releasing factor receptors: sushi domains and the B1 family of G protein-coupled receptors.

The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptors, CRF-R1 and CRF-R2, belong to the B1 subfamily of G protein-coupled Receptors (GPCRs), including receptors for secretin, growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), calcitonin, parathyroid hormone (PTH), glucagon, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). The peptide ligand family comprises CRF, Ucn 1, 2, and 3. CRF plays the major role in integrating the response to stress. Additionally, the ligands exhibit many effects on muscle, pancreas, heart, and the GI, reproductive, and immune systems. CRF-R1 has higher affinity for CRF than does CRF-R2 while both receptors bind Ucn 1 equally. CRF-R2 shows specificity for Ucns 2 and 3. A major binding domain of the CRFRs is the N terminus/first extracellular domain (ECD1). Soluble proteins corresponding to the ECD1s of each receptor bind CRF ligands with nanomolar affinities. Our three-dimensional (3D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structure of a soluble protein corresponding to the ECD1 of CRF-R2beta (1) identified its structural fold as a Sushi domain/short consensus repeat (SCR), stabilized by three disulfide bridges, two tryptophan residues, and an internal salt bridge (Asp65-Arg101). Disruption of the bridge by D65A mutation abrogates ligand recognition and results in loss of the well-defined disulfide pattern and Sushi domain structure. NMR analysis of the ECD1 in complex with astressin identified key amino acids involved in ligand recognition. Mutation of some of these residues in the full-length receptor reduces its affinity for CRF ligands. A structure-based sequence comparison shows conservation of key amino acids in all the B1 subfamily receptors, suggesting a corresponding conservation of a Sushi domain structural fold of their ECD1s.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

3D structure of Alzheimer's amyloid-beta(1-42) fibrils.

Alzheimer's disease is the most fatal neurodegenerative disorder wherein the process of amyloid-beta (Abeta) amyloidogenesis appears causative. Here, we present the 3D structure of the fibrils comprising Abeta(1-42), which was obtained by using hydrogen-bonding constraints from quenched hydrogen/deuterium-exchange NMR, side-chain packing constraints from pairwise mutagenesis studies, and parallel, in-register beta-sheet arrangement from previous solid-state NMR studies. Although residues 1-17 are disordered, residues 18-42 form a beta-strand-turn-beta-strand motif that contains two intermolecular, parallel, in-register beta-sheets that are formed by residues 18-26 (beta1) and 31-42 (beta2). At least two molecules of Abeta(1-42) are required to achieve the repeating structure of a protofilament. Intermolecular side-chain contacts are formed between the odd-numbered residues of strand beta1 of the nth molecule and the even-numbered residues of strand beta2 of the (n - 1)th molecule. This interaction pattern leads to partially unpaired beta-strands at the fibrillar ends, which explains the sequence selectivity, the cooperativity, and the apparent unidirectionality of Abeta fibril growth. It also provides a structural basis for fibrillization inhibitors.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed2005

Correlation of structural elements and infectivity of the HET-s prion.

Prions are believed to be infectious, self-propagating polymers of otherwise soluble, host-encoded proteins. This concept is now strongly supported by the recent findings that amyloid fibrils of recombinant prion proteins from yeast, Podospora anserina and mammals can induce prion phenotypes in the corresponding hosts. However, the structural basis of prion infectivity remains largely elusive because acquisition of atomic resolution structural properties of amyloid fibrils represents a largely unsolved technical challenge. HET-s, the prion protein of P. anserina, contains a carboxy-terminal prion domain comprising residues 218-289. Amyloid fibrils of HET-s(218-289) are necessary and sufficient for the induction and propagation of prion infectivity. Here, we have used fluorescence studies, quenched hydrogen exchange NMR and solid-state NMR to determine the sequence-specific positions of amyloid fibril secondary structure elements of HET-s(218-289). This approach revealed four beta-strands constituted by two pseudo-repeat sequences, each forming a beta-strand-turn-beta-strand motif. By using a structure-based mutagenesis approach, we show that this conformation is the functional and infectious entity of the HET-s prion. These results correlate distinct structural elements with prion infectivity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Structure of the Mg-chelatase cofactor GUN4 reveals a novel hand-shaped fold for porphyrin binding.

In plants, the accumulation of the chlorophyll precursor Mg-protoporphyrin IX (Mg-Proto) in the plastid regulates the expression of a number of nuclear genes with functions related to photosynthesis. Analysis of the plastid-to-nucleus signaling activity of Mg-Proto in Arabidopsis thaliana led to the discovery of GUN4, a novel porphyrin-binding protein that also dramatically enhances the activity of Mg-chelatase, the enzyme that synthesizes Mg-Proto. GUN4 may also play a role in both photoprotection and the cellular shuttling of tetrapyrroles. Here we report a 1.78-A resolution crystal structure of Synechocystis GUN4, in which the porphyrin-binding domain adopts a unique three dimensional fold with a "cupped hand" shape. Biophysical and biochemical analyses revealed the specific site of interaction between GUN4 and Mg-Proto and the energetic determinants for the GUN4.Mg-Proto interaction. Our data support a novel protective function for GUN4 in tetrapyrrole trafficking. The combined structural and energetic analyses presented herein form the physical-chemical basis for understanding GUN4 biological activity, including its role in the stimulation of Mg-chelatase activity, as well as in Mg-Proto retrograde signaling.

Arabidopsis↗
PubMed2005

NMR structure of Mistic, a membrane-integrating protein for membrane protein expression.

Although structure determination of soluble proteins has become routine, our understanding of membrane proteins has been limited by experimental bottlenecks in obtaining both sufficient yields of protein and ordered crystals. Mistic is an unusual Bacillus subtilis integral membrane protein that folds autonomously into the membrane, bypassing the cellular translocon machinery. Using paramagnetic probes, we determined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy that the protein forms a helical bundle with a surprisingly polar lipid-facing surface. Additional experiments suggest that Mistic can be used for high-level production of other membrane proteins in their native conformations, including many eukaryotic proteins that have previously been intractable to bacterial expression.

Bacillus subtilis↗
PubMed2005

Somatostatin receptor 1 selective analogues: 4. Three-dimensional consensus structure by NMR.

The three-dimensional NMR structures of six analogues of somatostatin (SRIF) are described. These analogues with the amino acid 4-(N-isopropyl)-aminomethylphenylalanine (IAmp) at position 9 exhibit potent and highly selective binding to human SRIF subtype 1 receptors (sst(1)). The conformations reveal that the backbones of these analogues have a hairpin-like structure similar to the sst(2)-subtype-selective analogues. This structure serves as a scaffold for retaining a unique arrangement of the side chains of d-Trp(8), IAmp(9), Phe(7), and Phe(11) or m-I-Tyr(11) (m-I-Tyr = mono-iodo-tyrosine). The conformational preferences and results from biological analyses of these analogues(1,2) allow a detailed study of the structure-activity relationship of SRIF. The proposed consensus pharmacophore of the sst(1)-selective analogues requires a unique set of distances between an indole/2-naphthyl ring, an IAmp side chain, and two aromatic rings. This motif is necessary and sufficient to explain the binding affinities of all of the analogues studied and is distinct from the existing models suggested for sst(4) as well as sst(2)/sst(5) selectivity.

Humans↗
PubMed2004

NMR structure and peptide hormone binding site of the first extracellular domain of a type B1 G protein-coupled receptor.

The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) ligand family has diverse effects on the CNS, including the modulation of the stress response. The ligands' effects are mediated by binding to CRF G protein-coupled receptors. We have determined the 3D NMR structure of the N-terminal extracellular domain (ECD1) of the mouse CRF receptor 2beta, which is the major ligand recognition domain, and identified its ligand binding site by chemical-shift perturbation experiments. The fold is identified as a short consensus repeat (SCR), a common protein interaction module. Mutagenesis reveals the integrity of the hormone-binding site in the full-length receptor. This study proposes that the ECD1 captures the C-terminal segment of the ligand, whose N terminus then penetrates into the transmembrane region of the receptor to initiate signaling. Key residues of SCR in the ECD1 are conserved in the G protein-coupled receptor subfamily, suggesting the SCR fold in all of the ECD1s of this subfamily.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

3D TROSY-HNCA(coded)CB and TROSY-HNCA(coded)CO experiments: triple resonance NMR experiments with two sequential connectivity pathways and high sensitivity.

The concept of chemical shift-coding monitors chemical shifts in multi-dimensional NMR experiments without additional polarization transfer elements and evolution periods. The chemical shifts are coded in the line-shape of the cross-peak through an apparent scalar coupling dependent upon the chemical shift. This concept is applied to the three-dimensional triple-resonance experiment HNCA adding the information of (13)C(beta) or (13)C' chemical shifts. On average, the proposed TROSY-HNCA(coded)CB experiment is a factor of 2 less sensitive than the HNCA experiment. However, it contains correlations via the chemical shifts of both (13)C(alpha) and (13)C(beta), and provides up to three times higher resolution along the (13)C(alpha) chemical shift axis. Thus, it dramatically reduces ambiguities in linking the spin systems of adjacent residues in the protein sequence during the sequential assignment. The TROSY-HNCA(coded)CO experiment which is conceptually similar contains correlations via the chemical shifts of (13)C(alpha) and (13)C' without major signal losses. The proposed triple resonance experiments are applied to a approximately 70% (2)H, approximately 85% (13)C,(15)N labeled protein with a molecular weight of 25 kDa.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular↗