Biomedical subjects

Xiaodong Cheng

Publications and source records attributed to Xiaodong Cheng.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2005

Structure of HinP1I endonuclease reveals a striking similarity to the monomeric restriction enzyme MspI.

HinP1I, a type II restriction endonuclease, recognizes and cleaves a palindromic tetranucleotide sequence (G/CGC) in double-stranded DNA, producing 2 nt 5' overhanging ends. Here, we report the structure of HinP1I crystallized as one protein monomer in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. HinP1I displays an elongated shape, with a conserved catalytic core domain containing an active-site motif of SDX18QXK and a putative DNA-binding domain. Without significant sequence homology, HinP1I displays striking structural similarity to MspI, an endonuclease that cleaves a similar palindromic DNA sequence (C/CGG) and binds to that sequence crystallographically as a monomer. Almost all the structural elements of MspI can be matched in HinP1I, including both the DNA recognition and catalytic elements. Examining the protein-protein interactions in the crystal lattice, HinP1I could be dimerized through two helices located on the opposite side of the protein to the active site, generating a molecule with two active sites and two DNA-binding surfaces opposite one another on the outer surfaces of the dimer. A possible functional link between this unusual dimerization mode and the tetrameric restriction enzymes is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

Antiapoptotic effect of serum and glucocorticoid-inducible protein kinase is mediated by novel mechanism activating I{kappa}B kinase.

Serum and glucocorticoid inducible protein kinase (SGK) plays a crucial role in promoting cell survival, but the mechanisms for this response are not clear. We show that SGK is involved in the regulation of apoptosis in breast cancer cells by modulating the transcriptional activity of nuclear transcription factor kappaB (NF-kappaB). High levels of SGK expression were observed in human breast cancer samples. When SGK was reduced the apoptotic rate increased, and increased SGK activity prevents serum withdrawal-induced apoptosis. SGK-induced cell survival was abolished by a dominant-negative form of IkappaB kinase beta (IKKbeta, K44A) or a null mutation of IKKbeta in mouse embryonic fibroblast cells indicating involvement of the NF-kappaB pathway. Serum-induced SGK or increased expression of SGK activated NF-kappaB transcriptional activity, whereas small interference RNA to SGK blocked NF-kappaB activity. Coexpression of SGK and IKKbeta significantly increased the activation of NF-kappaB (versus expression of IKKbeta alone). Expression of dominant-negative IKKbeta K44A, IkappaBalpha AA, and kinase-dead SGK (127KM) blocked the ability of SGK to stimulate NF-kappaB activity, suggesting that IKKbeta is a target of SGK. We also show that SGK enhances the ability of IKKbeta to phosphorylate endogenous IkappaBalpha in cells or recombinant glutathione S-transferase-IkappaBalpha in vitro and increases IkappaBalpha degradation; SGK physically associates with and activates IKKbeta in MDA231 cells via phosphorylation of Ser(181) in IKKbeta. Taken together, we conclude that SGK acts as an oncogene in breast cancer cells through activation of the IKK-NF-kappaB pathway, thereby preventing apoptosis. Blocking SGK expression/activity represents a potential therapeutic approach for breast cancer treatment.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗

PubMed2005

Structural and sequence motifs of protein (histone) methylation enzymes.

With genome sequencing nearing completion for the model organisms used in biomedical research, there is a rapidly growing appreciation that proteomics, the study of covalent modification to proteins, and transcriptional regulation will likely dominate the research headlines in the next decade. Protein methylation plays a central role in both of these fields, as several different residues (Arg, Lys, Gln) are methylated in cells and methylation plays a central role in the "histone code" that regulates chromatin structure and impacts transcription. In some cases, a single lysine can be mono-, di-, or trimethylated, with different functional consequences for each of the three forms. This review describes structural aspects of methylation of histone lysine residues by two enzyme families with entirely different structural scaffolding (the SET proteins and Dot1p) and methylation of protein arginine residues by PRMTs.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

PubMed2005

Understanding signal transduction through functional proteomics.

The study of signal transduction provides fundamental information regarding the regulation of all biologic processes that support the normal function of life. Functional proteomics, a rapidly emerging discipline that aims to understand the expression, function and regulation of the entire set of proteins in a given cell type, tissue or organism, offers unprecedented opportunity for signal transduction research in terms of understanding cellular behavior and regulation at the systems level. Indeed, swift progress in the area of proteomics has demonstrated the major impact of proteomic approaches on signal transduction and biomedical research. In this review, recent and innovative applications of functional proteomics in determining changes in protein contents, modifications, activities and interactions underpinning signaling transduction pathways are discussed.

Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional↗

PubMed2004

In vitro and in vivo analyses of a Phe/Tyr switch controlling product specificity of histone lysine methyltransferases.

The functional significance of mono-, di-, and tri-methylation of lysine residues within histone proteins is under investigation. Evidence from several model organisms suggests that different methylated states of H3 Lys(9) (H3K9) are generated by specific histone methyltransferases (MTases) to mark distinct types of silent chromatin. Sequence alignment of all histone lysine MTases with known product specificity suggested that a key residue in the active site determines how many methyl groups they add. We examined this possibility both in vitro and in vivo and found that a Phe at the position equivalent to Phe(281) of Neurospora crassa DIM-5 or Phe(1205) of human G9a allows the enzyme to perform di and tri-methylation, whereas a Tyr at this position is restrictive, inhibiting tri-methylation and thus yielding a mono- or di-MTase. Phe to Tyr mutants of both DIM-5 and G9a restrict product specificity in vitro and in vivo without compromising overall catalysis. These mutants were employed to probe the biological significance of mono-, di-, and tri-methylation of H3K9 in both mouse embryonic stem cells and N. crassa. G9a F1205Y, when expressed in G9a (-/-) embryonic stem cells, rescued only H3K9 mono-methylation, but not di-methylation, to wild-type levels yet silenced Mage-a gene expression. When expressed in dim-5 strains, DIM-5 F281Y generated significant levels of mono- and di-H3K9 methylation (which are not observed in wild type Neurospora) as well as tri-methyl H3K9. The altered DIM-5 rescued the growth defect characteristic of dim-5 N. crassa but did not fully rescue the gross DNA hypomethylation of dim-5 strains.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Fluorescent indicators of cAMP and Epac activation reveal differential dynamics of cAMP signaling within discrete subcellular compartments.

Second messenger cAMP regulates many cellular functions through its effectors, such as cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and Epac (exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP). Spatial and temporal control of cAMP signaling is crucial to differential regulation of cellular targets involved in various signaling cascades. To investigate the compartmentalized cAMP signaling, we constructed fluorescent indicators that report intracellular cAMP dynamics and Epac activation by sandwiching the full-length Epac1 between cyan and yellow mutants of GFP. Elevations of cAMP decreased FRET and increased the ratio of cyan-to-yellow emissions by 10-30% in living mammalian cells. This response can be reversed by removing cAMP-elevating agents and abolished by mutating the critical residue responsible for cAMP binding. Targeting of the reporter to the plasma membrane, where cAMP is produced in response to the activation of beta-adrenergic receptor, revealed a faster cAMP response at the membrane than in the cytoplasm and mitochondria. Simultaneous imaging with targeted cAMP indicator and PKA activity reporter allowed the detection of a much delayed PKA response in the nucleus after the rapid accumulation of cAMP at the plasma membrane of the same cell, despite the immediate presence of a pool of cAMP in the nucleus. Thus, cAMP dynamics and the activation of its effectors are precisely controlled spatiotemporally in vivo.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

The structure of RalF, an ADP-ribosylation factor guanine nucleotide exchange factor from Legionella pneumophila, reveals the presence of a cap over the active site.

The Legionella pneumophila protein RalF is secreted into host cytosol via the Dot/Icm type IV transporter where it acts to recruit ADP-ribosylation factor (Arf) to pathogen-containing phagosomes in the establishment of a replicative organelle. The presence in RalF of the Sec7 domain, present in all Arf guanine nucleotide exchange factors, has suggested that recruitment of Arf is an early step in pathogenesis. We have determined the crystal structure of RalF and of the isolated Sec7 domain and found that RalF is made up of two domains. The Sec7 domain is homologous to mammalian Sec7 domains. The C-terminal domain forms a cap over the active site in the Sec7 domain and contains a conserved folding motif, previously observed in adaptor subunits of vesicle coat complexes. The importance of the capping domain and of the glutamate in the "glutamic finger," conserved in all Sec7 domains, to RalF functions was examined using three different assays. These data highlight the functional importance of domains other than Sec7 in Arf guanine nucleotide exchange factors to biological activities and suggest novel mechanisms of regulation of those activities.

ADP-Ribosylation Factors↗

PubMed2004

Structure of the conserved core of the yeast Dot1p, a nucleosomal histone H3 lysine 79 methyltransferase.

Methylation of Lys79 on histone H3 by Dot1p is important for gene silencing. The elongated structure of the conserved core of yeast Dot1p contains an N-terminal helical domain and a seven-stranded catalytic domain that harbors the binding site for the methyl-donor and an active site pocket sided with conserved hydrophobic residues. The S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine exhibits an extended conformation distinct from the folded conformation observed in structures of SET domain histone lysine methyltransferases. A catalytic asparagine (Asn479), located at the bottom of the active site pocket, suggests a mechanism similar to that employed for amino methylation in DNA and protein glutamine methylation. The acidic, concave cleft between the two domains contains two basic residue binding pockets that could accommodate the outwardly protruding basic side chains around Lys79 of histone H3 on the disk-like nucleosome surface. Biochemical studies suggest that recombinant Dot1 proteins are active on recombinant nucleosomes, free of any modifications.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Caught in the act: visualization of an intermediate in the DNA base-flipping pathway induced by HhaI methyltransferase.

Rotation of a DNA or RNA nucleotide out of the double helix and into a protein pocket ('base flipping') is a mechanistic feature common to some DNA/RNA-binding proteins. Here, we report the structure of HhaI methyltransferase in complex with DNA containing a south-constrained abasic carbocyclic sugar at the target site in the presence of the methyl donor byproduct AdoHcy. Unexpectedly, the locked south pseudosugar appears to be trapped in the middle of the flipping pathway via the DNA major groove, held in place primarily through Van der Waals contacts with a set of invariant amino acids. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the structural stabilization observed with the south-constrained pseudosugar will not occur with a north-constrained pseudosugar, which explains its lowered binding affinity. Moreover, comparison of structural transitions of the sugar and phosphodiester backbone observed during computational studies of base flipping in the M.HhaI-DNA-AdoHcy ternary complex indicate that the south-constrained pseudosugar induces a conformation on the phosphodiester backbone that corresponds to that of a discrete intermediate of the base-flipping pathway. As previous crystal structures of M.HhaI ternary complex with DNA displayed the flipped sugar moiety in the antipodal north conformation, we suggest that conversion of the sugar pucker from south to north beyond the middle of the pathway is an essential part of the mechanism through which flipping must proceed to reach its final destination. We also discuss the possibility of the south-constrained pseudosugar mimicking a transition state in the phosphodiester and sugar moieties that occurs during DNA base flipping in the presence of M.HhaI.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed2004

Structural characterization and comparative phylogenetic analysis of Escherichia coli HemK, a protein (N5)-glutamine methyltransferase.

Protein glutamine methylation at GGQ sites of protein chain release factors plays a pivotal role in the termination of translation. We report here the crystal structure of the Escherichia coli HemK protein (N5)-glutamine methyltransferase (MTase) in a binary complex with the methyl-donor product S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (AdoHcy). HemK contains two domains: a putative substrate binding domain at the N terminus consisting of a five helix bundle and a seven-stranded catalytic domain at the C terminus that harbors the binding site for AdoHcy. The two domains are linked by a beta-hairpin. Structure-guided sequence analysis of the HemK family revealed 11 invariant residues functioning in methyl-donor binding and catalysis of methyl transfer. The putative substrate-binding domains of HemK from E.coli and Thermotoga maritima are structurally similar, despite the fact that they share very little sequence similarity. When the two proteins are aligned structurally, the helical N-terminal domain is subject to approximately 10 degrees of hinge movement relative to the C-terminal domain. The apparent hinge mobility of the two domains may reflect functional importance during the reaction cycle. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of the hemK gene and its frequent neighbor gene, prfA, which encodes a major substrate, provides evidence for several examples of lateral gene transfer.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

PubMed2004

Activation of antioxidant pathways in ras-mediated oncogenic transformation of human surface ovarian epithelial cells revealed by functional proteomics and mass spectrometry.

Cellular transformation is a complex process involving genetic alterations associated with multiple signaling pathways. Development of a transformation model using defined genetic elements has provided an opportunity to elucidate the role of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in the initiation and development of ovarian cancer. To study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of Ras-mediated oncogenic transformation of ovarian epithelial cells, we used a proteomic approach involving two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry to profile two ovarian epithelial cell lines, one immortalized with SV40 T/t antigens and the human catalytic subunit of telomerase and the other transformed with an additional oncogenic ras(V12) allele. Of approximately 2200 observed protein spots, we have identified >30 protein targets that showed significant changes between the immortalized and transformed cell lines using peptide mass fingerprinting. Among these identified targets, one most notable group of proteins altered significantly consists of enzymes involved in cellular redox balance. Detailed analysis of these protein targets suggests that activation of Ras-signaling pathways increases the threshold of reactive oxidative species (ROS) tolerance by up-regulating the overall antioxidant capacity of cells, especially in mitochondria. This enhanced antioxidant capacity protects the transformed cells from high levels of ROS associated with the uncontrolled growth potential of tumor cells. It is conceivable that an enhanced antioxidation capability may constitute a common mechanism for tumor cells to evade apoptosis induced by oxidative stresses at high ROS levels.

Antioxidants↗

PubMed2004

Dimethylation of histone H3 lysine 9 is a critical mark for DNA methylation and gene silencing in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The Arabidopsis KRYPTONITE gene encodes a member of the Su(var)3-9 family of histone methyltransferases. Mutations of kryptonite cause a reduction of methylated histone H3 lysine 9, a loss of DNA methylation, and reduced gene silencing. Lysine residues of histones can be either monomethylated, dimethylated or trimethylated and recent evidence suggests that different methylation states are found in different chromatin domains. Here we show that bulk Arabidopsis histones contain high levels of monomethylated and dimethylated, but not trimethylated histone H3 lysine 9. Using both immunostaining of nuclei and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we show that monomethyl and dimethyl histone H3 lysine 9 are concentrated in heterochromatin. In kryptonite mutants, dimethyl histone H3 lysine 9 is nearly completely lost, but monomethyl histone H3 lysine 9 levels are only slightly reduced. Recombinant KRYPTONITE can add one or two, but not three, methyl groups to the lysine 9 position of histone H3. Further, we identify a KRYPTONITE-related protein, SUVH6, which displays histone H3 lysine 9 methylation activity with a spectrum similar to that of KRYPTONITE. Our results suggest that multiple Su(var)3-9 family members are active in Arabidopsis and that dimethylation of histone H3 lysine 9 is the critical mark for gene silencing and DNA methylation.

Arabidopsis↗

PubMed2004

Probing cAMP-dependent protein kinase holoenzyme complexes I alpha and II beta by FT-IR and chemical protein footprinting.

Although individual structures of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) catalytic (C) and regulatory (R) subunits have been determined at the atomic level, our understanding of the effects of cAMP activation on protein dynamics and intersubunit communication of PKA holoenzymes is very limited. To delineate the mechanism of PKA activation and structural differences between type I and II PKA holoenzymes, the conformation and structural dynamics of PKA holoenzymes Ialpha and IIbeta were probed by amide hydrogen-deuterium exchange coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and chemical protein footprinting. Binding of cAMP to PKA holoenzymes Ialpha and IIbeta leads to a downshift in the wavenumber for both the alpha-helix and beta-strand bands, suggesting that R and C subunits become overall more dynamic in the holoenzyme complexes. This is consistent with the H-D exchange results showing a small change in the overall rate of exchange in response to the binding of cAMP to both PKA holoenzymes Ialpha and IIbeta. Despite the overall similarity, significant differences in the change of FT-IR spectra in response to the binding of cAMP were observed between PKA holoenzymes Ialpha and IIbeta. Activation of PKA holoenzyme Ialpha led to more conformational changes in beta-strand structures, while cAMP induced more apparent changes in the alpha-helical structures in PKA holoenzyme IIbeta. Chemical protein footprinting experiments revealed an extended docking surface for the R subunits on the C subunit. Although the overall subunit interfaces appeared to be similar for PKA holoenzymes Ialpha and IIbeta, a region around the active site cleft of the C subunit was more protected in PKA holoenzyme Ialpha than in PKA holoenzyme IIbeta. These results suggest that the C subunit assumes a more open conformation in PKA holoenzyme IIbeta. In addition, the chemical cleavage patterns around the active site cleft of the C subunit were distinctly different in PKA holoenzymes Ialpha and IIbeta even in the presence of cAMP. These observations provide direct evidence that the R subunits may be partially associated with the C subunit with the pseudosubstrate sequence docked in the active site cleft in the presence of cAMP.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Structure of the Q237W mutant of HhaI DNA methyltransferase: an insight into protein-protein interactions.

We have determined the structure of a mutant (Q237W) of HhaI DNA methyltransferase, complexed with the methyl-donor product AdoHcy. The Q237W mutant proteins were crystallized in the monoclinic space group C2 with two molecules in the crystallographic asymmetric unit. Protein-protein interface calculations in the crystal lattices suggest that the dimer interface has the specific characteristics for homodimer protein-protein interactions, while the two active sites are spatially independent on the outer surface of the dimer. The solution behavior suggests the formation of HhaI dimers as well. The same HhaI dimer interface is also observed in the previously characterized binary (M.HhaI-AdoMet) and ternary (M.HhaI-DNA-AdoHcy) complex structures, crystallized in different space groups. The dimer is characterized either by a non-crystallographic two-fold symmetry or a crystallographic symmetry. The dimer interface involves three segments: the amino-terminal residues 2-8, the carboxy-terminal residues 313-327, and the linker (amino acids 179-184) between the two functional domains--the catalytic methylation domain and the DNA target recognition domain. Both the amino- and carboxy-terminal segments are part of the methylation domain. We also examined protein-protein interactions of other structurally characterized DNA MTases, which are often found as a 2-fold related 'dimer' with the largest dimer interface area for the group-beta MTases. A possible evolutionary link between the Type I and Type II restriction-modification systems is discussed.

Crystallization↗

PubMed2003

Structure of the bacteriophage T4 DNA adenine methyltransferase.

DNA-adenine methylation at certain GATC sites plays a pivotal role in bacterial and phage gene expression as well as bacterial virulence. We report here the crystal structures of the bacteriophage T4Dam DNA adenine methyltransferase (MTase) in a binary complex with the methyl-donor product S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (AdoHcy) and in a ternary complex with a synthetic 12-bp DNA duplex and AdoHcy. T4Dam contains two domains: a seven-stranded catalytic domain that harbors the binding site for AdoHcy and a DNA binding domain consisting of a five-helix bundle and a beta-hairpin that is conserved in the family of GATC-related MTase orthologs. Unexpectedly, the sequence-specific T4Dam bound to DNA in a nonspecific mode that contained two Dam monomers per synthetic duplex, even though the DNA contains a single GATC site. The ternary structure provides a rare snapshot of an enzyme poised for linear diffusion along the DNA.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

Many paths to methyltransfer: a chronicle of convergence.

S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) dependent methyltransferases (MTases) are involved in biosynthesis, signal transduction, protein repair, chromatin regulation and gene silencing. Five different structural folds (I-V) have been described that bind AdoMet and catalyze methyltransfer to diverse substrates, although the great majority of known MTases have the Class I fold. Even within a particular MTase class the amino-acid sequence similarity can be as low as 10%. Thus, the structural and catalytic requirements for methyltransfer from AdoMet appear to be remarkably flexible.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Structure of the predominant protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT1 and analysis of its binding to substrate peptides.

PRMT1 is the predominant type I protein arginine methyltransferase in mammals and highly conserved among all eukaryotes. It is essential for early postimplantation development in mouse. Here we describe the crystal structure of rat PRMT1 in complex with the reaction product AdoHcy and a 19 residue substrate peptide containing three arginines. The results reveal a two-domain structure-an AdoMet binding domain and a barrel-like domain-with the active site pocket located between the two domains. Mutagenesis studies confirmed that two active site glutamates are essential for enzymatic activity, and that dimerization of PRMT1 is essential for AdoMet binding. Three peptide binding channels are identified: two are between the two domains, and the third is on the surface perpendicular to the strands forming the beta barrel.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2003

Structural basis for the product specificity of histone lysine methyltransferases.

DIM-5 is a SUV39-type histone H3 Lys9 methyltransferase that is essential for DNA methylation in N. crassa. We report the structure of a ternary complex including DIM-5, S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine, and a substrate H3 peptide. The histone tail inserts as a parallel strand between two DIM-5 strands, completing a hybrid sheet. Three post-SET cysteines coordinate a zinc atom together with Cys242 from the SET signature motif (NHXCXPN) near the active site. Consequently, a narrow channel is formed to accommodate the target Lys9 side chain. The sulfur atom of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine, where the transferable methyl group is to be attached in S-adenosyl-L-methionine, lies at the opposite end of the channel, approximately 4 A away from the target Lys9 nitrogen. Structural comparison of the active sites of DIM-5, an H3 Lys9 trimethyltransferase, and SET7/9, an H3 Lys4 monomethyltransferase, allowed us to design substitutions in both enzymes that profoundly alter their product specificities without affecting their catalytic activities.

Catalytic Domain↗