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Three-dimensional structure of catalase from Micrococcus lysodeikticus at 1.5 A resolution.

The three-dimensional crystal structure of catalase from Micrococcus lysodeikticus has been solved by multiple isomorphous replacement and refined at 1.5 A resolution. The subunit of the tetrameric molecule of 222 symmetry consists of a single polypeptide chain of about 500 amino acid residues and one haem group. The crystals belong to space group P4(2)2(1)2 with unit cell parameters a = b = 106.7 A, c = 106.3 A, and there is one subunit of the tetramer per asymmetric unit. The amino acid sequence has been tentatively determined by computer graphics model building and comparison with the known three-dimensional structure of beef liver catalase and sequences of several other catalases. The atomic model has been refined by Hendrickson and Konnert's least-squares minimisation against 94,315 reflections between 8 A and 1.5 A. The final model consists of 3,977 non-hydrogen atoms of the protein and haem group, 426 water molecules and one sulphate ion. The secondary and tertiary structures of the bacterial catalase have been analyzed and a comparison with the structure of beef liver catalase has been made.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Purification and characterization of the inhibitory subunit (delta) of the ATP-synthase from Micrococcus luteus.

Subunit delta was isolated from the ATP-synthase from Micrococcus luteus strain (ATCC 4698). delta, in the case of M. luteus F0F1-ATPase, acts as an inhibitor of ATP hydrolysis and thus resembles subunits in E. coli and chloroplast ATP-synthase. After treatment with 1.5 M LiCl the ATP-synthase dissociated, and subsequently subunit delta (27 kDa) was purified by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Inhibition of ATP-synthase lacking delta by addition of delta showed non-competitive kinetics with a Ki of approximately 5.9 nM. Subunit epsilon from chloroplast F1, which corresponds functionally to the M. luteus F0F1-delta, and chloroplast delta were tested for ATPase inhibitory activity by addition to the partially delta-depleted ATP-synthase from M. luteus. CF1-epsilon inhibited M. luteus ATP-synthase up to 80%, whereas CF1-delta did not show any influence.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

The spatial distribution of phospholipids and glycolipids in the membrane of the bacterium Micrococcus luteus varies during the cell cycle.

Recently, we have developed a photocrosslinking approach which uses anthracene as a photoactivatable group and which allows us to determine the lateral distribution of lipids in membranes quantitatively. In synchronous cultures of the gram-positive bacterium Micrococcus luteus, this approach shows that the spatial distribution of phosphatidylglycerol and dimannosyldiacylglycerol, the two major lipids in the bacterial membrane, varies greatly during the cell cycle. Minimum heterogeneity was observed during cell growth while maximum heterogeneity was detected during cell division.

Cell Cycle↗

Novel anticodon composition of transfer RNAs in Micrococcus luteus, a bacterium with a high genomic G + C content. Correlation with codon usage.

The number and relative amount of isoacceptor tRNAs for each amino acid in Micrococcus luteus, a Gram-positive bacterium with high genomic G + C content, have been determined by sequencing their anticodon loop and its adjacent regions and by selective labelling of tRNAs. Thirty-one tRNA species with 29 different anticodon sequences have been detected. All the tRNAs have G or C at the anticodon first position except for tRNA(ICGArg) and tRNA(NGASer), in response to the abundant usage of NNC and NNG codons. No tRNA with the anticodon UNN capable of translating codon NNA has been detected, in accordance with a very low or zero usage of NNA codons. The relative amount of isoacceptor tRNAs for an amino acid determined by selective labelling strongly correlates with usage of the corresponding codons. On the basis of these and other observations in this and other eubacterial species, we conclude that the relative amount and anticodon composition of isoacceptor tRNA species are flexible, and their changes are mainly adaptive phenomena that have been primarily affected by codon usage, which in turn is affected by directional mutation pressure.

Anticodon↗

The resistance of Micrococcus radiodurans to killing and mutation by agents which damage DNA.

The resistance of Micrococcus radiodurans to the lethal and mutagenic action of ultraviolet (UV) light, ionising (gamma) radiation, mitomycin C (MTC), nitrous acid (NA), hydroxylamine (HA), N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NG), ethylmethanesulphonate (EMS) and beta-propiolactone (betaPL) has been compared with that of Escherichia coli B/r. M. radiodurans was much more resistant than E. coli B/r to the lethal effects of UV light (by a factor of 33), gamma-radiation (55), NG (15) and NA (62), showed intermediate resistance to MTC (4) and HA (7), but was sensitive to EMS (1) and betaPL (2). M. radiodurans was very resistant to mutagens producing damage which can be repaired by a recombination system, indicating that it possesses an extremely efficient recombination repair mechanism. Both species were equally sensitive to mutation to trimethoprim resistance by NG, but M. radiodurans was more resistant than E. coli B/R to the other mutagens tests, being non-mutable by UV light, gamma-radiation, MTC and HA, and only slightly sensitive to mutation by NA, EMS and betaPL. The resistance of M. radiodurans to mutation by UV-light, gamma-radiation and MTC is consistent with an hypothesis that recombination repair in M. radiodurans is accurate since these mutagens may depend on an "error-prone" recombination system for their mutagenic effect in E. coli B/r. However, because M. radiodurans is also resistant to mutagens such as HA and EMS, which are mutagenic in E. coli in the absence of an "error-prone" system, we propose that all the mutagens tested may have a common mode of action in E. coli B/r, but that this mutagenic pathway is missing in M. radiodurans.

Escherichia coli↗

Increased sensitivity of UV-repair-deficient human cells to DNA bound platinum products which unlike thymine dimers are not recognized by an endonuclease extracted from Micrococcus luteus.

We have studied the response of human cells in culture to cis platinum[II] diammine dichloride (cis Pt[II]) induced DNA damage. The survival data, measured as a function of cis Pt[II] dose were similar in a normal cell line (Human foetal lung) compared to a UV-sensitive, thymine dimer excision repair-deficient cell line (Xeroderma pigmentosum). However, there was a marked difference between the two cell lines when binding to DNA was plotted against dose of cis Pt[II] given for 1 h. When these findings were expressed as cell survival versus binding to DNA, a 4.1--fold difference between the slopes of the survival curves for the two cell lines was obtained. These findings are consistent with the notion that normal cells are able to excise cis Pt[II] induced damage from their genome and thus increase their ability to survive as compared to excision-deficient cells. An endonuclease preparation from Micrococcus luteus is able to recognise UV damage in DNA, but did not recognise cis Pt[II] induced damage. These results possibly indicate differences in the pathways of repair of damage caused by the two agents.

Cell Line↗

Induction of mutation in Micrococcus radiodurans by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine.

Micrococcus radiodurans was highly resistant to the lethal effect of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) but it was sensitive to the mutagenic action of this chemical. The induction of mutation was not significantly modified by the culture growth phase. This last finding leads to the assumption that the mutation takes place at some distance from the replication fork. Moreover, a low concentration of MNNG induced mutations that were added to those subsequently obtained from a second exposure to a higher concentration of the alkylating agent. Thus, M. radiodurans does not seem to have an inducible error-free repair system for alkylation damage. Furthermore, incubation in the presence of chloramphenicol did not modify the mutation rate, indicating that protein synthesis is not involved in the mutagenic process.

Chloramphenicol↗

Microinjection of Micrococcus luteus UV-endonuclease restores UV-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis in cells of 9 xeroderma pigmentosum complementation groups.

The UV-induced unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) in cultured cells of excision-deficient xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) complementation groups A through I was assayed after injection of Micrococcus luteus UV-endonuclease using glass microneedles. In all complementation groups a restoration of the UV-induced UDS, in some cells to the repair-proficient human level, was observed. Another prokaryotic DNA-repair enzyme, T4 endonuclease V, restored the UV-induced UDS in a similar way after microinjection into XP cells. Since both enzymes specifically catalyse only the incision of UV-irradiated DNA, we conclude that this activity is impaired in cells of all 9 excision-deficient XP complementation groups tested.

Cells, Cultured↗

Introduction of a Micrococcus plasmid in Escherichia coli.

A 6-MDa plasmid (pMQV10), carrying cholesterol hydroxylase and streptomycin-resistance genes, from a gram-positive strain of Micrococcus sps., (RJ6) has been successfully transformed in gram-negative Escherichia coli K12 C600. pMQV10 is maintained stably and expresses its drug resistance in the new host.

Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase↗

Idiotypic manipulations: hierarchy in idiotype expression in rabbits immunized against Micrococcus luteus.

Idiotypic cross-reactions were analyzed among three series of anti-peptidoglycan antibodies of the Micrococcus luteus system. The reference idiotype Ab1 was an antibody fraction isolated from an isoelectric focusing preparative column. Cross-reactive idiotypes, Ab1', were induced through the immunization chain (Ab1-Ab2-Ab3). Idiotypic antibodies of Ab1-F1 type were obtained from offspring of female rabbits, actively producing Ab3 during pregnancy. Finally, Ab1 CRI were cross-reactive idiotypes with Ab1 found in a random population of rabbits immunized with M. luteus. Three idiotopes could be characterized within Ab1 antibody. Ab1' usually expressed two of these idiotopes, but never the third specificity which is "private" to Ab1. Ab1-F1 shared one or two idiotopes with Ab1 and Ab1' antibodies. Only one common idiotope appeared to be present on Ab1 CRI. Finally, this idiotope, IdX, could be detected by radioimmunoassay in 20% of rabbits immunized with micrococcal vaccine. It appears that a recurrent idiotype of anti-peptidoglycan antibodies can be preferentially amplified through idiotypic manipulations. On the other side, cascade immunizations lead to the expression on Ab1' and on some Ab1-F1 of a second idiotypic specificity, shared with Ab1. This hierarchy of idiotype expression may well be important in the regulation of antibody synthesis through idiotypes.

Animals↗

Hydrophobic interaction chromatography of Micrococcus lysodeikticus F1-ATPase. A method to detect conformational flexibility of the molecule.

Hydrophobic interaction chromatography of purified ATPase from Micrococcus lysodeikticus (E.C. 3.6.1.3.), a complex oligomeric protein, induces extensive conformational changes in it. In this report, we describe some physicochemical properties of the enzyme forms obtained. They can be summarized as follows. (1) The subunit stoichiometry of the enzyme is altered by the absorption and desorption process since most of the forms obtained are defective in gamma and delta subunits. An important reduction in the molar proportion of alpha subunit is also observed; (2) the fluorescence spectra of the different forms show progressive tyrosine residues which roughly correspond to the extent and strength of the interaction existing before elution of the enzyme; (3) circular dichroism measurements reveal changes of the secondary structure of the F1-ATPase undergoing an increase in alpha-helical content; (4) the ordered, active forms eluted from the hydrophobic chromatography columns are less stable than the native protein, as shown by dialysis experiments. These results while supporting the use of hydrophobic chromatography as a simplified model of membrane-membrane protein interaction, also indicate the need for caution in its application to the purification of complex membrane proteins.

Chromatography↗

A sequence specific endonuclease from Micrococcus radiodurans.

A new sequence specific endonuclease, Mra I has been purified from Micrococcus radiodurans. This enzyme cleaves bacteriophage lambda DNA at three sites, adenovirus type 2 DNA at more than 12 sites and has a unique site on phi X174 DNA. It has no sites on SV40, PM2 and pBR322 DNA. The three sites on phage lambda DNA are different from those cleaved by Sma I, Xma I and Xor II. The sites of cleavage are located at 0.424, 0.447 and 0.834 fractional lengths on the physical map of lambda DNA. Mra I is shown to be an isoschizomer of Sac II and Sst II recognizing the palindromic nucleotide sequence '5-CCGC reduced GG-3'. The enzyme shows an absolute requirement of Mg2+, but is active in the absence of added 2-mercaptoethanol. The enzyme shows activity at a broad range of temperature and pH with an optimum at 45 degrees C and pH 7.0. Mra I represents the first restriction enzyme from a bacterium whose DNA lacks modified methylated bases.

Base Sequence↗

Adaptive repair of cross-links in DNA of Micrococcus radiodurans.

Cross-links in the DNA of Micrococcus radiodurans induced by mitomycin C were repaired during post-incubation. This repair process was inhibited in cells post-incubated in the presence of chloramphenicol. However, the removal of cross-links in DNA was almost normal, even in the presence of chloramphenicol, if the cells were pretreated with lower concentrations of mitomycin C.

Cross-Linking Reagents↗

An analysis of the repair processes in ultraviolet-irradiated Micrococcus luteus using purified ultraviolet-endonuclease.

The measurement of the frequency of endonucleolytic incisions in ultraviolet-irradiated DNA serves as the test for the presence of pyrimidine dimers. In accordance with this approach, the lysates of three Micrococcus luteus strains containing radioactively labeled chromosomes were treated with purified M. luteus ultraviolet-endonuclease to trace segregation of dimers amongst parental and newly synthesized DNA and their removal during postreplication and excision DNA repair. A considerable proportion of the dimers in all strains tested proved to be insensitive to the action of exogenous incising enzyme. The use of chloramphenicol as an inhibitor of postirradiation protein synthesis in combination which ultraviolet-endonuclease treatment of DNA allowed to reveal at least two alternative pathways of postreplication repair: constitutively active recombinational pathway and inducible nonrecombinational one.

DNA Repair↗

The roles of different repair mechanisms in the ultraviolet resistance of Micrococcus luteus.

In ultraviolet-irradiated Micrococcus luteus wild type the replication of DNA was not interrupted at every pyrimidine dimer, in contrast to that in ultraviolet-sensitive G7 and some other mutants. The contribution of uninterrupted replication to the ultraviolet resistance of M. luteus proved to be equal to the contributions of excision repair and inducible postreplication repair. It was found that some postreplication gaps could be filled by constitutive pathways of postreplication repair when inducible pathways were suppressed by chloramphenicol. Prolonged treatment with chloramphenicol was shown to block not only inducible repair but also other processes essential for ultraviolet irradiation survival.

Chloramphenicol↗

Protection of hexaprenyl-diphosphate synthase of Micrococcus luteus B-P 26 against inactivation by sulphydryl reagents and arginine-specific reagents.

Hexaprenyl-diphosphate synthase from Micrococcus luteus B-P 26 has been shown to comprise two essential components, designated as components A and B. Treatment of the synthase with sulphydryl reagents (N-ethylmaleimide, iodoacetamide or p-chloromercuribenzoate) or arginine-specific reagents (2,3-butanedione, 1,2-cyclohexanedione or phenylglyoxal) resulted in a rapid loss of the component B activity. In contrast, component A was resistant to treatment with such reagents, retaining the initial activity almost completely. Farnesyl diphosphate, isopentenyl diphosphate, farnesyl monophosphate and inorganic pyrophosphate protected the synthase against the inactivation by N-ethylmaleimide, farnesyl diphosphate being the most effective. The presence of Mg2+ was essential for the protection by isopentenyl diphosphate and inorganic pyrophosphate. For protection of the synthase activity against the inactivation by 2,3-butanedione, the presence of farnesyl diphosphate, isopentenyl diphosphate and Mg2+ was more effective than that of the individual substrates and Mg2+. Inorganic pyrophosphate provided substantial protection. In the absence of component A, the component B activity was not protected by any substrates or its analogue. These results suggest that the catalytic site of the synthase is formed by cooperative interaction between components A and B, and that cysteine and arginine residues on component B play important roles in the synthase activity.

Aldehydes↗

Surface charge measurements on Micrococcus lysodeikticus and the catalytic implications for lysozyme.

Electrophoresis measurements on Micrococcus lysodeikticus have shown that the net surface charge density on the cell wall is constant at around -1.5 microC/cm2 for the pH range 4-8. This result has enabled a quantitative analysis to be made of how the electrostatic field associated with the negatively charged cell wall influences the ionic strength and pH dependency of the lytic activity of lysozyme towards M. lysodeikticus. A dominant effect is the creation of a local pH gradient at the cell wall, and at high ionic strengths the lytic activity is found to be controlled by an electrostatic force of attraction between the lysozyme molecule and the cell wall. As the ionic strength of the supporting electrolyte is decreased, however, an electrostatic force of repulsion becomes dominant and is associated with a negative charge carried by the lysozyme molecule, which could possibly be the ionized Asp-52 residue at the active site. This is considered to arise from the fact that at low ionic strengths the fine details of the heterogeneous charge distribution on the cell wall and lysozyme molecule are only partially screened by counter ions.

Chemical Phenomena↗

Repair of UV-irradiated plasmid DNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Inability to complement mutational defects in excision repair by in vitro treatment with Micrococcus luteus UV endonuclease.

Excision repair defects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae rad1-1, rad4-4, rad7-1 and rad14 mutants were examined. As previously found, transformation of such cells with UV-irradiated plasmid DNA is poor compared to wild-type yeast. Treatment of UV-irradiated YRp12 plasmid DNA with crude preparations of Micrococcus luteus UV endonuclease before introducing it into rad1-1 cells increased transformation efficiency to wild-type levels. This is consistent with earlier reports of rad1-1 mutants being defective in the incision step of excision repair. However, with purified UV endonuclease little or no rescue occurred when the UV-irradiated plasmid was incised before transformation into rad1-1 or rad4-4 cells. Furthermore, the purified UV endonuclease reduced transformation of rad7-1 and rad14 mutants to levels seen in rad1-1 and rad4-4 cells. In contrast such treatment caused only a small decrease in the transforming ability of UV-irradiated DNA in wild-type cells. These results show that yeast can normally process pre-incised, UV-irradiated DNA and that this activity is absent in rad1-1, rad4-4, rad7-1 and rad14 mutants. Thus, in addition to their previously reported roles in incision, the RAD1, 4, 7 and 14 gene products are also required for repair to continue after the incision of DNA lesions.

DNA Repair↗