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Crystal structure of a DEAD box protein from the hyperthermophile Methanococcus jannaschii.

We have determined the structure of a DEAD box putative RNA helicase from the hyperthermophile Methanococcus jannaschii. Like other helicases, the protein contains two alpha/beta domains, each with a recA-like topology. Unlike other helicases, the protein exists as a dimer in the crystal. Through an interaction that resembles the dimer interface of insulin, the amino-terminal domain's 7-strand beta-sheet is extended to 14 strands across the two molecules. Motifs conserved in the DEAD box family cluster in the cleft between domains, and many of their functions can be deduced by mutational data and by comparison with other helicase structures. Several lines of evidence suggest that motif III Ser-Ala-Thr may be involved in binding RNA.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Interactions of 77Se and 13CO with nickel in the active site of active F420-nonreducing hydrogenase from Methanococcus voltae.

The selenium-containing F420-nonreducing hydrogenase from Methanococcus voltae was prepared in the Nia(I) middle dotCO state. The effect of illumination on this light-sensitive species was studied. EPR studies were carried out with enzyme containing natural selenium or with enzyme enriched in 77Se. Samples were prepared with either CO or 13CO. In the Nia(I) middle dotCO state, the nuclear spins of both 77Se (I = 1/2) and 13C (I = 1/2) interacted with the nickel-based unpaired electron, suggesting that they are positioned on opposite sites of the nickel ion. In the light-induced signal, the interaction with 13CO was lost. The 77Se nuclear spin introduced an anisotropic hyperfine splitting in both the dark and light-induced EPR signals. The data on the active enzyme of M. voltae are difficult to reconcile with the crystal structure of the inactive hydrogenase of Desulfovibrio gigas (Volbeda, A., Charon, M. H., Piras, C., Hatchikian, E. C., Frey, M., and Fontecilla Camps, J. C. (1995) Nature 373, 580-587) and suggest a structural change in the active site upon activation of the enzyme.

Binding Sites↗

Group II chaperonin in a thermophilic methanogen, Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus. Chaperone activity and filament-forming ability.

A gene encoding 544 amino acids for a subunit of group II chaperonin (thermosome) was cloned from a thermophilic methanogen, Methanococcus thermolithotrophicus. The deduced amino acid sequence showed 66.5, 56.1, and 20.1% similarities to those of Methanopyrus kandleri and Thermoplasma acidophilum and group I chaperonin of Escherichia coli, respectively. We call this chaperonin MTTS (M. thermolithotrophicus thermosome). The MTTS gene was expressed in E. coli. The purified recombinant MTTS seemed to be monomeric on gel filtration in the absence of Mg2+ and ATP. The monomer assembled to an oligomer (complex) in the presence of 50 mM MgCl2, 0.25 mM ATP, and 0.3 M (NH4)2SO4. It was eluted immediately before the elution volume of E. coli GroEL tetradecamer on gel filtration with a TSKgel G3000SWXL column. This reconstructed MTTS complex showed the cylindrical structure with two stacked rings in electron microscopy. The MTTS complex formed filamentous structures in the presence of Mg2+ and ATP at the protein concentration above 3.0 mg/ml. This filament formation was reversible. The MTTS filament was dissociated to the complex by dilution to the protein concentration of 0.2 mg/ml, even in the presence of Mg2+ and ATP. The MTTS complex exhibited weak ATPase activity with the hydrolysis rate of 74 mol of ATP hydrolysis/mol of MTTS complex/min at 70 degreesC. The MTTS complex promoted the refolding of chemically denatured thermophilic archaeal citrate synthase and glucose dehydrogenase at 50 degreesC in an ATP-dependent fashion. The analysis of nucleotide specificity of chaperone activity of MTTS suggested that it was coupled with hydrolysis of ATP, CTP, or UTP.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

The proteolipid of the A(1)A(0) ATP synthase from Methanococcus jannaschii has six predicted transmembrane helices but only two proton-translocating carboxyl groups.

The proteolipid, a hydrophobic ATPase subunit essential for ion translocation, was purified from membranes of Methanococcus jannaschii by chloroform/methanol extraction and gel chromatography and was studied using molecular and biochemical techniques. Its apparent molecular mass as determined in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis varied considerably with the conditions applied. The N-terminal sequence analysis made it possible to define the open reading frame and revealed that the gene is a triplication of the gene present in bacteria. In some of the proteolipids, the N-terminal methionine is excised. Consequently, two forms with molecular masses of 21,316 and 21,183 Da were determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The molecular and biochemical data gave clear evidence that the mature proteolipid from M. jannaschii is a triplication of the 8-kDa proteolipid present in bacterial F(1)F(0) ATPases and most archaeal A(1)A(0) ATPases. Moreover, the triplicated form lacks a proton-translocating carboxyl group in the first of three pairs of transmembrane helices. This finding puts in question the current view of the evolution of H(+) ATPases and has important mechanistic consequences for the structure and function of H(+) ATPases in general.

Mass Spectrometry↗

Characterization of an 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase from Methanococcus jannaschii.

A thermostable 8-oxoguanine (oxoG) DNA glycosylase from Methanococcus jannaschii has been expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and characterized. The enzyme, which has been named mjOgg, belongs to the same diverse DNA glycosylase superfamily as the 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylases from yeast (yOgg1) and human (hOgg1) but is substantially different in sequence. In addition, unlike its eukaryotic counterparts, which have a strong preference for oxoG.C base pairs, mjOgg has little specificity for the base opposite oxoG. mjOgg has both DNA glycosylase and DNA lyase (beta-elimination) activity, and the combined glycosylase/lyase activity occurs at a rate comparable with the glycosylase activity alone. Mutation of Lys-129, analogous to Lys-241 of yOgg1, abolishes glycosylase activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

ADP-dependent glucokinase/phosphofructokinase, a novel bifunctional enzyme from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Methanococcus jannaschii.

A gene encoding an ADP-dependent phosphofructokinase homologue has been identified in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Methanococcus jannaschii via genome sequencing. The gene encoded a protein of 462 amino acids with a molecular weight of 53,361. The deduced amino acid sequence of the gene showed 52 and 29% identities to the ADP-dependent phosphofructokinase and glucokinase from Pyrococcus furiosus, respectively. The gene was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the produced enzyme was purified and characterized. To our surprise, the enzyme showed high ADP-dependent activities for both glucokinase and phosphofructokinase. A native molecular mass was estimated to be 55 kDa, and this indicates the enzyme is monomeric. The reaction rate for the phosphorylation of D-glucose was almost 3 times that for D-fructose 6-phosphate. The K(m) values for D-fructose 6-phosphate and D-glucose were calculated to be 0.010 and 1.6 mm, respectively. The K(m) values for ADP were 0.032 and 0.63 mm when D-glucose and D-fructose 6-phosphate were used as a phosphoryl group acceptor, respectively. The gene encoding the enzyme is proposed to be an ancestral gene of an ADP-dependent phosphofructokinase and glucokinase. A gene duplication event might lead to the two enzymatic activities.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Hypermodification of tRNA in Thermophilic archaea. Cloning, overexpression, and characterization of tRNA-guanine transglycosylase from Methanococcus jannaschii.

tRNA is structurally unique among nucleic acids in harboring an astonishing diversity of modified nucleosides. Two structural variants of the hypermodified nucleoside 7-deazaguanosine have been identified in tRNA: queuosine, which is found at the wobble position of the anticodon in bacterial and eukaryotic tRNA, and archaeosine, which is found at position 15 of the D-loop in archaeal tRNA. From homology searching of the Methanococcus jannaschii genome, a gene coding for an enzyme in the biosynthesis of archaeosine (tgt) was identified and cloned. The tgt gene was overexpressed in an Escherichia coli expression system, and the recombinant tRNA-guanine transglycosylase enzyme was purified and characterized. The enzyme catalyzes a transglycosylation reaction in which guanine is eliminated from position 15 of the tRNA and an archaeosine precursor (preQ(0)) is inserted. The enzyme is able to utilize both guanine and the 7-deazaguanine base preQ(0) as substrates, but not other 7-deazaguanine bases, and is able to modify tRNA from all three phylogenetic domains. The enzyme shows optimal activity at high temperature and acidic pH, consistent with the optimal growth conditions of M. jannaschii. The nature of the temperature dependence is consistent with a requirement for some degree of tRNA tertiary structure in order for recognition by the enzyme to occur.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Divergent adaptation of tRNA recognition by Methanococcus jannaschii prolyl-tRNA synthetase.

Analysis of prolyl-tRNA synthetase (ProRS) across all three taxonomic domains (Eubacteria, Eucarya, and Archaea) reveals that the sequences are divided into two distinct groups. Recent studies show that Escherichia coli ProRS, a member of the "prokaryotic-like" group, recognizes specific tRNA bases at both the acceptor and anticodon ends, whereas human ProRS, a member of the "eukaryotic-like" group, recognizes nucleotide bases primarily in the anticodon. The archaeal Methanococcus jannaschii ProRS is a member of the eukaryotic-like group, although its tRNA(Pro) possesses prokaryotic features in the acceptor stem. We show here that, in some respects, recognition of tRNA(Pro) by M. jannaschii ProRS parallels that of human, with a strong emphasis on the anticodon and only weak recognition of the acceptor stem. However, our data also indicate differences in the details of the anticodon recognition between these two eukaryotic-like synthetases. Although the human enzyme places a stronger emphasis on G35, the M. jannaschii enzyme places a stronger emphasis on G36, a feature that is shared by E. coli ProRS. These results, interpreted in the context of an extensive sequence alignment, provide evidence of divergent adaptation by M. jannaschii ProRS; recognition of the tRNA acceptor end is eukaryotic-like, whereas the details of the anticodon recognition are prokaryotic-like. This divergence may be a reflection of the unusual dual function of this enzyme, which catalyzes specific aminoacylation with proline as well as with cysteine.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Enzymatic properties of S-adenosylmethionine synthetase from the archaeon Methanococcus jannaschii.

S-Adenosylmethionine synthetase (ATP:l-methionine S-adenosyltransferase, MAT) catalyzes a unique enzymatic reaction that leads to formation of the primary biological alkylating agent. MAT from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Methanococcus jannaschii (MjMAT) is a prototype of the newly discovered archaeal class of MAT proteins that are nearly unrecognizable in sequence when compared with the class that encompasses both the eucaryal and bacterial enzymes. In this study the functional properties of purified recombinant MjMAT have been evaluated. The products of the reaction are AdoMet, PP(i), and P(i); >90% of the P(i) originates from the gamma-phosphoryl group of ATP. The circular dichroism spectrum of the dimeric MjMAT indicates that the secondary structure is more helical than the Escherichia coli counterpart (EcMAT), suggesting a different protein topology. The steady state kinetic mechanism is sequential, with random addition of ATP and methionine; AdoMet is the first product released, followed by release of PP(i) and P(i). The substrate specificity differs remarkably from the previously characterized MATs; the nucleotide binding site has a very broad tolerance of alterations in the adenosine moiety. MjMAT has activity at 70 degrees C comparable with that of EcMAT at 37 degrees C, consistent with the higher temperature habitat of M. jannaschii. The activation energy for AdoMet formation is larger than that for the E. coli MAT-catalyzed reaction, in accord with the notion that enzymes from thermophilic organisms are often more rigid than their mesophilic counterparts. The broad substrate tolerance of this enzyme proffers routes to preparation of novel AdoMet analogs.

Adenosine↗

Structure of the Methanococcus jannaschii mevalonate kinase, a member of the GHMP kinase superfamily.

The mevalonate-dependent pathway is used by many organisms to synthesize isopentenyl pyrophosphate, the building block for the biosynthesis of many biologically important compounds, including farnesyl pyrophosphate, dolichol, and many sterols. Mevalonate kinase (MVK) catalyzes a critical phosphoryl transfer step, producing mevalonate 5'-phosphate. The crystal structure of thermostable MVK from Methanococcus jannaschii has been determined at 2.4 A, revealing an overall fold similar to the homoserine kinase from M. jannaschii. In addition, the enzyme shows structural similarity with mevalonate 5-diphosphate decarboxylase and domain IV of elongation factor G. The active site of MVK is in the cleft between its N- and C-terminal domains. Several structural motifs conserved among species, including a phosphate-binding loop, have been found in this cavity. Asp(155), an invariant residue among MVK sequences, is located close to the putative phosphate-binding site and has been assumed to play the catalytic role. Analysis of the MVK model in the context of the other members of the GHMP kinase family offers the opportunity to understand both the mechanism of these enzymes and the structural details that may lead to the design of novel drugs.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Methanococcus jannaschii uses a pyruvoyl-dependent arginine decarboxylase in polyamine biosynthesis.

The genome sequence of the hyperthermophilic methanogen Methanococcus jannaschii contains homologs of most genes required for spermidine polyamine biosynthesis. Yet genomes from neither this organism nor any other euryarchaeon have orthologs of the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent ornithine or arginine decarboxylase genes, required to produce putrescine. Instead, as shown here, these organisms have a new class of arginine decarboxylase (PvlArgDC) formed by the self-cleavage of a proenzyme into a 5-kDa subunit and a 12-kDa subunit that contains a reactive pyruvoyl group. Although this extremely thermostable enzyme has no significant sequence similarity to previously characterized proteins, conserved active site residues are similar to those of the pyruvoyl-dependent histidine decarboxylase enzyme, and its subunits form a similar (alphabeta)(3) complex. Homologs of PvlArgDC are found in several bacterial genomes, including those of Chlamydia spp., which have no agmatine ureohydrolase enzyme to convert agmatine (decarboxylated arginine) into putrescine. In these intracellular pathogens, PvlArgDC may function analogously to pyruvoyl-dependent histidine decarboxylase; the cells are proposed to import arginine and export agmatine, increasing the pH and affecting the host cell's metabolism. Phylogenetic analysis of Pvl- ArgDC proteins suggests that this gene has been recruited from the euryarchaeal polyamine biosynthetic pathway to function as a degradative enzyme in bacteria.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of a hyperthermophilic P-type ATPase from Methanococcus jannaschii expressed in yeast.

We report on the biochemical and structural properties of a putative P-type H(+)-ATPase, MJ1226p, from the anaerobic hyperthermophilic Archaea Methanococcus jannaschii. An efficient heterologous expression system was developed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and a four-step purification protocol, using n-dodecyl beta-d-maltoside, led to a homogeneous detergent-solubilized protein fraction with a yield of over 2 mg of protein per liter of culture. The three-dimensional structure of the purified detergent-solubilized protein obtained at 2.4 nm resolution by electron microscopy showed a dimeric organization in which the size and the shape of each monomer was compatible with the reported structures of P-type ATPases. The purified MJ1226p ATPase was inactive at 40 degrees C and was active at elevated temperature reaching high specific activity, up to 180 micromol of P(i) x min(-1) x mg(-1) at 95 degrees C. Maximum ATPase activity was observed at pH 4.2 and required up to 200 mm monovalent salts. The ATPase activity was stable for several days upon storage at 65 degrees C and was highly resistant to urea and guanidine hydrochloride. The protein formed catalytic phosphoenzyme intermediates from MgATP or P(i), a functional characteristic specific of P-type ATPases. The highly purified, homogeneous, stable, and active MJ1226p ATPase provides a new model for further structure-function studies of P-type ATPases.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Subunit exchange, conformational stability, and chaperone-like function of the small heat shock protein 16.5 from Methanococcus jannaschii.

Hsp16.5, isolated from the hyperthermophilic Archaea Methanococcus jannaschii, is a member of the small heat-shock protein family. Small Hsps have 12- to 42-kDa subunit sizes and have sequences that are conserved among all organisms. The recently determined crystal structure of Hsp16.5 indicates that it consists discretely of 24 identical subunits. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer, we show that at temperatures above 60 degrees C, the subunits of MjHsp16.5 freely and reversibly exchange with a rate constant of exchange at 68 degrees C of 0.067 min(-1). The subunit exchange reactions were strongly temperature-dependent, similar to the exchange reactions of the alpha-crystallins. The exchange reaction was specific to MjHsp16.5 subunits, as other sHsps such as alpha-crystallin were not structurally compatible and could not integrate into the MjHsp16.5 oligomer. In addition, we demonstrate that at temperatures as high as 70 degrees C, MjHsp16.5 retains its multimeric structure and subunit organization. Using insulin and alpha-lactalbumin as model target proteins, we also show that MjHsp16.5 at 37 degrees C is a markedly inefficient chaperone compared with other sHsps with these substrates. The results of this study support the hypothesis that MjHsp16.5 has a dynamic quaternary structure at temperatures that are physiologically relevant to M. jannaschii.

4-Acetamido-4'-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfo↗

Biosynthesis of riboflavin in archaea studies on the mechanism of 3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanone-4-phosphate synthase of Methanococcus jannaschii.

The hypothetical protein predicted by the open reading frame MJ0055 of Methanococcus jannaschii was expressed in a recombinant Escherichia coli strain under the control of a synthetic gene optimized for translation in an eubacterial host. The recombinant protein catalyzes the formation of the riboflavin precursor 3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanone 4-phosphate from ribulose 5-phosphate at a rate of 174 nmol mg(-1) min(-1) at 37 degrees C. The homodimeric 51.6-kDa protein requires divalent metal ions, preferentially magnesium, for activity. The reaction involves an intramolecular skeletal rearrangement as shown by (13)C NMR spectroscopy using [U-(13)C(5)]ribulose 5-phosphate as substrate. A cluster of charged amino acid residues comprising arginine 25, glutamates 26 and 28, and aspartates 21 and 30 is essential for catalytic activity. Histidine 164 and glutamate 185 were also shown to be essential for catalytic activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The Methanococcus jannaschii dCTP deaminase is a bifunctional deaminase and diphosphatase.

Most bacteria produce the dUMP precursor for thymine nucleotide biosynthesis using two enzymes: a dCTP deaminase catalyzes the formation of dUTP and a dUTP diphosphatase catalyzes pyrophosphate release. Although these two hydrolytic enzymes appear to catalyze very different reactions, they are encoded by homologous genes. The hyperthermophilic archaeon Methanococcus jannaschii has two members of this gene family. One gene, at locus MJ1102, encodes a dUTP diphosphatase, which can scavenge deoxyuridine nucleotides that inhibit archaeal DNA polymerases. The second gene, at locus MJ0430, encodes a novel dCTP deaminase that releases dUMP, ammonia, and pyrophosphate. Therefore this enzyme can singly catalyze both steps in dUMP biosynthesis, precluding the formation of free, mutagenic dUTP. Besides differing from the previously characterized Salmonella typhimurium dCTP deaminase in its reaction products, this archaeal enzyme has a higher affinity for dCTP and its steady-state turnover is faster than the bacterial enzyme. Kinetic studies suggest: 1) the archaeal enzyme specifically recognizes dCTP; 2) dCTP deamination and dUTP diphosphatase activities occur independently at the same active site, and 3) both activities depend on Mg(2+). The bifunctional activity of this M. jannaschii enzyme illustrates the evolution of a suprafamily of related enzymes that catalyze mechanistically distinct reactions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Catalytic and thermodynamic properties of tetrahydromethanopterin-dependent serine hydroxymethyltransferase from Methanococcus jannaschii.

The reaction catalyzed by serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT), the transfer of Cbeta of serine to tetrahydropteroylglutamate, represents in Eucarya and Eubacteria a major source of one-carbon (C1) units for several essential biosynthetic processes. In many Archaea, C1 units are carried by modified pterin-containing compounds, which, although structurally related to tetrahydropteroylglutamate, play a distinct functional role. Tetrahydromethanopterin, and a few variants of this compound, are the modified folates of methanogenic and sulfate-reducing Archaea. Little information on SHMT from Archaea is available, and the metabolic role of the enzyme in these organisms is not clear. This contribution reports on the purification and characterization of recombinant SHMT from the hyperthermophilic methanogen Methanococcus jannaschii. The enzyme was characterized with respect to its catalytic, spectroscopic, and thermodynamic properties. Tetrahydromethanopterin was found to be the preferential pteridine substrate. Tetrahydropteroylglutamate could also take part in the hydroxymethyltransferase reaction, although with a much lower efficiency. The catalytic features of the enzyme with substrate analogues and in the absence of a pteridine substrate were also very similar to those of SHMT isolated from Eucarya or Eubacteria. On the other hand, the M. jannaschii enzyme showed increased thermoactivity and resistance to denaturating agents with respect to the enzyme purified from mesophilic sources. The results reported suggest that the active site structure and the mechanism of SHMT are conserved in the enzyme from M. jannaschii, which appear to differ only in its ability to bind and use a modified folate as substrate and increased thermal stability.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Structure of 3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanone 4-phosphate synthase from Methanococcus jannaschii in complex with divalent metal ions and the substrate ribulose 5-phosphate: implications for the catalytic mechanism.

Skeletal rearrangements of carbohydrates are crucial for many biosynthetic pathways. In riboflavin biosynthesis ribulose 5-phosphate is converted into 3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanone 4-phosphate while its C4 atom is released as formate in a sequence of metal-dependent reactions. Here, we present the crystal structure of Methanococcus jannaschii 3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanone 4-phosphate synthase in complex with the substrate ribulose 5-phosphate at a dimetal center presumably consisting of non-catalytic zinc and calcium ions at 1.7-A resolution. The carbonyl group (O2) and two out of three free hydroxyl groups (OH3 and OH4) of the substrate are metal-coordinated. We correlate previous mutational studies on this enzyme with the present structural results. Residues of the first coordination sphere involved in metal binding are indispensable for catalytic activity. Only Glu-185 of the second coordination sphere cannot be replaced without complete loss of activity. It contacts the C3 hydrogen atom directly and probably initiates enediol formation in concert with both metal ions to start the reaction sequence. Mechanistic similarities to Rubisco acting on the similar substrate ribulose 1,5-diphosphate in carbon dioxide fixation as well as other carbohydrate (reducto-) isomerases are discussed.

Binding Sites↗

The structural determination of phosphosulfolactate synthase from Methanococcus jannaschii at 1.7-A resolution: an enolase that is not an enolase.

Members of the enolase mechanistically diverse superfamily catalyze a wide variety of chemical reactions that are related by a common mechanistic feature, the abstraction of a proton adjacent to a carboxylate group. Recent investigations into the function and mechanism of the phosphosulfolactate synthase encoded by the ComA gene in Methanococcus jannaschii have suggested that ComA, which catalyzes the stereospecific Michael addition of sulfite to phosphoenolpyruvate to form phosphosulfolactate, may be a member of the enolase superfamily. The ComA-catalyzed reaction, the first step in the coenzyme M biosynthetic pathway, likely proceeds via a Mg2+ ion-stabilized enolate intermediate in a manner similar to that observed for members of the enolase superfamily. ComA, however, has no significant sequence similarity to any known enolase. Here we report the x-ray crystal structure of ComA to 1.7-A resolution. The overall fold for ComA is an (alpha/beta)8 barrel that assembles with two other ComA molecules to form a trimer in which three active sites are created at the subunit interfaces. From the positions of two ordered sulfate ions in the active site, a model for the binding of phosphoenolpyruvate and sulfite is proposed. Despite its mechanistic similarity to the enolase superfamily, the overall structure and active site architecture of ComA are unlike any member of the enolase superfamily, which suggests that ComA is not a member of the enolase superfamily but instead acquired an enolase-type mechanism through convergent evolution.

Bacterial Proteins↗