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Magnetic effects of disulfide bridges: a density functional and semiempirical study.

Density functional chemical shielding calculations are reported for methane and hydrogen disulfide dimers. The calculations show that the contributions of disulfide bridges to the chemical shielding of neighboring protons is sizable at distances that are frequently sampled in protein structures. A semiempirical model of the quantum chemical data is developed. It is shown that magnetic anisotropy effects of disulfide are poorly described by the McConnell equation, both qualitatively and quantitatively. In particular, the ratio of magnetic anisotropy contributions to shielding along and perpendicular to the magnetic anisotropy principal axis do not conform to the predictions of the McConnell equation, and magnetic anisotropy effects are not null along the magic angle axis. A sulfur-based model of the magnetic anisotropy of the disulfide is developed and shown to give much better agreement with the quantum chemical data.

Anisotropy↗

Cortamidine oxide, a novel disulfide metabolite from the New Zealand basidiomycete (mushroom) Cortinarius species.

Three disulfide metabolites were isolated from the fruiting bodies of the basidiomycete (mushroom) Cortinarius sp., collected in the Catlins, New Zealand. The structures of these compounds were determined as the unsymmetrical disulfide cortamidine oxide (1), 2,2'-dithiobis(pyridine N-oxide) (2), and the symmetrical disulfide 3. Both 1 and 2 showed significant antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity. 2,2'-Dithiobis(pyridine N-oxide) (2) and the symmetrical disulfide 3 are assumed to be artifacts of the isolation procedure.

Agaricales↗

Implementation of an algorithm for modeling disulfide bond patterns using mass spectrometry.

The paper describes the implementation of a software system based on the Fenyö disulfide bond assignment algorithm. The system allows an investigator to enter data derived from mass spectrum peak assignments, a target protein sequence and other experimental conditions. The output of the system is the set of disulfide bonding pattern models that are consistent with the experimental evidence. The software and code are available through a public web site, which also has a functioning, publicly accessible version of the disulfide bond modeler. This implementation was tested as part of a project to check homology-based assignments disulfide bonding patterns of human integrins.

Algorithms↗

Intrapolypeptide disulfides in human alphaA-crystallin and their effect on chaperone-like function.

We report studies on the role of protein-protein disulfides (PSSP) in the age-related loss of chaperone activity of alpha-crystallins. AlphaL-crystallin fraction was isolated from human lenses of different ages and the chaperone-like activity was determined before and after treatment with glutathione reductase (GR) and NADPH. The results confirmed an age-dependent decrease in chaperone-like function and significant improvement of this function by GR treatment. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric (ESIMS) analysis of alphaA-crystallin suggested the presence of very little protein-glutathione mixed disulfides. ESIMS analysis of Asp-N digests of alphaA-crystallin revealed that nearly all the remaining portion of Cys-131 and Cys-142 of alphaA-crystallin was present in the form of intrapolypeptide disulfide bonds. These results show for the first time that predominantly disulfide bonds formed during aging contribute to the age-dependent loss in chaperone activity of alpha-crystallin in human lenses.

Adolescent↗

Analysis of the disulfide bonding pattern between domain sequences of recombinant prochymosin solubilized from inclusion bodies.

Prochymosin contains three disulfide bonds linking Cys45 to Cys50, Cys206 to Cys210, and Cys250 to Cys283. To analyze the disulfide bonding pattern between domain sequences in the recombinant prochymosin molecule solubilized from inclusion bodies by 8 M urea (designated as solubilized prochymosin), a simple peptide mapping method was established. This process consists of thiol alkylation, cleavage with cyanogen bromide, diagonal electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel, and N-terminal sequencing. By using this procedure it was found that Cys45 and Cys50 located in the N-terminal domain are not mispaired with the cysteine residues, located in the C-terminal domain, in the solubilized wild-type prochymosin and its mutants. This result implies that Cys45 and Cys50, the partners of a native disulfide, are restricted in some ordered structures existing in inclusion bodies and remaining after solubilization. These native structural elements act as folding nuclei to initiate and facilitate correct refolding. The strategy of preserving the native-like structures including native disulfide in the solubilized inclusion bodies to enhance renaturation efficiency may be applicable to other recombinant proteins.

Chymosin↗

The structure in solution of the b domain of protein disulfide isomerase.

Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is a multifunctional protein of the endoplasmic reticulum, which catalyzes the formation, breakage and rearrangement of disulfide bonds during protein folding. It consists of four domains designated a, b, b and a. Both a and a domains contains an active site with the sequence motif -Cys-Gly-His-Cys-involved directly in thiol-disulfide exchange reactions. As expected these domains have structures very similar to the ubiquitous redox protein thioredoxin. A low-resolution NMR structure of the b domain revealed that this domain adopts a fold similar to the PDI a domain and thioredoxin [Kemmink, J., Darby, N.J., Dijkstra, K., Nilges, M. and Creighton, T.E. (1997) Curr. Biol. 7, 239-245]. A refined ensemble of solution structures based on the input of 1865 structural restraints shows that the structure of PDI b is well defined throughout the complete protein except for about 10 residues at the C-terminus of the sequence. 15N relaxation data show that these residues are disordered and not part of this structural domain. Therefore the domain boundaries of PDI can now be fixed with reasonable precision. Structural comparison of the PDI b domain with thioredoxin and PDI a reveals several features important for thiol-disulfide exchange activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

13C NMR chemical shifts can predict disulfide bond formation.

The presence of disulfide bonds can be detected unambiguously only by X-ray crystallography, and otherwise must be inferred by chemical methods. In this study we demonstrate that 13C NMR chemical shifts are diagnostic of disulfide bond formation, and can discriminate between cysteine in the reduced (free) and oxidized (disulfide bonded) state. A database of cysteine 13C C(alpha) and C(beta) chemical shifts was constructed from the BMRB and Sheffield databases, and published journals. Statistical analysis indicated that the C(beta) shift is extremely sensitive to the redox state, and can predict the disulfide-bonded state. Further, chemical shifts in both states occupy distinct clusters as a function of secondary structure in the C(alpha)/C(beta) chemical shift map. On the basis of these results, we provide simple ground rules for predicting the redox state of cysteines; these rules could be used effectively in NMR structure determination, predicting new folds, and in protein folding studies.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Oxidative folding of human lysozyme: effects of the loss of two disulfide bonds and the introduction of a calcium-binding site.

Mutant human lysozymes (HLZ) lacking two disulfide bonds were constructed to study the importance of each disulfide bond on oxidative refolding. To avoid destabilization, a calcium-binding site was introduced. Five of the six species of two-disulfide mutants could be obtained with enzymatic activity. Based on the information obtained from refolding and unfolding experiments, the order of importance in oxidative refolding was found to be as follows: SS2(Cys30-Cys116) > SS1(Cys6-Cys128) approximately SS3(Cys65-Cys81) > SS4(Cys77-Cys95). Without SS2, these mutants refolded with low efficiency or did not refold at all. The bond SS2 is located in the interface of B-and D-helices, and a small hydrophobic cluster is formed near SS2. This cluster may play an important role in the folding process and stabilization, and SS2 may act as a stabilizer through its polypeptide linkage. The bond SS2 is the most important disulfide bond for oxidative folding of lysozymes.

Binding Sites↗

Assignment of the disulfide bridges in bothropstoxin-I, a myonecrotic Lys49 PLA2 homolog from Bothrops jararacussu snake venom.

Bothropstoxin-I (BthTX-I), a Lys49 phospholipase A2 homolog with no apparent catalytic activity, was first isolated from Bothropsjararacussu snake venom and completely sequenced in this laboratory. It is a 121-amino-acid single polypeptide chain, highly myonecrotic, despite its inability to catalyze hydrolysis of egg yolk phospholipids, and has 14 half-cystine residues identified at positions 27, 29. 44. 45, 50, 51, 61, 84, 91, 96, 98, 105, 123, and 131 (numbering according to the conventional alignment including gaps, so that the last residue is Cys 131). In order to access its seven disulfide bridges, two strategies were followed: (1) Sequencing of isolated peptides from (tryptic + SV8) and chymotryptic digests by Edman-dansyl degradation; (2) crystallization of the protein and determination of the crystal structure so that at least two additional disulfide bridges could be identified in the final electron density map. Identification of the disulfide-containing peptides from the enzymatic digests was achieved following the disappearance of the original peptides from the HPLC profile after reduction and carboxymethylation of the digest. Following this procedure, four bridges were initially identified from the tryptic and SV8 digests: Cys5O-Cysl31, Cys51-Cys98, Cys61-Cys91, and Cys84-Cys96. From the chymotryptic digest other peptides were isolated either containing some of the above bridges, therefore confirming the results from the tryptic digest, or presenting a new bond between Cys27 and Cys123. The two remaining bridges were identified as Cys29-Cys45 and Cys44-Cys105 by determination of the crystal structure, showing that BthTX-I disulfide bonds follow the normal pattern of group II PLA2s.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Alteration of N-linked oligosaccharide structures of human chorionic gonadotropin beta-subunit by disruption of disulfide bonds.

The human chorionic gonadotropin beta-subunit (hCGbeta) is a glycoprotein in which 12 cysteine residues pair to form six intramolecular disulfide bonds. In order to elucidate the effect of each disulfide bond on glycosylation of the molecule, we analysed structures of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides of various recombinant hCGbeta produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells: wild-type hCGbeta (betaWT) and mutants in which any one of the six intramolecular disulfide bonds had been disrupted by site-directed mutagenesis. SDS-PAGE analysis of betaWT and these mutants before and after digestion with endoglycosidase F and H revealed structural changes in the oligosaccharide moieties of some mutants. In addition, structural analysis of oligosaccharides obtained from metabolically labeled betaWT and a mutant showed that the mutant contained additional high mannose type oligosaccharides. These results suggest that elimination of a specific disulfide bond, resulting in a change in the protein conformation, disturbs the normal assembly of the mature complex type oligosaccharides in the hCGbeta molecule.

Acetylglucosamine↗

The intermolecular disulfide bridge of human glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor: its selective reduction and biological activity of the modified protein.

Recombinant human glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor has been implicated to have therapeutic potential in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The mature protein is a single polypeptide of 134 amino acid residues and functions as a disulfide-linked dimer. Reduction of the protein with dithiothreitol at pH 7.0 and in the absence of denaturant showed that the single intermolecular cystine bridge was reduced preferentially. Direct alkylation of the generated free sulfhydryl group using iodoacetamide or iodoacetate without denaturant was incomplete. Unfolding the protein in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride prior to the modification showed rapid disulfide scrambling. However, the sulfhydryl-modifying reagent N-ethylmaleimide was able to label quantitatively the free cysteinyl residue in the absence of any added chaotropic agent. By a combination of peptide mapping, Edman degradation, and mass spectrometric analysis, the labeled residue was identified to be Cys101, hence verifying the location of the intermolecular disulfide bond. The modified protein behaved as a noncovalent dimer when chromatographed through a Superdex 75 column under nondenaturing conditions and was comparable in biological activity to an unmodified control sample. The results therefore indicate that the intermolecular disulfide bridge of the protein is not essential for its biological function.

Alkylation↗

The disulfide bond arrangement in the extracellular domain of the activin type II receptor.

The initial step in the signaling cascade of the growth factor activin involves its binding to the extracellular domain of the activin type II receptor. This receptor domain contains 10 cysteine residues which are engaged in intramolecular disulfide bonds. To elucidate the structural framework of this domain we have characterized its disulfide-bonding pattern using an extracellular fragment of the receptor which binds activin A with high affinity. By combining proteolysis with mass spectroscopy and chemical sequence analysis, the disulfide connectivity was determined to be as follows: C1-C3, C2-C4, C5-C8, C6-C7, and C9-C10. A similar disulfide arrangement occurs in a family of snake toxins for which the three-dimensional structure is known.

Activin Receptors↗

Aggregate formation and the structure of the aggregates of disulfide-reduced proteins.

Aggregate formation and the structure of the aggregates of disulfide-reduced proteins were investigated using alpha-lactalbumin and lysozyme as model proteins. First, reducing conditions were adjusted so that only one of the four disulfide bonds present in each native protein was cleaved. These three-disulfide (3SS) proteins are known to adopt almost native conformations, yet formed precipitates with a basic peptide, lactoferricin, and heparin and heparin fragment, respectively, at concentrations at which native proteins mixed with these compounds remained clear. The 3SS-lysozyme also formed precipitates in the absence of these ligands. Thus, subtle structural changes could lead to aggregation. Electron microscopy revealed fibrillar structures in the aggregates of extensively reduced proteins in the absence of ligands but not in their presence, which shows that the reduction of disulfide bonds suffices for fibril formation and that ligands inhibit fibril formation.

Animals↗

Mass Spectrometric Evidence for an Alternate Disulfide Bond in Chloroplast Fructose Bisphosphatase.

Mass mapping analysis based on cyanylation (CN) of the protein and CN-induced cleavage indicates that all three cysteine residues in the insertion into the light-activated pea leaf chloroplast fructose bisphosphatase (E.C. 3.1.3.11) are able to participate in disulfide bond formation. There is a major peak in the mass spectrum of the cleavage products indicating that Cys173 forms a disulfide bond with Cys153, consistent with the structure of the oxidized enzyme in PDB files 1d9q and 1dcu, and a minor peak indicating that Cys173 forms an alternate disulfide bond with Cys178. The Cys173-Cys178 disulfide bond was not apparent in the available crystal structures.

CN-induced cleavage↗

Disulfide assignment of the C-terminal cysteine knot of agouti-related protein (AGRP) by direct sequencing analysis.

We have assigned the disulfide structure of Md-65 agouti-related protein (Md65-AGRP) using differential reduction and alkylation followed by direct sequencing analysis. The mature human AGRP is a single polypeptide chain of 112 amino acid residues, consisting of an N-terminal acidic region and a unique C-terminal cysteine-rich domain. The C-terminal domain, a 48 amino acid peptide named Md65-AGRP, was expressed in Escherichia coil cells and refolded under different conditions from the mature recombinant protein. The disulfide bonds in the cystine knot structure of Md65-AGRP were partially reduced using tris(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine (TCEP) under acidic conditions, followed by alkylation with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). The procedure generated several isoforms with varying degrees of NEM alkylation. The multiple forms of Md65-AGRP generated by partial reduction and NEM modification were then completely reduced and carboxymethylated to identify unreactive disulfide bonds. Differentially labeled Md65-AGRP were directly sequenced and analyzed by MALDI mass spectrometry. The results confirmed that Md65-AGRP contained the same disulfide structure as that of Md5-AGRP reported previously [Bures, E. J., Hui, J. O., Young, Y. et al. (1998) Biochemistry 37, 12172-12177].

Agouti-Related Protein↗

Three-dimensional solution structure of a disulfide bond isomer of the human insulin-like growth factor-I.

The solution structure of a disulfide bond isomer of human insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) was determined using homonuclear NMR methods. A total of 292 interatomic distance constraints, including 12 related to the disulfide bridges, was used in the distance geometry calculations. The determined structures contain two helical rods corresponding to the sequence regions, Ala8-Cys18 and Leu54-Cys61. Comparison with the previously determined structure of native human IGF-I revealed partial correspondence of the secondary structure (helices I: Ala8-Cys18 and helices III: Leu54-Cys61) and internal packing. Helix II in native human IGF-I (residues Gly42-Cys48) is disrupted in the isomer. A similar relationship has been described between the structure of native insulin and a homologous disulfide isomer, suggesting that these alternative folds represent general features of insulin-like sequences. In each case the precision of the distance geometry ensemble is low due in part to resonance broadening and a paucity of NOEs relative to other globular proteins of this size. These observations suggest that tertiary structure of the isomer is not highly ordered. Comparison of the biological activities of native and the disulfide bond isomer of human IGF-I highlight the importance of Tyr24, Phe25, Phe49-Cys52 and Phe16 in binding to the IGF-I receptor or specific IGFBPs. The relationship of this proposed receptor-binding surface of human IGF-I to those of insulin is discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Functional antibody production using cell-free translation: effects of protein disulfide isomerase and chaperones.

To create a rapid system to test the effect of sequence changes on recombinant antibody binding, we have developed a procedure for producing functional scFv fragments in an Escherichia coli cell-free translation system. Functional antibodies with antigen-binding activity are obtained only if disulfide formation and rearrangement is allowed to take place during the translation reaction. The inclusion of protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) leads to a threefold increase in yield over that obtained in the presence of glutathione redox systems. DsbA had no such effect, indicating that disulfide shuffing, and not net formation, is the crucial yield-limiting step. The addition of the molecular chaperones DnaK and DnaJ increased the amount of soluble protein but not the amount of functional scFv, which appears to be limited entirely by correct disulfide formation. None of these factors significantly influenced total protein synthesis. In the presence of PDI, chaperones, reduced glutathione and oxidized glutathione, 50% of the scFv produced (about 8 micrograms/ml in only 15 min) could be recovered from immobilized antigen.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Renaturation of a single-chain immunotoxin facilitated by chaperones and protein disulfide isomerase.

B3(Fv)-PE38KDEL, a recombinant immunotoxin, forms inclusion bodies when produced in Escherichia coli. In renaturation experiments, nonspecific aggregation of non-native polypeptide chains, and the formation of incorrect disulfide linkages lead to inactive molecules. To prevent these side reactions, we added molecular chaperones and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) to the refolding buffer. Both DnaK and GroEL/S influenced the reactivation process. GroEL alone inhibited reactivation, but in the presence of ATP, GroEL and GroES significantly increased the yield of active protein. DnaK also increased the yield of properly folded protein and the stimulating effect of DnaK was also observed using immobilized DnaK, which can be used repeatedly without significant loss of activity. PDI, which catalyzes disulfide bridging of proteins, also stimulated reactivation of the immunotoxin. Under optimum conditions, reactivation yields in the presence of PDI were about twice that obtained with nonenzymatic disulfide bond formation. Furthermore, DnaK and PDI were additive when renaturation was performed in the presence of both proteins.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗