Mutant Maltose-binding Protein Research Articles

Mutations in maltose-binding protein that alter affinity and solubility properties

Maltose-binding protein (MBP) from Escherichia coli has been shown to be a good substrate for protein engineering leading to altered binding (Marvin and Hellinga, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 98:4955–4960, 2001a) and increased affinity (Marvin and Hellinga, Nat Struct Biol 8:795–798, 2001b; Telmer and Shilton, J Biol Chem 278:34555–34567, 2003). It is also used in recombinant protein expression as both an affinity tag and a solubility tag. We isolated mutations in MBP that enhance binding to maltodextrins 1.3 to 15-fold, using random mutagenesis followed by screening for enhanced yield in a microplate-based affinity purification. We tested the mutations for their ability to enhance the yield of a fusion protein that binds poorly to immobilized amylose and their ability to enhance the solubility of one or more aggregation-prone recombinant proteins. We also measured dissociation constants of the mutant MBPs that retain the solubility-enhancing properties of MBP and combined two of the mutations to produce an MBP with a dissociation constant 10-fold tighter than wild-type MBP. Some of the mutations we obtained can be rationalized based on the previous work, while others indicate new ways in which the function of MBP can be modified.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00253-010-2696-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The detergent-soluble maltose transporter is activated by maltose binding protein and verapamil.

The maltose transporter FGK2 complex of Escherichia coli was purified with the aid of a glutathione S-transferase molecular tag. In contrast to the membrane-associated form of the complex, which requires liganded maltose binding protein (MBP) for ATPase activity, the purified detergent-soluble complex exhibited a very high level of ATPase activity. This uncoupled activity was not due to dissociation of the MalK ATPase subunit from the integral membrane protein MalF and MalG subunits. The detergent-soluble ATPase activity of the complex could be further stimulated by wild-type MBP but not by a signaling-defective mutant MBP. Wild-type MBP increased the V(max) of the ATPase 2.7-fold but had no effect on the K(m) of the enzyme for ATP. When the detergent-soluble complex was reconstituted in proteoliposomes, it returned to being dependent on MBP for activation of ATPase, consistent with the idea that the structural changes induced in the complex by detergent that result in activation of the ATPase are reversible. The uncoupled ATPase activity resembled the membrane-bound activity of the complex also with respect to sensitivity to NaN(3), as well as a mercurial, p-chloromercuribenzosulfonic acid. Verapamil, a compound that activates the ATPase activity of the multiple drug resistance P-glycoprotein, activated the maltose transporter ATPase as well. The activation of this bacterial transporter by verapamil suggests that a structural feature that is conserved among both eukaryotic and prokaryotic ATP binding cassette transporters is responsible for this activation.

Two modes of ligand binding in maltose-binding protein of Escherichia coli. Electron paramagnetic resonance study of ligand-induced global conformational changes by site-directed spin labeling.

Binding of ligands to the maltose-binding protein (MBP) of Escherichia coli often causes a global conformational change involving the closure of its two lobes. We have introduced a cysteine residue onto each of these lobes by site-directed mutagenesis and modified these residues with spin labels. Using EPR spectroscopy, we examined the changes, caused by the ligand binding, in distance between the two spin labels, hence between the two lobes. The binding of both maltose and maltotetraose induced a considerable closure of the N- and C-terminal lobes of MBP. Little closure occurred upon the binding of maltotetraitol or beta-cyclodextrin. Previous study by fluorescence and UV differential absorbance spectroscopy (Hall, J. A., Gehring, K., and Nikaido, H. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 17605-17609) showed that maltose and a large portion of maltotetraose bound to MBP via one mode (R mode or "end-on" mode), which is physiologically active and leads to the subsequent transport of the ligands across the cytoplasmic membrane. In contrast, maltotetraitol and beta-cyclodextrin bound to MBP via a different mode (B mode or "middle" mode), which is physiologically inactive. The present work suggests that the B mode is nonproductive because ligands binding in this manner prevent the closure of the two domains of MBP, and, as a result, the resulting ligand-MBP complex is incapable of interacting properly with the inner membrane-associated transporter complex.

Two modes of ligand binding in maltose-binding protein of Escherichia coli. Functional significance in active transport.

In the preceding two papers (Hall, J. A., Gehring, K., and Nikaido, H. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 17605-17609; Hall, J. A., Thorgeirson, T. E., Liu, J., Shin, Y.-E., and Nikaido, H. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272, 17610-17614), we showed that ligands that bind to the Escherichia coli maltose-binding protein (MBP) without producing the closure of its two lobes are not transported into the cytoplasm. Here, we examine various combinations of ligands, MBPs, and membrane-associated transporters, by utilizing reconstituted proteoliposomes, right side-out membrane vesicles, and intact cells. Closed forms of wild type MBP, complexed with maltose or maltodextrins, interacted with wild type transporter complex to stimulate the hydrolysis of ATP by MalK ATPase located on the other side of the membrane, as shown earlier for the maltose-MBP complex (Davidson, A. L., Shuman, H. A., and Nikaido, H. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 89, 2360-2364). In contrast, open forms of liganded MBPs, such as the complex containing wild type MBP and reduced, oxidized, or cyclic maltodextrins or the complex containing the mutant MBP MalE254 and unmodified maltodextrins, did not stimulate ATP hydrolysis, suggesting that the proper interaction between the ligand-MBP complex and the external surface of the transporter requires the former to be in the closed conformation. However, when a mutant transporter containing MalG511 was used, the already significant basal level of ATP hydrolysis was further stimulated not only by ligand MBPs in the closed form but also by those in the open form (except that containing beta-cyclodextrin), data suggesting that the mutant transporter does not always require the closed MBP complex presumably because of its exceptionally strong affinity to MBP, described earlier (Dean, D. A., Hor, L.-I., Shuman, H. A., and Nikaido, H. (1992) Mol. Microbiol. 6, 2033-2040). Furthermore, this mutant transporter was able to transport reduced maltodextrin, and cells expressing the transporter were able to grow by using reduced maltodextrin, if the periplasmic concentrations of MBP were kept low so as not to inhibit the transport process.

Two modes of ligand binding in maltose-binding protein of Escherichia coli. Correlation with the structure of ligands and the structure of binding protein.

Ligands that are transported by the maltose transport system of Escherichia coli must first bind to the periplasmic maltose-binding protein (MBP). However, binding of a ligand does not always lead to its transport. As reported earlier, reduced or oxidized maltodextrins bind tightly to MBP but are not transported; some mutant MBPs, such as MalE254, bind maltodextrins tightly but cannot produce their transport. In this study, UV differential spectroscopy and fluorescence emission spectroscopy were used to study the modes by which various ligands bind to MBP. Maltose binding produced a red shift in the fluorescence emission spectrum of wild type MBP and a sharp hypochromatic trend below 265 nm in its UV spectrum (R mode (for red)). On the other hand, binding of reduced, oxidized, or cyclic maltodextrins produced a pronounced blue shift in the fluorescence emission spectrum of wild type MBP and a peak at about 250 nm in its UV difference spectrum (B mode (for blue). Binding of reducing maltodextrins to wild type MBP produced spectral changes that seemed to be a mixture of predominantly R mode binding and some B mode binding, whereas their binding to mutant MBP MalE254 produced changes indicative of pure B mode binding. Thus, the ligands that are bound exclusively via the B mode to either the wild type or MalE254 MBP are not transported.

Crystal Structures and Solution Conformations of a Dominant-negative Mutant of Escherichia coliMaltose-binding Protein

A mutant of the periplasmic maltose-binding protein (MBP) with altered transport properties was studied. A change of residue 230 from tryptophan to arginine results in dominant-negative MBP: expression of this protein against a wild-type background causes inhibition of maltose transport. As part of an investigation of the mechanism of such inhibition, we have solved crystal structures of both unliganded and liganded mutant protein. In the closed, liganded conformation, the side-chain of R230 projects into a region of the surface of MBP that has been identified as important for transport while in the open form, the same side-chain takes on a different, and less ordered, conformation. The crystallographic work is sup plemented with a small-angle X-ray scattering study that provides evidence that the solution conformation of unliganded mutant is similar to that of wild-type MBP. It is concluded that dominant-negative inhibition of maltose transport must result from the formation of a non-productive complex between liganded-bound mutant MBP and wild-type MalFGK 2. A general kinetic framework for transport by either wild-type MalFGK 2or MBP-independent MalFGK 2is used to understand the effects of dominant-negative MBP molecules on both of these systems.

Maltose-binding Protein Containing an Interdomain Disulfide Bridge Confers a Dominant-negative Phenotype for Transport and Chemotaxis

Bacterial substrate-binding proteins exist in an equilibrium among four forms: open/substrate-free, open/substrate-bound, closed/substrate-free, and closed/substrate-bound. Ligands stabilize the closed conformation, whereas the open conformation predominates in the substrate-free species. In its closed form, the NH2-terminal and COOH-terminal domains of maltose-binding protein (MBP) are proposed to be aligned to allow residues in both domains to interact simultaneously with complementary sites on the MalF and MalG proteins of the maltodextrin uptake system or with the Tar chemotactic signal transducer. However, the initial interaction might occur with an open/substrate-bound form of the binding protein, which would then close in contact with MalFG or Tar. Ligand would help stabilize this complex. We introduced cysteines (G69C and S337C) by site-directed mutagenesis into each domain of MBP and found that they formed an interdomain disulfide cross-link that should hold the protein in a closed conformation. This mutant MBP confers a dominant-negative phenotype for growth on maltose, for maltose transport, and for maltose chemotaxis. The growth and transport defects are partially reversed when the cells are exposed to the reducing agent dithiothreitol. We conclude that the cross-linked form of MBP competes with wild-type MBP in vivo for interaction with MalFG and Tar.

Engineering the maltose binding protein for reagentless fluorescence sensing.

This paper describes a mutant of the maltose binding protein (MBP) in which the serine residue at position 337 is replaced by a cysteine residue using site-directed mutagenesis. The mutant MBP has an approximately 2-fold lower affinity for maltose, and the cysteine residue can be modified with 4-[N-(2-(iodoacetoxy)ethyl)-N-methylamino]-7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (IANBD) and 6-acryloyl-2-(dimethylamino)-naphthalene (acrylodan). This combined genetic and chemical modification places the fluorophores close to the maltose binding site such that when the ligand is added the fluorescence intensity of the labels increases by 60-180% over that of the ligand-free form. This change is consistent with the fluorophores being buried when the conformation of the protein changes with maltose binding. Titration of the labeled mutant proteins yields dissociation constants for maltose of 62 +/- 0.2 and 0.8 +/- 0.01 microM respectively for the IANBD and acrylodan modifications. The application of this strategy of combined genetic and chemical modification to the development of reagentless fluorescence sensing is discussed.

The antifolding activity of SecB promotes the export of the E. coli maltose-binding protein

Evidence is presented that the E. coli secB gene encodes a soluble protein that interacts with the mature region of the precursor maltose-binding protein (MBP), and promotes MBP export by preventing premature folding of the newly synthesized polypeptide into an export-incompetent form. The interaction of SecB with MBP was indicated by the finding that synthesis of various export-defective MBP species interfered with normal protein export by limiting SecB availability. The antifolding activity of SecB was demonstrated by the following: the defect in MBP export in SecB cells was suppressed by mutational alterations affecting MBP folding; export of a mutant MBP that is accomplished in a strictly posttranslational mode was totally blocked in SecB cells; and the rate of folding of wild-type MBP synthesized in vitro was found to be accelerated when SecB was absent and greatly retarded when excess SecB was present.

Silent and functional changes in the periplasmic maltose-binding protein of Escherichia coli K12 : I. Transport of maltose

The malE gene encodes the periplasmic maltose-binding protein (MBP). Nineteen mutations that still permit synthesis of stable MBP were generated by random insertion of a BamHI octanucleotide into malE and six additional mutations by in-vitro recombinations between mutant genes. The sequence changes were determined; in most cases the linker insertion is accompanied by a small deletion (30 base-pairs on average). The mutant MBP were studied for export, growth on maltose and maltodextrins, maltose transport and binding, and maltose-induced fluorescence changes. Sixteen mutant MBP (out of 21 studied in detail) were found in the periplasmic space: 12 of them retained a high affinity for maltose, and 10 activity for growth on maltose. The results show that several regions of MBP are dispensable for stability, substrate binding and export. Three regions (residues 207 to 220, 297 to 303 and 364 to 370) may be involved in interactions with the MalF or MalG proteins. A region near the C-terminal end is important for maltose binding. Two regions of the mature protein (residues 18 to 42 and 280 to 296) are required for export to, or solubility in, the periplasm.

Post-translational export of maltose-binding protein in Escherichia coli strains harboring malE signal sequence mutations and either prl+ or prl suppressor alleles.

We have studied the export kinetics of the maltose-binding protein (MBP) of Escherichia coli, the malE gene product, when it is synthesized with either a wildtype signal sequence or with a mutationally altered signal sequence that affects the efficiency of secretion to the periplasm. Our results confirm a very rapid export process for the wild-type protein and, in contrast, reveal a relatively slow post-translational mode of export for the altered precursor species. For each different signal sequence mutant, a fraction of the precursor MBP pool that is proportional to the strength of the export defect appears to never exit the cytoplasm. We have also analyzed MBP export in strains harboring prl mutations that suppress malE signal sequence mutations and are thought to somehow alter the specificity of the cell's protein export machinery. The introduction of different prl alleles has no apparent effect on wild-type MBP export but increases both the amount of mutant MBP that is exported and the rate at which this is accomplished. In fact, the presence of two different prl alleles in the same strain can act synergistically in suppressing MBP export defects. The inhibition of total protein synthesis with chloramphenicol can also increase the proportion of pMBP that is post-translationally exported in these strains. A model that describes the initial steps in MBP export is presented.