Sequence-specific 1H NMR Assignments Research Articles

Sequence-specific 1H, 13C and 15N backbone NMR assignments for the N-terminal IgV-like domain (D1) and full extracellular region (D1D2) of PD-L1

The co-inhibitory immune checkpoint interaction between programmed cell death-protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) serves to regulate T-cell activation, promoting self-tolerance. Over-expression of PD-L1 is a mechanism through which tumour cells can evade detection by the immune system. Several therapeutic antibodies targeting PD-L1 or PD-1 have been approved for the treatment of a variety of cancers, however, the discovery and development of small-molecule inhibitors of PD-L1 remains a challenge. Here we report comprehensive sequence-specific backbone resonance assignments (1H, 13C, and 15N) obtained for the N-terminal IgV-like domain of PD-L1 (D1) and the full two domain extracellular region (D1D2). These NMR assignments will serve as a useful tool in the discovery of small-molecule therapeutics targeting PD-L1 and in the characterisation of functional interactions with other protein partners, such as CD80.

Sequence-specific 1H-NMR Assignment and Determination of the Secondary Structure of Hainantoxin-III from the Spider Ornithoctonus hainana

Hainantoxin-III (HNTX-III) purified from the venom of the spider Ornithoctonus hainana is a novel neurotoxin preferentially inhibiting tetrodotoxin-sensitive voltage-gated sodium channels in rat dorsal root ganglion cells. The structure of this toxin in aqueous solution was investigated using 2-D 1H-NMR techniques. The complete sequencespecific assignments of proton resonances in the 1H-NMR spectra were obtained by analyzing a series of 2-D spectra, including DQF-COSY, TOCSY and NOESY spectra, in H2O or D2O. All the backbone protons and more than 95% of the side-chain protons have been assigned by dαN, dβN, and dNN connectivities in NOESY spectrum. Furthermore, the secondary structure of HNTX-III was identified from NMR data. It consists mainly of a short triple-stranded antiparallel β-sheet formed by Asp7 to Cys9, Tyr21 to Ser23, and Lys27 to Val30. Because HNTX-III shares high sequence identity (>70%) with HWTX-I and HNTX-I, we proposed that they all share a structural scaffold known as the inhibitor cystine knot architectural motif. This study provides a basis for the further determination of the solution conformation of HNTX-III.

Sequence-specific 1H, 13C and 15N NMR assignments of Cyclophilin A like protein from Piriformospora indica involved in salt stress tolerance

Cyclophilins are omnipresent proteins found in eukaryotes and prokaryotes, with presence in cytoplasm as well as in nucleus. Primary role of Cyclophilins is of peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, a molecular chaperon action. Here, we report sequence-specific (1)H, (13)C and (15)N resonance assignments for a Cyclophilin A like protein from Piriformospora indica. This protein is up-regulated during salt stress conditions.

Solution NMR Structure Investigation for Releasing Mechanism of Neocarzinostatin Chromophore from the Holoprotein

Holo-neocarzinostatin (holo-NCS) is a complex protein carrying the anti-tumor active enediyne ring chromophore by a scaffold consisting of an immunoglobulin-like seven-stranded anti-parallel beta-barrel. Because of the labile chromophore reflecting its extremely strong DNA cleavage activity and complete stabilization in the complex, holo-NCS has attracted much attention in clinical use as well as for drug delivery systems. Despite many structural analyses for holo-NCS, the chromophore-releasing mechanism to trigger prompt attacks on the target DNA is still unclear. We determined the three-dimensional structure of the protein and the internal motion by multinuclear NMR to investigate the releasing mechanism. The internal motion studied by 13C NMR methine relaxation experiments showed that the complex has a rigid structure for its loops as well as the beta-barrel in aqueous solution. This agrees with the refined NMR solution structure, which has good convergence in the loop regions. We also showed that the chromophore displayed a similar internal motion as the protein moiety. The structural comparison between the refined solution structure and x-ray crystal structure indicated characteristic differences. Based on the findings, we proposed the chromophore-releasing mechanism by a three-state equilibrium, which sufficiently describes both the strong binding and the prompt releasing of the chromophore. We demonstrated that we could bridge the dynamic properties and the static structure features with simple kinetic assumptions to solve the biochemical function.

The solution structure of parsley [2Fe-2S]ferredoxin.

The [2Fe-2S]ferredoxin I (Fd I) from parsley leaves (Mr = 10,500; 96 amino acids) in the Fe(III)-Fe(III) oxidized form has been studied by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Sequence-specific 1H-NMR assignments were obtained through two-dimensional classical double-quantum-filtered-COSY, NOESY and TOCSY spectra. NOEs between protons as close as 5.6 A from the paramagnetic Fe(III) atoms were observed at 800 MHz. A total of 3066 NOEs (of which 2533 are meaningful) and 18 distance constraints taken from X-ray crystallography of the Fe2S2 active site were used to obtain the solution structure. From inversion recovery NOESY experiments, 33 longitudinal relaxation rate (Qpara) constraints were used for the structural refinement. The final structure was obtained by a process of restrained energy minimization. Root-mean-square (rmsd) deviation values obtained for the family of 18 structures (with reference to the average structure) are 0.52 +/- 0.10 A and 0.91 +/- 0.12 A for backbone and all heavy atoms respectively. The structure consists of seven-strands of beta-sheets and four short alpha-helices. The quality of the present solution structure is among the best of those reported for [2Fe-2S]ferredoxins. The secondary structure and overall folding are compared with those of Anabaena variabilis Fd and the higher plant Equistum arvense (horse tail) protein determined through X-ray crystallography. The groups believed to be responsible for electron transfer have been analysed.

Sequence-specific 1h nmr assignments and secondary structure of neuropeptide y analogs in aqueous solution

Abstract: Solution structures of neuropeptide Y analogs NP158 and NP181 were studied by 1H NMR spectroscopy. Sequential assignments were made at pH 3.5 at 25°C and 45°C using COSY, HOHAHA and ROESY spectra. Modeling shows turn-type loop structures in aqueous solution that could be important for receptor binding and/or antagonistic potency.. No significant conformational differences were observed between the two polypeptides despite vastly different antagonistic potency towards NPY YI receptors.

The race-specific elicitor AVR9 of the tomato pathogen Cladosporium fulvum: a cystine knot protein : Sequence-specific 1H NMR assignments, secondary structure and global fold of the protein

The secondary structure and global fold of the AVR9 elicitor protein of Cladosporium fulvum has been determined by 2D NMR and distance-geometry protocols. The protein consists of three anti-parallel strands forming a rigid region of β-sheet. On the basis of the NMR-derived parameters and distance geometry calculations, it is evident that the AVR9 protein is structurally very homologuous to carboxy peptidase inhibitor (CPI) of which the X-ray structure is known. The AVR9 protein reveals the presence of a cystine knot, which consists of a ring formed by two disulfide bridges and the interconnecting backbone through which the third disulfide bridge penetrates. This structural motif is found in several small proteins such as proteinase inhibitors, ion channel blockers and growth factors. The implications of the structural relationship between AVR9 and other biologically active proteins are discussed. © 1997 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Solution Structure of the DNA-Binding Protein Sac7d from the Hyperthermophile Sulfolobus acidocaldarius

The Sac7 proteins from the hyperthermophile Sulfolobus acidocaldarius are a heterogeneous mixture of small, thermostable, nonspecific DNA-binding proteins. One of these proteins, Sac7d, has been overexpressed in Escherichia coli to provide a homogeneous preparation for structure, stability, and function studies. We present here essentially complete sequence-specific 1H NMR assignments for Sac7d, a delineation of secondary structural elements, and the high-resolution solution structure obtained from a full relaxation matrix refinement. The final structure provides an excellent fit to the NMR data with an NOE R-factor of 0.27 for backbone NOEs. The structure has a compact globular fold with 82% of the sequence involved in regular secondary structure: an antiparallel two-stranded beta-ribbon with a tight turn, followed by a short 3(10) helix, an antiparallel three-stranded beta-sheet, another short 3(10) helix, and finally four turns of alpha-helix. The amphipathic alpha-helix packs across the hydrophobic face of the three-stranded beta-sheet in an open-faced sandwich arrangement with at least one turn of the helix exposed beyond the sheet. The hydrophobic face of the beta-ribbon packs against a corner of the twisted beta-sheet. The single tryptophan responsible for the 88% fluorescence quenching upon DNA binding is exposed on the surface of the three-stranded beta-sheet. Lysines 5 and 7, whose monomethylation may be associated with enhanced thermostability, are highly solvent exposed along the inner edge of the two-stranded ribbon. The structure of Sac7d differs in many respects from that reported for the homologous native Sso7d [Baumann et al. (1994) Nature Struct. Biol. 1, 808] with a backbone RMSD greater than 3.0 A, largely due to the packing and length of the C-terminal alpha-helix which may be important in Sac7d DNA binding.

Primary Structure, Sequence-Specific 1H-NMR Assignments and Secondary Structure in Solution of Bromelain Inhibitor VI from Pineapple Stem

One of the bromelain inhibitors, isoinhibitor VI (BI-VI), was purified from pineapple stem powder and its complete amino acid sequence was determined by conventional protein sequencing. These results revealed that the protein consists of an 11-residue light chain and a 41-residue heavy chain, cross-linked to each other by disulfide bonds to form the native inhibitor of 52 residues (Mr= 5888). The secondary structure of BI-VI was analyzed based on the sequence-specific 1H resonance assignment of its two-dimensional NMR spectra. BI-VI was shown to be composed of two domains (A and B) which are formed by antiparallel β-sheets, but has no α-helix. These results were consistent with the CD spectra of BI-VI. Residues Lys27-Ile29 (heavy chain) form a triple-stranded antiparallel β-sheet with residues Asp9-Tyr11 and Lys22–Glu24 (heavy chain) in the A domain and residues Cys5–Cys7 (heavy chain) form another triple-stranded β-sheet with residues Cys6–Cys8 (light chain) and Asp32–Ile34 (heavy chain) in the B domain. The secondary structure as well as the primary structure of BI-VI was distinctly different from that of the other cysteine protease inhibitor, cystatin, and from that of basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor.

Sequence-specific 1H, 13C, and 15N NMR assignments for oxidized ferredoxin from Clostridium pasteurianum

Sequence-specific 1H, 13C, and 15N NMR assignments for oxidized ferredoxin from Clostridium pasteurianum

1H, 15N and 13C resonance assignments, secondary structure, and the conformation of substrate in the binary folate complex of Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase

By using fully 15N- and 15N/13C-labeled Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase, the sequence-specific 1H and 15N NMR assignments were achieved for 95% of the backbone resonances and for 90% of the 13C alpha resonances in the binary folate complex. These assignments were made through a variety of three-dimensional proton-detected 15N and 13C experiments. A smaller but significant subset of side-chain 1H and 13C assignments were also determined. In this complex, only one 15N or 13C resonance was detected per 15N or 13C protein nucleus, which indicated a single conformation. Proton-detected 13C experiments were also performed with unlabeled DHFR, complexed with 13C-7/13C-9 folate to probe for multiple conformations of the substrate in its binary complex. As was found for the protein resonances, only a single bound resonance corresponding to a productive conformation could be detected for C-7. These results are consistent with an earlier report based on 1H NMR data [Falzone, C.J. et al. (1990) Biochemistry, 29, 9667-9677] and suggest that the E. coli enzyme is not involved in any catalytically unproductive binding modes in the binary complex. This feature of the E. coli enzyme seems to be unique among the bacterial forms of DHFR that have been studied to date.

The nuclear-magnetic-resonance solution structure of the mutant alpha-amylase inhibitor [R19L] Tendamistat and comparison with wild-type Tendamistat.

The recombinant mutant alpha-amylase inhibitor [R19L]Tendamistat, with Arg19 replaced by Leu, was prepared and its NMR solution structure determined. Based on complete sequence-specific 1H-NMR assignments, 845 nuclear Overhauser effect upper-distance constraints and 156 dihedral angle constraints were collected using two-dimensional homonuclear 1H-NMR experiments. The structure was calculated with the program DIANA, using the redundant dihedral angle constraints strategy for improved convergence. For restrained energy minimization, the programs FANTOM and AMBER were used. The wild-type NMR solution structure was similarly recalculated from the previously published input of conformational constraints [Kline, A., Braun, W. & Wüthrich, K. (1988) J. Mol. Biol. 204, 675-724]. For each protein a group of 20 conformers represents a well-defined solution structure, with average root-mean-square-distance values for the backbone atoms of the individual conformers relative to the mean coordinates of 50 pm. The two structures are nearly identical to each other and to the previously published Tendamistat structures in solution and in crystals. The only significant difference is strictly localized near the single amino acid substitution in the presumed active site -Trp18-Arg(Leu)-Tyr-, i.e. Leu19 and Tyr20 are more precisely defined in the solution structure of [R19L]Tendamistat than the corresponding residues Arg19 and Tyr20 in wild-type Tendamistat.

Conformational behaviour of the active and inactive forms of the nucleocapsid NCp7 of HIV-1 studied by 1H NMR

The nucleocapsid protein NCp7 of the human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) is a 72 amino acid peptide containing two zinc fingers of the type CX2CX4HX4C linked by a short basic sequence 29RAPRKKG35. NCp7 was shown to activate in vitro both viral RNA dimerization and replication primer tRNA(Lys,3) annealing to the initiation site of reverse transcription. In order to clarify the possible structural role of the zinc fingers in the various functions of NCp7, complete sequence specific 1H NMR assignment of the entire protein was achieved by two-dimensional NMR experiments. Moreover, to characterize the role of the peptide linker in NCp7 folding, a synthetic analogue with an inversion of Pro31 configuration was studied by NMR and fluorescence techniques. Several long range NOEs implying amino acid protons from the folded zinc fingers and the spacer, such as Ala25 and Trp37, Phe16 and Trp37, Arg32 and Trp37, Lys33 and Trp37, Cys18 and Lys33 disappeared in the D-Pro31 (12-53)NCp7, confirming the spatial proximity of the two CCHC boxes observed in the (13-51)NCp7. This was also confirmed by iodide fluorescence quenching experiments. The N and C-terminal parts of NCp7 displayed a large flexibility except for two short sequences Tyr56 to Gly58 and Tyr64 to Gly66, which seemed to oscillate between random-coil and helical conformations. The biological relevance of the structural characteristics of NCp7 was studied in vitro and in vivo. Substitution of Pro31 by D-Pro31 in the active (13-64)NCp7 peptide led to a severe reduction of dimerization in vitro. Moreover, site-directed mutagenesis substituting Leu for Pro31 resulted in the formation of non-infectious and immature viral particles. These results suggest that the spatial proximity of the zinc fingers induced by the peptide linker, plays a critical role in encapsidation of genomic RNA and morphogenesis of HIV-1 infectious particles.

Fungal metabolites. XVII. Synthesis and NMR study of ion channel-forming peptides, trichosporin B-VIa and its derivative.

A membrane-modifying peptide antibiotic, trichosporin B-VIa, having catecholamine secretion-inducing activity on bovine adrenal chromaffin cells has been synthesized. Aib14-Trichosporin B-VIa, in which Pro14 was replaced by Aib, has also been synthesized to modify the secondary structure of trichosporin B-VIa. Sequence-specific 1H-NMR assignments of both peptides in methanol were achieved by using two-dimensional NMR techniques.

Sequential 1H NMR assignments and secondary structure of the kringle domain from urokinase.

The sequence-specific 1H NMR assignments of the 89-residue recombinant kringle domain from human urokinase are presented. These were achieved primarily by utilizing TOCSY and NOESY spectra in conjunction with COSY spectra recorded at 500 MHz and 600 MHz. Regular secondary structure elements have been derived from a qualitative interpretation of nuclear Overhauser enhancement, JNH alpha coupling constant, and amide proton exchange data. Two helices have been identified. One helix, involving Ser40-Gly46, corresponds to that reported for t-PA kringle 2 (Byeon et al., 1991), but does not exist in other kringles with known structures. The second helix, in the region Asn26-Gln33, is thus far unique to the urokinase kringle. Three antiparallel beta-sheets and three tight turns have also been identified, which correspond exactly to those identified in t-PA kringle 2 both in solution and in the crystalline state (de Vos et al., 1992). Despite the very different ligand binding properties of the urokinase kringle, NOE data indicate that the tertiary fold of the molecule conforms closely to that found for other kringles.

Natural abundance 15N NMR assignments delineate structural differences between intact and reactive-site hydrolyzed Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor III

15N NMR assignments were made to the backbone amide nitrogen atoms at natural isotopic abundance of intact and reactive-site (Arg 5—Ile 6) hydrolyzed Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor III (CMTI-III and CMTI-III*, respectively) by means of 2D proton-detected heteronuclear single bond chemical shift correlation (HSBC) spectroscopy, utilizing the previously made sequence-specific 1H NMR assignments (Krishnamoorthi et al. (1992) Biochemistry 31. 898–904). Comparison of the 15N chemical shifts of the two forms of the inhibitor molecule revealed significant changes not only for residues located near the reactive-site region, but also for those distantly located. Residues Cys 3, Arg 5, Leu 7, Met 8, Cys 10, Cys 16, Glu 19, His 25, Tyr 27, Cys 28 and Gly 28 showed significant chemical shift changes ranging from 0.3 to 6.1 ppm, thus indicating structural perturbations that were transmitted throughout the molecule. These findings confirm the earlier conclusions based on 1H NMR investigations.

Sequence specific 1H-NMR assignments and secondary structure of a carboxy-terminal functional fragment of apolipoprotein CII.

The structural properties of a synthetic fragment of human apolipoprotein CII (apoCII) has been studied by circular dichroism and proton nuclear magnetic resonance. The fragment corresponds to the carboxy-terminal 30 amino acid residues and retains the ability of apoCII to activate lipoprotein lipase. Like native apoCII, the fragment has a tendency to self-associate in pure aqueous solution. Addition of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-isopropanol to aqueous solvent dissolves the aggregates and leads to an increase in the alpha-helical content of the peptide, probably by stabilizing transient helical structures. The resonances in the 1H-NMR spectrum of the fragment in 35% (CF3)2CHOH were assigned through standard procedures from nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy, correlated spectroscopy and total correlated spectroscopy experiments. The NMR data indicates the formation of a stable alpha helix spanning Ile66-Gly77. Another alpha helical turn may be formed between Lys55 and Ala59 and possibly span even further towards the carboxyl terminus. These structural elements are different from those previously predicted for this part of the sequence of apoCII.

Sequence-specific proton NMR assignments and solution structure of bovine pancreatic polypeptide

Sequence-specific 1H NMR assignments for the 36 residue bovine pancreatic polypeptide (bPP) have been completed. The secondary and tertiary structure of bPP in solution has been determined from experimental NMR data. It is shown that bPP has a very well-defined C-terminal alpha-helix involving residues 15-32. Although regular secondary structure cannot be clearly defined in the N-terminal region, residues 4-8 maintain a rather ordered conformation in solution. This is attributed primarily to the hydrophobic interactions between this region and the C-terminal helix. The two segments of the structure are joined by a turn which is poorly defined. The four end residues both at the N-terminus and the C-terminus are highly disordered in solution. The overall fold of the bPP molecule is very closely similar to that found in the crystal structure of avian pancreatic polypeptide (aPP). The RMS deviation for backbone atoms of residues 4-8 and 15-32 between the bPP mean structure and the aPP crystal structure is 0.65 A, although there is only 39% identity of the residues. Furthermore, the average conformations of some (mostly from the alpha-helix) side chains of bPP in solution are closely similar to those of aPP in the crystal structure. A large number of side chains of bPP, however, show significant conformational averaging in solution.

Sequence‐specific 1H‐NMR assignment and secondary structure of the Tyr41 → His mutant of the single‐stranded DNA binding protein, gene V protein, encoded by the filamentous bacteriophage M13

Sequence-specific 1H-NMR assignments are reported for the Tyr41----His (Y41H) mutant of the single-stranded DNA binding protein, encoded by gene V of the filamentous bacteriophage M13 (GVP). The mutant protein was chosen for this purpose because it exhibits significantly improved solubility characteristics over wild-type GVP [Folkers et al. (1991) Eur. J. Biochem. 200, 139-148]. The secondary structure elements present in the protein are deduced from a qualitative interpretation of the nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectra and amide exchange data. The protein is entirely composed of antiparallel beta-structure. It is shown that identical structural elements are present in wild-type GVP. Previously, we have demonstrated that the secondary structure of the beta-loop, encompassing residues 13-31 which is present in GVP in solution, deviates from that proposed for the same amino acid sequence on the basis of X-ray diffraction data [van Duynhoven et al. (1990) FEBS Lett. 261, 1-4]. Now that we have arrived at a complete description of the secondary structure of the protein in solution, other deviations with respect to the crystallographically determined structure became apparent as well. The N-terminal part of the protein is, in solution, part of a triple-stranded beta-sheet while, in the crystal, it is an extended strand pointing away from the bulk of the protein dimer. One of the antiparallel beta-sheets in the protein which had been designated earlier as the complex loop has, in the solution structure, a different pairwise arrangement of the residues in its respective beta-ladders. Residues 30 and 48 are opposite to one another in the solution structure while in the crystal structure residues 32 and 48 are paired. A similar observation is made for the so-called dyad domain of the protein of which the beta-sheet in the solution structure is shifted by one residue with respect to that of the crystal structure.

The solution structures of Escherichia coli trp repressor and trp aporepressor at an intermediate resolution

We have determined the solution structures and examined the dynamics of the Escherichia coli trp repressor (a 25-kDa dimer), with and without the co-repressor L-tryptophan, from NMR data. This is the largest protein structure thus far determined by NMR. To obtain a set of data sufficient for a structure determination it was essential to resort to isotopic spectral editing. Line broadening observed in this molecular mass range precludes for the most part the measurement of coupling constants and stereospecific assignments, with the inevitable result that the attainable resolution of the final structure will be somewhat lower than the resolution reported for smaller proteins and peptides. Nevertheless the general topology of the protein can be deduced from the subsets of NOEs defining the secondary and tertiary structure, providing a basis for further refinement using the full set of NOEs and energy minimization. We report here (a) an intermediate resolution structure that can be deduced from NMR data, covalent, angular and van-der-Waals constraints only, without resort to detailed energy calculations, and (b) the limits of uncertainty within which this structure is valid. An examination of these structures combined with backbone amide exchange data shows that even at this resolution three important conclusions can be drawn: (a) the protein structure changes upon binding tryptophan; (b) the putative DNA binding region is much more flexible than the core of the molecule, with backbone amide proton exchange rates 1000 times faster than in the core; (c) the binding of tryptophan stabilizes the repressor molecule, which is reflected in both the appearance of additional NOEs, and in the slowing of backbone proton exchange rates by factors of 3-10. Sequence-specific 1H-NMR assignments and the secondary structure of the holopressor (L-tryptophan-bound form) have been reported previously [C. H. Arrowsmith, R. Pachter, R. B. Altman, S. B. Iyer & O. Jardetzky (1990) Biochemistry 29, 6332-6341]. Those for the trp aporepressor (L-tryptophan-free form), made using the same methods and conditions as described in the cited paper, are reported here. The secondary structure of the aporepressor was calculated from sequential and medium-range NOEs and is the same as reported for the holorepressor except that helix E is shorter. The tertiary solution structures for both forms of the repressor were calculated from long-range NOE data.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)