Flexibility of KorA, a plasmid-encoded, global transcription regulator, in the presence and the absence of its operator.

The IncP (Incompatibility group P) plasmids are important carriers in the spread of antibiotic resistance across Gram-negative bacteria. Gene expression in the IncP-1 plasmids is stringently controlled by a network of four global repressors, KorA, KorB, TrbA and KorC interacting cooperatively. Intriguingly, KorA and KorB can act as co-repressors at varying distances between their operators, even when they are moved to be on opposite sides of the DNA.

Discovery of novel membrane binding structures and functions.

The function of a protein is determined by its intrinsic activity in the context of its subcellular distribution. Membranes localize proteins within cellular compartments and govern their specific activities. Discovering such membrane-protein interactions is important for understanding biological mechanisms and could uncover novel sites for therapeutic intervention.

Fold and function of polypeptide transport-associated domains responsible for delivering unfolded proteins to membranes.

Membranes of Gram-negative bacteria, mitochondria and chloroplasts receive and fold beta-barrel transmembrane proteins through the action of polypeptide transport-associated (POTRA) domains. In Escherichia coli, folding substrates are inserted into the outer membrane by the essential protein YaeT, a prototypic Omp85 protein. Here, the articulation between tandem POTRA domains in solution is defined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, indicating an unprecedented juxtaposition.

Lipid interaction networks of peripheral membrane proteins revealed by data-driven micelle docking.

Many signaling and trafficking proteins contain modular domains that bind reversibly to cellular membranes. The structural basis of the intermolecular interactions which mediate these membrane-targeting events remains elusive since protein-membrane complexes are not directly accessible to standard structural biology techniques. Here we report a fast protein-micelle docking methodology that yields three-dimensional model structures of proteins inserted into micelles, revealing energetically favorable orientations, convergent insertion angles, and an array of protein-lipid interactions at atomic resolution.

Solution structure of the twelfth cysteine-rich ligand-binding repeat in rat megalin.

Megalin, an approx. 600 kDa transmembrane glycoprotein that acts as multi-ligand transporter, is a member of the low density lipoprotein receptor gene family. Several cysteine-rich repeats, each consisting of about 40 residues, are responsible for the multispecific binding of ligands.

Automated protein NMR structure determination using wavelet de-noised NOESY spectra.

A major time-consuming step of protein NMR structure determination is the generation of reliable NOESY cross peak lists which usually requires a significant amount of manual interaction. Here we present a new algorithm for automated peak picking involving wavelet de-noised NOESY spectra in a process where the identification of peaks is coupled to automated structure determination. The core of this method is the generation of incremental peak lists by applying different wavelet de-noising procedures which yield peak lists of a different noise content.

Using wavelet de-noised spectra in NMR screening.

Principal component analysis (PCA) is a commonly used algorithm in multivariate analysis of NMR screening data. PCA substantially reduces the complexity of data in which a large number of variables are interrelated. For series of NMR spectra obtained for ligand binding, it is commonly used to visually group spectra with a similar response to ligand binding.

Solution structure of the 30 kDa polysulfide-sulfur transferase homodimer from Wolinella succinogenes.

The periplasmic polysulfide-sulfur transferase (Sud) protein encoded by Wolinella succinogenes is involved in oxidative phosphorylation with polysulfide-sulfur as a terminal electron acceptor. The polysulfide-sulfur is covalently bound to the catalytic Cys residue of the Sud protein and transferred to the active site of the membranous polysulfide reductase. The solution structure of the homodimeric Sud protein has been determined using heteronuclear multidimensional NMR techniques.