Hox functional diversity: Novel insights from flexible motif folding and plastic protein interaction.

How the formidable diversity of forms emerges from developmental and evolutionary processes is one of the most fascinating questions in biology. The homeodomain-containing Hox proteins were recognized early on as major actors in diversifying animal body plans. The molecular mechanisms underlying how this transcription factor family controls a large array of context- and cell-specific biological functions is, however, still poorly understood.

Zika Virus Methyltransferase: Structure and Functions for Drug Design Perspectives.

The Zika virus (ZIKV) is the causal agent of neurological disorders like microcephaly in newborns or Guillain-Barre syndrome. Its NS5 protein embeds a methyltransferase (MTase) domain involved in the formation of the viral mRNA cap. We investigated the structural and functional properties of the ZIKV MTase.

A flexible extension of the Drosophila ultrabithorax homeodomain defines a novel Hox/PBC interaction mode.

The patterning function of Hox proteins relies on assembling protein complexes with PBC proteins, which often involves a protein motif found in most Hox proteins, the so-called Hexapeptide (HX). Hox/PBC complexes likely gained functional diversity by acquiring additional modes of interaction. Here, we structurally characterize the first HX alternative interaction mode based on the paralogue-specific UbdA motif and further functionally validate structure-based predictions.

Polo kinase regulates the localization and activity of the chromosomal passenger complex in meiosis and mitosis in Drosophila melanogaster.

Cell cycle progression is regulated by members of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK), Polo and Aurora families of protein kinases. The levels of expression and localization of the key regulatory kinases are themselves subject to very tight control. There is increasing evidence that crosstalk between the mitotic kinases provides for an additional level of regulation.

The 1.58 Å resolution structure of the DNA-binding domain of bacteriophage SF6 small terminase provides new hints on DNA binding.

DNA packaging in tailed bacteriophages and in evolutionarily related herpesviruses is controlled by a viral-encoded terminase. As in a number of other phages, in the Bacillus subtilis bacteriophages SF6 and SPP1 the terminase complex consists of two proteins: G1P and G2P. The crystal structure of the N-terminal DNA-binding domain of the bacteriophage SF6 small terminase subunit G1P is reported.

BRMS151-98 and BRMS151-84 are crystal oligomeric coiled coils with different oligomerization states, which behave as disordered protein fragments in solution.

The breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1) gene suppresses metastasis without affecting the primary tumor growth. Cellular localization of BRMS1 appears to be important for exerting its effects on metastasis inhibition. We recently described a nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling for BRMS1 and identified a nuclear export signal within the N-terminal coiled coil.

Crystal structure of ATV(ORF273), a new fold for a thermo- and acido-stable protein from the Acidianus two-tailed virus.

Acidianus two-tailed virus (ATV) infects crenarchaea of the genus Acidianus living in terrestrial thermal springs at extremely high temperatures and low pH. ATV is a member of the Bicaudaviridae virus family and undergoes extra-cellular development of two tails, a process that is unique in the viral world. To understand this intriguing phenomenon, we have undertaken structural studies of ATV virion proteins and here we present the crystal structure of one of these proteins, ATV(ORF273).

Crystal structure of the VgrG1 actin cross-linking domain of the Vibrio cholerae type VI secretion system.

Vibrio cholerae is the cause of the diarrheal disease cholera. V. cholerae produces RtxA, a large toxin of the MARTX family, which is targeted to the host cell cytosol, where its actin cross-linking domain (ACD) cross-links G-actin, leading to F-actin depolymerization, cytoskeleton rearrangements, and cell rounding.

Structure of the phage TP901-1 1.8 MDa baseplate suggests an alternative host adhesion mechanism.

Phages of the Caudovirales order possess a tail that recognizes the host and ensures genome delivery upon infection. The X-ray structure of the approximately 1.8 MDa host adsorption device (baseplate) from the lactococcal phage TP901-1 shows that the receptor-binding proteins are pointing in the direction of the host, suggesting that this organelle is in a conformation ready for host adhesion.

Structural basis for DNA recognition and loading into a viral packaging motor.

Genome packaging into preformed viral procapsids is driven by powerful molecular motors. The small terminase protein is essential for the initial recognition of viral DNA and regulates the motor's ATPase and nuclease activities during DNA translocation. The crystal structure of a full-length small terminase protein from the Siphoviridae bacteriophage SF6, comprising the N-terminal DNA binding, the oligomerization core, and the C-terminal β-barrel domains, reveals a nine-subunit circular assembly in which the DNA-binding domains are arranged around the oligomerization core in a highly flexible manner.

Crystal structure of the DNA-bound VapBC2 antitoxin/toxin pair from Rickettsia felis.

Besides their commonly attributed role in the maintenance of low-copy number plasmids, toxin/antitoxin (TA) loci, also called 'addiction modules', have been found in chromosomes and associated to a number of biological functions such as: reduction of protein synthesis, gene regulation and retardation of cell growth under nutritional stress. The recent discovery of TA loci in obligatory intracellular species of the Rickettsia genus has prompted new research to establish whether they work as stress response elements or as addiction systems that might be toxic for the host cell. VapBC2 is a TA locus from R.

Assembly and proteolytic processing of mycobacterial ClpP1 and ClpP2.

Background: Caseinolytic proteases (ClpPs) are barrel-shaped self-compartmentalized peptidases involved in eliminating damaged or short-lived regulatory proteins. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) genome contains two genes coding for putative ClpPs, ClpP1 and ClpP2 respectively, that are likely to play a role in the virulence of the bacterium.

Results: We report the first biochemical characterization of ClpP1 and ClpP2 peptidases from MTB.

Towards a structural comprehension of bacterial type VI secretion systems: characterization of the TssJ-TssM complex of an Escherichia coli pathovar.

Type VI secretion systems (T6SS) are trans-envelope machines dedicated to the secretion of virulence factors into eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells, therefore required for pathogenesis and/or for competition towards neighboring bacteria. The T6SS apparatus resembles the injection device of bacteriophage T4, and is anchored to the cell envelope through a membrane complex. This membrane complex is composed of the TssL, TssM and TagL inner membrane anchored proteins and of the TssJ outer membrane lipoprotein.

The structure of BRMS1 nuclear export signal and SNX6 interacting region reveals a hexamer formed by antiparallel coiled coils.

We present here the first structural report derived from breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1), a member of the metastasis suppressor protein group, which, during recent years, have drawn much attention since they suppress metastasis without affecting the growth of the primary tumor. The relevance of the predicted N-terminal coiled coil on the molecular recognition of some of the BRMS1 partners, on its cellular localization and on the role of BRMS1 biological functions such as transcriptional repression prompted us to characterize its three-dimensional structure by X-ray crystallography. The structure of BRMS1 N-terminal region reveals that residues 51-98 form an antiparallel coiled-coil motif and, also, that it has the capability of homo-oligomerizing in a hexameric conformation by forming a trimer of coiled-coil dimers.

Crystal structure and functional analysis of the SARS-coronavirus RNA cap 2'-O-methyltransferase nsp10/nsp16 complex.

Cellular and viral S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferases are involved in many regulated processes such as metabolism, detoxification, signal transduction, chromatin remodeling, nucleic acid processing, and mRNA capping. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus nsp16 protein is a S-adenosylmethionine-dependent (nucleoside-2'-O)-methyltransferase only active in the presence of its activating partner nsp10. We report the nsp10/nsp16 complex structure at 2.

Chaperone role for proteins p618 and p892 in the extracellular tail development of Acidianus two-tailed virus.

The crenarchaeal Acidianus two-tailed virus (ATV) undergoes a remarkable morphological development, extracellularly and independently of host cells, by growing long tails at each end of a spindle-shaped virus particle. Initial work suggested that an intermediate filament-like protein, p800, is involved in this process. We propose that an additional chaperone system is required, consisting of a MoxR-type AAA ATPase (p618) and a von Willebrand domain A (VWA)-containing cochaperone, p892.

Structural and functional analysis of phosphothreonine-dependent FHA domain interactions.

FHA domains are well established as phospho-dependent binding modules mediating signal transduction in Ser/Thr kinase signaling networks in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic species. Although they are unique in binding exclusively to phosphothreonine, the basis for this discrimination over phosphoserine has remained elusive. Here, we attempt to dissect overall binding specificity at the molecular level.

DNA binding characteristics of mithramycin and chromomycin analogues obtained by combinatorial biosynthesis.

The antitumor antibiotics mithramycin A and chromomycin A(3) bind reversibly to the minor groove of G/C-rich regions in DNA in the presence of dications such as Mg(2+), and their antiproliferative activity has been associated with their ability to block the binding of certain transcription factors to gene promoters. Despite their biological activity, their use as anticancer agents is limited by severe side effects. Therefore, in our pursuit of new structurally related molecules showing both lower toxicity and higher biological activity, we have examined the binding to DNA of six analogues that we have obtained by combinatorial biosynthetic procedures in the producing organisms.

Acetylation of GAGA factor modulates its interaction with DNA.

GAGA is a Drosophila transcription factor that shows a high degree of post-translational modification. Here, we show that GAGA factor is acetylated in vivo. Lysine residues K325 and K373 on basic regions BR1 and BR3 of the DNA binding domain, respectively, are shown to be acetylated by PCAF.

Crystal structure of Bacillus subtilis SPP1 phage gp23.1, a putative chaperone.

SPP1 is a siphophage infecting the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. The SPP1 tail electron microscopy (EM) reconstruction revealed that it is mainly constituted by conserved structural proteins such as the major tail proteins (gp17.1), the tape measure protein (gp18), the Distal tail protein (Dit, gp19.

Structure of the Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus exosome RNase PH ring.

The core of the exosome, a versatile multisubunit RNA-processing enzyme found in archaea and eukaryotes, includes a ring of six RNase PH subunits. This basic architecture is homologous to those of the bacterial and archaeal RNase PHs and the bacterial polynucleotide phosphorylase (PNPase). While all six RNase PH monomers are catalytically active in the homohexameric RNase PH, only half of them are functional in the bacterial PNPase and in the archaeal exosome core and none are functional in the yeast and human exosome cores.

Structure of lactococcal phage p2 baseplate and its mechanism of activation.

Siphoviridae is the most abundant viral family on earth which infects bacteria as well as archaea. All known siphophages infecting gram+ Lactococcus lactis possess a baseplate at the tip of their tail involved in host recognition and attachment. Here, we report analysis of the p2 phage baseplate structure by X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy and propose a mechanism for the baseplate activation during attachment to the host cell.

ORF157 from the archaeal virus Acidianus filamentous virus 1 defines a new class of nuclease.

Acidianus filamentous virus 1 (AFV1) (Lipothrixviridae) is an enveloped filamentous virus that was characterized from a crenarchaeal host. It infects Acidianus species that thrive in the acidic hot springs (>85 degrees C and pH <3) of Yellowstone National Park, WY. The AFV1 20.

Getting the best out of long-wavelength X-rays: de novo chlorine/sulfur SAD phasing of a structural protein from ATV.

The structure of a 14 kDa structural protein from Acidianus two-tailed virus (ATV) was solved by single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) phasing using X-ray data collected at 2.0 A wavelength. Although the anomalous signal from methionine sulfurs was expected to suffice to solve the structure, one chloride ion turned out to be essential to achieve phasing.

Rational design and biophysical characterization of thioredoxin-based aptamers: insights into peptide grafting.

Peptide aptamers are simple structures, often made up of a single-variable peptide loop constrained within a constant scaffold protein. Aptamers were rationally designed by inserting peptides into a solvent-exposed loop on thioredoxin (Trx). They were designed to interact with the proteins elongation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) and mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) and were then validated by competitive fluorescence anisotropy experiments.