Biomolecular NMR Assignments

Human La-related protein 1 (HsLARP1) is involved in post-transcriptional regulation of certain 5' terminal oligopyrimidine (5'TOP) mRNAs as well as other mRNAs and binds to both the 5'TOP motif and the 3'-poly(A) tail of certain mRNAs. HsLARP1 is heavily involved in cell proliferation, cell cycle defects, and cancer, where HsLARP1 is significantly upregulated in malignant cells and tissues. Like all LARPs, HsLARP1 contains a folded RNA binding domain, the La motif (LaM). Our current understanding of post-transcriptional regulation that emanates from the intricate molecular framework of HsLARP1 is currently limited to small snapshots, obfuscating our understanding of the full picture on HsLARP1 functionality in post-transcriptional events...

The BRCA1 carboxyl-terminal (BRCT) domain, an evolutionarily conserved structural motif, is ubiquitous in a multitude of proteins spanning prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), BRCT domain plays a pivotal role in the catalytic activity of the NAD+-dependent DNA ligase (LigA). LigA is pivotal in DNA replication, catalyzing the formation of phosphodiester bonds in Okazaki fragments and repairing single-strand breaks in damaged DNA, essential for the survival of Mtb. Structural and functional aspects of LigA unveil its character as a highly modular protein, undergoing substantial conformational changes during its catalytic cycle...

As sessile organisms, plants need to counteract different biotic and abiotic stresses to survive. RNA interference provides natural immunity against various plant pathogens, especially against viral infections via inhibition of viral genome replication or translation. In plants, DRB3, a multi-domain protein containing two N-terminal dsRNA binding domains (dsRBD), plays a vital role in RNA-directed DNA methylation of the geminiviral genome. Additionally, DRB3 arrests the replication of the viral genome in the viral replication complex of RNA viruses through a mechanism that has yet to be fully deciphered...

Ricin is a potent plant toxin that targets the eukaryotic ribosome by depurinating an adenine from the sarcin-ricin loop (SRL), a highly conserved stem-loop of the rRNA. As a category-B agent for bioterrorism it is a prime target for therapeutic intervention with antibodies and enzyme blocking inhibitors since no effective therapy exists for ricin. Ricin toxin A subunit (RTA) depurinates the SRL by binding to the P-stalk proteins at a remote site. Stimulation of the N-glycosidase activity of RTA by the P-stalk proteins has been studied extensively by biochemical methods and by X-ray crystallography...

ModA is a soluble periplasmic molybdate-binding protein found in most gram-negative bacteria. It is part of the ABC transporter complex ModABC that moves molybdenum into the cytoplasm, to be used by enzymes that carry out various redox reactions. Since there is no clear analog for ModA in humans, this protein could be a good target for antibacterial drug design. Backbone 1 H, 13 C and 15 N chemical shifts of apo and molybdate-bound ModA from E. coli were assigned at pHs 6.0 and 4.5. In addition, side chain atoms were assigned for apo ModA at pH 6...

The lipocalin protein family is a structurally conserved group of proteins with a variety of biological functions defined by their ability to bind small molecule ligands and interact with partner proteins. One member of this family is siderocalin, a protein found in mammals. Its role is discussed in inflammatory processes, iron trafficking, protection against bacterial infections and oxidative stress, cell migration, induction of apoptosis, and cancer. Though it seems to be involved in numerous essential pathways, the exact mechanisms are often not fully understood...

The intraflagellar transport (IFT) machinery plays a crucial role in the bidirectional trafficking of components necessary for ciliary signaling, such as the Hedgehog, Wnt/PCR, and cAMP/PKA systems. Defects in some components of the IFT machinery cause dysfunction, leading to a wide range of human diseases and developmental disorders termed ciliopathies, such as nephronophthisis. The IFT machinery comprises three sub-complexes: BBsome, IFT-A, and IFT-B. The IFT protein 54 (IFT54) is an important component of the IFT-B sub-complex...

NCYM is a cis-antisense gene of MYCN oncogene and encodes an oncogenic protein that stabilizes MYCN via inhibition of GSK3b. High NCYM expression levels are associated with poor clinical outcomes in human neuroblastomas, and NCYM overexpression promotes distant metastasis in animal models of neuroblastoma. Using vacuum-ultraviolet circular dichroism and small-angle X-ray scattering, we previously showed that NCYM has high flexibility with partially folded structures; however, further structural characterization is required for the design of anti-cancer agents targeting NCYM...

In preparation for a detailed exploration of the structural and functional aspects of the Ser2Ala mutant of human carbonic anhydrase II, we present here almost complete sequence-specific resonance assignments for 1 H, 15 N, and 13 C. The mutation of serine to alanine at position 2, located in the N-terminal region of the enzyme, significantly alters the hydrophilic nature of the site, rendering it hydrophobic. Consequently, there is an underlying assumption that this mutation would repel water from the site...

The backbone 1 H, 13 C and 15 N resonance assignment of Ubiquitin Specific Protease 7 catalytic domain (residues 208-554) was performed in its complex with a small molecule ligand and in its apo form as a reference. The amide 1 H-15 N signal intensities were boosted by an amide hydrogen exchange protocol, where expressed 2 H, 13 C, 15 N-labeled protein was unfolded and re-folded to ensure exchange of amide deuterons to protons. The resonance assignments were used to determine chemical shift perturbations on ligand binding, which are consistent with the binding site observed by crystallography...

Human small EDRK-rich factor protein SERF2 is a cellular driver of protein amyloid formation, a process that has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. SERF2 is a 59 amino acid protein, highly charged, and well conserved whose structure and physiological function is unclear. SERF family proteins including human SERF2 have shown a tendency to form fuzzy complexes with misfolded proteins such as α-Synuclein which has been linked to Parkinson's disease. SERF family proteins have been recently identified to bind nucleic acids, but the binding mechanism(s) remain enigmatic...

KKT4 is a multi-domain kinetochore protein specific to kinetoplastids, such as Trypanosoma brucei. It lacks significant sequence similarity to known kinetochore proteins in other eukaryotes. Our recent X-ray structure of the C-terminal region of KKT4 shows that it has a tandem BRCT (BRCA1 C Terminus) domain fold with a sulfate ion bound in a typical binding site for a phosphorylated serine or threonine. Here we present the 1 H, 13 C and 15 N resonance assignments for the BRCT domain of KKT4 (KKT4463-645 ) from T...

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1β (HNF1β) is a transcription factor that plays a key role in the development and function of the liver, pancreas, and kidney. HNF1β plays a key role in early vertebrate development and the morphogenesis of these organs. In humans, heterozygous mutations in the HNF1B gene can result in organ dysplasia, making it the most common cause of developmental renal diseases, including renal cysts, renal malformations, and familial hypoplastic glomerular cystic kidney disease...

Mediator complex is a key component that bridges various transcription activators and RNA polymerase during eukaryotic transcription initiation. The Arabidopsis thaliana Med25 (aMed25), a subunit of the Mediator complex, plays important roles in regulating hormone signaling, biotic and abiotic stress responses and plant development by interacting with a variety of transcription factors through its activator-interacting domain (ACID). However, the recognition mechanism of aMed25-ACID for various transcription factors remains unknown...

Human K-Ras protein, which is a member of the GTPase Ras family, hydrolyzes GTP to GDP and concomitantly converts from its active to its inactive state. It is a key oncoprotein, because several mutations, particularly those at residue position 12, occur with a high frequency in a wide range of human cancers. The K-Ras protein is therefore an important target for developing therapeutic anti-cancer agents. In this work we report the almost complete sequence-specific resonance assignments of wild-type and the oncogenic G12C and G12D mutants in the GTP-complexed active forms, including the functionally important Switch I and Switch II regions...

Fibrils of the protein α-synuclein (Asyn) are implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson Disease, Lewy Body Dementia, and Multiple System Atrophy. Numerous forms of Asyn fibrils have been studied by solid-state NMR and resonance assignments have been reported. Here, we report a new set of 13 C, 15 N assignments that are unique to fibrils obtained by amplification from postmortem brain tissue of a patient diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia.

S. aureus resistance to antibiotics has increased rapidly. MRSA strains can simultaneously be resistant to many different classes of antibiotics, including the so-called "last-resort" drugs. Resistance complicates treatment, increases mortality and substantially increases the cost of treatment. The need for new drugs against (multi)resistant S. aureus is high. M23B family peptidoglycan hydrolases, enzymes that can kill S. aureus by cleaving glycine-glycine peptide bonds in S. aureus cell wall are attractive targets for drug development because of their binding specificity and lytic activity...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Adhesin P1 (aka AgI/II) plays a pivotal role in mediating Streptococcus mutans attachment in the oral cavity, as well as in regulating biofilm development and maturation. P1's naturally occurring truncation product, Antigen II (AgII), adopts both soluble, monomeric and insoluble, amyloidogenic forms within the bacterial life cycle. Monomers are involved in important quaternary interactions that promote cell adhesion and the functional amyloid form promotes detachment of mature biofilms. The heterologous, 51-kD C123 construct comprises most of AgII and was previously characterized by X-ray crystallography...

Protein p53 is mostly known for playing a key role in tumour suppression, and mutations in the p53 gene are amongst the most frequent genomic events accompanying oncogenic transformation. Continuous research is conducted to target disordered proteins/protein regions for cancer therapy, for which atomic level information is also necessary. The disordered N-terminal part of p53 contains the transactivation and the proline-rich domains-which besides being abundant in proline residues-contains repetitive Pro-Ala motifs...