I02-Macromolecular Crystallography
I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[8987, 12788, 17773]
Open Access
Abstract: The alpha helical CytolysinA family of pore forming toxins (α-PFT) contains single, two, and three component members. Structures of the single component Eschericia coli ClyA and the two component Yersinia enterolytica YaxAB show both undergo conformational changes from soluble to pore forms, and oligomerization to produce the active pore. Here we identify tripartite α-PFTs in pathogenic Gram negative bacteria, including Aeromonas hydrophila (AhlABC). We show that the AhlABC toxin requires all three components for maximal cell lysis. We present structures of pore components which describe a bi-fold hinge mechanism for soluble to pore transition in AhlB and a contrasting tetrameric assembly employed by soluble AhlC to hide their hydrophobic membrane associated residues. We propose a model of pore assembly where the AhlC tetramer dissociates, binds a single membrane leaflet, recruits AhlB promoting soluble to pore transition, prior to AhlA binding to form the active hydrophilic lined pore.
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Jul 2019
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I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Open Access
Abstract: The fact that a protein crystal can serve as a chemical reaction vessel is intrinsically fascinating. That it can produce an electron-dense tetranuclear rhenium cluster compound from a rhenium tricarbonyl tribromo starting compound adds to the fascination. Such a cluster has been synthesized previously in vitro, where it formed under basic conditions. Therefore, its synthesis in a protein crystal grown at pH 4.5 is even more unexpected. The X-ray crystal structures presented here are for the protein hen egg-white lysozyme incubated with a rhenium tricarbonyl tribromo compound for periods of one and two years. These reveal a completed, very well resolved, tetra-rhenium cluster after two years and an intermediate state, where the carbonyl ligands to the rhenium cluster are not yet clearly resolved, after one year. A dense tetranuclear rhenium cluster, and its technetium form, offer enhanced contrast in medical imaging. Stimulated by these crystallography results, the unusual formation of such a species directly in an in vivo situation has been considered. It offers a new option for medical imaging compounds, particularly when considering the application of the pre-formed tetranuclear cluster, suggesting that it may be suitable for medical diagnosis because of its stability, preference of formation and biological compatibility.
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Jul 2019
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I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Abstract: Even with the emergence of antibiotic resistance, penicillin and the wider family of beta-lactams have remained the single most important family of antibiotics. The periasmic/extracytoplasmic targets of penicillin are a family of enzymes with a highly conserved catalytic activity involved in the final stage of bacterial cell wall (peptidoglycan, PG) biosynthesis. Named after their ability to bind penicillin, rather than their catalytic activity these key targets are called penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs).Resistance is predominantly mediated by reducing the target drug concentration via beta-lactamases, however, naturally transformable bacteria have also acquired target mediated resistance by inter-species recombination. Here we focus on structural based interpretations of amino acid alterations associated with the emergence of resistance within clinical isolates and include new PBP3 structures along with new, and improved, PBP-beta-lactam co-structures.
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Jul 2019
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I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Yan
Xiong
,
Holger
Greschik
,
Catrine
Johansson
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Ludwig
Seifert
,
Johannes
Bacher
,
Kwang-su
Park
,
Nicolas
Babault
,
Michael L.
Martini
,
Vincent
Fagan
,
Fengling
Li
,
Irene
Chau
,
Thomas
Christott
,
David
Dilworth
,
Dalia
Barsyte-lovejoy
,
Masoud
Vedadi
,
Cheryl H.
Arrowsmith
,
Paul E.
Brennan
,
Oleg
Fedorov
,
Manfred
Jung
,
Gillian
Farnie
,
Jing
Liu
,
Udo C. T.
Oppermann
,
Roland
Schüle
,
Jian
Jin
Abstract: By screening an epigenetic compound library, we identified that UNC0638, a highly potent inhibitor of the histone methyltransferases G9a and GLP, was a weak inhibitor of SPIN1 (Spindlin 1), a methyllysine reader protein. Our optimization of this weak hit resulted in the discovery of a potent, selective and cell-active SPIN1 inhibitor, compound 3 (MS31). Compound 3 potently inhibited binding of trimethyllysine-containing peptides to SPIN1, displayed high binding affinity, was highly selective for SPIN1 over other epigenetic readers and writers, directly engaged SPIN1 in cells, and was not toxic to non-tumorigenic cells. The crystal structure of the SPIN1–compound 3 complex indicated that it selectively binds Tudor domain II of SPIN1. We also designed a structurally similar but inactive compound 4 (MS31N) as a negative control. Our results have demonstrated for the first time that potent, selective and cell-active fragment-like inhibitors can be generated by targeting a single Tudor domain.
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Jul 2019
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I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Pamela A.
Haile
,
Linda N.
Casillas
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Bartholomew J.
Votta
,
Gren Z.
Wang
,
Adam K.
Charnley
,
Xiaoyang
Dong
,
Michael J.
Bury
,
Joseph J.
Romano
,
John F.
Mehlmann
,
Bryan W.
King
,
Karl F.
Erhard
,
Charles R.
Hanning
,
David B.
Lipshutz
,
Biva M.
Desai
,
Carol A.
Capriotti
,
Michelle C.
Schaeffer
,
Scott B.
Berger
,
Mukesh K.
Mahajan
,
Michael A.
Reilly
,
Rakesh
Nagilla
,
Elizabeth J.
Rivera
,
Helen H.
Sun
,
John K.
Kenna
,
Allison M.
Beal
,
Michael T.
Ouellette
,
Mike
Kelly
,
Gillian
Stemp
,
Máire A.
Convery
,
Anna
Vossenkämper
,
Thomas T.
Macdonald
,
Peter J.
Gough
,
John
Bertin
,
Robert W.
Marquis
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[1195, 5799]
Abstract: RIP2 kinase has been identified as a key signal transduction partner in the NOD2 pathway contributing to a variety of human pathologies, including immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Small-molecule inhibitors of RIP2 kinase or its signaling partners on the NOD2 pathway that are suitable for advancement into the clinic have yet to be described. Herein, we report our discovery and profile of the prodrug clinical compound, inhibitor 3, currently in phase 1 clinical studies. Compound 3 potently binds to RIP2 kinase with good kinase specificity and has excellent activity in blocking many proinflammatory cytokine responses in vivo and in human IBD explant samples. The highly favorable physicochemical and ADMET properties of 3 combined with high potency led to a predicted low oral dose in humans.
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Jul 2019
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I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[15991]
Open Access
Abstract: Japanese encephalitis (JE) is inflammation and swelling of the brain caused by the JE virus (JEV), a mosquito-borne member of the Flavivirus family. There are around 68,000 JE cases worldwide each year, many of which result in permanent brain damage and death. There is no specific treatment for JE. Here we present the crystal structure of the JEV capsid protein, a potential drug target, at 1.98 Å, and compare it to other flavivirus capsid proteins. The JEV capsid has a helical secondary structure (α helixes 1–4) and a similar protein fold to the dengue virus (DENV), the West Nile virus (WNV), and the Zika virus (ZIKV) capsid proteins. It forms a homodimer by antiparallel pairing with another subunit (‘) through α-helix 1-1’, 2-2’, and 4-4’ interactions. This dimeric form is believed to be the building block of the nucleocapsid. The flexibility of the N-terminal α helix-1 allows the formation of closed and open conformations with possible functional importance. The basic C-terminal pairing of α4-4’ forms a coiled-coil-like structure, indicating possible nucleic acid binding functionality. However, a comparison with other nucleic acid interacting domains indicates that homodimerization would preclude binding. This is the first JEV capsid protein to be described and is an addition to the structural biology of the Flavivirus.
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Jul 2019
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I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[14692]
Open Access
Abstract: Growth and division by most bacteria requires remodelling and cleavage of their cell wall. A byproduct of this process is the generation of free peptidoglycan (PG) fragments known as muropeptides, which are recycled in many model organisms. Bacteria and hosts can harness the unique nature of muropeptides as a signal for cell wall damage and infection, respectively. Despite this critical role for muropeptides, it has long been thought that pathogenic mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis do not recycle their PG. Herein we show that M. tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis BCG are able to recycle components of their PG. We demonstrate that the core mycobacterial gene lpqI, encodes an authentic NagZ β-N-acetylglucosaminidase and that it is essential for PG-derived amino sugar recycling via an unusual pathway. Together these data provide a critical first step in understanding how mycobacteria recycle their peptidoglycan.
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Jun 2019
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I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography
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Sherine E.
Thomas
,
Patrick
Collins
,
Rory Hennell
James
,
Vitor
Mendes
,
Sitthivut
Charoensutthivarakul
,
Chris
Radoux
,
Chris
Abell
,
Anthony G.
Coyne
,
R. Andres
Floto
,
Frank
Von Delft
,
Tom
Blundell
Open Access
Abstract: Structure-guided drug discovery emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, stimulated by the three-dimensional structures of protein targets that became available, mainly through X-ray crystal structure analysis, assisted by the development of synchrotron radiation sources. Structures of known drugs or inhibitors were used to guide the development of leads. The growth of high-throughput screening during the late 1980s and the early 1990s in the pharmaceutical industry of chemical libraries of hundreds of thousands of compounds of molecular weight of approximately 500 Da was impressive but still explored only a tiny fraction of the chemical space of the predicted 1040 drug-like compounds. The use of fragments with molecular weights less than 300 Da in drug discovery not only decreased the chemical space needing exploration but also increased promiscuity in binding targets. Here we discuss advances in X-ray fragment screening and the challenge of identifying sites where fragments not only bind but can be chemically elaborated while retaining their positions and binding modes. We first describe the analysis of fragment binding using conventional X-ray difference Fourier techniques, with Mycobacterium abscessus SAICAR synthetase (PurC) as an example. We observe that all fragments occupy positions predicted by computational hotspot mapping. We compare this with fragment screening at Diamond Synchrotron Light Source XChem facility using PanDDA software, which identifies many more fragment hits, only some of which bind to the predicted hotspots. Many low occupancy sites identified may not support elaboration to give adequate ligand affinity, although they will likely be useful in drug discovery as ‘warm spots’ for guiding elaboration of fragments bound at hotspots. We discuss implications of these observations for fragment screening at the synchrotron sources.
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Jun 2019
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I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography
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Monika
Pathak
,
Rosa
Manna
,
Chan
Li
,
Bubacarr G.
Kaira
,
Badraldin Kareem
Hamad
,
Benny Danilo
Belviso
,
Camila R.
Bonturi
,
Ingrid
Dreveny
,
Peter M.
Fischer
,
Lodewijk V.
Dekker
,
Maria Luiza Vilela
Oliva
,
Jonas
Emsley
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[19880]
Open Access
Abstract: Coagulation factor XII (FXII) is a key initiator of the contact pathway, which contributes to inflammatory pathways. FXII circulates as a zymogen, which when auto-activated forms factor XIIa (FXIIa). Here, the production of the recombinant FXIIa protease domain (βFXIIaHis) with yields of ∼1–2 mg per litre of insect-cell culture is reported. A second construct utilized an N-terminal maltose-binding protein (MBP) fusion (MBP-βFXIIaHis). Crystal structures were determined of MBP-βFXIIaHis in complex with the inhibitor D-Phe-Pro-Arg chloromethyl ketone (PPACK) and of βFXIIaHis in isolation. The βFXIIaHis structure revealed that the S2 and S1 pockets were occupied by Thr and Arg residues, respectively, from an adjacent molecule in the crystal. The Thr-Arg sequence mimics the P2–P1 FXIIa cleavage-site residues present in the natural substrates prekallikrein and FXII, and Pro-Arg (from PPACK) mimics the factor XI cleavage site. A comparison of the βFXIIaHis structure with the available crystal structure of the zymogen-like FXII protease revealed large conformational changes centred around the S1 pocket and an alternate conformation for the 99-loop, Tyr99 and the S2 pocket. Further comparison with activated protease structures of factors IXa and Xa, which also have the Tyr99 residue, reveals that a more open form of the S2 pocket only occurs in the presence of a substrate mimetic. The FXIIa inhibitors EcTI and infestin-4 have Pro-Arg and Phe-Arg P2–P1 sequences, respectively, and the interactions that these inhibitors make with βFXIIa are also described. These structural studies of βFXIIa provide insight into substrate and inhibitor recognition and establish a scaffold for the structure-guided drug design of novel antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory agents.
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Jun 2019
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I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Melodie M.
Machovina
,
Sam J. B.
Mallinson
,
Brandon C.
Knott
,
Alexander W.
Meyers
,
Marc
Garcia-borràs
,
Lintao
Bu
,
Japheth E.
Gado
,
April
Oliver
,
Graham P.
Schmidt
,
Daniel J.
Hinchen
,
Michael F.
Crowley
,
Christopher W.
Johnson
,
Ellen L.
Neidle
,
Christina M.
Payne
,
Kendall N.
Houk
,
Gregg T.
Beckham
,
John E.
Mcgeehan
,
Jennifer L.
Dubois
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[17212]
Open Access
Abstract: Microbial conversion of aromatic compounds is an emerging and promising strategy for valorization of the plant biopolymer lignin. A critical and often rate-limiting reaction in aromatic catabolism is O-aryl-demethylation of the abundant aromatic methoxy groups in lignin to form diols, which enables subsequent oxidative aromatic ring-opening. Recently, a cytochrome P450 system, GcoAB, was discovered to demethylate guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol), which can be produced from coniferyl alcohol-derived lignin, to form catechol. However, native GcoAB has minimal ability to demethylate syringol (2,6-dimethoxyphenol), the analogous compound that can be produced from sinapyl alcohol-derived lignin. Despite the abundance of sinapyl alcohol-based lignin in plants, no pathway for syringol catabolism has been reported to date. Here we used structure-guided protein engineering to enable microbial syringol utilization with GcoAB. Specifically, a phenylalanine residue (GcoA-F169) interferes with the binding of syringol in the active site, and on mutation to smaller amino acids, efficient syringol O-demethylation is achieved. Crystallography indicates that syringol adopts a productive binding pose in the variant, which molecular dynamics simulations trace to the elimination of steric clash between the highly flexible side chain of GcoA-F169 and the additional methoxy group of syringol. Finally, we demonstrate in vivo syringol turnover in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 with the GcoA-F169A variant. Taken together, our findings highlight the significant potential and plasticity of cytochrome P450 aromatic O-demethylases in the biological conversion of lignin-derived aromatic compounds.
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Jun 2019
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