I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[23269, 21265]
Open Access
Abstract: Mono-ADP-ribosyl transferase (mART) proteins are secreted virulence factors produced by several human pathogens, the founding member being diphtheria toxin (DT). Pseudomonas aeruginosa can also secrete a mART toxin, known as exotoxin A (PE), but with an organization of its three functional domains (receptor, translocation, and enzymatic elements) that is opposite to DT. Two additional PE-like toxins (PLTs) have been identified from Vibrio cholerae and Aeromonas hydrophila, suggesting more PLT family members may exist. Database mining discovered six additional putative homologues, considerably extending this group of PLTs across a wide range of bacterial species. Here, we examine sequence and structural information for these new family members with respect to previously identified PLTs. The X-ray crystal structures of four new homologues show the conservation of critical features responsible for structure and function. This study shows the potential of these newly described toxins for the development of novel drug delivery platforms. Additionally, genomic analysis suggests horizontal gene transfer to account for the wide distribution of PLTs across a range of eubacteria species, highlighting the need to monitor emerging pathogens and their virulence factors.
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Mar 2025
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I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography
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Andreas
Luttens
,
Duc Duy
Vo
,
Emma R.
Scaletti
,
Elisée
Wiita
,
Ingrid
Almlöf
,
Olov
Wallner
,
Jonathan
Davies
,
Sara
Kosenina
,
Liuzhen
Meng
,
Maeve
Long
,
Oliver
Mortusewicz
,
Geoffrey
Masuyer
,
Flavio
Ballante
,
Maurice
Michel
,
Evert
Homan
,
Martin
Scobie
,
Christina
Kalderén
,
Ulrika
Warpman Berglund
,
Andrii V.
Tarnovskiy
,
Dmytro S.
Radchenko
,
Yurii S.
Moroz
,
Jan
Kihlberg
,
Pål
Stenmark
,
Thomas
Helleday
,
Jens
Carlsson
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[21625]
Open Access
Abstract: Fragment-based screening can catalyze drug discovery by identifying novel scaffolds, but this approach is limited by the small chemical libraries studied by biophysical experiments and the challenging optimization process. To expand the explored chemical space, we employ structure-based docking to evaluate orders-of-magnitude larger libraries than those used in traditional fragment screening. We computationally dock a set of 14 million fragments to 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1), a difficult drug target involved in cancer and inflammation, and evaluate 29 highly ranked compounds experimentally. Four of these bind to OGG1 and X-ray crystallography confirms the binding modes predicted by docking. Furthermore, we show how fragment elaboration using searches among billions of readily synthesizable compounds identifies submicromolar inhibitors with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects in cells. Comparisons of virtual screening strategies to explore a chemical space of 1022 compounds illustrate that fragment-based design enables enumeration of all molecules relevant for inhibitor discovery. Virtual fragment screening is hence a highly efficient strategy for navigating the rapidly growing combinatorial libraries and can serve as a powerful tool to accelerate drug discovery efforts for challenging therapeutic targets.
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Feb 2025
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I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Markel
Martinez-Carranza
,
Jana
Skerlova
,
Pyung-Gang
Lee
,
Jie
Zhang
,
Ajda
Krc
,
Abhishek
Sirohiwal
,
Dave
Burgin
,
Mark
Elliott
,
Jules
Philippe
,
Sarah
Donald
,
Fraser
Hornby
,
Linda
Henriksson
,
Geoffrey
Masuyer
,
Ville R. I.
Kaila
,
Matthew
Beard
,
Min
Dong
,
Pal
Stenmark
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[15806]
Open Access
Abstract: Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the most potent toxins known and are used to treat an increasing number of medical disorders. All BoNTs are naturally co-expressed with a protective partner protein (NTNH) with which they form a 300 kDa complex, to resist acidic and proteolytic attack from the digestive tract. We have previously identified a new botulinum neurotoxin serotype, BoNT/X, that has unique and therapeutically attractive properties. We present the cryo-EM structure of the BoNT/X-NTNH/X complex and the crystal structure of the isolated NTNH protein. Unexpectedly, the BoNT/X complex is stable and protease-resistant at both neutral and acidic pH and disassembles only in alkaline conditions. Using the stabilizing effect of NTNH, we isolated BoNT/X and showed that it has very low potency both in vitro and in vivo. Given the high catalytic activity and translocation efficacy of BoNT/X, low activity of the full toxin is likely due to the receptor-binding domain, which presents very weak ganglioside binding and exposed hydrophobic surfaces.
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Aug 2024
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I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Olov
Wallner
,
Armando
Cázares-Körner
,
Emma R.
Scaletti
,
Geoffrey
Masuyer
,
Tove
Bekkhus
,
Torkild
Visnes
,
Kirill
Mamonov
,
Florian
Ortis
,
Thomas
Lundbäck
,
Maria
Volkova
,
Tobias
Koolmeister
,
Elisée
Wiita
,
Olga
Loseva
,
Monica
Pandey
,
Evert
Homan
,
Carlos
Benítez-Buelga
,
Jonathan
Davies
,
Martin
Scobie
,
Ulrika Warpman
Berglund
,
Christina
Kalderén
,
Pal
Stenmark
,
Thomas
Helleday
,
Maurice
Michel
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[15806, 21625]
Open Access
Abstract: 8-oxo Guanine DNA Glycosylase 1 is the initiating enzyme within base excision repair and removes oxidized guanines from damaged DNA. Since unrepaired 8-oxoG could lead to G:C→T:A transversion, base removal is of utmost importance for cells to ensure genomic integrity. For cells with elevated levels of reactive oxygen species this dependency is further increased. In the past we and others have validated OGG1 as a target for inhibitors to treat cancer and inflammation. Here, we present the optimization campaign that led to the broadly used tool compound TH5487. Based on results from a small molecule screening campaign, we performed hit to lead expansion and arrived at potent and selective substituted N -piperidinyl-benzimidazolones. Using X-ray crystallography data, we describe the surprising binding mode of different members of the class. Potent members adopt a chair within the N -Piperidinyl-linker, while a boat conformation was found for weaker analogues.
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Sep 2022
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I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Maurice
Michel
,
Carlos
Benítez-Buelga
,
Patricia A.
Calvo
,
Bishoy M. F.
Hanna
,
Oliver
Mortusewicz
,
Geoffrey
Masuyer
,
Jonathan
Davies
,
Olov
Wallner
,
Sanjiv
Kumar
,
Julian J.
Albers
,
Sergio
Castañeda-Zegarra
,
Ann-Sofie
Jemth
,
Torkild
Visnes
,
Ana
Sastre-Perona
,
Akhilesh N.
Danda
,
Evert J.
Homan
,
Karthick
Marimuthu
,
Zhao
Zhenjun
,
Celestine N.
Chi
,
Antonio
Sarno
,
Elisée
Wiita
,
Catharina
Von Nicolai
,
Anna J.
Komor
,
Varshni
Rajagopal
,
Sarah
Müller
,
Emily C.
Hank
,
Marek
Varga
,
Emma R.
Scaletti
,
Monica
Pandey
,
Stella
Karsten
,
Hanne
Haslene-Hox
,
Simon
Loevenich
,
Petra
Marttila
,
Azita
Rasti
,
Kirill
Mamonov
,
Florian
Ortis
,
Fritz
Schömberg
,
Olga
Loseva
,
Josephine
Stewart
,
Nicholas
D’arcy-Evans
,
Tobias
Koolmeister
,
Martin
Henriksson
,
Dana
Michel
,
Ana
De Ory
,
Lucia
Acero
,
Oriol
Calvete
,
Martin
Scobie
,
Christian
Hertweck
,
Ivan
Vilotijevic
,
Christina
Kalderén
,
Ana
Osorio
,
Rosario
Perona
,
Alexandra
Stolz
,
Pal
Stenmark
,
Ulrika
Warpman Berglund
,
Miguel
De Vega
,
Thomas
Helleday
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[15806, 21625]
Abstract: Oxidative DNA damage is recognized by 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) DNA glycosylase 1 (OGG1), which excises 8-oxoG, leaving a substrate for apurinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) and initiating repair. Here, we describe a small molecule (TH10785) that interacts with the phenylalanine-319 and glycine-42 amino acids of OGG1, increases the enzyme activity 10-fold, and generates a previously undescribed β,δ-lyase enzymatic function. TH10785 controls the catalytic activity mediated by a nitrogen base within its molecular structure. In cells, TH10785 increases OGG1 recruitment to and repair of oxidative DNA damage. This alters the repair process, which no longer requires APE1 but instead is dependent on polynucleotide kinase phosphatase (PNKP1) activity. The increased repair of oxidative DNA lesions with a small molecule may have therapeutic applications in various diseases and aging.
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Jun 2022
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I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Torkild
Visnes
,
Carlos
Benítez-Buelga
,
Armando
Cázares-Körner
,
Kumar
Sanjiv
,
Bishoy M. F.
Hanna
,
Oliver
Mortusewicz
,
Varshni
Rajagopal
,
Julian J.
Albers
,
Daniel W
Hagey
,
Tove
Bekkhus
,
Saeed
Eshtad
,
Juan Miguel
Baquero
,
Geoffrey
Masuyer
,
Olov
Wallner
,
Sarah
Müller
,
Therese
Pham
,
Camilla
Göktürk
,
Azita
Rasti
,
Sharda
Suman
,
Raúl
Torres-Ruiz
,
Antonio
Sarno
,
Elisée
Wiita
,
Evert J.
Homan
,
Stella
Karsten
,
Karthick
Marimuthu
,
Maurice
Michel
,
Tobias
Koolmeister
,
Martin
Scobie
,
Olga
Loseva
,
Ingrid
Almlöf
,
Judith Edda
Unterlass
,
Aleksandra
Pettke
,
Johan
Boström
,
Monica
Pandey
,
Helge
Gad
,
Patrick
Herr
,
Ann-Sofie
Jemth
,
Samir
El andaloussi
,
Christina
Kalderén
,
Sandra
Rodriguez-Perales
,
Javier
Benítez
,
Hans E
Krokan
,
Mikael
Altun
,
Pal
Stenmark
,
Ulrika Warpman
Berglund
,
Thomas
Helleday
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[15806]
Open Access
Abstract: Altered oncogene expression in cancer cells causes loss of redox homeostasis resulting in oxidative DNA damage, e.g. 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), repaired by base excision repair (BER). PARP1 coordinates BER and relies on the upstream 8-oxoguanine-DNA glycosylase (OGG1) to recognise and excise 8-oxoG. Here we hypothesize that OGG1 may represent an attractive target to exploit reactive oxygen species (ROS) elevation in cancer. Although OGG1 depletion is well tolerated in non-transformed cells, we report here that OGG1 depletion obstructs A3 T-cell lymphoblastic acute leukemia growth in vitro and in vivo, validating OGG1 as a potential anti-cancer target. In line with this hypothesis, we show that OGG1 inhibitors (OGG1i) target a wide range of cancer cells, with a favourable therapeutic index compared to non-transformed cells. Mechanistically, OGG1i and shRNA depletion cause S-phase DNA damage, replication stress and proliferation arrest or cell death, representing a novel mechanistic approach to target cancer. This study adds OGG1 to the list of BER factors, e.g. PARP1, as potential targets for cancer treatment.
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Nov 2020
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I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[15806]
Open Access
Abstract: Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) can be used therapeutically to treat a wide range of neuromuscular and neurological conditions. A collection of natural BoNT variants exists which can be classified into serologically distinct serotypes (BoNT/B), and further divided into subtypes (BoNT/B1, B2, …). BoNT subtypes share a high degree of sequence identity within the same serotype yet can display large variation in toxicity. One such example is BoNT/B2, which was isolated from Clostridium botulinum strain 111 in a clinical case of botulism, and presents a 10-fold lower toxicity than BoNT/B1. In an effort to understand the molecular mechanisms behind this difference in potency, we here present the crystal structures of BoNT/B2 in complex with the ganglioside receptor GD1a, and with the human synaptotagmin I protein receptor. We show, using receptor-binding assays, that BoNT/B2 has a slightly higher affinity for GD1a than BoNT/B1, and confirm its considerably weaker affinity for its protein receptors. Although the overall receptor-binding mechanism is conserved for both receptors, structural analysis suggests the lower affinity of BoNT/B2 is the result of key substitutions, where hydrophobic interactions important for synaptotagmin-binding are replaced by polar residues. This study provides a template to drive the development of future BoNT therapeutic molecules centered on assessing the natural subtype variations in receptor-binding that appears to be one of the principal stages driving toxicity.
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Sep 2020
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I03-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[21625]
Open Access
Abstract: Aeromonas exotoxin A (AE) is a bacterial virulence factor recently discovered in a clinical case of necrotising fasciitis caused by the flesh-eating Aeromonas hydrophila. Here, database mining shows that AE is present in the genome of several emerging Aeromonas pathogenic species. The X-ray crystal structure of AE was solved at 2.3 Å and presents all the hallmarks common to diphthamide-specific mono-ADP-ribosylating toxins, suggesting AE is a fourth member of this family alongside the diphtheria toxin, Pseudomonas exotoxin A and cholix. Structural homology indicates AE may use a similar mechanism of cytotoxicity that targets eukaryotic elongation factor 2 and thus inhibition of protein synthesis. The structure of AE also highlights unique features including a metal binding site, and a negatively charged cleft that could play a role in interdomain interactions and may affect toxicity. This study raises new opportunities to engineer alternative toxin-based molecules with pharmaceutical potential.
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Jun 2020
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I04-Macromolecular Crystallography
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Linxiang
Yin
,
Geoffrey
Masuyer
,
Sicai
Zhang
,
Jie
Zhang
,
Shin-Ichiro
Miyashita
,
David
Burgin
,
Laura
Lovelock
,
Shu-Fen
Coker
,
Tian-Min
Fu
,
Pal
Stenmark
,
Min
Dong
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[15806]
Open Access
Abstract: Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are a family of bacterial toxins with seven major serotypes (BoNT/A-G). The ability of these toxins to target and bind to motor nerve terminals is a key factor determining their potency and efficacy. Among these toxins, BoNT/B is one of the two types approved for medical and cosmetic uses. Besides binding to well-established receptors, an extended loop in the C-terminal receptor-binding domain (HC) of BoNT/B (HC/B) has been proposed to also contribute to toxin binding to neurons by interacting with lipid membranes (termed lipid-binding loop [LBL]). Analogous loops exist in the HCs of BoNT/C, D, G, and a chimeric toxin DC. However, it has been challenging to detect and characterize binding of LBLs to lipid membranes. Here, using the nanodisc system and biolayer interferometry assays, we find that HC/DC, C, and G, but not HC/B and HC/D, are capable of binding to receptor-free lipids directly, with HC/DC having the highest level of binding. Mutagenesis studies demonstrate the critical role of consecutive aromatic residues at the tip of the LBL for binding of HC/DC to lipid membranes. Taking advantage of this insight, we then create a "gain-of-function" mutant HC/B by replacing two nonaromatic residues at the tip of its LBL with tryptophan. Cocrystallization studies confirm that these two tryptophan residues do not alter the structure of HC/B or the interactions with its receptors. Such a mutated HC/B gains the ability to bind receptor-free lipid membranes and shows enhanced binding to cultured neurons. Finally, full-length BoNT/B containing two tryptophan mutations in its LBL, together with two additional mutations (E1191M/S1199Y) that increase binding to human receptors, is produced and evaluated in mice in vivo using Digit Abduction Score assays. This mutant toxin shows enhanced efficacy in paralyzing local muscles at the injection site and lower systemic diffusion, thus extending both safety range and duration of paralysis compared with the control BoNT/B. These findings establish a mechanistic understanding of LBL-lipid interactions and create a modified BoNT/B with improved therapeutic efficacy.
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Mar 2020
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I04-1-Macromolecular Crystallography (fixed wavelength)
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Diamond Proposal Number(s):
[11265]
Open Access
Abstract: Assembly of the mitochondrial respiratory chain requires the coordinated synthesis of mitochondrial and nuclear encoded subunits, redox co-factor acquisition, and correct joining of the subunits to form functional complexes. The conserved Cbp3–Cbp6 chaperone complex binds newly synthesized cytochrome b and supports the ordered acquisition of the heme co-factors. Moreover, it functions as a translational activator by interacting with the mitoribosome. Cbp3 consists of two distinct domains, an N-terminal domain present in mitochondrial Cbp3 homologs, and a highly conserved C-terminal domain comprising a ubiquinol–cytochrome c chaperone region. Here, we solved the crystal structure of this C-terminal domain from a bacterial homolog at 1.4 Å resolution, revealing a unique all-helical fold. This structure allowed mapping of the interaction sites of yeast Cbp3 with Cbp6 and cytochrome b via site-specific photo-crosslinking. We propose that mitochondrial Cbp3 homologs carry an N-terminal extension that positions the conserved C-terminal domain at the ribosomal tunnel exit for an efficient interaction with its substrate, the newly synthesized cytochrome b protein.
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Sep 2019
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