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Showing papers on "Cooperativity published in 1995"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Evidence is presented for a mechanism by which regulatory proteins may gain access to their target DNA sequences in chromatin, and new mechanisms for cooperativity (synergy) in regulatory protein binding and for active invasion of nucleosomes are offered.

627 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
08 Sep 1995-Cell
TL;DR: This study shows how the paired (Pax) class homeodomains have achieved cooperativity in DNA binding without the assistance of other domains, thereby enabling the recognition of target sequences that are long enough to ensure specificity.

336 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A mathematical model for nested cooperativity in ATP hydrolysis by GroEL is developed in which there are two levels of allostery: one within each ring and the second between rings.
Abstract: Initial rates of ATP hydrolysis by wild-type GroEL were measured as a function of ATP concentration from 0 to 0.8 mM. Two allosteric transitions are observed: one at relatively low ATP concentrations ( Ala GroEL mutant [Yifrach, O., & Horovitz, A. (1994) J. Mol. Biol. 243, 397-401]. On the basis of these observations a mathematical model for nested cooperativity in ATP hydrolysis by GroEL is developed in which there are two levels of allostery: one within each ring and the second between rings. In the first level, each hepatameric ring is in equilibrium between the T and R states, in accordance with the Monod-Wyman-Changeux (MWC) model of cooperativity [Monod et al. (1965) J. Mol. Biol. 12, 88-118]. A second level of allostery is between the rings of the GroEL particle which undergoes sequential Koshland-Nemethy-Filmer (KNF)-type transitions from the TT state via the TR state to the RR state [Koshland et al. (1966) Biochemistry 5, 365-385]. Using our model, we estimate the values of the Hill coefficient for the negative cooperativity between rings in wild-type GroEL and the Arg-196-->Ala mutant to be 0.003 (+/- 0.001) and 0.07 (+/- 0.02), respectively. The inter-ring coupling free energies in wild-type GroEL and the Arg-196-->Ala mutant are -7.5 (+/- 0.4) and -3.9 (+/- 0.3) kcal mol-1, respectively.

303 citations


Journal Article
TL;DR: Novel methods of detecting and quantitating cooperative interactions between an agent and both a tritiated (muscarinic) antagonist and the endogenous agonist (acetylcholine), acting at a common receptor, have been devised.
Abstract: Novel methods of detecting and quantitating cooperative interactions between an agent and both a tritiated (muscarinic) antagonist and the endogenous agonist (acetylcholine), acting at a common (muscarinic) receptor, have been devised. In a semiquantitative protocol, binding data are transformed into affinity ratios (the ratios of the apparent affinity of the ligand in the presence of the agent to the affinity of the ligand alone), which allow estimates to be made of the potency of the agent and its cooperativity with the tritiated antagonist and with the unlabeled ligand. These parameters have been quantitated by detailed binding assays or guanosine-5'-O-(3-[35S]thio)triphosphate functional assays. The kinetic phenomena associated with the allosteric interactions have been exploited in two non-equilibrium binding assays, from which the affinity constants describing the allosteric interactions can be extracted. The different assay methods give quantitatively similar and internally consistent estimates of the parameters describing the cooperative interactions. Using these assays, strychnine has been found to act allosterically at muscarinic receptors. Strychnine has an affinity of approximately 10(5) M-1 at the unliganded m1, m2, and m4 receptors but is 5-10-fold weaker at m3 receptors. It is positively cooperative with N-methylscopolamine at m2 and m4 receptors and exhibits neutral and negative cooperativity with m1 and m3 receptors, respectively. With acetylcholine, it is negatively cooperative but the degree of cooperativity is relatively low (2-7-fold), particularly at m1 and m4 receptors. The methods and equations described should be useful in detecting and quantitating allosteric interactions of agents with the endogenous neurotransmitter at G protein-coupled receptors.

260 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Evidence is provided that the ZAP-70 interaction with the TCR requires prior phosphorylation of both tyrosine residues within a TAM motif, and that the high level of cooperativity between the two SH2 domains ensures higher affinity for the doubly phosphorylated ligand.
Abstract: Engagement of the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) results in activation of several tyrosine kinases leading to tyrosine phosphorylation of protein substrates and activation of multiple biochemical pathways. TCR-mediated activation of the src-family kinases, Lck and Fyn, results in tyrosine phosphorylation of the TCR zeta and CD3 chains. The site of phosphorylation in these chains is the tyrosine-based activation motif (TAM), a 15-16 amino acid module containing two tyrosine residues. Tyrosine-phosphorylated TAMs serve as targets for binding of the zeta-associated protein (ZAP-70) tyrosine kinase via its tandem SH2 domains. This binding correlates with activation of ZAP-70, a critical event in T cell activation. To further define the structural requirements for ZAP-70 interaction with the TCR, we developed a binding assay using immobilized glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins containing the NH2- and/or COOH-terminal SH2 domains of ZAP-70, and soluble synthetic peptides with the sequence of the cytoplasmic region of the TCR zeta chain (TCR zeta cyt) or individual TCR zeta and CD3 epsilon TAM motifs. Direct binding studies demonstrated that the tandem ZAP-70 SH2 domains bind phosphorylated, but not nonphosphorylated, TCR zeta cyt. The NH2-terminal ZAP-70 SH2 domain also binds to TCR zeta cyt but with 100-fold lower affinity. No binding was observed with the COOH-terminal ZAP-70 SH2 domain. Similar studies demonstrated that the ZAP-70 tandem SH2 domain can bind a TCR zeta 3 TAM peptide in which both tyrosine residues are phosphorylated: Little or no binding was observed with peptides phosphorylated at only one tyrosine residue, or a nonphosphorylated peptide. Binding of the tandem SH2 domains to the other two TCR zeta TAM peptides and to a CD3 epsilon TAM peptide was also observed. All four doubly tyrosine phosphorylated TAM peptides cross-compete with each other for binding to the tandem SH2 domains of ZAP-70. The affinity of these peptides for the tandem SH2 construct demonstrated a hierarchy of TAM zeta 1 > or = TAM zeta 2 > TAM epsilon > or = TAM zeta 3. The results provide further evidence that the ZAP-70 interaction with the TCR requires prior phosphorylation of both tyrosine residues within a TAM motif. Binding of ZAP-70 to phospho-TAMs is notable for the high level of cooperativity between the two SH2 domains, which individually demonstrate low affinity interaction with the ligand. The cooperativity ensures higher affinity for the doubly phosphorylated ligand. Affinity differences of as much as 30-fold indicates a significant specificity of interaction of ZAP-70 SH2 domains for different phospho-TAMs.

194 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: One-dimensional 1H and two-dimensional 15N-1H shift correlation NMR spectra of myristoylated recoverin measured as a function of Ca2- concentration show that a concerted conformational change occurs when two Ca2+ are bound.

193 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In the context of the model, copurifying G-proteins and guanyl nucleotides serve to regulate the degree of cooperativity between successive equivalents of muscarinic ligands.

172 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: F-actin's internal cooperativity will have large implications in vivo, particularly in muscle, after being shown biochemically that this stabilization occurs at substoichiometric amounts of phalloidin.

156 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The TRE1 of hdio1 is the first example of a naturally occurring TRE consisting of two relatively independent octamer sequences which do not require the RXR family of proteins for function.
Abstract: We identified two thyroid hormone response elements (TREs) in the 2.5-kb, 5'-flanking region of the human gene encoding type 1 iodothyronine deiodinase (hdio1), an enzyme which catalyses the activation of thyroxine to 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3). Both TREs contribute equally to T3 induction of the homologous promoter in transient expression assays. The proximal TRE (TRE1), which is located at bp -100, has an unusual structure, a direct repeat of the octamer YYRGGTCA hexamer that is spaced by 10 bp. The pyrimidines in the -2 position relative to the core hexamer are both essential to function. In vitro binding studies of TRE1 showed no heterodimer formation with retinoid X receptor (RXR) beta or JEG nuclear extracts (containing RXR alpha) and bacterially expressed chicken T3 receptor alpha 1 (TR alpha) can occupy both half-sites although the 3' half-site is dominant. T3 causes dissociation of TR alpha from the 5' half-site but increases binding to the 3' half-site. Binding of a second TR to TRE1 is minimally cooperative; however, no cooperativity was noted for a functional mutant in which the half-sites are separated by 15 bp, implying that TRs bind as independent monomers. Nonetheless, T3 still causes TR dissociation from the DR+15, indicating that dissociation occurs independently of TR-TR contact and that rebinding of a T3-TR complex to the 3' half-site occurs because of its slightly higher affinity. A distal TRE (TRE2) is found at bp -700 and is a direct repeat of a PuGGTCA hexamer spaced by 4 bp. It has typical TR homodimer and TR-RXR heterodimer binding properties. The TRE1 of hdio1 is the first example of a naturally occurring TRE consisting of two relatively independent octamer sequences which do not require the RXR family of proteins for function.

139 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: These results are as expected if movements of the catalytic site-containing beta subunits relative to the gamma and epsilon subunits are an essential part of the cooperativity of the enzyme.

132 citations


Book ChapterDOI
TL;DR: The current discussion of cooperativity describes the basics of enzyme cooperativity, emphasizes the advances since the early 1980s, and utilizes the examples of several systems to describe how cooperativity is currently studied and analyzed.
Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the practical aspects of analyzing and interpreting data— namely, various ways of measuring and quantitating cooperativity, statistical fitting, and evaluation of data and interpretation of such data in terms of simple and complex models that have been proposed to explain the cooperativity of enzymes. The term cooperativity is widely used in biochemical systems to refer to a variety of interactions with a common feature. Cooperativity has been used more recently to describe the association of macromolecular subunits, particularly proteins, into oligomeric structures, in which the initial association of two or more subunits gives rise to an increased affinity, so that succeeding steps in the association occur more readily. The most common usage of the term cooperativity in biochemical processes is with respect to enzyme kinetics and ligand binding to the macromolecules. Cooperativity in ligand binding to a protein can either lead to an enhanced binding of succeeding molecules and a steeper saturation curve than would be expected from non-cooperative binding or lead to a decreased ability of the protein to bind the ligand and a flatter, less-steep saturation curve. It deals primarily with the consequences and causes of spatial interactions on the cooperativity of oligomeric enzymes.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the intrinsic curvature of the enthalpy vs. entropy plot provides the basis for a description of co-operativity and binding phenomena in solution, and the authors illustrate the utility of this approach by presenting a qualitative description of the various contributions to binding in the following examples: (i) one-point associations in non-polar solvents, (ii) entropy-driven association of two large discs involving the release of multiple solvent molecules and (iii) enthpy driven associations involving metal chelation by polyamines.
Abstract: Enthalpy–entropy compensations are a consequence of weak associations where the binding enthalpy is much lower than typical covalent bond strengths. The general form of an enthalpy–entropy curve is presented based upon theoretical considerations and justified on the basis of experimental data for associations in the gas phase and for monatomic sublimation. The intrinsic curvature of the enthalpy vs. entropy plot provides the basis for a description of co-operativity and binding phenomena in solution. In the case of cooperativity, we divide the mutual aiding of two interactions into two distinct parts, one of which is entropic in origin and related to the classical chelate enhancement of binding of Jencks; the other is an enthalpic benefit due to improved electrostatic bonding. Since the experimental Gibbs energy for all weak associations in solution is a consequence of competing solute–solvent, solvent–solvent and solute–solute interactions, the summation of these interactions can be usefully described by a vector analysis using the enthalpy–entropy curve. We illustrate the utility of this approach by presenting a qualitative description of the various contributions to binding in the following examples: (i) one-point associations in non-polar solvents, (ii) entropy-driven association of two large discs involving the release of multiple solvent molecules and (iii) enthalpy driven associations involving metal chelation by polyamines. By considering the curvature of the enthalpy–entropy plot for a given interaction, in combination with the possibility of making or breaking multiple interactions on one template, net enthalpies and entropies of association in solution can be explored in an approximate manner.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The high resolution structures of recombinant amphibian red-cell L ferritin and two mutants solved under two sets of conditions indicate that solvation, structural plasticity and cooperative structural changes may play a role in ferrit in function.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that neurocalcin, like recoverin, binds to biological membranes in a calcium- and myristoyl-dependent manner, and the model for the calcium-myristoysl switch mechanism proposed for recoverin is supported.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The N- and C-terminal regions of TnT appear to act independently in modulating effects of S1 binding to the Tm.actin thin filament that are important in regulation.
Abstract: Mild proteolytic cleavage of the troponin complex yields TnT1, the N-terminal fragment of troponin T, and TnT2IC, a complex of the C-terminal fragment of troponin T (TnT2) with troponin I (TnI) and troponin C (TnC) [Morris, E. P., & Lehrer, S. S. (1984) Biochemistry 23, 2214-2220]. Both TnT1 and TnT2IC bind tightly to the tropomyosin.actin (Tm.actin) thin filament and influence the interaction of myosin subfragment 1 (S1) with Tm.actin. TnT1 does not affect the rate of S1 binding to Tm.actin but does increase the cooperativity with which S1 "turns on" Tm.actin, monitored by the excimer fluorescence of a pyrene label attached to Cys 190 of Tm [Geeves, M.A., & Lehrer, S. S. (1994) Biophys. J. 67, 273-282]. The apparent cooperative unit size of Tm.actin is increased from 6 to 9 by TnT1 and to 12 by whole troponin. In contrast, TnT2IC has no effect on the cooperativity of Tm.actin but does make the apparent S1-binding rate constant, kapp, Ca(2+)-sensitive; i.e., in the absence of Ca2+, kapp is reduced 2-3-fold by both TnT2IC and whole troponin. Thus, the N- and C-terminal regions of TnT appear to act independently in modulating effects of S1 binding to the Tm.actin thin filament that are important in regulation.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Hox gene products are DNA-binding proteins, containing a homeodomain, which function as a class of master control proteins establishing the body plan in organisms as diverse as Drosophila and vertebrates, and many of the conserved residues present in the Hoxb-8 hexapeptide are required to modulate the DNA binding of the Pbx proteins.
Abstract: The Hox gene products are DNA-binding proteins, containing a homeodomain, which function as a class of master control proteins establishing the body plan in organisms as diverse as Drosophila and vertebrates. Hox proteins have recently been shown to bind cooperatively to DNA with another class of homeodomain proteins that include extradenticle, Pbx1, and Pbx2. Hox gene products contain a highly conserved hexapeptide connected by a linker of variable length to the homeodomain. We show that the hexapeptide and the linker region are required for cooperativity with Pbx1 and Pbx2 proteins. Many of the conserved residues present in the Hoxb-8 hexapeptide are required to modulate the DNA binding of the Pbx proteins. Position of the hexapeptide relative to the homeodomain is important. Although deletions of two and four residues of the linker peptide still show cooperative DNA binding, removal of all six linker residues strongly reduces cooperativity. In addition, an insertion of 10 residues within the linker peptide significantly lowers cooperative DNA binding. These results show that the hexapeptide and the position of the hexapeptide relative to the homeodomain are important determinants to allow cooperative DNA binding involving Hox and Pbx gene products.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work has shown considerable experimental evidence for the kinetics this model predicts: the development of hydrophobic clusters and cores is concurrent with secondary structure formation, and it predicts compact denatured states with sizes and degrees of disorder that are in reasonable agreement with experiments.
Abstract: What is the basis for the two-state cooperativity of protein folding? Since the 1950s, three main models have been put forward. 1. In \`helix-coil' theory, cooperativity is due to local interactions among near neighbours in the sequence. Helix-coil cooperativity is probably not the principal basis for the folding of globular proteins because it is not two-state, the forces are weak, it does not account for sheet proteins, and there is no evidence that helix formation precedes the formation of a hydrophobic core in the folding pathways. 2. In the \`sidechain packing' model, cooperativity is attributed to the jigsaw-puzzle-like complementary fits of sidechains. This too is probably not the basis of folding cooperativity because exact models and experiments on homopolymers with sidechains give no evidence that sidechain freezing is two-state, sidechain complementarities in proteins are only weak trends, and the molten globule model predicted by this model is far more native-like than experiments indicate. 3. In the `hydrophobic core collapse' model, cooperativity is due to the assembly of non-polar residues into a good core. Exact model studies show that this model gives two-state behaviour for some sequences of hydrophobic and polar monomers. It is based on strong forces. There is considerable experimental evidence for the kinetics this model predicts: the development of hydrophobic clusters and cores is concurrent with secondary structure formation. It predicts compact denatured states with sizes and degrees of disorder that are in reasonable agreement with experiments.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results establish that heme doming occurs as an ultrafast reaction to ligand dissociation and that he me doming is the primary event in the sequence of conformational changes leading to the cooperative R-->T transition.
Abstract: Separation of the photophysical aspects of the sub-picosecond (sub-ps) time-resolved resonance Raman signal from contributions due to conformation has been achieved by comparing deoxyhemoglobin (Hb) in the T state with (carbonmonoxy)hemoglobin (HbCO), deoxy-P4 @CO) (all R state), and monomers deoxymyoglobin and (carbonmonoxy)myoglobin (MbCO) 104 consists of a tetramer of four P-subunits and shows no cooperativity). In all photolyzed species, Hb*(CO), Mb*(CO), and P4*(CO), the iron- histidine out-of-plane mode (YFe-His), indicative of heme doming, achieves 90% of its full intensity in 1 ps. The frequency of this mode (223-228 cm-') is shifted significantly relative to equilibrium deoxy- Hb (210-216 cm-') in the T state, but not with respect to either equilibrium deoxy-Mb or deoxy-/34. A correlation between the +12 cm-' bandshift of VFe-His and the -2 cm-' shift of the electron density marker band (~4 at 1370 cm-l) relative to T-state deoxy-Hb is shown to hold on all time scales, including the sub-picosecond time scale. Photolyzed Hb*(CO) consists of R-state or weakly interacting tetramers on the picosecond time scale and is shown to have properties similar to those of photolyzed Mb*(CO) and /34*(CO> on the picosecond time scale. These results establish that heme doming occurs as an ultrafast reaction to ligand dissociation and that heme doming is the primary event in the sequence of conformational changes leading to the cooperative R - T transition. In the oxygen transport protein hemoglobin, the formation or breakage of a single chemical bond between the heme iron and a diatomic ligand is transmitted to the protein and expressed in terms of intersubunit structural changes, which ultimately modify the binding affinity of all four heme irons in the protein. The X-ray crystal structure of hemoglobin shows that the heme iron is nearly coplanar with the heme in ligated hemoglobin and more than 0.4 A from the heme

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: These models, which have analogies to leucine zippers, represent a new paradigm for the structure of drug-DNA complexes and have important implications for the design of new gyrase and topoisomerase II inhibitors, in that optimization for structure-activity relationships should be carried out on two different quinolone molecules rather than a single molecule.
Abstract: The quinobenzoxazine compounds A-62176 and A-85226 belong to a novel class of antineoplastic agents that are catalytic inhibitors of topoisomerase II and also structural analogs of the antibacterial DNA gyrase inhibitor Norfloxacin. In vitro studies have shown that their antineoplastic activity is dependent upon the presence of divalent metal ions such as Mg 2+ and Mn 2+ , although the precise role of these ions in the mechanism of action is unknown. In this study we have investigated the structures of the binary complex between the quinobenzoxazines and Mg 2+ and the ternary complex between quinobenzoxazine-Mg 2+ and DNA. The stoichiometry of the binary and ternary complexes and the biophysical studies suggest that a 2 :2 drug :Mg 2+ complex forms a heterodimer complex with respect to DNA in which one drug molecule is intercalated into DNA and the second drug molecule is externally bound, held to the first molecule by two Mg 2+ bridges, which themselves are chelated to phosphates on DNA. There is a cooperativity in binding of the quinobenzoxazines to DNA, and a 4 :4 drug :Mg 2+ complex is proposed in which the two externally bound molecules from two different 2 :2 dimers interact via π-π interactions. The externally bound quinobenzoxazine molecules can be replaced by the quinolone antibacterial compound Norfloxacin to form mixed-structure dimers on DNA. Based upon the proposed model for the 2 :2 quinobenzoxazine :Mg 2+ complex on DNA, a parallel model for the antibacterial quinolone-Mg 2+ -DNA gyrase complex is proposed that relies upon the ATP-fueled unwinding of DNA by gyrase downstream of the cleavable complex site. These models, which have analogies to leucine zippers, represent a new paradigm for the structure of drug-DNA complexes. In addition, these models have important implications for the design of new gyrase and topoisomerase II inhibitors, in that optimization for structure-activity relationships should be carried out on two different quinolone molecules rather than a single molecule

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An RNA binding assay measuring cooperative protein binding has been used to evaluate the effects of mutations in the MS2 phage coat protein expected to disrupt capsid assembly, finding several variants that have large effects on cooperativity have no effect on RNA affinity, suggesting that protein-RNA interactions can be affected independently of dimer-dimer interactions.
Abstract: An RNA binding assay measuring cooperative protein binding has been used to evaluate the effects of mutations in the MS2 phage coat protein expected to disrupt capsid assembly. By using the crystal structure of the virus as a guide, six different mutations in the FG loop structure were selected in which hydrophobic residues were replaced with charged residues. Most of these proteins form capsids in Escherichia coli, but not in an in vitro assembly assay, suggesting that interdimer interactions are weaker than wild type. These mutant proteins reduce the free energy of cooperative protein binding to a double-hairpin RNA from its wild-type value of -1.9 kcal/mol. Several of the variants that have large effects on cooperativity have no effect on RNA affinity, suggesting that protein-RNA interactions can be affected independently of dimer-dimer interactions. The V75E;A81G protein, which shows no measurable cooperativity, binds operator RNA equally well as the wild-type protein under a variety of buffer conditions. Because this protein also exhibits similar specificity for variant RNA sequences, it will be useful for studying RNA binding properties independent of capsid assembly.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Data suggest that the substitution of Cys-47 yields a dimeric low-affinity enzyme which can be converted to a higher affinity state upon binding of GSH on one subunit, and indicates a structural communication between subunits which may be revealed by the lack of a peculiar electrostatic bond between the thiolate form of CYS-47 and the protonated amino group of Lys-54.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the intrinsic binding constant (K) and cooperativity parameter (omega) were determined from analysis of changes in the intrinsic fluorescence of hRPA that occurred upon binding single-stranded DNA homopolynucleotides.
Abstract: Replication protein A (RPA) is a multisubunit single-stranded DNA-binding protein that is involved in multiple aspects of cellular DNA metabolism. We have determined quantitative estimates of the binding parameters of human replication protein A (hRPA) from equilibrium binding isotherms. The intrinsic binding constant (K) and cooperativity parameter (omega) were determined from analysis of changes in the intrinsic fluorescence of hRPA that occurred upon binding single-stranded DNA homopolynucleotides. The cooperativity of hRPA binding to both poly(dT) and poly(dA) was found to be low (omega = 10-20) at all NaCl concentrations examined (0.3-2 M). In contrast, the apparent binding affinity (K omega) of RPA decreased significantly with increasing salt concentration, such that log [NaCl]/log K omega was -2.8 for poly(dT) and -4.8 for poly(dA). We conclude that the salt dependent decrease in binding affinity resulted from changes in the intrinsic binding constant (K). These data suggest that the interaction of hRPA with single-stranded DNA involves significant electrostatic interactions, similar to other single-stranded DNA-binding proteins. The apparent binding affinity (K omega) of RPA was higher for poly(dT) than for poly(dA); extrapolation of our data indicated that the apparent binding affinity at 0.2 M NaCl was 1.6 x 10(10) M-1 for poly(dT) and 1.1 x 10(9) M-1 for poly(dA).

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The structure, the organization state, and the ability to self-assemble and to co- assemble within lipid membranes of α5 and α7 are characterized and consistent with an umbrella model suggested for the pore forming activity of δ-endotoxin.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A model system to study this folding motif using synthetic peptides derived from sequences contained in the tetramerization domain of Lac repressor is developed and a general procedure for nonlinear curve fitting of denaturation data in oligomeric systems is developed.
Abstract: Limited information is available on inherent stabilities of four-chain coiled-coils. We have developed a model system to study this folding motif using synthetic peptides derived from sequences contained in the tetramerization domain of Lac repressor. These peptides are tetrameric as judged by both gel filtration and sedimentation equilibrium and the tetramers are fully helical as determined by CD. The four-chain coiled-coils are well folded as judged by the cooperativity of thermal unfolding and by the extent of dispersion in aliphatic chemical shifts seen in NMR spectra. In addition, we measured the chain length dependence of this four-chain coiled-coil. To this end, we developed a general procedure for nonlinear curve fitting of denaturation data in oligomeric systems. The dissociation constants for bundles that contain a-helical chains 21, 28, and 35 amino acids in length are 3.1 x 6.7 X and 1.0 x M3, respectively. This corresponds to tetramer stabilities (in terms of the peptide monomer concentration) of 180 pM, 51 nM, and 280 fM, respectively. Finally, we discuss the rules governing coiledcoil formation in light of the work presented here.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a series of C-terminal deletions to map the functional domains of RPA70 were made, and the deletions resulted in polypeptides that were significantly more soluble than RPA-70 but were unable to form stable complexes with the other two subunits.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The pyrH gene, encoding UMP-kinase from Escherichia coli, was cloned using as a genetic probe the property of the carAB operon to be controlled for its expression by the concentration of cytoplasmic UTP, and the sigmoidal shape of the dose-response curve indicated cooperativity in binding of UTP and UDP.
Abstract: The pyrH gene, encoding UMP-kinase from Escherichia coli, was cloned using as a genetic probe the property of the carAB operon to be controlled for its expression by the concentration of cytoplasmic UTP. The open reading frame of the pyrH gene of 723 bp was found to be identical to that of the smbA gene [Yamanaka, K., et al. (1992) J. Bacteriol. 174, 7517-7526], previously described as being involved in chromosome partitioning in E. coli. The bacterial UMP-kinase did not display significant sequence similarity to known nucleoside monophosphate kinases. On the contrary, it exhibited similarity with three families of enzymes including aspartokinases, glutamate kinases, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa carbamate kinase. UMP-kinase overproduced in E. coli was purified to homogeneity and analyzed for its structural and catalytic properties. The protein consists of six identical subunits, each of 240 amino acid residues (the N-terminal methionine residue is missing in the expressed protein). Upon excitation at 295 nm, the bacterial enzyme exhibits a fluorescence emission spectrum with maximum at 332 nm which indicates that the single tryptophan residue of the protein (Trp119) is located in a hydrophobic environment. Like other enzymes involved in the de novo synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides, UMP-kinase of E. coli is subject to regulation by nucleotides: GTP is an allosteric activator, whereas UTP serves as an allosteric inhibitor. UTP and UDP, but none of the other nucleotides tested such as GTP, ATP, and UMP, enhanced the fluorescence of the protein. The sigmoidal shape of the dose-response curve indicated cooperativity in binding of UTP and UDP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that murine c-Myb is phosphorylation at Ser-11 and -12 in vivo and that these sites can be phosphorylated in vitro by casein kinase II (CKII), analogous to chicken c- myb, and that the cooperativity is mediated by a third factor.
Abstract: Phosphorylation of c-Myb has been implicated in the regulation of the binding of c-Myb to DNA. We show that murine c-Myb is phosphorylated at Ser-11 and -12 in vivo and that these sites can be phosphorylated in vitro by casein kinase II (CKII), analogous to chicken c-Myb. An efficient method to study DNA binding properties of full-length c-Myb and Myb mutants under nondenaturing conditions was developed. It was found that a Myb mutant in which Ser-11 and -12 were replaced with Ala (Myb Ala-11/12), wild-type c-Myb, and Myb Asp-11/12 bound to the A site of the mim-1 promoter with decreasing affinities. In agreement with this finding, Myb Ala-11/12 transactivated better than wild-type c-Myb and Myb Asp-11/12 on the mim-1 promoter or a synthetic Myb-responsive promoter. Similar observations were made for the myeloid-specific neutrophil elastase promoter. The presence of NF-M or an NF-M-like activity abolished partially the differences seen with the Ser-11/12 mutants, suggesting that the reduced DNA binding due to negative charge at positions 11 and 12 can be compensated for by NF-M. Since no direct interaction of c-Myb and NF-M was observed, we propose that the cooperativity is mediated by a third factor. Our data offer two possibilities for how casein kinase II phosphorylation can influence c-Myb function: first, by reducing c-Myb DNA binding and thereby influencing transactivation, and second, by enhancing the apparent cooperativity between c-Myb and NF-M or an NF-M-like activity.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that this solvent unstacks bases and unwinds the B-forms of the DNAs to transform them into the A-form or Z-form, which is a novel solvent stabilizing non-B duplexes of DNA.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The difference between inositol hexaphosphate effects on initial stages of oxidation and oxygenation indicates that the explanation for “multiple T states” in oxygen binding lies in the ability of the polyanion to greatly increase steric hindrance to ligand entry, without appreciable changes in the electronic features of the heme environment.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Ricci et al. as discussed by the authors used site-directed mutagenesis to investigate spectral, kinetic, and structural properties of Cys-47 and Lys-54 mutants, which indicated that the thiolate ion detected at 229 nm should be assigned exclusively to Cys47.