Project description:Trigger factor (TF) is a molecular chaperone that binds to bacterial ribosomes where it contacts emerging nascent chains, but TF is also abundant free in the cytosol where its activity is less well characterized. In vitro studies show that TF promotes protein refolding. We find here that ribosome-free TF stably associates with and rescues from misfolding a large repertoire of full-length proteins. We identify over 170 members of this cytosolic Escherichia coli TF substrate proteome, including ribosomal protein S7. We analyzed the biochemical properties of a TF:S7 complex from Thermotoga maritima and determined its crystal structure. Thereby, we obtained an atomic-level picture of a promiscuous chaperone in complex with a physiological substrate protein. The structure of the complex reveals the molecular basis of substrate recognition by TF, indicates how TF could accelerate protein folding, and suggests a role for TF in the biogenesis of protein complexes.
Project description:In recent years, various folding zones within the ribosome tunnel have been identified and explored through x-ray, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), and molecular biology studies. Here, we generated ribosome-bound nascent polypeptide complexes (RNCs) with different polyalanine (poly-A) inserts or signal peptides from membrane/secretory proteins to explore the influence of nascent chain compaction in the Escherichia coli ribosome tunnel on chaperone recruitment. By employing time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer and immunoblotting, we were able to show that the poly-A inserts embedded in the passage tunnel can form a compacted structure (presumably helix) and reduce the recruitment of Trigger Factor (TF) when the helical motif is located in the region near the tunnel exit. Similar experiments on nascent chains containing signal sequences that may form compacted structural motifs within the ribosome tunnel and lure the signal recognition particle (SRP) to the ribosome, provided additional evidence that short, compacted nascent chains interfere with TF binding. These findings shed light on the possible controlling mechanism of nascent chains within the tunnel that leads to chaperone recruitment, as well as the function of L23, the ribosomal protein that serves as docking sites for both TF and SRP, in cotranslational protein targeting.
Project description:As nascent polypeptides exit ribosomes, they are engaged by a series of processing, targeting, and folding factors. Here, we present a selective ribosome profiling strategy that enables global monitoring of when these factors engage polypeptides in the complex cellular environment. Studies of the Escherichia coli chaperone trigger factor (TF) reveal that, though TF can interact with many polypeptides, β-barrel outer-membrane proteins are the most prominent substrates. Loss of TF leads to broad outer-membrane defects and premature, cotranslational protein translocation. Whereas in vitro studies suggested that TF is prebound to ribosomes waiting for polypeptides to emerge from the exit channel, we find that in vivo TF engages ribosomes only after ~100 amino acids are translated. Moreover, excess TF interferes with cotranslational removal of the N-terminal formyl methionine. Our studies support a triaging model in which proper protein biogenesis relies on the fine-tuned, sequential engagement of processing, targeting, and folding factors.
Project description:Porphyromonas gingivalis and Porphyromonas endodontalis are important bacteria related to periodontitis, the most common chronic inflammatory disease in humans worldwide. Its comorbidity with systemic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, oral cancers and cardiovascular diseases, continues to generate considerable interest. Surprisingly, these two microorganisms do not ferment carbohydrates; rather they use proteinaceous substrates as carbon and energy sources. However, the underlying biochemical mechanisms of their energy metabolism remain unknown. Here, we show that dipeptidyl peptidase 11 (DPP11), a central metabolic enzyme in these bacteria, undergoes a conformational change upon peptide binding to distinguish substrates from end products. It binds substrates through an entropy-driven process and end products in an enthalpy-driven fashion. We show that increase in protein conformational entropy is the main-driving force for substrate binding via the unfolding of specific regions of the enzyme ("entropy reservoirs"). The relationship between our structural and thermodynamics data yields a distinct model for protein-protein interactions where protein conformational entropy modulates the binding free-energy. Further, our findings provide a framework for the structure-based design of specific DPP11 inhibitors.
Project description:Proper protein localization is essential for all cells. However, the precise mechanism by which high fidelity is achieved is not well understood for any protein-targeting pathway. To address this fundamental question, we investigated the signal recognition particle (SRP) pathway in Escherichia coli, which delivers proteins to the bacterial inner membrane through recognition of signal sequences on cargo proteins. Fidelity was thought to arise from the inability of SRP to bind strongly to incorrect cargos. Using biophysical assays, we found that incorrect cargos were also rejected through a series of checkpoints during subsequent steps of targeting. Thus, high fidelity of substrate selection is achieved through the cumulative effect of multiple checkpoints; this principle may be generally applicable to other pathways involving selective signal recognition.
Project description:How chaperones interact with protein chains to assist in their folding is a central open question in biology. Obtaining atomistic insight is challenging in particular, given the transient nature of the chaperone-substrate complexes and the large system sizes. Recent single-molecule experiments have shown that the chaperone Trigger Factor (TF) not only binds unfolded protein chains, but can also guide protein chains to their native state by interacting with partially folded structures. Here, we used all-atom MD simulations to provide atomistic insights into how Trigger Factor achieves this chaperone function. Our results indicate a crucial role for the tips of the finger-like appendages of TF in the early interactions with both unfolded chains and partially folded structures. Unfolded chains are kinetically trapped when bound to TF, which suppresses the formation of transient, non-native end-to-end contacts. Mechanical flexibility allows TF to hold partially folded structures with two tips (in a pinching configuration), and to stabilize them by wrapping around its appendages. This encapsulation mechanism is distinct from that of chaperones such as GroEL, and allows folded structures of diverse size and composition to be protected from aggregation and misfolding interactions. The results suggest that an ATP cycle is not required to enable both encapsulation and liberation.
Project description:Accurate folding, assembly, localization, and maturation of newly synthesized proteins are essential to all cells and require high fidelity in the protein biogenesis machineries that mediate these processes. Here, we review our current understanding of how high fidelity is achieved in one of these processes, the cotranslational targeting of nascent membrane and secretory proteins by the signal recognition particle (SRP). Recent biochemical, biophysical, and structural studies have elucidated how the correct substrates drive a series of elaborate conformational rearrangements in the SRP and SRP receptor GTPases; these rearrangements provide effective fidelity checkpoints to reject incorrect substrates and enhance the fidelity of this essential cellular pathway. The mechanisms used by SRP to ensure fidelity share important conceptual analogies with those used by cellular machineries involved in DNA replication, transcription, and translation, and these mechanisms likely represent general principles for other complex cellular pathways.
Project description:Double-stranded oligonucleotides with +1 interstrand zipper arrangements of intercalator-functionalized nucleotides are energetically activated for recognition of mixed-sequence double-stranded DNA. Incorporation of nonyl (C9) bulges at specific positions of these probes, results in more highly affine (>5-fold), faster (>4-fold) and more persistent dsDNA recognition relative to conventional Invader probes.
Project description:The ribosome exit site is a crowded environment where numerous factors contact nascent polypeptides to influence their folding, localization, and quality control. Timely and accurate selection of nascent polypeptides into the correct pathway is essential for proper protein biogenesis. To understand how this is accomplished, we probe the mechanism by which nascent polypeptides are accurately sorted between the major cotranslational chaperone trigger factor (TF) and the essential cotranslational targeting machinery, signal recognition particle (SRP). We show that TF regulates SRP function at three distinct stages, including binding of the translating ribosome, membrane targeting via recruitment of the SRP receptor, and rejection of ribosome-bound nascent polypeptides beyond a critical length. Together, these mechanisms enhance the specificity of substrate selection into both pathways. Our results reveal a multilayered mechanism of molecular interplay at the ribosome exit site, and provide a conceptual framework to understand how proteins are selected among distinct biogenesis machineries in this crowded environment.
Project description:BackgroundThe importance of understanding the detailed mechanism of cysteine biosynthesis in bacteria is underscored by the fact that cysteine is the only sulfur donor for all cellular components containing reduced sulfur. O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase (OASS) catalyzes this crucial last step in the cysteine biosynthesis and has been recognized as an important gene for the survival and virulence of pathogenic bacteria. Structural and kinetic studies have contributed to the understanding of mechanistic aspects of OASS, but details of ligand recognition features of OASS are not available. In the absence of any detailed study on the energetics of ligand binding, we have studied the thermodynamics of OASS from Salmonella typhimurium (StOASS), Haemophilus influenzae (HiOASS), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtOASS) binding to their substrate O-acetylserine (OAS), substrate analogue (methionine), and product (cysteine).ResultsLigand binding properties of three OASS enzymes are studied under defined solution conditions. Both substrate and product binding is an exothermic reaction, but their thermodynamic signatures are very different. Cysteine binding to OASS shows that both enthalpy and entropy contribute significantly to the binding free energy at all temperatures (10-30°C) examined. The analyses of interaction between OASS with OAS (substrate) or methionine (substrate analogue) revealed a completely different mode of binding. Binding of both OAS and methionine to OASS is dominated by a favorable entropy change, with minor contribution from enthalpy change (ΔH(St-Met) = -1.5 ± 0.1 kJ/mol; TΔS(St-Met) = 8.2 kJ/mol) at 20°C. Our salt dependent ligand binding studies indicate that methionine binding affinity is more sensitive to [NaCl] as compared to cysteine affinity.ConclusionsWe show that OASS from three different pathogenic bacteria bind substrate and product through two different mechanisms. Results indicate that predominantly entropy driven methionine binding is not mediated through classical hydrophobic binding, instead, may involve desolvation of the polar active site. We speculate that OASS in general, may exhibit two different binding mechanisms for recognizing substrates and products.