Publications (7)24.33 Total impact
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Article: Pneumococcal surface proteins: when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
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ABSTRACT: Surface-exposed proteins of pathogenic bacteria are considered as potential virulence factors through their direct contribution to host-pathogen interactions. Four families of surface proteins decorate the cell surface of the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae. Besides lipoproteins and LPXTG proteins, also present in other gram-positive bacteria, the pneumococcus presents the choline-binding protein (CBP) family and the non-classical surface proteins (NCSPs). The CBPs present specific structural features that allow their anchorage to the cell envelope through non-covalent interaction with choline residues of lipoteichoic acid and teichoic acid. NCSP is an umbrella term for less characterized proteins displaying moonlighting functions on the pneumococcal surface that lack a leader peptide and membrane-anchor motif. Considering the unceasing evolution of microbial species under the selective pressure of antibiotic use, detailed understanding of the interaction between pathogen and the host cells is required for the development of novel therapeutic strategies to combat pneumococcal infections. This article reviews recent progress in the investigation of the three-dimensional structures of surface-exposed pneumococcal proteins. The modular nature of some of them produces a great versatility and sophistication of the virulence functions that, in most cases, cannot be deduced by the structural analysis of the isolated modules.Molecular oral microbiology. 08/2012; 27(4):221-45. -
Article: Role of a cluster of hydrophobic residues near the FAD cofactor in Anabaena PCC 7119 ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase for optimal complex formation and electron transfer to ferredoxin.
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ABSTRACT: In the ferredoxin-NADP(+) reductase (FNR)/ferredoxin (Fd) system, an aromatic amino acid residue on the surface of Anabaena Fd, Phe-65, has been shown to be essential for the electron transfer (ET) reaction. We have investigated further the role of hydrophobic interactions in complex stabilization and ET between these proteins by replacing three hydrophobic residues, Leu-76, Leu-78, and Val-136, situated on the FNR surface in the vicinity of its FAD cofactor. Whereas neither the ability of FNR to accept electrons from NADPH nor its structure appears to be affected by the introduced mutations, different behaviors with Fd are observed. Thus, the ET interaction with Fd is almost completely lost upon introduction of negatively charged side chains. In contrast, only subtle changes are observed upon conservative replacement. Introduction of Ser residues produces relatively sizable alterations of the FAD redox potential, which can explain the modified behavior of these mutants. The introduction of bulky aromatic side chains appears to produce rearrangements of the side chains at the FNR/Fd interaction surface. Thus, subtle changes in the hydrophobic patch influence the rates of ET to and from Fd by altering the binding constants and the FAD redox potentials, indicating that these residues are especially important in the binding and orientation of Fd for efficient ET. These results are consistent with the structure reported for the Anabaena FNR.Fd complex.Journal of Biological Chemistry 08/2001; 276(29):27498-510. · 4.77 Impact Factor -
Article: The crystal structure of tetrameric methionine adenosyltransferase from rat liver reveals the methionine-binding site.
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ABSTRACT: Most of the transmethylation reactions use the same methyl donor, S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), that is synthesised from methionine and ATP by methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT). In mammals, two MAT enzymes have been detected, one ubiquitous and another liver specific. The liver enzyme exists in two oligomeric forms, a tetramer (MAT I) and a dimer (MAT III), MAT I being the one that shows a higher level of affinity for methionine but a lower SAM synthesis capacity. We have solved the crystal structure of rat liver MAT I at 2.7 A resolution, complexed with a methionine analogue: l-2-amino-4-methoxy-cis-but-3-enoic acid (l-cisAMB). The enzyme consists of four identical subunits arranged in two tight dimers that are related by crystallographic 2-fold symmetry. The crystal structure shows the positions of the relevant cysteine residues in the chain, and that Cys35 and Cys61 are perfectly oriented for forming a disulphide link. This result leads us to propose a hypothesis to explain the control of MAT I/III exchange and hence, the effects observed on activity. We have identified the methionine-binding site into the active-site cavity, for the first time. The l-cisAMB inhibitor is stacked against Phe251 aromatic ring in a rather planar conformation, and its carboxylate group coordinates a Mg(2+), which, in turn, is linked to Asp180. The essential role of the involved residues in MAT activity has been confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis. Phe251 is exposed to solvent and is located in the beginning of the flexible loop Phe251-Ala260 that is connecting the N-terminal domain to the central domain. We postulate that a conformational change may take place during the enzymatic reaction and this is possibly the reason of the unusual two-step mechanism involving tripolyphosphate hydrolysis. Other important mechanistic implications are discussed on the light of the results. Moreover, the critical role that certain residues identified in this study may have in methionine recognition opens further possibilities for rational drug design.Journal of Molecular Biology 08/2000; 300(2):363-75. · 4.00 Impact Factor -
Article: Directed evolution of beta -glucosidase A from Paenibacillus polymyxa to thermal resistance.
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ABSTRACT: The beta-glucosidase encoded by the bglA gene from Paenibacillus polymyxa has a half-life time of 15 min at 35 degrees C and no detectable activity at 55 degrees C. We have isolated random mutations that enhance the thermoresistance of the enzyme. Following a directed evolution strategy, we have combined some of the isolated mutations to obtain a beta-glucosidase with a half-life of 12 min at 65 degrees C, in the range of resistance of thermophilic enzymes. No significant alteration of the kinetic parameters of the enzyme was observed. One of the mutants isolated in the screening for thermoresistant beta-glucosidase had the same resistance to denaturation as the wild type. This mutation caused the accumulation of enzyme in E. coli, probably due to its lower turnover. The structural changes responsible for the properties of the mutant enzymes have been analyzed. The putative causes increasing thermoresistance are as follows: the formation of an extra salt bridge, the replacement of an Asn residue exposed to the solvent, stabilization of the hydrophobic core, and stabilization of the quaternary structure of the protein.Journal of Biological Chemistry 06/2000; 275(18):13708-12. · 4.77 Impact Factor -
Article: Structural basis of the catalytic role of Glu301 in Anabaena PCC 7119 ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase revealed by x-ray crystallography.
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ABSTRACT: The three-dimensional crystal structure of the Glu301Ala site-directed mutant of ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase from Anabaena PCC 7119 has been determined at 1.8A resolution by x-ray diffraction. The overall folding of the Glu301Ala FNR mutant shows no significant differences with respect to that of the wild-type enzyme. However, interesting conformational changes are detected in the side chain of another glutamate residue, Glu139, which now points towards the FAD cofactor in the active center cavity. The new conformation of the Glu139 side chain is stabilized by a network of five hydrogen bonds to several water molecules, which seem to hold the carboxylate side chain in a rather fixed position. This interacting network connects the Glu139 side chain to the Ser80 side chain through a series of three water molecules. These observations are discussed in terms of the reactivity of Glu301Ala ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase towards its substrates, and the role of Glu301 in the catalysis is re-examined. Moreover, a structural explanation of the different reoxidation properties of this mutant is given on the basis of the reported structure by modeling the hypothetical flavin C(4a)-hydroperoxide intermediate. The model shows that the distal oxygen of the peroxide anion could be in an appropriate situation to act as the proton donor in the reoxidation process.Proteins Structure Function and Bioinformatics 02/2000; 38(1):60-9. · 3.39 Impact Factor -
Article: Structural basis of increased resistance to thermal denaturation induced by single amino acid substitution in the sequence of beta-glucosidase A from Bacillus polymyxa.
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ABSTRACT: The increasing development of the biotechnology industry demands the design of enzymes suitable to be used in conditions that often require broad resistance against adverse conditions. beta-glucosidase A from Bacillus polymyxa is an interesting model for studies of protein engineering. This is a well-characterized enzyme, belonging to glycosyl hydrolase family 1. Its natural substrate is cellobiose, but is also active against various artificial substrates. In its native state has an octameric structure. Its subunit conserves the general (alpha/beta)8 barrel topology of its family, with the active site being in a cavity defined along the axis of the barrel. Using random-mutagenesis, we have identified several mutations enhancing its stability and it was found that one them, the E96K substitution, involved structural changes. The crystal structure of this mutant has been determined by X-ray diffraction and compared with the native structure. The only difference founded between both structures is a new ion pair linking Lys96 introduced at the N-terminus of helix alpha2, to Asp28, located in one of the loops surrounding the active-site cavity. The new ion pair binds two segments of the chain that are distant in sequence and, therefore, this favorable interaction must exert a determinant influence in stabilizing the tertiary structure. Furthermore, analysis of the crystallographic isotropic temperature factors reveals that, as a direct consequence of the introduced ion pair, an unexpected decreased mobility of secondary structure units of the barrel which are proximal to the site of mutation is observed. However, this effect is observed only in the surrounding of one of the partners forming the salt bridge and not around the other. These results show that far-reaching effects can be achieved by a single amino acid replacement within the protein structure. Consequently, the identification and combination of a few single substitutions affecting stability may be sufficient to obtain a highly resistant enzyme, suitable to be used under extreme conditions.Proteins Structure Function and Bioinformatics 01/1999; 33(4):567-76. · 3.39 Impact Factor -
Article: Crystal structure of beta-glucosidase A from Bacillus polymyxa: insights into the catalytic activity in family 1 glycosyl hydrolases.
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ABSTRACT: Family 1 glycosyl hydrolases are a very relevant group of enzymes because of the diversity of biological roles in which they are involved, and their generalized occurrence in all sorts of living organisms. The biological plasticity of these enzymes is a consequence of the variety of beta-glycosidic substrates that they can hydrolyze: disaccharides such as cellobiose and lactose, phosphorylated disaccharides, cyanogenic glycosides, etc. The crystal structure of BglA, a member of the family, has been determined in the native state and complexed with gluconate ligand, at 2.4 A and 2.3 A resolution, respectively. The subunits of the octameric enzyme display the (alpha/beta)8 barrel structural fold previously reported for other family 1 enzymes. However, significant structural differences have been encountered in the loops surrounding the active-center cavity. These differences make a wide and extended cavity in BglA, which seems to be able to accommodate substrates longer than cellobiose, its natural substrate. Furthermore, a third sub-site is encountered, which might have some connection with the transglycosylating activity associated to this enzyme and its certain activity against beta-1,4 oligosaccharides composed of more than two units of glucose. The particular geometry of the cavity which contains the active center of BglA must therefore account for both, hydrolytic and transglycosylating activities. A potent and well known inhibitor of different glycosidases, D-glucono-1,5-lactone, was used in an attempt to define interactions of the substrate with specific protein residues. Although the lactone has transformed into gluconate under crystallizing conditions, the open species still binds the enzyme, the conformation of its chain mimicking the true inhibitor. From the analysis of the enzyme-ligand hydrogen bonding interactions, a detailed picture of the active center can be drawn, for a family 1 enzyme. In this way, Gln20, His121, Tyr296, Glu405 and Trp406 are identified as determinant residues in the recognition of the substrate. In particular, two bidentate hydrogen bonds made by Gln20 and Glu405, could conform the structural explanation for the ability of most members of the family for displaying both, glucosidase and galactosidase activity.Journal of Molecular Biology 02/1998; 275(3):491-502. · 4.00 Impact Factor
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Institutions
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1998–2012
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Spanish National Research Council
- Institute of Physical Chemistry "Rocasolano"
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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