Anthony T Iavarone

The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA

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Publications (30)240.61 Total impact

  • Article: Higher-order interactions bridge the nitric oxide receptor and catalytic domains of soluble guanylate cyclase.
    Eric S Underbakke, Anthony T Iavarone, Michael A Marletta
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    ABSTRACT: Nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathways mediate diverse physiological functions, including vasodilation and neurotransmission. Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), the primary NO receptor, triggers downstream signaling cascades by producing the second messenger cGMP. NO binds the sGC heme cofactor to stimulate cyclase activity, yet the molecular mechanisms of cyclase activation remain obscure. Although structural models of the individual sGC domains are available, the structure of the full sGC heterodimer is unknown. Understanding the higher-order domain architecture of sGC is a prerequisite to elucidating the mechanisms of NO activation. We used protein footprinting to map interdomain interaction surfaces of the sGC signaling domains. Hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry revealed direct interactions between the Per/Arnt/Sim domain and the heme-associated signaling helix of the heme-NO/O2 binding (H-NOX) domain. Furthermore, interfaces between the H-NOX and catalytic domains were mapped using domain truncations and full-length sGC. The H-NOX domain buries surfaces of the α1 catalytic domain proximal to the cyclase active site, suggesting a signaling mechanism involving NO-induced derepression of catalytic activity. Together, our data reveal interdomain interactions responsible for communicating NO occupancy from H-NOX heme to the catalytic domain active site.
    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 04/2013; · 9.68 Impact Factor
  • Article: Cys34 adducts of reactive oxygen species in human serum albumin.
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    ABSTRACT: Long-term exposures to reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been linked to scores of chronic diseases. This has motivated interest in oxidation products of the only free cysteine residue (Cys34) of human serum albumin (HSA) as possible biomarkers of ROS exposure. However, Cys34 oxidation products have not been detected in human serum or plasma. Using liquid chromatography-high resolution tandem mass spectrometry, we report accurate masses and molecular compositions of Cys34 oxidation products in the 2432 Da peptide resulting from tryptic digestion of HSA. Peptides containing the expected sulfinic (Cys-SO(2)H) and sulfonic (Cys-SO(3)H) acids, as well as an adduct representing addition of one oxygen atom and loss of two hydrogen atoms, were detected in four archived samples of human plasma and one fresh sample of human serum. We speculate that this latter adduct is a sulfinamide formed by intramolecular reaction between either the Cys34 sulfenic acid (Cys-SOH) or sulfinic acid (Cys-SO(2)H) and the adjacent glutamine residue (Gln33). All three Cys34 adducts were measured in the five human samples with levels decreasing in the order sulfinic acid > (proposed) sulfinamide > sulfonic acid. Parallel measurements of a negative control detected only small amounts of the Cys34 sulfonic acid and the (proposed) sulfinamide and did not detect the sulfinic acid.
    Chemical Research in Toxicology 05/2012; 25(8):1633-42. · 3.78 Impact Factor
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    Article: Induction of lignocellulose-degrading enzymes in Neurospora crassa by cellodextrins.
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    ABSTRACT: Neurospora crassa colonizes burnt grasslands in the wild and metabolizes both cellulose and hemicellulose from plant cell walls. When switched from a favored carbon source such as sucrose to cellulose, N. crassa dramatically upregulates expression and secretion of a wide variety of genes encoding lignocellulolytic enzymes. However, the means by which N. crassa and other filamentous fungi sense the presence of cellulose in the environment remains unclear. Here, we show that an N. crassa mutant carrying deletions of two genes encoding extracellular β-glucosidase enzymes and one intracellular β-glucosidase lacks β-glucosidase activity, but efficiently induces cellulase gene expression in the presence of cellobiose, cellotriose, or cellotetraose as a sole carbon source. These data indicate that cellobiose, or a modified version of cellobiose, functions as an inducer of lignocellulolytic gene expression in N. crassa. Furthermore, the inclusion of a deletion of the catabolite repressor gene, cre-1, in the triple β-glucosidase mutant resulted in a strain that produces higher concentrations of secreted active cellulases on cellobiose. Thus, the ability to induce cellulase gene expression using a common and soluble carbon source simplifies enzyme production and characterization, which could be applied to other cellulolytic filamentous fungi.
    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 04/2012; 109(16):6012-7. · 9.68 Impact Factor
  • Article: Quantitative proteomic approach for cellulose degradation by Neurospora crassa.
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    ABSTRACT: Conversion of plant biomass to soluble sugars is the primary bottleneck associated with production of economically viable cellulosic fuels and chemicals. To better understand the biochemical route that filamentous fungi use to degrade plant biomass, we have taken a quantitative proteomics approach to characterizing the secretome of Neurospora crassa during growth on microcrystalline cellulose. Thirteen proteins were quantified in the N. crassa secretome using a combination of Absolute Quantification (AQUA) and Absolute SILAC to verify protein concentrations. Four of these enzymes including 2 cellobiohydrolases (CBH-1 and GH6-2), an endoglucanase (GH5-1), and a β-glucosidase (GH3-4) were then chosen to reconstitute a defined cellulase mixture in vitro. These enzymes were assayed alone and in mixtures and the activity of the reconstituted set was then compared to the crude mixture of N. crassa secretome proteins. Results show that while these 4 proteins represent 63-65% of the total secretome by weight, they account for just 43% of the total activity on microcrystalline cellulose after 24 h of hydrolysis. This result and quantitative proteomic data on other less abundant proteins secreted by Neurospora suggest that proteins other than canonical fungal cellulases may play an important role in cellulose degradation by fungi.
    Journal of Proteome Research 08/2011; 10(9):4177-85. · 5.11 Impact Factor
  • Article: Regulation of ubiquitin chain initiation to control the timing of substrate degradation.
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    ABSTRACT: Processive reactions, such as transcription or translation, often proceed through distinct initiation and elongation phases. The processive formation of polymeric ubiquitin chains can accordingly be catalyzed by specialized initiating and elongating E2 enzymes, but the functional significance for this division of labor has remained unclear. Here, we have identified sequence motifs in several substrates of the anaphase-promoting complex (APC/C) that are required for efficient chain initiation by its E2 Ube2C. Differences in the quality and accessibility of these chain initiation motifs can determine the rate of a substrate's degradation without affecting its affinity for the APC/C, a mechanism used by the APC/C to control the timing of substrate proteolysis during the cell cycle. Based on our results, we propose that initiation motifs and their cognate E2s allow E3 enzymes to exert precise temporal control over substrate degradation.
    Molecular cell 06/2011; 42(6):744-57. · 14.61 Impact Factor
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    Article: Isotopic signature transfer and mass pattern prediction (IsoStamp): an enabling technique for chemically-directed proteomics.
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    ABSTRACT: Directed proteomics applies mass spectrometry analysis to a subset of information-rich proteins. Here we describe a method for targeting select proteins by chemical modification with a tag that imparts a distinct isotopic signature detectable in a full-scan mass spectrum. Termed isotopic signature transfer and mass pattern prediction (IsoStamp), the technique exploits the perturbing effects of a dibrominated chemical tag on a peptide's mass envelope, which can be detected with high sensitivity and fidelity using a computational method. Applying IsoStamp, we were able to detect femtomole quantities of a single tagged protein from total mammalian cell lysates at signal-to-noise ratios as low as 2.5:1. To identify a tagged-peptide's sequence, we performed an inclusion list-driven shotgun proteomics experiment where peptides bearing a recoded mass envelope were targeted for fragmentation, allowing for direct site mapping. Using this approach, femtomole quantities of several targeted peptides were identified in total mammalian cell lysate, while traditional data-dependent methods were unable to identify as many peptides. Additionally, the isotopic signature imparted by the dibromide tag was detectable on a 12-kDa protein, suggesting applications in identifying large peptide fragments, such as those containing multiple or large posttranslational modifications (e.g., glycosylation). IsoStamp has the potential to enhance any proteomics platform that employs chemical labeling for targeted protein identification, including isotope coded affinity tagging, isobaric tagging for relative and absolute quantitation, and chemical tagging strategies for posttranslational modification.
    ACS Chemical Biology 06/2011; 6(8):829-36. · 6.45 Impact Factor
  • Article: Discovery and characterization of heme enzymes from unsequenced bacteria: application to microbial lignin degradation.
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    ABSTRACT: Bacteria and other living organisms offer a potentially unlimited resource for the discovery of new chemical catalysts, but many interesting reaction phenotypes observed at the whole organism level remain difficult to elucidate down to the molecular level. A key challenge in the discovery process is the identification of discrete molecular players involved in complex biological transformations because multiple cryptic genetic components often work in concert to elicit an overall chemical phenotype. We now report a rapid pipeline for the discovery of new enzymes of interest from unsequenced bacterial hosts based on laboratory-scale methods for the de novo assembly of bacterial genome sequences using short reads. We have applied this approach to the biomass-degrading soil bacterium Amycolatopsis sp. 75iv2 ATCC 39116 (formerly Streptomyces setonii and S. griseus 75vi2) to discover and biochemically characterize two new heme proteins comprising the most abundant members of the extracellular oxidative system under lignin-reactive growth conditions.
    Journal of the American Chemical Society 06/2011; 133(45):18006-9. · 9.91 Impact Factor
  • Article: Sulfolipid accumulation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis disrupted in the mce2 operon.
    Olivera Marjanovic, Anthony T Iavarone, Lee W Riley
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    ABSTRACT: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, has a lipid-rich cell wall that serves as an effective barrier against drugs and toxic host cell products, which may contribute to the organism's persistence in a host. M. tuberculosis contains four homologous operons called nice (mce1-4) that encode putative ABC transporters involved in lipid importation across the cell wall. Here, we analyzed the lipid composition of M. tuberculosis disrupted in the mce2 operon. High resolution mass spectrometric and thin layer chromatographic analyses of the mutant's cell wall lipid extracts showed accumulation of SL-1 and SL(1278) molecules. Radiographic quantitative analysis and densitometry revealed 2.9, 3.9 and 9.8-fold greater amount of [(35)S] SL-1 in the mce2 operon mutant compared to the wild type M. tuberculosis during the early/mid logarithmic, late logarithmic and stationary phase of growth in liquid broth, respectively. The amount of [(35)S] SL(1278) in the mutant also increased progressively over the same growth phases. The expression of the mce2 operon genes in the wild type strain progressively increased from the logarithmic to the stationary phase of bacterial growth in vitro, which inversely correlated with the proportion of radiolabel incorporation into SL-1 and SL(1278) at these phases. Since the mce2 operon is regulated in wild type M. tuberculosis, its cell wall may undergo changes in SL-1 and SL(1278) contents during a natural course of infection and this may serve as an important adaptive strategy for M. tuberculosis to maintain persistence in a host.
    The Journal of Microbiology 06/2011; 49(3):441-7. · 1.10 Impact Factor
  • Article: Identification of highly reactive sequences for PLP-mediated bioconjugation using a combinatorial peptide library.
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    ABSTRACT: Chemical reactions that facilitate the attachment of synthetic groups to proteins are useful tools for the field of chemical biology and enable the incorporation of proteins into new materials. We have previously reported a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-mediated reaction that site-specifically oxidizes the N-terminal amine of a protein to afford a ketone. This unique functional group can then be used to attach a reagent of choice through oxime formation. Since its initial report, we have found that the N-terminal sequence of the protein can significantly influence the overall success of this strategy. To obtain short sequences that lead to optimal conversion levels, an efficient method for the evaluation of all possible N-terminal amino acid combinations was needed. This was achieved by developing a generalizable combinatorial peptide library screening platform suitable for the identification of sequences that display high levels of reactivity toward a desired bioconjugation reaction. In the context of N-terminal transamination, a highly reactive alanine-lysine motif emerged, which was confirmed to promote the modification of peptide substrates with PLP. This sequence was also tested on two protein substrates, leading to substantial increases in reactivity relative to their wild-type termini. This readily encodable tripeptide thus appears to provide a significant improvement in the reliability with which the PLP-mediated bioconjugation reaction can be used. This study also provides an important first example of how synthetic peptide libraries can accelerate the discovery and optimization of protein bioconjugation strategies.
    Journal of the American Chemical Society 11/2010; 132(47):16812-7. · 9.91 Impact Factor
  • Article: Extracellular aldonolactonase from Myceliophthora thermophila.
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    ABSTRACT: Fungi secrete many different enzymes to deconstruct lignocellulosic biomass, including several families of hydrolases, oxidative enzymes, and many uncharacterized proteins. Here we describe the isolation, characterization, and primary sequence analysis of an extracellular aldonolactonase from the thermophilic fungus Myceliophthora thermophila (synonym Sporotrichum thermophile). The lactonase is a 48-kDa glycoprotein with a broad pH optimum. The enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of glucono-δ-lactone and cellobiono-δ-lactone with an apparent second-order rate constant, k(cat)/K(m), of ~1 × 10(6) M(-1) s(-1) at pH 5.0 and 25°C but is unable to hydrolyze xylono-γ-lactone or arabino-γ-lactone. Sequence analyses of the lactonase show that it has distant homology to cis-carboxy-muconate lactonizing enzymes (CMLE) as well as 6-phosphogluconolactonases present in some bacteria. The M. thermophila genome contains two predicted extracellular lactonase genes, and expression of both genes is induced by the presence of pure cellulose. Homologues of the M. thermophila lactonase, which are also predicted to be extracellular, are present in nearly all known cellulolytic ascomycetes.
    Applied and environmental microbiology 11/2010; 77(2):650-6. · 3.69 Impact Factor
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    Article: Interaction of PqqE and PqqD in the pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) biosynthetic pathway links PqqD to the radical SAM superfamily.
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    ABSTRACT: pqqD is one of six genes required for PQQ production in Klebsiella pneumoniae. Herein, we demonstrate that PqqD interacts specifically with the radical SAM enzyme PqqE, causing a perturbation in the electronic environment around the [4Fe-4S](+) clusters. This interaction redirects the role for PqqD in PQQ biosynthesis.
    Chemical Communications 10/2010; 46(37):7031-3. · 6.17 Impact Factor
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    Article: Slow magnetic relaxation and charge-transfer in cyano-bridged coordination clusters incorporating [Re(CN)(7)](3-/4-).
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    ABSTRACT: Treatment of the cyanometalate building unit [Re(CN)(7)](3-) with [(PY5Me(2))M(MeCN)](2+) (M = Co, Ni, Cu) affords a series of pentanuclear clusters of formulas [(PY5Me(2))(4)M(4)Re(CN)(7)](5+) (M = Co, Ni, Cu) and [(PY5Me(2))(4)Cu(4)Re(CN)(7)](4+). Single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses of the clusters reveal a star-like structure in which four [(PY5Me(2))M](2+) moieties are linked to a central [Re(CN)(7)](3-) unit via bridging cyanide ligands. An intramolecular Co(II) → Re(IV) charge-transfer accompanies the formation of the Co(II)(4)Re(IV) cluster, giving a Co(II)(3)Co(III)Re(III) species. Spectroelectrochemical methods and irradiation experiments are used to characterize the metal-metal charge-transfer bands of this compound. A rhenium-based thermally induced one-electron reduction is observed for the Cu(II)(4)Re(IV) cluster to give a Cu(II)(4)Re(III) complex; however, this reduction may be forestalled at low temperature. Finally, magnetic measurements reveal intracluster ferromagnetic exchange coupling, strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, and slow magnetic relaxation in the Ni(II)(4)Re(IV) and Cu(II)(4)Re(IV) clusters.
    Inorganic Chemistry 10/2010; 49(19):8886-96. · 4.60 Impact Factor
  • Article: c-di-AMP secreted by intracellular Listeria monocytogenes activates a host type I interferon response.
    Joshua J Woodward, Anthony T Iavarone, Daniel A Portnoy
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    ABSTRACT: Intracellular bacterial pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, are detected in the cytosol of host immune cells. Induction of this host response is often dependent on microbial secretion systems and, in L. monocytogenes, is dependent on multidrug efflux pumps (MDRs). Using L. monocytogenes mutants that overexpressed MDRs, we identified cyclic diadenosine monophosphate (c-di-AMP) as a secreted molecule able to trigger the cytosolic host response. Overexpression of the di-adenylate cyclase, dacA (lmo2120), resulted in elevated levels of the host response during infection. c-di-AMP thus represents a putative bacterial secondary signaling molecule that triggers a cytosolic pathway of innate immunity and is predicted to be present in a wide variety of bacteria and archea.
    Science 06/2010; 328(5986):1703-5. · 31.20 Impact Factor
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    Article: High-spin ground states via electron delocalization in mixed-valence imidazolate-bridged divanadium complexes.
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    ABSTRACT: The field of molecular magnetism has grown tremendously since the discovery of single-molecule magnets, but it remains centred around the superexchange mechanism. The possibility of instead using a double-exchange mechanism (based on electron delocalization rather than Heisenberg exchange through a non-magnetic bridge) presents a tantalizing prospect for synthesizing molecules with high-spin ground states that are well isolated in energy. We now demonstrate that magnetic double exchange can be sustained by simple imidazolate bridging ligands, known to be well suited for the construction of coordination clusters and solids. A series of mixed-valence molecules of the type [(PY5Me(2))V(II)(micro-L(br)) V(III)(PY5Me(2))](4+) were synthesized and their electron delocalization probed through cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry. Magnetic susceptibility data reveal a well-isolated S = 5/2 ground state arising from double exchange for [(PY5Me(2))(2)V(2)(micro-5,6-dimethylbenzimidazolate)](4+). Combined modelling of the magnetic data and spectral analysis leads to an estimate of the double-exchange parameter of B = 220 cm(-1) when vibronic coupling is taken into account.
    Nature Chemistry 05/2010; 2(5):362-8. · 20.52 Impact Factor
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    Article: Enrichment of cysteinyl adducts of human serum albumin.
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    ABSTRACT: We report a method to enrich cysteinyl adducts of human serum albumin (HSA), representing biomarkers of exposure to systemic electrophiles. Because the major site of HSA adduction is the single free sulfhydryl group at Cys34, we used thiol-affinity resins to remove mercaptalbumin (i.e., unadducted HSA) from the cysteinyl adducts. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was used to detect mercaptalbumin and HSA-Cys34 modifications before and after enrichment of HSA. Differences in adduct content were detected across samples of freshly isolated, archived, and commercial HSA. Cysteinylated and glycosylated adducts were present in all samples, with abundances decreasing in the following order: commercial HSA>archived HSA>fresh HSA. After enrichment of HSA, mercaptalbumin was no longer observed in mass spectra. The ratios of HSA adducts post-/preenrichment, quantified via the Bradford assay and gel electrophoresis, were 0.029 mg adducts/mg HSA in fresh HSA and 0.323 mg adducts/mg HSA in archived HSA. The apparent elevation of adduct levels in archived samples could be due to differences in specimen preparation and storage rather than to differences in circulating HSA adducts. We conclude that thiol-affinity resins can efficiently remove mercaptalbumin from HSA samples prior to characterization and quantitation of protein adducts of reactive systemic electrophiles.
    Analytical Biochemistry 05/2010; 400(1):61-8. · 3.00 Impact Factor
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    Article: A sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for adducts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with human serum albumin.
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    ABSTRACT: Adducts of benzo[a]pyrene-diolepoxide (BPDE) with blood nucleophiles have been used as biomarkers of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The most popular such assay is a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that employs monoclonal antibody 8E11 to detect benzo[a]pyrene tetrols following hydrolysis of BPDE adducts from lymphocyte DNA or human serum albumin (HSA). Here we used 8E11 as the capture antibody in a sandwich ELISA to detect BPDE-HSA adducts directly in 1-mg samples of HSA or 20 microl of serum/plasma. The assay employs an anti-HSA antibody for detection, and this is amplified by an avidin/biotinylated horseradish peroxidase complex. The sandwich ELISA has advantages of specificity and simplicity and is approximately 10 times more sensitive than the competitive ELISA. To validate the assay, HSA samples were assayed from three populations with known high PAH exposures (coke oven workers), medium PAH exposures (steel factory control workers), and low PAH exposures (volunteer subjects) (n=30). The respective geometric mean levels of BPDE-HSA adducts--67.8, 14.7, and 1.93 ng/mg HSA (1010, 220, and 28.9 fmol BPDE equiv/mg HSA)--were significantly different (P<0.05). The sandwich ELISA will be useful for screening PAH exposures in large epidemiologic studies and can be extended to other adducts for which capture antibodies are available.
    Analytical Biochemistry 05/2010; 400(1):123-9. · 3.00 Impact Factor
  • Article: Organelle-targetable fluorescent probes for imaging hydrogen peroxide in living cells via SNAP-Tag protein labeling.
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    ABSTRACT: Hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) is a potent small-molecule oxidant that can exert a diverse array of physiological and/or pathological effects within living systems depending on the timing and location of its production, accumulation, trafficking, and consumption. To help study the chemistry and biology of this reactive oxygen species (ROS) in its native cellular context, we now present a new method for monitoring local, subcellular changes in H(2)O(2) levels by fluorescence imaging. Specifically, we have exploited the versatility of the SNAP-tag technology for site-specific protein labeling with small molecules on the surface or interior of living cells with the use of boronate-capped dyes to selectively visualize H(2)O(2). The resulting SNAP-Peroxy-Green (SNAP-PG) probes consist of appropriately derivatized boronates bioconjugated to SNAP-tag fusion proteins. Spectroscopic measurements of the SNAP-PG constructs confirm their ability to detect H(2)O(2) with specificity over other biologically relevant ROS. Moreover, these hybrid small-molecule/protein reporters can be used in live mammalian cells expressing SNAP-tag fusion proteins directed to the plasma membrane, nucleus, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum. Imaging experiments using scanning confocal microscopy establish organelle-specific localization of the SNAP-tag probes and their fluorescence turn-on in response to changes in local H(2)O(2) levels. This work provides a general molecular imaging platform for assaying H(2)O(2) chemistry in living cells with subcellular resolution.
    Journal of the American Chemical Society 03/2010; 132(12):4455-65. · 9.91 Impact Factor
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    Article: Systems analysis of plant cell wall degradation by the model filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa.
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    ABSTRACT: The filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa is a model laboratory organism, but in nature is commonly found growing on dead plant material, particularly grasses. Using functional genomics resources available for N. crassa, which include a near-full genome deletion strain set and whole genome microarrays, we undertook a system-wide analysis of plant cell wall and cellulose degradation. We identified approximately 770 genes that showed expression differences when N. crassa was cultured on ground Miscanthus stems as a sole carbon source. An overlap set of 114 genes was identified from expression analysis of N. crassa grown on pure cellulose. Functional annotation of up-regulated genes showed enrichment for proteins predicted to be involved in plant cell wall degradation, but also many genes encoding proteins of unknown function. As a complement to expression data, the secretome associated with N. crassa growth on Miscanthus and cellulose was determined using a shotgun proteomics approach. Over 50 proteins were identified, including 10 of the 23 predicted N. crassa cellulases. Strains containing deletions in genes encoding 16 proteins detected in both the microarray and mass spectrometry experiments were analyzed for phenotypic changes during growth on crystalline cellulose and for cellulase activity. While growth of some of the deletion strains on cellulose was severely diminished, other deletion strains produced higher levels of extracellular proteins that showed increased cellulase activity. These results show that the powerful tools available in N. crassa allow for a comprehensive system level understanding of plant cell wall degradation mechanisms used by a ubiquitous filamentous fungus.
    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 12/2009; 106(52):22157-62. · 9.68 Impact Factor
  • Article: A hydrogen-bond facilitated cycle for oxygen reduction by an acid- and base-compatible iron platform.
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    ABSTRACT: We report a hydrogen-bond functionalized N4Py ligand platform (N,N-bis(2-R-6-pyridylmethyl)-N-bis(2-pyridyl)methylamine; R = neopentyl-NH, N4Py(2NpNH), 9; R = phenyl-NH, N4Py(2PhNH), 10) and the ability of its iron(II)-triflate [N4Py(2R)Fe(II)(OTf)][OTf] complexes (R = NpNH, 11; R = PhNH, 12) to activate and reduce dioxygen in a synthetic cycle by coupled proton and electron transfer. A pair of iron(III)-hydroxide [N4Py(2R)Fe(III)(OH)][OTf](2) complexes (R = NpNH, 13; R = PhNH, 14) are isolated and structurally and spectroscopically characterized after exposure of the iron(II)-triflate precursors to 1 atm of O(2) at ambient temperature. The stability of this system to acids and bases allows regeneration of the labile iron(II)-triflate starting materials by sequential electron and proton transfer with cobaltocene and triflic acid, respectively, or through direct proton-coupled reduction with ascorbic acid. In the stepwise process, reduction of the iron(III)-hydroxide complexes with cobaltocene gives structurally homologous iron(II)-hydroxide [N4Py(2R)Fe(II)(OH)][OTf] congeners (R = NpNH, 15; R = PhNH, 16) that can be prepared independently from 11 and 12 with 20% aq. NaOH. Additions of triflic acid to complexes 15 and 16 furnish the starting compounds 11 and 12, respectively, to complete the synthetic cycle. The combined data establish a synthetic cycle for O(2) reduction by an iron platform that manages proton and electron transfer through its first and second coordination spheres.
    Inorganic Chemistry 09/2009; 48(21):10024-35. · 4.60 Impact Factor
  • Article: Chemoselective tryptophan labeling with rhodium carbenoids at mild pH.
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    ABSTRACT: Significant improvements have been made to a previously reported tryptophan modification method using rhodium carbenoids in aqueous solution, allowing the reaction to proceed at pH 6-7. This technique is based on the discovery that N-(tert-butyl)hydroxylamine promotes indole modification with rhodium carbenoids over a broad pH range (2-7). This methodology was demonstrated on peptide and protein substrates, generally yielding 40-60% conversion with excellent tryptophan chemoselectivity. The solvent accessibility of the indole side chains was found to be a key factor in successful carbenoid addition, as demonstrated by conducting the reaction at temperatures high enough to cause thermal denaturation of the protein substrate. Progress toward the expression of proteins bearing solvent accessible tryptophan residues as reactive handles for modification with rhodium carbenoids is also reported.
    Journal of the American Chemical Society 05/2009; 131(17):6301-8. · 9.91 Impact Factor