Savvas N Savvides

Ghent University, Merelbeke, VLG, Belgium

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Publications (33)149.69 Total impact

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    Article: Human IL-34 and CSF-1 Establish Structurally Similar Extracellular Assemblies with Their Common Hematopoietic Receptor.
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    ABSTRACT: The discovery that hematopoietic human colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R) can be activated by two distinct cognate cytokines, colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) and interleukin-34 (IL-34), created puzzling scenarios for the two possible signaling complexes. We here employ a hybrid structural approach based on small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and negative-stain EM to reveal that bivalent binding of human IL-34 to CSF-1R leads to an extracellular assembly hallmarked by striking similarities to the CSF-1:CSF-1R complex, including homotypic receptor-receptor interactions. Thus, IL-34 and CSF-1 have evolved to exploit the geometric requirements of CSF-1R activation. Our models include N-linked oligomannose glycans derived from a systematic approach resulting in the accurate fitting of glycosylated models to the SAXS data. We further show that the C-terminal region of IL-34 is heavily glycosylated and that it can be proteolytically cleaved from the IL-34:hCSF-1R complex, providing insights into its role in the functional nonredundancy of IL-34 and CSF-1.
    Structure 03/2013; · 6.35 Impact Factor
  • Article: Structural and biochemical characterization of an atypical short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase reveals an unusual cofactor preference.
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    ABSTRACT: Short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDR) encompass a large and functionally diverse family of enzymes with representative members in all kingdoms of life. Despite the wealth of reactions catalyzed by SDR, they operate through a well-conserved and efficient reaction mechanism centered in a conserved catalytic tetrad (Asn-Ser-Tyr-Lys), and the employment of an appropriate cofactor. In recent years SDR that lack the signature catalytic tetrad have been identified, thus adding a perplexing twist to SDR functionality. Here, we present the crystal structure of SDRvv, a short-chain dehydrogenase from Vibrio vulnificus devoid of the catalytic tetrad, thereby defining the structural signature of this apparent SDR family outlier. Further structural analysis of SDRvv in complex with its putative cofactor NADPH, site-directed mutagenesis and binding studies via isothermal titration calorimetry and further biochemical characterization, have allowed us to dissect the cofactor preferences of SDRvv. The retained capacity to bind the NADPH cofactor, the conceivable existence of a proton relay and the conservation of the coordination distances between the key residues in the cofactor binding pocket, define a first set of rules towards catalytic activity for SDRvv. This work sets the stage for deriving the identity of the natural substrate of SDRvv and adds a new twist to the structure-function landscape for Rossmann-fold-dependent cofactor discrimination. © 2013 The Authors Journal compilation © 2013 FEBS.
    FEBS Journal 01/2013; · 3.79 Impact Factor
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    Dataset: Remans 2010 LolA Paeruginosa
  • Article: New insights into the assembly of bacterial secretins: structural studies of the periplasmic domain of XcpQ from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
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    ABSTRACT: The type II secretion system (T2SS) is a multi-protein assembly spanning the inner and outer-membrane in Gram-negative bacteria. It is found in almost all pathogenic bacteria where it contributes to virulence, host tissue colonization and infection. The exoproteins are secreted across the outer-membrane via a large translocation channel, the secretin, which typically adopts a dodecameric structure. These secretin channels have large periplasmic N-terminal domains that reach out into the periplasm for communication with the inner-membrane platform and with a pseudopilus structure that spans the periplasm. Here we report the crystal structure of the N-terminal periplasmic domain of the secretin XcpQ from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, revealing a two-lobe dimeric assembly featuring parallel subunits engaging in well-defined interactions at the tips of each lobe. We have employed structure-based engineering of disulfide bridges and native mass spectrometry to show that the periplasmic domain of XcpQ dimerizes in a concentration dependent manner. Validation of these insights in the context of cellular full-length XcpQ and further evaluation of the functionality of disulfide-linked XcpQ establishes that the basic oligomerization unit of XcpQ is a dimer. This is consistent with the notion that the dodecameric secretin assembles as a hexamer of dimers to ensure correct projection of the N-terminal domains into the periplasm. Therefore, our studies provide a key conceptual advancement in understanding the assembly principles and dynamic function of T2SS secretins, and challenge recent studies reporting monomers as the basic subunit of the secretin oligomer.
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 11/2012; · 4.77 Impact Factor
  • Article: Extracellular assembly and activation principles of oncogenic class III receptor tyrosine kinases.
    Kenneth Verstraete, Savvas N Savvides
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    ABSTRACT: Intracellular signalling cascades initiated by class III receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK-IIIs) and their cytokine ligands contribute to haematopoiesis and mesenchymal tissue development. They are also implicated in a wide range of inflammatory disorders and cancers. Recent snapshots of RTK-III ectodomains in complex with cognate cytokines have revealed timely insights into the structural determinants of RTK-III activation, evolution and pathology. Importantly, candidate 'driver' and 'passenger' mutations that have been identified in RTK-IIIs can now be collectively mapped for the first time to structural scaffolds of the corresponding RTK-III ectodomains. Such insights will generate a renewed interest in dissecting the mechanistic effects of such mutations and their therapeutic relevance.
    Nature Reviews Cancer 10/2012; 12(11):753-66. · 29.54 Impact Factor
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    Article: Allosteric competitive inactivation of hematopoietic CSF-1 signaling by the viral decoy receptor BARF1.
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    ABSTRACT: Hematopoietic human colony-stimulating factor 1 (hCSF-1) is essential for innate and adaptive immunity against viral and microbial infections and cancer. The human pathogen Epstein-Barr virus secretes the lytic-cycle protein BARF1 that neutralizes hCSF-1 to achieve immunomodulation. Here we show that BARF1 binds the dimer interface of hCSF-1 with picomolar affinity, away from the cognate receptor-binding site, to establish a long-lived complex featuring three hCSF-1 at the periphery of the BARF1 toroid. BARF1 locks dimeric hCSF-1 into an inactive conformation, rendering it unable to signal via its cognate receptor on human monocytes. This reveals a new functional role for hCSF-1 cooperativity in signaling. We propose a new viral strategy paradigm featuring an allosteric decoy receptor of the competitive type, which couples efficient sequestration and inactivation of the host growth factor to abrogate cooperative assembly of the cognate signaling complex.
    Nature Structural &#38 Molecular Biology 08/2012; 19(9):938-47. · 12.71 Impact Factor
  • Article: Crystallization of an atypical short-chain dehydrogenase from Vibrio vulnificus lacking the conserved catalytic tetrad.
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    ABSTRACT: Short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDRs) are a rapidly expanding superfamily of enzymes that are found in all kingdoms of life. Hallmarked by a highly conserved Asn-Ser-Tyr-Lys catalytic tetrad, SDRs have a broad substrate spectrum and play diverse roles in key metabolic processes. Locus tag VVA1599 in Vibrio vulnificus encodes a short-chain dehydrogenase (hereafter referred to as SDRvv) which lacks the signature catalytic tetrad of SDR members. Structure-based protein sequence alignments have suggested that SDRvv may harbour a unique binding site for its nicotinamide cofactor. To date, structural studies of SDRs with altered catalytic centres are underrepresented in the scientific literature, thus limiting understanding of their spectrum of substrate and cofactor preferences. Here, the expression, purification and crystallization of recombinant SDRvv are presented. Two well diffracting crystal forms could be obtained by cocrystallization in the presence of the reduced form of the phosphorylated nicotinamide cofactor NADPH. The collected data were of sufficient quality for successful structure determination by molecular replacement and subsequent refinement. This work sets the stage for deriving the identity of the natural substrate of SDRvv and the structure-function landscape of typical and atypical SDRs.
    Acta Crystallographica Section F Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications 07/2012; 68(Pt 7):771-4. · 0.51 Impact Factor
  • Article: Glutathione biosynthesis in bacteria by bifunctional GshF is driven by a modular structure featuring a novel hybrid ATP-grasp fold.
    Jan Stout, Dirk De Vos, Bjorn Vergauwen, Savvas N Savvides
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    ABSTRACT: Glutathione is an intracellular redox-active tripeptide thiol with a central role in cellular physiology across all kingdoms of life. Glutathione biosynthesis has been traditionally viewed as a conserved process relying on the sequential activity of two separate ligases, but recently, an enzyme (GshF) that unifies both necessary reactions in one platform has been identified and characterized in a number of pathogenic and free-living bacteria. Here, we report crystal structures of two prototypic GshF enzymes from Streptococcus agalactiae and Pasteurella multocida in an effort to shed light onto the structural determinants underlying their bifunctionality and to provide a structural framework for the plethora of biochemical and mutagenesis studies available for these enzymes. Our structures reveal how a canonical bacterial GshA module that catalyzes the condensation of L-glutamate and L-cysteine to γ-glutamylcysteine is linked to a novel ATP-grasp-like module responsible for the ensuing formation of glutathione from γ-glutamylcysteine and glycine. Notably, we identify an unprecedented subdomain in the ATP-grasp module of GshF at the interface of the GshF dimer, which is poised to mediate intersubunit communication and allosteric regulation of enzymatic activity. Comparison of the two GshF structures and mapping of structure-function relationships reveal that the bifunctional GshF structural platform operates as a dynamic dimeric assembly.
    Journal of Molecular Biology 03/2012; 416(4):486-94. · 4.00 Impact Factor
  • Article: Extracellular complexes of the hematopoietic human and mouse CSF-1 receptor are driven by common assembly principles.
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    ABSTRACT: The hematopoietic colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R or FMS) is essential for the cellular repertoire of the mammalian immune system. Here, we report a structural and mechanistic consensus for the assembly of human and mouse CSF-1:CSF-1R complexes. The EM structure of the complete extracellular assembly of the human CSF-1:CSF-1R complex reveals how receptor dimerization by CSF-1 invokes a ternary complex featuring extensive homotypic receptor contacts and striking structural plasticity at the extremities of the complex. Studies by small-angle X-ray scattering of unliganded hCSF-1R point to large domain rearrangements upon CSF-1 binding, and provide structural evidence for the relevance of receptor predimerization at the cell surface. Comparative structural and binding studies aiming to dissect the assembly principles of human and mouse CSF-1R complexes, including a quantification of the CSF-1/CSF-1R species cross-reactivity, show that bivalent cytokine binding to receptor coupled to ensuing receptor-receptor interactions are common denominators in extracellular complex formation.
    Structure 12/2011; 19(12):1762-72. · 6.35 Impact Factor
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    Article: Delineation of the Pasteurellaceae-specific GbpA-family of glutathione-binding proteins.
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    ABSTRACT: The Gram-negative bacterium Haemophilus influenzae is a glutathione auxotroph and acquires the redox-active tripeptide by import. The dedicated glutathione transporter belongs to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-transporter superfamily and displays more than 60% overall sequence identity with the well-studied dipeptide (Dpp) permease of Escherichia coli. The solute binding protein (SBP) that mediates glutathione transport in H. influenzae is a lipoprotein termed GbpA and is 54% identical to E. coli DppA, a well-studied member of family 5 SBP's. The discovery linking GbpA to glutathione import came rather unexpectedly as this import-priming SBP was previously annotated as a heme-binding protein (HbpA), and was thought to mediate heme acquisition. Nonetheless, although many SBP's have been implicated in more than one function, a prominent physiological role for GbpA and its partner permease in heme acquisition appears to be very unlikely. Here, we sought to characterize five representative GbpA homologs in an effort to delineate the novel GbpA-family of glutathione-specific family 5 SBPs and to further clarify their functional role in terms of ligand preferences. Lipoprotein and non-lipoprotein GbpA homologs were expressed in soluble form and substrate specificity was evaluated via a number of ligand binding assays. A physiologically insignificant affinity for hemin was observed for all five GbpA homologous test proteins. Three out of five test proteins were found to bind glutathione and some of its physiologically relevant derivatives with low- or submicromolar affinity. None of the tested SBP family 5 allocrites interacted with the remaining two GbpA test proteins. Structure-based sequence alignments and phylogenetic analysis show that the two binding-inert GbpA homologs clearly form a separate phylogenetic cluster. To elucidate a structure-function rationale for this phylogenetic differentiation, we determined the crystal structure of one of the GbpA family outliers from H. parasuis. Comparisons thereof with the previously determined structure of GbpA in complex with oxidized glutathione reveals the structural basis for the lack of allocrite binding capacity, thereby explaining the outlier behavior. Taken together, our studies provide for the first time a collective functional look on a novel, Pasteurellaceae-specific, SBP subfamily of glutathione binding proteins, which we now term GbpA proteins. Our studies strongly implicate GbpA family SBPs in the priming step of ABC-transporter-mediated translocation of useful forms of glutathione across the inner membrane, and rule out a general role for GbpA proteins in heme acquisition.
    BMC Biochemistry 11/2011; 12:59. · 1.99 Impact Factor
  • Article: Structural insights into the extracellular assembly of the hematopoietic Flt3 signaling complex.
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    ABSTRACT: The class III receptor tyrosine kinase (RTKIII) Fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor 3 (Flt3) and its cytokine ligand (FL) play central roles in hematopoiesis and the immune system, by establishing signaling cascades crucial for the development and homeostasis of hematopoietic progenitors and antigen-presenting dendritic cells. However, Flt3 is also one of the most frequently mutated receptors in hematologic malignancies and is currently a major prognostic factor and clinical target for acute myeloid leukemia. Here, we report the structural basis for the Flt3 ligand-receptor complex and unveil an unanticipated extracellular assembly unlike any other RTKIII/V complex characterized to date. FL induces dimerization of Flt3 via a remarkably compact binding epitope localized at the tip of extracellular domain 3 of Flt3, and it invokes a ternary complex devoid of homotypic receptor interactions. Comparisons of Flt3 with homologous receptors and available mutagenesis data for FL have allowed us to rationalize the unique features of the Flt3 extracellular assembly. Furthermore, thermodynamic dissection of complex formation points to a pronounced enthalpically driven binding event coupled to an entropic penalty. Together, our data suggest that the high-affinity Flt3:FL complex is driven in part by a single preformed binding epitope on FL reminiscent of a "lock-and-key" binding mode, thereby setting the stage for antagonist design.
    Blood 03/2011; 118(1):60-8. · 9.90 Impact Factor
  • Article: Inducible production of recombinant human Flt3 ectodomain variants in mammalian cells and preliminary crystallographic analysis of Flt3 ligand-receptor complexes.
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    ABSTRACT: The extracellular complex between the haematopoietic receptor Flt3 and its cytokine ligand (FL) is the cornerstone of signalling cascades that are central to early haematopoiesis and the immune system. Here, efficient protocols for the production of two ectodomain variants of human Flt3 receptor, Flt3D1-D5 and Flt3D1-D4, for structural studies are reported based on tetracycline-inducible stable cell lines in HEK293S cells deficient in N-acetylglycosaminyltransferase I (GnTI-/-) that can secrete the target proteins with limited and homogeneous N-linked glycosylation to milligram amounts. The ensuing preparative purification of Flt3 receptor-ligand complexes yielded monodisperse complex preparations that were amenable to crystallization. Crystals of the Flt3D1-D4-FL and Flt3D1-D5-FL complexes diffracted to 4.3 and 7.8 Å resolution, respectively, and exhibited variable diffraction quality even within the same crystal. The resulting data led to the successful structure determination of Flt3D1-D4-FL via a combination of molecular-replacement and density-modification protocols exploiting the noncrystallographic symmetry and high solvent content of the crystals.
    Acta Crystallographica Section F Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications 03/2011; 67(Pt 3):325-31. · 0.51 Impact Factor
  • Article: Construction of cellobiose phosphorylase variants with broadened acceptor specificity towards anomerically substituted glucosides.
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    ABSTRACT: The general application of glycoside phosphorylases such as cellobiose phosphorylase (CP) for glycoside synthesis is hindered by their relatively narrow substrate specificity. We have previously reported on the creation of Cellulomonas uda CP enzyme variants with either modified donor or acceptor specificity. Remarkably, in this study it was found that the donor mutant also displays broadened acceptor specificity towards several beta-glucosides. Triple mutants containing donor (T508I/N667A) as well as acceptor mutations (E649C or E649G) also display a broader acceptor specificity than any of the parent enzymes. Moreover, further broadening of the acceptor specificity has been achieved by site-saturation mutagenesis of residues near the active site entrance. The best enzyme variant contains the additional N156D and N163D mutations and is active towards various alkyl beta-glucosides, methyl alpha-glucoside and cellobiose. In comparison with the wild-type C. uda CP enzyme, which cannot accept anomerically substituted glucosides at all, the obtained increase in substrate specificity is significant. The described CP enzyme variants should be useful for the synthesis of cellobiosides and other glycosides with prebiotic and pharmaceutical properties.
    Biotechnology and Bioengineering 10/2010; 107(3):413-20. · 3.95 Impact Factor
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    Article: Hydrophobic surface patches on LolA of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are essential for lipoprotein binding.
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    ABSTRACT: Many lipoproteins reside in the outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria, and their biogenesis is dependent on the Lol (localization of lipoproteins) system. The periplasmic chaperone LolA accepts OM-destined lipoproteins that are released from the inner membrane by the LolCDE complex and transfers them to the OM receptor LolB. The exact nature of the LolA-lipoprotein complex is still unknown. The crystal structure of Escherichia coli LolA features an open beta-barrel covered by alpha helices that together constitute a hydrophobic cavity, which would allow the binding of one acyl chain. However, OM lipoproteins contain three acyl chains, and the stoichiometry of the LolA-lipoprotein complex is 1:1. Here we present the crystal structure of Pseudomonas aeruginosa LolA that projects clear hydrophobic surface patches. Since these patches are large enough to accommodate acyl chains, their role in lipoprotein binding was investigated. Several LolA mutant proteins were created, and their functionality was assessed by studying their capacity to release lipoproteins produced in sphaeroplasts. Interruption of the largest hydrophobic patch completely destroyed the lipoprotein-releasing capacity of LolA, while interruption of smaller patches apparently reduced efficiency. Thus, the results show a new lipoprotein transport model that places (some of) the acyl chains on the hydrophobic surface patches.
    Journal of Molecular Biology 09/2010; 401(5):921-30. · 4.00 Impact Factor
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    Article: Glutathione import in Haemophilus influenzae Rd is primed by the periplasmic heme-binding protein HbpA.
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    ABSTRACT: Glutathione (GSH) is a vital intracellular cysteine-containing tripeptide across all kingdoms of life and assumes a plethora of cellular roles. Such pleiotropic behavior relies on a finely tuned spatiotemporal distribution of glutathione and its conjugates, which is not only controlled by synthesis and breakdown, but also by transport. Here, we show that import of glutathione in the obligate human pathogen Haemophilus influenzae, a glutathione auxotrophe, is mediated by the ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-like dipeptide transporter DppBCDF, which is primed for glutathione transport by a dedicated periplasmic-binding protein (PBP). We have identified the periplasmic lipoprotein HbpA, a protein hitherto implicated in heme acquisition, as the cognate PBP that specifically binds reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) forms of glutathione with physiologically relevant affinity, while it exhibits marginal binding to hemin. Dissection of the ligand preferences of HbpA showed that HbpA does not recognize bulky glutathione S conjugates or glutathione derivatives with C-terminal modifications, consistent with the need for selective import of useful forms of glutathione and the concomitant exclusion of potentially toxic glutathione adducts. Structural studies of the highly homologous HbpA from Haemophilus parasuis in complex with GSSG have revealed the structural basis of the proposed novel function for HbpA-like proteins, thus allowing a delineation of highly conserved structure-sequence fingerprints for the entire family of HbpA proteins. Taken together, our studies unmask the main physiological role of HbpA and establish a paradigm for glutathione import in bacteria. Accordingly, we propose a name change for HbpA to glutathione-binding protein A.
    Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 07/2010; 107(30):13270-5. · 9.68 Impact Factor
  • Article: Crystallization and X-ray diffraction studies of inverting trehalose phosphorylase from Thermoanaerobacter sp.
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    ABSTRACT: Disaccharide phosphorylases are attractive enzymatic platforms for tailor-made sugar synthesis owing to their ability to catalyze both the synthesis and the breakdown of disaccharides. Trehalose phosphorylase from Thermoanaerobacter sp. (TP) is a glycoside hydrolase family 65 enzyme which catalyzes the reversible breakdown of trehalose [D-glucopyranosyl-alpha(1,1)alpha-D-glucopyranose] to beta-D-glucose 1-phosphate and D-glucose. Recombinant purified protein was produced in Escherichia coli and crystallized in space group P2(1)2(1)2(1). Crystals of recombinant TP were obtained in their native form and were soaked with glucose, with n-octyl-beta-D-glucoside and with trehalose. The crystals presented a number of challenges including an unusually large unit cell, with a c axis measuring 420 A, and variable diffraction quality. Crystal-dehydration protocols led to improvements in diffraction quality that were often dramatic, typically from 7-8 to 3-4 A resolution. The structure of recombinant TP was determined by molecular replacement to 2.8 A resolution, thus establishing a starting point for investigating the structural and mechanistic determinants of the disaccharide phosphorylase activity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first crystal structure determination of an inverting trehalose phosphorylase.
    Acta Crystallographica Section F Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications 04/2010; 66(Pt 4):442-7. · 0.51 Impact Factor
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    Article: Crystallization and X-ray diffraction studies of cellobiose phosphorylase from Cellulomonas uda.
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    ABSTRACT: Disaccharide phosphorylases are able to catalyze both the synthesis and the breakdown of disaccharides and have thus emerged as attractive platforms for tailor-made sugar synthesis. Cellobiose phosphorylase from Cellulomonas uda (CPCuda) is an enzyme that belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 94 and catalyzes the reversible breakdown of cellobiose [beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1,4)-D-glucopyranose] to alpha-D-glucose-1-phosphate and D-glucose. Crystals of ligand-free recombinant CPCuda and of its complexes with substrates and reaction products yielded complete X-ray diffraction data sets to high resolution using synchrotron radiation but suffered from significant variability in diffraction quality. In at least one case an intriguing space-group transition from a primitive monoclinic to a primitive orthorhombic lattice was observed during data collection. The structure of CPCuda was determined by maximum-likelihood molecular replacement, thus establishing a starting point for an investigation of the structural and mechanistic determinants of disaccharide phosphorylase activity.
    Acta Crystallographica Section F Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications 03/2010; 66(Pt 3):346-51. · 0.51 Impact Factor
  • Article: The 285 kDa Bap/RTX hybrid cell surface protein (SO4317) of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 is a key mediator of biofilm formation.
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    ABSTRACT: Shewanella oneidensis, a Gram-negative bacterium with unusual respiratory versatility, is found in soil and sediment environments, and sporadically as an opportunistic pathogen in humans and aquatic animals. The ability to form biofilms is a critical factor in the environmental spread and survival of this bacterium. We subjected S. oneidensis MR-1 to random transposon insertion mutagenesis to identify genes contributing to the ability of the organism to form biofilms on polystyrene surfaces. Follow-up of the clone that was most heavily impaired in biofilm formation led to the identification of a novel 285 kDa multi-domain protein which we have termed biofilm-promoting factor A (BpfA). BpfA is secreted by a type I secretion system to the cell surface, where it is a requisite for biofilm development. The BpfA-dependent biofilm phenotype is positively modulated by sub to low millimolar amounts of calcium. Intriguingly, BpfA features structural motifs and sequence fingerprints that can be traced back to bacterial Bap-family and RTX family proteins, two protein families harboring putative and established calcium binding sites.
    Research in Microbiology 03/2010; 161(2):144-52. · 2.76 Impact Factor
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    Article: Development and application of a screening assay for glycoside phosphorylases.
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    ABSTRACT: Glycoside phosphorylases (GPs) are interesting enzymes for the glycosylation of chemical molecules. They require only a glycosyl phosphate as sugar donor and an acceptor molecule with a free hydroxyl group. Their narrow substrate specificity, however, limits the application of GPs for general glycoside synthesis. Although an enzyme's substrate specificity can be altered and broadened by protein engineering and directed evolution, this requires a suitable screening assay. Such a screening assay has not yet been described for GPs. Here we report a screening procedure for GPs based on the measurement of released inorganic phosphate in the direction of glycoside synthesis. It appeared necessary to inhibit endogenous phosphatase activity in crude Escherichia coli cell extracts with molybdate, and inorganic phosphate was measured with a modified phosphomolybdate method. The screening system is general and can be used to screen GP enzyme libraries for novel donor and acceptor specificities. It was successfully applied to screen a residue E649 saturation mutagenesis library of Cellulomonas uda cellobiose phosphorylase (CP) for novel acceptor specificity. An E649C enzyme variant was found with novel acceptor specificity toward alkyl beta-glucosides and phenyl beta-glucoside. This is the first report of a CP enzyme variant with modified acceptor specificity.
    Analytical Biochemistry 02/2010; 401(1):162-7. · 3.00 Impact Factor
  • Article: Towards structural studies of the old yellow enzyme homologue SYE4 from Shewanella oneidensis and its complexes at atomic resolution.
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    ABSTRACT: Shewanella oneidensis is an environmentally versatile Gram-negative gamma-proteobacterium that is endowed with an unusually large proteome of redox proteins. Of the four old yellow enzyme (OYE) homologues found in S. oneidensis, SYE4 is the homologue most implicated in resistance to oxidative stress. SYE4 was recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belonged to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) and were moderately pseudo-merohedrally twinned, emulating a P422 metric symmetry. The native crystals of SYE4 were of exceptional diffraction quality and provided complete data to 1.10 A resolution using synchrotron radiation, while crystals of the reduced enzyme and of the enzyme in complex with a wide range of ligands typically led to high-quality complete data sets to 1.30-1.60 A resolution, thus providing a rare opportunity to dissect the structure-function relationships of a good-sized enzyme (40 kDa) at true atomic resolution. Here, the attainment of a number of experimental milestones in the crystallographic studies of SYE4 and its complexes are reported, including isolation of the elusive hydride-Meisenheimer complex.
    Acta Crystallographica Section F Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications 01/2010; 66(Pt 1):85-90. · 0.51 Impact Factor