proximity-ligand-assay-to-localize-proteins-in-dna-damage-sites

Proximity Ligand Assay to Localize Proteins in DNA Damage Sites

The DNA damage response is a genetic information safeguard that protects cells from perpetuating damaged DNA. The characterization of the proteins that ...

Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM)

Current studies estimate that 1-3% of females with unexplained intellectual disability (ID) present  splice site, nonsense, frameshift, or missense mutations in the DDX3X protein (DEAD-Box Helicase 3 X-Linked). However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which DDX3X mutations impair brain development are not fully comprehended. Here, we show that the ID-linked missense mutation L556S renders DDX3X prone to aggregation. By using a combination of biophysical assays and imaging approaches, we demonstrate that this mutant assembles solid-like condensates and amyloid-like fibrils. Although we observed greatly reduced expression of the mutant allele in a patient who exhibits skewed X inactivation, this appears to be enough to sequestrate healthy proteins into solid-like ectopic granules, compromising cell function. Therefore, our data suggest ID-linked  L556S mutation as a disorder arising from protein misfolding and aggregation.

Molecular and cellular basis of hyperassembly and protein aggregation driven by a rare pathogenic mutation in DDX3X.

Staphylococcal exfoliative toxins (ETs) are glutamyl endopeptidases that specifically cleave the Glu381-Gly382 bond in the ectodomains of desmoglein 1 (Dsg1) via complex action mechanisms. To date, four ETs have been identified in different  strains and ETE is the most recently characterized. The unusual properties of ETs have been attributed to a unique structural feature, i.e., the 180° flip of the carbonyl oxygen (O) of the nonconserved residue 192/186 (ETA/ETE numbering), not conducive to the oxyanion hole formation. We report the crystal structure of ETE determined at 1.61 Å resolution, in which P186(O) adopts two conformations displaying a 180° rotation. This finding, together with free energy calculations, supports the existence of a dynamic transition between the conformations under the tested conditions. Moreover, enzymatic assays showed no significant differences in the esterolytic efficiency of ETE and ETE/P186G, a mutant predicted to possess a functional oxyanion hole, thus downplaying the influence of the flip on the activity. Finally, we observed the formation of ETE homodimers in solution and the predicted homodimeric structure revealed the participation of a characteristic nonconserved loop in the interface and the partial occlusion of the protein active site, suggesting that monomerization is required for enzymatic activity.

 Exfoliative Toxin E, Oligomeric State and Flip of P186: Implications for Its Action Mechanism.

The nucleocapsid (N) protein plays critical roles in coronavirus genome transcription and packaging, representing a key target for the development of novel antivirals, and for which structural information on ligand binding is scarce. We used a novel fluorescence polarization assay to identify small molecules that disrupt the binding of the N protein to a target RNA derived from the SARS-CoV-2 genome packaging signal. Several phenolic compounds, including L-chicoric acid (CA), were identified as high-affinity N-protein ligands. The binding of CA to the N protein was confirmed by isothermal titration calorimetry, H-STD and N-HSQC NMR, and by the crystal structure of CA bound to the N protein C-terminal domain (CTD), further revealing a new modulatory site in the SARS-CoV-2 N protein. Moreover, CA reduced SARS-CoV-2 replication in cell cultures. These data thus open venues for the development of new antivirals targeting the N protein, an essential and yet underexplored coronavirus target.

Discovery and structural characterization of chicoric acid as a SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein ligand and RNA binding disruptor.

Mammaliicoccus sciuri, a commensal and pathogenic bacterium of significant clinical and veterinary relevance, expresses exfoliative toxin C (ExhC), a specific glutamyl endopeptidase belonging to the chymotrypsin family as the principal virulence factor. However, unlike most members of this family, ETs are inactive against a wide range of substrates and possess exquisite specificity for desmoglein-1 (Dsg1), a cadherin-like adhesion molecule that is crucial to maintain tissue integrity, thereby preventing the separation of skin cells and the entry of pathogens. ExhC is of clinical importance since in addition to causing exfoliation in pigs and mice, it induces necrosis in multiple mammalian cell lines, a property not observed for other ETs. Previous experiments have implicated the ExhC fragment in causing necrosis. Site-directed mutagenesis of specific residues within this fragment were studied and led to the design of an ExhC variant containing four-point mutations (ExhC) lacking necrotic potential but retaining nearly wild-type (wt) levels of enzymatic activity. Moreover, the determination of the ExhC and ExhC crystal structures identified the conformation in the necrosis-linked region. These results constitute an important step toward the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the necrotic and epidermolytic activity of ExhC.

Andrey Fabricio Ziem Nascimento

Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS) Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM)

Proximity Ligand Assay to Localize Proteins in DNA Damage Sites