Browsing by Author "Yennamalli, Ragothaman M."

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Crystal structure of SgcJ, an NTF2-like superfamily protein involved in biosynthesis of the nine-membered enediyne antitumor antibiotic C-1027
    (Springer Nature, 2016) Huang, Tingting; Chang, Chin-Yuan; Lohman, Jeremy R.; Rudolf, Jeffrey D.; Kim, Youngchang; Chang, Changsoo; Yang, Dong; Ma, Ming; Yan, Xiaohui; Crnovcic, Ivana; Bigelow, Lance; Clancy, Shonda; Bingman, Craig A.; Yennamalli, Ragothaman M.; Babnigg, Gyorgy; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Phillips, George N.Jr.; Shen, Ben
    Comparative analysis of the enediyne biosynthetic gene clusters revealed sets of conserved genes serving as outstanding candidates for the enediyne core. Here we report the crystal structures of SgcJ and its homologue NCS-Orf16, together with gene inactivation and site-directed mutagenesis studies, to gain insight into enediyne core biosynthesis. Gene inactivation in vivo establishes that SgcJ is required for C-1027 production in Streptomyces globisporus. SgcJ and NCS-Orf16 share a common structure with the nuclear transport factor 2-like superfamily of proteins, featuring a putative substrate binding or catalytic active site. Site-directed mutagenesis of the conserved residues lining this site allowed us to propose that SgcJ and its homologues may play a catalytic role in transforming the linear polyene intermediate, along with other enediyne polyketide synthase-associated enzymes, into an enzyme-sequestered enediyne core intermediate. These findings will help formulate hypotheses and design experiments to ascertain the function of SgcJ and its homologues in nine-membered enediyne core biosynthesis.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Crystal structure of SsfS6, the putative C-glycosyltransferase involved in SF2575 biosynthesis
    (Wiley, 2013) Wang, Fengbin; Zhou, Maoquan; Singh, Shanteri; Yennamalli, Ragothaman M.; Bingman, Craig A.; Thorson, Jon S.; Phillips, George N.Jr.
    The molecule known as SF2575 from Streptomyces sp. is a tetracycline polyketide natural product that displays antitumor activity against murine leukemia P388 in vivo. In the SF2575 biosynthetic pathway, SsfS6 has been implicated as the crucial C-glycosyltransferase (C-GT) that forms the CC glycosidic bond between the sugar and the SF2575 tetracycline-like scaffold. Here, we report the crystal structure of SsfS6 in the free form and in complex with TDP, both at 2.4 Å resolution. The structures reveal SsfS6 to adopt a GT-B fold wherein the TDP and docked putative aglycon are consistent with the overall C-glycosylation reaction. As one of only a few existing structures for C-glycosyltransferases, the structures described herein may serve as a guide to better understand and engineer C-glycosylation.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Evolution of substrate specificity in bacterial AA10 lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases
    (BioMed Central, 2014) Book, Adam J.; Yennamalli, Ragothaman M.; Takasuka, Taichi E.; Currie, Cameron R.; Phillips, George N.; Fox, Brian G.
    Background: Understanding the diversity of lignocellulose-degrading enzymes in nature will provide insights for the improvement of cellulolytic enzyme cocktails used in the biofuels industry. Two families of enzymes, fungal AA9 and bacterial AA10, have recently been characterized as crystalline cellulose or chitin-cleaving lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs). Here we analyze the sequences, structures, and evolution of LPMOs to understand the factors that may influence substrate specificity both within and between these enzyme families. Results: Comparative analysis of sequences, solved structures, and homology models from AA9 and AA10 LPMO families demonstrated that, although these two LPMO families are highly conserved, structurally they have minimal sequence similarity outside the active site residues. Phylogenetic analysis of the AA10 family identified clades with putative chitinolytic and cellulolytic activities. Estimation of the rate of synonymous versus non-synonymous substitutions (dN/dS) within two major AA10 subclades showed distinct selective pressures between putative cellulolytic genes (subclade A) and CBP21-like chitinolytic genes (subclade D). Estimation of site-specific selection demonstrated that changes in the active sites were strongly negatively selected in all subclades. Furthermore, all codons in the subclade D had dN/dS values of less than 0.7, whereas codons in the cellulolytic subclade had dN/dS values of greater than 1.5. Positively selected codons were enriched at sites localized on the surface of the protein adjacent to the active site. Conclusions: The structural similarity but absence of significant sequence similarity between AA9 and AA10 families suggests that these enzyme families share an ancient ancestral protein. Combined analysis of amino acid sites under Darwinian selection and structural homology modeling identified a subclade of AA10 with diversifying selection at different surfaces, potentially used for cellulose-binding and protein-protein interactions. Together, these data indicate that AA10 LPMOs are under selection to change their function, which may optimize cellulolytic activity. This work provides a phylogenetic basis for identifying and classifying additional cellulolytic or chitinolytic LPMOs.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    LucY: A Versatile New Fluorescent Reporter Protein
    (Public Library of Science, 2015) Auldridge, Michele E.; Cao, Hongnan; Sen, Saurabh; Franz, Laura P.; Bingman, Craig A.; Yennamalli, Ragothaman M.; Phillips, George N.Jr.; Mead, David; Steinmetz, Eric J.
    We report on the discovery, isolation, and use of a novel yellow fluorescent protein. Lucigen Yellow (LucY) binds one FAD molecule within its core, thus shielding it from water and maintaining its structure so that fluorescence is 10-fold higher than freely soluble FAD. LucY displays excitation and emission spectra characteristic of FAD, with 3 excitation peaks at 276 nm, 377 nm, and 460 nm and a single emission peak at 530 nm. These excitation and emission maxima provide the large Stokes shift beneficial to fluorescence experimentation. LucY belongs to the MurB family of UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine reductases. The high resolution crystal structure shows that in contrast to other structurally resolved MurB enzymes, LucY does not contain a potentially quenching aromatic residue near the FAD isoalloxazine ring, which may explain its increased fluorescence over related proteins. Using E. coli as a system in which to develop LucY as a reporter, we show that it is amenable to circular permutation and use as a reporter of protein-protein interaction. Fragmentation between its distinct domains renders LucY non-fluorescent, but fluorescence can be partially restored by fusion of the fragments to interacting protein domains. Thus, LucY may find application in Protein-fragment Complementation Assays for evaluating protein-protein interactions.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Structural dynamics of a methionine γ-lyase for calicheamicin biosynthesis: Rotation of the conserved tyrosine stacking with pyridoxal phosphate
    (AIP Publishing LLC, 2016) Cao, Hongnan; Tan, Kemin; Wang, Fengbin; Bigelow, Lance; Yennamalli, Ragothaman M.; Jedrzejczak, Robert; Babnigg, Gyorgy; Bingman, Craig A.; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Kharel, Madan K.; Singh, Shanteri; Thorson, Jon S.; Phillips, George N.Jr.
    CalE6 from Micromonospora echinospora is a (pyridoxal 5′ phosphate) PLP-dependent methionine γ-lyase involved in the biosynthesis of calicheamicins. We report the crystal structure of a CalE6 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid complex showing ligand-induced rotation of Tyr100, which stacks with PLP, resembling the corresponding tyrosine rotation of true catalytic intermediates of CalE6 homologs. Elastic network modeling and crystallographic ensemble refinement reveal mobility of the N-terminal loop, which involves both tetrameric assembly and PLP binding. Modeling and comparative structural analysis of PLP-dependent enzymes involved in Cys/Met metabolism shine light on the functional implications of the intrinsic dynamic properties of CalE6 in catalysis and holoenzyme maturation.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Structure of a cupin protein Plu4264 from Photorhabdus luminescens subsp. laumondii TTO1 at 1.35 Å resolution
    (Wiley, 2015) Weerth, R.Sophia; Michalska, Karolina; Bingman, Craig A.; Yennamalli, Ragothaman M.; Li, Hui; Jedrzejczak, Robert; Wang, Fengbin; Babnigg, Gyorgy; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Thomas, Michael G.; Phillips, George N.Jr.
    Proteins belonging to the cupin superfamily have a wide range of catalytic and noncatalytic functions. Cupin proteins commonly have the capacity to bind a metal ion with the metal frequently determining the function of the protein. We have been investigating the function of homologous cupin proteins that are conserved in more than 40 species of bacteria. To gain insights into the potential function of these proteins we have solved the structure of Plu4264 from Photorhabdus luminescens TTO1 at a resolution of 1.35 Å and identified manganese as the likely natural metal ligand of the protein.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Structure-Guided Functional Characterization of Enediyne Self-Sacrifice Resistance Proteins, CalU16 and CalU19
    (American Chemical Society, 2014) Elshahawi, Sherif I.; Ramelot, Theresa A.; Seetharaman, Jayaraman; Chen, Jing Han; Singh, Shanteri; Yang, Yunhuang; Pederson, Kari; Kharel, Madan K.; Xiao, Rong; Lew, Scott; Yennamalli, Ragothaman M.; Miller, Mitchell D.; Wang, Fengbin; Tong, Liang; Montelione, Gaetano T.; Kennedy, Michael A.; Bingman, Craig A.; Zhu, Haining; Phillips, George N.Jr.; Thorson, Jon S.
    Calicheamicin γ1I (1) is an enediyne antitumor compound produced by Micromonospora echinospora spp. calichensis, and its biosynthetic gene cluster has been previously reported. Despite extensive analysis and biochemical study, several genes in the biosynthetic gene cluster of 1 remain functionally unassigned. Using a structural genomics approach and biochemical characterization, two proteins encoded by genes from the 1 biosynthetic gene cluster assigned as “unknowns”, CalU16 and CalU19, were characterized. Structure analysis revealed that they possess the STeroidogenic Acute Regulatory protein related lipid Transfer (START) domain known mainly to bind and transport lipids and previously identified as the structural signature of the enediyne self-resistance protein CalC. Subsequent study revealed calU16 and calU19 to confer resistance to 1, and reminiscent of the prototype CalC, both CalU16 and CalU19 were cleaved by 1 in vitro. Through site-directed mutagenesis and mass spectrometry, we identified the site of cleavage in each protein and characterized their function in conferring resistance against 1. This report emphasizes the importance of structural genomics as a powerful tool for the functional annotation of unknown proteins.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Using a commodity high-definition television for collaborative structural biology
    (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014) Yennamalli, Ragothaman M.; Arangarasan, Raj; Bryden, Aaron; Gleicher, Michael; Phillips, George N.Jr.
    Visualization of protein structures using stereoscopic systems is frequently needed by structural biologists working to understand a protein's structure-function relationships. Often several scientists are working as a team and need simultaneous interaction with each other and the graphics representations. Most existing molecular visualization tools support single-user tasks, which are not suitable for a collaborative group. Expensive caves, domes or geowalls have been developed, but the availability and low cost of high-definition televisions (HDTVs) and game controllers in the commodity entertainment market provide an economically attractive option to achieve a collaborative environment. This paper describes a low-cost environment, using standard consumer game controllers and commercially available stereoscopic HDTV monitors with appropriate signal converters for structural biology collaborations employing existing binary distributions of commonly used software packages like Coot, PyMOL, Chimera, VMD, O, Olex2 and others.