| 1. |
- Devesse, Laurence, et al.
(author)
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Crystal structures of DntR inducer binding domains in complex with salicylate offer insights into the activation of LysR-type transcriptional regulators
- 2011
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In: Molecular Microbiology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0950-382X .- 1365-2958. ; 81:2, s. 354-367
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Activation of LysR-type transcription factors (LTTRs) is thought to result from conformational changes that occur when inducer molecules bind to their Inducer Binding Domains (IBDs). However, the exact nature of these changes remains to be fully elucidated. We present the crystal structures of two truncated constructs of the LTTR DntR in their apo-forms and in complex with its natural inducer molecule, salicylate. These provide a fuller picture of the conformational changes that can occur in LTTR IBDs and offer insights that may be relevant when considering the mechanism of activation of LTTRs. Two of the crystal structures show that DntR IBDs can bind up to two inducer molecules. The full extent of conformational changes observed is achieved only when inducer molecules are bound in both binding sites identified. Point mutations disrupting the putative secondary binding site produce DntR variants with a reduced response to salicylate in a whole cell system, suggesting that this site is functionally relevant.
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| 2. |
- Lönneborg, Rosa, et al.
(author)
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In vivo and in vitro investigation of transcriptional regulation by DntR.
- 2007
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In: Journal of Molecular Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-2836 .- 1089-8638. ; 372:3, s. 571-82
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- DntR is a bacterial transcription factor that has been isolated from Burkholderia species that are able to degrade the nitro-aromatic compound 2,4-dinitrotoluene. We recently solved the X-ray crystal structure of DntR, which suggested a putative location of an inducer-binding cavity (IBC). In this study, we constructed mutants of DntR in which residues lining the proposed IBC were modified in order to identify the structural elements involved in inducer binding, to modulate the inducer binding specificity, and to investigate the mechanism of transcriptional regulation by DntR. The transcriptional activation of the reporter gene gfp induced by the wild-type and mutant DntRs was monitored by analysing whole-cell fluorescence using flow-cytometry after addition of a number of potential inducer compounds. Three of the mutant proteins (F111L; F111V/H169V and Y110S/F111V) were purified and the binding constants for several of the potential inducers to these mutants were estimated. Furthermore, crystal structures of the F111L and Y110S/F111V mutant proteins were solved and used to explain changes in the inducer binding specificity at an atomic level. A comparison of the inducing capability in the whole-cell system and binding constants for a number of potential inducers suggests a mechanism where binding of an inducer molecule is not the sole requirement for transcriptional activation. In addition, specific interactions between DntR and the inducer molecule resulting in a conformational change of the protein are needed.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Smirnova, Irina A., et al.
(author)
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Extraction and liposome reconstitution of membrane proteins with their native lipids without the use of detergents
- 2018
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In: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Functional studies of membrane-bound channels, transporters or signal transducers require that the protein of interest resides in a membrane that separates two compartments. One approach that is commonly used to prepare these systems is to reconstitute the protein in liposomes. An intermediate step of this method is purification of the protein, which typically involves solubilization of the native membrane using detergent. The use of detergents often results in removal of lipids surrounding the protein, which may alter its structure and function. Here, we have employed a method for isolation of membrane proteins with a disc of their native lipids to develop an approach that allows transfer of the purified membrane protein to liposomes without the use of any detergents.
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| 6. |
- Smirnova, Irina A., et al.
(author)
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HOQNO interaction with cytochrome b in succinate:menaquinone reductase from Bacillus subtilis
- 1995
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In: FEBS Letters. - : Wiley. - 1873-3468 .- 0014-5793. ; 359:1, s. 23-26
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 2-n-Heptyl4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide (HOQNO) inhibits the succinate:quinone oxidoreductase activity of isolated and membrane-bound succinate:menaquinone oxidoreductase of B. subtilis. The inhibition pattern resembles closely that observed for α-thenoyltrifluoroacetone and carboxins in the mitochondrial succinate:ubiquinone oxidoreductase: ca. 90% of the activity is highly sensitive to HOQNO (K i ca. 0.2 μM for the isolated enzyme) whereas the rest 10% proves to be resistant to the inhibitor. HOQNO binding is shown to perturb the absorption spectrum of the ferrous di-heme cytochrome b of the B. subtilis succinate:quinone oxidoreductase both in the α and Soret bands. In addition, the inhibitor is shown to bring about a negative shift of E m of the low-potential heme b. It is suggested that HOQNO interacts with a menasemiquinone binding site near the low-potential heme and suppresses the MQ.−-to-MQH2 step of the quinone reductase reaction but allows partly for the MQ-to-MQ.− transition to occur; dismutation of MQ. formed in the latter reaction to MQ and MQH2 may account for the 10% of the enzyme activity insensitive to HOQNO.
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| 7. |
- Smirnova, Irina A., et al.
(author)
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Isolation of yeast complex IV in native lipid nanodiscs
- 2016
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In: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes. - : Elsevier BV. - 0005-2736 .- 1879-2642. ; 1858:12, s. 2984-2992
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We used the amphipathic styrene maleic acid (SMA) co-polymer to extract cytochrome c oxidase (CytcO) in its native lipid environment from S. cerevisiae mitochondria. Native nanodiscs containing one CytcO per disc were purified using affinity chromatography. The longest cross-sections of the native nanodiscs were 11 nm x 14 nm. Based on this size we estimated that each CytcO was surrounded by similar to 100 phospholipids. The native nanodiscs contained the same major phospholipids as those found in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Even though CytcO forms a supercomplex with cytochrome bc(1) in the mitochondria! membrane, cyt.bc(1) was not found in the native nanodiscs. Yet, the loosely-bound Respiratory SuperComplex factors were found to associate with the isolated CytcO. The native nanodiscs displayed an O-2-reduction activity of similar to 130 electrons CytcO(-1) s(-1) and the kinetics of the reaction of the fully reduced CytcO with 02 was essentially the same as that observed with CytcO in mitochondrial membranes. The kinetics of CO-ligand binding to the CytcO catalytic site was similar in the native nanodiscs and the mitochondrial membranes. We also found that excess SMA reversibly inhibited the catalytic activity of the mitochondrial CytcO, presumably by interfering with cyt. c binding. These data point to the importance of removing excess SMA after extraction of the membrane protein. Taken together, our data shows the high potential of using SMA-extracted CytcO for functional and structural studies.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Smirnova, Irina, et al.
(author)
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Functional Role of Thr-312 and Thr-315 in the Proton-Transfer Pathway in ba3 Cytochrome c Oxidase from Thermus thermophilus
- 2010
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In: Biochemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0006-2960 .- 1520-4995. ; 49:33, s. 7033-7039
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cytochrome ba3 from Thermus thermophilus is a member of the family of B-type heme-copper oxidases, which have a low degree of sequence homology to the well-studied mitochondrial-like A-type enzymes. Recently, it was suggested that the ba3 oxidase has only one pathway for the delivery of protons to the active site and that this pathway is spatially analogous to the K-pathway in the A-type oxidases [Chang, H.-Y., et al. (2009) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 106, 16169−16173]. This suggested pathway includes two threonines at positions 312 and 315. In this study, we investigated the time-resolved reaction between fully reduced cytochrome ba3 and O2 in variants where Thr-312 and Thr-315 were modified. While in the A-type oxidases this reaction is essentially unchanged in variants with the K-pathway modified, in the Thr-312 → Ser variant in the ba3 oxidase both reactions associated with proton uptake from solution, the PR → F and F → O transitions, were slowed compared to those of wild-type ba3. The observed time constants were slowed 3-fold (for PR → F, from 60 to 170 μs in the wild type) and 30-fold (for F → O, from 1.1 to 40 ms). In the Thr-315 → Val variant, the F → O transition was 5-fold slower (5 ms) than for the wild-type oxidase, whereas the PR → F transition displayed an essentially unchanged time constant. However, the uptake of protons from solution was a factor of 2 slower and decoupled from the optical PR → F transition. Our results thus show that proton uptake is significantly and specifically inhibited in the two variants, strongly supporting the suggested involvement of T312 and T315 in the transfer of protons to the active site during O2 reduction in the ba3 oxidase.
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| 10. |
- Smirnova, Irina, et al.
(author)
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Molecular basis for stimulation of cytochrome c oxidase activity by detergents
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Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Cytochrome c oxidase (CytcO) is an integral membrane protein, which catalyzes four-electron reduction of oxygen linked to proton uptake and pumping. Amphipathic molecules bind in sites near the so-called K proton pathway of CytcO to reversibly modulate its activity. However, purification of CytcO for mechanistic studies typically involves the use of detergents, which may interfere with binding of these regulatory molecules. Here, we investigated the CytcO enzymatic activity as well as intramolecular electron transfer linked to proton transfer upon addition of different detergents to bovine heart mitoplasts. The CytcO activity increased upon addition of alkyl glucosides (DDM and DM) and the steroid analog GDN. The maximum stimulating effect was observed for DDM and DM, and the half-stimulating effect correlated with their CMC values. With GDN the stimulation effect was smaller and occurred at a concentration higher than CMC. A kinetic analysis suggests that the stimulation of activity is due to removal of a ligand bound near the K proton pathway, which indicates that in the native membrane this site is occupied to yield a lower than maximal possible CytcO activity. Possible functional consequences are discussed.
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