Lanthanide-binding-tags (LBTs) are valuable tools for investigation of protein structure, function, and dynamics by NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography and luminescence studies. We have inserted LBTs into three different loop positions (denoted L, R, and S) of the model protein interleukin-1β and varied the length of the spacer between the LBT and the protein (denoted 1-3). Luminescence studies demonstrate that all nine constructs bind Tb 3+ tightly in the low nanomolar range. No significant change in the fusion protein occurs from insertion of the LBT, as shown by two X-ray crystallographic structures of the IL1β-S1 and IL1β-L3 constructs and for the remaining constructs by comparing 1 H-15 N-HSQC NMR spectra with wild-type IL1β. Additionally, binding of LBT-loop IL1β proteins to their native binding partner in vitro remains unaltered. X-ray crystallographic phasing was successful using only the signal from the bound lanthanide. Large residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) could be determined by NMR spectroscopy for all LBT-loopconstructs and revealed that the LBT-2 series were rigidly incorporated into the interleukin-1β structure. The paramagnetic NMR spectra of loop-LBT mutant IL1β-R2 were assigned and the Δχ tensor components were calculated based on RDCs and pseudocontact shifts (PCSs). A structural model of the IL1β-R2 construct was calculated using the paramagnetic restraints. The current data provide support that encodable LBTs serve as versatile biophysical tags when inserted into loop regions of proteins of known structure or predicted via homology modelling.

We recently engineered encodable lanthanide binding tags (LBTs) into proteins and demonstrated their applicability in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography and luminescence studies. Here, we engineered two-loop-LBTs into the model protein interleukin-1b (IL1b) and measured 1 H, 15 Npseudocontact shifts (PCSs) by NMR spectroscopy. We determined the Dv-tensors associated with each Tm 3? -loaded loop-LBT and show that the experimental PCSs yield structural information at the interface between the two metal ion centers at atomic resolution. Such information is very valuable for the determination of the sites of interfaces in protein-protein-complexes. Combining the experimental PCSs of the two-loop-LBT construct IL1b-S2R2 and the respective single-loop-LBT constructs IL1b-S2, IL1b-R2 we additionally determined the distance between the metal ion centers. Further, we explore the use of two-loop LBTs loaded with Gd 3? as a novel tool for distance determination by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy and show the NMR-derived distances to be remarkably consistent with distances derived from Pulsed Electron-Electron Dipolar Resonance.

Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) are important physiological means to regulate the activities and structures of central regulatory proteins in health and disease. Small GTPases have been recognized as important molecules that are targeted by PTMs during infections of mammalian cells by bacterial pathogens. The enzymes DrrA/SidM and AnkX fromLegionella pneumophilaAMPylate and phosphocholinate Rab1b during infection, respectively. Cdc42 is AMPylated by IbpA fromHistophilus somniat tyrosine 32 or by VopS fromVibrio parahaemolyticusat threonine 35. These modifications take place in the important regulatory switch I or switch II regions of the GTPases. Since Rab1b and Cdc42 are central regulators of intracellular vesicular trafficking and of the actin cytoskeleton, their modifications by bacterial pathogens have a profound impact on the course of infection. Here, we addressed the biochemical and structural consequences of GTPase AMPylation and phosphocholination. By combining biochemical experiments and NMR analysis, we demonstrate that AMPylation can overrule the activity state of Rab1b that is commonly dictated by binding to guanosine diphosphate or guanosine triphosphate. Thus, PTMs may exert conformational control over small GTPases and may add another previously unrecognized layer of activity control to this important regulatory protein family.