Sequence analysis revealed phospholipase A2 (PLA2) motifs in capsid proteins of parvoviruses. Although PLA2 activity is not known to exist in viruses, putative PLA2s from divergent parvoviruses, human B19, porcine parvovirus, and insect GmDNV (densovirus from Galleria mellonella), can emulate catalytic properties of secreted PLA2. Mutations of critical amino acids strongly reduce both PLA2 activity and, proportionally, viral infectivity, but cell surface attachment, entry, and endocytosis by PLA2-deficient virions are not affected. PLA2 activity is critical for efficient transfer of the viral genome from late endosomes/lysosomes to the nucleus to initiate replication. These findings offer the prospect of developing PLA2 inhibitors as a new class of antiviral drugs against parvovirus infections and associated diseases.

The cytoplasmic membrane protein TonB spans the periplasm of the Gram-negative bacterial cell envelope, contacts cognate outer membrane receptors, and facilitates siderophore transport. The outer membrane receptor FhuA from Escherichia coli mediates TonB-dependent import of ferrichrome. We report the 3.3 angstrom resolution crystal structure of the TonB carboxyl-terminal domain in complex with FhuA. TonB contacts stabilize FhuA's amino-terminal residues, including those of the consensus Ton box sequence that form an interprotein beta sheet with TonB through strand exchange. The highly conserved TonB residue arginine-166 is oriented to form multiple contacts with the FhuA cork, the globular domain enclosed by the beta barrel.

The molecular basis for the severity and rapid spread of the COVID-19 disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is largely unknown. ORF8 is a rapidly evolving accessory protein that has been proposed to interfere with immune responses. The crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 was determined at 2.04-Å resolution by X-ray crystallography. The structure reveals a ∼60-residue core similar to SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a, with the addition of two dimerization interfaces unique to SARS-CoV-2 ORF8. A covalent disulfide-linked dimer is formed through an N-terminal sequence specific to SARS-CoV-2, while a separate noncovalent interface is formed by another SARS-CoV-2−specific sequence, 73YIDI76. Together, the presence of these interfaces shows how SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 can form unique large-scale assemblies not possible for SARS-CoV, potentially mediating unique immune suppression and evasion activities.

The picornavirus family includes several pathogens such as poliovirus, rhinovirus (the major cause of the common cold), hepatitis A virus and the foot-and-mouth disease virus. Picornaviral proteins are expressed by direct translation of the genomic RNA into a single, large polyprotein precursor. Proteolysis of the viral polyprotein into the mature proteins is assured by the viral 3C enzymes, which are cysteine proteinases. Here we report the X-ray crystal structure at 2.3 A resolution of the 3C proteinase from hepatitis A virus (HAV-3C). The overall architecture of HAV-3C reveals a fold resembling that of the chymotrypsin family of serine proteinases, which is consistent with earlier predictions. Catalytic residues include Cys 172 as nucleophile and His 44 as general base. The 3C cleavage specificity for glutamine residues is defined primarily by His 191. The overall structure suggests that an intermolecular (trans) cleavage releases 3C and that there is an active proteinase in the polyprotein.

Complete folding is not a prerequisite for protein function, as disordered and partially folded states of proteins frequently perform essential biological functions. In order to understand their functions at the molecular level, we utilized diverse experimental measurements to calculate ensemble models of three non-homologous, intrinsically disordered proteins: I-2, spinophilin and DARPP-32, which bind to and regulate protein phosphatase 1 (PP1). The models demonstrate that these proteins have dissimilar propensities for secondary and tertiary structure in their unbound forms. Direct comparison of these ensemble models with recently determined PP1 complex structures suggests a significant role for transient, pre-formed structure in the interactions of these proteins with PP1. Finally, we generated an ensemble model of partially disordered I-2 bound to PP1 that provides insight into the relationship between flexibility and biological function in this dynamic complex.

X-ray crystallography at X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) sources is a powerful method for studying macromolecules at biologically relevant temperatures. Moreover, when combined with complementary techniques like X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), both global structures and chemical properties of metalloenzymes can be obtained concurrently, providing new insights into the interplay between the protein structure/dynamics and chemistry at an active site. Implementing such a multimodal approach can be compromised by conflicting requirements to optimize each individual method. In particular, the method used for sample delivery greatly impacts the data quality. We present here a new, robust way of delivering controlled sample amounts on demand using acoustic droplet ejection coupled with a conveyor belt drive that is optimized for crystallography and spectroscopy measurements of photochemical and chemical reactions over a wide range of time scales. Studies with photosystem II, the phytochrome photoreceptor, and ribonucleotide reductase R2 illustrate the power and versatility of this method.

The molecular architecture of the rabbit skeletal muscle aldolase (D-fructose-1,6-bisphosphate D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-lyase, EC 4.1.2.13) tetramer has been determined to 2.7-A resolution. Solution of the three-dimensional structure of rabbit muscle aldolase utilized phase information from a single isomorphous Pt(CN)4-derivative, which was combined with iterative-phase refinement based upon the noncrystallographic 222-fold symmetry exhibited by the tetramer subunits. The electron-density map calculated from the refrned phases (mf = 0.72) was interpreted on the basis of the known amino acid sequence (363 amino acids per subunit). The molecular architecture of the aldolase subunit corresponds to a singly wound fl-barrel of the parallel a/fl class structures as has been observed in triose phosphate isomerase, pyruvate kinase, phosphogluconate aldolase, as well as others. Close contacts between tetramer subunits are virtually all between regions of hydrophobic residues. Contrary to other ,8-barrel structures, the known active-site residues are located in the center of the ,8-barrel and are accessible to substrate from the COOH side of the fl-barrel. Biochemical and crystallographic data suggest that the COOH-terminal region of aldolase covers the active-site pocket from the COOH side of the fl-barrel and mediates access to the active site. On the basis of sequence studies, active-site residues as well as residues lining the active-site pocket have been totally conserved throughout evolution. By comparison, homology in the COOH-terminal region is minimal. It is suggested that the amino acid sequence of the COOH-terminal region may be, in part, the basis for the variable specific activities aldolases exhibit toward their substrates.Aldolase (D-fructose-1,6-bisphosphate D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-lyase, EC 4.1.2.13) is an ubiquitous and abundant glycolytic enzyme that plays a central and pivotal role in glycolysis and fructose metabolism. Aldolases from all species catalyze the reversible aldol cleavage of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (Fru-1,6-P2) into the triose phosphates, Dglyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate. Catalysis proceeds by two distinct chemical pathways in aldolases. In class I aldolases, found in plants and higher animals, catalysis depends upon Schiff-base formation with the substrate (1), whereas in class II aldolases, found mostly in molds and bacteria, catalysis requires a metal cofactor such as Zn2+ (2). Demonstrable activity by aldolases also exists toward substrates such as fructose 1-phosphate (Fru-1-P), and the differential activity by aldolases toward Fru-1,6-P2 and Fru-1-P has been used as a basis to discriminate between the various isozymes in vertebrates (3). In rabbit tissues, aldolase A has been isolated from muscle, aldolase B from liver, and aldolase C from brain. The three forms have been purified to homogeneity and extensively characterized (3-5). The enzymes have a relative molecular mass (Mr) of approximately 158,000 and a tertiary structure composed of...

Summary ADP-ribosylation of proteins can profoundly impact their function and serves as an effective mechanism by which bacterial toxins impair eukaryotic cell processes. Here we report the discovery that bacteria also employ ADP-ribosylating toxins against each other during interspecies competition. We demonstrate that one such toxin from Serratia proteamaculans interrupts the division of competing cells by modifying the essential bacterial tubulin-like protein, FtsZ, adjacent to its protomer interface, blocking its capacity to polymerize. The structure of the toxin in complex with its immunity determinant revealed two distinct modes of inhibition: active site occlusion and enzymatic removal of ADP-ribose modifications. We show that each is sufficient to support toxin immunity; however, the latter additionally provides unprecedented broad protection against non-cognate ADP-ribosylating effectors. Our findings reveal how an interbacterial arms race has produced a unique solution for safeguarding the integrity of bacterial cell division machinery against inactivating post-translational modifications.