Endonucleolytic double-strand DNA break production requires separate strand cleavage events. Although catalytic mechanisms for simple dimeric endonucleases are available, there are many complex nuclease machines which are poorly understood in comparison. Here we studied the single polypeptide Type ISP restriction-modification (RM) enzymes, which cleave random DNA between distant target sites when two enzymes collide following convergent ATP-driven translocation. We report the 2.7 Angstroms resolution X-ray crystal structure of a Type ISP enzyme-DNA complex, revealing that both the helicase-like ATPase and nuclease are unexpectedly located upstream of the direction of translocation, inconsistent with simple nuclease domain-dimerization. Using single-molecule and biochemical techniques, we demonstrate that each ATPase remodels its DNA-protein complex and translocates along DNA without looping it, leading to a collision complex where the nuclease domains are distal. Sequencing of single cleavage events suggests a previously undescribed endonuclease model, where multiple, stochastic strand nicking events combine to produce DNA scission.
The AAA+ GTPase McrB powers DNA cleavage by the endonuclease McrC. The GTPase itself is activated by McrC. The architecture of the GTPase and nuclease complex, and the mechanism of their activation remained unknown. Here, we report a 3.6 Å structure of a GTPase-active and DNA-binding deficient construct of McrBC. Two hexameric rings of McrB are bridged by McrC dimer. McrC interacts asymmetrically with McrB protomers and inserts a stalk into the pore of the ring, reminiscent of the γ subunit complexed to α 3 β 3 of F 1 -ATPase. Activation of the GTPase involves conformational changes of residues essential for hydrolysis. Three consecutive nucleotide-binding pockets are occupied by the GTP analogue 5’-guanylyl imidodiphosphate and the next three by GDP, which is suggestive of sequential GTP hydrolysis.
McrBC is one of the three modification-dependent restriction enzymes encoded by the Escherichia coli K12 chromosome. Amongst restriction enzymes, McrBC and its close homologues are unique in employing the AAA+ domain for GTP hydrolysis-dependent activation of DNA cleavage. The GTPase activity of McrB is stimulated by the endonuclease subunit McrC. It had been reported previously that McrB and McrC subunits oligomerise together into a high molecular weight species. Here we conclusively demonstrate using size exclusion chromatography coupled multi-angle light scattering (SEC-MALS) and images obtained by electron cryomicroscopy that McrB exists as a hexamer in solution. Furthermore, based on SEC-MALS and SAXS analyses of McrBC and the structure of McrB, we propose that McrBC is a complex of two McrB hexamers bridged by two subunits of McrC, and that the complete assembly of this complex is integral to its enzymatic activity. We show that the nucleotide-dependent oligomerisation of McrB precedes GTP hydrolysis. Mutational studies show that, unlike other AAA+ proteins, the catalytic Walker B aspartate is required for oligomerisation.
Engineering restriction enzymes with new sequence specificity has been an unaccomplished challenge, presumably because of the complexity of target recognition. Here we report detailed analyses of target recognition by Type ISP restriction-modification enzymes. We determined the structure of the Type ISP enzyme LlaGI bound to its target and compared it with the previously reported structure of a close homologue that binds to a distinct target, LlaBIII. The comparison revealed that, although the two enzymes use almost a similar set of structural elements for target recognition, the residues that read the bases vary. Change in specificity resulted not only from appropriate substitution of amino acids that contacted the bases but also from new contacts made by positionally distinct residues directly or through a water bridge. Sequence analyses of 552 Type ISP enzymes showed that the structural elements involved in target recognition of LlaGI and LlaBIII were structurally well-conserved but sequentially less-conserved. In addition, the residue positions within these structural elements were under strong evolutionary constraint, highlighting the functional importance of these regions. The comparative study helped decipher a partial consensus code for target recognition by Type ISP enzymes.
Ca2+ influx through high-voltage-activated calcium channels (HVACCs) controls diverse cellular functions. A critical feature enabling a singular signal, Ca2+ influx, to mediate disparate functions is diversity of HVACC pore-forming α1 and auxiliary CaVβ1–CaVβ4 subunits. Selective CaVα1 blockers have enabled deciphering their unique physiological roles. By contrast, the capacity to post-translationally inhibit HVACCs based on CaVβ isoform is non-existent. Conventional gene knockout/shRNA approaches do not adequately address this deficit owing to subunit reshuffling and partially overlapping functions of CaVβ isoforms. Here, we identify a nanobody (nb.E8) that selectively binds CaVβ1 SH3 domain and inhibits CaVβ1-associated HVACCs by reducing channel surface density, decreasing open probability, and speeding inactivation. Functionalizing nb.E8 with Nedd4L HECT domain yielded Chisel-1 which eliminated current through CaVβ1-reconstituted CaV1/CaV2 and native CaV1.1 channels in skeletal muscle, strongly suppressed depolarization-evoked Ca2+ influx and excitation-transcription coupling in hippocampal neurons, but was inert against CaVβ2-associated CaV1.2 in cardiomyocytes. The results introduce an original method for probing distinctive functions of ion channel auxiliary subunit isoforms, reveal additional dimensions of CaVβ1 signaling in neurons, and describe a genetically-encoded HVACC inhibitor with unique properties.
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