No abstract

Overexpression of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) in cancer cells correlates with tumor malignancy and poor prognosis for cancer patients. For this reason, the EGFR has become one of the main targets of anticancer therapies. Structural data obtained in the last few years have revealed the molecular mechanism for ligand-induced EGFR dimerization and subsequent signal transduction, and also how this signal is blocked by either monoclonal antibodies or small molecules. Nimotuzumab (also known as h-R3) is a humanized antibody that targets the EGFR and has been successful in the clinics. In this work, we report the crystal structure of the Fab fragment of Nimotuzumab, revealing some unique structural features in the heavy variable domain. Furthermore, competition assays show that Nimotuzumab binds to domain III of the extracellular region of the EGFR, within an area that overlaps with both the surface patch recognized by Cetuximab (another anti-EGFR antibody) and the binding site for EGF. A computer model of the Nimotuzumab-EGFR complex, constructed by docking and molecular dynamics simulations and supported by mutagenesis studies, unveils a novel mechanism of action, with Nimotuzumab blocking EGF binding while still allowing the receptor to adopt its active conformation, hence warranting a basal level of signaling. [Cancer Res 2009;69(14):5851-9]

Aquaporins are membrane channels that facilitate the flow of water across biological membranes. Two conserved regions are central for selective function: the dual asparagine, proline, alanine (NPA) aquaporin signature motif and the aromatic/arginine selectivity filter (SF). Here we present the crystal structure of a yeast aquaporin at 0.88 Å resolution. We visualize the H-bond donor interactions of the dual NPA motif asparagine residues to passing water molecules; observe a polarized water-water H-bond configuration within the channel; assign the tautomeric states of the SF histidine and arginine residues; and observe four SF water positions too closely spaced to be simultaneously occupied. Strongly correlated movements break the connectivity of SF waters to other water molecules within the channel and prevent proton transport via a Grotthuss mechanism.

Oxygen-evolving photosynthetic organisms regulate carbon metabolism through a light-dependent redox signalling pathway. Electrons are shuttled from photosystem I by means of ferredoxin (Fdx) to ferredoxin-thioredoxin reductase (FTR), which catalyses the two-electron-reduction of chloroplast thioredoxins (Trxs). These modify target enzyme activities by reduction, regulating carbon flow. FTR is unique in its use of a [4Fe-4S] cluster and a proximal disulphide bridge in the conversion of a light signal into a thiol signal. We determined the structures of FTR in both its one- and its two-electron-reduced intermediate states and of four complexes in the pathway, including the ternary Fdx-FTR-Trx complex. Here we show that, in the first complex (Fdx-FTR) of the pathway, the Fdx [2Fe-2S] cluster is positioned suitably for electron transfer to the FTR [4Fe-4S] centre. After the transfer of one electron, an intermediate is formed in which one sulphur atom of the FTR active site is free to attack a disulphide bridge in Trx and the other sulphur atom forms a fifth ligand for an iron atom in the FTR [4Fe-4S] centre--a unique structure in biology. Fdx then delivers a second electron that cleaves the FTR-Trx heterodisulphide bond, which occurs in the Fdx-FTR-Trx complex. In this structure, the redox centres of the three proteins are aligned to maximize the efficiency of electron transfer from the Fdx [2Fe-2S] cluster to the active-site disulphide of Trxs. These results provide a structural framework for understanding the mechanism of disulphide reduction by an iron-sulphur enzyme and describe previously unknown interaction networks for both Fdx and Trx (refs 4-6).

Many pathogenic bacteria utilise sialic acids as an energy source or use them as an external coating to evade immune detection. As such, bacteria that colonise sialylated environments deploy specific transporters to mediate import of scavenged sialic acids. Here, we report a substrate-bound 1.95 Å resolution structure and subsequent characterisation of SiaT, a sialic acid transporter from Proteus mirabilis. SiaT is a secondary active transporter of the sodium solute symporter (SSS) family, which use Na+ gradients to drive the uptake of extracellular substrates. SiaT adopts the LeuT-fold and is in an outward-open conformation in complex with the sialic acid N-acetylneuraminic acid and two Na+ ions. One Na+ binds to the conserved Na2 site, while the second Na+ binds to a new position, termed Na3, which is conserved in many SSS family members. Functional and molecular dynamics studies validate the substrate-binding site and demonstrate that both Na+ sites regulate N-acetylneuraminic acid transport.

Pectin is a principal component in the primary cell wall of plants. During cell development, pectin is modified by pectin methylesterases to give different properties to the cell wall. This report describes the first crystal structure of a plant pectin methylesterase. The L L-helical structure embodies a central cleft, lined by several aromatic residues, that has been deduced to be suitable for pectin binding. The active site is found at the center of this cleft where Asp157 is suggested to act as the nucleophile, Asp136 as an acid/base and Gln113/Gln135 to form an anion hole to stabilize the transition state. ß

Transcription is regulated through binding factors to gene promoters to activate or repress expression, however, the mechanisms by which factors find targets remain unclear. Using single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, we determined in vivo stoichiometry and spatiotemporal dynamics of a GFP tagged repressor, Mig1, from a paradigm signaling pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We find the repressor operates in clusters, which upon extracellular signal detection, translocate from the cytoplasm, bind to nuclear targets and turnover. Simulations of Mig1 configuration within a 3D yeast genome model combined with a promoter-specific, fluorescent translation reporter confirmed clusters are the functional unit of gene regulation. In vitro and structural analysis on reconstituted Mig1 suggests that clusters are stabilized by depletion forces between intrinsically disordered sequences. We observed similar clusters of a co-regulatory activator from a different pathway, supporting a generalized cluster model for transcription factors that reduces promoter search times through intersegment transfer while stabilizing gene expression.

Human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase ( hDHODH) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, the conversion of dihydroorotate to orotate. hDHODH has recently been found to be associated with acute myelogenous leukemia, a disease for which the standard of intensive care has not changed over decades. This work presents a novel class of hDHODH inhibitors, which are based on an unusual carboxylic group bioisostere 2-hydroxypyrazolo[1,5- a]pyridine, that has been designed starting from brequinar, one of the most potent hDHODH inhibitors. A combination of structure-based and ligand-based strategies produced compound 4, which shows brequinar-like hDHODH potency in vitro and is superior in terms of cytotoxicity and immunosuppression. Compound 4 also restores myeloid differentiation in leukemia cell lines at concentrations that are one log digit lower than those achieved in experiments with brequinar. This Article reports the design, synthesis, SAR, X-ray crystallography, biological assays, and physicochemical characterization of the new class of hDHODH inhibitors.