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Integrator and protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) form a complex that dephosphorylates paused RNA polymerase II (Pol II), cleaves the nascent RNA, and terminates transcription. We report the structure of the pretermination complex containing the human Integrator-PP2A complex bound to paused Pol II. Integrator binds Pol II and the pausing factors DSIF and NELF to exclude binding of the elongation factors SPT6 and PAF1 complex. Integrator also binds the C-terminal domain of Pol II and positions PP2A to counteract Pol II phosphorylation and elongation. The Integrator endonuclease docks to the RNA exit site and opens to cleave nascent RNA about 20 nucleotides from the Pol II active site. Integrator does not bind the DNA clamps formed by Pol II and DSIF, enabling release of DNA and transcription termination.

During the splicing of introns from precursor messenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs), the U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) must undergo stable integration into the spliceosomal A complex—a poorly understood, multistep process that is facilitated by the DEAD-box helicase Prp5 (refs. 1–4). During this process, the U2 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) forms an RNA duplex with the pre-mRNA branch site (the U2–BS helix), which is proofread by Prp5 at this stage through an unclear mechanism5. Here, by deleting the branch-site adenosine (BS-A) or mutating the branch-site sequence of an actin pre-mRNA, we stall the assembly of spliceosomes in extracts from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae directly before the A complex is formed. We then determine the three-dimensional structure of this newly identified assembly intermediate by cryo-electron microscopy. Our structure indicates that the U2–BS helix has formed in this pre-A complex, but is not yet clamped by the HEAT domain of the Hsh155 protein (Hsh155HEAT), which exhibits an open conformation. The structure further reveals a large-scale remodelling/repositioning of the U1 and U2 snRNPs during the formation of the A complex that is required to allow subsequent binding of the U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP, but that this repositioning is blocked in the pre-A complex by the presence of Prp5. Our data suggest that binding of Hsh155HEAT to the bulged BS-A of the U2–BS helix triggers closure of Hsh155HEAT, which in turn destabilizes Prp5 binding. Thus, Prp5 proofreads the branch site indirectly, hindering spliceosome assembly if branch-site mutations prevent the remodelling of Hsh155HEAT. Our data provide structural insights into how a spliceosomal helicase enhances the fidelity of pre-mRNA splicing., The cryo-electron microscopy structure of a newly identified, early spliceosomal complex reveals the mechanism by which the RNA helicase Prp5 enhances the fidelity of the excision of introns from precursor mRNAs.

The heterogeneity and complexity of glycosylation hinder the depth of site-specific glycoproteomics analysis. High-field asymmetric-waveform ion-mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) has shown to improve the scope of bottom-up proteomics. The benefits of FAIMS for quantitative N-glycoproteomics have not been investigated yet. In this work, we optimized FAIMS settings for N-glycopeptide identification, with or without the tandem mass tag (TMT) label. The optimized FAIMS approach significantly increased the identification of site-specific N-glycopeptides derived from the purified IgM protein or human lymphoma cells. We explored in detail the changes in FAIMS mobility caused by N-glycopeptides with different characteristics, including TMT labeling, charge state, glycan type, peptide sequence, glycan size and precursor m/z. Importantly, FAIMS also improved multiplexed N-glycopeptide quantification, both with the standard MS2 acquisition method and with our recently developed Glyco-SPS-MS3 method. The combination of FAIMS and Glyco-SPS-MS3 provided the highest quantitative accuracy and precision. Our results demonstrate the advantages of FAIMS for improved mass-spectrometry-based qualitative and quantitative N-glycoproteomics. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=75 SRC="FIGDIR/small/436434v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (28K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@126b92forg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@147d6e5org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@16d6eb0org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@17dfe2a_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

Splicing is catalyzed by the spliceosome, a compositionally dynamic complex assembled stepwise on pre-mRNA. We reveal links between splicing machinery components and the intrinsically disordered ciliopathy protein SANS. Pathogenic mutations in SANS/USH1G lead to Usher syndrome—the most common cause of deaf-blindness. Previously, SANS was shown to function only in the cytosol and primary cilia. Here, we have uncovered molecular links between SANS and pre-mRNA splicing catalyzed by the spliceosome in the nucleus. We show that SANS is found in Cajal bodies and nuclear speckles, where it interacts with components of spliceosomal sub-complexes such as SF3B1 and the large splicing cofactor SON but also with PRPFs and snRNAs related to the tri-snRNP complex. SANS is required for the transfer of tri-snRNPs between Cajal bodies and nuclear speckles for spliceosome assembly and may also participate in snRNP recycling back to Cajal bodies. SANS depletion alters the kinetics of spliceosome assembly, leading to accumulation of complex A. SANS deficiency and USH1G pathogenic mutations affects splicing of genes related to cell proliferation and human Usher syndrome. Thus, we provide the first evidence that splicing dysregulation may participate in the pathophysiology of Usher syndrome., Graphical Abstract Graphical AbstractSANS acts as a factor required for the release of tri-snRNPs from Cajal bodies following by recruitment of the tri-snRNP complex to nuclear speckles for spliceosome assembly. SANS may also participate in the snRNP recycling back to the Cajal bodies.

TrmB belongs to the class I S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases (MTases) and introduces a methyl group to guanine at position 7 (m(7)G) in tRNA. In tRNAs m(7)G is most frequently found at position 46 in the variable loop and forms a tertiary base pair with C13 and U22, introducing a positive charge at G46. The TrmB/Trm8 enzyme family is structurally diverse, as TrmB proteins exist in a monomeric, homodimeric, and heterodimeric form. So far, the exact enzymatic mechanism, as well as the tRNA-TrmB crystal structure is not known. Here we present the first crystal structures of B. subtilis TrmB in complex with SAM and SAH. The crystal structures of TrmB apo and in complex with SAM and SAH have been determined by X-ray crystallography to 1.9 Å (apo), 2.5 Å (SAM), and 3.1 Å (SAH). The obtained crystal structures revealed Tyr193 to be important during SAM binding and MTase activity. Applying fluorescence polarization, the dissociation constant K(d) of TrmB and tRNA(Phe) was determined to be 0.12 µM ± 0.002 µM. Luminescence-based methyltransferase activity assays revealed cooperative effects during TrmB catalysis with half-of-the-site reactivity at physiological SAM concentrations. Structural data retrieved from small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), mass-spectrometry of cross-linked complexes, and molecular docking experiments led to the determination of the TrmB-tRNA(Phe) complex structure.

The costimulatory receptor CD28 synergizes with the TCR to promote IL-2 production, cell survival, and proliferation; yet the obligatory interdependence of TCR and CD28 signaling is not well understood. Upon TCR stimulation, Gads, a Grb2-family adaptor, bridges the interaction of two additional adaptors, LAT and SLP-76, to form a TCR-induced effector signaling complex. SLP-76 binds the Tec-family tyrosine kinase, Itk, which phosphorylates SLP-76 Y173 and PLC-γ1 Y783. In this study, we identified TCR-inducible, Itk-mediated phosphorylation of Gads Y45 in a human T cell line and in mouse primary T cells. Y45 is found within the N-terminal SH3 domain of Gads, an evolutionarily conserved domain with no known signaling function. Gads Y45 phosphorylation depended on the interaction of Gads with SLP-76 and on the dimerization-dependent binding of Gads to phospho-LAT. We provide evidence that Itk acts through SLP-76 and Gads to promote the TCR/CD28–induced activation of the RE/AP transcriptional element from the IL-2 promoter. Two Itk-related features of SLP-76, Y173 and a proline-rich Itk SH3 binding motif on SLP-76, were dispensable for activation of NFAT but selectively required for the TCR/CD28–induced increase in cytoplasmic and nuclear c-Rel and consequent RE/AP activation. We provide evidence that unphosphorylated, monomeric Gads mediates an RE/AP–directed inhibitory activity that is mitigated upon Gads dimerization and Y45 phosphorylation. This study illuminates a new, to our knowledge, regulatory module, in which TCR-induced, Itk-mediated phosphorylation sites on SLP-76 and Gads control the transcriptional response to TCR/CD28 costimulation, thus enforcing the obligatory interdependence of the TCR and CD28 signaling pathways.

The majority of mitochondrial proteins are nuclear encoded and imported into mitochondria as precursor proteins via dedicated translocases. The translocase of the inner membrane 22 (TIM22) is a multisubunit molecular machine specialized for the translocation of hydrophobic, multi‐transmembrane‐spanning proteins with internal targeting signals into the inner mitochondrial membrane. Here, we undertook a crosslinking‐mass spectrometry (XL‐MS) approach to determine the molecular arrangement of subunits of the human TIM22 complex. Crosslinking of the isolated TIM22 complex using the BS3 crosslinker resulted in the broad generation of crosslinks across the majority of TIM22 components, including the small TIM chaperone complex. The crosslinking data uncovered several unexpected features, opening new avenues for a deeper investigation into the steps required for TIM22‐mediated translocation in humans.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects human B cells and reprograms them to allow virus replication and persistence. One key viral factor in this process is latent membrane protein 2A (LMP2A), which has been described as a B cell receptor (BCR) mimic promoting malignant transformation. However, how LMP2A signaling contributes to tumorigenesis remains elusive. By comparing LMP2A and BCR signaling in primary human B cells using phosphoproteomics and transcriptome profiling, we identified molecular mechanisms through which LMP2A affects B cell biology. Consistent with the literature, we found that LMP2A mimics a subset of BCR signaling events, including tyrosine phosphorylation of the kinase SYK, the calcium initiation complex consisting of BLNK, BTK, and PLCγ2, and its downstream transcription factor NFAT. However, the majority of LMP2A-induced signaling events markedly differed from those induced by BCR stimulation. These included differential phosphorylation of kinases, phosphatases, adaptor proteins, transcription factors such as nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and TCF3, as well as widespread changes in the transcriptional output of LMP2A-expressing B cells. LMP2A affected apoptosis and cell-cycle checkpoints by dysregulating the expression of apoptosis regulators such as BCl-xL and the tumor suppressor retinoblastoma-associated protein 1 (RB1). LMP2A cooperated with MYC and mutant cyclin D3, two oncogenic drivers of Burkitt lymphoma, to promote proliferation and survival of primary human B cells by counteracting MYC-induced apoptosis and by inhibiting RB1 function, thereby promoting cell-cycle progression. Our results indicate that LMP2A is not a pure BCR mimic but rather rewires intracellular signaling in EBV-infected B cells that optimizes cell survival and proliferation, setting the stage for oncogenic transformation.

Regulation of protein N-glycosylation is essential in human cells. However, large-scale, accurate, and site-specific quantification of glycosylation is still technically challenging. We here introduce SugarQuant, an integrated mass spectrometry-based pipeline comprising protein aggregation capture (PAC)-based sample preparation, multi-notch MS3 acquisition (Glyco-SPS-MS3) and a data-processing tool (GlycoBinder) that enables confident identification and quantification of intact glycopeptides in complex biological samples. PAC significantly reduces sample-handling time without compromising sensitivity. Glyco-SPS-MS3 combines high-resolution MS2 and MS3 scans, resulting in enhanced reporter signals of isobaric mass tags, improved detection of N-glycopeptide fragments, and lowered interference in multiplexed quantification. GlycoBinder enables streamlined processing of Glyco-SPS-MS3 data, followed by a two-step database search, which increases the identification rates of glycopeptides by 22% compared with conventional strategies. We apply SugarQuant to identify and quantify more than 5,000 unique glycoforms in Burkitt’s lymphoma cells, and determine site-specific glycosylation changes that occurred upon inhibition of fucosylation at high confidence., Comprehensive quantitative profiling of intact glycopeptides remains technically challenging. To address this, the authors here develop an integrated quantitative glycoproteomic workflow, including optimized sample preparation, multiplexed quantification and a dedicated data processing tool.

Protein interactions in mitochondria isolated from S. cerevisiae grown on glycerol or glucose medium were analyzed by XL-MS. The non-cleavable cross-linker BS3 proved suitable for elucidating differences in protein-protein interactions under both conditions. XL-MS analysis of interprotein interactions using stable-isotope-labeled BS3 revealed certain limitations in the quantitative application of cross-linking to quite different cellular states. The results from glycerol-grown mitochondria show that Ndi1 interacts directly with CIII in an ETC supercomplex and that Min8 promotes Cox12 assembly into CIV., Graphical Abstract Highlights XL-MS reveals new PPIs in yeast mitochondria under glycerol and glucose condition. Significant but limited results from quantitative XL-MS experiments. Ndi1 participates in a CIII2CIV2 respiratory supercomplex. Min8 promotes assembly of Cox12 into an intermediate complex IV., Protein cross-linking and the analysis of cross-linked peptides by mass spectrometry is currently receiving much attention. Not only is this approach applied to isolated complexes to provide information about spatial arrangements of proteins, but it is also increasingly applied to entire cells and their organelles. As in quantitative proteomics, the application of isotopic labeling further makes it possible to monitor quantitative changes in the protein-protein interactions between different states of a system. Here, we cross-linked mitochondria from Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown on either glycerol- or glucose-containing medium to monitor protein-protein interactions under non-fermentative and fermentative conditions. We investigated qualitatively the protein-protein interactions of the 400 most abundant proteins applying stringent data-filtering criteria, i.e. a minimum of two cross-linked peptide spectrum matches and a cut-off in the spectrum scoring of the used search engine. The cross-linker BS3 proved to be equally suited for connecting proteins in all compartments of mitochondria when compared with its water-insoluble but membrane-permeable derivative DSS. We also applied quantitative cross-linking to mitochondria of both the growth conditions using stable-isotope labeled BS3. Significant differences of cross-linked proteins under glycerol and glucose conditions were detected, however, mainly because of the different copy numbers of these proteins in mitochondria under both the conditions. Results obtained from the glycerol condition indicate that the internal NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase Ndi1 is part of an electron transport chain supercomplex. We have also detected several hitherto uncharacterized proteins and identified their interaction partners. Among those, Min8 was found to be associated with cytochrome c oxidase. BN-PAGE analyses of min8Δ mitochondria suggest that Min8 promotes the incorporation of Cox12 into cytochrome c oxidase.

Protein glycosylation governs key physiological and pathological processes in human cells. Aberrant glycosylation is thus closely associated with disease progression. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based glycoproteomics has emerged as an indispensable tool for investigating glycosylation changes in biological samples with high sensitivity. Following rapid improvements in methodologies for reliable intact glycopeptide identification, site-specific quantification of glycopeptide macro- and micro-heterogeneity at the proteome scale has become an urgent need for exploring glycosylation regulations. Here, we summarize recent advances in N- and O-linked glycoproteomic quantification strategies and discuss their limitations. We further describe a strategy to propagate MS data for multilayered glycopeptide quantification, enabling a more comprehensive examination of global and site-specific glycosylation changes. Altogether, we show how quantitative glycoproteomics methods explore glycosylation regulation in human diseases and promote the discovery of biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

VAPB (Vesicle-Associated-membrane Protein-associated protein B) is a tail-anchored membrane protein of the endoplasmic reticulum that can also be detected at the inner nuclear membrane. As a component of many contact sites between the endoplasmic reticulum and other organelles, VAPB is engaged in multiple protein interactions with a plethora of binding partners. A mutant version of VAPB, P56S-VAPB, which results from a single point mutation, is involved in a familial form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS8). We performed RAPIDS (rapamycin- and APEX-dependent identification of proteins by SILAC) to identify proteins that interact with or are in close proximity to P56S-VAPB. The mutation abrogates the interaction of VAPB with many known binding partners. Here, we identify Sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1), a well-known autophagic adapter protein, as a major interaction/proximity partner of P56S-VAPB. Remarkably, not only the mutant protein, but also wild-type VAPB interacts with SQSTM1, as shown by proximity ligation assays and co-immunoprecipiation experiments.

Early pre-60S ribosomal particles are poorly characterized, highly dynamic complexes that undergo extensive rRNA folding and compaction concomitant with assembly of ribosomal proteins and exchange of assembly factors. Pre-60S particles contain numerous RNA helicases, which are likely regulators of accurate and efficient formation of appropriate rRNA structures. Here we reveal binding of the RNA helicase Dbp7 to domain V/VI of early pre-60S particles in yeast and show that in the absence of this protein, dissociation of the Npa1 scaffolding complex, release of the snR190 folding chaperone, recruitment of the A3 cluster factors and binding of the ribosomal protein uL3 are impaired. uL3 is critical for formation of the peptidyltransferase center (PTC) and is responsible for stabilizing interactions between the 5′ and 3′ ends of the 25S, an essential pre-requisite for subsequent pre-60S maturation events. Highlighting the importance of pre-ribosome remodeling by Dbp7, our data suggest that in the absence of Dbp7 or its catalytic activity, early pre-ribosomal particles are targeted for degradation., Early steps of large 60S ribosomal subunit biogenesis are not well understood. Here, the authors combine biochemical experiments with protein-RNA crosslinking and mass spectrometry to show that the RNA helicase Dbp7 is key player during early 60S ribosomal assembly. Dbp7 regulates a series of events driving compaction of domain V/VI in early pre60S ribosomal particles.

Mutations in pre-mRNA processing factor 31 (PRPF31), a core protein of the spliceosomal tri-snRNP complex, cause autosomal-dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP). It has remained an enigma why mutations in ubiquitously expressed tri-snRNP proteins result in retina-specific disorders, and so far, the underlying mechanism of splicing factors-related RP is poorly understood. Here, we used iPSC technology to generate retinal organoids and RPE models from three patients with severe and very severe PRPF31-adRP, normal individuals and a CRISPR/Cas9-corrected isogenic control. To fully assess the impacts of PRPF31 mutations, quantitative proteomics analyses of retinal organoids and RPE cells was carried out showing RNA splicing, autophagy and lysosome, unfolded protein response (UPR) and visual cycle-related pathways to be significantly affected. Strikingly, the patient-derived RPE and retinal cells were characterised by the presence of large amounts of cytoplasmic aggregates containing the mutant PRPF31 and misfolded, ubiquitin-conjugated proteins including key visual cycle proteins, which accumulated progressively with time. Mutant PRPF31 variant was not incorporated into splicing complexes, but reduction of PRPF31 wildtype levels led to tri-snRNP assembly defects in Cajal bodies of PRPF31 patient retinal cells with reduced U4/U6 snRNPs and accumulation of U5, smaller nuclear speckles and reduced formation of active spliceosomes giving rise to global splicing dysregulation. Moreover, the impaired waste disposal mechanisms further exacerbated aggregate formation, and targeting these by activating the autophagy pathway using Rapamycin resulted in reduction of cytoplasmic aggregates and improved cell survival. Our data demonstrate that it is the progressive aggregate accumulation that overburdens the waste disposal machinery rather than direct PRPF31-initiated mis-splicing, and thus relieving the RPE cells from insoluble cytoplasmic aggregates presents a novel therapeutic strategy that can be combined with gene therapy studies to fully restore RPE and retinal cell function in PRPF31-adRP patients.HighlightsPRPF31 RP mutations lead to formation of insoluble aggregates containing the mutant PRPF31 and misfolded, ubiquitin conjugated proteins including key visual cycle proteins (e.g. RLBP1) in RPE cells, which accumulate progressively with time and affect tight junctions and cell survival.Mutant PRPF31 is predominantly localised in cytoplasmic aggregates of patient specific RPE and retinal cells and is not able to be incorporated into splicing complexes to cause direct mis-splicing.High-throughput quantitative proteomics identifies significantly altered RNA splicing, visual perception, retinoid metabolism, waste disposal and unfolded protein response pathways in patient RPE cells, and autophagy and lysosome, unfolded protein response (UPR) and visual cycle-related pathways in photoreceptor cells.Accumulation of PRPF31 mutant variant as cytoplasmic aggregates reduces wildtype PRPF31 in the nucleus leading to tri-snRNP assembly defects, characterised by accumulation of U5 and reduction of U4/U6 snRNPs in Cajal bodies, altered morphology of nuclear speckles and consequently downregulation of active spliceosomes (Bact and C complexes) in PRPF31 patient RPE and retinal cells.Proteomic study of insoluble aggregates identifies other RP-linked splicing factors and multiple key retinal-specific proteins, whose variants are linked to retinitis pigmentosa, within the aggregates of patient RPE cells.PRPF31 patient RPE cells have impaired waste disposal and proteasome mediated degradation, which together with the impaired autophagy pathway, further exacerbate aggregate formation.Phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segment fragments (POS) shed daily by RPE cells accelerates aggregation of key proteins indicating enhanced cytoplasmic aggregate formation under physiological conditions in patient RPE cells.Activation of autophagy via administration of rapamycin results in reduction of cytoplasmic aggregates in RPE cells, correct localisation of mislocated and misfolded proteins to the nucleus, thereby improving cell survival.

Chromatin-remodelling complexes of the SWI/SNF family function in the formation of nucleosome-depleted, transcriptionally active promoter regions (NDRs)1,2. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the essential SWI/SNF complex RSC3 contains 16 subunits, including the ATP-dependent DNA translocase Sth14,5. RSC removes nucleosomes from promoter regions6,7 and positions the specialized +1 and -1 nucleosomes that flank NDRs8,9. Here we present the cryo-electron microscopy structure of RSC in complex with a nucleosome substrate. The structure reveals that RSC forms five protein modules and suggests key features of the remodelling mechanism. The body module serves as a scaffold for the four flexible modules that we call DNA-interacting, ATPase, arm and actin-related protein (ARP) modules. The DNA-interacting module binds extra-nucleosomal DNA and is involved in the recognition of promoter DNA elements8,10,11 that influence RSC functionality12. The ATPase and arm modules sandwich the nucleosome disc with the Snf2 ATP-coupling (SnAC) domain and the finger helix, respectively. The translocase motor of the ATPase module engages with the edge of the nucleosome at superhelical location +2. The mobile ARP module may modulate translocase-nucleosome interactions to regulate RSC activity5. The RSC-nucleosome structure provides a basis for understanding NDR formation and the structure and function of human SWI/SNF complexes that are frequently mutated in cancer13.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 117(6), 2948 - 2956 (2020). doi:10.1073/pnas.1907960117, The spliceosome consists of five small RNAs and more than 100 proteins. Almost 50% of the human spliceosomal proteins were predicted to be intrinsically disordered or to contain disordered regions, among them the G-patch protein Spp2. The G-patch region of Spp2 binds to the DEAH-box ATPase Prp2, and both proteins together are essential for promoting the transition from the Bact to the catalytically active B* spliceosome. Here we show by circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy that Spp2 is intrinsically disordered in solution. Crystal structures of a complex consisting of Prp2-ADP and the G-patch domain of Spp2 demonstrate that the G-patch gains a defined fold when bound to Prp2. While the N-terminal region of the G-patch always folds into an α-helix in five different crystal structures, the C-terminal part is able to adopt two alternative conformations. NMR studies further revealed that the N-terminal part of the Spp2 G-patch, which is the most conserved region in different G-patch proteins, transiently samples helical conformations, possibly facilitating a conformational selection binding mechanism. The structural analysis unveils the role of conserved residues of the G-patch in the dynamic interaction mode of Spp2 with Prp2, which is vital to maintain the binding during the Prp2 domain movements needed for RNA translocation., Published by National Acad. of Sciences, Washington, DC

Vesicle-associated membrane protein–associated protein B (VAPB) is a tail-anchored protein that is present at several contact sites of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We now show by immunoelectron microscopy that VAPB also localizes to the inner nuclear membrane (INM). Using a modified enhanced ascorbate peroxidase 2 (APEX2) approach with rapamycin-dependent targeting of the peroxidase to a protein of interest, we searched for proteins that are in close proximity to VAPB, particularly at the INM. In combination with stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC), we confirmed many well-known interaction partners at the level of the ER with a clear distinction between specific and nonspecific hits. Furthermore, we identified emerin, TMEM43, and ELYS as potential interaction partners of VAPB at the INM and the nuclear pore complex, respectively.

Hypoxia occurs in pathological conditions, such as cancer, as a result of the imbalance between oxygen supply and consumption by proliferating cells. HIFs are critical molecular mediators of the physiological response to hypoxia but also regulate multiple steps of carcinogenesis including tumor progression and metastasis. Recent data support that sumoylation, the covalent attachment of the Small Ubiquitin-related MOdifier (SUMO) to proteins, is involved in the activation of the hypoxic response and the ensuing signaling cascade. To gain insights into differences of the SUMO1 and SUMO2/3 proteome of HeLa cells under normoxia and cells grown for 48 h under hypoxic conditions, we employed endogenous SUMO-immunoprecipitation in combination with quantitative mass spectrometry (SILAC). The group of proteins whose abundance was increased both in the total proteome and in the SUMO IPs from hypoxic conditions was enriched in enzymes linked to the hypoxic response. In contrast, proteins whose SUMOylation status changed without concommitant change in abundance were predominantly transcriptions factors or transcription regulators. Particularly interesting was transcription factor TFAP2a (Activating enhancer binding Protein 2 alpha), whose sumoylation decreased upon hypoxia. TFAP2a is known to interact with HIF-1 and we provide evidence that deSUMOylation of TFAP2a enhances the transcriptional activity of HIF-1 under hypoxic conditions. Overall, these results support the notion that SUMO-regulated signaling pathways contribute at many distinct levels to the cellular response to low oxygen.

The misfolding and accumulation of disease-related proteins are common hallmarks among several neurodegenerative diseases. Alpha-synuclein (aSyn), Tau and huntingtin (wild-type and mutant, 25QHtt and 103QHtt, respectively) were recently shown to be transferred from cell-to-cell through different cellular pathways, thereby contributing to disease progression and neurodegeneration. However, the relative contribution of each of these mechanisms towards the spreading of these different proteins and the overall effect on neuronal function is still unclear.To address this, we exploited different cell-based systems to conduct a systematic comparison of the mechanisms of release of aSyn, Tau and Htt, and evaluated the effects of each protein upon internalization in microglial, astrocytic, and neuronal cells. In the models used, we demonstrate that 25QHtt, aSyn and Tau are released to the extracellular space at higher levels than 103QHtt, and their release can be further augmented with the co-expression of USP19. Furthermore, cortical neurons treated with recombinant monomeric 43QHtt exhibited alterations in neuronal activity that correlated with the toxicity of the polyglutamine expansion. Tau internalization resulted in an increase in neuronal activity, in contrast to slight effects observed with aSyn. Interestingly, all these disease-associated proteins were present at higher levels in ectosomes than in exosomes. The internalization of both types of extracellular vesicles (EVs) by microglial or astrocytic cells elicited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and promoted an increase in autophagy markers. Additionally, the uptake of the EVs modulated neuronal activity in cortical neurons.Overall, our systematic study demonstrates the release of neurodegenerative disease-associated proteins through similar cellular pathways. Furthermore, it emphasizes that protein release, both in a free form or in EVs, might contribute to a variety of detrimental effects in receiving cells and to progression of pathology, suggesting they may be exploited as valid targets for therapeutic intervention in different neurodegenerative diseases.Graphical abstract

SUMMARYVesicular transporters (VTs) define the type of neurotransmitter that synaptic vesicles (SVs) store and release. While certain neurons in mammalian brain release multiple transmitters, the prevalence, physiology of such pluralism and if the release occurs from same or distinct vesicle pools is not clear. Using quantitative single vesicle imaging, we show that a small population of neuronal SVs indeed contain different VTs to accomplish corelease. Surprisingly, this population is highly diverse (27 types), expressing distinct dual transporters suggesting corelease of various combinations of neurotransmitters. Using glutamatergic vesicles as an example, we demonstrate that transporter colocalization not only determine the transmitter type but also influences the SV content and synaptic quantal size. Thus, presence of diverse transporters on the same vesicle is bona-fide and, depending on the VT types, this may act as one mechanism to regulate neurotransmitter type, content and release in space and time.

SummaryExtracellular vesicles (EVs) are important mediators in intercellular communication. However, understanding the biological origin and functional effects of EVs subtypes has been challenging due to the moderate differences in their physical properties and absence of reliable markers. Here, we characterize the proteomes of ectosomes and exosomes using an improved differential ultracentrifugation protocol and quantitative proteomics. Cytoskeleton and glycolytic proteins are distinctively present in ectosomes, while endosomal sorting complexes proteins and tetraspanins are enriched in exosomes. Furthermore, annexin-A2 was identified as a specific marker for ectosomes derived from cell media and human cerebrospinal fluid. Expression of EGFP as a cytosolic reporter leads to its incorporation in EVs and enables their imaging with higher resolution. Importantly, ectosomes and exosomes internalization in neuronal cells results in the modulation of neuronal spontaneous activity. Our findings suggest that EVs cargoes reflect core intracellular processes, and their functional properties might regulate basic biological and pathological processes.

Long-range mRNA transport is crucial for the spatio-temporal regulation of gene expression, and its malfunction leads to neurological disorders. The pentameric FERRY Rab5 effector complex is the molecular link between mRNA and early endosomes in mRNA intracellular distribution. Here, we determine the cryo-EM structure of the human FERRY complex, composed of Fy-1 to Fy-5. The structure reveals a clamp-like architecture, where two arm-like appendages of Fy-2 and a Fy-5 dimer, protrude from the central Fy-4 dimer. The coiled-coil domains of Fy-2 are flexible and project into opposite directions from the core. While the Fy-2 C-terminal coiled-coil acts as binding region for Fy-1/3 and Rab5, both coiled-coils and Fy-5 concur to bind mRNA. Mutations causing truncations of Fy-2 in patients with neurological disorders impair Rab5 binding or FERRY complex assembly. Thus, Fy-2 serves as a binding hub connecting all five complex subunits and mediating the binding to mRNA and early endosomes via Rab5. The FERRY structure provides novel mechanistic insights into long-distance mRNA transport.

The mechanisms by which viruses hijack their host’s genetic machinery are of enormous current interest. One mechanism is adenosine diphosphate (ADP) ribosylation, where ADP-ribosyltransferases (ARTs) transfer an ADP-ribose fragment from the ubiquitous coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) to acceptor proteins. When bacteriophage T4 infects Escherichia coli, three different ARTs reprogram the host’s transcriptional and translational apparatus. Recently, NAD was identified as a 5’-modification of cellular RNA molecules in bacteria and higher organisms. Here, we report that bacteriophage T4 ARTs accept not only NAD, but also NAD-RNA as substrate, thereby covalently linking entire RNA chains to acceptor proteins in an “RNAylation” reaction. One of these ARTs, ModB, efficiently RNAylates its host protein target, ribosomal protein S1, at arginine residues and strongly prefers NAD-RNA over NAD. Mutation of a single arginine at position 139 abolishes ADP-ribosylation and RNAylation. Overexpression of mammalian ADP-ribosylarginine hydrolase 1 (ARH1), which cleaves arginine-phosphoribose bonds, shows a decelerated lysis of E. coli when infected with T4. Our findings not only challenge the established views of the phage replication cycle, but also reveal a distinct biological role of NAD-RNA, namely activation of the RNA for enzymatic transfer. Our work exemplifies the first direct connection between RNA modification and post-translational protein modification. As ARTs play important roles in different viral infections, as well as in antiviral defence by the host, RNAylation may have far-reaching implications.

Ribosome biogenesis requires auxiliary factors to promote folding and assembly of ribosomal proteins and RNA. Particularly, maturation of the peptidyl transferase center (PTC) is mediated by conserved GTPases, but the molecular basis is poorly understood. Here, we define the mechanism of GTPase-driven maturation of the human mitochondrial large ribosomal subunit (mtLSU) using endogenous complex purification, in vitro reconstitution and cryo-EM. Structures of transient native mtLSU assembly intermediates that accumulate in GTPBP6-deficient cells reveal how the biogenesis factors GTPBP5, MTERF4 and NSUN4 facilitate PTC folding. Addition of recombinant GTPBP6 reconstitutes late mtLSU biogenesis in vitro and shows that GTPBP6 triggers a molecular switch and progression to a near-mature PTC state. Additionally, cryo-EM analysis of GTPBP6-treated mature mitochondrial ribosomes reveals the structural basis for the dual-role of GTPBP6 in ribosome biogenesis and recycling. Together, these results provide a framework for understanding step-wise PTC folding as a critical conserved quality control checkpoint., Maturation of the ribosomal peptidyl transferase center (PTC) is mediated by universally conserved GTPases. Here, cryo-EM structures of mitochondrial ribosomal large subunit assembly intermediates and of mature ribosomes offer insight into the roles of several assembly factors, including GTPBP6’s role in both ribosome biogenesis and recycling.

The Cdk8 kinase module (CKM) is a dissociable part of the coactivator complex mediator, which regulates gene transcription by RNA polymerase II. The CKM has both negative and positive functions in gene transcription that remain poorly understood at the mechanistic level. In order to reconstitute the role of the CKM in transcription initiation, we prepared recombinant CKM from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We showed that CKM bound to the core mediator (cMed) complex, sterically inhibiting cMed from binding to the polymerase II preinitiation complex (PIC) in vitro. We further showed that the Cdk8 kinase activity of the CKM weakened CKM–cMed interaction, thereby facilitating dissociation of the CKM and enabling mediator to bind the PIC in order to stimulate transcription initiation. Finally, we report that the kinase activity of Cdk8 is required for gene activation during the stressful condition of heat shock in vivo but not under steady-state growth conditions. Based on these results, we propose a model in which the CKM negatively regulates mediator function at upstream-activating sequences by preventing mediator binding to the PIC at the gene promoter. However, during gene activation in response to stress, the Cdk8 kinase activity of the CKM may release mediator and allow its binding to the PIC, thereby accounting for the positive function of CKM. This may impart improved adaptability to stress by allowing a rapid transcriptional response to environmental changes, and we speculate that a similar mechanism in metazoans may allow the precise timing of developmental transcription programs.

Rationale: CAV3 (caveolin3) variants associated with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and muscular dystrophy can disrupt post-Golgi surface trafficking. As CAV1 (caveolin1) was recently identified in cardiomyocytes, we hypothesize that conserved isoform-specific protein/protein interactions orchestrate unique cardiomyocyte microdomain functions. To analyze the CAV1 versus CAV3 interactome, we employed unbiased live-cell proximity proteomic, isoform-specific affinity, and complexome profiling mass spectrometry techniques. We demonstrate the physiological relevance and loss-of-function mechanism of a novel CAV3 interactor in gene-edited human induced pluripotent stem cell cardiomyocytes. Objective: To identify differential CAV1 versus CAV3 protein interactions and to define the molecular basis of cardiac CAV3 loss-of-function. Methods and Results: Combining stable isotope labeling with proximity proteomics, we applied mass spectrometry to screen for putative CAV3 interactors in living cardiomyocytes. Isoform-specific affinity proteomic and co-immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed the monocarboxylate transporter McT1 (monocarboxylate transporter type 1) versus aquaporin1, respectively, as CAV3 or CAV1 specific interactors in cardiomyocytes. Superresolution stimulated emission depletion microscopy showed distinct CAV1 versus CAV3 cluster distributions in cardiomyocyte transverse tubules. CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9 nuclease)-mediated CAV3 knockout uncovered a stabilizing role for McT1 surface expression, proton-coupled lactate shuttling, increased late Na + currents, and early afterdepolarizations in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Complexome profiling confirmed that McT1 and the Na,K-ATPase form labile protein assemblies with the multimeric CAV3 complex. Conclusions: Combining the strengths of proximity and affinity proteomics, we identified isoform-specific CAV1 versus CAV3 binding partners in cardiomyocytes. McT1 represents a novel class of metabolically relevant CAV3-specific interactors close to mitochondria in cardiomyocyte transverse tubules. CAV3 knockout uncovered a previously unknown role for functional stabilization of McT1 in the surface membrane of human cardiomyocytes. Strikingly, CAV3 deficient cardiomyocytes exhibit action potential prolongation and instability, reproducing human reentry arrhythmias in silico. Given that lactate is a major substrate for stress adaption both in the healthy and the diseased human heart, future studies of conserved McT1/CAV3 interactions may provide rationales to target this muscle-specific assembly function therapeutically.

Ribosome biogenesis is an essential process that requires auxiliary factors to promote folding and assembly of ribosomal proteins and RNA. In particular, maturation of the peptidyl transferase center (PTC), the catalytic core of the ribosome, is mediated by universally conserved GTPases, but the molecular basis is poorly understood. Here, we define the mechanism of GTPase-driven maturation of the human mitochondrial ribosomal large subunit (mtLSU) using a combination of endogenous complex purification, in vitro reconstitution and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Structures of transient native mtLSU assembly intermediates that accumulate in GTPBP6-deficient cells reveal how the biogenesis factors GTPBP5, MTERF4 and NSUN4 facilitate PTC folding. Subsequent addition of recombinant GTPBP6 reconstitutes late mtLSU biogenesis in vitro and shows that GTPBP6 triggers a molecular switch by releasing MTERF4-NSUN4 and GTPBP5 accompanied by the progression to a near-mature PTC state. In addition, cryo-EM analysis of GTPBP6-treated mature mitochondrial ribosomes reveals the structural basis for the dual-role of GTPBP6 in ribosome biogenesis and recycling. Together, these results define the molecular basis of dynamic GTPase-mediated PTC maturation during mitochondrial ribosome biogenesis and provide a framework for understanding step-wise progression of PTC folding as a critical quality control checkpoint in all translation systems.

Synaptic transmission is mediated by the regulated exocytosis of synaptic vesicles. When the presynaptic membrane is depolarized by an incoming action potential, voltage-gated calcium channels open, resulting in the influx of calcium ions that triggers the fusion of synaptic vesicles (SVs) with the plasma membrane. SVs are recycled by endocytosis. Phosphorylation of synaptic proteins plays a major role in these processes, and several studies have shown that the synaptic phosphoproteome changes rapidly in response to depolarization. However, it is unclear which of these changes are directly linked to SV cycling and which might regulate other presynaptic functions that are also controlled by calcium-dependent kinases and phosphatases. To address this question, we analyzed changes in the phosphoproteome using rat synaptosomes in which exocytosis was blocked with botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) while depolarization-induced calcium influx remained unchanged. BoNT-treatment significantly alters the response of the synaptic phoshoproteome to depolarization and results in reduced phosphorylation levels when compared with stimulation of synaptosomes by depolarization with KCl alone. We dissect the primary Ca2+-dependent phosphorylation from SV-cycling-dependent phosphorylation and confirm an effect of such SV-cycling-dependent phosphorylation events on syntaxin-1a-T21/T23, synaptobrevin-S75, and cannabinoid receptor-1-S314/T322 on exo- and endocytosis in cultured hippocampal neurons., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • KCl-depolarization induces phosphoproteome changes in isolated nerve terminals (synaptosomes). • Botulinum neurotoxin affects protein phosphorylation in depolarized synaptosomes. • BoNT treatment reveals phosphorylation sites that depend on SV-cycling activity. • SV-cycling-dependent sites on Vamp2, Stx1a, and Cnr1 affect exo- and endocytosis., In Brief Analysis of protein phosphorylation in isolated nerve terminals (synaptosomes) treated with C. botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) to inhibit synaptic vesicle (SV) cycling reveals phosphorylation events that are primarily dependent on depolarization-induced Ca2+ influx and those that also require active SV-cycling machinery. In particular, SV-cycling-dependent phosphorylation sites on synaptobrevin (Vamp2), syntaxin-1 (Stx1a), and cannabinoid receptor-1 (Cnr1) are capable of changing the rate of exo- and endocytosis in cultured hippocampal neurons.

The eukaryotic tRNA guanine transglycosylase (TGT) is an RNA modifying enzyme incorporating queuine, a hypermodified guanine derivative, into the tRNAsAsp,Asn,His,Tyr. While both subunits of the functional heterodimer have been crystallized individually, much of our understanding of its dimer interface or recognition of a target RNA has been inferred from its more thoroughly studied bacterial homolog. However, since bacterial TGT, by incorporating queuine precursor preQ1, deviates not only in function, but as a homodimer, also in its subunit architecture, any inferences regarding the subunit association of the eukaryotic heterodimer or the significance of its unique catalytically inactive subunit are based on unstable footing. Here, we report the crystal structure of human TGT in its heterodimeric form and in complex with a 25-mer stem loop RNA, enabling detailed analysis of its dimer interface and interaction with a minimal substrate RNA. Based on a model of bound tRNA, we addressed a potential functional role of the catalytically inactive subunit QTRT2 by UV-crosslinking and mutagenesis experiments, identifying the two-stranded βEβF-sheet of the QTRT2 subunit as an additional RNA-binding motif.

Significance Bacteria rely on RNA-binding and RNA-remodeling proteins to regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally. RNA-dependent nucleoside-triphosphatases of the DEAH/RHA family constitute important posttranscriptional gene regulatory proteins in bacteria, but their molecular mechanisms are presently poorly understood. Here, we show that the DEAH/RHA protein, HrpA, from Escherichia coli is an RNA helicase and that its helicase activity is required to modulate bacterial survival under diverse antibiotics treatments. HrpA crystal structures in different functional states, cross-linking/mass spectrometry, and structure-guided functional analyses indicate that alternative interdomain contacts facilitate large-scale domain movements that are required for RNA binding, translocation, and unwinding. Our findings portray HrpA as a molecular ratchet that translocates single-stranded RNA through a central orifice, thereby displacing a complementary strand., Many bacteria harbor RNA-dependent nucleoside-triphosphatases of the DEAH/RHA family, whose molecular mechanisms and cellular functions are poorly understood. Here, we show that the Escherichia coli DEAH/RHA protein, HrpA, is an ATP-dependent 3 to 5′ RNA helicase and that the RNA helicase activity of HrpA influences bacterial survival under antibiotics treatment. Limited proteolysis, crystal structure analysis, and functional assays showed that HrpA contains an N-terminal DEAH/RHA helicase cassette preceded by a unique N-terminal domain and followed by a large C-terminal region that modulates the helicase activity. Structures of an expanded HrpA helicase cassette in the apo and RNA-bound states in combination with cross-linking/mass spectrometry revealed ratchet-like domain movements upon RNA engagement, much more pronounced than hitherto observed in related eukaryotic DEAH/RHA enzymes. Structure-based functional analyses delineated transient interdomain contact sites that support substrate loading and unwinding, suggesting that similar conformational changes support RNA translocation. Consistently, modeling studies showed that analogous dynamic intramolecular contacts are not possible in the related but helicase-inactive RNA-dependent nucleoside-triphosphatase, HrpB. Our results indicate that HrpA may be an interesting target to interfere with bacterial tolerance toward certain antibiotics and suggest possible interfering strategies.

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are essential for the regulation of all cellular processes. The interplay of various PTMs on a single protein or different proteins comprises a complexity that we are far from understanding in its entirety. Reliable strategies for the enrichment and accurate quantification of PTMs are needed to study as many PTMs on proteins as possible. In this protocol we present a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)-based workflow that enables the enrichment and quantification of phosphorylated and N-glycosylated peptides from the same sample. After extraction and digestion of proteins, we label the peptides with stable isotope-coded tandem mass tags (TMTs) and enrich N-glycopeptides and phosphopeptides by using zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction chromatography (ZIC-HILIC) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) beads, respectively. Labelled and enriched N-glycopeptides and phosphopeptides are further separated by high pH (basic) reversed-phase chromatography and analyzed by LC/MS/MS. The enrichment strategies, together with quantification of two different PTM types from the same sample, allow investigation of the interplay of those two PTMs, which are important for signal transduction inside the cell (phosphorylation), as well as for messaging between cells through decoration of the cellular surface (glycosylation).

Nature 593(7859), 460 - 464 (2021). doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03513-3, Disulfide bonds between cysteine residues are important post-translational modifications in proteins that have critical roles for protein structure and stability, as redox-active catalytic groups in enzymes or allosteric redox switches that govern protein function1,2,3,4. In addition to forming disulfide bridges, cysteine residues are susceptible to oxidation by reactive oxygen species, and are thus central not only to the scavenging of these but also to cellular signalling and communication in biological as well as pathological contexts5,6. Oxidized cysteine species are highly reactive and may form covalent conjugates with, for example, tyrosines in the active sites of some redox enzymes7,8. However, to our knowledge, regulatory switches with covalent crosslinks other than disulfides have not previously been demonstrated. Here we report the discovery of a covalent crosslink between a cysteine and a lysine residue with a NOS bridge that serves as an allosteric redox switch in the transaldolase enzyme of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the pathogen that causes gonorrhoea. X-ray structure analysis of the protein in the oxidized and reduced state reveals a loaded-spring mechanism that involves a structural relaxation upon redox activation, which is propagated from the allosteric redox switch at the protein surface to the active site in the protein interior. This relaxation leads to a reconfiguration of key catalytic residues and elicits an increase in enzymatic activity of several orders of magnitude. The redox switch is highly conserved in related transaldolases from other members of the Neisseriaceae; for example, it is present in the transaldolase of Neisseria meningitides (a pathogen that is the primary cause of meningitis and septicaemia in children). We surveyed the Protein Data Bank and found that the NOS bridge exists in diverse protein families across all domains of life (including Homo sapiens) and that it is often located at catalytic or regulatory hotspots. Our findings will inform strategies for the design of proteins and peptides, as well as the development of new classes of drugs and antibodies that target the lysine–cysteine redox switch., Published by Nature Publ. Group, London [u.a.]

The mechanical properties of biological cells are determined by the cytoskeleton, a composite biopolymer network consisting of microtubules, actin filaments and intermediate filaments (IFs). By differential expression of cytoskeletal proteins, modulation of the network architecture and interactions between the filaments, cell mechanics may be adapted to varying requirements on the cell. Here, we focus on the intermediate filament protein vimentin and introduce post-translational modifications as an additional, much faster mechanism for mechanical modulation. We study the impact of phosphorylation on filament mechanics by recording force-strain curves using optical traps. Partial phosphorylation softens the filaments. We show that binding of the protein 14–3–3 to phosphorylated vimentin IFs further enhances this effect and speculate that in the cell 14–3–3 may serve to preserve the softening and thereby the altered cell mechanics. We explain our observation by the additional charges introduced during phosphorylation.

Protein–DNA interactions are key to the functionality and stability of the genome. Identification and mapping of protein–DNA interaction interfaces and sites is crucial for understanding DNA-dependent processes. Here, we present a workflow that allows mass spectrometric (MS) identification of proteins in direct contact with DNA in reconstituted and native chromatin after cross-linking by ultraviolet (UV) light. Our approach enables the determination of contact interfaces at amino-acid level. With the example of chromatin-associated protein SCML2 we show that our technique allows differentiation of nucleosome-binding interfaces in distinct states. By UV cross-linking of isolated nuclei we determined the cross-linking sites of several factors including chromatin-modifying enzymes, demonstrating that our workflow is not restricted to reconstituted materials. As our approach can distinguish between protein–RNA and DNA interactions in one single experiment, we project that it will be possible to obtain insights into chromatin and its regulation in the future., Cross-linking mass spectrometry (XLMS) allows mapping of protein-protein and protein-RNA interactions, but the analysis of protein-DNA complexes remains challenging. Here, the authors develop a UV light-based XLMS workflow to determine protein-DNA interfaces in reconstituted chromatin and isolated nuclei.

The costimulatory receptor, CD28, synergizes with the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) to promote IL-2 production, cell survival and proliferation. Despite their profound synergy, the obligatory interdependence of the signaling pathways initiated by these two receptors is not well understood. Upon TCR stimulation, Gads, a Grb2-family adaptor, bridges the interaction of two additional adaptors, LAT and SLP-76, to form a TCR-induced effector signaling complex. SLP-76 binds the Tec-family tyrosine kinase, Itk, which phosphorylates SLP-76 at Y173 and PLC-γ1 at Y783. Here we identified Gads Y45 as an additional TCR-inducible, Itk-mediated phosphorylation site. Y45 is found within the N-terminal SH3 domain of Gads, an evolutionarily conserved domain with no known binding partners or signaling function. Gads Y45 phosphorylation depended on the interaction of Gads with SLP-76 and on the preferentially-paired binding of Gads to phospho-LAT. Three Itk-related features, Gads Y45, SLP-76 Y173, and a proline-rich Itk SH3-binding motif on SLP-76, were selectively required for activation of the CD28 RE/AP transcriptional element from the IL-2 promoter, but were not required to activate NFAT. This study illuminates a new regulatory module, in which Itk-targeted phosphorylation sites on two adaptor proteins, SLP-76 and Gads, control the transcriptional response to TCR/CD28 costimulation, thus enforcing the obligatory interdependence of the TCR and CD28 signaling pathways.

SummaryDipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9) is a serine protease cleaving N-terminal dipeptides preferentially post-proline with (patho)physiological roles in the immune system and cancer. Only few DPP9 substrates are known. Here we identify an association of human DPP9 with the tumour suppressor BRCA2, a key player in repair of DNA double-strand breaks that promotes the formation of RAD51 filaments. This interaction is triggered by DNA-damage and requires access to the DPP9 active-site. We present crystallographic structures documenting the N-terminal Met1-Pro2 of a BRCA21-40 peptide captured in the DPP9 active-site. Mechanistically, DPP9 targets BRCA2 for degradation by the N-degron pathway, and promotes RAD51 foci formation. Both processes are phenocopied by BRCA2 N-terminal truncation mutants, indicating that DPP9 regulates both stability and the cellular stoichiometric interactome of BRCA2. Consistently, DPP9-deprived cells are hypersensitive to DNA-damage. Together, we identify DPP9 as a regulator of BRCA2, providing a possible explanation for DPP9 involvement in cancer development.

Dissecting the degradation of the Alzheimer’s disease–related protein Tau by the 20S proteasome at single-residue resolution., Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) can be degraded in a ubiquitin-independent process by the 20S proteasome. Decline in 20S activity characterizes neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we examine 20S degradation of IDP tau, a protein that aggregates into insoluble deposits in Alzheimer’s disease. We show that cleavage of tau by the 20S proteasome is most efficient within the aggregation-prone repeat region of tau and generates both short, aggregation-deficient peptides and two long fragments containing residues 1 to 251 and 1 to 218. Phosphorylation of tau by the non-proline–directed Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II inhibits degradation by the 20S proteasome. Phosphorylation of tau by GSK3β, a major proline-directed tau kinase, modulates tau degradation kinetics in a residue-specific manner. The study provides detailed insights into the degradation products of tau generated by the 20S proteasome, the residue specificity of degradation, single-residue degradation kinetics, and their regulation by posttranslational modification.

Transcription by RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is carried out by an elongation complex. We previously reported an activated porcine Pol II elongation complex, EC*, encompassing the human elongation factors DSIF, PAF1 complex (PAF) and SPT6. Here we report the cryo-EM structure of the complete EC* that contains RTF1, a dissociable PAF subunit critical for chromatin transcription. The RTF1 Plus3 domain associates with Pol II subunit RPB12 and the phosphorylated C-terminal region of DSIF subunit SPT5. RTF1 also forms four α-helices that extend from the Plus3 domain along the Pol II protrusion and RPB10 to the polymerase funnel. The C-terminal ‘fastener’ helix retains PAF and is followed by a ‘latch’ that reaches the end of the bridge helix, a flexible element of the Pol II active site. RTF1 strongly stimulates Pol II elongation, and this requires the latch, possibly suggesting that RTF1 activates transcription allosterically by influencing Pol II translocation. Cryo-EM elucidation of a fully reconstituted Pol II–DSF–PAF1–SPT6 elongation complex defines the position of PAF1 subunit RTF1 and reveals contacts with the Pol II bridge helix that may allosterically stimulate transcription elongation.

Cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) is steadily expanding its range of applications from purified protein complexes to more complex samples like organelles and even entire cells. One main challenge using non-cleavable cross-linkers is the so-called n2 problem: With linearly increasing database size, the search space for the identification of two covalently linked peptides per spectrum increases quadratically. Here, we report an alternative search strategy that focuses on only those peptides, which were demonstrated to cross-link under the applied experimental conditions. The performance of a parallel XL-MS experiment using a thiol-cleavable cross-linker enabled the identification of peptides that carried a cleaved cross-link moiety after reduction and hence were involved in cross-linking reactions. Based on these identifications, a peptide database was generated and used for the database search of the actual cross-linking experiment with a non-cleavable cross-linker. This peptide-focused approach was tested on protein complexes with a reported structural model and obtained results corresponded well to a conventional database search. An application of the strategy on in vivo cross-linked Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus cells revealed a five- to tenfold reduction in search time and led to significantly more identifications with the latter species than a search against the entire proteome. Significance Instead of considering all theoretically cross-linkable peptides in a proteome, identification and pre-filtering for a subset of cross-link peptide candidates allows for a dramatically decreased search space. Hence, there is less potential for the random accumulation of false positives ultimately leading to a higher sensitivity in the XL-MS experiment. Using the peptide-focused approach, a cross-linking database search can be conducted in a fraction of time while yielding a similar or higher number of identifications, thereby enabling the cross-linking analysis of samples of mammalian proteome complexity.

Site-specific regulation of protein N-glycosylation is essential in human cells. However, accurate quantification of glycosylation sites and their individual glycan moieties in a cell-wide manner is still technically challenging. Here, we introduce SugarQuant, an integrated mass spectrometry-based pipeline comprising fast protein aggregation capture (PAC)-based sample preparation, optimized multi-notch MS3 LC-MS acquisition (Glyco-SPS-MS3) and a data-processing tool (GlycoBinder) that allows for confident, global identification and quantification of intact glycopeptides in complex biological samples. PAC greatly reduces the overall samplehandling time without compromising sensitivity. Glyco-SPS-MS3 combines high-resolution MS2 and MS3 scans, resulting in enhanced reporter signals of isobaric mass tags, improved detection of N-glycopeptide fragments, and significantly lowered interference in multiplexed quantification. GlycoBinder enables streamlined processing of Glyco-SPS-MS3 data, followed by a two-step database search which increases the identification rates of intact glycopeptides by up to 22% when compared with one-step database search strategies. SugarQuant was applied to identify and quantify more than 5,000 unique glycoforms in Burkitt’s lymphoma cells, and determined complex site-specific glycosylation changes that occurred upon inhibition of fucosylation at high confidence.

Proteasomes are the main producers of antigenic peptides presented to CD8+ T cells. They can cut proteins and release their fragments or recombine non-contiguous fragments thereby generating novel sequences, i.e. spliced peptides. Understanding which are the driving forces and the sequence preferences of both reactions can streamline target discovery in immunotherapies against cancer, infection and autoimmunity. Here, we present a large database of spliced and non-spliced peptides generated by proteasomes in vitro, which is available as simple CSV file and as a MySQL database. To generate the database, we performed in vitro digestions of 55 unique synthetic polypeptide substrates with different proteasome isoforms and experimental conditions. We measured the samples using three mass spectrometers, filtered and validated putative peptides, identified 22,333 peptide product sequences (15,028 spliced and 7,305 non-spliced product sequences). Our database and datasets have been deposited to the Mendeley (doi:10.17632/nr7cs764rc.1) and PRIDE (PXD016782) repositories. We anticipate that this unique database can be a valuable source for predictors of proteasome-catalyzed peptide hydrolysis and splicing, with various future translational applications., Measurement(s)peptideTechnology Type(s)mass spectrometryFactor Type(s)spliced/non-spliced • instrument • synthetic polypeptide • proteasome isoform • time of reactionSample Characteristic - OrganismHomo sapiens Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.12205274

Assessment of the fidelity of gene expression is crucial to understand cell homeostasis. Here we present a highly sensitive method for the systematic Quantification of Rare Amino acid Substitutions (QRAS) using absolute quantification by targeted mass spectrometry after chromatographic enrichment of peptides with missense amino acid substitutions. By analyzing incorporation of near- and non-cognate amino acids in a model protein EF-Tu, we show that most of missense errors are too rare to detect by conventional methods, such as DDA, and are estimated to be between

13 pags, 6 figs, The molecular chaperone Hsp90 is critical for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and represents a promising drug target. Despite increasing knowledge on the structure of Hsp90, the molecular basis of substrate recognition and pro-folding by Hsp90/co-chaperone complexes remains unknown. Here, we report the solution structures of human full-length Hsp90 in complex with the PPIase FKBP51, as well as the 280 kDa Hsp90/FKBP51 complex bound to the Alzheimer's disease-related protein Tau. We reveal that the FKBP51/Hsp90 complex, which synergizes to promote toxic Tau oligomers in vivo, is highly dynamic and stabilizes the extended conformation of the Hsp90 dimer resulting in decreased Hsp90 ATPase activity. Within the ternary Hsp90/FKBP51/Tau complex, Hsp90 serves as a scaffold that traps the PPIase and nucleates multiple conformations of Tau's proline-rich region next to the PPIase catalytic pocket in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Our study defines a conceptual model for dynamic Hsp90/co-chaperone/client recognition., This work was supported by the National Institutes of Mental Health Grant R01 MH103848. J.O. was supported by a Marie Curie Intra-European fellowship (project number 626526) and B.J.C. by a Fulbright scholarship. M.Z. was supported by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/ 2007-2013) under BioStruct-X (grant agreement 283570), and the advanced grant “‘87679 – LLPS-NMR” of the European Research Council. H.U. and M.Z. were supported by the German Science Foundation (Collaborative Research Center 860; projects A10 and B2). L.J.B. was supported by the NIH/NINDS R01 NS073899 Grant.

Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) can solve structures of highly dynamic macromolecular complexes. To characterize less well defined regions in cryo-EM images, cross-linking coupled with mass spectrometry (CX-MS) provides valuable information on the arrangement of domains and amino acids. CX-MS involves covalent linkage of protein residues close to each other and identifying these connections by mass spectrometry. Here, we summarise the advances of CX-MS and its integration with cryo-EM for structural reconstruction.

Utilization of energy-rich carbon sources such as glucose is fundamental to the evolutionary success of bacteria. Glucose can be catabolized via glycolysis for feeding the intermediary metabolism. The methylglyoxal synthase MgsA produces methylglyoxal from the glycolytic intermediate dihydroxyacetone phosphate. Methylglyoxal is toxic, requiring stringent regulation of MgsA activity. In the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis, an interaction with the phosphoprotein Crh controls MgsA activity. In the absence of preferred carbon sources, Crh is present in the nonphosphorylated state and binds to and thereby inhibits MgsA. To better understand the mechanism of regulation of MgsA, here we performed biochemical and structural analyses of B. subtilis MgsA and of its interaction with Crh. Our results indicated that MgsA forms a hexamer (i.e. a trimer of dimers) in the crystal structure, whereas it seems to exist in an equilibrium between a dimer and hexamer in solution. In the hexamer, two alternative dimers could be distinguished, but only one appeared to prevail in solution. Further analysis strongly suggested that the hexamer is the biologically active form. In vitro cross-linking studies revealed that Crh interacts with the N-terminal helices of MgsA and that the Crh–MgsA binding inactivates MgsA by distorting and thereby blocking its active site. In summary, our results indicate that dimeric and hexameric MgsA species exist in an equilibrium in solution, that the hexameric species is the active form, and that binding to Crh deforms and blocks the active site in MgsA.

β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) stimulation represents a major mechanism of modulating cardiac output. In spite of its fundamental importance, its molecular basis on the level of cell signalling has not been characterised in detail yet. We employed mass spectrometry-based proteome and phosphoproteome analysis using SuperSILAC (spike-in stable isotope labelling by amino acids in cell culture) standardization to generate a comprehensive map of acute phosphoproteome changes in mice upon administration of isoprenaline (ISO), a synthetic β-AR agonist that targets both β1-AR and β2-AR subtypes. Our data describe 8597 quantitated phosphopeptides corresponding to 10,164 known and novel phospho-events from 2975 proteins. In total, 197 of these phospho-events showed significantly altered phosphorylation, indicating an intricate signalling network activated in response to β-AR stimulation. In addition, we unexpectedly detected significant cardiac expression and ISO-induced fragmentation of junctophilin-1, a junctophilin isoform hitherto only thought to be expressed in skeletal muscle. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD025569.

Introduction Cumin (Cuminum cyminum), a popular spice has been widely used in traditional medicine to cure various ailments. Despite the existence of scientific literature about its pharmacological properties, no successful proteome profiling has yet been attempted. Objective To optimise extraction of cumin proteins and analyse its profile by shotgun proteomics, using one-dimensional electrophoresis coupled with nano-ESI-LC–MS/MS. Methodology As a first step, we have compared three extraction protocols for total proteins extraction from cumin. Extracted proteins were separated on one-dimensional gel and analysed by state-of-the-art linear ion trap (LTQ)-Orbitrap Velose and Q Exactive HF mass spectrometer. Results Evaluation of extraction method revealed significant differences in protein yield and proteome composition between the three extracts. LC–MS/MS allowed identification of several proteins with functional significance in various biological processes. Conclusion This study provides identification of a large number of proteins and offers a molecular basis for future research on potential pharmacologically active cumin proteins. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Determining the structures of, and gaining insight into, the function of large protein complexes at the molecular or atomic level has become a key part of modern structural biology. Electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) can solve structures of highly dynamic macromolecular complexes that are not feasible with other structural techniques like X-ray of crystallized proteins (protein complexes) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of proteins (protein complexes) in solution. To resolve the regions that are less well defined in cryo-EM images, cross-linking coupled with mass spectrometry (CX-MS) provides valuable information on the proximity between amino-acid residues as distance constraints for homology or de novo modelling. The CX-MS strategy involves covalent linkage, with chemical cross-linkers, of residues close to each other in three-dimensional space and identifying these connections by mass spectrometry. In this article, we summarise the advances of CX-MS and its integration with cryo-EM for structural reconstruction. We further evaluate a number of important examples of structure determination that followed this combinatorial strategy.