Search

Unlike other classical protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs), PTPRQ (PTP receptor type Q) has dephosphorylating activity towards phosphatidylinositide (PI) substrates. Here, the structure of the catalytic domain of PTPRQ was solved at 1.56 Å resolution. Overall, PTPRQ adopts a tertiary fold typical of other classical PTPs. However, the disordered M6 loop of PTPRQ surrounding the catalytic core and the concomitant absence of interactions of this loop with residues in the PTP loop results in a flat active-site pocket. On the basis of structural and biochemical analyses, it is proposed that this structural feature might facilitate the accommodation of large substrates, making it suitable for the dephosphorylation of PI substrates. Moreover, subsequent kinetic experiments showed that PTPRQ has a strong preferences for PI(3,4,5)P3 over other PI substrates, suggesting that its regulation of cell survival and proliferation reflects downregulation of Akt signalling.

Map kinase phosphatase 4 (MKP-4), which has been implicated in signalling pathways that negatively regulate glucose uptake, belongs to the dual-specificity phosphatase (DUSP) family. An inherent property of MKPs is an ability to undergo structural rearrangement, transitioning from a partially active to a fully active conformation. Here, a 2.7 Å resolution crystal structure of the catalytic domain of MKP-4 (MKP-4C) is presented. It was determined that the MKP-4C structure seriously deviates from canonical conformations of DUSPs and this characteristic feature results in significant gaps between the catalytic core and several surrounding loops which are unique compared with other MKP counterparts that adopt an active conformation. Using virtual library screening, it was found that inhibitors bind to MKP-4C with high affinity near these gaps. Inhibitors that target other binding sites instead of the active site can be utilized to prevent transition to a fully active conformation. Compounds that are able to make contacts with these sites in MKP-4 would not only provide a beneficial increase in affinity but may also permit greater specificity relative to other protein tyrosine phosphatases.

Cdc25 phosphatases have been considered as attractive drug targets for anticancer therapy because of the correlation of their overexpression with a wide variety of cancers. We have been able to identify five novel Cdc25 phosphatase inhibitors with micromolar activity by means of a computer-aided drug design protocol involving the homology modeling of Cdc25A and the virtual screening with the automated AutoDock program implementing the effects of ligand solvation in the scoring function. Because the newly discovered inhibitors are structurally diverse and reveal a significant potency with IC 50 values lower than 10 microM, they can be considered for further development by structure-activity relationship studies or de novo design methods. The differences in binding modes of the identified inhibitors in the active sites of Cdc25A and B are discussed in detail.

MAP kinase phosphatase 5 (MKP5) is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase (MKP) family and selectively dephosphorylates JNK and p38. We have determined the crystal structure of the catalytic domain of human MKP5 (MKP5-C) to 1.6 A. In previously reported MKP-C structures, the residues that constitute the active site are seriously deviated from the active conformation of protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs), which are accompanied by low catalytic activity. High activities of MKPs are achieved by binding their cognate substrates, representing substrate-induced activation. However, the MKP5-C structure adopts an active conformation of PTP even in the absence of its substrate binding, which is consistent with the previous results that MKP5 solely possesses the intrinsic activity. Further, we identify a sequence motif common to the members of MKPs having low catalytic activity by comparing structures and sequences of other MKPs. Our structural information provides an explanation of constitutive activity of MKP5 as well as the structural insight into substrate-induced activation occurred in other MKPs.

RNase H (retroviral ribonuclease H) cleaves the phosphate backbone of the RNA template within an RNA/DNA hybrid to complete the synthesis of double-stranded viral DNA. In the present study we have determined the complete structure of the RNase H domain from XMRV (xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus) RT (reverse transcriptase). The basic protrusion motif of the XMRV RNase H domain is folded as a short helix and an adjacent highly bent loop. Structural superposition and subsequent mutagenesis experiments suggest that the basic protrusion motif plays a role in direct binding to the major groove in RNA/DNA hybrid, as well as in establishing the co-ordination among modules in RT necessary for proper function.

The serine phosphatase SerB653 plays a crucial role in the infection of Porphyromonas gingivalis, which contributes to the pathogenesis of periodontitis, an inflammatory disease of teeth-supporting tissues. Because functional loss of SerB653 eliminates the virulence of P. gingivalis, SerB653 inhibitors are considered potential periodontitis therapeutic or preventive agents. To identify SerB653 inhibitors with potent anti-periodontitis activity, we conducted a high-throughput screen of a representative 6800-compound subset of a synthetic chemical library of the Korea Chemical Bank (KCB) for compounds with activity against SerB653. The primary screening yielded 150 hits, and subsequent confirmatory studies identified eight compounds, mainly within a single cluster of 3-acyl-2-phenylamino-1,4-dihydroquinolin-4-one derivatives, that showed greater than 50% inhibition of SerB653 activity at a concentration of 50μM. A second screening with a focused library identified 10 compounds with IC(50) values less than 10μM. In antibacterial tests, three of these compounds showed a minimum inhibitory concentration against P. gingivalis growth of 5-50nM.

Despite a series of persuasive experimental evidence for the involvement of eyes absent protein tyrosine phosphatases in various human cancers, no small-molecule inhibitor has been reported so far. We have identified seven novel inhibitors of eyes absent homologue 2 (Eya2) with IC(50) values ranging from 1 to 70 μm by the virtual screening with docking simulations and enzyme inhibition assay. Atomic charges of the active-site Mg(2+) ion complex are calculated to enhance the accuracy of docking simulations. The newly discovered inhibitors are structurally diverse and have various chelating groups for the Mg(2+) ion. The interactions with the amino acid residues responsible for the stabilizations of the inhibitors in the active site of Eya2 are addressed in detail.

Eya proteins are transcription factors that play pivotal roles in organ formation during development by mediating interactions between Sine Oculis (SO) and Dachshund (DAC). Remarkably, the transcriptional activity of Eya proteins is regulated by a dephosphorylating activity within its Eya domain (ED). However, the molecular basis for the link between catalytic and transcriptional activities remains unclear. Here we report the first description of the crystal structure of the ED of human Eya2 (ED-Eya2), determined at 2.4-A resolution. In stark contrast to other members of the haloacid dehalogenase (HAD) family to which ED-Eya2 belongs, the helix-bundle motif (HBM) is elongated along the back of the catalytic site. This not only results in a structure that accommodates large protein substrates but also positions the catalytic and the SO-interacting sites on opposite faces, which suggests that SO binding is not directly affected by catalytic function. Based on the observation that the DAC-binding site is located between the catalytic core and SO binding sites within ED-Eya2, we propose that catalytic activity can be translated to SO binding through DAC, which acts as a transcriptional switch. We also captured at two stages of reaction cycles-acyl-phosphate intermediate and transition state of hydrolysis step, which provided a detailed view of reaction mechanism. The ED-Eya2 structure defined here serves as a model for other members of the Eya family and provides a framework for understanding the role of Eya phosphatase mutations in disease.—Jung, S.–K., Jeong, D. G., Chung, S. J., Kim, J. H., Park, B. C., Tonks, N. K., Ryu, S. E., Kim, S. J.. Crystal structure of ED-Eya2: insight into dual roles as a protein tyrosine phosphatase and a transcription factor.

Aside from its enzymatic function in the glycolytic pathway, alpha-enolase (ENO1) has been implicated in numerous diseases, including metastatic cancer, autoimmune disorders, ischaemia and bacterial infection. The disease-related roles of ENO1 are mostly attributed to its immunogenic capacity, DNA-binding ability and plasmin(ogen) receptor function, which are significantly affected by its three-dimensional structure and surface properties, rather than its enzymatic activity. Here, the crystal structure of human ENO1 (hENO1) is presented at 2.2 A resolution. Despite its high sequence similarity to other enolases, the hENO1 structure exhibits distinct surface properties, explaining its various activities, including plasmin(ogen) and DNA binding.