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Mycobacterium tuberculosis can reside and persist in deep tissues; latent tuberculosis can evade immune detection and has a unique mechanism to convert it into active disease through reactivation. M. tuberculosis Rv1421 (MtRv1421) is a hypothetical protein that has been proposed to be involved in nucleotide binding‐related metabolism in cell‐growth and cell‐division processes. However, due to a lack of structural information, the detailed function of MtRv1421 remains unclear. In this study, a truncated N‐terminal domain (NTD) of MtRv1421, which contains a Walker A/B‐like motif, was purified and crystallized using PEG 400 as a precipitant. The crystal of MtRv1421‐NTD diffracted to a resolution of 1.7 Å and was considered to belong to either the C‐centered monoclinic space group C2 or the I‐centered orthorhombic space group I222, with unit‐cell parameters a = 124.01, b = 58.55, c = 84.87 Å, β = 133.12° or a = 58.53, b = 84.86, c = 90.52 Å, respectively. The asymmetric units of the C2 or I222 crystals contained two or one monomers, respectively. In terms of the binding ability of MtRv1421‐NTD to various ligands, uridine diphosphate (UDP) and UDP‐N‐acetylglucosamine significantly increased the melting temperature of MtRv1421‐NTD, which indicates structural stabilization through the binding of these ligands. Altogether, the results reveal that a UDP moiety may be required for the interaction of MtRv1421‐NTD as a nucleotide‐binding protein with its ligand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glutathione-S-transferases have been identified in all the living species examined so far, yet little is known about their function in marine organisms. In a previous report, the recently identified GST from Antarctic bivalve Laternula elliptica (LeGST) was classified into the rho class GST, but there are several unique features of LeGST that may justify reclassification, which could represent specific shellfish GSTs. Here, we determined the crystal structure of LeGST, which is a shellfish specific class of GST. The structural analysis showed that the relatively open and wide hydrophobic H-site of the LeGST allows this GST to accommodate various substrates. These results suggest that the H-site of LeGST may be the result of adaptation to their environments as sedentary organisms. Proteins 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Creatine kinase is a member of the phosphagen kinase family, which catalyzes the reversible phosphoryl transfer reaction that occurs between ATP and creatine to produce ADP and phosphocreatine. Here, three structural aspects of human-brain-type-creatine-kinase (hBB-CK) were identified by X-ray crystallography: the ligand-free-form at 2.2Å; the ADP–Mg2+, nitrate, and creatine complex (transition-state-analogue complex; TSAC); and the ADP–Mg2+-complex at 2.0Å. The structures of ligand-bound hBB-CK revealed two different monomeric states in a single homodimer. One monomer is a closed form, either bound to TSAC or the ADP–Mg2+-complex, and the second monomer is an unliganded open form. These structural studies provide a detailed mechanism indicating that the binding of ADP–Mg2+ alone may trigger conformational changes in hBB-CK that were not observed with muscle-type-CK. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nitroalkane oxidase (NAO) is a flavin-dependent enzyme which catalyses the oxidation of nitroalkanes to the corresponding aldehydes or ketones, nitrite and hydrogen peroxide. In order to better understand the structure and function of this enzyme, NAO from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was purified and crystallized as a native and a selenomethionine-substituted (SeMet) enzyme. Both crystals diffracted to a resolution of 1.9 Å and belonged to the primitive orthorhombic space group P21, with unit-cell parameters a = 70.06, b = 55.43, c = 87.74 Å, β = 96.56° for native NAO and a = 69.89, b = 54.83, c = 88.20 Å, β = 95.79° for SeMet NAO. Assuming the presence of two molecules in the asymmetric unit in both crystals, the Matthews coefficients ( VM) for native and SeMet NAO were calculated to be 2.30 and 2.48 Å3 Da−1, with estimated solvent contents of 46.50 and 50.37%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During fatty-acid biosynthesis, enoyl-acyl carrier protein (enoyl-ACP) reductase catalyzes the reduction of trans-2-enoyl-ACP to fully saturated acyl-ACP via the ubiquitous fatty-acid synthase system. NADH-dependent enoyl-ACP reductase (FabI) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been purified and crystallized as an apoenzyme and in a complex form with NADH and triclosan. Triclosan is an inhibitor of FabI and forms a stable ternary complex in the presence of NADH. The crystals of native and complexed FabI diffracted to resolutions of 2.6 and 1.8 Å, respectively. The crystals both belonged to space group P21, with unit-cell parameters a = 117.32, b = 155.844, c = 129.448 Å, β = 111.061° for the native enzyme and a = 64.784, b = 107.573, c = 73.517 Å, β = 116.162° for the complex. Preliminary molecular replacement further confirmed the presence of four tetramers of native FabI and one tetramer of the complex in the asymmetric unit, corresponding to Matthews coefficients ( VM) of 2.46 and 2.05 Å3 Da−1 and solvent contents of 50.1 and 40.1%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Full-length GroEL1 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv was cloned, overexpressed and purified. Crystals were obtained by the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method and contained a 23 kDa GroEL1 fragment. A complete native data set was collected from a single frozen crystal that belonged to the orthorhombic space group P21212, with unit-cell parameters a = 75.47, b = 78.67, c = 34.89 Å, α = β = γ = 90°, and diffracted to 2.2 Å resolution on a home X-ray source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aims: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a crucial role in hepatic fibrogenesis and liver repair in chronic liver disease. Our research highlights the antifibrotic potential of placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PD-MSCs) and the role of phosphatase of regenerating liver-1 (PRL-1) in promoting liver regeneration., Methods: We evaluated the efficacy of PD-MSCs overexpressing PRL-1 (PD-MSCsPRL-1) in a bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced rat injury model, focusing on their ability to regulate EMT., Results: PD-MSCsPRL-1 significantly reduced mesenchymal markers by downregulating TGFB1/SMAD2, outperforming naïve PD-MSCs. The transplantation of PD-MSCsPRL-1 enhanced BMP7/SMAD1/5 expression, promoting epithelial marker expression and stimulating BMP7 within hepatocytes, modulating downstream SMAD signaling. Importantly, further validation confirmed that PRL-1 directly interacts with BMP7 in hepatocytes., Conclusions: PRL-1 expression in PD-MSCsPRL-1 restores TGFB1/BMP7 balance, promoting hepatic regeneration through mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET). These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of engineered MSCs for liver disease and suggest innovative strategies for future stem cell therapies.

Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH) plays a critical role in the metabolism of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and catalyzes the NAD(P)(+)-coupled oxidation of succinic semialdehyde (SSA) to succinic acid (SA). SSADH from Streptococcus pyogenes has been purified and crystallized as the apoenzyme and in a complex with NAD(+). The crystals of native and NAD(+)-complexed SSADH diffracted to resolutions of 1.6 and 1.7 Å, respectively, using a synchrotron-radiation source. Both crystals belonged to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 93.3, b = 100.3, c = 105.1 Å for the native crystal and a = 93.3, b = 100.3, c = 105.0 Å for the complex crystal. Preliminary molecular replacement confirmed the presence of one dimer in both crystals, corresponding to a Matthews coefficient (V(M)) of 2.37 Å(3) Da(-1) and a solvent content of 48.0%., (© 2012 International Union of Crystallography)

Creatine kinase (CK; E.C. 2.7.3.2) is an important enzyme that catalyzes the reversible transfer of a phosphoryl group from ATP to creatine in energy homeostasis. The brain-type cytosolic isoform of creatine kinase (BB-CK), which is found mainly in the brain and retina, is a key enzyme in brain energy metabolism, because high-energy phosphates are transferred through the creatine kinase/phosphocreatine shuttle system. The recombinant human BB-CK protein was overexpressed as a soluble form in Escherichia coli and crystallized at 22 degrees C using PEG 4000 as a precipitant. Native X-ray diffraction data were collected to 2.2 A resolution using synchrotron radiation. The crystals belonged to the tetragonal space group P43212, with cell parameters of a=b=97.963, c= 164.312 A, and alpha=beta=gamma=90 degrees. The asymmetric unit contained two molecules of CK, giving a crystal volume per protein mass (Vm) of 1.80 A3 Da-1 and a solvent content of 31.6%.

Fatty acid-CoA racemase plays an important role in the beta-oxidation of branched-chain fatty acids and fatty-acid derivatives as it catalyzes the conversion of several (2R)-branched-chain fatty acid-CoAs to their (2S)-stereoisomers. Fatty acid-CoA racemase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv has been purified to homogeneity and crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method with polyethylene glycol 4000 as precipitant. The crystals belong to the trigonal space group P3(1) or P3(2), with unit-cell parameters a = b = 109.56, c = 147.97 A. The asymmetric unit contains six monomers, corresponding to a VM value of 2.15 A3 Da(-1). A complete native data set has been collected at 2.7 A resolution using a synchrotron-radiation source.

The tRNA-specific adenosine deaminase from the pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes (spTAD) has been overexpressed in Escherichia coli and crystallized in the presence of Zn2+ ion at 295 K using ammonium sulfate as a precipitant. Flash-cooled crystals of spTAD diffracted to 2.0 A using 30%(v/v) glycerol as a cryoprotectant. X-ray diffraction data have been collected to 2.0 A using synchrotron radiation. The crystal belongs to the tetragonal space group P4(2)2(1)2, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 81.042, c = 81.270 A. The asymmetric unit contains one subunit of spTAD, with a corresponding crystal volume per protein weight (VM) of 3.3 A3 Da(-1) and a solvent content of 62.7%.

Glutamate racemase catalyzes the conversion of L-glutamic acid to D-glutamic acid and vice versa. Since D-glutamic acid is one of the essential amino acids present in peptidoglycan, glutamate racemase has been considered to be an attractive target for the design of new antibacterial drugs. Glutamate racemase from Lactobacillus fermenti has been crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method using polyethylene glycol 8000 as a precipitant. The crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group C222(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 98.32, b = 184.09, c = 45.99 A. The asymmetric unit contains one molecule, corresponding to a VM value of 1.84 A3 Da(-1). A complete data set has been collected from the native enzyme at 2.28 A resolution using a synchrotron-radiation source.