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Background: Insects can be found in numerous diverse environments, being exposed to pathogenic organisms like fungi and bacteria. Once these pathogens cross insect physical barriers, the innate immune system operates through cellular and humoral responses. Antimicrobial peptides are small molecules produced by immune signaling cascades that develop an important and generalist role in insect defenses against a variety of microorganisms. In the present work, a cecropin B-like peptide (AgCecropB) sequence was identified in the velvetbean caterpillar Anticarsia gemmatalis and cloned in a bacterial plasmid vector for further heterologous expression and antimicrobial tests., Methods: AgCecropB sequence (without the signal peptide) was cloned in the plasmid vector pET-M30-MBP and expressed in the Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) expression host. Expression was induced with IPTG and a recombinant peptide was purified using two affinity chromatography steps with Histrap column. The purified peptide was submitted to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and structural analyses. Antimicrobial tests were performed using gram-positive ( Bacillus thuringiensis ) and gram-negative ( Burkholderia kururiensis and E. coli ) bacteria., Results: AgCecropB was expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) at 28°C with IPTG 0.5 mM. The recombinant peptide was purified and enriched after purification steps. HRMS confirmed AgCrecropB molecular mass (4.6 kDa) and circular dichroism assay showed α-helix structure in the presence of SDS. AgCrecropB inhibited almost 50% of gram-positive B. thuringiensis bacteria growth., Conclusions: The first cecropin B-like peptide was described in A. gemmatalis and a recombinant peptide was expressed using a bacterial platform. Data confirmed tertiary structure as predicted for the cecropin peptide family. AgCecropB was capable to inhibit B. thuringiensis growth in vitro ., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Cellular retinoic acid-binding protein 2 (CRABP2) delivers all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) to retinoic acid receptors (RARs), allowing for the activation of specific gene transcription. The structural similarities between free and atRA-bound CRABP2 raise the questions of how atRA binding occurs and how the atRA:CRABP2 complex is recognized by downstream binding partners. Thus, to gain insights into these questions, we conducted a detailed atRA-CRABP2 interaction study using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The data showed that free CRABP2 displays widespread intermediate-time scale dynamics that is effectively suppressed upon atRA binding. This effect is mirrored by the fast-time scale dynamics of CRABP2. Unexpectedly, CRABP2 rigidification in response to atRA binding leads to the stabilization of a homodimerization interface, which encompasses residues located on helix α2 and the βC-βD loop as well as residues on strands βI-βA and the βH-βI loop. Critically, this rigidification also affects CRABP2's nuclear localization signal and RAR-binding motif, suggesting that the loss of conformational entropy upon atRA binding may be the key for the diverse cellular functions of CRABP2.

Human antigen R (HuR) functions as a major post-transcriptional regulator of gene expression through its RNA-binding activity. HuR is composed by three RNA recognition motifs, namely RRM1, RRM2, and RRM3. The two N-terminal RRM domains are disposed in tandem and contribute mostly to HuR interaction with adenine and uracil-rich elements (ARE) in mRNA. Here, we used a combination of NMR and electrospray ionization-ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (ESI-IMS-MS) to characterize the structure, dynamics, RNA recognition, and dimerization of HuR RRM1. Our solution structure reveals a canonical RRM fold containing a 19-residue, intrinsically disordered N-terminal extension, which is not involved in RNA binding. NMR titration results confirm the primary RNA-binding site to the two central β-strands, β1 and β3, for a cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox2) ARE I-derived, 7-nucleotide RNA ligand. We show by 15 N relaxation that, in addition to the N- and C-termini, the β2-β3 loop undergoes fast backbone dynamics (ps-ns) both in the free and RNA-bound state, indicating that no structural ordering happens upon RNA interaction. ESI-IMS-MS reveals that HuR RRM1 dimerizes, however dimer population represents a minority. Dimerization occurs via the α-helical surface, which is oppositely orientated to the RNA-binding β-sheet. By using a DNA analog of the Cox2 ARE I, we show that DNA binding stabilizes HuR RRM1 monomer and shifts the monomer-dimer equilibrium toward the monomeric species. Altogether, our results deepen the current understanding of the mechanism of RNA recognition employed by HuR.

RhlR is a 241-residue quorum sensing receptor that controls the expression of a myriad of virulence genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here, the DNA sequence encoding the carboxi-terminal DNA-binding domain of RhlR was cloned into the pET-RP1B plasmid and expressed as an N-terminal fusion protein to the expression/purification Thio6His6 tag. The fusion construct expressed insolubly in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells. The recombinant protein was extracted from the bacterial inclusion bodies and refolded in the presence of the charged amino acids l-arginine and l-glutamate. The refolded protein was purified by a combination of Ni(+2)-affinity and size exclusion chromatography, allowing the production of 2 mg of highly purified protein (>95% purity) per 5 mg of wet cells derived from 1 L culture. (1)H 1D NMR analysis revealed that the recombinant protein is folded. Moreover, a fluorescence anisotropy DNA-binding assay showed that the refolded protein is functional, as it recognizes the rhlAB promoter. This is the first time that a domain of the quorum sensing regulator RhlR was produced in sufficient amounts for structural studies, enabling the investigation of the molecular basis for RhlR specific interaction with DNA promoters., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Bacteria are able to synchronize the population behavior in order to regulate gene expression through a cell-to-cell communication mechanism called quorum sensing. This phenomenon involves the production, detection and the response to extracellular signaling molecules named autoinducers, which directly or indirectly regulate gene expression in a cell density-dependent manner. Quorum sensing may control a wide range of biological processes in bacteria, such as bioluminescence, virulence factor production, biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance. The autoinducers are recognized by specific receptors that can either be membrane-bound histidine kinase receptors, which work by activating cognate cytoplasmic response regulators, or cytoplasmic receptors acting as transcription factors. In this review, we focused on the cytosolic quorum sensing regulators whose three-dimensional structures helped elucidate their mechanisms of action. Structural studies of quorum sensing receptors may enable the rational design of inhibitor molecules. Ultimately, this approach may represent an effective alternative to treat infections where classical antimicrobial therapy fails to overcome the microorganism virulence.

Human antigen R (HuR) is a ubiquitous protein that recognizes adenylate and uridylate-rich elements in mRNA, thereby interfering with the fate of protein translation. This protein plays a central role in the outcome of the inflammatory response as it may stabilize or silence mRNAs of key components of the immune system. HuR is able to interact with other RNA-binding proteins, reflecting a complex network that dictates mRNAs post-transcriptional control. HuR is composed of three functional domains, known as RNA-recognition motifs (RRM1, RRM2 and RRM3). It is known that RRM1 is the most important domain for mRNA-binding affinity. In this study, we completed the NMR chemical shift assignment of the RRM1 domain of HuR, as a first step to further establishing the structure, dynamics and function relationship for this protein.