A 1-Cys Peroxiredoxin from a Thermophilic Archaeon Moonlights as a Molecular Chaperone to Protect Protein and DNA against Stress-Induced Damage

PLoS One. 2015 May 1;10(5):e0125325. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125325. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) act against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), organic peroxides, and peroxynitrite. Thermococcus kodakaraensis KOD1, an anaerobic archaeon, contains many antioxidant proteins, including three Prxs (Tk0537, Tk0815, and Tk1055). Only Tk0537 has been found to be induced in response to heat, osmotic, and oxidative stress. Tk0537 was found to belong to a 1-Cys Prx6 subfamily based on sequence analysis and was named 1-Cys TkPrx. Using gel filtration chromatography, electron microscopy, and blue-native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, we observed that 1-Cys TkPrx exhibits oligomeric forms with reduced peroxide reductase activity as well as decameric and dodecameric forms that can act as molecular chaperones by protecting both proteins and DNA from oxidative stress. Mutational analysis showed that a cysteine residue at the N-terminus (Cys46) was responsible for the peroxide reductase activity, and cysteine residues at the C-terminus (Cys205 and Cys211) were important for oligomerization. Based on our results, we propose that interconversion between different oligomers is important for regulating the different functions of 1-Cys TkPrx.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Archaeal Proteins / chemistry
  • Archaeal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA Damage*
  • DNA, Bacterial / metabolism*
  • Hydroxyl Radical / metabolism
  • Molecular Chaperones / chemistry
  • Molecular Chaperones / metabolism*
  • Mutant Proteins / chemistry
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Peroxidase / metabolism
  • Peroxiredoxins / chemistry
  • Peroxiredoxins / metabolism*
  • Point Mutation
  • Protein Binding
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Sequence Analysis, Protein
  • Stress, Physiological*
  • Temperature
  • Thermococcus / metabolism*
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Archaeal Proteins
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Molecular Chaperones
  • Mutant Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Hydroxyl Radical
  • Peroxiredoxins
  • Peroxidase

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Fund of Research Promotion Program (Gyeongsang National University, 2012) and Natural Science Foundation of China (31201485). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.