Domain folding and flexibility of Escherichia coli FtsZ determined by tryptophan site-directed mutagenesis

Protein Sci. 2007 Aug;16(8):1543-56. doi: 10.1110/ps.072807607.

Abstract

FtsZ has two domains, the amino GTPase domain with a Rossmann fold, and the carboxyl domain that resembles the chorismate mutase fold. Bioinformatics analyses suggest that the interdomain interaction is stronger than the interaction of the protofilament longitudinal interfaces. Crystal B factor analysis of FtsZ and detected conformational changes suggest a connection between these domains. The unfolding/folding characteristics of each domain of FtsZ were tested by introducing tryptophans into the flexible region of the amino (F135W) and the carboxyl (F275W and I294W) domains. As a control, the mutation F40W was introduced in a more rigid part of the amino domain. These mutants showed a native-like structure with denaturation and renaturation curves similar to wild type. However, the I294W mutant showed a strong loss of functionality, both in vivo and in vitro when compared to the other mutants. The functionality was recovered with the double mutant I294W/F275A, which showed full in vivo complementation with a slight increment of in vitro GTPase activity with respect to the single mutant. The formation of a stabilizing aromatic interaction involving a stacking between the tryptophan introduced at position 294 and phenylalanine 275 could account for these results. Folding/unfolding of these mutants induced by guanidinium chloride was compatible with a mechanism in which both domains within the protein show the same stability during FtsZ denaturation and renaturation, probably because of strong interface interactions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Escherichia coli / enzymology
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / chemistry*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / genetics
  • Escherichia coli Proteins / metabolism
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / chemistry
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / metabolism
  • Guanidine / pharmacology
  • Guanosine Diphosphate / chemistry
  • Guanosine Diphosphate / metabolism
  • Guanosine Triphosphate / chemistry
  • Guanosine Triphosphate / metabolism
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed
  • Point Mutation
  • Protein Folding
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Tryptophan / chemistry*
  • Tryptophan / genetics

Substances

  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • FtsZ84 protein, E coli
  • Guanosine Diphosphate
  • Guanosine Triphosphate
  • Tryptophan
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases
  • Guanidine