Reciprocal influence of protein domains in the cold-adapted acyl aminoacyl peptidase from Sporosarcina psychrophila

PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e56254. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056254. Epub 2013 Feb 15.

Abstract

Acyl aminoacyl peptidases are two-domain proteins composed by a C-terminal catalytic α/β-hydrolase domain and by an N-terminal β-propeller domain connected through a structural element that is at the N-terminus in sequence but participates in the 3D structure of the C-domain. We investigated about the structural and functional interplay between the two domains and the bridge structure (in this case a single helix named α1-helix) in the cold-adapted enzyme from Sporosarcina psychrophila (SpAAP) using both protein variants in which entire domains were deleted and proteins carrying substitutions in the α1-helix. We found that in this enzyme the inter-domain connection dramatically affects the stability of both the whole enzyme and the β-propeller. The α1-helix is required for the stability of the intact protein, as in other enzymes of the same family; however in this psychrophilic enzyme only, it destabilizes the isolated β-propeller. A single charged residue (E10) in the α1-helix plays a major role for the stability of the whole structure. Overall, a strict interaction of the SpAAP domains seems to be mandatory for the preservation of their reciprocal structural integrity and may witness their co-evolution.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Physiological
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Cold Temperature
  • Enzyme Stability
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Mutagenesis
  • Peptide Hydrolases / chemistry*
  • Peptide Hydrolases / genetics
  • Peptide Hydrolases / metabolism*
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Sequence Deletion
  • Solubility
  • Sporosarcina / chemistry
  • Sporosarcina / enzymology*
  • Sporosarcina / genetics
  • Sporosarcina / physiology*

Substances

  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Peptide Hydrolases
  • acylaminoacyl-peptidase

Grants and funding

This work was partly supported by grants of the University of Milano-Bicocca (Fondo di Ateneo) to SB, ML, LDG, SMD. This research was also supported by CASPUR (Consorzio Interuniversitario per le Applicazioni di Supercalcolo per Università e Ricerca) Standard HPC Grant 2011 and 2012 to EP. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.