Pub Date : 2025-11-13DOI: 10.1107/S2053230X25009446
Ruijie Zang, Yongliang Jiang, Cong-Zhao Zhou
Pterin glycosides are widely distributed in cyanobacteria and have been implicated in the regulation of phototaxis and photosynthesis. Here, we identified a new uridine diphosphate glucose:tetrahydrobiopterin α-glucosyltransferase, termed PsBGluT, from Pseudanabaena sp. Chao 1811, which catalyzes the formation of pterin glycosides. We solved crystal structures of apo PsBGluT and its UDP-bound form at 2.8 and 2.3 Å resolution, respectively. PsBGluT forms a homodimer, with each subunit adopting a canonical GT-B fold composed of two Rossmann-like domains. Structural analysis combined with molecular docking revealed the binding sites for both the donor UDP-glucose and the acceptor tetrahydrobiopterin. Based on these findings, we proposed that PsBGluT operates via an SNi retaining catalytic mechanism. This study advances our understanding of pteridine glycosylation and also provides a structural basis for investigating the photosynthetic signaling pathways in cyanobacteria.
{"title":"Structural analysis of the tetrahydrobiopterin glucosyltransferase PsBGluT from Pseudanabaena sp. Chao 1811","authors":"Ruijie Zang, Yongliang Jiang, Cong-Zhao Zhou","doi":"10.1107/S2053230X25009446","DOIUrl":"10.1107/S2053230X25009446","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Pterin glycosides are widely distributed in cyanobacteria and have been implicated in the regulation of phototaxis and photosynthesis. Here, we identified a new uridine diphosphate glucose:tetrahydrobiopterin α-glucosyltransferase, termed <i>Ps</i>BGluT, from <i>Pseudanabaena</i> sp. Chao 1811, which catalyzes the formation of pterin glycosides. We solved crystal structures of apo <i>Ps</i>BGluT and its UDP-bound form at 2.8 and 2.3 Å resolution, respectively. <i>Ps</i>BGluT forms a homodimer, with each subunit adopting a canonical GT-B fold composed of two Rossmann-like domains. Structural analysis combined with molecular docking revealed the binding sites for both the donor UDP-glucose and the acceptor tetrahydrobiopterin. Based on these findings, we proposed that <i>Ps</i>BGluT operates via an S<sub>N</sub><i>i</i> retaining catalytic mechanism. This study advances our understanding of pteridine glycosylation and also provides a structural basis for investigating the photosynthetic signaling pathways in cyanobacteria.</p>","PeriodicalId":7029,"journal":{"name":"Acta crystallographica. Section F, Structural biology communications","volume":"81 12","pages":"495-504"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145501422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-10-03DOI: 10.1107/S2053230X25008398
Douglas H Juers, Jack Quire, Sean Stothers
We describe a device and a method for changing the ambient solution of a macromolecular crystal. The approach is gentle, automated, inexpensive and open source. Examples are given of the equilibration of three different crystals to new solutions with exchange times ranging from 5 to 180 min. In each case direct transfer of the crystal to the new solution causes cracking, which is eliminated with gradient equilibration using the described device. Crystals equilibrated with the device produce high-quality diffraction that yields refined structures comparable to those determined previously. The device offers a more systematic and labor-saving workflow than current practice both for performing diffraction analysis of macromolecular crystals and for investigating the response of macromolecular crystals to changes in solution composition.
{"title":"Automated gradient equilibration of macromolecular crystals to new solution conditions.","authors":"Douglas H Juers, Jack Quire, Sean Stothers","doi":"10.1107/S2053230X25008398","DOIUrl":"10.1107/S2053230X25008398","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We describe a device and a method for changing the ambient solution of a macromolecular crystal. The approach is gentle, automated, inexpensive and open source. Examples are given of the equilibration of three different crystals to new solutions with exchange times ranging from 5 to 180 min. In each case direct transfer of the crystal to the new solution causes cracking, which is eliminated with gradient equilibration using the described device. Crystals equilibrated with the device produce high-quality diffraction that yields refined structures comparable to those determined previously. The device offers a more systematic and labor-saving workflow than current practice both for performing diffraction analysis of macromolecular crystals and for investigating the response of macromolecular crystals to changes in solution composition.</p>","PeriodicalId":7029,"journal":{"name":"Acta crystallographica. Section F, Structural biology communications","volume":" ","pages":"478-486"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12576687/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145224633","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-01Epub Date: 2025-10-23DOI: 10.1107/S2053230X25009045
Medhanjali Dasgupta, Katelyn Slobodnik, Erika A Cone, Jahaun Azadmanesh, Thomas Kroll, Gloria E O Borgstahl
Human mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) converts superoxide into hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen, serving as a key defence against oxidative damage. Despite extensive studies, the full structural characterization of H2O2-binding sites in MnSOD remains largely unexplored. Previous H2O2-soaked MnSOD structures have identified two distinct H2O2-binding sites: one directly ligated to the catalytic manganese (LIG position) and another at the active-site gateway (PEO position) between the second-shell residues Tyr34 and His30. In this study, a kinetically impaired Gln143Asn MnSOD variant is used to trap and explore additional H2O2-binding sites beyond the second-shell solvent gate. In the wild-type enzyme, Gln143 mediates proton transfers with the manganese-bound solvent (WAT1) to drive redox cycling of the metal, which is necessary for effective superoxide dismutation. Substitution with Asn stalls catalysis because the increased distance from WAT1 disrupts critical proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) events, and the redox cycling of the active-site metal is impaired. This, in turn, stalls the electrostatic cycling of positive charge on the enzyme surface and enhances the likelihood of trapping transient H2O2-bound states in this variant. The results reveal several H2O2 molecules leading up to the active site, in addition to the canonical LIG and PEO positions.
{"title":"High-resolution X-ray structure of Gln143Asn manganese superoxide dismutase captures multiple hydrogen peroxide-binding sites.","authors":"Medhanjali Dasgupta, Katelyn Slobodnik, Erika A Cone, Jahaun Azadmanesh, Thomas Kroll, Gloria E O Borgstahl","doi":"10.1107/S2053230X25009045","DOIUrl":"10.1107/S2053230X25009045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Human mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) converts superoxide into hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen, serving as a key defence against oxidative damage. Despite extensive studies, the full structural characterization of H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-binding sites in MnSOD remains largely unexplored. Previous H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-soaked MnSOD structures have identified two distinct H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-binding sites: one directly ligated to the catalytic manganese (LIG position) and another at the active-site gateway (PEO position) between the second-shell residues Tyr34 and His30. In this study, a kinetically impaired Gln143Asn MnSOD variant is used to trap and explore additional H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-binding sites beyond the second-shell solvent gate. In the wild-type enzyme, Gln143 mediates proton transfers with the manganese-bound solvent (WAT1) to drive redox cycling of the metal, which is necessary for effective superoxide dismutation. Substitution with Asn stalls catalysis because the increased distance from WAT1 disrupts critical proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) events, and the redox cycling of the active-site metal is impaired. This, in turn, stalls the electrostatic cycling of positive charge on the enzyme surface and enhances the likelihood of trapping transient H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-bound states in this variant. The results reveal several H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> molecules leading up to the active site, in addition to the canonical LIG and PEO positions.</p>","PeriodicalId":7029,"journal":{"name":"Acta crystallographica. Section F, Structural biology communications","volume":" ","pages":"467-477"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12576686/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145342820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-31DOI: 10.1107/S2053230X25008842
Brooke Bailey, Alexandra Winchester, Dylan McClain, Madeline Clingaman, Melanie A. Higgins
Fucoidan is a complex, sulfated polysaccharide primarily found in brown algae, where it plays important structural and protective roles. Due to its abundance in marine ecosystems, many marine bacteria have evolved diverse and specialized enzymatic systems to degrade fucoidan, although the functions and structures of many of these enzymes remain uncharacterized. Here, we describe the structure of a newly identified fucosidase, FucWf4, which cleaves terminal, unsulfated fucose residues from linear, sulfated fucoidan. FucWf4 does not belong to any known glycoside hydrolase (GH) family, but shows the greatest similarity to GH29 fucosidases. We present the first crystal structure of FucWf4 in complex with fucose, revealing a unique C-terminal domain that resembles a carbohydrate-binding module, although it may have lost its carbohydrate-binding capacity and is absent from canonical GH29 enzymes. Docking experiments suggest the presence of a −1 subsite containing a potential sulfate-binding pocket, which may underlie the substrate specificity of the enzyme. Furthermore, sequence analysis of FucWf4 homologs reveals two distinct clades, likely corresponding to functionally divergent groups. Together, these findings provide new insights into the molecular basis of fucoidan recognition and degradation by this novel enzyme subfamily, laying the groundwork for future functional and structural studies.
{"title":"Structural insights into a fucosidase involved in fucoidan degradation","authors":"Brooke Bailey, Alexandra Winchester, Dylan McClain, Madeline Clingaman, Melanie A. Higgins","doi":"10.1107/S2053230X25008842","DOIUrl":"10.1107/S2053230X25008842","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Fucoidan is a complex, sulfated polysaccharide primarily found in brown algae, where it plays important structural and protective roles. Due to its abundance in marine ecosystems, many marine bacteria have evolved diverse and specialized enzymatic systems to degrade fucoidan, although the functions and structures of many of these enzymes remain uncharacterized. Here, we describe the structure of a newly identified fucosidase, FucWf4, which cleaves terminal, unsulfated fucose residues from linear, sulfated fucoidan. FucWf4 does not belong to any known glycoside hydrolase (GH) family, but shows the greatest similarity to GH29 fucosidases. We present the first crystal structure of FucWf4 in complex with fucose, revealing a unique C-terminal domain that resembles a carbohydrate-binding module, although it may have lost its carbohydrate-binding capacity and is absent from canonical GH29 enzymes. Docking experiments suggest the presence of a −1 subsite containing a potential sulfate-binding pocket, which may underlie the substrate specificity of the enzyme. Furthermore, sequence analysis of FucWf4 homologs reveals two distinct clades, likely corresponding to functionally divergent groups. Together, these findings provide new insights into the molecular basis of fucoidan recognition and degradation by this novel enzyme subfamily, laying the groundwork for future functional and structural studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":7029,"journal":{"name":"Acta crystallographica. Section F, Structural biology communications","volume":"81 11","pages":"459-466"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145327935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-10DOI: 10.1107/S2053230X25008428
S. Y. Bae, K. N. Allen, D. R. Tolan
Ketohexokinase (KHK) catalyses the initial step in fructose metabolism, converting the furanose form of d-fructose to fructose 1-phosphate in an ATP-dependent reaction. Given its central role in metabolic pathways, KHK has emerged as a target for pharmacological intervention in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and obesity. KHK exists as two isoforms, A and C, which arise from alternative splicing of exon 3, resulting in a differing 45-amino-acid sequence within the 298-amino-acid primary structure of the enzyme. KHK is a biological homodimer, with each subunit adopting an α/β-fold architecture that interlocks with a β-clasp domain. In the case of KHK-C at least two distinct conformations of the β-clasp domain have been identified, whereas this conformational flexibility had not been observed in KHK-A. Here, X-ray crystallographic structural investigations of unliganded murine KHK-A refined to 1.37 Å resolution revealed the adoption of two conformations similar to those adopted by the human ortholog, suggesting that this structural feature is conserved across species. The functional significance of these conformational changes in KHK-A is of particular interest as this isoform has been implicated in cancer metastasis through a `moonlighting' protein kinase activity. Understanding the mechanistic role of conformational shifts in KHK-A may provide insights into its broader physiological functions and therapeutic potential.
{"title":"Conformational changes in ketohexokinase are conserved across isozymes and species","authors":"S. Y. Bae, K. N. Allen, D. R. Tolan","doi":"10.1107/S2053230X25008428","DOIUrl":"10.1107/S2053230X25008428","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Ketohexokinase (KHK) catalyses the initial step in fructose metabolism, converting the furanose form of <span>d</span>-fructose to fructose 1-phosphate in an ATP-dependent reaction. Given its central role in metabolic pathways, KHK has emerged as a target for pharmacological intervention in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and obesity. KHK exists as two isoforms, A and C, which arise from alternative splicing of exon 3, resulting in a differing 45-amino-acid sequence within the 298-amino-acid primary structure of the enzyme. KHK is a biological homodimer, with each subunit adopting an α/β-fold architecture that interlocks with a β-clasp domain. In the case of KHK-C at least two distinct conformations of the β-clasp domain have been identified, whereas this conformational flexibility had not been observed in KHK-A. Here, X-ray crystallographic structural investigations of unliganded murine KHK-A refined to 1.37 Å resolution revealed the adoption of two conformations similar to those adopted by the human ortholog, suggesting that this structural feature is conserved across species. The functional significance of these conformational changes in KHK-A is of particular interest as this isoform has been implicated in cancer metastasis through a `moonlighting' protein kinase activity. Understanding the mechanistic role of conformational shifts in KHK-A may provide insights into its broader physiological functions and therapeutic potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":7029,"journal":{"name":"Acta crystallographica. Section F, Structural biology communications","volume":"81 11","pages":"451-458"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145273303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-09-09DOI: 10.1107/S2053230X25007575
Beatriz Costa-Gomes, Joel Greer, Nikolai Juraschko, James Parkhurst, Jola Mirecka, Marjan Famili, Camila Rangel-Smith, Oliver Strickson, Alan Lowe, Mark Basham, Tom Burnley
Ease of access to data, tools and models expedites scientific research. In structural biology there are now numerous open repositories of experimental and simulated data sets. Being able to easily access and utilize these is crucial to allow researchers to make optimal use of their research effort. The tools presented here are useful for collating existing public cryoEM data sets and/or creating new synthetic cryoEM data sets to aid the development of novel data processing and interpretation algorithms. In recent years, structural biology has seen the development of a multitude of machine-learning-based algorithms to aid numerous steps in the processing and reconstruction of experimental data sets and the use of these approaches has become widespread. Developing such techniques in structural biology requires access to large data sets, which can be cumbersome to curate and unwieldy to make use of. In this paper, we present a suite of Python software packages, which we collectively refer to as PERC (profet, EMPIARreader and CAKED). These are designed to reduce the burden which data curation places upon structural biology research. The protein structure fetcher (profet) package allows users to conveniently download and cleave sequences or structures from the Protein Data Bank or AlphaFold databases. EMPIARreader allows lazy loading of Electron Microscopy Public Image Archive data sets in a machine-learning-compatible structure. The Class Aggregator for Key Electron-microscopy Data (CAKED) package is designed to seamlessly facilitate the training of machine-learning models on electron microscopy data, including electron-cryo-microscopy-specific data augmentation and labeling. These packages may be utilized independently or as building blocks in workflows. All are available in open-source repositories and designed to be easily extensible to facilitate more advanced workflows if required.
{"title":"PERC: a suite of software tools for the curation of cryoEM data with application to simulation, modeling and machine learning.","authors":"Beatriz Costa-Gomes, Joel Greer, Nikolai Juraschko, James Parkhurst, Jola Mirecka, Marjan Famili, Camila Rangel-Smith, Oliver Strickson, Alan Lowe, Mark Basham, Tom Burnley","doi":"10.1107/S2053230X25007575","DOIUrl":"10.1107/S2053230X25007575","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ease of access to data, tools and models expedites scientific research. In structural biology there are now numerous open repositories of experimental and simulated data sets. Being able to easily access and utilize these is crucial to allow researchers to make optimal use of their research effort. The tools presented here are useful for collating existing public cryoEM data sets and/or creating new synthetic cryoEM data sets to aid the development of novel data processing and interpretation algorithms. In recent years, structural biology has seen the development of a multitude of machine-learning-based algorithms to aid numerous steps in the processing and reconstruction of experimental data sets and the use of these approaches has become widespread. Developing such techniques in structural biology requires access to large data sets, which can be cumbersome to curate and unwieldy to make use of. In this paper, we present a suite of Python software packages, which we collectively refer to as PERC (profet, EMPIARreader and CAKED). These are designed to reduce the burden which data curation places upon structural biology research. The protein structure fetcher (profet) package allows users to conveniently download and cleave sequences or structures from the Protein Data Bank or AlphaFold databases. EMPIARreader allows lazy loading of Electron Microscopy Public Image Archive data sets in a machine-learning-compatible structure. The Class Aggregator for Key Electron-microscopy Data (CAKED) package is designed to seamlessly facilitate the training of machine-learning models on electron microscopy data, including electron-cryo-microscopy-specific data augmentation and labeling. These packages may be utilized independently or as building blocks in workflows. All are available in open-source repositories and designed to be easily extensible to facilitate more advanced workflows if required.</p>","PeriodicalId":7029,"journal":{"name":"Acta crystallographica. Section F, Structural biology communications","volume":" ","pages":"441-450"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12485494/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145022593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}