Biology subjects

Black, K. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Black, K. A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Cryo-EM structures of human arachidonate 12S-Lipoxygenase (12-LOX) bound to endogenous and exogenous inhibitors

Human 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) is an enzyme involved in platelet activation and is a promising target for antiplatelet therapies. Despite the clinical importance of 12-LOX, the exact mechanisms of how it affects platelet activation are unclear, and the lack of structural information has limited drug discovery efforts. In this study, we used single-particle cryoelectron microscopy to determine the high-resolution structures (1.7 [A] - 2.8 [A]) of human 12-LOX for the first time. Our results showed that 12-LOX can exist in multiple oligomeric states, from monomer to hexamer, which may impact its catalytic activity and membrane association. We also identified different conformations within a 12-LOX dimer, likely representing different time points in its catalytic cycle. Furthermore, we were able to identify small molecules bound to the 12-LOX structures. The active site of the 12-LOX tetramer is occupied by an endogenous 12-LOX inhibitor, a long-chain acyl-Coenzyme A. Additionally, we found that the 12-LOX hexamer can simultaneously bind to arachidonic acid and ML355, a selective 12-LOX inhibitor that has passed a phase I clinical trial for treating heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and has received fast-track designation by the FDA. Overall, our findings provide novel insights into the assembly of 12-LOX oligomers, its catalytic mechanism, and small molecule binding, paving the way for further drug development targeting the 12-LOX enzyme. Key PointsO_LIThe first full-length structures of human arachidonate 12S-Lipoxygenase (12-LOX) C_LIO_LIReveals mechanisms of oligomeric and conformational states C_LIO_LIUncovers natural inhibitor of 12S-Lipoxygenase (12-lox) C_LIO_LIReveals a binding site of inhibitor ML355 C_LI

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2021

Listeria monocytogenes GlmR is an accessory uridyltransferase essential for cytosolic survival and virulence

The cytosol of eukaryotic host cells is an intrinsically hostile environment for bacteria. Understanding how cytosolic pathogens adapt to and survive in the cytosol is critical to developing novel therapeutic interventions for these pathogens. The cytosolic pathogen Listeria monocytogenes requires glmR (previously known as yvcK), a gene of unknown function, for resistance to cell wall stress, cytosolic survival, inflammasome avoidance and ultimately virulence in vivo. A genetic suppressor screen revealed that blocking utilization of UDP-GlcNAc by a non-essential wall teichoic acid decoration pathway restored resistance to cell wall stress and partially restored virulence of {Delta}glmR mutants. In parallel, metabolomics revealed that {Delta}glmR mutants are impaired in the production of UDP-GlcNAc, an essential peptidoglycan and wall teichoic acid (WTA) precursor. We next demonstrated that purified GlmR can directly catalyze the synthesis of UDP-GlcNAc from GlcNAc-1P and UTP, suggesting that it is an accessory uridyltransferase. Biochemical analysis of GlmR orthologues suggest that uridyltransferase activity is conserved. Finally, mutational analysis resulting in a GlmR mutant with impaired catalytic activity demonstrated that uridyltransferase activity was essential to facilitate cell wall stress responses and virulence in vivo. Taken together these studies indicate that GlmR is an evolutionary conserved accessory uridyltransferase required for cytosolic survival and virulence of L. monocytogenes. ImportanceBacterial pathogens must adapt to their host environment in order to cause disease. The cytosolic bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes requires a highly conserved protein of unknown function, GlmR (previously known as YvcK) to survive in the host cytosol. GlmR is important for resistance to some cell wall stresses and is essential for virulence. The {Delta}glmR mutant is deficient in production of an essential cell wall metabolite, UDP-GlcNAc, and suppressors which increase metabolite levels also restore virulence. Purified GlmR can directly catalyze the synthesis of UDP-GlcNAc and this enzymatic activity is conserved in pathogens from Firmicutes and Actinobacteria phyla. These results highlight the importance accessory cell wall metabolism enzymes in responding to cell wall stress in a variety of bacterial pathogens.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Ion currents through Kir potassium channels are gated by anionic lipids.

Ion currents through potassium channels are gated. Constriction of the ion conduction pathway at the inner helix bundle, the textbook gate of Kir potassium channels, has been shown to be an ineffective permeation control, creating a rift in our understanding of how these channels are gated. Here we present the first evidence that anionic lipids act as interactive response elements sufficient to gate potassium conduction. We demonstrate the limiting barrier to K+ permeation lies within the ion conduction pathway and show that this gate is operated by the fatty acyl tails of lipids that infiltrate the conduction pathway via fenestrations in the walls of the pore. Acyl tails occupying a surface groove extending from the cytosolic interface to the conduction pathway provide a potential means of relaying cellular signals, mediated by anionic lipid head groups bound at the canonical lipid binding site, to the internal gate.

biochemistry↗