Structural basis for the spectral difference in luciferase bioluminescence

Fireflies communicate with each other by emitting yellow-green to yellow-orange brilliant light. The bioluminescence reaction, which uses luciferin, Mg-ATP and molecular oxygen to yield an electronically excited oxyluciferin species, is carried out by the enzyme luciferase. Visible light is emitted during relaxation of excited oxyluciferin to its ground state. The high quantum yield of the luciferin/luciferase reaction and the change in bioluminescence colour caused by subtle structural differences in luciferase have attracted much research interest. In fact, a single amino acid substitution in luciferase changes the emission colour from yellow-green to red. Although the crystal structure of luciferase from the North American firefly (Photinus pyralis) has been described, the detailed mechanism for the bioluminescence colour change is still unclear. Here we report the crystal structures of wild-type and red mutant (S286N) luciferases from the Japanese Genji-botaru (Luciola cruciata) in complex with a high-energy intermediate analogue, 5'-O-[N-(dehydroluciferyl)-sulfamoyl]adenosine (DLSA). Comparing these structures to those of the wild-type luciferase complexed with AMP plus oxyluciferin (products) reveals a significant conformational change in the wild-type enzyme but not in the red mutant. This conformational change involves movement of the hydrophobic side chain of Ile 288 towards the benzothiazole ring of DLSA. Our results indicate that the degree of molecular rigidity of the excited state of oxyluciferin, which is controlled by a transient movement of Ile 288, determines the colour of bioluminescence during the emission reaction.     

31P-NMR study on nucleotides and intracellular pH of hereditary spherocytes.

As determined by 31p-NMR spectroscopy, intracellular pH of hereditary spherocytes was lower (pH 6.7-6.9) than that of normal red cells. The level of adenosine diphosphate in hereditary spherocytes was found to be persistently high. The metabolism of nucleotides and other phosphoryl compounds in human red blood cells have been studied in detail by 31p-MNR spectroscopy. However, to our knowledge, there seems to be no report describing the result of 31p-NMR spectroscopy on red blood cells from hereditary spherocytosis.     

Kluyveromyces lactis killer toxin inhibits adenylate cyclase of sensitive yeast cells

K1 killer toxin secreted by the K1 strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has been well characterized. It is a simple protein of molecular weight (MW) 11,470 (ref. 3), encoded by a double-stranded, linear RNA plasmid, called M RNA, of MW 1.1-1.7 x 10(6) (refs 4-6). It is lethal to sensitive Saccharomyces cerevisiae which does not carry M RNA. Leakage of K+ and ATP is the first distinct response in sensitive cells, and the toxic action is thought to be due to its action as a protonophore or K+ ionophore. Recently, a further killer toxin has been found in Kluyveromyces lactis IFO 1267, and it is associated with the presence of the double-stranded linear DNA plasmids, pGK1-1 (MW 5.4 x 10(6)) and pGK1-2 (MW 8.4 x 10(6)). It has been shown, by curing pGK1-1 or deletion mapping, that the structural gene for the killer toxin and immunity-determining gene reside on the smaller plasmid. Moreover, the plasmids could be transferred from K. lactis to S. cerevisiae by protoplast fusion and protoplast transformation. As the K. lactis toxin is encoded by a DNA plasmid and has a relatively wider action spectrum than K1 killer toxin, the mode of action of the toxin is highly interesting. Here we report that K. lactis toxin inhibits adenylate cyclase in sensitive yeast cells and brings about arrest of the cells at the G1 stage.     

Sequence- and target-independent angiogenesis suppression by siRNA via TLR3

Clinical trials of small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA) or its receptor VEGFR1 (also called FLT1), in patients with blinding choroidal neovascularization (CNV) from age-related macular degeneration, are premised on gene silencing by means of intracellular RNA interference (RNAi). We show instead that CNV inhibition is a siRNA-class effect: 21-nucleotide or longer siRNAs targeting non-mammalian genes, non-expressed genes, non-genomic sequences, pro- and anti-angiogenic genes, and RNAi-incompetent siRNAs all suppressed CNV in mice comparably to siRNAs targeting Vegfa or Vegfr1 without off-target RNAi or interferon-alpha/beta activation. Non-targeted (against non-mammalian genes) and targeted (against Vegfa or Vegfr1) siRNA suppressed CNV via cell-surface toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), its adaptor TRIF, and induction of interferon-gamma and interleukin-12. Non-targeted siRNA suppressed dermal neovascularization in mice as effectively as Vegfa siRNA. siRNA-induced inhibition of neovascularization required a minimum length of 21 nucleotides, a bridging necessity in a modelled 2:1 TLR3-RNA complex. Choroidal endothelial cells from people expressing the TLR3 coding variant 412FF were refractory to extracellular siRNA-induced cytotoxicity, facilitating individualized pharmacogenetic therapy. Multiple human endothelial cell types expressed surface TLR3, indicating that generic siRNAs might treat angiogenic disorders that affect 8% of the world's population, and that siRNAs might induce unanticipated vascular or immune effects.