Download MendeleySelf-inhibited State of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV) nsP2 Cysteine Protease: A Crystallographic and Molecular Dynamics Analysis.
Hoffka, G., Lountos, G.T., Needle, D., Wlodawer, A., Waugh, D.S., Tozser, J., Motyan, J.A.(2023) J Mol Biol 435: 168012-168012
- PubMed: 36792007
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168012
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
8DUF - PubMed Abstract:
The Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) belongs to the Togaviridae family and is pathogenic to both humans and equines. The VEEV non-structural protein 2 (nsP2) is a cysteine protease (nsP2pro) that processes the polyprotein and thus it is a drug target for inhibitor discovery. The atomic structure of the VEEV nsP2 catalytic domain was previously characterized by both X-ray crystallography and computational studies. A modified nsP2pro harboring a N475A mutation in the N terminus was observed to exhibit an unexpected conformation: the N-terminal residues bind to the active site, mimicking binding of a substrate. The large conformational change of the N terminus was assumed to be induced by the N475A mutation, as N475 has an important role in stabilization of the N terminus and the active site. This conformation was first observed in the N475A mutant, but we also found it while determining a crystal structure of the catalytically active nsP2pro containing the wild-type N475 active site residue and K741A/K767A surface entropy reduction mutations. This suggests that the N475A mutation is not a prerequisite for self-inhibition. Here, we describe a high resolution (1.46 Å) crystal structure of a truncated nsP2pro (residues 463-785, K741A/K767A) and analyze the structure further by molecular dynamics to study the active and self-inhibited conformations of nsP2pro and its N475A mutant. A comparison of the different conformations of the N-terminal residues sheds a light on the interactions that play an important role in the stabilization of the enzyme.
Organizational Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary; Doctoral School of Molecular Cell and Immune Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
