Background: Mutations in LEPREL1, the gene encoding prolyl 3-hydroxylase-2 (P3H2), cause severe nonsyndromic myopia. Results: Collagens I and IV from P3h2-null mouse eye tissues were significantly reduced in 3-hydroxylation compared with wild-type littermates. Conclusion: Loss of P3h2 causes altered collagen prolyl 3-hydroxylation from multiple tissues. Significance: Improved understanding of molecular mechanisms of myopia could aid in early diagnosis and treatment of irreversible vision loss.
Key Points
Antibodies against the factor VIII C2 domain inhibit procoagulant function. Crystal structure analysis of a C2 domain/antibody ternary complex describes epitopes for classical and nonclassical inhibitory antibodies.
Background:The development of antibodies against coagulation factor VIII (fVIII) is a serious complication of hemophilia A. Results: Small angle x-ray scattering reveals a molecular envelope solution structure of two inhibitor antibodies bound to the C2 domain of fVIII. Conclusion: Multiple inhibitor antibodies can bind to the fVIII C2 domain simultaneously, and modeling suggests the localization of key epitopes. Significance: Understanding fVIII-inhibitor interactions is crucial for developing more effective hemophilia A therapies.
Approximately half the proline residues in fibrillar collagen are hydroxylated. The predominant form is 4-hydroxyproline, which helps fold and stabilize the triple helix. A minor form, 3-hydroxyproline, still has no clear function. Using peptide mass spectrometry, we recently revealed several previously unknown molecular sites of 3-hydroxyproline in fibrillar collagen chains. In fibril-forming A-clade collagen chains, four new partially occupied 3-hydroxyproline sites were found (A2, A3, A4 and (GPP)n) in addition to the fully occupied A1 site at Pro986. The C-terminal (GPP)n motif has five consecutive GPP triplets in α1(I), four in α2(I) and three in α1(II), all subject to 3-hydroxylation. The evolutionary origins of this substrate sequence were investigated by surveying the pattern of its 3-hydroxyproline occupancy from early chordates through amphibians, birds and mammals. Different tissue sources of type I collagen (tendon, bone and skin) and type II collagen (cartilage and notochord) were examined by mass spectrometry. The (GPP)n domain was found to be a major substrate for 3-hydroxylation only in vertebrate fibrillar collagens. In higher vertebrates (mouse, bovine and human), up to five 3-hydroxyproline residues per (GPP)n motif were found in α1(I) and four in α2(I), with an average of two residues per chain. In vertebrate type I collagen the modification exhibited clear tissue specificity, with 3-hydroxyproline prominent only in tendon. The occupancy also showed developmental changes in Achilles tendon, with increasing 3-hydroxyproline levels with age. The biological significance is unclear but the level of 3-hydroxylation at the (GPP)n site appears to have increased as tendons evolved and shows both tendon type and developmental variations within a species.
The retargeting of protein–DNA specificity, outside of extremely modular DNA binding proteins such as TAL effectors, has generally proved to be quite challenging. Here, we describe structural analyses of five different extensively retargeted variants of a single homing endonuclease, that have been shown to function efficiently in ex vivo and in vivo applications. The redesigned proteins harbor mutations at up to 53 residues (18%) of their amino acid sequence, primarily distributed across the DNA binding surface, making them among the most significantly reengineered ligand-binding proteins to date. Specificity is derived from the combined contributions of DNA-contacting residues and of neighboring residues that influence local structural organization. Changes in specificity are facilitated by the ability of all those residues to readily exchange both form and function. The fidelity of recognition is not precisely correlated with the fraction or total number of residues in the protein–DNA interface that are actually involved in DNA contacts, including directional hydrogen bonds. The plasticity of the DNA-recognition surface of this protein, which allows substantial retargeting of recognition specificity without requiring significant alteration of the surrounding protein architecture, reflects the ability of the corresponding genetic elements to maintain mobility and persistence in the face of genetic drift within potential host target sites.
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