skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Structural basis for the mechanisms of human presequence protease conformational switch and substrate recognition

Journal Article · · Nature Communications
 [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [3];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [4];  [5]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [1];  [3]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Univ. of Chicago, IL (United States)
  2. Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
  3. New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY (United States). Simons Electron Microscopy Center
  4. Univ. of California, San Diego, CA (United States)
  5. Univ. of California, San Francisco, CA (United States)

Presequence protease (PreP), a 117 kDa mitochondrial M16C metalloprotease vital for mitochondrial proteostasis, degrades presequence peptides cleaved off from nuclear-encoded proteins and other aggregation-prone peptides, such as amyloid β (Aβ). PreP structures have only been determined in a closed conformation; thus, the mechanisms of substrate binding and selectivity remain elusive. Here, we leverage advanced vitrification techniques to overcome the preferential denaturation of one of two ~55 kDa homologous domains of PreP caused by air-water interface adsorption. Thereby, we elucidate cryoEM structures of three apo-PreP open states along with Aβ- and citrate synthase presequence-bound PreP at 3.3–4.6 Å resolution. Together with integrative biophysical and pharmacological approaches, these structures reveal the key stages of the PreP catalytic cycle and how the binding of substrates or PreP inhibitor drives a rigid body motion of the protein for substrate binding and catalysis. Together, our studies provide key mechanistic insights into M16C metalloproteases for future therapeutic innovations.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Institutes of Health (NIH); Simons Foundation
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357; GM121964; GM103622; SF349247; GM103310; U24 GM129539
OSTI ID:
1866449
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1867483; OSTI ID: 1869887; OSTI ID: 1871739; OSTI ID: 1901328
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Vol. 13, Issue 1; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH

References (72)

Routine single particle CryoEM sample and grid characterization by tomography journal May 2018
Mitochondrial Disorders in the Nervous System journal July 2008
The Hallmarks of Aging journal June 2013
ProteoPlex: stability optimization of macromolecular complexes by sparse-matrix screening of chemical space journal August 2015
HDX-MS guided drug discovery: small molecules and biopharmaceuticals journal October 2014
Conformational states and recognition of amyloidogenic peptides of human insulin-degrading enzyme journal August 2013
Structural analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis M13 metalloprotease Zmp1 open states journal July 2021
Cryo-EM structures from sub-nl volumes using pin-printing and jet vitrification journal May 2020
The multifaceted contributions of mitochondria to cellular metabolism journal June 2018
Mitochondrial proteins: from biogenesis to functional networks journal January 2019
Anti-diabetic activity of insulin-degrading enzyme inhibitors mediated by multiple hormones journal May 2014
Reducing effects of particle adsorption to the air–water interface in cryo-EM journal September 2018
High resolution, high-throughput amide deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry (DXMS) determination of protein binding site structure and dynamics: Utility in pharmaceutical design journal January 2001
Challenges and opportunities in cryo-EM single-particle analysis journal March 2019
PRIMUS: a Windows PC-based system for small-angle scattering data analysis journal September 2003
Substrate-selective inhibitors that reprogram the activity of insulin-degrading enzyme journal May 2019
Automated molecular microscopy: The new Leginon system journal July 2005
Structural Characterization of Flexible Proteins Using Small-Angle X-ray Scattering journal May 2007
Small-Molecule Activators of Insulin-Degrading Enzyme Discovered through High-Throughput Compound Screening journal April 2009
Macromolecular structure determination using X-rays, neutrons and electrons: recent developments in Phenix journal October 2019
Mitochondrial PITRM1 peptidase loss-of-function in childhood cerebellar atrophy journal May 2018
Biology of Amyloid: Structure, Function, and Regulation journal October 2010
Protein Misfolding, Amyloid Formation, and Human Disease: A Summary of Progress Over the Last Decade journal June 2017
Not just amyloid: physiological functions of the amyloid precursor protein family journal March 2017
Automated batch fiducial-less tilt-series alignment in Appion using Protomo journal November 2015
Protein aggregation kinetics, mechanism, and curve-fitting: A review of the literature journal March 2009
Mapping the Genetic Landscape of Human Cells journal August 2018
New tools for automated high-resolution cryo-EM structure determination in RELION-3 journal November 2018
Spotiton: New features and applications journal May 2018
Mitochondrial dynamics in adaptive and maladaptive cellular stress responses journal June 2018
The amyloid hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease at 25 years journal March 2016
Revealing the architecture of protein complexes by an orthogonal approach combining HDXMS, CXMS, and disulfide trapping journal May 2018
Determination of amide hydrogen exchange by mass spectrometry: A new tool for protein structure elucidation journal April 1993
Increased neuronal PreP activity reduces Aβ accumulation, attenuates neuroinflammation and improves mitochondrial and synaptic function in Alzheimer disease's mouse model journal June 2015
MotionCor2: anisotropic correction of beam-induced motion for improved cryo-electron microscopy journal February 2017
Addressing preferred specimen orientation in single-particle cryo-EM through tilting journal July 2017
Powering Amyloid Beta Degrading Enzymes: A Possible Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease journal February 2019
Chameleon: Next Generation Sample Preparation for CryoEM based on Spotiton journal August 2019
UCSF Chimera?A visualization system for exploratory research and analysis journal January 2004
Targeting Insulin-Degrading Enzyme to Treat Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus journal January 2016
Gctf: Real-time CTF determination and correction journal January 2016
Modelling amyloid fibril formation kinetics: mechanisms of nucleation and growth journal August 2013
Structural Insights into Fibrinogen Dynamics Using Amide Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry journal July 2013
The closed structure of presequence protease PreP forms a unique 10 000 Å3 chamber for proteolysis journal April 2006
Cryo-Electron Microscopy Methodology: Current Aspects and Future Directions journal October 2019
Recommendations for performing, interpreting and reporting hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) experiments journal June 2019
Spotiton: a new method for vitrifying samples for cryo-EM journal December 2017
Cell-Permeable, Small-Molecule Activators of the Insulin-Degrading Enzyme journal December 2012
Dynamo: A flexible, user-friendly development tool for subtomogram averaging of cryo-EM data in high-performance computing environments journal May 2012
Minimizing Back Exchange in the Hydrogen Exchange-Mass Spectrometry Experiment journal September 2012
HKL -3000: the integration of data reduction and structure solution – from diffraction images to an initial model in minutes journal July 2006
Advanced ensemble modelling of flexible macromolecules using X-ray solution scattering journal February 2015
Expansion of time window for mass spectrometric measurement of amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange reactions: Quenched flow HDX-MS journal November 2010
Molecular Basis of Substrate Recognition and Degradation by Human Presequence Protease journal July 2014
Features and development of Coot journal March 2010
Spotiton: A prototype for an integrated inkjet dispense and vitrification system for cryo-TEM journal July 2012
2017 publication guidelines for structural modelling of small-angle scattering data from biomolecules in solution: an update journal August 2017
Proteins, interfaces, and cryo-EM grids journal March 2018
Frontiers in Cryo Electron Microscopy of Complex Macromolecular Assemblies journal June 2019
Decreased Proteolytic Activity of the Mitochondrial Amyloid-β Degrading Enzyme, PreP Peptidasome, in Alzheimer's Disease Brain Mitochondria journal October 2011
Catalytic site inhibition of insulin-degrading enzyme by a small molecule induces glucose intolerance in mice journal September 2015
The proteostasis network and its decline in ageing journal February 2019
Mammalian Pitrilysin: Substrate Specificity and Mitochondrial Targeting journal February 2009
Cryo-electron microscopy for structural analysis of dynamic biological macromolecules journal February 2018
Tomo3D 2.0 – Exploitation of Advanced Vector eXtensions (AVX) for 3D reconstruction journal February 2015
Conformational changes in the G protein Gs induced by the β2 adrenergic receptor journal September 2011
Role of PITRM1 in Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Neurodegeneration journal July 2021
Proteases: Multifunctional Enzymes in Life and Disease* journal November 2008
The versatility of the mitochondrial presequence processing machinery: cleavage, quality control and turnover journal September 2016
Defective PITRM 1 mitochondrial peptidase is associated with Aβ amyloidotic neurodegeneration journal December 2015
Mechanism of Intracellular cAMP Sensor Epac2 Activation: cAMP-INDUCED CONFORMATIONAL CHANGES IDENTIFIED BY AMIDE HYDROGEN/DEUTERIUM EXCHANGE MASS SPECTROMETRY (DXMS) journal March 2011
Amyloid β-degrading cryptidases: insulin degrading enzyme, presequence peptidase, and neprilysin journal May 2008