Douglas M. Freymann

N-glycan-mediated activation of the thrombopoietin receptor (MPL) under pathological conditions has been implicated in myeloproliferative neoplasms induced by mutant calreticulin, which forms an endogenous receptor-agonist complex that traffics to the cell surface and constitutively activates the receptor. However, the molecular basis for this mechanism is elusive because oncogenic activation occurs only in the cell-intrinsic complex and is thus cannot be replicated with external agonists. Here, we describe the structure and function of a marine sponge-derived MPL agonist, thrombocorticin (ThC), a homodimerized lectin with calcium-dependent fucose-binding properties. In-depth characterization of lectin-induced activation showed that, similar to oncogenic activation, sugar chain-mediated activation persists due to limited receptor internalization. The strong synergy between ThC and thrombopoietin suggests that ThC catalyzes the formation of receptor dimers on the cell surface. Overall, the existence of sugar-mediated MPL activation, in which the mode of activation is different from the original ligand, suggests that receptor activation is unpredictably diverse in living organisms.

N-glycan-mediated activation of the thrombopoietin receptor (MPL) under pathological conditions has been implicated in myeloproliferative neoplasms induced by mutant calreticulin, which forms an endogenous receptor-agonist complex that constitutively activates the receptor. However, the molecular basis for this mechanism has not been studied because no external agonists existed. We describe the structure and function of a marine sponge-derived MPL agonist, thrombocorticin (ThC), a homodimerized lectin with calcium-dependent fucose-binding properties. ThC-induced activation persists due to limited receptor internalization. The strong synergy between ThC and thrombopoietin suggests that ThC catalyzes the formation of receptor dimers on the cell surface. MPL is subject to sugar-mediated activation, where the kinetics differ from those of cytokines. This result suggests the presence of diverse receptor activation pathways in human thrombopoiesis. One-sentence summary: A marine sponge lectin catalyzes thrombopoietin receptor dimerization and activation, exhibiting strong synergy with thrombopoietin, and modulates internalization of the receptor.

Store-operated Orai1 channels are activated through a unique inside-out mechanism involving binding of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺ sensor STIM1 to cytoplasmic sites on Orai1. Although atomic-level details of Orai structure, including the pore and putative ligand binding domains, are resolved, how the gating signal is communicated to the pore and opens the gate is unknown. To address this issue, we used scanning mutagenesis to identify 15 residues in transmembrane domains (TMs) 1–4 whose perturbation activates Orai1 channels independently of STIM1. Cysteine accessibility analysis and molecular-dynamics simulations indicated that constitutive activation of the most robust variant, H134S, arises from a pore conformational change that opens a hydrophobic gate to augment pore hydration, similar to gating evoked by STIM1. Mutational analysis of this locus suggests that H134 acts as steric brake to stabilize the closed state of the channel. In addition, atomic packing analysis revealed distinct functional contacts between the TM1 pore helix and the surrounding TM2/3 helices, including one set mediated by a cluster of interdigitating hydrophobic residues and another by alternative ridges of polar and hydrophobic residues. Perturbing these contacts via mutagenesis destabilizes STIM1-mediated Orai1 channel gating, indicating that these bridges between TM1 and the surrounding TM2/3 ring are critical for conveying the gating signal to the pore. These findings help develop a framework for understanding the global conformational changes and allosteric interactions between topologically distinct domains that are essential for activation of Orai1 channels. Significance Store-operated Orai1 channels mediate transcriptional, proliferative, and effector-cell programs in many cells. Mutations in Orai1 that block channel activation or evoke constitutive channel activity are known to cause debilitating diseases in humans such as immunodeficiency, autoimmunity, myopathy, and thrombocytopenia. However, our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of these diseases is limited by fundamental gaps in how Orai1 channels are gated. Here, we map key functional interactions between the transmembrane domains of Orai1 and identify several contacts that are critical for conveying the STIM1 gating signal to the pore. Our findings illuminate important allosteric interactions between topologically distinct domains of Orai1 and help elucidate the molecular underpinnings of disease-causing mutations.

Hereditary Parkinson’s disease is commonly caused by mutations in the protein kinase PINK1 or the E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin, which function together to eliminate damaged mitochondria. PINK1 phosphorylates both Parkin and ubiquitin to stimulate ubiquitination of dozens of proteins on the surface of the outer mitochondrial membrane. However, the mechanisms by which Parkin recognizes specific proteins for modification remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that the C-terminal GTPase (cGTPase) of the Parkin primary substrate human Miro is necessary and sufficient for efficient ubiquitination. We present several new X-ray crystal structures of both human Miro1 and Miro2 that reveal substrate recognition and ubiquitin transfer to be specific to particular protein domains and lysine residues. We also provide evidence that Parkin substrate recognition is functionally separate from substrate modification. Finally, we show that prioritization for modification of a specific lysine sidechain of the cGTPase (K572) within human Miro1 is dependent on both its location and chemical microenvironment. Activation of Parkin by phosphorylation or by binding of pUb is required for prioritization of K572 for modification, suggesting that Parkin activation and acquisition of substrate specificity are coupled.

Miro is a highly conserved calcium‐binding GTPase at the regulatory nexus of mitochondrial transport and autophagy. Here we present crystal structures comprising the tandem EF hand and carboxy terminal GTPase (cGTPase) domains of Drosophila Miro. The structures reveal two previously unidentified ‘hidden’ EF hands, each paired with a canonical EF hand. Each EF hand pair is bound to a helix that structurally mimics an EF hand ligand. A key nucleotide‐sensing element and a Pink1 phosphorylation site both lie within an extensive EF hand–cGTPase interface. Our results indicate structural mechanisms for calcium, nucleotide and phosphorylation‐dependent regulation of mitochondrial function by Miro.

The galectins are a family of proteins that bind with highest affinity to N-acetyllactosamine disaccharides, which are common constituents of asparagine-linked complex glycans. They play important and diverse physiological roles, particularly in the immune system, and are thought to be critical metastatic agents for many types of cancer cells, including gliomas. A recent bioactivity-based screen of marine sponge (Cinachyrella sp.) extract identified an ancestral member of the galectin family based on its unexpected ability to positively modulate mammalian ionotropic glutamate receptor function. To gain insight into the mechanistic basis of this activity, the 2.1 Å resolution X-ray structure of one member of the family, galectin CchG-1, is reported. While the protomer exhibited structural similarity to mammalian prototype galectin, CchG-1 adopts a novel tetrameric arrangement in which a rigid toroidal-shaped 'donut' is stabilized in part by the packing of pairs of vicinal disulfide bonds. Twofold symmetry between binding-site pairs provides a basis for a model for interaction with ionotropic glutamate receptors.

Two structures of the nucleotide-bound NG domain of Ffh, the GTPase subunit of the bacterial signal recognition particle (SRP), have been determined at ultrahigh resolution in similar crystal forms. One is GDP-bound and one is GMPPCP-bound. The asymmetric unit of each structure contains two protein monomers, each of which exhibits differences in nucleotide-binding conformation and occupancy. The GDP-bound Ffh NG exhibits two binding conformations in one monomer but not the other and the GMPPCP-bound protein exhibits full occupancy of the nucleotide in one monomer but only partial occupancy in the other. Thus, under the same solution conditions, each crystal reveals multiple binding states that suggest that even when nucleotide is bound its position in the Ffh NG active site is dynamic. Some differences in the positioning of the bound nucleotide may arise from differences in the crystal-packing environment and specific factors that have been identified include the relative positions of the N and G domains, small conformational changes in the P-loop, the positions of waters buried within the active site and shifts in the closing loop that packs against the guanine base. However, ;loose' binding may have biological significance in promoting facile nucleotide exchange and providing a mechanism for priming the SRP GTPase prior to its activation in its complex with the SRP receptor.