Biomaterial Database

pH-triggered conformational switching along the membrane insertion pathway of the diphtheria toxin T-domain. 2013

Alexey S Ladokhin

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. aladokhin@kumc.edu

The translocation (T)-domain plays a key role in the action of diphtheria toxin and is responsible for transferring the catalytic domain across the endosomal membrane into the cytosol in response to acidification. Deciphering the molecular mechanism of pH-dependent refolding and membrane insertion of the T-domain, which is considered to be a paradigm for cell entry of other bacterial toxins, reveals general physicochemical principles underlying membrane protein assembly and signaling on membrane interfaces. Structure-function studies along the T-domain insertion pathway have been affected by the presence of multiple conformations at the same time, which hinders the application of high-resolution structural techniques. Here, we review recent progress in structural, functional and thermodynamic studies of the T-domain archived using a combination of site-selective fluorescence labeling with an array of spectroscopic techniques and computer simulations. We also discuss the principles of conformational switching along the insertion pathway revealed by studies of a series of T-domain mutants with substitutions of histidine residues.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008565	Membrane Proteins	Proteins which are found in membranes including cellular and intracellular membranes. They consist of two types, peripheral and integral proteins. They include most membrane-associated enzymes, antigenic proteins, transport proteins, and drug, hormone, and lectin receptors.	Cell Membrane Protein,Cell Membrane Proteins,Cell Surface Protein,Cell Surface Proteins,Integral Membrane Proteins,Membrane-Associated Protein,Surface Protein,Surface Proteins,Integral Membrane Protein,Membrane Protein,Membrane-Associated Proteins,Membrane Associated Protein,Membrane Associated Proteins,Membrane Protein, Cell,Membrane Protein, Integral,Membrane Proteins, Integral,Protein, Cell Membrane,Protein, Cell Surface,Protein, Integral Membrane,Protein, Membrane,Protein, Membrane-Associated,Protein, Surface,Proteins, Cell Membrane,Proteins, Cell Surface,Proteins, Integral Membrane,Proteins, Membrane,Proteins, Membrane-Associated,Proteins, Surface,Surface Protein, Cell
D003600	Cytosol	Intracellular fluid from the cytoplasm after removal of ORGANELLES and other insoluble cytoplasmic components.	Cytosols
D004167	Diphtheria Toxin	An ADP-ribosylating polypeptide produced by CORYNEBACTERIUM DIPHTHERIAE that causes the signs and symptoms of DIPHTHERIA. It can be broken into two unequal domains: the smaller, catalytic A domain is the lethal moiety and contains MONO(ADP-RIBOSE) TRANSFERASES which transfers ADP RIBOSE to PEPTIDE ELONGATION FACTOR 2 thereby inhibiting protein synthesis; and the larger B domain that is needed for entry into cells.	Corynebacterium Diphtheriae Toxin,Toxin, Corynebacterium Diphtheriae
D006639	Histidine	An essential amino acid that is required for the production of HISTAMINE.	Histidine, L-isomer,L-Histidine,Histidine, L isomer,L-isomer Histidine
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D006863	Hydrogen-Ion Concentration	The normality of a solution with respect to HYDROGEN ions; H+. It is related to acidity measurements in most cases by pH	pH,Concentration, Hydrogen-Ion,Concentrations, Hydrogen-Ion,Hydrogen Ion Concentration,Hydrogen-Ion Concentrations
D055598	Chemical Phenomena	The composition, structure, conformation, and properties of atoms and molecules, and their reaction and interaction processes.	Chemical Concepts,Chemical Processes,Physical Chemistry Concepts,Physical Chemistry Processes,Physicochemical Concepts,Physicochemical Phenomena,Physicochemical Processes,Chemical Phenomenon,Chemical Process,Physical Chemistry Phenomena,Physical Chemistry Process,Physicochemical Phenomenon,Physicochemical Process,Chemical Concept,Chemistry Process, Physical,Chemistry Processes, Physical,Concept, Chemical,Concept, Physical Chemistry,Concept, Physicochemical,Concepts, Chemical,Concepts, Physical Chemistry,Concepts, Physicochemical,Phenomena, Chemical,Phenomena, Physical Chemistry,Phenomena, Physicochemical,Phenomenon, Chemical,Phenomenon, Physicochemical,Physical Chemistry Concept,Physicochemical Concept,Process, Chemical,Process, Physical Chemistry,Process, Physicochemical,Processes, Chemical,Processes, Physical Chemistry,Processes, Physicochemical
D020134	Catalytic Domain	The region of an enzyme that interacts with its substrate to cause the enzymatic reaction.	Active Site,Catalytic Core,Catalytic Region,Catalytic Site,Catalytic Subunit,Reactive Site,Active Sites,Catalytic Cores,Catalytic Domains,Catalytic Regions,Catalytic Sites,Catalytic Subunits,Core, Catalytic,Cores, Catalytic,Domain, Catalytic,Domains, Catalytic,Reactive Sites,Region, Catalytic,Regions, Catalytic,Site, Active,Site, Catalytic,Site, Reactive,Sites, Active,Sites, Catalytic,Sites, Reactive,Subunit, Catalytic,Subunits, Catalytic
D021381	Protein Transport	The process of moving proteins from one cellular compartment (including extracellular) to another by various sorting and transport mechanisms such as gated transport, protein translocation, and vesicular transport.	Cellular Protein Targeting,Gated Protein Transport,Protein Targeting, Cellular,Protein Translocation,Transmembrane Protein Transport,Vesicular Protein Transport,Protein Localization Processes, Cellular,Protein Sorting,Protein Trafficking,Protein Transport, Gated,Protein Transport, Transmembrane,Protein Transport, Vesicular,Traffickings, Protein