TY - JOUR A1 - Sajko, Sara A1 - Grishkovskaya, Irina A1 - Kostan, Julius A1 - Graewert, Melissa A1 - Setiawan, Kim A1 - Trübestein, Linda A1 - Niedermüller, Korbinian A1 - Gehin, Charlotte A1 - Sponga, Antonio A1 - Puchinger, Martin A1 - Gavin, Anne-Claude A1 - Leonard, Thomas A. A1 - Svergun, Dimitri I. A1 - Smith, Terry K. A1 - Morriswood, Brooke A1 - Djinovic-Carugo, Kristina T1 - Structures of three MORN repeat proteins and a re-evaluation of the proposed lipid-binding properties of MORN repeats JF - PLoS One N2 - MORN (Membrane Occupation and Recognition Nexus) repeat proteins have a wide taxonomic distribution, being found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Despite this ubiquity, they remain poorly characterised at both a structural and a functional level compared to other common repeats. In functional terms, they are often assumed to be lipid-binding modules that mediate membrane targeting. We addressed this putative activity by focusing on a protein composed solely of MORN repeats-Trypanosoma brucei MORN1. Surprisingly, no evidence for binding to membranes or lipid vesicles by TbMORN1 could be obtained either in vivo or in vitro. Conversely, TbMORN1 did interact with individual phospholipids. High- and low-resolution structures of the MORN1 protein from Trypanosoma brucei and homologous proteins from the parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum were obtained using a combination of macromolecular crystallography, small-angle X-ray scattering, and electron microscopy. This enabled a first structure-based definition of the MORN repeat itself. Furthermore, all three structures dimerised via their C-termini in an antiparallel configuration. The dimers could form extended or V-shaped quaternary structures depending on the presence of specific interface residues. This work provides a new perspective on MORN repeats, showing that they are protein-protein interaction modules capable of mediating both dimerisation and oligomerisation. KW - recognition nexus domain KW - trypanosoma brucei KW - blood stream KW - phosphatidylserine transport KW - biological macromolecules KW - membrane occupation KW - solution scattering KW - molecular cloning KW - flagellar pocket KW - endocytosis Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-231261 VL - 15 IS - 23 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Oli, Swarna A1 - Abdelmohsen, Usama Ramadan A1 - Hentschel, Ute A1 - Schirmeister, Tanja T1 - Identification of Plakortide E from the Caribbean Sponge Plakortis halichondroides as a Trypanocidal Protease Inhibitor using Bioactivity-Guided Fractionation JF - MARINE DRUGS N2 - In this paper, we report new protease inhibitory activity of plakortide E towards cathepsins and cathepsin-like parasitic proteases. We further report on its anti-parasitic activity against Trypanosoma brucei with an IC50 value of 5 mu M and without cytotoxic effects against J774.1 macrophages at 100 mu M concentration. Plakortide E was isolated from the sponge Plakortis halichondroides using enzyme assay-guided fractionation and identified by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Furthermore, enzyme kinetic studies confirmed plakortide E as a non-competitive, slowly-binding, reversible inhibitor of rhodesain. KW - plakortis halichondroides KW - plakortide E. KW - protease inhibitor KW - slowly-binding reversible inhibitor KW - cathepsin KW - trypanosoma brucei KW - cysteine protease KW - malaria parasites KW - cathepsin-L KW - in-vitro KW - rhodesain Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-116536 SN - 1660-3397 VL - 12 IS - 5 ER -