Multiligand specificity of pathogen-associated molecular pattern-binding site in peptidoglycan recognition protein

J Biol Chem. 2011 Sep 9;286(36):31723-30. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M111.264374. Epub 2011 Jul 22.

Abstract

The peptidoglycan recognition protein PGRP-S is an innate immunity molecule that specifically interacts with microbial peptidoglycans and other pathogen-associated molecular patterns. We report here two structures of the unique tetrameric camel PGRP-S (CPGRP-S) complexed with (i) muramyl dipeptide (MDP) at 2.5 Å resolution and (ii) GlcNAc and β-maltose at 1.7Å resolution. The binding studies carried out using surface plasmon resonance indicated that CPGRP-S binds to MDP with a dissociation constant of 10(-7) M, whereas the binding affinities for GlcNAc and β-maltose separately are in the range of 10(-4) M to 10(-5) M, whereas the dissociation constant for the mixture of GlcNAc and maltose was estimated to be 10(-6) M. The data from bacterial suspension culture experiments showed a significant inhibition of the growth of Staphylococcus aureus cells when CPGRP-S was added to culture medium. The ELISA experiment showed that the amount of MDP-induced production of TNF-α and IL-6 decreased considerably after the introduction of CPGRP-S. The crystal structure determinations of (i) a binary complex with MDP and (ii) a ternary complex with GlcNAc and β-maltose revealed that MDP, GlcNAc, and β-maltose bound to CPGRP-S in the ligand binding cleft, which is situated at the interface of molecules C and D of the homotetramer formed by four protein molecules A, B, C, and D. In the binary complex, the muramyl moiety of MDP is observed at the C-D interface, whereas the peptide chain protrudes into the center of tetramer. In the ternary complex, GlcNAc and β-maltose occupy distinct non-overlapping positions belonging to different subsites.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylglucosamine / chemistry
  • Acetylglucosamine / metabolism
  • Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine / chemistry
  • Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Camelus
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry*
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate
  • Ligands
  • Maltose / chemistry
  • Maltose / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Staphylococcus aureus / chemistry*

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Ligands
  • peptidoglycan recognition protein
  • Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine
  • Maltose
  • Acetylglucosamine

Associated data

  • PDB/3NG4
  • PDB/3NW3