Dual-specific protein phosphatases in the <i>Archaea</i>

Three distinct families of PTPs, the conventional (cPTPs), low molecular weight (LMW PTPs), and Cdc25 PTPs, have converged upon a common catalytic mechanism and active site sequence, mainly, the phosphate-binding loop encompassing the PTP signature motif (H/V)<b>C</b>(X)₅<b>R</b>(S/T) and an essential Asp residue on a surface loop. There is little sequence similarity among the three families of phosphatases. All known LMW PTP remove phosphoryl groups esterified to the hydroxyl amino acid: tyrosine, whereas all members of the Cdc25 family are dual-specificity protein phosphatases that dephosphorylate all the hydroxyl amino acids: tyrosine, serine and threonine. The cPTP family primarily functions as tyrosine phosphatases, but it also includes dual-specific members. ORFs encoding potential cPTPs have been identified in five archaeal species: <i>Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum</i>, <i>Methanococcus jannaschii</i>, <i>Thermococcus kodakaraensis</i>, <i>Pyrococcus horikoshii</i>, and <i>S. solfataricus</i>. Only one has been partially characterized, <i>Tk</i>-PTP from <i>T. kodakaraensis</i>. Hence, our current body of knowledge concerning the functional properties and physiological roles of these enzymes remains fragmented. The genome of <i>S. solfataricus</i> encodes a single conventional protein tyrosine phosphatase, SsoPTP. SsoPTP is the smallest known archaeal PTP (18.3 kDa) with a primary amino acid sequence that conforms to the cPTP protein tyrosine phosphatase paradigm, HCX₅R(S/T). Relatively little is known about its mode of action " whether it follows the conventional PTP mechanism or employs a different route for catalysis " or its physiological role. ORF <i>sso2453</i> from the genome of <i>Sulfolobus solfataricus</i>, encoding a protein tyrosine phosphatase, was cloned and its recombinant protein product, SsoPTP, was expressed in <i>E. coli</i> and purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography. SsoPTP displayed the ability to dephosphorylate protein-bound phosphotyrosine as well as protein-bound phosphoserine/phosphothreonine. SsoPTP hydrolyzed both isomers of naphthyl phosphate, an indication of dual specificity. The four conserved residues within the presumed active site sequence: Asp⁶⁹, His⁹⁵, and Arg¹⁰², and the invariant Gln¹³⁹ residue were essential for catalysis, as it was predicted for the established members of the PTP family in both bacteria and eukaryotes. A substrate trapping protein variant, SsoPTP-C96S/D69A, was constructed to isolate possible SsoPTP substrates present in <i>S. solfataricus</i> cell lysates. Several potential substrates were isolated and identified by mass spectroscopy.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biochemistry

Department dc:contributor.department

Biochemistry

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Dahche, Hanan Mohamad

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Kennelly, Peter J.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Li, Jianyong
• Helm, Richard F.
• Bevan, David R.

• dual-specific phosphatase
• Archaea
• protein tyrosine phosphatase
• protein phosphorylation

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-04142010-151033

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/37625