Crystal structure of the C3bot-RalA complex reveals a novel type of action of a bacterial exoenzyme

EMBO J. 2005 Oct 19;24(20):3670-80. doi: 10.1038/sj.emboj.7600813. Epub 2005 Sep 22.

Abstract

C3 exoenzymes from bacterial pathogens ADP-ribosylate and inactivate low-molecular-mass GTPases of the Rho subfamily. Ral, a Ras subfamily GTPase, binds the C3 exoenzymes from Clostridium botulinum and C. limosum with high affinity without being a substrate for ADP ribosylation. In the complex, the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of C3 is blocked, while binding of NAD and NAD-glycohydrolase activity remain. Here we report the crystal structure of C3 from C. botulinum in a complex with GDP-bound RalA at 1.8 A resolution. C3 binds RalA with a helix-loop-helix motif that is adjacent to the active site. A quaternary complex with NAD suggests a mode for ADP-ribosyltransferase inhibition. Interaction of C3 with RalA occurs at a unique interface formed by the switch-II region, helix alpha3 and the P loop of the GTPase. C3-binding stabilizes the GDP-bound conformation of RalA and blocks nucleotide release. Our data indicate that C. botulinum exoenzyme C3 is a single-domain toxin with bifunctional properties targeting Rho GTPases by ADP ribosylation and Ral by a guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor-like effect, which blocks nucleotide exchange.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • ADP Ribose Transferases / chemistry*
  • ADP Ribose Transferases / genetics
  • ADP Ribose Transferases / metabolism
  • Adenine Nucleotides / metabolism
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Botulinum Toxins / chemistry*
  • Botulinum Toxins / genetics
  • Botulinum Toxins / metabolism
  • Clostridium botulinum / metabolism*
  • Crystallography
  • Dimerization
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • NAD / metabolism
  • Protein Conformation
  • ral GTP-Binding Proteins / chemistry*
  • ral GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Adenine Nucleotides
  • NAD
  • ADP Ribose Transferases
  • exoenzyme C3, Clostridium botulinum
  • Botulinum Toxins
  • ral GTP-Binding Proteins

Associated data

  • PDB/2A78
  • PDB/2A9K