Adaptation of microorganisms to low temperatures remains to be fully elucidated. It has been previously reported that peptidyl prolyl cis-trans isomerases (PPIases) are involved in cold adaptation of various microorganisms whether they are hyperthermophiles, mesophiles or phsycrophiles. The rate of cis-trans isomerization at low temperatures is much slower than that at higher temperatures and m...

The prsA-like gene from Lactococcus lactis encoding its single homologue to PrsA, an essential protein triggering the folding of secreted proteins in Bacillus subtilis, was characterized. This gene, annotated pmpA, encodes a lipoprotein of 309 residues whose expression is increased 7- to 10-fold when the source of nitrogen is limited. A slight increase in the expression of the PrsA-like protein...

All type I DnaJ (Hsp40) homologues share the presence of two highly conserved zinc centers. To elucidate their function, we constructed DnaJ mutants that separately replaced cysteines of either zinc center I or zinc center II with serine residues. We found that in the absence of zinc center I, the autonomous, DnaK-independent chaperone activity of DnaJ is dramatically reduced. Surprisingly, thi...

In previous work, a new lipase and its cognate foldase were identified and isolated from a metagenomic library constructed from soil samples contaminated with fat. This new lipase, called LipG9, is a true lipase that shows specific activities that are comparable to those of well-known industrially-used lipases with high activity against long-chain triglycerides. In the present work, LipG9 was c...

Single-molecule force spectroscopy provides access to the mechanics of biomolecules. Recently, magnetic and laser optical tweezers were applied in studies chaperones their interaction with protein clients. Various aspects chaperone–client interactions can be revealed based on mechanical probing strategies. First, when a chaperone is probed under load, one examine inner workings while it interac...

Copper resistance is a key virulence trait of the uropathogen Proteus mirabilis. Here we show that P. mirabilis ScsC (PmScsC) contributes to this defence mechanism by enabling swarming in the presence of copper. We also demonstrate that PmScsC is a thioredoxin-like disulfide isomerase but, unlike other characterized proteins in this family, it is trimeric. PmScsC trimerization and its active si...

Mutations in the gene coding for DJ-1 protein lead to early-onset recessive forms of Parkinson's disease. It is believed that loss of DJ-1 function is causative for disease, although the function of DJ-1 still remains a matter of controversy. We show that DJ-1 is localized in the cytosol and is associated with membranes and organelles in the form of homodimers. The disease-related mutation L166...

The cyclophilins are a large family of proteins implicated in folding, transport and regulation of other proteins and are potential drug targets in cancer and in some viral and parasitic infections. The functionality of cyclophilins appears to depend on peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (foldase) and/or molecular chaperone activities. In this study we assessed the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase an...