Biology subjects

Tomkinson, N. C. O.

Publications and source records attributed to Tomkinson, N. C. O..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Deacylation of SNAP25 protein family isoforms reveals distinct substrate selectivities of α/β hydrolase domain (ABHD) deacylases

Reversible S-acylation controls protein trafficking, localisation and activity within cells, yet the limited understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of S-acylation/deacylation cycles represents one of the biggest obstacles in exploiting this prevalent post-translational modification for therapeutic purposes. Here, we identified ABHD13 and ABHD16A as novel deacylases regulating the SNAP25 family of SNARE proteins responsible for vesicular membrane fusion. We determined the mechanism and structural determinants for ABHD13-mediated deacylation and substrate selectivity towards SNAP25b, and identified a novel mechanism of acyl chain extraction for integral membrane deacylases. This is the first report of deacylase selectivity mapped to a single amino acid position in full-length proteins.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Development of a novel high-throughput screen for the identification of new inhibitors of protein S-acylation

Protein S-acylation is a reversible post-translational modification that modulates the localisation and function of many cellular proteins. S-acylation is mediated by a family of zinc finger DHHC domain-containing proteins encoded by 23 distinct ZDHHC genes in the human genome. These enzymes catalyse S-acylation in a two-step process involving "auto-acylation" of the cysteine residue in the catalytic DHHC motif followed by transfer of the acyl chain to a substrate cysteine. S-acylation is essential for many fundamental physiological processes, and there is growing interest in zDHHC enzymes as novel drug targets for a range of disorders. However, there is currently a lack of chemical modulators of S-acylation either for use as tool compounds or for potential development for therapeutic purposes. In this study, we developed and implemented a novel FRET-based high throughput assay for the discovery of compounds that interfere with auto-acylation of zDHHC2, an enzyme that is implicated in neuronal S-acylation pathways. A screen of >350,000 compounds identified two related tetrazole containing compounds (TTZ-1 and -2) that inhibited both zDHHC2 auto-acylation and substrate S-acylation in cell-free systems. Furthermore, these compounds were also active in HEK293T cells, where they inhibited substrate S-acylation mediated by different zDHHC enzymes, with some apparent isoform selectivity. Resynthesis of the hit compounds confirmed their activity, providing sufficient quantities of material for further investigations. The assays developed herein provide novel strategies to screen for zDHHC inhibitors, and the identified compounds add to the chemical toolbox for interrogating the cellular activities of S-acylation and zDHHC enzymes.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2020

The Linker Domain of SNAP25 Acts as a Flexible Molecular Spacer to Ensure Efficient S-Acylation

S-Acylation of the SNARE protein SNAP25 is mediated by a subset of Golgi zDHHC enzymes, in particular zDHHC17. The ankyrin repeat (ANK) domain of this enzyme interacts with a short linear motif known as the zDHHC ANK binding motif (zDABM) in SNAP25 (112-VVASQP-117), which is downstream of the S-acylated cysteine-rich domain (85-CGLCVCPC-92). In this study, we have investigated the importance of the flexible linker (amino acids 93-111; referred to as the "mini-linker" region) that separates the zDABM and S-acylated cysteines. Shortening the mini-linker had no effect of zDHHC17 interaction but blocked S-acylation. Insertion of additional flexible glycine-serine repeats had no effect on S-acylation, whereas extended and rigid alanine-proline repeats perturbed this process. Indeed, a SNAP25 mutant in which the mini-linker region was substituted with a flexible glycine-serine linker of the same length underwent efficient S-acylation. Furthermore, this mutant displayed the same intracellular localisation as wild-type SNAP25, showing that the sequence of the mini-linker is not important in this context. By using the results of previous peptide array experiments, we generated a SNAP25 mutant predicted to have a higher affinity zDABM, and this mutant showed enhanced interaction with zDHHC17 in cells. Interestingly, this mutant was S-acylated with reduced efficiency, implying that a lower affinity interaction of the SNAP25 zDABM with zDHHC17 is optimal for S-acylation efficiency. Overall, the results of this study show that amino acids 93-111 in SNAP25 act as a flexible molecular spacer to ensure efficient coupling of enzyme-substrate interaction and S-acylation.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2017

CYRI (FAM49) proteins are local inhibitors of Scar/WAVE induced lamellipodia that bind directly to active Rac1

Actin-based protrusions driving cell migration are reinforced through positive feedback, but it is unclear how the cell restricts the eventual size of a protrusion or limits positive signals to cause splitting or retraction. We have identified an evolutionarily conserved regulator of the protrusion machinery, which we name CYRI (CYFIP-related Rac interacting) protein. CYRI shows sequence similarity to the Scar/WAVE complex member CYFIP in a Domain of Unknown Function, DUF1394. CYRI binds specifically to activated Rac1 via a common motif shared with CYFIP, establishing DUF1394 as a new Rac1 binding domain. CYRI-depleted cells have broad, Scar/WAVE-enriched lamellipodia and enhanced Rac1 signaling. Conversely, CYRI overexpression suppresses spreading and dramatically sharpens protrusions into unproductive needles. CYRI proteins use dynamic inhibition of Scar/WAVE induced actin to focus positive protrusion signals and regulate pseudopod complexity. CYRI behaves like a \"local inhibitor\" predicted and described in widely accepted mathematical models, but not previously identified in living cells.

cell biology↗