51
|
ElGamacy M, Hernandez Alvarez B. Expanding the versatility of natural and de novo designed coiled coils and helical bundles. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 68:224-234. [PMID: 33964630 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Natural helical bundles (HBs) constitute a ubiquitous class of protein folds built of two or more longitudinally arranged α-helices. They adopt topologies that include symmetric, highly regular assemblies all the way to asymmetric, loosely packed domains. The diverse functional spectrum of HBs ranges from structural scaffolds to complex and dynamic effectors as molecular motors, signaling and sensing molecules, enzymes, and molecular switches. Symmetric HBs, particularly coiled coils, offer simple model systems providing an ideal entry point for protein folding and design studies. Herein, we review recent progress unveiling new structural features and functional mechanisms in natural HBs and cover staggering advances in the de novo design of HBs, giving rise to exotic structures and the creation of novel functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad ElGamacy
- Systems Biology of Development Group, Friedrich Miescher Laboratory of the Max Planck Society, Max-Planck-Ring 9, Tübingen, 72076, Germany; Division of Translational Oncology, Department of Hematology, Oncology, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Strasse 10, Tübingen, 72076, Germany; Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 5, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Birte Hernandez Alvarez
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 5, Tübingen, 72076, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
52
|
Rhys GG, Dawson WM, Beesley JL, Martin FJO, Brady RL, Thomson AR, Woolfson DN. How Coiled-Coil Assemblies Accommodate Multiple Aromatic Residues. Biomacromolecules 2021; 22:2010-2019. [PMID: 33881308 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Rational protein design requires understanding the contribution of each amino acid to a targeted protein fold. For a subset of protein structures, namely, α-helical coiled coils (CCs), knowledge is sufficiently advanced to allow the rational de novo design of many structures, including entirely new protein folds. Current CC design rules center on using aliphatic hydrophobic residues predominantly to drive the folding and assembly of amphipathic α helices. The consequences of using aromatic residues-which would be useful for introducing structural probes, and binding and catalytic functionalities-into these interfaces are not understood. There are specific examples of designed CCs containing such aromatic residues, e.g., phenylalanine-rich sequences, and the use of polar aromatic residues to make buried hydrogen-bond networks. However, it is not known generally if sequences rich in tyrosine can form CCs, or what CC assemblies these would lead to. Here, we explore tyrosine-rich sequences in a general CC-forming background and resolve new CC structures. In one of these, an antiparallel tetramer, the tyrosine residues are solvent accessible and pack at the interface between the core and the surface. In another more complex structure, the residues are buried and form an extended hydrogen-bond network.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guto G Rhys
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstraße 30, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - William M Dawson
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph L Beesley
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
| | - Freddie J O Martin
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom
| | - R Leo Brady
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew R Thomson
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.,School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Derek N Woolfson
- School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.,School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, United Kingdom.,Bristol BioDesign Institute, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
53
|
Ferrando J, Solomon LA. Recent Progress Using De Novo Design to Study Protein Structure, Design and Binding Interactions. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11030225. [PMID: 33802210 PMCID: PMC7999464 DOI: 10.3390/life11030225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
De novo protein design is a powerful methodology used to study natural functions in an artificial-protein context. Since its inception, it has been used to reproduce a plethora of reactions and uncover biophysical principles that are often difficult to extract from direct studies of natural proteins. Natural proteins are capable of assuming a variety of different structures and subsequently binding ligands at impressively high levels of both specificity and affinity. Here, we will review recent examples of de novo design studies on binding reactions for small molecules, nucleic acids, and the formation of protein-protein interactions. We will then discuss some new structural advances in the field. Finally, we will discuss some advancements in computational modeling and design approaches and provide an overview of some modern algorithmic tools being used to design these proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Ferrando
- Department of Biology, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA;
| | - Lee A. Solomon
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, George Mason University, 10920 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA 20110, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +703-993-6418
| |
Collapse
|
54
|
Jiang Y, Zhang W, Yang F, Wan C, Cai X, Liu J, Zhang Q, Li Z, Han W. Molecular design of stapled pentapeptides as building blocks of self-assembled coiled coil-like fibers. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabd0492. [PMID: 33523941 PMCID: PMC10662664 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd0492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Peptide self-assembly inspired by natural superhelical coiled coils has been actively pursued but remains challenging due to limited helicity of short peptides. Side chain stapling can strengthen short helices but is unexplored in design of self-assembled helical nanofibers as it is unknown how staples could be adapted to coiled coil architecture. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of this design for pentapeptides using a computational method capable of predicting helicity and fiber-forming tendency of stapled peptides containing noncoded amino acids. Experiments showed that the best candidates, which carried an aromatically substituted staple and phenylalanine analogs, displayed exceptional helicity and assembled into nanofibers via specific head-to-tail hydrogen bonding and packing between staple and noncoded side chains. The fibers exhibited sheet-of-helix structures resembling the recently found collapsed coiled coils whose formation was sensitive to side chain flexibility. This study expands the chemical space of coiled coil assemblies and provides guidance for their design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yixiang Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Fadeng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Chuan Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xiang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jianbo Liu
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qianling Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zigang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Wei Han
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| |
Collapse
|
55
|
Pan X, Kortemme T. Recent advances in de novo protein design: Principles, methods, and applications. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100558. [PMID: 33744284 PMCID: PMC8065224 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The computational de novo protein design is increasingly applied to address a number of key challenges in biomedicine and biological engineering. Successes in expanding applications are driven by advances in design principles and methods over several decades. Here, we review recent innovations in major aspects of the de novo protein design and include how these advances were informed by principles of protein architecture and interactions derived from the wealth of structures in the Protein Data Bank. We describe developments in de novo generation of designable backbone structures, optimization of sequences, design scoring functions, and the design of the function. The advances not only highlight design goals reachable now but also point to the challenges and opportunities for the future of the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xingjie Pan
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; UC Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
| | - Tanja Kortemme
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; UC Berkeley - UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
56
|
Adolf-Bryfogle J, Teets FD, Bahl CD. Toward complete rational control over protein structure and function through computational design. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 66:170-177. [PMID: 33276237 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The grand challenge of protein design is a general method for producing a polypeptide with arbitrary functionality, conformation, and biochemical properties. To that end, a wide variety of methods have been developed for the improvement of native proteins, the design of ideal proteins de novo, and the redesign of suboptimal proteins with better-performing substructures. These methods employ informatic comparisons of function-structure-sequence relationships as well as knowledge-based evaluation of protein properties to narrow the immense protein sequence search space down to an enumerable and often manually evaluable set of structures that meet specified criteria. While arbitrary manipulation of protein-protein interfaces and molecular catalysis remains an unsolved problem, and no protein shape or behavior manipulation algorithm is universally applicable, the promising results thus far are a strong indicator that a general approach to the arbitrary manipulation of polypeptides is within reach.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jared Adolf-Bryfogle
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Frank D Teets
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher D Bahl
- Institute for Protein Innovation, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
57
|
Exposing the distinctive modular behavior of β-strands and α-helices in folded proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:28775-28783. [PMID: 33148805 PMCID: PMC7682573 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1920455117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Although folded proteins are commonly depicted as simplistic combinations of β-strands and α-helices, the actual properties and functions of these secondary-structure elements in their native contexts are just partly understood. The principal reason is that the behavior of individual β- and α-elements is obscured by the global folding cooperativity. In this study, we have circumvented this problem by designing frustrated variants of the mixed α/β-protein S6, which allow the structural behavior of individual β-strands and α-helices to be targeted selectively by stopped-flow kinetics, X-ray crystallography, and solution-state NMR. Essentially, our approach is based on provoking intramolecular "domain swap." The results show that the α- and β-elements have quite different characteristics: The swaps of β-strands proceed via global unfolding, whereas the α-helices are free to swap locally in the native basin. Moreover, the α-helices tend to hybridize and to promote protein association by gliding over to neighboring molecules. This difference in structural behavior follows directly from hydrogen-bonding restrictions and suggests that the protein secondary structure defines not only tertiary geometry, but also maintains control in function and structural evolution. Finally, our alternative approach to protein folding and native-state dynamics presents a generally applicable strategy for in silico design of protein models that are computationally testable in the microsecond-millisecond regime.
Collapse
|
58
|
Triple stimuli-responsive supramolecular nanoassembly with mitochondrial targetability for chemophotothermal therapy. J Control Release 2020; 327:35-49. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
|
59
|
Small-residue packing motifs modulate the structure and function of a minimal de novo membrane protein. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15203. [PMID: 32938984 PMCID: PMC7495484 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71585-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Alpha-helical integral membrane proteins contain conserved sequence motifs that are known to be important in helix packing. These motifs are a promising starting point for the construction of artificial proteins, but their potential has not yet been fully explored. Here, we study the impact of introducing a common natural helix packing motif to the transmembrane domain of a genetically-encoded and structurally dynamic de novo membrane protein. The resulting construct is an artificial four-helix bundle with lipophilic regions that are defined only by the amino acids L, G, S, A and W. This minimal proto-protein could be recombinantly expressed by diverse prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts and was found to co-sediment with cellular membranes. The protein could be extracted and purified in surfactant micelles and was monodisperse and stable in vitro, with sufficient structural definition to support the rapid binding of a heme cofactor. The reduction in conformational diversity imposed by this design also enhances the nascent peroxidase activity of the protein-heme complex. Unexpectedly, strains of Escherichia coli expressing this artificial protein specifically accumulated zinc protoporphyrin IX, a rare cofactor that is not used by natural metalloenzymes. Our results demonstrate that simple sequence motifs can rigidify elementary membrane proteins, and that orthogonal artificial membrane proteins can influence the cofactor repertoire of a living cell. These findings have implications for rational protein design and synthetic biology.
Collapse
|
60
|
Chiasson MA, Rollins NJ, Stephany JJ, Sitko KA, Matreyek KA, Verby M, Sun S, Roth FP, DeSloover D, Marks DS, Rettie AE, Fowler DM. Multiplexed measurement of variant abundance and activity reveals VKOR topology, active site and human variant impact. eLife 2020; 9:e58026. [PMID: 32870157 PMCID: PMC7462613 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR) drives the vitamin K cycle, activating vitamin K-dependent blood clotting factors. VKOR is also the target of the widely used anticoagulant drug, warfarin. Despite VKOR's pivotal role in coagulation, its structure and active site remain poorly understood. In addition, VKOR variants can cause vitamin K-dependent clotting factor deficiency or alter warfarin response. Here, we used multiplexed, sequencing-based assays to measure the effects of 2,695 VKOR missense variants on abundance and 697 variants on activity in cultured human cells. The large-scale functional data, along with an evolutionary coupling analysis, supports a four transmembrane domain topology, with variants in transmembrane domains exhibiting strongly deleterious effects on abundance and activity. Functionally constrained regions of the protein define the active site, and we find that, of four conserved cysteines putatively critical for function, only three are absolutely required. Finally, 25% of human VKOR missense variants show reduced abundance or activity, possibly conferring warfarin sensitivity or causing disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Chiasson
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Nathan J Rollins
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Jason J Stephany
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Katherine A Sitko
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Kenneth A Matreyek
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Marta Verby
- Donnelly Centre and Departments of Molecular Genetics and Computer Science, University of Toronto, and Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health SystemTorontoCanada
| | - Song Sun
- Donnelly Centre and Departments of Molecular Genetics and Computer Science, University of Toronto, and Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health SystemTorontoCanada
| | - Frederick P Roth
- Donnelly Centre and Departments of Molecular Genetics and Computer Science, University of Toronto, and Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health SystemTorontoCanada
| | | | - Debora S Marks
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Allan E Rettie
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Douglas M Fowler
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
61
|
Structural cavities are critical to balancing stability and activity of a membrane-integral enzyme. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:22146-22156. [PMID: 32848056 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1917770117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Packing interaction is a critical driving force in the folding of helical membrane proteins. Despite the importance, packing defects (i.e., cavities including voids, pockets, and pores) are prevalent in membrane-integral enzymes, channels, transporters, and receptors, playing essential roles in function. Then, a question arises regarding how the two competing requirements, packing for stability vs. cavities for function, are reconciled in membrane protein structures. Here, using the intramembrane protease GlpG of Escherichia coli as a model and cavity-filling mutation as a probe, we tested the impacts of native cavities on the thermodynamic stability and function of a membrane protein. We find several stabilizing mutations which induce substantial activity reduction without distorting the active site. Notably, these mutations are all mapped onto the regions of conformational flexibility and functional importance, indicating that the cavities facilitate functional movement of GlpG while compromising the stability. Experiment and molecular dynamics simulation suggest that the stabilization is induced by the coupling between enhanced protein packing and weakly unfavorable lipid desolvation, or solely by favorable lipid solvation on the cavities. Our result suggests that, stabilized by the relatively weak interactions with lipids, cavities are accommodated in membrane proteins without severe energetic cost, which, in turn, serve as a platform to fine-tune the balance between stability and flexibility for optimal activity.
Collapse
|
62
|
Abstract
Protein pores play key roles in fundamental biological processes1 and biotechnological applications such as DNA nanopore sequencing2–4, and hence the design of pore-containing proteins is of considerable scientific and biotechnological interest. Synthetic amphiphilic peptides have been found to form ion channels5,6, and there have been recent advances in de novo membrane protein design7,8 and in redesigning naturally occurring channel-containing proteins9,10. However, the de novo design of stable, well-defined transmembrane protein pores capable of conducting ions selectively or large enough to allow passage of small-molecule fluorophores remains an outstanding challenge11,12. Here, we report the computational design of protein pores formed by two concentric rings of ɑ-helices that are stable and mono-disperse in both water-soluble and transmembrane forms. Crystal structures of the water-soluble forms of a 12 helical and a 16 helical pore are close to the computational design models. Patch-clamp electrophysiology experiments show that the transmembrane form of the 12-helix pore expressed in insect cells allows passage of ions across the membrane with high selectivity for potassium over sodium, which is blocked by specific chemical modification at the pore entrance. The transmembrane form of the 16-helix pore, but not the 12-helix pore, allows passage of biotinylated Alexa Fluor 488 when incorporated into liposomes using in vitro protein synthesis. A cryo-EM structure of the 16-helix transmembrane pore closely matches the design model. The ability to produce structurally and functionally well-defined transmembrane pores opens the door to the creation of designer pores for a wide variety of applications.
Collapse
|
63
|
Horvath A, Miskei M, Ambrus V, Vendruscolo M, Fuxreiter M. Sequence-based prediction of protein binding mode landscapes. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1007864. [PMID: 32453748 PMCID: PMC7304629 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Interactions between disordered proteins involve a wide range of changes in the structure and dynamics of the partners involved. These changes can be classified in terms of binding modes, which include disorder-to-order (DO) transitions, when proteins fold upon binding, as well as disorder-to-disorder (DD) transitions, when the conformational heterogeneity is maintained in the bound states. Furthermore, systematic studies of these interactions are revealing that proteins may exhibit different binding modes with different partners. Proteins that exhibit this context-dependent binding can be referred to as fuzzy proteins. Here we investigate amino acid code for fuzzy binding in terms of the entropy of the probability distribution of transitions towards decreasing order. We implement these entropy calculations into the FuzPred (http://protdyn-fuzpred.org) algorithm to predict the range of context-dependent binding modes of proteins from their amino acid sequences. As we illustrate through a variety of examples, this method identifies those binding sites that are sensitive to the cellular context or post-translational modifications, and may serve as regulatory points of cellular pathways. Great advances have been made in the last several decades in deciphering how the behavior of proteins is encoded in their amino acid sequences. A variety of sequence-based prediction methods have been developed to estimate a wide range of properties of proteins, including secondary structure propensity, native state structures, preference for being disordered and tendency to aggregate. Much less is known, however, about the rules that regulate the conformational changes of proteins upon binding. In particular, many proteins change their binding modes upon interacting with different partners, or as a consequence of post-translational modifications or changes in the cellular milieu. Here we address the problem of how amino acid sequences can encode different binding modes depending on their binding partners, and describe the FuzPred method of predicting context-dependent binding modes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Attila Horvath
- MTA-DE Laboratory of Protein Dynamics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Marton Miskei
- MTA-DE Laboratory of Protein Dynamics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Viktor Ambrus
- MTA-DE Laboratory of Protein Dynamics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (MV); (MF)
| | - Monika Fuxreiter
- MTA-DE Laboratory of Protein Dynamics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- * E-mail: (MV); (MF)
| |
Collapse
|
64
|
Sesterhenn F, Yang C, Bonet J, Cramer JT, Wen X, Wang Y, Chiang CI, Abriata LA, Kucharska I, Castoro G, Vollers SS, Galloux M, Dheilly E, Rosset S, Corthésy P, Georgeon S, Villard M, Richard CA, Descamps D, Delgado T, Oricchio E, Rameix-Welti MA, Más V, Ervin S, Eléouët JF, Riffault S, Bates JT, Julien JP, Li Y, Jardetzky T, Krey T, Correia BE. De novo protein design enables the precise induction of RSV-neutralizing antibodies. Science 2020; 368:eaay5051. [PMID: 32409444 PMCID: PMC7391827 DOI: 10.1126/science.aay5051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
De novo protein design has been successful in expanding the natural protein repertoire. However, most de novo proteins lack biological function, presenting a major methodological challenge. In vaccinology, the induction of precise antibody responses remains a cornerstone for next-generation vaccines. Here, we present a protein design algorithm called TopoBuilder, with which we engineered epitope-focused immunogens displaying complex structural motifs. In both mice and nonhuman primates, cocktails of three de novo-designed immunogens induced robust neutralizing responses against the respiratory syncytial virus. Furthermore, the immunogens refocused preexisting antibody responses toward defined neutralization epitopes. Overall, our design approach opens the possibility of targeting specific epitopes for the development of vaccines and therapeutic antibodies and, more generally, will be applicable to the design of de novo proteins displaying complex functional motifs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Sesterhenn
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Che Yang
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Jaume Bonet
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Johannes T Cramer
- Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover 30625, Germany
| | - Xiaolin Wen
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yimeng Wang
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Chi-I Chiang
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Luciano A Abriata
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Iga Kucharska
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
- Departments of Biochemistry and Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Giacomo Castoro
- Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover 30625, Germany
| | - Sabrina S Vollers
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Marie Galloux
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Elie Dheilly
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Stéphane Rosset
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Patricia Corthésy
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Sandrine Georgeon
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Mélanie Villard
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | | | - Delphyne Descamps
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Teresa Delgado
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Elisa Oricchio
- Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | | | - Vicente Más
- Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sean Ervin
- Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | | | - Sabine Riffault
- Université Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, 78350 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - John T Bates
- University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
| | - Jean-Philippe Julien
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
- Departments of Biochemistry and Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Yuxing Li
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology & Center of Biomolecular Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Theodore Jardetzky
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas Krey
- Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover 30625, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center of Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Luebeck, D-23538 Luebeck, Germany
- Excellence Cluster 2155 RESIST, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
- Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bruno E Correia
- Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland.
- Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
65
|
|
66
|
Protein Structure Prediction and Design in a Biologically Realistic Implicit Membrane. Biophys J 2020; 118:2042-2055. [PMID: 32224301 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein design is a powerful tool for elucidating mechanisms of function and engineering new therapeutics and nanotechnologies. Although soluble protein design has advanced, membrane protein design remains challenging because of difficulties in modeling the lipid bilayer. In this work, we developed an implicit approach that captures the anisotropic structure, shape of water-filled pores, and nanoscale dimensions of membranes with different lipid compositions. The model improves performance in computational benchmarks against experimental targets, including prediction of protein orientations in the bilayer, ΔΔG calculations, native structure discrimination, and native sequence recovery. When applied to de novo protein design, this approach designs sequences with an amino acid distribution near the native amino acid distribution in membrane proteins, overcoming a critical flaw in previous membrane models that were prone to generating leucine-rich designs. Furthermore, the proteins designed in the new membrane model exhibit native-like features including interfacial aromatic side chains, hydrophobic lengths compatible with bilayer thickness, and polar pores. Our method advances high-resolution membrane protein structure prediction and design toward tackling key biological questions and engineering challenges.
Collapse
|
67
|
Gropp C, Fischer S, Husch T, Trapp N, Carreira EM, Diederich F. Molecular Recognition and Cocrystallization of Methylated and Halogenated Fragments of Danicalipin A by Enantiopure Alleno-Acetylenic Cage Receptors. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:4749-4755. [PMID: 32114766 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b13217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Enantiopure (P)4- and (M)4-configured alleno-acetylenic cage (AAC) receptors offer a highly defined interior for the complexation and structure elucidation of small molecule fragments of the stereochemically complex chlorosulfolipid danicalipin A. Solution (NMR), solid state (X-ray), and theoretical investigations of the formed host-guest complexes provide insight into the conformational preferences of 14 achiral and chiral derivatives of the danicalipin A chlorohydrin core in a confined, mostly hydrophobic environment, extending previously reported studies in polar solvents. The conserved binding mode of the guests permits deciphering the effect of functional group replacements on Gibbs binding energies ΔG. A strong contribution of conformational energies toward the binding affinities is revealed, which explains why the denser packing of larger apolar domains of the guests does not necessarily lead to higher association. Enantioselective binding of chiral guests, with energetic differences ΔΔG293 K up to 0.7 kcal mol-1 between diastereoisomeric complexes, is explained by hydrogen- and halogen-bonding, as well as dispersion interactions. Calorimetric studies (ITC) show that the stronger binding of one enantiomer is accompanied by an increased gain in enthalpy ΔH but at the cost of a larger entropic penalty TΔS stemming from tighter binding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cornelius Gropp
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Fischer
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tamara Husch
- Laboratorium für Physikalische Chemie, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland.,Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Nils Trapp
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Erick M Carreira
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - François Diederich
- Laboratorium für Organische Chemie, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
68
|
Sjodt M, Rohs PDA, Gilman MSA, Erlandson SC, Zheng S, Green AG, Brock KP, Taguchi A, Kahne D, Walker S, Marks DS, Rudner DZ, Bernhardt TG, Kruse AC. Structural coordination of polymerization and crosslinking by a SEDS-bPBP peptidoglycan synthase complex. Nat Microbiol 2020; 5:813-820. [PMID: 32152588 PMCID: PMC7540724 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-020-0687-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The Shape, Elongation, Division, and Sporulation (“SEDS”) proteins are a highly conserved family of transmembrane glycosyltransferases that work in concert with class B penicillin binding proteins (bPBPs) to build the bacterial peptidoglycan cell wall1–6. How these proteins coordinate polymerization of new glycan strands with their crosslinking to the existing peptidoglycan meshwork remains unclear. Here, we report the crystal structure of the prototypical SEDS protein RodA from Thermus thermophilus in complex with its cognate bPBP at 3.3 Å resolution. The structure reveals a 1:1 stoichiometric complex with two extensive interaction interfaces between the proteins: one in the membrane plane and the other at the extracytoplasmic surface. When in complex with a bPBP, RodA shows a ~10 Å shift of transmembrane helix 7 that exposes a large membrane-accessible cavity. Negative-stain electron microscopy reveals that the complex can adopt a variety of different conformations. These data define the bPBP pedestal domain as the key allosteric activator of RodA both in vitro and in vivo, explaining how a SEDS:bPBP complex can coordinate its dual enzymatic activities of peptidoglycan polymerization and crosslinking to build the cell wall.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megan Sjodt
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Patricia D A Rohs
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Morgan S A Gilman
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah C Erlandson
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sanduo Zheng
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anna G Green
- Department of Systems Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kelly P Brock
- Department of Systems Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Atsushi Taguchi
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Kahne
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Suzanne Walker
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Debora S Marks
- Department of Systems Biology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Z Rudner
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas G Bernhardt
- Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Andrew C Kruse
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
69
|
Designing minimalist membrane proteins. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 47:1233-1245. [PMID: 31671181 PMCID: PMC6824673 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The construction of artificial membrane proteins from first principles is of fundamental interest and holds considerable promise for new biotechnologies. This review considers the potential advantages of adopting a strictly minimalist approach to the process of membrane protein design. As well as the practical benefits of miniaturisation and simplicity for understanding sequence-structure-function relationships, minimalism should also support the abstract conceptualisation of membrane proteins as modular components for synthetic biology. These ideas are illustrated with selected examples that focus upon α-helical membrane proteins, and which demonstrate how such minimalist membrane proteins might be integrated into living biosystems.
Collapse
|
70
|
Abstract
Proteins are molecular machines whose function depends on their ability to achieve complex folds with precisely defined structural and dynamic properties. The rational design of proteins from first-principles, or de novo, was once considered to be impossible, but today proteins with a variety of folds and functions have been realized. We review the evolution of the field from its earliest days, placing particular emphasis on how this endeavor has illuminated our understanding of the principles underlying the folding and function of natural proteins, and is informing the design of macromolecules with unprecedented structures and properties. An initial set of milestones in de novo protein design focused on the construction of sequences that folded in water and membranes to adopt folded conformations. The first proteins were designed from first-principles using very simple physical models. As computers became more powerful, the use of the rotamer approximation allowed one to discover amino acid sequences that stabilize the desired fold. As the crystallographic database of protein structures expanded in subsequent years, it became possible to construct proteins by assembling short backbone fragments that frequently recur in Nature. The second set of milestones in de novo design involves the discovery of complex functions. Proteins have been designed to bind a variety of metals, porphyrins, and other cofactors. The design of proteins that catalyze hydrolysis and oxygen-dependent reactions has progressed significantly. However, de novo design of catalysts for energetically demanding reactions, or even proteins that bind with high affinity and specificity to highly functionalized complex polar molecules remains an importnant challenge that is now being achieved. Finally, the protein design contributed significantly to our understanding of membrane protein folding and transport of ions across membranes. The area of membrane protein design, or more generally of biomimetic polymers that function in mixed or non-aqueous environments, is now becoming increasingly possible.
Collapse
|
71
|
Paraschiv A, Hegde S, Ganti R, Pilizota T, Šarić A. Dynamic Clustering Regulates Activity of Mechanosensitive Membrane Channels. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2020; 124:048102. [PMID: 32058787 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.124.048102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Experiments have suggested that bacterial mechanosensitive channels separate into 2D clusters, the role of which is unclear. By developing a coarse-grained computer model we find that clustering promotes the channel closure, which is highly dependent on the channel concentration and membrane stress. This behaviour yields a tightly regulated gating system, whereby at high tensions channels gate individually, and at lower tensions the channels spontaneously aggregate and inactivate. We implement this positive feedback into the model for cell volume regulation, and find that the channel clustering protects the cell against excessive loss of cytoplasmic content.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Paraschiv
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for the Physics of Living Systems University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Smitha Hegde
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, United Kingdom
| | - Raman Ganti
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA
| | - Teuta Pilizota
- Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FF, United Kingdom
| | - Anđela Šarić
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for the Physics of Living Systems University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
72
|
Westerfield JM, Barrera FN. Membrane receptor activation mechanisms and transmembrane peptide tools to elucidate them. J Biol Chem 2019; 295:1792-1814. [PMID: 31879273 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev119.009457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-pass membrane receptors contain extracellular domains that respond to external stimuli and transmit information to intracellular domains through a single transmembrane (TM) α-helix. Because membrane receptors have various roles in homeostasis, signaling malfunctions of these receptors can cause disease. Despite their importance, there is still much to be understood mechanistically about how single-pass receptors are activated. In general, single-pass receptors respond to extracellular stimuli via alterations in their oligomeric state. The details of this process are still the focus of intense study, and several lines of evidence indicate that the TM domain (TMD) of the receptor plays a central role. We discuss three major mechanistic hypotheses for receptor activation: ligand-induced dimerization, ligand-induced rotation, and receptor clustering. Recent observations suggest that receptors can use a combination of these activation mechanisms and that technical limitations can bias interpretation. Short peptides derived from receptor TMDs, which can be identified by screening or rationally developed on the basis of the structure or sequence of their targets, have provided critical insights into receptor function. Here, we explore recent evidence that, depending on the target receptor, TMD peptides cannot only inhibit but also activate target receptors and can accommodate novel, bifunctional designs. Furthermore, we call for more sharing of negative results to inform the TMD peptide field, which is rapidly transforming into a suite of unique tools with the potential for future therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin M Westerfield
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996
| | - Francisco N Barrera
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996.
| |
Collapse
|
73
|
Kuhlman B, Bradley P. Advances in protein structure prediction and design. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2019; 20:681-697. [PMID: 31417196 PMCID: PMC7032036 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-019-0163-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 387] [Impact Index Per Article: 77.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The prediction of protein three-dimensional structure from amino acid sequence has been a grand challenge problem in computational biophysics for decades, owing to its intrinsic scientific interest and also to the many potential applications for robust protein structure prediction algorithms, from genome interpretation to protein function prediction. More recently, the inverse problem - designing an amino acid sequence that will fold into a specified three-dimensional structure - has attracted growing attention as a potential route to the rational engineering of proteins with functions useful in biotechnology and medicine. Methods for the prediction and design of protein structures have advanced dramatically in the past decade. Increases in computing power and the rapid growth in protein sequence and structure databases have fuelled the development of new data-intensive and computationally demanding approaches for structure prediction. New algorithms for designing protein folds and protein-protein interfaces have been used to engineer novel high-order assemblies and to design from scratch fluorescent proteins with novel or enhanced properties, as well as signalling proteins with therapeutic potential. In this Review, we describe current approaches for protein structure prediction and design and highlight a selection of the successful applications they have enabled.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Kuhlman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Philip Bradley
- Computational Biology Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
74
|
Federman RS, Boguraev AS, Heim EN, DiMaio D. Biologically Active Ultra-Simple Proteins Reveal Principles of Transmembrane Domain Interactions. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:3753-3770. [PMID: 31301406 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Specific interactions between the helical membrane-spanning domains of transmembrane proteins play central roles in the proper folding and oligomerization of these proteins. However, the relationship between the hydrophobic amino acid sequences of transmembrane domains and their functional interactions is in most cases unknown. Here, we use ultra-simple artificial proteins to systematically study the sequence basis for transmembrane domain interactions. We show that most short homopolymeric polyleucine transmembrane proteins containing single amino acid substitutions can activate the platelet-derived growth factor β receptor or the erythropoietin receptor in cultured mouse cells, resulting in cell transformation or proliferation. These proteins displayed complex patterns of activity that were markedly affected by seemingly minor sequence differences in the ultra-simple protein itself or in the transmembrane domain of the target receptor, and the effects of these sequence differences are not additive. In addition, specific leucine residues along the length of these proteins are required for activity, and the positions of these required leucines differ based on the identity and position of the central substituted amino acid. Our results suggest that these ultra-simple proteins use a variety of molecular mechanisms to activate the same target and that diversification of transmembrane domain sequences over the course of evolution minimized off-target interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ross S Federman
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, PO Box 208011, New Haven, CT 06520-8011, USA
| | - Anna-Sophia Boguraev
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, PO Box 208005, New Haven, CT 06520-8005, USA
| | - Erin N Heim
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, PO Box 208005, New Haven, CT 06520-8005, USA
| | - Daniel DiMaio
- Department of Genetics, Yale School of Medicine, PO Box 208005, New Haven, CT 06520-8005, USA; Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale School of Medicine, PO Box 208040, New Haven, CT 06520-8040, USA; Department of Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale School of Medicine, PO Box 208024, New Haven, CT 06520-8024, USA; Yale Cancer Center, PO Box 208028, New Haven, CT 06520-8028, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
75
|
Weinstein JY, Elazar A, Fleishman SJ. A lipophilicity-based energy function for membrane-protein modelling and design. PLoS Comput Biol 2019; 15:e1007318. [PMID: 31461441 PMCID: PMC6736313 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane-protein design is an exciting and increasingly successful research area which has led to landmarks including the design of stable and accurate membrane-integral proteins based on coiled-coil motifs. Design of topologically more complex proteins, such as most receptors, channels, and transporters, however, demands an energy function that balances contributions from intra-protein contacts and protein-membrane interactions. Recent advances in water-soluble all-atom energy functions have increased the accuracy in structure-prediction benchmarks. The plasma membrane, however, imposes different physical constraints on protein solvation. To understand these constraints, we recently developed a high-throughput experimental screen, called dsTβL, and inferred apparent insertion energies for each amino acid at dozens of positions across the bacterial plasma membrane. Here, we express these profiles as lipophilicity energy terms in Rosetta and demonstrate that the new energy function outperforms previous ones in modelling and design benchmarks. Rosetta ab initio simulations starting from an extended chain recapitulate two-thirds of the experimentally determined structures of membrane-spanning homo-oligomers with <2.5Å root-mean-square deviation within the top-predicted five models (available online: http://tmhop.weizmann.ac.il). Furthermore, in two sequence-design benchmarks, the energy function improves discrimination of stabilizing point mutations and recapitulates natural membrane-protein sequences of known structure, thereby recommending this new energy function for membrane-protein modelling and design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Assaf Elazar
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Sarel Jacob Fleishman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
76
|
Unique transmembrane domain interactions differentially modulate integrin αvβ3 and αIIbβ3 function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:12295-12300. [PMID: 31160446 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1904867116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lateral transmembrane (TM) helix-helix interactions between single-span membrane proteins play an important role in the assembly and signaling of many cell-surface receptors. Often, these helices contain two highly conserved yet distinct interaction motifs, arranged such that the motifs cannot be engaged simultaneously. However, there is sparse experimental evidence that dual-engagement mechanisms play a role in biological signaling. Here, we investigate the function of the two conserved interaction motifs in the TM domain of the integrin β3-subunit. The first motif uses reciprocating "large-large-small" amino acid packing to mediate the interaction of the β3 and αIIb TM domains and maintain the inactive resting conformation of the platelet integrin αIIbβ3. The second motif, S-x3-A-x3-I, is a variant of the classical "G-x3-G" motif. Using site-directed mutagenesis, optical trap-based force spectroscopy, and molecular modeling, we show that S-x3-A-x3-I does not engage αIIb but rather mediates the interaction of the β3 TM domain with the TM domain of the αv-subunit of the integrin αvβ3. Like αIIbβ3, αvβ3 on circulating platelets is inactive, and in the absence of platelet stimulation is unable to interact with components of the subendothelial matrix. However, disrupting any residue in the β3 S-x3-A-x3-I motif by site-directed mutations is sufficient to induce αvβ3 binding to the αvβ3 ligand osteopontin and to the monoclonal antibody WOW-1. Thus, the β3-integrin TM domain is able to engage in two mutually exclusive interactions that produce alternate α-subunit pairing, creating two integrins with distinct biological functions.
Collapse
|