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Vinothkumar KR, Arya CK, Ramanathan G, Subramanian R. Comparison of CryoEM and X-ray structures of dimethylformamidase. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 160:66-78. [PMID: 32735943 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2020.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Dimethylformamidase (DMFase) catalyzes the hydrolysis of dimethylformamide, an industrial solvent, introduced into the environment by humans. Recently, we determined the structures of dimethylformamidase by electron cryo microscopy and X-ray crystallography revealing a tetrameric enzyme with a mononuclear iron at the active site. DMFase from Paracoccus sp. isolated from a waste water treatment plant around the city of Kanpur in India shows maximal activity at 54 °C and is halotolerant. The structures determined by both techniques are mostly identical and the largest difference is in a loop near the active site. This loop could play a role in co-operativity between the monomers. A number of non-protein densities are observed in the EM map, which are modelled as water molecules. Comparison of the structures determined by the two methods reveals conserved water molecules that could play a structural role. The higher stability, unusual active site and negligible activity at low temperature makes this a very good model to study enzyme mechanism by cryoEM.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chetan Kumar Arya
- Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, GKVK Post, Bengaluru, India
| | | | - Ramaswamy Subramanian
- Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, GKVK Post, Bengaluru, India; Department of Biological Sciences and Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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52
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Thompson MC, Yeates TO, Rodriguez JA. Advances in methods for atomic resolution macromolecular structure determination. F1000Res 2020; 9:F1000 Faculty Rev-667. [PMID: 32676184 PMCID: PMC7333361 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.25097.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent technical advances have dramatically increased the power and scope of structural biology. New developments in high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy, serial X-ray crystallography, and electron diffraction have been especially transformative. Here we highlight some of the latest advances and current challenges at the frontiers of atomic resolution methods for elucidating the structures and dynamical properties of macromolecules and their complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Thompson
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
| | - Todd O. Yeates
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jose A. Rodriguez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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53
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Sora V, Kumar M, Maiani E, Lambrughi M, Tiberti M, Papaleo E. Structure and Dynamics in the ATG8 Family From Experimental to Computational Techniques. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:420. [PMID: 32587856 PMCID: PMC7297954 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a conserved and essential intracellular mechanism for the removal of damaged components. Since autophagy deregulation is linked to different kinds of pathologies, it is fundamental to gain knowledge on the fine molecular and structural details related to the core proteins of the autophagy machinery. Among these, the family of human ATG8 proteins plays a central role in recruiting other proteins to the different membrane structures involved in the autophagic pathway. Several experimental structures are available for the members of the ATG8 family alone or in complex with their different biological partners, including disordered regions of proteins containing a short linear motif called LC3 interacting motif. Recently, the first structural details of the interaction of ATG8 proteins with biological membranes came into light. The availability of structural data for human ATG8 proteins has been paving the way for studies on their structure-function-dynamic relationship using biomolecular simulations. Experimental and computational structural biology can help to address several outstanding questions on the mechanism of human ATG8 proteins, including their specificity toward different interactors, their association with membranes, the heterogeneity of their conformational ensemble, and their regulation by post-translational modifications. We here summarize the main results collected so far and discuss the future perspectives within the field and the knowledge gaps. Our review can serve as a roadmap for future structural and dynamics studies of the ATG8 family members in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Sora
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mukesh Kumar
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Emiliano Maiani
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matteo Lambrughi
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matteo Tiberti
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Elena Papaleo
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Center for Autophagy, Recycling and Disease, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Translational Disease System Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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54
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Fraser JS, Lindorff-Larsen K, Bonomi M. What Will Computational Modeling Approaches Have to Say in the Era of Atomistic Cryo-EM Data? J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:2410-2412. [PMID: 32090567 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James S Fraser
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94107, United States
| | - Kresten Lindorff-Larsen
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory, Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Massimiliano Bonomi
- Structural Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry; CNRS UMR 3528; C3BI, CNRS USR 3756; Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
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55
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Liao Q. Enhanced sampling and free energy calculations for protein simulations. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 170:177-213. [PMID: 32145945 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulation is a powerful computational technique to study biomolecular systems, which complements experiments by providing insights into the structural dynamics relevant to biological functions at atomic scale. It can also be used to calculate the free energy landscapes of the conformational transitions to better understand the functions of the biomolecules. However, the sampling of biomolecular configurations is limited by the free energy barriers that need to be overcome, leading to considerable gaps between the timescales reached by MD simulation and those governing biological processes. To address this issue, many enhanced sampling methodologies have been developed to increase the sampling efficiency of molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations. Usually, enhanced sampling algorithms can be classified into methods based on collective variables (CV-based) and approaches which do not require predefined CVs (CV-free). In this chapter, the theoretical basis of free energy estimation is briefly reviewed first, followed by the reviews of the most common CV-based and CV-free methods including the presentation of some examples and recent developments. Finally, the combination of different enhanced sampling methods is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghua Liao
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Chemistry-BMC, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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56
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Dämgen MA, Biggin PC. A Refined Open State of the Glycine Receptor Obtained via Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Structure 2020; 28:130-139.e2. [PMID: 31753620 PMCID: PMC6945115 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2019.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels are key players in mediating fast neurotransmission. Glycine receptors are chloride-selective members of this receptor family that mediate inhibitory synaptic transmission and are implicated in neurological disorders including autism and hyperekplexia. They have been structurally characterized by both X-ray crystallography and cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) studies, with the latter giving rise to what was proposed as a possible open state. However, recent work has questioned the physiological relevance of this open state structure, since it rapidly collapses in molecular dynamics simulations. Here, we show that the collapse can be avoided by a careful equilibration protocol that reconciles the more problematic regions of the original density map and gives a stable open state that shows frequent selective chloride permeation. The protocol developed in this work provides a means to refine open-like structures of the whole pentameric ligand-gated ion channel superfamily and reconciles the previous issues with the cryo-EM structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc A Dämgen
- Structural Bioinformatics and Computational Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Philip C Biggin
- Structural Bioinformatics and Computational Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
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57
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Integrative Structural Biology of Protein-RNA Complexes. Structure 2020; 28:6-28. [DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2019.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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58
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Alnabati E, Kihara D. Advances in Structure Modeling Methods for Cryo-Electron Microscopy Maps. Molecules 2019; 25:molecules25010082. [PMID: 31878333 PMCID: PMC6982917 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25010082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has now become a widely used technique for structure determination of macromolecular complexes. For modeling molecular structures from density maps of different resolutions, many algorithms have been developed. These algorithms can be categorized into rigid fitting, flexible fitting, and de novo modeling methods. It is also observed that machine learning (ML) techniques have been increasingly applied following the rapid progress of the ML field. Here, we review these different categories of macromolecule structure modeling methods and discuss their advances over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman Alnabati
- Department of Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Daisuke Kihara
- Department of Computer Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Correspondence:
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59
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Kim DN, Moriarty NW, Kirmizialtin S, Afonine PV, Poon B, Sobolev OV, Adams PD, Sanbonmatsu K. Cryo_fit: Democratization of flexible fitting for cryo-EM. J Struct Biol 2019; 208:1-6. [PMID: 31279069 PMCID: PMC7112765 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2019.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is becoming a method of choice for describing native conformations of biomolecular complexes at high resolution. The rapid growth of cryo-EM in recent years has created a high demand for automated solutions, both in hardware and software. Flexible fitting of atomic models to three-dimensional (3D) cryo-EM reconstructions by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is a popular technique but often requires technical expertise in computer simulation. This work introduces cryo_fit, a package for the automatic flexible fitting of atomic models in cryo-EM maps using MD simulation. The package is integrated with the Phenix software suite. The module was designed to automate the multiple steps of MD simulation in a reproducible manner, as well as facilitate refinement and validation through Phenix. Through the use of cryo_fit, scientists with little experience in MD simulation can produce high quality atomic models automatically and better exploit the potential of cryo-EM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doo Nam Kim
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Nigel W Moriarty
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Serdal Kirmizialtin
- Chemistry Program, Science Division, New York University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Pavel V Afonine
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Billy Poon
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Oleg V Sobolev
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Paul D Adams
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Karissa Sanbonmatsu
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA; New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, NM, USA.
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60
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Marques MA, Purdy MD, Yeager M. CryoEM maps are full of potential. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 58:214-223. [PMID: 31400843 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Electron microscopy is based on elastic scattering due to Coulomb forces between the incident electrons and the sample; thus, electron scattering is dependent on the charge distribution in the sample. Unlike atomic scattering factors for X-rays, electron scattering factors for some atoms are strongly dependent on scattering angle, and the scattering factor for ionic oxygen is negative at low scattering angle. This phenomenon can result in a significant negative contribution to Coulomb potential maps by oxygen and can result in deviations in the positions of positive map features from atomic centers. An important factor that can also complicate the interpretation of cryoEM maps is the exquisite sensitivity of macromolecules to damage from electron irradiation, especially the carboxylates of acidic amino acids. Ideally, when compared with electron density maps derived by X-ray crystallography, Coulomb potential maps can provide additional details about the electrostatic environment and charge state of atoms. Enhancements in model building, refinement and computational simulation will be required to realize the full potential of EM-derived maps to reveal deeper insight into the electronic structure and functional properties of macromolecular complexes and their interactions with binding partners, ligands, cofactors, and drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayra A Marques
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; Programa de Biologia Estrutural, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem, Centro Nacional de Ressonância Magnética Nuclear Jiri Jonas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Michael D Purdy
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Mark Yeager
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
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