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Kundu N, Sharma T, Kaur S, Mahto AK, Prasad Dewangan R, Shankaraswamy J, Saxena S. Significant destabilization of human telomeric G-quadruplex upon peptide binding: dramatic effect of flanking bases. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:7119-7127. [PMID: 36038986 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2116602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Human telomere is composed of highly repeated hexanucleotide sequence TTAGGG and a 3' single-stranded DNA tail. Many telomere G4 topologies characterized at atomic level by X-ray crystallography and NMR studies. Until now, various small ligands developed to interact with G-quadruplex mainly to stabilize the structure and least is known for its destabilization. In this study, we provide the first evidence of human telomeric G4 destabilization upon peptide binding in dilute and cell-mimicking molecular crowing conditions due to the changes in flanking bases of human telomeric sequences. Hence, our findings will open the new ways to target diseases related with increasing the efficiency of DNA replication, transcription or duplex reannealing.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Kundu
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Taniya Sharma
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Sarvpreet Kaur
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
| | - Aman Kumar Mahto
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Rikeshwer Prasad Dewangan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - J Shankaraswamy
- Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture, Mojerla, Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University, Hyderabad, India
| | - Sarika Saxena
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Noida, India
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102
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Hoffstedt M, Stein MO, Baumann K, Wätzig H. Experimentally Observed Conformational Changes in Antibodies Due to Binding and Paratope-epitope Asymmetries. J Pharm Sci 2023; 112:2404-2411. [PMID: 37295605 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Understanding binding related changes in antibody conformations is important for epitope prediction and antibody refinement. The increase of available data in the PDB allowed a more detailed investigation of the conformational landscape for free and bound antibodies. A dataset containing a total of 835 unique PDB entries of antibodies that were crystallized in complex with their antigen and in a free state was constructed. It was examined for binding related conformation changes. We present further evidence supporting the theory of a pre-existing-equilibrium in experimental data. Multiple sequence alignments did not show binding induced tendencies in the solvent accessibility of residues in any specific position. Evaluating the changes in solvent accessibility per residue revealed a certain binding induced increase for several amino acids. Antibody-antigen interaction statistics were established and quantify a significant directional asymmetry between many interacting antibody and antigen residue pairs, especially a richness in tyrosine in the antibody epitope compared to its paratope. This asymmetry could potentially facilitate an increase in the success rate of computationally guided antibody refinement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Hoffstedt
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, TU Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Deutschland
| | - Matthias Oliver Stein
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, TU Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Deutschland
| | - Knut Baumann
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, TU Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Deutschland
| | - Hermann Wätzig
- Institute of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, TU Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Deutschland
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103
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Ullah A, Shahid FA, Haq MU, Tahir ul Qamar M, Irfan M, Shaker B, Ahmad S, Alrumaihi F, Allemailem KS, Almatroudi A. An integrative reverse vaccinology, immunoinformatic, docking and simulation approaches towards designing of multi-epitopes based vaccine against monkeypox virus. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:7821-7834. [PMID: 36129135 PMCID: PMC9527787 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2125441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that is caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV) and is mainly transmitted to human through close contact with an infected person, animal, or fomites which is contaminated by the virus. In the present research work, reverse vaccinology and several other bioinformatics and immunoinformatics tools were utilized to design multi-epitopes-based vaccine against MPXV by exploring three probable antigenic extracellular proteins: cupin domain-containing protein, ABC transporter ATP-binding protein and DUF192 domain-containing protein. Both cellular and humoral immunity induction were the main concerning qualities of the vaccine construct, hence from selected proteins both B and T-cells epitopes were predicted. Antigenicity, allergenicity, toxicity, and water solubility of the predicted epitopes were assessed and only probable antigenic, non-allergic, non-toxic and good water-soluble epitopes were used in the multi-epitopes vaccine construct. The developed vaccine was found to be potentially effective against MPXV and to be highly immunogenic, cytokine-producing, antigenic, non-toxic, non-allergenic, and stable. Additionally, to increase stability and expression efficiency in the host E. coli, disulfide engineering, codon adaptation, and in silico cloning were employed. Molecular docking and other biophysical approaches were utilized to evaluate the binding mode and dynamic behavior of the vaccine construct with TLR-2, TLR-4, and TLR-8. The outcomes of the immune simulation demonstrated that both B and T cells responded more strongly to the vaccination component. The detailed in silico analysis concludes that the proposed vaccine will induce a strong immune response against MPXV infection, making it a promising target for additional experimental trials.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asad Ullah
- Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Farah Ali Shahid
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Mahboob Ul Haq
- Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar, Pakistan
- Department of Pharmacy, Abasyn University, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Tahir ul Qamar
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Irfan
- Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Bilal Shaker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sajjad Ahmad
- Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Faris Alrumaihi
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khaled S. Allemailem
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Almatroudi
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
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104
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Xu X, Zhang DD, Kong P, Gao YK, Huang XF, Song Y, Zhang WD, Guo RJ, Li CL, Chen BW, Sun Y, Zhao YB, Jia FY, Wang X, Zhang F, Han M. Sox10 escalates vascular inflammation by mediating vascular smooth muscle cell transdifferentiation and pyroptosis in neointimal hyperplasia. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112869. [PMID: 37481722 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) can transdifferentiate into macrophage-like cells in the context of sustained inflammatory injury, which drives vascular hyperplasia and atherosclerotic complications. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we identify that macrophage-like VSMCs are the key cell population in mouse neointimal hyperplasia. Sex-determining region Y (SRY)-related HMG-box gene 10 (Sox10) upregulation is associated with macrophage-like VSMC accumulation and pyroptosis in vitro and in the neointimal hyperplasia of mice. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)-induced Sox10 lactylation in a phosphorylation-dependent manner by PI3K/AKT signaling drives transcriptional programs of VSMC transdifferentiation, contributing to pyroptosis. The regulator of G protein signaling 5 (RGS5) interacts with AKT and blocks PI3K/AKT signaling and Sox10 phosphorylation at S24. Sox10 silencing mitigates vascular inflammation and forestalls neointimal hyperplasia in RGS5 knockout mice. Collectively, this study shows that Sox10 is a regulator of vascular inflammation and a potential control point in inflammation-related vascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology of Hebei Province, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Dan-Dan Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology of Hebei Province, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Peng Kong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology of Hebei Province, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Ya-Kun Gao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology of Hebei Province, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Xiao-Fu Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology of Hebei Province, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Yu Song
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology of Hebei Province, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Wen-Di Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology of Hebei Province, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Rui-Juan Guo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology of Hebei Province, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Chang-Lin Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology of Hebei Province, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Bo-Wen Chen
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Yue Sun
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Yong-Bo Zhao
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Fang-Yue Jia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology of Hebei Province, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology of Hebei Province, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology of Hebei Province, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
| | - Mei Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology of Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Biotechnology of Hebei Province, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
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105
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Singh H, Almaazmi SY, Dutta T, Keyzers RA, Blatch GL. In silico identification of modulators of J domain protein-Hsp70 interactions in Plasmodium falciparum: a drug repurposing strategy against malaria. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1158912. [PMID: 37621993 PMCID: PMC10445141 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1158912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum is a unicellular, intracellular protozoan parasite, and the causative agent of malaria in humans, a deadly vector borne infectious disease. A key phase of malaria pathology, is the invasion of human erythrocytes, resulting in drastic remodeling by exported parasite proteins, including molecular chaperones and co-chaperones. The survival of the parasite within the human host is mediated by P. falciparum heat shock protein 70s (PfHsp70s) and J domain proteins (PfJDPs), functioning as chaperones-co-chaperones partnerships. Two complexes have been shown to be important for survival and pathology of the malaria parasite: PfHsp70-x-PFE0055c (exported); and PfHsp70-2-PfSec63 (endoplasmic reticulum). Virtual screening was conducted on the drug repurposing library, the Pandemic Response Box, to identify small-molecules that could specifically disrupt these chaperone complexes. Five top ranked compounds possessing preferential binding affinity for the malarial chaperone system compared to the human system, were identified; three top PfHsp70-PfJDP binders, MBX 1641, zoliflodacin and itraconazole; and two top J domain binders, ezetimibe and a benzo-diazepinone. These compounds were validated by repeat molecular dockings and molecular dynamics simulation, resulting in all the compounds, except for MBX 1461, being confirmed to bind preferentially to the malarial chaperone system. A detailed contact analysis of the PfHsp70-PfJDP binders identified two different types of modulators, those that potentially inhibit complex formation (MBX 1461), and those that potentially stabilize the complex (zoliflodacin and itraconazole). These data suggested that zoliflodacin and itraconazole are potential novel modulators specific to the malarial system. A detailed contact analysis of the J domain binders (ezetimibe and the benzo-diazepinone), revealed that they bound with not only greater affinity but also a better pose to the malarial J domain compared to that of the human system. These data suggested that ezetimibe and the benzo-diazepinone are potential specific inhibitors of the malarial chaperone system. Both itraconazole and ezetimibe are FDA-approved drugs, possess anti-malarial activity and have recently been repurposed for the treatment of cancer. This is the first time that such drug-like compounds have been identified as potential modulators of PfHsp70-PfJDP complexes, and they represent novel candidates for validation and development into anti-malarial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harpreet Singh
- Department of Bioinformatics, Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, Jalandhar, India
| | - Shaikha Y. Almaazmi
- Biomedical Research and Drug Discovery Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Tanima Dutta
- Department of Diagnostic Genomics, Path West Nedlands, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Robert A. Keyzers
- Centre for Biodiscovery & School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Gregory L. Blatch
- Biomedical Research and Drug Discovery Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, Higher Colleges of Technology, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Biomedical Biotechnology Research Unit, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
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106
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Upadhyay A, Ekenna C. A New Tool to Study the Binding Behavior of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11785. [PMID: 37511544 PMCID: PMC10380747 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241411785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the binding behavior and conformational dynamics of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) is crucial for unraveling their regulatory roles in biological processes. However, their lack of stable 3D structures poses challenges for analysis. To address this, we propose an algorithm that explores IDP binding behavior with protein complexes by extracting topological and geometric features from the protein surface model. Our algorithm identifies a geometrically favorable binding pose for the IDP and plans a feasible trajectory to evaluate its transition to the docking position. We focus on IDPs from Homo sapiens and Mus-musculus, investigating their interaction with the Plasmodium falciparum (PF) pathogen associated with malaria-related deaths. We compare our algorithm with HawkDock and HDOCK docking tools for quantitative (computation time) and qualitative (binding affinity) measures. Our results indicated that our method outperformed the compared methods in computation performance and binding affinity in experimental conformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aakriti Upadhyay
- Department of Computer Science, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Chinwe Ekenna
- Department of Computer Science, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA
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107
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Tomisch J, Busse V, Rosato F, Makshakova ON, Salavei P, Kittel AS, Gillon E, Lataster L, Imberty A, Meléndez AV, Römer W. A Shiga Toxin B-Subunit-Based Lectibody Boosts T Cell Cytotoxicity towards Gb3-Positive Cancer Cells. Cells 2023; 12:1896. [PMID: 37508560 PMCID: PMC10378424 DOI: 10.3390/cells12141896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant glycosylation plays a crucial role in tumour progression and invasiveness. Tumour-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs) represent a valuable set of targets for immunotherapeutic approaches. The poor immunogenicity of glycan structures, however, requires a more effective and well-directed way of targeting TACAs on the surface of cancer cells than antibodies. The glycosphingolipid globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) is a well-established TACA present in a multitude of cancer types. Its overexpression has been linked to metastasis, invasiveness, and multidrug resistance. In the present study, we propose to use a dimeric fragment of the Shiga toxin B-subunit (StxB) to selectively target Gb3-positive cancer cells in a StxB-scFv UCHT1 lectibody. The lectibody, comprised of a lectin and the UCHT1 antibody fragment, was produced in E. coli and purified via Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Specificity of the lectibody towards Gb3-positive cancer cell lines and specificity towards the CD3 receptor on T cells, was assessed using flow cytometry. We evaluated the efficacy of the lectibody in redirecting T cell cytotoxicity towards Gb3-overexpressing cancer cells in luciferase-based cytotoxicity in vitro assays. The StxB-scFv UCHT1 lectibody has proven specific for Gb3 and could induce the killing of up to 80% of Gb3-overexpressing cancer cells in haemorrhagic and solid tumours. The lectibody developed in this study, therefore, highlights the potential that lectibodies and lectins in general have for usage in immunotherapeutic approaches to boost the efficacy of established cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Tomisch
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Vincent Busse
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Francesca Rosato
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Olga N Makshakova
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Kazan Institute for Biochemistry and Biophysics, FRC Kazan Scientific Center of RAS, 420111 Kazan, Russia
| | - Pavel Salavei
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Core Facility Signalling Factory & Robotics, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anna-Sophia Kittel
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Emilie Gillon
- CNRS, CERMAV, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Levin Lataster
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anne Imberty
- CNRS, CERMAV, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Ana Valeria Meléndez
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Winfried Römer
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
- Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS), University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
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108
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Shaik NA, Al-Shehri N, Athar M, Awan A, Khalili M, Al Mahadi HB, Hejazy G, Saadah OI, Al-Harthi SE, Elango R, Banaganapalli B, Alefishat E, Awan Z. Protein structural insights into a rare PCSK9 gain-of-function variant (R496W) causing familial hypercholesterolemia in a Saudi family: whole exome sequencing and computational analysis. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1204018. [PMID: 37469559 PMCID: PMC10353052 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1204018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a globally underdiagnosed genetic condition associated with premature cardiovascular death. The genetic etiology data on Arab FH patients is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the genetic basis of FH in a Saudi family using whole exome sequencing (WES) and multidimensional bioinformatic analysis. Our WES findings revealed a rare heterozygous gain-of-function variant (R496W) in the exon 9 of the PCSK9 gene as a causal factor for FH in this family. This variant was absent in healthy relatives of the proband and 200 healthy normolipidemic controls from Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, this variant has not been previously reported in various regional and global population genomic variant databases. Interestingly, this variant is classified as "likely pathogenic" (PP5) based on the variant interpretation guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG). Computational functional characterization suggested that this variant could destabilize the native PCSK9 protein and alter its secondary and tertiary structural features. In addition, this variant was predicted to negatively influence its ligand-binding ability with LDLR and Alirocumab antibody molecules. This rare PCSK9 (R496W) variant is likely to expand our understanding of the genetic basis of FH in Saudi Arabia. This study also provides computational structural insights into the genotype-protein phenotype relationship of PCSK9 pathogenic variants and contributes to the development of personalized medicine for FH patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor Ahmad Shaik
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Princess Al-Jawhara Center of Excellence in Research of Hereditary Disorders, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Najla Al-Shehri
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Athar
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
- Science and Technology Unit, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Awan
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mariam Khalili
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Gehan Hejazy
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Omar I. Saadah
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Gastroenterology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sameer Eida Al-Harthi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ramu Elango
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Princess Al-Jawhara Center of Excellence in Research of Hereditary Disorders, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Babajan Banaganapalli
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Princess Al-Jawhara Center of Excellence in Research of Hereditary Disorders, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eman Alefishat
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
- Center for Biotechnology, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Zuhier Awan
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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109
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Chu LS, Ruffolo JA, Harmalkar A, Gray JJ. Flexible Protein-Protein Docking with a Multi-Track Iterative Transformer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.29.547134. [PMID: 37425754 PMCID: PMC10327054 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.29.547134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Conventional protein-protein docking algorithms usually rely on heavy candidate sampling and re-ranking, but these steps are time-consuming and hinder applications that require high-throughput complex structure prediction, e.g., structure-based virtual screening. Existing deep learning methods for protein-protein docking, despite being much faster, suffer from low docking success rates. In addition, they simplify the problem to assume no conformational changes within any protein upon binding (rigid docking). This assumption precludes applications when binding-induced conformational changes play a role, such as allosteric inhibition or docking from uncertain unbound model structures. To address these limitations, we present GeoDock, a multi-track iterative transformer network to predict a docked structure from separate docking partners. Unlike deep learning models for protein structure prediction that input multiple sequence alignments (MSAs), GeoDock inputs just the sequences and structures of the docking partners, which suits the tasks when the individual structures are given. GeoDock is flexible at the protein residue level, allowing the prediction of conformational changes upon binding. For a benchmark set of rigid targets, GeoDock obtains a 41% success rate, outperforming all the other tested methods. For a more challenging benchmark set of flexible targets, GeoDock achieves a similar number of top-model successes as the traditional method ClusPro [1], but fewer than ReplicaDock2 [2]. GeoDock attains an average inference speed of under one second on a single GPU, enabling its application in large-scale structure screening. Although binding-induced conformational changes are still a challenge owing to limited training and evaluation data, our architecture sets up the foundation to capture this backbone flexibility. Code and a demonstration Jupyter notebook are available at https://github.com/Graylab/GeoDock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee-Shin Chu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Ruffolo
- Program in Molecular Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Ameya Harmalkar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Jeffrey J Gray
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Program in Molecular Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
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110
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Zsolnay V, Gardel ML, Kovar DR, Voth GA. Cracked actin filaments as mechanosensitive receptors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.26.546553. [PMID: 37425801 PMCID: PMC10327158 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.26.546553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Actin filament networks are exposed to mechanical stimuli, but the effect of strain on actin filament structure has not been well-established in molecular detail. This is a critical gap in understanding because the activity of a variety of actin-binding proteins have recently been determined to be altered by actin filament strain. We therefore used all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to apply tensile strains to actin filaments and find that changes in actin subunit organization are minimal in mechanically strained, but intact, actin filaments. However, a conformational change disrupts the critical D-loop to W-loop connection between longitudinal neighboring subunits, which leads to a metastable cracked conformation of the actin filament, whereby one protofilament is broken prior to filament severing. We propose that the metastable crack presents a force-activated binding site for actin regulatory factors that specifically associate with strained actin filaments. Through protein-protein docking simulations, we find that 43 evolutionarily-diverse members of the dual zinc finger containing LIM domain family, which localize to mechanically strained actin filaments, recognize two binding sites exposed at the cracked interface. Furthermore, through its interactions with the crack, LIM domains increase the length of time damaged filaments remain stable. Our findings propose a new molecular model for mechanosensitive binding to actin filaments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vilmos Zsolnay
- Graduate Program in Biophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Margaret L. Gardel
- Department of Physics & Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics and James Franck Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - David R. Kovar
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Gregory A. Voth
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics and James Franck Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Department of Chemistry and Chicago Center for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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111
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Vinutha AS, Rajasekaran R. Insight on the mechanism of hexameric Pseudin-4 against bacterial membrane-mimetic environment. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2023:10.1007/s10822-023-00516-2. [PMID: 37368161 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-023-00516-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
As an alternative to antibiotics, Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) possess unique properties including cationic, amphipathic and their abundance in nature, but the exact characteristics of AMPs against bacterial membranes are still undetermined. To estimate the structural stability and functional activity of AMPs, the Pseudin AMPs (Pse-1, Pse-2, Pse-3, and Pse-4) from Hylid frog species, Pseudis paradoxa, an abundantly discovered source for AMPs were examined. We studied the intra-peptide interactions and thermal denaturation stability of peptides, as well as the geometrical parameters and secondary structure profiles of their conformational trajectories. On this basis, the peptides were screened out and the highly stable peptide, Pse-4 was subjected to membrane simulation in order to observe the changes in membrane curvature formed by Pse-4 insertion. Monomeric Pse-4 was found to initiate the membrane disruption; however, a stable multimeric form of Pse-4 might be competent to counterbalance the helix-coil transition and to resist the hydrophobic membrane environment. Eventually, hexameric Pse-4 on membrane simulation exhibited the hydrogen bond formation with E. coli bacterial membrane and thereby, leading to the formation of membrane spanning pore that allowed the entry of excess water molecules into the membrane shell, thus causing membrane deformation. Our report points out the mechanism of Pse-4 peptide against the bacterial membrane for the first time. Relatively, Pse-4 works on the barrel stave model against E. coli bacterial membrane; hence it might act as a good therapeutic scaffold in the treatment of multi-drug resistant bacterial strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Vinutha
- Quantitative Biology Lab, Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT, Deemed to be University), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - R Rajasekaran
- Quantitative Biology Lab, Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT, Deemed to be University), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
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112
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Mani S, Kaur A, Jakhar K, Kumari G, Sonar S, Kumar A, Das S, Kumar S, Kumar V, Kundu R, Pandey AK, Singh UP, Majumdar T. Targeting DPP4-RBD interactions by sitagliptin and linagliptin delivers a potential host-directed therapy against pan-SARS-CoV-2 infections. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 245:125444. [PMID: 37385308 PMCID: PMC10293653 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Highly mutated SARS-CoV-2 is known aetiological factor for COVID-19. Here, we have demonstrated that the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein can interact with human dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) to facilitate virus entry, in addition to the usual route of ACE2-RBD binding. Significant number of residues of RBD makes hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions with α/β-hydrolase domain of DPP4. With this observation, we created a strategy to combat COVID-19 by circumventing the catalytic activity of DPP4 using its inhibitors. Sitagliptin, linagliptin or in combination disavowed RBD to establish a heterodimer complex with both DPP4 and ACE2 which is requisite strategy for virus entry into the cells. Both gliptins not only impede DPP4 activity, but also prevent ACE2-RBD interaction, crucial for virus growth. Sitagliptin, and linagliptin alone or in combination have avidity to impede the growth of pan-SARS-CoV-2 variants including original SARS-CoV-2, alpha, beta, delta, and kappa in a dose dependent manner. However, these drugs were unable to alter enzymatic activity of PLpro and Mpro. We conclude that viruses hijack DPP4 for cell invasion via RBD binding. Impeding RBD interaction with both DPP4 and ACE2 selectively by sitagliptin and linagliptin is an potential strategy for efficiently preventing viral replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shailendra Mani
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, India
| | | | - Kamini Jakhar
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, India
| | | | - Sudipta Sonar
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India
| | - Sudesna Das
- CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
| | | | - Vijay Kumar
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India
| | - Rakesh Kundu
- Department of Zoology, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India
| | - Anil Kumar Pandey
- Department of Physiology, ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Faridabad, India
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113
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Giroux E, Oake A, Lewis T, Martic S. Aptamer-, heparin- or cocktail-based inhibition of S1-ACE2 protein complexes. Anal Biochem 2023:115223. [PMID: 37385465 PMCID: PMC10299842 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2023.115223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
The Spike protein (S1) from the Severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 virus binds to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor to initiate infection. Hence, antiviral therapeutic targeting the S1-ACE2 interface is of interest. Herein, we compare the inhibition efficacy of an aptamer to heparin or their cocktail, against wild-type (WT), Omicron, Delta, and Lambda S1-ACE2 complexes. The aptamer-protein complexes had the dissociation constant KD values in the 2-13 nM range. The aptamer half-maximal inhibitory concentration against WT S1-ACE was 17 nM, with the % inhibition in the 12-35% range. Several aptamer-S1 protein complexes were also stable at low pH with 60% inhibition. Despite the similarity in S1 sequences, the extent of inhibition (2-27%) with heparin was highly dependent on the type of S1 protein. More importantly, heparin did not inhibit the WT S1-ACE2 complex but was effective with mutants. The aptamer-heparin cocktail was less effective compared to aptamer or heparin, individually. Modelling data show that either a direct or proximal binding to RBD sites by aptamer or heparin prevents the ACE2 binding. Overall, heparin was as an effective inhibitor as aptamer against certain variants, and represents the more cost-effective neutralizing agent against emerging coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Giroux
- Department of Forensic Science, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
| | - A Oake
- Flemming College, Peterborough, Canada
| | - T Lewis
- Environmental and Life Science Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada
| | - S Martic
- Department of Forensic Science, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada; Environmental and Life Science Program, Trent University, Peterborough, Canada.
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114
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Zhao Y, Caron C, Chan YY, Lee CK, Xu X, Zhang J, Masubuchi T, Wu C, Bui JD, Hui E. cis-B7:CD28 interactions at invaginated synaptic membranes provide CD28 co-stimulation and promote CD8 + T cell function and anti-tumor immunity. Immunity 2023; 56:1187-1203.e12. [PMID: 37160118 PMCID: PMC10330546 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
B7 ligands (CD80 and CD86), expressed by professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), activate the main co-stimulatory receptor CD28 on T cells in trans. However, in peripheral tissues, APCs expressing B7 ligands are relatively scarce. This raises the questions of whether and how CD28 co-stimulation occurs in peripheral tissues. Here, we report that CD8+ T cells displayed B7 ligands that interacted with CD28 in cis at membrane invaginations of the immunological synapse as a result of membrane remodeling driven by phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) and sorting-nexin-9 (SNX9). cis-B7:CD28 interactions triggered CD28 signaling through protein kinase C theta (PKCθ) and promoted CD8+ T cell survival, migration, and cytokine production. In mouse tumor models, loss of T cell-intrinsic cis-B7:CD28 interactions decreased intratumoral T cells and accelerated tumor growth. Thus, B7 ligands on CD8+ T cells can evoke cell-autonomous CD28 co-stimulation in cis in peripheral tissues, suggesting cis-signaling as a general mechanism for boosting T cell functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Zhao
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Christine Caron
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ya-Yuan Chan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Calvin K Lee
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Xiaozheng Xu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Jibin Zhang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Takeya Masubuchi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Chuan Wu
- Experimental Immunology Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jack D Bui
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
| | - Enfu Hui
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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115
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Hammerstad M, Rugtveit AK, Dahlen S, Andersen HK, Hersleth HP. Functional Diversity of Homologous Oxidoreductases-Tuning of Substrate Specificity by a FAD-Stacking Residue for Iron Acquisition and Flavodoxin Reduction. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1224. [PMID: 37371954 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12061224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Although bacterial thioredoxin reductase-like ferredoxin/flavodoxin NAD(P)+ oxidoreductases (FNRs) are similar in terms of primary sequences and structures, they participate in diverse biological processes by catalyzing a range of different redox reactions. Many of the reactions are critical for the growth, survival of, and infection by pathogens, and insight into the structural basis for substrate preference, specificity, and reaction kinetics is crucial for the detailed understanding of these redox pathways. Bacillus cereus (Bc) encodes three FNR paralogs, two of which have assigned distinct biological functions in bacillithiol disulfide reduction and flavodoxin (Fld) reduction. Bc FNR2, the endogenous reductase of the Fld-like protein NrdI, belongs to a distinct phylogenetic cluster of homologous oxidoreductases containing a conserved His residue stacking the FAD cofactor. In this study, we have assigned a function to FNR1, in which the His residue is replaced by a conserved Val, in the reduction of the heme-degrading monooxygenase IsdG, ultimately facilitating the release of iron in an important iron acquisition pathway. The Bc IsdG structure was solved, and IsdG-FNR1 interactions were proposed through protein-protein docking. Mutational studies and bioinformatics analyses confirmed the importance of the conserved FAD-stacking residues on the respective reaction rates, proposing a division of FNRs into four functionally unique sequence similarity clusters likely related to the nature of this residue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Hammerstad
- Department of Biosciences, Section for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Anne Kristine Rugtveit
- Department of Biosciences, Section for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Sondov Dahlen
- Department of Biosciences, Section for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Hilde Kristin Andersen
- Department of Biosciences, Section for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Hans-Petter Hersleth
- Department of Biosciences, Section for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, Blindern, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway
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116
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Desta IT, Kotelnikov S, Jones G, Ghani U, Abyzov M, Kholodov Y, Standley DM, Beglov D, Vajda S, Kozakov D. The ClusPro AbEMap web server for the prediction of antibody epitopes. Nat Protoc 2023; 18:1814-1840. [PMID: 37188806 PMCID: PMC10898366 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00826-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Antibodies play an important role in the immune system by binding to molecules called antigens at their respective epitopes. These interfaces or epitopes are structural entities determined by the interactions between an antibody and an antigen, making them ideal systems to analyze by using docking programs. Since the advent of high-throughput antibody sequencing, the ability to perform epitope mapping using only the sequence of the antibody has become a high priority. ClusPro, a leading protein-protein docking server, together with its template-based modeling version, ClusPro-TBM, have been re-purposed to map epitopes for specific antibody-antigen interactions by using the Antibody Epitope Mapping server (AbEMap). ClusPro-AbEMap offers three different modes for users depending on the information available on the antibody as follows: (i) X-ray structure, (ii) computational/predicted model of the structure or (iii) only the amino acid sequence. The AbEMap server presents a likelihood score for each antigen residue of being part of the epitope. We provide detailed information on the server's capabilities for the three options and discuss how to obtain the best results. In light of the recent introduction of AlphaFold2 (AF2), we also show how one of the modes allows users to use their AF2-generated antibody models as input. The protocol describes the relative advantages of the server compared to other epitope-mapping tools, its limitations and potential areas of improvement. The server may take 45-90 min depending on the size of the proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel T Desta
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sergei Kotelnikov
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - George Jones
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Usman Ghani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Daron M Standley
- Department of Genome Informatics, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Dmitri Beglov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sandor Vajda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Dima Kozakov
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
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117
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Sanami S, Nazarian S, Ahmad S, Raeisi E, Tahir Ul Qamar M, Tahmasebian S, Pazoki-Toroudi H, Fazeli M, Ghatreh Samani M. In silico design and immunoinformatics analysis of a universal multi-epitope vaccine against monkeypox virus. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286224. [PMID: 37220125 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Monkeypox virus (MPXV) outbreaks have been reported in various countries worldwide; however, there is no specific vaccine against MPXV. In this study, therefore, we employed computational approaches to design a multi-epitope vaccine against MPXV. Initially, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), helper T lymphocyte (HTL), linear B lymphocytes (LBL) epitopes were predicted from the cell surface-binding protein and envelope protein A28 homolog, both of which play essential roles in MPXV pathogenesis. All of the predicted epitopes were evaluated using key parameters. A total of 7 CTL, 4 HTL, and 5 LBL epitopes were chosen and combined with appropriate linkers and adjuvant to construct a multi-epitope vaccine. The CTL and HTL epitopes of the vaccine construct cover 95.57% of the worldwide population. The designed vaccine construct was found to be highly antigenic, non-allergenic, soluble, and to have acceptable physicochemical properties. The 3D structure of the vaccine and its potential interaction with Toll-Like receptor-4 (TLR4) were predicted. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation confirmed the vaccine's high stability in complex with TLR4. Finally, codon adaptation and in silico cloning confirmed the high expression rate of the vaccine constructs in strain K12 of Escherichia coli (E. coli). These findings are very encouraging; however, in vitro and animal studies are needed to ensure the potency and safety of this vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Sanami
- Medical Plants Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Shahin Nazarian
- Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Sajjad Ahmad
- Department of Health and Biological Sciences, Abasyn University, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Elham Raeisi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Muhammad Tahir Ul Qamar
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Shahram Tahmasebian
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Pazoki-Toroudi
- Physiology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Fazeli
- WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Rabies, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Ghatreh Samani
- Clinical Biochemistry Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
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118
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Turek I, Nguyen TH, Galea C, Abad I, Freihat L, Manallack DT, Velkov T, Irving H. Mutations in the Vicinity of the IRAK3 Guanylate Cyclase Center Impact Its Subcellular Localization and Ability to Modulate Inflammatory Signaling in Immortalized Cell Lines. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108572. [PMID: 37239919 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 3 (IRAK3) modulates the magnitude of cellular responses to ligands perceived by interleukin-1 receptors (IL-1Rs) and Toll-like receptors (TLRs), leading to decreases in pro-inflammatory cytokines and suppressed inflammation. The molecular mechanism of IRAK3's action remains unknown. IRAK3 functions as a guanylate cyclase, and its cGMP product suppresses lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cell (NFκB) activity. To understand the implications of this phenomenon, we expanded the structure-function analyses of IRAK3 through site-directed mutagenesis of amino acids known or predicted to impact different activities of IRAK3. We verified the capacity of the mutated IRAK3 variants to generate cGMP in vitro and revealed residues in and in the vicinity of its GC catalytic center that impact the LPS-induced NFκB activity in immortalized cell lines in the absence or presence of an exogenous membrane-permeable cGMP analog. Mutant IRAK3 variants with reduced cGMP generating capacity and differential regulation of NFκB activity influence subcellular localization of IRAK3 in HEK293T cells and fail to rescue IRAK3 function in IRAK3 knock-out THP-1 monocytes stimulated with LPS unless the cGMP analog is present. Together, our results shed new light on the mechanism by which IRAK3 and its enzymatic product control the downstream signaling, affecting inflammatory responses in immortalized cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilona Turek
- Department of Rural Clinical Sciences, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3552, Australia
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3552, Australia
| | - Trang H Nguyen
- Department of Rural Clinical Sciences, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3552, Australia
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3552, Australia
| | - Charles Galea
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Isaiah Abad
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Lubna Freihat
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - David T Manallack
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Tony Velkov
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Wellington Rd, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Helen Irving
- Department of Rural Clinical Sciences, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3552, Australia
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3552, Australia
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
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119
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Panja A, Roy J, Mazumder A, Choudhury SM. Divergent mutations of Delta and Omicron variants: key players behind differential viral attributes across the COVID-19 waves. Virusdisease 2023:1-14. [PMID: 37363365 PMCID: PMC10171727 DOI: 10.1007/s13337-023-00823-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The third SARS-CoV-2 pandemic wave causing Omicron variant has comparatively higher replication rate and transmissibility than the second wave-causing Delta variant. The exact mechanism behind the differential properties of Delta and Omicron in respect to infectivity and virulence is not properly understood yet. This study reports the analysis of different mutations within the receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike glycoprotein and non-structural protein (nsp) of Delta and Omicron strains. We have used computational studies to evaluate the properties of Delta and Omicron variants in this work. Q498R, Q493R and S375F mutations of RBD showed better docking scores for Omicron compared to Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, whereas nsp3_L1266I with PARP15 (7OUX), nsp3_L1266I with PARP15 (7OUX), and nsp6_G107 with ISG15 (1Z2M) showed significantly higher docking score. The findings of the present study might be helpful to reveal the probable cause of relatively milder form of COVID-19 disease manifested by Omicron in comparison to Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13337-023-00823-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrita Panja
- Biochemistry, Molecular Endocrinology, and Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Department of Human Physiology, Vidyasagar University, Paschim Medinipore, Midnapore, West Bengal 721102 India
| | - Jayita Roy
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Nadia, Kalyani, West Bengal 741251 India
| | - Anup Mazumder
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Nadia, Kalyani, West Bengal 741251 India
| | - Sujata Maiti Choudhury
- Biochemistry, Molecular Endocrinology, and Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Department of Human Physiology, Vidyasagar University, Paschim Medinipore, Midnapore, West Bengal 721102 India
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Wodak SJ, Vajda S, Lensink MF, Kozakov D, Bates PA. Critical Assessment of Methods for Predicting the 3D Structure of Proteins and Protein Complexes. Annu Rev Biophys 2023; 52:183-206. [PMID: 36626764 PMCID: PMC10885158 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-102622-084607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Advances in a scientific discipline are often measured by small, incremental steps. In this review, we report on two intertwined disciplines in the protein structure prediction field, modeling of single chains and modeling of complexes, that have over decades emulated this pattern, as monitored by the community-wide blind prediction experiments CASP and CAPRI. However, over the past few years, dramatic advances were observed for the accurate prediction of single protein chains, driven by a surge of deep learning methodologies entering the prediction field. We review the mainscientific developments that enabled these recent breakthroughs and feature the important role of blind prediction experiments in building up and nurturing the structure prediction field. We discuss how the new wave of artificial intelligence-based methods is impacting the fields of computational and experimental structural biology and highlight areas in which deep learning methods are likely to lead to future developments, provided that major challenges are overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoshana J Wodak
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Sandor Vajda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA;
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Marc F Lensink
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, Lille, France;
| | - Dima Kozakov
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA;
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Paul A Bates
- Biomolecular Modelling Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom;
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Jahantigh HR, Shahbazi B, Gouklai H, Van der Weken H, Gharibi Z, Rezaei Z, Habibi M, Ahmadi K. Design peptide and multi-epitope protein vaccine candidates against monkeypox virus using reverse vaccinology approach: an in-silico study. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:14398-14418. [PMID: 37154825 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2201850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Monkeypox is a zoonotic virus that has recently affected different countries worldwide. On July 23, 2022, the WHO declared the outbreak of monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern. Surveillance studies conducted in Central Africa in the 1980s and later during outbreaks in the same region showed smallpox vaccines to be clinically somewhat effective against Monkeypox virus. However, there is no specific vaccine against this virus. This research used bioinformatics techniques to establish a novel multi-epitope vaccine candidate against Monkeypox that can induce a strong immune response. Five well-known antigenic proteins (E8L, A30L, A35R, A29L, and B21R) of the virus were picked and assessed as possible immunogenic peptides. Two suitable peptide candidates were selected according to bio-informatics analysis. Based upon in silico evaluation, two multi-epitope vaccine candidates (ALALAR and ALAL) were built with rich-epitope domains consisting of high-ranking T and B-cell epitopes. After predicting and evaluating the 3D structure of the protein candidates, the most efficient 3D models were considered for docking studies with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and the HLA-A * 11:01, HLA-A*01:01, HLA-A*02:01, HLA-A*03:01, HLA-A*07:02, HLA-A*15:01, HLA-A*30:01 receptors. Subsequently, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of up to 150 nanoseconds was employed to assess the durability of the interaction of the vaccine candidates with immune receptors. MD studies showed that M5-HLA-A*11:01, ALAL-TLR4, and ALALAR-TLR4 complexes were stable during simulation. Analysis of the in silico outcomes indicates that the M5 peptide and ALAL and ALALAR proteins may be suitable vaccine candidates against the Monkeypox virus.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Reza Jahantigh
- Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine - Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
- Animal Health and Zoonosis PhD Course, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Behzad Shahbazi
- Molecular Medicine Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Gouklai
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Hans Van der Weken
- Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Zahra Gharibi
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Zahra Rezaei
- Professor Alborzi Clinical Microbiology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mehri Habibi
- Department of Molecular Biology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Pasteur Ave., Tehran, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Ahmadi
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
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de Oliveira Matos A, Vilela Rodrigues TC, Tiwari S, Dos Santos Dantas PH, Sartori GR, de Carvalho Azevedo VA, Martins Da Silva JH, de Castro Soares S, Silva-Sales M, Sales-Campos H. Immunoinformatics-guided design of a multi-valent vaccine against Rotavirus and Norovirus (ChRNV22). Comput Biol Med 2023; 159:106941. [PMID: 37105111 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.106941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Rotavirus (RV) and Norovirus (NV) are the main viral etiologic agents of acute gastroenteritis (AG), a serious pediatric condition associated with significant death rates and long-term complications. Anti-RV vaccination has been proved efficient in the reduction of severe AG worldwide, however, the available vaccines are all attenuated and have suboptimal efficiencies in developing countries, where AG leads to substantial disease burden. On the other hand, no NV vaccine has been licensed so far. Therefore, we used immunoinformatics tools to develop a multi-epitope vaccine (ChRNV22) to prevent severe AG by RV and NV. Epitopes were predicted against 17 prevalent genotypes of four structural proteins (NV's VP1, RV's VP4, VP6 and VP7), and then assembled in a chimeric protein, with two small adjuvant sequences (tetanus toxin P2 epitope and a conserved sequence of RV's enterotoxin, NSP4). Simulations of the immune response and interactions with immune receptors indicated the immunogenic properties of ChRNV22, including a Th1-biased response. In silico search for putative host-homologous, allergenic and toxic regions also indicated the vaccine safety. In summary, we developed a multi-epitope vaccine against different NV and RV genotypes that seems promising for the prevention of severe AG, which will be further assessed by in vivo tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda de Oliveira Matos
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology and Immunoinformatics (LIM), Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, 746050-050, Brazil
| | - Thaís Cristina Vilela Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Genetics (LGCM), Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Sandeep Tiwari
- Institute of Biology, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, 40170-115, Brazil; Institute of Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), Salvador, 40231-300, Brazil
| | - Pedro Henrique Dos Santos Dantas
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology and Immunoinformatics (LIM), Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, 746050-050, Brazil
| | | | - Vasco Ariston de Carvalho Azevedo
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Genetics (LGCM), Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Brazil
| | | | - Siomar de Castro Soares
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), Uberaba, 38025-180, Brazil
| | - Marcelle Silva-Sales
- Laboratory of Virology and Cellular Culture (LABVICC), Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, 746050-050, Brazil
| | - Helioswilton Sales-Campos
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology and Immunoinformatics (LIM), Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás (UFG), Goiânia, 746050-050, Brazil.
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123
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Angira D, Chaudhary S, Abiramasundari A, Thiruvenkatam V. To Explore the Binding Affinity of Human γ-Secretase Activating Protein (GSAP) Isoform 4 with APP-C99 Peptides. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:13435-13443. [PMID: 37065030 PMCID: PMC10099435 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
γ-Secretase activating protein (GSAP) is known to play an important role in the β-amyloid pathway. It acts as a modulator and accentuates the truncation of the amyloid precursor protein C-99 fragment through the γ-secretase complex. GSAP has four isoforms, out of which canonical isoform 1, a 16 kDa C-terminal portion, has been extensively studied, whereas the function of other three isoforms remains unknown. Here, we explore the GSAP isoform 4 (GSAP_I4) expression and purification from inclusion bodies followed by the refolding of the protein. The secondary structure of GSAP_I4 is predicted using circular dichroism. The protein is further characterized by western blotting and mass spectroscopy analysis. Additionally, biochemical assays and in silico molecular docking and molecular simulation are performed to investigate the binding of GSAP_I4 and APP-C99 peptide fragments. The results reflect that although GSAP_I1 and GSAP_I4 share high sequence similarity, the isoform 4 does not show any affinity toward APP-C99 peptide fragments. This hints toward the fact that GSAP_I4 might have a different role in the living system that is yet unexplored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deekshi Angira
- Discipline
of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology
Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Sonali Chaudhary
- Discipline
of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology
Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Arumugam Abiramasundari
- Discipline
of Biological Engineering, Indian Institute
of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Vijay Thiruvenkatam
- Discipline
of Biological Engineering, Indian Institute
of Technology Gandhinagar, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382355, India
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Dueñas S, Escalante T, Gasperin-Bulbarela J, Bernáldez-Sarabia J, Cervantes-Luévano K, Jiménez S, Sánchez-Campos N, Cabanillas-Bernal O, Valdovinos-Navarro BJ, Álvarez-Lee A, De León-Nava MA, Licea-Navarro AF. Chimeric Peptides from Californiconus californicus and Heterodontus francisci with Antigen-Binding Capacity: A Conotoxin Scaffold to Create Non-Natural Antibodies (NoNaBodies). Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:toxins15040269. [PMID: 37104207 PMCID: PMC10141372 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15040269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Research into various proteins capable of blocking metabolic pathways has improved the detection and treatment of multiple pathologies associated with the malfunction and overexpression of different metabolites. However, antigen-binding proteins have limitations. To overcome the disadvantages of the available antigen-binding proteins, the present investigation aims to provide chimeric antigen-binding peptides by binding a complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) of variable domains of new antigen receptors (VNARs) with a conotoxin. Six non-natural antibodies (NoNaBodies) were obtained from the complexes of conotoxin cal14.1a with six CDR3s from the VNARs of Heterodontus francisci and two NoNaBodies from the VNARs of other shark species. The peptides cal_P98Y vs. vascular endothelial growth factor 165 (VEGF165), cal_T10 vs. transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), and cal_CV043 vs. carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) showed in-silico and in vitro recognition capacity. Likewise, cal_P98Y and cal_CV043 demonstrated the capacity to neutralize the antigens for which they were designed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvador Dueñas
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada C.P. 22860, Mexico
| | - Teresa Escalante
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501, Costa Rica
| | | | - Johanna Bernáldez-Sarabia
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada C.P. 22860, Mexico
| | - Karla Cervantes-Luévano
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada C.P. 22860, Mexico
| | - Samanta Jiménez
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada C.P. 22860, Mexico
| | - Noemí Sánchez-Campos
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada C.P. 22860, Mexico
| | - Olivia Cabanillas-Bernal
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada C.P. 22860, Mexico
| | | | - Angélica Álvarez-Lee
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada C.P. 22860, Mexico
| | - Marco A. De León-Nava
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada C.P. 22860, Mexico
| | - Alexei F. Licea-Navarro
- Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, CICESE, Carretera Ensenada-Tijuana 3918, Ensenada C.P. 22860, Mexico
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125
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Bryant P. Deep learning for protein complex structure prediction. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 79:102529. [PMID: 36731337 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Recent developments in the structure prediction of protein complexes have resulted in accuracies rivalling experimental methods in many cases. The high accuracy is mainly observed in dimeric complexes and other problems such as protein disorder and predicting the structure of host-pathogen interactions remain. This review highlights the foundation for current accurate structure prediction of protein complexes and possible ways to address the remaining limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Bryant
- Science for Life Laboratory, 172 21 Solna, Sweden; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
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Majeed ST, Majeed R, Malik AA, Andrabi KI. MTORC2 is a physiological hydrophobic motif kinase of S6 Kinase 1. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2023; 1870:119449. [PMID: 36858209 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2023.119449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1), a major downstream effector molecule of mTORC1, regulates cell growth and proliferation by modulating protein translation and ribosome biogenesis. We have recently identified eIF4E as an intermediate in transducing signals from mTORC1 to S6K1 and further demonstrated that the role of mTORC1 is restricted to inducing eIF4E phosphorylation and interaction with S6K1. This interaction relieves S6K1 auto-inhibition and facilitates its hydrophobic motif (HM) phosphorylation and activation as a consequence. These observations underscore a possible involvement of mTORC1 independent kinase in mediating HM phosphorylation. Here, we report mTORC2 as an in-vivo/physiological HM kinase of S6K1. We show that rapamycin-resistant S6K1 truncation mutant ∆NH∆CT continues to display HM phosphorylation with selective sensitivity toward Torin-1. We also show that HM phosphorylation of wildtype S6K1and ∆NH∆CT depends on the presence of mTORC2 regulatory subunit-rictor. Furthermore, truncation mutagenesis and molecular docking analysis reveal the involvement of a conserved 19 amino acid stretch of S6K1 in mediating interaction with rictor. We finally show that deletion of the 19 amino acid region from wildtype S6K1 results in loss of interaction with rictor, with a resultant loss of HM phosphorylation regardless of the presence of functional TOS motif. Our data demonstrate that mTORC2 acts as a physiological HM kinase that can activate S6K1 after its auto-inhibition is overcome by mTORC1. We, therefore, propose a novel mechanism for S6K1 regulation where mTOR complexes 1 and 2 act in tandem to activate the enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheikh Tahir Majeed
- Growth Factor Signaling Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India; Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Kashmir, Ganderbal, India
| | - Rabiya Majeed
- Growth Factor Signaling Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India; Department of Biochemistry, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
| | - Aijaz A Malik
- Centre of Excellence in Computational Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Khurshid Iqbal Andrabi
- Growth Factor Signaling Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India.
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Chappell DL, Sandhu PK, Wong JP, Bhatt AP, Liu X, Buhrlage SJ, Temple BRS, Major MB, Damania B. KSHV Viral Protein Kinase Interacts with USP9X to Modulate the Viral Lifecycle. J Virol 2023; 97:e0176322. [PMID: 36995092 PMCID: PMC10062123 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01763-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiological agent of Kaposi sarcoma (KS), the plasmablastic form of multicentric Castleman's disease, and primary effusion lymphoma. In sub-Saharan Africa, KS is the most common HIV-related malignancy and one of the most common childhood cancers. Immunosuppressed patients, including HIV-infected patients, are more prone to KSHV-associated disease. KSHV encodes a viral protein kinase (vPK) that is expressed from ORF36. KSHV vPK contributes to the optimal production of infectious viral progeny and upregulation of protein synthesis. To elucidate the interactions of vPK with cellular proteins in KSHV-infected cells, we used a bottom-up proteomics approach and identified host protein ubiquitin-specific peptidase 9X-linked (USP9X) as a potential interactor of vPK. Subsequently, we validated this interaction using a co-immunoprecipitation assay. We report that both the ubiquitin-like and the catalytic domains of USP9X are important for association with vPK. To uncover the biological relevance of the USP9X/vPK interaction, we investigated whether the knockdown of USP9X would modulate viral reactivation. Our data suggest that depletion of USP9X inhibits both viral reactivation and the production of infectious virions. Understanding how USP9X influences the reactivation of KSHV will provide insights into how cellular deubiquitinases regulate viral kinase activity and how viruses co-opt cellular deubiquitinases to propagate infection. Hence, characterizing the roles of USP9X and vPK during KSHV infection constitutes a first step toward identifying a potentially critical interaction that could be targeted by future therapeutics. IMPORTANCE Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiological agent of Kaposi sarcoma (KS), the plasmablastic form of multicentric Castleman's disease, and primary effusion lymphoma. In sub-Saharan Africa, KS is the most common HIV-related malignancy. KSHV encodes a viral protein kinase (vPK) that aids viral replication. To elucidate the interactions of vPK with cellular proteins in KSHV-infected cells, we used an affinity purification approach and identified host protein ubiquitin-specific peptidase 9X-linked (USP9X) as a potential interactor of vPK. Depletion of USP9X inhibits both viral reactivation and the production of infectious virions. Overall, our data suggest a proviral role for USP9X.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle L. Chappell
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Praneet K. Sandhu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jason P. Wong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Aadra P. Bhatt
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Xiaoxi Liu
- Department of Cancer Biology and the Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sara J. Buhrlage
- Department of Cancer Biology and the Linde Program in Cancer Chemical Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brenda R. S. Temple
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- R. L. Juliano Structural Bioinformatics Core Facility, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Structural Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - M. Ben Major
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Blossom Damania
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Mangukia TA, Santos JRL, Sun W, Cesarz D, Ortíz Hidalgo CD, Marcet-Palacios M. Validation of HIV-1 MA Shell Structural Arrangements and Env Protein Interactions Predict a Role of the MA Shell in Viral Maturation. Viruses 2023; 15:v15040893. [PMID: 37112873 PMCID: PMC10144363 DOI: 10.3390/v15040893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular structure of the type 1 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) is tightly linked to the mechanism of viral entry. The spike envelope (Env) glycoproteins and their interaction with the underlying matrix (MA) shell have emerged as key components of the entry mechanism. Microscopy evidence suggests that the MA shell does not span the entire inner lipid surface of the virus, producing a region of the virus that completely lacks an MA shell. Interestingly, evidence also suggests that Env proteins cluster during viral maturation and, thus, it is likely that this event takes place in the region of the virus that lacks an MA shell. We have previously called this part of the virus a fusion hub to highlight its importance during viral entry. While the structure of the MA shell is in contention due to the unaddressed inconsistencies between its reported hexagonal arrangement and the physical plausibility of such a structure, it is possible that a limited number of MA hexagons could form. In this study, we measured the size of the fusion hub by analysing the cryo-EM maps of eight HIV-1 particles and measured the size of the MA shell gap to be 66.3 nm ± 15.0 nm. We also validated the feasibility of the hexagonal MA shell arrangement in six reported structures and determined the plausible components of these structures that do not violate geometrical limitations. We also examined the cytosolic domain of Env proteins and discovered a possible interaction between adjacent Env proteins that could explain the stability of cluster formation. We present an updated HIV-1 model and postulate novel roles of the MA shell and Env structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarana A. Mangukia
- Department of Medicine, Alberta Respiratory Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2S2, Canada
| | - Joy Ramielle L. Santos
- Department of Medicine, Alberta Respiratory Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2S2, Canada
| | - Weijie Sun
- Department of Medicine, Alberta Respiratory Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2S2, Canada
| | - Dominik Cesarz
- Department of Medicine, Alberta Respiratory Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2S2, Canada
| | | | - Marcelo Marcet-Palacios
- Department of Medicine, Alberta Respiratory Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2S2, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences Technology, Laboratory Research and Biotechnology, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, Edmonton, AB T5G 2R1, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Madanagopal P, Muthusamy S, Pradhan SN, Prince PR. Construction and validation of a multi-epitope in silico vaccine model for lymphatic filariasis by targeting Brugia malayi: a reverse vaccinology approach. BULLETIN OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTRE 2023; 47:47. [PMID: 36987521 PMCID: PMC10037386 DOI: 10.1186/s42269-023-01013-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lymphatic filariasis (LF), often referred to as elephantiasis, has been identified as one of the 17 neglected tropical diseases by the World Health Organization. Currently, there are no vaccines available to treat this infection in humans. Therefore, with the objective of devising a novel preventive measure, we exploited an immunoinformatics approach to design a multi-epitope-based subunit vaccine for LF, that can elicit a variety of immune responses within the host. In this study, different B cell, TC cell, and TH cell-binding epitopes were screened from the antigenic proteins of Brugia malayi and they were passed through several immunological filters to determine the optimal epitopes. RESULTS As a result, 15 CD8+, 3 CD4+, and 3 B cell epitopes were found to be prominent, antigenic, non-toxic, immunogenic and non-allergenic. The presence of conformational B cell epitopes and cytokine-inducing epitopes confirmed the humoral and cell-mediated immune response that would be triggered by the constructed vaccine model. Following that, the selected epitopes and TLR-4-specific adjuvant were ligated by appropriate peptide linkers to finalize the vaccine construct. Protein-protein docking of the vaccine structure with the TLR4 receptor predicted strong binding affinity and hence putatively confirms its ability to elicit an immune response. Further, the efficiency of the vaccine candidate to provide a long-lasting protective immunity was assessed by in silico immune simulation. The reverse translated vaccine sequence was also virtually cloned in the pET28a (+) plasmid after the optimization of the gene sequence. CONCLUSION So taken together, by monitoring the overall in silico assessment, we hypothesize that our engineered peptide vaccine could be a viable prophylactic approach in the development of vaccines against the threat of human lymphatic filariasis. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s42269-023-01013-0.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Prabhu Rajaiah Prince
- Department of Biotechnology, Anna University, Chennai, India
- The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging (CUI), University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Laboratory for Structural Biology of Infection and Infammation, University of Hamburg, c/o DESY, 22603, Hamburg, Germany
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Mitochondrial Haemoglobin Is Upregulated with Hypoxia in Skeletal Muscle and Has a Conserved Interaction with ATP Synthase and Inhibitory Factor 1. Cells 2023; 12:cells12060912. [PMID: 36980252 PMCID: PMC10047868 DOI: 10.3390/cells12060912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The globin protein superfamily has diverse functions. Haemoglobin has been found in non-erythroid locations, including within the mitochondria. Using co-immunoprecipitation and in silico methods, we investigated the interaction of mitochondrial haemoglobin with ATP synthase and its associated proteins, including inhibitory factor 1 (IF1). We measured the expression of mitochondrial haemoglobin in response to hypoxia. In vitro and in silico evidence of interactions between mitochondrial haemoglobin and ATP synthase were found, and we report upregulated mitochondrial haemoglobin expression in response to hypoxia within skeletal muscle tissue. Our observations indicate that mitochondrial pH and ATP synthase activity are implicated in the mitochondrial haemoglobin response to hypoxia.
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131
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Bhattacharjee M, Banerjee M, Mukherjee A. In silico designing of a novel polyvalent multi-subunit peptide vaccine leveraging cross-immunity against human visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis: an immunoinformatics-based approach. J Mol Model 2023; 29:99. [PMID: 36928431 PMCID: PMC10018593 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-023-05503-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Leishmaniasis is a group of vector-borne infectious diseases caused by over 20 pathogenic Leishmania species that are endemic in many tropical and subtropical countries. The emergence of drug-resistant strains, the adverse side effects of anti-Leishmania drugs, and the absence of a preventative vaccination strategy threaten the sensitive population. Recently, many groups of researchers have exploited the field of reverse vaccinology to develop vaccines, focusing chiefly on inducing immunity against either visceral or cutaneous leishmaniasis. METHODS This present work involves retrieving twelve experimentally validated leishmanial antigenic protein sequences from the UniProt database, followed by their antigenicity profiling employing ANTIGENpro and Vaxijen 2.0 servers. MHC-binding epitopes for the same were predicted using both NetCTL 1.2 and SYFPEITHI servers, while epitopes for B cell were computed using ABCpred and BepiPred 2.0 servers. The screened epitopes with significantly higher scores were utilized for designing the vaccine construct with appropriate linkers and natural adjuvant. The secondary and tertiary structures of the synthetic peptide were determined by conditional random fields, shallow neural networks, and profile-profile threading alignment with iterative structure assembly simulations, respectively. The 3-D vaccine model was validated through CASP10-tested refinement and the MolProbity web server. Molecular docking and multi-scale normal mode analysis simulation were performed to analyze the best vaccine-TLR complex. Finally, computational immune simulation findings revealed promising cellular and humoral immune responses, suggesting that the engineered chimeric peptide is a potential broad-spectrum vaccine against visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mainak Bhattacharjee
- Department of Biotechnology, Heritage Institute of Technology, 994, Madurdaha, Kolkata, 700107, India
| | - Monojit Banerjee
- Department of Zoology, Triveni Devi Bhalotia College, Raniganj, 713347, India
| | - Arun Mukherjee
- Department of Zoology, Triveni Devi Bhalotia College, Raniganj, 713347, India.
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Liu X, Li Y, Chen S, Yang J, Jing J, Li J, Wu X, Wang J, Wang J, Zhang G, Tang Z, Nie H. Dihydromyricetin attenuates intracerebral hemorrhage by reversing the effect of LCN2 via the system Xc- pathway. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 115:154756. [PMID: 37130481 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The limited understanding of the pathological mechanisms of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and the absence of successful therapies lead to poor prognoses for patients with ICH. Dihydromyricetin (DMY) has many physiological functions, such as regulating lipid and glucose metabolism and modulating tumorigenesis. Moreover, DMY has been proven to be an effective treatment of neuroprotection. However, no reports to date have been made regarding the impact of DMY on ICH. PURPOSE This investigation aimed to identify the role of DMY on ICH in mice and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS/RESULTS This study demonstrated that DMY treatment effectively reduced hematoma size and cell apoptosis of brain tissue, and improved neurobehavioral outcomes in mice with ICH. Transcriptional and network pharmacological analyses revealed that lipocalin-2 (LCN2) was a potential target of DMY in ICH. After ICH, LCN2 mRNA and protein expression in brain tissue increased and DMY could inhibit the expression of LCN2. The rescue experiment with the implementation of LCN2 overexpression verified these observations. Furthermore, after DMY treatment, there was a significant decrease in cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2), phospho-extracellular regulated protein kinase (P-ERK), iron deposition, and the number of abnormal mitochondria, which were reversed by the overexpression of LCN2. Proteomics analysis suggests that SLC3A2 may be the downstream target of LCN2, promoting ferroptosis. Finally, LCN2 was shown to bind to SLC3A2 and regulate the downstream glutathione (GSH) synthesis and Glutathione Peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expression and glutathione (GSH) synthesis, as determined by molecular docking and co-immunoprecipitation analysis. CONCLUSION Our study confirmed for the first time that DMY might offer a favorable treatment for ICH through its action on LCN2. The possible mechanism for this could be that DMY reverses the inhibitory effect of LCN2 on the system Xc-, lessening ferroptosis in brain tissue. The findings of this study offer a greater understanding of how DMY affects ICH at a molecular level and could be conducive to developing therapeutic targets for ICH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Liu
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Neural Injury and Functional Reconstruction, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Yunjie Li
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Neural Injury and Functional Reconstruction, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Shiling Chen
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Neural Injury and Functional Reconstruction, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Jingfei Yang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Neural Injury and Functional Reconstruction, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Jie Jing
- Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Neural Injury and Functional Reconstruction, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Jiarui Li
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Neural Injury and Functional Reconstruction, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Xuan Wu
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Neural Injury and Functional Reconstruction, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Jiahui Wang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Neural Injury and Functional Reconstruction, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Neural Injury and Functional Reconstruction, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Ge Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Neural Injury and Functional Reconstruction, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Zhouping Tang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Neural Injury and Functional Reconstruction, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China.
| | - Hao Nie
- Department of Geriatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Neural Injury and Functional Reconstruction, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China.
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DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) drives chronic kidney disease progression in male mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1334. [PMID: 36906617 PMCID: PMC10008567 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37043-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Kidney injury initiates epithelial dedifferentiation and myofibroblast activation during the progression of chronic kidney disease. Herein, we find that the expression of DNA-PKcs is significantly increased in the kidney tissues of both chronic kidney disease patients and male mice induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction and unilateral ischemia-reperfusion injury. In vivo, knockout of DNA-PKcs or treatment with its specific inhibitor NU7441 hampers the development of chronic kidney disease in male mice. In vitro, DNA-PKcs deficiency preserves epithelial cell phenotype and inhibits fibroblast activation induced by transforming growth factor-beta 1. Additionally, our results show that TAF7, as a possible substrate of DNA-PKcs, enhances mTORC1 activation by upregulating RAPTOR expression, which subsequently promotes metabolic reprogramming in injured epithelial cells and myofibroblasts. Taken together, DNA-PKcs can be inhibited to correct metabolic reprogramming via the TAF7/mTORC1 signaling in chronic kidney disease, and serve as a potential target for treating chronic kidney disease.
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134
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Yang Y, Lu K, Qian J, Guo J, Xu H, Lu Z. Identification and characterization of ABC proteins in an important rice insect pest, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis unveil their response to Cry1C toxin. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 237:123949. [PMID: 36894061 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Rice leaffolder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis) is an important insect pest in paddy fields. Due to their essential role in the physiology and insecticidal resistance, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins were studied in many insects. In this study, we identified the ABC proteins in C. medinalis through genomic data and analyzed their molecular characteristics. A total of 37 sequences with nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) were identified as ABC proteins and belonged to eight families (ABCA-ABCH). Four structure styles of ABC proteins were found in C. medinalis, including full structure, half structure, single structure, and ABC2 structure. In addition to these structures, TMD-NBD-TMD, NBD-TMD-NBD, and NBD-TMD-NBD-NBD were found in C. medinalis ABC proteins. Docking studies suggested that in addition to the soluble ABC proteins, other ABC proteins including ABCC4, ABCH1, ABCG3, ABCB5, ABCG1, ABCC7, ABCB3, ABCA3, and ABCC5 binding with Cry1C had higher weighted scores. The upregulation of ABCB1 and downregulation of ABCB3, ABCC1, ABCC7, ABCG1, ABCG3, and ABCG6 were associated with the C. medinalis response to Cry1C toxin. Collectively, these results help elucidate the molecular characteristics of C. medinalis ABC proteins, pave the way for further functional studies of C. medinalis ABC proteins, including their interaction with Cry1C toxin, and provide potential insecticide targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajun Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Ke Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China; Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jianing Qian
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Jiawen Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Hongxing Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China.
| | - Zhongxian Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Treats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China.
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Fernández I, Dynesen LT, Coquin Y, Pederzoli R, Brun D, Haouz A, Gessain A, Rey FA, Buseyne F, Backovic M. The crystal structure of a simian Foamy Virus receptor binding domain provides clues about entry into host cells. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1262. [PMID: 36878926 PMCID: PMC9988990 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36923-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The surface envelope glycoprotein (Env) of all retroviruses mediates virus binding to cells and fusion of the viral and cellular membranes. A structure-function relationship for the HIV Env that belongs to the Orthoretrovirus subfamily has been well established. Structural information is however largely missing for the Env of Foamy viruses (FVs), the second retroviral subfamily. In this work we present the X-ray structure of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of a simian FV Env at 2.57 Å resolution, revealing two subdomains and an unprecedented fold. We have generated a model for the organization of the RBDs within the trimeric Env, which indicates that the upper subdomains form a cage-like structure at the apex of the Env, and identified residues K342, R343, R359 and R369 in the lower subdomain as key players for the interaction of the RBD and viral particles with heparan sulfate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Fernández
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Unité de Virologie Structurale, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Lasse Toftdal Dynesen
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Unité d'Épidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Youna Coquin
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Unité d'Épidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Riccardo Pederzoli
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Unité de Virologie Structurale, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Delphine Brun
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Unité de Virologie Structurale, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Ahmed Haouz
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Plateforme de cristallographie-C2RT, CNRS UMR 3528, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Gessain
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Unité d'Épidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Félix A Rey
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Unité de Virologie Structurale, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Florence Buseyne
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Unité d'Épidémiologie et Physiopathologie des Virus Oncogènes, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Marija Backovic
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR3569, Unité de Virologie Structurale, 75015, Paris, France.
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136
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Amundsen SK, Richardson A, Ha K, Smith GR. A flexible RecC surface loop required for Chi hotspot control of RecBCD enzyme. Genetics 2023; 223:iyac175. [PMID: 36521180 PMCID: PMC9991510 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyac175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli RecBCD helicase-nuclease promotes vital homologous recombination-based repair of DNA double-strand breaks. The RecB nuclease domain (Nuc) is connected to the RecB helicase domain by a 19-amino-acid tether. When DNA binds to RecBCD, published evidence suggests that Nuc moves ∼50 Å from the exit of a RecC tunnel, from which the 3'-ended strand emerges during unwinding, to a distant position on RecC's surface. During subsequent ATP-dependent unwinding of DNA, Nuc nicks the 3'-ended strand near 5'-GCTGGTGG-3' (Chi recombination hotspot). Here, we test our model of Nuc swinging on the tether from the RecC tunnel exit to the RecC distant surface and back to the RecC tunnel exit to cut at Chi. We identify positions in a flexible surface loop on RecC and on RecB Nuc with complementary charges, mutation of which strongly reduces but does not eliminate Chi hotspot activity in cells. The recC loop mutation interacts with recB mutations hypothesized to be in the Chi-activated intramolecular signal transduction pathway; the double mutants, but not the single mutants, eliminate Chi hotspot activity. A RecC amino acid near the flexible loop is also essential for full Chi activity; its alteration likewise synergizes with a signal transduction mutation to eliminate Chi activity. We infer that altering the RecC surface loop reduces coordination among the subunits, which is critical for Chi hotspot activity. We discuss other RecBCD mutants with related properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan K Amundsen
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Khoi Ha
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Gerald R Smith
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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Kang EJ, Jang SM, Lee YJ, Jeong YJ, Kim YJ, Kang SS, Ahn EH. The couple of netrin-1/α-Synuclein regulates the survival of dopaminergic neurons via α-Synuclein disaggregation. BMB Rep 2023; 56. [PMID: 36751943 PMCID: PMC9978362 DOI: 10.5483/bmbrep.2023-0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The abnormal accumulation and aggregation of the misfolded α-synuclein protein is the neuropathological hallmark of all α-synucleinopathies, including Parkinson's disease. The secreted proteins known as netrins (netrin-1, netrin-3, and netrin-4) are related to laminin and have a role in the molecular pathway for axon guidance and cell survival. Interestingly, only netrin-1 is significantly expressed in the substantia nigra (SN) of healthy adult brains and its expression inversely correlates with that of α-synuclein, which prompted us to look into the role of α-synuclein and netrin-1 molecular interaction in the future of dopaminergic neurons. Here, we showed that netrin-1 and α-synuclein directly interacted in pre-formed fibrils (PFFs) generation test, real time binding assay, and co-immunoprecipitation with neurotoxin treated cell lysates. Netrin-1 deficiency appeared to activate the dopaminergic neuronal cell death signal pathway via α-synuclein aggregation and hyperphosphorylation of α-synuclein S129. Taken together, netrin-1 can be a promising therapeutic molecule in Parkinson's disease. [BMB Reports 2023; 56(2): 126-131].
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Ji Kang
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea, GA 30322, USA
| | - Seung Min Jang
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea, GA 30322, USA
| | - Ye Ji Lee
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea, GA 30322, USA
| | - Ye Ji Jeong
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea, GA 30322, USA
| | - You Jin Kim
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea, GA 30322, USA
| | - Seong Su Kang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Eun Hee Ahn
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon 24252, Korea, GA 30322, USA,Corresponding author. Tel: +82-33-248-2583; Fax: +82-33-248-3201; E-mail:
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Yadav K, Rana VS, Anjali, Saurav GK, Rawat N, Kumar A, Sunil S, Singh OP, Rajagopal R. Mucin Protein of Aedes aegypti Interacts with Dengue Virus 2 and Influences Viral Infection. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0250322. [PMID: 36847498 PMCID: PMC10101019 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02503-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Dengue, caused by dengue virus (DENV), is the most prevalent vector-borne viral disease, posing a serious health concern to 2.5 billion people worldwide. DENV is primarily transmitted among humans by its mosquito vector Aedes aegypti; hence, the identification of a novel dengue virus receptor in mosquitoes is critical for the development of new anti-mosquito measures. In the current study, we have identified peptides which potentially interact with the surface of the virion particles and facilitate virus infection and movement during their life cycle in the mosquito vector. To identify these candidate proteins, we performed phage-display library screening against domain III of the envelope protein (EDIII), which plays an essential role during host cell receptor binding for viral entry. The mucin protein, which shared sequence similarity with the peptide identified in the screening, was cloned, expressed, and purified for in vitro interaction studies. Using in vitro pulldown and virus overlay protein-binding assay (VOPBA), we confirmed the positive interaction of mucin with purified EDIII and whole virion particles. Finally, blocking of mucin protein with anti-mucin antibodies partially reduced DENV titers in infected mosquitos. Moreover, mucin protein was found to be localized in the midgut of Ae. aegypti. IMPORTANCE Identification of interacting protein partners of DENV in the insect vector Aedes aegypti is crucial for designing vector control-based strategies and for understanding the molecular mechanism DENV uses to modulate the host, gain entry, and survive successfully. Similar proteins can be used in generating transmission-blocking vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karuna Yadav
- Gut Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Vipin Singh Rana
- Gut Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Anjali
- Gut Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Gunjan Kumar Saurav
- Gut Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
- Department of Zoology, Rajiv Gandhi University, Doimukh, Arunachal Pradesh, India
| | - Nitish Rawat
- Gut Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Ankit Kumar
- Vector Borne Disease Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
| | - Sujatha Sunil
- Vector Borne Disease Group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
| | - Om P. Singh
- National Institute of Malaria Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Raman Rajagopal
- Gut Biology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
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139
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Hou Z, Yin W, Hao Z, Fan K, Sun N, Sun P, Li H. Molecular Simulation Study on the Interaction between Porcine CR1-like and C3b. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28052183. [PMID: 36903431 PMCID: PMC10005376 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular basis of porcine red blood cell immune adhesion function stems from the complement receptor type 1-like (CR1-like) on its cell membrane. The ligand for CR1-like is C3b, which is produced by the cleavage of complement C3; however, the molecular mechanism of the immune adhesion of porcine erythrocytes is still unclear. Here, homology modeling was used to construct three-dimensional models of C3b and two fragments of CR1-like. An interaction model of C3b-CR1-like was constructed by molecular docking, and molecular structure optimization was achieved using molecular dynamics simulation. A simulated alanine mutation scan revealed that the amino acids Tyr761, Arg763, Phe765, Thr789, and Val873 of CR1-like SCR 12-14 and the amino acid residues Tyr1210, Asn1244, Val1249, Thr1253, Tyr1267, Val1322, and Val1339 of CR1-like SCR 19-21 are key residues involved in the interaction of porcine C3b with CR1-like. This study investigated the interaction between porcine CR1-like and C3b using molecular simulation to clarify the molecular mechanism of the immune adhesion of porcine erythrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Hou
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China
| | - Wei Yin
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China
| | - Zhili Hao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130015, China
| | - Kuohai Fan
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China
| | - Na Sun
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China
| | - Panpan Sun
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China
| | - Hongquan Li
- Shanxi Key Lab for Modernization of TCVM, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-3546289210
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Cell Surface Fibroblast Activation Protein-2 (Fap2) of Fusobacterium nucleatum as a Vaccine Candidate for Therapeutic Intervention of Human Colorectal Cancer: An Immunoinformatics Approach. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11030525. [PMID: 36992108 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11030525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers and is the second-highest in cancer-related deaths worldwide. The changes in gut homeostasis and microbial dysbiosis lead to the initiation of the tumorigenesis process. Several pathogenic gram-negative bacteria including Fusobacterium nucleatum are the principal contributors to the induction and pathogenesis of CRC. Thus, inhibiting the growth and survival of these pathogens can be a useful intervention strategy. Fibroblast activation protein-2 (Fap2) is an essential membrane protein of F. nucleatum that promotes the adherence of the bacterium to the colon cells, recruitment of immune cells, and induction of tumorigenesis. The present study depicts the design of an in silico vaccine candidate comprising the B-cell and T-cell epitopes of Fap2 for improving cell-mediated and humoral immune responses against CRC. Notably, this vaccine participates in significant protein–protein interactions with human Toll-like receptors, especially with TLR6 reveals, which is most likely to be correlated with its efficacy in eliciting potential immune responses. The immunogenic trait of the designed vaccine was verified by immune simulation approach. The cDNA of the vaccine construct was cloned in silico within the expression vector pET30ax for protein expression. Collectively, the proposed vaccine construct may serve as a promising therapeutic in intervening F. nucleatum-induced human CRC.
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141
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Young M, Tang M, Li H, Richard DJ, McLeod DSA, d'Emden MC, Richard K. Transthyretin binds soluble endoglin and increases its uptake by hepatocytes: A possible role for transthyretin in preeclampsia? Mol Cell Endocrinol 2023; 562:111851. [PMID: 36634839 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.111851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preeclampsia is a common but life-threatening condition of pregnancy. It is caused by poor placentation resulting in release of trophoblast material (including soluble endoglin (sEng)) into the maternal circulation leading to maternal vascular dysfunction and to the life-threatening condition of eclampsia. The only cure is early delivery, which can have lifelong consequences for the premature child. The thyroid hormone binding protein transthyretin is dysregulated in preeclampsia, however it is not known if this plays a role in disease pathology. We hypothesised that transthyretin may bind sEng and abrogate its negative effects by removing it from the maternal serum. METHODS The effect of transthyretin on hepatocyte uptake of Alexa-labelled sEng was measured using live cell imaging. Interactions between transthyretin, and sEng were investigated using molecular modelling, direct binding on CnBr Sepharose columns, confocal imaging, and measurement of fluorescence resonance energy transfer. RESULTS Transthyretin directly bound to sEng and increased its uptake by hepatocytes. This uptake was altered in the presence of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Molecular modelling predicted that transthyretin and TGF-β1 bind at the same site in sEng and may compete for binding. Endocytosed transthyretin and endoglin entered cells together and co-localised inside hepatocyte cells. CONCLUSION Transthyretin can bind sEng and increase its uptake from the extracellular medium. This suggests that increasing transthyretin levels or developing drugs that normalise or mimic transthyretin, may provide treatment options to reduce sEng induced vascular dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Young
- Conjoint Internal Medicine Laboratory, Chemical Pathology, Pathology Queensland, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ming Tang
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Cancer & Ageing Research Program, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Translational Research Institute (TRI), Brisbane, Australia
| | - Huika Li
- Conjoint Internal Medicine Laboratory, Chemical Pathology, Pathology Queensland, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Derek J Richard
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Cancer & Ageing Research Program, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Translational Research Institute (TRI), Brisbane, Australia
| | - Donald S A McLeod
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia; QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Michael C d'Emden
- Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia; School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, Qld, 4029, Australia
| | - Kerry Richard
- Conjoint Internal Medicine Laboratory, Chemical Pathology, Pathology Queensland, Queensland Health, Brisbane, Australia; Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Cancer & Ageing Research Program, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, Translational Research Institute (TRI), Brisbane, Australia; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia; School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, Qld, 4029, Australia.
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142
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Pavinato L, Delle Vedove A, Carli D, Ferrero M, Carestiato S, Howe JL, Agolini E, Coviello DA, van de Laar I, Au PYB, Di Gregorio E, Fabbiani A, Croci S, Mencarelli MA, Bruno LP, Renieri A, Veltra D, Sofocleous C, Faivre L, Mazel B, Safraou H, Denommé-Pichon AS, van Slegtenhorst MA, Giesbertz N, van Jaarsveld RH, Childers A, Rogers RC, Novelli A, De Rubeis S, Buxbaum JD, Scherer SW, Ferrero GB, Wirth B, Brusco A. CAPRIN1 haploinsufficiency causes a neurodevelopmental disorder with language impairment, ADHD and ASD. Brain 2023; 146:534-548. [PMID: 35979925 PMCID: PMC10169411 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe an autosomal dominant disorder associated with loss-of-function variants in the Cell cycle associated protein 1 (CAPRIN1; MIM*601178). CAPRIN1 encodes a ubiquitous protein that regulates the transport and translation of neuronal mRNAs critical for synaptic plasticity, as well as mRNAs encoding proteins important for cell proliferation and migration in multiple cell types. We identified 12 cases with loss-of-function CAPRIN1 variants, and a neurodevelopmental phenotype characterized by language impairment/speech delay (100%), intellectual disability (83%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (82%) and autism spectrum disorder (67%). Affected individuals also had respiratory problems (50%), limb/skeletal anomalies (50%), developmental delay (42%) feeding difficulties (33%), seizures (33%) and ophthalmologic problems (33%). In patient-derived lymphoblasts and fibroblasts, we showed a monoallelic expression of the wild-type allele, and a reduction of the transcript and protein compatible with a half dose. To further study pathogenic mechanisms, we generated sCAPRIN1+/- human induced pluripotent stem cells via CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis and differentiated them into neuronal progenitor cells and cortical neurons. CAPRIN1 loss caused reduced neuronal processes, overall disruption of the neuronal organization and an increased neuronal degeneration. We also observed an alteration of mRNA translation in CAPRIN1+/- neurons, compatible with its suggested function as translational inhibitor. CAPRIN1+/- neurons also showed an impaired calcium signalling and increased oxidative stress, two mechanisms that may directly affect neuronal networks development, maintenance and function. According to what was previously observed in the mouse model, measurements of activity in CAPRIN1+/- neurons via micro-electrode arrays indicated lower spike rates and bursts, with an overall reduced activity. In conclusion, we demonstrate that CAPRIN1 haploinsufficiency causes a novel autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorder and identify morphological and functional alterations associated with this disorder in human neuronal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Pavinato
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy.,Institute of Human Genetics, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Center for Rare Diseases Cologne, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Andrea Delle Vedove
- Institute of Human Genetics, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Center for Rare Diseases Cologne, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany.,Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Diana Carli
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy.,Pediatric Onco-Hematology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Cell Therapy Division, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Città Della Salute e Della Scienza di Torino, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Marta Ferrero
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy.,Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, 10154 Turin, Italy
| | - Silvia Carestiato
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Jennifer L Howe
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Emanuele Agolini
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, IRCCS, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
| | - Domenico A Coviello
- Laboratory of Human Genetics, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genoa, Italy
| | - Ingrid van de Laar
- Clinical Genetics, Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ping Yee Billie Au
- Department of Medical Genetics, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Eleonora Di Gregorio
- Medical Genetics Unit, Città della Salute e della Scienza University Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandra Fabbiani
- Medical Genetics Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, 53100 Siena, Italy.,Medical Genetics, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy.,Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Susanna Croci
- Medical Genetics, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy.,Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | | | - Lucia P Bruno
- Medical Genetics, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy.,Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Alessandra Renieri
- Medical Genetics Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Senese, 53100 Siena, Italy.,Medical Genetics, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy.,Med Biotech Hub and Competence Center, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Danai Veltra
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, 'Aghia Sophia' Children's Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Christalena Sofocleous
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, 'Aghia Sophia' Children's Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Laurence Faivre
- Centre de référence Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs, Fédération Hospitalo-Universitaire TRANSLAD, CHU Dijon, 21079 Dijon, France.,UMR1231 GAD, Inserm-Université Bourgogne-Franche Comté, 21078 Dijon, France
| | - Benoit Mazel
- Centre de référence Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs, Fédération Hospitalo-Universitaire TRANSLAD, CHU Dijon, 21079 Dijon, France
| | - Hana Safraou
- UMR1231 GAD, Inserm-Université Bourgogne-Franche Comté, 21078 Dijon, France.,Unité Fonctionnelle Innovation en Diagnostic génomique des maladies rares, FHU TRANSLAD, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Denommé-Pichon
- UMR1231 GAD, Inserm-Université Bourgogne-Franche Comté, 21078 Dijon, France.,Unité Fonctionnelle Innovation en Diagnostic génomique des maladies rares, FHU TRANSLAD, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, 21000 Dijon, France
| | - Marjon A van Slegtenhorst
- Clinical Genetics, Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Noor Giesbertz
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Richard H van Jaarsveld
- Department of Genetics, University Medical Centre Utrecht, 3584 CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Antonio Novelli
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, IRCCS, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia De Rubeis
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.,The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Joseph D Buxbaum
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.,The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Stephen W Scherer
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.,McLaughlin Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada
| | | | - Brunhilde Wirth
- Institute of Human Genetics, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Center for Rare Diseases Cologne, University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany.,Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany
| | - Alfredo Brusco
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy.,Medical Genetics Unit, Città della Salute e della Scienza University Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy
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143
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Keatinge-Clay AT, Miyazawa T, Zhang J, Ray KA, Lutgens JD, Bista R, Lin SN. Crystal structures reveal the framework of cis -acyltransferase modular polyketide synthases. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.11.528132. [PMID: 36798387 PMCID: PMC9934609 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.11.528132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
Although the domains of cis -acyltransferase ( cis -AT) modular polyketide synthases (PKS's) have been understood at atomic resolution for over a decade, the domain-domain interactions responsible for the architectures and activities of these giant molecular assembly lines remain largely uncharacterized. The multimeric structure of the α 6 β 6 fungal fatty acid synthase (FAS) provides 6 equivalent reaction chambers for its acyl carrier protein (ACP) domains to shuttle carbon building blocks and the growing acyl chain between surrounding, oriented enzymatic domains. The presumed homodimeric oligomerization of cis -AT assembly lines is insufficient to provide similar reaction chambers; however, the crystal structure of a ketosynthase (KS)+AT didomain presented here and three already reported show an interaction between the AT domains appropriate for lateral multimerization. This interaction was used to construct a framework for the pikromycin PKS from its KS, AT, and docking domains that contains highly-ordered reaction chambers. Its AT domains also mediate vertical interactions, both with upstream KS domains and downstream docking domains.
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144
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Desta IT, Kotelnikov S, Jones G, Ghani U, Abyzov M, Kholodov Y, Standley DM, Sabitova M, Beglov D, Vajda S, Kozakov D. Mapping of antibody epitopes based on docking and homology modeling. Proteins 2023; 91:171-182. [PMID: 36088633 PMCID: PMC9822860 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Antibodies are key proteins produced by the immune system to target pathogen proteins termed antigens via specific binding to surface regions called epitopes. Given an antigen and the sequence of an antibody the knowledge of the epitope is critical for the discovery and development of antibody based therapeutics. In this work, we present a computational protocol that uses template-based modeling and docking to predict epitope residues. This protocol is implemented in three major steps. First, a template-based modeling approach is used to build the antibody structures. We tested several options, including generation of models using AlphaFold2. Second, each antibody model is docked to the antigen using the fast Fourier transform (FFT) based docking program PIPER. Attention is given to optimally selecting the docking energy parameters depending on the input data. In particular, the van der Waals energy terms are reduced for modeled antibodies relative to x-ray structures. Finally, ranking of antigen surface residues is produced. The ranking relies on the docking results, that is, how often the residue appears in the docking poses' interface, and also on the energy favorability of the docking pose in question. The method, called PIPER-Map, has been tested on a widely used antibody-antigen docking benchmark. The results show that PIPER-Map improves upon the existing epitope prediction methods. An interesting observation is that epitope prediction accuracy starting from antibody sequence alone does not significantly differ from that of starting from unbound (i.e., separately crystallized) antibody structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel T. Desta
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Sergei Kotelnikov
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - George Jones
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Usman Ghani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | | | - Daron M. Standley
- Department of Genome Informatics, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Maria Sabitova
- Department of Mathematics, CUNY Queens College, Flushing, NY 11367, USA
| | - Dmitri Beglov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Sandor Vajda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Dima Kozakov
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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145
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Reverse vaccinology assisted design of a novel multi-epitope vaccine to target Wuchereria bancrofti cystatin: An immunoinformatics approach. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 115:109639. [PMID: 36586276 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Proteases are the critical mediators of immunomodulation exerted by the filarial parasites to bypass and divert host immunity. Cystatin is a small (∼15 kDa) immunomodulatory filarial protein and known to contribute in the immunomodulation strategy by inducing anti-inflammatory response through alternative activation of macrophages. Recently, Wuchereria bancrofti cystatin has been discovered as a ligand of human toll-like receptor 4 which is key behind the cystatin-induced anti-inflammatory response in major human antigen-presenting cells. Considering the pivotal role of cystatin in the immunobiology of filariasis, cystatin could be an efficacious target for developing vaccine. Herein, we present the design and in-silico analyses of a multi-epitope-based peptide vaccine to target W. bancrofti cystatin through immune-informatics approaches. The 262 amino acid long antigen construct comprises 9 MHC-I epitopes and MHC-II epitopes linked together by GPGPG peptide alongside an adjuvant (50S ribosomal protein L7/L12) at N terminus and 6 His tags at C terminus. Molecular docking study reveals that the peptide could trigger TLR4-MD2 to induce protective innate immune responses while the induced adaptive responses were found to be mediated by IgG, IgM and Th1 mediated responses. Notably, the designed vaccine exhibits high stability and no allergenicity in-silico. Furthermore, the muti epitope-vaccine was also predicted for its RNA structure and cloned in pET30ax for further experimental validation. Taken together, this study presents a novel multi-epitope peptide vaccine for triggering efficient innate and adaptive immune responses against W. bancrofti to intervene LF through immunotherapy.
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146
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Duran-Frigola M, Cigler M, Winter GE. Advancing Targeted Protein Degradation via Multiomics Profiling and Artificial Intelligence. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:2711-2732. [PMID: 36706315 PMCID: PMC9912273 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c11098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Only around 20% of the human proteome is considered to be druggable with small-molecule antagonists. This leaves some of the most compelling therapeutic targets outside the reach of ligand discovery. The concept of targeted protein degradation (TPD) promises to overcome some of these limitations. In brief, TPD is dependent on small molecules that induce the proximity between a protein of interest (POI) and an E3 ubiquitin ligase, causing ubiquitination and degradation of the POI. In this perspective, we want to reflect on current challenges in the field, and discuss how advances in multiomics profiling, artificial intelligence, and machine learning (AI/ML) will be vital in overcoming them. The presented roadmap is discussed in the context of small-molecule degraders but is equally applicable for other emerging proximity-inducing modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miquel Duran-Frigola
- CeMM
Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria,Ersilia
Open Source Initiative, 28 Belgrave Road, CB1 3DE, Cambridge, United Kingdom,
| | - Marko Cigler
- CeMM
Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg E. Winter
- CeMM
Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of
Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria,
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147
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Rosales-Hernández MC, Bello M, Toledano JV, Feregrino BCE, Correa Basurto J, Fragoso Morales LG, Torres-Ramos MA. Molecular dynamics simulations depict structural motions of the whole human aryl hydrocarbon receptor influencing its binding of ligands and HSP90. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:13138-13153. [PMID: 36705144 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2171132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) has broad biological functions when its ligands activate it; the non-binding interactions with AhR have not been fully elucidated due to the absence of a complete tridimensional (3D) structure. Therefore, utilization of the whole 3D structure from Homo sapiens AhR by in silico studies will allow us to better study and analyze the binding mode of its full and partial agonists, and antagonists, as well as its interaction with the HSP90 chaperone. The 3D AhR structure was obtained from I-TASSER and subjected to molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to obtain different structural conformations and determine the most populated AhR conformer by clustering analyses. The AhR-3D structures selected from MD simulations and those from clustering analyses were used to achieve docking studies with some of its ligands and protein-protein docking with HSP90. Once the AhR-3D structure was built, its Ramachandran maps and energy showed a well-qualified 3D model. MD simulations showed that the per-Arnt-Sim homology (PAS) PAS A, PAS B, and Q domains underwent conformational changes, identifying the conformation when agonists were binding also, and HSP90 was binding near the PAS A, PAS B, and Q domains. However, when antagonists are binding, HSP90 does not bind near the PAS A, PAS B, and Q domains. These studies show that the complex agonist-AhR-HSP90 can be formed, but this complex is not formed when an antagonist is binding. Knowing the conformations when the ligands bind to AHR and the behavior of HSP90 allows for an understanding of its activity.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Cecilia Rosales-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Biofísica y Biocatálisis, Sección de Estudios de Posgrago e Investigación. Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón s/n, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Martiniano Bello
- Laboratorio de Diseño y Desarrollo de Nuevos Fármacos e Innovación Biotecnológica, Seccion de Estudios de Posgrado. Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, México City, Mexico
| | - Jazziel Velazquez Toledano
- Laboratorio de Biofísica y Biocatálisis, Sección de Estudios de Posgrago e Investigación. Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón s/n, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Diseño y Desarrollo de Nuevos Fármacos e Innovación Biotecnológica, Seccion de Estudios de Posgrado. Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, México City, Mexico
| | - Barbara Citlali Escudero Feregrino
- Laboratorio de Biofísica y Biocatálisis, Sección de Estudios de Posgrago e Investigación. Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón s/n, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City, México
| | - José Correa Basurto
- Laboratorio de Diseño y Desarrollo de Nuevos Fármacos e Innovación Biotecnológica, Seccion de Estudios de Posgrado. Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, México City, Mexico
| | - Leticia Guadalupe Fragoso Morales
- Laboratorio de Biofísica y Biocatálisis, Sección de Estudios de Posgrago e Investigación. Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón s/n, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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148
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Bayani F, Safaei Hashkavaei N, Karamian MR, Uskoković V, Sefidbakht Y. In silico design of a multi-epitope vaccine against the spike and the nucleocapsid proteins of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:11748-11762. [PMID: 36703619 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2170470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Computational studies can comprise an effective approach to treating and preventing viral infections. Since 2019, the world has been dealing with the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The most important achievement in this short period of time in the effort to reduce morbidity and mortality was the production of vaccines and effective antiviral drugs. Although the virus has been significantly suppressed, it continues to evolve, spread, and evade the host's immune system. Recently, researchers have turned to immunoinformatics tools to reduce side effects and save the time and cost of traditional vaccine production methods. In the present study, an attempt has been made to design a multi-epitope vaccine with humoral and cellular immune response stimulation against the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 by investigating new mutations in spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins. The population coverage of the vaccine was evaluated as appropriate compared to other studies. The results of molecular dynamics simulation and molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) calculations predict the stability and proper interaction of the vaccine with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) as an innate immune receptor. The results of the immune simulation show a significant increase in the coordinated response of IgM and IgG after the third injection of the vaccine. Also, in the continuation of the research, spike proteins from BA.4 and BA.5 lineages were screened by immunoinformatics filters and effective epitopes were suggested for vaccine design. Despite the high precision of computational studies, in-vivo and in-vitro research is needed for final confirmation.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Bayani
- Protein Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Mohammad Reza Karamian
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vuk Uskoković
- TardigradeNano LLC, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Yahya Sefidbakht
- Protein Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
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149
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Negi H, Saxena H, Singh IK, Singh A. Herbivory-inducible lipid-transfer proteins (LTPs) of Cicer arietinum as potential human allergens. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:12863-12879. [PMID: 36703620 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2169353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Lipid-transfer proteins (LTPs) are lipid-binding small proteins, ubiquitously distributed amongst plant kingdom. Apart from their involvement in plant defense, it has also been discovered that they induce allergic reactions in humans. A plethora of LTPs have been identified in vegetables, fruits, pollens, nuts, and latex, among which Pru p 3, a LTP allergen from peach fruit, is extensively studied and exhibits cross-reactivity with potential allergens from different species. In Cicer arietinum, a family of LTPs (CaLTPs) has been identified and their importance in plant defense during Helicoverpa armigera-infestation has been recognized. However, the determination of the allergenicity potential of CaLTPs has not been attempted. In this study, we aim to decipher the allergenicity potential of defense-related CaLTPs. The allergenicity potential prediction, and identification of B-cell epitope binding regions showed that the CaLTPs had conserved domains and B-cell epitopes in the same regions as Prup3 (a marker allergen for LTPs). Using molecular docking and simulations, we observed that the CaLTPs successfully interacted with the Immunoglobin E(IgE)with docking energies ranging from -315.5 to -268.4 and the structures were stabilized within 10 ns of simulation. Through this study, we intend to embellish our present knowledge and understanding of the sensitization and allergenicity potential of CaLTPs.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harshita Negi
- Department of Botany, Hans Raj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Harshita Saxena
- Department of Botany, Hans Raj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA, USA
| | - Indrakant K Singh
- Department of Zoology, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Archana Singh
- Department of Botany, Hans Raj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- J C Bose Centre for Plant Genomics, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- Delhi School of Climate Change and Sustainability, Institution of Eminence, Maharishi Karnad Bhawan, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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150
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Bacteriocin-Nanoconjugates (Bac10307-AgNPs) Biosynthesized from Lactobacillus acidophilus-Derived Bacteriocins Exhibit Enhanced and Promising Biological Activities. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020403. [PMID: 36839725 PMCID: PMC9967518 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The proteinaceous compounds produced by lactic acid bacteria are called bacteriocins and have a wide variety of bioactive properties. However, bacteriocin's commercial availability is limited due to short stability periods and low yields. Therefore, the objective of this study was to synthesize bacteriocin-derived silver nanoparticles (Bac10307-AgNPs) extracted from Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus), which may have the potential to increase the bioactivity of bacteriocins and overcome the hurdles. It was found that extracted and purified Bac10307 had a broad range of stability for both temperature (20-100 °C) and pH (3-12). Further, based on Sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis, its molecular weight was estimated to be 4.2 kDa. The synthesized Bac10307-AgNPs showed a peak of surface plasmon resonance at 430 nm λmax. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) confirmed the presence of biological moieties, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with Energy dispersive X-Ray (EDX) confirmed that AgNPs were spherical and irregularly shaped, with a size range of 9-20 nm. As a result, the Bac10307-AgNPs displayed very strong antibacterial activity with MIC values as low as 8 μg/mL for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), when compared to Bac10307 alone. In addition, Bac10307-AgNPs demonstrated promising in vitro antioxidant activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (IC50 = 116.04 μg/mL) and in vitro cytotoxicity against human liver cancer cells (HepG2) (IC50 = 135.63 μg/mL), more than Bac10307 alone (IC50 = 139.82 μg/mL against DPPH and 158.20 μg/mL against HepG2). Furthermore, a protein-protein molecular docking simulation study of bacteriocins with target proteins of different biological functions was also carried out in order to ascertain the interactions between bacteriocins and target proteins.
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