1
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Learte-Aymamí S, Martínez-Castro L, González-González C, Condeminas M, Martin-Malpartida P, Tomás-Gamasa M, Baúlde S, Couceiro JR, Maréchal JD, Macias MJ, Mascareñas JL, Vázquez ME. De Novo Engineering of Pd-Metalloproteins and Their Use as Intracellular Catalysts. JACS AU 2024; 4:2630-2639. [PMID: 39055146 PMCID: PMC11267534 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The development of transition metal-based catalytic platforms that promote bioorthogonal reactions inside living cells remains a major challenge in chemical biology. This is particularly true for palladium-based catalysts, which are very powerful in organic synthesis but perform poorly in the cellular environment, mainly due to their rapid deactivation. We now demonstrate that grafting Pd(II) complexes into engineered β-sheets of a model WW domain results in cell-compatible palladominiproteins that effectively catalyze depropargylation reactions inside HeLa cells. The concave shape of the WW domain β-sheet proved particularly suitable for accommodating the metal center and protecting it from rapid deactivation in the cellular environment. A thorough NMR and computational study confirmed the formation of the metal-stapled peptides and allowed us to propose a three-dimensional structure for this novel metalloprotein motif.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soraya Learte-Aymamí
- Centro
Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica
e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15705, Spain
| | - Laura Martínez-Castro
- Insilichem,
Departament de Química, Universitat
Autónoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola 08193, Spain
| | - Carmen González-González
- Centro
Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica
e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15705, Spain
| | - Miriam Condeminas
- Institute
for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri Reixac, 10, Barcelona 08028, Spain
- Academic
institutional affiliation:Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (MELIS-UPF), Carrer del Doctor Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Pau Martin-Malpartida
- Institute
for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri Reixac, 10, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - María Tomás-Gamasa
- Centro
Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica
e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15705, Spain
| | - Sandra Baúlde
- Centro
Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica
e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15705, Spain
| | - José R. Couceiro
- Centro
Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica
e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15705, Spain
| | - Jean-Didier Maréchal
- Insilichem,
Departament de Química, Universitat
Autónoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola 08193, Spain
| | - Maria J. Macias
- Institute
for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Baldiri Reixac, 10, Barcelona 08028, Spain
- Institució
Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain
| | - José L. Mascareñas
- Centro
Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica
e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15705, Spain
| | - M. Eugenio Vázquez
- Centro
Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica
e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela 15705, Spain
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2
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Lindner C, Friemel A, Schwegler N, Timmermann L, Pham TL, Reusche V, Kovermann M, Thomas F. Thermostable WW-Domain Scaffold to Design Functional β-Sheet Miniproteins. J Am Chem Soc 2024. [PMID: 38853610 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c03498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
There has been a recent surge in the design of miniproteins for medicinal chemistry, biomaterial design, or synthetic biology. In particular, there is an interest in peptide scaffolds that fold reliably, predictably, and with solid stability. In this article, we present the design of a highly thermostable WW domain, a three-stranded β-sheet motif, with a superior melting temperature of about 90 °C to serve as a core scaffold onto which receptor-like properties can be grafted. We have performed specific rounds of sequence iteration on a WW-domain consensus sequence to decipher sequence positions that affect structural and, thus, thermal stability. We identified a sequence-structure relationship that yields a highly thermostable WW-domain scaffold. High-resolution NMR spectroscopy was applied, which enabled the identification of structural features at the atomic scale that contribute to this high thermostability. Finally, we grafted the binding motifs of the three WW-domain groups─Group I, Group II/III, and Group IV─and organophosphate and metal binding onto the highly thermostable WW-domain scaffold and obtained thermostable de novo WW domains that indeed display the different binding modes that were intended. The organophosphate-binding WW domains exhibit melting temperatures that are up to 34 K higher than previously reported top-down designs. These results impressively demonstrate that the highly thermostable WW-domain core scaffold is a solid platform for the design of discrete and reliably folding functional β-sheet peptide miniproteins, providing an essential addition to the toolbox of peptide scaffolds previously used in synthetic biology and material design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Lindner
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anke Friemel
- Physical Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Niklas Schwegler
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 225, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lisa Timmermann
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Truc Lam Pham
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vanessa Reusche
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Kovermann
- Physical Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Franziska Thomas
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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3
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Pham TL, Thomas F. Design of Functional Globular β-Sheet Miniproteins. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300745. [PMID: 38275210 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300745] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
The design of discrete β-sheet peptides is far less advanced than e. g. the design of α-helical peptides. The reputation of β-sheet peptides as being poorly soluble and aggregation-prone often hinders active design efforts. Here, we show that this reputation is unfounded. We demonstrate this by looking at the β-hairpin and WW domain. Their structure and folding have been extensively studied and they have long served as model systems to investigate protein folding and folding kinetics. The resulting fundamental understanding has led to the development of hyperstable β-sheet scaffolds that fold at temperatures of 100 °C or high concentrations of denaturants. These have been used to design functional miniproteins with protein or nucleic acid binding properties, in some cases with such success that medical applications are conceivable. The β-sheet scaffolds are not always completely rigid, but can be specifically designed to respond to changes in pH, redox potential or presence of metal ions. Some engineered β-sheet peptides also exhibit catalytic properties, although not comparable to those of natural proteins. Previous reviews have focused on the design of stably folded and non-aggregating β-sheet sequences. In our review, we now also address design strategies to obtain functional miniproteins from β-sheet folding motifs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Truc Lam Pham
- Truc Lam Pham, Prof. Dr. Franziska Thomas, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Franziska Thomas
- Truc Lam Pham, Prof. Dr. Franziska Thomas, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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4
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Pham TL, Conde González MR, Fazliev S, Kishore A, Comba P, Thomas F. Relationship of Thermostability and Binding Affinity in Metal-binding WW-Domain Minireceptors. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300715. [PMID: 38127995 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The design of metallo-miniproteins advances our understanding of the structural and functional roles of metals in proteins. We recently designed a metal-binding WW domain, WW-CA-Nle, which displays three histidine residues on its surface for coordination of divalent metals Ni(II), Zn(II) and Cu(II). However, WW-CA-Nle is a molten globule in the apo state and thus showed only moderate binding affinities with Kd values in the μM regime. In this report, we hypothesize that improved thermal stability of the apo state of the metal binding WW-domain scaffold should lead to improved preorganization of the metal-binding site and consequently to higher metal-binding affinities. By redesigning WW-CA-Nle, we obtained WW-CA variants, WW-CA-min and WW-CA-ANG, which were fully folded in the apo states and displayed moderate to excellent thermostabilities in the apo and holo states. We were able to show that the improved thermal stabilities led to improved metal binding, which was reflected in Kd values that were at least one order of magnitude lower compared to WW-CA-Nle. EPR spectroscopy and ITC measurements revealed a better defined and predisposed metal binding site in WW-CA-ANG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Truc Lam Pham
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marcos R Conde González
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Max Planck School Matter to Life
| | - Sunnatullo Fazliev
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Max Planck School Matter to Life
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstr. 29, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Agi Kishore
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Max Planck School Matter to Life
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Comba
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
- Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Franziska Thomas
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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5
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Tsuboyama K, Dauparas J, Chen J, Laine E, Mohseni Behbahani Y, Weinstein JJ, Mangan NM, Ovchinnikov S, Rocklin GJ. Mega-scale experimental analysis of protein folding stability in biology and design. Nature 2023; 620:434-444. [PMID: 37468638 PMCID: PMC10412457 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06328-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Advances in DNA sequencing and machine learning are providing insights into protein sequences and structures on an enormous scale1. However, the energetics driving folding are invisible in these structures and remain largely unknown2. The hidden thermodynamics of folding can drive disease3,4, shape protein evolution5-7 and guide protein engineering8-10, and new approaches are needed to reveal these thermodynamics for every sequence and structure. Here we present cDNA display proteolysis, a method for measuring thermodynamic folding stability for up to 900,000 protein domains in a one-week experiment. From 1.8 million measurements in total, we curated a set of around 776,000 high-quality folding stabilities covering all single amino acid variants and selected double mutants of 331 natural and 148 de novo designed protein domains 40-72 amino acids in length. Using this extensive dataset, we quantified (1) environmental factors influencing amino acid fitness, (2) thermodynamic couplings (including unexpected interactions) between protein sites, and (3) the global divergence between evolutionary amino acid usage and protein folding stability. We also examined how our approach could identify stability determinants in designed proteins and evaluate design methods. The cDNA display proteolysis method is fast, accurate and uniquely scalable, and promises to reveal the quantitative rules for how amino acid sequences encode folding stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kotaro Tsuboyama
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo, Japan
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Justas Dauparas
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jonathan Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Elodie Laine
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IBPS, Laboratory of Computational and Quantitative Biology (LCQB), UMR 7238, Paris, France
| | - Yasser Mohseni Behbahani
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IBPS, Laboratory of Computational and Quantitative Biology (LCQB), UMR 7238, Paris, France
| | - Jonathan J Weinstein
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Niall M Mangan
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Sergey Ovchinnikov
- John Harvard Distinguished Science Fellowship Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Gabriel J Rocklin
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
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6
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Konecki DM, Hamrick S, Wang C, Agosto MA, Wensel TG, Lichtarge O. CovET: A covariation-evolutionary trace method that identifies protein structure-function modules. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104896. [PMID: 37290531 PMCID: PMC10338321 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104896] [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: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Measuring the relative effect that any two sequence positions have on each other may improve protein design or help better interpret coding variants. Current approaches use statistics and machine learning but rarely consider phylogenetic divergences which, as shown by Evolutionary Trace studies, provide insight into the functional impact of sequence perturbations. Here, we reframe covariation analyses in the Evolutionary Trace framework to measure the relative tolerance to perturbation of each residue pair during evolution. This approach (CovET) systematically accounts for phylogenetic divergences: at each divergence event, we penalize covariation patterns that belie evolutionary coupling. We find that while CovET approximates the performance of existing methods to predict individual structural contacts, it performs significantly better at finding structural clusters of coupled residues and ligand binding sites. For example, CovET found more functionally critical residues when we examined the RNA recognition motif and WW domains. It correlates better with large-scale epistasis screen data. In the dopamine D2 receptor, top CovET residue pairs recovered accurately the allosteric activation pathway characterized for Class A G protein-coupled receptors. These data suggest that CovET ranks highest the sequence position pairs that play critical functional roles through epistatic and allosteric interactions in evolutionarily relevant structure-function motifs. CovET complements current methods and may shed light on fundamental molecular mechanisms of protein structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M Konecki
- Quantitative and Computational Biosciences Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Spencer Hamrick
- Chemical, Physical, and Structural Biology Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Melina A Agosto
- Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Theodore G Wensel
- Quantitative and Computational Biosciences Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Cancer and Cell Biology Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Olivier Lichtarge
- Quantitative and Computational Biosciences Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Cancer and Cell Biology Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; Computational and Integrative Biomedical Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
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7
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Bardwell AJ, Paul M, Yoneda KC, Andrade-Ludeña MD, Nguyen OT, Fruman DA, Bardwell L. The WW domain of IQGAP1 binds directly to the p110α catalytic subunit of PI 3-kinase. Biochem J 2023; 480:BCJ20220493. [PMID: 37145016 PMCID: PMC10625650 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220493] [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: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
IQGAP1 is a multi-domain cancer-associated protein that serves as a scaffold protein for multiple signaling pathways. Numerous binding partners have been found for the calponin homology, IQ and GAP-related domains in IQGAP1. Identification of a binding partner for its WW domain has proven elusive, however, even though a cell-penetrating peptide derived from this domain has marked anti-tumor activity. Here, using in vitro binding assays with human proteins and co-precipitation from human cells, we show that the WW domain of human IQGAP1 binds directly to the p110α catalytic subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). In contrast, the WW domain does not bind to ERK1/2, MEK1/2, or the p85α regulatory subunit of PI3K when p85α is expressed alone. However, the WW domain is able to bind to the p110α/p85α heterodimer when both subunits are co-expressed, as well as to the mutationally activated p110α/p65α heterodimer. We present a model of the structure of the IQGAP1 WW domain, and experimentally identify key residues in the hydrophobic core and beta strands of the WW domain that are required for binding to p110α. These findings contribute to a more precise understanding of IQGAP1-mediated scaffolding, and of how IQGAP1-derived therapeutic peptides might inhibit tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Jane Bardwell
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, U.S.A
| | - Madhuri Paul
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, U.S.A
| | - Kiku C. Yoneda
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, U.S.A
| | | | - Oanh T. Nguyen
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, U.S.A
| | - David A. Fruman
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, U.S.A
| | - Lee Bardwell
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, U.S.A
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8
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Pham TL, Fazliev S, Baur P, Comba P, Thomas F. An Engineered β-Hairpin Peptide Forming Thermostable Complexes with Zn II , Ni II , and Cu II through a His 3 Site. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202200588. [PMID: 36445805 PMCID: PMC10107957 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The three-dimensional structure of a peptide, which determines its function, can denature at elevated temperatures, in the presence of chaotropic reagents, or in organic solvents. These factors limit the applicability of peptides. Herein, we present an engineered β-hairpin peptide containing a His3 site that forms complexes with ZnII , NiII , and CuII . Circular dichroism spectroscopy shows that the peptide-metal complexes exhibit melting temperatures up to 80 °C and remain folded in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride as well as in organic solvents. Intrinsic fluorescence titration experiments were used to determine the dissociation constants of metal binding in the nano- to sub-nanomolar range. The coordination geometry of the peptide-CuII complex was studied by EPR spectroscopy, and a distorted square planar coordination geometry with weak interactions to axial ligands was revealed. Due to their impressive stability, the presented peptide-metal complexes open up interesting fields of application, such as the development of a new class of peptide-metal catalysts for stereoselective organic synthesis or the directed design of extremophilic β-sheet peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Truc Lam Pham
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sunnatullo Fazliev
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Philipp Baur
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Comba
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.,Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Franziska Thomas
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
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9
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Sánchez IE, Galpern EA, Garibaldi MM, Ferreiro DU. Molecular Information Theory Meets Protein Folding. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:8655-8668. [PMID: 36282961 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c04532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
We propose an application of molecular information theory to analyze the folding of single domain proteins. We analyze results from various areas of protein science, such as sequence-based potentials, reduced amino acid alphabets, backbone configurational entropy, secondary structure content, residue burial layers, and mutational studies of protein stability changes. We found that the average information contained in the sequences of evolved proteins is very close to the average information needed to specify a fold ∼2.2 ± 0.3 bits/(site·operation). The effective alphabet size in evolved proteins equals the effective number of conformations of a residue in the compact unfolded state at around 5. We calculated an energy-to-information conversion efficiency upon folding of around 50%, lower than the theoretical limit of 70%, but much higher than human-built macroscopic machines. We propose a simple mapping between molecular information theory and energy landscape theory and explore the connections between sequence evolution, configurational entropy, and the energetics of protein folding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio E Sánchez
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Laboratorio de Fisiología de Proteínas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos AiresCP1428, Argentina
| | - Ezequiel A Galpern
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Laboratorio de Fisiología de Proteínas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos AiresCP1428, Argentina
| | - Martín M Garibaldi
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Laboratorio de Fisiología de Proteínas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos AiresCP1428, Argentina
| | - Diego U Ferreiro
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Laboratorio de Fisiología de Proteínas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Química Biológica de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (IQUIBICEN), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos AiresCP1428, Argentina
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10
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Werner M, Pampel J, Pham TL, Thomas F. Late‐Stage Functionalisation of Peptides on the Solid Phase by an Iodination‐Substitution Approach. Chemistry 2022; 28:e202201339. [PMID: 35700354 PMCID: PMC9545490 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202201339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The functionalisation of peptides at a late synthesis stage holds great potential, for example, for the synthesis of peptide pharmaceuticals, fluorescent biosensors or peptidomimetics. Here we describe an on‐resin iodination‐substitution reaction sequence on homoserine that is also suitable for peptide modification in a combinatorial format. The reaction sequence is accessible to a wide range of sulfur nucleophiles with various functional groups including boronic acids, hydroxy groups or aromatic amines. In this way, methionine‐like thioethers or thioesters and thiosulfonates are accessible. Next to sulfur nucleophiles, selenols, pyridines and carboxylic acids were successfully used as nucleophiles, whereas phenols did not react. The late‐stage iodination‐substitution approach is not only applicable to short peptides but also to the more complex 34‐amino‐acid WW domains. We applied this strategy to introduce 7‐mercapto‐4‐methylcoumarin into a switchable ZnII responsive WW domain to design an iFRET‐based ZnII sensor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Werner
- Institute of Organic Chemistry Heidelberg University Im Neuenheimer Feld 270 69120 Heidelberg Germany
- Centre for Advanced Materials (CAM) Heidelberg University Im Neuenheimer Feld 225 69120 Heidelberg Germany
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB) Heidelberg University Im Neuenheimer Feld 364 69120 Heidelberg Germany
| | - Julius Pampel
- Department of Chemical Biology Max Planck Institute for Medical Research Jahnstraße 29 69120 Heidelberg Germany
| | - Truc Lam Pham
- Institute of Organic Chemistry Heidelberg University Im Neuenheimer Feld 270 69120 Heidelberg Germany
- Centre for Advanced Materials (CAM) Heidelberg University Im Neuenheimer Feld 225 69120 Heidelberg Germany
| | - Franziska Thomas
- Institute of Organic Chemistry Heidelberg University Im Neuenheimer Feld 270 69120 Heidelberg Germany
- Centre for Advanced Materials (CAM) Heidelberg University Im Neuenheimer Feld 225 69120 Heidelberg Germany
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11
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Rotem-Bamberger S, Fahoum J, Keinan-Adamsky K, Tsaban T, Avraham O, Shalev DE, Chill JH, Schueler-Furman O. Structural insights into the role of the WW2 domain on tandem WW/PPxY-motif interactions of oxidoreductase WWOX. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102145. [PMID: 35716775 PMCID: PMC9293652 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Class I WW domains are present in many proteins of various functions and mediate protein interactions by binding to short linear PPxY motifs. Tandem WW domains often bind peptides with multiple PPxY motifs, but the interplay of WW–peptide interactions is not always intuitive. The WW domain–containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) harbors two WW domains: an unstable WW1 capable of PPxY binding and stable WW2 that cannot bind PPxY. The WW2 domain has been suggested to act as a WW1 domain chaperone, but the underlying mechanism of its chaperone activity remains to be revealed. Here, we combined NMR, isothermal calorimetry, and structural modeling to elucidate the roles of both WW domains in WWOX binding to its PPxY-containing substrate ErbB4. Using NMR, we identified an interaction surface between these two domains that supports a WWOX conformation compatible with peptide substrate binding. Isothermal calorimetry and NMR measurements also indicated that while binding affinity to a single PPxY motif is marginally increased in the presence of WW2, affinity to a dual-motif peptide increases 10-fold. Furthermore, we found WW2 can directly bind double-motif peptides using its canonical binding site. Finally, differential binding of peptides in mutagenesis experiments was consistent with a parallel N- to C-terminal PPxY tandem motif orientation in binding to the WW1–WW2 tandem domain, validating structural models of the interaction. Taken together, our results reveal the complex nature of tandem WW-domain organization and substrate binding, highlighting the contribution of WWOX WW2 to both protein stability and target binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahar Rotem-Bamberger
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jamal Fahoum
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Tomer Tsaban
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Orly Avraham
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Deborah E Shalev
- Wolfson Centre for Applied Structural Biology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Azrieli College of Engineering, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jordan H Chill
- Department of Chemistry, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
| | - Ora Schueler-Furman
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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12
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Markthaler D, Fleck M, Stankiewicz B, Hansen N. Exploring the Effect of Enhanced Sampling on Protein Stability Prediction. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:2569-2583. [PMID: 35298174 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c01012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Changes in protein stability due to side-chain mutations are evaluated by alchemical free-energy calculations based on classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in explicit solvent using the GROMOS force field. Three proteins of different complexity with a total number of 93 single-point mutations are analyzed, and the relative free-energy differences are discussed with respect to configurational sampling and (dis)agreement with experimental data. For the smallest protein studied, a 34-residue WW domain, the starting structure dependence of the alchemical free-energy changes, is discussed in detail. Deviations from previous simulations for the two other proteins are shown to result from insufficient sampling in the earlier studies. Hamiltonian replica exchange in combination with multiple starting structures and sufficient sampling time of more than 100 ns per intermediate alchemical state is required in some cases to reach convergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Markthaler
- Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 9, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Maximilian Fleck
- Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 9, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Bartosz Stankiewicz
- Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 9, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Niels Hansen
- Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 9, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
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13
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Abstract
The natural function of many proteins depends on their ability to switch their conformation driven by environmental changes. In this work, we present a small, monomeric β-sheet peptide that switches between a molten globule and a folded state through Zn(II) binding. The solvent-exposed hydrophobic core on the β-sheet surface was substituted by a His3-site, whereas the internal hydrophobic core was left intact. Zn(II) is specifically recognized by the peptide relative to other divalent metal ions, binds in the lower micromolar range, and can be removed and re-added without denaturation of the peptide. In addition, the peptide is fully pH-switchable, has a pKa of about 6, and survives several cycles of acidification and neutralization. In-depth structural characterization of the switch was achieved by concerted application of circular dichroism (CD) and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. Thus, this study represents a viable approach toward a globular β-sheet Zn(II) mini-receptor prototype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Truc Lam Pham
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Centre for Advanced Materials, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 225, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Kovermann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Franziska Thomas
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Centre for Advanced Materials, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 225, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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14
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Pham TL, Zilke J, Müller CC, Thomas F. The CSY-protecting group in the microwave-assisted synthesis of aggregation-prone peptides. RSC Chem Biol 2022; 3:426-430. [PMID: 35441139 PMCID: PMC8985196 DOI: 10.1039/d1cb00252j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This report describes the application of cyanosulfurylide (CSY)-protected aspartatic acid building blocks in microwave-assisted synthesis of aggregation-prone protein domains. We present a synthesis of Fmoc-Asp(CSY)-OH on a multigram scale, as...
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Affiliation(s)
- Truc Lam Pham
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270 69120 Heidelberg Germany
- Centre for Advanced Materials, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 225 69120 Heidelberg Germany
| | - Jennifer Zilke
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270 69120 Heidelberg Germany
- Centre for Advanced Materials, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 225 69120 Heidelberg Germany
| | | | - Franziska Thomas
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270 69120 Heidelberg Germany
- Centre for Advanced Materials, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 225 69120 Heidelberg Germany
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15
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Neitz H, Paul NB, Häge FR, Lindner C, Graebner R, Kovermann M, Thomas F. Identification of novel functional mini-receptors by combinatorial screening of split-WW domains. Chem Sci 2022; 13:9079-9090. [PMID: 36091217 PMCID: PMC9365081 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc01078j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A combinatorial approach toward novel functional WW domains based on coiled-coil-mediated reconstitution of split WW domains is presented. As such, an ATP-binding WW domain was found from a 4-by-6 library of N- and C-terminal WW domain fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermann Neitz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany
| | - Niels Benjamin Paul
- Institute of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, University of Göttingen, Tammannstr. 2, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Florian R. Häge
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
- Centre for Advanced Materials, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 225, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Christina Lindner
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
- Centre for Advanced Materials, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 225, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Roman Graebner
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
- Centre for Advanced Materials, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 225, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Michael Kovermann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz 78457, Germany
| | - Franziska Thomas
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 270, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
- Centre for Advanced Materials, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 225, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
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16
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Draper SRE, Jones ZB, Earl SO, Dalley NA, Ashton DS, Carter AJ, Conover BM, Price JL. PEGylation Increases the Strength of a Nearby NH-π Hydrogen Bond in the WW Domain. Biochemistry 2021; 60:2064-2070. [PMID: 34137579 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Here we show that an NH-π interaction between a highly conserved Asn and a nearby Trp stabilizes the WW domain of the human protein Pin1. The strength of this NH-π interaction depends on the structure of the arene, with NH-π interactions involving Trp or naphthylalanine being substantially more stabilizing than those involving Tyr or Phe. Calculations suggest arene size and polarizability are key structural determinants of NH-π interaction strength. Methylation or PEGylation of the Asn side-chain amide nitrogen each strengthens the associated NH-π interaction, though likely for different reasons. We hypothesize that methylation introduces steric clashes that destabilize conformations in which the NH-π interaction is not possible, whereas PEGylation strengthens the NH-π interaction via localized desolvation of the protein surface.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Seth O Earl
- Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | | | | | | | | | - Joshua L Price
- Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
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17
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Funneled energy landscape unifies principles of protein binding and evolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:27218-27223. [PMID: 33067388 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2013822117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Most proteins have evolved to spontaneously fold into native structure and specifically bind with their partners for the purpose of fulfilling biological functions. According to Darwin, protein sequences evolve through random mutations, and only the fittest survives. The understanding of how the evolutionary selection sculpts the interaction patterns for both biomolecular folding and binding is still challenging. In this study, we incorporated the constraint of functional binding into the selection fitness based on the principle of minimal frustration for the underlying biomolecular interactions. Thermodynamic stability and kinetic accessibility were derived and quantified from a global funneled energy landscape that satisfies the requirements of both the folding into the stable structure and binding with the specific partner. The evolution proceeds via a bowl-like evolution energy landscape in the sequence space with a closed-ring attractor at the bottom. The sequence space is increasingly reduced until this ring attractor is reached. The molecular-interaction patterns responsible for folding and binding are identified from the evolved sequences, respectively. The residual positions participating in the interactions responsible for folding are highly conserved and maintain the hydrophobic core under additional evolutionary constraints of functional binding. The positions responsible for binding constitute a distributed network via coupling conservations that determine the specificity of binding with the partner. This work unifies the principles of protein binding and evolution under minimal frustration and sheds light on the evolutionary design of proteins for functions.
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18
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Draper SRE, Ashton DS, Conover BM, Carter AJ, Stern KL, Xiao Q, Price JL. PEGylation near a Patch of Nonpolar Surface Residues Increases the Conformational Stability of the WW Domain. J Org Chem 2020; 85:1725-1730. [PMID: 31749365 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.9b02615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Many proteins have one or more surface-exposed patches of nonpolar residues; our observations here suggest that PEGylation near such locations might be a useful strategy for increasing protein conformational stability. Specifically, we show that conjugating a PEG-azide to a propargyloxyphenylalanine via the copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition can increase the conformational stability of the WW domain due to a favorable synergistic effect that depends on the hydrophobicity of a nearby patch of nonpolar surface residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R E Draper
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , Brigham Young University , Provo , Utah 84602 , United States
| | - Dallin S Ashton
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , Brigham Young University , Provo , Utah 84602 , United States
| | - Benjamin M Conover
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , Brigham Young University , Provo , Utah 84602 , United States
| | - Anthony J Carter
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , Brigham Young University , Provo , Utah 84602 , United States
| | - Kimberlee L Stern
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , Brigham Young University , Provo , Utah 84602 , United States
| | - Qiang Xiao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , Brigham Young University , Provo , Utah 84602 , United States
| | - Joshua L Price
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , Brigham Young University , Provo , Utah 84602 , United States
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19
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Ganguly HK, Basu G. Conformational landscape of substituted prolines. Biophys Rev 2020; 12:25-39. [PMID: 31953795 PMCID: PMC7040156 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-020-00621-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The cyclic side chain of the amino acid proline confers unique conformational restraints on its backbone and side chain dihedral angles. This affects two equilibria-one at the backbone (cis/trans) and the other at the side chain (endo/exo). Substitutions on the proline ring impose additional steric and stereoelectronic effects that can further modulate both these equilibria, which in turn can also affect the backbone dihedral angle (ϕ, ψ) preferences. In this review, we have explored the conformational landscape of several termini capped mono-(2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-) substituted proline derivatives in the Cambridge Structural Database, correlating observed conformations with the nature of substituents and deciphering the underlying interactions for the observed structural biases. The impact of incorporating these derivatives within model peptides and proteins are also discussed for selected cases. Several of these substituents have been used to introduce bioorthogonal functionality and modulate structure-specific ligand recognition or used as spectroscopic probes. The incorporation of these diversely applicable functional groups, coupled with their ability to define an amino acid conformation via stereoelectronic effects, have a broad appeal among chemical biologists, molecular biophysicists, and medicinal chemists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himal Kanti Ganguly
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT scheme VII M, Kolkata, 700054, India.
| | - Gautam Basu
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT scheme VII M, Kolkata, 700054, India.
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20
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Born A, Henen MA, Vögeli B. Activity and Affinity of Pin1 Variants. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 25:molecules25010036. [PMID: 31861908 PMCID: PMC6983177 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25010036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Pin1 is a peptidyl-prolyl isomerase responsible for isomerizing phosphorylated S/T-P motifs. Pin1 has two domains that each have a distinct ligand binding site, but only its PPIase domain has catalytic activity. Vast evidence supports interdomain allostery of Pin1, with binding of a ligand to its regulatory WW domain impacting activity in the PPIase domain. Many diverse studies have made mutations in Pin1 in order to elucidate interactions that are responsible for ligand binding, isomerase activity, and interdomain allostery. Here, we summarize these mutations and their impact on Pin1′s structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Born
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 East 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (A.B.); (M.A.H.)
| | - Morkos A. Henen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 East 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (A.B.); (M.A.H.)
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Beat Vögeli
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12801 East 17th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; (A.B.); (M.A.H.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-303-724-1627
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21
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Culka M, Rulíšek L. Factors Stabilizing β-Sheets in Protein Structures from a Quantum-Chemical Perspective. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:6453-6461. [PMID: 31287693 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b04866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Protein folds are determined by the interplay between various (de)stabilizing forces, which can be broadly divided into a local strain of the protein chain and intramolecular interactions. In contrast to the α-helix, the β-sheet secondary protein structure is significantly stabilized by long-range interactions between the individual β-strands. It has been observed that quite diverse amino acid sequences can form a very similar small β-sheet fold, such as in the three-β-strand WW domain. Employing "calibrated" quantum-chemical methods, we show herein on two sequentially diverse examples of the WW domain that the internal strain energy is higher in the β-strands and lower in the loops, while the interaction energy has an opposite trend. Low strain energy computed for peptide sequences in the loop 1 correlates with its postulated early formation in the folding process. The relatively high strain energy within the β-strands (up to 8 kcal mol-1 per amino acid residue) is compensated by even higher intramolecular interaction energy (up to 15 kcal mol-1 per residue). It is shown in a quantitative way that the most conserved residues across the structural family of WW domains have the highest contributions to the intramolecular interaction energy. On the other hand, the residues in the regions with the lowest strain are not conserved. We conclude that the internal interaction energy is the physical quantity tuned by evolution to define the β-sheet protein fold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Culka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Flemingovo náměstí 2 , 166 10 Praha 6 , Czech Republic
| | - Lubomír Rulíšek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Flemingovo náměstí 2 , 166 10 Praha 6 , Czech Republic
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22
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Yan Z, Wang J. Superfunneled Energy Landscape of Protein Evolution Unifies the Principles of Protein Evolution, Folding, and Design. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2019; 122:018103. [PMID: 31012725 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.122.018103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Evolution is essential for shaping the biological functions. Darwin proposed the selection as the driving force for evolution upon mutations. While mutations are clear, the quantification of the selection force is still challenging. In this study, we identified and quantified both thermodynamic stability and kinetic accessibility as the selection forces for protein evolution. The protein evolution can be viewed and quantified as a trajectory moving along a superfunneled energy landscape with a line attractor at the bottom. The resulting evolved sequences and structures show strong protein characteristics including the hydrophobic core, high designability, and fast folding. The evolution principle uncovered here is validated on real proteins and sheds light on the protein design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Jin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
- Department of Chemistry & Physics, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York 11790, USA
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23
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Zhang M, Case DA, Peng JW. Propagated Perturbations from a Peripheral Mutation Show Interactions Supporting WW Domain Thermostability. Structure 2018; 26:1474-1485.e5. [PMID: 30197038 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2018.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Inter-residue interactions stabilize protein folds and facilitate allosteric communication. Predicting which interactions are crucial and understanding why remain challenging. We highlight this through studies of a single peripheral mutation (Q33E) on the surface of the Pin1 WW domain that causes an unexpected loss of thermostability. Nuclear magnetic resonance studies attribute the loss to reorganizations of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, resulting in propagated conformational perturbations. The propagation demonstrates the cooperative response of Pin1 WW to external perturbations, consistent with its allosteric behavior within Pin1. Microsecond molecular dynamics simulations suggest the wild-type fold relies on couplings between a surface electrostatic network and a highly conserved hydrophobic core; Q33E directly perturbs the former, thereby disrupting the latter. These couplings suggest that predictions of mutation consequences that assume dominance of a single interaction type can be limiting, and highlight challenges in predicting protein mutational landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiling Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, 251 Nieuwland Science Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - David A Case
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Jeffrey W Peng
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame, 251 Nieuwland Science Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
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24
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Kisley L, Miller KA, Davis CM, Guin D, Murphy EA, Gruebele M, Leckband DE. Soluble Zwitterionic Poly(sulfobetaine) Destabilizes Proteins. Biomacromolecules 2018; 19:3894-3901. [PMID: 30064224 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.8b01120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The widespread interest in neutral, water-soluble polymers such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(zwitterions) such as poly(sulfobetaine) (pSB) for biomedical applications is due to their widely assumed low protein binding. Here we demonstrate that pSB chains in solution can interact with proteins directly. Moreover, pSB can reduce the thermal stability and increase the protein folding cooperativity relative to proteins in buffer or in PEG solutions. Polymer-dependent changes in the tryptophan fluorescence spectra of three structurally-distinct proteins reveal that soluble, 100 kDa pSB interacts directly with all three proteins and changes both the local polarity near tryptophan residues and the protein conformation. Thermal denaturation studies show that the protein melting temperatures decrease by as much as ∼1.9 °C per weight percent of polymer and that protein folding cooperativity increases by as much as ∼130 J mol-1 K-1 per weight percent of polymer. The exact extent of the changes is protein-dependent, as some proteins exhibit increased stability, whereas others experience decreased stability at high soluble pSB concentrations. These results suggest that pSB is not universally protein-repellent and that its efficacy in biotechnological applications will depend on the specific proteins used.
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25
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Flood DT, Yan NL, Dawson PE. Post-Translational Backbone Engineering through Selenomethionine-Mediated Incorporation of Freidinger Lactams. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018; 57:8697-8701. [PMID: 29797386 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201804885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Amino-γ-lactam (Agl) bridged dipeptides, commonly known as Freidinger lactams, have been shown to constrain peptide backbone topology and stabilize type II' β-turns. The utility of these links as peptide constraints has inspired new approaches to their incorporation into complex peptides and peptoids, all of which require harsh reaction conditions or protecting groups that limit their use on unprotected peptides and proteins. Herein, we employ a mild and selective alkylation of selenomethionine in acidic aqueous solution, followed by immobilization of the alkylated peptide on to bulk reverse-phase C18 silica and base-induced lactamization in DMSO. The utilization of selenomethionine, which is readily introduced by synthesis or expression, and the mild conditions enable selective backbone engineering in complex peptide and protein systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dillon T Flood
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Nicholas L Yan
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Philip E Dawson
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
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26
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Flood DT, Yan NL, Dawson PE. Post‐Translational Backbone Engineering through Selenomethionine‐Mediated Incorporation of Freidinger Lactams. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201804885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dillon T. Flood
- Department of Chemistry The Scripps Research Institute 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road La Jolla CA 92037 USA
| | - Nicholas L. Yan
- Department of Chemistry The Scripps Research Institute 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road La Jolla CA 92037 USA
| | - Philip E. Dawson
- Department of Chemistry The Scripps Research Institute 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road La Jolla CA 92037 USA
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27
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Chaffey PK, Guan X, Li Y, Tan Z. Using Chemical Synthesis To Study and Apply Protein Glycosylation. Biochemistry 2018; 57:413-428. [PMID: 29309128 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b01055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Protein glycosylation is one of the most common post-translational modifications and can influence many properties of proteins. Abnormal protein glycosylation can lead to protein malfunction and serious disease. While appreciation of glycosylation's importance is growing in the scientific community, especially in recent years, a lack of homogeneous glycoproteins with well-defined glycan structures has made it difficult to understand the correlation between the structure of glycoproteins and their properties at a quantitative level. This has been a significant limitation on rational applications of glycosylation and on optimizing glycoprotein properties. Through the extraordinary efforts of chemists, it is now feasible to use chemical synthesis to produce collections of homogeneous glycoforms with systematic variations in amino acid sequence, glycosidic linkage, anomeric configuration, and glycan structure. Such a technical advance has greatly facilitated the study and application of protein glycosylation. This Perspective highlights some representative work in this research area, with the goal of inspiring and encouraging more scientists to pursue the glycosciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick K Chaffey
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80303, United States
| | - Xiaoyang Guan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80303, United States
| | - Yaohao Li
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80303, United States
| | - Zhongping Tan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80303, United States
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28
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Rocklin GJ, Chidyausiku TM, Goreshnik I, Ford A, Houliston S, Lemak A, Carter L, Ravichandran R, Mulligan VK, Chevalier A, Arrowsmith CH, Baker D. Global analysis of protein folding using massively parallel design, synthesis, and testing. Science 2018; 357:168-175. [PMID: 28706065 PMCID: PMC5568797 DOI: 10.1126/science.aan0693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 274] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Proteins fold into unique native structures stabilized by thousands of weak interactions that collectively overcome the entropic cost of folding. Although these forces are "encoded" in the thousands of known protein structures, "decoding" them is challenging because of the complexity of natural proteins that have evolved for function, not stability. We combined computational protein design, next-generation gene synthesis, and a high-throughput protease susceptibility assay to measure folding and stability for more than 15,000 de novo designed miniproteins, 1000 natural proteins, 10,000 point mutants, and 30,000 negative control sequences. This analysis identified more than 2500 stable designed proteins in four basic folds-a number sufficient to enable us to systematically examine how sequence determines folding and stability in uncharted protein space. Iteration between design and experiment increased the design success rate from 6% to 47%, produced stable proteins unlike those found in nature for topologies where design was initially unsuccessful, and revealed subtle contributions to stability as designs became increasingly optimized. Our approach achieves the long-standing goal of a tight feedback cycle between computation and experiment and has the potential to transform computational protein design into a data-driven science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel J Rocklin
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Tamuka M Chidyausiku
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Graduate Program in Biological Physics, Structure, and Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Inna Goreshnik
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Alex Ford
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.,Graduate Program in Biological Physics, Structure, and Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Scott Houliston
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada.,Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Alexander Lemak
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Lauren Carter
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rashmi Ravichandran
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Vikram K Mulligan
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Aaron Chevalier
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Cheryl H Arrowsmith
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada.,Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. .,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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29
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Tian P, Best RB. How Many Protein Sequences Fold to a Given Structure? A Coevolutionary Analysis. Biophys J 2017; 113:1719-1730. [PMID: 29045866 PMCID: PMC5647607 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.08.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Quantifying the relationship between protein sequence and structure is key to understanding the protein universe. A fundamental measure of this relationship is the total number of amino acid sequences that can fold to a target protein structure, known as the "sequence capacity," which has been suggested as a proxy for how designable a given protein fold is. Although sequence capacity has been extensively studied using lattice models and theory, numerical estimates for real protein structures are currently lacking. In this work, we have quantitatively estimated the sequence capacity of 10 proteins with a variety of different structures using a statistical model based on residue-residue co-evolution to capture the variation of sequences from the same protein family. Remarkably, we find that even for the smallest protein folds, such as the WW domain, the number of foldable sequences is extremely large, exceeding the Avogadro constant. In agreement with earlier theoretical work, the calculated sequence capacity is positively correlated with the size of the protein, or better, the density of contacts. This allows the absolute sequence capacity of a given protein to be approximately predicted from its structure. On the other hand, the relative sequence capacity, i.e., normalized by the total number of possible sequences, is an extremely tiny number and is strongly anti-correlated with the protein length. Thus, although there may be more foldable sequences for larger proteins, it will be much harder to find them. Lastly, we have correlated the evolutionary age of proteins in the CATH database with their sequence capacity as predicted by our model. The results suggest a trade-off between the opposing requirements of high designability and the likelihood of a novel fold emerging by chance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Tian
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Robert B Best
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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30
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Draper SRE, Lawrence PB, Billings WM, Xiao Q, Brown NP, Bécar NA, Matheson DJ, Stephens AR, Price JL. Polyethylene Glycol Based Changes to β-Sheet Protein Conformational and Proteolytic Stability Depend on Conjugation Strategy and Location. Bioconjug Chem 2017; 28:2507-2513. [PMID: 28972368 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.7b00281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The development of chemical strategies for site-specific protein modification now enables researchers to attach polyethylene glycol (PEG) to a protein drug at one or more specific locations (i.e., protein PEGylation). However, aside from avoiding enzyme active sites or protein-binding interfaces, distinguishing the optimal PEGylation site from the available alternatives has conventionally been a matter of trial and error. As part of a continuing effort to develop guidelines for identifying optimal PEGylation sites within proteins, we show here that the impact of PEGylation at various sites within the β-sheet model protein WW depends strongly on the identity of the PEG-protein linker. The PEGylation of Gln or of azidohomoalanine has a similar impact on WW conformational stability as does Asn-PEGylation, whereas the PEGylation of propargyloxyphenylalanine is substantially stabilizing at locations where Asn-PEGylation was destabilizing. Importantly, we find that at least one of these three site-specific PEGylation strategies leads to substantial PEG-based stabilization at each of the positions investigated, highlighting the importance of considering conjugation strategy as an important variable in selecting optimal PEGylation sites. We further demonstrate that using a branched PEG oligomer intensifies the impact of PEGylation on WW conformational stability and also show that PEG-based increases to conformational stability are strongly associated with corresponding increases in proteolytic stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R E Draper
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University , Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Paul B Lawrence
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University , Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Wendy M Billings
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University , Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Qiang Xiao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University , Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Nathaniel P Brown
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University , Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Natalie A Bécar
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University , Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Derek J Matheson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University , Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Andrew R Stephens
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University , Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Joshua L Price
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University , Provo, Utah 84602, United States
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31
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Ardejani MS, Powers ET, Kelly JW. Using Cooperatively Folded Peptides To Measure Interaction Energies and Conformational Propensities. Acc Chem Res 2017; 50:1875-1882. [PMID: 28723063 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.7b00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The rates and equilibria of the folding of biopolymers are determined by the conformational preferences of the subunits that make up the sequence of the biopolymer and by the interactions that are formed in the folded state in aqueous solution. Because of the centrality of these processes to life, quantifying conformational propensities and interaction strengths is vitally important to understanding biology. In this Account, we describe our use of peptide model systems that fold cooperatively yet are small enough to be chemically synthesized to measure such quantities. The necessary measurements are made by perturbing an interaction or conformation of interest by mutation and measuring the difference between the folding free energies of the wild type (in which the interaction or conformation is undisturbed) and the mutant model peptides (in which the interaction has been eliminated or the conformational propensities modified). With the proper controls and provided that the peptide model system in question folds via a two-state process, these folding free energy differences can be accurate measures of interaction strengths or conformational propensities. This method has the advantage of having high sensitivity and high dynamic range because the energies of interest are coupled to folding free energies, which can be measured with precisions on the order of a few tenths of a kilocalorie by well-established biophysical methods, like chaotrope or thermal denaturation studies monitored by fluorescence or circular dichroism. In addition, because the model peptides can be chemically synthesized, the full arsenal of natural and unnatural amino acids can be used to tune perturbations to be as drastic or subtle as desired. This feature is particularly noteworthy because it enables the use of analytical tools developed for physical organic chemistry, especially linear free energy relationships, to decompose interaction energies into their component parts to obtain a deeper understanding of the forces that drive interactions in biopolymers. We have used this approach, primarily with the WW domain derived from the human Pin1 protein as our model system, to assess hydrogen bond strengths (especially those formed by backbone amides), the dependence of hydrogen bond strengths on the environment in which they form, β-turn propensities of both natural sequences and small molecule β-turn mimics, and the energetics of carbohydrate-protein interactions. In each case, the combination of synthetic accessibility, the ease of measuring folding energies, and the robustness of the structure of the Pin1 WW domain to mutation enabled us to obtain incisive measurements of quantities that have been challenging to measure by other methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maziar S. Ardejani
- Department
of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Evan T. Powers
- Department
of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Jeffery W. Kelly
- Department
of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- The
Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La
Jolla, California 92037, United States
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32
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Watson MD, Monroe J, Raleigh DP. Size-Dependent Relationships between Protein Stability and Thermal Unfolding Temperature Have Important Implications for Analysis of Protein Energetics and High-Throughput Assays of Protein–Ligand Interactions. J Phys Chem B 2017; 122:5278-5285. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b05684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniel P. Raleigh
- Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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33
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Bardwell AJ, Lagunes L, Zebarjedi R, Bardwell L. The WW domain of the scaffolding protein IQGAP1 is neither necessary nor sufficient for binding to the MAPKs ERK1 and ERK2. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:8750-8761. [PMID: 28396345 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.767087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Revised: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) scaffold proteins, such as IQ motif containing GTPase activating protein 1 (IQGAP1), are promising targets for novel therapies against cancer and other diseases. Such approaches require accurate information about which domains on the scaffold protein bind to the kinases in the MAPK cascade. Results from previous studies have suggested that the WW domain of IQGAP1 binds to the cancer-associated MAPKs ERK1 and ERK2, and that this domain might thus offer a new tool to selectively inhibit MAPK activation in cancer cells. The goal of this work was therefore to critically evaluate which IQGAP1 domains bind to ERK1/2. Here, using quantitative in vitro binding assays, we show that the IQ domain of IQGAP1 is both necessary and sufficient for binding to ERK1 and ERK2, as well as to the MAPK kinases MEK1 and MEK2. Furthermore, we show that the WW domain is not required for ERK-IQGAP1 binding, and contributes little or no binding energy to this interaction, challenging previous models of how WW-based peptides might inhibit tumorigenesis. Finally, we show that the ERK2-IQGAP1 interaction does not require ERK2 phosphorylation or catalytic activity and does not involve known docking recruitment sites on ERK2, and we obtain an estimate of the dissociation constant (Kd ) for this interaction of 8 μm These results prompt a re-evaluation of published findings and a refined model of IQGAP scaffolding.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Jane Bardwell
- From the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Leonila Lagunes
- From the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Ronak Zebarjedi
- From the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Lee Bardwell
- From the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
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34
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Hsu CH, Park S, Mortenson DE, Foley BL, Wang X, Woods RJ, Case DA, Powers ET, Wong CH, Dyson HJ, Kelly JW. The Dependence of Carbohydrate-Aromatic Interaction Strengths on the Structure of the Carbohydrate. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:7636-48. [PMID: 27249581 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b02879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between proteins and carbohydrates are ubiquitous in biology. Therefore, understanding the factors that determine their affinity and selectivity are correspondingly important. Herein, we have determined the relative strengths of intramolecular interactions between a series of monosaccharides and an aromatic ring close to the glycosylation site in an N-glycoprotein host. We employed the enhanced aromatic sequon, a structural motif found in the reverse turns of some N-glycoproteins, to facilitate face-to-face monosaccharide-aromatic interactions. A protein host was used because the dependence of the folding energetics on the identity of the monosaccharide can be accurately measured to assess the strength of the carbohydrate-aromatic interaction. Our data demonstrate that the carbohydrate-aromatic interaction strengths are moderately affected by changes in the stereochemistry and identity of the substituents on the pyranose rings of the sugars. Galactose seems to make the weakest and allose the strongest sugar-aromatic interactions, with glucose, N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and mannose in between. The NMR solution structures of several of the monosaccharide-containing N-glycoproteins were solved to further understand the origins of the similarities and differences between the monosaccharide-aromatic interaction energies. Peracetylation of the monosaccharides substantially increases the strength of the sugar-aromatic interaction in the context of our N-glycoprotein host. Finally, we discuss our results in light of recent literature regarding the contribution of electrostatics to CH-π interactions and speculate on what our observations imply about the absolute conservation of GlcNAc as the monosaccharide through which N-linked glycans are attached to glycoproteins in eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Che-Hsiung Hsu
- Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Sangho Park
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - David E Mortenson
- Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - B Lachele Foley
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia , 315 Riverbend Road, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Xiaocong Wang
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia , 315 Riverbend Road, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Robert J Woods
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia , 315 Riverbend Road, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - David A Case
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University , Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Evan T Powers
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Chi-Huey Wong
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica , Taipei 115, Taiwan.,The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology , La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - H Jane Dyson
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Jeffery W Kelly
- Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute , La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology , La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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35
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Marino J, von Heijne G, Beckmann R. Small protein domains fold inside the ribosome exit tunnel. FEBS Lett 2016; 590:655-60. [PMID: 26879042 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cotranslational folding of small protein domains within the ribosome exit tunnel may be an important cellular strategy to avoid protein misfolding. However, the pathway of cotranslational folding has so far been described only for a few proteins, and therefore, it is unclear whether folding in the ribosome exit tunnel is a common feature for small protein domains. Here, we have analyzed nine small protein domains and determined at which point during translation their folding generates sufficient force on the nascent chain to release translational arrest by the SecM arrest peptide, both in vitro and in live E. coli cells. We find that all nine protein domains initiate folding while still located well within the ribosome exit tunnel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Marino
- Gene Center and Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich, CiPS-M, University of Munich, Germany
| | - Gunnar von Heijne
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for Biomembrane Research, Stockholm University, Sweden.,Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Roland Beckmann
- Gene Center and Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich, CiPS-M, University of Munich, Germany
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36
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Dave K, Jäger M, Nguyen H, Kelly JW, Gruebele M. High-Resolution Mapping of the Folding Transition State of a WW Domain. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:1617-36. [PMID: 26880334 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2016.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Fast-folding WW domains are among the best-characterized systems for comparing experiments and simulations of protein folding. Recent microsecond-resolution experiments and long duration (totaling milliseconds) single-trajectory modeling have shown that even mechanistic changes in folding kinetics due to mutation can now be analyzed. Thus, a comprehensive set of experimental data would be helpful to benchmark the predictions made by simulations. Here, we use T-jump relaxation in conjunction with protein engineering and report mutational Φ-values (Φ(M)) as indicators for folding transition-state structure of 65 side chain, 7 backbone hydrogen bond, and 6 deletion and /or insertion mutants within loop 1 of the 34-residue hPin1 WW domain. Forty-five cross-validated consensus mutants could be identified that provide structural constraints for transition-state structure within all substructures of the WW domain fold (hydrophobic core, loop 1, loop 2, β-sheet). We probe the robustness of the two hydrophobic clusters in the folding transition state, discuss how local backbone disorder in the native-state can lead to non-classical Φ(M)-values (Φ(M) > 1) in the rate-determining loop 1 substructure, and conclusively identify mutations and positions along the sequence that perturb the folding mechanism from loop 1-limited toward loop 2-limited folding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kapil Dave
- Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Marcus Jäger
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road BCC255, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road BCC255, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Houbi Nguyen
- Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jeffery W Kelly
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road BCC255, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road BCC255, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Martin Gruebele
- Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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37
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Spagnol G, Kieken F, Kopanic JL, Li H, Zach S, Stauch KL, Grosely R, Sorgen PL. Structural Studies of the Nedd4 WW Domains and Their Selectivity for the Connexin43 (Cx43) Carboxyl Terminus. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:7637-50. [PMID: 26841867 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.701417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuronal precursor cell-expressed developmentally down-regulated 4 (Nedd4) was the first ubiquitin protein ligase identified to interact with connexin43 (Cx43), and its suppressed expression results in accumulation of gap junction plaques at the plasma membrane. Nedd4-mediated ubiquitination of Cx43 is required to recruit Eps15 and target Cx43 to the endocytic pathway. Although the Cx43 residues that undergo ubiquitination are still unknown, in this study we address other unresolved questions pertaining to the molecular mechanisms mediating the direct interaction between Nedd4 (WW1-3 domains) and Cx43 (carboxyl terminus (CT)). All three WW domains display a similar three antiparallel β-strand structure and interact with the same Cx43CT(283)PPXY(286)sequence. Although Tyr(286)is essential for the interaction, MAPK phosphorylation of the preceding serine residues (Ser(P)(279)and Ser(P)(282)) increases the binding affinity by 2-fold for the WW domains (WW2 > WW3 ≫ WW1). The structure of the WW2·Cx43CT(276-289)(Ser(P)(279), Ser(P)(282)) complex reveals that coordination of Ser(P)(282)with the end of β-strand 3 enables Ser(P)(279)to interact with the back face of β-strand 3 (Tyr(286)is on the front face) and loop 2, forming a horseshoe-shaped arrangement. The close sequence identity of WW2 with WW1 and WW3 residues that interact with the Cx43CT PPXY motif and Ser(P)(279)/Ser(P)(282)strongly suggests that the significantly lower binding affinity of WW1 is the result of a more rigid structure. This study presents the first structure illustrating how phosphorylation of the Cx43CT domain helps mediate the interaction with a molecular partner involved in gap junction regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaelle Spagnol
- From the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68105
| | - Fabien Kieken
- From the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68105
| | | | - Hanjun Li
- From the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68105
| | - Sydney Zach
- From the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68105
| | - Kelly L Stauch
- From the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68105
| | - Rosslyn Grosely
- From the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68105
| | - Paul L Sorgen
- From the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68105
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38
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Davis CM, Dyer RB. The Role of Electrostatic Interactions in Folding of β-Proteins. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:1456-64. [PMID: 26750867 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b13201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Atomic-level molecular dynamic simulations are capable of fully folding structurally diverse proteins; however, they are limited in their ability to accurately represent electrostatic interactions. Here we have experimentally tested the role of charged residues on stability and folding kinetics of one of the most widely simulated β-proteins, the WW domain. The folding of wild type Pin1 WW domain, which has two positively charged residues in the first turn, was compared to the fast folding mutant FiP35 Pin1, which introduces a negative charge into the first turn. A combination of FTIR spectroscopy and laser-induced temperature-jump coupled with infrared spectroscopy was used to probe changes in the amide I region. The relaxation dynamics of the peptide backbone, β-sheets and β-turns, and negatively charged aspartic acid side chain of FiP35 were measured independently by probing the corresponding bands assigned in the amide I region. Folding is initiated in the turns and the β-sheets form last. While the global folding mechanism is in good agreement with simulation predictions, we observe changes in the protonation state of aspartic acid during folding that have not been captured by simulation methods. The protonation state of aspartic acid is coupled to protein folding; the apparent pKa of aspartic acid in the folded protein is 6.4. The dynamics of the aspartic acid follow the dynamics of the intermediate phase, supporting assignment of this phase to formation of the first hairpin. These results demonstrate the importance of electrostatic interactions in turn stability and formation of extended β-sheet structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Davis
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University , Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - R Brian Dyer
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University , Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
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39
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Panigrahi P, Sule M, Ghanate A, Ramasamy S, Suresh CG. Engineering Proteins for Thermostability with iRDP Web Server. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139486. [PMID: 26436543 PMCID: PMC4593602 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineering protein molecules with desired structure and biological functions has been an elusive goal. Development of industrially viable proteins with improved properties such as stability, catalytic activity and altered specificity by modifying the structure of an existing protein has widely been targeted through rational protein engineering. Although a range of factors contributing to thermal stability have been identified and widely researched, the in silico implementation of these as strategies directed towards enhancement of protein stability has not yet been explored extensively. A wide range of structural analysis tools is currently available for in silico protein engineering. However these tools concentrate on only a limited number of factors or individual protein structures, resulting in cumbersome and time-consuming analysis. The iRDP web server presented here provides a unified platform comprising of iCAPS, iStability and iMutants modules. Each module addresses different facets of effective rational engineering of proteins aiming towards enhanced stability. While iCAPS aids in selection of target protein based on factors contributing to structural stability, iStability uniquely offers in silico implementation of known thermostabilization strategies in proteins for identification and stability prediction of potential stabilizing mutation sites. iMutants aims to assess mutants based on changes in local interaction network and degree of residue conservation at the mutation sites. Each module was validated using an extensively diverse dataset. The server is freely accessible at http://irdp.ncl.res.in and has no login requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyabrata Panigrahi
- Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India
| | - Manas Sule
- Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India
| | - Avinash Ghanate
- Division of Chemical Engineering and Process Development, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India
| | - Sureshkumar Ramasamy
- Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India
| | - C. G. Suresh
- Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, Maharashtra, 411008, India
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40
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Martinez-Rodriguez S, Bacarizo J, Luque I, Camara-Artigas A. Crystal structure of the first WW domain of human YAP2 isoform. J Struct Biol 2015; 191:381-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2015.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Revised: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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41
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The structural and functional role of the three tryptophan residues in Pin1. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY 2015; 146:58-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2015.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Revised: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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42
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Sowole MA, Innes BT, Amunugama M, Litchfield DW, Brandl CJ, Shilton BH, Konermann L. Noncovalent binding of a cyclic peptide inhibitor to the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase Pin1, explored by hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry. CAN J CHEM 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjc-2014-0230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Pin1 is a peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase) that plays a central role in eukaryotic cell cycle regulation, making this protein an interesting target for cancer therapy. Pin1 exhibits high specificity for substrates where proline is preceded by phosphoserine or phosphothreonine. The protein comprises an N-terminal WW (tryptophan–tryptophan) domain and a C-terminal PPIase domain. The cyclic peptide [CRYPEVEIC] (square brackets are used to denote the cyclic structure) represents a lead compound for a new class of nonphosphorylated Pin1 inhibitors. Unfortunately, it has not been possible thus far to characterize the Pin1–[CRYPEVEIC] complex by X-ray crystallography. Thus, the exact binding mode remains unknown. The current work employs hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry for gaining insights into the Pin1–[CRYPEVEIC] interactions. The WW domain shows extensive conformational dynamics, both in the presence and in the absence of ligand. In contrast, profound changes in deuteration kinetics are observed in the PPIase domain after the addition of [CRYPEVEIC]. The secondary structure elements β2, α3, and α4 exhibit markedly reduced deuteration, consistent with their postulated involvement in ligand binding. Unexpectedly, [CRYPEVEIC] destabilizes the range of residues 61–86, a segment that comprises basic side chains that normally interact with the substrate phosphate. This destabilization is likely caused by steric clashes with Y3 or E5 of the inhibitor. Ligand-induced destabilization has previously been reported for a few other proteins, but effects of this type are not very common. Our findings suggest that future crystallization trials on Pin1 variants deleted for residues in the 61–86 range might provide a path towards high-resolution X-ray structures of Pin1 bound to cyclic peptide inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Modupeola A. Sowole
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Brendan T. Innes
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Mahasilu Amunugama
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - David W. Litchfield
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Christopher J. Brandl
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Brian H. Shilton
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
| | - Lars Konermann
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
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43
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Lawrence PB, Gavrilov Y, Matthews SS, Langlois MI, Shental-Bechor D, Greenblatt HM, Pandey BK, Smith MS, Paxman R, Torgerson CD, Merrell JP, Ritz CC, Prigozhin MB, Levy Y, Price JL. Criteria for Selecting PEGylation Sites on Proteins for Higher Thermodynamic and Proteolytic Stability. J Am Chem Soc 2014; 136:17547-60. [DOI: 10.1021/ja5095183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul B. Lawrence
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Yulian Gavrilov
- Department
of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Sam S. Matthews
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Minnie I. Langlois
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Dalit Shental-Bechor
- Department
of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Harry M. Greenblatt
- Department
of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Brijesh K. Pandey
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Mason S. Smith
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Ryan Paxman
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Chad D. Torgerson
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Jacob P. Merrell
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Cameron C. Ritz
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Maxim B. Prigozhin
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Yaakov Levy
- Department
of Structural Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Joshua L. Price
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
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44
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Schuchardt BJ, Mikles DC, Hoang LM, Bhat V, McDonald CB, Sudol M, Farooq A. Ligand binding to WW tandem domains of YAP2 transcriptional regulator is under negative cooperativity. FEBS J 2014; 281:5532-51. [PMID: 25283809 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Revised: 09/17/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
YES-associated protein 2 (YAP2) transcriptional regulator drives a multitude of cellular processes, including the newly discovered Hippo tumor suppressor pathway, by virtue of the ability of its WW domains to bind and recruit PPXY-containing ligands to specific subcellular compartments. Herein, we employ an array of biophysical tools to investigate allosteric communication between the WW tandem domains of YAP2. Our data show that the WW tandem domains of YAP2 negatively cooperate when binding to their cognate ligands. Moreover, the molecular origin of such negative cooperativity lies in an unfavorable entropic contribution to the overall free energy relative to ligand binding to isolated WW domains. Consistent with this notion, the WW tandem domains adopt a fixed spatial orientation such that the WW1 domain curves outwards and stacks onto the binding groove of the WW2 domain, thereby sterically hindering ligand binding to both itself and its tandem partner. Although ligand binding to both WW domains disrupts such interdomain stacking interaction, they reorient themselves and adopt an alternative fixed spatial orientation in the liganded state by virtue of their ability to engage laterally so as to allow their binding grooves to point outwards and away from each other. In short, while the ability of WW tandem domains to aid ligand binding is well documented, our demonstration that they may also be subject to negative binding cooperativity represents a paradigm shift in our understanding of the molecular action of this ubiquitous family of protein modules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett J Schuchardt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Leonard Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
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45
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Chao SH, Matthews SS, Paxman R, Aksimentiev A, Gruebele M, Price JL. Two Structural Scenarios for Protein Stabilization by PEG. J Phys Chem B 2014; 118:8388-95. [DOI: 10.1021/jp502234s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Han Chao
- Department
of Physics and Center for the Physics of Living Cells, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Sam S. Matthews
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Ryan Paxman
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Aleksei Aksimentiev
- Department
of Physics and Center for the Physics of Living Cells, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Center
for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Martin Gruebele
- Department
of Physics and Center for the Physics of Living Cells, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Center
for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Joshua L. Price
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, United States
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46
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Mortenson DE, Kreitler DF, Yun HG, Gellman SH, Forest KT. Evidence for small-molecule-mediated loop stabilization in the structure of the isolated Pin1 WW domain. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA. SECTION D, BIOLOGICAL CRYSTALLOGRAPHY 2013; 69:2506-12. [PMID: 24311591 PMCID: PMC3852655 DOI: 10.1107/s090744491302444x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The human Pin1 WW domain is a small autonomously folding protein that has been useful as a model system for biophysical studies of β-sheet folding. This domain has resisted previous attempts at crystallization for X-ray diffraction studies, perhaps because of intrinsic conformational flexibility that interferes with the formation of a crystal lattice. Here, the crystal structure of the human Pin1 WW domain has been obtained via racemic crystallization in the presence of small-molecule additives. Both enantiomers of a 36-residue variant of the Pin1 WW domain were synthesized chemically, and the L- and D-polypeptides were combined to afford diffracting crystals. The structural data revealed packing interactions of small carboxylic acids, either achiral citrate or a D,L mixture of malic acid, with a mobile loop region of the WW-domain fold. These interactions with solution additives may explain our success in crystallization of this protein racemate. Molecular-dynamics simulations starting from the structure of the Pin1 WW domain suggest that the crystal structure closely resembles the conformation of this domain in solution. The structural data presented here should provide a basis for further studies of this important model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E. Mortenson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Dale F. Kreitler
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Hyun Gi Yun
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Samuel H. Gellman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Katrina T. Forest
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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47
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Tang HC, Lin YJ, Horng JC. Modulating the folding stability and ligand binding affinity of Pin1 WW domain by proline ring puckering. Proteins 2013; 82:67-76. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.24359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Revised: 06/13/2013] [Accepted: 06/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hsu-Cheng Tang
- Department of Chemistry; National Tsing Hua University; Hsinchu 30013 Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ju Lin
- Department of Chemistry; National Tsing Hua University; Hsinchu 30013 Taiwan
| | - Jia-Cherng Horng
- Department of Chemistry; National Tsing Hua University; Hsinchu 30013 Taiwan
- Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters; National Tsing Hua University; Hsinchu 30013 Taiwan
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48
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Pandey BK, Smith MS, Torgerson C, Lawrence PB, Matthews SS, Watkins E, Groves ML, Prigozhin MB, Price JL. Impact of site-specific PEGylation on the conformational stability and folding rate of the Pin WW domain depends strongly on PEG oligomer length. Bioconjug Chem 2013; 24:796-802. [PMID: 23578107 DOI: 10.1021/bc3006122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Protein PEGylation is an effective method for reducing the proteolytic susceptibility, aggregation propensity, and immunogenicity of protein drugs. These pharmacokinetic challenges are fundamentally related to protein conformational stability, and become much worse for proteins that populate the unfolded state under ambient conditions. If PEGylation consistently led to increased conformational stability, its beneficial pharmacokinetic effects could be extended and enhanced. However, the impact of PEGylation on protein conformational stability is currently unpredictable. Here we show that appending a short PEG oligomer to a single Asn side chain within a reverse turn in the WW domain of the human protein Pin 1 increases WW conformational stability in a manner that depends strongly on the length of the PEG oligomer: shorter oligomers increase folding rate, whereas longer oligomers increase folding rate and reduce unfolding rate. This strong length dependence is consistent with the possibility that the PEG oligomer stabilizes the transition and folded states of WW relative to the unfolded state by interacting favorably with side-chain or backbone groups on the WW surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brijesh K Pandey
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
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49
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Patel S, Mathonet P, Jaulent AM, Ullman CG. Selection of a high-affinity WW domain against the extracellular region of VEGF receptor isoform-2 from a combinatorial library using CIS display. Protein Eng Des Sel 2013; 26:307-15. [PMID: 23378640 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzt003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
WW domains are small β-sheet motifs that are involved in intracellular signalling through the recognition of proline-rich or phosphorylated linear peptide sequences. Here, we describe modification of this motif to provide a framework for engineering the side chains exposed on its concave surface. This non-natural scaffold incorporates an additional tryptophan, has a shorter loop 1 and supports modification of 25% of the natural protein to form a novel affinity reagent. We demonstrate the utility of this structure by selecting a high-affinity binder to the extracellular region of human vascular endothelial growth factor receptor isoform 2 (VEGFR-2) from a library of modifications, using a cell-free molecular display platform, CIS display. The isolate has low nanomolar affinity to VEGFR-2 and inhibits binding of human VEGF to its receptor with nanomolar activity. The structure is amenable to cyclisation to improve its proteolytic stability and has advantages over larger protein scaffolds in that it can be synthesised chemically to high yields offering potential for therapeutic and non-therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seema Patel
- Isogenica Ltd, Little Chesterford, Essex CB10 1XL, UK
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50
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Araya CL, Fowler DM, Chen W, Muniez I, Kelly JW, Fields S. A fundamental protein property, thermodynamic stability, revealed solely from large-scale measurements of protein function. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:16858-63. [PMID: 23035249 PMCID: PMC3479514 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1209751109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of a protein to carry out a given function results from fundamental physicochemical properties that include the protein's structure, mechanism of action, and thermodynamic stability. Traditional approaches to study these properties have typically required the direct measurement of the property of interest, oftentimes a laborious undertaking. Although protein properties can be probed by mutagenesis, this approach has been limited by its low throughput. Recent technological developments have enabled the rapid quantification of a protein's function, such as binding to a ligand, for numerous variants of that protein. Here, we measure the ability of 47,000 variants of a WW domain to bind to a peptide ligand and use these functional measurements to identify stabilizing mutations without directly assaying stability. Our approach is rooted in the well-established concept that protein function is closely related to stability. Protein function is generally reduced by destabilizing mutations, but this decrease can be rescued by stabilizing mutations. Based on this observation, we introduce partner potentiation, a metric that uses this rescue ability to identify stabilizing mutations, and identify 15 candidate stabilizing mutations in the WW domain. We tested six candidates by thermal denaturation and found two highly stabilizing mutations, one more stabilizing than any previously known mutation. Thus, physicochemical properties such as stability are latent within these large-scale protein functional data and can be revealed by systematic analysis. This approach should allow other protein properties to be discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Douglas M. Fowler
- Departments of Genome Sciences and
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195; and
| | | | | | - Jeffery W. Kelly
- Departments of Chemistry and
- Molecular and Experimental Medicine and
- Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Stanley Fields
- Departments of Genome Sciences and
- Medicine and
- The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195; and
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