1
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Torricella F, Tugarinov V, Clore GM. Effects of Macromolecular Cosolutes on the Kinetics of Huntingtin Aggregation Monitored by NMR Spectroscopy. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:6375-6382. [PMID: 38857530 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c01410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
The effects of two macromolecular cosolutes, specifically the polysaccharide dextran-20 and the protein lysozyme, on the aggregation kinetics of a pathogenic huntingtin exon-1 protein (hhtex1) with a 35 polyglutamine repeat, httex1Q35, are described. A unified kinetic model that establishes a direct connection between reversible tetramerization occurring on the microsecond time scale and irreversible fibril formation on a time scale of hours/days forms the basis for quantitative analysis of httex1Q35 aggregation, monitored by measuring cross-peak intensities in a series of 2D 1H-15N NMR correlation spectra acquired during the course of aggregation. The primary effects of the two cosolutes are associated with shifts in the prenucleation tetramerization equilibrium resulting in substantial changes in concentration of "preformed" httex1Q35 tetramers. Similar effects of the two cosolutes on the tetramerization equilibrium observed for a shorter, nonaggregating huntingtin variant with a 7-glutamine repeat, httex1Q7, lend confidence to the conclusions drawn from the fits to the httex1Q35 aggregation kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Torricella
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
| | - Vitali Tugarinov
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
| | - G Marius Clore
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
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2
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Xu G, Cheng K, Liu M, Li C. Studying protein stability in crowded environments by NMR. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY 2024; 140-141:42-48. [PMID: 38705635 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Most proteins perform their functions in crowded and complex cellular environments where weak interactions are ubiquitous between biomolecules. These complex environments can modulate the protein folding energy landscape and hence affect protein stability. NMR is a nondestructive and effective method to quantify the kinetics and equilibrium thermodynamic stability of proteins at an atomic level within crowded environments and living cells. Here, we review NMR methods that can be used to measure protein stability, as well as findings of studies on protein stability in crowded environments mimicked by polymer and protein crowders and in living cells. The important effects of chemical interactions on protein stability are highlighted and compared to spatial excluded volume effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohua Xu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Kai Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Maili Liu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Conggang Li
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, PR China.
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3
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Alfano C, Fichou Y, Huber K, Weiss M, Spruijt E, Ebbinghaus S, De Luca G, Morando MA, Vetri V, Temussi PA, Pastore A. Molecular Crowding: The History and Development of a Scientific Paradigm. Chem Rev 2024; 124:3186-3219. [PMID: 38466779 PMCID: PMC10979406 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
It is now generally accepted that macromolecules do not act in isolation but "live" in a crowded environment, that is, an environment populated by numerous different molecules. The field of molecular crowding has its origins in the far 80s but became accepted only by the end of the 90s. In the present issue, we discuss various aspects that are influenced by crowding and need to consider its effects. This Review is meant as an introduction to the theme and an analysis of the evolution of the crowding concept through time from colloidal and polymer physics to a more biological perspective. We introduce themes that will be more thoroughly treated in other Reviews of the present issue. In our intentions, each Review may stand by itself, but the complete collection has the aspiration to provide different but complementary perspectives to propose a more holistic view of molecular crowding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Alfano
- Structural
Biology and Biophysics Unit, Fondazione
Ri.MED, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Yann Fichou
- CNRS,
Bordeaux INP, CBMN UMR 5248, IECB, University
of Bordeaux, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Klaus Huber
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Paderborn, 33098 Paderborn, Germany
| | - Matthias Weiss
- Experimental
Physics I, Physics of Living Matter, University
of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Evan Spruijt
- Institute
for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Simon Ebbinghaus
- Lehrstuhl
für Biophysikalische Chemie and Research Center Chemical Sciences
and Sustainability, Research Alliance Ruhr, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Giuseppe De Luca
- Dipartimento
di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Valeria Vetri
- Dipartimento
di Fisica e Chimica − Emilio Segrè, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Annalisa Pastore
- King’s
College London, Denmark
Hill Campus, SE5 9RT London, United Kingdom
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4
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Cammarata M, Piazza F, Rivas G, Schirò G, Temussi PA, Pastore A. Revitalizing an important field in biophysics: The new frontiers of molecular crowding. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1153996. [PMID: 36923640 PMCID: PMC10010569 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1153996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Taking into account the presence of the crowded environment of a macromolecule has been an important goal of biology over the past 20 years. Molecular crowding affects the motions, stability and the kinetic behaviour of proteins. New powerful approaches have recently been developed to study molecular crowding, some of which make use of the synchrotron radiation light. The meeting "New Frontiers in Molecular Crowding" was organized in July 2022at the European Synchrotron Radiation facility of Grenoble to discuss the new frontiers of molecular crowding. The workshop brought together researchers from different disciplines to highlight the new developments of the field, including areas where new techniques allow the scientists to gain unprecedently expected information. A key conclusion of the meeting was the need to build an international and interdisciplinary research community through enhanced communication, resource-sharing, and educational initiatives that could let the molecular crowding field flourish further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Cammarata
- Experiment Division, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Ave des Martyrs, Grenoble, France
| | - Francesco Piazza
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Florence and INFN Sezione di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Germán Rivas
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Giorgio Schirò
- CNRS, CEA, IBS, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Piero Andrea Temussi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, University "Federico II" of Naples, via Cynthia, Naples, Italy
| | - Annalisa Pastore
- Experiment Division, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Ave des Martyrs, Grenoble, France
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5
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Raina N, Hassan MI, Ahmad F, Islam A, Singh AK. PEG mediated destabilization of holo α-lactalbumin probed by in silico and in vitro studies: deviation from excluded volume effect. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:13265-13277. [PMID: 34726117 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1987990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Crowded and confined macromolecular milieus surround proteins, and both are stabilizing if the nature of the interaction between crowder and proteins are considered hard-core repulsive interactions. However, non-specific chemical interactions between a protein and its surroundings also play a significant role and the sum effect of both hard-core repulsion and soft interaction balances the overall effect of crowding/confinement. Previous studies showing the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on protein and nucleic acid may be interpreted as either primarily excluded volume effect or, in some cases, chemical effect by changing solvent properties. In case of destabilizing interactions, charge-charge and hydrophobic contact have to gain more attention. For instance, in vitro and in vivo studies using protein as crowding agent revealed the destabilization of proteins induced by charge-charge interactions. To investigate the effect of PEG 10 kDa on holo α-lactalbumin (holo α-LA), structure and thermal stability of the protein were measured at different pH values using several techniques. Structural characterization by Trp-fluorescence, near-UV CD and far-UV measurements at different pH values clearly shows perturbation of tertiary and secondary structure of holo α-LA by PEG 10 kDa. Furthermore, the dynamic light scattering measurement shows that the protein is homogeneous under all experimental conditions. Analysis of the heat-induced denaturation profile in the presence of the crowder shows destabilization of the protein in terms of Tm (midpoint of denaturation) and ΔGD0 (Gibbs free energy change at 25 °C). To evaluate the interaction of PEG 10 kDa with holo α-LA and stability of PEG-α-LA complex, docking and molecular dynamic simulation were carried out for 100 ns.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Raina
- Department of Biotechnology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Faizan Ahmad
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Asimul Islam
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Amit Kumar Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
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6
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Pastore A, Temussi PA. The Protein Unfolded State: One, No One and One Hundred Thousand. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:22352-22357. [PMID: 36450361 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c07696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Many in vitro studies, in which proteins have been unfolded by the action of a variety of physical or chemical agents, have led to the definition of a folded versus an unfolded state and to the question of what is the nature of the unfolded state. The unstructured nature of this state could suggest that "the" unfolded state is a unique entity which holds true for all kinds of unfolding processes. This assumption has to be questioned because the unfolding processes under different stress conditions are dictated by entirely different mechanisms. As a consequence, it can be easily understood that the final state, generically referred to as "the unfolded state", can be completely different for each of the unfolding processes. The present review examines recent data on the characteristics of the unfolded states emerging from experiments under different conditions, focusing specific attention to the level of compaction of the unfolded species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Pastore
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the Maurice Wohl Institute of King's College London, London, SE5 9RT, United Kingdom
| | - Piero Andrea Temussi
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the Maurice Wohl Institute of King's College London, London, SE5 9RT, United Kingdom
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7
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Pastore A, Temussi PA. Crowding revisited: Open questions and future perspectives. Trends Biochem Sci 2022; 47:1048-1058. [PMID: 35691783 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Although biophysical studies have traditionally been performed in diluted solutions, it was pointed out in the late 1990s that the cellular milieu contains several other macromolecules, creating a condition of molecular crowding. How crowding affects protein stability is an important question heatedly discussed over the past 20 years. Theoretical estimations have suggested a 5-20°C effect of fold stabilisation. This estimate, however, is at variance with what has been verified experimentally that proposes only a limited increase of stability, opening the question whether some of the assumptions taken for granted should be reconsidered. The present review critically analyses the causes of this discrepancy and discusses the limitations and implications of the current concept of crowding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Pastore
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the Maurice Wohl Institute of King's College London, London, SE5 9RT, UK.
| | - Piero Andrea Temussi
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the Maurice Wohl Institute of King's College London, London, SE5 9RT, UK.
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8
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Raina N, Khan S, Soundhararajan R, Shahid M, Srinivasan H, Islam A. Understanding the nano colloid-protein interaction in crowded milieu. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.119794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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9
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Theillet FX, Luchinat E. In-cell NMR: Why and how? PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY 2022; 132-133:1-112. [PMID: 36496255 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
NMR spectroscopy has been applied to cells and tissues analysis since its beginnings, as early as 1950. We have attempted to gather here in a didactic fashion the broad diversity of data and ideas that emerged from NMR investigations on living cells. Covering a large proportion of the periodic table, NMR spectroscopy permits scrutiny of a great variety of atomic nuclei in all living organisms non-invasively. It has thus provided quantitative information on cellular atoms and their chemical environment, dynamics, or interactions. We will show that NMR studies have generated valuable knowledge on a vast array of cellular molecules and events, from water, salts, metabolites, cell walls, proteins, nucleic acids, drugs and drug targets, to pH, redox equilibria and chemical reactions. The characterization of such a multitude of objects at the atomic scale has thus shaped our mental representation of cellular life at multiple levels, together with major techniques like mass-spectrometry or microscopies. NMR studies on cells has accompanied the developments of MRI and metabolomics, and various subfields have flourished, coined with appealing names: fluxomics, foodomics, MRI and MRS (i.e. imaging and localized spectroscopy of living tissues, respectively), whole-cell NMR, on-cell ligand-based NMR, systems NMR, cellular structural biology, in-cell NMR… All these have not grown separately, but rather by reinforcing each other like a braided trunk. Hence, we try here to provide an analytical account of a large ensemble of intricately linked approaches, whose integration has been and will be key to their success. We present extensive overviews, firstly on the various types of information provided by NMR in a cellular environment (the "why", oriented towards a broad readership), and secondly on the employed NMR techniques and setups (the "how", where we discuss the past, current and future methods). Each subsection is constructed as a historical anthology, showing how the intrinsic properties of NMR spectroscopy and its developments structured the accessible knowledge on cellular phenomena. Using this systematic approach, we sought i) to make this review accessible to the broadest audience and ii) to highlight some early techniques that may find renewed interest. Finally, we present a brief discussion on what may be potential and desirable developments in the context of integrative studies in biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois-Xavier Theillet
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| | - Enrico Luchinat
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-Alimentari, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, Piazza Goidanich 60, 47521 Cesena, Italy; CERM - Magnetic Resonance Center, and Neurofarba Department, Università degli Studi di Firenze, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
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10
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Cubuk J, Soranno A. Macromolecular crowding and intrinsically disordered proteins: a polymer physics perspective. CHEMSYSTEMSCHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/syst.202100051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine Cubuk
- Washington University in St Louis Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics UNITED STATES
| | - Andrea Soranno
- Washington University in St Louis Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics 660 St Euclid Ave 63110 St Louis UNITED STATES
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11
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Abstract
In-cell structural biology aims at extracting structural information about proteins or nucleic acids in their native, cellular environment. This emerging field holds great promise and is already providing new facts and outlooks of interest at both fundamental and applied levels. NMR spectroscopy has important contributions on this stage: It brings information on a broad variety of nuclei at the atomic scale, which ensures its great versatility and uniqueness. Here, we detail the methods, the fundamental knowledge, and the applications in biomedical engineering related to in-cell structural biology by NMR. We finally propose a brief overview of the main other techniques in the field (EPR, smFRET, cryo-ET, etc.) to draw some advisable developments for in-cell NMR. In the era of large-scale screenings and deep learning, both accurate and qualitative experimental evidence are as essential as ever to understand the interior life of cells. In-cell structural biology by NMR spectroscopy can generate such a knowledge, and it does so at the atomic scale. This review is meant to deliver comprehensive but accessible information, with advanced technical details and reflections on the methods, the nature of the results, and the future of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois-Xavier Theillet
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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12
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Speer SL, Stewart CJ, Sapir L, Harries D, Pielak GJ. Macromolecular Crowding Is More than Hard-Core Repulsions. Annu Rev Biophys 2022; 51:267-300. [PMID: 35239418 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-091321-071829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cells are crowded, but proteins are almost always studied in dilute aqueous buffer. We review the experimental evidence that crowding affects the equilibrium thermodynamics of protein stability and protein association and discuss the theories employed to explain these observations. In doing so, we highlight differences between synthetic polymers and biologically relevant crowders. Theories based on hard-core interactions predict only crowding-induced entropic stabilization. However, experiment-based efforts conducted under physiologically relevant conditions show that crowding can destabilize proteins and their complexes. Furthermore, quantification of the temperature dependence of crowding effects produced by both large and small cosolutes, including osmolytes, sugars, synthetic polymers, and proteins, reveals enthalpic effects that stabilize or destabilize proteins. Crowding-induced destabilization and the enthalpic component point to the role of chemical interactions between and among the macromolecules, cosolutes, and water. We conclude with suggestions for future studies. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biophysics, Volume 51 is May 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon L Speer
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA;
| | - Claire J Stewart
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA;
| | - Liel Sapir
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daniel Harries
- Institute of Chemistry and The Fritz Haber Research Center, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gary J Pielak
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; .,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Lineberger Cancer Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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13
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Song X, An L, Wang M, Chen J, Liu Z, Yao L. Osmolytes Can Destabilize Proteins in Cells by Modulating Electrostatics and Quinary Interactions. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:864-871. [PMID: 33843182 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Although numerous in vitro studies have shown that osmolytes are capable of stabilizing proteins, their effect on protein folding in vivo has been less understood. In this work, we investigated the effect of osmolytes, including glycerol, sorbitol, betaine, and taurine, on the folding of a protein GB3 variant in E. coli cells using NMR spectroscopy. 400 mM osmolytes were added to E. coli cells; only glycerol stabilizes the folded protein, whereas betaine and taurine considerably destabilize the protein through modulating folding and unfolding rates. Further investigation indicates that betaine and taurine can enhance the quinary interaction between the protein and cellular environment and manifestly weaken the electrostatic attraction in protein salt bridges. The combination of the two factors causes destabilization of the protein in E. coli cells. These factors counteract the preferential exclusion mechanism that is adopted by osmolytes to stabilize proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangfei Song
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Liaoyuan An
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Mengting Wang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | | | - Zhijun Liu
- National Facility for Protein Science, Zhangjiang Lab, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
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14
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Abstract
Fifty-five years ago, Norman Good and colleagues authored a paper that fundamentally advanced wet biochemistry [Good, N. E., Winget, G. D., Winter, W., Connolly, T. N., Izawa, S., and Singh, R. M. M. (1966) Hydrogen ion buffers for biological research. Biochemistry 5, 467-477] and in doing so has amassed more than 2500 citations. They laid out the properties required for useful, biochemically relevant hydrogen-ion buffers and then synthesized and tested 10 of them. Soon after, these buffers became commercially available. Since then, most of us never gave them a second thought. We just use them. Here, I discuss some of the background regarding the genesis of "Good's buffers", make a few (disparaging) observations about the non-Good's buffer, Tris, and suggest that we synthesize new buffers by combining the ideas of Good et al. with results from the past 60 years of protein chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary J Pielak
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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15
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Thole JF, Fadero TC, Bonin JP, Stadmiller SS, Giudice JA, Pielak GJ. Danio rerio Oocytes for Eukaryotic In-Cell NMR. Biochemistry 2021; 60:451-459. [PMID: 33534998 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how the crowded and complex cellular milieu affects protein stability and dynamics has only recently become possible by using techniques such as in-cell nuclear magnetic resonance. However, the combination of stabilizing and destabilizing interactions makes simple predictions difficult. Here we show the potential of Danio rerio oocytes as an in-cell nuclear magnetic resonance model that can be widely used to measure protein stability and dynamics. We demonstrate that in eukaryotic oocytes, which are 3-6-fold less crowded than other cell types, attractive chemical interactions still dominate effects on protein stability and slow tumbling times, compared to the effects of dilute buffer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph F Thole
- Department of Chemistry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Tanner C Fadero
- Department of Biology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Jeffrey P Bonin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Samantha S Stadmiller
- Department of Chemistry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Jonathan A Giudice
- Department of Chemistry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Gary J Pielak
- Department of Chemistry, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States.,Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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16
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Hu Y, Cheng K, He L, Zhang X, Jiang B, Jiang L, Li C, Wang G, Yang Y, Liu M. NMR-Based Methods for Protein Analysis. Anal Chem 2021; 93:1866-1879. [PMID: 33439619 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c03830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a well-established method for analyzing protein structure, interaction, and dynamics at atomic resolution and in various sample states including solution state, solid state, and membranous environment. Thanks to rapid NMR methodology development, the past decade has witnessed a growing number of protein NMR studies in complex systems ranging from membrane mimetics to living cells, which pushes the research frontier further toward physiological environments and offers unique insights in elucidating protein functional mechanisms. In particular, in-cell NMR has become a method of choice for bridging the huge gap between structural biology and cell biology. Herein, we review the recent developments and applications of NMR methods for protein analysis in close-to-physiological environments, with special emphasis on in-cell protein structural determination and the analysis of protein dynamics, both difficult to be accessed by traditional methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfei Hu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430071, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China
| | - Kai Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Lichun He
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430071, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430071, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China
| | - Bin Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430071, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China
| | - Ling Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430071, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China
| | - Conggang Li
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430071, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China
| | - Guan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430071, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China
| | - Yunhuang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430071, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China
| | - Maili Liu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430071, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China
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17
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Xiao Y, Hu F, Luo X, Zhao M, Sun Z, Qian X, Yang Y. Modulating the pKa Values of Hill-Type pH Probes for Biorelevant Acidic pH Range. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2020; 4:2097-2103. [DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c01262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yansheng Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Fang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Xiao Luo
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Mingming Zhao
- Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Zhenglong Sun
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology (SIBET), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China
| | - Xuhong Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Youjun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
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18
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In-cell destabilization of a homodimeric protein complex detected by DEER spectroscopy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:20566-20575. [PMID: 32788347 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2005779117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The complexity of the cellular medium can affect proteins' properties, and, therefore, in-cell characterization of proteins is essential. We explored the stability and conformation of the first baculoviral IAP repeat (BIR) domain of X chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP), BIR1, as a model for a homodimer protein in human HeLa cells. We employed double electron-electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy and labeling with redox stable and rigid Gd3+ spin labels at three representative protein residues, C12 (flexible region), E22C, and N28C (part of helical residues 26 to 31) in the N-terminal region. In contrast to predictions by excluded-volume crowding theory, the dimer-monomer dissociation constant K D was markedly higher in cells than in solution and dilute cell lysate. As expected, this increase was partially recapitulated under conditions of high salt concentrations, given that conserved salt bridges at the dimer interface are critically required for association. Unexpectedly, however, also the addition of the crowding agent Ficoll destabilized the dimer while the addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme, often used to represent interaction with charged macromolecules, had no effect. Our results highlight the potential of DEER for in-cell study of proteins as well as the complexities of the effects of the cellular milieu on protein structures and stability.
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19
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Leeb S, Sörensen T, Yang F, Mu X, Oliveberg M, Danielsson J. Diffusive protein interactions in human versus bacterial cells. Curr Res Struct Biol 2020; 2:68-78. [PMID: 34235470 PMCID: PMC8244477 DOI: 10.1016/j.crstbi.2020.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Random encounters between proteins in crowded cells are by no means passive, but found to be under selective control. This control enables proteome solubility, helps to optimise the diffusive search for interaction partners, and allows for adaptation to environmental extremes. Interestingly, the residues that modulate the encounters act mesoscopically through protein surface hydrophobicity and net charge, meaning that their detailed signatures vary across organisms with different intracellular constraints. To examine such variations, we use in-cell NMR relaxation to compare the diffusive behaviour of bacterial and human proteins in both human and Escherichia coli cytosols. We find that proteins that ‘stick’ in E. coli are generally less restricted in mammalian cells. Furthermore, the rotational diffusion in the mammalian cytosol is less sensitive to surface-charge mutations. This implies that, in terms of protein motions, the mammalian cytosol is more forgiving to surface alterations than E. coli cells. The cellular differences seem not linked to the proteome properties per se, but rather to a 6-fold difference in protein concentrations. Our results outline a scenario in which the tolerant cytosol of mammalian cells, found in long-lived multicellular organisms, provides an enlarged evolutionary playground, where random protein-surface mutations are less deleterious than in short-generational bacteria. Random protein encounters and diffusibility in cells are controlled by surface charge. Protein rotational diffusion is less restricted in human cells than in E. coli. Human cells are less sensitive to alterations of protein charge than Escherichia coli cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Leeb
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Arrhenius Laboratories of Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, S-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Therese Sörensen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Arrhenius Laboratories of Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, S-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Arrhenius Laboratories of Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, S-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Xin Mu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Arrhenius Laboratories of Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, S-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mikael Oliveberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Arrhenius Laboratories of Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, S-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jens Danielsson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Arrhenius Laboratories of Natural Sciences, Stockholm University, S-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
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20
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Abstract
Cells of the vast majority of organisms are subject to temperature, pressure, pH, ionic strength, and other stresses. We discuss these effects in the light of protein folding and protein interactions in vitro, in complex environments, in cells, and in vivo. Protein phase diagrams provide a way of organizing different structural ensembles that occur under stress and how one can move among ensembles. Experiments that perturb biomolecules in vitro or in cells by stressing them have revealed much about the underlying forces that are competing to control protein stability, folding, and function. Two phenomena that emerge and serve to broadly classify effects of the cellular environment are crowding (mainly due to repulsive forces) and sticking (mainly due to attractive forces). The interior of cells is closely balanced between these emergent effects, and stress can tip the balance one way or the other. The free energy scale involved is small but significant on the scale of the "on/off switches" that control signaling in cells or of protein-protein association with a favorable function such as increased enzyme processivity. Quantitative tools from biophysical chemistry will play an important role in elucidating the world of crowding and sticking under stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayank Boob
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61801, United States
| | - Yuhan Wang
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61801, United States
| | - Martin Gruebele
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61801, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Physics, Center for the Physics of Living Cells, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61801, United States
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21
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Song X, Lv T, Chen J, Wang J, Yao L. Characterization of Residue Specific Protein Folding and Unfolding Dynamics in Cells. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:11363-11366. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b04435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangfei Song
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tianhang Lv
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | | | - Jia Wang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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22
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Ye Y, Wu Q, Zheng W, Jiang B, Pielak GJ, Liu M, Li C. Positively Charged Tags Impede Protein Mobility in Cells as Quantified by 19F NMR. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:4527-4533. [PMID: 31042382 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b02162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Proteins are often tagged for visualization or delivery in the "sea" of other macromolecules in cells but how tags affect protein mobility remains poorly understood. Here, we employ in-cell 19F NMR to quantify the mobility of proteins with charged tags in Escherichia coli cells and Xenopus laevis oocytes. We find that the transient charge-charge interactions between the tag and cellular components affect protein mobility. More specifically, positively charged tags impede protein mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yansheng Ye
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics , Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Wuhan 430071 , China
| | - Qiong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics , Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Wuhan 430071 , China
| | - Wenwen Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics , Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Wuhan 430071 , China
| | - Bin Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics , Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Wuhan 430071 , China
| | - Gary J Pielak
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill , North Carolina 27599 , United States
| | - Maili Liu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics , Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Wuhan 430071 , China
| | - Conggang Li
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics , Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Wuhan 430071 , China
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23
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Selenko P. Quo Vadis Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy? Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20061278. [PMID: 30875725 PMCID: PMC6472163 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20061278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In-cell nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy offers the possibility to study proteins and other biomolecules at atomic resolution directly in cells. As such, it provides compelling means to complement existing tools in cellular structural biology. Given the dominance of electron microscopy (EM)-based methods in current structure determination routines, I share my personal view about the role of biomolecular NMR spectroscopy in the aftermath of the revolution in resolution. Specifically, I focus on spin-off applications that in-cell NMR has helped to develop and how they may provide broader and more generally applicable routes for future NMR investigations. I discuss the use of ‘static’ and time-resolved solution NMR spectroscopy to detect post-translational protein modifications (PTMs) and to investigate structural consequences that occur in their response. I argue that available examples vindicate the need for collective and systematic efforts to determine post-translationally modified protein structures in the future. Furthermore, I explain my reasoning behind a Quinary Structure Assessment (QSA) initiative to interrogate cellular effects on protein dynamics and transient interactions present in physiological environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Selenko
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Biological Regulation, 234 Herzl Street, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
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24
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Wang Y, Sukenik S, Davis CM, Gruebele M. Cell Volume Controls Protein Stability and Compactness of the Unfolded State. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:11762-11770. [PMID: 30289261 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b08216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Macromolecular crowding is widely accepted as one of the factors that can alter protein stability, structure, and function inside cells. Less often considered is that crowding can be dynamic: as cell volume changes, either as a result of external duress or in the course of the cell cycle, water moves in or out through membrane channels, and crowding changes in tune. Both theory and in vitro experiments predict that protein stability will be altered as a result of crowding changes. However, it is unclear how much the structural ensemble is altered as crowding changes in the cell. To test this, we look at the response of a FRET-labeled kinase to osmotically induced volume changes in live cells. We examine both the folded and unfolded states of the kinase by changing the temperature of the media surrounding the cell. Our data reveals that crowding compacts the structure of its unfolded ensemble but stabilizes the folded protein. We propose that the structure of proteins lacking a rigid, well-defined tertiary structure could be highly sensitive to both increases and decreases in cell volume. Our findings present a possible mechanism for disordered proteins to act as sensors and actuators of cell cycle or external stress events that coincide with a change in macromolecular crowding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhan Wang
- Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology , University of Illinois , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Shahar Sukenik
- Department of Chemistry , University of Illinois , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Caitlin M Davis
- Department of Chemistry , University of Illinois , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States.,Department of Physics , University of Illinois , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Martin Gruebele
- Center for Biophysics and Computational Biology , University of Illinois , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States.,Department of Chemistry , University of Illinois , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States.,Department of Physics , University of Illinois , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
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25
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Ribeiro S, Ebbinghaus S, Marcos JC. Protein folding and quinary interactions: creating cellular organisation through functional disorder. FEBS Lett 2018; 592:3040-3053. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ribeiro
- Centre of Chemistry University of Minho Braga Portugal
| | - Simon Ebbinghaus
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Technical University Braunschweig Germany
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26
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Rydeen AE, Brustad EM, Pielak GJ. Osmolytes and Protein–Protein Interactions. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:7441-7444. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b03903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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27
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Davis CM, Gruebele M, Sukenik S. How does solvation in the cell affect protein folding and binding? Curr Opin Struct Biol 2018; 48:23-29. [PMID: 29035742 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The cellular environment is highly diverse and capable of rapid changes in solute composition and concentrations. Decades of protein studies have highlighted their sensitivity to solute environment, yet these studies were rarely performed in situ. Recently, new techniques capable of monitoring proteins in their natural context within a live cell have emerged. A recurring theme of these investigations is the importance of the often-neglected cellular solvation environment to protein function. An emerging consensus is that protein processes in the cell are affected by a combination of steric and non-steric interactions with this solution. Here we explain how protein surface area and volume changes control these two interaction types, and give recent examples that highlight how even mild environmental changes can alter cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Davis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Martin Gruebele
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Shahar Sukenik
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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28
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Lippens G, Cahoreau E, Millard P, Charlier C, Lopez J, Hanoulle X, Portais JC. In-cell NMR: from metabolites to macromolecules. Analyst 2018; 143:620-629. [PMID: 29333554 DOI: 10.1039/c7an01635b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In-cell NMR of macromolecules has gained momentum over the last ten years as an approach that might bridge the branches of cell biology and structural biology. In this review, we put it in the context of earlier efforts that aimed to characterize by NMR the cellular environment of live cells and their intracellular metabolites. Although technical aspects distinguish these earlier in vivo NMR studies and the more recent in cell NMR efforts to characterize macromolecules in a cellular environment, we believe that both share major concerns ranging from sensitivity and line broadening to cell viability. Approaches to overcome the limitations in one subfield thereby can serve the other one and vice versa. The relevance in biomedical sciences might stretch from the direct following of drug metabolism in the cell to the observation of target binding, and thereby encompasses in-cell NMR both of metabolites and macromolecules. We underline the efforts of the field to move to novel biological insights by some selected examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Lippens
- LISBP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, Toulouse, France.
| | - E Cahoreau
- LISBP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, Toulouse, France.
| | - P Millard
- LISBP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, Toulouse, France.
| | - C Charlier
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, NIDDK, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, USA
| | - J Lopez
- CERMN, Seccion Quimica, Departemento de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru, Lima 32, Peru
| | - X Hanoulle
- Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle (UGSF), University of Lille, CNRS UMR8576, Lille, France
| | - J C Portais
- LISBP, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, INRA, INSA, Toulouse, France.
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29
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Quantification of size effect on protein rotational mobility in cells by 19F NMR spectroscopy. Anal Bioanal Chem 2017; 410:869-874. [PMID: 29184995 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-017-0745-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Protein diffusion in living cells might differ significantly from that measured in vitro. Little is known about the effect of globular protein size on rotational diffusion in cells because each protein has distinct surface properties, which result in different interactions with cellular components. To overcome this problem, the B1 domain of protein G (GB1) and several concatemers of the protein were labeled with 5-fluorotryptophan and studied by 19F NMR in Escherichia coli cells, Xenopus laevis oocytes, and in aqueous solutions crowded with glycerol, or Ficoll70™ and lysozyme. Relaxation data show that the size dependence of protein rotation in cells is due to weak interactions of the target protein with cellular components, but the effect of these interactions decreases as protein size increases. The results provide valuable information for interpreting protein diffusion data acquired in living cells. Graphical abstract Size matters. The protein rotational mobility in living cells was assessed by 19F NMR. The size dependence effect may arise from weak interactions between protein and cytoplasmic components.
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30
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Kyne C, Crowley PB. Short Arginine Motifs Drive Protein Stickiness in the Escherichia coli Cytoplasm. Biochemistry 2017; 56:5026-5032. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ciara Kyne
- School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Peter B. Crowley
- School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
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31
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Cohen RD, Pielak GJ. Quinary interactions with an unfolded state ensemble. Protein Sci 2017; 26:1698-1703. [PMID: 28571108 PMCID: PMC5563149 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2017] [Revised: 05/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Anfinsen's thermodynamic hypothesis states that the native three-dimensional fold of a protein represents the structure with the lowest Gibbs free energy. Changes in the free energy of denaturation can arise from changes to the folded state, the unfolded state, or both. It has been recently recognized that quinary interactions, transient contacts that take place only in cells, can modulate protein stability through interactions involving the folded state. Here we show that the cellular environment can also remodel the unfolded state ensemble.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel D. Cohen
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth Carolina27599
| | - Gary J. Pielak
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth Carolina27599
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth Carolina27599
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth Carolina27599
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome SciencesUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth Carolina27599
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32
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Plitzko JM, Schuler B, Selenko P. Structural Biology outside the box-inside the cell. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2017; 46:110-121. [PMID: 28735108 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2017.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 06/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent developments in cellular cryo-electron tomography, in-cell single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer-spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance-spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance-spectroscopy delivered unprecedented insights into the inner workings of cells. Here, we review complementary aspects of these methods and provide an outlook toward joint applications in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen M Plitzko
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Benjamin Schuler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Selenko
- Leibniz Institute of Molecular Pharmacology (FMP Berlin), In-cell NMR Laboratory, Robert-Roessle Strasse 10, D-13125 Berlin, Germany.
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33
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Gorensek-Benitez AH, Smith AE, Stadmiller SS, Perez Goncalves GM, Pielak GJ. Cosolutes, Crowding, and Protein Folding Kinetics. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:6527-6537. [PMID: 28605189 PMCID: PMC5982521 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b03786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Long accepted as the most important interaction, recent work shows that steric repulsions alone cannot explain the effects of macromolecular cosolutes on the equilibrium thermodynamics of protein stability. Instead, chemical interactions have been shown to modulate, and even dominate, crowding-induced steric repulsions. Here, we use 19F NMR to examine the effects of small and large cosolutes on the kinetics of protein folding and unfolding using the metastable 7 kDa N-terminal SH3 domain of the Drosophila signaling protein drk (SH3), which folds by a two-state mechanism. The small cosolutes consist of trimethylamine N-oxide and sucrose, which increase equilibrium protein stability, and urea, which destabilizes proteins. The macromolecules comprise the stabilizing sucrose polymer, Ficoll, and the destabilizing globular protein, lysozyme. We assessed the effects of these cosolutes on the differences in free energy between the folded state and the transition state and between the unfolded ensemble and the transition state. We then examined the temperature dependence to assess changes in activation enthalpy and entropy. The enthalpically mediated effects are more complicated than suggested by equilibrium measurements. We also observed enthalpic effects with the supposedly inert sucrose polymer, Ficoll, that arise from its macromolecular nature. Assessment of activation entropies shows important contributions from solvent and cosolute, in addition to the configurational entropy of the protein that, again, cannot be gleaned from equilibrium data. Comparing the effects of Ficoll to those of the more physiologically relevant cosolute lysozyme reveals that synthetic polymers are not appropriate models for understanding the kinetics of protein folding in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Austin E. Smith
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Samantha S. Stadmiller
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | | | - Gary J. Pielak
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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34
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Feig M, Yu I, Wang PH, Nawrocki G, Sugita Y. Crowding in Cellular Environments at an Atomistic Level from Computer Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:8009-8025. [PMID: 28666087 PMCID: PMC5582368 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b03570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
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The
effects of crowding in biological environments on biomolecular
structure, dynamics, and function remain not well understood. Computer
simulations of atomistic models of concentrated peptide and protein
systems at different levels of complexity are beginning to provide
new insights. Crowding, weak interactions with other macromolecules
and metabolites, and altered solvent properties within cellular environments
appear to remodel the energy landscape of peptides and proteins in
significant ways including the possibility of native state destabilization.
Crowding is also seen to affect dynamic properties, both conformational
dynamics and diffusional properties of macromolecules. Recent simulations
that address these questions are reviewed here and discussed in the
context of relevant experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Feig
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan, United States.,Quantitative Biology Center, RIKEN , Kobe, Japan
| | - Isseki Yu
- Theoretical Molecular Science Laboratory, RIKEN , Wako, Japan.,iTHES Research Group, RIKEN , Wako, Japan
| | - Po-Hung Wang
- Theoretical Molecular Science Laboratory, RIKEN , Wako, Japan
| | - Grzegorz Nawrocki
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan, United States
| | - Yuji Sugita
- Quantitative Biology Center, RIKEN , Kobe, Japan.,Theoretical Molecular Science Laboratory, RIKEN , Wako, Japan.,iTHES Research Group, RIKEN , Wako, Japan.,Advanced Institute for Computational Science, RIKEN , Kobe, Japan
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35
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Li C, Zhao J, Cheng K, Ge Y, Wu Q, Ye Y, Xu G, Zhang Z, Zheng W, Zhang X, Zhou X, Pielak G, Liu M. Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy as a Tool for Assessing Macromolecular Structure and Function in Living Cells. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY (PALO ALTO, CALIF.) 2017; 10:157-182. [PMID: 28301750 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anchem-061516-045237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Investigating the structure, modification, interaction, and function of biomolecules in their native cellular environment leads to physiologically relevant knowledge about their mechanisms, which will benefit drug discovery and design. In recent years, nuclear and electron magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has emerged as a useful tool for elucidating the structure and function of biomacromolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates in living cells at atomic resolution. In this review, we summarize the progress and future of in-cell NMR as it is applied to proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conggang Li
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; ,
| | - Jiajing Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; ,
| | - Kai Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; ,
| | - Yuwei Ge
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; ,
| | - Qiong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; ,
| | - Yansheng Ye
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; ,
| | - Guohua Xu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; ,
| | - Zeting Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; ,
| | - Wenwen Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; ,
| | - Xu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; ,
| | - Xin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; ,
| | - Gary Pielak
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599
| | - Maili Liu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China; ,
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36
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Luchinat E, Banci L. In-cell NMR: a topical review. IUCRJ 2017; 4:108-118. [PMID: 28250949 PMCID: PMC5330521 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252516020625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Classical structural biology approaches allow structural characterization of biological macromolecules in vitro, far from their physiological context. Nowadays, thanks to the wealth of structural data available and to technological and methodological advances, the interest of the research community is gradually shifting from pure structural determination towards the study of functional aspects of biomolecules. Therefore, a cellular structural approach is ideally needed to characterize biological molecules, such as proteins, in their native cellular environment and the functional processes that they are involved in. In-cell NMR is a new application of high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy that allows structural and dynamical features of proteins and other macromolecules to be analyzed directly in living cells. Owing to its challenging nature, this methodology has shown slow, but steady, development over the past 15 years. To date, several in-cell NMR approaches have been successfully applied to both bacterial and eukaryotic cells, including several human cell lines, and important structural and functional aspects have been elucidated. In this topical review, the major advances of in-cell NMR are summarized, with a special focus on recent developments in eukaryotic and mammalian cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Luchinat
- Magnetic Resonance Center – CERM, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni 50, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Lucia Banci
- Magnetic Resonance Center – CERM, University of Florence, Via Luigi Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
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37
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Towards understanding cellular structure biology: In-cell NMR. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2017; 1865:547-557. [PMID: 28257994 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2017.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
To watch biological macromolecules perform their functions inside the living cells is the dream of any biologists. In-cell nuclear magnetic resonance is a branch of biomolecular NMR spectroscopy that can be used to observe the structures, interactions and dynamics of these molecules in the living cells at atomic level. In principle, in-cell NMR can be applied to different cellular systems to achieve biologically relevant structural and functional information. In this review, we summarize the existing approaches in this field and discuss its applications in protein interactions, folding, stability and post-translational modifications. We hope this review will emphasize the effectiveness of in-cell NMR for studies of intricate biological processes and for structural analysis in cellular environments.
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38
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Cohen RD, Pielak GJ. A cell is more than the sum of its (dilute) parts: A brief history of quinary structure. Protein Sci 2017; 26:403-413. [PMID: 27977883 PMCID: PMC5326556 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Most knowledge of protein structure and function is derived from experiments performed with purified protein resuspended in dilute, buffered solutions. However, proteins function in the crowded, complex cellular environment. Although the first four levels of protein structure provide important information, a complete understanding requires consideration of quinary structure. Quinary structure comprises the transient interactions between macromolecules that provides organization and compartmentalization inside cells. We review the history of quinary structure in the context of several metabolic pathways, and the technological advances that have yielded recent insight into protein behavior in living cells. The evidence demonstrates that protein behavior in isolated solutions deviates from behavior in the physiological environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel D. Cohen
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth Carolina27599
| | - Gary J. Pielak
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth Carolina27599
- Department of Biochemistry and BiophysicsUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth Carolina27599
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth Carolina27599
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39
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Abstract
The effects of small (∼102 Da) and larger (>103 Da) cosolutes on the equilibrium stability of monomeric globular proteins are broadly understood, excluding volume stabilizes proteins and chemical interactions are stabilizing when repulsive, but destabilizing when attractive. Proteins, however, rarely work alone. Here, we investigate the effects of small and large cosolutes on the equilibrium stability of the simplest defined protein-protein interactions, the side-by-side homodimer formed by the A34F variant of the 56-residue B1 domain of protein G. We used 19F nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to quantify the effects of urea, trimethylamine oxide, Ficoll, and more physiologically relevant cosolutes on the dimer dissociation constant. The data reveal the same stabilizing and destabilizing influences from chemical interactions as observed in studies of protein stability. Results with more physiologically relevant molecules such as bovine serum albumin, lysozyme, and reconstituted Escherichia coli cytosol reflect the importance of chemical interactions between these cosolutes and the test protein. Our study serves as a stepping-stone to a more complete understanding of crowding effects on protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J. Guseman
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Gary J. Pielak
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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40
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Kyne C, Jordon K, Filoti DI, Laue TM, Crowley PB. Protein charge determination and implications for interactions in cell extracts. Protein Sci 2017; 26:258-267. [PMID: 27813264 PMCID: PMC5275725 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Decades of dilute-solution studies have revealed the influence of charged residues on protein stability, solubility and stickiness. Similar characterizations are now required in physiological solutions to understand the effect of charge on protein behavior under native conditions. Toward this end, we used free boundary and native gel electrophoresis to explore the charge of cytochrome c in buffer and in Escherichia coli extracts. We find that the charge of cytochrome c was ∼2-fold lower than predicted from primary structure analysis. Cytochrome c charge was tuned by sulfate binding and was rendered anionic in E. coli extracts due to interactions with macroanions. Mutants in which three or four cationic residues were replaced with glutamate were charge-neutral and "inert" in extracts. A comparison of the interaction propensities of cytochrome c and the mutants emphasizes the role of negative charge in stabilizing physiological environments. Charge-charge repulsion and preferential hydration appear to prevent aggregation. The implications for molecular organization in vivo are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciara Kyne
- School of ChemistryNational University of IrelandGalway, University RoadGalwayIreland
| | - Kiara Jordon
- Spin Analytical468 Portland StreetBerwickMaine03901
| | - Dana I. Filoti
- Centre to Advance Macromolecular Interaction Sciences University of New HampshireDurhamNew Hampshire03824
| | - Thomas M. Laue
- Spin Analytical468 Portland StreetBerwickMaine03901
- Centre to Advance Macromolecular Interaction Sciences University of New HampshireDurhamNew Hampshire03824
| | - Peter B. Crowley
- School of ChemistryNational University of IrelandGalway, University RoadGalwayIreland
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41
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Bhattacharyya S, Bershtein S, Yan J, Argun T, Gilson AI, Trauger SA, Shakhnovich EI. Transient protein-protein interactions perturb E. coli metabolome and cause gene dosage toxicity. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27938662 PMCID: PMC5176355 DOI: 10.7554/elife.20309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene dosage toxicity (GDT) is an important factor that determines optimal levels of protein abundances, yet its molecular underpinnings remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that overexpression of DHFR in E. coli causes a toxic metabolic imbalance triggered by interactions with several functionally related enzymes. Though deleterious in the overexpression regime, surprisingly, these interactions are beneficial at physiological concentrations, implying their functional significance in vivo. Moreover, we found that overexpression of orthologous DHFR proteins had minimal effect on all levels of cellular organization - molecular, systems, and phenotypic, in sharp contrast to E. coli DHFR. Dramatic difference of GDT between 'E. coli's self' and 'foreign' proteins suggests the crucial role of evolutionary selection in shaping protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks at the whole proteome level. This study shows how protein overexpression perturbs a dynamic metabolon of weak yet potentially functional PPI, with consequences for the metabolic state of cells and their fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanchari Bhattacharyya
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Shimon Bershtein
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Jin Yan
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States.,College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tijda Argun
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Amy I Gilson
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Sunia A Trauger
- Small Molecule Mass Spectrometry, Northwest Laboratories, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Eugene I Shakhnovich
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
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42
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Cohen RD, Pielak GJ. Electrostatic Contributions to Protein Quinary Structure. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:13139-13142. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b07323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rachel D. Cohen
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Gary J. Pielak
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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43
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Simple NMR methods for evaluating higher order structures of monoclonal antibody therapeutics with quinary structure. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2016; 128:398-407. [PMID: 27344629 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2016.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibody (mAb) drugs constitute the largest class of protein therapeutics currently on the market. Correctly folded protein higher order structure (HOS), including quinary structure, is crucial for mAb drug quality. The quinary structure is defined as the association of quaternary structures (e.g., oligomerized mAb). Here, several commonly available analytical methods, i.e., size-exclusion-chromatography (SEC) FPLC, multi-angle light scattering (MALS), circular dichroism (CD), NMR and multivariate analysis, were combined and modified to yield a complete profile of HOS and comparable metrics. Rituximab and infliximab were chosen for method evaluation because both IgG1 molecules are known to be homologous in sequence, superimposable in Fab crystal structure and identical in Fc structure. However, herein the two are identified to be significantly different in quinary structure in addition to minor secondary structure differences. All data collectively showed rituximab was mostly monomeric while infliximab was in mono-oligomer equilibrium driven by its Fab fragment. The quinary structure differences were qualitatively inferred from the less used but more reproducible dilution-injection-SEC-FPLC curve method. Quantitative principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on NMR spectra of either the intact or the in-situ enzymatic-digested mAb samples. The cleavage reactions happened directly in NMR tubes without further separation, which greatly enhanced NMR spectra quality and resulted in larger inter- and intra-lot variations based on PCA. The new in-situ enzymatic digestion method holds potential in identifying structural differences on larger therapeutic molecules using NMR.
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44
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Kyne C, Crowley PB. Grasping the nature of the cell interior: fromPhysiological ChemistrytoChemical Biology. FEBS J 2016; 283:3016-28. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.13744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ciara Kyne
- School of Chemistry; National University of Ireland Galway; Ireland
| | - Peter B. Crowley
- School of Chemistry; National University of Ireland Galway; Ireland
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45
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Protein folding alterations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain Res 2016; 1648:633-649. [PMID: 27064076 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding leads to the formation of aggregated proteins and protein inclusions, which are associated with synaptic loss and neuronal death in neurodegenerative diseases. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that targets motor neurons in the brain, brainstem and spinal cord. Several proteins misfold and are associated either genetically or pathologically in ALS, including superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), Tar DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43), Ubiquilin-2, p62, VCP, and dipeptide repeat proteins produced by unconventional repeat associated non-ATG translation of the repeat expansion in C9ORF72. Chaperone proteins, including heat shock proteins (Hsp׳s) and the protein disulphide isomerase (PDI) family, assist in protein folding and therefore can prevent protein misfolding, and have been implicated as being protective in ALS. In this review we provide an overview of the current literature regarding the molecular mechanisms of protein misfolding and aggregation in ALS, and the role of chaperones as potential targets for therapeutic intervention. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI:ER stress.
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