1
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de La Bourdonnaye G, Ghazalova T, Fojtik P, Kutalkova K, Bednar D, Damborsky J, Rotrekl V, Stepankova V, Chaloupkova R. Computer-aided engineering of stabilized fibroblast growth factor 21. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:942-951. [PMID: 38379823 PMCID: PMC10877085 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
FGF21 is an endocrine signaling protein belonging to the family of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). It has emerged as a molecule of interest for treating various metabolic diseases due to its role in regulating glucogenesis and ketogenesis in the liver. However, FGF21 is prone to heat, proteolytic, and acid-mediated degradation, and its low molecular weight makes it susceptible to kidney clearance, significantly reducing its therapeutic potential. Protein engineering studies addressing these challenges have generally shown that increasing the thermostability of FGF21 led to improved pharmacokinetics. Here, we describe the computer-aided design and experimental characterization of FGF21 variants with enhanced melting temperature up to 15 °C, uncompromised efficacy at activation of MAPK/ERK signaling in Hep G2 cell culture, and ability to stimulate proliferation of Hep G2 and NIH 3T3 fibroblasts cells comparable with FGF21-WT. We propose that stabilizing the FGF21 molecule by rational design should be combined with other reported stabilization strategies to maximize the pharmaceutical potential of FGF21.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabin de La Bourdonnaye
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Enantis Ltd., Biotechnology Incubator INBIT, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Ghazalova
- Enantis Ltd., Biotechnology Incubator INBIT, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Fojtik
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - David Bednar
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Damborsky
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimir Rotrekl
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Radka Chaloupkova
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Enantis Ltd., Biotechnology Incubator INBIT, Brno, Czech Republic
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2
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Čivić J, McFarlane NR, Masschelein J, Harvey JN. Exploring the selectivity of cytochrome P450 for enhanced novel anticancer agent synthesis. Faraday Discuss 2024; 252:69-88. [PMID: 38855920 DOI: 10.1039/d4fd00004h] [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: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases are an extensive and unique class of enzymes, which can regio- and stereo-selectively functionalise hydrocarbons by way of oxidation reactions. These enzymes are naturally occurring but have also been extensively applied in a synthesis context, where they are used as efficient biocatalysts. Recently, a biosynthetic pathway where a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase catalyses a critical step of the pathway was uncovered, leading to the production of a number of products that display high antitumour potency. In this work, we use computational techniques to gain insight into the factors that determine the relative yields of the different products. We use conformational search algorithms to understand the substrate stereochemistry. On a machine-learned 3D protein structure, we use molecular docking to obtain a library of favourable poses for substrate-protein interaction. With molecular dynamics, we investigate the most favourable poses for reactivity on a molecular level, allowing us to investigate which protein-substrate interactions favour a given product and thus gain insight into the product selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janko Čivić
- Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Neil R McFarlane
- Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Joleen Masschelein
- Department of Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie VIB-KU Leuven Center for Microbiology, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jeremy N Harvey
- Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
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3
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Feng S, Zheng Q. Mechanism of 7H-Dibenzo[c,g]carbazole metabolism in cytochrome P450 1A1: Insights from computational studies. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 476:134933. [PMID: 38925058 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134933] [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: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
7H-Dibenzo[c,g]carbazole (DBC) is a prevalent environmental contaminant that induces tumorigenesis in several experimental animals. Recently, it has been utilized to develop high-performance solar cells and organic phosphorescent materials. It is imperative to strengthen investigations of DBC metabolism to understand its potential risks to human health. In this study, human CYP1A1 was employed as the metabolic enzyme to investigate the metabolic mechanism of DBC by molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and quantum mechanical (QM) calculation. The results indicate that DBC binds to CYP1A1 in two modes (mode 1 and mode 2) mainly through nonpolar solvation energies (ΔGnonpolar). The formation of the two binding modes is attributed to the anchoring effect of the hydrogen bond formed by DBC with Asp320 (mode 1) or Ser116 (mode 2). Mode 1 is a "reactive" conformation, while mode 2 is not considered a "reactive" conformation. C5 is identified as the dominant site, and the pyrrole nitrogen cannot participate in the metabolism. DBC is metabolized mainly by a distinct electrophilic addition-rearrangement mechanism, with an energy barrier of 21.74 kcal/mol. The results provide meaningful insights into the biometabolic process of DBC and contribute to understanding its environmental effects and health risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Feng
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, China
| | - Qingchuan Zheng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, China.
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4
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Zhu Q, Soudackov AV, Tommos C, Hammes-Schiffer S. Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer upon Oxidation of Tyrosine in a De Novo Protein: Analysis of Proton Acceptor Candidates. Biochemistry 2024; 63:1999-2008. [PMID: 39024184 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00211] [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: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Redox-active residues, such as tyrosine and tryptophan, play important roles in a wide range of biological processes. The α3Y de novo protein, which is composed of three α helices and a tyrosine residue Y32, provides a platform for investigating the redox properties of tyrosine in a well-defined protein environment. Herein, the proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reaction that occurs upon oxidation of tyrosine in this model protein by a ruthenium photosensitizer is studied by using a vibronically nonadiabatic PCET theory that includes hydrogen tunneling and excited vibronic states. The input quantities to the analytical nonadiabatic rate constant expression, such as the diabatic proton potential energy curves and associated proton vibrational wave functions, reorganization energy, and proton donor-acceptor distribution functions, are obtained from density functional theory calculations on model systems and molecular dynamics simulations of the solvated α3Y protein. Two possible proton acceptors, namely, water or a glutamate residue in the protein scaffold, are explored. The PCET rate constant is greater when glutamate is the proton acceptor, mainly due to the more favorable driving force and shorter equilibrium proton donor-acceptor distance, although contributions from excited vibronic states mitigate these effects. Nevertheless, water could be the dominant proton acceptor if its equilibrium constant associated with hydrogen bond formation is significantly greater than that for glutamate. Although these calculations do not definitively identify the proton acceptor for this PCET reaction, they elucidate the conditions under which each proton acceptor can be favored. These insights have implications for tyrosine-based PCET in a wide variety of biochemical processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiwen Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Alexander V Soudackov
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Cecilia Tommos
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Sharon Hammes-Schiffer
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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5
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Nakamura AM, Godoy AS, Kadowaki MAS, Trentin LN, Gonzalez SET, Skaf MS, Polikarpov I. Structures of BlEst2 from Bacillus licheniformis in its propeptide and mature forms reveal autoinhibitory effects of the C-terminal domain. FEBS J 2024. [PMID: 39073006 DOI: 10.1111/febs.17229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Carboxylesterases comprise a major class of α/β-fold hydrolases responsible for the cleavage and formation of ester bonds. Found ubiquitously in nature, these enzymes are crucial for the metabolism of both endogenous and exogenous carboxyl esters in animals, plants and microorganisms. Beyond their essential physiological roles, carboxylesterases stand out as one of the important classes of biocatalysts for biotechnology. BlEst2, an enzyme previously classified as Bacillus licheniformis esterase, remains largely uncharacterized. In the present study, we elucidate the structural biology, molecular dynamics and biochemical features of BlEst2. Our findings reveal a canonical α/β-hydrolase fold similar to the ESTHER block L of lipases, further augmented by two additional accessory C-terminal domains. Notably, the catalytic domain demonstrates two insertions, which occupy conserved locations in α/β-hydrolase proteins and commonly form the lid domain in lipase structures. Intriguingly, our in vitro cleavage of C-terminal domains revealed the structure of the active form of BlEst2. Upon activation, BlEst2 showed a markedly elevated hydrolytic activity. This observation implies that the intramolecular C-terminal domain serves as a regulatory intramolecular inhibitor. Interestingly, despite exhibiting esterase-like activity, BlEst2 structural characteristics align more closely with lipases. This suggests that BlEst2 could potentially represent a previously unrecognized subgroup within the realm of carboxyl ester hydrolases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lucas N Trentin
- Institute of Chemistry and Center for Computing in Engineering and Sciences, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Brazil
| | - Sinkler E T Gonzalez
- Institute of Chemistry and Center for Computing in Engineering and Sciences, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Brazil
| | - Munir S Skaf
- Institute of Chemistry and Center for Computing in Engineering and Sciences, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Brazil
| | - Igor Polikarpov
- Sao Carlos Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos, Brazil
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6
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Avila‐Cobian LF, De Benedetti S, Hoshino H, Nguyen VT, El‐Araby AM, Sader S, Hu DD, Cole SL, Kim C, Fisher JF, Champion MM, Mobashery S. Lytic transglycosylase Slt of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a periplasmic hub protein. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e5038. [PMID: 38864725 PMCID: PMC11168074 DOI: 10.1002/pro.5038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Peptidoglycan is a major constituent of the bacterial cell wall. Its integrity as a polymeric edifice is critical for bacterial survival and, as such, it is a preeminent target for antibiotics. The peptidoglycan is a dynamic crosslinked polymer that undergoes constant biosynthesis and turnover. The soluble lytic transglycosylase (Slt) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a periplasmic enzyme involved in this dynamic turnover. Using amber-codon-suppression methodology in live bacteria, we incorporated a fluorescent chromophore into the structure of Slt. Fluorescent microscopy shows that Slt populates the length of the periplasmic space and concentrates at the sites of septation in daughter cells. This concentration persists after separation of the cells. Amber-codon-suppression methodology was also used to incorporate a photoaffinity amino acid for the capture of partner proteins. Mass-spectrometry-based proteomics identified 12 partners for Slt in vivo. These proteomics experiments were complemented with in vitro pulldown analyses. Twenty additional partners were identified. We cloned the genes and purified to homogeneity 22 identified partners. Biophysical characterization confirmed all as bona fide Slt binders. The identities of the protein partners of Slt span disparate periplasmic protein families, inclusive of several proteins known to be present in the divisome. Notable periplasmic partners (KD < 0.5 μM) include PBPs (PBP1a, KD = 0.07 μM; PBP5 = 0.4 μM); other lytic transglycosylases (SltB2, KD = 0.09 μM; RlpA, KD = 0.4 μM); a type VI secretion system effector (Tse5, KD = 0.3 μM); and a regulatory protease for alginate biosynthesis (AlgO, KD < 0.4 μM). In light of the functional breadth of its interactome, Slt is conceptualized as a hub protein within the periplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F. Avila‐Cobian
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Stefania De Benedetti
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Hidekazu Hoshino
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Van T. Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Amr M. El‐Araby
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Safaa Sader
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Daniel D. Hu
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Sara L. Cole
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Choon Kim
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Jed F. Fisher
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Matthew M. Champion
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Shahriar Mobashery
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
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7
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Ennist NM, Wang S, Kennedy MA, Curti M, Sutherland GA, Vasilev C, Redler RL, Maffeis V, Shareef S, Sica AV, Hua AS, Deshmukh AP, Moyer AP, Hicks DR, Swartz AZ, Cacho RA, Novy N, Bera AK, Kang A, Sankaran B, Johnson MP, Phadkule A, Reppert M, Ekiert D, Bhabha G, Stewart L, Caram JR, Stoddard BL, Romero E, Hunter CN, Baker D. De novo design of proteins housing excitonically coupled chlorophyll special pairs. Nat Chem Biol 2024; 20:906-915. [PMID: 38831036 PMCID: PMC11213709 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01626-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Natural photosystems couple light harvesting to charge separation using a 'special pair' of chlorophyll molecules that accepts excitation energy from the antenna and initiates an electron-transfer cascade. To investigate the photophysics of special pairs independently of the complexities of native photosynthetic proteins, and as a first step toward creating synthetic photosystems for new energy conversion technologies, we designed C2-symmetric proteins that hold two chlorophyll molecules in closely juxtaposed arrangements. X-ray crystallography confirmed that one designed protein binds two chlorophylls in the same orientation as native special pairs, whereas a second designed protein positions them in a previously unseen geometry. Spectroscopy revealed that the chlorophylls are excitonically coupled, and fluorescence lifetime imaging demonstrated energy transfer. The cryo-electron microscopy structure of a designed 24-chlorophyll octahedral nanocage with a special pair on each edge closely matched the design model. The results suggest that the de novo design of artificial photosynthetic systems is within reach of current computational methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan M Ennist
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Shunzhi Wang
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Madison A Kennedy
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mariano Curti
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ-CERCA), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Tarragona, Spain
| | | | | | - Rachel L Redler
- Department of Cell Biology and Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Valentin Maffeis
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ-CERCA), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Saeed Shareef
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ-CERCA), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Tarragona, Spain
- Departament de Química Física i Inorgànica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Anthony V Sica
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ash Sueh Hua
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Arundhati P Deshmukh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Adam P Moyer
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Derrick R Hicks
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Avi Z Swartz
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ralph A Cacho
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nathan Novy
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Asim K Bera
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alex Kang
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Banumathi Sankaran
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging, Berkeley Center for Structural Biology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Amala Phadkule
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Mike Reppert
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Damian Ekiert
- Department of Cell Biology and Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gira Bhabha
- Department of Cell Biology and Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lance Stewart
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Justin R Caram
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Barry L Stoddard
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Elisabet Romero
- Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ-CERCA), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Tarragona, Spain
| | - C Neil Hunter
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - David Baker
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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8
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Khalili H, Monti S, Pesquet E, Jaworski A, Lombardo S, Mathew AP. Nanocellulose-Bovine Serum Albumin Interactions in an Aqueous Medium: Investigations Using In Situ Nanocolloidal Probe Microscopy and Reactive Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:3703-3714. [PMID: 38806282 PMCID: PMC11170956 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
As a versatile nanomaterial derived from renewable sources, nanocellulose has attracted considerable attention for its potential applications in various sectors, especially those focused on water treatment and remediation. Here, we have combined atomic force microscopy (AFM) and reactive molecular dynamics (RMD) simulations to characterize the interactions between cellulose nanofibers modified with carboxylate or phosphate groups and the protein foulant model bovine serum albumin (BSA) at pH 3.92, which is close to the isoelectric point of BSA. Colloidal probes were prepared by modification of the AFM probes with the nanofibers, and the nanofiber coating on the AFM tip was for the first time confirmed through fluorescence labeling and confocal optical sectioning. We have found that the wet-state normalized adhesion force is approximately 17.87 ± 8.58 pN/nm for the carboxylated cellulose nanofibers (TOCNF) and about 11.70 ± 2.97 pN/nm for the phosphorylated ones (PCNF) at the studied pH. Moreover, the adsorbed protein partially unfolded at the cellulose interface due to the secondary structure's loss of intramolecular hydrogen bonds. We demonstrate that nanocellulose colloidal probes can be used as a sensitive tool to reveal interactions with BSA at nano and molecular scales and under in situ conditions. RMD simulations helped to gain a molecular- and atomistic-level understanding of the differences between these findings. In the case of PCNF, partially solvated metal ions, preferentially bound to the phosphates, reduced the direct protein-cellulose connections. This understanding can lead to significant advancements in the development of cellulose-based antifouling surfaces and provide crucial insights for expanding the pH range of use and suggesting appropriate recalibrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houssine Khalili
- Department
of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
| | - Susanna Monti
- CNR-ICCOM, Institute of Chemistry of Organometallic
Compounds, via Moruzzi
1, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Edouard Pesquet
- Department
of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
| | - Aleksander Jaworski
- Department
of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
| | - Salvatore Lombardo
- Department
of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
| | - Aji P Mathew
- Department
of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
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9
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Guo B, Xue Q, Zhang Z, Zhai J, Wang C, Zhao Y, Zhang J. Atomic Insight into the Enzymatic Selectivity of Acetyltransferase for Endogenous Polyamines. Chemphyschem 2024:e202400412. [PMID: 38772911 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202400412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
The N1-Spermidine/spermine acetyltransferase (SSAT) serves as the rate-limiting enzyme in the polyamine metabolism pathway, specifically catalyzing the acetylation of spermidine, spermine, and other specific polyamines. The source of its enzymatic selectivity remains elusive. Here, we used quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics simulations combined with various technologies to explore the enzymatic mechanism of SSAT for endogenous polyamines from an atomic perspective. The static binding and chemical transformation were considered. The binding affinity was identified to be dependent on protonated state of polyamine. The order of the binding affinity for Spm, Spd, and Put is consistent with the experimental results, which is also verified by the dynamic separation of polyamine and SSAT. Hydrogen bond interactions and salt bridges contribute most, and the common hot residues were identified. In addition, the transfer of acetyl and proton between polyamine and AcCoA was discovered to follow a concert mechanism, and thermodynamic properties are responsible for the catalytic efficiency of SSAT. This work may be helpful for development of polyamine derivatives based on catalysis to regulate polyamine metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baolin Guo
- Henan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Innovation and Transformation, State Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drugs, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475001, China
| | - Qian Xue
- Henan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Innovation and Transformation, State Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drugs, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475001, China
| | - Zhiyang Zhang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Innovation and Transformation, State Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drugs, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475001, China
| | - Jihang Zhai
- Henan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Innovation and Transformation, State Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drugs, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475001, China
| | - Chaojie Wang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Innovation and Transformation, State Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drugs, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475001, China
| | - Yuan Zhao
- Henan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Innovation and Transformation, State Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drugs, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475001, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Innovation and Transformation, State Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drugs, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475001, China
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10
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Mills KR, Misra J, Torabifard H. Allosteric Modulation of the YAP/TAZ-TEAD Interaction by Palmitoylation and Small-Molecule Inhibitors. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:3795-3806. [PMID: 38606592 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c07073] [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: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
The Hippo signaling pathway is a highly conserved signaling network that plays a central role in regulating cellular growth, proliferation, and organ size. This pathway consists of a kinase cascade that integrates various upstream signals to control the activation or inactivation of YAP/TAZ proteins. Phosphorylated YAP/TAZ is sequestered in the cytoplasm; however, when the Hippo pathway is deactivated, it translocates into the nucleus, where it associates with TEAD transcription factors. This partnership is instrumental in regulating the transcription of progrowth and antiapoptotic genes. Thus, in many cancers, aberrantly hyperactivated YAP/TAZ promotes oncogenesis by contributing to cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, and therapy resistance. Because YAP and TAZ exert their oncogenic effects by binding with TEAD, it is critical to understand this key interaction to develop cancer therapeutics. Previous research has indicated that TEAD undergoes autopalmitoylation at a conserved cysteine, and small molecules that inhibit TEAD palmitoylation disrupt effective YAP/TAZ binding. However, how exactly palmitoylation contributes to YAP/TAZ-TEAD interactions and how the TEAD palmitoylation inhibitors disrupt this interaction remains unknown. Utilizing molecular dynamics simulations, our investigation not only provides detailed atomistic insight into the YAP/TAZ-TEAD dynamics but also unveils that the inhibitor studied influences the binding of YAP and TAZ to TEAD in distinct manners. This discovery has significant implications for the design and deployment of future molecular interventions targeting this interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira R Mills
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Jyoti Misra
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Hedieh Torabifard
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
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11
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de Oliveira MVD, da Costa KS, Silva JRA, Lameira J, Lima AH. Role of UDP-N-acetylmuramic acid in the regulation of MurA activity revealed by molecular dynamics simulations. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4969. [PMID: 38532715 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The peptidoglycan biosynthesis pathway plays a vital role in bacterial cells, and facilitates peptidoglycan layer formation, a fundamental structural component of the bacterial cell wall. The enzymes in this pathway are candidates for antibiotic development, as most do not have mammalian homologues. The UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UNAG) enolpyruvyl transferase enzyme (MurA) in the peptidoglycan pathway cytoplasmic step is responsible for the phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-UNAG catalytic reaction, forming UNAG enolpyruvate and inorganic phosphate. Reportedly, UDP-N-acetylmuramic acid (UNAM) binds tightly to MurA forming a dormant UNAM-PEP-MurA complex and acting as a MurA feedback inhibitor. MurA inhibitors are complex, owing to competitive binding interactions with PEP, UNAM, and UNAG at the MurA active site. We used computational methods to explore UNAM and UNAG binding. UNAM showed stronger hydrogen-bond interactions with the Arg120 and Arg91 residues, which help to stabilize the closed conformation of MurA, than UNAG. Binding free energy calculations using end-point computational methods showed that UNAM has a higher binding affinity than UNAG, when PEP is attached to Cys115. The unbinding process, simulated using τ-random acceleration molecular dynamics, showed that UNAM has a longer relative residence time than UNAG, which is related to several complex dissociation pathways, each with multiple intermediate metastable states. This prevents the loop from opening and exposing the Arg120 residue to accommodate UNAG and potential new ligands. Moreover, we demonstrate the importance of Cys115-linked PEP in closed-state loop stabilization. We provide a basis for evaluating novel UNAM analogues as potential MurA inhibitors. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: MurA is a critical enzyme involved in bacterial cell wall biosynthesis and is involved in antibiotic resistance development. UNAM can remain in the target protein's active site for an extended time compared to its natural substrate, UNAG. The prolonged interaction of this highly stable complex known as the 'dormant complex' comprises UNAM-PEP-MurA and offers insights into antibiotic development, providing potential options against drug-resistant bacteria and advancing our understanding of microbial biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maycon Vinicius Damasceno de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Planejamento e Desenvolvimento de Fármacos, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Kauê S da Costa
- Institute of Biodiversity, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém, Pará, Brazil
| | - José Rogério A Silva
- Laboratório de Planejamento e Desenvolvimento de Fármacos, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
- Catalysis and Peptide Research Unit, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Jerônimo Lameira
- Laboratório de Planejamento e Desenvolvimento de Fármacos, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Anderson H Lima
- Laboratório de Planejamento e Desenvolvimento de Fármacos, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brazil
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12
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Mendonça SC, Gomes BA, Campos MF, da Fonseca TS, Esteves MEA, Andriolo BV, Cheohen CFDAR, Constant LEC, da Silva Costa S, Calil PT, Tucci AR, de Oliveira TKF, Rosa ADS, Ferreira VNDS, Lima JNH, Miranda MD, da Costa LJ, da Silva ML, Scotti MT, Allonso D, Leitão GG, Leitão SG. Myrtucommulones and Related Acylphloroglucinols from Myrtaceae as a Promising Source of Multitarget SARS-CoV-2 Cycle Inhibitors. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:436. [PMID: 38675398 PMCID: PMC11054083 DOI: 10.3390/ph17040436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The LABEXTRACT plant extract bank, featuring diverse members of the Myrtaceae family from Brazilian hot spot regions, provides a promising avenue for bioprospection. Given the pivotal roles of the Spike protein and 3CLpro and PLpro proteases in SARS-CoV-2 infection, this study delves into the correlations between the Myrtaceae species from the Atlantic Forest and these targets, as well as an antiviral activity through both in vitro and in silico analyses. The results uncovered notable inhibitory effects, with Eugenia prasina and E. mosenii standing out, while E. mosenii proved to be multitarget, presenting inhibition values above 72% in the three targets analyzed. All extracts inhibited viral replication in Calu-3 cells (EC50 was lower than 8.3 µg·mL-1). Chemometric analyses, through LC-MS/MS, encompassing prediction models and molecular networking, identified potential active compounds, such as myrtucommulones, described in the literature for their antiviral activity. Docking analyses showed that one undescribed myrtucommulone (m/z 841 [M - H]-) had a higher fitness score when interacting with the targets of this study, including ACE2, Spike, PLpro and 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2. Also, the study concludes that Myrtaceae extracts, particularly from E. mosenii and E. prasina, exhibit promising inhibitory effects against crucial stages in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Compounds like myrtucommulones emerge as potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents, warranting further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simony Carvalho Mendonça
- Departamento de Produtos Naturais e Alimentos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (S.C.M.); (B.A.G.); (M.F.C.)
| | - Brendo Araujo Gomes
- Departamento de Produtos Naturais e Alimentos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (S.C.M.); (B.A.G.); (M.F.C.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia Vegetal e Bioprocessos, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
| | - Mariana Freire Campos
- Departamento de Produtos Naturais e Alimentos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (S.C.M.); (B.A.G.); (M.F.C.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia Vegetal e Bioprocessos, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
| | - Thamirys Silva da Fonseca
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil;
| | - Maria Eduarda Alves Esteves
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Computacional e Sistemas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil; (M.E.A.E.); (M.L.d.S.)
| | - Bruce Veiga Andriolo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia, Duque de Caxias 25250-020, RJ, Brazil;
| | - Caio Felipe de Araujo Ribas Cheohen
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade NUPEM, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé 27965-045, RJ, Brazil;
| | - Larissa Esteves Carvalho Constant
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-590, RJ, Brazil; (L.E.C.C.); (S.d.S.C.); (D.A.)
| | - Stephany da Silva Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-590, RJ, Brazil; (L.E.C.C.); (S.d.S.C.); (D.A.)
| | - Pedro Telles Calil
- Departamento de Virologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-590, RJ, Brazil; (P.T.C.); (L.J.d.C.)
| | - Amanda Resende Tucci
- Laboratory of Morphology and Viral Morphogenesis, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, RJ, Brazil; (A.R.T.); (T.K.F.d.O.); (A.d.S.R.); (V.N.d.S.F.); (J.N.H.L.); (M.D.M.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, RJ, Brazil
| | - Thamara Kelcya Fonseca de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Morphology and Viral Morphogenesis, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, RJ, Brazil; (A.R.T.); (T.K.F.d.O.); (A.d.S.R.); (V.N.d.S.F.); (J.N.H.L.); (M.D.M.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, RJ, Brazil
| | - Alice dos Santos Rosa
- Laboratory of Morphology and Viral Morphogenesis, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, RJ, Brazil; (A.R.T.); (T.K.F.d.O.); (A.d.S.R.); (V.N.d.S.F.); (J.N.H.L.); (M.D.M.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, RJ, Brazil
| | - Vivian Neuza dos Santos Ferreira
- Laboratory of Morphology and Viral Morphogenesis, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, RJ, Brazil; (A.R.T.); (T.K.F.d.O.); (A.d.S.R.); (V.N.d.S.F.); (J.N.H.L.); (M.D.M.)
| | - Julia Nilo Henrique Lima
- Laboratory of Morphology and Viral Morphogenesis, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, RJ, Brazil; (A.R.T.); (T.K.F.d.O.); (A.d.S.R.); (V.N.d.S.F.); (J.N.H.L.); (M.D.M.)
| | - Milene Dias Miranda
- Laboratory of Morphology and Viral Morphogenesis, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, RJ, Brazil; (A.R.T.); (T.K.F.d.O.); (A.d.S.R.); (V.N.d.S.F.); (J.N.H.L.); (M.D.M.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, RJ, Brazil
| | - Luciana Jesus da Costa
- Departamento de Virologia, Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-590, RJ, Brazil; (P.T.C.); (L.J.d.C.)
| | - Manuela Leal da Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Computacional e Sistemas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil; (M.E.A.E.); (M.L.d.S.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia, Duque de Caxias 25250-020, RJ, Brazil;
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade NUPEM, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé 27965-045, RJ, Brazil;
| | - Marcus Tullius Scotti
- Departamento de Química, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa 58033-455, PB, Brazil;
| | - Diego Allonso
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-590, RJ, Brazil; (L.E.C.C.); (S.d.S.C.); (D.A.)
- Departamento de Biotecnologia Farmacêutica, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
| | - Gilda Guimarães Leitão
- Instituto de Pesquisas de Produtos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
| | - Suzana Guimarães Leitão
- Departamento de Produtos Naturais e Alimentos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil; (S.C.M.); (B.A.G.); (M.F.C.)
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia Vegetal e Bioprocessos, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, RJ, Brazil;
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13
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Liu S, Jing T, Jia R, Zhang JL, Bai FQ. MD investigation on the differences in the dynamic interactions between the specific ligand azamulin and two CYP3A isoforms, 3A4 and 3A5. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38533567 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2331100] [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: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The unmarked potential drug molecule azamulin has been found to be a specific inhibitor of CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 in recent years, but this molecule also shows different binding ability and affinity to the two CYP3A isoforms. In order to explore the microscopic mechanism, conventional molecular dynamics (MD) simulation methods were performed to study the dynamic interactions between two isoforms and azamulin. The simulation results show that the binding of the ligand leads to different structural properties of two CYP3A proteins. First of all, compared with apo-CYP3A4, the binding of the ligand azamulin can lead to changes in the structural flexibility of CYP3A4, i.e., holo-CYP3A4 is more flexible than apo-CYP3A4. The structural changes of CYP3A5 are just the opposite. The ligand binding increases the rigidity of CYP3A5. Furthermore, the representative structures of the production phase in the MD simulation were in details analyzed to obtain the microscopic interactions between the ligand azamulin and two CYP3A isoforms at the atomic level. It is speculated that the difference of composition and interaction of the active sites is the fundamental cause of the change of structural properties of the two proteins.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhui Liu
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
- School and Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Jing
- Depatment of Radiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ran Jia
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Ji-Long Zhang
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
| | - Fu-Quan Bai
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
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14
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Carbery A, Buttenschoen M, Skyner R, von Delft F, Deane CM. Learnt representations of proteins can be used for accurate prediction of small molecule binding sites on experimentally determined and predicted protein structures. J Cheminform 2024; 16:32. [PMID: 38486231 PMCID: PMC10941399 DOI: 10.1186/s13321-024-00821-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein-ligand binding site prediction is a useful tool for understanding the functional behaviour and potential drug-target interactions of a novel protein of interest. However, most binding site prediction methods are tested by providing crystallised ligand-bound (holo) structures as input. This testing regime is insufficient to understand the performance on novel protein targets where experimental structures are not available. An alternative option is to provide computationally predicted protein structures, but this is not commonly tested. However, due to the training data used, computationally-predicted protein structures tend to be extremely accurate, and are often biased toward a holo conformation. In this study we describe and benchmark IF-SitePred, a protein-ligand binding site prediction method which is based on the labelling of ESM-IF1 protein language model embeddings combined with point cloud annotation and clustering. We show that not only is IF-SitePred competitive with state-of-the-art methods when predicting binding sites on experimental structures, but it performs better on proxies for novel proteins where low accuracy has been simulated by molecular dynamics. Finally, IF-SitePred outperforms other methods if ensembles of predicted protein structures are generated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Carbery
- Oxford Protein Informatics Group, Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3LB, UK
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Martin Buttenschoen
- Oxford Protein Informatics Group, Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3LB, UK
| | - Rachael Skyner
- OMass Therapeutics, Building 4000, Chancellor Court, John Smith Drive, ARC Oxford, OX4 2GX, UK
| | - Frank von Delft
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0FA, United Kingdom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa
| | - Charlotte M Deane
- Oxford Protein Informatics Group, Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3LB, UK.
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15
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Zhang Y, Miao D, Liu S, Hao X. Revealing the binding mechanism of BACE1 inhibitors through molecular dynamics simulations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38375603 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2319676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder, and the Beta-Site Amyloid Precursor Protein Cleaving Enzyme 1 (BACE1) is a key therapeutic target in its treatment. This study employs molecular dynamics simulations and binding energy analysis to investigate the binding interactions between BACE1 and four selected small molecules: CNP520, D9W, NB641, and NB360. The binding model analysis indicates that the binding of BACE1 with four molecules are stable, except the loop regions show significant fluctuation. The binding free energy analyses reveal that NB360 exhibits the highest binding affinity with BACE1, surpassing other molecules (CNP520, D9W, and NB641). Detailed energy component assessments highlight the critical roles of electrostatic interactions and van der Waals forces in the binding process. Furthermore, residue contribution analysis identifies key amino acids influencing the binding process across all systems. Hydrogen bond analysis reveals a limited number of bonds between BACE1 and each small molecule, highlighting the importance of structural modifications to enable more stable hydrogen bonds. This research provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of potential Alzheimer's disease therapeutics, guiding the way for improved drug design and the development of effective treatments targeting BACE1.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Zhang
- School of Mathematics & Physics, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, China
| | - Dongqiang Miao
- School of Mathematics & Physics, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, China
| | - Senchen Liu
- School of Mathematics & Physics, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, China
| | - Xiafei Hao
- Medical College, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, China
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16
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Mills KR, Torabifard H. Computational approaches to investigate fluoride binding, selectivity and transport across the membrane. Methods Enzymol 2024; 696:109-154. [PMID: 38658077 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2024.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The use of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study biomolecular systems has proven reliable in elucidating atomic-level details of structure and function. In this chapter, MD simulations were used to uncover new insights into two phylogenetically unrelated bacterial fluoride (F-) exporters: the CLCF F-/H+ antiporter and the Fluc F- channel. The CLCF antiporter, a member of the broader CLC family, has previously revealed unique stoichiometry, anion-coordinating residues, and the absence of an internal glutamate crucial for proton import in the CLCs. Through MD simulations enhanced with umbrella sampling, we provide insights into the energetics and mechanism of the CLCF transport process, including its selectivity for F- over HF. In contrast, the Fluc F- channel presents a novel architecture as a dual topology dimer, featuring two pores for F- export and a central non-transported sodium ion. Using computational electrophysiology, we simulate the electrochemical gradient necessary for F- export in Fluc and reveal details about the coordination and hydration of both F- and the central sodium ion. The procedures described here delineate the specifics of these advanced techniques and can also be adapted to investigate other membrane protein systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira R Mills
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Hedieh Torabifard
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States.
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17
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Bharadwaj P, Shet SM, Bisht M, Sarkar DK, Franklin G, Sanna Kotrappanavar N, Mondal D. Suitability of Adenosine Derivatives in Improving the Activity and Stability of Cytochrome c under Stress: Insights into the Effect of Phosphate Groups. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:86-95. [PMID: 38127495 PMCID: PMC10788901 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c05996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that adenosine and its phosphate derivatives play a crucial role in biological phenomena such as apoptosis and cell signaling and act as the energy currency of the cell. Although their interactions with various proteins and enzymes have been described, the focus of this work is to demonstrate the effect of the phosphate group on the activity and stability of the native heme metalloprotein cytochrome c (Cyt c), which is important from both biological and industrial aspects. In situ and in silico characterizations are used to correlate the relationship between the binding affinity of adenosine and its phosphate groups with unfolding behavior, corresponding peroxidase activities, and stability factors. Interaction of adenosine (ADN), adenosine monophosphate (AMP), adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP), and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) with Cyt c increases peroxidase-like activity by up to 1.8-6.5-fold compared to native Cyt c. This activity is significantly maintained even after multiple stress conditions such as oxidative stress and the presence of a chaotropic agent such as guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl). With binding affinities on the order of ADN < AMP < ADP < ATP, adenosine derivatives were found to stabilize Cyt c by varying the secondary structural features of the protein. Thus, in addition to being a fundamental study, the current work also proposes a way of stabilizing protein systems to be used for real-time biocatalytic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranav Bharadwaj
- Centre
for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain University, Bangalore 562112, India
- Institute
of Plant Genetics (IPG), Polish Academy
of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland
| | - Sachin M. Shet
- Centre
for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain University, Bangalore 562112, India
| | - Meena Bisht
- Institute
of Plant Genetics (IPG), Polish Academy
of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland
| | - Dheeraj Kumar Sarkar
- Laboratory
of Biomolecular Interactions and Transport, Department of Gene Expression,
Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 6, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
- International
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw, Ks Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Gregory Franklin
- Institute
of Plant Genetics (IPG), Polish Academy
of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland
| | - Nataraj Sanna Kotrappanavar
- Centre
for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain University, Bangalore 562112, India
- School of
Polymer Science and Engineering, Chonnam
National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, South Korea
| | - Dibyendu Mondal
- Centre
for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain University, Bangalore 562112, India
- Institute
of Plant Genetics (IPG), Polish Academy
of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland
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18
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Platzer G, Ptaszek AL, Böttcher J, Fuchs JE, Geist L, Braun D, McConnell DB, Konrat R, Sánchez-Murcia PA, Mayer M. Ligand 1 H NMR Chemical Shifts as Accurate Reporters for Protein-Ligand Binding Interfaces in Solution. Chemphyschem 2024; 25:e202300636. [PMID: 37955910 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202300636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
The availability of high-resolution 3D structural information is crucial for investigating guest-host systems across a wide range of fields. In the context of drug discovery, the information is routinely used to establish and validate structure-activity relationships, grow initial hits from screening campaigns, and to guide molecular docking. For the generation of protein-ligand complex structural information, X-ray crystallography is the experimental method of choice, however, with limited information on protein flexibility. An experimentally verified structural model of the binding interface in the native solution-state would support medicinal chemists in their molecular design decisions. Here we demonstrate that protein-bound ligand 1 H NMR chemical shifts are highly sensitive and accurate probes for the immediate chemical environment of protein-ligand interfaces. By comparing the experimental ligand 1 H chemical shift values with those computed from the X-ray structure using quantum mechanics methodology, we identify significant disagreements for parts of the ligand between the two experimental techniques. We show that quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) molecular dynamics (MD) ensembles can be used to refine initial X-ray co-crystal structures resulting in a better agreement with experimental 1 H ligand chemical shift values. Overall, our findings highlight the usefulness of ligand 1 H NMR chemical shift information in combination with a QM/MM MD workflow for generating protein-ligand ensembles that accurately reproduce solution structural data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Platzer
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for High-Content Structural Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Campus Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030-, Vienna, Austria
- MAG-LAB GmbH, Karl-Farkas-Gasse 22, 1030-, Vienna, Austria
| | - Aleksandra L Ptaszek
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for High-Content Structural Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Campus Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030-, Vienna, Austria
- Laboratory for Computer-Aided Molecular Design, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstrasse 6/III, 8010-, Graz, Austria
| | - Jark Böttcher
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co. KG, Dr. Boehringer Gasse 5-11, 1121-, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julian E Fuchs
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co. KG, Dr. Boehringer Gasse 5-11, 1121-, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leonhard Geist
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co. KG, Dr. Boehringer Gasse 5-11, 1121-, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniel Braun
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for High-Content Structural Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Campus Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030-, Vienna, Austria
| | - Darryl B McConnell
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co. KG, Dr. Boehringer Gasse 5-11, 1121-, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Konrat
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for High-Content Structural Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Structural and Computational Biology, Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Campus Vienna Biocenter 5, 1030-, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pedro A Sánchez-Murcia
- Laboratory for Computer-Aided Molecular Design, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstrasse 6/III, 8010-, Graz, Austria
| | - Moriz Mayer
- Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co. KG, Dr. Boehringer Gasse 5-11, 1121-, Vienna, Austria
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19
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Li D, Shi D, Wang L. Structural insights in the permeation mechanism of an activated GIRK2 channel. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2024; 1866:184231. [PMID: 37739205 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2023.184231] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels play a significant role in physiopathology by the regulation of cell excitability. This regulation depends on the K+ ion conduction induced by structural constrictions: the selectivity filters (SFs), helix bundle crossings (HBCs), and G-loop gates. To explore why no permeation occurred when the constrictions were kept in the open state, a 4-K+-related occupancy mechanism was proposed. Unfortunately, this hypothesis was neither assessed, nor was the energetic characteristics presented. To identify the permeation mechanism on an atomic level, all-atom molecular dynamic (MD) simulations and a coupled quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics (QM/MM) method were used for the GIRK2 mutant R201A. It was found that the R201A had a moderate conductive capability in the presence of PIP2. Furthermore, the 4-K+ group of ions was found to dominate the conduction through the activated HBC gate. This shielding-like mechanism was assessed by the potential energy barrier along the conduction pathway. Mutation studies did further support the assumption that E152 was responsible for the mechanism. Moreover, E152 was most probably facilitating the inflow of ions from the SF to the cavity. On the contrary, N184 had no remarkable effect on this mechanism, except for the conduction efficiency. These findings highlighted the necessity of a multi-ion distribution for the conduction to take place, and indicated that the K+ migration was not only determined by the channel conductive state in the GIRK channel. The here presented multi-ion permeation mechanism may help to provide an effective way to regulate the channelopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dailin Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology (XMUT), Fujian Province University, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361005, China.
| | - Dingyuan Shi
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology (XMUT), Fujian Province University, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology (XMUT), Fujian Province University, Xiamen University of Technology, Xiamen 361005, China
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20
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Geens R, Stanisich J, Beyens O, D'Hondt S, Thiberge J, Ryckebosch A, De Groot A, Magez S, Vertommen D, Amino R, De Winter H, Volkov AN, Tompa P, Sterckx YG. Biophysical characterization of the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein's N-terminal domain. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4852. [PMID: 38059674 PMCID: PMC10749493 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is the main surface antigen of the Plasmodium sporozoite (SPZ) and forms the basis of the currently only licensed anti-malarial vaccine (RTS,S/AS01). CSP uniformly coats the SPZ and plays a pivotal role in its immunobiology, in both the insect and the vertebrate hosts. Although CSP's N-terminal domain (CSPN ) has been reported to play an important role in multiple CSP functions, a thorough biophysical and structural characterization of CSPN is currently lacking. Here, we present an alternative method for the recombinant production and purification of CSPN from Plasmodium falciparum (PfCSPN ), which provides pure, high-quality protein preparations with high yields. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining in-solution experimental methods and in silico analyses, we provide strong evidence that PfCSPN is an intrinsically disordered region displaying some degree of compaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob Geens
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry (LMB)University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
- Structural Biology BrusselsVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Jessica Stanisich
- Cellular and Molecular ImmunologyVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Olivier Beyens
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry (UAMC)University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Stijn D'Hondt
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry (UAMC)University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | | | - Amber Ryckebosch
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry (LMB)University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Anke De Groot
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry (LMB)University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Stefan Magez
- Cellular and Molecular ImmunologyVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- Ghent University Global CampusIncheonSouth Korea
| | - Didier Vertommen
- de Duve Institute and MASSPROT Platform, UCLouvainBrusselsBelgium
| | - Rogerio Amino
- Unit of Malaria Infection & ImmunityInstitut PasteurParisFrance
| | - Hans De Winter
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry (UAMC)University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
| | - Alexander N. Volkov
- Structural Biology BrusselsVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- VIB‐VUB Center for Structural BiologyVlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB)BrusselsBelgium
- Jean Jeener NMR CentreVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Peter Tompa
- Structural Biology BrusselsVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
- VIB‐VUB Center for Structural BiologyVlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB)BrusselsBelgium
- Institute of Enzymology, Biological Research CenterHungarian Academy of SciencesBudapestHungary
| | - Yann G.‐J. Sterckx
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry (LMB)University of AntwerpAntwerpBelgium
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21
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Tjørnelund HD, Vind J, Brask J, Woodley JM, Peters GH. Candida antarctica lipase B performance in organic solvent at varying water activities studied by molecular dynamics simulations. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:5451-5462. [PMID: 38022691 PMCID: PMC10665702 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.10.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Applications of lipases in low-water environments are found across a broad range of industries, including the pharmaceutical and oleochemical sectors. This includes condensation reactions in organic solvents where the enzyme activity has been found to depend strongly on both the solvent and the water activity (aw). Despite several experimental and computational studies, knowledge is largely empirical, and a general predictive approach is much needed. To close this gap, we chose native Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) and two mutants thereof and used molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to gain a molecular understanding of the effect of aw on the specific activity of CALB in hexane. Based on the simulations, we propose four criteria to understand the performance of CALB in organic media, which is supported by enzyme kinetics experiments. First, the lipase must be stable in the organic solvent, which was the case for native CALB and the two mutants studied here. Secondly, water clusters that form and grow close to the active site must not block the path of substrate molecules into the active site. Thirdly, the lipase's lid must not cover the active site. Finally, mutations and changes in aw must not disrupt the geometry of the active site. We show that mutating specific residues close to the active site can hinder water cluster formation and growth, making the lipase resistant to changes in aw. Our computational screening criteria could potentially be used to screen in-silico designed variants, so only promising candidates could be pushed forward to characterisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena D. Tjørnelund
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | | | - John M. Woodley
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Günther H.J. Peters
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
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22
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Loo CE, Hix MA, Wang T, Cisneros GA, Kohli RM. Revealing Drivers for Carboxy- S-adenosyl-l-methionine Use by Neomorphic Variants of a DNA Methyltransferase. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:2224-2232. [PMID: 37379458 PMCID: PMC10592258 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Methylation of DNA plays a key role in diverse biological processes spanning from bacteria to mammals. DNA methyltransferases (MTases) typically employ S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) as a critical cosubstrate and the relevant methyl donor for modification of the C5 position of cytosine. Recently, work on the CpG-specific bacterial MTase, M.MpeI, has shown that a single N374K point mutation can confer the enzyme with the neomorphic ability to use the sparse, naturally occurring metabolite carboxy-S-adenosyl-l-methionine (CxSAM) in order to generate the unnatural DNA modification, 5-carboxymethylcytosine (5cxmC). Here, we aimed to investigate the mechanistic basis for this DNA carboxymethyltransferase (CxMTase) activity by employing a combination of computational modeling and in vitro characterization. Modeling of substrate interactions with the enzyme variant allowed us to identify a favorable salt bridge between CxSAM and N374K that helps to rationalize selectivity of the CxMTase. Unexpectedly, we also discovered a potential role for a key active site E45 residue that makes a bidentate interaction with the ribosyl sugar of CxSAM, located on the opposite face of the CxMTase active site. Prompted by these modeling results, we further explored the space-opening E45D mutation and found that the E45D/N374K double mutant in fact inverts selectivity, preferring CxSAM over SAM in biochemical assays. These findings provide new insight into CxMTase active site architecture and may offer broader utility given the numerous opportunities offered by using SAM analogs for selective molecular labeling in concert with nucleic acid or even protein-modifying MTases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian E. Loo
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Mark A. Hix
- Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan 48202, United States
| | - Tong Wang
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - G. Andrés Cisneros
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75801, United States; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75801, United States
| | - Rahul M. Kohli
- Department of Medicine and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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23
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Rahman A, Saikia B, Baruah A. In silico analysis of SOD1 aggregation inhibition modes of tertiary amine pyrazolone and pyrano coumarin ferulate as ALS drug candidates. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:26833-26846. [PMID: 37782142 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03978a] [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: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease, the familial form (fALS) of which is often cognate to mutations in the antioxidant enzyme Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) leading to misfolding and aggregation. Two small molecules, a tertiary amine pyrazolone (TAP) and a pyrano coumarin ferulate (PCF) were suggested to be ALS drug candidates following experimental observation of their ability to inhibit SOD1 protein misfolding and aggregation. The present work aims at computational investigation of these experimentally proposed drug candidates to gain insight into their mechanism of SOD1 misfolding and aggregation inhibition. On the basis of molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation, MM-PBSA and per-residue energy decomposition analysis, we examined the specific interactions of TAP and PCF with three probable binding sites of SOD1, namely, dimeric interface cavity, W32 and, UMP binding sites. Results suggest that the binding of TAP at W32 and at UMP sites are least probable due to absence of any favorable interaction. The binding of TAP to dimeric cavity is also unstable due to strong unfavorable interactions. In case of PCF, binding at the UMP site is least probable while binding at dimeric cavity is accompanied by unfavorable interactions. PCF, however, exhibits stable binding with the W32 binding site of SOD1 by stabilizing the solvent accessible hydrophobic residues, which otherwise would have acted as contact points for aggregation. Thus the results imply that compound PCF functions as an inhibitior of SOD1 misfolding/aggregation through direct interaction with the protein SOD1 at the W32 binding site. However, TAP is likely to act as an inhibitor through a different mechanism rather than direct interaction with the protein SOD1. These results apart from reinforcing previous experimental findings, shed light on the probable mechanism of action of the proposed drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aziza Rahman
- Department of Chemistry, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, Assam, 786004, India.
| | - Bondeepa Saikia
- Department of Chemistry, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, Assam, 786004, India.
| | - Anupaul Baruah
- Department of Chemistry, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, Assam, 786004, India.
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24
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Gubensäk N, Sagmeister T, Buhlheller C, Geronimo BD, Wagner GE, Petrowitsch L, Gräwert MA, Rotzinger M, Berger TMI, Schäfer J, Usón I, Reidl J, Sánchez-Murcia PA, Zangger K, Pavkov-Keller T. Vibrio cholerae's ToxRS bile sensing system. eLife 2023; 12:e88721. [PMID: 37768326 PMCID: PMC10624426 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The seventh pandemic of the diarrheal cholera disease, which began in 1960, is caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Its environmental persistence provoking recurring sudden outbreaks is enabled by V. cholerae's rapid adaption to changing environments involving sensory proteins like ToxR and ToxS. Located at the inner membrane, ToxR and ToxS react to environmental stimuli like bile acid, thereby inducing survival strategies for example bile resistance and virulence regulation. The presented crystal structure of the sensory domains of ToxR and ToxS in combination with multiple bile acid interaction studies, reveals that a bile binding pocket of ToxS is only properly folded upon binding to ToxR. Our data proposes an interdependent functionality between ToxR transcriptional activity and ToxS sensory function. These findings support the previously suggested link between ToxRS and VtrAC-like co-component systems. Besides VtrAC, ToxRS is now the only experimentally determined structure within this recently defined superfamily, further emphasizing its significance. In-depth analysis of the ToxRS complex reveals its remarkable conservation across various Vibrio species, underlining the significance of conserved residues in the ToxS barrel and the more diverse ToxR sensory domain. Unravelling the intricate mechanisms governing ToxRS's environmental sensing capabilities, provides a promising tool for disruption of this vital interaction, ultimately inhibiting Vibrio's survival and virulence. Our findings hold far-reaching implications for all Vibrio strains that rely on the ToxRS system as a shared sensory cornerstone for adapting to their surroundings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Gubensäk
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of GrazGrazAustria
| | - Theo Sagmeister
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of GrazGrazAustria
| | | | - Bruno Di Geronimo
- Laboratory of Computer-Aided Molecular Design, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Otto-Loewi Research Center, Medical University of GrazGrazAustria
| | - Gabriel E Wagner
- Institute of Chemistry / Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Medical University of GrazGrazAustria
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Hygiene, Microbiology and Environmental Medicine, Medical University of GrazGrazAustria
| | | | | | - Markus Rotzinger
- Institute of Chemistry / Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Medical University of GrazGrazAustria
| | | | | | - Isabel Usón
- Institute of Molecular Biology of BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
- ICREA, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis AvançatsBarcelonaSpain
| | - Joachim Reidl
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of GrazGrazAustria
- BioHealth Field of Excellence, University of GrazGrazAustria
- BioTechMed-GrazGrazAustria
| | - Pedro A Sánchez-Murcia
- Laboratory of Computer-Aided Molecular Design, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Otto-Loewi Research Center, Medical University of GrazGrazAustria
| | - Klaus Zangger
- Institute of Chemistry / Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Medical University of GrazGrazAustria
- BioHealth Field of Excellence, University of GrazGrazAustria
- BioTechMed-GrazGrazAustria
| | - Tea Pavkov-Keller
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of GrazGrazAustria
- BioHealth Field of Excellence, University of GrazGrazAustria
- BioTechMed-GrazGrazAustria
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25
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Gaza JT, Nellas RB. Reparameterization of Non-Bonded Parameters for Copper Ions in Plastocyanin: An Adaptive Force Matching Study. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:4654-4663. [PMID: 37459569 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Molecular mechanics rely on existing experimental and theoretical inputs to confidently calculate the trajectories of molecular systems. These calculations, however, are often hindered by missing force field parameters. A notable subject of this problem is metal centers of proteins. This study parameterized, through an adaptive force matching (AFM) workflow, the copper cofactor of plastocyanin in its two oxidation states. New 12-6 Lennard-Jones (LJ) parameters and atomic partial charges were generated to complete the non-bonded description of the copper site. Our models show uniform distorted tetrahedral structures for reduced plastocyanin, Cu(I), and oxidized plastocyanin, Cu(II). These structures align with the QM/MM MD results and existing crystallography studies. TD-DFT calculations, meanwhile, showed that conformations with elongated axial Cu-SMet and shortened equatorial Cu-SCys bonds retain the experimental UV-Vis profile of blue copper (BC) proteins, thus signifying the importance of Cu-S interactions on BC proteins' unique spectroscopic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jokent T Gaza
- Institute of Chemistry, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, 1101 Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Ricky B Nellas
- Institute of Chemistry, College of Science, University of the Philippines Diliman, 1101 Quezon City, Philippines
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26
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Pavlin M, Herlah B, Valjavec K, Perdih A. Unveiling the interdomain dynamics of type II DNA topoisomerase through all-atom simulations: Implications for understanding its catalytic cycle. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:3746-3759. [PMID: 37602233 PMCID: PMC10436251 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.07.019] [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: 04/23/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Type IIA DNA topoisomerases are complex molecular nanomachines that manage topological states of the DNA molecule in the cell and play a crucial role in cellular processes such as cell division and transcription. They are also established targets of cancer chemotherapy. Starting from the available crystal structure of a fully catalytic topoisomerase IIA homodimer from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we constructed three states of this molecular motor primarily changing the configurations of the DNA segment bound in the DNA gate and performed μs-long all-atom molecular simulations. A comprehensive analysis revealed a sliding motion within the DNA gate and a teamwork between the N-gate and DNA gate that may be associated with the necessary molecular events that allow passage of the T-segment of DNA. The observed movement of the ATPase dimer relative to the DNA domain was reflected in different interaction patterns between the K-loops of the transducer domain and the B-A-B form of the bound DNA. Based on the obtained results, we mapped simulated configurations to the structures in the proposed catalytic cycle through which type IIA topoisomerases exert their function and discussed the possible transition events. The results extend our understanding of the mechanism of action of type IIA topoisomerases and provide an atomistic interpretation of some of the observed features of these molecular motors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matic Pavlin
- Department of Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Barbara Herlah
- Theory Department, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Katja Valjavec
- Theory Department, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andrej Perdih
- Theory Department, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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27
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Rivera M, Burgos‐Bravo F, Engelberger F, Asor R, Lagos‐Espinoza MIA, Figueroa M, Kukura P, Ramírez‐Sarmiento CA, Baez M, Smith SB, Wilson CAM. Effect of temperature and nucleotide on the binding of BiP chaperone to a protein substrate. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4706. [PMID: 37323096 PMCID: PMC10303699 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BiP (immunoglobulin heavy-chain binding protein) is a Hsp70 monomeric ATPase motor that plays broad and crucial roles in maintaining proteostasis inside the cell. Structurally, BiP is formed by two domains, a nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) with ATPase activity connected by a flexible hydrophobic linker to the substrate-binding domain. While the ATPase and substrate binding activities of BiP are allosterically coupled, the latter is also dependent on nucleotide binding. Recent structural studies have provided new insights into BiP's allostery; however, the influence of temperature on the coupling between substrate and nucleotide binding to BiP remains unexplored. Here, we study BiP's binding to its substrate at the single molecule level using thermo-regulated optical tweezers which allows us to mechanically unfold the client protein and explore the effect of temperature and different nucleotides on BiP binding. Our results confirm that the affinity of BiP for its protein substrate relies on nucleotide binding, by mainly regulating the binding kinetics between BiP and its substrate. Interestingly, our findings also showed that the apparent affinity of BiP for its protein substrate in the presence of nucleotides remains invariable over a wide range of temperatures, suggesting that BiP may interact with its client proteins with similar affinities even when the temperature is not optimal. Thus, BiP could play a role as a "thermal buffer" in proteostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maira Rivera
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological SciencesPontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiagoChile
- ANID–Millennium Science Initiative Program–Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)SantiagoChile
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y FarmacéuticasUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
| | - Francesca Burgos‐Bravo
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y FarmacéuticasUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
- Institute for Quantitative BiosciencesUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Felipe Engelberger
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological SciencesPontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiagoChile
- ANID–Millennium Science Initiative Program–Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)SantiagoChile
| | - Roi Asor
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of ChemistryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- The Kavli Institute for Nanoscience DiscoveryOxfordUK
| | - Miguel I. A. Lagos‐Espinoza
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y FarmacéuticasUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
| | - Maximiliano Figueroa
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias BiológicasUniversidad de ConcepciónConcepciónChile
| | - Philipp Kukura
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of ChemistryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- The Kavli Institute for Nanoscience DiscoveryOxfordUK
| | - César A. Ramírez‐Sarmiento
- Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Schools of Engineering, Medicine and Biological SciencesPontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiagoChile
- ANID–Millennium Science Initiative Program–Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)SantiagoChile
| | - Mauricio Baez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y FarmacéuticasUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
| | | | - Christian A. M. Wilson
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y FarmacéuticasUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
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28
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Cheng S, Yang J. A Theoretical Study of Organotin Binding in Aromatase. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108954. [PMID: 37240300 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The widely used organotin compounds are notorious for their acute toxicity. Experiments revealed that organotin might cause reproductive toxicity by reversibly inhibiting animal aromatase functioning. However, the inhibition mechanism is obscure, especially at the molecular level. Compared to experimental methods, theoretical approaches via computational simulations can help to gain a microscopic view of the mechanism. Here, in an initial attempt to uncover the mechanism, we combined molecular docking and classical molecular dynamics to investigate the binding between organotins and aromatase. The energetics analysis indicated that the van der Waals interaction is the primary driving force of binding the organic tail of organotin and the aromatase center. The hydrogen bond linkage trajectory analysis revealed that water plays a significant role in linking the ligand-water-protein triangle network. As an initial step in studying the mechanism of organotin inhibiting aromatase, this work provides an in-depth understanding of the binding mechanism of organotin. Further, our study will help to develop effective and environmentally friendly methods to treat animals that have already been contaminated by organotin, as well as sustainable solutions for organotin degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuming Cheng
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Jing Yang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
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29
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Saramago LC, Santana MV, Gomes BF, Dantas RF, Senger MR, Oliveira Borges PH, Ferreira VNDS, dos Santos Rosa A, Tucci AR, Dias Miranda M, Lukacik P, Strain-Damerell C, Owen CD, Walsh MA, Ferreira SB, Silva-Junior FP. AI-Driven Discovery of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Fragment-like Inhibitors with Antiviral Activity In Vitro. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:2866-2880. [PMID: 37058135 PMCID: PMC10124747 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19 and is responsible for the current global pandemic. The viral genome contains 5 major open reading frames of which the largest ORF1ab codes for two polyproteins, pp1ab and pp1a, which are subsequently cleaved into 16 nonstructural proteins (nsp) by two viral cysteine proteases encoded within the polyproteins. The main protease (Mpro, nsp5) cleaves the majority of the nsp's, making it essential for viral replication and has been successfully targeted for the development of antivirals. The first oral Mpro inhibitor, nirmatrelvir, was approved for treatment of COVID-19 in late December 2021 in combination with ritonavir as Paxlovid. Increasing the arsenal of antivirals and development of protease inhibitors and other antivirals with a varied mode of action remains a priority to reduce the likelihood for resistance emerging. Here, we report results from an artificial intelligence-driven approach followed by in vitro validation, allowing the identification of five fragment-like Mpro inhibitors with IC50 values ranging from 1.5 to 241 μM. The three most potent molecules (compounds 818, 737, and 183) were tested against SARS-CoV-2 by in vitro replication in Vero E6 and Calu-3 cells. Compound 818 was active in both cell models with an EC50 value comparable to its measured IC50 value. On the other hand, compounds 737 and 183 were only active in Calu-3, a preclinical model of respiratory cells, showing selective indexes twice as high as those for compound 818. We also show that our in silico methodology was successful in identifying both reversible and covalent inhibitors. For instance, compound 818 is a reversible chloromethylamide analogue of 8-methyl-γ-carboline, while compound 737 is an N-pyridyl-isatin that covalently inhibits Mpro. Given the small molecular weights of these fragments, their high binding efficiency in vitro and efficacy in blocking viral replication, these compounds represent good starting points for the development of potent lead molecules targeting the Mpro of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz Carlos Saramago
- LaBECFar-Laboratório de Bioquímica
Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcos V. Santana
- LaBECFar-Laboratório de Bioquímica
Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Figueira Gomes
- LaBECFar-Laboratório de Bioquímica
Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafael Ferreira Dantas
- LaBECFar-Laboratório de Bioquímica
Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mario R. Senger
- LaBECFar-Laboratório de Bioquímica
Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Pedro Henrique Oliveira Borges
- LaBECFar-Laboratório de Bioquímica
Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
- LaSOPB-Laboratório de Síntese
Orgânica e Prospecção Biológica, Instituto de Química,
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21040-900 Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Vivian Neuza dos Santos Ferreira
- LMMV-Laboratório de Morfologia e
Morfogênese Viral (LMMV), Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Alice dos Santos Rosa
- LMMV-Laboratório de Morfologia e
Morfogênese Viral (LMMV), Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Amanda Resende Tucci
- LMMV-Laboratório de Morfologia e
Morfogênese Viral (LMMV), Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Milene Dias Miranda
- LMMV-Laboratório de Morfologia e
Morfogênese Viral (LMMV), Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Petra Lukacik
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and
Innovation Campus, OX11 0DE Didcot, U.K.
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell
Science & Innovation Campus, OX11 0FA Didcot,
U.K.
| | - Claire Strain-Damerell
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and
Innovation Campus, OX11 0DE Didcot, U.K.
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell
Science & Innovation Campus, OX11 0FA Didcot,
U.K.
| | - C. David Owen
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and
Innovation Campus, OX11 0DE Didcot, U.K.
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell
Science & Innovation Campus, OX11 0FA Didcot,
U.K.
| | - Martin Austin Walsh
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and
Innovation Campus, OX11 0DE Didcot, U.K.
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell
Science & Innovation Campus, OX11 0FA Didcot,
U.K.
| | - Sabrina Baptista Ferreira
- LaSOPB-Laboratório de Síntese
Orgânica e Prospecção Biológica, Instituto de Química,
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21040-900 Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Floriano Paes Silva-Junior
- LaBECFar-Laboratório de Bioquímica
Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900 Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil
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30
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Mills KR, Torabifard H. Uncovering the Mechanism of the Proton-Coupled Fluoride Transport in the CLC F Antiporter. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:2445-2455. [PMID: 37053383 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Fluoride is a natural antibiotic abundantly present in the environment and, in micromolar concentrations, is able to inhibit enzymes necessary for bacteria to survive. However, as is the case with many antibiotics, bacteria have evolved resistance methods, including through the use of recently discovered membrane proteins. One such protein is the CLCF F-/H+ antiporter protein, a member of the CLC superfamily of anion-transport proteins. Though previous studies have examined this F- transporter, many questions are still left unanswered. To reveal details of the transport mechanism used by CLCF, we have employed molecular dynamics simulations and umbrella sampling calculations. Our results have led to several discoveries, including the mechanism of proton import and how it is able to aid in the fluoride export. Additionally, we have determined the role of the previously identified residues Glu118, Glu318, Met79, and Tyr396. This work is among the first studies of the CLCF F-/H+ antiporter and is the first computational investigation to model the full transport process, proposing a mechanism which couples the F- export with the H+ import.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira R Mills
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Hedieh Torabifard
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
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31
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Wang Q, Liu S, Li K, Xing R, Chen X, Li P. A Computational Biology Study on the Structure and Dynamics Determinants of Thermal Stability of the Chitosanase from Aspergillus fumigatus. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076671. [PMID: 37047643 PMCID: PMC10095384 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmentally friendly and efficient biodegradation with chitosanase for degrading chitosan to oligosaccharide has been gaining more importance. Here, we studied a chitosanase from Aspergillus fumigatus with potential for production, but does not have the ideal thermal stability. The structure predicted by the Alphafold2 model, especially the binding site and two catalytic residues, has been found to have a high similarity with the experimental structure of the chitosanase V-CSN from the same family. The effects of temperature on structure and function were studied by dynamic simulation and the results showed that the binding site had high flexibility. After heating up from 300 K to 350 K, the RMSD and RMSF of the binding site increased significantly, in particular, the downward shift of loop6 closed the binding site, resulting in the spatial hindrance of binding. The time proportions of important hydrogen bonds at the binding site decreased sharply, indicating that serious disruption of hydrogen bonds should be the main interaction factor for conformational changes. The residues contributing energetically to binding were also revealed to be in the highly flexible region, which inevitably leads to the decrease in the activity stability at high temperature. These findings provide directions for the modification of thermal stability and perspectives on the research of proteins without experimental structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wang
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), No. 1 Wenhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Song Liu
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), No. 1 Wenhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Kecheng Li
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), No. 1 Wenhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Ronge Xing
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), No. 1 Wenhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), No. 1 Wenhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Pengcheng Li
- CAS and Shandong Province Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), No. 1 Wenhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China
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32
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Zeng R, Yang XM, Li HW, Li X, Guan Y, Yu T, Yan P, Yuan W, Niu SL, Gu J, Chen YC, Ouyang Q. Simplified Derivatives of Tetrandrine as Potent and Specific P-gp Inhibitors to Reverse Multidrug Resistance in Cancer Chemotherapy. J Med Chem 2023; 66:4086-4105. [PMID: 36892076 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c02061] [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: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
Targeted inhibition of a drug efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is an important strategy to reverse multidrug resistance in cancer chemotherapy. In this study, a rationally structural simplification to natural tetrandrine was performed based on molecular dynamics simulation and fragment growth, leading to an easily prepared, novel, and simplified compound OY-101 with high reversal activity and low cytotoxicity. Its excellent synergistic anti-cancer effect with vincristine (VCR) against drug-resistant cells Eca109/VCR was confirmed by reversal activity assay, flow cytometry, plate clone formation assay, and drug synergism analysis (IC50 = 9.9 nM, RF = 690). Further mechanism study confirmed that the OY-101 was a specific and efficient P-gp inhibitor. Importantly, OY-101 increased VCR sensitization in vivo without obvious toxicity. Overall, our findings may provide an alternative strategy for the design of novel specific P-gp inhibitor as an anti-tumor chemotherapy sensitizer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Zeng
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Xiu-Ming Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Hong-Wei Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Yu Guan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Tao Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Peng Yan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Wen Yuan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Sheng-Li Niu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Jing Gu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Ying-Chun Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Qin Ouyang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
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33
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Wang P, Zhang J, Zhang S, Lu D, Zhu Y. Using High-Throughput Molecular Dynamics Simulation to Enhance the Computational Design of Kemp Elimination Enzymes. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:1323-1337. [PMID: 36782360 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Computational enzyme design has been successfully applied to identify new alternatives to natural enzymes for the biosynthesis of important compounds. However, the moderate catalytic activities of de novo designed enzymes indicate that the modeling accuracy of current computational enzyme design methods should be improved. Here, high-throughput molecular dynamics simulations were used to enhance computational enzyme design, thus allowing the identification of variants with higher activities in silico. Different time schemes of high-throughput molecular dynamics simulations were tested to identify the catalytic features of evolved Kemp eliminases. The 20 × 1 ns molecular dynamics simulation scheme was sufficiently accurate and computationally viable to screen the computationally designed massive variants of Kemp elimination enzymes. The developed hybrid computational strategy was used to redesign the most active Kemp eliminase, HG3.17, and five variants were generated and experimentally confirmed to afford higher catalytic efficiencies than that of HG3.17, with one double variant (D52Q/A53S) exhibiting a 55% increase. The hybrid computational enzyme design strategy is general and computationally economical, with which we anticipate the efficient creation of practical enzymes for industrial biocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengyu Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.,Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shengyu Zhang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Diannan Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yushan Zhu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
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34
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Melling O, Samways ML, Ge Y, Mobley DL, Essex JW. Enhanced Grand Canonical Sampling of Occluded Water Sites Using Nonequilibrium Candidate Monte Carlo. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:1050-1062. [PMID: 36692215 PMCID: PMC9933432 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Water molecules play a key role in many biomolecular systems, particularly when bound at protein-ligand interfaces. However, molecular simulation studies on such systems are hampered by the relatively long time scales over which water exchange between a protein and solvent takes place. Grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) is a simulation technique that avoids this issue by attempting the insertion and deletion of water molecules within a given structure. The approach is constrained by low acceptance probabilities for insertions in congested systems, however. To address this issue, here, we combine GCMC with nonequilibium candidate Monte Carlo (NCMC) to yield a method that we refer to as grand canonical nonequilibrium candidate Monte Carlo (GCNCMC), in which the water insertions and deletions are carried out in a gradual, nonequilibrium fashion. We validate this new approach by comparing GCNCMC and GCMC simulations of bulk water and three protein binding sites. We find that not only is the efficiency of the water sampling improved by GCNCMC but that it also results in increased sampling of ligand conformations in a protein binding site, revealing new water-mediated ligand-binding geometries that are not observed using alternative enhanced sampling techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver
J. Melling
- School
of Chemistry, University of Southampton, SouthamptonSO17 1BJ, U.K.
| | - Marley L. Samways
- School
of Chemistry, University of Southampton, SouthamptonSO17 1BJ, U.K.
| | - Yunhui Ge
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
California, Irvine, California92697, United States
| | - David L. Mobley
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
California, Irvine, California92697, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California92697, United States
| | - Jonathan W. Essex
- School
of Chemistry, University of Southampton, SouthamptonSO17 1BJ, U.K.
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35
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Kim CY, Mitchell AJ, Kastner DW, Albright CE, Gutierrez MA, Glinkerman CM, Kulik HJ, Weng JK. Emergence of a proton exchange-based isomerization and lactonization mechanism in the plant coumarin synthase COSY. Nat Commun 2023; 14:597. [PMID: 36737607 PMCID: PMC9898226 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36299-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants contain rapidly evolving specialized enzymes that support the biosynthesis of functionally diverse natural products. In coumarin biosynthesis, a BAHD acyltransferase-family enzyme COSY was recently discovered to accelerate coumarin formation as the only known BAHD enzyme to catalyze an intramolecular acyl transfer reaction. Here we investigate the structural and mechanistic basis for COSY's coumarin synthase activity. Our structural analyses reveal an unconventional active-site configuration adapted to COSY's specialized activity. Through mutagenesis studies and deuterium exchange experiments, we identify a unique proton exchange mechanism at the α-carbon of the o-hydroxylated trans-hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA substrates during the catalytic cycle of COSY. Quantum mechanical cluster modeling and molecular dynamics further support this key mechanism for lowering the activation energy of the rate-limiting trans-to-cis isomerization step in coumarin production. This study unveils an unconventional catalytic mechanism mediated by a BAHD-family enzyme, and sheds light on COSY's evolutionary origin and its recruitment to coumarin biosynthesis in eudicots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Y Kim
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Andrew J Mitchell
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - David W Kastner
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Claire E Albright
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | | | | | - Heather J Kulik
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Jing-Ke Weng
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA. .,Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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36
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Kastner DW, Nandy A, Mehmood R, Kulik HJ. Mechanistic Insights into Substrate Positioning That Distinguish Non-heme Fe(II)/α-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Halogenases and Hydroxylases. ACS Catal 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c06241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David W. Kastner
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Aditya Nandy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Rimsha Mehmood
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Heather J. Kulik
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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37
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Rocha REO, Mariano DCB, Almeida TS, CorrêaCosta LS, Fischer PHC, Santos LH, Caffarena ER, da Silveira CH, Lamp LM, Fernandez-Quintero ML, Liedl KR, de Melo-Minardi RC, de Lima LHF. Thermostabilizing mechanisms of canonical single amino acid substitutions at a GH1 β-glucosidase probed by multiple MD and computational approaches. Proteins 2023; 91:218-236. [PMID: 36114781 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26424] [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: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
β-glucosidases play a pivotal role in second-generation biofuel (2G-biofuel) production. For this application, thermostable enzymes are essential due to the denaturing conditions on the bioreactors. Random amino acid substitutions have originated new thermostable β-glucosidases, but without a clear understanding of their molecular mechanisms. Here, we probe by different molecular dynamics simulation approaches with distinct force fields and submitting the results to various computational analyses, the molecular bases of the thermostabilization of the Paenibacillus polymyxa GH1 β-glucosidase by two-point mutations E96K (TR1) and M416I (TR2). Equilibrium molecular dynamic simulations (eMD) at different temperatures, principal component analysis (PCA), virtual docking, metadynamics (MetaDy), accelerated molecular dynamics (aMD), Poisson-Boltzmann surface analysis, grid inhomogeneous solvation theory and colony method estimation of conformational entropy allow to converge to the idea that the stabilization carried by both substitutions depend on different contributions of three classic mechanisms: (i) electrostatic surface stabilization; (ii) efficient isolation of the hydrophobic core from the solvent, with energetic advantages at the solvation cap; (iii) higher distribution of the protein dynamics at the mobile active site loops than at the protein core, with functional and entropic advantages. Mechanisms i and ii predominate for TR1, while in TR2, mechanism iii is dominant. Loop A integrity and loops A, C, D, and E dynamics play critical roles in such mechanisms. Comparison of the dynamic and topological changes observed between the thermostable mutants and the wildtype protein with amino acid co-evolutive networks and thermostabilizing hotspots from the literature allow inferring that the mechanisms here recovered can be related to the thermostability obtained by different substitutions along the whole family GH1. We hope the results and insights discussed here can be helpful for future rational approaches to the engineering of optimized β-glucosidases for 2G-biofuel production for industry, biotechnology, and science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Eduardo Oliveira Rocha
- Laboratory of Molecular Modelling and Bioinformatics (LAMMB), Department of Physical and Biological Sciences, Campus Sete Lagoas, Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Sete Lagoas, Brazil.,Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems (LBS), Department of Computer Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Diego César Batista Mariano
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems (LBS), Department of Computer Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Tiago Silva Almeida
- Laboratory of Molecular Modelling and Bioinformatics (LAMMB), Department of Physical and Biological Sciences, Campus Sete Lagoas, Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Sete Lagoas, Brazil
| | - Leon Sulfierry CorrêaCosta
- Laboratory of Molecular Modelling and Bioinformatics (LAMMB), Department of Physical and Biological Sciences, Campus Sete Lagoas, Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Sete Lagoas, Brazil.,Computational Modeling Coordination (COMOD), Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica (LNCC), Petrópolis, Brazil
| | - Pedro Henrique Camargo Fischer
- Laboratory of Molecular Modelling and Bioinformatics (LAMMB), Department of Physical and Biological Sciences, Campus Sete Lagoas, Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Sete Lagoas, Brazil
| | - Lucianna Helene Santos
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems (LBS), Department of Computer Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | | | - Leonida M Lamp
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, and Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine Innsbruck (CCB), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Monica Lisa Fernandez-Quintero
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, and Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine Innsbruck (CCB), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Klaus Roman Liedl
- Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, and Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine Innsbruck (CCB), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Raquel Cardoso de Melo-Minardi
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Systems (LBS), Department of Computer Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Henrique França de Lima
- Laboratory of Molecular Modelling and Bioinformatics (LAMMB), Department of Physical and Biological Sciences, Campus Sete Lagoas, Universidade Federal de São João Del Rei, Sete Lagoas, Brazil.,Institute of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, and Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine Innsbruck (CCB), University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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38
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Bubić A, Narczyk M, Petek A, Wojtyś MI, Maksymiuk W, Wielgus-Kutrowska B, Winiewska-Szajewska M, Pavkov-Keller T, Bertoša B, Štefanić Z, Luić M, Bzowska A, Leščić Ašler I. The pursuit of new alternative ways to eradicate Helicobacter pylori continues: Detailed characterization of interactions in the adenylosuccinate synthetase active site. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 226:37-50. [PMID: 36470440 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Purine nucleotide synthesis is realised only through the salvage pathway in pathogenic bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Therefore, the enzymes of this pathway, among them also the adenylosuccinate synthetase (AdSS), present potential new drug targets. This paper describes characterization of His6-tagged AdSS from H. pylori. Thorough analysis of 3D-structures of fully ligated AdSS (in a complex with guanosine diphosphate, 6-phosphoryl-inosine monophosphate, hadacidin and Mg2+) and AdSS in a complex with inosine monophosphate (IMP) only, enabled identification of active site interactions crucial for ligand binding and enzyme activity. Combination of experimental and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations data, particularly emphasized the importance of hydrogen bond Arg135-IMP for enzyme dimerization and active site formation. The synergistic effect of substrates (IMP and guanosine triphosphate) binding was suggested by MD simulations. Several flexible elements of the structure (loops) are stabilized by the presence of IMP alone, however loops comprising residues 287-293 and 40-44 occupy different positions in two solved H. pylori AdSS structures. MD simulations discovered the hydrogen bond network that stabilizes the closed conformation of the residues 40-50 loop, only in the presence of IMP. Presented findings provide a solid basis for the design of new AdSS inhibitors as potential drugs against H. pylori.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ante Bubić
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marta Narczyk
- Division of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ana Petek
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102A, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marta Ilona Wojtyś
- Division of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; Department of Bacterial Genetics, Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Weronika Maksymiuk
- Division of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Beata Wielgus-Kutrowska
- Division of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maria Winiewska-Szajewska
- Division of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tea Pavkov-Keller
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Humboldtstraße 50/III, 8010 Graz, Austria; BioTechMed-Graz, Mozartgasse 12/II, Graz 8010, Austria; BioHealth Field of Excellence, University of Graz, Humboldtstrasse 50, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Branimir Bertoša
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac 102A, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zoran Štefanić
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marija Luić
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Agnieszka Bzowska
- Division of Biophysics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Ivana Leščić Ašler
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
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Wangpaiboon K, Charoenwongpaiboon T, Klaewkla M, Field RA, Panpetch P. Cassava pullulanase and its synergistic debranching action with isoamylase 3 in starch catabolism. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1114215. [PMID: 36778707 PMCID: PMC9911869 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1114215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Pullulanase (EC 3.2.1.41, PUL), a debranching enzyme belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 13 subfamily 13, catalyses the cleavage of α-1,6 linkages of pullulan and β-limit dextrin. The present work studied PUL from cassava Manihot esculenta Crantz (MePUL) tubers, an important economic crop. The Mepul gene was successfully cloned and expressed in E. coli and rMePUL was biochemically characterised. MePUL was present as monomer and homodimer, as judged by apparent mass of ~ 84 - 197 kDa by gel permeation chromatography analysis. Optimal pH and temperature were at pH 6.0 and 50 °C, and enzyme activity was enhanced by the addition of Ca2+ ions. Pullulan is the most favourable substrate for rMePUL, followed by β-limit dextrin. Additionally, maltooligosaccharides were potential allosteric modulators of rMePUL. Interestingly, short-chain maltooligosaccharides (DP 2 - 4) were significantly revealed at a higher level when rMePUL was mixed with cassava isoamylase 3 (rMeISA3), compared to that of each single enzyme reaction. This suggests that MePUL and MeISA3 debranch β-limit dextrin in a synergistic manner, which represents a major starch catabolising process in dicots. Additionally, subcellular localisation suggested the involvement of MePUL in starch catabolism, which normally takes place in plastids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karan Wangpaiboon
- Center of Excellence in Structural and Computational Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Methus Klaewkla
- Center of Excellence in Structural and Computational Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Robert A. Field
- Department of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Pawinee Panpetch
- Center of Excellence in Structural and Computational Biology, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Molecular Crop, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
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40
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Zaccaria M, Dawson W, Russel Kish D, Reverberi M, Bonaccorsi di Patti MC, Domin M, Cristiglio V, Chan B, Dellafiora L, Gabel F, Nakajima T, Genovese L, Momeni B. Experimental-theoretical study of laccase as a detoxifier of aflatoxins. Sci Rep 2023; 13:860. [PMID: 36650163 PMCID: PMC9845376 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27519-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigate laccase-mediated detoxification of aflatoxins, fungal carcinogenic food contaminants. Our experimental comparison between two aflatoxins with similar structures (AFB1 and AFG2) shows significant differences in laccase-mediated detoxification. A multi-scale modeling approach (Docking, Molecular Dynamics, and Density Functional Theory) identifies the highly substrate-specific changes required to improve laccase detoxifying performance. We employ a large-scale density functional theory-based approach, involving more than 7000 atoms, to identify the amino acid residues that determine the affinity of laccase for aflatoxins. From this study we conclude: (1) AFB1 is more challenging to degrade, to the point of complete degradation stalling; (2) AFG2 is easier to degrade by laccase due to its lack of side products and favorable binding dynamics; and (3) ample opportunities to optimize laccase for aflatoxin degradation exist, especially via mutations leading to π-π stacking. This study identifies a way to optimize laccase for aflatoxin bioremediation and, more generally, contributes to the research efforts aimed at rational enzyme optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Zaccaria
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | - William Dawson
- RIKEN Center for Computational Science, Kobe, 6500047, Japan
| | | | - Massimo Reverberi
- Department of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Marek Domin
- Department of Chemistry, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA
| | | | - Bun Chan
- RIKEN Center for Computational Science, Kobe, 6500047, Japan.,Graduate School of Engineering, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, 8528521, Japan
| | - Luca Dellafiora
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Frank Gabel
- CEA/CNRS/IBS, University Grenoble Alpes, 38044, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Luigi Genovese
- CEA/INAC-MEM/L-Sim, University Grenoble Alpes, 38044, Grenoble, France
| | - Babak Momeni
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
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41
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Shi M, Zhou Y, Wei H, Zhang X, Du M, Zhou Y, Yin Y, Li X, Tang X, Sun L, Xu D, Li X. Interactions between curcumin and human salt-induced kinase 3 elucidated from computational tools and experimental methods. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1116098. [PMID: 37124223 PMCID: PMC10133576 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1116098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural products are widely used for treating mitochondrial dysfunction-related diseases and cancers. Curcumin, a well-known natural product, can be potentially used to treat cancer. Human salt-induced kinase 3 (SIK3) is one of the target proteins for curcumin. However, the interactions between curcumin and human SIK3 have not yet been investigated in detail. In this study, we studied the binding models for the interactions between curcumin and human SIK3 using computational tools such as homology modeling, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and binding free energy calculations. The open activity loop conformation of SIK3 with the ketoenol form of curcumin was the optimal binding model. The I72, V80, A93, Y144, A145, and L195 residues played a key role for curcumin binding with human SIK3. The interactions between curcumin and human SIK3 were also investigated using the kinase assay. Moreover, curcumin exhibited an IC50 (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) value of 131 nM, and it showed significant antiproliferative activities of 9.62 ± 0.33 µM and 72.37 ± 0.37 µM against the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-23 cell lines, respectively. This study provides detailed information on the binding of curcumin with human SIK3 and may facilitate the design of novel salt-inducible kinases inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingsong Shi
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, Sichuan, China
| | - Yan Zhou
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, Sichuan, China
| | - Haoche Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy/Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Meng Du
- College of Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yanting Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Basic Pharmacology of Ministry of Education and Joint International Research Laboratory of Ethnocentric of Ministry of Education, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou, China
| | - Yuan Yin
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, Sichuan, China
| | - Xinghui Li
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xinyi Tang
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Liang Sun
- Shenzhen Shuli Tech Co., Ltd, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Dingguo Xu
- College of Chemistry, MOE Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Research Center for Material Genome Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- *Correspondence: Dingguo Xu, ; Xiaoan Li,
| | - Xiaoan Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation, Mianyang Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Mianyang, Sichuan, China
- *Correspondence: Dingguo Xu, ; Xiaoan Li,
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42
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Klaewkla M, Prousoontorn J, Charoenwongpaiboon T. A theoretical study on binding and stabilization of galactose and novel galactose analogues to the human α-galactosidase A variant causing Fabry disease. Biophys Chem 2023; 292:106915. [PMID: 36334502 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2022.106915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A) catalyzes the hydrolysis of terminal α-galactosyl moieties from globotriaosylceramide, and mutations in this enzyme lead to the lipid metabolism disorder "Fabry disease". Mutation in α-Gal A possibly causes the protein misfolding, which reduces catalytic activity and stability of the enzyme. A recent study demonstrated that the binding of galactose on the α-Gal A catalytic site significantly increases its stability. Herein, the effect of mutation on secondary structure, structural energy, and galactose affinity of α-Gal A (wild type and A143T variant) was investigated using molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations based on MM/GBSA method. The results showed that A143T mutation caused the formation of unusual H-bonds that induced the change in secondary structure and binding affinities toward galactose. The amino acid residues involved in galactose binding were identified. The molecular binding mechanism obtained from this study could be helpful for optimizations and designs of new galactose analogs as pharmacological chaperones against Fabry disease.
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43
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Onufriev AV. Biologically relevant small variations of intra-cellular pH can have significant effect on stability of protein-DNA complexes, including the nucleosome. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1067787. [PMID: 37143824 PMCID: PMC10151541 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1067787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Stability of a protein-ligand complex may be sensitive to pH of its environment. Here we explore, computationally, stability of a set of protein-nucleic acid complexes using fundamental thermodynamic linkage relationship. The nucleosome, as well as an essentially random selection of 20 protein complexes with DNA or RNA, are included in the analysis. An increase in intra-cellular/intra-nuclear pH destabilizes most complexes, including the nucleosome. We propose to quantify the effect by ΔΔG0.3-the change in the binding free energy due to pH increase of 0.3 units, corresponding to doubling of the H + activity; variations of pH of this amplitude can occur in living cells, including in the course of the cell cycle, and in cancer cells relative to normal ones. We suggest, based on relevant experimental findings, a threshold of biological significance of 1 2 k B T ( ∼ 0.3 k c a l / m o l ) for changes of stability of chromatin-related protein-DNA complexes: a change in the binding affinity above the threshold may have biological consequences. We find that for 70% of the examined complexes, Δ Δ G 0.3 > 1 2 k B T (for 10%, ΔΔG0.3 is between 3 and 4 k B T). Thus, small but relevant variations of intra-nuclear pH of 0.3 may have biological consequences for many protein-nucleic acid complexes. The binding affinity between the histone octamer and its DNA, which directly affects the DNA accessibility in the nucleosome, is predicted to be highly sensitive to intra-nuclear pH. A variation of 0.3 units results in ΔΔG0.3 ∼ 10k B T ( ∼ 6 k c a l / m o l ) ; for spontaneous unwrapping of 20 bp long entry/exit fragments of the nucleosomal DNA, ΔΔG0.3 = 2.2k B T; partial disassembly of the nucleosome into the tetrasome is characterized by ΔΔG0.3 = 5.2k B T. The predicted pH -induced modulations of the nucleosome stability are significant enough to suggest that they may have consequences relevant to the biological function of the nucleosome. Accessibility of the nucleosomal DNA is predicted to positively correlate with pH variations during the cell cycle; an increase in intra-cellular pH seen in cancer cells is predicted to lead to a more accessible nucleosomal DNA; a drop in pH associated with apoptosis is predicted to make nucleosomal DNA less accessible. We speculate that processes that depend on accessibility to the DNA in the nucleosomes, such as transcription or DNA replication, might become upregulated due to relatively small, but nevertheless realistic increases of intra-nuclear pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey V. Onufriev
- Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- Center from Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
- *Correspondence: Alexey V. Onufriev,
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44
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FANANİ A, KURNİATİN PA, WAHYUDİ ST, NURCHOLİS W, AMBARSARİ L. Molecular Dynamics Simulation of E412 Catalytic Residue Mutation of GOx-IPBCC. JOURNAL OF THE TURKISH CHEMICAL SOCIETY, SECTION A: CHEMISTRY 2022. [DOI: 10.18596/jotcsa.1088587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The enzyme glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger has a homodimeric structure, consisting of two identical subunits with a molecular weight of 150,000 Daltons. In this study, we used the structure of the enzyme glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger IPBCC.08.610 (GOx-IPBCC), this enzyme had a total activity of 92.87 U (μmol/min) and a Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) of 2.9 mM (millimolar). This study was conducted to predict the molecular dynamics of E412 (Glu412) residue catalytic mutation belonging to the GOx-IPBCC enzyme was determine the effect of changes in the catalytic residue on substrate binding (β-D-glucose). The results of molecular docking of 19 mutant structures, six E412 mutant homologous structures were selected (E412C, E412K, E412Q, E412T, E412, E412V, and E412W), which were evaluated using molecular dynamics simulation for 50 ns. The results showed a decrease in ∆G values in two mutant structures is E412C and E412T, and there is one mutant structure that increased ∆G values, namely E412W, these three mutant structures showed the best stability, bond interaction, and salt bridge profile according to molecular dynamics simulation.
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45
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Lv N, Cao Z. RBD spatial orientation of the spike protein and its binding to ACE2: insight into the high infectivity of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant from MD simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:24155-24165. [PMID: 36168828 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp03425e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The spike glycoprotein on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 envelope plays an important role in its invasion into host cells. The binding of the spike glycoprotein RBD to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor as a critical step in the spread of the virus has been explored intensively since the outbreak of COVID-19, but the high transmissibility of the virus such as the Delta variant is still not fully understood. Here, molecular simulations on the binding interactions of the wild-type spike protein and its four variants (Beta, Kappa, Delta, and Mu) with ACE2 and the antibody were performed, and the present results reveal that the residue mutations will not strengthen the binding affinity of the variant for ACE2, but remarkably influences the spatial orientation of the spike protein. Only the up-right conformational receptor binding domain (RBD) can bind ACE2, which is stabilized by the nearby RBDs in the down state, revealing that the RBD bears dual functional characteristics. The present results provide new insights into plausible mechanisms for high infectivity of the virus variants and their immune escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 360015, P. R. China.
| | - Zexing Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 360015, P. R. China.
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46
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Wilson RH, Chatterjee S, Smithwick ER, Dalluge JJ, Bhagi-Damodaran A. Role of Secondary Coordination Sphere Residues in Halogenation Catalysis of Non-heme Iron Enzymes. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c00954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Hunter Wilson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Sourav Chatterjee
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Elizabeth R. Smithwick
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Joseph J. Dalluge
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Ambika Bhagi-Damodaran
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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47
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López-Peña I, Lee CT, Rivera JJ, Kim JE. Role of the Triplet State and Protein Dynamics in the Formation and Stability of the Tryptophan Radical in an Apoazurin Mutant. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:6751-6761. [PMID: 35977067 PMCID: PMC9483921 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c02441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The protein, azurin,
has enabled the study of the tryptophan radical.
Upon UV excitation of tyrosine-deficient apoazurin and in the presence
of a Co(III) electron acceptor, the neutral radical (W48•)
is formed. The lifetime of W48• in apoazurin is 41 s, which
is shorter than the lifetime of several hours in Zn-substituted azurin.
Molecular dynamics simulations revealed enhanced fluctuations of apoazurin
which likely destabilize W48•. The photophysics of W48 was
investigated to probe the precursor state for ET. The phosphorescence
intensity was eliminated in the presence of an electron acceptor while
the fluorescence was unchanged; this quenching of the phosphorescence
is attributed to ET. The kinetics associated with W48• were
examined with a model that incorporates intersystem crossing, ET,
deprotonation, and decay of the cation radical. The estimated rate
constants for ET (6 × 106 s–1) and
deprotonation (3 × 105 s–1) are
in agreement with a photoinduced mechanism where W48• is derived
from the triplet state. The triplet as the precursor state for ET
was supported by photolysis of apoazurin with 280 nm in the absence
and presence of triplet-absorbing 405 nm light. Absorption bands from
the neutral radical were observed only in the presence of blue light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio López-Peña
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Christopher T Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Joel J Rivera
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Judy E Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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48
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McCord JJ, Engavale M, Masoumzadeh E, Villarreal J, Mapp B, Latham MP, Keyel PA, Sutton RB. Structural features of Dnase1L3 responsible for serum antigen clearance. Commun Biol 2022; 5:825. [PMID: 35974043 PMCID: PMC9381713 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03755-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Autoimmunity develops when extracellular DNA released from dying cells is not cleared from serum. While serum DNA is primarily digested by Dnase1 and Dnase1L3, Dnase1 cannot rescue autoimmunity arising from Dnase1L3 deficiencies. Dnase1L3 uniquely degrades antigenic forms of cell-free DNA, including DNA complexed with lipids and proteins. The distinct activity of Dnase1L3 relies on its unique C-terminal Domain (CTD), but the mechanism is unknown. We used multiple biophysical techniques and functional assays to study the interplay between the core catalytic domain and the CTD. While the core domain resembles Dnase1, there are key structural differences between the two enzymes. First, Dnase1L3 is not inhibited by actin due to multiple differences in the actin recognition site. Second, the CTD augments the ability of the core to bind DNA, thereby facilitating the degradation of complexed DNA. Together, these structural insights will inform the development of Dnase1L3-based therapies for autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon J McCord
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Dept of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Minal Engavale
- Texas Tech University, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Elahe Masoumzadeh
- Texas Tech University, Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Johanna Villarreal
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Dept of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Britney Mapp
- Texas Tech University, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Michael P Latham
- Texas Tech University, Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Peter A Keyel
- Texas Tech University, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - R Bryan Sutton
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Dept of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Lubbock, TX, USA.
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Hloušek-Kasun A, Mikolčević P, Rack JGM, Tromans-Coia C, Schuller M, Jankevicius G, Matković M, Bertoša B, Ahel I, Mikoč A. Streptomyces coelicolor macrodomain hydrolase SCO6735 cleaves thymidine-linked ADP-ribosylation of DNA. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:4337-4350. [PMID: 36051881 PMCID: PMC9411070 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
ADP-ribosylation is an ancient, highly conserved, and reversible covalent modification critical for a variety of endogenous processes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. ADP-ribosylation targets proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules (including antibiotics). ADP-ribosylation signalling involves enzymes that add ADP-ribose to the target molecule, the (ADP-ribosyl)transferases; and those that remove it, the (ADP-ribosyl)hydrolases. Recently, the toxin/antitoxin pair DarT/DarG composed of a DNA ADP-ribosylating toxin, DarT, and (ADP-ribosyl)hydrolase antitoxin, DarG, was described. DarT modifies thymidine in single-stranded DNA in a sequence-specific manner while DarG reverses this modification, thereby rescuing cells from DarT toxicity. We studied the DarG homologue SCO6735 which is highly conserved in all Streptomyces species and known to be associated with antibiotic production in the bacterium S. coelicolor. SCO6735 shares a high structural similarity with the bacterial DarG and human TARG1. Like DarG and TARG1, SCO6735 can also readily reverse thymidine-linked ADP-ribosylation catalysed by DarT in vitro and in cells. SCO6735 active site analysis including molecular dynamic simulations of its complex with ADP-ribosylated thymidine suggests a novel catalytic mechanism of DNA-(ADP-ribose) hydrolysis. Moreover, a comparison of SCO6735 structure with ALC1-like homologues revealed an evolutionarily conserved feature characteristic for this subclass of macrodomain hydrolases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Petra Mikolčević
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | | | - Marion Schuller
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Gytis Jankevicius
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Marija Matković
- Division of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Branimir Bertoša
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivan Ahel
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Andreja Mikoč
- Division of Molecular Biology, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
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Exploration of Diazaspiro Cores as Piperazine Bioisosteres in the Development of σ2 Receptor Ligands. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158259. [PMID: 35897835 PMCID: PMC9332756 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
A series of σ2R compounds containing benzimidazolone and diazacycloalkane cores was synthesized and evaluated in radioligand binding assays. Replacing the piperazine moiety in a lead compound with diazaspiroalkanes and the fused octahydropyrrolo[3,4-b] pyrrole ring system resulted in a loss in affinity for the σ2R. On the other hand, the bridged 2,5-diazabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane, 1,4-diazepine, and a 3-aminoazetidine analog possessed nanomolar affinities for the σ2R. Computational chemistry studies were also conducted with the recently published crystal structure of the σ2R/TMEM97 and revealed that hydrogen bond interactions with ASP29 and π-stacking interactions with TYR150 were largely responsible for the high binding affinity of small molecules to this protein.
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