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Ghosh D, Biswas A, Radhakrishna M. Advanced computational approaches to understand protein aggregation. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2024; 5:021302. [PMID: 38681860 PMCID: PMC11045254 DOI: 10.1063/5.0180691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Protein aggregation is a widespread phenomenon implicated in debilitating diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and cataracts, presenting complex hurdles for the field of molecular biology. In this review, we explore the evolving realm of computational methods and bioinformatics tools that have revolutionized our comprehension of protein aggregation. Beginning with a discussion of the multifaceted challenges associated with understanding this process and emphasizing the critical need for precise predictive tools, we highlight how computational techniques have become indispensable for understanding protein aggregation. We focus on molecular simulations, notably molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, spanning from atomistic to coarse-grained levels, which have emerged as pivotal tools in unraveling the complex dynamics governing protein aggregation in diseases such as cataracts, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's. MD simulations provide microscopic insights into protein interactions and the subtleties of aggregation pathways, with advanced techniques like replica exchange molecular dynamics, Metadynamics (MetaD), and umbrella sampling enhancing our understanding by probing intricate energy landscapes and transition states. We delve into specific applications of MD simulations, elucidating the chaperone mechanism underlying cataract formation using Markov state modeling and the intricate pathways and interactions driving the toxic aggregate formation in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Transitioning we highlight how computational techniques, including bioinformatics, sequence analysis, structural data, machine learning algorithms, and artificial intelligence have become indispensable for predicting protein aggregation propensity and locating aggregation-prone regions within protein sequences. Throughout our exploration, we underscore the symbiotic relationship between computational approaches and empirical data, which has paved the way for potential therapeutic strategies against protein aggregation-related diseases. In conclusion, this review offers a comprehensive overview of advanced computational methodologies and bioinformatics tools that have catalyzed breakthroughs in unraveling the molecular basis of protein aggregation, with significant implications for clinical interventions, standing at the intersection of computational biology and experimental research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepshikha Ghosh
- Department of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Anushka Biswas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gujarat 382355, India
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Theoretical and computational advances in protein misfolding. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2020; 118:1-31. [PMID: 31928722 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2019.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Misfolded proteins escape the cellular quality control mechanism and fail to fold properly or remain correctly folded leading to a loss in their functional specificity. Thus misfolding of proteins cause a large number of very different diseases ranging from errors in metabolism to various types of complex neurodegenerative diseases. A theoretical and computational perspective of protein misfolding is presented with a special emphasis on its salient features, mechanism and consequences. These insights quantitatively analyze different determinants of misfolding, that may be applied to design disease specific molecular targets.
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Kim B, Do TD, Hayden EY, Teplow DB, Bowers MT, Shea JE. Aggregation of Chameleon Peptides: Implications of α-Helicity in Fibril Formation. J Phys Chem B 2016; 120:5874-83. [PMID: 27001160 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b00830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We investigate the relationship between the inherent secondary structure and aggregation propensity of peptides containing chameleon sequences (i.e., sequences that can adopt either α or β structure depending on context) using a combination of replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations, ion-mobility mass spectrometry, circular dichroism, and transmission electron microscopy. We focus on an eight-residue long chameleon sequence that can adopt an α-helical structure in the context of the iron-binding protein from Bacillus anthracis (PDB id 1JIG ) and a β-strand in the context of the baculovirus P35 protein (PDB id 1P35 ). We show that the isolated chameleon sequence is intrinsically disordered, interconverting between α-helical and β-rich conformations. The inherent conformational plasticity of the sequence can be constrained by addition of flanking residues with a given secondary structure propensity. Intriguingly, we show that the chameleon sequence with helical flanking residues aggregates rapidly into fibrils, whereas the chameleon sequence with flanking residues that favor β-conformations has weak aggregation propensity. This work sheds new insights into the possible role of α-helical intermediates in fibril formation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eric Y Hayden
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research at UCLA, and Brain Research Institute and Molecular Biology Institute, University of California , 635 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - David B Teplow
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research at UCLA, and Brain Research Institute and Molecular Biology Institute, University of California , 635 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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Conformational behavior of polyalanine peptides with and without protecting groups of varying chain lengths: population of PP-II structure! J Mol Model 2015; 21:123. [PMID: 25903302 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-015-2671-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD), a polyalanine myopathy, occurs due to expansion of homo-polyalanine stretch in normal polyadenylating binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1) protein from Ala10 to Ala11-17. Therefore, the conformational behavior of polyalanine peptides with n = 10-17, with and without terminal protecting groups, have been investigated with different starting geometries in water by molecular dynamics simulation studies. Alanine peptides are shown to give rise to unordered structure irrespective of starting geometry and not more than two residues at a stretch have the same/similar set of φ, ψ values. However, the final structure with terminal protecting groups look like β-strand. Unprotected poly-Ala peptides adopt twisted β-hairpin/multi hairpin like structure with increasing chain length. The number of residues having φ, ψ values in collagen region is found to be less in peptides with unprotected termini as compared to peptides with protected termini of same chain length. The results have been supported by recent synchrotron radiation circular dichroism spectroscopy of polyproline II and unordered secondary structures. Opening of the helical structure in poly-Ala peptides with protecting groups has been shown to take place from C-terminal and in peptides without protecting groups opening of helix starts from both terminals. Further, opening of helix takes more time in poly-Ala peptides without terminal protecting groups. The deviations in amide bond planarity have been discussed and compared with available experimental and computational results.
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Morriss-Andrews A, Shea JE. Computational Studies of Protein Aggregation: Methods and Applications. Annu Rev Phys Chem 2015; 66:643-66. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-040513-103738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Joan-Emma Shea
- Department of Physics and
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106;
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Iannuzzi C, Irace G, Sirangelo I. The effect of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) on amyloid aggregation and toxicity. Molecules 2015; 20:2510-28. [PMID: 25648594 PMCID: PMC6272481 DOI: 10.3390/molecules20022510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloidosis is a protein folding disorder in which normally soluble proteins are deposited extracellularly as insoluble fibrils, impairing tissue structure and function. Charged polyelectrolytes such as glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are frequently found associated with the proteinaceous deposits in tissues of patients affected by amyloid diseases. Experimental evidence indicate that they can play an active role in favoring amyloid fibril formation and stabilization. Binding of GAGs to amyloid fibrils occurs mainly through electrostatic interactions involving the negative polyelectrolyte charges and positively charged side chains residues of aggregating protein. Similarly to catalyst for reactions, GAGs favor aggregation, nucleation and amyloid fibril formation functioning as a structural templates for the self-assembly of highly cytotoxic oligomeric precursors, rich in β-sheets, into harmless amyloid fibrils. Moreover, the GAGs amyloid promoting activity can be facilitated through specific interactions via consensus binding sites between amyloid polypeptide and GAGs molecules. We review the effect of GAGs on amyloid deposition as well as proteins not strictly related to diseases. In addition, we consider the potential of the GAGs therapy in amyloidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Iannuzzi
- Dipartimento di Biochimica, Biofisica e Patologia Generale, Seconda Università di Napoli, Via L. De Crecchio 7, Napoli 80138, Italy.
| | - Gaetano Irace
- Dipartimento di Biochimica, Biofisica e Patologia Generale, Seconda Università di Napoli, Via L. De Crecchio 7, Napoli 80138, Italy.
| | - Ivana Sirangelo
- Dipartimento di Biochimica, Biofisica e Patologia Generale, Seconda Università di Napoli, Via L. De Crecchio 7, Napoli 80138, Italy.
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Ni R, Kleijn JM, Abeln S, Cohen Stuart MA, Bolhuis PG. Competition between surface adsorption and folding of fibril-forming polypeptides. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2015; 91:022711. [PMID: 25768535 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.91.022711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembly of polypeptides into fibrillar structures can be initiated by planar surfaces that interact favorably with certain residues. Using a coarse-grained model, we systematically studied the folding and adsorption behavior of a β-roll forming polypeptide. We find that there are two different folding pathways depending on the temperature: (i) at low temperature, the polypeptide folds in solution into a β-roll before adsorbing onto the attractive surface; (ii) at higher temperature, the polypeptide first adsorbs in a disordered state and folds while on the surface. The folding temperature increases with increasing attraction as the folded β-roll is stabilized by the surface. Surprisingly, further increasing the attraction lowers the folding temperature again, as strong attraction also stabilizes the adsorbed disordered state, which competes with folding of the polypeptide. Our results suggest that to enhance the folding, one should use a weakly attractive surface. They also explain the recent experimental observation of the nonmonotonic effect of charge on the fibril formation on an oppositely charged surface [C. Charbonneau et al., ACS Nano 8, 2328 (2014)].
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Ni
- Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Colloid Science, Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 6, 6703 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - J Mieke Kleijn
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Colloid Science, Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 6, 6703 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sanne Abeln
- Centre for Integrative Bioinformatics (IBIVU), Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1081A, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Martien A Cohen Stuart
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Colloid Science, Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 6, 6703 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter G Bolhuis
- Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Involvement of non-polyalanine (polyA) residues in aggregation of polyA proteins: Clue for inhibition of aggregation. Comput Biol Chem 2014; 53PB:318-323. [PMID: 25462338 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2014.11.003] [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: 05/01/2014] [Revised: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Presence of polyalanine (polyA) stretches in some proteins is found to be associated with their aggregation, which causes disorders in various developmental processes. In this work, inherent propensities towards aggregation of some residues, which are not part of the polyA stretches, have been identified by using the primary sequences of seven polyA proteins with the help of Betascan, PASTA and Tango programs and explored unambiguously. This provides a basis for proposing molecular mechanism of this type of aggregation. Reported suppression of aggregation of polyA proteins by chaperones like HSP40 and HSP70 is substantiated through molecular docking. The hydrophobic residues of identified aggregating region are found to be interacting with hydrophobic surface of chaperones. This suggests a crucial clue for possible way to inhibit the aggregation of such proteins.
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Morriss-Andrews A, Brown FLH, Shea JE. A coarse-grained model for peptide aggregation on a membrane surface. J Phys Chem B 2014; 118:8420-32. [PMID: 24791936 DOI: 10.1021/jp502871m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The aggregation of peptides on a lipid bilayer is studied using coarse-grained molecular dynamics in implicit solvent. Peptides bind to and self-assemble on the membrane surface into β-rich fibrillar aggregates, even under conditions where only disordered oligomers form in bulk solution. Relative to a solid surface, the membrane surface facilitates peptide mobility and a more complex network of morphology transitions as aggregation proceeds. Additionally, final aggregate structures realized on the membrane surface are distinct from those observed on a comparable solid surface. The aggregated fibrils alter the local structure and material properties of the lipid bilayer in their immediate vicinity but have only a modest effect on the overall bending rigidity of the bilayer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Morriss-Andrews
- Department of Physics, University of California Santa Barbara , Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
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Reichheld SE, Muiznieks LD, Stahl R, Simonetti K, Sharpe S, Keeley FW. Conformational transitions of the cross-linking domains of elastin during self-assembly. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:10057-68. [PMID: 24550393 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.533893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Elastin is the intrinsically disordered polymeric protein imparting the exceptional properties of extension and elastic recoil to the extracellular matrix of most vertebrates. The monomeric precursor of elastin, tropoelastin, as well as polypeptides containing smaller subsets of the tropoelastin sequence, can self-assemble through a colloidal phase separation process called coacervation. Present understanding suggests that self-assembly is promoted by association of hydrophobic domains contained within the tropoelastin sequence, whereas polymerization is achieved by covalent joining of lysine side chains within distinct alanine-rich, α-helical cross-linking domains. In this study, model elastin polypeptides were used to determine the structure of cross-linking domains during the assembly process and the effect of sequence alterations in these domains on assembly and structure. CD temperature melts indicated that partial α-helical structure in cross-linking domains at lower temperatures was absent at physiological temperature. Solid-state NMR demonstrated that β-strand structure of the cross-linking domains dominated in the coacervate state, although α-helix was predominant after subsequent cross-linking of lysine side chains with genipin. Mutation of lysine residues to hydrophobic amino acids, tyrosine or alanine, leads to increased propensity for β-structure and the formation of amyloid-like fibrils, characterized by thioflavin-T binding and transmission electron microscopy. These findings indicate that cross-linking domains are structurally labile during assembly, adapting to changes in their environment and aggregated state. Furthermore, the sequence of cross-linking domains has a dramatic effect on self-assembly properties of elastin-like polypeptides, and the presence of lysine residues in these domains may serve to prevent inappropriate ordered aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean E Reichheld
- From the Molecular Structure and Function Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8 and
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Ni R, Abeln S, Schor M, Cohen Stuart MA, Bolhuis PG. Interplay between folding and assembly of fibril-forming polypeptides. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2013; 111:058101. [PMID: 23952447 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.111.058101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Polypeptides can self-assemble into hierarchically organized fibrils consisting of a stack of individually folded polypeptides driven together by hydrophobic interaction. Using a coarse-grained model, we systematically studied this self-assembly as a function of temperature and hydrophobicity of the residues on the outside of the building block. We find the self-assembly can occur via two different pathways-a random aggregation-folding route and a templated-folding process-thus indicating a strong coupling between folding and assembly. The simulation results can explain experimental evidence that assembly through stacking of folded building blocks is rarely observed, at the experimental concentrations. The model thus provides a generic picture of hierarchical fibril formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Ni
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Colloid Science, Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 6, 6703 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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