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Dhayalan B, Chatterjee D, Chen YS, Weiss MA. Structural Lessons From the Mutant Proinsulin Syndrome. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:754693. [PMID: 34659132 PMCID: PMC8514764 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.754693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Insight into folding mechanisms of proinsulin has been provided by analysis of dominant diabetes-associated mutations in the human insulin gene (INS). Such mutations cause pancreatic β-cell dysfunction due to toxic misfolding of a mutant proinsulin and impairment in trans of wild-type insulin secretion. Anticipated by the "Akita" mouse (a classical model of monogenic diabetes mellitus; DM), this syndrome illustrates the paradigm endoreticulum (ER) stress leading to intracellular proteotoxicity. Diverse clinical mutations directly or indirectly perturb native disulfide pairing leading to protein misfolding and aberrant aggregation. Although most introduce or remove a cysteine (Cys; leading in either case to an unpaired thiol group), non-Cys-related mutations identify key determinants of folding efficiency. Studies of such mutations suggest that the hormone's evolution has been constrained not only by structure-function relationships, but also by the susceptibility of its single-chain precursor to impaired foldability. An intriguing hypothesis posits that INS overexpression in response to peripheral insulin resistance likewise leads to chronic ER stress and β-cell dysfunction in the natural history of non-syndromic Type 2 DM. Cryptic contributions of conserved residues to folding efficiency, as uncovered by rare genetic variants, define molecular links between biophysical principles and the emerging paradigm of Darwinian medicine: Biosynthesis of proinsulin at the edge of non-foldability provides a key determinant of "diabesity" as a pandemic disease of civilization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michael A. Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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2
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Dhayalan B, Chatterjee D, Chen YS, Weiss MA. Diabetes mellitus due to toxic misfolding of proinsulin variants. Mol Metab 2021:101229. [PMID: 33823319 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dominant mutations in the human insulin gene (INS) lead to pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and diabetes mellitus (DM) due to toxic misfolding of a mutant proinsulin. Analogous to a classical mouse model of monogenic DM ("Akita"), this syndrome highlights the susceptibility of β-cells to endoreticulum (ER) stress due to protein misfolding and aberrant aggregation. SCOPE OF REVIEW Diverse clinical mutations directly or indirectly perturb native disulfide pairing. Whereas most introduce or remove a cysteine (Cys; leading in either case to an unpaired thiol group), non-Cys-related mutations identify key determinants of folding efficiency. Studies of such mutations suggest that the hormone's evolution has been constrained not only by structure-function relationships but also by the susceptibility of its single-chain precursor to impaired foldability. An intriguing hypothesis posits that INS overexpression in response to peripheral insulin resistance likewise leads to chronic ER stress and β-cell dysfunction in the natural history of nonsyndromic Type 2 DM. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS Cryptic contributions of conserved residues to folding efficiency, as uncovered by rare genetic variants, define molecular links between biophysical principles and the emerging paradigm of Darwinian medicine: Biosynthesis of proinsulin at the edge of nonfoldability provides a key determinant of "diabesity" as a pandemic disease of civilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balamurugan Dhayalan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Deepak Chatterjee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Yen-Shan Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Michael A Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
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Rege NK, Liu M, Yang Y, Dhayalan B, Wickramasinghe NP, Chen YS, Rahimi L, Guo H, Haataja L, Sun J, Ismail-Beigi F, Phillips NB, Arvan P, Weiss MA. Evolution of insulin at the edge of foldability and its medical implications. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:29618-29628. [PMID: 33154160 PMCID: PMC7703552 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2010908117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteins have evolved to be foldable, and yet determinants of foldability may be inapparent once the native state is reached. Insight has emerged from studies of diseases of protein misfolding, exemplified by monogenic diabetes mellitus due to mutations in proinsulin leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress and β-cell death. Cellular foldability of human proinsulin requires an invariant Phe within a conserved crevice at the receptor-binding surface (position B24). Any substitution, even related aromatic residue TyrB24, impairs insulin biosynthesis and secretion. As a seeming paradox, a monomeric TyrB24 insulin analog exhibits a native-like structure in solution with only a modest decrement in stability. Packing of TyrB24 is similar to that of PheB24, adjoining core cystine B19-A20 to seal the core; the analog also exhibits native self-assembly. Although affinity for the insulin receptor is decreased ∼20-fold, biological activities in cells and rats were within the range of natural variation. Together, our findings suggest that the invariance of PheB24 among vertebrate insulins and insulin-like growth factors reflects an essential role in enabling efficient protein folding, trafficking, and secretion, a function that is inapparent in native structures. In particular, we envision that the para-hydroxyl group of TyrB24 hinders pairing of cystine B19-A20 in an obligatory on-pathway folding intermediate. The absence of genetic variation at B24 and other conserved sites near this disulfide bridge-excluded due to β-cell dysfunction-suggests that insulin has evolved to the edge of foldability. Nonrobustness of a protein's fitness landscape underlies both a rare monogenic syndrome and "diabesity" as a pandemic disease of civilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nischay K Rege
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, 300052 Tianjin, China
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
| | - Yanwu Yang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| | - Balamurugan Dhayalan
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| | | | - Yen-Shan Chen
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
| | - Leili Rahimi
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106
- Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106
| | - Huan Guo
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
| | - Leena Haataja
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
| | - Jinhong Sun
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
| | - Faramarz Ismail-Beigi
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106
- Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106
| | - Nelson B Phillips
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106
| | - Peter Arvan
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
| | - Michael A Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106;
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202
- Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106
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Arakawa T. Review on the Application of Mixed-mode Chromatography for Separation of Structure Isoforms. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2018; 20:56-60. [DOI: 10.2174/1389203718666171009111033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Proteins often generate structure isoforms naturally or artificially due to, for example, different glycosylation, disulfide scrambling, partial structure rearrangement, oligomer formation or chemical modification. The isoform formations are normally accompanied by alterations in charged state or hydrophobicity. Thus, isoforms can be fractionated by reverse-phase, hydrophobic interaction or ion exchange chromatography. We have applied mixed-mode chromatography for fractionation of isoforms for several model proteins and observed that cation exchange Capto MMC and anion exchange Capto adhere columns are effective in separating conformational isoforms and self-associated oligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsutomu Arakawa
- Alliance Protein Laboratories, A Division of KBI Biophama, 6042 Cornerstone Court West, San Diego, CA 92121, United States
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Liu M, Weiss MA, Arunagiri A, Yong J, Rege N, Sun J, Haataja L, Kaufman RJ, Arvan P. Biosynthesis, structure, and folding of the insulin precursor protein. Diabetes Obes Metab 2018; 20 Suppl 2:28-50. [PMID: 30230185 PMCID: PMC6463291 DOI: 10.1111/dom.13378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Insulin synthesis in pancreatic β-cells is initiated as preproinsulin. Prevailing glucose concentrations, which oscillate pre- and postprandially, exert major dynamic variation in preproinsulin biosynthesis. Accompanying upregulated translation of the insulin precursor includes elements of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) translocation apparatus linked to successful orientation of the signal peptide, translocation and signal peptide cleavage of preproinsulin-all of which are necessary to initiate the pathway of proper proinsulin folding. Evolutionary pressures on the primary structure of proinsulin itself have preserved the efficiency of folding ("foldability"), and remarkably, these evolutionary pressures are distinct from those protecting the ultimate biological activity of insulin. Proinsulin foldability is manifest in the ER, in which the local environment is designed to assist in the overall load of proinsulin folding and to favour its disulphide bond formation (while limiting misfolding), all of which is closely tuned to ER stress response pathways that have complex (beneficial, as well as potentially damaging) effects on pancreatic β-cells. Proinsulin misfolding may occur as a consequence of exuberant proinsulin biosynthetic load in the ER, proinsulin coding sequence mutations, or genetic predispositions that lead to an altered ER folding environment. Proinsulin misfolding is a phenotype that is very much linked to deficient insulin production and diabetes, as is seen in a variety of contexts: rodent models bearing proinsulin-misfolding mutants, human patients with Mutant INS-gene-induced Diabetes of Youth (MIDY), animal models and human patients bearing mutations in critical ER resident proteins, and, quite possibly, in more common variety type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Liu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China 300052
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor 48105 MI USA
| | - Michael A. Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202 IN USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Case-Western Reserve University, Cleveland 44016 OH USA
| | - Anoop Arunagiri
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor 48105 MI USA
| | - Jing Yong
- Degenerative Diseases Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92307 USA
| | - Nischay Rege
- Department of Biochemistry, Case-Western Reserve University, Cleveland 44016 OH USA
| | - Jinhong Sun
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China 300052
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor 48105 MI USA
| | - Leena Haataja
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor 48105 MI USA
| | - Randal J. Kaufman
- Degenerative Diseases Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92307 USA
| | - Peter Arvan
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor 48105 MI USA
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Arakawa T. Isoform Separation by a Mixed-mode Resin, TOYOPEARL MX-Trp-650M. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2017; 20:61-64. [PMID: 28990530 DOI: 10.2174/1389203718666171009111355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
TOYOPEARL particles are cross-linked hydroxylated methacrylic polymers available in different pore and particle sizes. They are conjugated with different ligands to generate ion-exchange, hydrophobic interaction and affinity resins. They have excellent physical and chemical properties. A mixed-mode resin, TOYOPEARL MX-Trp-650M, is made of this particle with tryptophan conjugated via N-terminal amino group and hence has both hydrophobic/aromatic side chain and carboxyl group. In this review, I will summarize the properties of the TOYOPEARL particles and MX-Trp-650M resin and application of this resin for purification of proteins and in some detail the separation of disulfide (SS)- scrambled oligomers of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). For this particular application, the intact IGF-1 was used to examine binding and elution conditions of TOYOSCREEN MX-Trp-650M column. Strong binding was obtained at pH 4.0, at which arginine, but not NaCl, resulted in elution. Both NaCl and arginine resulted in elution at pH 6.5. In addition, a pH gradient from 4.0 to 8.5 was effective. When applied to SS-scrambled IGF-1 oligomers, both pH and arginine gradient exhibited an efficient separation of the oligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsutomu Arakawa
- Alliance Protein Laboratories, A Division of KBI Biopharma, 6042 Cornerstone Court West, San Diego, CA 92121, United States
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Sun J, Cui J, He Q, Chen Z, Arvan P, Liu M. Proinsulin misfolding and endoplasmic reticulum stress during the development and progression of diabetes. Mol Aspects Med 2015; 42:105-18. [PMID: 25579745 PMCID: PMC4404191 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2015.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Revised: 12/31/2014] [Accepted: 01/02/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
To maintain copious insulin granule stores in the face of ongoing metabolic demand, pancreatic beta cells must produce large quantities of proinsulin, the insulin precursor. Proinsulin biosynthesis can account for up to 30-50% of total cellular protein synthesis of beta cells. This puts pressure on the beta cell secretory pathway, especially the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where proinsulin undergoes its initial folding, including the formation of three evolutionarily conserved disulfide bonds. In normal beta cells, up to 20% of newly synthesized proinsulin may fail to reach its native conformation, suggesting that proinsulin is a misfolding-prone protein. Misfolded proinsulin molecules can either be refolded to their native structure or degraded through ER associated degradation (ERAD) and autophagy. These degraded molecules decrease proinsulin yield but do not otherwise compromise beta cell function. However, under certain pathological conditions, proinsulin misfolding increases, exceeding the genetically determined threshold of beta cells to handle the misfolded protein load. This results in accumulation of misfolded proinsulin in the ER - a causal factor leading to beta cell failure and diabetes. In patients with Mutant INS-gene induced diabetes of Youth (MIDY), increased proinsulin misfolding due to insulin gene mutations is the primary defect operating as a "first hit" to beta cells. Additionally, increased proinsulin misfolding can be secondary to an unfavorable ER folding environment due to genetic and/or environmental factors. Under these conditions, increased wild-type proinsulin misfolding becomes a "second hit" to the ER and beta cells, aggravating beta cell failure and diabetes. In this article, we describe our current understanding of the normal proinsulin folding pathway in the ER, and then review existing links between proinsulin misfolding, ER dysfunction, and beta cell failure in the development and progression of type 2, type 1, and some monogenic forms of diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhong Sun
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| | - Jingqiu Cui
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Qing He
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Zheng Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130024, China
| | - Peter Arvan
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA.
| | - Ming Liu
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA; Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China.
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8
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Kumar A, Venkatesu P. The stability of insulin in the presence of short alkyl chain imidazolium-based ionic liquids. RSC Adv 2014. [DOI: 10.1039/c3ra44477e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
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9
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Diabetes mellitus due to the toxic misfolding of proinsulin variants. FEBS Lett 2013; 587:1942-50. [PMID: 23669362 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2013.04.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2013] [Revised: 04/29/2013] [Accepted: 04/30/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Dominant mutations in the human insulin gene can lead to pancreatic β-cell dysfunction and diabetes mellitus due to toxic folding of a mutant proinsulin. Analogous to a classical mouse model (the Akita mouse), this monogenic syndrome highlights the susceptibility of human β-cells to endoreticular stress due to protein misfolding and aberrant aggregation. The clinical mutations directly or indirectly perturb native disulfide pairing. Whereas the majority of mutations introduce or remove a cysteine (leading in either case to an unpaired residue), non-cysteine-related mutations identify key determinants of folding efficiency. Studies of such mutations suggest that the evolution of insulin has been constrained not only by its structure and function, but also by the susceptibility of its single-chain precursor to impaired foldability.
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10
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Konagaya S, Kato K, Nakaji-Hirabayashi T, Arima Y, Iwata H. Array-based functional screening of growth factors toward optimizing neural stem cell microenvironments. Biomaterials 2011; 32:5015-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.03.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2011] [Accepted: 03/28/2011] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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Abstract
Insulin is a hormone that is essential for regulating energy storage and glucose metabolism in the body. Insulin in liver, muscle, and fat tissues stimulates the cell to take up glucose from blood and store it as glycogen in liver and muscle. Failure of insulin control causes diabetes mellitus (DM). Insulin is the unique medicine to treat some forms of DM. The population of diabetics has dramatically increased over the past two decades, due to high absorption of carbohydrates (or fats and proteins), lack of physical exercise, and development of new diagnostic techniques. At present, the two largest developing countries (India and China) and the largest developed country (United States) represent the top three countries in terms of diabetic population. Insulin is a small protein, but contains almost all structural features typical of proteins: α-helix, β-sheet, β-turn, high order assembly, allosteric T®R-transition, and conformational changes in amyloidal fibrillation. More than ten years' efforts on studying insulin disulfide intermediates by NMR have enabled us to decipher the whole picture of insulin folding coupled to disulfide pairing, especially at the initial stage that forms the nascent peptide. Two structural switches are also known to regulate insulin binding to receptors and progress has been made to identify the residues involved in binding. However, resolving the complex structure of insulin and its receptor remains a challenge in insulin research. Nevertheless, the accumulated knowledge of insulin structure has allowed us to specifically design a new ultra-stable and active single-chain insulin analog (SCI-57), and provides a novel way to design super-stable, fast-acting and cheaper insulin formulations for DM patients. Continuing this long journey of insulin study will benefit basic research in proteins and in pharmaceutical therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxin Hua
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4935, USA.
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12
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Abstract
We have exploited a prandial insulin analog to elucidate the underlying structure and dynamics of insulin as a monomer in solution. A model was provided by insulin lispro (the active component of Humalog(®); Eli Lilly and Co.). Whereas NMR-based modeling recapitulated structural relationships of insulin crystals (T-state protomers), dynamic anomalies were revealed by amide-proton exchange kinetics in D(2)O. Surprisingly, the majority of hydrogen bonds observed in crystal structures are only transiently maintained in solution, including key T-state-specific inter-chain contacts. Long-lived hydrogen bonds (as defined by global exchange kinetics) exist only at a subset of four α-helical sites (two per chain) flanking an internal disulfide bridge (cystine A20-B19); these sites map within the proposed folding nucleus of proinsulin. The anomalous flexibility of insulin otherwise spans its active surface and may facilitate receptor binding. Because conformational fluctuations promote the degradation of pharmaceutical formulations, we envisage that "dynamic re-engineering" of insulin may enable design of ultra-stable formulations for humanitarian use in the developing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Xin Hua
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH, USA
| | - Wenhua Jia
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH, USA
| | - Michael A. Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH, USA
- *Correspondence: Michael A. Weiss, Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue – Wood W436, Cleveland, OH 44106-4935, USA. e-mail:
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Jiang N, Ma J. Influence of Disulfide Connectivity, Electrostatics, and Hydrophobicity on the Conformational Variations of α-Conotoxin GI Single-Disulfide Analogues: Simulations with Polarizable Force Field. J Phys Chem B 2010; 114:11241-50. [DOI: 10.1021/jp102844h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nan Jiang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Ma
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, People’s Republic of China
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14
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Sohma Y, Hua QX, Liu M, Phillips NB, Hu SQ, Whittaker J, Whittaker LJ, Ng A, Roberts CT, Arvan P, Kent SBH, Weiss MA. Contribution of residue B5 to the folding and function of insulin and IGF-I: constraints and fine-tuning in the evolution of a protein family. J Biol Chem 2009; 285:5040-55. [PMID: 19959476 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.062992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Proinsulin exhibits a single structure, whereas insulin-like growth factors refold as two disulfide isomers in equilibrium. Native insulin-related growth factor (IGF)-I has canonical cystines (A6-A11, A7-B7, and A20-B19) maintained by IGF-binding proteins; IGF-swap has alternative pairing (A7-A11, A6-B7, and A20-B19) and impaired activity. Studies of mini-domain models suggest that residue B5 (His in insulin and Thr in IGFs) governs the ambiguity or uniqueness of disulfide pairing. Residue B5, a site of mutation in proinsulin causing neonatal diabetes, is thus of broad biophysical interest. Here, we characterize reciprocal B5 substitutions in the two proteins. In insulin, His(B5) --> Thr markedly destabilizes the hormone (DeltaDeltaG(u) 2.0 +/- 0.2 kcal/mol), impairs chain combination, and blocks cellular secretion of proinsulin. The reciprocal IGF-I substitution Thr(B5) --> His (residue 4) specifies a unique structure with native (1)H NMR signature. Chemical shifts and nuclear Overhauser effects are similar to those of native IGF-I. Whereas wild-type IGF-I undergoes thiol-catalyzed disulfide exchange to yield IGF-swap, His(B5)-IGF-I retains canonical pairing. Chemical denaturation studies indicate that His(B5) does not significantly enhance thermodynamic stability (DeltaDeltaG(u) 0.2 +/- 0.2 kcal/mol), implying that the substitution favors canonical pairing by destabilizing competing folds. Whereas the activity of Thr(B5)-insulin is decreased 5-fold, His(B5)-IGF-I exhibits 2-fold increased affinity for the IGF receptor and augmented post-receptor signaling. We propose that conservation of Thr(B5) in IGF-I, rescued from structural ambiguity by IGF-binding proteins, reflects fine-tuning of signal transduction. In contrast, the conservation of His(B5) in insulin highlights its critical role in insulin biosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youhei Sohma
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
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Liu M, Wan ZL, Chu YC, Aladdin H, Klaproth B, Choquette M, Hua QX, Mackin RB, Rao JS, De Meyts P, Katsoyannis PG, Arvan P, Weiss MA. Crystal structure of a "nonfoldable" insulin: impaired folding efficiency despite native activity. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:35259-72. [PMID: 19850922 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.046888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein evolution is constrained by folding efficiency ("foldability") and the implicit threat of toxic misfolding. A model is provided by proinsulin, whose misfolding is associated with beta-cell dysfunction and diabetes mellitus. An insulin analogue containing a subtle core substitution (Leu(A16) --> Val) is biologically active, and its crystal structure recapitulates that of the wild-type protein. As a seeming paradox, however, Val(A16) blocks both insulin chain combination and the in vitro refolding of proinsulin. Disulfide pairing in mammalian cell culture is likewise inefficient, leading to misfolding, endoplasmic reticular stress, and proteosome-mediated degradation. Val(A16) destabilizes the native state and so presumably perturbs a partial fold that directs initial disulfide pairing. Substitutions elsewhere in the core similarly destabilize the native state but, unlike Val(A16), preserve folding efficiency. We propose that Leu(A16) stabilizes nonlocal interactions between nascent alpha-helices in the A- and B-domains to facilitate initial pairing of Cys(A20) and Cys(B19), thus surmounting their wide separation in sequence. Although Val(A16) is likely to destabilize this proto-core, its structural effects are mitigated once folding is achieved. Classical studies of insulin chain combination in vitro have illuminated the impact of off-pathway reactions on the efficiency of native disulfide pairing. The capability of a polypeptide sequence to fold within the endoplasmic reticulum may likewise be influenced by kinetic or thermodynamic partitioning among on- and off-pathway disulfide intermediates. The properties of [Val(A16)]insulin and [Val(A16)]proinsulin demonstrate that essential contributions of conserved residues to folding may be inapparent once the native state is achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Liu
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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16
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Abstract
Insulin plays a central role in the regulation of vertebrate metabolism. The hormone, the post-translational product of a single-chain precursor, is a globular protein containing two chains, A (21 residues) and B (30 residues). Recent advances in human genetics have identified dominant mutations in the insulin gene causing permanent neonatal-onset DM(2) (1-4). The mutations are predicted to block folding of the precursor in the ER of pancreatic beta-cells. Although expression of the wild-type allele would in other circumstances be sufficient to maintain homeostasis, studies of a corresponding mouse model (5-7) suggest that the misfolded variant perturbs wild-type biosynthesis (8, 9). Impaired beta-cell secretion is associated with ER stress, distorted organelle architecture, and cell death (10). These findings have renewed interest in insulin biosynthesis (11-13) and the structural basis of disulfide pairing (14-19). Protein evolution is constrained not only by structure and function but also by susceptibility to toxic misfolding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
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17
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Abstract
Crystal structures of insulin are remarkable for a long-range reorganization among three families of hexamers (designated T(6), T(3)R(3)(f), and R(6)). Although these structures are well characterized at atomic resolution, the biological implications of the TR transition remain the subject of speculation. Recent studies indicate that such allostery reflects a structural switch between distinct folding-competent and active conformations. Stereospecific modulation of this switch by corresponding d- and l-amino-acid substitutions yields reciprocal effects on protein stability and receptor-binding activity. Naturally occurring human mutations at the site of conformational change impair the folding of proinsulin and cause permanent neonatal-onset diabetes mellitus. The repertoire of classical structures thus foreshadows the conformational lifecycle of insulin in vivo. By highlighting the richness of information provided by protein crystallography-even in a biological realm far removed from conditions of crystallization-these findings validate the prescient insights of the late D. C. Hodgkin. Future studies of the receptor-bound structure of insulin may enable design of novel agonists for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
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18
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Sohma Y, Pentelute B, Whittaker J, Hua QX, Whittaker L, Weiss M, Kent S. Comparative Properties of Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) and [Gly7D-Ala]IGF-1 Prepared by Total Chemical Synthesis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2008; 47:1102-6. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.200703521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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19
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Sohma Y, Pentelute B, Whittaker J, Hua QX, Whittaker L, Weiss M, Kent S. Comparative Properties of Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) and [Gly7D-Ala]IGF-1 Prepared by Total Chemical Synthesis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2008. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.200703521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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20
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Abstract
Insulin and related proteins, which have been found not only in mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and cephalochordate, but also in mollusca, insects, and Caenorhabditis elegans, form a large protein family, the insulin superfamily. In comparing their amino acid sequences, a common sequence characteristic, the insulin structural motif, is found in all members of the superfamily. The structural motif is deduced to be the sequence basis of the identical disulfide linkages and similar three-dimensional structures of the superfamily. The insulin superfamily provides a series of disulfide-containing proteins for the studies of in vitro oxidative folding. The in vitro folding pathways of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), porcine insulin precursor (PIP), human proinsulin, and Amphioxus insulin-like peptide (AILP) have been established by capture and analysis of the folding intermediates during their in vitro oxidative folding process. The family also provides an excellent system for study of the sequence structure relation: insulin and IGF-1 share high amino acid sequence homology, but they have evolved different folding behaviors. The sequence determinants of their different folding behaviors have been revealed by analyzing the folding behaviors of those global and local insulin/IGF-1 hybrids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan-Yun Guo
- Institute of Protein Research, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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21
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Abstract
Comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of protein folding requires the elucidation of both a folding pathway and a folding model. This entails characterization of the properties and structures of folding intermediates populated along the folding pathway, as well as the formation and interplay of secondary structures and tertiary structures along the course of folding. Using the conventional unfolding-refolding technique, there are limitations of acquiring these data in detail because of the inherent difficulty of trapping and analysis of folding intermediates. The technique of oxidative folding, in contrast, permits trapping, isolation, and further structural characterization of folding intermediates at any stage of the folding process. In this brief review, we present the potential of the technique of oxidative folding for concurrent analysis of both folding pathways and folding models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jui-Yoa Chang
- Research Center for Protein Chemistry, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
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22
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Huang K, Chan SJ, Hua QX, Chu YC, Wang RY, Klaproth B, Jia W, Whittaker J, De Meyts P, Nakagawa SH, Steiner DF, Katsoyannis PG, Weiss MA. The A-chain of Insulin Contacts the Insert Domain of the Insulin Receptor. J Biol Chem 2007; 282:35337-49. [PMID: 17884811 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m705996200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The contribution of the insulin A-chain to receptor binding is investigated by photo-cross-linking and nonstandard mutagenesis. Studies focus on the role of Val(A3), which projects within a crevice between the A- and B-chains. Engineered receptor alpha-subunits containing specific protease sites ("midi-receptors") are employed to map the site of photo-cross-linking by an analog containing a photoactivable A3 side chain (para-azido-Phe (Pap)). The probe cross-links to a C-terminal peptide (residues 703-719 of the receptor A isoform, KTFEDYLHNVVFVPRPS) containing side chains critical for hormone binding (underlined); the corresponding segment of the holoreceptor was shown previously to cross-link to a Pap(B25)-insulin analog. Because Pap is larger than Val and so may protrude beyond the A3-associated crevice, we investigated analogs containing A3 substitutions comparable in size to Val as follows: Thr, allo-Thr, and alpha-aminobutyric acid (Aba). Substitutions were introduced within an engineered monomer. Whereas previous studies of smaller substitutions (Gly(A3) and Ser(A3)) encountered nonlocal conformational perturbations, NMR structures of the present analogs are similar to wild-type insulin; the variant side chains are accommodated within a native-like crevice with minimal distortion. Receptor binding activities of Aba(A3) and allo-Thr(A3) analogs are reduced at least 10-fold; the activity of Thr(A3)-DKP-insulin is reduced 5-fold. The hormone-receptor interface is presumably destabilized either by a packing defect (Aba(A3)) or by altered polarity (allo-Thr(A3) and Thr(A3)). Our results provide evidence that Val(A3), a site of mutation causing diabetes mellitus, contacts the insert domain-derived tail of the alpha-subunit in a hormone-receptor complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
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23
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Łasica AM, Jagusztyn-Krynicka EK. The role of Dsb proteins of Gram-negative bacteria in the process of pathogenesis. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2007; 31:626-36. [PMID: 17696887 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2007.00081.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Tertiary and quaternary structures of extracytoplasmic proteins containing more than one cysteine residue often require introduction of disulfide bonds. This process takes place in an oxidative environment, such as the periplasm of Gram-negative bacteria, and is catalyzed by Dsb (disulfide bond formation) proteins. Mutations in dsb genes influence the conformation and stability of many extracytoplasmic proteins. Thus, many pathogens become partially or fully attenuated due to improper folding of proteins that act as virulence factors. This review summarizes the current knowledge on Dsb proteins and their effect on the pathogenicity of Gram-negative bacteria. The potential application of Dsb proteins in biotechnology is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Łasica
- Department of Bacterial Genetics, Institute of Microbiology, Biology Faculty, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland.
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24
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Salamanca S, Chang JY. Pathway of oxidative folding of a 3-disulfide alpha-lactalbumin may resemble either BPTI model or hirudin model. Protein J 2007; 25:275-87. [PMID: 16710754 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-006-9011-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Pathways of oxidative folding of disulfide proteins display a high degree of diversity and vary among two extreme models. The BPTI model is defined by limited species of folding intermediates adopting mainly native disulfide bonds. The hirudin model is characterized by highly heterogeneous folding intermediates containing mostly non-native disulfide bonds. alphaLA-IIIA is a 3-disulfide variant of alpha-lactalbumin (alphaLA) with a 3-D conformation essentially identical to that of intact alphaLA. alphaLA-IIIA contains 3 native disulfide bonds of alphaLA, two of them are located at the calcium binding beta-subdomain (Cys61-Cys77 and Cys73-Cys91) and the third bridge is located within the alpha-helical domain of the molecule (Cys28-Cys111). We investigate here the pathway of oxidative folding of fully reduced alphaLA-IIIA with and without stabilization of its beta-subdomain by calcium binding. In the absence of calcium, the folding pathway of alphaLA-IIIA was shown to resemble that of hirudin model. Upon stabilization of beta-sheet domain by calcium binding, the folding pathway of alphaLA-IIIA exhibits a striking similarity to that of BPTI model. Three predominant folding intermediates of alphaLA-IIIA containing exclusively native disulfide bonds were isolated and structurally characterized. Our results further demonstrate that stabilization of subdomains in a protein may dictate its folding pathway and represent a major cause for the existing diversity in the folding pathways of the disulfide-containing proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Salamanca
- Research Center for Protein Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Medicine, 2121 W. Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030, USA
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25
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Hua QX, Mayer JP, Jia W, Zhang J, Weiss MA. The folding nucleus of the insulin superfamily: a flexible peptide model foreshadows the native state. J Biol Chem 2006; 281:28131-42. [PMID: 16864583 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m602616200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxidative folding of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and single-chain insulin analogs proceeds via one- and two-disulfide intermediates. A predominant one-disulfide intermediate in each case contains the canonical A20-B19 disulfide bridge (cystines 18-61 in IGF-I and 19-85 in human proinsulin). Here, we describe a disulfide-linked peptide model of this on-pathway intermediate. One peptide fragment (19 amino acids) spans IGF-I residues 7-25 (canonical positions B8-B26 in the insulin superfamily); the other (18 amino acids) spans IGF-I residues 53-70 (positions A12-A21 and D1-D8). Containing only half of the IGF-I sequence, the disulfide-linked polypeptide (designated IGF-p) is not well ordered. Nascent helical elements corresponding to native alpha-helices are nonetheless observed at 4 degrees C. Furthermore, (13)C-edited nuclear Overhauser effects establish transient formation of a native-like partial core; no non-native nuclear Overhauser effects are observed. Together, these observations suggest that early events in the folding of insulin-related polypeptides are nucleated by a native-like molten subdomain containing Cys(A20) and Cys(B19). We propose that nascent interactions within this subdomain orient the A20 and B19 thiolates for disulfide bond formation and stabilize the one-disulfide intermediate once formed. Substitutions in the corresponding region of insulin are associated with inefficient chain combination and impaired biosynthetic expression. The intrinsic conformational propensities of a flexible disulfide-linked peptide thus define a folding nucleus, foreshadowing the structure of the native state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-xin Hua
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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26
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Hua QX, Nakagawa S, Hu SQ, Jia W, Wang S, Weiss MA. Toward the active conformation of insulin: stereospecific modulation of a structural switch in the B chain. J Biol Chem 2006; 281:24900-9. [PMID: 16762918 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m602691200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
How insulin binds to the insulin receptor has long been a subject of speculation. Although the structure of the free hormone has been extensively characterized, a variety of evidence suggests that a conformational change occurs upon receptor binding. Here, we employ chiral mutagenesis, comparison of corresponding d and l amino acid substitutions, to investigate a possible switch in the B-chain. To investigate the interrelation of structure, function, and stability, isomeric analogs have been synthesized in which an invariant glycine in a beta-turn (Gly(B8)) is replaced by d- or l-Ser. The d substitution enhances stability (DeltaDeltaG(u) 0.9 kcal/mol) but impairs receptor binding by 100-fold; by contrast, the l substitution markedly impairs stability (DeltaDeltaG(u) -3.0 kcal/mol) with only 2-fold reduction in receptor binding. Although the isomeric structures each retain a native-like overall fold, the l-Ser(B8) analog exhibits fewer helix-related and long range nuclear Overhauser effects than does the d-Ser(B8) analog or native monomer. Evidence for enhanced conformational fluctuations in the unstable analog is provided by its attenuated CD spectrum. The inverse relationship between stereospecific stabilization and receptor binding strongly suggests that the B7-B10 beta-turn changes conformation on receptor binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Xin Hua
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
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27
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Nakagawa SH, Hua QX, Hu SQ, Jia W, Wang S, Katsoyannis PG, Weiss MA. Chiral mutagenesis of insulin. Contribution of the B20-B23 beta-turn to activity and stability. J Biol Chem 2006; 281:22386-22396. [PMID: 16751187 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m603547200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Insulin contains a beta-turn (residues B20-B23) interposed between two receptor-binding elements, the central alpha-helix of the B chain (B9-B19) and its C-terminal beta-strand (B24-B28). The turn contains conserved glycines at B20 and B23. Although insulin exhibits marked conformational variability among crystal forms, these glycines consistently maintain positive phi dihedral angles within a classic type-I beta-turn. Because the Ramachandran conformations of GlyB20 and GlyB23 are ordinarily forbidden to L-amino acids, turn architecture may contribute to structure or function. Here, we employ "chiral mutagenesis," comparison of corresponding D- and L-Ala substitutions, to investigate this turn. Control substitutions are introduced at GluB21, a neighboring residue exhibiting a conventional (negative) phi angle. The D- and L-Ala substitutions at B23 are associated with a marked stereospecific difference in activity. Whereas the D-AlaB23 analog retains native activity, the L analog exhibits a 20-fold decrease in receptor binding. By contrast, D- and L-AlaB20 analogs each exhibit high activity. Stereospecific differences between the thermodynamic stabilities of the analogs are nonetheless more pronounced at B20 (delta deltaG(u) 2.0 kcal/mole) than at B23 (delta deltaG(u) 0.7 kcal/mole). Control substitutions at B21 are well tolerated without significant stereospecificity. Chiral mutagenesis thus defines the complementary contributions of these conserved glycines to protein stability (GlyB20) or receptor recognition (GlyB23).
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoe H Nakagawa
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Qing-Xin Hua
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106
| | - Shi-Quan Hu
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106
| | - Wenhua Jia
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106
| | - Shuhua Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106
| | - Panayotis G Katsoyannis
- Department of Pharmacology & Biological Chemistry, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029
| | - Michael A Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106.
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28
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Chang JY, Lu BY, Lin CCJ, Yu C. Fully oxidized scrambled isomers are essential and predominant folding intermediates of cardiotoxin-III. FEBS Lett 2005; 580:656-60. [PMID: 16412427 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2005.12.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2005] [Revised: 12/01/2005] [Accepted: 12/02/2005] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Scrambled isomers (X-isomers) are fully oxidized, non-native isomers of disulfide proteins. They have been shown to represent important intermediates along the pathway of oxidative folding of numerous disulfide proteins. A simple method to assess whether X-isomers present as folding intermediate is to conduct oxidative folding of fully reduced protein in the alkaline buffer alone without any supplementing thiol catalyst or redox agent. Cardiotoxin-III (CTX-III) contains 60 amino acids and four disulfide bonds. The mechanism of oxidative folding of CTX-III has been systematically characterized here by analysis of the acid trapped folding intermediates. Folding of CTX-III was shown to proceed sequentially through 1-disulfide, 2-disulfide, 3-disulfide and 4-disulfide (scrambled) isomers as folding intermediates to reach the native structure. When folding of CTX-III was performed in the buffer alone, more than 97% of the protein was trapped as 4-disulfide X-isomers, unable to convert to the native structure due to the absence of thiol catalyst. In the presence of thiol catalyst (GSH) or redox agents (GSH/GSSG), the recovery of native CTX-III was 80-85%. These results demonstrate that X-isomers play an essential and predominant role in the oxidative folding of CTX-III.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jui-Yoa Chang
- Research Center for Protein Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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29
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Nakagawa SH, Zhao M, Hua QX, Hu SQ, Wan ZL, Jia W, Weiss MA. Chiral mutagenesis of insulin. Foldability and function are inversely regulated by a stereospecific switch in the B chain. Biochemistry 2005; 44:4984-99. [PMID: 15794637 PMCID: PMC3845378 DOI: 10.1021/bi048025o] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
How insulin binds to its receptor is unknown despite decades of investigation. Here, we employ chiral mutagenesis-comparison of corresponding d and l amino acid substitutions in the hormone-to define a structural switch between folding-competent and active conformations. Our strategy is motivated by the T --> R transition, an allosteric feature of zinc-hexamer assembly in which an invariant glycine in the B chain changes conformations. In the classical T state, Gly(B8) lies within a beta-turn and exhibits a positive phi angle (like a d amino acid); in the alternative R state, Gly(B8) is part of an alpha-helix and exhibits a negative phi angle (like an l amino acid). Respective B chain libraries containing mixtures of d or l substitutions at B8 exhibit a stereospecific perturbation of insulin chain combination: l amino acids impede native disulfide pairing, whereas diverse d substitutions are well-tolerated. Strikingly, d substitutions at B8 enhance both synthetic yield and thermodynamic stability but markedly impair biological activity. The NMR structure of such an inactive analogue (as an engineered T-like monomer) is essentially identical to that of native insulin. By contrast, l analogues exhibit impaired folding and stability. Although synthetic yields are very low, such analogues can be highly active. Despite the profound differences between the foldabilities of d and l analogues, crystallization trials suggest that on protein assembly substitutions of either class can be accommodated within classical T or R states. Comparison between such diastereomeric analogues thus implies that the T state represents an inactive but folding-competent conformation. We propose that within folding intermediates the sign of the B8 phi angle exerts kinetic control in a rugged landscape to distinguish between trajectories associated with productive disulfide pairing (positive T-like values) or off-pathway events (negative R-like values). We further propose that the crystallographic T -->R transition in part recapitulates how the conformation of an insulin monomer changes on receptor binding. At the very least the ostensibly unrelated processes of disulfide pairing, allosteric assembly, and receptor binding appear to utilize the same residue as a structural switch; an "ambidextrous" glycine unhindered by the chiral restrictions of the Ramachandran plane. We speculate that this switch operates to protect insulin-and the beta-cell-from protein misfolding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoe H. Nakagawa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Ming Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Qing-xin Hua
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4935
| | - Shi-Quan Hu
- Department of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine of New York University, New York, New York 10029
| | - Zhu-li Wan
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4935
| | - Wenhua Jia
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4935
| | - Michael A. Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4935
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. ; telephone: (216) 368-5991; fax: (216) 368-3419
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30
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Chen Y, Jin R, Dong HY, Feng YM. In Vitro Refolding/Unfolding Pathways of Amphioxus Insulin-like Peptide. J Biol Chem 2004; 279:55224-33. [PMID: 15501824 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m409030200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphioxus insulin-like peptide (AILP) belongs to the insulin superfamily and is proposed as the common ancestor of insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1. Herein, the studies on oxidative refolding and reductive unfolding of AILP are reported. During the refolding process, four major intermediates, P1, P2, P3, and P4, were captured, which were almost identical to those intermediates, U1, U2, U3, and U4, captured during the AILP unfolding process. P4 (U4) has the native disulfide A20-B19; P1 (U1), P2 (U2), and P3 (U3) have two disulfide bonds, which include A20-B19. Based on the analysis of the time course distribution and properties of the intermediates, we proposed that fully reduced AILP refolded through 1SS, 2SS, and 3SS intermediate stages to the native form; native AILP unfolded through 2SS and 1SS intermediate stages to the full reduced form. A schematic flow chart of major oxidative refolding and reductive unfolding pathways of AILP was proposed. Implication for the folding behavior of insulin family proteins was discussed. There may be seen three common folding features in the insulin superfamily: 1) A20-B19 disulfide is most important and formed during the initial stage of folding process; 2) the second disulfide is nonspecifically formed, which then rearranged to native disulfide; 3) in vitro refolding and unfolding pathways may share some common folding intermediates but flow in opposite directions. Furthermore, although swap AILP is a thermodynamically stable final product, a refolding study of swap AILP demonstrated that it is also a productive intermediate of native AILP during refolding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
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31
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Guo ZY, Jia XY, Feng YM. Replacement of the interchain disulfide bridge-forming amino acids A7 and B7 by glutamate impairs the structure and activity of insulin. Biol Chem 2004; 385:1171-5. [PMID: 15653430 DOI: 10.1515/bc.2004.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Insulin contains three disulfide bonds, one intrachain bond, A6–A11, and two interchain bonds, A7–B7 and A20–B19. Site-directed mutagenesis results (the two cysteine residues of disulfide A7–B7 were replaced by serine) showed that disulfide A7–B7 is crucial to both the structure and activity of insulin. However, chemical modification results showed that the insulin analogs still retained relatively high biological activity when A7Cys and B7Cys were modified by chemical groups with a negative charge. Did the negative charge of the modification groups restore the loss of activity and/or the disturbance of structure of these insulin analogs caused by deletion of disulfide A7–B7? To answer this question, an insulin analog with both A7Cys and B7Cys replaced by Glu, which has a long side-chain and a negative charge, was prepared by protein engineering, and its structure and activity were analyzed. Both the structure and activity of the present analog are very similar to that of the mutant with disulfide A7–B7 replaced by Ser, but significantly different from that of wild-type insulin. The present results suggest that removal of disulfide A7–B7 will result in serious loss of biological activity and the native conformation of insulin, even if the disulfide is replaced by residues with a negative charge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan-Yun Guo
- Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, PR China
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32
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Qiao ZS, Min CY, Hua QX, Weiss MA, Feng YM. In vitro refolding of human proinsulin. Kinetic intermediates, putative disulfide-forming pathway folding initiation site, and potential role of C-peptide in folding process. J Biol Chem 2003; 278:17800-9. [PMID: 12624089 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m300906200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Human insulin is a double-chain peptide that is synthesized in vivo as a single-chain human proinsulin (HPI). We have investigated the disulfide-forming pathway of a single-chain porcine insulin precursor (PIP). Here we further studied the folding pathway of HPI in vitro. While the oxidized refolding process of HPI was quenched, four obvious intermediates (namely P1, P2, P3, and P4, respectively) with three disulfide bridges were isolated and characterized. Contrary to the folding pathway of PIP, no intermediates with one- or two-disulfide bonds could be captured under different refolding conditions. CD analysis showed that P1, P2, and P3 retained partially structural conformations, whereas P4 contained little secondary structure. Based on the time-dependent distribution, disulfide pair analysis, and disulfide-reshuffling process of the intermediates, we have proposed that the folding pathway of HPI is significantly different from that of PIP. These differences reveal that the C-peptide not only facilitates the folding of HPI but also governs its kinetic folding pathway of HPI. Detailed analysis of the molecular folding process reveals that there are some similar folding mechanisms between PIP and HPI. These similarities imply that the initiation site for the folding of PIP/HPI may reside in the central alpha-helix of the B-chain. The formation of disulfide A20-B19 may guide the transfer of the folding information from the B-chain template to the unstructured A-chain. Furthermore, the implications of this in vitro refolding study on the in vivo folding process of HPI have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Song Qiao
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, People's Republic of China
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33
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Yan H, Guo ZY, Gong XW, Xi D, Feng YM. A peptide model of insulin folding intermediate with one disulfide. Protein Sci 2003; 12:768-75. [PMID: 12649435 PMCID: PMC2323835 DOI: 10.1110/ps.0237203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Insulin folds into a unique three-dimensional structure stabilized by three disulfide bonds. Our previous work suggested that during in vitro refolding of a recombinant single-chain insulin (PIP) there exists a critical folding intermediate containing the single disulfide A20-B19. However, the intermediate cannot be trapped during refolding because once this disulfide is formed, the remaining folding process is very quick. To circumvent this difficulty, a model peptide ([A20-B19]PIP) containing the single disulfide A20-B19 was prepared by protein engineering. The model peptide can be secreted from transformed yeast cells, but its secretion yield decreases 2-3 magnitudes compared with that of the wild-type PIP. The physicochemical property analysis suggested that the model peptide adopts a partially folded conformation. In vitro, the fully reduced model peptide can quickly and efficiently form the disulfide A20-B19, which suggested that formation of the disulfide A20-B19 is kinetically preferred. In redox buffer, the model peptide is reduced gradually as the reduction potential is increased, while the disulfides of the wild-type PIP are reduced in a cooperative manner. By analysis of the model peptide, it is possible to deduce the properties of the critical folding intermediate with the single disulfide A20-B19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Yan
- Department of Bioengineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
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Hua QX, Chu YC, Jia W, Phillips NFB, Wang RY, Katsoyannis PG, Weiss MA. Mechanism of insulin chain combination. Asymmetric roles of A-chain alpha-helices in disulfide pairing. J Biol Chem 2002; 277:43443-53. [PMID: 12196530 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m206107200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The A and B chains of insulin combine to form native disulfide bridges without detectable isomers. The fidelity of chain combination thus recapitulates the folding of proinsulin, a precursor protein in which the two chains are tethered by a disordered connecting peptide. We have recently shown that chain combination is blocked by seemingly conservative substitutions in the C-terminal alpha-helix of the A chain. Such analogs, once formed, nevertheless retain high biological activity. By contrast, we demonstrate here that chain combination is robust to non-conservative substitutions in the N-terminal alpha-helix. Introduction of multiple glycine substitutions into the N-terminal segment of the A chain (residues A1-A5) yields analogs that are less stable than native insulin and essentially without biological activity. (1)H NMR studies of a representative analog lacking invariant side chains Ile(A2) and Val(A3) (A chain sequence GGGEQCCTSICSLYQLENYCN; substitutions are italicized and cysteines are underlined) demonstrate local unfolding of the A1-A5 segment in an otherwise native-like structure. That this and related partial folds retain efficient disulfide pairing suggests that the native N-terminal alpha-helix does not participate in the transition state of the reaction. Implications for the hierarchical folding mechanisms of proinsulin and insulin-like growth factors are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Xin Hua
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4935, USA
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35
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Xu B, Hua QX, Nakagawa SH, Jia W, Chu YC, Katsoyannis PG, Weiss MA. Chiral mutagenesis of insulin's hidden receptor-binding surface: structure of an allo-isoleucine(A2) analogue. J Mol Biol 2002; 316:435-41. [PMID: 11866509 DOI: 10.1006/jmbi.2001.5377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The hydrophobic core of vertebrate insulins contains an invariant isoleucine residue at position A2. Lack of variation may reflect this side-chain's dual contribution to structure and function: Ile(A2) is proposed both to stabilize the A1-A8 alpha-helix and to contribute to a "hidden" functional surface exposed on receptor binding. Substitution of Ile(A2) by alanine results in segmental unfolding of the A1-A8 alpha-helix, lower thermodynamic stability and impaired receptor binding. Such a spectrum of perturbations, although of biophysical interest, confounds interpretation of structure-activity relationships. To investigate the specific contribution of Ile(A2) to insulin's functional surface, we have employed non-standard mutagenesis: inversion of side-chain chirality in engineered monomer allo-Ile(A2)-DKP-insulin. Although the analogue retains native structure and stability, its affinity for the insulin receptor is impaired by 50-fold. Thus, whereas insulin's core readily accommodates allo-isoleucine at A2, its activity is exquisitely sensitive to chiral inversion. We propose that the Ile(A2) side-chain inserts within a chiral pocket of the receptor as part of insulin's hidden functional surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Xu
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106-4935, USA
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36
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Weiss MA, Wan Z, Zhao M, Chu YC, Nakagawa SH, Burke GT, Jia W, Hellmich R, Katsoyannis PG. Non-standard insulin design: structure-activity relationships at the periphery of the insulin receptor. J Mol Biol 2002; 315:103-11. [PMID: 11779231 DOI: 10.1006/jmbi.2001.5224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The design of insulin analogues has emphasized stabilization or destabilization of structural elements according to established principles of protein folding. To this end, solvent-exposed side-chains extrinsic to the receptor-binding surface provide convenient sites of modification. An example is provided by an unfavorable helical C-cap (Thr(A8)) whose substitution by favorable amino acids (His(A8) or Arg(A8)) has yielded analogues of improved stability. Remarkably, these analogues also exhibit enhanced activity, suggesting that activity may correlate with stability. Here, we test this hypothesis by substitution of diaminobutyric acid (Dab(A8)), like threonine an amino acid of low helical propensity. The crystal structure of Dab(A8)-insulin is similar to those of native insulin and the related analogue Lys(A8)-insulin. Although no more stable than native insulin, the non-standard analogue is twice as active. Stability and affinity can therefore be uncoupled. To investigate alternative mechanisms by which A8 substitutions enhance activity, multiple substitutions were introduced. Surprisingly, diverse aliphatic, aromatic and polar side-chains enhance receptor binding and biological activity. Because no relationship is observed between activity and helical propensity, we propose that local interactions between the A8 side-chain and an edge of the hormone-receptor interface modulate affinity. Dab(A8)-insulin illustrates the utility of non-standard amino acids in hypothesis-driven protein design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Weiss
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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37
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Watson JT, Yang Y, Wu J. Capture and identification of folding intermediates of cystinyl proteins by cyanylation and mass spectrometry. J Mol Graph Model 2002; 19:119-28. [PMID: 11381521 DOI: 10.1016/s1093-3263(00)00127-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Trapping folding intermediates of cystinyl proteins by covalent modification of free sulfhydryl groups provides the opportunity for isolation, purification, and structural elucidation of individual species. The disulfide structure of the intermediates, coupled with their temporal abundance, provides a 'snapshot' of the pathway experienced by the refolding protein in a particular medium. Here, intermediates of cystinyl proteins containing free cysteines are trapped by cyanylation through reaction with an acidic (pH 3.0) solution of 1-cyano-4-dimethylamino-pyridinium (CDAP) tetrafluoroborate. The cyanylated species are separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, where the resulting chromatogram gives a visual indication of the distribution of intermediates at a designated time after commencing the refolding process. The disulfide structure of an intermediate can be determined by cleaving its cyanylated derivative and by mass mapping of the resulting fragments to the sequence of the original protein. Cleavage of a cyanylated species represented by any given peak in the chromatogram is achieved by treatment of that fraction with 1M NH4OH at room temperature for 1 h; the resulting fragments are analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) or electrospray mass spectrometry. Examples will be presented from in vitro refolding experiments with human epidermal growth factor (hEGF), for which more than 10 folding intermediates were isolated and identified at different time points, and a mutant of insulin-like growth factor-I, for which three intermediates were isolated and identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- J T Watson
- Departments of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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38
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Xu B, Hua QX, Nakagawa SH, Jia W, Chu YC, Katsoyannis PG, Weiss MA. A cavity-forming mutation in insulin induces segmental unfolding of a surrounding alpha-helix. Protein Sci 2002; 11:104-16. [PMID: 11742127 PMCID: PMC2368773 DOI: 10.1110/ps.32102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
To investigate the cooperativity of insulin's structure, a cavity-forming substitution was introduced within the hydrophobic core of an engineered monomer. The substitution, Ile(A2)-->Ala in the A1-A8 alpha-helix, does not impair disulfide pairing between chains. In accord with past studies of cavity-forming mutations in globular proteins, a decrement was observed in thermodynamic stability (DeltaDeltaG(u) 0.4-1.2 kcal/mole). Unexpectedly, CD studies indicate an attenuated alpha-helix content, which is assigned by NMR spectroscopy to selective destabilization of the A1-A8 segment. The analog's solution structure is otherwise similar to that of native insulin, including the B chain's supersecondary structure and a major portion of the hydrophobic core. Our results show that (1) a cavity-forming mutation in a globular protein can lead to segmental unfolding, (2) tertiary packing of Ile(A2), a residue of low helical propensity, stabilizes the A1-A8 alpha-helix, and (3) folding of this segment is not required for native disulfide pairing or overall structure. We discuss these results in relation to a hierarchical pathway of protein folding and misfolding. The Ala(A2) analog's low biological activity (0.5% relative to the parent monomer) highlights the importance of the A1-A8 alpha-helix in receptor recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Xu
- Department of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA
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39
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Laajoki LG, Francis GL, Wallace JC, Carver JA, Keniry MA. Solution structure and backbone dynamics of long-[Arg(3)]insulin-like growth factor-I. J Biol Chem 2000; 275:10009-15. [PMID: 10744677 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.275.14.10009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-[Arg(3)]insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a potent analog of insulin-like growth factor-I that has been modified by a Glu(3) --> Arg mutation and a 13-amino acid extension appended to the N terminus. We have determined the solution structure of (15)N-labeled Long-[Arg(3)]-IGF-I using high resolution NMR and restrained molecular dynamics techniques to a precision of 0.82 +/- 0.28 A root mean square deviation for the backbone heavy atoms in the three alpha-helices and 3.5 +/- 0.9 A root mean square deviation for all backbone heavy atoms excluding the 8 N-terminal residues and the 8 C-terminal eight residues. Overall, the structure of the IGF-I domain is consistent with earlier studies of IGF-I with some minor changes remote from the N terminus. The major variations in the structure, compared with IGF-I, occur at the N terminus with a substantial reorientation of the N-terminal three residues of the IGF-I domain. These results are interpreted in terms of the lower binding affinity for insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins. The backbone dynamics of Long-[Arg(3)]IGF-I were investigated using (15)N nuclear spin relaxation and the heteronuclear nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE). There is a considerable degree of flexibility in Long-[Arg(3)]IGF-I, even in the alpha-helices, as indicated by an average ((1)H)(15)N NOE of 0.55 for the regions. The largest heteronuclear NOEs are observed in the helical regions, lower heteronuclear NOEs are observed in the C-domain loop separating helix 1 from helix 2, and negative heteronuclear NOEs are observed in the N-terminal extension and at the C terminus. Despite these data indicating conformational flexibility for the N-terminal extension, slow amide proton exchange was observed for some residues in this region, suggesting some transitory structure does exist, possibly a molten helix. A certain degree of flexibility may be necessary in all insulin-like growth factors to enable association with various receptors and binding proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- L G Laajoki
- Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601, South Australia 5000
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40
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Yang Y, Wu J, Watson JT. Probing the folding pathways of long R(3) insulin-like growth factor-I (LR(3)IGF-I) and IGF-I via capture and identification of disulfide intermediates by cyanylation methodology and mass spectrometry. J Biol Chem 1999; 274:37598-604. [PMID: 10608814 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.274.53.37598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
This report describes an integrated investigation of the refolding and reductive unfolding of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) and its variant, long R(3) IGF-I (LR(3)IGF-I), which has a Glu(3) to Arg(3) substitution and a hydrophobic 13-amino acid N-terminal extension. The refolding performed in glutathione redox buffer was quenched at different time points by adjusting the pH to 2.0-3.0 with a 1 N HCl solution of 1-cyano-4-dimethylaminopyridinium tetrafluoroborate, which trapped intermediates via cyanylation of free sulfhydryl groups. The disulfide structure of the intermediates was determined by chemical cleavage followed by mass mapping with mass spectrometry. Six refolding intermediates of IGF-I and three refolding intermediates of LR(3)IGF-I were isolated and characterized. Folding pathways of IGF-I and LR(3)IGF-I are proposed based on the time-dependent distribution and disulfide structure of the corresponding trapped intermediates. Similarities and differences in the refolding behavior of IGF-I and LR(3)IGF-I are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
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41
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Flinn JP, Pallaghy PK, Lew MJ, Murphy R, Angus JA, Norton RS. Role of disulfide bridges in the folding, structure and biological activity of omega-conotoxin GVIA. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 1999; 1434:177-90. [PMID: 10556572 DOI: 10.1016/s0167-4838(99)00165-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Omega-Conotoxin GVIA (GVIA), an N-type calcium channel blocker from the cone shell Conus geographus, is a 27 residue polypeptide cross-linked by three disulfide bonds. Here, we report the synthesis, structural analysis by (1)H NMR and bioassay of analogues of GVIA with disulfide bridge deletions and N- and C-terminal truncations. Two analogues that retain the crucial Lys-2 and Tyr-13 residues in loops constrained by two native disulfide bridges were synthesised using orthogonal protection of cysteine residues. In the first analogue, the Cys-15-Cys-26 disulfide bridge was deleted (by replacing the appropriate Cys residues with Ser), while in the second, this disulfide bridge and the eight C-terminal residues were deleted. No activity was detected for either analogue in a rat vas deferens assay, which measures N-type calcium channel activity in sympathetic nerve, and NMR studies showed that this was due to a gross loss of secondary and tertiary structure. Five inactive analogues that were synthesised without orthogonal protection of Cys residues as part of a previous study (Flinn et al. (1995) J. Pept. Sci. 1, 379-384) were also investigated. Three had single disulfide deletions (via Ser substitutions) and two had N- or C-terminal deletions in addition to the disulfide deletion. Peptide mapping and NMR analyses demonstrated that at least four of these analogues had non-native disulfide pairings, which presumably accounts for their lack of activity. The NMR studies also showed that all five analogues had substantially altered tertiary structures, although the backbone chemical shifts and nuclear Overhauser enhancements (NOEs) implied that native-like turn structures persisted in some of these analogues despite the non-native disulfide pairings. This work demonstrates the importance of the disulfides in omega-conotoxin folding and shows that the Cys-15-Cys-26 disulfide is essential for activity in GVIA. The NMR analyses also emphasise that backbone chemical shifts and short- and medium-range NOEs are dictated largely by local secondary structure elements and are not necessarily reliable monitors of the tertiary fold.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Flinn
- Biomolecular Research Institute, 343 Royal Parade, Parkville, Vic., Australia
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42
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Janosi JB, Ramsland PA, Mott MR, Firth SM, Baxter RC, Delhanty PJ. The acid-labile subunit of the serum insulin-like growth factor-binding protein complexes. Structural determination by molecular modeling and electron microscopy. J Biol Chem 1999; 274:23328-32. [PMID: 10438509 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.274.33.23328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The acid-labile subunit (ALS) is a glycosylated 85-kDa member of the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) protein superfamily and circulates in ternary complexes with the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs). These complexes are thought to regulate the serum IGFs by restricting IGF movement out of the circulation. However, little is known about how ALS binds to IGFBP-3 or -5, which link the IGFs to ALS. To investigate potential sites of interaction, the ALS structure has been modeled with the crystal structure of the LRR protein porcine ribonuclease inhibitor as a template. ALS is predicted to be a donut-shaped molecule with an internal diameter of 1.7 nm, an external diameter of 7.2 nm, and a thickness of 3.6 nm. These dimensions are supported by rotary shadowing electron microscopy of ALS. The internal face is lined with a substantial region of electronegative surface potential that could interact with the positively charged region on IGFBP-3 known to be involved in ALS binding. The model also predicts that three potential N-linked oligosaccharide sites within the LRR domain are clustered together, which may be important in light of recent studies showing ALS glycan involvement in complex formation with IGFBP-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- J B Janosi
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, New South Wales 2065, Australia
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43
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Chang JY, Märki W, Lai PH. Analysis of the extent of unfolding of denatured insulin-like growth factor. Protein Sci 1999; 8:1463-8. [PMID: 10422834 PMCID: PMC2144389 DOI: 10.1110/ps.8.7.1463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) contains three disulfide bonds. In the presence of denaturant and thiol catalyst, IGF-1 shuffles its native disulfide bonds and denatures to form a mixture of scrambled isomers. The composition of scrambled IGF varies under different denaturing conditions. Among the 14 possible scrambled IGF isomers, the yield of the beads-form isomer is shown to be directly proportional to the strength of the denaturing condition. This paper demonstrates a new approach to quantify the extent of unfolding of the denatured protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Y Chang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas, Houston 77030, USA.
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44
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45
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Hober S, Lundström Ljung J, Uhlén M, Nilsson B. Insulin-like growth factors I and II are unable to form and maintain their native disulfides under in vivo redox conditions. FEBS Lett 1999; 443:271-6. [PMID: 10025946 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(98)01737-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) I does not quantitatively form its three native disulfide bonds in the presence of 10 mM reduced and 1 mM oxidized glutathione in vitro [Hober, S. et al. (1992) Biochemistry 31, 1749-1756]. In this paper, we show (i) that both IGF-I and IGF-II are unable to form and maintain their native disulfide bonds at redox conditions that are similar to the situation in the secretory vesicles in vivo and (ii) that the presence of protein disulfide isomerase does not overcome this problem. The results indicate that the previously described thermodynamic disulfide exchange folding problem of IGF-I in vitro is also present in vivo. Speculatively, we suggest that the thermodynamic disulfide exchange properties of IGF-I and II are biologically significant for inactivation of the unbound growth factors by disulfide exchange reactions to generate variants destined for rapid clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Hober
- Department of Biotechnology, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
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46
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Jansson M, Andersson G, Uhlén M, Nilsson B, Kördel J. The insulin-like growth factor (IGF)binding protein 1 binding epitope on IGF-I probed by heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy and mutational analysis. J Biol Chem 1998; 273:24701-7. [PMID: 9733769 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.273.38.24701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
NMR spectroscopy studies and biosensor interaction analysis of native and site-directed mutants of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) was applied to identify the involvement of individual residues in IGF-I binding to IGF-binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1). Backbone NMR chemical shifts were found to be affected by IGFBP-1 binding in the following residues: Pro2, Glu3, Cys6, Gly7, Gly19, Pro28-Gly30, Gly32, Arg36, Arg37, Gln40-Gly42, Pro63, Lys65, Pro66, and Lys68-Ala70. Three IGF-I arginine side chains were identified by NMR to participate in IGFBP-1 binding. All IGF-I arginine residues were replaced by alanines, using site-directed mutagenesis, in four single substituted variants, IGF-I(R21A), IGF-I(R50A), IGF-I(R55A), and IGF-I(R56A), and one double replacement mutant, IGF-I(R36A/R37A). Biosensor interaction analysis binding studies demonstrate the involvement of Arg36-Arg37 and Arg50 in IGFBP-1 binding, while experiments with the IGF-I receptor implicate Arg21, Arg36-Arg37, and Arg56 as part of the receptor binding epitope. These overlapping binding surfaces explain why IGF-I receptor and IGFBP-1 binding to IGF-I is competitive. The C terminus of free, but not IGFBP-1-bound, IGF-I is found to exist in two distinct, NMR-detectable conformations at 30 degreesC. One possible explanation for this structural heterogeneity could be cis-trans isomerization of the Cys6-Cys48 disulfide bond.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Jansson
- Department of Structural Chemistry, Pharmacia & Upjohn, SE-11287 Stockholm, Sweden
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47
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Barnham KJ, Torres AM, Alewood D, Alewood PF, Domagala T, Nice EC, Norton RS. Role of the 6-20 disulfide bridge in the structure and activity of epidermal growth factor. Protein Sci 1998; 7:1738-49. [PMID: 10082370 PMCID: PMC2144085 DOI: 10.1002/pro.5560070808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Two synthetic analogues of murine epidermal growth factor, [Abu6, 20] mEGF4-48 (where Abu denotes amino-butyric acid) and [G1, M3, K21, H40] mEGF1-48, have been investigated by NMR spectroscopy. [Abu6, 20] mEGF4-48 was designed to determine the contribution of the 6-20 disulfide bridge to the structure and function of mEGF. The overall structure of this analogue was similar to that of native mEGF, indicating that the loss of the 6-20 disulfide bridge did not affect the global fold of the molecule. Significant structural differences were observed near the N-terminus, however, with the direction of the polypeptide chain between residues four and nine being altered such that these residues were now located on the opposite face of the main beta-sheet from their position in native mEGF. Thermal denaturation experiments also showed that the structure of [Abu6, 20] mEGF4-48 was less stable than that of mEGF. Removal of this disulfide bridge resulted in a significant loss of both mitogenic activity in Balb/c 3T3 cells and receptor binding on A431 cells compared with native mEGF and mEGF4-48, implying that the structural changes in [Abu6, 20] mEGF4-48, although limited to the N-terminus, were sufficient to interfere with receptor binding. The loss of binding affinity probably arose mainly from steric interactions of the dislocated N-terminal region with part of the receptor binding surface of EGF. [G1, M3, K21, H40] mEGF1-48 was also synthesized in order to compare the synthetic polypeptide with the corresponding product of recombinant expression. Its mitogenic activity in Balb/c 3T3 cells was similar to that of native mEGF and analysis of its 1H chemical shifts suggested that its structure was also very similar to native.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J Barnham
- Biomolecular Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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48
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Hua QX, Hu SQ, Jia W, Chu YC, Burke GT, Wang SH, Wang RY, Katsoyannis PG, Weiss MA. Mini-proinsulin and mini-IGF-I: homologous protein sequences encoding non-homologous structures. J Mol Biol 1998; 277:103-18. [PMID: 9514738 DOI: 10.1006/jmbi.1997.1574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Protein minimization highlights essential determinants of structure and function. Minimal models of proinsulin and insulin-like growth factor I contain homologous A and B domains as single-chain analogues. Such models (designated mini-proinsulin and mini-IGF-I) have attracted wide interest due to their native foldability but complete absence of biological activity. The crystal structure of mini-proinsulin, determined as a T3R3 hexamer, is similar to that of the native insulin hexamer. Here, we describe the solution structure of a monomeric mini-proinsulin under physiologic conditions and compare this structure to that of the corresponding two-chain analogue. The two proteins each contain substitutions in the B-chain (HisB10-->Asp and ProB28-->Asp) designed to destabilize self-association by electrostatic repulsion; the proteins differ by the presence or absence of a peptide bond between LysB29 and GlyA1. The structures are essentially identical, resembling in each case the T-state crystallographic protomer. Differences are observed near the site of cross-linking: the adjoining A1-A8 alpha-helix (variable among crystal structures) is less well-ordered in mini-proinsulin than in the two-chain variant. The single-chain analogue is not completely inactive: its affinity for the insulin receptor is 1500-fold lower than that of the two-chain analogue. Moreover, at saturating concentrations mini-proinsulin retains the ability to stimulate lipogenesis in adipocytes (native biological potency). These results suggest that a change in the conformation of insulin, as tethered by the B29-A1 peptide bond, optimizes affinity but is not integral to the mechanism of transmembrane signaling. Surprisingly, the tertiary structure of mini-proinsulin differs from that of mini-IGF-I (main-chain rms deviation 4.5 A) despite strict conservation of non-polar residues in their respective hydrophobic cores (side-chain rms deviation 4.9 A). Three-dimensional profile scores suggest that the two structures each provide acceptable templates for threading of insulin-like sequences. Mini-proinsulin and mini-IGF-I thus provide examples of homologous protein sequences encoding non-homologous structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Q X Hua
- Center for Molecular Oncology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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49
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Rosenfeld RD, Miller JA, Narhi LO, Hawkins N, Katta V, Lauren S, Weiss MA, Arakawa T. Putative folding pathway of insulin-like growth factor-I. Arch Biochem Biophys 1997; 342:298-305. [PMID: 9186491 DOI: 10.1006/abbi.1997.9996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) has three disulfide bonds and refolding of the fully reduced molecule generates varying ratios of correctly (PII) and incorrectly (PI) folded forms via several intermediates. All of the intermediates have the disulfide bond between Cys18 and 61 formed, indicating that formation of this disulfide is the first step in refolding. In order to further understand the refolding pathway, two intermediate froms, PIII with the additional disulfide Cys(6/47) formed and PIIIa with Cys(6/48) formed, were isolated. The oxidation of the remaining Cys48 and 52 in PIII and Cys47 and 52 in PIIIa would lead to PI and PII, respectively; however, air oxidation of these resulted in a rapid reshuffling into other intermediates as well as folding into the fully oxidized forms, and this occurred whether refolding was started with PIII or PIIIa. When oxidation occurred in the presence of an excess of oxidized glutathione, the predominant species generated were various glutathione adducts regardless of the initial intermediate form, indicating that formation of the last disulfide bond is not a favorable process relative to disulfide exchange when excess disulfides from oxidized glutathione are present. Interestingly, if 80 microM copper sulfate, an oxidant, is added to the refolding buffer, PIII resulted in formation of the PI form alone, whereas PIIIa resulted in the PII form alone. It was concluded from these results that the intermediate forms of IGF-1 can rapidly reshuffle between different disulfide structures, and that formation of the last disulfide bond is not as favorable a process as the conversion to other intermediates. The oxidation to form the last disulfide bond in PIII or PIIIa is accelerated and hence the interconversion to other intermediates is kinetically minimized only in the presence of copper sulfate. It appears, therefore, that the two intermediate forms, PIII and PIIIa, are the precursors of the corresponding fully oxidized forms, but their conversions are not energetically a favorable process.
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