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Majila K, Viswanath S. StrIDR: a database of intrinsically disordered regions of proteins with experimentally resolved structures. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.22.609111. [PMID: 39253485 PMCID: PMC11382991 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.22.609111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
Motivation Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of proteins exist as an ensemble of conformations, and not as a single structure. Existing databases contain extensive, experimentally derived annotations of intrinsic disorder for millions of proteins at the sequence level. However, only a tiny fraction of these IDRs are associated with an experimentally determined protein structure. Moreover, even if a structure exists, parts of the disordered regions may still be unresolved. Results Here we organize Structures of Intrinsically Disordered Regions (StrIDR), a database of IDRs confirmed via experimental or homology-based evidence, resolved in experimentally determined structures. The database can provide useful insights into the dynamics, folding, and interactions of IDRs. It can also facilitate computational studies on IDRs, such as those using molecular dynamics simulations and/or machine learning. Availability StrIDR is available at https://isblab.ncbs.res.in/stridr. The web UI allows for downloading PDB structures and SIFTS mappings of individual entries. Additionally, the entire database can be downloaded in a JSON format. The source code for creating and updating the database is available at https://github.com/isblab/stridr.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kartik Majila
- National Center for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India 560065
| | - Shruthi Viswanath
- National Center for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India 560065
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2
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Torricella F, Tugarinov V, Clore GM. Effects of Macromolecular Cosolutes on the Kinetics of Huntingtin Aggregation Monitored by NMR Spectroscopy. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:6375-6382. [PMID: 38857530 PMCID: PMC11345868 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c01410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
The effects of two macromolecular cosolutes, specifically the polysaccharide dextran-20 and the protein lysozyme, on the aggregation kinetics of a pathogenic huntingtin exon-1 protein (hhtex1) with a 35 polyglutamine repeat, httex1Q35, are described. A unified kinetic model that establishes a direct connection between reversible tetramerization occurring on the microsecond time scale and irreversible fibril formation on a time scale of hours/days forms the basis for quantitative analysis of httex1Q35 aggregation, monitored by measuring cross-peak intensities in a series of 2D 1H-15N NMR correlation spectra acquired during the course of aggregation. The primary effects of the two cosolutes are associated with shifts in the prenucleation tetramerization equilibrium resulting in substantial changes in concentration of "preformed" httex1Q35 tetramers. Similar effects of the two cosolutes on the tetramerization equilibrium observed for a shorter, nonaggregating huntingtin variant with a 7-glutamine repeat, httex1Q7, lend confidence to the conclusions drawn from the fits to the httex1Q35 aggregation kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Torricella
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
| | - Vitali Tugarinov
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
| | - G Marius Clore
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
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3
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Baverstock K. Responses to commentaries on "The gene: An appraisal". PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 188:31-42. [PMID: 38360273 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2024.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
The central conclusions of "The Gene: An Appraisal" are that genetic variance does not underpin biological evolution, and, therefore, that genes are not Mendel's units of inheritance. In this response, I will address the criticisms I have received via commentaries on that paper by defending the following statements: 1. Epistasis does not explain the power-law fitness profile of the Long-Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE). The data from the evolution of natural systems displays the power-law form ubiquitously. Epistasis plays no role in evolution. 2. The common characteristics of living things (natural systems) are described by the principle of least action in de Maupertuis's original form, which is synonymous with the 2nd law of thermodynamics and Newton's 2nd law of motion in its complete form, i.e., F = dp/dt. Organisms strive to achieve free energy balance with their environments. 3. Based on an appraisal of the scientific environment between 1880 and 1911, I conclude that Johannsen's genotype conception was perhaps, the only option available to him. 4. The power-law fitness profile of the LTEE falsifies Fisher's Genetical Theory of Natural Selection, Johannsen's genotype conception, and the idea that 'Darwinian evolution' is an exception to the generic thermodynamic process of evolution in natural systems. 5. The use of the technique of genome-wide association to identify the causes and the likelihoods of inherited common diseases and behavioural traits is a 'wild goose chase' because genes are not the units of inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith Baverstock
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, Kuopio, Finland.
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4
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Alfano C, Fichou Y, Huber K, Weiss M, Spruijt E, Ebbinghaus S, De Luca G, Morando MA, Vetri V, Temussi PA, Pastore A. Molecular Crowding: The History and Development of a Scientific Paradigm. Chem Rev 2024; 124:3186-3219. [PMID: 38466779 PMCID: PMC10979406 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
It is now generally accepted that macromolecules do not act in isolation but "live" in a crowded environment, that is, an environment populated by numerous different molecules. The field of molecular crowding has its origins in the far 80s but became accepted only by the end of the 90s. In the present issue, we discuss various aspects that are influenced by crowding and need to consider its effects. This Review is meant as an introduction to the theme and an analysis of the evolution of the crowding concept through time from colloidal and polymer physics to a more biological perspective. We introduce themes that will be more thoroughly treated in other Reviews of the present issue. In our intentions, each Review may stand by itself, but the complete collection has the aspiration to provide different but complementary perspectives to propose a more holistic view of molecular crowding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Alfano
- Structural
Biology and Biophysics Unit, Fondazione
Ri.MED, 90100 Palermo, Italy
| | - Yann Fichou
- CNRS,
Bordeaux INP, CBMN UMR 5248, IECB, University
of Bordeaux, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - Klaus Huber
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Paderborn, 33098 Paderborn, Germany
| | - Matthias Weiss
- Experimental
Physics I, Physics of Living Matter, University
of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Evan Spruijt
- Institute
for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Simon Ebbinghaus
- Lehrstuhl
für Biophysikalische Chemie and Research Center Chemical Sciences
and Sustainability, Research Alliance Ruhr, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Giuseppe De Luca
- Dipartimento
di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Valeria Vetri
- Dipartimento
di Fisica e Chimica − Emilio Segrè, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Annalisa Pastore
- King’s
College London, Denmark
Hill Campus, SE5 9RT London, United Kingdom
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5
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Hsiao AS. Protein Disorder in Plant Stress Adaptation: From Late Embryogenesis Abundant to Other Intrinsically Disordered Proteins. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1178. [PMID: 38256256 PMCID: PMC10816898 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Global climate change has caused severe abiotic and biotic stresses, affecting plant growth and food security. The mechanical understanding of plant stress responses is critical for achieving sustainable agriculture. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are a group of proteins without unique three-dimensional structures. The environmental sensitivity and structural flexibility of IDPs contribute to the growth and developmental plasticity for sessile plants to deal with environmental challenges. This article discusses the roles of various disordered proteins in plant stress tolerance and resistance, describes the current mechanistic insights into unstructured proteins such as the disorder-to-order transition for adopting secondary structures to interact with specific partners (i.e., cellular membranes, membrane proteins, metal ions, and DNA), and elucidates the roles of liquid-liquid phase separation driven by protein disorder in stress responses. By comparing IDP studies in animal systems, this article provides conceptual principles of plant protein disorder in stress adaptation, reveals the current research gaps, and advises on the future research direction. The highlighting of relevant unanswered questions in plant protein disorder research aims to encourage more studies on these emerging topics to understand the mechanisms of action behind their stress resistance phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Shan Hsiao
- Department of Biochemistry and Metabolism, John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK
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6
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Baverstock K. The Gene: An appraisal. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 186:e73-e88. [PMID: 38044248 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2023.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
The gene can be described as the foundational concept of modern biology. As such, it has spilled over into daily discourse, yet it is acknowledged among biologists to be ill-defined. Here, following a short history of the gene, I analyse critically its role in inheritance, evolution, development, and morphogenesis. Wilhelm Johannsen's genotype-conception, formulated in 1910, has been adopted as the foundation stone of genetics, giving the gene a higher degree of prominence than is justified by the evidence. An analysis of the results of the Long-Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE) with E. coli bacteria, grown over 60,000 generations, does not support spontaneous gene mutation as the source of variance for natural selection. From this it follows that the gene is not Mendel's unit of inheritance: that must be Johannsen's transmission-conception at the gamete phenotype level, a form of inheritance that Johannsen did not consider. Alternatively, I contend that biology viewed on the bases of thermodynamics, complex system dynamics, and self-organisation, provides a new framework for the foundations of biology. In this framework, the gene plays a passive role as a vital information store: it is the phenotype that plays the active role in inheritance, evolution, development, and morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith Baverstock
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, Kuopio, Finland.
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7
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Launay H, Avilan L, Gérard C, Parsiegla G, Receveur-Brechot V, Gontero B, Carriere F. Location of the photosynthetic carbon metabolism in microcompartments and separated phases in microalgal cells. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:2853-2878. [PMID: 37827572 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Carbon acquisition, assimilation and storage in eukaryotic microalgae and cyanobacteria occur in multiple compartments that have been characterised by the location of the enzymes involved in these functions. These compartments can be delimited by bilayer membranes, such as the chloroplast, the lumen, the peroxisome, the mitochondria or monolayer membranes, such as lipid droplets or plastoglobules. They can also originate from liquid-liquid phase separation such as the pyrenoid. Multiple exchanges exist between the intracellular microcompartments, and these are reviewed for the CO2 concentration mechanism, the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle, the lipid metabolism and the cellular energetic balance. Progress in microscopy and spectroscopic methods opens new perspectives to characterise the molecular consequences of the location of the proteins involved, including intrinsically disordered proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Launay
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP, UMR7281, Marseille, France
| | - Luisana Avilan
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP, UMR7281, Marseille, France
| | - Cassy Gérard
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP, UMR7281, Marseille, France
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8
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Kaddis Maldonado R, Lambert GS, Rice BL, Sudol M, Flanagan JM, Parent LJ. The Rous sarcoma virus Gag Polyprotein Forms Biomolecular Condensates Driven by Intrinsically-disordered Regions. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168182. [PMID: 37328094 PMCID: PMC10527454 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates (BMCs) play important roles incellular structures includingtranscription factories, splicing speckles, and nucleoli. BMCs bring together proteins and other macromolecules, selectively concentrating them so that specific reactions can occur without interference from the surrounding environment. BMCs are often made up of proteins that contain intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), form phase-separated spherical puncta, form liquid-like droplets that undergo fusion and fission, contain molecules that are mobile, and are disrupted with phase-dissolving drugs such as 1,6-hexanediol. In addition to cellular proteins, many viruses, including influenza A, SARS-CoV-2, and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) encode proteins that undergo phase separation and rely on BMC formation for replication. In prior studies of the retrovirus Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), we observed that the Gag protein forms discrete spherical puncta in the nucleus, cytoplasm, and at the plasma membrane that co-localize with viral RNA and host factors, raising the possibility that RSV Gag forms BMCs that participate in the intracellular phase of the virion assembly pathway. In our current studies, we found that Gag contains IDRs in the N-terminal (MAp2p10) and C-terminal (NC) regions of the protein and fulfills many criteria of BMCs. Although the role of BMC formation in RSV assembly requires further study, our results suggest the biophysical properties of condensates are required for the formation of Gag complexes in the nucleus and the cohesion of these complexes as they traffic through the nuclear pore, into the cytoplasm, and to the plasma membrane, where the final assembly and release of virus particles occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Kaddis Maldonado
- Department of Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Penn State College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Gregory S Lambert
- Department of Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Breanna L Rice
- Department of Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Malgorzata Sudol
- Department of Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - John M Flanagan
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Leslie J Parent
- Department of Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Penn State College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
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9
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Cordeiro Y, Freire MHO, Wiecikowski AF, do Amaral MJ. (Dys)functional insights into nucleic acids and RNA-binding proteins modulation of the prion protein and α-synuclein phase separation. Biophys Rev 2023; 15:577-589. [PMID: 37681103 PMCID: PMC10480379 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01067-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are prototype of infectious diseases transmitted by a protein, the prion protein (PrP), and are still not understandable at the molecular level. Heterogenous species of aggregated PrP can be generated from its monomer. α-synuclein (αSyn), related to Parkinson's disease, has also shown a prion-like pathogenic character, and likewise PrP interacts with nucleic acids (NAs), which in turn modulate their aggregation. Recently, our group and others have characterized that NAs and/or RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) modulate recombinant PrP and/or αSyn condensates formation, and uncontrolled condensation might precede pathological aggregation. Tackling abnormal phase separation of neurodegenerative disease-related proteins has been proposed as a promising therapeutic target. Therefore, understanding the mechanism by which polyanions, like NAs, modulate phase transitions intracellularly, is key to assess their role on toxicity promotion and neuronal death. Herein we discuss data on the nucleic acids binding properties and phase separation ability of PrP and αSyn with a special focus on their modulation by NAs and RBPs. Furthermore, we provide insights into condensation of PrP and/or αSyn in the light of non-trivial subcellular locations such as the nuclear and cytosolic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yraima Cordeiro
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av Carlos Chagas Filho 373, bloco B, subsolo Sala 36, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902 Brazil
| | - Maria Heloisa O. Freire
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av Carlos Chagas Filho 373, bloco B, subsolo Sala 36, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902 Brazil
| | - Adalgisa Felippe Wiecikowski
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av Carlos Chagas Filho 373, bloco B, subsolo Sala 36, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902 Brazil
| | - Mariana Juliani do Amaral
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av Carlos Chagas Filho 373, bloco B, subsolo Sala 36, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21941-902 Brazil
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10
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Kusova AM, Rakipov IT, Zuev YF. Effects of Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Crowding on Translational Diffusion of Rigid Bovine Serum Albumin and Disordered Alfa-Casein. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11148. [PMID: 37446325 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracellular environment includes proteins, sugars, and nucleic acids interacting in restricted media. In the cytoplasm, the excluded volume effect takes up to 40% of the volume available for occupation by macromolecules. In this work, we tested several approaches modeling crowded solutions for protein diffusion. We experimentally showed how the protein diffusion deviates from conventional Brownian motion in artificial conditions modeling the alteration of medium viscosity and rigid spatial obstacles. The studied tracer proteins were globular bovine serum albumin and intrinsically disordered α-casein. Using the pulsed field gradient NMR, we investigated the translational diffusion of protein probes of different structures in homogeneous (glycerol) and heterogeneous (PEG 300/PEG 6000/PEG 40,000) solutions as a function of crowder concentration. Our results showed fundamentally different effects of homogeneous and heterogeneous crowded environments on protein self-diffusion. In addition, the applied "tracer on lattice" model showed that smaller crowding obstacles (PEG 300 and PEG 6000) create a dense net of restrictions noticeably hindering diffusing protein probes, whereas the large-sized PEG 40,000 creates a "less restricted" environment for the diffusive motion of protein molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra M Kusova
- Kazan Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, FRC Kazan Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Lobachevsky Str. 2/31, Kazan 420111, Russia
| | - Ilnaz T Rakipov
- Institute of Chemistry, Kazan Federal University, Kremlevskaya Str. 18, Kazan 420008, Russia
| | - Yuriy F Zuev
- Kazan Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, FRC Kazan Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Lobachevsky Str. 2/31, Kazan 420111, Russia
- Institute of Chemistry, Kazan Federal University, Kremlevskaya Str. 18, Kazan 420008, Russia
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11
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Blanco PM, Narambuena CF, Madurga S, Mas F, Garcés JL. Unusual Aspects of Charge Regulation in Flexible Weak Polyelectrolytes. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:2680. [PMID: 37376324 DOI: 10.3390/polym15122680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This article reviews the state of the art of the studies on charge regulation (CR) effects in flexible weak polyelectrolytes (FWPE). The characteristic of FWPE is the strong coupling of ionization and conformational degrees of freedom. After introducing the necessary fundamental concepts, some unconventional aspects of the the physical chemistry of FWPE are discussed. These aspects are: (i) the extension of statistical mechanics techniques to include ionization equilibria and, in particular, the use of the recently proposed Site Binding-Rotational Isomeric State (SBRIS) model, which allows the calculation of ionization and conformational properties on the same foot; (ii) the recent progresses in the inclusion of proton equilibria in computer simulations; (iii) the possibility of mechanically induced CR in the stretching of FWPE; (iv) the non-trivial adsorption of FWPE on ionized surfaces with the same charge sign as the PE (the so-called "wrong side" of the isoelectric point); (v) the influence of macromolecular crowding on CR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo M Blanco
- Physical Chemistry Unit, Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), Barcelona University (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Claudio F Narambuena
- Grupo de Bionanotecnologia y Sistemas Complejos, Infap-CONICET & Facultad Regional San Rafael, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, San Rafael 5600, Argentina
| | - Sergio Madurga
- Physical Chemistry Unit, Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), Barcelona University (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Francesc Mas
- Physical Chemistry Unit, Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB), Barcelona University (UB), 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Josep L Garcés
- Chemistry Department, Technical School of Agricultural Engineering & AGROTECNIO, Lleida University (UdL), 25003 Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
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12
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Maldonado RK, Rice BL, Lambert GS, Sudol M, Flanagan JM, Parent LJ. The Rous sarcoma virus Gag polyprotein forms biomolecular condensates driven by intrinsically-disordered regions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.07.536043. [PMID: 37066255 PMCID: PMC10104128 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.07.536043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates (BMCs) play important roles in cellular structures including transcription factories, splicing speckles, and nucleoli. BMCs bring together proteins and other macromolecules, selectively concentrating them so that specific reactions can occur without interference from the surrounding environment. BMCs are often made up of proteins that contain intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), form phase-separated spherical puncta, form liquid-like droplets that undergo fusion and fission, contain molecules that are mobile, and are disrupted with phase-dissolving drugs such as 1,6-hexanediol. In addition to cellular proteins, many viruses, including influenza A, SARS-CoV-2, and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) encode proteins that undergo phase separation and rely on BMC formation for replication. In prior studies of the retrovirus Rous sarcoma virus (RSV), we observed that the Gag protein forms discrete spherical puncta in the nucleus, cytoplasm, and at the plasma membrane that co-localize with viral RNA and host factors, raising the possibility that RSV Gag forms BMCs that participate in the virion intracellular assembly pathway. In our current studies, we found that Gag contains IDRs in the N-terminal (MAp2p10) and C-terminal (NC) regions of the protein and fulfills many criteria of BMCs. Although the role of BMC formation in RSV assembly requires further study, our results suggest the biophysical properties of condensates are required for the formation of Gag complexes in the nucleus and the cohesion of these complexes as they traffic through the nuclear pore, into the cytoplasm, and to the plasma membrane, where the final assembly and release of virus particles occurs.
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13
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Lee KY, Lee BJ. Dynamics-Based Regulatory Switches of Type II Antitoxins: Insights into New Antimicrobial Discovery. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12040637. [PMID: 37106997 PMCID: PMC10135005 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12040637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules are prevalent in prokaryotes and are involved in cell maintenance and survival under harsh environmental conditions, including nutrient deficiency, antibiotic treatment, and human immune responses. Typically, the type II TA system consists of two protein components: a toxin that inhibits an essential cellular process and an antitoxin that neutralizes its toxicity. Antitoxins of type II TA modules typically contain the structured DNA-binding domain responsible for TA transcription repression and an intrinsically disordered region (IDR) at the C-terminus that directly binds to and neutralizes the toxin. Recently accumulated data have suggested that the antitoxin's IDRs exhibit variable degrees of preexisting helical conformations that stabilize upon binding to the corresponding toxin or operator DNA and function as a central hub in regulatory protein interaction networks of the type II TA system. However, the biological and pathogenic functions of the antitoxin's IDRs have not been well discussed compared with those of IDRs from the eukaryotic proteome. Here, we focus on the current state of knowledge about the versatile roles of IDRs of type II antitoxins in TA regulation and provide insights into the discovery of new antibiotic candidates that induce toxin activation/reactivation and cell death by modulating the regulatory dynamics or allostery of the antitoxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki-Young Lee
- College of Pharmacy and Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CHA University, Pocheon-si 11160, Republic of Korea
| | - Bong-Jin Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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14
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do Amaral MJ, Passos YM, Almeida MS, Pinheiro AS, Cordeiro Y. In Vitro Characterization of Protein:Nucleic Acid Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation by Microscopy Methods and Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2551:605-631. [PMID: 36310228 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2597-2_37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Uncontrolled assembly/disassembly of physiologically formed liquid condensates is linked to irreversible aggregation. Hence, the quest for understanding protein-misfolding disease mechanism might lie in the studies of protein:nucleic acid coacervation. Several proteins with intrinsically disordered regions as well as nucleic acids undergo phase separation in the cellular context, and this process is key to physiological signaling and is related to pathologies. Phase separation is reproducible in vitro by mixing the target recombinant protein with specific nucleic acids at various stoichiometric ratios and then examined by microscopy and nanotracking methods presented herein. We describe protocols to qualitatively assess hallmarks of protein-rich condensates, characterize their structure using intrinsic and extrinsic dyes, quantify them, and analyze their morphology over time. Analysis by nanoparticle tracking provides information on the concentration and diameter of high-order protein oligomers formed in the presence of nucleic acid. Using the model protein (globular domain of recombinant murine PrP) and DNA aptamers (high-affinity oligonucleotides with 25 nucleotides in length), we provide examples of a systematic screening of liquid-liquid phase separation in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana J do Amaral
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Yulli M Passos
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcius S Almeida
- Protein Advanced Biochemistry, Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis and National Center for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Anderson S Pinheiro
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Yraima Cordeiro
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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15
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Lee SA, Chang LC, Jung W, Bowman JW, Kim D, Chen W, Foo SS, Choi YJ, Choi UY, Bowling A, Yoo JS, Jung JU. OASL phase condensation induces amyloid-like fibrillation of RIPK3 to promote virus-induced necroptosis. Nat Cell Biol 2023; 25:92-107. [PMID: 36604592 PMCID: PMC9859756 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-01039-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
RIPK3-ZBP1-MLKL-mediated necroptosis is a proinflammatory cell death process that is crucial for antiviral host defence. RIPK3 self-oligomerization and autophosphorylation are prerequisites for executing necroptosis, yet the underlying mechanism of virus-induced RIPK3 activation remains elusive. Interferon-inducible 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthetase-like (OASL) protein is devoid of enzymatic function but displays potent antiviral activity. Here we describe a role of OASL as a virus-induced necroptosis promoter that scaffolds the RIPK3-ZBP1 non-canonical necrosome via liquid-like phase condensation. This liquid-like platform of OASL recruits RIPK3 and ZBP1 via protein-protein interactions to provide spatial segregation for RIPK3 nucleation. This process facilitates the amyloid-like fibril formation and activation of RIPK3 and thereby MLKL phosphorylation for necroptosis. Mice deficient in Oasl1 exhibit severely impaired necroptosis and attenuated inflammation after viral infection, resulting in uncontrolled viral dissemination and lethality. Our study demonstrates an interferon-induced innate response whereby OASL scaffolds RIPK3-ZBP1 assembly via its phase-separated liquid droplets to facilitate necroptosis-mediated antiviral immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Ae Lee
- Department of Cancer Biology, Infection Biology Program, and Global Center for Pathogen Research and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Lin-Chun Chang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Immunology Program of the Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - WooRam Jung
- Department of Cancer Biology, Infection Biology Program, and Global Center for Pathogen Research and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - James W Bowman
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dokyun Kim
- Department of Cancer Biology, Infection Biology Program, and Global Center for Pathogen Research and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Weiqiang Chen
- Department of Cancer Biology, Infection Biology Program, and Global Center for Pathogen Research and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Suan-Sin Foo
- Department of Cancer Biology, Infection Biology Program, and Global Center for Pathogen Research and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Youn Jung Choi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Infection Biology Program, and Global Center for Pathogen Research and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Un Yung Choi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Infection Biology Program, and Global Center for Pathogen Research and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anna Bowling
- Department of Cancer Biology, Infection Biology Program, and Global Center for Pathogen Research and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ji-Seung Yoo
- Center for Study of Emerging and Re-emerging Viruses, Korea Virus Research Institute, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae U Jung
- Department of Cancer Biology, Infection Biology Program, and Global Center for Pathogen Research and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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16
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Balu R, Wanasingha N, Mata JP, Rekas A, Barrett S, Dumsday G, Thornton AW, Hill AJ, Roy Choudhury N, Dutta NK. Crowder-directed interactions and conformational dynamics in multistimuli-responsive intrinsically disordered protein. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq2202. [PMID: 36542701 PMCID: PMC9770960 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq2202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The consequences of crowding on the dynamic conformational ensembles of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) remain unresolved because of their ultrafast motion. Here, we report crowder-induced interactions and conformational dynamics of a prototypical multistimuli-responsive IDP, Rec1-resilin. The effects of a range of crowders of varying sizes, forms, topologies, and concentrations were examined using spectroscopic, spectrofluorimetric, and contrast-matching small- and ultrasmall-angle neutron scattering investigation. To achieve sufficient neutron contrast against the crowders, deuterium-labeled Rec1-resilin was biosynthesized successfully. Moreover, the ab initio "shape reconstruction" approach was used to obtain three-dimensional models of the conformational assemblies. The IDP revealed crowder-specific systematic extension and compaction with the level of macromolecular crowding. Last, a robust extension-contraction model has been postulated to capture the fundamental phenomena governing the observed behavior of IDPs. The study provides insights and fresh perspectives for understanding the interactions and structural dynamics of IDPs in crowded states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajkamal Balu
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Nisal Wanasingha
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Jitendra P. Mata
- Australian Center for Neutron Scattering, ANSTO, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Agata Rekas
- National Deuteration Facility, ANSTO, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Susan Barrett
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Bayview Avenue, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Geoff Dumsday
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Bayview Avenue, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | | | - Anita J. Hill
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Bayview Avenue, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Namita Roy Choudhury
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Naba K. Dutta
- Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
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17
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Effects of Molecular Crowding and Betaine on HSPB5 Interactions, with Target Proteins Differing in the Quaternary Structure and Aggregation Mechanism. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315392. [PMID: 36499725 PMCID: PMC9737104 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The aggregation of intracellular proteins may be enhanced under stress. The expression of heat-shock proteins (HSPs) and the accumulation of osmolytes are among the cellular protective mechanisms in these conditions. In addition, one should remember that the cell environment is highly crowded. The antiaggregation activity of HSPB5 and the effect on it of either a crowding agent (polyethylene glycol (PEG)) or an osmolyte (betaine), or their mixture, were tested on the aggregation of two target proteins that differ in the order of aggregation with respect to the protein: thermal aggregation of glutamate dehydrogenase and DTT-induced aggregation of lysozyme. The kinetic analysis of the dynamic light-scattering data indicates that crowding can decrease the chaperone-like activity of HSPB5. Nonetheless, the analytical ultracentrifugation shows the protective effect of HSPB5, which retains protein aggregates in a soluble state. Overall, various additives may either improve or impair the antiaggregation activity of HSPB5 against different protein targets. The mixed crowding arising from the presence of PEG and 1 M betaine demonstrates an extraordinary effect on the oligomeric state of protein aggregates. The shift in the equilibrium of HSPB5 dynamic ensembles allows for the regulation of its antiaggregation activity. Crowding can modulate HSPB5 activity by affecting protein-protein interactions.
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18
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Rozhkov SP, Goryunov AS. Possible Phase Effects in the Dispersion of a Globular Protein in the Temperature Range of the Native State. Biophysics (Nagoya-shi) 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s0006350922060215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
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19
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Macromolecular crowding amplifies allosteric regulation of T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102655. [PMID: 36328244 PMCID: PMC9720572 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TC-PTP) is a negative regulator of T-cell receptor and oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinase signaling and implicated in cancer and autoimmune disease. TC-PTP activity is modulated by an intrinsically disordered C-terminal region (IDR) and suppressed in cells under basal conditions. In vitro structural studies have shown that the dynamic reorganization of IDR around the catalytic domain, driven by electrostatic interactions, can lead to TC-PTP activity inhibition; however, the process has not been studied in cells. Here, by assessing a mutant (378KRKRPR383 mutated into 378EAAAPE383, called TC45E/A) with impaired tail-PTP domain interaction, we obtained evidence that the downmodulation of TC-PTP enzymatic activity by the IDR occurs in cells. However, we found that the regulation of TC-PTP by the IDR is only recapitulated in vitro when crowding polymers that mimic the intracellular environment are present in kinetic assays using a physiological phosphopeptide. Our FRET-based assays in vitro and in cells confirmed that the effect of the mutant correlates with an impairment of the intramolecular inhibitory remodeling of TC-PTP by the IDR. This work presents an early example of the allosteric regulation of a protein tyrosine phosphatase being controlled by the cellular environment and provides a framework for future studies and targeting of TC-PTP function.
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20
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Pramanik U, Nandy A, Khamari L, Mukherjee S. Structure and Transition Dynamics of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins Probed by Single-Molecule Spectroscopy. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:12764-12772. [PMID: 36217309 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are a class of proteins that do not follow the unanimated perspective of the structure-function paradigm. IDPs enunciate the dynamics of motions which are often difficult to characterize by a particular experimental or theoretical approach. The chameleon nature of the IDPs is a result of an alteration or transition in their conformation upon binding with ligands. Experimental investigations via ensemble-average approaches to probe this randomness are often difficult to synchronize. Thus, to sense the substates of different conformational ensembles of IDPs, researchers have often targeted approaches based on single-molecule measurements. In this Perspective, we will discuss various single-molecule approaches to explore the conformational transitions of IDPs in different scenarios, the outcome, challenges, and future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ushasi Pramanik
- Department of ChemistryIISER Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal462 066, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Atanu Nandy
- Department of ChemistryIISER Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal462 066, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Laxmikanta Khamari
- Department of ChemistryIISER Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal462 066, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Saptarshi Mukherjee
- Department of ChemistryIISER Bhopal, Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal462 066, Madhya Pradesh, India
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21
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Fefilova AS, Antifeeva IA, Gavrilova AA, Turoverov KK, Kuznetsova IM, Fonin AV. Reorganization of Cell Compartmentalization Induced by Stress. Biomolecules 2022; 12:1441. [PMID: 36291650 PMCID: PMC9599104 DOI: 10.3390/biom12101441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that do not have an ordered structure and nevertheless perform essential functions has opened a new era in the understanding of cellular compartmentalization. It threw the bridge from the mostly mechanistic model of the organization of the living matter to the idea of highly dynamic and functional "soft matter". This paradigm is based on the notion of the major role of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biopolymers in the spatial-temporal organization of intracellular space. The LLPS leads to the formation of self-assembled membrane-less organelles (MLOs). MLOs are multicomponent and multifunctional biological condensates, highly dynamic in structure and composition, that allow them to fine-tune the regulation of various intracellular processes. IDPs play a central role in the assembly and functioning of MLOs. The LLPS importance for the regulation of chemical reactions inside the cell is clearly illustrated by the reorganization of the intracellular space during stress response. As a reaction to various types of stresses, stress-induced MLOs appear in the cell, enabling the preservation of the genetic and protein material during unfavourable conditions. In addition, stress causes structural, functional, and compositional changes in the MLOs permanently present inside the cells. In this review, we describe the assembly of stress-induced MLOs and the stress-induced modification of existing MLOs in eukaryotes, yeasts, and prokaryotes in response to various stress factors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Konstantin K. Turoverov
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology of RAS, 194064 St. Petersburg, Russia
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22
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Molecular crowding induced loss of native conformation and aggregation of α-chymotrypsinogen A. J Mol Struct 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.133385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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23
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Ahmad A, Uversky VN, Khan RH. Aberrant liquid-liquid phase separation and amyloid aggregation of proteins related to neurodegenerative diseases. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 220:703-720. [PMID: 35998851 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.08.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence has shown that the processes of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) or liquid-liquid phase transitions (LLPTs) are a crucial and prevalent phenomenon that underlies the biogenesis of numerous membrane-less organelles (MLOs) and biomolecular condensates within the cells. Findings show that processes associated with LLPS play an essential role in physiology and disease. In this review, we discuss the physical and biomolecular factors that contribute to the development of LLPS, the associated functions, as well as their consequences for cell physiology and neurological disorders. Additionally, the finding of mis-regulated proteins, which have long been linked to aggregates in neuropathology, are also known to induce LLPS/LLPTs, prompting a lot of interest in understanding the connection between aberrant phase separation and disorder conditions. Moreover, the methods used in recent and ongoing studies in this field are also explored, as is the possibility that these findings will encourage new lines of inquiry into the molecular causes of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azeem Ahmad
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, U.P. 202002, India
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutskiy pereulok, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141700, Russia.
| | - Rizwan Hasan Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, U.P. 202002, India.
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24
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Camacho-Zarco AR, Schnapka V, Guseva S, Abyzov A, Adamski W, Milles S, Jensen MR, Zidek L, Salvi N, Blackledge M. NMR Provides Unique Insight into the Functional Dynamics and Interactions of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins. Chem Rev 2022; 122:9331-9356. [PMID: 35446534 PMCID: PMC9136928 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c01023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Intrinsically disordered
proteins are ubiquitous throughout all
known proteomes, playing essential roles in all aspects of cellular
and extracellular biochemistry. To understand their function, it is
necessary to determine their structural and dynamic behavior and to
describe the physical chemistry of their interaction trajectories.
Nuclear magnetic resonance is perfectly adapted to this task, providing
ensemble averaged structural and dynamic parameters that report on
each assigned resonance in the molecule, unveiling otherwise inaccessible
insight into the reaction kinetics and thermodynamics that are essential
for function. In this review, we describe recent applications of NMR-based
approaches to understanding the conformational energy landscape, the
nature and time scales of local and long-range dynamics and how they
depend on the environment, even in the cell. Finally, we illustrate
the ability of NMR to uncover the mechanistic basis of functional
disordered molecular assemblies that are important for human health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vincent Schnapka
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Serafima Guseva
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Anton Abyzov
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Wiktor Adamski
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Sigrid Milles
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | | | - Lukas Zidek
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 82500 Brno, Czech Republic.,Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 82500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Nicola Salvi
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, 38000 Grenoble, France
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25
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Parray ZA, Shahid M, Islam A. Insights into Fluctuations of Structure of Proteins: Significance of Intermediary States in Regulating Biological Functions. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14081539. [PMID: 35458289 PMCID: PMC9025146 DOI: 10.3390/polym14081539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteins are indispensable to cellular communication and metabolism. The structure on which cells and tissues are developed is deciphered from proteins. To perform functions, proteins fold into a three-dimensional structural design, which is specific and fundamentally determined by their characteristic sequence of amino acids. Few of them have structural versatility, allowing them to adapt their shape to the task at hand. The intermediate states appear momentarily, while protein folds from denatured (D) ⇔ native (N), which plays significant roles in cellular functions. Prolific effort needs to be taken in characterizing these intermediate species if detected during the folding process. Protein folds into its native structure through definite pathways, which involve a limited number of transitory intermediates. Intermediates may be essential in protein folding pathways and assembly in some cases, as well as misfolding and aggregation folding pathways. These intermediate states help to understand the machinery of proper folding in proteins. In this review article, we highlight the various intermediate states observed and characterized so far under in vitro conditions. Moreover, the role and significance of intermediates in regulating the biological function of cells are discussed clearly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahoor Ahmad Parray
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India;
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, IIT Campus, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Mohammad Shahid
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Asimul Islam
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +91-93-1281-2007
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26
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French-Pacheco L, Rosas-Bringas O, Segovia L, Covarrubias AA. Intrinsically disordered signaling proteins: Essential hub players in the control of stress responses in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265422. [PMID: 35290420 PMCID: PMC8923507 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells have developed diverse mechanisms to monitor changes in their surroundings. This allows them to establish effective responses to cope with adverse environments. Some of these mechanisms have been well characterized in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an excellent experimental model to explore and elucidate some of the strategies selected in eukaryotic organisms to adjust their growth and development in stressful conditions. The relevance of structural disorder in proteins and the impact on their functions has been uncovered for proteins participating in different processes. This is the case of some transcription factors (TFs) and other signaling hub proteins, where intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) play a critical role in their function. In this work, we present a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis to evaluate the significance of structural disorder in those TFs (170) recognized in S. cerevisiae. Our findings show that 85.2% of these TFs contain at least one IDR, whereas ~30% exhibit a higher disorder level and thus were considered as intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). We also found that TFs contain a higher number of IDRs compared to the rest of the yeast proteins, and that intrinsically disordered TFs (IDTFs) have a higher number of protein-protein interactions than those with low structural disorder. The analysis of different stress response pathways showed a high content of structural disorder not only in TFs but also in other signaling proteins. The propensity of yeast proteome to undergo a liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) was also analyzed, showing that a significant proportion of IDTFs may undergo this phenomenon. Our analysis is a starting point for future research on the importance of structural disorder in yeast stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leidys French-Pacheco
- Departamento de Biología Molecular de Plantas, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Omar Rosas-Bringas
- Departamento de Biología Molecular de Plantas, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Lorenzo Segovia
- Departamento de Ingeniería Celular y Biocatálisis, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Alejandra A. Covarrubias
- Departamento de Biología Molecular de Plantas, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
- * E-mail:
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27
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On the Effects of Disordered Tails, Supertertiary Structure and Quinary Interactions on the Folding and Function of Protein Domains. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020209. [PMID: 35204709 PMCID: PMC8961636 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The vast majority of our current knowledge about the biochemical and biophysical properties of proteins derives from in vitro studies conducted on isolated globular domains. However, a very large fraction of the proteins expressed in the eukaryotic cell are structurally more complex. In particular, the discovery that up to 40% of the eukaryotic proteins are intrinsically disordered, or possess intrinsically disordered regions, and are highly dynamic entities lacking a well-defined three-dimensional structure, revolutionized the structure–function paradigm and our understanding of proteins. Moreover, proteins are mostly characterized by the presence of multiple domains, influencing each other by intramolecular interactions. Furthermore, proteins exert their function in a crowded intracellular milieu, transiently interacting with a myriad of other macromolecules. In this review we summarize the literature tackling these themes from both the theoretical and experimental perspectives, highlighting the effects on protein folding and function that are played by (i) flanking disordered tails; (ii) contiguous protein domains; (iii) interactions with the cellular environment, defined as quinary structures. We show that, in many cases, both the folding and function of protein domains is remarkably perturbed by the presence of these interactions, pinpointing the importance to increase the level of complexity of the experimental work and to extend the efforts to characterize protein domains in more complex contexts.
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28
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Fagerberg E, Lenton S, Nylander T, Seydel T, Skepö M. Self-Diffusive Properties of the Intrinsically Disordered Protein Histatin 5 and the Impact of Crowding Thereon: A Combined Neutron Spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:789-801. [PMID: 35044776 PMCID: PMC8819652 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c08976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Intrinsically disordered
proteins (IDPs) are proteins that, in
comparison with globular/structured proteins, lack a distinct tertiary
structure. Here, we use the model IDP, Histatin 5, for studying its
dynamical properties under self-crowding conditions with quasi-elastic
neutron scattering in combination with full atomistic molecular dynamics
(MD) simulations. The aim is to determine the effects of crowding
on the center-of-mass diffusion as well as the internal diffusive
behavior. The diffusion was found to decrease significantly, which
we hypothesize can be attributed to some degree of aggregation at
higher protein concentrations, (≥100 mg/mL), as indicated by
recent small-angle X-ray scattering studies. Temperature effects are
also considered and found to, largely, follow Stokes–Einstein
behavior. Simple geometric considerations fail to accurately predict
the rates of diffusion, while simulations show semiquantitative agreement
with experiments, dependent on assumptions of the ratio between translational
and rotational diffusion. A scaling law that previously was found
to successfully describe the behavior of globular proteins was found
to be inadequate for the IDP, Histatin 5. Analysis of the MD simulations
show that the width of the distribution with respect to diffusion
is not a simplistic mirroring of the distribution of radius of gyration,
hence, displaying the particular features of IDPs that need to be
accounted for.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Fagerberg
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, POB 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Samuel Lenton
- Physical Chemistry, Lund University, POB 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Tommy Nylander
- Physical Chemistry, Lund University, POB 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Tilo Seydel
- Institut Max von Laue - Paul Langevin, 71 avenue des Martyrs, CS 20156, F-38042 Grenoble, France
| | - Marie Skepö
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, POB 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden.,LINXS - Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science, Scheelevägen 19, SE-223 70 Lund, Sweden
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29
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Gruber T, Lewitzky M, Machner L, Weininger U, Feller SM, Balbach J. Macromolecular crowding induces a binding competent transient structure in intrinsically disordered Gab1. J Mol Biol 2021; 434:167407. [PMID: 34929201 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are an important class of proteins which lack tertiary structure elements. Their dynamic properties can depend on reversible post-translational modifications and the complex cellular milieu, which provides a crowded environment. Both influences the thermodynamic stability and folding of globular proteins as well as the conformational plasticity of IDPs. Here we investigate the intrinsically disordered C-terminal region (amino acids 613-694) of human Grb2-associated binding protein 1 (Gab1), which binds to the disease-relevant Src homolog region2 (SH2) domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 (PTPN11). This binding is mediated by phosphorylation at Tyr 627 and Tyr 659 in Gab1. We characterize induced structure in Gab1613-694 and binding to SHP2 by NMR, CD and ITC under non-crowding and crowding conditions, employing chemical and biological crowding agents and compare the results of the non-phosphorylated and tyrosine phosphorylated C-terminal Gab1 fragment. Our results show that under crowding conditions pre-structured motifs in two distinct regions of Gab1 are formed whereas phosphorylation has no impact on the dynamics and IDP character. These structured regions are identical to the binding regions towards SHP2. Therefore, biological crowders could induce some SHP2 binding capacity. Our results therefore indicate that high concentrations of macromolecules stabilize the preformed or excited binding state in the C-terminal Gab1 region and foster the binding to the SH2 tandem motif of SHP2, even in the absence of tyrosine phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Gruber
- Institute of Physics, Biophysics, Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany; Institute of Molecular Medicine, Tumor Biology, Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Marc Lewitzky
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Tumor Biology, Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Lisa Machner
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Tumor Biology, Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Weininger
- Institute of Physics, Biophysics, Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Stephan M Feller
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Tumor Biology, Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany.
| | - Jochen Balbach
- Institute of Physics, Biophysics, Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany; Institute of Technical Biochemistry e.V. and Center for Structure and Dynamics of Proteins, Martin-Luther-University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany.
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30
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Malagrinò F, Diop A, Pagano L, Nardella C, Toto A, Gianni S. Unveiling induced folding of intrinsically disordered proteins - Protein engineering, frustration and emerging themes. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2021; 72:153-160. [PMID: 34902817 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) can be generally described as a class of proteins that lack a well-defined ordered structure in isolation at physiological conditions. Upon binding to their physiological ligands, IDPs typically undergo a disorder-to-order transition, which may or may not lead to the complete folding of the IDP. In this short review, we focus on some of the key findings pertaining to the mechanisms of such induced folding. In particular, first we describe the general features of the reaction; then, we discuss some of the most remarkable findings obtained from applying protein engineering in synergy with kinetic studies to induced folding; and finally, we offer a critical view on some of the emerging themes when considering the structural heterogeneity of IDPs vis-à-vis to their inherent frustration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Malagrinò
- Istituto Pasteur, Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche "A. Rossi Fanelli" and Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari Del CNR, Sapienza Università, di Roma, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Awa Diop
- Istituto Pasteur, Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche "A. Rossi Fanelli" and Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari Del CNR, Sapienza Università, di Roma, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Livia Pagano
- Istituto Pasteur, Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche "A. Rossi Fanelli" and Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari Del CNR, Sapienza Università, di Roma, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Nardella
- Istituto Pasteur, Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche "A. Rossi Fanelli" and Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari Del CNR, Sapienza Università, di Roma, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Angelo Toto
- Istituto Pasteur, Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche "A. Rossi Fanelli" and Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari Del CNR, Sapienza Università, di Roma, 00185, Rome, Italy.
| | - Stefano Gianni
- Istituto Pasteur, Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Dipartimento di Scienze Biochimiche "A. Rossi Fanelli" and Istituto di Biologia e Patologia Molecolari Del CNR, Sapienza Università, di Roma, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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31
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Sołtys K, Ożyhar A. Transcription Regulators and Membraneless Organelles Challenges to Investigate Them. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:12758. [PMID: 34884563 PMCID: PMC8657783 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells are composed of different bio-macromolecules that are divided into compartments called organelles providing optimal microenvironments for many cellular processes. A specific type of organelles is membraneless organelles. They are formed via a process called liquid-liquid phase separation that is driven by weak multivalent interactions between particular bio-macromolecules. In this review, we gather crucial information regarding different classes of transcription regulators with the propensity to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation and stress the role of intrinsically disordered regions in this phenomenon. We also discuss recently developed experimental systems for studying formation and properties of membraneless organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Sołtys
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland;
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32
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Baverstock K. The gene: An appraisal. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 164:46-62. [PMID: 33979646 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2021.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The gene can be described as the foundational concept of modern biology. As such, it has spilled over into daily discourse, yet it is acknowledged among biologists to be ill-defined. Here, following a short history of the gene, I analyse critically its role in inheritance, evolution, development, and morphogenesis. Wilhelm Johannsen's genotype-conception, formulated in 1910, has been adopted as the foundation stone of genetics, giving the gene a higher degree of prominence than is justified by the evidence. An analysis of the results of the Long-Term Evolution Experiment (LTEE) with E. coli bacteria, grown over 60,000 generations, does not support spontaneous gene mutation as the source of variance for natural selection. From this it follows that the gene is not Mendel's unit of inheritance: that must be Johannsen's transmission-conception at the gamete phenotype level, a form of inheritance that Johannsen did not consider. Alternatively, I contend that biology viewed on the bases of thermodynamics, complex system dynamics and self-organisation, provides a new framework for the foundations of biology. In this framework, the gene plays a passive role as a vital information store: it is the phenotype that plays the active role in inheritance, evolution, development, and morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith Baverstock
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, Kuopio, Finland.
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33
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Intrinsic disorder and phase transitions: Pieces in the puzzling role of the prion protein in health and disease. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2021; 183:1-43. [PMID: 34656326 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
After four decades of prion protein research, the pressing questions in the literature remain similar to the common existential dilemmas. Who am I? Some structural characteristics of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) and scrapie PrP (PrPSc) remain unknown: there are no high-resolution atomic structures for either full-length endogenous human PrPC or isolated infectious PrPSc particles. Why am I here? It is not known why PrPC and PrPSc are found in specific cellular compartments such as the nucleus; while the physiological functions of PrPC are still being uncovered, the misfolding site remains obscure. Where am I going? The subcellular distribution of PrPC and PrPSc is wide (reported in 10 different locations in the cell). This complexity is further exacerbated by the eight different PrP fragments yielded from conserved proteolytic cleavages and by reversible post-translational modifications, such as glycosylation, phosphorylation, and ubiquitination. Moreover, about 55 pathological mutations and 16 polymorphisms on the PrP gene (PRNP) have been described. Prion diseases also share unique, challenging features: strain phenomenon (associated with the heterogeneity of PrPSc conformations) and the possible transmissibility between species, factors which contribute to PrP undruggability. However, two recent concepts in biochemistry-intrinsically disordered proteins and phase transitions-may shed light on the molecular basis of PrP's role in physiology and disease.
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34
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Per aspera ad chaos: a personal journey to the wonderland of intrinsic disorder. Biochem J 2021; 478:3015-3024. [PMID: 34375385 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20210146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This perspective article describes some of the key points of my personal journey through the intriguing world of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). It also shows the evolution of my perception of functional proteins from a standard lock-and-key theory, where a unique function is defined by a unique 3D structure, to the structure-function continuum model, where the structural heterogeneity and conformational plasticity of IDPs define their remarkable multifunctionality and binding promiscuity. These personal accounts of the difficult and lengthy transition from order to disorder paralleled the uneasy and challenging transition in the mind of the scientific community from disbelief in intrinsic disorder to acceptance of IDPs as real entities that play critical biological roles. I hope that this perspective will be of interest to the readers of this journal.
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35
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Bonucci A, Palomino-Schätzlein M, Malo de Molina P, Arbe A, Pierattelli R, Rizzuti B, Iovanna JL, Neira JL. Crowding Effects on the Structure and Dynamics of the Intrinsically Disordered Nuclear Chromatin Protein NUPR1. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:684622. [PMID: 34291085 PMCID: PMC8287036 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.684622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The intracellular environment is crowded with macromolecules, including sugars, proteins and nucleic acids. In the cytoplasm, crowding effects are capable of excluding up to 40% of the volume available to any macromolecule when compared to dilute conditions. NUPR1 is an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) involved in cell-cycle regulation, stress-cell response, apoptosis processes, DNA binding and repair, chromatin remodeling and transcription. Simulations of molecular crowding predict that IDPs can adopt compact states, as well as more extended conformations under crowding conditions. In this work, we analyzed the conformation and dynamics of NUPR1 in the presence of two synthetic polymers, Ficoll-70 and Dextran-40, which mimic crowding effects in the cells, at two different concentrations (50 and 150 mg/ml). The study was carried out by using a multi-spectroscopic approach, including: site-directed spin labelling electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (SDSL-EPR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), circular dichroism (CD), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). SDSL-EPR spectra of two spin-labelled mutants indicate that there was binding with the crowders and that the local dynamics of the C and N termini of NUPR1 were partially affected by the crowders. However, the overall disordered nature of NUPR1 did not change substantially in the presence of the crowders, as shown by circular dichroism CD and NMR, and further confirmed by EPR. The changes in the dynamics of the paramagnetic probes appear to be related to preferred local conformations and thus crowding agents partially affect some specific regions, further pinpointing that NUPR1 flexibility has a key physiological role in its activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Bonucci
- CERM & Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy
| | | | - Paula Malo de Molina
- Centro de Física de Materiales (CFM), CSIC-UPV/EHU, San Sebastián, Spain.,IKERBASQUE-Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Arantxa Arbe
- Centro de Física de Materiales (CFM), CSIC-UPV/EHU, San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Roberta Pierattelli
- CERM & Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino (Florence), Italy
| | - Bruno Rizzuti
- CNR-NANOTEC, Licryl-UOS Cosenza and CEMIF.Cal, Department of Physics, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy.,Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI), Joint Units IQFR-CSIC-BIFI and GBsC-CSIC-BIFI, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Juan L Iovanna
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille (CRCM), INSERM U1068, CNRS UMR 7258, Aix-Marseille Université and Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Parc Scientifique et Technologique de Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - José L Neira
- Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI), Joint Units IQFR-CSIC-BIFI and GBsC-CSIC-BIFI, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.,IDIBE, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Elche (Alicante), Spain
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36
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O'Flynn BG, Mittag T. The role of liquid-liquid phase separation in regulating enzyme activity. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2021; 69:70-79. [PMID: 33503539 PMCID: PMC8058252 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2020.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is now recognized as a common mechanism underlying regulation of enzyme activity in cells. Insights from studies in cells are complemented by in vitro studies aimed at developing a better understanding of mechanisms underlying such control. These mechanisms are often based on the influence of LLPS on the physicochemical properties of the enzyme's environment. Biochemical mechanisms underlying such regulation include the potential for concentrating reactants together, tuning reaction rates, and controlling competing metabolic pathways. LLPS is thus a powerful tool with extensive utilities at the cell's disposal, e.g. for consolidating cell survival under stress or rerouting metabolic pathways in response to the energy state of the cell. Here, we examin the evidence for how LLPS affects enzyme catalysis and begin to understand emerging concepts and expand our understanding of enzyme catalysis in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian G O'Flynn
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Tanja Mittag
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA.
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37
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Clemens L, Kutuzov M, Bayer KV, Goyette J, Allard J, Dushek O. Determination of the molecular reach of the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1. Biophys J 2021; 120:2054-2066. [PMID: 33781765 PMCID: PMC8204385 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune receptors signal by recruiting (or tethering) enzymes to their cytoplasmic tails to catalyze reactions on substrates within reach. This is the case for the phosphatase SHP-1, which, upon tethering to inhibitory receptors, dephosphorylates diverse substrates to control T cell activation. Precisely how tethering regulates SHP-1 activity is incompletely understood. Here, we measure binding, catalysis, and molecular reach for tethered SHP-1 reactions. We determine the molecular reach of SHP-1 to be 13.0 nm, which is longer than the estimate from the allosterically active structure (5.3 nm), suggesting that SHP-1 can achieve a longer reach by exploring multiple active conformations. Using modeling, we show that when uniformly distributed, receptor-SHP-1 complexes can only reach 15% of substrates, but this increases to 90% when they are coclustered. When within reach, we show that membrane recruitment increases the activity of SHP-1 by a 1000-fold increase in local concentration. The work highlights how molecular reach regulates the activity of membrane-recruited SHP-1 with insights applicable to other membrane-tethered reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Clemens
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Mikhail Kutuzov
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jesse Goyette
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science, School of Medical Sciences University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jun Allard
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California.
| | - Omer Dushek
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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38
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Rendón-Luna DF, Romero-Pérez PS, Cuevas-Velazquez CL, Reyes JL, Covarrubias AA. Determining the Protective Activity of IDPs Under Partial Dehydration and Freeze-Thaw Conditions. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2141:519-528. [PMID: 32696375 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0524-0_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Unlike for structured proteins, the study of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) requires selection of ad hoc assays and strategies to characterize their dynamic structure and function. Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are important plant IDPs closely related to water-deficit stress response. Diverse hypothetical functions have been proposed for LEA proteins, such as membrane stabilizers during cold stress, oxidative regulators acting as ion metal binding molecules, and protein protectants during dehydration and cold/freezing conditions. Here we present two detailed protocols to characterize IDPs with potential protein/enzyme protection activity under partial dehydration and freeze-thaw treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F Rendón-Luna
- Departamento de Biología Molecular de Plantas, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Paulette S Romero-Pérez
- Departamento de Biología Molecular de Plantas, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Cesar L Cuevas-Velazquez
- Departamento de Biología Molecular de Plantas, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.,Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, México
| | - José L Reyes
- Departamento de Biología Molecular de Plantas, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
| | - Alejandra A Covarrubias
- Departamento de Biología Molecular de Plantas, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.
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39
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Bari KJ, Prakashchand DD. Fundamental Challenges and Outlook in Simulating Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:1644-1656. [PMID: 33555894 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c03404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) populate an ensemble of dynamic conformations, making their structural characterization by experiments challenging. Many IDPs undergo liquid-liquid phase separation into dense membraneless organelles with myriad cellular functions. Multivalent interactions in low-complexity IDPs promote the formation of these subcellular coacervates. While solution NMR, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies on IDPs have their own challenges, recent computational methods draw a rational trade-off to characterize the driving forces underlying phase separation. In this Perspective, we critically evaluate the scope of approximation-free field theoretic simulations, well-tempered ensemble methods, enhanced sampling techniques, coarse-grained force fields, and slab simulation approaches to offer an improved understanding of phase separation. A synergy between simulation length scale and model resolution would reduce the existing caveats and enable theories of polymer physics to elucidate finer details of liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). These computational advances offer promise for rigorous characterization of the IDP proteome and designing peptides with tunable material and self-assembly properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khandekar Jishan Bari
- Center for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Gopanpally, Hyderabad 500107, India
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Berhampur, Odisha 760010, India
| | - Dube Dheeraj Prakashchand
- Center for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Gopanpally, Hyderabad 500107, India
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40
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Blanco PM, Madurga S, Garcés JL, Mas F, Dias RS. Influence of macromolecular crowding on the charge regulation of intrinsically disordered proteins. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:655-669. [PMID: 33215185 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01475c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In this work we study the coupling between ionization and conformational properties of two IDPs, histatin-5 and β-amyloid 42, in the presence of neutral and charged crowders. The latter is modeled to resemble bovine serum albumin (BSA). With this aim, semi-grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations are performed, so that the IDP charge is a dynamic property, undergoing protonation/deprotonation processes. Both ionization properties (global and specific amino acid charge and binding capacitance) and radius of gyration are analyzed in a large range of pH values and salt concentrations. Without crowder agents, the titration curve of histatin-5, a polycation, is salt-dependent while that of β-amyloid 42, a polyampholyte, is almost unaffected. The salt concentration is found to be particularly relevant at pH values where the protein binding capacitance (directly linked with charge fluctuation) is larger. Upon addition of neutral crowders, charge regulation is observed in histatin-5, while for β-amyloid 42 this effect is very small. The main mechanism for charge regulation is found to be the effective increase in the ionic strength due to the excluded volume. In the presence of charged crowders, a significant increase in the charge of both IDPs is observed in almost all the pH range. In this case, the IDP charge is altered not only by the increase in the effective ionic strength but also by its direct electrostatic interaction with the charged crowders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo M Blanco
- Physical Chemistry Unit, Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB) of Barcelona University (UB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Sergio Madurga
- Physical Chemistry Unit, Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB) of Barcelona University (UB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Josep L Garcés
- Chemistry Department, Technical School of Agricultural Engineering & AGROTECNIO of Lleida University (UdL), Lleida, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Francesc Mas
- Physical Chemistry Unit, Materials Science and Physical Chemistry Department & Research Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry (IQTCUB) of Barcelona University (UB), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Rita S Dias
- Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.
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41
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Basak S, Sakia N, Dougherty L, Guo Z, Wu F, Mindlin F, Lary JW, Cole JL, Ding F, Bowen ME. Probing Interdomain Linkers and Protein Supertertiary Structure In Vitro and in Live Cells with Fluorescent Protein Resonance Energy Transfer. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166793. [PMID: 33388290 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.166793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Many proteins are composed of independently-folded domains connected by flexible linkers. The primary sequence and length of such linkers can set the effective concentration for the tethered domains, which impacts rates of association and enzyme activity. The length of such linkers can be sensitive to environmental conditions, which raises questions as to how studies in dilute buffer relate to the highly-crowded cellular environment. To examine the role of linkers in domain separation, we measured Fluorescent Protein-Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FP-FRET) for a series of tandem FPs that varied in the length of their interdomain linkers. We used discrete molecular dynamics to map the underlying conformational distribution, which revealed intramolecular contact states that we confirmed with single molecule FRET. Simulations found that attached FPs increased linker length and slowed conformational dynamics relative to the bare linkers. This makes the CLYs poor sensors of inherent linker properties. However, we also showed that FP-FRET in CLYs was sensitive to solvent quality and macromolecular crowding making them potent environmental sensors. Finally, we targeted the same proteins to the plasma membrane of living mammalian cells to measure FP-FRET in cellulo. The measured FP-FRET when tethered to the plasma membrane was the same as that in dilute buffer. While caveats remain regarding photophysics, this suggests that the supertertiary conformational ensemble of these CLY proteins may not be affected by this specific cellular environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujit Basak
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8661, USA
| | - Nabanita Sakia
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0978, USA
| | - Laura Dougherty
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8661, USA
| | - Zhuojun Guo
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8661, USA
| | - Fang Wu
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8661, USA
| | - Frank Mindlin
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8661, USA
| | - Jeffrey W Lary
- National Analytical Ultracentrifugation Facility, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - James L Cole
- National Analytical Ultracentrifugation Facility, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
| | - Feng Ding
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0978, USA
| | - Mark E Bowen
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8661, USA.
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42
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Fagerberg E, Månsson LK, Lenton S, Skepö M. The Effects of Chain Length on the Structural Properties of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins in Concentrated Solutions. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:11843-11853. [PMID: 33337879 PMCID: PMC7872433 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c09635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
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Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDP) are proteins that sample
a heterogeneous ensemble of conformers in solution. An estimated 25–30%
of all eukaryotic proteins belong to this class. In vivo, IDPs function under conditions that are highly crowded by other
biological macromolecules. Previous research has highlighted that
the presence of crowding agents can influence the conformational ensemble
sampled by IDPs, resulting in either compaction or expansion. The
effects of self-crowding of the disordered protein Histatin 5 has,
in an earlier study, been found to have limited influence on the conformational
ensemble. In this study, it is examined whether the short chain length
of Histatin 5 can explain the limited effects of crowding observed,
by introducing (Histatin 5)2, a tandem repeat of Histatin
5. By utilizing small-angle X-ray scattering, it is shown that the
conformational ensemble is conserved at high protein concentrations,
in resemblance with Histatin 5, although with a lowered protein concentration
at which aggregation arises. Under dilute conditions, atomistic molecular
dynamics and coarse-grained Monte Carlo simulations, as well as an
established scaling law, predicted more extended conformations than
indicated by experimental data, hence implying that (Histatin 5)2 does not behave as a self-avoiding random walk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Fagerberg
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, Lund SE-221 00, Sweden
| | - Linda K Månsson
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, Lund SE-221 00, Sweden
| | - Samuel Lenton
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, Lund SE-221 00, Sweden.,LINXS - Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science, Scheelevägen 19, Lund SE-223 70, Sweden
| | - Marie Skepö
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, Lund SE-221 00, Sweden.,LINXS - Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science, Scheelevägen 19, Lund SE-223 70, Sweden
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43
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Pittas T, Zuo W, Boersma AJ. Engineering crowding sensitivity into protein linkers. Methods Enzymol 2020; 647:51-81. [PMID: 33482994 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The intracellular environment contains a high concentration of biomacromolecules that present steric barriers and ample surface area for weak chemical interactions. Consequently, these forces influence protein conformations and protein self-assembly, with an outcome that depends on the sum of the effects resulting from crowding. Linkers are disordered domains that lack tertiary structure, and this flexible nature would render them susceptible to compression or extension under crowded conditions, compared to the equilibrium conformation in a dilute buffer. The change in distance between the linked proteins can become essential where it attenuates protein activity. In this chapter, we first discuss the experimental findings in vitro and in the cell on how linkers and other relevant macromolecules are affected by crowding. We focus on the dependence on the linker's size, flexibility, and the intra- and intermolecular interactions. Although the experimental data on the systematic variation of proteins in a buffer and cells is limited, extrapolating the available insights allows us to propose a protocol on how to engineer the directionality of crowding effects in the linker. Finally, we describe a straightforward experimental protocol on the determination of crowding sensitivity in a buffer and cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros Pittas
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Aachen, Germany; Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Weiyan Zuo
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Aachen, Germany; Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Arnold J Boersma
- DWI-Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Aachen, Germany; Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
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44
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Stadmiller SS, Aguilar JS, Parnham S, Pielak GJ. Protein–Peptide Binding Energetics under Crowded Conditions. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:9297-9309. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c05578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha S. Stadmiller
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Jhoan S. Aguilar
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Stuart Parnham
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Gary J. Pielak
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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45
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Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation in Crowded Environments. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21165908. [PMID: 32824618 PMCID: PMC7460619 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates play a key role in organizing cellular fluids such as the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm. Most of these non-membranous organelles show liquid-like properties both in cells and when studied in vitro through liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) of purified proteins. In general, LLPS of proteins is known to be sensitive to variations in pH, temperature and ionic strength, but the role of crowding remains underappreciated. Several decades of research have shown that macromolecular crowding can have profound effects on protein interactions, folding and aggregation, and it must, by extension, also impact LLPS. However, the precise role of crowding in LLPS is far from trivial, as most condensate components have a disordered nature and exhibit multiple weak attractive interactions. Here, we discuss which factors determine the scope of LLPS in crowded environments, and we review the evidence for the impact of macromolecular crowding on phase boundaries, partitioning behavior and condensate properties. Based on a comparison of both in vivo and in vitro LLPS studies, we propose that phase separation in cells does not solely rely on attractive interactions, but shows important similarities to segregative phase separation.
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46
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Chebotareva NA, Roman SG, Borzova VA, Eronina TB, Mikhaylova VV, Kurganov BI. Chaperone-Like Activity of HSPB5: The Effects of Quaternary Structure Dynamics and Crowding. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21144940. [PMID: 32668633 PMCID: PMC7404038 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21144940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Small heat-shock proteins (sHSPs) are ATP-independent molecular chaperones that interact with partially unfolded proteins, preventing their aberrant aggregation, thereby exhibiting a chaperone-like activity. Dynamics of the quaternary structure plays an important role in the chaperone-like activity of sHSPs. However, relationship between the dynamic structure of sHSPs and their chaperone-like activity remains insufficiently characterized. Many factors (temperature, ions, a target protein, crowding etc.) affect the structure and activity of sHSPs. The least studied is an effect of crowding on sHSPs activity. In this work the chaperone-like activity of HSPB5 was quantitatively characterized by dynamic light scattering using two test systems, namely test systems based on heat-induced aggregation of muscle glycogen phosphorylase b (Phb) at 48 °C and dithiothreitol-induced aggregation of α-lactalbumin at 37 °C. Analytical ultracentrifugation was used to control the oligomeric state of HSPB5 and target proteins. The possible anti-aggregation functioning of suboligomeric forms of HSPB5 is discussed. The effect of crowding on HSPB5 anti-aggregation activity was characterized using Phb as a target protein. The duration of the nucleation stage was shown to decrease with simultaneous increase in the relative rate of aggregation of Phb in the presence of HSPB5 under crowded conditions. Crowding may subtly modulate sHSPs activity.
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47
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Löwe M, Kalacheva M, Boersma AJ, Kedrov A. The more the merrier: effects of macromolecular crowding on the structure and dynamics of biological membranes. FEBS J 2020; 287:5039-5067. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.15429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maryna Löwe
- Synthetic Membrane Systems Institute of Biochemistry Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Germany
| | | | | | - Alexej Kedrov
- Synthetic Membrane Systems Institute of Biochemistry Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Germany
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48
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Soranno A. Physical basis of the disorder-order transition. Arch Biochem Biophys 2020; 685:108305. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2020.108305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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49
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Hodge EA, Benhaim MA, Lee KK. Bridging protein structure, dynamics, and function using hydrogen/deuterium-exchange mass spectrometry. Protein Sci 2020; 29:843-855. [PMID: 31721348 PMCID: PMC7096709 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Much of our understanding of protein structure and mechanistic function has been derived from static high-resolution structures. As structural biology has continued to evolve it has become clear that high-resolution structures alone are unable to fully capture the mechanistic basis for protein structure and function in solution. Recently Hydrogen/Deuterium-exchange Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS) has developed into a powerful and versatile tool for structural biologists that provides novel insights into protein structure and function. HDX-MS enables direct monitoring of a protein's structural fluctuations and conformational changes under native conditions in solution even as it is carrying out its functions. In this review, we focus on the use of HDX-MS to monitor these dynamic changes in proteins. We examine how HDX-MS has been applied to study protein structure and function in systems ranging from large, complex assemblies to intrinsically disordered proteins, and we discuss its use in probing conformational changes during protein folding and catalytic function. STATEMENT FOR A BROAD AUDIENCE: The biophysical and structural characterization of proteins provides novel insight into their functionalities. Protein motions, ranging from small scale local fluctuations to larger concerted structural rearrangements, often determine protein function. Hydrogen/Deuterium-exchange Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS) has proven a powerful biophysical tool capable of probing changes in protein structure and dynamic protein motions that are often invisible to most other techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar A. Hodge
- Department of Medicinal ChemistryUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashington
| | - Mark A. Benhaim
- Department of Medicinal ChemistryUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashington
| | - Kelly K. Lee
- Department of Medicinal ChemistryUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashington
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50
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Lathe R, Darlix JL. Prion protein PrP nucleic acid binding and mobilization implicates retroelements as the replicative component of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. Arch Virol 2020; 165:535-556. [PMID: 32025859 PMCID: PMC7024060 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-020-04529-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The existence of more than 30 strains of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) and the paucity of infectivity of purified PrPSc, as well as considerations of PrP structure, are inconsistent with the protein-only (prion) theory of TSE. Nucleic acid is a strong contender as a second component. We juxtapose two key findings: (i) PrP is a nucleic-acid-binding antimicrobial protein that is similar to retroviral Gag proteins in its ability to trigger reverse transcription. (ii) Retroelement mobilization is widely seen in TSE disease. Given further evidence that PrP also mediates nucleic acid transport into and out of the cell, a strong case is to be made that a second element – retroelement nucleic acid – bound to PrP constitutes the second component necessary to explain the multiple strains of TSE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Lathe
- Division of Infection Medicine, University of Edinburgh School of Medicine, Edinburgh, UK. .,Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow, Moscow Region, Russia.
| | - Jean-Luc Darlix
- Faculté de Pharmacie, Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Laboratory of Bioimaging and Pathologies (Unité Mixte de Recherche 7021), Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.
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