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Biriukov D, Vácha R. Pathways to a Shiny Future: Building the Foundation for Computational Physical Chemistry and Biophysics in 2050. ACS PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY AU 2024; 4:302-313. [PMID: 39069976 PMCID: PMC11274290 DOI: 10.1021/acsphyschemau.4c00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
In the last quarter-century, the field of molecular dynamics (MD) has undergone a remarkable transformation, propelled by substantial enhancements in software, hardware, and underlying methodologies. In this Perspective, we contemplate the future trajectory of MD simulations and their possible look at the year 2050. We spotlight the pivotal role of artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping the future of MD and the broader field of computational physical chemistry. We outline critical strategies and initiatives that are essential for the seamless integration of such technologies. Our discussion delves into topics like multiscale modeling, adept management of ever-increasing data deluge, the establishment of centralized simulation databases, and the autonomous refinement, cross-validation, and self-expansion of these repositories. The successful implementation of these advancements requires scientific transparency, a cautiously optimistic approach to interpreting AI-driven simulations and their analysis, and a mindset that prioritizes knowledge-motivated research alongside AI-enhanced big data exploration. While history reminds us that the trajectory of technological progress can be unpredictable, this Perspective offers guidance on preparedness and proactive measures, aiming to steer future advancements in the most beneficial and successful direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denys Biriukov
- CEITEC
− Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- National
Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Robert Vácha
- CEITEC
− Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- National
Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department
of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37 Brno, Czech
Republic
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2
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Bekker GJ, Oshima K, Araki M, Okuno Y, Kamiya N. Binding Mechanism between Platelet Glycoprotein and Cyclic Peptide Elucidated by McMD-Based Dynamic Docking. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:4158-4167. [PMID: 38751042 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
The cyclic peptide OS1 (amino acid sequence: CTERMALHNLC), which has a disulfide bond between both termini cysteine residues, inhibits complex formation between the platelet glycoprotein Ibα (GPIbα) and the von Willebrand factor (vWF) by forming a complex with GPIbα. To study the binding mechanism between GPIbα and OS1 and, therefore, the inhibition mechanism of the protein-protein GPIbα-vWF complex, we have applied our multicanonical molecular dynamics (McMD)-based dynamic docking protocol starting from the unbound state of the peptide. Our simulations have reproduced the experimental complex structure, although the top-ranking structure was an intermediary one, where the peptide was bound in the same location as in the experimental structure; however, the β-switch of GPIbα attained a different conformation. Our analysis showed that subsequent refolding of the β-switch results in a more stable binding configuration, although the transition to the native configuration appears to take some time, during which OS1 could dissociate. Our results show that conformational changes in the β-switch are crucial for successful binding of OS1. Furthermore, we identified several allosteric binding sites of GPIbα that might also interfere with vWF binding, and optimization of the peptide to target these allosteric sites might lead to a more effective inhibitor, as these are not dependent on the β-switch conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert-Jan Bekker
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kanji Oshima
- Bio-Pharma Research Laboratories, Kaneka Corporation, 1-8 Miyamae-cho, Takasago-cho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-8688, Japan
| | - Mitsugu Araki
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yasushi Okuno
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Narutoshi Kamiya
- Graduate School of Information Science, University of Hyogo, 7-1-28 minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
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3
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Paul R, Kasahara K, Sasaki J, Pérez JF, Matsunaga R, Hashiguchi T, Kuroda D, Tsumoto K. Unveiling the affinity-stability relationship in anti-measles virus antibodies: a computational approach for hotspots prediction. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 10:1302737. [PMID: 38495738 PMCID: PMC10941800 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1302737] [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: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen an uptick in the use of computational applications in antibody engineering. These tools have enhanced our ability to predict interactions with antigens and immunogenicity, facilitate humanization, and serve other critical functions. However, several studies highlight the concern of potential trade-offs between antibody affinity and stability in antibody engineering. In this study, we analyzed anti-measles virus antibodies as a case study, to examine the relationship between binding affinity and stability, upon identifying the binding hotspots. We leverage in silico tools like Rosetta and FoldX, along with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional in vitro mutagenesis. We introduced a pattern in identifying key residues in pairs, shedding light on hotspots identification. Experimental physicochemical analysis validated the predicted key residues by confirming significant decrease in binding affinity for the high-affinity antibodies to measles virus hemagglutinin. Through the nature of the identified pairs, which represented the relative hydropathy of amino acid side chain, a connection was proposed between affinity and stability. The findings of the study enhance our understanding of the interactions between antibody and measles virus hemagglutinin. Moreover, the implications of the observed correlation between binding affinity and stability extend beyond the field of anti-measles virus antibodies, thereby opening doors for advancements in antibody research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rimpa Paul
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Research Center of Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keisuke Kasahara
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jiei Sasaki
- Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Jorge Fernández Pérez
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ryo Matsunaga
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takao Hashiguchi
- Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kuroda
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Research Center of Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kouhei Tsumoto
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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4
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Bekker GJ, Fukunishi Y, Higo J, Kamiya N. Binding Mechanism of Riboswitch to Natural Ligand Elucidated by McMD-Based Dynamic Docking Simulations. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:3412-3422. [PMID: 38284074 PMCID: PMC10809319 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c06826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Flavin mononucleotide riboswitches are common among many pathogenic bacteria and are therefore considered to be an attractive target for antibiotics development. The riboswitch binds riboflavin (RBF, also known as vitamin B2), and although an experimental structure of their complex has been solved with the ligand bound deep inside the RNA molecule in a seemingly unreachable state, the binding mechanism between these molecules is not yet known. We have therefore used our Multicanonical Molecular Dynamics (McMD)-based dynamic docking protocol to analyze their binding mechanism by simulating the binding process between the riboswitch aptamer domain and the RBF, starting from the apo state of the riboswitch. Here, the refinement stage was crucial to identify the native binding configuration, as several other binding configurations were also found by McMD-based docking simulations. RBF initially binds the interface between P4 and P6 including U61 and G62, which forms a gateway where the ligand lingers until this gateway opens sufficiently to allow the ligand to pass through and slip into the hidden binding site including A48, A49, and A85.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert-Jan Bekker
- Institute
for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Fukunishi
- Cellular
and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
(AIST), 2-3-26, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
| | - Junichi Higo
- Graduate
School of Information Science, University
of Hyogo, 7-1-28 minatojima
Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Narutoshi Kamiya
- Graduate
School of Information Science, University
of Hyogo, 7-1-28 minatojima
Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
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5
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Hashida R, Kawabata T. Structural Perspective of NR4A Nuclear Receptor Family and Their Potential Endogenous Ligands. Biol Pharm Bull 2024; 47:580-590. [PMID: 38432913 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b23-00600] [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: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
There are 48 nuclear receptors in the human genome, and many members of this superfamily have been implicated in human diseases. The NR4A nuclear receptor family consisting of three members, NR4A1, NR4A2, and NR4A3 (formerly annotated as Nur77, Nurr1, and NOR1, respectively), are still orphan receptors but exert pathological effects on immune-related and neurological diseases. We previously reported that prostaglandin A1 (PGA1) and prostaglandin A2 (PGA2) are potent activators of NR4A3, which bind directly to the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of the receptor. Recently, the co-crystallographic structures of NR4A2-LBD bound to PGA1 and PGA2 were reported, followed by reports of the neuroprotective effects of these possible endogenous ligands in mouse models of Parkinson's disease. Based on these structures, we modeled the binding structures of the other two members (NR4A1 and NR4A3) with these potential endogenous ligands using a template-based modeling method, and reviewed the similarity and diversity of ligand-binding mechanisms in the nuclear receptor family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryoichi Hashida
- Genox Research Inc
- Department of Microbiology, Matsumoto Dental University
| | - Takeshi Kawabata
- Department of Applied Information Sciences, Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University
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Bekker GJ, Numoto N, Kawasaki M, Hayashi T, Yabuno S, Kozono Y, Shimizu T, Kozono H, Ito N, Oda M, Kamiya N. Elucidation of binding mechanism, affinity, and complex structure between mWT1 tumor-associated antigen peptide and HLA-A*24:02. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4775. [PMID: 37661929 PMCID: PMC10510467 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
We have applied our advanced computational and experimental methodologies to investigate the complex structure and binding mechanism of a modified Wilms' Tumor 1 (mWT1) protein epitope to the understudied Asian-dominant allele HLA-A*24:02 (HLA-A24) in aqueous solution. We have applied our developed multicanonical molecular dynamics (McMD)-based dynamic docking method to analyze the binding pathway and mechanism, which we verified by comparing the highest probability structures from simulation with our experimentally solved x-ray crystal structure. Subsequent path sampling MD simulations elucidated the atomic details of the binding process and indicated that first an encounter complex is formed between the N-terminal's positive charge of the 9-residue mWT1 fragment peptide and a cluster of negative residues on the surface of HLA-A24, with the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule preferring a predominantly closed conformation. The peptide first binds to this closed MHC conformation, forming an encounter complex, after which the binding site opens due to increased entropy of the binding site, allowing the peptide to bind to form the native complex structure. Further sequence and structure analyses also suggest that although the peptide loading complex would help with stabilizing the MHC molecule, the binding depends in a large part on the intrinsic affinity between the MHC molecule and the antigen peptide. Finally, our computational tools and analyses can be of great benefit to study the binding mechanism of different MHC types to their antigens, where it could also be useful in the development of higher affinity variant peptides and for personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert-Jan Bekker
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nobutaka Numoto
- Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Maki Kawasaki
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takahiro Hayashi
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Saaya Yabuno
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yuko Kozono
- Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba, Japan
| | - Takeyuki Shimizu
- Department of Immunology, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku-shi, Kochi, Japan
| | - Haruo Kozono
- Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba, Japan
| | - Nobutoshi Ito
- Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masayuki Oda
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Narutoshi Kamiya
- Graduate School of Information Science, University of Hyogo, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
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7
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Moriyama S, Anraku Y, Taminishi S, Adachi Y, Kuroda D, Kita S, Higuchi Y, Kirita Y, Kotaki R, Tonouchi K, Yumoto K, Suzuki T, Someya T, Fukuhara H, Kuroda Y, Yamamoto T, Onodera T, Fukushi S, Maeda K, Nakamura-Uchiyama F, Hashiguchi T, Hoshino A, Maenaka K, Takahashi Y. Structural delineation and computational design of SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies against Omicron subvariants. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4198. [PMID: 37452031 PMCID: PMC10349087 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39890-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants have evolved to evade receptor-binding site (RBS) antibodies that exist in diverse individuals as public antibody clones. We rationally selected RBS antibodies resilient to mutations in emerging Omicron subvariants. Y489 was identified as a site of virus vulnerability and a common footprint of broadly neutralizing antibodies against the subvariants. Multiple Y489-binding antibodies were encoded by public clonotypes and additionally recognized F486, potentially accounting for the emergence of Omicron subvariants harboring the F486V mutation. However, a subclass of antibodies broadly neutralized BA.4/BA.5 variants via hydrophobic binding sites of rare clonotypes along with high mutation-resilience under escape mutation screening. A computationally designed antibody based on one of the Y489-binding antibodies, NIV-10/FD03, was able to bind XBB with any 486 mutation and neutralized XBB.1.5. The structural basis for the mutation-resilience of this Y489-binding antibody group may provide important insights into the design of therapeutics resistant to viral escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saya Moriyama
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan.
| | - Yuki Anraku
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science, and Center for Research and Education on Drug Discovery, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University; Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Shunta Taminishi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; Kyoto, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yu Adachi
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Daisuke Kuroda
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Kita
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science, and Center for Research and Education on Drug Discovery, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University; Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Yusuke Higuchi
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; Kyoto, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Yuhei Kirita
- Department of Nephrology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; Kyoto, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Ryutaro Kotaki
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tonouchi
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan
| | - Kohei Yumoto
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Tateki Suzuki
- Laboratory of Medical Virology, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University; Kyoto, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Taiyou Someya
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science, and Center for Research and Education on Drug Discovery, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University; Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Hideo Fukuhara
- Division of Pathogen Structure, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan
| | - Yudai Kuroda
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Yamamoto
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Taishi Onodera
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Shuetsu Fukushi
- Department of Virology I, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Ken Maeda
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Fukumi Nakamura-Uchiyama
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo Metropolitan Bokutoh Hospital; Sumida-ku, Tokyo, 130-8575, Japan
| | - Takao Hashiguchi
- Laboratory of Medical Virology, Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University; Kyoto, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hoshino
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; Kyoto, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
| | - Katsumi Maenaka
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science, and Center for Research and Education on Drug Discovery, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University; Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan
- Division of Pathogen Structure, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 001-0020, Japan
- Global Station for Biosurfaces and Drug Discovery, Hokkaido University; Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan
- Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (HU-IVReD), Hokkaido University; Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Takahashi
- Research Center for Drug and Vaccine Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases; Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan.
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Matsumoto S, Ishida S, Terayama K, Okuno Y. Quantitative analysis of protein dynamics using a deep learning technique combined with experimental cryo-EM density data and MD simulations. Biophys Physicobiol 2023; 20:e200022. [PMID: 38496243 PMCID: PMC10941960 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.bppb-v20.0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein functions associated with biological activity are precisely regulated by both tertiary structure and dynamic behavior. Thus, elucidating the high-resolution structures and quantitative information on in-solution dynamics is essential for understanding the molecular mechanisms. The main experimental approaches for determining tertiary structures include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray crystallography, and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Among these procedures, recent remarkable advances in the hardware and analytical techniques of cryo-EM have increasingly determined novel atomic structures of macromolecules, especially those with large molecular weights and complex assemblies. In addition to these experimental approaches, deep learning techniques, such as AlphaFold 2, accurately predict structures from amino acid sequences, accelerating structural biology research. Meanwhile, the quantitative analyses of the protein dynamics are conducted using experimental approaches, such as NMR and hydrogen-deuterium mass spectrometry, and computational approaches, such as molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Although these procedures can quantitatively explore dynamic behavior at high resolution, the fundamental difficulties, such as signal crowding and high computational cost, greatly hinder their application to large and complex biological macromolecules. In recent years, machine learning techniques, especially deep learning techniques, have been actively applied to structural data to identify features that are difficult for humans to recognize from big data. Here, we review our approach to accurately estimate dynamic properties associated with local fluctuations from three-dimensional cryo-EM density data using a deep learning technique combined with MD simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shoichi Ishida
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Kei Terayama
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Computational Science, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Yasuhshi Okuno
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Computational Science, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
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9
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Ruperti F, Papadopoulos N, Musser JM, Mirdita M, Steinegger M, Arendt D. Cross-phyla protein annotation by structural prediction and alignment. Genome Biol 2023; 24:113. [PMID: 37173746 PMCID: PMC10176882 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-02942-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Protein annotation is a major goal in molecular biology, yet experimentally determined knowledge is typically limited to a few model organisms. In non-model species, the sequence-based prediction of gene orthology can be used to infer protein identity; however, this approach loses predictive power at longer evolutionary distances. Here we propose a workflow for protein annotation using structural similarity, exploiting the fact that similar protein structures often reflect homology and are more conserved than protein sequences. RESULTS We propose a workflow of openly available tools for the functional annotation of proteins via structural similarity (MorF: MorphologFinder) and use it to annotate the complete proteome of a sponge. Sponges are highly relevant for inferring the early history of animals, yet their proteomes remain sparsely annotated. MorF accurately predicts the functions of proteins with known homology in [Formula: see text] cases and annotates an additional [Formula: see text] of the proteome beyond standard sequence-based methods. We uncover new functions for sponge cell types, including extensive FGF, TGF, and Ephrin signaling in sponge epithelia, and redox metabolism and control in myopeptidocytes. Notably, we also annotate genes specific to the enigmatic sponge mesocytes, proposing they function to digest cell walls. CONCLUSIONS Our work demonstrates that structural similarity is a powerful approach that complements and extends sequence similarity searches to identify homologous proteins over long evolutionary distances. We anticipate this will be a powerful approach that boosts discovery in numerous -omics datasets, especially for non-model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Ruperti
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Biosciences, Collaboration for joint Ph.D. degree between EMBL and Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nikolaos Papadopoulos
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department for Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jacob M Musser
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Milot Mirdita
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Martin Steinegger
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
- Artificial Intelligence Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Detlev Arendt
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Centre for Organismal Studies, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
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10
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Bekker GJ, Araki M, Oshima K, Okuno Y, Kamiya N. Mutual induced-fit mechanism drives binding between intrinsically disordered Bim and cryptic binding site of Bcl-xL. Commun Biol 2023; 6:349. [PMID: 36997643 PMCID: PMC10063584 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04720-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The intrinsically disordered region (IDR) of Bim binds to the flexible cryptic site of Bcl-xL, a pro-survival protein involved in cancer progression that plays an important role in initiating apoptosis. However, their binding mechanism has not yet been elucidated. We have applied our dynamic docking protocol, which correctly reproduced both the IDR properties of Bim and the native bound configuration, as well as suggesting other stable/meta-stable binding configurations and revealed the binding pathway. Although the cryptic site of Bcl-xL is predominantly in a closed conformation, initial binding of Bim in an encounter configuration leads to mutual induced-fit binding, where both molecules adapt to each other; Bcl-xL transitions to an open state as Bim folds from a disordered to an α-helical conformation while the two molecules bind each other. Finally, our data provides new avenues to develop novel drugs by targeting newly discovered stable conformations of Bcl-xL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert-Jan Bekker
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Mitsugu Araki
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Kanji Oshima
- Bio-Pharma Research Laboratories, KANEKA CORPORATION, 1-8 Miyamae-cho, Takasago-cho, Takasago, Hyogo, 676-8688, Japan
| | - Yasushi Okuno
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan
| | - Narutoshi Kamiya
- Graduate School of Information Science, University of Hyogo, 7-1-28 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.
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11
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Abstract
GPR21 is a class-A orphan G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and a potential therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes and other metabolic disorders. This receptor shows high basal activity in coupling to multiple G proteins in the absence of any known endogenous agonist or synthetic ligand. Here, we present the structures of ligand-free human GPR21 bound to heterotrimeric miniGs and miniG15 proteins, respectively. We identified an agonist-like motif in extracellular loop 2 (ECL2) that occupies the orthosteric pocket and promotes receptor activation. A side pocket that may be employed as a new ligand binding site was also uncovered. Remarkably, G protein binding is accommodated by a flexible cytoplasmic portion of transmembrane helix 6 (TM6) which adopts little or undetectable outward movement. These findings will enable the design of modulators for GPR21 for understanding its signal transduction and exploring opportunity for deorphanization.
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12
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Bekker GJ, Kamiya N. Thermal Stability Estimation of Single Domain Antibodies Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2552:151-163. [PMID: 36346591 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2609-2_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In this chapter, we describe a protocol to estimate the thermal stability of single domain antibodies (sdAbs) using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. This method measures the Q-value, the fraction of the native contacts, along the trajectory of high-temperature MD simulations starting from the experimental X-ray structure. We show a good correlation between the Q-value and the experimental melting temperature (Tm) in seven sdAbs. Assessing the Q-value on a per-residue level enabled us to identify residues that contribute to the instability and thus demonstrate which residues could be mutated to improve the stability and have later been validated by experiments. Our protocol extends beyond the application on sdAbs, as it is also suitable for other proteins and to determine the interfacial stability between protein and ligand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert-Jan Bekker
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Narutoshi Kamiya
- Graduate School of Information Science, University of Hyogo, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.
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13
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Scietti L, Forneris F. Modeling of Protein Complexes. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2627:349-371. [PMID: 36959458 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2974-1_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
The recent advances in structural biology, combined with continuously increasing computational capabilities and development of advanced softwares, have drastically simplified the workflow for protein homology modeling. Modeling of individual proteins is nowadays quick and straightforward for a large variety of protein targets, thanks to guided pipelines relying on advanced computational tools and user-friendly interfaces, which have extended and promoted the use of modeling also to scientists not focusing on molecular structures of proteins. Nevertheless, construction of models of multi-protein complexes remains quite challenging for the non-experts, often due to the usage of specific procedures depending on the system under investigation and the need for experimental validation approaches to strengthen the generated output.In this chapter, we provide a brief overview of the approaches enabling generation of multi-protein complex models starting from homology models of individual protein components. Using real-life examples, we include two examples to guide the reader in the generation of homomeric and heteromeric protein models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Scietti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, The Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Structural Biology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Federico Forneris
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, The Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Structural Biology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
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14
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Kurisu G, Bekker GJ, Nakagawa A. History of Protein Data Bank Japan: standing at the beginning of the age of structural genomics. Biophys Rev 2022; 14:1233-1238. [PMID: 36532871 PMCID: PMC9734456 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-022-01021-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Prof. Haruki Nakamura, who is the former head of Protein Data Bank Japan (PDBj) and an expert in computational biology, retired from Osaka University at the end of March 2018. He founded PDBj at the Institute for Protein Research, together with other faculty members, researchers, engineers, and annotators in 2000, and subsequently established the worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB) in 2003 to manage the core archive of the Protein Data Bank (PDB), collaborating with RCSB-PDB in the USA and PDBe in Europe. As the former head of PDBj and also an expert in structural bioinformatics, he has grown PDBj to become a well-known data center within the structural biology community and developed several related databases, tools and integrated with new technologies, such as the semantic web, as primary services offered by PDBj.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genji Kurisu
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
| | - Gert-Jan Bekker
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
| | - Atsushi Nakagawa
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
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15
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Bekker GJ, Kamiya N. Advancing the field of computational drug design using multicanonical molecular dynamics-based dynamic docking. Biophys Rev 2022; 14:1349-1358. [PMID: 36659995 PMCID: PMC9842809 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-022-01010-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Multicanonical molecular dynamics (McMD)-based dynamic docking is a powerful tool to not only predict the native binding configuration between two flexible molecules, but it can also be used to accurately simulate the binding/unbinding pathway. Furthermore, it can also predict alternative binding sites, including allosteric ones, by employing an exhaustive sampling approach. Since McMD-based dynamic docking accurately samples binding/unbinding events, it can thus be used to determine the molecular mechanism of binding between two molecules. We developed the McMD-based dynamic docking methodology based on the powerful, but woefully underutilized McMD algorithm, combined with a toolset to perform the docking and to analyze the results. Here, we showcase three of our recent works, where we have applied McMD-based dynamic docking to advance the field of computational drug design. In the first case, we applied our method to perform an exhaustive search between Hsp90 and one of its inhibitors to successfully predict the native binding configuration in its binding site, as we refined our analysis methods. For our second case, we performed an exhaustive search of two medium-sized ligands and Bcl-xL, which has a cryptic binding site that differs greatly between the apo and holo structures. Finally, we performed a dynamic docking simulation between a membrane-embedded GPCR molecule and a high affinity ligand that binds deep within its receptor's pocket. These advanced simulations showcase the power that the McMD-based dynamic docking method has, and provide a glimpse of the potential our methodology has to unravel and solve the medical and biophysical issues in the modern world. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12551-022-01010-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert-Jan Bekker
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871 Japan
| | - Narutoshi Kamiya
- Graduate School of Information Science, University of Hyogo, 7-1-28 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047 Japan
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16
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Fly casting with ligand sliding and orientational selection supporting complex formation of a GPCR and a middle sized flexible molecule. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13792. [PMID: 35963875 PMCID: PMC9376114 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17920-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
A GA-guided multidimensional virtual-system coupled molecular dynamics (GA-mD-VcMD) simulation was conducted to elucidate binding mechanisms of a middle-sized flexible molecule, bosentan, to a GPCR protein, human endothelin receptor type B (hETB). GA-mD-VcMD is a generalized ensemble method that produces a free-energy landscape of the ligand-receptor binding by searching large-scale motions accompanied with stable maintenance of the fragile cell-membrane structure. All molecular components (bosentan, hETB, membrane, and solvent) were represented with an all-atom model. Then sampling was conducted from conformations where bosentan was distant from the binding site in the hETB binding pocket. The deepest basin in the resultant free-energy landscape was assigned to native-like complex conformation. The following binding mechanism was inferred. First, bosentan fluctuating randomly in solution is captured using a tip region of the flexible N-terminal tail of hETB via nonspecific attractive interactions (fly casting). Bosentan then slides occasionally from the tip to the root of the N-terminal tail (ligand–sliding). During this sliding, bosentan passes the gate of the binding pocket from outside to inside of the pocket with an accompanying rapid reduction of the molecular orientational variety of bosentan (orientational selection). Last, in the pocket, ligand–receptor attractive native contacts are formed. Eventually, the native-like complex is completed. The bosentan-captured conformations by the tip-region and root-region of the N-terminal tail correspond to two basins in the free-energy landscape. The ligand-sliding corresponds to overcoming of a free-energy barrier between the basins.
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17
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Antila HS, Kav B, Miettinen MS, Martinez-Seara H, Jungwirth P, Ollila OHS. Emerging Era of Biomolecular Membrane Simulations: Automated Physically-Justified Force Field Development and Quality-Evaluated Databanks. J Phys Chem B 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c01954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hanne S. Antila
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Batuhan Kav
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum
Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen-Str., 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Markus S. Miettinen
- Computational Biology Unit, Department of Informatics, University of Bergen, 5008 Bergen, Norway
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway
| | - Hector Martinez-Seara
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nam. 2, 16000 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Jungwirth
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nam. 2, 16000 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - O. H. Samuli Ollila
- Institute of Biotechonology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
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18
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Yunoki Y, Matsumoto A, Morishima K, Martel A, Porcar L, Sato N, Yogo R, Tominaga T, Inoue R, Yagi-Utsumi M, Okuda A, Shimizu M, Urade R, Terauchi K, Kono H, Yagi H, Kato K, Sugiyama M. Overall structure of fully assembled cyanobacterial KaiABC circadian clock complex by an integrated experimental-computational approach. Commun Biol 2022; 5:184. [PMID: 35273347 PMCID: PMC8913699 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03143-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In the cyanobacterial circadian clock system, KaiA, KaiB and KaiC periodically assemble into a large complex. Here we determined the overall structure of their fully assembled complex by integrating experimental and computational approaches. Small-angle X-ray and inverse contrast matching small-angle neutron scatterings coupled with size-exclusion chromatography provided constraints to highlight the spatial arrangements of the N-terminal domains of KaiA, which were not resolved in the previous structural analyses. Computationally built 20 million structural models of the complex were screened out utilizing the constrains and then subjected to molecular dynamics simulations to examine their stabilities. The final model suggests that, despite large fluctuation of the KaiA N-terminal domains, their preferential positionings mask the hydrophobic surface of the KaiA C-terminal domains, hindering additional KaiA-KaiC interactions. Thus, our integrative approach provides a useful tool to resolve large complex structures harboring dynamically fluctuating domains. The revealed full KaiA12B6C6 complex is assembled including the dynamic and asynchronous KaiA N-terminal domains that have been missing in cryo-EM structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Yunoki
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS) and Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, 444-8787, Japan.,Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 3-1 Tanabe-dori, Mizuhoku, Nagoya, 467-8603, Japan.,Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, 2-1010 Asashironishi, Kumatori, Sennan-gun, Osaka, 590-0494, Japan
| | - Atsushi Matsumoto
- Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Umemidai, Kizu, Kyoto, 619-0215, Japan
| | - Ken Morishima
- Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, 2-1010 Asashironishi, Kumatori, Sennan-gun, Osaka, 590-0494, Japan
| | - Anne Martel
- Institut Laue-Langevin, 71, avenue des martyrs, 38042, Grenoble, France
| | - Lionel Porcar
- Institut Laue-Langevin, 71, avenue des martyrs, 38042, Grenoble, France
| | - Nobuhiro Sato
- Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, 2-1010 Asashironishi, Kumatori, Sennan-gun, Osaka, 590-0494, Japan
| | - Rina Yogo
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS) and Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, 444-8787, Japan.,Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 3-1 Tanabe-dori, Mizuhoku, Nagoya, 467-8603, Japan.,Biomedical Research Centre, School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of British Columbia, 2222 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Taiki Tominaga
- Neutron Science and Technology Center, Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society (CROSS), Tokai, Ibaraki, 319-1106, Japan
| | - Rintaro Inoue
- Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, 2-1010 Asashironishi, Kumatori, Sennan-gun, Osaka, 590-0494, Japan
| | - Maho Yagi-Utsumi
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS) and Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, 444-8787, Japan.,Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 3-1 Tanabe-dori, Mizuhoku, Nagoya, 467-8603, Japan
| | - Aya Okuda
- Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, 2-1010 Asashironishi, Kumatori, Sennan-gun, Osaka, 590-0494, Japan
| | - Masahiro Shimizu
- Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, 2-1010 Asashironishi, Kumatori, Sennan-gun, Osaka, 590-0494, Japan
| | - Reiko Urade
- Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, 2-1010 Asashironishi, Kumatori, Sennan-gun, Osaka, 590-0494, Japan
| | - Kazuki Terauchi
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Kono
- Institute for Quantum Life Science, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Umemidai, Kizu, Kyoto, 619-0215, Japan.
| | - Hirokazu Yagi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 3-1 Tanabe-dori, Mizuhoku, Nagoya, 467-8603, Japan.
| | - Koichi Kato
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS) and Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, 444-8787, Japan. .,Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 3-1 Tanabe-dori, Mizuhoku, Nagoya, 467-8603, Japan.
| | - Masaaki Sugiyama
- Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, 2-1010 Asashironishi, Kumatori, Sennan-gun, Osaka, 590-0494, Japan.
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19
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Identification of ultra-rare disruptive variants in voltage-gated calcium channel-encoding genes in Japanese samples of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:84. [PMID: 35220405 PMCID: PMC8882172 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01851-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Several large-scale whole-exome sequencing studies in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have identified rare variants with modest or strong effect size as genetic risk factors. Dysregulation of cellular calcium homeostasis might be involved in SCZ/ASD pathogenesis, and genes encoding L-type voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) subunits Cav1.1 (CACNA1S), Cav1.2 (CACNA1C), Cav1.3 (CACNA1D), and T-type VGCC subunit Cav3.3 (CACNA1I) recently were identified as risk loci for psychiatric disorders. We performed a screening study, using the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine (PGM), of exon regions of these four candidate genes (CACNA1C, CACNA1D, CACNA1S, CACNA1I) in 370 Japanese patients with SCZ and 192 with ASD. Variant filtering was applied to identify biologically relevant mutations that were not registered in the dbSNP database or that have a minor allele frequency of less than 1% in East-Asian samples from databases; and are potentially disruptive, including nonsense, frameshift, canonical splicing site single nucleotide variants (SNVs), and non-synonymous SNVs predicted as damaging by five different in silico analyses. Each of these filtered mutations were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. If parental samples were available, segregation analysis was employed for measuring the inheritance pattern. Using our filter, we discovered one nonsense SNV (p.C1451* in CACNA1D), one de novo SNV (p.A36V in CACNA1C), one rare short deletion (p.E1675del in CACNA1D), and 14 NSstrict SNVs (non-synonymous SNV predicted as damaging by all of five in silico analyses). Neither p.A36V in CACNA1C nor p.C1451* in CACNA1D were found in 1871 SCZ cases, 380 ASD cases, or 1916 healthy controls in the independent sample set, suggesting that these SNVs might be ultra-rare SNVs in the Japanese population. The neuronal splicing isoform of Cav1.2 with the p.A36V mutation, discovered in the present study, showed reduced Ca2+-dependent inhibition, resulting in excessive Ca2+ entry through the mutant channel. These results suggested that this de novo SNV in CACNA1C might predispose to SCZ by affecting Ca2+ homeostasis. Thus, our analysis successfully identified several ultra-rare and potentially disruptive gene variants, lending partial support to the hypothesis that VGCC-encoding genes may contribute to the risk of SCZ/ASD.
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20
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Bekker G, Yokochi M, Suzuki H, Ikegawa Y, Iwata T, Kudou T, Yura K, Fujiwara T, Kawabata T, Kurisu G. Protein Data Bank Japan: Celebrating our 20th anniversary during a global pandemic as the Asian hub of three dimensional macromolecular structural data. Protein Sci 2022; 31:173-186. [PMID: 34664328 PMCID: PMC8740847 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Protein Data Bank Japan (PDBj), a founding member of the worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB) has accepted, processed and distributed experimentally determined biological macromolecular structures for 20 years. During that time, we have continuously made major improvements to our query search interface of PDBj Mine 2, the BMRBj web interface, and EM Navigator for PDB/BMRB/EMDB entries. PDBj also serves PDB-related secondary database data, original web-based modeling services such as Homology modeling of complex structure (HOMCOS), visualization services and utility tools, which we have continuously enhanced and expanded throughout the years. In addition, we have recently developed several unique archives, BSM-Arc for computational structure models, and XRDa for raw X-ray diffraction images, both of which promote open science in the structural biology community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, PDBj has also started to provide feature pages for COVID-19 related entries across all available archives at PDBj from raw experimental data and PDB structural data to computationally predicted models, while also providing COVID-19 outreach content for high school students and teachers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert‐Jan Bekker
- Institute for Protein ResearchOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Masashi Yokochi
- Institute for Protein ResearchOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Hirofumi Suzuki
- School of Advanced Science and EngineeringWaseda UniversityShinjukuTokyoJapan
| | - Yasuyo Ikegawa
- Institute for Protein ResearchOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Takeshi Iwata
- Institute for Protein ResearchOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Takahiro Kudou
- Institute for Protein ResearchOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Kei Yura
- School of Advanced Science and EngineeringWaseda UniversityShinjukuTokyoJapan
- Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Ochanoizu UniversityBunkyoTokyoJapan
| | | | - Takeshi Kawabata
- Protein Research FoundationMinohOsakaJapan
- Graduate School of Frontier BiosciencesOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Genji Kurisu
- Institute for Protein ResearchOsaka UniversitySuitaOsakaJapan
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21
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Bekker GJ, Kamiya N. N-Terminal-Driven Binding Mechanism of an Antigen Peptide to Human Leukocyte Antigen-A*2402 Elucidated by Multicanonical Molecular Dynamic-Based Dynamic Docking and Path Sampling Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:13376-13384. [PMID: 34856806 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c07230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We have applied our advanced multicanonical molecular dynamics (McMD)-based dynamic docking methodology to investigate the binding mechanism of an HIV-1 Nef protein epitope to the Asian-dominant allele human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*2402. Even though pMHC complex formation [between a Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule, which is encoded by an HLA allele, and an antigen peptide] is one of the fundamental processes of the adaptive human immune response, its binding mechanism has not yet been well studied, partially due to the high allelic variation of HLAs in the population. We have used our developed McMD-based dynamic docking method and have successfully reproduced the native complex structure, which is located near the free energy global minimum. Subsequent path sampling MD simulations elucidated the atomic details of the binding process and indicated that the peptide binding is initially driven by the highly positively charged N-terminus of the peptide that is attracted to the various negatively charged residues on the MHC molecule's surface. Upon nearing the pocket, the second tyrosine residue of the peptide anchors the peptide by strongly binding to the B-site of the MHC molecule via hydrophobic driven interactions, resulting in a very strong bound complex structure. Our methodology can be effectively used to predict the bound complex structures between MHC molecules and their antigens to study their binding mechanism in close detail, which would help with the development of new vaccines against cancers, as well as viral infections such as HIV and COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert-Jan Bekker
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Narutoshi Kamiya
- Graduate School of Information Science, University of Hyogo, 7-1-28 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
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22
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Bekker GJ, Araki M, Oshima K, Okuno Y, Kamiya N. Accurate Binding Configuration Prediction of a G-Protein-Coupled Receptor to Its Antagonist Using Multicanonical Molecular Dynamics-Based Dynamic Docking. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:5161-5171. [PMID: 34549581 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
We have performed dynamic docking between a prototypic G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) system, the β2-adrenergic receptor, and its antagonist, alprenolol, using one of the enhanced conformation sampling methods, multicanonical molecular dynamics (McMD), which does not rely on any prior knowledge for the definition of the reaction coordinate. Although we have previously applied our McMD-based dynamic docking protocol to various globular protein systems, its application to GPCR systems would be difficult because of their complicated design, which include a lipid bilayer, and because of the difficulty in sampling the configurational space of a binding site that exists deep inside the GPCR. Our simulations sampled a wide array of ligand-bound and ligand-unbound structures, and we measured 427 binding events during our 48 μs production run. Analysis of the ensemble revealed several stable and meta-stable structures, where the most stable structure at the global free energy minimum matches the experimental one. Additional canonical MD simulations were used for refinement and validation of the structures, revealing that most of the intermediates are sufficiently stable to trap the ligand in these intermediary states and furthermore validated our prediction results. Given the difficulty in reaching the orthosteric binding site, chemical optimization of the compound for the second ranking configuration, which binds near the pocket's entrance, might lead to a high-affinity allosteric inhibitor. Accordingly, we show that the application of our methodology can be used to provide crucial insights for the rational design of drugs that target GPCRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert-Jan Bekker
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Mitsugu Araki
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Kanji Oshima
- Biotechnology Research Laboratories, Kaneka Corporation, 1-8 Miyamae-cho, Takasago-cho, Takasago, Hyogo 676-8688, Japan
| | - Yasushi Okuno
- Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Narutoshi Kamiya
- Graduate School of Information Science, University of Hyogo, 7-1-28 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
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23
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Hijikata A, Shionyu C, Nakae S, Shionyu M, Ota M, Kanaya S, Shirai T. Current status of structure-based drug repurposing against COVID-19 by targeting SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Biophys Physicobiol 2021; 18:226-240. [PMID: 34745807 PMCID: PMC8550875 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.bppb-v18.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
More than one and half years have passed, as of August 2021, since the COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2 emerged in 2019. While the recent success of vaccine developments likely reduces the severe cases, there is still a strong requirement of safety and effective therapeutic drugs for overcoming the unprecedented situation. Here we review the recent progress and the status of the drug discovery against COVID-19 with emphasizing a structure-based perspective. Structural data regarding the SARS-CoV-2 proteome has been rapidly accumulated in the Protein Data Bank, and up to 68% of the total amino acid residues encoded in the genome were covered by the structural data. Despite a global effort of in silico and in vitro screenings for drug repurposing, there is only a limited number of drugs had been successfully authorized by drug regulation organizations. Although many approved drugs and natural compounds, which exhibited antiviral activity in vitro, were considered potential drugs against COVID-19, a further multidisciplinary investigation is required for understanding the mechanisms underlying the antiviral effects of the drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Hijikata
- Faculty of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Shiga 526-0829, Japan
| | - Clara Shionyu
- Faculty of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Shiga 526-0829, Japan
| | - Setsu Nakae
- Faculty of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Shiga 526-0829, Japan
| | - Masafumi Shionyu
- Faculty of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Shiga 526-0829, Japan
| | - Motonori Ota
- Department of Complex Systems Science, Graduate School of Informatics, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8601, Japan
| | - Shigehiko Kanaya
- Computational Biology Lab. Division of Information Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Shirai
- Faculty of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Shiga 526-0829, Japan
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24
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Higo J, Takashima H, Fukunishi Y, Yoshimori A. Generalized-ensemble method study: A helix-mimetic compound inhibits protein-protein interaction by long-range and short-range intermolecular interactions. J Comput Chem 2021; 42:956-969. [PMID: 33755222 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.26516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A heterocyclic compound mS-11 is a helix-mimetic designed to inhibit binding of an intrinsic disordered protein neural restrictive silence factor/repressor element 1 silencing factor (NRSF/REST) to a receptor protein mSin3B. We apply a generalized ensemble method, multi-dimensional virtual-system coupled molecular dynamics developed by ourselves recently, to a system consisting of mS-11 and mSin3B, and obtain a thermally equilibrated distribution, which is comprised of the bound and unbound states extensively. The lowest free-energy position of mS-11 coincides with the NRSF/REST position in the experimentally-determined NRSF/REST-mSin3B complex. Importantly, the molecular orientation of mS-11 is ordering in a wide region around mSin3B. The resultant binding scenario is: When mS-11 is distant from the binding site of mSin3B, mS-11 descends the free-energy slope toward the binding site maintaining the molecular orientation to be advantageous for binding. Then, finally a long and flexible hydrophobic sidechain of mS-11 fits into the binding site, which is the lowest-free-energy complex structure inhibiting NRSF/REST binding to mSin3B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junichi Higo
- Graduate School of Simulation Studies, University of Hyogo, Kobe, Japan
| | - Hajime Takashima
- Department of Research and Development, PRISM BioLab Co., Ltd., Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Fukunishi
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Yoshimori
- Chemoinformatics & AI Research Group, Institute for Theoretical Medicine, Inc., Fujisawa, Japan
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25
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An RNA-centric historical narrative around the Protein Data Bank. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100555. [PMID: 33744291 PMCID: PMC8080527 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Some of the amazing contributions brought to the scientific community by the Protein Data Bank (PDB) are described. The focus is on nucleic acid structures with a bias toward RNA. The evolution and key roles in science of the PDB and other structural databases for nucleic acids illustrate how small initial ideas can become huge and indispensable resources with the unflinching willingness of scientists to cooperate globally. The progress in the understanding of the molecular interactions driving RNA architectures followed the rapid increase in RNA structures in the PDB. That increase was consecutive to improvements in chemical synthesis and purification of RNA molecules, as well as in biophysical methods for structure determination and computer technology. The RNA modeling efforts from the early beginnings are also described together with their links to the state of structural knowledge and technological development. Structures of RNA and of its assemblies are physical objects, which, together with genomic data, allow us to integrate present-day biological functions and the historical evolution in all living species on earth.
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26
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Difference of binding modes among three ligands to a receptor mSin3B corresponding to their inhibitory activities. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6178. [PMID: 33731831 PMCID: PMC7971087 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85612-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
A preceding experiment suggested that a compound, which inhibits binding of the REST/NRSF segment to the cleft of a receptor protein mSin3B, can be a potential drug candidate to ameliorate many neuropathies. We have recently developed an enhanced conformational sampling method, genetic-algorithm-guided multi-dimensional virtual-system-coupled canonical molecular dynamics, and in the present study, applied it to three systems consisting of mSin3B and one of three compounds, sertraline, YN3, and acitretin. Other preceding experiments showed that only sertraline inhibits the binding of REST/NRSF to mSin3B. The current simulation study produced the spatial distribution of the compounds around mSin3B, and showed that sertraline and YN3 bound to the cleft of mSin3B with a high propensity, although acitretin did not. Further analyses of the simulation data indicated that only the sertraline-mSin3B complex produced a hydrophobic core similar to that observed in the molecular interface of the REST/NRSF-mSin3B complex: An aromatic ring of sertraline sunk deeply in the mSin3B's cleft forming a hydrophobic core contacting to hydrophobic amino-acid residues located at the bottom of the cleft. The present study proposes a step to design a compound that inhibits competitively the binding of a ligand to its receptor.
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27
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Bekker GJ, Fukuda I, Higo J, Fukunishi Y, Kamiya N. Cryptic-site binding mechanism of medium-sized Bcl-xL inhibiting compounds elucidated by McMD-based dynamic docking simulations. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5046. [PMID: 33658550 PMCID: PMC7930018 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84488-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
We have performed multicanonical molecular dynamics (McMD) based dynamic docking simulations to study and compare the binding mechanism between two medium-sized inhibitors (ABT-737 and WEHI-539) that bind to the cryptic site of Bcl-xL, by exhaustively sampling the conformational and configurational space. Cryptic sites are binding pockets that are transiently formed in the apo state or are induced upon ligand binding. Bcl-xL, a pro-survival protein involved in cancer progression, is known to have a cryptic site, whereby the shape of the pocket depends on which ligand is bound to it. Starting from the apo-structure, we have performed two independent McMD-based dynamic docking simulations for each ligand, and were able to obtain near-native complex structures in both cases. In addition, we have also studied their interactions along their respective binding pathways by using path sampling simulations, which showed that the ligands form stable binding configurations via predominantly hydrophobic interactions. Although the protein started from the apo state, both ligands modulated the pocket in different ways, shifting the conformational preference of the sub-pockets of Bcl-xL. We demonstrate that McMD-based dynamic docking is a powerful tool that can be effectively used to study binding mechanisms involving a cryptic site, where ligand binding requires a large conformational change in the protein to occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert-Jan Bekker
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Ikuo Fukuda
- Graduate School of Simulation Studies, University of Hyogo, 7-1-28 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Junichi Higo
- Graduate School of Simulation Studies, University of Hyogo, 7-1-28 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Fukunishi
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-3-26, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0064, Japan
| | - Narutoshi Kamiya
- Graduate School of Simulation Studies, University of Hyogo, 7-1-28 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.
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28
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Antila HS, M. Ferreira T, Ollila OHS, Miettinen MS. Using Open Data to Rapidly Benchmark Biomolecular Simulations: Phospholipid Conformational Dynamics. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:938-949. [PMID: 33496579 PMCID: PMC7903423 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are widely used to monitor time-resolved motions of biomacromolecules, although it often remains unknown how closely the conformational dynamics correspond to those occurring in real life. Here, we used a large set of open-access MD trajectories of phosphatidylcholine (PC) lipid bilayers to benchmark the conformational dynamics in several contemporary MD models (force fields) against nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data available in the literature: effective correlation times and spin-lattice relaxation rates. We found none of the tested MD models to fully reproduce the conformational dynamics. That said, the dynamics in CHARMM36 and Slipids are more realistic than in the Amber Lipid14, OPLS-based MacRog, and GROMOS-based Berger force fields, whose sampling of the glycerol backbone conformations is too slow. The performance of CHARMM36 persists when cholesterol is added to the bilayer, and when the hydration level is reduced. However, for conformational dynamics of the PC headgroup, both with and without cholesterol, Slipids provides the most realistic description because CHARMM36 overestimates the relative weight of ∼1 ns processes in the headgroup dynamics. We stress that not a single new simulation was run for the present work. This demonstrates the worth of open-access MD trajectory databanks for the indispensable step of any serious MD study: benchmarking the available force fields. We believe this proof of principle will inspire other novel applications of MD trajectory databanks and thus aid in developing biomolecular MD simulations into a true computational microscope-not only for lipid membranes but for all biomacromolecular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanne S. Antila
- Department
of Theory and Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute
of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Tiago M. Ferreira
- NMR
Group−Institute for Physics, Martin-Luther
University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | - Markus S. Miettinen
- Department
of Theory and Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute
of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424 Potsdam, Germany
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29
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Oda M, Numoto N, Bekker GJ, Kamiya N, Kawai F. Cutinases from thermophilic bacteria (actinomycetes): From identification to functional and structural characterization. Methods Enzymol 2021; 648:159-185. [PMID: 33579402 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2020.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Thermophilic cutinases are mainly obtained from thermophilic actinomycetes, and are categorized into two groups, i.e., those with higher (>70°C) or lower (<70°C) thermostabilities. The thermostabilities of cutinases are highly relevant to their ability to degrade polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Many crystal structures of thermophilic cutinases have been solved, showing that their overall backbone structures are identical, irrespective of their ability to hydrolyze PET. One of the unique properties of cutinases is that metal ion-binding on the enzyme's surface both elevates their melting temperatures and activates the enzyme. In this chapter, we introduce the methodology for the identification and cloning of thermophilic cutinases from actinomycetes. For detailed characterization of cutinases, we describe the approach to analyze the intricate dynamics of the enzyme, based on its crystal structures complexed with metal ions and model substrates using a combination of experimental and computational techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masayuki Oda
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Nobutaka Numoto
- Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Gert-Jan Bekker
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Narutoshi Kamiya
- Graduate School of Simulation Studies, University of Hyogo, Kobe, Japan
| | - Fusako Kawai
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Kyoto Prefectural University, Kyoto, Japan.
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30
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Dynamic Docking Using Multicanonical Molecular Dynamics: Simulating Complex Formation at the Atomistic Level. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2266:187-202. [PMID: 33759128 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1209-5_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Multicanonical molecular dynamics (McMD)-based dynamic docking has been applied to predict the native binding configurations for several protein receptors and their ligands. Due to the enhanced sampling capabilities of McMD, it can exhaustively sample bound and unbound ligand configurations, as well as receptor conformations, and thus enables efficient sampling of the conformational and configurational space, not possible using canonical MD simulations. As McMD samples a wide configurational space, extensive analysis is required to study the diverse ensemble consisting of bound and unbound structures. By projecting the reweighted ensemble onto the first two principal axes obtained via principal component analysis of the multicanonical ensemble, the free energy landscape (FEL) can be obtained. Further analysis produces representative structures positioned at the local minima of the FEL, where these structures are then ranked by their free energy. In this chapter, we describe our dynamic docking methodology, which has successfully reproduced the native binding configuration for small compounds, medium-sized compounds, and peptide molecules.
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31
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Iida S, Nakamura HK, Mashimo T, Fukunishi Y. Structural Fluctuations of Aromatic Residues in an Apo-Form Reveal Cryptic Binding Sites: Implications for Fragment-Based Drug Design. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:9977-9986. [PMID: 33140952 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c04963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cryptic sites are binding pockets that are transiently formed in an apo form or that are induced by ligand binding. The investigation of cryptic sites is crucial for drug discovery, since these sites are ubiquitous in disease-related human proteins, and targeting them expands the number of drug targets greatly. However, although many computational studies have attempted to identify cryptic sites, the detection remains challenging. Here, we aimed to characterize and detect cryptic sites in terms of structural fluctuations in an apo form, investigating proteins each of which possesses a cryptic site. From their X-ray structures, we saw that aromatic residues tended to be found in cryptic sites. To examine structural fluctuations of the apo forms, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, producing probability distributions of the solvent-accessible surface area per aromatic residue. To detect aromatic residues in cryptic sites, we have proposed a "cryptic-site index" based on the distribution, demonstrating the performance via several measures, such as recall and specificity. Besides, we found that high-ranking aromatic residues were likely to probe concaves in a cryptic site. This implies that such fluctuations provide a profile of scaffolds of compounds with the potential to bind to a particular cryptic site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Iida
- Technology Research Association for Next-Generation Natural Products Chemistry, 2-3-26, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
| | - Hironori K Nakamura
- Biomodeling Research Co., Ltd., 1-704-2, Uedanishi, Tenpaku-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 468-0058, Japan
| | - Tadaaki Mashimo
- Technology Research Association for Next-Generation Natural Products Chemistry, 2-3-26, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan.,IMSBIO Co., Ltd., 4-21-1, Higashiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0013, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Fukunishi
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, AIST Tokyo Waterfront, 2-3-26 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
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32
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Higo J, Kawabata T, Kusaka A, Kasahara K, Kamiya N, Fukuda I, Mori K, Hata Y, Fukunishi Y, Nakamura H. Molecular Interaction Mechanism of a 14-3-3 Protein with a Phosphorylated Peptide Elucidated by Enhanced Conformational Sampling. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:4867-4880. [PMID: 32910853 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Enhanced conformational sampling, a genetic-algorithm-guided multidimensional virtual-system coupled molecular dynamics, can provide equilibrated conformational distributions of a receptor protein and a flexible ligand at room temperature. The distributions provide not only the most stable but also semistable complex structures and propose a ligand-receptor binding process. This method was applied to a system consisting of a receptor protein, 14-3-3ε, and a flexible peptide, phosphorylated myeloid leukemia factor 1 (pMLF1). The results present comprehensive binding pathways of pMLF1 to 14-3-3ε. We identified four thermodynamically stable clusters of MLF1 on the 14-3-3ε surface and free-energy barriers among some clusters. The most stable cluster includes two high-density spots connected by a narrow corridor. When pMLF1 passes the corridor, a salt-bridge relay (switching) related to the phosphorylated residue of pMLF1 occurs. Conformations in one high-density spot are similar to the experimentally determined complex structure. Three-dimensional distributions of residues in the intermolecular interface rationally explain the binding constant changes resulting from the alanine mutation experiment for the residues. We also performed a simulation of nonphosphorylated peptide and 14-3-3ε, which demonstrated that the complex structure was unstable, suggesting that phosphorylation of the peptide is crucially important for binding to 14-3-3ε.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junichi Higo
- Graduate School of Simulation Studies, University of Hyogo, 7-1-28 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kawabata
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Ayumi Kusaka
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kota Kasahara
- College of Life Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577, Japan
| | - Narutoshi Kamiya
- Graduate School of Simulation Studies, University of Hyogo, 7-1-28 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Ikuo Fukuda
- Graduate School of Simulation Studies, University of Hyogo, 7-1-28 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kentaro Mori
- Graduate School of Simulation Studies, University of Hyogo, 7-1-28 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan.,Maizuru College, 234 Shiroya, Maizuru, Kyoto 625-8511 Japan
| | - Yutaka Hata
- Graduate School of Simulation Studies, University of Hyogo, 7-1-28 Minatojima Minami-machi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Fukunishi
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-3-26, Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
| | - Haruki Nakamura
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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Ishizuka K, Yoshida T, Kawabata T, Imai A, Mori H, Kimura H, Inada T, Okahisa Y, Egawa J, Usami M, Kushima I, Morikawa M, Okada T, Ikeda M, Branko A, Mori D, Someya T, Iwata N, Ozaki N. Functional characterization of rare NRXN1 variants identified in autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. J Neurodev Disord 2020; 12:25. [PMID: 32942984 PMCID: PMC7496212 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-020-09325-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Rare genetic variants contribute to the etiology of both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCZ). Most genetic studies limit their focus to likely gene-disrupting mutations because they are relatively easier to interpret their effects on the gene product. Interpretation of missense variants is also informative to some pathophysiological mechanisms of these neurodevelopmental disorders; however, their contribution has not been elucidated because of relatively small effects. Therefore, we characterized missense variants detected in NRXN1, a well-known neurodevelopmental disease-causing gene, from individuals with ASD and SCZ. Methods To discover rare variants with large effect size and to evaluate their role in the shared etiopathophysiology of ASD and SCZ, we sequenced NRXN1 coding exons with a sample comprising 562 Japanese ASD and SCZ patients, followed by a genetic association analysis in 4273 unrelated individuals. Impact of each missense variant detected here on cell surface expression, interaction with NLGN1, and synaptogenic activity was analyzed using an in vitro functional assay and in silico three-dimensional (3D) structural modeling. Results Through mutation screening, we regarded three ultra-rare missense variants (T737M, D772G, and R856W), all of which affected the LNS4 domain of NRXN1α isoform, as disease-associated variants. Diagnosis of individuals with T737M, D772G, and R856W was 1ASD and 1SCZ, 1ASD, and 1SCZ, respectively. We observed the following phenotypic and functional burden caused by each variant. (i) D772G and R856W carriers had more serious social disabilities than T737M carriers. (ii) In vitro assay showed reduced cell surface expression of NRXN1α by D772G and R856W mutations. In vitro functional analysis showed decreased NRXN1α-NLGN1 interaction of T737M and D772G mutants. (iii) In silico 3D structural modeling indicated that T737M and D772G mutations could destabilize the rod-shaped structure of LNS2-LNS5 domains, and D772G and R856W could disturb N-glycan conformations for the transport signal. Conclusions The combined data suggest that missense variants in NRXN1 could be associated with phenotypes of neurodevelopmental disorders beyond the diagnosis of ASD and/or SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanako Ishizuka
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 4668550, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Yoshida
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, 9300194, Japan
| | - Takeshi Kawabata
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, 5650871, Japan
| | - Ayako Imai
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, 9300194, Japan
| | - Hisashi Mori
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, 9300194, Japan
| | - Hiroki Kimura
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 4668550, Japan
| | - Toshiya Inada
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 4668550, Japan
| | - Yuko Okahisa
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, 7008558, Japan
| | - Jun Egawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, 9518510, Japan
| | - Masahide Usami
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kohnodai Hospital, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Ichikawa, Chiba, 2728516, Japan
| | - Itaru Kushima
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 4668550, Japan
| | - Mako Morikawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 4668550, Japan
| | - Takashi Okada
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 4668550, Japan
| | - Masashi Ikeda
- Department of Psychiatry, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, 4701192, Japan
| | - Aleksic Branko
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 4668550, Japan
| | - Daisuke Mori
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 4668550, Japan. .,Brain and Mind Research Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 4668550, Japan.
| | - Toshiyuki Someya
- Department of Psychiatry, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, 9518510, Japan
| | - Nakao Iwata
- Department of Psychiatry, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, 4701192, Japan
| | - Norio Ozaki
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 4668550, Japan
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Hijikata A, Shionyu-Mitsuyama C, Nakae S, Shionyu M, Ota M, Kanaya S, Shirai T. Knowledge-based structural models of SARS-CoV-2 proteins and their complexes with potential drugs. FEBS Lett 2020; 594:1960-1973. [PMID: 32379896 PMCID: PMC7267562 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) caused by the novel coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2 a pandemic. There is, however, no confirmed anti‐COVID‐19 therapeutic currently. In order to assist structure‐based discovery efforts for repurposing drugs against this disease, we constructed knowledge‐based models of SARS‐CoV‐2 proteins and compared the ligand molecules in the template structures with approved/experimental drugs and components of natural medicines. Our theoretical models suggest several drugs, such as carfilzomib, sinefungin, tecadenoson, and trabodenoson, that could be further investigated for their potential for treating COVID‐19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Hijikata
- Faculty of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Japan
| | | | - Setsu Nakae
- Faculty of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Japan
| | - Masafumi Shionyu
- Faculty of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Japan
| | - Motonori Ota
- Department of Complex Systems Science, Graduate School of Informatics, Nagoya University, Japan
| | - Shigehiko Kanaya
- Computational Biology Laboratory, Division of Information Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), Ikoma, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Shirai
- Faculty of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Japan
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35
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Hall D. Biophysical Reviews' national biophysical society partnership program. Biophys Rev 2020; 12:187-192. [PMID: 32350823 PMCID: PMC7242517 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-020-00693-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This Special Issue is focused on the Biophysical Society of Japan. It represents the first in a series tasked with introducing an individual national biophysical society to the wider biophysical community. In this Editorial for Volume 12 Issue 2, I first outline the nature and goals of this program before going on to describe the contents of the Special Issue that relate to the activities organized by the Biophysical Society of Japan and the scope of the research performed by its members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Hall
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, NIDDK, NIH, Bld. 8, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0830, USA.
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-1-Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya, Japan.
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Shirai T, Terada T. Overview of the big data bioinformatics symposium (2SCA) at BSJ2019. Biophys Rev 2020; 12:277-278. [PMID: 32060733 PMCID: PMC7242527 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-020-00639-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tsuyoshi Shirai
- Department of Computer Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, 1266 Tamura, Nagahama, Shiga, 526-0829, Japan.
| | - Tohru Terada
- Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
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Nakamura H. Big data science at AMED-BINDS. Biophys Rev 2020; 12:221-224. [PMID: 32030637 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-020-00628-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Haruki Nakamura
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
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