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Hosono Y, Uchida S, Shinkai M, Townsend CE, Kelly CN, Naylor MR, Lee HW, Kanamitsu K, Ishii M, Ueki R, Ueda T, Takeuchi K, Sugita M, Akiyama Y, Lokey SR, Morimoto J, Sando S. Amide-to-ester substitution as a stable alternative to N-methylation for increasing membrane permeability in cyclic peptides. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1416. [PMID: 36932083 PMCID: PMC10023679 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36978-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Naturally occurring peptides with high membrane permeability often have ester bonds on their backbones. However, the impact of amide-to-ester substitutions on the membrane permeability of peptides has not been directly evaluated. Here we report the effect of amide-to-ester substitutions on the membrane permeability and conformational ensemble of cyclic peptides related to membrane permeation. Amide-to-ester substitutions are shown to improve the membrane permeability of dipeptides and a model cyclic hexapeptide. NMR-based conformational analysis and enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the conformational transition of the cyclic hexapeptide upon membrane permeation is differently influenced by an amide-to-ester substitution and an amide N-methylation. The effect of amide-to-ester substitution on membrane permeability of other cyclic hexapeptides, cyclic octapeptides, and a cyclic nonapeptide is also investigated to examine the scope of the substitution. Appropriate utilization of amide-to-ester substitution based on our results will facilitate the development of membrane-permeable peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Hosono
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Satoshi Uchida
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Moe Shinkai
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Chad E Townsend
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Colin N Kelly
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Matthew R Naylor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Hsiau-Wei Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
| | - Kayoko Kanamitsu
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Mayumi Ishii
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Ueki
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan
| | - Takumi Ueda
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Koh Takeuchi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Masatake Sugita
- Department of Computer Science, School of Computing, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan
- Middle-Molecule IT-based Drug Discovery Laboratory (MIDL), Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan
| | - Yutaka Akiyama
- Department of Computer Science, School of Computing, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan.
- Middle-Molecule IT-based Drug Discovery Laboratory (MIDL), Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan.
| | - Scott R Lokey
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA.
| | - Jumpei Morimoto
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
| | - Shinsuke Sando
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
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2
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Markthaler D, Fleck M, Stankiewicz B, Hansen N. Exploring the Effect of Enhanced Sampling on Protein Stability Prediction. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:2569-2583. [PMID: 35298174 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c01012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Changes in protein stability due to side-chain mutations are evaluated by alchemical free-energy calculations based on classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in explicit solvent using the GROMOS force field. Three proteins of different complexity with a total number of 93 single-point mutations are analyzed, and the relative free-energy differences are discussed with respect to configurational sampling and (dis)agreement with experimental data. For the smallest protein studied, a 34-residue WW domain, the starting structure dependence of the alchemical free-energy changes, is discussed in detail. Deviations from previous simulations for the two other proteins are shown to result from insufficient sampling in the earlier studies. Hamiltonian replica exchange in combination with multiple starting structures and sufficient sampling time of more than 100 ns per intermediate alchemical state is required in some cases to reach convergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Markthaler
- Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 9, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Maximilian Fleck
- Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 9, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Bartosz Stankiewicz
- Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 9, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Niels Hansen
- Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 9, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
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3
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Galano-Frutos JJ, Sancho J. Accurate Calculation of Barnase and SNase Folding Energetics Using Short Molecular Dynamics Simulations and an Atomistic Model of the Unfolded Ensemble: Evaluation of Force Fields and Water Models. J Chem Inf Model 2019; 59:4350-4360. [PMID: 31513394 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b00430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
As proteins perform most cellular functions, quantitative understanding of protein energetics is required to gain control of biological phenomena. Accurate models of native proteins can be obtained experimentally, but the lack of equally fine models of unfolded ensembles impedes the calculation of protein folding energetics from first principles. Here, we show that an atomistic unfolded ensemble model, consisting of a few dozen conformations built from a protein sequence, can be used in conjunction with an X-ray structure of its native state to calculate accurately by difference the changes in enthalpy and heat capacity of the polypeptide upon folding. The calculation is done using molecular dynamics simulations, popular force fields, and water models, and for the two model proteins studied (barnase and SNase), the results agree within error or are very close to their experimentally determined properties. The enthalpy sampling of the unfolded ensemble is done through short 2 ns simulations that do not significantly modify the representative distribution of Rg of the starting conformations. The impressive accuracy obtained opens the possibility to investigate quantitatively systems or phenomena not amenable to experiment and paves the way for addressing the calculation of protein conformational stability (i.e., the change in Gibbs energy upon folding), a central goal of structural biology. So far, these calculated enthalpy and heat capacity changes, combined with the experimentally determined melting temperatures of the corresponding protein, allow us to reproduce the stability curves of both barnase and SNase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Galano-Frutos
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology , University of Zaragoza , Pedro Cerbuna 12 , Zaragoza 50009 , Spain.,Biocomputation and Complex Systems Physics Institute (Joint Units: BIFI-IQFR (CSIC) and GBsC-CSIC) , University of Zaragoza , Mariano Esquillor s/n, Edificio I + D , Zaragoza 50018 , Spain
| | - Javier Sancho
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology , University of Zaragoza , Pedro Cerbuna 12 , Zaragoza 50009 , Spain.,Biocomputation and Complex Systems Physics Institute (Joint Units: BIFI-IQFR (CSIC) and GBsC-CSIC) , University of Zaragoza , Mariano Esquillor s/n, Edificio I + D , Zaragoza 50018 , Spain.,Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón) , Avda. San Juan Bosco 13 , Zaragoza 50009 , Spain
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4
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Markthaler D, Kraus H, Hansen N. Overcoming Convergence Issues in Free-Energy Calculations of Amide-to-Ester Mutations in the Pin1-WW Domain. J Chem Inf Model 2018; 58:2305-2318. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.8b00581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Markthaler
- Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Hamzeh Kraus
- Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Niels Hansen
- Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
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5
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van Gunsteren WF, Daura X, Hansen N, Mark AE, Oostenbrink C, Riniker S, Smith LJ. Validation of Molecular Simulation: An Overview of Issues. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017; 57:884-902. [PMID: 28682472 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201702945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Computer simulation of molecular systems enables structure-energy-function relationships of molecular processes to be described at the sub-atomic, atomic, supra-atomic, or supra-molecular level. To interpret results of such simulations appropriately, the quality of the calculated properties must be evaluated. This depends on the way the simulations are performed and on the way they are validated by comparison to values Qexp of experimentally observable quantities Q. One must consider 1) the accuracy of Qexp , 2) the accuracy of the function Q(rN ) used to calculate a Q-value based on a molecular configuration rN of N particles, 3) the sensitivity of the function Q(rN ) to the configuration rN , 4) the relative time scales of the simulation and experiment, 5) the degree to which the calculated and experimental properties are equivalent, and 6) the degree to which the system simulated matches the experimental conditions. Experimental data is limited in scope and generally corresponds to averages over both time and space. A critical analysis of the various factors influencing the apparent degree of (dis)agreement between simulations and experiment is presented and illustrated using examples from the literature. What can be done to enhance the validation of molecular simulation is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilfred F van Gunsteren
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Xavier Daura
- Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, UAB, 08193, Barcelona, Spain.,Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, ICREA, 08010, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Niels Hansen
- Institute of Thermodynamics and Thermal Process Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 9, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Alan E Mark
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Chris Oostenbrink
- Institute of Molecular Modeling and Simulation, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sereina Riniker
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lorna J Smith
- Department of Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QR, UK
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van Gunsteren WF, Daura X, Hansen N, Mark AE, Oostenbrink C, Riniker S, Smith LJ. Validierung von molekularen Simulationen: eine Übersicht verschiedener Aspekte. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201702945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wilfred F. van Gunsteren
- Laboratorium für Physikalische Chemie; Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich; 8093 Zürich Schweiz
| | - Xavier Daura
- Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Spanien
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, ICREA; Barcelona Spanien
| | - Niels Hansen
- Institut für Technische Thermodynamik und Thermische Verfahrenstechnik; Universität Stuttgart; Deutschland
| | - Alan E. Mark
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences; University of Queensland; St. Lucia Australien
| | - Chris Oostenbrink
- Institut für Molekulare Modellierung und Simulation; Universität für Bodenkultur Wien; Österreich
| | - Sereina Riniker
- Laboratorium für Physikalische Chemie; Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich; 8093 Zürich Schweiz
| | - Lorna J. Smith
- Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory; Department of Chemistry; University of Oxford; Großbritannien
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Jandova Z, Trosanova Z, Weisova V, Oostenbrink C, Hritz J. Free energy calculations on the stability of the 14-3-3ζ protein. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2017; 1866:442-450. [PMID: 29203375 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2017.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Mutations of cysteine are often introduced to e.g. avoid formation of non-physiological inter-molecular disulfide bridges in in-vitro experiments, or to maintain specificity in labeling experiments. Alanine or serine is typically preferred, which usually do not alter the overall protein stability, when the original cysteine was surface exposed. However, selecting the optimal mutation for cysteines in the hydrophobic core of the protein is more challenging. In this work, the stability of selected Cys mutants of 14-3-3ζ was predicted by free-energy calculations and the obtained data were compared with experimentally determined stabilities. Both the computational predictions as well as the experimental validation point at a significant destabilization of mutants C94A and C94S. This destabilization could be attributed to the formation of hydrophobic cavities and a polar solvation of a hydrophilic side chain. A L12E, M78K double mutant was further studied in terms of its reduced dimerization propensity. In contrast to naïve expectations, this double mutant did not lead to the formation of strong salt bridges, which was rationalized in terms of a preferred solvation of the ionic species. Again, experiments agreed with the calculations by confirming the monomerization of the double mutants. Overall, the simulation data is in good agreement with experiments and offers additional insight into the stability and dimerization of this important family of regulatory proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Jandova
- Institute of Molecular Modeling and Simulation, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zuzana Trosanova
- CEITEC-MU, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Bohunice, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Weisova
- CEITEC-MU, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Bohunice, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Chris Oostenbrink
- Institute of Molecular Modeling and Simulation, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Jozef Hritz
- CEITEC-MU, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Bohunice, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Liou YF, Huang HL, Ho SY. A hydrophobic spine stabilizes a surface-exposed α-helix according to analysis of the solvent-accessible surface area. BMC Bioinformatics 2016; 17:503. [PMID: 28155647 PMCID: PMC5259910 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-016-1368-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Most of hydrophilic and hydrophobic residues are thought to be exposed and buried in proteins, respectively. In contrast to the majority of the existing studies on protein folding characteristics using protein structures, in this study, our aim was to design predictors for estimating relative solvent accessibility (RSA) of amino acid residues to discover protein folding characteristics from sequences. Methods The proposed 20 real-value RSA predictors were designed on the basis of the support vector regression method with a set of informative physicochemical properties (PCPs) obtained by means of an optimal feature selection algorithm. Then, molecular dynamics simulations were performed for validating the knowledge discovered by analysis of the selected PCPs. Results The RSA predictors had the mean absolute error of 14.11% and a correlation coefficient of 0.69, better than the existing predictors. The hydrophilic-residue predictors preferred PCPs of buried amino acid residues to PCPs of exposed ones as prediction features. A hydrophobic spine composed of exposed hydrophobic residues of an α-helix was discovered by analyzing the PCPs of RSA predictors corresponding to hydrophobic residues. For example, the results of a molecular dynamics simulation of wild-type sequences and their mutants showed that proteins 1MOF and 2WRP_H16I (Protein Data Bank IDs), which have a perfectly hydrophobic spine, have more stable structures than 1MOF_I54D and 2WRP do (which do not have a perfectly hydrophobic spine). Conclusions We identified informative PCPs to design high-performance RSA predictors and to analyze these PCPs for identification of novel protein folding characteristics. A hydrophobic spine in a protein can help to stabilize exposed α-helices. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12859-016-1368-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Fan Liou
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Ling Huang
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.,Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Shinn-Ying Ho
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. .,Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
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