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Jablunovsky A, Jose J. The Dynamic Landscape of Capsid Proteins and Viral RNA Interactions in Flavivirus Genome Packaging and Virus Assembly. Pathogens 2024; 13:120. [PMID: 38392858 PMCID: PMC10893219 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13020120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The Flavivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family of enveloped single-stranded RNA viruses encompasses more than 70 members, many of which cause significant disease in humans and livestock. Packaging and assembly of the flavivirus RNA genome is essential for the formation of virions, which requires intricate coordination of genomic RNA, viral structural, and nonstructural proteins in association with virus-induced, modified endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane structures. The capsid (C) protein, a small but versatile RNA-binding protein, and the positive single-stranded RNA genome are at the heart of the elusive flavivirus assembly process. The nucleocapsid core, consisting of the genomic RNA encapsidated by C proteins, buds through the ER membrane, which contains viral glycoproteins prM and E organized as trimeric spikes into the lumen, forming an immature virus. During the maturation process, which involves the low pH-mediated structural rearrangement of prM and E and furin cleavage of prM in the secretory pathway, the spiky immature virus with a partially ordered nucleocapsid core becomes a smooth, mature virus with no discernible nucleocapsid. This review focuses on the mechanisms of genome packaging and assembly by examining the structural and functional aspects of C protein and viral RNA. We review the current lexicon of critical C protein features and evaluate interactions between C and genomic RNA in the context of assembly and throughout the life cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastazia Jablunovsky
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA;
| | - Joyce Jose
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA;
- The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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2
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Neves-Martins TC, Mebus-Antunes NC, Caruso IP, Almeida FCL, Da Poian AT. Unique structural features of flaviviruses' capsid proteins: new insights on structure-function relationship. Curr Opin Virol 2021; 47:106-112. [PMID: 33721656 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2021.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The Flaviviridae family comprises important human pathogens, including Dengue, Zika, West Nile, Yellow Fever and Japanese Encephalitis viruses. The viral genome, a positive-sense single-stranded RNA, is packaged by a single protein, the capsid protein, which is a small and highly basic protein that form intertwined homodimers in solution. Atomic-resolution structures of four flaviviruses capsid proteins were solved either in solution by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, or after protein crystallization by X-ray diffraction. Analyses of these structures revealed very particular properties, namely (i) the predominance of quaternary contacts maintaining the structure; (ii) a highly electropositive surface throughout the protein; and (iii) a flexible helix (α1). The goal of this review is to discuss the role of these features in protein structure-function relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thais C Neves-Martins
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis (IBqM), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Nathane C Mebus-Antunes
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis (IBqM), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Icaro P Caruso
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis (IBqM), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Multiuser Center for Biomolecular Innovation (CMIB) and Department of Physics, Institute of Biosciences, Letters and Exact Sciences (IBILCE), São Paulo State University (UNESP), 15054-000, São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Fabio C L Almeida
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis (IBqM), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; National Center for Structural Biology and Bioimaging (CENABIO), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Andrea T Da Poian
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis (IBqM), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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Baumruck AC, Yang J, Thomas GF, Beyer LI, Tietze D, Tietze AA. Native Chemical Ligation of Highly Hydrophobic Peptides in Ionic Liquid-Containing Media. J Org Chem 2021; 86:1659-1666. [PMID: 33400874 PMCID: PMC7886022 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.0c02498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
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The chemical synthesis of a highly hydrophobic membrane-associated peptide by native
chemical ligation (NCL) in an ionic liquid (IL) [C2mim][OAc]/buffer mixture
was achieved by employing peptide concentrations up to 11 mM. NCL was studied at
different pH and water content and compared to several “gold-standard”
ligation protocols. The optimized reaction protocol for the NCL in IL required the
addition of 40% water and pH adjustment to 7.0–7.5, resulting in ligation yields
of up to 80–95% within 1 to 4 h. This new ligation protocol is generally
applicable and outperforms current “gold-standard” NCL methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas C Baumruck
- Clemens-Schöpf Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Darmstadt University of Technology, Alarich-Weiss Straße 4, Darmstadt 64287, Germany
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Kemigården 4, Göteborg 412 96, Sweden
| | - Gerke-Fabian Thomas
- Clemens-Schöpf Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Darmstadt University of Technology, Alarich-Weiss Straße 4, Darmstadt 64287, Germany
| | - Luisa I Beyer
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Kemigården 4, Göteborg 412 96, Sweden
| | - Daniel Tietze
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Kemigården 4, Göteborg 412 96, Sweden
| | - Alesia A Tietze
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Kemigården 4, Göteborg 412 96, Sweden.,Clemens-Schöpf Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Darmstadt University of Technology, Alarich-Weiss Straße 4, Darmstadt 64287, Germany
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4
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Mueller LK, Baumruck AC, Zhdanova H, Tietze AA. Challenges and Perspectives in Chemical Synthesis of Highly Hydrophobic Peptides. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:162. [PMID: 32195241 PMCID: PMC7064641 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) provides the possibility to chemically synthesize peptides and proteins. Applying the method on hydrophilic structures is usually without major drawbacks but faces extreme complications when it comes to "difficult sequences." These includes the vitally important, ubiquitously present and structurally demanding membrane proteins and their functional parts, such as ion channels, G-protein receptors, and other pore-forming structures. Standard synthetic and ligation protocols are not enough for a successful synthesis of these challenging sequences. In this review we highlight, summarize and evaluate the possibilities for synthetic production of "difficult sequences" by SPPS, native chemical ligation (NCL) and follow-up protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena K. Mueller
- Clemens-Schöpf Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Darmstadt University of Technology, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Andreas C. Baumruck
- Clemens-Schöpf Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Darmstadt University of Technology, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Hanna Zhdanova
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Alesia A. Tietze
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Faustino AF, Martins AS, Karguth N, Artilheiro V, Enguita FJ, Ricardo JC, Santos NC, Martins IC. Structural and Functional Properties of the Capsid Protein of Dengue and Related Flavivirus. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E3870. [PMID: 31398956 PMCID: PMC6720645 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20163870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dengue, West Nile and Zika, closely related viruses of the Flaviviridae family, are an increasing global threat, due to the expansion of their mosquito vectors. They present a very similar viral particle with an outer lipid bilayer containing two viral proteins and, within it, the nucleocapsid core. This core is composed by the viral RNA complexed with multiple copies of the capsid protein, a crucial structural protein that mediates not only viral assembly, but also encapsidation, by interacting with host lipid systems. The capsid is a homodimeric protein that contains a disordered N-terminal region, an intermediate flexible fold section and a very stable conserved fold region. Since a better understanding of its structure can give light into its biological activity, here, first, we compared and analyzed relevant mosquito-borne Flavivirus capsid protein sequences and their predicted structures. Then, we studied the alternative conformations enabled by the N-terminal region. Finally, using dengue virus capsid protein as main model, we correlated the protein size, thermal stability and function with its structure/dynamics features. The findings suggest that the capsid protein interaction with host lipid systems leads to minor allosteric changes that may modulate the specific binding of the protein to the viral RNA. Such mechanism can be targeted in future drug development strategies, namely by using improved versions of pep14-23, a dengue virus capsid protein peptide inhibitor, previously developed by us. Such knowledge can yield promising advances against Zika, dengue and closely related Flavivirus.
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Affiliation(s)
- André F Faustino
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ana S Martins
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nina Karguth
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Vanessa Artilheiro
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Francisco J Enguita
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana C Ricardo
- Centro de Química-Física Molecular, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nuno C Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Ivo C Martins
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal.
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Boutin JA, Tartar AL, van Dorsselaer A, Vaudry H. General lack of structural characterization of chemically synthesized long peptides. Protein Sci 2019; 28:857-867. [PMID: 30851143 PMCID: PMC6459998 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Many peptide chemistry scientists have been reporting extremely interesting work on the basis of chemical peptides for which the only characterization was their purity, mass, and biological activity. It seems slightly overenthusiastic, as many of these structures should be thoroughly characterized first to demonstrate the uniqueness of the structure, as opposed to the uniqueness of the sequence. Among the peptides of identical sequences in the final chemical preparation, what amount of well-folded peptide supports the measured activity? The activity of a peptide preparation cannot prove the purity of the desired peptide. Therefore, greater care should be taken in characterizing peptides, particularly those coming from chemical synthesis. At a time when the pharmaceutical industry is changing its paradigm by moving substantially from small molecules to biologics to better serve patients' needs, it is important to understand the limitations of the descriptions of these products and to start to apply the same "good laboratory practices" to our peptide research. Here, we attempt to delineate how synthetic peptides are described and characterized and what will be needed to describe them in regards to how they are well-folded and homogeneous in their tertiary structure. Older studies were done when the tools were not yet discovered, but more recent publications are still lacking proper descriptions of these peptides. Modern tools of analysis are capable of segregating folded and unfolded peptides, even if the preparation is biologically active.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean A. Boutin
- Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier50 rue Carnot, 92284, Suresnes‐CedexFrance
| | - André L. Tartar
- Faculté de Pharmacie 3rue du Professeur Laguesse, BP83 ‐ 59006, Lille‐CedexFrance
| | - Alain van Dorsselaer
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Bio‐Organique, Département des Sciences AnalytiquesInstitut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert CurienUMR 7178 (CNRS‐UdS), ECPM, 25 rue Becquerel, F67087, Strasbourg‐Cedex 2France
| | - Hubert Vaudry
- Plate‐Forme de Recherche en Imagerie Cellulaire de Normandie (PRIMACEN)Institut de Recherche et d'Innovation Biomédicales (IRIB), Université de Rouen76821, Mont‐Saint‐Aignan CedexFrance
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Figueira-Mansur J, Aguilera EA, Stoque RM, Ventura GT, Mohana-Borges R. Mutations in the dimer interfaces of the dengue virus capsid protein affect structural stability and impair RNA-capsid interaction. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2829. [PMID: 30808916 PMCID: PMC6391532 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39185-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The dengue virus 2 capsid protein (DENV2C) plays a primary structural role in the protection of the viral genome and is crucial for nucleocapsid assembly. In this study, we generated single mutants of DENV2C at L50 and L54 residues of the α2 helix, which was shown to interfere with the integration of the capsid into lipid droplets, and at residues L81 and I88 located in the α4 helix, which was shown to affect viral assembly. We demonstrated that the oligomeric states of DENV2C and its mutants exist primarily in the dimeric state in solution. All single-point mutations introduced in DENV2C promoted reduction in protein stability, an effect that was more pronounced for the L81N and I88N mutants, but not protein unfolding. All the single-point mutations affected the ability of DEN2C to interact with RNA. We concluded that mutations in the α2-α2' and α4-α4' dimer interfaces of DENV2C affect the structural stability of the protein and impair RNA-capsid interaction. These effects were more pronounced for mutations at the L81 and I88 residues in the α4 helix. These results indicate the importance of the α4-α4' dimer interface, which could be studied as a potential target for drug design in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janaina Figueira-Mansur
- Laboratório de Genômica Estrutural, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Estefania A Aguilera
- Laboratório de Genômica Estrutural, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafael M Stoque
- Laboratório de Genômica Estrutural, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gustavo T Ventura
- Laboratório de Genômica Estrutural, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo Mohana-Borges
- Laboratório de Genômica Estrutural, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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