1
|
Raghunathan S. Solvent accessible surface area-assessed molecular basis of osmolyte-induced protein stability. RSC Adv 2024; 14:25031-25041. [PMID: 39131493 PMCID: PMC11310836 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra02576h] [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: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In solvent-modulated protein folding, under certain physiological conditions, an equilibrium exists between the unfolded and folded states of the protein without any need to break or make a covalent bond. In this process, interactions between various protein groups (peptides) and solvent molecules are known to play a major role in determining the directionality of the chemical reaction. However, an understanding of the mechanism of action of the co(solvent) by a generic theoretical underpinning is lacking. In this study, a generic solvation model is developed based on statistical mechanics and the thermodynamic transfer free energy model by considering the microenvironment polarity of the interacting co(solvent)-protein system. According to this model, polarity and the fractional solvent-accessible surface areas contribute to the interaction energies. The present model includes various orientations of participating interactant solvent surfaces of suitable areas. As model systems, besides the backbone we consider naturally occurring amino acid residues solvated in ten different osmolytes, small organic compounds known to modulate protein stability. The present model is able to predict the correct trend of the osmolyte-peptide interactions ranging from stabilizing to destabilizing not only for the backbone but also for side chains. Our model predicts Asn, Gln, Asp, Glu, Arg and Pro to be highly stable in most of the protecting osmolytes while Ala, Val, Ile, Leu, Thr, Met, Lys, Phe, Trp and Tyr are predicted to be moderately stable, and Ser, Cys and Histidine are predicted to be least stable. However, in denaturing solvents, both backbone and side chain models show similar stabilities in urea and guanidine. One of the important aspects of this model is that it is essentially parameter-free and consistent with the electrostatics of the interaction partners that make this model suitable for estimating any solute-solvent interaction energies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shampa Raghunathan
- École Centrale School of Engineering, Mahindra University Hyderabad 500043 India
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kish WS, Lightholder J, Zeković T, Berrill A, Roach M, Wellborn WB, Vorst E. Removal of empty capsids from high-dose adeno-associated virus 9 gene therapies. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:2500-2523. [PMID: 38807330 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus, serotype 9 (rAAV9) has shown promise as a gene therapy vector for muscle and central nervous diseases. High-dose requirements of these therapies present critical safety considerations and biomanufacturing challenges. Notably, the reduction of empty capsids (ECs), which lack therapeutic transgene, from rAAV9 products is critical to maximize efficacy. Removal of rAAV ECs from full capsids is a major downstream challenge because of their highly similar biophysical characteristics. Ultracentrifugation (UC) reduces ECs but is laborious and difficult to scale. In this paper, to replace a poorly scalable UC process, we developed an anion exchange (AEX) chromatography for rAAV9 EC reduction from full capsids. AEX load preparation by dilution incurred major product loss. The addition of histidine and surfactants to dilution buffers increased yield and reduced aggregation. Elution salts were screened and sodium acetate was found to maximize yield and EC reduction. The most promising load dilution buffer and elution salt were used in combination to form an optimized AEX method. The process reduced ECs three-fold, demonstrated robustness to a broad range of EC load challenges, and was scaled for large-scale manufacture. Compared to UC, the AEX method simplified scale-up, reduced ECs to comparable levels (20%), afforded similar purity and product quality, and increased yield by 14%.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William S Kish
- Gene Therapy Process Development, Pfizer Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina, USA
| | - John Lightholder
- Gene Therapy Process Development, Pfizer Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Tamara Zeković
- Gene Therapy Process Development, Pfizer Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alex Berrill
- Gene Therapy Process Development, Pfizer Inc., Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
| | - Matthew Roach
- Gene Therapy Process Development, Pfizer Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina, USA
| | - William B Wellborn
- Gene Therapy Process Development, Pfizer Inc., Chesterfield, Missouri, USA
| | - Eric Vorst
- Gene Therapy Process Development, Pfizer Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Liow MY, Chan ES, Ng WZ, Song CP. Stabilization of Eversa® Transform 2.0 lipase with sorbitol to enhance the efficiency of ultrasound-assisted biodiesel production. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 276:133817. [PMID: 39002902 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024]
Abstract
Ultrasound technology has emerged as a promising tool for enhancing enzymatic biodiesel production, yet the cavitation effect induced can compromise enzyme stability. This study explored the efficiency of polyols in enhancing lipase stability under ultrasound conditions to further improve biodiesel yield. The incorporation of sorbitol resulted in the highest fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) content in the ultrasound-assisted biodiesel production catalyzed by Eversa® Transform 2.0 among the investigated polyols. Furthermore, sorbitol enhanced the stability of the lipase, allowing it to tolerate up to 100 % ultrasound amplitude, compared to 60 % amplitude in its absence. Enzyme activity assays revealed that sorbitol preserved 99 % of the lipase activity, in contrast to 84 % retention observed without sorbitol under an 80 % ultrasound amplitude. Circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectroscopy analyses confirmed that sorbitol enhanced lipase rigidity and preserved its conformational structure under ultrasound exposure. Furthermore, employing a stepwise methanol addition strategy in ultrasound-assisted reactions with sorbitol achieved an 81.2 wt% FAME content in 8 h with only 0.2 wt% enzyme concentration. This promising result highlights the potential of sorbitol as a stabilizing agent in ultrasound-assisted enzymatic biodiesel production, offering a viable approach for enhancing biodiesel yield and enzyme stability in industrial applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Ying Liow
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; Monash-Industry Plant Oils Research Laboratory (MIPO), Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Eng-Seng Chan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; Monash-Industry Plant Oils Research Laboratory (MIPO), Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Wei Zhe Ng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; Monash-Industry Plant Oils Research Laboratory (MIPO), Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Cher Pin Song
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; Monash-Industry Plant Oils Research Laboratory (MIPO), Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Basheeruddin M, Qausain S. Significantly Positive Impact of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs Combined With Osmoprotectant (Osmolytes) in Cancer Treatment. Cureus 2024; 16:e63529. [PMID: 39086782 PMCID: PMC11290388 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.63529] [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: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Osmoprotectant osmolyte and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) coadministration can work synergistically in cancer chemotherapy since most tumors are inflammatory and cancer cells experience osmotic stress. NSAIDs have been shown to inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, which in turn reduces prostaglandin synthesis and prevents inflammation. They also encourage cell death to prevent tumor growth and its spread to other tissues and prevent the construction of new blood vessels, which contributes to the growth of cancer. Taurine belongs to the class of osmolytes since it has been shown to stabilize macromolecular structures and maintain cellular osmotic balance when combined with betaine and glycine. When these drugs are taken together, as opposed to separately, the effectiveness of cancer treatment is increased by increasing cancer cell death and suppressing tumor growth. Notable therapeutic benefits include the reduction of local inflammatory milieu by NSAIDs, which promotes tumor development, and the protection of surviving, normal cells and tissues from treatment-induced damage caused by cancer. By enhancing this synergy, side-effect risk can be decreased and treatment outcomes improved in terms of quality. Put another way, peptides can increase the therapeutic index of NSAIDs in cancer patients by preventing cell damage, which may lessen the gastrointestinal (GI), cardiovascular (CV), and renal side effects of the drug. However, there are drawbacks because using NSAIDs for an extended period of time is linked to serious side effects that call for strict supervision. More research is required because the usefulness and significance of osmolytes in cancer therapy are still very unclear, if not fragmented. In addition, people who live in places with limited resources may find it difficult to afford the possible expenditures associated with osmolytes and selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors. Only the molecular mechanisms of the two drugs' interactions, the appropriate dosages for combination therapy, and clinical trials to validate the efficacy and safety of this dosage should be the focus of future research. The request is inviting because it presents hope for an extremely successful antiviral strategy; nevertheless, in order to implement this approach successfully, it is likely to be necessary to create affordable formulations and scalable solutions that do not necessitate excessive treatment regimen individualization. Due to their complementary capacities to demonstrate anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects, Akta and 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) administration may thus represent a significant advancement in the treatment of cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Basheeruddin
- Biochemistry, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, IND
| | - Sana Qausain
- Biomedical Sciences, Allied Health Sciences, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, IND
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Świątek A, Kuczera K, Szoszkiewicz R. Effects of Proline on Internal Friction in Simulated Folding Dynamics of Several Alanine-Based α-Helical Peptides. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:3856-3869. [PMID: 38606880 PMCID: PMC11056985 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
We have studied in silico the effect of proline, a model cosolvent, on local and global friction coefficients in (un)folding of several typical alanine-based α-helical peptides. Local friction is related to dwell times of a single, ensemble-averaged hydrogen bond (HB) within each peptide. Global friction is related to energy dissipated in a series of configurational changes of each peptide experienced by increasing the number of HBs during folding. Both of these approaches are important in relation to future atomic force microscopic-based measurements of internal friction via force-clamp single-molecule force spectroscopy. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for six peptides, namely, ALA5, ALA8, ALA15, ALA21, (AAQAA)3, and H2N-GN(AAQAA)2G-COONH2, have been conducted at 2 and 5 M proline solutions in water. Using previously obtained MD data for these peptides in pure water as well as upgraded theoretical models, we obtained variations of local and global internal friction coefficients as a function of solution viscosity. The results showed the substantial role of proline in stabilizing the folded state and slowing the overall folding dynamics. Consequently, larger friction coefficients were obtained at larger viscosities. The local and global internal friction, i.e., respective, friction coefficients approximated to zero viscosity, was also obtained. The evolution of friction coefficients with viscosity was weakly dependent on the number of concurrent folding pathways but was rather dominated by a stabilizing effect of proline on the folded states. Obtained values of local and global internal friction showed qualitatively similar results and a clear dependency on the structure of the studied peptide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam Świątek
- Faculty of Chemistry,
Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Kuczera
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The
University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
| | - Robert Szoszkiewicz
- Faculty of Chemistry,
Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
van der Sleen L, Stevens JA, Marrink SJ, Poolman B, Tych K. Probing the stability and interdomain interactions in the ABC transporter OpuA using single-molecule optical tweezers. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114110. [PMID: 38607912 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114110] [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] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Transmembrane transporter proteins are essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis and, as such, are key drug targets. Many transmembrane transporter proteins are known to undergo large structural rearrangements during their functional cycles. Despite the wealth of detailed structural and functional data available for these systems, our understanding of their dynamics and, consequently, how they function is generally limited. We introduce an innovative approach that enables us to directly measure the dynamics and stability of interdomain interactions of transmembrane proteins using optical tweezers. Focusing on the osmoregulatory ATP-binding cassette transporter OpuA from Lactococcus lactis, we examine the mechanical properties and potential interactions of its substrate-binding domains. Our measurements are performed in lipid nanodiscs, providing a native-mimicking environment for the transmembrane protein. The technique provides high spatial and temporal resolution and allows us to study the functionally relevant motions and interdomain interactions of individual transmembrane transporter proteins in real time in a lipid bilayer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lyan van der Sleen
- Department of Biochemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jan A Stevens
- Molecular Dynamics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Siewert J Marrink
- Molecular Dynamics Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Bert Poolman
- Department of Biochemistry, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Kasia Tych
- Chemical Biology Group, Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Nasralla M, Laurent H, Alderman OLG, Headen TF, Dougan L. Trimethylamine-N-oxide depletes urea in a peptide solvation shell. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317825121. [PMID: 38536756 PMCID: PMC10998561 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317825121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) and urea are metabolites that are used by some marine animals to maintain their cell volume in a saline environment. Urea is a well-known denaturant, and TMAO is a protective osmolyte that counteracts urea-induced protein denaturation. TMAO also has a general protein-protective effect, for example, it counters pressure-induced protein denaturation in deep-sea fish. These opposing effects on protein stability have been linked to the spatial relationship of TMAO, urea, and protein molecules. It is generally accepted that urea-induced denaturation proceeds through the accumulation of urea at the protein surface and their subsequent interaction. In contrast, it has been suggested that TMAO's protein-stabilizing effects stem from its exclusion from the protein surface, and its ability to deplete urea from protein surfaces; however, these spatial relationships are uncertain. We used neutron diffraction, coupled with structural refinement modeling, to study the spatial associations of TMAO and urea with the tripeptide derivative glycine-proline-glycinamide in aqueous urea, aqueous TMAO, and aqueous urea-TMAO (in the mole ratio 1:2 TMAO:urea). We found that TMAO depleted urea from the peptide's surface and that while TMAO was not excluded from the tripeptide's surface, strong atomic interactions between the peptide and TMAO were limited to hydrogen bond donating peptide groups. We found that the repartition of urea, by TMAO, was associated with preferential TMAO-urea bonding and enhanced urea-water hydrogen bonding, thereby anchoring urea in the bulk solution and depleting urea from the peptide surface.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mazin Nasralla
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Harrison Laurent
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver L. G. Alderman
- Disordered Materials Group, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, DidcotOX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas F. Headen
- Disordered Materials Group, ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, DidcotOX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Lorna Dougan
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, LeedsLS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bharmoria P, Tietze AA, Mondal D, Kang TS, Kumar A, Freire MG. Do Ionic Liquids Exhibit the Required Characteristics to Dissolve, Extract, Stabilize, and Purify Proteins? Past-Present-Future Assessment. Chem Rev 2024; 124:3037-3084. [PMID: 38437627 PMCID: PMC10979405 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Proteins are highly labile molecules, thus requiring the presence of appropriate solvents and excipients in their liquid milieu to keep their stability and biological activity. In this field, ionic liquids (ILs) have gained momentum in the past years, with a relevant number of works reporting their successful use to dissolve, stabilize, extract, and purify proteins. Different approaches in protein-IL systems have been reported, namely, proteins dissolved in (i) neat ILs, (ii) ILs as co-solvents, (iii) ILs as adjuvants, (iv) ILs as surfactants, (v) ILs as phase-forming components of aqueous biphasic systems, and (vi) IL-polymer-protein/peptide conjugates. Herein, we critically analyze the works published to date and provide a comprehensive understanding of the IL-protein interactions affecting the stability, conformational alteration, unfolding, misfolding, and refolding of proteins while providing directions for future studies in view of imminent applications. Overall, it has been found that the stability or purification of proteins by ILs is bispecific and depends on the structure of both the IL and the protein. The most promising IL-protein systems are identified, which is valuable when foreseeing market applications of ILs, e.g., in "protein packaging" and "detergent applications". Future directions and other possibilities of IL-protein systems in light-harvesting and biotechnology/biomedical applications are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj Bharmoria
- CICECO
- Aveiro Institute of Materials, Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
- Department
of Smart Molecular, Inorganic and Hybrid Materials, Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Wallenberg Centre for Molecular
and Translational Medicine, University of
Gothenburg, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Alesia A. Tietze
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Wallenberg Centre for Molecular
and Translational Medicine, University of
Gothenburg, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Dibyendu Mondal
- CICECO
- Aveiro Institute of Materials, Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
- Institute
of Plant Genetics (IPG), Polish Academy of Sciences, Strzeszyńska 34, 60-479 Poznań, Poland
- Centre
for Nano and Material Sciences, JAIN (Deemed-to-be
University), Jain Global
Campus, Bangalore 562112, India
| | - Tejwant Singh Kang
- Department
of Chemistry, UGC Center for Advance Studies-II,
Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar 143005, Punjab, India
| | - Arvind Kumar
- Salt
and Marine Chemicals Division, CSIR-Central
Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, G. B. Marg, Bhavnagar 364002, Gujarat, India
| | - Mara G Freire
- CICECO
- Aveiro Institute of Materials, Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Banayan NE, Loughlin BJ, Singh S, Forouhar F, Lu G, Wong K, Neky M, Hunt HS, Bateman LB, Tamez A, Handelman SK, Price WN, Hunt JF. Systematic enhancement of protein crystallization efficiency by bulk lysine-to-arginine (KR) substitution. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4898. [PMID: 38358135 PMCID: PMC10868448 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Structural genomics consortia established that protein crystallization is the primary obstacle to structure determination using x-ray crystallography. We previously demonstrated that crystallization propensity is systematically related to primary sequence, and we subsequently performed computational analyses showing that arginine is the most overrepresented amino acid in crystal-packing interfaces in the Protein Data Bank. Given the similar physicochemical characteristics of arginine and lysine, we hypothesized that multiple lysine-to-arginine (KR) substitutions should improve crystallization. To test this hypothesis, we developed software that ranks lysine sites in a target protein based on the redundancy-corrected KR substitution frequency in homologs. This software can be run interactively on the worldwide web at https://www.pxengineering.org/. We demonstrate that three unrelated single-domain proteins can tolerate 5-11 KR substitutions with at most minor destabilization, and, for two of these three proteins, the construct with the largest number of KR substitutions exhibits significantly enhanced crystallization propensity. This approach rapidly produced a 1.9 Å crystal structure of a human protein domain refractory to crystallization with its native sequence. Structures from Bulk KR-substituted domains show the engineered arginine residues frequently make hydrogen-bonds across crystal-packing interfaces. We thus demonstrate that Bulk KR substitution represents a rational and efficient method for probabilistic engineering of protein surface properties to improve crystallization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nooriel E. Banayan
- Department of Biological Sciences702A Sherman Fairchild Center, MC2434, Columbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Blaine J. Loughlin
- Department of Biological Sciences702A Sherman Fairchild Center, MC2434, Columbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Shikha Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences702A Sherman Fairchild Center, MC2434, Columbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Farhad Forouhar
- Department of Biological Sciences702A Sherman Fairchild Center, MC2434, Columbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Guanqi Lu
- Department of Biological Sciences702A Sherman Fairchild Center, MC2434, Columbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Kam‐Ho Wong
- Department of Biological Sciences702A Sherman Fairchild Center, MC2434, Columbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Present address:
Vaccine Research and DevelopmentPfizer Inc.Pearl RiverNew YorkUSA
| | - Matthew Neky
- Department of Biological Sciences702A Sherman Fairchild Center, MC2434, Columbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Present address:
Columbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Henry S. Hunt
- Department of PhysicsStanford UniversityStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | | | | | - Samuel K. Handelman
- Department of Biological Sciences702A Sherman Fairchild Center, MC2434, Columbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Present address:
Department of Pain & Neuronal HealthEli Lily & Co.893 Delaware StIndianapolisIndianaUSA
| | - W. Nicholson Price
- Department of Biological Sciences702A Sherman Fairchild Center, MC2434, Columbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Present address:
University of Michigan Law SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - John F. Hunt
- Department of Biological Sciences702A Sherman Fairchild Center, MC2434, Columbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bajaj M, Muddassir M, Choi B, Singh P, Park JB, Singh S, Yadav M, Kumar R, Eom K, Sharma D. Single-molecule analysis of osmolyte-mediated nanomechanical unfolding behavior of a protein domain. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126849. [PMID: 37717878 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126849] [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] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
The small organic molecules, known as osmolytes being ubiquitously present in different cell types, affect protein folding, stability and aggregation. However, it is unknown how the osmolytes affect the nanomechanical unfolding behavior of protein domain. Here, we show the osmolyte-dependent mechanical unfolding properties of protein titin immunoglobulin-27 (I27) domain using an atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based single-molecule force spectroscopy. We found that amines and methylamines improved the mechanical stability of I27 domain, whereas polyols had no effect. Interestingly, glycine betaine (GB) or trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) increased the average unfolding force of the protein domain. The kinetic parameters analyzed at single-molecule level reveal that stabilizing effect of osmolytes is due to a decrease in the unfolding rate constant of I27, which was confirmed by molecular dynamics simulations. Our study reveals different effects that diverse osmolytes have on the mechanical properties of the protein, and suggests the potential use of osmolytes in modulating the mechanical stability of proteins required for various nano-biotechnological applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manish Bajaj
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector-39A, Chandigarh, India
| | - Mohd Muddassir
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector-39A, Chandigarh, India; Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bumjoon Choi
- Biomechanics Laboratory, College of Sport Science, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; Digial Bio R&D Center, Mediazen, Seoul 07789, Republic of Korea
| | - Priyanka Singh
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector-39A, Chandigarh, India
| | - Jong Bum Park
- Biomechanics Laboratory, College of Sport Science, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Surjeet Singh
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector-39A, Chandigarh, India
| | - Manisha Yadav
- School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
| | - Rajesh Kumar
- School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
| | - Kilho Eom
- Biomechanics Laboratory, College of Sport Science, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea.
| | - Deepak Sharma
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Institute of Microbial Technology, Sector-39A, Chandigarh, India; Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research, India.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Garfagnini T, Bemporad F, Harries D, Chiti F, Friedler A. Amyloid Aggregation Is Potently Slowed Down by Osmolytes Due to Compaction of Partially Folded State. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168281. [PMID: 37734431 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168281] [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] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid aggregation is a key process in amyloidoses and neurodegenerative diseases. Hydrophobicity is one of the major driving forces for this type of aggregation, as an increase in hydrophobicity generally correlates with aggregation susceptibility and rate. However, most experimental systems in vitro and prediction tools in silico neglect the contribution of protective osmolytes present in the cellular environment. Here, we assessed the role of hydrophobic mutations in amyloid aggregation in the presence of osmolytes. To achieve this goal, we used the model protein human muscle acylphosphatase (mAcP) and mutations to leucine that increased its hydrophobicity without affecting its thermodynamic stability. Osmolytes significantly slowed down the aggregation kinetics of the hydrophobic mutants, with an effect larger than that observed on the wild-type protein. The effect increased as the mutation site was closer to the middle of the protein sequence. We propose that the preferential exclusion of osmolytes from mutation-introduced hydrophobic side-chains quenches the aggregation potential of the ensemble of partially unfolded states of the protein by inducing its compaction and inhibiting its self-assembly with other proteins. Our results suggest that including the effect of the cellular environment in experimental setups and predictive softwares, for both mechanistic studies and drug design, is essential in order to obtain a more complete combination of the driving forces of amyloid aggregation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Garfagnini
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Francesco Bemporad
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence 50134, Italy
| | - Daniel Harries
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel; The Fritz Haber Research Center, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Fabrizio Chiti
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence 50134, Italy
| | - Assaf Friedler
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Posey AE, Ross KA, Bagheri M, Lanum EN, Khan MA, Jennings CE, Harwig MC, Kennedy NW, Hilser VJ, Harden JL, Hill RB. The variable domain from dynamin-related protein 1 promotes liquid-liquid phase separation that enhances its interaction with cardiolipin-containing membranes. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4787. [PMID: 37743569 PMCID: PMC10578129 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Dynamins are an essential superfamily of mechanoenzymes that remodel membranes and often contain a "variable domain" important for regulation. For the mitochondrial fission dynamin, dynamin-related protein 1, a regulatory role for the variable domain (VD) is demonstrated by gain- and loss-of-function mutations, yet the basis for this is unclear. Here, the isolated VD is shown to be intrinsically disordered and undergo a cooperative transition in the stabilizing osmolyte trimethylamine N-oxide. However, the osmolyte-induced state is not folded and surprisingly appears as a condensed state. Other co-solutes including known molecular crowder Ficoll PM 70, also induce a condensed state. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments reveal this state to be liquid-like indicating the VD undergoes a liquid-liquid phase separation under crowding conditions. These crowding conditions also enhance binding to cardiolipin, a mitochondrial lipid, which appears to promote phase separation. Since dynamin-related protein 1 is found assembled into discrete punctate structures on the mitochondrial surface, the inference from the present work is that these structures might arise from a condensed state involving the VD that may enable rapid tuning of mechanoenzyme assembly necessary for fission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ammon E. Posey
- Program in Molecular BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
- Present address:
Department of Biomedical EngineeringWashington UniversitySt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Kyle A. Ross
- Department of BiochemistryMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWisconsinUSA
| | - Mehran Bagheri
- Department of PhysicsUniversity of OttawaOttawaOntarioUSA
| | - Elizabeth N. Lanum
- Department of BiochemistryMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWisconsinUSA
| | - Misha A. Khan
- Department of BiochemistryMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWisconsinUSA
| | | | - Megan C. Harwig
- Department of BiochemistryMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWisconsinUSA
| | - Nolan W. Kennedy
- Department of BiochemistryMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWisconsinUSA
| | - Vincent J. Hilser
- Program in Molecular BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | | | - R. Blake Hill
- Department of BiochemistryMedical College of WisconsinMilwaukeeWisconsinUSA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Posey AE, Bagheri M, Ross KA, Lanum EN, Khan MA, Jennings CM, Harwig MC, Kennedy NW, Hilser VJ, Harden JL, Hill RB. The variable domain from the mitochondrial fission mechanoenzyme Drp1 promotes liquid-liquid phase separation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.29.542732. [PMID: 37398258 PMCID: PMC10312466 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.29.542732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Dynamins are an essential superfamily of mechanoenzymes that remodel membranes and often contain a "variable domain" (VD) important for regulation. For the mitochondrial fission dynamin, Drp1, a regulatory role for the VD is demonstrated by mutations that can elongate, or fragment, mitochondria. How the VD encodes inhibitory and stimulatory activity is unclear. Here, isolated VD is shown to be intrinsically disordered (ID) yet undergoes a cooperative transition in the stabilizing osmolyte TMAO. However, the TMAO stabilized state is not folded and surprisingly appears as a condensed state. Other co-solutes including known molecular crowder Ficoll PM 70, also induce a condensed state. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments reveal this state to be liquid-like indicating the VD undergoes a liquid-liquid phase separation under crowding conditions. These crowding conditions also enhance binding to cardiolipin, a mitochondrial lipid, raising the possibility that phase separation may enable rapid tuning of Drp1 assembly necessary for fission.
Collapse
|
14
|
Arsiccio A, Liu X, Ganguly P, Buratto SK, Bowers MT, Shea JE. Effect of Cosolutes on the Aggregation of a Tau Fragment: A Combined Experimental and Simulation Approach. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:4022-4031. [PMID: 37129599 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c00433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The intrinsically disordered protein Tau represents the main component of neurofibrillary tangles that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. A small fragment of Tau, known as paired helical filament 6 (PHF6), is considered to be important for the formation of the β-structure core of the fibrils. Here we study the aggregation of this fragment in the presence of different cosolutes, including urea, TMAO, sucrose and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (2-HPβCD), using both experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. A novel implicit solvation approach (MIST - Model with Implicit Solvation Thermodynamics) is used, where an energetic contribution based on the concept of transfer free energies describes the effect of the cosolutes. The simulation predictions are compared to thioflavin-T and atomic force microscopy results, and the good agreement observed confirms the predictive ability of the computational approach herein proposed. Both simulations and experiments indicate that PHF6 aggregation is inhibited in the presence of urea and 2-HPβCD, while TMAO and sucrose stabilize associated conformations. The remarkable ability of HPβCD to inhibit aggregation represents an extremely promising result for future applications, especially considering the widespread use of this molecule as a drug carrier to the brain and as a solubilizer/excipient in pharmaceutical formulations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Arsiccio
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Xikun Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Pritam Ganguly
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Steven K Buratto
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Michael T Bowers
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Joan-Emma Shea
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
- Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Khan S, Siraj S, Shahid M, Haque MM, Islam A. Osmolytes: Wonder molecules to combat protein misfolding against stress conditions. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 234:123662. [PMID: 36796566 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
The proper functioning of any protein depends on its three dimensional conformation which is achieved by the accurate folding mechanism. Keeping away from the exposed stress conditions leads to cooperative unfolding and sometimes partial folding, forming the structures like protofibrils, fibrils, aggregates, oligomers, etc. leading to several neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, Cystic fibrosis, Huntington, Marfan syndrome, and also cancers in some cases, too. Hydration of proteins is necessary, which may be achieved by the presence of organic solutes called osmolytes within the cell. Osmolytes belong to different classes in different organisms and play their role by preferential exclusion of osmolytes and preferential hydration of water molecules and achieves the osmotic balance in the cell otherwise it may cause problems like cellular infection, cell shrinkage leading to apoptosis and cell swelling which is also the major injury to the cell. Osmolyte interacts with protein, nucleic acids, intrinsically disordered proteins by non-covalent forces. Stabilizing osmolytes increases the Gibbs free energy of the unfolded protein and decreases that of folded protein and vice versa with denaturants (urea and guanidinium hydrochloride). The efficacy of each osmolyte with the protein is determined by the calculation of m value which reflects its efficiency with protein. Hence osmolytes can be therapeutically considered and used in drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sobia Khan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Seerat Siraj
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025, India; Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Mohammad Shahid
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box: 173, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Asimul Islam
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025, India.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Proteomics and Molecular Docking Analyses Reveal the Bio-Chemical and Molecular Mechanism Underlying the Hypolipidemic Activity of Nano-Liposomal Bioactive Peptides in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes. Foods 2023; 12:foods12040780. [PMID: 36832854 PMCID: PMC9956075 DOI: 10.3390/foods12040780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a global health concern. Physical activities and eating nutrient-rich functional foods can prevent obesity. In this study, nano-liposomal encapsulated bioactive peptides (BPs) were developed to reduce cellular lipids. The peptide sequence NH2-PCGVPMLTVAEQAQ-CO2H was chemically synthesized. The limited membrane permeability of the BPs was improved by encapsulating the BPs with a nano-liposomal carrier, which was produced by thin-layer formation. The nano-liposomal BPs had a diameter of ~157 nm and were monodispersed in solution. The encapsulation capacity was 61.2 ± 3.2%. The nano-liposomal BPs had no significant cytotoxicity on the tested cells, keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and adipocytes. The in vitro hypolipidemic activity significantly promoted the breakdown of triglycerides (TGs). Lipid droplet staining was correlated with TG content. Proteomics analysis identified 2418 differentially expressed proteins. The nano-liposomal BPs affected various biochemical pathways beyond lipolysis. The nano-liposomal BP treatment decreased the fatty acid synthase expression by 17.41 ± 1.17%. HDOCK revealed that the BPs inhibited fatty acid synthase (FAS) at the thioesterase domain. The HDOCK score of the BPs was lower than that of orlistat, a known obesity drug, indicating stronger binding. Proteomics and molecular docking analyses confirmed that the nano-liposomal BPs were suitable for use in functional foods to prevent obesity.
Collapse
|
17
|
Eslami-Farsani R, Farhadian S, Shareghi B, Momeni L. molecular interaction of ethylene glycol to hurt Myoglobin: Insights from spectroscopic and molecular modeling studies. J Mol Liq 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2023.121399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
|
18
|
Yarawsky AE, Ori AL, English LR, Whitten ST, Herr AB. Convergent behavior of extended stalk regions from staphylococcal surface proteins with widely divergent sequence patterns. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.06.523059. [PMID: 36711672 PMCID: PMC9881980 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.06.523059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcus epidermidis and S. aureus are highly problematic bacteria in hospital settings. This stems, at least in part, from strong abilities to form biofilms on abiotic or biotic surfaces. Biofilms are well-organized multicellular aggregates of bacteria, which, when formed on indwelling medical devices, lead to infections that are difficult to treat. Cell wall-anchored (CWA) proteins are known to be important players in biofilm formation and infection. Many of these proteins have putative stalk-like regions or regions of low complexity near the cell wall-anchoring motif. Recent work demonstrated the strong propensity of the stalk region of the S. epidermidis accumulation-associated protein (Aap) to remain highly extended under solution conditions that typically induce compaction or other significant conformational changes. This behavior is consistent with the expected function of a stalk-like region that is covalently attached to the cell wall peptidoglycan and projects the adhesive domains of Aap away from the cell surface. In this study, we evaluate whether the ability to resist compaction is a common theme among stalk regions from various staphylococcal CWA proteins. Circular dichroism spectroscopy was used to examine secondary structure changes as a function of temperature and cosolvents along with sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation and SAXS to characterize structural characteristics in solution. All stalk regions tested are intrinsically disordered, lacking secondary structure beyond random coil and polyproline type II helix, and they all sample highly extended conformations. Remarkably, the Ser-Asp dipeptide repeat region of SdrC exhibited nearly identical behavior in solution when compared to the Aap Pro/Gly-rich region, despite highly divergent sequence patterns, indicating conservation of function by various distinct staphylococcal CWA protein stalk regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E. Yarawsky
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Andrea L. Ori
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA,Medical Sciences Baccalaureate Program, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Lance R. English
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
| | - Steven T. Whitten
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
| | - Andrew B. Herr
- Division of Immunobiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA,Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Esimbekova EN, Kirillova MA, Kratasyuk VA. Immobilization of Firefly Bioluminescent System: Development and Application of Reagents. BIOSENSORS 2022; 13:47. [PMID: 36671882 PMCID: PMC9855680 DOI: 10.3390/bios13010047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The present study describes the method of preparing reagents containing firefly luciferase (FLuc) and its substrate, D-luciferin, immobilized into gelatin gel separately or together. The addition of stabilizers dithiothreitol (DTT) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) to the reagent is a factor in achieving higher activity of reagents and their stability during storage. The use of immobilized reagents substantially simplifies the procedure of assay for microbial contamination. The mechanism of action of the reagents is based on the relationship between the intensity of the bioluminescent signal and the level of ATP contained in the solution of the lysed bacterial cells. The highest sensitivity to ATP is achieved by using immobilized FLuc or reagents containing separately immobilized FLuc and D-luciferase. The limit of detection of ATP by the developed reagents is 0.3 pM, which corresponds to 20,000 cells·mL-1. The linear response range is between 0.3 pM and 3 nM ATP. The multicomponent reagent, containing co-immobilized FLuc and D-luciferin, shows insignificantly lower sensitivity to ATP-0.6 pM. Moreover, the proposed method of producing an immobilized firefly luciferin-luciferase system holds considerable promise for the development of bioluminescent biosensors intended for the analysis of microbial contamination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena N. Esimbekova
- Institute of Fundamental Biology and Biotechnology, Siberian Federal University, 79 Svobodny Avenue, 660041 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
- Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, 50/50 Akademgorodok, 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Maria A. Kirillova
- Institute of Fundamental Biology and Biotechnology, Siberian Federal University, 79 Svobodny Avenue, 660041 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Valentina A. Kratasyuk
- Institute of Fundamental Biology and Biotechnology, Siberian Federal University, 79 Svobodny Avenue, 660041 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
- Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, 50/50 Akademgorodok, 660036 Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Folberth A, van der Vegt NFA. Influence of TMAO and Pressure on the Folding Equilibrium of TrpCage. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:8374-8380. [PMID: 36251479 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c04034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is an osmolyte known for its ability to counteract the pressure denaturation of proteins. Computational studies addressing the molecular mechanisms of TMAO's osmolyte action have however focused exclusively on its protein-stabilizing properties at ambient pressure, neglecting the changes that may occur under high-pressure conditions where TMAO's hydration structure changes to that of increased water binding. Here, we present the first study on the combined effect of pressure and TMAO on a mini-protein, TrpCage. The results showed that at high pressures, nonpolar residues packed less tightly and the salt bridge of TrpCage was destabilized. This effect was mitigated by TMAO which was found to be strongly depleted from the protein/water interface at 1 kbar than at 1 bar ambient pressure, thus counterbalancing the thermodynamically unfavorable effect of elevated pressure in the free energy of folding. TMAO was depleted from charged groups, like the salt bridge-forming ones, and accumulated around hydrophobic groups. Still, it stabilized both kinds of interactions. Furthermore, enthalpically favorable TrpCage-water hydrogen bonds were reduced in the presence of TMAO, causing a stronger destabilization of the unfolded state than the folded state. This shifted the protein-folding equilibrium toward the folded state. Therefore, TMAO showed stabilizing effects on different kinds of groups, which were partially enhanced at high pressures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelina Folberth
- Eduard-Zintl-Institut Fuer Anorganische und Physikalische Chemie, Technical University of Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Strasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Nico F A van der Vegt
- Eduard-Zintl-Institut Fuer Anorganische und Physikalische Chemie, Technical University of Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Strasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Somero GN. Solutions: how adaptive changes in cellular fluids enable marine life to cope with abiotic stressors. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 4:389-413. [PMID: 37073170 PMCID: PMC10077225 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-022-00140-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The seas confront organisms with a suite of abiotic stressors that pose challenges for physiological activity. Variations in temperature, hydrostatic pressure, and salinity have potential to disrupt structures, and functions of all molecular systems on which life depends. During evolution, sequences of nucleic acids and proteins are adaptively modified to "fit" these macromolecules for function under the particular abiotic conditions of the habitat. Complementing these macromolecular adaptations are alterations in compositions of solutions that bathe macromolecules and affect stabilities of their higher order structures. A primary result of these "micromolecular" adaptations is preservation of optimal balances between conformational rigidity and flexibility of macromolecules. Micromolecular adaptations involve several families of organic osmolytes, with varying effects on macromolecular stability. A given type of osmolyte generally has similar effects on DNA, RNA, proteins and membranes; thus, adaptive regulation of cellular osmolyte pools has a global effect on macromolecules. These effects are mediated largely through influences of osmolytes and macromolecules on water structure and activity. Acclimatory micromolecular responses are often critical in enabling organisms to cope with environmental changes during their lifetimes, for example, during vertical migration in the water column. A species' breadth of environmental tolerance may depend on how effectively it can vary the osmolyte composition of its cellular fluids in the face of stress. Micromolecular adaptations remain an under-appreciated aspect of evolution and acclimatization. Further study can lead to a better understanding of determinants of environmental tolerance ranges and to biotechnological advances in designing improved stabilizers for biological materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- George N. Somero
- Department of Biology, Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, CA 93950 USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Arsiccio A, Ganguly P, Shea JE. A Transfer Free Energy Based Implicit Solvent Model for Protein Simulations in Solvent Mixtures: Urea-Induced Denaturation as a Case Study. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:4472-4482. [PMID: 35679169 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c00889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
We developed a method for implicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations of proteins in solvent mixtures (model with implicit solvation thermodynamics, MIST). The MIST method introduces experimental group transfer free energies to the generalized Born formulation for generating molecular trajectories without the need for developing rigorous explicit-solvent force fields for multicomponent solutions. As a test case, we studied the urea-induced denaturation of the Trp-cage miniprotein in water. We demonstrate that our method allows efficient exploration of the conformational space of the protein in only a few hundreds of nanoseconds of all-atom unbiased simulations. Furthermore, selective implementation of the transfer free energies of specific peptide groups, backbone, and side chains enables us to decouple their specific energetic contributions to the conformational changes of the protein. The approach herein developed can readily be extended to the investigation of complex matrices as well as to the characterization of protein aggregation. The MIST method is implemented in Plumed (ver. 2.8) as a separate module called SASA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Arsiccio
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Pritam Ganguly
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Joan-Emma Shea
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States.,Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Shi J, Xia C, Tian Q, Zeng X, Wu Z, Guo Y, Pan D. Untargeted metabolomics based on LC–MS to elucidate the mechanism underlying nitrite degradation by Limosilactobacillus fermentum RC4. Lebensm Wiss Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2022.113414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
24
|
Dubrow A, Zuniga B, Topo E, Cho JH. Suppressing Nonspecific Binding in Biolayer Interferometry Experiments for Weak Ligand-Analyte Interactions. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:9206-9211. [PMID: 35350330 PMCID: PMC8945191 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c05659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative analysis of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) using biolayer interferometry (BLI) requires effective suppression of nonspecific binding (NSB) between analytes and biosensors. In particular, the study of weak interactions (i.e., K D > 1 μM) requires high concentrations of analytes, which substantially increases NSB. However, there are only a few so-called NSB blockers compatible with biomolecules, which limits the use of BLI in the accurate analysis of weak interactions. The present study aims to identify a new NSB blocker for the quantitative analysis of weak PPIs using BLI. We find that saccharides, especially sucrose, are potent NSB blockers and demonstrate their compatibility with other blocking additives. We also demonstrate the effects of the new NSB blocker by characterizing the binding between nonstructural protein 1 of the influenza A virus and human phosphoinositide 3-kinase. We anticipate that the new NSB-blocking admixture will find broad applications in studying weak interactions using BLI.
Collapse
|
25
|
Maiti A, Daschakraborty S. Can Urea and Trimethylamine- N-oxide Prevent the Pressure-Induced Phase Transition of Lipid Membrane? J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:1426-1440. [PMID: 35139638 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c08891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Organisms dwelling in ocean trenches are exposed to the high hydrostatic pressure of ocean water. Increasing pressure can alter the membrane packing density and fluidity and trigger the fluid-to-gel phase transition. To combat environmental stress, the organisms synthesize small polar solutes, which are known as osmolytes. Urea and trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) are two such solutes found in deep-sea creatures. While TMAO stabilizes protein, urea induces protein denaturation. These solutes strongly influence the packing density and membrane fluidity of the lipid bilayer at different conditions. But can these solutes affect the pressure-induced phase transition of the lipid membrane? In the present work, we have studied the effect of these two solutes on pressure-induced fluid-to-gel phase transition based on the all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation approach. A high-pressure-stimulated fluid-to-gel phase transition of the membrane is seen at 800 bar, which is consistent with previous experiments. We have also observed that in the low-pressure region (1-400 bar), urea slightly increases the membrane fluidity where TMAO decreases the same. However, the phase transition pressure remains almost unchanged on the addition of urea while TMAO shifts the phase transition toward a lower pressure. We have found that the hydrogen (H)-bond interaction between lipid and urea plays an important role in preserving the fluidity of the membrane in the low-pressure zone. However, at a higher pressure, both water and urea are excluded from the membrane surface. TMAO is also excluded from the interfacial region of the membrane at all pressures. Exclusion from the membrane surface further triggers the phase transition of the lipid membrane from the fluid to gel phase at a high pressure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Archita Maiti
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Bihar 801106, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Speer SL, Stewart CJ, Sapir L, Harries D, Pielak GJ. Macromolecular Crowding Is More than Hard-Core Repulsions. Annu Rev Biophys 2022; 51:267-300. [PMID: 35239418 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-091321-071829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cells are crowded, but proteins are almost always studied in dilute aqueous buffer. We review the experimental evidence that crowding affects the equilibrium thermodynamics of protein stability and protein association and discuss the theories employed to explain these observations. In doing so, we highlight differences between synthetic polymers and biologically relevant crowders. Theories based on hard-core interactions predict only crowding-induced entropic stabilization. However, experiment-based efforts conducted under physiologically relevant conditions show that crowding can destabilize proteins and their complexes. Furthermore, quantification of the temperature dependence of crowding effects produced by both large and small cosolutes, including osmolytes, sugars, synthetic polymers, and proteins, reveals enthalpic effects that stabilize or destabilize proteins. Crowding-induced destabilization and the enthalpic component point to the role of chemical interactions between and among the macromolecules, cosolutes, and water. We conclude with suggestions for future studies. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biophysics, Volume 51 is May 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shannon L Speer
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA;
| | - Claire J Stewart
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA;
| | - Liel Sapir
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daniel Harries
- Institute of Chemistry and The Fritz Haber Research Center, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gary J Pielak
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; .,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Lineberger Cancer Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Folberth A, Bharadwaj S, van der Vegt NFA. Small-to-large length scale transition of TMAO interaction with hydrophobic solutes. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:2080-2087. [PMID: 35018925 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp05167a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We report the effect of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) on the solvation of nonpolar solutes in water studied with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and free-energy calculations. The simulation data indicate the occurrence of a length scale crossover in the TMAO interaction with repulsive Weeks-Chandler-Andersen (WCA) solutes: while TMAO is depleted from the hydration shell of a small WCA solute (methane) and increases the free-energy cost of solute-cavity formation, it preferentially binds to a large WCA solute (α-helical polyalanine), reducing the free-energy cost of solute-cavity formation via a surfactant-like mechanism. Significantly, we show that this surfactant-like behaviour of TMAO reinforces the solvent-mediated attraction between large WCA solutes by means of an entropic force linked to the interfacial accumulation of TMAO. Specifically, this entropic force arises from the natural tendency of adsorbed TMAO molecules to mix back into the bulk. It therefore favours solute-solute contact states that minimise the surface area exposed to the solvent and have a small overall number of TMAO molecules adsorbed. In contrast to the well-known depletion force, its effect is compensated by enthalpic solute-solvent interactions. Correspondingly, the hydrophobic association free energy of the large α-helical solutes passes through a minimum at low TMAO concentration when cohesive solute-solvent van der Waals interactions are considered. The observations reported herein are reminiscent to cosolvent effects on hydrophobic polymer coil-globule collapse free energies (Bharadwaj et al., Commun. Chem. 2020, 3, 165) and may be of general significance in systems whose properties are determined by hydrophobic self-assembly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelina Folberth
- Eduard-Zintl-Institut für Anorganische und Physikalische Chemie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Strasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
| | - Swaminath Bharadwaj
- Eduard-Zintl-Institut für Anorganische und Physikalische Chemie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Strasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
| | - Nico F A van der Vegt
- Eduard-Zintl-Institut für Anorganische und Physikalische Chemie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Strasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Pica A, Graziano G. A Rationalization of the Effect That TMAO, Glycine, and Betaine Exert on the Collapse of Elastin-like Polypeptides. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12020140. [PMID: 35207427 PMCID: PMC8876568 DOI: 10.3390/life12020140] [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: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are soluble in water at low temperature, but, on increasing the temperature, they undergo a reversible and cooperative, coil-to-globule collapse transition. It has been shown that the addition to water of either trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), glycine, or betaine causes a significant decrease of T(collapse) in the case of a specific ELP. Traditional rationalizations of these phenomena do not work in the present case. We show that an alternative approach, grounded in the magnitude of the solvent-excluded volume effect and its temperature dependence (strictly linked to the translational entropy of solvent and co-solute molecules), is able to rationalize the occurrence of ELP collapse in water on raising the temperature, as well as the T(collapse) lowering caused by the addition to water of either TMAO, glycine, or betaine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Pica
- ALPX, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France;
| | - Giuseppe Graziano
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie, Università del Sannio, Via Francesco de Sanctis snc, 82100 Benevento, Italy
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Abstract
It has been a long-standing conviction that a protein's native fold is selected from a vast number of conformers by the optimal constellation of enthalpically favorable interactions. In marked contrast, this Perspective introduces a different mechanism, one that emphasizes conformational entropy as the principal organizer in protein folding while proposing that the conventional view is incomplete. This mechanism stems from the realization that hydrogen bond satisfaction is a thermodynamic necessity. In particular, a backbone hydrogen bond may add little to the stability of the native state, but a completely unsatisfied backbone hydrogen bond would be dramatically destabilizing, shifting the U(nfolded) ⇌ N(ative) equilibrium far to the left. If even a single backbone polar group is satisfied by solvent when unfolded but buried and unsatisfied when folded, that energy penalty alone, approximately +5 kcal/mol, would rival almost the entire free energy of protein stabilization, typically between -5 and -15 kcal/mol under physiological conditions. Consequently, upon folding, buried backbone polar groups must form hydrogen bonds, and they do so by assembling scaffolds of α-helices and/or strands of β-sheet, the only conformers in which, with rare exception, hydrogen bond donors and acceptors are exactly balanced. In addition, only a few thousand viable scaffold topologies are possible for a typical protein domain. This thermodynamic imperative winnows the folding population by culling conformers with unsatisfied hydrogen bonds, thereby reducing the entropy cost of folding. Importantly, conformational restrictions imposed by backbone···backbone hydrogen bonding in the scaffold are sequence-independent, enabling mutation─and thus evolution─without sacrificing the structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- George D Rose
- T. C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218-2683, United States
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Rosas-Rodríguez JA, Valenzuela-Soto EM. The glycine betaine role in neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, hepatic, and renal diseases: Insights into disease and dysfunction networks. Life Sci 2021; 285:119943. [PMID: 34516992 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Glycine betaine (N, N, N-trimethyl amine) is an osmolyte accumulated in cells that is key for cell volume and turgor regulation, is the principal methyl donor in the methionine cycle and is a DNA and proteins stabilizer. In humans, glycine betaine is synthesized from choline and can be obtained from some foods. Glycine betaine (GB) roles are illustrated in chemical, metabolic, agriculture, and clinical medical studies due to its chemical and physiological properties. Several studies have extensively described GB role and accumulation related to specific pathologies, focusing mainly on analyzing its positive and negative role in these pathologies. However, it is necessary to explain the relationship between glycine betaine and different pathologies concerning its role as an antioxidant, ability to methylate DNA, interact with transcription factors and cell receptors, and participate in the control of homocysteine concentration in liver, kidney and brain. This review summarizes the most important findings and integrates GB role in neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, hepatic, and renal diseases. Furthermore, we discuss GB impact on other dysfunctions as inflammation, oxidative stress, and glucose metabolism, to understand their cross-talks and provide reliable data to establish a base for further investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús A Rosas-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico-Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Sonora, Unidad Regional Sur, Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico
| | - Elisa M Valenzuela-Soto
- Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo A.C., Hermosillo 83304, Sonora, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Contessoto VG, Ferreira PHB, Chahine J, Leite VBP, Oliveira RJ. Small Neutral Crowding Solute Effects on Protein Folding Thermodynamic Stability and Kinetics. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:11673-11686. [PMID: 34644091 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c07663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Molecular crowding is a ubiquitous phenomenon in biological systems, with significant consequences on protein folding and stability. Small compounds, such as the osmolyte trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), can also present similar effects. To analyze the effects arising from these solute-like molecules, we performed a series of crowded coarse-grained folding simulations. Two well-known proteins were chosen, CI2 and SH3, modeled by the alpha-carbon-structure-based model. In the simulations, the crowding molecules were represented by low-sized neutral atom beads in different concentrations. The results show that a low level of the volume fraction occupied by neutral agents can change protein stability and folding kinetics for the two systems. However, the kinetics were shown to be unaffected in their respective folding temperatures. The faster kinetics correlates with changes in the folding route for systems at the same temperature, where non-native contacts were shown to be relevant. The transition states of the two systems with and without crowders are similar. In the case of SH3, there are differences in the structuring of two strands, which may be associated with the increase in its folding rate, in addition to the destabilization of the denatured ensemble. The present study also detected a crossover in the thermodynamic stability behavior, previously observed experimentally and theoretically. As the temperature increases, crowders change from destabilizing to stabilizing agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vinícius G Contessoto
- Department of Physics, Institute of Biosciences, Letters and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University, São José do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Paulo H B Ferreira
- Laboratório de Biofísica Teórica, Departamento de Física, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e Educação, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38064-200, Brazil
| | - Jorge Chahine
- Department of Physics, Institute of Biosciences, Letters and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University, São José do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Vitor B P Leite
- Department of Physics, Institute of Biosciences, Letters and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University, São José do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo J Oliveira
- Laboratório de Biofísica Teórica, Departamento de Física, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e Educação, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38064-200, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Maiti A, Daschakraborty S. How Do Urea and Trimethylamine N-Oxide Influence the Dehydration-Induced Phase Transition of a Lipid Membrane? J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:10149-10165. [PMID: 34486370 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c05852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Living organisms are often exposed to extreme dehydration, which is detrimental to the structure and function of the cell membrane. The lipid membrane undergoes fluid-to-gel phase transition due to dehydration and thus loses fluidity and functionality. To protect the fluid phase of the bilayer these organisms adopt several strategies. Enhanced production of small polar organic solutes (also called osmolytes) is one such strategy. Urea and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) are two osmolytes found in different organisms combating osmotic stress. Previous experiments have found that both these osmolytes have strong effects on lipid membrane under different hydration conditions. Urea prevents the dehydration-induced phase transition of the lipid membrane by directly interacting with the lipids, while TMAO does not inhibit the phase transition. To provide atomistic insights, we have carried out all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of a lipid membrane under varying hydration levels and studied the effect of these osmolytes on different structural and dynamic properties of the membrane. This study suggests that urea significantly inhibits the dehydration-induced fluid-to-gel phase transition by strongly interacting with the lipid membrane via hydrogen bonds, which balances the reduced lipid hydration due to the decreasing water content. In contrast, TMAO is excluded from the membrane surface due to unfavorable interaction with the lipids. This induces further dehydration of the lipids which reinforces the fluid-to-gel phase transition. We have also studied the counteractive role of TMAO on the effect of urea on lipid membrane when both the osmolytes are present. TMAO draws some urea molecules out of the membrane and thereby reduces the effect of urea on the lipid membrane at lower hydration levels. This is similar to the counteraction of urea's deleterious effects on protein by TMAO. All these observations are consistent with the experimental results and thus provide deep molecular insights into the role of these osmolytes in protecting the fluid phase of the membrane, the key survival strategy against osmotic-stress-induced dehydration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Archita Maiti
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Bihar 801106, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Pengyu Z, Yang Y, Ling Z, Jian G, Bing W, Xin B, Dehui Y, Linlin L, Congyu L, Na Z. The effect of trehalose on the thermodynamic stability and emulsification of soybean 11S globulin in the molten globule state. Food Hydrocoll 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2021.106811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
34
|
Hydration of Simple Model Peptides in Aqueous Osmolyte Solutions. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179350. [PMID: 34502252 PMCID: PMC8431001 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The biology and chemistry of proteins and peptides are inextricably linked with water as the solvent. The reason for the high stability of some proteins or uncontrolled aggregation of others may be hidden in the properties of their hydration water. In this study, we investigated the effect of stabilizing osmolyte–TMAO (trimethylamine N-oxide) and destabilizing osmolyte–urea on hydration shells of two short peptides, NAGMA (N-acetyl-glycine-methylamide) and diglycine, by means of FTIR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. We isolated the spectroscopic share of water molecules that are simultaneously under the influence of peptide and osmolyte and determined the structural and energetic properties of these water molecules. Our experimental and computational results revealed that the changes in the structure of water around peptides, caused by the presence of stabilizing or destabilizing osmolyte, are significantly different for both NAGMA and diglycine. The main factor determining the influence of osmolytes on peptides is the structural-energetic similarity of their hydration spheres. We showed that the chosen peptides can serve as models for various fragments of the protein surface: NAGMA for the protein backbone and diglycine for the protein surface with polar side chains.
Collapse
|
35
|
Powers ET, Gierasch LM. The Proteome Folding Problem and Cellular Proteostasis. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167197. [PMID: 34391802 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Stunning advances have been achieved in addressing the protein folding problem, providing deeper understanding of the mechanisms by which proteins navigate energy landscapes to reach their native states and enabling powerful algorithms to connect sequence to structure. However, the realities of the in vivo protein folding problem remain a challenge to reckon with. Here, we discuss the concept of the "proteome folding problem"-the problem of how organisms build and maintain a functional proteome-by admitting that folding energy landscapes are characterized by many misfolded states and that cells must deploy a network of chaperones and degradation enzymes to minimize deleterious impacts of these off-pathway species. The resulting proteostasis network is an inextricable part of in vivo protein folding and must be understood in detail if we are to solve the proteome folding problem. We discuss how the development of computational models for the proteostasis network's actions and the relationship to the biophysical properties of the proteome has begun to offer new insights and capabilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evan T Powers
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Lila M Gierasch
- Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Chemistry, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Off-label use of plastic syringes with silicone oil for intravenous infusion bags of antibodies. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2021; 166:205-215. [PMID: 34237379 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The formation of particulates in post-manufacture biopharmaceuticals continues to be a major concern in medical treatment. This study was designed to evaluate the content of micro-sized particles using flow imaging of antibodies in intravenous infusion bags. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and Avastin® were selected as model drugs and plastic syringes with and without silicone oil (SO) were used to transfer the drugs into the bags (0.9% saline or 5% dextrose). Antibodies exposed to SO had significantly increased levels of microparticles in both diluents, suggesting SO accelerates particle formation, especially at a higher antibody concentration. Even before the drop stress, their count exceeded the USP guideline. Dropping the bags in the presence of SO produced larger microparticles. Meanwhile, air bubbles were retained longer in saline suggesting more protein film formation on its air-water interface. Overall, both drugs were conformationally stable and produced less particles in dextrose than in saline.
Collapse
|
37
|
Sulej J, Jaszek M, Osińska-Jaroszuk M, Matuszewska A, Bancerz R, Janczarek M. Natural microbial polysaccharides as effective factors for modification of the catalytic properties of fungal cellobiose dehydrogenase. Arch Microbiol 2021; 203:4433-4448. [PMID: 34132850 PMCID: PMC8360876 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-021-02424-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Polysaccharides are biopolymers composed of simple sugars like glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, etc. The major natural sources for the production of polysaccharides include plants and microorganisms. In the present work, four bacterial and two fungal polysaccharides (PS or EPS) were used for the modification and preservation of Pycnoporus sanguineus cellobiose dehydrogenase (CDH) activity. It was found that the presence of polysaccharide preparations clearly enhanced the stability of cellobiose dehydrogenase compared to the control value (4 °C). The highest stabilization effect was observed for CDH modified with Rh110EPS. Changes in the optimum pH in the samples of CDH incubated with the chosen polysaccharide modifiers were evidenced as well. The most significant effect was observed for Rh24EPS and Cu139PS (pH 3.5). Cyclic voltammetry used for the analysis of electrochemical parameters of modified CDH showed the highest peak values after 30 days of incubation with polysaccharides at 4 °C. In summary, natural polysaccharides seem to be an effective biotechnological tool for the modification of CDH activity to increase the possibilities of its practical applications in many fields of industry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Sulej
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Jaszek
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033, Lublin, Poland
| | - Monika Osińska-Jaroszuk
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033, Lublin, Poland
| | - Anna Matuszewska
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033, Lublin, Poland
| | - Renata Bancerz
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka 19, 20-033, Lublin, Poland
| | - Monika Janczarek
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Joshi PU, Turpeinen DG, Schroeder M, Jones B, Lyons A, Kriz S, Khaksari M, O'Hagan D, Nikam S, Heldt CL. Osmolyte enhanced aqueous two-phase system for virus purification. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:3251-3262. [PMID: 34129733 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Due to the high variation in viral surface properties, a platform method for virus purification is still lacking. A potential alternative to the high-cost conventional methods is aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs). However, optimizing virus purification in ATPS requires a large experimental design space, and the optimized systems are generally found to operate at high ATPS component concentrations. The high concentrations capitalize on hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions to obtain high viral particle yields. This study investigated using osmolytes as driving force enhancers to reduce the high concentration of ATPS components while maintaining high yields. The partitioning behavior of porcine parvovirus (PPV), a nonenveloped mammalian virus, and human immunodeficiency virus-like particle (HIV-VLP), a yeast-expressed enveloped VLP, were studied in a polyethylene glycol (PEG) 12 kDa-citrate system. The partitioning of the virus modalities was enhanced by osmoprotectants glycine and betaine, while trimethylamine N-oxide was ineffective for PPV. The increased partitioning to the PEG-rich phase pertained only to viruses, resulting in high virus purification. Recoveries were 100% for infectious PPV and 92% for the HIV-VLP, with high removal of the contaminant proteins and more than 60% DNA removal when glycine was added. The osmolyte-induced ATPS demonstrated a versatile method for virus purification, irrespective of the expression system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pratik U Joshi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA.,Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Dylan G Turpeinen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA.,Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Michael Schroeder
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Bianca Jones
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Detroit-Mercy, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Audrey Lyons
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Seth Kriz
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA.,Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Maryam Khaksari
- Great Lakes Research Center, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | | | | | - Caryn L Heldt
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA.,Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Abstract
Fifty-five years ago, Norman Good and colleagues authored a paper that fundamentally advanced wet biochemistry [Good, N. E., Winget, G. D., Winter, W., Connolly, T. N., Izawa, S., and Singh, R. M. M. (1966) Hydrogen ion buffers for biological research. Biochemistry 5, 467-477] and in doing so has amassed more than 2500 citations. They laid out the properties required for useful, biochemically relevant hydrogen-ion buffers and then synthesized and tested 10 of them. Soon after, these buffers became commercially available. Since then, most of us never gave them a second thought. We just use them. Here, I discuss some of the background regarding the genesis of "Good's buffers", make a few (disparaging) observations about the non-Good's buffer, Tris, and suggest that we synthesize new buffers by combining the ideas of Good et al. with results from the past 60 years of protein chemistry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gary J Pielak
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Integrative Program for Biological and Genome Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Srivastava A, Mallela KMG, Deorkar N, Brophy G. Manufacturing Challenges and Rational Formulation Development for AAV Viral Vectors. J Pharm Sci 2021; 110:2609-2624. [PMID: 33812887 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2021.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has emerged as a leading platform for gene delivery for treating various diseases due to its excellent safety profile and efficient transduction to various target tissues. However, the large-scale production and long-term storage of viral vectors is not efficient resulting in lower yields, moderate purity, and shorter shelf-life compared to recombinant protein therapeutics. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of upstream, downstream and formulation unit operation challenges encountered during AAV vector manufacturing, and discusses how desired product quality attributes can be maintained throughout product shelf-life by understanding the degradation mechanisms and formulation strategies. The mechanisms of various physical and chemical instabilities that the viral vector may encounter during its production and shelf-life because of various stressed conditions such as thermal, shear, freeze-thaw, and light exposure are highlighted. The role of buffer, pH, excipients, and impurities on the stability of viral vectors is also discussed. As such, the aim of this review is to outline the tools and a potential roadmap for improving the quality of AAV-based drug products by stressing the need for a mechanistic understanding of the involved processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arvind Srivastava
- Biopharma Production, Avantor, Inc., 1013 US Highway, 202/206, Bridgewater, NJ, United States.
| | - Krishna M G Mallela
- Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12850 East Montview Boulevard, MS C238-V20, Aurora, CO 80045, United States.
| | - Nandkumar Deorkar
- Biopharma Production, Avantor, Inc., 1013 US Highway, 202/206, Bridgewater, NJ, United States
| | - Ger Brophy
- Biopharma Production, Avantor, Inc., 1013 US Highway, 202/206, Bridgewater, NJ, United States
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Tiwari MK, Murarka RK. Interaction strength of osmolytes with the anion of a salt-bridge determines its stability. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:5527-5539. [PMID: 33651069 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp05378c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In order to understand the role of osmolytes in regulating physicochemical behavior of proteins, we investigated the influence of protein destabilizing (urea and guanidinium chloride) and stabilizing osmolytes (TMAO, glycerol, and betaine) on a model salt-bridge (SB) formed between structural analogues of arginine and glutamate/aspartate sidechains in a solvent continuum using first-principles quantum chemical calculations based on DFT and MP2 methods. The binding strength of the osmolyte with the SB is found to be in the order of betaine > TMAO > Gdm+ > glycerol > urea. The osmolytes (TMAO and betaine) that preferentially bind to the SB cation have a marginal influence on SB stability. Also, pure π-π stacking interaction between Gdm+ and the SB cation plays an insignificant role in destabilizing the SB. In fact, the interaction strength of osmolytes with the SB anion mainly determines the stability of SB. For instance, a competition between Gdm+ and the SB cation to bind with the SB anion is responsible for instability and subsequent dissociation of the SB. The competition provided by other osmolytes is too weak to break the SB. Exploiting this information, we designed three structural derivatives of Gdm+, all having a stronger interaction with SB anion, and thereby show a stronger SB dissociation potential. Furthermore, we find an excellent linear anti-correlation between SB interaction energy and the energy of interaction between osmolyte and the SB anion, which suggests that by knowing only the strength of osmolyteacetate interaction, one can predict the influence of osmolytes on the salt-bridge instability. This information is useful in fine-tuning the SB dissociation power of Gdm+, which has a practical significance in obtaining the mechanistic insight into the influence of GdmCl on protein stability. Our results also provide a basis for understanding the chemistry of other ion-pairs formed between a cationic hydrogen donor and an anionic acceptor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mrityunjay K Tiwari
- A Department of Chemistry Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, MP 462066, India.
| | - Rajesh K Murarka
- A Department of Chemistry Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal Bhopal Bypass Road, Bhauri, Bhopal, MP 462066, India.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Anderson JM, Hand SC. Transgenic expression of late embryogenesis abundant proteins improves tolerance to water stress in Drosophila melanogaster. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb.238204. [PMID: 33431592 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.238204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Four lines of Drosophila melanogaster were created that expressed transgenes encoding selected late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins originally identified in embryos of the anhydrobiote Artemia franciscana The overall aim was to extend our understanding of the protective properties of LEA proteins documented with isolated cells to a desiccation-sensitive organism during exposure to drying and hyperosmotic stress. Embryos of D. melanogaster were dried at 57% relative humidity to promote a loss of 80% tissue water and then rehydrated. Embryos that expressed AfrLEA2 or AfrLEA3m eclosed 2 days earlier than wild-type embryos or embryos expressing green fluorescent protein (Gal4GFP control). For the third instar larval stage, all Afrlea lines and Gal4GFP controls experienced substantial drops in survivorship as desiccation proceeded. When results for all Afrlea lines were combined, Kaplan-Meier survival curves indicated a significant improvement in survivorship in fly lines expressing AfrLEA proteins compared with Gal4GFP controls. The percent water lost at the LT50 (lethal time for 50% mortality) for the AfrLEA lines was 78% versus 52% for Gal4GFP controls. Finally, offspring of fly lines that expressed AfrLEA2, AfrLEA3m or AfrLEA6 exhibited significantly greater success in reaching pupation, compared with wild-type flies, when adults were challenged with hyperosmotic stress (NaCl-fortified medium) and progeny forced to develop under these conditions. In conclusion, the gain of function studies reported here show that LEA proteins can improve tolerance to water stress in a desiccation-sensitive species that normally lacks these proteins, and, simultaneously, underscore the complexity of desiccation tolerance across multiple life stages in multicellular organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John M Anderson
- Division of Cellular Developmental and Integrative Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Steven C Hand
- Division of Cellular Developmental and Integrative Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Maiti A, Daschakraborty S. Effect of TMAO on the Structure and Phase Transition of Lipid Membranes: Potential Role of TMAO in Stabilizing Cell Membranes under Osmotic Stress. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:1167-1180. [PMID: 33481606 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c08335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Extremophiles adopt strategies to deal with different environmental stresses, some of which are severely damaging to their cell membrane. To combat high osmotic stress, deep-sea organisms synthesize osmolytes, small polar organic molecules, like trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), and incorporate them in the cell. TMAO is known to protect cells from high osmotic or hydrostatic pressure. Several experimental and simulation studies have revealed the roles of such osmolytes on stabilizing proteins. In contrast, the effect of osmolytes on the lipid membrane is poorly understood and broadly debated. A recent experiment has found strong evidence of the possible role of TMAO in stabilizing lipid membranes. Using the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation technique, we have demonstrated the effect of TMAO on two saturated fully hydrated lipid membranes in their fluid and gel phases. We have captured the impact of TMAO's concentration on the membrane's structural properties along with the fluid/gel phase transition temperatures. On increasing the concentration of TMAO, we see a substantial increase in the packing density of the membrane (estimated by area, thickness, and volume) and enhancement in the orientational order of lipid molecules. Having repulsive interaction with the lipid head group, the TMAO molecules are expelled away from the membrane surface, which induces dehydration of the lipid head groups, increasing the packing density. The addition of TMAO also increases the fluid/gel phase transition temperature of the membrane. All of these results are in close agreement with the experimental observations. This study, therefore, provides a molecular-level understanding of how TMAO can influence the cell membrane of deep-sea organisms and help in combating the osmotic stress condition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Archita Maiti
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Patna, Bihar 801106, India
| | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Judy E, Kishore N. Quantitative calorimetric evidences into counteraction mechanism of denaturing effect of guanidine hydrochloride by citrulline and betaine. J Mol Liq 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2020.114953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
45
|
Sala V, Cnudde SJ, Murabito A, Massarotti A, Hirsch E, Ghigo A. Therapeutic peptides for the treatment of cystic fibrosis: Challenges and perspectives. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 213:113191. [PMID: 33493828 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common amongst rare genetic diseases, affecting more than 70.000 people worldwide. CF is characterized by a dysfunctional chloride channel, termed cystic fibrosis conductance regulator (CFTR), which leads to the production of a thick and viscous mucus layer that clogs the lungs of CF patients and traps pathogens, leading to chronic infections and inflammation and, ultimately, lung damage. In recent years, the use of peptides for the treatment of respiratory diseases, including CF, has gained growing interest. Therapeutic peptides for CF include antimicrobial peptides, inhibitors of proteases, and modulators of ion channels, among others. Peptides display unique features that make them appealing candidates for clinical translation, like specificity of action, high efficacy, and low toxicity. Nevertheless, the intrinsic properties of peptides, together with the need of delivering these compounds locally, e.g. by inhalation, raise a number of concerns in the development of peptide therapeutics for CF lung disease. In this review, we discuss the challenges related to the use of peptides for the treatment of CF lung disease through inhalation, which include retention within mucus, proteolysis, immunogenicity and aggregation. Strategies for overcoming major shortcomings of peptide therapeutics will be presented, together with recent developments in peptide design and optimization, including computational analysis and high-throughput screening.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Sala
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, Via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Sophie Julie Cnudde
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, Via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Alessandra Murabito
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, Via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Alberto Massarotti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Largo Donegani 2, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Emilio Hirsch
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, Via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy; Kither Biotech S.r.l., Via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy
| | - Alessandra Ghigo
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, Molecular Biotechnology Center, University of Torino, Via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy; Kither Biotech S.r.l., Via Nizza 52, 10126, Torino, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Mukherjee M, Mondal J. Bottom-Up View of the Mechanism of Action of Protein-Stabilizing Osmolytes. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:11316-11323. [PMID: 33198465 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c06658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The molecular mechanism of osmolytes on the stabilization of native states of protein is still controversial irrespective of extensive studies over several decades. Recent investigations in terms of experiments and molecular dynamics simulations challenge the popular osmophobic model explaining the mechanistic action of protein-stabilizing osmolytes. The current Perspective presents an updated view on the mechanistic action of osmolytes in light of resurgence of interesting experiments and computer simulations over the past few years in this direction. In this regard, the Perspective adopts a bottom-up approach starting from hydrophobic interactions and eventually adds complexity in the system, going toward the protein, in a complex topology of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. Finally, the Perspective unifies osmolyte-induced protein conformational equilibria in terms of preferential interaction theory, irrespective of individual preferential binding or exclusion of osmolytes depending on different osmolytes and protein surfaces. The Perspective also identifies future research directions that can potentially shape this interesting area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mrinmoy Mukherjee
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Center For Interdisciplinary Sciences, Hyderabad 500107, India
| | - Jagannath Mondal
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Center For Interdisciplinary Sciences, Hyderabad 500107, India
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Schnatwinkel J, Herrmann C. The interaction strength of an intrinsically disordered protein domain with its binding partner is little affected by very different cosolutes. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:27903-27911. [PMID: 33284914 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp03040f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A common feature of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) is a disorder-to-order transition upon binding to other proteins, which has been tied to multiple benefits, including accelerated association rates or binding with low affinity, yet high specificity. Given the balanced equilibrium concentrations of folded and unfolded state of an IDP we asked the question if changes in the chemical environment, such as the presence of osmolytes or crowding agents, have a strong influence on the interaction of an IDP. Here, we demonstrate the impact of cosolutes on the interaction of the intrinsically disordered transcription factor c-Myb and its binding partner, the kinase-inducible interaction domain (KIX) of the CREB-binding protein. Temperature jump relaxation kinetics and microscale thermophoresis were employed in order to quantify the rate constants and the binding affinity of the c-Myb/KIX complex, respectively, in the presence of various cosolutes. We find the binding free energy of the c-Myb/KIX complex only marginally modulated by cosolutes, whereas the enthalpy and entropy of the interaction are very sensitive to the respective solvent conditions. For different cosolutes we observe substantial changes in enthalpy, both favorable and unfavorable, which are going with entropy changes largely compensating the enthalpy effects in each case. These characteristics might reflect a potential mechanism by which c-Myb offsets changes in the physico-chemical environment to maintain a roughly unaltered binding affinity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Schnatwinkel
- Physical Chemistry I, Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany.
| | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Naidu KT, Rao DK, Prabhu NP. Cryo vs Thermo: Duality of Ethylene Glycol on the Stability of Proteins. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:10077-10088. [PMID: 33143422 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c06247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Osmolytes are known to stabilize proteins under stress conditions. Thermal denaturation studies on globular proteins (β-lactoglobulin, cytochrome c, myoglobin, α-chymotrypsin) in the presence of ethylene glycol (EG), a polyol class of osmolyte, demonstrate a unique property of EG. EG stabilizes proteins against cold denaturation and destabilizes them during heat-induced denaturation. Further, chemical denaturation experiments performed at room temperature and at a sub-zero temperature (-10 °C) show that EG stabilizes the proteins at subzero temperature but destabilizes them at room temperature. The experiments carried out in the presence of glycerol, however, showed that glycerol stabilizes proteins against all of the denaturing conditions. This differential effect has not been reported for any other polyol class of osmolyte and might be specific to EG. Moreover, molecular dynamics simulations of all of the four proteins were carried out at three different temperatures, 240, 300, and 340 K, in the absence and presence of EG (20 and 40%). The results suggest that EG preferably accumulates around the hydrophobic residues and reduces the hydrophobic hydration of the proteins at a low temperature leading to stabilization of the proteins. At 340 K, the preferential hydration of the proteins is significantly reduced and the preferential binding of EG destabilizes the proteins like common denaturants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Tejaswi Naidu
- Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - D Krishna Rao
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Hyderabad 500107, India
| | - N Prakash Prabhu
- Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Cheng X, Shkel IA, O'Connor K, Record MT. Experimentally determined strengths of favorable and unfavorable interactions of amide atoms involved in protein self-assembly in water. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:27339-27345. [PMID: 33087561 PMCID: PMC7959557 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2012481117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Folding and other protein self-assembly processes are driven by favorable interactions between O, N, and C unified atoms of the polypeptide backbone and side chains. These processes are perturbed by solutes that interact with these atoms differently than water does. Amide NH···O=C hydrogen bonding and various π-system interactions have been better characterized structurally or by simulations than experimentally in water, and unfavorable interactions are relatively uncharacterized. To address this situation, we previously quantified interactions of alkyl ureas with amide and aromatic compounds, relative to interactions with water. Analysis yielded strengths of interaction of each alkylurea with unit areas of different hybridization states of unified O, N, and C atoms of amide and aromatic compounds. Here, by osmometry, we quantify interactions of 10 pairs of amides selected to complete this dataset. An analysis yields intrinsic strengths of six favorable and four unfavorable atom-atom interactions, expressed per unit area of each atom and relative to interactions with water. The most favorable interactions are sp2O-sp2C (lone pair-π, presumably n-π*), sp2C-sp2C (π-π and/or hydrophobic), sp2O-sp2N (hydrogen bonding) and sp3C-sp2C (CH-π and/or hydrophobic). Interactions of sp3C with itself (hydrophobic) and with sp2N are modestly favorable, while sp2N interactions with sp2N and with amide/aromatic sp2C are modestly unfavorable. Amide sp2O-sp2O interactions and sp2O-sp3C interactions are more unfavorable, indicating the preference of amide sp2O to interact with water. These intrinsic interaction strengths are used to predict interactions of amides with proteins and chemical effects of amides (including urea, N-ethylpyrrolidone [NEP], and polyvinylpyrrolidone [PVP]) on protein stability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xian Cheng
- Program in Biophysics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Irina A Shkel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Kevin O'Connor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| | - M Thomas Record
- Program in Biophysics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706;
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Li J, Chen J, An L, Yuan X, Yao L. Polyol and sugar osmolytes can shorten protein hydrogen bonds to modulate function. Commun Biol 2020; 3:528. [PMID: 32968183 PMCID: PMC7511342 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01260-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyol and sugar osmolytes are commonly used in therapeutic protein formulations. How they may affect protein structure and function is an important question. In this work, through NMR measurements, we show that glycerol and sorbitol (polyols), as well as glucose (sugar), can shorten protein backbone hydrogen bonds. The hydrogen bond shortening is also captured by molecular dynamics simulations, which suggest a hydrogen bond competition mechanism. Specifically, osmolytes weaken hydrogen bonds between the protein and solvent to strengthen those within the protein. Although the hydrogen bond change is small, with the average experimental cross hydrogen bond 3hJNC' coupling of two proteins GB3 and TTHA increased by ~ 0.01 Hz by the three osmolytes (160 g/L), its effect on protein function should not be overlooked. This is exemplified by the PDZ3-peptide binding where several intermolecular hydrogen bonds are formed and osmolytes shift the equilibrium towards the bound state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Li
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Jingfei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
| | - Liaoyuan An
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaoxiang Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lishan Yao
- Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, 266101, China.
| |
Collapse
|