1
|
Elasbali AM, Al-Soud WA, Elfaki EM, Alanazi HH, Alharbi B, Alharethi SH, Anwer K, Mohammad T, Hassan MI. Identification of novel c-Kit inhibitors from natural sources using virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:5982-5994. [PMID: 37403288 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2231547] [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: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
The Mast/Stem cell growth factor receptor Kit (c-Kit), a Proto-oncogene c-Kit, is a tyrosine-protein kinase involved in cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, and survival. Its role in developing certain cancers, particularly gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), makes it an attractive therapeutic target. Several small molecule inhibitors targeting c-Kit have been developed and approved for clinical use. Recent studies have focused on identifying and optimizing natural compounds as c-Kit inhibitors employing virtual screening. Still, drug resistance, off-target side effects, and variability in patient response remain significant challenges. From this perspective, phytochemicals could be an important resource for discovering novel c-Kit inhibitors with less toxicity, improved efficacy, and high specificity. This study aimed to uncover possible c-Kit inhibitors by utilizing a structure-based virtual screening of active phytoconstituents from Indian medicinal plants. Through the screening stages, two promising candidates, Anilinonaphthalene and Licoflavonol, were chosen based on their drug-like features and ability to bind to c-Kit. These chosen candidates were subjected to all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to evaluate their stability and interaction with c-Kit. The selected compounds Anilinonaphthalene from Daucus carota and Licoflavonol from Glycyrrhiza glabra showed their potential to act as selective binding partners of c-Kit. Our results suggest that the identified phytoconstituents could serve as a starting point to develop novel c-Kit inhibitors for developing new and effective therapies against multiple cancers, including GISTs and AML. The use of virtual screening and MD simulations provides a rational approach to discovering potential drug candidates from natural sources.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Abdelbaset Mohamed Elasbali
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Sciences-Qurayyat, Jouf University, Sakakah, Saudi Arabia
- Health Sciences Research Unit, Jouf University, Sakakah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Waleed Abu Al-Soud
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Sciences-Sakaka, Jouf University, Sakakah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elyasa Mustafa Elfaki
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Sciences-Qurayyat, Jouf University, Sakakah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hamad H Alanazi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Sciences-Qurayyat, Jouf University, Sakakah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bandar Alharbi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Hail, Hail, Saudi Arabia
| | - Salem Hussain Alharethi
- Department of Biological Science, College of Arts and Science, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Anwer
- Department of Botany, C. M. Science College, L. N. Mithila University, Darbhanga, India
| | - Taj Mohammad
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kunzmann P, Krumbach JH, Saponaro A, Moroni A, Thiel G, Hamacher K. Anisotropic Network Analysis of Open/Closed HCN4 Channel Advocates Asymmetric Subunit Cooperativity in cAMP Modulation of Gating. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:4727-4738. [PMID: 38830626 PMCID: PMC11203669 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00360] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-modulated (HCN) channels are opened in an allosteric manner by membrane hyperpolarization and cyclic nucleotides such as cAMP. Because of conflicting reports from experimental studies on whether cAMP binding to the four available binding sites in the channel tetramer operates cooperatively in gating, we employ here a computational approach as a promising route to examine ligand-induced conformational changes after binding to individual sites. By combining an elastic network model (ENM) with linear response theory (LRT) for modeling the apo-holo transition of the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) in HCN channels, we observe a distinct pattern of cooperativity matching the "positive-negative-positive" cooperativity reported from functional studies. This cooperativity pattern is highly conserved among HCN subtypes (HCN4, HCN1), but only to a lesser extent visible in structurally related channels, which are only gated by voltage (KAT1) or cyclic nucleotides (TAX4). This suggests an inherent cooperativity between subunits in HCN channels as part of a ligand-triggered gating mechanism in these channels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Kunzmann
- Department
of Biology, Computational Biology & Simulation, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jan H. Krumbach
- Department
of Biology, Computational Biology & Simulation, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Andrea Saponaro
- Department
of Pharmacology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milano, via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Anna Moroni
- Department
of Biosciences, Ion Channel Biophysics, University of Milan, via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Gerhard Thiel
- Department
of Biology, Membrane Biophysics, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre
for Synthetic Biology, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Kay Hamacher
- Department
of Biology, Computational Biology & Simulation, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
- Centre
for Synthetic Biology, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstrasse 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Almoyad MAA, Wahab S, Ansari MN, Ahmad W, Hani U, Chandra S. Predictive insights into plant-based compounds as fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 inhibitors: a combined molecular docking and dynamics simulation study. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38669200 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2335297] [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: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The discovery of novel therapeutic agents with potent anticancer activity remains a critical challenge in drug development. Natural products, particularly bioactive phytoconstituents derived from plants, have emerged as promising sources for anticancer drug discovery. In this study, we used virtual screening techniques to explore the potential of bioactive phytoconstituents as inhibitors of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), a key signaling protein implicated in cancer progression. We used virtual screening techniques to analyze phytoconstituents extracted from the IMPPAT 2.0 database. Our primary objective was to discover promising inhibitors of FGFR1. To ensure the selection of promising candidates, we initially filtered the molecules based on their physicochemical properties. Subsequently, we performed binding affinity calculations, PAINS, ADMET, and PASS filters to identify nontoxic and highly effective hits. Through this screening process, one phytocompound, namely Mundulone, emerged as a potential lead. This compound demonstrated an appreciable affinity for FGFR1 and exhibited specific interactions with the ATP-binding site residues. To gain further insights into the conformational dynamics of Mundulone and the reference FGFR1 inhibitor, Lenvatinib, we conducted time-evolution analyses employing 200 ns molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) and essential dynamics. These analyses provided valuable information regarding the dynamic behavior and stability of the compounds in complexes with FGFR1. Overall, the findings indicate that Mundulone exhibits promising binding affinity, specific interactions, and favorable drug profiles, making it a promising lead candidate. Further experimental analysis will be necessary to confirm its effectiveness and safety profiles for therapeutic advancement in the cancer field.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Ali Abdullah Almoyad
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shadma Wahab
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed Nazam Ansari
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wasim Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacy, Mohammed Al-Mana College for Medical Sciences, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Umme Hani
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Subhash Chandra
- Department of Botany, Soban Singh Jeena University, Almora, India
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pan Y, Zhao C, Fu W, Yang S, Lv S. Comparative analysis of structural dynamics and allosteric mechanisms of RecA/Rad51 family proteins: Integrated atomistic MD simulation and network-based analysis. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 261:129843. [PMID: 38302027 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129843] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Homologous recombination plays a key role in double-strand break repair, stalled replication fork repair, and meiosis. The RecA/Rad51 family recombinases catalyze the DNA strand invasion reaction that occurs during homologous recombination. However, the high sequence differences between homologous groups have hindered the thoroughly studies of this ancient protein family. The dynamic mechanisms of the family, particularly at the residual level, remain poorly understood. In this work, five representative RecA/Rad51 recombinase family members from all major kingdoms of living organisms: prokaryotes, eukaryotes, archaea, and viruses, were selected to explore the molecular mechanisms behind their conserved biological significance. A variety of techniques, including all-atom molecular dynamics simulation, perturbation response scanning, and protein structure network analysis, were used to examine the flexibility and correlation of protein domains, distribution of sensors and effectors and conserved hub residues. Furthermore, the potential communication routes between the ATP-binding region and the DNA-binding region of each recombinase were identified. Our results demonstrate the conserved molecular dynamics of these recombinases in the early stage of homologous recombination, including cooperative motions between regions, conserved sensing and effecting functional residue distribution, and conserved hub residues. Meanwhile, the unique ATP-DNA communication routes of each recombinase was also revealed. These results provide new insights into the mechanism of RecA/Rad51 family proteins, and provide new theoretical guidance for the development of allosteric inhibitors and the application of RecA/Rad51 family proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Pan
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Chong Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Wenyu Fu
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Shuo Yang
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012, China.
| | - Shaowu Lv
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012, China; Bioarchaeology Laboratory, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
He Y, Liu K, Cao F, Song R, Liu J, Zhang Y, Li W, Han W. Using deep learning and molecular dynamics simulations to unravel the regulation mechanism of peptides as noncompetitive inhibitor of xanthine oxidase. Sci Rep 2024; 14:174. [PMID: 38168773 PMCID: PMC10761953 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50686-0] [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: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Xanthine oxidase (XO) is a crucial enzyme in the development of hyperuricemia and gout. This study focuses on LWM and ALPM, two food-derived inhibitors of XO. We used molecular docking to obtain three systems and then conducted 200 ns molecular dynamics simulations for the Apo, LWM, and ALPM systems. The results reveal a stronger binding affinity of the LWM peptide to XO, potentially due to increased hydrogen bond formation. Notable changes were observed in the XO tunnel upon inhibitor binding, particularly with LWM, which showed a thinner, longer, and more twisted configuration compared to ALPM. The study highlights the importance of residue F914 in the allosteric pathway. Methodologically, we utilized the perturbed response scan (PRS) based on Python, enhancing tools for MD analysis. These findings deepen our understanding of food-derived anti-XO inhibitors and could inform the development of food-based therapeutics for reducing uric acid levels with minimal side effects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi He
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Qianjin Road 2699, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Kaifeng Liu
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Qianjin Road 2699, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Fuyan Cao
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Qianjin Road 2699, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Renxiu Song
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Qianjin Road 2699, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Jianxuan Liu
- Jilin Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Chuangju Road 155, Changchun, 130012, China
| | - Yinghua Zhang
- Jilin Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Chuangju Road 155, Changchun, 130012, China.
| | - Wannan Li
- Edmond H. Fischer Signal Transduction Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Qianjin Road 2699, Changchun, 130012, China.
| | - Weiwei Han
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Qianjin Road 2699, Changchun, 130012, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Xu SY, Zhou L, Xu Y, Hong HY, Dai C, Wang YJ, Zheng YG. Recent advances in structure-based enzyme engineering for functional reconstruction. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:3427-3445. [PMID: 37638646 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Structural information can help engineer enzymes. Usually, specific amino acids in particular regions are targeted for functional reconstruction to enhance the catalytic performance, including activity, stereoselectivity, and thermostability. Appropriate selection of target sites is the key to structure-based design, which requires elucidation of the structure-function relationships. Here, we summarize the mutations of residues in different specific regions, including active center, access tunnels, and flexible loops, on fine-tuning the catalytic performance of enzymes, and discuss the effects of altering the local structural environment on the functions. In addition, we keep up with the recent progress of structure-based approaches for enzyme engineering, aiming to provide some guidance on how to take advantage of the structural information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shen-Yuan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of the Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of the Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Xu
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of the Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Han-Yue Hong
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of the Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen Dai
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of the Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Ya-Jun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of the Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Guo Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of the Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
- The National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lu J, Rahman MI, Kazan IC, Halloran NR, Bobkov AA, Ozkan SB, Ghirlanda G. Engineering gain-of-function mutants of a WW domain by dynamics and structural analysis. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4759. [PMID: 37574787 PMCID: PMC10464296 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4759] [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: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Proteins gain optimal fitness such as foldability and function through evolutionary selection. However, classical studies have found that evolutionarily designed protein sequences alone cannot guarantee foldability, or at least not without considering local contacts associated with the initial folding steps. We previously showed that foldability and function can be restored by removing frustration in the folding energy landscape of a model WW domain protein, CC16, which was designed based on Statistical Coupling Analysis (SCA). Substitutions ensuring the formation of five local contacts identified as "on-path" were selected using the closest homolog native folded sequence, N21. Surprisingly, the resulting sequence, CC16-N21, bound to Group I peptides, while N21 did not. Here, we identified single-point mutations that enable N21 to bind a Group I peptide ligand through structure and dynamic-based computational design. Comparison of the docked position of the CC16-N21/ligand complex with the N21 structure showed that residues at positions 9 and 19 are important for peptide binding, whereas the dynamic profiles identified position 10 as allosterically coupled to the binding site and exhibiting different dynamics between N21 and CC16-N21. We found that swapping these positions in N21 with matched residues from CC16-N21 recovers nature-like binding affinity to N21. This study validates the use of dynamic profiles as guiding principles for affecting the binding affinity of small proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Lu
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological PhysicsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | | | - I. Can Kazan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological PhysicsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | | | - Andrey A. Bobkov
- Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical GenomicsSanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery InstituteCaliforniaUSA
| | - S. Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological PhysicsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Xiao S, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Tao P, Verkhivker G. Markov State Models and Perturbation-Based Approaches Reveal Distinct Dynamic Signatures and Hidden Allosteric Pockets in the Emerging SARS-Cov-2 Spike Omicron Variant Complexes with the Host Receptor: The Interplay of Dynamics and Convergent Evolution Modulates Allostery and Functional Mechanisms. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:5272-5296. [PMID: 37549201 PMCID: PMC11162552 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
The new generation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants displayed a significant growth advantage and increased viral fitness by acquiring convergent mutations, suggesting that the immune pressure can promote convergent evolution leading to the sudden acceleration of SARS-CoV-2 evolution. In the current study, we combined structural modeling, microsecond molecular dynamics simulations, and Markov state models to characterize conformational landscapes and identify specific dynamic signatures of the SARS-CoV-2 spike complexes with the host receptor ACE2 for the recently emerged highly transmissible XBB.1, XBB.1.5, BQ.1, and BQ.1.1 Omicron variants. Microsecond simulations and Markovian modeling provided a detailed characterization of the functional conformational states and revealed the increased thermodynamic stabilization of the XBB.1.5 subvariant, which can be contrasted to more dynamic BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 subvariants. Despite considerable structural similarities, Omicron mutations can induce unique dynamic signatures and specific distributions of the conformational states. The results suggested that variant-specific changes of the conformational mobility in the functional interfacial loops of the receptor-binding domain in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can be fine-tuned through crosstalk between convergent mutations which could provide an evolutionary path for modulation of immune escape. By combining atomistic simulations and Markovian modeling analysis with perturbation-based approaches, we determined important complementary roles of convergent mutation sites as effectors and receivers of allosteric signaling involved in modulation of conformational plasticity and regulation of allosteric communications. This study also revealed hidden allosteric pockets and suggested that convergent mutation sites could control evolution and distribution of allosteric pockets through modulation of conformational plasticity in the flexible adaptable regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sian Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, United States
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Peng Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, United States
| | - Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California 92618, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Verkhivker G, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Xiao S, Tao P. Probing conformational landscapes of binding and allostery in the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant complexes using microsecond atomistic simulations and perturbation-based profiling approaches: hidden role of omicron mutations as modulators of allosteric signaling and epistatic relationships. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:21245-21266. [PMID: 37548589 PMCID: PMC10536792 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp02042h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we systematically examine the conformational dynamics, binding and allosteric communications in the Omicron BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and BA.4/BA.5 spike protein complexes with the ACE2 host receptor using molecular dynamics simulations and perturbation-based network profiling approaches. Microsecond atomistic simulations provided a detailed characterization of the conformational landscapes and revealed the increased thermodynamic stabilization of the BA.2 variant which can be contrasted with the BA.4/BA.5 variants inducing a significant mobility of the complexes. Using the dynamics-based mutational scanning of spike residues, we identified structural stability and binding affinity hotspots in the Omicron complexes. Perturbation response scanning and network-based mutational profiling approaches probed the effect of the Omicron mutations on allosteric interactions and communications in the complexes. The results of this analysis revealed specific roles of Omicron mutations as conformationally plastic and evolutionary adaptable modulators of binding and allostery which are coupled to the major regulatory positions through interaction networks. Through perturbation network scanning of allosteric residue potentials in the Omicron variant complexes performed in the background of the original strain, we characterized regions of epistatic couplings that are centered around the binding affinity hotspots N501Y and Q498R. Our results dissected the vital role of these epistatic centers in regulating protein stability, efficient ACE2 binding and allostery which allows for accumulation of multiple Omicron immune escape mutations at other sites. Through integrative computational approaches, this study provides a systematic analysis of the effects of Omicron mutations on thermodynamics, binding and allosteric signaling in the complexes with ACE2 receptor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, CA 92618, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
| | - Sian Xiao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, 75275, USA.
| | - Peng Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, 75275, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Xu J, Wang Y, Zhang J, Abdelmoneim AA, Liang Z, Wang L, Jin J, Dai Q, Ye F. Elastic network models and molecular dynamic simulations reveal the molecular basis of allosteric regulation in ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7). Comput Biol Med 2023; 162:107068. [PMID: 37290391 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107068] [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: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7) is one of the most abundant deubiquitinases and plays an important role in various malignant tumors. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying USP7's structures, dynamics, and biological significance are yet to be investigated. In this study, we constructed the full-length models of USP7 in both the extended and compact state, and applied elastic network models (ENM), molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, perturbation response scanning (PRS) analysis, residue interaction networks as well as allosteric pocket prediction to investigate allosteric dynamics in USP7. Our analysis of intrinsic and conformational dynamics revealed that the structural transition between the two states is characterized by global clamp motions, during which the catalytic domain (CD) and UBL4-5 domain exhibit strong negative correlations. The PRS analysis, combined with the analysis of disease mutations and post-translational modifications (PTMs) further highlighted the allosteric potential of the two domains. The residue interaction network based on MD simulations captured an allosteric communication path which starts at CD domain and ends at UBL4-5 domain. Moreover, we identified a pocket at the TRAF-CD interface as a high-potential allosteric site for USP7. Overall, our studies not only provide molecular insights into the conformational changes of USP7, but also aid in the design of allosteric modulators that target USP7.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xu
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Yiran Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310024, China; State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 201203, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiali Zhang
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Amr Abbas Abdelmoneim
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Zhongjie Liang
- Center for Systems Biology, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Lei Wang
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Jia Jin
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Qi Dai
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Fei Ye
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Xiao S, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Tao P, Verkhivker G. Markov State Models and Perturbation-Based Approaches Reveal Distinct Dynamic Signatures and Hidden Allosteric Pockets in the Emerging SARS-Cov-2 Spike Omicron Variants Complexes with the Host Receptor: The Interplay of Dynamics and Convergent Evolution Modulates Allostery and Functional Mechanisms. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.20.541592. [PMID: 37292827 PMCID: PMC10245745 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.20.541592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The new generation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants displayed a significant growth advantage and the increased viral fitness by acquiring convergent mutations, suggesting that the immune pressure can promote convergent evolution leading to the sudden acceleration of SARS-CoV-2 evolution. In the current study, we combined structural modeling, extensive microsecond MD simulations and Markov state models to characterize conformational landscapes and identify specific dynamic signatures of the SARS-CoV-2 spike complexes with the host receptor ACE2 for the recently emerged highly transmissible XBB.1, XBB.1.5, BQ.1, and BQ.1.1 Omicron variants. Microsecond simulations and Markovian modeling provided a detailed characterization of the conformational landscapes and revealed the increased thermodynamic stabilization of the XBB.1.5 subvariant which is contrasted to more dynamic BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 subvariants. Despite considerable structural similarities, Omicron mutations can induce unique dynamic signatures and specific distributions of conformational states. The results suggested that variant-specific changes of conformational mobility in the functional interfacial loops of the spike receptor binding domain can be fine-tuned through cross-talk between convergent mutations thereby providing an evolutionary path for modulation of immune escape. By combining atomistic simulations and Markovian modeling analysis with perturbation-based approaches, we determined important complementary roles of convergent mutation sites as effectors and receivers of allosteric signaling involved in modulating conformational plasticity at the binding interface and regulating allosteric responses. This study also characterized the dynamics-induced evolution of allosteric pockets in the Omicron complexes that revealed hidden allosteric pockets and suggested that convergent mutation sites could control evolution and distribution of allosteric pockets through modulation of conformational plasticity in the flexible adaptable regions. Through integrative computational approaches, this investigation provides a systematic analysis and comparison of the effects of Omicron subvariants on conformational dynamics and allosteric signaling in the complexes with the ACE2 receptor. For Table of Contents Use Only
Collapse
|
12
|
Banerjee A, Bahar I. Structural Dynamics Predominantly Determine the Adaptability of Proteins to Amino Acid Deletions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:8450. [PMID: 37176156 PMCID: PMC10179678 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098450] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The insertion or deletion (indel) of amino acids has a variety of effects on protein function, ranging from disease-forming changes to gaining new functions. Despite their importance, indels have not been systematically characterized towards protein engineering or modification goals. In the present work, we focus on deletions composed of multiple contiguous amino acids (mAA-dels) and their effects on the protein (mutant) folding ability. Our analysis reveals that the mutant retains the native fold when the mAA-del obeys well-defined structural dynamics properties: localization in intrinsically flexible regions, showing low resistance to mechanical stress, and separation from allosteric signaling paths. Motivated by the possibility of distinguishing the features that underlie the adaptability of proteins to mAA-dels, and by the rapid evaluation of these features using elastic network models, we developed a positive-unlabeled learning-based classifier that can be adopted for protein design purposes. Trained on a consolidated set of features, including those reflecting the intrinsic dynamics of the regions where the mAA-dels occur, the new classifier yields a high recall of 84.3% for identifying mAA-dels that are stably tolerated by the protein. The comparative examination of the relative contribution of different features to the prediction reveals the dominant role of structural dynamics in enabling the adaptation of the mutant to mAA-del without disrupting the native fold.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anupam Banerjee
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Ivet Bahar
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Verkhivker G, Alshahrani M, Gupta G, Xiao S, Tao P. Probing Conformational Landscapes of Binding and Allostery in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Complexes Using Microsecond Atomistic Simulations and Perturbation-Based Profiling Approaches: Hidden Role of Omicron Mutations as Modulators of Allosteric Signaling and Epistatic Relationships. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.03.539337. [PMID: 37205479 PMCID: PMC10187228 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.03.539337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we systematically examine the conformational dynamics, binding and allosteric communications in the Omicron BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and BA.4/BA.5 complexes with the ACE2 host receptor using molecular dynamics simulations and perturbation-based network profiling approaches. Microsecond atomistic simulations provided a detailed characterization of the conformational landscapes and revealed the increased thermodynamic stabilization of the BA.2 variant which is contrasted with the BA.4/BA.5 variants inducing a significant mobility of the complexes. Using ensemble-based mutational scanning of binding interactions, we identified binding affinity and structural stability hotspots in the Omicron complexes. Perturbation response scanning and network-based mutational profiling approaches probed the effect of the Omicron variants on allosteric communications. The results of this analysis revealed specific roles of Omicron mutations as "plastic and evolutionary adaptable" modulators of binding and allostery which are coupled to the major regulatory positions through interaction networks. Through perturbation network scanning of allosteric residue potentials in the Omicron variant complexes, which is performed in the background of the original strain, we identified that the key Omicron binding affinity hotspots N501Y and Q498R could mediate allosteric interactions and epistatic couplings. Our results suggested that the synergistic role of these hotspots in controlling stability, binding and allostery can enable for compensatory balance of fitness tradeoffs with conformationally and evolutionary adaptable immune-escape Omicron mutations. Through integrative computational approaches, this study provides a systematic analysis of the effects of Omicron mutations on thermodynamics, binding and allosteric signaling in the complexes with ACE2 receptor. The findings support a mechanism in which Omicron mutations can evolve to balance thermodynamic stability and conformational adaptability in order to ensure proper tradeoff between stability, binding and immune escape.
Collapse
|
14
|
Agajanian S, Alshahrani M, Bai F, Tao P, Verkhivker GM. Exploring and Learning the Universe of Protein Allostery Using Artificial Intelligence Augmented Biophysical and Computational Approaches. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:1413-1428. [PMID: 36827465 PMCID: PMC11162550 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
Abstract
Allosteric mechanisms are commonly employed regulatory tools used by proteins to orchestrate complex biochemical processes and control communications in cells. The quantitative understanding and characterization of allosteric molecular events are among major challenges in modern biology and require integration of innovative computational experimental approaches to obtain atomistic-level knowledge of the allosteric states, interactions, and dynamic conformational landscapes. The growing body of computational and experimental studies empowered by emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has opened up new paradigms for exploring and learning the universe of protein allostery from first principles. In this review we analyze recent developments in high-throughput deep mutational scanning of allosteric protein functions; applications and latest adaptations of Alpha-fold structural prediction methods for studies of protein dynamics and allostery; new frontiers in integrating machine learning and enhanced sampling techniques for characterization of allostery; and recent advances in structural biology approaches for studies of allosteric systems. We also highlight recent computational and experimental studies of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) proteins revealing an important and often hidden role of allosteric regulation driving functional conformational changes, binding interactions with the host receptor, and mutational escape mechanisms of S proteins which are critical for viral infection. We conclude with a summary and outlook of future directions suggesting that AI-augmented biophysical and computer simulation approaches are beginning to transform studies of protein allostery toward systematic characterization of allosteric landscapes, hidden allosteric states, and mechanisms which may bring about a new revolution in molecular biology and drug discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steve Agajanian
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Fang Bai
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, School of Life Science and Technology and Information Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Peng Tao
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Research Computing, Center for Drug Discovery, Design, and Delivery (CD4), Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75205, United States
| | - Gennady M Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, California 92866, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California 92618, United States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Liu G, Ekmen E, Jalalypour F, Mertens HDT, Jeffries CM, Svergun D, Atilgan AR, Atilgan C, Sayers Z. Conformational multiplicity of bacterial ferric binding protein revealed by small angle x-ray scattering and molecular dynamics calculations. J Chem Phys 2023; 158:085101. [PMID: 36859088 DOI: 10.1063/5.0136558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
This study combines molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements to investigate the range of conformations that can be adopted by a pH/ionic strength (IS) sensitive protein and to quantify its distinct populations in solution. To explore how the conformational distribution of proteins may be modified in the environmental niches of biological media, we focus on the periplasmic ferric binding protein A (FbpA) from Haemophilus influenzae involved in the mechanism by which bacteria capture iron from higher organisms. We examine iron-binding/release mechanisms of FbpA in varying conditions simulating its biological environment. While we show that these changes fall within the detectable range for SAXS as evidenced by differences observed in the theoretical scattering patterns calculated from the crystal structure models of apo and holo forms, detection of conformational changes due to the point mutation D52A and changes in ionic strength (IS) from SAXS scattering profiles have been challenging. Here, to reach conclusions, statistical analyses with SAXS profiles and results from different techniques were combined in a complementary fashion. The SAXS data complemented by size exclusion chromatography point to multiple and/or alternative conformations at physiological IS, whereas they are well-explained by single crystallographic structures in low IS buffers. By fitting the SAXS data with unique conformations sampled by a series of MD simulations under conditions mimicking the buffers, we quantify the populations of the occupied substates. We also find that the D52A mutant that we predicted by coarse-grained computational modeling to allosterically control the iron binding site in FbpA, responds to the environmental changes in our experiments with conformational selection scenarios that differ from those of the wild type.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Goksin Liu
- Sabanci University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Orhanli, Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Erhan Ekmen
- Sabanci University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Orhanli, Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Farzaneh Jalalypour
- Sabanci University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Orhanli, Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Haydyn D T Mertens
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory - Hamburg Unit, Notkestrasse 85, 22603 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Cy M Jeffries
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory - Hamburg Unit, Notkestrasse 85, 22603 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dmitri Svergun
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory - Hamburg Unit, Notkestrasse 85, 22603 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ali Rana Atilgan
- Sabanci University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Orhanli, Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Canan Atilgan
- Sabanci University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Orhanli, Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Zehra Sayers
- Sabanci University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Orhanli, Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul, Türkiye
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Madan LK, Welsh CL, Kornev AP, Taylor SS. The "violin model": Looking at community networks for dynamic allostery. J Chem Phys 2023; 158:081001. [PMID: 36859094 PMCID: PMC9957607 DOI: 10.1063/5.0138175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Allosteric regulation of proteins continues to be an engaging research topic for the scientific community. Models describing allosteric communication have evolved from focusing on conformation-based descriptors of protein structural changes to appreciating the role of internal protein dynamics as a mediator of allostery. Here, we explain a "violin model" for allostery as a contemporary method for approaching the Cooper-Dryden model based on redistribution of protein thermal fluctuations. Based on graph theory, the violin model makes use of community network analysis to functionally cluster correlated protein motions obtained from molecular dynamics simulations. This Review provides the theory and workflow of the methodology and explains the application of violin model to unravel the workings of protein kinase A.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lalima K. Madan
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: and . Telephone: 843.792.4525. Fax: 843.792.0481
| | - Colin L. Welsh
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave., Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA
| | - Alexandr P. Kornev
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, California, 92093, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Wordom update 2: A user-friendly program for the analysis of molecular structures and conformational ensembles. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:1390-1402. [PMID: 36817953 PMCID: PMC9929209 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.01.026] [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: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We present the second update of Wordom, a user-friendly and efficient program for manipulation and analysis of conformational ensembles from molecular simulations. The actual update expands some of the existing modules and adds 21 new modules to the update 1 published in 2011. The new adds can be divided into three sets that: 1) analyze atomic fluctuations and structural communication; 2) explore ion-channel conformational dynamics and ionic translocation; and 3) compute geometrical indices of structural deformation. Set 1 serves to compute correlations of motions, find geometrically stable domains, identify a dynamically invariant core, find changes in domain-domain separation and mutual orientation, perform wavelet analysis of large-scale simulations, process the output of principal component analysis of atomic fluctuations, perform functional mode analysis, infer regions of mechanical rigidity, analyze overall fluctuations, and perform the perturbation response scanning. Set 2 includes modules specific for ion channels, which serve to monitor the pore radius as well as water or ion fluxes, and measure functional collective motions like receptor twisting or tilting angles. Finally, set 3 includes tools to monitor structural deformations by computing angles, perimeter, area, volume, β-sheet curvature, radial distribution function, and center of mass. The ring perception module is also included, helpful to monitor supramolecular self-assemblies. This update places Wordom among the most suitable, complete, user-friendly, and efficient software for the analysis of biomolecular simulations. The source code of Wordom and the relative documentation are available under the GNU general public license at http://wordom.sf.net.
Collapse
|
18
|
Alrouji M, Majrashi TA, Alhumaydhi FA, Zari A, Zari TA, Al Abdulmonem W, Sharaf SE, Shahwan M, Anwar S, Shamsi A, Atiya A. Unveiling Phytoconstituents with Inhibitory Potential Against Tyrosine-Protein Kinase Fyn: A Comprehensive Virtual Screening Approach Targeting Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 96:827-844. [PMID: 37899058 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tyrosine-protein kinase Fyn (Fyn) is a critical signaling molecule involved in various cellular processes, including neuronal development, synaptic plasticity, and disease pathogenesis. Dysregulation of Fyn kinase has been implicated in various complex diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as different cancer types. Therefore, identifying small molecule inhibitors that can inhibit Fyn activity holds substantial significance in drug discovery. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to identify potential small-molecule inhibitors among bioactive phytoconstituents against tyrosine-protein kinase Fyn. METHODS Through a comprehensive approach involving molecular docking, drug likeliness filters, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we performed a virtual screening of a natural compounds library. This methodology aimed to pinpoint compounds potentially interacting with Fyn kinase and inhibiting its activity. RESULTS This study finds two potential natural compounds: Dehydromillettone and Tanshinone B. These compoundsdemonstrated substantial affinity and specific interactions towards the Fyn binding pocket. Their conformations exhibitedcompatibility and stability, indicating the formation of robust protein-ligand complexes. A significant array of non-covalentinteractions supported the structural integrity of these complexes. CONCLUSION Dehydromillettone and Tanshinone B emerge as promising candidates, poised for further optimization as Fynkinase inhibitors with therapeutic applications. In a broader context, this study demonstrates the potential of computationaldrug discovery, underscoring its utility in identifying compounds with clinical significance. The identified inhibitors holdpromise in addressing a spectrum of cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. However, their efficacy and safety necessitatevalidation through subsequent experimental studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Alrouji
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi Arabia
| | - Taghreed A Majrashi
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University (KKU), Guraiger, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Fahad A Alhumaydhi
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ali Zari
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Princess Dr. Najla Bint Saud Al-Saud Center for Excellence Research in Biotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Talal A Zari
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Waleed Al Abdulmonem
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sharaf E Sharaf
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, College of Pharmacy Umm Al-Qura University Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Moyad Shahwan
- Center for Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, UAE
| | - Saleha Anwar
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, India
| | - Anas Shamsi
- Center for Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, UAE
| | - Akhtar Atiya
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University (KKU), Guraiger, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Verkhivker GM. Conformational Dynamics and Mechanisms of Client Protein Integration into the Hsp90 Chaperone Controlled by Allosteric Interactions of Regulatory Switches: Perturbation-Based Network Approach for Mutational Profiling of the Hsp90 Binding and Allostery. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:5421-5442. [PMID: 35853093 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c03464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the allosteric mechanisms of the Hsp90 chaperone interactions with cochaperones and client protein clientele is fundamental to dissect activation and regulation of many proteins. In this work, atomistic simulations are combined with perturbation-based approaches and dynamic network modeling for a comparative mutational profiling of the Hsp90 binding and allosteric interaction networks in the three Hsp90 maturation complexes with FKBP51 and P23 cochaperones and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) client. The conformational dynamics signatures of the Hsp90 complexes and dynamics fluctuation analysis revealed how the intrinsic plasticity of the Hsp90 dimer can be modulated by cochaperones and client proteins to stabilize the closed dimer state required at the maturation stage of the ATPase cycle. In silico deep mutational scanning of the protein residues characterized the hot spots of protein stability and binding affinity in the Hsp90 complexes, showing that binding hot spots may often coincide with the regulatory centers that modulate dynamic allostery in the Hsp90 dimer. We introduce a perturbation-based network approach for mutational scanning of allosteric residue potentials and characterize allosteric switch clusters that control mechanism of cochaperone-dependent client recognition and remodeling by the Hsp90 chaperone. The results revealed a conserved network of allosteric switches in the Hsp90 complexes that allow cochaperones and GR protein to become integrated into the Hsp90 system by anchoring to the conformational switch points in the functional Hsp90 regions. This study suggests that the Hsp90 binding and allostery may operate under a regulatory mechanism in which activation or repression of the Hsp90 activity can be pre-encoded in the allosterically regulated Hsp90 dimer motions. By binding directly to the conformational switch centers on the Hsp90, cochaperones and interacting proteins can efficiently modulate the allosteric interactions and long-range communications required for client remodeling and activation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gennady M Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, 1 University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
- Depatment of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California 92618, United States
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Hadi-Alijanvand H, Di Paola L, Hu G, Leitner DM, Verkhivker GM, Sun P, Poudel H, Giuliani A. Biophysical Insight into the SARS-CoV2 Spike-ACE2 Interaction and Its Modulation by Hepcidin through a Multifaceted Computational Approach. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:17024-17042. [PMID: 35600142 PMCID: PMC9113007 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
At the center of the SARS-CoV2 infection, the spike protein and its interaction with the human receptor ACE2 play a central role in the molecular machinery of SARS-CoV2 infection of human cells. Vaccine therapies are a valuable barrier to the worst effects of the virus and to its diffusion, but the need of purposed drugs is emerging as a core target of the fight against COVID19. In this respect, the repurposing of drugs has already led to discovery of drugs thought to reduce the effects of the cytokine storm, but still a drug targeting the spike protein, in the infection stage, is missing. In this work, we present a multifaceted computational approach strongly grounded on a biophysical modeling of biological systems, so to disclose the interaction of the SARS-CoV2 spike protein with ACE2 with a special focus to an allosteric regulation of the spike-ACE2 interaction. Our approach includes the following methodologies: Protein Contact Networks and Network Clustering, Targeted Molecular Dynamics, Elastic Network Modeling, Perturbation Response Scanning, and a computational analysis of energy flow and SEPAS as a protein-softness and monomer-based affinity predictor. We applied this approach to free (closed and open) states of spike protein and spike-ACE2 complexes. Eventually, we analyzed the interactions of free and bound forms of spike with hepcidin (HPC), the major hormone in iron regulation, recently addressed as a central player in the COVID19 pathogenesis, with a special emphasis to the most severe outcomes. Our results demonstrate that, compared with closed and open states, the spike protein in the ACE2-bound state shows higher allosteric potential. The correspondence between hinge sites and the Allosteric Modulation Region (AMR) in the S-ACE complex suggests a molecular basis for hepcidin involvement in COVID19 pathogenesis. We verify the importance of AMR in different states of spike and then study its interactions with HPC and the consequence of the HPC-AMR interaction on spike dynamics and its affinity for ACE2. We propose two complementary mechanisms for HPC effects on spike of SARS-CoV-2; (a) HPC acts as a competitive inhibitor when spike is in a preinfection state (open and with no ACE2), (b) the HPC-AMR interaction pushes the spike structure into the safer closed state. These findings need clear molecular in vivo verification beside clinical observations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Hadi-Alijanvand
- Department
of Biological Sciences, Institute for Advanced
Studies in Basic Sciences, Zanjan 45137-66731, Iran
| | - Luisa Di Paola
- Unit
of Chemical-Physics Fundamentals in Chemical Engineering, Department
of Engineering, Università Campus
Bio-Medico di Roma, via
Álvaro del Portillo 21, Rome 00128, Italy
| | - Guang Hu
- Center
for Systems Biology, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology
and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
- . Phone: +39 (06) 225419634
| | - David M. Leitner
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno 89557, Nevada, United States
| | - Gennady M. Verkhivker
- Keck
Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and
Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange 92866, California, United States
- Department
of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine 92618, California, United States
| | - Peixin Sun
- Center
for Systems Biology, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology
and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Humanath Poudel
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Nevada, Reno 89557, Nevada, United States
| | - Alessandro Giuliani
- Environmental
and Health Department, Istituto Superiore
di Sanità, Rome 00161, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Elastic network modeling of cellular networks unveils sensor and effector genes that control information flow. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010181. [PMID: 35639793 PMCID: PMC9216591 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010181] [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: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The high-level organization of the cell is embedded in indirect relationships that connect distinct cellular processes. Existing computational approaches for detecting indirect relationships between genes typically consist of propagating abstract information through network representations of the cell. However, the selection of genes to serve as the source of propagation is inherently biased by prior knowledge. Here, we sought to derive an unbiased view of the high-level organization of the cell by identifying the genes that propagate and receive information most effectively in the cell, and the indirect relationships between these genes. To this aim, we adapted a perturbation-response scanning strategy initially developed for identifying allosteric interactions within proteins. We deployed this strategy onto an elastic network model of the yeast genetic interaction profile similarity network. This network revealed a superior propensity for information propagation relative to simulated networks with similar topology. Perturbation-response scanning identified the major distributors and receivers of information in the network, named effector and sensor genes, respectively. Effectors formed dense clusters centrally integrated into the network, whereas sensors formed loosely connected antenna-shaped clusters and contained genes with previously characterized involvement in signal transduction. We propose that indirect relationships between effector and sensor clusters represent major paths of information flow between distinct cellular processes. Genetic similarity networks for fission yeast and human displayed similarly strong propensities for information propagation and clusters of effector and sensor genes, suggesting that the global architecture enabling indirect relationships is evolutionarily conserved across species. Our results demonstrate that elastic network modeling of cellular networks constitutes a promising strategy to probe the high-level organization and cooperativity in the cell.
Collapse
|
22
|
Protein Fluctuations in Response to Random External Forces. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12052344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Elastic network models (ENMs) have been widely used in the last decades to investigate protein motions and dynamics. There the intrinsic fluctuations based on the isolated structures are obtained from the normal modes of these elastic networks, and they generally show good agreement with the B-factors extracted from X-ray crystallographic experiments, which are commonly considered to be indicators of protein flexibility. In this paper, we propose a new approach to analyze protein fluctuations and flexibility, which has a more appropriate physical basis. It is based on the application of random forces to the protein ENM to simulate the effects of collisions of solvent on a protein structure. For this purpose, we consider both the Cα-atom coarse-grained anisotropic network model (ANM) and an elastic network augmented with points included for the crystallized waters. We apply random forces to these protein networks everywhere, as well as only on the protein surface alone. Despite the randomness of the directions of the applied perturbations, the computed average displacements of the protein network show a remarkably good agreement with the experimental B-factors. In particular, for our set of 919 protein structures, we find that the highest correlation with the B-factors is obtained when applying forces to the external surface of the water-augmented ANM (an overall gain of 3% in the Pearson’s coefficient for the entire dataset, with improvements up to 30% for individual proteins), rather than when evaluating the fluctuations obtained from the normal modes of a standard Cα-atom coarse-grained ANM. It follows that protein fluctuations should be considered not just as the intrinsic fluctuations of the internal dynamics, but also equally well as responses to external solvent forces, or as a combination of both.
Collapse
|
23
|
Allosteric Determinants of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Binding with Nanobodies: Examining Mechanisms of Mutational Escape and Sensitivity of the Omicron Variant. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042172. [PMID: 35216287 PMCID: PMC8877688 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Structural and biochemical studies have recently revealed a range of rationally engineered nanobodies with efficient neutralizing capacity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and resilience against mutational escape. In this study, we performed a comprehensive computational analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer complexes with single nanobodies Nb6, VHH E, and complex with VHH E/VHH V nanobody combination. We combined coarse-grained and all-atom molecular simulations and collective dynamics analysis with binding free energy scanning, perturbation-response scanning, and network centrality analysis to examine mechanisms of nanobody-induced allosteric modulation and cooperativity in the SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer complexes with these nanobodies. By quantifying energetic and allosteric determinants of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding with nanobodies, we also examined nanobody-induced modulation of escaping mutations and the effect of the Omicron variant on nanobody binding. The mutational scanning analysis supported the notion that E484A mutation can have a significant detrimental effect on nanobody binding and result in Omicron-induced escape from nanobody neutralization. Our findings showed that SARS-CoV-2 spike protein might exploit the plasticity of specific allosteric hotspots to generate escape mutants that alter response to binding without compromising activity. The network analysis supported these findings showing that VHH E/VHH V nanobody binding can induce long-range couplings between the cryptic binding epitope and ACE2-binding site through a broader ensemble of communication paths that is less dependent on specific mediating centers and therefore may be less sensitive to mutational perturbations of functional residues. The results suggest that binding affinity and long-range communications of the SARS-CoV-2 complexes with nanobodies can be determined by structurally stable regulatory centers and conformationally adaptable hotspots that are allosterically coupled and collectively control resilience to mutational escape.
Collapse
|
24
|
Kazan IC, Sharma P, Rahman MI, Bobkov A, Fromme R, Ghirlanda G, Ozkan SB. Design of novel cyanovirin-N variants by modulation of binding dynamics through distal mutations. eLife 2022; 11:67474. [PMID: 36472898 PMCID: PMC9725752 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
We develop integrated co-evolution and dynamic coupling (ICDC) approach to identify, mutate, and assess distal sites to modulate function. We validate the approach first by analyzing the existing mutational fitness data of TEM-1 β-lactamase and show that allosteric positions co-evolved and dynamically coupled with the active site significantly modulate function. We further apply ICDC approach to identify positions and their mutations that can modulate binding affinity in a lectin, cyanovirin-N (CV-N), that selectively binds to dimannose, and predict binding energies of its variants through Adaptive BP-Dock. Computational and experimental analyses reveal that binding enhancing mutants identified by ICDC impact the dynamics of the binding pocket, and show that rigidification of the binding residues compensates for the entropic cost of binding. This work suggests a mechanism by which distal mutations modulate function through dynamic allostery and provides a blueprint to identify candidates for mutagenesis in order to optimize protein function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- I Can Kazan
- Center for Biological Physics and Department of Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States,School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Prerna Sharma
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | | | - Andrey Bobkov
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery InstituteLa JollaUnited States
| | - Raimund Fromme
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Giovanna Ghirlanda
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - S Banu Ozkan
- Center for Biological Physics and Department of Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Naganathan AN, Kannan A. A hierarchy of coupling free energies underlie the thermodynamic and functional architecture of protein structures. Curr Res Struct Biol 2021; 3:257-267. [PMID: 34704074 PMCID: PMC8526763 DOI: 10.1016/j.crstbi.2021.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein sequences and structures evolve by satisfying varied physical and biochemical constraints. This multi-level selection is enabled not just by the patterning of amino acids on the sequence, but also via coupling between residues in the native structure. Here, we employ an energetically detailed statistical mechanical model with millions of microstates to extract such long-range structural correlations, i.e. thermodynamic coupling free energies, from a diverse family of protein structures. We find that despite the intricate and anisotropic distribution of coupling patterns, the majority of residues (>70%) are only marginally coupled contributing to functional motions and catalysis. Physical origins of ‘sectors’, determinants of native ensemble heterogeneity in extant, ancient and designed proteins, and the basis for allostery emerge naturally from coupling free energies. The statistical framework highlights how evolutionary selection and optimization occur at the level of global interaction network for a given protein fold impacting folding, function, and allosteric outputs. Evolution of protein structures occurs at the level of global interaction network. More than 70% of the protein residues are weakly or marginally coupled. Functional ‘sector’ regions are a manifestation of marginal coupling. Coupling indices vary across the entire proteins in extant-ancient and natural-designed pairs. The proposed methodology can be used to understand allostery and epistasis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Athi N Naganathan
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India
| | - Adithi Kannan
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Low-Frequency Harmonic Perturbations Drive Protein Conformational Changes. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910501. [PMID: 34638837 PMCID: PMC8508695 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein dynamics has been investigated since almost half a century, as it is believed to constitute the fundamental connection between structure and function. Elastic network models (ENMs) have been widely used to predict protein dynamics, flexibility and the biological mechanism, from which remarkable results have been found regarding the prediction of protein conformational changes. Starting from the knowledge of the reference structure only, these conformational changes have been usually predicted either by looking at the individual mode shapes of vibrations (i.e., by considering the free vibrations of the ENM) or by applying static perturbations to the protein network (i.e., by considering a linear response theory). In this paper, we put together the two previous approaches and evaluate the complete protein response under the application of dynamic perturbations. Harmonic forces with random directions are applied to the protein ENM, which are meant to simulate the single frequency-dependent components of the collisions of the surrounding particles, and the protein response is computed by solving the dynamic equations in the underdamped regime, where mass, viscous damping and elastic stiffness contributions are explicitly taken into account. The obtained motion is investigated both in the coordinate space and in the sub-space of principal components (PCs). The results show that the application of perturbations in the low-frequency range is able to drive the protein conformational change, leading to remarkably high values of direction similarity. Eventually, this suggests that protein conformational change might be triggered by external collisions and favored by the inherent low-frequency dynamics of the protein structure.
Collapse
|
27
|
Sheik Amamuddy O, Glenister M, Tshabalala T, Tastan Bishop Ö. MDM-TASK-web: MD-TASK and MODE-TASK web server for analyzing protein dynamics. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:5059-5071. [PMID: 34589183 PMCID: PMC8455658 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.08.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The web server, MDM-TASK-web, combines the MD-TASK and MODE-TASK software suites, which are aimed at the coarse-grained analysis of static and all-atom MD-simulated proteins, using a variety of non-conventional approaches, such as dynamic residue network analysis, perturbation-response scanning, dynamic cross-correlation, essential dynamics and normal mode analysis. Altogether, these tools allow for the exploration of protein dynamics at various levels of detail, spanning single residue perturbations and weighted contact network representations, to global residue centrality measurements and the investigation of global protein motion. Typically, following molecular dynamic simulations designed to investigate intrinsic and extrinsic protein perturbations (for instance induced by allosteric and orthosteric ligands, protein binding, temperature, pH and mutations), this selection of tools can be used to further describe protein dynamics. This may lead to the discovery of key residues involved in biological processes, such as drug resistance. The server simplifies the set-up required for running these tools and visualizing their results. Several scripts from the tool suites were updated and new ones were also added and integrated with 2D/3D visualization via the web interface. An embedded work-flow, integrated documentation and visualization tools shorten the number of steps to follow, starting from calculations to result visualization. The Django-powered web server (available at https://mdmtaskweb.rubi.ru.ac.za/) is compatible with all major web browsers. All scripts implemented in the web platform are freely available at https://github.com/RUBi-ZA/MD-TASK/tree/mdm-task-web and https://github.com/RUBi-ZA/MODE-TASK/tree/mdm-task-web.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Sheik Amamuddy
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Michael Glenister
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Thulani Tshabalala
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Özlem Tastan Bishop
- Research Unit in Bioinformatics (RUBi), Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Zhu Y, Ye F, Zhou Z, Liu W, Liang Z, Hu G. Insights into Conformational Dynamics and Allostery in DNMT1-H3Ub/USP7 Interactions. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26175153. [PMID: 34500587 PMCID: PMC8434485 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26175153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) including DNMT1 are a conserved family of cytosine methylases that play crucial roles in epigenetic regulation. The versatile functions of DNMT1 rely on allosteric networks between its different interacting partners, emerging as novel therapeutic targets. In this work, based on the modeling structures of DNMT1-ubiquitylated H3 (H3Ub)/ubiquitin specific peptidase 7 (USP7) complexes, we have used a combination of elastic network models, molecular dynamics simulations, structural residue perturbation, network modeling, and pocket pathway analysis to examine their molecular mechanisms of allosteric regulation. The comparative intrinsic and conformational dynamics analysis of three DNMT1 systems has highlighted the pivotal role of the RFTS domain as the dynamics hub in both intra- and inter-molecular interactions. The site perturbation and network modeling approaches have revealed the different and more complex allosteric interaction landscape in both DNMT1 complexes, involving the events caused by mutational hotspots and post-translation modification sites through protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Furthermore, communication pathway analysis and pocket detection have provided new mechanistic insights into molecular mechanisms underlying quaternary structures of DNMT1 complexes, suggesting potential targeting pockets for PPI-based allosteric drug design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhu
- Center for Systems Biology, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Z.); (W.L.)
| | - Fei Ye
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China;
| | - Ziyun Zhou
- Center for Systems Biology, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Z.); (W.L.)
| | - Wanlin Liu
- Center for Systems Biology, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Z.); (W.L.)
| | - Zhongjie Liang
- Center for Systems Biology, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Z.); (W.L.)
- Correspondence: (Z.L.); (G.H.)
| | - Guang Hu
- Center for Systems Biology, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.Z.); (W.L.)
- Correspondence: (Z.L.); (G.H.)
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Rao RM, Wong H, Dauchez M, Baud S. Effects of changes in glycan composition on glycoprotein dynamics: example of N-glycans on insulin receptor. Glycobiology 2021; 31:1121-1133. [PMID: 34343291 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwab049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycosylation is among the most common post-translational modifications in proteins, although it is observed in only about 10% of all the protein structures in protein data bank (PDB). Modifications of sugar composition in glycoproteins profoundly impact the overall physiology of the organism. One such example is the development of insulin resistance, which has been attributed to the removal of sialic acid residues from N-glycans of insulin receptor (IR) from various experimental studies. How such modifications affect the glycan-glycoprotein dynamics, and ultimately their function is not clearly understood to date. In this study, we performed molecular dynamics simulations of glycans in different environments. We studied the effects of removal of sialic acid on the glycan, as well as on the dynamics of leucine-rich repeat L1 domain of the IR ectodomain. We observed perturbations in L1 domain dynamics as a result of the removal of sialic acid. The perturbations include an increase in the flexibility of insulin-binding residues, which may affect insulin binding with IR. These changes are accompanied by perturbations in glycan-protein interactions and perturbation of long-range allosteric dynamics. Our observations will further aid in understanding the role of sugars in maintaining homeostasis and how changes in glycan composition may lead to perturbations in homeostasis, ultimately leading to conditions such as insulin resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rajas M Rao
- Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, CNRS UMR 7369, MEDyC, Reims 51687, France
| | - Hua Wong
- Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, CNRS UMR 7369, MEDyC, Reims 51687, France
| | - Manuel Dauchez
- Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, CNRS UMR 7369, MEDyC, Reims 51687, France.,Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, P3M, Multi-scale Molecular Modeling Plateform, Reims 51687, France
| | - Stéphanie Baud
- Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, CNRS UMR 7369, MEDyC, Reims 51687, France.,Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, P3M, Multi-scale Molecular Modeling Plateform, Reims 51687, France
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Verkhivker G, Agajanian S, Oztas D, Gupta G. Dynamic Profiling of Binding and Allosteric Propensities of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein with Different Classes of Antibodies: Mutational and Perturbation-Based Scanning Reveals the Allosteric Duality of Functionally Adaptable Hotspots. J Chem Theory Comput 2021; 17:4578-4598. [PMID: 34138559 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c00372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The functional adaptability and conformational plasticity of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins allow for the efficient modulation of complex phenotypic responses to the host receptor and antibodies. In this study, we combined atomistic simulations with mutational and perturbation-based scanning approaches to examine binding mechanisms of the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins with three different classes of antibodies. The ensemble-based profiling of binding and allosteric propensities of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein residues showed that these proteins can work as functionally adaptable and allosterically regulated machines. Conformational dynamics analysis revealed that binding-induced modulation of soft modes can elicit the unique protein response to different classes of antibodies. Mutational scanning heatmaps and sensitivity analysis revealed the binding energy hotspots for different classes of antibodies that are consistent with the experimental deep mutagenesis, showing that differences in the binding affinity caused by global circulating variants in spike positions K417, E484, and N501 are relatively moderate and may not fully account for the observed antibody resistance effects. Through functional dynamics analysis and perturbation-response scanning of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein residues in the unbound form and antibody-bound forms, we examine how antibody binding can modulate allosteric propensities of spike protein residues and determine allosteric hotspots that control signal transmission and global conformational changes. These results show that residues K417, E484, and N501 targeted by circulating mutations correspond to a group of versatile allosteric centers in which small perturbations can modulate collective motions, alter the global allosteric response, and elicit binding resistance. We suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 S protein may exploit the plasticity of specific allosteric hotspots to generate escape mutants that alter the response to antibody binding without compromising the activity of the spike protein.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gennady Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States.,Depatment of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California 92618, United States
| | - Steve Agajanian
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Deniz Oztas
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
He XL, Du LF, Zhang J, Liang Y, Wu YD, Su JG, Li QM. The functional motions and related key residues behind the uncoating of coxsackievirus A16. Proteins 2021; 89:1365-1375. [PMID: 34085313 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26157] [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: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16) is a highly contagious virus that causes the hand, foot, and mouth disease, which seriously threatens the health of children. At present, there are still no available antiviral drugs or effective treatments against the infection of CVA16, and thus it is of great significance to develop anti-CVA16 vaccines. However, the intrinsic uncoating property of the capsid may destroy the neutralizing epitopes and influence its immunogenicity, which hinders the vaccine developments. In the present work, the functional-quantity-based elastic network model analysis method developed by our group was extended to combine with group theory to investigate the uncoating motions of the CVA16 capsid, and then the functionally key residues controlling the uncoating motions were identified by our functional-quantity-based perturbation method. Several motion modes encoded in the topological structure of the capsid were revealed to be responsible for the uncoating of CVA16 particle. These modes predominantly contribute to the fluctuation of the gyration radius of the capsid. Then, by using the perturbation method, four clusters of key sites involved in the uncoating motions were identified, whose perturbations induce significant changes in the fluctuation of the gyration radius. These key residues are mainly located at the 2-fold channels, the quasi 3-fold channels, the bottom of the canyons, and the inter-subunit interfaces around the 3-fold axes. Our studies are helpful for better understanding the uncoating mechanism of the CVA16 capsid and provide potential target sites to prevent the uncoating motions, which is valuable for the vaccine design against CVA16.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xing Long He
- Key Laboratory for Microstructural Material Physics of Hebei Province, School of Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Li Fang Du
- The Sixth Laboratory, National Vaccine and Serum Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- The Sixth Laboratory, National Vaccine and Serum Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Liang
- The Sixth Laboratory, National Vaccine and Serum Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Dong Wu
- Key Laboratory for Microstructural Material Physics of Hebei Province, School of Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Ji Guo Su
- Key Laboratory for Microstructural Material Physics of Hebei Province, School of Science, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China.,The Sixth Laboratory, National Vaccine and Serum Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Ming Li
- The Sixth Laboratory, National Vaccine and Serum Institute, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Atsavapranee B, Stark CD, Sunden F, Thompson S, Fordyce PM. Fundamentals to function: Quantitative and scalable approaches for measuring protein stability. Cell Syst 2021; 12:547-560. [PMID: 34139165 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Folding a linear chain of amino acids into a three-dimensional protein is a complex physical process that ultimately confers an impressive range of diverse functions. Although recent advances have driven significant progress in predicting three-dimensional protein structures from sequence, proteins are not static molecules. Rather, they exist as complex conformational ensembles defined by energy landscapes spanning the space of sequence and conditions. Quantitatively mapping the physical parameters that dictate these landscapes and protein stability is therefore critical to develop models that are capable of predicting how mutations alter function of proteins in disease and informing the design of proteins with desired functions. Here, we review the approaches that are used to quantify protein stability at a variety of scales, from returning multiple thermodynamic and kinetic measurements for a single protein sequence to yielding indirect insights into folding across a vast sequence space. The physical parameters derived from these approaches will provide a foundation for models that extend beyond the structural prediction to capture the complexity of conformational ensembles and, ultimately, their function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Catherine D Stark
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Fanny Sunden
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Samuel Thompson
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Polly M Fordyce
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Verkhivker GM, Agajanian S, Oztas DY, Gupta G. Comparative Perturbation-Based Modeling of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Binding with Host Receptor and Neutralizing Antibodies: Structurally Adaptable Allosteric Communication Hotspots Define Spike Sites Targeted by Global Circulating Mutations. Biochemistry 2021; 60:1459-1484. [PMID: 33900725 PMCID: PMC8098775 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we used an integrative computational approach to examine molecular mechanisms and determine functional signatures underlying the role of functional residues in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that are targeted by novel mutational variants and antibody-escaping mutations. Atomistic simulations and functional dynamics analysis are combined with alanine scanning and mutational sensitivity profiling of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein complexes with the ACE2 host receptor and the REGN-COV2 antibody cocktail(REG10987+REG10933). Using alanine scanning and mutational sensitivity analysis, we have shown that K417, E484, and N501 residues correspond to key interacting centers with a significant degree of structural and energetic plasticity that allow mutants in these positions to afford the improved binding affinity with ACE2. Through perturbation-based network modeling and community analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein complexes with ACE2, we demonstrate that E406, N439, K417, and N501 residues serve as effector centers of allosteric interactions and anchor major intermolecular communities that mediate long-range communication in the complexes. The results provide support to a model according to which mutational variants and antibody-escaping mutations constrained by the requirements for host receptor binding and preservation of stability may preferentially select structurally plastic and energetically adaptable allosteric centers to differentially modulate collective motions and allosteric interactions in the complexes with the ACE2 enzyme and REGN-COV2 antibody combination. This study suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein may function as a versatile and functionally adaptable allosteric machine that exploits the plasticity of allosteric regulatory centers to fine-tune response to antibody binding without compromising the activity of the spike protein.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gennady M. Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid
College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One
University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
- Depatment of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California
92618, United States
| | - Steve Agajanian
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid
College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One
University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Deniz Yazar Oztas
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid
College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One
University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid
College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One
University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Verkhivker GM, Di Paola L. Integrated Biophysical Modeling of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Binding and Allosteric Interactions with Antibodies. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:4596-4619. [PMID: 33929853 PMCID: PMC8098774 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c00395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Structural and biochemical studies of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins and complexes with highly potent antibodies have revealed multiple conformation-dependent epitopes highlighting conformational plasticity of spike proteins and capacity for eliciting specific binding and broad neutralization responses. In this study, we used coevolutionary analysis, molecular simulations, and perturbation-based hierarchical network modeling of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein complexes with a panel of antibodies targeting distinct epitopes to explore molecular mechanisms underlying binding-induced modulation of dynamics and allosteric signaling in the spike proteins. Through coevolutionary analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins, we identified highly coevolving hotspots and functional clusters that enable a functional cross-talk between distant allosteric regions in the SARS-CoV-2 spike complexes with antibodies. Coarse-grained and all-atom molecular dynamics simulations combined with mutational sensitivity mapping and perturbation-based profiling of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) complexes with CR3022 and CB6 antibodies enabled a detailed validation of the proposed approach and an extensive quantitative comparison with the experimental structural and deep mutagenesis scanning data. By combining in silico mutational scanning, perturbation-based modeling, and network analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer complexes with H014, S309, S2M11, and S2E12 antibodies, we demonstrated that antibodies can incur specific and functionally relevant changes by modulating allosteric propensities and collective dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. The results provide a novel insight into regulatory mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 S proteins showing that antibody-escaping mutations can preferentially target structurally adaptable energy hotspots and allosteric effector centers that control functional movements and allosteric communication in the complexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gennady M. Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid
College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One
University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California
92618, United States
| | - Luisa Di Paola
- Unit of Chemical-Physics Fundamentals in Chemical
Engineering, Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico
di Roma, via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome,
Italy
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Echave J. Fast computational mutation-response scanning of proteins. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11330. [PMID: 33976988 PMCID: PMC8067912 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying the effect of perturbations on protein structure is a basic approach in protein research. Important problems, such as predicting pathological mutations and understanding patterns of structural evolution, have been addressed by computational simulations that model mutations using forces and predict the resulting deformations. In single mutation-response scanning simulations, a sensitivity matrix is obtained by averaging deformations over point mutations. In double mutation-response scanning simulations, a compensation matrix is obtained by minimizing deformations over pairs of mutations. These very useful simulation-based methods may be too slow to deal with large proteins, protein complexes, or large protein databases. To address this issue, I derived analytical closed formulas to calculate the sensitivity and compensation matrices directly, without simulations. Here, I present these derivations and show that the resulting analytical methods are much faster than their simulation counterparts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julian Echave
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Modi T, Risso VA, Martinez-Rodriguez S, Gavira JA, Mebrat MD, Van Horn WD, Sanchez-Ruiz JM, Banu Ozkan S. Hinge-shift mechanism as a protein design principle for the evolution of β-lactamases from substrate promiscuity to specificity. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1852. [PMID: 33767175 PMCID: PMC7994827 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22089-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
TEM-1 β-lactamase degrades β-lactam antibiotics with a strong preference for penicillins. Sequence reconstruction studies indicate that it evolved from ancestral enzymes that degraded a variety of β-lactam antibiotics with moderate efficiency. This generalist to specialist conversion involved more than 100 mutational changes, but conserved fold and catalytic residues, suggesting a role for dynamics in enzyme evolution. Here, we develop a conformational dynamics computational approach to rationally mold a protein flexibility profile on the basis of a hinge-shift mechanism. By deliberately weighting and altering the conformational dynamics of a putative Precambrian β-lactamase, we engineer enzyme specificity that mimics the modern TEM-1 β-lactamase with only 21 amino acid replacements. Our conformational dynamics design thus re-enacts the evolutionary process and provides a rational allosteric approach for manipulating function while conserving the enzyme active site.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tushar Modi
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Valeria A Risso
- Departamento de Quimica Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Unidad de Excelencia de Quimica Aplicada a Biomedicina y Medioambiente (UEQ), Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Sergio Martinez-Rodriguez
- Departamento de Quimica Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Departamento de Bioquimica, Biologia Molecular III e Inmunologia, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Jose A Gavira
- Unidad de Excelencia de Quimica Aplicada a Biomedicina y Medioambiente (UEQ), Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
- Laboratorio de Estudios Cristalograficos, Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Armilla, Spain
| | - Mubark D Mebrat
- The Biodesign Institute Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Wade D Van Horn
- The Biodesign Institute Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Jose M Sanchez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Quimica Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain.
- Unidad de Excelencia de Quimica Aplicada a Biomedicina y Medioambiente (UEQ), Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain.
| | - S Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Laine E, Grudinin S. HOPMA: Boosting Protein Functional Dynamics with Colored Contact Maps. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:2577-2588. [PMID: 33687221 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c11633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
In light of the recent very rapid progress in protein structure prediction, accessing the multitude of functional protein states is becoming more central than ever before. Indeed, proteins are flexible macromolecules, and they often perform their function by switching between different conformations. However, high-resolution experimental techniques such as X-ray crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy can catch relatively few protein functional states. Many others are only accessible under physiological conditions in solution. Therefore, there is a pressing need to fill this gap with computational approaches. We present HOPMA, a novel method to predict protein functional states and transitions by using a modified elastic network model. The method exploits patterns in a protein contact map, taking its 3D structure as input, and excludes some disconnected patches from the elastic network. Combined with nonlinear normal mode analysis, this strategy boosts the protein conformational space exploration, especially when the input structure is highly constrained, as we demonstrate on a set of more than 400 transitions. Our results let us envision the discovery of new functional conformations, which were unreachable previously, starting from the experimentally known protein structures. The method is computationally efficient and available at https://github.com/elolaine/HOPMA and https://team.inria.fr/nano-d/software/nolb-normal-modes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Laine
- CNRS, IBPS, Laboratoire de Biologie Computationnelle et Quantitative (LCQB), Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Sergei Grudinin
- CNRS, Inria, Grenoble INP, LJK, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
The Role of Rigid Residues in Modulating TEM-1 β-Lactamase Function and Thermostability. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22062895. [PMID: 33809335 PMCID: PMC7999226 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22062895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between protein motions (i.e., dynamics) and enzymatic function has begun to be explored in β-lactamases as a way to advance our understanding of these proteins. In a recent study, we analyzed the dynamic profiles of TEM-1 (a ubiquitous class A β-lactamase) and several ancestrally reconstructed homologues. A chief finding of this work was that rigid residues that were allosterically coupled to the active site appeared to have profound effects on enzyme function, even when separated from the active site by many angstroms. In the present work, our aim was to further explore the implications of protein dynamics on β-lactamase function by altering the dynamic profile of TEM-1 using computational protein design methods. The Rosetta software suite was used to mutate amino acids surrounding either rigid residues that are highly coupled to the active site or to flexible residues with no apparent communication with the active site. Experimental characterization of ten designed proteins indicated that alteration of residues surrounding rigid, highly coupled residues, substantially affected both enzymatic activity and stability; in contrast, native-like activities and stabilities were maintained when flexible, uncoupled residues, were targeted. Our results provide additional insight into the structure-function relationship present in the TEM family of β-lactamases. Furthermore, the integration of computational protein design methods with analyses of protein dynamics represents a general approach that could be used to extend our understanding of the relationship between dynamics and function in other enzyme classes.
Collapse
|
39
|
Zhang Y, Krieger J, Mikulska-Ruminska K, Kaynak B, Sorzano COS, Carazo JM, Xing J, Bahar I. State-dependent sequential allostery exhibited by chaperonin TRiC/CCT revealed by network analysis of Cryo-EM maps. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 160:104-120. [PMID: 32866476 PMCID: PMC7914283 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The eukaryotic chaperonin TRiC/CCT plays a major role in assisting the folding of many proteins through an ATP-driven allosteric cycle. Recent structures elucidated by cryo-electron microscopy provide a broad view of the conformations visited at various stages of the chaperonin cycle, including a sequential activation of its subunits in response to nucleotide binding. But we lack a thorough mechanistic understanding of the structure-based dynamics and communication properties that underlie the TRiC/CCT machinery. In this study, we present a computational methodology based on elastic network models adapted to cryo-EM density maps to gain a deeper understanding of the structure-encoded allosteric dynamics of this hexadecameric machine. We have analysed several structures of the chaperonin resolved in different states toward mapping its conformational landscape. Our study indicates that the overall architecture intrinsically favours cooperative movements that comply with the structural variabilities observed in experiments. Furthermore, the individual subunits CCT1-CCT8 exhibit state-dependent sequential events at different states of the allosteric cycle. For example, in the ATP-bound state, subunits CCT5 and CCT4 selectively initiate the lid closure motions favoured by the overall architecture; whereas in the apo form of the heteromer, the subunit CCT7 exhibits the highest predisposition to structural change. The changes then propagate through parallel fluxes of allosteric signals to neighbours on both rings. The predicted state-dependent mechanisms of sequential activation provide new insights into TRiC/CCT intra- and inter-ring signal transduction events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, 800 Murdoch Building, 3420 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - James Krieger
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, 800 Murdoch Building, 3420 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Karolina Mikulska-Ruminska
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, 800 Murdoch Building, 3420 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Burak Kaynak
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, 800 Murdoch Building, 3420 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | | | - José-María Carazo
- Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CSIC), Darwin, 3, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jianhua Xing
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, 800 Murdoch Building, 3420 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Ivet Bahar
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, 800 Murdoch Building, 3420 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Di Luca A, Kaila VRI. Molecular strain in the active/deactive-transition modulates domain coupling in respiratory complex I. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2021; 1862:148382. [PMID: 33513365 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2021.148382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Complex I functions as a primary redox-driven proton pump in aerobic respiratory chains, establishing a proton motive force that powers ATP synthesis and active transport. Recent cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) experiments have resolved the mammalian complex I in the biomedically relevant active (A) and deactive (D) states (Zhu et al., 2016; Fiedorczuk et al., 2016; Agip et al., 2018 [1-3]) that could regulate enzyme turnover, but it still remains unclear how the conformational state and activity are linked. We show here how global motion along the A/D transition accumulates molecular strain at specific coupling regions important for both redox chemistry and proton pumping. Our data suggest that the A/D motion modulates force propagation pathways between the substrate-binding site and the proton pumping machinery that could alter electrostatic and conformational coupling across large distances. Our findings provide a molecular basis to understand how global protein dynamics can modulate the biological activity of large molecular complexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Di Luca
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ville R I Kaila
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Modal Analysis of the Lysozyme Protein Considering All-Atom and Coarse-Grained Finite Element Models. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app11020547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Proteins are the fundamental entities of several organic activities. They are essential for a broad range of tasks in a way that their shapes and folding processes are crucial to achieving proper biological functions. Low-frequency modes, generally associated with collective movements at terahertz (THz) and sub-terahertz frequencies, have been appointed as critical for the conformational processes of many proteins. Dynamic simulations, such as molecular dynamics, are vastly applied by biochemical researchers in this field. However, in the last years, proposals that define the protein as a simplified elastic macrostructure have shown appealing results when dealing with this type of problem. In this context, modal analysis based on different modelization techniques, i.e., considering both an all-atom (AA) and coarse-grained (CG) representation, is proposed to analyze the hen egg-white lysozyme. This work presents new considerations and conclusions compared to previous analyses. Experimental values for the B-factor, considering all the heavy atoms or only one representative point per amino acid, are used to evaluate the validity of the numerical solutions. In general terms, this comparison allows the assessment of the regional flexibility of the protein. Besides, the low computational requirements make this approach a quick method to extract the protein’s dynamic properties under scrutiny.
Collapse
|
42
|
Halder A, Anto A, Subramanyan V, Bhattacharyya M, Vishveshwara S, Vishveshwara S. Surveying the Side-Chain Network Approach to Protein Structure and Dynamics: The SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein as an Illustrative Case. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:596945. [PMID: 33392257 PMCID: PMC7775578 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.596945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Network theory-based approaches provide valuable insights into the variations in global structural connectivity between different dynamical states of proteins. Our objective is to review network-based analyses to elucidate such variations, especially in the context of subtle conformational changes. We present technical details of the construction and analyses of protein structure networks, encompassing both the non-covalent connectivity and dynamics. We examine the selection of optimal criteria for connectivity based on the physical concept of percolation. We highlight the advantages of using side-chain-based network metrics in contrast to backbone measurements. As an illustrative example, we apply the described network approach to investigate the global conformational changes between the closed and partially open states of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. These conformational changes in the spike protein is crucial for coronavirus entry and fusion into human cells. Our analysis reveals global structural reorientations between the two states of the spike protein despite small changes between the two states at the backbone level. We also observe some differences at strategic locations in the structures, correlating with their functions, asserting the advantages of the side-chain network analysis. Finally, we present a view of allostery as a subtle synergistic-global change between the ligand and the receptor, the incorporation of which would enhance drug design strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anushka Halder
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Arinnia Anto
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Varsha Subramanyan
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | | | - Smitha Vishveshwara
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Abdizadeh H, Jalalypour F, Atilgan AR, Atilgan C. A Coarse-Grained Methodology Identifies Intrinsic Mechanisms That Dissociate Interacting Protein Pairs. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:210. [PMID: 33195399 PMCID: PMC7477071 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We address the problem of triggering dissociation events between proteins that have formed a complex. We have collected a set of 25 non-redundant, functionally diverse protein complexes having high-resolution three-dimensional structures in both the unbound and bound forms. We unify elastic network models with perturbation response scanning (PRS) methodology as an efficient approach for predicting residues that have the propensity to trigger dissociation of an interacting protein pair, using the three-dimensional structures of the bound and unbound proteins as input. PRS reveals that while for a group of protein pairs, residues involved in the conformational shifts are confined to regions with large motions, there are others where they originate from parts of the protein unaffected structurally by binding. Strikingly, only a few of the complexes have interface residues responsible for dissociation. We find two main modes of response: In one mode, remote control of dissociation in which disruption of the electrostatic potential distribution along protein surfaces play the major role; in the alternative mode, mechanical control of dissociation by remote residues prevail. In the former, dissociation is triggered by changes in the local environment of the protein, e.g., pH or ionic strength, while in the latter, specific perturbations arriving at the controlling residues, e.g., via binding to a third interacting partner is required for decomplexation. We resolve the observations by relying on an electromechanical coupling model which reduces to the usual elastic network result in the limit of the lack of coupling. We validate the approach by illustrating the biological significance of top residues selected by PRS on select cases where we show that the residues whose perturbation leads to the observed conformational changes correspond to either functionally important or highly conserved residues in the complex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haleh Abdizadeh
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Farzaneh Jalalypour
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ali Rana Atilgan
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Canan Atilgan
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Verkhivker GM. Molecular Simulations and Network Modeling Reveal an Allosteric Signaling in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Proteins. J Proteome Res 2020; 19:4587-4608. [PMID: 33006900 PMCID: PMC7640983 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The development of computational strategies for the quantitative characterization of the functional mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins is of paramount importance in efforts to accelerate the discovery of novel therapeutic agents and vaccines combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Structural and biophysical studies have recently characterized the conformational landscapes of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins in the prefusion form, revealing a spectrum of stable and more dynamic states. By employing molecular simulations and network modeling approaches, this study systematically examined functional dynamics and identified the regulatory centers of allosteric interactions for distinct functional states of the wild-type and mutant variants of the SARS-CoV-2 prefusion spike trimer. This study presents evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can function as an allosteric regulatory engine that fluctuates between dynamically distinct functional states. Perturbation-based modeling of the interaction networks revealed a key role of the cross-talk between the effector hotspots in the receptor binding domain and the fusion peptide proximal region of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The results have shown that the allosteric hotspots of the interaction networks in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein can control the dynamic switching between functional conformational states that are associated with virus entry to the host receptor. This study offers a useful and novel perspective on the underlying mechanisms of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein through the lens of allosteric signaling as a regulatory apparatus of virus transmission that could open up opportunities for targeted allosteric drug discovery against SARS-CoV-2 proteins and contribute to the rapid response to the current and potential future pandemic scenarios.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gennady M. Verkhivker
- Graduate
Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science
and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
- Department
of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California 92618, United States
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Di Paola L, Hadi-Alijanvand H, Song X, Hu G, Giuliani A. The Discovery of a Putative Allosteric Site in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Using an Integrated Structural/Dynamic Approach. J Proteome Res 2020; 19:4576-4586. [PMID: 32551648 PMCID: PMC7331933 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.0c00273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has caused the largest pandemic of the twenty-first century (COVID-19), threatening the life and economy of all countries in the world. The identification of novel therapies and vaccines that can mitigate or control this global health threat is among the most important challenges facing biomedical sciences. To construct a long-term strategy to fight both SARS-CoV-2 and other possible future threats from coronaviruses, it is critical to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the virus action. The viral entry and associated infectivity stems from the formation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein complex with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The detection of putative allosteric sites on the viral spike protein molecule can be used to elucidate the molecular pathways that can be targeted with allosteric drugs to weaken the spike-ACE2 interaction and, thus, reduce viral infectivity. In this study, we present the results of the application of different computational methods aimed at detecting allosteric sites on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The adopted tools consisted of the protein contact networks (PCNs), SEPAS (Affinity by Flexibility), and perturbation response scanning (PRS) based on elastic network modes. All of these methods were applied to the ACE2 complex with both the SARS-CoV2 and SARS-CoV spike proteins. All of the adopted analyses converged toward a specific region (allosteric modulation region [AMR]), present in both complexes and predicted to act as an allosteric site modulating the binding of the spike protein with ACE2. Preliminary results on hepcidin (a molecule with strong structural and sequence with AMR) indicated an inhibitory effect on the binding affinity of the spike protein toward the ACE2 protein.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Di Paola
- Unit of Chemical-Physics Fundamentals
in Chemical Engineering, Department of Engineering,
Università Campus Bio-Medico di
Roma, via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128
Rome, Italy
| | - Hamid Hadi-Alijanvand
- Department of Biological Sciences,
Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences
(IASBS), Zanjan, 45137-66731,
Iran
| | - Xingyu Song
- Center for Systems Biology, Department
of Bioinformatics, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences,
Soochow University, Suzhou 215123,
China
| | - Guang Hu
- Center for Systems Biology, Department
of Bioinformatics, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences,
Soochow University, Suzhou 215123,
China
| | - Alessandro Giuliani
- Environmental and Health Department,
Istituto Superiore di Sanità,
00161 Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Xiao F, Song X, Tian P, Gan M, Verkhivker GM, Hu G. Comparative Dynamics and Functional Mechanisms of the CYP17A1 Tunnels Regulated by Ligand Binding. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:3632-3647. [PMID: 32530640 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
As an important member of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, CYP17A1 is a dual-function monooxygenase with a critical role in the synthesis of many human steroid hormones, making it an attractive therapeutic target. The emerging structural information about CYP17A1 and the growing number of inhibitors for these enzymes call for a systematic strategy to delineate and classify mechanisms of ligand transport through tunnels that control catalytic activity. In this work, we applied an integrated computational strategy to different CYP17A1 systems with a panel of ligands to systematically study at the atomic level the mechanism of ligand-binding and tunneling dynamics. Atomistic simulations and binding free energy computations identify the dynamics of dominant tunnels and characterize energetic properties of critical residues responsible for ligand binding. The common transporting pathways including S, 3, and 2c tunnels were identified in CYP17A1 binding systems, while the 2c tunnel is a newly formed pathway upon ligand binding. We employed and integrated several computational approaches including the analysis of functional motions and sequence conservation, atomistic modeling of dynamic residue interaction networks, and perturbation response scanning analysis to dissect ligand tunneling mechanisms. The results revealed the hinge-binding and sliding motions as main functional modes of the tunnel dynamic, and a group of mediating residues as key regulators of tunnel conformational dynamics and allosteric communications. We have also examined and quantified the mutational effects on the tunnel composition, conformational dynamics, and long-range allosteric behavior. The results of this investigation are fully consistent with the experimental data, providing novel rationale to the experiments and offering valuable insights into the relationships between the structure and function of the channel networks and a robust atomistic model of activation mechanisms and allosteric interactions in CYP enzymes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fei Xiao
- Center for Systems Biology, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Xingyu Song
- Center for Systems Biology, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Peiyi Tian
- Center for Systems Biology, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Mi Gan
- Center for Systems Biology, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Gennady M Verkhivker
- Department of Computational and Data Sciences, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States.,Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University Pharmacy School, 9401 Jeronimo Rd, Irvine, California 92618, United States
| | - Guang Hu
- Center for Systems Biology, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biology and Basic Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Scaramozzino D, Khade PM, Jernigan RL, Lacidogna G, Carpinteri A. Structural compliance: A new metric for protein flexibility. Proteins 2020; 88:1482-1492. [PMID: 32548853 DOI: 10.1002/prot.25968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Proteins are the active players in performing essential molecular activities throughout biology, and their dynamics has been broadly demonstrated to relate to their mechanisms. The intrinsic fluctuations have often been used to represent their dynamics and then compared to the experimental B-factors. However, proteins do not move in a vacuum and their motions are modulated by solvent that can impose forces on the structure. In this paper, we introduce a new structural concept, which has been called the structural compliance, for the evaluation of the global and local deformability of the protein structure in response to intramolecular and solvent forces. Based on the application of pairwise pulling forces to a protein elastic network, this structural quantity has been computed and sometimes is even found to yield an improved correlation with the experimental B-factors, meaning that it may serve as a better metric for protein flexibility. The inverse of structural compliance, namely the structural stiffness, has also been defined, which shows a clear anticorrelation with the experimental data. Although the present applications are made to proteins, this approach can also be applied to other biomolecular structures such as RNA. This present study considers only elastic network models, but the approach could be applied further to conventional atomic molecular dynamics. Compliance is found to have a slightly better agreement with the experimental B-factors, perhaps reflecting its bias toward the effects of local perturbations, in contrast to mean square fluctuations. The code for calculating protein compliance and stiffness is freely accessible at https://jerniganlab.github.io/Software/PACKMAN/Tutorials/compliance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Scaramozzino
- Department of Structural, Geotechnical and Building Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, Torino, Italy
| | - Pranav M Khade
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Robert L Jernigan
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Giuseppe Lacidogna
- Department of Structural, Geotechnical and Building Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, Torino, Italy
| | - Alberto Carpinteri
- Department of Structural, Geotechnical and Building Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, Torino, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Krieger JM, Doruker P, Scott AL, Perahia D, Bahar I. Towards gaining sight of multiscale events: utilizing network models and normal modes in hybrid methods. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 64:34-41. [PMID: 32622329 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
With the explosion of normal mode analyses (NMAs) based on elastic network models (ENMs) in the last decade, and the proven precision of MD simulations for visualizing interactions at atomic scale, many hybrid methods have been proposed in recent years. These aim at exploiting the best of both worlds: the atomic precision of MD that often fall short of exploring time and length scales of biological interest, and the capability of ENM-NMA to predict the cooperative and often functional rearrangements of large structures and assemblies, albeit at low resolution. We present an overview of recent progress in the field with examples of successful applications highlighting the utility of such hybrid methods and pointing to emerging future directions guided by advances in experimental characterization of biomolecular systems structure and dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James M Krieger
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Ave, Suite 3064 BST3, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Pemra Doruker
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Ave, Suite 3064 BST3, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Ana Ligia Scott
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Federal University of ABC, Santo André, SP, Brazil
| | - David Perahia
- Laboratoire de Biologie et de Pharmacologie Appliquée, Ecole Normale Superieure Paris-Saclay, UMR 8113, CNRS, 4 Avenue des Sciences, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Ivet Bahar
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Ave, Suite 3064 BST3, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Stetz G, Astl L, Verkhivker GM. Exploring Mechanisms of Communication Switching in the Hsp90-Cdc37 Regulatory Complexes with Client Kinases through Allosteric Coupling of Phosphorylation Sites: Perturbation-Based Modeling and Hierarchical Community Analysis of Residue Interaction Networks. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:4706-4725. [PMID: 32492340 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c00280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Understanding molecular principles underlying chaperone-based modulation of kinase client activity is critically important to dissect functions and activation mechanisms of many oncogenic proteins. The recent experimental studies have suggested that phosphorylation sites in the Hsp90 and Cdc37 proteins can serve as conformational communication switches of chaperone regulation and kinase interactions. However, a mechanism of allosteric coupling between phosphorylation sites in the Hsp90 and Cdc37 during client binding is poorly understood, and the molecular signatures underpinning specific roles of phosphorylation sites in the Hsp90 regulation remain unknown. In this work, we employed a combination of evolutionary analysis, coarse-grained molecular simulations together with perturbation-based network modeling and scanning of the unbound and bound Hsp90 and Cdc37 structures to quantify allosteric effects of phosphorylation sites and identify unique signatures that are characteristic for communication switches of kinase-specific client binding. By using network-based metrics of the dynamic intercommunity bridgeness and community centrality, we characterize specific signatures of phosphorylation switches involved in allosteric regulation. Through perturbation-based analysis of the dynamic residue interaction networks, we show that mutations of kinase-specific phosphorylation switches can induce long-range effects and lead to a global rewiring of the allosteric network and signal transmission in the Hsp90-Cdc37-kinase complex. We determine a specific group of phosphorylation sites in the Hsp90 where mutations may have a strong detrimental effect on allosteric interaction network, providing insight into the mechanism of phosphorylation-induced communication switching. The results demonstrate that kinase-specific phosphorylation switches of communications in the Hsp90 may be partly predisposed for their regulatory role based on preexisting allosteric propensities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Stetz
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Lindy Astl
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Gennady M Verkhivker
- Graduate Program in Computational and Data Sciences, Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States.,Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California 92618, United States
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Jalalypour F, Sensoy O, Atilgan C. Perturb-Scan-Pull: A Novel Method Facilitating Conformational Transitions in Proteins. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:3825-3841. [PMID: 32324386 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.9b01222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Conformational transitions in proteins facilitate precise physiological functions. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms underlying these processes to modulate protein function. Yet, studying structural and dynamical properties of proteins is notoriously challenging due to the complexity of the underlying potential energy surfaces (PES). We have previously developed the perturbation-response scanning (PRS) method to identify key residues that participate in the communication network responsible for specific conformational transitions. PRS is based on a residue-by-residue scan of the protein to determine the subset of residues/forces which provide the closest conformational change leading to a target conformational state, inasmuch as linear response theory applies to these motions. Here, we develop a novel method to further evaluate if conformational transitions may be triggered on the PES. We aim to study functionally relevant conformational transitions in proteins by using results obtained from PRS and feeding them as inputs to steered molecular dynamics simulations. The success and the transferability of the method are evaluated on three protein systems having different complexities of motion on the PES: calmodulin, adenylate kinase, and bacterial ferric binding protein. We find that the method captures the target conformation, while providing key residues and the optimum paths with relatively low free energy profiles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Jalalypour
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, 34956, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozge Sensoy
- School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Istanbul Medipol University, 34810, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Canan Atilgan
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, 34956, Istanbul, Turkey.,Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, SUNUM, 34956, Istanbul, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|