1
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Sinha Roy A, Marohn JA, Freed JH. An analysis of double-quantum coherence ESR in an N-spin system: Analytical expressions and predictions. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:134105. [PMID: 38557852 PMCID: PMC11087869 DOI: 10.1063/5.0200054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Electron spin resonance pulsed dipolar spectroscopy (PDS) has become popular in protein 3D structure analysis. PDS studies yield distance distributions between a pair or multiple pairs of spin probes attached to protein molecules, which can be used directly in structural studies or as constraints in theoretical predictions. Double-quantum coherence (DQC) is a highly sensitive and accurate PDS technique to study protein structures in the solid state and under physiologically relevant conditions. In this work, we have derived analytical expressions for the DQC signal for a system with N-dipolar coupled spin-1/2 particles in the solid state. The expressions are integrated over the relevant spatial parameters to obtain closed form DQC signal expressions. These expressions contain the concentration-dependent "instantaneous diffusion" and the background signal. For micromolar and lower concentrations, these effects are negligible. An approximate analysis is provided for cases of finite pulses. The expressions obtained in this work should improve the analysis of DQC experimental data significantly, and the analytical approach could be extended easily to a wide range of magnetic resonance phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John A. Marohn
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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2
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Bogetti X, Saxena S. Integrating Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Computational Modeling to Measure Protein Structure and Dynamics. Chempluschem 2024; 89:e202300506. [PMID: 37801003 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202300506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) has become a powerful probe of conformational heterogeneity and dynamics of biomolecules. In this Review, we discuss different computational modeling techniques that enrich the interpretation of EPR measurements of dynamics or distance restraints. A variety of spin labels are surveyed to provide a background for the discussion of modeling tools. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of models containing spin labels provide dynamical properties of biomolecules and their labels. These simulations can be used to predict EPR spectra, sample stable conformations and sample rotameric preferences of label sidechains. For molecular motions longer than milliseconds, enhanced sampling strategies and de novo prediction software incorporating or validated by EPR measurements are able to efficiently refine or predict protein conformations, respectively. To sample large-amplitude conformational transition, a coarse-grained or an atomistic weighted ensemble (WE) strategy can be guided with EPR insights. Looking forward, we anticipate an integrative strategy for efficient sampling of alternate conformations by de novo predictions, followed by validations by systematic EPR measurements and MD simulations. Continuous pathways between alternate states can be further sampled by WE-MD including all intermediate states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Bogetti
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 219 Parkman Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Sunil Saxena
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 219 Parkman Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
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3
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Majeed S, Dang L, Islam MM, Ishola O, Borbat PP, Ludtke SJ, Georgieva ER. HIV-1 Vpu protein forms stable oligomers in aqueous solution via its transmembrane domain self-association. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14691. [PMID: 37673923 PMCID: PMC10483038 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41873-0] [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: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
We report our findings on the assembly of the HIV-1 protein Vpu into soluble oligomers. Vpu is a key HIV-1 protein. It has been considered exclusively a single-pass membrane protein. Previous observations show that this protein forms stable oligomers in aqueous solution, but details about these oligomers still remain obscure. This is an interesting and rather unique observation, as the number of proteins transitioning between soluble and membrane embedded states is limited. In this study we made use of protein engineering, size exclusion chromatography, cryoEM and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to better elucidate the nature of the soluble oligomers. We found that Vpu oligomerizes via its N-terminal transmembrane domain (TM). CryoEM suggests that the oligomeric state most likely is a hexamer/heptamer equilibrium. Both cryoEM and EPR suggest that, within the oligomer, the distal C-terminal region of Vpu is highly flexible. Our observations are consistent with both the concept of specific interactions among TM helices or the core of the oligomers being stabilized by hydrophobic forces. While this study does not resolve all of the questions about Vpu oligomers or their functional role in HIV-1 it provides new fundamental information about the size and nature of the oligomeric interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saman Majeed
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Lan Dang
- Graduate Program in Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Md Majharul Islam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Olamide Ishola
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Peter P Borbat
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and ACERT, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Steven J Ludtke
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Elka R Georgieva
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA.
- Center for Membrane Protein Research, TTU Health Science Center, Lubbock, TX, 79430, USA.
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4
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Das Mahanta D, Brown DR, Pezzotti S, Han S, Schwaab G, Shell MS, Havenith M. Local solvation structures govern the mixing thermodynamics of glycerol-water solutions. Chem Sci 2023; 14:7381-7392. [PMID: 37416713 PMCID: PMC10321518 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc00517h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycerol is a major cryoprotective agent and is widely used to promote protein stabilization. By a combined experimental and theoretical study, we show that global thermodynamic mixing properties of glycerol and water are dictated by local solvation motifs. We identify three hydration water populations, i.e., bulk water, bound water (water hydrogen bonded to the hydrophilic groups of glycerol) and cavity wrap water (water hydrating the hydrophobic moieties). Here, we show that for glycerol experimental observables in the THz regime allow quantification of the abundance of bound water and its partial contribution to the mixing thermodynamics. Specifically, we uncover a 1 : 1 connection between the population of bound waters and the mixing enthalpy, which is further corroborated by the simulation results. Therefore, the changes in global thermodynamic quantity - mixing enthalpy - are rationalized at the molecular level in terms of changes in the local hydrophilic hydration population as a function of glycerol mole fraction in the full miscibility range. This offers opportunities to rationally design polyol water, as well as other aqueous mixtures to optimize technological applications by tuning mixing enthalpy and entropy based on spectroscopic screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debasish Das Mahanta
- Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II, Ruhr-Universität Bochum 44780 Bochum Germany
- Department of Physics, Technische Universität Dortmund 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Dennis Robinson Brown
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara California 93106-5080 USA
| | - Simone Pezzotti
- Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II, Ruhr-Universität Bochum 44780 Bochum Germany
| | - Songi Han
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara California 93106-5080 USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara California 93106-9510 USA
| | - Gerhard Schwaab
- Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II, Ruhr-Universität Bochum 44780 Bochum Germany
| | - M Scott Shell
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara California 93106-5080 USA
| | - Martina Havenith
- Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II, Ruhr-Universität Bochum 44780 Bochum Germany
- Department of Physics, Technische Universität Dortmund 44227 Dortmund Germany
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5
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Majeed S, Dang L, Islam MM, Ishola O, Borbat PP, Ludtke SJ, Georgieva ER. HIV-1 Vpu protein forms stable oligomers in aqueous solution via its transmembrane domain self-association. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.08.539839. [PMID: 37214796 PMCID: PMC10197565 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.08.539839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
We report our findings on the assembly of the HIV-1 protein Vpu into soluble oligomers. Vpu is a key to HIV-1 protein. It has been considered exclusively a single-pass membrane protein. However, we revealed that this protein forms stable oligomers in aqueous solution, which is an interesting and rather unique observation, as the number of proteins transitioning between soluble and membrane embedded states is limited. Therefore, we undertook a study to characterize these oligomers by utilizing protein engineering, size exclusion chromatography, cryoEM and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. We found that Vpu oligomerizes via its N-terminal transmembrane domain (TM). CryoEM analyses suggest that the oligomeric state most likely is a hexamer or hexamer-to-heptamer equilibrium. Both cryoEM and EPR suggest that, within the oligomer, the distant C-terminal region of Vpu is highly flexible. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive study on soluble Vpu. We propose that these oligomers are stabilized via possibly hydrophobic interactions between Vpu TMs. Our findings contribute valuable information about this protein properties and about protein supramolecular complexes formation. The acquired knowledge could be further used in protein engineering, and could also help to uncover possible physiological function of these Vpu oligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saman Majeed
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Lan Dang
- Graduate Program in Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Md Majharul Islam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Olamide Ishola
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
| | - Peter P. Borbat
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and ACERT, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Steven J. Ludtke
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Elka R. Georgieva
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
- Center for Membrane Protein Research, TTU Health Science Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
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6
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Tessmer MH, Stoll S. A novel approach to modeling side chain ensembles of the bifunctional spin label RX. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.24.542139. [PMID: 37292623 PMCID: PMC10245940 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.24.542139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We introduce a novel approach to modeling side chain ensembles of bifunctional spin labels. This approach utilizes rotamer libraries to generate side chain conformational ensembles. Because the bifunctional label is constrained by two attachment sites, the label is split into two monofunctional rotamers which are first attached to their respective sites, then rejoined by a local optimization in dihedral space. We validate this method against a set of previously published experimental data using the bifunctional spin label, RX. This method is relatively fast and can readily be used for both experimental analysis and protein modeling, providing significant advantages over modeling bifunctional labels with molecular dynamics simulations. Use of bifunctional labels for site directed spin labeling (SDSL) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy dramatically reduces label mobility, which can significantly improve resolution of small changes in protein backbone structure and dynamics. Coupling the use of bifunctional labels with side chain modeling methods allows for improved quantitative application of experimental SDSL EPR data to protein modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxx H. Tessmer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98103, United States
| | - Stefan Stoll
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98103, United States
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7
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Wang DTW, Tang TYC, Kuo CT, Yu YT, Chen EHL, Lee MT, Tsai RF, Chen HY, Chiang YW, Chen RPY. Cholesterol twists the transmembrane Di-Gly region of amyloid-precursor protein. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad162. [PMID: 37265546 PMCID: PMC10230161 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Nearly 95% of Alzheimer's disease (AD) occurs sporadically without genetic linkage. Aging, hypertension, high cholesterol content, and diabetes are known nongenomic risk factors of AD. Aggregation of Aβ peptides is an initial event of AD pathogenesis. Aβ peptides are catabolic products of a type I membrane protein called amyloid precursor protein (APP). Aβ40 is the major product, whereas the 2-residue-longer version, Aβ42, induces amyloid plaque formation in the AD brain. Since cholesterol content is one risk factor for sporadic AD, we aimed to explore whether cholesterol in the membrane affects the structure of the APP transmembrane region, thereby modulating the γ-secretase cutting behavior. Here, we synthesized several peptides containing the APP transmembrane region (sequence 693-726, corresponding to the Aβ22-55 sequence) with one or two Cys mutations for spin labeling. We performed three electron spin resonance experiments to examine the structural changes of the peptides in liposomes composed of dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine and different cholesterol content. Our results show that cholesterol increases membrane thickness by 10% and peptide length accordingly. We identified that the di-glycine region of Aβ36-40 (sequence VGGVV) exhibits the most profound change in response to cholesterol compared with other segments, explaining how the presence of cholesterol affects the γ-secretase cutting site. This study provides spectroscopic evidence showing how cholesterol modulates the structure of the APP transmembrane region in a lipid bilayer.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Tzu-Wei Wang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Tiffany Y C Tang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Ting Kuo
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Ting Yu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Eric H L Chen
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Tao Lee
- Life Science Group, Scientific Research Division, National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan
- Department of Physics, National Central University, Zhongli 320317, Taiwan
| | - Ruei-Fong Tsai
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Ying Chen
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
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8
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Tessmer MH, Stoll S. chiLife: An open-source Python package for in silico spin labeling and integrative protein modeling. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1010834. [PMID: 37000838 PMCID: PMC10096462 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Here we introduce chiLife, a Python package for site-directed spin label (SDSL) modeling for electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, in particular double electron-electron resonance (DEER). It is based on in silico attachment of rotamer ensemble representations of spin labels to protein structures. chiLife enables the development of custom protein analysis and modeling pipelines using SDSL EPR experimental data. It allows the user to add custom spin labels, scoring functions and spin label modeling methods. chiLife is designed with integration into third-party software in mind, to take advantage of the diverse and rapidly expanding set of molecular modeling tools available with a Python interface. This article describes the main design principles of chiLife and presents a series of examples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxx H. Tessmer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington United States of America
| | - Stefan Stoll
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington United States of America
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9
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Seal M, Feintuch A, Goldfarb D. The effect of spin-lattice relaxation on DEER background decay. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2022; 345:107327. [PMID: 36410061 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2022.107327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The common approach to background removal in double electron-electron resonance (DEER) measurements on frozen solutions with a three-dimensional homogeneous distribution of doubly labeled biomolecules is to fit the background to an exponential decay function. Excluded volume effects or distribution in a dimension lower than three, such as proteins in a membrane, can lead to a stretched exponential decay. In this work, we show that in cases of spin labels with short spin-lattice relaxation time, up to an order of magnitude longer than the DEER trace length, relevant for metal-based spin labels, spin flips that take place during the DEER evolution time affect the background decay shape. This was demonstrated using a series of temperature-dependent DEER measurements on frozen solutions of a nitroxide radical, a Gd(III) complex, Cu(II) ions, and a bis-Gd(III) model complex. As expected, the background decay was exponential for the nitroxide, whereas deviations were noted for Gd(III) and Cu(II). Based on the theoretical approach of Keller et al. (Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 21 (2019) 8228-8245), which addresses the effect of spin-lattice relaxation-induced spin flips during the evolution time, we show that the background decay can be fitted to an exponent including a linear and quadratic term in t, which is the position of the pump pulse. Analysis of the data in terms of the probability of spontaneous spin flips induced by spin-lattice relaxation showed that this approach worked well for the high temperature range studied for Gd(III) and Cu(II). At the low temperature range, the spin flips that occured during the DEER evolution time for Gd(III) exceeded the measured spin-lattice relaxation rate and include contributions from spin flips due to another mechanisms, most likely nuclear spin diffusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manas Seal
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Akiva Feintuch
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
| | - Daniella Goldfarb
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
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10
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Jeon J, Blake Wilson C, Yau WM, Thurber KR, Tycko R. Time-resolved solid state NMR of biomolecular processes with millisecond time resolution. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2022; 342:107285. [PMID: 35998398 PMCID: PMC9463123 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2022.107285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
We review recent efforts to develop and apply an experimental approach to the structural characterization of transient intermediate states in biomolecular processes that involve large changes in molecular conformation or assembly state. This approach depends on solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) measurements that are performed at very low temperatures, typically 25-30 K, with signal enhancements from dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). This approach also involves novel technology for initiating the process of interest, either by rapid mixing of two solutions or by a rapid inverse temperature jump, and for rapid freezing to trap intermediate states. Initiation by rapid mixing or an inverse temperature jump can be accomplished in approximately-one millisecond. Freezing can be accomplished in approximately 100 microseconds. Thus, millisecond time resolution can be achieved. Recent applications to the process by which the biologically essential calcium sensor protein calmodulin forms a complex with one of its target proteins and the process by which the bee venom peptide melittin converts from an unstructured monomeric state to a helical, tetrameric state after a rapid change in pH or temperature are described briefly. Future applications of millisecond time-resolved ssNMR are also discussed briefly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaekyun Jeon
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA
| | - C Blake Wilson
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA
| | - Wai-Ming Yau
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA
| | - Kent R Thurber
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA
| | - Robert Tycko
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0520, USA.
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11
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Peter MF, Gebhardt C, Mächtel R, Muñoz GGM, Glaenzer J, Narducci A, Thomas GH, Cordes T, Hagelueken G. Cross-validation of distance measurements in proteins by PELDOR/DEER and single-molecule FRET. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4396. [PMID: 35906222 PMCID: PMC9338047 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31945-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulsed electron-electron double resonance spectroscopy (PELDOR/DEER) and single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer spectroscopy (smFRET) are frequently used to determine conformational changes, structural heterogeneity, and inter probe distances in biological macromolecules. They provide qualitative information that facilitates mechanistic understanding of biochemical processes and quantitative data for structural modelling. To provide a comprehensive comparison of the accuracy of PELDOR/DEER and smFRET, we use a library of double cysteine variants of four proteins that undergo large-scale conformational changes upon ligand binding. With either method, we use established standard experimental protocols and data analysis routines to determine inter-probe distances in the presence and absence of ligands. The results are compared to distance predictions from structural models. Despite an overall satisfying and similar distance accuracy, some inconsistencies are identified, which we attribute to the use of cryoprotectants for PELDOR/DEER and label-protein interactions for smFRET. This large-scale cross-validation of PELDOR/DEER and smFRET highlights the strengths, weaknesses, and synergies of these two important and complementary tools in integrative structural biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin F Peter
- Institute of Structural Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christian Gebhardt
- Physical and Synthetic Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Rebecca Mächtel
- Physical and Synthetic Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Gabriel G Moya Muñoz
- Physical and Synthetic Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Janin Glaenzer
- Institute of Structural Biology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Alessandra Narducci
- Physical and Synthetic Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Gavin H Thomas
- Department of Biology (Area 10), University of York, York, UK
| | - Thorben Cordes
- Physical and Synthetic Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
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12
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Schmidt T, Wang D, Jeon J, Schwieters CD, Clore GM. Quantitative Agreement between Conformational Substates of Holo Calcium-Loaded Calmodulin Detected by Double Electron-Electron Resonance EPR and Predicted by Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:12043-12051. [PMID: 35759799 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c02201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Calcium-loaded calmodulin (CaM/4Ca2+) comprises two domains that undergo rigid body reorientation from a predominantly extended conformation to a compact one upon binding target peptides. A recent replica-exchange molecular dynamics (MD) simulation on holo CaM/4Ca2+ suggested the existence of distinct structural clusters (substates) along the path from extended to compact conformers in the absence of substrates. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the existence of CaM/4Ca2+ substates trapped in local minima by three freezing/annealing regimes (slow, 40 s; intermediate, 1.5 s; fast, 0.5 ms) using pulsed Q-band double electron-electron resonance (DEER) EPR spectroscopy to measure interdomain distances between nitroxide spin-labels positioned at A17C and A128C in the N- and C-terminal domains, respectively. The DEER echo curves were directly fit to population-optimized P(r) pairwise distance distributions calculated from the coordinates of the MD clusters and compact crystal structure. DEER data on fully deuterated CaM/4Ca2+ were acquired at multiple values of the second echo period (10-35 μs) and analyzed globally to eliminate instrumental and overfitting artifacts and ensure accurate populations, peak positions, and widths. The DEER data for all three freezing regimes are quantitatively accounted for within experimental error by 5-6 distinct conformers comprising a predominantly populated extended form (60-75%) and progressively more compact states whose populations decrease as the degree of compactness increases. The shortest interdomain separation is found in the compact crystal structure, which has an occupancy of 4-6%. Thus, CaM/4Ca2+ samples high energy local minima comprising a few discrete substates of increasing compactness in a rugged energy landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Schmidt
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
| | - David Wang
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
| | - Jaekyun Jeon
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
| | - Charles D Schwieters
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
| | - G Marius Clore
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
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13
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Abstract
In-cell structural biology aims at extracting structural information about proteins or nucleic acids in their native, cellular environment. This emerging field holds great promise and is already providing new facts and outlooks of interest at both fundamental and applied levels. NMR spectroscopy has important contributions on this stage: It brings information on a broad variety of nuclei at the atomic scale, which ensures its great versatility and uniqueness. Here, we detail the methods, the fundamental knowledge, and the applications in biomedical engineering related to in-cell structural biology by NMR. We finally propose a brief overview of the main other techniques in the field (EPR, smFRET, cryo-ET, etc.) to draw some advisable developments for in-cell NMR. In the era of large-scale screenings and deep learning, both accurate and qualitative experimental evidence are as essential as ever to understand the interior life of cells. In-cell structural biology by NMR spectroscopy can generate such a knowledge, and it does so at the atomic scale. This review is meant to deliver comprehensive but accessible information, with advanced technical details and reflections on the methods, the nature of the results, and the future of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois-Xavier Theillet
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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14
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Kao TY, Hung CL, Lan YJ, Lee SW, Chiang YW. Simple Cryoprotectant-Free Method to Advance Pulsed Dipolar ESR Spectroscopy for Capturing Protein Conformational Ensembles. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:423-429. [PMID: 35005966 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c08190] [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
Double electron-electron resonance (DEER) is a powerful technique for studying protein conformations. To preserve the room-temperature ensemble, proteins are usually shock-frozen in liquid nitrogen prior to DEER measurements. The use of cryoprotectant additives is, therefore, necessary to ensure the formation of a vitrified state. Here, we present a simple modification of the freezing process using a flexible fused silica microcapillary, which increases the freezing rates and thus enables DEER measurement without the use of cryoprotectants. The Bid protein, which is highly sensitive to cryoprotectant additives, is used as a model. We show that DEER with the simple modification can successfully reveal the cold denaturation of Bid, which was not possible with the conventional DEER preparations. The DEER result reveals the nature of Bid folding. Our method advances DEER for capturing the chemically and thermally induced conformational changes of a protein in a cryoprotectant-free medium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Te-Yu Kao
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300-044, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Lun Hung
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300-044, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jing Lan
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300-044, Taiwan
| | - Su Wei Lee
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300-044, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Wei Chiang
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300-044, Taiwan
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15
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Singewald K, Wilkinson JA, Saxena AS. Copper Based Site-directed Spin Labeling of Proteins for Use in Pulsed and Continuous Wave EPR Spectroscopy. Bio Protoc 2021; 11:e4258. [PMID: 35087917 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Site-directed spin labeling in conjunction with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is an attractive approach to measure residue specific dynamics and point-to-point distance distributions in a biomolecule. Here, we focus on the labeling of proteins with a Cu(II)-nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) complex, by exploiting two strategically placed histidine residues (called the dHis motif). This labeling strategy has emerged as a means to overcome key limitations of many spin labels. Through utilizing the dHis motif, Cu(II)NTA rigidly binds to a protein without depending on cysteine residues. This protocol outlines three major points: the synthesis of the Cu(II)NTA complex; the measurement of continuous wave and pulsed EPR spectra, to verify a successful synthesis, as well as successful protein labeling; and utilizing Cu(II)NTA labeled proteins, to measure distance constraints and backbone dynamics. In doing so, EPR measurements are less influenced by sidechain motion, which influences the breadth of the measured distance distributions between two spins, as well as the measured residue-specific dynamics. More broadly, such EPR-based distance measurements provide unique structural constraints for integrative structural biophysics and complement traditional biophysical techniques, such as NMR, cryo-EM, FRET, and crystallography. Graphic abstract: Monitoring the success of Cu(II)NTA labeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Singewald
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
| | | | - And Sunil Saxena
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA
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16
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Schiemann O, Heubach CA, Abdullin D, Ackermann K, Azarkh M, Bagryanskaya EG, Drescher M, Endeward B, Freed JH, Galazzo L, Goldfarb D, Hett T, Esteban Hofer L, Fábregas Ibáñez L, Hustedt EJ, Kucher S, Kuprov I, Lovett JE, Meyer A, Ruthstein S, Saxena S, Stoll S, Timmel CR, Di Valentin M, Mchaourab HS, Prisner TF, Bode BE, Bordignon E, Bennati M, Jeschke G. Benchmark Test and Guidelines for DEER/PELDOR Experiments on Nitroxide-Labeled Biomolecules. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:17875-17890. [PMID: 34664948 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c07371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Distance distribution information obtained by pulsed dipolar EPR spectroscopy provides an important contribution to many studies in structural biology. Increasingly, such information is used in integrative structural modeling, where it delivers unique restraints on the width of conformational ensembles. In order to ensure reliability of the structural models and of biological conclusions, we herein define quality standards for sample preparation and characterization, for measurements of distributed dipole-dipole couplings between paramagnetic labels, for conversion of the primary time-domain data into distance distributions, for interpreting these distributions, and for reporting results. These guidelines are substantiated by a multi-laboratory benchmark study and by analysis of data sets with known distance distribution ground truth. The study and the guidelines focus on proteins labeled with nitroxides and on double electron-electron resonance (DEER aka PELDOR) measurements and provide suggestions on how to proceed analogously in other cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olav Schiemann
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstraße 12, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Caspar A Heubach
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstraße 12, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Dinar Abdullin
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstraße 12, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Katrin Ackermann
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, and Centre of Magnetic Resonance, University of St Andrews North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9ST, U.K
| | - Mykhailo Azarkh
- Department of Chemistry and Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Elena G Bagryanskaya
- N.N. Vorozhtsov Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry, Lavrentieva aven 9, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Malte Drescher
- Department of Chemistry and Konstanz Research School Chemical Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Burkhard Endeward
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and Center of Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jack H Freed
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and ACERT, National Biomedical Center for Advanced Electron Spin Resonance Technology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-1301, United States
| | - Laura Galazzo
- Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Daniella Goldfarb
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Tobias Hett
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstraße 12, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Laura Esteban Hofer
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Hönggerberg, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Luis Fábregas Ibáñez
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Hönggerberg, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Eric J Hustedt
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Svetlana Kucher
- Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Ilya Kuprov
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, U.K
| | - Janet Eleanor Lovett
- SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy and BSRC, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS, U.K
| | - Andreas Meyer
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sharon Ruthstein
- Department of Chemistry, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Sunil Saxena
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, United States
| | - Stefan Stoll
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Christiane R Timmel
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Advanced Electron Spin Resonance, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QR, U.K
| | - Marilena Di Valentin
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Hassane S Mchaourab
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
| | - Thomas F Prisner
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and Center of Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Bela Ernest Bode
- EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, and Centre of Magnetic Resonance, University of St Andrews North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9ST, U.K
| | - Enrica Bordignon
- Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Marina Bennati
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gunnar Jeschke
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Hönggerberg, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
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17
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Isaev N, Steinhoff HJ. Protein and solutes freeze-concentration in water/glycerol mixtures revealed by pulse EPR. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2021; 169:44-51. [PMID: 34534655 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2021.08.017] [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: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Lyophilization can extend protein drugs stability and shelf life, but it also can lead to protein degradation in some cases. The development of safe freeze-drying approaches for sensitive proteins requires a better understanding of lyophilization on the molecular level. The evaluation of the freezing process and its impact on the protein environment in the nm scale is challenging because feasible experimental methods are scarce. In the present work we apply pulse EPR as a tool to study the local concentrations of the solute in the 20 nm range and of the solvent in the 1 nm range for a spin labeled 27 kDa monomeric green fluorescent protein, mEGFP, and the 172 Da TEMPOL spin probe, frozen in different water/glycerol-d5 mixtures. For average glycerol volume fractions, φgly-d5avg, ≥ 0.4 we observed transparent glassy media; the local concentration and the 1 nm solvent shell of TEMPOL and the protein correspond to those of a uniform vitrified glass. At φgly-d5avg ≤ 0.3 we observed partial ice crystallization, which led to ice exclusion of glycerol and TEMPOL with freeze-concentration up to the glycerol maximal-freeze local volume fraction, φgly-d5loc, of 0.64. The protein concentration and its shell behavior was similar except for the lowest φgly-d5avg (0.1), which showed a 4.7-fold freeze-concentration factor compared to sevenfold for TEMPOL, and also a smaller φgly-d5loc. We explain this behavior with an increased probability for proteins to get stuck in the ice phase during fast freezing at higher freeze-concentration and the related large-scale mass transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Isaev
- Voevodsky Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia.
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18
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del Alamo D, Jagessar KL, Meiler J, Mchaourab HS. Methodology for rigorous modeling of protein conformational changes by Rosetta using DEER distance restraints. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009107. [PMID: 34133419 PMCID: PMC8238229 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe an approach for integrating distance restraints from Double Electron-Electron Resonance (DEER) spectroscopy into Rosetta with the purpose of modeling alternative protein conformations from an initial experimental structure. Fundamental to this approach is a multilateration algorithm that harnesses sets of interconnected spin label pairs to identify optimal rotamer ensembles at each residue that fit the DEER decay in the time domain. Benchmarked relative to data analysis packages, the algorithm yields comparable distance distributions with the advantage that fitting the DEER decay and rotamer ensemble optimization are coupled. We demonstrate this approach by modeling the protonation-dependent transition of the multidrug transporter PfMATE to an inward facing conformation with a deviation to the experimental structure of less than 2Å Cα RMSD. By decreasing spin label rotamer entropy, this approach engenders more accurate Rosetta models that are also more closely clustered, thus setting the stage for more robust modeling of protein conformational changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego del Alamo
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Kevin L. Jagessar
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Jens Meiler
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Institute for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University Medical School, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hassane S. Mchaourab
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
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19
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Hett T, Zbik T, Mukherjee S, Matsuoka H, Bönigk W, Klose D, Rouillon C, Brenner N, Peuker S, Klement R, Steinhoff HJ, Grubmüller H, Seifert R, Schiemann O, Kaupp UB. Spatiotemporal Resolution of Conformational Changes in Biomolecules by Combining Pulsed Electron-Electron Double Resonance Spectroscopy with Microsecond Freeze-Hyperquenching. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:6981-6989. [PMID: 33905249 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c01081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The function of proteins is linked to their conformations that can be resolved with several high-resolution methods. However, only a few methods can provide the temporal order of intermediates and conformational changes, with each having its limitations. Here, we combine pulsed electron-electron double resonance spectroscopy with a microsecond freeze-hyperquenching setup to achieve spatiotemporal resolution in the angstrom range and lower microsecond time scale. We show that the conformational change of the Cα-helix in the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain of the Mesorhizobium loti potassium channel occurs within about 150 μs and can be resolved with angstrom precision. Thus, this approach holds great promise for obtaining 4D landscapes of conformational changes in biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Hett
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstraße 12, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Tobias Zbik
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Shatanik Mukherjee
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Hideto Matsuoka
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstraße 12, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Bönigk
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Daniel Klose
- Fachbereich Physik, Universität Osnabrück, Barbarastraße 7, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Christophe Rouillon
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Norbert Brenner
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Sebastian Peuker
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Reinhard Klement
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Helmut Grubmüller
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Reinhard Seifert
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany
| | - Olav Schiemann
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Wegelerstraße 12, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - U Benjamin Kaupp
- Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (caesar), Ludwig-Erhard-Allee 2, 53175 Bonn, Germany.,Life & Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES), University of Bonn, Carl-Troll-Straße 31, 53115 Bonn, Germany
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20
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Dantu SC, Sicoli G. The 'hidden side' of spin labelled oligonucleotides: Molecular dynamics study focusing on the EPR-silent components of base pairing. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2021; 324:106924. [PMID: 33581372 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2021.106924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Nitroxide labels are combined with nucleic acid structures and are studied using electron paramagnetic resonance experiments (EPR). As X-ray/NMR structures are unavailable with the nitroxide labels, detailed residue level information, down to atomic resolution, about the effect of these nitroxide labels on local RNA structures is currently lacking. This information is critical to evaluate the choice of spin label. In this study, we compare and contrast the effect of TEMPO-based (NT) and rigid spin (Ç) labels (in both 2'-O methylated and not-methylated forms) on RNA duplexes. We also investigate sequence- dependent effects of NT label on RNA duplex along with the more complex G-quadruplex RNA. Distances measured from molecular dynamics simulations between the two spin labels are in agreement with the EPR experimental data. To understand the effect of labelled oligonucleotides on the structure, we studied the local base pair geometries and global structure in comparison with the unlabelled structures. Based on the structural analysis, we can conclude that TEMPO-based and Ç labels do not significantly perturb the base pair arrangements of the native oligonucleotide. When experimental structures for the spin labelled DNA/RNA molecules are not available, general framework offered by the current study can be used to provide information critical to the choice of spin labels to facilitate future EPR studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarath Chandra Dantu
- Theoretical & Computational Biophysics Department, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Faßberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Giuseppe Sicoli
- Laboratoire Avancé de Spectroscopie pour les Interactions, la Réactivité et l'Environnement (LASIRE), CNRS Lille, UMR 8516, Bâtiment C4 - Université de Lille, Sciences et Technologies, Avenue Paul Langevin 59655 Villeneuve-d'Ascq Cedex, France.
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21
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Ghosh S, Casto J, Bogetti X, Arora C, Wang J, Saxena S. Orientation and dynamics of Cu 2+ based DNA labels from force field parameterized MD elucidates the relationship between EPR distance constraints and DNA backbone distances. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:26707-26719. [PMID: 33159779 PMCID: PMC10521111 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp05016d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) based distance measurements using the recently developed Cu2+-DPA label present a promising strategy for measuring DNA backbone distance constraints. Herein we develop force field parameters for Cu2+-DPA in order to understand the features of this label at an atomic level. We perform molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the force field parameters of Cu2+-DPA on four different DNA duplexes. The distance between the Cu2+ centers, extracted from the 2 μs MD trajectories, agrees well with the experimental distance for all the duplexes. Further analyses of the trajectory provide insight into the orientation of the Cu2+-DPA inside the duplex that leads to such agreement with experiments. The MD results also illustrate the ability of the Cu2+-DPA to report on the DNA backbone distance constraints. Furthermore, measurement of fluctuations of individual residues showed that the flexibility of Cu2+-DPA in a DNA depends on the position of the label in the duplex, and a 2 μs MD simulation is not sufficient to fully capture the experimental distribution in some cases. Finally, the MD trajectories were utilized to understand the key aspects of the double electron electron resonance (DEER) results. The lack of orientational selectivity effects of the Cu2+-DPA at Q-band frequency is rationalized in terms of fluctuations in the Cu2+ coordination environment and rotameric fluctuations of the label linker. Overall, a combination of EPR and MD simulations based on the Cu2+-DPA labelling strategy can contribute towards understanding changes in DNA backbone conformations during protein-DNA interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Ghosh
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
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22
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Viewing rare conformations of the β 2 adrenergic receptor with pressure-resolved DEER spectroscopy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:31824-31831. [PMID: 33257561 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2013904117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The β2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR) is an archetypal G protein coupled receptor (GPCR). One structural signature of GPCR activation is a large-scale movement (ca. 6 to 14 Å) of transmembrane helix 6 (TM6) to a conformation which binds and activates a cognate G protein. The β2AR exhibits a low level of agonist-independent G protein activation. The structural origin of this basal activity and its suppression by inverse agonists is unknown but could involve a unique receptor conformation that promotes G protein activation. Alternatively, a conformational selection model proposes that a minor population of the canonical active receptor conformation exists in equilibrium with inactive forms, thus giving rise to basal activity of the ligand-free receptor. Previous spin-labeling and fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments designed to monitor the positional distribution of TM6 did not detect the presence of the active conformation of ligand-free β2AR. Here we employ spin-labeling and pressure-resolved double electron-electron resonance spectroscopy to reveal the presence of a minor population of unliganded receptor, with the signature outward TM6 displacement, in equilibrium with inactive conformations. Binding of inverse agonists suppresses this population. These results provide direct structural evidence in favor of a conformational selection model for basal activity in β2AR and provide a mechanism for inverse agonism. In addition, they emphasize 1) the importance of minor populations in GPCR catalytic function; 2) the use of spin-labeling and variable-pressure electron paramagnetic resonance to reveal them in a membrane protein; and 3) the quantitative evaluation of their thermodynamic properties relative to the inactive forms, including free energy, partial molar volume, and compressibility.
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23
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Kaczmarski JA, Mahawaththa MC, Feintuch A, Clifton BE, Adams LA, Goldfarb D, Otting G, Jackson CJ. Altered conformational sampling along an evolutionary trajectory changes the catalytic activity of an enzyme. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5945. [PMID: 33230119 PMCID: PMC7683729 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19695-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Several enzymes are known to have evolved from non-catalytic proteins such as solute-binding proteins (SBPs). Although attention has been focused on how a binding site can evolve to become catalytic, an equally important question is: how do the structural dynamics of a binding protein change as it becomes an efficient enzyme? Here we performed a variety of experiments, including propargyl-DO3A-Gd(III) tagging and double electron-electron resonance (DEER) to study the rigid body protein dynamics of reconstructed evolutionary intermediates to determine how the conformational sampling of a protein changes along an evolutionary trajectory linking an arginine SBP to a cyclohexadienyl dehydratase (CDT). We observed that primitive dehydratases predominantly populate catalytically unproductive conformations that are vestiges of their ancestral SBP function. Non-productive conformational states, including a wide-open state, are frozen out of the conformational landscape via remote mutations, eventually leading to extant CDT that exclusively samples catalytically relevant compact states. These results show that remote mutations can reshape the global conformational landscape of an enzyme as a mechanism for increasing catalytic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe A Kaczmarski
- Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Mithun C Mahawaththa
- Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Akiva Feintuch
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Ben E Clifton
- Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.,Protein Engineering and Evolution Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa, 904-0412, Japan
| | - Luke A Adams
- Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Daniella Goldfarb
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
| | - Gottfried Otting
- Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia. .,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, ACT, Australia.
| | - Colin J Jackson
- Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia. .,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, ACT, Australia. .,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, ACT, Australia.
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24
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Georgieva ER. Protein Conformational Dynamics upon Association with the Surfaces of Lipid Membranes and Engineered Nanoparticles: Insights from Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Molecules 2020; 25:E5393. [PMID: 33218036 PMCID: PMC7698768 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25225393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Detailed study of conformational rearrangements and dynamics of proteins is central to our understanding of their physiological functions and the loss of function. This review outlines the applications of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique to study the structural aspects of proteins transitioning from a solution environment to the states in which they are associated with the surfaces of biological membranes or engineered nanoobjects. In the former case these structural transitions generally underlie functional protein states. The latter case is mostly relevant to the application of protein immobilization in biotechnological industries, developing methods for protein purification, etc. Therefore, evaluating the stability of the protein functional state is particularly important. EPR spectroscopy in the form of continuous-wave EPR or pulse EPR distance measurements in conjunction with protein spin labeling provides highly versatile and sensitive tools to characterize the changes in protein local dynamics as well as large conformational rearrangements. The technique can be widely utilized in studies of both protein-membrane and engineered nanoobject-protein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elka R Georgieva
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USA
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25
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Sherck N, Webber T, Brown DR, Keller T, Barry M, DeStefano A, Jiao S, Segalman RA, Fredrickson GH, Shell MS, Han S. End-to-End Distance Probability Distributions of Dilute Poly(ethylene oxide) in Aqueous Solution. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:19631-19641. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c08709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Sherck
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Thomas Webber
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Dennis Robinson Brown
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Timothy Keller
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Mikayla Barry
- Department of Materials, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Audra DeStefano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Sally Jiao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Rachel A. Segalman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
- Department of Materials, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Glenn H. Fredrickson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
- Department of Materials, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - M. Scott Shell
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Songi Han
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
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26
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In-cell destabilization of a homodimeric protein complex detected by DEER spectroscopy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:20566-20575. [PMID: 32788347 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2005779117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The complexity of the cellular medium can affect proteins' properties, and, therefore, in-cell characterization of proteins is essential. We explored the stability and conformation of the first baculoviral IAP repeat (BIR) domain of X chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP), BIR1, as a model for a homodimer protein in human HeLa cells. We employed double electron-electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy and labeling with redox stable and rigid Gd3+ spin labels at three representative protein residues, C12 (flexible region), E22C, and N28C (part of helical residues 26 to 31) in the N-terminal region. In contrast to predictions by excluded-volume crowding theory, the dimer-monomer dissociation constant K D was markedly higher in cells than in solution and dilute cell lysate. As expected, this increase was partially recapitulated under conditions of high salt concentrations, given that conserved salt bridges at the dimer interface are critically required for association. Unexpectedly, however, also the addition of the crowding agent Ficoll destabilized the dimer while the addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme, often used to represent interaction with charged macromolecules, had no effect. Our results highlight the potential of DEER for in-cell study of proteins as well as the complexities of the effects of the cellular milieu on protein structures and stability.
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27
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Schmidt T, Jeon J, Okuno Y, Chiliveri SC, Clore GM. Submillisecond Freezing Permits Cryoprotectant-Free EPR Double Electron-Electron Resonance Spectroscopy. Chemphyschem 2020; 21:1224-1229. [PMID: 32383308 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202000312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Double electron-electron resonance (DEER) EPR spectroscopy is a powerful method for obtaining distance distributions between pairs of engineered nitroxide spin-labels in proteins and other biological macromolecules. These measurements require the use of cryogenic temperatures (77 K or less) to prolong the phase memory relaxation time (Tm ) sufficiently to enable detection of a DEER echo curve. Generally, a cryoprotectant such as glycerol is added to protein samples to facilitate glass formation and avoid protein clustering (which can result in a large decrease in Tm ) during relatively slow flash freezing in liquid N2 . However, cryoprotectants are osmolytes and can influence protein folding/unfolding equilibria, as well as species populations in weak multimeric systems. Here we show that submillisecond rapid freezing, achieved by high velocity spraying of the sample onto a rapidly spinning, liquid nitrogen cooled copper disc obviates the requirement for cryoprotectants and permits high quality DEER data to be obtained in absence of glycerol. We demonstrate this approach on five different protein systems: protein A, the metastable drkN SH3 domain, urea-unfolded drkN SH3, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, and the transmembrane domain of HIV-1 gp41 in lipid bicelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Schmidt
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0520, USA
| | - Jaekyun Jeon
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0520, USA
| | - Yusuke Okuno
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0520, USA
| | - Sai C Chiliveri
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0520, USA
| | - G Marius Clore
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0520, USA
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28
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Hardwick JS, Haugland MM, El-Sagheer AH, Ptchelkine D, Beierlein FR, Lane AN, Brown T, Lovett JE, Anderson EA. 2'-Alkynyl spin-labelling is a minimally perturbing tool for DNA structural analysis. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:2830-2840. [PMID: 32052020 PMCID: PMC7102949 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The determination of distances between specific points in nucleic acids is essential to understanding their behaviour at the molecular level. The ability to measure distances of 2-10 nm is particularly important: deformations arising from protein binding commonly fall within this range, but the reliable measurement of such distances for a conformational ensemble remains a significant challenge. Using several techniques, we show that electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of oligonucleotides spin-labelled with triazole-appended nitroxides at the 2' position offers a robust and minimally perturbing tool for obtaining such measurements. For two nitroxides, we present results from EPR spectroscopy, X-ray crystal structures of B-form spin-labelled DNA duplexes, molecular dynamics simulations and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These four methods are mutually supportive, and pinpoint the locations of the spin labels on the duplexes. In doing so, this work establishes 2'-alkynyl nitroxide spin-labelling as a minimally perturbing method for probing DNA conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack S Hardwick
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Marius M Haugland
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Afaf H El-Sagheer
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
- Chemistry Branch, Department of Science and Mathematics, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering, Suez University, Suez 43721, Egypt
| | - Denis Ptchelkine
- Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK
- Research Complex at Harwell, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Frank R Beierlein
- Computer-Chemistry-Center and Interdisciplinary Center for Molecular Materials, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nägelsbachstrasse 25, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andrew N Lane
- Center for Environmental and Systems Biochemistry and Department of Toxicology & Cancer Biology, The University of Kentucky, 789 S. Limestone St., Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Tom Brown
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Janet E Lovett
- SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy and BSRC, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS, UK
| | - Edward A Anderson
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
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29
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Joseph B, Jaumann EA, Sikora A, Barth K, Prisner TF, Cafiso DS. In situ observation of conformational dynamics and protein ligand-substrate interactions in outer-membrane proteins with DEER/PELDOR spectroscopy. Nat Protoc 2019; 14:2344-2369. [PMID: 31278399 PMCID: PMC6886689 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-019-0182-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Observing structure and conformational dynamics of membrane proteins at high-resolution in their native environments is challenging because of the lack of suitable techniques. We have developed an approach for high-precision distance measurements in the nanometer range for outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in intact E. coli and native membranes. OMPs in Gram-negative bacteria rarely have reactive cysteines. This enables in-situ labeling of engineered cysteines with a methanethiosulfonate functionalized nitroxide spin label (MTSL) with minimal background signals. Following overexpression of the target protein, spin labeling is performed with E. coli or isolated outer membranes (OM) under selective conditions. The interspin distances are measured in-situ using pulsed electron-electron double resonance spectroscopy (PELDOR or DEER). The residual background signals, which are problematic for in-situ structural biology, contributes specifically to the intermolecular part of the signal and can be selectively removed to extract the desired interspin distance distribution. The initial cloning stage can take 5–7 d and the subsequent protein expression, OM isolation, spin labeling, PELDOR experiment, and the data analysis typically take 4–5 d. The described protocol provides a general strategy for observing protein-ligand/substrate interactions, oligomerization, and conformational dynamics of OMPs in the native OM and intact E. coli. EDITORIAL SUMMARY This protocol describes how to label bacterial outer membrane proteins with spin labels to study conformational changes and their interaction with ligands and substrates in native membranes and cells using Pulsed Electron-Electron Double Resonance (PELDOR or DEER) spectroscopy. TWEET A new protocol for studying conformational changes and ligand/substrate interactions of bacterial outer membrane proteins in-situ. COVER TEASER Studying membrane protein conformations in-situ
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Affiliation(s)
- Benesh Joseph
- Institute of Biophysics, Department of Physics, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. .,Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Eva A Jaumann
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Arthur Sikora
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Membrane Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Katja Barth
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Thomas F Prisner
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - David S Cafiso
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Membrane Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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30
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Ivanov MY, Fedin MV. Nanoscale heterogeneities in ionic liquids: insights from EPR of spin probes. MENDELEEV COMMUNICATIONS 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mencom.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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31
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Gränz M, Erlenbach N, Spindler P, Gophane DB, Stelzl LS, Sigurdsson ST, Prisner TF. Dynamics of Nucleic Acids at Room Temperature Revealed by Pulsed EPR Spectroscopy. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201803682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Gränz
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and Center of Biomolecular Magnetic ResonanceGoethe University Frankfurt Max-von-Laue-Straße 7 60438 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Nicole Erlenbach
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and Center of Biomolecular Magnetic ResonanceGoethe University Frankfurt Max-von-Laue-Straße 7 60438 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Philipp Spindler
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and Center of Biomolecular Magnetic ResonanceGoethe University Frankfurt Max-von-Laue-Straße 7 60438 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Dnyaneshwar B. Gophane
- Department of ChemistryScience InstituteUniversity of Iceland Dunhaga 3 107 Reykjavík Iceland
| | - Lukas S. Stelzl
- Department of Theoretical BiophysicsMax Planck Institute of Biophysics Max-von-Laue-Straße 3 60438 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Snorri Th. Sigurdsson
- Department of ChemistryScience InstituteUniversity of Iceland Dunhaga 3 107 Reykjavík Iceland
| | - Thomas F. Prisner
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and Center of Biomolecular Magnetic ResonanceGoethe University Frankfurt Max-von-Laue-Straße 7 60438 Frankfurt am Main Germany
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32
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Gränz M, Erlenbach N, Spindler P, Gophane DB, Stelzl LS, Sigurdsson ST, Prisner TF. Dynamics of Nucleic Acids at Room Temperature Revealed by Pulsed EPR Spectroscopy. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018; 57:10540-10543. [PMID: 29858557 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201803682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The investigation of the structure and conformational dynamics of biomolecules under physiological conditions is challenging for structural biology. Although pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance (like PELDOR) techniques provide long-range distance and orientation information with high accuracy, such studies are usually performed at cryogenic temperatures. At room temperature (RT) PELDOR studies are seemingly impossible due to short electronic relaxation times and loss of dipolar interactions through rotational averaging. We incorporated the rigid nitroxide spin label Ç into a DNA duplex and immobilized the sample on a solid support to overcome this limitation. This enabled orientation-selective PELDOR measurements at RT. A comparison with data recorded at 50 K revealed averaging of internal dynamics, which occur on the ns time range at RT. Thus, our approach adds a new method to study structural and dynamical processes at physiological temperature in the <10 μs time range with atomistic resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Gränz
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and Center of Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Nicole Erlenbach
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and Center of Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Philipp Spindler
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and Center of Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Dnyaneshwar B Gophane
- Department of Chemistry, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 3, 107, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Lukas S Stelzl
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Max-von-Laue-Straße 3, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Snorri Th Sigurdsson
- Department of Chemistry, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 3, 107, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Thomas F Prisner
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and Center of Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 7, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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33
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Lai YC, Li CC, Sung TC, Chang CW, Lan YJ, Chiang YW. The role of cardiolipin in promoting the membrane pore-forming activity of BAX oligomers. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2018; 1861:268-280. [PMID: 29958826 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2018.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BCL-2-associated X (BAX) protein acts as a gatekeeper in regulating mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. Under cellular stress, BAX becomes activated and transforms into a lethal oligomer that causes mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP). Previous studies have identified several structural features of the membrane-associated BAX oligomer; they include the formation of the BH3-in-groove dimer, the collapse of the helical hairpin α5-α6, and the membrane insertion of α9 helix. However, it remains unclear as to the role of lipid environment in determining the conformation and the pore-forming activity of the BAX oligomers. Here we study molecular details of the membrane-associated BAX in various lipid environments using fluorescence and ESR techniques. We identify the inactive versus active forms of membrane-associated BAX, only the latter of which can induce stable and large membrane pores that are sufficient in size to pass apoptogenic factors. We reveal that the presence of CL is crucial to promoting the association between BAX dimers, hence the active oligomers. Without the presence of CL, BAX dimers assemble into an inactive oligomer that lacks the ability to form stable pores in the membrane. This study suggests an important role of CL in determining the formation of active BAX oligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yei-Chen Lai
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Chieh-Chin Li
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Ching Sung
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Wei Chang
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jing Lan
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Wei Chiang
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
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34
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Leavesley A, Wilson CB, Sherwin M, Han S. Effect of water/glycerol polymorphism on dynamic nuclear polarization. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 20:9897-9903. [PMID: 29619477 DOI: 10.1039/c8cp00358k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
A paramount feature of robust experimental methods is acquiring consistent data. However, in dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), it has been observed that the DNP-induced NMR signal enhancement of nominally the same sample can vary between different experimental sessions. We investigated the impact of various freezing conditions on the DNP results for a standard sample, a 50/40/10 by volume d8-glycerol/D2O/H2O solution of 40 mM 4-amino TEMPO, and found that annealing the samples 10 K above the glass transition temperature (Tg) causes significant changes to the DNP profiles and enhancements compared to that in rapidly frozen samples. When varying the glycerol composition to yield a solution of 60/30/10 d8-glycerol/D2O/H2O, the DNP performance became markedly more consistent, even for samples prepared under vastly different sample freezing methods, in stark contrast with that of the 50/40/10 solution. The EPR lineshapes, Tm, and glass transition temperature, Tg, were measured under the same sample and experimental conditions as used for the DNP experiments to support the conclusion that different freezing methods change the distribution of 4-amino TEMPO radials in the 50/40/10 solution due to the formation of different polymorphs of the glass, which is mitigated in the 60/30/10 solution and is consistent with the water/glycerol vitrification literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Leavesley
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
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35
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Bankston JR, DeBerg HA, Stoll S, Zagotta WN. Mechanism for the inhibition of the cAMP dependence of HCN ion channels by the auxiliary subunit TRIP8b. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:17794-17803. [PMID: 28864772 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.800722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
TRIP8b, an accessory subunit of hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) ion channels, alters both the cell surface expression and cyclic nucleotide dependence of these channels. However, the mechanism by which TRIP8b exerts these dual effects is still poorly understood. In addition to binding to the carboxyl-terminal tripeptide of HCN channels, TRIP8b also binds directly to the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD). That interaction, which requires a small central portion of TRIP8b termed TRIP8bcore, is both necessary and sufficient for reducing the cAMP-dependent regulation of HCN channels. Here, using fluorescence anisotropy, we report that TRIP8b binding to the CNBD of HCN2 channels decreases the apparent affinity of cAMP for the CNBD. We explored two possible mechanisms for this inhibition. A noncompetitive mechanism in which TRIP8b inhibits the conformational change of the CNBD associated with cAMP regulation and a competitive mechanism in which TRIP8b and cAMP compete for the same binding site. To test these two mechanisms, we used a combination of fluorescence anisotropy, biolayer interferometry, and double electron-electron resonance spectroscopy. Fitting these models to our fluorescence anisotropy binding data revealed that, surprisingly, the TRIP8b-dependent reduction of cAMP binding to the CNBD can largely be explained by partial competition between TRIP8b and cAMP. On the basis of these findings, we propose that TRIP8b competes with a portion of the cAMP-binding site or distorts the binding site by making interactions with the binding pocket, thus acting predominantly as a competitive antagonist that inhibits the cyclic-nucleotide dependence of HCN channels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah A DeBerg
- From the Departments of Physiology and Biophysics and.,Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Stefan Stoll
- Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
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36
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Abstract
Amyloid fiber-forming proteins are predominantly intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). The protein tau, present mostly in neurons, is no exception. There is a significant interest in the study of tau protein aggregation mechanisms, given the direct correlation between the deposit of β-sheet structured neurofibrillary tangles made of tau and pathology in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Among the core unresolved questions is the nature of the initial step triggering aggregation, with increasing attention placed on the question whether a conformational change of the IDPs plays a key role in the early stages of aggregation. Specifically, there is growing evidence that a shift in the conformation ensemble of tau is involved in its aggregation pathway, and might even dictate structural and pathological properties of mature fibers. Yet, because IDPs lack a well-defined 3D structure and continuously exchange between different conformers, it has been technically challenging to characterize their structural changes on-pathway to aggregation. Here, we make a case that double spin labeling of the β-sheet stacking region of tau combined with pulsed double electron-electron resonance spectroscopy is a powerful method to assay conformational changes occurring during the course of tau aggregation, by probing intramolecular distances around aggregation-prone domains. We specifically demonstrate the potential of this approach by presenting recent results on conformation rearrangement of the β-sheet stacking segment VQIINK (known as PHF6*) of tau. We highlight a canonical shift of the conformation ensemble, on-pathway and occurring at the earliest stage of aggregation, toward an opening of PHF6*. We expect this method to be applicable to other critical segments of tau and other IDPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Fichou
- University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Neil A Eschmann
- University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Timothy J Keller
- University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Songi Han
- University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States.
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37
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Mittal S, Shukla D. Predicting Optimal DEER Label Positions to Study Protein Conformational Heterogeneity. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:9761-9770. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b04785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shriyaa Mittal
- Center
for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology and ‡Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Diwakar Shukla
- Center
for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology and ‡Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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38
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Lawless MJ, Shimshi A, Cunningham TF, Kinde MN, Tang P, Saxena S. Analysis of Nitroxide-Based Distance Measurements in Cell Extracts and in Cells by Pulsed ESR Spectroscopy. Chemphyschem 2017; 18:1653-1660. [PMID: 28295910 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201700115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Measurements of distances in cells by pulsed ESR spectroscopy afford tremendous opportunities to study proteins in native environments that are irreproducible in vitro. However, the in-cell environment is harsh towards the typical nitroxide radicals used in double electron-electron resonance (DEER) experiments. A systematic examination is performed on the loss of the DEER signal, including contributions from nitroxide decay and nitroxide side-chain cleavage. In addition, the possibility of extending the lifetime of the nitroxide radical by use of an oxidizing agent is investigated. Using this oxidizing agent, DEER distance measurements are performed on doubly nitroxide-labeled GB1, the immunoglobulin-binding domain of protein G, at varying incubation times in the cellular environment. It is found that, by comparison of the loss of DEER signal to the loss of the CW spectrum, cleavage of the nitroxide side chain contributes to the loss of DEER signal, which is significantly greater in cells than in cell extracts. Finally, local spin concentrations are monitored at varying incubation times to show the time required for molecular diffusion of a small globular protein within the cellular milieu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Lawless
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 219 Parkman Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Amit Shimshi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 219 Parkman Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Timothy F Cunningham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 219 Parkman Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA.,Current address: Department of Chemistry, Hanover College, 484 Ball Dr, Hanover, IN, 47243, USA
| | - Monica N Kinde
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3501 5th Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.,Current address: Division of Basic Sciences, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, 2901 St. John's Blvd., Joplin, MO, 64804, USA
| | - Pei Tang
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3501 5th Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Sunil Saxena
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 219 Parkman Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
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39
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Srivastava M, Georgieva ER, Freed JH. A New Wavelet Denoising Method for Experimental Time-Domain Signals: Pulsed Dipolar Electron Spin Resonance. J Phys Chem A 2017; 121:2452-2465. [PMID: 28257206 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.7b00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
We adapt a new wavelet-transform-based method of denoising experimental signals to pulse-dipolar electron-spin resonance spectroscopy (PDS). We show that signal averaging times of the time-domain signals can be reduced by as much as 2 orders of magnitude, while retaining the fidelity of the underlying signals, in comparison with noiseless reference signals. We have achieved excellent signal recovery when the initial noisy signal has an SNR ≳ 3. This approach is robust and is expected to be applicable to other time-domain spectroscopies. In PDS, these time-domain signals representing the dipolar interaction between two electron spin labels are converted into their distance distribution functions P(r), usually by regularization methods such as Tikhonov regularization. The significant improvements achieved by using denoised signals for this regularization are described. We show that they yield P(r)'s with more accurate detail and yield clearer separations of respective distances, which is especially important when the P(r)'s are complex. Also, longer distance P(r)'s, requiring longer dipolar evolution times, become accessible after denoising. In comparison to standard wavelet denoising approaches, it is clearly shown that the new method (WavPDS) is superior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhur Srivastava
- National Biomedical Center for Advanced ESR Technology, ‡Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, and §Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Elka R Georgieva
- National Biomedical Center for Advanced ESR Technology, ‡Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, and §Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Jack H Freed
- National Biomedical Center for Advanced ESR Technology, ‡Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, and §Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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40
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Kao TY, Tsai CJ, Lan YJ, Chiang YW. The role of conformational heterogeneity in regulating the apoptotic activity of BAX protein. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:9584-9591. [DOI: 10.1039/c7cp00401j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Inactive BAX exists in two states. A shift in the equilibrium would initiate apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Te-Yu Kao
- Department of Chemistry
- National Tsing Hua University
- Hsinchu 30013
- Taiwan
| | - Chia-Jung Tsai
- Department of Chemistry
- National Tsing Hua University
- Hsinchu 30013
- Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jing Lan
- Department of Chemistry
- National Tsing Hua University
- Hsinchu 30013
- Taiwan
| | - Yun-Wei Chiang
- Department of Chemistry
- National Tsing Hua University
- Hsinchu 30013
- Taiwan
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41
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Liou SH, Mahomed M, Lee YT, Goodin DB. Effector Roles of Putidaredoxin on Cytochrome P450cam Conformational States. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:10163-72. [PMID: 27452076 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b04110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In this study, the effector role of Pdx (putidaredoxin) on cytochrome P450cam conformation is refined by attaching two different spin labels, MTSL or BSL (bifunctional spin-label) onto the F or G helices and using DEER (double electron-electron resonance) to measure the distance between labels. Recent EPR and crystallographic studies have observed that oxidized Pdx induces substrate-bound P450cam to change from the closed to the open state. However, this change was not observed by DEER in the reduced Pdx complex with carbon-monoxide-bound P450cam (Fe(2+)CO). In addition, recent NMR studies have failed to observe a change in P450cam conformation upon binding Pdx. Hence, resolving these issues is important for a full understanding the effector role of Pdx. Here we show that oxidized Pdx induces camphor-bound P450cam to shift from the closed to the open conformation when labeled on either the F or G helices with MTSL. BSL at these sites can either narrow the distance distribution widths dramatically or alter the extent of the conformational change. In addition, we report DEER spectra on a mixed oxidation state containing oxidized Pdx and ferrous CO-bound P450cam, showing that P450cam remains closed. This indicates that CO binding to the heme prevents P450cam from opening, overriding the influence exerted by Pdx binding. Finally, we report the open form P450cam crystal structure with substrate bound, which suggests that crystal packing effects may prevent conformational conversion. Using multiple labeling approaches, DEER provides a unique perspective to resolve how the conformation of P450cam depends on Pdx and ligand states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Hao Liou
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis , One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Mavish Mahomed
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis , One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Young-Tae Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis , One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - David B Goodin
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis , One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616, United States
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42
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Jhong SR, Li CY, Sung TC, Lan YJ, Chang KJ, Chiang YW. Evidence for an Induced-Fit Process Underlying the Activation of Apoptotic BAX by an Intrinsically Disordered BimBH3 Peptide. J Phys Chem B 2016; 120:2751-60. [PMID: 26913490 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b00909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Apoptotic BAX protein functions as a critical gateway to mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. A diversity of stimuli has been implicated in initiating BAX activation, but the triggering mechanism remains elusive. Here we study the interaction of BAX with an intrinsically disordered BH3 motif of Bim protein (BimBH3) using ESR techniques. Upon incubation with BAX, BimBH3 binds to BAX at helices 1/6 trigger site to initiate conformational changes of BAX, which in turn promotes the formation of BAX oligomers. The study strategy is twofold: while BAX oligomerization was monitored through spectral changes of spin-labeled BAX, the binding kinetics was studied by observing time-dependent changes of spin-labeled BimBH3. Meanwhile, conformational transition between the unstructured and structured BimBH3 was measured. We show that helical propensity of the BimBH3 is increased upon binding to BAX but is then reduced after being released from the activated BAX; the release is due to the BimBH3-induced conformational change of BAX that is a prerequisite for the oligomer assembling. Intermediate states are identified, offering a key snapshot of the coupled folding and binding process. Our results provide a quantitative mechanistic description of the BAX activation and reveal new insights into the mechanism underlying the interactions between BAX and BH3-mimetic peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siao-Ru Jhong
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University , Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Yu Li
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University , Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Ching Sung
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University , Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jing Lan
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University , Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Jung Chang
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University , Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Wei Chiang
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University , Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
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43
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Meyer V, Swanson MA, Clouston LJ, Boratyński PJ, Stein RA, Mchaourab HS, Rajca A, Eaton SS, Eaton GR. Room-temperature distance measurements of immobilized spin-labeled protein by DEER/PELDOR. Biophys J 2016; 108:1213-9. [PMID: 25762332 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Revised: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitroxide spin labels are used for double electron-electron resonance (DEER) measurements of distances between sites in biomolecules. Rotation of gem-dimethyls in commonly used nitroxides causes spin echo dephasing times (Tm) to be too short to perform DEER measurements at temperatures between ∼80 and 295 K, even in immobilized samples. A spirocyclohexyl spin label has been prepared that has longer Tm between 80 and 295 K in immobilized samples than conventional labels. Two of the spirocyclohexyl labels were attached to sites on T4 lysozyme introduced by site-directed spin labeling. Interspin distances up to ∼4 nm were measured by DEER at temperatures up to 160 K in water/glycerol glasses. In a glassy trehalose matrix the Tm for the doubly labeled T4 lysozyme was long enough to measure an interspin distance of 3.2 nm at 295 K, which could not be measured for the same protein labeled with the conventional 1-oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3-pyrroline-3-(methyl)methanethio-sulfonate label.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Meyer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
| | - Michael A Swanson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
| | - Laura J Clouston
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska
| | | | - Richard A Stein
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Hassane S Mchaourab
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Andrzej Rajca
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska
| | - Sandra S Eaton
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
| | - Gareth R Eaton
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado.
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44
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Sun Y, Borbat PP, Grigoryants VM, Myers WK, Freed JH, Scholes CP. Pulse dipolar ESR of doubly labeled mini TAR DNA and its annealing to mini TAR RNA. Biophys J 2015; 108:893-902. [PMID: 25692594 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2014.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Revised: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulse dipolar electron-spin resonance in the form of double electron electron resonance was applied to strategically placed, site-specifically attached pairs of nitroxide spin labels to monitor changes in the mini TAR DNA stem-loop structure brought on by the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein NCp7. The biophysical structural evidence was at Ångstrom-level resolution under solution conditions not amenable to crystallography or NMR. In the absence of complementary TAR RNA, double labels located in both the upper and the lower stem of mini TAR DNA showed in the presence of NCp7 a broadened distance distribution between the points of attachment, and there was evidence for several conformers. Next, when equimolar amounts of mini TAR DNA and complementary mini TAR RNA were present, NCp7 enhanced the annealing of their stem-loop structures to form duplex DNA-RNA. When duplex TAR DNA-TAR RNA formed, double labels initially located 27.5 Å apart at the 3'- and 5'-termini of the 27-base mini TAR DNA relocated to opposite ends of a 27 bp RNA-DNA duplex with 76.5 Å between labels, a distance which was consistent with the distance between the two labels in a thermally annealed 27-bp TAR DNA-TAR RNA duplex. Different sets of double labels initially located 26-27 Å apart in the mini TAR DNA upper stem, appropriately altered their interlabel distance to ~35 Å when a 27 bp TAR DNA-TAR RNA duplex formed, where the formation was caused either through NCp7-induced annealing or by thermal annealing. In summary, clear structural evidence was obtained for the fraying and destabilization brought on by NCp7 in its biochemical function as an annealing agent and for the detailed structural change from stem-loop to duplex RNA-DNA when complementary RNA was present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Sun
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York
| | - Peter P Borbat
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and ACERT, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Vladimir M Grigoryants
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York
| | - William K Myers
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York
| | - Jack H Freed
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and ACERT, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Charles P Scholes
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York.
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45
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Casey TM, Fanucci GE. Spin labeling and Double Electron-Electron Resonance (DEER) to Deconstruct Conformational Ensembles of HIV Protease. Methods Enzymol 2015; 564:153-87. [PMID: 26477251 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2015.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
An understanding of macromolecular conformational equilibrium in biological systems is oftentimes essential to understand function, dysfunction, and disease. For the past few years, our lab has been utilizing site-directed spin labeling (SDSL), coupled with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, to characterize the conformational ensemble and ligand-induced conformational shifts of HIV-1 protease (HIV-1PR). The biomedical importance of characterizing the fractional occupancy of states within the conformational ensemble critically impacts our hypothesis of a conformational selection mechanism of drug-resistance evolution in HIV-1PR. The purpose of the following chapter is to give a timeline perspective of our SDSL EPR approach to characterizing conformational sampling of HIV-1PR. We provide detailed instructions for the procedure utilized in analyzing distance profiles for HIV-1PR obtained from pulsed electron-electron double resonance (PELDOR). Specifically, we employ a version of PELDOR known as double electron-electron resonance (DEER). Data are processed with the software package "DeerAnalysis" (http://www.epr.ethz.ch/software), which implements Tikhonov regularization (TKR), to generate a distance profile from electron spin-echo amplitude modulations. We assign meaning to resultant distance profiles based upon a conformational sampling model, which is described herein. The TKR distance profiles are reconstructed with a linear combination of Gaussian functions, which is then statistically analyzed. In general, DEER has proven powerful for observing structural ensembles in proteins and, more recently, nucleic acids. Our goal is to present our advances in order to aid readers in similar applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Casey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Gail E Fanucci
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
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46
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Bordignon E, Nalepa AI, Savitsky A, Braun L, Jeschke G. Changes in the Microenvironment of Nitroxide Radicals around the Glass Transition Temperature. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:13797-806. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b04104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Bordignon
- Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
- Berlin
Joint EPR Laboratories, Department of Experimental Physics, Free University of Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna I. Nalepa
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Stiftstrasse 34−36, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - Anton Savitsky
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Stiftstrasse 34−36, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany
| | - Lukas Braun
- Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gunnar Jeschke
- Laboratory
of Physical Chemistry, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 2, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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47
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Sung TC, Li CY, Lai YC, Hung CL, Shih O, Yeh YQ, Jeng US, Chiang YW. Solution Structure of Apoptotic BAX Oligomer: Oligomerization Likely Precedes Membrane Insertion. Structure 2015; 23:1878-1888. [PMID: 26299946 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2015.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Revised: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Proapoptotic BAX protein is largely cytosolic in healthy cells, but it oligomerizes and translocates to mitochondria upon receiving apoptotic stimuli. A long-standing challenge has been the inability to capture any structural information beyond the onset of activation. Here, we present solution structures of an activated BAX oligomer by means of spectroscopic and scattering methods, providing details about the monomer-monomer interfaces in the oligomer and how the oligomer is assembled from homodimers. We show that this soluble oligomer undergoes a direct conversion into membrane-inserted oligomer, which has the ability of inducing apoptosis and structurally resembles a membrane-embedded oligomer formed from BAX monomers in lipid environment. Structural differences between the soluble and the membrane-inserted oligomers are manifested in the C-terminal helices. Our data suggest an alternative pathway of apoptosis in which BAX oligomer formation occurs prior to membrane insertion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tai-Ching Sung
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Yu Li
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Yei-Chen Lai
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Lun Hung
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
| | - Orion Shih
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Qi Yeh
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan
| | - U-Ser Jeng
- National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Hsinchu 30076, Taiwan
| | - Yun-Wei Chiang
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan.
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48
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Mechanism of influenza A M2 transmembrane domain assembly in lipid membranes. Sci Rep 2015; 5:11757. [PMID: 26190831 PMCID: PMC4507135 DOI: 10.1038/srep11757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2015] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
M2 from influenza A virus functions as an oligomeric proton channel essential for the viral cycle, hence it is a high-priority pharmacological target whose structure and functions require better understanding. We studied the mechanism of M2 transmembrane domain (M2TMD) assembly in lipid membranes by the powerful biophysical technique of double electron-electron resonance (DEER) spectroscopy. By varying the M2TMD-to-lipid molar ratio over a wide range from 1:18,800 to 1:160, we found that M2TMD exists as monomers, dimers, and tetramers whose relative populations shift to tetramers with the increase of peptide-to-lipid (P/L) molar ratio. Our results strongly support the tandem mechanism of M2 assembly that is monomers-to-dimer then dimers-to-tetramer, since tight dimers are abundant at small P/L’s, and thereafter they assemble as dimers of dimers in weaker tetramers. The stepwise mechanism found for a single-pass membrane protein oligomeric assembly should contribute to the knowledge of the association steps in membrane protein folding.
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49
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Evans EGB, Millhauser GL. Genetic Incorporation of the Unnatural Amino Acid p-Acetyl Phenylalanine into Proteins for Site-Directed Spin Labeling. Methods Enzymol 2015; 563:503-27. [PMID: 26478497 PMCID: PMC4841275 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2015.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) is a powerful tool for the characterization of protein structure and dynamics; however, its application in many systems is hampered by the reliance on unique and benign cysteine substitutions for the site-specific attachment of the spin label. An elegant solution to this problem involves the use of genetically encoded unnatural amino acids (UAAs) containing reactive functional groups that are chemically orthogonal to those of the 20 amino acids found naturally in proteins. These unique functional groups can then be selectively reacted with an appropriately functionalized spin probe. In this chapter, we detail the genetic incorporation of the ketone-bearing amino acid p-acetyl phenylalanine (pAcPhe) into recombinant proteins expressed in E. coli. Incorporation of pAcPhe is followed by chemoselective reaction of the ketone side chain with a hydroxylamine-functionalized nitroxide to afford the spin-labeled side chain "K1," and we present two protocols for successful K1 labeling of proteins bearing site-specific pAcPhe. We outline the basic requirements for pAcPhe incorporation and labeling, with an emphasis on practical aspects that must be considered by the researcher if high yields of UAA incorporation and efficient labeling reactions are to be achieved. To this end, we highlight recent advances that have led to increased yields of pAcPhe incorporation, and discuss the use of aniline-based catalysts allowing for facile conjugation of the hydroxylamine spin label under mild reaction conditions. To illustrate the utility of K1 labeling in proteins where traditional cysteine-based SDSL methods are problematic, we site-specifically K1 label the cellular prion protein at two positions in the C-terminal domain and determine the interspin distance using double electron-electron resonance EPR. Recent advances in UAA incorporation and ketone-based bioconjugation, in combination with the commercial availability of all requisite reagents, should make K1 labeling an increasingly viable alternative to cysteine-based methods for SDSL in proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric G B Evans
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
| | - Glenn L Millhauser
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA.
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50
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Aitha M, Moritz L, Sahu ID, Sanyurah O, Roche Z, McCarrick R, Lorigan GA, Bennett B, Crowder MW. Conformational dynamics of metallo-β-lactamase CcrA during catalysis investigated by using DEER spectroscopy. J Biol Inorg Chem 2015; 20:585-94. [PMID: 25827593 PMCID: PMC4733638 DOI: 10.1007/s00775-015-1244-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Previous crystallographic and mutagenesis studies have implicated the role of a position-conserved hairpin loop in the metallo-β-lactamases in substrate binding and catalysis. In an effort to probe the motion of that loop during catalysis, rapid-freeze-quench double electron-electron resonance (RFQ-DEER) spectroscopy was used to interrogate metallo-β-lactamase CcrA, which had a spin label at position 49 on the loop and spin labels (at positions 82, 126, or 233) 20-35 Å away from residue 49, during catalysis. At 10 ms after mixing, the DEER spectra show distance increases of 7, 10, and 13 Å between the spin label at position 49 and the spin labels at positions 82, 126, and 233, respectively. In contrast to previous hypotheses, these data suggest that the loop moves nearly 10 Å away from the metal center during catalysis and that the loop does not clamp down on the substrate during catalysis. This study demonstrates that loop motion during catalysis can be interrogated on the millisecond time scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahesh Aitha
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, 650 East High Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA
| | - Lindsay Moritz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, 650 East High Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA
| | - Indra D. Sahu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, 650 East High Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA
| | - Omar Sanyurah
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, 650 East High Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA
| | - Zahilyn Roche
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, 650 East High Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA
| | - Robert McCarrick
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, 650 East High Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA
| | - Gary A. Lorigan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, 650 East High Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA
| | - Brian Bennett
- Physics Department, Marquette University, 540 N. 15th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233, USA, and Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W. Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA
| | - Michael W. Crowder
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, 650 East High Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056, USA
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