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Csikász-Nagy A, Fichó E, Noto S, Reguly I. Computational tools to predict context-specific protein complexes. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 88:102883. [PMID: 38986166 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Interactions between thousands of proteins define cells' protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Some of these interactions lead to the formation of protein complexes. It is challenging to identify a protein complex in a haystack of protein-protein interactions, and it is even more difficult to predict all protein complexes of the complexome. Simulations and machine learning approaches try to crack these problems by looking at the PPI network or predicted protein structures. Clustering of PPI networks led to the first protein complex predictions, while most recently, atomistic models of protein complexes and deep-learning-based structure prediction methods have also emerged. The simulation of PPI level interactions even enables the quantitative prediction of protein complexes. These methods, the required data sources, and their potential future developments are discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Csikász-Nagy
- Cytocast Hungary Kft, Budapest, Hungary; Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | | | - Santiago Noto
- Cytocast Hungary Kft, Budapest, Hungary; Escola de Matemática Aplicada, Fundação Getúlio Vargas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - István Reguly
- Cytocast Hungary Kft, Budapest, Hungary; Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
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2
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Świątek A, Kuczera K, Szoszkiewicz R. Effects of Proline on Internal Friction in Simulated Folding Dynamics of Several Alanine-Based α-Helical Peptides. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:3856-3869. [PMID: 38606880 PMCID: PMC11056985 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
We have studied in silico the effect of proline, a model cosolvent, on local and global friction coefficients in (un)folding of several typical alanine-based α-helical peptides. Local friction is related to dwell times of a single, ensemble-averaged hydrogen bond (HB) within each peptide. Global friction is related to energy dissipated in a series of configurational changes of each peptide experienced by increasing the number of HBs during folding. Both of these approaches are important in relation to future atomic force microscopic-based measurements of internal friction via force-clamp single-molecule force spectroscopy. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for six peptides, namely, ALA5, ALA8, ALA15, ALA21, (AAQAA)3, and H2N-GN(AAQAA)2G-COONH2, have been conducted at 2 and 5 M proline solutions in water. Using previously obtained MD data for these peptides in pure water as well as upgraded theoretical models, we obtained variations of local and global internal friction coefficients as a function of solution viscosity. The results showed the substantial role of proline in stabilizing the folded state and slowing the overall folding dynamics. Consequently, larger friction coefficients were obtained at larger viscosities. The local and global internal friction, i.e., respective, friction coefficients approximated to zero viscosity, was also obtained. The evolution of friction coefficients with viscosity was weakly dependent on the number of concurrent folding pathways but was rather dominated by a stabilizing effect of proline on the folded states. Obtained values of local and global internal friction showed qualitatively similar results and a clear dependency on the structure of the studied peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Świątek
- Faculty of Chemistry,
Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Kuczera
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The
University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
| | - Robert Szoszkiewicz
- Faculty of Chemistry,
Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
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3
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Cebi E, Lee J, Subramani VK, Bak N, Oh C, Kim KK. Cryo-electron microscopy-based drug design. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1342179. [PMID: 38501110 PMCID: PMC10945328 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1342179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Structure-based drug design (SBDD) has gained popularity owing to its ability to develop more potent drugs compared to conventional drug-discovery methods. The success of SBDD relies heavily on obtaining the three-dimensional structures of drug targets. X-ray crystallography is the primary method used for solving structures and aiding the SBDD workflow; however, it is not suitable for all targets. With the resolution revolution, enabling routine high-resolution reconstruction of structures, cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has emerged as a promising alternative and has attracted increasing attention in SBDD. Cryo-EM offers various advantages over X-ray crystallography and can potentially replace X-ray crystallography in SBDD. To fully utilize cryo-EM in drug discovery, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of this technique and noting the key advancements in the field are crucial. This review provides an overview of the general workflow of cryo-EM in SBDD and highlights technical innovations that enable its application in drug design. Furthermore, the most recent achievements in the cryo-EM methodology for drug discovery are discussed, demonstrating the potential of this technique for advancing drug development. By understanding the capabilities and advancements of cryo-EM, researchers can leverage the benefits of designing more effective drugs. This review concludes with a discussion of the future perspectives of cryo-EM-based SBDD, emphasizing the role of this technique in driving innovations in drug discovery and development. The integration of cryo-EM into the drug design process holds great promise for accelerating the discovery of new and improved therapeutic agents to combat various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Changsuk Oh
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Kyu Kim
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
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4
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Farci D, Milenkovic S, Iesu L, Tanas M, Ceccarelli M, Piano D. Structural characterization and functional insights into the type II secretion system of the poly-extremophile Deinococcus radiodurans. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105537. [PMID: 38072042 PMCID: PMC10828601 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The extremophile bacterium D. radiodurans boasts a distinctive cell envelope characterized by the regular arrangement of three protein complexes. Among these, the Type II Secretion System (T2SS) stands out as a pivotal structural component. We used cryo-electron microscopy to reveal unique features, such as an unconventional protein belt (DR_1364) around the main secretin (GspD), and a cap (DR_0940) found to be a separated subunit rather than integrated with GspD. Furthermore, a novel region at the N-terminus of the GspD constitutes an additional second gate, supplementing the one typically found in the outer membrane region. This T2SS was found to contribute to envelope integrity, while also playing a role in nucleic acid and nutrient trafficking. Studies on intact cell envelopes show a consistent T2SS structure repetition, highlighting its significance within the cellular framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenica Farci
- Department of Plant Physiology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; R&D Department, ReGenFix Laboratories, Sardara, Italy.
| | - Stefan Milenkovic
- Department of Physics and IOM/CNR, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Luca Iesu
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marta Tanas
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Matteo Ceccarelli
- Department of Physics and IOM/CNR, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Dario Piano
- Department of Plant Physiology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; R&D Department, ReGenFix Laboratories, Sardara, Italy.
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Kaczor AA, Zięba A, Matosiuk D. The application of WaterMap-guided structure-based virtual screening in novel drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:73-83. [PMID: 37807912 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2267015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Nowadays, it is widely accepted that water molecules play a key role in binding a ligand to a molecular target. Neglecting water molecules in the process of molecular recognition was the result of several failures of the structure-based drug discovery campaigns. The application of WaterMap, in particular WaterMap-guided molecular docking, enables the reasonably accurate and quick description of the location and energetics of water molecules at the ligand-protein interface. AREAS COVERED In this review, the authors shortly discuss the importance of water in drug design and discovery and provide a brief overview of the computational approaches used to predict the solvent-related effects for the purposes of presenting WaterMap in the context of other available techniques and tools. A concise description of WaterMap concept is followed by the presentation of WaterMap-assisted virtual screening literature published between 2013 and 2023. EXPERT OPINION In recent years, WaterMap software has been extensively used to support structure-based drug design, in particular structure-based virtual screening. Indeed, it is a useful tool to rescore docking results considering water molecules in the binding pocket. Although WaterMap allows for the consideration of the dynamic behavior of water molecules in the binding site, for best accuracy, its application in conjunction with other techniques such as molecular mechanics-generalized Born surface area of FEP (Free Energy Perturbation) is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka A Kaczor
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modeling Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lublin, Poland
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Agata Zięba
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modeling Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lublin, Poland
| | - Dariusz Matosiuk
- Department of Synthesis and Chemical Technology of Pharmaceutical Substances with Computer Modeling Laboratory, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lublin, Poland
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Huang J, Chen J. Hydrophobic gating in bundle-crossing ion channels: a case study of TRPV4. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1094. [PMID: 37891195 PMCID: PMC10611814 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05471-0] [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: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmembrane ion channels frequently regulate ion permeation by forming bundle crossing of the pore-lining helices when deactivated. The resulting physical constriction is believed to serve as the de facto gate that imposes the major free energy barrier to ion permeation. Intriguingly, many ion channels also contain highly hydrophobic inner pores enclosed by bundle crossing, which can undergo spontaneous dewetting and give rise to a "vapor barrier" to block ion flow even in the absence of physical constriction. Using atomistic simulations, we show that hydrophobic gating and bundle-crossing mechanisms co-exist and complement one and another in the human TRPV4 channel. In particular, a single hydrophilic mutation in the lower pore can increase pore hydration and reduce the ion permeation free energy barrier by about half without affecting the bundle crossing. We believe that hydrophobic gating may play a key role in other bundle-crossing ion channels with hydrophobic inner pores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Huang
- Department of Chemistry University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Jianhan Chen
- Department of Chemistry University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
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7
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Boulos I, Jabbour J, Khoury S, Mikhael N, Tishkova V, Candoni N, Ghadieh HE, Veesler S, Bassim Y, Azar S, Harb F. Exploring the World of Membrane Proteins: Techniques and Methods for Understanding Structure, Function, and Dynamics. Molecules 2023; 28:7176. [PMID: 37894653 PMCID: PMC10608922 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28207176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells, membrane proteins play a crucial role. They fall into three categories: intrinsic proteins, extrinsic proteins, and proteins that are essential to the human genome (30% of which is devoted to encoding them). Hydrophobic interactions inside the membrane serve to stabilize integral proteins, which span the lipid bilayer. This review investigates a number of computational and experimental methods used to study membrane proteins. It encompasses a variety of technologies, including electrophoresis, X-ray crystallography, cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), biophysical methods, computational methods, and artificial intelligence. The link between structure and function of membrane proteins has been better understood thanks to these approaches, which also hold great promise for future study in the field. The significance of fusing artificial intelligence with experimental data to improve our comprehension of membrane protein biology is also covered in this paper. This effort aims to shed light on the complexity of membrane protein biology by investigating a variety of experimental and computational methods. Overall, the goal of this review is to emphasize how crucial it is to understand the functions of membrane proteins in eukaryotic cells. It gives a general review of the numerous methods used to look into these crucial elements and highlights the demand for multidisciplinary approaches to advance our understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imad Boulos
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, Tripoli P.O. Box 100, Lebanon; (I.B.); (J.J.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (H.E.G.); (Y.B.); (S.A.)
| | - Joy Jabbour
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, Tripoli P.O. Box 100, Lebanon; (I.B.); (J.J.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (H.E.G.); (Y.B.); (S.A.)
| | - Serena Khoury
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, Tripoli P.O. Box 100, Lebanon; (I.B.); (J.J.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (H.E.G.); (Y.B.); (S.A.)
| | - Nehme Mikhael
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, Tripoli P.O. Box 100, Lebanon; (I.B.); (J.J.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (H.E.G.); (Y.B.); (S.A.)
| | - Victoria Tishkova
- CNRS, CINaM (Centre Interdisciplinaire de Nanosciences de Marseille), Campus de Luminy, Case 913, Aix-Marseille University, CEDEX 09, F-13288 Marseille, France; (V.T.); (N.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Nadine Candoni
- CNRS, CINaM (Centre Interdisciplinaire de Nanosciences de Marseille), Campus de Luminy, Case 913, Aix-Marseille University, CEDEX 09, F-13288 Marseille, France; (V.T.); (N.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Hilda E. Ghadieh
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, Tripoli P.O. Box 100, Lebanon; (I.B.); (J.J.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (H.E.G.); (Y.B.); (S.A.)
| | - Stéphane Veesler
- CNRS, CINaM (Centre Interdisciplinaire de Nanosciences de Marseille), Campus de Luminy, Case 913, Aix-Marseille University, CEDEX 09, F-13288 Marseille, France; (V.T.); (N.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Youssef Bassim
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, Tripoli P.O. Box 100, Lebanon; (I.B.); (J.J.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (H.E.G.); (Y.B.); (S.A.)
| | - Sami Azar
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, Tripoli P.O. Box 100, Lebanon; (I.B.); (J.J.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (H.E.G.); (Y.B.); (S.A.)
| | - Frédéric Harb
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, Tripoli P.O. Box 100, Lebanon; (I.B.); (J.J.); (S.K.); (N.M.); (H.E.G.); (Y.B.); (S.A.)
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8
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Zafar H, Hassan AH, Demo G. Translation machinery captured in motion. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2023; 14:e1792. [PMID: 37132456 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Translation accuracy is one of the most critical factors for protein synthesis. It is regulated by the ribosome and its dynamic behavior, along with translation factors that direct ribosome rearrangements to make translation a uniform process. Earlier structural studies of the ribosome complex with arrested translation factors laid the foundation for an understanding of ribosome dynamics and the translation process as such. Recent technological advances in time-resolved and ensemble cryo-EM have made it possible to study translation in real time at high resolution. These methods provided a detailed view of translation in bacteria for all three phases: initiation, elongation, and termination. In this review, we focus on translation factors (in some cases GTP activation) and their ability to monitor and respond to ribosome organization to enable efficient and accurate translation. This article is categorized under: Translation > Ribosome Structure/Function Translation > Mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Zafar
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ahmed H Hassan
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriel Demo
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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DiIorio MC, Kulczyk AW. Novel Artificial Intelligence-Based Approaches for Ab Initio Structure Determination and Atomic Model Building for Cryo-Electron Microscopy. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1674. [PMID: 37763837 PMCID: PMC10534518 DOI: 10.3390/mi14091674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Single particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has emerged as the prevailing method for near-atomic structure determination, shedding light on the important molecular mechanisms of biological macromolecules. However, the inherent dynamics and structural variability of biological complexes coupled with the large number of experimental images generated by a cryo-EM experiment make data processing nontrivial. In particular, ab initio reconstruction and atomic model building remain major bottlenecks that demand substantial computational resources and manual intervention. Approaches utilizing recent innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, particularly deep learning, have the potential to overcome the limitations that cannot be adequately addressed by traditional image processing approaches. Here, we review newly proposed AI-based methods for ab initio volume generation, heterogeneous 3D reconstruction, and atomic model building. We highlight the advancements made by the implementation of AI methods, as well as discuss remaining limitations and areas for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan C. DiIorio
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers University, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Arkadiusz W. Kulczyk
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers University, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Department of Biochemistry & Microbiology, Rutgers University, 76 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
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10
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How does precursor RNA structure influence RNA processing and gene expression? Biosci Rep 2023; 43:232489. [PMID: 36689327 PMCID: PMC9977717 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20220149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA is a fundamental biomolecule that has many purposes within cells. Due to its single-stranded and flexible nature, RNA naturally folds into complex and dynamic structures. Recent technological and computational advances have produced an explosion of RNA structural data. Many RNA structures have regulatory and functional properties. Studying the structure of nascent RNAs is particularly challenging due to their low abundance and long length, but their structures are important because they can influence RNA processing. Precursor RNA processing is a nexus of pathways that determines mature isoform composition and that controls gene expression. In this review, we examine what is known about human nascent RNA structure and the influence of RNA structure on processing of precursor RNAs. These known structures provide examples of how other nascent RNAs may be structured and show how novel RNA structures may influence RNA processing including splicing and polyadenylation. RNA structures can be targeted therapeutically to treat disease.
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Yang Z, Zeng X, Zhao Y, Chen R. AlphaFold2 and its applications in the fields of biology and medicine. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:115. [PMID: 36918529 PMCID: PMC10011802 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01381-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
AlphaFold2 (AF2) is an artificial intelligence (AI) system developed by DeepMind that can predict three-dimensional (3D) structures of proteins from amino acid sequences with atomic-level accuracy. Protein structure prediction is one of the most challenging problems in computational biology and chemistry, and has puzzled scientists for 50 years. The advent of AF2 presents an unprecedented progress in protein structure prediction and has attracted much attention. Subsequent release of structures of more than 200 million proteins predicted by AF2 further aroused great enthusiasm in the science community, especially in the fields of biology and medicine. AF2 is thought to have a significant impact on structural biology and research areas that need protein structure information, such as drug discovery, protein design, prediction of protein function, et al. Though the time is not long since AF2 was developed, there are already quite a few application studies of AF2 in the fields of biology and medicine, with many of them having preliminarily proved the potential of AF2. To better understand AF2 and promote its applications, we will in this article summarize the principle and system architecture of AF2 as well as the recipe of its success, and particularly focus on reviewing its applications in the fields of biology and medicine. Limitations of current AF2 prediction will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenyu Yang
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaoxi Zeng
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Yi Zhao
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Information Processing, Advanced Computer Research Center, Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Runsheng Chen
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, Center for Big Data Research in Health, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Pingshan Translational Medicine Center, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518118, China.
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12
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Graciani AL, Gutierre MU, Coppi AA, Arida RM, Gutierre RC. MYELIN, AGING, AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 127:70-81. [PMID: 37116408 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Myelin sheath is a structure in neurons fabricated by oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells responsible for increasing the efficiency of neural synapsis, impulse transmission, and providing metabolic support to the axon. They present morpho-functional changes during health aging as deformities of the sheath and its fragmentation, causing an increased load on microglial phagocytosis, with Alzheimer's disease aggravating. Physical exercise has been studied as a possible protective agent for the nervous system, offering benefits to neuroplasticity. In this regard, studies in animal models for Alzheimer's and depression reported the efficiency of physical exercise in protecting against myelin degeneration. A reduction of myelin damage during aging has also been observed in healthy humans. Physical activity promotes oligodendrocyte proliferation and myelin preservation during old age, although some controversies remain. In this review, we will address how effective physical exercise can be as a protective agent of the myelin sheath against the effects of aging in physiological and pathological conditions.
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13
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Ma L, Li X, Petersen RB, Peng A, Huang K. Probing the interactions between amyloidogenic proteins and bio-membranes. Biophys Chem 2023; 296:106984. [PMID: 36889133 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2023.106984] [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: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Protein misfolding diseases (PMDs) in humans are characterized by the deposition of protein aggregates in tissues, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Misfolding and aggregation of amyloidogenic proteins play a central role in the onset and progression of PMDs, and these processes are regulated by multiple factors, especially the interaction between proteins and bio-membranes. Bio-membranes induce conformational changes in amyloidogenic proteins and affect their aggregation; on the other hand, the aggregates of amyloidogenic proteins may cause membrane damage or dysfunction leading to cytotoxicity. In this review, we summarize the factors that affect the binding of amyloidogenic proteins and membranes, the effects of bio-membranes on the aggregation of amyloidogenic proteins, mechanisms of membrane disruption by amyloidogenic aggregates, technical approaches for detecting these interactions, and finally therapeutic strategies targeting membrane damage caused by amyloidogenic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ma
- Department of Pharmacy, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, China; Department of Pharmacy, Wuhan Hospital for Psychotherapy, Wuhan, China
| | - Xi Li
- Tongji School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Robert B Petersen
- Foundational Sciences, Central Michigan University College of Medicine, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
| | - Anlin Peng
- Department of Pharmacy, The Third Hospital of Wuhan, Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
| | - Kun Huang
- Tongji School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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14
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DiIorio MC, Kulczyk AW. Exploring the Structural Variability of Dynamic Biological Complexes by Single-Particle Cryo-Electron Microscopy. MICROMACHINES 2022; 14:mi14010118. [PMID: 36677177 PMCID: PMC9866264 DOI: 10.3390/mi14010118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Biological macromolecules and assemblies precisely rearrange their atomic 3D structures to execute cellular functions. Understanding the mechanisms by which these molecular machines operate requires insight into the ensemble of structural states they occupy during the functional cycle. Single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has become the preferred method to provide near-atomic resolution, structural information about dynamic biological macromolecules elusive to other structure determination methods. Recent advances in cryo-EM methodology have allowed structural biologists not only to probe the structural intermediates of biochemical reactions, but also to resolve different compositional and conformational states present within the same dataset. This article reviews newly developed sample preparation and single-particle analysis (SPA) techniques for high-resolution structure determination of intrinsically dynamic and heterogeneous samples, shedding light upon the intricate mechanisms employed by molecular machines and helping to guide drug discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan C. DiIorio
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers University, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Arkadiusz W. Kulczyk
- Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine, Rutgers University, 174 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, 75 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Correspondence:
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15
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Santorelli L, Caterino M, Costanzo M. Dynamic Interactomics by Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry: Mapping the Daily Cell Life in Postgenomic Era. OMICS : A JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 2022; 26:633-649. [PMID: 36445175 DOI: 10.1089/omi.2022.0137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The majority of processes that occur in daily cell life are modulated by hundreds to thousands of dynamic protein-protein interactions (PPI). The resulting protein complexes constitute a tangled network that, with its continuous remodeling, builds up highly organized functional units. Thus, defining the dynamic interactome of one or more proteins allows determining the full range of biological activities these proteins are capable of. This conceptual approach is poised to gain further traction and significance in the current postgenomic era wherein the treatment of severe diseases needs to be tackled at both genomic and PPI levels. This also holds true for COVID-19, a multisystemic disease affecting biological networks across the biological hierarchy from genome to proteome to metabolome. In this overarching context and the current historical moment of the COVID-19 pandemic where systems biology increasingly comes to the fore, cross-linking mass spectrometry (XL-MS) has become highly relevant, emerging as a powerful tool for PPI discovery and characterization. This expert review highlights the advanced XL-MS approaches that provide in vivo insights into the three-dimensional protein complexes, overcoming the static nature of common interactomics data and embracing the dynamics of the cell proteome landscape. Many XL-MS applications based on the use of diverse cross-linkers, MS detection methods, and predictive bioinformatic tools for single proteins or proteome-wide interactions were shown. We conclude with a future outlook on XL-MS applications in the field of structural proteomics and ways to sustain the remarkable flexibility of XL-MS for dynamic interactomics and structural studies in systems biology and planetary health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Santorelli
- Department of Oncology and Hematology-Oncology, University of Milano, Milan, Italy.,IFOM ETS, The AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Marianna Caterino
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.ar.l., Naples, Italy
| | - Michele Costanzo
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate s.c.ar.l., Naples, Italy
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16
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Underlying mechanisms of epithelial splicing regulatory proteins in cancer progression. J Mol Med (Berl) 2022; 100:1539-1556. [PMID: 36163376 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-022-02257-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is the second-leading disease-related cause of global mortality after cardiovascular disease. Despite significant advances in cancer therapeutic strategies, cancer remains one of the major obstacles to human life extension. Cancer pathogenesis is extremely complicated and not fully understood. Epithelial splicing regulatory proteins (ESRPs), including ESRP1 and ESRP2, belong to the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein family of RNA-binding proteins and are crucial regulators of the alternative splicing of messenger RNAs (mRNAs). The expression and activity of ESRPs are modulated by various mechanisms, including post-translational modifications and non-coding RNAs. Although a growing body of evidence suggests that ESRP dysregulation is closely associated with cancer progression, the detailed mechanisms remain inconclusive. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the structures, functions, and regulatory mechanisms of ESRPs and focus on their underlying mechanisms in cancer progression. We also highlight the clinical implications of ESRPs as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer treatment. The information reviewed herein could be extremely beneficial to the development of individualized therapeutic strategies for cancer patients.
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17
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Kushner A, Petrov AS, Dao Duc K. RiboXYZ: a comprehensive database for visualizing and analyzing ribosome structures. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 51:D509-D516. [PMID: 36305870 PMCID: PMC9825457 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in Cryo-EM led to a surge of ribosome structures deposited over the past years, including structures from different species, conformational states, or bound with different ligands. Yet, multiple conflicts of nomenclature make the identification and comparison of structures and ortholog components challenging. We present RiboXYZ (available at https://ribosome.xyz), a database that provides organized access to ribosome structures, with several tools for visualisation and study. The database is up-to-date with the Protein Data Bank (PDB) but provides a standardized nomenclature that allows for searching and comparing ribosomal components (proteins, RNA, ligands) across all the available structures. In addition to structured and simplified access to the data, the application has several specialized visualization tools, including the identification and prediction of ligand binding sites, and 3D superimposition of ribosomal components. Overall, RiboXYZ provides a useful toolkit that complements the PDB database, by implementing the current conventions and providing a set of auxiliary tools that have been developed explicitly for analyzing ribosome structures. This toolkit can be easily accessed by both experts and non-experts in structural biology so that they can search, visualize and compare structures, with various potential applications in molecular biology, evolution, and biochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Kushner
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2, Canada,Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Anton S Petrov
- NASA Center for the Origin of Life, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, USA,School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA,School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - Khanh Dao Duc
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 604 822 0683;
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18
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Ahmed S, Chattopadhyay G, Manjunath K, Bhasin M, Singh N, Rasool M, Das S, Rana V, Khan N, Mitra D, Asok A, Singh R, Varadarajan R. Combining cysteine scanning with chemical labeling to map protein-protein interactions and infer bound structure in an intrinsically disordered region. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:997653. [PMID: 36275627 PMCID: PMC9585320 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.997653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis genome harbours nine toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems of the mazEF family. These consist of two proteins, a toxin and an antitoxin, encoded in an operon. While the toxin has a conserved fold, the antitoxins are structurally diverse and the toxin binding region is typically intrinsically disordered before binding. We describe high throughput methodology for accurate mapping of interfacial residues and apply it to three MazEF complexes. The method involves screening one partner protein against a panel of chemically masked single cysteine mutants of its interacting partner, displayed on the surface of yeast cells. Such libraries have much lower diversity than those generated by saturation mutagenesis, simplifying library generation and data analysis. Further, because of the steric bulk of the masking reagent, labeling of virtually all exposed epitope residues should result in loss of binding, and buried residues are inaccessible to the labeling reagent. The binding residues are deciphered by probing the loss of binding to the labeled cognate partner by flow cytometry. Using this methodology, we have identified the interfacial residues for MazEF3, MazEF6 and MazEF9 TA systems of M. tuberculosis. In the case of MazEF9, where a crystal structure was available, there was excellent agreement between our predictions and the crystal structure, superior to those with AlphaFold2. We also report detailed biophysical characterization of the MazEF3 and MazEF9 TA systems and measured the relative affinities between cognate and non-cognate toxin–antitoxin partners in order to probe possible cross-talk between these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | | | | | - Munmun Bhasin
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Neelam Singh
- Tuberculosis Research Laboratory, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, India
| | - Mubashir Rasool
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Sayan Das
- Tuberculosis Research Laboratory, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, India
| | - Varsha Rana
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Neha Khan
- Tuberculosis Research Laboratory, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, India
| | - Debarghya Mitra
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Aparna Asok
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Ramandeep Singh
- Tuberculosis Research Laboratory, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, India
| | - Raghavan Varadarajan
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
- *Correspondence: Raghavan Varadarajan,
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19
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Richardson SM, Marchetti PM, Herrera MA, Campopiano DJ. Coupled Natural Fusion Enzymes in a Novel Biocatalytic Cascade Convert Fatty Acids to Amines. ACS Catal 2022; 12:12701-12710. [PMID: 36313522 PMCID: PMC9594044 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c02954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Tambjamine YP1 is a pyrrole-containing natural product.
Analysis
of the enzymes encoded in the Pseudoalteromonas tunicata “tam” biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC)
identified a unique di-domain biocatalyst (PtTamH).
Sequence and bioinformatic analysis predicts that PtTamH comprises an N-terminal, pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP)-dependent
transaminase (TA) domain fused to a NADH-dependent C-terminal thioester
reductase (TR) domain. Spectroscopic and chemical analysis revealed
that the TA domain binds PLP, utilizes l-Glu as an amine
donor, accepts a range of fatty aldehydes (C7–C14 with a preference for C12), and produces the
corresponding amines. The previously characterized PtTamA from the “tam” BGC is an ATP-dependent, di-domain
enzyme comprising a class I adenylation domain fused to an acyl carrier
protein (ACP). Since recombinant PtTamA catalyzes
the activation and thioesterification of C12 acid to the holo-ACP domain, we hypothesized that C12 ACP
is the natural substrate for PtTamH. PtTamA and PtTamH were successfully coupled together
in a biocatalytic cascade that converts fatty acids (FAs) to amines
in one pot. Moreover, a structural model of PtTamH
provides insights into how the TA and TR domains are organized. This
work not only characterizes the formation of the tambjamine YP1 tail
but also suggests that PtTamA and PtTamH could be useful biocatalysts for FA to amine functional group
conversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shona M. Richardson
- School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, David Brewster Road, EdinburghEH9 3FJ, U.K
| | - Piera M. Marchetti
- School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, David Brewster Road, EdinburghEH9 3FJ, U.K
| | - Michael A. Herrera
- School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, David Brewster Road, EdinburghEH9 3FJ, U.K
| | - Dominic J. Campopiano
- School of Chemistry, The University of Edinburgh, David Brewster Road, EdinburghEH9 3FJ, U.K
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20
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Esser TK, Böhning J, Fremdling P, Agasid MT, Costin A, Fort K, Konijnenberg A, Gilbert JD, Bahm A, Makarov A, Robinson CV, Benesch JLP, Baker L, Bharat TAM, Gault J, Rauschenbach S. Mass-selective and ice-free electron cryomicroscopy protein sample preparation via native electrospray ion-beam deposition. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac153. [PMID: 36714824 PMCID: PMC9802471 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite tremendous advances in sample preparation and classification algorithms for electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) and single-particle analysis (SPA), sample heterogeneity remains a major challenge and can prevent access to high-resolution structures. In addition, optimization of preparation conditions for a given sample can be time-consuming. In the current work, it is demonstrated that native electrospray ion-beam deposition (native ES-IBD) is an alternative, reliable approach for the preparation of extremely high-purity samples, based on mass selection in vacuum. Folded protein ions are generated by native electrospray ionization, separated from other proteins, contaminants, aggregates, and fragments, gently deposited on cryo-EM grids, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and subsequently imaged by cryo-EM. We demonstrate homogeneous coverage of ice-free cryo-EM grids with mass-selected protein complexes. SPA reveals that the complexes remain folded and assembled, but variations in secondary and tertiary structures are currently limiting information in 2D classes and 3D EM density maps. We identify and discuss challenges that need to be addressed to obtain a resolution comparable to that of the established cryo-EM workflow. Our results show the potential of native ES-IBD to increase the scope and throughput of cryo-EM for protein structure determination and provide an essential link between gas-phase and solution-phase protein structures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jan Böhning
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Paul Fremdling
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | | | | | - Kyle Fort
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Hanna-Kunath-Straße 11, 28199 Bremen, Germany
| | - Albert Konijnenberg
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Zwaanstraat 31G/H, 5651 CA Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Joshua D Gilbert
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, 5350 NE Dawson Creek Drive, Hillsboro, OR 97124, USA
| | - Alan Bahm
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, 5350 NE Dawson Creek Drive, Hillsboro, OR 97124, USA
| | - Alexander Makarov
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Hanna-Kunath-Straße 11, 28199 Bremen, Germany,Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Utrecht, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Carol V Robinson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Justin L P Benesch
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | | | - Tanmay A M Bharat
- Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, UK,Structural Studies Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
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21
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Mäeots ME, Enchev RI. Structural dynamics: review of time-resolved cryo-EM. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2022; 78:927-935. [PMID: 35916218 PMCID: PMC9344476 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798322006155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Time-resolved cryo-EM is an emerging technique in structural biology that allows the user to capture structural states which would otherwise be too transient for standard methods. There has been a resurgence in technical advancements in this field in the last five years and this review provides a summary of the technical highlights. The structural determination of biological macromolecules has been transformative for understanding biochemical mechanisms and developing therapeutics. However, the ultimate goal of characterizing how structural dynamics underpin biochemical processes has been difficult. This is largely due to significant technical challenges that hinder data collection and analysis on the native timescales of macromolecular dynamics. Single-particle cryo-EM provides a powerful platform to approach this challenge, since samples can be frozen faster than the single-turnover timescales of most biochemical reactions. In order to enable time-resolved analysis, significant innovations in the handling and preparation of cryo-EM samples have been implemented, bringing us closer to the goal of the direct observation of protein dynamics in the milliseconds to seconds range. Here, the current state of time-resolved cryo-EM is reviewed and the most promising future research directions are discussed.
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22
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Fu Q, Liu X, Li Y, Wang P, Wu T, Xiao H, Zhao Y, Liao Q, Song Z. Discovery of New Inhibitors of eEF2K from Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on In Silico Screening and In Vitro Experimental Validation. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27154886. [PMID: 35956836 PMCID: PMC9369671 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27154886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) is a highly conserved α kinase and is increasingly considered as an attractive therapeutic target for cancer as well as other diseases. However, so far, no selective and potent inhibitors of eEF2K have been identified. In this study, pharmacophore screening, homology modeling, and molecular docking methods were adopted to screen novel inhibitor hits of eEF2K from the traditional Chinese medicine database (TCMD), and then cytotoxicity assay and western blotting were performed to verify the validity of the screen. Resultantly, after two steps of screening, a total of 1077 chemicals were obtained as inhibitor hits for eEF2K from all 23,034 compounds in TCMD. Then, to verify the validity, the top 10 purchasable chemicals were further analyzed. Afterward, Oleuropein and Rhoifolin, two reported antitumor chemicals, were found to have low cytotoxicity but potent inhibitory effects on eEF2K activity. Finally, molecular dynamics simulation, pharmacokinetic and toxicological analyses were conducted to evaluate the property and potential of Oleuropein and Rhoifolin to be drugs. Together, by integrating in silico screening and in vitro biochemical studies, Oleuropein and Rhoifolin were revealed as novel eEF2K inhibitors, which will shed new lights for eEF2K-targeting drug development and anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ziyi Song
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-771-3235635
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23
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Current Methods to Unravel the Functional Properties of Lysosomal Ion Channels and Transporters. Cells 2022; 11:cells11060921. [PMID: 35326372 PMCID: PMC8946281 DOI: 10.3390/cells11060921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A distinct set of channels and transporters regulates the ion fluxes across the lysosomal membrane. Malfunctioning of these transport proteins and the resulting ionic imbalance is involved in various human diseases, such as lysosomal storage disorders, cancer, as well as metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. As a consequence, these proteins have stimulated strong interest for their suitability as possible drug targets. A detailed functional characterization of many lysosomal channels and transporters is lacking, mainly due to technical difficulties in applying the standard patch-clamp technique to these small intracellular compartments. In this review, we focus on current methods used to unravel the functional properties of lysosomal ion channels and transporters, stressing their advantages and disadvantages and evaluating their fields of applicability.
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24
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High Molecular Weight Kininogen: A Review of the Structural Literature. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413370. [PMID: 34948166 PMCID: PMC8706920 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Kininogens are multidomain glycoproteins found in the blood of most vertebrates. High molecular weight kininogen demonstrate both carrier and co-factor activity as part of the intrinsic pathway of coagulation, leading to thrombin generation. Kininogens are the source of the vasoactive nonapeptide bradykinin. To date, attempts to crystallize kininogen have failed, and very little is known about the shape of kininogen at an atomic level. New advancements in the field of cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) have enabled researchers to crack the structure of proteins that has been refractory to traditional crystallography techniques. High molecular weight kininogen is a good candidate for structural investigation by cryoEM. The goal of this review is to summarize the findings of kininogen structural studies.
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25
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DeStefano A, Segalman RA, Davidson EC. Where Biology and Traditional Polymers Meet: The Potential of Associating Sequence-Defined Polymers for Materials Science. JACS AU 2021; 1:1556-1571. [PMID: 34723259 PMCID: PMC8549048 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Polymers with precisely defined monomeric sequences present an exquisite tool for controlling material properties by harnessing both the robustness of synthetic polymers and the ability to tailor the inter- and intramolecular interactions so crucial to many biological materials. While polymer scientists traditionally synthesized and studied the physics of long molecules best described by their statistical nature, many biological polymers derive their highly tailored functions from precisely controlled sequences. Therefore, significant effort has been applied toward developing new methods of synthesizing, characterizing, and understanding the physics of non-natural sequence-defined polymers. This perspective considers the synergistic advantages that can be achieved via tailoring both precise sequence control and attributes of traditional polymers in a single system. Here, we focus on the potential of sequence-defined polymers in highly associating systems, with a focus on the unique properties, such as enhanced proton conductivity, that can be attained by incorporating sequence. In particular, we examine these materials as key model systems for studying previously unresolvable questions in polymer physics including the role of chain shape near interfaces and how to tailor compatibilization between dissimilar polymer blocks. Finally, we discuss the critical challenges-in particular, truly scalable synthetic approaches, characterization and modeling tools, and robust control and understanding of assembly pathways-that must be overcome for sequence-defined polymers to attain their potential and achieve ubiquity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audra
J. DeStefano
- 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
| | - Emily C. Davidson
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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26
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A Fast Image Alignment Approach for 2D Classification of Cryo-EM Images Using Spectral Clustering. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2021; 43:1652-1668. [PMID: 34698131 PMCID: PMC8928942 DOI: 10.3390/cimb43030117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction in single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a significant technique for recovering the 3D structure of proteins or other biological macromolecules from their two-dimensional (2D) noisy projection images taken from unknown random directions. Class averaging in single-particle cryo-EM is an important procedure for producing high-quality initial 3D structures, where image alignment is a fundamental step. In this paper, an efficient image alignment algorithm using 2D interpolation in the frequency domain of images is proposed to improve the estimation accuracy of alignment parameters of rotation angles and translational shifts between the two projection images, which can obtain subpixel and subangle accuracy. The proposed algorithm firstly uses the Fourier transform of two projection images to calculate a discrete cross-correlation matrix and then performs the 2D interpolation around the maximum value in the cross-correlation matrix. The alignment parameters are directly determined according to the position of the maximum value in the cross-correlation matrix after interpolation. Furthermore, the proposed image alignment algorithm and a spectral clustering algorithm are used to compute class averages for single-particle 3D reconstruction. The proposed image alignment algorithm is firstly tested on a Lena image and two cryo-EM datasets. Results show that the proposed image alignment algorithm can estimate the alignment parameters accurately and efficiently. The proposed method is also used to reconstruct preliminary 3D structures from a simulated cryo-EM dataset and a real cryo-EM dataset and to compare them with RELION. Experimental results show that the proposed method can obtain more high-quality class averages than RELION and can obtain higher reconstruction resolution than RELION even without iteration.
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27
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An overview of the recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy for life sciences. Emerg Top Life Sci 2021; 5:151-168. [PMID: 33760078 DOI: 10.1042/etls20200295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Cryo-electron microscopy (CryoEM) has superseded X-ray crystallography and NMR to emerge as a popular and effective tool for structure determination in recent times. It has become indispensable for the characterization of large macromolecular assemblies, membrane proteins, or samples that are limited, conformationally heterogeneous, and recalcitrant to crystallization. Besides, it is the only tool capable of elucidating high-resolution structures of macromolecules and biological assemblies in situ. A state-of-the-art electron microscope operable at cryo-temperature helps preserve high-resolution details of the biological sample. The structures can be determined, either in isolation via single-particle analysis (SPA) or helical reconstruction, electron diffraction (ED) or within the cellular environment via cryo-electron tomography (cryoET). All the three streams of SPA, ED, and cryoET (along with subtomogram averaging) have undergone significant advancements in recent times. This has resulted in breaking the boundaries with respect to both the size of the macromolecules/assemblies whose structures could be determined along with the visualization of atomic details at resolutions unprecedented for cryoEM. In addition, the collection of larger datasets combined with the ability to sort and process multiple conformational states from the same sample are providing the much-needed link between the protein structures and their functions. In overview, these developments are helping scientists decipher the molecular mechanism of critical cellular processes, solve structures of macromolecules that were challenging targets for structure determination until now, propelling forward the fields of biology and biomedicine. Here, we summarize recent advances and key contributions of the three cryo-electron microscopy streams of SPA, ED, and cryoET.
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Dahlberg PD, Moerner WE. Cryogenic Super-Resolution Fluorescence and Electron Microscopy Correlated at the Nanoscale. Annu Rev Phys Chem 2021; 72:253-278. [PMID: 33441030 PMCID: PMC8877847 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-090319-051546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
We review the emerging method of super-resolved cryogenic correlative light and electron microscopy (srCryoCLEM). Super-resolution (SR) fluorescence microscopy and cryogenic electron tomography (CET) are both powerful techniques for observing subcellular organization, but each approach has unique limitations. The combination of the two brings the single-molecule sensitivity and specificity of SR to the detailed cellular context and molecular scale resolution of CET. The resulting correlative data is more informative than the sum of its parts. The correlative images can be used to pinpoint the positions of fluorescently labeled proteins in the high-resolution context of CET with nanometer-scale precision and/or to identify proteins in electron-dense structures. The execution of srCryoCLEM is challenging and the approach is best described as a method that is still in its infancy with numerous technical challenges. In this review, we describe state-of-the-art srCryoCLEM experiments, discuss the most pressing challenges, and give a brief outlook on future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter D Dahlberg
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA;
| | - W E Moerner
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA;
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Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations of membrane proteins have grown dramatically in the last 20 years. Running these simulations first requires embedding the protein's three-dimensional structure in a lipid bilayer of a suitable composition, one that resembles its native environment. This step is far from trivial, especially for modeling heterogeneous mixtures of lipids. CHARMM-GUI, a webserver for simulation system preparation greatly simplifies this step, allowing for the construction of complex heterogeneous and/or asymmetric membranes. Here, we demonstrate how to use CHARMM-GUI to build the membrane for the outer-membrane protein BamA.
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A 10-year meta-analysis of membrane protein structural biology: Detergents, membrane mimetics, and structure determination techniques. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1863:183533. [PMID: 33340490 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Structure determination of membrane proteins is critical to the molecular understanding of many life processes, yet it has historically been a technically challenging endeavor. This past decade has given rise to a number of technological advancements, techniques, and reagents, which have facilitated membrane protein structural biology, resulting in an ever-growing number of membrane protein structures determined. To collate these advances, we have mined available literature to analyze the purification and structure determination specifics for all uniquely solved membrane protein structures from 2010 to 2019. Our analyses demonstrate the strong impact of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy on the field and illustrate how this technique has affected detergent and membrane mimetic usage. Furthermore, we detail how different structure determination methods, taxonomic domains and protein classes have unique detergent/membrane mimetic profiles, highlighting the importance of tailoring their selection. Our analyses provide a quantitative overview of where the field of membrane protein structural biology stands and how it has developed over time. We anticipate that these will serve as a useful tool to streamline future membrane protein structure determination by guiding the choice of detergent/membrane mimetic.
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Carrier M, Robert MÈ, González Ibáñez F, Desjardins M, Tremblay MÈ. Imaging the Neuroimmune Dynamics Across Space and Time. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:903. [PMID: 33071723 PMCID: PMC7539119 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system is essential for maintaining homeostasis, as well as promoting growth and healing throughout the brain and body. Considering that immune cells respond rapidly to changes in their microenvironment, they are very difficult to study without affecting their structure and function. The advancement of non-invasive imaging methods greatly contributed to elucidating the physiological roles performed by immune cells in the brain across stages of the lifespan and contexts of health and disease. For instance, techniques like two-photon in vivo microscopy were pivotal for studying microglial functional dynamics in the healthy brain. Through these observations, their interactions with neurons, astrocytes, blood vessels and synapses were uncovered. High-resolution electron microscopy with immunostaining and 3D-reconstruction, as well as super-resolution fluorescence microscopy, provided complementary insights by revealing microglial interventions at synapses (phagocytosis, trogocytosis, synaptic stripping, etc.). In addition, serial block-face scanning electron microscopy has provided the first 3D reconstruction of a microglial cell at nanoscale resolution. This review will discuss the technical toolbox that currently allows to study microglia and other immune cells in the brain, as well as introduce emerging methods that were developed and could be used to increase the spatial and temporal resolution of neuroimmune imaging. A special attention will also be placed on positron emission tomography and the development of selective functional radiotracers for microglia and peripheral macrophages, considering their strong potential for research translation between animals and humans, notably when paired with other imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micaël Carrier
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Ève Robert
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Fernando González Ibáñez
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Michèle Desjardins
- Axe Oncologie, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Physics, Physical Engineering and Optics, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Marie-Ève Tremblay
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Molecular Medicine, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.,Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
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32
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Poitevin F, Kushner A, Li X, Dao Duc K. Structural Heterogeneities of the Ribosome: New Frontiers and Opportunities for Cryo-EM. Molecules 2020; 25:E4262. [PMID: 32957592 PMCID: PMC7570653 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25184262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The extent of ribosomal heterogeneity has caught increasing interest over the past few years, as recent studies have highlighted the presence of structural variations of the ribosome. More precisely, the heterogeneity of the ribosome covers multiple scales, including the dynamical aspects of ribosomal motion at the single particle level, specialization at the cellular and subcellular scale, or evolutionary differences across species. Upon solving the ribosome atomic structure at medium to high resolution, cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has enabled investigating all these forms of heterogeneity. In this review, we present some recent advances in quantifying ribosome heterogeneity, with a focus on the conformational and evolutionary variations of the ribosome and their functional implications. These efforts highlight the need for new computational methods and comparative tools, to comprehensively model the continuous conformational transition pathways of the ribosome, as well as its evolution. While developing these methods presents some important challenges, it also provides an opportunity to extend our interpretation and usage of cryo-EM data, which would more generally benefit the study of molecular dynamics and evolution of proteins and other complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Poitevin
- Department of LCLS Data Analytics, Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA;
| | - Artem Kushner
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (A.K.); (X.L.)
- Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Xinpei Li
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (A.K.); (X.L.)
- Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Khanh Dao Duc
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (A.K.); (X.L.)
- Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
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Ahmed I, Akram Z, Sahar MSU, Iqbal HMN, Landsberg MJ, Munn AL. WITHDRAWN: Structural studies of vitrified biological proteins and macromolecules - A review on the microimaging aspects of cryo-electron microscopy. Int J Biol Macromol 2020:S0141-8130(20)33915-5. [PMID: 32710963 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.07.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
This article has been withdrawn at the request of the author(s) and/or editor. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishtiaq Ahmed
- School of Medical Science, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast campus, Parklands Drive, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia.
| | - Zain Akram
- School of Medical Science, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast campus, Parklands Drive, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - M Sana Ullah Sahar
- School of Engineering, Griffith University, Gold Coast campus, Parklands Drive, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - Hafiz M N Iqbal
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Campus Monterrey, Ave. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, CP 64849, Monterrey, N.L., Mexico.
| | - Michael J Landsberg
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Alan L Munn
- School of Medical Science, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast campus, Parklands Drive, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia
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Structural Insights into RNA Dimerization: Motifs, Interfaces and Functions. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25122881. [PMID: 32585844 PMCID: PMC7357161 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25122881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In comparison with the pervasive use of protein dimers and multimers in all domains of life, functional RNA oligomers have so far rarely been observed in nature. Their diminished occurrence contrasts starkly with the robust intrinsic potential of RNA to multimerize through long-range base-pairing ("kissing") interactions, self-annealing of palindromic or complementary sequences, and stable tertiary contact motifs, such as the GNRA tetraloop-receptors. To explore the general mechanics of RNA dimerization, we performed a meta-analysis of a collection of exemplary RNA homodimer structures consisting of viral genomic elements, ribozymes, riboswitches, etc., encompassing both functional and fortuitous dimers. Globally, we found that domain-swapped dimers and antiparallel, head-to-tail arrangements are predominant architectural themes. Locally, we observed that the same structural motifs, interfaces and forces that enable tertiary RNA folding also drive their higher-order assemblies. These feature prominently long-range kissing loops, pseudoknots, reciprocal base intercalations and A-minor interactions. We postulate that the scarcity of functional RNA multimers and limited diversity in multimerization motifs may reflect evolutionary constraints imposed by host antiviral immune surveillance and stress sensing. A deepening mechanistic understanding of RNA multimerization is expected to facilitate investigations into RNA and RNP assemblies, condensates, and granules and enable their potential therapeutical targeting.
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35
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Cao D, Liang B. Cryo-Electron Microscopy Structures of the Pneumoviridae Polymerases. Viral Immunol 2020; 34:18-26. [PMID: 32429800 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2020.0018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The resolution revolution of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has made a significant impact on the structural analysis of the Pneumoviridae multifunctional RNA polymerases. In recent months, several high-resolution structures of apo RNA polymerases of Pneumoviridae, which includes the human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV), have been determined by single-particle cryo-EM. These structures illustrated high similarities and minor differences between the Pneumoviridae polymerases and revealed the potential mechanisms of the Pneumoviridae RNA synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Cao
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Bo Liang
- Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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36
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Akbar S, Mozumder S, Sengupta J. Retrospect and Prospect of Single Particle Cryo-Electron Microscopy: The Class of Integral Membrane Proteins as an Example. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:2448-2457. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b01015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shirin Akbar
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Sukanya Mozumder
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Jayati Sengupta
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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37
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Structural proteomics, electron cryo-microscopy and structural modeling approaches in bacteria-human protein interactions. Med Microbiol Immunol 2020; 209:265-275. [PMID: 32072248 PMCID: PMC7223518 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-020-00663-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
A central challenge in infection medicine is to determine the structure and function of host-pathogen protein-protein interactions to understand how these interactions facilitate bacterial adhesion, dissemination and survival. In this review, we focus on proteomics, electron cryo-microscopy and structural modeling to showcase instances where affinity-purification (AP) and cross-linking (XL) mass spectrometry (MS) has advanced our understanding of host-pathogen interactions. We highlight cases where XL-MS in combination with structural modeling has provided insight into the quaternary structure of interspecies protein complexes. We further exemplify how electron cryo-tomography has been used to visualize bacterial-human interactions during attachment and infection. Lastly, we discuss how AP-MS, XL-MS and electron cryo-microscopy and -tomography together with structural modeling approaches can be used in future studies to broaden our knowledge regarding the function, dynamics and evolution of such interactions. This knowledge will be of relevance for future drug and vaccine development programs.
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38
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39
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Zorrilla S, Mónico A, Duarte S, Rivas G, Pérez-Sala D, Pajares MA. Integrated approaches to unravel the impact of protein lipoxidation on macromolecular interactions. Free Radic Biol Med 2019; 144:203-217. [PMID: 30991143 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Protein modification by lipid derived reactive species, or lipoxidation, is increased during oxidative stress, a common feature observed in many pathological conditions. Biochemical and functional consequences of lipoxidation include changes in the conformation and assembly of the target proteins, altered recognition of ligands and/or cofactors, changes in the interactions with DNA or in protein-protein interactions, modifications in membrane partitioning and binding and/or subcellular localization. These changes may impact, directly or indirectly, signaling pathways involved in the activation of cell defense mechanisms, but when these are overwhelmed they may lead to pathological outcomes. Mass spectrometry provides state of the art approaches for the identification and characterization of lipoxidized proteins/residues and the modifying species. Nevertheless, understanding the complexity of the functional effects of protein lipoxidation requires the use of additional methodologies. Herein, biochemical and biophysical methods used to detect and measure functional effects of protein lipoxidation at different levels of complexity, from in vitro and reconstituted cell-like systems to cells, are reviewed, focusing especially on macromolecular interactions. Knowledge generated through innovative and complementary technologies will contribute to comprehend the role of lipoxidation in pathophysiology and, ultimately, its potential as target for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Zorrilla
- Dept. of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Andreia Mónico
- Dept. of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sofia Duarte
- Dept. of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Germán Rivas
- Dept. of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Dolores Pérez-Sala
- Dept. of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - María A Pajares
- Dept. of Structural and Chemical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
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40
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Kim DN, Moriarty NW, Kirmizialtin S, Afonine PV, Poon B, Sobolev OV, Adams PD, Sanbonmatsu K. Cryo_fit: Democratization of flexible fitting for cryo-EM. J Struct Biol 2019; 208:1-6. [PMID: 31279069 PMCID: PMC7112765 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2019.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is becoming a method of choice for describing native conformations of biomolecular complexes at high resolution. The rapid growth of cryo-EM in recent years has created a high demand for automated solutions, both in hardware and software. Flexible fitting of atomic models to three-dimensional (3D) cryo-EM reconstructions by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is a popular technique but often requires technical expertise in computer simulation. This work introduces cryo_fit, a package for the automatic flexible fitting of atomic models in cryo-EM maps using MD simulation. The package is integrated with the Phenix software suite. The module was designed to automate the multiple steps of MD simulation in a reproducible manner, as well as facilitate refinement and validation through Phenix. Through the use of cryo_fit, scientists with little experience in MD simulation can produce high quality atomic models automatically and better exploit the potential of cryo-EM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doo Nam Kim
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Nigel W Moriarty
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Serdal Kirmizialtin
- Chemistry Program, Science Division, New York University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Pavel V Afonine
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Billy Poon
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Oleg V Sobolev
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Paul D Adams
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Karissa Sanbonmatsu
- Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA; New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, NM, USA.
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Rao S, Lynch CI, Klesse G, Oakley GE, Stansfeld PJ, Tucker SJ, Sansom MSP. Water and hydrophobic gates in ion channels and nanopores. Faraday Discuss 2019; 209:231-247. [PMID: 29969132 PMCID: PMC6161260 DOI: 10.1039/c8fd00013a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Simulations of water behaviour have been used to probe hydrophobic gates in BEST1 and TMEM175, which can reveal important design principles for the engineering of gates in novel biomimetic nanopores.
Ion channel proteins form nanopores in biological membranes which allow the passage of ions and water molecules. Hydrophobic constrictions in such pores can form gates, i.e. energetic barriers to water and ion permeation. Molecular dynamics simulations of water in ion channels may be used to assess whether a hydrophobic gate is closed (i.e. impermeable to ions) or open. If there is an energetic barrier to water permeation then it is likely that a gate will also be impermeable to ions. Simulations of water behaviour have been used to probe hydrophobic gates in two recently reported ion channel structures: BEST1 and TMEM175. In each of these channels a narrow region is formed by three consecutive rings of hydrophobic sidechains and in both cases such analysis demonstrates that the crystal structures correspond to a closed state of the channel. In silico mutations of BEST1 have also been used to explore the effect of changes in the hydrophobicity of the gating constriction, demonstrating that substitution of hydrophobic sidechains with more polar sidechains results in an open gate which allows water permeation. A possible open state of the TMEM175 channel was modelled by the in silico expansion of the hydrophobic gate resulting in the wetting of the pore and free permeation of potassium ions through the channel. Finally, a preliminary study suggests that a hydrophobic gate motif can be transplanted in silico from the BEST1 channel into a simple β-barrel pore template. Overall, these results suggest that simulations of the behaviour of water in hydrophobic gates can reveal important design principles for the engineering of gates in novel biomimetic nanopores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanlin Rao
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK.
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42
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Wulff H, Christophersen P, Colussi P, Chandy KG, Yarov-Yarovoy V. Antibodies and venom peptides: new modalities for ion channels. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2019; 18:339-357. [PMID: 30728472 PMCID: PMC6499689 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-019-0013-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Ion channels play fundamental roles in both excitable and non-excitable tissues and therefore constitute attractive drug targets for myriad neurological, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases as well as for cancer and immunomodulation. However, achieving selectivity for specific ion channel subtypes with small-molecule drugs has been challenging, and there currently is a growing trend to target ion channels with biologics. One approach is to improve the pharmacokinetics of existing or novel venom-derived peptides. In parallel, after initial studies with polyclonal antibodies demonstrated the technical feasibility of inhibiting channel function with antibodies, multiple preclinical programmes are now using the full spectrum of available technologies to generate conventional monoclonal and engineered antibodies or nanobodies against extracellular loops of ion channels. After a summary of the current state of ion channel drug discovery, this Review discusses recent developments using the purinergic receptor channel P2X purinoceptor 7 (P2X7), the voltage-gated potassium channel KV1.3 and the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.7 as examples of targeting ion channels with biologics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heike Wulff
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
| | | | | | - K George Chandy
- Molecular Physiology Laboratory, Infection and Immunity Theme, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy
- Department of Physiology & Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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Ognjenović J, Grisshammer R, Subramaniam S. Frontiers in Cryo Electron Microscopy of Complex Macromolecular Assemblies. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2019; 21:395-415. [PMID: 30892930 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-060418-052453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, cryo electron microscopy (cryo-EM) technology has been transformed with the development of better instrumentation, direct electron detectors, improved methods for specimen preparation, and improved software for data analysis. Analyses using single-particle cryo-EM methods have enabled determination of structures of proteins with sizes smaller than 100 kDa and resolutions of ∼2 Å in some cases. The use of electron tomography combined with subvolume averaging is beginning to allow the visualization of macromolecular complexes in their native environment in unprecedented detail. As a result of these advances, solutions to many intractable challenges in structural and cell biology, such as analysis of highly dynamic soluble and membrane-embedded protein complexes or partially ordered protein aggregates, are now within reach. Recent reports of structural studies of G protein-coupled receptors, spliceosomes, and fibrillar specimens illustrate the progress that has been made using cryo-EM methods, and are the main focus of this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Ognjenović
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA; ,
| | - Reinhard Grisshammer
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA; ,
| | - Sriram Subramaniam
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z2, Canada;
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Scheffzek K, Shivalingaiah G. Ras-Specific GTPase-Activating Proteins-Structures, Mechanisms, and Interactions. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2019; 9:cshperspect.a031500. [PMID: 30104198 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a031500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Ras-specific GTPase-activating proteins (RasGAPs) down-regulate the biological activity of Ras proteins by accelerating their intrinsic rate of GTP hydrolysis, basically by a transition state stabilizing mechanism. Oncogenic Ras is commonly not sensitive to RasGAPs caused by interference of mutants with the electronic or steric requirements of the transition state, resulting in up-regulation of activated Ras in respective cells. RasGAPs are modular proteins containing a helical catalytic RasGAP module surrounded by smaller domains that are frequently involved in the subcellular localization or contributing to regulatory features of their host proteins. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about RasGAP structure, mechanism, regulation, and dual-substrate specificity and discuss in some detail neurofibromin, one of the most important negative Ras regulators in cellular growth control and neuronal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Scheffzek
- Division of Biological Chemistry (Biocenter), Medical University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Giridhar Shivalingaiah
- Division of Biological Chemistry (Biocenter), Medical University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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45
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Glaeser RM. How Good Can Single-Particle Cryo-EM Become? What Remains Before It Approaches Its Physical Limits? Annu Rev Biophys 2019; 48:45-61. [PMID: 30786229 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-070317-032828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Impressive though the achievements of single-particle cryo-electron microscopy are today, a substantial gap still remains between what is currently accomplished and what is theoretically possible. As is reviewed here, twofold or more improvements are possible as regards (a) the detective quantum efficiency of cameras at high resolution, (b) converting phase modulations to intensity modulations in the image, and (c) recovering the full amount of high-resolution signal in the presence of beam-induced motion of the specimen. In addition, potential for improvement is reviewed for other topics such as optimal choice of electron energy, use of aberration correctors, and quantum metrology. With the help of such improvements, it does not seem to be too much to imagine that determining the structural basis for every aspect of catalytic control, signaling, and regulation, in any type of cell of interest, could easily be accelerated fivefold or more.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Glaeser
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA;
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46
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Kursula P. Shanks — multidomain molecular scaffolds of the postsynaptic density. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2019; 54:122-128. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 11/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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47
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Brown BM, Nguyen HM, Wulff H. Recent advances in our understanding of the structure and function of more unusual cation channels. F1000Res 2019; 8. [PMID: 30755796 PMCID: PMC6354322 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.17163.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
As their name implies, cation channels allow the regulated flow of cations such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium across cellular and intracellular membranes. Cation channels have long been known for their fundamental roles in controlling membrane potential and excitability in neurons and muscle. In this review, we provide an update on the recent advances in our understanding of the structure–function relationship and the physiological and pathophysiological role of cation channels. The most exciting developments in the last two years, in our opinion, have been the insights that cryoelectron microscopy has provided into the inner life and the gating of not only voltage-gated channels but also mechanosensitive and calcium- or sodium-activated channels. The mechanosensitive Piezo channels especially have delighted the field not only with a fascinating new type of structure but with important roles in blood pressure regulation and lung function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon M Brown
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Hai M Nguyen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Heike Wulff
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA
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48
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Barros F, Pardo LA, Domínguez P, Sierra LM, de la Peña P. New Structures and Gating of Voltage-Dependent Potassium (Kv) Channels and Their Relatives: A Multi-Domain and Dynamic Question. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20020248. [PMID: 30634573 PMCID: PMC6359393 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20020248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 12/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Voltage-dependent potassium channels (Kv channels) are crucial regulators of cell excitability that participate in a range of physiological and pathophysiological processes. These channels are molecular machines that display a mechanism (known as gating) for opening and closing a gate located in a pore domain (PD). In Kv channels, this mechanism is triggered and controlled by changes in the magnitude of the transmembrane voltage sensed by a voltage-sensing domain (VSD). In this review, we consider several aspects of the VSD–PD coupling in Kv channels, and in some relatives, that share a common general structure characterized by a single square-shaped ion conduction pore in the center, surrounded by four VSDs located at the periphery. We compile some recent advances in the knowledge of their architecture, based in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) data for high-resolution determination of their structure, plus some new functional data obtained with channel variants in which the covalent continuity between the VSD and PD modules has been interrupted. These advances and new data bring about some reconsiderations about the use of exclusively a classical electromechanical lever model of VSD–PD coupling by some Kv channels, and open a view of the Kv-type channels as allosteric machines in which gating may be dynamically influenced by some long-range interactional/allosteric mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Barros
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Campus de El Cristo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Luis A Pardo
- Oncophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Strasse 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Pedro Domínguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Campus de El Cristo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Luisa Maria Sierra
- Departamento de Biología Funcional (Area de Genética), Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
| | - Pilar de la Peña
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de Oviedo, Edificio Santiago Gascón, Campus de El Cristo, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain.
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49
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Baarda BI, Martinez FG, Sikora AE. Proteomics, Bioinformatics and Structure-Function Antigen Mining For Gonorrhea Vaccines. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2793. [PMID: 30564232 PMCID: PMC6288298 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Expanding efforts to develop preventive gonorrhea vaccines is critical because of the serious health consequences combined with the prevalence and the dire possibility of untreatable gonorrhea. Reverse vaccinology, which includes genome and proteome mining, has proven successful in the discovery of vaccine candidates against many pathogenic bacteria. Here, we describe proteomic applications including comprehensive, quantitative proteomic platforms and immunoproteomics coupled with broad-ranging bioinformatics that have been applied for antigen mining to develop gonorrhea vaccine(s). We further focus on outlining the vaccine candidate decision tree, describe the structure-function of novel proteome-derived antigens as well as ways to gain insights into their roles in the cell envelope, and underscore new lessons learned about the fascinating biology of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin I. Baarda
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Fabian G. Martinez
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
| | - Aleksandra E. Sikora
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States
- Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR, United States
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50
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Noble AJ, Wei H, Dandey VP, Zhang Z, Tan YZ, Potter CS, Carragher B. Reducing effects of particle adsorption to the air-water interface in cryo-EM. Nat Methods 2018; 15:793-795. [PMID: 30250056 PMCID: PMC6168394 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-018-0139-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Most protein particles prepared in vitreous ice for single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) are adsorbed to air-water or substrate-water interfaces, which can cause the particles to adopt preferred orientations. By using a rapid plunge-freezing robot and nanowire grids, we were able to reduce some of the deleterious effects of the air-water interface by decreasing the dwell time of particles in thin liquid films. We demonstrated this by using single-particle cryo-EM and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) to examine hemagglutinin, insulin receptor complex, and apoferritin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J Noble
- National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hui Wei
- National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Venkata P Dandey
- National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zhening Zhang
- National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yong Zi Tan
- National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Clinton S Potter
- National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bridget Carragher
- National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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