1
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Campitelli P, Ross D, Swint-Kruse L, Ozkan SB. Dynamics-based protein network features accurately discriminate neutral and rheostat positions. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00625-8. [PMID: 39277794 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/17/2024] Open
Abstract
In some proteins, a unique class of nonconserved positions is characterized by their ability to generate diverse functional outcomes through single amino acid substitutions. Due to their ability to tune protein function, accurately identifying such "rheostat" positions is crucial for protein design, for understanding the impact of mutations observed in humans, and for predicting the evolution of pathogen drug resistance. However, identifying rheostat positions has been challenging, due-in part-to the absence of a clear structural relationship with binding sites. In this study, experimental data from our previous study of the Escherichia coli lactose repressor protein (LacI) was used to identify rheostat positions for which mutations tune in vivo EC50 for the allosteric ligand "IPTG." We next used the rheostat assignments to test the hypothesis that rheostat positions have unique dynamic features that will enable their identification. To that end, we integrated all-atom molecular dynamics simulations with perturbation residue response analysis. Results first revealed distinct dynamic behavior in IPTG-bound LacI compared with apo LacI, which was consistent with IPTG's role as an allosteric inducer. Next, we used a variety of dynamic features to build a classification model that discriminates experimentally characterized rheostat positions in LacI from positions with other types of substitution outcomes. In parallel, we built a second classifier model based on the 3D structural "static" network features of LacI. In comparative studies, the dynamic model better identified rheostat positions that were >8 Å from the binding site. In summary, our study provides insights into the dynamic characteristics of rheostat positions and suggests that models built on dynamic features may be useful for predicting the locations of rheostat positions in a wide range of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Campitelli
- Department of Physics, Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - D Ross
- Biosystems and Biomaterials Division, Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | - L Swint-Kruse
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas.
| | - S B Ozkan
- Department of Physics, Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.
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2
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Kutlu Y, Axel G, Kolodny R, Ben-Tal N, Haliloglu T. Reused Protein Segments Linked to Functional Dynamics. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae184. [PMID: 39226145 PMCID: PMC11412252 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 08/10/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein space is characterized by extensive recurrence, or "reuse," of parts, suggesting that new proteins and domains can evolve by mixing-and-matching of existing segments. From an evolutionary perspective, for a given combination to persist, the protein segments should presumably not only match geometrically but also dynamically communicate with each other to allow concerted motions that are key to function. Evidence from protein space supports the premise that domains indeed combine in this manner; we explore whether a similar phenomenon can be observed at the sub-domain level. To this end, we use Gaussian Network Models (GNMs) to calculate the so-called soft modes, or low-frequency modes of motion for a dataset of 150 protein domains. Modes of motion can be used to decompose a domain into segments of consecutive amino acids that we call "dynamic elements", each of which belongs to one of two parts that move in opposite senses. We find that, in many cases, the dynamic elements, detected based on GNM analysis, correspond to established "themes": Sub-domain-level segments that have been shown to recur in protein space, and which were detected in previous research using sequence similarity alone (i.e. completely independently of the GNM analysis). This statistically significant correlation hints at the importance of dynamics in evolution. Overall, the results are consistent with an evolutionary scenario where proteins have emerged from themes that need to match each other both geometrically and dynamically, e.g. to facilitate allosteric regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiğit Kutlu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Polymer Research Center, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gabriel Axel
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry & Biophysics, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Rachel Kolodny
- Department of Computer Science, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Nir Ben-Tal
- School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry & Biophysics, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Turkan Haliloglu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Polymer Research Center, Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey
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3
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Campos LA, Muñoz V. Targeting the protein folding transition state by mutation: Large scale (un)folding rate accelerations without altering native stability. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e5031. [PMID: 38864692 PMCID: PMC11168068 DOI: 10.1002/pro.5031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Proteins are constantly undergoing folding and unfolding transitions, with rates that determine their homeostasis in vivo and modulate their biological function. The ability to optimize these rates without affecting overall native stability is hence highly desirable for protein engineering and design. The great challenge is, however, that mutations generally affect folding and unfolding rates with inversely complementary fractions of the net free energy change they inflict on the native state. Here we address this challenge by targeting the folding transition state (FTS) of chymotrypsin inhibitor 2 (CI2), a very slow and stable two-state folding protein with an FTS known to be refractory to change by mutation. We first discovered that the CI2's FTS is energetically taxed by the desolvation of several, highly conserved, charges that form a buried salt bridge network in the native structure. Based on these findings, we designed a CI2 variant that bears just four mutations and aims to selectively stabilize the FTS. This variant has >250-fold faster rates in both directions and hence identical native stability, demonstrating the success of our FTS-centric design strategy. With an optimized FTS, CI2 also becomes 250-fold more sensitive to proteolytic degradation by its natural substrate chymotrypsin, and completely loses its activity as inhibitor. These results indicate that CI2 has been selected through evolution to have a very unstable FTS in order to attain the kinetic stability needed to effectively function as protease inhibitor. Moreover, the CI2 case showcases that protein (un)folding rates can critically pivot around a few key residues-interactions, which can strongly modify the general effects of known structural factors such as domain size and fold topology. From a practical standpoint, our results suggest that future efforts should perhaps focus on identifying such critical residues-interactions in proteins as best strategy to significantly improve our ability to predict and engineer protein (un)folding rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis A. Campos
- Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia (IMDEA Nanociencia)MadridSpain
- Unidad de Nanobiotecnología Asociada al Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Victor Muñoz
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of CaliforniaMercedCaliforniaUSA
- Center for Cellular and Biomolecular MachinesUniversity of CaliforniaMercedCaliforniaUSA
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4
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Luu DD, Ramesh N, Kazan IC, Shah KH, Lahiri G, Mana MD, Ozkan SB, Van Horn WD. Evidence that the cold- and menthol-sensing functions of the human TRPM8 channel evolved separately. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadm9228. [PMID: 38905339 PMCID: PMC11192081 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm9228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) is a temperature- and menthol-sensitive ion channel that contributes to diverse physiological roles, including cold sensing and pain perception. Clinical trials targeting TRPM8 have faced repeated setbacks predominantly due to the knowledge gap in unraveling the molecular underpinnings governing polymodal activation. A better understanding of the molecular foundations between the TRPM8 activation modes may aid the development of mode-specific, thermal-neutral therapies. Ancestral sequence reconstruction was used to explore the origins of TRPM8 activation modes. By resurrecting key TRPM8 nodes along the human evolutionary trajectory, we gained valuable insights into the trafficking, stability, and function of these ancestral forms. Notably, this approach unveiled the differential emergence of cold and menthol sensitivity over evolutionary time, providing a fresh perspective on complex polymodal behavior. These studies provide a paradigm for understanding polymodal behavior in TRPM8 and other proteins with the potential to enhance our understanding of sensory receptor biology and pave the way for innovative therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin D. Luu
- School of Molecular Sciences and The Virginia G. Piper Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Nikhil Ramesh
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - I. Can Kazan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Karan H. Shah
- School of Molecular Sciences and The Virginia G. Piper Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Gourab Lahiri
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Miyeko D. Mana
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - S. Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Wade D. Van Horn
- School of Molecular Sciences and The Virginia G. Piper Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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5
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Ose NJ, Campitelli P, Modi T, Kazan IC, Kumar S, Ozkan SB. Some mechanistic underpinnings of molecular adaptations of SARS-COV-2 spike protein by integrating candidate adaptive polymorphisms with protein dynamics. eLife 2024; 12:RP92063. [PMID: 38713502 PMCID: PMC11076047 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
We integrate evolutionary predictions based on the neutral theory of molecular evolution with protein dynamics to generate mechanistic insight into the molecular adaptations of the SARS-COV-2 spike (S) protein. With this approach, we first identified candidate adaptive polymorphisms (CAPs) of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein and assessed the impact of these CAPs through dynamics analysis. Not only have we found that CAPs frequently overlap with well-known functional sites, but also, using several different dynamics-based metrics, we reveal the critical allosteric interplay between SARS-CoV-2 CAPs and the S protein binding sites with the human ACE2 (hACE2) protein. CAPs interact far differently with the hACE2 binding site residues in the open conformation of the S protein compared to the closed form. In particular, the CAP sites control the dynamics of binding residues in the open state, suggesting an allosteric control of hACE2 binding. We also explored the characteristic mutations of different SARS-CoV-2 strains to find dynamic hallmarks and potential effects of future mutations. Our analyses reveal that Delta strain-specific variants have non-additive (i.e., epistatic) interactions with CAP sites, whereas the less pathogenic Omicron strains have mostly additive mutations. Finally, our dynamics-based analysis suggests that the novel mutations observed in the Omicron strain epistatically interact with the CAP sites to help escape antibody binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas James Ose
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Paul Campitelli
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Tushar Modi
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - I Can Kazan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Biology, Temple UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Center for Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz UniversityJeddahSaudi Arabia
| | - Sefika Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
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6
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Nguyen TA, Lee C. Thr-to-Ala Mutation Leads to a Larger Aromatic Pair and Reduced Packing Density in α1,α3-Helices during Thioredoxin Cold Adaptation. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:10812-10824. [PMID: 38463323 PMCID: PMC10918799 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of aromatic-aromatic interactions on the cold adaptation of thioredoxin (Trx), a small redox protein with a conserved Trx-fold structure. Two Trx orthologs, one from the psychrophilic Arctic bacterium Sphingomonas sp. (SpTrx) and the other from the mesophilic Escherichia coli (EcTrx), display distinct aromatic interactions in their α1,α3-helices. SpTrx features a larger Trp11-Phe69 pair, while EcTrx employs a smaller Phe12-Tyr70 pair along with an additional Asp9-Thr66 hydrogen bond. Smaller aromatic residues in SpTrx (Phe-Phe or Phe-Tyr pair) lead to decreased thermal and thermodynamic stabilities, increased conformational flexibility, and reduced enzyme activity. In contrast, EcTrx's thermal stability is primarily influenced by the larger Trp residue, especially in the more hydrophobic Trp-Phe pair compared to the Trp-Tyr pair. Both SpTrx and EcTrx exhibit a strengthening of the Asp-Thr hydrogen bond by a Phe-Tyr pair and a weakening by a Trp-Phe pair. Additionally, the Asp8-Thr65 hydrogen bond in SpTrx contributes to the destabilization of the Phe-Phe pair. Molecular dynamics simulations of SpTrx indicate that a smaller aromatic pair or the Asp-Thr hydrogen bond in the α1,α3-helices further destabilizes the α2-helix across the central β-sheet. Our results suggest that the Thr-to-Ala mutation destabilizes the α1,α3-helices, resulting in a larger aromatic pair and reduced packing density in psychrophilic Trxs during cold adaptation. These findings enhance our understanding of Trx's adaptation to colder temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tu Anh Nguyen
- Department of Biomedical
Science and Center for Bio-Nanomaterials, Daegu University, Gyeongsan 38453, South Korea
| | - ChangWoo Lee
- Department of Biomedical
Science and Center for Bio-Nanomaterials, Daegu University, Gyeongsan 38453, South Korea
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7
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Ose NJ, Campitelli P, Modi T, Can Kazan I, Kumar S, Banu Ozkan S. Some mechanistic underpinnings of molecular adaptations of SARS-COV-2 spike protein by integrating candidate adaptive polymorphisms with protein dynamics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.14.557827. [PMID: 37745560 PMCID: PMC10515954 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.14.557827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
We integrate evolutionary predictions based on the neutral theory of molecular evolution with protein dynamics to generate mechanistic insight into the molecular adaptations of the SARS-COV-2 Spike (S) protein. With this approach, we first identified Candidate Adaptive Polymorphisms (CAPs) of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein and assessed the impact of these CAPs through dynamics analysis. Not only have we found that CAPs frequently overlap with well-known functional sites, but also, using several different dynamics-based metrics, we reveal the critical allosteric interplay between SARS-CoV-2 CAPs and the S protein binding sites with the human ACE2 (hACE2) protein. CAPs interact far differently with the hACE2 binding site residues in the open conformation of the S protein compared to the closed form. In particular, the CAP sites control the dynamics of binding residues in the open state, suggesting an allosteric control of hACE2 binding. We also explored the characteristic mutations of different SARS-CoV-2 strains to find dynamic hallmarks and potential effects of future mutations. Our analyses reveal that Delta strain-specific variants have non-additive (i.e., epistatic) interactions with CAP sites, whereas the less pathogenic Omicron strains have mostly additive mutations. Finally, our dynamics-based analysis suggests that the novel mutations observed in the Omicron strain epistatically interact with the CAP sites to help escape antibody binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Ose
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Paul Campitelli
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Tushar Modi
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - I. Can Kazan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - S. Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
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8
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Van Tran T, Nguyen H, Vu L, Lee C. Structural conservation in the glutathione binding in Sphingomonas sp. glutaredoxin Grx3 and variations for cold adaptation. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2024; 1872:140971. [PMID: 37935252 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2023.140971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Glutaredoxin 3 (Grx3), a redox protein with a thioredoxin-fold structure, maintains structural integrity and glutathione (GSH) binding capabilities across varying habitat temperatures. The cis-Pro loop, essential for GSH binding, relies on the Arg-Asp salt bridge (α2-α3) and Gln-His hydrogen bond (β3-β4) for its conformation. In some psychrophilic Grx3 variants, Arg in α2 is replaced with Tyr, and His in β4 is replaced with Phe. This study examines the roles of these bonds in Grx3's structure, function, and cold adaptation, using SpGrx3 from the Arctic bacterium Sphingomonas sp. Despite its cold habitat, SpGrx3 maintains the Arg51-Asp69 salt bridge and Gln56-His63 hydrogen bond. The R51Y substitution disrupts the α2-α3 salt bridge, while the H63F and H63Y substitutions hinder the salt bridge through cation-π interactions with Arg51, involving Phe63/Tyr63, thereby enhancing flexibility. Conversely, mutations that disrupt the hydrogen bond (Q56A, H63A, and H63F) reduce thermal stability. In the psychrophilic Grx3 configuration A48T/R51Y/H63F, a Thr48-Gln56 hydrogen bond stabilizes the cis-Pro loop, enhancing flexibility by disrupting both bonds. Furthermore, all mutants exhibit reduced α-helical content and catalytic efficiency. In summary, the highly conserved Arg51-Asp69 salt bridge and Gln56-His63 hydrogen bond are crucial for stabilizing the cis-Pro loop and catalytic activity in SpGrx3. His63 is favored as it avoids cation-π interactions with Arg51, unlike Phe63/Tyr63. Psychrophilic Grx3 variants have adapted to cold environments by reducing GSH binding and increasing structural flexibility. These findings deepen our understanding of the structural conservation in Grx3 for GSH binding and the critical alterations required for cold adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trang Van Tran
- Department of Biomedical Science and Center for Bio-Nanomaterials, Daegu University, Gyeongsan 38453, South Korea
| | - Hoa Nguyen
- Department of Biomedical Science and Center for Bio-Nanomaterials, Daegu University, Gyeongsan 38453, South Korea
| | - Luyen Vu
- Department of Biomedical Science and Center for Bio-Nanomaterials, Daegu University, Gyeongsan 38453, South Korea
| | - ChangWoo Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science and Center for Bio-Nanomaterials, Daegu University, Gyeongsan 38453, South Korea.
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9
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Lu J, Rahman MI, Kazan IC, Halloran NR, Bobkov AA, Ozkan SB, Ghirlanda G. Engineering gain-of-function mutants of a WW domain by dynamics and structural analysis. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4759. [PMID: 37574787 PMCID: PMC10464296 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Proteins gain optimal fitness such as foldability and function through evolutionary selection. However, classical studies have found that evolutionarily designed protein sequences alone cannot guarantee foldability, or at least not without considering local contacts associated with the initial folding steps. We previously showed that foldability and function can be restored by removing frustration in the folding energy landscape of a model WW domain protein, CC16, which was designed based on Statistical Coupling Analysis (SCA). Substitutions ensuring the formation of five local contacts identified as "on-path" were selected using the closest homolog native folded sequence, N21. Surprisingly, the resulting sequence, CC16-N21, bound to Group I peptides, while N21 did not. Here, we identified single-point mutations that enable N21 to bind a Group I peptide ligand through structure and dynamic-based computational design. Comparison of the docked position of the CC16-N21/ligand complex with the N21 structure showed that residues at positions 9 and 19 are important for peptide binding, whereas the dynamic profiles identified position 10 as allosterically coupled to the binding site and exhibiting different dynamics between N21 and CC16-N21. We found that swapping these positions in N21 with matched residues from CC16-N21 recovers nature-like binding affinity to N21. This study validates the use of dynamic profiles as guiding principles for affecting the binding affinity of small proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Lu
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological PhysicsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | | | - I. Can Kazan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological PhysicsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | | | - Andrey A. Bobkov
- Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical GenomicsSanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery InstituteCaliforniaUSA
| | - S. Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological PhysicsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
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10
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Tran TV, Hoang T, Jang SH, Lee C. Unraveling the roles of aromatic cluster side-chain interactions on the structural stability and functional significance of psychrophilic Sphingomonas sp. glutaredoxin 3. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290686. [PMID: 37651358 PMCID: PMC10470887 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of aromatic cluster side-chain interactions in Grx3 (SpGrx3) from the psychrophilic Arctic bacterium Sphingomonas sp. Grx3 is a class I oxidoreductase with a unique parallel arrangement of aromatic residues in its aromatic cluster, unlike the tetrahedral geometry observed in Trxs. Hydrophilic-to-hydrophobic substitutions were made in the aromatic cluster, in β1 (E5V and Y7F), adjacent β2 (Y32F and Y32L), both β1 and β2 (E5V/Y32L), and short α2 (R47F). The hydrophobic substitutions, particularly those at or near Tyr7 (E5V, Y7F, Y32F, and R47F), increased melting temperatures and conformational stability, whereas disrupting β1-β2 interactions (Y32L and E5V/Y32L) led to structural instability of SpGrx3. However, excessive hydrophobic interactions (Y7F and E5V/Y32L) caused protein aggregation at elevated temperatures. All mutations resulted in a reduction in α-helical content and an increase in β-strand content. The R47F mutant, which formed dimers and exhibited the highest β-strand content, showed increased conformational flexibility and a significant decrease in catalytic rate due to the disturbance of β1-α2 interactions. In summary, the configuration of the aromatic cluster, especially Tyr7 in the buried β1 and Arg47 in the short α2, played crucial roles in maintaining the active conformation of SpGrx3 and preventing its protein aggregation. These modifications, reducing hydrophobicity in the central β-sheet, distinguish Grx3 from other Trx-fold proteins, highlighting evolutionary divergence within the Trx-fold superfamily and its functional versatility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trang Van Tran
- Department of Biomedical Science and Center for Bio-Nanomaterials, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - Trang Hoang
- Department of Biomedical Science and Center for Bio-Nanomaterials, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - Sei-Heon Jang
- Department of Biomedical Science and Center for Bio-Nanomaterials, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - ChangWoo Lee
- Department of Biomedical Science and Center for Bio-Nanomaterials, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
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11
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Kazan IC, Mills JH, Ozkan SB. Allosteric regulatory control in dihydrofolate reductase is revealed by dynamic asymmetry. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4700. [PMID: 37313628 PMCID: PMC10357497 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the relationship between mutations and dynamics in Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) using computational methods. Our study focused on the M20 and FG loops, which are known to be functionally important and affected by mutations distal to the loops. We used molecular dynamics simulations and developed position-specific metrics, including the dynamic flexibility index (DFI) and dynamic coupling index (DCI), to analyze the dynamics of wild-type DHFR and compared our results with existing deep mutational scanning data. Our analysis showed a statistically significant association between DFI and mutational tolerance of the DHFR positions, indicating that DFI can predict functionally beneficial or detrimental substitutions. We also applied an asymmetric version of our DCI metric (DCIasym ) to DHFR and found that certain distal residues control the dynamics of the M20 and FG loops, whereas others are controlled by them. Residues that are suggested to control the M20 and FG loops by our DCIasym metric are evolutionarily nonconserved; mutations at these sites can enhance enzyme activity. On the other hand, residues controlled by the loops are mostly deleterious to function when mutated and are also evolutionary conserved. Our results suggest that dynamics-based metrics can identify residues that explain the relationship between mutation and protein function or can be targeted to rationally engineer enzymes with enhanced activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- I. Can Kazan
- Center for Biological Physics and Department of PhysicsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | - Jeremy H. Mills
- School of Molecular Sciences and The Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and BiomimeticsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | - S. Banu Ozkan
- Center for Biological Physics and Department of PhysicsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
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12
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Ose NJ, Campitelli P, Patel R, Kumar S, Ozkan SB. Protein dynamics provide mechanistic insights about epistasis among common missense polymorphisms. Biophys J 2023; 122:2938-2947. [PMID: 36726312 PMCID: PMC10398253 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.01.037] [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: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Sequencing of the protein coding genome has revealed many different missense mutations of human proteins and different population frequencies of corresponding haplotypes, which consist of different sets of those mutations. Here, we present evidence for pairwise intramolecular epistasis (i.e., nonadditive interactions) between many such mutations through an analysis of protein dynamics. We suggest that functional compensation for conserving protein dynamics is a likely evolutionary mechanism that maintains high-frequency mutations that are individually nonneutral but epistatically compensating within proteins. This analysis is the first of its type to look at human proteins with specific high population frequency mutations and examine the relationship between mutations that make up that observed high-frequency protein haplotype. Importantly, protein dynamics revealed a separation between high and low frequency haplotypes within a target protein cytochrome P450 2A7, with the high-frequency haplotypes showing behavior closer to the wild-type protein. Common protein haplotypes containing two mutations display dynamic compensation in which one mutation can correct for the dynamic effects of the other. We also utilize a dynamics-based metric, EpiScore, that evaluates the epistatic interactions and allows us to see dynamic compensation within many other proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Ose
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Paul Campitelli
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Ravi Patel
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Center for Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
| | - S Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona.
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13
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Modi T, Campitelli P, Heyden M, Ozkan SB. Correlated Evolution of Low-Frequency Vibrations and Function in Enzymes. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:616-622. [PMID: 36633931 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies of the flexibility of ancestral proteins suggest that proteins evolve their function by altering their native state ensemble. Here, we propose a more direct method to analyze such changes during protein evolution by comparing thermally activated vibrations at frequencies below 6 THz, which report on the dynamics of collective protein modes. We analyzed the backbone vibrational density of states of ancestral and extant β-lactamases and thioredoxins and observed marked changes in the vibrational spectrum in response to evolution. Coupled with previously observed changes in protein flexibility, the observed shifts of vibrational mode densities suggest that protein dynamics and dynamical allostery are critical factors for the evolution of enzymes with specialized catalytic and biophysical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tushar Modi
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona85287, United States
| | - Paul Campitelli
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona85287, United States
| | - Matthias Heyden
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona85287, United States
| | - S Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona85287, United States
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14
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Iorio A, Brochier-Armanet C, Mas C, Sterpone F, Madern D. Protein Conformational Space at the Edge of Allostery: Turning a Non-allosteric Malate Dehydrogenase into an "Allosterized" Enzyme using Evolution Guided Punctual Mutations. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6691310. [PMID: 36056899 PMCID: PMC9486893 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac186] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We unveil the intimate relationship between protein dynamics and allostery by following the trajectories of model proteins in their conformational and sequence spaces. Starting from a nonallosteric hyperthermophilic malate dehydrogenase, we have tracked the role of protein dynamics in the evolution of the allosteric capacity. Based on a large phylogenetic analysis of the malate (MalDH) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) superfamily, we identified two amino acid positions that could have had a major role for the emergence of allostery in LDHs, which we targeted for investigation by site-directed mutagenesis. Wild-type MalDH and the single and double mutants were tested with respect to their substrate recognition profiles. The double mutant displayed a sigmoid-shaped profile typical of homotropic activation in LDH. By using molecular dynamics simulations, we showed that the mutations induce a drastic change in the protein sampling of its conformational landscape, making transiently T-like (inactive) conformers, typical of allosteric LDHs, accessible. Our data fit well with the seminal key concept linking protein dynamics and evolvability. We showed that the selection of a new phenotype can be achieved by a few key dynamics-enhancing mutations causing the enrichment of low-populated conformational substates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Iorio
- CNRS, Université de Paris, UPR 9080, Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, Paris, France; Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique-Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Céline Brochier-Armanet
- Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Caroline Mas
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, IBS, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Fabio Sterpone
- CNRS, Université de Paris, UPR 9080, Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, Paris, France; Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique-Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris, France
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15
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Lin Z, Nie H, Zhang Y, Yin Z, Yan X. Genome-wide identification and analysis of HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase gene family in Ruditapes philippinarum and their involvement in the response to heat stress and Vibrio anguillarum infection. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY. PART D, GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2022; 43:101012. [PMID: 35849989 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2022.101012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
E3 ubiquitin ligase (E3s) plays an important role in ubiquitin proteasome pathway, proteins containing homologous E6-AP carboxyl terminus (HECT) domains. However, the role of HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase in mollusk was rarely explored. In this study, we performed a genome-wide analysis of the HECT domain-containing gene in Ruditapes philippinarum to identify and predict the structural and functional characterization of HECT genes in response to abiotic and biotic stress. A total of sixteen members of HECT gene family were identified and analyzed for the gene structure, phylogenetic relation, three-dimensional structure, protein interaction network, and expression patterns. Experimental results demonstrated that Rph.HUWE1, Rph.HECTD1, Rph.Ubr5 were significantly up-regulated in response to heat stress and bacterial challenge. Taken together, our data provide insights into the potential function of HECT E3 ligase in heat stress and Vibrio anguillarum infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihan Lin
- Engineering and Technology Research Center of Shellfish Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Hongtao Nie
- Engineering and Technology Research Center of Shellfish Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China.
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Engineering and Technology Research Center of Shellfish Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Zhihui Yin
- Engineering and Technology Research Center of Shellfish Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Xiwu Yan
- Engineering and Technology Research Center of Shellfish Breeding in Liaoning Province, College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China
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16
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Rahban M, Zolghadri S, Salehi N, Ahmad F, Haertlé T, Rezaei-Ghaleh N, Sawyer L, Saboury AA. Thermal stability enhancement: Fundamental concepts of protein engineering strategies to manipulate the flexible structure. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 214:642-654. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.06.154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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17
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Dubanevics I, McLeish TCB. Optimising Elastic Network Models for Protein Dynamics and Allostery: Spatial and Modal Cut-offs and Backbone Stiffness. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167696. [PMID: 35810792 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The family of coarse-grained models for protein dynamics known as Elastic Network Models (ENMs) require careful choice of parameters to represent well experimental measurements or fully-atomistic simulations. The most basic ENM that represents each protein residue by a node at the position of its C-alpha atom, all connected by springs of equal stiffness, up to a cut-off in distance. Even at this level a choice is required of the optimum cut-off distance and the upper limit of elastic normal modes taken in any sum for physical properties, such as dynamic correlation or allosteric effects on binding. Additionally, backbone-enhanced ENM (BENM) may improve the model by allocating a higher stiffness to springs that connect along the protein backbone. This work reports on the effect of varying these three parameters (distance and mode cutoffs, backbone stiffness) on the dynamical structure of three proteins, Catabolite Activator Protein (CAP), Glutathione S-transferase (GST), and the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease (M pro ). Our main results are: (1) balancing B-factor and dispersion-relation predictions, a near-universal optimal value of 8.5 Å is advisable for ENMs; (2) inhomogeneity in elasticity brings the first mode containing spatial structure not well-resolved by the ENM typically within the first 20; (3) the BENM only affects modes in the upper third of the distribution, and, additionally to the ENM, is only able to model the dispersion curve better in this vicinity; (4) BENM does not typically affect fluctuation-allostery, which also requires careful treatment of the effector binding to the host protein to capture.
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18
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Jayaraman V, Toledo‐Patiño S, Noda‐García L, Laurino P. Mechanisms of protein evolution. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4362. [PMID: 35762715 PMCID: PMC9214755 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4362] [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: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
How do proteins evolve? How do changes in sequence mediate changes in protein structure, and in turn in function? This question has multiple angles, ranging from biochemistry and biophysics to evolutionary biology. This review provides a brief integrated view of some key mechanistic aspects of protein evolution. First, we explain how protein evolution is primarily driven by randomly acquired genetic mutations and selection for function, and how these mutations can even give rise to completely new folds. Then, we also comment on how phenotypic protein variability, including promiscuity, transcriptional and translational errors, may also accelerate this process, possibly via "plasticity-first" mechanisms. Finally, we highlight open questions in the field of protein evolution, with respect to the emergence of more sophisticated protein systems such as protein complexes, pathways, and the emergence of pre-LUCA enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijay Jayaraman
- Department of Molecular Cell BiologyWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Saacnicteh Toledo‐Patiño
- Protein Engineering and Evolution UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOkinawaJapan
| | - Lianet Noda‐García
- Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and EnvironmentHebrew University of JerusalemRehovotIsrael
| | - Paola Laurino
- Protein Engineering and Evolution UnitOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate UniversityOkinawaJapan
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19
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Page BM, Martin TA, Wright CL, Fenton LA, Villar MT, Tang Q, Artigues A, Lamb A, Fenton AW, Swint‐Kruse L. Odd one out? Functional tuning of Zymomonas mobilis pyruvate kinase is narrower than its allosteric, human counterpart. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4336. [PMID: 35762709 PMCID: PMC9202079 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Various protein properties are often illuminated using sequence comparisons of protein homologs. For example, in analyses of the pyruvate kinase multiple sequence alignment, the set of positions that changed during speciation ("phylogenetic" positions) were enriched for "rheostat" positions in human liver pyruvate kinase (hLPYK). (Rheostat positions are those which, when substituted with various amino acids, yield a range of functional outcomes). However, the correlation was moderate, which could result from multiple biophysical constraints acting on the same position during evolution and/or various sources of noise. To further examine this correlation, we here tested Zymomonas mobilis PYK (ZmPYK), which has <65% sequence identity to any other PYK sequence. Twenty-six ZmPYK positions were selected based on their phylogenetic scores, substituted with multiple amino acids, and assessed for changes in Kapp-PEP . Although we expected to identify multiple, strong rheostat positions, only one moderate rheostat position was detected. Instead, nearly half of the 271 ZmPYK variants were inactive and most others showed near wild-type function. Indeed, for the active ZmPYK variants, the total range of Kapp,PEP values ("tunability") was 40-fold less than that observed for hLPYK variants. The combined functional studies and sequence comparisons suggest that ZmPYK has evolved functional and/or structural attributes that differ from the rest of the family. We hypothesize that including such "orphan" sequences in MSA analyses obscures the correlations used to predict rheostat positions. Finally, results raise the intriguing biophysical question as to how the same protein fold can support rheostat positions in one homolog but not another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braelyn M. Page
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKansasUSA
| | - Tyler A. Martin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKansasUSA
| | - Collette L. Wright
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKansasUSA
- Department of Molecular BiosciencesThe University of KansasLawrenceKansasUSA
| | - Lauren A. Fenton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKansasUSA
| | - Maite T. Villar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKansasUSA
| | - Qingling Tang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKansasUSA
| | - Antonio Artigues
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKansasUSA
| | - Audrey Lamb
- Department of Molecular BiosciencesThe University of KansasLawrenceKansasUSA
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Texas at San AntonioSan AntonioTexasUSA
| | - Aron W. Fenton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKansasUSA
| | - Liskin Swint‐Kruse
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKansasUSA
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20
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Chikunova A, Ubbink M. The roles of highly conserved, non‐catalytic residues in class A β‐lactamases. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4328. [PMID: 35634774 PMCID: PMC9112487 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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21
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Tatta ER, Imchen M, Moopantakath J, Kumavath R. Bioprospecting of microbial enzymes: current trends in industry and healthcare. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:1813-1835. [PMID: 35254498 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-11859-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Microbial enzymes have an indispensable role in producing foods, pharmaceuticals, and other commercial goods. Many novel enzymes have been reported from all domains of life, such as plants, microbes, and animals. Nonetheless, industrially desirable enzymes of microbial origin are limited. This review article discusses the classifications, applications, sources, and challenges of most demanded industrial enzymes such as pectinases, cellulase, lipase, and protease. In addition, the production of novel enzymes through protein engineering technologies such as directed evolution, rational, and de novo design, for the improvement of existing industrial enzymes is also explored. We have also explored the role of metagenomics, nanotechnology, OMICs, and machine learning approaches in the bioprospecting of novel enzymes. Overall, this review covers the basics of biocatalysts in industrial and healthcare applications and provides an overview of existing microbial enzyme optimization tools. KEY POINTS: • Microbial bioactive molecules are vital for therapeutic and industrial applications. • High-throughput OMIC is the most proficient approach for novel enzyme discovery. • Comprehensive databases and efficient machine learning models are the need of the hour to fast forward de novo enzyme design and discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eswar Rao Tatta
- Department of Genomic Science, School of Biological Sciences, Central University of Kerala, Tejaswini Hills, Periya (PO.), Kasaragod, Kerala, 671320, India
| | - Madangchanok Imchen
- Department of Genomic Science, School of Biological Sciences, Central University of Kerala, Tejaswini Hills, Periya (PO.), Kasaragod, Kerala, 671320, India
| | - Jamseel Moopantakath
- Department of Genomic Science, School of Biological Sciences, Central University of Kerala, Tejaswini Hills, Periya (PO.), Kasaragod, Kerala, 671320, India
| | - Ranjith Kumavath
- Department of Genomic Science, School of Biological Sciences, Central University of Kerala, Tejaswini Hills, Periya (PO.), Kasaragod, Kerala, 671320, India.
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22
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Kazan IC, Sharma P, Rahman MI, Bobkov A, Fromme R, Ghirlanda G, Ozkan SB. Design of novel cyanovirin-N variants by modulation of binding dynamics through distal mutations. eLife 2022; 11:67474. [PMID: 36472898 PMCID: PMC9725752 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
We develop integrated co-evolution and dynamic coupling (ICDC) approach to identify, mutate, and assess distal sites to modulate function. We validate the approach first by analyzing the existing mutational fitness data of TEM-1 β-lactamase and show that allosteric positions co-evolved and dynamically coupled with the active site significantly modulate function. We further apply ICDC approach to identify positions and their mutations that can modulate binding affinity in a lectin, cyanovirin-N (CV-N), that selectively binds to dimannose, and predict binding energies of its variants through Adaptive BP-Dock. Computational and experimental analyses reveal that binding enhancing mutants identified by ICDC impact the dynamics of the binding pocket, and show that rigidification of the binding residues compensates for the entropic cost of binding. This work suggests a mechanism by which distal mutations modulate function through dynamic allostery and provides a blueprint to identify candidates for mutagenesis in order to optimize protein function.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Can Kazan
- Center for Biological Physics and Department of Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States,School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Prerna Sharma
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | | | - Andrey Bobkov
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery InstituteLa JollaUnited States
| | - Raimund Fromme
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Giovanna Ghirlanda
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - S Banu Ozkan
- Center for Biological Physics and Department of Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
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23
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Verkhivker GM, Agajanian S, Oztas DY, Gupta G. Allosteric Control of Structural Mimicry and Mutational Escape in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Complexes with the ACE2 Decoys and Miniprotein Inhibitors: A Network-Based Approach for Mutational Profiling of Binding and Signaling. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:5172-5191. [PMID: 34551245 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We developed a computational framework for comprehensive and rapid mutational scanning of binding energetics and residue interaction networks in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein complexes. Using this approach, we integrated atomistic simulations and conformational landscaping of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein complexes with ensemble-based mutational screening and network modeling to characterize mechanisms of structure-functional mimicry and resilience toward mutational escape by the ACE2 protein decoy and de novo designed miniprotein inhibitors. A detailed analysis of structural plasticity of the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins obtained from atomistic simulations of conformational landscapes and sequence-based profiling of the disorder propensities revealed the intrinsically flexible regions that harbor key functional sites targeted by circulating variants. The conservation of collective dynamics in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein complexes showed that mutational escape positions are important for modulation of functional motions and that mutational changes in these sites can alter allosteric interaction networks. Through mutational profiling of binding and allosteric propensities in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein complexes, we identified the key binding and regulatory hotspots that collectively determine functional response and resilience of miniproteins to mutational variants. The results suggest that binding affinities and allosteric signatures of the SARS-CoV-2 complexes can be determined by dynamic crosstalk between structurally stable regulatory centers and conformationally adaptable allosteric hotspots that collectively control the resilience toward mutational escape. This may underlie a mechanism in which moderate perturbations in the mutational escape positions can induce global allosteric changes and alter functional protein response by modulating signaling in the residue interaction networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gennady M Verkhivker
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Department of Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States.,Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Irvine, California 92618, United States
| | - Steve Agajanian
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Department of Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Deniz Yasar Oztas
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Department of Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
| | - Grace Gupta
- Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Department of Computational and Data Sciences, Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, California 92866, United States
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24
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Guo H, Wang L, Deng Y, Ye J. Novel perspectives of environmental proteomics. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 788:147588. [PMID: 34023612 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The connection among genome expression, proteome alteration, metabolism regulation and phenotype change under environmental stresses is very vague. It is a tough task for the traditional research approaches to reveal the related scientific mechanisms of the above connection at molecular and systematic levels. Proteomics approach is an insightful tool for revealing the biological functions, metabolic networks and functional protein interaction networks of cells and organisms under stresses at the systematic level. The purpose of this review is to provide an insightful guideline on how to set up a proteomic investigation for revealing biomolecule mechanisms, protein biomarkers and metabolism networks related to stress response, pollutant recognition, transport and biodegradation, and providing an insightful high-throughput approach for screening functional enzymes and effective microbes based on bioinformatics and functional verification method. Furthermore, the toxicity evaluation of pollutants and byproducts by proteomics approaches provides a scientific insight for early diagnosis of ecological risk and determination of the effectiveness of pollutant treatment techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiying Guo
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposure and Health of Guangdong Province, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; Institute of Orthopedic Diseases, Department of Bone and Joint Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Lili Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposure and Health of Guangdong Province, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Ying Deng
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposure and Health of Guangdong Province, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jinshao Ye
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposure and Health of Guangdong Province, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
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25
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Ozkan SB. Can sequence-specific and dynamics-based metrics allow us to decipher the function in IDP sequences? Biophys J 2021; 120:1857-1859. [PMID: 33951452 PMCID: PMC8204289 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- S Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics, Center for Biological Physics, Arizona University, Tempe, Arizona.
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26
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Gopi S, Lukose B, Naganathan AN. Diverse Native Ensembles Dictate the Differential Functional Responses of Nuclear Receptor Ligand-Binding Domains. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:3546-3555. [PMID: 33818099 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c00972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Native states of folded proteins are characterized by a large ensemble of conformations whose relative populations and interconversion dynamics determine the functional output. This is more apparent in transcription factors that have evolved to be inherently sensitive to small perturbations, thus fine-tuning gene expression. To explore the extent to which such functional features are imprinted on the folding landscape of transcription factor ligand-binding domains (LBDs), we characterize paralogous LBDs of the nuclear receptor (NR) family employing an energetically detailed and ensemble-based Ising-like statistical mechanical model. We find that the native ensembles of the LBDs from glucocorticoid receptor, PPAγ, and thyroid hormone receptor display a remarkable diversity in the width of the native wells, the number and nature of partially structured states, and hence the degree of conformational order. Monte Carlo simulations employing the full state representation of the ensemble highlight that many of the functional conformations coexist in equilibrium, whose relative populations are sensitive to both temperature and the strength of ligand binding. Allosteric modulation of the degree of structure at a coregulator binding site on ligand binding is shown to arise via a redistribution of populations in the native ensembles of glucocorticoid and PPAγ LBDs. Our results illustrate how functional requirements can drive the evolution of conformationally diverse native ensembles in paralogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soundhararajan Gopi
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
| | - Bincy Lukose
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
| | - Athi N Naganathan
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat & Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
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27
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Zou T, Woodrum BW, Halloran N, Campitelli P, Bobkov AA, Ghirlanda G, Ozkan SB. Local Interactions That Contribute Minimal Frustration Determine Foldability. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:2617-2626. [PMID: 33687216 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c00364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Earlier experiments suggest that the evolutionary information (conservation and coevolution) encoded in protein sequences is necessary and sufficient to specify the fold of a protein family. However, there is no computational work to quantify the effect of such evolutionary information on the folding process. Here we explore the role of early folding steps for sequences designed using coevolution and conservation through a combination of computational and experimental methods. We simulated a repertoire of native and designed WW domain sequences to analyze early local contact formation and found that the N-terminal β-hairpin turn would not form correctly due to strong non-native local contacts in unfoldable sequences. Through a maximum likelihood approach, we identified five local contacts that play a critical role in folding, suggesting that a small subset of amino acid pairs can be used to solve the "needle in the haystack" problem to design foldable sequences. Thus, using the contact probability of those five local contacts that form during the early stage of folding, we built a classification model that predicts the foldability of a WW sequence with 81% accuracy. This classification model was used to redesign WW domain sequences that could not fold due to frustration and make them foldable by introducing a few mutations that led to the stabilization of these critical local contacts. The experimental analysis shows that a redesigned sequence folds and binds to polyproline peptides with a similar affinity as those observed for native WW domains. Overall, our analysis shows that evolutionary-designed sequences should not only satisfy the folding stability but also ensure a minimally frustrated folding landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taisong Zou
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Brian W Woodrum
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Nicholas Halloran
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Paul Campitelli
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Andrey A Bobkov
- Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Giovanna Ghirlanda
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Sefika Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
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The Role of Rigid Residues in Modulating TEM-1 β-Lactamase Function and Thermostability. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22062895. [PMID: 33809335 PMCID: PMC7999226 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22062895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between protein motions (i.e., dynamics) and enzymatic function has begun to be explored in β-lactamases as a way to advance our understanding of these proteins. In a recent study, we analyzed the dynamic profiles of TEM-1 (a ubiquitous class A β-lactamase) and several ancestrally reconstructed homologues. A chief finding of this work was that rigid residues that were allosterically coupled to the active site appeared to have profound effects on enzyme function, even when separated from the active site by many angstroms. In the present work, our aim was to further explore the implications of protein dynamics on β-lactamase function by altering the dynamic profile of TEM-1 using computational protein design methods. The Rosetta software suite was used to mutate amino acids surrounding either rigid residues that are highly coupled to the active site or to flexible residues with no apparent communication with the active site. Experimental characterization of ten designed proteins indicated that alteration of residues surrounding rigid, highly coupled residues, substantially affected both enzymatic activity and stability; in contrast, native-like activities and stabilities were maintained when flexible, uncoupled residues, were targeted. Our results provide additional insight into the structure-function relationship present in the TEM family of β-lactamases. Furthermore, the integration of computational protein design methods with analyses of protein dynamics represents a general approach that could be used to extend our understanding of the relationship between dynamics and function in other enzyme classes.
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