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Zhu L, Cui X, Yan Z, Tao Y, Shi L, Zhang X, Yao Y, Shi L. Design and evaluation of a multi-epitope DNA vaccine against HPV16. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2024; 20:2352908. [PMID: 38780076 PMCID: PMC11123455 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2024.2352908] [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: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cervical cancer, among the deadliest cancers affecting women globally, primarily arises from persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV). To effectively combat persistent infection and prevent the progression of precancerous lesions into malignancy, a therapeutic HPV vaccine is under development. This study utilized an immunoinformatics approach to predict epitopes of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and helper T lymphocytes (HTLs) using the E6 and E7 oncoproteins of the HPV16 strain as target antigens. Subsequently, through meticulous selection of T-cell epitopes and other necessary elements, a multi-epitope vaccine was constructed, exhibiting good immunogenic, physicochemical, and structural characteristics. Furthermore, in silico simulations showed that the vaccine not only interacted well with toll-like receptors (TLR2/TLR3/TLR4), but also induced a strong innate and adaptive immune response characterized by elevated Th1-type cytokines, such as interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL2). Additionally, our study investigated the effects of different immunization intervals on immune responses, aiming to optimize a time-efficient immunization program. In animal model experiments, the vaccine exhibited robust immunogenic, therapeutic, and prophylactic effects. Administered thrice, it consistently induced the expansion of specific CD4 and CD8 T cells, resulting in substantial cytokines release and increased proliferation of memory T cell subsets in splenic cells. Overall, our findings support the potential of this multi-epitope vaccine in combating HPV16 infection and signify its candidacy for future HPV vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lanfang Zhu
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Xiangjie Cui
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Zhiling Yan
- Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, The No. 3 Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Yufen Tao
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Xinwen Zhang
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Yufeng Yao
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Vaccine Research & Development on Severe Infectious Disease, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
| | - Li Shi
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, China
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Naskar S, Harsukhbhai Chandpa H, Agarwal S, Meena J. Super epitope dengue vaccine instigated serotype independent immune protection in-silico. Vaccine 2024; 42:3857-3873. [PMID: 38616437 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.04.009] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Dengue becomes the most common life-threatening infectious arbovirus disease globally, with prevalence in the tropical and subtropical areas. The major clinical features include dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS), a condition of hypovolemic shock. Four different serotypes of the dengue virus, known as dengue virus serotype (DENV)- 1, 2, 3 and 4 can infect humans. Only one vaccine is available in the market, named Dengvaxia by Sanofi Pasteur, but there is no desired outcome of this treatment due the antibody dependent enhancement (ADE) of the multiple dengue serotypes. As of now, there is no cure against dengue disease. Our goal in this work was to create a subunit vaccine based on several epitopes that would be effective against every serotype of the dengue virus. Here, computational methods like- immunoinformatics and bioinformatics were implemented to find out possible dominant epitopes. A total of 21 epitopes were chosen using various in-silico techniques from the expected 133 major histocompatibility complex (MHC)- I and major histocompatibility complex (MHC)- II epitopes, along with 95 B-cell epitopes which were greatly conserved. Immune stimulant, non-allergenic and non-toxic immunodominant epitopes (super epitopes) with a suitable adjuvant (Heparin-Binding Hemagglutinin Adhesin, HBHA) were used to construct the vaccine. Following the physicochemical analysis, vaccine construct was docked with Toll-like receptors (TLRs) to predict the immune stimulation. Consequently, the optimal docked complex that demonstrated the least amount of ligand-receptor complex deformability was used to conduct the molecular dynamics analysis. By following the codon optimization, the final vaccine molecule was administered into an expressing vector to perform in-silico cloning. The robust immune responses were generated in the in-silico immune simulation analysis. Hence, this study provides a hope to control the dengue infections. For validation of the immune outcomes, in-vitro as well as in-vivo investigations are essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shovan Naskar
- ImmunoEngineering and Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Hitesh Harsukhbhai Chandpa
- ImmunoEngineering and Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Shalini Agarwal
- ImmunoEngineering and Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Jairam Meena
- ImmunoEngineering and Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi 221005, India.
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Bai G, Zeng X, Zhang L, Wang Y, Ma B. Computational investigation of the inhibitory interaction of IRF3 and SARS-CoV-2 accessory protein ORF3b. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 712-713:149945. [PMID: 38640732 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
ORF3b is one of the SARS-CoV-2 accessory proteins. Previous experimental study suggested that ORF3b prevents IRF3 translocating to nucleus. However, the biophysical mechanism of ORF3b-IRF3 interaction is elusive. Here, we explored the conformation ensemble of ORF3b using all-atom replica exchange molecular dynamics simulation. Disordered ORF3b has mixed α-helix, β-turn and loop conformers. The potential ORF3b-IRF3 binding modes were searched by docking representative ORF3b conformers with IRF3, and 50 ORF3b-IRF3 complex poses were screened using molecular dynamics simulations ranging from 500 to 1000 ns. We found that ORF3b binds IRF3 predominantly on its CBP binding and phosphorylated pLxIS motifs, with CBP binding site has the highest binding affinity. The ORF3b-IRF3 binding residues are highly conserved in SARS-CoV-2. Our results provided biophysics insights into ORF3b-IRF3 interaction and explained its interferon antagonism mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganggang Bai
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Xincheng Zeng
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Linghao Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yanjing Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Buyong Ma
- Engineering Research Center of Cell & Therapeutic Antibody (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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4
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Hassanein F, Fadel HH, Shehata AI, Hamdy NA, Masoud IM. In silico study to explore the mechanism of Toxoplasma-induced inflammation and target therapy based on sero and salivary Toxoplasma. Sci Rep 2024; 14:13600. [PMID: 38866852 PMCID: PMC11169245 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63735-z] [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: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
We aimed to assess salivary and seroprevalence of Toxoplasma immunoglobulins in risky populations and evaluate drug docking targeting TgERP. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Alexandria University hospitals' outpatient clinics. 192 participants were enrolled from September 2022 to November 2023. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM were determined in serum and saliva by ELISA. An in-Silico study examined TgERP's protein-protein interactions (PPIs) with pro-inflammatory cytokine receptors, anti-inflammatory cytokine, cell cycle progression regulatory proteins, a proliferation marker, and nuclear envelope integrity-related protein Lamin B1. Our findings revealed that anti-T. gondii IgG were detected in serum (66.1%) and saliva (54.7%), with 2.1% of both samples were positive for IgM. Salivary IgG had 75.59% sensitivity, 86.15% specificity, 91.40% PPV, 64.40% NPP, 79.17% accuracy and fair agreement with serum IgG. On the other hand, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy in detecting salivary IgM were 75.0%, 99.47%, 75.0%, 99.47%, and 98.96%. AUC 0.859 indicates good discriminatory power. Examined synthetic drugs and natural products can target specific amino acids residues of TgERP that lie at the same binding interface with LB1 and Ki67, subsequently, hindering their interaction. Hence, salivary samples can be a promising diagnostic approach. The studied drugs can counteract the pro-inflammatory action of TgERP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faika Hassanein
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Dentistry, Pharos University in Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.
| | - Hewida H Fadel
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Technology, Pharos University in Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Amany I Shehata
- Department of Tropical Health, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Noha Alaa Hamdy
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Inas M Masoud
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharos University in Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt
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Wang T, Ge H, Lin P, Wang Y, Lai X, Chen P, Li F, Feng J. Toll-interacting protein is activated by the transcription factor GATA1 and Sp1 to negatively regulate NF-κB and MAPK pathways in the Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica). FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2024; 149:109561. [PMID: 38636738 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2024.109561] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Toll-interacting protein (Tollip) serves as a crucial inhibitory factor in the modulation of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated innate immunological responses. The structure and function of Tollip have been well documented in mammals, yet the information in teleost remained limited. This work employed in vitro overexpression and RNA interference in vivo and in vitro to comprehensively examine the regulatory effects of AjTollip on NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. The levels of p65, c-Fos, c-Jun, IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α were dramatically reduced following overexpression of AjTollip, whereas knocking down AjTollip in vivo and in vitro enhanced those genes' expression. Protein molecular docking simulations showed AjTollip interacts with AjTLR2, AjIRAK4a, and AjIRAK4b. A better understanding of the transcriptional regulation of AjTollip is crucial to elucidating the role of Tollip in fish antibacterial response. Herein, we cloned and characterized a 2.2 kb AjTollip gene promoter sequence. The transcription factors GATA1 and Sp1 were determined to be associated with the activation of AjTollip expression by using promoter truncation and targeted mutagenesis techniques. Collectively, our results indicate that AjTollip suppresses the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways, leading to the decreased expression of the downstream inflammatory factors, and GATA1 and Sp1 play a vital role in regulating AjTollip expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Mariculture for the East China Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, China; Engineering Research Center of the Modern Technology for Eel Industry, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, China
| | - Hui Ge
- Key Laboratory of Cultivation and High-value Utilization of Marine Organisms in Fujian Province, Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Xiamen, 361012, China
| | - Peng Lin
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Mariculture for the East China Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, China; Engineering Research Center of the Modern Technology for Eel Industry, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, China
| | - Yilei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Mariculture for the East China Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, China; Engineering Research Center of the Modern Technology for Eel Industry, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, China
| | - Xiaojian Lai
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Mariculture for the East China Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, China; Engineering Research Center of the Modern Technology for Eel Industry, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, China
| | - Pengyun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Mariculture for the East China Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, China; Engineering Research Center of the Modern Technology for Eel Industry, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, China
| | - Fuyan Li
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Mariculture for the East China Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, China; Engineering Research Center of the Modern Technology for Eel Industry, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, China
| | - Jianjun Feng
- Key Laboratory of Healthy Mariculture for the East China Sea, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, China; Key Laboratory of Cultivation and High-value Utilization of Marine Organisms in Fujian Province, Fisheries Research Institute of Fujian, Xiamen, 361012, China; Engineering Research Center of the Modern Technology for Eel Industry, Ministry of Education, Fisheries College, Jimei University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361021, China.
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6
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Shankar SS, Banarjee R, Jathar SM, Rajesh S, Ramasamy S, Kulkarni MJ. De novo structure prediction of meteorin and meteorin-like protein for identification of domains, functional receptor binding regions, and their high-risk missense variants. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:4522-4536. [PMID: 37288801 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2220804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Meteorin (Metrn) and Meteorin-like (Metrnl) are homologous secreted proteins involved in neural development and metabolic regulation. In this study, we have performed de novo structure prediction and analysis of both Metrn and Metrnl using Alphafold2 (AF2) and RoseTTAfold (RF). Based on the domain and structural homology analysis of the predicted structures, we have identified that these proteins are composed of two functional domains, a CUB domain and an NTR domain, connected by a hinge/loop region. We have identified the receptor binding regions of Metrn and Metrnl using the machine-learning tools ScanNet and Masif. These were further validated by docking Metrnl with its reported KIT receptor, thus establishing the role of each domain in the receptor interaction. Also, we have studied the effect of non-synonymous SNPs on the structure and function of these proteins using an array of bioinformatics tools and selected 16 missense variants in Metrn and 10 in Metrnl that can affect the protein stability. This is the first study to comprehensively characterize the functional domains of Metrn and Metrnl at their structural level and identify the functional domains, and protein binding regions. This study also highlights the interaction mechanism of the KIT receptor and Metrnl. The predicted deleterious SNPs will allow further understanding of the role of these variants in modulating the plasma levels of these proteins in disease conditions such as diabetes.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Shiva Shankar
- Proteomics Facility, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - Reema Banarjee
- Proteomics Facility, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
| | - Swaraj M Jathar
- Proteomics Facility, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
| | - S Rajesh
- Proteomics Facility, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
| | - Sureshkumar Ramasamy
- Proteomics Facility, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
| | - Mahesh J Kulkarni
- Proteomics Facility, Division of Biochemical Sciences, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, India
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7
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Bhalerao P, Singh S, Prajapati VK, Bhatt TK. Exploring malaria parasite surface proteins to devise highly immunogenic multi-epitope subunit vaccine for Plasmodium falciparum. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2024; 22:100377. [PMID: 38797552 PMCID: PMC11089370 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgeb.2024.100377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria has remained a major health concern for decades among people living in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Plasmodium falciparum is one of the critical species that cause severe malaria and is responsible for major mortality. Moreover, the parasite has generated resistance against all WHO recommended drugs and therapies. Therefore, there is an urgent need for preventive measures in the form of reliable vaccines to achieve the target of a malaria-free world. Surface proteins are the preferable choice for subunit vaccine development because they are rapidly detected and engaged by host immune cells and vaccination-induced antibodies. Additionally, abundant surface or membrane proteins may contribute to the opsonization of pathogens by vaccine-induced antibodies. RESULTS In our study, we have listed all those surface proteins from the literature that could be functionally important and essential for infection and immune evasion of the malaria parasite. Eight Plasmodium surface and membrane proteins from the pre-erythrocyte and erythrocyte stages were shortlisted. Thirty-seven epitopes (B-cell, CTL, and HTL epitopes) from these proteins were predicted using immune-informatic tools and joined with suitable peptide linkers to design a vaccine construct. A TLR-4 agonist peptide adjuvant was added at the N-terminus of the multi-epitope series, followed by the PADRE sequence and EAAAK linker. The TLR-4 receptor was docked with the construct's anticipated model structure. The complex of vaccine and TLR-4, with the lowest energy -1514, was found to be stable under simulated physiological settings. CONCLUSION This study has provided a novel multi-epitope construct that may be exploited further for the development of an efficient vaccine for malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preshita Bhalerao
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Bandar Sindri, Kishangarh, Ajmer 305817, Rajasthan, India
| | - Satyendra Singh
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Bandar Sindri, Kishangarh, Ajmer 305817, Rajasthan, India
| | - Vijay Kumar Prajapati
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, Benito Juarez Road, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi 110021, India
| | - Tarun Kumar Bhatt
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan, Bandar Sindri, Kishangarh, Ajmer 305817, Rajasthan, India.
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Lakhi A, Fanucchi S. Identification and characterisation of a novel interaction between oestrogen receptor alpha and FOXP2. Biochimie 2024; 221:65-74. [PMID: 38296156 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2024.01.014] [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: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Forkhead box P2 (FOXP2) regulates expression of various genes and is associated with language, speech and neural development as well as cancer. Since there may be a putative link between sex and language and because transcription factors rarely function in isolation, this study aims to investigate whether FOXP2 directly associates with oestrogen receptor α (ER1), a nuclear receptor responsible for sexual differentiation that is also associated with cancer. Isothermal titration calorimetry and fluorescence anisotropy were used to investigate the interaction between the DNA-binding forkhead domain (FHD) of FOXP2, the N-terminal region (NT) of FOXP2, and the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of ER1. ER1 LBD does not interact with FOXP2 NT but associates with apo-FOXP2 FHD in an enthalpically favourable manner. The affinity of this interaction is inversely correlated to the salt concentration. Additionally, FOXP2 FHD that is bound to ER1 LBD, has reduced ability to interact with its cognate DNA. This research identifies a novel interaction between ER1 LBD and FOXP2 FHD and shows that the interaction is regulated by salt. Moreover, FOXP2 FHD cannot bind to both ER1 LBD and DNA simultaneously, suggesting that this interaction could be involved in regulating the transcriptional pathway of FOXP2 should the interaction be found in vivo. This study could serve as a foundation for uncovering the basis of sexual dimorphism in speech and language development and related disorders and potentially offers an alternate for targeted cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aasiya Lakhi
- Protein Structure-Function Research Unit, School of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of the Witwatersrand, Jan Smuts Ave, Braamfontein, 2050, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Sylvia Fanucchi
- Protein Structure-Function Research Unit, School of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of the Witwatersrand, Jan Smuts Ave, Braamfontein, 2050, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
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Han R, Zhu T, Zhou L, Chen M, Wang D, Liu J. Association mechanism between Arabidopsis immune coreceptor BAK1 and Pseudomonas syringae effector HopF2. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 710:149871. [PMID: 38579538 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.149871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Brassinosteroid activated kinase 1 (BAK1) is a cell-surface coreceptor which plays multiple roles in innate immunity of plants. HopF2 is an effector secreted by the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 into Arabidopsis and suppresses host immune system through interaction with BAK1 as well as its downstream kinase MKK5. The association mechanism of HopF2 to BAK1 remains unclear, which prohibits our understanding and subsequent interfering of their interaction for pathogen management. Herein, we found the kinase domain of BAK1 (BAK1-KD) is sufficient for HopF2 association. With a combination of hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and mutational assays, we found a region of BAK1-KD N-lobe and a region of HopF2 head subdomain are critical for intermolecular interaction, which is also supported by unbiased protein-protein docking with ClusPro and kinase activity assay. Collectively, this research presents the interaction mechanism between Arabidopsis BAK1 and P. syringae HopF2, which could pave the way for bactericide development that blocking the functioning of HopF2 toward BAK1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Han
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory for Crop Pest Monitoring and Green Control, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Tongtong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory for Crop Pest Monitoring and Green Control, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Lili Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory for Crop Pest Monitoring and Green Control, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Meiqing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory for Crop Pest Monitoring and Green Control, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Dongli Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory for Crop Pest Monitoring and Green Control, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
| | - Junfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Maize Bio-breeding, Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory for Crop Pest Monitoring and Green Control, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China; Joint International Research Laboratory of Crop Molecular Breeding, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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Alafate W, Lv G, Zheng J, Cai H, Wu W, Yang Y, Du S, Zhou D, Wang P. Targeting ARNT attenuates chemoresistance through destabilizing p38α-MAPK signaling in glioblastoma. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:366. [PMID: 38806469 PMCID: PMC11133443 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06735-1] [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: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and lethal brain tumor in adults. This study aimed to investigate the functional significance of aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) in the pathogenesis of GBM. Analysis of public datasets revealed ARNT is upregulated in GBM tissues compared to lower grade gliomas or normal brain tissues. Higher ARNT expression correlated with the mesenchymal subtype and poorer survival in GBM patients. Silencing ARNT using lentiviral shRNAs attenuated the proliferative, invasive, and stem-like capabilities of GBM cell lines, while ARNT overexpression enhanced these malignant phenotypes. Single-cell RNA sequencing uncovered that ARNT is highly expressed in a stem-like subpopulation and is involved in regulating glycolysis, hypoxia response, and stress pathways. Mechanistic studies found ARNT activates p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling to promote chemoresistance in GBM cells. Disrupting the ARNT/p38α protein interaction via the ARNT PAS-A domain restored temozolomide sensitivity. Overall, this study demonstrates ARNT functions as an oncogenic driver in GBM pathogenesis and represents a promising therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wahafu Alafate
- Department of Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Gen Lv
- Department of Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiantao Zheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haiping Cai
- Department of Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- Center of Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yong Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shichao Du
- Department of Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dong Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Heyuan People's Hospital, Heyuan, China.
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11
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Cho SG, Kim JH, Lee JE, Choi IJ, Song M, Chuon K, Shim JG, Kang KW, Jung KH. Heliorhodopsin-mediated light-modulation of ABC transporter. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4306. [PMID: 38773114 PMCID: PMC11109279 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48650-1] [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: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Heliorhodopsins (HeRs) have been hypothesized to have widespread functions. Recently, the functions for few HeRs have been revealed; however, the hypothetical functions remain largely unknown. Herein, we investigate light-modulation of heterodimeric multidrug resistance ATP-binding cassette transporters (OmrDE) mediated by Omithinimicrobium cerasi HeR. In this study, we classifiy genes flanking the HeR-encoding genes and identify highly conservative residues for protein-protein interactions. Our results reveal that the interaction between OcHeR and OmrDE shows positive cooperatively sequential binding through thermodynamic parameters. Moreover, light-induced OcHeR upregulates OmrDE drug transportation. Hence, the binding may be crucial to drug resistance in O. cerasi as it survives in a drug-containing habitat. Overall, we unveil a function of HeR as regulatory rhodopsin for multidrug resistance. Our findings suggest potential applications in optogenetic technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Gyu Cho
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
- Research Institute for Basic Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ji-Hyun Kim
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ji-Eun Lee
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - In-Jung Choi
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Myungchul Song
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kimleng Chuon
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jin-Gon Shim
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kun-Wook Kang
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kwang-Hwan Jung
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea.
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12
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Wossnig L, Furtmann N, Buchanan A, Kumar S, Greiff V. Best practices for machine learning in antibody discovery and development. Drug Discov Today 2024; 29:104025. [PMID: 38762089 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2024.104025] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
In the past 40 years, therapeutic antibody discovery and development have advanced considerably, with machine learning (ML) offering a promising way to speed up the process by reducing costs and the number of experiments required. Recent progress in ML-guided antibody design and development (D&D) has been hindered by the diversity of data sets and evaluation methods, which makes it difficult to conduct comparisons and assess utility. Establishing standards and guidelines will be crucial for the wider adoption of ML and the advancement of the field. This perspective critically reviews current practices, highlights common pitfalls and proposes method development and evaluation guidelines for various ML-based techniques in therapeutic antibody D&D. Addressing challenges across the ML process, best practices are recommended for each stage to enhance reproducibility and progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard Wossnig
- LabGenius Ltd, The Biscuit Factory, 100 Drummond Road, London SE16 4DG, UK; Department of Computer Science, University College London, 66-72 Gower St, London WC1E 6EA, UK.
| | - Norbert Furtmann
- R&D Large Molecules Research Platform, Sanofi Deutschland GmbH, Industriepark Höchst, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
| | - Andrew Buchanan
- Biologics Engineering, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB2 0AA, UK
| | - Sandeep Kumar
- Computational Protein Design and Modeling Group, Computational Science, Moderna Therapeutics, 200 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Victor Greiff
- Department of Immunology and Oslo University Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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13
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González-Esparragoza D, Carrasco-Carballo A, Rosas-Murrieta NH, Millán-Pérez Peña L, Luna F, Herrera-Camacho I. In Silico Analysis of Protein-Protein Interactions of Putative Endoplasmic Reticulum Metallopeptidase 1 in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2024; 46:4609-4629. [PMID: 38785548 PMCID: PMC11120530 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46050280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Ermp1 is a putative metalloprotease from Schizosaccharomyces pombe and a member of the Fxna peptidases. Although their function is unknown, orthologous proteins from rats and humans have been associated with the maturation of ovarian follicles and increased ER stress. This study focuses on proposing the first prediction of PPI by comparison of the interologues between humans and yeasts, as well as the molecular docking and dynamics of the M28 domain of Ermp1 with possible target proteins. As results, 45 proteins are proposed that could interact with the metalloprotease. Most of these proteins are related to the transport of Ca2+ and the metabolism of amino acids and proteins. Docking and molecular dynamics suggest that the M28 domain of Ermp1 could hydrolyze leucine and methionine residues of Amk2, Ypt5 and Pex12. These results could support future experimental investigations of other Fxna peptidases, such as human ERMP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalia González-Esparragoza
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Centro de Química del Instituto de Ciencias (ICUAP), Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico; (D.G.-E.); (N.H.R.-M.); (L.M.-P.P.)
- Laboratorio de Elucidación y Síntesis en Química Orgánica, Instituto de Ciencias de la Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (ICUAP), Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico
| | - Alan Carrasco-Carballo
- Laboratorio de Elucidación y Síntesis en Química Orgánica, Instituto de Ciencias de la Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (ICUAP), Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico
- Consejo Nacional de Humanidades Ciencia y Tecnología, Instituto de Ciencias de la Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (ICUAP), Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico
| | - Nora H. Rosas-Murrieta
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Centro de Química del Instituto de Ciencias (ICUAP), Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico; (D.G.-E.); (N.H.R.-M.); (L.M.-P.P.)
| | - Lourdes Millán-Pérez Peña
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Centro de Química del Instituto de Ciencias (ICUAP), Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico; (D.G.-E.); (N.H.R.-M.); (L.M.-P.P.)
| | - Felix Luna
- Laboratorio de Neuroendocrinología, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico;
| | - Irma Herrera-Camacho
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Centro de Química del Instituto de Ciencias (ICUAP), Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla 72570, Mexico; (D.G.-E.); (N.H.R.-M.); (L.M.-P.P.)
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14
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Anwar HM, Salem GEM, Abd El-Latief HM, Osman AAE, Ghanem SK, Khan H, Chavanich S, Darwish A. Therapeutic potential of proteases in acute lung injury and respiratory distress syndrome via TLR4/Nrf2/NF-kB signaling modulation. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 267:131153. [PMID: 38574930 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131153] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to acute lung injury and respiratory distress syndrome as major causes of death, underscoring the urgent need for effective treatments. Protease enzymes possess a wide range of beneficial effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, and fibrinolytic effects. This study aimed to evaluate the potential therapeutic effects of bacterial protease and chymotrypsin in rats in mitigating acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide. Molecular docking was employed to investigate the inhibitory effect of bacterial protease and chymotrypsin on TLR-4, the receptor for lipopolysaccharide. Bacterial protease restored TLR-4, Nrf2, p38 MAPK, NF-kB, and IKK-β levels to normal levels, while chymotrypsin normalized TLR-4, IKK-β, IL-6, and IL-17 levels. The expression of TGF-β, caspase-3, and VEGF in the bacterial protease- and chymotrypsin-treated groups was markedly reduced. Our results suggest that both therapies ameliorate LPS-induced acute lung injury and modulate the TLR4/Nrf2/NF-k signaling pathway. Each protease exhibited distinct mechanisms, with bacterial protease showing a better response to oxidative stress, edema, and fibrosis, whereas chymotrypsin provided a better response in the acute phase and innate immunity. These findings highlight the potential of each protease as a promising therapeutic option for acute lung injury and respiratory distress syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hend Mohamed Anwar
- Department of Biochemistry, Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), Former National Organization for Drug Control and Research (NODCAR), Giza 11221, Egypt
| | - Gad Elsayed Mohamed Salem
- Reef Biology Research Group, Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Hanan M Abd El-Latief
- Zoology Department, Women's College for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Amany Abd Elhameid Osman
- Zoology Department, Women's College for Arts, Science and Education, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Sahar K Ghanem
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sohag University, Egypt
| | - Haroon Khan
- Department of Pharmacy, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan 23200, Pakistan.
| | - Suchana Chavanich
- Reef Biology Research Group, Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; Aquatic Resources Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Alshaymaa Darwish
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.
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15
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Sarmah P, Das B, Verma JS, Banik D. The functional and structural characterisation of the bZIP transcription factors from Myristica fragrans Houtt. associated to plant disease-resistant defence: An insight from transcriptomics and computational modelling. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 268:131817. [PMID: 38670182 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131817] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The bZIP transcription factors play crucial roles in various aspects of plant biology, including development, defence mechanisms, senescence, and responses to both biotic and abiotic environmental stresses. Myristica fragrans Houtt. transcriptome analysis has identified 15 bZIP transcription factors, each exhibiting major conserved domains and motifs such as BRLZ, MFMR, and DOG1. Functional characterisation of these identified MfbZIP factors indicates their predominant localisation within the nucleus. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that MfbZIP factors cluster into three subgroups alongside annotated bZIP sequences from Magnolia sinica and Arabidopsis thaliana. Moreover, gene ontology (GO) analysis highlights several key functions of MfbZIP, including involvement in defence responses, abscisic acid-induced signalling pathways, and DNA-binding transcription factor activity. Further investigation through KEGG pathway analysis reveals that the amino acid sequences of MfbZIP contain binding motifs for proteins such as TGA, implicated in plant hormone signal transduction pathways associated with disease resistance. To confirm the disease-defence-related activity of the TGA binding protein within MfbZIP, we employed amino acid sequences for 3-D ab initio modelling. Subsequently, we analysed TGA-NPR1 interactions using docking and molecular dynamics simulation analysis. These analyses shed light on the functional and structural aspects of TGA, demonstrating its stable association with NPR1 protein and its significance in the expression of PR1 protein, thus playing a pivotal role in defence responses against pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasanna Sarmah
- Agrotechnology and Rural Development Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat 785006, Assam, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Bikas Das
- Agrotechnology and Rural Development Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat 785006, Assam, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Jitendra Singh Verma
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India; Engineering Sciences and Technology Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat 785 006, Assam, India.
| | - Dipanwita Banik
- Agrotechnology and Rural Development Division, CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat 785006, Assam, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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16
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Sahu M, Rani N, Kumar P. Simulation and Computational Study of RING Domain Mutants of BRCA1 and Ube2k in AD/PD Pathophysiology. Mol Biotechnol 2024; 66:1095-1115. [PMID: 38172369 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-01006-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Lysine-based post-translational modification (PTM) such as acylation, acetylation, deamination, methylation, SUMOylation, and ubiquitination has proven to be a major regulator of gene expression, chromatin structure, protein stability, protein-protein interaction, protein degradation, and cellular localization. However, besides all the PTMs, ubiquitination stands as the second most common PTM after phosphorylation that is involved in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) namely, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). NDDs are characterized by the accumulation of misfolded protein aggregates in the brain that lead to disease-related gene mutation and irregular protein homeostasis. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is in charge of degrading these misfolded proteins, which involve an interplay of E1, E2, E3, and deubiquitinase enzymes. Impaired UPS has been commonly observed in NDDs and E3 ligases are the key members of the UPS, thus, dysfunction of the same can accelerate the neurodegeneration process. Therefore, the aim of this study is firstly, to find E3 ligases that are common in both AD and PD through data mining. Secondly, to study the impact of mutation on its structure and function. The study deciphered 74 E3 ligases that were common in both AD and PD. Later, 10 hub genes were calculated of which protein-protein interaction, pathway enrichment, lysine site prediction, domain, and motif analysis were performed. The results predicted BRCA1, PML, and TRIM33 as the top three putative lysine-modified E3 ligases involved in AD and PD pathogenesis. However, based on structural characterization, BRCA1 was taken further to study RING domain mutation that inferred K32Y, K32L, K32C, K45V, K45Y, and K45G as potential mutants that alter the structural and functional ability of BRCA1 to interact with Ube2k, E2-conjugating enzyme. The most probable mutant observed after molecular dynamics simulation of 50 ns is K32L. Therefore, our study concludes BRCA1, a potential E3 ligase common in AD and PD, and RING domain mutation at sites K32 and K45 possibly disturbs its interaction with its E2, Ube2k.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehar Sahu
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly Delhi College of Engineering), Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, Delhi, 110042, India
| | - Neetu Rani
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly Delhi College of Engineering), Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, Delhi, 110042, India
| | - Pravir Kumar
- Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University (Formerly Delhi College of Engineering), Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, Delhi, 110042, India.
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17
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Kazakov AS, Rastrygina VA, Vologzhannikova AA, Zemskova MY, Bobrova LA, Deryusheva EI, Permyakova ME, Sokolov AS, Litus EA, Shevelyova MP, Uversky VN, Permyakov EA, Permyakov SE. Recognition of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor by specific S100 proteins. Cell Calcium 2024; 119:102869. [PMID: 38484433 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2024.102869] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a pleiotropic myelopoietic growth factor and proinflammatory cytokine, clinically used for multiple indications and serving as a promising target for treatment of many disorders, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, asthma, COVID-19. We have previously shown that dimeric Ca2+-bound forms of S100A6 and S100P proteins, members of the multifunctional S100 protein family, are specific to GM-CSF. To probe selectivity of these interactions, the affinity of recombinant human GM-CSF to dimeric Ca2+-loaded forms of 18 recombinant human S100 proteins was studied by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy. Of them, only S100A4 protein specifically binds to GM-CSF with equilibrium dissociation constant, Kd, values of 0.3-2 μM, as confirmed by intrinsic fluorescence and chemical crosslinking data. Calcium removal prevents S100A4 binding to GM-CSF, whereas monomerization of S100A4/A6/P proteins disrupts S100A4/A6 interaction with GM-CSF and induces a slight decrease in S100P affinity for GM-CSF. Structural modelling indicates the presence in the GM-CSF molecule of a conserved S100A4/A6/P-binding site, consisting of the residues from its termini, helices I and III, some of which are involved in the interaction with GM-CSF receptors. The predicted involvement of the 'hinge' region and F89 residue of S100P in GM-CSF recognition was confirmed by mutagenesis. Examination of S100A4/A6/P ability to affect GM-CSF signaling showed that S100A4/A6 inhibit GM-CSF-induced suppression of viability of monocytic THP-1 cells. The ability of the S100 proteins to modulate GM-CSF activity is relevant to progression of various neoplasms and other diseases, according to bioinformatics analysis. The direct regulation of GM-CSF signaling by extracellular forms of the S100 proteins should be taken into account in the clinical use of GM-CSF and development of the therapeutic interventions targeting GM-CSF or its receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey S Kazakov
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Institutskaya str., 7, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia.
| | - Victoria A Rastrygina
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Institutskaya str., 7, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - Alisa A Vologzhannikova
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Institutskaya str., 7, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - Marina Y Zemskova
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Institutskaya str., 7, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia; Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, G.K. Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, pr. Nauki, 5, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - Lolita A Bobrova
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Institutskaya str., 7, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - Evgenia I Deryusheva
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Institutskaya str., 7, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia.
| | - Maria E Permyakova
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Institutskaya str., 7, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - Andrey S Sokolov
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Institutskaya str., 7, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - Ekaterina A Litus
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Institutskaya str., 7, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - Marina P Shevelyova
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Institutskaya str., 7, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Institutskaya str., 7, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia; Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
| | - Eugene A Permyakov
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Institutskaya str., 7, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia
| | - Sergei E Permyakov
- Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Institutskaya str., 7, Pushchino, Moscow Region 142290, Russia.
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18
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Zhang Y, Ding N, Li Y, Ouyang M, Fu P, Peng Y, Tan Y. Transcription factor FOXM1 specifies chromatin DNA to extracellular vesicles. Autophagy 2024; 20:1054-1071. [PMID: 37974331 PMCID: PMC11135825 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2023.2284523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicle DNAs (evDNAs) hold significant diagnostic value for various diseases and facilitate transcellular transfer of genetic material. Our study identifies transcription factor FOXM1 as a mediator for directing chromatin genes or DNA fragments (termed FOXM1-chDNAs) to extracellular vesicles (EVs). FOXM1 binds to MAP1LC3/LC3 in the nucleus, and FOXM1-chDNAs, such as the DUX4 gene and telomere DNA, are designated by FOXM1 binding and translocated to the cytoplasm before being released to EVs through the secretory autophagy during lysosome inhibition (SALI) process involving LC3. Disrupting FOXM1 expression or the SALI process impairs FOXM1-chDNAs incorporation into EVs. FOXM1-chDNAs can be transmitted to recipient cells via EVs and expressed in recipient cells when they carry functional genes. This finding provides an example of how chromatin DNA fragments are specified to EVs by transcription factor FOXM1, revealing its contribution to the formation of evDNAs from nuclear chromatin. It provides a basis for further exploration of the roles of evDNAs in biological processes, such as horizontal gene transfer.Abbreviation: ATG5: autophagy related 5; CCFs: cytoplasmic chromatin fragments; ChIP: chromatin immunoprecipitation; cytoDNA: cytoplasmic DNA; CQ: chloroquine; FOXM1-DBD: FOXM1 DNA binding domain; DUX4:double homeobox 4; EVs: extracellular vesicles; evDNAs: extracellular vesicle DNAs; FOXM1: forkhead box M1; FOXM1-chDNAs: chromatin DNA fragments directed by FOXM1 to EVs; HGT: horizontal gene transfer; LC3-II: lipid modified LC3; LMNB1: lamin B1; LIR: LC3-interacting region; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MVBs: multivesicular bodies; M1-binding DNA: a linear DNA containing 72× FOXM1 binding sites; SALI: secretory autophagy during lysosome inhibition; siRNA: small interfering RNA; TetO-DUX4: TetO array-containing DUX4 DNA; TetO: tet operator; TetR: tet repressor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunsheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, PR China
| | - Nana Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
| | - Yizhen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
| | - Min Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
| | - Ping Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
| | - Yousong Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
| | - Yongjun Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Biology, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Anticancer Targeted Protein Pharmaceuticals, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, PR China
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19
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Wang J, Jiang F, Cheng P, Ye Z, Li L, Yang L, Zhuang L, Gong W. Construction of novel multi-epitope-based diagnostic biomarker HP16118P and its application in the differential diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis latent infection. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2024; 5:15. [PMID: 38679629 PMCID: PMC11056354 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-024-00177-z] [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: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that significantly threatens human health. However, the differential diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and active tuberculosis (ATB) remains a challenge for clinicians in early detection and preventive intervention. In this study, we developed a novel biomarker named HP16118P, utilizing 16 helper T lymphocyte (HTL) epitopes, 11 cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes, and 8 B cell epitopes identified from 15 antigens associated with LTBI-RD using the IEDB database. We analyzed the physicochemical properties, spatial structure, and immunological characteristics of HP16118P using various tools, which indicated that it is a hydrophilic and relatively stable alkaline protein. Furthermore, HP16118P exhibited good antigenicity and immunogenicity, while being non-toxic and non-allergenic, with the potential to induce immune responses. We observed that HP16118P can stimulate the production of high levels of IFN-γ+ T lymphocytes in individuals with ATB, LTBI, and health controls. IL-5 induced by HP16118P demonstrated potential in distinguishing LTBI individuals and ATB patients (p=0.0372, AUC=0.8214, 95% CI [0.5843 to 1.000]) with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 71.43%. Furthermore, we incorporated the GM-CSF, IL-23, IL-5, and MCP-3 induced by HP16118P into 15 machine learning algorithms to construct a model. It was found that the Quadratic discriminant analysis model exhibited the best diagnostic performance for discriminating between LTBI and ATB, with a sensitivity of 1.00, specificity of 0.86, and accuracy of 0.93. In summary, HP16118P has demonstrated strong antigenicity and immunogenicity, with the induction of GM-CSF, IL-23, IL-5, and MCP-3, suggesting their potential for the differential diagnosis of LTBI and ATB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Techniques of Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment, Institute of Tuberculosis Research, Senior Department of Tuberculosis, The Eighth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, 17#Heishanhu Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100091, China
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Eighth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100091, China
| | - Fan Jiang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Techniques of Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment, Institute of Tuberculosis Research, Senior Department of Tuberculosis, The Eighth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, 17#Heishanhu Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100091, China
- Section of Health, No. 94804 Unit of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Shanghai, 200434, China
- Resident standardization training cadet corps, Air Force Hospital of Eastern Theater, Nanjing, 210002, China
| | - Peng Cheng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Techniques of Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment, Institute of Tuberculosis Research, Senior Department of Tuberculosis, The Eighth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, 17#Heishanhu Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100091, China
| | - Zhaoyang Ye
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Techniques of Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment, Institute of Tuberculosis Research, Senior Department of Tuberculosis, The Eighth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, 17#Heishanhu Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100091, China
- Hebei North University, ZhangjiakouHebei, 075000, China
| | - Linsheng Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Techniques of Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment, Institute of Tuberculosis Research, Senior Department of Tuberculosis, The Eighth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, 17#Heishanhu Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100091, China
- Hebei North University, ZhangjiakouHebei, 075000, China
| | - Ling Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Techniques of Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment, Institute of Tuberculosis Research, Senior Department of Tuberculosis, The Eighth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, 17#Heishanhu Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100091, China
- Hebei North University, ZhangjiakouHebei, 075000, China
| | - Li Zhuang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Techniques of Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment, Institute of Tuberculosis Research, Senior Department of Tuberculosis, The Eighth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, 17#Heishanhu Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100091, China
- Hebei North University, ZhangjiakouHebei, 075000, China
| | - Wenping Gong
- Beijing Key Laboratory of New Techniques of Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment, Institute of Tuberculosis Research, Senior Department of Tuberculosis, The Eighth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, 17#Heishanhu Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100091, China.
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20
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Zheng T, Shen B, Bai Y, Li E, Zhang X, Hu Y, Gao T, Dong Q, Zhu L, Jin R, Shi H, Liu H, Gao Y, Liu X, Cao C. The PKA-CREB1 axis regulates coronavirus proliferation by viral helicase nsp13 association. J Virol 2024; 98:e0156523. [PMID: 38445884 PMCID: PMC11019953 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01565-23] [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: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has posed a worldwide threat in the past 3 years. Although it has been widely and intensively investigated, the mechanism underlying the coronavirus-host interaction requires further elucidation, which may contribute to the development of new antiviral strategies. Here, we demonstrated that the host cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB1) interacts with the non-structural protein 13 (nsp13) of SARS-CoV-2, a conserved helicase for coronavirus replication, both in cells and in lung tissues subjected to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The ATPase and helicase activity of viral nsp13 were shown to be potentiated by CREB1 association, as well as by Protein kinase A (PKA)-mediated CREB1 activation. SARS-CoV-2 replication is significantly suppressed by PKA Cα, cAMP-activated protein kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PRKACA), and CREB1 knockdown or inhibition. Consistently, the CREB1 inhibitor 666-15 has shown significant antiviral effects against both the WIV04 strain and the Omicron strain of the SARS-CoV-2. Our findings indicate that the PKA-CREB1 signaling axis may serve as a novel therapeutic target against coronavirus infection. IMPORTANCE In this study, we provide solid evidence that host transcription factor cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB1) interacts directly with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) helicase non-structural protein 13 (nsp13) and potentiate its ATPase and helicase activity. And by live SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, the inhibition of CREB1 dramatically impairs SARS-CoV-2 replication in vivo. Notably, the IC50 of CREB1 inhibitor 666-15 is comparable to that of remdesivir. These results may extend to all highly pathogenic coronaviruses due to the conserved nsp13 sequences in the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zheng
- Genetic Engineering Research Laboratory, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Beilei Shen
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Yu Bai
- Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Entao Li
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xun Zhang
- Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yong Hu
- Genetic Engineering Research Laboratory, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Gao
- Genetic Engineering Research Laboratory, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Qincai Dong
- Genetic Engineering Research Laboratory, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- Genetic Engineering Research Laboratory, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Jin
- Genetic Engineering Research Laboratory, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Shi
- Genetic Engineering Research Laboratory, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Hainan Liu
- Genetic Engineering Research Laboratory, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Yuwei Gao
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Xuan Liu
- Genetic Engineering Research Laboratory, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
| | - Cheng Cao
- Genetic Engineering Research Laboratory, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, China
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21
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Bian J, Chen R, Gu S, Wang W, Yang X. Quantitative proteomics analysis identified new interacting proteins of JAL30 in Arabidopsis. J Proteomics 2024; 297:105127. [PMID: 38367771 DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2024.105127] [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: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Jacalin-related lectins (JALs) are a unique group of plant lectins derived from the jacalin protein family, which play important roles in plant defense responses. JAL30/PBP1 (PYK10 binding protein 1) interacts with inactive PYK10, exerting negative regulatory control over the size of the PYK10 complex, which is formed and activated upon insect or pathogen invasion. However, the precise interplay between JAL30 and other components remains elusive. In this study, we found JAL30 as a nucleocytoplasmic protein, but no obvious phenotype was observed in jal30-1 single mutant. Through immunoprecipitation (IP) enrichment combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), dozens of new JAL30 interacting proteins were found in addition to several reported ones. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that these interacting proteins were highly related to the wounding and bacterial stimuli, suggesting their potential involvement in the jasmonate (JA) response. Importantly, the expression of JAL30 was induced by MeJA treatment, further highlighting its relevance in plant defense mechanisms. A novel JAL30 interacting protein, ESM1, was identified and its interaction with JAL30 was confirmed by Co-immunoprecipitation. Moreover, ESM1 was found as an O-GlcNAcylated protein, suggesting that JAL30 may possess glycosylated protein binding ability, particularly in O-GlcNAcylated protein and peptide recognition. Overall, our study provides valuable insights into the interacting protein network and biological function of JAL30, demonstrates the interaction between JAL30 and ESM1, and uncovers the potential significance of JAL30 in plant defense system, potentially through its association with PYK10 complex or JA response. SIGNIFICANCE: The biological functions of lectin proteins, including defense responses, immunity responses, signal transduction, have been well studied. Lectin proteins were also utilized to enrich glycosylated proteins for their specific carbohydrates binding capability. Jacalin-related lectins (JALs) were found to involve in plant defense mechanism. However, it is not yet clear whether JALs could use for enrichment of glycosylated proteins. In this study, we used label-free quantification method to identify interacting proteins of JAL30. A novel interacting protein, ESM1, as an O-GlcNAcylated protein was found. ESM1 has been reported to take part in defense against insect herbivory. Therefore, our findings provided experimental evidence to confirm that JALs have potential to be developed as the bio-tools to enrich glycosylated proteins. Finally, our data not only illustrated the vital biological role of JALs in plants, but also verified unique function of JAL30 in recognizing O-GlcNAcylated proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianghu Bian
- College of Juncao Science and Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Rongqing Chen
- College of Juncao Science and Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shiting Gu
- College of Juncao Science and Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Wenfei Wang
- College of Juncao Science and Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Crop Ecology and Molecular Physiology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fujian Province University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xuelian Yang
- College of Juncao Science and Ecology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Agroecological Processing and Safety Monitoring, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China.
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22
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Zhou L, Deng Z, Wang Y, Zhang H, Yan S, Kanwar YS, Wang Y, Dai Y, Deng F. PRMT4 interacts with NCOA4 to inhibit ferritinophagy in cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23584. [PMID: 38568836 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202302596r] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is commonly seen in the clinical practice, and ferroptosis, a type of non-apoptotic cell death, plays a pivotal role in it. Previous studies suggested that protein arginine methyltransferase 4 (PRMT4) was incorporated in various bioprocesses, but its role in renal injuries has not been investigated. Our present study showed that PRMT4 was highly expressed in renal proximal tubular cells, and it was downregulated in cisplatin-induced AKI. Besides, genetic disruption of PRMT4 exacerbated, while its overexpression attenuated, cisplatin-induced redox injuries in renal proximal epithelia. Mechanistically, our work showed that PRMT4 interacted with NCOA4 to inhibit ferritinophagy, a type of selective autophagy favoring lipid peroxidation to accelerate ferroptosis. Taken together, our study demonstrated that PRMT4 interacted with NCOA4 to attenuate ferroptosis in cisplatin-induced AKI, suggesting that PRMT4 might present as a new therapeutic target for cisplatin-related nephropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizhi Zhou
- Department of Urology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease and Blood Purification, Changsha, China
| | - Zebin Deng
- Department of Urology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease and Blood Purification, Changsha, China
| | - Yilong Wang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Urology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease and Blood Purification, Changsha, China
| | - Shu Yan
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yashpal S Kanwar
- Departments of Pathology & Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Yinhuai Wang
- Department of Urology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yingbo Dai
- Department of Urology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Fei Deng
- Department of Urology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease and Blood Purification, Changsha, China
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Xiangya Hospital at Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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23
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Grassmann G, Miotto M, Desantis F, Di Rienzo L, Tartaglia GG, Pastore A, Ruocco G, Monti M, Milanetti E. Computational Approaches to Predict Protein-Protein Interactions in Crowded Cellular Environments. Chem Rev 2024; 124:3932-3977. [PMID: 38535831 PMCID: PMC11009965 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Investigating protein-protein interactions is crucial for understanding cellular biological processes because proteins often function within molecular complexes rather than in isolation. While experimental and computational methods have provided valuable insights into these interactions, they often overlook a critical factor: the crowded cellular environment. This environment significantly impacts protein behavior, including structural stability, diffusion, and ultimately the nature of binding. In this review, we discuss theoretical and computational approaches that allow the modeling of biological systems to guide and complement experiments and can thus significantly advance the investigation, and possibly the predictions, of protein-protein interactions in the crowded environment of cell cytoplasm. We explore topics such as statistical mechanics for lattice simulations, hydrodynamic interactions, diffusion processes in high-viscosity environments, and several methods based on molecular dynamics simulations. By synergistically leveraging methods from biophysics and computational biology, we review the state of the art of computational methods to study the impact of molecular crowding on protein-protein interactions and discuss its potential revolutionizing effects on the characterization of the human interactome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Grassmann
- Department
of Biochemical Sciences “Alessandro Rossi Fanelli”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
- Center
for Life Nano & Neuro Science, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Mattia Miotto
- Center
for Life Nano & Neuro Science, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Fausta Desantis
- Center
for Life Nano & Neuro Science, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
- The
Open University Affiliated Research Centre at Istituto Italiano di
Tecnologia, Genoa 16163, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Di Rienzo
- Center
for Life Nano & Neuro Science, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Gian Gaetano Tartaglia
- Center
for Life Nano & Neuro Science, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
- Department
of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa 16163, Italy
- Center
for Human Technologies, Genoa 16152, Italy
| | - Annalisa Pastore
- Experiment
Division, European Synchrotron Radiation
Facility, Grenoble 38043, France
| | - Giancarlo Ruocco
- Center
for Life Nano & Neuro Science, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
- Department
of Physics, Sapienza University, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Michele Monti
- RNA
System Biology Lab, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa 16163, Italy
| | - Edoardo Milanetti
- Center
for Life Nano & Neuro Science, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
- Department
of Physics, Sapienza University, Rome 00185, Italy
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24
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Rizarullah, Aditama R, Giri-Rachman EA, Hertadi R. Designing a Novel Multiepitope Vaccine from the Human Papilloma Virus E1 and E2 Proteins for Indonesia with Immunoinformatics and Molecular Dynamics Approaches. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:16547-16562. [PMID: 38617694 PMCID: PMC11007845 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c00425] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
One of the deadliest malignant cancer in women globally is cervical cancer. Specifically, cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer in Indonesia. The main infectious agent of cervical cancer is the human papilloma virus (HPV). Although licensed prophylactic vaccines are available, cervical cancer cases are on the rise. Therapy using multiepitope-based vaccines is a very promising therapy for cervical cancer. This study aimed to develop a multiepitope vaccine based on the E1 and E2 proteins of HPV 16, 18, 45, and 52 using in silico. In this study, we develop a novel multiepitope vaccine candidate using an immunoinformatic approach. We predicted the epitopes of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) and helper T lymphocyte (HTL) and evaluated their immunogenic properties. Population coverage analysis of qualified epitopes was conducted to determine the successful use of the vaccine worldwide. The epitopes were constructed into a multiepitope vaccine by using AAY linkers between the CTL epitopes and GPGPG linkers between the HTL epitopes. The tertiary structure of the multiepitope vaccine was modeled with AlphaFold and was evaluated by Prosa-web. The results of vaccine construction were analyzed for B-cell epitope prediction, molecular docking with Toll like receptor-4 (TLR4), and molecular dynamics simulation. The results of epitope prediction obtained 4 CTL epitopes and 7 HTL epitopes that are eligible for construction of multiepitope vaccines. Prediction of the physicochemical properties of multiepitope vaccines obtained good results for recombinant protein production. The interaction showed that the interaction of the multiepitope vaccine-TLR4 complex is stable based on the binding free energy value -106.5 kcal/mol. The results of the immune response simulation show that multiepitope vaccine candidates could activate the adaptive and humoral immune systems and generate long-term B-cell memory. According to these results, the development of a multiepitope vaccine with a reverse vaccinology approach is a breakthrough to develop potential cervical cancer therapeutic vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rizarullah
- Biochemistry
and Biomolecular Engineering Research Division, Faculty of Mathematics
and Natural Sciences, Bandung Institute
of Technology, Jl. Ganesa No. 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
- Department
of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Abulyatama
University, Jl. Blangbintang Lama, Aceh Besar 23372, Indonesia
| | - Reza Aditama
- Biochemistry
and Biomolecular Engineering Research Division, Faculty of Mathematics
and Natural Sciences, Bandung Institute
of Technology, Jl. Ganesa No. 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
| | - Ernawati Arifin Giri-Rachman
- Genetics
and Molecular Biotechnology Research Division, School of Life Sciences
and Technology, Bandung Institute of Technology, Jl. Ganesa No. 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
| | - Rukman Hertadi
- Biochemistry
and Biomolecular Engineering Research Division, Faculty of Mathematics
and Natural Sciences, Bandung Institute
of Technology, Jl. Ganesa No. 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
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25
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Chen S, Huang X, Zhang X, Li C, Zhang YW. A Conserved Intramolecular Ion-Pair Plays a Critical but Divergent Role in Regulation of Dimerization and Transport Function among the Monoamine Transporters. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4032. [PMID: 38612840 PMCID: PMC11011927 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25074032] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The monoamine transporters, including the serotonin transporter (SERT), dopamine transporter (DAT), and norepinephrine transporter (NET), are the therapeutic targets for the treatment of many neuropsychiatric disorders. Despite significant progress in characterizing the structures and transport mechanisms of these transporters, the regulation of their transport functions through dimerization or oligomerization remains to be understood. In the present study, we identified a conserved intramolecular ion-pair at the third extracellular loop (EL3) connecting TM5 and TM6 that plays a critical but divergent role in the modulation of dimerization and transport functions among the monoamine transporters. The disruption of the ion-pair interactions by mutations induced a significant spontaneous cross-linking of a cysteine mutant of SERT and an increase in cell surface expression but with an impaired specific transport activity. On the other hand, similar mutations of the corresponding ion-pair residues in both DAT and NET resulted in an opposite effect on their oxidation-induced dimerization, cell surface expression, and transport function. Reversible biotinylation experiments indicated that the ion-pair mutations slowed down the internalization of SERT but stimulated the internalization of DAT. In addition, cysteine accessibility measurements for monitoring SERT conformational changes indicated that substitution of the ion-pair residues resulted in profound effects on the rate constants for cysteine modification in both the extracellular and cytoplasmatic substrate permeation pathways. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations showed that the ion-pair mutations increased the interfacial interactions in a SERT dimer but decreased it in a DAT dimer. Taken together, we propose that the transport function is modulated by the equilibrium between monomers and dimers on the cell surface, which is regulated by a potential compensatory mechanism but with different molecular solutions among the monoamine transporters. The present study provided new insights into the structural elements regulating the transport function of the monoamine transporters through their dimerization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Yuan-Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China; (S.C.); (X.H.); (X.Z.); (C.L.)
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26
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Piloto JV, Dias RVR, Mazucato WSA, Fossey MA, de Melo FA, Almeida FCL, de Souza FP, Caruso IP. Computational Insights into the Interaction of the Conserved Cysteine-Noose Domain of the Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus G Protein with the Canonical Fractalkine Binding site of Transmembrane Receptor CX3CR1 Isoforms. MEMBRANES 2024; 14:84. [PMID: 38668112 PMCID: PMC11052111 DOI: 10.3390/membranes14040084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (hRSV) stands as one of the most common causes of acute respiratory diseases. The infectivity of this virus is intricately linked to its membrane proteins, notably the attachment glycoprotein (G protein). The latter plays a key role in facilitating the attachment of hRSV to respiratory tract epithelial cells, thereby initiating the infection process. The present study aimed to characterize the interaction of the conserved cysteine-noose domain of hRSV G protein (cndG) with the transmembrane CX3C motif chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1) isoforms using computational tools of molecular modeling, docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and binding free energy calculations. From MD simulations of the molecular system embedded in the POPC lipid bilayer, we showed a stable interaction of cndG with the canonical fractalkine binding site in the N-terminal cavity of the CX3CR1 isoforms and identified that residues in the extracellular loop 2 (ECL2) region and Glu279 of this receptor are pivotal for the stabilization of CX3CR1/cndG binding, corroborating what was reported for the interaction of the chemokine fractalkine with CX3CR1 and its structure homolog US28. Therefore, the results presented here contribute by revealing key structural points for the CX3CR1/G interaction, allowing us to better understand the biology of hRSV from its attachment process and to develop new strategies to combat it.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Victor Piloto
- Multiuser Center for Biomolecular Innovation (CMIB), Department of Physics, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Jose do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil; (J.V.P.); (R.V.R.D.); (W.S.A.M.); (M.A.F.); (F.A.d.M.); (F.P.d.S.)
| | - Raphael Vinicius Rodrigues Dias
- Multiuser Center for Biomolecular Innovation (CMIB), Department of Physics, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Jose do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil; (J.V.P.); (R.V.R.D.); (W.S.A.M.); (M.A.F.); (F.A.d.M.); (F.P.d.S.)
| | - Wan Suk Augusto Mazucato
- Multiuser Center for Biomolecular Innovation (CMIB), Department of Physics, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Jose do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil; (J.V.P.); (R.V.R.D.); (W.S.A.M.); (M.A.F.); (F.A.d.M.); (F.P.d.S.)
| | - Marcelo Andres Fossey
- Multiuser Center for Biomolecular Innovation (CMIB), Department of Physics, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Jose do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil; (J.V.P.); (R.V.R.D.); (W.S.A.M.); (M.A.F.); (F.A.d.M.); (F.P.d.S.)
| | - Fernando Alves de Melo
- Multiuser Center for Biomolecular Innovation (CMIB), Department of Physics, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Jose do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil; (J.V.P.); (R.V.R.D.); (W.S.A.M.); (M.A.F.); (F.A.d.M.); (F.P.d.S.)
| | - Fabio Ceneviva Lacerda Almeida
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry (IBqM), National Center of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Jiri Jonas, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-902, Brazil;
| | - Fatima Pereira de Souza
- Multiuser Center for Biomolecular Innovation (CMIB), Department of Physics, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Jose do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil; (J.V.P.); (R.V.R.D.); (W.S.A.M.); (M.A.F.); (F.A.d.M.); (F.P.d.S.)
| | - Icaro Putinhon Caruso
- Multiuser Center for Biomolecular Innovation (CMIB), Department of Physics, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Jose do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil; (J.V.P.); (R.V.R.D.); (W.S.A.M.); (M.A.F.); (F.A.d.M.); (F.P.d.S.)
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27
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Hou J, Chen Y, Cai Z, Heo GS, Yuede CM, Wang Z, Lin K, Saadi F, Trsan T, Nguyen AT, Constantopoulos E, Larsen RA, Zhu Y, Wagner ND, McLaughlin N, Kuang XC, Barrow AD, Li D, Zhou Y, Wang S, Gilfillan S, Gross ML, Brioschi S, Liu Y, Holtzman DM, Colonna M. Antibody-mediated targeting of human microglial leukocyte Ig-like receptor B4 attenuates amyloid pathology in a mouse model. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadj9052. [PMID: 38569016 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adj9052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Microglia help limit the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by constraining amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology, effected through a balance of activating and inhibitory intracellular signals delivered by distinct cell surface receptors. Human leukocyte Ig-like receptor B4 (LILRB4) is an inhibitory receptor of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily that is expressed on myeloid cells and recognizes apolipoprotein E (ApoE) among other ligands. Here, we find that LILRB4 is highly expressed in the microglia of patients with AD. Using mice that accumulate Aβ and carry a transgene encompassing a portion of the LILR region that includes LILRB4, we corroborated abundant LILRB4 expression in microglia wrapping around Aβ plaques. Systemic treatment of these mice with an anti-human LILRB4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) reduced Aβ load, mitigated some Aβ-related behavioral abnormalities, enhanced microglia activity, and attenuated expression of interferon-induced genes. In vitro binding experiments established that human LILRB4 binds both human and mouse ApoE and that anti-human LILRB4 mAb blocks such interaction. In silico modeling, biochemical, and mutagenesis analyses identified a loop between the two extracellular Ig domains of LILRB4 required for interaction with mouse ApoE and further indicated that anti-LILRB4 mAb may block LILRB4-mApoE by directly binding this loop. Thus, targeting LILRB4 may be a potential therapeutic avenue for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinchao Hou
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Yun Chen
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Zhangying Cai
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Gyu Seong Heo
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Carla M Yuede
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Zuoxu Wang
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kent Lin
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Fareeha Saadi
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Tihana Trsan
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Aivi T Nguyen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Eleni Constantopoulos
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Rachel A Larsen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Yiyang Zhu
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Nicole D Wagner
- Department of Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Nolan McLaughlin
- Department of Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Xinyi Cynthia Kuang
- Department of Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Alexander D Barrow
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Dian Li
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Yingyue Zhou
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Shoutang Wang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Susan Gilfillan
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Michael L Gross
- Department of Chemistry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Simone Brioschi
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Yongjian Liu
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - David M Holtzman
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Marco Colonna
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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Badve P, Meier KK. Defining Requirements for Heme Binding in PGRMC1 and Identifying Key Elements that Influence Protein Dimerization. Biochemistry 2024; 63:926-938. [PMID: 38489495 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) binds heme via a surface-exposed site and displays some structural resemblance to cytochrome b5 despite their different functions. In the case of PGRMC1, it is the protein interaction with drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450s and the epidermal growth factor receptor that has garnered the most attention. These interactions are thought to result in a compromised ability to metabolize common chemotherapy agents and to enhance cancer cell proliferation. X-ray crystallography and immunoprecipitation data have suggested that heme-mediated PGRMC1 dimers are important for facilitating these interactions. However, more recent studies have called into question the requirement of heme binding for PGRMC1 dimerization. Our study employs spectroscopic and computational methods to probe and define heme binding and its impact on PGRMC1 dimerization. Fluorescence, electron paramagnetic resonance and circular dichroism spectroscopies confirm heme binding to apo-PGRMC1 and were used to demonstrate the stabilizing effect of heme on the wild-type protein. We also utilized variants (C129S and Y113F) to precisely define the contributions of disulfide bonds and direct heme coordination to PGRMC1 dimerization. Understanding the key factors involved in these processes has important implications for downstream protein-protein interactions that may influence the metabolism of chemotherapeutic agents. This work opens avenues for deeper exploration into the physiological significance of the truncated-PGRMC1 model and developing design principles for potential therapeutics to target PGRMC1 dimerization and downstream interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prajakta Badve
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, United States
| | - Katlyn K Meier
- Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, United States
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29
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Ng CL, Lim TS, Choong YS. Application of Computational Techniques in Antibody Fc-Fused Molecule Design for Therapeutics. Mol Biotechnol 2024; 66:568-581. [PMID: 37742298 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-00885-x] [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: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Since the advent of hybridoma technology in the year 1975, it took a decade to witness the first approved monoclonal antibody Orthoclone OKT39 (muromonab-CD3) in the year 1986. Since then, continuous strides have been made to engineer antibodies for specific desired effects. The engineering efforts were not confined to only the variable domains of the antibody but also included the fragment crystallizable (Fc) region that influences the immune response and serum half-life. Engineering of the Fc fragment would have a profound effect on the therapeutic dose, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity as well as antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis. The integration of computational techniques into antibody engineering designs has allowed for the generation of testable hypotheses and guided the rational antibody design framework prior to further experimental evaluations. In this article, we discuss the recent works in the Fc-fused molecule design that involves computational techniques. We also summarize the usefulness of in silico techniques to aid Fc-fused molecule design and analysis for the therapeutics application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Lee Ng
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Theam Soon Lim
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Yee Siew Choong
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden, Penang, Malaysia.
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30
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Shaykevich A, Chae D, Silverman I, Bassali J, Louloueian N, Siegman A, Bandyopadhyaya G, Goel S, Maitra R. Impact of carbamazepine on SMARCA4 (BRG1) expression in colorectal cancer: modulation by KRAS mutation status. Invest New Drugs 2024; 42:229-239. [PMID: 38446332 PMCID: PMC10944448 DOI: 10.1007/s10637-024-01418-2] [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: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
SMARCA4 is a gene traditionally considered a tumor suppressor. Recent research has however found that SMARCA4 likely promotes cancer growth and is a good target for cancer treatment. The drug carbamazepine, an autophagy inducer, was used on colorectal cancer cell lines, HCT1116 and Hke3 (KRAS mutant and wildtype). Our study finds that Carbamazepine affects SMARCA4 levels and that this effect is different depending on the KRAS mutation status. This study analyzes the effect of carbamazepine on early-stage autophagy via ULK1 as well as simulates the docking of carbamazepine on KRAS, depending on the mutation status. Our study highlights the therapeutic uses of carbamazepine on cancer, and we propose that carbamazepine in conjunction with other chemotherapies may prove useful in targeting KRAS-mutated colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Shaykevich
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, 10033, USA
| | - Danbee Chae
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, 10033, USA
| | - Isaac Silverman
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, 10033, USA
| | - Jeremy Bassali
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, 10033, USA
| | | | | | | | - Sanjay Goel
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Radhashree Maitra
- Department of Biology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, 10033, USA.
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31
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Gorain C, Gupta S, Alam SSM, Hoque M, Karlyshev AV, Mallick AI. Identification and functional characterization of putative ligand binding domain(s) of JlpA protein of Campylobacter jejuni. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 264:130388. [PMID: 38417756 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130388] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Among the major Surface Exposed Colonization Proteins (SECPs) of Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni), Jejuni lipoprotein A (JlpA) plays a crucial role in host cell adhesion specifically by binding to the N-terminal domain of the human heat shock protein 90α (Hsp90α-NTD). Although the JlpA binding to Hsp90α activates NF-κB and p38 MAP kinase pathways, the underlying mechanism of JlpA association with the cellular receptor remains unclear. To this end, we predicted two potential receptor binding sites within the C-terminal domain of JlpA: one spanning from amino acid residues Q332-A354 and the other from S258-T295; however, the latter exhibited weaker binding. To assess the functional attributes of these predicted sequences, we generated two JlpA mutants (JlpAΔ1: S258-T295; JlpAΔ2: Q332-A354) and assessed the Hsp90α-binding affinity-kinetics by in vitro and ex vivo experiments. Our findings confirmed that the residues Q332-A354 are of greater importance in host cell adhesion with a measurable impact on cellular responses. Further, thermal denaturation by circular dichroism (CD) confirmed that the reduced binding affinity of the JlpAΔ2 to Hsp90α is not associated with protein folding or stability. Together, this study provides a possible framework for determining the molecular function of designing rational inhibitors efficiently targeting JlpA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandan Gorain
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, 741246, India
| | - Subhadeep Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, 741246, India
| | - S S Mahafujul Alam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Aliah University, New Town Kolkata, West Bengal, 700160, India
| | - Mehboob Hoque
- Department of Biological Sciences, Aliah University, New Town Kolkata, West Bengal, 700160, India
| | - Andrey V Karlyshev
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care & Education, Kingston University London, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, KT12EE, UK
| | - Amirul Islam Mallick
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, 741246, India.
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32
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Wralstad EC, Raines RT. Sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 main protease 3CL pro with an engineered ribonuclease zymogen. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4916. [PMID: 38501598 PMCID: PMC10949392 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Alongside vaccines and antiviral therapeutics, diagnostic tools are a crucial aid in combating the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the etiological agent SARS-CoV-2. All common assays for infection rely on the detection of viral sub-components, including structural proteins of the virion or fragments of the viral genome. Selective pressure imposed by human intervention of COVID-19 can, however, induce viral mutations that decrease the sensitivity of diagnostic assays based on biomolecular structure, leading to an increase in false-negative results. In comparison, mutations are unlikely to alter the function of viral proteins, and viral machinery is under less selective pressure from vaccines and therapeutics. Accordingly, diagnostic assays that rely on biomolecular function can be more robust than ones that rely on biopolymer structure. Toward this end, we used a split intein to create a circular ribonuclease zymogen that is activated by the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, 3CLpro . Zymogen activation by 3CLpro leads to a >300-fold increase in ribonucleolytic activity, which can be detected with a highly sensitive fluorogenic substrate. This coupled assay can detect low nanomolar concentrations of 3CLpro within a timeframe comparable to that of common antigen-detection protocols. More generally, the concept of detecting a protease by activating a ribonuclease could be the basis of diagnostic tools for other indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evans C. Wralstad
- Department of ChemistryMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Ronald T. Raines
- Department of ChemistryMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
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33
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Li Z, Shen Q, Usher ET, Anderson AP, Iburg M, Lin R, Zimmer B, Meyer MD, Holehouse AS, You L, Chilkoti A, Dai Y, Lu GJ. Phase transition of GvpU regulates gas vesicle clustering in bacteria. Nat Microbiol 2024; 9:1021-1035. [PMID: 38553608 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01648-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Gas vesicles (GVs) are microbial protein organelles that support cellular buoyancy. GV engineering has multiple applications, including reporter gene imaging, acoustic control and payload delivery. GVs often cluster into a honeycomb pattern to minimize occupancy of the cytosol. The underlying molecular mechanism and the influence on cellular physiology remain unknown. Using genetic, biochemical and imaging approaches, here we identify GvpU from Priestia megaterium as a protein that regulates GV clustering in vitro and upon expression in Escherichia coli. GvpU binds to the C-terminal tail of the core GV shell protein and undergoes a phase transition to form clusters in subsaturated solution. These properties of GvpU tune GV clustering and directly modulate bacterial fitness. GV variants can be designed with controllable sensitivity to GvpU-mediated clustering, enabling design of genetically tunable biosensors. Our findings elucidate the molecular mechanisms and functional roles of GV clustering, enabling its programmability for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongru Li
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Qionghua Shen
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Emery T Usher
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Manuel Iburg
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Richard Lin
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Brandon Zimmer
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthew D Meyer
- Shared Equipment Authority, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Alex S Holehouse
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Lingchong You
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Center for Quantitative BioDesign, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Yifan Dai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biomolecular Condensates, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - George J Lu
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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34
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Vadla GP, Singh K, Lorson CL, Lorson MA. The contribution and therapeutic implications of IGHMBP2 mutations on IGHMBP2 biochemical activity and ABT1 association. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167091. [PMID: 38403020 PMCID: PMC10999323 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167091] [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: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Mutations within immunoglobulin mu DNA binding protein (IGHMBP2), an RNA-DNA helicase, result in SMA with respiratory distress type I (SMARD1) and Charcot Marie Tooth type 2S (CMT2S). The underlying biochemical mechanism of IGHMBP2 is unknown as well as the functional significance of IGHMBP2 mutations in disease severity. Here we report the biochemical mechanisms of IGHMBP2 disease-causing mutations D565N and H924Y, and their potential impact on therapeutic strategies. The IGHMBP2-D565N mutation has been identified in SMARD1 patients, while the IGHMBP2-H924Y mutation has been identified in CMT2S patients. For the first time, we demonstrate a correlation between the altered IGHMBP2 biochemical activity associated with the D565N and H924Y mutations and disease severity and pathology in patients and our Ighmbp2 mouse models. We show that IGHMBP2 mutations that alter the association with activator of basal transcription (ABT1) impact the ATPase and helicase activities of IGHMBP2 and the association with the 47S pre-rRNA 5' external transcribed spacer. We demonstrate that the D565N mutation impairs IGHMBP2 ATPase and helicase activities consistent with disease pathology. The H924Y mutation alters IGHMBP2 activity to a lesser extent while maintaining association with ABT1. In the context of the compound heterozygous patient, we demonstrate that the total biochemical activity associated with IGHMBP2-D565N and IGHMBP2-H924Y proteins is improved over IGHMBP2-D565N alone. Importantly, we demonstrate that the efficacy of therapeutic applications may vary based on the underlying IGHMBP2 mutations and the relative biochemical activity of the mutant IGHMBP2 protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gangadhar P Vadla
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Kamal Singh
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Christian L Lorson
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Monique A Lorson
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
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35
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Leonardo Silvestre H, Asensio JL, Blundell TL, Bastida A, Bolanos-Garcia VM. Functional and structural characterisation of RimL from Bacillus cereus, a new N α-acetyltransferase of ribosomal proteins that was wrongly assigned as an aminoglycosyltransferase. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 263:130348. [PMID: 38395274 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Enzymes of the GNAT (GCN5-relate N-acetyltransferases) superfamily are important regulators of cell growth and development. They are functionally diverse and share low amino acid sequence identity, making functional annotation difficult. In this study, we report the function and structure of a new ribosomal enzyme, Nα-acetyl transferase from Bacillus cereus (RimLBC), a protein that was previously wrongly annotated as an aminoglycosyltransferase. Firstly, extensive comparative amino acid sequence analyses suggested RimLBC belongs to a cluster of proteins mediating acetylation of the ribosomal protein L7/L12. To assess if this was the case, several well established substrates of aminoglycosyltransferases were screened. The results of these studies did not support an aminoglycoside acetylating function for RimLBC. To gain further insight into RimLBC biological role, a series of studies that included MALDI-TOF, isothermal titration calorimetry, NMR, X-ray protein crystallography, and site-directed mutagenesis confirmed RimLBC affinity for Acetyl-CoA and that the ribosomal protein L7/L12 is a substrate of RimLBC. Last, we advance a mechanistic model of RimLBC mode of recognition of its protein substrates. Taken together, our studies confirmed RimLBC as a new ribosomal Nα-acetyltransferase and provide structural and functional insights into substrate recognition by Nα-acetyltransferases and protein acetylation in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Leonardo Silvestre
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
| | - J L Asensio
- Departamento de Química Bio-orgánica, IQOG, Spanish National Research Council, C/ Juan de la Cierva 3, E-28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - T L Blundell
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom
| | - A Bastida
- Departamento de Química Bio-orgánica, IQOG, Spanish National Research Council, C/ Juan de la Cierva 3, E-28006 Madrid, Spain.
| | - V M Bolanos-Garcia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1GA, United Kingdom; Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, United Kingdom.
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36
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Ganji M, Bakhshi S, Ahmadi K, Shoari A, Moeini S, Ghaemi A. Rational design of B-cell and T-cell multi epitope-based vaccine against Zika virus, an in silico study. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:3426-3440. [PMID: 37190978 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2213339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The Zika virus (ZKV) is a single-stranded positive-sense, enveloped RNA virus. Zika infection during pregnancy can cause congenital microcephaly, Guillain-Barré syndrome, miscarriage, and other CNS abnormalities. The world needs safe and effective vaccinations to fight against ZIKV infection since vaccination is generally regarded as one of the most effective ways to prevent infectious diseases. In the present work, we used immunoinformatics and docking studies to construct a vaccine containing multi-epitopes using the structural and non-structural proteins of ZKV. The structural models of ZKV proteins (PrE, PrM, NS1, and NS2A) were constructed using Pyre2 and RaptorX servers. The epitopes of B-cell, T-cell (HTL and CTL), and IFN-γ were predicted, and each epitope's immunogenic nature and physiochemical properties were confirmed. As an adjuvant, the CPG-Oligodeoxynucleotide, an agonist of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9), is associated to cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) epitopes via PAPAP linker. To assess the binding affinity and the tendency of the designed vaccine to induce an immune response through TLR9, molecular docking was done. In the next step, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to 100 nanoseconds (ns) was used to evaluate the stability of the interaction of the designed vaccine with TLR9. The designed vaccine is predicted to be highly antigenic, non-toxic, soluble, and stable with low flexibility in MD simulation. MD studies indicated that the finalized vaccine-TLR9 docked complex was stable during simulation time. The vaccine construct is able to stimulate both humoral and cellular immune responses. We suppose that our constructed model of the vaccine may have the ability to induce the host immune response against ZKV. Further studies, including in vitro and in vivo experimental analyses, are needed to prove the constructed vaccine's efficacy with multi-epitopes.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmoud Ganji
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shohreh Bakhshi
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Ahmadi
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Alireza Shoari
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Soheila Moeini
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Amir Ghaemi
- Department of Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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37
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Ghasemi Nezhad F, Karmostaji A, Sarkoohi P, Shahbazi B, Gharibi Z, Negahdari B, Ahmadi K. Introduction of protein vaccine candidate based on AP65, AP33, and α-actinin proteins against Trichomonas vaginalis parasite: an immunoinformatics design. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:165. [PMID: 38556882 PMCID: PMC10981826 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06248-y] [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: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trichomonas vaginalis is the most common nonviral sexually transmitted disease (STI) worldwide. Vaccination is generally considered to be one of the most effective methods of preventing infectious diseases. Using AP65, AP33 and α-actinin proteins, this research aims to develop a protein vaccine against Trichomonas vaginalis. METHODS Based on the B-cell and T-cell epitope prediction servers, the most antigenic epitopes were selected, and with the necessary evaluations, epitope-rich domains of three proteins, AP65, AP33, and α-actinin, were selected and linked. Subsequently, the ability of the vaccine to interact with toll-like receptors 2 and 4 (TLR2 and TLR4) was assessed. The stability of the interactions was also studied by molecular dynamics for a duration of 100 nanoseconds. RESULTS The designed protein consists of 780 amino acids with a molecular weight of 85247.31 daltons. The results of the interaction of the vaccine candidate with TLR2 and TLR4 of the immune system also showed that there are strong interactions between the vaccine candidate protein with TLR2 (-890.7 kcal mol-1) and TLR4 (-967.3 kcal mol-1). All parameters studied to evaluate the stability of the protein structure and the protein-TLR2 and protein-TLR4 complexes showed that the structure of the vaccine candidate protein is stable alone and in complex with the immune system receptors. Investigation of the ability of the designed protein to induce an immune response using the C-ImmSim web server also showed that the designed protein is capable of stimulating B- and T-cell lymphocytes to produce the necessary cytokines and antibodies against Trichomonas vaginalis. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our vaccine may have potential protection against Trichomonas vaginalis. However, for experimental in vivo and in vitro studies, it may be a good vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Forozan Ghasemi Nezhad
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Afsaneh Karmostaji
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Parisa Sarkoohi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Behzad Shahbazi
- School of Pharmacy, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran
| | - Zahra Gharibi
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Batul Negahdari
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Ahmadi
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
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Zhu F, He S, Ni C, Wu Y, Wu H, Wen L. Study on the structure-activity relationship of rice immunopeptides based on molecular docking. Food Chem X 2024; 21:101158. [PMID: 38322762 PMCID: PMC10843992 DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Research on food-derived immunoregulatory peptides has attracted increasing attention of scientists worldwide. However, the structure-activity relationship of rice immunopeptides was not clearly. Herein, 114 rice immunopeptides were obtained by simulating the enzymatic hydrolysis of rice proteins and were further analyzed by NetMHCIipan-4.0. Subsequently, the molecular docking was used to simulate the binding of immunoreactive peptides to major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) molecules. Results show that S, R, D, E, and T amino acid could easily form hydrogen bonds with MHC-II molecules, thus enhancing innate and adaptive immunity. Finally, glucose-modified rice immunopeptides were to investigate the binding of the peptides with MHC-II molecules after glycosylation modification; this provided a theoretical basis for the targeted modification of the generated immunopeptides. All in all, the present study provides a theoretical foundation to further utilize rice processing byproducts and other food products to enhance immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhu
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China
| | - Shuwen He
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China
| | - Ce Ni
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China
| | - Ying Wu
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China
| | - Hao Wu
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China
| | - Li Wen
- School of Food Science and Bioengineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China
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Lin Y, Ma J, Yuan H, Chen Z, Xu X, Jiang M, Zhu J, Meng W, Qiu W, Liu Y. Integrating Reinforcement Learning and Monte Carlo Tree Search for enhanced neoantigen vaccine design. Brief Bioinform 2024; 25:bbae247. [PMID: 38770719 PMCID: PMC11107383 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbae247] [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: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy have highlighted the potential of neoantigen-based vaccines. However, the design of such vaccines is hindered by the possibility of weak binding affinity between the peptides and the patient's specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles, which may not elicit a robust adaptive immune response. Triggering cross-immunity by utilizing peptide mutations that have enhanced binding affinity to target HLA molecules, while preserving their homology with the original one, can be a promising avenue for neoantigen vaccine design. In this study, we introduced UltraMutate, a novel algorithm that combines Reinforcement Learning and Monte Carlo Tree Search, which identifies peptide mutations that not only exhibit enhanced binding affinities to target HLA molecules but also retains a high degree of homology with the original neoantigen. UltraMutate outperformed existing state-of-the-art methods in identifying affinity-enhancing mutations in an independent test set consisting of 3660 peptide-HLA pairs. UltraMutate further showed its applicability in the design of peptide vaccines for Human Papillomavirus and Human Cytomegalovirus, demonstrating its potential as a promising tool in the advancement of personalized immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yicheng Lin
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jiakang Ma
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Haozhe Yuan
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ziqiang Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xingyu Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Mengping Jiang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jialiang Zhu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Weida Meng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Wenqing Qiu
- Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, 366 North Longchuan Road, Shanghai, 200231, China
| | - Yun Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, 131 DongAn Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
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Shang W, Hu X, Lin X, Li S, Xiong S, Huang B, Wang X. Iterative In Silico Screening for Optimizing Stable Conformation of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Nanobodies. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:424. [PMID: 38675386 PMCID: PMC11054880 DOI: 10.3390/ph17040424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Nanobodies (Nbs or VHHs) are single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) derived from camelid heavy-chain antibodies. Nbs have special and unique characteristics, such as small size, good tissue penetration, and cost-effective production, making Nbs a good candidate for the diagnosis and treatment of viruses and other pathologies. Identifying effective Nbs against COVID-19 would help us control this dangerous virus or other unknown variants in the future. Herein, we introduce an in silico screening strategy for optimizing stable conformation of anti-SARS-CoV-2 Nbs. Firstly, various complexes containing nanobodies were downloaded from the RCSB database, which were identified from immunized llamas. The primary docking between Nbs and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain was performed through the ClusPro program, with the manual screening leaving the reasonable conformation to the next step. Then, the binding distances of atoms between the antigen-antibody interfaces were measured through the NeighborSearch algorithm. Finally, filtered nanobodies were acquired according to HADDOCK scores through HADDOCK docking the COVID-19 spike protein with nanobodies under restrictions of calculated molecular distance between active residues and antigenic epitopes less than 4.5 Å. In this way, those nanobodies with more reasonable conformation and stronger neutralizing efficacy were acquired. To validate the efficacy ranking of the nanobodies we obtained, we calculated the binding affinities (∆G) and dissociation constants (Kd) of all screened nanobodies using the PRODIGY web tool and predicted the stability changes induced by all possible point mutations in nanobodies using the MAESTROWeb server. Furthermore, we examined the performance of the relationship between nanobodies' ranking and their number of mutation-sensitive sites (Spearman correlation > 0.68); the results revealed a robust correlation, indicating that the superior nanobodies identified through our screening process exhibited fewer mutation hotspots and higher stability. This correlation analysis demonstrates the validity of our screening criteria, underscoring the suitability of these nanobodies for future development and practical implementation. In conclusion, this three-step screening strategy iteratively in silico greatly improved the accuracy of screening desired nanobodies compared to using only ClusPro docking or default HADDOCK docking settings. It provides new ideas for the screening of novel antibodies and computer-aided screening methods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Bingding Huang
- College of Big Data and Internet, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen 518118, China; (W.S.); (X.H.); (X.L.); (S.L.); (S.X.)
| | - Xin Wang
- College of Big Data and Internet, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen 518118, China; (W.S.); (X.H.); (X.L.); (S.L.); (S.X.)
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Truchan K, Osyczka AM. Noggin promotes osteogenesis in human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells via FGFR2/Src/Akt and ERK signaling pathway. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6724. [PMID: 38509118 PMCID: PMC10954655 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56858-w] [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: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The balance between Noggin and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) is important during early development and skeletal regenerative therapies. Noggin binds BMPs in the extracellular space, thereby preventing BMP signaling. However, Noggin may affect cell response not necessarily through the modulation of BMP signaling, raising the possibility of direct Noggin signaling through yet unspecified receptors. Here we show that in osteogenic cultures of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs), Noggin activates fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs), Src/Akt and ERK kinases, and it stabilizes TAZ proteins in the presence of dexamethasone. Overall, this leads ASCs to increased expression of osteogenic markers and robust mineral deposition. Our results also indicate that Noggin can induce osteogenic genes expression in normal human bone marrow stem cells and alkaline phosphatase activity in normal human dental pulp stem cells. Besides, Noggin can specifically activate FGFR2 in osteosarcoma cells. We believe our findings open new research avenues to further explore the involvement of Noggin in cell fate modulation by FGFR2/Src/Akt/ERK signaling and potential applications of Noggin in bone regenerative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Truchan
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa St. 9, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Anna Maria Osyczka
- Department of Cell Biology and Imaging, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa St. 9, 30-387, Kraków, Poland.
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42
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Wang Y, Buck A, Piel B, Zerefa L, Murugan N, Coherd CD, Miklosi AG, Johal H, Bastos RN, Huang K, Ficial M, Laimon YN, Signoretti S, Zhong Z, Hoang SM, Kastrunes GM, Grimaud M, Fayed A, Yuan HC, Nguyen QD, Thai T, Ivanova EV, Paweletz CP, Wu MR, Choueiri TK, Wee JO, Freeman GJ, Barbie DA, Marasco WA. Affinity fine-tuning anti-CAIX CAR-T cells mitigate on-target off-tumor side effects. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:56. [PMID: 38491381 PMCID: PMC10943873 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-01952-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the major hurdles that has hindered the success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies against solid tumors is on-target off-tumor (OTOT) toxicity due to sharing of the same epitopes on normal tissues. To elevate the safety profile of CAR-T cells, an affinity/avidity fine-tuned CAR was designed enabling CAR-T cell activation only in the presence of a highly expressed tumor associated antigen (TAA) but not when recognizing the same antigen at a physiological level on healthy cells. Using direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (dSTORM) which provides single-molecule resolution, and flow cytometry, we identified high carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) density on clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patient samples and low-density expression on healthy bile duct tissues. A Tet-On doxycycline-inducible CAIX expressing cell line was established to mimic various CAIX densities, providing coverage from CAIX-high skrc-59 tumor cells to CAIX-low MMNK-1 cholangiocytes. Assessing the killing of CAR-T cells, we demonstrated that low-affinity/high-avidity fine-tuned G9 CAR-T has a wider therapeutic window compared to high-affinity/high-avidity G250 that was used in the first anti-CAIX CAR-T clinical trial but displayed serious OTOT effects. To assess the therapeutic effect of G9 on patient samples, we generated ccRCC patient derived organotypic tumor spheroid (PDOTS) ex vivo cultures and demonstrated that G9 CAR-T cells exhibited superior efficacy, migration and cytokine release in these miniature tumors. Moreover, in an RCC orthotopic mouse model, G9 CAR-T cells showed enhanced tumor control compared to G250. In summary, G9 has successfully mitigated OTOT side effects and in doing so has made CAIX a druggable immunotherapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufei Wang
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Alicia Buck
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Brandon Piel
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Luann Zerefa
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Nithyassree Murugan
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Christian D Coherd
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | | | | | | | - Kun Huang
- Molecular Imaging Core, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Miriam Ficial
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Yasmin Nabil Laimon
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Sabina Signoretti
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Oncologic Pathology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | | | | | - Gabriella M Kastrunes
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Marion Grimaud
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Atef Fayed
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Hsien-Chi Yuan
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Quang-De Nguyen
- Lurie Family Imaging Center, Center for Biomedical Imaging in Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Tran Thai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Elena V Ivanova
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Belfer Center of Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Cloud P Paweletz
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Belfer Center of Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Ming-Ru Wu
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Toni K Choueiri
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Jon O Wee
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Gordon J Freeman
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - David A Barbie
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Belfer Center of Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Wayne A Marasco
- Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Chen J, Zhang Z, Li R, Li H, Tang H. Investigating the interaction mechanism between gliadin and lysozyme through multispectroscopic analysis and molecular dynamic simulations. Food Res Int 2024; 180:114081. [PMID: 38395578 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114081] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
The development of stable nanocomplexes based on gliadin and other biopolymers shows potential applications as delivery vehicles in the food industry. However, there is limited study specifically targeting the gliadin-lysozyme system, and their underlying interaction mechanism remains poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the binding mechanism between gliadin and lysozyme using a combination of multispectroscopic methods and molecular dynamic simulations. Stable gliadin-lysozyme complex nanoparticles were prepared using an anti-solvent precipitation method with a gliadin-to-lysozyme mass ratio of 2:1 and pH 4.0. The characteristic changes in the UV-visible spectrum of gliadin induced by lysozyme confirmed the complex formation. The analyses of fluorescence, FT-IR spectra, and dissociation tests demonstrated the indispensability of hydrophobic, electrostatic, and hydrogen bonding interactions in the preparation of the composites. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the surface morphology of the nanoparticles changed from smooth and spherical to rough and irregular with the addition of lysozyme. Furthermore, molecular dynamic simulations suggested that lysozyme bound to the hydrophobic region of gliadin and hydrogen bonding was crucial for the stability of the complex. These findings contribute to the advancement of gliadin-lysozyme complex nanoparticles as an efficient delivery system for encapsulating bioactive compounds in food industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Chen
- College of Biological and Food Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu 241000, PR China
| | - Zhuangwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, PR China
| | - Renjie Li
- College of Biological and Food Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu 241000, PR China
| | - Huihui Li
- College of Biological and Food Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu 241000, PR China
| | - Hongjin Tang
- College of Biological and Food Engineering, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu 241000, PR China.
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Naveed M, Ali U, Aziz T, Naveed R, Mahmood S, Khan MM, Alharbi M, Albekairi TH, Alasmari AF. An Aedes-Anopheles Vaccine Candidate Supplemented with BCG Epitopes Against the Aedes and Anopheles Genera to Overcome Hypersensitivity to Mosquito Bites. Acta Parasitol 2024; 69:483-504. [PMID: 38194049 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-023-00771-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Skeeter syndrome is a severe local allergic response to mosquito bites that is accompanied by considerable inflammation and, in some cases, a systemic response like fever. People with the syndrome develop serious allergies, ranging from rashes to anaphylaxis or shock. The few available studies on mosquito venom immunotherapy have utilized whole-body preparations and small sample sizes. Still, owing to their little success, vaccination remains a promising alternative as well as a permanent solution for infections like Skeeter's. METHODS This study, therefore, illustrated the construction of an epitope-based vaccine candidate against Skeeter Syndrome using established immunoinformatic techniques. We selected three species of mosquitoes, Anopheles melas, Anopheles funestus, and Aedes aegypti, to derive salivary antigens usually found in mosquito bites. Our construct was also supplemented with bacterial epitopes known to elicit a strong TH1 response and suppress TH2 stimulation that is predicted to reduce hypersensitivity against the bites. RESULTS A quality factor of 98.9496, instability index of 38.55, aliphatic index of 79.42, solubility of 0.934747, and GRAVY score of -0.02 indicated the structural (tertiary and secondary) stability, thermostability, solubility, and hydrophilicity of the construct, respectively. The designed Aedes-Anopheles vaccine (AAV) candidate was predicted to be flexible and less prone to deformability with an eigenvalue of 1.5911e-9 and perfected the human immune response against Skeeter (hypersensitivity) and many mosquito-associated diseases as we noted the production of 30,000 Th1 cells per mm3 with little (insignificant production of Th2 cells. The designed vaccine also revealed stable interactions with the pattern recognition receptors of the host. The TLR2/vaccine complex interacted with a free energy of - 1069.2 kcal/mol with 26 interactions, whereas the NLRP3/vaccine complex interacted with a free energy of - 1081.2 kcal/mol with 16 molecular interactions. CONCLUSION Although being a pure in-silico study, the in-depth analysis performed herein speaks volumes of the potency of the designed vaccine candidate predicting that the proposition can withstand rigorous in-vitro and in-vivo clinical trials and may proceed to become the first preventative immunotherapy against mosquito bite allergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Naveed
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, 54590, Punjab, Pakistan.
| | - Urooj Ali
- Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-I-Azam University Islamabad, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan
| | - Tariq Aziz
- Department of Agriculture, University of Ioannina Arta, 47100, Arta, Greece.
| | - Rida Naveed
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, 54590, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Sarmad Mahmood
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, 54590, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Mustajab Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-I-Azam University Islamabad, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan
| | - Metab Alharbi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Thamer H Albekairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah F Alasmari
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Yuan C, Lin X, Liao R. Decoding the genetic landscape of allergic rhinitis: a comprehensive network analysis revealing key genes and potential therapeutic targets. J Asthma 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38266128 DOI: 10.1080/02770903.2024.2306619] [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: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Allergic Rhinitis (AR), an inflammatory affliction impacting the upper respiratory tract, has been registering a substantial surge in incidence across the globe. METHODS We embarked on examination of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA). With this armory of genes identified, we engaged the tools of Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Our study continued with the establishment of a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and the application of LASSO regression. Finally, we leveraged a docking model to elucidate potential drug-gene interactions involving these key genes. RESULTS Through WGCNA and different express genes screening, PPI network was performed, identifying top 20 key genes, including CD44, CD69, CD274. LASSO regression identified three independent factors, STARD5, CST1, and CHAC1, that were significantly associated with AR. A predictive model was developed with an AUC value over 0.75. Also, 105 potential therapeutic agents were discovered, including Fluorouracil, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, and Hydrocortisone, offering promising therapeutic strategies for AR. CONCLUSION By fuzing DEGs with key genes derived from WGCNA, this study has illuminated a comprehensive network of gene interactions involved in the pathogenesis of AR, paving the way for future biomarker and therapeutic target discovery in AR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chile Yuan
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaohong Lin
- WEN Ziyuan Pediatric Academic School Inheritance Studio, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Ruosha Liao
- Department of Pediatrics, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Shams MH, Sohrabi SM, Jafari R, Sheikhian A, Motedayyen H, Baharvand PA, Hasanvand A, Fouladvand A, Assarehzadegan MA. Designing a T-cell epitope-based vaccine using in silico approaches against the Sal k 1 allergen of Salsola kali plant. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5040. [PMID: 38424208 PMCID: PMC10904830 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55788-x] [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: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Allergens originated from Salsola kali (Russian thistle) pollen grains are one of the most important sources of aeroallergens causing pollinosis in desert and semi-desert regions. T-cell epitope-based vaccines (TEV) are more effective among different therapeutic approaches developed to alleviate allergic diseases. The physicochemical properties, and B as well as T cell epitopes of Sal k 1 (a major allergen of S. kali) were predicted using immunoinformatic tools. A TEV was constructed using the linkers EAAAK, GPGPG and the most suitable CD4+ T cell epitopes. RS04 adjuvant was added as a TLR4 agonist to the amino (N) and carboxyl (C) terminus of the TEV protein. The secondary and tertiary structures, solubility, allergenicity, toxicity, stability, physicochemical properties, docking with immune receptors, BLASTp against the human and microbiota proteomes, and in silico cloning of the designed TEV were assessed using immunoinformatic analyses. Two CD4+ T cell epitopes of Sal k1 that had high affinity with different alleles of MHC-II were selected and used in the TEV. The molecular docking of the TEV with HLADRB1, and TLR4 showed TEV strong interactions and stable binding pose to these receptors. Moreover, the codon optimized TEV sequence was cloned between NcoI and XhoI restriction sites of pET-28a(+) expression plasmid. The designed TEV can be used as a promising candidate in allergen-specific immunotherapy against S. kali. Nonetheless, effectiveness of this vaccine should be validated through immunological bioassays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hossein Shams
- Hepatitis Research Center and Department of Medical Immunology, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
| | - Seyyed Mohsen Sohrabi
- Department of Production Engineering and Plant Genetic, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Box 6814993165, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Reza Jafari
- School of Allied Medical Sciences, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
| | - Ali Sheikhian
- Hepatitis Research Center and Department of Medical Immunology, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Hossein Motedayyen
- Autoimmune Diseases Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Peyman Amanolahi Baharvand
- Hepatitis Research Center and Department of Medical Immunology, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Amin Hasanvand
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Ali Fouladvand
- Hepatitis Research Center and Department of Medical Immunology, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Mohammad-Ali Assarehzadegan
- Immunology Research Center, Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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47
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Ghosh D, Agarwal M, Radhakrishna M. Molecular Insights into the Inhibitory Role of α-Crystallin against γD-Crystallin Aggregation. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:1740-1752. [PMID: 38078935 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Cataracts, a major cause of global blindness, contribute significantly to the overall prevalence of blindness. The opacification of the lens, resulting in cataract formation, primarily occurs due to the aggregation of crystallin proteins within the eye lens. Despite the high concentration of these crystallins, they remarkably maintain the lens transparency and refractive index. α-Crystallins (α-crys), acting as chaperones, play a crucial role in preventing crystallin aggregation, although the exact molecular mechanism remains uncertain. In this study, we employed a combination of molecular docking, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, and advanced free energy calculations to investigate the interaction between γD-crystallin (γD-crys), a major structural protein of the eye lens, and α-crystallin proteins. Our findings demonstrate that α-crys exhibits an enhanced affinity for the NTD2 and CTD4 regions of γD-crys. The NTD2 and CTD4 regions form the interface between the N-terminal domain (NTD) and the C-terminal domain (CTD) of the γD-crys protein. By binding to the interface region between the NTD and CTD of the protein, α-crys effectively inhibits the formation of domain-swapped aggregates and mitigates protein aggregation. Analysis of the Markov state models using molecular dynamics trajectories confirms that minimum free energy conformations correspond to the binding of the α-crystallin domain (ACD) of α-crys to NTD2 and CTD4 that form the interdomain interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepshikha Ghosh
- Department of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gujarat 382355, India
| | - Manish Agarwal
- Computer Services Centre, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, Delhi 110016, India
| | - Mithun Radhakrishna
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gujarat 382355, India
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, Palaj, Gujarat 382355, India
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48
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Aguilar-Carrillo Y, Soto-Urzúa L, Martínez-Martínez MDLÁ, Becerril-Ramírez M, Martínez-Morales LJ. Computational Analysis of the Tripartite Interaction of Phasins (PhaP4 and 5)-Sigma Factor (σ 24)-DNA of Azospirillum brasilense Sp7. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:611. [PMID: 38475295 DOI: 10.3390/polym16050611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 produces PHB, which is covered by granule-associated proteins (GAPs). Phasins are the main GAPs. Previous studies have shown phasins can regulate PHB synthesis. When A. brasilense grows under stress conditions, it uses sigma factors to transcribe genes for survival. One of these factors is the σ24 factor. This study determined the possible interaction between phasins and the σ24 factor or phasin-σ24 factor complex and DNA. Three-dimensional structures of phasins and σ24 factor structures were predicted using the I-TASSER and SWISS-Model servers, respectively. Subsequently, a molecular docking between phasins and the σ24 factor was performed using the ClusPro 2.0 server, followed by molecular docking between protein complexes and DNA using the HDOCK server. Evaluation of the types of ligand-receptor interactions was performed using the BIOVIA Discovery Visualizer for three-dimensional diagrams, as well as the LigPlot server to obtain bi-dimensional diagrams. The results showed the phasins (Pha4Abs7 or Pha5Abs7)-σ24 factor complex was bound near the -35 box of the promoter region of the phaC gene. However, in the individual interaction of PhaP5Abs7 and the σ24 factor, with DNA, both proteins were bound to the -35 box. This did not occur with PhaP4Abs7, which was bound to the -10 box. This change could affect the transcription level of the phaC gene and possibly affect PHB synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yovani Aguilar-Carrillo
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Av. San Claudio y Av. 24 Sur, Col. San Manuel Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla 72570, Mexico
| | - Lucía Soto-Urzúa
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Av. San Claudio y Av. 24 Sur, Col. San Manuel Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla 72570, Mexico
| | - María De Los Ángeles Martínez-Martínez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Av. San Claudio y Av. 24 Sur, Col. San Manuel Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla 72570, Mexico
| | - Mirian Becerril-Ramírez
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Av. San Claudio y Av. 24 Sur, Col. San Manuel Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla 72570, Mexico
| | - Luis Javier Martínez-Morales
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Microbiológicas, Instituto de Ciencias, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Av. San Claudio y Av. 24 Sur, Col. San Manuel Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla 72570, Mexico
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49
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Aldoukhi AH, Bilalis P, Alhattab DM, Valle-Pérez AU, Susapto HH, Pérez-Pedroza R, Backhoff-García E, Alsawaf SM, Alshehri S, Boshah H, Alrashoudi AA, Aljabr WA, Alaamery M, Alrashed M, Hasanato RM, Farzan RA, Alsubki RA, Moretti M, Abedalthagafi MS, Hauser CAE. Fusing Peptide Epitopes for Advanced Multiplex Serological Testing for SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Detection. ACS BIO & MED CHEM AU 2024; 4:37-52. [PMID: 38404747 PMCID: PMC10885102 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomedchemau.3c00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The tragic COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen a total of 655 million cases worldwide and a death toll of over 6.6 million seems finally tailing off. Even so, new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continue to arise, the severity of which cannot be predicted in advance. This is concerning for the maintenance and stability of public health, since immune evasion and increased transmissibility may arise. Therefore, it is crucial to continue monitoring antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in the general population. As a complement to polymerase chain reaction tests, multiplex immunoassays are elegant tools that use individual protein or peptide antigens simultaneously to provide a high level of sensitivity and specificity. To further improve these aspects of SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection, as well as accuracy, we have developed an advanced serological peptide-based multiplex assay using antigen-fused peptide epitopes derived from both the spike and the nucleocapsid proteins. The significance of the epitopes selected for antibody detection has been verified by in silico molecular docking simulations between the peptide epitopes and reported SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Peptides can be more easily and quickly modified and synthesized than full length proteins and can, therefore, be used in a more cost-effective manner. Three different fusion-epitope peptides (FEPs) were synthesized and tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 145 blood serum samples were used, compromising 110 COVID-19 serum samples from COVID-19 patients and 35 negative control serum samples taken from COVID-19-free individuals before the outbreak. Interestingly, our data demonstrate that the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the results for the FEP antigens are higher than for single peptide epitopes or mixtures of single peptide epitopes. Our FEP concept can be applied to different multiplex immunoassays testing not only for SARS-CoV-2 but also for various other pathogens. A significantly improved peptide-based serological assay may support the development of commercial point-of-care tests, such as lateral-flow-assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali H. Aldoukhi
- Laboratory
for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science
and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Computational
Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-69900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Panayiotis Bilalis
- Laboratory
for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science
and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Computational
Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-69900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Dana M. Alhattab
- Laboratory
for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science
and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Computational
Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-69900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alexander U. Valle-Pérez
- Laboratory
for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science
and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Computational
Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-69900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hepi H. Susapto
- Laboratory
for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science
and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Computational
Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-69900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rosario Pérez-Pedroza
- Laboratory
for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science
and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Computational
Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-69900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Emiliano Backhoff-García
- Laboratory
for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science
and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sarah M. Alsawaf
- Laboratory
for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science
and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Computational
Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-69900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Salwa Alshehri
- Laboratory
for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science
and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Computational
Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-69900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hattan Boshah
- Laboratory
for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science
and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Computational
Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-69900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulelah A. Alrashoudi
- Laboratory
for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science
and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Computational
Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-69900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Waleed A. Aljabr
- Research
Centre, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh 12231, Saudi Arabia
| | - Manal Alaamery
- Developmental
Medicine Department, King Abdullah International Medical Research
Center, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard-Health
Affairs, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University
for Health Sciences, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia
- KACST-BWH
Centre of Excellence for Biomedicine, Joint Centers of Excellence
Program, King Abdulaziz City for Science
and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 12371, Saudi Arabia
- Saudi
Human Genome Project (SHGP), Satellite Lab at King Abdulaziz Medical
City (KAMC), Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNG-HA), King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia
| | - May Alrashed
- Department
of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
- Chair
of Medical and Molecular Genetics Research, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rana M. Hasanato
- Department
of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King
Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
| | - Raed A. Farzan
- Department
of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
- Chair
of Medical and Molecular Genetics Research, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
| | - Roua A. Alsubki
- Department
of Clinical Laboratory Science, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
- Chair
of Medical and Molecular Genetics Research, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia
| | - Manola Moretti
- Laboratory
for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science
and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Computational
Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-69900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Malak S. Abedalthagafi
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory
School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, United States
| | - Charlotte A. E. Hauser
- Laboratory
for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science
and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
- Computational
Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King
Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-69900, Saudi Arabia
- Red Sea
Research Center, Division of Biological and Environmental
Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah
University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
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50
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Timilsina U, Ivey EB, Duffy S, Plianchaisuk A, The Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan) Consortium, Ito J, Sato K, Stavrou S. SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a Mutation Found in BF.5 and BF.7 Sublineages Impacts Its Functions. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2351. [PMID: 38397027 PMCID: PMC10889720 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042351] [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: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
A feature of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants BF.5 and BF.7 that recently circulated mainly in China and Japan was the high prevalence of the ORF7a: H47Y mutation, in which the 47th residue of ORF7a has been mutated from a histidine (H) to a tyrosine (Y). Here, we evaluated the effect of this mutation on the three main functions ascribed to the SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a protein. Our findings show that H47Y mutation impairs the ability of SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a to antagonize the type I interferon (IFN-I) response and to downregulate major histocompatibility complex I (MHC-I) cell surface levels, but had no effect in its anti-SERINC5 function. Overall, our results suggest that the H47Y mutation of ORF7a affects important functions of this protein, resulting in changes in virus pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uddhav Timilsina
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (U.T.); (E.B.I.); (S.D.)
| | - Emily B. Ivey
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (U.T.); (E.B.I.); (S.D.)
| | - Sean Duffy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (U.T.); (E.B.I.); (S.D.)
| | - Arnon Plianchaisuk
- Division of Systems Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8369, Japan; (A.P.); (J.I.); (K.S.)
| | | | - Jumpei Ito
- Division of Systems Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8369, Japan; (A.P.); (J.I.); (K.S.)
| | - Kei Sato
- Division of Systems Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8369, Japan; (A.P.); (J.I.); (K.S.)
- International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8369, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8581, Japan
- International Vaccine Design Center, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
- Collaboration Unit for Infection, Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-0862, Japan
- CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi 332-0012, Japan
| | - Spyridon Stavrou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA; (U.T.); (E.B.I.); (S.D.)
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