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Dubrovin EV. Atomic force microscopy-based approaches for single-molecule investigation of nucleic acid- protein complexes. Biophys Rev 2023; 15:1015-1033. [PMID: 37974971 PMCID: PMC10643717 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01111-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The interaction of nucleic acids with proteins plays an important role in many fundamental biological processes in living cells, including replication, transcription, and translation. Therefore, understanding nucleic acid-protein interaction is of high relevance in many areas of biology, medicine and technology. During almost four decades of its existence atomic force microscopy (AFM) accumulated a significant experience in investigation of biological molecules at a single-molecule level. AFM has become a powerful tool of molecular biology and biophysics providing unique information about properties, structure, and functioning of biomolecules. Despite a great variety of nucleic acid-protein systems under AFM investigations, there are a number of typical approaches for such studies. This review is devoted to the analysis of the typical AFM-based approaches of investigation of DNA (RNA)-protein complexes with a major focus on transcription studies. The basic strategies of AFM analysis of nucleic acid-protein complexes including investigation of the products of DNA-protein reactions and real-time dynamics of DNA-protein interaction are categorized and described by the example of the most relevant research studies. The described approaches and protocols have many universal features and, therefore, are applicable for future AFM studies of various nucleic acid-protein systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniy V. Dubrovin
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1 Bld. 2, 119991 Moscow, Russian Federation
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutskiy Per. 9, Dolgoprudny, 141700 Russian Federation
- Sirius University of Science and Technology, Olimpiyskiy Ave 1, Township Sirius, Krasnodar Region, 354349 Russia
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Barinov NA, Pavlova ER, Tolstova AP, Matveeva AG, Moskalets AP, Dubrovin EV, Klinov DV. Myeloperoxidase-induced fibrinogen unfolding and clotting. Microsc Res Tech 2022; 85:2537-2548. [PMID: 35315962 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24107] [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: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Due to its unique properties and high biomedical relevance fibrinogen is a promising protein for the development of various matrixes and scaffolds for biotechnological applications. Fibrinogen molecules may form extensive clots either upon specific cleavage by thrombin or in thrombin-free environment, for example, in the presence of different salts. Here, we report the novel type of non-conventional fibrinogen clot formation, which is mediated by myeloperoxidase and takes place even at low fibrinogen concentrations (<0.1 mg/ml). We have revealed fibrillar nature of myeloperoxidase-mediated fibrinogen clots, which differ morphologically from fibrin clots. We have shown that fibrinogen clotting is mediated by direct interaction of myeloperoxidase molecules with the outer globular regions of fibrinogen molecules followed by fibrinogen unfolding from its natural trinodular to a fibrillar structure. We have demonstrated a major role of the Debye screening effect in regulating of myeloperoxidase-induced fibrinogen clotting, which is facilitated by small ionic strength. While fibrinogen in an aqueous solution with myeloperoxidase undergoes changes, the enzymatic activity of myeloperoxidase is not inhibited in excess of fibrinogen. The obtained results open new insights into fibrinogen clotting, give new possibilities for the development of fibrinogen-based functional biomaterials, and provide the novel concepts of protein unfolding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay A Barinov
- Department of Biophysics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Scientific and educational resource center for innovative technologies of immunophenotyping, digital spatial profiling and ultrastructural analysis (molecular morphology), Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Elizaveta R Pavlova
- Department of Biophysics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Scientific and educational resource center for innovative technologies of immunophenotyping, digital spatial profiling and ultrastructural analysis (molecular morphology), Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Anna P Tolstova
- Laboratory of protein conformational polymorphism in health and disease, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Ainur G Matveeva
- Department of Biophysics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Scientific and educational resource center for innovative technologies of immunophenotyping, digital spatial profiling and ultrastructural analysis (molecular morphology), Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Aleksandr P Moskalets
- Department of Biophysics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Evgeniy V Dubrovin
- Department of Biophysics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Scientific and educational resource center for innovative technologies of immunophenotyping, digital spatial profiling and ultrastructural analysis (molecular morphology), Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russian Federation.,Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Laboratory of Biophysics, National University of Science and Technology MISIS, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Dmitry V Klinov
- Department of Biophysics, Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine, Moscow, Russian Federation.,Scientific and educational resource center for innovative technologies of immunophenotyping, digital spatial profiling and ultrastructural analysis (molecular morphology), Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russian Federation
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Dubrovin EV, Dadinova LA, Petoukhov MV, Soshinskaya EY, Mozhaev AA, Klinov DV, Schäffer TE, Shtykova EV, Batishchev OV. Spatial organization of Dps and DNA-Dps complexes. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166930. [PMID: 33713674 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
DNA co-crystallization with Dps family proteins is a fundamental mechanism, which preserves DNA in bacteria from harsh conditions. Though many aspects of this phenomenon are well characterized, the spatial organization of DNA in DNA-Dps co-crystals is not completely understood, and existing models need further clarification. To advance in this problem we have utilized atomic force microscopy (AFM) as the main structural tool, and small-angle X-scattering (SAXS) to characterize Dps as a key component of the DNA-protein complex. SAXS analysis in the presence of EDTA indicates a significantly larger radius of gyration for Dps than would be expected for the core of the dodecamer, consistent with the N-terminal regions extending out into solution and being accessible for interaction with DNA. In AFM experiments, both Dps protein molecules and DNA-Dps complexes adsorbed on mica or highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surfaces form densely packed hexagonal structures with a characteristic size of about 9 nm. To shed light on the peculiarities of DNA interaction with Dps molecules, we have characterized individual DNA-Dps complexes. Contour length evaluation has confirmed the non-specific character of Dps binding with DNA and revealed that DNA does not wrap Dps molecules in DNA-Dps complexes. Angle analysis has demonstrated that in DNA-Dps complexes a Dps molecule contacts with a DNA segment of ~6 nm in length. Consideration of DNA condensation upon complex formation with small Dps quasi-crystals indicates that DNA may be arranged along the rows of ordered protein molecules on a Dps sheet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniy V Dubrovin
- A.N. Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 31/4 Leninskiy prospekt, Moscow 119071, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Physics, Leninskie Gory 1 bld 2, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Liubov A Dadinova
- Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Federal Scientific Research Centre "Crystallography and Photonics," Russian Academy of Sciences, 119333 Moscow, Russia
| | - Maxim V Petoukhov
- Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Federal Scientific Research Centre "Crystallography and Photonics," Russian Academy of Sciences, 119333 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Yu Soshinskaya
- Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Federal Scientific Research Centre "Crystallography and Photonics," Russian Academy of Sciences, 119333 Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey A Mozhaev
- Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Federal Scientific Research Centre "Crystallography and Photonics," Russian Academy of Sciences, 119333 Moscow, Russia; Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry V Klinov
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, Malaya Pirogovskaya 1a, 119435 Moscow, Russia
| | - Tilman E Schäffer
- University of Tübingen, Institute of Applied Physics, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Eleonora V Shtykova
- Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Federal Scientific Research Centre "Crystallography and Photonics," Russian Academy of Sciences, 119333 Moscow, Russia
| | - Oleg V Batishchev
- A.N. Frumkin Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 31/4 Leninskiy prospekt, Moscow 119071, Russia
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