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Rothfuss MT, Becht DC, Zeng B, McClelland LJ, Yates-Hansen C, Bowler BE. High-Accuracy Prediction of Stabilizing Surface Mutations to the Three-Helix Bundle, UBA(1), with EmCAST. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:22979-22992. [PMID: 37815921 PMCID: PMC10626973 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c04966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
The accurate modeling of energetic contributions to protein structure is a fundamental challenge in computational approaches to protein analysis and design. We describe a general computational method, EmCAST (empirical Cα stabilization), to score and optimize the sequence to the structure in proteins. The method relies on an empirical potential derived from the database of the Cα dihedral angle preferences for all possible four-residue sequences, using the data available in the Protein Data Bank. Our method produces stability predictions that naturally correlate one-to-one with the experimental results for solvent-exposed mutation sites. EmCAST predicted four mutations that increased the stability of a three-helix bundle, UBA(1), from 2.4 to 4.8 kcal/mol by optimizing residues in both helices and turns. For a set of eight variants, the predicted and experimental stabilizations correlate very well (R2 = 0.97) with a slope near 1 and with a 0.16 kcal/mol standard error for EmCAST predictions. Tests against literature data for the stability effects of surface-exposed mutations show that EmCAST outperforms the existing stability prediction methods. UBA(1) variants were crystallized to verify and analyze their structures at an atomic resolution. Thermodynamic and kinetic folding experiments were performed to determine the magnitude and mechanism of stabilization. Our method has the potential to enable the rapid, rational optimization of natural proteins, expand the analysis of the sequence/structure relationship, and supplement the existing protein design strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T. Rothfuss
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
| | - Dustin C. Becht
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
| | - Baisen Zeng
- Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
| | - Levi J. McClelland
- Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
| | - Cindee Yates-Hansen
- Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
| | - Bruce E. Bowler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
- Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, United States
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Kuwajima K, Yagi-Utsumi M, Yanaka S, Kato K. DMSO-Quenched H/D-Exchange 2D NMR Spectroscopy and Its Applications in Protein Science. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27123748. [PMID: 35744871 PMCID: PMC9230524 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27123748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange combined with two-dimensional (2D) NMR spectroscopy has been widely used for studying the structure, stability, and dynamics of proteins. When we apply the H/D-exchange method to investigate non-native states of proteins such as equilibrium and kinetic folding intermediates, H/D-exchange quenching techniques are indispensable, because the exchange reaction is usually too fast to follow by 2D NMR. In this article, we will describe the dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)-quenched H/D-exchange method and its applications in protein science. In this method, the H/D-exchange buffer is replaced by an aprotic DMSO solution, which quenches the exchange reaction. We have improved the DMSO-quenched method by using spin desalting columns, which are used for medium exchange from the H/D-exchange buffer to the DMSO solution. This improvement has allowed us to monitor the H/D exchange of proteins at a high concentration of salts or denaturants. We describe methodological details of the improved DMSO-quenched method and present a case study using the improved method on the H/D-exchange behavior of unfolded human ubiquitin in 6 M guanidinium chloride.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunihiro Kuwajima
- Department of Physics, School of Science, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- Correspondence: (K.K.); (K.K.)
| | - Maho Yagi-Utsumi
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems and Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan; (M.Y.-U.); (S.Y.)
- Department of Functional Molecular Science, School of Physical Sciences, SOKENDAI (the Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 3-1 Tanabe-dori, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8603, Aichi, Japan
| | - Saeko Yanaka
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems and Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan; (M.Y.-U.); (S.Y.)
- Department of Functional Molecular Science, School of Physical Sciences, SOKENDAI (the Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
| | - Koichi Kato
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems and Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan; (M.Y.-U.); (S.Y.)
- Department of Functional Molecular Science, School of Physical Sciences, SOKENDAI (the Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8787, Aichi, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 3-1 Tanabe-dori, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8603, Aichi, Japan
- Correspondence: (K.K.); (K.K.)
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Becht DC, Leavens MJ, Zeng B, Rothfuss MT, Briknarová K, Bowler BE. Residual Structure in the Denatured State of the Fast-Folding UBA(1) Domain from the Human DNA Excision Repair Protein HHR23A. Biochemistry 2022; 61:767-784. [PMID: 35430812 PMCID: PMC9150713 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00011] [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] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The structure of the first ubiquitin-associated domain from HHR23A, UBA(1), was determined by X-ray crystallography at a 1.60 Å resolution, and its stability, folding kinetics, and residual structure under denaturing conditions have been investigated. The concentration dependence of thermal denaturation and size-exclusion chromatography indicate that UBA(1) is monomeric. Guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) denaturation experiments reveal that the unfolding free energy, ΔGu°'(H2O), of UBA(1) is 2.4 kcal mol-1. Stopped-flow folding kinetics indicates sub-millisecond folding with only proline isomerization phases detectable at 25 °C. The full folding kinetics are observable at 4 °C, yielding a folding rate constant, kf, in the absence of a denaturant of 13,000 s-1 and a Tanford β-value of 0.80, consistent with a compact transition state. Evaluation of the secondary structure via circular dichroism shows that the residual helical structure in the denatured state is replaced by polyproline II structure as the GdnHCl concentration increases. Analysis of NMR secondary chemical shifts for backbone 15NH, 13CO, and 13Cα atoms between 4 and 7 M GdnHCl shows three islands of residual helical secondary structure that align in sequence with the three native-state helices. Extrapolation of the NMR data to 0 M GdnHCl demonstrates that helical structure would populate to 17-33% in the denatured state under folding conditions. Comparison with NMR data for a peptide corresponding to helix 1 indicates that this helix is stabilized by transient tertiary interactions in the denatured state of UBA(1). The high helical content in the denatured state, which is enhanced by transient tertiary interactions, suggests a diffusion-collision folding mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin C Becht
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
- Center for Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
| | - Moses J Leavens
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
- Center for Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
| | - Baisen Zeng
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
- Center for Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
| | - Michael T Rothfuss
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
- Center for Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
| | - Klára Briknarová
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
- Center for Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
| | - Bruce E Bowler
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
- Center for Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, United States
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