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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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Peters J, Oliva R, Caliò A, Oger P, Winter R. Effects of Crowding and Cosolutes on Biomolecular Function at Extreme Environmental Conditions. Chem Rev 2023; 123:13441-13488. [PMID: 37943516 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00432] [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: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
The extent of the effect of cellular crowding and cosolutes on the functioning of proteins and cells is manifold and includes the stabilization of the biomolecular systems, the excluded volume effect, and the modulation of molecular dynamics. Simultaneously, it is becoming increasingly clear how important it is to take the environment into account if we are to shed light on biological function under various external conditions. Many biosystems thrive under extreme conditions, including the deep sea and subseafloor crust, and can take advantage of some of the effects of crowding. These relationships have been studied in recent years using various biophysical techniques, including neutron and X-ray scattering, calorimetry, FTIR, UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopies. Combining knowledge of the structure and conformational dynamics of biomolecules under extreme conditions, such as temperature, high hydrostatic pressure, and high salinity, we highlight the importance of considering all results in the context of the environment. Here we discuss crowding and cosolute effects on proteins, nucleic acids, membranes, and live cells and explain how it is possible to experimentally separate crowding-induced effects from other influences. Such findings will contribute to a better understanding of the homeoviscous adaptation of organisms and the limits of life in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Peters
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LiPhy, 140 rue de la physique, 38400 St Martin d'Hères, France
- Institut Laue Langevin, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Rosario Oliva
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy
| | - Antonino Caliò
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Philippe Oger
- INSA Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon1, CNRS, UMR5240, 69621 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Roland Winter
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Biophysical Chemistry, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Otto-Hahn-Str. 4a, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
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3
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Dandekar BR, Majumdar BB, Mondal J. Nonmonotonic Modulation of the Protein-Ligand Recognition Event by Inert Crowders. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:7449-7461. [PMID: 37590118 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c03946] [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: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
The ubiquitous event of a protein recognizing small molecules or ligands at its native binding site is crucial for initiating major biological processes. However, how a crowded environment, as is typically represented by a cellular interior, would modulate the protein-ligand search process is largely debated. Excluded volume-based theory suggests that the presence of an inert crowder would reinforce a steady stabilization and enhancement of the protein-ligand recognition process. Here, we counter this long-held perspective via the molecular dynamics simulation and Markov state model of the protein-ligand recognition event in the presence of inert crowders. Specifically, we demonstrate that, depending on concentration, even purely inert crowders can exert a nonmonotonic effect via either stabilizing or destabilizing the protein-ligand binding event. Analysis of the kinetic network of binding pathways reveals that the crowders would either modulate precedent non-native on-pathway intermediates or would devise additional ones in a multistate recognition event across a wide range of concentrations. As an important insight, crowders gradually shift the relative transitional preference of these intermediates toward a native-bound state, with ligand residence time at the binding pocket dictating the trend of nonmonotonic concentration dependence by simple inert crowders.
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Majumdar BB, Mondal J. Impact of Inert Crowders on Host-Guest Recognition Process. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:4200-4215. [PMID: 35654414 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c01539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Biological environments typically contain high concentrations (300-400 mg/mL) of different macromolecules at volume fractions as large as 30%-40%. Biomolecular recognition processes, a ubiquitous biological phenomena, occurring in such crowded heterogeneous media would differ significantly compared to the dilute buffer solutions. Here we quantify the potential impact of inert crowders on prototypical host-guest recognition process by explicit-solvent molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in atomic resolution. We demonstrate that the crowders, when smaller in size, would facilitate the binding process of the guest molecule by decreasing the free energy barrier for binding via excluded volume effect and desolvation of the host receptor. However, the extent of crowder-induced stabilization of a host-guest complex is found to be significantly higher when the guest molecule is sterically constricted to approach the host along a centrosymmetric direction, compared to its unrestricted, freely diffusive movement. A kinetic analysis of the recognition process reveals that the origin of a relatively stronger crowder impact during constricted movement of guest molecule lies in the relatively enhanced residence time of the guest inside the host by crowders. Together, our results suggest that the extent of impact of crowding on recognition processes would be contingent upon the presence or absence of constriction on ligand movement.
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Dong X, Qin LY, Gong Z, Qin S, Zhou HX, Tang C. Preferential Interactions of a Crowder Protein with the Specific Binding Site of a Native Protein Complex. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:792-800. [PMID: 35044179 PMCID: PMC8852806 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c03794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nonspecific binding of crowder proteins with functional proteins is likely prevalent in vivo, yet direct quantitative evidence, let alone residue-specific information, is scarce. Here we present nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) characterization showing that bovine serum albumin weakly but preferentially interacts with the histidine carrier protein (HPr). Notably, the binding interface overlaps with that for HPr's specific partner protein, EIN, leading to competition. The crowder protein thus decreases the EIN-HPr binding affinity and accelerates the dissociation of the native complex. In contrast, Ficoll-70 stabilizes the native complex and slows its dissociation, as one would expect from excluded-volume and microviscosity effects. Our atomistic modeling of macromolecular crowding rationalizes the experimental data and provides quantitative insights into the energetics of protein-crowder interactions. The integrated NMR and modeling study yields benchmarks for the effects of crowded cellular environments on protein-protein specific interactions, with implications for evolution regarding how nonspecific binding can be minimized or exploited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance at Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Ling-Yun Qin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance at Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhou Gong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance at Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Sanbo Qin
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States
- Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, United States
| | - Huan-Xiang Zhou
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607, United States
| | - Chun Tang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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Endicott N, Rivera GSM, Yang J, Wencewicz TA. Emergence of Ferrichelatase Activity in a Siderophore-Binding Protein Supports an Iron Shuttle in Bacteria. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2020; 6:493-506. [PMID: 32341999 PMCID: PMC7181320 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.9b01257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Siderophores are small-molecule high-affinity multidentate chelators selective for ferric iron that are produced by pathogenic microbes to aid in nutrient sequestration and enhance virulence. In Gram-positive bacteria, the currently accepted paradigm in siderophore-mediated iron acquisition is that effluxed metal-free siderophores extract ferric iron from biological sources and the resulting ferric siderophore complex undergoes diffusion-controlled association with a surface-displayed siderophore-binding protein (SBP) followed by ABC permease-mediated translocation across the cell envelope powered by ATP hydrolysis. Here we show that a more efficient paradigm is possible in Gram-positive bacteria where extracellular metal-free siderophores associate directly with apo-SBPs on the cell surface and serve as non-covalent cofactors that enable the holo-SBPs to non-reductively extract ferric iron directly from host metalloproteins with so-called "ferrichelatase" activity. The resulting SBP-bound ferric siderophore complex is ready for import through an associated membrane permease and enzymatic turnover is achieved through cofactor replacement from the readily available pool of extracellular siderophores. This new "iron shuttle" model closes a major knowledge gap in microbial iron acquisition and defines new roles of the siderophore and SBP as cofactor and enzyme, respectively, in addition to the classically accepted roles as a transport substrate and receptor pair. We propose the formal name "siderophore-dependent ferrichelatases" for this new class of catalytic SBPs.
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Huang Q, Li M, Lai L, Liu Z. Allostery of multidomain proteins with disordered linkers. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 62:175-182. [PMID: 32151887 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered regions are often involved in allosteric regulation of multidomain proteins. They can act as disordered linkers to connect and interact with domains, resulting in rather complex allosteric mechanism and novel protein behavior. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the diverse functions of disordered linkers in order to better understand allostery and relevant regulation process. Here we summarize recent advances in understanding the function of linkers and the advantages of adopting mutlidomain architecture with disorder linkers. It was shown that linkers between domains enhance the local domain concentration and make the allosteric regulation of weakly interacting partners possible, while linkers with only one tethered end cause an entropy effect to reduce binding affinity and prevent aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaojing Huang
- BNLMS, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Maodong Li
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China; Institute of Systems Biology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Luhua Lai
- BNLMS, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Zhirong Liu
- BNLMS, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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