1
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Boopathi S, Garduño-Juárez R. A Small Molecule Impedes the Aβ 1-42 Tetramer Neurotoxicity by Preserving Membrane Integrity: Microsecond Multiscale Simulations. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:3496-3512. [PMID: 39292558 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00383] [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] [Indexed: 09/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ1-42) peptides aggregated into plaques deposited in the brain are the main hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a social and economic burden worldwide. In this context, insoluble Aβ1-42 fibrils are the main components of plaques. The recent trials that used approved AD drugs show that they can remove the fibrils from AD patients' brains, but they did not halt the course of the disease. Mounting evidence envisages that the soluble Aβ1-42 oligomers' interactions with the neuronal membrane trigger higher cell death than Aβ1-42 fibril interactions. Developing a compound that can alleviate the oligomer's toxicity is one of the most demanding tasks for curing the disease. We performed two molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in an explicit solvent model. In the first case, 55-μs of multiscale all-atom (AA)/coarse-grained (CG) MD simulations were carried out to decipher the impact of a previously described small anti-Aβ molecule, termed M30 (2-octahydroisoquinolin-2(1H)-ylethanamine), on an Aβ1-42 tetramer structure in close contact with a DMPC bilayer. In the second case, 15-μs AA/CG MD simulations were performed to rationalize the dynamics between Aβ1-42 and Aβ1-42-M30 tetramer complexes embedded in DMPC. On the membrane bilayer, we found that the Aβ1-42 tetramer penetrates the bilayer surface due to unrestricted conformational flexibility and many contacts with the membrane phosphate groups. In contrast, no Aβ1-42-M30 tetramer penetration was observed during the entire course of the simulation. In the case of the membrane-embedded Aβ1-42 tetramer, the integrity of the bottom bilayer leaflet was severely affected by the interactions between the negatively charged phosphate groups and the positively charged residues of the Aβ1-42 tetramer, resulting in a deep tetramer penetration into the bilayer hydrophobic region. These contacts were not observed in the case of the membrane-embedded Aβ1-42-M30 tetramer. It was noted that M30 molecules bind to Aβ1-42 tetramer through hydrogen bonds, resulting in a conformational stable Aβ1-42-M30 complex. The associated complex has reduced conformational changes and an enhanced rigidity that prevents the tetramer dissociation by interfering with the tetramer-membrane contacts. Our findings suggest that the M30 molecules could bind to Aβ1-42 tetramer resulting in a rigid structure, and that such complexes do not significantly perturb the membrane bilayer organization. These observations support the in vitro and in vivo experimental evidence that the M30 molecules prevent synaptotocity, improving AD-affected mice memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subramanian Boopathi
- Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca 62210, México
| | - Ramón Garduño-Juárez
- Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca 62210, México
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2
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Frigini EN, Porasso RD, Beke-Somfai T, López Cascales JJ, Enriz RD, Pantano S. The Mechanism of Antimicrobial Small-Cationic Peptides from Coarse-Grained Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:6877-6889. [PMID: 37905818 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01348] [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: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial cationic peptides (AMPs) are excellent candidates for use as therapeutic antimicrobial agents. Among them, short peptides possessing sequences of 9-11 amino acids have some advantages over long-sequence peptides. However, one of the main limitations of short peptides is that their mechanism of action at the molecular level is not well-known. In this article, we report a model based on multiscale molecular dynamics simulations of short peptides interacting with vesicles containing palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylglycerol (POPG)/palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (POPE). Simulations using this approach have allowed us to understand the different behaviors of peptides with antimicrobial activity with respect to those that do not produce this effect. We found remarkable agreement with a series of experimental results directly supporting our model. Moreover, these results allow us to understand the mechanism of action at the molecular level of these short peptides. Our simulations suggest that mechanical inhomogeneities appear in the membrane, promoting membrane rupture when a threshold concentration of peptides adsorbed on the membrane is achieved. These results explain the high structural demand for these peptides to maintain a delicate balance between the affinity for the bilayer surface, a low peptide-peptide repulsion (in order to reach the threshold concentration), and an acceptable tendency to penetrate into the bilayer. This mechanism is different from those proposed for peptides with long amino acid sequences. Such information is very useful from the medicinal chemistry point of view for the design of new small antimicrobial peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezequiel N Frigini
- Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas (IMIBIO-SL), Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Ejército de los Andes 950, San Luis 5700, Argentina
- Biomolecular Simulations Group, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Rodolfo D Porasso
- Instituto de Matemáticas Aplicada San Luis (IMASL), CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Av. Ejército de los Andes 950, San Luis 5700, Argentina
| | - Tamás Beke-Somfai
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - José Javier López Cascales
- Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Grupo de Bioinformática y Macromoleculas (BioMac), Area de Química Física, Aulario II, Campus de Alfonso XIII, 30203 Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
| | - Ricardo D Enriz
- Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas (IMIBIO-SL), Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Ejército de los Andes 950, San Luis 5700, Argentina
| | - Sergio Pantano
- Biomolecular Simulations Group, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
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3
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Borges-Araújo L, Patmanidis I, Singh AP, Santos LHS, Sieradzan AK, Vanni S, Czaplewski C, Pantano S, Shinoda W, Monticelli L, Liwo A, Marrink SJ, Souza PCT. Pragmatic Coarse-Graining of Proteins: Models and Applications. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:7112-7135. [PMID: 37788237 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
The molecular details involved in the folding, dynamics, organization, and interaction of proteins with other molecules are often difficult to assess by experimental techniques. Consequently, computational models play an ever-increasing role in the field. However, biological processes involving large-scale protein assemblies or long time scale dynamics are still computationally expensive to study in atomistic detail. For these applications, employing coarse-grained (CG) modeling approaches has become a key strategy. In this Review, we provide an overview of what we call pragmatic CG protein models, which are strategies combining, at least in part, a physics-based implementation and a top-down experimental approach to their parametrization. In particular, we focus on CG models in which most protein residues are represented by at least two beads, allowing these models to retain some degree of chemical specificity. A description of the main modern pragmatic protein CG models is provided, including a review of the most recent applications and an outlook on future perspectives in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luís Borges-Araújo
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB, UMR 5086), CNRS, University of Lyon, 7 Passage du Vercors, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Ilias Patmanidis
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Langelandsgade 140, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Akhil P Singh
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, Fribourg CH-1700, Switzerland
| | - Lucianna H S Santos
- Biomolecular Simulations Group, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Adam K Sieradzan
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Stefano Vanni
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, Fribourg CH-1700, Switzerland
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Université Côte d'Azur, Inserm, CNRS, 06560 Valbonne, France
| | - Cezary Czaplewski
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Sergio Pantano
- Biomolecular Simulations Group, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Wataru Shinoda
- Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Luca Monticelli
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB, UMR 5086), CNRS, University of Lyon, 7 Passage du Vercors, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Adam Liwo
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Siewert J Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Paulo C T Souza
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB, UMR 5086), CNRS, University of Lyon, 7 Passage du Vercors, 69007 Lyon, France
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4
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Klein F, Soñora M, Helene Santos L, Nazareno Frigini E, Ballesteros-Casallas A, Rodrigo Machado M, Pantano S. The SIRAH force field: A suite for simulations of complex biological systems at the coarse-grained and multiscale levels. J Struct Biol 2023; 215:107985. [PMID: 37331570 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2023.107985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
The different combinations of molecular dynamics simulations with coarse-grained representations have acquired considerable popularity among the scientific community. Especially in biocomputing, the significant speedup granted by simplified molecular models opened the possibility of increasing the diversity and complexity of macromolecular systems, providing realistic insights on large assemblies for more extended time windows. However, a holistic view of biological ensembles' structural and dynamic features requires a self-consistent force field, namely, a set of equations and parameters that describe the intra and intermolecular interactions among moieties of diverse chemical nature (i.e., nucleic and amino acids, lipids, solvent, ions, etc.). Nevertheless, examples of such force fields are scarce in the literature at the fully atomistic and coarse-grained levels. Moreover, the number of force fields capable of handling simultaneously different scales is restricted to a handful. Among those, the SIRAH force field, developed in our group, furnishes a set of topologies and tools that facilitate the setting up and running of molecular dynamics simulations at the coarse-grained and multiscale levels. SIRAH uses the same classical pairwise Hamiltonian function implemented in the most popular molecular dynamics software. In particular, it runs natively in AMBER and Gromacs engines, and porting it to other simulation packages is straightforward. This review describes the underlying philosophy behind the development of SIRAH over the years and across families of biological molecules, discussing current limitations and future implementations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Klein
- Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, UPR9080, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Martín Soñora
- Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Ezequiel Nazareno Frigini
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis (IMIBIO-SL), Universidad Nacional de San Luis - CONICET, San Luis, Argentina
| | - Andrés Ballesteros-Casallas
- Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay; Area Bioinformática, DETEMA, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, General Flores 2124, Montevideo, 11600, Uruguay
| | | | - Sergio Pantano
- Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay; Area Bioinformática, DETEMA, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, General Flores 2124, Montevideo, 11600, Uruguay.
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5
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Lynch D, Pavlova A, Fan Z, Gumbart JC. Understanding Virus Structure and Dynamics through Molecular Simulations. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:3025-3036. [PMID: 37192279 PMCID: PMC10269348 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Viral outbreaks remain a serious threat to human and animal populations and motivate the continued development of antiviral drugs and vaccines, which in turn benefits from a detailed understanding of both viral structure and dynamics. While great strides have been made in characterizing these systems experimentally, molecular simulations have proven to be an essential, complementary approach. In this work, we review the contributions of molecular simulations to the understanding of viral structure, functional dynamics, and processes related to the viral life cycle. Approaches ranging from coarse-grained to all-atom representations are discussed, including current efforts at modeling complete viral systems. Overall, this review demonstrates that computational virology plays an essential role in understanding these systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane
L. Lynch
- School
of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Anna Pavlova
- School
of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Zixing Fan
- Interdisciplinary
Bioengineering Graduate Program, Georgia
Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - James C. Gumbart
- School
of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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6
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Depta PN, Dosta M, Wenzel W, Kozlowska M, Heinrich S. Hierarchical Coarse-Grained Strategy for Macromolecular Self-Assembly: Application to Hepatitis B Virus-Like Particles. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232314699. [PMID: 36499027 PMCID: PMC9740473 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232314699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Macromolecular self-assembly is at the basis of many phenomena in material and life sciences that find diverse applications in technology. One example is the formation of virus-like particles (VLPs) that act as stable empty capsids used for drug delivery or vaccine fabrication. Similarly to the capsid of a virus, VLPs are protein assemblies, but their structural formation, stability, and properties are not fully understood, especially as a function of the protein modifications. In this work, we present a data-driven modeling approach for capturing macromolecular self-assembly on scales beyond traditional molecular dynamics (MD), while preserving the chemical specificity. Each macromolecule is abstracted as an anisotropic object and high-dimensional models are formulated to describe interactions between molecules and with the solvent. For this, data-driven protein-protein interaction potentials are derived using a Kriging-based strategy, built on high-throughput MD simulations. Semi-automatic supervised learning is employed in a high performance computing environment and the resulting specialized force-fields enable a significant speed-up to the micrometer and millisecond scale, while maintaining high intermolecular detail. The reported generic framework is applied for the first time to capture the formation of hepatitis B VLPs from the smallest building unit, i.e., the dimer of the core protein HBcAg. Assembly pathways and kinetics are analyzed and compared to the available experimental observations. We demonstrate that VLP self-assembly phenomena and dependencies are now possible to be simulated. The method developed can be used for the parameterization of other macromolecules, enabling a molecular understanding of processes impossible to be attained with other theoretical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Nicolas Depta
- Institute of Solids Process Engineering and Particle Technology (SPE), Hamburg University of Technology, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Maksym Dosta
- Institute of Solids Process Engineering and Particle Technology (SPE), Hamburg University of Technology, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co Kg., 88400 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wenzel
- Institute of Nanotechnology (INT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Mariana Kozlowska
- Institute of Nanotechnology (INT), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Stefan Heinrich
- Institute of Solids Process Engineering and Particle Technology (SPE), Hamburg University of Technology, 21073 Hamburg, Germany
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7
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Soñora M, Barrera EE, Pantano S. The stressed life of a lipid in the Zika virus membrane. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2022; 1864:183804. [PMID: 34656553 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Protein-lipid interactions modulate a plethora of physiopathologic processes and have been the subject of countless studies. However, these kinds of interactions in the context of viral envelopes have remained relatively unexplored, partially because the intrinsically small dimensions of the molecular systems escape to the current resolution of experimental techniques. However, coarse-grained and multiscale simulations may fill that niche, providing nearly atomistic resolution at an affordable computational price. Here we use multiscale simulations to characterize the lipid-protein interactions in the envelope of the Zika Virus, a prominent member of the Flavivirus genus. Comparisons between the viral envelope and simpler molecular systems indicate that the viral membrane is under extreme pressures and asymmetric forces. Furthermore, the dense net of protein-protein contacts established by the envelope proteins creates poorly solvated regions that destabilize the external leaflet leading to a decoupled dynamics between both membrane layers. These findings lead to the idea that the Flaviviral membrane may store a significant amount of elastic energy, playing an active role in the membrane fusion process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín Soñora
- Biomolecular Simulations Group, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, CP 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Exequiel E Barrera
- Biomolecular Simulations Group, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, CP 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay; Instituto de Histología y Embriología (IHEM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), CC56, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCuyo), Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Sergio Pantano
- Biomolecular Simulations Group, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, CP 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay.
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8
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Caceres-Delpiano J, Wang LP, Essex JW. The automated optimisation of a coarse-grained force field using free energy data. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:24842-24851. [PMID: 34723311 PMCID: PMC8579472 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp05041e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Atomistic models provide a detailed representation of molecular systems, but are sometimes inadequate for simulations of large systems over long timescales. Coarse-grained models enable accelerated simulations by reducing the number of degrees of freedom, at the cost of reduced accuracy. New optimisation processes to parameterise these models could improve their quality and range of applicability. We present an automated approach for the optimisation of coarse-grained force fields, by reproducing free energy data derived from atomistic molecular simulations. To illustrate the approach, we implemented hydration free energy gradients as a new target for force field optimisation in ForceBalance and applied it successfully to optimise the un-charged side-chains and the protein backbone in the SIRAH protein coarse-grain force field. The optimised parameters closely reproduced hydration free energies of atomistic models and gave improved agreement with experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lee-Ping Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA.
| | - Jonathan W Essex
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southapton, S017 1BJ, UK.
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9
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Machado MR, Pantano S. Fighting viruses with computers, right now. Curr Opin Virol 2021; 48:91-99. [PMID: 33975154 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2021.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The synergistic conjunction of various technological revolutions with the accumulated knowledge and workflows is rapidly transforming several scientific fields. Particularly, Virology can now feed from accurate physical models, polished computational tools, and massive computational power to readily integrate high-resolution structures into biological representations of unprecedented detail. That preparedness allows for the first time to get crucial information for vaccine and drug design from in-silico experiments against emerging pathogens of worldwide concern at relevant action windows. The present work reviews some of the main milestones leading to these breakthroughs in Computational Virology, providing an outlook for future developments in capacity building and accessibility to computational resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matías R Machado
- Biomolecular Simulations Group, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo, 11400, Uruguay.
| | - Sergio Pantano
- Biomolecular Simulations Group, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo, 11400, Uruguay.
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10
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Molecular Simulations Guidelines for Biological Nanomaterials: From Peptides to Membranes. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 32856257 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0928-6_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
In studying biological processes and focusing on the molecular mechanisms at the basis of these, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have demonstrated to be a very useful tool for the past 50 years. This suite of computational methods calculates the time-dependent evolution of a molecular system using physics-based first principles. In this chapter, we give a brief introduction to the theory and practical use of molecular dynamics simulations, highlighting the different models and algorithms that have been developed to tackle specific problems, with a special focus on classical force fields. Some examples of how simulations have been used in the past will help the reader in discerning their power, limitations, and significance.
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11
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Poveda-Cuevas SA, Barroso da Silva FL, Etchebest C. How the Strain Origin of Zika Virus NS1 Protein Impacts Its Dynamics and Implications to Their Differential Virulence. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:1516-1530. [PMID: 33651942 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Viruses can impact and affect human populations in a severe way. The appropriate differentiation among several species or strains of viruses is one of the biggest challenges for virology and infectiology studies. The detection of measurables-quantified discrepancies allows for more accurate clinical diagnoses and treatments for viral diseases. In the present study, we have used a computational approach to explore the dynamical properties of the nonstructural protein 1 from two strains of Zika virus. Our results show that despite a high sequence similarity, the two viral proteins from different origins can exhibit significant dissimilar structural dynamics, which complement their reported differential virulence. The present study opens up new ways in the understanding of the infectivity for these biological entities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio A Poveda-Cuevas
- Programa Interunidades em Bioinformática, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 1010, BR, 05508-090 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Departamento de Ciências Biomoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/no-Campus da USP, BR, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.,University of São Paulo and Université de Paris International Laboratory in Structural Bioinformatics, Av. do Café, s/no-Campus da USP, Bloco B, BR, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Luís Barroso da Silva
- Programa Interunidades em Bioinformática, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 1010, BR, 05508-090 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Departamento de Ciências Biomoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. do Café, s/no-Campus da USP, BR, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, 27695 Raleigh, North Carolina, United States.,University of São Paulo and Université de Paris International Laboratory in Structural Bioinformatics, Av. do Café, s/no-Campus da USP, Bloco B, BR, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Catherine Etchebest
- Institut National de la Transfusion Sanguine, 6 Rue Alexandre Cabanel, 75015 Paris, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR_S 1134, Biologie Intégrée du Globule Rouge, Equipe 2, INSERM, Dynamique des Structures et des Interactions Moléculaires, F-75015 Paris, France.,Université de Paris, 5 Rue Thomas Mann, 75013 Paris, France.,University of São Paulo and Université de Paris International Laboratory in Structural Bioinformatics, Av. do Café, s/no-Campus da USP, Bloco B, BR, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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12
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Soñora M, Martínez L, Pantano S, Machado MR. Wrapping Up Viruses at Multiscale Resolution: Optimizing PACKMOL and SIRAH Execution for Simulating the Zika Virus. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:408-422. [PMID: 33415985 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Simulating huge biomolecular complexes of million atoms at relevant biological time scales is becoming accessible to the broad scientific community. That proves to be crucial for urgent responses against emergent diseases in real time. Yet, there are still issues to sort regarding the system setup so that molecular dynamics (MD) simulations can be run in a simple and standard way. Here, we introduce an optimized pipeline for building and simulating enveloped virus-like particles (VLP). First, the membrane packing problem is tackled with new features and optimized options in PACKMOL. This allows preparing accurate membrane models of thousands of lipids in the context of a VLP within a few hours using a single CPU. Then, the assembly of the VLP system is done within the multiscale framework of the coarse-grained SIRAH force field. Finally, the equilibration protocol provides a system ready for production MD simulations within a few days on broadly accessible GPU resources. The pipeline is applied to study the Zika virus as a test case for large biomolecular systems. The VLP stabilizes at approximately 0.5 μs of MD simulation, reproducing correlations greater than 0.90 against experimental density maps from cryo-electron microscopy. Detailed structural analysis of the protein envelope also shows very good agreement in root-mean-square deviations and B-factors with the experimental data. The level of details attained shows for the first time a possible role for anionic phospholipids in stabilizing the envelope. Combining an efficient and reliable setup procedure with an accurate coarse-grained force field provides a valuable pipeline for simulating arbitrary viral systems or subcellular compartments, paving the way toward whole-cell simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín Soñora
- Biomolecular Simulations Group, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo, 11400, Uruguay
| | - Leandro Martínez
- Institute of Chemistry and Center for Computational Engineering & Science, University of Campinas, Rua Josué de Castro s/n, Cidade Universitária "Zeferino Vaz", Barão Geraldo, 13083-861 Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Sergio Pantano
- Biomolecular Simulations Group, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo, 11400, Uruguay
| | - Matías R Machado
- Biomolecular Simulations Group, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo, 11400, Uruguay
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13
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Joshi SY, Deshmukh SA. A review of advancements in coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2020.1828583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Soumil Y. Joshi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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14
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Delle Site L, Praprotnik M, Bell JB, Klein R. Particle–Continuum Coupling and its Scaling Regimes: Theory and Applications. ADVANCED THEORY AND SIMULATIONS 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/adts.201900232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Delle Site
- Freie Universität Berlin Institute of Mathematics Arnimallee 6, 14195 Berlin Germany
| | - Matej Praprotnik
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling National Institute of Chemistry SI‐1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia & Department of Physics Faculty of Mathematics and Physics University of Ljubljana SI‐1000 Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - John B. Bell
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab 1 Cyclotron Rd. Berkeley CA 94720 USA
| | - Rupert Klein
- Freie Universität Berlin Institute of Mathematics Arnimallee 6, 14195 Berlin Germany
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15
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Multiscale modelling and simulation of viruses. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 61:146-152. [PMID: 31991326 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, advances in structural biology, integrative modelling, and simulation approaches have allowed us to gain unprecedented insights into viral structure and dynamics. In this article we survey recent studies utilizing this wealth of structural information to build computational models of partial or complete viruses and to elucidate mechanisms of viral function. Additionally, the close interplay of viral pathogens with host factors - such as cellular and intracellular membranes, receptors, antibodies, and other host proteins - makes accurate models of viral interactions and dynamics essential. As viruses continue to pose severe challenges in prevention and treatment, enhancing our mechanistic understanding of viral infection is vital to enable the development of novel therapeutic strategies.
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16
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Martínez M, Cooper CD, Poma AB, Guzman HV. Free Energies of the Disassembly of Viral Capsids from a Multiscale Molecular Simulation Approach. J Chem Inf Model 2019; 60:974-981. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b00883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matías Martínez
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, 2390123 Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Christopher D. Cooper
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, 2390123 Valparaíso, Chile
- Centro Científico Tecnológico de Valparaíso (CCTVal), 2390123 Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Adolfo B. Poma
- Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5B, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Horacio V. Guzman
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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17
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Poveda-Cuevas SA, Etchebest C, Barroso da Silva FL. Identification of Electrostatic Epitopes in Flavivirus by Computer Simulations: The PROCEEDpKa Method. J Chem Inf Model 2019; 60:944-963. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b00895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sergio A. Poveda-Cuevas
- Universidade de São Paulo, Programa Interunidades em Bioinformática, Rua do Matão, 1010, BR, 05508-090 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Ciências Biomoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Av. Café, s/no−Campus da USP, BR, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- University of São Paulo-Université Sorbonne Paris Cité International Laboratory in Structural Bioinformatics, Av. do Café, s/no−FCFRP, Bloco B, BR, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Catherine Etchebest
- Université de Paris, Biologie Intégrée du Globule Rouge, UMR_S1134, BIGR, INSERM, F-75015 Paris, France
- Equipe 2, Dynamique des Structures et des Interactions Moléculaires, Université Paris Diderot−Paris 7, INTS, 6 Rue Alexandre Cabanel, 75015 Paris, France
- Laboratoire d’Excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France
- University of São Paulo-Université Sorbonne Paris Cité International Laboratory in Structural Bioinformatics, Av. do Café, s/no−FCFRP, Bloco B, BR, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando L. Barroso da Silva
- Universidade de São Paulo, Programa Interunidades em Bioinformática, Rua do Matão, 1010, BR, 05508-090 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Ciências Biomoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Av. Café, s/no−Campus da USP, BR, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- University of São Paulo-Université Sorbonne Paris Cité International Laboratory in Structural Bioinformatics, Av. do Café, s/no−FCFRP, Bloco B, BR, 14040-903 Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
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18
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Machado MR, Zeida A, Darré L, Pantano S. From quantum to subcellular scales: multi-scale simulation approaches and the SIRAH force field. Interface Focus 2019; 9:20180085. [PMID: 31065347 PMCID: PMC6501346 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2018.0085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern molecular and cellular biology profits from astonishing resolution structural methods, currently even reaching the whole cell level. This is encompassed by the development of computational methods providing a deep view into the structure and dynamics of molecular processes happening at very different scales in time and space. Linking such scales is of paramount importance when aiming at far-reaching biological questions. Computational methods at the interface between classical and coarse-grained resolutions are gaining momentum with several research groups dedicating important efforts to their development and tuning. An overview of such methods is addressed herein, with special emphasis on the SIRAH force field for coarse-grained and multi-scale simulations. Moreover, we provide proof of concept calculations on the implementation of a multi-scale simulation scheme including quantum calculations on a classical fine-grained/coarse-grained representation of double-stranded DNA. This opens the possibility to include the effect of large conformational fluctuations in chromatin segments on, for instance, the reactivity of particular base pairs within the same simulation framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matías R. Machado
- Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Group of Biomolecular Simulations, Mataojo 2020, CP 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Ari Zeida
- Departamento de Bioquímica and Center for Free Radical and Biomedical Research, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Leonardo Darré
- Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Group of Biomolecular Simulations, Mataojo 2020, CP 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
- Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Functional Genomics Unit, Mataojo 2020, CP 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Sergio Pantano
- Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Group of Biomolecular Simulations, Mataojo 2020, CP 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
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19
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Zavadlav J, Marrink SJ, Praprotnik M. SWINGER: a clustering algorithm for concurrent coupling of atomistic and supramolecular liquids. Interface Focus 2019; 9:20180075. [PMID: 31065343 PMCID: PMC6501350 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2018.0075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In this contribution, we review recent developments and applications of a dynamic clustering algorithm SWINGER tailored for the multiscale molecular simulations of biomolecular systems. The algorithm on-the-fly redistributes solvent molecules among supramolecular clusters. In particular, we focus on its applications in combination with the adaptive resolution scheme, which concurrently couples atomistic and coarse-grained molecular representations. We showcase the versatility of our multiscale approach on a few applications to biomolecular systems coupling atomistic and supramolecular water models such as the well-established MARTINI and dissipative particle dynamics models and provide an outlook for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julija Zavadlav
- Computational Science and Engineering Laboratory, ETH-Zurich, Clausiusstrasse 33, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Siewert J. Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747, AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Matej Praprotnik
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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20
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Gunaratne RS, Wilson DB, Flegg MB, Erban R. Multi-resolution dimer models in heat baths with short-range and long-range interactions. Interface Focus 2019; 9:20180070. [PMID: 31065341 PMCID: PMC6501348 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2018.0070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This work investigates multi-resolution methodologies for simulating dimer models. The solvent particles which make up the heat bath interact with the monomers of the dimer either through direct collisions (short-range) or through harmonic springs (long-range). Two types of multi-resolution methodologies are considered in detail: (a) describing parts of the solvent far away from the dimer by a coarser approach; (b) describing each monomer of the dimer by using a model with different level of resolution. These methodologies are then used to investigate the effect of a shared heat bath versus two uncoupled heat baths, one for each monomer. Furthermore, the validity of the multi-resolution methods is discussed by comparison to dynamics of macroscopic Langevin equations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravinda S. Gunaratne
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Daniel B. Wilson
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Mark B. Flegg
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Monash University, 9 Rainforest walk, Clayton campus, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Radek Erban
- Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
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21
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Marrink SJ, Corradi V, Souza PC, Ingólfsson HI, Tieleman DP, Sansom MS. Computational Modeling of Realistic Cell Membranes. Chem Rev 2019; 119:6184-6226. [PMID: 30623647 PMCID: PMC6509646 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 435] [Impact Index Per Article: 87.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cell membranes contain a large variety of lipid types and are crowded with proteins, endowing them with the plasticity needed to fulfill their key roles in cell functioning. The compositional complexity of cellular membranes gives rise to a heterogeneous lateral organization, which is still poorly understood. Computational models, in particular molecular dynamics simulations and related techniques, have provided important insight into the organizational principles of cell membranes over the past decades. Now, we are witnessing a transition from simulations of simpler membrane models to multicomponent systems, culminating in realistic models of an increasing variety of cell types and organelles. Here, we review the state of the art in the field of realistic membrane simulations and discuss the current limitations and challenges ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siewert J. Marrink
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute
for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Valentina Corradi
- Centre
for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Paulo C.T. Souza
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute
for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Helgi I. Ingólfsson
- Biosciences
and Biotechnology Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - D. Peter Tieleman
- Centre
for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Mark S.P. Sansom
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, U.K.
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22
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Klijn ME, Vormittag P, Bluthardt N, Hubbuch J. High-throughput computational pipeline for 3-D structure preparation and in silico protein surface property screening: A case study on HBcAg dimer structures. Int J Pharm 2019; 563:337-346. [PMID: 30935914 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.03.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge-based experimental design can aid biopharmaceutical high-throughput screening (HTS) experiments needed to identify critical manufacturability parameters. Prior knowledge can be obtained via computational methods such as protein property extraction from 3-D protein structures. This study presents a high-throughput 3-D structure preparation and refinement pipeline that supports structure screenings with an automated and data-dependent workflow. As a case study, three chimeric virus-like particle (VLP) building blocks, hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) dimers, were constructed. Molecular dynamics (MD) refinement quality, speed, stability, and correlation to zeta potential data was evaluated using different MD simulation settings. Settings included 2 force fields (YASARA2 and AMBER03) and 2 pKa computation methods (YASARA and H++). MD simulations contained a data-dependent termination via identification of a 2 ns Window of Stability, which was also used for robust descriptor extraction. MD simulation with YASARA2, independent of pKa computation method, was found to be most stable and computationally efficient. These settings resulted in a fast refinement (6.6-37.5 h), a good structure quality (-1.17--1.13) and a strong linear dependence between dimer surface charge and complete chimeric HBcAg VLP zeta potential. These results indicate the computational pipeline's applicability for early-stage candidate assessment and design optimization of HTS manufacturability or formulability experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke E Klijn
- Institute of Engineering in Life Sciences, Section IV: Biomolecular Separation Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Fritz-Haber-Weg 2, 76131 Karlsruhe, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Philipp Vormittag
- Institute of Engineering in Life Sciences, Section IV: Biomolecular Separation Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Fritz-Haber-Weg 2, 76131 Karlsruhe, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Nicolai Bluthardt
- Institute of Engineering in Life Sciences, Section IV: Biomolecular Separation Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Fritz-Haber-Weg 2, 76131 Karlsruhe, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Hubbuch
- Institute of Engineering in Life Sciences, Section IV: Biomolecular Separation Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Fritz-Haber-Weg 2, 76131 Karlsruhe, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany.
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23
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Machado MR, Barrera EE, Klein F, Sóñora M, Silva S, Pantano S. The SIRAH 2.0 Force Field: Altius, Fortius, Citius. J Chem Theory Comput 2019; 15:2719-2733. [PMID: 30810317 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.9b00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
A new version of the coarse-grained (CG) SIRAH force field for proteins has been developed. Modifications to bonded and non-bonded interactions on the existing molecular topologies significantly ameliorate the structural description and flexibility of a non-redundant set of proteins. The SIRAH 2.0 force field has also been ported to the popular simulation package AMBER, which along with the former implementation in GROMACS expands significantly the potential range of users and performance of this CG force field on CPU/GPU codes. As a non-trivial example of its application, we undertook the structural and dynamical analysis of the most abundant and conserved calcium-binding protein, calmodulin (CaM). CaM is composed of two calcium-binding motifs called EF-hands, which in the presence of calcium specifically recognize a cognate peptide by embracing it. CG simulations of CaM bound to four calcium ions in the presence or absence of a binding peptide (holo and apo forms, respectively) resulted in good and stable ion coordination. The simulation of the holo form starting from an experimental structure sampled near-native conformations, retrieving quasi-atomistic precision. Removing the binding peptide enabled the EF-hands to perform large reciprocal movements, comparable to those observed in NMR structures. On the other hand, the isolated peptide starting from the helical conformation experienced spontaneous unfolding, in agreement with previous experimental data. However, repositioning the peptide in the neighborhood of one EF-hand not only prevented the peptide from unfolding but also drove CaM to a fully bound conformation, with both EF-hands embracing the cognate peptide, resembling the experimental holo structure. Therefore, SIRAH 2.0 shows the capacity to handle a number of structurally and dynamically challenging situations, including metal ion coordination, unbiased conformational sampling, and specific protein-peptide recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matías R Machado
- Biomolecular Simulations Group , Institut Pasteur de Montevideo , Mataojo 2020 , CP 11400 Montevideo , Uruguay
| | - Exequiel E Barrera
- Biomolecular Simulations Group , Institut Pasteur de Montevideo , Mataojo 2020 , CP 11400 Montevideo , Uruguay
| | - Florencia Klein
- Biomolecular Simulations Group , Institut Pasteur de Montevideo , Mataojo 2020 , CP 11400 Montevideo , Uruguay
| | - Martín Sóñora
- Biomolecular Simulations Group , Institut Pasteur de Montevideo , Mataojo 2020 , CP 11400 Montevideo , Uruguay
| | - Steffano Silva
- Biomolecular Simulations Group , Institut Pasteur de Montevideo , Mataojo 2020 , CP 11400 Montevideo , Uruguay
| | - Sergio Pantano
- Biomolecular Simulations Group , Institut Pasteur de Montevideo , Mataojo 2020 , CP 11400 Montevideo , Uruguay
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24
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Jefferys EE, Sansom MSP. Computational Virology: Molecular Simulations of Virus Dynamics and Interactions. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1215:201-233. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-14741-9_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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25
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Chen J, Lansac Y, Tresset G. Interactions between the Molecular Components of the Cowpea Chlorotic Mottle Virus Investigated by Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:9490-9498. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b08026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jingzhi Chen
- Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Yves Lansac
- GREMAN, UMR 7347, CNRS, Université de Tours, 37200 Tours, France
| | - Guillaume Tresset
- Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
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26
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Viso JF, Belelli P, Machado M, González H, Pantano S, Amundarain MJ, Zamarreño F, Branda MM, Guérin DMA, Costabel MD. Multiscale modelization in a small virus: Mechanism of proton channeling and its role in triggering capsid disassembly. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1006082. [PMID: 29659564 PMCID: PMC5919690 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In this work, we assess a previously advanced hypothesis that predicts the existence of ion channels in the capsid of small and non-enveloped icosahedral viruses. With this purpose we examine Triatoma Virus (TrV) as a case study. This virus has a stable capsid under highly acidic conditions but disassembles and releases the genome in alkaline environments. Our calculations range from a subtle sub-atomic proton interchange to the dismantling of a large-scale system representing several million of atoms. Our results provide structure-based explanations for the three roles played by the capsid to enable genome release. First, we observe, for the first time, the formation of a hydrophobic gate in the cavity along the five-fold axis of the wild-type virus capsid, which can be disrupted by an ion located in the pore. Second, the channel enables protons to permeate the capsid through a unidirectional Grotthuss-like mechanism, which is the most likely process through which the capsid senses pH. Finally, assuming that the proton leak promotes a charge imbalance in the interior of the capsid, we model an internal pressure that forces shell cracking using coarse-grained simulations. Although qualitatively, this last step could represent the mechanism of capsid opening that allows RNA release. All of our calculations are in agreement with current experimental data obtained using TrV and describe a cascade of events that could explain the destabilization and disassembly of similar icosahedral viruses. Plant and animal small non-enveloped viruses are composed of a capsid shell that encloses the genome. One of the multiple functions played by the capsid is to protect the genome against host defenses and to withstand environmental aggressions, such as dehydration. This highly specialized capsule selectively recognizes and binds to the target tissue infected by the virus. In the viral cycle, the ultimate function of the capsid is to release the genome. Observations of many viruses demonstrate that the pH of the medium can trigger genome release. Nevertheless, the mechanism underlying this process at the atomic level is poorly understood. In this work, we computationally modeled the mechanism by which the capsid senses environmental pH and the destabilization process that permits genome release. Our calculations predict that a cavity that traverses the capsid functions as a hydrophobic gate, a feature already observed in membrane ion channels. Moreover, our results predict that this cavity behaves as a proton diode because the proton transit can only occur from the capsid interior to the exterior. In turn, our calculations describe a cascade of events that could explain the destabilization and dismantling of an insect virus, but this description could also apply to many vertebrate viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Francisco Viso
- Departamento de Física (DF), Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- DF-UNS, Grupo de Biofísica, Instituto de Física del Sur (IFISUR, UNS/CONICET), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Patricia Belelli
- DF-UNS, Grupo de Materiales y Sistemas Catalíticos (GRUMASICA), IFISUR, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Matías Machado
- Grupo de Simulaciones Biomoleculares, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Humberto González
- Grupo de Simulaciones Biomoleculares, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Sergio Pantano
- Grupo de Simulaciones Biomoleculares, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - María Julia Amundarain
- Departamento de Física (DF), Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- DF-UNS, Grupo de Biofísica, Instituto de Física del Sur (IFISUR, UNS/CONICET), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Fernando Zamarreño
- Departamento de Física (DF), Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- DF-UNS, Grupo de Biofísica, Instituto de Física del Sur (IFISUR, UNS/CONICET), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Maria Marta Branda
- Departamento de Física (DF), Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- DF-UNS, Grupo de Materiales y Sistemas Catalíticos (GRUMASICA), IFISUR, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | - Diego M. A. Guérin
- Instituto Biofisika (UPV/EHU, CSIC), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country (EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/N, Leioa, Vizcaya, Spain
- * E-mail: (MDC); (DMAG)
| | - Marcelo D. Costabel
- Departamento de Física (DF), Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- DF-UNS, Grupo de Biofísica, Instituto de Física del Sur (IFISUR, UNS/CONICET), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
- * E-mail: (MDC); (DMAG)
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