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Chiariello MG, Zarmiento-Garcia R, Marrink SJ. Martini 3 Coarse-Grained Model for the Cofactors Involved in Photosynthesis. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7947. [PMID: 39063190 PMCID: PMC11277265 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
As a critical step in advancing the simulation of photosynthetic complexes, we present the Martini 3 coarse-grained (CG) models of key cofactors associated with light harvesting (LHCII) proteins and the photosystem II (PSII) core complex. Our work focuses on the parametrization of beta-carotene, plastoquinone/quinol, violaxanthin, lutein, neoxanthin, chlorophyll A, chlorophyll B, and heme. We derived the CG parameters to match the all-atom reference simulations, while structural and thermodynamic properties of the cofactors were compared to experimental values when available. To further assess the reliability of the parameterization, we tested the behavior of these cofactors within their physiological environments, specifically in a lipid bilayer and bound to photosynthetic complexes. The results demonstrate that our CG models maintain the essential features required for realistic simulations. This work lays the groundwork for detailed simulations of the PSII-LHCII super-complex, providing a robust parameter set for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Siewert-Jan Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands; (M.G.C.); (R.Z.-G.)
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2
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Wang Y, Hernandez R. Construction of Multiscale Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) Models from Other Coarse-Grained Models. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:17667-17680. [PMID: 38645334 PMCID: PMC11025104 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c01868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
We present a general scheme for converting coarse-grained models into Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) models. We build the corresponding DPD models by analogy with the de novo DPD coarse-graining scheme suggested by Groot and Warren (J. Chem. Phys., 1997). Electrostatic interactions between charged DPD particles are represented though the addition of a long-range Slater Coulomb potential as suggested by González-Melchor et al. (J. Chem. Phys., 2006). The construction is illustrated by converting MARTINI models for various proteins into a DPD representation, but it not restricted to the usual potential form in the MARTINI model-viz., Lennard-Jones potentials. We further extended the DPD scheme away from the typical use of homogeneous particle sizes, therefore faithfully representing the variations in the particle sizes seen in the underlying MARTINI model. The accuracy of the resulting construction of our generalized DPD models with respect to several structural observables has been benchmarked favorably against all-atom and MARTINI models for a selected set of peptides and proteins, and variations in the scales of the coarse-graining of the water solvent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinhan Wang
- Department of Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Rigoberto Hernandez
- Department of Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
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3
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Pirnia A, Maqdisi R, Mittal S, Sener M, Singharoy A. Perspective on Integrative Simulations of Bioenergetic Domains. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:3302-3319. [PMID: 38562105 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c07335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Bioenergetic processes in cells, such as photosynthesis or respiration, integrate many time and length scales, which makes the simulation of energy conversion with a mere single level of theory impossible. Just like the myriad of experimental techniques required to examine each level of organization, an array of overlapping computational techniques is necessary to model energy conversion. Here, a perspective is presented on recent efforts for modeling bioenergetic phenomena with a focus on molecular dynamics simulations and its variants as a primary method. An overview of the various classical, quantum mechanical, enhanced sampling, coarse-grained, Brownian dynamics, and Monte Carlo methods is presented. Example applications discussed include multiscale simulations of membrane-wide electron transport, rate kinetics of ATP turnover from electrochemical gradients, and finally, integrative modeling of the chromatophore, a photosynthetic pseudo-organelle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Pirnia
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1004, United States
| | - Ranel Maqdisi
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1004, United States
| | - Sumit Mittal
- VIT Bhopal University, Sehore 466114, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Melih Sener
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1004, United States
- Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Abhishek Singharoy
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1004, United States
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4
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Piao Y, Himbert S, Li Z, Liu J, Zhao Z, Yu H, Liu S, Shao S, Fefer M, Rheinstädter MC, Shen Y. Alkylated EDTA potentiates antibacterial photodynamic activity of protoporphyrin. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:161. [PMID: 38589895 PMCID: PMC11003131 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02353-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance has garnered significant attention due to the scarcity of new antibiotics in development. Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX)-mediated photodynamic therapy shows promise as a novel antibacterial strategy, serving as an alternative to antibiotics. However, the poor solubility of PpIX and its tendency to aggregate greatly hinder its photodynamic efficacy. In this study, we demonstrate that alkylated EDTA derivatives (aEDTA), particularly C14-EDTA, can enhance the solubility of PpIX by facilitating its dispersion in aqueous solutions. The combination of C14-EDTA and PpIX exhibits potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) when exposed to LED light irradiation. Furthermore, this combination effectively eradicates S. aureus biofilms, which are known to be strongly resistant to antibiotics, and demonstrates high therapeutic efficacy in an animal model of infected ulcers. Mechanistic studies reveal that C14-EDTA can disrupt PpIX crystallization, increase bacterial membrane permeability and sequester divalent cations, thereby improving the accumulation of PpIX in bacteria. This, in turn, enhances reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the antibacterial photodynamic activity. Overall, this effective strategy holds great promise in combating antibiotic-resistant strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Piao
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Sebastian Himbert
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 3Z5, Canada.
| | - Zifan Li
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Suncor AgroScience, Mississauga, ON, L5K 1A8, Canada
| | - Zhihao Zhao
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Huahai Yu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Shuangshuang Liu
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Shiqun Shao
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Michael Fefer
- Suncor AgroScience, Mississauga, ON, L5K 1A8, Canada
| | - Maikel C Rheinstädter
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 3Z5, Canada.
| | - Youqing Shen
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
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5
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Cosenza LC, Marzaro G, Zurlo M, Gasparello J, Zuccato C, Finotti A, Gambari R. Inhibitory effects of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and BNT162b2 vaccine on erythropoietin-induced globin gene expression in erythroid precursor cells from patients with β-thalassemia. Exp Hematol 2024; 129:104128. [PMID: 37939833 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2023.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
During the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic several patients with β-thalassemia have been infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), and most patients were vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. Recent studies demonstrate an impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the hematopoietic system. The main objective of this study was to verify the effects of exposure of erythroid precursor cells (ErPCs) from patients with β-thalassemia to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S-protein) and the BNT162b2 vaccine. Erythropoietin (EPO)-cultured ErPCs have been either untreated or treated with S-protein or BNT162b2 vaccine. The employed ErPCs were from a β-thalassemia cellular Biobank developed before the COVID-19 pandemic. The genotypes were β+-IVSI-110/β+-IVSI-110 (one patient), β039/β+-IVSI-110 (3 patients), and β039/ β039 (2 patients). After treatment with S-protein or BNT162b2 for 5 days, lysates were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), for hemoglobin production, and isolated RNA was assayed by RT-qPCR, for detection of globin gene expression. The main conclusions of the results obtained are that SARS-CoV-2 S-protein and BNT162b2 vaccine (a) inhibit fetal hemoglobin (HbF) production by β-thalassemic ErPCs and (b) inhibit γ-globin mRNA accumulation. In addition, we have performed in silico studies suggesting a high affinity of S-protein to HbF. Remarkably, the binding interaction energy of fetal hemoglobin to S-protein was comparable with that of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Our results are consistent with the hypothesis of a relevant impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination on the hematopoietic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Carmela Cosenza
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giovanni Marzaro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Matteo Zurlo
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Jessica Gasparello
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Cristina Zuccato
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Center "Chiara Gemmo and Elio Zago" for the Research on Thalassemia, Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessia Finotti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Center "Chiara Gemmo and Elio Zago" for the Research on Thalassemia, Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Roberto Gambari
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Center "Chiara Gemmo and Elio Zago" for the Research on Thalassemia, Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
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6
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Gasparello J, Verona M, Chilin A, Gambari R, Marzaro G. Assessing the interaction between hemoglobin and the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein through MARTINI coarse-grained molecular dynamics. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:127088. [PMID: 37774812 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of different coronavirus-related diseases in the 2000's (SARS, MERS, and Covid-19) warrants the need of a complete understanding of the pathological, biological, and biochemical behavior of this class of pathogens. Great attention has been paid to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein, and its interaction with the human ACE2 has been thoroughly investigated. Recent findings suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 components may interact with different human proteins, and hemoglobin has very recently been demonstrated as a potential target for the Spike protein. Here we have investigated the interaction between either adult or fetal hemoglobin and the receptor binding domain of the Spike protein at molecular level through advanced molecular dynamics techniques and proposed rational binding modes and energy estimations. Our results agree with biochemical data previously reported in literature. We also demonstrated that co-incubation of pulmonary epithelial cells with hemoglobin strongly reduces the pro-inflammatory effects exerted by the concomitant administration of Spike protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Gasparello
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 74, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Marco Verona
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35313 Padova, Italy
| | - Adriana Chilin
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35313 Padova, Italy
| | - Roberto Gambari
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 74, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giovanni Marzaro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35313 Padova, Italy.
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7
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Liu Y, Song M, Wu J, Xie S, Zhou Y, Liu L, Huang M, Jiang L, Xu P, Li J. Exploring the mechanism of photosensitizer conjugation on membrane perturbation of antimicrobial peptide: A multiscale molecular simulation study. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 247:125698. [PMID: 37414326 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exert their biological functions by perturbation with cellular membrane. Conjugation of AMPs with photosensitizer (PS) is a promising strategy for enhancing the efficacy and reducing systemic toxicity of AMPs. However, it is still elusive how the conjugated PS impacts the perturbation of AMPs on cell membrane from molecular level. Here, we addressed this issue by a multiscale computational strategy on pyropheophorbide-a (PPA) conjugated K6L9 (PPA-K6L9), a PS-AMP conjugate developed by us previously. Our atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that the porphyrin moiety of PPA enhanced the stability of the conjugate in a lipid bilayer membrane model. Moreover, such moiety also maintained the amphipathic structure of K6L9, which is crucial for membrane pore formation. Coarse-grained MD simulations further showed that the conjugates aggregated in membrane environment and formed more stable toroidal pores with respect to K6L9 alone, suggesting the conjugation of PPA may enhance the membrane-disruption activity of K6L9. Consistent with this, our cellular experiments confirmed that PPA-K6L9 was more toxic to 4 T1 tumor cells than K6L9. This study provides insights into the mechanism by which PS-AMP conjugates disrupt cellular membranes and could aid in the design of more potent AMP conjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichang Liu
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian, China; School of Pharmacy, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Meiru Song
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian, China; Henan Academy of Sciences, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan, China
| | - Juhong Wu
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian, China
| | - Song Xie
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian, China
| | - Lin Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian, China
| | - Mingdong Huang
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian, China
| | - Lizhi Jiang
- Strait Institute of Flexible Electronics (SIFE, Future Technologies), Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, Fujian, China; Strait Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (SLoFE), Fuzhou 350117, Fujian, China.
| | - Peng Xu
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian, China.
| | - Jinyu Li
- College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, Fujian, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Xiamen 361005, Fujian, China.
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8
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Wellawatte GP, Hocky GM, White AD. Neural potentials of proteins extrapolate beyond training data. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:085103. [PMID: 37642255 PMCID: PMC10474891 DOI: 10.1063/5.0147240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
We evaluate neural network (NN) coarse-grained (CG) force fields compared to traditional CG molecular mechanics force fields. We conclude that NN force fields are able to extrapolate and sample from unseen regions of the free energy surface when trained with limited data. Our results come from 88 NN force fields trained on different combinations of clustered free energy surfaces from four protein mapped trajectories. We used a statistical measure named total variation similarity to assess the agreement between reference free energy surfaces from mapped atomistic simulations and CG simulations from trained NN force fields. Our conclusions support the hypothesis that NN CG force fields trained with samples from one region of the proteins' free energy surface can, indeed, extrapolate to unseen regions. Additionally, the force matching error was found to only be weakly correlated with a force field's ability to reconstruct the correct free energy surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geemi P. Wellawatte
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
| | - Glen M. Hocky
- Department of Chemistry, Simons Center for Computational Physical Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, USA
| | - Andrew D. White
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA
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9
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Elias E, Liguori N, Croce R. At the origin of the selectivity of the chlorophyll-binding sites in light harvesting complex II (LHCII). Int J Biol Macromol 2023:125069. [PMID: 37245759 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The photosynthetic light-harvesting complexes (LHCs) are responsible for light absorption due to their pigment-binding properties. These pigments are primarily Chlorophyll (Chl) molecules of type a and b, which ensure an excellent coverage of the visible light spectrum. To date, it is unclear which factors drive the selective binding of different Chl types in the LHC binding pockets. To gain insights into this, we employed molecular dynamics simulations on LHCII binding different Chl types. From the resulting trajectories, we have calculated the binding affinities per each Chl-binding pocket using the Molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) model. To further examine the importance of the nature of the axial ligand in tuning the Chl selectivity of the binding sites, we used Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. The results indicate that some binding pockets have a clear Chl selectivity, and the factors governing these selectivities are identified. Other binding pockets are promiscuous, which is consistent with previous in vitro reconstitution studies. DFT calculations show that the nature of the axial ligand is not a major factor in determining the Chl binding pocket selectivity, which is instead probably controlled by the folding process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Elias
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Nicoletta Liguori
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Roberta Croce
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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10
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Elias E, Liguori N, Croce R. The origin of pigment-binding differences in CP29 and LHCII: the role of protein structure and dynamics. PHOTOCHEMICAL & PHOTOBIOLOGICAL SCIENCES : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN PHOTOCHEMISTRY ASSOCIATION AND THE EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR PHOTOBIOLOGY 2023:10.1007/s43630-023-00368-7. [PMID: 36740636 DOI: 10.1007/s43630-023-00368-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The first step of photosynthesis in plants is performed by the light-harvesting complexes (LHC), a large family of pigment-binding proteins embedded in the photosynthetic membranes. These complexes are conserved across species, suggesting that each has a distinct role. However, they display a high degree of sequence homology and their static structures are almost identical. What are then the structural features that determine their different properties? In this work, we compared the two best-characterized LHCs of plants: LHCII and CP29. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we could rationalize the difference between them in terms of pigment-binding properties. The data also show that while the loops between the helices are very flexible, the structure of the transmembrane regions remains very similar in the crystal and the membranes. However, the small structural differences significantly affect the excitonic coupling between some pigment pairs. Finally, we analyzed in detail the structure of the long N-terminus of CP29, showing that it is structurally stable and it remains on top of the membrane even in the absence of other proteins. Although the structural changes upon phosphorylation are minor, they can explain the differences in the absorption properties of the pigments observed experimentally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Elias
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicoletta Liguori
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Roberta Croce
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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11
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Braasch-Turi MM, Koehn JT, Crans DC. Chemistry of Lipoquinones: Properties, Synthesis, and Membrane Location of Ubiquinones, Plastoquinones, and Menaquinones. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:12856. [PMID: 36361645 PMCID: PMC9656164 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232112856] [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] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipoquinones are the topic of this review and are a class of hydrophobic lipid molecules with key biological functions that are linked to their structure, properties, and location within a biological membrane. Ubiquinones, plastoquinones, and menaquinones vary regarding their quinone headgroup, isoprenoid sidechain, properties, and biological functions, including the shuttling of electrons between membrane-bound protein complexes within the electron transport chain. Lipoquinones are highly hydrophobic molecules that are soluble in organic solvents and insoluble in aqueous solution, causing obstacles in water-based assays that measure their chemical properties, enzyme activities and effects on cell growth. Little is known about the location and ultimately movement of lipoquinones in the membrane, and these properties are topics described in this review. Computational studies are particularly abundant in the recent years in this area, and there is far less experimental evidence to verify the often conflicting interpretations and conclusions that result from computational studies of very different membrane model systems. Some recent experimental studies have described using truncated lipoquinone derivatives, such as ubiquinone-2 (UQ-2) and menaquinone-2 (MK-2), to investigate their conformation, their location in the membrane, and their biological function. Truncated lipoquinone derivatives are soluble in water-based assays, and hence can serve as excellent analogs for study even though they are more mobile in the membrane than the longer chain counterparts. In this review, we will discuss the properties, location in the membrane, and syntheses of three main classes of lipoquinones including truncated derivatives. Our goal is to highlight the importance of bridging the gap between experimental and computational methods and to incorporate properties-focused considerations when proposing future studies relating to the function of lipoquinones in membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jordan T. Koehn
- Chemistry Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Debbie C. Crans
- Chemistry Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
- Cell & Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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12
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Magi Meconi G, Sasselli IR, Bianco V, Onuchic JN, Coluzza I. Key aspects of the past 30 years of protein design. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2022; 85:086601. [PMID: 35704983 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/ac78ef] [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: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Proteins are the workhorse of life. They are the building infrastructure of living systems; they are the most efficient molecular machines known, and their enzymatic activity is still unmatched in versatility by any artificial system. Perhaps proteins' most remarkable feature is their modularity. The large amount of information required to specify each protein's function is analogically encoded with an alphabet of just ∼20 letters. The protein folding problem is how to encode all such information in a sequence of 20 letters. In this review, we go through the last 30 years of research to summarize the state of the art and highlight some applications related to fundamental problems of protein evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Magi Meconi
- Computational Biophysics Lab, Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramon 182, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Ivan R Sasselli
- Computational Biophysics Lab, Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Paseo de Miramon 182, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
| | | | - Jose N Onuchic
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Department of Chemistry, Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, United States of America
| | - Ivan Coluzza
- BCMaterials, Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures, Bld. Martina Casiano, UPV/EHU Science Park, Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Basque Foundation for Science, Ikerbasque, 48009, Bilbao, Spain
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13
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Tunçer E, Bayramoğlu B. Molecular dynamics simulations of duodenal self assembly in the presence of different fatty acids. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2022.128866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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14
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Marrink SJ, Monticelli L, Melo MN, Alessandri R, Tieleman DP, Souza PCT. Two decades of Martini: Better beads, broader scope. WIRES COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/wcms.1620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Siewert J. Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Luca Monticelli
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB ‐ UMR 5086) CNRS & University of Lyon Lyon France
| | - Manuel N. Melo
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa Oeiras Portugal
| | - Riccardo Alessandri
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago Chicago Illinois USA
| | - D. Peter Tieleman
- Centre for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences University of Calgary Alberta Canada
| | - Paulo C. T. Souza
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB ‐ UMR 5086) CNRS & University of Lyon Lyon France
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15
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Olagunju MO, Loschwitz J, Olubiyi OO, Strodel B. Multiscale
MD
simulations of wild‐type and sickle hemoglobin aggregation. Proteins 2022; 90:1811-1824. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.26352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maryam O. Olagunju
- Institute of Biological Information Processing Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich Jülich Germany
| | - Jennifer Loschwitz
- Institute of Biological Information Processing Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich Jülich Germany
- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Germany
| | - Olujide O. Olubiyi
- Institute of Biological Information Processing Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich Jülich Germany
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy Afe Babalola University Ado‐Ekiti Nigeria
- Institute of Drug Research and Development, Bogoro Centre Afe Babalola University Ado‐Ekiti Nigeria
| | - Birgit Strodel
- Institute of Biological Information Processing Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich Jülich Germany
- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Germany
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16
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Structural basis for the assembly and quinone transport mechanisms of the dimeric photosynthetic RC-LH1 supercomplex. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1977. [PMID: 35418573 PMCID: PMC9007983 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29563-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The reaction center (RC) and light-harvesting complex 1 (LH1) form a RC-LH1 core supercomplex that is vital for the primary reactions of photosynthesis in purple phototrophic bacteria. Some species possess the dimeric RC-LH1 complex with a transmembrane polypeptide PufX, representing the largest photosynthetic complex in anoxygenic phototrophs. However, the details of the architecture and assembly mechanism of the RC-LH1 dimer are unclear. Here we report seven cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of RC-LH1 supercomplexes from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Our structures reveal that two PufX polypeptides are positioned in the center of the S-shaped RC-LH1 dimer, interlocking association between the components and mediating RC-LH1 dimerization. Moreover, we identify another transmembrane peptide, designated PufY, which is located between the RC and LH1 subunits near the LH1 opening. PufY binds a quinone molecule and prevents LH1 subunits from completely encircling the RC, creating a channel for quinone/quinol exchange. Genetic mutagenesis, cryo-EM structures, and computational simulations provide a mechanistic understanding of the assembly and electron transport pathways of the RC-LH1 dimer and elucidate the roles of individual components in ensuring the structural and functional integrity of the photosynthetic supercomplex.
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17
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Braasch-Turi MM, Koehn JT, Kostenkova K, Van Cleave C, Ives JW, Murakami HA, Crick DC, Crans DC. Electron Transport Lipids Fold Within Membrane-Like Interfaces. Front Chem 2022; 10:827530. [PMID: 35350775 PMCID: PMC8957872 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.827530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Lipoquinones, such as ubiquinones (UQ) and menaquinones (MK), function as essential lipid components of the electron transport system (ETS) by shuttling electrons and protons to facilitate the production of ATP in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Lipoquinone function in membrane systems has been widely studied, but the exact location and conformation within membranes remains controversial. Lipoquinones, such as Coenzyme Q (UQ-10), are generally depicted simply as "Q" in life science diagrams or in extended conformations in primary literature even though specific conformations are important for function in the ETS. In this study, our goal was to determine the location, orientation, and conformation of UQ-2, a truncated analog of UQ-10, in model membrane systems and to compare our results to previously studied MK-2. Herein, we first carried out a six-step synthesis to yield UQ-2 and then demonstrated that UQ-2 adopts a folded conformation in organic solvents using 1H-1H 2D NOESY and ROESY NMR spectroscopic studies. Similarly, using 1H-1H 2D NOESY NMR spectroscopic studies, UQ-2 was found to adopt a folded, U-shaped conformation within the interface of an AOT reverse micelle model membrane system. UQ-2 was located slightly closer to the surfactant-water interface compared to the more hydrophobic MK-2. In addition, Langmuir monolayer studies determined UQ-2 resided within the monolayer water-phospholipid interface causing expansion, whereas MK-2 was more likely to be compressed out and reside within the phospholipid tails. All together these results support the model that lipoquinones fold regardless of the headgroup structure but that the polarity of the headgroup influences lipoquinone location within the membrane interface. These results have implications regarding the redox activity near the interface as quinone vs. quinol forms may facilitate locomotion of lipoquinones within the membrane. The location, orientation, and conformation of lipoquinones are critical for their function in generating cellular energy within membrane ETS, and the studies described herein shed light on the behavior of lipoquinones within membrane-like environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jordan T. Koehn
- Chemistry Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Kateryna Kostenkova
- Chemistry Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Cameron Van Cleave
- Chemistry Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Jacob W. Ives
- Chemistry Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Heide A. Murakami
- Chemistry Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Dean C. Crick
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Debbie C. Crans
- Chemistry Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
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18
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Cardellini A, Jiménez-Ángeles F, Asinari P, Olvera de la Cruz M. A Modeling-Based Design to Engineering Protein Hydrogels with Random Copolymers. ACS NANO 2021; 15:16139-16148. [PMID: 34644059 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c04955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Protein enzymes have shown great potential in numerous technological applications. However, the design of supporting materials is needed to preserve protein functionality outside their native environment. Direct enzyme-polymer self-assembly offers a promising alternative to immobilize proteins in an aqueous solution, achieving higher control of their stability and enzymatic activity in industrial applications. Herein, we propose a modeling-based design to engineering hydrogels of cytochrome P450 and of PETase with styrene/2-vinylpyridine (2VP) random copolymers. By tuning the copolymer fraction of polar groups and of charged groups via quaternization of 2VP for coassembly with cytochrome P450 and via sulfonation of styrene for coassembly with PETase, we provide quantitative guidelines to select either a protein-polymer hydrogel structure or a single-protein encapsulation. The results highlight that, regardless of the protein surface domains, the presence of polar interactions and hydration effects promote the formation of a more elongated enzyme-polymer complex, suggesting a membrane-like coassembly. On the other hand, the effectiveness of a single-protein encapsulation is reached by decreasing the fraction of polar groups and by increasing the charge fraction up to 15%. Our computational analysis demonstrates that the enzyme-polymer assemblies are first promoted by the hydrophobic interactions which lead the protein nonpolar residues to achieve the maximum coverage and to play the role of the most robust contact points. The mechanisms of coassembly are unveiled in the light of both protein and polymer physical-chemistry, providing bioconjugate phase diagrams for the optimal material design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Cardellini
- Politecnico di Torino, Torino 10129, Italy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Felipe Jiménez-Ángeles
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Pietro Asinari
- Politecnico di Torino, Torino 10129, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Monica Olvera de la Cruz
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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19
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Souza PCT, Limongelli V, Wu S, Marrink SJ, Monticelli L. Perspectives on High-Throughput Ligand/Protein Docking With Martini MD Simulations. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:657222. [PMID: 33855050 PMCID: PMC8039319 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.657222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular docking is central to rational drug design. Current docking techniques suffer, however, from limitations in protein flexibility and solvation models and by the use of simplified scoring functions. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations, on the other hand, feature a realistic representation of protein flexibility and solvent, but require knowledge of the binding site. Recently we showed that coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, based on the most recent version of the Martini force field, can be used to predict protein/ligand binding sites and pathways, without requiring any a priori information, and offer a level of accuracy approaching all-atom simulations. Given the excellent computational efficiency of Martini, this opens the way to high-throughput drug screening based on dynamic docking pipelines. In this opinion article, we sketch the roadmap to achieve this goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo C. T. Souza
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- PharmCADD, Busan, South Korea
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB, UMR 5086), CNRS, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Vittorio Limongelli
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Computational Science, Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - Sangwook Wu
- PharmCADD, Busan, South Korea
- Department of Physics, Pukyong National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Siewert J. Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Luca Monticelli
- Molecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry (MMSB, UMR 5086), CNRS, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
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20
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Mascoli V, Liguori N, Cupellini L, Elias E, Mennucci B, Croce R. Uncovering the interactions driving carotenoid binding in light-harvesting complexes. Chem Sci 2021; 12:5113-5122. [PMID: 34163750 PMCID: PMC8179543 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc00071c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Carotenoids are essential constituents of plant light-harvesting complexes (LHCs), being involved in protein stability, light harvesting, and photoprotection. Unlike chlorophylls, whose binding to LHCs is known to require coordination of the central magnesium, carotenoid binding relies on weaker intermolecular interactions (such as hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces), whose character is far more elusive. Here we addressed the key interactions responsible for carotenoid binding to LHCs by combining molecular dynamics simulations and polarizable quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations on the major LHC, LHCII. We found that carotenoid binding is mainly stabilized by van der Waals interactions with the surrounding chlorophyll macrocycles rather than by hydrogen bonds to the protein, the latter being more labile than predicted from structural data. Furthermore, the interaction network in the binding pockets is relatively insensitive to the chemical structure of the embedded carotenoid. Our results are consistent with a number of experimental data and challenge the role played by specific interactions in the assembly of pigment-protein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Mascoli
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam De Boelelaan 1081 1081 HV Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Nicoletta Liguori
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam De Boelelaan 1081 1081 HV Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Lorenzo Cupellini
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pisa Via G. Moruzzi 13 56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Eduard Elias
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam De Boelelaan 1081 1081 HV Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pisa Via G. Moruzzi 13 56124 Pisa Italy
| | - Roberta Croce
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam De Boelelaan 1081 1081 HV Amsterdam The Netherlands
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21
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Sousa FM, Lima LMP, Arnarez C, Pereira MM, Melo MN. Coarse-Grained Parameterization of Nucleotide Cofactors and Metabolites: Protonation Constants, Partition Coefficients, and Model Topologies. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:335-346. [PMID: 33400529 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Nucleotides are structural units relevant not only in nucleic acids but also as substrates or cofactors in key biochemical reactions. The size- and timescales of such nucleotide-protein interactions fall well within the scope of coarse-grained molecular dynamics, which holds promise of important mechanistic insight. However, the lack of specific parameters has prevented accurate coarse-grained simulations of protein interactions with most nucleotide compounds. In this work, we comprehensively develop coarse-grained parameters for key metabolites/cofactors (FAD, FMN, riboflavin, NAD, NADP, ATP, ADP, AMP, and thiamine pyrophosphate) in different oxidation and protonation states as well as for smaller molecules derived from them (among others, nicotinamide, adenosine, adenine, ribose, thiamine, and lumiflavin), summing up a total of 79 different molecules. In line with the Martini parameterization methodology, parameters were tuned to reproduce octanol-water partition coefficients. Given the lack of existing data, we set out to experimentally determine these partition coefficients, developing two methodological approaches, based on 31P-NMR and fluorescence spectroscopy, specifically tailored to the strong hydrophilicity of most of the parameterized compounds. To distinguish the partition of each relevant protonation species, we further potentiometrically characterized the protonation constants of key molecules. This work successfully builds a comprehensive and relevant set of computational models that will boost the biochemical application of coarse-grained simulations. It does so based on the measurement of partition and acid-base physicochemical data that, in turn, covers important gaps in nucleotide characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe M Sousa
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Luís M P Lima
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Clément Arnarez
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
| | - Manuela M Pereira
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal.,BIOISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa 1749-016, Portugal
| | - Manuel N Melo
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Oeiras 2780-157, Portugal
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22
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Gutiérrez-Fernández J, Kaszuba K, Minhas GS, Baradaran R, Tambalo M, Gallagher DT, Sazanov LA. Key role of quinone in the mechanism of respiratory complex I. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4135. [PMID: 32811817 PMCID: PMC7434922 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17957-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex I is the first and the largest enzyme of respiratory chains in bacteria and mitochondria. The mechanism which couples spatially separated transfer of electrons to proton translocation in complex I is not known. Here we report five crystal structures of T. thermophilus enzyme in complex with NADH or quinone-like compounds. We also determined cryo-EM structures of major and minor native states of the complex, differing in the position of the peripheral arm. Crystal structures show that binding of quinone-like compounds (but not of NADH) leads to a related global conformational change, accompanied by local re-arrangements propagating from the quinone site to the nearest proton channel. Normal mode and molecular dynamics analyses indicate that these are likely to represent the first steps in the proton translocation mechanism. Our results suggest that quinone binding and chemistry play a key role in the coupling mechanism of complex I. Complex I (NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase) is the first enzyme of the respiratory chain in bacteria and mitochondria. Here, the authors present cryo-EM and crystal structures of T. thermophilus complex I in different conformational states and further analyse them by Normal Mode Analysis and molecular dynamics simulations and conclude that quinone redox reactions are important for the coupling mechanism of complex I.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karol Kaszuba
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, A-3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Gurdeep S Minhas
- Medical Research Council Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Keith Peters Building, Hills rd, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK.,Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Cambridge, CB21 6DG, UK
| | - Rozbeh Baradaran
- Medical Research Council Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Keith Peters Building, Hills rd, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK.,Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, 17165, Solna, Sweden
| | - Margherita Tambalo
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, A-3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - David T Gallagher
- Medical Research Council Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Keith Peters Building, Hills rd, Cambridge, CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Leonid A Sazanov
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, A-3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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23
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Liguori N, Croce R, Marrink SJ, Thallmair S. Molecular dynamics simulations in photosynthesis. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2020; 144:273-295. [PMID: 32297102 PMCID: PMC7203591 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-020-00741-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthesis is regulated by a dynamic interplay between proteins, enzymes, pigments, lipids, and cofactors that takes place on a large spatio-temporal scale. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provide a powerful toolkit to investigate dynamical processes in (bio)molecular ensembles from the (sub)picosecond to the (sub)millisecond regime and from the Å to hundreds of nm length scale. Therefore, MD is well suited to address a variety of questions arising in the field of photosynthesis research. In this review, we provide an introduction to the basic concepts of MD simulations, at atomistic and coarse-grained level of resolution. Furthermore, we discuss applications of MD simulations to model photosynthetic systems of different sizes and complexity and their connection to experimental observables. Finally, we provide a brief glance on which methods provide opportunities to capture phenomena beyond the applicability of classical MD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Liguori
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Roberta Croce
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Siewert J Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sebastian Thallmair
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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24
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Zheng L, Li Y, Li X, Zhong Q, Li N, Zhang K, Zhang Y, Chu H, Ma C, Li G, Zhao J, Gao N. Structural and functional insights into the tetrameric photosystem I from heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria. NATURE PLANTS 2019; 5:1087-1097. [PMID: 31595062 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-019-0525-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Two large protein-cofactor complexes, photosystem I and photosystem II, are the central components of photosynthesis in the thylakoid membranes. Here, we report the 2.37-Å structure of a tetrameric photosystem I complex from a heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. Four photosystem I monomers, organized in a dimer of dimer, form two distinct interfaces that are largely mediated by specifically orientated polar lipids, such as sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol. The structure depicts a more closely connected network of chlorophylls across monomer interfaces than those seen in trimeric PSI from thermophilic cyanobacteria, possibly allowing a more efficient energy transfer between monomers. Our physiological data also revealed a functional link of photosystem I oligomerization to cyclic electron flow and thylakoid membrane organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lvqin Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanbing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Qinglu Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Ningning Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Kun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuebin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Huiying Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China
| | - Chengying Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Guohui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, China.
| | - Jindong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Phycological Research, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| | - Ning Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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25
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Cupellini L, Bondanza M, Nottoli M, Mennucci B. Successes & challenges in the atomistic modeling of light-harvesting and its photoregulation. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2019; 1861:148049. [PMID: 31386831 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Light-harvesting is a crucial step of photosynthesis. Its mechanisms and related energetics have been revealed by a combination of experimental investigations and theoretical modeling. The success of theoretical modeling is largely due to the application of atomistic descriptions combining quantum chemistry, classical models and molecular dynamics techniques. Besides the important achievements obtained so far, a complete and quantitative understanding of how the many different light-harvesting complexes exploit their structural specificity is still missing. Moreover, many questions remain unanswered regarding the mechanisms through which light-harvesting is regulated in response to variable light conditions. Here we show that, in both fields, a major role will be played once more by atomistic descriptions, possibly generalized to tackle the numerous time and space scales on which the regulation takes place: going from the ultrafast electronic excitation of the multichromophoric aggregate, through the subsequent conformational changes in the embedding protein, up to the interaction between proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Cupellini
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Mattia Bondanza
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Michele Nottoli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Benedetta Mennucci
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università di Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, Pisa 56124, Italy.
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26
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Chojecki M, Rutkowska-Zbik D, Korona T. Dimerization Behavior of Methyl Chlorophyllide a as the Model of Chlorophyll a in the Presence of Water Molecules-Theoretical Study. J Chem Inf Model 2019; 59:2123-2140. [PMID: 30998013 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.8b00984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
A dimerization of methyl chlorophyllide a molecules and a role of water in stabilization and properties of methyl chlorophyllide a dimers were studied by means of symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT), functional-group SAPT (F-SAPT), density-functional theory (DFT), and time-dependent DFT approaches. The quantification of various types of interactions, such as π-π stacking, coordinative, and hydrogen bonding by applying the F-SAPT energy decomposition scheme shows the major role of the magnesium atom and the pheophytin macrocycle in the stability of the complex. The examination of interaction energy components with respect to a mutual orientation of monomers and in the presence or absence of water molecules reveals that the dispersion energy is the main binding factor of the interaction, while water molecules tend to weaken the attraction between methyl chlorophyllide a species. The dimerization can be seen in computed UV-vis spectra, and results in a doubling of the lowest peaks, as compared to the monomer spectrum, and in an intensity rise of the lowest 1.8 and 2.4 eV peaks at a cost of the 3.5 eV peaks for the majority of dimer configurations. The complexation of water has little effect on the peaks' position; however, it affects the overall shape of simulated spectra through changes in peak intensities, which is strongly dependent on the structure of the complex. The VCD spectra for the dimers show several characteristic features attributed to the interaction of substituting groups and/or water ligand attached to macrocycle groups belonging to different monomers. VCD is sensitive to the type of the formed dimer, but not to the number of water molecules it contains. This and several other features, as well as the differential UV-vis spectra, may serve as the indicator of the presence of a given dimer structure in the experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Chojecki
- Faculty of Chemistry , University of Warsaw , ul. Pasteura 1 , 02-093 Warsaw , Poland
| | - Dorota Rutkowska-Zbik
- Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry , Polish Academy of Sciences , ul. Niezapominajek 8 , 30-239 Cracow , Poland
| | - Tatiana Korona
- Faculty of Chemistry , University of Warsaw , ul. Pasteura 1 , 02-093 Warsaw , Poland
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27
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Teixeira MH, Arantes GM. Effects of lipid composition on membrane distribution and permeability of natural quinones. RSC Adv 2019; 9:16892-16899. [PMID: 35516391 PMCID: PMC9064471 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra01681c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural quinones are amphiphilic molecules that function as mobile charge carriers in biological energy transduction. Their distribution and permeation across membranes are important for binding to enzymatic complexes and for proton translocation. Here, we employ molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations with a carefully calibrated classical force-field to probe quinone distribution and permeation in a multi-component bilayer trying to mimic the composition of membranes involved in bioenergetic processes. Ubiquinone, ubiquinol, plastoquinone and menaquinone molecules with short and long isoprenoid tails are simulated. We find that penetration of water molecules bound to the polar quinone head increases considerably in the less ordered and porous bilayer formed by di-linoleoyl (18:2) phospholipids, resulting in a lower free energy barrier for quinone permeation and faster transversal diffusion. In equilibrium, quinone and quinol heads localize preferentially near lipid glycerol groups, but do not perform specific contacts with lipid polar heads. Quinone distribution is not altered significantly by the quinone head, tail and lipid composition in comparison to a single-component bilayer. This study highlights the role of lipid acyl chain unsaturation for permeation and transversal diffusion of polar molecules across biological membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murilo Hoias Teixeira
- Department of Biochemistry, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748 05508-900 São Paulo SP Brazil
| | - Guilherme Menegon Arantes
- Department of Biochemistry, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748 05508-900 São Paulo SP Brazil
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28
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Thallmair S, Vainikka PA, Marrink SJ. Lipid Fingerprints and Cofactor Dynamics of Light-Harvesting Complex II in Different Membranes. Biophys J 2019; 116:1446-1455. [PMID: 30954210 PMCID: PMC6486485 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) is the key antenna complex for plant photosynthesis. We present coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of monomeric and trimeric LHCII in a realistic thylakoid membrane environment based on the Martini force field. The coarse-grained protein model has been optimized with respect to atomistic reference simulations. Our simulations provide detailed insights in the thylakoid lipid fingerprint of LHCII which compares well with experimental data from membrane protein purification. Comparing the monomer and trimeric LHCII reveals a stabilizing effect of trimerization on the chromophores as well as the protein. Moreover, the average chromophore distance shortens in the trimer leading to stronger excitonic couplings. When changing the native thylakoid environment to a model membrane the protein flexibility remains constant, whereas the chromophore flexibility is reduced. Overall, the presented LHCII model lays the foundation to investigate the μs dynamics of this key antenna protein of plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Thallmair
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and The Zernike Institute for Advanced Material, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Petteri A Vainikka
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and The Zernike Institute for Advanced Material, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Department of Chemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Siewert J Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and The Zernike Institute for Advanced Material, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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29
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Jussupow A, Di Luca A, Kaila VRI. How cardiolipin modulates the dynamics of respiratory complex I. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaav1850. [PMID: 30906865 PMCID: PMC6426460 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav1850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Cardiolipin modulates the activity of membrane-bound respiratory enzymes that catalyze biological energy transduction. The respiratory complex I functions as the primary redox-driven proton pump in mitochondrial and bacterial respiratory chains, and its activity is strongly enhanced by cardiolipin. However, despite recent advances in the structural biology of complex I, cardiolipin-specific interaction mechanisms currently remain unknown. On the basis of millisecond molecular simulations, we suggest that cardiolipin binds to proton-pumping subunits of complex I and induces global conformational changes that modulate the accessibility of the quinone substrate to the enzyme. Our findings provide key information on the coupling between complex I dynamics and activity and suggest how biological membranes modulate the structure and activity of proteins.
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30
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Abstract
Martini is a coarse-grained (CG) force field suitable for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of (bio)molecular systems. It is based on mapping of two to four heavy atoms to one CG particle. The effective interactions between the CG particles are parametrized to reproduce partitioning free energies of small chemical compounds between polar and apolar phases. In this chapter, a summary of the key elements of this CG force field is presented, followed by an example of practical application: a lipoplex-membrane fusion experiment. Formulated as hands-on practice, this chapter contains guidelines to build CG models of important biological systems, such as asymmetric bilayers and double-stranded DNA. Finally, a series of notes containing useful information, limitations, and tips are described in the last section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart M H Bruininks
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Paulo C T Souza
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Siewert J Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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31
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Friedman R, Khalid S, Aponte-Santamaría C, Arutyunova E, Becker M, Boyd KJ, Christensen M, Coimbra JTS, Concilio S, Daday C, van Eerden FJ, Fernandes PA, Gräter F, Hakobyan D, Heuer A, Karathanou K, Keller F, Lemieux MJ, Marrink SJ, May ER, Mazumdar A, Naftalin R, Pickholz M, Piotto S, Pohl P, Quinn P, Ramos MJ, Schiøtt B, Sengupta D, Sessa L, Vanni S, Zeppelin T, Zoni V, Bondar AN, Domene C. Understanding Conformational Dynamics of Complex Lipid Mixtures Relevant to Biology. J Membr Biol 2018; 251:609-631. [PMID: 30350011 PMCID: PMC6244758 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-018-0050-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ran Friedman
- Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences and Centre of Excellence "Biomaterials Chemistry", Linnæus University, Kalmar, Sweden.
| | - Syma Khalid
- University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Camilo Aponte-Santamaría
- Max Planck Tandem Group in Computational Biophysics, University of Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia.,Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elena Arutyunova
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | - Kevin J Boyd
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Mikkel Christensen
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Interdisciplinary Nanoscience center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing, China
| | - João T S Coimbra
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Simona Concilio
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Salerno, Fisciano, SA, Italy
| | - Csaba Daday
- Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Pedro A Fernandes
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Frauke Gräter
- Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Konstantina Karathanou
- Department of Physics, Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Group, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - M Joanne Lemieux
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | - Eric R May
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Antara Mazumdar
- GBB Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Richard Naftalin
- Physiology and Vascular Biology Departments, King's College London School of Medicine, London, UK
| | - Mónica Pickholz
- Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, IFIBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Stefano Piotto
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Fisciano, SA, Italy
| | - Peter Pohl
- Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria
| | - Peter Quinn
- Biochemistry Department, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Maria J Ramos
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Birgit Schiøtt
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Interdisciplinary Nanoscience center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Durba Sengupta
- Physical Chemistry Division, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India
| | - Lucia Sessa
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Fisciano, SA, Italy
| | - Stefano Vanni
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Talia Zeppelin
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Valeria Zoni
- Department of Biology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Ana-Nicoleta Bondar
- Department of Physics, Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Group, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carmen Domene
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.,Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
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32
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Frederix PWJM, Patmanidis I, Marrink SJ. Molecular simulations of self-assembling bio-inspired supramolecular systems and their connection to experiments. Chem Soc Rev 2018; 47:3470-3489. [PMID: 29688238 PMCID: PMC5961611 DOI: 10.1039/c8cs00040a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
In bionanotechnology, the field of creating functional materials consisting of bio-inspired molecules, the function and shape of a nanostructure only appear through the assembly of many small molecules together. The large number of building blocks required to define a nanostructure combined with the many degrees of freedom in packing small molecules has long precluded molecular simulations, but recent advances in computational hardware as well as software have made classical simulations available to this strongly expanding field. Here, we review the state of the art in simulations of self-assembling bio-inspired supramolecular systems. We will first discuss progress in force fields, simulation protocols and enhanced sampling techniques using recent examples. Secondly, we will focus on efforts to enable the comparison of experimentally accessible observables and computational results. Experimental quantities that can be measured by microscopy, spectroscopy and scattering can be linked to simulation output either directly or indirectly, via quantum mechanical or semi-empirical techniques. Overall, we aim to provide an overview of the various computational approaches to understand not only the molecular architecture of nanostructures, but also the mechanism of their formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pim W. J. M. Frederix
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials , University of Groningen , Groningen , The Netherlands . ;
| | - Ilias Patmanidis
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials , University of Groningen , Groningen , The Netherlands . ;
| | - Siewert J. Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials , University of Groningen , Groningen , The Netherlands . ;
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33
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Orekhov PS, Kholina EG, Bozdaganyan ME, Nesterenko AM, Kovalenko IB, Strakhovskaya MG. Molecular Mechanism of Uptake of Cationic Photoantimicrobial Phthalocyanine across Bacterial Membranes Revealed by Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:3711-3722. [PMID: 29553736 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b11707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Phthalocyanines are aromatic macrocyclic compounds, which are structurally related to porphyrins. In clinical practice, phthalocyanines are used in fluorescence imaging and photodynamic therapy of cancer and noncancer lesions. Certain forms of the substituted polycationic metallophthalocyanines have been previously shown to be active in photodynamic inactivation of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria; one of them is zinc octakis(cholinyl)phthalocyanine (ZnPcChol8+). However, the molecular details of how these compounds translocate across bacterial membranes still remain unclear. In the present work, we have developed a coarse-grained (CG) molecular model of ZnPcChol8+ within the framework of the popular MARTINI CG force field. The obtained model was used to probe the solvation behavior of phthalocyanine molecules, which agreed with experimental results. Subsequently, it was used to investigate the molecular details of interactions between phthalocyanines and membranes of various compositions. The results demonstrate that ZnPcChol8+ has high affinity to both the inner and the outer model membranes of Gram-negative bacteria, although this species does not show noticeable affinity to the 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine membrane. Furthermore, we found out that the process of ZnPcChol8+ penetration toward the center of the outer bacterial membrane is energetically favorable and leads to its overall disturbance and formation of the aqueous pore. Such intramembrane localization of ZnPcChol8+ suggests their twofold cytotoxic effect on bacterial cells: (1) via induction of lipid peroxidation by enhanced production of reactive oxygen species (i.e., photodynamic toxicity); (2) via rendering the bacterial membrane more permeable for additional Pc molecules as well as other compounds. We also found that the kinetics of penetration depends on the presence of phospholipid defects in the lipopolysaccharide leaflet of the outer membrane and the type of counterions, which stabilize it. Thus, the results of our simulations provide a detailed molecular view of ZnPcChol8+ "self-promoted uptake", the pathway previously proposed for some small molecules crossing the outer bacterial membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp S Orekhov
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology , Dolgoprudny 141700 , Russia.,Sechenov University , Trubetskaya 8-2 , Moscow 119991 , Russia
| | | | - Marine E Bozdaganyan
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Specialized Medical Care and Medical Technologies , Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia , Moscow 115682 , Russia
| | | | - Ilya B Kovalenko
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Specialized Medical Care and Medical Technologies , Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia , Moscow 115682 , Russia.,Astrakhan State University , Astrakhan 414056 , Russia.,Scientific and Technological Center of Unique Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences , Moscow 117342 , Russia
| | - Marina G Strakhovskaya
- Federal Research and Clinical Center of Specialized Medical Care and Medical Technologies , Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia , Moscow 115682 , Russia
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34
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Van Eerden FJ, Melo MN, Frederix PWJM, Marrink SJ. Prediction of Thylakoid Lipid Binding Sites on Photosystem II. Biophys J 2018; 113:2669-2681. [PMID: 29262360 PMCID: PMC5770566 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.09.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The thylakoid membrane has a unique lipid composition, consisting mostly of galactolipids. These thylakoid lipids have important roles in photosynthesis. Here, we investigate to what extent these lipids bind specifically to the Photosystem II complex. To this end, we performed coarse-grain MD simulations of the Photosystem II complex embedded in a thylakoid membrane with realistic composition. Based on >85 μs simulation time, we find that monogalactosyldiacylglycerol and sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol lipids are enriched in the annular shell around the protein, and form distinct binding sites. From the analysis of residue contacts, we conclude that electrostatic interactions play an important role in stabilizing these binding sites. Furthermore, we find that chlorophyll a has a prevalent role in the coordination of the lipids. In addition, we observe lipids to diffuse in and out of the plastoquinone exchange cavities, allowing exchange of cocrystallized lipids with the bulk membrane and suggesting a more open nature of the plastoquinone exchange cavity. Together, our data provide a wealth of information on protein-lipid interactions for a key protein in photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floris J Van Eerden
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Manuel N Melo
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Pim W J M Frederix
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Siewert J Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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35
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Liguori N, Xu P, van Stokkum IHM, van Oort B, Lu Y, Karcher D, Bock R, Croce R. Different carotenoid conformations have distinct functions in light-harvesting regulation in plants. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1994. [PMID: 29222488 PMCID: PMC5722816 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02239-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
To avoid photodamage plants regulate the amount of excitation energy in the membrane at the level of the light-harvesting complexes (LHCs). It has been proposed that the energy absorbed in excess is dissipated via protein conformational changes of individual LHCs. However, the exact quenching mechanism remains unclear. Here we study the mechanism of quenching in LHCs that bind a single carotenoid species and are constitutively in a dissipative conformation. Via femtosecond spectroscopy we resolve a number of carotenoid dark states, demonstrating that the carotenoid is bound to the complex in different conformations. Some of those states act as excitation energy donors for the chlorophylls, whereas others act as quenchers. Via in silico analysis we show that structural changes of carotenoids are expected in the LHC protein domains exposed to the chloroplast lumen, where acidification triggers photoprotection in vivo. We propose that structural changes of LHCs control the conformation of the carotenoids, thus permitting access to different dark states responsible for either light harvesting or photoprotection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Liguori
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pengqi Xu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ivo H M van Stokkum
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bart van Oort
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yinghong Lu
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie Wissenschaftspark Golm, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
- School of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Daniel Karcher
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie Wissenschaftspark Golm, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Ralph Bock
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie Wissenschaftspark Golm, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Roberta Croce
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Institute for Lasers, Life and Biophotonics, Faculty of Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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36
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Van Eerden FJ, Melo MN, Frederix PWJM, Periole X, Marrink SJ. Exchange pathways of plastoquinone and plastoquinol in the photosystem II complex. Nat Commun 2017; 8:15214. [PMID: 28489071 PMCID: PMC5436218 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Plastoquinone (PLQ) acts as an electron carrier between photosystem II (PSII) and the cytochrome b6f complex. To understand how PLQ enters and leaves PSII, here we show results of coarse grained molecular dynamics simulations of PSII embedded in the thylakoid membrane, covering a total simulation time of more than 0.5 ms. The long time scale allows the observation of many spontaneous entries of PLQ into PSII, and the unbinding of plastoquinol (PLQol) from the complex. In addition to the two known channels, we observe a third channel for PLQ/PLQol diffusion between the thylakoid membrane and the PLQ binding sites. Our simulations point to a promiscuous diffusion mechanism in which all three channels function as entry and exit channels. The exchange cavity serves as a PLQ reservoir. Our simulations provide a direct view on the exchange of electron carriers, a key step of the photosynthesis machinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floris J Van Eerden
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute &Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Manuel N Melo
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute &Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.,Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Pim W J M Frederix
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute &Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Xavier Periole
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute &Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Siewert J Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute &Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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37
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Kielb P, Utesch T, Kozuch J, Jeoung JH, Dobbek H, Mroginski MA, Hildebrandt P, Weidinger I. Switchable Redox Chemistry of the Hexameric Tyrosine-Coordinated Heme Protein. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:3955-3964. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b01286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja Kielb
- Institut
für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tillmann Utesch
- Institut
für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jacek Kozuch
- Institut
für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
- Department
of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5012, United States
| | - Jae-Hun Jeoung
- Institute
of Biology, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Philippstrasse
13, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Holger Dobbek
- Institute
of Biology, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Philippstrasse
13, D-10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Andrea Mroginski
- Institut
für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Hildebrandt
- Institut
für Chemie, Sekr. PC14, Technische Universität Berlin, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Inez Weidinger
- Department
of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Zellescher Weg 19, D-01069 Dresden, Germany
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38
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van Eerden FJ, van den Berg T, Frederix PWJM, de Jong DH, Periole X, Marrink SJ. Molecular Dynamics of Photosystem II Embedded in the Thylakoid Membrane. J Phys Chem B 2016; 121:3237-3249. [PMID: 27624992 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b06865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Photosystem II (PSII) is one of the key protein complexes in photosynthesis. We introduce a coarse grained model of PSII and present the analysis of 60 μs molecular dynamics simulations of PSII in both monomeric and dimeric form, embedded in a thylakoid membrane model that reflects its native lipid composition. We describe in detail the setup of the protein complex and the many natural cofactors and characterize their mobility. Overall we find that the protein subunits and cofactors are more flexible toward the periphery of the complex as well as near the PLQ exchange cavity and at the dimer interface. Of all cofactors, β-carotenes show the highest mobility. Some of the β-carotenes diffuse in and out of the protein complex via the thylakoid membrane. In contrast with the PSII dimer, the monomeric form adopts a tilted conformation in the membrane, with strong interactions between the soluble PsbO subunit and the glycolipid headgroups. Interestingly, the tilted conformation causes buckling of the membrane. Together, our results provide an unprecedented view of PSII dynamics on a microsecond time scale. Our data may be used as basis for the interpretation of experimental data as well as for theoretical models describing exciton energy transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floris J van Eerden
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen , Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tom van den Berg
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculteit der Exacte Wetenschappen, Vrije Universiteit , De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Pim W J M Frederix
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen , Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Djurre H de Jong
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen , Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Xavier Periole
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen , Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Siewert J Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute & Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen , Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands
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39
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Melo MN, Ingólfsson HI, Marrink SJ. Parameters for Martini sterols and hopanoids based on a virtual-site description. J Chem Phys 2016; 143:243152. [PMID: 26723637 DOI: 10.1063/1.4937783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Sterols play an essential role in modulating bilayer structure and dynamics. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics parameters for cholesterol and related molecules are available for the Martini force field and have been successfully used in multiple lipid bilayer studies. In this work, we focus on the use of virtual sites as a means of increasing the stability of cholesterol and cholesterol-like structures. We improve and extend the Martini parameterization of sterols in four different ways: 1-the cholesterol parameters were adapted to make use of virtual interaction sites, which markedly improves numerical stability; 2-cholesterol parameters were also modified to address reported shortcomings in reproducing correct lipid phase behavior in mixed membranes; 3-parameters for ergosterol were created and adapted from cholesterols; and 4-parameters for the hopanoid class of bacterial polycyclic molecules were created, namely, for hopane, diploptene, bacteriohopanetetrol, and for their polycyclic base structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- M N Melo
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - H I Ingólfsson
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - S J Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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