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Kolocouris A, Arkin I, Glykos NM. A proof-of-concept study of the secondary structure of influenza A, B M2 and MERS- and SARS-CoV E transmembrane peptides using folding molecular dynamics simulations in a membrane mimetic solvent. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:25391-25402. [PMID: 36239696 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp02881f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Here, we have carried out a proof-of-concept molecular dynamics (MD) simulation with adaptive tempering in a membrane mimetic environment to study the folding of single-pass membrane peptides. We tested the influenza A M2 viroporin, influenza B M2 viroporin, and protein E from coronaviruses MERS-Cov-2 and SARS-CoV-2 peptides with known experimental secondary structures in membrane bilayers. The two influenza-derived peptides are significantly different in the peptide sequence and secondary structure and more polar than the two coronavirus-derived peptides. Through a total of more than 50 μs of simulation time that could be accomplished in trifluoroethanol (TFE), as a membrane model, we characterized comparatively the folding behavior, helical stability, and helical propensity of these transmembrane peptides that match perfectly their experimental secondary structures, and we identified common motifs that reflect their quaternary organization and known (or not) biochemical function. We showed that BM2 is organized into two structurally distinct parts: a significantly more stable N-terminal half, and a fast-converting C-terminal half that continuously folds and unfolds between α-helical structures and non-canonical structures, which are mostly turns. In AM2, both the N-terminal half and C-terminal half are very flexible. In contrast, the two coronavirus-derived transmembrane peptides are much more stable and fast helix-formers when compared with the influenza ones. In particular, the SARS-derived peptide E appears to be the fastest and most stable helix-former of all the four viral peptides studied, with a helical structure that persists almost without disruption for the whole of its 10 μs simulation. By comparing the results with experimental observations, we benchmarked TFE in studying the conformation of membrane and hydrophobic peptides. This work provided accurate results suggesting a methodology to run long MD simulations and predict structural properties of biologically important membrane peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonios Kolocouris
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15771, Greece.
| | - Isaiah Arkin
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus Givat-Ram, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Nicholas M Glykos
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, University Campus, Alexandroupolis, 68100, Greece.
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Gkogka I, Glykos NM. Folding molecular dynamics simulation of T-peptide, a HIV viral entry inhibitor: Structure, dynamics, and comparison with the experimental data. J Comput Chem 2022; 43:942-952. [PMID: 35333419 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.26850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Peptide T is a synthetic octapeptide fragment, which corresponds to the region 185-192 of the gp120 HIV coat protein and functions as a viral entry inhibitor. In this work, a folding molecular dynamics simulation of peptide T in a membrane-mimicking (DMSO) solution was performed with the aim of characterizing the peptide's structural and dynamical properties. We show that peptide T is highly flexible and dynamic. The main structural characteristics observed were rapidly interconverting short helical stretches and turns, with a notable preference for the formation of β-turns. The simulation also indicated that the C-terminal part appears to be more stable than the rest of the peptide, with the most preferred conformation for residues 5-8 being a β-turn. In order to validate the accuracy of the simulations, we compared our results with the experimental NMR data obtained for the T-peptide in the same solvent. In agreement with the simulation, the NMR data indicated the presence of a preferred structure in solution that was consistent with a β-turn comprising the four C-terminal residues. An additional comparison between the experimental and simulation-derived chemical shifts also showed a reasonable agreement between experiment and simulation, further validating the simulation-derived structural characterization of the T-peptide. We conclude that peptide folding simulations produce physically relevant results even when performed with organic solvents that were not part of the force field parameterization procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Gkogka
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, University Campus, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Nicholas M Glykos
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, University Campus, Alexandroupolis, Greece
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Stylianakis I, Shalev A, Scheiner S, Sigalas MP, Arkin IT, Glykos N, Kolocouris A. The balance between side-chain and backbone-driven association in folding of the α-helical influenza A transmembrane peptide. J Comput Chem 2020; 41:2177-2188. [PMID: 32735736 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.26381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The correct balance between attractive, repulsive and peptide hydrogen bonding interactions must be attained for proteins to fold correctly. To investigate these important contributors, we sought a comparison of the folding between two 25-residues peptides, the influenza A M2 protein transmembrane domain (M2TM) and the 25-Ala (Ala25 ). M2TM forms a stable α-helix as is shown by circular dichroism (CD) experiments. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with adaptive tempering show that M2TM monomer is more dynamic in nature and quickly interconverts between an ensemble of various α-helical structures, and less frequently turns and coils, compared to one α-helix for Ala25 . DFT calculations suggest that folding from the extended structure to the α-helical structure is favored for M2TM compared with Ala25 . This is due to CH⋯O attractive interactions which favor folding to the M2TM α-helix, and cannot be described accurately with a force field. Using natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis and quantum theory atoms in molecules (QTAIM) calculations, 26 CH⋯O interactions and 22 NH⋯O hydrogen bonds are calculated for M2TM. The calculations show that CH⋯O hydrogen bonds, although individually weaker, have a cumulative effect that cannot be ignored and may contribute as much as half of the total hydrogen bonding energy, when compared to NH⋯O, to the stabilization of the α-helix in M2TM. Further, a strengthening of NH⋯O hydrogen bonding interactions is calculated for M2TM compared to Ala25 . Additionally, these weak CH⋯O interactions can dissociate and associate easily leading to the ensemble of folded structures for M2TM observed in folding MD simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Stylianakis
- Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Ariella Shalev
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus Givat-Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Steve Scheiner
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Michael P Sigalas
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Applied Quantum Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Isaiah T Arkin
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus Givat-Ram, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Nikolas Glykos
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Antonios Kolocouris
- Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Li H, Che J, Jiang M, Cui M, Feng G, Dong J, Zhang S, Lu L, Liu W, Fan S. CLPTM1L induces estrogen receptor β signaling-mediated radioresistance in non-small cell lung cancer cells. Cell Commun Signal 2020; 18:152. [PMID: 32943060 PMCID: PMC7499972 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-020-00571-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Radioresistance is a major challenge in lung cancer radiotherapy, and new radiosensitizers are urgently needed. Estrogen receptor β (ERβ) is involved in the progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however, the role of ERβ in the response to radiotherapy in lung cancer remains elusive. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism underlying ERβ-mediated transcriptional activation and radioresistance of NSCLC cells. METHODS Quantitative real-time PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of CLPTM1L, ERβ and other target genes. The mechanism of CLPTM1L in modulation of radiosensitivity was investigated by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, luciferase reporter gene assay, immunofluorescence staining, confocal microscopy, coimmunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assays. The functional role of CLPTM1L was detected by function assays in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS CLPTM1L expression was negatively correlated with the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cell lines, and irradiation upregulated CLPTM1L in radioresistant (A549) but not in radiosensitive (H460) NSCLC cells. Meanwhile, IR induced the translocation of CLPTM1L from the cytoplasm into the nucleus in NSCLC cells. Moreover, CLPTM1L induced radioresistance in NSCLC cells. iTRAQ-based analysis and cDNA microarray identified irradiation-related genes commonly targeted by CLPTM1L and ERβ, and CLPTM1L upregulated ERβ-induced genes CDC25A, c-Jun, and BCL2. Mechanistically, CLPTM1L coactivated ERβ by directly interacting with ERβ through the LXXLL NR (nuclear receptor)-binding motif. Functionally, ERβ silencing was sufficient to block CLPTM1L-enhanced radioresistance of NSCLC cells in vitro. CLPTM1L shRNA treatment in combination with irradiation significantly inhibited cancer cell growth in NSCLC xenograft tumors in vivo. CONCLUSIONS The present results indicate that CLPTM1L acts as a critical coactivator of ERβ to promote the transcription of its target genes and induce radioresistance of NSCLC cells, suggesting a new target for radiosensitization in NSCLC therapy. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 238 Bai-Di Road, Tianjin, 300192 P.R. China
| | - Jun Che
- grid.459328.10000 0004 1758 9149Department of Radiation Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, 200 Hui-He Road, Wuxi, 214062 Jiangsu P.R. China
| | - Mian Jiang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 238 Bai-Di Road, Tianjin, 300192 P.R. China
| | - Ming Cui
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 238 Bai-Di Road, Tianjin, 300192 P.R. China
| | - Guoxing Feng
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 238 Bai-Di Road, Tianjin, 300192 P.R. China
| | - Jiali Dong
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 238 Bai-Di Road, Tianjin, 300192 P.R. China
| | - Shuqin Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 238 Bai-Di Road, Tianjin, 300192 P.R. China
| | - Lu Lu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 238 Bai-Di Road, Tianjin, 300192 P.R. China
| | - Weili Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 238 Bai-Di Road, Tianjin, 300192 P.R. China
| | - Saijun Fan
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 238 Bai-Di Road, Tianjin, 300192 P.R. China
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Riziotis IG, Glykos NM. On the presence of short‐range periodicities in protein structures that are not related to established secondary structure elements. Proteins 2019; 87:966-978. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.25758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis G. Riziotis
- Department of Molecular Biology and GeneticsDemocritus University of Thrace, University campus Alexandroupolis Greece
| | - Nicholas M. Glykos
- Department of Molecular Biology and GeneticsDemocritus University of Thrace, University campus Alexandroupolis Greece
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Molecular simulation of peptides coming of age: Accurate prediction of folding, dynamics and structures. Arch Biochem Biophys 2019; 664:76-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2019.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Georgoulia PS, Glykos NM. Folding Molecular Dynamics Simulation of a gp41-Derived Peptide Reconcile Divergent Structure Determinations. ACS OMEGA 2018; 3:14746-14754. [PMID: 31458149 PMCID: PMC6643504 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b01579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
T-20 peptide is the first FDA-approved fusion inhibitor against AIDS/HIV-1 gp41 protein. Part of it, the gp41[659-671] peptide, that contains the complete epitope for the neutralizing 2F5 monoclonal antibody, has been found experimentally in a number of divergent structures. Herein, we attempt to reconcile them by using unbiased large-scale all-atom molecular dynamics folding simulations. We show that our approach can successfully capture the peptide's heterogeneity and reach each and every experimentally determined conformation in sub-angstrom accuracy, whilst preserving the peptide's disordered nature. Our analysis also unveils that the minor refinements within the AMBER99SB family of force fields can lead to appreciable differences in the predicted conformational stability arising from subtle differences in the helical- and β-region of the Ramachandran plot. Our work underlines the contribution of molecular dynamics simulation in structurally characterizing pharmacologically important peptides of ambiguous structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiota S Georgoulia
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, University Campus, Alexandroupolis 68100, Greece
| | - Nicholas M Glykos
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, University Campus, Alexandroupolis 68100, Greece
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Shao Z, Li Y, Dai W, Jia H, Zhang Y, Jiang Q, Chai Y, Li X, Sun H, Yang R, Cao Y, Feng F, Guo Y. ETS-1 induces Sorafenib-resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma cells via regulating transcription factor activity of PXR. Pharmacol Res 2018; 135:188-200. [PMID: 30114438 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factor E26 transformation specific sequence 1 (ETS-1) is a primary regulator in the metastasis of human cancer cells, especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells; and it would affect the prognosis of HCC patients who received chemotherapies. However, the regulatory role of ETS-1 in the resistance of HCC cells to molecular-targeting agent remains poorly understood. In the present work, we demonstrate that high ETS-1 expression correlates with poor prognosis of advanced HCC patients received Sorafenib treatment. Mechanistically, ETS-1 binds to nuclear Pregnane X receptor (PXR) directly and enhances PXR's transcription factor activity, which further leads to the induction of the PXR's downstream multi-drug resistance related genes. Overexpression of ETS-1 accelerates the metabolic clearance of Sorafenib in HCC cells and leads to the better survival and faster migration of those cells. The therapeutic studies show that ETS-1 promotes the Sorafenib-resistance of HCC tumor models and ETS-1 blockade enhances the anti-tumor capacity of Sorafenib by decreasing PXR activation. Thus, our study suggests that ETS-1 could enhance the activation of PXR and be a potential therapeutic target for overcoming Sorafenib resistance in HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyi Shao
- School of Mathematics and Information Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, PR China; The Library, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, PR China
| | - Yibo Li
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Wenjie Dai
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA
| | - Hui Jia
- Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Yingshi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command, Shenyang, 110016, PR China
| | - Qiyu Jiang
- Research Center for Clinical and Translational Medicine, The 302nd Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100039, PR China
| | - Yantao Chai
- Research Center for Clinical and Translational Medicine, The 302nd Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100039, PR China
| | - Xiaojuan Li
- Research Center for Clinical and Translational Medicine, The 302nd Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100039, PR China
| | - Huiwei Sun
- Research Center for Clinical and Translational Medicine, The 302nd Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100039, PR China
| | - Ruichuang Yang
- Research Center for Clinical and Translational Medicine, The 302nd Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100039, PR China
| | - Yu Cao
- Department of Immunology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
| | - Fan Feng
- The Library, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, PR China; Research Center for Clinical and Translational Medicine, The 302nd Hospital of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100039, PR China.
| | - Yingjie Guo
- School of Foreign Languages, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, PR China.
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