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Parigi G, Ravera E, Piccioli M, Luchinat C. Paramagnetic NMR restraints for the characterization of protein structural rearrangements. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 80:102595. [PMID: 37075534 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Mobility is a common feature of biomacromolecules, often fundamental for their function. Thus, in many cases, biomacromolecules cannot be described by a single conformation, but rather by a conformational ensemble. NMR paramagnetic data demonstrated quite informative to monitor this conformational variability, especially when used in conjunction with data from different sources. Due to their long-range nature, paramagnetic data can, for instance, i) clearly demonstrate the occurrence of conformational rearrangements, ii) reveal the presence of minor conformational states, sampled only for a short time, iii) indicate the most representative conformations within the conformational ensemble sampled by the molecule, iv) provide an upper limit to the weight of each conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Parigi
- Magnetic Resonance Center (CERM), University of Florence, Via Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy; Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy; Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche Metallo Proteine (CIRMMP), Via Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy.
| | - Enrico Ravera
- Magnetic Resonance Center (CERM), University of Florence, Via Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy; Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy; Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche Metallo Proteine (CIRMMP), Via Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy
| | - Mario Piccioli
- Magnetic Resonance Center (CERM), University of Florence, Via Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy; Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy; Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche Metallo Proteine (CIRMMP), Via Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy.
| | - Claudio Luchinat
- Magnetic Resonance Center (CERM), University of Florence, Via Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy; Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy; Consorzio Interuniversitario Risonanze Magnetiche Metallo Proteine (CIRMMP), Via Sacconi 6, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019, Italy.
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Negroni M, Kurzbach D. Missing Pieces in Structure Puzzles: How Hyperpolarized NMR Spectroscopy Can Complement Structural Biology and Biochemistry. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202200703. [PMID: 36624049 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Structure determination lies at the heart of many biochemical research programs. However, the "giants": X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, molecular dynamics simulations, and nuclear magnetic resonance, among others, leave quite a few dark spots on the structural pictures drawn of proteins, nucleic acids, membranes, and other biomacromolecules. For example, structural models under physiological conditions or of short-lived intermediates often remain out of reach of the established experimental methods. This account frames the possibility of including hyperpolarized, that is, dramatically signal-enhanced NMR in existing workflows to fill these spots with detailed depictions. We highlight how integrating methods based on dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization can provide valuable complementary information about formerly inaccessible conformational spaces for many systems. A particular focus will be on hyperpolarized buffers to facilitate the NMR structure determination of challenging systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Negroni
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Dennis Kurzbach
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Str. 38, 1090, Vienna, Austria
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Hofmann L, Ruthstein S. EPR Spectroscopy Provides New Insights into Complex Biological Reaction Mechanisms. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:7486-7494. [PMID: 36137278 PMCID: PMC9549461 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
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In the last 20 years, the use of electron paramagnetic
resonance
(EPR) has made a pronounced and lasting impact in the field of structural
biology. The advantage of EPR spectroscopy over other structural techniques
is its ability to target even minor conformational changes in any
biomolecule or macromolecular complex, independent of its size or
complexity, or whether it is in solution or in the cell during a biological
or chemical reaction. Here, we focus on the use of EPR spectroscopy
to study transmembrane transport and transcription mechanisms. We
discuss experimental and analytical concerns when referring to studies
of two biological reaction mechanisms, namely, transfer of copper
ions by the human copper transporter hCtr1 and the mechanism of action
of the Escherichia coli copper-dependent
transcription factor CueR. Last, we elaborate on future avenues in
the field of EPR structural biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Hofmann
- Department of Chemistry and the Institute of Nanotechnology & Advanced Materials, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Sharon Ruthstein
- Department of Chemistry and the Institute of Nanotechnology & Advanced Materials, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
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Epasto LM, Che K, Kozak F, Selimovic A, Kadeřávek P, Kurzbach D. Toward protein NMR at physiological concentrations by hyperpolarized water-Finding and mapping uncharted conformational spaces. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq5179. [PMID: 35930648 PMCID: PMC9355353 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq5179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a key method for determining the structural dynamics of proteins in their native solution state. However, the low sensitivity of NMR typically necessitates nonphysiologically high sample concentrations, which often limit the relevance of the recorded data. We show how to use hyperpolarized water by dissolution dynamic nuclear polarization (DDNP) to acquire protein spectra at concentrations of 1 μM within seconds and with a high signal-to-noise ratio. The importance of approaching physiological concentrations is demonstrated for the vital MYC-associated factor X, which we show to switch conformations when diluted. While in vitro conditions lead to a population of the well-documented dimer, concentrations lowered by more than two orders of magnitude entail dimer dissociation and formation of a globularly folded monomer. We identified this structure by integrating DDNP with computational techniques to overcome the often-encountered constraint of DDNP of limited structural information provided by the typically detected one-dimensional spectra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovica M. Epasto
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Währinger Str. 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Kateryna Che
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Währinger Str. 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Fanny Kozak
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Währinger Str. 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Albina Selimovic
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Währinger Str. 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Pavel Kadeřávek
- Masaryk University, CEITEC, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Dennis Kurzbach
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Währinger Str. 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Corresponding author.
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Evidence for an Ordering Transition near 120 K in an Intrinsically Disordered Protein, Casein. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26195971. [PMID: 34641515 PMCID: PMC8512290 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26195971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are proteins that possess large unstructured regions. Their importance is increasingly recognized in biology but their characterization remains a challenging task. We employed field swept Electron Spin Echoes in pulsed EPR to investigate low-temperature stochastic molecular librations in a spin-labeled IDP, casein (the main protein of milk). For comparison, a spin-labeled globular protein, hen egg white lysozyme, is also investigated. For casein these motions were found to start at 100 K while for lysozyme only above 130 K, which was ascribed to a denser and more ordered molecular packing in lysozyme. However, above 120 K, the motions in casein were found to depend on temperature much slower than those in lysozyme. This abrupt change in casein was assigned to an ordering transition in which peptide residues rearrange making the molecular packing more rigid and/or more cohesive. The found features of molecular motions in these two proteins turned out to be very similar to those known for gel-phase lipid bilayers composed of conformationally ordered and conformationally disordered lipids. This analogy with a simpler molecular system may appear helpful for elucidation properties of molecular packing in IDPs.
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Kozak F, Kurzbach D. How to assess the structural dynamics of transcription factors by integrating sparse NMR and EPR constraints with molecular dynamics simulations. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:2097-2105. [PMID: 33995905 PMCID: PMC8085671 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We review recent advances in modeling structural ensembles of transcription factors from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic data, integrated with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We focus on approaches that confirm computed conformational ensembles by sparse constraints obtained from magnetic resonance. This combination enables the deduction of functional and structural protein models even if nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs) are too scarce for conventional structure determination. We highlight recent insights into the folding-upon-DNA binding transitions of intrinsically disordered transcription factors that could be assessed using such integrative approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Kozak
- University Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Waehringer Str. 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Dennis Kurzbach
- University Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Waehringer Str. 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Oliveira Junior AB, Lin X, Kulkarni P, Onuchic JN, Roy S, Leite VBP. Exploring Energy Landscapes of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins: Insights into Functional Mechanisms. J Chem Theory Comput 2021; 17:3178-3187. [PMID: 33871257 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c00027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) lack a rigid three-dimensional structure and populate a polymorphic ensemble of conformations. Because of the lack of a reference conformation, their energy landscape representation in terms of reaction coordinates presents a daunting challenge. Here, our newly developed energy landscape visualization method (ELViM), a reaction coordinate-free approach, shows its prime application to explore frustrated energy landscapes of an intrinsically disordered protein, prostate-associated gene 4 (PAGE4). PAGE4 is a transcriptional coactivator that potentiates the oncogene c-Jun. Two kinases, namely, HIPK1 and CLK2, phosphorylate PAGE4, generating variants phosphorylated at different serine/threonine residues (HIPK1-PAGE4 and CLK2-PAGE4, respectively) with opposing functions. While HIPK1-PAGE4 predominantly phosphorylates Thr51 and potentiates c-Jun, CLK2-PAGE4 hyperphosphorylates PAGE4 and attenuates transactivation. To understand the underlying mechanisms of conformational diversity among different phosphoforms, we have analyzed their atomistic trajectories simulated using AWSEM forcefield, and the energy landscapes were elucidated using ELViM. This method allows us to identify and compare the population distributions of different conformational ensembles of PAGE4 phosphoforms using the same effective phase space. The results reveal a predominant conformational ensemble with an extended C-terminal segment of WT PAGE4, which exposes a functional residue Thr51, implying its potential of undertaking a fly-casting mechanism while binding to its cognate partner. In contrast, for HIPK1-PAGE4, a compact conformational ensemble enhances its population sequestering phosphorylated-Thr51. This clearly explains the experimentally observed weaker affinity of HIPK1-PAGE4 for c-Jun. ELViM appears as a powerful tool, especially to analyze the highly frustrated energy landscape representation of IDPs where appropriate reaction coordinates are hard to apprehend.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio B Oliveira Junior
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
| | - Xingcheng Lin
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307, United States
| | - Prakash Kulkarni
- Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California 91010, United States
| | - José N Onuchic
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
| | - Susmita Roy
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal 741246, India
| | - Vitor B P Leite
- Departamento de Física, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo 15054-000, Brazil
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