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Zhuang Y, Quirk S, Stover ER, Bureau HR, Allen CR, Hernandez R. Tertiary Plasticity Drives the Efficiency of Enterocin 7B Interactions with Lipid Membranes. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:2100-2113. [PMID: 38412510 PMCID: PMC10926100 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c08199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The ability of antimicrobial peptides to efficiently kill their bacterial targets depends on the efficiency of their binding to the microbial membrane. In the case of enterocins, there is a three-part interaction: initial binding, unpacking of helices on the membrane surface, and permeation of the lipid bilayer. Helical unpacking is driven by disruption of the peptide hydrophobic core when in contact with membranes. Enterocin 7B is a leaderless enterocin antimicrobial peptide produced from Enterococcus faecalis that functions alone, or with its cognate partner enterocin 7A, to efficiently kill a wide variety of Gram-stain positive bacteria. To better characterize the role that tertiary structural plasticity plays in the ability of enterocin 7B to interact with the membranes, a series of arginine single-site mutants were constructed that destabilize the hydrophobic core to varying degrees. A series of experimental measures of structure, stability, and function, including CD spectra, far UV CD melting profiles, minimal inhibitory concentrations analysis, and release kinetics of calcein, show that decreased stabilization of the hydrophobic core is correlated with increased efficiency of a peptide to permeate membranes and in killing bacteria. Finally, using the computational technique of adaptive steered molecular dynamics, we found that the atomistic/energetic landscape of peptide mechanical unfolding leads to free energy differences between the wild type and its mutants, whose trends correlate well with our experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhuang
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Stephen Quirk
- Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Atlanta, Georgia 30076-2199, United States
| | - Erica R Stover
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Hailey R Bureau
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Caley R Allen
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Rigoberto Hernandez
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
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Iida S, Tomoshi K. Free energy and kinetic rate calculation via non-equilibrium molecular simulation: application to biomolecules. Biophys Rev 2022; 14:1303-1314. [PMID: 36659997 PMCID: PMC9842846 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-022-01036-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulation has been recognized as a powerful tool for examining biomolecules and provides fruitful insights into not only non-equilibrium but also equilibrium processes. We review recent advances in NEMD simulation and relevant, fundamental results of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. We first introduce Crooks fluctuation theorem and Jarzynski equality that relate free energy difference to work done on a physical system during a non-equilibrium process. The theorems are beneficial for the analysis of NEMD trajectories. We then describe rate theory, a framework to calculate molecular kinetics from a non-equilibrium process; this theoretical framework enables us to calculate a reaction time-mean-first passage time-from NEMD trajectories. We, in turn, present recent NEMD techniques that apply an external force to a system to enhance molecular dissociation and introduce their application to biomolecules. Lastly, we show the current status of an appropriate selection of reaction coordinates for NEMD simulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinji Iida
- Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-4-7 Aomi, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, 135-0064 Japan
| | - Kameda Tomoshi
- Artificial Intelligence Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2-4-7 Aomi, Koto-Ku, Tokyo, 135-0064 Japan
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Zhuang Y, Thota N, Quirk S, Hernandez R. Implementation of Telescoping Boxes in Adaptive Steered Molecular Dynamics. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:4649-4659. [PMID: 35830368 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Long-time dynamical processes, such as those involving protein unfolding and ligand interactions, can be accelerated and realized through steered molecular dynamics (SMD). The challenge has been the extraction of information from such simulations that generalize for complex nonequilibrium processes. The use of Jarzynski's equality opened the possibility of determining the free energy along the steered coordinate, but sampling over the nonequilibrium trajectories is slow to converge. Adaptive steered molecular dynamics (ASMD) and other related techniques have been introduced to overcome this challenge through the use of stages. Here, we take advantage of these stages to address the numerical cost that arises from the required use of very large solvent boxes. We introduce telescoping box schemes within adaptive steered molecular dynamics (ASMD) in which we adjust the solvent box between stages and thereby vary (and optimize) the required number of solvent molecules. We have benchmarked the method on a relatively long α-helical peptide, Ala30, with respect to the potential of mean force and hydrogen bonds. We show that the use of telescoping boxes introduces little numerical error while significantly reducing the computational cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhuang
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Nikhil Thota
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Stephen Quirk
- Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Atlanta, Georgia 30076-2199, United States
| | - Rigoberto Hernandez
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
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Allen C, Bureau HR, McGee TD, Quirk S, Hernandez R. Benchmarking Adaptive Steered Molecular Dynamics (ASMD) on CHARMM Force Fields. Chemphyschem 2022; 23:e202200175. [PMID: 35594194 PMCID: PMC9543079 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202200175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The potentials of mean force (PMFs) along the end‐to‐end distance of two different helical peptides have been obtained and benchmarked using the adaptive steered molecular dynamics (ASMD) method. The results depend strongly on the choice of force field driving the underlying all‐atom molecular dynamics, and are reported with respect to the three most popular CHARMM force field versions: c22, c27 and c36. Two small peptides, ALA10
and 1PEF, serve as the particular case studies. The comparisons between the versions of the CHARMM force fields provides both a qualitative and quantitative look at their performance in forced unfolding simulations in which peptides undergo large changes in structural conformations. We find that ASMD with the underlying c36 force field provides the most robust results for the selected benchmark peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caley Allen
- Johns Hopkins University Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Chemistry, UNITED STATES
| | - Hailey R Bureau
- Johns Hopkins University Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry, UNITED STATES
| | | | | | - Rigoberto Hernandez
- Johns Hopkins University - Homewood Campus: Johns Hopkins University, Chemistry, 3400 N Charles St, 21218, Baltimore, UNITED STATES
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Gruber KA, Ji RL, Gallazzi F, Jiang S, Van Doren SR, Tao YX, Newton Northup J. Development of a Therapeutic Peptide for Cachexia Suggests a Platform Approach for Drug-like Peptides. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2022; 5:344-361. [PMID: 35592439 PMCID: PMC9112415 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
During the development of a melanocortin (MC) peptide drug to treat the condition of cachexia (a hypermetabolic state producing lean body mass wasting), we were confronted with the need for peptide transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB): the MC-4 receptors (MC4Rs) for metabolic rate control are located in the hypothalamus, i.e., behind the BBB. Using the term "peptides with BBB transport", we screened the medical literature like a peptide library. This revealed numerous "hits"-peptides with BBB transport and/or oral activity. We noted several features common to most peptides in this class, including a dipeptide sequence of nonpolar residues, primary structure cyclization (whole or partial), and a Pro-aromatic motif usually within the cyclized region. Based on this, we designed an MC4R antagonist peptide, TCMCB07, that successfully treated many forms of cachexia. As part of our pharmacokinetic characterization of TCMCB07, we discovered that hepatobiliary extraction from blood accounted for a majority of the circulating peptide's excretion. Further screening of the literature revealed that TCMCB07 is a member of a long-forgotten peptide class, showing active transport by a multi-specific bile salt carrier. Bile salt transport peptides have predictable pharmacokinetics, including BBB transport, but rapid hepatic clearance inhibited their development as drugs. TCMCB07 shares the general characteristics of the bile salt peptide class but with a much longer half-life of hours, not minutes. A change in its C-terminal amino acid sequence slows hepatic clearance. This modification is transferable to other peptides in this class, suggesting a platform approach for producing drug-like peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A Gruber
- John M. Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, and Department of Medical Pharmacology & Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, United States.,Tensive Controls, Inc., Columbia, Missouri 65211, United States
| | - Ren-Lai Ji
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, Auburn University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, Alabama 36849, United States
| | - Fabio Gallazzi
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Interaction Core, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, United States
| | - Shaokai Jiang
- Department of Chemistry and NMR Core, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, United States
| | - Steven R Van Doren
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, United States`
| | - Ya-Xiong Tao
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, Auburn University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, Alabama 36849, United States
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Choong YS, Lim YY, Soong JX, Savoo N, Guida C, Rhyman L, Ramracheya R, Ramasami P. Theoretical study of the interactions between peptide tyrosine tyrosine [PYY (1-36)], a newly identified modulator in type 2 diabetes pathophysiology, with receptors NPY1R and NPY4R. Hormones (Athens) 2021; 20:557-569. [PMID: 33782920 DOI: 10.1007/s42000-021-00278-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Diabetes mellitus is a common condition in the clinically obese. Bariatric surgery is one of the ways to put type 2 diabetes in remission. Recent findings propose the appetite-regulator peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) as a therapeutic option for patients with type 2 diabetes. This novel gut hormone restores impaired insulin and glucagon secretion in pancreatic islets and is implicated in type 2 diabetes reversal after bariatric surgery. The current study elucidates the interactions between PYY and the NPY1R and NPY4R receptors using computational methods. METHODS Protein structure prediction, molecular docking simulation, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation were performed to elucidate the interactions of PYY with NPY1R and NPY4R. RESULTS The predicted binding models of PYY-NPY receptors are in agreement with those described in the literature, although different interaction partners are presented for the C-terminal tail of PYY. Non-polar interactions are predicted to drive the formation of the protein complex. The calculated binding energies show that PYY has higher affinity for NPY4R (ΔGGBSA = -65.08 and ΔGPBSA = -87.62 kcal/mol) than for NPY1R (ΔGGBSA = -23.11 and ΔGPBSA = -50.56 kcal/mol). CONCLUSIONS Based on the constructed models, the binding conformations obtained from docking and MD simulation for both the PYY-NPY1R and PYY-NPY4R complexes provide a detailed map of possible interactions. The calculated binding energies show a higher affinity of PYY for NPY4R. These findings may help to understand the mechanisms behind the improvement of diabetes following bariatric surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee Siew Choong
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia.
| | - Yee Ying Lim
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Jia Xin Soong
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine (INFORMM), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Nandini Savoo
- Computational Chemistry Group, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Réduit 80837, Mauritius
| | - Claudia Guida
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LJ, United Kingdom
| | - Lydia Rhyman
- Computational Chemistry Group, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Réduit 80837, Mauritius
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa
| | - Reshma Ramracheya
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LJ, United Kingdom.
- Pharmaceutical Operations, Centre International de Dévelopment Pharmaceutique, BioPark Mauritius, Socota Phoenicia, Phoenix 73408, Mauritius.
| | - Ponnadurai Ramasami
- Computational Chemistry Group, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Mauritius, Réduit 80837, Mauritius.
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa.
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Zhuang Y, Bureau HR, Lopez C, Bucher R, Quirk S, Hernandez R. Energetics and structure of alanine-rich α-helices via adaptive steered molecular dynamics. Biophys J 2021; 120:2009-2018. [PMID: 33775636 PMCID: PMC8204395 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The energetics and hydrogen bonding profiles of the helix-to-coil transition were found to be an additive property and to increase linearly with chain length, respectively, in alanine-rich α-helical peptides. A model system of polyalanine repeats was used to establish this hypothesis for the energetic trends and hydrogen bonding profiles. Numerical measurements of a synthesized polypeptide Ac-Y(AEAAKA)kF-NH2 and a natural α-helical peptide a2N (1-17) provide evidence of the hypothesis's generality. Adaptive steered molecular dynamics was employed to investigate the mechanical unfolding of all of these alanine-rich polypeptides. We found that the helix-to-coil transition is primarily dependent on the breaking of the intramolecular backbone hydrogen bonds and independent of specific side-chain interactions and chain length. The mechanical unfolding of the α-helical peptides results in a turnover mechanism in which a 310-helical structure forms during the unfolding, remaining at a near constant population and thereby maintaining additivity in the free energy. The intermediate partially unfolded structures exhibited polyproline II helical structure as previously seen by others. In summary, we found that the average force required to pull alanine-rich α-helical peptides in between the endpoints-namely the native structure and free coil-is nearly independent of the length or the specific primary structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhuang
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Hailey R Bureau
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Christine Lopez
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ryan Bucher
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Rigoberto Hernandez
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; Departments of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
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Chao G, Wang Z, Zhang S. Research on Correlation Between Psychological Factors, Mast Cells, and PAR-2 Signal Pathway in Irritable Bowel syndrome. J Inflamm Res 2021; 14:1427-1436. [PMID: 33883919 PMCID: PMC8055357 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s300513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The study aimed to explore the level of psychological stress factors, mast cell (MC), and neuropeptide in the occurrence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the correlation among them, and to identify representative and effective indicators for the pathogenesis and clinical medication development of IBS. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Twenty-eight patients (20-64 years old) with diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) were included in the IBS-D group and 8 healthy subjects (35-63 years old) were enrolled in the control group. All subjects accepted the colonoscopic biopsies, self-rating depression scale (SDS) and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) assessment. MC degranulation, neuropeptide S (NPS), neuropeptide Y (NPY), NPY receptor 2 (NPY2R) and Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) in colon tissues were performed by Strept Avidin-Biot complex (SABC) immunohistochemistry. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detection was used to test the expression of NPS and NPY in peripheral blood plasma and colon tissues. Western blot was applied to examine the level of NPY2R and PAR-2. RESULTS The level of anxiety and depression of patients with IBS-D was more serious than that in the control. The expression of NPS, NPY and NPY2R was down-regulated in the IBS-D. The total MC and tryptase-positive MC increased significantly in the colon tissue of IBS-D and the expression level of PAR-2 was significantly up-regulated. CONCLUSION There has been a close connection among those indicators that the activated MC may up-regulate the function of PAR-2, resulting in the change of neuropeptide (NPS and NPY), successively leading to clinical symptoms and psychological negative changes in the IBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanqun Chao
- Department of General Practice, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhaojun Wang
- The First Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuo Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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Zhuang Y, Bureau HR, Quirk S, Hernandez R. Adaptive steered molecular dynamics of biomolecules. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2020.1807542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhuang
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hailey R. Bureau
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Bureau HR, Quirk S, Hernandez R. The relative stability of trpzip1 and its mutants determined by computation and experiment. RSC Adv 2020; 10:6520-6535. [PMID: 35495997 PMCID: PMC9049704 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra00920b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The single-point mutations of tprzip1 are indicated at left, and their relative energetics are compared at right.
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