Redesigning the topology of a four-helix-bundle protein: monomeric Rop

The Curious Case of A31P, a Topology-Switching Mutant of the Repressor of Primer Protein: A Molecular Dynamics Study of Its Folding and Misfolding

The effect of mutations on protein structures is usually rather localized and minor. Finding a mutation that can single-handedly change the fold and/or topology of a protein structure is a rare exception. The A31P mutant of the homodimeric Repressor of primer (Rop) protein is one such exception: This single mutation ─and as demonstrated by two independent crystal structure determinations─ can convert the canonical (left-handed/all-antiparallel) 4-α-helical bundle of Rop to a new form (right-handed/mixed parallel and antiparallel bundle) displaying a previously unobserved "bisecting U" topology. The main problem with understanding the dramatic effect of this mutation on the folding of Rop is to understand its very existence: Most computational methods appear to agree that the mutation should have had no appreciable effect, with the majority of energy minimization methods and protein structure prediction protocols indicating that this mutation is fully consistent with the native Rop structure, requiring only a local and minor change at the mutation site. Here we use two long (10 μs each) molecular dynamics simulations to compare the stability and dynamics of the native Rop versus a hypothetical structure that is identical with the native Rop but is carrying this single Alanine31 to Proline mutation. Comparative analysis of the two trajectories convincingly shows that, in contrast to the indications from energy minimization ─but in agreement with the experimental data─, this hypothetical native-like A31P structure is unstable, with its turn regions almost completely unfolding, even under the relatively mild 320 K NpT simulations that we have used for this study. We discuss the implication of these findings for the folding of the A31P mutant, especially with respect to the proposed model of a double-funneled energy landscape.

Probing Protein Folding with Sequence-Reversed α-Helical Bundles

Recurrent protein folding motifs include various types of helical bundles formed by α-helices that supercoil around each other. While specific patterns of amino acid residues (heptad repeats) characterize the highly versatile folding motif of four-α-helical bundles, the significance of the polypeptide chain directionality is not sufficiently understood, although it determines sequence patterns, helical dipoles, and other parameters for the folding and oligomerization processes of bundles. To investigate directionality aspects in sequence-structure relationships, we reversed the amino acid sequences of two well-characterized, highly regular four-α-helical bundle proteins and studied the folding, oligomerization, and structural properties of the retro-proteins, using Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy (CD), Size Exclusion Chromatography combined with Multi-Angle Laser Light Scattering (SEC-MALS), and Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS). The comparison of the parent proteins with their retro-counterparts reveals that while the α-helical character of the parents is affected to varying degrees by sequence reversal, the folding states, oligomerization propensities, structural stabilities, and shapes of the new molecules strongly depend on the characteristics of the heptad repeat patterns. The highest similarities between parent and retro-proteins are associated with the presence of uninterrupted heptad patterns in helical bundles sequences.

Conformational dynamics of Ribonuclease Sa and its S48P mutant: Implications for the stability of the mutant protein

The optimization of β-turns has been used as a strategy to increase protein thermal stability. One example is the S48P mutation in Ribonuclease Sa, introduced to optimize a β-turn, which increases the stability of the protein as determined experimentally. Here, we have studied ⁴⁸SYGY⁵¹ β-turn and its S48P mutant from RNase Sa, as a peptide and as part of the protein, using molecular dynamics simulations. The turn propensity of the region ⁴⁸SYGY⁵¹ shows an increase in both the peptide and protein models on S48P mutation. The mutant protein shows an overall decrease in conformational dynamics and a decrease in conformational heterogeneity as compared to the wildtype protein. A comparatively restricted sampling of the φ-ψ region of GLN47, a pre PRO48 residue, in the mutant protein and some local changes in hydrogen bonding patterns involving residues 20-24 might be contributing to the mutant protein stability. In addition, some long-range hydrogen bonding interactions involving the 60s loop and the salt-bridge interaction involving ASP17-ARG63 could also be contributing to the increase in rigidity and stability of the mutant protein.

Elementary tetrahelical protein design for diverse oxidoreductase functions

Emulating functions of natural enzymes in man-made constructs has proven challenging. Here we describe a man-made protein platform that reproduces many of the diverse functions of natural oxidoreductases without importing the complex and obscure interactions common to natural proteins. Our design is founded on an elementary, structurally stable 4-α-helix protein monomer with a minimalist interior malleable enough to accommodate various light- and redox-active cofactors and with an exterior tolerating extensive charge patterning for modulation of redox cofactor potentials and environmental interactions. Despite its modest size, the construct offers several independent domains for functional engineering that targets diverse natural activities, including dioxygen binding and superoxide and peroxide generation, interprotein electron transfer to natural cytochrome c and light-activated intraprotein energy transfer and charge separation approximating the core reactions of photosynthesis, cryptochrome and photolyase. The highly stable, readily expressible and biocompatible characteristics of these open-ended designs promise development of practical in vitro and in vivo applications.

Measuring the conformational space of square four-helical bundles with the program samCC

Four-helical bundles are the most abundant topological motif among helical folds. Their constituent helices show crossing angles that mainly cluster around +20 degrees (aligned) or -50 degrees (orthogonal). Bundles with all helices aligned are called 'square' and comprise four-helical coiled coils as their structurally most regular form. Since coiled coils can be described fully by parametric equations, they can serve as a reference point for quantifying the conformational space of all square bundles. To this end we have developed a program, samCC, which measures the deviation of a given bundle from an idealized coiled coil and decomposes this into axial rotation and axial, radial, and angular shifts. We present examples of analyses performed with the program and focus in particular on the axial rotation states of helices in coiled coils, in order to gain further insight into a proposed mechanism for transmembrane signal transduction, which involves a 26 degrees axial rotation of helices between a canonical coiled coil and a variant called the Alacoil. We find that, unlike expected from the mechanistic model, coiled coils show a continuum of axial rotation states, suggesting that the Alacoil does not represent a single, defined state. We also find that one of the originally proposed Alacoil proteins, Rop, in fact has canonical packing. SamCC is freely available as a web service athttp://toolkit.tuebingen.mpg.de/samcc.

Role of dimerization in the catalytic properties of the Escherichia coli disulfide isomerase DsbC

The bacterial protein-disulfide isomerase DsbC is a homodimeric V-shaped enzyme that consists of a dimerization domain, two alpha-helical linkers, and two opposing thioredoxin fold catalytic domains. The functional significance of the two catalytic domains of DsbC is not well understood yet. We have engineered heterodimer-like DsbC derivatives covalently linked via (Gly(3)-Ser) flexible linkers. We either inactivated one of the catalytic sites (CGYC), or entirely removed one of the catalytic domains while maintaining the putative binding area intact. Variants having a single active catalytic site display significant levels of isomerase activity. Furthermore, mDsbC[H45D]-dim[D53H], a DsbC variant lacking an entire catalytic domain but with an intact dimerization domain, also showed isomerase activity, albeit at lower levels. In addition, the absence of the catalytic domain allowed this protein to catalyze in vivo oxidation. Our results reveal that two catalytic domains in DsbC are not essential for disulfide bond isomerization and that a determining feature in isomerization is the availability of a substrate binding domain.

Engineering heme binding sites in monomeric rop

Heme ligands were introduced in the hydrophobic core of an engineered monomeric ColE1 repressor of primer (rop-S55) in two different layers of the heptad repeat. Mutants rop-L63M/F121H (layer 1) and rop-L56H/L113H (layer 3) were found to bind heme with a K (D) of 1.1 +/- 0.2 and 0.47 +/- 0.07 microM, respectively. The unfolding of heme-bound and heme-free mutants, in the presence of guanidinium hydrochloride, was monitored by both circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy. For the heme-bound rop mutants, the total free energy change was 0.5 kcal/mol higher in the layer 3 mutant compared with that in the layer1 mutant. Heme binding also stabilized these mutants by increasing the [DGobsH2O] by 1.4 and 1.8 kcal/mol in rop-L63M/F121H and rop-L56H/L113H, respectively. The reduction potentials measured by spectroelectrochemical titrations were calculated to be -154 +/- 2 mV for rop-56H/113H and -87.5 +/- 1.2 mV for rop-L63M/F121H. The mutant designed to bind heme in a more buried environment (layer 3) showed tighter heme binding, a higher stability, and a different reduction potential compared with the mutant designed to bind heme in layer 1.

Making a single-chain four-helix bundle for redox chemistry studies

The construction and characteristics of the stable and well-structured alpha(4)W protein are described. The 117-residue, single-chain protein has a molecular weight of 13.1 kDa and is designed to fold into a four-helix bundle. Experimental characterization of the expressed and purified protein shows a 69.8 +/- 0.8% helical content over a 5.5-10.0 pH range. The protein is thermostable with a T(M) > 355 K and has a free energy of unfolding as measured by chemical denaturation of -4.7 kcal mol(-1) at 25 degrees C and neutral pH. One-dimensional (1D) proton and 2D (15)N-HSQC spectra show narrow, well-dispersed spectral lines consistent with a uniquely structured alpha-helical protein. Analytical ultracentrifugation and NMR data show that the protein is monomeric over a broad protein concentration range. The 324 nm emission maximum of the unique Trp-106 is consistent with a sequestered position of the aromatic residue. Additionally, differential pulse voltammetry characterization indicates an elevated peak potential for Trp-106 when the protein is folded (pH range 7.0-8.5) relative to partly unfolded (pH range 11.4-13.2). The oxidation of Trp-106 is coupled to proton release as shown by a 53 +/- 3 mV/pH unit dependence of the peak potential over the 7.0-8.5 pH range.

Structure and host-cell interaction of SH1, a membrane-containing, halophilic euryarchaeal virus

The Archaea, and the viruses that infect them, are the least well understood of all of the three domains of life. They often grow in extreme conditions such as hypersaline lakes and sulfuric hot springs. Only rare glimpses have been gained into the structures of archaeal viruses. Here, we report the subnanometer resolution structure of a recently isolated, hypersalinic, membrane-containing, euryarchaeal virus, SH1, in which different viral proteins can be localized. The results indicate that SH1 has a complex capsid formed from single beta-barrels, an important missing link in hypotheses on viral capsid protein evolution. Unusual, symmetry-mismatched spikes seem to play a role in host adsorption. They are connected to highly organized membrane proteins providing a platform for capsid assembly and potential machinery for host infection.

The origin of protein interactions and allostery in colocalization

Two fundamental principles can account for how regulated networks of interacting proteins originated in cells. These are the law of mass action, which holds that the binding of one molecule to another increases with concentration, and the fact that the colocalization of molecules vastly increases their local concentrations. It follows that colocalization can amplify the effect on one protein of random mutations in another protein and can therefore, through natural selection, lead to interactions between proteins and to a startling variety of complex allosteric controls. It also follows that allostery is common and that homologous proteins can have different allosteric mechanisms. Thus, the regulated protein networks of organisms seem to be the inevitable consequence of natural selection operating under physical laws.

Permeation of particle through a four-helix-bundle model channel

By using molecular dynamics simulation, the dynamic behaviors of particle permeation through a four-helix-bundle model channel are studied. The interior cavity of the four-helix-bundle provides the "routes" for particle permeation. The main structural properties of the model channel are similar to those that appear in natural four-helix-bundle proteins. It is found that the interior structure of the model channel may greatly influence the permeation process. At the narrow necks of the model channel, the particle would be trapped during the permeation. There is a threshold value for the driving force. When the driving force is larger than this threshold value, the mean first permeation time decreases sharply and tends to be saturated. Increasing the temperature of either the model channel or the particle reservoir can also facilitate the permeation. Enhancing the interaction strength between the particle and monomer on the four-helix-bundle model chain will hinder the permeation. Hence, the electrical current which is induced by the particle permeation is a function of the driving force and temperature. It is found that this current increases monotonically as the strength of the driving force or the temperature increases, but decreases as the interaction strength between the particle and monomer increases. It is also found that the larger the friction coefficient, the slower the permeation is. In addition, the multiparticle (or multi-ion) permeation process is also studied. The permeation of multiparticle is usually quicker than that of the single particle. The permeation of particle through a five-helix-bundle shows similar properties as that through a four-helix-bundle.

Thermodynamics of a designed protein catenane

Topological linking of proteins is a new approach for stabilizing and controlling the oligomerization state of proteins that fold in an interwined manner. The recent design of a backbone cyclized protein catenane based on the p53tet domain suggested that topological cross-linking provided increased stability against thermal and chemical denaturation. However, the tetrameric structure complicated detailed biophysical analysis of this protein. Here, we describe the design, synthesis and thermodynamic characterization of a protein catenane based on a dimeric mutant of the p53tet domain (M340E/L344K). The formation of the catenane proceeded efficiently, and the overall structure and oligomerization of the domain was not affected by the formation of the topological link. Unfolding and refolding of the catenane was consistent with a two-state process. The topological link stabilized the dimer against thermal and chemical denaturation considerably, raising the apparent melting temperature by 59 degrees C and the midpoint of denaturation by 4.5M GuHCl at a concentration of 50 microM. The formation of the topological link increased the resistance of the dimer to proteolysis. However, the m value decreased by 1.7kcalmol(-1)M(-1), suggesting a decrease in accessible surface area in the unfolded state. This implies that the stabilization from the topological link is largely due to a destabilization of the unfolded state, similar to other cross-links in proteins. Topological linking therefore provides a powerful and orthogonal tool for the stabilization of peptide and protein oligomers.

Four-helix bundle topology re-engineered: monomeric Rop protein variants with different loop arrangements

We converted the small homodimeric four-helix bundle repressor of primer protein (Rop) into a monomeric four-helix bundle by introduction of connecting loops. Both left- and right-handed four-helix bundles were produced. The left-handed bundles were more stable and were used to introduce biologically interesting peptides in one of the loops.

Investigating and Engineering Enzymes by Genetic Selection

Natural enzymes have arisen over millions of years by the gradual process of Darwinian evolution. The fundamental steps of evolution-mutation, selection, and amplification-can also be exploited in the laboratory to create and characterize protein catalysts on a human timescale. In vivo genetic selection strategies enable the exhaustive analysis of protein libraries with 10(10) different members, and even larger ensembles can be studied with in vitro methods. Evolutionary approaches can consequently yield statistically meaningful insight into the complex and often subtle interactions that influence protein folding, structure, and catalytic mechanism. Such methods are also being used increasingly as an adjunct to design, thus providing access to novel proteins with tailored catalytic activities and selectivities.

SymROP: ROP protein with identical helices redesigned by all-atom contact analysis and molecular dynamics

Experience has shown that protein redesigns (using the backbone from a known protein structure) are far more likely to produce well-ordered, native-like structures than are true de novo designs. Therefore, to design a four-helix bundle made of identical short helices, we here proceed by an extensive redesign of the ROP protein. A fully symmetrical SymROP sequence derived from ROP was chosen by modeling ideal-geometry side chains, including hydrogens, while maintaining the "goodness-of-fit" of side-chain packing by calculating all-atom contact surfaces with the Reduce and Probe programs. To estimate the probable extent of backbone movement and side-chain mobility, restrained molecular dynamics simulations were compared for candidate sequences and controls, including substitution of Abu for all or half the core Ala residues. The resulting 17-residue designed sequence is 41% identical to the relevant regions in ROP. SymROP is intended for construction by the Template Assembled Synthetic Proteins approach, to control the bundle topology, to use short helices, and to allow blocked termini and unnatural amino acids. ROP protein has been a valuable system for studying helical protein structure because of its simplicity and regularity within a structure large enough to have a real hydrophobic core. The SymROP design carries that simplicity and regularity even further.

Virus maturation targets the protein capsid to concerted disassembly and unfolding

Many animal viruses undergo post-assembly proteolytic cleavage that is required for infectivity. The role of maturation cleavage on Flock House virus was evaluated by comparing wild type (wt) and cleavage-defective mutant (D75N) Flock House virus virus-like particles. A concerted dissociation and unfolding of the mature wt particle was observed under treatment by urea, whereas the cleavage-defective mutant dissociated to folded subunits as determined by steady-state and dynamic fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism, and nuclear magnetic resonance. The folded D75N alpha subunit could reassemble into capsids, whereas the yield of reassembly from unfolded cleaved wt subunits was very low. Overall, our results demonstrate that the maturation/cleavage process targets the particle for an "off pathway" disassembly, because dissociation is coupled to unfolding. The increased motions in the cleaved capsid, revealed by fluorescence and NMR, and the concerted nature of dissociation/unfolding may be crucial to make the mature particle infectious.

Tertiary templates for the design of diiron proteins

Diiron proteins represent a diverse class of structures involved in the binding and activation of oxygen. This review explores the simple structural features underlying the common metal-ion-binding and oxygen-binding properties of these proteins. The backbone geometries of their active sites are formed by four-helix bundles, which may be parameterized to within approximately 1 A root mean square deviation. Such parametric models are excellent starting points for investigating how asymmetric deviations from an idealized geometry influence the functional properties of the metal ion centers. These idealized models also provide attractive frameworks for de novo protein design.

Characterization of MB-1. A dimeric helical protein with a compact core

MB-1 is a de-novo protein designed to incorporate a large number of the nutritionally important amino acids methionine, lysine, leucine and threonine into a stable four-helix bundle protein. MB-1 has been expressed and purified from Escherichia coli, indicating it was resistant to intracellular proteases [Beauregard, M., Dupont, C., Teather, R.M. & Hefford, M.A. (1995) Bio/Technology 13, 974]. Here we report an analysis of the secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures in MB-1 using circular dichroism, fluorospectroscopy and size-exclusion chromatography. Our data indicate that the MB-1 structure is close to the target structure, an alpha-helical bundle, in many respects and is highly helical in solution. The single tyrosine incorporated into the designed protein as a spectrocopic probe of tertiary structure, is buried in a compact, folded core and becomes accessible on protein denaturation, as per design. Furthermore, MB-1 was found to be native-like in many respects: (a) protein denaturation induced by urea is cooperative and fully reversible; (b) its oligomeric state at moderate concentration is well defined; and (c) MB-1 has very low affinity for 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANSA), leading to enhancement of ANSA fluorescence that resembles that of other native proteins. On the other hand, our analysis revealed two aspects that command further attention. The folding stability of MB-1 as assessed by urea and thermal denaturation is somewhat less than that found for natural globular proteins of similar size. Size-exclusion chromatography experiments and analysis of MB-1 denaturation indicate that MB-1 is dimeric, not monomeric as designed. In light of these results, the utility and the current limitations of our design approach are discussed.

Probing enzyme quaternary structure by combinatorial mutagenesis and selection

Genetic selection provides an effective way to obtain active catalysts from a diverse population of protein variants. We have used this tool to investigate the role of loop sequences in determining the quaternary structure of a domain-swapped enzyme. By inserting random loops of four to seven residues into a dimeric chorismate mutase and selecting for functional variants by genetic complementation, we have obtained and characterized both monomeric and hexameric enzymes that retain considerable catalytic activity. The low percentage of active proteins recovered from these selection experiments indicates that relatively few loop sequences permit a change in quaternary structure without affecting active site structure. The results of our experiments suggest further that protein stability can be an important driving force in the evolution of oligomeric proteins.

Optimizing the stability of single-chain proteins by linker length and composition mutagenesis

Linker length and composition were varied in libraries of single-chain Arc repressor, resulting in proteins with effective concentrations ranging over six orders of magnitude (10 microM-10 M). Linkers of 11 residues or more were required for biological activity. Equilibrium stability varied substantially with linker length, reaching a maximum for glycine-rich linkers containing 19 residues. The effects of linker length on equilibrium stability arise from significant and sometimes opposing changes in folding and unfolding kinetics. By fixing the linker length at 19 residues and varying the ratio of Ala/Gly or Ser/Gly in a 16-residue-randomized region, the effects of linker flexibility were examined. In these libraries, composition rather than sequence appears to determine stability. Maximum stability in the Ala/Gly library was observed for a protein containing 11 alanines and five glycines in the randomized region of the linker. In the Ser/Gly library, the most stable protein had seven serines and nine glycines in this region. Analysis of folding and unfolding rates suggests that alanine acts largely by accelerating folding, whereas serine acts predominantly to slow unfolding. These results demonstrate an important role for linker design in determining the stability and folding kinetics of single-chain proteins and suggest strategies for optimizing these parameters.

Analysis and design of three-stranded coiled coils and three-helix bundles

Three-stranded coiled coils and three-helix bundles are increasingly being identified in proteins. Design and engineering on the scaffolds of these motifs is a potential route towards combating associated viral infections as well as introducing novel functional sites.

Single-chain lambda Cro repressors confirm high intrinsic dimer-DNA affinity

The overall affinity of the bacteriophage lambda Cro repressor for its operator DNA site is limited by dimer dissociation at submicromolar concentrations. Since Cro dimer-operator complexes form at nanomolar concentrations of Cro subunits where free dimers are rare, these dimers must bind with compensating high affinities. Previous studies of the covalent dimer Cro V55C suggest little change in DNA binding affinity even though the dimeric species is quantitatively populated; this is an apparent contradiction to the expectation of high intrinsic dimer-DNA affinity. In contrast to the disulfide linkage at the center of the dimer interface in Cro V55C, polypeptide linkers that join the two subunits allow single-chain Cro repressors to bind operator DNA with picomolar affinities. A series of five single-chain Cro repressors have been expressed from fused tandem cro genes. Each contains a peptide linker of 8-16 hydrophilic residues that connects the C-terminus of one subunit to the N-terminus of the next. All bind to operator DNA with at least 100-fold higher affinity than Cro V55C. Proteins containing the longest and shortest linkers have been purified and characterized in detail. Both exhibit similar CD spectra to wild-type Cro and enhanced thermal stability. Sedimentation equilibrium experiments show that single-chain Cro repressors do not associate at concentrations up to 30 microM. The rate of dissociation of Cro-DNA complexes is almost unchanged by covalent linkage. Biophysical characterization of Cro variants such as these, where DNA binding is uncoupled from subunit assembly, is necessary for a quantitative understanding of the structural and energetic determinants of DNA recognition in this simple model system.

Redesigning enzyme topology by directed evolution

Genetic selection was exploited in combination with structure-based design to transform an intimately entwined, dimeric chorismate mutase into a monomeric, four-helix-bundle protein with near native activity. Successful reengineering depended on choosing a thermostable starting protein, introducing point mutations that preferentially destabilize the wild-type dimer, and using directed evolution to optimize an inserted interhelical turn. Contrary to expectations based on studies of other four-helix-bundle proteins, only a small fraction of possible turn sequences (fewer than 0.05 percent) yielded well-behaved, monomeric, and highly active enzymes. Selection for catalytic function thus provides an efficient yet stringent method for rapidly assessing correctly folded polypeptides and may prove generally useful for protein design.

Single chain dimers of MASH-1 bind DNA with enhanced affinity

By designing recombinant genes containing tandem copies of the coding region of the BHLH domain of MASH-1 (MASH-BHLH) with intervening DNA sequences encoding linker sequences of 8 or 17 amino acids, the two subunits of the MASH dimer have been connected to form the single chain dimers MM8 and MM17. Despite the long and flexible linkers which connect the C-terminus of the first BHLH subunit to the N-terminus of the second, a distance of approximately 55 A, the single chain dimers could be produced in Escherichia coli at high levels. MM8 and MM17 were monomeric and no 'cross-folding' of the subunits was observed. CD spectroscopy revealed that, like wild-type MASH-BHLH, MM8 and MM17 adopt only partly folded structures in the absence of DNA, but undergo a folding transition to a mainly alpha-helical conformation on DNA binding. Titrations by electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed that the affinity of the single chain dimers for E box-containing DNA sequences was increased approximately 10-fold when compared with wild-type MASH-BHLH. On the other hand, the affinity for heterologous DNA sequences was increased only 5-fold. Therefore, the introduction of the peptide linker led to a 4-fold increase in DNA binding specificity from -0.14 to -0.57 kcal/mol.

Exploring sequence constraints on an interhelical turn using in vivo selection for catalytic activity

The role of interhelical turns in determining protein structure has been investigated previously in relatively simple four-helix-bundle proteins using combinatorial mutagenesis coupled with screening for functional variants. To assess the tolerance to sequence substitution of a short, interhelical turn in a larger, more complicated protein, we have exploited a more sensitive in vivo selection for catalytic activity. Randomization of three solvent-exposed turn residues in Escherichia coli chorismate mutase (Ala65, His66, and His67), followed by selection, indicated that >63% of tripeptides, including some with significantly altered backbone conformations, can functionally replace the native sequence. The increased sensitivity of the catalytic assay allowed optimal sequences to be distinguished from less appropriate ones, revealing a statistically significant preference for hydrophilic residues in solvent-exposed positions. It also enabled investigation of the extent to which either secondary structure or tertiary interactions influence substitution patterns. Randomization of an alpha-helical residue (Lys64), together with the adjacent solvent-exposed tripeptide, Ala65-His66-His67, showed that the secondary structure at position 64 does not limit the range of side chains allowed at this site. In contrast, randomization of a buried turn residue (Leu68), together with the same tripeptide, revealed an extremely strict requirement for hydrophobic aliphatic amino acids at this position. The strong constraint imposed by the tertiary interaction, in contrast to the weak influence of secondary structure, has important implications for protein design.

Contrasting roles for symmetrically disposed beta-turns in the folding of a small protein

To investigate the role of turns in protein folding, we have characterized the effects of combinatorial and site-directed mutations in the two beta-turns of peptostreptococcal protein L on folding thermodynamics and kinetics. Sequences of folded variants recovered from combinatorial libraries using a phase display selection method were considerably more variable in the second turn than in the first turn. These combinatorial mutants as well as strategically placed point mutants in the two turns had a similar range of thermodynamic stabilities, but strikingly different folding kinetics. A glycine to alanine substitution in the second beta-turn increased the rate of unfolding more than tenfold but had little effect on the rate of folding, while mutation of a symmetrically disposed glycine residue in the first turn had little effect on unfolding but slowed the rate of folding nearly tenfold. These results demonstrate that the role of beta-turns in protein folding is strongly context-dependent, and suggests that the first turn is formed and the second turn disrupted in the folding transition state.

Design of two-helix motifs in peptides: crystal structure of a system of linked helices of opposite chirality and a model helix-linker peptide

BACKGROUND

An attempt is being made to produce two-helix bundles that are soluble in apolar media, without the use of a rigid template. The approach relies on the use of stereochemically constrained amino acids for helix construction, while a flexible linker is obtained by the use of an epsilon-aminocaproic acid residue (Acp). The Acp linker has appropriate NH and COOH termini to connect to the N and C termini of the helices, a flexible (CH2)5 moiety and sufficient length to make the desired assembly.

RESULTS

The conformations in crystals (determined by X-ray diffraction analyses) are described for a partial assembly consisting of a 7-residue helix with Acp (helix-Acp) and for two assemblies of 7-residue helices with Acp (helix-Acp-helix) in which the chiralities of the helices are L,L (already published) and L,D (this publication). The Acp linker is extended away from the helix in the L,L analog in a zig-zag manner, but assumes a helical conformation in the L,D analog. The two helices in the L,L and L,D analogs are displaced laterally by the linker, but in neither case has the linker folded the molecule into the desired U-conformation. Cell parameters for Boc-L-Val-L-Ala-L-Leu-Aib-L-Val-L-Ala-L-Leu-Acp-D-Val-D -Ala-D-Leu-Aib-D-Val-D-Ala-D-Leu-OMe are space group P4(1) with a = b = 10.094(6) A and c = 93.383(12) A.

CONCLUSIONS

Strong hydrogen bonds (NH...O=C) between the displaced helices of one molecule and the displaced helices of a neighboring molecule, which form near the linker of each helix-linker-helix assembly, appear to dominate in both the L,L and L,D crystal. The (CH2)5 segment of the linker readily adopts different conformations that result in the L and D helices packing in a similar spatial motif. Greater conformational control at the linking segment or introduction of specific interhelix interactions may be necessary in order to achieve U-type folding between neighboring helices in a single molecule.

An inverse correlation between loop length and stability in a four-helix-bundle protein

BACKGROUND

The loops in proteins are less well characterized than the secondary structural elements that they connect. We have used the four-helix-bundle protein Rop as a model system in which to explore the role of loop length in protein folding and stability.

RESULTS

A natural two-residue loop was replaced with a series of glycine linkers up to 10 residues in length. All 10 mutants are highly helical dimers that retain wild-type RNA-binding activity. As loop length is increased, the stability of Rop toward thermal and chemical denaturation is progressively decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

All the mutants assume a wild-type-like structure, which suggests that the natural loop does not actively dictate the final protein fold. The strong inverse correlation observed between loop length and stability is well described by a simple polymer model in which the entropy of loop closure is the dominant energetic term. Our results emphasize the importance of optimization of loop length to successful protein design.

Redesigning the quaternary structure of R67 dihydrofolate reductase. Creation of an active monomer from a tetrameric protein by quadruplication of the gene

R67 dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) provides resistance to the antibacterial drug trimethoprim. This R-plasmid-encoded enzyme does not share any homology with chromosomal DHFR. A recent crystal structure of active, homotetrameric R67 DHFR (Narayana, N., Matthews, D. A., Howell, E. E., and Xuong, N.-H. (1995) Nat. Struct. Biol. 2, 1018-1025) indicates that a single active site pore traverses the length of the molecule. Since the center of the pore possesses exact 222 symmetry, site-directed mutagenesis of residues in the pore will produce four mutations/active site. To break this inevitable symmetry, four copies of the gene have been linked in frame to create an active monomer possessing the essential tertiary structure of native tetrameric R67 DHFR. The protein product, quadruple R67 DHFR, is 4 times the molecular mass of native R67 DHFR in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and is monomeric under nondenaturing conditions as measured by sedimentation equilibrium experiments. The catalytic activity of quadruple R67 DHFR is decreased only slightly when compared with native R67 DHFR. Folding of quadruple R67 DHFR is completely reversible at pH 5. However, at pH 8, folding is not fully reversible; this is likely due to a competition between productive intramolecular versus nonproductive intermolecular domain association. The production of a fully active, monomeric R67 DHFR variant will enable the design of more meaningful site-directed mutants where single substitutions per active site pore can be generated.

Folding simulations and computer redesign of protein A three-helix bundle motifs

In solution, the B domain of protein A from Staphylococcus aureus (B domain) possesses a three-helix bundle structure. This simple motif has been previously reproduced by Kolinski and Skolnick (Proteins 18: 353-366, 1994) using a reduced representation lattice model of proteins with a statistical interaction scheme. In this paper, an improved version of the potential has been used, and the robustness of this result has been tested by folding from the random state a set of three-helix bundle proteins that are highly homologous to the B domain of protein A. Furthermore, an attempt to redesign the B domain native structure to its topological mirror image fold has been made by multiple mutations of the hydrophobic core and the turn region between helices I and II. A sieve method for scanning a large set of mutations to search for this desired property has been proposed. It has been shown that mutations of native B domain hydrophobic core do not introduce significant changes in the protein motif. Mutations in the turn region were also very conservative; nevertheless, a few mutants acquired the desired topological mirror image motif. A set of all atom models of the most probable mutant was reconstructed from the reduced models and refined using a molecular dynamics algorithm in the presence of water. The packing of all atom structures obtained corroborates the lattice model results. We conclude that the change in the handedness of the turn induced by the mutations, augmented by the repacking of hydrophobic core and the additional burial of the second helix N-cap side chain, are responsible for the predicted preferential adoption of the mirror image structure.

Sequence replacements in the central beta-turn of plastocyanin

The role of beta-turns in dictating the structure of a beta-barrel protein is assessed by probing the tolerance of the central beta-turn of poplar plastocyanin to substitution by arbitrary sequences. Native plastocyanin binds copper and is colored bright blue. However, when the wild-type Pro47-Ser48-Gly49-Val50 turn sequence is replaced by arbitrary tetrapeptides, the vast majority (92/98 = 94%) of mutant proteins cannot fold into the native blue structure. Characterization of the colorless mutant proteins demonstrates that the majority of substitutions in this type II beta-turn disrupt the native structure severely. Gross structural changes are indicated by major differences in the CD spectra of the mutants relative to the wild-type protein, and by the much larger apparent size of mutant proteins in gel filtration experiments. These mutant proteins do not bind copper. Furthermore, Cys84 forms a disulfide bond readily in the colorless mutant proteins, indicating that it has moved away from the buried position it occupies in the native copper binding site and has become exposed. These results indicate that the central beta-turn in plastocyanin is not merely a default structure arising in response to the surrounding context; rather, sequence information in this turn plays an active role in dictating the location of a chain reversal in the beta-barrel structure. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the folding of natural proteins, as well as the design of de novo proteins.

Sequence space, folding and protein design

Protein design efforts are beginning to yield molecules with many of the properties of natural proteins. Such experiments are informed by and contribute to our understanding of the sequence determinants of protein folding and stability. The most important design elements seem to be the proper placement of hydrophobic residues along the polypeptide chain and the ability of these residues to form a well packed core. Buried polar interactions, turn and capping motifs and secondary structural propensities also contribute, although probably to a lesser extent.

Amino-acid substitutions in a surface turn modulate protein stability

A surface turn position in a four-helix bundle protein, Rop, was selected to investigate the role of turns in protein structure and stability. Although all twenty amino acids can be substituted at this position to generate a correctly folded protein, they produce an unusually large range of thermodynamic stabilities. Moreover, the majority of substitutions give rise to proteins with enhanced thermal stability compared to that of the wild type. By introducing the same twenty mutations at this position, but in a simplified context, we were able to deconvolute intrinsic preferences from local environmental effects. The intrinsic preferences can be explained on the basis of preferred backbone dihedral angles, but local environmental context can significantly modify these effects.