1
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Walker-Gibbons R, Zhu X, Behjatian A, Bennett TJD, Krishnan M. Sensing the structural and conformational properties of single-stranded nucleic acids using electrometry and molecular simulations. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20582. [PMID: 39232063 PMCID: PMC11375218 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-70641-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Inferring the 3D structure and conformation of disordered biomolecules, e.g., single stranded nucleic acids (ssNAs), remains challenging due to their conformational heterogeneity in solution. Here, we use escape-time electrometry (ETe) to measure with sub elementary-charge precision the effective electrical charge in solution of short to medium chain length ssNAs in the range of 5-60 bases. We compare measurements of molecular effective charge with theoretically calculated values for simulated molecular conformations obtained from Molecular Dynamics simulations using a variety of forcefield descriptions. We demonstrate that the measured effective charge captures subtle differences in molecular structure in various nucleic acid homopolymers of identical length, and also that the experimental measurements can find agreement with computed values derived from coarse-grained molecular structure descriptions such as oxDNA, as well next generation ssNA force fields. We further show that comparing the measured effective charge with calculations for a rigid, charged rod-the simplest model of a nucleic acid-yields estimates of molecular structural dimensions such as linear charge spacings that capture molecular structural trends observed using high resolution structural analysis methods such as X-ray scattering. By sensitively probing the effective charge of a molecule, electrometry provides a powerful dimension supporting inferences of molecular structural and conformational properties, as well as the validation of biomolecular structural models. The overall approach holds promise for a high throughput, microscopy-based biomolecular analytical approach offering rapid screening and inference of molecular 3D conformation, and operating at the single molecule level in solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowan Walker-Gibbons
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK
| | - Xin Zhu
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK
| | - Ali Behjatian
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK
| | - Timothy J D Bennett
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK
| | - Madhavi Krishnan
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QZ, UK.
- The Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, Sherrington Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
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2
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Sorour MI, Kistler KA, Marcus AH, Matsika S. Molecular Dynamical and Quantum Mechanical Exploration of the Site-Specific Dynamics of Cy3 Dimers Internally Linked to dsDNA. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:7750-7760. [PMID: 39105720 PMCID: PMC11343064 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c03115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Performing spectroscopic measurements on biomolecules labeled with fluorescent probes is a powerful approach to locating the molecular behavior and dynamics of large systems at specific sites within their local environments. The indocarbocyanine dye Cy3 has emerged as one of the most commonly used chromophores. The incorporation of Cy3 dimers into DNA enhances experimental resolution owing to the spectral characteristics influenced by the geometric orientation of excitonically coupled monomeric units. Various theoretical models and simulations have been utilized to aid in the interpretation of the experimental spectra. In this study, we employ all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to study the structural dynamics of Cy3 dimers internally linked to the dsDNA backbone. We used quantum mechanical calculations to derive insights from both the linear absorption spectra and the circular dichroism data. Furthermore, we explore potential limitations within a commonly used force field for cyanine dyes. The molecular dynamics simulations suggest the presence of four possible Cy3 dimeric populations. The spectral simulations on the four populations show one of them to agree better with the experimental signatures, suggesting it to be the dominant population. The relative orientation of Cy3 in this population compares very well with previous predictions from the Holstein-Frenkel Hamiltonian model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed I Sorour
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
| | - Kurt A Kistler
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, Brandywine Campus, Media, Pennsylvania 19063, United States
| | - Andrew H Marcus
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, United States
| | - Spiridoula Matsika
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States
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3
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Steffen FD, Cunha RA, Sigel RKO, Börner R. FRET-guided modeling of nucleic acids. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:e59. [PMID: 38869063 PMCID: PMC11260485 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The functional diversity of RNAs is encoded in their innate conformational heterogeneity. The combination of single-molecule spectroscopy and computational modeling offers new attractive opportunities to map structural transitions within nucleic acid ensembles. Here, we describe a framework to harmonize single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements with molecular dynamics simulations and de novo structure prediction. Using either all-atom or implicit fluorophore modeling, we recreate FRET experiments in silico, visualize the underlying structural dynamics and quantify the reaction coordinates. Using multiple accessible-contact volumes as a post hoc scoring method for fragment assembly in Rosetta, we demonstrate that FRET can be used to filter a de novo RNA structure prediction ensemble by refuting models that are not compatible with in vitro FRET measurement. We benchmark our FRET-assisted modeling approach on double-labeled DNA strands and validate it against an intrinsically dynamic manganese(II)-binding riboswitch. We show that a FRET coordinate describing the assembly of a four-way junction allows our pipeline to recapitulate the global fold of the riboswitch displayed by the crystal structure. We conclude that computational fluorescence spectroscopy facilitates the interpretability of dynamic structural ensembles and improves the mechanistic understanding of nucleic acid interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio D Steffen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Richard A Cunha
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Roland K O Sigel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Richard Börner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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4
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Miller JJ, Mallimadugula UL, Zimmerman MI, Stuchell-Brereton MD, Soranno A, Bowman GR. Accounting for fast vs slow exchange in single molecule FRET experiments reveals hidden conformational states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.03.597137. [PMID: 38895430 PMCID: PMC11185552 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.03.597137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Proteins are dynamic systems whose structural preferences determine their function. Unfortunately, building atomically detailed models of protein structural ensembles remains challenging, limiting our understanding of the relationships between sequence, structure, and function. Combining single molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) experiments with molecular dynamics simulations could provide experimentally grounded, all-atom models of a protein's structural ensemble. However, agreement between the two techniques is often insufficient to achieve this goal. Here, we explore whether accounting for important experimental details like averaging across structures sampled during a given smFRET measurement is responsible for this apparent discrepancy. We present an approach to account for this time-averaging by leveraging the kinetic information available from Markov state models of a protein's dynamics. This allows us to accurately assess which timescales are averaged during an experiment. We find this approach significantly improves agreement between simulations and experiments in proteins with varying degrees of dynamics, including the well-ordered protein T4 lysozyme, the partially disordered protein apolipoprotein E (ApoE), and a disordered amyloid protein (Aβ40). We find evidence for hidden states that are not apparent in smFRET experiments because of time averaging with other structures, akin to states in fast exchange in NMR, and evaluate different force fields. Finally, we show how remaining discrepancies between computations and experiments can be used to guide additional simulations and build structural models for states that were previously unaccounted for. We expect our approach will enable combining simulations and experiments to understand the link between sequence, structure, and function in many settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin J. Miller
- Departments of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Upasana L. Mallimadugula
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Maxwell I. Zimmerman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Melissa D. Stuchell-Brereton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Andrea Soranno
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
| | - Gregory R. Bowman
- Departments of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
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5
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Montepietra D, Tesei G, Martins JM, Kunze MBA, Best RB, Lindorff-Larsen K. FRETpredict: a Python package for FRET efficiency predictions using rotamer libraries. Commun Biol 2024; 7:298. [PMID: 38461354 PMCID: PMC10925062 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05910-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a widely-used and versatile technique for the structural characterization of biomolecules. Here, we introduce FRETpredict, an easy-to-use Python software to predict FRET efficiencies from ensembles of protein conformations. FRETpredict uses a rotamer library approach to describe the FRET probes covalently bound to the protein. The software efficiently and flexibly operates on large conformational ensembles such as those generated by molecular dynamics simulations to facilitate the validation or refinement of molecular models and the interpretation of experimental data. We provide access to rotamer libraries for many commonly used dyes and linkers and describe a general methodology to generate new rotamer libraries for FRET probes. We demonstrate the performance and accuracy of the software for different types of systems: a rigid peptide (polyproline 11), an intrinsically disordered protein (ACTR), and three folded proteins (HiSiaP, SBD2, and MalE). FRETpredict is open source (GPLv3) and is available at github.com/KULL-Centre/FRETpredict and as a Python PyPI package at pypi.org/project/FRETpredict .
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Montepietra
- Department of Chemical, Life and Environmental Sustainability Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, 43125, Italy
- Istituto Nanoscienze - CNR-NANO, Center S3, via G. Campi 213/A, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Giulio Tesei
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory & the Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2200, Denmark
| | - João M Martins
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory & the Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2200, Denmark
| | - Micha B A Kunze
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory & the Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2200, Denmark
| | - Robert B Best
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892-0520, USA.
| | - Kresten Lindorff-Larsen
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory & the Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DK-2200, Denmark.
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6
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Antolínez S, Jones PE, Phillips JC, Hadden-Perilla JA. AMBERff at Scale: Multimillion-Atom Simulations with AMBER Force Fields in NAMD. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:543-554. [PMID: 38176097 PMCID: PMC10806814 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are an essential structural biology technique with increasing application to multimillion-atom systems, including viruses and cellular machinery. Classical MD simulations rely on parameter sets, such as the AMBER family of force fields (AMBERff), to accurately describe molecular motion. Here, we present an implementation of AMBERff for use in NAMD that overcomes previous limitations to enable high-performance, massively parallel simulations encompassing up to two billion atoms. Single-point potential energy comparisons and case studies on model systems demonstrate that the implementation produces results that are as accurate as running AMBERff in its native engine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Antolínez
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Peter Eugene Jones
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - James C. Phillips
- National
Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Jodi A. Hadden-Perilla
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
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7
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Ploetz E, Ambrose B, Barth A, Börner R, Erichson F, Kapanidis AN, Kim HD, Levitus M, Lohman TM, Mazumder A, Rueda DS, Steffen FD, Cordes T, Magennis SW, Lerner E. A new twist on PIFE: photoisomerisation-related fluorescence enhancement. Methods Appl Fluoresc 2023; 12:012001. [PMID: 37726007 PMCID: PMC10570931 DOI: 10.1088/2050-6120/acfb58] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
PIFE was first used as an acronym for protein-induced fluorescence enhancement, which refers to the increase in fluorescence observed upon the interaction of a fluorophore, such as a cyanine, with a protein. This fluorescence enhancement is due to changes in the rate ofcis/transphotoisomerisation. It is clear now that this mechanism is generally applicable to interactions with any biomolecule. In this review, we propose that PIFE is thereby renamed according to its fundamental working principle as photoisomerisation-related fluorescence enhancement, keeping the PIFE acronym intact. We discuss the photochemistry of cyanine fluorophores, the mechanism of PIFE, its advantages and limitations, and recent approaches to turning PIFE into a quantitative assay. We provide an overview of its current applications to different biomolecules and discuss potential future uses, including the study of protein-protein interactions, protein-ligand interactions and conformational changes in biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn Ploetz
- Department of Chemistry and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 München, Germany
| | - Benjamin Ambrose
- Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0HS, United Kingdom
- Single Molecule Imaging Group, MRC-London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0HS, United Kingdom
| | - Anders Barth
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Richard Börner
- Laserinstitut Hochschule Mittweida, Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, Mittweida, Germany
| | - Felix Erichson
- Laserinstitut Hochschule Mittweida, Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, Mittweida, Germany
| | - Achillefs N Kapanidis
- Biological Physics Research Group, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Harold D Kim
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 837 State Street, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States of America
| | - Marcia Levitus
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State University, 551 E. University Drive, Tempe, AZ,85287, United States of America
| | - Timothy M Lohman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States of America
| | - Abhishek Mazumder
- CSIR-Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata-700032, West Bengal, India
| | - David S Rueda
- Department of Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0HS, United Kingdom
- Single Molecule Imaging Group, MRC-London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, W12 0HS, United Kingdom
| | - Fabio D Steffen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Thorben Cordes
- Physical and Synthetic Biology, Faculty of Biology, Großhadernerstr. 2-4, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Steven W Magennis
- School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Joseph Black Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Eitan Lerner
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics & Science, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
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8
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Barcenas G, Biaggne A, Mass OA, Knowlton WB, Yurke B, Li L. Molecular Dynamic Studies of Dye-Dye and Dye-DNA Interactions Governing Excitonic Coupling in Squaraine Aggregates Templated by DNA Holliday Junctions. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:4059. [PMID: 36835471 PMCID: PMC9967300 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24044059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Dye molecules, arranged in an aggregate, can display excitonic delocalization. The use of DNA scaffolding to control aggregate configurations and delocalization is of research interest. Here, we applied Molecular Dynamics (MD) to gain an insight on how dye-DNA interactions affect excitonic coupling between two squaraine (SQ) dyes covalently attached to a DNA Holliday junction (HJ). We studied two types of dimer configurations, i.e., adjacent and transverse, which differed in points of dye covalent attachments to DNA. Three structurally different SQ dyes with similar hydrophobicity were chosen to investigate the sensitivity of excitonic coupling to dye placement. Each dimer configuration was initialized in parallel and antiparallel arrangements in the DNA HJ. The MD results, validated by experimental measurements, suggested that the adjacent dimer promotes stronger excitonic coupling and less dye-DNA interaction than the transverse dimer. Additionally, we found that SQ dyes with specific functional groups (i.e., substituents) facilitate a closer degree of aggregate packing via hydrophobic effects, leading to a stronger excitonic coupling. This work advances a fundamental understanding of the impacts of dye-DNA interactions on aggregate orientation and excitonic coupling.
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Affiliation(s)
- German Barcenas
- Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
| | - Austin Biaggne
- Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
| | - Olga A. Mass
- Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
| | - William B. Knowlton
- Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
| | - Bernard Yurke
- Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
| | - Lan Li
- Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA
- Center for Advanced Energy Studies, Idaho Falls, ID 83401, USA
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9
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Montepietra D, Tesei G, Martins JM, Kunze MBA, Best RB, Lindorff-Larsen K. FRETpredict: A Python package for FRET efficiency predictions using rotamer libraries. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.27.525885. [PMID: 36789411 PMCID: PMC9928041 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.27.525885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Here, we introduce FRETpredict, a Python software program to predict FRET efficiencies from ensembles of protein conformations. FRETpredict uses an established Rotamer Library Approach to describe the FRET probes covalently bound to the protein. The software efficiently operates on large conformational ensembles such as those generated by molecular dynamics simulations to facilitate the validation or refinement of molecular models and the interpretation of experimental data. We demonstrate the performance and accuracy of the software for different types of systems: a relatively structured peptide (polyproline 11), an intrinsically disordered protein (ACTR), and three folded proteins (HiSiaP, SBD2, and MalE). We also describe a general approach to generate new rotamer libraries for FRET probes of interest. FRETpredict is open source (GPLv3) and is available at github.com/KULL-Centre/FRETpredict and as a Python PyPI package at pypi.org/project/FRETpredict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Montepietra
- Department of Physics, Computer Science and Mathematics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 213/A 41125 Modena, Italy
- Istituto Nanoscienze – CNR-NANO, Center S3, via G. Campi 213/A, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Giulio Tesei
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory & the Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - João M. Martins
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory & the Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Micha B. A. Kunze
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory & the Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Robert B. Best
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kresten Lindorff-Larsen
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory & the Linderstrøm-Lang Centre for Protein Science, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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10
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Sorour MI, Marcus AH, Matsika S. Modeling the Electronic Absorption Spectra of the Indocarbocyanine Cy3. Molecules 2022; 27:4062. [PMID: 35807308 PMCID: PMC9268038 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27134062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate modeling of optical spectra requires careful treatment of the molecular structures and vibronic, environmental, and thermal contributions. The accuracy of the computational methods used to simulate absorption spectra is limited by their ability to account for all the factors that affect the spectral shapes and energetics. The ensemble-based approaches are widely used to model the absorption spectra of molecules in the condensed-phase, and their performance is system dependent. The Franck-Condon approach is suitable for simulating high resolution spectra of rigid systems, and its accuracy is limited mainly by the harmonic approximation. In this work, the absorption spectrum of the widely used cyanine Cy3 is simulated using the ensemble approach via classical and quantum sampling, as well as, the Franck-Condon approach. The factors limiting the ensemble approaches, including the sampling and force field effects, are tested, while the vertical and adiabatic harmonic approximations of the Franck-Condon approach are also systematically examined. Our results show that all the vertical methods, including the ensemble approach, are not suitable to model the absorption spectrum of Cy3, and recommend the adiabatic methods as suitable approaches for the modeling of spectra with strong vibronic contributions. We find that the thermal effects, the low frequency modes, and the simultaneous vibrational excitations have prominent contributions to the Cy3 spectrum. The inclusion of the solvent stabilizes the energetics significantly, while its negligible effect on the spectral shapes aligns well with the experimental observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed I. Sorour
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA;
| | - Andrew H. Marcus
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA;
| | - Spiridoula Matsika
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA;
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11
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Barth A, Opanasyuk O, Peulen TO, Felekyan S, Kalinin S, Sanabria H, Seidel CAM. Unraveling multi-state molecular dynamics in single-molecule FRET experiments. I. Theory of FRET-lines. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:141501. [PMID: 35428384 PMCID: PMC9014241 DOI: 10.1063/5.0089134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Conformational dynamics of biomolecules are of fundamental importance for their function. Single-molecule studies of Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET) between a tethered donor and acceptor dye pair are a powerful tool to investigate the structure and dynamics of labeled molecules. However, capturing and quantifying conformational dynamics in intensity-based smFRET experiments remains challenging when the dynamics occur on the sub-millisecond timescale. The method of multiparameter fluorescence detection addresses this challenge by simultaneously registering fluorescence intensities and lifetimes of the donor and acceptor. Together, two FRET observables, the donor fluorescence lifetime τD and the intensity-based FRET efficiency E, inform on the width of the FRET efficiency distribution as a characteristic fingerprint for conformational dynamics. We present a general framework for analyzing dynamics that relates average fluorescence lifetimes and intensities in two-dimensional burst frequency histograms. We present parametric relations of these observables for interpreting the location of FRET populations in E-τD diagrams, called FRET-lines. To facilitate the analysis of complex exchange equilibria, FRET-lines serve as reference curves for a graphical interpretation of experimental data to (i) identify conformational states, (ii) resolve their dynamic connectivity, (iii) compare different kinetic models, and (iv) infer polymer properties of unfolded or intrinsically disordered proteins. For a simplified graphical analysis of complex kinetic networks, we derive a moment-based representation of the experimental data that decouples the motion of the fluorescence labels from the conformational dynamics of the biomolecule. Importantly, FRET-lines facilitate exploring complex dynamic models via easily computed experimental observables. We provide extensive computational tools to facilitate applying FRET-lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Barth
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Physikalische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Oleg Opanasyuk
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Physikalische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Thomas-Otavio Peulen
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Physikalische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Suren Felekyan
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Physikalische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Stanislav Kalinin
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Physikalische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hugo Sanabria
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29631, USA
| | - Claus A. M. Seidel
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Physikalische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
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12
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Absorption and stationary fluorescent spectra of molecular sensors in solution: A computational study. COMPUT THEOR CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.comptc.2022.113596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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13
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Nüesch MF, Ivanović MT, Claude JB, Nettels D, Best RB, Wenger J, Schuler B. Single-molecule Detection of Ultrafast Biomolecular Dynamics with Nanophotonics. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:52-56. [PMID: 34970909 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c09387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a versatile technique for probing the structure and dynamics of biomolecules even in heterogeneous ensembles. However, because of the limited fluorescence brightness per molecule and the relatively long fluorescence lifetimes, probing ultrafast structural dynamics in the nanosecond time scale has thus far been very challenging. Here, we demonstrate that nanophotonic fluorescence enhancement in zero-mode waveguides enables measurements of previously inaccessible low-nanosecond dynamics by dramatically improving time resolution and reduces data acquisition times by more than an order of magnitude. As a prototypical example, we use this approach to probe the dynamics of a short intrinsically disordered peptide that were previously inaccessible with single-molecule FRET measurements. We show that we are now able to detect the low-nanosecond correlations in this peptide, and we obtain a detailed interpretation of the underlying distance distributions and dynamics in conjunction with all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, which agree remarkably well with the experiments. We expect this combined approach to be widely applicable to the investigation of very rapid biomolecular dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark F Nüesch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Miloš T Ivanović
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Benoît Claude
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, Institut Fresnel, 13013 Marseille, France
| | - Daniel Nettels
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robert B Best
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
| | - Jérôme Wenger
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, Institut Fresnel, 13013 Marseille, France
| | - Benjamin Schuler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Physics, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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14
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Muraru S, Muraru S, Nitu FR, Ionita M. Recent Efforts and Milestones for Simulating Nucleic Acid FRET Experiments through Computational Methods. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:232-239. [PMID: 35014791 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Computational methods can greatly aid nucleic acid fluorescence experiments by either offering fully detailed atomic insights into the conformations and interactions present in the studied system or by providing accurate simulations of the fundamental parameters. Fluorescence-based optical biosensors show great potential for clinical diagnosis of life-altering diseases with a very high specificity. Many of the designs for such rely on the concept of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Currently, the methods used experimentally make use of theoretical assumptions which fundamentally affect the results. Having a detailed atomistic overview or significant simulated parameters could improve the understanding of the calculations and provide much more accurate outcomes. However, there are many challenges that need to be addressed before standardized computational protocols can be employed. This review is meant to highlight the progress made for computational methods used to simulate FRET experiments for nucleic acid probes. Recent advances have been made in computational tools, such as force field parametrizations and improved protocols. Complementary simulations to experimental data are also comprised in the this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sorin Muraru
- Faculty of Medical Engineering, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Gh. Polizu Street 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Sebastian Muraru
- Faculty of Medical Engineering, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Gh. Polizu Street 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Florentin Romeo Nitu
- Faculty of Medical Engineering, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Gh. Polizu Street 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mariana Ionita
- Faculty of Medical Engineering, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Gh. Polizu Street 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania.,Advanced Polymer Materials Group, University Polithenica of Bucharest, Gh. Polizu Street 1-7, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
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15
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Gebhardt C, Lehmann M, Reif MM, Zacharias M, Gemmecker G, Cordes T. Molecular and Spectroscopic Characterization of Green and Red Cyanine Fluorophores from the Alexa Fluor and AF Series*. Chemphyschem 2021; 22:1566-1583. [PMID: 34185946 PMCID: PMC8457111 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202000935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The use of fluorescence techniques has an enormous impact on various research fields including imaging, biochemical assays, DNA-sequencing and medical technologies. This has been facilitated by the development of numerous commercial dyes with optimized photophysical and chemical properties. Often, however, information about the chemical structures of dyes and the attached linkers used for bioconjugation remain a well-kept secret. This can lead to problems for research applications where knowledge of the dye structure is necessary to predict or understand (unwanted) dye-target interactions, or to establish structural models of the dye-target complex. Using a combination of optical spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations, we here investigate the molecular structures and spectroscopic properties of dyes from the Alexa Fluor (Alexa Fluor 555 and 647) and AF series (AF555, AF647, AFD647). Based on available data and published structures of the AF and Cy dyes, we propose a structure for Alexa Fluor 555 and refine that of AF555. We also resolve conflicting reports on the linker composition of Alexa Fluor 647 maleimide. We also conducted a comprehensive comparison between Alexa Fluor and AF dyes by continuous-wave absorption and emission spectroscopy, quantum yield determination, fluorescence lifetime and anisotropy spectroscopy of free and protein-attached dyes. All these data support the idea that Alexa Fluor and AF dyes have a cyanine core and are a derivative of Cy3 and Cy5. In addition, we compared Alexa Fluor 555 and Alexa Fluor 647 to their structural homologs AF555 and AF(D)647 in single-molecule FRET applications. Both pairs showed excellent performance in solution-based smFRET experiments using alternating laser excitation. Minor differences in apparent dye-protein interactions were investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings clearly demonstrate that the AF-fluorophores are an attractive alternative to Alexa- and Cy-dyes in smFRET studies or other fluorescence applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Gebhardt
- Physical and Synthetic Biology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenGroßhadernerstr. 2–482152Planegg-MartinsriedGermany
| | - Martin Lehmann
- Plant Molecular Biology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenGroßhadernerstr. 2–482152Planegg-MartinsriedGermany
| | - Maria M. Reif
- Theoretical Biophysics (T38), Physics DepartmentTechnical University of MunichCenter for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 885748GarchingGermany
| | - Martin Zacharias
- Theoretical Biophysics (T38), Physics DepartmentTechnical University of MunichCenter for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 885748GarchingGermany
| | - Gerd Gemmecker
- Bavarian NMR Center (B NMRZ), Department of ChemistryTechnical University of MunichLichtenbergstr. 485748GarchingGermany
| | - Thorben Cordes
- Physical and Synthetic Biology, Faculty of BiologyLudwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenGroßhadernerstr. 2–482152Planegg-MartinsriedGermany
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16
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Jahnke K, Grubmüller H, Igaev M, Göpfrich K. Choice of fluorophore affects dynamic DNA nanostructures. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:4186-4195. [PMID: 33784399 PMCID: PMC8053122 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to dynamically remodel DNA origami structures or functional nanodevices is highly desired in the field of DNA nanotechnology. Concomitantly, the use of fluorophores to track and validate the dynamics of such DNA-based architectures is commonplace and often unavoidable. It is therefore crucial to be aware of the side effects of popular fluorophores, which are often exchanged without considering the potential impact on the system. Here, we show that the choice of fluorophore can strongly affect the reconfiguration of DNA nanostructures. To this end, we encapsulate a triple-stranded DNA (tsDNA) into water-in-oil compartments and functionalize their periphery with a single-stranded DNA handle (ssDNA). Thus, the tsDNA can bind and unbind from the periphery by reversible opening of the triplex and subsequent strand displacement. Using a combination of experiments, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and reaction-diffusion modelling, we demonstrate for 12 different fluorophore combinations that it is possible to alter or even inhibit the DNA nanostructure formation-without changing the DNA sequence. Besides its immediate importance for the design of pH-responsive switches and fluorophore labelling, our work presents a strategy to precisely tune the energy landscape of dynamic DNA nanodevices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Jahnke
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Biophysical Engineering Group, Jahnstraße 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Helmut Grubmüller
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maxim Igaev
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Theoretical and Computational Biophysics, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kerstin Göpfrich
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Biophysical Engineering Group, Jahnstraße 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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17
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Lerner E, Barth A, Hendrix J, Ambrose B, Birkedal V, Blanchard SC, Börner R, Sung Chung H, Cordes T, Craggs TD, Deniz AA, Diao J, Fei J, Gonzalez RL, Gopich IV, Ha T, Hanke CA, Haran G, Hatzakis NS, Hohng S, Hong SC, Hugel T, Ingargiola A, Joo C, Kapanidis AN, Kim HD, Laurence T, Lee NK, Lee TH, Lemke EA, Margeat E, Michaelis J, Michalet X, Myong S, Nettels D, Peulen TO, Ploetz E, Razvag Y, Robb NC, Schuler B, Soleimaninejad H, Tang C, Vafabakhsh R, Lamb DC, Seidel CAM, Weiss S. FRET-based dynamic structural biology: Challenges, perspectives and an appeal for open-science practices. eLife 2021; 10:e60416. [PMID: 33779550 PMCID: PMC8007216 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-molecule FRET (smFRET) has become a mainstream technique for studying biomolecular structural dynamics. The rapid and wide adoption of smFRET experiments by an ever-increasing number of groups has generated significant progress in sample preparation, measurement procedures, data analysis, algorithms and documentation. Several labs that employ smFRET approaches have joined forces to inform the smFRET community about streamlining how to perform experiments and analyze results for obtaining quantitative information on biomolecular structure and dynamics. The recent efforts include blind tests to assess the accuracy and the precision of smFRET experiments among different labs using various procedures. These multi-lab studies have led to the development of smFRET procedures and documentation, which are important when submitting entries into the archiving system for integrative structure models, PDB-Dev. This position paper describes the current 'state of the art' from different perspectives, points to unresolved methodological issues for quantitative structural studies, provides a set of 'soft recommendations' about which an emerging consensus exists, and lists openly available resources for newcomers and seasoned practitioners. To make further progress, we strongly encourage 'open science' practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eitan Lerner
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, and The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Mathematics & Science, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
| | - Anders Barth
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Physikalische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-UniversitätDüsseldorfGermany
| | - Jelle Hendrix
- Dynamic Bioimaging Lab, Advanced Optical Microscopy Centre and Biomedical Research Institute (BIOMED), Hasselt UniversityDiepenbeekBelgium
| | - Benjamin Ambrose
- Department of Chemistry, University of SheffieldSheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Victoria Birkedal
- Department of Chemistry and iNANO center, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Scott C Blanchard
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research HospitalMemphisUnited States
| | - Richard Börner
- Laserinstitut HS Mittweida, University of Applied Science MittweidaMittweidaGermany
| | - Hoi Sung Chung
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Thorben Cordes
- Physical and Synthetic Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenPlanegg-MartinsriedGermany
| | - Timothy D Craggs
- Department of Chemistry, University of SheffieldSheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Ashok A Deniz
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research InstituteLa JollaUnited States
| | - Jiajie Diao
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati School of MedicineCincinnatiUnited States
| | - Jingyi Fei
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and The Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of ChicagoChicagoUnited States
| | - Ruben L Gonzalez
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Irina V Gopich
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaUnited States
| | - Taekjip Ha
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Christian A Hanke
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Physikalische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-UniversitätDüsseldorfGermany
| | - Gilad Haran
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Nikos S Hatzakis
- Department of Chemistry & Nanoscience Centre, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Denmark Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Sungchul Hohng
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Institute of Applied Physics, Seoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Seok-Cheol Hong
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics, Institute for Basic Science and Department of Physics, Korea UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Thorsten Hugel
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
| | - Antonino Ingargiola
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physiology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Chirlmin Joo
- Department of BioNanoScience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of TechnologyDelftNetherlands
| | - Achillefs N Kapanidis
- Biological Physics Research Group, Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Harold D Kim
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaUnited States
| | - Ted Laurence
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National LaboratoryLivermoreUnited States
| | - Nam Ki Lee
- School of Chemistry, Seoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - Tae-Hee Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
| | - Edward A Lemke
- Departments of Biology and Chemistry, Johannes Gutenberg UniversityMainzGermany
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB)MainzGermany
| | - Emmanuel Margeat
- Centre de Biologie Structurale (CBS), CNRS, INSERM, Universitié de MontpellierMontpellierFrance
| | | | - Xavier Michalet
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physiology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Sua Myong
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Daniel Nettels
- Department of Biochemistry and Department of Physics, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Thomas-Otavio Peulen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Evelyn Ploetz
- Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Center for Nanoscience (CeNS), Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM) and Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM), Ludwig-Maximilians-UniversitätMünchenGermany
| | - Yair Razvag
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, and The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Faculty of Mathematics & Science, The Edmond J. Safra Campus, The Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
| | - Nicole C Robb
- Warwick Medical School, University of WarwickCoventryUnited Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Schuler
- Department of Biochemistry and Department of Physics, University of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Hamid Soleimaninejad
- Biological Optical Microscopy Platform (BOMP), University of MelbourneParkvilleAustralia
| | - Chun Tang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, PKU-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Reza Vafabakhsh
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, Northwestern UniversityEvanstonUnited States
| | - Don C Lamb
- Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Center for Nanoscience (CeNS), Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPSM) and Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM), Ludwig-Maximilians-UniversitätMünchenGermany
| | - Claus AM Seidel
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Physikalische Chemie, Heinrich-Heine-UniversitätDüsseldorfGermany
| | - Shimon Weiss
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Department of Physiology, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Department of Physiology, CaliforniaNanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
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18
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Schepers B, Gohlke H. Erratum: "AMBER-DYES in AMBER: Implementation of fluorophore and linker parameters into AmberTools" [J. Chem. Phys. 152, 221103 (2020)]. J Chem Phys 2021; 154:109901. [PMID: 33722039 DOI: 10.1063/5.0046589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bastian Schepers
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Holger Gohlke
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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19
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Abou-Hatab S, Carnevale V, Matsika S. Modeling solvation effects on absorption and fluorescence spectra of indole in aqueous solution. J Chem Phys 2021; 154:064104. [PMID: 33588532 PMCID: PMC7878019 DOI: 10.1063/5.0038342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Modeling the optical spectra of molecules in solution presents a challenge, so it is important to understand which of the solvation effects (i.e., electrostatics, mutual polarization, and hydrogen bonding interactions between solute and solvent molecules) are crucial in reproducing the various features of the absorption and fluorescence spectra and to identify a sufficient theoretical model that accurately captures these effects with minimal computational cost. In this study, we use various implicit and explicit solvation models, such as molecular dynamics coupled with non-polarizable and polarizable force fields, as well as Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics, to model the absorption and fluorescence spectra of indole in aqueous solution. The excited states are computed using the equation of motion coupled cluster with single and double excitations combined with the effective fragment potential to represent water molecules, which we found to be a computationally efficient approach for modeling large solute-solvent clusters at a high level of quantum theory. We find that modeling mutual polarization, compared to other solvation effects, is a dominating factor for accurately reproducing the position of the peaks and spectral line shape of the absorption spectrum of indole in solution. We present an in-depth analysis of the influence that different solvation models have on the electronic excited states responsible for the features of the absorption spectra. Modeling fluorescence is more challenging since it is hard to reproduce even the correct emitting state, and force field parameters need to be re-evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salsabil Abou-Hatab
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA
| | - Vincenzo Carnevale
- Institute for Computational Molecular Science, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA
| | - Spiridoula Matsika
- Department of Chemistry, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, USA
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20
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Schepers B, Gohlke H. AMBER-DYES in AMBER: Implementation of fluorophore and linker parameters into AmberTools. J Chem Phys 2021; 152:221103. [PMID: 32534525 DOI: 10.1063/5.0007630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of explicit representations of fluorescent dyes attached via a linker to a protein allow, e.g., probing commonly used approximations for dye localization and/or orientation or modeling Förster resonance energy transfer. However, setting up and performing such MD simulations with the AMBER suite of biomolecular simulation programs has remained challenging due to the unavailability of an easy-to-use set of parameters within AMBER. Here, we adapted the AMBER-DYES parameter set derived by Graen et al. [J. Chem. Theory Comput. 10, 5505 (2014)] into "AMBER-DYES in AMBER" to generate a force field applicable within AMBER for commonly used fluorescent dyes and linkers attached to a protein. In particular, the computationally efficient graphics processing unit (GPU) implementation of the AMBER MD engine can now be exploited to overcome sampling issues of dye movements. The implementation is compatible with state-of-the-art force fields such as GAFF, GAFF2, ff99SB, ff14SB, lipid17, and GLYCAM_06j, which allows simulating post-translationally modified proteins and/or protein-ligand complexes and/or proteins in membrane environments. It is applicable with frequently used water models such as TIP3P, TIP4P, TIP4P-Ew, and OPC. For ease of use, a LEaP-based workflow was created, which allows attaching (multiple) dye/linker combinations to a protein prior to further system preparation steps. Following the parameter development described by Graen et al. [J. Chem. Theory Comput. 10, 5505 (2014)] and the adaptation steps described here, AMBER-DYES in AMBER can be extended by additional linkers and fluorescent molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastian Schepers
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Holger Gohlke
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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21
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Shaw RA, Johnston-Wood T, Ambrose B, Craggs TD, Hill JG. CHARMM-DYES: Parameterization of Fluorescent Dyes for Use with the CHARMM Force Field. J Chem Theory Comput 2020; 16:7817-7824. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c00721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert A. Shaw
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7HF, U.K
- Present address: ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science, School of Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Tristan Johnston-Wood
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7HF, U.K
- Present address: Department of Chemistry, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QZ, U.K
| | - Benjamin Ambrose
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7HF, U.K
| | - Timothy D. Craggs
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7HF, U.K
| | - J. Grant Hill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7HF, U.K
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22
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Lam K, Tajkhorshid E. Membrane Interactions of Cy3 and Cy5 Fluorophores and Their Effects on Membrane-Protein Dynamics. Biophys J 2020; 119:24-34. [PMID: 32533943 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.05.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Organic fluorophores, such as Cy3 and Cy5, have been widely used as chemical labels to probe the structure and dynamics of membrane proteins. Although a number of previous studies have reported on the possibility of some of the water-soluble fluorophores to interact with lipid bilayers, detailed fluorophore-lipid interactions and, more importantly, the potential effect of such interactions on the natural dynamics of the labeled membrane proteins have not been well studied. We have performed a large set of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations employing the highly mobile membrane mimetic model to describe spontaneous partitioning of the fluorophores into lipid bilayers with different lipid compositions. Spontaneous membrane partitioning of Cy3 and Cy5 fluorophores captured in these simulations proceeds in two steps. Electrostatic interaction between the fluorophores and the lipid headgroups facilitates the initial, fast membrane association of the fluorophores, followed by slow insertion of hydrophobic moieties into the lipid bilayer core. After the conversion of the resulting membrane-bound systems to full-membrane representations, biased-exchange umbrella sampling simulations are performed for free energy calculations, revealing a higher energy barrier for partitioning into negatively charged (phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylcholine) membranes than purely zwitterionic (phosphatidylcholine or phosphatidylethanolamine) ones. Furthermore, the potential effect of fluorophore-lipid interactions on membrane proteins has been examined by covalently linking Cy5 to single- and multipass transmembrane helical proteins. Equilibrium simulations show strong position-dependent effects of Cy5-tagging on the structure and natural dynamics of membrane proteins. Interactions between the tagged protein and Cy5 were also observed. Our results suggest that fluorophore-lipid interactions can affect the structure and dynamics of membrane proteins to various extents, especially in systems with higher structural flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kin Lam
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Biochemistry, NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Biochemistry, NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.
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23
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Wolff FE, Höfener S, Elstner M, Wesołowski TA. Origin of the Solvatochromism in Organic Fluorophores with Flexible Side Chains: A Case Study of Flugi-2. J Phys Chem A 2019; 123:4581-4587. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.9b02474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Tomasz A. Wesołowski
- Département de Chimie Physique, Université de Genève, 30 quai Ernest-Ansermet, CH-1211 Genève 4, Switzerland
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24
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Meng F, Bellaiche MMJ, Kim JY, Zerze GH, Best RB, Chung HS. Highly Disordered Amyloid-β Monomer Probed by Single-Molecule FRET and MD Simulation. Biophys J 2019; 114:870-884. [PMID: 29490247 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Monomers of amyloid-β (Aβ) protein are known to be disordered, but there is considerable controversy over the existence of residual or transient conformations that can potentially promote oligomerization and fibril formation. We employed single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) spectroscopy with site-specific dye labeling using an unnatural amino acid and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate conformations and dynamics of Aβ isoforms with 40 (Aβ40) and 42 residues (Aβ42). The FRET efficiency distributions of both proteins measured in phosphate-buffered saline at room temperature show a single peak with very similar FRET efficiencies, indicating there is apparently only one state. 2D FRET efficiency-donor lifetime analysis reveals, however, that there is a broad distribution of rapidly interconverting conformations. Using nanosecond fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, we measured the timescale of the fluctuations between these conformations to be ∼35 ns, similar to that of disordered proteins. These results suggest that both Aβ40 and Aβ42 populate an ensemble of rapidly reconfiguring unfolded states, with no long-lived conformational state distinguishable from that of the disordered ensemble. To gain molecular-level insights into these observations, we performed molecular dynamics simulations with a force field optimized to describe disordered proteins. We find, as in experiments, that both peptides populate configurations consistent with random polymer chains, with the vast majority of conformations lacking significant secondary structure, giving rise to very similar ensemble-averaged FRET efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanjie Meng
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Mathias M J Bellaiche
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jae-Yeol Kim
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Gül H Zerze
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
| | - Robert B Best
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
| | - Hoi Sung Chung
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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25
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Matsunaga Y, Sugita Y. Linking time-series of single-molecule experiments with molecular dynamics simulations by machine learning. eLife 2018; 7:32668. [PMID: 29723137 PMCID: PMC5933924 DOI: 10.7554/elife.32668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-molecule experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are indispensable tools for investigating protein conformational dynamics. The former provide time-series data, such as donor-acceptor distances, whereas the latter give atomistic information, although this information is often biased by model parameters. Here, we devise a machine-learning method to combine the complementary information from the two approaches and construct a consistent model of conformational dynamics. It is applied to the folding dynamics of the formin-binding protein WW domain. MD simulations over 400 μs led to an initial Markov state model (MSM), which was then "refined" using single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) data through hidden Markov modeling. The refined or data-assimilated MSM reproduces the FRET data and features hairpin one in the transition-state ensemble, consistent with mutation experiments. The folding pathway in the data-assimilated MSM suggests interplay between hydrophobic contacts and turn formation. Our method provides a general framework for investigating conformational transitions in other proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Matsunaga
- Computational Biophysics Research Team, RIKEN Center for Computational Science, Kobe, Japan.,JST PRESTO, Kawaguchi, Japan
| | - Yuji Sugita
- Computational Biophysics Research Team, RIKEN Center for Computational Science, Kobe, Japan.,Theoretical Molecular Science Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako, Japan.,Laboratory for Biomolecular Function Simulation, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
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26
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Vandenberk N, Barth A, Borrenberghs D, Hofkens J, Hendrix J. Evaluation of Blue and Far-Red Dye Pairs in Single-Molecule Förster Resonance Energy Transfer Experiments. J Phys Chem B 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b00108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Niels Vandenberk
- Laboratory for Photochemistry and Spectroscopy, Division for Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anders Barth
- Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science, Nanosystems Initiative Munich and Centre for Nanoscience, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Doortje Borrenberghs
- Laboratory for Photochemistry and Spectroscopy, Division for Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan Hofkens
- Laboratory for Photochemistry and Spectroscopy, Division for Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jelle Hendrix
- Laboratory for Photochemistry and Spectroscopy, Division for Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium
- Dynamic Bioimaging Lab, Advanced Optical Microscopy Centre and Biomedical Research Institute, Hasselt University, Agoralaan C (BIOMED), Diepenbeek, B-3590, Belgium
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27
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Steffen FD, Sigel RKO, Börner R. An atomistic view on carbocyanine photophysics in the realm of RNA. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 18:29045-29055. [PMID: 27783069 DOI: 10.1039/c6cp04277e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Carbocyanine dyes have a long-standing tradition in fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy, due to their photostability and large spectral separation between individual dye species. Herein, we explore the versatility of cyanine dyes to probe the dynamics of nucleic acids and we report on the interrelation of fluorophores, RNA, and metal ions, namely K+ and Mg2+. Photophysical parameters including the fluorescence lifetime, quantum yield and dynamic anisotropy are monitored as a function of the nucleic acid composition, conformation, and metal ion abundance. Occasional excursions to a non-fluorescent cis-state hint at the remarkable sensitivity of carbocyanines to their local environment. Comparison of time-correlated single photon experiments with all-atom molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that the propensity of photoisomerization is dictated by sterical constraints imposed on the fluorophore. Structural features in the vicinity of the dye play a crucial role in RNA recognition and have far-reaching implications on the mobility of the fluorescent probe. An atomic level description of the mutual interactions will ultimately benefit the quantitative interpretation of single-molecule FRET measurements on large RNA systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio D Steffen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Roland K O Sigel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Richard Börner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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28
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Cacciotto P, Ramaswamy VK, Malloci G, Ruggerone P, Vargiu AV. Molecular Modeling of Multidrug Properties of Resistance Nodulation Division (RND) Transporters. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1700:179-219. [PMID: 29177832 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7454-2_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Efflux pumps of the resistance nodulation division (RND) superfamily are among the major contributors to intrinsic and acquired multidrug resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. Structural information on AcrAB-TolC and MexAB-OprM, major efflux pumps of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa respectively, boosted intensive research aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms ruling the active extrusion processes. In particular, several studies were devoted to the understanding of the determinants behind the extraordinary broad specificity of the RND transporters AcrB and MexB. In this chapter, we discuss the ever-growing role computational methods have been playing in deciphering key structural and dynamical features of these transporters and of their interaction with substrates and inhibitors. We further discuss and illustrate examples from our lab of how molecular docking, homology modeling, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations and in silico free energy estimations can all together give precious insights into the processes of recognition and extrusion of substrates, as well as on the possible inhibition strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierpaolo Cacciotto
- Department of Physics, University of Cagliari, s.p. 8, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Venkata K Ramaswamy
- Department of Physics, University of Cagliari, s.p. 8, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Giuliano Malloci
- Department of Physics, University of Cagliari, s.p. 8, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Paolo Ruggerone
- Department of Physics, University of Cagliari, s.p. 8, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Attilio V Vargiu
- Department of Physics, University of Cagliari, s.p. 8, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy.
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29
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Nicoli F, Roos MK, Hemmig EA, Di Antonio M, de Vivie-Riedle R, Liedl T. Proximity-Induced H-Aggregation of Cyanine Dyes on DNA-Duplexes. J Phys Chem A 2016; 120:9941-9947. [PMID: 27934475 PMCID: PMC6544512 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.6b10939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A wide variety of organic dyes form, under certain conditions, clusters know as J- and H-aggregates. Cyanine dyes are such a class of molecules where the spatial proximity of several dyes leads to overlapping electron orbitals and thus to the creation of a new energy landscape compared to that of the individual units. In this work, we create artificial H-aggregates of exactly two Cyanine 3 (Cy3) dyes by covalently linking them to a DNA molecule with controlled subnanometer distances. The absorption spectra of these coupled systems exhibit a blue-shifted peak, whose intensity varies depending on the distance between the dyes and the rigidity of the DNA template. Simulated vibrational resolved spectra, based on molecular orbital theory, excellently reproduce the experimentally observed features. Circular dichroism spectroscopy additionally reveals distinct signals, which indicates a chiral arrangement of the dye molecules. Molecular dynamic simulations of a Cy3-Cy3 construct including a 14-base pair DNA sequence verified chiral stacking of the dye molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Nicoli
- Faculty of Physics and Center for NanoScience (CENS), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias K. Roos
- Department Chemie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Butenandt Str. 11, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Elisa A. Hemmig
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Ave., CB3 0HE Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Di Antonio
- Chemistry Department, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Regina de Vivie-Riedle
- Department Chemie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Butenandt Str. 11, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Tim Liedl
- Faculty of Physics and Center for NanoScience (CENS), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 Munich, Germany
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30
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Dimura M, Peulen TO, Hanke CA, Prakash A, Gohlke H, Seidel CA. Quantitative FRET studies and integrative modeling unravel the structure and dynamics of biomolecular systems. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2016; 40:163-185. [PMID: 27939973 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2016.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) combined with single-molecule spectroscopy probes macromolecular structure and dynamics and identifies coexisting conformational states. We review recent methodological developments in integrative structural modeling by satisfying spatial restraints on networks of FRET pairs (hybrid-FRET). We discuss procedures to incorporate prior structural knowledge and to obtain optimal distance networks. Finally, a workflow for hybrid-FRET is presented that automates integrative structural modeling and experiment planning to put hybrid-FRET on rails. To test this workflow, we simulate realistic single-molecule experiments and resolve three protein conformers, exchanging at 30μs and 10ms, with accuracies of 1-3Å RMSD versus the target structure. Incorporation of data from other spectroscopies and imaging is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mykola Dimura
- Chair for Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Thomas O Peulen
- Chair for Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christian A Hanke
- Chair for Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Aiswaria Prakash
- Chair for Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Holger Gohlke
- Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Claus Am Seidel
- Chair for Molecular Physical Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
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31
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Zheng W, Borgia A, Buholzer K, Grishaev A, Schuler B, Best RB. Probing the Action of Chemical Denaturant on an Intrinsically Disordered Protein by Simulation and Experiment. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:11702-13. [PMID: 27583687 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b05443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Chemical denaturants are the most commonly used agents for unfolding proteins and are thought to act by better solvating the unfolded state. Improved solvation is expected to lead to an expansion of unfolded chains with increasing denaturant concentration, providing a sensitive probe of the denaturant action. However, experiments have so far yielded qualitatively different results concerning the effects of chemical denaturation. Studies using Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and other methods found an increase in radius of gyration with denaturant concentration, but most small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies found no change. This discrepancy therefore challenges our understanding of denaturation mechanism and more generally the accuracy of these experiments as applied to unfolded or disordered proteins. Here, we use all-atom molecular simulations to investigate the effect of urea and guanidinium chloride on the structure of the intrinsically disordered protein ACTR, which can be studied by experiment over a wide range of denaturant concentration. Using unbiased molecular simulations with a carefully calibrated denaturant model, we find that the protein chain indeed swells with increasing denaturant concentration. This is due to the favorable association of urea or guanidinium chloride with the backbone of all residues and with the side-chains of almost all residues, with denaturant-water transfer free energies inferred from this association in reasonable accord with experimental estimates. Interactions of the denaturants with the backbone are dominated by hydrogen bonding, while interactions with side-chains include other contributions. By computing FRET efficiencies and SAXS intensities at each denaturant concentration, we show that the simulation trajectories are in accord with both experiments on this protein, demonstrating that there is no fundamental inconsistency between the two types of experiment. Agreement with experiment also supports the picture of chemical denaturation described in our simulations, driven by weak association of denaturant with the protein. Our simulations support some assumptions needed for each experiment to accurately reflect changes in protein size, namely, that the commonly used FRET chromophores do not qualitatively alter the results and that possible effects such as preferential solvent partitioning into the interior of the chain do not interfere with the determination of radius of gyration from the SAXS experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwei Zheng
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
| | - Alessandro Borgia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karin Buholzer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Grishaev
- National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research , Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Benjamin Schuler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich , Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robert B Best
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, Maryland 20892-0520, United States
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32
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Best RB, Hofmann H, Nettels D, Schuler B. Quantitative interpretation of FRET experiments via molecular simulation: force field and validation. Biophys J 2016; 108:2721-31. [PMID: 26039173 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Revised: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular simulation is a valuable and complementary tool that may assist with the interpretation of single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments, if the energy function is of sufficiently high quality. Here we present force-field parameters for one of the most common pairs of chromophores used in experiments, AlexaFluor 488 and 594. From microsecond molecular-dynamics simulations, we are able to recover both experimentally determined equilibrium constants and association/dissociation rates of the chromophores with free tryptophan, as well as the decay of fluorescence anisotropy of a labeled protein. We find that it is particularly important to obtain a correct balance of solute-water interactions in the simulations in order to faithfully capture the experimental anisotropy decays, which provide a sensitive benchmark for fluorophore mobility. Lastly, by a combination of experiment and simulation, we address a potential complication in the interpretation of experiments on polyproline, used as a molecular ruler for FRET experiments, namely the potential association of one of the chromophores with the polyproline helix. Under conditions where simulations accurately capture the fluorescence anisotropy decay, we find at most a modest, transient population of conformations in which the chromophores associate with the polyproline. Explicit calculation of FRET transfer efficiencies for short polyprolines yields results in good agreement with experiment. These results illustrate the potential power of a combination of molecular simulation and experiment in quantifying biomolecular dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert B Best
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
| | - Hagen Hofmann
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Nettels
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Benjamin Schuler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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33
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Extracting Conformational Ensembles of Small Molecules from Molecular Dynamics Simulations: Ampicillin as a Test Case. COMPUTATION 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/computation4010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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34
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Malloci G, Vargiu AV, Serra G, Bosin A, Ruggerone P, Ceccarelli M. A Database of Force-Field Parameters, Dynamics, and Properties of Antimicrobial Compounds. Molecules 2015; 20:13997-4021. [PMID: 26247924 PMCID: PMC6332394 DOI: 10.3390/molecules200813997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
We present an on-line database of all-atom force-field parameters and molecular properties of compounds with antimicrobial activity (mostly antibiotics and some beta-lactamase inhibitors). For each compound, we provide the General Amber Force Field parameters for the major species at physiological pH, together with an analysis of properties of interest as extracted from µs-long molecular dynamics simulations in explicit water solution. The properties include number and population of structural clusters, molecular flexibility, hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecular surfaces, the statistics of intraand inter-molecular H-bonds, as well as structural and dynamical properties of solvent molecules within first and second solvation shells. In addition, the database contains several key molecular parameters, such as energy of the frontier molecular orbitals, vibrational properties, rotational constants, atomic partial charges and electric dipole moment, computed by Density Functional Theory. The present database (to our knowledge the first extensive one including dynamical properties) is part of a wider project aiming to build-up a database containing structural, physico-chemical and dynamical properties of medicinal compounds using different force-field parameters with increasing level of complexity and reliability. The database is freely accessible at http://www.dsf.unica.it/translocation/db/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliano Malloci
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli studi di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, I-09042 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy.
| | - Attilio Vittorio Vargiu
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli studi di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, I-09042 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy.
| | - Giovanni Serra
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli studi di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, I-09042 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy.
| | - Andrea Bosin
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli studi di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, I-09042 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy.
| | - Paolo Ruggerone
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli studi di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, I-09042 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy.
| | - Matteo Ceccarelli
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli studi di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, I-09042 Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy.
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35
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Ivanov MV, Talipov MR, Timerghazin QK. Genetic Algorithm Optimization of Point Charges in Force Field Development: Challenges and Insights. J Phys Chem A 2015; 119:1422-34. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.5b00218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maxim V. Ivanov
- Department of Chemistry, Marquette University,
P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-1881, United States
| | - Marat R. Talipov
- Department of Chemistry, Marquette University,
P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-1881, United States
| | - Qadir K. Timerghazin
- Department of Chemistry, Marquette University,
P.O. Box 1881, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-1881, United States
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