Time-resolved infrared study of the helix-coil transition using (13)C-labeled helical peptides

SCN as a local probe of protein structural dynamics

The dynamics of lysozyme is probed by attaching -SCN to all alanine residues. The one-dimensional infrared spectra exhibit frequency shifts in the position of the maximum absorption of 4 cm-1, which is consistent with experiments in different solvents and indicates moderately strong interactions of the vibrational probe with its environment. Isotopic substitution 12C → 13C leads to a redshift by -47 cm-1, which agrees quantitatively with experiments for CN-substituted copper complexes in solution. The low-frequency, far-infrared part of the protein spectra contains label-specific information in the difference spectra when compared with the wild type protein. Depending on the position of the labels, local structural changes are observed. For example, introducing the -SCN label at Ala129 leads to breaking of the α-helical structure with concomitant change in the far-infrared spectrum. Finally, changes in the local hydration of SCN-labeled alanine residues as a function of time can be related to the reorientation of the label. It is concluded that -SCN is potentially useful for probing protein dynamics, both in the high-frequency part (CN-stretch) and in the far-infrared part of the spectrum.

Unnatural Amino Acids for Biological Spectroscopy and Microscopy

Due to advances in methods for site-specific incorporation of unnatural amino acids (UAAs) into proteins, a large number of UAAs with tailored chemical and/or physical properties have been developed and used in a wide array of biological applications. In particular, UAAs with specific spectroscopic characteristics can be used as external reporters to produce additional signals, hence increasing the information content obtainable in protein spectroscopic and/or imaging measurements. In this Review, we summarize the progress in the past two decades in the development of such UAAs and their applications in biological spectroscopy and microscopy, with a focus on UAAs that can be used as site-specific vibrational, fluorescence, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probes. Wherever applicable, we also discuss future directions.

Frequency Changes in Terminal Alkynes Provide Strong, Sensitive, and Solvatochromic Raman Probes of Biochemical Environments

The C≡C stretching frequencies of terminal alkynes appear in the "clear" window of vibrational spectra, so they are attractive and increasingly popular as site-specific probes in complicated biological systems like proteins, cells, and tissues. In this work, we collected infrared (IR) absorption and Raman scattering spectra of model compounds, artificial amino acids, and model proteins that contain terminal alkyne groups, and we used our results to draw conclusions about the signal strength and sensitivity to the local environment of both aliphatic and aromatic terminal alkyne C≡C stretching bands. While the IR bands of alkynyl model compounds displayed surprisingly broad solvatochromism, their absorptions were weak enough that alkynes can be ruled out as effective IR probes. The same solvatochromism was observed in model compounds' Raman spectra, and comparisons to published empirical solvent scales (including a linear regression against four meta-aggregated solvent parameters) suggested that the alkyne C≡C stretching frequency mainly reports on local electronic interactions (i.e., short-range electron donor-acceptor interactions) with solvent molecules and neighboring functional groups. The strong solvatochromism observed here for alkyne stretching bands introduces an important consideration for Raman imaging studies based on these signals. Raman signals for alkynes (especially those that are π-conjugated) can be exceptionally strong and should permit alkynyl Raman signals to function as probes at very low concentrations, as compared to other widely used vibrational probe groups like azides and nitriles. We incorporated homopropargyl glycine into a transmembrane helical peptide via peptide synthesis, and we installed p-ethynylphenylalanine into the interior of the Escherichia coli fatty acid acyl carrier protein using a genetic code expansion technique. The Raman spectra from each of these test systems indicate that alkynyl C≡C bands can act as effective and unique probes of their local biomolecular environments. We provide guidance for the best possible future uses of alkynes as solvatochromic Raman probes, and while empirical explanations of the alkyne solvatochromism are offered, open questions about its physical basis are enunciated.

Computing the frequency fluctuation dynamics of highly coupled vibrational transitions using neural networks

The description of frequency fluctuations for highly coupled vibrational transitions has been a challenging problem in physical chemistry. In particular, the complexity of their vibrational Hamiltonian does not allow us to directly derive the time evolution of vibrational frequencies for these systems. In this paper, we present a new approach to this problem by exploiting the artificial neural network to describe the vibrational frequencies without relying on the deconstruction of the vibrational Hamiltonian. To this end, we first explored the use of the methodology to predict the frequency fluctuations of the amide I mode of N-methylacetamide in water. The results show good performance compared with the previous experimental and theoretical results. In the second part, the neural network approach is used to investigate the frequency fluctuations of the highly coupled carbonyl stretch modes for the organic carbonates in the solvation shell of the lithium ion. In this case, the frequency fluctuation predicted by the neural networks shows a good agreement with the experimental results, which suggests that this model can be used to describe the dynamics of the frequency in highly coupled transitions.

Temperature-Jump 2D IR Spectroscopy with Intensity-Modulated CW Optical Heating

Pulsed temperature-jump (T-jump) spectroscopy with infrared (IR) detection has been widely used to study biophysical processes occurring from nanoseconds to ∼1 ms with structural sensitivity. However, many systems exhibit structural dynamics on time scales longer than the millisecond barrier that is set by the time scale for thermal relaxation of the sample. We developed a linear and nonlinear infrared spectrometer coupled to an intensity-modulated continuous wave (CW) laser to probe T-jump-initiated chemical reactions from <1 ms to seconds. Time-dependent modulation of the CW laser leads to a <1 ms heating time as well as a constant final temperature (±3%) for the duration of the heating time. Temperature changes of up to 75 °C in D₂O are demonstrated, allowing for nonequilibrium measurements inaccessible to standard pulsed optical T-jump setups. T-jump linear absorption, pump-probe, and two-dimensional IR (2D IR) spectroscopy are applied to the unfolding and refolding of ubiquitin and a model intercalated motif (i-motif) DNA sequence, and analysis of the observed signals is used to demonstrate the limits and utility of each method. Overall, the ability to probe temperature-induced chemical processes from <1 ms to many seconds with 2D IR spectroscopy provides multiple new avenues for time-dependent spectroscopy in chemistry and biophysics.

A Different hIAPP Polymorph Is Observed in Human Serum Than in Aqueous Buffer: Demonstration of a New Method for Studying Amyloid Fibril Structure Using Infrared Spectroscopy

There is enormous interest in measuring amyloid fibril structures, but most structural studies measure fibril formation in vitro using aqueous buffer. Ideally, one would like to measure fibril structure and mechanism under more physiological conditions. Toward this end, we have developed a method for studying amyloid fibril structure in human serum. Our approach uses isotope labeling, antibody depletion of the most abundant proteins (albumin and IgG), and infrared spectroscopy to measure aggregation in human serum with reduced protein content. Reducing the nonamyloid protein content enables the measurements by decreasing background signals but retains the full composition of salts, sugars, metal ions, etc. that are naturally present but usually missing from in vitro studies. We demonstrate the method by measuring the two-dimensional infrared (2D IR) spectra of isotopically labeled human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP or amylin). We find that the fibril structure of hIAPP formed in serum differs from that formed via aggregation in aqueous buffer at residues Gly24 and Ala25, which reside in the putative "amyloidogenic core" or FGAIL region of the sequence. The spectra are consistent with extended parallel stacks of strands consistent with β-sheet-like structure, rather than a partially disordered loop that forms in aqueous buffer. These experiments provide a new method for using infrared spectroscopy to monitor the structure of proteins under physiological conditions and reveal the formation of a significantly different polymorph structure in the most important region of hIAPP.

Photo-initiated rupture of azobenzene micelles to enable the spectroscopic analysis of antimicrobial peptide dynamics

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) show promise for the treatment of bacterial infections, but many have undesired hemolytic activities. The AMP MP1 not only has broad spectrum bactericidal activity, but has been shown to have antitumor activity. The interaction between AMPs and cellular membranes gives rise to a peptide's cell-specificity and activity. However, direct analysis of the biophysical interactions between peptides and membrane is complex, in part due to the nature of membrane environments as well as structural changes in the peptide that occurs upon binding to the membrane. In order to investigate the interplay between cell selectivity, activity, and secondary structural changes involved in antimicrobial peptide activity, we sought to implement photolizable membrane mimics to assess the types of information available from infrared spectroscopic measurements that follow from photoinitiated peptide dynamics. Azo-surfactants (APEG) form micelles containing a photolizable azobenzene core, which upon irradiation can induce membrane deformation resulting in breakdown of micelles. Spectroscopic analysis of membrane deformation may provide insights into the physical behavior associated with unfolding and dissociation of antimicrobial peptides within a membrane environment. Herein, we synthesized and characterized two new azo-surfactants, APEGTMG and APEGNEt2MeI. Furthermore, we demonstrate the viability of azosurfactants as membrane mimics by examining both the membrane binding and dissociation induced secondary structural changes of the antimicrobial peptide, MP1.

Interspecies Bombolitins Exhibit Structural Diversity upon Membrane Binding, Leading to Cell Specificity

Bombolitins, a class of peptides produced by bees of the genus Bombus, target and disrupt cellular membranes, leading to lysis. Antimicrobial peptides exhibit various mechanisms of action resulting from the interplay between peptide structure, lipid composition, and cellular target membrane selectivity. Herein, two bombolitins displaying significant amino-acid-sequence similarity, BII and BL6, were assessed for antimicrobial activity as well as correlated dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) micelle binding and membrane-induced peptide conformational changes. Infrared and circular dichroism spectroscopies were used to assess the structure-function relationship of each bombolitin, and the results indicate that BII forms a rigid and helically ordered secondary structure upon binding to DPC micelles, whereas BL6 largely lacks secondary structural order. Moreover, the binding affinity of each peptide to DPC micelles was determined, revealing that BL6 displayed a difference in binding affinity by over two orders of magnitude. Further investigations into the growth-inhibitory activity of the two bombolitins were performed against Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Interestingly, BII specifically targeted S. cerevisiae, whereas BL6 more effectively inhibited E. coli growth. Overall, the antimicrobial selectivity and specificity of BII and BL6 are largely dependent on the primary as well as secondary structural content of the peptides and the membrane composition.

Vibrational Approach to the Dynamics and Structure of Protein Amyloids

Amyloid diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, are linked to a poorly understood progression of protein misfolding and aggregation events that culminate in tissue-selective deposition and human pathology. Elucidation of the mechanistic details of protein aggregation and the structural features of the aggregates is critical for a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of protein oligomerization and fibrillization. Vibrational spectroscopies, such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman, are powerful tools that are sensitive to the secondary structure of proteins and have been widely used to investigate protein misfolding and aggregation. We address the application of the vibrational approaches in recent studies of conformational dynamics and structural characteristics of protein oligomers and amyloid fibrils. In particular, introduction of isotope labelled carbonyl into a peptide backbone, and incorporation of the extrinsic unnatural amino acids with vibrational moieties on the side chain, have greatly expanded the ability of vibrational spectroscopy to obtain site-specific structural and dynamic information. The applications of these methods in recent studies of protein aggregation are also reviewed.

Helix-Coil Transition Courses Through Multiple Pathways and Intermediates: Fast Kinetic Measurements and Dimensionality Reduction

Nanosecond laser temperature jumps with tryptophan fluorescence detection and molecular dynamics simulation with kinetic dimensionality reduction were used to study the helix-coil transition in a 21-residue α-helical heteropeptide. Analysis of the temperature- dependent relaxation dynamics of this heteropeptide identified a distinct faster component of 20-35 ns, besides a slower component of 300-400 ns at temperatures between 296 and 280 K. To understand the mechanism of progression from a non-structured coil state to a structured helical state, we carried out a 12 μs molecular dynamics simulation of this peptide system. Clustering and optimal dimensionality reduction were applied to the molecular dynamics trajectory to generate low-dimensional coarse-grained models of the underlying kinetic network in terms of 2-5 metastable states. In accord with the generally accepted understanding of the multiple conformations and high entropy of the unfolded ensemble of states, the "coil" metastable set contains the largest number of structures. Interestingly, the helix metastable state was also found to be structurally heterogeneous, consisting of the completely helical form and several partly folded conformers that interconvert at a time scale faster that global folding. The intermediate states contain the fewest structures, have lowest populations, and have the shortest lifetimes. As the number of considered metastable states increases, more intermediates and more folding paths appear in the coarse-grained models. One of these intermediates corresponds to the transition state for folding, which involves an "off-center" helical region over residues 11-16. The kinetic network model is consistent with a statistical picture of folding following a simple reaction coordinate counting the helical population of individual residues. On the basis of simulations, we propose that the fast relaxation time should be assigned to cooperative folding/unfolding of segments of 1-4 neighboring residues.

Parallel folding pathways of Fip35 WW domain explained by infrared spectra and their computer simulation

We present a calculation of the amide I' infrared (IR) spectra of the folded, unfolded, and intermediate states of the WW domain Fip35, a model system for β-sheet folding. Using an all-atom molecular dynamics simulation in which multiple folding and unfolding events take place we identify six conformational states and then apply perturbed matrix method quantum-mechanical calculations to determine their amide I' IR spectra. Our analysis focuses on two states previously identified as Fip35 folding intermediates and suggests that a three-stranded core similar to the folded state core is the main source of the spectroscopic differences between the two intermediates. In particular, we propose a hypothesis for why folding via one of these intermediates was not experimentally observed by IR T-jump.

When fast is better: protein folding fundamentals and mechanisms from ultrafast approaches

Protein folding research stalled for decades because conventional experiments indicated that proteins fold slowly and in single strokes, whereas theory predicted a complex interplay between dynamics and energetics resulting in myriad microscopic pathways. Ultrafast kinetic methods turned the field upside down by providing the means to probe fundamental aspects of folding, test theoretical predictions and benchmark simulations. Accordingly, experimentalists could measure the timescales for all relevant folding motions, determine the folding speed limit and confirm that folding barriers are entropic bottlenecks. Moreover, a catalogue of proteins that fold extremely fast (microseconds) could be identified. Such fast-folding proteins cross shallow free energy barriers or fold downhill, and thus unfold with minimal co-operativity (gradually). A new generation of thermodynamic methods has exploited this property to map folding landscapes, interaction networks and mechanisms at nearly atomic resolution. In parallel, modern molecular dynamics simulations have finally reached the timescales required to watch fast-folding proteins fold and unfold in silico. All of these findings have buttressed the fundamentals of protein folding predicted by theory, and are now offering the first glimpses at the underlying mechanisms. Fast folding appears to also have functional implications as recent results connect downhill folding with intrinsically disordered proteins, their complex binding modes and ability to moonlight. These connections suggest that the coupling between downhill (un)folding and binding enables such protein domains to operate analogically as conformational rheostats.

Microscopic nucleation and propagation rates of an alanine-based α-helix

An infrared temperature-jump (T-jump) study by Huang et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 2002, 99, 2788-2793) showed that the conformational relaxation kinetics of an alanine-based α-helical peptide depend not only on the final temperature (Tf) but also on the initial temperature (Ti) when Tf is fixed. Their finding indicates that the folding free energy landscape of this peptide is non-two-state like, allowing for the population of conformational ensembles with different helical lengths and relaxation times in the temperature range of the experiment. Because α-helix folding involves two fundamental events, nucleation and propagation, the results of Huang et al. thus present a unique opportunity to determine their rate constants - a long-sought goal in the study of the helix-coil transition dynamics. Herein, we capitalize on this notion and develop a coarse-grained kinetic model to globally fit the thermal unfolding curve and T-jump kinetic traces of this peptide. Using this strategy, we are able to explicitly determine the microscopic rate constants of the kinetic steps encountered in the nucleation and propagation processes. Our results reveal that the time taken to form one α-helical turn (i.e., an α-helical segment with one helical hydrogen bond) is about 315 ns, whereas the time taken to elongate this nucleus by one residue (or backbone unit) is 5.9 ns, depending on the position of the residue.

The covalently bound diazo group as an infrared probe for hydrogen bonding environments

The bandwidth or position of diazo groups can probe the polarizability and HBA, or density of HBD groups.

Kinetic Isotope Effect Provides Insight into the Vibrational Relaxation Mechanism of Aromatic Molecules: Application to Cyano-phenylalanine

Varying the reduced mass of an oscillator via isotopic substitution provides a convenient means to alter its vibrational frequency and hence has found wide applications. Herein, we show that this method can also help delineate the vibrational relaxation mechanism, using four isotopomers of the unnatural amino acid p-cyano-phenylalanine (Phe-CN) as models. In water, the nitrile stretching frequencies of these isotopomers, Phe-(12)C(14)N (1), Phe-(12)C(15)N (2), Phe-(13)C(14)N (3), and Phe-(13)C(15)N (4), are found to be equally separated by ∼27 cm(-1), whereas their vibrational lifetimes are determined to be 4.0 ± 0.2 (1), 2.2 ± 0.1 (2), 3.4 ± 0.2 (3), and 7.9 ± 0.5 ps (4), respectively. We find that an empirical relationship that considers the effective reduced mass of CN can accurately account for the observed frequency gaps, while the vibrational lifetime distribution, which suggests an intramolecular relaxation mechanism, can be rationalized by the order-specific density of states near the CN stretching frequency.

Isotope-Labeled Amyloids via Synthesis, Expression, and Chemical Ligation for Use in FTIR, 2D IR, and NMR Studies

This chapter provides protocols for isotope-labeling the human islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP or amylin) involved in type II diabetes and γD-crystallin involved in cataract formation. Because isotope labeling improves the structural resolution, these protocols are useful for experiments using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), two-dimensional infrared (2D IR), and NMR spectroscopies. Our research group specializes in using 2D IR spectroscopy and isotope labeling. 2D IR spectroscopy provides structural information by measuring solvation from 2D diagonal lineshapes and vibrational couplings from cross peaks. Infrared spectroscopy can be used to study kinetics, membrane proteins, and aggregated proteins. Isotope labeling provides greater certainty in the spectral assignment, which enables new structural insights that are difficult to obtain with other methods. For amylin, we provide a protocol for (13)C/(18)O labeling backbone carbonyls at one or more desired amino acids in order to obtain residue-specific structural resolution. We also provide a protocol for expressing and purifying amylin from E. coli, which enables uniform (13)C or (13)C/(15)N labeling. Uniform labeling is useful for measuring the monomer infrared spectrum in an amyloid oligomer or fiber as well as amyloid protein bound to another polypeptide or protein, such as a chaperone or an inhibitor. In addition, our expression protocol results in 2-2.5 mg of amylin peptide per 1 L cell culture, which is a high enough yield to straightforwardly obtain the 2-10 mg needed for high resolution and solid-state NMR experiments. Finally, we provide a protocol to isotope-label either of the two domains of γD-crystallin using expressed protein ligation. Domain labeling makes it possible to resolve the structures of the two halves of the protein in FTIR and 2D IR spectra. With modifications, these strategies and protocols for isotope labeling can be applied to other amyloid polypeptides and proteins.

Biomolecular Crowding Arising from Small Molecules, Molecular Constraints, Surface Packing, and Nano-Confinement

The effect of macromolecular crowding on the structure, dynamics, and reactivity of biomolecules is well established and the relevant research has been extensively reviewed. Herein, we focus our discussion on crowding effects arising from small cosolvent molecules and densely packed surface conditions. In addition, we highlight recent efforts that capitalize on the excluded volume effect for various tailored biochemical and biophysical applications. Specifically, we discuss how a targeted increase in local mass density can be exploited to gain insight into the folding dynamics of the protein of interest and how confinement via reverse micelles can be used to study a range of biophysical questions, from protein hydration dynamics to amyloid formation.

Fast infrared spectroscopy of protein dynamics: advancing sensitivity and selectivity

2D-IR spectroscopy has matured to a powerful technique to study the structure and dynamics of peptides, but its extension to larger proteins is still in its infancy, the major limitations being sensitivity and selectivity. Site-selective information requires measuring single vibrational probes at sub-millimolar concentrations where most proteins are still stable, which is a severe challenge for conventional (FT)IR spectroscopy. Besides its ultrafast time-resolution, a so far largely underappreciated potential of 2D-IR spectroscopy lies in its sensitivity gain. The present paper sets the goals and outlines strategies how to use that sensitivity gain together with properly designed vibrational labels to make IR spectroscopy a versatile tool to study a wide class of proteins.

Site-specific infrared probes of proteins

Infrared spectroscopy has played an instrumental role in the study of a wide variety of biological questions. However, in many cases, it is impossible or difficult to rely on the intrinsic vibrational modes of biological molecules of interest, such as proteins, to reveal structural and environmental information in a site-specific manner. To overcome this limitation, investigators have dedicated many recent efforts to the development and application of various extrinsic vibrational probes that can be incorporated into biological molecules and used to site-specifically interrogate their structural or environmental properties. In this review, we highlight recent advancements in this rapidly growing research area.

pH-jump induced leucine zipper folding beyond the diffusion limit

The folding of a pH-sensitive leucine zipper, that is, a GCN4 mutant containing eight glutamic acid residues, has been investigated. A pH-jump induced by a caged proton (o-nitrobenzaldehyde, oNBA) is employed to initiate the process, and time-resolved IR spectroscopy of the amide I band is used to probe it. The experiment has been carefully designed to minimize the buffer capacity of the sample solution so that a large pH jump can be achieved, leading to a transition from a completely unfolded to a completely folded state with a single laser shot. In order to eliminate the otherwise rate-limiting diffusion-controlled step of the association of two peptides, they have been covalently linked. The results for the folding kinetics of the cross-linked peptide are compared with those of an unlinked peptide, which reveals a detailed picture of the folding mechanism. That is, folding occurs in two steps, one on an ∼1-2 μs time scale leading to a partially folded α-helix even in the monomeric case and a second one leading to the final coiled-coil structure on distinctively different time scales of ∼30 μs for the cross-linked peptide and ∼200 μs for the unlinked peptide. By varying the initial pH, it is found that the folding mechanism is consistent with a thermodynamic two-state model, despite the fact that a transient intermediate is observed in the kinetic experiment.

Microscopic insights into the protein-stabilizing effect of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO)

Although it is widely known that trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), an osmolyte used by nature, stabilizes the folded state of proteins, the underlying mechanism of action is not entirely understood. To gain further insight into this important biological phenomenon, we use the C≡N stretching vibration of an unnatural amino acid, p-cyano-phenylalanine, to directly probe how TMAO affects the hydration and conformational dynamics of a model peptide and a small protein. By assessing how the lineshape and spectral diffusion properties of this vibration change with cosolvent conditions, we are able to show that TMAO achieves its protein-stabilizing ability through the combination of (at least) two mechanisms: (i) It decreases the hydrogen bonding ability of water and hence the stability of the unfolded state, and (ii) it acts as a molecular crowder, as suggested by a recent computational study, that can increase the stability of the folded state via the excluded volume effect.

Slow folding-unfolding kinetics of an octameric β-peptide bundle

β-Peptide foldamers offer attractive frameworks for examining the effect of backbone flexibility on the dynamics of protein folding. Herein, we study the folding-unfolding kinetics of a β-peptide, Acid-1Y,1 which folds in aqueous solution into an octameric bundle of peptides in a conformation known as the 14-helix. Acid-1Y is comprised exclusively of β-amino acids, which differ from α-amino acids by the addition of a single methylene into the backbone. We aim to understand how the additional degree of freedom and increased backbone flexibility in the β-amino acid affect folding dynamics and to measure folding rates of this octameric β-peptide. Previously, we found that the T-jump induced relaxation kinetics of a monomeric β-peptide that forms a monomeric 14-helix occurred on the nanosecond time scale2 and were noticeably slower than a similar alanine-based α-helical peptide.3 Additionally, in comparison to similar α-helices, the relaxation rates showed a weaker dependence on temperature. Here, we find that the T-jump induced relaxation kinetics of the octameric β-peptide occurs on an even slower time scale (minutes) and the unfolding relaxation rates show a large dependence on temperature. These differences indicate that folding energy landscapes of β-peptide secondary and quaternary structure are markedly distinct from one another and also from their α-helical counterparts.

Spectroscopic studies of protein folding: linear and nonlinear methods

Although protein folding is a simple outcome of the underlying thermodynamics, arriving at a quantitative and predictive understanding of how proteins fold nevertheless poses huge challenges. Therefore, both advanced experimental and computational methods are continuously being developed and refined to probe and reveal the atomistic details of protein folding dynamics and mechanisms. Herein, we provide a concise review of recent developments in spectroscopic studies of protein folding, with a focus on new triggering and probing methods. In particular, we describe several laser-based techniques for triggering protein folding/unfolding on the picosecond and/or nanosecond timescales and various linear and nonlinear spectroscopic techniques for interrogating protein conformations, conformational transitions, and dynamics.

Isotope-edited infrared spectroscopy

Isotope-edited infrared (IR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for studying structural and dynamical properties of peptides and proteins with site-specific resolution. Labeling of selected amide carbonyls with (13)C results in detectable sidebands of amide I' vibrations, which provide information about local conformation and/or solvent exposure without structural perturbation to the protein. Incorporation of isotopically labeled amino acids at specific positions is achieved by the chemical synthesis of the studied proteins. We describe the basic procedures for synthesis of (13)C isotopically edited protein samples, experimental IR spectroscopic measurements, and analysis of the site-specific structural changes from the thermal unfolding IR data.

Speed limit of protein folding evidenced in secondary structure dynamics

As the simplest and most prevalent motif of protein folding, α-helix initiation is the starting point of macromolecular complexity. In this work, helix initiation was directly measured via ultrafast temperature-jump spectroscopy on the smallest possible helix nucleus for which only the first turn is formed. The rate's dependence on sequence, length, and temperature reveals the fastest possible events in protein folding dynamics, and it was possible to separate the rate-limiting torsional (conformational) diffusion from the fast annealing of the helix. An analytic coarse-grained model for this process, which predicts the initiation rate as a function of temperature, confirms this picture. Moreover, the stipulations of the model were verified by ensemble-converging all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, which reproduced both the picosecond annealing and the nanosecond diffusion processes observed experimentally.

Site-Specific Spectroscopic Reporters of the Local Electric Field, Hydration, Structure, and Dynamics of Biomolecules

Elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms of protein folding and function is a very exciting and active research area, but poses significant challenges. This is due in part to the fact that existing experimental techniques are incapable of capturing snapshots along the 'reaction coordinate' in question with both sufficient spatial and temporal resolutions. In this regard, recent years have seen increased interests and efforts in development and employment of site-specific probes to enhance the structural sensitivity of spectroscopic techniques in conformational and dynamical studies of biological molecules. In particular, the spectroscopic and chemical properties of nitriles, thiocyanates, and azides render these groups attractive for the interrogation of complex biochemical constructs and processes. Here, we review their signatures in vibrational, fluorescence and NMR spectra and their utility in the context of elucidating chemical structure and dynamics of protein and DNA molecules.

Direct assessment of the α-helix nucleation time

The nucleation event in α-helix formation is a fundamental process in protein folding. However, determining how quickly it takes place based on measurements of the relaxation dynamics of helical peptides is difficult because such relaxations invariably contain contributions from various structural transitions such as from helical to nonhelical states and helical to partial-helical conformations. Herein, we measure the temperature-jump (T-jump) relaxation kinetics of three model peptides that fold into a single-turn α-helix, using time-resolved infrared spectroscopy, aiming to provide a direct assessment of the helix nucleation rate. The α-helical structure of these peptides is stabilized by a covalent cross-linker formed between the side chains of two residues at the i and i + 4 positions. If we assume that this cross-linker mimics the structural constraint arising from a strong side chain-side chain interaction (e.g., a salt bridge) in proteins, these peptides would represent good models for studying the nucleation process of an α-helix in a protein environment. Indeed, we find that the T-jump induced relaxation rate of these peptides is approximately (0.6 μs)(-1) at room temperature, which is slower than that of commonly studied alanine-based helical peptides but faster than that of a naturally occurring α-helix whose folded state is stabilized by a series of side chain-side chain interactions. Taken together, our results put an upper limit of about 1 μs for the helix nucleation time at 20 °C and suggest that the subsequent propagation steps occur with a time constant of about 240 ns.

Elucidating Peptide and Protein Structure and Dynamics: UV Resonance Raman Spectroscopy

UV resonance Raman spectroscopy (UVRR) is a powerful method that has the requisite selectivity and sensitivity to incisively monitor biomolecular structure and dynamics in solution. In this perspective, we highlight applications of UVRR for studying peptide and protein structure and the dynamics of protein and peptide folding. UVRR spectral monitors of protein secondary structure, such as the Amide III(3) band and the C(α)-H band frequencies and intensities can be used to determine Ramachandran Ψ angle distributions for peptide bonds. These incisive, quantitative glimpses into conformation can be combined with kinetic T-jump methodologies to monitor the dynamics of biomolecular conformational transitions. The resulting UVRR structural insight is impressive in that it allows differentiation of, for example, different α-helix-like states that enable differentiating π- and 3(10)- states from pure α-helices. These approaches can be used to determine the Gibbs free energy landscape of individual peptide bonds along the most important protein (un)folding coordinate. Future work will find spectral monitors that probe peptide bond activation barriers that control protein (un)folding mechanisms. In addition, UVRR studies of sidechain vibrations will probe the role of side chains in determining protein secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures.

When is the helix conformation restored after the reverse reaction of phototropin?

Following the disruption of the covalent bond between the cysteine and flavin of Phot1LOV2-linker, the unfolded conformation of the linker folds with a time constant of 13 ms, which is considerably (approximately 10(4) times) slower than the helix formation rate measured for an alpha-helical polypeptide in solution.

Dynamics of protein folding: probing the kinetic network of folding-unfolding transitions with experiment and theory

The problem of spontaneous folding of amino acid chains into highly organized, biologically functional three-dimensional protein structures continues to challenge the modern science. Understanding how proteins fold requires characterization of the underlying energy landscapes as well as the dynamics of the polypeptide chains in all stages of the folding process. In recent years, important advances toward these goals have been achieved owing to the rapidly growing interdisciplinary interest and significant progress in both experimental techniques and theoretical methods. Improvements in the experimental time resolution led to determination of the timescales of the important elementary events in folding, such as formation of secondary structure and tertiary contacts. Sensitive single molecule methods made possible probing the distributions of the unfolded and folded states and following the folding reaction of individual protein molecules. Discovery of proteins that fold in microseconds opened the possibility of atomic-level theoretical simulations of folding and their direct comparisons with experimental data, as well as of direct experimental observation of the barrier-less folding transition. The ultra-fast folding also brought new questions, concerning the intrinsic limits of the folding rates and experimental signatures of barrier-less "downhill" folding. These problems will require novel approaches for even more detailed experimental investigations of the folding dynamics as well as for the analysis of the folding kinetic data. For theoretical simulations of folding, a main challenge is how to extract the relevant information from overwhelmingly detailed atomistic trajectories. New theoretical methods have been devised to allow a systematic approach towards a quantitative analysis of the kinetic network of folding-unfolding transitions between various configuration states of a protein, revealing the transition states and the associated folding pathways at multiple levels, from atomistic to coarse-grained representations. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Protein Dynamics: Experimental and Computational Approaches.

Short-lived alpha-helical intermediates in the folding of beta-sheet proteins

Several lines of evidence point strongly toward the importance of highly alpha-helical intermediates in the folding of all globular proteins, regardless of their native structure. However, experimental refolding studies demonstrate no observable alpha-helical intermediate during refolding of some beta-sheet proteins and have dampened enthusiasm for this model of protein folding. In this study, beta-sheet proteins were hypothesized to have potential to form amphiphilic helices at a period of <3.6 residues/turn that matches or exceeds the potential at 3.6 residues/turn. Hypothetically, such potential is the basis for an effective and unidirectional mechanism by which highly alpha-helical intermediates might be rapidly disassembled during folding and potentially accounts for the difficulty in detecting highly alpha-helical intermediates during the folding of some proteins. The presence of this potential was confirmed, indicating that a model entailing ubiquitous formation of alpha-helical intermediates during the folding of globular proteins predicts previously unrecognized features of primary structure. Further, the folding of fatty acid binding protein, a predominantly beta-sheet protein that exhibits no apparent highly alpha-helical intermediate during folding, was dramatically accelerated by 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, a solvent that stabilizes alpha-helical structure. This observation suggests that formation of an alpha-helix can be a rate-limiting step during folding of a predominantly beta-sheet protein and further supports the role of highly alpha-helical intermediates in the folding of all globular proteins.

Non-native side chain IR probe in peptides: ab initio computation and 1D and 2D IR spectral simulation

Infrared frequency region of 2000-2600 cm(-1) (i.e., ca. 4-5 microm in wavelength) is a well-known open spectral window for peptides and proteins. In this work, six unnatural amino acids (unAAs) were designed to have characteristic absorption bands located in this region. Key chemical groups that served as side chains in these unAAs are C[triple bond]C, Phe-C[triple bond]C, N=C=O, N=C=S, P-H, and Si-H, respectively. Cysteine (a natural AA having S-H in side chain) was also studied for comparison. The anharmonic vibrational properties, including frequencies, anharmonicities, and intermode couplings, were examined using the density functional theory. Broadband linear infrared (IR) and two-dimensional (2D) IR spectra were simulated for each molecule. It is found that all of the side chain modes have significant overtone diagonal anharmonicities. All have moderate transition dipole strengths except the C[triple bond]C and S-H stretching modes, in comparison with the C=O stretching mode. In each case, a collection of 2D IR cross peaks were predicted to appear due to the presence of the side chain groups, whose strengths are closely related to the intramolecular anharmonic interactions, and to the transition dipole strengths of the coupled vibrators. Further, potential energy distribution analysis and high-order anharmonic constant computation showed that these IR probes possess a varying degree of mode localization. The results suggest that these IR probes are potentially useful in complementing the well-studied amide-I mode, to investigate structures and dynamics of peptides and proteins.

Common structural transitions in explicit-solvent simulations of villin headpiece folding

Molecular dynamics simulations of protein folding can provide very high-resolution data on the folding process; however, due to computational challenges most studies of protein folding have been limited to small peptides, or made use of approximations such as Gō potentials or implicit solvent models. We have performed a set of molecular dynamics simulations totaling >50 micros on the villin headpiece subdomain, one of the most stable and fastest-folding naturally occurring proteins, in explicit solvent. We find that the wild-type villin headpiece reliably folds to a native conformation on timescales similar to experimentally observed folding, but that a fast folding double-norleucine mutant shows significantly more heterogeneous behavior. Along with other recent simulation studies, we note the occurrence of nonnative structures intermediates, which may yield a nativelike signal in the fluorescence measurements typically used to study villin folding. Based on the wild-type simulations, we propose alternative approaches to measure the formation of the native state.

Mirrors in the PDB: left-handed alpha-turns guide design with D-amino acids

Background

Incorporating variable amino acid stereochemistry in molecular design has the potential to improve existing protein stability and create new topologies inaccessible to homochiral molecules. The Protein Data Bank has been a reliable, rich source of information on molecular interactions and their role in protein stability and structure. D-amino acids rarely occur naturally, making it difficult to infer general rules for how they would be tolerated in proteins through an analysis of existing protein structures. However, protein elements containing short left-handed turns and helices turn out to contain useful information. Molecular mechanisms used in proteins to stabilize left-handed elements by L-amino acids are structurally enantiomeric to potential synthetic strategies for stabilizing right-handed elements with D-amino acids.

Results

Propensities for amino acids to occur in contiguous α_L helices correlate with published thermodynamic scales for incorporation of D-amino acids into α_R helices. Two backbone rules for terminating a left-handed helix are found: an α_R conformation is disfavored at the amino terminus, and a β_R conformation is disfavored at the carboxy terminus. Helix capping sidechain-backbone interactions are found which are unique to α_L helices including an elevated propensity for L-Asn, and L-Thr at the amino terminus and L-Gln, L-Thr and L-Ser at the carboxy terminus.

Conclusion

By examining left-handed α-turns containing L-amino acids, new interaction motifs for incorporating D-amino acids into right-handed α-helices are identified. These will provide a basis for de novo design of novel heterochiral protein folds.

Carbon-deuterium vibrational probes of peptide conformation: alanine dipeptide and glycine dipeptide

The utility of alpha-carbon deuterium-labeled bonds (C(alpha)-D) as infrared reporters of local peptide conformation was investigated for two model dipeptide compounds: C(alpha)-D labeled alanine dipeptide (Adp-d(1)) and C(alpha)-D(2) labeled glycine dipeptide (Gdp-d(2)). These model compounds adopt structures that are analogous to the motifs found in larger peptides and proteins. For both Adp-d(1) and Gdp-d(2), we systematically mapped the entire conformational landscape in the gas phase by optimizing the geometry of the molecule with the values of phi and psi, the two dihedral angles that are typically used to characterize the backbone structure of peptides and proteins, held fixed on a uniform grid with 7.5 degrees spacing. Since the conformations were not generally stationary states in the gas phase, we then calculated anharmonic C(alpha)-D and C(alpha)-D(2) stretch transition frequencies for each structure. For Adp-d(1) the C(alpha)-D stretch frequency exhibited a maximum variability of 39.4 cm(-1) between the six stable structures identified in the gas phase. The C(alpha)-D(2) frequencies of Gdp-d(2) show an even more substantial difference between its three stable conformations: there is a 40.7 cm(-1) maximum difference in the symmetric C(alpha)-D(2) stretch frequencies and an 81.3 cm(-1) maximum difference in the asymmetric C(alpha)-D(2) stretch frequencies. Moreover, the splitting between the symmetric and asymmetric C(alpha)-D(2) stretch frequencies of Gdp-d(2) is remarkably sensitive to its conformation.

Empirical amide I vibrational frequency map: application to 2D-IR line shapes for isotope-edited membrane peptide bundles

The amide I vibrational mode, primarily associated with peptide-bond carbonyl stretches, has long been used to probe the structures and dynamics of peptides and proteins by infrared (IR) spectroscopy. A number of ab initio-based amide I vibrational frequency maps have been developed for calculating IR line shapes. In this paper, a new empirical amide I vibrational frequency map is developed. To evaluate its performance, we applied this map to a system of isotope-edited CD3-zeta membrane peptide bundles in aqueous solution. The calculated 2D-IR diagonal line widths vary from residue to residue and show an asymmetric pattern as a function of position in the membrane. The theoretical results are in fair agreement with experiments on the same system. Through analysis of the computed frequency time-correlation functions, it is found that the 2D-IR diagonal widths are dominated by contributions from the inhomogeneous frequency distributions, from which it follows that these widths are a good probe of the extent of local structural fluctuations. Thus, the asymmetric pattern of line widths follows from the asymmetric structure of the bundle in the membrane.