1
|
Cruz R, Ataka K, Heberle J, Kozuch J. Evaluating aliphatic CF, CF2, and CF3 groups as vibrational Stark effect reporters. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:204308. [PMID: 38814010 DOI: 10.1063/5.0198303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Given the extensive use of fluorination in molecular design, it is imperative to understand the solvation properties of fluorinated compounds and the impact of the C-F bond on electrostatic interactions. Vibrational spectroscopy can provide direct insights into these interactions by using the C-F bond stretching [v(C-F)] as an electric field probe through the vibrational Stark effect (VSE). In this work, we explore the VSE of the three basic patterns of aliphatic fluorination, i.e., mono-, di-, and trifluorination in CF, CF2, and CF3 groups, respectively, and compare their response to the well-studied aromatic v(C-F). Magnitudes (i.e., Stark tuning rates) and orientations of the difference dipole vectors of the v(C-F)-containing normal modes were determined using density functional theory and a molecular dynamics (MD)-assisted solvatochromic analysis of model compounds in solvents of varying polarity. We obtain Stark tuning rates of 0.2-0.8 cm-1/(MV/cm), with smallest and largest electric field sensitivities for CFaliphatic and CF3,aliphatic, respectively. While average electric fields of solvation were oriented along the main symmetry axis of the CFn, and thus along its static dipole, the Stark tuning rate vectors were tilted by up to 87° potentially enabling to map electrostatics in multiple dimensions. We discuss the influence of conformational heterogeneity on spectral shifts and point out the importance of multipolar and/or polarizable MD force fields to describe the electrostatics of fluorinated molecules. The implications of this work are of direct relevance for studies of fluorinated molecules as found in pharmaceuticals, fluorinated peptides, and proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Cruz
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - K Ataka
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - J Heberle
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
- Forschungsbau SupraFAB, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - J Kozuch
- Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
- Forschungsbau SupraFAB, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Freindorf M, Antonio JJ, Kraka E. Iron-histidine bonding in bishistidyl hemoproteins-A local vibrational mode study. J Comput Chem 2024; 45:574-588. [PMID: 38041830 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.27267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the intrinsic strength of distal and proximal FeN bonds for both ferric and ferrous oxidation states of bishistidyl hemoproteins from bacteria, animals, human, and plants, including two cytoglobins, ten hemoglobins, two myoglobins, six neuroglobins, and six phytoglobins. As a qualified measure of bond strength, we used local vibrational force constants ka (FeN) based on local mode theory developed in our group. All calculations were performed with a hybrid QM/MM ansatz. Starting geometries were taken from available x-ray structures. ka (FeN) values were correlated with FeN bond lengths and covalent bond character. We also investigated the stiffness of the axial NFeN bond angle. Our results highlight that protein effects are sensitively reflected in ka (FeN), allowing one to compare trends in diverse protein groups. Moreover, ka (NFeN) is a perfect tool to monitor changes in the axial heme framework caused by different protein environments as well as different Fe oxidation states.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marek Freindorf
- Chemistry Department, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Juliana J Antonio
- Chemistry Department, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Elfi Kraka
- Chemistry Department, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kirsh J, Weaver JB, Boxer SG, Kozuch J. Critical Evaluation of Polarizable and Nonpolarizable Force Fields for Proteins Using Experimentally Derived Nitrile Electric Fields. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:6983-6991. [PMID: 38415598 PMCID: PMC10941190 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c14775] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are frequently carried out for proteins to investigate the role of electrostatics in their biological function. The choice of force field (FF) can significantly alter the MD results, as the simulated local electrostatic interactions lack benchmarking in the absence of appropriate experimental methods. We recently reported that the transition dipole moment (TDM) of the popular nitrile vibrational probe varies linearly with the environmental electric field, overcoming well-known hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) issues for the nitrile frequency and, thus, enabling the unambiguous measurement of electric fields in proteins (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144 (17), 7562-7567). Herein, we utilize this new strategy to enable comparisons of experimental and simulated electric fields in protein environments. Specifically, previously determined TDM electric fields exerted onto nitrile-containing o-cyanophenylalanine residues in photoactive yellow protein are compared with MD electric fields from the fixed-charge AMBER FF and the polarizable AMOEBA FF. We observe that the electric field distributions for H-bonding nitriles are substantially affected by the choice of FF. As such, AMBER underestimates electric fields for nitriles experiencing moderate field strengths; in contrast, AMOEBA robustly recapitulates the TDM electric fields. The FF dependence of the electric fields can be partly explained by the presence of additional negative charge density along the nitrile bond axis in AMOEBA, which is due to the inclusion of higher-order multipole parameters; this, in turn, begets more head-on nitrile H-bonds. We conclude by discussing the implications of the FF dependence for the simulation of nitriles and proteins in general.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob
M. Kirsh
- Department
of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5012, United
States
| | - Jared Bryce Weaver
- Department
of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5012, United
States
| | - Steven G. Boxer
- Department
of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5012, United
States
| | - Jacek Kozuch
- Experimental
Molecular Biophysics, Department of Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhou Q, Catalán P, Bell H, Baumann P, Cooke R, Evans R, Yang J, Zhang Z, Zappalà D, Zhang Y, Blackburn GM, He Y, Jin Y. An Ion-Pair Induced Intermediate Complex Captured in Class D Carbapenemase Reveals Chloride Ion as a Janus Effector Modulating Activity. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2023; 9:2339-2349. [PMID: 38161376 PMCID: PMC10755735 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c00609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Antibiotic-resistant Enterobacterales that produce oxacillinase (OXA)-48-like Class D β-lactamases are often linked to increased clinical mortality. Though the catalytic mechanism of OXA-48 is known, the molecular origin of its biphasic kinetics has been elusive. We here identify selective chloride binding rather than decarbamylation of the carbamylated lysine as the source of biphasic kinetics, utilizing isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to monitor the complete reaction course with the OXA-48 variant having a chemically stable N-acetyl lysine. Further structural investigation enables us to capture an unprecedented inactive acyl intermediate wedged in place by a halide ion paired with a conserved active site arginine. Supported by mutagenesis and mathematical simulation, we identify chloride as a "Janus effector" that operates by allosteric activation of the burst phase and by inhibition of the steady state in kinetic assays of β-lactams. We show that chloride-induced biphasic kinetics directly affects antibiotic efficacy and facilitates the differentiation of clinical isolates encoding Class D from Class A and B carbapenemases. As chloride is present in laboratory and clinical procedures, our discovery greatly expands the roles of chloride in modulating enzyme catalysis and highlights its potential impact on the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of antibiotics during in vivo treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhou
- Key
Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule, College of
Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest
University, Xi’an 710127, P. R. China
| | - Pablo Catalán
- Grupo
Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos, Departamento de Matemáticas, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, Spain
| | - Helen Bell
- School
of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Baumann
- School
of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
- Manchester
Institute of Biotechnology, University of
Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, United Kingdom
| | - Rebekah Cooke
- School
of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Rhodri Evans
- School
of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
- Manchester
Institute of Biotechnology, University of
Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, United Kingdom
| | - Jianhua Yang
- Key
Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule, College of
Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest
University, Xi’an 710127, P. R. China
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Key
Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule, College of
Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest
University, Xi’an 710127, P. R. China
- School
of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Davide Zappalà
- School
of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Ye Zhang
- Key
Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule, College of
Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest
University, Xi’an 710127, P. R. China
| | - George Michael Blackburn
- School
of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Yuan He
- Key
Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule, College of
Chemistry and Materials Science, Northwest
University, Xi’an 710127, P. R. China
| | - Yi Jin
- School
of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, United Kingdom
- Manchester
Institute of Biotechnology, University of
Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Iwahara J, Pettitt BM, Yu B. Direct measurements of biomolecular electrostatics through experiments. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 82:102680. [PMID: 37573815 PMCID: PMC10947535 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecular electrostatics has been a subject of computational investigations based on 3D structures. This situation is changing because emerging experimental tools allow us to quantitatively investigate biomolecular electrostatics without any use of structure information. Now, electrostatic potentials around biomolecules can directly be measured for many residues simultaneously by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This NMR method can be used to study electrostatic aspects of various processes, including macromolecular association and liquid-liquid phase separation. Applications to structurally flexible biomolecules such as intrinsically disordered proteins are particularly useful. The new tools also facilitate examination of theoretical models and methods for biomolecular electrostatics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junji Iwahara
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
| | - B Montgomery Pettitt
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Binhan Yu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Jurich C, Yang ZJ. High-throughput computational investigation of protein electrostatics and cavity for SAM-dependent methyltransferases. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4690. [PMID: 37278582 PMCID: PMC10273352 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4690] [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: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
S-adenosyl methionine (SAM)-dependent methyl transferases (MTases) are a ubiquitous class of enzymes catalyzing dozens of essential life processes. Despite targeting a large space of substrates with diverse intrinsic reactivity, SAM MTases have similar catalytic efficiency. While understanding of MTase mechanism has grown tremendously through the integration of structural characterization, kinetic assays, and multiscale simulations, it remains elusive how these enzymes have evolved to fit the diverse chemical needs of their respective substrates. In this work, we performed a high-throughput molecular modeling analysis of 91 SAM MTases to better understand how their properties (i.e., electric field [EF] strength and active site volumes) help achieve similar catalytic efficiency toward substrates of different reactivity. We found that EF strengths have largely adjusted to make the target atom a better methyl acceptor. For MTases that target RNA/DNA and histone proteins, our results suggest that EF strength accommodates formal hybridization state and variation in cavity volume trends with diversity of substrate classes. Metal ions in SAM MTases contribute negatively to EF strength for methyl donation and enzyme scaffolds tend to offset these contributions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhongyue J. Yang
- Department of ChemistryVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennesseeUSA
- Center for Structural BiologyVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennesseeUSA
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennesseeUSA
- Data Science InstituteVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennesseeUSA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennesseeUSA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Yan S, Ji X, Peng W, Wang B. Evaluating the Transition State Stabilization/Destabilization Effects of the Electric Fields from Scaffold Residues by a QM/MM Approach. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:4245-4253. [PMID: 37155960 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c01054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The protein scaffolds of enzymes not only provide structural support for the catalytic center but also exert preorganized electric fields for electrostatic catalysis. In recent years, uniform oriented external electric fields (OEEFs) have been widely applied to enzymatic reactions to mimic the electrostatic effects of the environment. However, the electric fields exerted by individual residues in proteins may be quite heterogeneous across the active site, with varying directions and strengths at different positions of the active site. Here, we propose a QM/MM-based approach to evaluate the effects of the electric fields exerted by individual residues in the protein scaffold. In particular, the heterogeneity of the residue electric fields and the effect of the native protein environment can be properly accounted for by this QM/MM approach. A case study of the O-O heterolysis reaction in the catalytic cycle of TyrH shows that (1) for scaffold residues that are relatively far from the active site, the heterogeneity of the residue electric field in the active site is not very significant and the electrostatic stabilization/destabilization due to each residue can be well approximated with the interaction energy between a uniform electric field and the QM region dipole; (2) for scaffold residues near the active site, the residue electric fields can be highly heterogeneous along the breaking O-O bond. In such a case, approximating the residue electric fields as uniform fields may misrepresent the overall electrostatic effect of the residue. The present QM/MM approach can be applied to evaluate the residues' electrostatic impact on enzymatic reactions, which also can be useful in computational optimization of electric fields to boost the enzyme catalysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shengheng Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Xinwei Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Wei Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| | - Binju Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Innovation Laboratory for Sciences and Technologies of Energy Materials of Fujian Province (IKKEM), Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ji Z, Boxer SG. β-Lactamases Evolve against Antibiotics by Acquiring Large Active-Site Electric Fields. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:22289-22294. [PMID: 36399691 PMCID: PMC10075085 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c10791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A compound bound covalently to an enzyme active site can act either as a substrate if the covalent linkage is readily broken up by the enzyme or as an inhibitor if the bond dissociates slowly. We tracked the reactivity of such bonds associated with the rise of the resistance to penicillin G (PenG) in protein evolution from penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) to TEM β-lactamases and with the development of avibactam (Avb) to overcome the resistance. We found that the ester linkage in PBP-PenG is resistant to hydrolysis mainly due to the small electric fields present in the protein active site. Conversely, the same linkage in the descendant TEM-PenG experiences large electric fields that stabilize the more charge-separated transition state and thus lower the free energy barrier to hydrolysis. Specifically, the electric fields were improved from -59 to -140 MV/cm in an ancient evolution dating back billions of years, contributing 5 orders of magnitude rate acceleration. This trend continues today in the nullification of newly developed antibiotic drugs. The fast linkage hydrolysis acquired from evolution is counteracted by the upgrade of PenG to Avb whose linkage escapes from the hydrolysis by returning to a low-field environment. Using the framework of electrostatic catalysis, the electric field, an observable from vibrational spectroscopy, provides a unifying physical metric to understand protein evolution and to guide the design of covalent drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Ji
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Steven G Boxer
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| |
Collapse
|