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Mous S, Poitevin F, Hunter MS, Asthagiri DN, Beck TL. Structural biology in the age of X-ray free-electron lasers and exascale computing. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 86:102808. [PMID: 38547555 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102808] [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: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Serial femtosecond X-ray crystallography has emerged as a powerful method for investigating biomolecular structure and dynamics. With the new generation of X-ray free-electron lasers, which generate ultrabright X-ray pulses at megahertz repetition rates, we can now rapidly probe ultrafast conformational changes and charge movement in biomolecules. Over the last year, another innovation has been the deployment of Frontier, the world's first exascale supercomputer. Synergizing extremely high repetition rate X-ray light sources and exascale computing has the potential to accelerate discovery in biomolecular sciences. Here we outline our perspective on each of these remarkable innovations individually, and the opportunities and challenges in yoking them within an integrated research infrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Mous
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, 94025, CA, USA
| | - Frédéric Poitevin
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, 94025, CA, USA
| | - Mark S Hunter
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, 94025, CA, USA.
| | - Dilipkumar N Asthagiri
- National Center for Computational Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, 37830-6012, TN, USA
| | - Thomas L Beck
- National Center for Computational Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, 37830-6012, TN, USA.
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2
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Khusainov G, Standfuss J, Weinert T. The time revolution in macromolecular crystallography. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS (MELVILLE, N.Y.) 2024; 11:020901. [PMID: 38616866 PMCID: PMC11015943 DOI: 10.1063/4.0000247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Macromolecular crystallography has historically provided the atomic structures of proteins fundamental to cellular functions. However, the advent of cryo-electron microscopy for structure determination of large and increasingly smaller and flexible proteins signaled a paradigm shift in structural biology. The extensive structural and sequence data from crystallography and advanced sequencing techniques have been pivotal for training computational models for accurate structure prediction, unveiling the general fold of most proteins. Here, we present a perspective on the rise of time-resolved crystallography as the new frontier of macromolecular structure determination. We trace the evolution from the pioneering time-resolved crystallography methods to modern serial crystallography, highlighting the synergy between rapid detection technologies and state-of-the-art x-ray sources. These innovations are redefining our exploration of protein dynamics, with high-resolution crystallography uniquely positioned to elucidate rapid dynamic processes at ambient temperatures, thus deepening our understanding of protein functionality. We propose that the integration of dynamic structural data with machine learning advancements will unlock predictive capabilities for protein kinetics, revolutionizing dynamics like macromolecular crystallography revolutionized structural biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgii Khusainov
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Joerg Standfuss
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Weinert
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Division of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
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3
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Ma P, Guo H, Ye H, Zhang Y, Wang Z. Structural insights into the AFB 1 aptamer coupled with a rationally designed CRISPR/Cas12a-Exo III aptasensor for AFB 1 detection. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 225:1164-1171. [PMID: 36414074 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.11.177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a typical food contaminant. A truncated DNA aptamer of AFB1 was reported by our team in previous work. However, the recognition mechanism between aptamer and AFB1 was lacking, which was crucial for the design of related aptasensor. Herein, the binding of aptamer to AFB1 was systematically studied and found that it was an exothermic process and the conformation of aptamer changed during the recognition process. Loop bases in the secondary structure of aptamer formed a special binding pocket to recognize AFB1. Van der Waals and electrostatic interaction were the main driving forces. By blocking the stem bases guided by the structural investigation, a rationally designed CRISPR/Cas12a-Exo III aptasensor for AFB1 detection was constructed, and the sensitivity was improved by target recycling. Under optimal conditions, the linear detection range for AFB1 was 0.01-20 ng/mL, and AFB1 was accurately determined in corn and wheat samples. This work laid a theoretical foundation for the design of AFB1 aptasensor, and the developed detection model came up with new ideas for the development of CRISPR/Cas12a-based aptasensor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Hualin Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Hua Ye
- School of Grain Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212004, China
| | - Yin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Meat Processing of Sichuan, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, China
| | - Zhouping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; International Joint Laboratory on Food Safety, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China; School of Grain Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212004, China.
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4
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Stagno JR. Preparation of RNA Microcrystals for Serial Femtosecond Crystallography Experiments. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2568:233-242. [PMID: 36227572 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2687-0_15] [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] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) experiments using an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) is a burgeoning method for time-resolved structural studies of biomacromolecules. As with any crystallography experiment, the most important component is quality sample preparation. Whereas dozens of SFX experiments, including batch crystallization methods, have been reported for proteins, very few have been reported for RNA. This chapter outlines standard procedures for preparing RNA microcrystalline samples suitable for SFX studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason R Stagno
- Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction Section, Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, USA.
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5
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Stagno JR, Knoska J, Chapman HN, Wang YX. Mix-and-Inject Serial Femtosecond Crystallography to Capture RNA Riboswitch Intermediates. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2568:243-249. [PMID: 36227573 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2687-0_16] [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] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Time-resolved structure determination of macromolecular conformations and ligand-bound intermediates is extremely challenging, particularly for RNA. With rapid technological advances in both microfluidic liquid injection and X-ray free electron lasers (XFEL), a new frontier has emerged in time-resolved crystallography whereby crystals can be mixed with ligand and then probed with X-rays (mix-and-inject) in real time and at room temperature. This chapter outlines the basic setup and procedures for mix-and-inject experiments for recording time-resolved crystallographic data of riboswitch RNA reaction states using serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) and an XFEL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason R Stagno
- Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction Section, Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Juraj Knoska
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Physics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Henry N Chapman
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Physics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Yun-Xing Wang
- Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction Section, Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, USA.
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6
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Yan S, Ilgu M, Nilsen-Hamilton M, Lamm MH. Computational Modeling of RNA Aptamers: Structure Prediction of the Apo State. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:7114-7125. [PMID: 36097649 PMCID: PMC9512008 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c04649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RNA aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides that bind to specific molecular targets with high affinity and specificity. To design aptamers for new applications, it is critical to understand the ligand binding mechanism in terms of the structure and dynamics of the ligand-bound and apo states. The problem is that most of the NMR or X-ray crystal structures available for RNA aptamers are for ligand-bound states. Available apo state structures, mostly characterized by crystallization under nonphysiological conditions or probed by low resolution techniques, might fail to represent the diverse structural variations of the apo state in solution. Here, we develop an approach to obtain a representative ensemble of apo structures that are based on in silico RNA 3D structure prediction and in vitro experiments that characterize base stacking. Using the neomycin-B aptamer as a case study, an ensemble of structures for the aptamer in the apo (unbound) state are validated and then used to investigate the ligand-binding mechanism for the aptamer in complex with neomycin-B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuting Yan
- Iowa
State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
| | - Muslum Ilgu
- Iowa
State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
- Ames
National Laboratory, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
- Aptalogic
Inc., Ames, Iowa 50014, United States
| | - Marit Nilsen-Hamilton
- Iowa
State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
- Ames
National Laboratory, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
- Aptalogic
Inc., Ames, Iowa 50014, United States
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7
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Levenstein MA, Robertson K, Turner TD, Hunter L, O’Brien C, O’Shaughnessy C, Kulak AN, Le Magueres P, Wojciechowski J, Mykhaylyk OO, Kapur N, Meldrum FC. Serial small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering with laboratory sources. IUCRJ 2022; 9:538-543. [PMID: 36071805 PMCID: PMC9438489 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252522007631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in X-ray instrumentation and sample injection systems have enabled serial crystallography of protein nanocrystals and the rapid structural analysis of dynamic processes. However, this progress has been restricted to large-scale X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) and synchrotron facilities, which are often oversubscribed and have long waiting times. Here, we explore the potential of state-of-the-art laboratory X-ray systems to perform comparable analyses when coupled to micro- and millifluidic sample environments. Our results demonstrate that commercial small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) instruments and X-ray diffractometers are ready to access samples and timescales (≳5 ms) relevant to many processes in materials science including the preparation of pharmaceuticals, nanoparticles and functional crystalline materials. Tests of different X-ray instruments highlighted the importance of the optical configuration and revealed that serial WAXS/XRD analysis of the investigated samples was only possible with the higher flux of a microfocus setup. We expect that these results will also stimulate similar developments for structural biology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen Robertson
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas D. Turner
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Liam Hunter
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Cate O’Brien
- Soft Matter Analytical Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, The University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield S3 7HF, United Kingdom
| | - Cedrick O’Shaughnessy
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander N. Kulak
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Pierre Le Magueres
- Rigaku Americas Corporation, 9009 New Tails Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77381, USA
| | | | - Oleksandr O. Mykhaylyk
- Soft Matter Analytical Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, The University of Sheffield, Brook Hill, Sheffield S3 7HF, United Kingdom
| | - Nikil Kapur
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona C. Meldrum
- School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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8
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Lee HK, Conrad CE, Magidson V, Heinz WF, Pauly G, Yu P, Ramakrishnan S, Stagno JR, Wang YX. Developing methods to study conformational changes in RNA crystals using a photocaged ligand. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:964595. [PMID: 36052167 PMCID: PMC9424638 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.964595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Crystallographic observation of structural changes in real time requires that those changes be uniform both spatially and temporally. A primary challenge with time-resolved ligand-mixing diffraction experiments is asynchrony caused by variable factors, such as efficiency of mixing, rate of diffusion, crystal size, and subsequently, conformational heterogeneity. One method of minimizing such variability is use of a photolabile caged ligand, which can fully saturate the crystal environment (spatially), and whose photoactivation can rapidly (temporally) trigger the reaction in a controlled manner. Our recently published results on a ligand-mixing experiment using time-resolved X-ray crystallography (TRX) with an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) demonstrated that large conformational changes upon ligand binding resulted in a solid-to-solid phase transition (SSPT), while maintaining Bragg diffraction. Here we investigate this SSPT by polarized video microscopy (PVM) after light-triggered release of a photo-caged adenine (pcADE). In general, the mean transition times and transition widths of the SSPT were less dependent on crystal size than what was observed in previous PVM studies with direct ADE mixing. Instead, the photo-induced transition appears to be heavily influenced by the equilibrium between caged and uncaged ADE due to relatively low sample exposure and uncaging efficiency. Nevertheless, we successfully demonstrate a method for the characterization of phase transitions in RNA crystals that are inducible with a photocaged ligand. The transition data for three crystals of different sizes were then applied to kinetic analysis by fitting to the known four-state model associated with ligand-induced conformational changes, revealing an apparent concentration of uncaged ADE in crystal of 0.43–0.46 mM. These results provide further insight into approaches to study time-resolved ligand-induced conformational changes in crystals, and in particular, highlight the feasibility of triggering phase transitions using a light-inducible system. Developing such approaches may be paramount for the rapidly emerging field of time-resolved crystallography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Kyung Lee
- Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction Section, Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Chelsie E. Conrad
- Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction Section, Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Valentin Magidson
- Optical Microscopy and Analysis Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - William F. Heinz
- Optical Microscopy and Analysis Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Gary Pauly
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Ping Yu
- Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction Section, Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Saminathan Ramakrishnan
- Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction Section, Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Jason R. Stagno
- Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction Section, Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Jason R. Stagno, ; Yun-Xing Wang,
| | - Yun-Xing Wang
- Protein-Nucleic Acid Interaction Section, Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Jason R. Stagno, ; Yun-Xing Wang,
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9
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Malla TN, Schmidt M. Transient state measurements on proteins by time-resolved crystallography. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 74:102376. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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10
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Schulz EC, Yorke BA, Pearson AR, Mehrabi P. Best practices for time-resolved serial synchrotron crystallography. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2022; 78:14-29. [PMID: 34981758 PMCID: PMC8725164 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798321011621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
With recent developments in X-ray sources, instrumentation and data-analysis tools, time-resolved crystallographic experiments, which were originally the preserve of a few expert groups, are becoming simpler and can be carried out at more radiation sources, and are thus increasingly accessible to a growing user base. However, these experiments are just that: discrete experiments, not just `data collections'. As such, careful planning and consideration of potential pitfalls is required to enable a successful experiment. Here, some of the key factors that should be considered during the planning and execution of a time-resolved structural study are outlined, with a particular focus on synchrotron-based experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eike C. Schulz
- Institute for Nanostructure and Solid State Physics, Universität Hamburg, HARBOR, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Briony A. Yorke
- School of Chemistry and Bioscience, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, United Kingdom
| | - Arwen R. Pearson
- Institute for Nanostructure and Solid State Physics, Universität Hamburg, HARBOR, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
- Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, HARBOR, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Pedram Mehrabi
- Institute for Nanostructure and Solid State Physics, Universität Hamburg, HARBOR, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
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11
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A transient conformation facilitates ligand binding to the adenine riboswitch. iScience 2021; 24:103512. [PMID: 34927032 PMCID: PMC8652005 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
RNAs adopt various conformations to perform different functions in cells. Incapable of acquiring intermediates, the key initiations of ligand recognition in the adenine riboswitch have not been characterized. In this work, stopped-flow fluorescence was used to track structural switches in the full-length adenine riboswitch in real time. We used PLOR (position-selective labeling of RNA) to incorporate fluorophores into desired positions in the RNA. The switching sequence P1 responded to adenine more rapidly than helix P4 and the binding pocket, followed by stabilization of the binding pocket, P4, and annealing of P1. Moreover, a transient intermediate consisting of an unwound P1 was detected during adenine binding. These events were observed in both the WT riboswitch and a functional mutant. The findings provide insight into the conformational changes of the riboswitch RNA triggered by a ligand. Real-time tracking of the adenine riboswitch at nucleotide resolution A transient conformation with unwound P1 is identified in the adenine riboswitch Helix P1 responds to ligand quicker than the binding pocket or expression platform
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12
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Pandey S, Calvey G, Katz AM, Malla TN, Koua FHM, Martin-Garcia JM, Poudyal I, Yang JH, Vakili M, Yefanov O, Zielinski KA, Bajt S, Awel S, Doerner K, Frank M, Gelisio L, Jernigan R, Kirkwood H, Kloos M, Koliyadu J, Mariani V, Miller MD, Mills G, Nelson G, Olmos JL, Sadri A, Sato T, Tolstikova A, Xu W, Ourmazd A, Spence JCH, Schwander P, Barty A, Chapman HN, Fromme P, Mancuso AP, Phillips GN, Bean R, Pollack L, Schmidt M. Observation of substrate diffusion and ligand binding in enzyme crystals using high-repetition-rate mix-and-inject serial crystallography. IUCRJ 2021; 8:878-895. [PMID: 34804542 PMCID: PMC8562667 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252521008125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Here, we illustrate what happens inside the catalytic cleft of an enzyme when substrate or ligand binds on single-millisecond timescales. The initial phase of the enzymatic cycle is observed with near-atomic resolution using the most advanced X-ray source currently available: the European XFEL (EuXFEL). The high repetition rate of the EuXFEL combined with our mix-and-inject technology enables the initial phase of ceftriaxone binding to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis β-lactamase to be followed using time-resolved crystallography in real time. It is shown how a diffusion coefficient in enzyme crystals can be derived directly from the X-ray data, enabling the determination of ligand and enzyme-ligand concentrations at any position in the crystal volume as a function of time. In addition, the structure of the irreversible inhibitor sulbactam bound to the enzyme at a 66 ms time delay after mixing is described. This demonstrates that the EuXFEL can be used as an important tool for biomedically relevant research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suraj Pandey
- Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 North Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - George Calvey
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, 254 Clark Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Andrea M. Katz
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, 254 Clark Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Tek Narsingh Malla
- Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 North Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - Faisal H. M. Koua
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jose M. Martin-Garcia
- School of Molecular Sciences and Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, USA
- Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, Spanish National Research Council, Calle de Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ishwor Poudyal
- Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 North Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - Jay-How Yang
- School of Molecular Sciences and Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, USA
| | | | - Oleksandr Yefanov
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kara A. Zielinski
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, 254 Clark Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Sasa Bajt
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Salah Awel
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Matthias Frank
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
| | - Luca Gelisio
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Jernigan
- School of Molecular Sciences and Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, USA
| | | | - Marco Kloos
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | | | - Valerio Mariani
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Rd, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA
| | - Mitchell D. Miller
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Grant Mills
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Garrett Nelson
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Jose L. Olmos
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Alireza Sadri
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tokushi Sato
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Alexandra Tolstikova
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Weijun Xu
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Abbas Ourmazd
- Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 North Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - John C. H. Spence
- Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Peter Schwander
- Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 North Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
| | - Anton Barty
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Henry N. Chapman
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
- The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Physics, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Petra Fromme
- School of Molecular Sciences and Biodesign Center for Applied Structural Discovery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1604, USA
| | - Adrian P. Mancuso
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - George N. Phillips
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Richard Bean
- European XFEL, Holzkoppel 4, 22869 Schenefeld, Germany
| | - Lois Pollack
- School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, 254 Clark Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Marius Schmidt
- Physics Department, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3135 North Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
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13
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Ramakrishnan S, Stagno JR, Heinz WF, Zuo X, Yu P, Wang YX. The mechanism driving a solid-solid phase transition in a biomacromolecular crystal. IUCRJ 2021; 8:655-664. [PMID: 34258013 PMCID: PMC8256710 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252521004826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Solid-solid phase transitions (SSPTs) occur between distinguishable crystalline forms. Because of their importance in application and theory in materials science and condensed-matter physics, SSPTs have been studied most extensively in metallic alloys, inorganic salts and small organic molecular crystals, but much less so in biomacromolecular crystals. In general, the mechanisms of SSPTs at the atomic and molecular levels are not well understood. Here, the ordered molecular rearrangements in biomacromolecular crystals of the adenine riboswitch aptamer are described using real-time serial crystallography and solution atomic force microscopy. Large, ligand-induced conformational changes drive the initial phase transition from the apo unit cell (AUC) to the trans unit cell 1 (TUC1). During this transition, coaxial stacking of P1 duplexes becomes the dominant packing interface, whereas P2-P2 interactions are almost completely disrupted, resulting in 'floating' layers of molecules. The coupling points in TUC1 and their local conformational flexibility allow the molecules to reorganize to achieve the more densely packed and energetically favorable bound unit cell (BUC). This study thus reveals the interplay between the conformational changes and the crystal phases - the underlying mechanism that drives the phase transition. Using polarized video microscopy to monitor SSPTs in small crystals at high ligand concentration, the time window during which the major conformational changes take place was identified, and the in crystallo kinetics have been simulated. Together, these results provide the spatiotemporal information necessary for informing time-resolved crystallography experiments. Moreover, this study illustrates a practical approach to characterization of SSPTs in transparent crystals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saminathan Ramakrishnan
- Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Centre for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jason R. Stagno
- Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Centre for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - William F. Heinz
- Optical Microscopy and Analysis Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Xiaobing Zuo
- X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Ping Yu
- Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Centre for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Yun-Xing Wang
- Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Centre for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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14
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Ramakrishnan S, Stagno JR, Magidson V, Heinz WF, Wang YX. A combined approach to characterize ligand-induced solid-solid phase transitions in biomacromolecular crystals. J Appl Crystallogr 2021; 54:787-796. [PMID: 34194289 PMCID: PMC8202036 DOI: 10.1107/s1600576721003137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Solid-solid phase transitions (SSPTs) are widespread naturally occurring phenomena. Understanding the molecular mechanisms and kinetics of SSPTs in various crystalline materials, however, has been challenging due to technical limitations. In particular, SSPTs in biomacromolecular crystals, which may involve large-scale changes and particularly complex sets of interactions, are largely unexplored, yet may have important implications for time-resolved crystallography and for developing synthetic biomaterials. The adenine riboswitch (riboA) is an RNA control element that uses ligand-induced conformational changes to regulate gene expression. Crystals of riboA, upon the addition of a ligand, undergo an SSPT from monoclinic to triclinic to orthorhombic. Here, solution atomic force microscopy (AFM) and polarized video microscopy (PVM) are used to characterize the multiple transition states throughout the SSPT in both the forward and the reverse directions. This contribution describes detailed protocols for growing crystals directly on mica or glass surfaces for AFM and PVM characterization, respectively, as well as methods for image processing and phase-transition kinetics analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saminathan Ramakrishnan
- Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jason R. Stagno
- Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Valentin Magidson
- Optical Microscopy and Analysis Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - William F. Heinz
- Optical Microscopy and Analysis Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Yun-Xing Wang
- Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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15
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Ramakrishnan S, Stagno JR, Magidson V, Heinz WF, Wang YX. Dependence of phase transition uniformity on crystal sizes characterized using birefringence. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS (MELVILLE, N.Y.) 2021; 8:034301. [PMID: 34235229 PMCID: PMC8248999 DOI: 10.1063/4.0000098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Solid-solid phase transitions (SSPTs) have been widely observed in crystals of organic or inorganic small-molecules. Although SSPTs in macromolecular crystals have been reported, the majority involve local atomic changes, such as those induced by changes in hydration. SSPTs driven by large conformational changes, however, can be more difficult to characterize since they often significantly disrupt lattice packing interactions. Such drastic changes make the cooperativity of molecular motion at the atomic level less easily achieved and more dependent on intrinsic properties of the crystal that define lattice order. Here, we investigate the effect of crystal size on the uniformity of SSPT in thin plate-like crystals of the adenine riboswitch aptamer RNA (riboA) by monitoring changes in crystal birefringence upon the diffusion of adenine ligand. The birefringence intensity is directly related to molecular order and the concurrent changes to polarizability of molecules that results from structural changes throughout the phase transition. The riboA crystals were loosely grouped into three categories (small, medium, and large) based on the surface area of the crystal plates. The time width of transition increased as a function of crystal size, ranging from ∼13 s for small crystals to ∼40 s for the largest crystal. Whereas the transitions in small crystals (<10 μm2) were mostly uniform throughout, the medium and large crystals exhibited large variations in the time and width of the transition peak depending on the region of the crystal being analyzed. Our study provides insight into the spatiotemporal behavior of phase transitions in crystals of biological molecules and is of general interest to time-resolved crystallographic studies, where the kinetics of conformational changes may be governed by the kinetics of an associated SSPT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saminathan Ramakrishnan
- Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Centre for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA
| | - Jason R. Stagno
- Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Centre for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA
| | - Valentin Magidson
- Optical Microscopy and Analysis Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA
| | - William F. Heinz
- Optical Microscopy and Analysis Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA
| | - Yun-Xing Wang
- Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Centre for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA
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16
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Poddar H, Heyes DJ, Schirò G, Weik M, Leys D, Scrutton NS. A guide to time-resolved structural analysis of light-activated proteins. FEBS J 2021; 289:576-595. [PMID: 33864718 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Dynamical changes in protein structures are essential for protein function and occur over femtoseconds to seconds timescales. X-ray free electron lasers have facilitated investigations of structural dynamics in proteins with unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution. Light-activated proteins are attractive targets for time-resolved structural studies, as the reaction chemistry and associated protein structural changes can be triggered by short laser pulses. Proteins with different light-absorbing centres have evolved to detect light and harness photon energy to bring about downstream chemical and biological output responses. Following light absorption, rapid chemical/small-scale structural changes are typically localised around the chromophore. These localised changes are followed by larger structural changes propagated throughout the photoreceptor/photocatalyst that enables the desired chemical and/or biological output response. Time-resolved serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) and solution scattering techniques enable direct visualisation of early chemical change in light-activated proteins on timescales previously inaccessible, whereas scattering gives access to slower timescales associated with more global structural change. Here, we review how advances in time-resolved SFX and solution scattering techniques have uncovered mechanisms of photochemistry and its coupling to output responses. We also provide a prospective on how these time-resolved structural approaches might impact on other photoreceptors/photoenzymes that have not yet been studied by these methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harshwardhan Poddar
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Derren J Heyes
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Giorgio Schirò
- Institut de Biologie Structurale, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Martin Weik
- Institut de Biologie Structurale, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - David Leys
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Nigel S Scrutton
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, UK
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17
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Wilt HM, Yu P, Tan K, Wang YX, Stagno JR. Tying the knot in the tetrahydrofolate (THF) riboswitch: A molecular basis for gene regulation. J Struct Biol 2021; 213:107703. [PMID: 33571639 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2021.107703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Effective gene regulation by the tetrahydrofolate riboswitch depends not only on ligand affinity but also on the kinetics of ligand association, which involves two cooperative binding sites. We have determined a 1.9-Å resolution crystal structure of the ligand-free THF riboswitch aptamer. The pseudoknot binding site 'unwinds' in the absence of ligand, whereby the adjacent helical domains (P1, P2, and P3) become disjointed, resulting in rotation and misalignment of the gene-regulatory P1 helix with respect to P3. In contrast, the second binding site at the three-way junction, which is the first to fold, is structurally conserved between apo and holo forms. This suggests a kinetic role for this site, in which binding of the first ligand molecule to the stably folded three-way junction promotes formation of the regulatory pseudoknot site and subsequent binding of the second molecule. As such, these findings provide a molecular basis for both conformational switching and kinetic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley M Wilt
- Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Ping Yu
- Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Kemin Tan
- Structural Biology Center, X-ray Science Division, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Ave. Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Yun-Xing Wang
- Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Jason R Stagno
- Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
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