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Maruyama Y, Mitsutake A. Effect of Main and Side Chains on the Folding Mechanism of the Trp-Cage Miniprotein. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:43827-43835. [PMID: 38027385 PMCID: PMC10666239 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c05809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Proteins that do not fold into their functional native state have been linked to diseases. In this study, the influence of the main and side chains of individual amino acids on the folding of the tryptophan cage (Trp-cage), a designed 20-residue miniprotein, was analyzed. For this purpose, we calculated the solvation free energy (SFE) contributions of individual atoms by using the 3D-reference interaction site model with the atomic decomposition method. The mechanism by which the Trp-cage is stabilized during the folding process was examined by calculating the total energy, which is the sum of the conformational energy and SFE. The folding process of the Trp-cage resulted in a stable native state, with a total energy that was 62.4 kcal/mol lower than that of the unfolded state. The solvation entropy, which is considered to be responsible for the hydrophobic effect, contributed 31.3 kcal/mol to structural stabilization. In other words, the contribution of the solvation entropy accounted for approximately half of the total contribution to Trp-cage folding. The hydrophobic core centered on Trp6 contributed 15.6 kcal/mol to the total energy, whereas the solvation entropy contribution was 6.3 kcal/mol. The salt bridge formed by the hydrophilic side chains of Asp9 and Arg16 contributed 10.9 and 5.0 kcal/mol, respectively. This indicates that not only the hydrophobic core but also the salt bridge of the hydrophilic side chains gain solvation entropy and contribute to stabilizing the native structure of the Trp-cage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Maruyama
- Data
Science Center for Creative Design and Manufacturing, The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8562, Japan
- Department
of Physics, School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, 1-1-1
Higashi-Mita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan
| | - Ayori Mitsutake
- Department
of Physics, School of Science and Technology, Meiji University, 1-1-1
Higashi-Mita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa 214-8571, Japan
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2
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Andersson Å, Poline M, Houthuijs KJ, van Outersterp RE, Berden G, Oomens J, Zhaunerchyk V. IRMPD Spectroscopy of Homo- and Heterochiral Asparagine Proton-Bound Dimers in the Gas Phase. J Phys Chem A 2021; 125:7449-7456. [PMID: 34428065 PMCID: PMC8419839 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c05667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
We investigate gas-phase structures of homo- and heterochiral asparagine proton-bound dimers with infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations. Their IRMPD spectra are recorded at room temperature in the range of 500-1875 and 3000-3600 cm-1. Both varieties of asparagine dimers are found to be charge-solvated based on their IRMPD spectra. The location of the principal intramolecular H-bond is discussed in light of harmonic frequency analyses using the B3LYP functional with GD3BJ empirical dispersion. Contrary to theoretical analyses, the two spectra are very similar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Åke Andersson
- Department
of Physics, University of Gothenburg, 41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mathias Poline
- Department
of Physics, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kas J. Houthuijs
- FELIX
Laboratory, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rianne E. van Outersterp
- FELIX
Laboratory, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Giel Berden
- FELIX
Laboratory, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jos Oomens
- FELIX
Laboratory, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Toernooiveld 7, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Vitali Zhaunerchyk
- Department
of Physics, University of Gothenburg, 41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
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3
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Borgohain G, Paul S. Atomistic level understanding of the stabilization of protein Trp cage in denaturing and mixed osmolyte solutions. COMPUT THEOR CHEM 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.comptc.2018.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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4
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5
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Makhatadze GI. Linking computation and experiments to study the role of charge-charge interactions in protein folding and stability. Phys Biol 2017; 14:013002. [PMID: 28169222 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/14/1/013002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Over the past two decades there has been an increase in appreciation for the role of surface charge-charge interactions in protein folding and stability. The perception shifted from the belief that charge-charge interactions are not important for protein folding and stability to the near quantitative understanding of how these interactions shape the folding energy landscape. This led to the ability of computational approaches to rationally redesign surface charge-charge interactions to modulate thermodynamic properties of proteins. Here we summarize our progress in understanding the role of charge-charge interactions for protein stability using examples drawn from my own laboratory and touch upon unanswered questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- George I Makhatadze
- Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, and Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180 USA
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6
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Kitazawa S, Fossat MJ, McCallum SA, Garcia AE, Royer CA. NMR and Computation Reveal a Pressure-Sensitive Folded Conformation of Trp-Cage. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:1258-1267. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b11810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Soichiro Kitazawa
- Biological
Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York
| | - Martin J. Fossat
- Biological
Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York
- Laboratoire Charles
Coulomb UMR 5221 CNRS-UM, Montpellier, France
| | - Scott A. McCallum
- Center
for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York
| | - Angel E. Garcia
- Department
of Physics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York
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7
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English CA, García AE. Charged Termini on the Trp-Cage Roughen the Folding Energy Landscape. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:7874-81. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b02040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charles A. English
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and The Center for
Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, United States
| | - Angel E. García
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and The Center for
Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, United States
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8
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Modulation of folding energy landscape by charge-charge interactions: linking experiments with computational modeling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E259-66. [PMID: 25564663 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1410424112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The kinetics of folding-unfolding of a structurally diverse set of four proteins optimized for thermodynamic stability by rational redesign of surface charge-charge interactions is characterized experimentally. The folding rates are faster for designed variants compared with their wild-type proteins, whereas the unfolding rates are largely unaffected. A simple structure-based computational model, which incorporates the Debye-Hückel formalism for the electrostatics, was used and found to qualitatively recapitulate the experimental results. Analysis of the energy landscapes of the designed versus wild-type proteins indicates the differences in refolding rates may be correlated with the degree of frustration of their respective energy landscapes. Our simulations indicate that naturally occurring wild-type proteins have frustrated folding landscapes due to the surface electrostatics. Optimization of the surface electrostatics seems to remove some of that frustration, leading to enhanced formation of native-like contacts in the transition-state ensembles (TSE) and providing a less frustrated energy landscape between the unfolded and TS ensembles. Macroscopically, this results in faster folding rates. Furthermore, analyses of pairwise distances and radii of gyration suggest that the less frustrated energy landscapes for optimized variants are a result of more compact unfolded and TS ensembles. These findings from our modeling demonstrates that this simple model may be used to: (i) gain a detailed understanding of charge-charge interactions and their effects on modulating the energy landscape of protein folding and (ii) qualitatively predict the kinetic behavior of protein surface electrostatic interactions.
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9
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Mou L, Jia X, Gao Y, Li Y, Zhang JZH, Mei Y. Folding simulation of Trp-cage utilizing a new AMBER compatible force field with coupled main chain torsions. JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL & COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY 2014. [DOI: 10.1142/s0219633614500266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A newly developed AMBER compatible force field with coupled backbone torsion potential terms (AMBER032D) is utilized in a folding simulation of a mini-protein Trp-cage. Through replica exchange and direct molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, a multi-step folding mechanism with a synergetic folding of the hydrophobic core (HPC) and the α-helix in the final stage is suggested. The native structure has the lowest free energy and the melting temperature predicted from the specific heat capacity Cvis only 12 K higher than the experimental measurement. This study, together with our previous study, shows that AMBER032Dis an accurate force field that can be used for protein folding simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lirong Mou
- Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, P. R. China
| | - Xiangyu Jia
- Center for Laser and Computational Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy and Department of Physics, Institute of Theoretical and Computational Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, P. R. China
| | - Ya Gao
- Center for Laser and Computational Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy and Department of Physics, Institute of Theoretical and Computational Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, P. R. China
| | - Yongxiu Li
- Center for Laser and Computational Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy and Department of Physics, Institute of Theoretical and Computational Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, P. R. China
| | - John Z. H. Zhang
- Center for Laser and Computational Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy and Department of Physics, Institute of Theoretical and Computational Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, P. R. China
- NYU-ECNU Center for Computational Chemistry at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, P. R. China
| | - Ye Mei
- Center for Laser and Computational Biophysics, State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy and Department of Physics, Institute of Theoretical and Computational Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, P. R. China
- NYU-ECNU Center for Computational Chemistry at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, P. R. China
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10
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Keshwani N, Banerjee S, Brodsky B, Makhatadze GI. The role of cross-chain ionic interactions for the stability of collagen model peptides. Biophys J 2014; 105:1681-8. [PMID: 24094409 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2013] [Revised: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 08/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The contribution of ionic interactions to the stability of the collagen triple helix was studied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and biophysical methods. To this end, we examined the stability of a host-guest collagen model peptide, Ac-GPOGPOGPYGXOGPOGPO-NH2, substituting KGE, KGD, EGK, and DGK for the YGX sequence. All-atom, implicit solvent MD simulations show that the fraction of cross-chain ionic interactions formed is different, with the most pronounced in the KGE and KGD sequences, and the least in the DGK sequence. To test whether the fraction of cross-chain ionic interactions correlates with the stability, experimental measurements of thermostability were done using differential scanning calorimetry and circular dichroism spectroscopy. It was found that the melting temperature is very similar for KGE and KGD peptides, whereas the EGK peptide has lower thermostability and the DGK peptide is the least thermostable. A novel, to our knowledge, computational protocol termed temperature-scan MD was applied to estimate the relative stabilities of the peptides from MD simulations. We found an excellent correlation between transition temperatures obtained from temperature-scan MD and those measured experimentally. These results suggest the importance of cross-chain ionic interactions for the stability of collagen triple helix and confirm the utility of MD simulations in predicting interactions and stability in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neelam Keshwani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts
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11
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Marinelli F. Following easy slope paths on a free energy landscape: the case study of the Trp-cage folding mechanism. Biophys J 2014; 105:1236-47. [PMID: 24010667 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.07.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2013] [Revised: 07/11/2013] [Accepted: 07/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In this work a new method for the automatic exploration and calculation of multidimensional free energy landscapes is proposed. Inspired by metadynamics, it uses several collective variables that are relevant for the investigated process and a bias potential that discourages the sampling of already visited configurations. The latter potential allows escaping a local free energy minimum following the direction of slow motions. This is different from metadynamics in which there is no specific direction of the biasing force and the computational effort increases significantly with the number of collective variables. The method is tested on the Ace-Ala3-Nme peptide, and then it is applied to investigate the Trp-cage folding mechanism. For this protein, within a few hundreds of nanoseconds, a broad range of conformations is explored, including nearly native ones, initiating the simulation from a completely unfolded conformation. Finally, several folding/unfolding trajectories give a systematic description of the Trp-cage folding pathways, leading to a unified view for the folding mechanisms of this protein. The proposed mechanism is consistent with NMR chemical shift data at increasing temperature and recent experimental observations pointing to a pivotal role of secondary structure elements in directing the folding process toward the native state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Marinelli
- Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Group, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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12
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English CA, García AE. Folding and unfolding thermodynamics of the TC10b Trp-cage miniprotein. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2014; 16:2748-57. [PMID: 24448113 DOI: 10.1039/c3cp54339k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
We examine the folding-unfolding of a variant of the Trp-cage, known as TC10b, and compare structural stability, dynamics, and thermodynamics with that of the TC5b variant, using replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD). The TC10b variant was designed to have larger helical stability by the substitution of amino acids with greater alpha helical propensities in the N-terminal region. Experiments have shown TC10b to possess larger overall stability than TC5b. Simulations starting from unbiased, unfolded initial conditions are run for 1 μs per replica. The calculations show a higher melting temperature for TC10b than TC5b, and suggest a more ordered folded structure through the elimination of a substate found in the folded ensemble of TC5b. We model the difference in Gibbs free energy, ΔG(P,T), of folding using the bootstrap statistical method, which is used to calculate uncertainties associated with the thermodynamic parameters for both variants of the Trp-cage. We find that while the shape of the area for which the protein is stability folded is elliptical for TC5b, there is a degree of uncertainty associated with that of TC10b, with one model suggesting elliptical and another suggesting hyperbolic. This model suggests that at high pressures, TC5b can experience pressure denaturation, but TC10b may not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles A English
- Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA.
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13
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Henriksen NM, Roe DR, Cheatham TE. Reliable oligonucleotide conformational ensemble generation in explicit solvent for force field assessment using reservoir replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations. J Phys Chem B 2013; 117:4014-27. [PMID: 23477537 PMCID: PMC3775460 DOI: 10.1021/jp400530e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics force field development and assessment requires a reliable means for obtaining a well-converged conformational ensemble of a molecule in both a time-efficient and cost-effective manner. This remains a challenge for RNA because its rugged energy landscape results in slow conformational sampling and accurate results typically require explicit solvent which increases computational cost. To address this, we performed both traditional and modified replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations on a test system (alanine dipeptide) and an RNA tetramer known to populate A-form-like conformations in solution (single-stranded rGACC). A key focus is on providing the means to demonstrate that convergence is obtained, for example, by investigating replica RMSD profiles and/or detailed ensemble analysis through clustering. We found that traditional replica exchange simulations still require prohibitive time and resource expenditures, even when using GPU accelerated hardware, and our results are not well converged even at 2 μs of simulation time per replica. In contrast, a modified version of replica exchange, reservoir replica exchange in explicit solvent, showed much better convergence and proved to be both a cost-effective and reliable alternative to the traditional approach. We expect this method will be attractive for future research that requires quantitative conformational analysis from explicitly solvated simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niel M. Henriksen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, 2000 East 30 South Skaggs 201, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Daniel R. Roe
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, 2000 East 30 South Skaggs 201, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Thomas E. Cheatham
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, 2000 East 30 South Skaggs 201, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
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14
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Juraszek J, Saladino G, van Erp TS, Gervasio FL. Efficient numerical reconstruction of protein folding kinetics with partial path sampling and pathlike variables. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2013; 110:108106. [PMID: 23521305 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.110.108106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Numerically predicting rate constants of protein folding and other relevant biological events is still a significant challenge. We show that the combination of partial path transition interface sampling with the optimal interfaces and free-energy profiles provided by path collective variables makes the rate calculation for practical biological applications feasible and efficient. This methodology can reproduce the experimental rate constant of Trp-cage miniprotein folding with the same level of accuracy as transition path sampling at a fraction of the cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Juraszek
- Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, CNIO, calle Melchor Fernandez Almagro 3, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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15
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Rovó P, Stráner P, Láng A, Bartha I, Huszár K, Nyitray L, Perczel A. Structural insights into the Trp-cage folding intermediate formation. Chemistry 2013; 19:2628-40. [PMID: 23319425 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201203764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2012] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The 20 residue long Trp-cage is the smallest protein known, and thus has been the subject of several in vitro and in silico folding studies. Here, we report the multistate folding scenario of the miniprotein in atomic detail. We detected and characterized different intermediate states by temperature dependent NMR measurements of the (15)N and (13)C/(15)N labeled protein, both at neutral and acidic pH values. We developed a deconvolution technique to characterize the invisible--fully folded, unfolded and intermediate--fast exchanging states. Using nonlinear fitting methods we can obtain both the thermodynamic parameters (ΔH(F-I), T(m)(F-I), ΔC(p)(F-I) and ΔH(I-U), T(m)(I-U), ΔC(p)(I-U)) and the NMR chemical shifts of the conformers of the multistate unfolding process. During the unfolding of Trp-cage distinct intermediates evolve: a fast-exchanging intermediate is present under neutral conditions, whereas a slow-exchanging intermediate-pair emerges at acidic pH. The fast-exchanging intermediate has a native-like structure with a short α-helix in the G(11)-G(15) segment, whereas the slow-exchanging intermediate-pair presents elevated dynamics, with no detectable native-like residue contacts in which the G(11)-P(12) peptide bond has either cis or trans conformation. Heteronuclear relaxation studies combined with MD simulations revealed the source of backbone mobility and the nature of structural rearrangements during these transitions. The ability to detect structural and dynamic information about folding intermediates in vitro provides an excellent opportunity to gain new insights into the energetic aspects of the energy landscape of protein folding. Our new experimental data offer exceptional testing ground for further computational simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Rovó
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology, Institute of Chemistry and Protein Modeling Group of HAS-ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, Hungary
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16
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Shaw BF, Schneider GF, Whitesides GM. Effect of surfactant hydrophobicity on the pathway for unfolding of ubiquitin. J Am Chem Soc 2012; 134:18739-45. [PMID: 23095057 DOI: 10.1021/ja3079863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes the interaction between ubiquitin (UBI) and three sodium n-alkyl sulfates (SC(n)S) that have the same charge (Z = -1) but different hydrophobicity (n = 10, 12, or 14). Increasing the hydrophobicity of the n-alkyl sulfate resulted in (i) an increase in the number of distinct intermediates (that is, complexes of UBI and surfactant) that form along the pathway of unfolding, (ii) a decrease in the minimum concentrations of surfactant at which intermediates begin to form (i.e., a more negative ΔG(binding) of surfactant for UBI), and (iii) an increase in the number of surfactant molecules bound to UBI in each intermediate or complex. These results demonstrate that small changes in the hydrophobicity of a surfactant can significantly alter the binding interactions with a folded or unfolded cytosolic protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan F Shaw
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States.
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17
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Electrostatic contribution of surface charge residues to the stability of a thermophilic protein: benchmarking experimental and predicted pKa values. PLoS One 2012; 7:e30296. [PMID: 22279578 PMCID: PMC3261180 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2011] [Accepted: 12/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Optimization of the surface charges is a promising strategy for increasing thermostability of proteins. Electrostatic contribution of ionizable groups to the protein stability can be estimated from the differences between the pKa values in the folded and unfolded states of a protein. Using this pKa-shift approach, we experimentally measured the electrostatic contribution of all aspartate and glutamate residues to the stability of a thermophilic ribosomal protein L30e from Thermococcus celer. The pKa values in the unfolded state were found to be similar to model compound pKas. The pKa values in both the folded and unfolded states obtained at 298 and 333 K were similar, suggesting that electrostatic contribution of ionizable groups to the protein stability were insensitive to temperature changes. The experimental pKa values for the L30e protein in the folded state were used as a benchmark to test the robustness of pKa prediction by various computational methods such as H++, MCCE, MEAD, pKD, PropKa, and UHBD. Although the predicted pKa values were affected by crystal contacts that may alter the side-chain conformation of surface charged residues, most computational methods performed well, with correlation coefficients between experimental and calculated pKa values ranging from 0.49 to 0.91 (p<0.01). The changes in protein stability derived from the experimental pKa-shift approach correlate well (r = 0.81) with those obtained from stability measurements of charge-to-alanine substituted variants of the L30e protein. Our results demonstrate that the knowledge of the pKa values in the folded state provides sufficient rationale for the redesign of protein surface charges leading to improved protein stability.
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