1
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Lin YC, Ren P, Webb LJ. AMOEBA Force Field Predicts Accurate Hydrogen Bond Counts of Nitriles in SNase by Revealing Water-Protein Interaction in Vibrational Absorption Frequencies. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:5609-5619. [PMID: 37339399 PMCID: PMC10851345 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c02060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Precisely quantifying the magnitude and direction of electric fields in proteins has long been an outstanding challenge in understanding biological functions. Nitrile vibrational Stark effect probes have been shown to be minimally disruptive to the protein structure and can be better direct reporters of local electrostatic field in the native state of a protein than other measures such as pKa shifts of titratable residues. However, interpretations of the connection between measured vibrational energy and electric field rely on the accurate molecular understanding of interactions of the nitrile group and its environment, particularly from hydrogen bonding. In this work, we compared the extent of hydrogen bonding calculated in two common force fields, the fixed charge force field Amber03 and polarizable force field AMOEBA, at 10 locations of cyanocysteine (CNC) in staphylococcal nuclease (SNase) against the experimental nitrile absorption frequency in terms of full width at half-maximum (FWHM) and frequency temperature line slope (FTLS). We observed that the number of hydrogen bonds correlated well in AMOEBA trajectories with respect to both the FWHM (r = 0.88) and the FTLS (r = -0.85), whereas the correlation of Amber03 trajectories was less reliable because the Amber03 force field predicted more hydrogen bonds in some mutants. Moreover, we demonstrated that contributions from the interactions between CNC and nearby water molecules were significant in AMOEBA trajectories but were not predicted by Amber03. We conclude that although the nitrile absorption peak shape could be qualitatively predicted by the fixed charge Amber03 force field, the detailed electrostatic environment measured by the nitrile probe in terms of the extent of hydrogen bonding could only be accurately observed in the AMOEBA trajectories, where the permanent dipole, quadrupole, and dipole-induced-dipole polarizable interactions were all taken into account. The significance of this finding to the goal of accurately predicting electric fields in complex biomolecular environments is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chun Lin
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Program, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E 24th St. STOP A5300, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Pengyu Ren
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Lauren J. Webb
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Program, The University of Texas at Austin, 105 E 24th St. STOP A5300, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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2
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Maitra A, Das P, Thompson BC, Dawlaty JM. Distinguishing between the Electrostatic Effects and Explicit Ion Interactions in a Stark Probe. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:2511-2520. [PMID: 36917012 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c08030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
Vibrational Stark probes are incisive tools for measuring local electric fields in a wide range of chemical environments. The interpretation of the frequency shift often gets complicated due to the specific interactions of the probe, such as hydrogen bonding and Lewis bonding. Therefore, it is important to distinguish between the pure electrostatic response and the response due to such specific interactions. Here we report a molecular system that is sensitive to both the Stark effect from a single ion and the explicit Lewis bonding of ions with the probe. The molecule consists of a crown ether with an appended benzonitrile. The crown captures cations of various charges, and the electric field from the ions is sensed by the benzonitrile probe. Additionally, the lone pair of the benzonitrile can engage in Lewis interactions with some of the ions by donating partial charge density to the ions. Our system exhibits both of these effects and therefore is a suitable test bed for distinguishing between the pure electrostatic and the Lewis interactions. Our computational results show that the electrostatic influence of the ion is operative at large distances, while the Lewis interaction becomes important only within distances that permit orbital overlap. Our results may be useful for using the nitrile probe for measuring electrostatic and coordination effects in complex ionic environments such as the electrode-electrolyte interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anwesha Maitra
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Pratyusha Das
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Barry C Thompson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
| | - Jahan M Dawlaty
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, United States
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3
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Maitra A, Sarkar S, Leitner DM, Dawlaty JM. Electric Fields Influence Intramolecular Vibrational Energy Relaxation and Line Widths. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:7818-7825. [PMID: 34378946 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c02238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Intramolecular vibrational energy relaxation (IVR) is fundamentally important to chemical dynamics. We show that externally applied electric fields affect IVR and vibrational line widths by changing the anharmonic couplings and frequency detunings between modes. We demonstrate this effect in benzonitrile for which prior experimental results show a decrease in vibrational line width as a function of applied electric field. We identify three major channels for IVR that depend on electric field. In the dominant channel, the electric field affects the frequency detuning, while in the other two channels, variation of anharmonic couplings as a function of field is the underlying mechanism. Consistent with experimental results, we show that the combination of all channels gives rise to reduced line widths with increasing electric field in benzonitrile. Our results are relevant for controlling IVR with external or internal fields and for gaining a more complete interpretation of line widths of vibrational Stark probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anwesha Maitra
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0001, United States
| | - Sohini Sarkar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0001, United States
| | - David M Leitner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada Reno, Reno, Nevada 89519, United States
| | - Jahan M Dawlaty
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-0001, United States
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4
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First JT, Novelli ET, Webb LJ. Beyond pKa: Experiments and Simulations of Nitrile Vibrational Probes in Staphylococcal Nuclease Show the Importance of Local Interactions. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:3387-3399. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c00747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy T. First
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology The University of Texas at Austin 105 East 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
| | - Elisa T. Novelli
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology The University of Texas at Austin 105 East 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
| | - Lauren J. Webb
- Department of Chemistry, Texas Materials Institute, and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology The University of Texas at Austin 105 East 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
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5
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Dalton SR, Vienneau AR, Burstein SR, Xu RJ, Linse S, Londergan CH. Cyanylated Cysteine Reports Site-Specific Changes at Protein-Protein-Binding Interfaces Without Perturbation. Biochemistry 2018; 57:3702-3712. [PMID: 29787228 PMCID: PMC6034165 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
![]()
To investigate the
cyanylated cysteine vibrational probe group’s
ability to report on binding-induced changes along a protein–protein
interface, the probe group was incorporated at several sites in a
peptide of the calmodulin (CaM)-binding domain of skeletal muscle
myosin light chain kinase. Isothermal titration calorimetry was used
to determine the binding thermodynamics between calmodulin and each
peptide. For all probe positions, the binding affinity was nearly
identical to that of the unlabeled peptide. The CN stretching infrared
band was collected for each peptide free in solution and bound to
calmodulin. Binding-induced shifts in the IR spectral frequencies
were correlated with estimated solvent accessibility based on molecular
dynamics simulations. This work generally suggests (1) that site-specific
incorporation of this vibrational probe group does not cause major
perturbations to its local structural environment and (2) that this
small probe group might be used quite broadly to map dynamic protein-binding
interfaces. However, site-specific perturbations due to artificial
labeling groups can be somewhat unpredictable and should be evaluated
on a site-by-site basis through complementary measurements. A fully
quantitative, simulation-based interpretation of the rich probe IR
spectra is still needed but appears to be possible given recent advances
in simulation techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon R Dalton
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , 370 Lancaster Ave , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041-1392 , United States
| | - Alice R Vienneau
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , 370 Lancaster Ave , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041-1392 , United States
| | - Shana R Burstein
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , 370 Lancaster Ave , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041-1392 , United States
| | - Rosalind J Xu
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , 370 Lancaster Ave , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041-1392 , United States
| | - Sara Linse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , Lund University , Kemicentrum, Box 118 , 221 00 Lund , Sweden
| | - Casey H Londergan
- Department of Chemistry , Haverford College , 370 Lancaster Ave , Haverford , Pennsylvania 19041-1392 , United States
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6
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Slocum JD, Webb LJ. Measuring Electric Fields in Biological Matter Using the Vibrational Stark Effect of Nitrile Probes. Annu Rev Phys Chem 2018; 69:253-271. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physchem-052516-045011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D. Slocum
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, USA
| | - Lauren J. Webb
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, USA
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7
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Ramos S, Scott KJ, Horness RE, Le Sueur AL, Thielges MC. Extended timescale 2D IR probes of proteins: p-cyanoselenophenylalanine. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:10081-10086. [PMID: 28367555 PMCID: PMC6252261 DOI: 10.1039/c7cp00403f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The importance of dynamics to the function of proteins is well appreciated, but the difficulty in their measurement impedes investigation into their precise role(s). 2D IR spectroscopy is a developing approach for the study of dynamics and has motivated efforts to develop spectrally resolved IR probe groups that enable its application for measuring the dynamics at specific sites in a protein. A challenge with this approach is that the timescales accessible are limited by the vibrational lifetimes of the probes. Toward development of better probes for 2D IR spectroscopy of protein dynamics, we report the characterization of p-cyano-seleno-phenylalanine (CNSePhe), a derivative of the well established IR probe p-cyano-phenylalanine (CNPhe), by FT IR, pump-probe, and 2D IR spectroscopy. The incorporation of the heavy Se atom decouples the CN vibration from the rest in the molecule. Although this leads to a reduction of the transition dipole strength, and thus a reduction in signal intensity, it also dramatically increases the vibrational lifetime, enabling collection of 2D IR spectra for analysis of molecular dynamics on much longer timescales. Interestingly, we also find that the lifetime for CNSePhe shows increased sensitivity to the presence of hydrogen bonding interactions with the CN, suggesting that the probe should be useful for interpretation of CN spectra and possibly for the study of solvation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Ramos
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, USA.
| | - K. J. Scott
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, USA.
| | - R. E. Horness
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, USA.
| | - A. L. Le Sueur
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, USA.
| | - M. C. Thielges
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, USA.
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8
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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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9
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Adhikary R, Zimmermann J, Romesberg FE. Transparent Window Vibrational Probes for the Characterization of Proteins With High Structural and Temporal Resolution. Chem Rev 2017; 117:1927-1969. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ramkrishna Adhikary
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Jörg Zimmermann
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Floyd E. Romesberg
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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10
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Slocum JD, Webb LJ. Nitrile Probes of Electric Field Agree with Independently Measured Fields in Green Fluorescent Protein Even in the Presence of Hydrogen Bonding. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:6561-70. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b02156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D. Slocum
- Department
of Chemistry,
Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology, and Institute
for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 105
E 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
| | - Lauren J. Webb
- Department
of Chemistry,
Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology, and Institute
for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, 105
E 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712-1224, United States
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11
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Levin DE, Schmitz AJ, Hines SM, Hines KJ, Tucker MJ, Brewer SH, Fenlon EE. Synthesis and Evaluation of the Sensitivity and Vibrational Lifetimes of Thiocyanate and Selenocyanate Infrared Reporters. RSC Adv 2016; 43:36231-36237. [PMID: 27114820 DOI: 10.1039/c5ra27363c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Two novel 2'-deoxyadenosine (dA) analogues, Si2-dA-SCN and Si2-dA-SeCN, and two novel phenylalanine (Phe) analogues, Boc-Me-PheCH2SCN and Boc-Me-PheCH2SeCN, have been synthesized and the thiocyanate (SCN) and selenocyanate (SeCN) functional groups evaluated as vibrational reporters. The syntheses of Si2-dA-SCN and Si2-dA-SeCN were accomplished in three steps in 16% and 32% overall yields, respectively, and the syntheses of Boc-Me-PheCH2SCN and Boc-Me-PheCH2SeCN were completed in four steps in 8.9% and 2.3% overall yields, respectively. The SCN and SeCN stretch vibrational modes were shown to be sensitive to the local environment by frequency shifts and full-width half-maximum (fwhm) changes in response to tetrahydrofuran (THF) and THF/water solvent mixtures. The vibrational lifetimes of the Si2-dA-SeCN (237±12 ps) and Boc-Me-PheCH2SeCN (295±31 ps) in THF solution were determined by ultrafast infrared pump-probe spectroscopy to be 1.5 to 3 times longer than those for Si2-dA-SCN (140±6 ps) and Boc-Me-PheCH2SCN (102±4 ps). The longer lifetimes for the SeCN analogues were attributed to the better insulating effects of the heavier selenium atom compared to the sulfur atom. The solvent sensitivity and longer vibrational lifetimes compared to other vibrational reporters suggest that SCN and SeCN vibrational reporters are well suited to studying several dynamic processes including protein and nucleic acid hydration and conformational changes, however stability issues may require post-synthetic modification methods to incorporate these reporters into biomacromolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Levin
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17604, USA
| | - Andrew J Schmitz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada at Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Shawn M Hines
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17604, USA
| | - Kevin J Hines
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17604, USA
| | - Matthew J Tucker
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada at Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Scott H Brewer
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17604, USA
| | - Edward E Fenlon
- Department of Chemistry, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA 17604, USA
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12
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Tookmanian EM, Phillips-Piro CM, Fenlon EE, Brewer SH. Azidoethoxyphenylalanine as a Vibrational Reporter and Click Chemistry Partner in Proteins. Chemistry 2015; 21:19096-103. [PMID: 26608683 PMCID: PMC4815431 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201503908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
An unnatural amino acid, 4-(2-azidoethoxy)-L-phenylalanine (AePhe, 1), was designed and synthesized in three steps from known compounds in 54% overall yield. The sensitivity of the IR absorption of the azide of AePhe was established by comparison of the frequency of the azide asymmetric stretch vibration in water and dimethyl sulfoxide. AePhe was successfully incorporated into superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) at the 133 and 149 sites by using the amber codon suppression method. The IR spectra of these sfGFP constructs indicated that the azide group at the 149 site was not fully solvated despite the location in sfGFP and the three-atom linker between the azido group and the aromatic ring of AePhe. An X-ray crystal structure of sfGFP-149-AePhe was solved at 1.45 Å resolution and provides an explanation for the IR data as the flexible linker adopts a conformation which partially buries the azide on the protein surface. Both sfGFP-AePhe constructs efficiently undergo a bioorthogonal strain-promoted click cycloaddition with a dibenzocyclooctyne derivative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise M Tookmanian
- Department of Chemistry Franklin & Marshall College, P.O. Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604 (USA)
| | | | - Edward E Fenlon
- Department of Chemistry Franklin & Marshall College, P.O. Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604 (USA).
| | - Scott H Brewer
- Department of Chemistry Franklin & Marshall College, P.O. Box 3003, Lancaster, PA 17604 (USA).
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13
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Ritchie AW, Webb LJ. Understanding and Manipulating Electrostatic Fields at the Protein-Protein Interface Using Vibrational Spectroscopy and Continuum Electrostatics Calculations. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:13945-57. [PMID: 26375183 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b06888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Biological function emerges in large part from the interactions of biomacromolecules in the complex and dynamic environment of the living cell. For this reason, macromolecular interactions in biological systems are now a major focus of interest throughout the biochemical and biophysical communities. The affinity and specificity of macromolecular interactions are the result of both structural and electrostatic factors. Significant advances have been made in characterizing structural features of stable protein-protein interfaces through the techniques of modern structural biology, but much less is understood about how electrostatic factors promote and stabilize specific functional macromolecular interactions over all possible choices presented to a given molecule in a crowded environment. In this Feature Article, we describe how vibrational Stark effect (VSE) spectroscopy is being applied to measure electrostatic fields at protein-protein interfaces, focusing on measurements of guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding proteins of the Ras superfamily binding with structurally related but functionally distinct downstream effector proteins. In VSE spectroscopy, spectral shifts of a probe oscillator's energy are related directly to that probe's local electrostatic environment. By performing this experiment repeatedly throughout a protein-protein interface, an experimental map of measured electrostatic fields generated at that interface is determined. These data can be used to rationalize selective binding of similarly structured proteins in both in vitro and in vivo environments. Furthermore, these data can be used to compare to computational predictions of electrostatic fields to explore the level of simulation detail that is necessary to accurately predict our experimental findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Ritchie
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology, and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin , 105 East 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Lauren J Webb
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology, and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin , 105 East 24th Street STOP A5300, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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14
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Smythies J. On the possible role of protein vibrations in information processing in the brain: three Russian dolls. Front Mol Neurosci 2015; 8:38. [PMID: 26257604 PMCID: PMC4511836 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2015.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Until recently it was held that the neurocomputations conducted by the brain involved only whole neurons as the operating units. This may however represent only a part of the mechanism. This theoretical and academic position article reviews the considerable evidence that allosteric interactions between proteins (as extensively described by Fuxe et al., 2014), and in particular protein vibrations in neurons, form small scale codes that are involved as parts of the complex information processing systems of the brain. The argument is then developed to suggest that the protein allosteric and vibration codes (that operate at the molecular level) are nested within a medium scale coding system whose computational units are organelles (such as microtubules). This medium scale code is nested in turn inside a large scale coding system, whose computational units are individual neurons. The hypothesis suggests that these three levels interact vertically in both directions thus materially increasing the computational capacity of the brain. The whole hierarchy is thus similar to three nested Russian dolls. This theoretical development may be of use in the design of experiments to test it.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Smythies
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, Center for Brain and Cognition, University of California, San Diego La Jolla, CA, USA
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15
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Maj M, Ahn C, Kossowska D, Park K, Kwak K, Han H, Cho M. β-Isocyanoalanine as an IR probe: comparison of vibrational dynamics between isonitrile and nitrile-derivatized IR probes. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2015; 17:11770-8. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cp00454c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
An infrared (IR) probe based on isonitrile (NC)-derivatized alanine 1 was synthesized and the vibrational properties of its NC stretching mode were investigated using FTIR and femtosecond IR pump–probe spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Maj
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics
- Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
- Seoul 136-701, Korea
- Department of Chemistry
- Korea University
| | - Changwoo Ahn
- Department of Chemistry
- Korea University
- Seoul 136-701, Korea
| | - Dorota Kossowska
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics
- Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
- Seoul 136-701, Korea
- Department of Chemistry
- Korea University
| | - Kwanghee Park
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics
- Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
- Seoul 136-701, Korea
- Department of Chemistry
- Korea University
| | - Kyungwon Kwak
- Department of Chemistry
- Chung-Ang University
- Seoul 156-756, Korea
| | - Hogyu Han
- Department of Chemistry
- Korea University
- Seoul 136-701, Korea
| | - Minhaeng Cho
- Center for Molecular Spectroscopy and Dynamics
- Institute for Basic Science (IBS)
- Seoul 136-701, Korea
- Department of Chemistry
- Korea University
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16
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Tookmanian EM, Fenlon EE, Brewer SH. Synthesis and Protein Incorporation of Azido-Modified Unnatural Amino Acids. RSC Adv 2014; 5:1274-1281. [PMID: 26478813 PMCID: PMC4603873 DOI: 10.1039/c4ra14244f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Two new azidophenylalanine residues (3 and 4) have been synthesized and, in combination with 4-azido-L-phenylalanine (1) and 4-azidomethyl-L-phenylalanine (2), form a series of unnatural amino acids (UAAs) containing the azide vibrational reporter at varying distances from the aromatic ring of phenylalanine. These UAAs were designed to probe protein hydration with high spatial resolution by utilizing the large extinction coefficient and environmental sensitivity of the azide asymmetric stretch vibration. The sensitivity of the azide reporters was investigated in solvents that mimic distinct local protein environments. Three of the four azido-modified phenylalanine residues were successfully genetically incorporated into a surface site in superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) utilizing an engineered, orthogonal aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase in response to an amber codon with high efficiency and fidelity. SDS-PAGE and ESI-Q-TOF mass analysis verified the site-specific incorporation of these UAAs. The observed azide asymmetric stretch in the linear IR spectra of these UAAs incorporated into sfGFP indicated that the azide groups were hydrated in the protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise M. Tookmanian
- Franklin & Marshall College, Department of Chemistry, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003 USA
| | - Edward E. Fenlon
- Franklin & Marshall College, Department of Chemistry, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003 USA
| | - Scott H. Brewer
- Franklin & Marshall College, Department of Chemistry, Lancaster, PA 17604-3003 USA
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17
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Londergan CH, Baskin R, Bischak CG, Hoffman KW, Snead DM, Reynoso C. Dynamic Asymmetry and the Role of the Conserved Active-Site Thiol in Rabbit Muscle Creatine Kinase. Biochemistry 2014; 54:83-95. [DOI: 10.1021/bi5008063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Casey H. Londergan
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Rachel Baskin
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Connor G. Bischak
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Kevin W. Hoffman
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - David M. Snead
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
| | - Christopher Reynoso
- Department of Chemistry, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, Pennsylvania 19041, United States
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Pazos IM, Ghosh A, Tucker MJ, Gai F. Ester carbonyl vibration as a sensitive probe of protein local electric field. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014; 53:6080-4. [PMID: 24788907 PMCID: PMC4104746 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201402011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Revised: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The ability to quantify the local electrostatic environment of proteins and protein/peptide assemblies is key to gaining a microscopic understanding of many biological interactions and processes. Herein, we show that the ester carbonyl stretching vibration of two non-natural amino acids, L-aspartic acid 4-methyl ester and L-glutamic acid 5-methyl ester, is a convenient and sensitive probe in this regard, since its frequency correlates linearly with the local electrostatic field for both hydrogen-bonding and non-hydrogen-bonding environments. We expect that the resultant frequency-electric-field map will find use in various applications. Furthermore, we show that, when situated in a non-hydrogen-bonding environment, this probe can also be used to measure the local dielectric constant (ε). For example, its application to amyloid fibrils formed by Aβ(16-22) revealed that the interior of such β-sheet assemblies has an ε value of approximately 5.6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ileana M. Pazos
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania 231 S. 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Ayanjeet Ghosh
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania 231 S. 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Matthew J. Tucker
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
| | - Feng Gai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania 231 S. 34th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
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Pazos IM, Ghosh A, Tucker MJ, Gai F. Ester Carbonyl Vibration as a Sensitive Probe of Protein Local Electric Field. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201402011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Walker DM, Wang R, Webb LJ. Conserved electrostatic fields at the Ras–effector interface measured through vibrational Stark effect spectroscopy explain the difference in tilt angle in the Ras binding domains of Raf and RalGDS. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2014; 16:20047-60. [DOI: 10.1039/c4cp00743c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Vibrational Stark effect (VSE) spectroscopy was used to measure the electrostatic fields present at the interface of the human guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Ras docked with the Ras binding domain (RBD) of the protein kinase Raf.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. Walker
- Department of Chemistry
- Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology
- and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology
- The University of Texas at Austin
- Austin, USA
| | - Ruifei Wang
- Department of Chemistry
- Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology
- and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology
- The University of Texas at Austin
- Austin, USA
| | - Lauren J. Webb
- Department of Chemistry
- Center for Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology
- and Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology
- The University of Texas at Austin
- Austin, USA
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