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Elder JJH, Papadopoulos R, Hayne CK, Stanley RE. The making and breaking of tRNAs by ribonucleases. Trends Genet 2024; 40:511-525. [PMID: 38641471 PMCID: PMC11152995 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Ribonucleases (RNases) play important roles in supporting canonical and non-canonical roles of tRNAs by catalyzing the cleavage of the tRNA phosphodiester backbone. Here, we highlight how recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), protein structure prediction, reconstitution experiments, tRNA sequencing, and other studies have revealed new insight into the nucleases that process tRNA. This represents a very diverse group of nucleases that utilize distinct mechanisms to recognize and cleave tRNA during different stages of a tRNA's life cycle including biogenesis, fragmentation, surveillance, and decay. In this review, we provide a synthesis of the structure, mechanism, regulation, and modes of tRNA recognition by tRNA nucleases, along with open questions for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica J H Elder
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Ry Papadopoulos
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Cassandra K Hayne
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Robin E Stanley
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
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2
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Verma AK, Jaiswal G, Sultana KN, Srivastava SK. 'Computational studies on coumestrol-ArlR interaction to target ArlRS signaling cascade involved in MRSA virulence'. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:3712-3730. [PMID: 37293938 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2220028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Two component signaling system ArlRS (Autolysis-related locus) regulates adhesion, biofilm formation and virulence in methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It consists of a histidine kinase ArlS and response regulator ArlR. ArlR is composed of a N-terminal receiver domain and DNA-binding effector domain at C-terminal. ArlR receiver domain dimerizes upon signal recognition and activates DNA binding by effector domain and subsequent virulence expression. In silico simulation and structural data suggest that coumestrol, a phytochemical found in Pueraria montana, forges a strong intermolecular interaction with residues involved in dimer formation and destabilizes ArlR dimerization, an essential conformational switch required for downstream effector domain to bind to virulent loci. Structural and energy profiles of simulated ArlR-coumestrol complexes suggest lower affinity between ArlR monomers due to structural rigidity at the dimer interface hindering the conformational rearrangements relevant for dimer formation. These analyses could be an attractive strategy to develop therapeutics and potent leads molecules response regulators of two component systems in which are involved in MRSA virulence as well as other drug-resistant pathogens.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Kumar Verma
- Structural Biology & Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Grijesh Jaiswal
- Structural Biology & Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Kazi Nasrin Sultana
- Structural Biology & Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
| | - Sandeep Kumar Srivastava
- Structural Biology & Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Biosciences, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
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3
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Borgelt L, Wu P. Targeting Ribonucleases with Small Molecules and Bifunctional Molecules. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:2101-2113. [PMID: 37382390 PMCID: PMC10594538 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.3c00191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Ribonucleases (RNases) cleave and process RNAs, thereby regulating the biogenesis, metabolism, and degradation of coding and noncoding RNAs. Thus, small molecules targeting RNases have the potential to perturb RNA biology, and RNases have been studied as therapeutic targets of antibiotics, antivirals, and agents for autoimmune diseases and cancers. Additionally, the recent advances in chemically induced proximity approaches have led to the discovery of bifunctional molecules that target RNases to achieve RNA degradation or inhibit RNA processing. Here, we summarize the efforts that have been made to discover small-molecule inhibitors and activators targeting bacterial, viral, and human RNases. We also highlight the emerging examples of RNase-targeting bifunctional molecules and discuss the trends in developing such molecules for both biological and therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Borgelt
- Chemical Genomics Centre, Max
Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Str. 11, Dortmund 44227, Germany
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Str. 11, Dortmund 44227, Germany
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Hwang J, Haacke N, Borgelt L, Qiu X, Gasper R, Wu P. Rational design and evaluation of 2-((pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)thiophen-4-ones as RNase L inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 256:115439. [PMID: 37201427 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Ribonuclease L (RNase L) plays a crucial role in an antiviral pathway of interferon-induced innate immunity by degrading RNAs to prevent viral replication. Modulating RNase L activity thus mediates the innate immune responses and inflammation. Although a few small molecule-based RNase L modulators have been reported, only limited molecules have been mechanistically investigated. This study explored the strategy of RNase L targeting by using a structure-based rational design approach and evaluated the RNase L-binding and inhibitory activities of the yielded 2-((pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)thiophen-4-ones, which exhibited improved inhibitory effect as determined by in vitro FRET and gel-based RNA cleavage assay. A further structural optimization study yielded selected thiophenones that showed >30-fold more potent inhibitory activity than that of sunitinib, the approved kinase inhibitor with reported RNase L inhibitory activity. The binding mode with RNase L for the resulting thiophenones was analyzed by using docking analysis. Furthermore, the obtained 2-((pyrrol-2-yl)methylene)thiophen-4-ones exhibited efficient inhibition of RNA degradation in cellular rRNA cleavage assay. The newly designed thiophenones are the most potent synthetic RNase L inhibitors reported to date and the results revealed in our study lay the foundation for the development of future RNase L-modulating small molecules with new scaffold and improved potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimin Hwang
- Chemical Genomics Centre, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, 44227, Germany; Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, 44227, Germany; Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, 44227, Germany
| | - Neele Haacke
- Chemical Genomics Centre, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, 44227, Germany; Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, 44227, Germany; Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, 44227, Germany
| | - Lydia Borgelt
- Chemical Genomics Centre, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, 44227, Germany; Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, 44227, Germany; Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, 44227, Germany
| | - Xiaqiu Qiu
- Chemical Genomics Centre, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, 44227, Germany; Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, 44227, Germany; Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, 44227, Germany
| | - Raphael Gasper
- Crystallography and Biophysics Unit, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, 44227, Germany
| | - Peng Wu
- Chemical Genomics Centre, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, 44227, Germany; Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, 44227, Germany.
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5
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Zou H, Mou X, Zhu B. Combining of Oncolytic Virotherapy and Other Immunotherapeutic Approaches in Cancer: A Powerful Functionalization Tactic. GLOBAL CHALLENGES (HOBOKEN, NJ) 2023; 7:2200094. [PMID: 36618103 PMCID: PMC9818137 DOI: 10.1002/gch2.202200094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses have found a good place in the treatment of cancer. Administering oncolytic viruses directly or by applying genetic changes can be effective in cancer treatment through the lysis of tumor cells and, in some cases, by inducing immune system responses. Moreover, oncolytic viruses induce antitumor immune responses via releasing tumor antigens in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and affect tumor cell growth and metabolism. Despite the success of virotherapy in cancer therapies, there are several challenges and limitations, such as immunosuppressive TME, lack of effective penetration into tumor tissue, low efficiency in hypoxia, antiviral immune responses, and off-targeting. Evidence suggests that oncolytic viruses combined with cancer immunotherapy-based methods such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell therapies can effectively overcome these challenges. This review summarizes the latest data on the use of oncolytic viruses for the treatment of cancer and the challenges of this method. Additionally, the effectiveness of mono, dual, and triple therapies using oncolytic viruses and other anticancer agents has been discussed based on the latest findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Zou
- Department of Critical CareFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032China
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032China
| | - Xiao‐Zhou Mou
- General SurgeryCancer CenterDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive SurgeryZhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College)Hangzhou310014China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Therapy of Zhejiang ProvinceZhejiang Provincial People's HospitalAffiliated People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical CollegeHangzhou310014China
| | - Biao Zhu
- Department of Critical CareFudan University Shanghai Cancer CenterShanghai200032China
- Department of OncologyShanghai Medical CollegeFudan UniversityShanghai200032China
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Borgelt L, Haacke N, Lampe P, Qiu X, Gasper R, Schiller D, Hwang J, Sievers S, Wu P. Small-molecule screening of ribonuclease L binders for RNA degradation. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 154:113589. [PMID: 36029542 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Small molecules targeting the ubiquitous latent ribonuclease (RNase L), which has limited sequence specificity toward single-stranded RNA substrates, hold great potential to be developed as broad-spectrum antiviral drugs by modulating the RNase L-mediated innate immune responses. The recent development of proximity-inducing bifunctional molecules, as described in the strategy of ribonuclease targeting chimeras, demonstrated that small-molecule RNase L activators can function as the essential RNase L-recruiting component to design bifunctional molecules for targeted RNA degradation. However, only a single screening study on small-molecule RNase L activators with poor potency has been reported to date. Herein, we established a FRET assay and conducted a screening of 240,000 small molecules to identify new RNase L activators with improved potency. The extremely low hit rate of less than 0.03% demonstrated the challenging nature of RNase L activation by small molecules available from current screening collections. A few hit compounds induced enhanced thermal stability of RNase L upon binding, although validation assays did not lead to the identification of compounds with significantly improved RNase L activating potency. The sulfonamide compound 17 induced a thermal shift of ~ 0.9 °C upon binding to RNase L, induced significant apoptosis in cancer cells, and showed single-digit micromolar inhibitory activity against cancer cell proliferation. This study paves the way for future structural optimization for the development of small-molecule RNase L binders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Borgelt
- Chemical Genomics Centre, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany; Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany; Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Neele Haacke
- Chemical Genomics Centre, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany; Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany; Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Philipp Lampe
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany; Compound Management and Screening Center, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Xiaqiu Qiu
- Chemical Genomics Centre, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany; Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany; Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Raphael Gasper
- Crystallography and Biophysics Unit, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Damian Schiller
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Jimin Hwang
- Chemical Genomics Centre, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany; Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany; Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Sonja Sievers
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany; Compound Management and Screening Center, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Peng Wu
- Chemical Genomics Centre, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany; Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund 44227, Germany.
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Shao S, Yang X, Zhang YN, Wang XJ, Li K, Zhao YL, Mou XZ, Hu PY. Oncolytic Virotherapy in Peritoneal Metastasis Gastric Cancer: The Challenges and Achievements. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:835300. [PMID: 35295845 PMCID: PMC8918680 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.835300] [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: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death globally. Although the mortality rate in some parts of the world, such as East Asia, is still high, new treatments and lifestyle changes have effectively reduced deaths from this type of cancer. One of the main challenges of this type of cancer is its late diagnosis and poor prognosis. GC patients are usually diagnosed in the advanced stages of the disease, which is often associated with peritoneal metastasis (PM) and significantly reduces survival. This type of metastasis in patients with GC poses a serious challenge due to limitations in common therapies such as surgery and tumor resection, as well as failure to respond to systemic chemotherapy. To solve this problem, researchers have used virotherapy such as reovirus-based anticancer therapy in patients with GC along with PM who are resistant to current chemotherapies because this therapeutic approach is able to overcome immune suppression by activating dendritic cells (DCs) and eventually lead to the intrinsic activity of antitumor effector T cells. This review summarizes the immunopathogenesis of peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer (PMGC) and the details for using virotherapy as an effective anticancer treatment approach, as well as its challenges and opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Shao
- Department of General Surgery, Chun’an First People’s Hospital (Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital Chun’an Branch), Hangzhou, China
| | - Xue Yang
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (Affiliated People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, China
- Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (Affiliated People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, China
| | - You-Ni Zhang
- Department of Traumatology, Tiantai People’s Hospital of Zhejiang Province (Tiantai Branch of Zhejiang People’s Hospital), Taizhou, China
| | - Xue-Jun Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Chun’an First People’s Hospital (Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital Chun’an Branch), Hangzhou, China
| | - Ke Li
- Guangdong Techpool Bio-pharma Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Ya-Long Zhao
- Guangdong Techpool Bio-pharma Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Zhou Mou
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (Affiliated People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, China
- Clinical Research Institute, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (Affiliated People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xiao-Zhou Mou, ; Pei-Yang Hu,
| | - Pei-Yang Hu
- Department of Traumatology, Tiantai People’s Hospital of Zhejiang Province (Tiantai Branch of Zhejiang People’s Hospital), Taizhou, China
- *Correspondence: Xiao-Zhou Mou, ; Pei-Yang Hu,
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Tang J, Dong B, Liu M, Liu S, Niu X, Gaughan C, Asthana A, Zhou H, Xu Z, Zhang G, Silverman RH, Huang H. Identification of Small Molecule Inhibitors of RNase L by Fragment-Based Drug Discovery. J Med Chem 2022; 65:1445-1457. [PMID: 34841869 PMCID: PMC10620946 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The pseudokinase-endoribonuclease RNase L plays important roles in antiviral innate immunity and is also implicated in many other cellular activities. The inhibition of RNase L showed therapeutic potential for Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS). Thus, RNase L is a promising drug target. In this study, using an enzyme assay and NMR screening, we discovered 13 inhibitory fragments against RNase L. Cocrystal structures of RNase L separately complexed with two different fragments were determined in which both fragments bound to the ATP-binding pocket of the pseudokinase domain. Myricetin, vitexin, and hyperoside, three natural products sharing similar scaffolds with the fragment AC40357, demonstrated a potent inhibitory activity in vitro. In addition, myricetin has a promising cellular inhibitory activity. A cocrystal structure of RNase L with myricetin provided a structural basis for inhibitor design by allosterically modulating the ribonuclease activity. Our findings demonstrate that fragment screening can lead to the discovery of natural product inhibitors of RNase L.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinle Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology and Drug Discovery, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Beihua Dong
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Ming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology and Drug Discovery, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shuyan Liu
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518112, China
| | - Xiaogang Niu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Beijing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Center, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Christina Gaughan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Abhishek Asthana
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Huan Zhou
- Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201204, China
| | - Zhengshuang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology and Drug Discovery, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Guoliang Zhang
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518112, China
| | - Robert H. Silverman
- Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Hao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology and Drug Discovery, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
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Folding and Stability of Ankyrin Repeats Control Biological Protein Function. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11060840. [PMID: 34198779 PMCID: PMC8229355 DOI: 10.3390/biom11060840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Ankyrin repeat proteins are found in all three kingdoms of life. Fundamentally, these proteins are involved in protein-protein interaction in order to activate or suppress biological processes. The basic architecture of these proteins comprises repeating modules forming elongated structures. Due to the lack of long-range interactions, a graded stability among the repeats is the generic properties of this protein family determining both protein folding and biological function. Protein folding intermediates were frequently found to be key for the biological functions of repeat proteins. In this review, we discuss most recent findings addressing this close relation for ankyrin repeat proteins including DARPins, Notch receptor ankyrin repeat domain, IκBα inhibitor of NFκB, and CDK inhibitor p19INK4d. The role of local folding and unfolding and gradual stability of individual repeats will be discussed during protein folding, protein-protein interactions, and post-translational modifications. The conformational changes of these repeats function as molecular switches for biological regulation, a versatile property for modern drug discovery.
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