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Qiu Y, Huang T, Cai YD. Review of predicting protein stability changes upon variations. Proteomics 2024; 24:e2300371. [PMID: 38643379 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202300371] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Forecasting alterations in protein stability caused by variations holds immense importance. Improving the thermal stability of proteins is important for biomedical and industrial applications. This review discusses the latest methods for predicting the effects of mutations on protein stability, databases containing protein mutations and thermodynamic parameters, and experimental techniques for efficiently assessing protein stability in high-throughput settings. Various publicly available databases for protein stability prediction are introduced. Furthermore, state-of-the-art computational approaches for anticipating protein stability changes due to variants are reviewed. Each method's types of features, base algorithm, and prediction results are also detailed. Additionally, some experimental approaches for verifying the prediction results of computational methods are introduced. Finally, the review summarizes the progress and challenges of protein stability prediction and discusses potential models for future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiling Qiu
- Bio-Med Big Data Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Huang
- Bio-Med Big Data Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Dong Cai
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
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Lv X, Gao J, Yang J, Zou Y, Chen J, Sun Y, Song J, Liu Y, Wang L, Xia L, Yu S, Wei Z, Chen L, Hou X. Clinical and functional characterization of a novel KCNJ11 (c.101G > A, p.R34H) mutation associated with maturity-onset diabetes mellitus of the young type 13. Endocrine 2024:10.1007/s12020-024-03873-6. [PMID: 38761346 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-024-03873-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to describe the clinical features, diagnostic and therapeutic course of a patient with MODY13 caused by KCNJ11 (c.101G > A, p.R34H) and how it contributes to the pathogenesis of MODY13, and to explore new therapeutic targets. METHODS Whole-exome sequencing was used to screen prediagnosed individuals and family members with clinically suspected KCNJ11 mutations. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, western blotting, thallium flux of potassium channels, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), and immunofluorescence assays were used to analyze the regulation of insulin secretion by the KCNJ11 mutant in MIN6 cells. Daily blood glucose levels were continuously monitored for 14 days in the proband using the ambulatory blood glucose meter (SIBIONICS). RESULTS Mutation screening of the entire exon of the gene identified a heterozygous KCNJ11 (c.101G > A, p.R34H) mutation in the proband and his mother. Cell-based GSIS assays after transfection of MIN6 using wild-type and mutant plasmids revealed that this mutation impaired insulin secretory function. Furthermore, we found that this impaired secretory function is associated with reduced functional activity of the mutant KCNJ11 protein and reduced expression of the insulin secretion-associated exocytosis proteins STXBP1 and SNAP25. CONCLUSION For the first time, we revealed the pathogenic mechanism of KCNJ11 (c.101G > A, p.R34H) associated with MODY13. This mutant can cause alterations in KATP channel activity, reduce sensitivity to glucose stimulation, and impair pancreatic β-cell secretory function by downregulating insulin secretion-associated exocytosis proteins. Therefore, oral sulfonylurea drugs can lower blood glucose levels through pro-insulinotropic effects and are more favorable for patients with this mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Lv
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Jing Gao
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Jingwen Yang
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Ying Zou
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Yujing Sun
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Jia Song
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Yiran Liu
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Liming Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Longqing Xia
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Shijia Yu
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Zichun Wei
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
- Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Province Medicine & Health, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
- Jinan Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Xinguo Hou
- Department of Endocrinology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
- Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shandong Province Medicine & Health, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
- Jinan Clinical Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Disease, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
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Cen YK, Zhang L, Jiang Y, Meng XF, Li Y, Xiang C, Xue YP, Zheng YG. Not exclusively the activity, but the sweet spot: a dehydrogenase point mutation synergistically boosts activity, substrate tolerance, thermal stability and yield. Org Biomol Chem 2024; 22:3009-3018. [PMID: 38529785 DOI: 10.1039/d4ob00211c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Catalytic activity is undoubtedly a key focus in enzyme engineering. The complicated reaction conditions hinder some enzymes from industrialization even though they have relatively promising activity. This has occurred to some dehydrogenases. Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (HSDHs) specifically catalyze the conversion between hydroxyl and keto groups, and hold immense potential in the synthesis of steroid medicines. We underscored the importance of 7α-HSDH activity, and analyzed the overall robustness and underlying mechanisms. Employing a high-throughput screening approach, we comprehensively assessed a mutation library, and obtained a mutant with enhanced enzymatic activity and overall stability/tolerance. The superior mutant (I201M) was identified to harbor improved thermal stability, substrate susceptibility, cofactor affinity, as well as the yield. This mutant displayed a 1.88-fold increase in enzymatic activity, a 1.37-fold improvement in substrate tolerance, and a 1.45-fold increase in thermal stability when compared with the wild type (WT) enzyme. The I201M mutant showed a 2.25-fold increase in the kcat/KM ratio (indicative of a stronger binding affinity for the cofactor). This mutant did not exhibit the highest enzyme activity compared with all the tested mutants, but these improved characteristics contributed synergistically to the highest yield. When a substrate at 100 mM was present, the 24 h yield by I201M reached 89.7%, significantly higher than the 61.2% yield elicited by the WT enzyme. This is the first report revealing enhancement of the catalytic efficiency, cofactor affinity, substrate tolerance, and thermal stability of NAD(H)-dependent 7α-HSDH through a single-point mutation. The mutated enzyme reached the highest enzymatic activity of 7α-HSDH ever reported. High enzymatic activity is undoubtedly crucial for enabling the industrialization of an enzyme. Our findings demonstrated that, when compared with other mutants boasting even higher enzymatic activity, mutants with excellent overall robustness were superior for industrial applications. This principle was exemplified by highly active enzymes such as 7α-HSDH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ke Cen
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Yue Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Xiang-Fu Meng
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Yuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Chao Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Ya-Ping Xue
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Guo Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
- Engineering Research Center of Bioconversion and Biopurification of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
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Nassiri M, Ghovvati S, Gharouni M, Tahmoorespur M, Bahrami AR, Dehghani H. Engineering Human Pancreatic RNase 1 as an Immunotherapeutic Agent for Cancer Therapy Through Computational and Experimental Studies. Protein J 2024; 43:316-332. [PMID: 38145445 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-023-10171-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Most plant and bacterial toxins are highly immunogenic with non-specific toxic effects. Human ribonucleases are thought to provide a promising basis for reducing the toxic agent's immunogenic properties, which are candidates for cancer therapy. In the cell, the ribonuclease inhibitor (RI) protein binds to the ribonuclease enzyme and forms a tight complex. This study aimed to engineer and provide a gene construct encoding an improved version of Human Pancreatic RNase 1 (HP-RNase 1) to reduce connection to RI and modulate the immunogenic effects of immunotoxins. To further characterize the interaction complex of HP-RNase 1 and RI, we established various in silico and in vitro approaches. These methods allowed us to specifically monitor interactions within native and engineered HP-RNase 1/RI complexes. In silico research involved molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of native and mutant HP-RNase 1 in their free form and when bound to RI. For HP-RNase 1 engineering, we designed five mutations (K8A/N72A/N89A/R92D/E112/A) based on literature studies, as this combination proved effective for the intended investigation. Then, the cDNA encoding HP-RNase 1 was generated by RT-PCR from blood and cloned into the pSYN2 expression vector. Consequently, wild-type and the engineered HP-RNase 1 were over-expressed in E. coli TG1 and purified using an IMAC column directed against a poly-his tag. The protein products were detected by SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. HP-RNase 1 catalytic activity, in the presence of various concentrations of RI, demonstrated that the mutated version of the protein is able to escape the ribonuclease inhibitor and target the RNA substrate 2.5 folds more than that of the wild type. From these data, we tend to suggest the engineered recombinant HP-RNase 1 potentially as a new immunotherapeutic agent for application in human cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammadreza Nassiri
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Shahrokh Ghovvati
- Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Guilan, 41635-1314, Rasht, Guilan, Iran.
| | - Marzieh Gharouni
- Department of Biochemistry, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Mojtaba Tahmoorespur
- Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Ahmad Reza Bahrami
- Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, College of Applied Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hesam Dehghani
- Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- Department of Physiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
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Katsavou E, Sarafoglou C, Balabanidou V, Skoufa E, Nauen R, Linka M, Geibel S, Denecke S, Vontas J. Characterisation of lepidopteran geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase as a putative pesticide target. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 33:147-156. [PMID: 37962063 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (diphosphate) synthase (GGPPS) plays an important role in various physiological processes in insects, such as isoprenoid biosynthesis and protein prenylation. Here, we functionally characterised the GGPPS from the major agricultural lepidopteran pests Spodoptera frugiperda and Helicoverpa armigera. Partial disruption of GGPPS by CRISPR in S. frugiperda decreased embryo hatching rate and larval survival, suggesting that this gene is essential. Functional expression in vitro of Helicoverpa armigera GGPPS in Escherichia coli revealed a catalytically active enzyme. Next, we developed and optimised an enzyme assay to screen for potential inhibitors, such as the zoledronate and the minodronate, which showed a dose-dependent inhibition. Phylogenetic analysis of GGPPS across insects showed that GGPPS is highly conserved but also revealed several residues likely to be involved in substrate binding, which were substantially different in bee pollinator and human GGPPS. Considering the essentiality of GGPPS and its putative binding residue variability qualifies a GGPPS as a novel pesticide target. The developed assay may contribute to the identification of novel insecticide leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangelia Katsavou
- Pesticide Science Laboratory, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Chara Sarafoglou
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Crete, Greece
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Vasileia Balabanidou
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Evangelia Skoufa
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Ralf Nauen
- R&D Pest Control, Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, Monheim am Rhein, Germany
| | - Marc Linka
- R&D Pest Control, Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, Monheim am Rhein, Germany
| | - Sven Geibel
- R&D Pest Control, Crop Science Division, Bayer AG, Monheim am Rhein, Germany
| | - Shane Denecke
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Crete, Greece
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John Vontas
- Pesticide Science Laboratory, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, Crete, Greece
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An D, Chen X, Li Z, Dai L, Huang J, Xiao M, Liu H, Xu J, Ruan Y. Genetic variation in the BLM gene and its expression in the ovaries is closely related to kidding number in goats. Theriogenology 2024; 218:254-266. [PMID: 38367334 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2024.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Bloom (BLM) helicase plays an important role in DNA replication and the maintenance of genome integrity. BLM protein deficiency, which plays a vital role in the sperm-egg union and germ-cell development during reproduction, can lead to severe DNA damage in goats. However, the effect of BLM protein deficiency on goat litter size has not been reported. Herein, we studied the association between the genetic variation in the BLM gene and the number of kids per litter in Guizhou white goats. We explored differences in the expression of the BLM protein in the follicles of single and multi-kid nanny goats. We also analyzed the effects of dysregulated BLM gene expression on the proliferation and apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells and the expression of genes related to follicle development in goats. Five single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci, including the non-synonymous mutations g.38179 A > G, g.40626 G > C and g.89621 T > G; the intron synonymous mutation g.56961 G > A and the exon synonymous mutation g.65796 C > T were found in the BLM gene. All SNPs loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and correlation analysis showed that the g.65796 C > T and g.89621 T > G loci polymorphism was strongly associated with litter size in the first three litters (P < 0.05). The diplogenotype Hap 2/2 (AAGGAACCTT) showed no significant difference in litter size between different births, indicating that the diploid genotype is stable in different litter sizes. Bioinformatics analysis showed that three non-synonymous mutation loci (p.T488A, p.A662S, and p.S1373A) could affect BLM protein stability, and mutations in p.T488A and p.S1373A led to changes in amino acid polarity and associated interactions. qPCR results showed that the expression level of the BLM gene in the uterus and ovaries of TT genotype nanny goats was significantly higher than that of GG genotype nanny goats. Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IF) showed that the BLM protein was significantly overexpressed in both the primordial and growing follicles of nanny goats with multiple kids (P < 0.01). Disrupting BLM gene expression in the ovarian granulosa cells down-regulated the expression of the Cyp19A1 gene. It also significantly inhibited the proliferation of follicles and induces early apoptosis of the granulosa cells. These findings confirm that polymorphism in the BLM gene is closely related to the littering traits of Guizhou white goats, and it affects the reproductive performance of nanny goats by regulating the development of the oocytes and granulosa cells. This work provides new evidence on the regulatory effect of the BLM gene on the litter size of nanny goats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongwei An
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China
| | - Xiang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China
| | - Ziyang Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China
| | - Lingang Dai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China
| | - Jiajin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China
| | - Meimei Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China
| | - Huan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China
| | - Jiali Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China
| | - Yong Ruan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China; College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, PR China.
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Pan Y, Zhu L, Tan J, Lou D, Wang B. Engineering the cofactor binding site of 7α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase for improvement of catalytic activity, thermostability, and alteration of substrate preference. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 258:128847. [PMID: 38123031 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (HSDHs) are crucial for bile acid metabolism and influence the size of the bile acid pool and gut microbiota composition. HSDHs with high activity, thermostability, and substrate selectivity are the basis for constructing engineered bacteria for disease treatment. In this study, we designed mutations at the cofactor binding site involving Thr15 and Arg16 residues of HSDH St-2-2. The T15A, R16A, and R16Q mutants exhibited 7.85-, 2.50-, and 4.35-fold higher catalytic activity than the wild type, respectively, while also displaying an altered substrate preference (from taurocholic acid (TCA) to taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA)). These mutants showed lower Km and higher kcat values, indicating stronger binding to the substrate and resulting in 3190-, 3123-, and 3093-fold higher kcat/Km values for TCDCA oxidation. Furthermore, the Tm values of the T15A, R16A, and R16Q mutants were found to increase by 4.3 °C, 6.0 °C, and 7.0 °C, respectively. Molecular structure analysis indicated that reshaped internal hydrogens and surface mutations could improve catalytic activity and thermostability, and altered interactions among the catalytic triad, cofactor binding sites, and substrates could change substrate preference. This work provides valuable insights into modifying substrate preference as well as enhancing the catalytic activity and thermostability of HSDHs by targeting the cofactor binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinping Pan
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400045, PR China
| | - Liancai Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400045, PR China.
| | - Jun Tan
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, School of Biological & Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing 400067, PR China
| | - Deshuai Lou
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Medicinal Resources in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, School of Biological & Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing 400067, PR China
| | - Bochu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology (Chongqing University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400045, PR China.
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Tam B, Qin Z, Zhao B, Sinha S, Lei CL, Wang SM. Classification of MLH1 Missense VUS Using Protein Structure-Based Deep Learning-Ramachandran Plot-Molecular Dynamics Simulations Method. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:850. [PMID: 38255924 PMCID: PMC10815254 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020850] [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: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic variation in DNA mismatch repair (MMR) gene MLH1 is associated with Lynch syndrome (LS), an autosomal dominant hereditary cancer. Of the 3798 MLH1 germline variants collected in the ClinVar database, 38.7% (1469) were missense variants, of which 81.6% (1199) were classified as Variants of Uncertain Significance (VUS) due to the lack of functional evidence. Further determination of the impact of VUS on MLH1 function is important for the VUS carriers to take preventive action. We recently developed a protein structure-based method named "Deep Learning-Ramachandran Plot-Molecular Dynamics Simulation (DL-RP-MDS)" to evaluate the deleteriousness of MLH1 missense VUS. The method extracts protein structural information by using the Ramachandran plot-molecular dynamics simulation (RP-MDS) method, then combines the variation data with an unsupervised learning model composed of auto-encoder and neural network classifier to identify the variants causing significant change in protein structure. In this report, we applied the method to classify 447 MLH1 missense VUS. We predicted 126/447 (28.2%) MLH1 missense VUS were deleterious. Our study demonstrates that DL-RP-MDS is able to classify the missense VUS based solely on their impact on protein structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Tam
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Zixin Qin
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Bojin Zhao
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Siddharth Sinha
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Chon Lok Lei
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - San Ming Wang
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
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9
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Stein D, Kars ME, Wu Y, Bayrak ÇS, Stenson PD, Cooper DN, Schlessinger A, Itan Y. Genome-wide prediction of pathogenic gain- and loss-of-function variants from ensemble learning of a diverse feature set. Genome Med 2023; 15:103. [PMID: 38037155 PMCID: PMC10688473 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-023-01261-9] [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: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Gain-of-function (GOF) variants give rise to increased/novel protein functions whereas loss-of-function (LOF) variants lead to diminished protein function. Experimental approaches for identifying GOF and LOF are generally slow and costly, whilst available computational methods have not been optimized to discriminate between GOF and LOF variants. We have developed LoGoFunc, a machine learning method for predicting pathogenic GOF, pathogenic LOF, and neutral genetic variants, trained on a broad range of gene-, protein-, and variant-level features describing diverse biological characteristics. LoGoFunc outperforms other tools trained solely to predict pathogenicity for identifying pathogenic GOF and LOF variants and is available at https://itanlab.shinyapps.io/goflof/ .
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Affiliation(s)
- David Stein
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Meltem Ece Kars
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Yiming Wu
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- College of Life Science, China West Normal University, Nan Chong, Si Chuan, 637009, China
| | - Çiğdem Sevim Bayrak
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Peter D Stenson
- Institute of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
| | - David N Cooper
- Institute of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF14 4XN, UK
| | - Avner Schlessinger
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
| | - Yuval Itan
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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10
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Khan MA, Varma AK. In silico and structure-based assessment to classify VUS identified in the α-helical domain of BRCA2. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:9879-9889. [PMID: 36404616 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2148127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer type 2 susceptibility (BRCA2) protein plays a crucial role in DNA double-strand breaks repair mechanism by homologous recombination. Pathogenic mutations in the BRCA2 gene confer an increased risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). Different missense mutations are identified from a larger cohort of patient populations in the BRCA2. However, most missense mutations are classified as 'Variants of Uncertain Significance' (VUS) due to a lack of data from structural, functional, and clinical assessments. Therefore, this study focused on assessing VUS identified in the α-helical domain of h-BRCA2 using different in silico tools and structure-based molecular dynamics simulation. A total of 286 identified VUS were evaluated using Align-GVGD, PROVEAN and PANTHER servers and 18 variants were predicted to be pathogenic. Further, out of 18 variants analyzed using the ConSurf server, 16 variants were found to be evolutionary conserved. These 16 conserved variants were submitted to PremPS and Dynamut server to assess the effect of the mutation at the protein structure level; 12 mutations were predicted to have a destabilizing effect on the native protein structure. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations revealed 5 variants BRCA2 Cys2646Tyr, Asp2665Val, Trp2619Arg, Trp2619Ser and Tyr2660Cys can alter the folding pattern and need further validation using in vitro, structural and in vivo studies to classify as pathogenic.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mudassar Ali Khan
- Tata Memorial Centre, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ashok K Varma
- Tata Memorial Centre, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
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11
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Mori G, Liuzzi A, Ronda L, Di Palma M, Chegkazi MS, Bui S, Garcia-Maya M, Ragazzini J, Malatesta M, Della Monica E, Rivetti C, Antin PB, Bettati S, Steiner RA, Percudani R. Cysteine Enrichment Mediates Co-Option of Uricase in Reptilian Skin and Transition to Uricotelism. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad200. [PMID: 37695804 PMCID: PMC10517255 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad200] [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: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Uric acid is the main means of nitrogen excretion in uricotelic vertebrates (birds and reptiles) and the end product of purine catabolism in humans and a few other mammals. While uricase is inactivated in mammals unable to degrade urate, the presence of orthologous genes without inactivating mutations in avian and reptilian genomes is unexplained. Here we show that the Gallus gallus gene we name cysteine-rich urate oxidase (CRUOX) encodes a functional protein representing a unique case of cysteine enrichment in the evolution of vertebrate orthologous genes. CRUOX retains the ability to catalyze urate oxidation to hydrogen peroxide and 5-hydroxyisourate (HIU), albeit with a 100-fold reduced efficiency. However, differently from all uricases hitherto characterized, it can also facilitate urate regeneration from HIU, a catalytic property that we propose depends on its enrichment in cysteine residues. X-ray structural analysis highlights differences in the active site compared to known orthologs and suggests a mechanism for cysteine-mediated self-aggregation under H2O2-oxidative conditions. Cysteine enrichment was concurrent with the transition to uricotelism and a shift in gene expression from the liver to the skin where CRUOX is co-expressed with β-keratins. Therefore, the loss of urate degradation in amniotes has followed opposite evolutionary trajectories: while uricase has been eliminated by pseudogenization in some mammals, it has been repurposed as a redox-sensitive enzyme in the reptilian skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Mori
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Anastasia Liuzzi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Luca Ronda
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Michele Di Palma
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Magda S Chegkazi
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Soi Bui
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mitla Garcia-Maya
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jasmine Ragazzini
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Marco Malatesta
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Emanuele Della Monica
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Claudio Rivetti
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Parker B Antin
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
| | - Stefano Bettati
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Roberto A Steiner
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Riccardo Percudani
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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12
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Abdullah M, Rehman MSU, Rehman MSNU, AlKahtane AA, Al-Hazani TM, Hassan FU, Rehman SU. Genome-Wide Identification, Evolutionary and Mutational Analysis of the Buffalo Sox Gene Family. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2246. [PMID: 37508024 PMCID: PMC10376873 DOI: 10.3390/ani13142246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The Sox gene family constitutes transcription factors with a conserved high mobility group box (HMG) that regulate a variety of developmental processes, including sex differentiation, neural, cartilage, and early embryonic development. In this study, we systematically analyzed and characterized the 20 Sox genes from the whole buffalo genome, using comparative genomic and evolutionary analyses. All the buffalo Sox genes were divided into nine sub-groups, and each gene had a specific number of exons and introns, which contributed to different gene structures. Molecular phylogeny revealed more sequence similarity of buffalo Sox genes with those of cattle. Furthermore, evolutionary analysis revealed that the HMG domain remained conserved in the all members of the Sox gene family. Similarly, all the genes are under strong purifying selection pressure; seven segmental duplications occurred from 9.65 to 21.41 million years ago (MYA), and four potential recombination breakpoints were also predicted. Mutational analysis revealed twenty non-synonymous mutations with potential effects on physiological functions, including embryonic development and cell differentiation in the buffalo. The present study provides insights into the genetic architecture of the Sox gene family in buffalo, highlights the significance of mutations, and provides their potential utility for marker-assisted selection for targeted genetic improvement in buffalo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Abdullah
- Institute of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Saif-Ur Rehman
- Institute of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | | | - Abdullah A AlKahtane
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tahani Mohamed Al-Hazani
- Biology Department, College of Science and Humanities, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11940, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faiz-Ul Hassan
- Institute of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
- Department of Breeding and Genetics, Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Bahawalpur 63100, Pakistan
| | - Saif Ur Rehman
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning 530005, China
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13
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Mutational analysis of catalytic site domain of CCHFV L RNA segment. J Mol Model 2023; 29:88. [PMID: 36877258 PMCID: PMC9987378 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-023-05487-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) has tripartite RNA genome and is endemic in various countries of Asia, Africa and Europe. METHOD The present study is focused on mutation profiling of CCHFV L segment and phylogenetic clustering of protein dataset into six CCHFV genotypes. RESULTS Phylogenetic tree rooted with NCBI reference sequence (YP_325663.1) indicated less divergence from genotype III and the sequences belonging to same genotypes have shown less divergence among each other. Mutation frequency at 729 mutated positions was calculated and 563, 49, 33, 46 and 38 amino acid positions were found to be mutated at mutation frequency intervals of 0-0.2, 0.21-0.4, 0.41-0.6, 0.61-0.8 and 0.81-1.0 respectively. Thirty-eight highly frequent mutations (0.81-1.0 interval) were found in all genotypes and mapping in L segment (encoded for RdRp) revealed four mutations (V2074I, I2134T/A, V2148A and Q2695H/R) in catalytic site domain and no mutation in OTU domain. Molecular dynamic simulation and in silico analysis showed that catalytic site domain displayed large deviation and fluctuation upon introduction of these point mutations. CONCLUSION Overall study provides strong evidence that OTU domain is highly conserved and less prone to mutation whereas point mutations recorded in catalytic domain have affected the stability of protein and were found to be persistent in the large population.
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14
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PSnpBind-ML: predicting the effect of binding site mutations on protein-ligand binding affinity. J Cheminform 2023; 15:31. [PMID: 36864534 PMCID: PMC9983232 DOI: 10.1186/s13321-023-00701-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein mutations, especially those which occur in the binding site, play an important role in inter-individual drug response and may alter binding affinity and thus impact the drug's efficacy and side effects. Unfortunately, large-scale experimental screening of ligand-binding against protein variants is still time-consuming and expensive. Alternatively, in silico approaches can play a role in guiding those experiments. Methods ranging from computationally cheaper machine learning (ML) to the more expensive molecular dynamics have been applied to accurately predict the mutation effects. However, these effects have been mostly studied on limited and small datasets, while ideally a large dataset of binding affinity changes due to binding site mutations is needed. In this work, we used the PSnpBind database with six hundred thousand docking experiments to train a machine learning model predicting protein-ligand binding affinity for both wild-type proteins and their variants with a single-point mutation in the binding site. A numerical representation of the protein, binding site, mutation, and ligand information was encoded using 256 features, half of them were manually selected based on domain knowledge. A machine learning approach composed of two regression models is proposed, the first predicting wild-type protein-ligand binding affinity while the second predicting the mutated protein-ligand binding affinity. The best performing models reported an RMSE value within 0.5 [Formula: see text] 0.6 kcal/mol-1 on an independent test set with an R2 value of 0.87 [Formula: see text] 0.90. We report an improvement in the prediction performance compared to several reported models developed for protein-ligand binding affinity prediction. The obtained models can be used as a complementary method in early-stage drug discovery. They can be applied to rapidly obtain a better overview of the ligand binding affinity changes across protein variants carried by people in the population and narrow down the search space where more time-demanding methods can be used to identify potential leads that achieve a better affinity for all protein variants.
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15
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Ataei Z, Nouri Z, Tavakoli F, Pourreza MR, Narrei S, Tabatabaiefar MA. Novel in-frame duplication variant characterization in late infantile metachromatic leukodystrophy using whole-exome sequencing and molecular dynamics simulation. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282304. [PMID: 36848337 PMCID: PMC9970088 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disease caused by a deficiency in the arylsulfatase A (ARSA). ARSA deficiency leads to sulfatide accumulation, which involves progressive demyelination. The profound impact of early diagnosis on MLD treatment options necessitates the development of new or updated analysis tools and approaches. In this study, to identify the genetic etiology in a proband from a consanguineous family with MLD presentation and low ARSA activity, we employed Whole-Exome Sequencing (WES) followed by co-segregation analysis using Sanger sequencing. Also, MD simulation was utilized to study how the variant alters the structural behavior and function of the ARSA protein. GROMACS was applied and the data was analyzed by RMSD, RMSF, Rg, SASA, HB, atomic distance, PCA, and FEL. Variant interpretation was done based on the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines. WES results showed a novel homozygous insertion mutation, c.109_126dup (p.Asp37_Gly42dup), in the ARSA gene. This variant is located in the first exon of ARSA, fulfilling the criteria of being categorized as likely pathogenic, according to the ACMG guidelines and it was also found to be co-segregating in the family. The MD simulation analysis revealed this mutation influenced the structure and the stabilization of ARSA and led to the protein function impairment. Here, we report a useful application of WES and MD to identify the causes of a neurometabolic disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Ataei
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Noncommunicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Zahra Nouri
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Noncommunicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Farial Tavakoli
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | | | - Sina Narrei
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Department of Research and Development, ERYTHROGEN Medical Genetics Lab, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Amin Tabatabaiefar
- Department of Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- Pediatric Inherited Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Primordial Prevention of Noncommunicable Disease, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
- * E-mail: ,
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16
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Hajihassan Z, Afsharian NP, Ansari-Pour N. In silico engineering a CD80 variant with increased affinity to CTLA-4 and decreased affinity to CD28 for optimized cancer immunotherapy. J Immunol Methods 2023; 513:113425. [PMID: 36638881 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2023.113425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
CD80 or cluster of differentiation 80, also known as B7-1, is a member of the immunoglobulin super family, which binds to CTLA-4 and CD28 T cell receptors and induces inhibitory and inductive signals respectively. Although CTLA-4 and CD28 receptors belong to the same protein family, slight differences in their structures leads to CD80 having a higher binding affinity to CTLA-4 (-14.55 kcal/mol) compared with CD28(-12.51 kcal/mol). In this study, we constructed a variant of CD80 protein with increased binding affinity to CTLA-4 and decreased binding affinity to CD28. This variant has no signaling capability, and can act as a cap for these receptors to protect them from natural CD80 proteins existing in the body. The first step was the evolutionary and alanine scanning analysis of CD80 protein to determine conserved regions in this protein. Next, complex alanine scanning technique was employed to determine CD80 protein hotspots in CD80-CTLA-4 and CD80-CD28 protein complexes. This information was fed into a computational model developed in R for in silico mutagenesis and CD80 variant library construction. The 3D structures of variants were modeled using the Swiss model webserver. After modeling the 3D structures, HADDOCK server was employed to build all protein-protein complexes, which contain CTLA-4-CD80 variant complexes, Wild type CD80-CD28 complexes and CD28-CD80 variant complexes. Protein-protein binding free energy was determined using FoldX and the variant number 316 with mutations at 29, 31, 33 positions showed increased binding affinity to CTLA-4 (-21.43 kcal/mol) and decreased binding affinity to CD28 (- 9.54 kcal/mol). Finally, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations confirmed the stability of variant 316. In conclusion, we designed a new CD80 protein variant with potential immunotherapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Hajihassan
- Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences & Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Nessa Pesaran Afsharian
- Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences & Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Naser Ansari-Pour
- Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences & Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran; MRC Molecular Haematology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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17
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Batool Z, Qureshi U, Mushtaq M, Ahmed S, Nur-E-Alam M, Ul-Haq Z. Structural basis for the mutation-induced dysfunction of the human IL-15/IL-15α receptor complex. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:3020-3030. [PMID: 36607223 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp03012h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In silico strategies offer a reliable, fast, and inexpensive, way compared to the clumsy in vitro approaches to boost understanding of the effect of amino acid substitution on the structure and consequently the associated function of proteins. In the present work, we report an atomistic-based, reliable in silico structural and energetic framework of the interactions between the receptor-binding domain of the Interleukin-15 (IL-15) protein and its receptor Interleukin-15α (IL-15α), consequently, providing qualitative and quantitative details of the key molecular determinants in ligand/receptor recognition. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the dynamic behavior of the specific binding between IL-15 and IL-15α followed by estimation of the free energies via molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA). In particular, residues Y26, E46, E53, and E89 of the IL-15 protein receptor-binding domain are identified as main hot spots, shaping and governing the stability of the assembly. These results can be used for the development of neutralizing antibodies and the effective structure-based design of protein-protein interaction inhibitors against the so-called orphan disease, vitiligo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahida Batool
- H.E.J Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.
| | - Urooj Qureshi
- H.E.J Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan.
| | - Mamona Mushtaq
- Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan
| | - Sarfaraz Ahmed
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box. 2457, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Nur-E-Alam
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box. 2457, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Zaheer Ul-Haq
- H.E.J Research Institute of Chemistry, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan. .,Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan
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18
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Thirumal Kumar D, Shaikh N, Bithia R, Karthick V, George Priya Doss C, Magesh R. Computational screening and structural analysis of Gly201Arg and Gly201Asp missense mutations in human cyclin-dependent kinase 4 protein. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2023; 135:57-96. [PMID: 37061341 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2023.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
The regulatory proteins, cyclins, and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) control the cell cycle progression. CDK4 gene mutations are associated with certain cancers such as melanoma, breast cancer, and rhabdomyosarcoma. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of cell cycle control and cell proliferation is essential in developing cancer treatment regimens. In this study, we obtained cancer-causing CDK4 mutations from the COSMIC database and subjected them to a series of in silico analyses to identify the most significant mutations. An overall of 238 mutations (119 missense mutations) retrieved from the COSMIC database were investigated for the pathogenic and destabilizing properties using the PredictSNP and iStable algorithms. Further, the amino acid position of the most pathogenic and destabilizing mutations were analyzed to understand the nature of amino acid conservation across the species during the evolution. We observed that the missense mutations G201R and G201D were more significant and the Glycine at position 201 was found to highly conserved. These significant mutations were subjected to molecular dynamics simulation analysis to understand the protein's structural changes. The results from molecular dynamics simulations revealed that both G201R and G201D of CDK4 are capable of altering the protein's native form. On comparison among the most significant mutations, G201R disrupted the protein structure higher than the protein with G201D.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Thirumal Kumar
- Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Nishaat Shaikh
- Mahimkar Lab [Tobacco Carcinogenesis Lab], Cancer Research Institute, Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer [ACTREC], TATA Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - R Bithia
- Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - V Karthick
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Sciences, REVA University, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - C George Priya Doss
- Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - R Magesh
- Department of Biotechnology, FBMS&T, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (DU), Porur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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19
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Carpentier M, Chomilier J. Analyses of Mutation Displacements from Homology Models. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2627:195-210. [PMID: 36959449 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2974-1_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
Evaluation of the structural perturbations introduced by a single amino acid mutation is the main issue for protein structural biology. We propose here to present some recent advances in methods, allowing the splitting of distortion between the actual substitution effect and the contribution of the local flexibility of the position where the mutation occurs. Its main drawback is the need of many structures with a single mutation in each of them. To bypass this difficulty, we propose to use molecular modeling tools, with several software enabling us to build a model from a template, given the sequence. As a proof of concept, we rely on a gold standard, the human lysozyme. Both wild-type and three mutant structures are available in the PDB. Two of these mutations result in amyloid fibril formation, and the last one is neutral. As a conclusion, irrespective of the algorithm used for modeling, side chain conformations at the site of mutation are reliable, although long-range effects are out of reach of these tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Carpentier
- Institut Systématique Evolution Biodiversité (ISYEB), Sorbonne Université, MNHN, CNRS, EPHE, Paris, France.
| | - Jacques Chomilier
- Sorbonne Université, BiBiP, IMPMC, UMR 7590, CNRS, MNHN, Paris, France
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20
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Fitzpatrick LLJ, Nijman V, Ligabue-Braun R, Nekaris KAI. The Fast and the Furriest: Investigating the Rate of Selection on Mammalian Toxins. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 14:toxins14120842. [PMID: 36548740 PMCID: PMC9782207 DOI: 10.3390/toxins14120842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of venom and the selection pressures that act on toxins have been increasingly researched within toxinology in the last two decades, in part due to the exceptionally high rates of diversifying selection observed in animal toxins. In 2015, Sungar and Moran proposed the 'two-speed' model of toxin evolution linking evolutionary age of a group to the rates of selection acting on toxins but due to a lack of data, mammals were not included as less than 30 species of venomous mammal have been recorded, represented by elusive species which produce small amounts of venom. Due to advances in genomics and transcriptomics, the availability of toxin sequences from venomous mammals has been increasing. Using branch- and site-specific selection models, we present the rates of both episodic and pervasive selection acting upon venomous mammal toxins as a group for the first time. We identified seven toxin groups present within venomous mammals, representing Chiroptera, Eulipotyphla and Monotremata: KLK1, Plasminogen Activator, Desmallipins, PACAP, CRiSP, Kunitz Domain One and Kunitz Domain Two. All but one group (KLK1) was identified by our results to be evolving under both episodic and pervasive diversifying selection with four toxin groups having sites that were implicated in the fitness of the animal by TreeSAAP (Selection on Amino Acid Properties). Our results suggest that venomous mammal ecology, behaviour or genomic evolution are the main drivers of selection, although evolutionary age may still be a factor. Our conclusion from these results indicates that mammalian toxins are following the two-speed model of selection, evolving predominately under diversifying selection, fitting in with other younger venomous taxa like snakes and cone snails-with high amounts of accumulating mutations, leading to more novel adaptions in their toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah Lucy Joscelyne Fitzpatrick
- Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
- Centre for Functional Genomics, Department of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Vincent Nijman
- Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
- Centre for Functional Genomics, Department of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
| | - Rodrigo Ligabue-Braun
- Department of Pharmacosciences, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Avenida Sarmento Leite 245, Porto Alegre 90050-130, Brazil
| | - K. Anne-Isola Nekaris
- Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
- Centre for Functional Genomics, Department of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, UK
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21
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Azmi MB, Naeem U, Saleem A, Jawed A, Usman H, Qureshi SA, Azim MK. In silico identification of the rare-coding pathogenic mutations and structural modeling of human NNAT gene associated with anorexia nervosa. Eat Weight Disord 2022; 27:2725-2744. [PMID: 35655118 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-022-01422-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Increased susceptibility towards anorexia nervosa (AN) was reported with reduced levels of neuronatin (NNAT) gene. We sought to investigate the most pathogenic rare-coding missense mutations, non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) of NNAT and their potential damaging impact on protein function through transcript level sequence and structure based in silico approaches. METHODS Gene sequence, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of NNAT was retrieved from public databases and the putative post-translational modification (PTM) sites were analyzed. Distinctive in silico algorithms were recruited for transcript level SNPs analyses and to characterized high-risk rare-coding nsSNPs along with their impact on protein stability function. Ab initio 3D-modeling of wild-type, alternate model prediction for most deleterious nsSNP, validation and recognition of druggable binding pockets were also performed. AN 3D therapeutic compounds that followed rule of drug-likeness were docked with most pathogenic variant of NNAT to estimate the drugs' binding free energies. RESULTS Conclusively, 10 transcript (201-205)-based nsSNPs from 3 rare-coding missense variants, i.e., rs539681368, rs542858994, rs560845323 out of 840 exonic SNPs were identified. Transcript-based functional impact analyses predicted rs539681368 (C30Y) from NNAT-204 as the high-risk rare-coding pathogenic nsSNP, deviating protein functions. The 3D-modeling analysis of AN drugs' binding energies indicated lowest binding free energy (ΔG) and significant inhibition constant (Ki) with mutant models C30Y. CONCLUSIONS Mutant model (C30Y) exhibiting significant drug binding affinity and the commonest interaction observed at the acetylation site K59. Thus, based on these findings, we concluded that the identified nsSNP may serve as potential targets for various studies, diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE No level of evidence-open access bioinformatics research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Bilal Azmi
- Department of Biochemistry, Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
| | - Unaiza Naeem
- Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Arisha Saleem
- Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Areesha Jawed
- Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Haroon Usman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan
| | | | - M Kamran Azim
- Department of Biosciences, Mohammad Ali Jinnah University, Karachi, Pakistan
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22
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Molecular and Structural Analysis of Specific Mutations from Saudi Isolates of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase and their Implications on Protein Structure and Drug-Protein Binding. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27196475. [PMID: 36235011 PMCID: PMC9573158 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has stressed the global health system to a significant level, which has not only resulted in high morbidity and mortality but also poses a threat for future pandemics. This situation warrants efforts to develop novel therapeutics to manage SARS-CoV-2 in specific and other emerging viruses in general. This study focuses on SARS-CoV2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) mutations collected from Saudi Arabia and their impact on protein structure and function. The Saudi SARS-CoV-2 RdRp sequences were compared with the reference Wuhan, China RdRp using a variety of computational and biophysics-based approaches. The results revealed that three mutations-A97V, P323I and Y606C-may affect protein stability, and hence the relationship of protein structure to function. The apo wild RdRp is more dynamically stable with compact secondary structure elements compared to the mutants. Further, the wild type showed stable conformational dynamics and interaction network to remdesivir. The net binding energy of wild-type RdRp with remdesivir is -50.76 kcal/mol, which is more stable than the mutants. The findings of the current study might deliver useful information regarding therapeutic development against the mutant RdRp, which may further furnish our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 biology.
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23
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Marquet C, Heinzinger M, Olenyi T, Dallago C, Erckert K, Bernhofer M, Nechaev D, Rost B. Embeddings from protein language models predict conservation and variant effects. Hum Genet 2022; 141:1629-1647. [PMID: 34967936 PMCID: PMC8716573 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-021-02411-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants stressed the demand for tools allowing to interpret the effect of single amino acid variants (SAVs) on protein function. While Deep Mutational Scanning (DMS) sets continue to expand our understanding of the mutational landscape of single proteins, the results continue to challenge analyses. Protein Language Models (pLMs) use the latest deep learning (DL) algorithms to leverage growing databases of protein sequences. These methods learn to predict missing or masked amino acids from the context of entire sequence regions. Here, we used pLM representations (embeddings) to predict sequence conservation and SAV effects without multiple sequence alignments (MSAs). Embeddings alone predicted residue conservation almost as accurately from single sequences as ConSeq using MSAs (two-state Matthews Correlation Coefficient-MCC-for ProtT5 embeddings of 0.596 ± 0.006 vs. 0.608 ± 0.006 for ConSeq). Inputting the conservation prediction along with BLOSUM62 substitution scores and pLM mask reconstruction probabilities into a simplistic logistic regression (LR) ensemble for Variant Effect Score Prediction without Alignments (VESPA) predicted SAV effect magnitude without any optimization on DMS data. Comparing predictions for a standard set of 39 DMS experiments to other methods (incl. ESM-1v, DeepSequence, and GEMME) revealed our approach as competitive with the state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods using MSA input. No method outperformed all others, neither consistently nor statistically significantly, independently of the performance measure applied (Spearman and Pearson correlation). Finally, we investigated binary effect predictions on DMS experiments for four human proteins. Overall, embedding-based methods have become competitive with methods relying on MSAs for SAV effect prediction at a fraction of the costs in computing/energy. Our method predicted SAV effects for the entire human proteome (~ 20 k proteins) within 40 min on one Nvidia Quadro RTX 8000. All methods and data sets are freely available for local and online execution through bioembeddings.com, https://github.com/Rostlab/VESPA , and PredictProtein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Marquet
- Department of Informatics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology - i12, TUM-Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstr. 3, Garching, 85748, Munich, Germany.
- TUM Graduate School, Center of Doctoral Studies in Informatics and its Applications (CeDoSIA), Boltzmannstr. 11, 85748, Garching, Germany.
| | - Michael Heinzinger
- Department of Informatics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology - i12, TUM-Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstr. 3, Garching, 85748, Munich, Germany
- TUM Graduate School, Center of Doctoral Studies in Informatics and its Applications (CeDoSIA), Boltzmannstr. 11, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Tobias Olenyi
- Department of Informatics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology - i12, TUM-Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstr. 3, Garching, 85748, Munich, Germany
- TUM Graduate School, Center of Doctoral Studies in Informatics and its Applications (CeDoSIA), Boltzmannstr. 11, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Christian Dallago
- Department of Informatics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology - i12, TUM-Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstr. 3, Garching, 85748, Munich, Germany
- TUM Graduate School, Center of Doctoral Studies in Informatics and its Applications (CeDoSIA), Boltzmannstr. 11, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Kyra Erckert
- Department of Informatics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology - i12, TUM-Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstr. 3, Garching, 85748, Munich, Germany
- TUM Graduate School, Center of Doctoral Studies in Informatics and its Applications (CeDoSIA), Boltzmannstr. 11, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Michael Bernhofer
- Department of Informatics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology - i12, TUM-Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstr. 3, Garching, 85748, Munich, Germany
- TUM Graduate School, Center of Doctoral Studies in Informatics and its Applications (CeDoSIA), Boltzmannstr. 11, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Dmitrii Nechaev
- Department of Informatics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology - i12, TUM-Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstr. 3, Garching, 85748, Munich, Germany
- TUM Graduate School, Center of Doctoral Studies in Informatics and its Applications (CeDoSIA), Boltzmannstr. 11, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Burkhard Rost
- Department of Informatics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology - i12, TUM-Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstr. 3, Garching, 85748, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Advanced Study (TUM-IAS), Lichtenbergstr. 2a, Garching, 85748, Munich, Germany
- TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan (TUM-WZW), Alte Akademie 8, Freising, Germany
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24
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Rehman MSU, Mushtaq M, Hassan FU, Zia-ur Rehman, Mushahid M, Shokrollahi B. Comparative Genomic Characterization of Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins in Cattle and Buffalo. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:5893825. [PMID: 35924270 PMCID: PMC9343199 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5893825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The somatotropic axis consists of genes associated with economic traits like muscle growth and carcass traits in livestock. Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are the major proteins that play a vital role in the somatotropic axis. The present study performed a genome-wide characterization of IGFBP genes in cattle. Genomic sequences of the IGFBP gene family for different mammals (cattle, buffalo, goat, and sheep) were recovered from the NCBI database. Sequence analyses were performed to investigate cattle's genomic variations in the IGFBP gene family. Phylogenetic analysis, gene structure, motif patterns, and conserved domain analysis (CDA) of the IGFBP family revealed the evolutionarily conserved nature of the IGFBP genes in cattle and other studied species. Physicochemical properties of IGFBP proteins in cattle revealed that most of these proteins are unstable, hydrophilic, thermostable, and acidic. Comparative amino acid analysis revealed variations in all protein sequences with single indels in IGFBP3 and IGFBP6. Mutation analysis revealed only one nonsynonymous mutation D212 > E in the IGFBP6 protein of cattle. A total of 245 nuclear hormone receptor (NHRs) sites were detected, including 139 direct repeats (DR), 65 everted repeats (ER), and 41 inverted repeats (IR). Out of 133 transcription factors (TFs), 10 TFs (AHR, AHRARNT, AP4, CMYB, E47, EGR2, GATA, SP1, and SRF) had differential distribution (P value < 0.05) of putative transcriptional binding sites (TFBS) in cattle compared to buffalo. Synteny analysis revealed the conserved nature of genes between cattle and buffalo. Two gene pairs (IGFBP1/IGFBP3 and IGFBP2/IGFBP5) showed tandem duplication events in cattle and buffalo. This study highlights the functional importance of genomic variation in IGFBP genes and necessitates further investigations better to understand the role and mechanisms of IGFBPs in bovines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Saif-ur Rehman
- Institute of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | - Muqeet Mushtaq
- Institute of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | - Faiz-ul Hassan
- Institute of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | - Zia-ur Rehman
- University of Agriculture, Faisalabad–Subcampus Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Mushahid
- Institute of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | - Borhan Shokrollahi
- Department of Animal Science, Sanandaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran
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25
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Savino S, Desmet T, Franceus J. Insertions and deletions in protein evolution and engineering. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 60:108010. [PMID: 35738511 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Protein evolution or engineering studies are traditionally focused on amino acid substitutions and the way these contribute to fitness. Meanwhile, the insertion and deletion of amino acids is often overlooked, despite being one of the most common sources of genetic variation. Recent methodological advances and successful engineering stories have demonstrated that the time is ripe for greater emphasis on these mutations and their understudied effects. This review highlights the evolutionary importance and biotechnological relevance of insertions and deletions (indels). We provide a comprehensive overview of approaches that can be employed to include indels in random, (semi)-rational or computational protein engineering pipelines. Furthermore, we discuss the tolerance to indels at the structural level, address how domain indels can link the function of unrelated proteins, and feature studies that illustrate the surprising and intriguing potential of frameshift mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Savino
- Centre for Synthetic Biology (CSB), Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tom Desmet
- Centre for Synthetic Biology (CSB), Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jorick Franceus
- Centre for Synthetic Biology (CSB), Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium..
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26
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Hopkins HK, Traverse EM, Barr KL. Chikungunya Encephalitis: an Inconsistently Reported Headache and Cause of Death in Patients with Pre-Existing Conditions. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40475-022-00258-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
AbstractChikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an alphavirus of the family Togaviridae with outbreaks occurring across Africa, Asia, parts of Europe, and South and Central America. There are three main lineages of CHIKV, including the West African lineage, the East Central South African (ECSA) lineage, and the Asian lineage. While CHIKV infection usually results in a self-limited febrile illness, there have been reports of concerning neurological manifestations, including encephalitis. Herein we discuss findings of over 700 cases of CHIKV encephalitis and risk factors for death. Additionally, we examined the genotypes of CHIKV associated with encephalitis and found that both the Asian and ECSA lineages were responsible for encephalitis but not the West African lineage. Protein analysis of consensus sequences of CHIKV strains associated with encephalitis identified mutations in the nsP1, nsP2, and nsP3 proteins. Reports and manuscripts of CHIKV encephalitis were inconsistent in reporting viral, demographic, and clinical features which complicated the delineation of risk factors associated with the disease and viral evolution. As climate change contributes to the range expansion of natural vectors, it is important for researchers and clinicians to consistently report patient and viral data to facilitate research and countermeasures for the ecology and epidemiology of CHIKV due to the lack of a targeted treatment or vaccine.
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27
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Gaudreault F, Corbeil CR, Purisima EO, Sulea T. Coevolved Canonical Loops Conformations of Single-Domain Antibodies: A Tale of Three Pockets Playing Musical Chairs. Front Immunol 2022; 13:884132. [PMID: 35720356 PMCID: PMC9203998 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.884132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) are a promising class of biotherapeutics with unique structural traits within their paratope region. The distribution of canonical conformations explored by their complementarity determining region (CDR) loops differs to some extent from conventional two-chain Fv fragments of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). In this study, we explored in detail the canonical structures of sdAb CDR-H1 and CDR-H2 loops and compared those with mAbs from the IGHV3 and IGHV1 gene families. We surveyed the antibody structures catalogued in SAbDab and clustered the CDR canonical loops in Cartesian space. While most of the sdAb clusters were sub-populations of previously defined canonical Fv conformations of CDR-H1 and CDR-H2, our stricter clustering approach defined narrower clusters in sequence-space. Meticulous visual inspection of sub-populations allowed a clearer understanding of sequence-structure relationships. The packing densities within structural pockets contacted by CDR-H1 and CDR-H2 canonical conformations were analyzed on the premise that these pockets cannot be left vacant as they would leave exposed supportive hydrophobic residues. The fine resolution of the canonical clusters defined here revealed unique signatures within these pockets, including distinct structural complementarities between CDR-H1 and CDR-H2 canonical clusters, which could not be perceived with the previous coarser clusters. We highlight examples where a single residue change in CDR-H1 sequence is sufficient to induce a dramatic population shift in CDR-H2 conformation. This suggests that preferences in combining CDR-H1 and CDR-H2 emerged naturally during antibody evolution, leading to preferred sets of conserved amino acids at key positions in the framework as well as within the CDR loops. We outline a game of musical chairs that is necessary to maintain the integrity of the antibody structures that arose during evolution. Our study also provides refined CDR-H1 and CDR-H2 structural templates for sdAb homology modeling that could be leveraged for improved antibody design.
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28
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Alisoltani A, Jaroszewski L, Iyer M, Iranzadeh A, Godzik A. Increased Frequency of Indels in Hypervariable Regions of SARS-CoV-2 Proteins—A Possible Signature of Adaptive Selection. Front Genet 2022; 13:875406. [PMID: 35719386 PMCID: PMC9201826 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.875406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Most attention in the surveillance of evolving SARS-CoV-2 genome has been centered on nucleotide substitutions in the spike glycoprotein. We show that, as the pandemic extends into its second year, the numbers and ratio of genomes with in-frame insertions and deletions (indels) increases significantly, especially among the variants of concern (VOCs). Monitoring of the SARS-CoV-2 genome evolution shows that co-occurrence (i.e., highly correlated presence) of indels, especially deletions on spike N-terminal domain and non-structural protein 6 (NSP6) is a shared feature in several VOCs such as Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron. Indels distribution is correlated with spike mutations associated with immune escape and growth in the number of genomes with indels coincides with the increasing population resistance due to vaccination and previous infections. Indels occur most frequently in the spike, but also in other proteins, especially those involved in interactions with the host immune system. We also showed that indels concentrate in regions of individual SARS-CoV-2 proteins known as hypervariable regions (HVRs) that are mostly located in specific loop regions. Structural analysis suggests that indels remodel viral proteins’ surfaces at common epitopes and interaction interfaces, affecting the virus’ interactions with host proteins. We hypothesize that the increased frequency of indels, the non-random distribution of them and their independent co-occurrence in several VOCs is another mechanism of response to elevated global population immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arghavan Alisoltani
- Biosciences Division, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Lukasz Jaroszewski
- Biosciences Division, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Mallika Iyer
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Arash Iranzadeh
- Computational Biology Division, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Adam Godzik
- Biosciences Division, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Adam Godzik,
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29
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Molecular Docking Study of IPBCC.08.610 Glucose Oxidase Mutant for Increasing Gluconic Acid Production. JURNAL KIMIA SAINS DAN APLIKASI 2022. [DOI: 10.14710/jksa.25.5.169-178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucose oxidase (GOD) is an oxidoreductase enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of glucose to gluconolactone and hydrogen peroxide. Then, gluconolactone will be hydrolyzed to gluconic acid. The wide application of gluconic acid in various industries has increased production demand. However, glucose concentrations higher than 40% (w/w) inhibited the conversion of glucose to gluconic acid due to a decrease in the oxygen solubility concentration at pH 6, 30℃, and 1 bar pressure. Therefore, decreasing the value of Km is predicted to reduce saturation and enhance gluconic acid production. This study aimed to analyze the interaction between the IPBCC.08.610 GOD mutant with β-D-Glucose in improving gluconic acid production by decreasing the Km value. Mutations were performed in silico using Chimera and then docked using AutoDock Vina. The mutations resulted in distinct ligand poses in the binding pocket, different -OH conformations of the ligands, and changes in the T554M/D578P mutant’s hydrophobicity index (554 mutated from threonine to methionine, and 578 mutated from aspartate to proline), and decreased ΔG and Km values in the H559D mutant (559 mutated from histidine to aspartate), D578P and T554M/D578P. This decrease might strengthen the ligand-receptor interaction, increasing gluconic acid production. The H559D was the best mutant to increase production based on the ΔG, Km value, and stability due to the addition of hydrogen bonds.
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Scafuri B, Verdino A, D'Arminio N, Marabotti A. Computational methods to assist in the discovery of pharmacological chaperones for rare diseases. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:6590149. [PMID: 35595532 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pharmacological chaperones are chemical compounds able to bind proteins and stabilize them against denaturation and following degradation. Some pharmacological chaperones have been approved, or are under investigation, for the treatment of rare inborn errors of metabolism, caused by genetic mutations that often can destabilize the structure of the wild-type proteins expressed by that gene. Given that, for rare diseases, there is a general lack of pharmacological treatments, many expectations are poured out on this type of compounds. However, their discovery is not straightforward. In this review, we would like to focus on the computational methods that can assist and accelerate the search for these compounds, showing also examples in which these methods were successfully applied for the discovery of promising molecules belonging to this new category of pharmacologically active compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernardina Scafuri
- Department of Chemistry and Biology "A. Zambelli", University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
| | - Anna Verdino
- Department of Chemistry and Biology "A. Zambelli", University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
| | - Nancy D'Arminio
- Department of Chemistry and Biology "A. Zambelli", University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
| | - Anna Marabotti
- Department of Chemistry and Biology "A. Zambelli", University of Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
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Aypek H, Krisp C, Lu S, Liu S, Kylies D, Kretz O, Wu G, Moritz M, Amann K, Benz K, Tong P, Hu ZM, Alsulaiman SM, Khan AO, Grohmann M, Wagner T, Müller-Deile J, Schlüter H, Puelles VG, Bergmann C, Huber TB, Grahammer F. Loss of the collagen IV modifier prolyl 3-hydroxylase 2 causes thin basement membrane nephropathy. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:147253. [PMID: 35499085 PMCID: PMC9057608 DOI: 10.1172/jci147253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The glomerular filtration barrier (GFB) produces primary urine and is composed of a fenestrated endothelium, a glomerular basement membrane (GBM), podocytes, and a slit diaphragm. Impairment of the GFB leads to albuminuria and microhematuria. The GBM is generated via secreted proteins from both endothelial cells and podocytes and is supposed to majorly contribute to filtration selectivity. While genetic mutations or variations of GBM components have been recently proposed to be a common cause of glomerular diseases, pathways modifying and stabilizing the GBM remain incompletely understood. Here, we identified prolyl 3-hydroxylase 2 (P3H2) as a regulator of the GBM in an a cohort of patients with albuminuria. P3H2 hydroxylates the 3' of prolines in collagen IV subchains in the endoplasmic reticulum. Characterization of a P3h2ΔPod mouse line revealed that the absence of P3H2 protein in podocytes induced a thin basement membrane nephropathy (TBMN) phenotype with a thinner GBM than that in WT mice and the development of microhematuria and microalbuminuria over time. Mechanistically, differential quantitative proteomics of the GBM identified a significant decrease in the abundance of collagen IV subchains and their interaction partners in P3h2ΔPod mice. To our knowledge, P3H2 protein is the first identified GBM modifier, and loss or mutation of P3H2 causes TBMN and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in mice and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christoph Krisp
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Mass Spectrometric Proteomics Group, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Shun Lu
- III. Department of Medicine and
| | | | | | | | | | - Manuela Moritz
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Mass Spectrometric Proteomics Group, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kerstin Amann
- Department of Nephropathology, Institute of Pathology and
| | - Kerstin Benz
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ping Tong
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Xiangya Hospital and
| | - Zheng-mao Hu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | | | - Arif O. Khan
- Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Ophthalmology, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Maik Grohmann
- Medizinische Genetik Mainz, Limbach Genetics, Mainz, Germany
| | - Timo Wagner
- Medizinische Genetik Mainz, Limbach Genetics, Mainz, Germany
| | - Janina Müller-Deile
- Department of Nephrology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Hartmut Schlüter
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Mass Spectrometric Proteomics Group, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Carsten Bergmann
- Medizinische Genetik Mainz, Limbach Genetics, Mainz, Germany.,Department of Medicine IV, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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32
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Udhaya Kumar S, Kamaraj B, Varghese RP, Preethi VA, Bithia R, George Priya Doss C. Mutations in G6PC2 gene with increased risk for development of type 2 diabetes: Understanding via computational approach. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2022; 130:351-373. [PMID: 35534112 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2022.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
An increase in the fast blood glucose (FBG) levels has been linked to an increased risk of developing a chronic condition, type 2 diabetes (T2D). The mutation in the G6PC2 gene was identified to have a lead role in the modulation of FBG levels. The abnormal regulation of this enzyme influences glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), which controls the insulin levels corresponding to the system's glucose level. This study focuses on the mutations at the G6PC2 gene, which cause the variation from normal expression levels and increase the risk of T2D. We examined the non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) present in the G6PC2 and subjected them to pathogenicity, stability, residue conservation, and membrane simulation. The individual representation of surrounding amino acids in the mutant (I63T) model showed the loss of hydrophobic interactions compared to the native G6PC2. In addition, the trajectory results from the membrane simulation exhibited reduced stability, and the least compactness was identified for the I63T mutant model. Our study shed light on the structural and conformational changes at the transmembrane region due to the I63T mutation in G6PC2. Additionally, the Gibbs free energy landscape analysis against the two principal components showed structural differences and decreased the conformational stability of the I63T mutant model compared to the native. Like those presented in this study, dynamical simulations may indeed be crucial to comprehending the structural insights of G6PC2 mutations in cardiovascular-associated mortality and T2D.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Udhaya Kumar
- Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Balu Kamaraj
- Department of Neuroscience Technology, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Jubail, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rinku Polachirakkal Varghese
- Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - V Anu Preethi
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - R Bithia
- Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - C George Priya Doss
- Laboratory of Integrative Genomics, Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
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33
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Mohammed MM, Al-Thuwaini TM, Al-Shuhaib MBS. A novel p.K116Q SNP in the OLR1 gene and its relation to fecundity in Awassi ewes. Theriogenology 2022; 184:185-190. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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34
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Lai J, Yang J, Gamsiz Uzun ED, Rubenstein BM, Sarkar IN. LYRUS: a machine learning model for predicting the pathogenicity of missense variants. BIOINFORMATICS ADVANCES 2021; 2:vbab045. [PMID: 35036922 PMCID: PMC8754197 DOI: 10.1093/bioadv/vbab045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
SUMMARY Single amino acid variations (SAVs) are a primary contributor to variations in the human genome. Identifying pathogenic SAVs can provide insights to the genetic architecture of complex diseases. Most approaches for predicting the functional effects or pathogenicity of SAVs rely on either sequence or structural information. This study presents 〈Lai Yang Rubenstein Uzun Sarkar〉 (LYRUS), a machine learning method that uses an XGBoost classifier to predict the pathogenicity of SAVs. LYRUS incorporates five sequence-based, six structure-based and four dynamics-based features. Uniquely, LYRUS includes a newly proposed sequence co-evolution feature called the variation number. LYRUS was trained using a dataset that contains 4363 protein structures corresponding to 22 639 SAVs from the ClinVar database, and tested using the VariBench testing dataset. Performance analysis showed that LYRUS achieved comparable performance to current variant effect predictors. LYRUS's performance was also benchmarked against six Deep Mutational Scanning datasets for PTEN and TP53. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION LYRUS is freely available and the source code can be found at https://github.com/jiaying2508/LYRUS. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaying Lai
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA,Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Jordan Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA
| | - Ece D Gamsiz Uzun
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI 02903, USA,Department of Pathology, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Brenda M Rubenstein
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA,Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, USA,To whom correspondence should be addressed. and
| | - Indra Neil Sarkar
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA,Rhode Island Quality Institute, Providence, RI 02908, USA,To whom correspondence should be addressed. and
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35
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Yi C, Sun X, Lin Y, Gu C, Ding L, Lu X, Yang Z, Zhang Y, Ma L, Gu W, Qu A, Zhou X, Li X, Xu J, Ling Z, Xie Y, Lu H, Sun B. Comprehensive mapping of binding hot spots of SARS-CoV-2 RBD-specific neutralizing antibodies for tracking immune escape variants. Genome Med 2021; 13:164. [PMID: 34649620 PMCID: PMC8515915 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-021-00985-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The receptor-binding domain (RBD) variants of SARS-CoV-2 could impair antibody-mediated neutralization of the virus by host immunity; thus, prospective surveillance of antibody escape mutants and understanding the evolution of RBD are urgently needed. METHODS Using the single B cell cloning technology, we isolated and characterized 93 RBD-specific antibodies from the memory B cells of four COVID-19 convalescent individuals in the early stage of the pandemic. Then, global RBD alanine scanning with a panel of 19 selected neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), including several broadly reactive NAbs, was performed. Furthermore, we assessed the impact of single natural mutation or co-mutations of concern at key positions of RBD on the neutralization escape and ACE2 binding function by recombinant proteins and pseudoviruses. RESULTS Thirty-three amino acid positions within four independent antigenic sites (1 to 4) of RBD were identified as valuable indicators of antigenic changes in the RBD. The comprehensive escape mutation map not only confirms the widely circulating strains carrying important immune escape RBD mutations such as K417N, E484K, and L452R, but also facilitates the discovery of new immune escape-enabling mutations such as F486L, N450K, F490S, and R346S. Of note, these escape mutations could not affect the ACE2 binding affinity of RBD, among which L452R even enhanced binding. Furthermore, we showed that RBD co-mutations K417N, E484K, and N501Y present in B.1.351 appear more resistant to NAbs and human convalescent plasma from the early stage of the pandemic, possibly due to an additive effect. Conversely, double mutations E484Q and L452R present in B.1.617.1 variant show partial antibody evasion with no evidence for an additive effect. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides a global view of the determinants for neutralizing antibody recognition, antigenic conservation, and RBD conformation. The in-depth escape maps may have value for prospective surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 immune escape variants. Special attention should be paid to the accumulation of co-mutations at distinct major antigenic sites. Finally, the new broadly reactive NAbs described here represent new potential opportunities for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xiaoyu Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Yixiao Lin
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Chenjian Gu
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Longfei Ding
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Xiao Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhuo Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Yaguang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Liyan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Wangpeng Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Aidong Qu
- Shanghai Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 200052, China
| | - Xu Zhou
- Shanghai Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 200052, China
| | - Xiuling Li
- Shanghai Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 200052, China
| | - Jianqing Xu
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201508, China
| | - Zhiyang Ling
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
| | - Youhua Xie
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/MOH), Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Hongzhou Lu
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201508, China.
| | - Bing Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. .,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 100 Haike Road, Shanghai, 201210, China. .,Bio-Research Innovation Center Suzhou, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, 215121, China.
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36
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Lara Ortiz MT, Martinell García V, Del Rio G. Saturation Mutagenesis of the Transmembrane Region of HokC in Escherichia coli Reveals Its High Tolerance to Mutations. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910359. [PMID: 34638709 PMCID: PMC8509063 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells adapt to different stress conditions, such as the antibiotics presence. This adaptation sometimes is achieved by changing relevant protein positions, of which the mutability is limited by structural constrains. Understanding the basis of these constrains represent an important challenge for both basic science and potential biotechnological applications. To study these constraints, we performed a systematic saturation mutagenesis of the transmembrane region of HokC, a toxin used by Escherichia coli to control its own population, and observed that 92% of single-point mutations are tolerated and that all the non-tolerated mutations have compensatory mutations that reverse their effect. We provide experimental evidence that HokC accumulates multiple compensatory mutations that are found as correlated mutations in the HokC family multiple sequence alignment. In agreement with these observations, transmembrane proteins show higher probability to present correlated mutations and are less densely packed locally than globular proteins; previous mutagenesis results on transmembrane proteins further support our observations on the high tolerability to mutations of transmembrane regions of proteins. Thus, our experimental results reveal the HokC transmembrane region high tolerance to loss-of-function mutations that is associated with low sequence conservation and high rate of correlated mutations in the HokC family sequences alignment, which are features shared with other transmembrane proteins.
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37
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Alabbas AB, Alamri MA. Analyzing the Effect of Mutations in SARS-CoV2 Papain-Like Protease from Saudi Isolates on Protein Structure and Drug-Protein Binding: Molecular Modelling and Dynamics Studies. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 29:526-533. [PMID: 34548835 PMCID: PMC8447498 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The continuous and rapid development of the severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus remains a health concern
especially with the emergence of numerous variants and mutations worldwide. As
with other RNA viruses, SARS-CoV-2 has a genetically high mutation rate. These
mutations have an impact on the virus characteristics, including
transmissibility, antigenicity and development of drug and vaccine resistance.
This work was pursued to identify the differences that exist in the papain-like
protease (PLPro) from 58 Saudi isolates in comparison to the
first reported sequence from Wuhan, China and determine their implications on
protein structure and the inhibitor binding. PLpro is a key
protease enzyme for the host cells invasion and viral proteolytic cleavage,
hence, it emerges as a valuable antiviral therapeutic target. Two mutations were
identified including D108G and A249V and shown to increase the molecular
flexibility of PLPro protein and alter the protein stability,
particularly with D108G mutation. The effect of these mutations on the stability
and dynamic behavior of PLPro structures as well as their
effect on the binding of a known inhibitor; GRL0617 were further investigated by
molecular docking and dynamic simulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alhumaidi B Alabbas
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mubarak A Alamri
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
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38
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Gu J, Isozumi N, Yuan S, Jin L, Gao B, Ohki S, Zhu S. Evolution-Based Protein Engineering for Antifungal Peptide Improvement. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:5175-5189. [PMID: 34320203 PMCID: PMC8557468 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been considered as the alternatives to antibiotics because of their less susceptibility to microbial resistance. However, compared with conventional antibiotics they show relatively low activity and the consequent high cost and nonspecific cytotoxicity, hindering their clinical application. What’s more, engineering of AMPs is a great challenge due to the inherent complexity in their sequence, structure, and function relationships. Here, we report an evolution-based strategy for improving the antifungal activity of a nematode-sourced defensin (Cremycin-5). This strategy utilizes a sequence-activity comparison between Cremycin-5 and its functionally diverged paralogs to identify sites associated with antifungal activity for screening of enhanceable activity-modulating sites for subsequent saturation mutagenesis. Using this strategy, we identified a site (Glu-15) whose mutations with nearly all other types of amino acids resulted in a universally enhanced activity against multiple fungal species, which is thereby defined as a Universally Enhanceable Activity-Modulating Site (UEAMS). Especially, Glu15Lys even exhibited >9-fold increased fungicidal potency against several clinical isolates of Candida albicans through inhibiting cytokinesis. This mutant showed high thermal and serum stability and quicker killing kinetics than clotrimazole without detectable hemolysis. Molecular dynamic simulations suggest that the mutations at the UEAMS likely limit the conformational flexibility of a distant functional residue via allostery, enabling a better peptide–fungus interaction. Further sequence, structural, and mutational analyses of the Cremycin-5 ortholog uncover an epistatic interaction between the UEAMS and another site that may constrain its evolution. Our work lights one new road to success of engineering AMP drug leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Gu
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Noriyoshi Isozumi
- Center for Nano Materials and Technology (CNMT), Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292, Japan
| | - Shouli Yuan
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ling Jin
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bin Gao
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shinya Ohki
- Center for Nano Materials and Technology (CNMT), Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292, Japan
| | - Shunyi Zhu
- Group of Peptide Biology and Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China
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Shiel RE, Nolan CM, Nally JE, Refsal KR, Mooney CT. Qualitative and semiquantitative assessment of thyroid hormone binding proteins in greyhounds and other dog breeds. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2021; 76:106623. [PMID: 33774426 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2021.106623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Total thyroxine (T4) concentrations are lower in healthy greyhounds compared to most other non-sighthound breeds. In humans, variations in the structure or concentration of the major thyroid hormone binding proteins are responsible for most reported differences between total T4 concentrations in healthy individuals from different ethnic groups or other subpopulations. The aim of this study was to determine if such variations are also responsible for the lower total T4 concentrations in greyhounds. The predicted protein sequences of thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG), transthyretin and albumin were determined in liver tissue from a euthyroid greyhound with decreased T4 concentration and a Jack Russell terrier using reverse-transcriptase PCR. Sequences were compared to each other and online reference sequences. Serum proteins from 21 greyhounds and 21 non-sighthound dogs were separated by denaturing electrophoresis and immunoblots probed with polyclonal antibodies to human TBG and transthyretin. Reactive bands were quantified by densitrometry, expressed relative to the mean of reference samples included in each gel. Serum albumin concentrations were measured using a commercially-available assay. Several SNPs were identified but none was thought likely to explain the lower total T4 concentrations in greyhounds. There was no significant difference between the quantity of any of the binding proteins in serum from greyhounds and non-sighthound dogs. However, total T4 and transthyretin concentrations were highly correlated in the greyhound group (r = 0.73, P = 0.0002). Variation in the sequence of thyroid hormone binding proteins is not responsible for low greyhound total T4 concentrations. Further evaluation of the role of transthyretin is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- R E Shiel
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - C M Nolan
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - J E Nally
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - K R Refsal
- Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - C T Mooney
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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Susko E, Steel M, Roger AJ. Conditions under which distributions of edge length ratios on phylogenetic trees can be used to order evolutionary events. J Theor Biol 2021; 526:110788. [PMID: 34097914 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2021.110788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Two recent high profile studies have attempted to use edge (branch) length ratios from large sets of phylogenetic trees to determine the relative ages of genes of different origins in the evolution of eukaryotic cells. This approach can be straightforwardly justified if substitution rates are constant over the tree for a given protein. However, such strict molecular clock assumptions are not expected to hold on the billion-year timescale. Here we propose an alternative set of conditions under which comparisons of edge length distributions from multiple sets of phylogenies of proteins with different origins can be validly used to discern the order of their origins. We also point out scenarios where these conditions are not expected to hold and caution is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Susko
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Canada; Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Halifax B3H 4R2, Canada.
| | - Mike Steel
- Biomathematics Research Centre, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand
| | - Andrew J Roger
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Halifax B3H 4R2, Canada
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Computational-Driven Epitope Verification and Affinity Maturation of TLR4-Targeting Antibodies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22115989. [PMID: 34206009 PMCID: PMC8198660 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22115989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling plays a critical role in the induction and progression of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematous, experimental autoimmune encephalitis, type 1 diabetes mellitus and neurodegenerative diseases. Deciphering antigen recognition by antibodies provides insights and defines the mechanism of action into the progression of immune responses. Multiple strategies, including phage display and hybridoma technologies, have been used to enhance the affinity of antibodies for their respective epitopes. Here, we investigate the TLR4 antibody-binding epitope by computational-driven approach. We demonstrate that three important residues, i.e., Y328, N329, and K349 of TLR4 antibody binding epitope identified upon in silico mutagenesis, affect not only the interaction and binding affinity of antibody but also influence the structural integrity of TLR4. Furthermore, we predict a novel epitope at the TLR4-MD2 interface which can be targeted and explored for therapeutic antibodies and small molecules. This technique provides an in-depth insight into antibody-antigen interactions at the resolution and will be beneficial for the development of new monoclonal antibodies. Computational techniques, if coupled with experimental methods, will shorten the duration of rational design and development of antibody therapeutics.
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Structural effects driven by rare point mutations in amylin hormone, the type II diabetes-associated peptide. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2021; 1865:129935. [PMID: 34044067 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2021.129935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amylin is a 37-amino-acid peptide hormone co-secreted with insulin, which participates in glucose homeostasis. This hormone is able to aggregate in a β-sheet conformation and deposit in islet amyloids, a hallmark in type II diabetes. Since amylin is a gene-encoded hormone, this peptide has variants caused by point mutations that can impact its functions. METHODS Here, we analyzed the structural effects caused by S20G and G33R point mutations which, according to the 1000 Genomes Project, have frequency in East Asian and European populations, respectively. The analyses were performed by means of aggrescan server, SNP functional effect predictors, and molecular dynamics. RESULTS We found that both mutations have aggregation potential and cause changes in the monomeric forms when compared with wild-type amylin. Furthermore, comparative analyses with pramlintide, an amylin drug analogue, allowed us to infer that second α-helix maintenance may be related to the aggregation potential. CONCLUSIONS The S20G mutation has been described as pathologically related, which is in agreement with our findings. In addition, our data suggest that the G33R mutation might have a deleterious effect. The data presented here also provide new therapy opportunities, whether for creating more effective drugs for diabetes or implementing specific treatment for patients with these mutations. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Our data could help to better understand the impact of mutations on the wild-type amylin sequence, as a starting point for the evaluation and characterization of other variations. Moreover, these findings could improve the health of patients with type II diabetes.
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Kutlu Y, Ben-Tal N, Haliloglu T. Global Dynamics Renders Protein Sites with High Functional Response. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:4734-4745. [PMID: 33914546 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c02511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Deep mutational scanning enables examination of the effects of many mutations at each amino acid position in a query protein, readily disclosing positions that are particularly sensitive. Mutations in these positions alter protein function the most. Here, on the premise that dynamics underlie function, we explore to what extent the measured sensitivity to mutations could be linked to-perhaps be explained by-the structural dynamics of the protein. We employ a minimalist perturbation-response approach based on the Gaussian Network Model (GNM) on a data set of seven proteins with deep mutational scanning data. The analysis shows that the mutation-sensitive positions are often of capacity to modulate the global dynamics and to intermediate allosteric interactions in the structure. With that, upon strain perturbation, these positions decrease residue fluctuations the most, affecting function via entropy changes. This is particularly relevant for positions that are distant from binding sites or other functional regions of the protein and are sensitive to mutations, nevertheless. Our results indicate that mutations in these positions allosterically manipulate protein function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiǧit Kutlu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Polymer Research Center, Bogazici University, Bebek, Istanbul 34342, Turkey
| | - Nir Ben-Tal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Turkan Haliloglu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Polymer Research Center, Bogazici University, Bebek, Istanbul 34342, Turkey
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Liu Z, Zhang R, Zhang W, Xu Y. Ile258Met mutation of Brucella melitensis 7α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase significantly enhances catalytic efficiency, cofactor affinity, and thermostability. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:3573-3586. [PMID: 33937927 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11299-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
NAD(H)-dependent 7α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase catalyzes the oxidation of chenodeoxycholic acid to 7-oxolithocholic acid. Here, we designed mutations of Ile258 adjacent to the catalytic pocket of Brucella melitensis 7α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. The I258M variant gave a 4.7-fold higher kcat, but 4.5-fold lower KM, compared with the wild type, resulting in a 21.8-fold higher kcat/KM value for chenodeoxycholic acid oxidation. It presented a 2.0-fold lower KM value with NAD+, suggesting stronger binding to the cofactor. I258M produced 7-oxolithocholic acid in the highest yield of 92.3% in 2 h, whereas the wild-type gave 88.4% in 12 h. The I258M mutation increased the half-life from 20.8 to 31.1 h at 30 °C. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated increased interactions and a modified tunnel improved the catalytic efficiency, and enhanced rigidity at three regions around the ligand-binding pocket increased the enzyme thermostability. This is the first report about significantly improved catalytic efficiency, cofactor affinity, and enzyme thermostability through single site-mutation of Brucella melitensis 7α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. KEY POINTS: • Sequence and structure analysis guided the site mutation design. • Thermostability, catalytic efficiency and 7-oxo-LCA production were determined. • MD simulation was performed to indicate the improvement by I258M mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education & School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China
| | - Rongzhen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education & School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wenchi Zhang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Yan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology of Ministry of Education & School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214122, People's Republic of China
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45
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Cea-Rama I, Coscolín C, Katsonis P, Bargiela R, Golyshin PN, Lichtarge O, Ferrer M, Sanz-Aparicio J. Structure and evolutionary trace-assisted screening of a residue swapping the substrate ambiguity and chiral specificity in an esterase. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:2307-2317. [PMID: 33995922 PMCID: PMC8105184 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.04.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of enzymes with high substrate ambiguity remains limited because their large active sites allow substrate docking freedom to an extent that seems incompatible with stereospecificity. One possibility is that some of these enzymes evolved a set of evolutionarily fitted sequence positions that stringently allow switching substrate ambiguity and chiral specificity. To explore this hypothesis, we targeted for mutation a serine ester hydrolase (EH3) that exhibits an impressive 71-substrate repertoire but is not stereospecific (e.e. 50%). We used structural actions and the computational evolutionary trace method to explore specificity-swapping sequence positions and hypothesized that position I244 was critical. Driven by evolutionary action analysis, this position was substituted to leucine, which together with isoleucine appears to be the amino acid most commonly present in the closest homologous sequences (max. identity, ca. 67.1%), and to phenylalanine, which appears in distant homologues. While the I244L mutation did not have any functional consequences, the I244F mutation allowed the esterase to maintain a remarkable 53-substrate range while gaining stereospecificity properties (e.e. 99.99%). These data support the possibility that some enzymes evolve sequence positions that control the substrate scope and stereospecificity. Such residues, which can be evolutionarily screened, may serve as starting points for further designing substrate-ambiguous, yet chiral-specific, enzymes that are greatly appreciated in biotechnology and synthetic chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Cea-Rama
- Institute of Physical Chemistry “Rocasolano”, CSIC, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Rafael Bargiela
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Bangor University, LL57 2UW Bangor, UK
| | - Peter N. Golyshin
- Centre for Environmental Biotechnology, Bangor University, LL57 2UW Bangor, UK
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, LL57 2UW Bangor, UK
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Production of Monacolin K in Monascus pilosus: Comparison between Industrial Strains and Analysis of Its Gene Clusters. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9040747. [PMID: 33918292 PMCID: PMC8065618 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9040747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Monascus pilosus strains are widely applied to yield a cholesterol synthesis inhibitor monacolin K (MK), also called lovastatin (LOV). However, the mechanism of MK production by M. pilosus strains is still unclear. In this study, we firstly confirmed four Monascus strains, MS-1, YDJ-1, YDJ-2, and K104061, isolated from commercial MK products as M. pilosus and compared their abilities to produce MK in solid-state and liquid-state cultures. Then, we sequenced and analyzed their genomes and MK biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). The results revealed that the MK yields of MS-1, YDJ-1, YDJ-2, and K104061 in solid-state cultures at 14 days were 6.13, 2.03, 1.72, and 0.76 mg/g, respectively; the intracellular and extracellular MK contents of MS-1, YDJ-1, YDJ-2, and K104061 in liquid-state cultures at 14 days reached 0.9 and 1.8 mg/g, 0.38 and 0.43 mg/g, 0.30 and 0.42 mg/g, and 0.31 and 0.76 mg/g, respectively. The genome sizes of the four M. pilosus strains were about 26 Mb, containing about 7000-8000 coding genes and one MK gene cluster. The MK BGCs of MS-1, YDJ-2, and K104061 contained 11 genes, and the MK BGC of YDJ-1 contained 9 genes. According to the literature search, there are few comparisons of gene clusters and related genes responsible for the synthesis of LOV and MK. We also compared the LOV BGC in A. terreus with the MK BGCs in different species of Monascus spp., and the results revealed that although LOV and MK were the same substance, the genes responsible for the synthesis of MK were much less than those for LOV synthesis, and the gene functions were quite different. The current results laid a foundation to explore the mechanism of MK produced by Monascus spp. and compare the synthesis of LOV and MK.
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Abstract
Timing the events in the evolution of eukaryotic cells is crucial to understanding this major transition. A recent study reconstructs the origins of thousands of gene families ancestral to eukaryotes and, using a controversial approach, aims to order the events of eukaryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Roger
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
| | - Edward Susko
- Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Michelle M Leger
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF), Barcelona 08003, Spain
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48
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Wang X, Ma Q. Wzb of Vibrio vulnificus represents a new group of low-molecular-weight protein tyrosine phosphatases with a unique insertion in the W-loop. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100280. [PMID: 33450227 PMCID: PMC7948962 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein tyrosine phosphorylation regulates the production of capsular polysaccharide, an essential virulence factor of the deadly pathogen Vibrio vulnificus. The process requires the protein tyrosine kinase Wzc and its cognate phosphatase Wzb, both of which are largely uncharacterized. Herein, we report the structures of Wzb of V. vulnificus (VvWzb) in free and ligand-bound forms. VvWzb belongs to the low-molecular-weight protein tyrosine phosphatase (LMWPTP) family. Interestingly, it contains an extra four-residue insertion in the W-loop, distinct from all known LMWPTPs. The W-loop of VvWzb protrudes from the protein body in the free structure, but undergoes significant conformational changes to fold toward the active site upon ligand binding. Deleting the four-residue insertion from the W-loop severely impaired the enzymatic activity of VvWzb, indicating its importance for optimal catalysis. However, mutating individual residues or even substituting the whole insertion with four alanine residues only modestly decreased the enzymatic activity, suggesting that the contribution of the insertion to catalysis is not determined by the sequence specificity. Furthermore, inserting the four residues into Escherichia coli Wzb at the corresponding position enhanced its activity as well, indicating that the four-residue insertion in the W-loop can act as a general activity enhancing element for other LMWPTPs. The novel W-loop type and phylogenetic analysis suggested that VvWzb and its homologs should be classified into a new group of LMWPTPs. Our study sheds new insight into the catalytic mechanism and structural diversity of the LMWPTP family and promotes the understanding of the protein tyrosine phosphorylation system in prokaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingjun Ma
- Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China; Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China.
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49
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Hemmat-Jou MH, Safari-Sinegani AA, Che R, Mirzaie-Asl A, Tahmourespour A, Tahmasbian I. Toxic trace element resistance genes and systems identified using the shotgun metagenomics approach in an Iranian mine soil. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:4845-4856. [PMID: 32949366 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-10824-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to identify the microbial communities, resistance genes, and resistance systems in an Iranian mine soil polluted with toxic trace elements (TTE). The polluted soil samples were collected from a mining area and compared against non-polluted (control) collected soils from the vicinity of the mine. The soil total DNA was extracted and sequenced, and bioinformatic analysis of the assembled metagenomes was conducted to identify soil microbial biodiversity, TTE resistance genes, and resistance systems. The results of the employed shotgun approach indicated that the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Deinococcus-Thermus was significantly higher in the TTE-polluted soils compared with those in the control soils, while the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Acidobacteria was significantly lower in the polluted soils. The high concentration of TTE increased the ratio of archaea to bacteria and decreased the alpha diversity in the polluted soils compared with the control soils. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) demonstrated that heavy metal pollution was the major driving factor in shaping microbial communities compared with any other soil characteristics. In the identified heavy metal resistome (HV-resistome) of TTE-polluted soils, major functional pathways were carbohydrates metabolism, stress response, amino acid and derivative metabolism, clustering-based subsystems, iron acquisition and metabolism, cell wall synthesis and capsulation, and membrane transportation. Ten TTE resistance systems were identified in the HV-resistome of TTE-polluted soils, dominated by "P-type ATPases," "cation diffusion facilitators," and "heavy metal efflux-resistance nodulation cell division (HME-RND)." Most of the resistance genes (69%) involved in resistance systems are affiliated to cell wall, outer membrane, periplasm, and cytoplasmic membrane. The finding of this study provides insight into the microbial community in Iranian TTE-polluted soils and their resistance genes and systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rongxiao Che
- Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Asghar Mirzaie-Asl
- Department of Biotechnology, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, 6517838695, Iran
| | - Arezoo Tahmourespour
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University (Isfahan Branch), Isfahan, Iran
| | - Iman Tahmasbian
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland Government, Toowoomba, QLD, 4350, Australia
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50
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Tanaka SI, Tsutaki M, Yamamoto S, Mizutani H, Kurahashi R, Hirata A, Takano K. Exploring mutable conserved sites and fatal non-conserved sites by random mutation of esterase from Sulfolobus tokodaii and subtilisin from Thermococcus kodakarensis. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 170:343-353. [PMID: 33383075 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.12.171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Homologous proteins differ in their amino acid sequences at several positions. Generally, conserved sites are recognized as not suitable for amino acid substitution, and thus in evolutionary protein engineering, non-conserved sites are often selected as mutation sites. However, there have also been reports of possible mutations in conserved sites. In this study, we explored mutable conserved sites and immutable non-conserved sites by testing random mutations of two thermostable proteins, an esterase from Sulfolobus tokodaii (Sto-Est) and a subtilisin from Thermococcus kodakarensis (Tko-Sub). The subtilisin domain of Tko-Sub needs Ca2+ ions and the propeptide domain for stability, folding and maturation. The results from the two proteins showed that about one-third of the mutable sites were detected in conserved sites and some non-conserved sites lost enzymatic activity at high temperatures due to mutation. Of the conserved sites in Sto-Est, the sites on the loop, on the surface, and far from the active site are more resistant to mutation. In Tko-Sub, the sites flanking Ca2+-binding sites and propeptide were undesirable for mutation. The results presented here serve as an index for selecting mutation sites and contribute to the expansion of available sequence range by introducing mutations at conserved sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun-Ichi Tanaka
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Kyoto Prefectural University, Hangi-cho, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8522, Japan
| | - Minami Tsutaki
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Kyoto Prefectural University, Hangi-cho, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8522, Japan
| | - Seira Yamamoto
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Kyoto Prefectural University, Hangi-cho, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8522, Japan
| | - Hayate Mizutani
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Kyoto Prefectural University, Hangi-cho, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8522, Japan
| | - Ryo Kurahashi
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Kyoto Prefectural University, Hangi-cho, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8522, Japan
| | - Azumi Hirata
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Osaka Medical College, Daigaku-machi, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-8686, Japan
| | - Kazufumi Takano
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Kyoto Prefectural University, Hangi-cho, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8522, Japan.
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