1
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Manav N, Jit BP, Kataria B, Sharma A. Cellular and epigenetic perspective of protein stability and its implications in the biological system. Epigenomics 2024:1-22. [PMID: 38884355 DOI: 10.1080/17501911.2024.2351788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein stability is a fundamental prerequisite in both experimental and therapeutic applications. Current advancements in high throughput experimental techniques and functional ontology approaches have elucidated that impairment in the structure and stability of proteins is intricately associated with the cause and cure of several diseases. Therefore, it is paramount to deeply understand the physical and molecular confounding factors governing the stability of proteins. In this review article, we comprehensively investigated the evolution of protein stability, examining its emergence over time, its relationship with organizational aspects and the experimental methods used to understand it. Furthermore, we have also emphasized the role of Epigenetics and its interplay with post-translational modifications (PTMs) in regulating the stability of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Manav
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi, Ansari Nagar, 110029, India
| | - Bimal Prasad Jit
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi, Ansari Nagar, 110029, India
| | - Babita Kataria
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jhajjar, 124105, India
| | - Ashok Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi, Ansari Nagar, 110029, India
- Department of Biochemistry, National Cancer Institute, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jhajjar, 124105, India
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2
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Gulotta A, Bucciarelli S, Roosen-Runge F, Holderer O, Schurtenberger P, Stradner A. Testing mixing rules for structural and dynamical quantities in multi-component crowded protein solutions. APL Bioeng 2024; 8:026116. [PMID: 38827499 PMCID: PMC11143939 DOI: 10.1063/5.0204201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Crowding effects significantly influence the phase behavior and the structural and dynamic properties of the concentrated protein mixtures present in the cytoplasm of cells or in the blood serum. This poses enormous difficulties for our theoretical understanding and our ability to predict the behavior of these systems. While the use of course grained colloid-inspired models allows us to reproduce the key physical solution properties of concentrated monodisperse solutions of individual proteins, we lack corresponding theories for complex polydisperse mixtures. Here, we test the applicability of simple mixing rules in order to predict solution properties of protein mixtures. We use binary mixtures of the well-characterized bovine eye lens proteins α and γB crystallin as model systems. Combining microrheology with static and dynamic scattering techniques and observations of the phase diagram for liquid-liquid phase separation, we show that reasonably accurate descriptions are possible for macroscopic and mesoscopic signatures, while information on the length scale of the individual protein size requires more information on cross-component interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Gulotta
- Division for Physical Chemistry, Lund University, Naturvetarvägen 14, 22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Saskia Bucciarelli
- Division for Physical Chemistry, Lund University, Naturvetarvägen 14, 22100 Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Olaf Holderer
- Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS) at Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Garching, Germany
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3
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Kacirani A, Uralcan B, Domingues TS, Haji-Akbari A. Effect of Pressure on the Conformational Landscape of Human γD-Crystallin from Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:4931-4942. [PMID: 38685567 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00178] [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: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Human γD-crystallin belongs to a crucial family of proteins known as crystallins located in the fiber cells of the human lens. Since crystallins do not undergo any turnover after birth, they need to possess remarkable thermodynamic stability. However, their sporadic misfolding and aggregation, triggered by environmental perturbations or genetic mutations, constitute the molecular basis of cataracts, which is the primary cause of blindness in the globe according to the World Health Organization. Here, we investigate the impact of high pressure on the conformational landscape of wild-type HγD-crystallin using replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations augmented with principal component analysis. We find pressure to have a modest impact on global measures of protein stability, such as root-mean-square displacement and radius of gyration. Upon projecting our trajectories along the first two principal components from principal component analysis, however, we observe the emergence of distinct free energy basins at high pressures. By screening local order parameters previously shown or hypothesized as markers of HγD-crystallin stability, we establish correlations between a tyrosine-tyrosine aromatic contact within the N-terminal domain and the protein's end-to-end distance with projections along the first and second principal components, respectively. Furthermore, we observe the simultaneous contraction of the hydrophobic core and its intrusion by water molecules. This exploration sheds light on the intricate responses of HγD-crystallin to elevated pressures, offering insights into potential mechanisms underlying its stability and susceptibility to environmental perturbations, crucial for understanding cataract formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arlind Kacirani
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Betül Uralcan
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul 34342, Turkey
| | - Tiago S Domingues
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
- Graduate Program in Applied Mathematics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Amir Haji-Akbari
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
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4
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Jaworek MW, Oliva R, Winter R. Enabling High Activation of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Activity Through Liquid Condensate Formation and Compression. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202400690. [PMID: 38471074 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202400690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Droplet formation via liquid-liquid phase separation is thought to be involved in the regulation of various biological processes, including enzymatic reactions. We investigated a glycolytic enzymatic reaction, the conversion of glucose-6-phosphate to 6-phospho-D-glucono-1,5-lactone with concomitant reduction of NADP+ to NADPH both in the absence and presence of dynamically controlled liquid droplet formation. Here, the nucleotide serves as substrate as well as the scaffold required for the formation of liquid droplets. To further expand the process parameter space, temperature and pressure dependent measurements were performed. Incorporation of the reactants in the liquid droplet phase led to a boost in enzymatic activity, which was most pronounced at medium-high pressures. The crowded environment of the droplet phase induced a marked increase of the affinity of the enzyme and substrate. An increase in turnover number in the droplet phase at high pressure contributed to a further strong increase in catalytic efficiency. Enzyme systems that are dynamically coupled to liquid condensate formation may be the key to deciphering many biochemical reactions. Expanding the process parameter space by adjusting temperature and pressure conditions can be a means to further increase the efficiency of industrial enzyme utilization and help uncover regulatory mechanisms adopted by extremophiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel W Jaworek
- Physical Chemistry I - Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 4a, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Rosario Oliva
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Roland Winter
- Physical Chemistry I - Biophysical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 4a, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
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5
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Beriashvili D, Zhou J, Liu Y, Folkers GE, Baldus M. Cellular Applications of DNP Solid-State NMR - State of the Art and a Look to the Future. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202400323. [PMID: 38451060 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202400323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Sensitivity enhanced dynamic nuclear polarization solid-state NMR is emerging as a powerful technique for probing the structural properties of conformationally homogenous and heterogenous biomolecular species irrespective of size at atomic resolution within their native environments. Herein we detail advancements that have made acquiring such data, specifically within the confines of intact bacterial and eukaryotic cell a reality and further discuss the type of structural information that can presently be garnered by the technique's exploitation. Subsequently, we discuss bottlenecks that have thus far curbed cellular DNP-ssNMR's broader adoption namely due a lack of sensitivity and spectral resolution. We also explore possible solutions ranging from utilization of new pulse sequences, design of better performing polarizing agents, and application of additional biochemical/ cell biological methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Beriashvili
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padaulaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jiaxin Zhou
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics, Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, P. R. China
| | - Yangping Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics, Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, P. R. China
| | - Gert E Folkers
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padaulaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marc Baldus
- NMR Spectroscopy, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Padaulaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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6
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Grassmann G, Miotto M, Desantis F, Di Rienzo L, Tartaglia GG, Pastore A, Ruocco G, Monti M, Milanetti E. Computational Approaches to Predict Protein-Protein Interactions in Crowded Cellular Environments. Chem Rev 2024; 124:3932-3977. [PMID: 38535831 PMCID: PMC11009965 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Investigating protein-protein interactions is crucial for understanding cellular biological processes because proteins often function within molecular complexes rather than in isolation. While experimental and computational methods have provided valuable insights into these interactions, they often overlook a critical factor: the crowded cellular environment. This environment significantly impacts protein behavior, including structural stability, diffusion, and ultimately the nature of binding. In this review, we discuss theoretical and computational approaches that allow the modeling of biological systems to guide and complement experiments and can thus significantly advance the investigation, and possibly the predictions, of protein-protein interactions in the crowded environment of cell cytoplasm. We explore topics such as statistical mechanics for lattice simulations, hydrodynamic interactions, diffusion processes in high-viscosity environments, and several methods based on molecular dynamics simulations. By synergistically leveraging methods from biophysics and computational biology, we review the state of the art of computational methods to study the impact of molecular crowding on protein-protein interactions and discuss its potential revolutionizing effects on the characterization of the human interactome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Grassmann
- Department
of Biochemical Sciences “Alessandro Rossi Fanelli”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
- Center
for Life Nano & Neuro Science, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Mattia Miotto
- Center
for Life Nano & Neuro Science, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Fausta Desantis
- Center
for Life Nano & Neuro Science, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
- The
Open University Affiliated Research Centre at Istituto Italiano di
Tecnologia, Genoa 16163, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Di Rienzo
- Center
for Life Nano & Neuro Science, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Gian Gaetano Tartaglia
- Center
for Life Nano & Neuro Science, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
- Department
of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa 16163, Italy
- Center
for Human Technologies, Genoa 16152, Italy
| | - Annalisa Pastore
- Experiment
Division, European Synchrotron Radiation
Facility, Grenoble 38043, France
| | - Giancarlo Ruocco
- Center
for Life Nano & Neuro Science, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
- Department
of Physics, Sapienza University, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Michele Monti
- RNA
System Biology Lab, Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa 16163, Italy
| | - Edoardo Milanetti
- Center
for Life Nano & Neuro Science, Istituto
Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome 00161, Italy
- Department
of Physics, Sapienza University, Rome 00185, Italy
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7
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Xu G, Cheng K, Liu M, Li C. Studying protein stability in crowded environments by NMR. PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROSCOPY 2024; 140-141:42-48. [PMID: 38705635 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnmrs.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Most proteins perform their functions in crowded and complex cellular environments where weak interactions are ubiquitous between biomolecules. These complex environments can modulate the protein folding energy landscape and hence affect protein stability. NMR is a nondestructive and effective method to quantify the kinetics and equilibrium thermodynamic stability of proteins at an atomic level within crowded environments and living cells. Here, we review NMR methods that can be used to measure protein stability, as well as findings of studies on protein stability in crowded environments mimicked by polymer and protein crowders and in living cells. The important effects of chemical interactions on protein stability are highlighted and compared to spatial excluded volume effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohua Xu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Kai Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Maili Liu
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, PR China
| | - Conggang Li
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, PR China.
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8
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Sohmen B, Beck C, Frank V, Seydel T, Hoffmann I, Hermann B, Nüesch M, Grimaldo M, Schreiber F, Wolf S, Roosen‐Runge F, Hugel T. The Onset of Molecule-Spanning Dynamics in Heat Shock Protein Hsp90. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2304262. [PMID: 37984887 PMCID: PMC10754087 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304262] [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: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Protein dynamics have been investigated on a wide range of time scales. Nano- and picosecond dynamics have been assigned to local fluctuations, while slower dynamics have been attributed to larger conformational changes. However, it is largely unknown how fast (local) fluctuations can lead to slow global (allosteric) changes. Here, fast molecule-spanning dynamics on the 100 to 200 ns time scale in the heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) are shown. Global real-space movements are assigned to dynamic modes on this time scale, which is possible by a combination of single-molecule fluorescence, quasi-elastic neutron scattering and all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The time scale of these dynamic modes depends on the conformational state of the Hsp90 dimer. In addition, the dynamic modes are affected to various degrees by Sba1, a co-chaperone of Hsp90, depending on the location within Hsp90, which is in very good agreement with MD simulations. Altogether, this data is best described by fast molecule-spanning dynamics, which precede larger conformational changes in Hsp90 and might be the molecular basis for allostery. This integrative approach provides comprehensive insights into molecule-spanning dynamics on the nanosecond time scale for a multi-domain protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Sohmen
- Institute of Physical ChemistryUniversity of FreiburgAlbertstrasse 2179104FreiburgGermany
| | - Christian Beck
- Institute of Applied PhysicsUniversity of TübingenAuf der Morgenstelle 1072076TübingenGermany
- Science DivisionInstitut Max von Laue ‐ Paul Langevin71 avenue des MartyrsGrenoble38042France
| | - Veronika Frank
- Institute of Physical ChemistryUniversity of FreiburgAlbertstrasse 2179104FreiburgGermany
| | - Tilo Seydel
- Science DivisionInstitut Max von Laue ‐ Paul Langevin71 avenue des MartyrsGrenoble38042France
| | - Ingo Hoffmann
- Science DivisionInstitut Max von Laue ‐ Paul Langevin71 avenue des MartyrsGrenoble38042France
| | - Bianca Hermann
- Institute of Physical ChemistryUniversity of FreiburgAlbertstrasse 2179104FreiburgGermany
| | - Mark Nüesch
- Department of BiochemistryUniversity of ZurichWinterthurerstrasse 190CH‐8057ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Marco Grimaldo
- Science DivisionInstitut Max von Laue ‐ Paul Langevin71 avenue des MartyrsGrenoble38042France
| | - Frank Schreiber
- Institute of Applied PhysicsUniversity of TübingenAuf der Morgenstelle 1072076TübingenGermany
| | - Steffen Wolf
- Biomolecular Dynamics, Institute of PhysicsUniversity of FreiburgHermann‐Herder‐Strasse 379104FreiburgGermany
| | - Felix Roosen‐Runge
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biofilms‐Research Center for Biointerfaces (BRCB)Malmö University20506MalmöSweden
- Division of Physical ChemistryLund UniversityNaturvetarvägen 1422100LundSweden
| | - Thorsten Hugel
- Institute of Physical ChemistryUniversity of FreiburgAlbertstrasse 2179104FreiburgGermany
- Signalling Research Centers BIOSS and CIBSSUniversity of FreiburgSchänzlestrasse 1879104FreiburgGermany
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9
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Zhang A, Guo Z, Ge G, Liu Z. Insights into In Vivo Environmental Effects on Quantitative Biochemistry in Single Cells. Anal Chem 2023; 95:17246-17255. [PMID: 37963214 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Biomacromolecules exist and function in a crowded and spatially confined intracellular milieu. Single-cell analysis has been an essential tool for deciphering the molecular mechanisms of cell biology and cellular heterogeneity. However, a sound understanding of in vivo environmental effects on single-cell quantification has not been well established. In this study, via cell mimicking with giant unilamellar vesicles and single-cell analysis by an approach called plasmonic immunosandwich assay (PISA) that we developed previously, we investigated the effects of two in vivo environmental factors, i.e., molecular crowding and spatial confinement, on quantitative biochemistry in the cytoplasm of single cells. We find that molecular crowding greatly affects the biomolecular interactions and immunorecognition-based detection while the effect of spatial confinement in cell-sized space is negligible. Without considering the effect of molecular crowding, the results by PISA were found to be apparently under-quantitated, being only 29.5-50.0% of those by the calibration curve considering the effect of molecular crowding. We further demonstrated that the use of a calibration curve established with standard solutions containing 20% (wt) polyethylene glycol 6000 can well offset the effect of intracellular crowding and thereby provide a simple but accurate calibration for the PISA measurement. Thus, this study not only sheds light on how intracellular environmental factors influence biomolecular interactions and immunorecognition-based single-cell quantification but also provides a simple but effective strategy to make the single-cell analysis more accurate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anqi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhanchen Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Ge Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
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10
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Pierro A, Tamburrini KC, Leguenno H, Gerbaud G, Etienne E, Guigliarelli B, Belle V, Zambelli B, Mileo E. In-cell investigation of the conformational landscape of the GTPase UreG by SDSL-EPR. iScience 2023; 26:107855. [PMID: 37766968 PMCID: PMC10520941 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
UreG is a cytosolic GTPase involved in the maturation network of urease, an Ni-containing bacterial enzyme. Previous investigations in vitro showed that UreG features a flexible tertiary organization, making this protein the first enzyme discovered to be intrinsically disordered. To determine whether this heterogeneous behavior is maintained in the protein natural environment, UreG structural dynamics was investigated directly in intact bacteria by in-cell EPR. This approach, based on site-directed spin labeling coupled to electron paramagnetic resonance (SDSL-EPR) spectroscopy, enables the study of proteins in their native environment. The results show that UreG maintains heterogeneous structural landscape in-cell, existing in a conformational ensemble of two major conformers, showing either random coil-like or compact properties. These data support the physiological relevance of the intrinsically disordered nature of UreG and indicates a role of protein flexibility for this specific enzyme, possibly related to the regulation of promiscuous protein interactions for metal ion delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Pierro
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP, IMM, 13009 Marseille, France
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Ketty Concetta Tamburrini
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, AFMB, 13009 Marseille, France
- INRAE, Aix Marseille Univ, BBF, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Hugo Leguenno
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IMM, Microscopy Core Facility, 13009 Marseille, France
| | | | | | | | - Valérie Belle
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, BIP, IMM, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Barbara Zambelli
- Laboratory of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
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11
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Garnica-Galvez S, Skoufos I, Tzora A, Diakakis N, Prassinos N, Zeugolis DI. Macromolecular crowding in equine bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell cultures using single and double hyaluronic acid macromolecules. Acta Biomater 2023; 170:111-123. [PMID: 37634833 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.08.042] [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: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Macromolecular crowding (MMC) enhances and accelerates extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in eukaryotic cell culture. Single hyaluronic acid (HA) molecules have not induced a notable increase in the amount and rate of deposited ECM. Thus, herein we assessed the physicochemical properties and biological consequences in equine bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell cultures of single and mixed HA molecules and correlated them to the most widely used MMC agents, the FicollⓇ cocktail (FC) and carrageenan (CR). Dynamic light scattering analysis revealed that all HA cocktails had significantly higher hydrodynamic radius than the FC and CR; the FC and the 0.5 mg/ml 100 kDa and 500 kDa single HA molecules had the highest charge; and, in general, all molecules had high polydispersity index. Biological analyses revealed that none of the MMC agents affected cell morphology and basic cell functions; in general, CR outperformed all other macromolecules in collagen type I and V deposition; FC, the individual HA molecules and the HA cocktails outperformed CR in collagen type III deposition; FC outperformed CR and the individual HA molecules and the HA cocktails outperformed their constituent HA molecules in collagen type IV deposition; FC and certain HA cocktails outperformed CR and constituent HA molecules in collagen type VI deposition; and all individual HA molecules outperformed FC and CR and the HA cocktails outperformed their constituent HA molecules in laminin deposition. With respect to tri-lineage analysis, CR and HA enhanced chondrogenesis and osteogenesis, whilst FC enhanced adipogenesis. This work opens new avenues in mixed MMC in eukaryotic cell culture. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Mixed macromolecular crowding (MMC) in eukaryotic cell culture is still under-investigated. Herein, single and double hyaluronic acid (HA) macromolecules, along with the traditional MMC agents FicollⓇ cocktail (FC) and carrageenan (CR), were used as MMC agents in equine mesenchymal stromal cell cultures. Biological analysis showed that none of the MMC agents affected cell morphology and basic cell functions. Protein deposition analysis made apparent that CR outperformed all other macromolecules in collagen type I and collagen type V deposition, whilst FC, the individual HA macromolecules and the HA cocktails outperformed CR in collagen type III deposition. Tri-lineage analysis revealed that CR and HA enhanced chondrogenesis and osteogenesis, whilst FC enhanced adipogenesis. These data illustrate that MMC agents are not inert macromolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Garnica-Galvez
- Laboratory of Animal Science, Nutrition and Biotechnology, School of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, Arta, Greece; School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ioannis Skoufos
- Laboratory of Animal Science, Nutrition and Biotechnology, School of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, Arta, Greece
| | - Athina Tzora
- Laboratory of Animal Science, Nutrition and Biotechnology, School of Agriculture, University of Ioannina, Arta, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Diakakis
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Nikitas Prassinos
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Dimitrios I Zeugolis
- Regenerative, Modular & Developmental Engineering Laboratory (REMODEL), Charles Institute of Dermatology, Conway Institute of Biomolecular & Biomedical Research and School of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University College Dublin (UCD), Dublin, Ireland.
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12
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Kolesnikov ES, Gushchin IY, Zhilyaev PA, Onufriev AV. Why Na+ has higher propensity than K+ to condense DNA in a crowded environment. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:145103. [PMID: 37815107 DOI: 10.1063/5.0159341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Experimentally, in the presence of the crowding agent polyethylene glycol (PEG), sodium ions compact double-stranded DNA more readily than potassium ions. Here, we have used molecular dynamics simulations and the "ion binding shells model" of DNA condensation to provide an explanation for the observed variations in condensation of short DNA duplexes in solutions containing different monovalent cations and PEG; several predictions are made. According to the model we use, externally bound ions contribute the most to the ion-induced aggregation of DNA duplexes. The simulations reveal that for two adjacent DNA duplexes, the number of externally bound Na+ ions is larger than the number of K+ ions over a wide range of chloride concentrations in the presence of PEG, providing a qualitative explanation for the higher propensity of sodium ions to compact DNA under crowded conditions. The qualitative picture is confirmed by an estimate of the corresponding free energy of DNA aggregation that is at least 0.2kBT per base pair more favorable in solution with NaCl than with KCl at the same ion concentration. The estimated attraction free energy of DNA duplexes in the presence of Na+ depends noticeably on the DNA sequence; we predict that AT-rich DNA duplexes are more readily condensed than GC-rich ones in the presence of Na+. Counter-intuitively, the addition of a small amount of a crowding agent with high affinity for the specific condensing ion may lead to the weakening of the ion-mediated DNA-DNA attraction, shifting the equilibrium away from the DNA condensed phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egor S Kolesnikov
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Ivan Yu Gushchin
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141700 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Petr A Zhilyaev
- The Center for Materials Technologies, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Bolshoy Boulevard 30, bld. 1, Moscow 121205, Russia
| | - Alexey V Onufriev
- Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, 2160C Torgersen Hall, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
- Center for Soft Matter and Biological Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
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13
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Irukuvajjula SS, Jithender Reddy G, Rao K, Vadrevu LR. Contrasting effect of ficoll on apo and holo forms of bacterial chemotaxis protein Y: Selective destabilization of the conformationally altered holo form. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 232:123505. [PMID: 36736516 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.123505] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Chemotaxis Y (CheY), upon metal binding, displays a drastic alteration in its structure and stability. This premise prompted us to study the effect of crowding on the two conformationally distinct states of the same test protein. A comparative analysis on the structure and thermal stability in the presence and absence of the macromolecular crowder, ficoll, and its monomeric unit, sucrose, revealed a contrasting effect of ficoll on the apo and holo forms. In the presence of ficoll while the thermal stability (Tm) of the apo form is enhanced, the thermal stability of the holo form is reduced. The selective lowering of Tm for the holo form in the combined presence of ficoll and sucrose and not in sucrose alone suggests that the contrasting effect is due to the macromolecular nature of ficoll. Since metal-protein interaction remains unperturbed in the presence of ficoll and Mg2+ sequestration is ruled out in a systematic manner the alternative possibility for the exclusive reduction in the thermal stability of the holo form is the ficoll-induced modulation of the relative population of apo and holo forms of CheY.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivkumar Sharma Irukuvajjula
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Science and Technology - Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Shamirpet, Hyderabad 500078, India.
| | - G Jithender Reddy
- NMR Division, Department of Analytical & Structural Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Uppal Road, Tarnaka, Hyderabad 500007, India
| | - Krishna Rao
- Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 36/P, Gopanpally Mandal, Ranga Reddy District, Hyderabad, Telangana State 500107, India
| | - Late Ramakrishna Vadrevu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Science and Technology - Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Shamirpet, Hyderabad 500078, India
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14
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Wang G, Yu G, Gao D, Jiang G, Wang H, Yuwen T, Zhang X, Li C, Yang D, He L, Liu M. Protein Conformational Exchanges Modulated by the Environment of Outer Membrane Vesicles. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:2772-2777. [PMID: 36897994 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c00152] [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: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Protein function, in many cases, is strongly coupled to the dynamics and conformational equilibria of the protein. The environment surrounding proteins is critical for their dynamics and can dramatically affect the conformational equilibria and subsequently the activities of proteins. However, it is unclear how protein conformational equilibria are modulated by their crowded native environments. Here we reveal that outer membrane vesicle (OMV) environments modulate the conformational exchanges of Im7 protein at its local frustrated sites and shift the conformation toward its ground state. Further experiments show both macromolecular crowding and quinary interactions with the periplasmic components stabilize the ground state of Im7. Our study highlights the key role that the OMV environment plays in the protein conformational equilibria and subsequently the conformation-related protein functions. Furthermore, the long-lasting nuclear magnetic resonance measurement time of proteins within OMVs indicates that they could serve as a promising system for investigating protein structures and dynamics in situ via nuclear magnetic spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Gangjin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dawei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Nano-biotechnology Key Lab of Hebei Province, Applying Chemistry Key Lab of Hebei Province, Heavy Metal Deep-Remediation in Water and Resource Reuse Key Lab of Hebei, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
| | - Guosheng Jiang
- Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong 264000, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong 261053, China
| | - Huan Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong 261053, China
| | - Tairan Yuwen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Conggang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Daiwen Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543
| | - Lichun He
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Maili Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hubei 430071, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Optics Valley Laboratory, Hubei 430074, China
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15
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Mendes SR, Gomis-Rüth FX, Goulas T. Frozen fresh blood plasma preserves the functionality of native human α 2-macroglobulin. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4579. [PMID: 36941303 PMCID: PMC10027685 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31800-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Human α2-macroglobulin (hα2M) is a large homotetrameric protein involved in the broad inhibition of endopeptidases. Following cleavage within a bait region, hα2M undergoes stepwise transitions from its native, expanded, highly flexible, active conformation to an induced, compact, triggered conformation. As a consequence, the peptidase is entrapped by an irreversible Venus flytrap mechanism. Given the importance of hα2M, biochemical studies galore over more than seven decades have attempted to ascertain its role, typically using authentic hα2M purified from frozen and non-frozen fresh blood plasma, and even outdated plasma. However, hα2M is sensitive once isolated and purified, and becomes heterogeneous during storage and/or freezing, raising concerns about the functional competence of frozen plasma-derived hα2M. We therefore used a combination of native and sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, affinity and ion-exchange chromatography, multi-angle laser light scattering after size-exclusion chromatography, free cysteine quantification, and peptidase inhibition assays with endopeptidases of two catalytic classes and three protein substrates, to characterize the biochemical and biophysical properties of hα2M purified ad hoc either from fresh plasma or frozen fresh plasma after thawing. We found no differences in the molecular or functional properties of the preparations, indicating that protective components in plasma maintain native hα2M in a functionally competent state despite freezing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soraia R Mendes
- Proteolysis Lab, Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (CSIC), Barcelona Science Park, c/Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - F Xavier Gomis-Rüth
- Proteolysis Lab, Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (CSIC), Barcelona Science Park, c/Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Theodoros Goulas
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, 43100, Karditsa, Greece.
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16
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Sternke-Hoffmann R, Pauly T, Norrild RK, Hansen J, Tucholski F, Høie MH, Marcatili P, Dupré M, Duchateau M, Rey M, Malosse C, Metzger S, Boquoi A, Platten F, Egelhaaf SU, Chamot-Rooke J, Fenk R, Nagel-Steger L, Haas R, Buell AK. Widespread amyloidogenicity potential of multiple myeloma patient-derived immunoglobulin light chains. BMC Biol 2023; 21:21. [PMID: 36737754 PMCID: PMC9898917 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01506-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In a range of human disorders such as multiple myeloma (MM), immunoglobulin light chains (IgLCs) can be produced at very high concentrations. This can lead to pathological aggregation and deposition of IgLCs in different tissues, which in turn leads to severe and potentially fatal organ damage. However, IgLCs can also be highly soluble and non-toxic. It is generally thought that the cause for this differential solubility behaviour is solely found within the IgLC amino acid sequences, and a variety of individual sequence-related biophysical properties (e.g. thermal stability, dimerisation) have been proposed in different studies as major determinants of the aggregation in vivo. Here, we investigate biophysical properties underlying IgLC amyloidogenicity. RESULTS We introduce a novel and systematic workflow, Thermodynamic and Aggregation Fingerprinting (ThAgg-Fip), for detailed biophysical characterisation, and apply it to nine different MM patient-derived IgLCs. Our set of pathogenic IgLCs spans the entire range of values in those parameters previously proposed to define in vivo amyloidogenicity; however, none actually forms amyloid in patients. Even more surprisingly, we were able to show that all our IgLCs are able to form amyloid fibrils readily in vitro under the influence of proteolytic cleavage by co-purified cathepsins. CONCLUSIONS We show that (I) in vivo aggregation behaviour is unlikely to be mechanistically linked to any single biophysical or biochemical parameter and (II) amyloidogenic potential is widespread in IgLC sequences and is not confined to those sequences that form amyloid fibrils in patients. Our findings suggest that protein sequence, environmental conditions and presence and action of proteases all determine the ability of light chains to form amyloid fibrils in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Sternke-Hoffmann
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany ,grid.5991.40000 0001 1090 7501Department of Biology and Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Pauly
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany ,grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XForschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBI-7, Jülich, Germany
| | - Rasmus K. Norrild
- grid.5170.30000 0001 2181 8870Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jan Hansen
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Florian Tucholski
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Magnus Haraldson Høie
- grid.5170.30000 0001 2181 8870Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Paolo Marcatili
- grid.5170.30000 0001 2181 8870Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mathieu Dupré
- grid.428999.70000 0001 2353 6535Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, CNRS USR2000, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Magalie Duchateau
- grid.428999.70000 0001 2353 6535Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, CNRS USR2000, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Martial Rey
- grid.428999.70000 0001 2353 6535Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, CNRS USR2000, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Christian Malosse
- grid.428999.70000 0001 2353 6535Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, CNRS USR2000, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Sabine Metzger
- grid.6190.e0000 0000 8580 3777Cologne Biocenter, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Mass Spectrometry Platform, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Amelie Boquoi
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Department of Hematology, Oncology and Clinical Oncology, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Florian Platten
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany ,grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XForschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBI-4, Jülich, Germany
| | - Stefan U. Egelhaaf
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Julia Chamot-Rooke
- grid.428999.70000 0001 2353 6535Mass Spectrometry for Biology Unit, CNRS USR2000, Institut Pasteur, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Roland Fenk
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Department of Hematology, Oncology and Clinical Oncology, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Luitgard Nagel-Steger
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany ,grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XForschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, IBI-7, Jülich, Germany
| | - Rainer Haas
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Clinical Oncology, Heinrich-Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Alexander K. Buell
- grid.411327.20000 0001 2176 9917Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany ,grid.5170.30000 0001 2181 8870Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
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17
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Saini B, Mukherjee TK. Biomolecular Condensates Regulate Enzymatic Activity under a Crowded Milieu: Synchronization of Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation and Enzymatic Transformation. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:180-193. [PMID: 36594499 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c07684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Cellular crowding plays a key role in regulating the enzymatic reactivity in physiological conditions, which is challenging to realize in the dilute phase. Enzymes drive a wide range of complex metabolic reactions with high efficiency and selectivity under extremely heterogeneous and crowded cellular environments. However, the molecular interpretation behind the enhanced enzymatic reactivity under a crowded milieu is poorly understood. Herein, using the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and glucose oxidase (GOx) cascade pair, we demonstrate for the first time that macromolecular crowding induces liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) via the formation of liquid-like condensates/droplets and thereby increases the intrinsic catalytic efficiencies of HRP and GOx. Both these enzymes undergo crowding induced homotypic LLPS via enthalpically driven multivalent electrostatic as well as hydrophobic interactions. Using a set of kinetic and microscopic experiments, we show that precise synchronization of spontaneous LLPS and enzymatic transformations is key to realize the enhanced enzymatic activity under the crowded environments. Our findings reveal an unprecedented enhancement (91- to 205-fold) in the catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) of HRP at pH 4.0 within the droplet phase relative to that in the bulk aqueous phase in the presence of different crowders. In addition, we have shown that other enzymes also undergo spontaneous LLPS under macromolecular crowding, signifying the generality of this phenomenon under the crowded environments. More importantly, coalescence driven highly regulated GOx/HRP cascade reactions within the fused droplets have been demonstrated with enhanced activity and specificity under the crowded environments. The present discovery highlights the active role of membraneless condensates in regulating the enzymatic efficacy for complex metabolic reactions under the crowded cellular environments and may find significant importance in the field of biocatalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhawna Saini
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Simrol, Indore453552Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Tushar Kanti Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Simrol, Indore453552Madhya Pradesh, India
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18
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Sato R, Minamihata K, Wakabayashi R, Goto M, Kamiya N. Molecular crowding elicits the acceleration of enzymatic crosslinking of macromolecular substrates. Org Biomol Chem 2023; 21:306-314. [PMID: 36342388 DOI: 10.1039/d2ob01549h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Cytoplasm contains high concentrations of biomacromolecules. Protein behavior under such crowded conditions is reportedly different from that in an aqueous buffer solution, mainly owing to the effect of volume exclusion caused by the presence of macromolecules. Using a crosslinking reaction catalyzed by microbial transglutaminase (MTG) as a model, we herein systematically determined how the substrate size affects enzymatic activity in both dilute and crowded solutions of dextran. We first observed a threefold reduction in MTG-mediated crosslinking of a pair of small peptide substrates in 15 wt% dextran solution. In contrast, when proteinaceous substrates were involved, the crosslinking rates in 15 wt% dextran solutions accelerated markedly to levels comparable with the level in the absence of dextran. Our results provide new insights into the action of enzymes with regard to macromolecular substrates under crowded conditions, of which the potential utility was demonstrated by the formation of highly crosslinked protein polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryo Sato
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
| | - Kosuke Minamihata
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
| | - Rie Wakabayashi
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
| | - Masahiro Goto
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan. .,Division of Biotechnology, Center for Future Chemistry, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Noriho Kamiya
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan. .,Division of Biotechnology, Center for Future Chemistry, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
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19
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Connecting the Dots: Macromolecular Crowding and Protein Aggregation. J Fluoresc 2023; 33:1-11. [PMID: 36417150 DOI: 10.1007/s10895-022-03082-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Proteins are one of the dynamic macromolecules that play a significant role in many physiologically important processes to sustain life on the earth. Proteins need to be properly folded into their active conformation to perform their function. Alteration in the protein folding process may lead to the formation of misfolded conformers. Accumulation of these misfolded conformers can result in the formation of protein aggregates which are attributed to many human pathological conditions including neurodegeneration, cataract, neuromuscular disorders, and diabetes. Living cells naturally have heterogeneous crowding environments with different concentrations of various biomolecules. Macromolecular crowding condition has been found to alter the protein conformation. Here in this review, we tried to show the relation between macromolecular crowding, protein aggregation, and its consequences.
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20
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Interaction of Thioflavin T (ThT) and 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonic acid (ANS) with macromolecular crowding agents and their monomers: Biophysical analysis using in vitro and computational approaches. J Mol Liq 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2023.121270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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21
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Cammarata M, Piazza F, Rivas G, Schirò G, Temussi PA, Pastore A. Revitalizing an important field in biophysics: The new frontiers of molecular crowding. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1153996. [PMID: 36923640 PMCID: PMC10010569 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1153996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Taking into account the presence of the crowded environment of a macromolecule has been an important goal of biology over the past 20 years. Molecular crowding affects the motions, stability and the kinetic behaviour of proteins. New powerful approaches have recently been developed to study molecular crowding, some of which make use of the synchrotron radiation light. The meeting "New Frontiers in Molecular Crowding" was organized in July 2022at the European Synchrotron Radiation facility of Grenoble to discuss the new frontiers of molecular crowding. The workshop brought together researchers from different disciplines to highlight the new developments of the field, including areas where new techniques allow the scientists to gain unprecedently expected information. A key conclusion of the meeting was the need to build an international and interdisciplinary research community through enhanced communication, resource-sharing, and educational initiatives that could let the molecular crowding field flourish further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Cammarata
- Experiment Division, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Ave des Martyrs, Grenoble, France
| | - Francesco Piazza
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Florence and INFN Sezione di Firenze, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Germán Rivas
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Giorgio Schirò
- CNRS, CEA, IBS, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Piero Andrea Temussi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, University "Federico II" of Naples, via Cynthia, Naples, Italy
| | - Annalisa Pastore
- Experiment Division, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Ave des Martyrs, Grenoble, France
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22
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Sanjeev BS, Chitara D, Madhumalar A. Physiological models to study the effect of molecular crowding on multi-drug bound proteins: insights from SARS-CoV-2 main protease. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:13564-13580. [PMID: 34699337 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1993342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Molecular Dynamics simulations are often used in drug design. However, such simulations do not account for the physiological environment of the receptor; hence overlook its impact on biomolecular interactions. To address this lacuna, we identified three objectives to pursue - develop models of physiological environment, study a drug-receptor complex in such environments, and identify methods to analyze these complicated simulations. Two novel physiological models were developed and studied. The first, called 'm10', comprises of 10 of the most abundant cytoplasmic metabolites at physiological concentrations. The second, called 'phy', supplements m10 with an additional crowder protein to elicit macromolecular crowding effect. The main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2, being essential for viral replication, is an attractive drug target for COVID-19. Hence, we chose Mpro docked with multiple drugs as our model drug-receptor system. With a plethora of compounds, physiological systems can be exceedingly large and complex. A novel Spark-based software (SparkTraj) was developed to rapidly analyze non-specific contacts and water interactions. Our study shows that crowding enhances the difference in the dynamics of apo- vs drug-bound complexes. Metabolites, at times as a cluster, were seen interacting with the protease, drugs, and binding sites in drug-free receptor. Except one that crawled to an adjacent pocket in phy, the drugs remained in their respective pockets in all simulations. Given these observations, we hope that the models and approach presented here would help the optimization, evaluation, and selection of potential drugs. Generic biomolecular dynamics could also benefit from such models and tools.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- B S Sanjeev
- Department of Applied Sciences, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, India
| | - Dheeraj Chitara
- Department of Applied Sciences, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, India
| | - Arumugam Madhumalar
- Multidisciplinary Centre for Advanced Research and Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India
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23
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Raina N, Hassan MI, Ahmad F, Islam A, Singh AK. PEG mediated destabilization of holo α-lactalbumin probed by in silico and in vitro studies: deviation from excluded volume effect. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:13265-13277. [PMID: 34726117 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1987990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Crowded and confined macromolecular milieus surround proteins, and both are stabilizing if the nature of the interaction between crowder and proteins are considered hard-core repulsive interactions. However, non-specific chemical interactions between a protein and its surroundings also play a significant role and the sum effect of both hard-core repulsion and soft interaction balances the overall effect of crowding/confinement. Previous studies showing the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on protein and nucleic acid may be interpreted as either primarily excluded volume effect or, in some cases, chemical effect by changing solvent properties. In case of destabilizing interactions, charge-charge and hydrophobic contact have to gain more attention. For instance, in vitro and in vivo studies using protein as crowding agent revealed the destabilization of proteins induced by charge-charge interactions. To investigate the effect of PEG 10 kDa on holo α-lactalbumin (holo α-LA), structure and thermal stability of the protein were measured at different pH values using several techniques. Structural characterization by Trp-fluorescence, near-UV CD and far-UV measurements at different pH values clearly shows perturbation of tertiary and secondary structure of holo α-LA by PEG 10 kDa. Furthermore, the dynamic light scattering measurement shows that the protein is homogeneous under all experimental conditions. Analysis of the heat-induced denaturation profile in the presence of the crowder shows destabilization of the protein in terms of Tm (midpoint of denaturation) and ΔGD0 (Gibbs free energy change at 25 °C). To evaluate the interaction of PEG 10 kDa with holo α-LA and stability of PEG-α-LA complex, docking and molecular dynamic simulation were carried out for 100 ns.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Raina
- Department of Biotechnology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Faizan Ahmad
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Asimul Islam
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Amit Kumar Singh
- Department of Biotechnology, Sharda University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
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24
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Miyagawa A, Komatsu H, Nagatomo S, Nakatani K. Thermodynamic Complexation Mechanism of Zinc Ion with 8-Hydroxyquinoline-5-Sulfonic Acid in Molecular Crowding Environment. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.121181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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25
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Pastore A, Temussi PA. Crowding revisited: Open questions and future perspectives. Trends Biochem Sci 2022; 47:1048-1058. [PMID: 35691783 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Although biophysical studies have traditionally been performed in diluted solutions, it was pointed out in the late 1990s that the cellular milieu contains several other macromolecules, creating a condition of molecular crowding. How crowding affects protein stability is an important question heatedly discussed over the past 20 years. Theoretical estimations have suggested a 5-20°C effect of fold stabilisation. This estimate, however, is at variance with what has been verified experimentally that proposes only a limited increase of stability, opening the question whether some of the assumptions taken for granted should be reconsidered. The present review critically analyses the causes of this discrepancy and discusses the limitations and implications of the current concept of crowding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Pastore
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the Maurice Wohl Institute of King's College London, London, SE5 9RT, UK.
| | - Piero Andrea Temussi
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the Maurice Wohl Institute of King's College London, London, SE5 9RT, UK.
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26
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Mondal S, Das S, Swamy MJ. Macromolecular Crowding Significantly Affects the Conformational Features and Carbohydrate Binding Properties of CIA17, a PP2-Type Lectin from Coccinia indica. Biochemistry 2022; 61:2344-2357. [PMID: 36200563 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.2c00389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The effect of macromolecular crowding on the conformational features and carbohydrate binding properties of CIA17, a PP2-type lectin, was investigated employing polymeric dextrans D6, D40, and D70 (Mr ∼ 6, 40, and 70 kDa, respectively) as crowders. While the secondary structure of CIA17 was significantly affected by D6, with a considerable decrease in the number of β-sheets and β-turns with a corresponding increase in the number of unordered structures, relatively smaller changes were induced by D40 and D70. However, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies revealed that the thermal stability of the protein remains unchanged in the presence of crowders. While the larger dextrans, D70 and D40, induced modest quenching (∼10%) of the protein fluorescence by a static pathway, the smaller D6 induced a higher degree of quenching (37%), which involved both static and collisional quenching processes. The results of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy measurements together with DSC studies suggested that CIA17 forms larger oligomers in the presence of D40 and D70 but D6 prevents the formation of higher-order oligomers. The association constant for the CIA17-chitooligosaccharide interaction increased by ∼30% and 160% in the presence of D40 and D70, respectively, but decreased by ∼30% in the presence of D6. The higher binding affinity can be attributed to the excluded volume effect, i.e., an increased effective concentration of the protein in the presence of D40 and D70, whereas D6, being smaller, possibly penetrates into the protein interior, disrupting the water structure around the protein and also inducing conformational changes, resulting in weaker binding. These observations demonstrate that molecular crowding significantly affects the carbohydrate binding characteristics of lectins, which can modulate their physiological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saradamoni Mondal
- School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad500 046, India
| | - Somnath Das
- School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad500 046, India
| | - Musti J Swamy
- School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad500 046, India
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27
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Geethakumari AM, Ahmed WS, Rasool S, Fatima A, Nasir Uddin SM, Aouida M, Biswas KH. A genetically encoded BRET-based SARS-CoV-2 M pro protease activity sensor. Commun Chem 2022; 5:117. [PMID: 36187754 PMCID: PMC9516532 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-022-00731-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The main protease, Mpro, is critical for SARS-CoV-2 replication and an appealing target for designing anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents. Therefore, there is a demand for the development of improved sensors to monitor its activity. Here, we report a pair of genetically encoded, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)-based sensors for detecting Mpro proteolytic activity in live cells as well as in vitro. The sensors were generated by sandwiching peptides containing the Mpro N-terminal autocleavage sites, either AVLQSGFR (short) or KTSAVLQSGFRKME (long), in between the mNeonGreen and NanoLuc proteins. Co-expression of the sensors with Mpro in live cells resulted in their cleavage while mutation of the critical C145 residue (C145A) in Mpro completely abrogated their cleavage. Additionally, the sensors recapitulated the inhibition of Mpro by the well-characterized pharmacological agent GC376. Further, in vitro assays with the BRET-based Mpro sensors revealed a molecular crowding-mediated increase in the rate of Mpro activity and a decrease in the inhibitory potential of GC376. The sensors developed here will find direct utility in studies related to drug discovery targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and functional genomics application to determine the effect of sequence variation in Mpro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupriya M. Geethakumari
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health & Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, 34110 Qatar
| | - Wesam S. Ahmed
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health & Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, 34110 Qatar
| | - Saad Rasool
- Division of Genomics and Precision Medicine, College of Health & Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, 34110 Qatar
| | - Asma Fatima
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health & Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, 34110 Qatar
| | - S. M. Nasir Uddin
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health & Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, 34110 Qatar
| | - Mustapha Aouida
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health & Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, 34110 Qatar
| | - Kabir H. Biswas
- Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, College of Health & Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Education City, Qatar Foundation, Doha, 34110 Qatar
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28
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Buell AK. Stability matters, too - the thermodynamics of amyloid fibril formation. Chem Sci 2022; 13:10177-10192. [PMID: 36277637 PMCID: PMC9473512 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc06782f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid fibrils are supramolecular homopolymers of proteins that play important roles in biological functions and disease. These objects have received an exponential increase in attention during the last few decades, due to their role in the aetiology of a range of severe disorders, most notably some of a neurodegenerative nature. While an overwhelming number of experimental studies exist that investigate how, and how fast, amyloid fibrils form and how their formation can be inhibited, a much more limited body of experimental work attempts to answer the question as to why these types of structures form (i.e. the thermodynamic driving force) and how stable they actually are. In this review, I attempt to give an overview of the types of experiments that have been performed to-date to answer these questions, and to summarise our current understanding of amyloid thermodynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander K Buell
- Technical University of Denmark, Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine Søltofts Plads, Building 227 2800 Kgs. Lyngby Denmark
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29
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Gong Z, Yang J, Qin LY, Tang C, Jiang H, Ke Y, Dong X. Preferential Regulation of Transient Protein-Protein Interaction by the Macromolecular Crowders. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:4840-4848. [PMID: 35731981 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c02713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The environmental condition is a critical regulation factor for protein behavior in solution. Several studies have shown that macromolecular crowders can modulate protein structures, interactions, and functions. Recent publications described the regulation of specific interaction by macromolecular crowders. However, the other category of protein-protein interaction, namely, the transient interaction, is rarely investigated, especially from the perspective of protein structure to study transient interactions between proteins. Here, we used nuclear magnetic resonance and small-angle X-ray/neutron scattering methods to structurally investigate the ensemble of the protein complex in dilute buffer and crowded environments. Histidine phosphocarrier protein (HPr) and the N-terminal domain of enzyme I (EIN) are the important components of the bacterial phosphotransfer system. Our results show that the addition of Ficoll-70 promotes HPr molecules to form the encounter complex with EIN maintained by long-range electrostatic interaction. However, when macromolecular crowder BSA is used, the soft interaction between BSA and HPr perturbs the active site of HPr, driving HPr to form an encounter complex with EIN at the weakly charged interface. Our results indicate that different macromolecular crowders could influence transient EIN-HPr interaction through different mechanisms and provide new insights into protein-protein interaction regulation in native environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance at Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Ju Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance at Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Ling-Yun Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance at Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Chun Tang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hanqiu Jiang
- Spallation Neutron Source Science Center (SNSSC), Dalang, Dongguan 523803, China.,Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yubin Ke
- Spallation Neutron Source Science Center (SNSSC), Dalang, Dongguan 523803, China.,Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xu Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance at Wuhan, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
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30
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Kistwal T, Mukhopadhyay A, Dasgupta S, Sharma KP, Datta A. Ultraslow Biological Water-Like Dynamics in Waterless Liquid Protein. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:4389-4393. [PMID: 35548934 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c00702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and time-dependent fluorescence Stokes shift have been employed to elucidate dynamics in different time scales, ranging from picoseconds to nanoseconds, for human serum albumin, in its native and cationized forms as well as in the self-assembled complex of the cationized protein with the polymer surfactant (PS) glycolic acid ethoxylate lauryl ether. The effect of crowding in this complex, especially in the waterless condition, is of prime importance in this context. Excellent correlation of the dynamics with the structures, obtained by circular dichroism and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, has been observed. Slow solvation, associated classically with biological water, has been observed in these systems, even in the waterless condition. This apparently intriguing observation has been rationalized by the relaxation of segments of the protein and the PS in the microenvironment of the fluorescent probe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanuja Kistwal
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Anasua Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Souradip Dasgupta
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Kamendra P Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Anindya Datta
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India
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31
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On the Effects of Disordered Tails, Supertertiary Structure and Quinary Interactions on the Folding and Function of Protein Domains. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12020209. [PMID: 35204709 PMCID: PMC8961636 DOI: 10.3390/biom12020209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The vast majority of our current knowledge about the biochemical and biophysical properties of proteins derives from in vitro studies conducted on isolated globular domains. However, a very large fraction of the proteins expressed in the eukaryotic cell are structurally more complex. In particular, the discovery that up to 40% of the eukaryotic proteins are intrinsically disordered, or possess intrinsically disordered regions, and are highly dynamic entities lacking a well-defined three-dimensional structure, revolutionized the structure–function paradigm and our understanding of proteins. Moreover, proteins are mostly characterized by the presence of multiple domains, influencing each other by intramolecular interactions. Furthermore, proteins exert their function in a crowded intracellular milieu, transiently interacting with a myriad of other macromolecules. In this review we summarize the literature tackling these themes from both the theoretical and experimental perspectives, highlighting the effects on protein folding and function that are played by (i) flanking disordered tails; (ii) contiguous protein domains; (iii) interactions with the cellular environment, defined as quinary structures. We show that, in many cases, both the folding and function of protein domains is remarkably perturbed by the presence of these interactions, pinpointing the importance to increase the level of complexity of the experimental work and to extend the efforts to characterize protein domains in more complex contexts.
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32
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Ghosh S, Saurabh A, Prabhu NP. Spectroscopic studies on the stability and nucleation-independent fibrillation of partially-unfolded proteins in crowded environment. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2022; 264:120307. [PMID: 34461523 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2021.120307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Fibril formation of globular proteins is driven by attaining an appropriate partially-unfolded conformation. Excluded volume effect exerted by the presence of other macromolecules in the solution, as found in the cellular interior, might affect the conformational state of proteins and alter their fibril formation process. The change in structure, stability and rate of fibril formation of aggregation-prone partially-unfolded states of lysozyme (Lyz) and α-lactalbumin (ALA) in the presence of different sizes of polyethylene glycol (PEG) is examined using spectroscopic methods. Thermal denaturation and far-UV CD studies suggest that Lyz is stabilized by PEGs and the stability increases with increasing concentration of PEGs. However, the stability of ALA depends on the size and concentration of PEG. The change in enthalpy of unfolding indicates the existence of soft-interactions between the proteins and PEG along with excluded volume effect. Fibrillation rate of Lyz is not significantly altered in the presence of lower concentrations of PEGs suggesting that the crowding effect dominates the viscosity-induced retardation of protein association whereas at higher concentrations the rates are reduced. In case of ALA, the rate of fibrillation is drastically reduced; however, there is a marginal increase with the increasing concentration of PEG. The results suggest that the fibril formation is influenced by change in initial conformation of the partially-unfolded states of the proteins and their stability in the presence of the crowding agent. Further, the size and concentration of the crowding agent, and the soft-interaction between the proteins and PEG also affects the fibrillation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhasree Ghosh
- Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500 046, India
| | - Archi Saurabh
- Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500 046, India
| | - N Prakash Prabhu
- Department of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500 046, India.
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33
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Lecinski S, Shepherd JW, Frame L, Hayton I, MacDonald C, Leake MC. Investigating molecular crowding during cell division and hyperosmotic stress in budding yeast with FRET. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2021; 88:75-118. [PMID: 34862033 PMCID: PMC7612257 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Cell division, aging, and stress recovery triggers spatial reorganization of cellular components in the cytoplasm, including membrane bound organelles, with molecular changes in their compositions and structures. However, it is not clear how these events are coordinated and how they integrate with regulation of molecular crowding. We use the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system to study these questions using recent progress in optical fluorescence microscopy and crowding sensing probe technology. We used a Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) based sensor, illuminated by confocal microscopy for high throughput analyses and Slimfield microscopy for single-molecule resolution, to quantify molecular crowding. We determine crowding in response to cellular growth of both mother and daughter cells, in addition to osmotic stress, and reveal hot spots of crowding across the bud neck in the burgeoning daughter cell. This crowding might be rationalized by the packing of inherited material, like the vacuole, from mother cells. We discuss recent advances in understanding the role of crowding in cellular regulation and key current challenges and conclude by presenting our recent advances in optimizing FRET-based measurements of crowding while simultaneously imaging a third color, which can be used as a marker that labels organelle membranes. Our approaches can be combined with synchronized cell populations to increase experimental throughput and correlate molecular crowding information with different stages in the cell cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Lecinski
- Department of Physics, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Jack W Shepherd
- Department of Physics, University of York, York, United Kingdom; Department of Biology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Lewis Frame
- School of Natural Sciences, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Imogen Hayton
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Chris MacDonald
- Department of Biology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Mark C Leake
- Department of Physics, University of York, York, United Kingdom; Department of Biology, University of York, York, United Kingdom.
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34
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Contessoto VG, Ferreira PHB, Chahine J, Leite VBP, Oliveira RJ. Small Neutral Crowding Solute Effects on Protein Folding Thermodynamic Stability and Kinetics. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:11673-11686. [PMID: 34644091 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c07663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Molecular crowding is a ubiquitous phenomenon in biological systems, with significant consequences on protein folding and stability. Small compounds, such as the osmolyte trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), can also present similar effects. To analyze the effects arising from these solute-like molecules, we performed a series of crowded coarse-grained folding simulations. Two well-known proteins were chosen, CI2 and SH3, modeled by the alpha-carbon-structure-based model. In the simulations, the crowding molecules were represented by low-sized neutral atom beads in different concentrations. The results show that a low level of the volume fraction occupied by neutral agents can change protein stability and folding kinetics for the two systems. However, the kinetics were shown to be unaffected in their respective folding temperatures. The faster kinetics correlates with changes in the folding route for systems at the same temperature, where non-native contacts were shown to be relevant. The transition states of the two systems with and without crowders are similar. In the case of SH3, there are differences in the structuring of two strands, which may be associated with the increase in its folding rate, in addition to the destabilization of the denatured ensemble. The present study also detected a crossover in the thermodynamic stability behavior, previously observed experimentally and theoretically. As the temperature increases, crowders change from destabilizing to stabilizing agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinícius G Contessoto
- Department of Physics, Institute of Biosciences, Letters and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University, São José do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Paulo H B Ferreira
- Laboratório de Biofísica Teórica, Departamento de Física, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e Educação, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38064-200, Brazil
| | - Jorge Chahine
- Department of Physics, Institute of Biosciences, Letters and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University, São José do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Vitor B P Leite
- Department of Physics, Institute of Biosciences, Letters and Exact Sciences, São Paulo State University, São José do Rio Preto 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo J Oliveira
- Laboratório de Biofísica Teórica, Departamento de Física, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Naturais e Educação, Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38064-200, Brazil
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35
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Quevedo M, Karbstein HP, Emin MA. Concentration-dependent changes in the reaction behavior of whey proteins: Diffusion-controlled or transition state-controlled reactions? Food Hydrocoll 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2021.106745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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36
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Chakraborty D, Banerjee A, Wales DJ. Side-Chain Polarity Modulates the Intrinsic Conformational Landscape of Model Dipeptides. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:5809-5822. [PMID: 34037392 PMCID: PMC8279551 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c02412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The
intrinsic conformational preferences of small peptides may
provide additional insight into the thermodynamics and kinetics of
protein folding. In this study, we explore the underlying energy landscapes
of two model peptides, namely, Ac-Ala-NH2 and Ac-Ser-NH2, using geometry-optimization-based tools developed within
the context of energy landscape theory. We analyze not only how side-chain
polarity influences the structural preferences of the dipeptides,
but also other emergent properties of the landscape, including heat
capacity profiles, and kinetics of conformational rearrangements.
The contrasting topographies of the free energy landscape agree with
recent results from Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy experiments,
where Ac-Ala-NH2 was found to exist as a mixture of two
conformers, while Ac-Ser-NH2 remained structurally locked,
despite exhibiting an apparently rich conformational landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debayan Chakraborty
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, 24th Street Stop A5300, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Atreyee Banerjee
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.,Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - David J Wales
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
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37
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It is time to crowd your cell culture media - Physicochemical considerations with biological consequences. Biomaterials 2021; 275:120943. [PMID: 34139505 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.120943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In vivo, the interior and exterior of cells is populated by various macromolecules that create an extremely crowded milieu. Yet again, in vitro eukaryotic cell culture is conducted in dilute culture media that hardly imitate the native tissue density. Herein, the concept of macromolecular crowding is discussed in both intracellular and extracellular context. Particular emphasis is given on how the physicochemical properties of the crowding molecules govern and determine kinetics, equilibria and mechanism of action of biochemical and biological reactions, processes and functions. It is evidenced that we are still at the beginning of appreciating, let alone effectively implementing, the potential of macromolecular crowding in permanently differentiated and stem cell culture systems.
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38
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Nasreen K, Parray ZA, Shamsi A, Ahmad F, Ahmed A, Malik A, Lakhrm NA, Hassan MI, Islam A. Crowding Milleu stabilizes apo-myoglobin against chemical-induced denaturation: Dominance of hardcore repulsions in the heme devoid protein. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 181:552-560. [PMID: 33744250 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.03.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Macromolecular crowding can have significant consequences on the structure and dynamics of a protein. The size and shape of a co-solute molecule and the nature of protein contribute significantly in macromolecular crowding, which results in different outcomes in similar conditions. The structure of apo-myoglobin (apo-Mb) both in the absence and presence of denaturants (GdmCl and urea) was investigated in crowded conditions at pH 7.0, with a comparable size of crowders (~70 kDa) but of different shapes (ficoll and dextran) at various concentrations using spectroscopic techniques like absorption and circular dichroism to monitor changes in secondary and tertiary structure, respectively. The crowders in the absence of denaturants showed structural stabilization of the tertiary structure while no significant change in the secondary structure was observed. The effect of crowders on the stability of the protein was also investigated using probes such as Δε291 and θ222 using chemical denaturants. The analysis of chemical-induced denaturation curves showed that both the crowders stabilize apo-Mb by increasing the values of the midpoint of transition (Cm) and change in free energy in the absence of denaturant (∆GD°), and it was observed that dextran 70 shows more stabilization than ficoll 70 under similar conditions. In this study apo-Mb showed stabilization under crowded conditions, which is a deviation from earlier work from our group where holo form of the same protein was destabilized. This study emphasizes that volume exclusion is a dominant force in a simple protein while soft interactions may play important role in the proteins that are possessing prosthetic group. Hence, the effect of crowders is protein-dependent, and excluded volume plays a great role in the stabilization of apo-Mb, which does not interact with the crowders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalida Nasreen
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Zahoor Ahmad Parray
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Anas Shamsi
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Faizan Ahmad
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Anwar Ahmed
- Center of Excellence in Biotechnology Research, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; Protein Research Chair, Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ajamaluddin Malik
- Protein Research Chair, Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nasser Abobakr Lakhrm
- Center of Excellence in Biotechnology Research, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; Protein Research Chair, Department of Biochemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025, India
| | - Asimul Islam
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025, India.
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Subadini S, Bera K, Hritz J, Sahoo H. Polyethylene glycol perturbs the unfolding of CRABP I: A correlation between experimental and theoretical approach. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2021; 202:111696. [PMID: 33770701 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.111696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The importance of macromolecules paves the way towards a detailed molecular level investigation as all most all cellular processes occurring at the interior of cells in the form of proteins, enzymes, and other biological molecules are significantly affected because of their crowding. Thus, exploring the role of crowding environment on the denaturation and renaturation kinetics of protein molecules is of great importance. Here, CRABP I (cellular retinoic acid binding protein I) is employed as a model protein along with different molecular weights of Polyethylene glycol (PEG) as molecular crowders. The experimental evaluations are done by accessing the protein secondary structure analysis using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and unfolding kinetics using intrinsic fluorescence of CRABP I at 37 °C to mimic the in vivo crowding environment. The unfolding kinetics results indicated that both PEG 2000 and PEG 4000 act as stabilizers by retarding the unfolding kinetic rates. Both kinetic and stability outcomes presented the importance of crowding environment on stability and kinetics of CRABP I. The molecular dynamics (MD) studies revealed that thirteen PEG 2000 molecules assembled during the 500 ns simulation, which increases the stability and percentage of β-sheet. The experimental findings are well supported by the molecular dynamics simulation results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suchismita Subadini
- Biophysical and Protein Chemistry Lab, Department of Chemistry, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, 769008, India
| | - Krishnendu Bera
- CEITEC MU, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic; National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jozef Hritz
- CEITEC MU, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Harekrushna Sahoo
- Biophysical and Protein Chemistry Lab, Department of Chemistry, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, 769008, India; Center of Nanomaterials, NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, 769008, India.
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Timr S, Sterpone F. Stabilizing or Destabilizing: Simulations of Chymotrypsin Inhibitor 2 under Crowding Reveal Existence of a Crossover Temperature. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:1741-1746. [PMID: 33570420 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c03626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The effect of macromolecular crowding on the stability of proteins can change with temperature. This dependence might reveal a delicate balance between two factors: the entropic excluded volume and the stability-modulating quinary interactions. Here we computationally investigate the thermal stability of the native state of chymotrypsin inhibitor 2 (CI2), which was previously shown by experiments to be destabilized by protein crowders at room temperature. Mimicking experimental conditions, our enhanced-sampling atomistic simulations of CI2 surrounded by lysozyme and bovine serum albumin reproduce this destabilization but also provide evidence of a crossover temperature above which lysozyme is found to become stabilizing, as previously predicted by analysis of thermodynamic data. We relate this crossover to the different CI2-crowder interactions and the local packing experienced by CI2. In fact, we clearly show that the pronounced stabilization induced by lysozyme at high temperatures stems from the tight local packing created around CI2 by this smaller crowder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stepan Timr
- CNRS, Université de Paris, UPR 9080, Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, F-75005, Paris, France
- Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique-Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Fabio Sterpone
- CNRS, Université de Paris, UPR 9080, Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, F-75005, Paris, France
- Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique-Fondation Edmond de Rothschild, PSL Research University, Paris, France
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Response to crowded conditions reveals compact nucleus for amyloid formation of folded protein. QRB DISCOVERY 2021. [PMID: 37529678 PMCID: PMC10392690 DOI: 10.1017/qrd.2020.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Although the consequences of the crowded cell environments may affect protein folding, function and misfolding reactions, these processes are often studied in dilute solutions in vitro. We here used biophysical experiments to investigate the amyloid fibril formation process of the fish protein apo-β-parvalbumin in solvent conditions that mimic steric and solvation aspects of the in vivo milieu. Apo-β-parvalbumin is a folded protein that readily adopts an amyloid state via a nucleation–elongation mechanism. Aggregation experiments in the presence of macromolecular crowding agents (probing excluded volume, entropic effects) as well as small molecule osmolytes (probing solvation, enthalpic effects) revealed that both types of agents accelerate overall amyloid formation, but the elongation step was faster with macromolecular crowding agents but slower in the presence of osmolytes. The observations can be explained by the steric effects of excluded volume favoring assembled states and that amyloid nucleation does not involve monomer unfolding. In contrast, the solvation effects due to osmolyte presence promote nucleation but not elongation. Therefore, the amyloid-competent nuclei must be compact with less osmolytes excluded from the surface than either the folded monomers or amyloid fibers. We conclude that, in contrast to other amyloidogenic folded proteins, amyloid formation of apo-β-parvalbumin is accelerated by crowded cell-like conditions due to a nucleation process that does not involve large-scale protein unfolding.
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Taylor MP, Vinci C, Suzuki R. Effects of macromolecular crowding on the folding of a polymer chain: A Wang-Landau simulation study. J Chem Phys 2020; 153:174901. [PMID: 33167653 DOI: 10.1063/5.0025640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A flexible polymer chain in the presence of inert macromolecular crowders will experience a loss of configurational entropy due to the crowder excluded volume. This entropy reduction will be most pronounced in good solvent conditions where the chain assumes an expanded coil conformation. For polymers that undergo a folding transition from a coil to a compact ordered state, as is the case for many globular proteins, macromolecular crowding is expected to stabilize the folded state and thereby shift the transition location. Here, we study such entropic stabilization effects for a tangent square-well sphere chain (monomer diameter σ) in the presence of hard-sphere (HS) crowders (diameter D ≥ σ). We use the Wang-Landau simulation algorithm to construct the density of states for this chain in a crowded environment and are thus able to directly compute the reduction in configurational entropy due to crowding. We study both a chain that undergoes all-or-none folding directly from the coil state and a chain that folds via a collapsed-globule intermediate state. In each case, we find an increase in entropic stabilization for the compact states with an increase in crowder density and, for fixed crowder density, with a decrease in crowder size (concentrated, small crowders have the largest effect). The crowder significantly reduces the average size for the unfolded states while having a minimal effect on the size of the folded states. In the athermal limit, our results directly provide the confinement free energy due to crowding for a HS chain in a HS solvent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P Taylor
- Department of Physics, Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio 44234, USA
| | | | - Ryogo Suzuki
- Department of Physics, Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio 44234, USA
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Bazaziyan B, Bozorgmehr MR, Momen-Heravi M, Beyramabadi SA. Flavodoxin in a binary surfactant system consisting of the nonionic 1-decanoyl-rac-glycerol and the zwitterionic lauryldimethylamine-N-oxide: molecular dynamics simulation approach. PAPERS IN PHYSICS 2020. [DOI: 10.4279/pip.120004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the short time constant of the spin-spin relaxation process, there is a limitation in the preparation of NMR sample solution for large proteins. To overcome this problem, reverse micelle systems are used. Here, molecular dynamics simulation was used to study the structure of flavodoxin in a quaternary mixture of 1-decanoyl-rac-glycerol, lauryldimethylamine-N-oxide, pentane and hexanol. Hexanol was used as co-solvent. Simulations were performed at three different co-solvent concentrations. The proportion of components in the mixture was selected according to experimental conditions. For comparison, simulation of flavodoxin in water was also performed. The simulation results show that the C$$\alpha$$-RMSD for the protein in water is less than for the surfactant mixture. Also, the radius of gyration of flavodoxin increased in the presence of surfactants. The distance between the two residues trp-57 and phe-94, as a measure of protein activity, was obtained from the simulations. The results showed that in the surfactant mixtures this distance increases. Analysis of the secondary structure of the protein shows that the N-terminal part of the flavodoxin is more affected by surfactants. The flavodoxin diffusion coefficient in the surfactant mixture decreased in relation to its diffusion coefficient in water.
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Hasan S, Isar M, Naeem A. Macromolecular crowding stabilises native structure of α-chymotrypsinogen-A against hexafluoropropanol-induced aggregates. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 164:3780-3788. [PMID: 32835802 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.08.149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cell interior is extremely congested with tightly packed biological macromolecules that exerts macromolecular crowding effect, influencing biophysical properties of proteins. To have a deeper insight into it we studied consequences of crowding on aggregation susceptibility and structural stability of α-chymotrypsinogen-A, pro-enzyme of serine protease family, upon addition of co-solvent reported to exert stress on polypeptides crafting favourable conditions for aggregation. Hexafluoropropan-2-ol (HFIP), a fluorinated alcohol caused structural disruption at 5% v/v unveiled by reduced intrinsic intensity and blue shifted ANS spectra. Significantly enhanced, red-shifted ThT and Congo red spectra sustained conformational changes concomitant with aggregation. FTIR and CD results confirmed transition of native structure to non-native extended, cross-linked beta-sheets. Transmission electron micrographs visibly exhibited incidence of amorphous aggregates. Macromolecular crowding, typically mimicked by concentrated solutions of dextran 70, was noticeably witnessed to defend conformational stability under denaturing condition. The native structure was retained maximally in presence of 100 mg/ml followed by 200 and 300 mg/ml dextran indicating concentration dependent deceleration of aggregate formation. It can be established that explicit consideration of crowding effects using relevant range of inert crowding agents must be a requisite for presumptions on intracellular conformational behaviour of proteins deduced from in vitro experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samra Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, U.P., India
| | - Mohd Isar
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, U.P., India
| | - Aabgeena Naeem
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, U.P., India.
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Li M, Liu Z, Ren J, Qu X. Molecular crowding effects on the biochemical properties of amyloid β-heme, Aβ-Cu and Aβ-heme-Cu complexes. Chem Sci 2020; 11:7479-7486. [PMID: 34123030 PMCID: PMC8159413 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc01020k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Heme as a cofactor has been proposed to bind with β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) and the formed Aβ-heme complex exhibits enhanced peroxidase-like activity. So far, in vitro studies on the interactions between heme, Cu and Aβ have been exclusively performed in dilute solution. However, the intracellular environment is highly crowded with biomolecules. Therefore, exploring how Aβ-heme-Cu complexes behave under molecular crowding conditions is critical for understanding the mechanism of Aβ neurotoxicity in vivo. Herein, we selected PEG-200 as a crowding agent to mimic the crowded cytoplasmic environment for addressing the contributions of crowded physiological environments to the biochemical properties of Aβ-heme, Aβ-Cu and Aβ-heme-Cu complexes. Surprisingly, experimental studies and theoretical calculations revealed that molecular crowding weakened the stabilization of the Aβ-heme complex and decreased its peroxidase activity. Our data attributed this consequence to the decreased binding affinity of heme to Aβ as a result of the alterations in water activity and Aβ conformation. Our findings highlight the significance of hydration effects on the interaction of Aβ-heme and Aβ-Cu and their peroxidase activities. Molecular crowding inside cells may potentially impose a positive effect on Aβ-Cu but a negative effect on the interaction of Aβ with heme. This indicates that Aβ40-Cu but not Aβ40-heme may play more important roles in the oxidative damage in the etiology of AD. Therefore, this work provides a new clue for understanding the oxidative damage occurring in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Li
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Division of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences Changchun Jilin 130022 P. R. China +86-431-85262656.,College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hebei Medical University Shijiazhuang 050017 P. R. China
| | - Zhenqi Liu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Division of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences Changchun Jilin 130022 P. R. China +86-431-85262656.,University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 P. R. China
| | - Jinsong Ren
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Division of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences Changchun Jilin 130022 P. R. China +86-431-85262656.,University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 P. R. China
| | - Xiaogang Qu
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Division of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Resource Utilization, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences Changchun Jilin 130022 P. R. China +86-431-85262656.,University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 P. R. China
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My journey in academia: things not on the CV. PURE APPL CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1515/pac-2019-0805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
I am a professor at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. I trained in chemistry in Sweden but went to the USA for my postdoc. I remained there for 12 years, being faculty at two American universities, before I returned to Sweden for a professorship in the northern city of Umeå. More recently, I returned to my alma mater Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, where I have taken on senior leadership roles. On paper, my career trajectory looks straightforward, but there are many detrimental aspects and lucky coincidences that are not listed on my CV. Life in academia is never easy, and one is never ‘done’. But working in academia is wonderful, as it provides so much freedom and creativity, including being very accommodating towards having kids. Here, I will describe my own personal journey, with the hope of inspiring young women to follow their own path in academia. Yes, there is still bias against women in academia, but change is happening, and the many benefits of being an academic beat such drawbacks.
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Influence of crowding agents on the dynamics of a multidomain protein in its denatured state: a solvation approach. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2020; 49:289-305. [PMID: 32399581 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-020-01435-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
It is now well appreciated that the crowded intracellular environment significantly modulates an array of physiological processes including protein folding-unfolding, aggregation, and dynamics to name a few. In this work we have studied the dynamics of domain I of the protein human serum albumin (HSA) in its urea-induced denatured states, in the presence of a series of commonly used macromolecular crowding agents. HSA was labeled at Cys-34 (a free cysteine) in domain I with the fluorophore 6-bromoacetyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene (BADAN) to act as a solvation probe. In partially denatured states (2-6 M urea), lower crowder concentrations (~ < 125 g/L) induced faster dynamics, while the dynamics became slower beyond 150 g/L of crowders. We propose that this apparent switch in dynamics is an evidence of a crossover from soft (enthalpic) to hard-core (entropic) interactions between the protein and crowder molecules. That soft interactions are also important for the crowders used here was further confirmed by the appreciable shift in the wavelength of the emission maximum of BADAN, in particular for PEG8000 and Ficoll 70 at concentrations where the excluded volume effect is not dominant.
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Molecular and macromolecular crowding-induced stabilization of proteins: Effect of dextran and its building block alone and their mixtures on stability and structure of lysozyme. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 150:1238-1248. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.10.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2018] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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49
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Ince-Coskun AE, Ozdestan-Ocak O. Effects of salt ions and heating on the behaviour of whey protein particle dispersions. Food Hydrocoll 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2019.105433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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50
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Interactions Under Crowding Milieu: Chemical-Induced Denaturation of Myoglobin is Determined by the Extent of Heme Dissociation on Interaction with Crowders. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10030490. [PMID: 32210191 PMCID: PMC7175338 DOI: 10.3390/biom10030490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Generally, in vivo function and structural changes are studied by probing proteins in a dilute solution under in vitro conditions, which is believed to be mimicking proteins in intracellular milieu. Earlier, thermal-induced denaturation of myoglobin, in the milieu of crowder molecule showed destabilization of the metal protein. Destabilization of protein by thermal-induced denaturation involves a large extrapolation, so, the reliability is questionable. This led us to measure the effects of macromolecular crowding on its stability by chemical-induced denaturation of the protein using probes like circular dichroism and absorption spectroscopy in the presence of dextran 70 and ficoll 70 at various pHs (acidic: 6.0, almost neutral: 7.0 and basic: 8.0). Observations showed that the degree of destabilization of myoglobin was greater due to ficoll 70 as compared to that of dextran 70 so it can be understood that the nature of the crowder or the shape of the crowder has an important role towards the stability of proteins. Additionally, the degree of destabilization was observed as pH dependent, however the pH dependence is different for different crowders. Furthermore, isothermal titration calorimetry and molecular docking studies confirmed that both the crowders (ficoll and dextran) bind to heme moiety of myoglobin and a single binding site was observed for each.
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