1
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Hu G, Yu X, Li Z. Unveiling Putative Excited State and Transmission of Binding Information in the Fluoride Riboswitch. J Chem Inf Model 2024. [PMID: 39342653 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Riboswitches regulate downstream gene expression by binding to specific small molecules or ions with multiple mechanisms to transfer the binding information. In the case of the fluoride riboswitch, the transcription termination signal is conveyed through a transient excited state (ES). In this work, we performed conventional molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, totaling 180 μs, to obtain the ES structure and investigate the mechanism underlying information transmission in Mg2+/F- binding within the fluoride riboswitch aptamer. The Mg2+/F- binding pocket exhibits various conformations in its apo form. A series of ES structures were extracted from the MD trajectories of the apo form. The dynamics of the Mg2+/F- binding pocket influenced key pair A40-U48 in ES structures. The pathway connecting the binding pocket to the pair involves interactions between the phosphate groups of U7 and G8 and the nucleobases of G8-C47-U48. Our work presents a structural ensemble of the ES and elucidates a pathway for transferring Mg2+/F- binding information, thereby facilitating the understanding of how the holo-like apo state achieves transcriptional repression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guodong Hu
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Dezhou University, Dezhou 253023, China
| | - Xue Yu
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Biophysics, Dezhou University, Dezhou 253023, China
| | - Zhaojun Li
- College of Computer and Information Engineering, Dezhou University, Dezhou 253023, China
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2
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Enos MD, Gavagan M, Jameson N, Zalatan JG, Weis WI. Structural and functional effects of phosphopriming and scaffolding in the kinase GSK-3β. Sci Signal 2024; 17:eado0881. [PMID: 39226374 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.ado0881] [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: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) targets specific signaling pathways in response to distinct upstream signals. We used structural and functional studies to dissect how an upstream phosphorylation step primes the Wnt signaling component β-catenin for phosphorylation by GSK-3β and how scaffolding interactions contribute to this reaction. Our crystal structure of GSK-3β bound to a phosphoprimed β-catenin peptide confirmed the expected binding mode of the phosphoprimed residue adjacent to the catalytic site. An aspartate phosphomimic in the priming site of β-catenin adopted an indistinguishable structure but reacted approximately 1000-fold slower than the native phosphoprimed substrate. This result suggests that substrate positioning alone is not sufficient for catalysis and that native phosphopriming interactions are necessary. We also obtained a structure of GSK-3β with an extended peptide from the scaffold protein Axin that bound with greater affinity than that of previously crystallized Axin fragments. This structure neither revealed additional contacts that produce the higher affinity nor explained how substrate interactions in the GSK-3β active site are modulated by remote Axin binding. Together, our findings suggest that phosphopriming and scaffolding produce small conformational changes or allosteric effects, not captured in the crystal structures, that activate GSK-3β and facilitate β-catenin phosphorylation. These results highlight limitations in our ability to predict catalytic activity from structure and have potential implications for the role of natural phosphomimic mutations in kinase regulation and phosphosite evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Enos
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94035, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94035, USA
| | - Maire Gavagan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Noel Jameson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jesse G Zalatan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - William I Weis
- Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94035, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94035, USA
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3
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Foos N, Florial JB, Eymery M, Sinoir J, Felisaz F, Oscarsson M, Beteva A, Bowler MW, Nurizzo D, Papp G, Soler-Lopez M, Nanao M, Basu S, McCarthy AA. In situ serial crystallography facilitates 96-well plate structural analysis at low symmetry. IUCRJ 2024; 11:780-791. [PMID: 39008358 PMCID: PMC11364034 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252524005785] [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: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
The advent of serial crystallography has rejuvenated and popularized room-temperature X-ray crystal structure determination. Structures determined at physiological temperature reveal protein flexibility and dynamics. In addition, challenging samples (e.g. large complexes, membrane proteins and viruses) form fragile crystals that are often difficult to harvest for cryo-crystallography. Moreover, a typical serial crystallography experiment requires a large number of microcrystals, mainly achievable through batch crystallization. Many medically relevant samples are expressed in mammalian cell lines, producing a meager quantity of protein that is incompatible with batch crystallization. This can limit the scope of serial crystallography approaches. Direct in situ data collection from a 96-well crystallization plate enables not only the identification of the best diffracting crystallization condition but also the possibility for structure determination under ambient conditions. Here, we describe an in situ serial crystallography (iSX) approach, facilitating direct measurement from crystallization plates mounted on a rapidly exchangeable universal plate holder deployed at a microfocus beamline, ID23-2, at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. We applied our iSX approach on a challenging project, autotaxin, a therapeutic target expressed in a stable human cell line, to determine the structure in the lowest-symmetry P1 space group at 3.0 Å resolution. Our in situ data collection strategy provided a complete dataset for structure determination while screening various crystallization conditions. Our data analysis reveals that the iSX approach is highly efficient at a microfocus beamline, improving throughput and demonstrating how crystallization plates can be routinely used as an alternative method of presenting samples for serial crystallography experiments at synchrotrons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Foos
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryGrenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs38042GrenobleFrance
| | - Jean-Baptise Florial
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryGrenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs38042GrenobleFrance
| | - Mathias Eymery
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryGrenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs38042GrenobleFrance
| | - Jeremy Sinoir
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryGrenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs38042GrenobleFrance
| | - Franck Felisaz
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryGrenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs38042GrenobleFrance
| | - Marcus Oscarsson
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility71 Avenue des Martyrs38042GrenobleFrance
| | - Antonia Beteva
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility71 Avenue des Martyrs38042GrenobleFrance
| | - Matthew W. Bowler
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryGrenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs38042GrenobleFrance
| | - Didier Nurizzo
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility71 Avenue des Martyrs38042GrenobleFrance
| | - Gergely Papp
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryGrenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs38042GrenobleFrance
| | | | - Max Nanao
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility71 Avenue des Martyrs38042GrenobleFrance
| | - Shibom Basu
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryGrenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs38042GrenobleFrance
| | - Andrew A. McCarthy
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryGrenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs38042GrenobleFrance
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4
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Mallimadugula UL, Cruz MA, Vithani N, Zimmerman MI, Bowman GR. The probability of cryptic pocket opening controls functional tradeoffs in filovirus immune evasion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.22.609218. [PMID: 39229186 PMCID: PMC11370563 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.22.609218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Cryptic pockets are of growing interest as potential drug targets. However, it remains unclear whether they contribute to protein function or if they are merely happenstantial features that can easily be evolved away to achieve drug resistance. Here, we explore whether a cryptic pocket in the Interferon Inhibitory Domain (IID) of viral protein 35 (VP35) of Zaire ebolavirus has a functional role. We use simulations and experiments to study the relationship between cryptic pocket opening and double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) binding of the IIDs of two other filoviruses, Reston and Marburg. These homologs have structures nearly identical to Zaire but block different interferon pathways because Marburg IID only binds the backbone, while Zaire and Reston IIDs bind both backbone and blunt ends of dsRNA. We hypothesized that these differences arise from alterations in their pocket dynamics. Simulations and thiol-labeling experiments demonstrate that Reston has a lower probability of opening the cryptic pocket while Marburg has a higher probability than Zaire. Subsequent dsRNA-binding assays with different length substrates suggest that closed conformations preferentially bind dsRNA blunt ends while open conformations prefer binding the backbone. Further, a point mutation that increases the probability of cryptic pocket opening in Reston shows that the open states prefer backbone binding, while a substitution that lowers the probability of pocket opening in Zaire improves binding to blunt ends. These results demonstrate the cryptic pocket controls a functional tradeoff, suggesting cryptic pockets are under selective pressure and may be difficult to evolve away to achieve drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Upasana L Mallimadugula
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Matthew A Cruz
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Neha Vithani
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Maxwell I Zimmerman
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Gregory R Bowman
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Bioengineering, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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5
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McLeod MJ, Barwell SAE, Holyoak T, Thorne RE. A structural perspective on the temperature-dependent activity of enzymes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.23.609221. [PMID: 39229032 PMCID: PMC11370597 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.23.609221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Enzymes are biomolecular catalysts whose activity varies with temperature. Unlike for small-molecule catalysts, the structural ensembles of enzymes can vary substantially with temperature, and it is in general unclear how this modulates the temperature dependence of activity. Here multi-temperature X-ray crystallography was used to record structural changes from -20°C to 40°C for a mesophilic enzyme in complex with inhibitors mimicking substrate-, intermediate-, and product-bound states, representative of major complexes underlying the kinetic constantk c a t . Both inhibitors, substrates and catalytically relevant loop motifs increasingly populate catalytically competent conformations as temperature increases. These changes occur even in temperature ranges where kinetic measurements show roughly linear Arrhenius/Eyring behavior where parameters characterizing the system are assumed to be temperature independent. Simple analysis shows that linear Arrhenius/Eyring behavior can still be observed when the underlying activation energy / enthalpy values vary with temperature, e.g., due to structural changes, and that the underlying thermodynamic parameters can be far from values derived from Arrhenius/Eyring model fits. Our results indicate a critical role for temperature-dependent atomic-resolution structural data in interpreting temperature-dependent kinetic data from enzymatic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah A E Barwell
- University of Waterloo, Waterloo Ontario, Canada. Department of Biology
| | - Todd Holyoak
- University of Waterloo, Waterloo Ontario, Canada. Department of Biology
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6
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Mehlman T, Ginn HM, Keedy DA. An expanded trove of fragment-bound structures for the allosteric enzyme PTP1B from computational reanalysis of large-scale crystallographic data. Structure 2024; 32:1231-1238.e4. [PMID: 38861991 PMCID: PMC11316629 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Due to their low binding affinities, detecting small-molecule fragments bound to protein structures from crystallographic datasets has been a challenge. Here, we report a trove of 65 new fragment hits for PTP1B, an "undruggable" therapeutic target enzyme for diabetes and cancer. These structures were obtained from computational analysis of data from a large crystallographic screen, demonstrating the power of this approach to elucidate many (∼50% more) "hidden" ligand-bound states of proteins. Our new structures include a fragment hit found in a novel binding site in PTP1B with a unique location relative to the active site, one that links adjacent allosteric sites, and, perhaps most strikingly, a fragment that induces long-range allosteric protein conformational responses. Altogether, our research highlights the utility of computational analysis of crystallographic data, makes publicly available dozens of new ligand-bound structures of a high-value drug target, and identifies novel aspects of ligandability and allostery in PTP1B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Mehlman
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY 10031, USA; PhD Program in Biochemistry, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Helen M Ginn
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany; Institute for Nanostructure and Solid State Physics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany; Division of Life Sciences, Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - Daniel A Keedy
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY 10031, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA; PhD Programs in Biochemistry, Biology, & Chemistry, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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7
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Huang CY, Aumonier S, Olieric V, Wang M. Cryo2RT: a high-throughput method for room-temperature macromolecular crystallography from cryo-cooled crystals. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2024; 80:620-628. [PMID: 39052318 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798324006697] [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: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Advances in structural biology have relied heavily on synchrotron cryo-crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy to elucidate biological processes and for drug discovery. However, disparities between cryogenic and room-temperature (RT) crystal structures pose challenges. Here, Cryo2RT, a high-throughput RT data-collection method from cryo-cooled crystals that leverages the cryo-crystallography workflow, is introduced. Tested on endothiapepsin crystals with four soaked fragments, thaumatin and SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro, Cryo2RT reveals unique ligand-binding poses, offers a comparable throughput to cryo-crystallography and eases the exploration of structural dynamics at various temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia Ying Huang
- Swiss Light Source, Center for Photon Science, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Sylvain Aumonier
- Swiss Light Source, Center for Photon Science, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Vincent Olieric
- Swiss Light Source, Center for Photon Science, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
| | - Meitian Wang
- Swiss Light Source, Center for Photon Science, Paul Scherrer Institute, Forschungsstrasse 111, 5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland
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8
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Henkel A, Oberthür D. A snapshot love story: what serial crystallography has done and will do for us. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2024; 80:563-579. [PMID: 38984902 PMCID: PMC11301758 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798324005588] [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: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Serial crystallography, born from groundbreaking experiments at the Linac Coherent Light Source in 2009, has evolved into a pivotal technique in structural biology. Initially pioneered at X-ray free-electron laser facilities, it has now expanded to synchrotron-radiation facilities globally, with dedicated experimental stations enhancing its accessibility. This review gives an overview of current developments in serial crystallography, emphasizing recent results in time-resolved crystallography, and discussing challenges and shortcomings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Henkel
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science CFELDeutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESYNotkestr. 8522607HamburgGermany
| | - Dominik Oberthür
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science CFELDeutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESYNotkestr. 8522607HamburgGermany
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9
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Saeed AA, Klureza MA, Hekstra DR. Mapping protein conformational landscapes from crystallographic drug fragment screens. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.29.605395. [PMID: 39131376 PMCID: PMC11312500 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.29.605395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Proteins are dynamic macromolecules. Knowledge of a protein's thermally accessible conformations is critical to determining important transitions and designing therapeutics. Accessible conformations are highly constrained by a protein's structure such that concerted structural changes due to external perturbations likely track intrinsic conformational transitions. These transitions can be thought of as paths through a conformational landscape. Crystallographic drug fragment screens are high-throughput perturbation experiments, in which thousands of crystals of a drug target are soaked with small-molecule drug precursors (fragments) and examined for fragment binding, mapping potential drug binding sites on the target protein. Here, we describe an open-source Python package, COLAV (COnformational LAndscape Visualization), to infer conformational landscapes from such large-scale crystallographic perturbation studies. We apply COLAV to drug fragment screens of two medically important systems: protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP-1B), which regulates insulin signaling, and the SARS CoV-2 Main Protease (MPro). With enough fragment-bound structures, we find that such drug screens also enable detailed mapping of proteins' conformational landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ammaar A. Saeed
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Margaret A. Klureza
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Doeke R. Hekstra
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
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10
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Zhang O, Naik SA, Liu ZH, Forman-Kay J, Head-Gordon T. A curated rotamer library for common post-translational modifications of proteins. Bioinformatics 2024; 40:btae444. [PMID: 38995731 PMCID: PMC11254353 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btae444] [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: 04/26/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Sidechain rotamer libraries of the common amino acids of a protein are useful for folded protein structure determination and for generating ensembles of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). However, much of protein function is modulated beyond the translated sequence through the introduction of post-translational modifications (PTMs). RESULTS In this work, we have provided a curated set of side chain rotamers for the most common PTMs derived from the RCSB PDB database, including phosphorylated, methylated, and acetylated sidechains. Our rotamer libraries improve upon existing methods such as SIDEpro, Rosetta, and AlphaFold3 in predicting the experimental structures for PTMs in folded proteins. In addition, we showcase our PTM libraries in full use by generating ensembles with the Monte Carlo Side Chain Entropy (MCSCE) for folded proteins, and combining MCSCE with the Local Disordered Region Sampling algorithms within IDPConformerGenerator for proteins with intrinsically disordered regions. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION The codes for dihedral angle computations and library creation are available at https://github.com/THGLab/ptm_sc.git.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oufan Zhang
- Kenneth S. Pitzer Center for Theoretical Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Shubhankar A Naik
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Zi Hao Liu
- Molecular Medicine Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Julie Forman-Kay
- Molecular Medicine Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Teresa Head-Gordon
- Kenneth S. Pitzer Center for Theoretical Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
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11
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Nepravishta R, Ramírez-Cárdenas J, Rocha G, Walpole S, Hicks T, Monaco S, Muñoz-García JC, Angulo J. Fast Quantitative Validation of 3D Models of Low-Affinity Protein-Ligand Complexes by STD NMR Spectroscopy. J Med Chem 2024; 67:10025-10034. [PMID: 38848103 PMCID: PMC11215723 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00204] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Low-affinity protein-ligand interactions are important for many biological processes, including cell communication, signal transduction, and immune responses. Structural characterization of these complexes is also critical for the development of new drugs through fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD), but it is challenging due to the low affinity of fragments for the binding site. Saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR spectroscopy has revolutionized the study of low-affinity receptor-ligand interactions enabling binding detection and structural characterization. Comparison of relaxation and exchange matrix calculations with 1H STD NMR experimental data is essential for the validation of 3D structures of protein-ligand complexes. In this work, we present a new approach based on the calculation of a reduced relaxation matrix, in combination with funnel metadynamics MD simulations, that allows a very fast generation of experimentally STD-NMR-validated 3D structures of low-affinity protein-ligand complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ridvan Nepravishta
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K
- Cancer Research Horizons, CRUK Scotland Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, U.K
| | - Jonathan Ramírez-Cárdenas
- Institute for Chemical Research (IIQ), CSIC - University of Seville, 49 Américo Vespucio, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Gabriel Rocha
- Institute for Chemical Research (IIQ), CSIC - University of Seville, 49 Américo Vespucio, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Samuel Walpole
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K
| | - Thomas Hicks
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K
| | - Serena Monaco
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K
| | - Juan C Muñoz-García
- Institute for Chemical Research (IIQ), CSIC - University of Seville, 49 Américo Vespucio, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Jesús Angulo
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K
- Institute for Chemical Research (IIQ), CSIC - University of Seville, 49 Américo Vespucio, 41092 Seville, Spain
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12
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Wankowicz SA, Ravikumar A, Sharma S, Riley B, Raju A, Hogan DW, Flowers J, van den Bedem H, Keedy DA, Fraser JS. Automated multiconformer model building for X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM. eLife 2024; 12:RP90606. [PMID: 38904665 PMCID: PMC11192534 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90606] [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] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
In their folded state, biomolecules exchange between multiple conformational states that are crucial for their function. Traditional structural biology methods, such as X-ray crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), produce density maps that are ensemble averages, reflecting molecules in various conformations. Yet, most models derived from these maps explicitly represent only a single conformation, overlooking the complexity of biomolecular structures. To accurately reflect the diversity of biomolecular forms, there is a pressing need to shift toward modeling structural ensembles that mirror the experimental data. However, the challenge of distinguishing signal from noise complicates manual efforts to create these models. In response, we introduce the latest enhancements to qFit, an automated computational strategy designed to incorporate protein conformational heterogeneity into models built into density maps. These algorithmic improvements in qFit are substantiated by superior Rfree and geometry metrics across a wide range of proteins. Importantly, unlike more complex multicopy ensemble models, the multiconformer models produced by qFit can be manually modified in most major model building software (e.g., Coot) and fit can be further improved by refinement using standard pipelines (e.g., Phenix, Refmac, Buster). By reducing the barrier of creating multiconformer models, qFit can foster the development of new hypotheses about the relationship between macromolecular conformational dynamics and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A Wankowicz
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Ashraya Ravikumar
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Shivani Sharma
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research CenterNew YorkUnited States
- Ph.D. Program in Biology, The Graduate Center, City University of New YorkNew YorkUnited States
| | - Blake Riley
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Akshay Raju
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research CenterNew YorkUnited States
| | - Daniel W Hogan
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Jessica Flowers
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Henry van den Bedem
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
- Atomwise IncSan FranciscoUnited States
| | - Daniel A Keedy
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research CenterNew YorkUnited States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City College of New YorkNew YorkUnited States
- Ph.D. Programs in Biochemistry, Biology and Chemistry, The Graduate Center, City University of New YorkNew YorkUnited States
| | - James S Fraser
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San FranciscoSan FranciscoUnited States
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13
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Girard E, Lopes P, Spoerner M, Dhaussy AC, Prangé T, Kalbitzer HR, Colloc'h N. High Pressure Promotes Binding of the Allosteric Inhibitor Zn 2+-Cyclen in Crystals of Activated H-Ras. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202400304. [PMID: 38647362 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202400304] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
In this work, we experimentally investigate the potency of high pressure to drive a protein toward an excited state where an inhibitor targeted for this state can bind. Ras proteins are small GTPases cycling between active GTP-bound and inactive GDP-bound states. Various states of GTP-bound Ras in active conformation coexist in solution, amongst them, state 2 which binds to effectors, and state 1, weakly populated at ambient conditions, which has a low affinity for effectors. Zn2+-cyclen is an allosteric inhibitor of Ras protein, designed to bind specifically to the state 1. In H-Ras(wt).Mg2+.GppNHp crystals soaked with Zn2+-cyclen, no binding could be observed, as expected in the state 2 conformation which is the dominant state at ambient pressure. Interestingly, Zn2+-cyclen binding is observed at 500 MPa pressure, close to the nucleotide, in Ras protein that is driven by pressure to a state 1 conformer. The unknown binding mode of Zn2+-cyclen to H-Ras can thus be fully characterized in atomic details. As a more general conjunction from our study, high pressure x-ray crystallography turns out to be a powerful method to induce transitions allowing drug binding in proteins that are in low-populated conformations at ambient conditions, enabling the design of specific inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Girard
- CEA, CNRS, IBS, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Pedro Lopes
- Institute for Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Michael Spoerner
- Institute for Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Thierry Prangé
- CiTCoM, CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Paris-Cité, Paris, France
| | - Hans Robert Kalbitzer
- Institute for Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Nathalie Colloc'h
- ISTCT UMR6030, Centre Cyceron, CNRS - Université de Caen Normandie - Normandie Université, Caen, France
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14
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Brookner DE, Hekstra DR. MatchMaps: non-isomorphous difference maps for X-ray crystallography. J Appl Crystallogr 2024; 57:885-895. [PMID: 38846758 PMCID: PMC11151677 DOI: 10.1107/s1600576724003510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Conformational change mediates the biological functions of macromolecules. Crystallographic measurements can map these changes with extraordinary sensitivity as a function of mutations, ligands and time. A popular method for detecting structural differences between crystallographic data sets is the isomorphous difference map. These maps combine the phases of a chosen reference state with the observed changes in structure factor amplitudes to yield a map of changes in electron density. Such maps are much more sensitive to conformational change than structure refinement is, and are unbiased in the sense that observed differences do not depend on refinement of the perturbed state. However, even modest changes in unit-cell properties can render isomorphous difference maps useless. This is unnecessary. Described here is a generalized procedure for calculating observed difference maps that retains the high sensitivity to conformational change and avoids structure refinement of the perturbed state. This procedure is implemented in an open-source Python package, MatchMaps, that can be run in any software environment supporting PHENIX [Liebschner et al. (2019). Acta Cryst. D75, 861-877] and CCP4 [Agirre et al. (2023). Acta Cryst. D79, 449-461]. Worked examples show that MatchMaps 'rescues' observed difference electron-density maps for poorly isomorphous crystals, corrects artifacts in nominally isomorphous difference maps, and extends to detecting differences across copies within the asymmetric unit or across altogether different crystal forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis E. Brookner
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Doeke R. Hekstra
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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15
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Zhu L, Wu H, Xu Z, Guo L, Zhao J. Analysis of the effect of cations on protein conformational stability using solid-state nanopores. Analyst 2024; 149:3186-3194. [PMID: 38639484 DOI: 10.1039/d4an00248b] [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: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
The conformation of proteins is closely related to their biological functions, and it is affected by many factors, including the type of cations in solution. However, it is difficult to detect the conformational changes of a protein in situ. As a single-molecule sensing technology, nanopores can convert molecular structural information into analyzable current signals within a reasonable time range. Herein, we detect and analyze the effects of two different types of monovalent cations (Na+ and Li+) on a model protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) conformation using SiNx nanopores with different diameters. The quantitative analysis results show that the excluded volume of BSA in LiCl salt solutions is larger than the value in NaCl solution, indicating that Li+ is more prone to unfolding the proteins and making them unstable. This study demonstrated that nanopores enable the in situ detection of the structure of proteins at the single-molecule level and provide a new approach for the quantitative analysis of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libo Zhu
- School of Medical Imaging, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241002, China.
| | - Hongwen Wu
- Jiangxi Institute of Respiratory Disease, the First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhengyuan Xu
- School of Medical Imaging, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241002, China.
| | - Lanying Guo
- School of Medical Imaging, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241002, China.
| | - Jinsong Zhao
- School of Medical Imaging, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241002, China.
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16
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Zhang O, Naik SA, Liu ZH, Forman-Kay J, Head-Gordon T. A Curated Rotamer Library for Common Post-Translational Modifications of Proteins. ARXIV 2024:arXiv:2405.03120v1. [PMID: 38764597 PMCID: PMC11100909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Sidechain rotamer libraries of the common amino acids of a protein are useful for folded protein structure determination and for generating ensembles of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). However much of protein function is modulated beyond the translated sequence through thFiguree introduction of post-translational modifications (PTMs). In this work we have provided a curated set of side chain rotamers for the most common PTMs derived from the RCSB PDB database, including phosphorylated, methylated, and acetylated sidechains. Our rotamer libraries improve upon existing methods such as SIDEpro and Rosetta in predicting the experimental structures for PTMs in folded proteins. In addition, we showcase our PTM libraries in full use by generating ensembles with the Monte Carlo Side Chain Entropy (MCSCE) for folded proteins, and combining MCSCE with the Local Disordered Region Sampling algorithms within IDPConformerGenerator for proteins with intrinsically disordered regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oufan Zhang
- Kenneth S. Pitzer Center for Theoretical Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Shubhankar A. Naik
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Zi Hao Liu
- Molecular Medicine Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Julie Forman-Kay
- Molecular Medicine Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Teresa Head-Gordon
- Kenneth S. Pitzer Center for Theoretical Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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17
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Shelley KL, Garman EF. Identifying and avoiding radiation damage in macromolecular crystallography. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2024; 80:314-327. [PMID: 38700059 PMCID: PMC11066884 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798324003243] [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: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Radiation damage remains one of the major impediments to accurate structure solution in macromolecular crystallography. The artefacts of radiation damage can manifest as structural changes that result in incorrect biological interpretations being drawn from a model, they can reduce the resolution to which data can be collected and they can even prevent structure solution entirely. In this article, we discuss how to identify and mitigate against the effects of radiation damage at each stage in the macromolecular crystal structure-solution pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn L. Shelley
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Elspeth F. Garman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
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18
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Ahmed R, Rangadurai AK, Ruetz L, Tollinger M, Kreutz C, Kay LE. A delayed decoupling methyl-TROSY pulse sequence for atomic resolution studies of folded proteins and RNAs in condensates. JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE (SAN DIEGO, CALIF. : 1997) 2024; 362:107667. [PMID: 38626504 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2024.107667] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Solution NMR spectroscopy has tremendous potential for providing atomic resolution insights into the interactions between proteins and nucleic acids partitioned into condensed phases of phase-separated systems. However, the highly viscous nature of the condensed phase challenges applications, and in particular, the extraction of quantitative, site-specific information. Here, we present a delayed decoupling-based HMQC pulse sequence for methyl-TROSY studies of 'client' proteins and nucleic acids partitioned into 'scaffold' proteinaceous phase-separated solvents. High sensitivity and excellent quality spectra are recorded of a nascent form of superoxide dismutase and of a small RNA fragment partitioned into CAPRIN1 condensates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashik Ahmed
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H6, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada; Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Atul K Rangadurai
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H6, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada; Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Lisa Ruetz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Martin Tollinger
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christoph Kreutz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Lewis E Kay
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3H6, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada; Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada.
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19
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Wankowicz SA, Ravikumar A, Sharma S, Riley BT, Raju A, Flowers J, Hogan D, van den Bedem H, Keedy DA, Fraser JS. Uncovering Protein Ensembles: Automated Multiconformer Model Building for X-ray Crystallography and Cryo-EM. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.06.28.546963. [PMID: 37425870 PMCID: PMC10327213 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.28.546963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
In their folded state, biomolecules exchange between multiple conformational states that are crucial for their function. Traditional structural biology methods, such as X-ray crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), produce density maps that are ensemble averages, reflecting molecules in various conformations. Yet, most models derived from these maps explicitly represent only a single conformation, overlooking the complexity of biomolecular structures. To accurately reflect the diversity of biomolecular forms, there is a pressing need to shift towards modeling structural ensembles that mirror the experimental data. However, the challenge of distinguishing signal from noise complicates manual efforts to create these models. In response, we introduce the latest enhancements to qFit, an automated computational strategy designed to incorporate protein conformational heterogeneity into models built into density maps. These algorithmic improvements in qFit are substantiated by superior R f r e e and geometry metrics across a wide range of proteins. Importantly, unlike more complex multicopy ensemble models, the multiconformer models produced by qFit can be manually modified in most major model building software (e.g. Coot) and fit can be further improved by refinement using standard pipelines (e.g. Phenix, Refmac, Buster). By reducing the barrier of creating multiconformer models, qFit can foster the development of new hypotheses about the relationship between macromolecular conformational dynamics and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A. Wankowicz
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ashraya Ravikumar
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Shivani Sharma
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY 10031
- Ph.D. Program in Biology, The Graduate Center – City University of New York, New York, NY 10016
| | - Blake T. Riley
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY 10031
| | - Akshay Raju
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY 10031
| | - Jessica Flowers
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Hogan
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Henry van den Bedem
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Atomwise, Inc., San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Daniel A. Keedy
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY 10031
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031
- Ph.D. Programs in Biochemistry, Biology, and Chemistry, The Graduate Center – City University of New York, New York, NY 10016
| | - James S. Fraser
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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20
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Palaniappan C, Rajendran S, Sekar K. Alternate conformations found in protein structures implies biological functions: A case study using cyclophilin A. Curr Res Struct Biol 2024; 7:100145. [PMID: 38690327 PMCID: PMC11059445 DOI: 10.1016/j.crstbi.2024.100145] [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: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein dynamics linked to numerous biomolecular functions, such as ligand binding, allosteric regulation, and catalysis, must be better understood at the atomic level. Reactive atoms of key residues drive a repertoire of biomolecular functions by flipping between alternate conformations or conformational substates, seldom found in protein structures. Probing such sparsely sampled alternate conformations would provide mechanistic insight into many biological functions. We are therefore interested in evaluating the instance of amino acids adopted alternate conformations, either in backbone or side-chain atoms or in both. Accordingly, over 70000 protein structures appear to contain alternate conformations only 'A' and 'B' for any atom, particularly the instance of amino acids that adopted alternate conformations are more for Arg, Cys, Met, and Ser than others. The resulting protein structure analysis depicts that amino acids with alternate conformations are mainly found in the helical and β-regions and are often seen in high-resolution X-ray crystal structures. Furthermore, a case study on human cyclophilin A (CypA) was performed to explain the pre-existing intrinsic dynamics of catalytically critical residues from the CypA and how such intrinsic dynamics perturbed upon Ser99Thr mutation using molecular dynamics simulations on the ns-μs timescale. Simulation results demonstrated that the Ser99Thr mutation had impaired the alternate conformations or the catalytically productive micro-environment of Phe113, mimicking the experimentally observed perturbation captured by X-ray crystallography. In brief, a deeper comprehension of alternate conformations adopted by the amino acids may shed light on the interplay between protein structure, dynamics, and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandrasekaran Palaniappan
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
- Department of Computational and Data Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Santhosh Rajendran
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
- Department of Computational and Data Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Kanagaraj Sekar
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
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21
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Klyshko E, Kim JSH, McGough L, Valeeva V, Lee E, Ranganathan R, Rauscher S. Functional protein dynamics in a crystal. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3244. [PMID: 38622111 PMCID: PMC11018856 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47473-4] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Proteins are molecular machines and to understand how they work, we need to understand how they move. New pump-probe time-resolved X-ray diffraction methods open up ways to initiate and observe protein motions with atomistic detail in crystals on biologically relevant timescales. However, practical limitations of these experiments demands parallel development of effective molecular dynamics approaches to accelerate progress and extract meaning. Here, we establish robust and accurate methods for simulating dynamics in protein crystals, a nontrivial process requiring careful attention to equilibration, environmental composition, and choice of force fields. With more than seven milliseconds of sampling of a single chain, we identify critical factors controlling agreement between simulation and experiments and show that simulated motions recapitulate ligand-induced conformational changes. This work enables a virtuous cycle between simulation and experiments for visualizing and understanding the basic functional motions of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Klyshko
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Justin Sung-Ho Kim
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Lauren McGough
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Victoria Valeeva
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Ethan Lee
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rama Ranganathan
- Center for Physics of Evolving Systems and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sarah Rauscher
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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22
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Bao H, Wang W, Sun H, Chen J. The switch states of the GDP-bound HRAS affected by point mutations: a study from Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics simulations and free energy landscapes. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:3363-3381. [PMID: 37216340 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2213355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Point mutations play a vital role in the conformational transformation of HRAS. In this work, Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) simulations followed by constructions of free energy landscapes (FELs) were adopted to explore the effect of mutations D33K, A59T and L120A on conformation states of the GDP-bound HRAS. The results from the post-processing analyses on GaMD trajectories suggest that mutations alter the flexibility and motion modes of the switch domains from HRAS. The analyses from FELs show that mutations induce more disordered states of the switch domains and affect interactions of GDP with HRAS, implying that mutations yield a vital effect on the binding of HRAS to effectors. The GDP-residue interaction network revealed by our current work indicates that salt bridges and hydrogen bonding interactions (HBIs) play key roles in the binding of GDP to HRAS. Furthermore, instability in the interactions of magnesium ions and GDP with the switch SI leads to the extreme disorder of the switch domains. This study is expected to provide the energetic basis and molecular mechanism for further understanding the function of HRAS.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huayin Bao
- School of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Wei Wang
- School of Science, Shandong Jiaotong University, Jinan, China
| | - Haibo Sun
- School of Science, Shandong Jiaotong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jianzhong Chen
- School of Science, Shandong Jiaotong University, Jinan, China
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23
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Grieco A, Boneta S, Gavira JA, Pey AL, Basu S, Orlans J, de Sanctis D, Medina M, Martin‐Garcia JM. Structural dynamics and functional cooperativity of human NQO1 by ambient temperature serial crystallography and simulations. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4957. [PMID: 38501509 PMCID: PMC10949395 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
The human NQO1 (hNQO1) is a flavin adenine nucleotide (FAD)-dependent oxidoreductase that catalyzes the two-electron reduction of quinones to hydroquinones, being essential for the antioxidant defense system, stabilization of tumor suppressors, and activation of quinone-based chemotherapeutics. Moreover, it is overexpressed in several tumors, which makes it an attractive cancer drug target. To decipher new structural insights into the flavin reductive half-reaction of the catalytic mechanism of hNQO1, we have carried serial crystallography experiments at new ID29 beamline of the ESRF to determine, to the best of our knowledge, the first structure of the hNQO1 in complex with NADH. We have also performed molecular dynamics simulations of free hNQO1 and in complex with NADH. This is the first structural evidence that the hNQO1 functional cooperativity is driven by structural communication between the active sites through long-range propagation of cooperative effects across the hNQO1 structure. Both structural results and MD simulations have supported that the binding of NADH significantly decreases protein dynamics and stabilizes hNQO1 especially at the dimer core and interface. Altogether, these results pave the way for future time-resolved studies, both at x-ray free-electron lasers and synchrotrons, of the dynamics of hNQO1 upon binding to NADH as well as during the FAD cofactor reductive half-reaction. This knowledge will allow us to reveal unprecedented structural information of the relevance of the dynamics during the catalytic function of hNQO1.
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Grants
- P18-RT-2413 Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad, Junta de Andalucía
- RTI2018-096246-B-I00 ERDF/Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities-State Research Agency
- E35-23R Gobierno de Aragón
- B-BIO-84-UGR20 ERDF/Counseling of Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge and Universities
- CNS2022-135713 The European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR
- 2019-T1/BMD-15552 Comunidad de Madrid
- MCIN/AEI/PID2022-136369NB-I00 MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ERDF
- Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad, Junta de Andalucía
- ERDF/Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities‐State Research Agency
- Gobierno de Aragón
- ERDF/Counseling of Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge and Universities
- Comunidad de Madrid
- MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/ERDF
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Grieco
- Department of Crystallography and Structural BiologyInstitute of Physical Chemistry Blas Cabrera, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)MadridSpain
| | - Sergio Boneta
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Celular e Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI)Universidad de ZaragozaZaragozaSpain
| | - José A. Gavira
- Laboratory of Crystallographic StudiesIACT (CSIC‐UGR)ArmillaSpain
| | - Angel L. Pey
- Departamento de Química FísicaUnidad de Excelencia en Química Aplicada a Biomedicina y Medioambiente e Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de GranadaGranadaSpain
| | - Shibom Basu
- European Molecular Biology LaboratoryGrenobleFrance
| | | | | | - Milagros Medina
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular y Celular e Instituto de Biocomputación y Física de Sistemas Complejos (BIFI)Universidad de ZaragozaZaragozaSpain
| | - Jose Manuel Martin‐Garcia
- Department of Crystallography and Structural BiologyInstitute of Physical Chemistry Blas Cabrera, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)MadridSpain
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24
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Stachowski TR, Fischer M. FLEXR GUI: a graphical user interface for multi-conformer modeling of proteins. J Appl Crystallogr 2024; 57:580-586. [PMID: 38596743 PMCID: PMC11001397 DOI: 10.1107/s1600576724001523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Proteins are well known 'shapeshifters' which change conformation to function. In crystallography, multiple conformational states are often present within the crystal and the resulting electron-density map. Yet, explicitly incorporating alternative states into models to disentangle multi-conformer ensembles is challenging. We previously reported the tool FLEXR, which, within a few minutes, automatically separates conformational signal from noise and builds the corresponding, often missing, structural features into a multi-conformer model. To make the method widely accessible for routine multi-conformer building as part of the computational toolkit for macromolecular crystallography, we present a graphical user interface (GUI) for FLEXR, designed as a plugin for Coot 1. The GUI implementation seamlessly connects FLEXR models with the existing suite of validation and modeling tools available in Coot. We envision that FLEXR will aid crystallographers by increasing access to a multi-conformer modeling method that will ultimately lead to a better representation of protein conformational heterogeneity in the Protein Data Bank. In turn, deeper insights into the protein conformational landscape may inform biology or provide new opportunities for ligand design. The code is open source and freely available on GitHub at https://github.com/TheFischerLab/FLEXR-GUI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy R. Stachowski
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Marcus Fischer
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
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25
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Smith N, Dasgupta M, Wych DC, Dolamore C, Sierra RG, Lisova S, Marchany-Rivera D, Cohen AE, Boutet S, Hunter MS, Kupitz C, Poitevin F, Moss FR, Mittan-Moreau DW, Brewster AS, Sauter NK, Young ID, Wolff AM, Tiwari VK, Kumar N, Berkowitz DB, Hadt RG, Thompson MC, Follmer AH, Wall ME, Wilson MA. Changes in an enzyme ensemble during catalysis observed by high-resolution XFEL crystallography. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadk7201. [PMID: 38536910 PMCID: PMC10971408 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk7201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Enzymes populate ensembles of structures necessary for catalysis that are difficult to experimentally characterize. We use time-resolved mix-and-inject serial crystallography at an x-ray free electron laser to observe catalysis in a designed mutant isocyanide hydratase (ICH) enzyme that enhances sampling of important minor conformations. The active site exists in a mixture of conformations, and formation of the thioimidate intermediate selects for catalytically competent substates. The influence of cysteine ionization on the ICH ensemble is validated by determining structures of the enzyme at multiple pH values. Large molecular dynamics simulations in crystallo and time-resolved electron density maps show that Asp17 ionizes during catalysis and causes conformational changes that propagate across the dimer, permitting water to enter the active site for intermediate hydrolysis. ICH exhibits a tight coupling between ionization of active site residues and catalysis-activated protein motions, exemplifying a mechanism of electrostatic control of enzyme dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Redox Biology Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Medhanjali Dasgupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Redox Biology Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - David C. Wych
- Computer, Computational, and Statistical Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 875405, USA
- Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
| | - Cole Dolamore
- Department of Biochemistry and Redox Biology Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Raymond G. Sierra
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Stella Lisova
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Darya Marchany-Rivera
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Aina E. Cohen
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Sébastien Boutet
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Mark S. Hunter
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Christopher Kupitz
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Frédéric Poitevin
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Frank R. Moss
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - David W. Mittan-Moreau
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Aaron S. Brewster
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Nicholas K. Sauter
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Iris D. Young
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Alexander M. Wolff
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Merced, CA 95340, USA
| | - Virendra K. Tiwari
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Nivesh Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - David B. Berkowitz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Ryan G. Hadt
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Michael C. Thompson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Merced, CA 95340, USA
| | - Alec H. Follmer
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Michael E. Wall
- Computer, Computational, and Statistical Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 875405, USA
| | - Mark A. Wilson
- Department of Biochemistry and Redox Biology Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
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26
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Klyshko E, Sung-Ho Kim J, McGough L, Valeeva V, Lee E, Ranganathan R, Rauscher S. Functional Protein Dynamics in a Crystal. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.07.06.548023. [PMID: 37461732 PMCID: PMC10350071 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.06.548023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Proteins are molecular machines and to understand how they work, we need to understand how they move. New pump-probe time-resolved X-ray diffraction methods open up ways to initiate and observe protein motions with atomistic detail in crystals on biologically relevant timescales. However, practical limitations of these experiments demands parallel development of effective molecular dynamics approaches to accelerate progress and extract meaning. Here, we establish robust and accurate methods for simulating dynamics in protein crystals, a nontrivial process requiring careful attention to equilibration, environmental composition, and choice of force fields. With more than seven milliseconds of sampling of a single chain, we identify critical factors controlling agreement between simulation and experiments and show that simulated motions recapitulate ligand-induced conformational changes. This work enables a virtuous cycle between simulation and experiments for visualizing and understanding the basic functional motions of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Klyshko
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Justin Sung-Ho Kim
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Lauren McGough
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Victoria Valeeva
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Ethan Lee
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Rama Ranganathan
- Center for Physics of Evolving Systems and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sarah Rauscher
- Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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27
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Bolton R, Machelett MM, Stubbs J, Axford D, Caramello N, Catapano L, Malý M, Rodrigues MJ, Cordery C, Tizzard GJ, MacMillan F, Engilberge S, von Stetten D, Tosha T, Sugimoto H, Worrall JAR, Webb JS, Zubkov M, Coles S, Mathieu E, Steiner RA, Murshudov G, Schrader TE, Orville AM, Royant A, Evans G, Hough MA, Owen RL, Tews I. A redox switch allows binding of Fe(II) and Fe(III) ions in the cyanobacterial iron-binding protein FutA from Prochlorococcus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2308478121. [PMID: 38489389 PMCID: PMC10962944 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308478121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is a main contributor to global photosynthesis, whilst being limited by iron availability. Cyanobacterial genomes generally encode two different types of FutA iron-binding proteins: periplasmic FutA2 ABC transporter subunits bind Fe(III), while cytosolic FutA1 binds Fe(II). Owing to their small size and their economized genome Prochlorococcus ecotypes typically possess a single futA gene. How the encoded FutA protein might bind different Fe oxidation states was previously unknown. Here, we use structural biology techniques at room temperature to probe the dynamic behavior of FutA. Neutron diffraction confirmed four negatively charged tyrosinates, that together with a neutral water molecule coordinate iron in trigonal bipyramidal geometry. Positioning of the positively charged Arg103 side chain in the second coordination shell yields an overall charge-neutral Fe(III) binding state in structures determined by neutron diffraction and serial femtosecond crystallography. Conventional rotation X-ray crystallography using a home source revealed X-ray-induced photoreduction of the iron center with observation of the Fe(II) binding state; here, an additional positioning of the Arg203 side chain in the second coordination shell maintained an overall charge neutral Fe(II) binding site. Dose series using serial synchrotron crystallography and an XFEL X-ray pump-probe approach capture the transition between Fe(III) and Fe(II) states, revealing how Arg203 operates as a switch to accommodate the different iron oxidation states. This switching ability of the Prochlorococcus FutA protein may reflect ecological adaptation by genome streamlining and loss of specialized FutA proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Bolton
- Biological Sciences, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, SouthamptonSO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OxfordshireOX11 0DE, United Kingdom
| | - Moritz M. Machelett
- Biological Sciences, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, SouthamptonSO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- National Oceanography Centre, SouthamptonSO14 3ZH, United Kingdom
| | - Jack Stubbs
- Biological Sciences, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, SouthamptonSO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OxfordshireOX11 0DE, United Kingdom
| | - Danny Axford
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OxfordshireOX11 0DE, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Caramello
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble Cedex 938043, France
- Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Hamburg Advanced Research Centre for Bioorganic Chemistry, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg22761, Germany
| | - Lucrezia Catapano
- Randall Centre of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, New Hunt’s House, LondonSE1 1UL, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CambridgeCB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Malý
- Biological Sciences, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, SouthamptonSO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J. Rodrigues
- Biological Sciences, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, SouthamptonSO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OxfordshireOX11 0DE, United Kingdom
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Research, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen5232, Switzerland
| | - Charlotte Cordery
- Biological Sciences, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, SouthamptonSO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OxfordshireOX11 0DE, United Kingdom
| | - Graham J. Tizzard
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, SouthamptonSO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Fraser MacMillan
- School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, NorwichNR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvain Engilberge
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble Cedex 938043, France
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble Cedex 938044, France
| | - David von Stetten
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Unit, Hamburg22607, Germany
| | - Takehiko Tosha
- Synchrotron Radiation Life Science Instrumentation Team, RIKEN SPring-8 Center, Sayo, Hyogo679-5148, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Sugimoto
- Synchrotron Radiation Life Science Instrumentation Team, RIKEN SPring-8 Center, Sayo, Hyogo679-5148, Japan
| | | | - Jeremy S. Webb
- Biological Sciences, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, SouthamptonSO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- National Biofilms Innovation Centre (NBIC), University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 3DF, UK
| | - Mike Zubkov
- National Oceanography Centre, SouthamptonSO14 3ZH, United Kingdom
- Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, ScotlandPA37 1QA, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Coles
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, SouthamptonSO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Eric Mathieu
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble Cedex 938044, France
| | - Roberto A. Steiner
- Randall Centre of Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, New Hunt’s House, LondonSE1 1UL, United Kingdom
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova35131, Italy
| | - Garib Murshudov
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, CambridgeCB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Tobias E. Schrader
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich Centre for Neutron Science, Garching85748, Germany
| | - Allen M. Orville
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OxfordshireOX11 0DE, United Kingdom
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, DidcotOX11 0FA, United KingdomRosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OxfordshireOX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Antoine Royant
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble Cedex 938043, France
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale, Grenoble Cedex 938044, France
| | - Gwyndaf Evans
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OxfordshireOX11 0DE, United Kingdom
- Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OxfordshireOX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Michael A. Hough
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OxfordshireOX11 0DE, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, ColchesterCO4 3SQ, United Kingdom
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, DidcotOX11 0FA, United KingdomRosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OxfordshireOX11 0QX, United Kingdom
| | - Robin L. Owen
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OxfordshireOX11 0DE, United Kingdom
| | - Ivo Tews
- Biological Sciences, Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, SouthamptonSO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
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28
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Stubbs J, Hornsey T, Hanrahan N, Esteban LB, Bolton R, Malý M, Basu S, Orlans J, de Sanctis D, Shim JU, Shaw Stewart PD, Orville AM, Tews I, West J. Droplet microfluidics for time-resolved serial crystallography. IUCRJ 2024; 11:237-248. [PMID: 38446456 PMCID: PMC10916287 DOI: 10.1107/s2052252524001799] [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: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Serial crystallography requires large numbers of microcrystals and robust strategies to rapidly apply substrates to initiate reactions in time-resolved studies. Here, we report the use of droplet miniaturization for the controlled production of uniform crystals, providing an avenue for controlled substrate addition and synchronous reaction initiation. The approach was evaluated using two enzymatic systems, yielding 3 µm crystals of lysozyme and 2 µm crystals of Pdx1, an Arabidopsis enzyme involved in vitamin B6 biosynthesis. A seeding strategy was used to overcome the improbability of Pdx1 nucleation occurring with diminishing droplet volumes. Convection within droplets was exploited for rapid crystal mixing with ligands. Mixing times of <2 ms were achieved. Droplet microfluidics for crystal size engineering and rapid micromixing can be utilized to advance time-resolved serial crystallography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Stubbs
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
| | - Theo Hornsey
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Niall Hanrahan
- School of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Luis Blay Esteban
- Universitat Carlemany, Avenida Verge de Canolich, 47, Sant Julia de Loria, Principat d’Andorra AD600, Spain
| | - Rachel Bolton
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Malý
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Shibom Basu
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Grenoble Outstation, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS 90181, Grenoble 38042, Cedex 9, France
| | - Julien Orlans
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), 71 Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble 38042, Cedex 9, France
| | - Daniele de Sanctis
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), 71 Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble 38042, Cedex 9, France
| | - Jung-uk Shim
- Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | | | - Allen M. Orville
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
- Research Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0FA, United Kingdom
| | - Ivo Tews
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan West
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
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29
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Yano N, Kondo T, Kusaka K, Arakawa T, Sakamoto T, Fushinobu S. Charge neutralization and β-elimination cleavage mechanism of family 42 L-rhamnose-α-1,4-D-glucuronate lyase revealed using neutron crystallography. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:105774. [PMID: 38382672 PMCID: PMC10951650 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.105774] [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: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Gum arabic (GA) is widely used as an emulsion stabilizer and edible coating and consists of a complex carbohydrate moiety with a rhamnosyl-glucuronate group capping the non-reducing ends. Enzymes that can specifically cleave the glycosidic chains of GA and modify their properties are valuable for structural analysis and industrial application. Cryogenic X-ray crystal structure of GA-specific L-rhamnose-α-1,4-D-glucuronate lyase from Fusarium oxysporum (FoRham1), belonging to the polysaccharide lyase (PL) family 42, has been previously reported. To determine the specific reaction mechanism based on its hydrogen-containing enzyme structure, we performed joint X-ray/neutron crystallography of FoRham1. Large crystals were grown in the presence of L-rhamnose (a reaction product), and neutron and X-ray diffraction datasets were collected at room temperature at 1.80 and 1.25 Å resolutions, respectively. The active site contained L-rhamnose and acetate, the latter being a partial analog of glucuronate. Incomplete H/D exchange between Arg166 and acetate suggested that a strong salt-bridge interaction was maintained. Doubly deuterated His105 and deuterated Tyr150 supported the interaction between Arg166 and the acetate. The unique hydrogen-rich environment functions as a charge neutralizer for glucuronate and stabilizes the oxyanion intermediate. The NE2 atom of His85 was deprotonated and formed a hydrogen bond with the deuterated O1 hydroxy of L-rhamnose, indicating the function of His85 as the base/acid catalyst for bond cleavage via β-elimination. Asp83 functions as a pivot between the two catalytic histidine residues by bridging them. This His-His-Asp structural motif is conserved in the PL 24, 25, and 42 families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomine Yano
- Structural Biology Division, Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Hyogo, Japan.
| | - Tatsuya Kondo
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agriculture, Osaka Metropolitan University, Sakai, Osaka, Japan
| | - Katsuhiro Kusaka
- Neutron Industrial Application Promotion Center, Comprehensive Research Organization for Science and Society, Tokai, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Takatoshi Arakawa
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tatsuji Sakamoto
- Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agriculture, Osaka Metropolitan University, Sakai, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shinya Fushinobu
- Department of Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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30
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Ujfalusi-Pozsonyi K, Bódis E, Nyitrai M, Kengyel A, Telek E, Pécsi I, Fekete Z, Varnyuné Kis-Bicskei N, Mas C, Moussaoui D, Pernot P, Tully MD, Weik M, Schirò G, Kapetanaki SM, Lukács A. ATP-dependent conformational dynamics in a photoactivated adenylate cyclase revealed by fluorescence spectroscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering. Commun Biol 2024; 7:147. [PMID: 38307988 PMCID: PMC10837130 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05842-1] [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: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Structural insights into the photoactivated adenylate cyclases can be used to develop new ways of controlling cellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels for optogenetic and other applications. In this work, we use an integrative approach that combines biophysical and structural biology methods to provide insight on the interaction of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) with the dark-adapted state of the photoactivated adenylate cyclase from the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria acuminata (OaPAC). A moderate affinity of the nucleotide for the enzyme was calculated and the thermodynamic parameters of the interaction have been obtained. Stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy and small-angle solution scattering have revealed significant conformational changes in the enzyme, presumably in the adenylate cyclase (AC) domain during the allosteric mechanism of ATP binding to OaPAC with small and large-scale movements observed to the best of our knowledge for the first time in the enzyme in solution upon ATP binding. These results are in line with previously reported drastic conformational changes taking place in several class III AC domains upon nucleotide binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Ujfalusi-Pozsonyi
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - E Bódis
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - M Nyitrai
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - A Kengyel
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - E Telek
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - I Pécsi
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Z Fekete
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary
| | | | - C Mas
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, EMBL, ISBG, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | - D Moussaoui
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France
| | - P Pernot
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France
| | - M D Tully
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France
| | - M Weik
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - G Schirò
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - S M Kapetanaki
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France.
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary.
| | - A Lukács
- Department of Biophysics, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Hungary.
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31
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Komarov IV, Bugrov VA, Cherednychenko A, Grygorenko OO. Insights into Modeling Approaches in Chemistry: Assessing Ligand-Protein Binding Thermodynamics Based on Rigid-Flexible Model Molecules. CHEM REC 2024; 24:e202300276. [PMID: 37847887 DOI: 10.1002/tcr.202300276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
In the field of chemistry, model compounds find extensive use for investigating complex objects. One prime example of such object is the protein-ligand supramolecular interaction. Prediction the enthalpic and entropic contribution to the free energy associated with this process, as well as the structural and dynamic characteristics of protein-ligand complexes poses considerable challenges. This review exemplifies modeling approaches used to study protein-ligand binding (PLB) thermodynamics by employing pairs of conformationally constrained/flexible model molecules. Strategically designing the model molecules can reduce the number of variables that influence thermodynamic parameters. This enables scientists to gain deeper insights into the enthalpy and entropy of PLB, which is relevant for medicinal chemistry and drug design. The model studies reviewed here demonstrate that rigidifying ligands may induce compensating changes in the enthalpy and entropy of binding. Some "rules of thumb" have started to emerge on how to minimize entropy-enthalpy compensation and design efficient rigidified or flexible ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V Komarov
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrska Street 60, Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine
- Enamine Ltd., Winston Churchill Street 78, Kyiv, 02094, Ukraine
| | - Volodymyr A Bugrov
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrska Street 60, Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine
| | - Anton Cherednychenko
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrska Street 60, Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine
- Enamine Ltd., Winston Churchill Street 78, Kyiv, 02094, Ukraine
| | - Oleksandr O Grygorenko
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Volodymyrska Street 60, Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine
- Enamine Ltd., Winston Churchill Street 78, Kyiv, 02094, Ukraine
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32
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Caramello N, Royant A. From femtoseconds to minutes: time-resolved macromolecular crystallography at XFELs and synchrotrons. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2024; 80:60-79. [PMID: 38265875 PMCID: PMC10836399 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798323011002] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the last decade, the development of time-resolved serial crystallography (TR-SX) at X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) and synchrotrons has allowed researchers to study phenomena occurring in proteins on the femtosecond-to-minute timescale, taking advantage of many technical and methodological breakthroughs. Protein crystals of various sizes are presented to the X-ray beam in either a static or a moving medium. Photoactive proteins were naturally the initial systems to be studied in TR-SX experiments using pump-probe schemes, where the pump is a pulse of visible light. Other reaction initiations through small-molecule diffusion are gaining momentum. Here, selected examples of XFEL and synchrotron time-resolved crystallography studies will be used to highlight the specificities of the various instruments and methods with respect to time resolution, and are compared with cryo-trapping studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Caramello
- Structural Biology Group, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 1 Avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
- Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, HARBOR, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Antoine Royant
- Structural Biology Group, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 1 Avenue des Martyrs, CS 40220, 38043 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS 10090, 38044 Grenoble CEDEX 9, France
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33
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Guerrero L, Ebrahim A, Riley BT, Kim M, Huang Q, Finke AD, Keedy DA. Pushed to extremes: distinct effects of high temperature versus pressure on the structure of STEP. Commun Biol 2024; 7:59. [PMID: 38216663 PMCID: PMC10786866 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05609-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Protein function hinges on small shifts of three-dimensional structure. Elevating temperature or pressure may provide experimentally accessible insights into such shifts, but the effects of these distinct perturbations on protein structures have not been compared in atomic detail. To quantitatively explore these two axes, we report the first pair of structures at physiological temperature versus. high pressure for the same protein, STEP (PTPN5). We show that these perturbations have distinct and surprising effects on protein volume, patterns of ordered solvent, and local backbone and side-chain conformations. This includes interactions between key catalytic loops only at physiological temperature, and a distinct conformational ensemble for another active-site loop only at high pressure. Strikingly, in torsional space, physiological temperature shifts STEP toward previously reported active-like states, while high pressure shifts it toward a previously uncharted region. Altogether, our work indicates that temperature and pressure are complementary, powerful, fundamental macromolecular perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Guerrero
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY, 10031, USA
- PhD Program in Biochemistry, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Ali Ebrahim
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY, 10031, USA
| | - Blake T Riley
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY, 10031, USA
| | - Minyoung Kim
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY, 10031, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Qingqiu Huang
- Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Aaron D Finke
- Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Daniel A Keedy
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY, 10031, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City College of New York, New York, NY, 10031, USA.
- PhD Programs in Biochemistry, Biology, & Chemistry, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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34
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Mikhailovskii O, Izmailov SA, Xue Y, Case DA, Skrynnikov NR. X-ray Crystallography Module in MD Simulation Program Amber 2023. Refining the Models of Protein Crystals. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:18-25. [PMID: 38147516 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01531] [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: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
The MD simulation package Amber offers an attractive platform to refine crystallographic structures of proteins: (i) state-of-the-art force fields help to regularize protein coordinates and reconstruct the poorly diffracting elements of the structure, such as flexible loops; (ii) MD simulations restrained by the experimental diffraction data provide an effective strategy to optimize structural models of protein crystals, including explicitly modeled interstitial solvent as well as crystal contacts. Here, we present the new crystallography module xray, released as a part of the Amber 2023 package. This module contains functions to calculate and scale structure factors (including the contributions from bulk solvent), evaluate the maximum-likelihood-type crystallographic potential, and compute its derivative forces. The X-ray functionality of Amber no longer relies on external dependencies so that the full advantage of GPU acceleration can be taken. This makes it possible to refine in a short time hundreds of crystal models, including supercell models comprised of multiple unit cells. The new automated Amber-based refinement procedure leads to an appreciable improvement in Rfree (in some cases, by as much as 0.067) as well as MolProbity scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Mikhailovskii
- Laboratory of Biomolecular NMR, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | - Sergei A Izmailov
- Laboratory of Biomolecular NMR, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia
| | - Yi Xue
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - David A Case
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, United States
| | - Nikolai R Skrynnikov
- Laboratory of Biomolecular NMR, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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35
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Mehlman T(S, Ginn HM, Keedy DA. An expanded view of ligandability in the allosteric enzyme PTP1B from computational reanalysis of large-scale crystallographic data. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.05.574428. [PMID: 38260327 PMCID: PMC10802458 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.05.574428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
The recent advent of crystallographic small-molecule fragment screening presents the opportunity to obtain unprecedented numbers of ligand-bound protein crystal structures from a single high-throughput experiment, mapping ligandability across protein surfaces and identifying useful chemical footholds for structure-based drug design. However, due to the low binding affinities of most fragments, detecting bound fragments from crystallographic datasets has been a challenge. Here we report a trove of 65 new fragment hits across 59 new liganded crystal structures for PTP1B, an "undruggable" therapeutic target enzyme for diabetes and cancer. These structures were obtained from computational analysis of data from a large crystallographic screen, demonstrating the power of this approach to elucidate many (~50% more) "hidden" ligand-bound states of proteins. Our new structures include a fragment hit found in a novel binding site in PTP1B with a unique location relative to the active site, one that validates another new binding site recently identified by simulations, one that links adjacent allosteric sites, and, perhaps most strikingly, a fragment that induces long-range allosteric protein conformational responses via a previously unreported intramolecular conduit. Altogether, our research highlights the utility of computational analysis of crystallographic data, makes publicly available dozens of new ligand-bound structures of a high-value drug target, and identifies novel aspects of ligandability and allostery in PTP1B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar (Skaist) Mehlman
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY 10031
- PhD Program in Biochemistry, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY 10016
| | - Helen M. Ginn
- Center for Free-Electron Laser Science CFEL, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute for Nanostructure and Solid State Physics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Division of Life Sciences, Diamond Light Source Ltd, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, UK
| | - Daniel A. Keedy
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY 10031
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031
- PhD Programs in Biochemistry, Biology, & Chemistry, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY 10016
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36
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Brookner DE, Hekstra DR. MatchMaps: Non-isomorphous difference maps for X-ray crystallography. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.01.555333. [PMID: 37732267 PMCID: PMC10508726 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.01.555333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Conformational change mediates the biological functions of macromolecules. Crystallographic measurements can map these changes with extraordinary sensitivity as a function of mutations, ligands, and time. The isomorphous difference map remains the gold standard for detecting structural differences between datasets. Isomorphous difference maps combine the phases of a chosen reference state with the observed changes in structure factor amplitudes to yield a map of changes in electron density. Such maps are much more sensitive to conformational change than structure refinement is, and are unbiased in the sense that observed differences do not depend on refinement of the perturbed state. However, even minute changes in unit cell properties can render isomorphous difference maps useless. This is unnecessary. Here we describe a generalized procedure for calculating observed difference maps that retains the high sensitivity to conformational change and avoids structure refinement of the perturbed state. We have implemented this procedure in an open-source python package, MatchMaps, that can be run in any software environment supporting PHENIX and CCP4. Through examples, we show that MatchMaps "rescues" observed difference electron density maps for poorly-isomorphous crystals, corrects artifacts in nominally isomorphous difference maps, and extends to detecting differences across copies within the asymmetric unit, or across altogether different crystal forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis E Brookner
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Doeke R Hekstra
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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37
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Terwilliger TC, Liebschner D, Croll TI, Williams CJ, McCoy AJ, Poon BK, Afonine PV, Oeffner RD, Richardson JS, Read RJ, Adams PD. AlphaFold predictions are valuable hypotheses and accelerate but do not replace experimental structure determination. Nat Methods 2024; 21:110-116. [PMID: 38036854 PMCID: PMC10776388 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-02087-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Artificial intelligence-based protein structure prediction methods such as AlphaFold have revolutionized structural biology. The accuracies of these predictions vary, however, and they do not take into account ligands, covalent modifications or other environmental factors. Here, we evaluate how well AlphaFold predictions can be expected to describe the structure of a protein by comparing predictions directly with experimental crystallographic maps. In many cases, AlphaFold predictions matched experimental maps remarkably closely. In other cases, even very high-confidence predictions differed from experimental maps on a global scale through distortion and domain orientation, and on a local scale in backbone and side-chain conformation. We suggest considering AlphaFold predictions as exceptionally useful hypotheses. We further suggest that it is important to consider the confidence in prediction when interpreting AlphaFold predictions and to carry out experimental structure determination to verify structural details, particularly those that involve interactions not included in the prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C Terwilliger
- New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, NM, USA.
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA.
| | - Dorothee Liebschner
- Molecular Biophysics & Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Tristan I Croll
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Airlie J McCoy
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Billy K Poon
- Molecular Biophysics & Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Pavel V Afonine
- Molecular Biophysics & Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Robert D Oeffner
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Randy J Read
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paul D Adams
- Molecular Biophysics & Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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38
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Paulson L, Narayanasamy SR, Shelby ML, Frank M, Trebbin M. Advanced manufacturing provides tailor-made solutions for crystallography with x-ray free-electron lasers. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS (MELVILLE, N.Y.) 2024; 11:011101. [PMID: 38389979 PMCID: PMC10883715 DOI: 10.1063/4.0000229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Serial crystallography at large facilities, such as x-ray free-electron lasers and synchrotrons, evolved as a powerful method for the high-resolution structural investigation of proteins that are critical for human health, thus advancing drug discovery and novel therapies. However, a critical barrier to successful serial crystallography experiments lies in the efficient handling of the protein microcrystals and solutions at microscales. Microfluidics are the obvious approach for any high-throughput, nano-to-microliter sample handling, that also requires design flexibility and rapid prototyping to deal with the variable shapes, sizes, and density of crystals. Here, we discuss recent advances in polymer 3D printing for microfluidics-based serial crystallography research and present a demonstration of emerging, large-scale, nano-3D printing approaches leading into the future of 3D sample environment and delivery device fabrication from liquid jet gas-dynamic virtual nozzles devices to fixed-target sample environment technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Paulson
- Department of Chemistry & Research and Education in Energy, Environment and Water (RENEW), The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260, USA
| | - Sankar Raju Narayanasamy
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
| | - Megan L. Shelby
- Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, USA
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39
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Sharma S, Skaist Mehlman T, Sagabala RS, Boivin B, Keedy DA. High-resolution double vision of the allosteric phosphatase PTP1B. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2024; 80:1-12. [PMID: 38133579 PMCID: PMC10833341 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x23010749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) plays important roles in cellular homeostasis and is a highly validated therapeutic target for multiple human ailments, including diabetes, obesity and breast cancer. However, much remains to be learned about how conformational changes may convey information through the structure of PTP1B to enable allosteric regulation by ligands or functional responses to mutations. High-resolution X-ray crystallography can offer unique windows into protein conformational ensembles, but comparison of even high-resolution structures is often complicated by differences between data sets, including non-isomorphism. Here, the highest resolution crystal structure of apo wild-type (WT) PTP1B to date is presented out of a total of ∼350 PTP1B structures in the PDB. This structure is in a crystal form that is rare for PTP1B, with two unique copies of the protein that exhibit distinct patterns of conformational heterogeneity, allowing a controlled comparison of local disorder across the two chains within the same asymmetric unit. The conformational differences between these chains are interrogated in the apo structure and between several recently reported high-resolution ligand-bound structures. Electron-density maps in a high-resolution structure of a recently reported activating double mutant are also examined, and unmodeled alternate conformations in the mutant structure are discovered that coincide with regions of enhanced conformational heterogeneity in the new WT structure. These results validate the notion that these mutations operate by enhancing local dynamics, and suggest a latent susceptibility to such changes in the WT enzyme. Together, these new data and analysis provide a detailed view of the conformational ensemble of PTP1B and highlight the utility of high-resolution crystallography for elucidating conformational heterogeneity with potential relevance for function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivani Sharma
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY 10031, USA
- PhD Program in Biology, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Tamar Skaist Mehlman
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Reddy Sudheer Sagabala
- Department of Nanobioscience, College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, NY 12203, USA
| | - Benoit Boivin
- Department of Nanobioscience, College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, NY 12203, USA
| | - Daniel A. Keedy
- Structural Biology Initiative, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center, New York, NY 10031, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
- PhD Programs in Biochemistry, Biology and Chemistry, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY 10016, USA
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40
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Geng A, Ganser L, Roy R, Shi H, Pratihar S, Case DA, Al-Hashimi HM. An RNA excited conformational state at atomic resolution. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8432. [PMID: 38114465 PMCID: PMC10730710 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43673-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Sparse and short-lived excited RNA conformational states are essential players in cell physiology, disease, and therapeutic development, yet determining their 3D structures remains challenging. Combining mutagenesis, NMR spectroscopy, and computational modeling, we determined the 3D structural ensemble formed by a short-lived (lifetime ~2.1 ms) lowly-populated (~0.4%) conformational state in HIV-1 TAR RNA. Through a strand register shift, the excited conformational state completely remodels the 3D structure of the ground state (RMSD from the ground state = 7.2 ± 0.9 Å), forming a surprisingly more ordered conformational ensemble rich in non-canonical mismatches. The structure impedes the formation of the motifs recognized by Tat and the super elongation complex, explaining why this alternative TAR conformation cannot activate HIV-1 transcription. The ability to determine the 3D structures of fleeting RNA states using the presented methodology holds great promise for our understanding of RNA biology, disease mechanisms, and the development of RNA-targeting therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainan Geng
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Laura Ganser
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Rohit Roy
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Honglue Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Supriya Pratihar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - David A Case
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Hashim M Al-Hashimi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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41
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Ramelot TA, Tejero R, Montelione GT. Representing structures of the multiple conformational states of proteins. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 83:102703. [PMID: 37776602 PMCID: PMC10841472 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecules exhibit dynamic behavior that single-state models of their structures cannot fully capture. We review some recent advances for investigating multiple conformations of biomolecules, including experimental methods, molecular dynamics simulations, and machine learning. We also address the challenges associated with representing single- and multiple-state models in data archives, with a particular focus on NMR structures. Establishing standardized representations and annotations will facilitate effective communication and understanding of these complex models to the broader scientific community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa A Ramelot
- Dept of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA.
| | - Roberto Tejero
- Dept of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Gaetano T Montelione
- Dept of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, 12180, USA.
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42
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Gul M, Yuksel B, Bulut H, DeMirci H. Structural analysis of wild-type and Val120Thr mutant Candida boidinii formate dehydrogenase by X-ray crystallography. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2023; 79:1010-1017. [PMID: 37860962 PMCID: PMC10619422 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798323008070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida boidinii NAD+-dependent formate dehydrogenase (CbFDH) has gained significant attention for its potential application in the production of biofuels and various industrial chemicals from inorganic carbon dioxide. The present study reports the atomic X-ray crystal structures of wild-type CbFDH at cryogenic and ambient temperatures, as well as that of the Val120Thr mutant at cryogenic temperature, determined at the Turkish Light Source `Turkish DeLight'. The structures reveal new hydrogen bonds between Thr120 and water molecules in the active site of the mutant CbFDH, suggesting increased stability of the active site and more efficient electron transfer during the reaction. Further experimental data is needed to test these hypotheses. Collectively, these findings provide invaluable insights into future protein-engineering efforts that could potentially enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of CbFDH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Gul
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Koc University, 34450 Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Busra Yuksel
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Koc University, 34450 Istanbul, Türkiye
- Max Planck Institute for Biophysics, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Huri Bulut
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Istinye University, 34010 Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Hasan DeMirci
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Koc University, 34450 Istanbul, Türkiye
- Koc University Isbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID), Koc University, 34010 Istanbul, Türkiye
- Stanford PULSE Institute, SLAC National Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
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43
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Roy R, Geng A, Shi H, Merriman DK, Dethoff EA, Salmon L, Al-Hashimi HM. Kinetic Resolution of the Atomic 3D Structures Formed by Ground and Excited Conformational States in an RNA Dynamic Ensemble. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:22964-22978. [PMID: 37831584 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c04614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Knowing the 3D structures formed by the various conformations populating the RNA free-energy landscape, their relative abundance, and kinetic interconversion rates is required to obtain a quantitative and predictive understanding of how RNAs fold and function at the atomic level. While methods integrating ensemble-averaged experimental data with computational modeling are helping define the most abundant conformations in RNA ensembles, elucidating their kinetic rates of interconversion and determining the 3D structures of sparsely populated short-lived RNA excited conformational states (ESs) remains challenging. Here, we developed an approach integrating Rosetta-FARFAR RNA structure prediction with NMR residual dipolar couplings and relaxation dispersion that simultaneously determines the 3D structures formed by the ground-state (GS) and ES subensembles, their relative abundance, and kinetic rates of interconversion. The approach is demonstrated on HIV-1 TAR, whose six-nucleotide apical loop was previously shown to form a sparsely populated (∼13%) short-lived (lifetime ∼ 45 μs) ES. In the GS, the apical loop forms a broad distribution of open conformations interconverting on the pico-to-nanosecond time scale. Most residues are unpaired and preorganized to bind the Tat-superelongation protein complex. The apical loop zips up in the ES, forming a narrow distribution of closed conformations, which sequester critical residues required for protein recognition. Our work introduces an approach for determining the 3D ensemble models formed by sparsely populated RNA conformational states, provides a rare atomic view of an RNA ES, and kinetically resolves the atomic 3D structures of RNA conformational substates, interchanging on time scales spanning 6 orders of magnitude, from picoseconds to microseconds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Roy
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - Ainan Geng
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - Honglue Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Dawn K Merriman
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Dethoff
- Department of Chemistry and Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Loïc Salmon
- Department of Chemistry and Biophysics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Hashim M Al-Hashimi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
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44
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Garman EF, Weik M. Radiation damage to biological macromolecules∗. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2023; 82:102662. [PMID: 37573816 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2023.102662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we describe recent research developments into radiation damage effects in macromolecular X-ray crystallography observed at synchrotrons and X-ray free electron lasers. Radiation damage in small molecule X-ray crystallography, small angle X-ray scattering experiments, microelectron diffraction, and single particle cryo-electron microscopy is briefly covered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elspeth F Garman
- Department of Biochemistry, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
| | - Martin Weik
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale, F-38044 Grenoble, France.
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45
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Yang WC, Gong DH, Hong Wu, Gao YY, Hao GF. Grasping cryptic binding sites to neutralize drug resistance in the field of anticancer. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103705. [PMID: 37453458 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103705] [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: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Drug resistance is a significant obstacle to successful cancer treatment. The utilization and development of cryptic binding sites (CBSs) in proteins involved in cancer-related drug-resistance (CRDR) could help to overcome that drug resistance. However, there is no comprehensive review of the successful use of CBSs in addressing CRDR. Here, we have systematically summarized and analyzed the opportunities and challenges of using CBSs in addressing CRDR and revealed the key role that CBSs have in targeting CRDR. First, we have identified the CRDR targets and the corresponding CBSs. Second, we discuss the mechanisms by which CBSs can overcome CRDR. Finally, we have provided examples of successful CBS applications in addressing CRDR. We hope that this approach will provide guidance to biologists and chemists in effectively utilizing CBSs for the development of new drugs to alleviate CRDR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Cheng Yang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for Research and Development of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Dao-Hong Gong
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for Research and Development of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Hong Wu
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for Research and Development of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yang-Yang Gao
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for Research and Development of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Ge-Fei Hao
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Center for Research and Development of Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
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46
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Pei X, Bhatt N, Wang H, Ando N, Meisburger SP. Introduction to diffuse scattering and data collection. Methods Enzymol 2023; 688:1-42. [PMID: 37748823 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
A long-standing goal in X-ray crystallography has been to extract information about the collective motions of proteins from diffuse scattering: the weak, textured signal that is found in the background of diffraction images. In the past few years, the field of macromolecular diffuse scattering has seen dramatic progress, and many of the past challenges in measurement and interpretation are now considered tractable. However, the concept of diffuse scattering is still new to many researchers, and a general set of procedures needed to collect a high-quality dataset has never been described in detail. Here, we provide the first guidelines for performing diffuse scattering experiments, which can be performed at any macromolecular crystallography beamline that supports room-temperature studies with a direct detector. We begin with a brief introduction to the theory of diffuse scattering and then walk the reader through the decision-making processes involved in preparing for and conducting a successful diffuse scattering experiment. Finally, we define quality metrics and describe ways to assess data quality both at the beamline and at home. Data obtained in this way can be processed independently by crystallographic software and diffuse scattering software to produce both a crystal structure, which represents the average atomic coordinates, and a three-dimensional diffuse scattering map that can then be interpreted in terms of models for protein motions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaokun Pei
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Neti Bhatt
- Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Haoyue Wang
- Graduate Field of Biophysics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Nozomi Ando
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States; Department of Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States; Graduate Field of Biophysics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
| | - Steve P Meisburger
- Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
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47
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Wych DC, Wall ME. Molecular-dynamics simulations of macromolecular diffraction, part II: Analysis of protein crystal simulations. Methods Enzymol 2023; 688:115-143. [PMID: 37748824 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations have contributed substantially to our understanding of protein structure and dynamics, yielding insights into many biological processes including protein folding, drug binding, and mechanisms of protein-protein interactions. Much of what is known about protein structure comes from macromolecular crystallography (MX) experiments. MD simulations of protein crystals are useful in the study of MX because the simulations can be analyzed to calculate almost any crystallographic observable of interest, from atomic coordinates to structure factors and densities, B-factors, multiple conformations and their populations/occupancies, and diffuse scattering intensities. Computing resources and software to support crystalline MD simulations are now readily available to many researchers studying protein structure and dynamics and who may be interested in advanced interpretation of MX data, including diffuse scattering. In this work, we outline methods of analyzing MD simulations of protein crystals and provide accompanying Jupyter notebooks as practical resources for researchers wishing to perform similar analyses on their own systems of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Wych
- Computer, Computational and Statistical Sciences Division, Los Alamos, NM, United States; Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States
| | - Michael E Wall
- Computer, Computational and Statistical Sciences Division, Los Alamos, NM, United States.
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48
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Wych DC, Wall ME. Molecular-dynamics simulations of macromolecular diffraction, part I: Preparation of protein crystal simulations. Methods Enzymol 2023; 688:87-114. [PMID: 37748833 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations of protein crystals enable the prediction of structural and dynamical features of both the protein and the solvent components of macromolecular crystals, which can be validated against diffraction data from X-ray crystallographic experiments. The simulations have been useful for studying and predicting both Bragg and diffuse scattering in protein crystallography; however, the preparation is not yet automated and includes choices and tradeoffs that can impact the results. Here we examine some of the intricacies and consequences of the choices involved in setting up MD simulations of protein crystals for the study of diffraction data, and provide a recipe for preparing the simulations, packaged in an accompanying Jupyter notebook. This article and the accompanying notebook are intended to serve as practical resources for researchers wishing to put these models to work.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Wych
- Computer, Computational and Statistical Sciences Division, Los Alamos, NM, United States; Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States
| | - Michael E Wall
- Computer, Computational and Statistical Sciences Division, Los Alamos, NM, United States.
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49
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Smith N, Dasgupta M, Wych DC, Dolamore C, Sierra RG, Lisova S, Marchany-Rivera D, Cohen AE, Boutet S, Hunter MS, Kupitz C, Poitevin F, Moss FR, Brewster AS, Sauter NK, Young ID, Wolff AM, Tiwari VK, Kumar N, Berkowitz DB, Hadt RG, Thompson MC, Follmer AH, Wall ME, Wilson MA. Changes in an Enzyme Ensemble During Catalysis Observed by High Resolution XFEL Crystallography. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.15.553460. [PMID: 37645800 PMCID: PMC10462001 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.15.553460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Enzymes populate ensembles of structures with intrinsically different catalytic proficiencies that are difficult to experimentally characterize. We use time-resolved mix-and-inject serial crystallography (MISC) at an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) to observe catalysis in a designed mutant (G150T) isocyanide hydratase (ICH) enzyme that enhances sampling of important minor conformations. The active site exists in a mixture of conformations and formation of the thioimidate catalytic intermediate selects for catalytically competent substates. A prior proposal for active site cysteine charge-coupled conformational changes in ICH is validated by determining structures of the enzyme over a range of pH values. A combination of large molecular dynamics simulations of the enzyme in crystallo and time-resolved electron density maps shows that ionization of the general acid Asp17 during catalysis causes additional conformational changes that propagate across the dimer interface, connecting the two active sites. These ionization-linked changes in the ICH conformational ensemble permit water to enter the active site in a location that is poised for intermediate hydrolysis. ICH exhibits a tight coupling between ionization of active site residues and catalysis-activated protein motions, exemplifying a mechanism of electrostatic control of enzyme dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Smith
- Department of Biochemistry and Redox Biology Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588
| | - Medhanjali Dasgupta
- Department of Biochemistry and Redox Biology Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588
| | - David C. Wych
- Computer, Computational, and Statistical Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 875405
- Center for Nonlinear Studies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545
| | - Cole Dolamore
- Department of Biochemistry and Redox Biology Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588
| | - Raymond G. Sierra
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025
| | - Stella Lisova
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025
| | - Darya Marchany-Rivera
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025
| | - Aina E. Cohen
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025
| | - Sébastien Boutet
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025
| | - Mark S. Hunter
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025
| | - Christopher Kupitz
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025
| | - Frédéric Poitevin
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025
| | - Frank R. Moss
- Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Menlo Park, CA 94025
| | - Aaron S. Brewster
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Nicholas K. Sauter
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Iris D. Young
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Alexander M. Wolff
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Merced, CA, 93540
| | - Virendra K. Tiwari
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588
| | - Nivesh Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588
| | - David B. Berkowitz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588
| | - Ryan G. Hadt
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
| | - Michael C. Thompson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Merced, CA, 93540
| | - Alec H. Follmer
- Department of Chemistry, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Michael E. Wall
- Computer, Computational, and Statistical Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 875405
| | - Mark A. Wilson
- Department of Biochemistry and Redox Biology Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588
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50
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Thompson MC. Combining temperature perturbations with X-ray crystallography to study dynamic macromolecules: A thorough discussion of experimental methods. Methods Enzymol 2023; 688:255-305. [PMID: 37748829 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2023.07.008] [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] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Temperature is an important state variable that governs the behavior of microscopic systems, yet crystallographers rarely exploit temperature changes to study the structure and dynamics of biological macromolecules. In fact, approximately 90% of crystal structures in the Protein Data Bank were determined under cryogenic conditions, because sample cryocooling makes crystals robust to X-ray radiation damage and facilitates data collection. On the other hand, cryocooling can introduce artifacts into macromolecular structures, and can suppress conformational dynamics that are critical for function. Fortunately, recent advances in X-ray detector technology, X-ray sources, and computational data processing algorithms make non-cryogenic X-ray crystallography easier and more broadly applicable than ever before. Without the reliance on cryocooling, high-resolution crystallography can be combined with various temperature perturbations to gain deep insight into the conformational landscapes of macromolecules. This Chapter reviews the historical reasons for the prevalence of cryocooling in macromolecular crystallography, and discusses its potential drawbacks. Next, the Chapter summarizes technological developments and methodologies that facilitate non-cryogenic crystallography experiments. Finally, the chapter discusses the theoretical underpinnings and practical aspects of multi-temperature and temperature-jump crystallography experiments, which are powerful tools for understanding the relationship between the structure, dynamics, and function of proteins and other biological macromolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Thompson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United States.
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