De novo determination of near-surface electrostatic potentials by NMR

Electrostatic Surface Potentials and Chalcogen-Bonding Motifs of Substituted 2,1,3-Benzoselenadiazoles Probed via 77Se Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy

Chalcogen bonds (ChB) are moderately strong, directional, and specific non-covalent interactions that have garnered substantial interest over the last decades. Specifically, the presence of two σ-holes offers great potential for crystal engineering, catalysis, biochemistry, and molecular sensing. However, ChB applications are currently hampered by a lack of methods to characterize and control chalcogen bonds. Here, we report on the influence of various substituents (halogens, cyano, and methyl groups) on the observed self-complementary ChB networks of 2,1,3-benzoselenadiazoles. From molecular electrostatic potential calculations, we show that the electrostatic surface potentials (ESP) of the σ-holes on selenium are largely influenced by the electron-withdrawing character of these substituents. Structural analyses via X-ray diffraction reveal a variety of ChB geometries and binding modes that are rationalized via the computed ESP maps, although the structure of 5,6-dimethyl-2,1,3-benzoselenadiazole also demonstrates the influence of steric interactions. 77Se solid-state magic-angle spinning NMR spectroscopy, in particular the analysis of the selenium chemical shift tensors, is found to be an effective probe able to characterize both structural and electrostatic features of these self-complementary ChB systems. We find a positive correlation between the value of the ESP maxima at the σ-holes and the experimentally measured 77Se isotropic chemical shift, while the skew of the chemical shift tensor is established as a metric which is reflective of the ChB binding motif.

Electrostatic modulation of multiple binding events between loquacious-PD and double-stranded RNA

Electrostatics can alter the RNA-binding properties of proteins that display structure selectivity without sequence specificity. Loquacious-PD relies on this broad scope response to mediate the interaction of endonucleases with double stranded RNAs. Multimodal spectroscopic probes with in situ perturbations reveal an efficient and stable binding mechanism that disfavors high protein density complexes and is sensitive to local electrostatics.

Gadolinium-Based NMR Spin Relaxation Measurements of Near-Surface Electrostatic Potentials of Biomolecules

NMR spectroscopy is an important tool for the measurement of the electrostatic properties of biomolecules. To this point, paramagnetic relaxation enhancements (PREs) of 1H nuclei arising from nitroxide cosolutes in biomolecular solutions have been used to measure effective near-surface electrostatic potentials (ϕENS) of proteins and nucleic acids. Here, we present a gadolinium (Gd)-based NMR method, exploiting Gd chelates with different net charges, for measuring ϕENS values and demonstrate its utility through applications to a number of biomolecular systems. The use of Gd-based cosolutes offers several advantages over nitroxides for ϕENS measurements. First, unlike nitroxide compounds, Gd chelates enable electrostatic potential measurements on oxidation-sensitive proteins that require reducing agents. Second, the large electron spin quantum number of Gd (7/2) results in notably larger PREs for Gd chelates when used at the same concentrations as nitroxide radicals. Thus, it is possible to measure ϕENS values exclusively from + and - charged compounds even for highly charged biomolecules, avoiding the use of neutral cosolutes that, as we further establish here, limits the accuracy of the measured electrostatic potentials. In addition, the smaller concentrations of cosolutes required minimize potential binding to sites on macromolecules. Fourth, the closer proximity of the paramagnetic center and charged groups within Gd chelates, in comparison to the corresponding nitroxide compounds, enables more accurate predictions of ϕENS potentials for cross-validation of the experimental results. The Gd-based method described here, thus, broadens the applicability of studies of biomolecular electrostatics using solution NMR spectroscopy.

Influence of an Intrinsically Disordered Region on Protein Domains Revealed by NMR-Based Electrostatic Potential Measurements

Many human proteins possess intrinsically disordered regions containing consecutive aspartate or glutamate residues ("D/E repeats"). Approximately half of them are DNA/RNA-binding proteins. In this study, using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we investigated the electrostatic properties of D/E repeats and their influence on folded domains within the same protein. Local electrostatic potentials were directly measured for the HMGB1 protein, its isolated D/E repeats, and DNA-binding domains by NMR. The data provide quantitative information about the electrostatic interactions between distinct segments of HMGB1. Due to the interactions between the D/E repeats and the DNA-binding domains, local electrostatic potentials of the DNA-binding domains within the full-length HMGB1 protein were largely negative despite the presence of many positively charged residues. Our NMR data on counterions and electrostatic potentials show that the D/E repeats and DNA have similar electrostatic properties and compete for the DNA-binding domains. The competition promotes dissociation of the protein-DNA complex and influences the molecular behavior of the HMGB1 protein. These effects may be general among the DNA/RNA-binding proteins with D/E repeats.

Using directed evolution to improve hydrogen production in chimeric hydrogenases from algal species

Algae generate hydrogen from sunlight and water utilizing high-energy electrons generated during photosynthesis. The amount of hydrogen produced in heterologous expression of the wild-type hydrogenase is currently insufficient for industrial applications. One approach to improve hydrogen yields is through directed evolution of the DNA of the native hydrogenase. Here, we created 113 chimeric algal hydrogenase gene variants derived from combining segments of three parent hydrogenases, two from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CrHydA1 and CrHydA2) and one from Scenedesmus obliquus (HydA1). To generate chimeras, there were seven segments into which each of the parent hydrogenase genes was divided and recombined in a variety of combinations. The chimeric and parental hydrogenase sequences were cloned for heterologous expression in Escherichia coli, and 40 of the resultant enzymes expressed were assayed for H2 production. Chimeric clones that resulted in equal or greater production obtained with the cloned CrHydA1 parent hydrogenase were those comprised of CrHydA1 sequence in segments #1, 2, 3, and/or 4. These best-performing chimeras all contained one common region, segment #2, the part of the sequence known to contain important amino acids involved in proton transfer or hydrogen cluster coordination. The amino acid sequence distances among all chimeric clones to that of the CrHydA1 parent were determined, and the relationship between sequence distances and experimentally-derived H2 production was evaluated. An additional model determined the correlation between electrostatic potential energy surface area ratios and H2 production. The model yielded several algal mutants with predicted hydrogen productions in a range of two to three times that of the wild-type hydrogenase. The mutant data and the model can now be used to predict which specific mutant sequences may result in even higher hydrogen yields. Overall, results provide more precise details in planning future directed evolution to functionally improve algal hydrogenases.

Biomolecular NMR in the AI-assisted structural biology era: Old tricks and new opportunities

Over the last 40 years nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has established itself as one of the most versatile techniques for the characterization of biomolecules, especially proteins. Given the molecular size limitations of NMR together with recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy and artificial intelligence-assisted protein structure prediction, the bright future of NMR in structural biology has been put into question. In this mini review we argue the contrary. We discuss the unique opportunities solution NMR offers to the protein chemist that distinguish it from all other experimental or computational methods, and how it can benefit from machine learning.

Observation of pH-Dependent Residual Structure in the Pmel17 Repeat Domain and the Implication for Its Amyloid Formation

The varying conformational states of amyloid-forming protein monomers can determine their fibrillation outcome. In this study, we utilize solution NMR and the paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) effect to observe monomer properties of the repeat domain (RPT) from a human functional amyloid, premelanosomal protein, Pmel17. After excision from the full-length protein, RPT can self-assemble into amyloid fibrils, functioning as a scaffold for melanin deposition. Here, we report possible conformational states of the short RPT (sRPT) isoform, which has been demonstrated to be a fibrillation nucleator. NMR experiments were performed to determine conformational differences in sRPT by comparing aggregation-prone vs nonaggregating solution conditions. We observed significant chemical shift perturbations localized to residues near the C-terminus, demonstrating that the local chemical environment of the amyloid core region is highly sensitive to changes in pH. Next, we introduced cysteine point mutations for the covalent attachment of PRE ligands to sRPT to facilitate the observation of intramolecular interactions. We also utilized solvent PRE molecules with opposing charges to measure changes in the electrostatic potential of sRPT in different pH environments. These observed PRE effects offer insight into initial molecular events that might promote intermolecular interactions, which can trigger fibrillation. Taken together, our results show that sRPT monomers adopt a conformation inconsistent with a fully random coil at neutral pH and undergo conformational changes at lower pH values. These observations highlight regulatory mechanisms via organelle-associated pH conditions that can affect the fibrillation activity of proteins like RPT.

Direct measurements of biomolecular electrostatics through experiments

Biomolecular electrostatics has been a subject of computational investigations based on 3D structures. This situation is changing because emerging experimental tools allow us to quantitatively investigate biomolecular electrostatics without any use of structure information. Now, electrostatic potentials around biomolecules can directly be measured for many residues simultaneously by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This NMR method can be used to study electrostatic aspects of various processes, including macromolecular association and liquid-liquid phase separation. Applications to structurally flexible biomolecules such as intrinsically disordered proteins are particularly useful. The new tools also facilitate examination of theoretical models and methods for biomolecular electrostatics.

Extending the Experimentally Accessible Range of Spin Dipole-Dipole Spectral Densities for Protein-Cosolute Interactions by Temperature-Dependent Solvent Paramagnetic Relaxation Enhancement Measurements

Longitudinal (Γ1) and transverse (Γ2) solvent paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (sPRE) yields field-dependent information in the form of spectral densities that provides unique information related to cosolute-protein interactions and electrostatics. A typical protein sPRE data set can only sample a few points on the spectral density curve, J(ω), within a narrow frequency window (500 MHz to ∼1 GHz). However, complex interactions and dynamics of paramagnetic cosolutes around a protein make it difficult to directly interpret the few experimentally accessible points of J(ω). In this paper, we show that it is possible to significantly extend the experimentally accessible frequency range (corresponding to a range from ∼270 MHz to 1.8 GHz) by acquiring a series of sPRE experiments at different temperatures. This approach is based on the scaling property of J(ω) originally proposed by Melchior and Fries for small molecules. Here, we demonstrate that the same scaling property also holds for geometrically far more complex systems such as proteins. Using the extended spectral densities derived from the scaling property as the reference dataset, we demonstrate that our previous approach that makes use of a non-Lorentzian Ansatz spectral density function to fit only J(0) and one to two J(ω) points allows one to obtain accurate values for the concentration-normalized equilibrium average of the electron-proton interspin separation ⟨r-6⟩norm and the correlation time τC, which provide quantitative information on the energetics and timescale, respectively, of local cosolute-protein interactions. We also show that effective near-surface potentials, ϕENS, obtained from ⟨r-6⟩norm provide a reliable and quantitative measure of intermolecular interactions including electrostatics, while ϕENS values obtained from only Γ1 or Γ2 sPRE rates can have significant artifacts as a consequence of potential variations and changes in the diffusive properties of the cosolute around the protein surface. Finally, we discuss the experimental feasibility and limitations of extracting the high-frequency limit of J(ω) that is related to ⟨r-8⟩norm and report on the extremely local intermolecular potential.

AMOEBA Force Field Predicts Accurate Hydrogen Bond Counts of Nitriles in SNase by Revealing Water-Protein Interaction in Vibrational Absorption Frequencies

Precisely quantifying the magnitude and direction of electric fields in proteins has long been an outstanding challenge in understanding biological functions. Nitrile vibrational Stark effect probes have been shown to be minimally disruptive to the protein structure and can be better direct reporters of local electrostatic field in the native state of a protein than other measures such as pKa shifts of titratable residues. However, interpretations of the connection between measured vibrational energy and electric field rely on the accurate molecular understanding of interactions of the nitrile group and its environment, particularly from hydrogen bonding. In this work, we compared the extent of hydrogen bonding calculated in two common force fields, the fixed charge force field Amber03 and polarizable force field AMOEBA, at 10 locations of cyanocysteine (CNC) in staphylococcal nuclease (SNase) against the experimental nitrile absorption frequency in terms of full width at half-maximum (FWHM) and frequency temperature line slope (FTLS). We observed that the number of hydrogen bonds correlated well in AMOEBA trajectories with respect to both the FWHM (r = 0.88) and the FTLS (r = -0.85), whereas the correlation of Amber03 trajectories was less reliable because the Amber03 force field predicted more hydrogen bonds in some mutants. Moreover, we demonstrated that contributions from the interactions between CNC and nearby water molecules were significant in AMOEBA trajectories but were not predicted by Amber03. We conclude that although the nitrile absorption peak shape could be qualitatively predicted by the fixed charge Amber03 force field, the detailed electrostatic environment measured by the nitrile probe in terms of the extent of hydrogen bonding could only be accurately observed in the AMOEBA trajectories, where the permanent dipole, quadrupole, and dipole-induced-dipole polarizable interactions were all taken into account. The significance of this finding to the goal of accurately predicting electric fields in complex biomolecular environments is discussed.

Sometimes pulses just have to be perfect - An example based on the measurement of amide proton transverse relaxation rates in proteins

The measurement of spin relaxation rates provides a unique avenue for quantifying dynamic processes in biomolecules. In order to simplify analysis of the measurements so that a few key intuitive parameters can be extracted, it is often the case that experiments are designed to eliminate interference effects between different classes of spin relaxation. One example emerges in the measurement of amide proton (¹H^N) transverse relaxation rates in ¹⁵N labeled proteins, where ¹⁵N inversion pulses are applied during a relaxation element to eliminate cross-correlated spin relaxation between ¹H^N-¹⁵N dipole-¹H^N CSA interactions. We show that unless these pulses are essentially perfect, significant oscillations in magnetization decay profiles can be obtained, due to the excitation of multiple-quantum coherences, leading potentially to errors in measured R₂ rates. With the recent development of experiments for quantifying electrostatic potentials via amide proton relaxation rates, the need for highly accurate measurement schemes becomes critical. Straightforward modifications to existing pulse sequences are suggested to achieve this goal.

Practical considerations for the measurement of near-surface electrostatics based on solvent paramagnetic relaxation enhancements

Electrostatic interactions can play important roles in regulating various biological processes. Quantifying surface electrostatics of biomolecules is, therefore, of significant interest. Recent advances in solution NMR spectroscopy have enabled site-specific measurements of de novo near-surface electrostatic potentials (ϕ_ENS) based on a comparison of solvent paramagnetic relaxation enhancements generated from differently charged paramagnetic co-solutes with similar structures. Although the NMR-derived near-surface electrostatic potentials have been shown to agree with theoretical calculations in the context of folded proteins and nucleic acids, such benchmark comparisons may not always be possible, particularly in cases where high-resolution structural models are lacking, such as in the study of intrinsically disordered proteins. Cross-validation of ϕ_ENS potentials can be achieved by comparing values obtained using three pairs of paramagnetic co-solutes, each with a different net charge. Notably we have found cases where agreement of ϕ_ENS potentials between the three pairs is poor and herein we investigate the source of this discrepancy in some detail. We show that for the systems considered here ϕ_ENS potentials obtained from cationic and anionic co-solutes are accurate and that the use of paramagnetic co-solutes with different structures can be a viable option for validation, although the optimal choice of paramagnetic compounds depends on the system of interest.

Biophysical and Integrative Characterization of Protein Intrinsic Disorder as a Prime Target for Drug Discovery

Protein intrinsic disorder is increasingly recognized for its biological and disease-driven functions. However, it represents significant challenges for biophysical studies due to its high conformational flexibility. In addressing these challenges, we highlight the complementary and distinct capabilities of a range of experimental and computational methods and further describe integrative strategies available for combining these techniques. Integrative biophysics methods provide valuable insights into the sequence–structure–function relationship of disordered proteins, setting the stage for protein intrinsic disorder to become a promising target for drug discovery. Finally, we briefly summarize recent advances in the development of new small molecule inhibitors targeting the disordered N-terminal domains of three vital transcription factors.

Surface electrostatics dictate RNA-binding protein CAPRIN1 condensate concentration and hydrodynamic properties

Biomolecular condensates concentrate proteins, nucleic acids, and small molecules and play an essential role in many biological processes. Their formation is tuned by a balance between energetically favorable and unfavorable contacts, with charge-charge interactions playing a central role in some systems. The positively charged intrinsically disordered carboxy-terminal region of the RNA-binding protein CAPRIN1 is one such example, phase separating upon addition of negatively charged ATP or high concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl). Using solution NMR spectroscopy, we measured residue-specific near-surface electrostatic potentials (ϕENS) of CAPRIN1 along its NaCl-induced phase separation trajectory to compare with those obtained using ATP. In both cases, electrostatic shielding decreases ϕENS values, yet surface potentials of CAPRIN1 in the two condensates can be different, depending on the amount of NaCl or ATP added. Our results establish that even small differences in ϕENS can significantly affect the level of protein enrichment and the mechanical properties of the condensed phase, leading, potentially, to the regulation of biological processes.

The electrostatic potential inside and around α-lactalbumin: Fluctuations and mean-field models

The electrostatic potential (EP) generated by the protein α-lactoalbumin in the presence of added salt is computed as a thermal average at a given point in space. With this aim, constant pH Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are performed within the primitive model, namely, the solvent is treated as a continuum dielectric. The study of the thermal and spatial fluctuations of the EP reveals that they are remarkably high inside the protein. The calculations indicate that fluctuations inside the protein are mainly due to the asymmetric distribution of the charge groups, while the charge fluctuations of the titratable groups play a minor role. The computed EP matches very well with the one obtained from the Poisson equation for the average charge density in spherical symmetry. The Tanford–Kirkwood multipole expansion reproduces the simulated angular-averaged potential rather accurately. Surprisingly, two of the simplest mean-field models, the linear Poisson–Boltzmann (PB) equation and Donnan potential, provide good estimations of the average EP in the effective protein surface (surface EP). The linear PB equation predicts a linear relationship between charge and surface EP, which is numerically reproduced only if the small ions within the protein are taken into account. On the other hand, the partition coefficients of the small ions inside and outside the protein predicted by Donnan theory reproduce reasonably well the simulation results.

Computational Study of the pH-Dependent Ionic Environment around β-Lactoglobulin

Ions are involved in multiple biological processes and may exist bound to biomolecules or may be associated with their surface. Although the presence of ions in nucleic acids has traditionally gained more interest, ion-protein interactions, often with a marked dependency on pH, are beginning to gather attention. Here we present a detailed analysis on the binding and distribution of ions around β-lactoglobulin using a constant-pH MD (CpHMD) method, at a pH range 3-8, and compare it with the more traditional Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) model and the existing experimental data. Most analyses used ion concentration maps built around the protein, obtained from either the CpHMD simulations or PB calculations. The requirements of approximate charge neutrality and ionic strength equal to bulk, imposed on the MD box, imply that the absolute value of the ion excess should be half the protein charge, which is in agreement with experimental observation on other proteins ( Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2021, 118, e2015879118) and lends support to this protocol. In addition, the protein total charge (including territorially bound ions) estimated with MD is in excellent agreement with electrophoretic measurements. Overall, the CpHMD simulations show good agreement with the nonlinear form of the PB (NLPB) model but not with its linear form, which involves a theoretical inconsistency in the calculation of the concentration maps. In several analyses, the observed pH-dependent trends for the counterions and co-ions are those generally expected, and the ion concentration maps correctly converge to the bulk ionic strength as one moves away from the protein. Despite the overall similarity, the CpHMD and NLPB approaches show some discrepancies when analyzed in more detail, which may be related to an apparent overestimation of counterion excess and underestimation of co-ion exclusion by the NLPB model, particularly at short distances from the protein.

Measuring Local Electrostatic Potentials Around Nucleic Acids by Paramagnetic NMR Spectroscopy

Electrostatic potentials around macromolecules in the presence of mobile charges are difficult to assess especially for highly charged systems. Here, we report measurements of local electrostatic potentials around DNA by paramagnetic NMR. Through quantitative analysis of NMR paramagnetic relaxation enhancement arising from positively charged or neutral paramagnetic cosolutes, we were able to determine local electrostatic potentials around 1H nuclei at >100 sites in major and minor grooves of 13C,15N-labeled 15-bp DNA at 100 mM NaCl. Our experimental electrostatic potential data directly confirmed the Coulombic end effects of DNA. The effective near-surface electrostatic potentials from the NMR data were in good agreement with the theoretical predictions with the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. This NMR method allows for unprecedented experimental investigations into the electrostatic properties of nucleic acids.

AMOEBA Force Field Trajectories Improve Predictions of Accurate pKa Values of the GFP Fluorophore: The Importance of Polarizability and Water Interactions

Precisely quantifying the magnitude, direction, and biological functions of electric fields in proteins has long been an outstanding challenge in the field. The most widely implemented experimental method to measure such electric fields at a particular residue in a protein has been through changes in pKa of titratable residues. While many computational strategies exist to predict these values, it has been difficult to do this accurately or connect predicted results to key structural or mechanistic features of the molecule. Here, we used experimentally determined pKa values of the fluorophore in superfolder green fluorescent protein (GFP) with amino acid mutations made at position Thr 203 to evaluate the pKa prediction ability of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using a polarizable force field, AMOEBA. Structure ensembles from AMOEBA were used to calculate pKa values of the GFP fluorophore. The calculated pKa values were then compared to trajectories using a conventional fixed charge force field (Amber03 ff). We found that the position of water molecules included in the pKa calculation had opposite effects on the pKa values between the trajectories from AMOEBA and Amber03 force fields. In AMOEBA trajectories, the inclusion of water molecules within 35 Å of the fluorophore decreased the difference between the predicted and experimental values, resulting in calculated pKa values that were within an average of 0.8 pKa unit from the experimental results. On the other hand, in Amber03 trajectories, including water molecules that were more than 5 Å from the fluorophore increased the differences between the calculated and experimental pKa values. The inaccuracy of pKa predictions determined from Amber03 trajectories was caused by a significant stabilization of the deprotonated chromophore's free energy compared to the result in AMOEBA. We rationalize the cutoffs for explicit water molecules when calculating pKa to better predict the electrostatic environment surrounding the fluorophore buried in GFP. We discuss how the results from this work will assist the prospective prediction of pKa values or other electrostatic effects in a wide variety of folded proteins.

Solvent paramagnetic relaxation enhancement as a versatile method for studying structure and dynamics of biomolecular systems

Solvent paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (sPRE) is a versatile nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based method that allows characterization of the structure and dynamics of biomolecular systems through providing quantitative experimental information on solvent accessibility of NMR-active nuclei. Addition of soluble paramagnetic probes to the solution of a biomolecule leads to paramagnetic relaxation enhancement in a concentration-dependent manner. Here we review recent progress in the sPRE-based characterization of structural and dynamic properties of biomolecules and their complexes, and aim to deliver a comprehensive illustration of a growing number of applications of the method to various biological systems. We discuss the physical principles of sPRE measurements and provide an overview of available co-solute paramagnetic probes. We then explore how sPRE, in combination with complementary biophysical techniques, can further advance biomolecular structure determination, identification of interaction surfaces within protein complexes, and probing of conformational changes and low-population transient states, as well as deliver insights into weak, nonspecific, and transient interactions between proteins and co-solutes. In addition, we present examples of how the incorporation of solvent paramagnetic probes can improve the sensitivity of NMR experiments and discuss the prospects of applying sPRE to NMR metabolomics, drug discovery, and the study of intrinsically disordered proteins.

Diffusion NMR-based comparison of electrostatic influences of DNA on various monovalent cations

Counterions are important constituents for the structure and function of nucleic acids. Using 7Li and 133Cs nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we investigated how ionic radii affect the behavior of counterions around DNA through diffusion measurements of Li+ and Cs+ ions around a 15-bp DNA duplex. Together with our previous data on 23Na+ and 15NH4+ ions around the same DNA under the same conditions, we were able to compare the dynamics of four different monovalent ions around DNA. From the apparent diffusion coefficients at varied concentrations of DNA, we determined the diffusion coefficients of these cations inside and outside the ion atmosphere around DNA (Db and Df, respectively). We also analyzed ionic competition with K+ ions for the ion atmosphere and assessed the relative affinities of these cations for DNA. Interestingly, all cations (i.e., Li+, Na+, NH4+, and Cs+) analyzed by diffusion NMR spectroscopy exhibited nearly identical Db/Df ratios despite the differences in their ionic radii, relative affinities, and diffusion coefficients. These results, along with the theoretical relationship between diffusion and entropy, suggest that the entropy change due to the release of counterions from the ion atmosphere around DNA is also similar regardless of the monovalent ion types. These findings and the experimental diffusion data on the monovalent ions are useful for examination of computational models for electrostatic interactions or ion solvation.

Mapping the per-residue surface electrostatic potential of CAPRIN1 along its phase-separation trajectory

Electrostatic interactions and charge balance are important for the formation of biomolecular condensates involving proteins and nucleic acids. However, a detailed, atomistic picture of the charge distribution around proteins during the phase-separation process is lacking. Here, we use solution NMR spectroscopy to measure residue-specific near-surface electrostatic potentials (ϕ_ENS) of the positively charged carboxyl-terminal intrinsically disordered 103 residues of CAPRIN1, an RNA-binding protein localized to membraneless organelles playing an important role in messenger RNA (mRNA) storage and translation. Measured ϕ_ENS values have been mapped along the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-induced phase-separation trajectory. In the absence of ATP, ϕ_ENS values for the mixed state of CAPRIN1 are positive and large and progressively decrease as ATP is added. This is coupled to increasing interchain interactions, particularly between aromatic-rich and arginine-rich regions of the protein. Upon phase separation, CAPRIN1 molecules in the condensed phase are neutral (ϕ_ENS [Formula: see text] 0 mV), with ∼five molecules of ATP associated with each CAPRIN1 chain. Increasing the ATP concentration further inverts the CAPRIN1 electrostatic potential, so that molecules become negatively charged, especially in aromatic-rich regions, leading to re-entrance into a mixed phase. Our results collectively show that a subtle balance between electrostatic repulsion and interchain attractive interactions regulates CAPRIN1 phase separation and provides insight into how nucleotides, such as ATP, can induce formation of and subsequently dissolve protein condensates.

Measurement of 1Hα transverse relaxation rates in proteins: application to solvent PREs

It has recently been demonstrated that accurate near surface electrostatic potentials can be calculated for proteins from solvent paramagnetic relaxation enhancements (PREs) of amide protons measured using spin labels of similar structures but different charges (Yu et al. in Proc Natl Acad Sci 118(25):e2104020118, 2021). Here we develop methodology for extending such measurements to intrinsically disordered proteins at neutral pH where amide spectra are of very poor quality. Under these conditions it is shown that accurate PRE values can be measured using the haCONHA experiment that has been modified for recording ¹H^α transverse relaxation rates. The optimal pulse scheme includes a spin-lock relaxation element for suppression of homonuclear scalar coupled evolution for all ¹H^α protons, except those derived from Ser and Thr residues, and minimizes the radiation damping field from water magnetization that would otherwise increase measured relaxation rates. The robustness of the experiment is verified by developing a second approach using a band selective adiabatic decoupling scheme for suppression of scalar coupling modulations during ¹H^α relaxation and showing that the measured PRE values from the two methods are in excellent agreement. The near surface electrostatic potential of a 103-residue construct comprising the C-terminal intrinsically disordered region of the RNA-binding protein CAPRIN1 is obtained at pH 5.5 using both ¹H^N and ¹H^α-based relaxation rates, and at pH 7.4 where only ¹H^α rates can be quantified, with very good agreement between potentials obtained under all experimental conditions.

Assessment of the Components of the Electrostatic Potential of Proteins in Solution: Comparing Experiment and Theory

In this work, the components of the protein electrostatic potentials in solution are analyzed with NMR paramagnetic relaxation enhancement experiments and compared with continuum solution theory, and multiscale simulations. To determine the contributions of the solution components, we analyze them at different ionic strengths from 0 to 745 mM. A theoretical approximation allows the determination of the electrostatic potential at a given proton without reference to the protein structure given the ratio of paramagnetic relaxation enhancements rates between a cationic and an anionic probe. The results derived from simulations show good agreement with experiment and simple continuum solvent theory for many of the residues. A discrepancy including a switch of sign of the electrostatic potential was observed for particular residues. By considering the components of the potential, we found the discrepancy is mainly caused by angular correlations of the probe molecules with these residues. The correction for the correlations allows a more accurate analysis of the experiments determining the electrostatic potential of proteins in solution.

Protein Electrostatics Investigated through Paramagnetic NMR for Nonpolar Groups

Experimental validation of theoretical models for protein electrostatics remains rare. Recently, we have developed a paramagnetic NMR-based method for de novo determination of effective near-surface electrostatic potentials, which allows for straightforward examination of electrostatic models for biomolecules. In the current work, we expand this method and demonstrate that effective near-surface electrostatic potentials can readily be determined from ¹H paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) data for protein C_αH and CH₃ groups. The experimental data were compared with those predicted from the Poisson-Boltzmann theory. The impact of structural dynamics on the effective near-surface electrostatic potentials was also assessed. The agreement between the experimental and theoretical data was particularly good for methyl ¹H nuclei. Compared to the conventional pK_a-based validation, our paramagnetic NMR-based approach can provide a far larger number of experimental data that can directly be used to examine the validity of theoretical electrostatic models for proteins.

Dynamics of Cations around DNA and Protein as Revealed by 23Na Diffusion NMR Spectroscopy

Counterions are vital for the structure and function of biomolecules. However, the behavior of counterions remains elusive due to the difficulty in characterizing mobile ions. Here, we demonstrate that the dynamics of cations around biological macromolecules can be revealed by ²³Na diffusion nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. NMR probe hardware capable of generating strong magnetic field gradients enables ²³Na NMR-based diffusion measurements for Na⁺ ions in solutions of biological macromolecules and their complexes. The dynamic properties of Na⁺ ions interacting with the macromolecules can be investigated using apparent ²³Na diffusion coefficients measured under various conditions. Our diffusion data clearly show that Na⁺ ions retain high mobility within the ion atmosphere around DNA. The ²³Na diffusion NMR method also permits direct observation of the release of Na⁺ ions from nucleic acids upon protein-nucleic acid association. The entropy change due to the ion release can be estimated from the diffusion data.