1
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Stief T, Vormann K, Lakomek NA. Sensitivity-enhanced NMR 15N R 1 and R 1ρ relaxation experiments for the investigation of intrinsically disordered proteins at high magnetic fields. Methods 2024; 223:1-15. [PMID: 38242384 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2024.01.008] [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] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
NMR relaxation experiments provide residue-specific insights into the structural dynamics of proteins. Here, we present an optimized set of sensitivity-enhanced 15N R1 and R1ρ relaxation experiments applicable to fully protonated proteins. The NMR pulse sequences are conceptually similar to the set of TROSY-based sequences and their HSQC counterpart (Lakomek et al., J. Biomol. NMR 2012). Instead of the TROSY read-out scheme, a sensitivity-enhanced HSQC read-out scheme is used, with improved and easier optimized water suppression. The presented pulse sequences are applied on the cytoplasmic domain of the SNARE protein Synpatobrevin-2 (Syb-2), which is intrinsically disordered in its monomeric pre-fusion state. A two-fold increase in the obtained signal-to-noise ratio is observed for this intrinsically disordered protein, therefore offering a four-fold reduction of measurement time compared to the TROSY-detected version. The inter-scan recovery delay can be shortened to two seconds. Pulse sequences were tested at 600 MHz and 1200 MHz 1H Larmor frequency, thus applicable over a wide magnetic field range. A comparison between protonated and deuterated protein samples reveals high agreement, indicating that reliable 15N R1 and R1ρ rate constants can be extracted for fully protonated and deuterated samples. The presented pulse sequences will benefit not only for IDPs but also for an entire range of low and medium-sized proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Stief
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Physical Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Katharina Vormann
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Physical Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nils-Alexander Lakomek
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Physical Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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2
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Ormazábal A, Palma J, Pierdominici-Sottile G. Dynamics and Function of sRNA/mRNAs Under the Scrutiny of Computational Simulation Methods. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2741:207-238. [PMID: 38217656 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3565-0_12] [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: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations have proved extremely useful in investigating the functioning of proteins with atomic-scale resolution. Many applications to the study of RNA also exist, and their number increases by the day. However, implementing MD simulations for RNA molecules in solution faces challenges that the MD practitioner must be aware of for the appropriate use of this tool. In this chapter, we present the fundamentals of MD simulations, in general, and the peculiarities of RNA simulations, in particular. We discuss the strengths and limitations of the technique and provide examples of its application to elucidate small RNA's performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Ormazábal
- Departmento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CONICET, Godoy Cruz, CABA, Argentina
| | - Juliana Palma
- Departmento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CONICET, Godoy Cruz, CABA, Argentina
| | - Gustavo Pierdominici-Sottile
- Departmento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, CONICET, Godoy Cruz, CABA, Argentina.
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3
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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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4
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Nouri S, Boudet J, Dreher-Teo H, Allain FHT, Glockshuber R, Salmon L, Giese C. Elongated Bacterial Pili as a Versatile Alignment Medium for NMR Spectroscopy. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202305120. [PMID: 37248171 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202305120] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In NMR spectroscopy, residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) have emerged as one of the most exquisite probes of biological structure and dynamics. The measurement of RDCs relies on the partial alignment of the molecule of interest, for example by using a liquid crystal as a solvent. Here, we establish bacterial type 1 pili as an alternative liquid-crystalline alignment medium for the measurement of RDCs. To achieve alignment at pilus concentrations that allow for efficient NMR sample preparation, we elongated wild-type pili by recombinant overproduction of the main structural pilus subunit. Building on the extraordinary stability of type 1 pili against spontaneous dissociation and unfolding, we show that the medium is compatible with challenging experimental conditions such as high temperature, the presence of detergents, organic solvents or very acidic pH, setting it apart from most established alignment media. Using human ubiquitin, HIV-1 TAR RNA and camphor as spectroscopic probes, we demonstrate the applicability of the medium for the determination of RDCs of proteins, nucleic acids and small molecules. Our results show that type 1 pili represent a very useful alternative to existing alignment media and may readily assist the characterization of molecular structure and dynamics by NMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirine Nouri
- Centre de RMN à Très Hauts Champs, CNRS, ENSL, UCBL, Université de Lyon, 5 rue de la Doua, 69100, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Julien Boudet
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zurich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hiang Dreher-Teo
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zurich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Frédéric H-T Allain
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zurich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Biochemistry, ETH Zurich, Otto-Stern-Weg 3, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Rudi Glockshuber
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zurich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Loïc Salmon
- Centre de RMN à Très Hauts Champs, CNRS, ENSL, UCBL, Université de Lyon, 5 rue de la Doua, 69100, Villeurbanne, France
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zurich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Giese
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, ETH Zurich, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
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5
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Yu B, Wang X, Wang T, Iwahara J. DNA base order parameter determination without influence of chemical exchange. Methods 2023; 210:1-9. [PMID: 36596431 PMCID: PMC9898221 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2022.12.004] [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: 10/15/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a versatile tool used to investigate the dynamic properties of biological macromolecules and their complexes. NMR relaxation data can provide order parameters S2, which represent the mobility of bond vectors reorienting within a molecular frame. Determination of S2 parameters typically involves the use of transverse NMR relaxation rates. However, the accuracy in S2 determination can be diminished by elevation of the transverse relaxation rates through conformational or chemical exchange involving protonation/deprotonation or non-Watson-Crick base-pair states of nucleic acids. Here, we propose an approach for determination of S2 parameters without the influence of exchange processes. This approach utilizes transverse and longitudinal 13C chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) - dipole-dipole (DD) cross-correlation rates instead of 13C transverse relaxation rates. Anisotropy in rotational diffusion is taken into consideration. An application of this approach to nucleotide base CH groups of a uniformly 13C/15N-labeled DNA duplex is demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binhan Yu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Xi Wang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Tianzhi Wang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Junji Iwahara
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Sealy Center for Structural Biology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
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6
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How does it really move? Recent progress in the investigation of protein nanosecond dynamics by NMR and simulation. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 77:102459. [PMID: 36148743 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spin relaxation experiments currently probe molecular motions on timescales from picoseconds to nanoseconds. The detailed interpretation of these motions in atomic detail benefits from complementarity with the results from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. In this mini-review, we describe the recent developments in experimental techniques to study the backbone dynamics from 15N relaxation and side-chain dynamics from 13C relaxation, discuss the different analysis approaches from model-free to dynamics detectors, and highlight the many ways that NMR relaxation experiments and MD simulations can be used together to improve the interpretation and gain insights into protein dynamics.
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7
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Biomotors, viral assembly, and RNA nanobiotechnology: Current achievements and future directions. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:6120-6137. [PMID: 36420155 PMCID: PMC9672130 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The International Society of RNA Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine (ISRNN) serves to further the development of a wide variety of functional nucleic acids and other related nanotechnology platforms. To aid in the dissemination of the most recent advancements, a biennial discussion focused on biomotors, viral assembly, and RNA nanobiotechnology has been established where international experts in interdisciplinary fields such as structural biology, biophysical chemistry, nanotechnology, cell and cancer biology, and pharmacology share their latest accomplishments and future perspectives. The results summarized here highlight advancements in our understanding of viral biology and the structure-function relationship of frame-shifting elements in genomic viral RNA, improvements in the predictions of SHAPE analysis of 3D RNA structures, and the understanding of dynamic RNA structures through a variety of experimental and computational means. Additionally, recent advances in the drug delivery, vaccine design, nanopore technologies, biomotor and biomachine development, DNA packaging, RNA nanotechnology, and drug delivery are included in this critical review. We emphasize some of the novel accomplishments, major discussion topics, and present current challenges and perspectives of these emerging fields.
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8
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Childs-Disney JL, Yang X, Gibaut QMR, Tong Y, Batey RT, Disney MD. Targeting RNA structures with small molecules. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2022; 21:736-762. [PMID: 35941229 PMCID: PMC9360655 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-022-00521-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 79.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
RNA adopts 3D structures that confer varied functional roles in human biology and dysfunction in disease. Approaches to therapeutically target RNA structures with small molecules are being actively pursued, aided by key advances in the field including the development of computational tools that predict evolutionarily conserved RNA structures, as well as strategies that expand mode of action and facilitate interactions with cellular machinery. Existing RNA-targeted small molecules use a range of mechanisms including directing splicing - by acting as molecular glues with cellular proteins (such as branaplam and the FDA-approved risdiplam), inhibition of translation of undruggable proteins and deactivation of functional structures in noncoding RNAs. Here, we describe strategies to identify, validate and optimize small molecules that target the functional transcriptome, laying out a roadmap to advance these agents into the next decade.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xueyi Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | | | - Yuquan Tong
- Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Robert T Batey
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
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9
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Li X, Bhullar AS, Binzel DW, Guo P. The dynamic, motile and deformative properties of RNA nanoparticles facilitate the third milestone of drug development. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 186:114316. [PMID: 35526663 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Besides mRNA, rRNA, and tRNA, cells contain many other noncoding RNA that display critical roles in the regulation of cellular functions. Human genome sequencing revealed that the majority of non-protein-coding DNA actually codes for non-coding RNAs. The dynamic nature of RNA results in its motile and deformative behavior. These conformational transitions such as the change of base-pairing, breathing within complemented strands, and pseudoknot formation at the 2D level as well as the induced-fit and conformational capture at the 3D level are important for their biological functions including regulation, translation, and catalysis. The dynamic, motile and catalytic activity has led to a belief that RNA is the origin of life. We have recently reported that the deformative property of RNA nanoparticles enhances their penetration through the leaky blood vessel of cancers which leads to highly efficient tumor accumulation. This special deformative property also enables RNA nanoparticles to pass the glomerulus, overcoming the filtration size limit, resulting in fast renal excretion and rapid body clearance, thus low or no toxicity. The biodistribution of RNA nanoparticles can be further improved by the incorporation of ligands for cancer targeting. In addition to the favorable biodistribution profiles, RNA nanoparticles possess other properties including self-assembly, negative charge, programmability, and multivalency; making it a great material for pharmaceutical applications. The intrinsic negative charge of RNA nanoparticles decreases the toxicity of drugs by preventing nonspecific binding to the negative charged cell membrane and enhancing the solubility of hydrophobic drugs. The polyvalent property of RNA nanoparticles allows the multi-functionalization which can apply to overcome drug resistance. This review focuses on the summary of these unique properties of RNA nanoparticles, which describes the mechanism of RNA dynamic, motile and deformative properties, and elucidates and prepares to welcome the RNA therapeutics as the third milestone in pharmaceutical drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| | - Abhjeet S Bhullar
- Interdisciplinary Biophysics Graduate Program, College of Art and Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| | - Daniel W Binzel
- College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States.
| | - Peixuan Guo
- College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States; Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States; James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States; College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States.
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10
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Dayie TK, Olenginski LT, Taiwo KM. Isotope Labels Combined with Solution NMR Spectroscopy Make Visible the Invisible Conformations of Small-to-Large RNAs. Chem Rev 2022; 122:9357-9394. [PMID: 35442658 PMCID: PMC9136934 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
RNA is central to the proper function of cellular processes important for life on earth and implicated in various medical dysfunctions. Yet, RNA structural biology lags significantly behind that of proteins, limiting mechanistic understanding of RNA chemical biology. Fortunately, solution NMR spectroscopy can probe the structural dynamics of RNA in solution at atomic resolution, opening the door to their functional understanding. However, NMR analysis of RNA, with only four unique ribonucleotide building blocks, suffers from spectral crowding and broad linewidths, especially as RNAs grow in size. One effective strategy to overcome these challenges is to introduce NMR-active stable isotopes into RNA. However, traditional uniform labeling methods introduce scalar and dipolar couplings that complicate the implementation and analysis of NMR measurements. This challenge can be circumvented with selective isotope labeling. In this review, we outline the development of labeling technologies and their application to study biologically relevant RNAs and their complexes ranging in size from 5 to 300 kDa by NMR spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore K. Dayie
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Lukasz T. Olenginski
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Kehinde M. Taiwo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
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11
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Chang AT, Chen L, Song L, Zhang S, Nikonowicz EP. 2-Amino-1,3-benzothiazole-6-carboxamide Preferentially Binds the Tandem Mismatch Motif r(UY:GA). Biochemistry 2020; 59:3225-3234. [PMID: 32786414 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RNA helices are often punctuated with non-Watson-Crick features that may be targeted by chemical compounds, but progress toward identifying such compounds has been slow. We embedded a tandem UU:GA mismatch motif (5'-UG-3':5'-AU-3') within an RNA hairpin stem to identify compounds that bind the motif specifically. The three-dimensional structure of the RNA hairpin and its interaction with a small molecule identified through virtual screening are presented. The G-A mismatch forms a sheared pair upon which the U-U base pair stacks. The hydrogen bond configuration of the U-U pair involves O2 of the U adjacent to the G and O4 of the U adjacent to the A. The G-A and U-U pairs are flanked by A-U and G-C base pairs, respectively, and the stability of the mismatch is greater than when the motif is within the context of other flanking base pairs or when the 5'-3' orientation of the G-A and U-U pairs is swapped. Residual dipolar coupling constants were used to generate an ensemble of structures against which a virtual screen of 64480 small molecules was performed. The tandem mismatch was found to be specific for one compound, 2-amino-1,3-benzothiazole-6-carboxamide, which binds with moderate affinity but extends the motif to include the flanking A-U and G-C base pairs. The finding that the affinity for the UU:GA mismatch is dependent on flanking sequence emphasizes the importance of the motif context and potentially increases the number of small noncanonical features within RNA that can be specifically targeted by small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Chang
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77251-1892, United States.,Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Gerontology, and Metabolism, Stanford Medicine, Stanford, California 94305-5103, United States
| | - Lu Chen
- Intelligent Molecular Discovery Laboratory, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1901 East Road, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
| | - Luo Song
- Intelligent Molecular Discovery Laboratory, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1901 East Road, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
| | - Shuxing Zhang
- Intelligent Molecular Discovery Laboratory, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1901 East Road, Houston, Texas 77054, United States
| | - Edward P Nikonowicz
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77251-1892, United States
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12
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QnAs with Hashim Al-Hashimi. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:18146-18147. [DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2013688117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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13
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Gong Z, Yang S, Dong X, Yang QF, Zhu YL, Xiao Y, Tang C. Hierarchical Conformational Dynamics Confers Thermal Adaptability to preQ 1 RNA Riboswitches. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:4523-4543. [PMID: 32522558 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Single-stranded noncoding regulatory RNAs, as exemplified by bacterial riboswitches, are highly dynamic. The conformational dynamics allow the riboswitch to reach maximum switching efficiency under appropriate conditions. Here we characterize the conformational dynamics of preQ1 riboswitches from mesophilic and thermophilic bacterial species at various temperatures. With the integrative use of small-angle X-ray scattering, NMR, and molecular dynamics simulations, we model the ensemble-structures of the preQ1 riboswitch aptamers without or with a ligand bound. We show that the preQ1 riboswitch is sufficiently dynamic and fluctuating among multiple folding intermediates only near the physiological temperature of the microorganism. The hierarchical folding dynamics of the RNA involves the docking of 3'-tail to form a second RNA helix and the helical stacking to form an H-type pseudoknot structure. Further, we show that RNA secondary and tertiary dynamics can be modulated by temperature and by the length of an internal loop. The coupled equilibria between RNA folding intermediates are essential for preQ1 binding, and a four-state exchange model can account for the change of ligand-triggered switching efficiency with temperature. Together, we have established a relationship between the hierarchical dynamics and riboswitch function, and illustrated how the RNA adapts to high temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Gong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance at Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430071, China.
| | - Shuai Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance at Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xu Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance at Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430071, China
| | - Qing-Fen Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance at Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430071, China
| | - Yue-Ling Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance at Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430071, China
| | - Yi Xiao
- Institute of Biophysics, School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430074, China
| | - Chun Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic Molecular Physics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance at Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430071, China; Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province 430074, China.
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14
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Levintov L, Vashisth H. Ligand Recognition in Viral RNA Necessitates Rare Conformational Transitions. J Phys Chem Lett 2020; 11:5426-5432. [PMID: 32551654 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c01390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) are conformationally flexible molecules that fold into three-dimensional structures and play an important role in different cellular processes as well as in the development of many diseases. RNA has therefore become an important target for developing novel therapeutic approaches. The biophysical processes underlying RNA function are often associated with rare structural transitions that play a key role in ligand recognition. In this work, we probe these rarely occurring transitions using nonequilibrium simulations by characterizing the dissociation of a ligand molecule from an HIV-1 viral RNA element. Specifically, we observed base-flipping rare events that are coupled with ligand binding/unbinding and also provided mechanistic details underlying these transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lev Levintov
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham 03824, New Hampshire, United States
| | - Harish Vashisth
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham 03824, New Hampshire, United States
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15
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Abstract
RNA recognition frequently results in conformational changes that optimize intermolecular binding. As a consequence, the overall binding affinity of RNA to its binding partners depends not only on the intermolecular interactions formed in the bound state but also on the energy cost associated with changing the RNA conformational distribution. Measuring these "conformational penalties" is, however, challenging because bound RNA conformations tend to have equilibrium populations in the absence of the binding partner that fall outside detection by conventional biophysical methods. In this study we employ as a model system HIV-1 TAR RNA and its interaction with the ligand argininamide (ARG), a mimic of TAR's cognate protein binding partner, the transactivator Tat. We use NMR chemical shift perturbations and relaxation dispersion in combination with Bayesian inference to develop a detailed thermodynamic model of coupled conformational change and ligand binding. Starting from a comprehensive 12-state model of the equilibrium, we estimate the energies of six distinct detectable thermodynamic states that are not accessible by currently available methods. Our approach identifies a minimum of four RNA intermediates that differ in terms of the TAR conformation and ARG occupancy. The dominant bound TAR conformation features two bound ARG ligands and has an equilibrium population in the absence of ARG that is below detection limit. Consequently, even though ARG binds to TAR with an apparent overall weak affinity (Kdapp ≈ 0.2 mM), it binds the prefolded conformation with a Kd in the nM range. Our results show that conformational penalties can be major determinants of RNA-ligand binding affinity as well as a source of binding cooperativity, with important implications for a predictive understanding of how RNA is recognized and for RNA-targeted drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole I. Orlovsky
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - Hashim M. Al-Hashimi
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Terrence G. Oas
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
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16
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Kadeřávek P, Bolik-Coulon N, Cousin SF, Marquardsen T, Tyburn JM, Dumez JN, Ferrage F. Protein Dynamics from Accurate Low-Field Site-Specific Longitudinal and Transverse Nuclear Spin Relaxation. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:5917-5922. [PMID: 31509419 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b02233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic relaxation provides invaluable quantitative site-specific information on the dynamics of complex systems. Determining dynamics on nanosecond time scales requires relaxation measurements at low magnetic fields incompatible with high-resolution NMR. Here, we use a two-field NMR spectrometer to measure carbon-13 transverse and longitudinal relaxation rates at a field as low as 0.33 T (proton Larmor frequency 14 MHz) in specifically labeled side chains of the protein ubiquitin. The use of radiofrequency pulses enhances the accuracy of measurements as compared to high-resolution relaxometry approaches, where the sample is moved in the stray field of the superconducting magnet. Importantly, we demonstrate that accurate measurements at a single low magnetic field provide enough information to characterize complex motions on low nanosecond time scales, which opens a new window for the determination of site-specific nanosecond motions in complex systems such as proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Kadeřávek
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Département de chimie , École normale supérieure , PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 75005 Paris , France
| | - Nicolas Bolik-Coulon
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Département de chimie , École normale supérieure , PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 75005 Paris , France
| | - Samuel F Cousin
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Département de chimie , École normale supérieure , PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 75005 Paris , France
| | | | - Jean-Max Tyburn
- Bruker BioSpin , 34 rue de l'Industrie BP 10002, 67166 Wissembourg Cedex, France
| | | | - Fabien Ferrage
- Laboratoire des Biomolécules, LBM, Département de chimie , École normale supérieure , PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 75005 Paris , France
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17
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Xie M, Yu L, Bruschweiler-Li L, Xiang X, Hansen AL, Brüschweiler R. Functional protein dynamics on uncharted time scales detected by nanoparticle-assisted NMR spin relaxation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaax5560. [PMID: 31453342 PMCID: PMC6693908 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax5560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Protein function depends critically on intrinsic internal dynamics, which is manifested in distinct ways, such as loop motions that regulate protein recognition and catalysis. Under physiological conditions, dynamic processes occur on a wide range of time scales from subpicoseconds to seconds. Commonly used NMR spin relaxation in solution provides valuable information on very fast and slow motions but is insensitive to the intermediate nanosecond to microsecond range that exceeds the protein tumbling correlation time. Presently, very little is known about the nature and functional role of these motions. It is demonstrated here how transverse spin relaxation becomes exquisitely sensitive to these motions at atomic resolution when studying proteins in the presence of nanoparticles. Application of this novel cross-disciplinary approach reveals large-scale dynamics of loops involved in functionally critical protein-protein interactions and protein-calcium ion recognition that were previously unobservable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mouzhe Xie
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Lei Yu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Lei Bruschweiler-Li
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Xinyao Xiang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Alexandar L. Hansen
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Rafael Brüschweiler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Campus Chemical Instrument Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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18
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Abstract
Biological molecules are often highly dynamic, and this flexibility can be critical for function. The large range of sampled timescales and the fact that many of the conformers that are continually explored are only transiently formed and sparsely populated challenge current biophysical approaches. Solution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has emerged as a powerful method for characterizing biomolecular dynamics in detail, even in cases where excursions involve short-lived states. Here, we briefly review a number of NMR experiments for studies of biomolecular dynamics on the microsecond-to-second timescale and focus on applications to protein and nucleic acid systems that clearly illustrate the functional relevance of motion in both health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok Sekhar
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Lewis E. Kay
- Departments of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada
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19
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Strickland M, Catazaro J, Rajasekaran R, Strub MP, O'Hern C, Bermejo GA, Summers MF, Marchant J, Tjandra N. Long-Range RNA Structural Information via a Paramagnetically Tagged Reporter Protein. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:1430-1434. [PMID: 30652860 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b11384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
NMR has provided a wealth of structural and dynamical information for RNA molecules of up to ∼50 nucleotides, but its application to larger RNAs has been hampered in part by difficulties establishing global structural features. A potential solution involves measurement of NMR perturbations after site-specific paramagnetic labeling. Although the approach works well for proteins, the inability to place the label at specific sites has prevented its application to larger RNAs transcribed in vitro. Here, we present a strategy in which RNA loop residues are modified to promote binding to a paramagnetically tagged reporter protein. Lanthanide-induced pseudocontact shifts are demonstrated for a 232-nucleotide RNA bound to tagged derivatives of the spliceosomal U1A RNA-binding domain. Further, the method is validated with a 36-nucleotide RNA for which measured NMR values agreed with predictions based on the previously known protein and RNA structures. The ability to readily insert U1A binding sites into ubiquitous hairpin and/or loop structures should make this approach broadly applicable for the atomic-level study of large RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Strickland
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics, Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland 20892 , United States
| | | | - Rohith Rajasekaran
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics, Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland 20892 , United States
| | - Marie-Paule Strub
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics, Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland 20892 , United States
| | | | - Guillermo A Bermejo
- Office of Intramural Research, Center for Information Technology, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland 20892 , United States
| | | | | | - Nico Tjandra
- Laboratory of Structural Biophysics, Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland 20892 , United States
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20
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Merriman DK, Yuan J, Shi H, Majumdar A, Herschlag D, Al-Hashimi HM. Increasing the length of poly-pyrimidine bulges broadens RNA conformational ensembles with minimal impact on stacking energetics. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2018; 24:1363-1376. [PMID: 30012568 PMCID: PMC6140463 DOI: 10.1261/rna.066258.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Helical elements separated by bulges frequently undergo transitions between unstacked and coaxially stacked conformations during the folding and function of noncoding RNAs. Here, we examine the dynamic properties of poly-pyrimidine bulges of varying length (n = 1-4, 7) across a range of Mg2+ concentrations using HIV-1 TAR RNA as a model system and solution NMR spectroscopy. In the absence of Mg2+, helices linked by bulges with n ≥ 3 residues adopt predominantly unstacked conformations (stacked population <15%), whereas one-bulge and two-bulge motifs adopt predominantly stacked conformations (stacked population >74%). In the presence of 3 mM Mg2+, the helices predominantly coaxially stack (stacked population >84%), regardless of bulge length, and the midpoint for the Mg2+-dependent stacking transition is within threefold regardless of bulge length. In the absence of Mg2+, the difference between free energy of interhelical coaxial stacking across the bulge variants is estimated to be ∼2.9 kcal/mol, based on an NMR chemical shift mapping with stacking being more energetically disfavored for the longer bulges. This difference decreases to ∼0.4 kcal/mol in the presence of Mg2+ NMR RDCs and resonance intensity data show increased dynamics in the stacked state with increasing bulge length in the presence of Mg2+ We propose that Mg2+ helps to neutralize the growing electrostatic repulsion in the stacked state with increasing bulge length thereby increasing the number of coaxial conformations that are sampled. Energetically compensated interhelical stacking dynamics may help to maximize the conformational adaptability of RNA and allow a wide range of conformations to be optimally stabilized by proteins and ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn K Merriman
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Jiayi Yuan
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Honglue Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Ananya Majumdar
- Biomolecular NMR Facility, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
| | - Daniel Herschlag
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Hashim M Al-Hashimi
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
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21
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Marchant J, Bax A, Summers MF. Accurate Measurement of Residual Dipolar Couplings in Large RNAs by Variable Flip Angle NMR. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:6978-6983. [PMID: 29757635 PMCID: PMC6021016 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b03298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
NMR approaches using nucleotide-specific deuterium labeling schemes have enabled structural studies of biologically relevant RNAs of increasing size and complexity. Although local structure is well-determined using these methods, definition of global structural features, including relative orientations of independent helices, remains a challenge. Residual dipolar couplings, a potential source of orientation information, have not been obtainable for large RNAs due to poor sensitivity resulting from rapid heteronuclear signal decay. Here we report a novel multiple quantum NMR method for RDC determination that employs flip angle variation rather than a coupling evolution period. The accuracy of the method and its utility for establishing interhelical orientations are demonstrated for a 36-nucleotide RNA, for which comparative data could be obtained. Applied to a 78 kDa Rev response element from the HIV-1 virus, which has an effective rotational correlation time of ca. 160 ns, the method yields sensitivity gains of an order of magnitude or greater over existing approaches. Solution-state access to structural organization in RNAs of at least 230 nucleotides is now possible.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ad Bax
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , Maryland 20892 , United States
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22
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Šponer J, Bussi G, Krepl M, Banáš P, Bottaro S, Cunha RA, Gil-Ley A, Pinamonti G, Poblete S, Jurečka P, Walter NG, Otyepka M. RNA Structural Dynamics As Captured by Molecular Simulations: A Comprehensive Overview. Chem Rev 2018; 118:4177-4338. [PMID: 29297679 PMCID: PMC5920944 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 336] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
With both catalytic and genetic functions, ribonucleic acid (RNA) is perhaps the most pluripotent chemical species in molecular biology, and its functions are intimately linked to its structure and dynamics. Computer simulations, and in particular atomistic molecular dynamics (MD), allow structural dynamics of biomolecular systems to be investigated with unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution. We here provide a comprehensive overview of the fast-developing field of MD simulations of RNA molecules. We begin with an in-depth, evaluatory coverage of the most fundamental methodological challenges that set the basis for the future development of the field, in particular, the current developments and inherent physical limitations of the atomistic force fields and the recent advances in a broad spectrum of enhanced sampling methods. We also survey the closely related field of coarse-grained modeling of RNA systems. After dealing with the methodological aspects, we provide an exhaustive overview of the available RNA simulation literature, ranging from studies of the smallest RNA oligonucleotides to investigations of the entire ribosome. Our review encompasses tetranucleotides, tetraloops, a number of small RNA motifs, A-helix RNA, kissing-loop complexes, the TAR RNA element, the decoding center and other important regions of the ribosome, as well as assorted others systems. Extended sections are devoted to RNA-ion interactions, ribozymes, riboswitches, and protein/RNA complexes. Our overview is written for as broad of an audience as possible, aiming to provide a much-needed interdisciplinary bridge between computation and experiment, together with a perspective on the future of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Šponer
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Kralovopolska 135 , Brno 612 65 , Czech Republic
| | - Giovanni Bussi
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati , Via Bonomea 265 , Trieste 34136 , Italy
| | - Miroslav Krepl
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Kralovopolska 135 , Brno 612 65 , Czech Republic
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science , Palacky University Olomouc , 17. listopadu 12 , Olomouc 771 46 , Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Banáš
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science , Palacky University Olomouc , 17. listopadu 12 , Olomouc 771 46 , Czech Republic
| | - Sandro Bottaro
- Structural Biology and NMR Laboratory, Department of Biology , University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen 2200 , Denmark
| | - Richard A Cunha
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati , Via Bonomea 265 , Trieste 34136 , Italy
| | - Alejandro Gil-Ley
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati , Via Bonomea 265 , Trieste 34136 , Italy
| | - Giovanni Pinamonti
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati , Via Bonomea 265 , Trieste 34136 , Italy
| | - Simón Poblete
- Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati , Via Bonomea 265 , Trieste 34136 , Italy
| | - Petr Jurečka
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science , Palacky University Olomouc , 17. listopadu 12 , Olomouc 771 46 , Czech Republic
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group and Center for RNA Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Michal Otyepka
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science , Palacky University Olomouc , 17. listopadu 12 , Olomouc 771 46 , Czech Republic
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23
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Chen B, Longhini AP, Nußbaumer F, Kreutz C, Dinman JD, Dayie TK. CCR5 RNA Pseudoknots: Residue and Site-Specific Labeling correlate Internal Motions with microRNA Binding. Chemistry 2018; 24:5462-5468. [PMID: 29412477 PMCID: PMC7640883 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201705948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Conformational dynamics of RNA molecules play a critical role in governing their biological functions. Measurements of RNA dynamic behavior sheds important light on sites that interact with their binding partners or cellular stimulators. However, such measurements using solution-state NMR are difficult for large RNA molecules (>70 nt; nt=nucleotides) owing to severe spectral overlap, homonuclear 13 C scalar couplings, and line broadening. Herein, a strategic combination of solid-phase synthesis, site-specific isotopic labeled phosphoramidites, and enzymatic ligation is introduced. This approach allowed the position-specific insertion of isotopic probes into a 96 nt CCR5 RNA fragment. Accurate measurements of functional dynamics using the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) relaxation dispersion (RD) experiments enabled extraction of the exchange rates and populations of this RNA. NMR chemical shift perturbation analysis of the RNA/microRNA-1224 complex indicated that A90-C1' of the pseudoknot exhibits similar changes in chemical shift observed in the excited state. This work demonstrates the general applicability of a NMR-labeling strategy to probe functional RNA structural dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Chen
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, 4062 Campus Dr., College Park, MD, 20742, USA
- Center for Biomolecular Structure & Organization, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland, 8314 Paint Branch Dr., College Park, MD, 20782, USA
| | - Andrew P Longhini
- Center for Biomolecular Structure & Organization, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland, 8314 Paint Branch Dr., College Park, MD, 20782, USA
| | - Felix Nußbaumer
- 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
| | - Jonathan D Dinman
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, 4062 Campus Dr., College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - T Kwaku Dayie
- Center for Biomolecular Structure & Organization, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Maryland, 8314 Paint Branch Dr., College Park, MD, 20782, USA
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24
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Clay MC, Ganser LR, Merriman DK, Al-Hashimi HM. Resolving sugar puckers in RNA excited states exposes slow modes of repuckering dynamics. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:e134. [PMID: 28609788 PMCID: PMC5737546 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that RNAs exist in dynamic equilibrium with short-lived low-abundance 'excited states' that form by reshuffling base pairs in and around non-canonical motifs. These conformational states are proposed to be rich in non-canonical motifs and to play roles in the folding and regulatory functions of non-coding RNAs but their structure proves difficult to characterize given their transient nature. Here, we describe an approach for determining sugar pucker conformation in RNA excited states through nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of C1΄ and C4΄ rotating frame spin relaxation (R1ρ) in uniformly 13C/15N labeled RNA samples. Application to HIV-1 TAR exposed slow modes of sugar repuckering dynamics at the μs and ms timescale accompanying transitions between non-helical (C2΄-endo) to helical (C3΄-endo) conformations during formation of two distinct excited states. In contrast, we did not obtain any evidence for slow sugar repuckering dynamics for nucleotides in a variety of structural contexts that do not undergo non-helical to helical transitions. Our results outline a route for significantly improving the conformational characterization of RNA excited states and suggest that slow modes of repuckering dynamics gated by transient changes in secondary structure are quite common in RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary C. Clay
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Laura R. Ganser
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | | | - Hashim M. Al-Hashimi
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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25
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Sathyamoorthy B, Shi H, Zhou H, Xue Y, Rangadurai A, Merriman DK, Al-Hashimi HM. Insights into Watson-Crick/Hoogsteen breathing dynamics and damage repair from the solution structure and dynamic ensemble of DNA duplexes containing m1A. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:5586-5601. [PMID: 28369571 PMCID: PMC5435913 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the canonical DNA double helix, Watson-Crick (WC) base pairs (bps) exist in dynamic equilibrium with sparsely populated (∼0.02-0.4%) and short-lived (lifetimes ∼0.2-2.5 ms) Hoogsteen (HG) bps. To gain insights into transient HG bps, we used solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, including measurements of residual dipolar couplings and molecular dynamics simulations, to examine how a single HG bp trapped using the N1-methylated adenine (m1A) lesion affects the structural and dynamic properties of two duplexes. The solution structure and dynamic ensembles of the duplexes reveals that in both cases, m1A forms a m1A•T HG bp, which is accompanied by local and global structural and dynamic perturbations in the double helix. These include a bias toward the BI backbone conformation; sugar repuckering, major-groove directed kinking (∼9°); and local melting of neighboring WC bps. These results provide atomic insights into WC/HG breathing dynamics in unmodified DNA duplexes as well as identify structural and dynamic signatures that could play roles in m1A recognition and repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharathwaj Sathyamoorthy
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Honglue Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Huiqing Zhou
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Yi Xue
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Atul Rangadurai
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | | | - Hashim M. Al-Hashimi
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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26
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Warden MS, Tonelli M, Cornilescu G, Liu D, Hopersberger LJ, Ponniah K, Pascal SM. Structure of RNA Stem Loop B from the Picornavirus Replication Platform. Biochemistry 2017; 56:2549-2557. [PMID: 28459542 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The presumptive RNA cloverleaf at the start of the 5'-untranslated region of the picornavirus genome is an essential element in replication. Stem loop B (SLB) of the cloverleaf is a recognition site for the host polyC-binding protein, which initiates a switch from translation to replication. Here we present the solution structure of human rhinovirus isotype 14 SLB using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. SLB adopts a predominantly A-form helical structure. The stem contains five Watson-Crick base pairs and one wobble base pair and is capped by an eight-nucleotide loop. The wobble base pair introduces perturbations into the helical parameters but does not appear to introduce flexibility. However, the helix major groove appears to be accessible. Flexibility is seen throughout the loop and in the terminal nucleotides. The pyrimidine-rich region of the loop, the apparent recognition site for the polyC-binding protein, is the most disordered region of the structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan S Warden
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion University , Norfolk, Virginia 23529, United States
| | - Marco Tonelli
- National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison (NMRFAM), University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Gabriel Cornilescu
- National Magnetic Resonance Facility at Madison (NMRFAM), University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Dong Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion University , Norfolk, Virginia 23529, United States
| | - Lorelei J Hopersberger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion University , Norfolk, Virginia 23529, United States
| | - Komala Ponniah
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion University , Norfolk, Virginia 23529, United States
| | - Steven M Pascal
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion University , Norfolk, Virginia 23529, United States
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27
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Borkar AN, Vallurupalli P, Camilloni C, Kay LE, Vendruscolo M. Simultaneous NMR characterisation of multiple minima in the free energy landscape of an RNA UUCG tetraloop. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:2797-2804. [PMID: 28067358 PMCID: PMC6529357 DOI: 10.1039/c6cp08313g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
RNA molecules in solution tend to undergo structural fluctuations of relatively large amplitude and to populate a range of different conformations some of which with low populations. It is still very challenging, however, to characterise the structures of these low populated states and to understand their functional roles. In the present study, we address this problem by using NMR residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) as structural restraints in replica-averaged metadynamics (RAM) simulations. By applying this approach to a 14-mer RNA hairpin containing the prototypical UUCG tetraloop motif, we show that it is possible to construct the free energy landscape of this RNA molecule. This free energy landscapes reveals the surprisingly rich dynamics of the UUCG tetraloop and identifies the multiple substates that exist in equilibrium owing to thermal fluctuations. The approach that we present is general and can be applied to the study of the free energy landscapes of other RNA or RNA-protein systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi N Borkar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Pramodh Vallurupalli
- Departments of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada M5S 1A8
| | - Carlo Camilloni
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK.
| | - Lewis E Kay
- Departments of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, and Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada M5S 1A8
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28
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Andrałojć W, Ravera E, Salmon L, Parigi G, Al-Hashimi HM, Luchinat C. Inter-helical conformational preferences of HIV-1 TAR-RNA from maximum occurrence analysis of NMR data and molecular dynamics simulations. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 18:5743-52. [PMID: 26360616 DOI: 10.1039/c5cp03993b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Detecting conformational heterogeneity in biological macromolecules is a key for the understanding of their biological function. We here provide a comparison between two independent approaches to assess conformational heterogeneity: molecular dynamics simulations, performed without inclusion of any experimental data, and maximum occurrence (MaxOcc) distribution over the topologically available conformational space. The latter only reflects the extent of the averaging and identifies regions which are most compliant with the experimentally measured NMR Residual Dipolar Couplings (RDCs). The analysis was performed for the HIV-1 TAR RNA, consisting of two helical domains connected by a flexible bulge junction, for which four sets of RDCs were available as well as an 8.2 μs all-atom molecular dynamics simulation. A sample and select approach was previously applied to extract from the molecular dynamics trajectory conformational ensembles in agreement with the four sets of RDCs. The MaxOcc analysis performed here identifies the most likely sampled region in the conformational space of the system which, strikingly, overlaps well with the structures independently sampled in the molecular dynamics calculations and even better with the RDC selected ensemble.
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Affiliation(s)
- Witold Andrałojć
- Magnetic Resonance Center "CERM", University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy.
| | - Enrico Ravera
- Magnetic Resonance Center "CERM", University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy. and Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | - Loïc Salmon
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Giacomo Parigi
- Magnetic Resonance Center "CERM", University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy. and Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
| | - Hashim M Al-Hashimi
- Department of Biochemistry and Department of Chemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, 307 Research Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA
| | - Claudio Luchinat
- Magnetic Resonance Center "CERM", University of Florence, Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy. and Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
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29
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Quinn CM, Polenova T. Structural biology of supramolecular assemblies by magic-angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. Q Rev Biophys 2017; 50:e1. [PMID: 28093096 PMCID: PMC5483179 DOI: 10.1017/s0033583516000159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, exciting developments in instrument technology and experimental methodology have advanced the field of magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to new heights. Contemporary MAS NMR yields atomic-level insights into structure and dynamics of an astounding range of biological systems, many of which cannot be studied by other methods. With the advent of fast MAS, proton detection, and novel pulse sequences, large supramolecular assemblies, such as cytoskeletal proteins and intact viruses, are now accessible for detailed analysis. In this review, we will discuss the current MAS NMR methodologies that enable characterization of complex biomolecular systems and will present examples of applications to several classes of assemblies comprising bacterial and mammalian cytoskeleton as well as human immunodeficiency virus 1 and bacteriophage viruses. The body of work reviewed herein is representative of the recent advancements in the field, with respect to the complexity of the systems studied, the quality of the data, and the significance to the biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M. Quinn
- University of Delaware, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Newark, DE 19711; Pittsburgh Center for HIV Protein Interactions, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15306
| | - Tatyana Polenova
- University of Delaware, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Newark, DE 19711; Pittsburgh Center for HIV Protein Interactions, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15306
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30
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Huang W, Emani PS, Varani G, Drobny GP. Ultraslow Domain Motions in HIV-1 TAR RNA Revealed by Solid-State Deuterium NMR. J Phys Chem B 2016; 121:110-117. [PMID: 27930881 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b11041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Intrinsic motions may allow HIV-1 transactivation response (TAR) RNA to change its conformation to form a functional complex with the Tat protein, which is essential for viral replication. Understanding the dynamic properties of TAR necessitates determining motion on the intermediate nanosecond-to-microsecond time scale. To this end, we performed solid-state deuterium NMR line-shape and T1Z relaxation-time experiments to measure intermediate motions for two uridine residues, U40 and U42, within the lower helix of TAR. We infer global motions at rates of ∼105 s-1 in the lower helix, which are much slower than those in the upper helix (∼106 s-1), indicating that the two helical domains reorient independently of one another in the solid-state sample. These results contribute to the aim of fully describing the properties of functional motions in TAR RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Huang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington , Box 351700, Seattle 98195, United States
| | - Prashant S Emani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington , Box 351700, Seattle 98195, United States
| | - Gabriele Varani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington , Box 351700, Seattle 98195, United States
| | - Gary P Drobny
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington , Box 351700, Seattle 98195, United States
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31
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Effect of mutations on internal dynamics of an RNA hairpin from hepatitis B virus. Biophys Chem 2016; 218:7-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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32
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Krawczyk K, Sim AYL, Knapp B, Deane CM, Minary P. Tertiary Element Interaction in HIV-1 TAR. J Chem Inf Model 2016; 56:1746-54. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.6b00152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Konrad Krawczyk
- Department of Computer Science, Oxford University, Parks Road, OX1 3QD Oxford, U.K
| | - Adelene Y. L. Sim
- Bioinformatics Institute (A*STAR), 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore, Singapore 138671
| | - Bernhard Knapp
- Department of Statistics, Oxford University, St Giles, OX1 3LB Oxford, U.K
| | - Charlotte M. Deane
- Department of Statistics, Oxford University, St Giles, OX1 3LB Oxford, U.K
| | - Peter Minary
- Department of Computer Science, Oxford University, Parks Road, OX1 3QD Oxford, U.K
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33
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Merriman DK, Xue Y, Yang S, Kimsey IJ, Shakya A, Clay M, Al-Hashimi HM. Shortening the HIV-1 TAR RNA Bulge by a Single Nucleotide Preserves Motional Modes over a Broad Range of Time Scales. Biochemistry 2016; 55:4445-56. [PMID: 27232530 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Helix-junction-helix (HJH) motifs are flexible building blocks of RNA architecture that help define the orientation and dynamics of helical domains. They are also frequently involved in adaptive recognition of proteins and small molecules and in the formation of tertiary contacts. Here, we use a battery of nuclear magnetic resonance techniques to examine how deleting a single bulge residue (C24) from the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) transactivation response element (TAR) trinucleotide bulge (U23-C24-U25) affects dynamics over a broad range of time scales. Shortening the bulge has an effect on picosecond-to-nanosecond interhelical and local bulge dynamics similar to that casued by increasing the Mg(2+) and Na(+) concentration, whereby a preexisting two-state equilibrium in TAR is shifted away from a bent flexible conformation toward a coaxial conformation, in which all three bulge residues are flipped out and flexible. Surprisingly, the point deletion minimally affects microsecond-to-millisecond conformational exchange directed toward two low-populated and short-lived excited conformational states that form through reshuffling of bases pairs throughout TAR. The mutant does, however, adopt a slightly different excited conformational state on the millisecond time scale, in which U23 is intrahelical, mimicking the expected conformation of residue C24 in the excited conformational state of wild-type TAR. Thus, minor changes in HJH topology preserve motional modes in RNA occurring over the picosecond-to-millisecond time scales but alter the relative populations of the sampled states or cause subtle changes in their conformational features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn K Merriman
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Yi Xue
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center , Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - Shan Yang
- Baxter Health Care (Suzhou) Company, Ltd. , Suzhou, Jiang Su 215028, China
| | - Isaac J Kimsey
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center , Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - Anisha Shakya
- Department of Chemistry and Biophysics, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Mary Clay
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center , Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - Hashim M Al-Hashimi
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.,Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center , Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
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34
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Borkar AN, Bardaro MF, Camilloni C, Aprile FA, Varani G, Vendruscolo M. Structure of a low-population binding intermediate in protein-RNA recognition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:7171-6. [PMID: 27286828 PMCID: PMC4932932 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1521349113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction of the HIV-1 protein transactivator of transcription (Tat) and its cognate transactivation response element (TAR) RNA transactivates viral transcription and represents a paradigm for the widespread occurrence of conformational rearrangements in protein-RNA recognition. Although the structures of free and bound forms of TAR are well characterized, the conformations of the intermediates in the binding process are still unknown. By determining the free energy landscape of the complex using NMR residual dipolar couplings in replica-averaged metadynamics simulations, we observe two low-population intermediates. We then rationally design two mutants, one in the protein and another in the RNA, that weaken specific nonnative interactions that stabilize one of the intermediates. By using surface plasmon resonance, we show that these mutations lower the release rate of Tat, as predicted. These results identify the structure of an intermediate for RNA-protein binding and illustrate a general strategy to achieve this goal with high resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi N Borkar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Michael F Bardaro
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98197-1700
| | - Carlo Camilloni
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco A Aprile
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriele Varani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98197-1700
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom;
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35
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Belfetmi A, Zargarian L, Tisné C, Sleiman D, Morellet N, Lescop E, Maskri O, René B, Mély Y, Fossé P, Mauffret O. Insights into the mechanisms of RNA secondary structure destabilization by the HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2016; 22:506-517. [PMID: 26826129 PMCID: PMC4793207 DOI: 10.1261/rna.054445.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The mature HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein NCp7 (NC) plays a key role in reverse transcription facilitating the two obligatory strand transfers. Several properties contribute to its efficient chaperon activity: preferential binding to single-stranded regions, nucleic acid aggregation, helix destabilization, and rapid dissociation from nucleic acids. However, little is known about the relationships between these different properties, which are complicated by the ability of the protein to recognize particular HIV-1 stem-loops, such as SL1, SL2, and SL3, with high affinity and without destabilizing them. These latter properties are important in the context of genome packaging, during which NC is part of the Gag precursor. We used NMR to investigate destabilization of the full-length TAR (trans activating response element) RNA by NC, which is involved in the first strand transfer step of reverse transcription. NC was used at a low protein:nucleotide (nt) ratio of 1:59 in these experiments. NMR data for the imino protons of TAR identified most of the base pairs destabilized by NC. These base pairs were adjacent to the loops in the upper part of the TAR hairpin rather than randomly distributed. Gel retardation assays showed that conversion from the initial TAR-cTAR complex to the fully annealed form occurred much more slowly at the 1:59 ratio than at the higher ratios classically used. Nevertheless, NC significantly accelerated the formation of the initial complex at a ratio of 1:59.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anissa Belfetmi
- LBPA, ENS de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 94235 Cachan Cedex, France
| | - Loussiné Zargarian
- LBPA, ENS de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 94235 Cachan Cedex, France
| | - Carine Tisné
- Laboratoire de Cristallographie et RMN biologiques, Université Paris Descartes, CNRS UMR 8015, 75006 Paris Cedex, France
| | - Dona Sleiman
- Laboratoire de Cristallographie et RMN biologiques, Université Paris Descartes, CNRS UMR 8015, 75006 Paris Cedex, France
| | - Nelly Morellet
- Centre de Recherches de Gif, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS UPR 2301, 91190 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Ewen Lescop
- Centre de Recherches de Gif, Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS UPR 2301, 91190 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Ouerdia Maskri
- LBPA, ENS de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 94235 Cachan Cedex, France
| | - Brigitte René
- LBPA, ENS de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 94235 Cachan Cedex, France
| | - Yves Mély
- Laboratoire de Biophotonique et Pharmacologie, CNRS UMR 7213, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, 67401 Illkirch Cedex, France
| | - Philippe Fossé
- LBPA, ENS de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 94235 Cachan Cedex, France
| | - Olivier Mauffret
- LBPA, ENS de Cachan, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 94235 Cachan Cedex, France
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36
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Harwig A, Jongejan A, van Kampen AHC, Berkhout B, Das AT. Tat-dependent production of an HIV-1 TAR-encoded miRNA-like small RNA. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:4340-53. [PMID: 26984525 PMCID: PMC4872094 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence is accumulating that retroviruses can produce microRNAs (miRNAs). To prevent cleavage of their RNA genome, retroviruses have to use an alternative RNA source as miRNA precursor. The transacting responsive (TAR) hairpin structure in HIV-1 RNA has been suggested as source for miRNAs, but how these small RNAs are produced without impeding virus replication remained unclear. We used deep sequencing analysis of AGO2-bound HIV-1 RNAs to demonstrate that the 3′ side of the TAR hairpin is processed into a miRNA-like small RNA. This ∼21 nt RNA product is able to repress the expression of mRNAs bearing a complementary target sequence. Analysis of the small RNAs produced by wild-type and mutant HIV-1 variants revealed that non-processive transcription from the HIV-1 LTR promoter results in the production of short TAR RNAs that serve as precursor. These TAR RNAs are cleaved by Dicer and processing is stimulated by the viral Tat protein. This biogenesis pathway differs from the canonical miRNA pathway and allows HIV-1 to produce the TAR-encoded miRNA-like molecule without cleavage of the RNA genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Harwig
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aldo Jongejan
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Antoine H C van Kampen
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands Biosystems Data Analysis, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ben Berkhout
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Atze T Das
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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37
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Frank AT. Can Holo NMR Chemical Shifts be Directly Used to Resolve RNA–Ligand Poses? J Chem Inf Model 2016; 56:368-76. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.5b00593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron T. Frank
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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38
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Shakya A, Dougherty CA, Xue Y, Al-Hashimi HM, Banaszak Holl MM. Rapid Exchange Between Free and Bound States in RNA-Dendrimer Polyplexes: Implications on the Mechanism of Delivery and Release. Biomacromolecules 2016; 17:154-64. [PMID: 26595195 PMCID: PMC5070374 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.5b01280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
A combination of solution NMR, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and fluorescence quenching assays were employed to obtain insights into the dynamics and structural features of a polyplex system consisting of HIV-1 transactivation response element (TAR) and PEGylated generation 5 poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (G5-PEG). NMR chemical shift mapping and (13)C spin relaxation based dynamics measurements depict the polyplex system as a highly dynamic assembly where the RNA, with its local structure and dynamics preserved, rapidly exchanges (
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Affiliation(s)
- Anisha Shakya
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1055, USA
| | - Casey A. Dougherty
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1055, USA
| | - Yi Xue
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Hashim M. Al-Hashimi
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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39
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Juneja A, Villa A, Nilsson L. Elucidating the Relation between Internal Motions and Dihedral Angles in an RNA Hairpin Using Molecular Dynamics. J Chem Theory Comput 2015; 10:3532-40. [PMID: 26588317 DOI: 10.1021/ct500203m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to characterize the internal motions of the ribonucleic acid apical stem loop of human hepatitis B virus. The NMR relaxation rates calculated directly from the trajectory are in good agreement with the experiment. Calculated order parameters follow the experimental pattern. Order parameters lower than 0.8 are observed for nucleotides that are weakly hydrogen bonded to their base pair partner, unpaired, or part of the loop. These residues show slow decay of the internal correlation functions of their base and sugar C-H vectors. Concerted motions around backbone dihedral angles influence the amplitude of motion of the sugar and base C-H vectors. The order parameters for base C-H vectors are also affected by the fluctuation of the glycosidic dihedral angle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alok Juneja
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Center of Biosciences, Karolinska Institutet , SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Alessandra Villa
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Center of Biosciences, Karolinska Institutet , SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Lennart Nilsson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Center of Biosciences, Karolinska Institutet , SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
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40
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Roh JH, Tyagi M, Aich P, Kim K, Briber RM, Woodson SA. Charge screening in RNA: an integral route for dynamical enhancements. SOFT MATTER 2015; 11:8741-8745. [PMID: 26430908 DOI: 10.1039/c5sm02084k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Electrostatic interactions of RNA are at the center of determining the dynamical flexibility and structural stability. By analysing neutron scattering spectroscopy, we show that fast dynamics of hydrated tRNA on ps to ns timescales increases with stronger charge screening, while its structural stability either increases or remains largely unchanged. An unprecedented electrostatic threshold for the onset of additional flexibility is induced from the correlation between the charge-screening density of counterions and the promoted dynamical properties. The results demonstrate that the enhanced dynamical flexibility of tRNA originates from local conformational relaxation coupled with stabilized charge screening rather than governed by fluctuation of hydrated counterions. The present study casts light on the specificity of electrostatic interactions in the thermodynamic balance between the dynamical flexibility and structural stability of RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joon Ho Roh
- Center for Self-assembly and Complexity (CSC), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Pohang 37673, South Korea. and Biomolecular Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, South Korea
| | - Madhu Tyagi
- NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Techonology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Pulakesh Aich
- Center for Self-assembly and Complexity (CSC), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Pohang 37673, South Korea.
| | - Kimoon Kim
- Center for Self-assembly and Complexity (CSC), Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Pohang 37673, South Korea. and Department of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, South Korea
| | - R M Briber
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA
| | - Sarah A Woodson
- T. C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
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41
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Villa A, Stock G. What NMR Relaxation Can Tell Us about the Internal Motion of an RNA Hairpin: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study. J Chem Theory Comput 2015; 2:1228-36. [PMID: 26626832 DOI: 10.1021/ct600160z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Classical molecular dynamics simulations of a 14-mer UUCG RNA hairpin are performed to study its conformational dynamics and corresponding NMR relaxation parameters. The direct calculation of the relaxation rates from the trajectory yields good agreement with experiment, indicating the validity of the theoretical model. Various ways to provide a link between theory and experiment are considered, including the "model-free approach" of Lipari and Szabo and Gaussian axial fluctuation model of Brüschweilwer. It is studied if the underlying assumptions of these approaches are satisfied in the case of a flexible RNA hairpin. Being consistent with the analysis of the NMR experiments, Lipari-Szabo fits of the first 100 or 1000 ps of the internal correlation functions lead to a nice agreement between calculated and experimental order parameters and internal correlation times. Finally, the relation between NMR order parameters and the underlying internal motion of the RNA hairpin is discussed in detail. A principal component analysis reveals that the principal motions of the molecule account only partially for the measured NMR order parameters, because the latter are insensitive to internal dynamics occurring on a nanosecond time scale due to molecular tumbling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Villa
- Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, J. W. Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Gerhard Stock
- Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, J. W. Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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42
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Salmon L, Giambaşu GM, Nikolova EN, Petzold K, Bhattacharya A, Case DA, Al-Hashimi HM. Modulating RNA Alignment Using Directional Dynamic Kinks: Application in Determining an Atomic-Resolution Ensemble for a Hairpin using NMR Residual Dipolar Couplings. J Am Chem Soc 2015; 137:12954-65. [PMID: 26306428 PMCID: PMC4748170 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b07229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Approaches that combine experimental data and computational molecular dynamics (MD) to determine atomic resolution ensembles of biomolecules require the measurement of abundant experimental data. NMR residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) carry rich dynamics information, however, difficulties in modulating overall alignment of nucleic acids have limited the ability to fully extract this information. We present a strategy for modulating RNA alignment that is based on introducing variable dynamic kinks in terminal helices. With this strategy, we measured seven sets of RDCs in a cUUCGg apical loop and used this rich data set to test the accuracy of an 0.8 μs MD simulation computed using the Amber ff10 force field as well as to determine an atomic resolution ensemble. The MD-generated ensemble quantitatively reproduces the measured RDCs, but selection of a sub-ensemble was required to satisfy the RDCs within error. The largest discrepancies between the RDC-selected and MD-generated ensembles are observed for the most flexible loop residues and backbone angles connecting the loop to the helix, with the RDC-selected ensemble resulting in more uniform dynamics. Comparison of the RDC-selected ensemble with NMR spin relaxation data suggests that the dynamics occurs on the ps-ns time scales as verified by measurements of R(1ρ) relaxation-dispersion data. The RDC-satisfying ensemble samples many conformations adopted by the hairpin in crystal structures indicating that intrinsic plasticity may play important roles in conformational adaptation. The approach presented here can be applied to test nucleic acid force fields and to characterize dynamics in diverse RNA motifs at atomic resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Salmon
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - George M. Giambaşu
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Evgenia N. Nikolova
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Katja Petzold
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - David A. Case
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Hashim M. Al-Hashimi
- Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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43
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Duchardt-Ferner E, Weigand JE, Ohlenschläger O, Schmidtke SR, Suess B, Wöhnert J. Highly modular structure and ligand binding by conformational capture in a minimalistic riboswitch. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2015; 49:6216-9. [PMID: 20632338 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201001339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elke Duchardt-Ferner
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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44
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Wunderlich CH, Juen MA, LeBlanc RM, Longhini AP, Dayie TK, Kreutz C. Stable isotope-labeled RNA phosphoramidites to facilitate dynamics by NMR. Methods Enzymol 2015; 565:461-94. [PMID: 26577742 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2015.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Given that Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) are a central hub of various cellular processes, methods to synthesize these RNAs for biophysical studies are much needed. Here, we showcase the applicability of 6-(13)C-pyrimidine phosphoramidites to introduce isolated (13)C-(1)H spin pairs into RNAs up to 40 nucleotides long. The method allows the incorporation of 6-(13)C-uridine and -cytidine residues at any desired position within a target RNA. By site-specific positioning of the (13)C-label using RNA solid phase synthesis, these stable isotope-labeling patterns are especially well suited to resolve resonance assignment ambiguities. Of even greater importance, the labeling pattern affords accurate quantification of important functional transitions of biologically relevant RNAs (e.g., riboswitch aptamer domains, viral RNAs, or ribozymes) in the μs- to ms time regime and beyond without complications of one bond carbon scalar couplings. We outline the chemical synthesis of the 6-(13)C-pyrimidine building blocks and their use in RNA solid phase synthesis and demonstrate their utility in Carr Purcell Meiboom Gill relaxation dispersion, ZZ exchange, and chemical exchange saturation transfer NMR experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph H Wunderlich
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Sciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michael A Juen
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Sciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Regan M LeBlanc
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Biomolecular Structure and Organization, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Andrew P Longhini
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Biomolecular Structure and Organization, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - T Kwaku Dayie
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Center for Biomolecular Structure and Organization, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.
| | - Christoph Kreutz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Center for Biomolecular Sciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
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45
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Tawani A, Kumar A. Structural Insights Reveal the Dynamics of the Repeating r(CAG) Transcript Found in Huntington's Disease (HD) and Spinocerebellar Ataxias (SCAs). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0131788. [PMID: 26148061 PMCID: PMC4493008 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's disease (HD) and many spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) have been found to be associated with CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion. An important RNA-mediated mechanism that causes these diseases involves the binding of the splicing regulator protein MBNL1 (Muscleblind-like 1 protein) to expanded r(CAG) repeats. Moreover, mutant huntingtin protein translated from expanded r(CAG) also yields toxic effects. To discern the role of mutant RNA in these diseases, it is essential to gather information about its structure. Detailed insight into the different structures and conformations adopted by these mutant transcripts is vital for developing therapeutics targeting them. Here, we report the crystal structure of an RNA model with a r(CAG) motif, which is complemented by an NMR-based solution structure obtained from restrained Molecular Dynamics (rMD) simulation studies. Crystal structure data of the RNA model resolved at 2.3 Å reveals non-canonical pairing of adenine in 5´-CAG/3´-GAC motif samples in different syn and anti conformations. The overall RNA structure has helical parameters intermediate to the A- and B-forms of nucleic acids due to the global widening of major grooves and base-pair preferences near internal AA loops. The comprehension of structural behaviour by studying the spectral features and the dynamics also supports the flexible nature of the r(CAG) motif.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpita Tawani
- Centre for Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
| | - Amit Kumar
- Centre for Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
- * E-mail:
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46
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Strom S, Shiskova E, Hahm Y, Grover N. Thermodynamic examination of 1- to 5-nt purine bulge loops in RNA and DNA constructs. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2015; 21:1313-22. [PMID: 26022248 PMCID: PMC4478350 DOI: 10.1261/rna.046631.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Bulge loops are common features of RNA structures that are involved in the formation of RNA tertiary structures and are often sites for interactions with proteins and ions. Minimal thermodynamic data currently exist on the bulge size and sequence effects. Using thermal denaturation methods, thermodynamic properties of 1- to 5-nt adenine and guanine bulge loop constructs were examined in 10 mM MgCl(2) or 1 M KCl. The [Formula: see text] loop parameters for 1- to 5-nt purine bulge loops in RNA constructs were between 3.07 and 5.31 kcal/mol in 1 M KCl buffer. In 10 mM magnesium ions, the ΔΔG° values relative to 1 M KCl were 0.47-2.06 kcal/mol more favorable for the RNA bulge loops. The [Formula: see text] loop parameters for 1- to 5-nt purine bulge loops in DNA constructs were between 4.54 and 5.89 kcal/mol. Only 4- and 5-nt guanine constructs showed significant change in stability for the DNA constructs in magnesium ions. A linear correlation is seen between the size of the bulge loop and its stability. New prediction models are proposed for 1- to 5-nt purine bulge loops in RNA and DNA in 1 M KCl. We show that a significant stabilization is seen for small bulge loops in RNA in the presence of magnesium ions. A prediction model is also proposed for 1- to 5-nt purine bulge loop RNA constructs in 10 mM magnesium chloride.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane Strom
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903, USA
| | - Evgenia Shiskova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903, USA
| | - Yaeeun Hahm
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903, USA
| | - Neena Grover
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903, USA
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47
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Frank AT, Zhang Q, Al-Hashimi HM, Andricioaei I. Slowdown of Interhelical Motions Induces a Glass Transition in RNA. Biophys J 2015; 108:2876-85. [PMID: 26083927 PMCID: PMC4472199 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.04.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2014] [Revised: 03/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA function depends crucially on the details of its dynamics. The simplest RNA dynamical unit is a two-way interhelical junction. Here, for such a unit--the transactivation response RNA element--we present evidence from molecular dynamics simulations, supported by nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation experiments, for a dynamical transition near 230 K. This glass transition arises from the freezing out of collective interhelical motional modes. The motions, resolved with site-specificity, are dynamically heterogeneous and exhibit non-Arrhenius relaxation. The microscopic origin of the glass transition is a low-dimensional, slow manifold consisting largely of the Euler angles describing interhelical reorientation. Principal component analysis over a range of temperatures covering the glass transition shows that the abrupt slowdown of motion finds its explanation in a localization transition that traps probability density into several disconnected conformational pools over the low-dimensional energy landscape. Upon temperature increase, the probability density pools then flood a larger basin, akin to a lakes-to-sea transition. Simulations on transactivation response RNA are also used to backcalculate inelastic neutron scattering data that match previous inelastic neutron scattering measurements on larger and more complex RNA structures and which, upon normalization, give temperature-dependent fluctuation profiles that overlap onto a glass transition curve that is quasi-universal over a range of systems and techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron T Frank
- Department of Chemistry, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Qi Zhang
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Hashim M Al-Hashimi
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Ioan Andricioaei
- Department of Chemistry, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California.
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48
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Lu J, Nguyen L, Zhao L, Xia T, Qi X. A Cyclic Mimic of HIV Tat Differentiates Similar TAR RNAs on the Basis of Distinct Dynamic Behaviors. Biochemistry 2015; 54:3687-93. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.5b00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Lu
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Larry Nguyen
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
| | - Liang Zhao
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Tianbing Xia
- Department
of Molecular and Cell Biology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080, United States
| | - Xin Qi
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, United States
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49
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Abstract
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Influenza A is an RNA virus with
a genome of eight negative sense
segments. Segment 7 mRNA contains a 3′ splice site for alternative
splicing to encode the essential M2 protein. On the basis of sequence
alignment and chemical mapping experiments, the secondary structure
surrounding the 3′ splice site has an internal loop, adenine
bulge, and hairpin loop when it is in the hairpin conformation that
exposes the 3′ splice site. We report structural features of
a three-dimensional model of the hairpin derived from nuclear magnetic
resonance spectra and simulated annealing with restrained molecular
dynamics. Additional insight was provided by modeling based on 1H chemical shifts. The internal loop containing the 3′
splice site has a dynamic guanosine and a stable imino (cis Watson–Crick/Watson–Crick) GA pair. The adenine bulge
also appears to be dynamic with the A either stacked in the stem or
forming a base triple with a Watson–Crick GC pair. The hairpin
loop is a GAAA tetraloop closed by an AC pair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan L Chen
- †Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
| | - Scott D Kennedy
- ‡Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York 14642, United States
| | - Douglas H Turner
- †Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States.,§Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, United States
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50
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Computational docking simulations of a DNA-aptamer for argininamide and related ligands. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2015; 29:643-54. [PMID: 25877490 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-015-9844-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The binding properties of sequence-specific nucleic acids (aptamers) to low-molecular-weight ligands, macromolecules and even cells attract substantial scientific interest. These ligand-DNA complexes found different applications for sensing, nanomedicine, and DNA nanotechnology. Structural information on the aptamer-ligand complexes is, however, scarce, even though it would open-up the possibilities to design novel features in the complexes. In the present study we apply molecular docking simulations to probe the features of an experimentally documented L-argininamide aptamer complex. The docking simulations were performed using AutoDock 4.0 and YASARA Structure software, a well-suited program for following intermolecular interactions and structures of biomolecules, including DNA. We explored the binding features of a DNA aptamer to L-argininamide and to a series of arginine derivatives or arginine-like ligands. We find that the best docking results are obtained after an energy-minimization of the parent ligand-aptamer complexes. The calculated binding energies of all mono-substituted guanidine-containing ligands show a good correlation with the experimentally determined binding constants. The results provide valuable guidelines for the application of docking simulations for the prediction of aptamer-ligand structures, and for the design of novel features of ligand-aptamer complexes.
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