1
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Holguin-Cruz JA, Bui JM, Jha A, Na D, Gsponer J. Widespread alteration of protein autoinhibition in human cancers. Cell Syst 2024; 15:246-263.e7. [PMID: 38366601 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2024.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Autoinhibition is a prevalent allosteric regulatory mechanism in signaling proteins. Reduced autoinhibition underlies the tumorigenic effect of some known cancer drivers, but whether autoinhibition is altered generally in cancer remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that cancer-associated missense mutations, in-frame insertions/deletions, and fusion breakpoints are enriched within inhibitory allosteric switches (IASs) across all cancer types. Selection for IASs that are recurrently mutated in cancers identifies established and unknown cancer drivers. Recurrent missense mutations in IASs of these drivers are associated with distinct, cancer-specific changes in molecular signaling. For the specific case of PPP3CA, the catalytic subunit of calcineurin, we provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of altered autoinhibition by cancer mutations using biomolecular simulations, and demonstrate that such mutations are associated with transcriptome changes consistent with increased calcineurin signaling. Our integrative study shows that autoinhibition-modulating genetic alterations are positively selected for by cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge A Holguin-Cruz
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Jennifer M Bui
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Ashwani Jha
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Dokyun Na
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, 84 Heukseok-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Jörg Gsponer
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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2
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Jevtic Z, Allram M, Grebien F, Schwaller J. Biomolecular Condensates in Myeloid Leukemia: What Do They Tell Us? Hemasphere 2023; 7:e923. [PMID: 37388925 PMCID: PMC10306439 DOI: 10.1097/hs9.0000000000000923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have suggested that several oncogenic and tumor-suppressive proteins carry out their functions in the context of specific membrane-less cellular compartments. As these compartments, generally referred to as onco-condensates, are specific to tumor cells and are tightly linked to disease development, the mechanisms of their formation and maintenance have been intensively studied. Here we review the proposed leukemogenic and tumor-suppressive activities of nuclear biomolecular condensates in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We focus on condensates formed by oncogenic fusion proteins including nucleoporin 98 (NUP98), mixed-lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1, also known as KMT2A), mutated nucleophosmin (NPM1c) and others. We also discuss how altered condensate formation contributes to malignant transformation of hematopoietic cells, as described for promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) in PML::RARA-driven acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and other myeloid malignancies. Finally, we discuss potential strategies for interfering with the molecular mechanisms related to AML-associated biomolecular condensates, as well as current limitations of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zivojin Jevtic
- Department of Biomedicine (DBM), University Children’s Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland
| | - Melanie Allram
- Institute for Medical Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Grebien
- Institute for Medical Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
- St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute (CCRI), Vienna, Austria
| | - Juerg Schwaller
- Department of Biomedicine (DBM), University Children’s Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland
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3
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Reciprocal regulatory balance within the CLEC16A-RNF41 mitophagy complex depends on an intrinsically disordered protein region. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:103057. [PMID: 36822331 PMCID: PMC10066562 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.103057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
CLEC16A is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that regulates mitochondrial quality control through mitophagy and is associated with over 20 human diseases. CLEC16A forms a complex with another E3 ligase, RNF41, and a ubiquitin-specific peptidase, USP8; however, regions that regulate CLEC16A activity or the assembly of the tripartite mitophagy regulatory complex are unknown. Here, we report that CLEC16A contains an internal intrinsically disordered protein region (IDPR) that is crucial for CLEC16A function and turnover. IDPRs lack a fixed secondary structure and possess emerging, yet still equivocal roles in protein stability, interactions, and enzymatic activity. We find that the internal IDPR of CLEC16A is crucial for its degradation. CLEC16A turnover was promoted by RNF41, which binds and acts upon the internal IDPR to destabilize CLEC16A. Loss of this internal IDPR also destabilized the ubiquitin-dependent tripartite CLEC16A-RNF41-USP8 complex. Finally, the presence of an internal IDPR within CLEC16A was confirmed using NMR and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Together, our studies reveal that an IDPR is essential to control the reciprocal regulatory balance between CLEC16A and RNF41, which could be targeted to improve mitochondrial health in disease.
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4
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Gingerich MA, Liu X, Chai B, Pearson GL, Vincent MP, Stromer T, Zhu J, Sidarala V, Renberg A, Sahu D, Klionsky DJ, Schnell S, Soleimanpour SA. An intrinsically disordered protein region encoded by the human disease gene CLEC16A regulates mitophagy. Autophagy 2023; 19:525-543. [PMID: 35604110 PMCID: PMC9851259 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2022.2080383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
CLEC16A regulates mitochondrial health through mitophagy and is associated with over 20 human diseases. However, the key structural and functional regions of CLEC16A, and their relevance for human disease, remain unknown. Here, we report that a disease-associated CLEC16A variant lacks a C-terminal intrinsically disordered protein region (IDPR) that is critical for mitochondrial quality control. IDPRs comprise nearly half of the human proteome, yet their mechanistic roles in human disease are poorly understood. Using carbon detect NMR, we find that the CLEC16A C terminus lacks secondary structure, validating the presence of an IDPR. Loss of the CLEC16A C-terminal IDPR in vivo impairs mitophagy, mitochondrial function, and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, ultimately causing glucose intolerance. Deletion of the CLEC16A C-terminal IDPR increases CLEC16A ubiquitination and degradation, thus impairing assembly of the mitophagy regulatory machinery. Importantly, CLEC16A stability is dependent on proline bias within the C-terminal IDPR, but not amino acid sequence order or charge. Together, we elucidate how an IDPR in CLEC16A regulates mitophagy and implicate pathogenic human gene variants that disrupt IDPRs as novel contributors to diabetes and other CLEC16A-associated diseases.Abbreviations : CAS: carbon-detect amino-acid specific; IDPR: intrinsically disordered protein region; MEFs: mouse embryonic fibroblasts; NMR: nuclear magnetic resonance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan A. Gingerich
- Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA,Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Xueying Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA,Department of Cardiology, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Biaoxin Chai
- Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Gemma L. Pearson
- Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Michael P. Vincent
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA,Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tracy Stromer
- Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jie Zhu
- Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Vaibhav Sidarala
- Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Aaron Renberg
- Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Debashish Sahu
- BioNMR Core Facility, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Daniel J. Klionsky
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Santiago Schnell
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA,Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Scott A. Soleimanpour
- Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA,Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA,Medicine Service, Endocrinology and Metabolism Section, VA Ann Arbor Health Care System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA,CONTACT Scott A. Soleimanpour Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Michigan, Wall Street, Brehm Tower Room, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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5
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Dayhoff GW, Uversky VN. Rapid prediction and analysis of protein intrinsic disorder. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4496. [PMID: 36334049 PMCID: PMC9679974 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Protein intrinsic disorder is found in all kingdoms of life and is known to underpin numerous physiological and pathological processes. Computational methods play an important role in characterizing and identifying intrinsically disordered proteins and protein regions. Herein, we present a new high-efficiency web-based disorder predictor named Rapid Intrinsic Disorder Analysis Online (RIDAO) that is designed to facilitate the application of protein intrinsic disorder analysis in genome-scale structural bioinformatics and comparative genomics/proteomics. RIDAO integrates six established disorder predictors into a single, unified platform that reproduces the results of individual predictors with near-perfect fidelity. To demonstrate the potential applications, we construct a test set containing more than one million sequences from one hundred organisms comprising over 420 million residues. Using this test set, we compare the efficiency and accessibility (i.e., ease of use) of RIDAO to five well-known and popular disorder predictors, namely: AUCpreD, IUPred3, metapredict V2, flDPnn, and SPOT-Disorder2. We show that RIDAO yields per-residue predictions at a rate two to six orders of magnitude greater than the other predictors and completely processes the test set in under an hour. RIDAO can be accessed free of charge at https://ridao.app.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy W. Dayhoff
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of South FloridaTampaFloridaUSA
| | - Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research InstituteUniversity of South FloridaTampaFloridaUSA
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6
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Chakravarty AK, McGrail DJ, Lozanoski TM, Dunn BS, Shih DJ, Cirillo KM, Cetinkaya SH, Zheng WJ, Mills GB, Yi SS, Jarosz DF, Sahni N. Biomolecular Condensation: A New Phase in Cancer Research. Cancer Discov 2022; 12:2031-2043. [PMID: 35852417 PMCID: PMC9437557 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-21-1605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Multicellularity was a watershed development in evolution. However, it also meant that individual cells could escape regulatory mechanisms that restrict proliferation at a severe cost to the organism: cancer. From the standpoint of cellular organization, evolutionary complexity scales to organize different molecules within the intracellular milieu. The recent realization that many biomolecules can "phase-separate" into membraneless organelles, reorganizing cellular biochemistry in space and time, has led to an explosion of research activity in this area. In this review, we explore mechanistic connections between phase separation and cancer-associated processes and emerging examples of how these become deranged in malignancy. SIGNIFICANCE One of the fundamental functions of phase separation is to rapidly and dynamically respond to environmental perturbations. Importantly, these changes often lead to alterations in cancer-relevant pathways and processes. This review covers recent advances in the field, including emerging principles and mechanisms of phase separation in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupam K. Chakravarty
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Daniel J. McGrail
- Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
| | | | - Brandon S. Dunn
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - David J.H. Shih
- School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Kara M. Cirillo
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Sueda H. Cetinkaya
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Wenjin Jim Zheng
- School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Gordon B. Mills
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, Oregon
| | - S. Stephen Yi
- Department of Oncology, Livestrong Cancer Institutes, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
- Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Programs (ILSGP) and Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences (ICES), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Daniel F. Jarosz
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Nidhi Sahni
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Program in Quantitative and Computational Biosciences (QCB), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
- Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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7
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Mukherjee SB, Mukherjee S, Frenkel-Morgenstern M. Fusion proteins mediate alternation of protein interaction networks in cancers. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2022; 131:165-176. [PMID: 35871889 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2022.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Fusions of two different genes could lead to the production of chimeric RNAs, which could be translated into novel fusion (or chimeric) proteins. Fusion proteins often act as oncoproteins and drive cancer development, particularly in leukemia and lymphomas. Fusion proteins modify the existing protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, which could eliminate some PPIs by removing protein domains in such fusions. This alternation of protein interaction networks could impact the signaling pathways and switch on the cancer-promoting activity that could drive the generation of cancer phenotypes and/or loss of controlled apoptosis. Thus, knowledge of the fusion proteins and their protein interaction networks could facilitate a deeper molecular understanding of cancer development, which could help to design new approaches for cancer therapies. Here, we discuss the structural features of fusion proteins and how they impact the PPI networks in cancers. Further, we discuss how to analyze the fusion protein-mediated alternation of PPI networks in cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunanda Biswas Mukherjee
- Cancer Genomics and BioComputing of Complex Diseases Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Sumit Mukherjee
- Cancer Genomics and BioComputing of Complex Diseases Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern
- Cancer Genomics and BioComputing of Complex Diseases Lab, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel.
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8
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Quiroga IY, Ahn JH, Wang GG, Phanstiel D. Oncogenic fusion proteins and their role in three-dimensional chromatin structure, phase separation, and cancer. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2022; 74:101901. [PMID: 35427897 PMCID: PMC9156545 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2022.101901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) chromatin structure plays a critical role in development, gene regulation, and cellular identity. Alterations to this structure can have profound effects on cellular phenotypes and have been associated with a variety of diseases including multiple types of cancer. One of several forces that help shape 3D chromatin structure is liquid-liquid phase separation, a form of self-association between biomolecules that can sequester regions of chromatin into subnuclear droplets or even membraneless organelles like nucleoli. This review focuses on a class of oncogenic fusion proteins that appear to exert their oncogenic function via phase-separation-driven alterations to 3D chromatin structure. Here, we review what is known about the mechanisms by which these oncogenic fusion proteins phase separate in the nucleus and their role in shaping the 3D chromatin structure. We discuss the potential for this phenomenon to be a more widespread mechanism of oncogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Y Quiroga
- Thurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jeong Hyun Ahn
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Gang Greg Wang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Douglas Phanstiel
- Thurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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9
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Parisi G, Palopoli N, Tosatto SC, Fornasari MS, Tompa P. "Protein" no longer means what it used to. Curr Res Struct Biol 2021; 3:146-152. [PMID: 34308370 PMCID: PMC8283027 DOI: 10.1016/j.crstbi.2021.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Every biologist knows that the word protein describes a group of macromolecules essential to sustain life on Earth. As biologists, we are invariably trained under a protein paradigm established since the early twentieth century. However, in recent years, the term protein unveiled itself as an euphemism to describe the overwhelming heterogeneity of these compounds. Most of our current studies are targeted on carefully selected subsets of proteins, but we tend to think and write about these as representative of the whole population. Here we discuss how seeking for universal definitions and general rules in any arbitrarily segmented study would be misleading about the conclusions. Of course, it is not our purpose to discourage the use of the word protein. Instead, we suggest to embrace the extended universe of proteins to reach a deeper understanding of their full potential, realizing that the term encompasses a group of molecules very heterogeneous in terms of size, shape, chemistry and functions, i.e. the term protein no longer means what it used to.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Parisi
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, CONICET, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nicolas Palopoli
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, CONICET, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - María Silvina Fornasari
- Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Quilmes, CONICET, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Peter Tompa
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology (CSB), Brussels, Belgium
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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10
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Shao H, Huang W, Avilan L, Receveur-Bréchot V, Puppo C, Puppo R, Lebrun R, Gontero B, Launay H. A new type of flexible CP12 protein in the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. Cell Commun Signal 2021; 19:38. [PMID: 33761918 PMCID: PMC7992989 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-021-00718-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background CP12 is a small chloroplast protein that is widespread in various photosynthetic organisms and is an actor of the redox signaling pathway involved in the regulation of the Calvin Benson Bassham (CBB) cycle. The gene encoding this protein is conserved in many diatoms, but the protein has been overlooked in these organisms, despite their ecological importance and their complex and still enigmatic evolutionary background. Methods A combination of biochemical, bioinformatics and biophysical methods including electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, circular dichroism, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and small X ray scattering, was used to characterize a diatom CP12. Results Here, we demonstrate that CP12 is expressed in the marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana constitutively in dark-treated and in continuous light-treated cells as well as in all growth phases. This CP12 similarly to its homologues in other species has some features of intrinsically disorder protein family: it behaves abnormally under gel electrophoresis and size exclusion chromatography, has a high net charge and a bias amino acid composition. By contrast, unlike other known CP12 proteins that are monomers, this protein is a dimer as suggested by native electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry and small angle X-ray scattering. In addition, small angle X-ray scattering revealed that this CP12 is an elongated cylinder with kinks. Circular dichroism spectra indicated that CP12 has a high content of α-helices, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy suggested that these helices are unstable and dynamic within a millisecond timescale. Together with in silico predictions, these results suggest that T. pseudonana CP12 has both coiled coil and disordered regions. Conclusions These findings bring new insights into the large family of dynamic proteins containing disordered regions, thus increasing the diversity of known CP12 proteins. As it is a protein that is more abundant in many stresses, it is not devoted to one metabolism and in particular, it is not specific to carbon metabolism. This raises questions about the role of this protein in addition to the well-established regulation of the CBB cycle. Choregraphy of metabolism by CP12 proteins in Viridiplantae and Heterokonta. While the monomeric CP12 in Viridiplantae is involved in carbon assimilation, regulating phosphoribulokinase (PRK) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) through the formation of a ternary complex, in Heterokonta studied so far, the dimeric CP12 is associated with Ferredoxin-NADP reductase (FNR) and GAPDH. The Viridiplantae CP12 can bind metal ions and can be a chaperone, the Heterokonta CP12 is more abundant in all stresses (C, N, Si, P limited conditions) and is not specific to a metabolism. ![]()
Video Abstract
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12964-021-00718-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Shao
- CNRS, BIP UMR 7281, Aix Marseille Univ, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402, Marseille Cedex 20, France
| | - Wenmin Huang
- CNRS, BIP UMR 7281, Aix Marseille Univ, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402, Marseille Cedex 20, France.,Key Laboratory of Aquatic Botany and Watershed Ecology, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Luisana Avilan
- CNRS, BIP UMR 7281, Aix Marseille Univ, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402, Marseille Cedex 20, France.,Centre for Enzyme Innovation, School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK
| | | | - Carine Puppo
- CNRS, BIP UMR 7281, Aix Marseille Univ, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402, Marseille Cedex 20, France
| | - Rémy Puppo
- CNRS FR 3479, Plate-Forme Protéomique de L'Institut de Microbiologie de La Méditerranée (IMM), Aix Marseille Univ, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Régine Lebrun
- CNRS FR 3479, Plate-Forme Protéomique de L'Institut de Microbiologie de La Méditerranée (IMM), Aix Marseille Univ, 13009, Marseille, France
| | - Brigitte Gontero
- CNRS, BIP UMR 7281, Aix Marseille Univ, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402, Marseille Cedex 20, France.
| | - Hélène Launay
- CNRS, BIP UMR 7281, Aix Marseille Univ, 31 Chemin Joseph Aiguier, 13402, Marseille Cedex 20, France.
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11
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Mészáros B, Hajdu-Soltész B, Zeke A, Dosztányi Z. Mutations of Intrinsically Disordered Protein Regions Can Drive Cancer but Lack Therapeutic Strategies. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11030381. [PMID: 33806614 PMCID: PMC8000335 DOI: 10.3390/biom11030381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Many proteins contain intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) which carry out important functions without relying on a single well-defined conformation. IDRs are increasingly recognized as critical elements of regulatory networks and have been also associated with cancer. However, it is unknown whether mutations targeting IDRs represent a distinct class of driver events associated with specific molecular and system-level properties, cancer types and treatment options. Here, we used an integrative computational approach to explore the direct role of intrinsically disordered protein regions driving cancer. We showed that around 20% of cancer drivers are primarily targeted through a disordered region. These IDRs can function in multiple ways which are distinct from the functional mechanisms of ordered drivers. Disordered drivers play a central role in context-dependent interaction networks and are enriched in specific biological processes such as transcription, gene expression regulation and protein degradation. Furthermore, their modulation represents an alternative mechanism for the emergence of all known cancer hallmarks. Importantly, in certain cancer patients, mutations of disordered drivers represent key driving events. However, treatment options for such patients are currently severely limited. The presented study highlights a largely overlooked class of cancer drivers associated with specific cancer types that need novel therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bálint Mészáros
- Department of Biochemistry, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (B.M.); (B.H.-S.)
- EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Borbála Hajdu-Soltész
- Department of Biochemistry, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (B.M.); (B.H.-S.)
| | - András Zeke
- Institute of Enzymology, RCNS, P.O. Box 7, H-1518 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Zsuzsanna Dosztányi
- Department of Biochemistry, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (B.M.); (B.H.-S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +36-1-372 2500/8537
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12
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Showpnil IA, Miller KR, Taslim C, Pishas KI, Lessnick SL, Theisen ER. Mapping the Structure-Function Relationships of Disordered Oncogenic Transcription Factors Using Transcriptomic Analysis. J Vis Exp 2020. [PMID: 32658189 DOI: 10.3791/61564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Many cancers are characterized by chromosomal translocations which result in the expression of oncogenic fusion transcription factors. Typically, these proteins contain an intrinsically disordered domain (IDD) fused with the DNA-binding domain (DBD) of another protein and orchestrate widespread transcriptional changes to promote malignancy. These fusions are often the sole recurring genomic aberration in the cancers they cause, making them attractive therapeutic targets. However, targeting oncogenic transcription factors requires a better understanding of the mechanistic role that low-complexity, IDDs play in their function. The N-terminal domain of EWSR1 is an IDD involved in a variety of oncogenic fusion transcription factors, including EWS/FLI, EWS/ATF, and EWS/WT1. Here, we use RNA-sequencing to investigate the structural features of the EWS domain important for transcriptional function of EWS/FLI in Ewing sarcoma. First shRNA-mediated depletion of the endogenous fusion from Ewing sarcoma cells paired with ectopic expression of a variety of EWS-mutant constructs is performed. Then RNA-sequencing is used to analyze the transcriptomes of cells expressing these constructs to characterize the functional deficits associated with mutations in the EWS domain. By integrating the transcriptomic analyses with previously published information about EWS/FLI DNA binding motifs, and genomic localization, as well as functional assays for transforming ability, we were able to identify structural features of EWS/FLI important for oncogenesis and define a novel set of EWS/FLI target genes critical for Ewing sarcoma. This paper demonstrates the use of RNA-sequencing as a method to map the structure-function relationship of the intrinsically disordered domain of oncogenic transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iftekhar A Showpnil
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Program, The Ohio State University
| | - Kyle R Miller
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital
| | - Cenny Taslim
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital
| | - Kathleen I Pishas
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital
| | - Stephen L Lessnick
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital; Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Blood & Marrow Transplant, The Ohio State University
| | - Emily R Theisen
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital; Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University;
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13
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Sluchanko NN, Bustos DM. Intrinsic disorder associated with 14-3-3 proteins and their partners. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2019; 166:19-61. [PMID: 31521232 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2019.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) mediate a variety of cellular processes and form complex networks, where connectivity is achieved owing to the "hub" proteins whose interaction with multiple protein partners is facilitated by the intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDPRs) and posttranslational modifications (PTMs). Universal regulatory proteins of the eukaryotic 14-3-3 family nicely exemplify these concepts and are the focus of this chapter. The extremely wide interactome of 14-3-3 proteins is characterized by high levels of intrinsic disorder (ID) enabling protein phosphorylation and consequent specific binding to the well-structured 14-3-3 dimers, one of the first phosphoserine/phosphothreonine binding modules discovered. However, high ID enrichment also challenges structural studies, thereby limiting the progress in the development of small molecule modulators of the key 14-3-3 PPIs of increased medical importance. Besides the well-known structural flexibility of their variable C-terminal tails, recent studies revealed the strong and conserved ID propensity hidden in the N-terminal segment of 14-3-3 proteins (~40 residues), normally forming the α-helical dimerization region, that may have a potential role for the dimer/monomer dynamics and recently reported moonlighting chaperone-like activity of these proteins. We review the role of ID in the 14-3-3 structure, their interactome, and also in selected 14-3-3 complexes. In addition, we discuss approaches that, in the future, may help minimize the disproportion between the large amount of known 14-3-3 partners and the small number of 14-3-3 complexes characterized with atomic precision, to unleash the whole potential of 14-3-3 PPIs as drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai N Sluchanko
- A.N. Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation; Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation.
| | - Diego M Bustos
- Instituto de Histología y Embriología (IHEM) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), CC56, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCuyo), Mendoza, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCuyo), Mendoza, Argentina
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14
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Latysheva NS, Babu MM. Molecular Signatures of Fusion Proteins in Cancer. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2019; 2:122-133. [PMID: 32219217 PMCID: PMC7088938 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.9b00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Although gene fusions
are recognized as driver mutations in a wide
variety of cancers, the general molecular mechanisms underlying oncogenic
fusion proteins are insufficiently understood. Here, we employ large-scale
data integration and machine learning and (1) identify three functionally
distinct subgroups of gene fusions and their molecular signatures;
(2) characterize the cellular pathways rewired by fusion events across
different cancers; and (3) analyze the relative importance of over
100 structural, functional, and regulatory features of ∼2200
gene fusions. We report subgroups of fusions that likely act as driver
mutations and find that gene fusions disproportionately affect pathways
regulating cellular shape and movement. Although fusion proteins are
similar across different cancer types, they affect cancer type-specific
pathways. Key indicators of fusion-forming proteins include high and
nontissue specific expression, numerous splice sites, and higher centrality
in protein-interaction networks. Together, these findings provide
unifying and cancer type-specific trends across diverse oncogenic
fusion proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha S Latysheva
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - M Madan Babu
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
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15
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Martinelli AHS, Lopes FC, John EBO, Carlini CR, Ligabue-Braun R. Modulation of Disordered Proteins with a Focus on Neurodegenerative Diseases and Other Pathologies. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20061322. [PMID: 30875980 PMCID: PMC6471803 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20061322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 02/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) do not have rigid 3D structures, showing changes in their folding depending on the environment or ligands. Intrinsically disordered proteins are widely spread in eukaryotic genomes, and these proteins participate in many cell regulatory metabolism processes. Some IDPs, when aberrantly folded, can be the cause of some diseases such as Alzheimer′s, Parkinson′s, and prionic, among others. In these diseases, there are modifications in parts of the protein or in its entirety. A common conformational variation of these IDPs is misfolding and aggregation, forming, for instance, neurotoxic amyloid plaques. In this review, we discuss some IDPs that are involved in neurodegenerative diseases (such as beta amyloid, alpha synuclein, tau, and the “IDP-like” PrP), cancer (p53, c-Myc), and diabetes (amylin), focusing on the structural changes of these IDPs that are linked to such pathologies. We also present the IDP modulation mechanisms that can be explored in new strategies for drug design. Lastly, we show some candidate drugs that can be used in the future for the treatment of diseases caused by misfolded IDPs, considering that cancer therapy has more advanced research in comparison to other diseases, while also discussing recent and future developments in this area of research. Therefore, we aim to provide support to the study of IDPs and their modulation mechanisms as promising approaches to combat such severe diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne H S Martinelli
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology & Department of Biophysics, Biosciences Institute-IB, (UFRGS), Porto Alegre CEP 91501-970, RS, Brazil.
| | - Fernanda C Lopes
- Center for Biotechnology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre CEP 91501-970, RS, Brazil.
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre CEP 91501-970, RS, Brazil.
| | - Elisa B O John
- Center for Biotechnology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre CEP 91501-970, RS, Brazil.
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre CEP 91501-970, RS, Brazil.
| | - Célia R Carlini
- Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre CEP 91501-970, RS, Brazil.
- Graduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre CEP 91410-000, RS, Brazil.
- Brain Institute-InsCer, Laboratory of Neurotoxins, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre CEP 90610-000, RS, Brazil.
| | - Rodrigo Ligabue-Braun
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre CEP 90050-170, RS, Brazil.
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16
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Boeynaems S, Alberti S, Fawzi NL, Mittag T, Polymenidou M, Rousseau F, Schymkowitz J, Shorter J, Wolozin B, Van Den Bosch L, Tompa P, Fuxreiter M. Protein Phase Separation: A New Phase in Cell Biology. Trends Cell Biol 2018. [PMID: 29602697 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2018.1002.1004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Cellular compartments and organelles organize biological matter. Most well-known organelles are separated by a membrane boundary from their surrounding milieu. There are also many so-called membraneless organelles and recent studies suggest that these organelles, which are supramolecular assemblies of proteins and RNA molecules, form via protein phase separation. Recent discoveries have shed light on the molecular properties, formation, regulation, and function of membraneless organelles. A combination of techniques from cell biology, biophysics, physical chemistry, structural biology, and bioinformatics are starting to help establish the molecular principles of an emerging field, thus paving the way for exciting discoveries, including novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of age-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Boeynaems
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Simon Alberti
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nicolas L Fawzi
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Tanja Mittag
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | | | - Frederic Rousseau
- Switch Laboratory, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joost Schymkowitz
- Switch Laboratory, VIB, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Leuven, Belgium
| | - James Shorter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Benjamin Wolozin
- Department of Pharmacology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Peter Tompa
- VIB, Center for Structural Biology (CSB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium; Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Monika Fuxreiter
- MTA-DE Laboratory of Protein Dynamics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
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17
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Boeynaems S, Alberti S, Fawzi NL, Mittag T, Polymenidou M, Rousseau F, Schymkowitz J, Shorter J, Wolozin B, Van Den Bosch L, Tompa P, Fuxreiter M. Protein Phase Separation: A New Phase in Cell Biology. Trends Cell Biol 2018; 28:420-435. [PMID: 29602697 PMCID: PMC6034118 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1204] [Impact Index Per Article: 200.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cellular compartments and organelles organize biological matter. Most well-known organelles are separated by a membrane boundary from their surrounding milieu. There are also many so-called membraneless organelles and recent studies suggest that these organelles, which are supramolecular assemblies of proteins and RNA molecules, form via protein phase separation. Recent discoveries have shed light on the molecular properties, formation, regulation, and function of membraneless organelles. A combination of techniques from cell biology, biophysics, physical chemistry, structural biology, and bioinformatics are starting to help establish the molecular principles of an emerging field, thus paving the way for exciting discoveries, including novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of age-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Boeynaems
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Simon Alberti
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nicolas L. Fawzi
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biotechnology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Tanja Mittag
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | | | - Frederic Rousseau
- Switch Laboratory, VIB, Leuven, Belgium,KU Leuven, Department for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Joost Schymkowitz
- Switch Laboratory, VIB, Leuven, Belgium,KU Leuven, Department for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Leuven, Belgium
| | - James Shorter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Benjamin Wolozin
- Department of Pharmacology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), Leuven, Belgium; VIB, Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Peter Tompa
- VIB, Center for Structural Biology (CSB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium; Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Monika Fuxreiter
- MTA-DE Laboratory of Protein Dynamics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
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18
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Tsafou K, Tiwari PB, Forman-Kay JD, Metallo SJ, Toretsky JA. Targeting Intrinsically Disordered Transcription Factors: Changing the Paradigm. J Mol Biol 2018; 430:2321-2341. [PMID: 29655986 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Increased understanding of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and protein regions has revolutionized our view of the relationship between protein structure and function. Data now support that IDPs can be functional in the absence of a single, fixed, three-dimensional structure. Due to their dynamic morphology, IDPs have the ability to display a range of kinetics and affinity depending on what the system requires, as well as the potential for large-scale association. Although several studies have shed light on the functional properties of IDPs, the class of intrinsically disordered transcription factors (TFs) is still poorly characterized biophysically due to their combination of ordered and disordered sequences. In addition, TF modulation by small molecules has long been considered a difficult or even impossible task, limiting functional probe development. However, with evolving technology, it is becoming possible to characterize TF structure-function relationships in unprecedented detail and explore avenues not available or not considered in the past. Here we provide an introduction to the biophysical properties of intrinsically disordered TFs and we discuss recent computational and experimental efforts toward understanding the role of intrinsically disordered TFs in biology and disease. We describe a series of successful TF targeting strategies that have overcome the perception of the "undruggability" of TFs, providing new leads on drug development methodologies. Lastly, we discuss future challenges and opportunities to enhance our understanding of the structure-function relationship of intrinsically disordered TFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Tsafou
- Department of Oncology and Pediatrics, Georgetown University, 3970 Reservoir Road Northwest, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - P B Tiwari
- Department of Oncology and Pediatrics, Georgetown University, 3970 Reservoir Road Northwest, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - J D Forman-Kay
- Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - S J Metallo
- Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - J A Toretsky
- Department of Oncology and Pediatrics, Georgetown University, 3970 Reservoir Road Northwest, Washington, DC 20057, USA.
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19
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Niklas KJ, Dunker AK, Yruela I. The evolutionary origins of cell type diversification and the role of intrinsically disordered proteins. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2018; 69:1437-1446. [PMID: 29394379 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of complex multicellular life forms occurred multiple times and was attended by cell type specialization. We review seven lines of evidence indicating that intrinsically disordered/ductile proteins (IDPs) played a significant role in the evolution of multicellularity and cell type specification: (i) most eukaryotic transcription factors (TFs) and multifunctional enzymes contain disproportionately long IDP sequences (≥30 residues in length), whereas highly conserved enzymes are normally IDP region poor; (ii) ~80% of the proteome involved in development are IDPs; (iii) the majority of proteins undergoing alternative splicing (AS) of pre-mRNA contain significant IDP regions; (iv) proteins encoded by DNA regions flanking crossing-over 'hot spots' are significantly enriched in IDP regions; (v) IDP regions are disproportionately subject to combinatorial post-translational modifications (PTMs) as well as AS; (vi) proteins involved in transcription and RNA processing are enriched in IDP regions; and (vii) a strong positive correlation exists between the number of different cell types and the IDP proteome fraction across a broad spectrum of uni- and multicellular algae, plants, and animals. We argue that the multifunctionalities conferred by IDPs and the disproportionate involvement of IDPs with AS and PTMs provided a IDP-AS-PTM 'motif' that significantly contributed to the evolution of multicellularity in all major eukaryotic lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl J Niklas
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - A Keith Dunker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Inmaculada Yruela
- Estación Experimental de Aula Dei, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (EEAD-CSIC), Avda. Montañana, Zaragoza, Spain
- Grupo de Bioquímica, Biofísica y Biología Computacional (BIFI, UNIZAR), Unidad Asociada al CSIC, Spain
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20
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Abstract
Just like all matter, proteins can also switch between gas, liquid and solid phases. Protein phase transition has claimed the spotlight in recent years as a novel way of how cells compartmentalize and regulate biochemical reactions. Moreover, this discovery has provided a new framework for the study of membrane-less organelle biogenesis and protein aggregation in neurodegenerative disorders. We now argue that this framework could be useful in the study of cell cycle regulation and cancer. Based on our work on phase transitions of arginine-rich proteins in neurodegeneration, via combining mass spectroscopy with bioinformatics analyses, we found that also numerous proteins involved in the regulation of the cell cycle can undergo protein phase separation. Indeed, several proteins whose function affects the cell cycle or are associated with cancer, have been recently found to phase separate from the test tube to cells. Investigating the role of this process for cell cycle proteins and understanding its molecular underpinnings will provide pivotal insights into the biology of cell cycle progression and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Boeynaems
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Center for Brain and Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Peter Tompa
- VIB, Center for Structural Biology (CSB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven-University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Center for Brain and Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
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21
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Functional Analysis of Human Hub Proteins and Their Interactors Involved in the Intrinsic Disorder-Enriched Interactions. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18122761. [PMID: 29257115 PMCID: PMC5751360 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18122761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Some of the intrinsically disordered proteins and protein regions are promiscuous interactors that are involved in one-to-many and many-to-one binding. Several studies have analyzed enrichment of intrinsic disorder among the promiscuous hub proteins. We extended these works by providing a detailed functional characterization of the disorder-enriched hub protein-protein interactions (PPIs), including both hubs and their interactors, and by analyzing their enrichment among disease-associated proteins. We focused on the human interactome, given its high degree of completeness and relevance to the analysis of the disease-linked proteins. We quantified and investigated numerous functional and structural characteristics of the disorder-enriched hub PPIs, including protein binding, structural stability, evolutionary conservation, several categories of functional sites, and presence of over twenty types of posttranslational modifications (PTMs). We showed that the disorder-enriched hub PPIs have a significantly enlarged number of disordered protein binding regions and long intrinsically disordered regions. They also include high numbers of targeting, catalytic, and many types of PTM sites. We empirically demonstrated that these hub PPIs are significantly enriched among 11 out of 18 considered classes of human diseases that are associated with at least 100 human proteins. Finally, we also illustrated how over a dozen specific human hubs utilize intrinsic disorder for their promiscuous PPIs.
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22
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Zhao Y, Song WM, Zhang F, Zhou MM, Zhang W, Walsh MJ, Zhang B. Distinct distributions of genomic features of the 5’ and 3’ partners of coding somatic cancer gene fusions: arising mechanisms and functional implications. Oncotarget 2017; 8:66769-66783. [PMID: 28977995 PMCID: PMC5620135 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The genomic features and arising mechanisms of coding cancer somatic gene fusions (CSGFs) largely remain elusive. In this study, we show the gene origin stratification pattern of CSGF partners that fusion partners in human cancers are significantly enriched for genes with the gene age ofEuteleostomes and with the gene family age of Bilateria. GC skew (a measurement of G, C nucleotide content bias, (G-C)/(G+C)) is a useful measurement to indicate the DNA leading strand, lagging strand, replication origin, and replication terminal and DNA-RNA R-loop formation. We find that GC skew bias at the 5 prime (5′) but not the 3 prime (3’) partners of CSGFs, coincident with the polarity feature of gene expression breadth that the 5’ partners are more ubiquitous while the 3’ fusion partners are more tissue specific in general. We reveal distinct length and composition distributions of 5’ and 3’ of CSGFs, including sequence features corresponded to the 5’ untranslated regions (UTRs), 3’ UTRs, and the N-terminal sequences of the encoded proteins. Oncogenic somatic gene fusions are most enriched for the 5’ and 3’ genes’ somatic amplification alongside a substantial proportion of other types of combinations. At the function level, 5’ partners of CSGFs appear more likely to be tumour suppressor genes while many 3’ partners appear to be proto-oncogene. Such distinct polarities of CSGFs at the evolutionary, structural, genomic and functional levels indicate the heterogeneous arsing mechanisms of CSGFs including R-loops and suggest potential novel targeted therapeutics specific to CSGF functional categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongzhong Zhao
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
- Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
| | - Won-Min Song
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
- Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ming-Ming Zhou
- Department of Structural and Chemical Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
| | - Weijia Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
| | - Martin J. Walsh
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Structural and Chemical Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
- Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY 10029, USA
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23
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Latysheva NS, Oates ME, Maddox L, Flock T, Gough J, Buljan M, Weatheritt RJ, Babu MM. Molecular Principles of Gene Fusion Mediated Rewiring of Protein Interaction Networks in Cancer. Mol Cell 2017; 63:579-592. [PMID: 27540857 PMCID: PMC5003813 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2016.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Gene fusions are common cancer-causing mutations, but the molecular principles by which fusion protein products affect interaction networks and cause disease are not well understood. Here, we perform an integrative analysis of the structural, interactomic, and regulatory properties of thousands of putative fusion proteins. We demonstrate that genes that form fusions (i.e., parent genes) tend to be highly connected hub genes, whose protein products are enriched in structured and disordered interaction-mediating features. Fusion often results in the loss of these parental features and the depletion of regulatory sites such as post-translational modifications. Fusion products disproportionately connect proteins that did not previously interact in the protein interaction network. In this manner, fusion products can escape cellular regulation and constitutively rewire protein interaction networks. We suggest that the deregulation of central, interaction-prone proteins may represent a widespread mechanism by which fusion proteins alter the topology of cellular signaling pathways and promote cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha S Latysheva
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
| | - Matt E Oates
- Department of Computer Science, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK
| | - Louis Maddox
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Tilman Flock
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Julian Gough
- Department of Computer Science, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UB, UK
| | - Marija Buljan
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Robert J Weatheritt
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK; The Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - M Madan Babu
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK.
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The contribution of intrinsically disordered regions to protein function, cellular complexity, and human disease. Biochem Soc Trans 2017; 44:1185-1200. [PMID: 27911701 PMCID: PMC5095923 DOI: 10.1042/bst20160172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 261] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Revised: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In the 1960s, Christian Anfinsen postulated that the unique three-dimensional structure of a protein is determined by its amino acid sequence. This work laid the foundation for the sequence–structure–function paradigm, which states that the sequence of a protein determines its structure, and structure determines function. However, a class of polypeptide segments called intrinsically disordered regions does not conform to this postulate. In this review, I will first describe established and emerging ideas about how disordered regions contribute to protein function. I will then discuss molecular principles by which regulatory mechanisms, such as alternative splicing and asymmetric localization of transcripts that encode disordered regions, can increase the functional versatility of proteins. Finally, I will discuss how disordered regions contribute to human disease and the emergence of cellular complexity during organismal evolution.
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Signorelli S, Cannistraro S, Bizzarri AR. Structural Characterization of the Intrinsically Disordered Protein p53 Using Raman Spectroscopy. APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY 2017; 71:823-832. [PMID: 27340212 DOI: 10.1177/0003702816651891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The intrinsically disordered protein p53 has attracted a strong interest for its important role in genome safeguarding and potential therapeutic applications. However, its disordered character makes difficult a full characterization of p53 structural architecture. A deep knowledge of p53 structural motifs could significantly help the understanding of its functional properties, in connection with its complex binding network. We have applied Raman spectroscopy to investigate the structural composition and the conformational heterogeneity of both full-length p53 and its DNA binding domain (DBD), in different solvent environments. In particular, a careful analysis of the Amide I Raman band, which is highly sensitive to protein secondary structure elements such as α-helices, β-sheets and random coils, has revealed the presence of extended random coils in p53 and predominant β-sheet regions in its DBD. In addition, this analysis has allowed us to explore the ensemble of interchanging conformations in both p53 and its DBD, highlighting a higher conformational heterogeneity in p53 than in its DBD. Furthermore, by applying a principal components analysis, we have identified the principal spectral markers in both p53 and DBD samples. The combination of the two approaches could be insightful for the study of intrinsically disordered proteins, by offering increased versatility and wide application as a label-free, real-time and non-invasive detection method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Signorelli
- 1 Biophysics and Nanoscience Centre, Università della Tuscia, Italy
- 2 Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Italy
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26
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Russo A, Manna SL, Novellino E, Malfitano AM, Marasco D. Molecular signaling involving intrinsically disordered proteins in prostate cancer. Asian J Androl 2017; 18:673-81. [PMID: 27212129 PMCID: PMC5000787 DOI: 10.4103/1008-682x.181817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigations on cellular protein interaction networks (PINs) reveal that proteins that constitute hubs in a PIN are notably enriched in Intrinsically Disordered Proteins (IDPs) compared to proteins that constitute edges, highlighting the role of IDPs in signaling pathways. Most IDPs rapidly undergo disorder-to-order transitions upon binding to their biological targets to perform their function. Conformational dynamics enables IDPs to be versatile and to interact with a broad range of interactors under normal physiological conditions where their expression is tightly modulated. IDPs are involved in many cellular processes such as cellular signaling, transcriptional regulation, and splicing; thus, their high-specificity/low-affinity interactions play crucial roles in many human diseases including cancer. Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality in men worldwide. Therefore, identifying molecular mechanisms of the oncogenic signaling pathways that are involved in prostate carcinogenesis is crucial. In this review, we focus on the aspects of cellular pathways leading to PCa in which IDPs exert a primary role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Russo
- Department of Pharmacy, Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sui Peptidi Bioattivi, University of Naples "Federico II", 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Sara La Manna
- Department of Pharmacy, Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sui Peptidi Bioattivi, University of Naples "Federico II", 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Ettore Novellino
- Department of Pharmacy, Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sui Peptidi Bioattivi, University of Naples "Federico II", 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Malfitano
- Department of Pharmacy, Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sui Peptidi Bioattivi, University of Naples "Federico II", 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Daniela Marasco
- Department of Pharmacy, Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca sui Peptidi Bioattivi, University of Naples "Federico II", 80134 Naples, Italy
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27
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Lazar T, Schad E, Szabo B, Horvath T, Meszaros A, Tompa P, Tantos A. Intrinsic protein disorder in histone lysine methylation. Biol Direct 2016; 11:30. [PMID: 27356874 PMCID: PMC4928265 DOI: 10.1186/s13062-016-0129-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone lysine methyltransferases (HKMTs), catalyze mono-, di- and trimethylation of lysine residues, resulting in a regulatory pattern that controls gene expression. Their involvement in many different cellular processes and diseases makes HKMTs an intensively studied protein group, but scientific interest so far has been concentrated mostly on their catalytic domains. In this work we set out to analyze the structural heterogeneity of human HKMTs and found that many contain long intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) that are conserved through vertebrate species. Our predictions show that these IDRs contain several linear motifs and conserved putative binding sites that harbor cancer-related SNPs. Although there are only limited data available in the literature, some of the predicted binding regions overlap with interacting segments identified experimentally. The importance of a disordered binding site is illustrated through the example of the ternary complex between MLL1, menin and LEDGF/p75. Our suggestion is that intrinsic protein disorder plays an as yet unrecognized role in epigenetic regulation, which needs to be further elucidated through structural and functional studies aimed specifically at the disordered regions of HKMTs. Reviewers: This article was reviewed by Arne Elofsson and Piotr Zielenkiewicz.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamas Lazar
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.,Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics, Práter utca 50/a, 1083, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eva Schad
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Beata Szabo
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tamas Horvath
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Meszaros
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Peter Tompa
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.,VIB Structural Biology Research Center (SBRC), Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Agnes Tantos
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.
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28
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Latysheva NS, Babu MM. Discovering and understanding oncogenic gene fusions through data intensive computational approaches. Nucleic Acids Res 2016; 44:4487-503. [PMID: 27105842 PMCID: PMC4889949 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkw282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although gene fusions have been recognized as important drivers of cancer for decades, our understanding of the prevalence and function of gene fusions has been revolutionized by the rise of next-generation sequencing, advances in bioinformatics theory and an increasing capacity for large-scale computational biology. The computational work on gene fusions has been vastly diverse, and the present state of the literature is fragmented. It will be fruitful to merge three camps of gene fusion bioinformatics that appear to rarely cross over: (i) data-intensive computational work characterizing the molecular biology of gene fusions; (ii) development research on fusion detection tools, candidate fusion prioritization algorithms and dedicated fusion databases and (iii) clinical research that seeks to either therapeutically target fusion transcripts and proteins or leverages advances in detection tools to perform large-scale surveys of gene fusion landscapes in specific cancer types. In this review, we unify these different-yet highly complementary and symbiotic-approaches with the view that increased synergy will catalyze advancements in gene fusion identification, characterization and significance evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha S Latysheva
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Ave, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - M Madan Babu
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Ave, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
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29
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Yacoub HA, Al-Maghrabi OA, Ahmed ES, Uversky VN. Abundance and functional roles of intrinsic disorder in the antimicrobial peptides of the NK-lysin family. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2016; 35:836-856. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2016.1164077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Haitham A. Yacoub
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Cell Biology, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Division, National Research Centre, P.O. Box 12622, Gizza, Egypt
| | - Omar A. Al-Maghrabi
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ekram S. Ahmed
- Department of Cell Biology, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Division, National Research Centre, P.O. Box 12622, Gizza, Egypt
| | - Vladimir N. Uversky
- Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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30
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Bayliss R, Choi J, Fennell DA, Fry AM, Richards MW. Molecular mechanisms that underpin EML4-ALK driven cancers and their response to targeted drugs. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:1209-24. [PMID: 26755435 PMCID: PMC4761370 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-2117-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
A fusion between the EML4 (echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like) and ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) genes was identified in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in 2007 and there has been rapid progress in applying this knowledge to the benefit of patients. However, we have a poor understanding of EML4 and ALK biology and there are many challenges to devising the optimal strategy for treating EML4-ALK NSCLC patients. In this review, we describe the biology of EML4 and ALK, explain the main features of EML4-ALK fusion proteins and outline the therapies that target EML4-ALK. In particular, we highlight the recent advances in our understanding of the structures of EML proteins, describe the molecular mechanisms of resistance to ALK inhibitors and assess current thinking about combinations of ALK drugs with inhibitors that target other kinases or Hsp90.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Bayliss
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE2 9HN, UK.
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Jene Choi
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43 gil, Seoul, Korea
| | - Dean A Fennell
- Cancer Research UK Centre, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE3 9SQ, UK
| | - Andrew M Fry
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE2 9HN, UK
| | - Mark W Richards
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester, LE2 9HN, UK
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
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31
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Tantos A, Kalmar L, Tompa P. The role of structural disorder in cell cycle regulation, related clinical proteomics, disease development and drug targeting. Expert Rev Proteomics 2016; 12:221-33. [PMID: 25976105 DOI: 10.1586/14789450.2015.1042866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the molecular mechanisms of the regulation of cell cycle is a central issue in molecular cell biology, due to its fundamental role in the existence of cells. The regulatory circuits that make decisions on when a cell should divide are very complex and particularly subtly balanced in eukaryotes, in which the harmony of many different cells in an organism is essential for life. Several hundred proteins are involved in these processes, and a great deal of studies attests that most of them have functionally relevant intrinsic structural disorder. Structural disorder imparts many functional advantages on these proteins, and we discuss it in detail that it is involved in all key steps from signaling through the cell membrane to regulating transcription of proteins that execute timely responses to an ever-changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnes Tantos
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
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32
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Ambadipudi S, Zweckstetter M. Targeting intrinsically disordered proteins in rational drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2015; 11:65-77. [DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2016.1107041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Susmitha Ambadipudi
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- DFG Research Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), University Medical Center Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
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33
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The Structural Characterization of Tumor Fusion Genes and Proteins. COMPUTATIONAL AND MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN MEDICINE 2015; 2015:912742. [PMID: 26347798 PMCID: PMC4546970 DOI: 10.1155/2015/912742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Revised: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Chromosomal translocation, which generates fusion proteins in blood tumor or solid tumor, is considered as one of the major causes leading to cancer. Recent studies suggested that the disordered fragments in a fusion protein might contribute to its carcinogenicity. Here, we investigated the sequence feature near the breakpoints in the fusion partner genes, the structure features of breakpoints in fusion proteins, and the posttranslational modification preference in the fusion proteins. Results show that the breakpoints in the fusion partner genes have both sequence preference and structural preference. At the sequence level, nucleotide combination AG is preferred before the breakpoint and GG is preferred at the breakpoint. At the structural level, the breakpoints in the fusion proteins prefer to be located in the disordered regions. Further analysis suggests the phosphorylation sites at serine, threonine, and the methylation sites at arginine are enriched in disordered regions of the fusion proteins. Using EML4-ALK as an example, we further explained how the fusion protein leads to the protein disorder and contributes to its carcinogenicity. The sequence and structural features of the fusion proteins may help the scientific community to predict novel breakpoints in fusion genes and better understand the structure and function of fusion proteins.
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34
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Hao Y, Colak R, Teyra J, Corbi-Verge C, Ignatchenko A, Hahne H, Wilhelm M, Kuster B, Braun P, Kaida D, Kislinger T, Kim PM. Semi-supervised Learning Predicts Approximately One Third of the Alternative Splicing Isoforms as Functional Proteins. Cell Rep 2015; 12:183-9. [PMID: 26146086 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2014] [Revised: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing acts on transcripts from almost all human multi-exon genes. Notwithstanding its ubiquity, fundamental ramifications of splicing on protein expression remain unresolved. The number and identity of spliced transcripts that form stably folded proteins remain the sources of considerable debate, due largely to low coverage of experimental methods and the resulting absence of negative data. We circumvent this issue by developing a semi-supervised learning algorithm, positive unlabeled learning for splicing elucidation (PULSE; http://www.kimlab.org/software/pulse), which uses 48 features spanning various categories. We validated its accuracy on sets of bona fide protein isoforms and directly on mass spectrometry (MS) spectra for an overall AU-ROC of 0.85. We predict that around 32% of "exon skipping" alternative splicing events produce stable proteins, suggesting that the process engenders a significant number of previously uncharacterized proteins. We also provide insights into the distribution of positive isoforms in various functional classes and into the structural effects of alternative splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanqi Hao
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1AS, Canada; Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G4, Canada
| | - Recep Colak
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1AS, Canada; Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G4, Canada
| | - Joan Teyra
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1AS, Canada
| | - Carles Corbi-Verge
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1AS, Canada
| | - Alexander Ignatchenko
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Hannes Hahne
- Chair for Proteomics and Bioanalytics, TU Muenchen, Freising 85354, Germany
| | - Mathias Wilhelm
- Chair for Proteomics and Bioanalytics, TU Muenchen, Freising 85354, Germany
| | - Bernhard Kuster
- Chair for Proteomics and Bioanalytics, TU Muenchen, Freising 85354, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Munich, Germany; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich, Munich, Germany; Bavarian Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry Center, Technische Universität München, Freising, Germany
| | - Pascal Braun
- Lehrstuhl fuer Systembiologie der Pflanzen, TU Muenchen, Munich, Germany
| | - Daisuke Kaida
- Frontier Research Core for Life Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-8555, Japan
| | - Thomas Kislinger
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada; Princess Margaret Cancer Center, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5T 2M9, Canada
| | - Philip M Kim
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1AS, Canada; Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1AS, Canada.
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35
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Sinkovics JG. The cell survival pathways of the primordial RNA-DNA complex remain conserved in the extant genomes and may function as proto-oncogenes. Eur J Microbiol Immunol (Bp) 2015; 5:25-43. [PMID: 25883792 PMCID: PMC4397846 DOI: 10.1556/eujmi-d-14-00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Malignantly transformed (cancer) cells of multicellular hosts, including human cells, operate activated biochemical pathways that recognizably derived from unicellular ancestors. The descendant heat shock proteins of thermophile archaea now chaperon oncoproteins. The ABC cassettes of toxin-producer zooxantella Symbiodinia algae pump out the cytoplasmic toxin molecules; malignantly transformed cells utilize the derivatives of these cassettes to get rid of chemotherapeuticals. High mobility group helix-loop-helix proteins, protein arginine methyltransferases, proliferating cell nuclear antigens, and Ki-67 nuclear proteins, that protect and repair DNA in unicellular life forms, support oncogenes in transformed cells. The cell survival pathways of Wnt-β-catenin, Hedgehog, PI3K, MAPK-ERK, STAT, Ets, JAK, Pak, Myb, achaete scute, circadian rhythms, Bruton kinase and others, which are physiological in uni- and early multicellular eukaryotic life forms, are constitutively encoded in complex oncogenic pathways in selected single cells of advanced multicellular eukaryotic hosts. Oncogenes and oncoproteins in advanced multicellular hosts recreate selected independently living and immortalized unicellular life forms, which are similar to extinct and extant protists. These unicellular life forms are recognized at the clinics as autologous "cancer cells".
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Sinkovics
- St. Joseph's Hospital Cancer Institute Affiliated with the H. L. Moffitt Comprehensive Cancer Center, Morsani College of Medicine, Department of Molecular Medicine, The University of South Florida Tampa, FL USA
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36
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Zhang Y, Cao H, Liu Z. Binding cavities and druggability of intrinsically disordered proteins. Protein Sci 2015; 24:688-705. [PMID: 25611056 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
To assess the potential of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) as drug design targets, we have analyzed the ligand-binding cavities of two datasets of IDPs (containing 37 and 16 entries, respectively) and compared their properties with those of conventional ordered (folded) proteins. IDPs were predicted to possess more binding cavity than ordered proteins at similar length, supporting the proposed advantage of IDPs economizing genome and protein resources. The cavity number has a wide distribution within each conformation ensemble for IDPs. The geometries of the cavities of IDPs differ from the cavities of ordered proteins, for example, the cavities of IDPs have larger surface areas and volumes, and are more likely to be composed of a single segment. The druggability of the cavities was examined, and the average druggable probability is estimated to be 9% for IDPs, which is almost twice that for ordered proteins (5%). Some IDPs with druggable cavities that are associated with diseases are listed. The optimism versus obstacles for drug design for IDPs is also briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yugang Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China; Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
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37
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Structure-function based molecular relationships in Ewing's sarcoma. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:798426. [PMID: 25688366 PMCID: PMC4320925 DOI: 10.1155/2015/798426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Revised: 08/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ewing's Sarcoma Oncogene (ews) on chromosome 22q12 is encoding a ubiquitously expressed RNA-binding protein (EWS) with unknown function that is target of tumor-specific chromosomal translocations in Ewing's sarcoma family of tumors. A model of transcription complex was proposed in which the heterodimer Rpb4/7 binds to EAD, connecting it to Core RNA Pol II. The DNA-binding domain, provided by EFP, is bound to the promoter. Rpb4/7 binds RNA, stabilizing the transcription complex. The complex Rpb4/7 can stabilize the preinitiation complexes by converting the conformation of RNA Pol II. EWS may change its conformation, so that NTD becomes accessible. Two different mechanisms of interaction between EWS and RNA Pol II are proposed: (I) an intermolecular EWS-EWS interaction between two molecules, pushing conformation from “closed” to “open” state, or (II) an intramolecular interaction inside the molecule of EWS, pushing conformation of the molecule from “closed” to “open” state. The modified forms of EWS may interact with Pol II subunits hsRpb5 and hsRpb7. The EWS and EFPs binding partners are described schematically in a model, an attempt to link the transcription with the splicing. The proposed model helps to understand the functional molecular interactions in cancer, to find new partners and ways to treat cancer.
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Workman P, van Montfort R. EML4-ALK fusions: propelling cancer but creating exploitable chaperone dependence. Cancer Discov 2015; 4:642-5. [PMID: 24891363 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-14-0409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The crystal structure of a conserved tubulin-binding region of the EML1 protein reveals a highly atypical fold in one of its β-propeller domains. Disruption of the EML1 core region domain in many of the oncogenic EML4-ALK fusion protein variants that drive non-small cell lung cancer explains their dependence on the HSP90 molecular chaperone, provides a basis to allow more precise patient stratification for therapy, and suggests a more general model for other oncogenic fusion proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Workman
- Authors' Affiliation: Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rob van Montfort
- Authors' Affiliation: Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
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Kovar H. Blocking the road, stopping the engine or killing the driver? Advances in targeting EWS/FLI-1 fusion in Ewing sarcoma as novel therapy. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2014; 18:1315-28. [PMID: 25162919 DOI: 10.1517/14728222.2014.947963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Ewing sarcoma (ES) represents the paradigm of an aberrant E-twenty-six (ETS) oncogene-driven cancer. It is characterized by specific rearrangements of one of five alternative ETS family member genes with EWSR1. There is experimental evidence that the resulting fusion proteins act as aberrant transcription factors driving ES pathogenesis. The transcriptional gene regulatory network driven by EWS-ETS proteins provides the oncogenic engine to the tumor. Therefore, EWS-ETS and their downstream machinery are considered ideal tumor-specific therapeutic targets. AREAS COVERED This review critically discusses the literature on the development of EWS-ETS-directed ES targeting strategies considering current knowledge of EWS-ETS biology and cellular context. It focuses on determinants of EWS-FLI1 function with an emphasis on interactions with chromatin structure. We speculate about the relevance of poorly investigated aspects in ES research such as chromatin remodeling and DNA damage repair for the development of targeted therapies. EXPERT OPINION This review questions the specificity of signature-based screening approaches to the identification of EWS-FLI1-targeted compounds. It challenges the view that targeting the downstream gene regulatory network carries potential for therapeutic breakthroughs because of resistance-inducing network rewiring. Instead, we propose to combine targeting of the fusion protein with epigenetic therapy as a future treatment strategy in ES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heinrich Kovar
- Children´s Cancer Research Institute, St. Anna Kinderkrebsforschung, and Medical University Vienna, Department of Pediatrics , Zimmermannplatz 10, A1090 Vienna , Austria +43 1 40470 4092 ; +43 1 40470 64092 ;
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Uversky VN. Wrecked regulation of intrinsically disordered proteins in diseases: pathogenicity of deregulated regulators. Front Mol Biosci 2014; 1:6. [PMID: 25988147 PMCID: PMC4428494 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2014.00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2014] [Accepted: 07/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Biologically active proteins without stable tertiary structure are common in all known proteomes. Functions of these intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are typically related to regulation, signaling, and control. Cellular levels of these important regulators are tightly regulated by a variety mechanisms ranging from firmly controlled expression to precisely targeted degradation. Functions of IDPs are controlled by binding to specific partners, alternative splicing, and posttranslational modifications among other means. In the norm, right amounts of precisely activated IDPs have to be present in right time at right places. Wrecked regulation brings havoc to the ordered world of disordered proteins, leading to protein misfolding, misidentification, and missignaling that give rise to numerous human diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and diabetes. Among factors inducing pathogenic transformations of IDPs are various cellular mechanisms, such as chromosomal translocations, damaged splicing, altered expression, frustrated posttranslational modifications, aberrant proteolytic degradation, and defective trafficking. This review presents some of the aspects of deregulated regulation of IDPs leading to human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida Tampa, FL, USA ; Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University Jeddah, Saudi Arabia ; Laboratory of New Methods in Biology, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow, Russia
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41
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Uversky VN, Davé V, Iakoucheva LM, Malaney P, Metallo SJ, Pathak RR, Joerger AC. Pathological unfoldomics of uncontrolled chaos: intrinsically disordered proteins and human diseases. Chem Rev 2014; 114:6844-79. [PMID: 24830552 PMCID: PMC4100540 DOI: 10.1021/cr400713r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
- Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 22254, Saudi Arabia
| | - Vrushank Davé
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology , Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
- Department of Molecular Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - Lilia M. Iakoucheva
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Prerna Malaney
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology , Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - Steven J. Metallo
- Department of Chemistry, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia 20057, United States
| | - Ravi Ramesh Pathak
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology , Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - Andreas C. Joerger
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
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42
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van der Lee R, Buljan M, Lang B, Weatheritt RJ, Daughdrill GW, Dunker AK, Fuxreiter M, Gough J, Gsponer J, Jones D, Kim PM, Kriwacki R, Oldfield CJ, Pappu RV, Tompa P, Uversky VN, Wright P, Babu MM. Classification of intrinsically disordered regions and proteins. Chem Rev 2014; 114:6589-631. [PMID: 24773235 PMCID: PMC4095912 DOI: 10.1021/cr400525m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1415] [Impact Index Per Article: 141.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin van der Lee
- MRC
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
- Centre
for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The
Netherlands
| | - Marija Buljan
- MRC
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Lang
- MRC
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Robert J. Weatheritt
- MRC
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Gary W. Daughdrill
- Department
of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Suite 321, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
| | - A. Keith Dunker
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana
University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Monika Fuxreiter
- MTA-DE
Momentum Laboratory of Protein Dynamics, Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Nagyerdei krt 98, Hungary
| | - Julian Gough
- Department
of Computer Science, University of Bristol, The Merchant Venturers Building, Bristol BS8 1UB, United Kingdom
| | - Joerg Gsponer
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Centre for High-Throughput
Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - David
T. Jones
- Bioinformatics
Group, Department of Computer Science, University
College London, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Philip M. Kim
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, Department of Molecular
Genetics, and Department of Computer Science, University
of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Richard
W. Kriwacki
- Department
of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, United States
| | - Christopher J. Oldfield
- Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana
University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Rohit V. Pappu
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering and Center for Biological Systems Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Peter Tompa
- VIB Department
of Structural Biology, Vrije Universiteit
Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Institute
of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department
of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Research
Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33612, United States
- Institute for Biological Instrumentation,
Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino,
Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Peter
E. Wright
- Department
of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology and Skaggs Institute
of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research
Institute, 10550 North
Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - M. Madan Babu
- MRC
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
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Richards MW, Law EWP, Rennalls LP, Busacca S, O’Regan L, Fry AM, Fennell DA, Bayliss R. Crystal structure of EML1 reveals the basis for Hsp90 dependence of oncogenic EML4-ALK by disruption of an atypical β-propeller domain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:5195-200. [PMID: 24706829 PMCID: PMC3986153 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1322892111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteins of the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein (EMAP)-like (EML) family contribute to formation of the mitotic spindle and interphase microtubule network. They contain a unique hydrophobic EML protein (HELP) motif and a variable number of WD40 repeats. Recurrent gene rearrangements in nonsmall cell lung cancer fuse EML4 to anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), causing expression of several fusion oncoprotein variants. We have determined a 2.6-Å crystal structure of the representative ∼70-kDa core of EML1, revealing an intimately associated pair of β-propellers, which we term a TAPE (tandem atypical propeller in EMLs) domain. One propeller is highly atypical, having a discontinuous subdomain unrelated to a WD40 motif in place of one of its blades. This unexpected feature shows how a propeller structure can be assembled from subdomains with distinct folds. The HELP motif is not an independent domain but forms part of the hydrophobic core that joins the two β-propellers. The TAPE domain binds α/β-tubulin via its conserved, concave surface, including part of the atypical blade. Mapping the characteristic breakpoints of each EML4-ALK variant onto our structure indicates that the EML4 TAPE domain is truncated in many variants in a manner likely to make the fusion protein structurally unstable. We found that the heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor ganetespib induced degradation of these variants whereas others lacking a partial TAPE domain were resistant in both overexpression models and patient-derived cell lines. The Hsp90-sensitive EML4-ALK variants are exceptions to the rule that oncogenic fusion proteins involve breakpoints in disordered regions of both partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark W. Richards
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9HN, United Kingdom
| | - Edward W. P. Law
- Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9HN, United Kingdom; and
| | - La’Verne P. Rennalls
- Section of Structural Biology, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, United Kingdom
| | - Sara Busacca
- Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9HN, United Kingdom; and
| | - Laura O’Regan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9HN, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew M. Fry
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9HN, United Kingdom
| | - Dean A. Fennell
- Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9HN, United Kingdom; and
| | - Richard Bayliss
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 9HN, United Kingdom
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Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and IDP regions fail to form a stable structure, yet they exhibit biological activities. Their mobile flexibility and structural instability are encoded by their amino acid sequences. They recognize proteins, nucleic acids, and other types of partners; they accelerate interactions and chemical reactions between bound partners; and they help accommodate posttranslational modifications, alternative splicing, protein fusions, and insertions or deletions. Overall, IDP-associated biological activities complement those of structured proteins. Recently, there has been an explosion of studies on IDP regions and their functions, yet the discovery and investigation of these proteins have a long, mostly ignored history. Along with recent discoveries, we present several early examples and the mechanisms by which IDPs contribute to function, which we hope will encourage comprehensive discussion of IDPs and IDP regions in biochemistry textbooks. Finally, we propose future directions for IDP research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Oldfield
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202; ,
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45
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Das S, Pal U, Das S, Bagga K, Roy A, Mrigwani A, Maiti NC. Sequence complexity of amyloidogenic regions in intrinsically disordered human proteins. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89781. [PMID: 24594841 PMCID: PMC3940659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2013] [Accepted: 01/26/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
An amyloidogenic region (AR) in a protein sequence plays a significant role in protein aggregation and amyloid formation. We have investigated the sequence complexity of AR that is present in intrinsically disordered human proteins. More than 80% human proteins in the disordered protein databases (DisProt+IDEAL) contained one or more ARs. With decrease of protein disorder, AR content in the protein sequence was decreased. A probability density distribution analysis and discrete analysis of AR sequences showed that ∼8% residue in a protein sequence was in AR and the region was in average 8 residues long. The residues in the AR were high in sequence complexity and it seldom overlapped with low complexity regions (LCR), which was largely abundant in disorder proteins. The sequences in the AR showed mixed conformational adaptability towards α-helix, β-sheet/strand and coil conformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swagata Das
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata, India
| | - Uttam Pal
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata, India
| | - Supriya Das
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata, India
| | - Khyati Bagga
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata, India
| | - Anupam Roy
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata, India
| | - Arpita Mrigwani
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata, India
| | - Nakul C. Maiti
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata, India
- * E-mail:
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46
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Nicholson J, Scherl A, Way L, Blackburn EA, Walkinshaw MD, Ball KL, Hupp TR. A systems wide mass spectrometric based linear motif screen to identify dominant in-vivo interacting proteins for the ubiquitin ligase MDM2. Cell Signal 2014; 26:1243-57. [PMID: 24583282 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2014.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Linear motifs mediate protein-protein interactions (PPI) that allow expansion of a target protein interactome at a systems level. This study uses a proteomics approach and linear motif sub-stratifications to expand on PPIs of MDM2. MDM2 is a multi-functional protein with over one hundred known binding partners not stratified by hierarchy or function. A new linear motif based on a MDM2 interaction consensus is used to select novel MDM2 interactors based on Nutlin-3 responsiveness in a cell-based proteomics screen. MDM2 binds a subset of peptide motifs corresponding to real proteins with a range of allosteric responses to MDM2 ligands. We validate cyclophilin B as a novel protein with a consensus MDM2 binding motif that is stabilised by Nutlin-3 in vivo, thus identifying one of the few known interactors of MDM2 that is stabilised by Nutlin-3. These data invoke two modes of peptide binding at the MDM2 N-terminus that rely on a consensus core motif to control the equilibrium between MDM2 binding proteins. This approach stratifies MDM2 interacting proteins based on the linear motif feature and provides a new biomarker assay to define clinically relevant Nutlin-3 responsive MDM2 interactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Nicholson
- Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, Cell Signalling Unit, University of Edinburgh, EH4 2XR, United Kingdom; Department of Radiation Oncology and Biology, University of Oxford, OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Scherl
- Proteomics Core Facility, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Luke Way
- Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, Cell Signalling Unit, University of Edinburgh, EH4 2XR, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth A Blackburn
- Edinburgh Centre for Chemical Biology, University of Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, United Kingdom
| | - Malcolm D Walkinshaw
- Edinburgh Centre for Chemical Biology, University of Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn L Ball
- Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, Cell Signalling Unit, University of Edinburgh, EH4 2XR, United Kingdom
| | - Ted R Hupp
- Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, Cell Signalling Unit, University of Edinburgh, EH4 2XR, United Kingdom.
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47
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Todorova R. Disordered binding regions of Ewing’s sarcoma fusion proteins. RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF BIOORGANIC CHEMISTRY 2014. [DOI: 10.1134/s1068162014010117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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48
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Tompa P. Multisteric Regulation by Structural Disorder in Modular Signaling Proteins: An Extension of the Concept of Allostery. Chem Rev 2013; 114:6715-32. [DOI: 10.1021/cr4005082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Tompa
- VIB Department of Structural
Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of Enzymology, Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy
of Sciences, Budapest H-1113, Hungary
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49
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Feng H, Qin Z, Zhang X. Opportunities and methods for studying alternative splicing in cancer with RNA-Seq. Cancer Lett 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2012.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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50
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Xue B, Uversky VN. Intrinsic disorder in proteins involved in the innate antiviral immunity: another flexible side of a molecular arms race. J Mol Biol 2013; 426:1322-50. [PMID: 24184279 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2013.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2013] [Revised: 09/25/2013] [Accepted: 10/23/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
We present a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of the abundance and roles of intrinsic disorder in human proteins involved in the antiviral innate immune response. The commonness of intrinsic disorder and disorder-based binding sites is evaluated in 840 human antiviral proteins and proteins associated with innate immune response and defense response to virus. Among the mechanisms engaged in the innate immunity to viral infection are three receptor-based pathways activated by the specific recognition of various virus-associated patterns by several retinoic acid-inducible gene I-like receptors, toll-like receptors, and nucleotide oligomerization domain-like receptors. These modules are tightly regulated and intimately interconnected being jointly controlled via a complex set of protein-protein interactions. Focused analysis of the major players involved in these three pathways is performed to illustrate the roles of protein intrinsic disorder in controlling and regulating the innate antiviral immunity. We mapped the disorder into an integrated network of receptor-based pathways of human innate immunity to virus infection and demonstrate that proteins involved in regulation and execution of these innate immunity pathways possess substantial amount of intrinsic disorder. Disordered regions are engaged in a number of crucial functions, such as protein-protein interactions and interactions with other partners including nucleic acids and other ligands, and are enriched in posttranslational modification sites. Therefore, host cells use numerous advantages of intrinsically disordered proteins and regions to fight flexible invaders and viruses and to successfully overcome the viral invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Xue
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Vladimir N Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA; Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia.
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