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Luu DD, Ramesh N, Kazan IC, Shah KH, Lahiri G, Mana MD, Ozkan SB, Van Horn WD. Evidence that the cold- and menthol-sensing functions of the human TRPM8 channel evolved separately. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadm9228. [PMID: 38905339 PMCID: PMC11192081 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm9228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) is a temperature- and menthol-sensitive ion channel that contributes to diverse physiological roles, including cold sensing and pain perception. Clinical trials targeting TRPM8 have faced repeated setbacks predominantly due to the knowledge gap in unraveling the molecular underpinnings governing polymodal activation. A better understanding of the molecular foundations between the TRPM8 activation modes may aid the development of mode-specific, thermal-neutral therapies. Ancestral sequence reconstruction was used to explore the origins of TRPM8 activation modes. By resurrecting key TRPM8 nodes along the human evolutionary trajectory, we gained valuable insights into the trafficking, stability, and function of these ancestral forms. Notably, this approach unveiled the differential emergence of cold and menthol sensitivity over evolutionary time, providing a fresh perspective on complex polymodal behavior. These studies provide a paradigm for understanding polymodal behavior in TRPM8 and other proteins with the potential to enhance our understanding of sensory receptor biology and pave the way for innovative therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin D. Luu
- School of Molecular Sciences and The Virginia G. Piper Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Nikhil Ramesh
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - I. Can Kazan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Karan H. Shah
- School of Molecular Sciences and The Virginia G. Piper Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Gourab Lahiri
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Miyeko D. Mana
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - S. Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Wade D. Van Horn
- School of Molecular Sciences and The Virginia G. Piper Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics, The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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Ose NJ, Campitelli P, Modi T, Kazan IC, Kumar S, Ozkan SB. Some mechanistic underpinnings of molecular adaptations of SARS-COV-2 spike protein by integrating candidate adaptive polymorphisms with protein dynamics. eLife 2024; 12:RP92063. [PMID: 38713502 PMCID: PMC11076047 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
We integrate evolutionary predictions based on the neutral theory of molecular evolution with protein dynamics to generate mechanistic insight into the molecular adaptations of the SARS-COV-2 spike (S) protein. With this approach, we first identified candidate adaptive polymorphisms (CAPs) of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein and assessed the impact of these CAPs through dynamics analysis. Not only have we found that CAPs frequently overlap with well-known functional sites, but also, using several different dynamics-based metrics, we reveal the critical allosteric interplay between SARS-CoV-2 CAPs and the S protein binding sites with the human ACE2 (hACE2) protein. CAPs interact far differently with the hACE2 binding site residues in the open conformation of the S protein compared to the closed form. In particular, the CAP sites control the dynamics of binding residues in the open state, suggesting an allosteric control of hACE2 binding. We also explored the characteristic mutations of different SARS-CoV-2 strains to find dynamic hallmarks and potential effects of future mutations. Our analyses reveal that Delta strain-specific variants have non-additive (i.e., epistatic) interactions with CAP sites, whereas the less pathogenic Omicron strains have mostly additive mutations. Finally, our dynamics-based analysis suggests that the novel mutations observed in the Omicron strain epistatically interact with the CAP sites to help escape antibody binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas James Ose
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Paul Campitelli
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Tushar Modi
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - I Can Kazan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Biology, Temple UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Center for Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz UniversityJeddahSaudi Arabia
| | - Sefika Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
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Ose NJ, Campitelli P, Modi T, Can Kazan I, Kumar S, Banu Ozkan S. Some mechanistic underpinnings of molecular adaptations of SARS-COV-2 spike protein by integrating candidate adaptive polymorphisms with protein dynamics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.14.557827. [PMID: 37745560 PMCID: PMC10515954 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.14.557827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
We integrate evolutionary predictions based on the neutral theory of molecular evolution with protein dynamics to generate mechanistic insight into the molecular adaptations of the SARS-COV-2 Spike (S) protein. With this approach, we first identified Candidate Adaptive Polymorphisms (CAPs) of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein and assessed the impact of these CAPs through dynamics analysis. Not only have we found that CAPs frequently overlap with well-known functional sites, but also, using several different dynamics-based metrics, we reveal the critical allosteric interplay between SARS-CoV-2 CAPs and the S protein binding sites with the human ACE2 (hACE2) protein. CAPs interact far differently with the hACE2 binding site residues in the open conformation of the S protein compared to the closed form. In particular, the CAP sites control the dynamics of binding residues in the open state, suggesting an allosteric control of hACE2 binding. We also explored the characteristic mutations of different SARS-CoV-2 strains to find dynamic hallmarks and potential effects of future mutations. Our analyses reveal that Delta strain-specific variants have non-additive (i.e., epistatic) interactions with CAP sites, whereas the less pathogenic Omicron strains have mostly additive mutations. Finally, our dynamics-based analysis suggests that the novel mutations observed in the Omicron strain epistatically interact with the CAP sites to help escape antibody binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Ose
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Paul Campitelli
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Tushar Modi
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - I. Can Kazan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - S. Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
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Lu J, Rahman MI, Kazan IC, Halloran NR, Bobkov AA, Ozkan SB, Ghirlanda G. Engineering gain-of-function mutants of a WW domain by dynamics and structural analysis. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4759. [PMID: 37574787 PMCID: PMC10464296 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Proteins gain optimal fitness such as foldability and function through evolutionary selection. However, classical studies have found that evolutionarily designed protein sequences alone cannot guarantee foldability, or at least not without considering local contacts associated with the initial folding steps. We previously showed that foldability and function can be restored by removing frustration in the folding energy landscape of a model WW domain protein, CC16, which was designed based on Statistical Coupling Analysis (SCA). Substitutions ensuring the formation of five local contacts identified as "on-path" were selected using the closest homolog native folded sequence, N21. Surprisingly, the resulting sequence, CC16-N21, bound to Group I peptides, while N21 did not. Here, we identified single-point mutations that enable N21 to bind a Group I peptide ligand through structure and dynamic-based computational design. Comparison of the docked position of the CC16-N21/ligand complex with the N21 structure showed that residues at positions 9 and 19 are important for peptide binding, whereas the dynamic profiles identified position 10 as allosterically coupled to the binding site and exhibiting different dynamics between N21 and CC16-N21. We found that swapping these positions in N21 with matched residues from CC16-N21 recovers nature-like binding affinity to N21. This study validates the use of dynamic profiles as guiding principles for affecting the binding affinity of small proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Lu
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological PhysicsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | | | - I. Can Kazan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological PhysicsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | | | - Andrey A. Bobkov
- Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical GenomicsSanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery InstituteCaliforniaUSA
| | - S. Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological PhysicsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
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Kazan IC, Mills JH, Ozkan SB. Allosteric regulatory control in dihydrofolate reductase is revealed by dynamic asymmetry. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4700. [PMID: 37313628 PMCID: PMC10357497 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the relationship between mutations and dynamics in Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) using computational methods. Our study focused on the M20 and FG loops, which are known to be functionally important and affected by mutations distal to the loops. We used molecular dynamics simulations and developed position-specific metrics, including the dynamic flexibility index (DFI) and dynamic coupling index (DCI), to analyze the dynamics of wild-type DHFR and compared our results with existing deep mutational scanning data. Our analysis showed a statistically significant association between DFI and mutational tolerance of the DHFR positions, indicating that DFI can predict functionally beneficial or detrimental substitutions. We also applied an asymmetric version of our DCI metric (DCIasym ) to DHFR and found that certain distal residues control the dynamics of the M20 and FG loops, whereas others are controlled by them. Residues that are suggested to control the M20 and FG loops by our DCIasym metric are evolutionarily nonconserved; mutations at these sites can enhance enzyme activity. On the other hand, residues controlled by the loops are mostly deleterious to function when mutated and are also evolutionary conserved. Our results suggest that dynamics-based metrics can identify residues that explain the relationship between mutation and protein function or can be targeted to rationally engineer enzymes with enhanced activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- I. Can Kazan
- Center for Biological Physics and Department of PhysicsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | - Jeremy H. Mills
- School of Molecular Sciences and The Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and BiomimeticsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | - S. Banu Ozkan
- Center for Biological Physics and Department of PhysicsArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
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Rational engineering of a metalloprotease to enhance thermostability and activity. Enzyme Microb Technol 2023; 162:110123. [DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2022.110123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Kazan IC, Sharma P, Rahman MI, Bobkov A, Fromme R, Ghirlanda G, Ozkan SB. Design of novel cyanovirin-N variants by modulation of binding dynamics through distal mutations. eLife 2022; 11:67474. [PMID: 36472898 PMCID: PMC9725752 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
We develop integrated co-evolution and dynamic coupling (ICDC) approach to identify, mutate, and assess distal sites to modulate function. We validate the approach first by analyzing the existing mutational fitness data of TEM-1 β-lactamase and show that allosteric positions co-evolved and dynamically coupled with the active site significantly modulate function. We further apply ICDC approach to identify positions and their mutations that can modulate binding affinity in a lectin, cyanovirin-N (CV-N), that selectively binds to dimannose, and predict binding energies of its variants through Adaptive BP-Dock. Computational and experimental analyses reveal that binding enhancing mutants identified by ICDC impact the dynamics of the binding pocket, and show that rigidification of the binding residues compensates for the entropic cost of binding. This work suggests a mechanism by which distal mutations modulate function through dynamic allostery and provides a blueprint to identify candidates for mutagenesis in order to optimize protein function.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Can Kazan
- Center for Biological Physics and Department of Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States,School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Prerna Sharma
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | | | - Andrey Bobkov
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery InstituteLa JollaUnited States
| | - Raimund Fromme
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Giovanna Ghirlanda
- School of Molecular Sciences, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - S Banu Ozkan
- Center for Biological Physics and Department of Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
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