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Grelich-Mucha M, Bachelart T, Torbeev V, Ożga K, Berlicki Ł, Olesiak-Bańska J. Amyloid engineering - how terminal capping modifies morphology and secondary structure of supramolecular peptide aggregates. Biomater Sci 2024; 12:1590-1602. [PMID: 38323504 DOI: 10.1039/d3bm01641b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
The effects of peptide N- and C-termini on aggregation behavior have been scarcely studied. Herein, we examine (105-115) peptide fragments of transthyretin (TTR) containing various functional groups at both termini and study their impact on the morphology and the secondary structure. We synthesized TTR(105-115) peptides functionalized with α-amino (H-), N-acetyl-α-amino (Ac-) or N,N-dimethyl-α-amino (DiMe-) groups at the N-terminus, and with amide (-NH2) or carboxyl (-OH) functions at the C-terminus. We also investigated quasi-racemic mixtures by mixing the L-enantiomers with the D-enantiomer capped by H- and -NH2 groups. We observed that fibril formation is promoted by the sufficient number of hydrogen bonds at peptides' termini. Moreover, the final morphology of the aggregates can be controlled by the functional groups at the N-terminus. Remarkably, all quasi-racemic mixtures resulted in the robust formation of fibrils. Overall, this work illustrates how modifications of peptide termini may help to engineer supramolecular aggregates with a predicted morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Grelich-Mucha
- Institute of Advanced Materials, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Thomas Bachelart
- École Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg (ESBS), CNRS UMR 7242 Biotechnology and Cellular Signalling, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Vladimir Torbeev
- École Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg (ESBS), CNRS UMR 7242 Biotechnology and Cellular Signalling, University of Strasbourg, 67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Katarzyna Ożga
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Łukasz Berlicki
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Olesiak-Bańska
- Institute of Advanced Materials, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland.
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Marković V, Shaik JB, Ożga K, Ciesiołkiewicz A, Lizandra Perez J, Rudzińska-Szostak E, Berlicki Ł. Peptide foldamer-based inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein-human ACE2 interaction. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2023; 38:2244693. [PMID: 37605435 PMCID: PMC10446788 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2023.2244693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The entry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus into a human host cell begins with the interaction between the viral spike protein (S protein) and human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2). Therefore, a possible strategy for the treatment of this infection is based on inhibiting the interaction of the two abovementioned proteins. Compounds that bind to the SARS-CoV-2 S protein at the interface with the alpha-1/alpha-2 helices of ACE2 PD Subdomain I are of particular interest. We present a stepwise optimisation of helical peptide foldamers containing trans-2-aminocylopentanecarboxylic acid residues as the folding-inducing unit. Four rounds of optimisation led to the discovery of an 18-amino-acid peptide with high affinity for the SARS-CoV-2 S protein (Kd = 650 nM) that inhibits this protein-protein interaction with IC50 = 1.3 µM. Circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance studies indicated the helical conformation of this peptide in solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Marković
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Jeelan Basha Shaik
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Ożga
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Ciesiołkiewicz
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Juan Lizandra Perez
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Ewa Rudzińska-Szostak
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Łukasz Berlicki
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland
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3
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Ożga K, Berlicki Ł. Miniprotein-Based Artificial Retroaldolase. ACS Catal 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.2c04311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Ożga
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Łukasz Berlicki
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
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Abstract
The potential of miniproteins in the biological and chemical sciences is constantly increasing. Significant progress in the design methodologies has been achieved over the last 30 years. Early approaches based on propensities of individual amino acid residues to form individual secondary structures were subsequently improved by structural analyses using NMR spectroscopy and crystallography. Consequently, computational algorithms were developed, which are now highly successful in designing structures with accuracy often close to atomic range. Further perspectives include construction of miniproteins incorporating non-native secondary structures derived from sequences with units other than α-amino acids. Noteworthy, miniproteins with extended structures, which are now feasibly accessible, are excellent scaffolds for construction of functional molecules.
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Szefczyk M, Ożga K, Drewniak-Świtalska M, Rudzińska-Szostak E, Hołubowicz R, Ożyhar A, Berlicki Ł. Controlling the conformational stability of coiled-coil peptides with a single stereogenic center of a peripheral β-amino acid residue. RSC Adv 2022; 12:4640-4647. [PMID: 35425498 PMCID: PMC8981378 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra00111j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The key issue in the research on foldamers remains the understanding of the relationship between the monomers structure and conformational properties at the oligomer level. In peptidomimetic foldamers, the main goal of which is to mimic the structure of proteins, a main challenge is still better understanding of the folding of peptides and the factors that influence their conformational stability. We probed the impact of the modification of the peptide periphery with trans- and cis-2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid (ACPC) on the structure and stability of the model coiled-coil using circular dichroism (CD), analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (2D NMR). Although, trans-ACPC and cis-ACPC-containing mutants differ by only one peripheral stereogenic center, their conformational stability is strikingly different.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Szefczyk
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27 50-370 Wroclaw Poland
| | - Katarzyna Ożga
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27 50-370 Wroclaw Poland
| | - Magda Drewniak-Świtalska
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27 50-370 Wroclaw Poland
| | - Ewa Rudzińska-Szostak
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27 50-370 Wroclaw Poland
| | - Rafał Hołubowicz
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27 50-370 Wroclaw Poland
| | - Andrzej Ożyhar
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27 50-370 Wroclaw Poland
| | - Łukasz Berlicki
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27 50-370 Wroclaw Poland
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6
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Stanojlovic V, Müller A, Moazzam A, Hinterholzer A, Ożga K, Berlicki Ł, Schubert M, Cabrele C. A Conformationally Stable Acyclic β-Hairpin Scaffold Tolerating the Incorporation of Poorly β-Sheet-Prone Amino Acids. Chembiochem 2021; 23:e202100604. [PMID: 34856053 PMCID: PMC9299858 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The β-hairpin is a structural element of native proteins, but it is also a useful artificial scaffold for finding lead compounds to convert into peptidomimetics or non-peptide structures for drug discovery. Since linear peptides are synthetically more easily accessible than cyclic ones, but are structurally less well-defined, we propose XWXWXpPXK(/R)X(R) as an acyclic but still rigid β-hairpin scaffold that is robust enough to accommodate different types of side chains, regardless of the secondary-structure propensity of the X residues. The high conformational stability of the scaffold results from tight contacts between cross-strand cationic and aromatic side chains, combined with the strong tendency of the d-Pro-l-Pro dipeptide to induce a type II' β-turn. To demonstrate the robustness of the scaffold, we elucidated the NMR structures and performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a series of peptides displaying mainly non-β-branched, poorly β-sheet-prone residues at the X positions. Both the NMR and MD data confirm that our acyclic β-hairpin scaffold is highly versatile as regards the amino-acid composition of the β-sheet face opposite to the cationic-aromatic one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesna Stanojlovic
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Anna Müller
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Ali Moazzam
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.,School of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14155-6619, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arthur Hinterholzer
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Katarzyna Ożga
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Łukasz Berlicki
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Mario Schubert
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Chiara Cabrele
- Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstrasse 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
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Grelich-Mucha M, Garcia AM, Torbeev V, Ożga K, Berlicki Ł, Olesiak-Bańska J. Autofluorescence of Amyloids Determined by Enantiomeric Composition of Peptides. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:5502-5510. [PMID: 34008978 PMCID: PMC8182742 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c00808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Amyloid fibrils are
peptide or protein aggregates possessing a
cross-β-sheet structure. They possess intrinsic fluorescence
property, which is still not fully understood. Herein, we compare
structural and optical properties of fibrils formed from L- and D-enantiomers
of the (105–115) fragment of transthyretin (TTR) and from their
racemic mixture. Our results show that autofluorescence of fibrils
obtained from enantiomers differs from that of fibrils from the racemic
mixture. In order to elucidate the origin of observed differences,
we analyzed the structure and morphology of fibrils and showed how
variations in β-sheet organization influence optical properties
of fibrils. We clarified the contribution of aromatic rings and the
amyloid backbone to the final blue-green emission of fibrils. This
work demonstrates how enantiomeric composition of amino acids allows
us to modulate the self-assembly and final morphology of well-defined
fibrillar bionanostructures with optical properties controlled by
supramolecular organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Grelich-Mucha
- Advanced Materials Engineering and Modelling Group, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Ana M Garcia
- Institute de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), International Center for Frontier Research in Chemistry (icFRC), University of Strasbourg, CNRS (UMR 7006) Strasbourg 67000, France
| | - Vladimir Torbeev
- Institute de Science et d'Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), International Center for Frontier Research in Chemistry (icFRC), University of Strasbourg, CNRS (UMR 7006) Strasbourg 67000, France
| | - Katarzyna Ożga
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Łukasz Berlicki
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Olesiak-Bańska
- Advanced Materials Engineering and Modelling Group, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
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8
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Ożga K, Drewniak-Świtalska M, Rudzińska-Szostak E, Berlicki Ł. Towards Foldameric Miniproteins: A Helix-Turn-Helix Motif. Chempluschem 2021; 86:646-649. [PMID: 33856118 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202100090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Numerous beta-amino acid containing peptides forming secondary structures have been already described, however the design of higher-order structures remains poorly explored. The methodology allowing construction of sequence patterns containing few rigid secondary element was proposed and experimentally validated. On the basis of 9/10/9/12-helix containing cis-2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid (cis-ACPC) residues arranged in an ααββ sequence pattern, a conformationally stable helix-turn-helix structure was designed. The connection between two helices was also constructed using cis-ACPC residues. Five examples of designed peptides were obtained and analyzed using circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which confirmed the assumed way of folding. The NMR structure was calculated for the peptide with the highest number of non-sequential contacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Ożga
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Magda Drewniak-Świtalska
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Ewa Rudzińska-Szostak
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Łukasz Berlicki
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370, Wrocław, Poland
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9
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Ożga K, Krzyczkowska-Sendrakowska M, Hubalewska-Dydejczyk A, Gilis-Januszewska A, Ratajczak M, Ratajczak M, Chaykivska Z, Jach R. The value of the free androgen index depends on the phenotype of polycystic ovary syndrome - a single-centre experience. Endokrynol Pol 2019; 70:330-335. [PMID: 30938834 DOI: 10.5603/ep.a2019.0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The free androgen index (FAI) values differ among patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome; however, the differences are not fully understood or known. The aim of the study was to evaluate FAI in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in regard to the phenotype of the PCOS and insulin resistance status. MATERIAL AND METHODS Anthropometric, hormonal, and biochemical parameters were assessed in 312 recruited women with PCOS. The FAI values were calculated in the reproductive and metabolic phenotypes of PCOS in groups of insulin resistance status based on the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) > 2.0 or fasting insulin (FI) > 10 mmol/L. To test the relationship between individual variables, Spearman's correlation analysis, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and Student's t-test were used. RESULTS The correlation between FAI values and HOMA-IR and FI was 0.42 and 0.47, respectively, in PCOS patients. A two fold higher FAI value was observed in metabolic PCOS phenotype when compared to the reproductive one (8.51 ± 5.56 vs. 4.40 ± 2.45 for HOMA-IR and 8.73 ± 6.09 vs. 4.31 ± 3.39 for FI, respectively; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS PCOS patients are not a homogenous group in terms of FAI value. Patients with metabolic PCOS phenotype are characterised by two-fold higher FAI values compared with reproductive PCOS phenotype. Further studies on the metabolic and androgenic status of different types of PCOS phenotypes should be carried out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Ożga
- Department of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Gynaecology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland.
| | | | | | | | - Maciej Ratajczak
- Department of Endocrinology, Medical Centre of Postgraduate Education, Bielański Hospital in Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Zlata Chaykivska
- Clinical Department of Metabolic Diseases, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
| | - Robert Jach
- Department of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Gynaecology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Cracow, Poland
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10
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Drewniak M, Węglarz-Tomczak E, Ożga K, Rudzińska-Szostak E, Macegoniuk K, Tomczak JM, Bejger M, Rypniewski W, Berlicki Ł. Helix-loop-helix peptide foldamers and their use in the construction of hydrolase mimetics. Bioorg Chem 2018; 81:356-361. [PMID: 30195249 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2018.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
De novo designed helix-loop-helix peptide foldamers containing cis-2-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid residues were evaluated for their conformational stability and possible use in enzyme mimetic development. The correlation between hydrogen bond network size and conformational stability was demonstrated through CD and NMR spectroscopies. Molecules incorporating a Cys/His/Glu triad exhibited enzyme-like hydrolytic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Drewniak
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Ewelina Węglarz-Tomczak
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Ożga
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Ewa Rudzińska-Szostak
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Macegoniuk
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Jakub M Tomczak
- Amsterdam Machine Learning Lab, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Magdalena Bejger
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznań, Poland
| | - Wojciech Rypniewski
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznań, Poland
| | - Łukasz Berlicki
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland.
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11
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Kolonko M, Ożga K, Hołubowicz R, Taube M, Kozak M, Ożyhar A, Greb-Markiewicz B. Intrinsic Disorder of the C-Terminal Domain of Drosophila Methoprene-Tolerant Protein. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162950. [PMID: 27657508 PMCID: PMC5033490 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Methoprene tolerant protein (Met) has recently been confirmed as the long-sought juvenile hormone (JH) receptor. This protein plays a significant role in the cross-talk of the 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and JH signalling pathways, which are important for control of insect development and maturation. Met belongs to the basic helix-loop-helix/Per-Arnt-Sim (bHLH-PAS) family of transcription factors. In these proteins, bHLH domains are typically responsible for DNA binding and dimerization, whereas the PAS domains are crucial for the choice of dimerization partner and the specificity of target gene activation. The C-terminal region is usually responsible for the regulation of protein complex activity. The sequence of the Met C-terminal region (MetC) is not homologous to any sequence deposited in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and has not been structurally characterized to date. In this study, we show that the MetC exhibits properties typical for an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP). The final averaged structure obtained with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments indicates that intrinsically disordered MetC exists in an extended conformation. This extended shape and the long unfolded regions characterise proteins with high flexibility and dynamics. Therefore, we suggest that the multiplicity of conformations adopted by the disordered MetC is crucial for its activity as a biological switch modulating the cross-talk of different signalling pathways in insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Kolonko
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50–370, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Ożga
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50–370, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Rafał Hołubowicz
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50–370, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Michał Taube
- Joint Laboratory for SAXS studies, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 85, 61–614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Maciej Kozak
- Joint Laboratory for SAXS studies, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 85, 61–614, Poznań, Poland
- Department of Macromolecular Physics, Faculty of Physics, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 85, 61–614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Andrzej Ożyhar
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50–370, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Beata Greb-Markiewicz
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50–370, Wrocław, Poland
- * E-mail:
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