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Yuda GPWC, Hanif N, Hermawan A. Computational Screening Using a Combination of Ligand-Based Machine Learning and Molecular Docking Methods for the Repurposing of Antivirals Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. Daru 2024; 32:47-65. [PMID: 37907683 PMCID: PMC11087449 DOI: 10.1007/s40199-023-00484-w] [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: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a close relative of SARS-CoV. Several studies have searched for COVID-19 therapies. The topics of these works ranged from vaccine discovery to natural products targeting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), a potential therapeutic target due to its essential role in replication and conserved sequences. However, published research on this target is limited, presenting an opportunity for drug discovery and development. METHOD This study aims to repurpose 10692 drugs in DrugBank by using ligand-based virtual screening (LBVS) machine learning (ML) with Konstanz Information Miner (KNIME) to seek potential therapeutics based on Mpro inhibitors. The top candidate compounds, the native ligand (GC-376) of the Mpro inhibitor, and the positive control boceprevir were then subjected to absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) characterization, drug-likeness prediction, and molecular docking (MD). Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was added to provide accurate information about the Mpro regulatory network. RESULTS This study identified 3,166 compound candidates inhibiting Mpro. The random forest (RF) molecular access system ML model provided the highest confidence score of 0.95 (bromo-7-nitroindazole) and identified the top 22 candidate compounds. Subjecting the 22 candidate compounds, the native ligand GC-376, and boceprevir to further ADMET property characterization and drug-likeness predictions revealed that one compound had two violations of Lipinski's rule. Additional MD results showed that only five compounds had more negative binding energies than the native ligand (- 12.25 kcal/mol). Among these compounds, CCX-140 exhibited the lowest score of - 13.64 kcal/mol. Through literature analysis, six compound classes with potential activity for Mpro were discovered. They included benzopyrazole, azole, pyrazolopyrimidine, carboxylic acids and derivatives, benzene and substituted derivatives, and diazine. Four pathologies were also discovered on the basis of the Mpro PPI network. CONCLUSION Results demonstrated the efficiency of LBVS combined with MD. This combined strategy provided positive evidence showing that the top screened drugs, including CCX-140, which had the lowest MD score, can be reasonably advanced to the in vitro phase. This combined method may accelerate the discovery of therapies for novel or orphan diseases from existing drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gusti Putu Wahyunanda Crista Yuda
- Laboratory of Macromolecular Engineering, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada Sekip Utara II, 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Naufa Hanif
- Master Student of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Hacettepe University, Ankara, 06100, Turkey
| | - Adam Hermawan
- Laboratory of Macromolecular Engineering, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada Sekip Utara II, 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
- Laboratory of Advanced Pharmaceutical Sciences. APSLC Building, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada Sekip Utara II, 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
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2
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Shankar S, Chew TW, Chichili VPR, Low BC, Sivaraman J. Structural basis for the distinct roles of non-conserved Pro116 and conserved Tyr124 of BCH domain of yeast p50RhoGAP. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:216. [PMID: 38740643 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05238-8] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
p50RhoGAP is a key protein that interacts with and downregulates the small GTPase RhoA. p50RhoGAP is a multifunctional protein containing the BNIP-2 and Cdc42GAP Homology (BCH) domain that facilitates protein-protein interactions and lipid binding and the GAP domain that regulates active RhoA population. We recently solved the structure of the BCH domain from yeast p50RhoGAP (YBCH) and showed that it maintains the adjacent GAP domain in an auto-inhibited state through the β5 strand. Our previous WT YBCH structure shows that a unique kink at position 116 thought to be made by a proline residue between alpha helices α6 and α7 is essential for the formation of intertwined dimer from asymmetric monomers. Here we sought to establish the role and impact of this Pro116. However, the kink persists in the structure of P116A mutant YBCH domain, suggesting that the scaffold is not dictated by the proline residue at this position. We further identified Tyr124 (or Tyr188 in HBCH) as a conserved residue in the crucial β5 strand. Extending to the human ortholog, when substituted to acidic residues, Tyr188D or Tyr188E, we observed an increase in RhoA binding and self-dimerization, indicative of a loss of inhibition of the GAP domain by the BCH domain. These results point to distinct roles and impact of the non-conserved and conserved amino acid positions in regulating the structural and functional complexity of the BCH domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srihari Shankar
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Ti Weng Chew
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117411, Singapore
| | | | - Boon Chuan Low
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117411, Singapore.
- NUS College, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 138593, Singapore.
| | - J Sivaraman
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
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3
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Martínez-Lumbreras S, Träger LK, Mulorz MM, Payr M, Dikaya V, Hipp C, König J, Sattler M. Intramolecular autoinhibition regulates the selectivity of PRPF40A tandem WW domains for proline-rich motifs. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3888. [PMID: 38719828 PMCID: PMC11079029 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48004-x] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
PRPF40A plays an important role in the regulation of pre-mRNA splicing by mediating protein-protein interactions in the early steps of spliceosome assembly. By binding to proteins at the 5´ and 3´ splice sites, PRPF40A promotes spliceosome assembly by bridging the recognition of the splices. The PRPF40A WW domains are expected to recognize proline-rich sequences in SF1 and SF3A1 in the early spliceosome complexes E and A, respectively. Here, we combine NMR, SAXS and ITC to determine the structure of the PRPF40A tandem WW domains in solution and characterize the binding specificity and mechanism for proline-rich motifs recognition. Our structure of the PRPF40A WW tandem in complex with a high-affinity SF1 peptide reveals contributions of both WW domains, which also enables tryptophan sandwiching by two proline residues in the ligand. Unexpectedly, a proline-rich motif in the N-terminal region of PRPF40A mediates intramolecular interactions with the WW tandem. Using NMR, ITC, mutational analysis in vitro, and immunoprecipitation experiments in cells, we show that the intramolecular interaction acts as an autoinhibitory filter for proof-reading of high-affinity proline-rich motifs in bona fide PRPF40A binding partners. We propose that similar autoinhibitory mechanisms are present in most WW tandem-containing proteins to enhance binding selectivity and regulation of WW/proline-rich peptide interaction networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Martínez-Lumbreras
- Institute of Structural Biology, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz Munich, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany.
- TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience and Bavarian NMR Center, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, 85748, Garching, Germany.
| | - Lena K Träger
- TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience and Bavarian NMR Center, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Miriam M Mulorz
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) gGmbH, Ackermannweg 4, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marco Payr
- TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience and Bavarian NMR Center, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Varvara Dikaya
- TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience and Bavarian NMR Center, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Clara Hipp
- Institute of Structural Biology, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz Munich, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
- TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience and Bavarian NMR Center, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Julian König
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) gGmbH, Ackermannweg 4, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Michael Sattler
- Institute of Structural Biology, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz Munich, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany.
- TUM School of Natural Sciences, Department of Bioscience and Bavarian NMR Center, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, 85748, Garching, Germany.
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Ganguly HK, Ludwig BA, Tressler CM, Bhatt MR, Pandey AK, Quinn CM, Bai S, Yap GPA, Zondlo NJ. 4,4-Difluoroproline as a Unique 19F NMR Probe of Proline Conformation. Biochemistry 2024; 63:1131-1146. [PMID: 38598681 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00697] [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: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Despite the importance of proline conformational equilibria (trans versus cis amide and exo versus endo ring pucker) on protein structure and function, there is a lack of convenient ways to probe proline conformation. 4,4-Difluoroproline (Dfp) was identified to be a sensitive 19F NMR-based probe of proline conformational biases and cis-trans isomerism. Within model compounds and disordered peptides, the diastereotopic fluorines of Dfp exhibit similar chemical shifts (ΔδFF = 0-3 ppm) when a trans X-Dfp amide bond is present. In contrast, the diastereotopic fluorines exhibit a large (ΔδFF = 5-12 ppm) difference in chemical shift in a cis X-Dfp prolyl amide bond. DFT calculations, X-ray crystallography, and solid-state NMR spectroscopy indicated that ΔδFF directly reports on the relative preference of one proline ring pucker over the other: a fluorine which is pseudo-axial (i.e., the pro-4R-F in an exo ring pucker, or the pro-4S-F in an endo ring pucker) is downfield, while a fluorine which is pseudo-equatorial (i.e., pro-4S-F when exo, or pro-4R-F when endo) is upfield. Thus, when a proline is disordered (a mixture of exo and endo ring puckers, as at trans-Pro in peptides in water), it exhibits a small Δδ. In contrast, when the Pro is ordered (i.e., when one ring pucker is strongly preferred, as in cis-Pro amide bonds, where the endo ring pucker is strongly favored), a large Δδ is observed. Dfp can be used to identify inherent induced order in peptides and to quantify proline cis-trans isomerism. Using Dfp, we discovered that the stable polyproline II helix (PPII) formed in the denatured state (8 M urea) exhibits essentially equal populations of the exo and endo proline ring puckers. In addition, the data with Dfp suggested the specific stabilization of PPII by water over other polar solvents. These data strongly support the importance of carbonyl solvation and n → π* interactions for the stabilization of PPII. Dfp was also employed to quantify proline cis-trans isomerism as a function of phosphorylation and the R406W mutation in peptides derived from the intrinsically disordered protein tau. Dfp is minimally sterically disruptive and can be incorporated in expressed proteins, suggesting its broad application in understanding proline cis-trans isomerization, protein folding, and local order in intrinsically disordered proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himal K Ganguly
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Brice A Ludwig
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Caitlin M Tressler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Megh R Bhatt
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Anil K Pandey
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Caitlin M Quinn
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Shi Bai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Glenn P A Yap
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Neal J Zondlo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
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Bu G, Danelius E, Wieske LH, Gonen T. Polymorphic Structure Determination of the Macrocyclic Drug Paritaprevir by MicroED. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2024; 8:e2300570. [PMID: 38381052 PMCID: PMC11090733 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300570] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Paritaprevir is an orally bioavailable, macrocyclic drug used for treating chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Its structures have been elusive to the public until recently when one of the crystal forms is solved by microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED). In this work, the MicroED structures of two distinct polymorphic crystal forms of paritaprevir are reported from the same experiment. The different polymorphs show conformational changes in the macrocyclic core, as well as the cyclopropyl sulfonamide and methyl pyrazinamide substituents. Molecular docking shows that one of the conformations fits well into the active site pocket of the HCV non-structural 3/4A (NS3/4A) serine protease target, and can interact with the pocket and catalytic triad via hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds. These results can provide further insight for optimization of the binding of acyl sulfonamide inhibitors to the HCV NS3/4A serine protease. In addition, this also demonstrates the opportunity to derive different polymorphs and distinct macrocycle conformations from the same experiments using MicroED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanhong Bu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Emma Danelius
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Lianne H.E. Wieske
- Department of Chemistry – BMC, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, 75237 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tamir Gonen
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Los Angeles, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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6
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Świątek A, Kuczera K, Szoszkiewicz R. Effects of Proline on Internal Friction in Simulated Folding Dynamics of Several Alanine-Based α-Helical Peptides. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:3856-3869. [PMID: 38606880 PMCID: PMC11056985 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00623] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
We have studied in silico the effect of proline, a model cosolvent, on local and global friction coefficients in (un)folding of several typical alanine-based α-helical peptides. Local friction is related to dwell times of a single, ensemble-averaged hydrogen bond (HB) within each peptide. Global friction is related to energy dissipated in a series of configurational changes of each peptide experienced by increasing the number of HBs during folding. Both of these approaches are important in relation to future atomic force microscopic-based measurements of internal friction via force-clamp single-molecule force spectroscopy. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for six peptides, namely, ALA5, ALA8, ALA15, ALA21, (AAQAA)3, and H2N-GN(AAQAA)2G-COONH2, have been conducted at 2 and 5 M proline solutions in water. Using previously obtained MD data for these peptides in pure water as well as upgraded theoretical models, we obtained variations of local and global internal friction coefficients as a function of solution viscosity. The results showed the substantial role of proline in stabilizing the folded state and slowing the overall folding dynamics. Consequently, larger friction coefficients were obtained at larger viscosities. The local and global internal friction, i.e., respective, friction coefficients approximated to zero viscosity, was also obtained. The evolution of friction coefficients with viscosity was weakly dependent on the number of concurrent folding pathways but was rather dominated by a stabilizing effect of proline on the folded states. Obtained values of local and global internal friction showed qualitatively similar results and a clear dependency on the structure of the studied peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Świątek
- Faculty of Chemistry,
Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Kuczera
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The
University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
| | - Robert Szoszkiewicz
- Faculty of Chemistry,
Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
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7
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Kienlein M, Zacharias M, Reif MM. Comprehensive Analysis of Coupled Proline Cis-Trans States in Bradykinin Using ωBP-REMD Simulations. J Chem Theory Comput 2024; 20:2643-2654. [PMID: 38465868 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c01356] [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: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
It is well-known that proline (Pro) cis-trans isomerization plays a decisive role in the folding and stabilization of proteins. The conformational coupling between isomerization states of different Pro residues in proteins during conformational adaptation processes is not well understood. In the present work, we investigate the coupled cis-trans isomerization of three Pro residues using bradykinin (BK), a partially unstructured nonapeptide hormone, as a model system. We use a recently developed enhanced-sampling molecular dynamics method (ω-bias potential replica exchange molecular dynamics; ωBP-REMD) that allows us to exhaustively sample all combinations of Pro isomer states and obtain converged probability densities of all eight state combinations within 885 ns ωBP-REMD simulations. In agreement with experiment, the all-trans state is seen to be the preferred isomer of zwitterionic aqueous BK. In about a third of its structures, this state presents the characteristic C-terminal β-turn conformation; however, other isomer combinations also contribute significantly to the structural ensemble. Unbiased probabilities can be projected onto the peptide bond dihedral angles of the three Pro residues. This unveils the interdependence of the individual Pro isomerization states, i.e., a possible coupling of the different Pro isomers. The cis/trans equilibrium of a Pro residue can change by up to 2.5 kcal·mol-1, depending on the isomerization state of other Pro residues. For example, for Pro7, the simulations indicate that its cis state becomes favored compared to its trans state when Pro2 is switched from the trans state to the cis state. Our findings demonstrate the efficiency of the ωBP-REMD methodology and suggest that the coupling of Pro isomerization states may play an even more decisive role in larger folded proteins subject to more conformational restraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Kienlein
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Physics Department, Chair of Theoretical Biophysics (T38), Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 8, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Martin Zacharias
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Physics Department, Chair of Theoretical Biophysics (T38), Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 8, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Maria M Reif
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Physics Department, Chair of Theoretical Biophysics (T38), Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 8, 85748 Garching, Germany
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8
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Piedl KN, Arcoria PJ, Etzkorn FA. Misacylation of tRNA with Ser-Pro Dipeptide for In Vitro Transcription-Translation. Curr Protoc 2024; 4:e1010. [PMID: 38516989 PMCID: PMC10963037 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.1010] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Serine-proline (Ser-Pro) backbone-modified dipeptide analogues are powerful tools to investigate the role of cis-trans isomerization in the regulation of the cell cycle and transcription. These studies have previously been limited to synthetic peptides, whose synthesis is a challenge for larger peptides due to the compounding yield loss incurred in each step. We now introduce a method for the aminoacylation of tRNA with dipeptides and dipeptide analogs to permit the installation of cis- and trans-locked Ser-Pro analogues into full-length proteins. To that end, we synthesized the 3,5-dinitrobenzyl (DNB)-activated esters of a native Ser-Pro dipeptide and its cis- and trans-locked alkene analogs. Murakami et al. created the DNB flexizyme (dFx), a ribozyme that acylates tRNA with DNB esters of amino acids to permit unnatural amino acids to be incorporated into proteins. A tRNA from yeast that recognizes the amber stop codon, along with the dFx flexizyme, were generated by in vitro transcription with T7 RNA polymerase. dFx was used to successfully catalyze the chemical misacylation of truncated amber tRNA with the Ser-Pro-DNB activated dipeptide. This method allows the introduction of non-native Ser-Pro dipeptide mimics into full-length proteins by in vitro transcription-translation. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Synthesis of 3,5-dinitrobenzyl activated esters of Ser-Pro Basic Protocol 2: Preparation of truncated amber tRNA Basic Protocol 3: Acylation of amber-tRNA by the dFx flexizyme Basic Protocol 4: PAGE electrophoresis of tRNASerPro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla N Piedl
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - Paul J Arcoria
- Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
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Loughlin JO, Zinovjev K, Napolitano S, van der Kamp M, Rubini M. 4-Thiaproline accelerates the slow folding phase of proteins containing cis prolines in the native state by two orders of magnitude. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4877. [PMID: 38115231 PMCID: PMC10804670 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4877] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The cis/trans isomerization of peptidyl-prolyl peptide bonds is often the bottleneck of the refolding reaction for proteins containing cis proline residues in the native state. Proline (Pro) analogues, especially C4-substituted fluoroprolines, have been widely used in protein engineering to enhance the thermodynamic stability of peptides and proteins and to investigate folding kinetics. 4-thiaproline (Thp) has been shown to bias the ring pucker of Pro, to increase the cis population percentage of model peptides in comparison to Pro, and to diminish the activation energy barrier for the cis/trans isomerization reaction. Despite its intriguing properties, Thp has been seldom incorporated into proteins. Moreover, the impact of Thp on the folding kinetics of globular proteins has never been reported. In this study, we show that upon incorporation of Thp at cisPro76 into the thioredoxin variant Trx1P the half-life of the refolding reaction decreased from ~2 h to ~35 s. A dramatic acceleration of the refolding rate could be observed also for the protein pseudo wild-type barstar upon replacement of cisPro48 with Thp. Quantum chemical calculations suggested that the replacement of the Cγ H2 group by a sulfur atom in the pyrrolidine ring, might lower the barrier for cis/trans rotation due to a weakened peptide bond. The protein variants retained their thermodynamic stability upon incorporation of Thp, while the catalytic and enzymatic activities of the modified Trx1P remained unchanged. Our results show that the Pro isostere Thp might accelerate the rate of the slow refolding reaction for proteins containing cis proline residues in the native state, independent from the local structural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kirill Zinovjev
- School of Biochemistry, University of BristolBristolUK
- Department of Physical ChemistryUniversity of ValenciaValenciaSpain
| | - Silvia Napolitano
- Department of Molecular Biology and BiophysicsETH ZürichZürichSwitzerland
| | | | - Marina Rubini
- School of Chemistry, University College Dublin, BelfieldDublin 4Ireland
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Pernak J, Łożyński M, Kaczmarek DK, Qu F, Bolla G, Rogers RD. Bioinspired Herbicides-Ionic Liquids or Liquid Cocrystals? J Agric Food Chem 2024; 72:1454-1461. [PMID: 38207097 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c06973] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
This research provides information about combinations of several amino acids, including l-proline (Pro), l-arginine (Arg), and l-histidine (His), with phenoxyacetic acid herbicides (MCPA and 2,4-D). Five amino acid ionic liquids (AAILs), one amino acid higher-melting salt (AAHMS), and two amino acid liquid cocrystals (AALCs) were obtained in high yields (>90%). The ionization of the six new structures was confirmed by NMR, IR, and molecular modeling. X-ray crystallography was used to definitively confirm the binding location of the mobile hydrogen. Furthermore, we propose a computational method for estimating the energy of specific hydrogen bond(s) in AAIL crystals based on the NBO and QTAIM hydrogen bond parameters obtained by model calculations. An in-depth analysis of the structures allowed to answer the question posed in the title, ionic liquids or liquid cocrystals? AAILs based on arginine and histidine were obtained. In contrast, combining proline with MCPA and 2,4-D led to AALCs. Finally, the compounds were analyzed to measure their herbicidal activity. These studies proved that the novel form of MCPA or 2,4-D improved its ability to control weeds compared to commercial formulations containing the same active ingredients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliusz Pernak
- Department of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Poznan 60-965, Poland
| | - Marek Łożyński
- Department of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Poznan 60-965, Poland
| | - Damian K Kaczmarek
- Department of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Poznan 60-965, Poland
| | - Fengrui Qu
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487, United States
| | - Geetha Bolla
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487, United States
| | - Robin D Rogers
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487, United States
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11
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Lemieux P, Bradley D, Dubé AK, Dionne U, Landry CR. Dissection of the role of a Src homology 3 domain in the evolution of binding preference of paralogous proteins. Genetics 2024; 226:iyad175. [PMID: 37793087 PMCID: PMC10763533 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyad175] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) drive many cellular processes. Some interactions are directed by Src homology 3 (SH3) domains that bind proline-rich motifs on other proteins. The evolution of the binding specificity of SH3 domains is not completely understood, particularly following gene duplication. Paralogous genes accumulate mutations that can modify protein functions and, for SH3 domains, their binding preferences. Here, we examined how the binding of the SH3 domains of 2 paralogous yeast type I myosins, Myo3 and Myo5, evolved following duplication. We found that the paralogs have subtly different SH3-dependent interaction profiles. However, by swapping SH3 domains between the paralogs and characterizing the SH3 domains freed from their protein context, we find that very few of the differences in interactions, if any, depend on the SH3 domains themselves. We used ancestral sequence reconstruction to resurrect the preduplication SH3 domains and examined, moving back in time, how the binding preference changed. Although the most recent ancestor of the 2 domains had a very similar binding preference as the extant ones, older ancestral domains displayed a gradual loss of interaction with the modern interaction partners when inserted in the extant paralogs. Molecular docking and experimental characterization of the free ancestral domains showed that their affinity with the proline motifs is likely not the cause for this loss of binding. Taken together, our results suggest that a SH3 and its host protein could create intramolecular or allosteric interactions essential for the SH3-dependent PPIs, making domains not functionally equivalent even when they have the same binding specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Lemieux
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, 1030, Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Regroupement Québécois de Recherche sur la Fonction, l’Ingénierie et les Applications des Protéines, (PROTEO), Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Centre de recherche en données massives (CRDM), Université Laval, 1065, Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Département de biochimie, microbiologie et bio-informatique, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - David Bradley
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, 1030, Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Regroupement Québécois de Recherche sur la Fonction, l’Ingénierie et les Applications des Protéines, (PROTEO), Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Centre de recherche en données massives (CRDM), Université Laval, 1065, Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Département de biochimie, microbiologie et bio-informatique, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Département de biologie, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Alexandre K Dubé
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, 1030, Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Regroupement Québécois de Recherche sur la Fonction, l’Ingénierie et les Applications des Protéines, (PROTEO), Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Centre de recherche en données massives (CRDM), Université Laval, 1065, Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Département de biochimie, microbiologie et bio-informatique, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Département de biologie, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
| | - Ugo Dionne
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, 1030, Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Regroupement Québécois de Recherche sur la Fonction, l’Ingénierie et les Applications des Protéines, (PROTEO), Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada G1R 2J6
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X5
| | - Christian R Landry
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, 1030, Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Regroupement Québécois de Recherche sur la Fonction, l’Ingénierie et les Applications des Protéines, (PROTEO), Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Centre de recherche en données massives (CRDM), Université Laval, 1065, Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Département de biochimie, microbiologie et bio-informatique, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
- Département de biologie, Université Laval, 1045 Avenue de la Médecine, Québec, QC, Canada G1V 0A6
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12
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Zhao Z, Wang M, Miller MC, He Z, Xu X, Zhou Y, Mayo KH, Tai G. Isomerization of proline-46 in the N-terminal tail of galectin-3 enhances T cell apoptosis via the ROS-ERK pathway. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 256:128304. [PMID: 37992938 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128304] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is unique in the galectin family, due to the presence of a long N-terminal tail (NT) arising from its conserved carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). Although functional significance of the NT has remained elusive, our previous studies demonstrated the importance of NT prolines to Gal-3 function. Here, we show that during the time Gal-3 stands in solution for three or more days, Gal-3 NT undergoes a slow, intra-molecular, time-dependent conformational/dynamical change associated with proline cis-trans isomerization. From initial dissolution of Gal-3 in buffer to three days in solution, Gal-3-mediated T cell apoptosis is enhanced from 23 % to 37 %. Western blotting and flow cytometry show that the enhancement occurs via the ROS-ERK pathway, and not by the PKC-ERK pathway. To assess which proline(s) is (are) responsible for this effect, we individually mutated all 14 NT prolines within the first 68 residues to alanines, and assessed their effect on ROS production. Our study shows that isomerization of P46 alone is responsible for the upregulation of ROS and T cell apoptosis. NMR studies show that this unique effect is mediated by a change in dynamic interactions between the NT and CRD F-face, which in turn leads to this change in Gal-3 function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihan Zhao
- Engineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates, Ministry of Education, Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Menghui Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates, Ministry of Education, Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Michelle C Miller
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics, 6-155 Jackson Hall, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Zhen He
- Engineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates, Ministry of Education, Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Xuejiao Xu
- Engineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates, Ministry of Education, Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yifa Zhou
- Engineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates, Ministry of Education, Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Kevin H Mayo
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics, 6-155 Jackson Hall, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Guihua Tai
- Engineering Research Center of Glycoconjugates, Ministry of Education, Jilin Province Key Laboratory of Chemistry and Biology of Changbai Mountain Natural Drugs, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China.
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13
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Sebák F, Ecsédi P, Nyitray L, Bodor A. Assignment of the disordered, proline-rich N-terminal domain of the tumour suppressor p53 protein using 1H N and 1H α-detected NMR measurements. Biomol NMR Assign 2023; 17:309-314. [PMID: 37861971 PMCID: PMC10630184 DOI: 10.1007/s12104-023-10160-4] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Protein p53 is mostly known for playing a key role in tumour suppression, and mutations in the p53 gene are amongst the most frequent genomic events accompanying oncogenic transformation. Continuous research is conducted to target disordered proteins/protein regions for cancer therapy, for which atomic level information is also necessary. The disordered N-terminal part of p53 contains the transactivation and the proline-rich domains-which besides being abundant in proline residues-contains repetitive Pro-Ala motifs. NMR assignment of such repetitive, proline-rich regions is challenging due to the lack of amide protons in the 1HN-detected approaches, as well as due to the small chemical shift dispersion. In the present study we perform the full assignment of the p531-100 region by applying a combination of 1HN- and 1Hα-detected NMR experiments. We also show the increased information content when using real-time homo- and heteronuclear decoupled acquisition schemes. On the other hand, we highlight the presence of minor proline species, and using Pro-selective experiments we determine the corresponding cis or trans conformation. Secondary chemical shifts for (Cα-Cβ) atoms indicate the disordered nature of this region, with expected helical tendency for the TAD1 region. As the role of the proline-rich domain is yet not well understood our results can contribute to further successful investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanni Sebák
- Analytical and BioNMR Laboratory, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/a, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Péter Ecsédi
- Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - László Nyitray
- Department of Biochemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Andrea Bodor
- Analytical and BioNMR Laboratory, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/a, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.
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14
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Orieshyna A, Puetzer JL, Amdursky N. Proton Transport Across Collagen Fibrils and Scaffolds: The Role of Hydroxyproline. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:4653-4662. [PMID: 37656903 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00326] [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: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Collagen is one of the most studied proteins due to its fundamental role in creating fibrillar structures and supporting tissues in our bodies. Accordingly, collagen is also one of the most used proteins for making tissue-engineered scaffolds for various types of tissues. To date, the high abundance of hydroxyproline (Hyp) within collagen is commonly ascribed to the structure and stability of collagen. Here, we hypothesize a new role for the presence of Hyp within collagen, which is to support proton transport (PT) across collagen fibrils. For this purpose, we explore here three different collagen-based hydrogels: the first is prepared by the self-assembly of natural collagen fibrils, and the second and third are based on covalently linking between collagen via either a self-coupling method or with an additional cross-linker. Following the formation of the hydrogel, we introduce here a two-step reaction, involving (1) attaching methanesulfonyl to the -OH group of Hyp, followed by (2) removing the methanesulfonyl, thus reverting Hyp to proline (Pro). We explore the PT efficiency at each step of the reaction using electrical measurements and show that adding the methanesulfonyl group vastly enhances PT, while reverting Hyp to Pro significantly reduces PT efficiency (compared with the initial point) with different efficiencies for the various collagen-based hydrogels. The role of Hyp in supporting the PT can assist in our understanding of the physiological roles of collagen. Furthermore, the capacity to modulate conductivity across collagen is very important to the use of collagen in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Orieshyna
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Jennifer L Puetzer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23220, United States
| | - Nadav Amdursky
- Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
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15
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Antoniazzi G, Schäfer RJB, Biedermann M, Rüttimann E, Wennemers H. Isonitrile-Proline - A Versatile Handle for the Chemoselective Derivatization of Collagen Peptides. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202302389. [PMID: 37498143 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202302389] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Functional groups that allow for chemoselective and bioorthogonal derivatization are valuable tools for the labelling of peptides and proteins. The isonitrile is such a group but synthetic methods for its incorporation into peptides by solid-phase peptide synthesis are not known. Here, we introduce (4S)- and (4R)-isonitrileproline (Inp) as building blocks for solid-phase peptide synthesis. Conformational studies of (4S)- and (4R)-Inp and thermal stability analysis of Inp-containing collagen triple helices revealed that the isonitrile group exerts a stereoelectronic gauche effect. We showcase the value of Inp for bioorthogonal labelling by derivatization of Inp-containing collagen model peptides (CMPs). Dual labelling with a pair of bioorthogonal reactions of a CMP containing Inp and azidoproline residues further highlights the versatility of the new isonitrile-containing amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Antoniazzi
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Rebecca J B Schäfer
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Maurice Biedermann
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Eric Rüttimann
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Helma Wennemers
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
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16
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Yu C, Nelson SL, Meisl G, Ghirlando R, Deshmukh L. Phase Separation and Fibrillization of Human Annexin A7 Are Mediated by Its Proline-Rich Domain. Biochemistry 2023; 62:3036-3040. [PMID: 37788367 PMCID: PMC10634317 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00349] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Human annexin A7, a calcium- and phospholipid-binding protein, governs calcium homeostasis, plasma membrane repair, apoptosis, and tumor progression. A7 contains an N-terminal proline-rich domain (PRD; 180 residues, ∼24% prolines) that determines its functional specificity. Using microscopy and dye-binding assays, we show that recombinant A7 and its isolated PRD spontaneously phase separate into spherical condensates, which subsequently transform into β-sheet-rich fibrils. We demonstrate that fibrillization of A7-PRD proceeds via primary nucleation and fibril-catalyzed secondary nucleation processes, as determined by chemical kinetics, providing a mechanistic basis for its amyloid assembly. This study confirms and highlights a subclass of eukaryotic PRDs prone to forming aggregates with important physiological and pathological implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenrong Yu
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Spencer L. Nelson
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Georg Meisl
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K.
| | - Rodolfo Ghirlando
- Laboratory
of Molecular Biology, National Institute
of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National
Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Lalit Deshmukh
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University
of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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17
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Kienlein M, Zacharias M, Reif MM. Efficient and accurate calculation of proline cis/trans isomerization free energies from Hamiltonian replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations. Structure 2023; 31:1473-1484.e6. [PMID: 37657438 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.08.008] [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: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Proline cis/trans isomerization plays an important role in many biological processes but occurs on time scales not accessible to brute-force molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We have designed a new Hamiltonian replica exchange scheme, ω-bias potential replica exchange molecular dynamics (ωBP-REMD), to efficiently and accurately calculate proline cis/trans isomerization free energies. ωBP-REMD is applied to various proline-containing tripeptides and a biologically important proline residue in the N2-domain of the gene-3-protein of phage fd in the wildtype and mutant variants of the protein. Excellent cis/trans transition rates are obtained. Reweighting of the sampled probability distribution along the peptide bond dihedral angle allows construction of the corresponding free-energy profile and calculation of the cis/trans isomerization free energy with high statistical precision. Very good agreement with experimental data is obtained. ωBP-REMD outperforms standard umbrella sampling in terms of convergence and agreement with experiment and strongly reduces perturbation of the local structure near the proline residue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Kienlein
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Physics Department, Chair of Theoretical Biophysics (T38), Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 8, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Martin Zacharias
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Physics Department, Chair of Theoretical Biophysics (T38), Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 8, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Maria M Reif
- Center for Functional Protein Assemblies (CPA), Physics Department, Chair of Theoretical Biophysics (T38), Technical University of Munich, Ernst-Otto-Fischer-Str. 8, 85748 Garching, Germany.
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18
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Chugaeva UY, Raouf M, Morozova NS, Mahdavian L. Effects of L-ascorbic acid (C 6H 8O 6: Vit-C) on collagen amino acids: DFT study. Amino Acids 2023; 55:1655-1664. [PMID: 37782378 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-023-03339-5] [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: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Vitamin C plays a very important role in the repair of connective tissue, especially for sports whose training causes the most damage to this tissue. Therefore, many people believe that L-ascorbic acid (C6H8O6: vitamin C) reduces the recovery time between sports exercises. The most abundant form of structural protein in the body is collagen. Collagen is characterized by a high concentration of the three amino acids glycine (Gly), proline (Pro), and hydroxyproline (Hyp), which creates its characteristic triple helix structure. Therefore, in this study, the effect of vitamin C presence on the sequence, interaction, and orientation of amino acids for collagen formation is investigated using computational simulation. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of action of vitamin C in terms of thermodynamics and structure of the reaction. The calculations are performed using density function theory (DFT) by the base set of B3LYP/6-311++G (p,d). The results show that the presence of vitamin C is effective in the formation of collagen protein for this interaction and the mechanism of amino acid sequence (Gly-Hyp-Pro) is better in the formation of collagen protein in the presence of vitamin C. The presence of Vit-C in the formation and direction of hydroxyproline (Hyp) causes its separation from the prolyl 5-hydroxylase enzyme. In the absence of vitamin C, the reaction stops at this stage and proline cannot be converted into hydroxyproline. The computational data shows vitamin C prevents unwanted interactions and directs amino acid reactions to repair connective tissue (collagen). Therefore, vitamin C acts as a cofactor in the Prolyl 5-Hydroxylase enzyme and causes it to convert proline to hydroxyl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uliana Y Chugaeva
- Department of Pediatric, Preventive Dentistry and Orthodontics, Institute of Dentistry, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Mahmoud Raouf
- Department of Physical Education, Doroud Branch, Islamic Azad University, Doroud, Iran
| | - Natalia S Morozova
- Department of Pediatric, Preventive Dentistry and Orthodontics, Institute of Dentistry, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - Leila Mahdavian
- Department of Chemistry, Doroud Branch, Islamic Azad University, Doroud, Iran.
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19
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Park SC, Lee JK, Kim YM, Lee JR. Effects of structural changes on antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity due to proline substitutions in chimeric peptide HnMc. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 679:139-144. [PMID: 37696067 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.09.013] [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: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Owing to the rapidly increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are being explored as next-generation antibiotics. However, AMPs present in nature are highly toxic and exhibit low antibacterial activity. Simple modifications, such as amino acid substitution, can enhance antimicrobial activity and cell selectivity. Herein, we show that HnMc-W, substituted by the Phe1Trp analog of HnMc, a chimeric peptide, resulted in membranolytic antibacterial action and enhanced salt tolerance, whereas HnMc-WP1 with one Ser9Pro substitution resulted in a proline-kink helical structure that increased salt-tolerant antibacterial effects and reduced cytotoxicity. In addition, the HnMc-WP2 peptide, designed with a PXXP motif, had a flexible central hinge in its α-helical structure due to the introduction of two Pro and two Gln (X positions, by deletion of two Gln at positions 16 and 17) residues instead of Ser at position. HnMc-WP2 exhibited excellent antibacterial effects without cytotoxicity in vitro. Moreover, its potent antibacterial activity was demonstrated in a drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa-infected mouse model in vivo. Our findings provide valuable information for the design of peptides with high antibacterial activity and cell selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seong-Cheol Park
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, 57922, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Kook Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, 57922, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Min Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, 57922, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Ro Lee
- LMO Team, National Institute of Ecology (NIE), Seocheon, 33657, Republic of Korea; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2128, USA.
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20
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Yoshikawa M, Nakamura H, Oda-Ueda N, Ohkuri T. Analysis of thermostability for seven Phe to Ala and six Pro to Gly mutants in the Fab constant region of adalimumab. J Biochem 2023; 174:345-353. [PMID: 37390406 DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvad047] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023] Open
Abstract
To identify amino acids that play important roles in the structural stability of Fab, seven phenylalanine residues in the Fab constant region of the therapeutic antibody adalimumab were subjected to alanine mutagenesis. Six Fab mutants, H:F130A, H:F154A, H:F174A, L:F118A, L:F139A and L:F209A, showed decreased thermostability compared with wild-type Fab. In contrast, the Tm for the L:F116A mutant was 1.7°C higher than that of wild-type Fab, indicating that the F116 residue was unfavorable for Fab thermostability. Six proline mutants, H:P131G, H:P155G, H:P175G, L:P119G, L:P120G and L:P141G, were also prepared to investigate the effect of proline residues adjacent to mutated phenylalanine residues. The thermostability of the H:P155G and L:P141G mutants in particular was significantly reduced, with decreases in Tm of 5.0 and 3.0°C, respectively, compared with wild-type Fab. The H:P155 and L:P141 residues have a cis conformation, whereas the other mutated proline residues have a trans conformation. H:P155 and L:P141 had stacking interactions with the H:F154 and L:Y140, respectively, at the interface between the variable and constant regions. It is suggested that the interactions of the aromatic ring with a cis-form proline at the interface between the variable and constant regions is important for stability of Fab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moeka Yoshikawa
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sojo University, 4-22-1 Ikeda, Nishi-ku, Kumamoto 860-0082, Japan
| | - Hitomi Nakamura
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sojo University, 4-22-1 Ikeda, Nishi-ku, Kumamoto 860-0082, Japan
| | - Naoko Oda-Ueda
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sojo University, 4-22-1 Ikeda, Nishi-ku, Kumamoto 860-0082, Japan
| | - Takatoshi Ohkuri
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sojo University, 4-22-1 Ikeda, Nishi-ku, Kumamoto 860-0082, Japan
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21
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Lal J, Kaul G, Akhir A, Saxena D, Dubkara H, Shekhar S, Chopra S, Reddy DN. β-Turn editing in Gramicidin S: Activity impact on replacing proline α-carbon with stereodynamic nitrogen. Bioorg Chem 2023; 138:106641. [PMID: 37300963 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106641] [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: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Gramicidin S, natural antimicrobial peptide is used commercially in medicinal lozenges for sore throat and Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial infections. However, its clinical potential is limited to topical applications because of its high red blood cells (RBC) cytotoxicity. Given the importance of developing potential antibiotics and inspired by the cyclic structure and druggable features of Gramicidin S, we edited proline α-carbon with stereodynamic nitrogen to examine the direct impact on biological activity and cytotoxicity with respect to prolyl counterpart. Natural Gramicidin S (12), proline-edited peptides 13-16 and wild-type d-Phe-d-Pro β-turn mimetics (17 and 18) were synthesized using solid phase peptide synthesis and investigated their activity against clinically relevant bacterial pathogens. Interestingly, mono-proline edited analogous peptide 13 showed moderate improvement in antimicrobial activity against E. coli ATCC 25922 and K.pneumoniae BAA 1705 as compared to Gramicidin S. Furthermore, proline edited peptide 13 exhibited equipotent antimicrobial effect against MDR S. aureus and Enterococcus spp. Analysis of cytotoxicity against VERO cells and RBC, reveals that proline edited peptides showed two-fivefold lesser cytotoxicity than the counterpart Gramicidin S. Our study suggests that introducing single azPro/Pro mutation in Gramicidin S marginally improved the activity and lessens the cytotoxicity as compared with the parent peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jhajan Lal
- Division of Medicinal and Process Chemistry, CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow 226031, India; Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP 201002, India
| | - Grace Kaul
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India; Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP 201002, India
| | - Abdul Akhir
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Deepanshi Saxena
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India
| | - Harshita Dubkara
- Division of Medicinal and Process Chemistry, CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow 226031, India; Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP 201002, India
| | - Shashank Shekhar
- Division of Medicinal and Process Chemistry, CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow 226031, India; Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP 201002, India
| | - Sidharth Chopra
- Division of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 226031, India; Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP 201002, India.
| | - Damodara N Reddy
- Division of Medicinal and Process Chemistry, CSIR-CDRI, Lucknow 226031, India; Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP 201002, India.
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22
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Chiliveri SC, Shen Y, Baber JL, Ying J, Sagar V, Wistow G, Anfinrud P, Bax A. Experimental NOE, Chemical Shift, and Proline Isomerization Data Provide Detailed Insights into Amelotin Oligomerization. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:18063-18074. [PMID: 37548612 PMCID: PMC10436275 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c05710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Amelotin is an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) rich in Pro residues and is involved in hydroxyapatite mineralization. It rapidly oligomerizes under physiological conditions of pH and pressure but reverts to its monomeric IDP state at elevated pressure. We identified a 105-residue segment of the protein that becomes ordered upon oligomerization, and we used pressure-jump NMR spectroscopy to measure long-range NOE contacts that exist exclusively in the oligomeric NMR-invisible state. The kinetics of oligomerization and dissociation were probed at the residue-specific level, revealing that the oligomerization process is initiated in the C-terminal half of the segment. Using pressure-jump NMR, the degree of order in the oligomer at the sites of Pro residues was probed by monitoring changes in cis/trans equilibria relative to the IDP state after long-term equilibration under oligomerizing conditions. Whereas most Pro residues revert to trans in the oligomeric state, Pro-49 favors a cis configuration and three Pro residues retain an unchanged cis fraction, pointing to their local lack of order in the oligomeric state. NOE contacts and secondary 13C chemical shifts in the oligomeric state indicate the presence of an 11-residue α-helix, preceded by a small intramolecular antiparallel β-sheet, with slower formation of long-range intermolecular interactions to N-terminal residues. Although none of the models generated by AlphaFold2 for the amelotin monomer was consistent with experimental data, subunits of a hexamer generated by AlphaFold-Multimer satisfied intramolecular NOE and chemical shift data and may provide a starting point for developing atomic models for the oligomeric state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Chaitanya Chiliveri
- Laboratory
of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Yang Shen
- Laboratory
of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - James L. Baber
- Laboratory
of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Jinfa Ying
- Laboratory
of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Vatsala Sagar
- Section
on Molecular Structure and Function, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Graeme Wistow
- Section
on Molecular Structure and Function, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Philip Anfinrud
- Laboratory
of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Ad Bax
- Laboratory
of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes
of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
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23
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Ma X, Bakhtina M, Shulgina I, Cantara WA, Kuzmishin Nagy A, Goto Y, Suga H, Foster MP, Musier-Forsyth K. Structural basis of tRNAPro acceptor stem recognition by a bacterial trans-editing domain. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:3988-3999. [PMID: 36951109 PMCID: PMC10164551 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad192] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
High fidelity tRNA aminoacylation by aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases is essential for cell viability. ProXp-ala is a trans-editing protein that is present in all three domains of life and is responsible for hydrolyzing mischarged Ala-tRNAPro and preventing mistranslation of proline codons. Previous studies have shown that, like bacterial prolyl-tRNA synthetase, Caulobacter crescentus ProXp-ala recognizes the unique C1:G72 terminal base pair of the tRNAPro acceptor stem, helping to ensure deacylation of Ala-tRNAPro but not Ala-tRNAAla. The structural basis for C1:G72 recognition by ProXp-ala is still unknown and was investigated here. NMR spectroscopy, binding, and activity assays revealed two conserved residues, K50 and R80, that likely interact with the first base pair, stabilizing the initial protein-RNA encounter complex. Modeling studies are consistent with direct interaction between R80 and the major groove of G72. A third key contact between A76 of tRNAPro and K45 of ProXp-ala was essential for binding and accommodating the CCA-3' end in the active site. We also demonstrated the essential role that the 2'OH of A76 plays in catalysis. Eukaryotic ProXp-ala proteins recognize the same acceptor stem positions as their bacterial counterparts, albeit with different nucleotide base identities. ProXp-ala is encoded in some human pathogens; thus, these results have the potential to inform new antibiotic drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Ma
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for RNA Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Marina Bakhtina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for RNA Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Irina Shulgina
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for RNA Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - William A Cantara
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for RNA Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Alexandra B Kuzmishin Nagy
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for RNA Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Yuki Goto
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Mark P Foster
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for RNA Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Karin Musier-Forsyth
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Center for RNA Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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24
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Killoran PM, Hanson GSM, Verhoork SJM, Smith M, Del Gobbo D, Lian L, Coxon CR. Probing Peptidylprolyl Bond cis/trans Status Using Distal 19 F NMR Reporters. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202203017. [PMID: 36550088 PMCID: PMC10946801 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202203017] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
A method for measuring peptidylprolyl bond cis-trans conformational status in peptide models is described, using 4-fluorophenylalanine (4FPhe) as a distal reporter for 19 F NMR. The %cis-Pro population was measured for peptides of the general structure Ac-X-Pro-Z-Ala-Ala-4FPhe (X and Z are proteinogenic amino acids) at pH 7.4, and provided conformational populations consistent with literature values obtained by more complex methods. This approach was applied to probe the prolyl bond status in pentapeptide models of the intrinsically disordered C-terminal region of α-synuclein, which mirrored the preferences in the Ac-X-Pro-Z-Ala-4FPhe models. Advantageously, the 19 F reporter group does not need to be adjacent to or attached to proline to provide quantifiable signals and distal 4-fluorophenylalanines can be placed so as not to influence prolyl bond conformation. Finally, we demonstrated that the prolyl bond status is not significantly affected by pH when there are ionisable amino acid residues at the carboxyl side of proline, which makes 19 F NMR an invaluable tool with which to study proline isomerism at a range of pHs and in different solvents and buffers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M. Killoran
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular SciencesLiverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpoolMerseysideL3 3AFUK
| | - George S. M. Hanson
- EaStChem School of ChemistryThe University of Edinburgh Joseph Black BuildingDavid Brewster RoadEdinburghEH14 4ASUK
| | - Sanne J. M. Verhoork
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular SciencesLiverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpoolMerseysideL3 3AFUK
| | - Madeleine Smith
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular SciencesLiverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpoolMerseysideL3 3AFUK
| | - Davide Del Gobbo
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular SciencesLiverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpoolMerseysideL3 3AFUK
| | - Lu‐Yun Lian
- Institute of SystemsMolecular and Integrative BiologyThe University of LiverpoolCrown StreetLiverpoolL69 7ZBUK
| | - Christopher R. Coxon
- EaStChem School of ChemistryThe University of Edinburgh Joseph Black BuildingDavid Brewster RoadEdinburghEH14 4ASUK
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25
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Anto NP, Muraleedharan A, Nath PR, Sun Z, Keasar C, Livneh E, Braiman A, Altman A, Kong KF, Isakov N. The Peptidyl-Prolyl cis-trans isomerase, Pin1, associates with Protein Kinase C θ via a critical Phospho-Thr-Pro motif in the V3 regulatory domain. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1126464. [PMID: 36969236 PMCID: PMC10031136 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1126464] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein kinase C-θ (PKCθ) is a member of the novel PKC subfamily known for its selective and predominant expression in T lymphocytes where it regulates essential functions required for T cell activation and proliferation. Our previous studies provided a mechanistic explanation for the recruitment of PKCθ to the center of the immunological synapse (IS) by demonstrating that a proline-rich (PR) motif within the V3 region in the regulatory domain of PKCθ is necessary and sufficient for PKCθ IS localization and function. Herein, we highlight the importance of Thr335-Pro residue in the PR motif, the phosphorylation of which is key in the activation of PKCθ and its subsequent IS localization. We demonstrate that the phospho-Thr335-Pro motif serves as a putative binding site for the peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase), Pin1, an enzyme that specifically recognizes peptide bonds at phospho-Ser/Thr-Pro motifs. Binding assays revealed that mutagenesis of PKCθ-Thr335-to-Ala abolished the ability of PKCθ to interact with Pin1, while Thr335 replacement by a Glu phosphomimetic, restored PKCθ binding to Pin1, suggesting that Pin1-PKCθ association is contingent upon the phosphorylation of the PKCθ-Thr335-Pro motif. Similarly, the Pin1 mutant, R17A, failed to associate with PKCθ, suggesting that the integrity of the Pin1 N-terminal WW domain is a requisite for Pin1-PKCθ interaction. In silico docking studies underpinned the role of critical residues in the Pin1-WW domain and the PKCθ phospho-Thr335-Pro motif, to form a stable interaction between Pin1 and PKCθ. Furthermore, TCR crosslinking in human Jurkat T cells and C57BL/6J mouse-derived splenic T cells promoted a rapid and transient formation of Pin1-PKCθ complexes, which followed a T cell activation-dependent temporal kinetic, suggesting a role for Pin1 in PKCθ-dependent early activation events in TCR-triggered T cells. PPIases that belong to other subfamilies, i.e., cyclophilin A or FK506-binding protein, failed to associate with PKCθ, indicating the specificity of the Pin1-PKCθ association. Fluorescent cell staining and imaging analyses demonstrated that TCR/CD3 triggering promotes the colocalization of PKCθ and Pin1 at the cell membrane. Furthermore, interaction of influenza hemagglutinin peptide (HA307-319)-specific T cells with antigen-fed antigen presenting cells (APCs) led to colocalization of PKCθ and Pin1 at the center of the IS. Together, we point to an uncovered function for the Thr335-Pro motif within the PKCθ-V3 regulatory domain to serve as a priming site for its activation upon phosphorylation and highlight its tenability to serve as a regulatory site for the Pin1 cis-trans isomerase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Ponnoor Anto
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Amitha Muraleedharan
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Pulak Ranjan Nath
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Zuoming Sun
- Department of Immunology and Theranostics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA, United States
| | - Chen Keasar
- The Department of Computer Science, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Etta Livneh
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Alex Braiman
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Amnon Altman
- Division of Cell Biology, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Kok-Fai Kong
- Division of Cell Biology, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Noah Isakov
- The Shraga Segal Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
- *Correspondence: Noah Isakov,
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26
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Graul M, Karska N, Wąchalska M, Krupa P, Ślusarz MJ, Lubocki M, Bieńkowska-Szewczyk K, Rodziewicz-Motowidło S, Sieradzan AK, Lipińska AD. The N-terminal Proline Hinge Motif Controls the Structure of Bovine Herpesvirus 1-encoded Inhibitor of the Transporter Associated with Antigen Processing Required for its Immunomodulatory Function. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:167964. [PMID: 36646375 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.167964] [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: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Due to unique features, proline residues may control protein structure and function. Here, we investigated the role of 52PPQ54 residues, indicated by the recently established experimental 3D structure of bovine herpesvirus 1-encoded UL49.5 protein as forming a characteristic proline hinge motif in its N-terminal domain. UL49.5 acts as a potent inhibitor of the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP), which alters the antiviral immune response. Mechanisms employed by UL49.5 to affect TAP remain undetermined on a molecular level. We found that mutations in the 52PPQ54 region had a vast impact on its immunomodulatory function, increasing cell surface MHC class I expression, TAP levels, and peptide transport efficiency. This inhibitory effect was specific for UL49.5 activity towards TAP but not towards the viral glycoprotein M. To get an insight into the impact of proline hinge modifications on structure and dynamics, we performed all-atom and coarse-grained molecular dynamics studies on the native protein and PPQ mutants. The results demonstrated that the proline hinge sequence with its highly rigid conformation served as an anchor into the membrane. This anchor was responsible for the structural and dynamical behavior of the whole protein, constraining the mobility of the C-terminus, increasing the mobility of the transmembrane region, and controlling the accessibility of the C-terminal residues to the cytoplasmic environment. Those features appear crucial for TAP binding and inhibition. Our findings significantly advance the structural understanding of the UL49.5 protein and its functional regions and support the importance of proline motifs for the protein structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Graul
- Laboratory of Virus Molecular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-307 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Natalia Karska
- Laboratory of Virus Molecular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-307 Gdańsk, Poland; Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Magda Wąchalska
- Laboratory of Virus Molecular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-307 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Paweł Krupa
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Magdalena J Ślusarz
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Marcin Lubocki
- Laboratory of Virus Molecular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-307 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Krystyna Bieńkowska-Szewczyk
- Laboratory of Virus Molecular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-307 Gdańsk, Poland
| | | | - Adam K Sieradzan
- Department of Theoretical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Andrea D Lipińska
- Laboratory of Virus Molecular Biology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-307 Gdańsk, Poland.
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27
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Lin TY, Ma YW, Tsai MY. Early-Stage Oligomerization of Prion-like Polypeptides Reveals the Molecular Mechanism of Amyloid-Disrupting Capacity by Proline Residues. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:1074-1088. [PMID: 36705662 PMCID: PMC9924260 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Proline cis/trans isomerization governs protein local conformational changes via its local mechanical rigidity. The amyloid-disrupting capacity of proline is widely acknowledged; however, the molecular mechanism is still not clear. To understand how proline residues in polypeptide chains influence amyloid propensity, we study several truncated sequences of the TDP-43 C-terminal region (287-322) and their triple proline variants (308PPP310). We use coarse-grained molecular simulation to study the time evolution of the process of aggregation in the early stages in an effective high-concentration condition (∼25 mM). This ensures the long time scales for protein association at laboratory concentrations. We use several experimentally determined structure templates as initial structures of monomer conformations. We carry out oligomer size analysis and cluster analysis, along with several structural measures, to characterize the size distributions of oligomers and their morphological/structural properties. We show that average oligomer size is not a good indicator of amyloid propensity. Structural order and/or morphological properties are better alternatives. We show that proline variants can efficiently maintain the formation of large "ordered" oligomers of shorter truncated sequences, i.e., 307-322. This "order" maintenance is weakened when using longer truncated sequences (i.e., 287-322), leading to the formation of "disordered" oligomers. From an energy trade-off perspective, if the entropic effect is weak (short sequence length), the shape-complementarity of proline variants effectively guides the oligomerization process to form "ordered" oligomer intermediates. This leads to a distinct aggregation pathway that promotes amyloid formation (on-pathway). Strong entropic effects (long sequence length), however, would cause the formation of "disordered" oligomers. This in turn will suppress amyloid formation (off-pathway). The proline shape-complementary effects provide a guided morphological restraint to facilitate the pathways of amyloid formation. Our study supports the importance of structure-based kinetic heterogeneity of prion-like sequence fragments in driving different aggregation pathways. This work sheds light on the role of morphological and structural order of early-stage oligomeric species in regulating amyloid-disrupting capacity by prolines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong-You Lin
- Department of Chemistry, Tamkang
University, New Taipei
City, Taiwan251301
| | - Yuan-Wei Ma
- Department of Chemistry, Tamkang
University, New Taipei
City, Taiwan251301
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28
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Mehrabi M, Bijari N, Akbari V, Ranjbar S, Karima S, Sankian M, Ojaghi S, Khodarahmi R. Effective Reduction of Tau Amyloid Aggregates in the Presence of Cyclophilin from Platanus orientalis Pollens; An Alternative Mechanism of Action of the Allergen. Curr Protein Pept Sci 2023; 24:518-532. [PMID: 37259218 DOI: 10.2174/1389203724666230530143704] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A hallmark pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the construction of neurofibrillary tangles, which are made of hyperphosphorylated Tau. The cis-proline isomer of the pThr/Ser-Pro sequence has been suggested to act as an aggregation precursor according to the 'Cistauosis' hypothesis; however, this aggregation scheme is not yet completely approved. Various peptidyl-prolyl isomerases (PPIases) may specifically isomerize cis/trans-proline bonds and restitute Tau's ability to attach microtubules and may control Tau amyloid aggregation in AD. METHODS In this study, we provided experimental evidence for indicating the effects of the plant Cyclophilin (P-Cyp) from Platanus orientalis pollens on the Tau aggregation by various spectroscopic techniques. RESULTS Our findings disclosed that the rate/extent of amyloid formation in the Tau sample which is incubated with P-Cyp decreased and these observations do not seem to be due to the macromolecular crowding effect. Also, as proven that 80% of the prolines in the unfolded protein are in the trans conformation, urea-induced unfolding analyses confirmed this conclusion and showed that the aggregation rate/extent of urea-treated Tau samples decreased compared with those of the native protein. Also, XRD analysis indicated the reduction of scattering intensities and beta structures of amyloid fibrils in the presence of P-Cyp. Therefore, the ability of P-Cyp to suppress Tau aggregation probably depends on cis to trans isomerization of proline peptide bonds (X-Pro) and decreasing cis isomers in vitro. CONCLUSION The findings of the current study may inspire possible protective/detrimental effects of various types of cyclophilins on AD onset/progression through direct regulation of intracellular Tau molecules and provides evidence that a protein from a plant source is able to enter the cell cytoplasm and may affect the behavior of cytoplasmic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masomeh Mehrabi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Nooshin Bijari
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
| | - Vali Akbari
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
| | - Samira Ranjbar
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Saeed Karima
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Sankian
- Immunology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Sara Ojaghi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Reza Khodarahmi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
- Department of Pharmacognosy and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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29
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Meeks KR, Tanner JJ. Expression and kinetic characterization of PYCR3. Arch Biochem Biophys 2023; 733:109468. [PMID: 36414121 PMCID: PMC9772221 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2022.109468] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
PYCRs are proline biosynthetic enzymes that catalyze the NAD(P)H-dependent reduction of Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C) to proline in humans. PYCRs - especially PYCR1 - are upregulated in many types of cancers and have been implicated in the altered metabolism of cancer cells. Of the three isoforms of PYCR, PYCR3 remains the least studied due in part to the lack of a robust recombinant expression. Herein, we describe a procedure for the expression of soluble SUMO-PYCR3 in Escherichia coli, purification of the fusion protein, and removal of the SUMO tag. PYCR3 is active with either NADPH or NADH as the coenzyme. Bi-substrate kinetic measurements obtained by varying the concentrations of both L-P5C and NADH, along with product inhibition data for l-proline, suggest a random ordered bi bi mechanism. A panel of 19 proline analogs was screened for inhibition, and the kinetics of competitive inhibition (with L-P5C) were measured for five of the compounds screened, including N-formyl-l-proline, a validated inhibitor of PYCR1. N-formyl-l-proline was found to be ten times more selective for PYCR1 over PYCR3. The SUMO-PYCR3 expression system should be useful for testing the isoform specificity of PYCR1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaylen R Meeks
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States
| | - John J Tanner
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States; Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, United States.
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30
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Ishizu T, Fujitani Y, Nishio R, Kamei H. Chiral Recognition of Diketopiperazine Containing Proline Residues by (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate in Water. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 2023; 71:804-811. [PMID: 37914258 DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c23-00369] [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] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
The stoichiometry and precipitate yield of a complex of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCg) and cyclo(Pro-Xxx) (Xxx = phenylalanine (Phe), tyrosine (Tyr)) were evaluated using integrated values of their proton signals by quantitative 1H-NMR (q NMR). It was determined to be a 1 : 1 complex of EGCg and cyclo(Pro-Xxx). The change in the chemical shift value of proton signals of cyclo(Pro-Xxx) in 1H-NMR spectra by adding standard amounts of EGCg was investigated. Differences in chemical shift values of H8α, H7αβ, H8β, H10, H9, and H3 proton signals between cyclo(L-Pro-L-Phe) and cyclo(D-Pro-D-Phe), and those of H8α, H7αβ, H8β, H10, H9, H3, and H13 proton signals between cyclo(L-Pro-L-Tyr) and cyclo(D-Pro-D-Tyr) were observed as a significant difference at 54 mmol/L of EGCg. It was found that their chirality was clearly recognized by EGCg. The significant difference in the change of the chemical shift value of H8α proton signals between cyclo(L-Pro-L-Xxx) and cyclo(D-Pro-D-Xxx) was the largest, and the difference was considered to have resulted from the difference in the ratio of extended conformer in equilibrium between folded and extended conformers. Such a significant difference in change values between cyclo(L-Pro-D-Xxx) and cyclo(D-Pro-L-Xxx) was not observed due to a rigid intramolecular CH-π interaction. EGCg did not clearly recognize the chirality of cyclo(L-Pro-D-Xxx) and cyclo(D-Pro-L-Xxx).
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Ishizu
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuyama University
| | - Yuka Fujitani
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuyama University
| | - Runa Nishio
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuyama University
| | - Haruka Kamei
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuyama University
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31
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Daniecki NJ, Bhatt MR, Yap GPA, Zondlo NJ. Proline C-H Bonds as Loci for Proline Assembly via C-H/O Interactions. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200409. [PMID: 36129371 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200409] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Proline residues within proteins lack a traditional hydrogen bond donor. However, the hydrogens of the proline ring are all sterically accessible, with polarized C-H bonds at Hα and Hδ that exhibit greater partial positive character and can be utilized as alternative sites for molecular recognition. C-H/O interactions, between proline C-H bonds and oxygen lone pairs, have been previously identified as modes of recognition within protein structures and for higher-order assembly of protein structures. In order to better understand intermolecular recognition of proline residues, a series of proline derivatives was synthesized, including 4R-hydroxyproline nitrobenzoate methyl ester, acylated on the proline nitrogen with bromoacetyl and glycolyl groups, and Boc-4S-(4-iodophenyl)hydroxyproline methyl amide. All three derivatives exhibited multiple close intermolecular C-H/O interactions in the crystallographic state, with H⋅⋅⋅O distances as close as 2.3 Å. These observed distances are well below the 2.72 Å sum of the van der Waals radii of H and O, and suggest that these interactions are particularly favorable. In order to generalize these results, we further analyzed the role of C-H/O interactions in all previously crystallized derivatives of these amino acids, and found that all 26 structures exhibited close intermolecular C-H/O interactions. Finally, we analyzed all proline residues in the Cambridge Structural Database of small-molecule crystal structures. We found that the majority of these structures exhibited intermolecular C-H/O interactions at proline C-H bonds, suggesting that C-H/O interactions are an inherent and important mode for recognition of and higher-order assembly at proline residues. Due to steric accessibility and multiple polarized C-H bonds, proline residues are uniquely positioned as sites for binding and recognition via C-H/O interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah J Daniecki
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Megh R Bhatt
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Glenn P A Yap
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Neal J Zondlo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
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Sienkiewicz-Gromiuk J, Drzewiecka-Antonik A. The First Noncovalent-Bonded Supramolecular Frameworks of (Benzylthio)Acetic Acid with Proline Compounds, Isonicotinamide and Tryptamine. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27238203. [PMID: 36500296 PMCID: PMC9740739 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27238203] [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] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The co-crystallization of (benzylthio)acetic acid (HBTA) with L-proline (L-PRO), D-proline (D-PRO), DL-proline (DL-PRO), isonicotinamide (INA) and tryptamine (TPA) led to the formation of five novel crystalline compounds: L-PRO±·HBTA (1), D-PRO±·HBTA (2), DL-PRO±·HBTA (3), INA·HBTA (4) and TPA+·BTA- (5). The prepared supramolecular assemblies were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, an elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy and a thermal analysis based on thermogravimetry (TG) combined with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Additionally, their melting points through TG/DSC measurements were established. All fabricated adducts demonstrated the same stoichiometry, displayed as 1:1. The integration of HBTA with selected N-containing co-formers yielded different forms of multi-component crystalline phases: zwitterionic co-crystals (1-3), true co-crystal (4) or true salt (5). In the asymmetric units of 1-4, the acidic ingredient is protonated, whereas the corresponding N-containing entities take either the zwitterionic form (1-3) or remain in the original neutral figure (4). The molecular structure of complex 5 is occupied by the real ionic forms of both components, namely the (benzylthio)acetate anion (BTA-) and the tryptaminium cation (TPA+). In crystals 1-5, the respective molecular residues are permanently bound to each other via strong H-bonds provided by the following pairs of donor···acceptor: Ocarboxylic···Ocarboxylate and Npyrrolidinium···Ocarboxylate in 1-3, Ocarboxylic···Npyridine and Namine···Ocarboxylic in 4 as well as Nindole···Ocarboxylate and Naminium···Ocarboxylate in 5. The crystal structures of conglomerates 1-5 are also stabilized by numerous weaker intermolecular contacts, including C-H···O (1-3, 5), C-H···S (1, 2, 5), C-H···N (5), C-H···C (5), C-H···π (1-5) as well as π···π (4) interactions. The different courses of registered FT-IR spectral traces and thermal profiles for materials 1-5 in relation to their counterparts, gained for the pure molecular ingredients, also clearly confirm the formation of new crystalline phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Sienkiewicz-Gromiuk
- Department of General and Coordination Chemistry and Crystallography, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, M. Curie-Sklodowska Sq. 2, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
- Correspondence:
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33
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Kashif Khan R, Meanwell NA, Hager HH. Pseudoprolines as stereoelectronically tunable proline isosteres. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2022; 75:128983. [PMID: 36096342 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2022.128983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The cyclic structure of proline (Pro) confers unique conformational properties on this natural amino acid that influences polypeptide structure and function. Pseudoprolines are a family of Pro isosteres that incorporate a heteroatom, most prominently oxygen or sulfur but also silicon and selenium, to replace the Cβ or Cγ carbon atom of the pyrrolidine ring. These readily synthetically accessible structural motifs can facilitate facile molecular editing in a fashion that allows modulation of the amide bond topology of dipeptide elements and influence over ring pucker. While the properties of pseudoprolines have been exploited most prominently in the design of oligopeptide analogues, they have potential application in the design and optimization of small molecules. In this Digest, we summarize the physicochemical properties of pseudoprolines and illustrate their potential in drug discovery by surveying examples of applications in the design of bioactive molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Kashif Khan
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery, Bristol Myers Squibb Research and Early Development, 100 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Nicholas A Meanwell
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery, Bristol Myers Squibb Research and Early Development, P.O. Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA.
| | - Harry H Hager
- Small Molecule Drug Discovery, Bristol Myers Squibb Research and Early Development, 200 Cambridgepark Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.
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Nesci S. Protein folding and unfolding: proline cis-trans isomerization at the c subunits of F 1 F O -ATPase might open a high conductance ion channel. Proteins 2022; 90:2001-2005. [PMID: 35532281 PMCID: PMC9790210 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The c subunits, which constitute the c-ring apparatus of the F1 FO -ATPase, could be the main components of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). The well-known modulator of the mPTP formation and opening is the cyclophilin D (CyPD), a peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase. On the loop, which connects the two hairpin α-helix of c subunit, is present the unique proline residue (Pro40 ) that could be a biological target of CyPD. Indeed, the proline cis-trans isomerization might provide the switch that interconverts the open/closed states of the pore by pulling out the c-ring lipid plug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Nesci
- Department of Veterinary Medical SciencesUniversity of Bolognavia Tolara di Sopra, 40Ozzano Emilia40064
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35
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Reardon TJ, Na B, Parquette JR. Dissipative self-assembly of a proline catalyst for temporal regulation of the aldol reaction. Nanoscale 2022; 14:14711-14716. [PMID: 36169284 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr03991e] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The spatiotemporal regulation of chemical reactivity in biological systems permits a network of metabolic reactions to take place within the same cellular environment. The exquisite control of reactivity is often mediated by out-of-equilibrium structures that remain functional only as long as fuel is present to maintain the higher energy, active state. An important goal in supramolecular chemistry aims to develop functional, energy dissipating systems that approach the sophistication of biological machinery. The challenge is to create strategies that couple the energy consumption needed to promote a molecule to a higher energy, assembled state to a functional property such as catalytic activity. In this work, we demonstrated that the assembly of a spiropyran (SP) dipeptide (1) transiently promoted the proline-catalyzed aldol reaction in water when visible light was present as fuel. The transient catalytic activity emerged from 1 under light illumination due to the photoisomerization of the monomeric, O-protonated (1-MCH+) merocyanine form to the spiropyran (1-SP) state, which rapidly assembled into nanosheets capable of catalyzing the aldol reaction in water. When the light source was removed, thermal isomerization to the more stable MCH+ form caused the nanosheets to dissociate into a catalytically inactive, monomeric state. Under these conditions, the aldol reaction could be repeatedly activated and deactivated by switching the light source on and off.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Reardon
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 100 W. 18th Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - Baichuan Na
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 100 W. 18th Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - Jon R Parquette
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 100 W. 18th Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
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36
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Byun JK, Vu JA, He SL, Jang JC, Musier-Forsyth K. Plant-exclusive domain of trans-editing enzyme ProXp-ala confers dimerization and enhanced tRNA binding. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102255. [PMID: 35835222 PMCID: PMC9425024 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102255] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Faithful translation of the genetic code is critical for the viability of all living organisms. The trans-editing enzyme ProXp-ala prevents Pro to Ala mutations during translation by hydrolyzing misacylated Ala-tRNAPro that has been synthesized by prolyl-tRNA synthetase. Plant ProXp-ala sequences contain a conserved C-terminal domain (CTD) that is absent in other organisms; the origin, structure, and function of this extra domain are unknown. To characterize the plant-specific CTD, we performed bioinformatics and computational analyses that provided a model consistent with a conserved α-helical structure. We also expressed and purified wildtype Arabidopsis thaliana (At) ProXp-ala in Escherichia coli, as well as variants lacking the CTD or containing only the CTD. Circular dichroism spectroscopy confirmed a loss of α-helical signal intensity upon CTD truncation. Size-exclusion chromatography with multiangle laser-light scattering revealed that wildtype At ProXp-ala was primarily dimeric and CTD truncation abolished dimerization in vitro. Furthermore, bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays in At protoplasts support a role for the CTD in homodimerization in vivo. The deacylation rate of Ala-tRNAPro by At ProXp-ala was also significantly reduced in the absence of the CTD, and kinetic assays indicated that the reduction in activity is primarily due to a tRNA binding defect. Overall, these results broaden our understanding of eukaryotic translational fidelity in the plant kingdom. Our study reveals that the plant-specific CTD plays a significant role in substrate binding and canonical editing function. Through its ability to facilitate protein-protein interactions, we propose the CTD may also provide expanded functional potential for trans-editing enzymes in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Kyu Byun
- Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - John A Vu
- Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Siou-Luan He
- Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA; Department of Horticulture and Crop Science and Center for Applied Plant Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Jyan-Chyun Jang
- Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA; Department of Horticulture and Crop Science and Center for Applied Plant Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
| | - Karin Musier-Forsyth
- Center for RNA Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
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37
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Akbari V, Mohammadi S, Mehrabi M, Ghobadi S, Farrokhi A, Khodarahmi R. Investigation of the role of prolines 232/233 in RTPPK motif in tau protein aggregation: An in vitro study. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 219:1100-1111. [PMID: 36049563 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.08.160] [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: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Disease-related tau protein in Alzheimer's disease is hyperphosphorylated and aggregates into neurofibrillary tangles. The cis-proline isomer of the pSer/Thr-Pro sequence has been proposed to act as a precursor of aggregation ('Cistauosis' hypothesis), but this aggregation scheme is not yet entirely accepted. Hence to investigate isomer-specific-aggregation of tau, proline residues at the RTPPK motif were replaced by alanine residues (with permanent trans configuration) employing genetic engineering methods. RTPAK, RTAPK, and RTAAK mutant variants of tau were generated, and their in vitro aggregation propensity was investigated using multi-spectroscopic techniques. Besides, the cell toxicity of oligomers/fibrils was analyzed and compared to those of the wild-type (WT) tau. Analyses of mutant variants have shown to be in agreement (to some degree) to the theory of the 'cistauosis' hypothesis. The results showed that the trans isomer in the 232-rd residue (P232A mutant rather than P233A) had reduced aggregation propensity. However, this study did not illustrate any statistically significant difference between the wild and the mutant protein aggregations concerning cell toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vali Akbari
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran; Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Soheila Mohammadi
- Nano Drug Delivery Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Masomeh Mehrabi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Sirous Ghobadi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Alireza Farrokhi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Reza Khodarahmi
- Medical Biology Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah, Iran; Department of Pharmacognosy and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah, Iran.
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38
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Bortolami M, Bogles II, Bombelli C, Pandolfi F, Feroci M, Vetica F. Electrochemical Bottom-Up Synthesis of Chiral Carbon Dots from L-Proline and Their Application as Nano-Organocatalysts in a Stereoselective Aldol Reaction. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27165150. [PMID: 36014401 PMCID: PMC9414281 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27165150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Chirality is undoubtedly a fundamental property of nature since the different interactions of optically active molecules in a chiral environment are essential for numerous applications. Thus, in the field of asymmetric synthesis, the search for efficient, sustainable, cost-effective and recyclable chiral catalysts is still the main challenge in organic chemistry. The field of carbon dots (CDs) has experienced tremendous development in the last 15 years, including their applications as achiral catalysts. Thus, understanding the implications of chirality in CDs chemistry could be of utmost importance to achieving sustainable and biocompatible chiral nanocatalysts. An efficient and cost-effective electrochemical synthetic methodology for the synthesis of L-Proline-based chiral carbon dots (CCDs) and EtOH-derived L-Proline-based chiral carbon dots (CCDs) is herein reported. The electrochemical set-up and reaction conditions have been thoroughly optimised and their effects on CCDs size, photoluminescence, as well as catalytic activity have been investigated. The obtained CCDs have been successfully employed to catalyze an asymmetric aldol reaction, showing excellent results in terms of yield, diastereo- and enantioselectivity. Moreover, the sustainable nature of the CCDs was demonstrated by recycling the catalysts for up to 3 cycles without any loss of reactivity or stereoselectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Bortolami
- Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI), Sapienza University of Rome, via Castro Laurenziano, 7, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Ingrid Izabela Bogles
- Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI), Sapienza University of Rome, via Castro Laurenziano, 7, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Cecilia Bombelli
- CNR—Institute for Biological Systems, Sede Secondaria di Roma-Meccanismi di Reazione, c/o Università La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabiana Pandolfi
- Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI), Sapienza University of Rome, via Castro Laurenziano, 7, 00161 Rome, Italy
- CNR—Institute for Biological Systems, Sede Secondaria di Roma-Meccanismi di Reazione, c/o Università La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Marta Feroci
- Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI), Sapienza University of Rome, via Castro Laurenziano, 7, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: (M.F.); (F.V.)
| | - Fabrizio Vetica
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: (M.F.); (F.V.)
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Zhang ZC, Hales DA, Clemmer DE. Influence of N Terminus Amino Acid on Peptide Cleavage in Solution through Diketopiperazine Formation. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 2022; 33:1368-1376. [PMID: 35576623 PMCID: PMC10161955 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.2c00037] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Diketopiperazine (DKP) formation is an important degradation pathway for peptides and proteins. It can occur during synthesis and storage in either solution or the solid state. The kinetics of peptide cleavage through DKP formation have been analyzed for the model peptides Xaa1-Pro2-Gly4-Lys7 [Xaa = Gln, Glu, Lys, Ser, Phe, Trp, Tyr, Cha (β-cyclohexylalanine), Aib (α-aminoisobutyric acid), Gly, and Val] at multiple elevated temperatures in ethanol with ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS). When Xaa is an amino acid with a charged or polar side chain, degradation is relatively fast. When Xaa is an amino acid with a nonpolar alkyl side chain, the peptide is relatively stable. For these peptides, a bulky group on the α carbon speeds up dissociation, but the kinetic effects vary in a complicated manner for bulky groups on the β or γ carbon. Peptides where Xaa has a nonpolar aromatic side chain show moderate dissociation rates. The stability of these peptides is a result of multiple factors. The reaction rate is enhanced by (1) the stabilization of the late transition state through the interaction of an aromatic ring with the nascent DKP ring or lowering the activation energy of nucleophilic attack intermediate state through polar or charged residues and (2) the preference of the cis proline bond favored by the aromatic N-terminus. The number of unseen intermediates and transition state thermodynamic values are derived for each peptide by modeling the kinetics data. Most of the transition states are entropically favored (ΔS⧧ ∼ -5 to +31 J·mol-1·K-1), and all are enthalpically disfavored (ΔH⧧ ∼ 93 to 109 kJ·mol-1). The Gibbs free energy of activation is similar for all of the peptides studied here (ΔG⧧ ∼ 90-99 kJ·mol-1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Chao Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - David A Hales
- Department of Chemistry, Hendrix College, Conway, Arkansas 72032, United States
| | - David E Clemmer
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
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40
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Chen X, Mirazee JM, Skorupka KA, Matsuo H, Youkharibache P, Taylor N, Walters KJ. The CD8α hinge is intrinsically disordered with a dynamic exchange that includes proline cis-trans isomerization. J Magn Reson 2022; 340:107234. [PMID: 35617919 PMCID: PMC9237829 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmr.2022.107234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
T cells engineered to express artificial chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that selectively target tumor-specific antigens or deleterious cell types offer transformative therapeutic possibilities. CARs contain an N-terminal extracellular antigen recognition domain, C-terminal intracellular signal transduction domains, and connecting hinge and transmembrane regions, each of which have been varied to optimize targeting and minimize toxicity. We find that a CD22-targeting CAR harboring a CD8α hinge (H) exhibits greater cytotoxicity against a low antigen density CD22+ leukemia as compared to an equivalent CAR with a CD28 H. We therefore studied the biophysical and dynamic properties of the CD8α H by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We find that a large region of the CD8α H undergoes dynamic chemical exchange between distinct and observable states. This exchanging region contains proline residues dispersed throughout the sequence that undergo cis-trans isomerization. Up to four signals of differing intensity are observed, with the most abundantly populated being intrinsically disordered and with all prolines in the trans isomerization state. The lesser populated states all contain cis prolines and evidence of local structural motifs. Altogether, our data suggest that the CD8α H lacks long-range structural order but has local structural motifs that transiently exchange with a dominant disordered state. We propose that structural plasticity and local structural motifs promoted by cis proline states within the CD8α H are important for relaying and amplifying antigen-binding effects to the transmembrane and signal transduction domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Chen
- Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Justin M Mirazee
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA; Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA; Johns Hopkins University Department of Biology, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Katarzyna A Skorupka
- Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Hiroshi Matsuo
- Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Philippe Youkharibache
- Cancer Data Science Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA.
| | - Naomi Taylor
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
| | - Kylie J Walters
- Center for Structural Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
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Gao Q, Cleves AE, Wang X, Liu Y, Bowen S, Williamson RT, Jain AN, Sherer E, Reibarkh M. Solution cis-Proline Conformation of IPCs Inhibitor Aureobasidin A Elucidated via NMR-Based Conformational Analysis. J Nat Prod 2022; 85:1449-1458. [PMID: 35622967 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.1c01071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Aureobasidin A (abA) is a natural depsipeptide that inhibits inositol phosphorylceramide (IPC) synthases with significant broad-spectrum antifungal activity. abA is known to have two distinct conformations in solution corresponding to trans- and cis-proline (Pro) amide bond rotamers. While the trans-Pro conformation has been studied extensively, cis-Pro conformers have remained elusive. Conformational properties of cyclic peptides are known to strongly affect both potency and cell permeability, making a comprehensive characterization of abA conformation highly desirable. Here, we report a high-resolution 3D structure of the cis-Pro conformer of aureobasidin A elucidated for the first time using a recently developed NMR-driven computational approach. This approach utilizes ForceGen's advanced conformational sampling of cyclic peptides augmented by sparse distance and torsion angle constraints derived from NMR data. The obtained 3D conformational structure of cis-Pro abA has been validated using anisotropic residual dipolar coupling measurements. Support for the biological relevance of both the cis-Pro and trans-Pro abA configurations was obtained through molecular similarity experiments, which showed a significant 3D similarity between NMR-restrained abA conformational ensembles and another IPC synthase inhibitor, pleofungin A. Such ligand-based comparisons can further our understanding of the important steric and electrostatic characteristics of abA and can be utilized in the design of future therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Gao
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Ann E Cleves
- Applied Science, BioPharmics LLC, Santa Rosa, California 95404, United States
| | - Xiao Wang
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Yizhou Liu
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Sean Bowen
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Robert Thomas Williamson
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Ajay N Jain
- Applied Science, BioPharmics LLC, Santa Rosa, California 95404, United States
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Edward Sherer
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Mikhail Reibarkh
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
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42
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Li J, Lin C, Zhou X, Zhong F, Zeng P, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Yu B, Fan X, McCormick PJ, Fu R, Fu Y, Jiang H, Zhang J. Structural Basis of the Main Proteases of Coronavirus Bound to Drug Candidate PF-07321332. J Virol 2022; 96:e0201321. [PMID: 35389231 DOI: 10.1101/2021.11.05.467529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The high mutation rate of COVID-19 and the prevalence of multiple variants strongly support the need for pharmacological options to complement vaccine strategies. One region that appears highly conserved among different genera of coronaviruses is the substrate-binding site of the main protease (Mpro or 3CLpro), making it an attractive target for the development of broad-spectrum drugs for multiple coronaviruses. PF-07321332, developed by Pfizer, is the first orally administered inhibitor targeting the main protease of SARS-CoV-2, which also has shown potency against other coronaviruses. Here, we report three crystal structures of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV bound to the inhibitor PF-07321332. The structures reveal a ligand-binding site that is conserved among SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV, providing insights into the mechanism of inhibition of viral replication. The long and narrow cavity in the cleft between domains I and II of the main protease harbors multiple inhibitor-binding sites, where PF-07321332 occupies subsites S1, S2, and S4 and appears more restricted than other inhibitors. A detailed analysis of these structures illuminated key structural determinants essential for inhibition and elucidated the binding mode of action of the main proteases from different coronaviruses. Given the importance of the main protease for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection, insights derived from this study should accelerate the design of safer and more effective antivirals. IMPORTANCE The current pandemic of multiple variants has created an urgent need for effective inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 to complement vaccine strategies. PF-07321332, developed by Pfizer, is the first orally administered coronavirus-specific main protease inhibitor approved by the FDA. We solved the crystal structures of the main protease of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV that bound to the PF-07321332, suggesting PF-07321332 is a broad-spectrum inhibitor for coronaviruses. Structures of the main protease inhibitor complexes present an opportunity to discover safer and more effective inhibitors for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gannan Medical Universitygrid.440714.2, Ganzhou, China
| | - Cheng Lin
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang Universitygrid.260463.5, Nanchang, China
| | - Xuelan Zhou
- Shenzhen Crystalo Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China
- Jiangxi Jmerry Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Ganzhou, China
| | - Fanglin Zhong
- Shenzhen Crystalo Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China
- Jiangxi Jmerry Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Ganzhou, China
| | - Pei Zeng
- Shenzhen Crystalo Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China
- Jiangxi Jmerry Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Ganzhou, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Shenzhen Crystalo Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuting Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang Universitygrid.260463.5, Nanchang, China
| | - Bo Yu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang Universitygrid.260463.5, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiaona Fan
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gannan Medical Universitygrid.440714.2, Ganzhou, China
| | - Peter J McCormick
- William Harvey Research Institute, Bart's and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rui Fu
- Jiangxi Provincial Children's Hospital, Nanchang, China
| | - Yang Fu
- School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haihai Jiang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang Universitygrid.260463.5, Nanchang, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang Universitygrid.260463.5, Nanchang, China
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Kitamura N, Sacco MD, Ma C, Hu Y, Townsend JA, Meng X, Zhang F, Zhang X, Ba M, Szeto T, Kukuljac A, Marty MT, Schultz D, Cherry S, Xiang Y, Chen Y, Wang J. Expedited Approach toward the Rational Design of Noncovalent SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2022; 65:2848-2865. [PMID: 33891389 PMCID: PMC8536799 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 is a validated antiviral drug target. Several Mpro inhibitors have been reported with potent enzymatic inhibition and cellular antiviral activity, including GC376, boceprevir, calpain inhibitors II, and XII, with each containing a reactive warhead that covalently modifies the catalytic Cys145. Coupling structure-based drug design with the one-pot Ugi four-component reaction, we discovered one of the most potent noncovalent inhibitors, 23R (Jun8-76-3A) that is structurally distinct from the canonical Mpro inhibitor GC376. Significantly, 23R is highly selective compared with covalent inhibitors such as GC376, especially toward host proteases. The cocrystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro with 23R revealed a previously unexplored binding site located in between the S2 and S4 pockets. Overall, this study discovered 23R, one of the most potent and selective noncovalent SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors reported to date, and a novel binding pocket in Mpro that can be explored for inhibitor design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Kitamura
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States
| | - Michael Dominic Sacco
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - Chunlong Ma
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States
| | - Yanmei Hu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States
| | - Julia Alma Townsend
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States
| | - Xiangzhi Meng
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, United States
| | - Fushun Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, United States
| | - Xiujun Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - Mandy Ba
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States
| | - Tommy Szeto
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States
| | - Adis Kukuljac
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - Michael Thomas Marty
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States
| | - David Schultz
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States
| | - Sara Cherry
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States
| | - Yan Xiang
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, United States
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, United States
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, United States
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44
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Bogner AN, Ji J, Tanner JJ. Structure-based engineering of minimal proline dehydrogenase domains for inhibitor discovery. Protein Eng Des Sel 2022; 35:gzac016. [PMID: 36448708 PMCID: PMC9801229 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzac016] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) catalyzes the FAD-dependent oxidation of l-proline to Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate and is a target for inhibitor discovery because of its importance in cancer cell metabolism. Because human PRODH is challenging to purify, the PRODH domains of the bacterial bifunctional enzyme proline utilization A (PutA) have been used for inhibitor development. These systems have limitations due to large polypeptide chain length, conformational flexibility and the presence of domains unrelated to PRODH activity. Herein, we report the engineering of minimal PRODH domains for inhibitor discovery. The best designs contain one-third of the 1233-residue PutA from Sinorhizobium meliloti and include a linker that replaces the PutA α-domain. The minimal PRODHs exhibit near wild-type enzymatic activity and are susceptible to known inhibitors and inactivators. Crystal structures of minimal PRODHs inhibited by S-(-)-tetrahydro-2-furoic acid and 2-(furan-2-yl)acetic acid were determined at 1.23 and 1.72 Å resolution. Minimal PRODHs should be useful in chemical probe discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra N Bogner
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Juan Ji
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - John J Tanner
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
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45
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Martinez JC, Castillo F, Ruiz-Sanz J, Murciano-Calles J, Camara-Artigas A, Luque I. Understanding binding affinity and specificity of modular protein domains: A focus in ligand design for the polyproline-binding families. Adv Protein Chem Struct Biol 2022; 130:161-188. [PMID: 35534107 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2021.12.002] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Within the modular protein domains there are five families that recognize proline-rich sequences: SH3, WW, EVH1, GYF and UEV domains. This chapter reviews the main strategies developed for the design of ligands for these families, including peptides, peptidomimetics and drugs. We also describe some studies aimed to understand the molecular reasons responsible for the intrinsic affinity and specificity of these domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose C Martinez
- Departamento de Química Física e Instituto de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain.
| | - Francisco Castillo
- Fundación MEDINA, Centro de Excelencia en Investigación de Medicamentos Innovadores en Andalucía, Parque Tecnológico Ciencias de la Salud, Granada, Spain
| | - Javier Ruiz-Sanz
- Departamento de Química Física e Instituto de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Javier Murciano-Calles
- Departamento de Química Física e Instituto de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Ana Camara-Artigas
- Departamento de Química Física, Universidad de Almería, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario ceiA3 y CIAMBITAL, Almeria, Spain
| | - Irene Luque
- Departamento de Química Física e Instituto de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
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Abstract
Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate proline metabolism in patients affected by COVID-19. Materials and Methods This case-control study consisted of 116 patients with COVID-19 and 46 healthy individuals. Tests related to proline metabolism (prolidase, proline, hydroxyproline, glutamic acid, manganese) and copper and zinc tests were analyzed. Results The levels of proline and hydroxyproline amino acids and the prolidase enzyme were found to be lower and glutamic acid was found to be higher in the COVID-19 group compared to the healthy group (P = .012, P < .001, P < .001, and P < .001, respectively). The copper/zinc ratio was higher in patients with COVID-19 than in healthy individuals (P < .001). Significant correlations were found between proline metabolism tests and inflammatory and hemostatic markers commonly used in COVID-19. Conclusion The proline metabolic pathway was affected in COVID-19. Relationships between proline pathway–related tests and inflammatory/hemostatic markers supported the roles of proline metabolism in proinflammatory and immune response processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Salim Neselioglu
- Department of Biochemistry, Yıldırım Beyazıt University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
- Central Biochemistry Laboratory, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Osman Inan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Meryem Sena Akkus
- Central Research Laboratory, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ihsan Ates
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ozcan Erel
- Department of Biochemistry, Yıldırım Beyazıt University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
- Central Biochemistry Laboratory, Ankara City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
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47
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Li L, Perea-Sanz L, López-Díez JJ, Salvador A, Belloch C, Flores M. Aroma enhancement in dry cured loins by the addition of nitrogen and sulfur precursors. Meat Sci 2021; 184:108698. [PMID: 34700177 DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Dry cured loins containing nitrogen (proline and ornithine) and sulfur (thiamine) compounds as precursors of aroma compounds at two concentration levels were manufactured. The effect of precursor addition on the microbiology and chemical parameters of loins was studied together with the aroma study performed by olfactometry and Free Choice Profile sensory analyses. Addition of precursors did not affect the microbial and chemical parameters, while aroma was affected when precursors were added at the highest level. The dry loin aroma profile was mainly composed by compounds 3-methylbutanal, methional, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, 3-methylbutanoic acid, 1-octen-3-ol, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline and 2-acetylpyrrole that contribute to musty, cooked potatoes, fruity, cheesy, mushroom, roasted and meaty odor notes. Proline and ornithine supplementation modified the loins aroma profile producing toasted odors, while the effect of thiamine supplementation on the aroma was revealed by the presence of sulfur derived compounds (methional and 2-methyl-3-(methylthio)furan) that contribute to the "cured meat odor".
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), Agustín Escardino Avenue 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Laura Perea-Sanz
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), Agustín Escardino Avenue 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - José Javier López-Díez
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), Agustín Escardino Avenue 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ana Salvador
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), Agustín Escardino Avenue 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carmela Belloch
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), Agustín Escardino Avenue 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mónica Flores
- Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC), Agustín Escardino Avenue 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
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48
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Bojarska J, Mieczkowski A, Ziora ZM, Skwarczynski M, Toth I, Shalash AO, Parang K, El-Mowafi SA, Mohammed EHM, Elnagdy S, AlKhazindar M, Wolf WM. Cyclic Dipeptides: The Biological and Structural Landscape with Special Focus on the Anti-Cancer Proline-Based Scaffold. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1515. [PMID: 34680148 PMCID: PMC8533947 DOI: 10.3390/biom11101515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclic dipeptides, also know as diketopiperazines (DKP), the simplest cyclic forms of peptides widespread in nature, are unsurpassed in their structural and bio-functional diversity. DKPs, especially those containing proline, due to their unique features such as, inter alia, extra-rigid conformation, high resistance to enzyme degradation, increased cell permeability, and expandable ability to bind a diverse of targets with better affinity, have emerged in the last years as biologically pre-validated platforms for the drug discovery. Recent advances have revealed their enormous potential in the development of next-generation theranostics, smart delivery systems, and biomaterials. Here, we present an updated review on the biological and structural profile of these appealing biomolecules, with a particular emphasis on those with anticancer properties, since cancers are the main cause of death all over the world. Additionally, we provide a consideration on supramolecular structuring and synthons, based on the proline-based DKP privileged scaffold, for inspiration in the design of compound libraries in search of ideal ligands, innovative self-assembled nanomaterials, and bio-functional architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Bojarska
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of General & Inorganic Chemistry, Technical University of Lodz, 90-924 Lodz, Poland;
| | - Adam Mieczkowski
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawinskiego 5a, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Zyta M. Ziora
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (Z.M.Z.); (I.T.)
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (M.S.); (A.O.S.)
| | - Istvan Toth
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (Z.M.Z.); (I.T.)
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (M.S.); (A.O.S.)
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Ahmed O. Shalash
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (M.S.); (A.O.S.)
| | - Keykavous Parang
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, School of Pharmacy, Chapman University, Irvine, CA 92618, USA; (K.P.); (S.A.E.-M.); (E.H.M.M.)
| | - Shaima A. El-Mowafi
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, School of Pharmacy, Chapman University, Irvine, CA 92618, USA; (K.P.); (S.A.E.-M.); (E.H.M.M.)
| | - Eman H. M. Mohammed
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, School of Pharmacy, Chapman University, Irvine, CA 92618, USA; (K.P.); (S.A.E.-M.); (E.H.M.M.)
| | - Sherif Elnagdy
- Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt; (S.E.); (M.A.)
| | - Maha AlKhazindar
- Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt; (S.E.); (M.A.)
| | - Wojciech M. Wolf
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of General & Inorganic Chemistry, Technical University of Lodz, 90-924 Lodz, Poland;
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49
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Sartori A, Bugatti K, Portioli E, Baiula M, Casamassima I, Bruno A, Bianchini F, Curti C, Zanardi F, Battistini L. New 4-Aminoproline-Based Small Molecule Cyclopeptidomimetics as Potential Modulators of α 4β 1 Integrin. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26196066. [PMID: 34641610 PMCID: PMC8512764 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26196066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Integrin α4β1 belongs to the leukocyte integrin family and represents a therapeutic target of relevant interest given its primary role in mediating inflammation, autoimmune pathologies and cancer-related diseases. The focus of the present work is the design, synthesis and characterization of new peptidomimetic compounds that are potentially able to recognize α4β1 integrin and interfere with its function. To this aim, a collection of seven new cyclic peptidomimetics possessing both a 4-aminoproline (Amp) core scaffold grafted onto key α4β1-recognizing sequences and the (2-methylphenyl)ureido-phenylacetyl (MPUPA) appendage, was designed, with the support of molecular modeling studies. The new compounds were synthesized through SPPS procedures followed by in-solution cyclization maneuvers. The biological evaluation of the new cyclic ligands in cell adhesion assays on Jurkat cells revealed promising submicromolar agonist activity in one compound, namely, the c[Amp(MPUPA)Val-Asp-Leu] cyclopeptide. Further investigations will be necessary to complete the characterization of this class of compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Sartori
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (A.S.); (K.B.); (E.P.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (F.Z.)
| | - Kelly Bugatti
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (A.S.); (K.B.); (E.P.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (F.Z.)
| | - Elisabetta Portioli
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (A.S.); (K.B.); (E.P.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (F.Z.)
| | - Monica Baiula
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 48, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (M.B.); (I.C.)
| | - Irene Casamassima
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 48, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (M.B.); (I.C.)
| | - Agostino Bruno
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (A.S.); (K.B.); (E.P.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (F.Z.)
| | - Francesca Bianchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Viale G.B. Morgagni 50, 50134 Firenze, Italy;
| | - Claudio Curti
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (A.S.); (K.B.); (E.P.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (F.Z.)
| | - Franca Zanardi
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (A.S.); (K.B.); (E.P.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (F.Z.)
| | - Lucia Battistini
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy; (A.S.); (K.B.); (E.P.); (A.B.); (C.C.); (F.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0521-906040
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Lou Y, Yu K, Wu X, Wang Z, Cui Y, Bao H, Wang J, Hu X, Ji Y, Tang G. Co-Crystals of Resveratrol and Polydatin with L-Proline: Crystal Structures, Dissolution Properties, and In Vitro Cytotoxicities. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26185722. [PMID: 34577193 PMCID: PMC8469398 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26185722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Resveratrol (RSV) and polydatin (PD) have been widely used to treat several chronic diseases, such as atherosclerosis, pulmonary fibrosis, and diabetes, among several others. However, their low solubility hinders their further applications. In this work, we show that the solubility of PD can be boosted via its co-crystallization with L-proline (L-Pro). Two different phases of co-crystals, namely the RSV-L-Pro (RSV:L-Pro = 1:2) and PD-L-Pro (PD:L-Pro = 1: 3), have been prepared and characterized. As compared to the pristine RSV and PD, the solubility and dissolution rates of PD-L-Pro in water (pH 7.0) exhibited a 15.8% increase, whereas those of RSV-L-Pro exhibited a 13.8% decrease. A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay of pristine RSV, PD, RSV-L-Pro, and PD-L-Pro against lung cancer cell line A549 and human embryonic kidney cell line HEK-293 indicated that both compounds showed obvious cytotoxicity against A549, but significantly reduced cytotoxicity against HEK-293, with PD/PD-L-Pro further exhibiting better biological safety than that of RSV/RSV-L-Pro. This work demonstrated that the readily available and biocompatible L-Pro can be a promising adjuvant to optimize the physical and chemical properties of RSV and PD to improve their pharmacokinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijie Lou
- First Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China; (Y.L.); (X.W.); (Z.W.); (Y.C.)
| | - Kaxi Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China; (K.Y.); (H.B.); (J.W.); (X.H.)
| | - Xiajun Wu
- First Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China; (Y.L.); (X.W.); (Z.W.); (Y.C.)
| | - Zhaojun Wang
- First Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China; (Y.L.); (X.W.); (Z.W.); (Y.C.)
| | - Yusheng Cui
- First Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China; (Y.L.); (X.W.); (Z.W.); (Y.C.)
| | - Hanxiao Bao
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China; (K.Y.); (H.B.); (J.W.); (X.H.)
| | - Jianwei Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China; (K.Y.); (H.B.); (J.W.); (X.H.)
| | - Xiurong Hu
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China; (K.Y.); (H.B.); (J.W.); (X.H.)
| | - Yunxi Ji
- First Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China; (Y.L.); (X.W.); (Z.W.); (Y.C.)
- Correspondence: (Y.J.); (G.T.)
| | - Guping Tang
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, China; (K.Y.); (H.B.); (J.W.); (X.H.)
- Correspondence: (Y.J.); (G.T.)
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