High pressure NMR reveals active-site hinge motion of folate-bound Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase

Influence of elevated pressure and pressurized fluids on microenvironment and activity of enzymes

Enzymes have great potential in bioprocess engineering due to their green and mild reaction conditions. However, there are challenges to their application, such as enzyme extraction and purification costs, enzyme recovery, and long reaction time. Enzymatic reaction rate enhancement and enzyme immobilization have the potential to overcome some of these challenges. Application of high pressure (e.g., hydrostatic pressure, supercritical carbon dioxide) has been shown to increase the activity of some enzymes, such as lipases and cellulases. Under high pressure, enzymes undergo multiple alterations simultaneously. High pressure reduces the bond lengths of molecules of reaction components and causes a reduction in the activation volume of enzyme-substrate complex. Supercritical CO2 interacts with enzyme molecules, catalyzes structural changes, and removes some water molecules from the enzyme's hydration layer. Interaction of scCO2 with the enzyme also leads to an overall change in secondary structure content. In the extreme, such changes may lead to enzyme denaturation, but enzyme activation and stabilization have also been observed. Immobilization of enzymes onto silica and zeolite-based supports has been shown to further stabilize the enzyme and provide resistance towards perturbation under subjection to high pressure and scCO2.

Adaptations for Pressure and Temperature in Dihydrofolate Reductases

Enzymes from extremophilic microbes that live in extreme conditions are generally adapted so that they function under those conditions, although adaptations for extreme temperatures and pressures can be difficult to unravel. Previous studies have shown mutation of Asp27 in Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) to Glu27 in Moritella profunda (Mp). DHFR enhances activity at higher pressures, although this may be an adaptation for cold. Interestingly, MpDHFR unfolds at ~70 MPa, while Moritella yayanosii (My) was isolated at depths corresponding to ~110 MPa, indicating that MyDHFR might be adapted for higher pressures. Here, these adaptations are examined using molecular dynamics simulations of DHFR from different microbes in the context of not only experimental studies of activity and stability of the protein but also the evolutionary history of the microbe. Results suggest Tyr103 of MyDHFR may be an adaptation for high pressure since Cys103 in helix F of MpDHFR forms an intra-helix hydrogen bond with Ile99 while Tyr103 in helix F of MyDHFR forms a hydrogen bond with Leu78 in helix E. This suggests the hydrogen bond between helices F and E in MyDHFR might prevent distortion at higher pressures.

High Pressure Shifts the β1-Adrenergic Receptor to the Active Conformation in the Absence of G Protein

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are versatile chemical sensors, which transmit the signal of an extracellular binding event across the plasma membrane to the intracellular side. This function is achieved via the modulation of highly dynamical equilibria of various conformational receptor states. Here we have probed the effect of pressure on the conformational equilibria of a functional thermostabilized β₁-adrenergic GPCR (β₁AR) by solution NMR. High pressure induces a large shift in the conformational equilibrium (midpoint ∼600 bar) from the preactive conformation of agonist-bound β₁AR to the fully active conformation, which under normal pressure is only populated when a G protein or a G protein-mimicking nanobody (Nb) binds to the intracellular side of the β₁AR·agonist complex. No such large effects are observed for an antagonist-bound β₁AR or the ternary β₁AR·agonist·Nb80 complex. The detected structural changes of agonist-bound β₁AR around the orthosteric ligand binding pocket indicate that the fully active receptor occupies an ∼100 ų smaller volume than that of its preactive form. Most likely, this volume reduction is caused by the compression of empty (nonhydrated) cavities in the ligand binding pocket and the center of the receptor, which increases the ligand receptor interactions and explains the ∼100-fold affinity increase of agonists in the presence of G protein. The finding that isotropic pressure induces a directed motion from the preactive to the fully active GPCR conformation provides evidence of the high mechanical robustness of this important functional switch.

Universality and Structural Implications of the Boson Peak in Proteins

The softness and rigidity of proteins are reflected in the structural dynamics, which are in turn affected by the environment. The characteristic low-frequency vibrational spectrum of a protein, known as boson peak, is an indication of the structural rigidity of the protein at a cryogenic temperature or dehydrated conditions. In this article, the effect of hydration, temperature, and pressure on the boson peak and volumetric properties of a globular protein are evaluated by using inelastic neutron scattering and molecular dynamics simulation. Hydration, pressurization, and cooling shift the boson peak position to higher energy and depress the peak intensity and decreases the protein and cavity volumes. We found the correlation between the boson peak and cavity volume in a protein. A decrease of cavity volume means the increase of rigidity, which is the origin of the boson peak shift. Boson peak is the universal property of a protein, which is rationalized by the correlation.

Adaptations for Pressure and Temperature Effects on Loop Motion in Escherichia coli and Moritella profunda Dihydrofolate Reductase

Determining how enzymes in piezophilic microbes function at high pressure can give insights into how life adapts to living at high pressure. Here, the effects of pressure and temperature on loop motions are compared Escherichia coli (Ec) and Moritella profunda (Mp) dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) via molecular dynamics simulations at combinations of the growth temperature and pressure of the two organisms. Analysis indicates that a flexible CD loop in MpDHFR is an adaptation for cold because it makes the adenosine binding subdomain more flexible. Also, analysis indicates that the Thr113-Glu27 hydrogen bond in MpDHFR is an adaptation for high pressure because it provides flexibility within the loop subdomain compared to the very strong Thr113-Asp27 hydrogen bond in EcDHFR, and affects the correlation of the Met20 and GH loops. In addition, the results suggest that temperature might affect external loops more strongly while pressure might affect motion between elements within the protein.

Enzymes from piezophiles

The discovery of microbial communities in extreme conditions that would seem hostile to life leads to the question of how the molecules making up these microbes can maintain their structure and function. While microbes that live under extremes of temperature have been heavily studied, those that live under extremes of pressure, or "piezophiles", are now increasingly being studied because of advances in sample collection and high-pressure cells for biochemical and biophysical measurements. Here, adaptations of enzymes in piezophiles against the effects of pressure are discussed in light of recent experimental and computational studies. However, while concepts from studies of enzymes from temperature extremophiles can provide frameworks for understanding adaptations by piezophile enzymes, the effects of temperature and pressure on proteins differ in significant ways. Thus, the state of the knowledge of adaptation in piezophile enzymes is still in its infancy and many more experiments and computational studies on different enzymes from a variety of piezophiles are needed.

Characterization of low-lying excited states of proteins by high-pressure NMR

Hydrostatic pressure alters the free energy of proteins by a few kJ mol^-1, with the amount depending on their partial molar volumes. Because the folded ground state of a protein contains cavities, it is always a state of large partial molar volume. Therefore pressure always destabilises the ground state and increases the population of partially and completely unfolded states. This is a mild and reversible conformational change, which allows the study of excited states under thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. Many of the excited states studied in this way are functionally relevant; they also seem to be very similar to kinetic folding intermediates, thus suggesting that evolution has made use of the 'natural' dynamic energy landscape of the protein fold and sculpted it to optimise function. This includes features such as ligand binding, structural change during the catalytic cycle, and dynamic allostery.

Water-Protein Interactions Coupled with Protein Conformational Transition

Conformational fluctuations of proteins are crucially important for their functions. However, changes in the location and dynamics of hydrated water in many proteins accompanied by the conformational transition have not been fully understood. Here, we used phase-modulated clean chemical exchange NMR approach to investigate pressure-induced changes in water-to-amide proton exchange occurring at sub-second time scale. With the transition of ubiquitin from its native conformation (N1) to an alternative conformation (N2) at 250 MPa, proton exchange rates of residues 32-35, 40-41, and 71, which are located at the C-terminal side of the protein, were significantly increased. These observations can be explained by the destabilization of the hydrogen bonds in the backbone and partial exposure of those amide groups to solvent in N2. We conclude that phase-modulated clean chemical exchange NMR approach coupled with pressure perturbation will be a useful tool for investigations of more open and hydrated protein structures.

High-pressure protein crystal structure analysis of Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase complexed with folate and NADP. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2018;74:895-905. [PMID: 30198899 PMCID: PMC6130465 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798318009397]

A high-pressure crystallographic study was conducted on Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase (ecDHFR) complexed with folate and NADP+ in crystal forms containing both the open and closed conformations of the M20 loop under high-pressure conditions of up to 800 MPa. At pressures between 270 and 500 MPa the crystal form containing the open conformation exhibited a phase transition from P21 to C2. Several structural changes in ecDHFR were observed at high pressure that were also accompanied by structural changes in the NADP+ cofactor and the hydration structure. In the crystal form with the closed conformation the M20 loop moved as the pressure changed, with accompanying conformational changes around the active site, including NADP+ and folate. These movements were consistent with the suggested hypothesis that movement of the M20 loop was necessary for ecDHFR to catalyze the reaction. In the crystal form with the open conformation the nicotinamide ring of the NADP+ cofactor undergoes a large flip as an intermediate step in the reaction, despite being in a crystalline state. Furthermore, observation of the water molecules between Arg57 and folate elucidated an early step in the substrate-binding pathway. These results demonstrate the possibility of using high-pressure protein crystallography as a method to capture high-energy substates or transient structures related to the protein reaction cycle.

Commonly stabilized cytochromes c from deep-sea Shewanella and Pseudomonas

Two cytochromes c5 (SBcytc and SVcytc) have been derived from Shewanella living in the deep-sea, which is a high pressure environment, so it could be that these proteins are more stable at high pressure than at atmospheric pressure, 0.1 MPa. This study, however, revealed that SBcytc and SVcytc were more stable at 0.1 MPa than at higher pressure. In addition, at 0.1-150 MPa, the stability of SBcytc and SVcytc was higher than that of homologues from atmospheric-pressure Shewanella, which was due to hydrogen bond formation with the heme in the former two proteins. This study further revealed that cytochrome c551 (PMcytc) of deep-sea Pseudomonas was more stable than a homologue of atmospheric-pressure Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and that specific hydrogen bond formation with the heme also occurred in the former. Although SBcytc and SVcytc, and PMcytc are phylogenetically very distant, these deep-sea cytochromes c are commonly stabilized through hydrogen bond formation.

Extreme biophysics: Enzymes under pressure

A critical question about piezophilic (pressure-loving) microbes is how their constituent molecules maintain function under high pressure. Here, factors are examined that may lead to the increased activity under pressure in dihydrofolate reductase from the piezophilic Moritella profunda compared to the homologous enzyme from the mesophilic Escherichia coli. Molecular dynamics simulations are performed at various temperatures and pressures to examine how pressure affects the flexibility of the enzymes from these two microbes, since both stability and flexibility are necessary for enzyme activity. The results suggest that collective motions on the 10-ns timescale are responsible for the flexibility necessary for "corresponding states" activity at the growth conditions of the parent organism. In addition, the results suggest that while the lower stability of many enzymes from deep-sea microbes may be an adaptation for greater flexibility at low temperatures, high pressure may enhance their adaptation to low temperatures. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Reduction of Folate by Dihydrofolate Reductase from Thermotoga maritima

Mammalian dihydrofolate reductases (DHFRs) catalyze the reduction of folate more efficiently than the equivalent bacterial enzymes do, despite typically having similar efficiencies for the reduction of their natural substrate, dihydrofolate. In contrast, we show here that DHFR from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima can catalyze reduction of folate to tetrahydrofolate with an efficiency similar to that of reduction of dihydrofolate under saturating conditions. Nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry experiments showed no evidence of the production of free dihydrofolate during either the EcDHFR- or TmDHFR-catalyzed reductions of folate, suggesting that both enzymes perform the two reduction steps without release of the partially reduced substrate. Our results imply that the reaction proceeds more efficiently in TmDHFR than in EcDHFR because the more open active site of TmDHFR facilitates protonation of folate. Because T. maritima lives under extreme conditions where tetrahydrofolate is particularly prone to oxidation, this ability to salvage folate may impart an advantage to the bacterium by minimizing the squandering of a valuable cofactor.

High-Pressure EPR and Site-Directed Spin Labeling for Mapping Molecular Flexibility in Proteins

High hydrostatic pressure is a powerful probe of protein conformational flexibility. Pressurization reveals regions of elevated compressibility, and thus flexibility, within individual conformational states, but also shifts conformational equilibria such that "invisible" excited states become accessible for spectroscopic characterization. The central aim of this chapter is to describe recently developed instrumentation and methodologies that enable high-pressure site-directed spin labeling electron paramagnetic resonance (SDSL-EPR) experiments on proteins and to demonstrate the information content of these experiments by highlighting specific recent applications. A brief introduction to the thermodynamics of proteins under pressure is presented first, followed by a discussion of the principles underlying SDSL-EPR detection of pressure effects in proteins, and the suitability of SDSL-EPR for this purpose in terms of timescale and ability to characterize conformational heterogeneity. Instrumentation and practical considerations for variable-pressure continuous wave EPR and pressure-resolved double electron-electron resonance (PR DEER) experiments are reviewed, and finally illustrations of data analysis using recent applications are presented. Although high-pressure SDSL-EPR is in its infancy, the recent applications presented highlight the considerable potential of the method to (1) identify compressible (flexible) regions in a folded protein; (2) determine thermodynamic parameters that relate conformational states in equilibrium; (3) populate and characterize excited states of proteins undetected at atmospheric pressure; (4) reveal the structural heterogeneity of conformational ensembles and provide distance constraints on the global structure of pressure-populated states with PR DEER.

Structure-relaxation mechanism for the response of T4 lysozyme cavity mutants to hydrostatic pressure

Application of hydrostatic pressure shifts protein conformational equilibria in a direction to reduce the volume of the system. A current view is that the volume reduction is dominated by elimination of voids or cavities in the protein interior via cavity hydration, although an alternative mechanism wherein cavities are filled with protein side chains resulting from a structure relaxation has been suggested [López CJ, Yang Z, Altenbach C, Hubbell WL (2013) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110(46):E4306-E4315]. In the present study, mechanisms for elimination of cavities under high pressure are investigated in the L99A cavity mutant of T4 lysozyme and derivatives thereof using site-directed spin labeling, pressure-resolved double electron-electron resonance, and high-pressure circular dichroism spectroscopy. In the L99A mutant, the ground state is in equilibrium with an excited state of only ∼ 3% of the population in which the cavity is filled by a protein side chain [Bouvignies et al. (2011) Nature 477(7362):111-114]. The results of the present study show that in L99A the native ground state is the dominant conformation to pressures of 3 kbar, with cavity hydration apparently taking place in the range of 2-3 kbar. However, in the presence of additional mutations that lower the free energy of the excited state, pressure strongly populates the excited state, thereby eliminating the cavity with a native side chain rather than solvent. Thus, both cavity hydration and structure relaxation are mechanisms for cavity elimination under pressure, and which is dominant is determined by details of the energy landscape.

Volume and Compressibility of Proteins

The partial specific (or molar) volume, expansibility, and compressibility of a protein are fundamental thermodynamic quantities for characterizing its structure in solution. We review the definitions, measurements, and implications of these volumetric quantities in relation to protein structural biology. The partial specific volumes under constant molality (isomolal) and chemical potential (isopotential) conditions of the cosolvent (multicomponent systems) are explained in terms of preferential solvent interactions relevant to the solubility and stability of proteins. The partial expansibility is briefly discussed in terms of the effects of temperature on protein-solvent interactions (hydration) and internal packing defects (cavities). We discuss the compressibility-structure-function relationships of proteins based on analyses of the correlations between the partial adiabatic compressibilities and the structures or functions of various globular proteins (including mutants), focusing on the roles of the internal cavities in structural fluctuations. The volume and compressibility changes associated with various conformational transitions are also discussed in terms of the changes in hydration and cavities in order to elucidate the nonnative structures and the transition mechanisms, especially those associated with pressure denaturation.

Mapping protein conformational heterogeneity under pressure with site-directed spin labeling and double electron-electron resonance

The dominance of a single native state for most proteins under ambient conditions belies the functional importance of higher-energy conformational states (excited states), which often are too sparsely populated to allow spectroscopic investigation. Application of high hydrostatic pressure increases the population of excited states for study, but structural characterization is not trivial because of the multiplicity of states in the ensemble and rapid (microsecond to millisecond) exchange between them. Site-directed spin labeling in combination with double electron-electron resonance (DEER) provides long-range (20-80 Å) distance distributions with angstrom-level resolution and thus is ideally suited to resolve conformational heterogeneity in an excited state populated under high pressure. DEER currently is performed at cryogenic temperatures. Therefore, a method was developed for rapidly freezing spin-labeled proteins under pressure to kinetically trap the high-pressure conformational ensemble for subsequent DEER data collection at atmospheric pressure. The methodology was evaluated using seven doubly-labeled mutants of myoglobin designed to monitor selected interhelical distances. For holomyoglobin, the distance distributions are narrow and relatively insensitive to pressure. In apomyoglobin, on the other hand, the distributions reveal a striking conformational heterogeneity involving specific helices in the pressure range of 0-3 kbar, where a molten globule state is formed. The data directly reveal the amplitude of helical fluctuations, information unique to the DEER method that complements previous rate determinations. Comparison of the distance distributions for pressure- and pH-populated molten globules shows them to be remarkably similar despite a lower helical content in the latter.

Circular dichroism and site-directed spin labeling reveal structural and dynamical features of high-pressure states of myoglobin

Excited states of proteins may play important roles in function, yet are difficult to study spectroscopically because of their sparse population. High hydrostatic pressure increases the equilibrium population of excited states, enabling their characterization [Akasaka K (2003) Biochemistry 42:10875-85]. High-pressure site-directed spin-labeling EPR (SDSL-EPR) was developed recently to map the site-specific structure and dynamics of excited states populated by pressure. To monitor global secondary structure content by circular dichroism (CD) at high pressure, a modified optical cell using a custom MgF2 window with a reduced aperture is introduced. Here, a combination of SDSL-EPR and CD is used to map reversible structural transitions in holomyoglobin and apomyoglobin (apoMb) as a function of applied pressure up to 2 kbar. CD shows that the high-pressure excited state of apoMb at pH 6 has helical content identical to that of native apoMb, but reversible changes reflecting the appearance of a conformational ensemble are observed by SDSL-EPR, suggesting a helical topology that fluctuates slowly on the EPR time scale. Although the high-pressure state of apoMb at pH 6 has been referred to as a molten globule, the data presented here reveal significant differences from the well-characterized pH 4.1 molten globule of apoMb. Pressure-populated states of both holomyoglobin and apoMb at pH 4.1 have significantly less helical structure, and for the latter, that may correspond to a transient folding intermediate.

Solvent environments significantly affect the enzymatic function of Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase: comparison of wild-type protein and active-site mutant D27E

To investigate the contribution of solvent environments to the enzymatic function of Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), the salt-, pH-, and pressure-dependence of the enzymatic function of the wild-type protein were compared with those of the active-site mutant D27E in relation to their structure and stability. The salt concentration-dependence of enzymatic activity indicated that inorganic cations bound to and inhibited the activity of wild-type DHFR at neutral pH. The BaCl2 concentration-dependence of the (1)H-(15)N HSQC spectra of the wild-type DHFR-folate binary complex showed that the cation-binding site was located adjacent to the Met20 loop. The insensitivity of the D27E mutant to univalent cations, the decreased optimal pH for its enzymatic activity, and the increased Km and Kd values for its substrate dihydrofolate suggested that the substrate-binding cleft of the mutant was slightly opened to expose the active-site side chain to the solvent. The marginally increased fluorescence intensity and decreased volume change due to unfolding of the mutant also supported this structural change or the modified cavity and hydration. Surprisingly, the enzymatic activity of the mutant increased with pressurization up to 250MPa together with negative activation volumes of -4.0 or -4.8mL/mol, depending on the solvent system, while that of the wild-type was decreased and had positive activation volumes of 6.1 or 7.7mL/mol. These results clearly indicate that the insertion of a single methylene at the active site could substantially change the enzymatic reaction mechanism of DHFR, and solvent environments play important roles in the function of this enzyme.

Volumetric properties underlying ligand binding in a monomeric hemoglobin: a high-pressure NMR study

The 2/2 hemoglobin of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, GlbN, coordinates the heme iron with two histidines and exists either with a b heme or with a covalently attached heme. The binding of exogenous ligands displaces the distal histidine and induces a conformational rearrangement involving the reorganization of internal void volumes. The formation of passageways within the resulting conformation is thought to facilitate ligand exchange and play a functional role. Here we monitored the perturbation induced by pressure on the ferric bis-histidine and cyanide-bound states of GlbN using (1)H-(15)N HSQC NMR spectroscopy. We inspected the outcome with a statistical analysis of 170 homologous 2/2 hemoglobin sequences. We found that the compression landscape of GlbN, as represented by the variation of an average chemical shift parameter, was highly sensitive to ligand swapping and heme covalent attachment. Stabilization of rare conformers was observed at high pressures and consistent with cavity redistribution upon ligand binding. In all states, the EF loop was found to be exceptionally labile to pressure, suggesting a functional role as a semi-flexible hinge between the adjacent helices. Finally, coevolved clusters presented a common pattern of compensating pressure responses. The high-pressure dissection combined with protein sequence analysis established locations with volumetric signatures relevant to residual communication of 2/2 hemoglobins. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Oxygen Binding and Sensing Proteins.

A delicate interplay of structure, dynamics, and thermodynamics for function: a high pressure NMR study of outer surface protein A

Outer surface protein A (OspA) is a crucial protein in the infection of Borrelia burgdorferi causing Lyme disease. We studied conformational fluctuations of OspA with high-pressure (15)N/(1)H two-dimensional NMR along with high-pressure fluorescence spectroscopy. We found evidence within folded, native OspA for rapid local fluctuations of the polypeptide backbone in the nonglobular single layer β-sheet connecting the N- and C-terminal domains with τ << ms, which may give the two domains certain independence in mobility and thermodynamic stability. Furthermore, we found that folded, native OspA is in equilibrium (τ >> ms) with a minor conformer I, which is almost fully disordered and hydrated for the entire C-terminal part of the polypeptide chain from β8 to the C-terminus. Conformer I is characterized with ΔG(0) = 32 ± 9 kJ/mol and ΔV(0) = -140 ± 40 mL/mol, populating only ∼0.001% at 40°C at 0.1 MPa, pH 5.9. Because in the folded conformer the receptor binding epitope of OspA is buried in the C-terminal domain, its transition into conformer I under in vivo conditions may be critical for the infection of B. burgdorferi. The formation and stability of the peculiar conformer I are apparently supported by a large packing defect or cavity located in the C-terminal domain.

THz SPECTROSCOPY OF PROTEINS IN WATER: DIRECT ABSORPTION AND CIRCULAR DICHROISM

Many of the functionally relevant collective vibrations of proteins and other biopolymers are expected to occur at terahertz frequencies. Precise absorption measurements combined with careful titration of biopolymers in water have allowed us to directly measure the terahertz absorption spectra associated with these motions, despite the strong background absorption of the solvent. We have also explored the circular dichroism spectroscopy of biomolecules over this same frequency range. Since circular dichroism requires the presence of net chirality in a molecule and chirality is present in nearly all biomaterial, it has the potential to capture the background free spectral features in biopolymers. To undertake these studies we have developed a broad band terahertz spectrometer suitable for both direct absorption and circular dichroism measurements of proteins in water between 0.75 – 3.72 THz. Direct terahertz absorption spectra of prototypical proteins bovine serum albumin (BSA) and hen egg white lysozyme have been documented and are described here. We have also successfully demonstrated the magnetic circular dichroism in semiconductors, and placed an upper bound on the terahertz circular dichroism signature of solvated BSA. In the terahertz frequency range, it appears that circular dichroism signatures are exceedingly small and detection remains a challenge.

High-pressure protein crystallography and NMR to explore protein conformations

High-pressure methods for solving protein structures by X-ray crystallography and NMR are maturing. These techniques are beginning to impact our understanding of thermodynamic and structural features that define not only the protein's native conformation, but also the higher free energy conformations. The ability of high-pressure methods to visualize these mostly unexplored conformations provides new insight into protein function and dynamics. In this review, we begin with a historical discussion of high-pressure structural studies, with an eye toward early results that paved the way to mapping the multiple conformations of proteins. This is followed by an examination of several recent studies that emphasize different strengths and uses of high-pressure structural studies, ranging from basic thermodynamics to the suggestion of high-pressure structural methods as a tool for protein engineering.

Comparative study on dihydrofolate reductases from Shewanella species living in deep-sea and ambient atmospheric-pressure environments

To examine whether dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) from deep-sea bacteria has undergone molecular evolution to adapt to high-pressure environments, we cloned eight DHFRs from Shewanella species living in deep-sea and ambient atmospheric-pressure environments, and subsequently purified six proteins to compare their structures, stabilities, and functions. The DHFRs showed 74-90% identity in primary structure to DHFR from S. violacea, but only 55% identity to DHFR from Escherichia coli (ecDHFR). Far-ultraviolet circular dichroism and fluorescence spectra suggested that the secondary and tertiary structures of these DHFRs were similar. In addition, no significant differences were found in structural stability as monitored by urea-induced unfolding and the kinetic parameters, K(m) and k(cat); although the DHFRs from Shewanella species were less stable and more active (2- to 4-fold increases in k(cat)/K(m)) than ecDHFR. Interestingly, the pressure effects on enzyme activity revealed that DHFRs from ambient-atmospheric species are not necessarily incompatible with high pressure, and DHFRs from deep-sea species are not necessarily tolerant of high pressure. These results suggest that the DHFR molecule itself has not evolved to adapt to high-pressure environments, but rather, those Shewanella species with enzymes capable of retaining functional activity under high pressure migrated into the deep-sea.

Functionally important conformations of the Met20 loop in dihydrofolate reductase are populated by rapid thermal fluctuations

Conformational changes in enzymes are well recognized to play an important role in the organization of the reactive groups for efficient catalysis. This study reveals atomic and energetic details of the conformational change process that precedes the catalytic reaction of the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase. The computed free energy profile provides insights into the ligand binding mechanism and a quantitative estimate of barrier heights separating different conformational states along the pathway. Studies show that the ternary complex comprised of NADPH cofactor and substrate dihydrofolate undergoes transitions between a closed state and an occluded state via an intermediate "open" conformation. During these transitions the largest conformational change occurs in the Met20 loop of DHFR and is accompanied by the motion of the cofactor into and out of the binding pocket. When the cofactor is out of the binding pocket, the enzyme frequently samples open and occluded conformations with a small (approximately 5 k(B)T) free energy barrier between the two states. However, when the cofactor is in the binding pocket, the closed conformation is thermodynamically most favored. The determination of a profile characterizing the position-dependent diffusion of the Met20 loop allowed us to apply reaction rate theory and deduce the kinetics of loop motions based on the computed free energy landscape.

The role of dynamic conformational ensembles in biomolecular recognition

Molecular recognition is central to all biological processes. For the past 50 years, Koshland's 'induced fit' hypothesis has been the textbook explanation for molecular recognition events. However, recent experimental evidence supports an alternative mechanism. 'Conformational selection' postulates that all protein conformations pre-exist, and the ligand selects the most favored conformation. Following binding the ensemble undergoes a population shift, redistributing the conformational states. Both conformational selection and induced fit appear to play roles. Following binding by a primary conformational selection event, optimization of side chain and backbone interactions is likely to proceed by an induced fit mechanism. Conformational selection has been observed for protein-ligand, protein-protein, protein-DNA, protein-RNA and RNA-ligand interactions. These data support a new molecular recognition paradigm for processes as diverse as signaling, catalysis, gene regulation and protein aggregation in disease, which has the potential to significantly impact our views and strategies in drug design, biomolecular engineering and molecular evolution.

Stable-isotope labeling using an inducible viral infection system in suspension-cultured plant cells

We established a novel strategy for preparing uniformly stable isotope-labeled proteins by using suspension-cultured plant cells and an inducible virus vector encoding the research target. By using this new method, we demonstrated the expression of three proteins, namely, Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), chicken calmodulin (CaM), and porcine protein kinase C-dependent protein phosphatase-1 inhibitor with a molecular mass of 17-kDa (CPI-17). In addition, we successfully expressed bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI), which contains three pairs of disulfide bonds, as the soluble form. In the most efficient case, as little as 50 ml culture yielded 3-4 mg (15)N-labeled protein suitable for NMR experiments. The (1)H-(15)N HSQC spectra of all of these proteins clearly indicated that their structures were identical to those of their counterparts reported previously. Thus, the present results suggest that our novel protocol is a potential method for NMR sample preparation.

Effects of pressure on enzyme function of Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase

To elucidate the effects of pressure on the function of Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), the enzyme activity and the dissociation constants of substrates and cofactors were measured at pressures up to 250 MPa at 25 degrees C and pH 7.0. The enzyme activity decreased with increasing pressure, accompanying the activation volume of 7.8 ml mol(-1). The values of the Michaelis constant (K(m)) for dihydrofolate and NADPH were slightly higher at 200 MPa than at atmospheric pressure. The hydride-transfer step was insensitive to pressure, as monitored by the effects of the deuterium isotope of NADPH on the reaction velocity. The dissociation constants of substrates and cofactors increased with pressure, producing volume reductions from 6.5 ml mol(-1) (tetrahydrofolate) to 33.5 ml mol(-1) (NADPH). However, the changes in Gibbs free energy with dissociation of many ligands showed different pressure dependences below and above 50 MPa, suggesting conformational changes of the enzyme at high pressure. The enzyme function at high pressure is discussed based on the volume levels of the intermediates and the candidates for the rate-limiting process.

Conformational fluctuations of proteins revealed by variable pressure NMR

With the high-resolution variable-pressure NMR spectroscopy, one can study conformational fluctuations of proteins in a much wider conformational space than hitherto explored by NMR and other spectroscopic techniques. This is because a protein in solution generally exists as a dynamic mixture of conformers mutually differing in partial molar volume, and pressure can select the population of a conformer according to its relative volume. In this review, we describe how variable-pressure NMR can be used to probe conformational fluctuations of proteins in a wide conformational space from the folded to the fully unfolded structures, with actual examples. Furthermore, the newly emerging technique "NMR snapshots" expresses amply fluctuating protein structures as changes in atomic coordinates. Finally, the concept of conformational fluctuation is extended to include intermolecular association leading to amyloidosis.

Effect of Ultrasound on DNA Polymerase Reactions: Monitoring on a 27-MHz Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Effects of ultrasound irradiation on DNA polymerase (Klenow fragment, KF) reactions were studied on the template/primer DNA-immobilized quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Under ultrasound irradiation, binding of KF to the DNA was suppressed due to the decrease of the binding rate constant (k(1)) and the increase of the dissociation rate constant (k(-)(1)). The catalytic elongation rate (k(cat)) was increased, but the stability of the KF/DNA/monomer ternary complex (K(m)) was decreased by the ultrasound irradiation. Ultrasound effects are discussed in correlation with the conformation changes of domain structures in KF.

High-pressure macromolecular crystallography (HPMX): status and prospects

Recent technical developments, achievements and prospects of high-pressure (HP) macromolecular crystallography (MX) are reviewed. Technical difficulties associated with this technique have been essentially solved by combining synchrotron radiation of ultra-short wavelength, large-aperture diamond anvil cells and new sample-mounting techniques. The quality of diffraction data collected at HP can now meet standards of conventional MX. The exploitation of the potential of the combination of X-ray diffraction and high-pressure perturbation is progressing well. The ability of pressure to shift the population distribution of conformers in solution, which is exploited in particular by NMR, can also be used in the crystalline state with specific advantages. HPMX has indeed bright prospects, in particular to elucidate the structure of higher-energy conformers that are often of high biological significance. Furthermore, HPMX may be of interest for conventional crystallographic studies, as pressure is a fairly general tool to improve order in pre-existing crystals with minimal perturbation of the native structure.

An emerging concept of biomolecular dynamics and function: applications of NMR & MRI

A new concept of protein dynamics has emerged quite recently, and a crucial link between protein dynamics and function has been largely established using recent NMR techniques in the solution state. Protein structure is governed by the thermodynamic principle and may not necessarily be unique in the solution state. Enzyme catalysis, protein folding or allosteric transition occurs on the microsecond to millisecond time scale, implying that in order to prepare the specific nuclear coordinate for the electronic state transition, a protein must rearrange its nuclear coordinates substantially, and this process may generally take a long period of time almost comparable to that of protein folding. Protein coordinates optimized for the electronic reaction may form an energy state--which may be called an "excited state"--that is thermodynamically distinct from the native state. In contrast, the native state is called a "ground state." Relevant NMR techniques developed recently may also have useful application to MRI, since the critical time scale of various reactions in a living system is also around micro- to milliseconds.

Effects of Mutation at Methionine-42 of Escherichia coli Dihydrofolate Reductase on Stability and Function: Implication of Hydrophobic Interactions

Methionine-42, distal to the active site of Escherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase, was substituted by site-directed mutagenesis with 14 amino acids (Ala, Cys, Glu, Gln, Gly, His, Ile, Leu, Pro, Ser, Thr, Trp, Tyr, and Val) to elucidate its role in the stability and function of this enzyme. Far-ultraviolet circular dichroism spectra of these mutants showed a distinctive negative peak at around 230 nm beside 220 nm, depending on the hydrophobicity of the amino acids introduced. The fluorescence intensity also increased in an order similar to that of the amino acids. These spectroscopic data suggest that the mutations do not affect the secondary structure, but strongly perturb the exciton coupling between Trp47 and Trp74. The free energy of urea unfolding, deltaG(o)u, increased with increases in the side-chain hydrophobicity in the range 2.96-6.40 kcal x mol(-1), which includes the value for the wild-type enzyme (6.08 kcal x mol(-1)). The steady-state kinetic parameters, Km and kcat, also increased with increases in the side-chain hydrophobicity, with the M42W mutant showing the largest increases in Km (35-fold) and kcat (4.3-fold) compared with the wild-type enzyme. These results demonstrate that site 42 distal to the active site plays an important role in the stability and function of this enzyme, and that the main effect of the mutations is to modify of hydrophobic interactions with the residues surrounding this position.

Structure, dynamics, and catalytic function of dihydrofolate reductase

Molecular motions are widely regarded as contributing factors in many aspects of protein function. The enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), and particularly that from Escherichia coli, has become an important system for investigating the linkage between protein dynamics and catalytic function, both because of the location and timescales of the motions observed and because of the availability of a large amount of structural and mechanistic data that provides a detailed context within which the motions can be interpreted. Changes in protein dynamics in response to ligand binding, conformational change, and mutagenesis have been probed using numerous experimental and theoretical approaches, including X-ray crystallography, fluorescence, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), molecular dynamics simulations, and hybrid quantum/classical dynamics methods. These studies provide a detailed map of changes in conformation and dynamics throughout the catalytic cycle of DHFR and give new insights into the role of protein motions in the catalytic activity of this enzyme.

Single-molecule and transient kinetics investigation of the interaction of dihydrofolate reductase with NADPH and dihydrofolate

The interaction of dihydrofolate (H(2)F) and NADPH with a fluorescent derivative of H(2)F reductase (DHFR) was studied by using transient and single-molecule techniques. The fluorescent moiety Alexa 488 was attached to the structural loop that closes over the substrates after they are bound. Fluorescence quenching was found to accompany the binding of both substrates and the hydride transfer reaction. For the binding of H(2)F to DHFR, the simplest mechanism consistent with the data postulates that the enzyme exists as slowly interconverting conformers, with the substrate binding preferentially to one of the conformers. At pH 7.0, the binding reaction has a bimolecular rate constant of 1.8 x 10(7) M(-1).s(-1), and the formation of the initial complex is followed by a conformational change. The binding of NADPH to DHFR is more complex and suggests multiple conformers of the enzyme exist. NADPH binds to a different conformer than H(2)F with a bimolecular rate constant of 2.6-5.7 x 10(6) M(-1).s(-1), with the former value obtained from single-molecule kinetics and the latter from stopped-flow kinetics. Single-molecule studies of DHFR in equilibrium with substrates and products revealed a reaction with ensemble average rate constants of 170 and 470 s(-1) at pH 8.5. The former rate constant has an isotope effect of >2 when NADPD is substituted for NADPH and probably is associated with hydride transfer. The results from stopped-flow and single-molecule methods are complementary and demonstrate that multiple conformations of both the enzyme and enzyme-substrate complexes exist.

Pressure-dependent changes in the solution structure of hen egg-white lysozyme

The "rules" governing protein structure and stability are still poorly understood. Important clues have come from proteins that operate under extreme conditions, because these clarify the physical constraints on proteins. One obvious extreme is pressure, but so far little is known of the behavior of proteins under pressure, largely for technical reasons. We have therefore developed new methodology for calculating structure change in solution with pressure, using NMR chemical shift changes, and we report the change in structure of lysozyme on going from 30 bar to 2000 bar, this being the first solution structure of a globular protein under pressure. The alpha-helical domain is compressed by approximately 1%, due to tighter packing between helices. The interdomain region is also compressed. By contrast, the beta-sheet domain displays very little overall compression, but undergoes more structural distortion than the alpha-domain. The largest volume changes tend to occur close to hydrated cavities. Because isothermal compressibility is related to volume fluctuation, this suggests that buried water molecules play an important role in conformational fluctuation at normal pressures, and are implicated as the nucleation sites for structural changes leading to pressure denaturation or channel opening.

High-pressure 1H NMR study of pressure-induced structural changes in the heme environments of metcyanomyoglobins

The effect of pressure on the heme environment structure of sperm whale and horse heart metcyanomyoglobins was investigated up to 300 MPa by high-pressure (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Pressure-induced changes in the distances between the observed protons and the heme iron atom were estimated from changes in the dipolar shift due to the paramagnetic effect on the protons. The changes showed that the heme peripheral structure as a whole was compressed by pressure; the movements of the protons in the heme peripheral residues were in the range of +0.16 to -0.54 A/300 MPa. One-dimensional compressibilities for the protons, excluding the protons of the distal His residue, were in the range of 1.0 x 10(-4) to 6.1 x 10(-4)/MPa. The movements of the protons induced by pressure correlated well with the distance between the protons and cavities in the protein. The distal His residue (His 64) moved toward the outside of the heme pocket, but remained in the pocket even at 300 MPa. This movement was driven dominantly by a change in the dihedral angle around the C(alpha)-C(beta) rotational bond of the residue. Comparative work on horse heart metcyanomyoglobin implied that the conformational change of the His 64 imidazole ring was larger in the horse heart metcyanomyoglobin than in the sperm whale metcyanomyoglobin.

Interaction of dihydrofolate reductase with methotrexate: ensemble and single-molecule kinetics

The thermodynamics and kinetics of the interaction of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) with methotrexate have been studied by using fluorescence, stopped-flow, and single-molecule methods. DHFR was modified to permit the covalent addition of a fluorescent molecule, Alexa 488, and a biotin at the N terminus of the molecule. The fluorescent molecule was placed on a protein loop that closes over methotrexate when binding occurs, thus causing a quenching of the fluorescence. The biotin was used to attach the enzyme in an active form to a glass surface for single-molecule studies. The equilibrium dissociation constant for the binding of methotrexate to the enzyme is 9.5 nM. The stopped-flow studies revealed that methotrexate binds to two different conformations of the enzyme, and the association and dissociation rate constants were determined. The single-molecule investigation revealed a conformational change in the enzyme-methotrexate complex that was not observed in the stopped-flow studies. The ensemble averaged rate constants for this conformation change in both directions is about 2-4 s(-1) and is attributed to the opening and closing of the enzyme loop over the bound methotrexate. Thus the mechanism of methotrexate binding to DHFR involves multiple steps and protein conformational changes.

Equilibrium and pressure-jump relaxation studies of the conformational transitions of P13MTCP1

The conformational transitions of a small oncogene product, p13(MTCP1), have been studied by high-pressure fluorescence of the intrinsic tryptophan emission and high-pressure 1D and 2D 1H-15N NMR. While the unfolding transition monitored by fluorescence is cooperative, two kinds of NMR spectral changes were observed, depending on the pressure range. Below approximately 200 MPa, pressure caused continuous, non-linear shifts of many of the 15N and 1H signals, suggesting the presence of an alternate folded conformer(s) in rapid equilibrium (tau<<ms) with the basic native structure. Above approximately 200 MPa, pressure caused a sharp decrease in the intensity of the folded proteins signals, while the peaks corresponding to disordered structures increased, yielding a free energy of unfolding change of 6.0 kcal/mol and associated volume change of -100 ml/mol, in agreement with the fluorescence result. Differential scanning calorimetry also reveals two transitions between 21 and 65 degrees C, confirming the existence of an additional species under mildly denaturing conditions. We report here a real-time observation of pressure-jump unfolding kinetics by 2D NMR spectroscopy on P13MTCP1 made possible due to its very long relaxation times at high pressure revealed by fluorescence studies. Within the dead-time after the pressure-jump, the NMR spectra of the native conformer changed to those of the transient conformational species, identified in the equilibrium studies, demonstrating the equivalence between a transient species and an equilibrium excited state. After these rapid spectral changes, the intensities of all of the individual 15N-1H cross-peaks decreased gradually, and those of the disordered structure increased, consistent with the slow relaxation to the unfolded form at this pressure. Rate constants of unfolding monitored at individual amide sites within the beta-barrel were similar to those obtained from fluorescence and from side-chain protons in the hydrophobic core region, consistent with nearly cooperative unfolding. However, some heterogeneity in the apparent unfolding rate constants is apparent across the sequence and can be understood as non-uniform effects of pressure on the unfolding rate constant due to non-uniform hydration.

High pressure NMR reveals that apomyoglobin is an equilibrium mixture from the native to the unfolded

Pressure-induced reversible conformational changes of sperm whale apomyoglobin have been studied between 30 bar and 3000 bar on individual residue basis by utilizing 1H/15N hetero nuclear single-quantum coherence two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy at pH 6.0 and 35 degrees C. Apomyoglobin showed a series of pressure-dependent NMR spectra as a function of pressure, assignable to the native (N), intermediates (I), molten globule (MG) and unfolded (U) conformers. At 30 bar, the native fold (N) shows disorder only in the F helix. Between 500 bar and 1200 bar, a series of locally disordered conformers I are produced, in which local disorder occurs in the C helix, the CD loop, the G helix and part of the H helix. At 2000 bar, most cross-peaks exhibit severe line-broadening, suggesting the formation of a molten globule, but at 3000 bar all the cross-peaks reappear, showing that the molten globule turns into a well-hydrated, mobile unfolded conformation U. Since all the spectral changes were reversible with pressure, apomyoglobin is considered to exist as an equilibrium mixture of the N, I, MG and U conformers at all pressures. MG is situated at 2.4+/-(0.1) kcal/mol above N at 1 bar and the unfolding transition from the combined N-I state to MG is accompanied by a loss of partial molar volume by 75+/-(3) ml/mol. On the basis of these observations, we postulate a theorem that the partial molar volume of a protein decreases in parallel with the loss of its conformational order.

Multiple conformational changes in enzyme catalysis

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of enzyme catalysis and allosteric regulation has been a primary goal of biochemistry for many years. The dynamics of these processes, approached through a variety of kinetic methods, are discussed. The results obtained for many different enzymes suggest that multiple intermediates and conformations are general characteristics of the catalytic process and allosteric regulation. Ribonuclease, dihydrofolate reductase, chymotrypsin, aspartate aminotransferase, and aspartate transcarbamoylase are considered as specific examples. Typical and maximum rates of conformational changes and catalysis are also discussed, based on results obtained from model systems. The nature and rates of interconversion of the intermediates, along with structural information, can be used as the bases for understanding the incredible catalytic efficiency of enzymes. Potential roles of conformational changes in the catalytic process are discussed in terms of static and environmental effects, and in terms of dynamic coupling within the enzyme-substrate complex.

1H-NMR parameters of common amino acid residues measured in aqueous solutions of the linear tetrapeptides Gly-Gly-X-Ala at pressures between 0.1 and 200 MPa

For the interpretation of chemical shift changes induced by pressure in proteins, a comparison with random-coil data is important. For providing such a data basis, the pressure dependence of the 1H-NMR chemical shifts of the amino acids X in the random-coil model peptides Gly-Gly-X-Ala were studied for the 20 common amino acids at two pH values (pH 5.0 and 5.4) at 305 K, in the pressure range from 0.1 to 200 MPa. The largest shift changes deltadelta with pressure p can be observed for the backbone amide protons. The average linear pressure coefficient delta(deltap) is 0.38 ppm GPa(-1), with a root mean square deviation of 0.2 ppm GPa(-1). In contrast to the downfield shift typical for amide protons, the H(alpha)-resonances typically shift upfield, with a pressure coefficient of -0.025 ppm GPa(-1) and a root mean square deviation of 0.05 ppm GPa(-1). The side chain resonances are only weakly influenced by pressure, on average they are shifted by 0.014 ppm GPa(-1)) with a root mean square deviation of 0.14 ppm GPa(-1). The exceptions are the side chain amide protons of asparagine and glutamine. Here, values of 0.214 (Asn H(delta21)), 0.417 (Asn H(delta22)), 0.260 (Gln H(varepsilon21)) and 0.395 (Gln H(varepsilon22)) ppm GPa(-1) can be observed. In both cases, the pressure dependent shift is larger for the pro-E proton than for the pro-Z proton. Within the limits of error the equilibrium constant for the trans- and cis-conformers at the proline peptide bond is independent of pressure in the pressure range studied.

Effects of guanidine hydrochloride and high pressure on subsite flexibility of beta-amylase

We investigated the effects of guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) and high pressure on the conformational flexibility of the active site of sweet potato beta-amylase by monitoring the sulfhydryl reaction and the enzymatic activity. The reactivity of Cys345 at the active site, one of six inert half cystine residues of this enzyme, was enhanced by GuHCl at concentrations below 0.5 M. A GuHCl-induced change of the active site was also observed through an intensity change in the near-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectrum. On the other hand, the native conformation of sweet potato beta-amylase observed through fluorescence polarization, far-UV CD spectrum and intrinsic fluorescence was not influenced by GuHCl at concentrations below 0.5 M. Therefore, Cys345 reaction caused by GuHCl was due to an alteration of the local conformation of the active site. GuHCl-induced reaction of Cys345, located in the vicinity of subsites 3 and 4, is attributed to enhanced subsite flexibility, which is responsible for substrate slipping in a single-chain attack mechanism. Due to the flexible conformation, the local region of the subsite is more susceptible to GuHCl perturbation than the molecule overall. The enzymatic activity of sweet potato beta-amylase was reversibly inhibited by GuHCl at concentrations below 0.5 M, and kinetic analysis of the enzymatic mechanism showed that GuHCl decreases the kcat value. High pressure below 400 MPa also inactivated sweet potato beta-amylase with an increase in Cys345 reactivity. These findings indicated that excessively enhanced subsite flexibility reduced the enzymatic activity of sweet potato beta-amylase.

Compressibility gives new insight into protein dynamics and enzyme function

The adiabatic compressibility of enzyme is largely influenced by binding of coenzyme and substrate, due to the changes in atomic packing. Amino acid substitution also induces large changes in compressibility parallel to enzyme activity. These results demonstrate that a small alteration of local structure by ligand binding and mutation is dramatically magnified in the flexibility of protein molecule to affect the function. Compressibility gives new insight into protein dynamics and enzyme function from the aspect of atomic packing or cavity which cannot be obtained by other techniques.