Elastic properties of dynein motor domain obtained from all-atom molecular dynamics simulations

The mechanism and energetics of the dynein priming stroke

Dyneins are an AAA+ motor responsible for motility and force generation toward the minus end of microtubules. Dynein motility is powered by nucleotide-dependent transitions of its linker domain, which transitions between straight (post-powerstroke) and bent (pre-powerstroke) conformations. To understand the dynamics and energetics of the linker, we performed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of human dynein-2 primed for its power stroke. Simulations revealed that the linker can adopt either a bent conformation or a semi-bent conformation, separated by a 5.7 kT energy barrier. The linker cannot switch back to its straight conformation in the pre-powerstroke state due to a steric clash with the AAA+ ring. Simulations also showed that an isolated linker has a free energy minimum near the semi-bent conformation in the absence of the AAA+ ring, indicating that the linker stores energy as it bends and releases this energy during the powerstroke.

Wave-like oscillations of clamped microtubules driven by collective dynein transport

Microtubules (MTs) are observed to move and buckle driven by ATP-dependent molecular motors in both mitotic and interphasic eukaryotic cells as well as in specialized structures such as flagella and cilia with a stereotypical geometry. In previous work, clamped MTs driven by a few kinesin motors were seen to buckle and occasionally flap in what was referred to as flagella-like motion. Theoretical models of active-filament dynamics and a following force have predicted that, with sufficient force and binding-unbinding, such clamped filaments should spontaneously undergo periodic buckling oscillations. However, a systematic experimental test of the theory and reconciliation to a model was lacking. Here, we have engineered a minimal system of MTs clamped at their plus ends and transported by a sheet of dynein motors that demonstrate the emergence of spontaneous traveling-wave oscillations along single filaments. The frequencies of tip oscillations are in the millihertz range and are statistically indistinguishable in the onset and recovery phases. We develop a 2D computational model of clamped MTs binding and unbinding stochastically to motors in a "gliding-assay" geometry. The simulated MTs oscillate with a frequency comparable to experiment. The model predicts the effect of MT length and motor density on qualitative transitions between distinct phases of flapping, regular oscillations, and looping. We develop an effective "order parameter" based on the relative deflection along the filament and orthogonal to it. The transitions predicted in simulations are validated by experimental data. These results demonstrate a role for geometry, MT buckling, and collective molecular motor activity in the emergence of oscillatory dynamics.

Regulatory mechanisms of the dynein-2 motility by post-translational modification revealed by MD simulation

Intraflagellar transport for ciliary assembly and maintenance is driven by dynein and kinesins specific to the cilia. It has been shown that anterograde and retrograde transports run on different regions of the doublet microtubule, i.e., separate train tracks. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanism of this selective process. Since the doublet microtubule is known to display specific post-translational modifications of tubulins, i.e., "tubulin code", for molecular motor regulations, we investigated the motility of ciliary specific dynein-2 under different post-translational modification by coarse-grained molecular dynamics. Our setup allows us to simulate the landing behaviors of dynein-2 on un-modified, detyrosinated, poly-glutamylated and poly-glycylated microtubules in silico. Our study revealed that poly-glutamylation can play an inhibitory effect on dynein-2 motility. Our result indicates that poly-glutamylation of the B-tubule of the doublet microtubule can be used as an efficient means to target retrograde intraflagellar transport onto the A-tubule.

Non-Ewald methods for evaluating the electrostatic interactions of charge systems: similarity and difference

In molecular simulations, it is essential to properly calculate the electrostatic interactions of particles in the physical system of interest. Here we consider a method called the non-Ewald method, which does not rely on the standard Ewald method with periodic boundary conditions, but instead relies on the cutoff-based techniques. We focus on the physicochemical and mathematical conceptual aspects of the method in order to gain a deeper understanding of the simulation methodology. In particular, we take into account the reaction field (RF) method, the isotropic periodic sum (IPS) method, and the zero-multipole summation method (ZMM). These cutoff-based methods are based on different physical ideas and are completely distinguishable in their underlying concepts. The RF and IPS methods are "additive" methods that incorporate information outside the cutoff region, via dielectric medium and isotropic boundary condition, respectively. In contrast, the ZMM is a "subtraction" method that tries to remove the artificial effects, generated near the boundary, from the cutoff sphere. Nonetheless, we find physical and/or mathematical similarities between these methods. In particular, the modified RF method can be derived by the principle of neutralization utilized in the ZMM, and we also found a direct relationship between IPS and ZMM.

Remodeling and activation mechanisms of outer arm dyneins revealed by cryo-EM

Cilia are thin microtubule-based protrusions of eukaryotic cells. The swimming of ciliated protists and sperm cells is propelled by the beating of cilia. Cilia propagate the flow of mucus in the trachea and protect the human body from viral infections. The main force generators of ciliary beating are the outer dynein arms (ODAs) which attach to the doublet microtubules. The bending of cilia is driven by the ODAs' conformational changes caused by ATP hydrolysis. Here, we report the native ODA complex structure attaching to the doublet microtubule by cryo-electron microscopy. The structure reveals how the ODA complex is attached to the doublet microtubule via the docking complex in its native state. Combined with coarse-grained molecular dynamic simulations, we present a model of how the attachment of the ODA to the doublet microtubule induces remodeling and activation of the ODA complex.

Stochastic Model of T Cell Repolarization during Target Elimination I

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (T) and natural killer cells are the main cytotoxic killer cells of the human body to eliminate pathogen-infected or tumorigenic cells (i.e., target cells). Once a natural killer or T cell has identified a target cell, they form a tight contact zone, the immunological synapse (IS). One then observes a repolarization of the cell involving the rotation of the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton and a movement of the MT organizing center (MTOC) to a position that is just underneath the plasma membrane at the center of the IS. Concomitantly, a massive relocation of organelles attached to MTs is observed, including the Golgi apparatus, lytic granules, and mitochondria. Because the mechanism of this relocation is still elusive, we devise a theoretical model for the molecular-motor-driven motion of the MT cytoskeleton confined between plasma membrane and nucleus during T cell polarization. We analyze different scenarios currently discussed in the literature, the cortical sliding and capture-shrinkage mechanisms, and compare quantitative predictions about the spatiotemporal evolution of MTOC position and MT cytoskeleton morphology with experimental observations. The model predicts the experimentally observed biphasic nature of the repositioning due to an interplay between MT cytoskeleton geometry and motor forces and confirms the dominance of the capture-shrinkage over the cortical sliding mechanism when the MTOC and IS are initially diametrically opposed. We also find that the two mechanisms act synergistically, thereby reducing the resources necessary for repositioning. Moreover, it turns out that the localization of dyneins in the peripheral supramolecular activation cluster facilitates their interaction with the MTs. Our model also opens a way to infer details of the dynein distribution from the experimentally observed features of the MT cytoskeleton dynamics. In a subsequent publication, we will address the issue of general initial configurations and situations in which the T cell established two ISs.

Continuum mechanical parameterisation of cytoplasmic dynein from atomistic simulation

Cytoplasmic dynein is responsible for intra-cellular transport in eukaryotic cells. Using Fluctuating Finite Element Analysis (FFEA), a novel algorithm that represents proteins as continuum viscoelastic solids subject to thermal noise, we are building computational tools to study the mechanics of these molecular machines. Here we present a methodology for obtaining the material parameters required to represent the flexibility of cytoplasmic dynein within FFEA from atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and show that this continuum representation is sufficient to capture the principal dynamic properties of the motor.

Thermal stability of single-domain antibodies estimated by molecular dynamics simulations

Single‐domain antibodies (sdAbs) function like regular antibodies, however, consist of only one domain. Because of their low molecular weight, sdAbs have advantages with respect to production and delivery to their targets and for applications such as antibody drugs and biosensors. Thus, sdAbs with high thermal stability are required. In this work, we chose seven sdAbs, which have a wide range of melting temperature (T_m) values and known structures. We applied molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to estimate their relative stability and compared them with the experimental data. High‐temperature MD simulations at 400 K and 500 K were executed with simulations at 300 K as a control. The fraction of native atomic contacts, Q, measured for the 400 K simulations showed a fairly good correlation with the T_m values. Interestingly, when the residues were classified by their hydrophobicity and size, the Q values of hydrophilic residues exhibited an even better correlation, suggesting that stabilization is correlated with favorable interactions of hydrophilic residues. Measuring the Q value on a per‐residue level enabled us to identify residues that contribute significantly to the instability and thus demonstrating how our analysis can be used in a mutant case study.

Structural Dynamics of the PET-Degrading Cutinase-like Enzyme from Saccharomonospora viridis AHK190 in Substrate-Bound States Elucidates the Ca2+-Driven Catalytic Cycle

A cutinase-type polyesterase from Saccharomonospora viridis AHK190 (Cut190) has been shown to degrade the inner block of polyethylene terephthalate. A unique feature of Cut190 is that its function and stability are regulated by Ca²⁺ binding. Our previous crystal structure analysis of Cut190S226P showed that one Ca²⁺ binds to the enzyme, which induces large conformational changes in several loop regions to stabilize an open conformation [Miyakawa, T., et al. (2015) Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 99, 4297]. In this study, to analyze the substrate recognition mechanism of Cut190, we determined the crystal structure of the inactive form of a Cut190 mutant, Cut190*S176A, in complex with calcium ions and/or substrates. We found that three calcium ions bind to Cut190*S176A, which is supported by analysis using native mass spectrometry experiments and 3D Reference Interaction Site Model calculations. The complex structures with the two substrates, monoethyl succinate and monoethyl adipate (engaged and open forms), presumably correspond to the pre- and post-reaction states, as the ester bond is close to the active site and pointing outward from the active site, respectively, for the two complexes. Ca²⁺ binding induces the pocket to open, enabling the substrate to access the pocket more easily. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that a post-reaction state in the engaged form presumably exists between the experimentally observed forms, indicating that the substrate would be cleaved in the engaged form and then requires the enzyme to change to the open form to release the product, a process that Ca²⁺ can greatly accelerate.

Enhanced Sampling of Molecular Dynamics Simulations of a Polyalanine Octapeptide: Effects of the Periodic Boundary Conditions on Peptide Conformation

We investigate the problem of artifacts caused by the periodic boundary conditions (PBC) used in molecular simulation studies. Despite the long history of simulations with PBCs, the existence of measurable artifacts originating from PBCs applied to inherently nonperiodic physical systems remains controversial. Specifically, these artifacts appear as differences between simulations of the same system but with different simulation-cell sizes. Earlier studies have implied that, even in the simple case of a small model peptide in water, sampling inefficiency is a major obstacle to understanding these artifacts. In this study, we have resolved the sampling issue using the replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) enhanced-sampling method to explore PBC artifacts. Explicitly solvated zwitterionic polyalanine octapeptides with three different cubic-cells, having dimensions of L = 30, 40, and 50 Å, were investigated to elucidate the differences with 64 replica × 500 ns REMD simulations using the AMBER parm99SB force field. The differences among them were not large overall, and the results for the L = 30 and 40 Å simulations in the conformational free energy landscape were found to be very similar at room temperature. However, a small but statistically significant difference was seen for L = 50 Å. We observed that extended conformations were slightly overstabilized in the smaller systems. The origin of these artifacts is discussed by comparison to an electrostatic calculation method without PBCs.

Allosteric conformational change cascade in cytoplasmic dynein revealed by structure-based molecular simulations

Cytoplasmic dynein is a giant ATP-driven molecular motor that proceeds to the minus end of the microtubule (MT). Dynein hydrolyzes ATP in a ring-like structure, containing 6 AAA+ (ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities) modules, which is ~15 nm away from the MT binding domain (MTBD). This architecture implies that long-distance allosteric couplings exist between the AAA+ ring and the MTBD in order for dynein to move on the MT, although little is known about the mechanisms involved. Here, we have performed comprehensive molecular simulations of the dynein motor domain based on pre- and post- power-stroke structural information and in doing so we address the allosteric conformational changes that occur during the power-stroke and recovery-stroke processes. In the power-stroke process, the N-terminal linker movement was the prerequisite to the nucleotide-dependent AAA1 transition, from which a transition cascade propagated, on average, in a circular manner on the AAA+ ring until it reached the AAA6/C-terminal module. The recovery-stroke process was initiated by the transition of the AAA6/C-terminal, from which the transition cascade split into the two directions of the AAA+ ring, occurring both clockwise and anti-clockwise. In both processes, the MTBD conformational change was regulated by the AAA4 module and the AAA5/Strut module.

The linear molecular motor dynein is an intriguing allosteric model protein. ATP hydrolysis, catalyzed by modules in the AAA+ ring, regulates the binding to the rail molecule, microtubule, which is ~15 nm away from the AAA+ ring. The molecular mechanisms underpinning this long-distance communication are unclear. Based on recently solved pre- and post- power-stroke crystal structure information, we performed, for the first time to our knowledge, molecular simulations of complete conformational changes between the two structures. The simulation revealed that module-by-module allosteric conformational changes occur. Interestingly, the transition cascade from the pre- to the post-power-stroke states propagated in a circular manner around the AAA+ ring, while that of the recovery transitions propagated in a bi-directional manner around the ring.