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Yang Y, Ahmad E, Premkumar V, Liu A, Ashikur Rahman SM, Nikolovska‐Coleska Z. Structural studies of intrinsically disordered MLL-fusion protein AF9 in complex with peptidomimetic inhibitors. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e5019. [PMID: 38747396 PMCID: PMC11094776 DOI: 10.1002/pro.5019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
AF9 (MLLT3) and its paralog ENL(MLLT1) are members of the YEATS family of proteins with important role in transcriptional and epigenetic regulatory complexes. These proteins are two common MLL fusion partners in MLL-rearranged leukemias. The oncofusion proteins MLL-AF9/ENL recruit multiple binding partners, including the histone methyltransferase DOT1L, leading to aberrant transcriptional activation and enhancing the expression of a characteristic set of genes that drive leukemogenesis. The interaction between AF9 and DOT1L is mediated by an intrinsically disordered C-terminal ANC1 homology domain (AHD) in AF9, which undergoes folding upon binding of DOT1L and other partner proteins. We have recently reported peptidomimetics that disrupt the recruitment of DOT1L by AF9 and ENL, providing a proof-of-concept for targeting AHD and assessing its druggability. Intrinsically disordered proteins, such as AF9 AHD, are difficult to study and characterize experimentally on a structural level. In this study, we present a successful protein engineering strategy to facilitate structural investigation of the intrinsically disordered AF9 AHD domain in complex with peptidomimetic inhibitors by using maltose binding protein (MBP) as a crystallization chaperone connected with linkers of varying flexibility and length. The strategic incorporation of disulfide bonds provided diffraction-quality crystals of the two disulfide-bridged MBP-AF9 AHD fusion proteins in complex with the peptidomimetics. These successfully determined first series of 2.1-2.6 Å crystal complex structures provide high-resolution insights into the interactions between AHD and its inhibitors, shedding light on the role of AHD in recruiting various binding partner proteins. We show that the overall complex structures closely resemble the reported NMR structure of AF9 AHD/DOT1L with notable difference in the conformation of the β-hairpin region, stabilized through conserved hydrogen bonds network. These first series of AF9 AHD/peptidomimetics complex structures are providing insights of the protein-inhibitor interactions and will facilitate further development of novel inhibitors targeting the AF9/ENL AHD domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Yang
- Department of PathologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Ejaz Ahmad
- Department of PathologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Vidhya Premkumar
- Department of PathologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Alicen Liu
- Department of PathologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - S. M. Ashikur Rahman
- Department of PathologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Zaneta Nikolovska‐Coleska
- Department of PathologyUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
- Rogel Cancer CenterUniversity of Michigan Medical SchoolAnn ArborMichiganUSA
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2
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Öster L, Castaldo M, de Vries E, Edfeldt F, Pemberton N, Gordon E, Cederblad L, Käck H. The structures of salt-inducible kinase 3 in complex with inhibitors reveal determinants for binding and selectivity. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107201. [PMID: 38508313 PMCID: PMC11061224 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The salt-inducible kinases (SIKs) 1 to 3, belonging to the AMPK-related kinase family, serve as master regulators orchestrating a diverse set of physiological processes such as metabolism, bone formation, immune response, oncogenesis, and cardiac rhythm. Owing to its key regulatory role, the SIK kinases have emerged as compelling targets for pharmacological intervention across a diverse set of indications. Therefore, there is interest in developing SIK inhibitors with defined selectivity profiles both to further dissect the downstream biology and for treating disease. However, despite a large pharmaceutical interest in the SIKs, experimental structures of SIK kinases are scarce. This is likely due to the challenges associated with the generation of proteins suitable for structural studies. By adopting a rational approach to construct design and protein purification, we successfully crystallized and subsequently solved the structure of SIK3 in complex with HG-9-91-01, a potent SIK inhibitor. To enable further SIK3-inhibitor complex structures we identified an antibody fragment that facilitated crystallization and enabled a robust protocol suitable for structure-based drug design. The structures reveal SIK3 in an active conformation, where the ubiquitin-associated domain is shown to provide further stabilization to this active conformation. We present four pharmacologically relevant and distinct SIK3-inhibitor complexes. These detail the key interaction for each ligand and reveal how different regions of the ATP site are engaged by the different inhibitors to achieve high affinity. Notably, the structure of SIK3 in complex with a SIK3 specific inhibitor offers insights into isoform selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Öster
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Marie Castaldo
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Emma de Vries
- Biologics Engineering, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fredrik Edfeldt
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nils Pemberton
- Medicinal Chemistry, Research & Early Development, Respiratory & Immunology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Euan Gordon
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Linda Cederblad
- Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Helena Käck
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden.
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3
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Bruce HA, Singer AU, Filippova EV, Blazer LL, Adams JJ, Enderle L, Ben‐David M, Radley EH, Mao DYL, Pau V, Orlicky S, Sicheri F, Kurinov I, Atwell S, Kossiakoff AA, Sidhu SS. Engineered antigen-binding fragments for enhanced crystallization of antibody:antigen complexes. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e4824. [PMID: 37945533 PMCID: PMC10731619 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The atomic-resolution structural information that X-ray crystallography can provide on the binding interface between a Fab and its cognate antigen is highly valuable for understanding the mechanism of interaction. However, many Fab:antigen complexes are recalcitrant to crystallization, making the endeavor a considerable effort with no guarantee of success. Consequently, there have been significant steps taken to increase the likelihood of Fab:antigen complex crystallization by altering the Fab framework. In this investigation, we applied the surface entropy reduction strategy coupled with phage-display technology to identify a set of surface substitutions that improve the propensity of a human Fab framework to crystallize. In addition, we showed that combining these surface substitutions with previously reported Crystal Kappa and elbow substitutions results in an extraordinary improvement in Fab and Fab:antigen complex crystallizability, revealing a strong synergistic relationship between these sets of substitutions. Through comprehensive Fab and Fab:antigen complex crystallization screenings followed by structure determination and analysis, we defined the roles that each of these substitutions play in facilitating crystallization and how they complement each other in the process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Daniel Y. L. Mao
- Lunenfeld‐Tanenbaum Research InstituteSinai Health SystemTorontoCanada
| | - Victor Pau
- Lunenfeld‐Tanenbaum Research InstituteSinai Health SystemTorontoCanada
| | - Stephen Orlicky
- Lunenfeld‐Tanenbaum Research InstituteSinai Health SystemTorontoCanada
| | - Frank Sicheri
- Lunenfeld‐Tanenbaum Research InstituteSinai Health SystemTorontoCanada
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of TorontoOntarioCanada
| | | | | | - Anthony A. Kossiakoff
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyUniversity of ChicagoChicagoIllinoisUSA
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4
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Shaheen A, Tariq A, Ismat F, Naveed H, De Zorzi R, Iqbal M, Storici P, Mirza O, Walz T, Rahman M. Identification of additional mechanistically important residues in the multidrug transporter styMdtM of Salmonella Typhi. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-10. [PMID: 37787617 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2263882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Multidrug efflux is a well-established mechanism of drug resistance in bacterial pathogens like Salmonella Typhi. styMdtM (locus name; STY4874) is a multidrug efflux transporter of the major facilitator superfamily expressed in S. Typhi. Functional assays identified several residues important for its transport activity. Here, we used an AlphaFold model to identify additional residues for analysis by mutagenesis. Mutation of peripheral residue Cys185 had no effect on the structure or function of the transporter. However, substitution of channel-lining residues Tyr29 and Tyr231 completely abolished transport function. Finally, mutation of Gln294, which faces peripheral helices of the transporter, resulted in the loss of transport of some substrates. Crystallization studies yielded diffraction data for the wild-type protein at 4.5 Å resolution and allowed the unit cell parameters to be established as a = b = 64.3 Å, c = 245.4 Å, α = β = γ = 90°, in space group P4. Our studies represent a further stepping stone towards a mechanistic understanding of the clinically important multidrug transporter styMdtM.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aqsa Shaheen
- Drug Discovery and Structural Biology Group, Health Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anam Tariq
- Drug Discovery and Structural Biology Group, Health Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Protein Facility, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A, Trieste, Italy
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MA, USA
| | - Fouzia Ismat
- Drug Discovery and Structural Biology Group, Health Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Hammad Naveed
- Department of Computer Science, National University of Computer & Emerging Sciences - FAST, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Rita De Zorzi
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Mazhar Iqbal
- Drug Discovery and Structural Biology Group, Health Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Paola Storici
- Protein Facility, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A, Trieste, Italy
| | - Osman Mirza
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Walz
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Laboratory of Molecular Electron Microscopy, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Moazur Rahman
- Drug Discovery and Structural Biology Group, Health Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
- Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
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5
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Monette A, Niu M, Maldonado RK, Chang J, Lambert GS, Flanagan JM, Cochrane A, Parent LJ, Mouland AJ. Influence of HIV-1 Genomic RNA on the Formation of Gag Biomolecular Condensates. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168190. [PMID: 37385580 PMCID: PMC10838171 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates (BMCs) play an important role in the replication of a growing number of viruses, but many important mechanistic details remain to be elucidated. Previously, we demonstrated that the pan-retroviral nucleocapsid (NC) and HIV-1 pr55Gag (Gag) proteins phase separate into condensates, and that HIV-1 protease (PR)-mediated maturation of Gag and Gag-Pol precursor proteins yields self-assembling BMCs that have HIV-1 core architecture. Using biochemical and imaging techniques, we aimed to further characterize the phase separation of HIV-1 Gag by determining which of its intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) influence the formation of BMCs, and how the HIV-1 viral genomic RNA (gRNA) could influence BMC abundance and size. We found that mutations in the Gag matrix (MA) domain or the NC zinc finger motifs altered condensate number and size in a salt-dependent manner. Gag BMCs were also bimodally influenced by the gRNA, with a condensate-promoting regime at lower protein concentrations and a gel dissolution at higher protein concentrations. Interestingly, incubation of Gag with CD4+ T cell nuclear lysates led to the formation of larger BMCs compared to much smaller ones observed in the presence of cytoplasmic lysates. These findings suggest that the composition and properties of Gag-containing BMCs may be altered by differential association of host factors in nuclear and cytosolic compartments during virus assembly. This study significantly advances our understanding of HIV-1 Gag BMC formation and provides a foundation for future therapeutic targeting of virion assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Monette
- Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Meijuan Niu
- Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec H3T 1E2, Canada
| | - Rebecca Kaddis Maldonado
- Department of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, United States; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, United States
| | - Jordan Chang
- Department of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, United States
| | - Gregory S Lambert
- Department of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, United States
| | - John M Flanagan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, United States
| | - Alan Cochrane
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Leslie J Parent
- Department of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, United States; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, United States.
| | - Andrew J Mouland
- Lady Davis Institute at the Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec H3T 1E2, Canada; Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H4A 3J1, Canada.
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6
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Moody JD, Hill S, Lundahl MN, Saxton AJ, Galambas A, Broderick WE, Lawrence CM, Broderick JB. Computational engineering of previously crystallized pyruvate formate-lyase activating enzyme reveals insights into SAM binding and reductive cleavage. J Biol Chem 2023:104791. [PMID: 37156396 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Radical S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) enzymes are ubiquitous in nature and carry out a broad variety of difficult chemical transformations initiated by hydrogen atom abstraction. Although numerous radical SAM (RS) enzymes have been structurally characterized, many prove recalcitrant to crystallization needed for atomic-level structure determination using X-ray crystallography, and even those that have been crystallized for an initial study can be difficult to recrystallize for further structural work. We present here a method for computationally engineering previously observed crystallographic contacts and employ it to obtain more reproducible crystallization of the RS enzyme pyruvate formate-lyase activating enzyme (PFL-AE). We show that the computationally engineered variant binds a typical RS [4Fe-4S]2+/+ cluster that binds SAM, with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) properties indistinguishable from the native PFL-AE. The variant also retains the typical PFL-AE catalytic activity, as evidenced by the characteristic glycyl radical EPR signal observed upon incubation of the PFL-AE variant with reducing agent, SAM, and PFL. The PFL-AE variant was also crystallized in the [4Fe-4S]2+ state with SAM bound, providing a new high-resolution structure of the SAM complex in the absence of substrate. Finally, by incubating such a crystal in a solution of sodium dithionite, the reductive cleavage of SAM is triggered, providing us with a structure in which the SAM cleavage products 5'-deoxyadenosine and methionine are bound in the active site. We propose that the methods described herein may be useful in the structural characterization of other difficult-to-resolve proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Moody
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Sarah Hill
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Maike N Lundahl
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Aubrianna J Saxton
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, 84602, USA
| | - Amanda Galambas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - William E Broderick
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - C Martin Lawrence
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Joan B Broderick
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA.
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7
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Monette A, Niu M, Maldonado RK, Chang J, Lambert GS, Flanagan JM, Cochrane A, Parent LJ, Mouland AJ. Influence of HIV-1 genomic RNA on the formation of Gag biomolecular condensates. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.23.529585. [PMID: 36865181 PMCID: PMC9980109 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.23.529585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates (BMCs) play an important role in the replication of a growing number of viruses, but many important mechanistic details remain to be elucidated. Previously, we demonstrated that pan-retroviral nucleocapsid (NC) and the HIV-1 pr55 Gag (Gag) proteins phase separate into condensates, and that HIV-1 protease (PR)-mediated maturation of Gag and Gag-Pol precursor proteins yield self-assembling BMCs having HIV-1 core architecture. Using biochemical and imaging techniques, we aimed to further characterize the phase separation of HIV-1 Gag by determining which of its intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) influence the formation of BMCs and how the HIV-1 viral genomic RNA (gRNA) could influence BMC abundance and size. We found that mutations in the Gag matrix (MA) domain or the NC zinc finger motifs altered condensate number and size in a salt-dependent manner. Gag BMCs were also bimodally influenced by the gRNA, with a condensate-promoting regime at lower protein concentrations and a gel dissolution at higher protein concentrations. Interestingly, incubation of Gag with CD4 + T cell nuclear lysates led to the formation of larger BMCs as compared to much smaller ones observed in the presence of cytoplasmic lysates. These findings suggests that the composition and properties of Gag-containing BMCs may be altered by differential association of host factors in nuclear and cytosolic compartments during virus assembly. This study significantly advances our understanding of HIV-1 Gag BMC formation and provides a foundation for future therapeutic targeting of virion assembly.
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8
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Zalar M, Bye J, Curtis R. Nonspecific Binding of Adenosine Tripolyphosphate and Tripolyphosphate Modulates the Phase Behavior of Lysozyme. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:929-943. [PMID: 36608272 PMCID: PMC9853864 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c09615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Adenosine tripolyphosphate (ATP) is a small polyvalent anion that has recently been shown to interact with proteins and have a major impact on assembly processes involved in biomolecular condensate formation and protein aggregation. However, the nature of non-specific protein-ATP interactions and their effects on protein solubility are largely unknown. Here, the binding of ATP to the globular model protein is characterized in detail using X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Using NMR, we identified six ATP binding sites on the lysozyme surface, with one known high-affinity nucleic acid binding site and five non-specific previously unknown sites with millimolar affinities that also bind tripolyphosphate (TPP). ATP binding occurs primarily through the polyphosphate moiety, which was confirmed by the X-ray structure of the lysozyme-ATP complex. Importantly, ATP binds preferentially to arginine over lysine in non-specific binding sites. ATP and TPP have similar effects on solution-phase protein-protein interactions. At low salt concentrations, ion binding to lysozyme causes precipitation, while at higher salt concentrations, redissolution occurs. The addition of an equimolar concentration of magnesium to ATP does not alter ATP binding affinities but prevents lysozyme precipitation. These findings have important implications for both protein crystallization and cell biology. Crystallization occurs readily in ATP solutions outside the well-established crystallization window. In the context of cell biology, the findings suggest that ATP binds non-specifically to folded proteins in physiological conditions. Based on the nature of the binding sites identified by NMR, we propose several mechanisms for how ATP binding can prevent the aggregation of natively folded proteins.
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9
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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] [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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10
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Zhu J, Avakyan N, Kakkis AA, Hoffnagle AM, Han K, Li Y, Zhang Z, Choi TS, Na Y, Yu CJ, Tezcan FA. Protein Assembly by Design. Chem Rev 2021; 121:13701-13796. [PMID: 34405992 PMCID: PMC9148388 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Proteins are nature's primary building blocks for the construction of sophisticated molecular machines and dynamic materials, ranging from protein complexes such as photosystem II and nitrogenase that drive biogeochemical cycles to cytoskeletal assemblies and muscle fibers for motion. Such natural systems have inspired extensive efforts in the rational design of artificial protein assemblies in the last two decades. As molecular building blocks, proteins are highly complex, in terms of both their three-dimensional structures and chemical compositions. To enable control over the self-assembly of such complex molecules, scientists have devised many creative strategies by combining tools and principles of experimental and computational biophysics, supramolecular chemistry, inorganic chemistry, materials science, and polymer chemistry, among others. Owing to these innovative strategies, what started as a purely structure-building exercise two decades ago has, in short order, led to artificial protein assemblies with unprecedented structures and functions and protein-based materials with unusual properties. Our goal in this review is to give an overview of this exciting and highly interdisciplinary area of research, first outlining the design strategies and tools that have been devised for controlling protein self-assembly, then describing the diverse structures of artificial protein assemblies, and finally highlighting the emergent properties and functions of these assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Albert A. Kakkis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0340, United States
| | - Alexander M. Hoffnagle
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0340, United States
| | - Kenneth Han
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0340, United States
| | - Yiying Li
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0340, United States
| | - Zhiyin Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0340, United States
| | - Tae Su Choi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0340, United States
| | - Youjeong Na
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0340, United States
| | - Chung-Jui Yu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0340, United States
| | - F. Akif Tezcan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0340, United States
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11
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Nuclear compartmentalization as a mechanism of quantitative control of gene expression. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2021; 22:653-670. [PMID: 34341548 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-021-00387-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Gene regulation requires the dynamic coordination of hundreds of regulatory factors at precise genomic and RNA targets. Although many regulatory factors have specific affinity for their nucleic acid targets, molecular diffusion and affinity models alone cannot explain many of the quantitative features of gene regulation in the nucleus. One emerging explanation for these quantitative properties is that DNA, RNA and proteins organize within precise, 3D compartments in the nucleus to concentrate groups of functionally related molecules. Recently, nucleic acids and proteins involved in many important nuclear processes have been shown to engage in cooperative interactions, which lead to the formation of condensates that partition the nucleus. In this Review, we discuss an emerging perspective of gene regulation, which moves away from classic models of stoichiometric interactions towards an understanding of how spatial compartmentalization can lead to non-stoichiometric molecular interactions and non-linear regulatory behaviours. We describe key mechanisms of nuclear compartment formation, including emerging roles for non-coding RNAs in facilitating their formation, and discuss the functional role of nuclear compartments in transcription regulation, co-transcriptional and post-transcriptional RNA processing, and higher-order chromatin regulation. More generally, we discuss how compartmentalization may explain important quantitative aspects of gene regulation.
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12
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Nemergut M, Škrabana R, Berta M, Plückthun A, Sedlák E. Purification of MBP fusion proteins using engineered DARPin affinity matrix. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 187:105-112. [PMID: 34298044 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.07.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Maltose binding protein (MBP) has a long history as an expression tag with the ability to increase the solubility of fused proteins. A critical step for obtaining a sufficient amount of the MBP fusion protein is purification. Commercially available amylose matrix for the affinity purification of MBP fusion proteins has two main issues: (i) low (micromolar) affinity and (ii) the limited number of uses due to the cleavage of polysaccharide matrix by the amylases, present in the crude cell extract. Here, we present a new affinity purification approach based on the protein-protein interaction. We developed the affinity matrix which contains immobilized Designed Ankyrin Repeat Protein off7 (DARPin off7) - previously identified MBP binder with nanomolar affinity. The functionality of the DARPin affinity matrix was tested on the purification of MBP-tagged green fluorescent protein and flavodoxin. The affinity purification of the MBP fusion proteins, based on the MBP-DARPin off7 interaction, enables the purification of the fusion proteins in a simple two-steps procedure. The DARPin affinity matrix - easy to construct, resistant to amylase, insensitive to maltose contamination, and reusable for multiple purification cycles - provides an alternative approach to commercially available affinity matrices for purification of proteins containing the MBP tag.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Nemergut
- Center for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Technology and Innovation Park of P.J. Šafárik University, Jesenná 5, 041 54 Košice, Slovakia; Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, P.J. Šafárik University, Jesenná 5, 041 54 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Rostislav Škrabana
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 10 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Martin Berta
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, P.J. Šafárik University, Jesenná 5, 041 54 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Andreas Plückthun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Erik Sedlák
- Center for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Technology and Innovation Park of P.J. Šafárik University, Jesenná 5, 041 54 Košice, Slovakia.
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13
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Chesterman C, Arnold E. Co-crystallization with diabodies: A case study for the introduction of synthetic symmetry. Structure 2021; 29:598-605.e3. [PMID: 33636101 PMCID: PMC8178225 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2021.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
This work presents a method for introducing synthetic symmetry into protein crystallization samples using an antibody fragment termed a diabody (Dab). These Dabs contain two target binding sites, and engineered disulfide bonds have been included to modulate Dab flexibility. The impacts of Dab engineering have been observed through assessment of thermal stability, small-angle X-ray scattering, and high-resolution crystal structures. Complexes between the engineered Dabs and HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) bound to a high-affinity DNA aptamer were also generated to explore the capacity of engineered Dabs to enable the crystallization of bound target proteins. This strategy increased the crystallization hit frequency obtained for RT-aptamer, and the structure of a Dab-RT-aptamer complex was determined to 3.0-Å resolution. Introduction of synthetic symmetry using a Dab could be a broadly applicable strategy, especially when monoclonal antibodies for a target have previously been identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsy Chesterman
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA; GSK, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Eddy Arnold
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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14
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Controlling Protein Crystallization by Free Energy Guided Design of Interactions at Crystal Contacts. CRYSTALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst11060588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Protein crystallization can function as an effective method for protein purification or formulation. Such an application requires a comprehensive understanding of the intermolecular protein–protein interactions that drive and stabilize protein crystal formation to ensure a reproducible process. Using alcohol dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus brevis (LbADH) as a model system, we probed in our combined experimental and computational study the effect of residue substitutions at the protein crystal contacts on the crystallizability and the contact stability. Increased or decreased contact stability was calculated using molecular dynamics (MD) free energy simulations and showed excellent qualitative correlation with experimentally determined increased or decreased crystallizability. The MD simulations allowed us to trace back the changes to their physical origins at the atomic level. Engineered charge–charge interactions as well as engineered hydrophobic effects could be characterized and were found to improve crystallizability. For example, the simulations revealed a redesigning of a water mediated electrostatic interaction (“wet contact”) into a water depleted hydrophobic effect (“dry contact”) and the optimization of a weak hydrogen bonding contact towards a strong one. These findings explained the experimentally found improved crystallizability. Our study emphasizes that it is difficult to derive simple rules for engineering crystallizability but that free energy simulations could be a very useful tool for understanding the contribution of crystal contacts for stability and furthermore could help guide protein engineering strategies to enhance crystallization for technical purposes.
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15
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Koretz KS, McGraw CE, Stradley S, Elbaradei A, Malmstadt N, Robinson AS. Characterization of binding kinetics of A 2AR to Gα s protein by surface plasmon resonance. Biophys J 2021; 120:1641-1649. [PMID: 33675761 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Because of their surface localization, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are often pharmaceutical targets as they respond to a variety of extracellular stimuli (e.g., light, hormones, small molecules) that may activate or inhibit a downstream signaling response. The adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) is a well-characterized GPCR that is expressed widely throughout the human body, with over 10 crystal structures determined. Truncation of the A2AR C-terminus is necessary for crystallization as this portion of the receptor is long and unstructured; however, previous work suggests shortening of the A2AR C-terminus from 412 to 316 amino acids (A2AΔ316R) ablates downstream signaling, as measured by cAMP production, to below that of constitutive full-length A2AR levels. As cAMP production is downstream of the first activation event-coupling of G protein to its receptor-investigating that first step in activation is important in understanding how the truncation effects native GPCR function. Here, using purified receptor and Gαs proteins, we characterize the association of A2AR and A2AΔ316R to Gαs with and without GDP or GTPγs using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Gαs affinity for A2AR was greatest for apo-Gαs, moderately affected in the presence of GDP and nearly completely ablated by the addition of GTPγs. Truncation of the A2AR C-terminus (A2AΔ316R) decreased the affinity of the unliganded receptor for Gαs by ∼20%, suggesting small changes to binding can greatly impact downstream signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten S Koretz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana; Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Claire E McGraw
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Steven Stradley
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Ahmed Elbaradei
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Noah Malmstadt
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Anne S Robinson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana; Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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16
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Construction of thermally robust and porous shrimp ferritin crystalline for molecular encapsulation through intermolecular arginine-arginine attractions. Food Chem 2021; 349:129089. [PMID: 33548881 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Protein colloid crystals are considered as high porous soft materials, presenting great potentials in nutrients and drug encapsulation, but protein crystal fabrication usually needs precipitant and high protein concentration. Herein, an easy implemented approach was reported for the construction of protein colloid crystals in diluted solution with shimp ferritin as building blocks by taking advantage of the strength of multiple intermolecular arginine-arginine interactions. The X-ray single-crystal structure reveals that a group of exquisite arginine-arginine interactions between two neighboring ferritin enable them self-assembly into long-range ordered protein soft materials. The arginine-arginine interactions mediate crystal generation favored at pH 9.5 with 200 mM NaCl, and the resulting colloid crystals exhibit high thermal stability (90 °C for 30 min). Importantly, the interglobular cavity in colloid crystals is three times larger in volume than that of intrinsic ferritin cavity in each unit cell, which can be used for molecular encapsulation.
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17
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Abstract
X-ray crystallography is the main technique for the determination of protein structures. About 85% of all protein structures known to date have been elucidated using X-ray crystallography. Knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of proteins can be used in various applications in biotechnology, biomedicine, drug design , and basic research and as a validation tool for protein modifications and ligand binding. Moreover, the requirement for pure, homogeneous, and stable protein solutions in crystallizations makes X-ray crystallography beneficial in other fields of protein research as well. Here, we describe the technique of X-ray protein crystallography and the steps involved for a successful three-dimensional crystal structure determination.
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18
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Tonozuka T, Kitamura J, Nagaya M, Kawai R, Nishikawa A, Hirano K, Tamura K, Fujii T, Tochio T. Crystal structure of a glycoside hydrolase family 68 β-fructosyltransferase from Beijerinckia indica subsp. indica in complex with fructose. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2020; 84:2508-2520. [DOI: 10.1080/09168451.2020.1804317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
An enzyme belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 68 (GH68) from Beijerinckia indica subsp. indica NBRC 3744 was expressed in Escherichia coli. Biochemical characterization showed that the enzyme was identified to be a β-fructosyltransferase (BiBftA). Crystallization of a full-length BiBftA was initially attempted, but no crystals were obtained. We constructed a variant in which 5 residues (Pro199-Gly203) and 13 residues (Leu522-Gln534) in potentially flexible regions were deleted, and we successfully crystallized this variant BiBftA. BiBftA is composed of a five-bladed β-propeller fold as in other GH68 enzymes. The structure of BiBftA in complex with fructose unexpectedly indicated that one β-fructofuranose (β-Fruf) molecule and one β-fructopyranose molecule bind to the catalytic pocket. The orientation of β-Fruf at subsite −1 is tilted from the orientation observed in most GH68 enzymes, presenting a second structure of a GH68 enzyme in complex with the tilted binding mode of β-Fruf.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Tonozuka
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junichi Kitamura
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mika Nagaya
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Reika Kawai
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Nishikawa
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
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19
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Winegar PH, Hayes OG, McMillan JR, Figg CA, Focia PJ, Mirkin CA. DNA-Directed Protein Packing within Single Crystals. Chem 2020; 6:1007-1017. [PMID: 33709040 DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2020.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Designed DNA-DNA interactions are investigated for their ability to modulate protein packing within single crystals of mutant green fluorescent proteins (mGFPs) functionalized with a single DNA strand (mGFP-DNA). We probe the effects of DNA sequence, length, and protein-attachment position on the formation and protein packing of mGFP-DNA crystals. Notably, when complementary mGFP-DNA conjugates are introduced to one another, crystals form with nearly identical packing parameters, regardless of sequence if the number of bases is equivalent. DNA complementarity is essential, because experiments with non-complementary sequences produce crystals with different protein arrangements. Importantly, the DNA length and its position of attachment on the protein markedly influence the formation of and protein packing within single crystals. This work shows how designed DNA interactions can be used to influence the growth and packing in X-ray diffraction quality protein single crystals and is thus an important step forward in protein crystal engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter H Winegar
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.,International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Oliver G Hayes
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.,International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Janet R McMillan
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.,International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - C Adrian Figg
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.,International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Pamela J Focia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Chad A Mirkin
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.,International Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.,Lead Contact
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20
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Yeates TO, Agdanowski MP, Liu Y. Development of imaging scaffolds for cryo-electron microscopy. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 60:142-149. [PMID: 32066085 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Following recent hardware and software developments, single particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has become one of the most popular structural biology tools. Many targets, such as viruses, large protein complexes and oligomeric membrane proteins, have been resolved to atomic resolution using single-particle cryo-EM, which relies on the accurate assignment of particle location and orientation from intrinsically noisy projection images. The same image processing procedures are more challenging for smaller proteins due to their lower signal-to-noise ratios. Consequently, though most cellular proteins are less than 50kDa, so far it has been possible to solve cryo-EM structures near that size range for only a few favorable cases. Here we highlight some of the challenges and recent efforts to break through this lower size limit by engineering large scaffolds to rigidly display multiple small proteins for imaging. Future design efforts are noted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd O Yeates
- UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, United States; UCLA-DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, United States; UCLA Molecular Biology Institute, United States.
| | | | - Yuxi Liu
- UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, United States; UCLA Molecular Biology Institute, United States
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21
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Porous crystals as scaffolds for structural biology. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 60:85-92. [PMID: 31896427 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Molecular scaffolds provide routes to otherwise inaccessible organized states of matter. Scaffolds that are crystalline can be observed in atomic detail using diffraction, along with any guest molecules that have adopted coherent structures therein. This approach, scaffold-assisted structure determination, is not yet routine. However, with varying degrees of guest immobilization, porous crystal scaffolds have recently been decorated with guest molecules. Herein we analyze recent milestones, compare the relative advantages and challenges of different types of scaffold crystals, and weigh the merits of diverse guest installation strategies.
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22
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Zhang Y, Wang S, Jia Z. In Situ Proteolysis Condition-Induced Crystallization of the XcpVWX Complex in Different Lattices. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21010308. [PMID: 31906428 PMCID: PMC6981927 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21010308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 12/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although prevalent in the determination of protein structures; crystallography always has the bottleneck of obtaining high-quality protein crystals for characterizing a wide range of proteins; especially large protein complexes. Stable fragments or domains of proteins are more readily to crystallize; which prompts the use of in situ proteolysis to remove flexible or unstable structures for improving crystallization and crystal quality. In this work; we investigated the effects of in situ proteolysis by chymotrypsin on the crystallization of the XcpVWX complex from the Type II secretion system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Different proteolysis conditions were found to result in two distinct lattices in the same crystallization solution. With a shorter chymotrypsin digestion at a lower concentration; the crystals exhibited a P3 hexagonal lattice that accommodates three complex molecules in one asymmetric unit. By contrast; a longer digestion with chymotrypsin of a 10-fold higher concentration facilitated the formation of a compact P212121 orthorhombic lattice with only one complex molecule in each asymmetric unit. The molecules in the hexagonal lattice have shown high atomic displacement parameter values compared with the ones in the orthorhombic lattice. Taken together; our results clearly demonstrate that different proteolysis conditions can result in the generation of distinct lattices in the same crystallization solution; which can be exploited in order to obtain different crystal forms of a better quality
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Zhang
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, 18 Stuart Street, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada;
| | - Shu Wang
- College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, 19 Xinjiekou Outer Street, Beijing 100875, China;
| | - Zongchao Jia
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, 18 Stuart Street, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-1-613-533-6277
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23
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Kumar A, Kumar Singh A, Chandrakant Bobde R, Vasudevan D. Structural Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana NAP1-Related Protein 2 (AtNRP2) and Comparison with its Homolog AtNRP1. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 24:molecules24122258. [PMID: 31213016 PMCID: PMC6630525 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24122258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Nucleosome Assembly Protein (NAP) is a highly conserved family of histone chaperones present in yeast, animals, and plants. Unlike other organisms, plants possess an additional class of proteins in its NAP family, known as the NAP1-related proteins or NRP. Arabidopsis thaliana possesses two NRP isoforms, namely AtNRP1 and AtNRP2, that share 87% sequence identity. Both AtNRP1 and AtNRP2 get expressed in all the plant tissues. Most works in the past, including structural studies, have focused on AtNRP1. We wanted to do a comparative study of the two proteins to find why the plant would have two very similar proteins and whether there is any difference between the two for their structure and function as histone chaperones. Here we report the crystal structure of AtNRP2 and a comparative analysis of its structural architecture with other NAP family proteins. The crystal structure of AtNRP2 shows it to be a homodimer, with its fold similar to that of other structurally characterized NAP family proteins. Although AtNRP1 and AtNRP2 have a similar fold, upon structural superposition, we find an offset in the dimerization helix of the two proteins. We evaluated the stability, oligomerization status, and histone chaperoning properties of the two proteins, for a comparison. The thermal melting experiments suggest that AtNRP2 is more stable than AtNRP1 at higher temperatures. In addition, electrophoretic mobility shift assay and isothermal titration calorimetry experiments suggest histone binding ability of AtNRP2 is higher than that of AtNRP1. Overall, these results provide insights about the specific function and relevance of AtNRP2 in plants through structural and biophysical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Kumar
- Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar 751023, Odisha, India.
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India.
| | - Ajit Kumar Singh
- Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar 751023, Odisha, India.
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India.
| | - Ruchir Chandrakant Bobde
- Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar 751023, Odisha, India.
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad 121001, Haryana, India.
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24
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Robson-Tull J. Biophysical screening in fragment-based drug design: a brief overview. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biohorizons/hzy015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Robson-Tull
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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25
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Abstract
This paper reviews investigations on protein crystallization. It aims to present a comprehensive rather than complete account of recent studies and efforts to elucidate the most intimate mechanisms of protein crystal nucleation. It is emphasized that both physical and biochemical factors are at play during this process. Recently-discovered molecular scale pathways for protein crystal nucleation are considered first. The bond selection during protein crystal lattice formation, which is a typical biochemically-conditioned peculiarity of the crystallization process, is revisited. Novel approaches allow us to quantitatively describe some protein crystallization cases. Additional light is shed on the protein crystal nucleation in pores and crevices by employing the so-called EBDE method (equilibration between crystal bond and destructive energies). Also, protein crystal nucleation in solution flow is considered.
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26
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Application of the immunoregulatory receptor LILRB1 as a crystallisation chaperone for human class I MHC complexes. J Immunol Methods 2018; 464:47-56. [PMID: 30365927 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2018.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
X-ray crystallographic studies of class I peptide-MHC molecules (pMHC) continue to provide important insights into immune recognition, however their success depends on generation of diffraction-quality crystals, which remains a significant challenge. While protein engineering techniques such as surface-entropy reduction and lysine methylation have proven utility in facilitating and/or improving protein crystallisation, they risk affecting the conformation and biochemistry of the class I MHC antigen binding groove. An attractive alternative is the use of noncovalent crystallisation chaperones, however these have not been developed for pMHC. Here we describe a method for promoting class I pMHC crystallisation, by exploiting its natural ligand interaction with the immunoregulatory receptor LILRB1 as a novel crystallisation chaperone. First, focussing on a model HIV-1-derived HLA-A2-restricted peptide, we determined a 2.4 Å HLA-A2/LILRB1 structure, which validated that co-crystallisation with LILRB1 does not alter conformation of the antigenic peptide. We then demonstrated that addition of LILRB1 enhanced the crystallisation of multiple peptide-HLA-A2 complexes, and identified a generic condition for initial co-crystallisation. LILRB1 chaperone-based crystallisation enabled structure determination for HLA-A2 complexes previously intransigent to crystallisation, including both conventional and post-translationally-modified peptides, of diverse lengths. Since both the LILRB1 recognition interface on the HLA-A2 α3 domain molecule and HLA-A2-mediated crystal contacts are predominantly conserved across class I MHC molecules, the approach we outline could prove applicable to a diverse range of class I pMHC. LILRB1 chaperone-mediated crystallisation should expedite molecular insights into the immunobiology of diverse immune-related diseases and immunotherapeutic strategies, particularly involving class I pMHC complexes that are challenging to crystallise.
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27
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Marchand JR, Caflisch A. In silico fragment-based drug design with SEED. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 156:907-917. [PMID: 30064119 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
We report on two fragment-based drug design protocols, SEED2XR and ALTA, which start by high-throughput docking. SEED2XR is a two-stage protocol for fragment-based drug design. The first stage is in silico and consists of the automatic docking of 103-104 fragments using SEED, which requires about 1 s per fragment. SEED is a docking software developed specifically for fragment docking and binding energy evaluation by a force field with implicit solvent. In the second stage of SEED2XR, the 10-102 fragments with the most favorable predicted binding energies are validated by protein X-ray crystallography. The recent applications of SEED2XR to bromodomains demonstrate that the whole SEED2XR protocol can be carried out in about a week of working time, with hit rates ranging from 10% to 40%. Information on fragment-target interactions generated by the SEED2XR protocol or directly from SEED docking has been used for the discovery of hundreds of hits. ALTA is a computational protocol for screening which identifies candidate ligands that preserve the interactions between the optimal SEED fragments and the protein target. Medicinal chemistry optimization of ligands predicted by ALTA has resulted in pre-clinical candidates for protein kinases and bromodomains. The high-throughput, very low cost, sustainability, and high hit rate of the SEED-based protocols, unreachable by purely experimental techniques, make them perfectly suitable for both academic and industrial drug discovery research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Rémy Marchand
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Amedeo Caflisch
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zürich, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland.
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28
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Engilberge S, Riobé F, Di Pietro S, Lassalle L, Coquelle N, Arnaud CA, Pitrat D, Mulatier JC, Madern D, Breyton C, Maury O, Girard E. Crystallophore: a versatile lanthanide complex for protein crystallography combining nucleating effects, phasing properties, and luminescence. Chem Sci 2017; 8:5909-5917. [PMID: 29619195 PMCID: PMC5859728 DOI: 10.1039/c7sc00758b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Macromolecular crystallography suffers from two major issues: getting well-diffracting crystals and solving the phase problem inherent to large macromolecules. Here, we describe the first example of a lanthanide complex family named "crystallophore" (Xo4), which contributes to tackling both bottlenecks. This terbium complex, Tb-Xo4, is an appealing agent for biocrystallography, combining the exceptional phasing power of the Tb(iii) heavy atom with powerful nucleating properties, providing ready-to-use crystals for structure determination. Furthermore, protein/Tb-Xo4 co-crystals can be easily detected and discriminated from other crystalline by-products using luminescence. We demonstrate the potential of this additive for the crystallisation and structure determination of eight proteins, two of whose structures were unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - François Riobé
- Univ Lyon , Ens de Lyon , CNRS UMR 5182 , Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Laboratoire de Chimie , F-69342 Lyon , France .
| | - Sebastiano Di Pietro
- Univ Lyon , Ens de Lyon , CNRS UMR 5182 , Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Laboratoire de Chimie , F-69342 Lyon , France .
| | - Louise Lassalle
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes , CEA , CNRS , IBS , F-38000 Grenoble , France .
| | - Nicolas Coquelle
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes , CEA , CNRS , IBS , F-38000 Grenoble , France .
| | | | - Delphine Pitrat
- Univ Lyon , Ens de Lyon , CNRS UMR 5182 , Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Laboratoire de Chimie , F-69342 Lyon , France .
| | - Jean-Christophe Mulatier
- Univ Lyon , Ens de Lyon , CNRS UMR 5182 , Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Laboratoire de Chimie , F-69342 Lyon , France .
| | - Dominique Madern
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes , CEA , CNRS , IBS , F-38000 Grenoble , France .
| | - Cécile Breyton
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes , CEA , CNRS , IBS , F-38000 Grenoble , France .
| | - Olivier Maury
- Univ Lyon , Ens de Lyon , CNRS UMR 5182 , Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Laboratoire de Chimie , F-69342 Lyon , France .
| | - Eric Girard
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes , CEA , CNRS , IBS , F-38000 Grenoble , France .
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Müller I. Guidelines for the successful generation of protein-ligand complex crystals. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2017; 73:79-92. [PMID: 28177304 PMCID: PMC5297911 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798316020271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
With continuous technical improvements at synchrotron facilities, data-collection rates have increased dramatically. This makes it possible to collect diffraction data for hundreds of protein-ligand complexes within a day, provided that a suitable crystal system is at hand. However, developing a suitable crystal system can prove challenging, exceeding the timescale of data collection by several orders of magnitude. Firstly, a useful crystallization construct of the protein of interest needs to be chosen and its expression and purification optimized, before screening for suitable crystallization and soaking conditions can start. This article reviews recent publications analysing large data sets of crystallization trials, with the aim of identifying factors that do or do not make a good crystallization construct, and gives guidance in the design of an expression construct. It provides an overview of common protein-expression systems, addresses how ligand binding can be both help and hindrance for protein purification, and describes ligand co-crystallization and soaking, with an emphasis on troubleshooting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilka Müller
- Structural Biology, Discovery from Charles River, Chesterford Research Park, Saffron Walden CB10 1XL, England
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Jin T, Chuenchor W, Jiang J, Cheng J, Li Y, Fang K, Huang M, Smith P, Xiao TS. Design of an expression system to enhance MBP-mediated crystallization. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40991. [PMID: 28112203 PMCID: PMC5256280 DOI: 10.1038/srep40991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Crystallization chaperones have been used to facilitate the crystallization of challenging proteins. Even though the maltose-binding protein (MBP) is one of the most commonly used crystallization chaperones, the design of optimal expression constructs for crystallization of MBP fusion proteins remains a challenge. To increase the success rate of MBP-facilitated crystallization, a series of expression vectors have been designed with either a short flexible linker or a set of rigid helical linkers. Seven death domain superfamily members were tested for crystallization with this set of vectors, six of which had never been crystallized before. All of the seven targets were crystallized, and their structures were determined using at least one of the vectors. Our successful crystallization of all of the targets demonstrates the validity of our approach and expands the arsenal of the crystallization chaperone toolkit, which may be applicable to crystallization of other difficult protein targets, as well as to other crystallization chaperones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengchuan Jin
- Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 China.,Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Watchalee Chuenchor
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Jiansheng Jiang
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Jinbo Cheng
- Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 China
| | - Yajuan Li
- Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 China
| | - Kang Fang
- Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Diseases, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027 China
| | - Mo Huang
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Patrick Smith
- Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Tsan Sam Xiao
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA
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31
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Cooper CDO, Marsden BD. N- and C-Terminal Truncations to Enhance Protein Solubility and Crystallization: Predicting Protein Domain Boundaries with Bioinformatics Tools. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1586:11-31. [PMID: 28470596 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6887-9_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Soluble protein expression is a key requirement for biochemical and structural biology approaches to study biological systems in vitro. Production of sufficient quantities may not always be achievable if proteins are poorly soluble which is frequently determined by physico-chemical parameters such as intrinsic disorder. It is well known that discrete protein domains often have a greater likelihood of high-level soluble expression and crystallizability. Determination of such protein domain boundaries can be challenging for novel proteins. Here, we outline the application of bioinformatics tools to facilitate the prediction of potential protein domain boundaries, which can then be used in designing expression construct boundaries for parallelized screening in a range of heterologous expression systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D O Cooper
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Queensgate, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD1 3DH, UK.
| | - Brian D Marsden
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX3 7DQ, UK
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX3 7FY, UK
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The "Sticky Patch" Model of Crystallization and Modification of Proteins for Enhanced Crystallizability. Methods Mol Biol 2017; 1607:77-115. [PMID: 28573570 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7000-1_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Crystallization of macromolecules has long been perceived as a stochastic process, which cannot be predicted or controlled. This is consistent with another popular notion that the interactions of molecules within the crystal, i.e., crystal contacts, are essentially random and devoid of specific physicochemical features. In contrast, functionally relevant surfaces, such as oligomerization interfaces and specific protein-protein interaction sites, are under evolutionary pressures so their amino acid composition, structure, and topology are distinct. However, current theoretical and experimental studies are significantly changing our understanding of the nature of crystallization. The increasingly popular "sticky patch" model, derived from soft matter physics, describes crystallization as a process driven by interactions between select, specific surface patches, with properties thermodynamically favorable for cohesive interactions. Independent support for this model comes from various sources including structural studies and bioinformatics. Proteins that are recalcitrant to crystallization can be modified for enhanced crystallizability through chemical or mutational modification of their surface to effectively engineer "sticky patches" which would drive crystallization. Here, we discuss the current state of knowledge of the relationship between the microscopic properties of the target macromolecule and its crystallizability, focusing on the "sticky patch" model. We discuss state-of-the-art in silico methods that evaluate the propensity of a given target protein to form crystals based on these relationships, with the objective to design variants with modified molecular surface properties and enhanced crystallization propensity. We illustrate this discussion with specific cases where these approaches allowed to generate crystals suitable for structural analysis.
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33
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Tebben AJ, Ruzanov M, Gao M, Xie D, Kiefer SE, Yan C, Newitt JA, Zhang L, Kim K, Lu H, Kopcho LM, Sheriff S. Crystal structures of apo and inhibitor-bound TGFβR2 kinase domain: insights into TGFβR isoform selectivity. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D-STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2016; 72:658-74. [PMID: 27139629 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798316003624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The cytokine TGF-β modulates a number of cellular activities and plays a critical role in development, hemostasis and physiology, as well as in diseases including cancer and fibrosis. TGF-β signals through two transmembrane serine/threonine kinase receptors: TGFβR1 and TGFβR2. Multiple structures of the TGFβR1 kinase domain are known, but the structure of TGFβR2 remains unreported. Wild-type TGFβR2 kinase domain was refractory to crystallization, leading to the design of two mutated constructs: firstly, a TGFβR1 chimeric protein with seven ATP-site residues mutated to their counterparts in TGFβR2, and secondly, a reduction of surface entropy through mutation of six charged residues on the surface of the TGFβR2 kinase domain to alanines. These yielded apo and inhibitor-bound crystals that diffracted to high resolution (<2 Å). Comparison of these structures with those of TGFβR1 reveal shared ligand contacts as well as differences in the ATP-binding sites, suggesting strategies for the design of pan and selective TGFβR inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Tebben
- Molecular Structure and Design, Bristol-Myers Squibb R & D, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Maxim Ruzanov
- Molecular Structure and Design, Bristol-Myers Squibb R & D, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Mian Gao
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb R & D, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Dianlin Xie
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb R & D, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Susan E Kiefer
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb R & D, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Chunhong Yan
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb R & D, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - John A Newitt
- Protein Science, Bristol-Myers Squibb R & D, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Liping Zhang
- Discovery Chemistry Oncology, Bristol-Myers Squibb R & D, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Kyoung Kim
- Discovery Chemistry Oncology, Bristol-Myers Squibb R & D, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
| | - Hao Lu
- Mechanistic Biochemistry, Bristol-Myers Squibb R & D, 311 Pennington Rocky Hill Road, Pennington, NJ 08534, USA
| | - Lisa M Kopcho
- Mechanistic Biochemistry, Bristol-Myers Squibb R & D, 311 Pennington Rocky Hill Road, Pennington, NJ 08534, USA
| | - Steven Sheriff
- Molecular Structure and Design, Bristol-Myers Squibb R & D, PO Box 4000, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000, USA
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Deller MC, Kong L, Rupp B. Protein stability: a crystallographer's perspective. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION F-STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS 2016; 72:72-95. [PMID: 26841758 PMCID: PMC4741188 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x15024619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Protein stability is a topic of major interest for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and food industries, in addition to being a daily consideration for academic researchers studying proteins. An understanding of protein stability is essential for optimizing the expression, purification, formulation, storage and structural studies of proteins. In this review, discussion will focus on factors affecting protein stability, on a somewhat practical level, particularly from the view of a protein crystallographer. The differences between protein conformational stability and protein compositional stability will be discussed, along with a brief introduction to key methods useful for analyzing protein stability. Finally, tactics for addressing protein-stability issues during protein expression, purification and crystallization will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc C Deller
- Stanford ChEM-H, Macromolecular Structure Knowledge Center, Stanford University, Shriram Center, 443 Via Ortega, Room 097, MC5082, Stanford, CA 94305-4125, USA
| | - Leopold Kong
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Building 8, Room 1A03, 8 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Bernhard Rupp
- Department of Forensic Crystallography, k.-k. Hofkristallamt, 91 Audrey Place, Vista, CA 92084, USA
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35
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Altan I, Charbonneau P, Snell EH. Computational crystallization. Arch Biochem Biophys 2016; 602:12-20. [PMID: 26792536 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2016.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Revised: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Crystallization is a key step in macromolecular structure determination by crystallography. While a robust theoretical treatment of the process is available, due to the complexity of the system, the experimental process is still largely one of trial and error. In this article, efforts in the field are discussed together with a theoretical underpinning using a solubility phase diagram. Prior knowledge has been used to develop tools that computationally predict the crystallization outcome and define mutational approaches that enhance the likelihood of crystallization. For the most part these tools are based on binary outcomes (crystal or no crystal), and the full information contained in an assembly of crystallization screening experiments is lost. The potential of this additional information is illustrated by examples where new biological knowledge can be obtained and where a target can be sub-categorized to predict which class of reagents provides the crystallization driving force. Computational analysis of crystallization requires complete and correctly formatted data. While massive crystallization screening efforts are under way, the data available from many of these studies are sparse. The potential for this data and the steps needed to realize this potential are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irem Altan
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Patrick Charbonneau
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Edward H Snell
- Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, 700 Ellicott St., NY 14203, USA; Department of Structural Biology, SUNY University of Buffalo, 700 Ellicott St., NY 14203, USA.
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36
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Fusco D, Charbonneau P. Soft matter perspective on protein crystal assembly. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2016; 137:22-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2015.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Revised: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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37
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38
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Kamarudin NHA, Rahman RNZRA, Ali MSM, Leow TC, Basri M, Salleh AB. Unscrambling the effect of C-terminal tail deletion on the stability of a cold-adapted, organic solvent stable lipase from Staphylococcus epidermidis AT2. Mol Biotechnol 2015; 56:747-57. [PMID: 24771007 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-014-9753-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Terminal moieties of most proteins are long known to be disordered and flexible. To unravel the functional role of these regions on the structural stability and biochemical properties of AT2 lipase, four C-terminal end residues, (Ile-Thr-Arg-Lys) which formed a flexible, short tail-like random-coil segment were targeted for mutation. Swapping of the tail-like region had resulted in an improved crystallizability and anti-aggregation property along with a slight shift of the thermostability profile. The lipolytic activity of mutant (M386) retained by 43 % compared to its wild-type with 18 % of the remaining activity at 45 °C. In silico analysis conducted at 25 and 45 °C was found to be in accordance to the experimental findings in which the RMSD values of M386 were more stable throughout the total trajectory in comparison to its wild-type. Terminal moieties were also observed to exhibit large movement and flexibility as denoted by high RMSF values at both dynamics. Variation in organic solvent stability property was detected in M386 where the lipolytic activity was stimulated in the presence of 25 % (v/v) of DMSO, isopropanol, and diethyl ether. This may be worth due to changes in the surface charge residues at the mutation point which probably involve in protein-solvent interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nor Hafizah Ahmad Kamarudin
- Enzyme and Microbial Technology Research Centre, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
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Pelz JP, Schindelin H, van Pee K, Kuper J, Kisker C, Diederichs K, Fischer U, Grimm C. Crystallizing the 6S and 8S spliceosomal assembly intermediates: a complex project. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 71:2040-53. [PMID: 26457428 DOI: 10.1107/s1399004715014832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs) U1, U2, U4/6 and U5 are major constituents of the pre-mRNA processing spliceosome. They contain a common RNP core that is formed by the ordered binding of Sm proteins onto the single-stranded Sm site of the snRNA. Although spontaneous in vitro, assembly of the Sm core requires assistance from the PRMT5 and SMN complexes in vivo. To gain insight into the key steps of the assembly process, the crystal structures of two assembly intermediates of U snRNPs termed the 6S and 8S complexes have recently been reported. These multimeric protein complexes could only be crystallized after the application of various rescue strategies. The developed strategy leading to the crystallization and solution of the 8S crystal structure was subsequently used to guide a combination of rational crystal-contact optimization with surface-entropy reduction of crystals of the related 6S complex. Conversely, the resulting high-resolution 6S crystal structure was used during the restrained refinement of the 8S crystal structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jann Patrick Pelz
- Department of Biochemistry, Theodor Boveri Institute, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Hermann Schindelin
- Rudolf-Virchow-Zentrum, DFG Research Centre for Experimental Medicine, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2/Haus D15, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katharina van Pee
- Department of Biochemistry, Theodor Boveri Institute, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jochen Kuper
- Rudolf-Virchow-Zentrum, DFG Research Centre for Experimental Medicine, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2/Haus D15, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Caroline Kisker
- Rudolf-Virchow-Zentrum, DFG Research Centre for Experimental Medicine, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2/Haus D15, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Kay Diederichs
- Protein Crystallography and Molecular Bioinformatics, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Utz Fischer
- Department of Biochemistry, Theodor Boveri Institute, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Clemens Grimm
- Department of Biochemistry, Theodor Boveri Institute, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
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40
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Sontz PA, Bailey JB, Ahn S, Tezcan FA. A Metal Organic Framework with Spherical Protein Nodes: Rational Chemical Design of 3D Protein Crystals. J Am Chem Soc 2015; 137:11598-601. [PMID: 26305584 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b07463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We describe here the construction of a three-dimensional, porous, crystalline framework formed by spherical protein nodes that assemble into a prescribed lattice arrangement through metal-organic linker-directed interactions. The octahedral iron storage enzyme, ferritin, was engineered in its C3 symmetric pores with tripodal Zn coordination sites. Dynamic light scattering and crystallographic studies established that this Zn-ferritin construct could robustly self-assemble into the desired bcc-type crystals upon coordination of a ditopic linker bearing hydroxamic acid functional groups. This system represents the first example of a ternary protein-metal-organic crystalline framework whose formation is fully dependent on each of its three components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela A Sontz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Jake B Bailey
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Sunhyung Ahn
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - F Akif Tezcan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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41
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Successful generation of structural information for fragment-based drug discovery. Drug Discov Today 2015; 20:1104-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2015.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 03/12/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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42
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Helma J, Cardoso MC, Muyldermans S, Leonhardt H. Nanobodies and recombinant binders in cell biology. J Cell Biol 2015; 209:633-44. [PMID: 26056137 PMCID: PMC4460151 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201409074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies are key reagents to investigate cellular processes. The development of recombinant antibodies and binders derived from natural protein scaffolds has expanded traditional applications, such as immunofluorescence, binding arrays, and immunoprecipitation. In addition, their small size and high stability in ectopic environments have enabled their use in all areas of cell research, including structural biology, advanced microscopy, and intracellular expression. Understanding these novel reagents as genetic modules that can be integrated into cellular pathways opens up a broad experimental spectrum to monitor and manipulate cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Helma
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich and Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - M Cristina Cardoso
- Department of Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Serge Muyldermans
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Heinrich Leonhardt
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich and Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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43
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Kobe B, Ve T, Williams SJ. Fusion-protein-assisted protein crystallization. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2015; 71:861-9. [PMID: 26144231 PMCID: PMC4498707 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x15011061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 06/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Fusion proteins can be used directly in protein crystallization to assist crystallization in at least two different ways. In one approach, the `heterologous fusion-protein approach', the fusion partner can provide additional surface area to promote crystal contact formation. In another approach, the `fusion of interacting proteins approach', protein assemblies can be stabilized by covalently linking the interacting partners. The linker connecting the proteins plays different roles in the two applications: in the first approach a rigid linker is required to reduce conformational heterogeneity; in the second, conversely, a flexible linker is required that allows the native interaction between the fused proteins. The two approaches can also be combined. The recent applications of fusion-protein technology in protein crystallization from the work of our own and other laboratories are briefly reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bostjan Kobe
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas Ve
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Simon J. Williams
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia
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44
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Malito E, Carfi A, Bottomley MJ. Protein Crystallography in Vaccine Research and Development. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:13106-40. [PMID: 26068237 PMCID: PMC4490488 DOI: 10.3390/ijms160613106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of protein X-ray crystallography for structure-based design of small-molecule drugs is well-documented and includes several notable success stories. However, it is less well-known that structural biology has emerged as a major tool for the design of novel vaccine antigens. Here, we review the important contributions that protein crystallography has made so far to vaccine research and development. We discuss several examples of the crystallographic characterization of vaccine antigen structures, alone or in complexes with ligands or receptors. We cover the critical role of high-resolution epitope mapping by reviewing structures of complexes between antigens and their cognate neutralizing, or protective, antibody fragments. Most importantly, we provide recent examples where structural insights obtained via protein crystallography have been used to design novel optimized vaccine antigens. This review aims to illustrate the value of protein crystallography in the emerging discipline of structural vaccinology and its impact on the rational design of vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Malito
- Protein Biochemistry Department, Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics s.r.l. (a GSK Company), Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy.
| | - Andrea Carfi
- Protein Biochemistry Department, GSK Vaccines, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Matthew J Bottomley
- Protein Biochemistry Department, Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics s.r.l. (a GSK Company), Via Fiorentina 1, 53100 Siena, Italy.
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Close DW, Paul CD, Langan PS, Wilce MCJ, Traore DAK, Halfmann R, Rocha RC, Waldo GS, Payne RJ, Rucker JB, Prescott M, Bradbury ARM. Thermal green protein, an extremely stable, nonaggregating fluorescent protein created by structure-guided surface engineering. Proteins 2015; 83:1225-37. [PMID: 25287913 DOI: 10.1002/prot.24699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Revised: 09/16/2014] [Accepted: 09/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In this article, we describe the engineering and X-ray crystal structure of Thermal Green Protein (TGP), an extremely stable, highly soluble, non-aggregating green fluorescent protein. TGP is a soluble variant of the fluorescent protein eCGP123, which despite being highly stable, has proven to be aggregation-prone. The X-ray crystal structure of eCGP123, also determined within the context of this paper, was used to carry out rational surface engineering to improve its solubility, leading to TGP. The approach involved simultaneously eliminating crystal lattice contacts while increasing the overall negative charge of the protein. Despite intentional disruption of lattice contacts and introduction of high entropy glutamate side chains, TGP crystallized readily in a number of different conditions and the X-ray crystal structure of TGP was determined to 1.9 Å resolution. The structural reasons for the enhanced stability of TGP and eCGP123 are discussed. We demonstrate the utility of using TGP as a fusion partner in various assays and significantly, in amyloid assays in which the standard fluorescent protein, EGFP, is undesirable because of aberrant oligomerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin W Close
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico.,Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
| | - Craig Don Paul
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Patricia S Langan
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
| | - Matthew C J Wilce
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daouda A K Traore
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Randal Halfmann
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Reginaldo C Rocha
- Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
| | - Geoffery S Waldo
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
| | | | | | - Mark Prescott
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Jung J, Bashiri G, Johnston JM, Brown AS, Ackerley DF, Baker EN. Crystal structure of the essential Mycobacterium tuberculosis phosphopantetheinyl transferase PptT, solved as a fusion protein with maltose binding protein. J Struct Biol 2014; 188:274-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2014.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2014] [Revised: 10/03/2014] [Accepted: 10/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Fusco D, Barnum TJ, Bruno AE, Luft JR, Snell EH, Mukherjee S, Charbonneau P. Statistical analysis of crystallization database links protein physico-chemical features with crystallization mechanisms. PLoS One 2014; 9:e101123. [PMID: 24988076 PMCID: PMC4079662 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2013] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
X-ray crystallography is the predominant method for obtaining atomic-scale information about biological macromolecules. Despite the success of the technique, obtaining well diffracting crystals still critically limits going from protein to structure. In practice, the crystallization process proceeds through knowledge-informed empiricism. Better physico-chemical understanding remains elusive because of the large number of variables involved, hence little guidance is available to systematically identify solution conditions that promote crystallization. To help determine relationships between macromolecular properties and their crystallization propensity, we have trained statistical models on samples for 182 proteins supplied by the Northeast Structural Genomics consortium. Gaussian processes, which capture trends beyond the reach of linear statistical models, distinguish between two main physico-chemical mechanisms driving crystallization. One is characterized by low levels of side chain entropy and has been extensively reported in the literature. The other identifies specific electrostatic interactions not previously described in the crystallization context. Because evidence for two distinct mechanisms can be gleaned both from crystal contacts and from solution conditions leading to successful crystallization, the model offers future avenues for optimizing crystallization screens based on partial structural information. The availability of crystallization data coupled with structural outcomes analyzed through state-of-the-art statistical models may thus guide macromolecular crystallization toward a more rational basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Fusco
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Timothy J. Barnum
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Andrew E. Bruno
- Center for Computational Research, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Joseph R. Luft
- Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Edward H. Snell
- Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
- Department of Structural Biology, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Sayan Mukherjee
- Department of Statistical Science, Department of Computer Science and Department of Mathematics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Patrick Charbonneau
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
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Chaves-Sanjuán A, Sánchez-Barrena MJ, González-Rubio JM, Albert A. Preliminary crystallographic analysis of the ankyrin-repeat domain of Arabidopsis thaliana AKT1: identification of the domain boundaries for protein crystallization. Acta Crystallogr F Struct Biol Commun 2014; 70:509-12. [PMID: 24699751 PMCID: PMC3976075 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x14005093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 03/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The Arabidopsis thaliana K(+) transporter 1 (AKT1) participates in the maintenance of an adequate cell potassium (K(+)) concentration. The CBL-interacting protein kinase 23 (CIPK23) activates AKT1 for K(+) uptake under low-K(+) conditions. This process is mediated by the interaction between the cytosolic ankyrin-repeat (AR) domain of AKT1 and the kinase domain of CIPK23. However, the precise boundaries of the AR domain and the residues responsible for the interaction are still unknown. Here, the optimization procedure to obtain an AR domain construct suitable for crystallization and the preliminary crystallographic analysis of the obtained crystals are reported. The crystals belonged to space group P21212, with unit-cell parameters a = 34.83, b = 65.89, c = 85.44 Å, and diffracted to 1.98 Å resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Chaves-Sanjuán
- Departamento de Cristalografía y Biología Estructural, Instituto de Química–Física ‘Rocasolano’, CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - María José Sánchez-Barrena
- Departamento de Cristalografía y Biología Estructural, Instituto de Química–Física ‘Rocasolano’, CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juana María González-Rubio
- Departamento de Cristalografía y Biología Estructural, Instituto de Química–Física ‘Rocasolano’, CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Armando Albert
- Departamento de Cristalografía y Biología Estructural, Instituto de Química–Física ‘Rocasolano’, CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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Dall'antonia F, Pavkov-Keller T, Zangger K, Keller W. Structure of allergens and structure based epitope predictions. Methods 2014; 66:3-21. [PMID: 23891546 PMCID: PMC3969231 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2013.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Revised: 07/14/2013] [Accepted: 07/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure determination of major allergens is a prerequisite for analyzing surface exposed areas of the allergen and for mapping conformational epitopes. These may be determined by experimental methods including crystallographic and NMR-based approaches or predicted by computational methods. In this review we summarize the existing structural information on allergens and their classification in protein fold families. The currently available allergen-antibody complexes are described and the experimentally obtained epitopes compared. Furthermore we discuss established methods for linear and conformational epitope mapping, putting special emphasis on a recently developed approach, which uses the structural similarity of proteins in combination with the experimental cross-reactivity data for epitope prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Dall'antonia
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Outstation, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tea Pavkov-Keller
- ACIB (Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology), Petersgasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria; Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Austria
| | - Klaus Zangger
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Walter Keller
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Austria.
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Fusco D, Headd JJ, De Simone A, Wang J, Charbonneau P. Characterizing protein crystal contacts and their role in crystallization: rubredoxin as a case study. SOFT MATTER 2014; 10:290-302. [PMID: 24489597 PMCID: PMC3907588 DOI: 10.1039/c3sm52175c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The fields of structural biology and soft matter have independently sought out fundamental principles to rationalize protein crystallization. Yet the conceptual differences and the limited overlap between the two disciplines have thus far prevented a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon to emerge. We conduct a computational study of proteins from the rubredoxin family that bridges the two fields. Using atomistic simulations, we characterize the protein crystal contacts, and accordingly parameterize patchy particle models. Comparing the phase diagrams of these schematic models with experimental results enables us to critically examine the assumptions behind the two approaches. The study also reveals features of protein–protein interactions that can be leveraged to crystallize proteins more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Fusco
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Jeffrey J. Headd
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Alfonso De Simone
- Division of Molecular Biosciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Patrick Charbonneau
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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