1
|
Paladino A, Vitagliano L, Graziano G. The Action of Chemical Denaturants: From Globular to Intrinsically Disordered Proteins. Biology (Basel) 2023; 12:biology12050754. [PMID: 37237566 DOI: 10.3390/biology12050754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Proteins perform their many functions by adopting either a minimal number of strictly similar conformations, the native state, or a vast ensemble of highly flexible conformations. In both cases, their structural features are highly influenced by the chemical environment. Even though a plethora of experimental studies have demonstrated the impact of chemical denaturants on protein structure, the molecular mechanism underlying their action is still debated. In the present review, after a brief recapitulation of the main experimental data on protein denaturants, we survey both classical and more recent interpretations of the molecular basis of their action. In particular, we highlight the differences and similarities of the impact that denaturants have on different structural classes of proteins, i.e., globular, intrinsically disordered (IDP), and amyloid-like assemblies. Particular attention has been given to the IDPs, as recent studies are unraveling their fundamental importance in many physiological processes. The role that computation techniques are expected to play in the near future is illustrated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Paladino
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Vitagliano
- Institute of Biostructures and Bioimaging, CNR, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Graziano
- Department of Science and Technology, University of Sannio, via Francesco de Sanctis snc, 82100 Benevento, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Saurabh S, Nadendla K, Purohit SS, Sivakumar PM, Cetinel S. Fuzzy Drug Targets: Disordered Proteins in the Drug-Discovery Realm. ACS Omega 2023; 8:9729-9747. [PMID: 36969402 PMCID: PMC10034788 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and regions (IDRs) form a large part of the eukaryotic proteome. Contrary to the structure-function paradigm, the disordered proteins perform a myriad of functions in vivo. Consequently, they are involved in various disease pathways and are plausible drug targets. Unlike folded proteins, that have a defined structure and well carved out drug-binding pockets that can guide lead molecule selection, the disordered proteins require alternative drug-development methodologies that are based on an acceptable picture of their conformational ensemble. In this review, we discuss various experimental and computational techniques that contribute toward understanding IDP "structure" and describe representative pursuances toward IDP-targeting drug development. We also discuss ideas on developing rational drug design protocols targeting IDPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suman Saurabh
- Molecular
Sciences Research Hub, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, U.K.
| | - Karthik Nadendla
- Center
for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, Lensfield
Road, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K.
| | - Shubh Sanket Purohit
- Department
of Clinical Haematology, Sahyadri Superspeciality
Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra 411038, India
| | - Ponnurengam Malliappan Sivakumar
- Institute
of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam
- School
of Medicine and Pharmacy, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam
- Nanotechnology
Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| | - Sibel Cetinel
- Nanotechnology
Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
- Faculty of
Engineering and Natural Sciences, Molecular Biology, Genetics and
Bioengineering Program, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Leyder T, Mignon J, Mottet D, Michaux C. Unveiling the Metal-Dependent Aggregation Properties of the C-terminal Region of Amyloidogenic Intrinsically Disordered Protein Isoforms DPF3b and DPF3a. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23. [PMID: 36499617 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Double-PHD fingers 3 (DPF3) is a BAF-associated human epigenetic regulator, which is increasingly recognised as a major contributor to various pathological contexts, such as cardiac defects, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, we unveiled that its two isoforms (DPF3b and DPF3a) are amyloidogenic intrinsically disordered proteins. DPF3 isoforms differ from their C-terminal region (C-TERb and C-TERa), containing zinc fingers and disordered domains. Herein, we investigated the disorder aggregation properties of C-TER isoforms. In agreement with the predictions, spectroscopy highlighted a lack of a highly ordered structure, especially for C-TERa. Over a few days, both C-TERs were shown to spontaneously assemble into similar antiparallel and parallel β-sheet-rich fibrils. Altered metal homeostasis being a neurodegeneration hallmark, we also assessed the influence of divalent metal cations, namely Cu2+, Mg2+, Ni2+, and Zn2+, on the C-TER aggregation pathway. Circular dichroism revealed that metal binding does not impair the formation of β-sheets, though metal-specific tertiary structure modifications were observed. Through intrinsic and extrinsic fluorescence, we found that metal cations differently affect C-TERb and C-TERa. Cu2+ and Ni2+ have a strong inhibitory effect on the aggregation of both isoforms, whereas Mg2+ impedes C-TERb fibrillation and, on the contrary, enhances that of C-TERa. Upon Zn2+ binding, C-TERb aggregation is also hindered, and the amyloid autofluorescence of C-TERa is remarkably red-shifted. Using electron microscopy, we confirmed that the metal-induced spectral changes are related to the morphological diversity of the aggregates. While metal-treated C-TERb formed breakable and fragmented filaments, C-TERa fibrils retained their flexibility and packing properties in the presence of Mg2+ and Zn2+ cations.
Collapse
|
4
|
Houser JR, Cho HW, Hayden CC, Yang NX, Wang L, Lafer EM, Thirumalai D, Stachowiak JC. Molecular mechanisms of steric pressure generation and membrane remodeling by disordered proteins. Biophys J 2022; 121:3320-3333. [PMID: 36016498 PMCID: PMC9515369 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cellular membranes, which are densely crowded by proteins, take on an elaborate array of highly curved shapes. Steric pressure generated by protein crowding plays a significant role in shaping membrane surfaces. It is increasingly clear that many proteins involved in membrane remodeling contain substantial regions of intrinsic disorder. These domains have large hydrodynamic radii, suggesting that they may contribute significantly to steric congestion on membrane surfaces. However, it has been unclear to what extent they are capable of generating steric pressure, owing to their conformational flexibility. To address this gap, we use a recently developed sensor based on Förster resonance energy transfer to measure steric pressure generated at membrane surfaces by the intrinsically disordered domain of the endocytic protein, AP180. We find that disordered domains generate substantial steric pressure that arises from both entropic and electrostatic components. Interestingly, this steric pressure is largely invariant with the molecular weight of the disordered domain, provided that coverage of the membrane surface is held constant. Moreover, equivalent levels of steric pressure result in equivalent degrees of membrane remodeling, regardless of protein molecular weight. This result, which is consistent with classical polymer scaling relationships for semi-dilute solutions, helps to explain the molecular and physical origins of steric pressure generation by intrinsically disordered domains. From a physiological perspective, these findings suggest that a broad range of membrane-associated disordered domains are likely to play a significant and previously unknown role in controlling membrane shape.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justin R Houser
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Hyun Woo Cho
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Carl C Hayden
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Noel X Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Liping Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Eileen M Lafer
- Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Dave Thirumalai
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Jeanne C Stachowiak
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Micsonai A, Moussong É, Murvai N, Tantos Á, Tőke O, Réfrégiers M, Wien F, Kardos J. Disordered–Ordered Protein Binary Classification by Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:863141. [PMID: 35591946 PMCID: PMC9110821 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.863141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins lack a stable tertiary structure and form dynamic conformational ensembles due to their characteristic physicochemical properties and amino acid composition. They are abundant in nature and responsible for a large variety of cellular functions. While numerous bioinformatics tools have been developed for in silico disorder prediction in the last decades, there is a need for experimental methods to verify the disordered state. CD spectroscopy is widely used for protein secondary structure analysis. It is usable in a wide concentration range under various buffer conditions. Even without providing high-resolution information, it is especially useful when NMR, X-ray, or other techniques are problematic or one simply needs a fast technique to verify the structure of proteins. Here, we propose an automatized binary disorder–order classification method by analyzing far-UV CD spectroscopy data. The method needs CD data at only three wavelength points, making high-throughput data collection possible. The mathematical analysis applies the k-nearest neighbor algorithm with cosine distance function, which is independent of the spectral amplitude and thus free of concentration determination errors. Moreover, the method can be used even for strong absorbing samples, such as the case of crowded environmental conditions, if the spectrum can be recorded down to the wavelength of 212 nm. We believe the classification method will be useful in identifying disorder and will also facilitate the growth of experimental data in IDP databases. The method is implemented on a webserver and freely available for academic users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- András Micsonai
- ELTE NAP Neuroimmunology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Éva Moussong
- ELTE NAP Neuroimmunology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nikoletta Murvai
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Tantos
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Tőke
- Laboratory for NMR Spectroscopy, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Matthieu Réfrégiers
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CNRS UPR4301, Orléans, France
| | - Frank Wien
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - József Kardos
- ELTE NAP Neuroimmunology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- *Correspondence: József Kardos,
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine Cubuk
- Washington University in St Louis Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics UNITED STATES
| | - Andrea Soranno
- Washington University in St Louis Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics 660 St Euclid Ave 63110 St Louis UNITED STATES
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
Cells are crowded, but proteins are almost always studied in dilute aqueous buffer. We review the experimental evidence that crowding affects the equilibrium thermodynamics of protein stability and protein association and discuss the theories employed to explain these observations. In doing so, we highlight differences between synthetic polymers and biologically relevant crowders. Theories based on hard-core interactions predict only crowding-induced entropic stabilization. However, experiment-based efforts conducted under physiologically relevant conditions show that crowding can destabilize proteins and their complexes. Furthermore, quantification of the temperature dependence of crowding effects produced by both large and small cosolutes, including osmolytes, sugars, synthetic polymers, and proteins, reveals enthalpic effects that stabilize or destabilize proteins. Crowding-induced destabilization and the enthalpic component point to the role of chemical interactions between and among the macromolecules, cosolutes, and water. We conclude with suggestions for future studies. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biophysics, Volume 51 is May 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shannon L Speer
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA;
| | - Claire J Stewart
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA;
| | - Liel Sapir
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Daniel Harries
- Institute of Chemistry and The Fritz Haber Research Center, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gary J Pielak
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; .,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Lineberger Cancer Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Nguyen KDQ, Vigers M, Sefah E, Seppälä S, Hoover JP, Schonenbach NS, Mertz B, O'Malley MA, Han S. Homo-oligomerization of the human adenosine A 2A receptor is driven by the intrinsically disordered C-terminus. eLife 2021; 10:e66662. [PMID: 34269678 PMCID: PMC8328514 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) have long been shown to exist as oligomers with functional properties distinct from those of the monomeric counterparts, but the driving factors of oligomerization remain relatively unexplored. Herein, we focus on the human adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR), a model GPCR that forms oligomers both in vitro and in vivo. Combining experimental and computational approaches, we discover that the intrinsically disordered C-terminus of A2AR drives receptor homo-oligomerization. The formation of A2AR oligomers declines progressively with the shortening of the C-terminus. Multiple interaction types are responsible for A2AR oligomerization, including disulfide linkages, hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, and hydrophobic interactions. These interactions are enhanced by depletion interactions, giving rise to a tunable network of bonds that allow A2AR oligomers to adopt multiple interfaces. This study uncovers the disordered C-terminus as a prominent driving factor for the oligomerization of a GPCR, offering important insight into the effect of C-terminus modification on receptor oligomerization of A2AR and other GPCRs reconstituted in vitro for biophysical studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Khanh Dinh Quoc Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| | - Michael Vigers
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| | - Eric Sefah
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia UniversityMorgantownUnited States
| | - Susanna Seppälä
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| | - Jennifer Paige Hoover
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| | - Nicole Star Schonenbach
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| | - Blake Mertz
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia UniversityMorgantownUnited States
| | - Michelle Ann O'Malley
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| | - Songi Han
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta BarbaraUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
van Zanten C, Melnikau D, Ryder AG. Effects of Viscosity and Refractive Index on the Emission and Diffusion Properties of Alexa Fluor 405 Using Fluorescence Correlation and Lifetime Spectroscopies. J Fluoresc 2021; 31:835-845. [PMID: 33740150 DOI: 10.1007/s10895-021-02719-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) studies of the interaction of polymers or proteins in solution are strongly affected by the viscosity and refractive index of the medium, and the effects are likely to be more significant with the use of short wavelength excitation (e.g., 405 nm diode lasers). Failing to account for these issues can lead to incorrect measurement of average size, conformational changes, and dynamic behaviour of polymers and proteins. Steady-state, time-resolved, and FCS measurements of Alexa 405 in glycerol:water mixtures were performed to determine its suitability for FCS measurements with 405 nm excitation. The effects of the refractive index and viscosity on the diffusion coefficient and photophysical parameters (lifetime and relative quantum yield) of the fluorophore were determined. Alexa 405 lifetime decreased from 3.55 ns in water to 3.25 ns in a 50:50 glycerol:water mixture, while its diffusion coefficient dropped from 333 ± 16 to 44 ± 1 µm2s- 1. Lifetime data collected from micromolar solutions of Alexa 405 did however also suggest that as solvent polarity decreased, aggregates (excimers) were formed as evidenced by the appearance of a rising edge in the decay plots. The interdependence between lifetime, refractive index, and diffusion coefficient could be accurately fitted by a simple polynomial function indicating that the probe is well behaved and predictable in the glycerol:water model system. Overall, Alexa 405 is a most promising and reliable probe for FCS measurement using violet laser diode excitation sources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camila van Zanten
- Nanoscale Biophotonics Laboratory, School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland ,Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 CF50, Ireland
| | - Dzmitry Melnikau
- Nanoscale Biophotonics Laboratory, School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland ,Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 CF50, Ireland
| | - Alan G Ryder
- Nanoscale Biophotonics Laboratory, School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland ,Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 CF50, Ireland.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pramanik U, Chakraborty S, Bhattacharyya K, Mukherjee S. An intrinsically disordered protein in F127 hydrogel: Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and structural diversity of beta casein. Chem Phys Lett 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2020.138105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
11
|
Fagerberg E, Månsson LK, Lenton S, Skepö M. The Effects of Chain Length on the Structural Properties of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins in Concentrated Solutions. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:11843-11853. [PMID: 33337879 PMCID: PMC7872433 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c09635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDP) are proteins that sample
a heterogeneous ensemble of conformers in solution. An estimated 25–30%
of all eukaryotic proteins belong to this class. In vivo, IDPs function under conditions that are highly crowded by other
biological macromolecules. Previous research has highlighted that
the presence of crowding agents can influence the conformational ensemble
sampled by IDPs, resulting in either compaction or expansion. The
effects of self-crowding of the disordered protein Histatin 5 has,
in an earlier study, been found to have limited influence on the conformational
ensemble. In this study, it is examined whether the short chain length
of Histatin 5 can explain the limited effects of crowding observed,
by introducing (Histatin 5)2, a tandem repeat of Histatin
5. By utilizing small-angle X-ray scattering, it is shown that the
conformational ensemble is conserved at high protein concentrations,
in resemblance with Histatin 5, although with a lowered protein concentration
at which aggregation arises. Under dilute conditions, atomistic molecular
dynamics and coarse-grained Monte Carlo simulations, as well as an
established scaling law, predicted more extended conformations than
indicated by experimental data, hence implying that (Histatin 5)2 does not behave as a self-avoiding random walk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Fagerberg
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, Lund SE-221 00, Sweden
| | - Linda K Månsson
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, Lund SE-221 00, Sweden
| | - Samuel Lenton
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, Lund SE-221 00, Sweden.,LINXS - Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science, Scheelevägen 19, Lund SE-223 70, Sweden
| | - Marie Skepö
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, Lund SE-221 00, Sweden.,LINXS - Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science, Scheelevägen 19, Lund SE-223 70, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Murvai N, Kalmar L, Szalaine Agoston B, Szabo B, Tantos A, Csikos G, Micsonai A, Kardos J, Vertommen D, Nguyen PN, Hristozova N, Lang A, Kovacs D, Buday L, Han KH, Perczel A, Tompa P. Interplay of Structural Disorder and Short Binding Elements in the Cellular Chaperone Function of Plant Dehydrin ERD14. Cells 2020; 9:E1856. [PMID: 32784707 PMCID: PMC7465474 DOI: 10.3390/cells9081856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Details of the functional mechanisms of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) in living cells is an area not frequently investigated. Here, we dissect the molecular mechanism of action of an IDP in cells by detailed structural analyses based on an in-cell nuclear magnetic resonance experiment. We show that the ID stress protein (IDSP) A. thaliana Early Response to Dehydration (ERD14) is capable of protecting E. coli cells under heat stress. The overexpression of ERD14 increases the viability of E. coli cells from 38.9% to 73.9% following heat stress (50 °C × 15 min). We also provide evidence that the protection is mainly achieved by protecting the proteome of the cells. In-cell NMR experiments performed in E. coli cells show that the protective activity is associated with a largely disordered structural state with conserved, short sequence motifs (K- and H-segments), which transiently sample helical conformations in vitro and engage in partner binding in vivo. Other regions of the protein, such as its S segment and its regions linking and flanking the binding motifs, remain unbound and disordered in the cell. Our data suggest that the cellular function of ERD14 is compatible with its residual structural disorder in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikoletta Murvai
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (N.M.); (L.K.); (B.S.A.); (B.S.); (A.T.); (L.B.)
| | - Lajos Kalmar
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (N.M.); (L.K.); (B.S.A.); (B.S.); (A.T.); (L.B.)
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK
| | - Bianka Szalaine Agoston
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (N.M.); (L.K.); (B.S.A.); (B.S.); (A.T.); (L.B.)
- MTA-ELTE Protein Modelling Research Group and Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös L. University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (A.L.); (A.P.)
| | - Beata Szabo
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (N.M.); (L.K.); (B.S.A.); (B.S.); (A.T.); (L.B.)
| | - Agnes Tantos
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (N.M.); (L.K.); (B.S.A.); (B.S.); (A.T.); (L.B.)
| | - Gyorgy Csikos
- Department of General Zoology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - András Micsonai
- ELTE NAP Neuroimmunology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (A.M.); (J.K.)
| | - József Kardos
- ELTE NAP Neuroimmunology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (A.M.); (J.K.)
| | - Didier Vertommen
- Faculty of Medicine and de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Phuong N. Nguyen
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (P.N.N.); (N.H.); (D.K.)
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology (CSB), Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nevena Hristozova
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (P.N.N.); (N.H.); (D.K.)
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology (CSB), Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Andras Lang
- MTA-ELTE Protein Modelling Research Group and Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös L. University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (A.L.); (A.P.)
| | - Denes Kovacs
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (P.N.N.); (N.H.); (D.K.)
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology (CSB), Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laszlo Buday
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (N.M.); (L.K.); (B.S.A.); (B.S.); (A.T.); (L.B.)
| | - Kyou-Hoon Han
- Gene Editing Research Center, Division of Convergent Biomedical Research, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea;
- Biomedical Translational Research Center, Division of Convergent Biomedical Research, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Andras Perczel
- MTA-ELTE Protein Modelling Research Group and Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös L. University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (A.L.); (A.P.)
| | - Peter Tompa
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (N.M.); (L.K.); (B.S.A.); (B.S.); (A.T.); (L.B.)
- Structural Biology Brussels (SBB), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium; (P.N.N.); (N.H.); (D.K.)
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology (CSB), Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Zosel F, Soranno A, Buholzer KJ, Nettels D, Schuler B. Depletion interactions modulate the binding between disordered proteins in crowded environments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:13480-9. [PMID: 32487732 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1921617117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular environment in a biological cell is much more crowded than the conditions commonly used in biochemical and biophysical experiments in vitro. It is therefore important to understand how the conformations and interactions of biological macromolecules are affected by such crowding. Addressing these questions quantitatively, however, has been challenging owing to a lack of sufficiently detailed experimental information and theoretical concepts suitable for describing crowding, especially when polymeric crowding agents and biomolecules are involved. Here, we use the combination of extensive single-molecule experiments with established and recent theoretical concepts to investigate the interaction between two intrinsically disordered proteins. We observe pronounced effects of crowding on their interactions and provide a quantitative framework for rationalizing these effects. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) abound in cellular regulation. Their interactions are often transitory and highly sensitive to salt concentration and posttranslational modifications. However, little is known about the effect of macromolecular crowding on the interactions of IDPs with their cellular targets. Here, we investigate the influence of crowding on the interaction between two IDPs that fold upon binding, with polyethylene glycol as a crowding agent. Single-molecule spectroscopy allows us to quantify the effects of crowding on a comprehensive set of observables simultaneously: the equilibrium stability of the complex, the association and dissociation kinetics, and the microviscosity, which governs translational diffusion. We show that a quantitative and coherent explanation of all observables is possible within the framework of depletion interactions if the polymeric nature of IDPs and crowders is incorporated based on recent theoretical developments. The resulting integrated framework can also rationalize important functional consequences, for example, that the interaction between the two IDPs is less enhanced by crowding than expected for folded proteins of the same size.
Collapse
|
14
|
Moore S, Pickens A, Rodriguez JL, Marsee JD, Miller JM. Fluorescence Methods Applied to the Description of Urea-Dependent YME1L Protease Unfolding. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E656. [PMID: 32340357 DOI: 10.3390/biom10040656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
ATP-dependent proteases are ubiquitous across all kingdoms of life and are critical to the maintenance of intracellular protein quality control. The enzymatic function of these enzymes requires structural stability under conditions that may drive instability and/or loss of function in potential protein substrates. Thus, these molecular machines must demonstrate greater stability than their substrates in order to ensure continued function in essential quality control networks. We report here a role for ATP in the stabilization of the inner membrane YME1L protease. Qualitative fluorescence data derived from protein unfolding experiments with urea reveal non-standard protein unfolding behavior that is dependent on [ATP]. Using multiple fluorophore systems, stopped-flow fluorescence experiments demonstrate a depletion of the native YME1L ensemble by urea-dependent unfolding and formation of a non-native conformation. Additional stopped-flow fluorescence experiments based on nucleotide binding and unfoldase activities predict that unfolding yields significant loss of active YME1L hexamers from the starting ensemble. Taken together, these data clearly define the stress limits of an important mitochondrial protease.
Collapse
|
15
|
Affiliation(s)
- Alex S. Holehouse
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United States
- Center for Science and Engineering of Living Systems, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Shahar Sukenik
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, UC Merced, Merced, California 95340, United States
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Rodriguez G, Orris B, Majumdar A, Bhat S, Stivers JT. Macromolecular crowding induces compaction and DNA binding in the disordered N-terminal domain of hUNG2. DNA Repair (Amst) 2019; 86:102764. [PMID: 31855846 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2019.102764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Many human DNA repair proteins have disordered domains at their N- or C-termini with poorly defined biological functions. We recently reported that the partially structured N-terminal domain (NTD) of human uracil DNA glycosylase 2 (hUNG2), functions to enhance DNA translocation in crowded environments and also targets the enzyme to single-stranded/double-stranded DNA junctions. To understand the structural basis for these effects we now report high-resolution heteronuclear NMR studies of the isolated NTD in the presence and absence of an inert macromolecular crowding agent (PEG8K). Compared to dilute buffer, we find that crowding reduces the degrees of freedom for the structural ensemble, increases the order of a PCNA binding motif and dramatically promotes binding of the NTD for DNA through a conformational selection mechanism. These findings shed new light on the function of this disordered domain in the context of the crowded nuclear environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gaddiel Rodriguez
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Benjamin Orris
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Ananya Majumdar
- Biomolecular NMR Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States
| | - Shridhar Bhat
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - James T Stivers
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Fagerberg E, Lenton S, Skepö M. Evaluating Models of Varying Complexity of Crowded Intrinsically Disordered Protein Solutions Against SAXS. J Chem Theory Comput 2019; 15:6968-6983. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.9b00723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Fagerberg
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, POB 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Samuel Lenton
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, POB 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
- LINXS - Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science, Scheelevägen 19, 223 70 Lund, Sweden
| | - Marie Skepö
- Theoretical Chemistry, Lund University, POB 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
- LINXS - Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science, Scheelevägen 19, 223 70 Lund, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Yang J, Gao M, Xiong J, Su Z, Huang Y. Features of molecular recognition of intrinsically disordered proteins via coupled folding and binding. Protein Sci 2019; 28:1952-1965. [PMID: 31441158 PMCID: PMC6798136 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The sequence-structure-function paradigm of proteins has been revolutionized by the discovery of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) or intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). In contrast to traditional ordered proteins, IDPs/IDRs are unstructured under physiological conditions. The absence of well-defined three-dimensional structures in the free state of IDPs/IDRs is fundamental to their function. Folding upon binding is an important mode of molecular recognition for IDPs/IDRs. While great efforts have been devoted to investigating the complex structures and binding kinetics and affinities, our knowledge on the binding mechanisms of IDPs/IDRs remains very limited. Here, we review recent advances on the binding mechanisms of IDPs/IDRs. The structures and kinetic parameters of IDPs/IDRs can vary greatly, and the binding mechanisms can be highly dependent on the structural properties of IDPs/IDRs. IDPs/IDRs can employ various combinations of conformational selection and induced fit in a binding process, which can be templated by the target and/or encoded by the IDP/IDR. Further studies should provide deeper insights into the molecular recognition of IDPs/IDRs and enable the rational design of IDP/IDR binding mechanisms in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang
- Department of Biological Engineering and Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education)Hubei University of TechnologyWuhanHubeiChina
- Institute of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical SciencesHubei University of TechnologyWuhanHubeiChina
| | - Meng Gao
- Department of Biological Engineering and Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education)Hubei University of TechnologyWuhanHubeiChina
- Institute of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical SciencesHubei University of TechnologyWuhanHubeiChina
| | - Junwen Xiong
- Department of Biological Engineering and Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education)Hubei University of TechnologyWuhanHubeiChina
- Institute of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical SciencesHubei University of TechnologyWuhanHubeiChina
| | - Zhengding Su
- Department of Biological Engineering and Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education)Hubei University of TechnologyWuhanHubeiChina
- Institute of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical SciencesHubei University of TechnologyWuhanHubeiChina
| | - Yongqi Huang
- Department of Biological Engineering and Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education)Hubei University of TechnologyWuhanHubeiChina
- Institute of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical SciencesHubei University of TechnologyWuhanHubeiChina
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Schramm A, Bignon C, Brocca S, Grandori R, Santambrogio C, Longhi S. An arsenal of methods for the experimental characterization of intrinsically disordered proteins - How to choose and combine them? Arch Biochem Biophys 2019; 676:108055. [PMID: 31356778 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2019.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we detail the most common experimental approaches to assess and characterize protein intrinsic structural disorder, with the notable exception of NMR and EPR spectroscopy, two ideally suited approaches that will be described in depth in two other reviews within this special issue. We discuss the advantages, the limitations, as well as the caveats of the various methods. We also describe less common and more demanding approaches that enable achieving further insights into the conformational properties of IDPs. Finally, we present recent developments that have enabled assessment of structural disorder in living cells, and discuss the currently available methods to model IDPs as conformational ensembles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Schramm
- CNRS and Aix-Marseille Univ, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolecules Biologiques (AFMB), UMR 7257, Marseille, France
| | - Christophe Bignon
- CNRS and Aix-Marseille Univ, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolecules Biologiques (AFMB), UMR 7257, Marseille, France
| | - Stefania Brocca
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Rita Grandori
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Carlo Santambrogio
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Sonia Longhi
- CNRS and Aix-Marseille Univ, Laboratoire Architecture et Fonction des Macromolecules Biologiques (AFMB), UMR 7257, Marseille, France.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Nesmelova IV, Melnikova DL, Ranjan V, Skirda VD. Translational diffusion of unfolded and intrinsically disordered proteins. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci 2019; 166:85-108. [PMID: 31521238 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Translational (or self-diffusion) coefficient in dilute solution is inversely proportional to the size of a diffusing molecule, and hence self-diffusion coefficient measurements have been applied to determine the effective hydrodynamic radii for a range of native and nonnative protein conformations. In particular, translational diffusion coefficient measurements are useful to estimate the hydrodynamic radius of natively (or intrinsically) disordered proteins in solution, and, thereby, probe the compactness of a protein as well as its change when environmental parameters such as temperature, solution pH, or protein concentration are varied. The situation becomes more complicated in concentrated solutions. In this review, we discuss the translational diffusion of disordered proteins in dilute and crowded solutions, focusing primarily on the information provided by pulsed-field gradient NMR technique, and draw analogies to well-structured globular proteins and synthetic polymers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irina V Nesmelova
- Department of Physics and Optical Sciences, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, United States; Center for Biomedical Engineering and Science, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, United States.
| | | | - Venkatesh Ranjan
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, United States
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Banks A, Qin S, Weiss KL, Stanley CB, Zhou HX. Intrinsically Disordered Protein Exhibits Both Compaction and Expansion under Macromolecular Crowding. Biophys J 2018; 114:1067-79. [PMID: 29539394 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Conformational malleability allows intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) to respond agilely to their environments, such as nonspecifically interacting with in vivo bystander macromolecules (or crowders). Previous studies have emphasized conformational compaction of IDPs due to steric repulsion by macromolecular crowders, but effects of soft attraction are largely unexplored. Here we studied the conformational ensembles of the IDP FlgM in both polymer and protein crowders by small-angle neutron scattering. As crowder concentrations increased, the mean radius of gyration of FlgM first decreased but then exhibited an uptick. Ensemble optimization modeling indicated that FlgM conformations under protein crowding segregated into two distinct populations, one compacted and one extended. Coarse-grained simulations showed that compacted conformers fit into an interstitial void and occasionally bind to a surrounding crowder, whereas extended conformers snake through interstitial crevices and bind multiple crowders simultaneously. Crowder-induced conformational segregation may facilitate various cellular functions of IDPs.
Collapse
|
22
|
Sashi P, Singarapu KK, Bhuyan AK. Solution NMR Structure and Backbone Dynamics of Partially Disordered Arabidopsis thaliana Phloem Protein 16-1, a Putative mRNA Transporter. Biochemistry 2018; 57:912-924. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b01071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Pulikallu Sashi
- School
of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - Kiran K. Singarapu
- Innovation
Plaza, Integrated Product Development Organization, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratory, Hyderabad 500090, India
| | - Abani K. Bhuyan
- School
of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Mendes LFS, Basso LGM, Kumagai PS, Fonseca-Maldonado R, Costa-Filho AJ. Disorder-to-order transitions in the molten globule-like Golgi Reassembly and Stacking Protein. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2018; 1862:855-865. [PMID: 29339081 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2018.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Golgi Reassembly and Stacking Proteins (GRASPs) are widely spread among eukaryotic cells (except plants) and are considered as key components in both the stacking of the Golgi cisternae and its lateral connection. Furthermore, GRASPs were also proved essential in the unconventional secretion pathway of several proteins, even though the mechanism remains obscure. It was previously observed that the GRASP homologue in Cryptococcus neoformans has a molten globule-like behavior in solution. METHODS We used circular dichroism, synchrotron radiation circular dichroism and steady-state as well as time-resolved fluorescence. RESULTS We report the disorder-to-order transition propensities for a native molten globule-like protein in the presence of different mimetics of cell conditions. Changes in the dielectric constant (such as those experienced close to the membrane surface) seem to be the major factor in inducing multiple disorder-to-order transitions in GRASP, which shows very distinct behavior when in conditions that mimic the vicinity of the membrane surface as compared to those found when free in solution. Other folding factors such as molecular crowding, counter ions, pH and phosphorylation exhibit lower or no effect on GRASP secondary structure and/or stability. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study focusing on understanding the disorder-to-order transitions of a molten globule structure without the need of any mild denaturing condition. A model is also introduced aiming at describing how the cell could manipulate the GRASP sensitivity to changes in the dielectric constant during different cell-cycle periods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luís F S Mendes
- Laboratório de Biofísica Molecular, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Luis G M Basso
- Laboratório de Biofísica Molecular, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Patricia S Kumagai
- Grupo de Biofísica Molecular "Sérgio Mascarenhas", Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Raquel Fonseca-Maldonado
- Laboratório de Biofísica Molecular, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Instituto Federal de São Paulo, Campus Jacareí, SP, Brazil
| | - Antonio J Costa-Filho
- Laboratório de Biofísica Molecular, Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Filosofia Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Majumdar A, Mukhopadhyay S. Fluorescence Depolarization Kinetics to Study the Conformational Preference, Structural Plasticity, Binding, and Assembly of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins. Methods Enzymol 2018; 611:347-381. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2018.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
|
25
|
Rodriguez G, Esadze A, Weiser BP, Schonhoft JD, Cole PA, Stivers JT. Disordered N-Terminal Domain of Human Uracil DNA Glycosylase (hUNG2) Enhances DNA Translocation. ACS Chem Biol 2017; 12:2260-2263. [PMID: 28787572 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b00521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Nuclear human uracil-DNA glycosylase (hUNG2) initiates base excision repair (BER) of genomic uracils generated through misincorporation of dUMP or through deamination of cytosines. Like many human DNA glycosylases, hUNG2 contains an unstructured N-terminal domain that encodes a nuclear localization signal, protein binding motifs, and sites for post-translational modifications. Although the N-terminal domain has minimal effects on DNA binding and uracil excision kinetics, we report that this domain enhances the ability of hUNG2 to translocate on DNA chains as compared to the catalytic domain alone. The enhancement is most pronounced when physiological ion concentrations and macromolecular crowding agents are used. These data suggest that crowded conditions in the human cell nucleus promote the interaction of the N-terminus with duplex DNA during translocation. The increased contact time with the DNA chain likely contributes to the ability of hUNG2 to locate densely spaced uracils that arise during somatic hypermutation and during fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gaddiel Rodriguez
- Department of Pharmacology
and Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205−2185, United States
| | - Alexandre Esadze
- Department of Pharmacology
and Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205−2185, United States
| | - Brian P. Weiser
- Department of Pharmacology
and Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205−2185, United States
| | - Joseph D. Schonhoft
- Department of Pharmacology
and Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205−2185, United States
| | - Philip A. Cole
- Department of Pharmacology
and Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205−2185, United States
| | - James T. Stivers
- Department of Pharmacology
and Molecular Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205−2185, United States
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Bhat MY, Singh LR, Dar TA. Trimethylamine N-oxide abolishes the chaperone activity of α-casein: an intrinsically disordered protein. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6572. [PMID: 28747709 PMCID: PMC5529454 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06836-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Osmolytes (small molecules that help in circumventing stresses) are known to promote protein folding and prevent aggregation in the case of globular proteins. However, the effect of such osmolytes on the structure and function of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) has not been clearly understood. Here we have investigated the effect of methylamine osmolytes on α-casein (an IDP present in mammalian milk) and discovered that TMAO (Trimethylamine-N-oxide) but not other methylamines renders α-casein functionless. We observed that the loss of chaperone activity of α-casein in presence of TMAO was due to the induction of an unstable aggregation-prone intermediate. The results indicate that different osmolytes may have different structural and functional consequences on IDPs, and therefore might have clinical implications for a large number of human diseases (e.g., amyloidosis, cancer, diabetes, and neurodegeneration) where IDPs are involved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Younus Bhat
- Clinical Biochemistry, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, 190006, India
| | | | - Tanveer Ali Dar
- Clinical Biochemistry, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, J&K, 190006, India.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Pauwels K, Lebrun P, Tompa P. To be disordered or not to be disordered: is that still a question for proteins in the cell? Cell Mol Life Sci 2017; 74:3185-204. [PMID: 28612216 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2561-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
There is ample evidence that many proteins or regions of proteins lack a well-defined folded structure under native-like conditions. These are called intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) or intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). Whether this intrinsic disorder is also their main structural characteristic in living cells has been a matter of intense debate. The structural analysis of IDPs became an important challenge also because of their involvement in a plethora of human diseases, which made IDPs attractive targets for therapeutic development. Therefore, biophysical approaches are increasingly being employed to probe the structural and dynamical state of proteins, not only in isolation in a test tube, but also in a complex biological environment and even within intact cells. Here, we survey direct and indirect evidence that structural disorder is in fact the physiological state of many proteins in the proteome. The paradigmatic case of α-synuclein is used to illustrate the controversial nature of this topic.
Collapse
|
28
|
Miller CM, Kim YC, Mittal J. Protein Composition Determines the Effect of Crowding on the Properties of Disordered Proteins. Biophys J 2017; 111:28-37. [PMID: 27410731 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2016.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike dilute experimental conditions under which biological molecules are typically characterized, the cell interior is crowded by macromolecules, which affects both the thermodynamics and kinetics of in vivo processes. Although the excluded-volume effects of macromolecular crowding are expected to cause compaction of unfolded and disordered proteins, the extent of this effect is uncertain. We use a coarse-grained model to represent proteins with varying sequence content and directly observe changes in chain dimensions in the presence of purely repulsive spherical crowders. We find that the extent of crowding-induced compaction is dependent not only on crowder size and concentration, but also on the properties of the protein itself. In fact, we observe a nonmonotonic trend between the dimensions of the polypeptide chain in bulk and the degree of compaction: the most extended chains experience up to 24% compaction, the most compact chains show virtually no change, and intermediate chains compress by up to 40% in size at a 40% crowder volume fraction. Free-volume theory combined with an impenetrable ellipsoidal representation of the chains predicts the crowding effects only for collapsed protein chains. An additional scaling factor, which can be easily computed from protein-crowder potential of mean force, corrects for the penetrability of extended chains and is sufficient to capture the observed nonmonotonic trend in compaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cayla M Miller
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
| | - Young C Kim
- Center for Computational Materials Science, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C
| | - Jeetain Mittal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Melnikova DL, Skirda VD, Nesmelova IV. Effect of Intrinsic Disorder and Self-Association on the Translational Diffusion of Proteins: The Case of α-Casein. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:2980-2988. [PMID: 28346777 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b00772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Translational diffusion is the major mode of macromolecular transport in leaving organisms, and therefore it is vital to many biological and biotechnological processes. Although translational diffusion of proteins has received considerable theoretical and experimental scrutiny, much of that attention has been directed toward the description of globular proteins. The translational diffusion of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), however, is much less studied. Here, we use a pulsed-gradient nuclear magnetic resonance technique (PFG NMR) to investigate the translational diffusion of a disordered protein in a wide range of concentrations using α-casein that belongs to the class of natively disordered proteins as an example.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daria L Melnikova
- Department of Physics, Kazan Federal University , Kazan 420011, Russia
| | - Vladimir D Skirda
- Department of Physics, Kazan Federal University , Kazan 420011, Russia
| | | |
Collapse
|
30
|
Affiliation(s)
- Saikat Biswas
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Sanjib Kumar Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Pramit Kumar Chowdhury
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Mansouri AL, Grese LN, Rowe EL, Pino JC, Chennubhotla SC, Ramanathan A, O'Neill HM, Berthelier V, Stanley CB. Folding propensity of intrinsically disordered proteins by osmotic stress. Mol Biosyst 2016; 12:3695-3701. [PMID: 27752679 PMCID: PMC5363718 DOI: 10.1039/c6mb00512h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Proteins imparted with intrinsic disorder conduct a range of essential cellular functions. To better understand the folding and hydration properties of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), we used osmotic stress to induce conformational changes in nuclear co-activator binding domain (NCBD) and activator for thyroid hormone and retinoid receptor (ACTR) separate from their mutual binding. Osmotic stress was applied by the addition of small and polymeric osmolytes, where we discovered that water contributions to NCBD folding always exceeded those for ACTR. Both NCBD and ACTR were found to gain α-helical structure with increasing osmotic stress, consistent with their folding upon NCBD/ACTR complex formation. Using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), we further characterized NCBD structural changes with the osmolyte ethylene glycol. Here a large reduction in overall size initially occurred before substantial secondary structural change. By focusing on folding propensity, and linked hydration changes, we uncover new insights that may be important for how IDP folding contributes to binding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Mansouri
- Department of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Health Science Center, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Laura N Grese
- Department of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Health Science Center, Knoxville, TN, USA and Biology and Soft Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.
| | - Erica L Rowe
- Department of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Health Science Center, Knoxville, TN, USA and Biology and Soft Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.
| | - James C Pino
- Health Data Sciences Institute, Computational Science and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - S Chakra Chennubhotla
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Arvind Ramanathan
- Health Data Sciences Institute, Computational Science and Engineering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Hugh M O'Neill
- Biology and Soft Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.
| | - Valerie Berthelier
- Department of Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Health Science Center, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Christopher B Stanley
- Biology and Soft Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Candotti M, Orozco M. The Differential Response of Proteins to Macromolecular Crowding. PLoS Comput Biol 2016; 12:e1005040. [PMID: 27471851 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The habitat in which proteins exert their function contains up to 400 g/L of macromolecules, most of which are proteins. The repercussions of this dense environment on protein behavior are often overlooked or addressed using synthetic agents such as poly(ethylene glycol), whose ability to mimic protein crowders has not been demonstrated. Here we performed a comprehensive atomistic molecular dynamic analysis of the effect of protein crowders on the structure and dynamics of three proteins, namely an intrinsically disordered protein (ACTR), a molten globule conformation (NCBD), and a one-fold structure (IRF-3) protein. We found that crowding does not stabilize the native compact structure, and, in fact, often prevents structural collapse. Poly(ethylene glycol) PEG500 failed to reproduce many aspects of the physiologically-relevant protein crowders, thus indicating its unsuitability to mimic the cell interior. Instead, the impact of protein crowding on the structure and dynamics of a protein depends on its degree of disorder and results from two competing effects: the excluded volume, which favors compact states, and quinary interactions, which favor extended conformers. Such a viscous environment slows down protein flexibility and restricts the conformational landscape, often biasing it towards bioactive conformations but hindering biologically relevant protein-protein contacts. Overall, the protein crowders used here act as unspecific chaperons that modulate the protein conformational space, thus having relevant consequences for disordered proteins. Most in vitro and in silico biophysical experiments generally study proteins in an isolated environment, overlooking that their natural environment—the cell cytoplasm—is a solution that is highly populated by proteins. To address this knowledge gap, here we explored how a crowded environment alters the conformational sampling of three proteins, each with a different degree of disorder and flexibility. We simulated a crowded system composed by the three proteins and reaching a cell-like concentration and compared the protein behavior observed with that induced by PEG500, a synthetic crowding agent. Despite some similarities between the environments, protein crowders showed a number of characteristics that raise concerns about the use of diluted solutions or synthetic agents when studying protein behavior.
Collapse
|
33
|
|
34
|
Navarro-Retamal C, Bremer A, Alzate-Morales J, Caballero J, Hincha DK, González W, Thalhammer A. Molecular dynamics simulations and CD spectroscopy reveal hydration-induced unfolding of the intrinsically disordered LEA proteins COR15A and COR15B from Arabidopsis thaliana. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:25806-16. [PMID: 27255148 DOI: 10.1039/c6cp02272c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The LEA (late embryogenesis abundant) proteins COR15A and COR15B from Arabidopsis thaliana are intrinsically disordered under fully hydrated conditions, but obtain α-helical structure during dehydration, which is reversible upon rehydration. To understand this unusual structural transition, both proteins were investigated by circular dichroism (CD) and molecular dynamics (MD) approaches. MD simulations showed unfolding of the proteins in water, in agreement with CD data obtained with both HIS-tagged and untagged recombinant proteins. Mainly intramolecular hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) formed by the protein backbone were replaced by H-bonds with water molecules. As COR15 proteins function in vivo as protectants in leaves partially dehydrated by freezing, unfolding was further assessed under crowded conditions. Glycerol reduced (40%) or prevented (100%) unfolding during MD simulations, in agreement with CD spectroscopy results. H-bonding analysis indicated that preferential exclusion of glycerol from the protein backbone increased stability of the folded state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Navarro-Retamal
- Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Casilla 721, Talca, Chile. (Wendy González, for correspondence relating to protein modelling)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Abstract
The properties of unfolded proteins have long been of interest because of their importance to the protein folding process. Recently, the surprising prevalence of unstructured regions or entirely disordered proteins under physiological conditions has led to the realization that such intrinsically disordered proteins can be functional even in the absence of a folded structure. However, owing to their broad conformational distributions, many of the properties of unstructured proteins are difficult to describe with the established concepts of structural biology. We have thus seen a reemergence of polymer physics as a versatile framework for understanding their structure and dynamics. An important driving force for these developments has been single-molecule spectroscopy, as it allows structural heterogeneity, intramolecular distance distributions, and dynamics to be quantified over a wide range of timescales and solution conditions. Polymer concepts provide an important basis for relating the physical properties of unstructured proteins to folding and function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Schuler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland;
| | - Andrea Soranno
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland;
| | - Hagen Hofmann
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland;
| | - Daniel Nettels
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland;
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Pastore A, Temussi P. When "IUPs" were "BAPs": How to study the nonconformation of intrinsically unfolded polyaminoacid chains. Biopolymers 2016; 100:592-600. [PMID: 23896858 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2013] [Accepted: 07/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Ideas often recur. It has been pointed out recently that proteins are not always the well-structured entities we have become accustomed to from crystallographic studies, but may be intrinsically unstructured or contain unstructured regions. This feature, far from making these proteins less interesting, is an essential requirement for their function. Fascinating though it may be, the concept of so-called intrinsically unfolded (or unordered) proteins (IUPs), also often referred to as intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), is not new: it directly links back to the 1970s when the attention of many structural biologists was focused on biologically active peptides, which like IUPs lack a specific defined conformation. The recurrent nature of this concept may now be of topical interest since it suggests the transfer, upon suitable adaptation, of old tools to develop new ideas. Here, we review some of the approaches that were developed for the study of peptides and discuss how they could inspire powerful new methodologies for the study of IUPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Pastore
- National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, London, NW7 1AA, United Kingdom
| | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Cuevas-Velazquez CL, Saab-Rincón G, Reyes JL, Covarrubias AA. The Unstructured N-terminal Region of Arabidopsis Group 4 Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) Proteins Is Required for Folding and for Chaperone-like Activity under Water Deficit. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:10893-903. [PMID: 27006402 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.720318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are a conserved group of proteins widely distributed in the plant kingdom that participate in the tolerance to water deficit of different plant species. In silico analyses indicate that most LEA proteins are structurally disordered. The structural plasticity of these proteins opens the question of whether water deficit modulates their conformation and whether these possible changes are related to their function. In this work, we characterized the secondary structure of Arabidopsis group 4 LEA proteins. We found that they are disordered in aqueous solution, with high intrinsic potential to fold into α-helix. We demonstrate that complete dehydration is not required for these proteins to sample ordered structures because milder water deficit and macromolecular crowding induce high α-helix levels in vitro, suggesting that prevalent conditions under water deficit modulate their conformation. We also show that the N-terminal region, conserved across all group 4 LEA proteins, is necessary and sufficient for conformational transitions and that their protective function is confined to this region, suggesting that folding into α-helix is required for chaperone-like activity under water limitation. We propose that these proteins can exist as different conformers, favoring functional diversity, a moonlighting property arising from their structural dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gloria Saab-Rincón
- Ingeniería Celular y Biocatálisis, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 62250 Cuernavaca, México
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Wei G, Xi W, Nussinov R, Ma B. Protein Ensembles: How Does Nature Harness Thermodynamic Fluctuations for Life? The Diverse Functional Roles of Conformational Ensembles in the Cell. Chem Rev 2016; 116:6516-51. [PMID: 26807783 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
All soluble proteins populate conformational ensembles that together constitute the native state. Their fluctuations in water are intrinsic thermodynamic phenomena, and the distributions of the states on the energy landscape are determined by statistical thermodynamics; however, they are optimized to perform their biological functions. In this review we briefly describe advances in free energy landscape studies of protein conformational ensembles. Experimental (nuclear magnetic resonance, small-angle X-ray scattering, single-molecule spectroscopy, and cryo-electron microscopy) and computational (replica-exchange molecular dynamics, metadynamics, and Markov state models) approaches have made great progress in recent years. These address the challenging characterization of the highly flexible and heterogeneous protein ensembles. We focus on structural aspects of protein conformational distributions, from collective motions of single- and multi-domain proteins, intrinsically disordered proteins, to multiprotein complexes. Importantly, we highlight recent studies that illustrate functional adjustment of protein conformational ensembles in the crowded cellular environment. We center on the role of the ensemble in recognition of small- and macro-molecules (protein and RNA/DNA) and emphasize emerging concepts of protein dynamics in enzyme catalysis. Overall, protein ensembles link fundamental physicochemical principles and protein behavior and the cellular network and its regulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guanghong Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (MOE), and Department of Physics, Fudan University , Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Wenhui Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (MOE), and Department of Physics, Fudan University , Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Ruth Nussinov
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute , Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States.,Sackler Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Buyong Ma
- Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute , Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Abstract
Specific conformations of signaling proteins can serve as “signals” in signal transduction by being recognized by receptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Tompa
- VIB Structural Biology Research Center (SBRC)
- Brussels
- Belgium
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Brussels
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Borysik AJ, Kovacs D, Guharoy M, Tompa P. Ensemble Methods Enable a New Definition for the Solution to Gas-Phase Transfer of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins. J Am Chem Soc 2015; 137:13807-17. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b06027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Antoni J. Borysik
- King’s College London, Department of Chemistry,
Britannia House, 7 Trinity
Street, London SE1 1DB, U.K
| | - Denes Kovacs
- VIB
Structural Biology Research Centre (SBRC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels B-1050, Belgium
| | - Mainak Guharoy
- VIB
Structural Biology Research Centre (SBRC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels B-1050, Belgium
| | - Peter Tompa
- VIB
Structural Biology Research Centre (SBRC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels B-1050, Belgium
- Institute
of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences of
the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Abstract
Proteins adopt defined structures and are crucial to most cellular functions. Their misfolding and aggregation is associated with numerous degenerative human disorders such as type II diabetes, Huntington's or Alzheimer's diseases. Here, we aim to understand why cells promote the formation of protein foci. Comparison of two amyloid-β-peptide variants, mostly insoluble but differently recruited by the cell (inclusion body versus diffused), reveals small differences in cell fitness and proteome response. We suggest that the levels of oxidative stress act as a sensor to trigger protein recruitment into foci. Our data support a common cytoplasmic response being able to discern and react to the specific properties of polypeptides.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Sanchez de Groot
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Ricardo A Gomes
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Anna Villar-Pique
- Department of Neurodegeneration and Restorative Research, University Medical Center Goettingen, Waldweg 33, Goettingen, Germany
| | - M Madan Babu
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Ana Varela Coelho
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Salvador Ventura
- Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina and Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Futami J, Fujiyama H, Kinoshita R, Nonomura H, Honjo T, Tada H, Matsushita H, Abe Y, Kakimi K. Denatured mammalian protein mixtures exhibit unusually high solubility in nucleic acid-free pure water. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113295. [PMID: 25405999 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Preventing protein aggregation is a major goal of biotechnology. Since protein aggregates are mainly comprised of unfolded proteins, protecting against denaturation is likely to assist solubility in an aqueous medium. Contrary to this concept, we found denatured total cellular protein mixture from mammalian cell kept high solubility in pure water when the mixture was nucleic acids free. The lysates were prepared from total cellular protein pellet extracted by using guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform mixture of TRIzol, denatured and reduced total protein mixtures remained soluble after extensive dialysis against pure water. The total cell protein lysates contained fully disordered proteins that readily formed large aggregates upon contact with nucleic acids or salts. These findings suggested that the highly flexible mixtures of disordered proteins, which have fully ionized side chains, are protected against aggregation. Interestingly, this unusual solubility is characteristic of protein mixtures from higher eukaryotes, whereas most prokaryotic protein mixtures were aggregated under identical conditions. This unusual solubility of unfolded protein mixtures could have implications for the study of intrinsically disordered proteins in a variety of cells.
Collapse
|
43
|
Goldenberg DP, Argyle B. Minimal effects of macromolecular crowding on an intrinsically disordered protein: a small-angle neutron scattering study. Biophys J 2014; 106:905-14. [PMID: 24559993 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Revised: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 12/02/2013] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Small-angle neutron scattering was used to study the effects of macromolecular crowding by two globular proteins, i.e., bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor and equine metmyoglobin, on the conformational ensemble of an intrinsically disordered protein, the N protein of bacteriophage λ. The λ N protein was uniformly labeled with (2)H, and the concentrations of D2O in the samples were adjusted to match the neutron scattering contrast of the unlabeled crowding proteins, thereby masking their contribution to the scattering profiles. Scattering from the deuterated λ N was recorded for samples containing up to 0.12 g/mL bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor or 0.2 g/mL metmyoglobin. The radius of gyration of the uncrowded protein was estimated to be 30 Å and was found to be remarkably insensitive to the presence of crowders, varying by <2 Å for the highest crowder concentrations. The scattering profiles were also used to estimate the fractal dimension of λ N, which was found to be ∼1.8 in the absence or presence of crowders, indicative of a well-solvated and expanded random coil under all of the conditions examined. These results are contrary to the predictions of theoretical treatments and previous experimental studies demonstrating compaction of unfolded proteins by crowding with polymers such as dextran and Ficoll. A computational simulation suggests that some previous treatments may have overestimated the effective volumes of disordered proteins and the variation of these volumes within an ensemble. The apparent insensitivity of λ N to crowding may also be due in part to weak attractive interactions with the crowding proteins, which may compensate for the effects of steric exclusion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian Argyle
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Affiliation(s)
- Young C. Kim
- Center
for Computational Materials Science, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375, United States
| | - Apratim Bhattacharya
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Jeetain Mittal
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Affiliation(s)
- Johnny Habchi
- Aix-Marseille Université , Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques (AFMB), UMR 7257, 13288, Marseille, France
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Theillet FX, Binolfi A, Frembgen-Kesner T, Hingorani K, Sarkar M, Kyne C, Li C, Crowley PB, Gierasch L, Pielak GJ, Elcock AH, Gershenson A, Selenko P. Physicochemical properties of cells and their effects on intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). Chem Rev 2014; 114:6661-714. [PMID: 24901537 PMCID: PMC4095937 DOI: 10.1021/cr400695p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 326] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Francois-Xavier Theillet
- Department
of NMR-supported Structural Biology, In-cell NMR Laboratory, Leibniz Institute of Molecular Pharmacology (FMP Berlin), Robert-Roessle Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andres Binolfi
- Department
of NMR-supported Structural Biology, In-cell NMR Laboratory, Leibniz Institute of Molecular Pharmacology (FMP Berlin), Robert-Roessle Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tamara Frembgen-Kesner
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Iowa, Bowen Science Building, 51 Newton
Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
| | - Karan Hingorani
- Departments
of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Program in
Molecular & Cellular Biology, University
of Massachusetts, Amherst, 240 Thatcher Way, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Mohona Sarkar
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Lineberger
Comprehensive Cancer Center, University
of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Ciara Kyne
- School
of Chemistry, National University of Ireland,
Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
| | - Conggang Li
- Key Laboratory
of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory
of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Center
for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, P.R. China
| | - Peter B. Crowley
- School
of Chemistry, National University of Ireland,
Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
| | - Lila Gierasch
- Departments
of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Program in
Molecular & Cellular Biology, University
of Massachusetts, Amherst, 240 Thatcher Way, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Gary J. Pielak
- Department
of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Lineberger
Comprehensive Cancer Center, University
of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States
| | - Adrian H. Elcock
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Iowa, Bowen Science Building, 51 Newton
Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
| | - Anne Gershenson
- Departments
of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Program in
Molecular & Cellular Biology, University
of Massachusetts, Amherst, 240 Thatcher Way, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Philipp Selenko
- Department
of NMR-supported Structural Biology, In-cell NMR Laboratory, Leibniz Institute of Molecular Pharmacology (FMP Berlin), Robert-Roessle Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Soranno A, Koenig I, Borgia MB, Hofmann H, Zosel F, Nettels D, Schuler B. Single-molecule spectroscopy reveals polymer effects of disordered proteins in crowded environments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:4874-9. [PMID: 24639500 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1322611111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are involved in a wide range of regulatory processes in the cell. Owing to their flexibility, their conformations are expected to be particularly sensitive to the crowded cellular environment. Here we use single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer to quantify the effect of crowding as mimicked by commonly used biocompatible polymers. We observe a compaction of IDPs not only with increasing concentration, but also with increasing size of the crowding agents, at variance with the predictions from scaled-particle theory, the prevalent paradigm in the field. However, the observed behavior can be explained quantitatively if the polymeric nature of both the IDPs and the crowding molecules is taken into account explicitly. Our results suggest that excluded volume interactions between overlapping biopolymers and the resulting criticality of the system can be essential contributions to the physics governing the crowded cellular milieu.
Collapse
|
48
|
Ferreira L, Fan X, Mikheeva LM, Madeira PP, Kurgan L, Uversky VN, Zaslavsky BY. Structural features important for differences in protein partitioning in aqueous dextran-polyethylene glycol two-phase systems of different ionic compositions. Biochim Biophys Acta 2014; 1844:694-704. [PMID: 24486798 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2014.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Revised: 01/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Partitioning of 15 proteins in dextran-70-polyethylene glycol (PEG)-8000 aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) in the presence of 0.01M sodium phosphate buffer, pH7.4 was studied. The effect of salt additives (NaCl, CsCl, Na2SO4, NaClO4 and NaSCN) at different concentrations on the protein partition behavior was examined. The salt effects on protein partitioning were analyzed by using the Collander solvent regression relationship between the protein partition coefficients in ATPSs with and without salt additives. The results obtained show that the presence and concentration of salt additives affect the protein partition behavior. Analysis of ATPSs in terms of the differences between the relative hydrophobicity and electrostatic properties of the phases does not explain the protein partition behavior. The differences between protein partitioning could not be explained by the protein size. The structural signatures for the proteins were constructed from partition coefficient values in four ATPSs with different salt additives, and the structural distances were calculated using cytochrome c as the reference structure. The structural distances for all the examined proteins (except lysozyme) were found to be interrelated. Analysis of about 50 different descriptors of the protein structures revealed that the partition behavior of proteins is determined by the peculiarities of their surfaces (e.g., the number of water-filled cavities and the averaged hydrophobicity of the surface residues) and by the intrinsic flexibility of the protein structure measured in terms of the B-factor (or temperature factor).
Collapse
|
49
|
Abstract
Specific interactions within the cell must occur in a crowded environment and often in a narrow time-space framework to ensure cell survival. In the light that up to 10% of individual protein molecules present at one time in mammalian cells mediate signal transduction, the establishment of productive, specific interactions is a remarkable achievement. The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is an evolutionarily conserved and essential self-monitoring system of the eukaryotic cell cycle that ensures the high fidelity of chromosome segregation by delaying the onset of anaphase until all chromosomes are properly bi-oriented on the mitotic spindle. The function of the SAC involves communication with the kinetochore, an essential multiprotein complex crucial for chromosome segregation that assembles on mitotic or meiotic centromeres to link centromeric DNA with microtubules. Interactions in the SAC and kinetochore-microtubule network often involve the reversible assembly of large multiprotein complexes in which regions of the polypeptide chain that exhibit low structure complexity undergo a disorder-to-order transition. The confinement and high density of protein molecules in the cell has a profound effect on the stability, folding rate, and biological functions of individual proteins and protein assemblies. Here, I discuss the role of large and highly flexible surfaces that mediate productive intermolecular interactions in SAC signaling and postulate that macromolecular crowding contributes to the exquisite regulation that is required for the timely and accurate segregation of chromosomes in higher organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victor M Bolanos-Garcia
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Mittal S, Singh LR. Denatured state structural property determines protein stabilization by macromolecular crowding: a thermodynamic and structural approach. PLoS One 2013; 8:e78936. [PMID: 24265729 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2013] [Accepted: 09/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding of protein structure and stability gained to date has been acquired through investigations made under dilute conditions where total macromolecular concentration never surpasses 10 g l−1. However, biological macromolecules are known to evolve and function under crowded intracellular environments that comprises of proteins, nucleic acids, ribosomes and carbohydrates etc. Crowded environment is known to result in altered biological properties including thermodynamic, structural and functional aspect of macromolecules as compared to the macromolecules present in our commonly used experimental dilute buffers (for example, Tris HCl or phosphate buffer). In this study, we have investigated the thermodynamic and structural consequences of synthetic crowding agent (Ficoll 70) on three different proteins (Ribonuclease-A, lysozyme and holo α-lactalbumin) at different pH values. We report here that the effect of crowding is protein dependent in terms of protein thermal stability and structure. We also observed that the structural characteristics of the denatured state determines if crowding will have an effect or not on the protein stability.
Collapse
|