1
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Kumar A, Kindig KJ, Rao S, Zaki AM, Basak S, Sansom MS, Biggin PC, Chakrapani S. Structural basis for cannabinoid-induced potentiation of alpha1-glycine receptors in lipid nanodiscs. Biophys J 2023; 122:446a. [PMID: 36784291 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.11.2407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Arvind Kumar
- Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Kayla J Kindig
- Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Shanlin Rao
- Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sandip Basak
- Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Mark S Sansom
- Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sudha Chakrapani
- Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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2
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Ansell TB, Song W, Coupland CE, Carrique L, Siebold C, Sansom MS. Lipid-like to lipid-site: a protocol for simulation assisted interpretation of cryo-EM densities. Biophys J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.11.1885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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3
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Simcock PW, Crain J, Stansfeld PJ, Sansom MS. Mechanical rigidity of bacterial membrane models: effects of lipids and peptides probed by MD. Biophys J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.11.1624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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4
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Ansell TB, Song W, Horrell MR, Pipatpolkai T, Sansom MS, Stansfeld PJ, Corey RA. Predicting affinities of protein-lipid interactions using molecular simulations. Biophys J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.11.2305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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5
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Song W, Corey RA, Duncan AL, Ansell TB, Stansfeld PJ, Sansom MS. Pylipid: A Python Toolkit for Analysis of Lipid-Protein Interactions from MD Simulations. Biophys J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.11.532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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6
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Ansell TB, Corey RA, Siebold C, Sansom MS. The Energetics of Cholesterol Transport through Patched1: MD Simulations and Free Energy Calculations. Biophys J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.11.658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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7
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Song W, Duncan AL, Sansom MS. GPCR Oligomerisation Modulation by Conformational State and Lipid Interactions Revealed by MD Simulations and Markov Models. Biophys J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.11.1827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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8
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Corey RA, Song W, Duncan AL, Ansell TB, Sansom MS, Stansfeld PJ. Analysis of Protein-Cardiolipin Interactions in the E. coli Inner Membrane. Biophys J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.11.1525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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9
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Quetschlich D, Agasid MT, Davis RA, Sands ZA, Liko I, Sansom MS, Stansfeld PJ, Robinson CV. Investigating Protein-Lipid Interactions of MthK and Native Bacterial Membrane Lipids. Biophys J 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.11.3031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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10
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Ansell TB, Siebold C, Sansom MS. Cholesterol and Patched1: MD Simulation Studies. Biophys J 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.11.2088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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11
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Kumar A, Basak S, Rao S, Gicheru YW, Mayer M, Sansom MS, Chakrapani S. Mechanisms of Activation and Desensitization of Full-length Glycine Receptor in Membranes. Biophys J 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.11.1159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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12
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Basak S, Gicheru YW, Rao S, Sansom MS, Chakrapani S. Cryo-EM Reveals Two Distinct Serotonin-Bound Conformations of Full-Length 5-HT3A Receptor. Biophys J 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.11.242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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13
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Roussel G, Caudano Y, Matagne A, Sansom MS, Perpète EA, Michaux C. Peptide-surfactant interactions: A combined spectroscopic and molecular dynamics simulation approach. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2018; 190:464-470. [PMID: 28961531 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2017.09.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In the present contribution, we report a combined spectroscopic and computational approach aiming to unravel at atomic resolution the effect of the anionic SDS detergent on the structure of two model peptides, the α-helix TrpCage and the β-stranded TrpZip. A detailed characterization of the specific amino acids involved is performed. Monomeric (single molecules) and micellar SDS species differently interact with the α-helix and β-stranded peptides, emphasizing the different mechanisms occurring below and above the critical aggregation concentration (CAC). Below the CAC, the α-helix peptide is fully unfolded, losing its hydrophobic core and its Asp-Arg salt bridge, while the β-stranded peptide keeps its native structure with its four Trp well oriented. Above the CAC, the SDS micelles have the same effect on both peptides, that is, destabilizing the tertiary structure while keeping their secondary structure. Our studies will be helpful to deepen our understanding of the action of the denaturant SDS on peptides and proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Roussel
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, D340 Medical Sciences I, Irvine, CA 92697-4560, USA
| | - Yves Caudano
- Research Centre in Physics of Matter and Radiation (PMR), University of Namur, 61 Rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - André Matagne
- Laboratory of Enzymology and Protein Folding, Centre for Protein Engineering, Institut de Chimie B6, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Mark S Sansom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Park Road, OX13QU Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Eric A Perpète
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Biomolecules, Unité de Chimie Physique Théorique et Structurale (UCPTS), University of Namur, 61, Rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Catherine Michaux
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Biomolecules, Unité de Chimie Physique Théorique et Structurale (UCPTS), University of Namur, 61, Rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium.
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14
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Beckstein O, Norimatsu Y, Alexander C, Dawson DC, Sansom MS. Electrostatic Basis of Anion Over Cation Selectivity in the CFTR Chloride Channel. Biophys J 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2010.12.1652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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15
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Abstract
The glutamate receptor-channel of locust muscle membrane was studied using the patch-clamp technique. Muscles were pretreated with concanavalin A to block receptor-channel desensitization, thus facilitating analysis of receptor-channel gating kinetics. Single channel kinetics were analyzed to aid in identification of the molecular basis of channel gating. Channel dwell-time distributions and dwell-time autocorrelation functions were calculated from single channel data recorded in the presence of 10(-4) M glutamate. Analysis of the dwell time distributions in terms of mixtures of exponential functions revealed there to be at least three open states of the receptor-channel and at least four closed states. Autocorrelation function analysis showed there to be at least three pathways linking the open states with the closed. This results in a minimal scheme for gating of the glutamate receptor-channel, which is suggestive of allosteric models of receptor-channel gating.
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16
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Abstract
Single channel recordings from the locust muscle D-glutamate receptor channel were obtained using glutamate concentrations ranging from 10(-6) to 10(-2) M. Channel kinetics were analyzed to aid in the development of a model for the gating mechanism. Analysis of channel dwell time histograms demonstrated that the channel possessed multiple open and closed states at concentrations of glutamate between 10(-5) and 10(-2) M. Correlations between successive dwell times showed that the gating mechanism was nonlinear (i.e., branched or cyclic) over the same glutamate concentration range. The glutamate concentration dependence of the channel open probability, and of the event frequency, was used to explore two possible allosteric gating mechanisms in more detail.
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17
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Domene
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics (LMB), Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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18
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19
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Abstract
1. Introduction 4751.1 Ion channels 4751.1.1 Gramicidin 4761.1.2 Helix bundle channels 4771.1.3 K channels 4801.1.4 Porins 4831.1.5 Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor 4831.1.6 Physiological properties 4831.2 Simulations 4841.2.1 Atomistic versus mean-field simulations 4842. Atomistic simulations 4852.1 Modelling of ion-interaction parameters 4852.1.1 Interatomic distances and the problem of ionic radii 4862.1.2 Solvation energy 4872.1.3 Hydration shells and coordination numbers 4892.1.4 Parameters in common use and transferability 4912.1.5 Summary 4912.2 Water in pores versus bulk 4912.2.1 Simple pore models 4942.2.2 gA 4952.2.3 Alm 4962.2.4 LS36 (and LS24) 4962.2.5 Nicotinic receptor M2δ5 4972.2.6 Influenza A M2 4972.2.7 K channels 4972.2.8 nAChR 4982.2.9 Porins 4982.2.10 Relevance 4992.2.11 Problems with simulations 5012.3 Dynamics of ions in pores 5032.3.1 Simple pore models 5032.3.2 Helix bundles 5042.3.3 gA and KcsA 5052.4 Energetics of permeation and ion selectivity 5092.4.1 Potential and free energy profiles 5092.4.2 gA 5102.4.3 α-Helix bundles 5112.4.4 KcsA 5122.4.5 Ion selectivity 5142.4.6 Problems of estimating energetic profiles 5152.5 Conformational changes 5162.5.1 gA 5162.5.2 Alm and LS3 5162.5.3 KcsA 5172.6 Protonation states 5233. Coarse-grained simulations 5243.1 Introduction 5243.1.1 Predicting conductance magnitudes 5253.2 Electro-diffusion: the Nernst–Planck approach 5263.2.1 Calculating the potential profile from Poisson and PB theory 5283.2.2 Calculating the potential profile from BD simulations 5303.2.3 Combining Nernst–Planck and Poisson: PNP 5303.3 Beyond PNP 5323.4 BD simulations 5323.4.1 Basic theory in ion channels 5323.4.2 Incorporating the environment 5333.5 Applications 5353.5.1 Model systems 5353.5.1.1 Solving the Poisson and PB equation for channel-like geometries 5353.5.1.2 Comparing PB, PNP and BD 5363.5.2 Applications to known structures 5373.5.2.1 gA 5373.5.2.2 Porin 5393.5.2.3 LS3 5403.5.2.4 Alm 5423.5.2.5 nAChR 5423.5.2.6 KcsA 5433.6 pKa calculations 5433.7 Selectivity 5443.7.1 Anion/cation selectivity 5453.7.2 Monovalent/divalent ion selectivity 5454. Problems 5464.1 Atomistic simulations 5464.1.1 Problems 5464.1.2 Parameters 5484.2 BD 5494.3 Mean-field simulations 5495. Conclusions 5505.1 Progress 5505.2 The future 5506. Acknowledgements 5517. References 551Ion channels are proteins that form ‘holes’ in membranes through which selected ions move
passively down their electrochemical gradients. The ions move quickly, at (nearly) diffusion
limited rates (ca. 107 ions s−1 per channel). Ion channels are central to many properties of cell
membranes. Traditionally they have been the concern of neuroscientists, as they control the
electrical properties of the membranes of excitable cells (neurones, muscle; Hille, 1992).
However, it is evident that ion channels are present in many types of cell, not all of which
are electrically excitable, from diverse organisms, including plants, bacteria and viruses
(where they are involved in functions such as cell homeostasis) in addition to animals. Thus
ion channels are of general cell biological importance. They are also of biomedical interest,
as several dizeases (‘channelopathies’) have been described which are caused by changes in
properties of a specific ion channel (Ashcroft, 2000). Moreover, passive diffusion channels for
substances other than ions are common (porins, aquaporins), as are active membrane
transport processes coupled to ion gradients or ATP hydrolysis. An understanding of ion
channels may also provide a gateway to understanding these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- D P Tieleman
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, Rex Richards Building, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
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20
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Fischer WB, Pitkeathly M, Sansom MS. Amantadine blocks channel activity of the transmembrane segment of the NB protein from influenza B. Eur Biophys J 2001; 30:416-20. [PMID: 11718294 DOI: 10.1007/s002490100157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
NB is short auxiliary protein with ca. 100 amino acids, encoded in the viral genome of influenza B. It is believed to be similar to M2 from influenza A and Vpu from HIV-1 in that it demonstrates ion channel activity. Channels formed by the protein can be blocked by amantadine. We have synthesized the putative transmembrane segment of NB (IRG S20 IIITICVSL I30 VILIVFGCI A40 KIFI (NB, Lee)). Reconstituted in a lipid bilayer, the peptide shows channel activity. The addition of amantadine leads to dose-dependent loss of channel activity. Channel blocking is reversible. Channel behaviour of the peptide in the presence of amantadine is in accordance with findings for the intact channel. Thus, the synthetic transmembrane peptide captures the ion channel activity of the intact NB protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- W B Fischer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK.
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21
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Abstract
A number of ion channels contain transmembrane (TM) alpha-helices that contain proline-induced molecular hinges. These TM helices include the channel-forming peptide alamethicin (Alm), the S6 helix from voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels, and the D5 helix from voltage-gated chloride (CLC) channels. For both Alm and KvS6, experimental data implicate hinge-bending motions of the helix in an aspect of channel gating. We have compared the hinge-bending motions of these TM helices in bilayer-like environments by multi-nanosecond MD simulations in an attempt to describe motions of these helices that may underlie possible modes of channel gating. Alm is an alpha-helical channel-forming peptide, which contains a central kink associated with a Gly-x-x-Pro motif in its sequence. Simulations of Alm in a TM orientation for 10 ns in an octane slab indicate that the Gly-x-x-Pro motif acts as a molecular hinge. The S6 helix from Shaker Kv channels contains a Pro-Val-Pro motif. Modeling studies and recent experimental data suggest that the KvS6 helix may be kinked in the vicinity of this motif. Simulations (10 ns) of an isolated KvS6 helix in an octane slab and in a POPC bilayer reveal hinge-bending motions. A pattern-matching approach was used to search for possible hinge-bending motifs in the TM helices of other ion channel proteins. This uncovered a conserved Gly-x-Pro motif in TM helix D5 of CLC channels. MD simulations of a model of hCLC1-D5 spanning an octane slab suggest that this channel also contains a TM helix that undergoes hinge-bending motion. In conclusion, our simulations suggest a model in which hinge-bending motions of TM helices may play a functional role in the gating mechanisms of several different families of ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- D P Tieleman
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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22
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Ranatunga KM, Law RJ, Smith GR, Sansom MS. Electrostatics studies and molecular dynamics simulations of a homology model of the Shaker K+ channel pore. Eur Biophys J 2001; 30:295-303. [PMID: 11548132 DOI: 10.1007/s002490100134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A homology model of the pore domain of the Shaker K+ channel has been constructed using a bacterial K+ channel, KcsA, as a template structure. The model is in agreement with mutagenesis and sequence variability data. A number of structural features are conserved between the two channels, including a ring of tryptophan sidechains on the outer surface of the pore domain at the extracellular end of the helix bundle, and rings of acidic sidechains close to the extracellular mouth of the channel. One of these rings, that formed by four Asp447 sidechains at the mouth of the Shaker pore, is shown by pK(A) calculations to be incompletely ionized at neutral pH. The potential energy profile for a K+ ion moved along the central axis of the Shaker pore domain model selectivity filter reveals a shallow well, the depth of which is modulated by the ionization state of the Asp447 ring. This is more consistent with the high cation flux exhibited by the channel in its conductance value of 19 pS.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Ranatunga
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK
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23
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Abstract
Recent studies of the bacterial mechanosensitive channel MscL have combined a number of different approaches to come up with a model for the channel gating mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- P C Biggin
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, The University of Oxford, The Rex Richards Building, South Parks Road, OX1 3QU, Oxford, UK
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24
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Cordes FS, Kukol A, Forrest LR, Arkin IT, Sansom MS, Fischer WB. The structure of the HIV-1 Vpu ion channel: modelling and simulation studies. Biochim Biophys Acta 2001; 1512:291-8. [PMID: 11406106 DOI: 10.1016/s0005-2736(01)00332-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Vpu is an 81 amino acid auxiliary protein in HIV-1 which exhibits channel activity. We used two homo-pentameric bundles with the helical transmembrane segments derived from FTIR spectroscopy in combination with a global molecular dynamics search protocol: (i) tryptophans (W) pointing into the pore, and (ii) W facing the lipids. Two equivalent bundles have been generated using a simulated annealing via a restrained molecular dynamics simulations (SA/MD) protocol. A fifth model was generated via SA/MD with all serines facing the pore. The latter model adopts a very stable structure during the 2 ns of simulation. The stability of the models with W facing the pore depends on the starting structure. A possible gating mechanism is outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- F S Cordes
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, Oxford University, UK
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25
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Abstract
Advances in structure determination of membrane proteins enable analysis of the propensities of amino acids in extramembrane versus transmembrane locations to be performed on the basis of structure rather than of sequence and predicted topology. Using 29 available structures of integral membrane proteins with resolutions better than 4 A the distributions of amino acids in the transmembrane domains were calculated. The results were compared to analysis based on just the sequences of the same transmembrane alpha-helices and significant differences were found. The distribution of residues between transmembrane alpha-helices and beta-strands was also compared. Large hydrophobic (Phe, Leu, Ile, Val) residues showed a clear preference for the protein surfaces facing the lipids for beta-barrels, but in alpha-helical proteins no such preference was seen, with these residues equally distributed between the interior and the surface of the protein. A notable exception to this was alanine, which showed a slight preference for the interior of alpha-helical membrane proteins. Aromatic residues were found to follow saddle-like distributions preferring to be located in the lipid/water interfaces. The resultant 'aromatic belts' were spaced more closely for beta-barrel than for alpha-helical membrane proteins. Charged residues could be shown to generally avoid surfaces facing the bilayer although they were found to occur frequently in the transmembrane region of beta-barrels. Indeed detailed comparison between alpha-helical and beta-barrel proteins showed many qualitative differences in residue distributions. This suggests that there may be subtle differences in the factors stabilising beta-barrels in bacterial outer membranes and alpha-helix bundles in all other membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M B Ulmschneider
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Rex Richards Building, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3QU, Oxford, UK
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26
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Sansom
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
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27
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Abstract
KcsA is a bacterial K+ channel that is gated by pH. Continuum dielectric calculations on the crystal structure of the channel protein embedded in a low dielectric slab suggest that side chains E71 and D80 of each subunit, which lie adjacent to the selectivity filter region of the channel, form a proton-sharing pair in which E71 is neutral (protonated) and D80 is negatively charged at pH 7. When K+ ions are introduced into the system at their crystallographic positions the pattern of proton sharing is altered. The largest perturbation is for a K+ ion at site S3, i.e., interacting with the carbonyls of T75 and V76. The presence of multiple K+ ions in the filter increases the probability of E71 being ionized and of D80 remaining neutral (i.e., protonated). The ionization states of the protein side chains influence the potential energy profile experienced by a K+ ion as it is translated along the pore axis. In particular, the ionization state of the E71-D80 proton-sharing pair modulates the shape of the potential profile in the vicinity of the selectivity filter. Such reciprocal effects of ion occupancy on side-chain ionization states, and of side-chain ionization states on ion potential energy profiles will complicate molecular dynamics simulations and related studies designed to calculate ion permeation energetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Ranatunga
- Biophysics Section, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom
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28
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Biggin PC, Smith GR, Shrivastava I, Choe S, Sansom MS. Potassium and sodium ions in a potassium channel studied by molecular dynamics simulations. Biochim Biophys Acta 2001; 1510:1-9. [PMID: 11342142 DOI: 10.1016/s0005-2736(00)00345-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
We have performed simulations of both a single potassium ion and a single sodium ion within the pore of the bacterial potassium channel KcsA. For both ions there is a dehydration energy barrier at the cytoplasmic mouth suggesting that the crystal structure is a closed conformation of the channel. There is a potential energy barrier for a sodium ion in the selectivity filter that is not seen for potassium. Radial distribution functions for both ions with the carbonyl oxygens of the selectivity filter indicate that sodium may interact more tightly with the filter than does potassium. This suggests that the key to the ion selectivity of KcsA is the greater dehydration energy of Na(+) ions, and helps to explain the block of KcsA by internal Na(+) ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- P C Biggin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK
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29
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Abstract
Recently determined structures have shed new light on the way that aquaporins act as passive, but selective, pores for the transport of small molecules--such as water or glycerol--across membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Sansom
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, The University of Oxford, The Rex Richards Building, South Parks Road, OX1 3QU, Oxford, UK.
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30
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Abstract
Understanding the binding and insertion of peptides in lipid bilayers is a prerequisite for understanding phenomena such as antimicrobial activity and membrane-protein folding. We describe molecular dynamics simulations of the antimicrobial peptide alamethicin in lipid/water and octane/water environments, taking into account an external electric field to mimic the membrane potential. At cis-positive potentials, alamethicin does not insert into a phospholipid bilayer in 10 ns of simulation, due to the slow dynamics of the peptide and lipids. However, in octane N-terminal insertion occurs at field strengths from 0.33 V/nm and higher, in simulations of up to 100 ns duration. Insertion of alamethicin occurs in two steps, corresponding to desolvation of the Gln7 side chain, and the backbone of Aib10 and Gly11. The proline induced helix kink angle does not change significantly during insertion. Polyalanine and alamethicin form stable helices both when inserted in octane and at the water/octane interface, where they partition in the same location. In water, both polyalanine and alamethicin partially unfold in multiple simulations. We present a detailed analysis of the insertion of alamethicin into the octane slab and the influence of the external field on the peptide structure. Our findings give new insight into the mechanism of channel formation by alamethicin and the structure and dynamics of membrane-associated helices.
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Affiliation(s)
- D P Tieleman
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, The Rex Richards Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom.
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31
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Abstract
Extracellular signals are transduced across membranes via conformational changes in the transmembrane domains (TMs) of ion channels and G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Experimental and simulation studies indicate that such conformational switches in transmembrane (alpha-helices can be generated by proline-containing motifs that form molecular hinges. Computational approaches tested on model channel-forming peptides (e.g. alamethicin) reveal functional mechanisms in gap-junction proteins (such as connexin) and voltage-gated K+ channels. Similarly, functionally important roles for proline-based switches in TM6 and TM7 were identified in GPCRs. However, hinges in transmembrane helices are not confined to proline-containing sequence motifs, as evidenced by a non-proline hinge in the M2 helix of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. This helix lines the pore and plays a key role in the gating of this channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Sansom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK.
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Fischer WB, Pitkeathly M, Wallace BA, Forrest LR, Smith GR, Sansom MS. Transmembrane peptide NB of influenza B: a simulation, structure, and conductance study. Biochemistry 2000; 39:12708-16. [PMID: 11027151 DOI: 10.1021/bi001000e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The putative transmembrane segment of the ion channel forming peptide NB from influenza B was synthesized by standard solid-phase peptide synthesis. Insertion into the planar lipid bilayer revealed ion channel activity with conductance levels of 20, 61, 107, and 142 pS in a 0.5 M KCl buffer solution. In addition, levels at -100 mV show conductances of 251 and 413 pS. A linear current-voltage relation reveals a voltage-independent channel formation. In methanol and in vesicles the peptide appears to adopt an alpha-helical-like structure. Computational models of alpha-helix bundles using N = 4, 5, and 6 NB peptides per bundle revealed water-filled pores after 1 ns of MD simulation in a solvated lipid bilayer. Calculated conductance values [using HOLE (Smart et al. (1997) Biophys. J. 72, 1109-1126)] of ca. 20, 60, and 90 pS, respectively, suggested that the multiple conductance levels seen experimentally must correspond to different degrees of oligomerization of the peptide to form channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- W B Fischer
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, U.K.
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33
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Abstract
Ion channels mediate electrical excitability in neurons and muscle. Three-dimensional structures for model peptide channels and for a potassium (K+) channel have been combined with computer simulations to permit rigorous exploration of structure-function relations of channels. Water molecules and ions within transbilayer pores tend to diffuse more slowly than in bulk solutions. In the narrow selectivity filter of the bacterial K+ channel (i.e. the region of the channel that discriminates between different species of ions) a column of water molecules and K+ ions moves in a concerted fashion. By combining atomistic simulations (in which all atoms of the channel molecule, water and ions are treated explicitly) with continuum methods (in which the description of the channel system is considerably simplified) it is possible to simulate some of the physiological properties of channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Sansom
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rex Richards Building, Dept of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK OX1 3QU
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34
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Abstract
The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) is the archetypal ligand-gated ion channel. A model of the alpha7 homopentameric nAChR is described in which the pore-lining M2 helix bundle is treated atomistically and the remainder of the molecule is treated as a "low resolution" cylinder. The surface charge on the cylinder is derived from the distribution of charged amino acids in the amino acid sequence (excluding the M2 segments). This model is explored in terms of its predicted single-channel properties. Based on electrostatic potential profiles derived from the model, the one-dimensional Poisson-Nernst-Planck equation is used to calculate single-channel current/voltage curves. The predicted single-channel conductance is three times higher (ca. 150 pS) than that measured experimentally, and the predicted ion selectivity agrees with the observed cation selectivity of nAChR. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to estimate the self-diffusion coefficients (D) of water molecules within the channel. In the narrowest region of the pore, D is reduced ca. threefold relative to that of bulk water. Assuming that the diffusion of ions scales with that of water, this yields a revised prediction of the single-channel conductance (ca. 50 pS) in good agreement with the experimental value. We conclude that combining atomistic (MD) and continuum electrostatics calculations is a promising approach to bridging the gap between structure and physiology of ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Adcock
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK
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35
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Schnick C, Forrest LR, Sansom MS, Groth G. Molecular contacts in the transmembrane c-subunit oligomer of F-ATPases identified by tryptophan substitution mutagenesis. Biochim Biophys Acta 2000; 1459:49-60. [PMID: 10924898 DOI: 10.1016/s0005-2728(00)00112-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
When isolated in its monomeric form, subunit c of the proton transporting ATP synthase of Escherichia coli was shown to fold in a hairpin-like structure consisting of two hydrophobic membrane spanning helices and a short connecting hydrophilic loop. In the plasma membrane of Escherichia coli, however, about 9-12 c-subunit monomers form an oligomeric complex that functions in transmembrane proton conduction and in energy transduction to the catalytic F1 domain. The arrangement of the monomers and the molecular architecture of the complex were studied by tryptophan scanning mutagenesis and restrained MD simulations. Residues 12-24 of the N-terminal transmembrane segment of subunit c were individually substituted by the large and moderately hydrophobic tryptophan side chain. Effects on the activity of the mutant proteins were studied in selective growth experiments and various ATP synthase specific activity assays. The results identify potential intersubunit contacts and structurally non-distorted, accessible residues in the c-oligomer and add constraints to the arrangement of monomers in the oligomeric complex. Results from our mutagenesis experiments were interpreted in structural models of the c-oligomer that have been obtained by restrained MD simulations. Different stoichiometries and monomer orientations were applied in these calculations. A cylindrical complex consisting of 10 monomers that are arranged in two concentric rings with the N-terminal helices of the monomers located at the periphery shows the best match with the experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Schnick
- Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Biochemie der Pflanzen, Germany
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36
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Smart OS, Coates GM, Sansom MS, Alder GM, Bashford CL. Structure-based prediction of the conductance properties of ion channels. Faraday Discuss 2000:185-99; discussion 225-46. [PMID: 10822609 DOI: 10.1039/a806771f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [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] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The HOLE procedure allows the prediction of the absolute conductance of an ion channel model from its structure. The original prediction method uses an empirically corrected Ohmic method. It is most successful, with predictions being reliable to within a factor of two. A new modification of the procedure is presented in which the self-diffusion coefficients of water molecules from molecular dynamics simulation are used to replace the empirical correction factor. A "prediction" of the conductance for the porin OmpF by the new method is made and shown to be very close to the experimental value. HOLE also allows the prediction of the effect that the addition of non-electrolyte polymers will have on channel conductance. The method has great potential to yield structural information from data provided by single channel recordings but needs further validation by making measurements on channels of known structure. Preliminary results are given of single channel records establishing the effects of non-electrolytes on the conductance of gramicidin D channels. As an example of the potential uses of the procedure application is made to examine the oligomerization of alpha-toxin (alpha-hemolysin) channels. A model for the alpha-toxin hexamer, based on the crystal structure for the heptamer, is generated using molecular mechanics methods. The compatibility of the structures with single channel conductance data is assessed using HOLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- O S Smart
- School of Biochemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK.
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37
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Abstract
Alamethicin (Alm) is a 20 residue peptide which forms a kinked alpha-helix in membrane and membrane-mimetic environments. Ion channels formed by intramembraneous aggregates of Alm are thought to be formed by bundles of approximately parallel Alm helices surrounding a central bilayer pore. Different channel conductance levels correspond to different numbers of helices per bundle, ranging from N = 5 to N > 8. Calculation of the predicted pKA values of the ring of Glu18 sidechains at the C-terminal mouth of the pore suggests that at neutral pH most or all of these sidechains will remain protonated. Nanosecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of N = 5, 6, 7 and 8 bundles of Alm helices in a POPC bilayer have been run, corresponding to a total simulation time of 4 ns. These simulations explore the stability and conformational dynamics of these helix bundle channels when embedded in a full phospholipid bilayer in an aqueous environment. The structural and dynamic properties of water in these model channels are examined. As in earlier in vacuo simulations (J. Breed, R. Sankararamakrishnan, I. D. Kerr and M. S. P. Sansom, Biophys. J., 1996, 70, 1643) the dipole moments of water molecules within the pores are aligned antiparallel to the helix dipoles. This helps to contribute to the stability of the helix bundles.
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Affiliation(s)
- D P Tieleman
- BIOSON Research Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
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38
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Capener CE, Shrivastava IH, Ranatunga KM, Forrest LR, Smith GR, Sansom MS. Homology modeling and molecular dynamics simulation studies of an inward rectifier potassium channel. Biophys J 2000; 78:2929-42. [PMID: 10827973 PMCID: PMC1300878 DOI: 10.1016/s0006-3495(00)76833-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A homology model has been generated for the pore-forming domain of Kir6.2, a component of an ATP-sensitive K channel, based on the x-ray structure of the bacterial channel KcsA. Analysis of the lipid-exposed and pore-lining surfaces of the model reveals them to be compatible with the known features of membrane proteins and Kir channels, respectively. The Kir6.2 homology model was used as the starting point for nanosecond-duration molecular dynamics simulations in a solvated phospholipid bilayer. The overall drift from the model structure was comparable to that seen for KcsA in previous similar simulations. Preliminary analysis of the interactions of the Kir6.2 channel model with K(+) ions and water molecules during these simulations suggests that concerted single-file motion of K(+) ions and water through the selectivity filter occurs. This is similar to such motion observed in simulations of KcsA. This suggests that a single-filing mechanism is conserved between different K channel structures and may be robust to changes in simulation details. Comparison of Kir6.2 and KcsA suggests some degree of flexibility in the filter, thus complicating models of ion selectivity based upon a rigid filter.
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Affiliation(s)
- C E Capener
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
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39
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Abstract
Nanosecond molecular dynamics simulations in a fully solvated phospholipid bilayer have been performed on single transmembrane alpha-helices from three putative ion channel proteins encoded by viruses: NB (from influenza B), CM2 (from influenza C), and Vpu (from HIV-1). alpha-Helix stability is maintained within a core region of ca. 28 residues for each protein. Helix perturbations are due either to unfavorable interactions of hydrophobic residues with the lipid headgroups or to the need of the termini of short helices to extend into the surrounding interfacial environment in order to form H-bonds. The requirement of both ends of a helix to form favorable interactions with lipid headgroups and/or water may also lead to tilting and/or kinking of a transmembrane alpha-helix. Residues that are generally viewed as poor helix formers in aqueous solution (e.g., Gly, Ile, Val) do not destabilize helices, if located within a helix that spans a lipid bilayer. However, helix/bilayer mismatch such that a helix ends abruptly within the bilayer core destabilizes the end of the helix, especially in the presence of Gly and Ala residues. Hydrogen bonding of polar side-chains with the peptide backbone and with one another occurs when such residues are present within the bilayer core, thus minimizing the energetic cost of burying such side-chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- W B Fischer
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Rex Richards Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
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40
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Abstract
Bacteriorhodopsin (BR) is a membrane protein which pumps protons through the plasma membrane. Seven transmembrane BR helical segments are subjected to simulation studies in order to investigate the packing process of transmembrane helices. A Monte Carlo simulated annealing protocol is employed to optimize the helix bundle system. Helix packing is optimized according to a semi-empirical potential mainly composed of six components: a bilayer potential, a crossing angle potential, a helix dipole potential, a helix-helix distance potential, a helix orientation potential and a helix-helix distance restraint potential (a loop potential). Necessary parameters are derived from theoretical studies and statistical analysis of experimentally determined protein structures. The structures from the simulations are compared with the experimentally determined structures in terms of geometry. The structures generated show similar shapes to the experimentally suggested structure even without the helix-helix distance restraint potential. However, the relative locations of individual helices were reproduced only when the helix-helix distance restraint potential was used with restraint conditions. Our results suggest that transmembrane helix bundles resembling those observed experimentally may be generated by simulations using simple potentials.
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Affiliation(s)
- H S Son
- National Creative Research Initiative Center for Superfunctional Materials, Department of Chemistry, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31, Hyojadong, Namgu, Pohang 790-784, Republic of Korea.
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41
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Abstract
Bacteriorhodopsin (BR) is a membrane protein which pumps protons through the plasma membrane. Transmembrane BR helical segments are subjected to simulation studies in order to investigate the effect of bilayer environment in various simulation conditions. A bilayer potential is introduced to the system to mimic the lipid membrane. The structures from the simulations are compared with the experimentally determined structures in terms of geometrical properties. Electrostatic contribution to the helix packing is also investigated. The simulation results show that the packing geometry of the transmembrane helices is highly affected by the bilayer potential. The results obtained from the simulations may be used for further simulation studies and analysis in investigating transmembrane helix packing.
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Affiliation(s)
- H S Son
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rex Richards Building, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
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42
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Law RJ, Forrest LR, Ranatunga KM, La Rocca P, Tieleman DP, Sansom MS. Structure and dynamics of the pore-lining helix of the nicotinic receptor: MD simulations in water, lipid bilayers, and transbilayer bundles. Proteins 2000; 39:47-55. [PMID: 10737926 DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0134(20000401)39:1<47::aid-prot5>3.0.co;2-a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Multiple nanosecond duration molecular dynamics simulations on the pore-lining M2 helix of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor reveal how its structure and dynamics change as a function of environment. In water, the M2 helix partially unfolds to form a molecular hinge in the vicinity of a central Leu residue that has been implicated in the mechanism of ion channel gating. In a phospholipid bilayer, either as a single transmembrane helix, or as part of a pentameric helix bundle, the M2 helix shows less flexibility, but still exhibits a kink in the vicinity of the central Leu. The single M2 helix tilts relative to the bilayer normal by 12 degrees, in agreement with recent solid state NMR data (Opella et al., Nat Struct Biol 6:374-379, 1999). The pentameric helix bundle, a model for the pore domain of the nicotinic receptor and for channels formed by M2 peptides in a bilayer, is remarkably stable over a 2-ns MD simulation in a bilayer, provided one adjusts the pK(A)s of ionizable residues to their calculated values (when taking their environment into account) before starting the simulation. The resultant transbilayer pore shows fluctuations at either mouth which transiently close the channel. Proteins 2000;39:47-55.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Law
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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43
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Abstract
Molecular dynamics simulations of biological membranes have come of age. Simulations of pure lipid bilayers are extending our understanding of both optimal simulation procedures and the detailed structural dynamics of lipids in these systems. Simulation methods established using simple bilayer-embedded peptides are being extended to a wide range of membrane proteins and membrane protein models, and are beginning to reveal some of the complexities of membrane protein structural dynamics and their relationship to biological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- L R Forrest
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, The Rex Richards Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK
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44
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Abstract
The fourth transmembrane helix (S4) is the primary voltage-sensor of voltage-gated ion channels. Recent studies have used fluorescence resonance energy transfer as a spectroscopic ruler to determine the nature and magnitude of the voltage-induced movement of S4 that leads to channel opening.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Sansom
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, The University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK.
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45
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Abstract
A dimeric alamethicin analog with lysine at position 18 in the sequence (alm-K18) was previously shown to form stable anion-selective channels in membranes at pH 7.0 [Starostin, A. V., R. Butan, V. Borisenko, D. A. James, H. Wenschuh, M. S. Sansom, and G. A. Woolley. 1999. Biochemistry. 38:6144-6150]. To probe the charge state of the conducting channel and how this might influence cation versus anion selectivity, we performed a series of single-channel selectivity measurements at different pH values. At pH 7.0 and below, only anion-selective channels were found with P(K(+))/P(Cl(-)) = 0. 25. From pH 8-10, a mixture of anion-selective, non-selective, and cation-selective channels was found. At pH > 11 only cation-selective channels were found with P(K(+))/P(Cl(-)) = 4. In contrast, native alamethicin-Q18 channels (with Gln in place of Lys at position 18) were cation-selective (P(K(+))/P(Cl(-)) = 4) at all pH values. Continuum electrostatics calculations were then carried out using an octameric model of the alm-K18 channel embedded in a low dielectric slab to simulate a membrane. Although the calculations can account for the apparent pK(a) of the channel, they fail to correctly predict the degree of selectivity. Although a switch from cation- to anion-selectivity as the channel becomes protonated is indicated, the degree of anion-selectivity is severely overestimated, suggesting that the continuum approach does not adequately represent some aspect of the electrostatics of permeation in these channels. Side-chain conformational changes upon protonation, conformational changes, and deprotonation caused by permeating cations and counterion binding by lysine residues upon protonation are considered as possible sources of the overestimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Borisenko
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 3H6, Canada
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46
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Abstract
Potassium channels enable K(+) ions to move passively across biological membranes. Multiple nanosecond-duration molecular dynamics simulations (total simulation time 5 ns) of a bacterial potassium channel (KcsA) embedded in a phospholipid bilayer reveal motions of ions, water, and protein. Comparison of simulations with and without K(+) ions indicate that the absence of ions destabilizes the structure of the selectivity filter. Within the selectivity filter, K(+) ions interact with the backbone (carbonyl) oxygens, and with the side-chain oxygen of T75. Concerted single-file motions of water molecules and K(+) ions within the selectivity filter of the channel occur on a 100-ps time scale. In a simulation with three K(+) ions (initially two in the filter and one in the cavity), the ion within the central cavity leaves the channel via its intracellular mouth after approximately 900 ps; within the cavity this ion interacts with the Ogamma atoms of two T107 side chains, revealing a favorable site within the otherwise hydrophobically lined cavity. Exit of this ion from the channel is enabled by a transient increase in the diameter of the intracellular mouth. Such "breathing" motions may form the molecular basis of channel gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- I H Shrivastava
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
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47
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Abstract
The M2 protein of influenza A virus forms homotetrameric helix bundles, which function as proton-selective channels. The native form of the protein is 97 residues long, although peptides representing the transmembrane section display ion channel activity, which (like the native channel) is blocked by the antiviral drug amantadine. As a small ion channel, M2 may provide useful insights into more complex channel systems. Models of tetrameric bundles of helices containing either 18 or 22 residues have been simulated while embedded in a fully hydrated 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphatidylcholine bilayer. Several different starting models have been used. These suggest that the simulation results, at least on a nanosecond time scale, are sensitive to the exact starting structure. Electrostatics calculations carried out on a ring of four ionizable aspartate residues at the N-terminal mouth of the channel suggest that at any one time, only one will be in a charged state. Helix bundle models were mostly stable over the duration of the simulation, and their helices remained tilted relative to the bilayer normal. The M2 helix bundles form closed channels that undergo breathing motions, alternating between a tetramer and a dimer-of-dimers structure. Under these conditions either the channel forms a pocket of trapped waters or it contains a column of waters broken predominantly at the C-terminal mouth of the pore. These waters exhibit restricted motion in the pore and are effectively "frozen" in a way similar to those seen in previous simulations of a proton channel formed by a four-helix bundle of a synthetic leucine-serine peptide (, Biophys. J. 77:2400-2410).
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Affiliation(s)
- L R Forrest
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, England
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48
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Abstract
Isolated pore-lining helices derived from three types of K-channel have been analyzed in terms of their structural and dynamic features in nanosecond molecular dynamics (MD) simulations while spanning a lipid bilayer. The helices were 1) M1 and M2 from the bacterial channel KcsA (Streptomyces lividans), 2) S5 and S6 from the voltage-gated (Kv) channel Shaker (Drosophila melanogaster), and 3) M1 and M2 from the inward rectifier channel Kir6.2 (human). In the case of the Kv and Kir channels, for which x-ray structures are not known, both short and long models of each helix were considered. Each helix was incorporated into a lipid bilayer containing 127 palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine molecules, which was solvated with approximately 4000 water molecules, yielding approximately 20, 000 atoms in each system. Nanosecond MD simulations were used to aid the definition of optimal lengths for the helix models from Kv and Kir. Thus the study corresponds to a total simulation time of 10 ns. The inner pore-lining helices (M2 in KcsA and Kir, S6 in Shaker) appear to be slightly more flexible than the outer pore-lining helices. In particular, the Pro-Val-Pro motif of S6 results in flexibility about a molecular hinge, as was suggested by previous in vacuo simulations (, Biopolymers. 39:503-515). Such flexibility may be related to gating in the corresponding intact channel protein molecules. Analysis of H-bonds revealed interactions with both water and lipid molecules in the water/bilayer interfacial region. Such H-bonding interactions may lock the helices in place in the bilayer during the folding of the channel protein (as is implicit in the two-stage model of membrane protein folding). Aromatic residues at the extremities of the helices underwent complex motions on both short (<10 ps) and long (>100 ps) time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- I H Shrivastava
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, United Kingdom
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49
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La Rocca P, Biggin PC, Tieleman DP, Sansom MS. Simulation studies of the interaction of antimicrobial peptides and lipid bilayers. Biochim Biophys Acta 1999; 1462:185-200. [PMID: 10590308 DOI: 10.1016/s0005-2736(99)00206-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Experimental studies of a number of antimicrobial peptides are sufficiently detailed to allow computer simulations to make a significant contribution to understanding their mechanisms of action at an atomic level. In this review we focus on simulation studies of alamethicin, melittin, dermaseptin and related antimicrobial, membrane-active peptides. All of these peptides form amphipathic alpha-helices. Simulations allow us to explore the interactions of such peptides with lipid bilayers, and to understand the effects of such interactions on the conformational dynamics of the peptides. Mean field methods employ an empirical energy function, such as a simple hydrophobicity potential, to provide an approximation to the membrane. Mean field approaches allow us to predict the optimal orientation of a peptide helix relative to a bilayer. Molecular dynamics simulations that include an atomistic model of the bilayer and surrounding solvent provide a more detailed insight into peptide-bilayer interactions. In the case of alamethicin, all-atom simulations have allowed us to explore several steps along the route from binding to the membrane surface to formation of transbilayer ion channels. For those antimicrobial peptides such as dermaseptin which prefer to remain at the surface of a bilayer, molecular dynamics simulations allow us to explore the favourable interactions between the peptide helix sidechains and the phospholipid headgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- P La Rocca
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, The Rex Richards Building, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
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50
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Abstract
Molecular dynamics calculations were carried out on models of two synthetic leucine-serine ion channels: a tetrameric bundle with sequence (LSLLLSL)(3)NH(2) and a hexameric bundle with sequence (LSSLLSL)(3)NH(2). Each protein bundle is inserted in a palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer membrane and solvated by simple point charge water molecules inside the pore and at both mouths. Both systems appear to be stable in the absence of an electric field during the 4 ns of molecular dynamics simulation. The water motion in the narrow pore of the four-helix bundle is highly restricted and may provide suitable conditions for proton transfer via a water wire mechanism. In the wider hexameric pore, the water diffuses much more slowly than in bulk but is still mobile. This, along with the dimensions of the pore, supports the observation that this peptide is selective for monovalent cations. Reasonable agreement of predicted conductances with experimentally determined values lends support to the validity of the simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- H S Randa
- Department of Chemistry and Henry Eyring Center for Theoretical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-0850, USA
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