An actin-binding site containing a conserved motif of charged amino acid residues is essential for the morphogenic effect of villin

The espins are actin-binding and -bundling proteins localized to parallel actin bundles. The 837-amino-acid “espin” of Sertoli cell–spermatid junctions (ectoplasmic specializations) and the 253-amino-acid “small espin” of brush border microvilli are splice isoforms that share a C-terminal 116-amino-acid actin-bundling module but contain different N termini. To investigate the roles of espin and its extended N terminus, we examined the actin-binding and -bundling properties of espin constructs and the stoichiometry and developmental accumulation of espin within the ectoplasmic specialization. An espin construct bound to F-actin with an approximately threefold higher affinity (K d = ∼70 nM) than small espin and was ∼2.5 times more efficient at forming bundles. The increased affinity appeared to be due to an additional actin-binding site in the N terminus of espin. This additional actin-binding site bound to F-actin with a K d of ∼1 μM, decorated actin stress fiber-like structures in transfected cells, and was mapped to a peptide between the two proline-rich peptides in the N terminus of espin. Espin was detected at ∼4–5 × 106 copies per ectoplasmic specialization, or ∼1 espin per 20 actin monomers and accumulated there coincident with the formation of parallel actin bundles during spermiogenesis. These results suggest that espin is a major actin-bundling protein of the Sertoli cell–spermatid ectoplasmic specialization.

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Schistosomal Sulfotransferase Interaction with Oxamniquine Involves Hybrid Mechanism of Induced-fit and Conformational Selection

Current Computer - Aided Drug Design ◽

10.2174/1573409915666190708103132 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 451-459 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fortunatus C. Ezebuo ◽

Ikemefuna C. Uzochukwu

Keyword(s):

Molecular Dynamics ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Binding Energy ◽

Binding Site ◽

Conformational Dynamics ◽

Side Chain ◽

Amino Acid Residues ◽

Conformational Selection ◽

Hybrid Mechanism ◽

Dynamics Simulations

Background: Sulfotransferase family comprises key enzymes involved in drug metabolism. Oxamniquine is a pro-drug converted into its active form by schistosomal sulfotransferase. The conformational dynamics of side-chain amino acid residues at the binding site of schistosomal sulfotransferase towards activation of oxamniquine has not received attention. Objective: The study investigated the conformational dynamics of binding site residues in free and oxamniquine bound schistosomal sulfotransferase systems and their contribution to the mechanism of oxamniquine activation by schistosomal sulfotransferase using molecular dynamics simulations and binding energy calculations. Methods: Schistosomal sulfotransferase was obtained from Protein Data Bank and both the free and oxamniquine bound forms were subjected to molecular dynamics simulations using GROMACS-4.5.5 after modeling it’s missing amino acid residues with SWISS-MODEL. Amino acid residues at its binding site for oxamniquine was determined and used for Principal Component Analysis and calculations of side-chain dihedrals. In addition, binding energy of the oxamniquine bound system was calculated using g_MMPBSA. Results: The results showed that binding site amino acid residues in free and oxamniquine bound sulfotransferase sampled different conformational space involving several rotameric states. Importantly, Phe45, Ile145 and Leu241 generated newly induced conformations, whereas Phe41 exhibited shift in equilibrium of its conformational distribution. In addition, the result showed binding energy of -130.091 ± 8.800 KJ/mol and Phe45 contributed -9.8576 KJ/mol. Conclusion: The results showed that schistosomal sulfotransferase binds oxamniquine by relying on hybrid mechanism of induced fit and conformational selection models. The findings offer new insight into sulfotransferase engineering and design of new drugs that target sulfotransferase.

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Evidence that a 27-residue sequence is the actin-binding site of ABP-120

Journal of Biological Chemistry ◽

10.1016/s0021-9258(18)98793-4 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 266 (20) ◽

pp. 12989-12993

Author(s):

A.R. Bresnick ◽

P.A. Janmey ◽

J. Condeelis

Keyword(s):

Binding Site ◽

Actin Binding ◽

Actin Binding Site

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A nonapeptide to the putative F-actin binding site of annexin-II tetramer inhibits its calcium-dependent activation of actin filament bundling.

Journal of Biological Chemistry ◽

10.1016/s0021-9258(19)49668-3 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 267 (20) ◽

pp. 13993-13997

Author(s):

P.G. Jones ◽

G.J. Moore ◽

D.M. Waisman

Keyword(s):

Binding Site ◽

Actin Filament ◽

Actin Binding ◽

Annexin Ii ◽

Calcium Dependent ◽

Actin Binding Site

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Mitigating the Adverse Effects of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Derivatives on Estrogenic Activity via Molecular Modification Techniques

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18094999 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 4999

Author(s):

Wei He ◽

Wenhui Zhang ◽

Zhenhua Chu ◽

Yu Li

Keyword(s):

Amino Acid ◽

Binding Site ◽

Hydrophobic Interaction ◽

Oestrogen Receptor ◽

Polychlorinated Biphenyl ◽

Hydrophobic Interactions ◽

Estrogenic Activity ◽

Average Distance ◽

Amino Acid Residues ◽

Hydrophobic Amino Acid

The aim of this paper is to explore the mechanism of the change in oestrogenic activity of PCBs molecules before and after modification by designing new PCBs derivatives in combination with molecular docking techniques through the constructed model of oestrogenic activity of PCBs molecules. We found that the weakened hydrophobic interaction between the hydrophobic amino acid residues and hydrophobic substituents at the binding site of PCB derivatives and human oestrogen receptor alpha (hERα) was the main reason for the weakened binding force and reduced anti-oestrogenic activity. It was consistent with the information that the hydrophobic field displayed by the 3D contour maps in the constructed oestrogen activity CoMSIA model was one of the main influencing force fields. The hydrophobic interaction between PCB derivatives and oestrogen-active receptors was negatively correlated with the average distance between hydrophobic substituents and hydrophobic amino acid residues at the hERα-binding site, and positively correlated with the number of hydrophobic amino acid residues. In other words, the smaller the average distance between the hydrophobic amino acid residues at the binding sites between the two and the more the number of them, and the stronger the oestrogen activity expression degree of PCBS derivative molecules. Therefore, hydrophobic interactions between PCB derivatives and the oestrogen receptor can be reduced by altering the microenvironmental conditions in humans. This reduces the ability of PCB derivatives to bind to the oestrogen receptor and can effectively modulate the risk of residual PCB derivatives to produce oestrogenic activity in humans.

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