scholarly journals An Integrative Approach to Single-Molecule FRET Spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics Simulations for the Study of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins

2020 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 143a
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Moradi
Life ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra S. Sullivan ◽  
Robert O.J. Weinzierl

Many of the proteins involved in key cellular regulatory events contain extensive intrinsically disordered regions that are not readily amenable to conventional structure/function dissection. The oncoprotein c-MYC plays a key role in controlling cell proliferation and apoptosis and more than 70% of the primary sequence is disordered. Computational approaches that shed light on the range of secondary and tertiary structural conformations therefore provide the only realistic chance to study such proteins. Here, we describe the results of several tests of force fields and water models employed in molecular dynamics simulations for the N-terminal 88 amino acids of c-MYC. Comparisons of the simulation data with experimental secondary structure assignments obtained by NMR establish a particular implicit solvation approach as highly congruent. The results provide insights into the structural dynamics of c-MYC1-88, which will be useful for guiding future experimental approaches. The protocols for trajectory analysis described here will be applicable for the analysis of a variety of computational simulations of intrinsically disordered proteins.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Herrera-Nieto ◽  
Adrià Pérez ◽  
Gianni De Fabritiis

Abstract The exploration of intrinsically disordered proteins in isolation is a crucial step to understand their complex dynamical behavior. In particular, the emergence of partially ordered states has not been explored in depth. The experimental characterization of such partially ordered states remains elusive due to their transient nature. Molecular dynamics mitigates this limitation thanks to its capability to explore biologically relevant timescales while retaining atomistic resolution. Here, millisecond unbiased molecular dynamics simulations were performed in the exemplar N-terminal region of p53. In combination with state-of-the-art Markov state models, simulations revealed the existence of several partially ordered states accounting for $$\sim $$ ∼ 40% of the equilibrium population. Some of the most relevant states feature helical conformations similar to the bound structure of p53 to Mdm2, as well as novel $$\beta $$ β -sheet elements. This highlights the potential complexity underlying the energy surface of intrinsically disordered proteins.


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