scholarly journals Structural exploration with AlphaFold2-generated STAT3α structure reveals selective elements in STAT3α-GRIM-19 interactions involved in negative regulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seema Mishra ◽  
Santosh Kumar ◽  
Kesaban Sankar Roy Choudhuri ◽  
Imliyangla Longkumer ◽  
Praveena Koyyada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Affinity ◽  
Homology Modelling ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Evolutionary Information ◽  
Avant Garde ◽  
Binding Domains ◽  
Inhibitory Mechanisms ◽  
Arginine Residues ◽  
Dimeric Form ◽  
The Stability

AbstractSTAT3, an important transcription factor constitutively activated in cancers, is bound specifically by GRIM-19 and this interaction inhibits STAT3-dependent gene expression. GRIM-19 is therefore, considered as an inhibitor of STAT3 and may be an effective anti-cancer therapeutic target. While STAT3 exists in a dimeric form in the cytoplasm and nucleus, it is mostly present in a monomeric form in the mitochondria. Although GRIM-19-binding domains of STAT3 have been identified in independent experiments, yet the identified domains are not the same, and hence, discrepancies exist. Human STAT3-GRIM-19 complex has not been crystallised yet. Dictated by fundamental biophysical principles, the binding region, interactions and effects of hotspot mutations can provide us a clue to the negative regulatory mechanisms of GRIM-19. Prompted by the very nature of STAT3 being a challenging molecule, and to understand the structural basis of binding and interactions in STAT3α-GRIM-19 complex, we performed homology modelling and ab-initio modelling with evolutionary information using I-TASSER and avant-garde AlphaFold2, respectively, to generate monomeric, and subsequently, dimeric STAT3α structures. The dimeric form of STAT3α structure was observed to potentially exist in an anti-parallel orientation of monomers. We demonstrate that during the interactions with both unphosphorylated and phosphorylated STAT3α, the NTD of GRIM-19 binds most strongly to the NTD of STAT3α, in direct contrast to the earlier works. Key arginine residues at positions 57, 58 and 68 of GRIM-19 are mainly involved in the hydrogen-bonded interactions. An intriguing feature of these arginine residues is that these display a consistent interaction pattern across unphosphorylated and phosphorylated monomers as well as unphosphorylated dimers in STAT3α-GRIM-19 complexes. MD studies verified the stability of these complexes. Analysing the binding affinity and stability through free energy changes upon mutation, we found GRIM-19 mutations Y33P and Q61L and among GRIM-19 arginines, R68P and R57M, to be one of the top-most major and minor disruptors of binding, respectively. The proportionate increase in average change in binding affinity upon mutation was inclined more towards GRIM-19 mutants, leading to the surmise that GRIM-19 may play a greater role in the complex formation. These studies propound a novel structural perspective of STAT3α-GRIM-19 binding and inhibitory mechanisms in both the monomeric and dimeric forms of STAT3α as compared to that observed from the earlier experiments, these experimental observations being inconsistent among each other.

Functional characterization and structural modelling of peptidoglycan degrading β-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase from a dental isolate of Serratia marcescens

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditi Rathee ◽  
Anil Panwar ◽  
Seema Kumari ◽  
Sanjay Chhibber ◽  
Ashok Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Crystal Form ◽  
Bound State ◽  
Dynamics Simulation ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Structural Cell ◽  
Stability Structure ◽  
Arginine Residues ◽  
The Stability

Introduction:: Enzymatic degradation of peptidoglycan, a structural cell wall component of Gram-positive bacteria, has attracted considerable attention being a specific target for many known antibiotics. Methods:: Peptidoglycan hydrolases are involved in bacterial lysis through peptidoglycan degradation. β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, a peptidoglycan hydrolase, acts on O-glycosidic bonds formed by N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetyl muramic acid residues of peptidoglycan. Aim of present study was to study the action of β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, on methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other Gram-negative bacteria. Results:: We investigated its dynamic behaviour using molecular dynamics simulation and observed that serine and alanine residues are involved in catalytic reaction in addition to aspartic acid, histidine, lysine and arginine residues. When simulated in its bound state, the RMSD values were found lesser than crystal form in the time stamp of 1000 picoseconds revealing its stability. Structure remained stably folded over 1000 picoseconds without undergoing any major change further confirming the stability of complex. Conclusion:: It can be concluded that enzymes belonging to this category can serve as a tool in eradicating Gram-positive pathogens and associated infections.

scholarly journals Historical evolutionary information in the traditional Linnean hierarchy

1992 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 16-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard K. Bambach ◽  
J. John Sepkoski
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Latitudinal Gradients ◽  
Evolutionary Information ◽  
Simulation Studies ◽  
Biological Organization ◽  
Diversity Patterns ◽  
Higher Taxa ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Stability ◽  
And Function

The first two ranks above the species level in the traditional Linnean hierarchy — the genus and family — are species based: genera have been erected to unify groups of morphologically similar, closely related species and families have been erected to group genera recognized as closely related because of the shared morphologic characteristics of their species. Diversity patterns of traditional genera and families thus appear congruent with those of species in (a) the Recent (e. g., latitudinal gradients in many groups), (b) compilations of all marine taxa for the entire Phanerozoic (including the stage level), (c) comparisons through time within individual taxa (e. g., Foraminifera, Rugosa, Conodonta), and (d) simulation studies. Genera and families often have a more robust fossil record of diversity than species, especially for poorly sampled groups (e. g., echinoids), because of the range-through record of these polytypic taxa. Simulation studies indicate that paraphyly among traditionally defined taxa is not a fatal problem for diversity studies; in fact, when degradation of the quality of the fossil record is modelled, both diversity and rates of origination and extinction are better represented by including paraphyletic taxa than by restricting data to monophyletic clades. This result underscores the utility of traditional rank-based analyses of the history of diversity.In contrast, the three higher ranks of the Linnean hierarchy — orders, classes and phyla — are defined and recognized by key character complexes assumed to be rooted deep in the developmental program and, therefore, considered to be of special significance. These taxa are unified on the basis of body plan and function, not species morphology. Even if paraphyletic, recognition of such taxa is useful because they represent different functional complexes that reflect biological organization and major evolutionary innovations, often with different ecological capacities. Phanerozoic diversity patterns of orders, classes and phyla are not congruent with those of lower taxa; the higher groups each increased rapidly in the early Paleozoic, during the explosive diversification of body plans in the Cambrian, and then remained stable or declined slightly after the Ordovician. The diversity history of orders superficially resembles that of lower taxa, but this is a result only of ordinal turnover among the Echinodermata coupled with ordinal radiation in the Chordata; it is not a highly damped signal derived from the diversity of species, genera, or families. Despite the stability of numbers among post-Ordovician Linnean higher taxa, the diversity of lower taxa within many of these Bauplan groups fluctuated widely, and these diversity patterns signal embedded ecologic information, such as differences in flexibility in filling or utilizing ecospace.Phylogenetic analysis is vital for understanding the origins and genealogical structure of higher taxa. Only in such fashion can convergence and its implications for ecological constraints and/or opportunities be understood. But blind insistence on the use of monophyletic classifications in all studies would obscure some of the important information contained in traditional taxonomic groupings. The developmental modifications that characterize Linnean higher taxa (and traditionally separate them from their paraphyletic ancestral taxa) provide keys to understanding the role of shifting ecology in macroevolutionary success.

scholarly journals Structural basis of antigen recognition: crystal structure of duck egg lysozyme

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 910-920 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Brent Langley ◽  
Ben Crossett ◽  
Peter Schofield ◽  
Jenny Jackson ◽  
Mahdi Zeraati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Structure ◽  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Binding Affinity ◽  
Anas Platyrhynchos ◽  
Antigen Recognition ◽  
Pekin Duck ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Primary Sequence ◽  
Duck Egg ◽  
Differential Affinity

Duck egg lysozyme (DEL) is a widely used model antigen owing to its capacity to bind with differential affinity to anti-chicken egg lysozyme antibodies. However, no structures of DEL have so far been reported, and the situation had been complicated by the presence of multiple isoforms and conflicting reports of primary sequence. Here, the structures of two DEL isoforms from the eggs of the commonly used Pekin duck (Anas platyrhynchos) are reported. Using structural analyses in combination with mass spectrometry, non-ambiguous DEL primary sequences are reported. Furthermore, the structures and sequences determined here enable rationalization of the binding affinity of DEL for well documented landmark anti-lysozyme antibodies.

scholarly journals Structural basis of subunit selectivity for competitive NMDA receptor antagonists with preference for GluN2A over GluN2B subunits

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (33) ◽  
pp. E6942-E6951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genevieve E. Lind ◽  
Tung-Chung Mou ◽  
Lucia Tamborini ◽  
Martin G. Pomper ◽  
Carlo De Micheli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nmda Receptor ◽  
Binding Affinity ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Nmda Receptor Antagonists ◽  
Receptor Antagonists ◽  
Glutamate Binding ◽  
Subunit Interface ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Contact Residues

NMDA-type glutamate receptors are ligand-gated ion channels that contribute to excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system (CNS). Most NMDA receptors comprise two glycine-binding GluN1 and two glutamate-binding GluN2 subunits (GluN2A–D). We describe highly potent (S)-5-[(R)-2-amino-2-carboxyethyl]-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-3-carboxylic acid (ACEPC) competitive GluN2 antagonists, of which ST3 has a binding affinity of 52 nM at GluN1/2A and 782 nM at GluN1/2B receptors. This 15-fold preference of ST3 for GluN1/2A over GluN1/2B is improved compared with NVP-AAM077, a widely used GluN2A-selective antagonist, which we show has 11-fold preference for GluN1/2A over GluN1/2B. Crystal structures of the GluN1/2A agonist binding domain (ABD) heterodimer with bound ACEPC antagonists reveal a binding mode in which the ligands occupy a cavity that extends toward the subunit interface between GluN1 and GluN2A ABDs. Mutational analyses show that the GluN2A preference of ST3 is primarily mediated by four nonconserved residues that are not directly contacting the ligand, but positioned within 12 Å of the glutamate binding site. Two of these residues influence the cavity occupied by ST3 in a manner that results in favorable binding to GluN2A, but occludes binding to GluN2B. Thus, we reveal opportunities for the design of subunit-selective competitive NMDA receptor antagonists by identifying a cavity for ligand binding in which variations exist between GluN2A and GluN2B subunits. This structural insight suggests that subunit selectivity of glutamate-site antagonists can be mediated by mechanisms in addition to direct contributions of contact residues to binding affinity.

scholarly journals Differential Gene Regulation by Selective Association of Transcriptional Coactivators and bZIP DNA-Binding Domains

2006 ◽  
Vol 26 (16) ◽  
pp. 5969-5982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benoit Miotto ◽  
Kevin Struhl
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Dna Binding Domains ◽  
Binding Domains ◽  
Transcriptional Coactivators ◽  
Differential Gene Regulation ◽  
Arginine Residues ◽  
Contact Dna ◽  
Bzip Proteins ◽  
Basic Region

ABSTRACT bZIP DNA-binding domains are targets for viral and cellular proteins that function as transcriptional coactivators. Here, we show that MBF1 and the related Chameau and HBO1 histone acetylases interact with distinct subgroups of bZIP proteins, whereas pX does not discriminate. Selectivity of Chameau and MBF1 for bZIP proteins is mediated by residues in the basic region that lie on the opposite surface from residues that contact DNA. Chameau functions as a specific coactivator for the AP-1 class of bZIP proteins via two arginine residues. A conserved glutamic acid/glutamine in the linker region underlies MBF1 specificity for a subgroup of bZIP factors. Chameau and MBF1 cannot synergistically coactivate transcription due to competitive interactions with the basic region, but either protein can synergistically coactivate with pX. Analysis of Jun derivatives that selectively interact with these coactivators reveals that MBF1 is crucial for the response to oxidative stress, whereas Chameau is important for the response to chemical and osmotic stress. Thus, the bZIP domain mediates selective interactions with coactivators and hence differential regulation of gene expression.

scholarly journals A novel polyubiquitin chain linkage formed by viral Ubiquitin prevents cleavage by deubiquitinating enzymes

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hitendra Negi ◽  
Pothula Puroshotham Reddy ◽  
Chhaya Patole ◽  
Ranabir Das
Keyword(s):  
Biochemical Properties ◽  
Autographa Californica ◽  
Polyubiquitin Chain ◽  
Deubiquitinating Enzymes ◽  
Polyubiquitin Chains ◽  
Antiviral Responses ◽  
Binding Domains ◽  
Central Helix ◽  
Ubiquitin Binding ◽  
The Stability

ABSTRACTThe Baculoviridae family of viruses encode a viral Ubiquitin gene. Although the viral Ubiquitin is homologous to eukaryotic Ubiquitin (Ub), preservation of this gene in the viral genome indicates a unique function that is absent in the host eukaryotic Ub. We report the structural, biophysical, and biochemical properties of the viral Ubiquitin from Autographa Californica Multiple Nucleo-Polyhedrosis Virus (AcMNPV). The structure of viral Ubiquitin (vUb) differs from Ub in the packing of the central helix α1 to the beta-sheet of the β-grasp fold. Consequently, the stability of the fold is lower in vUb compared to Ub. However, the surface properties, ubiquitination activity, and the interaction with Ubiquitin binding domains are similar between vUb and Ub. Interestingly, vUb forms atypical polyubiquitin chain linked by lysine at the 54th position (K54). The K54-linked polyubiquitin chains are neither effectively cleaved by deubiquitinating enzymes, nor are they targeted by proteasomal degradation. We propose that modification of proteins with the viral Ubiquitin is a mechanism to counter the host antiviral responses.

scholarly journals Structural basis of substrate recognition and translocation by human ABCD1

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhipeng Chen ◽  
Da Xu ◽  
Liang Wang ◽  
Cong-Zhao Zhou ◽  
Wen-Tao Hou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Disorder ◽  
Substrate Recognition ◽  
Acyl Chain ◽  
Chain Fatty Acid ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Long Chain Fatty Acid ◽  
Lateral Entry ◽  
Binding Domains ◽  
Acyl Chains ◽  
Functional States

Human ATP-binding cassette (ABC) subfamily D transporter ABCD1 can transport CoA esters of saturated/monounsaturated long/very long chain fatty acid into the peroxisome for β-oxidation. Dysfunction of human ABCD1 causes X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, which is a severe progressive genetic disorder affecting the nervous system. Nevertheless, the mechanistic details of substrate recognition and translocation by ABCD1 remains obscure. Here, we present three cryo-EM structures of human ABCD1 in distinct functional states. In the apo-form structure of 3.53 Å resolution, ABCD1 exhibits an inward-facing conformation, allowing the lateral entry of substrate from the lipid bilayer. In the 3.59 Å structure of substrate-bound ABCD1, two molecules of C22:0-CoA, the physiological substrate of ABCD1, is symmetrically bound in two transmembrane domains (TMDs). Each C22:0-CoA adopts a L-shape, with its CoA portion and acyl chain components bound to two TMDs respectively, resembling a pair of strings that pull the TMDs closer, resultantly generating a narrower outward-facing conformation. In the 2.79 Å ATP-bound ABCD1 structure, the two nucleotide-binding domains dimerize, leading to an outward-facing conformation, which opens the translocation cavity exit towards the peroxisome matrix side and releases the substrates. Our study provides a molecular basis to understand the mechanism of ABCD1-mediated substrate recognition and translocation, and suggests a unique binding pattern for amphipathic molecules with long acyl chains.

scholarly journals Synthesis and properties of oligonucleotides modified with an N-methylguanidine-bridged nucleic acid (GuNA[Me]) bearing adenine, guanine, or 5-methylcytosine nucleobases

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 622-629
Author(s):  
Naohiro Horie ◽  
Takao Yamaguchi ◽  
Shinji Kumagai ◽  
Satoshi Obika
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Binding Affinity ◽  
Antisense Oligonucleotides ◽  
Modified Oligonucleotides ◽  
Biophysical Properties ◽  
Chemical Modifications ◽  
Antisense Technology ◽  
Strong Affinity ◽  
The Stability

Chemical modifications have been extensively used for therapeutic oligonucleotides because they strongly enhance the stability against nucleases, binding affinity to the targets, and efficacy. We previously reported that oligonucleotides modified with an N-methylguanidine-bridged nucleic acid (GuNA[Me]) bearing the thymine (T) nucleobase show excellent biophysical properties for applications in antisense technology. In this paper, we describe the synthesis of GuNA[Me] phosphoramidites bearing other typical nucleobases including adenine (A), guanine (G), and 5-methylcytosine (mC). The phosphoramidites were successfully incorporated into oligonucleotides following the method previously developed for the GuNA[Me]-T-modified oligonucleotides. The binding affinity of the oligonucleotides modified with GuNA[Me]-A, -G, or -mC toward the complementary single-stranded DNAs or RNAs was systematically evaluated. All of the GuNA[Me]-modified oligonucleotides were found to have a strong affinity for RNAs. These data indicate that GuNA[Me] could be a useful modification for therapeutic antisense oligonucleotides.

Structural characterization of amorphous calcium carbonate-binding protein: an insight into the mechanism of amorphous calcium carbonate formation

2013 ◽  
Vol 453 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingtan Su ◽  
Xiao Liang ◽  
Qiang Zhou ◽  
Guiyou Zhang ◽  
Hongzhong Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Calcium Carbonate ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Homology Modelling ◽  
Size Exclusion ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Amorphous Calcium Carbonate ◽  
Carbonate Formation

ACC (amorphous calcium carbonate) plays an important role in biomineralization process for its function as a precursor for calcium carbonate biominerals. However, it is unclear how biomacromolecules regulate the formation of ACC precursor in vivo. In the present study, we used biochemical experiments coupled with bioinformatics approaches to explore the mechanisms of ACC formation controlled by ACCBP (ACC-binding protein). Size-exclusion chromatography, chemical cross-linking experiments and negative staining electron microscopy reveal that ACCBP is a decamer composed of two adjacent pentamers. Sequence analyses and fluorescence quenching results indicate that ACCBP contains two Ca2+-binding sites. The results of in vitro crystallization experiments suggest that one Ca2+-binding site is critical for ACC formation and the other site affects the ACC induction efficiency. Homology modelling demonstrates that the Ca2+-binding sites of pentameric ACCBP are arranged in a 5-fold symmetry, which is the structural basis for ACC formation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the structural basis for protein-induced ACC formation and it will significantly improve our understanding of the amorphous precursor pathway.

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