scholarly journals Structural Insights of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein from Delta and Omicron Variants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Sadek ◽  
David Zaha ◽  
Mahmoud Salama Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Viral Entry ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
S Protein ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Binding Domains ◽  
Structural Insights ◽  
Sheer Number

Given the continuing heavy toll of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of the Delta (B.1.617.2) and Omicron (B.1.1.529) variants, the WHO declared both as variants of concern (VOC). There are valid concerns that the latest Omicron variant might have increased infectivity and pathogenicity. In addition, the sheer number of S protein mutations in the Omicron variant raise concerns of potential immune evasion and resistance to therapeutics such as monoclonal antibodies. However, structural insights that underpin the potential increased pathogenicity are unknown. Here we adopted an artificial intelligence (AI)-based approach to predict the structural changes induced by mutations of the Delta and Omicron variants in the spike (S) protein using Alphafold. This was followed by docking the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) with the predicted S proteins for Wuhan-Hu-1, Delta, and Omicron variants. Our in-silico structural analysis indicates that S protein for Omicron variant has a higher binding affinity to ACE-2 receptor, compared to Wuhan-Hu-1 and Delta variants. In addition, the recognition sites of the receptor binding domains for Delta and Omicron variants showed lower electronegativity compared to Wuhan-Hu-1. Importantly, further molecular insights revealed significant changes induced at fusion protein (FP) site, which may mediate enhanced viral entry. These results represent the first computational analysis of structural changes associated with Omicron variant using Alphafold, Collectively, our results highlight potential structural basis for enhanced pathogenicity of the Omicron variant, however further validation using X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM are warranted.

scholarly journals ClpP protease activation results from the reorganization of the electrostatic interaction networks at the entrance pores

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark F. Mabanglo ◽  
Elisa Leung ◽  
Siavash Vahidi ◽  
Thiago V. Seraphim ◽  
Bryan T. Eger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecule ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Electrostatic Interaction ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Structural Heterogeneity ◽  
Interaction Networks ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Bacterial Cell Death

Abstract Bacterial ClpP is a highly conserved, cylindrical, self-compartmentalizing serine protease required for maintaining cellular proteostasis. Small molecule acyldepsipeptides (ADEPs) and activators of self-compartmentalized proteases 1 (ACP1s) cause dysregulation and activation of ClpP, leading to bacterial cell death, highlighting their potential use as novel antibiotics. Structural changes in Neisseria meningitidis and Escherichia coli ClpP upon binding to novel ACP1 and ADEP analogs were probed by X-ray crystallography, methyl-TROSY NMR, and small angle X-ray scattering. ACP1 and ADEP induce distinct conformational changes in the ClpP structure. However, reorganization of electrostatic interaction networks at the ClpP entrance pores is necessary and sufficient for activation. Further activation is achieved by formation of ordered N-terminal axial loops and reduction in the structural heterogeneity of the ClpP cylinder. Activating mutations recapitulate the structural effects of small molecule activator binding. Our data, together with previous findings, provide a structural basis for a unified mechanism of compound-based ClpP activation.

scholarly journals The primary structural photoresponse of phytochrome proteins captured by a femtosecond X-ray laser

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elin Claesson ◽  
Weixiao Yuan Wahlgren ◽  
Heikki Takala ◽  
Suraj Pandey ◽  
Leticia Castillon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signal Transduction ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Red Light ◽  
Crystallographic Data ◽  
Water Dissociation ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Binding Domains ◽  
Delay Times

Phytochrome proteins control the growth, reproduction, and photosynthesis of plants, fungi, and bacteria. Light is detected by a bilin cofactor, but it remains elusive how this leads to activation of the protein through structural changes. We present serial femtosecond X-ray crystallographic data of the chromophore-binding domains of a bacterial phytochrome at delay times of 1 ps and 10 ps after photoexcitation. The structures reveal a twist of the D-ring, which lead to partial detachment of the chromophore from the protein. Unexpectedly, the conserved so-called pyrrole water is photodissociated from the chromophore, concomitant with movement of the A-ring and a key signalling aspartate. The changes are wired together by ultrafast backbone and water movements around the chromophore, channeling them into signal transduction towards the output domains. We suggest that the water dissociation is key to the phytochrome photoresponse, explaining the earliest steps of how plants, fungi and bacteria sense red light.

scholarly journals Mutations from bat ACE2 orthologs markedly enhance ACE2-Fc neutralization of SARS-CoV-2

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huihui Mou ◽  
Brian D. Quinlan ◽  
Haiyong Peng ◽  
Yan Guo ◽  
Shoujiao Peng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme ◽  
Converting Enzyme ◽  
Viral Receptor ◽  
S Protein ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 ◽  
Binding Domains ◽  
Protein Receptor ◽  
Horseshoe Bat ◽  
Horseshoe Bats

SUMMARYThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) protein mediates infection of cells expressing angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ACE2 is also the viral receptor of SARS-CoV (SARS-CoV-1), a related coronavirus that emerged in 2002-2003. Horseshoe bats (genus Rhinolophus) are presumed to be the original reservoir of both viruses, and a SARS-like coronavirus, RaTG13, closely related SARS-CoV-2, has been isolated from one horseshoe-bat species. Here we characterize the ability of S-protein receptor-binding domains (RBDs) of SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and RaTG13 to bind a range of ACE2 orthologs. We observed that the SARS-CoV-2 RBD bound human, pangolin, and horseshoe bat (R. macrotis) ACE2 more efficiently than the SARS-CoV-1 or RaTG13 RBD. Only the RaTG13 RBD bound rodent ACE2 orthologs efficiently. Five mutations drawn from ACE2 orthologs of nine Rhinolophus species enhanced human ACE2 binding to the SARS-CoV-2 RBD and neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 by an immunoadhesin form of human ACE2 (ACE2-Fc). Two of these mutations impaired neutralization of SARS-CoV-1. An ACE2-Fc variant bearing all five mutations neutralized SARS-CoV-2 five-fold more efficiently than human ACE2-Fc. These data narrow the potential SARS-CoV-2 reservoir, suggest that SARS-CoV-1 and -2 originate from distinct bat species, and identify a more potently neutralizing form of ACE2-Fc.

scholarly journals Structural and mechanistic bases for a potent HIV-1 capsid inhibitor

Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 370 (6514) ◽  
pp. 360-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. Bester ◽  
Guochao Wei ◽  
Haiyan Zhao ◽  
Daniel Adu-Ampratwum ◽  
Naseer Iqbal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
Capsid Shell ◽  
Hydrogen Deuterium ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Long Acting ◽  
Structural Insights ◽  
Hiv 1

The potent HIV-1 capsid inhibitor GS-6207 is an investigational principal component of long-acting antiretroviral therapy. We found that GS-6207 inhibits HIV-1 by stabilizing and thereby preventing functional disassembly of the capsid shell in infected cells. X-ray crystallography, cryo–electron microscopy, and hydrogen-deuterium exchange experiments revealed that GS-6207 tightly binds two adjoining capsid subunits and promotes distal intra- and inter-hexamer interactions that stabilize the curved capsid lattice. In addition, GS-6207 interferes with capsid binding to the cellular HIV-1 cofactors Nup153 and CPSF6 that mediate viral nuclear import and direct integration into gene-rich regions of chromatin. These findings elucidate structural insights into the multimodal, potent antiviral activity of GS-6207 and provide a means for rationally developing second-generation therapies.

scholarly journals Temperature-dependent macromolecular X-ray crystallography

2010 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Weik ◽  
Jacques-Philippe Colletier
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Damage ◽  
Routine Data ◽  
Dynamical Behaviour ◽  
Biological Macromolecules ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Structural Details ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
Structural Insights ◽  
Reaction Initiation

X-ray crystallography provides structural details of biological macromolecules. Whereas routine data are collected close to 100 K in order to mitigate radiation damage, more exotic temperature-controlled experiments in a broader temperature range from 15 K to room temperature can provide both dynamical and structural insights. Here, the dynamical behaviour of crystalline macromolecules and their surrounding solvent as a function of cryo-temperature is reviewed. Experimental strategies of kinetic crystallography are discussed that have allowed the generation and trapping of macromolecular intermediate states by combining reaction initiation in the crystalline state with appropriate temperature profiles. A particular focus is on recruiting X-ray-induced changes for reaction initiation, thus unveiling useful aspects of radiation damage, which otherwise has to be minimized in macromolecular crystallography.

scholarly journals Structure and mechanism of ATP-binding cassette transporters

2008 ◽  
Vol 364 (1514) ◽  
pp. 239-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaspar P Locher
Keyword(s):  
Abc Transporters ◽  
Integral Membrane Proteins ◽  
Atp Binding ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Binding Domains ◽  
Mechanistic Insight ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Hydrolysis Of ◽  
Atp Binding Cassette

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters constitute a large superfamily of integral membrane proteins that includes both importers and exporters. In recent years, several structures of complete ABC transporters have been determined by X-ray crystallography. These structures suggest a mechanism by which binding and hydrolysis of ATP by the cytoplasmic, nucleotide-binding domains control the conformation of the transmembrane domains and therefore which side of the membrane the translocation pathway is exposed to. A basic, conserved two-state mechanism can explain active transport of both ABC importers and ABC exporters, but various questions remain unresolved. In this article, I will review some of the crystal structures and the mechanistic insight gained from them. Future challenges for a better understanding of the mechanism of ABC transporters will be outlined.

scholarly journals Structural basis for the binding of SNAREs to the multisubunit tethering complex Dsl1

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie M. Travis ◽  
Kevin DAmico ◽  
I-Mei Yu ◽  
Safraz Hamid ◽  
Gabriel Ramirez-Arellano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Membrane Trafficking ◽  
Relative Orientation ◽  
Snare Complex ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Binding Modes ◽  
Range Interaction ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Long Range Interaction ◽  
Target Membrane

AbstractMultisubunit tethering complexes (MTCs) are large (250 to >750 kDa), conserved macromolecular machines that are essential for SNARE-mediated membrane fusion in all eukaryotes. MTCs are thought to function as organizers of membrane trafficking, mediating the initial, long-range interaction between a vesicle and its target membrane and promoting the formation of membrane-bridging SNARE complexes. Previously, we reported the structure of the Dsl1 complex, the simplest known MTC, which is essential for COPI-mediated transport from the Golgi to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This structure suggested how the Dsl1 complex might function to tether a vesicle to its target membrane by binding at one end to the COPI coat and at the other end to ER SNAREs. Here, we use x-ray crystallography to investigate these Dsl1-SNARE interactions in greater detail. The Dsl1 complex comprises three subunits that together form a two-legged structure with a central hinge. Our results show that distal regions of each leg bind N-terminal Habc domains of the ER SNAREs Sec20 (a Qb-SNARE) and Use1 (a Qc-SNARE). The observed binding modes appear to anchor the Dsl1 complex to the ER target membrane while simultaneously ensuring that both SNAREs are in open conformations with their SNARE motifs available for assembly. The proximity of the two SNARE motifs, and therefore their ability to enter the same SNARE complex, depends on the relative orientation of the two Dsl1 legs.

scholarly journals Evolution of ACE2 and SARS-CoV-2 Interplay Across 247 Vertebrates

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Zhang ◽  
Qunfu Wu ◽  
Yicheng Ma ◽  
Wenjing Liu ◽  
Chengang Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acid Sites ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
S Protein ◽  
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 ◽  
Evolutionary Pattern ◽  
High Affinity ◽  
Treatment And Prevention ◽  
Infection Models ◽  
Potential Benefits

AbstractSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) cause the most serious pandemics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which threatens human health and public safety. SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as recognized receptor for its entry into host cell that contributes to the infection of SARS-CoV-2 to hosts. Using computational modeling approach, this study resolved the evolutionary pattern of bonding affinity of ACE2 in 247 jawed vertebrates to the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2. First, high-or-low binding affinity phenotype divergence of ACE2 to the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 has appeared in two ancient species of jawed vertebrates, Scyliorhinus torazame (low-affinity, Chondrichthyes) and Latimeria chalumnae (high-affinity, Coelacanthimorpha). Second, multiple independent affinity divergence events recur in fishes, amphibians-reptiles, birds, and mammals. Third, high affinity phenotypes go up in mammals, possibly implying the rapid expansion of mammals might accelerate the evolution of coronaviruses. Fourth, we found natural mutations at eight amino acid sites of ACE2 can determine most of phenotype divergences of bonding affinity in 247 vertebrates and resolved their related structural basis. Moreover, we also identified high-affinity or low-affinity-associated concomitant mutation group.The group linked to extremely high affinity may provide novel potentials for the development of human recombinant soluble ACE2 (hrsACE2) in treating patients with COVID-19 or for constructing genetically modified SARS-CoV-2 infection models promoting vaccines studies. These findings would offer potential benefits for the treatment and prevention of SARS-CoV-2.

scholarly journals Structural Characterization of Transcription Factor C/EBPbeta

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (a1) ◽  
pp. C1510-C1510
Author(s):  
Maria Miller
Keyword(s):  
Dna Binding ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Disordered Protein ◽  
Eukaryotic Genes ◽  
Factor C ◽  
Structural Insights

The basic region:leucine zipper (bZIP) DNA-binding protein, C/EBPbeta, plays a central role in many vital cellular processes, but is also implicated in tumorigenesis, tumor progression, as well as viral replication within cells. C/EBPbeta binds to specific DNA sites as homo- or hetero-dimers and interacts with other transcription factors to control the transcription of a number of eukaryotic genes. C/EBPbeta is an intrinsically repressed protein that is activated in response to growth factors. This study employs a variety of techniques such as sequence analysis, molecular modeling, X-ray crystallography, and mutagenesis to provide structural insights into the mechanisms that modulate the biological activities of C/EBPbeta. Analysis of the primary structure indicates that C/EBPbeta is a largely disordered protein that consists of unstructured regions that have the potential to fold upon binding to molecular partners as well as regions that retain irregular conformations regardless of their environment. Here, a model of the auto-inhibited form of C/EBPbeta is presented as well as the structural basis of its specific dimerization, DNA-binding, and interactions with the p300 transcriptional co-activator.

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