Sequence fingerprints distinguish erroneous from correct predictions of Intrinsically Disordered Protein Regions

Disordered Proteins ◽

Prediction Algorithm ◽

Amino Acid Residues ◽

Distinguishing Features

ABSTRACTMore than sixty prediction methods for intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) have been developed over the years, many of which are accessible on the world-wide web. Nearly, all of these predictors give balanced accuracies in the ~65% to ~80% range. Since predictors are not perfect, further studies are required to uncover the role of amino acid residues in native IDP as compared to predicted IDP regions. In the present work, we make use of sequences of 100% predicted IDP regions, false positive disorder predictions, and experimentally determined IDP regions to distinguish the characteristics of native versus predicted IDP regions. A higher occurrence of asparagine is observed in sequences of native IDP regions but not in sequences of false positive predictions of IDP regions. The occurrences of certain combinations of amino acids at the pentapeptide level provide a distinguishing feature in the IDPs with respect to globular proteins. The distinguishing features presented in this paper provide insights into the sequence fingerprints of amino acid residues in experimentally-determined as compared to predicted IDP regions. These observations and additional work along these lines should enable the development of improvements in the accuracy of disorder prediction algorithm.

Determinants for Intrinsically Disordered Protein Recruitment into Phase-Separated Protein Condensates

Chemical Science ◽

10.1039/d1sc05672g ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Yongsang Jo ◽

Jinyoung Jang ◽

Daesun Song ◽

Hyoin Park ◽

Yongwon Jung

Keyword(s):

Phase Separation ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Disordered Proteins ◽

Amino Acid Residues ◽

Disordered Protein ◽

Protein Recruitment ◽

In Cells

Multivalent interactions between amino acid residues of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) drive phase separation of these proteins into liquid condensates, forming various membrane-less organelles in cells. These interactions between often...

NSP 11 of SARS-CoV-2 is an Intrinsically Disordered Protein

10.1101/2020.10.07.330068 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kundlik Gadhave ◽

Prateek Kumar ◽

Ankur Kumar ◽

Taniya Bhardwaj ◽

Neha Garg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acid ◽

Conformational Dynamics ◽

Alpha Helix ◽

Disordered Proteins ◽

Helical Conformation ◽

Structural Protein ◽

Protein Size

AbstractThe intrinsically disordered proteins/regions (IDPs/IDPRs) are known to be responsible for multiple cellular processes and are associated with many chronic diseases. In viruses, the existence of disordered proteome is also proven and are related with its conformational dynamics inside the host. The SARS-CoV-2 virus has a large proteome, in which, structure and functions of many proteins are not known as of yet. Previously, we have investigated the dark proteome of SARS-CoV-2. However, the disorder status of non-structural protein 11 (nsp11) was not possible because of very small in size, just 13 amino acid long, and for most of the IDP predictors, the protein size should be at least 30 amino acid long. Also, the structural dynamics and function status of nsp11 was not known. Hence, we have performed extensive experimentation on nsp11. Our results, based on the Circular dichroism spectroscopy gives characteristic disordered spectrum for IDPs. Further, we investigated the conformational behaviour of nsp11 in the presence of membrane mimetic environment, alpha helix inducer, and natural osmolyte. In the presence of negatively charged and neutral liposomes, nsp11 remains disordered. However, with SDS micelle, it adopted an α-helical conformation, suggesting the helical propensity of nsp11. At the end, we again confirmed the IDP behaviour of nsp11 using molecular dynamics simulations.

The Role of Post-Translational Modifications in the Phase Transitions of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms20215501 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (21) ◽

pp. 5501 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Izzy Owen ◽

Frank Shewmaker

Keyword(s):

Disordered Proteins ◽

Cellular Functions ◽

Post Translational Modifications ◽

Intrinsically Disordered Regions ◽

Genomics And Proteomics ◽

Eukaryotic Proteomes

Advances in genomics and proteomics have revealed eukaryotic proteomes to be highly abundant in intrinsically disordered proteins that are susceptible to diverse post-translational modifications. Intrinsically disordered regions are critical to the liquid–liquid phase separation that facilitates specialized cellular functions. Here, we discuss how post-translational modifications of intrinsically disordered protein segments can regulate the molecular condensation of macromolecules into functional phase-separated complexes.

Do Molecular Dynamics Force Fields Accurately Model Ramachandran Distributions of Amino Acid Residues in Water?

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics ◽

10.1039/d1cp05069a ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Brian Andrews ◽

Jose Guerra ◽

Reinhard Schweitzer-Stenner ◽

Brigita Urbanc

Keyword(s):

Molecular Dynamics ◽

Amino Acid ◽

Force Field ◽

Force Fields ◽

Disordered Proteins ◽

Amino Acid Residues ◽

Intrinsically Disordered

Molecular dynamics (MD) is a powerful tool for studying intrinsically disordered proteins, however, its reliability depends on the accuracy of the force field. We here assess Amber ff14SB, Amber ff14SB,...

Amino acid substitution scoring matrices specific to intrinsically disordered regions in proteins

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-52532-8 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Rakesh Trivedi ◽

Hampapathalu Adimurthy Nagarajaram

Keyword(s):

Amino Acid ◽

Amino Acid Substitution ◽

Disordered Proteins ◽

Compositional Bias ◽

Amino Acid Residues ◽

Intrinsically Disordered Regions ◽

Scoring Matrices ◽

Disordered Regions

Abstract An amino acid substitution scoring matrix encapsulates the rates at which various amino acid residues in proteins are substituted by other amino acid residues, over time. Database search methods make use of substitution scoring matrices to identify sequences with homologous relationships. However, widely used substitution scoring matrices, such as BLOSUM series, have been developed using aligned blocks that are mostly devoid of disordered regions in proteins. Hence, these substitution-scoring matrices are mostly inappropriate for homology searches involving proteins enriched with disordered regions as the disordered regions have distinct amino acid compositional bias, and therefore expected to have undergone amino acid substitutions that are distinct from those in the ordered regions. We, therefore, developed a novel series of substitution scoring matrices referred to as EDSSMat by exclusively considering the substitution frequencies of amino acids in the disordered regions of the eukaryotic proteins. The newly developed matrices were tested for their ability to detect homologs of proteins enriched with disordered regions by means of SSEARCH tool. The results unequivocally demonstrate that EDSSMat matrices detect more number of homologs than the widely used BLOSUM, PAM and other standard matrices, indicating their utility value for homology searches of intrinsically disordered proteins.

Connecting the αα-hubs: same fold, disordered ligands, new functions

Cell Communication and Signaling ◽

10.1186/s12964-020-00686-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lasse Staby ◽

Katrine Bugge ◽

Rasmus Greve Falbe-Hansen ◽

Edoardo Salladini ◽

Karen Skriver ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disordered Proteins ◽

Telomere Elongation ◽

Protein Protein Interaction ◽

Functional Understanding ◽

Signal Specificity ◽

Telomere Regulation ◽

Secondary Structure Motif

Abstract Background Signal fidelity depends on protein–protein interaction–‘hubs’ integrating cues from large interactomes. Recently, and based on a common secondary structure motif, the αα-hubs were defined, which are small α-helical domains of large, modular proteins binding intrinsically disordered transcriptional regulators. Methods Comparative structural biology. Results We assign the harmonin-homology-domain (HHD, also named the harmonin N-terminal domain, NTD) present in large proteins such as harmonin, whirlin, cerebral cavernous malformation 2, and regulator of telomere elongation 1 to the αα-hubs. The new member of the αα-hubs expands functionality to include scaffolding of supra-modular complexes mediating sensory perception, neurovascular integrity and telomere regulation, and reveal novel features of the αα-hubs. As a common trait, the αα-hubs bind intrinsically disordered ligands of similar properties integrating similar cellular cues, but without cross-talk. Conclusion The inclusion of the HHD in the αα-hubs has uncovered new features, exemplifying the utility of identifying groups of hub domains, whereby discoveries in one member may cross-fertilize discoveries in others. These features make the αα-hubs unique models for decomposing signal specificity and fidelity. Using these as models, together with other suitable hub domain, we may advance the functional understanding of hub proteins and their role in cellular communication and signaling, as well as the role of intrinsically disordered proteins in signaling networks.

Generation of the configurational ensemble of an intrinsically disordered protein from unbiased molecular dynamics simulation

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1907251116 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 116 (41) ◽

pp. 20446-20452 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Utsab R. Shrestha ◽

Puneet Juneja ◽

Qiu Zhang ◽

Viswanathan Gurumoorthy ◽

Jose M. Borreguero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Molecular Dynamics ◽

Chemical Shifts ◽

Physical Models ◽

Dynamics Simulation ◽

Disordered Proteins ◽

Eukaryotic Proteomes ◽

Heterogeneous Ensemble

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are abundant in eukaryotic proteomes, play a major role in cell signaling, and are associated with human diseases. To understand IDP function it is critical to determine their configurational ensemble, i.e., the collection of 3-dimensional structures they adopt, and this remains an immense challenge in structural biology. Attempts to determine this ensemble computationally have been hitherto hampered by the necessity of reweighting molecular dynamics (MD) results or biasing simulation in order to match ensemble-averaged experimental observables, operations that reduce the precision of the generated model because different structural ensembles may yield the same experimental observable. Here, by employing enhanced sampling MD we reproduce the experimental small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering profiles and the NMR chemical shifts of the disordered N terminal (SH4UD) of c-Src kinase without reweighting or constraining the simulations. The unbiased simulation results reveal a weakly funneled and rugged free energy landscape of SH4UD, which gives rise to a heterogeneous ensemble of structures that cannot be described by simple polymer theory. SH4UD adopts transient helices, which are found away from known phosphorylation sites and could play a key role in the stabilization of structural regions necessary for phosphorylation. Our findings indicate that adequately sampled molecular simulations can be performed to provide accurate physical models of flexible biosystems, thus rationalizing their biological function.

Enhancing Binding Affinity of an Intrinsically Disordered Protein by α-Methylation of Key Amino Acid Residues

10.26434/chemrxiv.10113128 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Valentin Bauer ◽

Boris Schmidtgall ◽

Gergő Gógl ◽

Jozica Dolenc ◽

Judit Osz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Protein Interactions ◽

Selective Inhibition ◽

Disordered Proteins ◽

Creb Binding Protein ◽

Alpha Helices ◽

Order Of Magnitude

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), which undergo folding upon binding to their targets, are critical players in protein interaction networks. Here we demonstrate that incorporation of non-canonical alpha-methylated amino acids into the unstructured activation domain of the transcriptional coactivator ACTR can stabilize helical conformations and strengthen binding interactions with the nuclear coactivator binding domain (NCBD) of CREB-binding protein (CBP). A combinatorial alpha-methylation scan of the ACTR sequence converged on two substitutions at positions 1055 and 1076 that increase affinity for both NCBD and the full length 270 kDa CBP by one order of magnitude. The first X-ray structure of the modified ACTR domain bound to NCBD revealed that the key alpha-methylated amino acids were localized within alpha-helices. Biophysical studies showed that the observed changes in binding energy are the result of long-range interactions and redistribution of enthalpy and entropy. This proof-of-concept study establishes a potential strategy for selective inhibition of protein-protein interactions involving IDPs in cells.<br>

Progressive Phosphorylation Modulates the Self-Association of a Variably Modified Histone H3 Peptide

Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences ◽

10.3389/fmolb.2021.698182 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

George V. Papamokos ◽

George Tziatzos ◽

Dimitrios G. Papageorgiou ◽

Spyros Georgatos ◽

Efthimios Kaxiras ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Histone H3 ◽

Intramolecular Interactions ◽

Disordered Proteins ◽

Post Translational Modifications ◽

Self Association ◽

Dynamics Simulations ◽

Peptide Charge

Protein phosphorylation is a key regulatory mechanism in eukaryotic cells. In the intrinsically disordered histone tails, phosphorylation is often a part of combinatorial post-translational modifications and an integral part of the “histone code” that regulates gene expression. Here, we study the association between two histone H3 tail peptides modified to different degrees, using fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. Assuming that the initial conformations are either α-helical or fully extended, we compare the propensity of the two peptides to associate with one another when both are unmodified, one modified and the other unmodified, or both modified. The simulations lead to the identification of distinct inter- and intramolecular interactions in the peptide dimer, highlighting a prominent role of a fine-tuned phosphorylation rheostat in peptide association. Progressive phosphorylation appears to modulate peptide charge, inducing strong and specific intermolecular interactions between the monomers, which do not result in the formation of amorphous or ordered aggregates, as documented by experimental evidence derived from Circular Dichroism and NMR spectroscopy. However, upon complete saturation of positive charges by phosphate groups, this effect is reversed: intramolecular interactions prevail and dimerization of zero-charge peptides is markedly reduced. These findings underscore the role of phosphorylation thresholds in the dynamics of intrinsically disordered proteins. Phosphorylation rheostats might account for the divergent effects of histone modifications on the modulation of chromatin structure.

An intrinsically disordered protein, CP12: jack of all trades and master of the Calvin cycle

Biochemical Society Transactions ◽

10.1042/bst20120097 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 40 (5) ◽

pp. 995-999 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Brigitte Gontero ◽

Stephen C. Maberly

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Calvin Cycle ◽

Disulfide Bridge ◽

Co2 Assimilation ◽

Disordered Proteins ◽

Dimensional Structure ◽

Intrinsically Disordered

Many proteins contain disordered regions under physiological conditions and lack specific three-dimensional structure. These are referred to as IDPs (intrinsically disordered proteins). CP12 is a chloroplast protein of approximately 80 amino acids and has a molecular mass of approximately 8.2–8.5 kDa. It is enriched in charged amino acids and has a small number of hydrophobic residues. It has a high proportion of disorder-promoting residues, but has at least two (often four) cysteine residues forming one (or two) disulfide bridge(s) under oxidizing conditions that confers some order. However, CP12 behaves like an IDP. It appears to be universally distributed in oxygenic photosynthetic organisms and has recently been detected in a cyanophage. The best studied role of CP12 is its regulation of the Calvin cycle responsible for CO2 assimilation. Oxidized CP12 forms a supramolecular complex with two key Calvin cycle enzymes, GAPDH (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) and PRK (phosphoribulokinase), down-regulating their activity. Association–dissociation of this complex, induced by the redox state of CP12, allows the Calvin cycle to be inactive in the dark and active in the light. CP12 is promiscuous and interacts with other enzymes such as aldolase and malate dehydrogenase. It also plays other roles in plant metabolism such as protecting GAPDH from inactivation and scavenging metal ions such as copper and nickel, and it is also linked to stress responses. Thus CP12 seems to be involved in many functions in photosynthetic cells and behaves like a jack of all trades as well as being a master of the Calvin cycle.