Molecular motors--a paradigm for mutant analysis

2000 ◽  
Vol 113 (8) ◽  
pp. 1311-1318 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.A. Endow
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Motors ◽  
Protein Function ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Unique Property ◽  
Genetic Screens ◽  
Nucleotide Hydrolysis ◽  
Mutant Analysis ◽  
Motor Activities ◽  
Natural Variants

Molecular motors perform essential functions in the cell and have the potential to provide insights into the basis of many important processes. A unique property of molecular motors is their ability to convert energy from ATP hydrolysis into work, enabling the motors to bind to and move along cytoskeletal filaments. The mechanism of energy conversion by molecular motors is not yet understood and may lead to the discovery of new biophysical principles. Mutant analysis could provide valuable information, but it is not obvious how to obtain mutants that are informative for study. The analysis presented here points out several strategies for obtaining mutants by selection from molecular or genetic screens, or by rational design. Mutants that are expected to provide important information about the motor mechanism include ATPase mutants, which interfere with the nucleotide hydrolysis cycle, and uncoupling mutants, which unlink basic motor activities and reveal their interdependence. Natural variants can also be exploited to provide unexpected information about motor function. This general approach to uncovering protein function by analysis of informative mutants is applicable not only to molecular motors, but to other proteins of interest.

scholarly journals Long-range intramolecular allostery and regulation in the dynein-like AAA protein Mdn1

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (31) ◽  
pp. 18459-18469
Author(s):  
Keith J. Mickolajczyk ◽  
Paul Dominic B. Olinares ◽  
Yiming Niu ◽  
Nan Chen ◽  
Sara E. Warrington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Protein Function ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Native Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Chemical Probes ◽  
Rich Region ◽  
Aaa Atpase ◽  
Aaa Protein ◽  
Bimolecular Interaction

Mdn1 is an essential mechanoenzyme that uses the energy from ATP hydrolysis to physically reshape and remodel, and thus mature, the 60S subunit of the ribosome. This massive (>500 kDa) protein has an N-terminal AAA (ATPase associated with diverse cellular activities) ring, which, like dynein, has six ATPase sites. The AAA ring is followed by large (>2,000 aa) linking domains that include an ∼500-aa disordered (D/E-rich) region, and a C-terminal substrate-binding MIDAS domain. Recent models suggest that intramolecular docking of the MIDAS domain onto the AAA ring is required for Mdn1 to transmit force to its ribosomal substrates, but it is not currently understood what role the linking domains play, or why tethering the MIDAS domain to the AAA ring is required for protein function. Here, we use chemical probes, single-particle electron microscopy, and native mass spectrometry to study the AAA and MIDAS domains separately or in combination. We find that Mdn1 lacking the D/E-rich and MIDAS domains retains ATP and chemical probe binding activities. Free MIDAS domain can bind to the AAA ring of this construct in a stereo-specific bimolecular interaction, and, interestingly, this binding reduces ATPase activity. Whereas intramolecular MIDAS docking appears to require a treatment with a chemical inhibitor or preribosome binding, bimolecular MIDAS docking does not. Hence, tethering the MIDAS domain to the AAA ring serves to prevent, rather than promote, MIDAS docking in the absence of inducing signals.

scholarly journals A Generalized Kinetic Model for Coupling between Stepping and ATP Hydrolysis of Kinesin Molecular Motors

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (19) ◽  
pp. 4911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xie ◽  
Guo ◽  
Chen
Keyword(s):  
Kinetic Model ◽  
Atpase Activity ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Rate Constants ◽  
Molecular Motors ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Power Production ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Chemomechanical Coupling ◽  
Generalized Kinetic Model

A general kinetic model is presented for the chemomechanical coupling of dimeric kinesin molecular motors with and without extension of their neck linkers (NLs). A peculiar feature of the model is that the rate constants of ATPase activity of a kinesin head are independent of the strain on its NL, implying that the heads of the wild-type kinesin dimer and the mutant with extension of its NLs have the same force-independent rate constants of the ATPase activity. Based on the model, an analytical theory is presented on the force dependence of the dynamics of kinesin dimers with and without extension of their NLs at saturating ATP. With only a few adjustable parameters, diverse available single molecule data on the dynamics of various kinesin dimers, such as wild-type kinesin-1, kinesin-1 with mutated residues in the NLs, kinesin-1 with extension of the NLs and wild-type kinesin-2, under varying force and ATP concentration, can be reproduced very well. Additionally, we compare the power production among different kinesin dimers, showing that the mutation in the NLs reduces the power production and the extension of the NLs further reduces the power production.

scholarly journals Cofilin drives rapid turnover and fluidization of entangled F-actin

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (26) ◽  
pp. 12629-12637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick M. McCall ◽  
Frederick C. MacKintosh ◽  
David R. Kovar ◽  
Margaret L. Gardel
Keyword(s):  
Stress Relaxation ◽  
Molecular Motors ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Animal Cells ◽  
Single Filament ◽  
Actin Cortex ◽  
Spatial Reorganization ◽  
Actin Regulatory Proteins

The shape of most animal cells is controlled by the actin cortex, a thin network of dynamic actin filaments (F-actin) situated just beneath the plasma membrane. The cortex is held far from equilibrium by both active stresses and polymer turnover: Molecular motors drive deformations required for cell morphogenesis, while actin-filament disassembly dynamics relax stress and facilitate cortical remodeling. While many aspects of actin-cortex mechanics are well characterized, a mechanistic understanding of how nonequilibrium actin turnover contributes to stress relaxation is still lacking. To address this, we developed a reconstituted in vitro system of entangled F-actin, wherein the steady-state length and turnover rate of F-actin are controlled by the actin regulatory proteins cofilin, profilin, and formin, which sever, recycle, and assemble filaments, respectively. Cofilin-mediated severing accelerates the turnover and spatial reorganization of F-actin, without significant changes to filament length. We demonstrate that cofilin-mediated severing is a single-timescale mode of stress relaxation that tunes the low-frequency viscosity over two orders of magnitude. These findings serve as the foundation for understanding the mechanics of more physiological F-actin networks with turnover and inform an updated microscopic model of single-filament turnover. They also demonstrate that polymer activity, in the form of ATP hydrolysis on F-actin coupled to nucleotide-dependent cofilin binding, is sufficient to generate a form of active matter wherein asymmetric filament disassembly preserves filament number despite sustained severing.

scholarly journals Sensitivity of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Lineage and Sublineage Variant Pseudoviruses to Neutralization by Nonavalent Vaccine Antibodies

2019 ◽  
Vol 220 (12) ◽  
pp. 1940-1945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Godi ◽  
Troy J Kemp ◽  
Ligia A Pinto ◽  
Simon Beddows
Keyword(s):  
Human Papillomavirus ◽  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Protein Function ◽  
Whole Genome Sequence ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Neutralization Sensitivity ◽  
Natural Variants ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Induced Immunity ◽  
Low Magnitude

Abstract Natural variants of human papillomavirus (HPV) are classified into lineages and sublineages based upon whole-genome sequence, but the impact of diversity on protein function is unclear. We investigated the susceptibility of 3–8 representative pseudovirus variants of HPV16, HPV18, HPV31, HPV33, HPV45, HPV52, and HPV58 to neutralization by nonavalent vaccine (Gardasil®9) sera. Many variants demonstrated significant differences in neutralization sensitivity from their consensus A/A1 variant but these were of a low magnitude. HPV52 D and HPV58 C variants exhibited >4-fold reduced sensitivities compared to their consensus A/A1 variant and should be considered distinct serotypes with respect to nonavalent vaccine-induced immunity.

scholarly journals Insights into the mechanisms of myosin and kinesin molecular motors from the single-molecule unbinding force measurements

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey V. Mikhailenko ◽  
Yusuke Oguchi ◽  
Shin'ichi Ishiwata
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Molecular Motors ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Force Measurements ◽  
Cellular Functions ◽  
Mechanochemical Cycle ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Experimental Geometry ◽  
External Loads ◽  
Individual Motor

In cells, ATP (adenosine triphosphate)-driven motor proteins, both cytoskeletal and nucleic acid-based, operate on their corresponding ‘tracks’, that is, actin, microtubules or nucleic acids, by converting the chemical energy of ATP hydrolysis into mechanical work. During each mechanochemical cycle, a motor proceeds via several nucleotide states, characterized by different affinities for the ‘track’ filament and different nucleotide (ATP or ADP) binding kinetics, which is crucial for a motor to efficiently perform its cellular functions. The measurements of the rupture force between the motor and the track by applying external loads to the individual motor–substrate bonds in various nucleotide states have proved to be an important tool to obtain valuable insights into the mechanism of the motors' performance. We review the application of this technique to various linear molecular motors, both processive and non-processive, giving special attention to the importance of the experimental geometry.

scholarly journals Energy Conversion by Molecular Motors Coupled to Nucleotide Hydrolysis

2009 ◽  
Vol 135 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 951-975 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reinhard Lipowsky ◽  
Steffen Liepelt ◽  
Angelo Valleriani
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Molecular Motors ◽  
Nucleotide Hydrolysis

scholarly journals Molecular mechanisms of substrate-controlled ring dynamics and sub-stepping in a nucleic-acid dependent hexameric motor

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan D. Thomsen ◽  
Michael R. Lawson ◽  
Lea B. Witkowsky ◽  
Song Qu ◽  
James M. Berger
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Molecular Motors ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Ring Closure ◽  
Structural Studies ◽  
Saxs Data ◽  
Structural Methods

ABSTRACTRing-shaped hexameric helicases and translocases support essential DNA, RNA, and protein-dependent transactions in all cells and many viruses. How such systems coordinate ATPase activity between multiple subunits to power conformational changes that drive the engagement and movement of client substrates is a fundamental question. Using the E. coli Rho transcription termination factor as a model system, we have employed solution and crystallographic structural methods to delineate the range of conformational changes that accompany distinct substrate and nucleotide cofactor binding events. SAXS data show that Rho preferentially adopts an open-ring state in solution, and that RNA and ATP are both required to cooperatively promote ring closure. Multiple closed-ring structures with different RNA substrates and nucleotide occupancies capture distinct catalytic intermediates accessed during translocation. Our data reveal how RNA-induced ring closure templates a sequential ATP-hydrolysis mechanism, provide a molecular rationale for how the Rho ATPase domains distinguishes between distinct RNA sequences, and establish the first structural snapshots of substepping events in a hexameric helicase/translocase.SIGNIFICANCEHexameric, ring-shaped translocases are molecular motors that convert the chemical energy of ATP hydrolysis into the physical movement of protein and nucleic acid substrates. Structural studies of several distinct hexameric translocases have provided insights into how substrates are loaded and translocated; however, the range of structural changes required for coupling ATP turnover to a full cycle of substrate loading and translocation has not been visualized for any one system. Here, we combine low-and high-resolution structural studies of the Rho helicase, defining for the first time the ensemble of conformational transitions required both for substrate loading in solution and for substrate movement by a processive hexameric translocase.

scholarly journals Multiscale Molecular Modelling of ATP-fueled Supramolecular Polymerisation and Depolymerisation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Perego ◽  
Luca Pesce ◽  
Riccardo Capelli ◽  
Subi J. George ◽  
Giovanni M. Pavan
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Modelling ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
Grand Challenge ◽  
Molecular Systems ◽  
Artificial Materials ◽  
Profound Knowledge ◽  
General Aspects

Fuel-regulated self-assembly is a key principle by which Nature creates spatiotemporally controlled materials and dynamic molecular systems that are in continuous communication (molecular exchange) with the external environment. Designing artificial materials that self-assemble and disassemble via conversion/consumption of a chemical fuel is a grand challenge in supramolecular chemistry, which requires a profound knowledge of the factors governing these complex systems. Here we focus on recently reported metal-coordinated monomers that polymerise in the presence of ATP and depolymerise upon ATP hydrolysis, exploring their fuel-regulated self-assembly/disassembly via multiscale molecular modelling. We use all-atom simulations to assess the role of ATP in stabilising these monomers in assemblies, and we then build on a minimalistic model to investigate their fuel-driven polymerization and depolymerization on a higher scale. In this way, we elucidate general aspects of fuel-regulated self-assembly that are important toward the rational design of new types of bioinspired materials.

scholarly journals Single-Molecule Insights Into the Dynamics of Replicative Helicases

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard R. Spinks ◽  
Lisanne M. Spenkelink ◽  
Nicholas E. Dixon ◽  
Antoine M. van Oijen
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Molecular Motors ◽  
Replication Fork ◽  
Magnetic Tweezers ◽  
Replication Initiation ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Replication Forks ◽  
Nucleotide Hydrolysis ◽  
Replicative Polymerases ◽  
Replication Factors

Helicases are molecular motors that translocate along single-stranded DNA and unwind duplex DNA. They rely on the consumption of chemical energy from nucleotide hydrolysis to drive their translocation. Specialized helicases play a critically important role in DNA replication by unwinding DNA at the front of the replication fork. The replicative helicases of the model systems bacteriophages T4 and T7, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been extensively studied and characterized using biochemical methods. While powerful, their averaging over ensembles of molecules and reactions makes it challenging to uncover information related to intermediate states in the unwinding process and the dynamic helicase interactions within the replisome. Here, we describe single-molecule methods that have been developed in the last few decades and discuss the new details that these methods have revealed about replicative helicases. Applying methods such as FRET and optical and magnetic tweezers to individual helicases have made it possible to access the mechanistic aspects of unwinding. It is from these methods that we understand that the replicative helicases studied so far actively translocate and then passively unwind DNA, and that these hexameric enzymes must efficiently coordinate the stepping action of their subunits to achieve unwinding, where the size of each step is prone to variation. Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy methods have made it possible to visualize replicative helicases acting at replication forks and quantify their dynamics using multi-color colocalization, FRAP and FLIP. These fluorescence methods have made it possible to visualize helicases in replication initiation and dissect this intricate protein-assembly process. In a similar manner, single-molecule visualization of fluorescent replicative helicases acting in replication identified that, in contrast to the replicative polymerases, the helicase does not exchange. Instead, the replicative helicase acts as the stable component that serves to anchor the other replication factors to the replisome.

scholarly journals Approaching infinite affinity through engineering of peptide–protein interaction

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (52) ◽  
pp. 26523-26533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony H. Keeble ◽  
Paula Turkki ◽  
Samuel Stokes ◽  
Irsyad N. A. Khairil Anuar ◽  
Rolle Rahikainen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Function ◽  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Protein Pair ◽  
Conformational Dynamics ◽  
Amide Bond ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Diffusion Limit ◽  
Covalent Interaction ◽  
Irreversible Reaction

Much of life’s complexity depends upon contacts between proteins with precise affinity and specificity. The successful application of engineered proteins often depends on high-stability binding to their target. In recent years, various approaches have enabled proteins to form irreversible covalent interactions with protein targets. However, the rate of such reactions is a major limitation to their use. Infinite affinity refers to the ideal where such covalent interaction occurs at the diffusion limit. Prototypes of infinite affinity pairs have been achieved using nonnatural reactive groups. After library-based evolution and rational design, here we establish a peptide–protein pair composed of the regular 20 amino acids that link together through an amide bond at a rate approaching the diffusion limit. Reaction occurs in a few minutes with both partners at low nanomolar concentration. Stopped flow fluorimetry illuminated the conformational dynamics involved in docking and reaction. Hydrogen–deuterium exchange mass spectrometry gave insight into the conformational flexibility of this split protein and the process of enhancing its reaction rate. We applied this reactive pair for specific labeling of a plasma membrane target in 1 min on live mammalian cells. Sensitive and specific detection was also confirmed by Western blot in a range of model organisms. The peptide–protein pair allowed reconstitution of a critical mechanotransmitter in the cytosol of mammalian cells, restoring cell adhesion and migration. This simple genetic encoding for rapid irreversible reaction should provide diverse opportunities to enhance protein function by rapid detection, stable anchoring, and multiplexing of protein functionality.

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