scholarly journals Dynamical Behavior and Conformational Selection Mechanism of the Intrinsically Disordered Sic1 Kinase-Inhibitor Domain

Life ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Sala ◽  
Ugo Cosentino ◽  
Anna Ranaudo ◽  
Claudio Greco ◽  
Giorgio Moro
Keyword(s):  
Kinase Inhibitor ◽  
Dynamical Behavior ◽  
Md Simulations ◽  
Molecular Shape ◽  
Conformational Space ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Conformational Ensemble ◽  
Selection Mechanism ◽  
Conformational Selection ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered

Intrinsically Disordered Peptides and Proteins (IDPs) in solution can span a broad range of conformations that often are hard to characterize by both experimental and computational methods. However, obtaining a significant representation of the conformational space is important to understand mechanisms underlying protein functions such as partner recognition. In this work, we investigated the behavior of the Sic1 Kinase-Inhibitor Domain (KID) in solution by Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. Our results point out that application of common descriptors of molecular shape such as Solvent Accessible Surface (SAS) area can lead to misleading outcomes. Instead, more appropriate molecular descriptors can be used to define 3D structures. In particular, we exploited Weighted Holistic Invariant Molecular (WHIM) descriptors to get a coarse-grained but accurate definition of the variegated Sic1 KID conformational ensemble. We found that Sic1 is able to form a variable amount of folded structures even in absence of partners. Among them, there were some conformations very close to the structure that Sic1 is supposed to assume in the binding with its physiological complexes. Therefore, our results support the hypothesis that this protein relies on the conformational selection mechanism to recognize the correct molecular partners.

scholarly journals Determination of Protein Structural Ensembles by Hybrid-Resolution SAXS Restrained Molecular Dynamics.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Paissoni ◽  
Alexander Jussupow ◽  
Carlo Camilloni
Keyword(s):  
Dynamical Behavior ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Md Simulations ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Conformational Ensemble ◽  
Biomolecular Systems ◽  
Conformational Ensembles ◽  
Independent Experimental Data

<div><div><div><p>SAXS experiments provide low-resolution but valuable information about the dynamics of biomolecular systems, which could be ideally integrated in MD simulations to accurately determine conformational ensembles of flexible proteins. The applicability of this strategy is hampered by the high computational cost required to calculate scattering intensities from three-dimensional structures. We previously presented a metainference-based hybrid resolution method that makes atomistic SAXS-restrained MD simulation feasible by adopting a coarse-grained approach to efficiently back-calculate scattering intensities; here, we extend this technique, applying it in the framework of multiple-replica simulations with the aim to investigate the dynamical behavior of flexible biomolecules. The efficacy of the method is assessed on the K63-diubiquitin multi-domain protein, showing that inclusion of SAXS-restraints is effective in generating reliable and heterogenous conformational ensemble, also improving the agreement with independent experimental data.</p></div></div></div>

scholarly journals Determination of Protein Structural Ensembles by Hybrid-Resolution SAXS Restrained Molecular Dynamics.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Paissoni ◽  
Alexander Jussupow ◽  
Carlo Camilloni
Keyword(s):  
Dynamical Behavior ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Md Simulations ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Conformational Ensemble ◽  
Biomolecular Systems ◽  
Conformational Ensembles ◽  
Independent Experimental Data

<div><div><div><p>SAXS experiments provide low-resolution but valuable information about the dynamics of biomolecular systems, which could be ideally integrated into MD simulations to accurately determine conformational ensembles of flexible proteins. The applicability of this strategy is hampered by the high computational cost required to calculate scattering intensities from three-dimensional structures. We previously presented a hybrid resolution method that makes atomistic SAXS-restrained MD simulation feasible by adopting a coarse-grained approach to efficiently back-calculate scattering intensities; here, we extend this technique, applying it in the framework of metainference with the aim to investigate the dynamical behavior of flexible biomolecules. The efficacy of the method is assessed on the K63-diubiquitin, showing that the inclusion of SAXS-restraints is effective in generating a reliable conformational ensemble, improving the agreement with independent experimental data.</p></div></div></div>

scholarly journals Determination of Protein Structural Ensembles by Hybrid-Resolution SAXS Restrained Molecular Dynamics.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Paissoni ◽  
Alexander Jussupow ◽  
Carlo Camilloni
Keyword(s):  
Dynamical Behavior ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Md Simulations ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Conformational Ensemble ◽  
Biomolecular Systems ◽  
Conformational Ensembles ◽  
Independent Experimental Data

<div><div><div><p>SAXS experiments provide low-resolution but valuable information about the dynamics of biomolecular systems, which could be ideally integrated into MD simulations to accurately determine conformational ensembles of flexible proteins. The applicability of this strategy is hampered by the high computational cost required to calculate scattering intensities from three-dimensional structures. We previously presented a hybrid resolution method that makes atomistic SAXS-restrained MD simulation feasible by adopting a coarse-grained approach to efficiently back-calculate scattering intensities; here, we extend this technique, applying it in the framework of metainference with the aim to investigate the dynamical behavior of flexible biomolecules. The efficacy of the method is assessed on the K63-diubiquitin, showing that the inclusion of SAXS-restraints is effective in generating a reliable conformational ensemble, improving the agreement with independent experimental data.</p></div></div></div>

scholarly journals A multiscale computational study of the conformation of the full-length intrinsically disordered protein MeCP2

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Chavez-Garcia ◽  
Jerome Henin ◽  
Mikko Karttunen
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Computational Study ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered Protein ◽  
Full Length ◽  
Conformational Space ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Conformational Ensemble ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Disordered Protein ◽  
Coarse Grained Simulations

The malfunction of the Methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is associated to the Rett syndrome, one of the most common causes of cognitive impairment in females. MeCP2 is an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP), making its experimental characterization a challenge. There is currently no structure available for the full-length MeCP2 in any of the databases, and only the structure of its MBD domain has been solved. We used this structure to build a full-length model of MeCP2 by completing the rest of the protein via ab initio modelling. Using a combination of all-atom and coarse-grained simulations, we characterized its structure and dynamics as well as the conformational space sampled by the ID and TRD domains in the absence of the rest of the protein. The present work is the first computational study of the full-length protein. Two main conformations were sampled in the coarse-grained simulations: a globular structure similar to the one observed in the all-atom force field and a two-globule conformation. Our all-atom model is in good agreement with the available experimental data, predicting amino acid W104 to be buried, amino acids R111 and R133 to be solvent accessible, and having 4.1% of α-helix content, compared to the 4% found experimentally. Finally, we compared the model predicted by AlphaFold to our Modeller model. The model was not stable in water and underwent further folding. Together, these simulations provide a detailed (if perhaps incomplete) conformational ensemble of the full-length MeCP2, which is compatible with experimental data and can be the basis of further studies, e.g., on mutants of the protein or its interactions with its biological partners.

scholarly journals The structural heterogeneity of α-synuclein is governed by several distinct subpopulations with interconversion times slower than milliseconds

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaxing Chen ◽  
Sofia Zaer ◽  
Paz Drori ◽  
Joanna Zamel ◽  
Khalil Joron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Single Molecule ◽  
Resonance Energy Transfer ◽  
Resonance Energy ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered Protein ◽  
Structural Heterogeneity ◽  
Conformational Space ◽  
Conformational Ensemble ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Transient Nature

AbstractThe intrinsically disordered protein, α-synuclein, implicated in synaptic vesicle homeostasis and neurotransmitter release, is also associated with several neurodegenerative diseases. The different roles of α-synuclein are characterized by distinct structural states (membrane-bound, dimer, tetramer, oligomer, and fibril), which are originated from its various monomeric conformations. The pathological states, determined by the ensemble of α-synuclein monomer conformations and dynamic pathways of interconversion between dominant states, remain elusive due to their transient nature. Here, we use inter-dye distance distributions from bulk time-resolved Förster resonance energy transfer as restraints in discrete molecular dynamics simulations to map the conformational space of the α-synuclein monomer. We further confirm the generated conformational ensemble in orthogonal experiments utilizing far-UV circular dichroism and cross-linking mass spectrometry. Single-molecule protein-induced fluorescence enhancement measurements show that within this conformational ensemble, some of the conformations of α-synuclein are surprisingly stable, exhibiting conformational transitions slower than milliseconds. Our comprehensive analysis of the conformational ensemble reveals essential structural properties and potential conformations that promote its various functions in membrane interaction or oligomer and fibril formation.

scholarly journals Conformational and functional characterization of artificially conjugated non-canonical ubiquitin dimers

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Schneider ◽  
Andrej Berg ◽  
Zeynel Ulusoy ◽  
Martin Gamerdinger ◽  
Christine Peter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Isotopic Labeling ◽  
Md Simulations ◽  
Conformational Space ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Covalent Attachment ◽  
Binding Studies ◽  
Polyubiquitin Chains ◽  
Polypeptide Chains

AbstractUbiquitylation is an eminent posttranslational modification referring to the covalent attachment of single ubiquitin molecules or polyubiquitin chains to a target protein dictating the fate of such labeled polypeptide chains. Here, we have biochemically produced artificially Lys11-, and Lys27-, and Lys63-linked ubiquitin dimers based on click-chemistry generating milligram quantities in high purity. We show that the artificial linkage used for the conjugation of two ubiquitin moieties represents a fully reliable surrogate of the natural isopeptide bond by acquiring highly resolved nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data including ligand binding studies. Extensive coarse grained and atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations allow to extract structures representing the ensemble of domain-domain conformations used to verify the experimental data. Advantageously, this methodology does not require individual isotopic labeling of both ubiquitin moieties as NMR data have been acquired on the isotopically labeled proximal moiety and complementary MD simulations have been used to fully interpret the experimental data in terms of domain-domain conformation. This combined approach intertwining NMR spectroscopy with MD simulations makes it possible to describe the conformational space non-canonically Lys11-, and Lys27-linked ubiquitin dimers occupy in a solution averaged ensemble by taking atomically resolved information representing all residues in ubiquitin dimers into account.

UNRES-Dock—protein–protein and peptide–protein docking by coarse-grained replica-exchange MD simulations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paweł Krupa ◽  
Agnieszka S Karczyńska ◽  
Magdalena A Mozolewska ◽  
Adam Liwo ◽  
Cezary Czaplewski
Keyword(s):  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Md Simulations ◽  
Protein Docking ◽  
Conformational Space ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Supplementary Information ◽  
Replica Exchange ◽  
Variable Degree ◽  
Single Chain ◽  
Simulation Speed

Abstract Motivation The majority of the proteins in living organisms occur as homo- or hetero-multimeric structures. Although there are many tools to predict the structures of single-chain proteins or protein complexes with small ligands, peptide–protein and protein–protein docking is more challenging. In this work, we utilized multiplexed replica-exchange molecular dynamics (MREMD) simulations with the physics-based heavily coarse-grained UNRES model, which provides more than a 1000-fold simulation speed-up compared with all-atom approaches to predict structures of protein complexes. Results We present a new protein–protein and peptide–protein docking functionality of the UNRES package, which includes a variable degree of conformational flexibility. UNRES-Dock protocol was tested on a set of 55 complexes with size from 43 to 587 amino-acid residues, showing that structures of the complexes can be predicted with good quality, if the sampling of the conformational space is sufficient, especially for flexible peptide–protein systems. The developed automatized protocol has been implemented in the standalone UNRES package and in the UNRES server. Availability and implementation UNRES server: http://unres-server.chem.ug.edu.pl; UNRES package and data used in testing of UNRES-Dock: http://unres.pl. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

scholarly journals Conformational propensities of intrinsically disordered proteins influence the mechanism of binding and folding

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (31) ◽  
pp. 9614-9619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Munehito Arai ◽  
Kenji Sugase ◽  
H. Jane Dyson ◽  
Peter E. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins ◽  
Terminal Region ◽  
Relaxation Dispersion ◽  
Disordered Proteins ◽  
Conformational Ensemble ◽  
Induced Fit ◽  
Conformational Selection ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Factor C ◽  
Binding Mechanisms

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) frequently function in protein interaction networks that regulate crucial cellular signaling pathways. Many IDPs undergo transitions from disordered conformational ensembles to folded structures upon binding to their cellular targets. Several possible binding mechanisms for coupled folding and binding have been identified: folding of the IDP after association with the target (“induced fit”), or binding of a prefolded state in the conformational ensemble of the IDP to the target protein (“conformational selection”), or some combination of these two extremes. The interaction of the intrinsically disordered phosphorylated kinase-inducible domain (pKID) of the cAMP-response element binding (CREB) protein with the KIX domain of a general transcriptional coactivator CREB-binding protein (CBP) provides an example of the induced-fit mechanism. Here we show by NMR relaxation dispersion experiments that a different intrinsically disordered ligand, the transactivation domain of the transcription factor c-Myb, interacts with KIX at the same site as pKID but via a different binding mechanism that involves elements of conformational selection and induced fit. In contrast to pKID, the c-Myb activation domain has a strong propensity for spontaneous helix formation in its N-terminal region, which binds to KIX in a predominantly folded conformation. The C-terminal region of c-Myb exhibits a much smaller helical propensity and likely folds via an induced-fit process after binding to KIX. We propose that the intrinsic secondary structure propensities of pKID and c-Myb determine their binding mechanisms, consistent with their functions as inducible and constitutive transcriptional activators.

scholarly journals Extent of N-terminus exposure by altered long-range interactions of monomeric alpha-synuclein determines its aggregation propensity

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amberley D. Stephens ◽  
Maria Zacharopoulou ◽  
Rani Moons ◽  
Giuliana Fusco ◽  
Neeleema Seetaloo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Long Range ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered Protein ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Alpha Synuclein ◽  
Conformational Space ◽  
Conformational Ensemble ◽  
Aggregation Propensity ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Long Range Interactions ◽  
N Terminus

AbstractAs an intrinsically disordered protein, monomeric alpha synuclein (aSyn) constantly reconfigures and probes the conformational space. Long-range interactions across the protein maintain its solubility and mediate this dynamic flexibility, but also provide residual structure. Certain conformations lead to aggregation prone and non-aggregation prone intermediates, but identifying these within the dynamic ensemble of monomeric conformations is difficult. Herein, we used the biologically relevant calcium ion to investigate the conformation of monomeric aSyn in relation to its aggregation propensity. By using calcium to perturb the conformational ensemble, we observe differences in structure and intra-molecular dynamics between two aSyn C-terminal variants, D121A and pS129, and the aSyn familial disease mutants, A30P, E46K, H50Q, G51D, A53T and A53E, compared to wild-type (WT) aSyn. We observe that the more exposed the N-terminus and the beginning of the NAC region are, the more aggregation prone monomeric aSyn conformations become. N-terminus exposure occurs upon release of C-terminus interactions when calcium binds, but the level of exposure is specific to the aSyn mutation present. There was no correlation between single charge alterations, calcium affinity, or the number of ions bound on aSyn’s aggregation propensity, indicating that sequence or post-translation modification (PTM)-specific conformational differences between the N- and C-termini and the specific local environment mediate aggregation propensity instead. Understanding aggregation prone conformations of monomeric aSyn and the environmental conditions they form under will allow us to design new therapeutics targeted to the monomeric protein, to stabilise aSyn in non-aggregation prone conformations, by either preserving long-range interactions between the N- and C-termini or by protecting the N-terminus from exposure.

scholarly journals Hydropathy patterning complements charge patterning to describe conformational preferences of disordered proteins

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenwei Zheng ◽  
Gregory Dignon ◽  
Matthew Brown ◽  
Young C. Kim ◽  
Jeetain Mittal
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Structural Properties ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered Protein ◽  
Scaling Behavior ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Disordered Proteins ◽  
Conformational Ensemble ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Parameter Sequence ◽  
A Charge

AbstractUnderstanding the conformational ensemble of an intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) is of great interest due to its relevance to critical intracellular functions and diseases. It is now well established that the polymer scaling behavior can provide a great deal of information about the conformational properties as well as liquid-liquid phase separation of an IDP. It is, therefore, extremely desirable to be able to predict an IDP’s scaling behavior from the protein sequence itself. The work in this direction so far has focused on highly charged proteins and how charge patterning can perturb their structural properties. As naturally occurring IDPs are composed of a significant fraction of uncharged amino acids, the rules based on charge content and patterning are only partially helpful in solving the problem. Here, we propose a new order parameter, sequence hydropathy decoration (SHD), which can provide a near quantitative understanding of scaling and structural properties of IDPs devoid of charged residues. We combine this with a charge patterning parameter, sequence charge decoration (SCD), to obtain a general equation, parameterized from extensive coarse-grained simulation data, for predicting protein dimensions from the sequence. We finally test this equation against available experimental data and find a semi-quantitative match in predicting the scaling behavior. We also provide guidance on how to extend this approach to experimental data, which should be feasible in the near future. Graphical TOC Entry

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document