scholarly journals Cryptococcus neoformans Capsular GXM Conformation and Epitope Presentation: A Molecular Modelling Study

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 2651
Author(s):  
Michelle M. Kuttel ◽  
Arturo Casadevall ◽  
Stefan Oscarson
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Structure ◽  
Cryptococcus Neoformans ◽  
Molecular Modelling ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Clinical Observations ◽  
Protective Antibodies ◽  
Potential Vaccine ◽  
Serious Disease ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

The pathogenic encapsulated Cryptococcus neoformans fungus causes serious disease in immunosuppressed hosts. The capsule, a key virulence factor, consists primarily of the glucuronoxylomannan polysaccharide (GXM) that varies in composition according to serotype. While GXM is a potential vaccine target, vaccine development has been confounded by the existence of epitopes that elicit non-protective antibodies. Although there is evidence for protective antibodies binding conformational epitopes, the secondary structure of GXM remains an unsolved problem. Here an array of molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the GXM mannan backbone is consistently extended and relatively inflexible in both C. neoformans serotypes A and D. Backbone substitution does not alter the secondary structure, but rather adds structural motifs: β DGlcA and β DXyl side chains decorate the mannan backbone in two hydrophillic fringes, with mannose-6-O-acetylation forming a hydrophobic ridge between them. This work provides mechanistic rationales for clinical observations—the importance of O-acetylation for antibody binding; the lack of binding of protective antibodies to short GXM fragments; the existence of epitopes that elicit non-protective antibodies; and the self-aggregation of GXM chains—indicating that molecular modelling can play a role in the rational design of conjugate vaccines.

scholarly journals Next-Generation Technologies and Systems Biology for the Design of Novel Vaccines Against Apicomplexan Parasites

2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariela Luján Tomazic ◽  
Virginia Marugan-Hernandez ◽  
Anabel Elisa Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
Systems Biology ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Genetic Manipulation ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Apicomplexan Parasites ◽  
Sequencing Technologies ◽  
Causative Agents ◽  
Parasite Biology ◽  
Potential Vaccine

Parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa are the causative agents of important diseases such as malaria, toxoplasmosis or cryptosporidiosis in humans, and babesiosis and coccidiosis in animals. Whereas the first human recombinant vaccine against malaria has been approved and recently recommended for wide administration by the WHO, most other zoonotic parasitic diseases lack of appropriate immunoprophylaxis. Sequencing technologies, bioinformatics, and statistics, have opened the “omics” era into apicomplexan parasites, which has led to the development of systems biology, a recent field that can significantly contribute to more rational design for new vaccines. The discovery of novel antigens by classical approaches is slow and limited to very few antigens identified and analyzed by each study. High throughput approaches based on the expansion of the “omics”, mainly genomics and transcriptomics have facilitated the functional annotation of the genome for many of these parasites, improving significantly the understanding of the parasite biology, interactions with the host, as well as virulence and host immune response. Developments in genetic manipulation in apicomplexan parasites have also contributed to the discovery of new potential vaccine targets. The present minireview does a comprehensive summary of advances in “omics”, CRISPR/Cas9 technologies, and in systems biology approaches applied to apicomplexan parasites of economic and zoonotic importance, highlighting their potential of the holistic view in vaccine development.

scholarly journals A Putative Prophylactic Solution for COVID-19: Development of Novel Multiepitope Vaccine Candidate against SARS-COV-2 by Comprehensive Immunoinformatic and Molecular Modelling Approach

Biology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 296
Author(s):  
Hafiz Muzzammel Rehman ◽  
Muhammad Usman Mirza ◽  
Mian Azhar Ahmad ◽  
Mahjabeen Saleem ◽  
Matheus Froeyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Modelling ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Adaptive Immune Response ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vector System ◽  
T Cell Epitopes ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

The outbreak of 2019-novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes severe respiratory infection (COVID-19) has spread in China, and the World Health Organization has declared it a pandemic. However, no approved drug or vaccines are available, and treatment is mainly supportive and through a few repurposed drugs. The urgency of the situation requires the development of SARS-CoV-2-based vaccines. Immunoinformatic and molecular modelling are time-efficient methods that are generally used to accelerate the discovery and design of the candidate peptides for vaccine development. In recent years, the use of multiepitope vaccines has proved to be a promising immunization strategy against viruses and pathogens, thus inducing more comprehensive protective immunity. The current study demonstrated a comprehensive in silico strategy to design stable multiepitope vaccine construct (MVC) from B-cell and T-cell epitopes of essential SARS-CoV-2 proteins with the help of adjuvants and linkers. The integrated molecular dynamics simulations analysis revealed the stability of MVC and its interaction with human Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which trigger an innate and adaptive immune response. Later, the in silico cloning in a known pET28a vector system also estimated the possibility of MVC expression in Escherichia coli. Despite that this study lacks validation of this vaccine construct in terms of its efficacy, the current integrated strategy encompasses the initial multiple epitope vaccine design concepts. After validation, this MVC can be present as a better prophylactic solution against COVID-19.

scholarly journals A Putative Prophylactic Solution for COVID-19: Development of Novel Multiepitope Vaccine Candidate against SARS‐COV‐2 by Comprehensive Immunoinformatic and Molecular Modelling Approach

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hafiz Muzzammel Rehman ◽  
Muhammad Usman Mirza ◽  
Mahjabeen Saleem ◽  
Matheus Froeyen ◽  
Sarfraz Ahmad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Modelling ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Adaptive Immune Response ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vector System ◽  
T Cell Epitopes ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

The outbreak of 2019-novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes severe respiratory infection (COVID-19) has spread in China, and the world health organization declared it pandemic. However, no approved drug or vaccines are available, and treatment is mainly supportive and through a few repurposed drugs. In this urgency situation, development of SARS-CoV-2 based vaccines is immediately required. Immunoinformatic and molecular modelling are generally used time-efficient methods to accelerate the discovery and design of the candidate peptides for vaccine development. In recent years, the use of multiepitope vaccines is proved to be a promising immunization strategy against viruses and pathogens, which induce more comprehensive protective immunity. The current study demonstrated a comprehensive in-silico strategy to design stable multiepitope vaccine construct (MVC) from B-cell and T-cell epitopes of essential SARS-CoV-2 proteins with the help of adjuvants and linkers. The integrated molecular dynamics simulations analysis revealed the stability of MVC and its interaction with human Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which trigger an innate and adaptive immune response. Later, the in-silico cloning in a known pET28a vector system also estimated the possibility of MVC expression in E. Coli. Despite this study lacks validation of this vaccine construct in terms of its efficacy, the current integrated strategy encompasses the initial multiple epitope vaccine design concepts. After validation, this MVC can present to be a better prophylactic solution against COVID-19.

Hierarchy of π-Stacking Determines the Conformational Preference of Bis-Squaraines

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Singh ◽  
Reman K. Singh ◽  
G Naresh Patwari
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Bonding ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Biological Molecules ◽  
Conformational Space ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Simple Strategy ◽  
Induced Folding ◽  
Π Stacking ◽  
Varying Length ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

The rational design of conformationally controlled foldable modules can lead to a deeper insight into the conformational space of complex biological molecules where non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding and π-stacking are known to play a pivotal role. Squaramides are known to have excellent hydrogen bonding capabilities and hence, are ideal molecules for designing foldable modules that can mimic the secondary structures of bio-molecules. The π-stacking induced folding of bis-squaraines tethered using aliphatic primary and secondary-diamine linkers of varying length is explored with a simple strategy of invoking small perturbations involving the length linkers and degree of substitution. Solution phase NMR investigations in combination with molecular dynamics simulations suggest that bis-squaraines predominantly exist as extended conformations. Structures elucidated by X-ray crystallography confirmed a variety of folded and extended secondary conformations including hairpin turns and 𝛽-sheets which are determined by the hierarchy of π-stacking relative to N–H···O hydrogen bonds.

Hierarchy of π-Stacking Determines the Conformational Preference of Bis-Squaraines

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Singh ◽  
Reman K. Singh ◽  
G Naresh Patwari
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Bonding ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Biological Molecules ◽  
Conformational Space ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Simple Strategy ◽  
Induced Folding ◽  
Π Stacking ◽  
Varying Length ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

The rational design of conformationally controlled foldable modules can lead to a deeper insight into the conformational space of complex biological molecules where non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding and π-stacking are known to play a pivotal role. Squaramides are known to have excellent hydrogen bonding capabilities and hence, are ideal molecules for designing foldable modules that can mimic the secondary structures of bio-molecules. The π-stacking induced folding of bis-squaraines tethered using aliphatic primary and secondary-diamine linkers of varying length is explored with a simple strategy of invoking small perturbations involving the length linkers and degree of substitution. Solution phase NMR investigations in combination with molecular dynamics simulations suggest that bis-squaraines predominantly exist as extended conformations. Structures elucidated by X-ray crystallography confirmed a variety of folded and extended secondary conformations including hairpin turns and 𝛽-sheets which are determined by the hierarchy of π-stacking relative to N–H···O hydrogen bonds.

Sequence Specificity Despite Intrinsic Disorder: How a Disease-Associated Val/Met Polymorphism Shifts Tertiary Interactions in a Long Disordered Protein

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruchi Lohia ◽  
Reza Salari ◽  
Grace Brannigan
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Structure ◽  
Electrostatic Interactions ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins ◽  
Disordered Proteins ◽  
Sequence Specificity ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Heterogeneous Polymer ◽  
Non Local ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

<div>The role of electrostatic interactions and mutations that change charge states in intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) is well-established, but many disease-associated mutations in IDPs are charge-neutral. The Val66Met single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) encodes a hydrophobic-to-hydrophobic mutation at the midpoint of the prodomain of precursor brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), one of the earliest SNPs to be associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, for which the underlying molecular mechanism is unknown. Here we report on over 250 μs of fully-atomistic, explicit solvent, temperature replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations of the 91 residue BDNF prodomain, for both the V66 and M66 sequence.</div><div>The simulations were able to correctly reproduce the location of both local and non-local secondary changes due to the Val66Met mutation when compared with NMR spectroscopy. We find that the local structure change is mediated via entropic and sequence specific effects. We show that the highly disordered prodomain can be meaningfully divided into domains based on sequence alone. Monte Carlo simulations of a self-excluding heterogeneous polymer, with monomers representing each domain, suggest the sequence would be effectively segmented by the long, highly disordered polyampholyte near the sequence midpoint. This is qualitatively consistent with observed interdomain contacts within the BDNF prodomain, although contacts between the two segments are enriched relative to the self-excluding polymer. The Val66Met mutation increases interactions across the boundary between the two segments, due in part to a specific Met-Met interaction with a Methionine in the other segment. This effect propagates to cause the non-local change in secondary structure around the second methionine, previously observed in NMR. The effect is not mediated simply via changes in inter-domain contacts but is also dependent on secondary structure formation around residue 66, indicating a mechanism for secondary structure coupling in disordered proteins. </div>

scholarly journals Specific inhibition of the Survivin–CRM1 interaction by peptide-modified molecular tweezers

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annika Meiners ◽  
Sandra Bäcker ◽  
Inesa Hadrović ◽  
Christian Heid ◽  
Christine Beuck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Export ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Nuclear Export Signal ◽  
Signal Interference ◽  
Receptor Interaction ◽  
Dual Function ◽  
Experimental Proof ◽  
Molecular Tweezers ◽  
Recognition Element ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

AbstractSurvivin’s dual function as apoptosis inhibitor and regulator of cell proliferation is mediated via its interaction with the export receptor CRM1. This protein–protein interaction represents an attractive target in cancer research and therapy. Here, we report a sophisticated strategy addressing Survivin’s nuclear export signal (NES), the binding site of CRM1, with advanced supramolecular tweezers for lysine and arginine. These were covalently connected to small peptides resembling the natural, self-complementary dimer interface which largely overlaps with the NES. Several biochemical methods demonstrated sequence-selective NES recognition and interference with the critical receptor interaction. These data were strongly supported by molecular dynamics simulations and multiscale computational studies. Rational design of lysine tweezers equipped with a peptidic recognition element thus allowed to address a previously unapproachable protein surface area. As an experimental proof-of-principle for specific transport signal interference, this concept should be transferable to any protein epitope with a flanking well-accessible lysine.

scholarly journals Molecular modelling of the nucleotide-binding domain of Wilson's disease protein: location of the ATP-binding site, domain dynamics and potential effects of the major disease mutations

2004 ◽  
Vol 382 (1) ◽  
pp. 293-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman G. EFREMOV ◽  
Yuri A. KOSINSKY ◽  
Dmitry E. NOLDE ◽  
Ruslan TSIVKOVSKII ◽  
Alexander S. ARSENIEV ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Molecular Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Molecular Modelling ◽  
Wilson’S Disease ◽  
Wilson's Disease ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Atp Binding ◽  
Disease Mutations ◽  
Disease Protein ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

WNDP (Wilson's disease protein) is a copper-transporting ATPase that plays an essential role in human physiology. Mutations in WNDP result in copper accumulation in tissues and cause a severe hepato-neurological disorder known as Wilson's disease. Several mutations were surmised to affect the nucleotide binding and hydrolysis by WNDP; however, how the nucleotides bind to normal and mutated WNDP remains unknown. To aid such studies, we performed the molecular modelling of the spatial structure and dynamics of the ATP-binding domain of WNDP and its interactions with ATP. The three-dimensional models of this domain in two conformations were built using the X-ray structures of the Ca2+-ATPase in the E1 and E2 states. To study the functional aspects of the models, they were subjected to long-term molecular dynamics simulations in an explicit solvent; similar calculations were performed for the ATP-binding domain of Ca2+-ATPase. In both cases, we found large-scale motions that lead to significant changes of distances between several functionally important residues. The ATP docking revealed two possible modes of ATP binding: via adenosine buried in the cleft near residues H1069, R1151 and D1164, and via phosphate moiety ‘anchored’ by H-bonds with residues in the vicinity of catalytic D1027. Furthermore, interaction of ATP with both sites occurs if they are spatially close to each other. This may be achieved after relative domain motions of the ‘closure’ type observed in molecular dynamics simulations. The results provide a framework for analysis of disease mutations and for future mutagenesis studies.

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