Per aspera ad chaos: a personal journey to the wonderland of intrinsic disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 478 (15) ◽  
pp. 3015-3024
Author(s):  
Vladimir N. Uversky
Keyword(s):  
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Intrinsic Disorder ◽  
Structural Heterogeneity ◽  
Disordered Proteins ◽  
Personal Journey ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Conformational Plasticity ◽  
Personal Accounts ◽  
The Mind

This perspective article describes some of the key points of my personal journey through the intriguing world of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). It also shows the evolution of my perception of functional proteins from a standard lock-and-key theory, where a unique function is defined by a unique 3D structure, to the structure–function continuum model, where the structural heterogeneity and conformational plasticity of IDPs define their remarkable multifunctionality and binding promiscuity. These personal accounts of the difficult and lengthy transition from order to disorder paralleled the uneasy and challenging transition in the mind of the scientific community from disbelief in intrinsic disorder to acceptance of IDPs as real entities that play critical biological roles. I hope that this perspective will be of interest to the readers of this journal.

Molecular simulations of protein disorderThis paper is one of a selection of papers published in this special issue entitled “Canadian Society of Biochemistry, Molecular & Cellular Biology 52nd Annual Meeting — Protein Folding: Principles and Diseases” and has undergone the Journal's usual peer review process.

2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Rauscher ◽  
Régis Pomès
Keyword(s):  
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins ◽  
Peer Review Process ◽  
Structural Heterogeneity ◽  
Disordered Proteins ◽  
Cellular Biology ◽  
Protein Disorder ◽  
Conformational Ensembles ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Simulation Techniques ◽  
Selection Of

Protein disorder is abundant in proteomes throughout all kingdoms of life and serves many biologically important roles. Disordered states of proteins are challenging to study experimentally due to their structural heterogeneity and tendency to aggregate. Computer simulations, which are not impeded by these properties, have recently emerged as a useful tool to characterize the conformational ensembles of intrinsically disordered proteins. In this review, we provide a survey of computational studies of protein disorder with an emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of these studies. The application of simulation techniques to the study of disordered states is described in the context of experimental and bioinformatics approaches. Experimental data can be incorporated into simulations, and simulations can provide predictions for experiment. In this way, simulations have been integrated into the existing methodologies for the study of disordered state ensembles. We provide recent examples of simulations of disordered states from the literature and our own work. Throughout the review, we emphasize important predictions and biophysical understanding made possible through the use of simulations. This review is intended as both an overview and a guide for structural biologists and theoretical biophysicists seeking accurate, atomic-level descriptions of disordered state ensembles.

scholarly journals Intrinsically Disordered Proteins in Chronic Diseases

Biomolecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prakash Kulkarni ◽  
Vladimir Uversky
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Human Proteome ◽  
Disordered Proteins ◽  
3D Structures ◽  
Physiological Conditions ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered

It is now increasingly evident that a large fraction of the human proteome comprises proteins that, under physiological conditions, lack fixed, ordered 3D structures as a whole or have segments that are not likely to form a defined 3D structure [...]

scholarly journals Roles, Characteristics, and Analysis of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins: A Minireview

Life ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 320
Author(s):  
Frederik Lermyte
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Amino Acid Sequence ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins ◽  
Intrinsic Disorder ◽  
Disordered Proteins ◽  
Dynamic Nature ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Unfolded State ◽  
Underlying Causes

In recent years, there has been a growing understanding that a significant fraction of the eukaryotic proteome is intrinsically disordered, and that these conformationally dynamic proteins play a myriad of vital biological roles in both normal and pathological states. In this review, selected examples of intrinsically disordered proteins are highlighted, with particular attention for a few which are relevant in neurological disorders and in viral infection. Next, the underlying causes for intrinsic disorder are discussed, along with computational methods used to predict whether a given amino acid sequence is likely to adopt a folded or unfolded state in solution. Finally, biophysical methods for the analysis of intrinsically disordered proteins will be discussed, as well as the unique challenges they pose in this context due to their highly dynamic nature.

scholarly journals Intrinsic disorder is an essential characteristic of components in the conserved circadian circuit

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline F. Pelham ◽  
Jay C. Dunlap ◽  
Jennifer M. Hurley
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Neurospora Crassa ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins ◽  
Intrinsic Disorder ◽  
Cellular Systems ◽  
Disordered Proteins ◽  
Circadian Timing ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
The Core

Abstract Introduction The circadian circuit, a roughly 24 h molecular feedback loop, or clock, is conserved from bacteria to animals and allows for enhanced organismal survival by facilitating the anticipation of the day/night cycle. With circadian regulation reportedly impacting as high as 80% of protein coding genes in higher eukaryotes, the protein-based circadian clock broadly regulates physiology and behavior. Due to the extensive interconnection between the clock and other cellular systems, chronic disruption of these molecular rhythms leads to a decrease in organismal fitness as well as an increase of disease rates in humans. Importantly, recent research has demonstrated that proteins comprising the circadian clock network display a significant amount of intrinsic disorder. Main body In this work, we focus on the extent of intrinsic disorder in the circadian clock and its potential mechanistic role in circadian timing. We highlight the conservation of disorder by quantifying the extent of computationally-predicted protein disorder in the core clock of the key eukaryotic circadian model organisms Drosophila melanogaster, Neurospora crassa, and Mus musculus. We further examine previously published work, as well as feature novel experimental evidence, demonstrating that the core negative arm circadian period drivers FREQUENCY (Neurospora crassa) and PERIOD-2 (PER2) (Mus musculus), possess biochemical characteristics of intrinsically disordered proteins. Finally, we discuss the potential contributions of the inherent biophysical principals of intrinsically disordered proteins that may explain the vital mechanistic roles they play in the clock to drive their broad evolutionary conservation in circadian timekeeping. Conclusion The pervasive conservation of disorder amongst the clock in the crown eukaryotes suggests that disorder is essential for optimal circadian timing from fungi to animals, providing vital homeostatic cellular maintenance and coordinating organismal physiology across phylogenetic kingdoms. Graphical abstract

scholarly journals Assemblages: Functional units formed by cellular phase separation

2014 ◽  
Vol 206 (5) ◽  
pp. 579-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Toretsky ◽  
Peter E. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Phase Separation ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins ◽  
Intrinsic Disorder ◽  
Low Complexity ◽  
Disordered Proteins ◽  
Intracellular Space ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered Regions ◽  
Disease States ◽  
Membrane Bound

The partitioning of intracellular space beyond membrane-bound organelles can be achieved with collections of proteins that are multivalent or contain low-complexity, intrinsically disordered regions. These proteins can undergo a physical phase change to form functional granules or other entities within the cytoplasm or nucleoplasm that collectively we term “assemblage.” Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) play an important role in forming a subset of cellular assemblages by promoting phase separation. Recent work points to an involvement of assemblages in disease states, indicating that intrinsic disorder and phase transitions should be considered in the development of therapeutics.

NOT THAT RIGID MIDGETS AND NOT SO FLEXIBLE GIANTS: ON THE ABUNDANCE AND ROLES OF INTRINSIC DISORDER IN SHORT AND LONG PROTEINS

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (04) ◽  
pp. 471-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARK HOWELL ◽  
RYAN GREEN ◽  
ALEXIS KILLEEN ◽  
LAMAR WEDDERBURN ◽  
VINCENT PICASCIO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Intrinsic Disorder ◽  
Amino Acid Sequences ◽  
Disordered Proteins ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Eukaryotic Proteins ◽  
Disordered Regions

Intrinsically disordered proteins or proteins with disordered regions are very common in nature. These proteins have numerous biological functions which are complementary to the biological activities of traditional ordered proteins. A noticeable difference in the amino acid sequences encoding long and short disordered regions was found and this difference was used in the development of length-dependent predictors of intrinsic disorder. In this study, we analyze the scaling of intrinsic disorder in eukaryotic proteins and investigate the presence of length-dependent functions attributed to proteins containing long disordered regions.

scholarly journals Disorder Atlas: web-based software for the proteome-based interpretation of intrinsic disorder predictions

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Vincent ◽  
Santiago Schnell
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Intrinsic Disorder ◽  
Query Protein ◽  
Disordered Proteins ◽  
Dimensional Structure ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Eukaryotic Proteomes

AbstractIntrinsically disordered proteins lack a stable three-dimensional structure under physiological conditions. While this property has gained considerable interest within the past two decades, disorder poses substantial challenges to experimental characterization efforts. In effect, numerous computational tools have been developed to predict disorder from primary sequences, however, interpreting the output of these algorithms remains a challenge. To begin to bridge this gap, we present Disorder Atlas, web-based software that facilitates the interpretation of intrinsic disorder predictions using proteome-based descriptive statistics. This service is also equipped to facilitate large-scale systematic exploratory searches for proteins encompassing disorder features of interest, and further allows users to browse the prevalence of multiple disorder features at the proteome level. As a result, Disorder Atlas provides a user-friendly tool that places algorithm-generated disorder predictions in the context of the proteome, thereby providing an instrument to compare the results of a query protein against predictions made for an entire population. Disorder Atlas currently supports ten eukaryotic proteomes and is freely available for non-commercial users at http://www.disorderatlas.org.

scholarly journals Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry Measures the Conformational Landscape of p27 and Its Domains and How This Is Modulated upon Interaction with Cdk2/cyclin A

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Beveridge ◽  
Lukasz Migas ◽  
Richard Kriwacki ◽  
Perdita E. Barran
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Ion Mobility ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered Proteins ◽  
Dynamic Properties ◽  
Cyclin A ◽  
Structural Heterogeneity ◽  
Disordered Proteins ◽  
Intrinsically Disordered ◽  
Trimeric Complex ◽  
Conformational Landscape

Intrinsically disordered proteins have been reported to undergo ‘disorder to order’ transitions upon binding to their partners in the cell. The extent of the ordering on binding and the lack of order prior to binding is difficult to visualize with classical structure determination methods. Binding of p27 to the Cdk2/cyclin A complex is accompanied by partial folding of p27 in the KID domain, with the retention of dynamic behaviour for function, particularly in the C-terminal half of the protein, positioning it as an exemplary system to probe conformational diversity. Here we employ native ion mobility with mass spectrometry (IM-MS) to measure the intrinsic dynamic properties of p27, both in isolation and within the trimeric complex with Cdk2/cyclin A. This stepwise approach reveals the conformational distributions of the constituent proteins and how they are restructured on complex formation; the trimeric Cdk2/cyclin A/p27-KID complex possesses significant structural heterogeneity cf. Cdk2/cyclin A. These findings support the formation of a fuzzy complex in which both the N and C termini of p27 interact with Cdk2/cyclin A in multiple closely associated states.

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