scholarly journals The structural basis of lipid scrambling and inactivation in the endoplasmic reticulum scramblase TMEM16K

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon R. Bushell ◽  
Ashley C.W. Pike ◽  
Maria E. Falzone ◽  
Nils J. G. Rorsman ◽  
Chau M Ta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Chloride Channel ◽  
Autosomal Recessive ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type ◽  
Channel Activity ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
In Cells

AbstractMembranes in cells have defined distributions of lipids in each leaflet, controlled by lipid scramblases and flip/floppases. However, for some intracellular membranes such as the endoplasmic reticulum the scramblases have not been identified. Members of the TMEM16 family have either lipid scramblase and ion channel activity, or specific chloride channel activity. Although TMEM16K is widely distributed and associated with the neurological disorder autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxia type 10 (SCAR10), its location in cells, function and structure are largely uncharacterised. Here we show that TMEM16K is an ER-resident calcium-regulated lipid scramblase. Our crystal structures of TMEM16K show a scramblase fold, with an open lipid transporting groove. Additional structures solved by cryo-EM reveal extensive conformational changes extending from the cytoplasmic to the ER side of the membrane, giving a state with a closed lipid permeation pathway. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that the open-groove conformation is necessary for scramblase activity. Our results suggest mechanisms by which missense variants of TMEM16K could cause SCAR10 ataxia, providing new hypotheses to explore for therapy.

scholarly journals Structural Changes of Sarco/Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase Induced by Rutin Arachidonate: A Molecular Dynamics Study

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 214
Author(s):  
Yoel Rodríguez ◽  
Magdaléna Májeková
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Calcium Ions ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Acid Group ◽  
Bilayer Membrane ◽  
Salt Bridges ◽  
Drug Candidates ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

Sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) maintains the level of calcium concentration in cells by pumping calcium ions from the cytoplasm to the lumen while undergoing substantial conformational changes, which can be stabilized or prevented by various compounds. Here we attempted to clarify the molecular mechanism of action of new inhibitor rutin arachidonate, one of the series of the acylated rutin derivatives. We performed molecular dynamics simulations of SERCA1a protein bound to rutin arachidonate positioned in a pure dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer membrane. Our study predicted the molecular basis for the binding of rutin arachidonate towards SERCA1a in the vicinity of the binding site of calcium ions and near the location of the well-known inhibitor thapsigargin. The stable hydrogen bond between Glu771 and rutin arachidonate plays a key role in the binding. SERCA1a is kept in the E2 conformation preventing the formation of important salt bridges between the side chains of several residues, primarily Glu90 and Lys297. All in all, the structural changes induced by the binding of rutin arachidonate to SERCA1a may shift proton balance near the titrable residues Glu771 and Glu309 into neutral species, hence preventing the binding of calcium ions to the transmembrane binding sites and thus affecting calcium homeostasis. Our results could lead towards the design of new types of inhibitors, potential drug candidates for cancer treatment, which could be anchored to the transmembrane region of SERCA1a by a lipophilic fatty acid group.

Molecular Basis of Glucose Transport Mechanism in Plants

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Balaji Selvam ◽  
Ya-Chi Yu ◽  
Liqing Chen ◽  
Diwakar Shukla
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Free Energy ◽  
Molecular Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Transport Mechanism ◽  
Conformational Dynamics ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Free Energy Barrier ◽  
Transport Cycle ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

<p>The SWEET family belongs to a class of transporters in plants that undergoes large conformational changes to facilitate transport of sugar molecules across the cell membrane. However, the structures of their functionally relevant conformational states in the transport cycle have not been reported. In this study, we have characterized the conformational dynamics and complete transport cycle of glucose in OsSWEET2b transporter using extensive molecular dynamics simulations. Using Markov state models, we estimated the free energy barrier associated with different states as well as 1 for the glucose the transport mechanism. SWEETs undergoes structural transition to outward-facing (OF), Occluded (OC) and inward-facing (IF) and strongly support alternate access transport mechanism. The glucose diffuses freely from outside to inside the cell without causing major conformational changes which means that the conformations of glucose unbound and bound snapshots are exactly same for OF, OC and IF states. We identified a network of hydrophobic core residues at the center of the transporter that restricts the glucose entry to the cytoplasmic side and act as an intracellular hydrophobic gate. The mechanistic predictions from molecular dynamics simulations are validated using site-directed mutagenesis experiments. Our simulation also revealed hourglass like intermediate states making the pore radius narrower at the center. This work provides new fundamental insights into how substrate-transporter interactions actively change the free energy landscape of the transport cycle to facilitate enhanced transport activity.</p>

scholarly journals Studies of Conformational Changes of Tubulin Induced by Interaction with Kinesin Using Atomistic Molecular Dynamics Simulations

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 6709
Author(s):  
Xiao-Xuan Shi ◽  
Peng-Ye Wang ◽  
Hong Chen ◽  
Ping Xie
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Binding Energy ◽  
Molecular Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Weak Interactions ◽  
Molecular Motor ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Calculated Binding Energy ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

The transition between strong and weak interactions of the kinesin head with the microtubule, which is regulated by the change of the nucleotide state of the head, is indispensable for the processive motion of the kinesin molecular motor on the microtubule. Here, using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, the interactions between the kinesin head and tubulin are studied on the basis of the available high-resolution structural data. We found that the strong interaction can induce rapid large conformational changes of the tubulin, whereas the weak interaction cannot. Furthermore, we found that the large conformational changes of the tubulin have a significant effect on the interaction of the tubulin with the head in the weak-microtubule-binding ADP state. The calculated binding energy of the ADP-bound head to the tubulin with the large conformational changes is only about half that of the tubulin without the conformational changes.

scholarly journals On the dynamics of some small structural motifs in rRNA upon ligand binding

2008 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-53
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Rakic ◽  
Petar Mitrasinovic
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Reference Structure ◽  
Base Pairs ◽  
Rna Sequences ◽  
Conformational Model ◽  
Thermodynamic Variables ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

The present study characterizes using molecular dynamics simulations the behavior of the GAA (1186-1188) hairpin triloops with their closing c-g base pairs in large ribonucleoligand complexes (PDB IDs: 1njn, 1nwy, 1jzx). The relative energies of the motifs in the complexes with respect to that in the reference structure (unbound form of rRNA; PDB ID: 1njp) display the trends that agree with those of the conformational parameters reported in a previous study1 utilizing the de novo pseudotorsional (?,?) approach. The RNA regions around the actual RNA-ligand contacts, which experience the most substantial conformational changes upon formation of the complexes were identified. The thermodynamic parameters, based on a two-state conformational model of RNA sequences containing 15, 21 and 27 nucleotides in the immediate vicinity of the particular binding sites, were evaluated. From a more structural standpoint, the strain of a triloop, being far from the specific contacts and interacting primarily with other parts of the ribosome, was established as a structural feature which conforms to the trend of the average values of the thermodynamic variables corresponding to the three motifs defined by the 15-, 21- and 27-nucleotide sequences. From a more functional standpoint, RNA-ligand recognition is suggested to be presumably dictated by the types of ligands in the complexes.

scholarly journals A Wrench in the Works of Human Acetylcholinesterase: Soman Induced Conformational Changes Revealed by Molecular Dynamics Simulations

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. e0121092 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Bennion ◽  
Sebnem G. Essiz ◽  
Edmond Y. Lau ◽  
Jean-Luc Fattebert ◽  
Aiyana Emigh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Molecular Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

scholarly journals Molecular dynamics shows complex interplay and long-range effects of post-translational modifications in yeast protein interactions

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. e1008988
Author(s):  
Nikolina ŠoŠtarić ◽  
Vera van Noort
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Protein Structures ◽  
Cellular Protein ◽  
Free Energy Calculations ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
Post Translational Modifications ◽  
Protein Properties ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) play a vital, yet often overlooked role in the living cells through modulation of protein properties, such as localization and affinity towards their interactors, thereby enabling quick adaptation to changing environmental conditions. We have previously benchmarked a computational framework for the prediction of PTMs’ effects on the stability of protein-protein interactions, which has molecular dynamics simulations followed by free energy calculations at its core. In the present work, we apply this framework to publicly available data on Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein structures and PTM sites, identified in both normal and stress conditions. We predict proteome-wide effects of acetylations and phosphorylations on protein-protein interactions and find that acetylations more frequently have locally stabilizing roles in protein interactions, while the opposite is true for phosphorylations. However, the overall impact of PTMs on protein-protein interactions is more complex than a simple sum of local changes caused by the introduction of PTMs and adds to our understanding of PTM cross-talk. We further use the obtained data to calculate the conformational changes brought about by PTMs. Finally, conservation of the analyzed PTM residues in orthologues shows that some predictions for yeast proteins will be mirrored to other organisms, including human. This work, therefore, contributes to our overall understanding of the modulation of the cellular protein interaction networks in yeast and beyond.

scholarly journals Multimodal tubulin binding by the yeast kinesin-8, Kip3, underlies its motility and depolymerization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo Arellano-Santoyo ◽  
Rogelio A Hernandez-Lopez ◽  
Emma Stokasimov ◽  
Ray YR Wang ◽  
David Pellman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Single Molecule ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Intracellular Transport ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Tubulin Binding ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Spatiotemporal Control ◽  
Unique Ability

The microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton is central to cellular processes including axonal growth, intracellular transport, and cell division, all of which rely on precise spatiotemporal control of MT organization. Kinesin-8s play a key role in regulating MT length by combining highly processive directional motility with MT-end disassembly. However, how kinesin-8 switches between these two apparently opposing activities remains unclear. Here, we define the structural features underlying this molecular switch through cryo-EM analysis of the yeast kinesin-8, Kip3 bound to MTs, and molecular dynamics simulations to approximate the complex of Kip3 with the curved tubulin state found at the MT plus-end. By integrating biochemical and single-molecule biophysical assays, we identified specific intra- and intermolecular interactions that modulate processive motility and MT disassembly. Our findings suggest that Kip3 undergoes conformational changes in response to tubulin curvature that underlie its unique ability to interact differently with the MT lattice than with the MT-end.

scholarly journals Molecular Dynamics Simulations for Conformational Changes on a Reaction Step of SR-Ca2+-ATPase

2018 ◽  
Vol 114 (3) ◽  
pp. 341a
Author(s):  
Chigusa Kobayashi ◽  
Yasuhiro Matsunaga ◽  
Jaewoon Jung ◽  
Yuji Sugita
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Dynamics ◽  
Molecular Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Conformational Changes ◽  
Reaction Step ◽  
Dynamics Simulations
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