scholarly journals Aequorea victoria’s secrets

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard G. Lambert ◽  
Hadrien Depernet ◽  
Guillaume Gotthard ◽  
Darrin T. Schultz ◽  
Isabelle Navizet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blue Light ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Polypeptide Chain ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Transcriptome Assembly ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Aequorea Victoria ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
New Generation

Using mRNA-Seq and de novo transcriptome assembly, we identified, cloned and characterized nine previously undiscovered fluorescent protein (FP) homologs from Aequorea victoria and a related Aequorea species, with most sequences highly divergent from avGFP. Among these FPs are the brightest GFP homolog yet characterized and a reversibly photochromic FP that responds to UV and blue light. Beyond green emitters, Aequorea species express purple- and blue-pigmented chromoproteins (CPs) with absorbances ranging from green to far-red, including two that are photoconvertible. X-ray crystallography revealed that Aequorea CPs contain a chemically novel chromophore with an unexpected crosslink to the main polypeptide chain. Because of the unique attributes of several of these newly discovered FPs, we expect that Aequorea will, once again, give rise to an entirely new generation of useful probes for bioimaging and biosensing.

scholarly journals Aequorea’s secrets revealed: New fluorescent proteins with unique properties for bioimaging and biosensing

PLoS Biology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. e3000936
Author(s):  
Gerard G. Lambert ◽  
Hadrien Depernet ◽  
Guillaume Gotthard ◽  
Darrin T. Schultz ◽  
Isabelle Navizet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Polypeptide Chain ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Fluorescent Proteins ◽  
Transcriptome Assembly ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Green Fluorescent ◽  
New Generation

Using mRNA sequencing and de novo transcriptome assembly, we identified, cloned, and characterized 9 previously undiscovered fluorescent protein (FP) homologs from Aequorea victoria and a related Aequorea species, with most sequences highly divergent from A. victoria green fluorescent protein (avGFP). Among these FPs are the brightest green fluorescent protein (GFP) homolog yet characterized and a reversibly photochromic FP that responds to UV and blue light. Beyond green emitters, Aequorea species express purple- and blue-pigmented chromoproteins (CPs) with absorbances ranging from green to far-red, including 2 that are photoconvertible. X-ray crystallography revealed that Aequorea CPs contain a chemically novel chromophore with an unexpected crosslink to the main polypeptide chain. Because of the unique attributes of several of these newly discovered FPs, we expect that Aequorea will, once again, give rise to an entirely new generation of useful probes for bioimaging and biosensing.

scholarly journals A defined structural unit enables de novo design of small-molecule–binding proteins

Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 369 (6508) ◽  
pp. 1227-1233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas F. Polizzi ◽  
William F. DeGrado
Keyword(s):  
Protein Structure ◽  
Amino Acid ◽  
Small Molecules ◽  
Structural Unit ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Computational Design ◽  
De Novo Design ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Chemical Groups

The de novo design of proteins that bind highly functionalized small molecules represents a great challenge. To enable computational design of binders, we developed a unit of protein structure—a van der Mer (vdM)—that maps the backbone of each amino acid to statistically preferred positions of interacting chemical groups. Using vdMs, we designed six de novo proteins to bind the drug apixaban; two bound with low and submicromolar affinity. X-ray crystallography and mutagenesis confirmed a structure with a precisely designed cavity that forms favorable interactions in the drug–protein complex. vdMs may enable design of functional proteins for applications in sensing, medicine, and catalysis.

scholarly journals A basic introduction to single particles cryo-electron microscopy

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-20
Author(s):  
Vittoria Raimondi ◽  
◽  
Alessandro Grinzato ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Structural Biology ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Computational Power ◽  
Single Particles ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Cryo Electron Microscopy ◽  
First Choice ◽  
New Generation

<abstract> <p>In the last years, cryogenic-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) underwent the most impressive improvement compared to other techniques used in structural biology, such as X-ray crystallography and NMR. Electron microscopy was invented nearly one century ago but, up to the beginning of the last decades, the 3D maps produced through this technique were poorly detailed, justifying the term “blobbology” to appeal to cryo-EM. Recently, thanks to a new generation of microscopes and detectors, more efficient algorithms, and easier access to computational power, single particles cryo-EM can routinely produce 3D structures at resolutions comparable to those obtained with X-ray crystallography. However, unlike X-ray crystallography, which needs crystallized proteins, cryo-EM exploits purified samples in solution, allowing the study of proteins and protein complexes that are hard or even impossible to crystallize. For these reasons, single-particle cryo-EM is often the first choice of structural biologists today. Nevertheless, before starting a cryo-EM experiment, many drawbacks and limitations must be considered. Moreover, in practice, the process between the purified sample and the final structure could be trickier than initially expected. Based on these observations, this review aims to offer an overview of the principal technical aspects and setups to be considered while planning and performing a cryo-EM experiment.</p> </abstract>

scholarly journals Structural analysis of the bright monomeric yellow-green fluorescent protein mNeonGreen obtained by directed evolution

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (12) ◽  
pp. 1298-1307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damien Clavel ◽  
Guillaume Gotthard ◽  
David von Stetten ◽  
Daniele De Sanctis ◽  
Hélène Pasquier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Directed Evolution ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fluorescent Proteins ◽  
Yellow Fluorescent Protein ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Visible Absorption ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Green Fluorescent

Until recently, genes coding for homologues of the autofluorescent protein GFP had only been identified in marine organisms from the phyla Cnidaria and Arthropoda. New fluorescent-protein genes have now been found in the phylum Chordata, coding for particularly bright oligomeric fluorescent proteins such as the tetrameric yellow fluorescent proteinlanYFP fromBranchiostoma lanceolatum. A successful monomerization attempt led to the development of the bright yellow-green fluorescent protein mNeonGreen. The structures oflanYFP and mNeonGreen have been determined and compared in order to rationalize the directed evolution process leading from a bright, tetrameric to a still bright, monomeric fluorescent protein. An unusual discolouration of crystals of mNeonGreen was observed after X-ray data collection, which was investigated using a combination of X-ray crystallography and UV–visible absorption and Raman spectroscopies, revealing the effects of specific radiation damage in the chromophore cavity. It is shown that X-rays rapidly lead to the protonation of the phenolate O atom of the chromophore and to the loss of its planarity at the methylene bridge.

scholarly journals Ensemble-based enzyme design can recapitulate the effects of laboratory directed evolution in silico

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aron Broom ◽  
Rojo V. Rakotoharisoa ◽  
Michael C. Thompson ◽  
Niayesh Zarifi ◽  
Erin Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Directed Evolution ◽  
Protein Design ◽  
Active Site ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Conformational Ensemble ◽  
Enzyme Design ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Conformational Ensembles ◽  
X Ray Crystallography

Abstract The creation of artificial enzymes is a key objective of computational protein design. Although de novo enzymes have been successfully designed, these exhibit low catalytic efficiencies, requiring directed evolution to improve activity. Here, we use room-temperature X-ray crystallography to study changes in the conformational ensemble during evolution of the designed Kemp eliminase HG3 (kcat/KM 146 M−1s−1). We observe that catalytic residues are increasingly rigidified, the active site becomes better pre-organized, and its entrance is widened. Based on these observations, we engineer HG4, an efficient biocatalyst (kcat/KM 103,000 M−1s−1) containing key first and second-shell mutations found during evolution. HG4 structures reveal that its active site is pre-organized and rigidified for efficient catalysis. Our results show how directed evolution circumvents challenges inherent to enzyme design by shifting conformational ensembles to favor catalytically-productive sub-states, and suggest improvements to the design methodology that incorporate ensemble modeling of crystallographic data.

scholarly journals Cevipabulin-tubulin complex reveals a novel agent binding site on α-tubulin with tubulin degradation effect

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (21) ◽  
pp. eabg4168
Author(s):  
Jianhong Yang ◽  
Yamei Yu ◽  
Yong Li ◽  
Wei Yan ◽  
Haoyu Ye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Site ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
The Stability ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Antimicrotubule Drugs ◽  
Degradation Effect ◽  
Microtubule Stabilizing Agent ◽  
Shed Light

Microtubules, composed of αβ-tubulin heterodimers, have remained popular anticancer targets for decades. Six known binding sites on tubulin dimers have been identified thus far, with five sites on β-tubulin and only one site on α-tubulin, hinting that compounds binding to α-tubulin are less well characterized. Cevipabulin, a microtubule-active antitumor clinical candidate, is widely accepted as a microtubule-stabilizing agent by binding to the vinblastine site. Our x-ray crystallography study reveals that, in addition to binding to the vinblastine site, cevipabulin also binds to a new site on α-tubulin. We find that cevipabulin at this site pushes the αT5 loop outward, making the nonexchangeable GTP exchangeable, which reduces the stability of tubulin, leading to its destabilization and degradation. Our results confirm the existence of a new agent binding site on α-tubulin and shed light on the development of tubulin degraders as a new generation of antimicrotubule drugs targeting this novel site.

scholarly journals Cadmium SAD phasing at CuKα wavelength

F1000Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Igor E. Eliseev ◽  
Anna N. Yudenko ◽  
Valeria M. Ukrainskaya ◽  
Oleg B. Chakchir
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Model ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Common Method ◽  
Single Domain Antibody ◽  
Anomalous Diffraction ◽  
Cadmium Ions ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Domain Antibody ◽  
Sad Phasing

Single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) is the most common method for de novo elucidation of macromolecular structures by X-ray crystallography. It requires an anomalous scatterer in a crystal to calculate phases. A recent study by Panneerselvam et al. emphasized the utility of cadmium ions for SAD phasing at the standard synchrotron wavelength of 1 Å. Here we show that cadmium is also useful for phasing of crystals collected in-house with CuKα radiation. Using a crystal of single-domain antibody as an experimental model, we demonstrate how cadmium SAD can be conveniently employed to solve a CuKα dataset. We then discuss the factors which make this method generally applicable.

scholarly journals NMR reveals light-induced changes in the dynamics of a photoswitchable fluorescent protein

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. E. Christou ◽  
I. Ayala ◽  
K. Giandoreggio-Barranco ◽  
M. Byrdin ◽  
V. Adam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nmr Spectroscopy ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Fluorescent Proteins ◽  
Conformational Dynamics ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Dynamic View ◽  
Fluorescent State ◽  
Induced Changes

AbstractThe availability of fluorescent proteins with distinct phototransformation properties is crucial for a wide range of applications in advanced fluorescence microscopy and biotechnology. To rationally design new variants optimized for specific applications, a detailed understanding of the mechanistic features underlying phototransformation is essential. At present, little is known about the conformational dynamics of fluorescent proteins at physiological temperature, and how these dynamics contribute to the observed phototransformation properties. Here, we apply high-resolution NMR spectroscopy in solution combined with in-situ sample illumination at different wavelengths to investigate the conformational dynamics of rsFolder, a GFP-derived protein that can be reversibly switched between a green fluorescent state and a non-fluorescent state. Our results add a dynamic view to the static structures obtained by X-ray crystallography. Including NMR into the analytical toolbox used for fluorescent protein research provides new opportunities for investigating the effect of mutations or changes in the environmental conditions on the conformational dynamics of phototransformable fluorescent proteins, and their correlation with the observed photochemical and photophysical properties.SignificancePhoto-transformable Fluorescent Proteins (PTFPs) are essential tools for super-resolution (SR) microscopy. In practical applications, however, researchers often encounter problems when using PTFPs in a particular cellular context, because the environmental conditions (pH, temperature, redox potential, oxygen level, viscosity, …) affect their brightness, photostability, phototransformation kinetics, etc. Rational fluorescent protein engineering exploits the mechanistic information available from structural studies, mainly X-ray crystallography, in order to design new PTFP variants with improved properties for particular applications. Here we apply NMR spectroscopy in solution to investigate the light-induced changes in conformational dynamics of rsFolder, a reversibly switchable fluorescent protein. The dynamic view offered by NMR highlights protein regions that comprise potentially interesting mutation points for future mutagenesis campaigns.

The need for a new generation of substructure searching software

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul R. Raithby ◽  
Robin Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Molecular Fragments ◽  
Complex Molecules ◽  
Substructure Search ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Crystallography ◽  
Structural Database ◽  
Mechanical Bonds ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Chemistry Community

Advances in synthetic chemistry mean that the molecules now synthesized include increasingly complex entities with mechanical bonds or extensive frameworks. For these complex molecular and supramolecular species, single-crystal X-ray crystallography has proved to be the optimal technique for determining full three-dimensional structures in the solid state. These structures are curated and placed in structural databases, the most comprehensive of which (for organic and metallo–organic structures) is the Cambridge Structural Database. A question of increasing importance is how users can search such databases effectively for these structures. Here some of the classes of complex molecules and supramolecules and the challenges associated with searching for them are highlighted. The idea of substructure searches that involve topological searches as well as searches for molecular fragments is developed, and significant enhancements are proposed to substructure search programs that are both achievable and highly beneficial for both the database user community and the broader chemistry community.

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