scholarly journals Entropic effects enable life at extreme temperatures

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. eaaw4783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Hun Kim ◽  
Geoffray Leriche ◽  
Karthik Diraviyam ◽  
Takaoki Koyanagi ◽  
Kaifu Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Membrane Dynamics ◽  
Extreme Temperatures ◽  
Molecular Interpretation ◽  
Dynamics And Function ◽  
Membrane Spanning ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
And Function

Maintaining membrane integrity is a challenge at extreme temperatures. Biochemical synthesis of membrane-spanning lipids is one adaptation that organisms such as thermophilic archaea have evolved to meet this challenge and preserve vital cellular function at high temperatures. The molecular-level details of how these tethered lipids affect membrane dynamics and function, however, remain unclear. Using synthetic monolayer-forming lipids with transmembrane tethers, here, we reveal that lipid tethering makes membrane permeation an entropically controlled process that helps to limit membrane leakage at elevated temperatures relative to bilayer-forming lipid membranes. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations support a view that permeation through membranes made of tethered lipids reduces the torsional entropy of the lipids and leads to tighter lipid packing, providing a molecular interpretation for the increased transition-state entropy of leakage.

scholarly journals Roughness of a transmembrane peptide reduces lipid membrane dynamics

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Olšinová ◽  
Piotr Jurkiewicz ◽  
Jan Sýkora ◽  
Ján Sabó ◽  
Martin Hof ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rough Surface ◽  
Lipid Membrane ◽  
Cholesterol Content ◽  
Membrane Dynamics ◽  
Membrane Properties ◽  
Helical Structures ◽  
Transmembrane Peptides ◽  
Acyl Chains ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
And Function

Transmembrane domains integrate proteins into cellular membranes and support their function. The capacity of these prevalently a-helical structures in mammals to influence membrane properties is poorly understood. Combining experiments with molecular dynamics simulations, we provide evidence that helical transmembrane peptides with their rough surface reduce lateral mobility of membrane constituents. The molecular mechanism involves trapping of lipid acyl chains on the rough surface and segregation of cholesterol from the vicinity of peptides. The observations are supported by our toy model indicating strong effect of rough objects on membrane dynamics. Herein described effect has implications for the organization and function of biological membranes, especially the plasma membrane with high cholesterol content.

A Robotics Approach to Enhance Conformational Sampling of Proteins

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Cortés ◽  
Ibrahim Al-Bluwi
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Computational Methods ◽  
Conformational Space ◽  
Conformational Sampling ◽  
Biological Macromolecules ◽  
Dynamics And Function ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

Proteins are biological macromolecules that play essential roles in living organisms. Furthermore, the study of proteins and their function is of interest in other fields in addition to biology, such as pharmacology and biotechnology. Understanding the relationship between protein structure, dynamics and function is indispensable for advances in all these areas. This requires a combination of experimental and computational methods, whose development is the object of very active interdisciplinary research. In such a context, this paper presents a technique to enhance conformational sampling of proteins carried out with computational methods such as molecular dynamics simulations or Monte Carlo methods. Our approach is based on a mechanistic representation of proteins that enables the application of efficient methods originating from robotics. The paper explains the generalities of the approach, and gives details on its application to devise Monte Carlo move classes. Results show the good performance of the method for sampling the conformational space of different types of proteins.

scholarly journals Membrane perforation by the pore-forming toxin pneumolysin

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (27) ◽  
pp. 13352-13357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Vögele ◽  
Ramachandra M. Bhaskara ◽  
Estefania Mulvihill ◽  
Katharina van Pee ◽  
Özkan Yildiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Membranes ◽  
Pore Formation ◽  
Line Tension ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Membrane Pore ◽  
Membrane Pores ◽  
Membrane Perforation ◽  
Membrane Spanning ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
Key Steps

Pneumolysin (PLY), a major virulence factor ofStreptococcus pneumoniae, perforates cholesterol-rich lipid membranes. PLY protomers oligomerize as rings on the membrane and then undergo a structural transition that triggers the formation of membrane pores. Structures of PLY rings in prepore and pore conformations define the beginning and end of this transition, but the detailed mechanism of pore formation remains unclear. With atomistic and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we resolve key steps during PLY pore formation. Our simulations confirm critical PLY membrane-binding sites identified previously by mutagenesis. The transmembrane β-hairpins of the PLY pore conformation are stable only for oligomers, forming a curtain-like membrane-spanning β-sheet. Its hydrophilic inner face draws water into the protein–lipid interface, forcing lipids to recede. For PLY rings, this zone of lipid clearance expands into a cylindrical membrane pore. The lipid plug caught inside the PLY ring can escape by lipid efflux via the lower leaflet. If this path is too slow or blocked, the pore opens by membrane buckling, driven by the line tension acting on the detached rim of the lipid plug. Interestingly, PLY rings are just wide enough for the plug to buckle spontaneously in mammalian membranes. In a survey of electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) and atomic force microscopy images, we identify key intermediates along both the efflux and buckling pathways to pore formation, as seen in the simulations.

scholarly journals Implicit modeling of the impact of adsorption on solid surfaces for protein mechanics and activity with a coarse-grain representation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Bourassin ◽  
Marc Baaden ◽  
Elisabeth Lojou ◽  
Sophie Sacquin-Mora
Keyword(s):  
Brownian Dynamics ◽  
Immobilized Enzymes ◽  
Protein Mechanics ◽  
Local Flexibility ◽  
Implicit Modeling ◽  
Dynamics And Function ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
And Function ◽  
Brownian Dynamics Simulations ◽  
The Impact

AbstractSurface immobilized enzymes play a key role in numerous biotechnological applications such as biosensors, biofuel cells or biocatalytic synthesis. As a consequence, the impact of adsorption on the enzyme structure, dynamics and function needs to be understood on the molecular level as it is critical for the improvement of these technologies. With this perspective in mind, we used a theoretical approach for investigating protein local flexibility on the residue scale that couples a simplified protein representation with an elastic network and Brownian Dynamics simulations. The protein adsorption on a solid surface is implicitly modeled via additional external constraints between the residues in contact with the surface. We first performed calculations on a redox enzyme, bilirubin oxidase (BOD) from M. verrucaria, to study the impact of adsorption on its mechanical properties. The resulting rigidity profiles show that, in agreement with the available experimental data, the mechanical variations observed in the adsorbed BOD will depend on its orientation and its anchor residues (i.e. residues that are in contact with the functionalized surface). Additional calculations on ribonuclease A and nitroreductase shed light on how seemingly stable adsorbed enzymes can nonetheless display an important decrease in their catalytic activity resulting from a perturbation of their mechanics and internal dynamics.

scholarly journals New insights into structure and function of bis-phosphinic acid derivatives and implications for CFTR modulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Bitam ◽  
Ahmad Elbahnsi ◽  
Geordie Creste ◽  
Iwona Pranke ◽  
Benoit Chevalier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phosphinic Acid ◽  
Site Directed Mutagenesis ◽  
Side Chain ◽  
Transmembrane Conductance Regulator ◽  
Intracellular Loop ◽  
Respiratory Cells ◽  
Cftr Protein ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
And Function ◽  
Molecular Mode

AbstractC407 is a compound that corrects the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein carrying the p.Phe508del (F508del) mutation. We investigated the corrector effect of c407 and its derivatives on F508del-CFTR protein. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations combined with site-directed mutagenesis suggested that c407 stabilizes the F508del-Nucleotide Binding Domain 1 (NBD1) during the co-translational folding process by occupying the position of the p.Phe1068 side chain located at the fourth intracellular loop (ICL4). After CFTR domains assembly, c407 occupies the position of the missing p.Phe508 side chain. C407 alone or in combination with the F508del-CFTR corrector VX-809, increased CFTR activity in cell lines but not in primary respiratory cells carrying the F508del mutation. A structure-based approach resulted in the synthesis of an extended c407 analog G1, designed to improve the interaction with ICL4. G1 significantly increased CFTR activity and response to VX-809 in primary nasal cells of F508del homozygous patients. Our data demonstrate that in-silico optimized c407 derivative G1 acts by a mechanism different from the reference VX-809 corrector and provide insights into its possible molecular mode of action. These results pave the way for novel strategies aiming to optimize the flawed ICL4–NBD1 interface.

scholarly journals Modeled 3D-Structures of Proteobacterial Transglycosylases from Glycoside Hydrolase Family 17 Give Insight in Ligand Interactions Explaining Differences in Transglycosylation Products

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 4048
Author(s):  
Javier A. Linares-Pastén ◽  
Lilja Björk Jonsdottir ◽  
Gudmundur O. Hreggvidsson ◽  
Olafur H. Fridjonsson ◽  
Hildegard Watzlawick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Glycoside Hydrolase ◽  
Ligand Docking ◽  
Glycoside Hydrolase Family ◽  
Ligand Interactions ◽  
Tim Barrel ◽  
Branching Point ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
And Function ◽  
Hydrolase Family

The structures of glycoside hydrolase family 17 (GH17) catalytic modules from modular proteins in the ndvB loci in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Glt1), P. putida (Glt3) and Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens (previously B. japonicum) (Glt20) were modeled to shed light on reported differences between these homologous transglycosylases concerning substrate size, preferred cleavage site (from reducing end (Glt20: DP2 product) or non-reducing end (Glt1, Glt3: DP4 products)), branching (Glt20) and linkage formed (1,3-linkage in Glt1, Glt3 and 1,6-linkage in Glt20). Hybrid models were built and stability of the resulting TIM-barrel structures was supported by molecular dynamics simulations. Catalytic amino acids were identified by superimposition of GH17 structures, and function was verified by mutagenesis using Glt20 as template (i.e., E120 and E209). Ligand docking revealed six putative subsites (−4, −3, −2, −1, +1 and +2), and the conserved interacting residues suggest substrate binding in the same orientation in all three transglycosylases, despite release of the donor oligosaccharide product from either the reducing (Glt20) or non-reducing end (Glt1, Gl3). Subsites +1 and +2 are most conserved and the difference in release is likely due to changes in loop structures, leading to loss of hydrogen bonds in Glt20. Substrate docking in Glt20 indicate that presence of covalently bound donor in glycone subsites −4 to −1 creates space to accommodate acceptor oligosaccharide in alternative subsites in the catalytic cleft, promoting a branching point and formation of a 1,6-linkage. The minimum donor size of DP5, can be explained assuming preferred binding of DP4 substrates in subsite −4 to −1, preventing catalysis.

scholarly journals Cryo-EM structure and dynamics of the green-light absorbing proteorhodopsin

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Hirschi ◽  
David Kalbermatter ◽  
Zöhre Ucurum ◽  
Thomas Lemmin ◽  
Dimitrios Fotiadis
Keyword(s):  
Proton Translocation ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Green Light ◽  
Proton Donor ◽  
Molecular Organization ◽  
Primary Proton ◽  
Proton Pumps ◽  
Model Protein ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
And Function

AbstractThe green-light absorbing proteorhodopsin (GPR) is the archetype of bacterial light-driven proton pumps. Here, we present the 2.9 Å cryo-EM structure of pentameric GPR, resolving important residues of the proton translocation pathway and the oligomerization interface. Superposition with the structure of a close GPR homolog and molecular dynamics simulations reveal conformational variations, which regulate the solvent access to the intra- and extracellular half channels harbouring the primary proton donor E109 and the proposed proton release group E143. We provide a mechanism for the structural rearrangements allowing hydration of the intracellular half channel, which are triggered by changing the protonation state of E109. Functional characterization of selected mutants demonstrates the importance of the molecular organization around E109 and E143 for GPR activity. Furthermore, we present evidence that helices involved in the stabilization of the protomer interfaces serve as scaffolds for facilitating the motion of the other helices. Combined with the more constrained dynamics of the pentamer compared to the monomer, these observations illustrate the previously demonstrated functional significance of GPR oligomerization. Overall, this work provides molecular insights into the structure, dynamics and function of the proteorhodopsin family that will benefit the large scientific community employing GPR as a model protein.

scholarly journals Prediction of Functional Consequences of Missense Mutations in ANO4 Gene

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2732
Author(s):  
Nadine Reichhart ◽  
Vladimir M. Milenkovic ◽  
Christian H. Wetzel ◽  
Olaf Strauß
Keyword(s):  
Transmembrane Protein ◽  
Functional Characterization ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Mutant Proteins ◽  
Functional Consequences ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Dynamics Simulations ◽  
And Function

The anoctamin (TMEM16) family of transmembrane protein consists of ten members in vertebrates, which act as Ca2+-dependent ion channels and/or Ca2+-dependent scramblases. ANO4 which is primarily expressed in the CNS and certain endocrine glands, has been associated with various neuronal disorders. Therefore, we focused our study on prioritizing missense mutations that are assumed to alter the structure and stability of ANO4 protein. We employed a wide array of evolution and structure based in silico prediction methods to identify potentially deleterious missense mutations in the ANO4 gene. Identified pathogenic mutations were then mapped to the modeled human ANO4 structure and the effects of missense mutations were studied on the atomic level using molecular dynamics simulations. Our data show that the G80A and A500T mutations significantly alter the stability of the mutant proteins, thus providing new perspective on the role of missense mutations in ANO4 gene. Results obtained in this study may help to identify disease associated mutations which affect ANO4 protein structure and function and might facilitate future functional characterization of ANO4.

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