scholarly journals Susceptibility of Protein Methionine Oxidation in Response to Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment–Ex Vivo Versus In Vitro: A Computational Insight

Antioxidants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 987
Author(s):  
Juan C. Aledo ◽  
Pablo Aledo

Methionine oxidation plays a relevant role in cell signaling. Recently, we built a database containing thousands of proteins identified as sulfoxidation targets. Using this resource, we have now developed a computational approach aimed at characterizing the oxidation of human methionyl residues. We found that proteins oxidized in both cell-free preparations (in vitro) and inside living cells (ex vivo) were enriched in methionines and intrinsically disordered regions. However, proteins oxidized ex vivo tended to be larger and less abundant than those oxidized in vitro. Another distinctive feature was their subcellular localizations. Thus, nuclear and mitochondrial proteins were preferentially oxidized ex vivo but not in vitro. The nodes corresponding with ex vivo and in vitro oxidized proteins in a network based on gene ontology terms showed an assortative mixing suggesting that ex vivo oxidized proteins shared among them molecular functions and biological processes. This was further supported by the observation that proteins from the ex vivo set were co-regulated more often than expected by chance. We also investigated the sequence environment of oxidation sites. Glutamate and aspartate were overrepresented in these environments regardless the group. In contrast, tyrosine, tryptophan and histidine were clearly avoided but only in the environments of the ex vivo sites. A hypothetical mechanism of methionine oxidation accounts for these observations presented.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vikas A. Tillu ◽  
James Rae ◽  
Ya Gao ◽  
Nicholas Ariotti ◽  
Matthias Floetenmeyer ◽  
...  

AbstractCaveolae are spherically shaped nanodomains of the plasma membrane, generated by cooperative assembly of caveolin and cavin proteins. Cavins are cytosolic peripheral membrane proteins with negatively charged intrinsically disordered regions that flank positively charged α-helical regions. Here, we show that the three disordered domains of Cavin1 are essential for caveola formation and dynamic trafficking of caveolae. Electrostatic interactions between disordered regions and α-helical regions promote liquid-liquid phase separation behaviour of Cavin1 in vitro, assembly of Cavin1 oligomers in solution, generation of membrane curvature, association with caveolin-1, and Cavin1 recruitment to caveolae in cells. Removal of the first disordered region causes irreversible gel formation in vitro and results in aberrant caveola trafficking through the endosomal system. We propose a model for caveola assembly whereby fuzzy electrostatic interactions between Cavin1 and caveolin-1 proteins, combined with membrane lipid interactions, are required to generate membrane curvature and a metastable caveola coat.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian R. Villagomez ◽  
Juan D. Diaz-Valencia ◽  
Erasmo Ovalle-García ◽  
Armando Antillón ◽  
Iván Ortega-Blake ◽  
...  

AbstractCell spreading and phagocytosis are notably regulated by small GTPases and GAP proteins. TBC1D10C is a dual inhibitory protein with GAP activity. In immune cells, TBC1D10C is one of the elements regulating lymphocyte activation. However, its specific role in macrophages remains unknown. Here, we show that TBC1D10C engages in functions dependent on the cytoskeleton and plasma membrane reorganization. Using ex vivo and in vitro assays, we found that elimination and overexpression of TBC1D10C modified the cytoskeletal architecture of macrophages by decreasing and increasing the spreading ability of these cells, respectively. In addition, TBC1D10C overexpression contributed to higher phagocytic activity against Burkholderia cenocepacia and to increased cell membrane tension. Furthermore, by performing in vitro and in silico analyses, we identified 27 TBC1D10C-interacting proteins, some of which were functionally classified as protein complexes involved in cytoskeletal dynamics. Interestingly, we identified one unreported TBC1D10C-intrinsically disordered region (IDR) with biological potential at the cytoskeleton level. Our results demonstrate that TBC1D10C shapes macrophage activity by inducing reorganization of the cytoskeleton-plasma membrane in cell spreading and phagocytosis. We anticipate our results will be the basis for further studies focused on TBC1D10C. For example, the specific molecular mechanism in Burkholderia cenocepacia phagocytosis and functional analysis of TBC1D10C-IDR are needed to further understand its role in health and disease.


eLife ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew W Parker ◽  
Maren Bell ◽  
Mustafa Mir ◽  
Jonchee A Kao ◽  
Xavier Darzacq ◽  
...  

The initiation of DNA replication in metazoans occurs at thousands of chromosomal sites known as origins. At each origin, the Origin Recognition Complex (ORC), Cdc6, and Cdt1 co-assemble to load the Mcm2-7 replicative helicase onto chromatin. Current replication models envisage a linear arrangement of isolated origins functioning autonomously; the extent of inter-origin organization and communication is unknown. Here, we report that the replication initiation machinery of D. melanogaster unexpectedly undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) upon binding DNA in vitro. We find that ORC, Cdc6, and Cdt1 contain intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) that drive LLPS and constitute a new class of phase separating elements. Initiator IDRs are shown to regulate multiple functions, including chromosome recruitment, initiator-specific co-assembly, and Mcm2-7 loading. These data help explain how CDK activity controls replication initiation and suggest that replication programs are subject to higher-order levels of inter-origin organization.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilton T. Snead ◽  
Wade F. Zeno ◽  
Grace Kago ◽  
Ryan W. Perkins ◽  
J Blair Richter ◽  
...  

SummaryCylindrical protein scaffolds are thought to stabilize membrane tubules, preventing membrane fission. In contrast, Snead et al. find that when scaffold proteins assemble, bulky disordered domains within them become acutely concentrated, generating steric pressure that destabilizes tubules, driving fission.AbstractCellular membranes are continuously remodeled. The crescent-shaped bin-amphiphysinrvs (BAR) domains remodel membranes in multiple cellular pathways. Based on studies of BAR domains in isolation, the current paradigm is that they polymerize into cylindrical scaffolds that stabilize lipid tubules, preventing membrane fission. But in nature BAR domains are often part of multi-domain proteins that contain large intrinsically-disordered regions. Using in vitro and live cell assays, here we show that full-length BAR domain-containing proteins, rather than stabilizing membrane tubules, are instead surprisingly potent drivers of membrane fission. Specifically, when BAR scaffolds assemble at membrane surfaces, their bulky disordered domains become crowded, generating steric pressure that destabilizes lipid tubules. More broadly, we observe this behavior with BAR domains that have a range of curvatures. These data challenge the idea that cellular membranes adopt the curvature of BAR scaffolds, suggesting instead that the ability to concentrate disordered domains is the key requirement for membrane remodeling and fission by BAR domain-containing proteins.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmond R. Watson ◽  
Christy R. R. Grace ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Darcie J. Miller ◽  
Iain F. Davidson ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTUbiquitin-mediated proteolysis is a fundamental mechanism used by eukaryotic cells to maintain homeostasis and protein quality, and to control timing in biological processes. Two essential aspects of ubiquitin regulation are conjugation through E1-E2-E3 enzymatic cascades, and recognition by ubiquitin-binding domains. An emerging theme in the ubiquitin field is that these two properties are often amalgamated in conjugation enzymes. In addition to covalent thioester linkage to ubiquitin’s C-terminus for ubiquitin transfer reactions, conjugation enzymes often bind non-covalently and weakly to ubiquitin at “exosites”. However, identification of such sites is typically empirical and particularly challenging in large molecular machines. Here, studying the 1.2 MDa E3 ligase Anaphase-Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C), which controls cell division and many aspects of neurobiology, we discover a method for identifying unexpected ubiquitin-binding sites. Using a panel of ubiquitin variants (UbVs) we identify a protein-based inhibitor that blocks ubiquitin ligation to APC/C substrates in vitro and ex vivo. Biochemistry, NMR, and cryo EM structurally define the UbV interaction, explain its inhibitory activity through binding the surface on the APC2 subunit that recruits the E2 enzyme UBE2C, and ultimately reveal that this APC2 surface is also a ubiquitin-binding exosite with preference for K48-linked chains. The results provide a new tool for probing APC/C activity, have implications for the coordination of K48-linked Ub chain binding by APC/C with the multistep process of substrate polyubiquitylation, and demonstrate the power of UbV technology for identifying cryptic ubiquitin binding sites within large multiprotein complexes.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTUbiquitin-mediated interactions influence numerous biological processes. These are often transient or a part of multivalent interactions. Therefore, unmasking these interactions remains a significant challenge for large, complicated enzymes such as the Anaphase-Promoting Complex/Cyclosome (APC/C), a multisubunit RING E3 ubiquitin (Ub) ligase. APC/C activity regulates numerous facets of biology by targeting key regulatory proteins for Ub-mediated degradation. Using a series of Ub variants (UbVs), we identified a new Ub-binding site on the APC/C that preferentially binds to K48-linked Ub chains. More broadly, we demonstrate a workflow that can be exploited to uncover Ub-binding sites within ubiquitylation machinery and other associated regulatory proteins to interrogate the complexity of the Ub code in biology.


mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire M. Metrick ◽  
Andrea L. Koenigsberg ◽  
Ekaterina E. Heldwein

ABSTRACT A distinguishing morphological feature of all herpesviruses is the multiprotein tegument layer located between the nucleocapsid and lipid envelope of the virion. Tegument proteins play multiple roles in viral replication, including viral assembly, but we do not yet understand their individual functions or how the tegument is assembled and organized. UL11, the smallest tegument protein, is important for several distinct processes in replication, including efficient virion morphogenesis and cell-cell spread. However, the mechanistic understanding of its role in these and other processes is limited in part by the scant knowledge of its biochemical and structural properties. Here, we report that UL11 from herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is an intrinsically disordered, conformationally dynamic protein that undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in vitro. Intrinsic disorder may underlie the ability of UL11 to exert multiple functions and bind multiple partners. Sequence analysis suggests that not only all UL11 homologs but also all HSV-1 tegument proteins contain intrinsically disordered regions of different lengths. The presence of intrinsic disorder, and potentially, the ability to form LLPS, may thus be a common feature of the tegument proteins. We hypothesize that tegument assembly may involve the formation of a biomolecular condensate, driven by the heterogeneous mixture of intrinsically disordered tegument proteins. IMPORTANCE Herpesvirus virions contain a unique tegument layer sandwiched between the capsid and lipid envelope and composed of multiple copies of about two dozen viral proteins. However, little is known about the structure of the tegument or how it is assembled. Here, we show that a conserved tegument protein UL11 from herpes simplex virus 1, a prototypical alphaherpesvirus, is an intrinsically disordered protein that undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation in vitro. Through sequence analysis, we find intrinsically disordered regions of different lengths in all HSV-1 tegument proteins. We hypothesize that intrinsic disorder is a common characteristic of tegument proteins and propose a new model of tegument as a biomolecular condensate.


2018 ◽  
Vol 218 (2) ◽  
pp. 664-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilton T. Snead ◽  
Wade F. Zeno ◽  
Grace Kago ◽  
Ryan W. Perkins ◽  
J Blair Richter ◽  
...  

Cellular membranes are continuously remodeled. The crescent-shaped bin-amphiphysin-rvs (BAR) domains remodel membranes in multiple cellular pathways. Based on studies of isolated BAR domains in vitro, the current paradigm is that BAR domain–containing proteins polymerize into cylindrical scaffolds that stabilize lipid tubules. But in nature, proteins that contain BAR domains often also contain large intrinsically disordered regions. Using in vitro and live cell assays, here we show that full-length BAR domain–containing proteins, rather than stabilizing membrane tubules, are instead surprisingly potent drivers of membrane fission. Specifically, when BAR scaffolds assemble at membrane surfaces, their bulky disordered domains become crowded, generating steric pressure that destabilizes lipid tubules. More broadly, we observe this behavior with BAR domains that have a range of curvatures. These data suggest that the ability to concentrate disordered domains is a key driver of membrane remodeling and fission by BAR domain–containing proteins.


2020 ◽  
Vol 295 (8) ◽  
pp. 2375-2384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia C. Murthy ◽  
Nicolas L. Fawzi

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of proteins and nucleic acids is a phenomenon that underlies membraneless compartmentalization of the cell. The underlying molecular interactions that underpin biomolecular LLPS have been of increased interest due to the importance of membraneless organelles in facilitating various biological processes and the disease association of several of the proteins that mediate LLPS. Proteins that are able to undergo LLPS often contain intrinsically disordered regions and remain dynamic in solution. Solution-state NMR spectroscopy has emerged as a leading structural technique to characterize protein LLPS due to the variety and specificity of information that can be obtained about intrinsically disordered sequences. This review discusses practical aspects of studying LLPS by NMR, summarizes recent work on the molecular aspects of LLPS of various protein systems, and discusses future opportunities for characterizing the molecular details of LLPS to modulate phase separation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sébastien Campagne ◽  
Tebbe de Vries ◽  
Florian Malard ◽  
Pavel Afanasyev ◽  
Georg Dorn ◽  
...  

Abstract U1 small nuclear ribonucleoparticle (U1 snRNP) plays a central role during RNA processing. Previous structures of U1 snRNP revealed how the ribonucleoparticle is organized and recognizes the pre-mRNA substrate at the exon–intron junction. As with many other ribonucleoparticles involved in RNA metabolism, U1 snRNP contains extensions made of low complexity sequences. Here, we developed a protocol to reconstitute U1 snRNP in vitro using mostly full-length components in order to perform liquid-state NMR spectroscopy. The accuracy of the reconstitution was validated by probing the shape and structure of the particle by SANS and cryo-EM. Using an NMR spectroscopy-based approach, we probed, for the first time, the U1 snRNP tails at atomic detail and our results confirm their high degree of flexibility. We also monitored the labile interaction between the splicing factor PTBP1 and U1 snRNP and validated the U1 snRNA stem loop 4 as a binding site for the splicing regulator on the ribonucleoparticle. Altogether, we developed a method to probe the intrinsically disordered regions of U1 snRNP and map the interactions controlling splicing regulation. This approach could be used to get insights into the molecular mechanisms of alternative splicing and screen for potential RNA therapeutics.


Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 36
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Karakostis ◽  
Ignacio López ◽  
Ana M. Peña-Balderas ◽  
Robin Fåhareus ◽  
Vanesa Olivares-Illana

The p53 and Mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) proteins are hubs in extensive networks of interactions with multiple partners and functions. Intrinsically disordered regions help to adopt function-specific structural conformations in response to ligand binding and post-translational modifications. Different techniques have been used to dissect interactions of the p53-MDM2 pathway, in vitro, in vivo, and in situ each having its own advantages and disadvantages. This review uses the p53-MDM2 to show how different techniques can be employed, illustrating how a combination of in vitro and in vivo techniques is highly recommended to study the spatio-temporal location and dynamics of interactions, and to address their regulation mechanisms and functions. By using well-established techniques in combination with more recent advances, it is possible to rapidly decipher complex mechanisms, such as the p53 regulatory pathway, and to demonstrate how protein and nucleotide ligands in combination with post-translational modifications, result in inter-allosteric and intra-allosteric interactions that govern the activity of the protein complexes and their specific roles in oncogenesis. This promotes elegant therapeutic strategies that exploit protein dynamics to target specific interactions.


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