scholarly journals Impact of multivalent charge presentation on peptide–nanoparticle aggregation

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 792-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Schöne ◽  
Boris Schade ◽  
Christoph Böttcher ◽  
Beate Koksch

Strategies to achieve controlled nanoparticle aggregation have gained much interest, due to the versatility of such systems and their applications in materials science and medicine. In this article we demonstrate that coiled-coil peptide-induced aggregation based on electrostatic interactions is highly sensitive to the length of the peptide as well as the number of presented charges. The quaternary structure of the peptide was found to play an important role in aggregation kinetics. Furthermore, we show that the presence of peptide fibers leads to well-defined nanoparticle assembly on the surface of these macrostructures.

Open Biology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 130172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Franke ◽  
Alexander Gasch ◽  
Dayté Rodriguez ◽  
Mohamed Chami ◽  
Muzamil M. Khan ◽  
...  

MuRF1 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase central to muscle catabolism. It belongs to the TRIM protein family characterized by a tripartite fold of RING, B-box and coiled-coil (CC) motifs, followed by variable C-terminal domains. The CC motif is hypothesized to be responsible for domain organization in the fold as well as for high-order assembly into functional entities. But data on CC from this family that can clarify the structural significance of this motif are scarce. We have characterized the helical region from MuRF1 and show that, contrary to expectations, its CC domain assembles unproductively, being the B2- and COS-boxes in the fold (respectively flanking the CC) that promote a native quaternary structure. In particular, the C-terminal COS-box seemingly forms an α-hairpin that packs against the CC, influencing its dimerization. This shows that a C-terminal variable domain can be tightly integrated within the conserved TRIM fold to modulate its structure and function. Furthermore, data from transfected muscle show that in MuRF1 the COS-box mediates the in vivo targeting of sarcoskeletal structures and points to the pharmacological relevance of the COS domain for treating MuRF1-mediated muscle atrophy.


RSC Advances ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (95) ◽  
pp. 77755-77759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Yang ◽  
Xiaochun Chen ◽  
Renyong Liu ◽  
Bianhua Liu ◽  
Changlong Jiang

A highly sensitive and selective detection of As(iii) was reported by target induced aggregation of nanoparticles enhanced Raman spectroscopic technique.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Sheng ◽  
Nick K. Olrichs ◽  
Willie J. Geerts ◽  
Dora V. Kaloyanova ◽  
J. Bernd Helms

Abstract Members of the CAP superfamily (Cysteine-rich secretory proteins, Antigen 5, and Pathogenesis-Related 1 proteins) are characterized by the presence of a structurally conserved CAP domain. The common structure-function relationship of this domain is still poorly understood. In this study, we unravel specific molecular mechanisms modulating the quaternary structure of the mammalian CAP protein GAPR-1 (Golgi-Associated plant Pathogenesis-Related protein 1). Copper ions are shown to induce a distinct amyloid-like aggregation pathway of GAPR-1 in the presence of heparin. This involves an immediate shift from native multimers to monomers which are prone to form amyloid-like fibrils. The Cu2+-induced aggregation pathway is independent of a conserved metal-binding site and involves the formation of disulfide bonds during the nucleation process. The elongation process occurs independently of the presence of Cu2+ ions, and amyloid-like aggregation can proceed under oxidative conditions. In contrast, the Zn2+-dependent aggregation pathway was found to be independent of cysteines and was reversible upon removal of Zn2+ ions. Together, our results provide insight into the regulation of the quaternary structure of GAPR-1 by metal ions and redox homeostasis with potential implications for regulatory mechanisms of other CAP proteins.


2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman Gorelik ◽  
Changsong Yang ◽  
Vasumathi Kameswaran ◽  
Roberto Dominguez ◽  
Tatyana Svitkina

The formin mDia2 mediates the formation of lamellipodia and filopodia during cell locomotion. The subcellular localization of activated mDia2 depends on interactions with actin filaments and the plasma membrane. We investigated the poorly understood mechanism of plasma membrane targeting of mDia2 and found that the entire N-terminal region of mDia2 preceding the actin-polymerizing formin homology domains 1 and 2 (FH1–FH2) module was potently targeted to the membrane. This localization was enhanced by Rif, but not by other tested small GTPases, and depended on a positively charged N-terminal basic domain (BD). The BD bound acidic phospholipids in vitro, suggesting that in vivo it may associate with the plasma membrane through electrostatic interactions. Unexpectedly, a fragment consisting of the GTPase-binding region and the diaphanous inhibitory domain (G-DID), thought to mediate the interaction with GTPases, was not targeted to the plasma membrane even in the presence of constitutively active Rif. Addition of the BD or dimerization/coiled coil domains to G-DID rescued plasma membrane targeting in cells. Direct binding of Rif to mDia2 N terminus required the presence of both G and DID. These results suggest that the entire N terminus of mDia2 serves as a coincidence detection module, directing mDia2 to the plasma membrane through interactions with phospholipids and activated Rif.


2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 1589-1603 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Blocquel ◽  
Johnny Habchi ◽  
Eric Durand ◽  
Marion Sevajol ◽  
François Ferron ◽  
...  

The structures of two constructs of themeasles virus(MeV) phosphoprotein (P) multimerization domain (PMD) are reported and are compared with a third structure published recently by another group [Communieet al.(2013),J. Virol.87, 7166–7169]. Although the three structures all have a tetrameric and parallel coiled-coil arrangement, structural comparison unveiled considerable differences in the quaternary structure and unveiled that the three structures suffer from significant structural deformation induced by intermolecular interactions within the crystal. These results show that crystal packing can bias conclusions about function and mechanism based on analysis of a single crystal structure, and they challenge to some extent the assumption according to which coiled-coil structures can be reliably predicted from the amino-acid sequence. Structural comparison also highlighted significant differences in the extent of disorder in the C-terminal region of each monomer. The differential flexibility of the C-terminal region is also supported by size-exclusion chromatography and small-angle X-ray scattering studies, which showed that MeV PMD exists in solution as a dynamic equilibrium between two tetramers of different compaction. Finally, the possible functional implications of the flexibility of the C-terminal region of PMD are discussed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (47) ◽  
pp. 13384-13389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gad Armony ◽  
Etai Jacob ◽  
Toot Moran ◽  
Yishai Levin ◽  
Tevie Mehlman ◽  
...  

Laminin, an ∼800-kDa heterotrimeric protein, is a major functional component of the extracellular matrix, contributing to tissue development and maintenance. The unique architecture of laminin is not currently amenable to determination at high resolution, as its flexible and narrow segments complicate both crystallization and single-particle reconstruction by electron microscopy. Therefore, we used cross-linking and MS, evaluated using computational methods, to address key questions regarding laminin quaternary structure. This approach was particularly well suited to the ∼750-Å coiled coil that mediates trimer assembly, and our results support revision of the subunit order typically presented in laminin schematics. Furthermore, information on the subunit register in the coiled coil and cross-links to downstream domains provide insights into the self-assembly required for interaction with other extracellular matrix and cell surface proteins.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 1741-1791 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianli Miao ◽  
Fujun Zhang

The recent progress and developments on perovskite photodetectors are summarized from the perspective of device physics and materials science.


2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (7) ◽  
pp. 618-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wangshu Jiang ◽  
Glareh Askarieh ◽  
Alexander Shkumatov ◽  
My Hedhammar ◽  
Stefan D. Knight

Spider silk is a biomaterial with exceptional mechanical toughness, and there is great interest in developing biomimetic methods to produce engineered spider silk-based materials. However, the mechanisms that regulate the conversion of spider silk proteins (spidroins) from highly soluble dope into silk are not completely understood. The N-terminal domain (NT) of Euprosthenops australis dragline silk protein undergoes conformational and quaternary-structure changes from a monomer at a pH above 7 to a homodimer at lower pH values. Conversion from the monomer to the dimer requires the protonation of three conserved glutamic acid residues, resulting in a low-pH `locked' dimer stabilized by symmetric electrostatic interactions at the poles of the dimer. The detailed molecular events during this transition are still unresolved. Here, a 2.1 Å resolution crystal structure of an NT T61A mutant in an alternative, asymmetric, dimer form in which the electrostatic interactions at one of the poles are dramatically different from those in symmetrical dimers is presented. A similar asymmetric dimer structure from dragline silk of Nephila clavipes has previously been described. It is suggested that asymmetric dimers represent a conserved intermediate state in spider silk formation, and a revised `lock-and-trigger' mechanism for spider silk formation is presented.


Nanomaterials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Wang ◽  
Coucong Gong ◽  
Xinzhu Yuan ◽  
Gang Wei

Biomolecular self-assembly provides a facile way to synthesize functional nanomaterials. Due to the unique structure and functions of biomolecules, the created biological nanomaterials via biomolecular self-assembly have a wide range of applications, from materials science to biomedical engineering, tissue engineering, nanotechnology, and analytical science. In this review, we present recent advances in the synthesis of biological nanomaterials by controlling the biomolecular self-assembly from adjusting internal interactions and external stimulations. The self-assembly mechanisms of biomolecules (DNA, protein, peptide, virus, enzyme, metabolites, lipid, cholesterol, and others) related to various internal interactions, including hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic interactions, π–π stacking, DNA base pairing, and ligand–receptor binding, are discussed by analyzing some recent studies. In addition, some strategies for promoting biomolecular self-assembly via external stimulations, such as adjusting the solution conditions (pH, temperature, ionic strength), adding organics, nanoparticles, or enzymes, and applying external light stimulation to the self-assembly systems, are demonstrated. We hope that this overview will be helpful for readers to understand the self-assembly mechanisms and strategies of biomolecules and to design and develop new biological nanostructures or nanomaterials for desired applications.


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