NMR Spectroscopy as a Tool to Provide Mechanistic Clues About Protein Function and Disease Pathogenesis

AbstractIt is well-established that dynamics are central to protein function; their importance is implicitly acknowledged in the principles of the Monod, Wyman and Changeux model of binding cooperativity, which was originally proposed in 1965. Nowadays the concept of protein dynamics is formulated in terms of the energy landscape theory, which can be used to understand protein folding and conformational changes in proteins. Because protein dynamics are so important, a key to understanding protein function at the molecular level is to design experiments that allow their quantitative analysis. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is uniquely suited for this purpose because major advances in theory, hardware, and experimental methods have made it possible to characterize protein dynamics at an unprecedented level of detail. Unique features of NMR include the ability to quantify dynamics (i) under equilibrium conditions without external perturbations, (ii) using many probes simultaneously, and (iii) over large time intervals. Here we review NMR techniques for quantifying protein dynamics on fast (ps-ns), slow (μs-ms), and very slow (s-min) time scales. These techniques are discussed with reference to some major discoveries in protein science that have been made possible by NMR spectroscopy.

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Assessment of cholesteryl ester transfer protein function in lipoprotein mixtures by1H NMR spectroscopy

NMR in Biomedicine ◽

10.1002/(sici)1099-1492(199710)10:7<303::aid-nbm482>3.0.co;2-o ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 303-308 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

A. Korhonen ◽

M. Ala-korpela ◽

M. J. Liinamaa ◽

J. Jokisaari ◽

Y. A. Kesäniemi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nmr Spectroscopy ◽

Cholesteryl Ester ◽

Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein ◽

Protein Function ◽

Transfer Protein

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NMR Spectroscopy in Food Analysis

10.1039/9781849735339 ◽

2012 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Nmr Spectroscopy ◽

Food Analysis

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Reading the phosphorylation code: binding of the 14-3-3 protein to multivalent client phosphoproteins

Biochemical Journal ◽

10.1042/bcj20200084 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 477 (7) ◽

pp. 1219-1225 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Nikolai N. Sluchanko

Keyword(s):

Protein Function ◽

Intrinsically Disordered Protein ◽

Structural Basis ◽

Major Protein ◽

Post Translational Modifications ◽

Protein Protein Interaction ◽

Intrinsically Disordered ◽

Biochemical Journal ◽

Multiple Binding ◽

And Control

Many major protein–protein interaction networks are maintained by ‘hub’ proteins with multiple binding partners, where interactions are often facilitated by intrinsically disordered protein regions that undergo post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylation. Phosphorylation can directly affect protein function and control recognition by proteins that ‘read’ the phosphorylation code, re-wiring the interactome. The eukaryotic 14-3-3 proteins recognizing multiple phosphoproteins nicely exemplify these concepts. Although recent studies established the biochemical and structural basis for the interaction of the 14-3-3 dimers with several phosphorylated clients, understanding their assembly with partners phosphorylated at multiple sites represents a challenge. Suboptimal sequence context around the phosphorylated residue may reduce binding affinity, resulting in quantitative differences for distinct phosphorylation sites, making hierarchy and priority in their binding rather uncertain. Recently, Stevers et al. [Biochemical Journal (2017) 474: 1273–1287] undertook a remarkable attempt to untangle the mechanism of 14-3-3 dimer binding to leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) that contains multiple candidate 14-3-3-binding sites and is mutated in Parkinson's disease. By using the protein-peptide binding approach, the authors systematically analyzed affinities for a set of LRRK2 phosphopeptides, alone or in combination, to a 14-3-3 protein and determined crystal structures for 14-3-3 complexes with selected phosphopeptides. This study addresses a long-standing question in the 14-3-3 biology, unearthing a range of important details that are relevant for understanding binding mechanisms of other polyvalent proteins.

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Insights into amyloid disease from fly models

Essays in Biochemistry ◽

10.1042/bse0560069 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 56 ◽

pp. 69-83 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ko-Fan Chen ◽

Damian C. Crowther

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Neurodegenerative Disorders ◽

Amyloid Β ◽

Amyloid Β Peptide ◽

Disease Pathogenesis ◽

Amyloid Aggregates ◽

Aβ Amyloid ◽

Polypeptide Chains ◽

Amyloid Diseases

The formation of amyloid aggregates is a feature of most, if not all, polypeptide chains. In vivo modelling of this process has been undertaken in the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster with remarkable success. Models of both neurological and systemic amyloid diseases have been generated and have informed our understanding of disease pathogenesis in two main ways. First, the toxic amyloid species have been at least partially characterized, for example in the case of the Aβ (amyloid β-peptide) associated with Alzheimer's disease. Secondly, the genetic underpinning of model disease-linked phenotypes has been characterized for a number of neurodegenerative disorders. The current challenge is to integrate our understanding of disease-linked processes in the fly with our growing knowledge of human disease, for the benefit of patients.

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The challenge of detecting modifications on proteins

Essays in Biochemistry ◽

10.1042/ebc20190055 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 64 (1) ◽

pp. 135-153 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lauren Elizabeth Smith ◽

Adelina Rogowska-Wrzesinska

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Protein Function ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Lysine Acetylation ◽

Mass Determination ◽

Post Translational Modifications ◽

Site Specific ◽

The Common

Abstract Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are integral to the regulation of protein function, characterising their role in this process is vital to understanding how cells work in both healthy and diseased states. Mass spectrometry (MS) facilitates the mass determination and sequencing of peptides, and thereby also the detection of site-specific PTMs. However, numerous challenges in this field continue to persist. The diverse chemical properties, low abundance, labile nature and instability of many PTMs, in combination with the more practical issues of compatibility with MS and bioinformatics challenges, contribute to the arduous nature of their analysis. In this review, we present an overview of the established MS-based approaches for analysing PTMs and the common complications associated with their investigation, including examples of specific challenges focusing on phosphorylation, lysine acetylation and redox modifications.

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