| 1. |
- Barrozo, Alexandre, et al.
(författare)
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Computer simulations of the catalytic mechanism of wild-type and mutant beta-phosphoglucomutase
- 2018
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Ingår i: Organic and biomolecular chemistry. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 1477-0520 .- 1477-0539. ; 16:12, s. 2060-2073
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- beta-Phosphoglucomutase (beta-PGM) has served as an important model system for understanding biological phosphoryl transfer. This enzyme catalyzes the isomerization of beta-glucose-1-phosphate to -glucose-6-phosphate in a two-step process proceeding via a bisphosphate intermediate. The conventionally accepted mechanism is that both steps are concerted processes involving acid-base catalysis from a nearby aspartate (D10) side chain. This argument is supported by the observation that mutation of D10 leaves the enzyme with no detectable activity. However, computational studies have suggested that a substrate-assisted mechanism is viable for many phosphotransferases. Therefore, we carried out empirical valence bond (EVB) simulations to address the plausibility of this mechanistic alternative, including its role in the abolished catalytic activity of the D10S, D10C and D10N point mutants of beta-PGM. In addition, we considered both of these mechanisms when performing EVB calculations of the catalysis of the wild type (WT), H20A, H20Q, T16P, K76A, D170A and E169A/D170A protein variants. Our calculated activation free energies confirm that D10 is likely to serve as the general base/acid for the reaction catalyzed by the WT enzyme and all its variants, in which D10 is not chemically altered. Our calculations also suggest that D10 plays a dual role in structural organization and maintaining electrostatic balance in the active site. The correct positioning of this residue in a catalytically competent conformation is provided by a functionally important conformational change in this enzyme and by the extensive network of H-bonding interactions that appear to be exquisitely preorganized for the transition state stabilization.
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| 2. |
- Barz, Bogdan, et al.
(författare)
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Pathways of Amyloid-β Aggregation Depend on Oligomer Shape
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Chemical Society. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0002-7863 .- 1520-5126. ; 140:1, s. 319-327
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- One of the main research topics related to Alzheimer’s disease is the aggregation of the amyloid-β peptide, which was shown to follow different pathways for the two major alloforms of the peptide, Aβ40 and the more toxic Aβ42. Experimental studies emphasized that oligomers of specific sizes appear in the early aggregation process in different quantities and might be the key toxic agents for each of the two alloforms. We use transition networks derived from all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to show that the oligomers leading to the type of oligomer distributions observed in experiments originate from compact conformations. Extended oligomers, on the other hand, contribute more to the production of larger aggregates thus driving the aggregation process. We further demonstrate that differences in the aggregation pathways of the two Aβ alloforms occur as early as during the dimer stage. The higher solvent-exposure of hydrophobic residues in Aβ42 oligomers contributes to the different aggregation pathways of both alloforms and also to the increased cytotoxicity of Aβ42.
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| 3. |
- Ben-David, Moshe, et al.
(författare)
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Enzyme Evolution An Epistatic Ratchet versus a Smooth Reversible Transition
- 2020
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Ingår i: Molecular biology and evolution. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0737-4038 .- 1537-1719. ; 37:4, s. 1133-1147
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Evolutionary trajectories are deemed largely irreversible. In a newly diverged protein, reversion of mutations that led to the functional switch typically results in loss of both the new and the ancestral functions. Nonetheless, evolutionary transitions where reversions are viable have also been described. The structural and mechanistic causes of reversion compatibility versus incompatibility therefore remain unclear. We examined two laboratory evolution trajectories of mammalian paraoxonase-1, a lactonase with promiscuous organophosphate hydrolase (OPH) activity. Both trajectories began with the same active-site mutant, His115Trp, which lost the native lactonase activity and acquired higher OPH activity. A neo-functionalization trajectory amplified the promiscuous OPH activity, whereas the re-functionalization trajectory restored the native activity, thus generating a new lactonase that lacks His115. The His115 revertants of these trajectories indicated opposite trends. Revertants of the neo-functionalization trajectory lost both the evolved OPH and the original lactonase activity. Revertants of the trajectory that restored the original lactonase function were, however, fully active. Crystal structures and molecular simulations show that in the newly diverged OPH, the reverted His115 and other catalytic residues are displaced, thus causing loss of both the original and the new activity. In contrast, in the re-functionalization trajectory, reversion compatibility of the original lactonase activity derives from mechanistic versatility whereby multiple residues can fulfill the same task. This versatility enables unique sequence-reversible compositions that are inaccessible when the active site was repurposed toward a new function.
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| 4. |
- Corbella Morató, Marina, et al.
(författare)
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The N-terminal Helix-Turn-Helix Motif of Transcription Factors MarA and Rob Drives DNA Recognition
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Physical Chemistry B. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-6106 .- 1520-5207. ; 125:25, s. 6791-6806
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- DNA-binding proteins play an important role in gene regulation and cellular function. The transcription factors MarA and Rob are two homologous members of the AraC/XylS family that regulate multidrug resistance. They share a common DNA-binding domain, and Rob possesses an additional C-terminal domain that permits binding of low-molecular weight effectors. Both proteins possess two helix-turn-helix (HTH) motifs capable of binding DNA; however, while MarA interacts with its promoter through both HTH-motifs, prior studies indicate that Rob binding to DNA via a single HTH-motif is sufficient for tight binding. In the present work, we perform microsecond time scale all-atom simulations of the binding of both transcription factors to different DNA sequences to understand the determinants of DNA recognition and binding. Our simulations characterize sequence-dependent changes in dynamical behavior upon DNA binding, showcasing the role of Arg40 of the N-terminal HTH-motif in allowing for specific tight binding. Finally, our simulations demonstrate that an acidic C-terminal loop of Rob can control the DNA binding mode, facilitating interconversion between the distinct DNA binding modes observed in MarA and Rob. In doing so, we provide detailed molecular insight into DNA binding and recognition by these proteins, which in turn is an important step toward the efficient design of antivirulence agents that target these proteins.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Kulkarni, Yashraj S., et al.
(författare)
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Enzyme Architecture : Modeling the Operation of a Hydrophobic Clamp in Catalysis by Triosephosphate Isomerase
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Chemical Society. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0002-7863 .- 1520-5126. ; 139:30, s. 10514-10525
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) is a proficient catalyst of the reversible isomerization of dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) to D-glyceraldehyde phosphate (GAP), via general base catalysis by E165. Historically, this enzyme has been an extremely important model system for understanding the fundamentals of biological catalysis. TIM is activated through an energetically demanding conformational change, which helps position the side chains of two key hydrophobic residues (1170 and L230), over the carboxylate side chain of E165. This is critical both for creating a hydrophobic pocket for the catalytic base and for maintaining correct active site architecture. Truncation of these residues to alanine causes significant falloffs in TIM's catalytic activity, but experiments have failed to provide a full description of the action of this clamp in promoting substrate deprotonation. We perform here detailed empirical valence bond calculations of the TIM-catalyzed deprotonation of DHAP and GAP by both wild type TIM and its 1170A, L230A, and 1170A/L230A mutants, obtaining exceptional quantitative agreement with experiment. Our calculations provide a linear free energy relationship, with slope 0.8, between the activation barriers and Gibbs free energies for these TIM-catalyzed reactions. We conclude that these clamping side chains minimize the Gibbs free energy for substrate deprotonation, and that the effects on reaction driving force are largely expressed at the transition state for proton transfer. Our combined analysis of previous experimental and current computational results allows us to provide an overview of the breakdown of ground-state and transition state effects in enzyme catalysis in unprecedented detail, providing a molecular description of the operation of a hydrophobic clamp in triosephosphate isomerase.
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| 7. |
- Kulkarni, Yashraj S., et al.
(författare)
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Role of Ligand-Driven Conformational Changes in Enzyme Catalysis : Modeling the Reactivity of the Catalytic Cage of Triosephosphate Isomerase
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Chemical Society. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0002-7863 .- 1520-5126. ; 140:11, s. 3854-3857
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have previously performed empirical valence bond calculations of the kinetic activation barriers, Delta G(calc) double dagger, for the deprotonation of complexes between TIM and the whole substrate glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (GAP, Kulkarni et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 10514-10525). We now extend this work to also study the deprotonation of the substrate pieces glycolaldehyde (GA) and GA.HPi [HPi = phosphite dianion]. Our combined calculations provide activation barriers, Delta G(calc)(double dagger) for the TIM-catalyzed deprotonation of GAP (12.9 +/- 0.8 kcal.mol(-1)), of the substrate piece GA (15.0 +/- 2.4 kcal.mol(-1)), and of the pieces GA.HP, (15.5 +/- 3.5 kcal.mol(-1)). The effect of bound dianion on Delta G(calc) double dagger is small (<= 2.6 kcal.mol(-1)), in comparison to the much larger 12.0 and 5.8 kcal.mol(-1) intrinsic phosphodianion and phosphite dianion binding energy utilized to stabilize the transition states for TIM-catalyzed deprotonation of GAP and GA. HP, respectively. This shows that the dianion binding energy is essentially fully expressed at our protein model for the Michaelis complex, where it is utilized to drive an activating change in enzyme conformation. The results represent an example of the synergistic use of results from experiments and calculations to advance our understanding of enzymatic reaction mechanisms.
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| 8. |
- Liao, Qinghua, et al.
(författare)
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A beta under stress : the effects of acidosis, Cu2+-binding, and oxidation on amyloid beta-peptide dimers
- 2018
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Ingår i: Chemical Communications. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 1359-7345 .- 1364-548X. ; 54, s. 7766-7769
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In light of the high affinity of Cu2+ for Alzheimer's A(1-42) and its ability to subsequently catalyze the formation of radicals, we examine the effects of Cu2+ binding, A oxidation, and an acidic environment on the conformational dynamics of the smallest A(1-42) oligomer, the A(1-42) dimer. Transition networks calculated from Hamiltonian replica exchange molecular dynamics (H-REMD) simulations reveal that the decreased pH considerably increased the -sheet content, whereas Cu2+ binding increased the exposed hydrophobic surface area, both of which can contribute to an increased oligomerization propensity and toxicity.
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| 9. |
- Liao, Qinghua, et al.
(författare)
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Development and Application of a Nonbonded Cu2+ Model That Includes the Jahn-Teller Effect
- 2015
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Ingår i: The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7185. ; 6:13, s. 2657-2662
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Metal ions are both ubiquitous to and crucial in biology. In classical simulations, they are typically described as simple van der Waals spheres, making it difficult to provide reliable force field descriptions for them. An alternative is given by nonbonded dummy models, in which the central metal atom is surrounded by dummy particles that each carry a partial charge. While such dummy models already exist for other metal ions, none is available yet for Cu2+ because of the challenge to reproduce the Jahn-Teller distortion. This challenge is addressed in the current study, where, for the first time, a dummy model including a Jahn-Teller effect is developed for Cu2+. We successfully validate its usefulness by studying metal binding in two biological systems: the amyloid-beta peptide and the mixed-metal enzyme superoxide dismutase. We believe that our parameters will be of significant value for the computational study of Cu2+'-dependent biological systems using classical models.
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| 10. |
- Liao, Qinghua
(författare)
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Enhanced sampling and free energy calculations for protein simulations
- 2020
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Ingår i: Computational Approaches For Understanding Dynamical Systems. - : Academic Press. - 9780128211373 - 9780128211359 ; , s. 177-213
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Molecular dynamics simulation is a powerful computational technique to study biomolecular systems, which complements experiments by providing insights into the structural dynamics relevant to biological functions at atomic scale. It can also be used to calculate the free energy landscapes of the conformational transitions to better understand the functions of the biomolecules. However, the sampling of biomolecular configurations is limited by the free energy barriers that need to be overcome, leading to considerable gaps between the timescales reached by MD simulation and those governing biological processes. To address this issue, many enhanced sampling methodologies have been developed to increase the sampling efficiency of molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations. Usually, enhanced sampling algorithms can be classified into methods based on collective variables (CV-based) and approaches which do not require predefined CVs (CV-free). In this chapter, the theoretical basis of free energy estimation is briefly reviewed first, followed by the reviews of the most common CV-based and CV-free methods including the presentation of some examples and recent developments. Finally, the combination of different enhanced sampling methods is discussed.
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| 11. |
- Liao, Qinghua, et al.
(författare)
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Extending the Nonbonded Cationic Dummy Model to Account for Ion-Induced Dipole Interactions
- 2017
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Ingår i: The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7185. ; 8:21, s. 5408-5414
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Modeling metalloproteins often requires classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in order to capture their relevant motions, which in turn necessitates reliable descriptions of the metal centers involved. One of the most successful approaches to date is provided by the "cationic dummy model", where the positive charge of the metal ion is transferred toward dummy particles that are bonded to the central metal ion in a predefined coordination geometry. While this approach allows for ligand exchange, and captures the correct electrostatics as demonstrated for different divalent metal ions, current dummy models neglect ion-induced dipole interactions. In the present work, we resolve this weakness by taking advantage of the recently introduced 12-6-4 type Lennard-Jones potential to include ion-induced dipole interactions. We revise our previous dummy model for Mg2+ and demonstrate that the resulting model can simultaneously reproduce the experimental solvation free energy and metal ligand distances without the need for artificial restraints or bonds. As ion-induced dipole interactions become particularly important for highly charged metal ions, we develop dummy models for the biologically relevant ions Al3+, Fe3+, and Cr3+. Finally, the effectiveness of our new models is demonstrated in MD simulations of several diverse (and highly challenging to simulate) metalloproteins.
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| 12. |
- Liao, Qinghua, et al.
(författare)
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Long Time-Scale Atomistic Simulations of the Structure and Dynamics of Transcription Factor-DNA Recognition
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Physical Chemistry B. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-6106 .- 1520-5207. ; 123:17, s. 3576-3590
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent years have witnessed an explosion of interest in computational studies of DNA binding proteins, including both coarse grained and atomistic simulations of transcription factor-DNA recognition, to understand how these transcription factors recognize their binding sites on the DNA with such exquisite specificity. The present study performs microsecond time scale all-atom simulations of the dimeric form of the lactose repressor (Lad), both in the absence of any DNA and in the presence of both specific and nonspecific complexes, considering three different DNA sequences. We examine, specifically, the conformational differences between specific and nonspecific protein DNA interactions, as well as the behavior of the helix-turn-helix motif of Lad when interacting with the DNA. Our simulations suggest that stable Lad binding occurs primarily to bent A-form DNA, with a loss of Lad conformational entropy and optimization of correlated conformational equilibria across the protein. In addition, binding to the specific operator sequence involves a slightly larger number of stabilizing DNA protein hydrogen bonds (in comparison to nonspecific complexes), which may account for the experimentally observed specificity for this operator. In doing so, our simulations provide a detailed atomistic description of potential structural drivers for LacI selectivity.
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| 13. |
- Liao, Qinghua, et al.
(författare)
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Loop Motion in Triosephosphate Isomerase Is Not a Simple Open and Shut Case
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of the American Chemical Society. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0002-7863 .- 1520-5126. ; 140:46, s. 15889-15903
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Conformational changes are crucial for the catalytic action of many enzymes. A prototypical and well-studied example is loop opening and closure in triosephosphate isomerase (TIM), which is thought to determine the rate of catalytic turnover in many circumstances. Specifically, TIM loop 6 “grips” the phosphodianion of the substrate and, together with a change in loop 7, sets up the TIM active site for efficient catalysis. Crystal structures of TIM typically show an open or a closed conformation of loop 6, with the tip of the loop moving ∼7 Å between conformations. Many studies have interpreted this motion as a two-state, rigid-body transition. Here, we use extensive molecular dynamics simulations, with both conventional and enhanced sampling techniques, to analyze loop motion in apo and substrate-bound TIM in detail, using five crystal structures of the dimeric TIM from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We find that loop 6 is highly flexible and samples multiple conformational states. Empirical valence bond simulations of the first reaction step show that slight displacements away from the fully closed-loop conformation can be sufficient to abolish most of the catalytic activity; full closure is required for efficient reaction. The conformational change of the loops in TIM is thus not a simple “open and shut” case and is crucial for its catalytic action. Our detailed analysis of loop motion in a highly efficient enzyme highlights the complexity of loop conformational changes and their role in biological catalysis.
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| 14. |
- Wallin, Cecilia, et al.
(författare)
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Characterization of Mn(II) ion binding to the amyloid-beta peptide in Alzheimer's disease
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0946-672X .- 1878-3252. ; 38, s. 183-193
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Growing evidence links neurodegenerative diseases to metal exposure. Aberrant metal ion concentrations have been noted in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains, yet the role of metals in AD pathogenesis remains unresolved. A major factor in AD pathogenesis is considered to be aggregation of and amyloid formation by amyloid-beta (A beta) peptides. Previous studies have shown that A beta displays specific binding to Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions, and such binding has been shown to modulate A beta aggregation. Here, we use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to show that Mn(II) ions also bind to the N-terminal part of the A beta(1-40) peptide, with a weak binding affinity in the milli- to micromolar range. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, solid state atomic force microscopy (AFM), fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular modeling suggest that the weak binding of Mn(II) to A beta may not have a large effect on the peptide's aggregation into amyloid fibrils. However, identification of an additional metal ion displaying A beta binding reveals more complex AD metal chemistry than has been previously considered in the literature.
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| 15. |
- Österlund, Nicklas, et al.
(författare)
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Amyloid-beta Peptide Interactions with Amphiphilic Surfactants : Electrostatic and Hydrophobic Effects
- 2018
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Ingår i: ACS Chemical Neuroscience. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1948-7193. ; 9:7, s. 1680-1692
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The amphiphilic nature of the amyloid-beta (A beta) peptide associated with Alzheimer's disease facilitates various interactions with biomolecules such as lipids and proteins, with effects on both structure and toxicity of the peptide. Here, we investigate these peptide-amphiphile interactions by experimental and computational studies of A beta(1-40) in the presence of surfactants with varying physicochemical properties. Our findings indicate that electrostatic peptide-surfactant interactions are required for coclustering and structure induction in the peptide and that the strength of the interaction depends on the surfactant net charge. Both aggregation-prone peptide-rich coclusters and stable surfactant-rich coclusters can form. Only A beta(1-40) monomers, but not oligomers, are inserted into surfactant micelles in this surfactant-rich state. Surfactant headgroup charge is suggested to be important as electrostatic peptide-surfactant interactions on the micellar surface seems to be an initiating step toward insertion. Thus, no peptide insertion or change in peptide secondary structure is observed using a nonionic surfactant. The hydrophobic peptide-surfactant interactions instead stabilize the A beta monomer, possibly by preventing self-interaction between the peptide core and C terminus, thereby effectively inhibiting the peptide aggregation process. These findings give increased understanding regarding the molecular driving forces for A beta aggregation and the peptide interaction with amphiphilic biomolecules.
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