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Binding Interface (binding + interface)
Selected AbstractsWATGEN: An algorithm for modeling water networks at protein,protein interfacesJOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY, Issue 14 2007Huynh-Hoa Bui Abstract Water molecules at protein,protein interfaces contribute to the close packing of atoms and ensure complementarity between the protein surfaces, as well as mediating polar interactions. Therefore, modeling of interface water is of importance in understanding the structural basis of biomolecular association. We present an algorithm, WATGEN, which predicts locations for water molecules at a protein,protein or protein,peptide interface, given the atomic coordinates of the protein and peptide. A key element of the WATGEN algorithm is the prediction of water sites that can form multiple hydrogen bonds that bridge the binding interface. Trial calculations were performed on water networks predicted by WATGEN at 126 protein,peptide interfaces (X-ray resolutions , 2.0 Å), using different criteria for water placement. The energies of the predicted water networks were evaluated in AMBER8 and used in the choice of parameters for WATGEN. The 126 interfaces include 1264 experimentally determined bridging water sites, and the WATGEN algorithm predicts 72 and 88% of these sites within 1.5 and 2.0 Å, respectively. The predicted number of water molecules at each interface was much higher than the number of water molecules identified experimentally. Therefore, random placement of the same number of water molecules as that predicted at each interface was performed as a control, and resulted in only 22 and 40% of water sites placed within 1.5 and 2.0 Å of experimental sites, respectively. Based on these data, we conclude that WATGEN can accurately predict the location of water molecules at a protein,peptide interface, and this may be of value for understanding the energetics and specificity of biomolecular association. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2007 [source] Thermodynamic characterization of two homologous protein complexes: Associations of the semaphorin receptor plexin-B1 RhoGTPase binding domain with Rnd1 and active Rac1PROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 5 2009Prasanta K. Hota Abstract Plexin receptors function in response to semaphorin guidance cues in a variety of developmental processes involving cell motility. Interactions with Rho, as well as Ras family small GTPases are critical events in the cell signaling mechanism. We have recently determined the structure of a cytoplasmic domain (RBD) of plexin-B1 and mapped its binding interface with several Rho-GTPases, Rac1, Rnd1, and RhoD. All three GTPases associate with a similar region of this plexin domain, but show different functional behavior in cells. To understand whether thermodynamic properties of the GTPase,RBD interaction contribute to such different behavior, we have examined the interaction at different temperatures, buffer, and pH conditions. Although the binding affinity of both Rnd1 and Rac1 with the plexin-B1 RBD is similar, the detailed thermodynamic properties of the interactions are considerably different. These data suggest that on Rac1 binding to the plexin-B1 RBD, the proteins become more rigid in the complex. By contrast, Rnd1 binding is consistent with unchanged or slightly increased flexibility in one or both proteins. Both GTPases show an appreciable reduction in affinity for the dimeric plexin-B1 RBD indicating that GTPase binding is not cooperative with dimer formation, but that a partial steric hindrance destabilizes the dimer. However, a reduced affinity binding mode to a disulphide stabilized model for the dimeric RBD is also possible. Consistent with cellular studies, the interaction thermodynamics imply that further levels of regulation involving additional binding partners and/or regions outside of the RhoGTPase binding domain are required for receptor activation. [source] Determination of the human type I interferon receptor binding site on human interferon-,2 by cross saturation and an NMR-based model of the complexPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 11 2006Sabine R. Quadt-Akabayov Abstract Type I interferons (IFNs) are a family of homologous helical cytokines that exhibit pleiotropic effects on a wide variety of cell types, including antiviral activity and antibacterial, antiprozoal, immunomodulatory, and cell growth regulatory functions. Consequently, IFNs are the human proteins most widely used in the treatment of several kinds of cancer, hepatitis C, and multiple sclerosis. All type I IFNs bind to a cell surface receptor consisting of two subunits, IFNAR1 and IFNAR2, associating upon binding of interferon. The structure of the extracellular domain of IFNAR2 (R2-EC) was solved recently. Here we study the complex and the binding interface of IFN,2 with R2-EC using multidimensional NMR techniques. NMR shows that IFN,2 does not undergo significant structural changes upon binding to its receptor, suggesting a lock-and-key mechanism for binding. Cross saturation experiments were used to determine the receptor binding site upon IFN,2. The NMR data and previously published mutagenesis data were used to derive a docking model of the complex with an RMSD of 1 Å, and its well-defined orientation between IFN,2 and R2-EC and the structural quality greatly improve upon previously suggested models. The relative ligand,receptor orientation is believed to be important for interferon signaling and possibly one of the parameters that distinguish the different IFN I subtypes. This structural information provides important insight into interferon signaling processes and may allow improvement in the development of therapeutically used IFNs and IFN-like molecules. [source] Multiple crystal forms of the cell-wall invertase inhibitor from tobacco support high conformational rigidity over a broad pH rangeACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 6 2006Michael Hothorn Plant acid invertases catalyse the breakdown of sucrose. Their activity is tightly regulated through interaction with specific protein inhibitors. The complex between the cell-wall invertase inhibitor Nt-CIF and its target enzyme is stable only at acidic pH, as found in the plant cell wall. Since the pH in this compartment can be modulated between pH 4 and 6 in planta, the rapid dissociation of the inhibitor,enzyme complex at neutral pH may represent a regulatory event. Here, it is analyzed whether the inhibitory component undergoes structural rearrangements upon changes in the pH environment. Six crystal forms grown at pH 4.6,9.5 and diffracting up to 1.63,Å indicate only small structural changes in CIF. This suggests that complex dissociation at neutral pH is mediated either by rearrangements in the enzyme or by a complex pattern of surface charges in the inhibitor,enzyme binding interface. [source] Structure of human TSG101 UEV domainACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 4 2006Pedro L. Mateo The UEV domain of the TSG101 protein functions in the vacuolar protein-sorting pathway and in the budding process of HIV-1 and other retroviruses by recognizing ubiquitin in proteins tagged for degradation and short sequences in viral proteins containing an essential and well conserved PTAP motif, respectively. A deep understanding of these interactions is key to the rational design of much-needed novel antivirals. Here, the crystal structure of the TSG101 UEV domain (TSG101-UEV) is presented. TSG101-UEV was crystallized in the presence of PEG 4000 and ammonium sulfate. Under these conditions, crystals were obtained in space group R3, with unit-cell parameters a = b = 97.9, c = 110.6,Å, , = , = 90, , = 120°. Phases were solved by molecular replacement and the crystal structure of TSG101-UEV was refined to an R factor of 18.8% at 2.2,Å resolution. A comparison between the crystal structure and previously reported NMR structures has revealed significant differences in the conformation of one of the loops implicated in ubiquitin recognition. Also, the resulting structure has provided information about the presence of water molecules at the binding interface that could be of relevance for peptide recognition. [source] A Targeted Releasable Affinity Probe (TRAP) for In Vivo PhotocrosslinkingCHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 9 2009Ping Yan Dr. Abstract A protein TRAP: The in vivo photocrosslinking of TRAP after its intracellular targeting to a binding sequence on the bait protein stabilizes protein interactions. Because the crosslinker is releasable, simple mass spectrometry can be used to identify the protein binding sites after purification. Protein crosslinking, especially coupled to mass-spectrometric identification, is increasingly used to determine protein binding partners and protein,protein interfaces for isolated protein complexes. The modification of crosslinkers to permit their targeted use in living cells is of considerable importance for studying protein-interaction networks, which are commonly modulated through weak interactions that are formed transiently to permit rapid cellular response to environmental changes. We have therefore synthesized a targeted and releasable affinity probe (TRAP) consisting of a biarsenical fluorescein linked to benzophenone that binds to a tetracysteine sequence in a protein engineered for specific labeling. Here, the utility of TRAP for capturing protein binding partners upon photoactivation of the benzophenone moiety has been demonstrated in living bacteria and mammalian cells. In addition, ligand exchange of the arsenic,sulfur bonds between TRAP and the tetracysteine sequence to added dithiols results in fluorophore transfer to the crosslinked binding partner. In isolated protein complexes, this release from the original binding site permits the identification of the proximal binding interface through mass spectrometric fragmentation and computational sequence identification. [source] |