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Conformational Dynamics (conformational + dynamics)
Selected AbstractsA Recombinant Glutamine-Binding Protein from Escherichia coli: Effect of Ligand-Binding on Protein Conformational DynamicsBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 6 2004Petr Herman We have investigated the effect of the binding of glutamine on the conformational dynamics of the recombinant glutamine binding protein (GlnBP) from Escherichia coli by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques. The structural stability of the protein was also studied by far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopy in the range of temperature between 25 and 80 °C. The results showed that the interaction of the protein with the ligand resulted in a marked change of the structural and conformational dynamics features of the protein. In particular, the fluorescence and circular dichroism data showed that the presence of glutamine resulted in a dramatic increase of the protein thermal stability of about 10 °C. In addition, the fluorescence time-resolved data pointed out that both in the absence and in the presence of glutamine the protein structure was highly rigid with small amplitude of segmental motion up to 65 °C and a low accessibility of the protein tryptophan residues to acrylamide. The obtained results on the structural properties of the recombinant glutamine-binding protein in the absence and in the presence of glutamine can contribute to a better understanding of the transport-related functions of the protein and structurally similar periplasmic transport proteins, as well as to the design and development of new biotechnological applications of this class of proteins. [source] Acceleration of Short Helical Peptide Conformational Dynamics by Trifluoroethanol in an Organic SolventCHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 7 2005Matthew Kubasik Prof. Solvent dependency. The influence of the cosolvent trifluorethanol on the rate of enantiomerization of an octameric peptide (see figure) in CD2Cl2 solution is described. Kinetic data have been taken over a range of temperatures, thus allowing for a discussion of the enthalpic and entropic origins of the catalytic effect. [source] Amino acids involved in conformational dynamics and G protein coupling of an odorant receptor: targeting gain-of-function mutationJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 5 2008Aya Kato Abstract Thousands of different odorants are recognized and discriminated by odorant receptors (ORs) in the guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled seven-transmembrane receptor family. Odorant-bound ORs stimulate Gs-type G proteins, G,olf, which in turn activates cAMP-mediated signaling pathway in olfactory sensory neurons. To better understand the molecular basis for OR activation and G protein coupling, we analyzed the effects of a series of site-directed mutations of mouse ORs, on function. Mutations of conserved amino acid residues in an intracellular loop or the C-terminus resulted in loss of activity without impairing ligand-binding activity, indicating that these residues are involved in G,s/olf coupling. Moreover, mutation of the serine in KAFSTC, the OR-specific sequence motif, resulted in a dramatic increase in odorant responsiveness, suggesting that the motif is involved in a conformational change of the receptor that regulates G protein coupling efficiency. Our results provide insights into how ORs switch from an inactive to an active state, as well as where and how activated ORs interact with G proteins. [source] Bayesian analysis of single-molecule experimental dataJOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY: SERIES C (APPLIED STATISTICS), Issue 3 2005S. C. Kou Summary., Recent advances in experimental technologies allow scientists to follow biochemical processes on a single-molecule basis, which provides much richer information about chemical dynamics than traditional ensemble-averaged experiments but also raises many new statistical challenges. The paper provides the first likelihood-based statistical analysis of the single-molecule fluorescence lifetime experiment designed to probe the conformational dynamics of a single deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hairpin molecule. The conformational change is initially treated as a continuous time two-state Markov chain, which is not observable and must be inferred from changes in photon emissions. This model is further complicated by unobserved molecular Brownian diffusions. Beyond the simple two-state model, a competing model that models the energy barrier between the two states of the DNA hairpin as an Ornstein,Uhlenbeck process has been suggested in the literature. We first derive the likelihood function of the simple two-state model and then generalize the method to handle complications such as unobserved molecular diffusions and the fluctuating energy barrier. The data augmentation technique and Markov chain Monte Carlo methods are developed to sample from the posterior distribution desired. The Bayes factor calculation and posterior estimates of relevant parameters indicate that the fluctuating barrier model fits the data better than the simple two-state model. [source] Time-resolved structural studies of protein reaction dynamics: a smorgasbord of X-ray approachesACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION A, Issue 2 2010Sebastian Westenhoff Proteins undergo conformational changes during their biological function. As such, a high-resolution structure of a protein's resting conformation provides a starting point for elucidating its reaction mechanism, but provides no direct information concerning the protein's conformational dynamics. Several X-ray methods have been developed to elucidate those conformational changes that occur during a protein's reaction, including time-resolved Laue diffraction and intermediate trapping studies on three-dimensional protein crystals, and time-resolved wide-angle X-ray scattering and X-ray absorption studies on proteins in the solution phase. This review emphasizes the scope and limitations of these complementary experimental approaches when seeking to understand protein conformational dynamics. These methods are illustrated using a limited set of examples including myoglobin and haemoglobin in complex with carbon monoxide, the simple light-driven proton pump bacteriorhodopsin, and the superoxide scavenger superoxide reductase. In conclusion, likely future developments of these methods at synchrotron X-ray sources and the potential impact of emerging X-ray free-electron laser facilities are speculated upon. [source] A combined structural dynamics approach identifies a putative switch in factor VIIa employed by tissue factor to initiate blood coagulationPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 4 2007Ole H. Olsen Abstract Coagulation factor VIIa (FVIIa) requires tissue factor (TF) to attain full catalytic competency and to initiate blood coagulation. In this study, the mechanism by which TF allosterically activates FVIIa is investigated by a structural dynamics approach that combines molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HX) mass spectrometry on free and TF-bound FVIIa. The differences in conformational dynamics from MD simulations are shown to be confined to regions of FVIIa observed to undergo structural stabilization as judged by HX experiments, especially implicating activation loop 3 (residues 365,374{216,225}) of the so-called activation domain and the 170-loop (residues 313,322{170A,175}) succeeding the TF-binding helix. The latter finding is corroborated by experiments demonstrating rapid deglycosylation of Asn322 in free FVIIa by PNGase F but almost complete protection in the presence of TF or an active-site inhibitor. Based on MD simulations, a key switch of the TF-induced structural changes is identified as the interacting pair Leu305{163} and Phe374{225} in FVIIa, whose mutual conformations are guided by the presence of TF and observed to be closely linked to the structural stability of activation loop 3. Altogether, our findings strongly support an allosteric activation mechanism initiated by the stabilization of the Leu305{163}/Phe374{225} pair, which, in turn, stabilizes activation loop 3 and the S1 and S3 substrate pockets, the activation pocket, and N-terminal insertion. [source] A Recombinant Glutamine-Binding Protein from Escherichia coli: Effect of Ligand-Binding on Protein Conformational DynamicsBIOTECHNOLOGY PROGRESS, Issue 6 2004Petr Herman We have investigated the effect of the binding of glutamine on the conformational dynamics of the recombinant glutamine binding protein (GlnBP) from Escherichia coli by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques. The structural stability of the protein was also studied by far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopy in the range of temperature between 25 and 80 °C. The results showed that the interaction of the protein with the ligand resulted in a marked change of the structural and conformational dynamics features of the protein. In particular, the fluorescence and circular dichroism data showed that the presence of glutamine resulted in a dramatic increase of the protein thermal stability of about 10 °C. In addition, the fluorescence time-resolved data pointed out that both in the absence and in the presence of glutamine the protein structure was highly rigid with small amplitude of segmental motion up to 65 °C and a low accessibility of the protein tryptophan residues to acrylamide. The obtained results on the structural properties of the recombinant glutamine-binding protein in the absence and in the presence of glutamine can contribute to a better understanding of the transport-related functions of the protein and structurally similar periplasmic transport proteins, as well as to the design and development of new biotechnological applications of this class of proteins. [source] Microsecond Protein Dynamics Measured by 13C, Rotating-Frame Spin RelaxationCHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 9 2005Patrik Lundström Abstract NMR spin relaxation in the rotating frame (R1,) is a unique method for atomic-resolution characterization of conformational (chemical) exchange processes occurring on the microsecond timescale. We present a rotating-frame13C,relaxation dispersion experiment for measuring conformational dynamics in uniformly13C-labeled proteins. The experiment was validated by using the E140Q mutant of the C-terminal fragment of calmodulin, which exhibits significant conformational exchange between two major conformations, as gauged from previous15N and1H relaxation studies. Consistent with previous work, the present13C, R1,experiment detects conformational-exchange dynamics throughout the protein. The average correlation time of ,,ex,=25±8 ,s is in excellent agreement with those determined previously from1H and15N R1,relaxation data: ,,ex,=19±7 and 21±3 ,s, respectively. The extracted chemical-shift differences between the exchanging states reveal significant fluctuations in dihedral angles within single regions of Ramachandran ,,, space, that were not identified from the1H and15N relaxation data. The present results underscore the advantage of using several types of nuclei to probe exchange dynamics in biomolecules. [source] Nucleosome Immobilization Strategies for Single-Pair FRET Microscopy,CHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 14 2008Wiepke J. A. Koopmans Abstract All genomic transactions in eukaryotes take place in the context of the nucleosome, the basic unit of chromatin, which is responsible for DNA compaction. Overcoming the steric hindrance that nucleosomes present for DNA-processing enzymes requires significant conformational changes. The dynamics of these have been hard to resolve. Single-pair Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (spFRET) microscopy is a powerful technique for observing conformational dynamics of the nucleosome. Nucleosome immobilization allows the extension of observation times to a limit set only by photobleaching, and thus opens the possibility of studying processes occurring on timescales ranging from milliseconds to minutes. It is crucial however, that immobilization itself does not introduce artifacts in the dynamics. Here we report on various nucleosome immobilization strategies, such as single-point attachment to polyethylene glycol (PEG) or surfaces coated with bovine serum albumin (BSA), and confinement in porous agarose or polyacrylamide gels. We compare the immobilization specificity and structural integrity of immobilized nucleosomes. A crosslinked star polyethylene glycol coating performs best with respect to tethering specificity and nucleosome integrity, and enables us to reproduce for the first time bulk nucleosome unwrapping kinetics in single nucleosomes without immobilization artifacts. [source] A Close Look at Fluorescence Quenching of Organic Dyes by TryptophanCHEMPHYSCHEM, Issue 11 2005Sören Doose Dr. Abstract Understanding fluorescence quenching processes of organic dyes by biomolecular compounds is of fundamental importance for in-vitro and in-vivo fluorescence studies. It has been reported that the excited singlet state of some oxazine and rhodamine derivatives is efficiently and almost exclusively quenched by the amino acid tryptophan (Trp) and the DNA base guanine via photoinduced electron transfer (PET). We present a detailed analysis of the quenching interactions between the oxazine dye MR121 and Trp in aqueous buffer. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, together with fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), reveal three contributing quenching mechanisms: 1) diffusion-limited dynamic quenching with a bimolecular quenching rate constant kdof 4.0×109s,1,M,1, 2) static quenching with a bimolecular association constant Ksof 61,M,1, and 3) a sphere-of-action contribution to static quenching described by an exponential factor with a quenching constant , of 22,M,1. The latter two are characterized as nonfluorescent complexes, formed with ,30,% efficiency upon encounter, that are stable for tens of nanoseconds. The measured binding energy of 20,30 kJmol,1is consistent with previous estimates from molecular dynamics simulations that proposed stacked complexes due to hydrophobic forces. We further evaluate the influence of glycerol and denaturant (guanidine hydrochloride) on the formation and stability of quenched complexes. Comparative measurements performed with two other dyes, ATTO 655 and Rhodamine 6G show similar results and thus demonstrate the general applicability of utilizing PET between organic dyes and Trp for the study of conformational dynamics of biopolymers on sub-nanometer length and nanosecond time-scales. [source] | |||||||||||||