The conformational landscape of fold-switcher KaiB is tuned to the circadian rhythm timescale.

How can a single protein domain encode a conformational landscape with multiple stably-folded states, and how do those states interconvert? Here, we use real-time and relaxation-dispersion NMR to characterize the conformational landscape of the circadian rhythm protein KaiB from Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Unique among known natural metamorphic proteins, this KaiB variant spontaneously interconverts between two monomeric states: the "Ground" and "Fold-switched" (FS) state. KaiB in its FS state interacts with multiple binding partners, including the central KaiC protein, to regulate circadian rhythms. We find that KaiB itself takes hours to interconvert between the Ground and FS state, underscoring the ability of a single sequence to encode the slow process needed for function. We reveal the rate-limiting step between the Ground and FS state is the cis-trans isomerization of three prolines in the fold-switching region by demonstrating interconversion acceleration by the prolyl isomerase CypA. The interconversion proceeds through a "partially disordered" (PD) state, where the C-terminal half becomes disordered while the N-terminal half remains stably folded. We discovered two additional properties of KaiB's landscape. Firstly, the Ground state experiences cold denaturation: at 4°C, the PD state becomes the majorly populated state. Secondly, the Ground state exchanges with a fourth state, the "Enigma" state, on the millisecond timescale. We combine AlphaFold2-based predictions and NMR chemical shift predictions to predict this "Enigma" state is a beta-strand register shift that eases buried charged residues, and support this structure experimentally. These results provide mechanistic insight in how evolution can design a single sequence that achieves specific timing needed for its function.

Predicting multiple conformations via sequence clustering and AlphaFold2.

AlphaFold2 (ref. 1) has revolutionized structural biology by accurately predicting single structures of proteins. However, a protein's biological function often depends on multiple conformational substates2, and disease-causing point mutations often cause population changes within these substates3,4. We demonstrate that clustering a multiple-sequence alignment by sequence similarity enables AlphaFold2 to sample alternative states of known metamorphic proteins with high confidence. Using this method, named AF-Cluster, we investigated the evolutionary distribution of predicted structures for the metamorphic protein KaiB5 and found that predictions of both conformations were distributed in clusters across the KaiB family. We used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to confirm an AF-Cluster prediction: a cyanobacteria KaiB variant is stabilized in the opposite state compared with the more widely studied variant. To test AF-Cluster's sensitivity to point mutations, we designed and experimentally verified a set of three mutations predicted to flip KaiB from Rhodobacter sphaeroides from the ground to the fold-switched state. Finally, screening for alternative states in protein families without known fold switching identified a putative alternative state for the oxidoreductase Mpt53 in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Further development of such bioinformatic methods in tandem with experiments will probably have a considerable impact on predicting protein energy landscapes, essential for illuminating biological function.

From primordial clocks to circadian oscillators.

Circadian rhythms play an essential part in many biological processes, and only three prokaryotic proteins are required to constitute a true post-translational circadian oscillator1. The evolutionary history of the three Kai proteins indicates that KaiC is the oldest member and a central component of the clock2. Subsequent additions of KaiB and KaiA regulate the phosphorylation state of KaiC for time synchronization. The canonical KaiABC system in cyanobacteria is well understood3-6, but little is known about more ancient systems that only possess KaiBC. However, there are reports that they might exhibit a basic, hourglass-like timekeeping mechanism7-9. Here we investigate the primordial circadian clock in Rhodobacter sphaeroides, which contains only KaiBC, to elucidate its inner workings despite missing KaiA. Using a combination of X-ray crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy, we find a new dodecameric fold for KaiC, in which two hexamers are held together by a coiled-coil bundle of 12 helices. This interaction is formed by the carboxy-terminal extension of KaiC and serves as an ancient regulatory moiety that is later superseded by KaiA. A coiled-coil register shift between daytime and night-time conformations is connected to phosphorylation sites through a long-range allosteric network that spans over 140 Å. Our kinetic data identify the difference in the ATP-to-ADP ratio between day and night as the environmental cue that drives the clock. They also unravel mechanistic details that shed light on the evolution of self-sustained oscillators.

Structure determination of high-energy states in a dynamic protein ensemble.

Macromolecular function frequently requires that proteins change conformation into high-energy states1-4. However, methods for solving the structures of these functionally essential, lowly populated states are lacking. Here we develop a method for high-resolution structure determination of minorly populated states by coupling NMR spectroscopy-derived pseudocontact shifts5 (PCSs) with Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) relaxation dispersion6 (PCS-CPMG). Our approach additionally defines the corresponding kinetics and thermodynamics of high-energy excursions, thereby characterizing the entire free-energy landscape. Using a large set of simulated data for adenylate kinase (Adk), calmodulin and Src kinase, we find that high-energy PCSs accurately determine high-energy structures (with a root mean squared deviation of less than 3.5 angström). Applying our methodology to Adk during catalysis, we find that the high-energy excursion involves surprisingly small openings of the AMP and ATP lids. This previously unresolved high-energy structure solves a longstanding controversy about conformational interconversions that are rate-limiting for catalysis. Primed for either substrate binding or product release, the high-energy structure of Adk suggests a two-step mechanism combining conformational selection to this state, followed by an induced-fit step into a fully closed state for catalysis of the phosphoryl-transfer reaction. Unlike other methods for resolving high-energy states, such as cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography, our solution PCS-CPMG approach excels in cases involving domain rearrangements of smaller systems (less than 60 kDa) and populations as low as 0.5%, and enables the simultaneous determination of protein structure, kinetics and thermodynamics while proteins perform their function.

How directed evolution reshapes the energy landscape in an enzyme to boost catalysis.

The advent of biocatalysts designed computationally and optimized by laboratory evolution provides an opportunity to explore molecular strategies for augmenting catalytic function. Applying a suite of nuclear magnetic resonance, crystallography, and stopped-flow techniques to an enzyme designed for an elementary proton transfer reaction, we show how directed evolution gradually altered the conformational ensemble of the protein scaffold to populate a narrow, highly active conformational ensemble and accelerate this transformation by nearly nine orders of magnitude. Mutations acquired during optimization enabled global conformational changes, including high-energy backbone rearrangements, that cooperatively organized the catalytic base and oxyanion stabilizer, thus perfecting transition-state stabilization. The development of protein catalysts for many chemical transformations could be facilitated by explicitly sampling conformational substates during design and specifically stabilizing productive substates over all unproductive conformations.

Probing the Transition State in Enzyme Catalysis by High-Pressure NMR Dynamics.

Protein conformational changes are frequently essential for enzyme catalysis, and in several cases, shown to be the limiting factor for overall catalytic speed. However, a structural understanding of corresponding transition states, needed to rationalize the kinetics, remains obscure due to their fleeting nature. Here, we determine the transition-state ensemble of the rate-limiting conformational transition in the enzyme adenylate kinase, by a synergistic approach between experimental high-pressure NMR relaxation during catalysis and molecular dynamics simulations. By comparing homologous kinases evolved under ambient or high pressure in the deep-sea, we detail transition state ensembles that differ in solvation as directly measured by the pressure dependence of catalysis. Capturing transition-state ensembles begins to complete the catalytic energy landscape that is generally characterized by structures of all intermediates and frequencies of transitions among them.

Mechanism of activating mutations and allosteric drug inhibition of the phosphatase SHP2.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 functions as a key regulator of cell cycle control, and activating mutations cause several cancers. Here, we dissect the energy landscape of wild-type SHP2 and the oncogenic mutation E76K. NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography reveal that wild-type SHP2 exchanges between closed, inactive and open, active conformations. E76K mutation shifts this equilibrium toward the open state. The previously unknown open conformation is characterized, including the active-site WPD loop in the inward and outward conformations. Binding of the allosteric inhibitor SHP099 to E76K mutant, despite much weaker, results in an identical structure as the wild-type complex. A conformational selection to the closed state reduces drug affinity which, combined with E76K's much higher activity, demands significantly greater SHP099 concentrations to restore wild-type  activity levels. The differences in structural ensembles and drug-binding kinetics of cancer-associated SHP2 forms may stimulate innovative ideas for developing more potent inhibitors for activated SHP2 mutants.

Dynamics of human protein kinase Aurora A linked to drug selectivity.

Protein kinases are major drug targets, but the development of highly-selective inhibitors has been challenging due to the similarity of their active sites. The observation of distinct structural states of the fully-conserved Asp-Phe-Gly (DFG) loop has put the concept of conformational selection for the DFG-state at the center of kinase drug discovery. Recently, it was shown that Gleevec selectivity for the Tyr-kinase Abl was instead rooted in conformational changes after drug binding. Here, we investigate whether protein dynamics after binding is a more general paradigm for drug selectivity by characterizing the binding of several approved drugs to the Ser/Thr-kinase Aurora A. Using a combination of biophysical techniques, we propose a universal drug-binding mechanism, that rationalizes selectivity, affinity and long on-target residence time for kinase inhibitors. These new concepts, where protein dynamics in the drug-bound state plays the crucial role, can be applied to inhibitor design of targets outside the kinome.

Rescue of conformational dynamics in enzyme catalysis by directed evolution.

Rational design and directed evolution have proved to be successful approaches to increase catalytic efficiencies of both natural and artificial enzymes. Protein dynamics is recognized as important, but due to the inherent flexibility of biological macromolecules it is often difficult to distinguish which conformational changes are directly related to function. Here, we use directed evolution on an impaired mutant of the proline isomerase CypA and identify two second-shell mutations that partially restore its catalytic activity. We show both kinetically, using NMR spectroscopy, and structurally, by room-temperature X-ray crystallography, how local perturbations propagate through a large allosteric network to facilitate conformational dynamics. The increased catalysis selected for in the evolutionary screen is correlated with an accelerated interconversion between the two catalytically essential conformational sub-states, which are both captured in the high-resolution X-ray ensembles. Our data provide a glimpse of an evolutionary trajectory and show how subtle changes can fine-tune enzyme function.

Comprehensive analysis of NMR data using advanced line shape fitting.

NMR spectroscopy is uniquely suited for atomic resolution studies of biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids and metabolites, since detailed information on structure and dynamics are encoded in positions and line shapes of peaks in NMR spectra. Unfortunately, accurate determination of these parameters is often complicated and time consuming, in part due to the need for different software at the various analysis steps and for validating the results. Here, we present an integrated, cross-platform and open-source software that is significantly more versatile than the typical line shape fitting application. The software is a completely redesigned version of PINT ( https://pint-nmr.github.io/PINT/ ). It features a graphical user interface and includes functionality for peak picking, editing of peak lists and line shape fitting. In addition, the obtained peak intensities can be used directly to extract, for instance, relaxation rates, heteronuclear NOE values and exchange parameters. In contrast to most available software the entire process from spectral visualization to preparation of publication-ready figures is done solely using PINT and often within minutes, thereby, increasing productivity for users of all experience levels. Unique to the software are also the outstanding tools for evaluating the quality of the fitting results and extensive, but easy-to-use, customization of the fitting protocol and graphical output. In this communication, we describe the features of the new version of PINT and benchmark its performance.

Conformational Selection in a Protein-Protein Interaction Revealed by Dynamic Pathway Analysis.

Molecular recognition plays a central role in biology, and protein dynamics has been acknowledged to be important in this process. However, it is highly debated whether conformational changes happen before ligand binding to produce a binding-competent state (conformational selection) or are caused in response to ligand binding (induced fit). Proposals for both mechanisms in protein/protein recognition have been primarily based on structural arguments. However, the distinction between them is a question of the probabilities of going via these two opposing pathways. Here, we present a direct demonstration of exclusive conformational selection in protein/protein recognition by measuring the flux for rhodopsin kinase binding to its regulator recoverin, an important molecular recognition in the vision system. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, stopped-flow kinetics, and isothermal titration calorimetry, we show that recoverin populates a minor conformation in solution that exposes a hydrophobic binding pocket responsible for binding rhodopsin kinase. Protein dynamics in free recoverin limits the overall rate of binding.

Optimized co-solute paramagnetic relaxation enhancement for the rapid NMR analysis of a highly fibrillogenic peptide.

Co-solute paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) is an attractive way to speed up data acquisition in NMR spectroscopy by shortening the T 1 relaxation time of the nucleus of interest and thus the necessary recycle delay. Here, we present the rationale to utilize high-spin iron(III) as the optimal transition metal for this purpose and characterize the properties of its neutral chelate form Fe(DO3A) as a suitable PRE agent. Fe(DO3A) effectively reduces the T 1 values across the entire sequence of the intrinsically disordered protein α-synuclein with negligible impact on line width. The agent is better suited than currently used alternatives, shows no specific interaction with the polypeptide chain and, due to its high relaxivity, is effective at low concentrations and in 'proton-less' NMR experiments. By using Fe(DO3A) we were able to complete the backbone resonance assignment of a highly fibrillogenic peptide from α1-antitrypsin by acquiring the necessary suite of multidimensional NMR datasets in 3 h.

Cavity as a source of conformational fluctuation and high-energy state: high-pressure NMR study of a cavity-enlarged mutant of T4 lysozyme.

Although the structure, function, conformational dynamics, and controlled thermodynamics of proteins are manifested by their corresponding amino acid sequences, the natural rules for molecular design and their corresponding interplay remain obscure. In this study, we focused on the role of internal cavities of proteins in conformational dynamics. We investigated the pressure-induced responses from the cavity-enlarged L99A mutant of T4 lysozyme, using high-pressure NMR spectroscopy. The signal intensities of the methyl groups in the (1)H/(13)C heteronuclear single quantum correlation spectra, particularly those around the enlarged cavity, decreased with the increasing pressure, and disappeared at 200 MPa, without the appearance of new resonances, thus indicating the presence of heterogeneous conformations around the cavity within the ground state ensemble. Above 200 MPa, the signal intensities of >20 methyl groups gradually decreased with the increasing pressure, without the appearance of new resonances. Interestingly, these residues closely matched those sensing a large conformational change between the ground- and high-energy states, at atmospheric pressure. (13)C and (1)H NMR line-shape simulations showed that the pressure-induced loss in the peak intensity could be explained by the increase in the high-energy state population. In this high-energy state, the aromatic side chain of F114 gets flipped into the enlarged cavity. The accommodation of the phenylalanine ring into the efficiently packed cavity may decrease the partial molar volume of the high-energy state, relative to the ground state. We suggest that the enlarged cavity is involved in the conformational transition to high-energy states and in the volume fluctuation of the ground state.

The energy landscape of adenylate kinase during catalysis.

Kinases perform phosphoryl-transfer reactions in milliseconds; without enzymes, these reactions would take about 8,000 years under physiological conditions. Despite extensive studies, a comprehensive understanding of kinase energy landscapes, including both chemical and conformational steps, is lacking. Here we scrutinize the microscopic steps in the catalytic cycle of adenylate kinase, through a combination of NMR measurements during catalysis, pre-steady-state kinetics, molecular-dynamics simulations and crystallography of active complexes. We find that the Mg(2+) cofactor activates two distinct molecular events: phosphoryl transfer (>10(5)-fold) and lid opening (10(3)-fold). In contrast, mutation of an essential active site arginine decelerates phosphoryl transfer 10(3)-fold without substantially affecting lid opening. Our results highlight the importance of the entire energy landscape in catalysis and suggest that adenylate kinases have evolved to activate key processes simultaneously by precise placement of a single, charged and very abundant cofactor in a preorganized active site.

A minor conformation of a lanthanide tag on adenylate kinase characterized by paramagnetic relaxation dispersion NMR spectroscopy.

NMR relaxation dispersion techniques provide a powerful method to study protein dynamics by characterizing lowly populated conformations that are in dynamic exchange with the major state. Paramagnetic NMR is a versatile tool for investigating the structures and dynamics of proteins. These two techniques were combined here to measure accurate and precise pseudocontact shifts of a lowly populated conformation. This method delivers valuable long-range structural restraints for higher energy conformations of macromolecules in solution. Another advantage of combining pseudocontact shifts with relaxation dispersion is the increase in the amplitude of dispersion profiles. Lowly populated states are often involved in functional processes, such as enzyme catalysis, signaling, and protein/protein interactions. The presented results also unveil a critical problem with the lanthanide tag used to generate paramagnetic relaxation dispersion effects in proteins, namely that the motions of the tag can interfere severely with the observation of protein dynamics. The two-point attached CLaNP-5 lanthanide tag was linked to adenylate kinase. From the paramagnetic relaxation dispersion only motion of the tag is observed. The data can be described accurately by a two-state model in which the protein-attached tag undergoes a 23° tilting motion on a timescale of milliseconds. The work demonstrates the large potential of paramagnetic relaxation dispersion and the challenge to improve current tags to minimize relaxation dispersion from tag movements.

Energetic dissection of Gleevec's selectivity toward human tyrosine kinases.

Protein kinases are obvious drug targets against cancer, owing to their central role in cellular regulation. Since the discovery of Gleevec, a potent and specific inhibitor of Abl kinase, as a highly successful cancer therapeutic, the ability of this drug to distinguish between Abl and other tyrosine kinases such as Src has been intensely investigated but without much success. Using NMR and fast kinetics, we establish a new model that solves this longstanding question of how the two tyrosine kinases adopt almost identical structures when bound to Gleevec but have vastly different affinities. We show that, in contrast to all other proposed models, the origin of Abl's high affinity lies predominantly in a conformational change after binding. An energy landscape providing tight affinity via an induced fit and binding plasticity via a conformational-selection mechanism is likely to be general for many inhibitors.

The solution structure, binding properties, and dynamics of the bacterial siderophore-binding protein FepB.

The periplasmic binding protein (PBP) FepB plays a key role in transporting the catecholate siderophore ferric enterobactin from the outer to the inner membrane in Gram-negative bacteria. The solution structures of the 34-kDa apo- and holo-FepB from Escherichia coli, solved by NMR, represent the first solution structures determined for the type III class of PBPs. Unlike type I and II PBPs, which undergo large "Venus flytrap" conformational changes upon ligand binding, both forms of FepB maintain similar overall folds; however, binding of the ligand is accompanied by significant loop movements. Reverse methyl cross-saturation experiments corroborated chemical shift perturbation results and uniquely defined the binding pocket for gallium enterobactin (GaEnt). NMR relaxation experiments indicated that a flexible loop (residues 225-250) adopted a more rigid and extended conformation upon ligand binding, which positioned residues for optimal interactions with the ligand and the cytoplasmic membrane ABC transporter (FepCD), respectively. In conclusion, this work highlights the pivotal role that structural dynamics plays in ligand binding and transporter interactions in type III PBPs.

Subpolar addition of new cell wall is directed by DivIVA in mycobacteria.

Mycobacteria are surrounded by a complex multilayered envelope and elongate at the poles. The principles that organize the coordinated addition of chemically diverse cell wall layers during polar extension remain unclear. We show that enzymes mediating the terminal cytosolic steps of peptidoglycan, arabinogalactan, and mycolic acid synthesis colocalize at sites of cell growth or division. The tropomyosin-like protein, DivIVA, is targeted to the negative curvature of the pole, is enriched at the growing end, and determines cell shape from this site. In contrast, cell wall synthetic complexes are concentrated at a distinct subpolar location. When viewed at subdiffraction resolution, new peptidoglycan is deposited at this subpolar site, and inert cell wall covers the DivIVA-marked tip. The differentiation between polar tip and cell wall synthetic complexes is also apparent at the biochemical level. Enzymes that generate mycolate precursors interact with DivIVA, but the final condensation of mycolic acids occurs in a distinct protein complex at the site of nascent cell wall addition. We propose an ultrastructural model of mycobacterial polar growth where new cell wall is added in an annular zone below the cell tip. This model may be broadly applicable to other bacterial and fungal organisms that grow via polar extension.

Protein surface and core dynamics show concerted hydration-dependent activation.

By specifically labeling leucine/valine methyl groups and lysine side chains "inside" and "outside" dynamics of proteins on the nanosecond timescale are compared using neutron scattering. Surprisingly, both groups display similar dynamics as a function of temperature, and the buried hydrophobic core is sensitive to hydration and undergoes a dynamical transition.

Fluoride resistance and transport by riboswitch-controlled CLC antiporters.

A subclass of bacterial CLC anion-transporting proteins, phylogenetically distant from long-studied CLCs, was recently shown to be specifically up-regulated by F(-). We establish here that a set of randomly selected representatives from this "CLC(F)" clade protect Escherichia coli from F(-) toxicity, and that the purified proteins catalyze transport of F(-) in liposomes. Sequence alignments and membrane transport experiments using (19)F NMR, osmotic response assays, and planar lipid bilayer recordings reveal four mechanistic traits that set CLC(F) proteins apart from all other known CLCs. First, CLC(F)s lack conserved residues that form the anion binding site in canonical CLCs. Second, CLC(F)s exhibit high anion selectivity for F(-) over Cl(-). Third, at a residue thought to distinguish CLC channels and transporters, CLC(F)s bear a channel-like valine rather than a transporter-like glutamate, and yet are F(-)/H(+) antiporters. Finally, F(-)/H(+) exchange occurs with 1:1 stoichiometry, in contrast to the usual value of 2:1.