Spatiotemporal Resolution of Conformational Changes in Biomolecules by Combining Pulsed Electron-Electron Double Resonance Spectroscopy with Microsecond Freeze-Hyperquenching.

The function of proteins is linked to their conformations that can be resolved with several high-resolution methods. However, only a few methods can provide the temporal order of intermediates and conformational changes, with each having its limitations. Here, we combine pulsed electron-electron double resonance spectroscopy with a microsecond freeze-hyperquenching setup to achieve spatiotemporal resolution in the angstrom range and lower microsecond time scale. We show that the conformational change of the Cα-helix in the cyclic nucleotide-binding domain of the Mesorhizobium loti potassium channel occurs within about 150 µs and can be resolved with angstrom precision. Thus, this approach holds great promise for obtaining 4D landscapes of conformational changes in biomolecules.

Transient Secondary and Tertiary Structure Formation Kinetics in the Intrinsically Disordered State of α-Synuclein from Atomistic Simulations.

In the absence of a stable fold, transient secondary structure kinetics define the native state of the prototypical and pharmacologically relevant intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) α-Synuclein (aS). Here, we investigate kinetics preventing ordering and possibly pathogenic ß-sheet aggregation. Interestingly, transient ß-sheets form frequently at sub µs time scales precisely at the positions observed in aS amyloid fibrils. The formation kinetics competes with rapid secondary structure dissociation rates, thus explaining the low secondary structure content. The fast secondary structure dissociation times are very similar to the dynamics of tertiary structure rearrangements. These findings suggest that the fast dissociation kinetics slows down conformational selection processes for aS aggregation, which may be a general mechanism controlling the aggregation kinetics of IDPs.

Dynamic conformational transitions of the EGF receptor in living mammalian cells determined by FRET and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy.

We have revealed a reorientation of ectodomain I of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR; ErbB1; Her1) in living CHO cells expressing the receptor, upon binding of the native ligand EGF. The state of the unliganded, nonactivated EGFR was compared to that exhibited after ligand addition in the presence of a kinase inhibitor that prevents endocytosis but does not interfere with binding or the ensuing conformational rearrangements. To perform these experiments, we constructed a transgene EGFR with an acyl carrier protein sequence between the signal peptide and the EGFR mature protein sequence. This protein, which behaves similarly to wild-type EGFR with respect to EGF binding, activation, and internalization, can be labeled at a specific serine in the acyl carrier tag with a fluorophore incorporated into a 4'-phosphopantetheine (P-pant) conjugate transferred enzymatically from the corresponding CoA derivative. By measuring Förster resonance energy transfer between a molecule of Atto390 covalently attached to EGFR in this manner and a novel lipid probe NR12S distributed exclusively in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane, we determined the apparent relative separation of ectodomain I from the membrane under nonactivating and activating conditions. The data indicate that the unliganded domain I of the EGFR receptor is situated much closer to the membrane before EGF addition, supporting the model of a self-inhibited configuration of the inactive receptor in quiescent cells.

Loss of G-A base pairs is insufficient for achieving a large opening of U4 snRNA K-turn motif.

Upon binding to the 15.5K protein, two tandem-sheared G-A base pairs are formed in the internal loop of the kink-turn motif of U4 snRNA (Kt-U4). We have reported that the folding of Kt-U4 is assisted by protein binding. Unstable interactions that contribute to a large opening of the free RNA ('k-e motion') were identified using locally enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations, results that agree with experiments. A detailed analysis of the simulations reveals that the k-e motion in Kt-U4 is triggered both by loss of G-A base pairs in the internal loop and backbone flexibility in the stems. Essential dynamics show that the loss of G-A base pairs is correlated along the first mode but anti-correlated along the third mode with the k-e motion. Moreover, when enhanced sampling was confined to the internal loop, the RNA adopted an alternative conformation characterized by a sharper kink, opening of G-A base pairs and modified stacking interactions. Thus, loss of G-A base pairs is insufficient for achieving a large opening of the free RNA. These findings, supported by previously published RNA structure probing experiments, suggest that G-A base pair formation occurs upon protein binding, thereby stabilizing a selective orientation of the stems.

Fluorescence imaging of amyloid formation in living cells by a functional, tetracysteine-tagged alpha-synuclein.

Alpha-synuclein is a major component of intraneuronal protein aggregates constituting a distinctive feature of Parkinson disease. To date, fluorescence imaging of dynamic processes leading to such amyloid deposits in living cells has not been feasible. To address this need, we generated a recombinant alpha-synuclein (alpha-synuclein-C4) bearing a tetracysteine target for fluorogenic biarsenical compounds. The biophysical, biochemical and aggregation properties of alpha-synuclein-C4 matched those of the wild-type protein in vitro and in living cells. We observed aggregation of alpha-synuclein-C4 transfected or microinjected into cells, particularly under oxidative stress conditions. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between FlAsH and ReAsH confirmed the close association of fibrillized alpha-synuclein-C4 molecules. Alpha-synuclein-C4 offers the means for directly probing amyloid formation and interactions of alpha-synuclein with other proteins in living cells, the response to cellular stress and screening drugs for Parkinson disease.

The snRNP 15.5K protein folds its cognate K-turn RNA: a combined theoretical and biochemical study.

The human 15.5K protein binds to the 5' stem-loop of U4 snRNA, promotes the assembly of the spliceosomal U4/U6 snRNP, and is required for the recruitment of the 61K protein and the 20/60/90K protein complex to the U4 snRNA. In the crystallographic structure of the 15.5K-U4 snRNA complex, the conformation of the RNA corresponds to the family of kink-turn (K-turn) structural motifs. We simulated the complex and the free RNA, showing how the protein binding and the intrinsic flexibility contribute to the RNA folding process. We found that the RNA is significantly more flexible in the absence of the 15.5K protein. Conformational transitions such as the interconversion between alternative purine stacking schemes, the loss of G-A base pairs, and the opening of the K-turn occur only in the free RNA. Furthermore, the stability of one canonical G-C base pair is influenced both by the binding of the 15.5K protein and the nature of the adjacent structural element in the RNA. We performed chemical RNA modification experiments and observed that the free RNA lacks secondary structure elements, a result in excellent agreement with the simulations. Based on these observations, we propose a protein-assisted RNA folding mechanism in which the RNA intrinsic flexibility functions as a catalyst.

Crystal and solution structures of 7-amino-actinomycin D complexes with d(TTAGBrUT), d(TTAGTT) and d(TTTAGTTT).

The formation of the complex of 7-amino-actinomycin D with potentially single-stranded DNA has been studied by X-ray crystallography in the solid state, by NMR in solution and by molecular modelling. The crystal structures of the complex with 5'-TTAG[Br(5)U]T-3' provide interesting examples of MAD phasing in which the dispersive component of the MAD signal was almost certainly enhanced by radiation damage. The trigonal and orthorhombic crystal modifications both contain antibiotic molecules and DNA strands in the form of a 2:4 complex: in the orthorhombic form there is one such complex in the asymmetric unit, while in the trigonal structure there are four. In both structures the phenoxazone ring of the first drug intercalates between a BrU-G (analogous to T-G) wobble pair and a G-T pair where the T is part of a symmetry-related molecule. The chromophore of the second actinomycin intercalates between the BrU-G and G-BrU wobble pairs of the partially paired third and fourth strands. The base stacking also involves (A*T)*T triplets and Watson-Crick A-T pairs and leads to similar complex three-dimensional networks in both structures, with looping-out of unpaired bases. Although the available NOE constraints of a solution containing the antibiotic and d(TTTAGTTT) strands in the ratio 1:1 are insufficient to determine the structure of the complex from the NMR data alone, they are consistent with the intercalation geometry observed in the crystal structure. Molecular-dynamics (MD) trajectories starting from the 1:2 complexes observed in the crystal showed that although the thymines flanking the d(AGT) core are rather flexible and the G-T pairing is not permanently preserved, both strands remain bound to the actinomycin by strong interactions between it and the guanines between which it is sandwiched. Similar strong binding (hemi-intercalation) of the actinomycin to a single guanine was observed in the MD trajectories of a 1:1 complex. The dominant interaction is between the antibiotic and guanine, but the complexes are stabilized further by promiscuous base-pairing.