Structural Insights into the Activation of Human Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor by the Environmental Contaminant Benzo[a]pyrene and Structurally Related Compounds.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor belonging to the bHLH/PAS protein family and responding to hundreds of natural and chemical substances. It is primarily involved in the defense against chemical insults and bacterial infections or in the adaptive immune response, but also in the development of pathological conditions ranging from inflammatory to neoplastic disorders. Despite its prominent roles in many (patho)physiological processes, the lack of high-resolution structural data has precluded for thirty years an in-depth understanding of the structural mechanisms underlying ligand-binding specificity, promiscuity and activation of AHR. We recently reported a cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of human AHR bound to the natural ligand indirubin, the chaperone Hsp90 and the co-chaperone XAP2 that provided the first experimental visualization of its ligand-binding PAS-B domain. Here, we report a 2.75 Å resolution structure of the AHR complex bound to the environmental pollutant benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). The structure substantiates the existence of a bipartite PAS-B ligand-binding pocket with a geometrically constrained primary binding site controlling ligand binding specificity and affinity, and a secondary binding site contributing to the binding promiscuity of AHR. We also report a docking study of B[a]P congeners that validates the B[a]P-bound PAS-B structure as a suitable model for accurate computational ligand binding assessment. Finally, comparison of our agonist-bound complex with the recently reported structures of mouse and fruit fly AHR PAS-B in different activation states suggests a ligand-induced loop conformational change potentially involved in the regulation of AHR function.

A cyclin-dependent kinase-mediated phosphorylation switch of disordered protein condensation.

Cell cycle transitions result from global changes in protein phosphorylation states triggered by cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). To understand how this complexity produces an ordered and rapid cellular reorganisation, we generated a high-resolution map of changing phosphosites throughout unperturbed early cell cycles in single Xenopus embryos, derived the emergent principles through systems biology analysis, and tested them by biophysical modelling and biochemical experiments. We found that most dynamic phosphosites share two key characteristics: they occur on highly disordered proteins that localise to membraneless organelles, and are CDK targets. Furthermore, CDK-mediated multisite phosphorylation can switch homotypic interactions of such proteins between favourable and inhibitory modes for biomolecular condensate formation. These results provide insight into the molecular mechanisms and kinetics of mitotic cellular reorganisation.

Compartmentalization of the SUMO/RNF4 pathway by SLX4 drives DNA repair.

SLX4, disabled in the Fanconi anemia group P, is a scaffolding protein that coordinates the action of structure-specific endonucleases and other proteins involved in the replication-coupled repair of DNA interstrand cross-links. Here, we show that SLX4 dimerization and SUMO-SIM interactions drive the assembly of SLX4 membraneless compartments in the nucleus called condensates. Super-resolution microscopy reveals that SLX4 forms chromatin-bound clusters of nanocondensates. We report that SLX4 compartmentalizes the SUMO-RNF4 signaling pathway. SENP6 and RNF4 regulate the assembly and disassembly of SLX4 condensates, respectively. SLX4 condensation per se triggers the selective modification of proteins by SUMO and ubiquitin. Specifically, SLX4 condensation induces ubiquitylation and chromatin extraction of topoisomerase 1 DNA-protein cross-links. SLX4 condensation also induces the nucleolytic degradation of newly replicated DNA. We propose that the compartmentalization of proteins by SLX4 through site-specific interactions ensures the spatiotemporal control of protein modifications and nucleolytic reactions during DNA repair.

Nucleation of Biomolecular Condensates from Finite-Sized Simulations.

The nucleation of protein condensates is a concentration-driven process of assembly. When modeled in the canonical ensemble, condensation is affected by finite-size effects. Here, we present a general and efficient route for obtaining ensemble properties of protein condensates in the macroscopic limit from finite-sized nucleation simulations. The approach is based on a theoretical description of droplet nucleation in the canonical ensemble and enables estimation of thermodynamic and kinetic parameters, such as the macroscopic equilibrium density of the dilute protein phase, the surface tension of the condensates, and nucleation free energy barriers. We apply the method to coarse-grained simulations of NDDX4 and FUS-LC, two phase-separating disordered proteins with different physicochemical characteristics. Our results show that NDDX4 condensate droplets, characterized by lower surface tension, higher solubility, and faster monomer exchange dynamics compared to those of FUS-LC, form with negligible nucleation barriers. In contrast, FUS-LC condensates form via an activated process over a wide range of concentrations.

Cryo-EM structure of the agonist-bound Hsp90-XAP2-AHR cytosolic complex.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor that mediates a broad spectrum of (patho)physiological processes in response to numerous substances including pollutants, natural products and metabolites. However, the scarcity of structural data precludes understanding of how AHR is activated by such diverse compounds. Our 2.85 Å structure of the human indirubin-bound AHR complex with the chaperone Hsp90 and the co-chaperone XAP2, reported herein, reveals a closed conformation Hsp90 dimer with AHR threaded through its lumen and XAP2 serving as a brace. Importantly, we disclose the long-awaited structure of the AHR PAS-B domain revealing a unique organisation of the ligand-binding pocket and the structural determinants of ligand-binding specificity and promiscuity of the receptor. By providing structural details of the molecular initiating event leading to AHR activation, our study rationalises almost forty years of biochemical data and provides a framework for future mechanistic studies and structure-guided drug design.

Functional control of a 0.5 MDa TET aminopeptidase by a flexible loop revealed by MAS NMR.

Large oligomeric enzymes control a myriad of cellular processes, from protein synthesis and degradation to metabolism. The 0.5 MDa large TET2 aminopeptidase, a prototypical protease important for cellular homeostasis, degrades peptides within a ca. 60 Å wide tetrahedral chamber with four lateral openings. The mechanisms of substrate trafficking and processing remain debated. Here, we integrate magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR, mutagenesis, co-evolution analysis and molecular dynamics simulations and reveal that a loop in the catalytic chamber is a key element for enzymatic function. The loop is able to stabilize ligands in the active site and may additionally have a direct role in activating the catalytic water molecule whereby a conserved histidine plays a key role. Our data provide a strong case for the functional importance of highly dynamic - and often overlooked - parts of an enzyme, and the potential of MAS NMR to investigate their dynamics at atomic resolution.

Arginine multivalency stabilizes protein/RNA condensates.

Biomolecular condensates assembled through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of proteins and RNAs are currently recognized to play an important role in cellular organization. Their assembly depends on the formation of a network of transient, multivalent interactions between flexible scaffold biomolecules. Understanding how protein and RNA sequences determine these interactions and ultimately regulate the phase separation is an open key challenge. Recent in vitro studies have revealed that arginine and lysine residues, which are enriched in most cellular condensates, have markedly distinct propensities to drive the LLPS of protein/RNA mixtures. Here, we employ explicit-solvent atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to shed light on the microscopic origin of this difference by investigating mixtures of polyU oligonucleotides with either polyR/polyK peptides. In agreement with experiments, our simulations indicate that arginine has a higher affinity for polyU than lysine both in highly diluted conditions and in concentrated solutions with a biomolecular density comparable to cellular condensate. The analysis of intermolecular contacts suggests that this differential behavior is due to the propensity of arginine side chains to simultaneously form a higher number of specific interactions with oligonucleotides, including hydrogen bonds and stacking interactions. Our results provide a molecular description of how the multivalency of the guanidinium group enables the coordination of multiple RNA groups by a single arginine residue, thus ultimately stabilizing protein/RNA condensates.

Unraveling Molecular Interactions in Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation of Disordered Proteins by Atomistic Simulations.

Membraneless organelles are dynamical cellular condensates formed via biomolecular liquid-liquid phase separation of proteins and RNA molecules. Multiple evidence suggests that in several cases disordered proteins are structural scaffolds that drive the condensation by forming a dynamic network of inter- and intramolecular contacts. Despite the blooming research activity in this field, the structural characterization of these entities is very limited, and we still do not understand how the phase behavior is encoded in the amino acid sequences of the scaffolding proteins. Here we exploited explicit-solvent atomistic simulations to investigate the N-terminal disordered region of DEAD-box helicase 4 (NDDX4), which is a well-established model for phase separation. Notably, we determined NDDX4 conformational ensemble at the single-molecule level, and we relied on a "divide-and-conquer" strategy, based on simulations of various protein fragments at high concentration, to probe intermolecular interactions in conditions mimicking real condensates. Our results provide a high-resolution picture of the molecular mechanisms underlying phase separation in agreement with NMR and mutagenesis data and suggest that clusters of arginine and aromatic residues may stabilize the assembly of several condensates.

Two Novel Cases of Resistance to Thyroid Hormone Due to THRA Mutation.

Resistance to thyroid hormone alpha (RTHα) is a rare and under-recognized genetic disease caused by mutations of THRA, the gene encoding thyroid hormone receptor α1 (TRα1). We report here two novel THRA missense mutations (M259T, T273A) in patients with RTHα. We combined biochemical and cellular assays with in silico modeling to assess the capacity of mutant TRα1 to bind triiodothyronine (T3), to heterodimerize with RXR, to interact with transcriptional coregulators, and to transduce a T3 transcriptional response. M259T, and to a lower extent T273A, reduces the affinity of TRα1 for T3. Their negative influence is only reverted by large excess of T3. The severity of the two novel RTHα cases originates from a reduction in the binding affinity of TRα1 mutants to T3 and thus correlates with the incapacity of corepressors to dissociate from TRα1 mutants in the presence of T3.

Structural basis for chemically-induced homodimerization of a single domain antibody.

Chemically-induced dimerization (CID) systems are essential tools to interrogate and control biological systems. AcVHH is a single domain antibody homo-dimerizing upon caffeine binding. AcVHH has a strong potential for clinical applications through caffeine-mediated in vivo control of therapeutic gene networks. Here we provide the structural basis for caffeine-induced homo-dimerization of acVHH.

Molecular Modeling of the Interaction of Protein L with Antibodies.

Protein L (PpL) is a bacterial protein which is used in the affinity chromatography stage of the production of monoclonal antibodies because of its ability to form high affinity complexes with the light chains of immunoglobulins. In the present work, the binding interfaces between one domain of PpL and antigen-binding fragments (Fab) have been investigated adopting molecular dynamics with the aim of determining the binding contribution of the residues located at the Fab-PpL interface. Because it is known that PpL binds antibodies through two distinct binding sites with different affinities, simulations were performed for both sites to determine interaction free energies to assess the relative binding contribution of the two sites. Mutational studies were then performed only on the dominant binding site. The binding free energy was evaluated with the molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MMPBSA) and umbrella sampling/weighted histogram analysis methods. Key residues for the formation of the dominant binding site complex were identified by means of alanine scanning performed both for the Fab and PpL domains. Residues of the light chain of the antibody that contribute most to binding were found to be located between SER7 and VAL13. Four residues from PpL are important for the stability of the complex: PHE839, LYS840, GLU849, and TYR853. Three residues of PpL that do not contribute to the interaction were mutated to histidine (HIS), which changes its protonation state as a function of pH, to find whether this could allow us to control the binding interaction energy. This can be useful in the elution stage of the affinity chromatography purification of antibodies if PpL is used as a ligand. These residues are GLN835, THR836, and ALA837. Molecular dynamics simulations with both protonated and unprotonated HIS were performed to mimic how changing pH may reflect on protein-ligand interaction energies. The MMPBSA approach was used to evaluate the variation of the affinity of the mutated systems with reference to the wild type. Our results show that these mutations could help in disrupting the complex under acidic conditions without impairing the affinity of PpL for the light chains at higher pHs.

A two level hierarchical model of protein retention in ion exchange chromatography.

Predicting protein retention in ion exchange chromatography (IEX) from first principles is a fascinating perspective. In this work a two level hierarchical modeling strategy is proposed in order to calculate protein retention factors. Model predictions are tested against experimental data measured for Lysozyme and Chymotrypsinogen A in IEX columns as a function of ionic strength and pH. At the highest level of accuracy Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations in explicit water are used to determine the interaction free energy between each of the two proteins and the IEX stationary phase for a reference pH and ionic strength. At a lower level of accuracy a linear response model based on an implicit treatment of solvation and adopting a static protein structure is used to calculate interaction free energies for the full range of pHs and ionic strengths considered. A scaling coefficient, determined comparing MD and implicit solvent simulations, is then introduced in order to correct the linear response model for errors induced by the adoption of a static protein structure. The calculated free energies are then used to compute protein retention factors, which can be directly compared with experimental data. The possibility to introduce a third level of accuracy is explored testing the predictions of a semiempirical model. A quantitative agreement between the predicted and measured protein retention factors is obtained using the coupled MD-linear response models, supporting the reliability of the proposed approach. The model allows quantifying the electrostatic, van der Waals, and conformational contributions to the interaction free energies. A good agreement between experiments and model is obtained also using the semiempirical model that, although requiring parameterization over higher level models or experimental data, proves to be useful in order to rapidly determine protein retention factors across wide pH and ionic strength ranges as it is computationally inexpensive.

Molecular modeling of the affinity chromatography of monoclonal antibodies.

Molecular modeling is a methodology that offers the possibility of studying complex systems such as protein-ligand complexes from an atomistic point of view, making available information that can be difficultly obtained from experimental studies. Here, a protocol for the construction of molecular models of the interaction between antibodies and ligands that can be used for an affinity chromatography process is presented. The outlined methodology focuses mostly on the description of a procedure that may be adopted to determine the structure and free energy of interaction between the antibody and the affinity ligand. A procedure to extend the proposed methodology to include the effect of the environment (buffer solution, spacer, support matrix) is also briefly outlined.