蛋白质的结构转换

许多不相关的蛋白质含有相同的短肽序列却形成不同的空间构象. 结构转换广泛存在于蛋白质折叠和功能过程中, 具有重要的生物学意义. 综述了Serpin和EF-Tu的失活、血细胞凝集素的激活、蛋白酶成熟、亚基装配和蛋白质淀粉样化等过程中肽链同源肽段的结构转换模式, 并讨论了它在理解蛋白质折叠机理和“构象病”病因中的应用.     

蛋白质二级结构指定

蛋白质二级结构是指蛋白质骨架结构中有规律重复的构象。由蛋白质原子坐标正确地指定蛋白质二级结构是分析蛋白质结构与功能的基础,二级结构的指定对于蛋白质分类、蛋白质功能模体的发现以及理解蛋白质折叠机制有着重要的作用。并且蛋白质二级结构信息广泛应用到蛋白质分子可视化、蛋白质比对以及蛋白质结构预测中。目前有超过20种蛋白质二级结构指定方法,这些方法大体可以分为两大类:基于氢键和基于几何,不同方法指定结果之间的差异较大。由于尚没有蛋白质二级结构指定方法的综述文献,因此,本文主要介绍和总结已有蛋白质二级结构指定方法。     

预测蛋白质二级结构的人工神经元网络方法

本文独立地建立了用人工神经元网络预测蛋白质二级结构的方法,并通过分析我们提出的分布矩阵(表达每一类构象被预测成所有各类构象的可能性的矩阵),对于这一方法的误差以及造成误差的可能的原因进行了较过去更为深入的分析.并在此基础上提出了一种修正的学习方法,结果对于规则二级结构(α螺旋和β折叠)的预测精度和相关系数均有提高.     

GroEL的耗能分子伴侣机制

双环结构Gro EL及其辅分子伴侣Gro ES是目前研究得最深入的分子伴侣.然而,Gro EL/Gro ES帮助蛋白质折叠的一些关键理化机制,尤其是水解ATP,Gro EL发生构象改变,能否主动调节蛋白质错误折叠中间体的构象,以促进错误折叠中间体的复性,仍然存在争议.结合本研究组近年的工作,作者着力介绍Gro EL促进蛋白质折叠的主动解折叠机制.     

磷酸丙糖异构酶的折叠及稳定性研究

从鸡胸肌中纯化出磷酸丙糖异构酶(triosephosphateisomerase,TIM),通过蛋白质内源荧光,圆二色性,紫外吸收二阶导数光谱等多种研究溶液构象的方法,对TIM被盐酸胍和热变性过程进行了详细的研究.结果表明,用不同测量方法得到TIM的变性过程均高度协同,没有观察到折叠中间态,应用单分子二态去折叠模型计算了TIM去折叠的热力学参数.通过圆二色光谱在222nm处的变化监测的TIM热变性过程也是高度协同的二态过程,天然态TIM的表观Tm为64.6℃.在低浓度盐酸胍存在下,TIM的热稳定性降低.讨论了二体蛋白质的可能去折叠机制,证明在使用的实验条件下磷酸丙糖异构酶去折叠过程中二级结构与三级结构的变化是同时发生的,其去折叠遵循观察不到二体解离的表观二态过程.     

人肌和兔肌肌酸激酶在低pH条件下再折叠的研究

利用蛋白质内源荧光和远紫外ＣＤ光谱研究了在低ｐＨ条件下人肌肌酸激酶和兔肌肌酸激酶的构象状态。结果表明,在低离子强度下,随着酸的加入人肌和兔肌肌酸激酶去折叠,至ｐＨ２．０附近几乎都达到充分去折叠。它们的色氨酸荧光发射峰位红移至３５０ｎｍ,这表明了内埋的色氨酸残基已经完全暴露到极性溶剂之中,它们的远紫外ＣＤ光谱表明二级结构也遭破坏,但是仍保留有相当部分的二级结构。而且在高离子强度低ｐＨ条件下由Ｇｏｔｏ等人首先发现的中间体构象状态（融球结构状态）在我们的实验中也被观察到了。它具有与天然酶类似的二级结构。色氨酸荧光发射光谱表明与天然酶类似,它的最大发射峰位也为３３５ｎｍ表明了蛋白质已经完全折叠,然而其荧光强度远低于天然酶,表明这种结构状态具有较大运动性而导致荧光的动态淬灭。上述结果支持了Ｇｏｔｏ等人的发现,说明了融球中间体结构可能是蛋白质折叠过程需经历的一个中间态。     

蛋白质构象病

蛋白质结构生物学既从蛋白质一级结构序列 ,也从蛋白质空间结构及其动态变化去研究蛋白质的性质和功能。生物医学研究表明蛋白质空间构象发生异常变化会引起疾病发生 ,形成了蛋白质构象病 (Ｐｒｏｔｅｉｎｃｏｎｆｏｒｍａ ｔｉｏｎａｌｄｉｓｅａｓｅｓ)这一新的病理学概念[1] 。1 .蛋白质构象病及其分子构象病理学一般讲 ,引起构象疾病的蛋白质分子与正常蛋白质同时存在于机体内 ,至少部分蛋白质具有正常折叠的空间构象 ,并以正常形态释放。当蛋白质构象异常变化时可导致其生物功能丧失 ,或者引起其后发生的蛋白质聚集与沉积 ,使组织结构…     

分子伴侣(MolecularChaperones)与蛋白质的折叠

尽管几百种蛋白质的三维结构已研究得非常清楚,但这些蛋白质折叠成其天然构象的机制与途径仍有待于进一步的研究。有关于蛋白质折叠的一些体外实验确定,决定一个蛋白质三维结构的信息存在于蛋白质的多肽链之中。在体外,一定条件下,在没有任何其他蛋白质存更多还原在下,一些酶和蛋白质可以自我装配成天然构象[1,2].     

蛋白质折叠、动力学以及蛋白质-配体结合的物理化学基础

蛋白质是生物体的重要组成部分并参与细胞内几乎所有的生物学过程.随着越来越多物种基因组序列的测定,准确理解基因产物的功能并探索蛋白质功能多样性的原因,已经成为当前的研究热点.为了研究蛋白质的功能,已有大量蛋白质的静态三维结构被测定.但是,蛋白功能最终受其动力学行为所控制,这包括折叠过程、构象波动、分子运动以及蛋白质-配体相互作用等.基于自由能图谱理论,本文深入讨论了蛋白质动力学的底层物理化学机制,并回答了以下问题:蛋白质为什么能够折叠、以及如何折叠成其天然三维结构?为什么蛋白质的动力学特征是固有的?其动力学行为如何控制蛋白质的功能?讨论结果将有助于后基因组时代生命科学研究中蛋白质结构-功能关系的理解.     

蛋白质的氧化重折叠

经过近几十年来广泛而深入的研究,蛋白质氧化重折叠的机制已得到相当详细的阐明。1在已研究过的蛋白质中,大多数蛋白质都是沿着多途径而非单一、特定的途径进行氧化重折叠,这与折叠能量景观学说是一致的。2正是氨基酸残基间的天然相互作用而不是非天然的相互作用控制蛋白质的折叠过程。这一结论与含非天然二硫键的折叠中间体在牛胰蛋白酶抑制剂（BPTI）折叠中所起的重要作用并非相互排斥,因为后者仅仅是进行链内二硫键重排的化学反应所必需,与控制肽链折叠无直接关系。3根据对BPTI的研究,二硫键曾被认为仅仅具有稳定蛋白质天然结构的作用,既不决定折叠途径也不决定其三维构象。这一观点不适用于其它蛋白质。对凝乳酶原的研究表明,天然二硫键的形成是恢复天然构象的前提。天然二硫键的形成与肽键的正确折叠相辅相成,更具有普遍意义。4在氧化重折叠的早期,二硫键的形成基本上是一个随机过程,随着肽链的折叠二硫键的形成越来越受折叠中间体构象的限制。提高重组蛋白质的复性产率是生物技术领域中的一个巨大的挑战。除了分子聚集外,在折叠过程中所形成的二硫键错配分子是导致低复性率的另一个主要原因。氧化重折叠机制的阐明为解决此问题提供了有益的启示。如上所述,在折叠的后期,二硫键的形成决定于折叠中间体的构象,类天然、有柔性的结构有利于天然二硫键形成和正确折叠,具有这类结构的分子为有效的折叠中间体,最终都能转变为天然产物;而无效折叠中间体往往具有稳定的结构,使巯基、二硫键内埋妨碍二硫键重排,并因能垒的障碍不利于进一步折叠。因此,降低无效折叠中间体的稳定性使之转变为有效折叠中间体是提高含二硫键蛋白质复性率的一条基本原则,实验证明,碱性pH、低温、降低蛋白质稳定性的试剂、蛋白质二硫键异构酶、改变蛋白质一级结构是实现这一原则的有效手段。此外,这里还就氧化重折叠的基础和应用研究的前景进行了讨论。     

Cotranslational, cosecretory protein folding and its renaturation from a denatured state

On the basis of the available experimental data on structure, biosynthesis and secretion of globular proteins it is concluded that an alpha-helix is a starting conformation at formation of the native structure of any globular protein (alpha-helical model for initiation of protein folding). The structural invariant (clusterization of hydrophobic side chains on the alpha-helix surface) in the amino acid sequences of globular proteins is found which is predicted by alpha-helical model for the initiation of protein folding. The model predicts the pyramidization of the atoms C and N of peptide groups during the formation of spatial structure of proteins and a number of other effects that can be put to the experimental test. In the work the mechanism for protein translocation across membrane lipid bilayer is also suggested.     

Beyond DnaA: The Role of DNA Topology and DNA Methylation in Bacterial Replication Initiation

The replication of chromosomal DNA is a fundamental event in the life cycle of every cell. The first step of replication, initiation, is controlled by multiple factors to ensure only one round of replication per cell cycle. The process of initiation has been described most thoroughly for bacteria, especially Escherichia coli, and involves many regulatory proteins that vary considerably between different species. These proteins control the activity of the two key players of initiation in bacteria: the initiator protein DnaA and the origin of chromosome replication (oriC). Factors involved in the control of the availability, activity, or oligomerization of DnaA during initiation are generally regarded as the most important and thus have been thoroughly characterized. Other aspects of the initiation process, such as origin accessibility and susceptibility to unwinding, have been less explored. However, recent findings indicate that these factors have a significant role. This review focuses on DNA topology, conformation, and methylation as important factors that regulate the initiation process in bacteria. We present a comprehensive summary of the factors involved in the modulation of DNA topology, both locally at oriC and more globally at the level of the entire chromosome. We show clearly that the conformation of oriC dynamically changes, and control of this conformation constitutes another, important factor in the regulation of bacterial replication initiation. Furthermore, the process of initiation appears to be associated with the dynamics of the entire chromosome and this association is an important but largely unexplored phenomenon.     

Messenger RNA conformations in the ribosomal E site revealed by X-ray crystallography

A comparison of messenger RNA in X-ray crystal structures of 70S ribosomal complexes in the initiation, post-initiation and elongation states of translation shows distinct conformational differences in the exit (E) codon. Here, we present structural evidence indicating that, after the initiation event, the E codon nucleotides relax and form a classical A-helical conformation. This conformation is similar to that of the P and A codons, and is favourable for establishing Watson-Crick interactions with the anticodon of E-site transfer RNA.     

Effect of caffeine on DNA synthesis in irradiated and unirradiated mammalian cells

Caffeine increased the availability of replication origins, and consequently the number of growing points, in the DNA of Chinese hamster V79 and human (HeLa) cells. Caffeine also prevented the inhibition of replicon initiation normally caused by X-radiation and exposure to low doses of ultraviolet light. When caffeine was removed from the medium after irradiation, replicon initiation was inhibited. Caffeine also reversed the inhibition of replicon initiation caused by novobiocin, which is not a DNA-damaging agent. Because caffeine increases the number of growing points, it also partially reversed the inhibition of total DNA synthesis induced by hydroxyurea. It is proposed that caffeine alters the conformation of intracellular chromatin in such a way that the conformation usually induced by DNA-damaging agents is prevented.     

Kinetic analysis of late steps of eukaryotic translation initiation

Little is known about the molecular mechanics of the late events of translation initiation in eukaryotes. We present a kinetic dissection of the transition from a preinitiation complex after start codon recognition to the final 80S initiation complex. The resulting framework reveals that eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)5B actually accelerates the rate of ribosomal subunit joining, and this acceleration is influenced by the conformation of the GTPase active site of the factor mediated by the bound nucleotide. eIF1A accelerates joining through its C-terminal interaction with eIF5B, and eIF1A release from the initiating ribosome, which occurs only after subunit joining, is accelerated by GTP hydrolysis by eIF5B. Following subunit joining, GTP hydrolysis by eIF5B alters the conformation of the final initiation complex and clears a path to promote rapid release of eIF1A. Our data, coupled with previous work, indicate that eIF1A is present on the ribosome throughout the entire initiation process and plays key roles at every stage.     

Bacteriophage phi 6 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase: molecular details of initiating nucleic acid synthesis without primer

Like most RNA polymerases, the polymerase of double-strand RNA bacteriophage phi6 (phi6pol) is capable of primer-independent initiation. Based on the recently solved phi6pol initiation complex structure, a four-amino acid-long loop (amino acids 630-633) has been suggested to stabilize the first two incoming NTPs through stacking interactions with tyrosine, Tyr(630). A similar loop is also present in the hepatitis C virus polymerase, another enzyme capable of de novo initiation. Here, we use a series of phi6pol mutants to address the role of this element. As predicted, mutants at the Tyr(630) position are inefficient in initiation de novo. Unexpectedly, when the loop is disordered by changing Tyr(630)-Lys(631)-Trp(632) to GSG, phi6pol becomes a primer-dependent enzyme, either extending complementary oligonucleotide or, when the template 3' terminus can adopt a hairpin-like conformation, utilizing a "copy-back" initiation mechanism. In contrast to the wild-type phi6pol, the GSG mutant does not require high GTP concentration for its optimal activity. These findings suggest a general model for the initiation of de novo RNA synthesis.