固有无序蛋白研究进展及其对细胞胁迫耐受性的影响

固有无序蛋白(intrinsically disordered proteins,IDPs)是指在生理条件下缺乏有序稳定的高级结构,整体或局部不折叠,但能够参与多种生物学过程、行使特定生物学功能的一类蛋白质.固有无序蛋白决定了其不同于经典蛋白质\"序列-结构-功能\"的功能范式,丰富了蛋白质\"结构-功能\"的多样性.固有无序...     

副粘病毒HN蛋白颈部与F相互作用区功能的研究

副粘病毒(Paramyxovirus)包膜上镶嵌着两种糖蛋白血凝素-神经氨酸酶(Hemagglutinin-neuraminidase,HN)和融合蛋白(Fusion protein,F),两者的相互作用是决定病毒宿主范围、毒力和传播的关键。为探讨HN颈部与F相互作用区(Fusion interaction region,FIR)在膜融合机制中的作用,选取新城疫病毒(Newcastle disease virus,NDV)与人副流感病毒3型(human parainfluenza virus type 3,hPIV3)为研究对象,通过片段置换及同源重组技术构建嵌合体C1、C2,进一步将NDV及hPIV3 HN的FIR内第51位丝氨酸(Serine,S)、第55位天冬氨酸(Aspartic acid,D)定点突变为丙氨酸(Alanine,A),获得突变体NDVS51A、NDVD55A、hPIV3 S51A、hPIV3 D55A,对嵌合体及突变体蛋白的细胞表面表达效率、受体识别活性、神经氨酸酶活性、促细胞融合活性及半融合活性进行检测。结果:各嵌合体C1、C2及突变体NDV S51A、NDV D55A、hPIV3 S51A、hPIV3 D55A的细胞表达效率、神经氨酸酶活性(Neuraminidase,NA)与野生型相比差异不显著(P0.05),但促细胞融合活性均有不同程度的降低(P0.05),C1、C2、NDV S51A、NDV D55A、hPIV3 S51A、hPIV3 D55A分别为野生型的7%、9%、27%、19%、17%和21%;C1、C2、NDV S51A、NDV D55A、hPIV3 S51A、hPIV3 D55A的受体识别活性分别为14.7%、22.3%、35.5%、28.8%、33.9%和40.2%,与野生型相比差异显著(P0.05)。结果表明:副粘病毒HN蛋白颈部与F相互作用区的突变及置换使HN蛋白的促细胞融合活性、受体识别活性降低,其中第51位丝氨酸(S51)及第55位天冬氨酸(D55)发挥重要作用。     

风疹病毒衣壳蛋白与宿主细胞相互作用蛋白的初步筛选及分析

风疹病毒(Rubella virus,RV)的衣壳蛋白(Capsid protein,CP)不仅是病毒颗粒的重要组成部分,而且还可以通过与宿主蛋白之间的相互作用来调控病毒的转录和复制.为了系统研究衣壳蛋白与宿主蛋白之间的相互作用关系,我们从RV基因组中克隆获得衣壳蛋白基因序列,将该序列导入含有eXact-6His串联亲和纯化标签的慢病毒表达载体中,并构建了稳定表达eXact-6His-Capsid融合蛋白的293T细胞系.通过eXact和6His标签的两次亲和纯化获得衣壳蛋白相互作用蛋白复合物,质谱检测并筛选后发现22个可能与衣壳蛋白相互作用的宿主蛋白.随后构建衣壳蛋白的相互作用网络并进行功能学分析,发现其相互作用蛋白主要参与病毒感染、RNA剪切、细胞凋亡及酶相关通路等过程.     

重组不可分型流感嗜血杆菌E蛋白与血浆脂蛋白(a)的相互作用

目的:E蛋白(Protein E,PE)是不可分型流感嗜血杆菌(Nontypeable Haemophilus influenza,NTHi)表面的一种纤溶酶原(plasminogen,Plg)受体,其C末端含有两个赖氨酸残基。NTHi可通过其表面的PE与Plg结合,从而利用机体的纤溶系统深层入侵宿主。基于脂蛋白(a)[Lipoprotein(a),Lp(a)]中载脂蛋白(a)[Apolipoprotein(a),Apo(a)]与Plg高度的同源性,拟证明Lp(a)是否会与重组表达的PE(r PE)结合。方法:原核表达并纯化r PE及敲除C末端两个赖氨酸残基的r PEΔKK,密度梯度离心结合阴离子交换层析分离人血浆Lp(a),通过ELISA、Pull down、Western blot等方法研究r PE与Lp(a)的相互作用。结果:r PE与Lp(a)结合,但不与LDL结合,且r PEΔKK与Lp(a)的结合能力明显低于r PE;赖氨酸类似物6-氨基乙酸(EACA)能有效抑制r PE与Lp(a)的结合;Lp(a)对r PE与Plg的结合具有微弱的抑制作用。结论:r PE能够与Lp(a)结合,其中r PE的C末端赖氨酸残基和Apo(a)的赖氨酸结合位点(lysine binding sites,LBS)是r PE与Lp(a)结合的主要位点。     

受体相互作用蛋白3——细胞凋亡与坏死的调节阀

综述了受体相互作用蛋白(RIPs)蛋白结构和RIP3调控细胞凋亡与坏死机制的研究进展．受体相互作用蛋白3(receptor-interacting protein 3, RIP3)是丝/苏氨酸蛋白激酶家族成员之一,该蛋白质家族包含一类高度保守的丝/苏氨酸激酶结构域．RIP家族激酶作为细胞应激传感分子,在调控细胞凋亡、细胞坏死和存活通路中发挥重要作用．近年发现,RIP3参与肿瘤坏死因子TNFα诱导的细胞程序化坏死的生物学过程．认识RIP3调控TNFα诱导的细胞凋亡与坏死不同死亡途径转换的分子机制,有助于发现肿瘤治疗的新策略．     

核糖体失活蛋白与超螺旋DNA相互作用的原子力显微镜直接观察

运用原子力显微镜研究了核糖体失活蛋白 (RIP)与超螺旋DNA相互作用 ,发现这类毒蛋白 (克木毒蛋白和蓖麻毒蛋白A链 ) ,既能与超螺旋形式的DNA结合 ,又能结合在超螺旋DNA分子中未解旋的双链环区 .在与超螺旋DNA结合后 ,引起超螺旋DNA构象变化以利解旋并与双链DNA结合 ,进而将松弛的DNA双链切成缺口或线性形式 .这说明RIP是一种超螺旋DNA结合蛋白 ,并表现出依赖超螺旋的DNA内切酶活性     

马铃薯卷叶病毒P0蛋白抑制RNA沉默及其与AGO蛋白的相互作用

马铃薯卷叶病毒(Potato leafroll virus,PLRV)P0是由开放阅读框1(ORF1)所编码,利用农杆菌介导的瞬时表达技术渗透注射转绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)基因的16c烟草叶片发现PLRV-P0能够抑制由GFP mRNA引起的基因沉默,结果表明PLRV-P0是马铃薯卷叶病毒编码的一个基因沉默抑制因子。通过序列分析发现PLRV-P0基因序列中含有两个重复的WG基序,我们将PLRV-P0基因序列中第87位和第140位的色氨酸(W)点突变为丙氨酸(A)(命名为P0WA),构建植物表达载体pCAMBIA1300-CE-P0,pCAMBIA1300-CE-P0WA,农杆菌渗透注射本氏(Nicotiana benthamiana)烟草叶片,通过荧光显微镜观察发现PLRV-P0和AGO共同注射后有绿色荧光出现而PLRV-P0WA和AGO共同注射后则没有绿色荧光出现。研究结果初步表明,PLRV-P0能够和AGO蛋白发生相互作用,重复的WG基序是其与AGO蛋白相互作用的关键氨基酸。     

寨卡病毒及其与宿主蛋白相互作用研究进展

寨卡病毒(Zika virus,ZIKV)作为一种新出现的蚊媒病原体,与成人格林-巴利综合征(Guillain–Barré syndrome,GBS)、新生儿小头畸形以及神经系统缺陷等疾病有关。2016年世界卫生组织将寨卡疫情列为国际关注的公共卫生突发事件,近年来关于ZIKV病原学、流行病学、感染与致病、抗病毒免疫应答、疫苗与药物的研究越来越多,为有效防控该病提供了理论依据和具体实践。本文就ZIKV蛋白组成及相应功能、感染周期、ZIKV受体及ZIKV-宿主相互作用等的最新研究进展进行综述,旨在正确认识和深入理解ZIKV致病与机体抗病相关机制,为设计有效的预防或治疗疫苗或药物提供参考资料。     

Does Lack of Secondary Structure Imply Intrinsic Disorder in Proteins? A Sequence Analysis

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs)/protein regions (IDPRs) lack unique three-dimensional structure at the level of secondary and/or tertiary structure and are represented as an ensemble of interchanging conformations. To investigate the role of presence/absence of secondary structures in promoting intrinsic disorder in proteins, a comparative sequence analysis of IDPs, IDPRs and proteins with minimal secondary structures (less than 5%) is required. A sequence analysis reveals proteins with minimal secondary structure content have high mean net positive charge, low mean net hydrophobicity and low sequence complexity. Interestingly, analysis of the relative local electrostatic interactions reveal that an increase in the relative repulsive interactions between amino acids separated by three or four residues lead to either loss of secondary structure or intrinsic disorder. IDPRs show increase in both local negative-negative and positive-positive repulsive interactions. While IDPs show a marked increase in the local negative-negative interactions, proteins with minimal secondary structure depict an increase in the local positive-positive interactions. IDPs and IDPRs are enriched in D, E and Q residues, while proteins with minimal secondary structure are depleted of these residues. Proteins with minimal secondary structures have higher content of G and C, while IDPs and IDPRs are depleted of these residues. These results confirm that proteins with minimal secondary structure have a distinctly different propensity for charge, hydrophobicity, specific amino acids and local electrostatic interactions as compared to IDPs/IDPRs. Thus we conclude that lack of secondary structure may be a necessary but not a sufficient condition for intrinsic disorder in proteins.     

Contribution of proline to the pre-structuring tendency of transient helical secondary structure elements in intrinsically disordered proteins

Background

IDPs function without relying on three-dimensional structures. No clear rationale for such a behavior is available yet. PreSMos are transient secondary structures observed in the target-free IDPs and serve as the target-binding “active” motifs in IDPs. Prolines are frequently found in the flanking regions of PreSMos. Contribution of prolines to the conformational stability of the helical PreSMos in IDPs is investigated.

Methods

MD simulations are performed for several IDP segments containing a helical PreSMo and the flanking prolines. To measure the influence of flanking-prolines on the structural content of a helical PreSMo calculations were done for wild type as well as for mutant segments with Pro → Asp, His, Lys, or Ala. The change in the helicity due to removal of a proline was measured both for the PreSMo region and for the flanking regions.

Results

The α-helical content in ~ 70% of the helical PreSMos at the early stage of simulation decreases due to replacement of an N-terminal flanking proline by other residues whereas the helix content in nearly all PreSMos increases when the same replacements occur at the C-terminal flanking region. The helix destabilizing/terminating role of the C-terminal flanking prolines is more pronounced than the helix promoting effect of the N-terminal flanking prolines.

General significance

This work represents a novel example demonstrating that a proline is encoded in an IDP with a defined purpose. The helical PreSMos presage their target-bound conformations. As they most likely mediate IDP-target binding via conformational selection their helical content can be an important feature for IDP function.     

A Mechanism for the Auto-inhibition of Hyperpolarization-activated Cyclic Nucleotide-gated (HCN) Channel Opening and Its Relief by cAMP

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) ion channels control neuronal and cardiac electrical rhythmicity. There are four homologous isoforms (HCN1–4) sharing a common multidomain architecture that includes an N-terminal transmembrane tetrameric ion channel followed by a cytoplasmic “C-linker,” which connects a more distal cAMP-binding domain (CBD) to the inner pore. Channel opening is primarily stimulated by transmembrane elements that sense membrane hyperpolarization, although cAMP reduces the voltage required for HCN activation by promoting tetramerization of the intracellular C-linker, which in turn relieves auto-inhibition of the inner pore gate. Although binding of cAMP has been proposed to relieve auto-inhibition by affecting the structure of the C-linker and CBD, the nature and extent of these cAMP-dependent changes remain limitedly explored. Here, we used NMR to probe the changes caused by the binding of cAMP and of cCMP, a partial agonist, to the apo-CBD of HCN4. Our data indicate that the CBD exists in a dynamic two-state equilibrium, whose position as gauged by NMR chemical shifts correlates with the V_½ voltage measured through electrophysiology. In the absence of cAMP, the most populated CBD state leads to steric clashes with the activated or “tetrameric” C-linker, which becomes energetically unfavored. The steric clashes of the apo tetramer are eliminated either by cAMP binding, which selects for a CBD state devoid of steric clashes with the tetrameric C-linker and facilitates channel opening, or by a transition of apo-HCN to monomers or dimer of dimers, in which the C-linker becomes less structured, and channel opening is not facilitated.     

Group 1 LEA proteins contribute to the desiccation and freeze tolerance of Artemia franciscana embryos during diapause

Water loss either by desiccation or freezing causes multiple forms of cellular damage. The encysted embryos (cysts) of the crustacean Artemia franciscana have several molecular mechanisms to enable anhydrobiosis—life without water—during diapause. To better understand how cysts survive reduced hydration, group 1 late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, hydrophilic unstructured proteins that accumulate in the stress-tolerant cysts of A. franciscana, were knocked down using RNA interference (RNAi). Embryos lacking group 1 LEA proteins showed significantly lower survival than control embryos after desiccation and freezing, or freezing alone, demonstrating a role for group 1 LEA proteins in A. franciscana tolerance of low water conditions. In contrast, regardless of group 1 LEA protein presence, cysts responded similarly to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) exposure, indicating little to no function for these proteins in diapause termination. This is the first in vivo study of group 1 LEA proteins in an animal and it contributes to the fundamental understanding of these proteins. Knowing how LEA proteins protect A. franciscana cysts from desiccation and freezing may have applied significance in aquaculture, where Artemia is an important feed source, and in the cryopreservation of cells for therapeutic applications.     

Functional dissection of an intrinsically disordered protein: Understanding the roles of different domains of Knr4 protein in protein�Cprotein interactions

Knr4, recently characterized as an intrinsically disordered Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein, participates in cell wall formation and cell cycle regulation. It is constituted of a functional central globular core flanked by a poorly structured N‐terminal and large natively unfolded C‐terminal domains. Up to now, about 30 different proteins have been reported to physically interact with Knr4. Here, we used an in vivo two‐hybrid system approach and an in vitro surface plasmon resonance (BIAcore) technique to compare the interaction level of different Knr4 deletion variants with given protein partners. We demonstrate the indispensability of the N‐terminal domain of Knr4 for the interactions. On the other hand, presence of the unstructured C‐terminal domain has a negative effect on the interaction strength. In protein interactions networks, the most highly connected proteins or “hubs” are significantly enriched in unstructured regions, and among them the transient hub proteins contain the largest and most highly flexible regions. The results presented here of our analysis of Knr4 protein suggest that these large disordered regions are not always involved in promoting the protein–protein interactions of hub proteins, but in some cases, might rather inhibit them. We propose that this type of regions could prevent unspecific protein interactions, or ensure the correct timing of occurrence of transient interactions, which may be of crucial importance for different signaling and regulation processes.