A comparative study of amyloid fibril formation by residues 15-19 of the human calcitonin hormone: a single beta-sheet model with a small hydrophobic core

Experimentally, the human calcitonin hormone (hCT) can form highly stable amyloid protofibrils. Further, a peptide consisting of hCT residues 15-19, DFNKF, was shown to create highly ordered fibrils, similar to those formed by the entire hormone sequence. However, there are limited experimental data regarding the detailed 3D arrangement of either of these fibrils. We have modeled the DFNKF protofibril, using molecular dynamics simulations. We tested the stabilities of single sheet and of various multi sheet models. Remarkably, our most ordered and stable model consists of a parallel-stranded, single beta-sheet with a relatively insignificant hydrophobic core. We investigate the chemical and physical interactions responsible for the high structural organization of this single beta-sheet amyloid fibril. We observe that the most important chemical interactions contributing to the stability of the DFNKF organization are electrostatic, specifically between the Lys and the C terminus, between the Asp and N terminus, and a hydrogen bond network between the Asn side-chains of adjacent strands. Additionally, we observe hydrophobic and aromatic pi stacking interactions. We further simulated truncated filaments, FNKF and DFNK. Our tetra-peptide mutant simulations assume models similar to the penta-peptide. Experimentally, the FNKF does not create fibrils while DFNK does, albeit short and less ordered than DFNKF. In the simulations, the FNKF system was less stable than the DFNK and DFNKF. DFNK also lost many of its original interactions becoming less organized, however, many contacts were maintained. Thus, our results emphasize the role played by specific amino acid interactions. To further study specific interactions, we have mutated the penta-peptide, simulating DANKF, DFNKA and EFNKF. Here we describe the model, its relationship to experiment and its implications to amyloid organization.     

NMR analyses on the interactions of the yeast Tim50 C-terminal region with the presequence and Tim50 core domain

The mitochondrial targeting signal in the presequence of mitochondrial precursor proteins is recognized by Tom20 and subsequently by Tim50 in mitochondria. Yeast Tim50 contains two presequence binding sites in the conserved core domain and in the fungi-specific C-terminal presequence binding domain (PBD). We report the NMR analyses on interactions of a shorter variant of PBD (sPBD), a shorter variant of PBD, with presequences. The presequence is recognized by sPBD in a similar manner to Tom20. sPBD can also bind to the core domain of Tim50 through the presequence binding region, which could promote transfer of the presequence from sPBD to the core domain in Tim50.     

Effect of a buried ion pair in the hydrophobic core of a protein: An insight from constant pH molecular dynamics study

Constant pH molecular dynamics (CpHMD) is a commonly used sampling method, which incorporates the coupling of conformational flexibility and protonation state of a protein during the simulation by using pH as an external parameter. The effects on the structure and stability of a hyperstable variant of staphylococcal nuclease (Δ+PHS) protein of an artificial charge pair buried in its hydrophobic core are investigated by applying both CpHMD and accelerated molecular dynamics coupled with constant pH (CpHaMD) methods. Generalized Born electrostatics is used to model the solvent water. Two sets of starting coordinates of V23E/L36K variant of Δ+PHS, namely, Maestro generated coordinates from Δ+PHS and crystal structure coordinates of the same are considered for detail investigations. On the basis of root mean square displacement (RMSD) and root mean square fluctuations (RMSF) calculations, it is observed that this variant is stable over a wide range of pH. The calculated pKa values for aspartate and glutamate residues based on both CpHMD and CpHaMD simulations are consistent with the reported experimental values (within ± 0.5 to ± 1.5 pH unit), which clearly indicates that the local chemical environment of the carboxylic acids in V23E/L36K variant are comparable to the parent form. The strong salt bridge interaction between the mutated pair, E23/K36 and additional hydrogen bonds formed in the V23E/L36K variant, may help to compensate for the unfavorable self‐energy experienced by the burial of these residues in the hydrophobic core. However, from RMSD, RMSF, and pKa analysis, no significant change in the global conformation of V23E/L36K variant with respect to the parent form, Δ+PHS is noticed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 103: 148–157, 2015.     

Crystal structure of the Y52F/Y73F double mutant of phospholipase A2: increased hydrophobic interactions of the phenyl groups compensate for the disrupted hydrogen bonds of the tyrosines.

The enzyme phospholipase A2 (PLA2) catalyzes the hydrolysis of the sn-2 ester bond of membrane phospholipids. The highly conserved Tyr residues 52 and 73 in the enzyme form hydrogen bonds to the carboxylate group of the catalytic Asp-99. These hydrogen bonds were initially regarded as essential for the interfacial recognition and the stability of the overall catalytic network. The elimination of the hydrogen bonds involving the phenolic hydroxyl groups of the Tyr-52 and -73 by changing them to Phe lowered the stability but did not significantly affect the catalytic activity of the enzyme. The X-ray crystal structure of the double mutant Y52F/Y73F has been determined at 1.93 A resolution to study the effect of the mutation on the structure. The crystals are trigonal, space group P3(1)21, with cell parameters a = b = 46.3 A and c = 102.95 A. Intensity data were collected on a Siemens area detector, 8,024 reflections were unique with an R(sym) of 4.5% out of a total of 27,203. The structure was refined using all the unique reflections by XPLOR to a final R-factor of 18.6% for 955 protein atoms, 91 water molecules, and 1 calcium ion. The root mean square deviation for the alpha-carbon atoms between the double mutant and wild type was 0.56 A. The crystal structure revealed that four hydrogen bonds were lost in the catalytic network; three involving the tyrosines and one involving Pro-68. However, the hydrogen bonds of the catalytic triad, His-48, Asp-99, and the catalytic water, are retained. There is no additional solvent molecule at the active site to replace the missing hydroxyl groups; instead, the replacement of the phenolic OH groups by H atoms draws the Phe residues closer to the neighboring residues compared to wild type; Phe-52 moves toward His-48 and Asp-99 of the catalytic diad, and Phe-73 moves toward Met-8, both by about 0.5 A. The closing of the voids left by the OH groups increases the hydrophobic interactions compensating for the lost hydrogen bonds. The conservation of the triad hydrogen bonds and the stabilization of the active site by the increased hydrophobic interactions could explain why the double mutant has activity similar to wild type. The results indicate that the aspartyl carboxylate group of the catalytic triad can function alone without additional support from the hydrogen bonds of the two Tyr residues.     

A combination of cation exchange and ligand-affinity chromatography for purification of two molecular species of the folate binding protein in human milk,one equipped with a hydrophobic glycosyl phosphatidylinositol tail: characterization of hydrophobicity and electrical charge

Cation exchange chromatography combined with ligand (methotrexate) affinity chromatography on a column desorbed with a pH-gradient was used for separation and large scale purification of two folate binding proteins in human milk. One of the proteins, which had a molecular size of 27 kDa on gel filtration and eluted from the affinity column at pH 5-6 was a cleavage product of a 100 kDa protein eluted at pH 3-4 as evidenced by identical N-terminal amino acid sequences and a reduction in the molecular size of the latter protein to 27 kDa after cleavage of its hydrophobic glycosylphosphatidyl-inositol tail that inserts into Triton X-100 micelles. Chromatofocusing showed that both proteins possessed multiple isoelectric points within the pH range 7-9. The 100 kDa protein exhibited a high affinity to hydrophobic interaction chromatographic gels, whereas this was only the case with unliganded forms of the 27 kDa protein indicative of a decrease in the hydrophobicity of the protein after ligand binding.     

TMEM126A is a mitochondrial located mRNA (MLR) protein of the mitochondrial inner membrane

Background

Hereditary optic neuropathies (HONs) are a heterogeneous group of disorders that affect retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and axons that form the optic nerve. Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy and the autosomal dominant optic atrophy related to OPA1 mutations are the most common forms. Nonsyndromic autosomal recessive optic neuropathies are rare and their existence has been long debated. We recently identified the first gene responsible for these conditions, TMEM126A. This gene is highly expressed in retinal cellular compartments enriched in mitochondria and supposed to encode a mitochondrial transmembrane protein of unknown function.

Methods

A specific polyclonal antibody targeting the TMEM126A protein has been generated. Quantitative fluorescent in situ hybridization, cellular fractionation, mitochondrial membrane association study, mitochondrial sub compartmentalization analysis by both proteolysis assays and transmission electron microscopy, and expression analysis of truncated TMEM126A constructs by immunofluorescence confocal microscopy were carried out.

Results

TMEM126A mRNAs are strongly enriched in the vicinity of mitochondria and encode an inner mitochondrial membrane associated cristae protein. Moreover, the second transmembrane domain of TMEM126A is required for its mitochondrial localization.

Conclusions

TMEM126A is a mitochondrial located mRNA (MLR) that may be translated in the mitochondrial surface and the protein is subsequently imported to the inner membrane. These data constitute the first step toward a better understanding of the mechanism of action of TMEM126A in RGCs and support the importance of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of HON.

General significance

Local translation of nuclearly encoded mitochondrial mRNAs might be a mechanism for rapid onsite supply of mitochondrial membrane proteins.