Simulation of NOESY spectra of DNA segments: A new scaling procedure for iterative comparison of calculated and experimental NOE intensities

Summary A new algorithm for simulation of two-dimensional NOESY spectra of DNA segments has been developed. For any given structure, NOE intensities are calculated using the relaxation matrix approach and a new realistic procedure is suggested for 1:1 comparison of calculated and experimental intensities. The procedure involves a novel method for scaling of calculated NOE intensities to represent volumes of digitised cross peaks in NOESY spectra. A data base of fine structures of all the relevant cross peaks with Lorentzian line shapes and in-phase components, is generated in a digitised manner by two-dimensional Fourier transformation of simulated time domain data, assuming a total intensity of 1.0 for each of the cross peaks. With this procedure, it is shown that the integrated volumes of these digitised cross peaks above any given threshold scale exactly as the total intensity of the respective peaks. This procedure eliminates the repetitive generation of digitised cross peaks by two-dimensional Fourier transformation during the iterative process of structure alteration and NOE intensity calculation and thus enhances the speed of DNA structure optimization. Illustrative fits of experimental and calculated spectra obtained using the new procedure are shown.[/p]     

Interproton distance bounds from 2D NOE intensities: Effect of experimental noise and peak integration errors

Summary The effect of experimental and integration errors on the calculations in interproton distances from NOE intensities is examined. It is shown that NOE intensity errors can have a large impact on the distances determined. When multiple spin (spin diffusion) effects are significant, the calculated distances are often underestimated, even when using a complete relaxation matrix analysis. In this case, the bias of distances to smaller values is due to the random errors in the NOE intensities. We show here that accurate upper and lower bounds of the distances can be obtained if the intensity errors are properly accounted for in the complete relaxation matrix calculations, specifically the MARDIGRAS algorithm. The basic MARDIGRAS algorithm has been previously described [Borgias, B.A. and James, T.L. (1990) J. Magn. Reson., 87, 475–487]. It has been shown to provide reasonably good interproton distance bounds, but experimental errors can compromise the quality of the resulting restraints, especially for weak cross peaks. In a new approach introduced here, termed RANDMARDI (random error MARDIGRAS), errors due to random noise and integration errors are mimicked by the addition of random numbers from within a specified range to each input intensity. Interproton distances are then calculated for the modified intensity set using MARDIGRAS. The distribution of distances that define the upper and lower distance bounds is obtained by using N randomly modified intensity sets. RANDMARDI has been used in the solution structure determination of the interstrand cross-link (XL) formed between 4-hydroxymethyl-4,5,8-trimethylpsoralen (HMT) and the DNA oligomer d(5-GCGTACGC-3)₂ [Spielmann, H.P. et al. (1995) Biochemistry, 34, 12937–12953]. RANDMARDI generates accurate distance bounds from the experimental NOESY cross-peak intensities for the fixed (known) interproton distances in XL. This provides an independent internal check for the ability of RANDMARDI to accurately fit the experimental data. The XL structure determined using RANDMARDI-generated restrains is in good agreement with other biophysical data that indicate that there is no bend introduced into the DNA by the cross-link. In contrast, isolated spin-pair approximation calculations give distance restraints that, when applied in a restrained molecular dynamics protocol, produce a bent structure.Abbreviations NOE nuclear Overhauser effect - SD standard deviation - HMT 4-hydroxymethyl-4,5,8-trimethylpsoralen - XL psoralen-DNA interstrand cross-link     

Automated combined assignment of NOESY spectra and three-dimensional protein structure determination

A procedure for automated protein structure determination is presented that is based on an iterative procedure during which the NOESY peak list assignment and the structure calculation are performed simultaneously. The input consists of a list of NOESY peak positions and a list of chemical shifts as obtained from sequence-specific resonance assignment. For the present applications of this approach the previously introduced NOAH routine was implemented in the distance geometry program DIANA. As an illustration, experimental 2D and 3D NOESY cross-peak lists of six proteins have been analyzed, for which complete sequence-specific ¹H assignments are available for the polypeptide backbone and the amino acid side chains. The automated method assigned 70–90% of all NOESY cross peaks, which is on average 10% less than with the interactive approach, and only between 0.8% and 2.4% of the automatically assigned peaks had a different assignment than in the corresponding manually assigned peak lists. The structures obtained with NOAH/DIANA are in close agreement with those from manually assigned peak lists, and with both approaches the residual constraint violations correspond to high-quality NMR structure determinations. Systematic comparisons of the bundles of conformers that represent corresponding automatically and interactively determined structures document the absence of significant bias in either approach, indicating that an important step has been made towards automation of structure determination from NMR spectra.     

Correlation between simulated physicochemical properties and hemolycity of protegrin-like antimicrobial peptides: predicting experimental toxicity

The therapeutic, antibiotic potential of antimicrobial peptides can be prohibitively diminished because of the cytotoxicity and hemolytic profiles they exhibit. Quantifying and predicting antimicrobial peptide toxicity against host cells is thus an important goal of AMP related research. In this work, we present quantitative structure activity relationships for toxicity of protegrin-like antimicrobial peptides against human cells (epithelial and red blood cells) based on physicochemical properties, such as interaction energies and radius of gyration, calculated from molecular dynamics simulations of the peptides in aqueous solvent. The hypothesis is that physicochemical properties of peptides, as manifest by their structure and interactions in a solvent and as captured by atomistic simulations, are responsible for their toxicity against human cells. Protegrins are beta-hairpin peptides with high activity against a wide variety of microbial species, but in their native state are toxic to human cells. Sixty peptides with experimentally determined toxicities were used to develop the models. We test the resulting relationships to determine their ability to predict the toxicity of several protegrin-like peptides. The developed QSARs provide insight into the mechanism of cytotoxic action of antimicrobial peptides. In a subsequent blind test, the QSAR correctly ranked four of five protegrin analogues newly synthesized and tested for toxicity.     

Variability in automated assignment of NOESY spectra and three-dimensional structure determination: A test case on three small disulfide-bonded proteins

Three independent runs of automatic assignment and structure calculations were performed on three small proteins, calcicludine from the venom of the green mamba Dendroaspis angusticeps, -conotoxin PVIIA from the purple cone Conus purpurascens and HsTX1, a short scorpion toxin from the venom of Heterometrus spinnifer. At the end of all the runs, the number of cross peaks which remained unassigned (0.6%, 1.4% and 2% for calcicludine, -conotoxin and HsTX1, respectively), as well as the number of constraints which were rejected as producing systematic violations (2.7%, 1.0%, and 1.4% for calcicludine, -conotoxin and HsTX1, respectively) were low. The conformation of the initial model used in the procedure (linear model or constructed by homology) has no influence on the final structures. Mainly two parameters control the procedure: the chemical shift tolerance and the cut-off distance. Independent runs of structure calculations, using the same parameters, yield structures for which the rmsd between averaged structures and the rmsd around each averaged structure were of the same order of magnitude. A different cut-off distance and a different chemical shift tolerance yield rmsd values on final average structures which did not differ more than 0.5 Å compared to the rmsd obtained around the averaged structure for each calculation. These results show that the procedure is robust when applied to such a small disulfide-bonded protein.     

Clonal structure of Rubus chamaemorus populations: comparison of different molecular methods

The clonal structure of Rubus chamaemorus populations was investigated using DNA fingerprinting. The PCR-based methods included the use of 10-base RAPD primers and 16-base simple sequence repeat primers. In the hybridization method variation was studied using hypervariable multilocus probes, one derived from the M13 bacteriophage and the other a synthetic (AC)/(TG) polynucleotide. Although R. chamaemorus expresses clear variation in morphology, the level of genetic differentiation appears to be fairly low. The observed numbers of clones in the three populations examined in Finland varied from 2 to 4. The total number of genotypes across populations was 5, of which one was unique. The results obtained using the two fingerprinting methods were comparable but lead to a slightly different grouping of clones.     

Extensive distance geometry calculations with different NOE calibrations: New criteria for structure selection applied to Sandostatin and BPTI

Summary To generate structures efficiently, a version of the distance geometry program DIANA for a parallel computer was developed, new objective criteria for the selection of NMR solution structures are presented, and the influence of using different calibrations of NOE intensities on the final structures are described. The methods are applied to the structure determination of Sandostatin, a disulfide-bridge octapeptide, and to model calculations of BPTI. On an Alliant FX2800 computer using 10 processors in parallel, the calculations were done 9.2 times faster than with a single processor. Up to 7000 Sandostatin structures were calculated with distance and angular constraints. The procedure for selecting acceptable structures is based on the maximum values of pairwise RMSDs between structures. Suitable target function cut-offs are defined independent of the number of starting structures. The method allowed for an objective comparison of three groups of Sandostatin structures that were calculated from different sets of upper distance constraints which were derived from the same NOE intensity data using three empirical calibration curves. The number of converged structures and the target function values differed significantly among the three groups, but the structures were qualitatively and quantitatively very similar. The conformation is well determined in the cyclic region Cys²–Cys⁷ and adopts a -turn centered at d-Trp⁴–Lys⁵. The criteria for structure selection were further tested with BPTI. Results obtained from sets of structures calculated with and without using the REDAC strategy are consistent and suggest that the structure selection method is objective and generally applicable.     

Assessment of protein solution versus crystal structure determination using spin- diffusion-suppressed NOE and heteronuclear relaxation data

A spin-diffusion-suppressed NOE buildup series has been measured for E. coli thioredoxin.The extensive 13C and 15N relaxation data previously reported for this protein allow fordirect interpretation of dynamical contributions to the 1H-1H cross-relaxation rates for a largeproportion of the NOE cross peaks. Estimates of the average accuracy for these derived NOEdistances are bounded by 4% and 10%, based on a comparison to the corresponding X-raydistances. An independent fluctuation model is proposed for prediction of the dynamicalcorrections to 1H-1H cross-relaxation rates, based solely on experimental structural andheteronuclear relaxation data. This analysis is aided by the demonstration that heteronuclearorder parameters greater than 0.6 depend only on the variance of the H-X bond orientation,independent of the motional model in either one- or two-dimensional diffusion (i.e., 1– S2 = 3/4 sin2 2 ). The combination of spin-diffusion-suppressed NOEdata and analysis of dynamical corrections to 1H-1H cross-relaxation rates based onheteronuclear relaxation data has allowed for a detailed interpretation of various discrepanciesbetween the reported solution and crystal structures.     

Accuracy of bound peptide structures determined by exchange transferred nuclear Overhauser data: A simulation study

The exchange-transferred NOE method to determine the three-dimensional structure of peptides bound to proteins, or other macromolecular systems, is becoming increasingly important in drug design efforts and for large or multicomponent assemblies, such as membrane receptors, where structural analysis of the full system is intractable. The exchange-transferred nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (etNOESY) method allows the determination of the bound-state conformation of the peptide from the intra-molecular NOE interactions between ligand protons. Because only ligand–ligand NOEs are generally observable, the etNOESY method is restricted to fewer NOEs per residue than direct protein structure determination. In addition, the averaging of relaxation rates between free and bound states affects the measured cross-peak intensities, and possibly the accuracy of distance estimates. Accordingly, the study reported here was conducted to examine the conditions required to define a reliable structure. The program CORONA was used to simulate etNOE data using a rate-matrix including magnetic relaxation and exchange rates for two peptide–protein complexes derived from the reference complex of cAMP-dependent protein kinase ligated with a 24-residue inhibitor peptide. The results indicate that reasonably accurate peptide structures can be determined with relatively few NOE interactions when the interactions occur between non-neighboring residues. The reliability of the structural result is suggested from the pattern of NOE interactions. A structure with an accuracy of approximately 1.3 Å rms difference for the main-chain atoms can be obtained when etNOE interactions between non-neighboring residues occur over the length of the peptide. The global precision is higher (approximately 0.9 Å rms difference) but is not correlated to global accuracy. A local definition of precision along the backbone appears to be a good indicator of the local accuracy.     

3D structure of bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A in aqueous solution: An approach to tertiary structure determination from a small basis of1H NMR NOE correlations

Summary A method is proposed to generate initial structures in cases where the distance geometry method may fail, such as when the set of¹H NMR NOE-based distance constraints is small in relation to the size of the protein. The method introduces an initial correlation between the and backbone angles (based on empirical observations) which is relaxed in later stages of the calculation. The obtained initial structures are refined by well-established methods of energy minimization and restrained molecular dynamics. The method is applied to determine the solution structure of Ribonuclease A (124 residues) from a NOE basis consisting of 467 NOE cross-correlations (97 intra-residue, 206 sequential, 23 medium-range and 141 long-range) obtained at 360 MHz. The global shape and backbone overall fold of the eight final refined structures are close to those shown by the crystal structure. A meaningful difference in the positioning of the catalytically important His¹¹⁹ side chain in the solution and crystal structures has been detected.     

The structure of porcine parvovirus: comparison with related viruses

The structure of baculovirus-expressed porcine parvovirus (PPV) capsids was solved using X-ray crystallography and was found to be similar to the related canine parvovirus (CPV) and minute virus of mice (MVM). The PPV capsid protein has 57 % and 49 % amino acid sequence identity with CPV and MVM, respectively, but the degree of conservation of surface-exposed residues is lower than average. Consequently, most of the structural differences are on the surface and are the probable cause of the known variability in antigenicity and host range. The NADL-2 and Kresse strains of PPV have distinct tissue tropisms and pathogenicity, which are mediated by one or more of the amino acid residues 381, 386, and 436. These residues are on or near the surface of the virus capsid, where they are likely to be associated with virus-cell interactions.     

Protein NMR structure determination with automated NOE assignment using the new software CANDID and the torsion angle dynamics algorithm DYANA

Combined automated NOE assignment and structure determination module (CANDID) is a new software for efficient NMR structure determination of proteins by automated assignment of the NOESY spectra. CANDID uses an iterative approach with multiple cycles of NOE cross-peak assignment and protein structure calculation using the fast DYANA torsion angle dynamics algorithm, so that the result from each CANDID cycle consists of exhaustive, possibly ambiguous NOE cross-peak assignments in all available spectra and a three-dimensional protein structure represented by a bundle of conformers. The input for the first CANDID cycle consists of the amino acid sequence, the chemical shift list from the sequence-specific resonance assignment, and listings of the cross-peak positions and volumes in one or several two, three or four-dimensional NOESY spectra. The input for the second and subsequent CANDID cycles contains the three-dimensional protein structure from the previous cycle, in addition to the complete input used for the first cycle. CANDID includes two new elements that make it robust with respect to the presence of artifacts in the input data, i.e. network-anchoring and constraint-combination, which have a key role in de novo protein structure determinations for the successful generation of the correct polypeptide fold by the first CANDID cycle. Network-anchoring makes use of the fact that any network of correct NOE cross-peak assignments forms a self-consistent set; the initial, chemical shift-based assignments for each individual NOE cross-peak are therefore weighted by the extent to which they can be embedded into the network formed by all other NOE cross-peak assignments. Constraint-combination reduces the deleterious impact of artifact NOE upper distance constraints in the input for a protein structure calculation by combining the assignments for two or several peaks into a single upper limit distance constraint, which lowers the probability that the presence of an artifact peak will influence the outcome of the structure calculation. CANDID test calculations were performed with NMR data sets of four proteins for which high-quality structures had previously been solved by interactive protocols, and they yielded comparable results to these reference structure determinations with regard to both the residual constraint violations, and the precision and accuracy of the atomic coordinates. The CANDID approach has further been validated by de novo NMR structure determinations of four additional proteins. The experience gained in these calculations shows that once nearly complete sequence-specific resonance assignments are available, the automated CANDID approach results in greatly enhanced efficiency of the NOESY spectral analysis. The fact that the correct fold is obtained in cycle 1 of a de novo structure calculation is the single most important advance achieved with CANDID, when compared with previously proposed automated NOESY assignment methods that do not use network-anchoring and constraint-combination.     

Identification of kin structure among Guam rail founders: a comparison of pedigrees and DNA profiles

Kin structure among founders can have a significant effect on subsequent population structure. Here we use the correlation between DNA profile similarity and relatedness calculated from pedigrees to test hypotheses regarding kin structure among founders to the captive Guam rail (Rallus owstoni) population. Five different pedigrees were generated under the following hypotheses: (i) founders are unrelated; (ii) founders are unrelated except for same-nest chicks; (iii) founders from the same major site are siblings; (iv) founders from the same local site are siblings; and (v) founders are related as defined by a UPGMA cluster analysis of DNA similarity data. Relatedness values from pedigrees 1, 2 and 5 had the highest correlation with DNA similarity but the correlation between relatedness and similarity were not significantly different among pedigrees. Pedigree 5 resulted in the highest correlation overall when using only relatedness values that changed as a result of different founder hypotheses. Thus, founders were assigned relatedness based on pedigree 5 because it had the highest correlations with DNA similarity, was the most conservative approach, and incorporated all field data. The analyses indicated that estimating relatedness using DNA profiles remains problematic, therefore we compared mean kinship, a measure of genetic importance, with mean DNA profile similarity to determine if genetic importance among individuals could be determined via use of DNA profiles alone. The significant correlation suggests this method may provide more information about population structure than was previously thought. Thus, DNA profiles can provide a reasonable explanation for founder relatedness and mean DNA profile similarity may be helpful in determining relative genetic importance of individuals when detailed pedigrees are absent.     

A note on sequence-dependence of DNA structure

A circular dichroism study was conducted on the solution structure of several different oligonucleotides, whose X-ray structures have been solved. It is suggested that in aqueous solution the oligonucleotides can form structures that maintain geometrical elements which are typical of B-DNA, A-DNA, and their intermediate forms. It is shown that 5'GGATGGGAG:5'CTCCCATCC, which forms an A-DNA helix in the crystal state (McCall et al. 1986), in aqueous solution maintains an A-DNA like structure at temperatures below 10 degrees C. At temperatures between 10 degrees C and 25 degrees C it shows a tendency to form an intermediate structure between A-DNA and B-DNA. Also, it is shown that TFE does not cause a transition from B-DNA to A-DNA helix in short DNA fragments, but instead disrupts the helix.     

New applications of 2D filtered/edited NOESY for assignment and structure elucidation of RNA and RNA-protein complexes

NMR spectra of large RNAs are difficult to assign because of extensive spectral overlap and unfavorable relaxation properties. Here we present a new approach to facilitate assignment of RNA spectra using a suite of four 2D-filtered/edited NOESY experiments in combination with base-type-specific isotopically labeled RNA. The filtering method was developed for use in 3D filtered NOESY experiments (Zwahlen et al., 1997), but the 2D versions are both more sensitive and easier to interpret for larger RNAs than their 3D counterparts. These experiments are also useful for identifying intermolecular NOEs in RNA-protein complexes. Applications to NOE assignment of larger RNAs and an RNA-protein complex are presented.     

Bacillus anthracis spore suspensions: determination of stability and comparison of enumeration techniques

Aim: To determine the stability and variability in concentration of spore suspensions of Bacillus anthracis (BA) spore suspensions by comparing different methods of enumeration and to detect changes, if any, under different storage conditions. Methods and Results: Plate and microscope counts were compared to measuring the genomic equivalents based on DNA content BA spore suspensions. We developed chemical methods to extract spore DNA and extra-spore (ES) DNA. DNA mass was determined by gel electrophoresis and QPCR assays were developed using the markers on the chromosome (rpoB) and the pXO1 plasmid (pag). The plate counts and microscope counts were very stable (for up to 900 days). The effect of freezing and the presence of additives in samples were tested for up to 300 days, and the results indicated that the additives tested and freezing did not decrease the viability or microscope counts. Conclusions: Bacillus anthracis spore suspensions can be stored for long periods of time without significant loss of viability or clumping. The content of ES DNA was variable and changed with time. Significant and Impact of the Study: The study shows that BA spore suspensions can be developed for reference materials providing a uniform basis for comparing detection equipment and results from different laboratories.     

A novel binuclear palladium complex with benzothiazole-2-thiolate: synthesis, crystal structure and interaction with DNA

The novel Pd(II) complex, [Pd(2)(micro-bzta)(4)].1.5DMSO (where bzta=benzothiazole-2-thiolate) has been synthesized and structurally characterized by element analysis, IR and single-crystal X-ray diffractometry. In the binuclear complex, two palladium(II) are bridged by four deprotonated benzothiazole-2-thialate in a head to tail disposition and the distance of the two Pd(II) is 2.747 A. Three-dimensional structure of the complex was constructed though S...S (3.339 A) weak interaction and pi...pi stack. The binding of the title complex with fish sperm DNA (FS-DNA) has been investigated by absorption and fluorescence spectra. The results indicate that the complex bind to FS-DNA in an intercalative mode and the intrinsic binding constant K of the title complex with FS-DNA is about 1.2 x 10(4)M(-1). Gel electrophoresis assay demonstrates the ability of the complex to cleave the pUC19 plasmid DNA.     

Stereochemical structure determination of p-cymene Ru(II) complexes containing the PPh2Py ligand with 2-D NOESY and HMQC NMR experiments

Complexes [Ru(p-cymene)Cl₂(PPh₂Py)] (1) and [Ru(p-cymene)Cl(PPh₂Py)]BF₄ (2) were studied by means of ¹H, ¹³C{¹H} 2-D NOESY and HMQC NMR spectral methods. NMR data agree with C₁ and C_s symmetries for complexes 1 and 2, respectively. NOESY cross-peaks allowed the assignment of signals to CH arene protons and in the case of complex 2 the determination of the molecular stereochemistry. These results are in agreement with the X-ray molecular structures of both complexes.     

Solution structure determination of monomeric human IgA2 by X-ray and neutron scattering, analytical ultracentrifugation and constrained modelling: a comparison with monomeric human IgA1

Immunoglobulin A (IgA), the most abundant human immunoglobulin, mediates immune protection at mucosal surfaces as well as in plasma. It exists as two subclasses IgA1 and IgA2, and IgA2 is found in at least two allotypic forms, IgA2m(1) or IgA2m(2). Compared to IgA1, IgA2 has a much shorter hinge region, which joins the two Fab and one Fc fragments. In order to assess its solution structure, monomeric recombinant IgA2m(1) was studied by X-ray and neutron scattering. Its Guinier X-ray radius of gyration R(G) is 5.18 nm and its neutron R(G) is 5.03 nm, both of which are significantly smaller than those for monomeric IgA1 at 6.1-6.2 nm. The distance distribution function P(r)for IgA2m(1) showed a broad peak with a subpeak and gave a maximum dimension of 17 nm, in contrast to the P(r) curve for IgA1, which showed two distinct peaks and a maximum dimension of 21 nm. The sedimentation coefficients of IgA1 and IgA2m(1) were 6.2S and 6.4S, respectively. These data show that the solution structure of IgA2m(1) is significantly more compact than IgA1. The complete monomeric IgA2m(1) structure was modelled using molecular dynamics to generate random IgA2 hinge structures, to which homology models for the Fab and Fc fragments were connected to generate 10,000 full models. A total of 104 compact best-fit IgA2m(1) models gave good curve fits. These best-fit models were modified by linking the two Fab light chains with a disulphide bridge that is found in IgA2m(1), and subjecting these to energy refinement to optimise this linkage. The averaged solution structure of the arrangement of the Fab and Fc fragments in IgA2m(1) was found to be predominantly T-shaped and flexible, but also included Y-shaped structures. The IgA2 models show full steric access to the two FcalphaRI-binding sites at the Calpha2-Calpha3 interdomain region in the Fc fragment. Since previous scattering modelling had shown that IgA1 also possessed a flexible T-shaped solution structure, such a T-shape may be common to both IgA1 and IgA2. The final models suggest that the combination of the more compact IgA2m(1) and the more extended IgA1 structures will enable human IgA to access a broader range of antigens than either acting alone. The hinges of both IgA subclasses appear to show reduced flexibility when compared to their equivalents in IgG, and this may be important for maintaining an extended IgA structure.