Elongation factor Tu mutants expand amino acid tolerance of protein biosynthesis system

Nonnatural amino acids have been introduced into proteins using expanded protein biosynthesis systems. However, some nonnatural amino acids, especially those containing large aromatic groups, are not efficiently incorporated into proteins. Reduced binding efficiency of aminoacylated tRNAs to elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) is likely to limit incorporation of large amino acids. Our previous studies suggested that tRNAs carrying large nonnatural amino acids are bound less tightly to EF-Tu than natural amino acids. To expand the availability of nonnatural mutagenesis, EF-Tu from the E. coli translation system was improved to accept such large amino acids. We synthesized EF-Tu mutants, in which the binding pocket of the aminoacyl moiety of aminoacyl-tRNA was enlarged. L-1-Pyrenylalanine, L-2-pyrenylalanine, and DL-2-anthraquinonylalanine, which are hardly or only slightly incorporated with the wild-type EF-Tu, were successfully incorporated into a protein using these EF-Tu mutants.     

Molecular dynamics simulation of cocaine binding with human butyrylcholinesterase and its mutants

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to study cocaine binding with wild-type human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and its mutants based on a recently reported X-ray crystal structure of human BChE. For each BChE-cocaine system, we simulated both the nonprereactive and prereactive complexes in water. Despite the significant difference found at the acyl binding pocket, the simulated structures confirm the fundamental structural and mechanistic insights obtained from earlier computational studies of wild-type BChE with cocaine based on a homology model, e.g. the rate-determining step for BChE-catalyzed hydrolysis of biologically active (-)-cocaine is the (-)-cocaine rotation in the active site from the nonprereactive BChE-(-)-cocaine complex to the prereactive complex. It has been demonstrated that the MD simulations on both the nonprereactive and prereactive BChE-cocaine complexes can clearly reveal whether specific mutations produce the desired BChE-(-)-cocaine binding structures in which the (-)-cocaine rotation is less hindered while the required prereactive BChE-(-)-cocaine binding is maintained. Based on the MD simulations, both A328W/Y332A and A328W/Y332G BChE's are expected to have catalytic activity for (-)-cocaine hydrolysis higher than that of wild-type BChE and the activity of A328W/Y332G BChE should be slightly higher than that of A328W/Y332A BChE due to the less-hindered (-)-cocaine rotation in the mutant BChE's. However, the less-hindered (-)-cocaine rotation is only a necessary condition for a higher activity mutant BChE. The (-)-cocaine rotation is also less hindered in A328W/Y332A/Y419S BChE, but (-)-cocaine binds with A328W/Y332A/Y419S BChE in a way that is not suitable for the catalysis. Thus, A328W/Y332A/Y419S BChE is expected to lose the catalytic activity. The computational predictions were confirmed by our experimental kinetic data, demonstrating that the MD simulation-based computational protocol used in this study is reliable in prediction of the catalytic activity of BChE mutants for (-)-cocaine hydrolysis.     

Light Dynamics of the Retinal-Disease-Relevant G90D Bovine Rhodopsin Mutant

The RHO gene encodes the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) rhodopsin. Numerous mutations associated with impaired visual cycle have been reported; the G90D mutation leads to a constitutively active mutant form of rhodopsin that causes CSNB disease. We report on the structural investigation of the retinal configuration and conformation in the binding pocket in the dark and light-activated state by solution and MAS-NMR spectroscopy. We found two long-lived dark states for the G90D mutant with the 11-cis retinal bound as Schiff base in both populations. The second minor population in the dark state is attributed to a slight shift in conformation of the covalently bound 11-cis retinal caused by the mutation-induced distortion on the salt bridge formation in the binding pocket. Time-resolved UV/Vis spectroscopy was used to monitor the functional dynamics of the G90D mutant rhodopsin for all relevant time scales of the photocycle. The G90D mutant retains its conformational heterogeneity during the photocycle.     

Study on the drug resistance and the binding mode of HIV-1 integrase with LCA inhibitor

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase (IN) is an essential enzyme in the lifecycle of this virus and also an important target for the study of anti-HIV drugs. The binding mode of the wild type IN core domain and its G140S mutant with L-Chicoric acid (LCA) inhibitor were investigated by using multiple conformation molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. Based on the binding modes, the drug resistance mechanism was explored for the G140S mutant of IN with LCA. The results indicate that the binding site of the G140S mutant of IN core domain with LCA is different from that of the core domain of the wild type IN, which leads to the partial loss of inhibition potency of LCA. The flexibility of the IN functional loop region and the interactions between Mg2 ion and the three key residues (i.e., D64, D116, E152) stimulate the biological operation of IN. The drug resistance also lies in several other important effects, such as the repulsion between LCA and E152 in the G140S mutant core domain, the weakening of K159 binding with LCA and Y143 pointing to the pocket of the G140S mutant. All of the above simulation results agree well with experimental data, which provide us with some helpful information for designing the drug of anti-HIV based on the structure of IN.     

Light Dynamics of the Retinal‐Disease‐Relevant G90D Bovine Rhodopsin Mutant

The RHO gene encodes the G‐protein‐coupled receptor (GPCR) rhodopsin. Numerous mutations associated with impaired visual cycle have been reported; the G90D mutation leads to a constitutively active mutant form of rhodopsin that causes CSNB disease. We report on the structural investigation of the retinal configuration and conformation in the binding pocket in the dark and light‐activated state by solution and MAS‐NMR spectroscopy. We found two long‐lived dark states for the G90D mutant with the 11‐cis retinal bound as Schiff base in both populations. The second minor population in the dark state is attributed to a slight shift in conformation of the covalently bound 11‐cis retinal caused by the mutation‐induced distortion on the salt bridge formation in the binding pocket. Time‐resolved UV/Vis spectroscopy was used to monitor the functional dynamics of the G90D mutant rhodopsin for all relevant time scales of the photocycle. The G90D mutant retains its conformational heterogeneity during the photocycle.     

凝血因子Xa的S4口袋部分关键残基对利伐沙班结合的不同作用机制

通过生物信息学对比、 分子动力学模拟和结合自由能计算分析了利伐沙班与凝血因子Xa的S4口袋部分关键残基之间动态相互作用的细节. 结果表明, 利伐沙班与凝血因子Xa结合不稳定是由S4口袋关键残基突变对疏水盒子完整性的破坏所致. 其中Trp215侧链的疏水作用对抑制剂结合的作用较大, 但对整体结构的影响短时间内较小. Tyr99虽然在结合自由能中贡献较小, 但其突变可能导致99 loop所在结构域的整体构象变化, 从而对于抑制剂或底物的结合特异性产生影响. S4口袋关键残基的不同作用在凝血因子Xa直接抑制剂的药物设计及其拮抗剂的开发中应予以充分考虑.     

Possible allosteric interactions of monoindazole-substituted P2 cyclic urea analogues with wild-type and mutant HIV-1 protease

Our ongoing efforts to understand the difference in the binding pattern of HIV-1 protease inhibitor (HIVPI) with the wild-type and mutant HIV-1 protease (HIVPR) and to provide mechanistic insight are continued further. We report here the results of a recent quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) study on monoindazole-substituted P2 analogues of cyclic urea HIVPIs. The QSAR models revealed an inverted parabolic relationship between biological activity and calculated molar refractivity (CMR). That is, biological activity first decreases with increase in CMR and at a certain minimum point (inversion point) it suddenly changes and increases with further increase in CMR. CMR is a measure of volume-dependent-polarizability and is an indication of the polar interactions between ligand and receptor. The results seem to be best rationalized by larger molecules inducing a change in a receptor unit that allows for a new mode of interaction. Similar QSAR models were also observed for the biological activity of these molecules tested against a panel of mutant viruses including mutant strains with single amino acid substitution (I84V), double amino acid substitutions (I84V/V82F), and multiple amino acid changes corresponding to mutations observed in clinical isolates of patients treated with Ritonavir((R)). Interestingly the inversion points for these mutant strains were found larger than for wild-type. The subtle but significant difference in the inversion point indicates change in the shape and size of the binding pocket. Earlier QSAR studies have shown that the correlation of biological activity with an inverted parabola is an indicative of the 'allosteric interaction' of the ligands with the receptor. This report presents a detail analysis of these observations.     

分子动力学模拟别构抑制剂Efavirenz对HIV-1逆转录酶的作用

为了理解非核苷类逆转录酶抑制剂(NNRTIs)与HIV-1逆转录酶(RT)的相互作用机制,利用新力场ff12SB对未结合和结合Efavirenz (EFV)逆转录酶的三种RT大分子体系分别进行了100 ns的长时间动力学模拟。通过分析EFV对RT结构的影响、不同残基柔性和不同体系构象的动力学行为等,发现EFV的结合会导致RT结构变化,从而影响RT的活性;证实了EFV的“分子楔”作用;还发现EFV的结合不但引起“拇指关节炎”,而且引起轻度“手指关节炎”;整个模拟过程中没有出现不同构象间的跃迁,但是无别构分子时的RT张开构象表现出明显的闭合倾向。这些结果有助于理解NNRTIs的抑制机制和RT构象变化的动力学性质。另外,还比较分析了模拟方法对计算结果的影响,对大分子体系的动力学模拟具有重要借鉴意义。