7 research outputs found
Blue copper proteins: A comparative analysis of their molecular interaction properties
No full textBlue copper proteins are type-I copper containing redox proteins whose role is to shuttle electrons from an electron donor to an electron acceptor in bacteria and plants. A large amount of experimental data is available on blue copper proteins; however, their functional characterization is hindered by the complexity of redox processes in biological systems. We describe here the application of a semiquantitative method based on a comparative analysis of molecular interaction fields to gain insights into the recognition properties of blue copper proteins. Molecular electrostatic and hydrophobic potentials were computed and compared for a set of 33 experimentally-determined structures of proteins from seven blue copper subfamilies, and the results were quantified by means of similarity indices. The analysis provides a classification of the blue copper proteins and shows that (1) comparison of the molecular electrostatic potentials provides useful information complementary to that highlighted by sequence analysis; (2) similarities in recognition properties can be detected for proteins belonging to different subfamilies, such as amicyanins and pseudoazurins, that may be isofunctional proteins; (3) dissimilarities in interaction properties, consistent with experimentally different binding specificities, may be observed between proteins belonging to the same subfamily, such as cyanobacterial and eukaryotic plastocyanins; (4) proteins with low sequence identity, such as azurins and pseudoazurins, can have sufficient similarity to bind to similar electron donors and accepters while having different binding specificity profiles
Computational approaches to structural and functional analysis of plastocyanin and other blue copper proteins
No full textComputational techniques are becoming increasingly important in structural and functional biology, in particular as tools to aid the interpretation of experimental results and the design of new systems. This review reports on recent studies employing a variety of computational approaches to unravel the microscopic details of the structure-function relationships in plastocyanin and other proteins belonging to the blue copper superfamily. Aspects covered include protein recognition, electron transfer and protein-solvent interaction properties of the blue copper protein family. The relevance of integrating diverse computational approaches to address the analysis of a complex protein system, such as a cupredoxin metalloprotein, is emphasized
Electrostatic analysis and Brownian dynamics simulation of the association of plastocyanin and cytochrome F
No full textThe oxidation of cytochrome f by the soluble cupredoxin plastocyanin is a central reaction in the photosynthetic electron transfer chain of all oxygenic organisms. Here, two different computational approaches are used to gain new insights into the role of molecular recognition and protein-protein association processes in this redox reaction. First, a comparative analysis of the computed molecular electrostatic potentials of seven single and multiple point mutants of spinach plastocyanin (D42N, E43K, E43N, E43Q/D44N, E59K/E60Q, E59K/E60Q/E43N, Q88E) and the wt protein was carried out. The experimentally determined relative rates (k(2)) for the set of plastocyanin mutants are found to correlate well (r(2) = 0.90 - 0.97) with the computed measure of the similarity of the plastocyanin electrostatic potentials. Second, the effects on the plastocyanin/cytochrome f association rate of these mutations in the plastocyanin eastern site were evaluated by simulating the association of the wild type and mutant plastocyanins with cytochrome f by Brownian dynamics. Good agreement between the computed and experimental relative rates (k(2)) (r(2) = 0.89 - 0.92) was achieved for the plastocyanin mutants. The results obtained by applying both computational techniques provide support for the fundamental role of the acidic residues at the plastocyanin eastern site in the association with cytochrome f and in the overall electron-transfer process
Electrostatically biased binding of kinesin to microtubules
No full textThe minimum motor domain of kinesin-1 is a single head. Recent evidence suggests that such minimal motor domains generate force by a biased binding mechanism, in which they preferentially select binding sites on the microtubule that lie ahead in the progress direction of the motor. A specific molecular mechanism for biased binding has, however, so far been lacking. Here we use atomistic Brownian dynamics simulations combined with experimental mutagenesis to show that incoming kinesin heads undergo electrostatically guided diffusion-to-capture by microtubules, and that this produces directionally biased binding. Kinesin-1 heads are initially rotated by the electrostatic field so that their tubulin-binding sites face inwards, and then steered towards a plus-endwards binding site. In tethered kinesin dimers, this bias is amplified. A 3-residue sequence (RAK) in kinesin helix alpha-6 is predicted to be important for electrostatic guidance. Real-world mutagenesis of this sequence powerfully influences kinesin-driven microtubule sliding, with one mutant producing a 5-fold acceleration over wild type. We conclude that electrostatic interactions play an important role in the kinesin stepping mechanism, by biasing the diffusional association of kinesin with microtubules
Decoupling enzyme catalysis from thermal denaturation
No full textThe equilibrium model (EM) (Daniel et al., 2001) postulates two forms of a folded enzyme, one catalytically active (Eact) and the other inactive (Einact), which interconvert via a fast thermal equilibrium (Keq) (Figure A). This model for enzyme catalysis accounts for experimentally observed time and temperature profiles of enzyme/substrate systems more accurately than the classically derived, single folded-species, model (Figure B). In both models, the denatured species (X) is formed via the kinact process, which is temperature and time-dependent.
(FIgure A) (Figure B) Comparison between the equilibrium model and classical model for enzyme catalysis. For both, the vertical axis is catalytic rate (M s-1), the left-right axis is increasing temperature (K) and the back-front axis is assay duration (s).
The physical basis for the Eact/Einact equilibrium is unknown. To study the equilibrium, the temperature midpoint of the Eact/Einact transition (Teq) has to be separated from the thermostability of the enzyme (Tm) to allow the Einact species to exist in measurable concentrations without exhibiting denaturation.
Mutations were made in a well-studied and NMR-accessible ribonuclease, barnase, to alter the thermostability and/or the Teq of the enzyme activity. The stability properties of each mutant were measured and the activity against two substrates assayed. New models were derived and fitted against wild-type barnase, and an ideal data set, to give insight into alternative irreversible and reversible denaturation pathways. Simulations of these models were developed to benchmark potential dynamics work and explain the movements of species within each model's framework.
Assay data fits to the EM and alternative models show a preference for irreversible denaturation pathways via the Einact species. A mathematically simplified model was also found that accounts for data and could provide an alternative method for determining EM parameters. Although fits of barnase to the EM were statistically good, the denaturation properties could not be reconciled with the literature or experimentally determined values for stability and unfolding. Simulations illustrating how the Eact, Einact and denatured (X) species interact also corroborate this finding.
Despite this discrepancy (in fitted parameters to the EM), it is hypothesised that the Teq and Tm of a disulphide-bridged mutant of barnase have been successfully decoupled. This mutant has been 15N- labelled for future NMR dynamics measurements. New approaches to the EM model are proposed where the separate determination of enzyme thermodynamic properties (e.g., rate and free energy of denaturation) would allow other EM parameters to be fitted independently to each data set
Development of a software tool for the analysis and visualization of protein-protein interactions
No full textBioSilicoSystems - A Multipronged Approach Towards Analysis and Representation of Biological Data (PhD Thesis)
No full textThe rising field of integrative bioinformatics provides the vital methods to integrate, manage and also to analyze the diverse data and allows gaining new and deeper insights and a clear understanding of the intricate biological systems. The difficulty is not only to facilitate the study of heterogeneous data within the biological context, but it also more fundamental, how to represent and make the available knowledge accessible. Moreover, adding valuable information and functions that persuade the user to discover the interesting relations hidden within the data is, in itself, a great challenge. Also, the cumulative information can provide greater biological insight than is possible with individual information sources. Furthermore, the rapidly growing number of databases and data types poses the challenge of integrating the heterogeneous data types, especially in biology. This rapid increase in the volume and number of data resources drive for providing polymorphic views of the same data and often overlap in multiple resources. 

In this thesis a multi-pronged approach is proposed that deals with various methods for the analysis and representation of the diverse biological data which are present in different data sources. This is an effort to explain and emphasize on different concepts which are developed for the analysis of molecular data and also to explain its biological significance. The hypotheses proposed are in context with various other results and findings published in the past. The approach demonstrated also explains different ways to integrate the molecular data from various sources along with the need for a comprehensive understanding and clear projection of the concept or the algorithm and its results, but with simple means and methods. The multifarious approach proposed in this work comprises of different tools or methods spanning significant areas of bioinformatics research such as data integration, data visualization, biological network construction / reconstruction and alignment of biological pathways. Each tool deals with a unique approach to utilize the molecular data for different areas of biological research and is built based on the kernel of the thesis. Furthermore these methods are combined with graphical representation that make things simple and comprehensible and also helps to understand with ease the underlying biological complexity. Moreover the human eye is often used to and it is more comfortable with the visual representation of the facts
