利用Benford定理分析固有无序蛋白

目的 利用Benford定理分析固有无序蛋白(Intrinsically Disordered Proteins,IDPs).方法 利用本福特定律在生物通路动力学速率常数的成功运用所受到的启发来分析固有无序蛋白.结果与结论 首次系统地调查固有无序蛋白,并发现所有固有无序蛋白及固有无序蛋白的结构域长度首位数的分布都很好地符合本福特定律.因此,固有无序蛋白能做为一个理想的组合来研究实际生活得到的数据的首位数分布,此外,这些观察值还能用来全局地约束固有无序蛋白的行为,这也许能够为固有无序蛋白更加精确的预测提供有用的信息,也将对很多疾病的治疗提供新的思路.     

利用Benford定理分析固有无序蛋白

目的 利用Benford定理分析固有无序蛋白(Intrinsically Disordered Proteins,IDPs).方法 利用本福特定律在生物通路动力学速率常数的成功运用所受到的启发来分析固有无序蛋白.结果与结论 首次系统地调查固有无序蛋白,并发现所有固有无序蛋白及固有无序蛋白的结构域长度首位数的分布都很好地符合本福特定律.因此,固有无序蛋白能做为一个理想的组合来研究实际生活得到的数据的首位数分布,此外,这些观察值还能用来全局地约束固有无序蛋白的行为,这也许能够为固有无序蛋白更加精确的预测提供有用的信息,也将对很多疾病的治疗提供新的思路.     

Computer simulation of protein folding.

A new and very simple representation of protein conformations has been used together with energy minimisation and thermalisation to simulate protein folding. Under certain conditions, the method succeeds in "renaturing" bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor from an open-chain conformation into a folded conformation close to that of the native molecule.     

蛋白质折叠过程模型

蛋白质折叠过程模型研究一直是蛋白质折叠研究领域的热点课题．就这个问题,提出描述蛋白质折叠过程的拟蛇模型．并且提出一个新的概念,那就是所有蛋白质空间结构都可以通过2种类型函数构造出来,此外,还从理论方面来证明该模型是可行和正确的：通过与其他蛋白质折叠过程模型的对比实验,结果表明,拟蛇模型所构造的空间结构能量值最小、相似度最好．进而说明拟蛇模型在描述蛋白质折叠过程方面具有明显优势,开辟了研究蛋白质的一种新的途径．     

Molecular chaperones in protein folding and proteostasis

Most proteins must fold into defined three-dimensional structures to gain functional activity. But in the cellular environment, newly synthesized proteins are at great risk of aberrant folding and aggregation, potentially forming toxic species. To avoid these dangers, cells invest in a complex network of molecular chaperones, which use ingenious mechanisms to prevent aggregation and promote efficient folding. Because protein molecules are highly dynamic, constant chaperone surveillance is required to ensure protein homeostasis (proteostasis). Recent advances suggest that an age-related decline in proteostasis capacity allows the manifestation of various protein-aggregation diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Interventions in these and numerous other pathological states may spring from a detailed understanding of the pathways underlying proteome maintenance.     

A pre-existing hydrophobic collapse in the unfolded state of an ultrafast folding protein

Insights into the conformational passage of a polypeptide chain across its free energy landscape have come from the judicious combination of experimental studies and computer simulations. Even though some unfolded and partially folded proteins are now known to possess biological function or to be involved in aggregation phenomena associated with disease states, experimentally derived atomic-level information on these structures remains sparse as a result of conformational heterogeneity and dynamics. Here we present a technique that can provide such information. Using a 'Trp-cage' miniprotein known as TC5b (ref. 5), we report photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization NMR pulse-labelling experiments that involve rapid in situ protein refolding. These experiments allow dipolar cross-relaxation with hyperpolarized aromatic side chain nuclei in the unfolded state to be identified and quantified in the resulting folded-state spectrum. We find that there is residual structure due to hydrophobic collapse in the unfolded state of this small protein, with strong inter-residue contacts between side chains that are relatively distant from one another in the native state. Prior structuring, even with the formation of non-native rather than native contacts, may be a feature associated with fast folding events in proteins.     

蛋白质构象与折叠行为的研究

蛋白质结构预测与蛋白质折叠是生命科学研究的核心问题之一,也是后基因时代推动生物学朝着定量化发展的重要方向之一,它是分子生物学中心法则还没有解决的一个重大生物学问题.简单介绍了蛋白质分子的结构特点,讨论了蛋白质分子构象研究的重点,即蛋白质结构预测与蛋白质折叠.重点介绍了拥挤环境对蛋白质构象的影响和蛋白质分子的力学性质,这是蛋白质分子构象研究的深入.这些介绍可以帮助我们更清楚地认识蛋白质分子.     

Atom-by-atom analysis of global downhill protein folding

Protein folding is an inherently complex process involving coordination of the intricate networks of weak interactions that stabilize native three-dimensional structures. In the conventional paradigm, simple protein structures are assumed to fold in an all-or-none process that is inaccessible to experiment. Existing experimental methods therefore probe folding mechanisms indirectly. A widely used approach interprets changes in protein stability and/or folding kinetics, induced by engineered mutations, in terms of the structure of the native protein. In addition to limitations in connecting energetics with structure, mutational methods have significant experimental uncertainties and are unable to map complex networks of interactions. In contrast, analytical theory predicts small barriers to folding and the possibility of downhill folding. These theoretical predictions have been confirmed experimentally in recent years, including the observation of global downhill folding. However, a key remaining question is whether downhill folding can indeed lead to the high-resolution analysis of protein folding processes. Here we show, with the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), that the downhill protein BBL from Escherichia coli unfolds atom by atom starting from a defined three-dimensional structure. Thermal unfolding data on 158 backbone and side-chain protons out of a total of 204 provide a detailed view of the structural events during folding. This view confirms the statistical nature of folding, and exposes the interplay between hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic forces, backbone conformation and side-chain entropy. From the data we also obtain a map of the interaction network in this protein, which reveals the source of folding cooperativity. Our approach can be extended to other proteins with marginal barriers (less than 3RT), providing a new tool for the study of protein folding.     

从高分子构象与动力学到蛋白质折叠

针对作用在聚合物刷上的键拉力研究表明作用在接枝基面上的力随着聚合物刷接枝密度的增大反而减小,然而尾端单体上的拉伸张力并没有消失.高分子的构象和动力学转变决定了其物性和多种多样的应用,而生物大分子蛋白质作为由二十种不同属性的氨基酸构成的序列,更是具有由其序列所决定的特别的三维自然结构.本文就聚合物刷、聚合物纳米复合材料、聚合物网络等几种高分子体系的构象与动力学过程,及蛋白质构象和其折叠与去折叠的动力学过程做了介绍.特别是蛋白质的折叠与去折叠速率在单分子操纵实验中受到拉力的调控,通过测量这种拉力依赖的动力学过程、蛋白质的自由能曲面和折叠去折叠路径可以得到系统全面的研究.本文以肌肉蛋白titin的免疫球蛋白结构域I27为例对蛋白质折叠研究进行了阐述.     

Mapping the transition state and pathway of protein folding by protein engineering

In the transition state for unfolding of barnase, the hydrophobic core between the major alpha-helix and beta-sheet is somewhat weakened, the C terminus of the major helix is largely intact but its N terminus is exposed and a major loop has been invaded by solvent.     

Catalysis of protein folding by prolyl isomerase

Rates of protein folding reactions vary considerably. Some denatured proteins regain the native conformation within milliseconds or seconds, whereas others refold very slowly in the time range of minutes or hours. Varying folding rates are observed not only for different proteins, but can also be detected for single polypeptide species. This originates from the co-existence of fast- and slow-folding forms of the unfolded protein, which regain the native state with different rates. The proline hypothesis provides a plausible explanation for this heterogeneity. It assumes that the slow-folding molecules possess non-native isomers of peptide bonds between proline and another residue, and that crucial steps in the refolding of the slow-folding molecules are limited in rate by the slow reisomerization of such incorrect proline peptide bonds. Recently the enzyme peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) was discovered and purified from pig kidney. It catalyses efficiently the cis in equilibrium trans isomerization of proline imidic peptide bonds in oligopeptides. Here we show that it also catalyses slow steps in the refolding of a number of proteins of which fast- and slow-folding species have been observed and where it was suggested that proline isomerization was involved in slow refolding. The efficiency of catalysis depends on the accessibility for the isomerase of the particular proline peptide bonds in the refolding protein chain.     

一种云斑天牛气味结合蛋白的分离纯化

为揭示云斑天牛(Batocera lineolata Chevrolat)对气味分子的识别机制,通过荧光结合试验和葡聚糖凝胶G75(Sephadex G75)层析研究了云斑天牛对气味分子的识别情况,并对云斑天牛气味结合蛋白进行了分离纯化。结果表明,云斑天牛气味结合蛋白能与荧光探针N-苯基-1-萘胺(N-phenyl-1-naphthylamine, 1-NPN)产生荧光结合,云斑天牛触角部位的总蛋白提取液中存在pro. Ⅰ-Ⅻ(Protein Ⅰ-Ⅻ)12种大分子粗提蛋白,这12种大分子粗提蛋白经Sephadex G75纯化后,得到1种能与荧光探针1-NPN产生荧光结合的纯化蛋白pur-pro. I(purified protein I)。纯化蛋白pur-pro. I分子质量约为15.2 ku,对应为大分子粗提蛋白pro. Ⅻ(Protein Ⅻ)。鉴定认为,分离纯化蛋白pur-pro. I是云斑天牛的一种气味结合蛋白。     

松耦合事件机理与实现

针对分布式系统中信息变化消息的通知问题,研究了松耦合事件在COM 对象之间通讯的方式,分析了松耦合事件的实现机理和架构,提出了松耦合事件系统"推"的消息通知方式,解决了"拉"方式中存在的时间浪费和时间延迟问题,给出了松耦合事件在VisualC 6.0中的实现方法,认为松耦合事件对于建立高质量的分布式应用系统具有重要作用。     

A peptide model of a protein folding intermediate

It is difficult to determine the structures of protein folding intermediates because folding is a highly cooperative process. A disulphide-bonded peptide pair, designed to mimic the first crucial intermediate in the folding of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor, contains secondary and tertiary structure similar to that found in the native protein. Peptide models like this circumvent the problem of cooperativity and permit characterization of structures of folding intermediates.     

蛋白质微秒级折叠过程的快速模拟

使用ff12SB力场和广义玻恩(GB Neck2)隐性水模型在GTX670 GPU上对4个蛋白质CLN025 (2ZEI)、MHA6(2I9M)、Trp Cage (1L2Y)、Villin (3TRW)的微秒级折叠过程进行了分子动力学模拟,2ZEI的折叠时间和均方根偏差为5.94 μs和0.897 ,2I9M的折叠时间和均方根偏差为0.191 μs和1.142 ,Villin的折叠时间和均方根偏差为4.23 μs和1.37 ,Trp Cage的折叠时间和均方根偏差为2.48 μs和0.63 。结果表明,蛋白质折叠模拟已经能够通过GPU计算在桌面计算机上实现。     

Structural biology: analysis of 'downhill' protein folding

There is controversy as to whether homologues from the peripheral subunit binding domain family of small proteins fold 'downhill' (that is, non-cooperatively, in the absence of free-energy barriers between conformations) and whether they modulate their size for biological function. Sadqi et al. claim that Naf-BBL--a naphthylalanine-labelled, truncated version of this domain--folds in this way, on the grounds that they recorded a wide spread of melting temperatures of individual atoms measured by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) during their thermal denaturation. But their data are not of adequate quality to distinguish, within experimental error, between downhill folding and folding with a cooperative transition. Accordingly, their results offer no compelling evidence that Naf-BBL folds downhill, particularly as non-truncated, unmodified peripheral subunit binding domains seem to fold cooperatively.     

Stereospecific binding of a disordered peptide segment mediates BK channel inactivation

A number of functionally important actions of proteins are mediated by short, intrinsically disordered peptide segments, but the molecular interactions that allow disordered domains to mediate their effects remain a topic of active investigation. Many K+ channel proteins, after initial channel opening, show a time-dependent reduction in current flux, termed 'inactivation', which involves movement of mobile cytosolic peptide segments (approximately 20-30 residues) into a position that physically occludes ion permeation. Peptide segments that produce inactivation show little amino-acid identity and tolerate appreciable mutational substitutions without disrupting the inactivation process. Solution nuclear magnetic resonance of several isolated inactivation domains reveals substantial conformational heterogeneity with only minimal tendency to ordered structures. Channel inactivation mechanisms may therefore help us to decipher how intrinsically disordered regions mediate functional effects. Whereas many aspects of inactivation of voltage-dependent K+ channels (Kv) can be described by a simple one-step occlusion mechanism, inactivation of the voltage-dependent large-conductance Ca2+-gated K+ (BK) channel mediated by peptide segments of auxiliary β-subunits involves two distinguishable kinetic steps. Here we show that two-step inactivation mediated by an intrinsically disordered BK β-subunit peptide involves a stereospecific binding interaction that precedes blockade. In contrast, blocking mediated by a Shaker Kv inactivation peptide is consistent with direct, simple occlusion by a hydrophobic segment without substantial steric requirement. The results indicate that two distinct types of molecular interaction between disordered peptide segments and their binding sites produce qualitatively similar functions.     

Solution structure of a protein denatured state and folding intermediate

The most controversial area in protein folding concerns its earliest stages. Questions such as whether there are genuine folding intermediates, and whether the events at the earliest stages are just rearrangements of the denatured state or progress from populated transition states, remain unresolved. The problem is that there is a lack of experimental high-resolution structural information about early folding intermediates and denatured states under conditions that favour folding because competent states spontaneously fold rapidly. Here we have solved directly the solution structure of a true denatured state by nuclear magnetic resonance under conditions that would normally favour folding, and directly studied its equilibrium and kinetic behaviour. We engineered a mutant of Drosophila melanogaster Engrailed homeodomain that folds and unfolds reversibly just by changing ionic strength. At high ionic strength, the mutant L16A is an ultra-fast folding native protein, just like the wild-type protein; however, at physiological ionic strength it is denatured. The denatured state is a well-ordered folding intermediate, poised to fold by docking helices and breaking some non-native interactions. It unfolds relatively progressively with increasingly denaturing conditions, and so superficially resembles a denatured state with properties that vary with conditions. Such ill-defined unfolding is a common feature of early folding intermediate states and accounts for why there are so many controversies about intermediates versus compact denatured states in protein folding.     

Structure of an ABC transporter in complex with its binding protein

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter proteins carry diverse substrates across cell membranes. Whereas clinically relevant ABC exporters are implicated in various diseases or cause multidrug resistance of cancer cells, bacterial ABC importers are essential for the uptake of nutrients, including rare elements such as molybdenum. A detailed understanding of their mechanisms requires direct visualization at high resolution and in distinct conformations. Our recent structure of the multidrug ABC exporter Sav1866 has revealed an outward-facing conformation of the transmembrane domains coupled to a closed conformation of the nucleotide-binding domains, reflecting the ATP-bound state. Here we present the 3.1 A crystal structure of a putative molybdate transporter (ModB2C2) from Archaeoglobus fulgidus in complex with its binding protein (ModA). Twelve transmembrane helices of the ModB subunits provide an inward-facing conformation, with a closed gate near the external membrane boundary. The ATP-hydrolysing ModC subunits reveal a nucleotide-free, open conformation, whereas the attached binding protein aligns the substrate-binding cleft with the entrance to the presumed translocation pathway. Structural comparison of ModB2C2A with Sav1866 suggests a common alternating access and release mechanism, with binding of ATP promoting an outward-facing conformation and dissociation of the hydrolysis products promoting an inward-facing conformation.