Biomedical subjects

Lewis E Kay

Publications and source records attributed to Lewis E Kay.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

A 2H NMR relaxation experiment for the measurement of the time scale of methyl side-chain dynamics in large proteins.

An NMR experiment is presented for the measurement of the time scale of methyl side-chain dynamics in proteins that are labeled with methyl groups of the (13)CHD(2) variety. The measurement is accomplished by selecting a magnetization mode that to excellent approximation relaxes in a single-exponential manner with a T(1)-like rate. The combination of R(1)((13)CHD(2)) and R(2)((13)CHD(2)) (2)H relaxation rates facilitates the extraction of motional parameters from (13)CHD(2)-labeled proteins exclusively. The utility of the methodology is demonstrated with applications to proteins with tumbling times ranging from 2 ns (protein L, 7.5 kDa, 45 degrees C) to 54 ns (malate synthase G, 82 kDa, 37 degrees C); dynamics parameters are shown to be in excellent agreement with those obtained in (2)H NMR studies of other methyl isotopomers. A consistency relationship is found to exist between R(1)((13)CHD(2)) and the relaxation rates of pure longitudinal and quadrupolar order modes in (13)CH(2)D-labeled methyl groups, and experimental rates measured for a number of proteins are shown to be in excellent agreement with expectations based on theory. The present methodology extends the applicability of (2)H relaxation methods for the quantification of side-chain dynamics in high molecular weight proteins.

Carbon Isotopes↗

PubMed2006

Abp1p and Fyn SH3 domains fold through similar low-populated intermediate states.

Src homology 3 (SH3) domains are small modules that are thought to fold via a two-state mechanism, without the accumulation of significant populations of intermediate states. Relaxation dispersion NMR studies of the folding of G48V and G48M mutants of the Fyn SH3 domain have established that, at least for these modules, folding proceeds through the formation of a transient on-pathway intermediate with an equilibrium population of 1-2% that can be readily detected [Korzhnev, D. M., et al. (2004) Nature 430, 586-590]. To investigate the generality of this result, we present an (15)N relaxation dispersion NMR study of a pair of additional SH3 domains, including a G48V mutant of a stabilized Abp1p SH3 domain that shares 36% sequence identity with the Fyn SH3 module, and a A39V/N53P/V55L mutant Fyn SH3 domain. A transient folding intermediate is detected for both of the proteins studied here, and the dispersion data are well fit to a folding model of the form F <--> I <--> U, where F, I, and U correspond to folded, intermediate, and unfolded states, respectively. The temperature dependencies of the folding/unfolding rate constants were obtained so that the thermodynamic properties of each of F, I, and U could be established. The detection of I states in folding pathways of all SH3 domains examined to date via relaxation dispersion NMR spectroscopy indicates that such intermediates may well be a conserved feature in the folding of such domains in general but that their transient nature along with their low population makes detection difficult using more well-established approaches to the study of folding.

Amine Oxidase (Copper-Containing)↗

PubMed2006

Identification of a collapsed intermediate with non-native long-range interactions on the folding pathway of a pair of Fyn SH3 domain mutants by NMR relaxation dispersion spectroscopy.

Recent 15N and 13C spin-relaxation dispersion studies of fast-folding mutants of the Fyn SH3 domain have established that folding proceeds through a low-populated on-pathway intermediate (I) where the central beta-sheet is at least partially formed, but without interactions between the NH2- and COOH-terminal beta-strands that exist in the folded state (F). Initial studies focused on mutants where Gly48 is replaced; in an effort to establish whether this intermediate is a general feature of Fyn SH3 folding a series of 15N relaxation experiments monitoring the folding of Fyn SH3 mutants N53P/V55L and A39V/N53P/V55L are reported here. For these mutants as well, folding proceeds through an on-pathway intermediate with similar features to those observed for G48M and G48V Fyn SH3 domains. However, the 15N chemical shifts extracted for the intermediate indicate pronounced non-native contacts between the NH2 and COOH-terminal regions not observed previously. The kinetic parameters extracted for the folding of A39V/N53P/V55L Fyn SH3 from the three-state folding model F<-->I<-->U are in good agreement with folding and unfolding rates extrapolated to zero denaturant obtained from stopped-flow experiments analyzed in terms of a simplified two-state folding reaction. The folding of the triple mutant was studied over a wide range of temperatures, establishing that there is no difference in heat capacities between F and I states. This confirms a compact folding intermediate structure, which is supported by the 15N chemical shifts of the I state extracted from the dispersion data. The temperature-dependent relaxation data simplifies data analysis because at low temperatures (< 25 degrees C) the unfolded state (U) is negligibly populated relative to I and F. A comparison between parameters extracted at low temperatures where the F<-->I exchange model is appropriate with those from the more complex, three-state model at higher temperatures has been used to validate the protocol for analysis of three-site exchange relaxation data.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Complementarity of ensemble and single-molecule measures of protein motion: a relaxation dispersion NMR study of an enzyme complex.

Single-molecule fluorescence experiments have shown that the conformation of the complex between Escherichia coli general NAD(P)H:flavin oxidoreductase (FRE) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) fluctuates over a range of timescales between 10(-4) and 1 s. Here we use (15)N and (13)C relaxation dispersion NMR methods to study millisecond-timescale dynamics in the complex. In this time regime, the protein is extremely flexible, with residues that undergo conformational exchange located throughout the molecule. Three distinct regions of dynamics are quantified, with two of them involving residues making contact to the donor (Tyr-35) and acceptor (FAD) sites that participate in the electron transfer reaction monitored in single-molecule experiments. Modulation of the donor-acceptor distance through these conformational exchange processes, occurring with rates of approximately 400 and 1,200 s(-1) (22 degrees C), affects the rate of electron transfer and partially accounts for the range of the observed dynamics monitored in the fluorescence experiments.

Biochemistry↗

PubMed2006

New RNA labeling methods offer dramatic sensitivity enhancements in 2H NMR relaxation spectra.

A new labeling strategy is presented that greatly facilitates the measurement of 2H spin relaxation rates in RNA molecules as a probe of pico- to nanosecond time scale dynamics. In this labeling scheme the sugar positions are uniformly 13C-labeled, with position 2' protonated and all other sites on the sugar deuterated. Pulse sequences are presented for measurement of 2H R1 and R2 relaxation rates at positions 1', 3', and 4' with sensitivity gains that are on the order of 5-fold relative to previous methods that employed random fractional deuteration. The improved sensitivity is transformative and facilitates the study of motion in moderately sized RNA molecules with good sensitivity. The utility of the approach is demonstrated with an application to HIV-2 TAR, where the site-specific measures of molecular dynamics at sugar positions obtained here complement previous studies of dynamics at aromatic sites in the molecule.

Carbon Isotopes↗

PubMed2006

Topology of an outer-membrane enzyme: Measuring oxygen and water contacts in solution NMR studies of PagP.

The topology of the bacterial outer-membrane enzyme, PagP, in dodecylphosphocholine micelles was studied by solution NMR using oxygen and water contacts as probes of hydrophobicity and topology. The effects of oxygen on amide protons were measured at an oxygen partial pressure of 20 atm through the paramagnetic contribution to the relaxation rates associated with the decay of two-spin order. A significant gradation of paramagnetic rates was observed for backbone amides belonging to the transmembrane residues. These rates were observed to depend on immersion depth, local hydrophobicity, and steric effects. Variations in the paramagnetic relaxation rates due to local hydrophobicity or steric effects could be, to some extent, averaged out by considering an azimuthally averaged quantity. This averaged paramagnetic rate was found to have a distinct maximum exactly in the middle of the transmembrane domain of PagP, assuming the immersion depth axis is tilted by 25 degrees with respect to the barrel axis. Contact between the protein surface and water was assessed by measuring the amide decay rates during water saturation. The comparison of local contrast effects from both water and oxygen allows one to distinguish among steric effects, local hydrophobicity, and immersion depth. For example, the absence of contrast effects from either water or oxygen at the periplasmic end of beta-strands B and C was consistent with protection effects arising from the association with the N-terminal alpha-helix. A parameter defined by the natural logarithm of the ratio of the normalized paramagnetic relaxation rate to the normalized amide decay rate under water saturation was found to correlate with immersion depth of the corresponding backbone amide nuclei. The results suggest that the oxygen/water contrast experiments give direct information regarding membrane protein topology and surface hydrophobicities, thereby complementing existing NMR structure studies and ESR spin-labeling studies.

Acyltransferases↗

PubMed2006

Relaxation rates of degenerate 1H transitions in methyl groups of proteins as reporters of side-chain dynamics.

Experiments for quantifying the amplitudes of motion of methyl-containing side chains are presented that exploit the rich network of cross-correlated spin relaxation interactions between intra-methyl dipoles in highly deuterated, selectively 13CH2D- or 13CH3-labeled proteins. In particular, the experiments measure spin relaxation rates of degenerate 1H transitions in methyl groups that, for high-molecular-weight proteins, are very simply related to methyl three-fold symmetry axis order parameters. The methodology presented is applied to studies of dynamics in a pair of systems, including the 7.5-kDa protein L and the 82-kDa enzyme malate synthase G. Good agreement between 1H- and 2H-derived measures of side-chain order are obtained on highly deuterated proteins with correlation times exceeding approximately 10 ns (correlation coefficients greater than 0.95). Although 2H- and 13C-derived measures of side-chain dynamics are still preferred, the present work underscores the potential of using 1H relaxation for semiquantitative estimates of methyl side-chain flexibility, while the high level of consistency between the different spin probes of motion establishes the reliability of the dynamics parameters.

Deuterium↗

PubMed2006

Characterization of the hydrodynamic properties of the folding transition state of an SH3 domain by magnetization transfer NMR spectroscopy.

Protein folding kinetic data have been obtained for the marginally stable N-terminal Src homology 3 domain of the Drosophila protein drk (drkN SH3) in an investigation of the hydrodynamic properties of its folding transition state. Due to the presence of NMR resonances of both folded and unfolded states at equilibrium, kinetic data can be derived from NMR magnetization transfer techniques under equilibrium conditions. Kinetic analysis as a function of urea (less than approximately 1 M) and glycerol enables determination of alpha values, measures of the energetic sensitivity of the transition state to the perturbation relative to the end states of the protein folding reaction (the folded and unfolded states). Both end states have previously been studied experimentally by NMR spectroscopic and other biophysical methods in great detail and under nondenaturing conditions. Combining these results with the kinetic folding data obtained here, we can characterize the folding transition state without requiring empirical models for the unfolded state structure. We are thus able to give a reliable measure of the solvent-accessible surface area of the transition state of the drkN SH3 domain (4730 +/- 360 A(2)) based on urea titration data. Glycerol titration data give similar results and additionally demonstrate that folding of this SH3 domain is dependent on solvent viscosity, which is indicative of at least partial hydration of the transition state. Because SH3 domains appear to fold by a common folding mechanism, the data presented here provide valuable insight into the transition states of the drkN and other SH3 domains.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Functional dynamics of human FKBP12 revealed by methyl 13C rotating frame relaxation dispersion NMR spectroscopy.

Transverse relaxation dispersion NMR spectroscopy can provide atom-specific information about time scales, populations, and the extent of structural reorganization in proteins under equilibrium conditions. A method is described that uses side-chain methyl groups as local reporters for conformational transitions taking place in the microsecond regime. The experiment measures carbon nuclear spin relaxation rates in the presence of continuous wave off-resonance irradiation, in proteins uniformly enriched with 13C, and partially randomly labeled with 2H. The method was applied to human FK-506 binding protein (FKBP12), which uses a common surface for binding substrates in its dual role as both an immunophilin and folding assistant. Conformational dynamics on a time scale of approximately 130 micros were detected for methyl groups located in the substrate binding pocket, demonstrating its plasticity in the absence of substrate. The spatial arrangement of affected side-chain atoms suggests that substrate recognition involves the rapid relative movement of the subdomain comprising residues Ala81-Thr96 and that the observed dynamics play an important role in facilitating the interaction of this protein with its many partners, including calcineurin.

Carbon Isotopes↗

PubMed2006

Probing the transition state ensemble of a protein folding reaction by pressure-dependent NMR relaxation dispersion.

The F61A/A90G mutant of a redesigned form of apocytochrome b562 folds by an apparent two-state mechanism. We have used the pressure dependence of 15N NMR relaxation dispersion rate profiles to study the changes in volumetric parameters that accompany the folding reaction of this protein at 45 degrees C. The experiments were performed under conditions where the folding/unfolding equilibrium could be studied at each pressure without addition of denaturants. The exquisite sensitivity of the methodology to small changes in folding/unfolding rates facilitated the use of relatively low-pressure values (between 1 and 270 bar) so that pressure-induced changes to the unfolded state ensemble could be minimized. A volume change for unfolding of -81 mL/mol is measured (at 1 bar), a factor of 1.4 larger (in absolute value) than the volume difference between the transition state ensemble (TSE) and the unfolded state. Notably, the changes in the free energy difference between folded and unfolded states and in the activation free energy for folding were not linear with pressure. Thus, the difference in the isothermal compressibility upon unfolding (-0.11 mL mol(-1) bar(-1)) and, for the first time, the compressibility of the TSE relative to the unfolded state (0.15 mL mol(-1) bar(-1)) could be calculated. The results argue for a TSE that is collapsed but loosely packed relative to the folded state and significantly hydrated, suggesting that the release of water occurs after the rate-limiting step in protein folding. The notion of a collapsed and hydrated TSE is consistent with expectations based on earlier temperature-dependent folding studies, showing that the barrier to folding at 45 degrees C is entropic (Choy, W. Y.; Zhou, Z.; Bai, Y.; Kay, L. E. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 5066-5072).

Cytochromes b↗

PubMed2006

Hydration and packing along the folding pathway of SH3 domains by pressure-dependent NMR.

The volumetric properties associated with protein folding transitions reflect changes in protein packing and hydration of the states that participate in the folding reaction. Here, NMR spin relaxation techniques are employed to probe the folding-unfolding kinetics of two SH3 domains as a function of pressure so that the changes in partial molar volumes along the folding pathway can be measured. The two domains fold with rates that differ by approximately 3 orders of magnitude, so their folding dynamics must be probed using different NMR relaxation experiments. In the case of the drkN SH3 domain that folds via a two-state mechanism on a time scale of seconds, nitrogen magnetization exchange spectroscopy is employed, while for the G48M mutant of the Fyn SH3 domain where the folding occurs on the millisecond time scale (three-step reaction), relaxation dispersion experiments are utilized. The NMR methodology is extremely sensitive to even small changes in equilibrium and rate constants, so reliable estimates of partial molar volumes can be obtained using low pressures (1-120 bar), thus minimizing perturbations to any of the states along the folding reaction coordinate. The volumetric data that were obtained are consistent with a similar folding mechanism for both SH3 domains, involving early chain compaction to states that are at least partially hydrated. This work emphasizes the role of NMR spin relaxation in studying dynamic processes over a wide range of time scales.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

New tools provide new insights in NMR studies of protein dynamics.

There is growing evidence that structural flexibility plays a central role in the function of protein molecules. Many of the experimental data come from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, a technique that allows internal motions to be probed with exquisite time and spatial resolution. Recent methodological advancements in NMR have extended our ability to characterize protein dynamics and promise to shed new light on the mechanisms by which these molecules function. Here, we present a brief overview of some of the new methods, together with applications that illustrate the level of detail at which protein motions can now be observed.

Bacterial Proteins↗

PubMed2006

Dipolar dynamic frequency shifts in multiple-quantum spectra of methyl groups in proteins: correlation with side-chain motion.

Small deviations from the expected relative positions of multiplet components in double- and zero-quantum 1H-13C methyl correlation maps have been observed in spectra recorded on a 7-kDa protein. These dynamic frequency shifts (DFS) are the result of dipolar cross-correlations that derive from fields produced by the spins within the methyl groups. The shifts have been quantified and compared with values calculated from a Redfield analysis. Good agreement is noted between the signs of the predicted and experimentally observed relative shifts of lines in both F1 and F2 dimensions of spectra, as well as between the magnitudes of the calculated and observed shifts in the F2 (1H) dimension. The experimental DFS values show a reasonable correlation with 2H relaxation-derived measures of methyl side-chain dynamics, as expected from theory. This suggests that in cases where such shifts can be quantified, they can serve as qualitative measures of motion.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed2006

Assessment of the effects of increased relaxation dispersion data on the extraction of 3-site exchange parameters characterizing the unfolding of an SH3 domain.

Recently a suite of six CPMG relaxation dispersion experiments has been described for quantifying millisecond time-scale exchange processes in proteins. The methodology has been applied to study the folding reaction of a G48M Fyn SH3 domain mutant that exchanges between the native state, and low populated unfolded and intermediate states. A complex non-linear global optimization protocol allows extraction of the kinetics and thermodynamics of the 3-site exchange process from the experimental data, as well as reconstruction of the amide group chemical shifts of the excited states. We show here, through a series of Monte-Carlo simulations on various synthetic data sets, that the 3-site exchange parameters extracted for this system on the basis of (15)N single-quantum (SQ) dispersion profiles exclusively, recorded at a single temperature, are significantly in error. While a temperature dependent (15)N study improves the robustness of extracted parameters, as does a combined analysis of (15)N and (1)H SQ data sets measured at a single temperature, the best agreement is observed in cases where the full complement of six dispersion profiles per residue is analyzed.

Deuterium Exchange Measurement↗

PubMed2006

Protein stabilization by specific binding of guanidinium to a functional arginine-binding surface on an SH3 domain.

Guanidinium hydrochloride (GuHCl) at low concentrations significantly stabilizes the Fyn SH3 domain. In this work, we have demonstrated that this stabilizing effect is manifested through a dramatic (five- to sixfold) decrease in the unfolding rate of the domain with the folding rate being affected minimally. This behavior contrasts to the effect of NaCl, which stabilizes this domain by accelerating the folding rate. These data imply that the stabilizing effect of GuHCl is not predominantly ionic in nature. Through NMR studies, we have identified a specific binding site for guanidinium, and we have determined a dissociation constant of 90 mM for this interaction. The guanidinium-binding site overlaps with a functionally important arginine-binding pocket on the domain surface, and we have shown that GuHCl is a specific inhibitor of the peptide-binding activity of the domain. A different SH3 domain possessing a similar arginine-binding pocket is also thermodynamically stabilized by GuHCl. These data suggest that many proteins that normally interact with arginine-containing ligands may also be able to specifically interact with guanidinium. Thus, some caution should be used when using GuHCl as a denaturant in protein folding studies. Since arginine-mediated interactions are often important in the energetics of protein-protein interactions, our observations could be relevant for the design of small molecule inhibitors of protein-protein interactions.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Quantitative 13C and 2H NMR relaxation studies of the 723-residue enzyme malate synthase G reveal a dynamic binding interface.

A detailed understanding of molecular recognition is predicated not only on high-resolution static structures of the free and bound states but also on information about how these structures change with time, that is, molecular dynamics. Here we present a deuterium ((2)H) and carbon ((13)C) NMR relaxation study of methyl side chain dynamics in the 82 kDa enzyme malate synthase G (MSG) that is a promising target for the development of new antibiotic agents. It is shown that excellent agreement between (2)H- and (13)C-derived measures of dynamics is obtained, with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.95. The binding interface formed by MSG and its substrates is found to be highly dynamic in the ligand-free state of the enzyme with rigidification upon binding substrate. This study establishes that detailed, quantitative information about methyl side chain dynamics can be obtained by NMR on proteins with molecular masses on the order of 100 kDa and opens up the possibilities for studies of motion in a large number of important systems.

Acetyl Coenzyme A↗

PubMed2005

Side-chain interactions in the folding pathway of a Fyn SH3 domain mutant studied by relaxation dispersion NMR spectroscopy.

A major challenge to the study of protein folding is the fact that intermediate states along the reaction pathway are generally unstable and thus difficult to observe. Recently developed NMR relaxation dispersion experiments present an avenue to accessing such states, providing kinetic, thermodynamic, and structural information for intermediates with small (greater than or equal to approximately 1%) populations at equilibrium. We have employed these techniques to study the three-state folding reaction of the G48M Fyn SH3 domain. Using (13)C-, (1)H-, and (15)N-based methods, we have characterized backbone and side-chain interactions in the folded, unfolded, intermediate, and transition states, thereby mapping the energy landscape of the protein. We find that the intermediate, populated to approximately 1%, contains nativelike structure in a central beta-sheet, and is disordered at the amino and carboxy termini. The intermediate is stabilized by side-chain van der Waals contacts, yet (13)C chemical shifts indicate that methyl-containing residues remain disordered. This state has a partially structured backbone and a collapsed yet mobile hydrophobic core and thus closely resembles a molten globule. Nonpolar side-chain contacts are formed in the unfolded-intermediate transition state; these interactions are disrupted in the intermediate-folded transition state, possibly allowing side chains to rearrange as they adopt the native packing configuration. This work illustrates the power of novel relaxation dispersion experiments in characterizing excited states that are "invisible" in even the most sensitive of NMR experiments.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Multiple-site exchange in proteins studied with a suite of six NMR relaxation dispersion experiments: an application to the folding of a Fyn SH3 domain mutant.

The three-site exchange folding reaction of an (15)N-labeled, highly deuterated Gly48Met mutant of the Fyn SH3 domain has been characterized at 25 degrees C using a suite of six CPMG-type relaxation dispersion experiments that measure exchange contributions to backbone (1)H and (15)N transverse relaxation rates in proteins. It is shown that this suite of experiments allows the extraction of all the parameters of this multisite exchange process in a robust manner, including chemical shift differences between exchanging states, from a data set recorded at only a single temperature. The populations of the exchanging folded, intermediate, and unfolded states that are fit are 94, 0.7, and 5%, respectively. Despite the small fraction of the intermediate, structural information is obtained for this state that is consistent with the picture of SH3 domain folding that has emerged from other studies. Taken together, the six dispersion experiments facilitate the complete reconstruction of (1)H-(15)N correlation spectra for the unfolded and intermediate states that are "invisible" in even the most sensitive of NMR experiments.

Deuterium Exchange Measurement↗