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Shoji Takada

Publications and source records attributed to Shoji Takada.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Roles of physical interactions in determining protein-folding mechanisms: molecular simulation of protein G and alpha spectrin SH3.

Protein-folding mechanisms of two small globular proteins, IgG binding domain of protein G and alpha spectrin SH3 domain are investigated via Brownian dynamics simulations with a model made of coarse-grained physical energy functions responsible for sequence-specific interactions and weak Gō-like energies. The folding pathways of alpha spectrin SH3 are known to be mainly controlled by the native topology, while protein G folding is anticipated to be more sensitive to the sequence-specific effects than native topology. We found in the folding of protein G that the C terminal beta hairpin is formed earlier and is rigid, once ordered, in the presence of an intact C terminal turn. The alpha helix is found to exhibit repeated partial formations/deformations during folding and to be stabilized via the tertiary contact with preformed beta sheets. This predicted scenario is fully consistent with experimental phi value data. Moreover, we found that the folding route is critically affected when the hydrophobic interaction is excluded from physical energy terms, suggesting that the hydrophobicity critically contributes to the folding propensity of protein G. For the folding of alpha spectrin SH3, we found that the distal beta hairpin and diverging turn are parts formed early, fully in harmony with previous results of simple Gō-like and experimental analysis, supporting that the folding route of SH3 domain is robust and coded by the native topology. The hybrid method provides useful tools for analyzing roles of physical interactions in determining folding mechanisms.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed2004

Optimizing physical energy functions for protein folding.

We optimize a physical energy function for proteins with the use of the available structural database and perform three benchmark tests of the performance: (1) recognition of native structures in the background of predefined decoy sets of Levitt, (2) de novo structure prediction using fragment assembly sampling, and (3) molecular dynamics simulations. The energy parameter optimization is based on the energy landscape theory and uses a Monte Carlo search to find a set of parameters that seeks the largest ratio deltaE(s)/DeltaE for all proteins in a training set simultaneously. Here, deltaE(s) is the stability gap between the native and the average in the denatured states and DeltaE is the energy fluctuation among these states. Some of the energy parameters optimized are found to show significant correlation with experimentally observed quantities: (1) In the recognition test, the optimized function assigns the lowest energy to either the native or a near-native structure among many decoy structures for all the proteins studied. (2) Structure prediction with the fragment assembly sampling gives structure models with root mean square deviation less than 6 A in one of the top five cluster centers for five of six proteins studied. (3) Structure prediction using molecular dynamics simulation gives poorer performance, implying the importance of having a more precise description of local structures. The physical energy function solely inferred from a structural database neither utilizes sequence information from the family of the target nor the outcome of the secondary structure prediction but can produce the correct native fold for many small proteins.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2003

How protein thermodynamics and folding mechanisms are altered by the chaperonin cage: molecular simulations.

How the Escherichia coli GroEL/ES chaperonin assists folding of a substrate protein remains to be uncovered. Recently, it was suggested that confinement into the chaperonin cage itself can significantly accelerate folding of a substrate. Performing comprehensive molecular simulations of eight proteins confined into various sizes L of chaperonin-like cage, we explore how and to what extent protein thermodynamics and folding mechanisms are altered by the cage. We show that a substrate protein is remarkably stabilized by confinement; the estimated increase in denaturation temperature DeltaTf is as large as approximately 60 degrees C. For a protein of size R0, the stabilization DeltaTf scales as (R0/L)nu, where nu approximately 3, which is consistent with a mean field theory of polymer. We also found significant free energy cost of confining a protein, which increases with R0/L, indicating that the confinement requires external work provided by the chaperonin system. In kinetic study, we show the folding is accelerated in a modestly well confined case, which is consistent with a recent experimental result on ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase folding and simulation results of a beta hairpin. Interestingly, the acceleration of folding is likely to be larger for a protein with more complex topology, as quantified by the contact order. We also show how ensemble of folding pathways are altered by the chaperonin-like cage calculating a variant of value used in the study of spontaneous folding.

Chaperonins↗
PubMed2003

Competition between protein folding and aggregation with molecular chaperones in crowded solutions: insight from mesoscopic simulations.

The living cell is inherently crowded with proteins and macromolecules. To avoid aggregation of denatured proteins in the living cell, molecular chaperones play important roles. Here we introduce a simple model to describe crowded protein solutions with chaperone-like species based on a dynamic density functional theory. As predicted by others, our simulations show that macromolecular crowding enhances the association of proteins and chaperones. However, when the intrinsic folding rate of the protein is slow, it is possible that crowding also enhances aggregation of proteins. The results of simulation suggest that, when the concentration of the crowding agent is as high as that in the cell, the association of the protein and unbound chaperone becomes correlated with the aggregation process, and that the protein-bound chaperones efficiently destroy the potential nuclei of aggregates and thus prevent the aggregation.

Biophysics↗
PubMed2003

De novo design of foldable proteins with smooth folding funnel: automated negative design and experimental verification.

De novo sequence design of foldable proteins provides a way of investigating principles of protein architecture. We performed fully automated sequence design for a target structure having a three-helix bundle topology and synthesized the designed sequences. Our design principle is different from the conventional approach, in that instead of optimizing interactions within the target structure, we design the global shape of the protein folding funnel. This includes automated implementation of negative design by explicitly requiring higher free energy of the denatured state. The designed sequences do not have significant similarity to those of any natural proteins. The NMR and CD spectroscopic data indicated that one designed sequence has a well-defined three-dimensional structure as well as alpha-helical content consistent with the target.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Effects of macromolecular crowding on protein folding and aggregation studied by density functional theory: dynamics.

Inside the living cell is inherently crowded with proteins and other macromolecules. Thus, it is indispensable to take into account various interactions between the protein and other macromolecules for thorough understanding of protein functions in cellular contexts. Here we focus on the excluded volume interaction imposed on the protein by surrounding macromolecules or "crowding agents." We have presented a theoretical framework for describing equilibrium properties of proteins in crowded solutions [A. R. Kinjo and S. Takada, Phys. Rev. E (to be published)]. In the present paper, we extend the theory to describe nonequilibrium properties of proteins in crowded solutions. Dynamics simulations exhibit qualitatively different morphologies depending on the aggregating conditions, and it was found that macromolecular crowding accelerates the onset of aggregation while stabilizing the native protein in the quasiuniform phase before the onset of aggregation. It is also observed, however, that the aggregation may be kinetically inhibited in highly crowded conditions. The effects of crowding on folding and unfolding of proteins are also examined, and the results suggest that fast folding is an important factor in preventing aggregation of denatured proteins.

Biophysical Phenomena↗
PubMed2002

Effects of macromolecular crowding on protein folding and aggregation studied by density functional theory: statics.

Proteins are neither purified nor diluted inside the living cell. Thus it is indispensable to take into account various interactions between the protein of interest and other macromolecules for understanding the properties of proteins in physiological conditions. Here we focus on excluded volume interactions which are omnipresent in dense or crowded solutions of proteins and macromolecules or "crowding agents." A protein solution with macromolecular crowding agents is modeled by means of a density functional theory. Effects of macromolecular crowding on protein aggregation and stability are investigated in particular. Phase diagrams are obtained in various parameter spaces by solving the equation of state. Two generic features are found: the addition of the crowding agent (1) enhances the aggregation of the denatured proteins, and (2) stabilizes the native protein unless the aggregation occurs. The present theory is qualitatively in good agreement with experimental observations and unifies previous theories regarding the crowding effects on protein stability and aggregation.

Journal Article↗