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Revealing divergent evolution, identifying circular permutations and detecting active-sites by protein structure comparison.

BACKGROUND: Protein structure comparison is one of the most important problems in computational biology and plays a key role in protein structure prediction, fold family classification, motif finding, phylogenetic tree reconstruction and protein docking. RESULTS: We propose a novel method to compare the protein structures in an accurate and efficient manner. Such a method can be used to not only reveal divergent evolution, but also identify circular permutations and further detect active-sites. Specifically, we define the structure alignment as a multi-objective optimization problem, i.e., maximizing the number of aligned atoms and minimizing their root mean square distance. By controlling a single distance-related parameter, theoretically we can obtain a variety of optimal alignments corresponding to different optimal matching patterns, i.e., from a large matching portion to a small matching portion. The number of variables in our algorithm increases with the number of atoms of protein pairs in almost a linear manner. In addition to solid theoretical background, numerical experiments demonstrated significant improvement of our approach over the existing methods in terms of quality and efficiency. In particular, we show that divergent evolution, circular permutations and active-sites (or structural motifs) can be identified by our method. The software SAMO is available upon request from the authors, or from http://zhangroup.aporc.org/bioinfo/samo/ and http://intelligent.eic.osaka-sandai.ac.jp/chenen/samo.htm. CONCLUSION: A novel formulation is proposed to accurately align protein structures in the framework of multi-objective optimization, based on a sequence order-independent strategy. A fast and accurate algorithm based on the bipartite matching algorithm is developed by exploiting the special features. Convergence of computation is shown in experiments and is also theoretically proven.

Algorithms↗

Binding of glutamine to glutamine-binding protein from Escherichia coli induces changes in protein structure and increases protein stability.

Glutamine-binding protein (GlnBP) from Escherichia coli is a monomeric protein localized in the periplasmic space of the bacterium. It is responsible for the first step in the active transport of L-glutamine across the cytoplasmic membrane. The protein consists of two similar globular domains linked by two peptide hinges, and X-ray crystallographic data indicate that the two domains undergo large movements upon ligand binding. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to analyze the structure and thermal stability of the protein in detail. The data indicate that glutamine binding induces small changes in the secondary structure of the protein and that it renders the structure more thermostable and less flexible. Detailed analyses of IR spectra show a lower thermal sensitivity of alpha-helices than beta-sheets in the protein both in the absence and in the presence of glutamine. Generalized two-dimensional (2D) analyses of IR spectra reveal the same sequence of unfolding events in the protein in the absence and in the presence of glutamine, indicating that the amino acid does not affect the unfolding pathway of the protein. The data give new insight into the structural characteristics of GlnBP that are useful for both basic knowledge and biotechnological applications.

Carrier Proteins↗

HTLV-1 structural proteins.

HTLV-1 structural proteins do not appear to ensure virus transmission as efficiently as most other retrovirus structural proteins do, whereas all other retroviruses can be transmitted via either free virions or cell-to-cell contacts, infection by HTLV-1 by free virions is very inefficient, and effective infection requires the presence of HTLV-1 infected cells. This characteristic feature of HTLV-1 provides a unique tool which can be used to analyse retrovirus cellular transmission in the absence of simultaneous cell-free infection. Here we summarise what is known about HTLV-1 structural proteins and identify the questions about these proteins which remain to be answered.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[Similarities and differences between western equine encephalomyelitis viruses with respect to genes for nonstructural protein NSP2 and structural proteins C and E2].

Genetic relationships of geographical isolates of the members of WEE virus serocomplex (McMillan, Fort Morgan, Highlands J, and Y62-33) were assessed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction analysis of the PCR products. Oligonucleotide primers (21 nucleotides in length) were chosen for NSP2, nucleocapsid C, and E2-E1 protein genes based on the known primary structure of the McMillan 16310-5614 genome (L. Uryvayev et al., 1994, 1995). These primers were shown to differentiate well the WEE and SV-like strains of the serocomplex. Y62-33 virus (Udmurtia, Russia) was identical to McMillan strain in three studied regions of NSP2, C, and E2-E1 genes. NSP2 gene could be detected in all the studied geographical isolates and was characterized by the same restriction patterns as endonucleases; it appeared to be the most conservative. The structural genes were less conservative. Fort Morgan virus (Colorado, USA) genome reliably differed from McMillan virus (California, USA) and was negative in PCR with primers to C and E2 gene regions. Highlands J genome (Florida, USA) was positive in PCR with the primers to E2-E1 gene regions but differed from McMillan strain by the nucleocapsid gene. An additional comparative PCR analysis of the C-E2 region in the McMillan and Highlands J genomes showed some, but not complete identity. The origin of these two viruses might be due to the selection of different forms of recombinant viruses. A good correlation of structural genes in PCR and the infectivity neutralization test was noted with the primers and polyclonal antibodies to the closely related strains. High specificity of PCR permits a more accurate detection of the virus origin and relationships.

Animals↗

Protein Threading Based on Multiple Protein Structure Alignment.

Protein threading, a method employed in protein three-dimensional (3D) structure prediction was only proposed in the early 1990's although predicting protein 3D structure from its given amino acid sequence has been around since 1970's. Here we describe a protein threading method/system that we have developed based on multiple protein structure alignment. In order to compute multiple structure alignments, we developed a similar structure search program on massive parallel computers and a program for constructing a multiple structure alignment from pairwise structure alignments, where the latter is based on the center star method for sequence alignment. A simple dynamic-programming based algorithm which uses a profile matrix obtained from the result of multiple structure alignment was also developed to compute a threading (i.e., an alignment between a target sequence and a known structure). Using this system, we participated in the threading category (category AL) of CASP3 (Third Community Wide Experiment on the Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction). The results are discussed.

Journal Article↗

STING Contacts: a web-based application for identification and analysis of amino acid contacts within protein structure and across protein interfaces.

UNLABELLED: Amino acid contacts in terms of atomic interactions are essential factors to be considered in the analysis of the structure of a protein and its complexes. Consequently, molecular biologists do require specific tools for the identification and visualization of all such contacts. Graphical contacts (GC) and interface forming residue graphical contacts (IFRgc) presented here, calculate atomic contacts among amino acids based on a table of predefined pairs of the atom types and their distances, and then display them using number of different forms. The inventory of currently listed contact types by GC and IFRgc include hydrogen bonds (in nine different flavors), hydrophobic interactions, charge-charge interactions, aromatic stacking and disulfide bonds. Such extensive catalog of the interactions, representing the forces that govern protein folding, stability and binding, is the key feature of these two applications. GC and IFRgc are part of STING Millennium Suite. AVAILABILITY: http://sms.cbi.cnptia.embrapa.br/SMS, http://trantor.bioc.columbia.edu/SMS, http://mirrors.rcsb.org//SMS, http://www.es.embnet.org/SMS and http://www.ar.embnet.org/SMS (Options: Graphical Contacts and IFR Graphical Contacts).

Algorithms↗

Comparison of side chain interactions performed by structurally equivalent residues in homologous protein structures.

The present work describes the computer program Hom-Bond, which allows to identify and compare intra-molecular interactions performed by side chain polar atoms as observed in a family of homologous protein structures with known and conserved 3-D conformation. For this purpose, the side chain to side chain and the side chain to main chain hydrogen bonds, the disulfide and the salt bridges are identified in each considered protein structure. Subsequently, the side chain interactions are displayed according to the multiple sequence alignment. The presented approach allows to easily identify bonds which are conserved in homologous proteins and to analyse rearrangements of the network of side chain interactions that characterize each protein structure.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Fold change in evolution of protein structures.

Typically, protein spatial structures are more conserved in evolution than amino acid sequences. However, the recent explosion of sequence and structure information accompanied by the development of powerful computational methods led to the accumulation of examples of homologous proteins with globally distinct structures. Significant sequence conservation, local structural resemblance, and functional similarity strongly indicate evolutionary relationships between these proteins despite pronounced structural differences at the fold level. Several mechanisms such as insertions/deletions/substitutions, circular permutations, and rearrangements in beta-sheet topologies account for the majority of detected structural irregularities. The existence of evolutionarily related proteins that possess different folds brings new challenges to the homology modeling techniques and the structure classification strategies and offers new opportunities for protein design in experimental studies.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Segment 8 encodes a structural protein of infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV); the co-linear transcript from Segment 7 probably encodes a non-structural or minor structural protein.

In this study we present the cloning, expression and partial identification of Genomic Segment 7 of infectious salmon anaemia virus (ISAV). The nucleotide sequence corresponding to Segment 7 was isolated from a bacteriophage lambda cDNA library and contained 2 overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) of 903 and 522 bases respectively. It also contained an ISAV-specific conserved nucleotide motif in the mRNA 5' region. The co-linear transcript representing the large ORF undergoes a splicing event that removes a 526 nucleotide intron to form a mRNA corresponding to the smaller reading frame. Thus, ISAV Genomic Segment 7 has a similar coding strategy as influenza A virus Segments 7 and 8. The largest ORF of Segment 7 and the first ORF of Segment 8 was expressed in E. coli as fusion proteins and rabbit antiserum was raised against the recombinant protein from Segment 8. Immunoblot studies using this antiserum and a serum against purified virus, show that Segment 8 encodes one of the major structural proteins of the virus whereas the co-linear ORF of Segment 7 probably encodes a non- or minor structural protein

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Finding local structural similarities among families of unrelated protein structures: a generic non-linear alignment algorithm.

We have developed a generic tool for the automatic identification of regions of local structural similarity in unrelated proteins having different folds, as well as for defining more global similarities that result from homologous protein structures. The computer program GENFIT has evolved from the genetic algorithm-based three-dimensional protein structure comparison program GA_FIT. GENFIT, however, can locate and superimpose regions of local structural homology regardless of their position in a pair of structures, the fold topology, or the chain direction. Furthermore, it is possible to restrict the search to a volume centered about a region of interest (e.g., catalytic site, ligand-binding site) in two protein structures. We present a number of examples to illustrate the function of the program, which is a parallel processing implementation designed for distribution to multiple machines over a local network or to run on a single multiprocessor computer.

Algorithms↗

Chemical and Immunological characterization of the major structural protein (p28) of MMC-1, a rhesus monkey endogenous type C virus: homology with the major structural protein of avian reticuloendotheliosis virus.

The major core protein (p28) of MMC-1, an endogenous type C virus of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta), was purified and subjected to structural and immunological analyses. The NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of MMC-1 p28 showed extensive homology to the sequences of the major structural proteins (p30) of known mammalian type C viruses. Similarly, interspecies antigenic determinants shared by all the above viral proteins were detected in MMC-1 p28. Competition radioimmunoassays together with the results of statistical analysis of the primary structure data provided evidence that MMC-1 p28 is not more closely related to primate type C viruses of the Papio genus than to those isolated from rodents, cats, or New World monkeys. MMC-1 p28 was found to be closely related structurally to the p30 protein of the avian reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV-A), a horizontally transmitted type C virus of putative mammalian origin. In addition, MMC-1 p28 and REV-A p30 shared a specific subset of antigenic determinants not present in any of the other avian or mammalian type C viruses studied. These findings suggest that MMC-1 and REV may have a common evolutionary origin.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Integration of genome data and protein structures: prediction of protein folds, protein interactions and "molecular phenotypes" of single nucleotide polymorphisms.

With the massive amount of sequence and structural data being produced, new avenues emerge for exploiting the information therein for applications in several fields. Fold distributions can be mapped onto entire genomes to learn about the nature of the protein universe and many of the interactions between proteins can now be predicted solely on the basis of the genomic context of their genes. Furthermore, by utilising the new incoming data on single nucleotide polymorphisms by mapping them onto three-dimensional structures of proteins, problems concerning population, medical and evolutionary genetics can be addressed.

Apolipoproteins E↗

Protein structure and dynamics determined by protein modeling combined with spectroscopic techniques.

Beside of the protein crystals, another attractive option in protein structure analysis has recently appeared: computer modeling of the protein structure based on homology and similarity with proteins of already known structures. We used the combination of computer modeling with spectroscopic techniques, such as steady-state or time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy or Raman spectroscopy, and with molecular biology techniques. This method could achieve reliable results comparable with resolution obtained from crystal structures. Molecular modeling of the ATP site within the H4-H5-loop revealed eight amino acids residues, namely besides the previously reported amino acids Asp443, Lys480, Lys501, Gly502 and Arg544, also Glu446, Phe475 and Gln482, which form the complete ATP recognition site. Moreover, we proved that a hydrogen bond between Arg423 and Glu472 supported the connection of two opposite halves of the ATP-binding pocket. Similarly, the conserved residue Pro489 is important for the proper interaction of the third and fourth-strands, which both contain residues that take part in the ATP-binding (Ref. 34).

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Mapping and sequence of the gene encoding protein p37, a major structural protein of African swine fever virus.

The gene encoding protein p37, one of the major structural proteins of African swine fever (ASF) virus has been mapped and sequenced. Protein p37 was obtained from purified virions and the first 27 amino acids from its NH2-terminal end were identified by automatic Edman degradation. To map the gene encoding protein p37, a mixture of 20-mer deoxyoligonucleotides based upon a part of this amino acid sequence was hybridized to cloned ASF virus restriction fragments. This allowed localization of the gene in fragment KpnI F/HindIII G1 of the African swine fever virus genome. An analysis of the DNA sequence from this region revealed an open reading frame encoding 418 amino acids. In this sequence, the 27 NH2-terminal amino acids determined by sequence analysis of protein p37 are preceded by a stretch of 132 amino acids residues, indicating that protein p37 is synthesized as a polypeptide of higher molecular weight and then post-translationally processed by cleavage of a Gly-Ala bond. This processing event accounts for the antigenic relationship of protein p37 to a virus-induced, nonstructural protein with a relative molecular weight of 60 kD.

African Swine Fever Virus↗

On the structure of hisH: protein structure prediction in the context of structural and functional genomics.

We predict a structure of the glutamine amidotransferase subunit (hisH) of imidazole glycerol phosphate synthase (IGPS) which catalyzes the fifth step of the histidine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. The model is constructed using an energy-based threading program augmented by a multiple sequence to structure profile analysis. In developing our model we identified a conserved core region within hisH and a variable domain which is the likely site of interaction with the synthase subunit (hisF) of IGPS. Information available from structural and functional genomics studies was used to improve the structure prediction, to discuss parallels between histidine biosynthesis and other amino acid and nucleotide metabolic pathways, and to better understand the protein-protein interactions between the hisH and hisF domains of IGPS. This work allows us to develop a preliminary model for the structure of the entire IGPS holoenzyme.

Acetyltransferases↗

Maturation of IgG avidity to individual rubella virus structural proteins.

BACKGROUND: the structural proteins of rubella virus, the capsid protein C and the envelope glycoproteins E1 and E2 were produced in lepidopteran insect cells using baculovirus expression vectors. The C-terminal ends of the corresponding proteins were fused to a polyhistidine tag for easy and gentle purification by metal ion affinity chromatography. OBJECTIVES: to investigate the maturation of natural and vaccinal IgG avidity against individual authentic and recombinant rubella virus (RV) structural proteins. STUDY DESIGN: the analysis was carried out using a modified immunoblotting technique where the purified baculovirus-expressed proteins were compared with authentic rubella virus proteins. Altogether, 47 well-characterised serum samples from both naturally infected patients and vaccines were studied. RESULTS: after natural RV infection, IgG antibodies specific for the E1 protein were predominant not only in terms of levels, but also in terms of rate and magnitude of avidity maturation. The avidity development of the IgG antibodies was much slower in vaccines than in patients after a natural RV infection. CONCLUSIONS: together, our results indicate that IgG avidity determination in conjunction with immunoblot analysis is useful in the diagnosis of a RV infection. The recombinant proteins showed similar reactivity patterns in the immunoblot analyses as compared with the authentic viral structural proteins, suggesting suitability for serodiagnostics.

Antibodies, Viral↗