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Thermodynamic description of polymorphism in Q- and N-rich peptide aggregates revealed by atomistic simulation.

ABSTRACT: Amyloid fibrils are long, helically symmetric protein aggregates that can display substantial variation (polymorphism), including alterations in twist and structure at the beta-strand and protofilament levels, even when grown under the same experimental conditions. The structural and thermodynamic origins of this behavior are not yet understood. We performed molecular-dynamics simulations to determine the thermodynamic properties of different polymorphs of the peptide GNNQQNY, modeling fibrils containing different numbers of protofilaments based on the structure of amyloid-like cross-beta crystals of this peptide. We also modeled fibrils with new orientations of the side chains, as well as a de novo designed structure based on antiparallel beta-strands. The simulations show that these polymorphs are approximately isoenergetic under a range of conditions. Structural analysis reveals a dynamic reorganization of electrostatics and hydrogen bonding in the main and side chains of the Gln and Asn residues that characterize this peptide sequence. Q/N-rich stretches are found in several amyloidogenic proteins and peptides, including the yeast prions Sup35-N and Ure2p, as well as in the human poly-Q disease proteins, including the ataxins and huntingtin. Based on our results, we propose that these residues imbue a unique structural plasticity to the amyloid fibrils that they comprise, rationalizing the ability of proteins enriched in these amino acids to form prion strains with heritable and different phenotypic traits.

SUBMITTER: Berryman JT

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2711369 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Thermodynamic description of polymorphism in Q- and N-rich peptide aggregates revealed by atomistic simulation.

Berryman Joshua T JT Radford Sheena E SE Harris Sarah A SA

Biophysical journal 20090701 1

Amyloid fibrils are long, helically symmetric protein aggregates that can display substantial variation (polymorphism), including alterations in twist and structure at the beta-strand and protofilament levels, even when grown under the same experimental conditions. The structural and thermodynamic origins of this behavior are not yet understood. We performed molecular-dynamics simulations to determine the thermodynamic properties of different polymorphs of the peptide GNNQQNY, modeling fibrils c ...[more]

PMID: 19580739

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Project description:Several prokaryotic ClC proteins have been demonstrated to function as exchangers that transport both chloride ions and protons simultaneously in opposite directions. However, the path of the proton through the ClC exchanger, and how the protein brings about the coupled movement of both ions are still unknown. In this work, we use an atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to demonstrate that a previously unknown secondary water pore is formed inside an Escherichia coli ClC exchanger. The secondary water pore is bifurcated from the chloride ion pathway at E148. From the systematic simulations, we determined that the glutamate residue exposed to the intracellular solution, E203, plays an important role as a trigger for the formation of the secondary water pore, and that the highly conserved tyrosine residue Y445 functions as a barrier that separates the proton from the chloride ion pathways. Based on our simulation results, we conclude that protons in the ClC exchanger are conducted via a water network through the secondary water pore, and we propose a new mechanism for the coupled transport of chloride ions and protons. It has been reported that several members of ClC proteins are not just channels that simply transport chloride ions across lipid bilayers; rather, they are exchangers that transport both the chloride ion and proton in opposite directions. However, the ion transit pathways and the mechanism of the coupled movement of these two ions have not yet been unveiled. In this article, we report a new finding (to our knowledge) of a water pore inside a prokaryotic ClC protein as revealed by computer simulation. This water pore is bifurcated from the putative chloride ion, and water molecules inside the new pore connect two glutamate residues that are known to be key residues for proton transport. On the basis of our simulation results, we conclude that the water wire that is formed inside the newly found pore acts as a proton pathway, which enables us to resolve many problems that could not be addressed by previous experimental studies.

Dataset Information

Thermodynamic description of polymorphism in Q- and N-rich peptide aggregates revealed by atomistic simulation.

Publications

Thermodynamic description of polymorphism in Q- and N-rich peptide aggregates revealed by atomistic simulation.

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