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  1. Article ; Online: Characterization of the structural forces governing the reversibility of the thermal unfolding of the human acidic fibroblast growth factor

    Shilpi Agrawal / Vivek Govind Kumar / Ravi Kumar Gundampati / Mahmoud Moradi / Thallapuranam Krishnaswamy Suresh Kumar

    Scientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-

    2021  Volume 13

    Abstract: Abstract Human acidic fibroblast growth factor (hFGF1) is an all beta-sheet protein that is involved in the regulation of key cellular processes including cell proliferation and wound healing. hFGF1 is known to aggregate when subjected to thermal ... ...

    Abstract Abstract Human acidic fibroblast growth factor (hFGF1) is an all beta-sheet protein that is involved in the regulation of key cellular processes including cell proliferation and wound healing. hFGF1 is known to aggregate when subjected to thermal unfolding. In this study, we investigate the equilibrium unfolding of hFGF1 using a wide array of biophysical and biochemical techniques. Systematic analyses of the thermal and chemical denaturation data on hFGF1 variants (Q54P, K126N, R136E, K126N/R136E, Q54P/K126N, Q54P/R136E, and Q54P/K126N/R136E) indicate that nullification of charges in the heparin-binding pocket can significantly increase the stability of wtFGF1. Triple variant (Q54P/K126N/R136E) was found to be the most stable of all the hFGF1 variants studied. With the exception of triple variant, thermal unfolding of wtFGF1 and the other variants is irreversible. Thermally unfolded triple variant refolds completely to its biologically native conformation. Microsecond-level molecular dynamic simulations reveal that a network of hydrogen bonds and salt bridges linked to Q54P, K126N, and R136E mutations, are responsible for the high stability and reversibility of thermal unfolding of the triple variant. In our opinion, the findings of the study provide valuable clues for the rational design of a stable hFGF1 variant that exhibits potent wound healing properties.
    Keywords Medicine ; R ; Science ; Q
    Language English
    Publishing date 2021-08-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Nature Portfolio
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  2. Article ; Online: The Role of a Crystallographically Unresolved Cytoplasmic Loop in Stabilizing the Bacterial Membrane Insertase YidC2

    Thomas Harkey / Vivek Govind Kumar / Jeevapani Hettige / Seyed Hamid Tabari / Kalyan Immadisetty / Mahmoud Moradi

    Scientific Reports, Vol 9, Iss 1, Pp 1-

    2019  Volume 12

    Abstract: Abstract YidC, a bacterial member of the YidC/Alb3/Oxa1 insertase family, mediates membrane protein assembly and insertion. Cytoplasmic loops are known to have functional significance in membrane proteins such as YidC. Employing microsecond-level ... ...

    Abstract Abstract YidC, a bacterial member of the YidC/Alb3/Oxa1 insertase family, mediates membrane protein assembly and insertion. Cytoplasmic loops are known to have functional significance in membrane proteins such as YidC. Employing microsecond-level molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we show that the crystallographically unresolved C2 loop plays a crucial role in the structural dynamics of Bacillus halodurans YidC2. We have modeled the C2 loop and used all- atom MD simulations to investigate the structural dynamics of YidC2 in its apo form, both with and without the C2 loop. The C2 loop was found to stabilize the entire protein and particularly the C1 region. C2 was also found to stabilize the alpha-helical character of the C-terminal region. Interestingly, the highly polar or charged lipid head groups of the simulated membranes were found to interact with and stabilize the C2 loop. These findings demonstrate that the crystallographically unresolved loops of membrane proteins could be important for the stabilization of the protein despite the apparent lack of structure, which could be due to the absence of the relevant lipids to stabilize them in crystallographic conditions.
    Keywords Medicine ; R ; Science ; Q
    Subject code 612
    Language English
    Publishing date 2019-10-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Nature Publishing Group
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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    Inter-library loan at ZB MED

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  3. Article ; Online: ALS-causing mutations in profilin-1 alter its conformational dynamics

    Mahmoud Kiaei / Meenakshisundaram Balasubramaniam / Vivek Govind Kumar / Robert J. Shmookler Reis / Mahmoud Moradi / Kottayil I. Varughese

    Scientific Reports, Vol 8, Iss 1, Pp 1-

    A computational approach to explain propensity for aggregation

    2018  Volume 10

    Abstract: Abstract Profilin-1 (PFN1) is a 140-amino-acid protein with two distinct binding sites―one for actin and one for poly-L-proline (PLP). The best-described function of PFN1 is to catalyze actin elongation and polymerization. Thus far, eight DNA mutations ... ...

    Abstract Abstract Profilin-1 (PFN1) is a 140-amino-acid protein with two distinct binding sites―one for actin and one for poly-L-proline (PLP). The best-described function of PFN1 is to catalyze actin elongation and polymerization. Thus far, eight DNA mutations in the PFN1 gene encoding the PFN1 protein are associated with human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We and others recently showed that two of these mutations (Gly118Val or G118V and Cys71Gly or C71G) cause ALS in rodents. In vitro studies suggested that Met114Thr and Thr109Met cause the protein to behave abnormally and cause neurotoxicity. The mechanism by which a single amino acid change in human PFN1 causes the degeneration of motor neurons is not known. In this study, we investigated the structural perturbations of PFN1 caused by each ALS-associated mutation. We used molecular dynamics simulations to assess how these mutations alter the secondary and tertiary structures of human PFN1. Herein, we present our in silico data and analysis on the effect of G118V and T109M mutations on PFN1 and its interactions with actin and PLP. The substitution of valine for glycine reduces the conformational flexibility of the loop region between the α-helix and β-strand and enhances the hydrophobicity of the region. Our in silico analysis of T109M indicates that this mutation alters the shape of the PLP-binding site and reduces the flexibility of this site. Simulation studies of PFN1 in its wild type (WT) and mutant forms (both G118V and T109M mutants) revealed differential fluctuation patterns and the formation of salt bridges and hydrogen bonds between critical residues that may shed light on differences between WT and mutant PFN1. In particular, we hypothesize that the flexibility of the actin- and PLP-binding sites in WT PFN1 may allow the protein to adopt slightly different conformations in its free and bound forms. These findings provide new insights into how each of these mutations in PFN1 might increase its propensity for misfolding and aggregation, leading to its dysfunction.
    Keywords Medicine ; R ; Science ; Q
    Subject code 612
    Language English
    Publishing date 2018-08-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Nature Publishing Group
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

    Full text online

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    Inter-library loan at ZB MED

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  4. Article ; Online: An Effective Electric Dipole Model for Voltage-induced Gating Mechanism of Lysenin

    Radwan Al Faouri / Eric Krueger / Vivek Govind Kumar / Daniel Fologea / David Straub / Hanan Alismail / Qusay Alfaori / Alicia Kight / Jess Ray / Ralph Henry / Mahmoud Moradi / Gregory Salamo

    Scientific Reports, Vol 9, Iss 1, Pp 1-

    2019  Volume 12

    Abstract: Abstract Lysenin is a pore-forming toxin, which self-inserts open channels into sphingomyelin containing membranes and is known to be voltage regulated. The mechanistic details of its voltage gating mechanism, however, remains elusive despite much recent ...

    Abstract Abstract Lysenin is a pore-forming toxin, which self-inserts open channels into sphingomyelin containing membranes and is known to be voltage regulated. The mechanistic details of its voltage gating mechanism, however, remains elusive despite much recent efforts. Here, we have employed a novel combination of experimental and computational techniques to examine a model for voltage gating, that is based on the existence of an “effective electric dipole” inspired by recent reported structures of lysenin. We support this mechanism by the observations that (i) the charge-reversal and neutralization substitutions in lysenin result in changing its electrical gating properties by modifying the strength of the dipole, and (ii) an increase in the viscosity of the solvent increases the drag force and slows down the gating. In addition, our molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of membrane-embedded lysenin provide a mechanistic picture for lysenin conformational changes, which reveals, for the first time, the existence of a lipid-dependent bulge region in the pore-forming module of lysenin, which may explain the gating mechanism of lysenin at a molecular level.
    Keywords Medicine ; R ; Science ; Q
    Subject code 612 ; 541
    Language English
    Publishing date 2019-08-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Nature Publishing Group
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

    Full text online

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    Inter-library loan at ZB MED

    Your chosen title can be delivered directly to ZB MED Cologne location if you are registered as a user at ZB MED Cologne.

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