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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Likelihood-based signal and noise analysis for docking of models into cryo-EM maps

Fast, reliable docking of models into cryo-EM maps requires understanding of the errors in the maps and the models. Likelihood-based approaches to errors have proven to be powerful and adaptable in experimental structural biology, finding applications in both crystallography and cryo-EM. Indeed, previous crystallographic work on the errors in structural models is directly applicable to likelihood targets in cryo-EM. Likelihood targets in Fourier space are derived here to characterize, based on the comparison of half-maps, the direction- and resolution-dependent variation in the strength of both signal and noise in the data. Because the signal depends on local features, the signal and noise are analysed in local regions of the cryo-EM reconstruction. The likelihood analysis extends to prediction of the signal that will be achieved in any docking calculation for a model of specified quality and completeness. A related calculation generalizes a previous measure of the information gained by making the cryo-EM reconstruction.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Likelihood-based docking of models into cryo-EM maps

Optimized docking of models into cryo-EM maps requires exploiting an understanding of the signal expected in the data to minimize the calculation time while maintaining sufficient signal. The likelihood-based rotation function used in crystallography can be employed to establish plausible orientations in a docking search. A phased likelihood translation function yields scores for the placement and rigid-body refinement of oriented models. Optimized strategies for choices of the resolution of data from the cryo-EM maps to use in the calculations and the size of search volumes are based on expected log-likelihood-gain scores computed in advance of the search calculation. Tests demonstrate that the new procedure is fast, robust and effective at placing models into even challenging cryo-EM maps.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Structural basis of the amidase ClbL central to the biosynthesis of the genotoxin colibactin

Colibactin is a genotoxic natural product produced by select commensal bacteria in the human gut microbiota. The compound is a bis-electrophile that is predicted to form interstrand DNA cross-links in target cells, leading to double-strand DNA breaks. The biosynthesis of colibactin is carried out by a mixed NRPS–PKS assembly line with several noncanonical features. An amidase, ClbL, plays a key role in the pathway, catalyzing the final step in the formation of the pseudodimeric scaffold. ClbL couples α-aminoketone and β-ketothioester intermediates attached to separate carrier domains on the NRPS–PKS assembly. Here, the 1.9 Å resolution structure of ClbL is reported, providing a structural basis for this key step in the colibactin biosynthetic pathway. The structure reveals an open hydrophobic active site surrounded by flexible loops, and comparison with homologous amidases supports its unusual function and predicts macromolecular interactions with pathway carrier-protein substrates. Modeling protein–protein interactions supports a predicted molecular basis for enzyme–carrier domain interactions. Overall, the work provides structural insight into this unique enzyme that is central to the biosynthesis of colibactin.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Increasing the bulk of the 1TEL–target linker and retaining the 10×His tag in a 1TEL–CMG2-vWa construct improves crystal order and diffraction limits

TELSAM-fusion crystallization has the potential to become a revolutionary tool for the facile crystallization of proteins. TELSAM fusion can increase the crystallization rate and enable crystallization at low protein concentrations, in some cases with minimal crystal contacts [Nawarathnage et al. (2022), Open Biol. 12 , 210271]. Here, requirements for the linker composition between 1TEL and a fused CMG2 vWa domain were investigated. Ala-Ala, Ala-Val, Thr-Val and Thr-Thr linkers were evaluated, comparing metrics for crystallization propensity and crystal order. The effect on crystallization of removing or retaining the purification tag was then tested. It was discovered that increasing the linker bulk and retaining the 10×His purification tag improved the diffraction resolution, likely by decreasing the number of possible vWa-domain orientations in the crystal. Additionally, it was discovered that some vWa-domain binding modes are correlated with scrambling of the 1TEL polymer orientation in crystals and an effective mitigation strategy for this pathology is presented.

1TEL↗
DOE OSTI2024

Deciphering the crystal structure of a novel nanobody against the NEIL1 DNA glycosylase

Nanobodies (VHHs) are single-domain antibodies with three antigenic CDR regions and are used in diverse scientific applications. Here, an ∼14 kDa nanobody (A5) specific for the endonuclease VIII (Nei)-like 1 or NEIL1 DNA glycosylase involved in the first step of the base-excision repair pathway was crystallized and its structure was determined to 2.1 Å resolution. The crystals posed challenges due to potential twinning and anisotropic diffraction. Despite inconclusive twinning indicators, reprocessing in an orthorhombic setting and molecular replacement in space groupP2 1 2 1 2 enabled the successful modeling of 96% of residues in the asymmetric unit, with finalR work andR free values of 0.199 and 0.229, respectively.

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology↗
DOE OSTI2025

Q -score as a reliability measure for protein, nucleic acid and small-molecule atomic coordinate models derived from 3DEM maps

Atomic coordinate models are important for the interpretation of 3D maps produced with cryoEM and cryoET (3D electron microscopy; 3DEM). In addition to visual inspection of such maps and models, quantitative metrics can inform about the reliability of the atomic coordinates, in particular how well the model is supported by the experimentally determined 3DEM map. A recently introduced metric, Q-score, was shown to correlate well with the reported resolution of the map for well fitted models. Here, we present new statistical analyses of Q-score based on its application to ∼10 000 maps and models archived in the EMDB (Electron Microscopy Data Bank) and PDB (Protein Data Bank). Further, we introduce two new metrics based on Q-score to represent each map and model relative to all entries in the EMDB and those with similar resolution. We explore through illustrative examples of proteins, nucleic acids and small molecules how Q-scores can indicate whether the atomic coordinates are well fitted to 3DEM maps and also whether some parts of a map may be poorly resolved due to factors such as molecular flexibility, radiation damage and/or conformational heterogeneity. These examples and statistical analyses provide a basis for how Q-scores can be interpreted effectively in order to evaluate 3DEM maps and atomic coordinate models prior to publication and archiving.

B factors↗
DOE OSTI2025

Crystal structures of 40- and 71-substitution variants of hydroxynitrile lyase from rubber tree

Hydroxynitrile lyase fromHevea brasiliensis(HbHNL) and the esterase SABP2 fromNicotiana tabacumshare the α/β-hydrolase fold, a Ser–His–Asp catalytic triad and 44% sequence identity, yet catalyze different reactions. Prior studies showed that three active-site substitutions inHbHNL conferred weak esterase activity. To investigate how regions beyond the active site influence catalytic efficiency and active-site geometry, we engineeredHbHNL variants with increasing numbers of substitutions to match SABP2. Variant HNL16 has all amino acids within 6.5 Å of the active site identical to SABP2, HNL40 those within 10 Å and HNL71 those within 14 Å. HNL16 exhibited poor esterase activity, whereas both HNL40 and HNL71 showed efficient esterase catalysis, demonstrating that residues beyond the immediate active site are critical for functional conversion. X-ray structures of HNL40 and HNL71 reveal a progressive shift in backbone positions toward those of SABP2, with r.m.s.d. values of 0.51 Å (HNL40) and 0.41 Å (HNL71) over the C α atoms, and even smaller r.m.s.d.s within the active-site region. Both HNL40 and HNL71 show a restored oxyanion hole and an additional tunnel connecting the active site to the protein surface. This work demonstrates the essential role of distant, indirectly acting residues to catalysis in α/β-hydrolase enzymes.

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology↗
DOE OSTI2023

Unveiling the Mechanism of Photodamage to Sphingolipid Molecules via Laser Flash Photolysis and EPR

Abstract Sphingolipids are involved in the maintenance of the skin barrier function and regulate cellular processes of keratinocytes. The work reported here is designed to uncover details of the mechanism of damage to such lipids by UV radiation. Our approach employs laser flash photolysis and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometry to explore the mechanism of the decay reactions, and to determine the associated kinetic parameters. To interpret our experiments, we computed both excitation energies and EPR parameters of radicals formed during photolysis. Employing the spin‐trap EPR method confirmed the formation of both carbon‐ and nitrogen‐centered radicals. Thus, we can conclude that the photodecomposition of sphingolipids and their analogues proceeds by Norrish type I reactions with the formation of both nitrogen‐centered and alkyl radicals.

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Understanding amyloids to prevent biofilm formation in space

There is a pressing need to search for novel approaches to combat biofilm formation, both in space and in medical applications. Many proteins have the ability to form ordered aggregates called amyloids. Amyloids are known to be an important part of biofilms. The use of anti-amyloid drugs is a novel venue for the development of antimicrobial agents. The ultrastructure of the amyloid aggregate shows a high packing of proteins, the second-order structure of which is dominated by β-sheets. The ability to form an amyloid aggregate is especially typical for proteins containing domains (protein fragments) with sufficient lability to arrange themselves in a tight β-sheet structure. Bioinformatics tools allow the prediction of such behavior of proteins in genomic data. We use GeneLab data of microbial populations identified aboard the International Space Station and other spacecraft to look for bacterial species that utilize amyloid aggregation in biofilm formation. We use a combined bioinformatic approach with a relatively high throughput molecular biology assay and biophysical assays to evaluate the anti-amyloid anti-biofilm approach. The significance of the research extends from understanding basic microbial community responses to spaceflight, to biofouling of the built environments in space as well as the long-term health of astronauts. Bioinformatics shows that onboard the ISS, bacterial species produce far more amyloid and prion proteins than are currently verified, hence their role in bacterial ecosystems is largely unknown. As we propose there is a link between amyloid formation in space and biofilm production, this research should lead to new paths for biofilm remediation in space.

Tomasz Zajkowski↗
DOE OSTI2023

Performance efficient macromolecular mechanics via sub-nanometer shape based coarse graining

Dimensionality reduction via coarse grain modeling is a valuable tool in biomolecular research. For large assemblies, ultra coarse models are often knowledge-based, relying on a priori information to parameterize models thus hindering general predictive capability. Here, we present substantial advances to the shape based coarse graining (SBCG) method, which we refer to as SBCG2. SBCG2 utilizes a revitalized formulation of the topology representing network which makes high-granularity modeling possible, preserving atomistic details that maintain assembly characteristics. Further, we present a method of granularity selection based on charge density Fourier Shell Correlation and have additionally developed a refinement method to optimize, adjust and validate high-granularity models. We demonstrate our approach with the conical HIV-1 capsid and heteromultimeric cofilin-2 bound actin filaments. Our approach is available in the Visual Molecular Dynamics (VMD) software suite, and employs a CHARMM-compatible Hamiltonian that enables high-performance simulation in the GPU-resident NAMD3 molecular dynamics engine.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Substrate binding-induced conformational transitions in the omega-3 fatty acid transporter MFSD2A

Major Facilitator Superfamily Domain containing 2 A (MFSD2A) is a transporter that is highly enriched at the blood-brain and blood-retinal barriers, where it mediates Na + -dependent uptake of ω-3 fatty acids in the form of lysolipids into the brain and eyes, respectively. Despite recent structural insights, it remains unclear how this process is initiated, and driven by Na + . Here, we perform Molecular Dynamics simulations which demonstrate that substrates enter outward facing MFSD2A from the outer leaflet of the membrane via lateral openings between transmembrane helices 5/8 and 2/11. The substrate headgroup enters first and engages in Na + -bridged interactions with a conserved glutamic acid, while the tail is surrounded by hydrophobic residues. This binding mode is consistent with a “trap-and-flip” mechanism and triggers transition to an occluded conformation. Furthermore, using machine learning analysis, we identify key elements that enable these transitions. These results advance our molecular understanding of the MFSD2A transport cycle.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Insight into Molecular Basis and Dynamics of Full-length CRaf Kinase in Cellular Signaling Mechanism

This study presents the first large-scale simulation using an initial structure predicted by AI/ML algorithms for the 648-amino-acid CRaf kinase, which plays a key role in cellular signaling. Simulation results show the evolution of the predicted structure into much more compact structures with inter-domain interactions that shed insights into auto-inhibition mechanism, paradoxical effect, activation, and recruitment pathways in the CRaf kinase. Newly identified epitopes in the CRaf may suggest additional drug targets. The results were published in Biophysical Journal, DOI:10.1016/j.bpj.2024.06.028.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Integrated Biophysical Modeling and Image Analysis: Application to Neuro-Oncology

Central nervous system (CNS) tumors come with vastly heterogeneous histologic, molecular, and radiographic landscapes, rendering their precise characterization challenging. The rapidly growing fields of biophysical modeling and radiomics have shown promise in better characterizing the molecular, spatial, and temporal heterogeneity of tumors. Integrative analysis of CNS tumors, including clinically acquired multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and the inverse problem of calibrating biophysical models to mpMRI data, assists in identifying macroscopic quantifiable tumor patterns of invasion and proliferation, potentially leading to improved (a) detection/segmentation of tumor subregions and (b) computer-aided diagnostic/prognostic/predictive modeling. This article presents a summary of (a) biophysical growth modeling and simulation,(b) inverse problems for model calibration, (c) these models' integration with imaging workflows, and (d) their application to clinically relevant studies. We anticipate that such quantitative integrative analysis may even be beneficial in a future revision of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification for CNS tumors, ultimately improving patient survival prospects.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Crystal structure of Escherichia coli thiamine pyrophosphate-sensing riboswitch in the apo state

The thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP)-sensing riboswitch is one of the earliest discovered and most widespread riboswitches. Numerous structural studies have been reported for this riboswitch bound with various ligands. However, the ligand-free (apo) structure remains unknown. Here, we report a 3.1 Å resolution crystal structure of Escherichia coli TPP riboswitch in the apo state, which exhibits an extended, Y-shaped conformation further supported by small-angle X-ray scattering data and driven molecular dynamics simulations. The loss of ligand interactions results in helical uncoiling of P5 and disruption of the key tertiary interaction between the sensory domains. Opening of the aptamer propagates to the gene-regulatory P1 helix and generates the key conformational flexibility needed for the switching behavior. Much of the ligand-binding site at the three-way junction is unaltered, thereby maintaining a partially preformed pocket. Together, these results paint a dynamic picture of the ligand-induced conformational changes in TPP riboswitches that confer conditional gene regulation.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗