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Amyloid-β (Aβ) is present in humans as a 39- to 42-amino acid residue metabolic product of the amyloid precursor protein. Although the two predominant forms, Aβ(1-40) and Aβ(1-42), differ in only two residues, they display different biophysical, biological, and clinical behavior. Aβ(1-42) is the more neurotoxic species, aggregates much faster, and dominates in senile plaque of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Although small Aβ oligomers are believed to be the neurotoxic species, Aβ amyloid fibrils are, because of their presence in plaques, a pathological hallmark of AD and appear to play an important role in disease progression through cell-to-cell transmissibility. Here, we solved the 3D structure of a disease-relevant Aβ(1-42) fibril polymorph, combining data from solid-state NMR spectroscopy and mass-per-length measurements from EM. The 3D structure is composed of two molecules per fibril layer, with residues 15-42 forming a double-horseshoe-like cross-β-sheet entity with maximally buried hydrophobic side chains. Residues 1-14 are partially ordered and in a β-strand conformation, but do not display unambiguous distance restraints to the remainder of the core structure.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a major technique in structural biology with over 11,800 protein structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank. NMR can elucidate structures and dynamics of small and medium size proteins in solution, living cells, and solids, but has been limited by the tedious data analysis process. It typically requires weeks or months of manual work of a trained expert to turn NMR measurements into a protein structure. Automation of this process is an open problem, formulated in the field over 30 years ago. We present a solution to this challenge that enables the completely automated analysis of protein NMR data within hours after completing the measurements. Using only NMR spectra and the protein sequence as input, our machine learning-based method, ARTINA, delivers signal positions, resonance assignments, and structures strictly without human intervention. Tested on a 100-protein benchmark comprising 1329 multidimensional NMR spectra, ARTINA demonstrated its ability to solve structures with 1.44 Å median RMSD to the PDB reference and to identify 91.36% correct NMR resonance assignments. ARTINA can be used by non-experts, reducing the effort for a protein assignment or structure determination by NMR essentially to the preparation of the sample and the spectra measurements. The analysis of protein NMR spectra is time-consuming and can occupy a human expert for weeks or months. The researchers in this work present a deep learning-based method that delivers signal positions, chemical shift assignments, and structures of proteins within hours after completion of the NMR measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical shift assignment is vital for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based studies of protein structures, dynamics, and interactions, providing crucial atomic-level insight. However, obtaining chemical shift assignments is labor intensive and requires extensive measurement time. To address this limitation, we previously proposed ARTINA, a deep learning method for automatic assignment of two-dimensional (2D)-4D NMR spectra. Here, we present an integrative approach that combines ARTINAwith AlphaFold and UCBShift, enabling chemical shift assignment with reduced experimental data, increased accuracy, and enhanced robustness for larger systems, as presented in a comprehensive study with more than 5000 automated assignment calculations on 89 proteins. We demonstrate that five 3D spectra yield more accurate assignments (92.59%) than pure ARTINA runs using all experimentally available NMR data (on average 10 3D spectra per protein, 91.37%), considerably reducing the required measurement time. We also showcase automated assignments of only 15Nlabeled samples, and report improved assignment accuracy in larger synthetic systems of up to 500 residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structures are represented by bundles of conformers calculated from different randomized initial structures using identical experimental input data. The spread among these conformers indicates the precision of the atomic coordinates. However, there is as yet no reliable measure of structural accuracy, i.e., how close NMR conformers are to the “true” structure. Instead, the precision of structure bundles is widely (mis)interpreted as a measure of structural quality. Attempts to increase precision often overestimate accuracy by tight bundles of high precision but much lower accuracy. To overcome this problem, we introduce a protocol for NMR structure determination with the software package CYANA, which produces, like the traditional method, bundles of conformers in agreement with a common set of conformational restraints but with a realistic precision that is, throughout a variety of proteins and NMR data sets, a much better estimate of structural accuracy than the precision of conventional structure bundles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adequate digital resolution and signal sensitivity are two critical factors for protein structure determinations by solution NMR spectroscopy. The prime objective for obtaining high digital resolution is to resolve peak overlap, especially in NOESY spectra with thousands of signals where the signal analysis needs to be performed on a large scale. Achieving maximum digital resolution is usually limited by the practically available measurement time. We developed a method utilizing non-uniform sampling for balancing digital resolution and signal sensitivity, and performed a large-scale analysis of the effect of the digital resolution on the accuracy of the resulting protein structures. Structure calculations were performed as a function of digital resolution for about 400 proteins with molecular sizes ranging between 5 and 33 kDa. The structural accuracy was assessed by atomic coordinate RMSD values from the reference structures of the proteins. In addition, we monitored also the number of assigned NOESY cross peaks, the average signal sensitivity, and the chemical shift spectral overlap. We show that high resolution is equally important for proteins of every molecular size. The chemical shift spectral overlap depends strongly on the corresponding spectral digital resolution. Thus, knowing the extent of overlap can be a predictor of the resulting structural accuracy. Our results show that for every molecular size a minimal digital resolution, corresponding to the natural linewidth, needs to be achieved for obtaining the highest accuracy possible for the given protein size using state-of-the-art automated NOESY assignment and structure calculation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteins are inherently dynamic systems whose motions cover large ranges in both magnitude and timescale. Because of the omnipresence of motion, it is likely that dynamics have important roles in the function of biomolecules. For detailed understanding of a protein's function, the three-dimensional structure and description of its dynamics are therefore required. Structure determination methods are well established, and NMR-relaxation phenomena provide insights into local molecular dynamics; moreover, recently several attempts have been made to detect concerted motion. Here, we present an ensemble-based structure-determination protocol using ensemble-averaged distance restraints obtained from exact NOE rates. Application to the model protein GB3 establishes an ensemble of structures that reveals correlated motion across the ?-sheet, concerted motion between the backbone and side chains localized in the structure core, and a lack of concerted conformational exchange between the ?-sheet and the ?-helix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The product of gene At3g16450.1 from Arabidopsis thaliana is a 32 kDa, 299-residue protein classified as resembling a myrosinase-binding protein (MyroBP). MyroBPs are found in plants as part of a complex with the glucosinolate-degrading enzyme myrosinase, and are suspected to play a role in myrosinase-dependent defense against pathogens. Many MyroBPs and MyroBP-related proteins are composed of repeated homologous sequences with unknown structure. We report here the three-dimensional structure of the At3g16450.1 protein from Arabidopsis, which consists of two tandem repeats. Because the size of the protein is larger than that amenable to high-throughput analysis by uniform 13C/15N labeling methods, we used stereo-array isotope labeling (SAIL) technology to prepare an optimally 2H/13C/15N-labeled sample. NMR data sets collected using the SAIL protein enabled us to assign 1H, 13C and 15N chemical shifts to 95.5% of all atoms, even at a low concentration (0.2 mm) of protein product. We collected additional NOESY data and determined the three-dimensional structure using thecyana software package. The structure, the first for a MyroBP family member, revealed that the At3g16450.1 protein consists of two independent but similar lectin-fold domains, each composed of three β-sheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in cell-free expression protocols have opened a new avenue toward high-resolution structural investigations of membrane proteins by x-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. One of the biggest challenges for liquid-state NMR-based structural investigations of membrane proteins is the significant peak overlap in the spectra caused by large line widths and limited chemical shift dispersion of a-helical proteins. Contributing to the limited chemical shift dispersion is the fact that ≈6O% of the amino acids in transmembrane regions consist of only six different amino acid types. This principle disadvantage, however, can be exploited to aid in the assignment of the backbone resonances of membrane proteins; by [sup15]N/[sup13]C-double-labeling of these six amino acid types, sequential connectivities can be obtained for large stretches of the transmembrane segments where number and length of stretches consisting exclusively of these six amino acid types are enhanced compared with the remainder of the protein. We show by experiment as well as by statistical analysis that this labeling scheme provides a large number of sequential connectivities in transmembrane regions and thus constitutes a tool for the efficient assignment of membrane protein backbone resonances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determines the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structure of the monomeric form of the protein gpD. Structural basis of the trimerization during capsid assembly; Mechanism of capsid stabilization by gpD; Statistics for the NMR solution structure of the gpD protein.

The NMR structures of the recombinant prion proteins from chicken (Gallus gallus; chPrP), the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta; tPrP), and the African clawed frog (Xenopus !aevis; xlPrP) are presented. The amino acid sequences of these prion proteins show ∼30% identity with mammalian prion proteins. All three species form the same molecular architecture as mammalian PrPc, with a long, flexibly disordered tail attached to the N-terminal end of a globular domain. The globular domain in chPrP and tPrP contains three α-helices, one short 310-helix, and a short antiparallel β-sheet. In xlPrP, the globular domain includes three a-helices and a somewhat longer fl-sheet than in the other species. The spatial arrangement of these regular secondary structures coincides closely with that of the globular domain in mammalian prion proteins. Based on the low sequence identity to mammalian PrPs, comparison of chPrP, tPrP, and xlPrP with mammalian PrV structures is used to identify a set of essential amino acid positions for the preservation of the same PrPc fold in birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. There are additional conserved residues without apparent structural roles, which are of interest for the ongoing search for physiological functions of PrPc in healthy organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NMR structures of the recombinant cellular form of the prion proteins (PrP9 of the cat (Felis catus), dog (canis familiaris), and pig (Sus scrofa), and of two polymorphic forms of the prion protein from sheep (Ovis aries) are presented In all of these species. PrV consists of an N-terminal flexibly extended tail with ∼100 amino acid residues and a C-terminal globular domain of ∼100 residues with three a-helices and a short antiparallel β-sheet. Although this global architecture coincides with the previously reported murine, Syrian hamster, bovine, and human PrV structures, there are local differences between the globular domains of the different species. Because the five newly determined PrPC structures originate from species with widely different transmissible spongiform encephalopathy records, the present data indicate previously uncharacterized possible correlations between local features in PrPC three- dimensional structures and susceptibility of different mammalian species to transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nuclear magnetic resonance structure of the unliganded pheromone-binding protein (PBP) from Bombyx mori at pH above 6.5, BmPBPB, consists of seven helices with residues 3–8, 16–22, 29–32, 46–59, 70–79, 84–100, and 107–124, and contains the three disulfide bridges 19–54, 50–108, and 97–117. This polypeptide fold encloses a large hydrophobic cavity, with a sufficient volume to accommodate the natural ligand bombykol. The polypeptide folds in free BmPBPB and in crystals of a BmPBP–bombykol complex are nearly identical, indicating that the B-form of BmPBP in solution represents the active conformation for ligand binding. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new program, Mapper, for semiautomatic sequence-specific NMR assignment in proteins is introduced. The program uses an input of short fragments of sequentially neighboring residues, which have been assembled based on sequential NMR connectivities and for which either the 13Cα and 13Cβ chemical shifts or data on the amino acid type from other sources are known. Mapper then performs an exhaustive search for self-consistent simultaneous mappings of all these fragments onto the protein sequence. Compared to using only the individual mappings of the spectroscopically connected fragments, the global mapping adds a powerful new constraint, which results in resolving many otherwise intractable ambiguities. In an initial application, virtually complete sequence-specific assignments were obtained for a 110 kDa homooctameric protein, 7,8-dihydroneopterin aldolase from Staphylococcus aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA not only translates the genetic code into proteins, but also carries out important cellular functions. Understanding such functions requires knowledge of the structure and dynamics at atomic resolution. Almost half of the published RNA structures have been solved by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). However, as a result of severe resonance overlap and low proton density, high-resolution RNA structures are rarely obtained from nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) data alone. Instead, additional semi-empirical restraints and labor-intensive techniques are required for structural averages, while there are only a few experimentally derived ensembles representing dynamics. Here we show that our exact NOE (eNOE) based structure determination protocol is able to define a 14-mer UUCG tetraloop structure at high resolution without other restraints. Additionally, we use eNOEs to calculate a two-state structure, which samples its conformational space. The protocol may open an avenue to obtain high-resolution structures of small RNA of unprecedented accuracy with moderate experimental efforts. Parker Nichols et al. present an exact nuclear Overhauser enhancement (eNOE) protocol for defining small RNA structures at high resolution using only NOE distance data. They apply eNOE to a 14-mer UUCG tetraloop structure, obtaining a decrease in root-mean-square deviation from 1.52 Å to 0.44 Å, compared to conventional NOE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a unified, open-source nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) exchange format (NEF) for NMR restraints and associated data. NMR restraint data are deposited in a variety of software-specific formats that have to be curated by the Biological Magnetic Resonance Bank (BMRB). Also discussed are the consultations and workshops organized by the Worldwide Protein Data Bank and the Collaborative Computing Project for NMR to attain a unified approach to represent NMR data.

In the bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii, a family of seven secreted and calcium-dependent mannuronan C-5 epimerases (AlgE1–7) has been identified. These epimerases are responsible for the epimerization of β-D-mannuronic acid to α-L-guluronic acid in alginate polymers. The epimerases consist of two types of structural modules, designated A (one or two copies) and R (one to seven copies). The structure of the catalytically active A-module from the smallest epimerase AlgE4 (consisting of AR) has been solved recently. This paper describes the NMR structure of the R-module from AlgE4 and its titration with a substrate analogue and paramagnetic thulium ions. The R-module folds into a right-handed parallel β-roll. The overall shape of the R-module is an elongated molecule with a positively charged patch that interacts with the substrate. Titration of the R-module with thulium indicated possible calcium binding sites in the loops formed by the nonarepeat sequences in the N-terminal part of the molecule and the importance of calcium binding for the stability of the R-module. Structure calculations showed that calcium ions can be incorporated in these loops without structural violations and changes. Based on the structure and the electrostatic surface potential of both the A- and R-module from AlgE4, a model for the appearance of the whole protein is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of metal chaperones involves transient binding of metallic cofactors by specific proteins for delivery to enzymes in which they function. Metal chaperones thus provide a protective, as well as a transport, function. We report the first structure of a heme chaperone, CcmE, which comprises these two functions. We propose that the covalent attachment of heme to an exposed histidine occurs after heme binding at the surface of a rigid molecule with a flexible C-terminal domain. CcmE belongs to a family of proteins with a specific fold, which all share a function in delivery of specific molecular cargo. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Allostery and correlated motion are key elements linking protein dynamics with the mechanisms of action of proteins. Here, we present PDBCor, an automated and unbiased method for the detection and analysis of correlated motions from experimental multi-state protein structures. It uses torsion angle and distance statistics and does not require any structure superposition. Clustering of protein conformers allows us to extract correlations in the form of mutual information based on information theory. With PDBcor, we elucidated correlated motion in the WW domain of PIN1, the protein GB3, and the enzyme cyclophilin, in line with reported findings. Correlations extracted with PDBcor can be utilized in subsequent assays including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) multi-state structure optimization and validation. As a guide for the interpretation of PDBcor results, we provide a series of protein structure ensembles that exhibit different levels of correlation, including non-correlated, locally correlated, and globally correlated ensembles. [Display omitted] • PDBcor algorithm extracts protein-correlated motion from protein ensembles • PDBcor is based on GMM clustering and information theory • High sensitivity to correlated motion comes from the use of protein distances • PDBcor is unbiased, as the structure superposition step is not required Ashkinadze et al. present an unbiased algorithm, PDBcor, for the extraction of protein-correlated motion from protein structural ensembles. Using clustering and mutual information, this algorithm is based on the statistical analysis of protein interresidual distances. The authors validate it on three model proteins with known structural correlations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structure calculations of the α-helical integral membrane proteins DsbB, GlpG, and halorhodopsin show that distance restraints from paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) can provide sufficient structural information to determine their structure with an accuracy of about 1.5 Å in the absence of other long-range conformational restraints. Our systematic study with simulated NMR data shows that about one spin label per transmembrane helix is necessary for obtaining enough PRE distance restraints to exclude wrong topologies, such as pseudo mirror images, if only limited other NMR restraints are available. Consequently, an experimentally realistic amount of PRE data enables α-helical membrane protein structure determinations that would not be feasible with the very limited amount of conventional NOESY data normally available for these systems. These findings are in line with our recent first de novo NMR structure determination of a heptahelical integral membrane protein, proteorhodopsin, that relied extensively on PRE data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The zinc finger CW (zf-CW) domain is a motif of about 60 residues that is frequently found in proteins involved in epigenetic regulation. Here, we determined the NMR solution structure of the zf-CW domain of the human zf-CW and PWWP domain containing protein 1 (ZCWPW1). The zf-CW domain adopts a new fold in which a zinc ion is coordinated tetrahedrally by four conserved Cys ligand residues. The tertiary structure of the zf-CW domain partially resembles that adopted by the plant homeo domain (PHD) finger bound to the histone tail, suggesting that the zf-CW domain and the PHD finger have similar functions. The solution structure of the complex of the zf-CW domain with the histone H3 tail peptide (1-10) with trimethylated K4 clarified its binding mode. Our structural and biochemical studies have identified the zf-CW domain as a member of the histone modification reader modules for epigenetic regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]