Toll-like receptor 3 transmembrane domain is able to perform various homotypic interactions: An NMR structural study

AbstractToll-like receptors (TLRs) take part in both the innate and adaptive immune systems. The role of the transmembrane domain in TLR signaling is still elusive, while its importance for the TLR activation was clearly demonstrated. In the present study the ability of the TLR3 transmembrane domain to form dimers and trimers in detergent micelles was shown by solution NMR spectroscopy. Spatial structures and free energy magnitudes were determined for the TLR3 transmembrane domain in dimeric and trimeric states, and two possible surfaces that may be used for the helix–helix interaction by the full-length TLR3 were revealed

NMR solution conformation of gramicidin A double helix

AbstractThe conformation of species 3 of Val-gramicidin A in dioxane has been determined by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. It is presented by the left handed ⇅ππ5.6LD double helix, a suitable model of an ion permeable pore across the membrane matrix

NMR Dynamics of Transmembrane and Intracellular Domains of p75NTR in Lipid-Protein Nanodiscs

AbstractP75NTR is a type I integral membrane protein that plays a key role in neurotrophin signaling. However, structural data for the receptor in various functional states are sparse and controversial. In this work, we studied the spatial structure and mobility of the transmembrane and intracellular parts of p75NTR, incorporated into lipid-protein nanodiscs of various sizes and compositions, by solution NMR spectroscopy. Our data reveal a high level of flexibility and disorder in the juxtamembrane chopper domain of p75NTR, which results in the motions of the receptor death domain being uncoupled from the motions of the transmembrane helix. Moreover, none of the intracellular domains of p75NTR demonstrated a propensity to interact with the membrane or to self-associate under the experimental conditions. The obtained data are discussed in the context of the receptor activation mechanism

Long-range 1H-15N J couplings providing a method for direct studies of the structure and azide-tetrazole equilibrium in a series of azido-1,2,4-triazines and azidopyrimidines

The selectively 15N labeled azido-1,2,4-triazine 2*A and azidopyrimidine 4*A were synthesized by treating hydrazinoazines with 15N-labeled nitrous acid. The synthesized compounds were studied by 1H, 13C, and 15N NMR spectroscopy in DMSO, TFA, and DMSO/TFA solutions, where the azide-tetrazole equilibrium could lead to the formation of two tetrazoles (T, T′) and one azide (A) isomer for each compound. The incorporation of the 15N label led to the appearance of long-range 1H-15N coupling constants (JHN), which can be measured easily by using amplitude-modulated 1D 1H spin-echo experiments with selective inversion of the 15N nuclei. The observed JHN patterns enable the unambiguous determination of the mode of fusion between the azole and azine rings in the two groups of tetrazole isomers (2*T′, 4*T′ and 2*T, 4*T), even for minor isoforms with a low concentration in solution. However, the azide isomers (2*A and 4*A) are characterized by the absence of detectable J HN coupling. The analysis of the JHN couplings in 15N-labeled compounds provides a simple and efficient method for direct NMR studies of the azide-tetrazole equilibrium in solution. © 2013 American Chemical Society

Spin-spin coupling constants 13C-15N and 1H-15N in the investigation of azido-tetrazole tautomerism in a series of 2-azidopyrimidines

A new method was developed for the investigation of an azido-tetrazole equilibrium based on using a complex analysis of 13C-15N and 1H-15N spin-spin coupling constants. The use of this approach became possible due to the selective inclusion of 15N isotopes into the structures of 2-azidopyrimidines and their cyclic analogs tetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

Structural Basis of p75 Transmembrane Domain Dimerization

Dimerization of single span transmembrane receptors underlies their mechanism of activation. p75 neurotrophin receptor plays an important role in the nervous system, but the understanding of p75 activation mechanism is still incomplete. The transmembrane (TM) domain of p75 stabilizes the receptor dimers through a disulfide bond, essential for the NGF signaling. Here we solved by NMR the three-dimensional structure of the p75-TM-WT and the functionally inactive p75-TM-C257A dimers. Upon reconstitution in lipid micelles, p75-TM-WT forms the disulfide-linked dimers spontaneously. Under reducing conditions, p75-TM-WT is in a monomer-dimer equilibrium with the Cys(257) residue located on the dimer interface. In contrast, p75-TM-C257A forms dimers through the AXXXG motif on the opposite face of the α-helix. Biochemical and cross-linking experiments indicate that AXXXG motif is not on the dimer interface of p75-TM-WT, suggesting that the conformation of p75-TM-C257A may be not functionally relevant. However, rather than mediating p75 homodimerization, mutagenesis of the AXXXG motif reveals its functional role in the regulated intramembrane proteolysis of p75 catalyzed by the γ-secretase complex. Our structural data provide an insight into the key role of the Cys(257) in stabilization of the weak transmembrane dimer in a conformation required for the NGF signaling.This work was supported in part by Russian Science Foundation Project 14-50-00131 (to A. S. A.) (NMR structural studies) and Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) Project BFU2013-42746-P (to M. V.). The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.S

Conformation of surface exposed N-terminus part of bacteriorhodopsin studied by transferred NOE technique

AbstractInteraction of the monoclonal antibody A5 raised against native bacteriorhodopsin (BR) with the synthetic peptide pGlu1-Ala-Gln-Ile-Thr-Gly-Arg7-NH2, corresponding to the amino acid sequence 1–7 was studied by transferred nuclear Overhauser effect (TRNOE) spectroscopy. The denaturing reagents and the specially designed pulse sequences which eliminate broad signals from the TRNOE spectra were used to favour evaluation of the TRNOE peaks. On the basis of the data obtained, the conformation of peptide bound with A5 was calculated. A model of the mutual arrangement of bacteriorhodopsin N-terminus and the first transmembrane α-helical segment 8–32 was proposed

Two-dimensional 1H-NMR study of bacterioopsin-(34–65)-polypeptide conformation

AbstractConformation of the synthetic 32-residue polypeptide, an analog of membrane spanning segment B (residues 34–65) of the Halobacterium halobium bacteriorhodopsin in the membrane mimetic system, methanol/chloroform (1:1), was investigated by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Previously it was shown by 19F-NMR spectroscopy that this medium retains the native conformation of membrane bound BR and its fragments. The spectrum resonance was assigned by means of the sequential signal assignment porcedure using phase-sensitive DQF-COSY, MLEV17 HOHAHA and NOESY techniques. Interproton nuclear Overhauser effects, spin-spin coupling constant of vicinal H-NCα-H protons and deuterium exchange rates of individual NH groups were derived from two-dimensional NMR spectra. The data unequivocally define the peptide conformation as the right-handed α-helix, extremely rigid in the central region from Phe 42 to Nle 60 and flexible in the N- and C-terminal parts

Antiviral drug Triazavirin, selectively labeled with 2H, 13C, and 15N stable isotopes. Synthesis and properties

[Figure not available: see fulltext.] Isotope-labeled antiviral drug Triazavirin containing 2H, 13C, and 15N atoms in its structure has been synthesized. 13C2H3I and KS13CN served as donors of 13C isotopes. The use of 13С-MeI containing 2H atoms made it possible to additionally incorporate deuterium labels into the structure of the compound. The 15N atoms were incorporated using 15N-enriched sodium nitrite, aminoguanidine carbonate, and ethyl nitroacetate. The resulting 2H3,13C2,15N3-Triazavirin was characterized by NMR spectroscopy. © 2021, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant 20-03-00842) and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (project No. FEUZ-2020-0058 (N687.42B.223/20))