Predicting Peptide Binding Affinities to MHC Molecules Using a Modified Semi-Empirical Scoring Function

The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) plays an important role in the human immune system. The MHC is involved in the antigen presentation system assisting T cells to identify foreign or pathogenic proteins. However, an MHC molecule binding a self-peptide may incorrectly trigger an immune response and cause an autoimmune disease, such as multiple sclerosis. Understanding the molecular mechanism of this process will greatly assist in determining the aetiology of various diseases and in the design of effective drugs. In the present study, we have used the Fresno semi-empirical scoring function and modify the approach to the prediction of peptide-MHC binding by using open-source and public domain software. We apply the method to HLA class II alleles DR15, DR1, and DR4, and the HLA class I allele HLA A2. Our analysis shows that using a large set of binding data and multiple crystal structures improves the predictive capability of the method. The performance of the method is also shown to be correlated to the structural similarity of the crystal structures used. We have exposed some of the obstacles faced by structure-based prediction methods and proposed possible solutions to those obstacles. It is envisaged that these obstacles need to be addressed before the performance of structure-based methods can be on par with the sequence-based methods

REV7 counteracts DNA double-strand break resection and affects PARP inhibition

Error-free repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) is achieved by homologous recombination (HR), and BRCA1 is an important factor for this repair pathway(1). In the absence of BRCA1-mediated HR, the administration of PARP inhibitors induces synthetic lethality of tumour cells of patients with breast or ovarian cancers(2,3). Despite the benefit of this tailored therapy, drug resistance can occur by HR restoration(4). Genetic reversion of BRCA1-inactivating mutations can be the underlying mechanism of drug resistance, but this does not explain resistance in all cases(5). In particular, little is known about BRCA1-independent restoration of HR. Here we show that loss of REV7 (also known as MAD2L2) in mouse and human cell lines re-establishes CTIP-dependent endresection of DSBs in BRCA1 deficient cells, leading to HR restoration and PARP inhibitor resistance, which is reversed by ATM kinase inhibition. REV7 is recruited to DSBs in a manner dependent on the H2AX-MDC1-RNF8-RNF168-53BP1 chromatin pathway, and seems to block HR and promote end joining in addition to its regulatory role in DNA damage tolerance(6). Finally, we establish that REV7 blocks DSB resection to promote non-homologous end-joining during immunoglobulin class switch recombination. Our results reveal an unexpected crucial function of REV7 downstream of 53BP1 in coordinating pathological DSB repair pathway choices in BRCA1-deficient cells

Allosteric activation mechanism of the cys-loop receptors

Binding of a neurotransmitter to its ionotropic receptor opens a distantly located ion channel, a process termed allosteric activation. Here we review recent advances in the molecular mechanism by which the cys-loop receptors are activated with emphasis on the best studied nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). With a combination of affinity labeling, mutagenesis, electrophysiology, kinetic modeling, electron microscopy (EM), and crystal structure analysis, the allosteric activation mechanism is emerging. Specifically, the binding domain and gating domain are interconnected by an allosteric activation network. Agonist binding induces conformational changes, resulting in the rotation of a β sheet of amino-terminal domain and outward movement of loop 2, loop F, and cys-loop, which are coupled to the M2–M3 linker to pull the channel to open. However, there are still some controversies about the movement of the channel-lining domain M2. Nine angstrom resolution EM structure of a nAChR imaged in the open state suggests that channel opening is the result of rotation of the M2 domain. In contrast, recent crystal structures of bacterial homologues of the cys-loop receptor family in apparently open state have implied an M2 tilting model with pore dilation and quaternary twist of the whole pentameric receptor. An elegant study of the nAChR using protonation scanning of M2 domain supports a similar pore dilation activation mechanism with minimal rotation of M2. This remains to be validated with other approaches including high resolution structure determination of the mammalian cys-loop receptors in the open state