Repository logo
 

The free energy landscape of the oncogene protein E7 of human papillomavirus type 16 reveals a complex interplay between ordered and disordered regions.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Change log

Authors

Kukic, Predrag 
Lo Piccolo, Giuseppe Mattia  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4459-9807
Nogueira, Marcela O 
Svergun, Dmitri I 
Vendruscolo, Michele  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3616-1610

Abstract

When present, structural disorder makes it very challenging to characterise the conformational properties of proteins. This is particularly the case of proteins, such as the oncogene protein E7 of human papillomavirus type 16, which contain both ordered and disordered domains, and that can populate monomeric and oligomeric states under physiological conditions. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is emerging as a powerful method to study these complex systems, most notably in combination with molecular dynamics simulations. Here we use NMR chemical shifts and residual dipolar couplings as structural restraints in replica-averaged molecular dynamics simulations to determine the free energy landscape of E7. This landscape reveals a complex interplay between a folded but highly dynamical C-terminal domain and a disordered N-terminal domain that forms transient secondary and tertiary structures, as well as an equilibrium between a high-populated (98%) dimeric state and a low-populated (2%) monomeric state. These results provide compelling evidence of the complex conformational heterogeneity associated with the behaviour and interactions of this disordered protein associated with disease.

Description

Keywords

Amino Acid Sequence, Human papillomavirus 16, Humans, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular, Papillomavirus E7 Proteins, Protein Domains

Journal Title

Sci Rep

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2045-2322
2045-2322

Volume Title

9

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
University of Florence (Italy) “Science without borders” of the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology (CNPq)