Rahul K. Das

Conformations of intrinsically disordered proteins are influenced by linear sequence distributions of oppositely charged residues

The functions of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are governed by relationships between information encoded in their amino acid sequences and the ensembles of conformations that they sample as autonomous units. Most IDPs are polyampholytes, with sequences that include both positively and negatively charged residues. Accordingly, we focus here on the sequence–ensemble relationships of polyampholytic IDPs. The fraction of charged residues discriminates between weak and strong polyampholytes. Using atomistic simulations, we show that weak polyampholytes form globules, whereas the conformational preferences of strong polyampholytes are determined by a combination of fraction of charged residues values and the linear sequence distributions of oppositely charged residues. We quantify the latter using a patterning parameter κ that lies between zero and one. The value of κ is low for well-mixed sequences, and in these sequences, intrachain electrostatic repulsions and attractions are counterbalanced, leading to the unmasking of preferences for conformations that resemble either self-avoiding random walks or generic Flory random coils. Segregation of oppositely charged residues within linear sequences leads to high κ-values and preferences for hairpin-like conformations caused by long-range electrostatic attractions induced by conformational fluctuations. We propose a scaling theory to explain the sequence-encoded conformational properties of strong polyampholytes. We show that naturally occurring strong polyampholytes have low κ-values, and this feature implies a selection for random coil ensembles. The design of sequences with different κ-values demonstrably alters the conformational preferences of polyampholytic IDPs, and this ability could become a useful tool for enabling direct inquiries into connections between sequence–ensemble relationships and functions of IDPs.

Relating sequence encoded information to form and function of intrinsically disordered proteins

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) showcase the importance of conformational plasticity and heterogeneity in protein function. We summarize recent advances that connect information encoded in IDP sequences to their conformational properties and functions. We focus on insights obtained through a combination of atomistic simulations and biophysical measurements that are synthesized into a coherent framework using polymer physics theories.

N-Terminal Segments Modulate the α-Helical Propensities of the Intrinsically Disordered Basic Regions of bZIP Proteins

Basic region leucine zippers (bZIPs) are modular transcription factors that play key roles in eukaryotic gene regulation. The basic regions of bZIPs (bZIP-bRs) are necessary and sufficient for DNA binding and specificity. Bioinformatic predictions and spectroscopic studies suggest that unbound monomeric bZIP-bRs are uniformly disordered as isolated domains. Here, we test this assumption through a comparative characterization of conformational ensembles for 15 different bZIP-bRs using a combination of atomistic simulations and circular dichroism measurements. We find that bZIP-bRs have quantifiable preferences for α-helical conformations in their unbound monomeric forms. This helicity varies from one bZIP-bR to another despite a significant sequence similarity of the DNA binding motifs (DBMs). Our analysis reveals that intramolecular interactions between DBMs and eight-residue segments directly N-terminal to DBMs are the primary modulators of bZIP-bR helicities. We test the accuracy of this inference by designing chimeras of bZIP-bRs to have either increased or decreased overall helicities. Our results yield quantitative insights regarding the relationship between sequence and the degree of intrinsic disorder within bZIP-bRs, and might have general implications for other intrinsically disordered proteins. Understanding how natural sequence variations lead to modulation of disorder is likely to be important for understanding the evolution of specificity in molecular recognition through intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs).

A quantitative measure for protein conformational heterogeneity

Conformational heterogeneity is a defining characteristic of proteins. Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and denatured state ensembles are extreme manifestations of this heterogeneity. Inferences regarding globule versus coil formation can be drawn from analysis of polymeric properties such as average size, shape, and density fluctuations. Here we introduce a new parameter to quantify the degree of conformational heterogeneity within an ensemble to complement polymeric descriptors. The design of this parameter is guided by the need to distinguish between systems that couple their unfolding-folding transitions with coil-to-globule transitions and those systems that undergo coil-to-globule transitions with no evidence of acquiring a homogeneous ensemble of conformations upon collapse. The approach is as follows: Each conformation in an ensemble is converted into a conformational vector where the elements are inter-residue distances. Similarity between pairs of conformations is quantified using the projection between the corresponding conformational vectors. An ensemble of conformations yields a distribution of pairwise projections, which is converted into a distribution of pairwise conformational dissimilarities. The first moment of this dissimilarity distribution is normalized against the first moment of the distribution obtained by comparing conformations from the ensemble of interest to conformations drawn from a Flory random coil model. The latter sets an upper bound on conformational heterogeneity thus ensuring that the proposed measure for intra-ensemble heterogeneity is properly calibrated and can be used to compare ensembles for different sequences and across different temperatures. The new measure of conformational heterogeneity will be useful in quantitative studies of coupled folding and binding of IDPs and in de novo sequence design efforts that are geared toward controlling the degree of heterogeneity in unbound forms of IDPs.

CIDER: Resources to Analyze Sequence-Ensemble Relationships of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins.

Intrinsically disordered proteins and regions (IDPs) represent a large class of proteins that are defined by conformational heterogeneity and lack of persistent tertiary/secondary structure. IDPs play important roles in a range of biological functions, and their dysregulation is central to numerous diseases, including neurodegeneration and cancer. The conformational ensembles of IDPs are encoded by their amino acid sequences. Here, we present two computational tools that are designed to enable rapid and high-throughput analyses of a wide range of physicochemical properties encoded by IDP sequences. The first, CIDER, is a user-friendly webserver that enables rapid analysis of IDP sequences. The second, localCIDER, is a high-performance software package that enables a wide range of analyses relevant to IDP sequences. In addition to introducing the two packages, we demonstrate the utility of these resources using examples where sequence analysis offers biophysical insights.

Cryptic sequence features within the disordered protein p27Kip1 regulate cell cycle signaling

Significance Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of proteins are scaffolds for linear motifs that mediate protein–protein interactions and are the sites of posttranslational modifications. Using the cell cycle inhibitory protein p27 as an archetypal example, we show that the patterning of oppositely charged residues controls the conformational properties of IDRs. Charge patterning also encodes for auxiliary motifs within IDRs. We find that the functionalities of primary motifs are modulated by a combination of the net charge per residue within auxiliary motifs and their intra-IDR interactions that result from sequence-encoded charge patterning. These findings demonstrate that the sequences of IDRs are not just passive scaffolds for motifs. Instead, they encode features that regulate the functions of primary motifs. Peptide motifs embedded within intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) of proteins are often the sites of posttranslational modifications that control cell-signaling pathways. How do IDR sequences modulate the functionalities of motifs? We answer this question using the polyampholytic C-terminal IDR of the cell cycle inhibitory protein p27Kip1 (p27). Phosphorylation of Thr-187 (T187) within the p27 IDR controls entry into S phase of the cell division cycle. Additionally, the conformational properties of polyampholytic sequences are predicted to be influenced by the linear patterning of oppositely charged residues. Therefore, we designed sequence variants of the p27 IDR to alter charge patterning outside the primary substrate motif containing T187. Computer simulations and biophysical measurements confirm predictions regarding the impact of charge patterning on the global dimensions of IDRs. Through functional studies, we uncover cryptic sequence features within the p27 IDR that influence the efficiency of T187 phosphorylation. Specifically, we find a positive correlation between T187 phosphorylation efficiency and the weighted net charge per residue of an auxiliary motif. We also find that accumulation of positive charges within the auxiliary motif can diminish the efficiency of T187 phosphorylation because this increases the likelihood of long-range intra-IDR interactions that involve both the primary and auxiliary motifs and inhibit their contributions to function. Importantly, our findings suggest that the cryptic sequence features of the WT p27 IDR negatively regulate T187 phosphorylation signaling. Our approaches provide a generalizable strategy for uncovering the influence of sequence contexts on the functionalities of primary motifs in other IDRs.

Unmasking Functional Motifs Within Disordered Regions of Proteins

The application of a computational approach to identify short linear motifs may enable the engineering of signaling networks. Eukaryotic proteins often possess long stretches that fail to adopt well-defined, three-dimensional structures. These intrinsically disordered regions are associated with cell signaling through the enrichment of hub proteins of networks and as targets for posttranslational modifications. Although disordered regions are readily identified because of their distinct sequence characteristics, it is difficult to predict the functions associated with these regions. This is because disordered regions often house short (two- to five-residue) linear motifs that mediate intermolecular interactions. Predicting their function requires the ability to identify the functionally relevant motifs. If one assumes that functional motifs are highly conserved as compared to background sequence contexts, then a suitable comparative genomics approach proves to be powerful in unmasking functional motifs that are part of disordered regions. This approach has successfully identified known functional motifs and predicted a set of new motifs that might yield important insights regarding previously unknown functionalities for disordered regions. Given knowledge of highly conserved motifs, one can assess whether the rapidly changing sequence contexts are actuators of the functionalities of short linear motifs within disordered regions. This should have important implications for engineering and targeting hub proteins in signaling networks.

How is functional specificity achieved through disordered regions of proteins

N‐type inactivation of potassium channels is controlled by cytosolic loops that are intrinsically disordered. Recent experiments have shown that the mechanism of N‐type inactivation through disordered regions can be stereospecific and vary depending on the channel type. Variations in mechanism occur despite shared coarse grain features such as the length and amino acid compositions of the cytosolic disordered regions. We have adapted a phenomenological model designed to explain how specificity in molecular recognition is achieved through disordered regions. We propose that the channel‐specific observations for N‐type inactivation represent distinct mechanistic choices for achieving function through conformational selection versus induced fit. It follows that the dominant mechanism for binding and specificity can be modulated through subtle changes in the amino acid sequences of disordered regions, which is interesting given that specificity in function is realized in the absence of autonomous folding.

Control of transcriptional activity by design of charge patterning in the intrinsically disordered RAM region of the Notch receptor

Significance Charge patterning is a key feature of intrinsically disordered protein regions. Here we test whether charge pattering is important for biochemical and biological function, using the “RAM” disordered region of the Notch receptor. The Notch signaling pathway is important in stem-cell biology and cancer. Using computer design, we built 13 charge permutants that span a broad range of charge segregation. These permutants have profound effects on conformational properties, binding affinity to the downstream transcription factor, CSL, and potency in transcriptional activation. WT Notch has the optimal segregation value for activation, whereas higher levels of segregation disrupt binding and activation. Our study paves the way for control of biological function through redesign of charge patterning. Intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) play important roles in proteins that regulate gene expression. A prominent example is the intracellular domain of the Notch receptor (NICD), which regulates the transcription of Notch-responsive genes. The NICD sequence includes an intrinsically disordered RAM region and a conserved ankyrin (ANK) domain. The 111-residue RAM region mediates bivalent interactions of NICD with the transcription factor CSL. Although the sequence of RAM is poorly conserved, the linear patterning of oppositely charged residues shows minimal variation. The conformational properties of polyampholytic IDRs are governed as much by linear charge patterning as by overall charge content. Here, we used sequence design to assess how changing the charge patterning within RAM affects its conformational properties, the affinity of NICD to CSL, and Notch transcriptional activity. Increased segregation of oppositely charged residues leads to linear decreases in the global dimensions of RAM and decreases the affinity of a construct including a C-terminal ANK domain (RAMANK) for CSL. Increasing charge segregation from WT RAM sharply decreases transcriptional activation for all permutants. Activation also decreases for some, but not all, permutants with low charge segregation, although there is considerable variation. Our results suggest that the RAM linker is more than a passive tether, contributing local and/or long-range sequence features that modulate interactions within NICD and with downstream components of the Notch pathway. We propose that sequence features within IDRs have evolved to ensure an optimal balance of sequence-encoded conformational properties, interaction strengths, and cellular activities.

Fuzzy regions in an intrinsically disordered protein impair protein–protein interactions

Despite the partial disorder‐to‐order transition that intrinsically disordered proteins often undergo upon binding to their partners, a considerable amount of residual disorder may be retained in the bound form, resulting in a fuzzy complex. Fuzzy regions flanking molecular recognition elements may enable partner fishing through non‐specific, transient contacts, thereby facilitating binding, but may also disfavor binding through various mechanisms. So far, few computational or experimental studies have addressed the effect of fuzzy appendages on partner recognition by intrinsically disordered proteins. In order to shed light onto this issue, we used the interaction between the intrinsically disordered C‐terminal domain of the measles virus (MeV) nucleoprotein (NTAIL) and the X domain (XD) of the viral phosphoprotein as model system. After binding to XD, the N‐terminal region of NTAIL remains conspicuously disordered, with α‐helical folding taking place only within a short molecular recognition element. To study the effect of the N‐terminal fuzzy region on NTAIL/XD binding, we generated N‐terminal truncation variants of NTAIL, and assessed their binding abilities towards XD. The results revealed that binding increases with shortening of the N‐terminal fuzzy region, with this also being observed with hsp70 (another MeV NTAIL binding partner), and for the homologous NTAIL/XD pairs from the Nipah and Hendra viruses. Finally, similar results were obtained when the MeV NTAIL fuzzy region was replaced with a highly dissimilar artificial disordered sequence, supporting a sequence‐independent inhibitory effect of the fuzzy region.