The nucleocapsid protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus comprises two RNA-binding domains and three regions that are intrinsically disordered. While the structures of the RNA-binding domains have been solved using protein crystallography and NMR, current knowledge of the conformations of the full-length nucleocapsid protein is rather limited. To fill in this knowledge gap, we combined coarse-grained molecular simulations with data from small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments using the ensemble refinement of SAXS (EROS) method. Our results show that the dimer of the full-length nucleocapsid protein exhibits large conformational fluctuations with its radius of gyration ranging from about 4 to 8 nm. The RNA-binding domains do not make direct contacts. The disordered region that links these two domains comprises a hydrophobic α-helix which makes frequent and nonspecific contacts with the RNA-binding domains. Each of the intrinsically disordered regions adopts conformations that are locally compact, yet on average, much more extended than Gaussian chains of equivalent lengths. We offer a detailed picture of the conformational ensemble of the nucleocapsid protein dimer under near-physiological conditions, which will be important for understanding the nucleocapsid assembly process.

• Klíčová slova
• EROS, Nucleocapsid, SARS-CoV-2, SAXS,
• MeSH
• COVID-19 * MeSH
• difrakce rentgenového záření MeSH
• konformace proteinů MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• maloúhlový rozptyl MeSH
• nukleokapsida - proteiny chemie   MeSH
• nukleokapsida MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• nukleokapsida - proteiny MeSH

Many picornaviruses hijack the Golgi resident Acyl-coenzyme A binding domain containing 3 (ACBD3) protein in order to recruit the phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase B (PI4KB) to viral replication organelles (ROs). PI4KB, once recruited and activated by ACBD3 protein, produces the lipid phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P), which is a key step in the biogenesis of viral ROs. To do so, picornaviruses use their small nonstructural protein 3A that binds the Golgi dynamics domain of the ACBD3 protein. Here, we present the analysis of the highly flexible ACBD3 proteins and the viral 3A protein in solution using small-angle X-ray scattering and computer simulations. Our analysis revealed that both the ACBD3 protein and the 3A:ACBD3 protein complex have an extended and flexible conformation in solution.

• Klíčová slova
• ACBD3, RNA virus, coarse-grained simulations, host factor, intrinsically disordered regions, picornavirus, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS),
• MeSH
• acylkoenzym A chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• adaptorové proteiny signální transdukční chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• membránové proteiny chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• Picornaviridae chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• vazebná místa MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• ACBD3 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• acylkoenzym A MeSH
• adaptorové proteiny signální transdukční MeSH
• membránové proteiny MeSH

The integration of complementary molecular methods (including X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, small angle X-ray/neutron scattering, and computational techniques) is frequently required to obtain a comprehensive understanding of dynamic macromolecular complexes. In particular, these techniques are critical for studying intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDRs) or intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that are part of large protein:protein complexes. Here, we explain how to prepare IDP samples suitable for study using NMR spectroscopy, and describe a novel SAXS modeling method (ensemble refinement of SAXS; EROS) that integrates the results from complementary methods, including crystal structures and NMR chemical shift perturbations, among others, to accurately model SAXS data and describe ensemble structures of dynamic macromolecular complexes.

• Klíčová slova
• EROS, Ensemble, Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDP), NMR spectroscopy, SAXS,
• MeSH
• endozomální třídící komplexy pro transport chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• konformace proteinů MeSH
• krystalografie rentgenová metody   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• magnetická rezonanční spektroskopie metody   MeSH
• mitogenem aktivované proteinkinasy chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• molekulární modely MeSH
• radiační rozptyl * MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Názvy látek
• endozomální třídící komplexy pro transport MeSH
• mitogenem aktivované proteinkinasy MeSH