The CENP-A nucleosome: where and when it happens during the inner kinetochore's assembly.

CENP-A is an essential histone variant that replaces the canonical H3 at the centromeres and marks these regions epigenetically. The CENP-A nucleosome is the specific building block of centromeric chromatin, and it is recognized by CENP-C and CENP-N, two components of the constitutive centromere-associated network (CCAN), the first protein layer of the kinetochore. Recent proposals of the yeast and human (h)CCAN structures position the assembly on exposed DNA, suggesting an elusive spatiotemporal recognition. We summarize the data on the structural organization of the CENP-A nucleosome and the binding of CENP-C and CENP-N. The latter posits an apparent contradiction in engaging the CENP-A nucleosome versus the CCAN. We propose a reconciliatory model for the assembly of CCAN on centromeric chromatin.

Molecular Mechanism of Nucleosome Recognition by the Pioneer Transcription Factor Sox.

Pioneer transcription factors (PTFs) have the remarkable ability to directly bind to chromatin to stimulate vital cellular processes. In this work, we dissect the universal binding mode of Sox PTF by combining extensive molecular simulations and physiochemistry approaches, along with DNA footprinting techniques. As a result, we show that when Sox consensus DNA is located at the solvent-facing DNA strand, Sox binds to the compact nucleosome without imposing any significant conformational changes. We also reveal that the base-specific Sox:DNA interactions (base reading) and Sox-induced DNA changes (shape reading) are concurrently required for sequence-specific nucleosomal DNA recognition. Among three different nucleosome positions located on the positive DNA arm, a sequence-specific reading mechanism is solely satisfied at the superhelical location 2 (SHL2). While SHL2 acts transparently for solvent-facing Sox binding, among the other two positions, SHL4 permits only shape reading. The final position, SHL0 (dyad), on the other hand, allows no reading mechanism. These findings demonstrate that Sox-based nucleosome recognition is essentially guided by intrinsic nucleosome properties, permitting varying degrees of DNA recognition.

Engineering of conserved residues near antibody heavy chain complementary determining region 3 (HCDR3) improves both affinity and stability.

Affinity and stability are crucial parameters in antibody development and engineering approaches. Although improvement in both metrics is desirable, trade-offs are almost unavoidable. Heavy chain complementarity determining region 3 (HCDR3) is the best-known region for antibody affinity but its impact on stability is often neglected. Here, we present a mutagenesis study of conserved residues near HCDR3 to elicit the role of this region in the affinity-stability trade-off. These key residues are positioned around the conserved salt bridge between VH-K94 and VH-D101 which is crucial for HCDR3 integrity. We show that the additional salt bridge at the stem of HCDR3 (VH-K94:VH-D101:VH-D102) has an extensive impact on this loop's conformation, therefore simultaneous improvement in both affinity and stability. We find that the disruption of π-π stacking near HCDR3 (VH-Y100E:VL-Y49) at the VH-VL interface cause an irrecoverable loss in stability even if it improves the affinity. Molecular simulations of putative rescue mutants exhibit complex and often non-additive effects. We confirm that our experimental measurements agree with the molecular dynamic simulations providing detailed insights for the spatial orientation of HCDR3. VH-V102 right next to HCDR3 salt bridge might be an ideal candidate to overcome affinity-stability trade-off.

Nucleosome dyad determines the H1 C-terminus collapse on distinct DNA arms.

Nucleosomes are symmetric structures. However, binding of linker histones generates an inherently asymmetric H1-nucleosome complex, and whether this asymmetry is transmitted to the overall nucleosome structure, and therefore also to chromatin, is unclear. Efforts to investigate potential asymmetry due to H1s have been hampered by the DNA sequence, which naturally differs in each gyre. To overcome this issue, we designed and analyzed by cryo-EM a nucleosome reconstituted with a palindromic (601L) 197-bp DNA. As in the non-palindromic 601 sequence, H1 restricts linker DNA flexibility but reveals partial asymmetrical unwrapping. However, in contrast to the non-palindromic nucleosome, in the palindromic nucleosome H1 CTD collapses to the proximal linker. Molecular dynamics simulations show that this could be dictated by a slightly tilted orientation of the globular domain (GD) of H1, which could be linked to the DNA sequence of the nucleosome dyad.

Unraveling linker histone interactions in nucleosomes.

Considerable progress has been made recently in defining the interactions of linker histones (H1s) within nucleosomes. Major advancements include atomic resolution structures of the globular domain of full-length H1s in the context of nucleosomes containing full-length linker DNA. Although these studies have led to a detailed understanding of the interactions and dynamics of H1 globular domains in the canonical on-dyad nucleosome binding pocket, more information regarding the intrinsically disordered N-terminal and C-terminal domains is needed. In this review, we highlight studies supporting our current understanding of the structures and interactions of the N-terminal, globular, and C-terminal domains of linker histones within the nucleosome.

CENP-A Nucleosome is a Sensitive Allosteric Scaffold for DNA and Chromatin Factors.

Centromeric loci of chromosomes are defined by nucleosomes containing the histone H3 variant CENP-A, which bind their DNA termini more permissively than their canonical counterpart, a feature that is critical for the mitotic fidelity. A recent cryo-EM study demonstrated that the DNA termini of CENP-A nucleosomes, reconstituted with the Widom 601 DNA sequence, are asymmetrically flexible, meaning one terminus is more clearly resolved than the other. However, an earlier work claimed that both ends could be resolved in the presence of two stabilizing single chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies per nucleosome, and thus are likely permanently bound to the histone octamer. This suggests that the binding of scFv antibodies to the histone octamer surface would be associated with CENP-A nucleosome conformational changes, including stable binding of the DNA termini. Here, we present computational evidence that allows to explain at atomistic level the structural rearrangements of CENP-A nucleosomes resulting from the antibody binding. The antibodies, while they only bind the octamer façades, are capable of altering the dynamics of the nucleosomal core, and indirectly also the surrounding DNA. This effect has more drastic implications for the structure and the dynamics of the CENP-A nucleosome in comparison to its canonical counterpart. Furthermore, we find evidence that the antibodies bind the left and the right octamer façades at different affinities, another manifestation of the DNA sequence. We speculate that the cells could use induction of similar allosteric effects to control centromere function.

Distinct Structures and Dynamics of Chromatosomes with Different Human Linker Histone Isoforms.

The repeating structural unit of metazoan chromatin is the chromatosome, a nucleosome bound to a linker histone, H1. There are 11 human H1 isoforms with diverse cellular functions, but how they interact with the nucleosome remains elusive. Here, we determined the cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of chromatosomes containing 197 bp DNA and three different human H1 isoforms, respectively. The globular domains of all three H1 isoforms bound to the nucleosome dyad. However, the flanking/linker DNAs displayed substantial distinct dynamic conformations. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and H1 tail-swapping cryo-EM experiments revealed that the C-terminal tails of the H1 isoforms mainly controlled the flanking DNA orientations. We also observed partial ordering of the core histone H2A C-terminal and H3 N-terminal tails in the chromatosomes. Our results provide insights into the structures and dynamics of the chromatosomes and have implications for the structure and function of chromatin.

Phase-plate cryo-EM structure of the Widom 601 CENP-A nucleosome core particle reveals differential flexibility of the DNA ends.

The histone H3 variant CENP-A marks centromeres epigenetically and is essential for mitotic fidelity. Previous crystallographic studies of the CENP-A nucleosome core particle (NCP) reconstituted with a human α-satellite DNA derivative revealed both DNA ends to be highly flexible, a feature important for CENP-A mitotic functions. However, recent cryo-EM studies of CENP-A NCP complexes comprising primarily Widom 601 DNA reported well-ordered DNA ends. Here, we report the cryo-EM structure of the CENP-A 601 NCP determined by Volta phase-plate imaging. The data reveal that one ('left') 601 DNA end is well ordered whereas the other ('right') end is flexible and partly detached from the histone core, suggesting sequence-dependent dynamics of the DNA termini. Indeed, a molecular dynamics simulation of the CENP-A 601 NCP confirmed the distinct dynamics of the two DNA extremities. Reprocessing the image data using two-fold symmetry yielded a cryo-EM map in which both DNA ends appeared well ordered, indicating that such an artefact may inadvertently arise if NCP asymmetry is lost during image processing. These findings enhance our understanding of the dynamic features that discriminate CENP-A from H3 nucleosomes by revealing that DNA end flexibility can be fine-tuned in a sequence-dependent manner.

Model of a Kinetically Driven Crosstalk between Paralogous Protein Encounter Complexes.

Proteins interact with one another across a broad spectrum of affinities. Our understanding of the low end of this spectrum, as characterized by millimolar dissociation constants, relies on a handful of cases in which weak encounters have experimentally been identified. These weak interactions away from the specific target binding site can lead toward a higher-affinity complex. Recently, we detected weak encounters between two paralogous phosphotransferase pathways of Escherichia coli, which regulate various metabolic processes and stress responses. In addition to encounters that are known to occur between cognate proteins, i.e., those that can exchange phosphate groups with each other, surprisingly, encounters involving noncognates were also observed. It is not clear whether these "futile" encounters have a cooperative or competitive role. Using agent-based simulations, we find that the encounter complexes can be cooperative or competitive so as to increase or lower the effective binding affinity of the specific complex under different circumstances. This finding invites further questions into how organisms might exploit such low affinities to connect their signaling components.

Histone Octamer Structure Is Altered Early in ISW2 ATP-Dependent Nucleosome Remodeling.

Nucleosomes are the fundamental building blocks of chromatin that regulate DNA access and are composed of histone octamers. ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers like ISW2 regulate chromatin access by translationally moving nucleosomes to different DNA regions. We find that histone octamers are more pliable than previously assumed and distorted by ISW2 early in remodeling before DNA enters nucleosomes and the ATPase motor moves processively on nucleosomal DNA. Uncoupling the ATPase activity of ISW2 from nucleosome movement with deletion of the SANT domain from the C terminus of the Isw2 catalytic subunit traps remodeling intermediates in which the histone octamer structure is changed. We find restricting histone movement by chemical crosslinking also traps remodeling intermediates resembling those seen early in ISW2 remodeling with loss of the SANT domain. Other evidence shows histone octamers are intrinsically prone to changing their conformation and can be distorted merely by H3-H4 tetramer disulfide crosslinking.

Potential Regulatory Role of Competitive Encounter Complexes in Paralogous Phosphotransferase Systems.

There are two paralogous Escherichia coli phosphotransferase systems, one for sugar import (PTSsugar) and one for nitrogen regulation (PTSNtr), that utilize proteins enzyme Isugar (EIsugar) and HPr, and enzyme INtr (EINtr) and NPr, respectively. The enzyme I proteins have similar folds, as do their substrates HPr and NPr, yet they show strict specificity for their cognate partner both in stereospecific protein-protein complex formation and in reversible phosphotransfer. Here, we investigate the mechanism of specific EINtr:NPr complex formation by the study of transient encounter complexes. NMR paramagnetic relaxation enhancement experiments demonstrated transient encounter complexes of EINtr not only with the expected partner, NPr, but also with the unexpected partner, HPr. HPr occupies transient sites on EINtr but is unable to complete stereospecific complex formation. By occupying the non-productive transient sites, HPr promotes NPr transient interaction to productive sites closer to the stereospecific binding site and actually enhances specific complex formation between NPr and EINtr. The cellular level of HPr is approximately 150 times higher than that of NPr. Thus, our finding suggests a potential mechanism for cross-regulation of enzyme activity through formation of competitive encounter complexes.

Molecular recognition of nucleosomes by binding partners.

Nucleosomes represent the elementary units of chromatin packing and hubs in epigenetic signaling pathways. Across the chromatin and over the lifetime of the eukaryotic cell, nucleosomes experience a broad repertoire of alterations that affect their structure and binding with various chromatin factors. Dynamics of the histone core, nucleosomal and linker DNA, and intrinsic disorder of histone tails add further complexity to the nucleosome interaction landscape. In light of our understanding through the growing number of experimental and computational studies, we review the emerging patterns of molecular recognition of nucleosomes by their binding partners and assess the basic mechanisms of its regulation.

Chemistry with semi-classical electrons: reaction trajectories auto-generated by sub-atomistic force fields.

For a century now, "Lewis dots" have been a mainstay of chemical thinking, teaching and communication. However, chemists have assumed that this semi-classical picture of electrons needs to be abandoned for quantitative work, and the recourse in computational simulations has been to the extremes of first principles treatments of electrons on the one hand and force fields that avoid explicit electrons on the other hand. Given both the successes and limitations of these highly divergent approaches, it seems worth considering whether the Lewis dot picture might be made quantitative after all. Here we review progress to that end, including variations that have been implemented and examples of applications, specifically the acid-base behavior of water, several organic reactions, and electron dynamics in silicon fracture. In each case, the semi-classical approach is highly efficient and generates reasonable and readily interpreted reaction trajectories in turnkey fashion (i.e., without any input about products). Avenues for further progress are also discussed.

Multiple Time-Step Dual-Hamiltonian Hybrid Molecular Dynamics - Monte Carlo Canonical Propagation Algorithm.

A multiple time-step integrator based on a dual Hamiltonian and a hybrid method combining molecular dynamics (MD) and Monte Carlo (MC) is proposed to sample systems in the canonical ensemble. The Dual Hamiltonian Multiple Time-Step (DHMTS) algorithm is based on two similar Hamiltonians: a computationally expensive one that serves as a reference and a computationally inexpensive one to which the workload is shifted. The central assumption is that the difference between the two Hamiltonians is slowly varying. Earlier work has shown that such dual Hamiltonian multiple time-step schemes effectively precondition nonlinear differential equations for dynamics by reformulating them into a recursive root finding problem that can be solved by propagating a correction term through an internal loop, analogous to RESPA. Of special interest in the present context, a hybrid MD-MC version of the DHMTS algorithm is introduced to enforce detailed balance via a Metropolis acceptance criterion and ensure consistency with the Boltzmann distribution. The Metropolis criterion suppresses the discretization errors normally associated with the propagation according to the computationally inexpensive Hamiltonian, treating the discretization error as an external work. Illustrative tests are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.

Finding Chemical Reaction Paths with a Multilevel Preconditioning Protocol.

Finding transition paths for chemical reactions can be computationally costly owing to the level of quantum-chemical theory needed for accuracy. Here, we show that a multilevel preconditioning scheme that was recently introduced (Tempkin et al. J. Chem. Phys.2014, 140, 184114) can be used to accelerate quantum-chemical string calculations. We demonstrate the method by finding minimum-energy paths for two well-characterized reactions: tautomerization of malonaldehyde and Claissen rearrangement of chorismate to prephanate. For these reactions, we show that preconditioning density functional theory (DFT) with a semiempirical method reduces the computational cost for reaching a converged path that is an optimum under DFT by several fold. The approach also shows promise for free energy calculations when thermal noise can be controlled.

Transferable pseudoclassical electrons for aufbau of atomic ions.

Generalizing the LEWIS reactive force field from electron pairs to single electrons, we present LEWIS• in which explicit valence electrons interact with each other and with nuclear cores via pairwise interactions. The valence electrons are independently mobile particles, following classical equations of motion according to potentials modified from Coulombic as required to capture quantum characteristics. As proof of principle, the aufbau of atomic ions is described for diverse main group elements from the first three rows of the periodic table, using a single potential for interactions between electrons of like spin and another for electrons of unlike spin. The electrons of each spin are found to distribute themselves in a fashion akin to the major lobes of the hybrid atomic orbitals, suggesting a pointillist description of the electron density. The broader validity of the LEWIS• force field is illustrated by predicting the vibrational frequencies of diatomic and triatomic hydrogen species.

Proton defect solvation and dynamics in aqueous acid and base.

Easy come, easy go: LEWIS, a new model of reactive and polarizable water that enables the simulation of a statistically reliable number of proton hopping events in aqueous acid and base at concentrations of practical interest, is used to evaluate proton transfer intermediates in aqueous acid and base (picture, left and right, respectively).

Natural polarizability and flexibility via explicit valency: the case of water.

As the dominant physiological solvent, water drives the folding of biological macromolecules, influences conformational changes, determines the ionization states of surface groups, actively participates in catalytic events, and provides "wires" for long-range proton transfer. Elucidation of all these roles calls for atomistic simulations. However, currently available methods do not lend themselves to efficient simulation of proton transfer events, or even polarizability and flexibility. Here, we report that an explicit account of valency can provide a unified description for the polarizability, flexibility, and dissociability of water in one intuitive and efficient setting. We call this approach LEWIS, after the chemical theory that inspires the use of valence electron pairs. In this paper, we provide details of the method, the choice of the training set, and predictions for the neat ambient liquid, with emphasis on structure, dynamics, and polarization. LEWIS water provides a good description of bulk properties, and dipolar and quadrupolar responses.

Lewis-inspired representation of dissociable water in clusters and Grotthuss chains.

Proton transfer to and from water is critical to the function of water in many settings. However, it has been challenging to model. Here, we present proof-of-principle for an efficient yet robust model based on Lewis-inspired submolecular particles with interactions that deviate from Coulombic at short distances to take quantum effects into account. This "LEWIS" model provides excellent correspondence with experimental structures for water molecules and water clusters in their neutral, protonated and deprotonated forms; reasonable values for the proton affinities of water and hydroxide; a good value for the strength of the hydrogen bond in the water dimer; the correct order of magnitude for the stretch and bend force constants of water; and the expected time course for Grotthuss transport in water chains.

Pairwise long-range compensation for strongly ionic systems.

We propose a pairwise compensation method for long-range electrostatics, as an alternative to traditional infinite lattice sums. The approach represents the third generation in a series beginning with the shifted potential corresponding to counterions surrounding a cutoff sphere. That simple charge compensation scheme resulted in pairwise potentials that are continuous at the cutoff, but forces that are not. A second-generation approach modified both the potential and the force such that both are continuous at the cutoff. Here we introduce another layer of softening such that the derivative of the force is also continuous at the cutoff. In strongly ionic liquids, this extension removes structural artifacts associated with the earlier pairwise compensation schemes, and provides results that compare well with Ewald sums.