Three-dimensional model of human TIP30, a coactivator for HIV-1 Tat-activated transcription, and CC3, a protein associated with metastasis suppression.

Human TIP30 is a cofactor that specifically enhances human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) Tat-activated transcription. The sequence of TIP30 is identical to that of CC3, a protein associated with metastasis suppression. TIP30/CC3 is a member of the short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDR) family. Of the several experimentally determined SDR structures, Escherichia coli uridine diphosphate (UDP) galactose-4 epimerase is most similar to TIP30/CC3. Because the direct sequence similarity between TIP30/CC3 and E. coli UDP galactose-4 epimerase is low, we used the transitive nature of homology and employed two Aquifex aeolicus proteins as intermediaries in the homology modeling process. Comparison of our structural model with that of known SDRs reveals that TIP30/CC3 contains several well-conserved features, including a beta alpha beta fold at the amino terminus, which we predict binds NADP(H). TIP30/CC3 contains characteristic motifs at the catalytic site of SDRs, including a serine, tyrosine, and lysine that are important in catalyzing hydride transfer between substrate and cofactor. We also predict that a unique 20-amino acid sequence found at the amino terminus is an alpha-helix. Because this region contains several positively and negatively charged amino acids, it may dock TIP30/CC3 to other proteins. Our structural model points to this alpha-helix and the SDR-like part of TIP30/CC3 for mutagenesis experiments to elucidate its role in HIV-1 Tat-activated transcription, metastasis suppression, and other cellular functions.

Molecular dynamics study of free energy profiles for organic cations in gramicidin A channels.

The free energy profiles for four organic cations in right-handed single-helix gramicidin A dimers were computed by using umbrella sampling molecular dynamics with CHARMM. Ion-water column translocations were facilitated by using a novel "water-tunnel" approach. The overlapping pieces of free energy profile for adjacent windows were selected from three trajectories that differed in initial ion rotation and were aligned by the method of umbrella potential differences. Neglected long-range electrostatic energies from the bulk water and the bilayer were computed with DelPhi and added to the profile. The approach was corroborated for the formamidinium-guanidinium pair by using perturbation dynamics at axial positions 0, 6, 12, and 15 A from the channel center. The barrier to ethylammonium entry was prohibitive at 21 kcal/mol, whereas for methylammonium it was 5.5 kcal/mol, and the profile was quite flat through the channel, roughly consistent with conductance measurements. The profile for formamidinium was very similar to that of methylammonium. Guanidinium had a high entry barrier (deltaF = +8.6 kcal/mol) and a narrow deep central well (deltaF = -2.6 kcal/mol), qualitatively consistent with predictions from voltage-dependent potassium current block measurements. Its deep central well, contrasting with the flat profile for formamidinium, was verified with perturbation dynamics and was correlated with its high propensity to form hydrogen bonds with the channel at the dimer junction (not shared by the other three cations). Analysis of the ensemble average radial forces on the ions demonstrates that all four ions undergo compressive forces in the channel that are at maximum at the center of the monomer and relieved at the dimer junction, illustrating increased flexibility of the channel walls in the center of the channel.

Gramicidin channel selectivity. Molecular mechanics calculations for formamidinium, guanidinium, and acetamidinium.

Empirical energy function calculations were used to evaluate the effects of minimization on the structure of a gramicidin A channel and to analyze the energies of interaction between three cations (guanidinium, acetamidinium, formamidinium) and the channel as a function of position along the channel axis. The energy minimized model of the gramicidin channel, which was based on the results of Venkatachalam and Urry (1983), has a constriction at the channel entrance. If the channel is not allowed to relax in the presence of the ions (rigid model), there is a large potential energy barrier for all three cations. The barrier varies with cation size and is due to high van der Waals and ion deformation energies. If the channel is minimized in the presence of the ions, the potential energy barrier to formamidinium entry is almost eliminated, but a residual barrier remains for guanidinium and acetamidinium. The residual barrier is primarily due, not to the expansion of the helix, but, to the disruption of hydrogen bonds between the terminal ethanoloamine and the next turn of the helix which occurs when the carbonyls of the outer turn of the helix librate inward toward the ion as it enters the channel. The residual potential energy barriers could be a possible explanation for the measured selectivity of gramicidin for formamidinium over guanidinium. The results of this full-atomic model address the applicability of the size-exclusion concept for the selectivity of the gramicidin channel.

Giving credit its due in the group practice setting. How credit cards can improve cash flow.

The health care industry is moving toward more patient service, and one aspect of service often overlooked is billing, writes Marcia Pear. Some practice managers believe credit cards aren't cost effective. In reality, they can actually accelerate cash flow and allow patients to resolve financial obligations sooner.

Dynamical theory of activated processes in globular proteins.

A method is described for calculating the reaction rate in globular proteins of activated processes such as ligand binding or enzymatic catalysis. The method is based on the determination of the probability that the system is in the transition state and of the magnitude of the reactive flux for transition-state systems. An "umbrella sampling" simulation procedure is outlined for evaluating the transition-state probability. The reactive flux is obtained from an approach described previously for calculating the dynamics of transition-state trajectories. An application to the rotational isomerization of an aromatic ring in the bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor is presented. The results demonstrate the feasibility of calculating rate constants for reactions in proteins and point to the importance of solvent effects for reactions that occur near the protein surface.

Hinge-bending in L-arabinose-binding protein. The "Venus's-flytrap" model.

Theoretical conformational energy calculations show that large changes in the width of the binding-site cleft in the L-arabinose-binding protein involve only modest changes in the protein internal energy. Solvation energy changes associated with such variations of the cleft width and with protein-ligand interactions are estimated to be significantly larger than the internal energy changes. These results indicate that the binding-site cleft is open in the unliganded protein and is induced to close upon ligation. This picture is consistent with experimental data on the structure and binding kinetics of the L-arabinose-binding protein and provides a physical framework for interpreting such data.

Internal mobility of ferrocytochrome c.

In the refinement of the X-ray diffraction structures of molecules, it is conventional to introduce atomic 'temperature factors' of the Debye-Waller form to characterize the widths of the electron density peaks corresponding to the atoms. Although these factors are known to include a variety of contributions other than thermal fluctuations of the atomic positions, recent progress in the refinement of protein structures has led to inferences concerning atomic mobilities from the temperature factor data for several proteins. Atomic position fluctuations can be calculated independently by the molecular dynamics method, in which the classical equations of motion for the atoms of an equilibrated protein are solved on a computer. We now show that the X-ray diffraction and dynamical simulation methods yield similar pictures of the atomic mobility in tuna ferrocytochrome c.