Molecular Dynamics Driven Design of pH-Stabilized Mutants of MNEI, a Sweet Protein

PLoS One. 2016 Jun 24;11(6):e0158372. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158372. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

MNEI is a single chain derivative of monellin, a plant protein that can interact with the human sweet taste receptor, being therefore perceived as sweet. This unusual physiological activity makes MNEI a potential template for the design of new sugar replacers for the food and beverage industry. Unfortunately, applications of MNEI have been so far limited by its intrinsic sensitivity to some pH and temperature conditions, which could occur in industrial processes. Changes in physical parameters can, in fact, lead to irreversible protein denaturation, as well as aggregation and precipitation. It has been previously shown that the correlation between pH and stability in MNEI derives from the presence of a single glutamic residue in a hydrophobic pocket of the protein. We have used molecular dynamics to study the consequences, at the atomic level, of the protonation state of such residue and have identified the network of intramolecular interactions responsible for MNEI stability at acidic pH. Based on this information, we have designed a pH-independent, stabilized mutant of MNEI and confirmed its increased stability by both molecular modeling and experimental techniques.

MeSH terms

  • Hydrogen Bonding
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation*
  • Mutant Proteins*
  • Plant Proteins / chemistry*
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Protein Stability
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Sweetening Agents / chemistry*
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Mutant Proteins
  • Plant Proteins
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Sweetening Agents

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grant 2011-PDR-19 by Fondazione con il SUD (www.fondazioneconilsud.it).