Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-Based Structural Characterization and Backbone Dynamics of Recombinant Bee Venom Melittin

Biochemistry. 2018 May 15;57(19):2775-2785. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00156. Epub 2018 Apr 30.

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in melittin and its variants as their therapeutic potential has become increasingly evident. Melittin is a 26-residue peptide and a toxic component of honey bee venom. The versatility of melittin in interacting with various biological substrates, such as membranes, glycosaminoglycans, and a variety of proteins, has inspired a slew of studies that aim to improve our understanding of the structural basis of such interactions. However, these studies have largely focused on melittin solutions at high concentrations (>1 mM), even though melittin is generally effective at lower (micromolar) concentrations. Here we present high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance studies in the lower-concentration regime using a novel method to produce isotope-labeled (15N and 13C) recombinant melittin. We provide residue-specific structural characterization of melittin in dilute aqueous solution and in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol/water mixtures, which mimic melittin structure-function and interactions in aqueous and membrane-like environments, respectively. We find that the cis-trans isomerization of Pro14 is key to changes in the secondary structure of melittin. Thus, this study provides residue-specific structural information about melittin in the free state and in a model of the substrate-bound state. These results, taken together with published work from other laboratories, reveal the peptide's structural versatility that resembles that of intrinsically disordered proteins and peptides.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bee Venoms / chemistry*
  • Bees / chemistry
  • Melitten / chemistry*
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry*
  • Solutions / chemistry

Substances

  • Bee Venoms
  • Peptides
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Solutions
  • Melitten