Conformational and Solvation Dynamics of an Amyloidogenic Intrinsically Disordered Domain of a Melanosomal Protein

J Phys Chem B. 2022 Jan 20;126(2):443-452. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c09304. Epub 2022 Jan 5.

Abstract

The conformational plasticity of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) allows them to adopt a range of conformational states that can be important for their biological functions. The driving force for the conformational preference of an IDP emanates from an intricate interplay between chain-chain and chain-solvent interactions. Using ultrafast femtosecond and picosecond time-resolved fluorescence measurements, we characterized the conformational and solvation dynamics around the N- and C-terminal segments of a disordered repeat domain of a melanosomal protein Pmel17 that forms functional amyloid responsible for melanin biosynthesis. Our time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy results revealed slight compaction and slower rotational dynamics around the amyloidogenic C-terminal segment when compared to the proline-rich N-terminal segment of the repeat domain. The compaction of the C-terminal region was also associated with the restrained mobility of hydration water as indicated by our solvation dynamics measurements. Our findings indicate that sequence-dependent chain-solvent interactions govern both the conformational and solvation dynamics that are crucial in directing the conversion of a highly dynamic IDP into an ordered amyloid assembly. Such an interplay of amino acid composition-dependent conformational and solvation dynamics might have important physicochemical consequences in specific water-protein, ion-protein, and protein-protein interactions involved in amyloid formation and phase transitions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amyloid
  • Amyloidogenic Proteins
  • Intrinsically Disordered Proteins* / chemistry
  • Protein Conformation
  • Water / chemistry

Substances

  • Amyloid
  • Amyloidogenic Proteins
  • Intrinsically Disordered Proteins
  • Water