Positively-charged semi-tunnel is a structural and surface characteristic of polyphosphate-binding proteins: an in-silico study

PLoS One. 2015 Apr 16;10(4):e0123713. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123713. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Phosphate is essential for all major life processes, especially energy metabolism and signal transduction. A linear phosphate polymer, polyphosphate (polyP), linked by high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds, can interact with various proteins, playing important roles as an energy source and regulatory factor. However, polyP-binding structures are largely unknown. Here we proposed a putative polyP binding site, a positively-charged semi-tunnel (PCST), identified by surface electrostatics analyses in polyP kinases (PPKs) and many other polyP-related proteins. We found that the PCSTs in varied proteins were folded in different secondary structure compositions. Molecular docking calculations revealed a significant value for binding affinity to polyP in PCST-containing proteins. Utilizing the PCST identified in the β subunit of PPK3, we predicted the potential polyP-binding domain of PPK3. The discovery of this feature facilitates future searches for polyP-binding proteins and discovery of the mechanisms for polyP-binding activities. This should greatly enhance the understanding of the many physiological functions of protein-bound polyP and the involvement of polyP and polyP-binding proteins in various human diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Computer Simulation
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Polyphosphates / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • Surface Properties

Substances

  • Polyphosphates
  • Proteins

Grants and funding

Funding for this study was provided by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 program, 2011CB504400), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31070974, 31171009, 81221002) and the Foundation for Innovative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81221002).