title: High-resolution structural validation of the computational redesign of human U1A protein.
abstract: Achieving atomic-level resolution in the computational design of a protein structure remains a challenging problem despite recent progress. Rigorous experimental tests are needed to improve protein design algorithms, yet studies of the structure and dynamics of computationally designed proteins are very few. The NMR structure and backbone dynamics of a redesigned protein of 96 amino acids are compared here with the design target, human U1A protein. We demonstrate that the redesigned protein reproduces the target structure to within the uncertainty of the NMR coordinates, even as 65 out of 96 amino acids were simultaneously changed by purely computational methods. The dynamics of the backbone of the redesigned protein also mirror those of human U1A, suggesting that the protein design algorithm captures the shape of the potential energy landscape in addition to the local energy minimum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dobson
authors.forename: Gautam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dantas
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varani
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003198:Computer Simulation; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D017412:Ribonucleoprotein, U1 Small Nuclear / Q000737:chemistry*; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D017412:Ribonucleoprotein, U1 Small Nuclear; C075339:U1A protein