title: 3D-Structure of the interior fusion peptide of HGV/GBV-C by 1H NMR, CD and molecular dynamics studies.
abstract: In this work, we present a structural characterization of the putative fusion peptide E2(279-298) corresponding to the E2 envelope protein of the HGV/GBV-C virus by (1)H NMR, CD and MD studies performed in H(2)O/TFE and in lipid model membranes. The peptide is largely unstructured in water, whereas in H(2)O/TFE and in model membranes it adopts an helical structure (approximately 65-70%). The partitioning free energy DeltaG ranges from -6 to -7.5 kcal mol(-1). OCD measurements on peptide-containing hydrated and oriented lipid multilayers showed that the peptide adopts a predominantly surface orientation. The (1)H NMR data (observed NOEs, deuterium exchange rates, Halpha chemical shift index and vicinal coupling constants) and the molecular dynamics calculations support the conclusions that the peptide adopts a stable helix in the C-terminal 9-18 residues slightly inserted into the lipid bilayer and a major mobility in the amino terminus of the sequence (1-8 residues).
authors.affiliation: Department of Agri-Food Molecular Sciences, Università degli Studi, via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy. stefania.mazzini@unimi.it
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mazzini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Vidal
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Galbusera
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castro-Roman
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bellucci
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ragg
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Haro
mesh_terms: D002942:Circular Dichroism; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011522:Protons; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D011522:Protons; D012997:Solvents; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C107619:glycoprotein E2, GB virus C; D014867:Water