title: Human Neuronal Calcium Sensor-1 Protein Avoids Histidine Residues To Decrease pH Sensitivity.
abstract: pH is highly regulated in mammalian central nervous systems. Neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS-1) can interact with numerous target proteins. Compared to that in the NCS-1 protein of Caenorhabditis elegans, evolution has avoided the placement of histidine residues at positions 102 and 83 in the NCS-1 protein of humans and Xenopus laevis, possibly to decrease the conformational sensitivity to pH gradients in synaptic processes. We used all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the effects of amino acid substitutions between species on human NCS-1 by substituting Arg102 and Ser83 for histidine at neutral (R102H and S83H) and acidic pHs (R102Hpand S83Hp). Our cumulative 5 μs simulations revealed that the R102H mutation slightly increases the structural flexibility of loop L2 and the R102Hpmutation decreases protein stability. Community network analysis illustrates that the R102H and S83H mutations weaken the interdomain and strengthen the intradomain communications. Secondary structure contents in the S83H and S83Hpmutants are similar to those in the wild type, whereas the global structural stabilities and salt-bridge probabilities decrease. This study highlights the conformational dynamics effects of the R102H and S83H mutations on the local structural flexibility and global stability of NCS-1, whereas protonated histidine decreases the stability of NCS-1. Thus, histidines at positions 102 and 83 may not be compatible with the function of NCS-1 whether in the neutral or protonated state.
authors.affiliation: College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport , 399 Chang Hai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
authors.forename: Yehong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Physical Education College, Shanghai Normal University , 100 Gui Lin Road, Shanghai 200234, China.
authors.forename: Yuzhen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport , 399 Chang Hai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute , Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States.
authors.forename: Buyong
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7383-719X
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Basic Science Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. Cancer and Inflammation Program, National Cancer Institute , Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States.|Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Sackler School of Medicine, Sackler Institute of Molecular Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nussinov
authors.affiliation: College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport , 399 Chang Hai Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
authors.forename: Qingwen
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8885-1066
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D006639:Histidine / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation; D009154:Mutation; D051580:Neuronal Calcium-Sensor Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D051580:Neuronal Calcium-Sensor Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; C101464:frequenin calcium sensor proteins; D006639:Histidine