Thermal fluctuations assist mechanical signal propagation in coiled-coil proteins
Clopes J, Shin J, Jahnel M, Grill SW, Zaburdaev V (2021)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2021
Journal
Book Volume: 104
Journal Issue: 5
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.104.054403
Abstract
Recently, it has been shown that the long coiled-coil membrane tether protein early endosome antigen 1 (EEA1) switches from a rigid to a flexible conformation upon binding of a signaling protein to its free end. This flexibility switch represents a motorlike activity, allowing EEA1 to generate a force that moves vesicles closer to the membrane they will fuse with. It was hypothesized that the binding-induced signal could propagate along the coiled coil and lead to conformational changes through the localized domains of the protein chain that deviate from a perfect coiled-coil structure. To elucidate, if upon binding of a single protein the corresponding mechanical signal could propagate through the whole 200-nm-long chain, we propose a simplified description of the coiled coil as a one-dimensional Frenkel-Kontorova chain. Using numerical simulations, we find that an initial perturbation of the chain can propagate along its whole length in the presence of thermal fluctuations. This may enable the change of the configuration of the entire molecule and thereby affect its stiffness. Our work sheds light on intramolecular communication and force generation in long coiled-coil proteins.
Authors with CRIS profile
Involved external institutions
Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Zellbiologie und Genetik / Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG)
Germany (DE)
Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme (MPI PKS) / Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems
Germany (DE)
Germany (DE)
Max-Planck-Institut für Physik komplexer Systeme (MPI PKS) / Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems
Germany (DE)
How to cite
APA:
Clopes, J., Shin, J., Jahnel, M., Grill, S.W., & Zaburdaev, V. (2021). Thermal fluctuations assist mechanical signal propagation in coiled-coil proteins. Physical Review E, 104(5). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.104.054403
MLA:
Clopes, Judit, et al. "Thermal fluctuations assist mechanical signal propagation in coiled-coil proteins." Physical Review E 104.5 (2021).
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