The 37/67-kDa human laminin receptor (LamR) is a cell surface protein that interacts with molecules located in the extra-cellular matrix. In particular, interactions between LamR and laminins play a major role in mediating changes in the cellular environment that affect cell adhesion, neurite outgrowth, tumor growth and metastasis. The exact interaction mode of laminin-1 and LamR is not fully understood. Laminin-1 is thought to bind to LamR through interaction with the so-called peptide G (residues 161–180) and the C-terminal helix (residues 205–229). Here we performed 100-ns atomistic force field-based molecular dynamics simulations to explore the structure and dynamics of LamR related to laminin-1 interactions. Our main finding is that loop 188–197 in the C-terminal region is highly flexible. It undergoes a major change resulting in a conformational switch that partially solvent exposes the R180 residue in the final part of the G peptide. So, R180 could contribute to laminin-1 binding. Projection of the simulations along the first two principal components also confirms the importance of this conformational switch in the LamR. This may be a basic prerequisite to clarify the key structural determinants of the interaction of LamR with laminin-1.
Conformational switch of a flexible loop in human laminin receptor determines laminin-1 interaction / DI GIOVANNI, Carmen; Grottesi, A.; Lavecchia, Antonio. - In: EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL WITH BIOPHYSICS LETTERS. - ISSN 0175-7571. - 41:3(2012), pp. 353-358. [10.1007/s00249-012-0793-9]
Conformational switch of a flexible loop in human laminin receptor determines laminin-1 interaction
DI GIOVANNI, CARMEN;LAVECCHIA, ANTONIO
2012
Abstract
The 37/67-kDa human laminin receptor (LamR) is a cell surface protein that interacts with molecules located in the extra-cellular matrix. In particular, interactions between LamR and laminins play a major role in mediating changes in the cellular environment that affect cell adhesion, neurite outgrowth, tumor growth and metastasis. The exact interaction mode of laminin-1 and LamR is not fully understood. Laminin-1 is thought to bind to LamR through interaction with the so-called peptide G (residues 161–180) and the C-terminal helix (residues 205–229). Here we performed 100-ns atomistic force field-based molecular dynamics simulations to explore the structure and dynamics of LamR related to laminin-1 interactions. Our main finding is that loop 188–197 in the C-terminal region is highly flexible. It undergoes a major change resulting in a conformational switch that partially solvent exposes the R180 residue in the final part of the G peptide. So, R180 could contribute to laminin-1 binding. Projection of the simulations along the first two principal components also confirms the importance of this conformational switch in the LamR. This may be a basic prerequisite to clarify the key structural determinants of the interaction of LamR with laminin-1.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.