Volume 53, Issue 25 pp. 6358-6363
Communication

Irreversible Denaturation of Proteins through Aluminum-Induced Formation of Backbone Ring Structures

Prof. Dr. Bo Song

Corresponding Author

Prof. Dr. Bo Song

Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 800-204, Shanghai 201800 (China)

Bo Song, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 800-204, Shanghai 201800 (China)

Xingyu Gao, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 800-204, Shanghai 201800 (China)

Fang Huang, Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (Huadong), Changjiang West Road 66, Qingdao 266580 (China)

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Dipl. Qian Sun

Dipl. Qian Sun

Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (Huadong), Changjiang West Road 66, Qingdao 266580 (China)

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Dr. Haikuo Li

Dr. Haikuo Li

Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 800-204, Shanghai 201800 (China)

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Dr. Baosheng Ge

Dr. Baosheng Ge

Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (Huadong), Changjiang West Road 66, Qingdao 266580 (China)

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Dr. Ji Sheng Pan

Dr. Ji Sheng Pan

Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Singapore 117602 (Republic of Singapore)

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Prof. Dr. Andrew Thye Shen Wee

Prof. Dr. Andrew Thye Shen Wee

Physics Department, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542 (Republic of Singapore)

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Dr. Yong Zhang

Dr. Yong Zhang

College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

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Dr. Shaohua Huang

Dr. Shaohua Huang

Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266101 (China)

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Dr. Ruhong Zhou

Dr. Ruhong Zhou

IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, New York, NY 10598 (USA)

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Xingyu Gao

Corresponding Author

Xingyu Gao

Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 800-204, Shanghai 201800 (China)

Bo Song, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 800-204, Shanghai 201800 (China)

Xingyu Gao, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 800-204, Shanghai 201800 (China)

Fang Huang, Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (Huadong), Changjiang West Road 66, Qingdao 266580 (China)

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Prof. Dr. Fang Huang

Corresponding Author

Prof. Dr. Fang Huang

Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (Huadong), Changjiang West Road 66, Qingdao 266580 (China)

Bo Song, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 800-204, Shanghai 201800 (China)

Xingyu Gao, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 800-204, Shanghai 201800 (China)

Fang Huang, Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (Huadong), Changjiang West Road 66, Qingdao 266580 (China)

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Haiping Fang

Haiping Fang

Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 800-204, Shanghai 201800 (China)

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First published: 28 April 2014
Citations: 22

We thank Prof. Dr. W. Liu, H. Jiang, Y. Gao, and J. Gao for helpful discussions. This work was supported by the NSFC (11174310, 11290164, 21073236), NBRPC (2010CB934504), KIPCAS, NSFDYSSP (JQ201008), PNCETUMEC (NCET-10-0815), the Shanghai Supercomputer Center of China, and the Supercomputing Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Graphical Abstract

A good Al-rounder: Al ions can induce the formation of backbone ring structures in a wide range of peptides, including neurodegenerative disease related motifs. The rings are formed by the Al ion forming bonds simultaneously with the amide nitrogen and carbonyl oxygen atoms on the peptide backbone, which destabilizes the protein and results in irreversible denaturation.

Abstract

A combination of ab initio calculations, circular dichroism, nuclear magnetic resonance, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has shown that aluminum ions can induce the formation of backbone ring structures in a wide range of peptides, including neurodegenerative disease related motifs. These ring structures greatly destabilize the protein and result in irreversible denaturation. This behavior benefits from the ability of aluminum ions to form chemical bonds simultaneously with the amide nitrogen and carbonyl oxygen atoms on the peptide backbone.

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