The cover image for the July 21 issue of Biophysical Journal conveys how interdomain communications of MMP1 influence its function. We have shown the catalytic pocket and linker region with a white glow to provide a hint to the readers that communications exist between these regions during collagen degradation. We have also shown the structural organization of a collagen fibril.
Allosteric communication means a change occurring in one place due to a change at a different location. We have shown that allosteric communications in MMP1 change its conformational dynamics and function. Conformational dynamics and allostery in function are important for proteins in general and anyone working with a multi-domain protein can use our approach to gain molecular insights into the structure-dynamics-function relationship.
We composed the cover image using Microsoft PowerPoint and PyMOL. We started with the Protein Data Bank (PDB) structure 4AUO of the collagen-bound matrix metalloprotease-1 (MMP1). We visualized 4AUO in PyMOL and created the images of MMP1 and collagen. For the rest, we used PowerPoint. To represent the communications between the two domains of MMP1, we used the white glow. Since the physical linker between the domains, as well as the collagen substrate, can facilitate the communications, there are two regions with white glows on MMP1. We created the long collagen threads by joining the triple-helical collagen monomers together. To represent the hierarchical structure of collagen, we created the cylindrical shapes of different diameters. In the end, we shaded the background using a gradient of colors.
Two common examples of the result of MMP-collagen interactions are wrinkles on the body due to dysregulation of collagen metabolism and scars due to excess collagen deposition.MMPs are involved either directly or indirectly in the majority of the top ten causes of mortality in the USA.
Readers can learn more about our research at http://inside.mines.edu/~ssarkar/
- Lokender Kumar, Anthony Nash, Chase Harms, Joan Planas-Iglesias, Derek Wright, Judith Klein-Seetharaman, Susanta Sarkar