Structural bioinformatic study of human mitochondrial respiratory integral membrane megacomplex and its AlphaFold3 predicted water-soluble QTY megacomplex analog

Human mitochondrial Complex I is one of the largest multi-subunit membrane protein megacomplexes, which plays a critical role in oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production. It is also involved in many neurodegenerative diseases. However, studying its structure and the mechanisms underlying proton...

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Main Authors: Edward Chen, Shuguang Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2025-01-01
Series:QRB Discovery
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Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S263328922500002X/type/journal_article
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author Edward Chen
Shuguang Zhang
author_facet Edward Chen
Shuguang Zhang
author_sort Edward Chen
collection DOAJ
description Human mitochondrial Complex I is one of the largest multi-subunit membrane protein megacomplexes, which plays a critical role in oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production. It is also involved in many neurodegenerative diseases. However, studying its structure and the mechanisms underlying proton translocation remains challenging due to the hydrophobic nature of its transmembrane parts. In this structural bioinformatic study, we used the QTY code to reduce the hydrophobicity of megacomplex I, while preserving its structure and function. We carried out the structural bioinformatics analysis of 20 key enzymes in the integral membrane parts. We compare their native structure, experimentally determined using Cryo-electron microscopy (CryoEM), with their water-soluble QTY analogs predicted using AlphaFold 3. Leveraging AlphaFold 3’s advanced capabilities in predicting protein–protein complex interactions, we further explore whether the QTY-code integral membrane proteins maintain their protein–protein interactions necessary to form the functional megacomplex. Our structural bioinformatics analysis not only demonstrates the feasibility of engineering water-soluble integral membrane proteins using the QTY code, but also highlights the potential to use the water-soluble membrane protein QTY analogs as soluble antigens for discovery of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, thus offering promising implications for the treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases.
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spelling doaj-art-059eac3e26de47ba9591b36e9e255b892025-08-20T02:52:30ZengCambridge University PressQRB Discovery2633-28922025-01-01610.1017/qrd.2025.2Structural bioinformatic study of human mitochondrial respiratory integral membrane megacomplex and its AlphaFold3 predicted water-soluble QTY megacomplex analogEdward Chen0https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1734-5702Shuguang Zhang1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3856-3752Independent Researcher, Pittsburgh, PA, USAMedia Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USAHuman mitochondrial Complex I is one of the largest multi-subunit membrane protein megacomplexes, which plays a critical role in oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production. It is also involved in many neurodegenerative diseases. However, studying its structure and the mechanisms underlying proton translocation remains challenging due to the hydrophobic nature of its transmembrane parts. In this structural bioinformatic study, we used the QTY code to reduce the hydrophobicity of megacomplex I, while preserving its structure and function. We carried out the structural bioinformatics analysis of 20 key enzymes in the integral membrane parts. We compare their native structure, experimentally determined using Cryo-electron microscopy (CryoEM), with their water-soluble QTY analogs predicted using AlphaFold 3. Leveraging AlphaFold 3’s advanced capabilities in predicting protein–protein complex interactions, we further explore whether the QTY-code integral membrane proteins maintain their protein–protein interactions necessary to form the functional megacomplex. Our structural bioinformatics analysis not only demonstrates the feasibility of engineering water-soluble integral membrane proteins using the QTY code, but also highlights the potential to use the water-soluble membrane protein QTY analogs as soluble antigens for discovery of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, thus offering promising implications for the treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S263328922500002X/type/journal_articleConvert hydrophobic alpha-helix to hydrophilic alpha-helix:Protein engineeringQTY codeWater-soluble transmembrane protein megacomplex
spellingShingle Edward Chen
Shuguang Zhang
Structural bioinformatic study of human mitochondrial respiratory integral membrane megacomplex and its AlphaFold3 predicted water-soluble QTY megacomplex analog
QRB Discovery
Convert hydrophobic alpha-helix to hydrophilic alpha-helix:Protein engineering
QTY code
Water-soluble transmembrane protein megacomplex
title Structural bioinformatic study of human mitochondrial respiratory integral membrane megacomplex and its AlphaFold3 predicted water-soluble QTY megacomplex analog
title_full Structural bioinformatic study of human mitochondrial respiratory integral membrane megacomplex and its AlphaFold3 predicted water-soluble QTY megacomplex analog
title_fullStr Structural bioinformatic study of human mitochondrial respiratory integral membrane megacomplex and its AlphaFold3 predicted water-soluble QTY megacomplex analog
title_full_unstemmed Structural bioinformatic study of human mitochondrial respiratory integral membrane megacomplex and its AlphaFold3 predicted water-soluble QTY megacomplex analog
title_short Structural bioinformatic study of human mitochondrial respiratory integral membrane megacomplex and its AlphaFold3 predicted water-soluble QTY megacomplex analog
title_sort structural bioinformatic study of human mitochondrial respiratory integral membrane megacomplex and its alphafold3 predicted water soluble qty megacomplex analog
topic Convert hydrophobic alpha-helix to hydrophilic alpha-helix:Protein engineering
QTY code
Water-soluble transmembrane protein megacomplex
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S263328922500002X/type/journal_article
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AT shuguangzhang structuralbioinformaticstudyofhumanmitochondrialrespiratoryintegralmembranemegacomplexanditsalphafold3predictedwatersolubleqtymegacomplexanalog