| Popis: |
Mediating the terminal reaction of gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis, the integral membrane protein G6PC1 regulates hepatic glucose production by catalyzing hydrolysis of glucose-6-phosphate within the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. Because G6PC1 function is essential for blood glucose homeostasis, inactivating mutations cause glycogen storage disease (GSD) type 1a, which is characterized by severe hypoglycemia. Despite its physiological importance, the structural basis of G6P binding to G6PC1 and the molecular disruptions induced by missense mutations within the active site that give rise to GSD type 1a are unknown. Exploiting a computational model of G6PC1 derived from the groundbreaking structure prediction algorithm AlphaFold2 (AF2), we combine molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and computational predictions of thermodynamic stability with a robustin vitroscreening platform to define the atomic interactions governing G6P binding within the active site as well as explore the energetic perturbations imposed by disease-linked variants. From over 15 μs of MD simulations, we identify a collection of side chains, including conserved residues from the signature phosphatidic acid phosphatase motif, that contribute to a hydrogen bonding and van der Waals network that stabilize G6P in the active site. Introduction of GSD type 1a mutations into the G6PC1 sequence causes changes in G6P binding energy, thermodynamic stability and structural properties, suggesting multiple mechanisms of catalytic impairment. Our results, which corroborate the high quality of the AF2 model as a guide for experimental design and to interpret outcomes, not only confirm active site structural organization but also suggest novel mechanistic contributions of catalytic side chains. |
