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ABSTRACT: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a key protein in cellular signaling, and its kinase domain (EGFR kinase) is an intensely pursued target of small-molecule drugs. Although both catalytically active and inactive conformations of EGFR kinase have been resolved crystallographically, experimental characterization of the transitions between these conformations remains difficult. Using unbiased, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we observed EGFR kinase spontaneously transition from the active to the so-called "Src-like inactive" conformation by way of two sets of intermediate conformations: One corresponds to a previously identified locally disordered state and the other to previously undescribed "extended" conformations, marked by the opening of the ATP-binding site between the two lobes of the kinase domain. We also simulated the protonation-dependent transition of EGFR kinase to another ["Asp-Phe-Gly-out" ("DFG-out")] inactive conformation and observed similar intermediate conformations. A key element observed in the simulated transitions is local unfolding, or "cracking," which supports a prediction of energy landscape theory. We used hydrogen-deuterium (H/D) exchange measurements to corroborate our simulations and found that the simulated intermediate conformations correlate better with the H/D exchange data than existing active or inactive EGFR kinase crystal structures. The intermediate conformations revealed by our simulations of the transition process differ significantly from the existing crystal structures and may provide unique possibilities for structure-based drug discovery.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 04/2013; · 9.68 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Dimerization-driven activation of the intracellular kinase domains of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) upon extracellular ligand binding is crucial to cellular pathways regulating proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Inactive EGFR can exist as both monomers and dimers, suggesting that the mechanism regulating EGFR activity may be subtle. The membrane itself may play a role but creates substantial difficulties for structural studies. Our molecular dynamics simulations of membrane-embedded EGFR suggest that, in ligand-bound dimers, the extracellular domains assume conformations favoring dimerization of the transmembrane helices near their N termini, dimerization of the juxtamembrane segments, and formation of asymmetric (active) kinase dimers. In ligand-free dimers, by holding apart the N termini of the transmembrane helices, the extracellular domains instead favor C-terminal dimerization of the transmembrane helices, juxtamembrane segment dissociation and membrane burial, and formation of symmetric (inactive) kinase dimers. Electrostatic interactions of EGFR's intracellular module with the membrane are critical in maintaining this coupling.
Cell 01/2013; 152(3):557-69. · 32.40 Impact Factor
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Nicholas F Endres,
Rahul Das,
Adam W Smith, Anton Arkhipov,
Erika Kovacs,
Yongjian Huang,
Jeffrey G Pelton,
Yibing Shan,
David E Shaw,
David E Wemmer,
Jay T Groves,
John Kuriyan
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ABSTRACT: How the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activates is incompletely understood. The intracellular portion of the receptor is intrinsically active in solution, and to study its regulation, we measured autophosphorylation as a function of EGFR surface density in cells. Without EGF, intact EGFR escapes inhibition only at high surface densities. Although the transmembrane helix and the intracellular module together suffice for constitutive activity even at low densities, the intracellular module is inactivated when tethered on its own to the plasma membrane, and fluorescence cross-correlation shows that it fails to dimerize. NMR and functional data indicate that activation requires an N-terminal interaction between the transmembrane helices, which promotes an antiparallel interaction between juxtamembrane segments and release of inhibition by the membrane. We conclude that EGF binding removes steric constraints in the extracellular module, promoting activation through N-terminal association of the transmembrane helices.
Cell 01/2013; 152(3):543-56. · 32.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The mutation and overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are associated with the development of a variety of cancers, making this prototypical dimerization-activated receptor tyrosine kinase a prominent target of cancer drugs. Using long-timescale molecular dynamics simulations, we find that the N lobe dimerization interface of the wild-type EGFR kinase domain is intrinsically disordered and that it becomes ordered only upon dimerization. Our simulations suggest, moreover, that some cancer-linked mutations distal to the dimerization interface, particularly the widespread L834R mutation (also referred to as L858R), facilitate EGFR dimerization by suppressing this local disorder. Corroborating these findings, our biophysical experiments and kinase enzymatic assays indicate that the L834R mutation causes abnormally high activity primarily by promoting EGFR dimerization rather than by allowing activation without dimerization. We also find that phosphorylation of EGFR kinase domain at Tyr845 may suppress the intrinsic disorder, suggesting a molecular mechanism for autonomous EGFR signaling.
Cell 05/2012; 149(4):860-70. · 32.40 Impact Factor
