Regulatory Interactions between APOBEC3B N- and C-Terminal Domains

J Chem Inf Model. 2025 Apr 14;65(7):3593-3604. doi: 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c02272. Epub 2025 Mar 19.

Abstract

APOBEC3B (A3B) is implicated in DNA mutations that facilitate tumor evolution. Although structures of its individual N- and C-terminal domains (NTD and CTD) have been resolved through X-ray crystallography, the full-length A3B (fl-A3B) structure remains elusive, limiting our understanding of its dynamics and mechanisms. In particular, the APOBEC3B C-terminal domain (A3Bctd) is frequently closed in models and structures. In this study, we built several new models of fl-A3B using integrative structural biology methods and selected a top model for further dynamical investigation. We compared the dynamics of the truncated (A3Bctd) to that of the fl-A3B via conventional and Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Subsequently, we employed weighted ensemble methods to explore the fl-A3B active site opening mechanism, finding that interactions at the NTD-CTD interface enhance the opening frequency of the fl-A3B active site. Our findings shed light on the structural dynamics and potential druggability of fl-A3B, including observations regarding both the active and allosteric sites, which may offer new avenues for therapeutic intervention in cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Catalytic Domain
  • Cytidine Deaminase* / chemistry
  • Cytidine Deaminase* / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Minor Histocompatibility Antigens* / chemistry
  • Minor Histocompatibility Antigens* / metabolism
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation*
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Domains

Substances

  • Cytidine Deaminase
  • Minor Histocompatibility Antigens
  • APOBEC3B protein, human