Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39627226›Full record

ArticleNature communications2024

3D variability analysis reveals a hidden conformational change controlling ammonia transport in human asparagine synthetase.

Adriana Coricello, Alanya J Nardone, Antonio Lupia, Carmen Gratteri, Matthijn Vos, Vincent Chaptal, Stefano Alcaro, Wen Zhu, Yuichiro Takagi, Nigel G J Richards

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Glutamine metabolic enzymes: to filament or not to filament?Biochemical Society transactions · 2026
    Review
  3. A Foundational Shift in Models for Enzyme Function.Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Adriana CoricelloDipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-3306-9261
Alanya J NardoneDepartment of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
Antonio LupiaNet4Science Academic Spin-Off, Università "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0870-2376
Carmen GratteriDipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy.ORCID 0009-0007-3527-2080
Matthijn VosNanoImaging Core Facility, Centre de Resources et Recherches Technologiques, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Vincent ChaptalMolecular Microbiology and Structural Biochemistry Laboratory, CNRS UMR 5086, University of Lyon, Lyon, France.ORCID 0000-0003-2603-0294
Stefano AlcaroDipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy. alcaro@unicz.it.ORCID 0000-0002-0437-358X
Wen ZhuDepartment of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA. wzhu@chem.fsu.edu.ORCID 0000-0003-3190-0071
Yuichiro TakagiDepartment of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA. ytakagi@iu.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-0988-6798
Nigel G J RichardsSchool of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff, UK. richardsn14@cardiff.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-0375-0881

Funding

Glacios Cryo Electron MicroscopeS10OD028723 · OD · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · PI TAKAGI, YUICHIRO · 2020 to 2020
$1.6M
Mechanism of transcription regulation by the MediatorR01GM111695 · NIGMS · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · PI TAKAGI, YUICHIRO · 2015 to 2019
$1.5M
Agence Nationale de la Recherche (French National Research Agency) ANR-19-CE11-0023-01American Cancer Society (American Cancer Society, Inc.) DBG-23-1038947-01-IBCDNIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM111695NIH HHS S10 OD028723ODCDC CDC HHS S10 OD028723RCUK | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) P/0118017/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Advances in X-ray crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) offer the promise of elucidating functionally relevant conformational changes that are not easily studied by other biophysical methods. Here we show that 3D variability analysis (3DVA) of the cryo-EM map for wild-type (WT) human asparagine synthetase (ASNS) identifies a functional role for the Arg-142 side chain and test this hypothesis experimentally by characterizing the R142I variant in which Arg-142 is replaced by isoleucine. Support for Arg-142 playing a role in the intramolecular translocation of ammonia between the active site of the enzyme is provided by the glutamine-dependent synthetase activity of the R142 variant relative to WT ASNS, and MD simulations provide a possible molecular mechanism for these findings. Combining 3DVA with MD simulations is a generally applicable approach to generate testable hypotheses of how conformational changes in buried side chains might regulate function in enzymes.

Indexed as

AmmoniaAspartate-Ammonia LigaseCryoelectron MicroscopyMolecular Dynamics SimulationArginineCarbon-Nitrogen Ligases with Glutamine as Amide-N-DonorCatalytic DomainCrystallography, X-RayHumansProtein ConformationAmmoniaArginineASNS protein, humanAspartate-Ammonia LigaseCarbon-Nitrogen Ligases with Glutamine as Amide-N-Donor

Identifiers

PMID39627226
PMCPMC11615228

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.