Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Coarse-Grained Analysis of the Arp2/3 Complex

A molecular dynamics investigation and coarse-grained analysis of inactivated actin-related protein (Arp) 2/3 complex is presented. It was found that the nucleotide binding site within Arp3 remained in a closed position with bound ATP or ADP, but opened when simulation with no nucleotide was performed. In contrast, simulation of the isolated Arp3 subunit with bound ATP, showed a fast opening of the nucleotide binding cleft. A homology model for the missing subdomains 1 and 2 of Arp2 was constructed, and it was also found that the Arp2 binding cleft remained closed with bound nucleotide. Within the nucleotide binding cleft a distinct opening and closing period of 10 ns was observed in many of the simulations of Arp2/3 as well as isolated Arp3. Substitution studies were employed, and several alanine substitutions were found to induce a partial opening of the ATP binding cleft in Arp3 and Arp2, whereas only a single substitution was found to induce opening of the ADP binding cleft. It was also found that the nucleotide type did not cause a substantial change on interfacial contacts between Arp3 and the ArpC2, ArpC3 and ArpC4 subunits. Nucleotide-free Arp3 had generally less stable contacts, but the overall contact architecture was constant. Finally, nucleotide-dependent coarse-grained models for Arp3 are developed that serve to further highlight the structural differences induced in Arp3 by nucleotide hydrolysis.