A billion years of evolution manifest in nanosecond protein dynamics

Philipp J. Heckmeier; Jeannette Ruf; Charlotte Rochereau; Peter Hamm

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arXiv · 2309.06298

A billion years of evolution manifest in nanosecond protein dynamics

Philipp J. Heckmeier·Jeannette Ruf·Charlotte Rochereau·Peter Hamm

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Abstract

Protein dynamics form a critical bridge between protein structure and function, yet the impact of evolution on ultrafast processes inside proteins remains enigmatic. This study delves deep into nanosecond-scale protein dynamics of a structurally and functionally conserved protein across species separated by almost a billion years, investigating ten homologs in complex with their ligand. By inducing a photo-triggered destabilization of the ligand inside the binding pocket, we resolved distinct kinetic footprints for each homolog via transient infrared spectroscopy . Strikingly, we found a cascade of rearrangements within the protein complex which manifest in three discrete time points of dynamic activity, conserved over hundreds of millions of years within a narrow window. Among these processes, one displays a subtle temporal shift correlating with evolutionary divergence, suggesting reduced selective pressure in the past. Our study not only uncovers the impact of evolution on molecular processes in a specific case, but has also the potential to initiate a novel field of scientific inquiry within molecular paleontology, where species are compared and classified based on the rapid pace of protein dynamic processes; a field which connects the shortest conceivable time scale in living matter (10^-9 s) with the largest ones (10^16 s).

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Philipp J. Heckmeier, Jeannette Ruf, Charlotte Rochereau, Peter Hamm. 2023-09-12. A billion years of evolution manifest in nanosecond protein dynamics. https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.06298

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