Hydrophobic core structure of macromomycin – the apoprotein of the antitumor antibiotic auromomycin – fuzzy oil drop model applied

Abstract The fuzzy oil drop model was applied to analyze the structure of macromomycin, the apoprotein of the antitumor antibiotic auromomycin, revealing the differentiation of β-structural fragments present in β-sandwich. The seven-stranded antiparallel β-barrel and two antiparallel β-sheet ribbons represent the highly ordered geometry of the structure. However, participation in hydrophobic core formation appears different. The structure of the complete domain represents the status of the irregular hydrophobic core; however, some β-structural fragments appear to represent the hydrophobicity density distribution accordant with the idealized distribution of hydrophobicity as expected using the fuzzy oil drop model. Four β-structural fragments generating one common layer appear to be unstable in respect to the general structure of the hydrophobic core. This area is expected to be more flexible than other parts of the molecule. The protein binds the ligand – chromophore, two 2-methyl-2,4-pentanediol – in a well-defined cleft. The presence of this cleft makes the general structure of the hydrophobic core irregular (as it may be interpreted using the fuzzy oil drop model). Two short loops generated by two SS bonds fit very well to the general distribution of hydrophobicity density as expected for the model. No information about the potential amyloidogenic character of this protein is given in the literature; however, the specificity of the hydrophobicity distribution profile is found to be highly similar to the one observed in transthyretin (Banach M, Konieczny L, Roterman I. The fuzzy oil drop model, based on hydrophobicity density distribution, generalizes the influence of water environment on protein structure and function. J Theor Biol 2014;359:6–17), suggesting a possible tendency to turn to the amyloid form. A detailed analysis of macromomycin will be given, and a comparable analysis with other proteins of β-sandwich or β-barrel will be presented.