Structural modeling, energetic analysis and molecular design of a π-stacking system at the complex interface of pediatric respiratory syncytial virus nucleocapsid with the C-terminal peptide of phosphoprotein

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a primary cause of lower respiratory tract infections and hospital visits during infancy and childhood. The RSV phosphoprotein (P) is a major polymerase cofactor that interacts with nucleoprotein (N) to promote the recognition of ribonucleoprotein complex (RNP) by viral RNA polymerase. The binding pocket of N protein is chemically diverse, in or around which a number of aromatic and charged amino acid residues are observed. Previously, a nonapeptide segment (P peptide, 233DNDLSLEDF241) representing the C-terminal tail of P protein was identified to mediate the N-P interaction with a moderate affinity, in which the Phe241 at the end of P's C-terminus plays a critical role in the binding of P peptide to N protein. Here, we found that the side-chain aromatic phenyl moiety of P Phe241 residue can form short- and long-range cation-π interactions with N Arg132 and Arg150 residues, respectively, as well as T-shaped and parallel-displaced π-π stackings with N Tyr135 and His151 residues, respectively, which co-define a geometrically satisfactory π-stacking system at the complex interface of N protein with P peptide, thus largely stabilizing the complex architecture. The stacking effect was further optimized by systematically mutating the P Phe241 residue to other natural and non-natural aromatic amino acids with diverse chemical substitutions at the phenyl moiety to examine their structural and energetic effects on π-stacking system and on protein–peptide binding. The electron-donating mutations at the phenyl moiety of P Phe241 residue can effectively enhance the π-stacking system and then promote peptide binding, whereas the bulky and positively charged mutations would considerably impair the peptide potency by introducing steric hindrance and electrostatic repulsion. The [Tyr]P, [Thp]P and [Fph]P mutants were determined to have an increased affinity relative to wild-type P peptide, which could be used as self-inhibitory peptides to competitively disrupt the native interaction between N and P proteins. [Display omitted] •The binding of RSV P peptide to N protein is examined at structural and energetic levels.•A π-stacking system is identified at the packing interface of P Phe241 residue against the binding pocket of N protein.•The system is optimized by mutating P Phe241 residue with natural and non-natural aromatic amino acids.•The [Tyr]P, [Thp]P and [Fph]P mutants exhibit an increased affinity relative to wild type.