Evolutionary Features in the Structure and Function of Bacterial Toxins

Abstract

Toxins can function both as a harmful and therapeutic molecule, depending on their concentrations. The diversity in their function allows us to ask some very pertinent questions related to their origin and roles: (a) What makes them such effective molecules? (b) Are there evolutionary features encoded within the structures of the toxins for their function? (c) Is structural hierarchy in the toxins important for maintaining their structure and function? (d) Do protein dynamics play a role in the function of toxins? and (e) Do the evolutionary connections to these unique features and functions provide the fundamental points in driving evolution? In light of the growing evidence in structural biology, it would be appropriate to suggest that protein dynamics and flexibility play a much bigger role in the function of the toxin than the structure itself. Discovery of IDPs (intrinsically disorder proteins), multifunctionality, and the concept of native aggregation are shaking the paradigm of the requirement of a fixed three-dimensional structure for the protein’s function. Growing evidence supporting the above concepts allow us to redesign the structure-function aspects of the protein molecules. An evolutionary model is necessary and needs to be developed to study these important aspects. The criteria for a well-defined model would be: (a) diversity in structure and function, (b) unique functionality, and (c) must belong to a family to define the evolutionary relationships. All these characteristics are largely fulfilled by bacterial toxins. Bacterial toxins are diverse and widely distributed in all three forms of life (Bacteria, Archaea and Eukaryotes). Some of the unique characteristics include structural folding, sequence and functional combination of domains, targeting a cellular process to execute their function, and most importantly their flexibility and dynamics. In this work, we summarize certain unique aspects of bacterial toxins, including role of structure in defining toxin function, uniqueness in their enzymatic function, and interaction with their substrates and other proteins. Finally, we have discussed the evolutionary aspects of toxins in detail, which will help us rethink the current evolutionary theories. A careful study, and appropriate interpretations, will provide answers to several questions related to the structure-function relationship of proteins, in general. Additionally, this will also allow us to refine the current evolution theories.