Kinase in motion: insights into the dynamic nature of p38α by high-pressure NMR spectroscopic studies.

Protein kinases are highly dynamic and complex molecules. Here we present high-pressure and relaxation studies of the activated p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). p38α plays a central role in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and is therefore a highly attractive pharmaceutical target. The combination of high pressure and NMR spectroscopy allowed for a detailed per-residue based assessment of the structural plasticity of p38α and the accessibility of low-lying excited-energy conformations throughout the kinase structure. Such information is uniquely accessible through the combination of liquid-state NMR and high pressure and is of considerable value for the drug discovery process. The interactions of p38α and DFG-in and DFG-out ligands were studied under the application of high pressure, and we demonstrate how we can alter kinase dynamics by pressure in a similar way to what has previously only been observed by ligand binding. Pressure is shown to be a mild and efficient tool for manipulation of intermediate-timescale dynamics.