Cited by 11Protein Structure and DynamicsMicrobial Natural Products and BiosynthesisChemical Synthesis and Analysis

LassoPred: a tool to predict the 3D structure of lasso peptides

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Ouyang, Xingyu, Ran, Xinchun, Xu, Han, Al-Abssi, Runeem, Zhao, Yi-Lei, Link, A. James, Yang, Zhongyue J.·2025·Nature Communications

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Abstract

Lasso peptides (LaPs), characterized by their entangled slipknot-like structures, are a large class of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), with examples functioning as antibiotics, enzyme inhibitors, and molecular switches. Despite thousands of LaP sequences predicted by bioinformatics, only around 50 distinct LaPs have been structurally characterized in the past 30 years. Existing computational tools, such as AlphaFold2, AlphaFold3 and ESMfold, fail to accurately predict LaP structures due to their irregular scaffold featuring a lariat knot-like fold and the presence of an isopeptide bond. To address this challenge, we developed LassoPred, designed with a classifier to annotate the ring, loop, and tail of an LaP sequence and a constructor to build a 3D structure. Leveraging LassoPred, we predict the 3D structures for 4749 unique LaP core sequences, creating the largest in silico-predicted lasso peptide structure database to date. LassoPred is publicly available through a web interface ( https://lassopred.accre.vanderbilt.edu/ ) and a command-line tool, supporting future structure-function relationship studies and aiding in the discovery of functional lasso peptides for chemical and biomedical applications.

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Authors
Ouyang, X., Ran, X., Xu, H., Al-Abssi, R., Zhao, Y.-L., Link, A. J., & Yang, Z. J.
Affiliations
  • Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN)
  • Vanderbilt University (US)
  • Princeton University (US)
Corresponding author
  • Zhao, Yi-Lei
  • Link, A. James
  • Yang, Zhongyue J.
Venue
Nature Communications
Published
2025-07-01
Volume
16
Issue
1
Pages
5497-5497
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4411891308
Cited by
11
References
74
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 3
FWCI
3.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Research Square (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Vanderbilt University
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (31970041)
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of General Medical Sciences (GM107036)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Protein Structure and Dynamics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Microbial Natural Products and Biosynthesis
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Chemical Synthesis and Analysis
Keywords
lasso peptides, 3D structure prediction, ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides, isopeptide bonds, structure annotation, structure-function relationship, peptide antibiotics, web-based prediction tool

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