A molecularly engineered, broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus lectin inhibits SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV infection in vivo

"Pan-coronavirus" antivirals targeting conserved viral components can be designed. Here, we show that the rationally engineered H84T-banana lectin (H84T-BanLec), which specifically recognizes high mannose found on viral proteins but seldom on healthy human cells, potently inhibits Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (including Omicron), and other human-pathogenic coronaviruses at nanomolar concentrations. H84T-BanLec protects against MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 infection in vivo. Importantly, intranasally and intraperitoneally administered H84T-BanLec are comparably effective. Mechanistic assays show that H84T-BanLec targets virus entry. High-speed atomic force microscopy depicts real-time multimolecular associations of H84T-BanLec dimers with the SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer. Single-molecule force spectroscopy demonstrates binding of H84T-BanLec to multiple SARS-CoV-2 spike mannose sites with high affinity and that H84T-BanLec competes with SARS-CoV-2 spike for binding to cellular ACE2. Modeling experiments identify distinct high-mannose glycans in spike recognized by H84T-BanLec. The multiple H84T-BanLec binding sites on spike likely account for the drug compound's broad-spectrum antiviral activity and the lack of resistant mutants.

Acoustic force spectroscopy reveals subtle differences in cellulose unbinding behavior of carbohydrate-binding modules

Protein adsorption to solid carbohydrate interfaces is critical to many biological processes, particularly in biomass deconstruction. To engineer more-efficient enzymes for biomass deconstruction into sugars, it is necessary to characterize the complex protein-carbohydrate interfacial interactions. A carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) is often associated with microbial surface-tethered cellulosomes or secreted cellulase enzymes to enhance substrate accessibility. However, it is not well known how CBMs recognize, bind, and dissociate from polysaccharides to facilitate efficient cellulolytic activity, due to the lack of mechanistic understanding and a suitable toolkit to study CBM-substrate interactions. Our work outlines a general approach to study the unbinding behavior of CBMs from polysaccharide surfaces using a highly multiplexed single-molecule force spectroscopy assay. Here, we apply acoustic force spectroscopy (AFS) to probe a Clostridium thermocellum cellulosomal scaffoldin protein (CBM3a) and measure its dissociation from nanocellulose surfaces at physiologically relevant, low force loading rates. An automated microfluidic setup and method for uniform deposition of insoluble polysaccharides on the AFS chip surfaces are demonstrated. The rupture forces of wild-type CBM3a, and its Y67A mutant, unbinding from nanocellulose surfaces suggests distinct multimodal CBM binding conformations, with structural mechanisms further explored using molecular dynamics simulations. Applying classical dynamic force spectroscopy theory, the single-molecule unbinding rate at zero force is extrapolated and found to agree with bulk equilibrium unbinding rates estimated independently using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring. However, our results also highlight critical limitations of applying classical theory to explain the highly multivalent binding interactions for cellulose-CBM bond rupture forces exceeding 15 pN.

Optimal Sacrificial Domains in Mechanical Polyproteins: S. epidermidis Adhesins Are Tuned for Work Dissipation

The opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus epidermidis utilizes a multidomain surface adhesin protein to bind host components and adhere to tissues. While it is known that the interaction between the SdrG receptor and its fibrinopeptide target (FgB) is exceptionally mechanostable (∼2 nN), the influence of downstream B domains (B1 and B2) is unclear. Here, we studied the mechanical relationships between folded B domains and the SdrG receptor bound to FgB. We used protein engineering, single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) with an atomic force microscope (AFM), and Monte Carlo simulations to understand how the mechanical properties of folded sacrificial domains, in general, can be optimally tuned to match the stability of a receptor-ligand complex. Analogous to macroscopic suspension systems, sacrificial shock absorber domains should neither be too weak nor too strong to optimally dissipate mechanical energy. We built artificial molecular shock absorber systems based on the nanobody (VHH) scaffold and studied the competition between domain unfolding and receptor unbinding. We quantitatively determined the optimal stability of shock absorbers that maximizes work dissipation on average for a given receptor and found that natural sacrificial domains from pathogenic S. epidermidis and Clostridium perfringens adhesins exhibit stabilities at or near this optimum within a specific range of loading rates. These findings demonstrate how tuning the stability of sacrificial domains in adhesive polyproteins can be used to maximize mechanical work dissipation and serve as an adhesion strategy by bacteria.

Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy Reveals Stability of mitoNEET and its [2Fe2Se] Cluster in Weakly Acidic and Basic Solutions

The outer mitochondrial membrane protein mitoNEET (mNT) is a recently identified iron-sulfur protein containing a unique Fe₂ S₂ (His)₁ (Cys)₃ metal cluster with a single Fe-N(His87) coordinating bond. This labile Fe-N bond led to multiple unfolding/rupture pathways of mNT and its cluster by atomic force microscopy-based single-molecule force spectroscopy (AFM-SMFS), one of most common tools for characterizing the molecular mechanics. Although previous ensemble studies showed that this labile Fe-N(His) bond is essential for protein function, they also indicated that the protein and its [2Fe2S] cluster are stable under acidic conditions. Thus, we applied AFM-SMFS to measure the stability of mNT and its cluster at pH values of 6, 7, and 8. Indeed, all previous multiple unfolding pathways of mNT were still observed. Moreover, single-molecule measurements revealed that the stabilities of the protein and the [2Fe2S] cluster are consistent at these pH values with only ≈20 pN force differences. Thus, we found that the behavior of the protein is consistent in both weakly acidic and basic solutions despite a labile Fe-N bond.

A Single-Molecule Strategy to Capture Non-native Intramolecular and Intermolecular Protein Disulfide Bridges

Non-native disulfide bonds are dynamic covalent bridges that form post-translationally between two cysteines within the same protein (intramolecular) or with a neighboring protein (intermolecular), frequently due to changes in the cellular redox potential. The reversible formation of non-native disulfides is intimately linked to alterations in protein function; while they can provide a mechanism to protect against cysteine overoxidation, they are also involved in the early stages of protein multimerization, a hallmark of several protein aggregation diseases. Yet their identification using current protein chemistry technology remains challenging, mainly because of their fleeting reactivity. Here, we use single-molecule spectroscopy AFM and molecular dynamics simulations to capture both intra- and intermolecular disulfide bonds in γD-crystallin, a cysteine-rich, structural human lens protein involved in age-related eye cataracts. Our approach showcases the power of mechanical force as a conformational probe in dynamically evolving proteins and presents a platform to detect non-native disulfide bridges with single-molecule resolution.

Single-Chain Mechanical Properties of Gelatin: A Single-Molecule Study

Gelatin is an important natural biological resource with a wide range of applications in the pharmaceutical, industrial and food industries. We investigated the single-chain behaviors of gelatin by atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS), and found that gelatin exists as long chains by fitting with the M-FJC model. By comparing the single-chain elasticity in a nonpolar organic solvent (nonane) and DI water, it was surprising to find that there was almost no difference in the single-chain elasticity of gelatin in nonane and DI water. Considering the specificity of gelatin solubility and the solvent size effect of nonane molecules, when a single gelatin chain is pulled into loose nonane, dehydration does not occur due to strong binding water interactions. Gelatin chains can only interact with water molecules at high temperatures; therefore, no further interaction of single gelatin chains with water molecules occurred at the experimental temperature. This eventually led to almost no difference in the single-chain F-E curves under the two conditions. It is expected that our study will enable the deep exploration of the interaction between water molecules and gelatin and provide a theoretical basis and experimental foundation for the design of gelatin-based materials with more functionalities.

Nanoscale Force-Mapping-Based Quantification of Low-Abundance Methylated DNA

Methylation changes at cytosine-guanine dinucleotide (CpG) sites in genes are closely related to cancer development. Thus, detection and quantification of low-abundance methylated DNA is critical for early diagnosis. Here, we report an atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based quantification method for DNA that contains methyl-CpG at a specific site, without any treatment to the target DNA such as chemical labeling, fluorescence tagging, or amplification. We employed AFM-tip-tethered methyl-CpG-binding proteins to probe surface-captured methylated DNA. We observed a linear correlation (R² = 0.982) between the input copy number and detected copy number, in the low copy number regime (10 or fewer; subattomolar concentrations). For a mixture of methylated and nonmethylated DNA that resembles clinical samples, we were still able to quantify the methylated DNA. These results highlight the potential of our force-mapping-based quantification method for wide applications in early detection of diseases associated with methylated DNA.

Mapping Mechanostable Pulling Geometries of a Therapeutic Anticalin/CTLA-4 Protein Complex

We used single-molecule AFM force spectroscopy (AFM-SMFS) in combination with click chemistry to mechanically dissociate anticalin, a non-antibody protein binding scaffold, from its target (CTLA-4), by pulling from eight different anchor residues. We found that pulling on the anticalin from residue 60 or 87 resulted in significantly higher rupture forces and a decrease in koff by 2-3 orders of magnitude over a force range of 50-200 pN. Five of the six internal anchor points gave rise to complexes significantly more stable than N- or C-terminal anchor points, rupturing at up to 250 pN at loading rates of 0.1-10 nN s-1. Anisotropic network modeling and molecular dynamics simulations helped to explain the geometric dependency of mechanostability. These results demonstrate that optimization of attachment residue position on therapeutic binding scaffolds can provide large improvements in binding strength, allowing for mechanical affinity maturation under shear stress without mutation of binding interface residues.

Molecular Recognition by Silicon Nanowire Field-Effect Transistor and Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy

Silicon nanowire (SiNW) field-effect transistors (FETs) have been developed as very sensitive and label-free biomolecular sensors. The detection principle operating in a SiNW biosensor is indirect. The biomolecules are detected by measuring the changes in the current through the transistor. Those changes are produced by the electrical field created by the biomolecule. Here, we have combined nanolithography, chemical functionalization, electrical measurements and molecular recognition methods to correlate the current measured by the SiNW transistor with the presence of specific molecular recognition events on the surface of the SiNW. Oxidation scanning probe lithography (o-SPL) was applied to fabricate sub-12 nm SiNW field-effect transistors. The devices were applied to detect very small concentrations of proteins (500 pM). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) experiments allowed the identification of the protein adsorption sites on the surface of the nanowire. We detected specific interactions between the biotin-functionalized AFM tip and individual avidin molecules adsorbed to the SiNW. The measurements confirmed that electrical current changes measured by the device were associated with the deposition of avidin molecules.

Detection of weak non-covalent cation-π interactions in NGAL by single-molecule force spectroscopy

Cation-π interaction is an electrostatic interaction between a cation and an electron-rich arene. It plays an essential role in many biological systems as a vital driving force for protein folding, stability, and receptor-ligand interaction/recognition. To date, the discovery of most cation-π interactions in proteins relies on the statistical analyses of available three-dimensional (3D) protein structures and corresponding computational calculations. However, their experimental verification and quantification remain sparse at the molecular level, mainly due to the limited methods to dynamically measure such a weak non-covalent interaction in proteins. Here, we use atomic force microscopy-based single-molecule force spectroscopy (AFM-SMFS) to measure the stability of protein neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (also known as NGAL, siderocalin, lipocalin 2) that can bind iron through the cation-π interactions between its three cationic residues and the iron-binding tri-catechols. Based on a site-specific cysteine engineering and anchoring method, we first characterized the stability and unfolding pathways of apo-NGAL. Then, the same NGAL but bound with the iron-catechol complexes through the cation-π interactions as a holo-form was characterized. AFM measurements demonstrated stronger stabilities and kinetics of the holo-NGAL from two pulling sites, F122 and F133. Here, NGAL is stretched from the designed cysteine close to the cationic residues for a maximum unfolding effect. Thus, our work demonstrates high-precision detection of the weak cation-π interaction in NGAL.

ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

Supplementary material (additional SDS-PAGE, UV-vis, protein sequences, and more experimental methods) is available in the online version of this article at 10.1007/s12274-021-4065-9.

Monitoring the antibiotic darobactin modulating the β-barrel assembly factor BamA

The β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) complex is an essential component of Escherichia coli that inserts and folds outer membrane proteins (OMPs). The natural antibiotic compound darobactin inhibits BamA, the central unit of BAM. Here, we employ dynamic single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) to better understand the structure-function relationship of BamA and its inhibition by darobactin. The five N-terminal polypeptide transport (POTRA) domains show low mechanical, kinetic, and energetic stabilities. In contrast, the structural region linking the POTRA domains to the transmembrane β-barrel exposes the highest mechanical stiffness and lowest kinetic stability within BamA, thus indicating a mechano-functional role. Within the β-barrel, the four N-terminal β-hairpins H1-H4 expose the highest mechanical stabilities and stiffnesses, while the four C-terminal β-hairpins H5-H6 show lower stabilities and higher flexibilities. This asymmetry within the β-barrel suggests that substrates funneling into the lateral gate formed by β-hairpins H1 and H8 can force the flexible C-terminal β-hairpins to change conformations.

Force Dependence of Proteins' Transition State Position and the Bell-Evans Model

Single-molecule force spectroscopy has opened a new field of research in molecular biophysics and biochemistry. Pulling experiments on individual proteins permit us to monitor conformational transitions with high temporal resolution and measure their free energy landscape. The force–extension curves of single proteins often present large hysteresis, with unfolding forces that are higher than refolding ones. Therefore, the high energy of the transition state (TS) in these molecules precludes kinetic rates measurements in equilibrium hopping experiments. In irreversible pulling experiments, force-dependent kinetic rates measurements show a systematic discrepancy between the sum of the folding and unfolding TS distances derived by the kinetic Bell–Evans model and the full molecular extension predicted by elastic models. Here, we show that this discrepancy originates from the force-induced movement of TS. Specifically, we investigate the highly kinetically stable protein barnase, using pulling experiments and the Bell–Evans model to characterize the position of its kinetic barrier. Experimental results show that while the TS stays at a roughly constant distance relative to the native state, it shifts with force relative to the unfolded state. Interestingly, a conversion of the protein extension into amino acid units shows that the TS position follows the Leffler–Hammond postulate: the higher the force, the lower the number of unzipped amino acids relative to the native state. The results are compared with the quasi-reversible unfolding–folding of a short DNA hairpin.

Facile Synthesis of Peptide-Conjugated Gold Nanoclusters with Different Lengths

The synthesis of ultra-small gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) with sizes down to 2 nm has received increasing interest due to their unique optical and electronic properties. Like many peptide-coated gold nanospheres synthesized before, modified gold nanoclusters with peptide conjugation are potentially significant in biomedical and catalytic fields. Here, we explore whether such small-sized gold nanoclusters can be conjugated with peptides also and characterize them using atomic force microscopy. Using a long and flexible elastin-like polypeptide (ELP)₂₀ as the conjugated peptide, (ELP)₂₀-Au NCs was successfully synthesized via a one-pot synthesis method. The unique optical and electronic properties of gold nanoclusters are still preserved, while a much larger size was obtained as expected due to the peptide conjugation. In addition, a short and rigid peptide (EAAAK)₃ was conjugated to the gold nanoclusters. Their Yong’s modulus was characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Moreover, the coated peptide on the nanoclusters was pulled using AFM-based single molecule-force spectroscopy (SMFS), showing expected properties as one of the first force spectroscopy experiments on peptide-coated nanoclusters. Our results pave the way for further modification of nanoclusters based on the conjugated peptides and show a new method to characterize these materials using AFM-SMFS.

Interpretation of Single-Molecule Force Experiments on Proteins Using Normal Mode Analysis

Single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments allow protein folding and unfolding to be explored using mechanical force. Probably the most informative technique for interpreting the results of these experiments at the structural level makes use of steered molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, which can explicitly model the protein under load. Unfortunately, this technique is computationally expensive for many of the most interesting biological molecules. Here, we find that normal mode analysis (NMA), a significantly cheaper technique from a computational perspective, allows at least some of the insights provided by MD simulation to be gathered. We apply this technique to three non-homologous proteins that were previously studied by force spectroscopy: T4 lysozyme (T4L), Hsp70 and the glucocorticoid receptor domain (GCR). The NMA results for T4L and Hsp70 are compared with steered MD simulations conducted previously, and we find that we can recover the main results. For the GCR, which did not undergo MD simulation, our approach identifies substructures that correlate with experimentally identified unfolding intermediates. Overall, we find that NMA can make a valuable addition to the analysis toolkit for the structural analysis of single-molecule force experiments on proteins.

Bioconjugation Strategies for Connecting Proteins to DNA-Linkers for Single-Molecule Force-Based Experiments

The mechanical properties of proteins can be studied with single molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) using optical tweezers, atomic force microscopy and magnetic tweezers. It is common to utilize a flexible linker between the protein and trapped probe to exclude short-range interactions in SMFS experiments. One of the most prevalent linkers is DNA due to its well-defined properties, although attachment strategies between the DNA linker and protein or probe may vary. We will therefore provide a general overview of the currently existing non-covalent and covalent bioconjugation strategies to site-specifically conjugate DNA-linkers to the protein of interest. In the search for a standardized conjugation strategy, considerations include their mechanical properties in the context of SMFS, feasibility of site-directed labeling, labeling efficiency, and costs.

N501Y mutation of spike protein in SARS-CoV-2 strengthens its binding to receptor ACE2

SARS-CoV-2 has been spreading around the world for the past year. Recently, several variants such as B.1.1.7 (alpha), B.1.351 (beta), and P.1 (gamma), which share a key mutation N501Y on the receptor-binding domain (RBD), appear to be more infectious to humans. To understand the underlying mechanism, we used a cell surface-binding assay, a kinetics study, a single-molecule technique, and a computational method to investigate the interaction between these RBD (mutations) and ACE2. Remarkably, RBD with the N501Y mutation exhibited a considerably stronger interaction, with a faster association rate and a slower dissociation rate. Atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based single-molecule force microscopy (SMFS) consistently quantified the interaction strength of RBD with the mutation as having increased binding probability and requiring increased unbinding force. Molecular dynamics simulations of RBD-ACE2 complexes indicated that the N501Y mutation introduced additional π-π and π-cation interactions that could explain the changes observed by force microscopy. Taken together, these results suggest that the reinforced RBD-ACE2 interaction that results from the N501Y mutation in the RBD should play an essential role in the higher rate of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 variants, and that future mutations in the RBD of the virus should be under surveillance.

Complex Conformational Dynamics of the Heart Failure-Associated Pre-miRNA-377 Hairpin Revealed by Single-Molecule Optical Tweezers

Pre-miRNA-377 is a hairpin-shaped regulatory RNA associated with heart failure. Here, we use single-molecule optical tweezers to unzip pre-miRNA-377 and study its stability and dynamics. We show that magnesium ions have a strong stabilizing effect, and that sodium ions stabilize the hairpin more than potassium ions. The hairpin unfolds in a single step, regardless of buffer composition. Interestingly, hairpin folding occurs either in a single step (type 1) or through the formation of intermediates, in multiple steps (type 2) or gradually (type 3). Type 3 occurs only in the presence of both sodium and magnesium, while type 1 and 2 take place in all buffers, with type 1 being the most prevalent. By reducing the size of the native hairpin loop from fourteen to four nucleotides, we demonstrate that the folding heterogeneity originates from the large size of the hairpin loop. Further, while efficient pre-miRNA-377 binders are lacking, we demonstrate that the recently developed C2 ligand displays bimodal activity: it enhances the mechanical stability of the pre-miRNA-377 hairpin and perturbs its folding. The knowledge regarding pre-miRNA stability and dynamics that we provide is important in understanding its regulatory function and how it can be modulated to achieve a therapeutic effect, e.g., in heart failure treatment.

Validity of point-mass model in off-resonance dynamic atomic force microscopy

The quantitative measurement of viscoelasticity of nano-scale entities is an important goal of nanotechnology research and there is considerable progress with advent of dynamic atomic force microscopy. The hydrodynamics of cantilever, the force sensor in AFM measurements, plays a pivotal role in quantitative estimates of nano-scale viscoelasticity. The point-mass (PM) model, wherein the AFM cantilever is approximated as a point-mass with mass-less spring is widely used in dynamic AFM analysis and its validity, particularly in liquid environments, is debated. It is suggested that the cantilever must be treated as a continuous rectangular beam to obtain accurate estimates of nano-scale viscoelasticity of materials it is probing. Here, we derived equations, which relate stiffness and damping coefficient of the material under investigation to measured parameters, by approximating cantilever as a point-mass and also considering the full geometric details. These equations are derived for both tip-excited as well as base-excited cantilevers. We have performed off-resonance dynamic atomic force spectroscopy on a single protein molecule to investigate the validity of widely used PM model. We performed measurements with AFMs equipped with different cantilever excitation methods as well as detection schemes to measure cantilever response. The data was analyzed using both, continuous beam model and the PM model. We found that both models yield same results when the experiments are performed in truly off-resonance regime with small amplitudes and the cantilever stiffness is much higher than the interaction stiffness. Our findings suggest that a simple PM approximation based model is adequate to describe the dynamics, provided care is taken while performing experiments so that the approximations used in these models are valid.

Probing PIEZO1 Localization upon Activation Using High-Resolution Atomic Force and Confocal Microscopy

PIEZO1 ion channels are activated by mechanical stimuli, triggering intracellular chemical signals. Recent structural studies suggest that plasma membrane tension or local curvature changes modulate PIEZO1 channel gating and activation. However, whether PIEZO1 localization is governed by tension gradients or long-range mechanical perturbations across the cells is still unclear. Here, we probe the nanoscale localization of PIEZO1 on red blood cells (RBCs) at high resolution (∼30 nm), and we report for the first time the existence of submicrometric PIEZO1 clusters in native conditions. Upon interaction with Yoda1, an allosteric modulator, PIEZO1 clusters increase in abundance in regions of higher membrane tension and lower curvature. We further show that PIEZO1 ion channels interact with the spectrin cytoskeleton in both resting and activated states. Our results point toward a strong interplay between plasma membrane tension gradients, curvature, and cytoskeleton association of PIEZO1.

Recognition of the inherently unstable H2A nucleosome by Swc2 is a major determinant for unidirectional H2A.Z exchange

The multisubunit chromatin remodeler SWR1/SRCAP/p400 replaces the nucleosomal H2A-H2B dimer with the free-form H2A.Z-H2B dimer, but the mechanism governing the unidirectional H2A-to-H2A.Z exchange remains elusive. Here, we perform single-molecule force spectroscopy to dissect the disassembly/reassembly processes of the H2A nucleosome and H2A.Z nucleosome. We find that the N-terminal 1-135 residues of yeast SWR1 complex protein 2 (previously termed Swc2-Z) facilitate the disassembly of nucleosomes containing H2A but not H2A.Z. The Swc2-mediated nucleosome disassembly/reassembly requires the inherently unstable H2A nucleosome, whose instability is conferred by three H2A α2-helical residues, Gly47, Pro49, and Ile63, as they selectively weaken the structural rigidity of the H2A-H2B dimer. It also requires Swc2-ZN (residues 1-37) that directly anchors to the H2A nucleosome and functions in the SWR1-catalyzed H2A.Z replacement in vitro and yeast H2A.Z deposition in vivo. Our findings provide mechanistic insights into how the SWR1 complex discriminates between the H2A nucleosome and H2A.Z nucleosome, establishing a simple paradigm for the governance of unidirectional H2A.Z exchange.

Highly-Parallel Microfluidics-Based Force Spectroscopy on Single Cytoskeletal Motors

Cytoskeletal motors transform chemical energy into mechanical work to drive essential cellular functions. Optical trapping experiments have provided crucial insights into the operation of these molecular machines under load. However, the throughput of such force spectroscopy experiments is typically limited to one measurement at a time. Here, a highly-parallel, microfluidics-based method that allows for rapid collection of force-dependent motility parameters of cytoskeletal motors with two orders of magnitude improvement in throughput compared to currently available methods is introduced. Tunable hydrodynamic forces to stepping kinesin-1 motors via DNA-tethered beads and utilize a large field of view to simultaneously track the velocities, run lengths, and interaction times of hundreds of individual kinesin-1 molecules under varying resisting and assisting loads are applied. Importantly, the 16 µm long DNA tethers between the motors and the beads significantly reduces the vertical component of the applied force pulling the motors away from the microtubule. The approach is readily applicable to other molecular systems and constitutes a new methodology for parallelized single-molecule force studies on cytoskeletal motors.

Free-energy changes of bacteriorhodopsin point mutants measured by single-molecule force spectroscopy

Single amino acid mutations provide quantitative insight into the energetics that underlie the dynamics and folding of membrane proteins. Chemical denaturation is the most widely used assay and yields the change in unfolding free energy (ΔΔG). It has been applied to >80 different residues of bacteriorhodopsin (bR), a model membrane protein. However, such experiments have several key limitations: 1) a nonnative lipid environment, 2) a denatured state with significant secondary structure, 3) error introduced by extrapolation to zero denaturant, and 4) the requirement of globally reversible refolding. We overcame these limitations by reversibly unfolding local regions of an individual protein with mechanical force using an atomic-force-microscope assay optimized for 2 μs time resolution and 1 pN force stability. In this assay, bR was unfolded from its native bilayer into a well-defined, stretched state. To measure ΔΔG, we introduced two alanine point mutations into an 8-amino-acid region at the C-terminal end of bR's G helix. For each, we reversibly unfolded and refolded this region hundreds of times while the rest of the protein remained folded. Our single-molecule-derived ΔΔG for mutant L223A (-2.3 ± 0.6 kcal/mol) quantitatively agreed with past chemical denaturation results while our ΔΔG for mutant V217A was 2.2-fold larger (-2.4 ± 0.6 kcal/mol). We attribute the latter result, in part, to contact between Val²¹⁷ and a natively bound squalene lipid, highlighting the contribution of membrane protein-lipid contacts not present in chemical denaturation assays. More generally, we established a platform for determining ΔΔG for a fully folded membrane protein embedded in its native bilayer.

Type III secretion system effector proteins are mechanically labile

Multiple gram-negative bacteria encode type III secretion systems (T3SS) that allow them to inject effector proteins directly into host cells to facilitate colonization. To be secreted, effector proteins must be at least partially unfolded to pass through the narrow needle-like channel (diameter <2 nm) of the T3SS. Fusion of effector proteins to tightly packed proteins-such as GFP, ubiquitin, or dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR)-impairs secretion and results in obstruction of the T3SS. Prior observation that unfolding can become rate-limiting for secretion has led to the model that T3SS effector proteins have low thermodynamic stability, facilitating their secretion. Here, we first show that the unfolding free energy ([Formula: see text]) of two Salmonella effector proteins, SptP and SopE2, are 6.9 and 6.0 kcal/mol, respectively, typical for globular proteins and similar to published [Formula: see text] for GFP, ubiquitin, and DHFR. Next, we mechanically unfolded individual SptP and SopE2 molecules by atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based force spectroscopy. SptP and SopE2 unfolded at low force (F _unfold ≤ 17 pN at 100 nm/s), making them among the most mechanically labile proteins studied to date by AFM. Moreover, their mechanical compliance is large, as measured by the distance to the transition state (Δx ^‡ = 1.6 and 1.5 nm for SptP and SopE2, respectively). In contrast, prior measurements of GFP, ubiquitin, and DHFR show them to be mechanically robust (F _unfold > 80 pN) and brittle (Δx ^‡ < 0.4 nm). These results suggest that effector protein unfolding by T3SS is a mechanical process and that mechanical lability facilitates efficient effector protein secretion.

The Non-dominant AAA+ Ring in the ClpAP Protease Functions as an Anti-stalling Motor to Accelerate Protein Unfolding and Translocation

ATP-powered unfoldases containing D1 and D2 AAA+ rings play important roles in protein homeostasis, but uncertainty about the function of each ring remains. Here we use single-molecule optical tweezers to assay mechanical unfolding and translocation by a variant of the ClpAP protease containing an ATPase-inactive D1 ring. This variant displays substantial mechanical defects in both unfolding and translocation of protein substrates. Notably, when D1 is hydrolytically inactive, ClpAP often stalls for times as long as minutes, and the substrate can back-slip through the enzyme when ATP concentrations are low. The inactive D1 variant also has more difficulty traveling in the N-to-C direction on a polypeptide track than it does moving in a C-to-N direction. These results indicate that D1 normally functions as an auxiliary/regulatory motor to promote uninterrupted enzyme advancement that is fueled largely by the D2 ring.

Cutting-Edge Single-Molecule Technologies Unveil New Mechanics in Cellular Biochemistry

Single-molecule technologies have expanded our ability to detect biological events individually, in contrast to ensemble biophysical technologies, where the result provides averaged information. Recent developments in atomic force microscopy have not only enabled us to distinguish the heterogeneous phenomena of individual molecules, but also allowed us to view up to the resolution of a single covalent bond. Similarly, optical tweezers, due to their versatility and precision, have emerged as a potent technique to dissect a diverse range of complex biological processes, from the nanomechanics of ClpXP protease-dependent degradation to force-dependent processivity of motor proteins. Despite the advantages of optical tweezers, the time scales used in this technology were inconsistent with physiological scenarios, which led to the development of magnetic tweezers, where proteins are covalently linked with the glass surface, which in turn increases the observation window of a single biomolecule from minutes to weeks. Unlike optical tweezers, magnetic tweezers use magnetic fields to impose torque, which makes them convenient for studying DNA topology and topoisomerase functioning. Using modified magnetic tweezers, researchers were able to discover the mechanical role of chaperones, which support their substrate proteinsby pulling them during translocation and assist their native folding as a mechanical foldase. In this article, we provide a focused review of many of these new roles of single-molecule technologies, ranging from single bond breaking to complex chaperone machinery, along with the potential to design mechanomedicine, which would be a breakthrough in pharmacological interventions against many diseases.