Membrane fission by dynamin: what we know and what we need to know

Membrane Tension Regulation is Required for Wound Repair

Disruptions of the eukaryotic plasma membrane due to chemical and mechanical challenges are frequent and detrimental and thus need to be repaired to maintain proper cell function and avoid cell death. However, the cellular mechanisms involved in wound resealing and restoration of homeostasis are diverse and contended. Here, it is shown that clathrin-mediated endocytosis is induced at later stages of plasma membrane wound repair following the actual resealing of the wound. This compensatory endocytosis occurs near the wound, predominantly at sites of previous early endosome exocytosis which is required in the initial stage of membrane resealing, suggesting a spatio-temporal co-ordination of exo- and endocytosis during wound repair. Using cytoskeletal alterations and modulations of membrane tension and membrane area, membrane tension is identified as a major regulator of the wounding-associated exo- and endocytic events that mediate efficient wound repair. Thus, membrane tension changes are a universal trigger for plasma membrane wound repair modulating the exocytosis of early endosomes required for resealing and subsequent clathrin-mediated endocytosis acting at later stages to restore cell homeostasis and function.

Assembly and fission of tubular carriers mediating protein sorting in endosomes

Endosomes are central protein-sorting stations at the crossroads of numerous membrane trafficking pathways in all eukaryotes. They have a key role in protein homeostasis and cellular signalling and are involved in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases. Endosome-associated protein assemblies or coats collect transmembrane cargo proteins and concentrate them into retrieval domains. These domains can extend into tubular carriers, which then pinch off from the endosomal membrane and deliver the cargoes to appropriate subcellular compartments. Here we discuss novel insights into the structure of a number of tubular membrane coats that mediate the recruitment of cargoes into these carriers, focusing on sorting nexin-based coats such as Retromer, Commander and ESCPE-1. We summarize current and emerging views of how selective tubular endosomal carriers form and detach from endosomes by fission, highlighting structural aspects, conceptual challenges and open questions.

Structural basis for GTPase activity and conformational changes of the bacterial dynamin-like protein SynDLP

SynDLP, a dynamin-like protein (DLP) encoded in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, has recently been identified to be structurally highly similar to eukaryotic dynamins. To elucidate structural changes during guanosine triphosphate (GTP) hydrolysis, we solved the cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of oligomeric full-length SynDLP after addition of guanosine diphosphate (GDP) at 4.1 Å and GTP at 3.6-Å resolution as well as a GMPPNP-bound dimer structure of a minimal G-domain construct of SynDLP at 3.8-Å resolution. In comparison with what has been seen in the previously resolved apo structure, we found that the G-domain is tilted upward relative to the stalk upon GTP hydrolysis and that the G-domain dimerizes via an additional extended dimerization domain not present in canonical G-domains. When incubated with lipid vesicles, we observed formation of irregular tubular SynDLP assemblies that interact with negatively charged lipids. Here, we provide the structural framework of a series of different functional SynDLP assembly states during GTP turnover.

Clathrin-associated carriers enable recycling through a kiss-and-run mechanism

Endocytosis and recycling control the uptake and retrieval of various materials, including membrane proteins and lipids, in all eukaryotic cells. These processes are crucial for cell growth, organization, function and environmental communication. However, the mechanisms underlying efficient, fast endocytic recycling remain poorly understood. Here, by utilizing a biosensor and imaging-based screening, we uncover a recycling mechanism that couples endocytosis and fast recycling, which we name the clathrin-associated fast endosomal recycling pathway (CARP). Clathrin-associated tubulovesicular carriers containing clathrin, AP1, Arf1, Rab1 and Rab11, while lacking the multimeric retrieval complexes, are generated at subdomains of early endosomes and then transported along actin to cell surfaces. Unexpectedly, the clathrin-associated recycling carriers undergo partial fusion with the plasma membrane. Subsequently, they are released from the membrane by dynamin and re-enter cells. Multiple receptors utilize and modulate CARP for fast recycling following endocytosis. Thus, CARP represents a previously unrecognized endocytic recycling mechanism with kiss-and-run membrane fusion.

Kinetic Landscape of Single Virus-like Particles Highlights the Efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 Internalization

The efficiency of virus internalization into target cells is a major determinant of infectivity. SARS-CoV-2 internalization occurs via S-protein-mediated cell binding followed either by direct fusion with the plasma membrane or endocytosis and subsequent fusion with the endosomal membrane. Despite the crucial role of virus internalization, the precise kinetics of the processes involved remains elusive. We developed a pipeline, which combines live-cell microscopy and advanced image analysis, for measuring the rates of multiple internalization-associated molecular events of single SARS-CoV-2-virus-like particles (VLPs), including endosome ingression and pH change. Our live-cell imaging experiments demonstrate that only a few minutes after binding to the plasma membrane, VLPs ingress into RAP5-negative endosomes via dynamin-dependent scission. Less than two minutes later, VLP speed increases in parallel with a pH drop below 5, yet these two events are not interrelated. By co-imaging fluorescently labeled nucleocapsid proteins, we show that nucleocapsid release occurs with similar kinetics to VLP acidification. Neither Omicron mutations nor abrogation of the S protein polybasic cleavage site affected the rate of VLP internalization, indicating that they do not confer any significant advantages or disadvantages during this process. Finally, we observe that VLP internalization occurs two to three times faster in VeroE6 than in A549 cells, which may contribute to the greater susceptibility of the former cell line to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Taken together, our precise measurements of the kinetics of VLP internalization-associated processes shed light on their contribution to the effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 propagation in cells.

Dynamins combine mechano-constriction and membrane remodeling to enable two-step mitochondrial fission via a 'snap-through' instability

Mitochondrial fission is controlled by dynamin proteins, the dysregulation of which is correlated with diverse diseases. Fission dynamins are GTP hydrolysis-driven mechanoenzymes that self-oligomerize into helical structures that constrict membrane to achieve fission, but details are not well understood. However, dynamins can also remodel membranes by inducing negative Gaussian curvature, the type of curvature required for completion of fission. Here, we examine how these drastically different mechanisms synergistically exert their influences on a membrane, via a mechanical model calibrated with small-angle X-ray scattering structural data. We find that free dynamin can trigger a "snap-through instability" that enforces a shape transition from an oligomer-confined cylindrical membrane to a drastically narrower catenoid-shaped neck within the spontaneous hemi-fission regime, in a manner that depends critically on the length of the confined tube. These results indicate how the combination of dynamin assembly, and paradoxically disassembly, can lead to diverse pathways to scission.

Antiviral Mx proteins have an ancient origin and widespread distribution among eukaryotes

First identified in mammals, Mx proteins are potent antivirals against a broad swathe of viruses. Mx proteins arose within the Dynamin superfamily of proteins (DSP), mediating critical cellular processes, such as endocytosis and mitochondrial, plastid, and peroxisomal dynamics. And yet, the evolutionary origins of Mx proteins are poorly understood. Using a series of phylogenomic analyses with stepwise increments in taxonomic coverage, we show that Mx proteins predate the interferon signaling system in vertebrates. Our analyses find an ancient monophyletic DSP lineage in eukaryotes that groups vertebrate and invertebrate Mx proteins with previously undescribed fungal MxF proteins, the relatively uncharacterized plant and algal Dynamin 4A/4C proteins, and representatives from several early-branching eukaryotic lineages. Thus, Mx-like proteins date back close to the origin of Eukarya. Our phylogenetic analyses also reveal that host-encoded and NCLDV (nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses)-encoded DSPs are interspersed in four distinct DSP lineages, indicating recurrent viral theft of host DSPs. Our analyses thus reveal an ancient history of viral and antiviral functions encoded by the Dynamin superfamily in eukaryotes.

Persistence of quantal synaptic vesicle recycling in virtual absence of dynamins

Dynamins are GTPases required for pinching vesicles off the plasma membrane once a critical curvature is reached during endocytosis. Here, we probed dynamin function in central synapses by depleting all three dynamin isoforms in postnatal hippocampal neurons down to negligible levels. We found a decrease in the propensity of evoked neurotransmission as well as a reduction in synaptic vesicle numbers. Recycling of synaptic vesicles during spontaneous or low levels of evoked activity were largely impervious to dynamin depletion, while retrieval of synaptic vesicle components at higher levels of activity was partially arrested. These results suggest the existence of balancing dynamin-independent mechanisms for synaptic vesicle recycling at central synapses. Classical dynamin-dependent mechanisms are not essential for retrieval of synaptic vesicle proteins after quantal single synaptic vesicle fusion, but they become more relevant for membrane retrieval during intense, sustained neuronal activity. KEY POINTS: Loss of dynamin 2 does not impair synaptic transmission. Loss of all three dynamin isoforms mostly affects evoked neurotransmission. Excitatory synapse function is more susceptible to dynamin loss. Spontaneous neurotransmission is only mildly affected by loss of dynamins. Single synaptic vesicle endocytosis is largely dynamin independent.

Cryo-EM structures of membrane-bound dynamin in a post-hydrolysis state primed for membrane fission

Dynamin assembles as a helical polymer at the neck of budding endocytic vesicles, constricting the underlying membrane as it progresses through the GTPase cycle to sever vesicles from the plasma membrane. Although atomic models of the dynamin helical polymer bound to guanosine triphosphate (GTP) analogs define earlier stages of membrane constriction, there are no atomic models of the assembled state post-GTP hydrolysis. Here, we used cryo-EM methods to determine atomic structures of the dynamin helical polymer assembled on lipid tubules, akin to necks of budding endocytic vesicles, in a guanosine diphosphate (GDP)-bound, super-constricted state. In this state, dynamin is assembled as a 2-start helix with an inner lumen of 3.4 nm, primed for spontaneous fission. Additionally, by cryo-electron tomography, we trapped dynamin helical assemblies within HeLa cells using the GTPase-defective dynamin K44A mutant and observed diverse dynamin helices, demonstrating that dynamin can accommodate a range of assembled complexes in cells that likely precede membrane fission.

Role of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity: A Brief Account

Cardiotoxicity is the main side effect of several chemotherapeutic drugs. Doxorubicin (Doxo) is one of the most used anthracyclines in the treatment of many tumors, but the development of acute and chronic cardiotoxicity limits its clinical usefulness. Different studies focused only on the effects of long-term Doxo administration, but recent data show that cardiomyocyte damage is an early event induced by Doxo after a single administration that can be followed by progressive functional decline, leading to overt heart failure. The knowledge of molecular mechanisms involved in the early stage of Doxo-induced cardiotoxicity is of paramount importance to treating and/or preventing it. This review aims to illustrate several mechanisms thought to underlie Doxo-induced cardiotoxicity, such as oxidative and nitrosative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, here we report data from both in vitro and in vivo studies indicating new therapeutic strategies to prevent Doxo-induced cardiotoxicity.

The endoplasmic reticulum connects to the nucleus by constricted junctions that mature after mitosis

Junctions between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the outer membrane of the nuclear envelope (NE) physically connect both organelles. These ER-NE junctions are essential for supplying the NE with lipids and proteins synthesized in the ER. However, little is known about the structure of these ER-NE junctions. Here, we systematically study the ultrastructure of ER-NE junctions in cryo-fixed mammalian cells staged in anaphase, telophase, and interphase by correlating live cell imaging with three-dimensional electron microscopy. Our results show that ER-NE junctions in interphase cells have a pronounced hourglass shape with a constricted neck of 7-20 nm width. This morphology is significantly distinct from that of junctions within the ER network, and their morphology emerges as early as telophase. The highly constricted ER-NE junctions are seen in several mammalian cell types, but not in budding yeast. We speculate that the unique and highly constricted ER-NE junctions are regulated via novel mechanisms that contribute to ER-to-NE lipid and protein traffic in higher eukaryotes.

The Structural and Functional Integrity of Rod Photoreceptor Ribbon Synapses Depends on Redundant Actions of Dynamins 1 and 3

Vertebrate vision begins with light absorption by rod and cone photoreceptors, which transmit signals from their synaptic terminals to second-order neurons: bipolar and horizontal cells. In mouse rods, there is a single presynaptic ribbon-type active zone at which the release of glutamate occurs tonically in the dark. This tonic glutamatergic signaling requires continuous exo- and endocytosis of synaptic vesicles. At conventional synapses, endocytosis commonly requires dynamins: GTPases encoded by three genes (Dnm1-3), which perform membrane scission. Disrupting endocytosis by dynamin deletions impairs transmission at conventional synapses, but the impact of disrupting endocytosis and the role(s) of specific dynamin isoforms at rod ribbon synapses are understood incompletely. Here, we used cell-specific knock-outs (KOs) of the neuron-specific Dnm1 and Dnm3 to investigate the functional roles of dynamin isoforms in rod photoreceptors in mice of either sex. Analysis of synaptic protein expression, synapse ultrastructure, and retinal function via electroretinograms (ERGs) showed that dynamins 1 and 3 act redundantly and are essential for supporting the structural and functional integrity of rod ribbon synapses. Single Dnm3 KO showed no phenotype, and single Dnm1 KO only modestly reduced synaptic vesicle density without affecting vesicle size and overall synapse integrity, whereas double Dnm1/Dnm3 KO impaired vesicle endocytosis profoundly, causing enlarged vesicles, reduced vesicle density, reduced ERG responses, synaptic terminal degeneration, and disassembly and degeneration of postsynaptic processes. Concurrently, cone function remained intact. These results show the fundamental redundancy of dynamins 1 and 3 in regulating the structure and function of rod ribbon synapses.

Mesoscopic elasticity controls dynamin-driven fission of lipid tubules

Mesoscale physics bridges the gap between the microscopic degrees of freedom of a system and its large-scale continuous behavior and highlights the role of a few key quantities in complex and multiscale phenomena, like dynamin-driven fission of lipid membranes. The dynamin protein wraps the neck formed during clathrin-mediated endocytosis, for instance, and constricts it until severing occurs. Although ubiquitous and fundamental for life, the cooperation between the GTP-consuming conformational changes within the protein and the full-scale response of the underlying lipid substrate is yet to be unraveled. In this work, we build an effective mesoscopic model from constriction to fission of lipid tubules based on continuum membrane elasticity and implicitly accounting for ratchet-like power strokes of dynamins. Localization of the fission event, the overall geometry, and the energy expenditure we predict comply with the major experimental findings. This bolsters the idea that a continuous picture emerges soon enough to relate dynamin polymerization length and membrane rigidity and tension with the optimal pathway to fission. We therefore suggest that dynamins found in in vivo processes may optimize their structure accordingly. Ultimately, we shed light on real-time conductance measurements available in literature and predict the fission time dependency on elastic parameters.

Comparing Multifunctional Viral and Eukaryotic Proteins for Generating Scission Necks in Membranes

Deterministic formation of membrane scission necks by protein machinery with multiplexed functions is critical in biology. A microbial example is M2 viroporin, a proton pump from the influenza A virus that is multiplexed with membrane remodeling activity to induce budding and scission in the host membrane during viral maturation. In comparison, the dynamin family constitutes a class of eukaryotic proteins implicated in mitochondrial fission, as well as various budding and endocytosis pathways. In the case of Dnm1, the mitochondrial fission protein in yeast, the membrane remodeling activity is multiplexed with mechanoenzyme activity to create fission necks. It is not clear why these functions are combined in these scission processes, which occur in drastically different compositions and solution conditions. In general, direct experimental access to changing neck sizes induced by individual proteins or peptide fragments is challenging due to the nanoscale dimensions and influence of thermal fluctuations. Here, we use a mechanical model to estimate the size of scission necks by leveraging small-angle X-ray scattering structural data of protein-lipid systems under different conditions. The influence of interfacial tension, lipid composition, and membrane budding morphology on the size of the induced scission necks is systematically investigated using our data and molecular dynamic simulations. We find that the M2 budding protein from the influenza A virus has robust pH-dependent membrane activity that induces nanoscopic necks within the range of spontaneous hemifission for a broad range of lipid compositions. In contrast, the sizes of scission necks generated by mitochondrial fission proteins strongly depend on lipid composition, which suggests a role for mechanical constriction.

A tripartite organelle platform links growth factor receptor signaling to mitochondrial metabolism

One open question in the biology of growth factor receptors is how a quantitative input (i.e., ligand concentration) is decoded by the cell to produce specific response(s). Here, we show that an EGFR endocytic mechanism, non-clathrin endocytosis (NCE), which is activated only at high ligand concentrations and targets receptor to degradation, requires a tripartite organelle platform involving the plasma membrane (PM), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. At these contact sites, EGFR-dependent, ER-generated Ca2+ oscillations are sensed by mitochondria, leading to increased metabolism and ATP production. Locally released ATP is required for cortical actin remodeling and EGFR-NCE vesicle fission. The same biochemical circuitry is also needed for an effector function of EGFR, i.e., collective motility. The multiorganelle signaling platform herein described mediates direct communication between EGFR signaling and mitochondrial metabolism, and is predicted to have a broad impact on cell physiology as it is activated by another growth factor receptor, HGFR/MET.

Clathrin mediates membrane fission and budding by constricting membrane pores

Membrane budding, which underlies fundamental processes like endocytosis, intracellular trafficking, and viral infection, is thought to involve membrane coat-forming proteins, including the most observed clathrin, to form Ω-shape profiles and helix-forming proteins like dynamin to constrict Ω-profiles' pores and thus mediate fission. Challenging this fundamental concept, we report that polymerized clathrin is required for Ω-profiles' pore closure and that clathrin around Ω-profiles' base/pore region mediates pore constriction/closure in neuroendocrine chromaffin cells. Mathematical modeling suggests that clathrin polymerization at Ω-profiles' base/pore region generates forces from its intrinsically curved shape to constrict/close the pore. This new fission function may exert broader impacts than clathrin's well-known coat-forming function during clathrin (coat)-dependent endocytosis, because it underlies not only clathrin (coat)-dependent endocytosis, but also diverse endocytic modes, including ultrafast, fast, slow, bulk, and overshoot endocytosis previously considered clathrin (coat)-independent in chromaffin cells. It mediates kiss-and-run fusion (fusion pore closure) previously considered bona fide clathrin-independent, and limits the vesicular content release rate. Furthermore, analogous to results in chromaffin cells, we found that clathrin is essential for fast and slow endocytosis at hippocampal synapses where clathrin was previously considered dispensable, suggesting clathrin in mediating synaptic vesicle endocytosis and fission. These results suggest that clathrin and likely other intrinsically curved coat proteins are a new class of fission proteins underlying vesicle budding and fusion. The half-a-century concept and studies that attribute vesicle-coat contents' function to Ω-profile formation and classify budding as coat-protein (e.g., clathrin)-dependent or -independent may need to be re-defined and re-examined by considering clathrin's pivotal role in pore constriction/closure.

Dynamin-dependent entry of Chlamydia trachomatis is sequentially regulated by the effectors TarP and TmeA

Chlamydia invasion of epithelial cells is a pathogen-driven process involving two functionally distinct effectors - TarP and TmeA. They collaborate to promote robust actin dynamics at sites of entry. Here, we extend studies on the molecular mechanism of invasion by implicating the host GTPase dynamin 2 (Dyn2) in the completion of pathogen uptake. Importantly, Dyn2 function is modulated by TarP and TmeA at the levels of recruitment and activation through oligomerization, respectively. TarP-dependent recruitment requires phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and the small GTPase Rac1, while TmeA has a post-recruitment role related to Dyn2 oligomerization. This is based on the rescue of invasion duration and efficiency in the absence of TmeA by the Dyn2 oligomer-stabilizing small molecule activator Ryngo 1-23. Notably, Dyn2 also regulated turnover of TarP- and TmeA-associated actin networks, with disrupted Dyn2 function resulting in aberrant turnover dynamics, thus establishing the interdependent functional relationship between Dyn2 and the effectors TarP and TmeA.

Drp1: Focus on Diseases Triggered by the Mitochondrial Pathway

Drp1 (Dynamin-Related Protein 1) is a cytoplasmic GTPase protein encoded by the DNM1L gene that influences mitochondrial dynamics by mediating mitochondrial fission processes. Drp1 has been demonstrated to play an important role in a variety of life activities such as cell survival, proliferation, migration, and death. Drp1 has been shown to play different physiological roles under different physiological conditions, such as normal and inflammation. Recently studies have revealed that Drp1 plays a critical role in the occurrence, development, and aggravation of a series of diseases, thereby it serves as a potential therapeutic target for them. In this paper, we review the structure and biological properties of Drp1, summarize the biological processes that occur in the inflammatory response to Drp1, discuss its role in various cancers triggered by the mitochondrial pathway and investigate effective methods for targeting Drp1 in cancer treatment. We also synthesized the phenomena of Drp1 involving in the triggering of other diseases. The results discussed herein contribute to our deeper understanding of mitochondrial kinetic pathway-induced diseases and their therapeutic applications. It is critical for advancing the understanding of the mechanisms of Drp1-induced mitochondrial diseases and preventive therapies.

Omegasomes control formation, expansion, and closure of autophagosomes

Autophagy, an essential cellular process for maintaining cellular homeostasis and eliminating harmful cytoplasmic objects, involves the de novo formation of double-membraned autophagosomes that engulf and degrade cellular debris, protein aggregates, damaged organelles, and pathogens. Central to this process is the phagophore, which forms from donor membranes rich in lipids synthesized at various cellular sites, including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which has emerged as a primary source. The ER-associated omegasomes, characterized by their distinctive omega-shaped structure and accumulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI3P), play a pivotal role in autophagosome formation. Omegasomes are thought to serve as platforms for phagophore assembly by recruiting essential proteins such as DFCP1/ZFYVE1 and facilitating lipid transfer to expand the phagophore. Despite the critical importance of phagophore biogenesis, many aspects remain poorly understood, particularly the complete range of proteins involved in omegasome dynamics, and the detailed mechanisms of lipid transfer and membrane contact site formation.

Role of the dynamin-related protein 2 family and SH3P2 in clathrin-mediated endocytosis in Arabidopsis thaliana

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is vital for the regulation of plant growth and development through controlling plasma membrane protein composition and cargo uptake. CME relies on the precise recruitment of regulators for vesicle maturation and release. Homologues of components of mammalian vesicle scission are strong candidates to be part of the scission machinery in plants, but the precise roles of these proteins in this process are not fully understood. Here, we characterised the roles of the plant dynamin-related protein 2 (DRP2) family (hereafter DRP2s) and SH3-domain containing protein 2 (SH3P2), the plant homologue to recruiters of dynamins, such as endophilin and amphiphysin, in CME by combining high-resolution imaging of endocytic events in vivo and characterisation of the purified proteins in vitro. Although DRP2s and SH3P2 arrive similarly late during CME and physically interact, genetic analysis of the sh3p123 triple mutant and complementation assays with non-SH3P2-interacting DRP2 variants suggest that SH3P2 does not directly recruit DRP2s to the site of endocytosis. These observations imply that, despite the presence of many well-conserved endocytic components, plants have acquired a distinct mechanism for CME.

ER-export and ARFRP1/AP-1-dependent delivery of SARS-CoV-2 Envelope to lysosomes controls late stages of viral replication

The β-coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Coronaviral Envelope (E) proteins are pentameric viroporins that play essential roles in assembly, release, and pathogenesis. We developed a nondisruptive tagging strategy for SARS-CoV-2 E and find that, at steady state, it localizes to the Golgi and to lysosomes. We identify sequences in E, conserved across Coronaviridae, responsible for endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi export, and relate this activity to interaction with COP-II via SEC24. Using proximity biotinylation, we identify an ADP ribosylation factor 1/adaptor protein-1 (ARFRP1/AP-1)-dependent pathway allowing Golgi-to-lysosome trafficking of E. We identify sequences in E that bind AP-1, are conserved across β-coronaviruses, and allow E to be trafficked from Golgi to lysosomes. We show that E acts to deacidify lysosomes and, by developing a trans-complementation assay for SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins, that lysosomal delivery of E and its viroporin activity is necessary for efficient viral replication and release.

Endocytic vesicles act as vehicles for glucose uptake in response to growth factor stimulation

Glycolysis is a fundamental cellular process, yet its regulatory mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that a subset of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1/SLC2A1) co-endocytoses with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor (PDGFR) upon PDGF-stimulation. Furthermore, multiple glycolytic enzymes localize to these endocytosed PDGFR/GLUT1-containing vesicles adjacent to mitochondria. Contrary to current models, which emphasize the importance of glucose transporters on the cell surface, we find that PDGF-stimulated glucose uptake depends on receptor/transporter endocytosis. Our results suggest that growth factors generate glucose-loaded endocytic vesicles that deliver glucose to the glycolytic machinery in proximity to mitochondria, and argue for a new layer of regulation for glycolytic control governed by cellular membrane dynamics.

Membrane fission via transmembrane contact

Division of intracellular organelles often correlates with additional membrane wrapping, e.g., by the endoplasmic reticulum or the outer mitochondrial membrane. Such wrapping plays a vital role in proteome and lipidome organization. However, how an extra membrane impacts the mechanics of the division has not been investigated. Here we combine fluorescence and cryo-electron microscopy experiments with self-consistent field theory to explore the stress-induced instabilities imposed by membrane wrapping in a simple double-membrane tubular system. We find that, at physiologically relevant conditions, the outer membrane facilitates an alternative pathway for the inner-tube fission through the formation of a transient contact (hemi-fusion) between both membranes. A detailed molecular theory of the fission pathways in the double membrane system reveals the topological complexity of the process, resulting both in leaky and leakless intermediates, with energies and topologies predicting physiological events.

A live cell imaging-based assay for tracking particle uptake by clathrin-mediated endocytosis

A popular strategy for therapeutic delivery to cells and tissues is to encapsulate therapeutics inside particles that cells internalize via endocytosis. The efficacy of particle uptake by endocytosis is often studied in bulk using flow cytometry and Western blot analysis and confirmed using confocal microscopy. However, these techniques do not reveal the detailed dynamics of particle internalization and how the inherent heterogeneity of many types of particles may impact their endocytic uptake. Toward addressing these gaps, here we present a live-cell imaging-based method that utilizes total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy to track the uptake of a large ensemble of individual particles in parallel, as they interact with the cellular endocytic machinery. To analyze the resulting data, we employ an open-source tracking algorithm in combination with custom data filters. This analysis reveals the dynamic interactions between particles and endocytic structures, which determine the probability of particle uptake. In particular, our approach can be used to examine how variations in the physical properties of particles (size, targeting, rigidity), as well as heterogeneity within the particle population, impact endocytic uptake. These data impact the design of particles toward more selective and efficient delivery of therapeutics to cells.

Mechanisms of mitochondrial reorganization

The cytoplasm of eukaryotes is dynamically zoned by membrane-bound and membraneless organelles. Cytoplasmic zoning allows various biochemical reactions to take place at the right time and place. Mitochondrion is a membrane-bound organelle that provides a zone for intracellular energy production and metabolism of lipids and iron. A key feature of mitochondria is their high dynamics: mitochondria constantly undergo fusion and fission, and excess or damaged mitochondria are selectively eliminated by mitophagy. Therefore, mitochondria are appropriate model systems to understand dynamic cytoplasmic zoning by membrane organelles. In this review, we summarize the molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial fusion and fission as well as mitophagy unveiled through studies using yeast and mammalian models.

Curvature sensing of curvature-inducing proteins with internal structure

Many types of peripheral and transmembrane proteins can sense and generate membrane curvature. Laterally isotropic proteins and crescent proteins with twofold rotational symmetry, such as Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs superfamily proteins, have been studied theoretically. However, proteins often have an asymmetric structure or a higher rotational symmetry. We studied theoretically the curvature sensing of proteins with asymmetric structures and structural deformations. First, we examined proteins consisting of two rodlike segments. When proteins have mirror symmetry, their sensing ability is similar to that of single-rod proteins; hence, with increasing protein density on a cylindrical membrane tube, a second- or first-order transition occurs at a middle or small tube radius, respectively. As asymmetry is introduced, this transition becomes a continuous change and metastable states appear at high protein densities. Protein with threefold, fivefold, or higher rotational symmetry has laterally isotropic bending energy. However, when a structural deformation is allowed, the protein can have a preferred orientation and stronger curvature sensing.

Comparing multifunctional viral and eukaryotic proteins for generating scission necks in membranes

Deterministic formation of membrane scission necks by protein machinery with multiplexed functions is critical in biology. A microbial example is the M2 viroporin, a proton pump from the influenza A virus which is multiplexed with membrane remodeling activity to induce budding and scission in the host membrane during viral maturation. In comparison, the dynamin family constitutes a class of eukaryotic proteins implicated in mitochondrial fission, as well as various budding and endocytosis pathways. In the case of Dnm1, the mitochondrial fission protein in yeast, the membrane remodeling activity is multiplexed with mechanoenzyme activity to create fission necks. It is not clear why these functions are combined in these scission processes, which occur in drastically different compositions and solution conditions. In general, direct experimental access to changing neck sizes induced by individual proteins or peptide fragments is challenging due to the nanoscale dimensions and influence of thermal fluctuations. Here, we use a mechanical model to estimate the size of scission necks by leveraging Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) structural data of protein-lipid systems under different conditions. The influence of interfacial tension, lipid composition, and membrane budding morphology on the size of the induced scission necks is systematically investigated using our data and molecular dynamic simulations. We find that the M2 budding protein from the influenza A virus has robust pH-dependent membrane activity that induces nanoscopic necks within the range of spontaneous hemi-fission for a broad range of lipid compositions. In contrast, the sizes of scission necks generated by mitochondrial fission proteins strongly depend on lipid composition, which suggests a role for mechanical constriction.

Membrane transformations of fusion and budding

Membrane fusion and budding mediate fundamental processes like intracellular trafficking, exocytosis, and endocytosis. Fusion is thought to open a nanometer-range pore that may subsequently close or dilate irreversibly, whereas budding transforms flat membranes into vesicles. Reviewing recent breakthroughs in real-time visualization of membrane transformations well exceeding this classical view, we synthesize a new model and describe its underlying mechanistic principles and functions. Fusion involves hemi-to-full fusion, pore expansion, constriction and/or closure while fusing vesicles may shrink, enlarge, or receive another vesicle fusion; endocytosis follows exocytosis primarily by closing Ω-shaped profiles pre-formed through the flat-to-Λ-to-Ω-shape transition or formed via fusion. Calcium/SNARE-dependent fusion machinery, cytoskeleton-dependent membrane tension, osmotic pressure, calcium/dynamin-dependent fission machinery, and actin/dynamin-dependent force machinery work together to generate fusion and budding modes differing in pore status, vesicle size, speed and quantity, controls release probability, synchronization and content release rates/amounts, and underlies exo-endocytosis coupling to maintain membrane homeostasis. These transformations, underlying mechanisms, and functions may be conserved for fusion and budding in general.

Impairment of Autophagic Flux After Hypobaric Hypoxia Potentiates Oxidative Stress and Cognitive Function Disturbances in Mice

Acute hypobaric hypoxic brain damage is a potentially fatal high-altitude sickness. Autophagy plays a critical role in ischemic brain injury, but its role in hypobaric hypoxia (HH) remains unknown. Here we used an HH chamber to demonstrate that acute HH exposure impairs autophagic activity in both the early and late stages of the mouse brain, and is partially responsible for HH-induced oxidative stress, neuronal loss, and brain damage. The autophagic agonist rapamycin only promotes the initiation of autophagy. By proteome analysis, a screen showed that protein dynamin2 (DNM2) potentially regulates autophagic flux. Overexpression of DNM2 significantly increased the formation of autolysosomes, thus maintaining autophagic flux in combination with rapamycin. Furthermore, the enhancement of autophagic activity attenuated oxidative stress and neurological deficits after HH exposure. These results contribute to evidence supporting the conclusion that DNM2-mediated autophagic flux represents a new therapeutic target in HH-induced brain damage.

Hsc70 phosphorylation patterns and calmodulin regulate AP2 Clathrin-Coated-Vesicle life span for cell adhesion protein transport

AP2 forms AP2 CCV with clathrin and over 60 additional coat proteins. Due to this complexity, we have a limited understanding of CCV life cycle regulation. Synapses contain canonical AP2 CCV, canCCV, and more stable, thereby longer lived, AP2 CCV. The more stable AP2 CCV can be distinguished from canCCV due to the stable binding of Hsc70 to clathrin. The AP1/σ1B complex knockout leads to impaired synaptic vesicle recycling and altered endosomal protein sorting. This causes as a secondary phenotype the twofold upregulation of endocytosis by canCCV and by more stable AP2 CCV. These stable CCV are more stabilized than their wt counterpart, hence stCCV. They have less of the uncoating proteins synaptojanin1 and Hsc70, and more of the coat stabilizing AAK1. Hsc70 clathrin dissociation activity is regulated by complex phosphorylation patterns. Two major groups of hyper- and of hypo-phosphorylated Hsc70 proteins are formed. The latter are enriched in wt stable CCV and stabilized stCCV. Hsc70 T265 phosphorylation regulates binding of CaM/Ca2+. CaM/Ca2+ binding to the T265 domain blocks Hsc70 homodimerization and its concentration in stCCV required for clathrin disassembly. Kinases DYRK1A and CaMK-IIδ can phosphorylate T265 preventing CaM/Ca2+ binding. Their and the levels of STK38L and STK39/Cab39, which are able to phosphorylate additional Hsc70 residues are reduced in stCCV. The stCCV pathway sorts specifically the cell adhesion proteins CHL1 and Neurocan, supporting our model of that the stCCV pathway fulfills specific functions in synaptic plasticity.

Dynamin A as a one-component division machinery for synthetic cells

Membrane abscission, the final cut of the last connection between emerging daughter cells, is an indispensable event in the last stage of cell division and in other cellular processes such as endocytosis, virus release or bacterial sporulation. However, its mechanism remains poorly understood, impeding its application as a cell-division machinery for synthetic cells. Here we use fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching measurements to study the in vitro reconstitution of the bacterial protein dynamin A inside liposomes. Upon external reshaping of the liposomes into dumbbells, dynamin A self-assembles at the membrane neck, resulting in membrane hemi-scission and even full scission. Dynamin A proteins constitute a simple one-component division machinery capable of splitting dumbbell-shaped liposomes, marking an important step towards building a synthetic cell.

Kinetic investigation reveals an HIV-1 Nef-dependent increase in AP-2 recruitment and productivity at endocytic sites

The HIV-1 accessory protein Nef hijacks clathrin adaptors to degrade or mislocalize host proteins involved in antiviral defenses. Here, using quantitative live-cell microscopy in genome-edited Jurkat cells, we investigate the impact of Nef on clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), a major pathway for membrane protein internalization in mammalian cells. Nef is recruited to CME sites on the plasma membrane, and this recruitment is associated with an increase in the recruitment and lifetime of the CME coat protein AP-2 and the late-arriving CME protein dynamin2. Furthermore, we find that CME sites that recruit Nef are more likely to recruit dynamin2 and transferrin, suggesting that Nef recruitment to CME sites promotes site maturation to ensure high efficiency in host protein downregulation. Implications of these observations for HIV-1 infection are discussed.

Roles of ESCRT-III polymers in cell division across the tree of life

Every cell becomes two through a carefully orchestrated process of division. Prior to division, contractile machinery must first be assembled at the cell midzone to ensure that the cut, when it is made, bisects the two separated copies of the genetic material. Second, this contractile machinery must be dynamically tethered to the limiting plasma membrane so as to bring the membrane with it as it constricts. Finally, the connecting membrane must be severed to generate two physically separate daughter cells. In several organisms across the tree of life, Endosomal Sorting Complex Required for Transport (ESCRT)-III family proteins aid cell division by forming composite polymers that function together with the Vps4 AAA-ATPase to constrict and cut the membrane tube connecting nascent daughter cells from the inside. In this review, we discuss unique features of ESCRT-III that enable it to play this role in division in many archaea and eukaryotes.

Amyloid-Beta Peptides 40 and 42 Employ Distinct Molecular Pathways for Cell Entry and Intracellular Transit at the Blood-Brain Barrier Endothelium

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays a critical role in maintaining the equilibrium between amyloid beta (Aβ) levels in blood and the brain by regulating Aβ transport. Our previous publications demonstrated that BBB trafficking of Aβ42 and Aβ40 is distinct and is disrupted under various pathophysiological conditions. However, the intracellular mechanisms that allow BBB endothelium to differentially handle Aβ40 and Aβ42 have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, we identified mechanisms of Aβ endocytosis in polarized human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell monolayers. Our studies demonstrated that Aβ peptides with fluorescent label (F-Aβ) were internalized by BBB endothelial cells via energy, dynamin, and actin-dependent endocytosis. Interestingly, endocytosis of F-Aβ40 but not F-Aβ42 was substantially reduced by clathrin inhibition, whereas F-Aβ42 but not F-Aβ40 endocytosis was reduced by half after inhibiting the caveolae-mediated pathway. Following endocytosis, both isoforms were sorted by the endo-lysosomal system. Although Aβ42 was shown to accumulate more in the lysosomes, which could lead to its higher degradation and/or aggregation at lower lysosomal pH, Aβ40 demonstrated robust accumulation in recycling endosomes, which may facilitate its exocytosis by the endothelial cells. These results provide a mechanistic insight into the selective ability of BBB endothelium to transport Aβ40 versus Aβ42. This knowledge contributes to the understanding of molecular pathways underlying Aβ accumulation in the BBB endothelium and associated BBB dysfunction. Moreover, it allows us to establish mechanistic rationale for altered Aβ40:Aβ42 ratios and anomalous amyloid deposition in the cerebral vasculature as well as brain parenchyma during Alzheimer's disease progression. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Differential interaction of Aβ40 and Aβ42 isoforms with the blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelium may contribute to perturbation in Aβ42:Aβ40 ratio, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression and severity. The current study identified distinct molecular pathways by which Aβ40 and Aβ42 are trafficked at the BBB, which regulates equilibrium between blood and brain Aβ levels. These findings provide molecular insights into mechanisms that engender BBB dysfunction and promote Aβ accumulation in AD brain.

MTM1 overexpression prevents and reverts BIN1-related centronuclear myopathy

Centronuclear and myotubular myopathies (CNM) are rare and severe genetic diseases associated with muscle weakness and atrophy as well as intracellular disorganization of myofibres. The main mutated proteins control lipid and membrane dynamics and are the lipid phosphatase myotubularin (MTM1), and the membrane remodelling proteins amphiphysin 2 (BIN1) and dynamin 2 (DNM2). There is no available therapy. Here, to validate a novel therapeutic strategy for BIN1- and DNM2-CNM, we evaluated adeno-associated virus-mediated MTM1 (AAV-MTM1 ) overexpression in relevant mouse models. Early systemic MTM1 overexpression prevented the development of the CNM pathology in Bin1mck-/- mice, while late intramuscular MTM1 expression partially reverted the established phenotypes after only 4 weeks of treatment. However, AAV-MTM1 injection did not change the DNM2-CNM mouse phenotypes. We investigated the mechanism of the rescue of the myopathy in BIN1-CNM and found that the lipid phosphatase activity of MTM1 was essential for the rescue of muscle atrophy and myofibre hypotrophy but dispensable for the rescue of myofibre disorganization including organelle mis-position and T-tubule defects. Furthermore, the improvement of T-tubule organization correlated with normalization of key regulators of T-tubule morphogenesis, dysferlin and caveolin. Overall, these data support the inclusion of BIN1-CNM patients in an AAV-MTM1 clinical trial.

Mechanisms and Functions of Activity-Regulated Cytoskeleton-Associated Protein in Synaptic Plasticity

Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) is one of the most important regulators of cognitive functions in the brain regions. As a hub protein, Arc plays different roles in modulating synaptic plasticity. Arc supports the maintenance of long-term potentiation (LTP) by regulating actin cytoskeletal dynamics, while it guides the endocytosis of AMPAR in long-term depression (LTD). Moreover, Arc can self-assemble into capsids, leading to a new way of communicating among neurons. The transcription and translation of the immediate early gene Arc are rigorous procedures guided by numerous factors, and RNA polymerase II (Pol II) is considered to regulate the precise timing dynamics of gene expression. Since astrocytes can secrete brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and L-lactate, their unique roles in Arc expression are emphasized. Here, we review the entire process of Arc expression and summarize the factors that can affect Arc expression and function, including noncoding RNAs, transcription factors, and posttranscriptional regulations. We also attempt to review the functional states and mechanisms of Arc in modulating synaptic plasticity. Furthermore, we discuss the recent progress in understanding the roles of Arc in the occurrence of major neurological disorders and provide new thoughts for future research on Arc.

Orientia tsutsugamushi: A life between escapes

The life cycle of the mite-borne, obligate intracellular pathogen Orientia tsutsugamushi (Ot), the causative agent of human scrub typhus, differs in many aspects from that of other members of the Rickettsiales order. Particularly, the nonlytic cellular exit of individual Ot bacteria at the plasma membrane closely resembles the budding of enveloped viruses but has only been rudimentarily studied at the molecular level. This brief article is focused on the current state of knowledge of escape events in the life cycle of Ot and highlights differences in strategies of other rickettsiae.

Endocytic pathways of pathogenic protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases

Endocytosis is the fundamental uptake process through which cells internalize extracellular materials and species. Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are characterized by a progressive accumulation of intrinsically disordered protein species, leading to neuronal death. Misfolding in many proteins leads to various NDs such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other disorders. Despite the significance of disordered protein species in neurodegeneration, their spread between cells and the cellular uptake of extracellular species is not entirely understood. This review discusses the major internalization mechanisms of the different conformer species of these proteins and their endocytic mechanisms. We briefly introduce the broad types of endocytic mechanisms found in cells and then summarize what is known about the endocytosis of monomeric, oligomeric and aggregated conformations of tau, Aβ, α-Syn, Huntingtin, Prions, SOD1, TDP-43 and other proteins associated with neurodegeneration. We also highlight the key players involved in internalizing these disordered proteins and the several techniques and approaches to identify their endocytic mechanisms. Finally, we discuss the obstacles involved in studying the endocytosis of these protein species and the need to develop better techniques to elucidate the uptake mechanisms of a particular disordered protein species.

Dynamin-dependent entry of Chlamydia trachomatis is sequentially regulated by the effectors TarP and TmeA

Chlamydia invasion of epithelial cells is a pathogen-driven process involving two functionally distinct effectors - TarP and TmeA. They collaborate to promote robust actin dynamics at sites of entry. Here, we extend studies on the molecular mechanism of invasion by implicating the host GTPase dynamin 2 (Dyn2) in the completion of pathogen uptake. Importantly, Dyn2 function is modulated by TarP and TmeA at the levels of recruitment and activation through oligomerization, respectively. TarP-dependent recruitment requires phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and the small GTPase Rac1, while TmeA has a post-recruitment role related to Dyn2 oligomerization. This is based on the rescue of invasion duration and efficiency in the absence of TmeA by the Dyn2 oligomer-stabilizing small molecule activator Ryngo 1-23. Notably, Dyn2 also regulated turnover of TarP- and TmeA-associated actin networks, with disrupted Dyn2 function resulting in aberrant turnover dynamics, thus establishing the interdependent functional relationship between Dyn2 and the effectors TarP and TmeA.

Respiratory syncytial virus entry mechanism in host cells: A general overview

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus that causes acute respiratory infections in neonates and older adults. To infect host cells, the attachment glycoprotein (G) interacts with a cell surface receptor. This interaction determines the specific cell types that are susceptible to infection. RSV possesses a type I fusion protein F. Type I fusion proteins are metastable when rearrangement of the prefusion F occurs; the fusion peptide is exposed transforming the protein into postfusion form. The transition between the prefusion form and its postfusion form facilitates the viral envelope and the host cell membrane to fuse, enabling the virus to enter the host cell. Understanding the entry mechanism employed by RSV is crucial for developing effective antiviral therapies. In this review, we will discuss the various types of viral fusion proteins and explore the potential entry mechanisms utilized by RSV. A deeper understanding of these mechanisms will provide valuable insights for the development of novel approaches to treat RSV infections.

Pleckstrin Homology [PH] domain, structure, mechanism, and contribution to human disease

The pleckstrin homology [PH] domain is a structural fold found in more than 250 proteins making it the 11th most common domain in the human proteome. 25% of family members have more than one PH domain and some PH domains are split by one, or several other, protein domains although still folding to give functioning PH domains. We review mechanisms of PH domain activity, the role PH domain mutation plays in human disease including cancer, hyperproliferation, neurodegeneration, inflammation, and infection, and discuss pharmacotherapeutic approaches to regulate PH domain activity for the treatment of human disease. Almost half PH domain family members bind phosphatidylinositols [PIs] that attach the host protein to cell membranes where they interact with other membrane proteins to give signaling complexes or cytoskeleton scaffold platforms. A PH domain in its native state may fold over other protein domains thereby preventing substrate access to a catalytic site or binding with other proteins. The resulting autoinhibition can be released by PI binding to the PH domain, or by protein phosphorylation thus providing fine tuning of the cellular control of PH domain protein activity. For many years the PH domain was thought to be undruggable until high-resolution structures of human PH domains allowed structure-based design of novel inhibitors that selectively bind the PH domain. Allosteric inhibitors of the Akt1 PH domain have already been tested in cancer patients and for proteus syndrome, with several other PH domain inhibitors in preclinical development for treatment of other human diseases.

Reversal of cell, circuit and seizure phenotypes in a mouse model of DNM1 epileptic encephalopathy

Dynamin-1 is a large GTPase with an obligatory role in synaptic vesicle endocytosis at mammalian nerve terminals. Heterozygous missense mutations in the dynamin-1 gene (DNM1) cause a novel form of epileptic encephalopathy, with pathogenic mutations clustering within regions required for its essential GTPase activity. We reveal the most prevalent pathogenic DNM1 mutation, R237W, disrupts dynamin-1 enzyme activity and endocytosis when overexpressed in central neurons. To determine how this mutation impacted cell, circuit and behavioural function, we generated a mouse carrying the R237W mutation. Neurons from heterozygous mice display dysfunctional endocytosis, in addition to altered excitatory neurotransmission and seizure-like phenotypes. Importantly, these phenotypes are corrected at the cell, circuit and in vivo level by the drug, BMS-204352, which accelerates endocytosis. Here, we demonstrate a credible link between dysfunctional endocytosis and epileptic encephalopathy, and importantly reveal that synaptic vesicle recycling may be a viable therapeutic target for monogenic intractable epilepsies.

The sulfonadyns: a class of aryl sulfonamides inhibiting dynamin I GTPase and clathrin mediated endocytosis are anti-seizure in animal models

We show that dansylcadaverine (1) a known in-cell inhibitor of clathrin mediated endocytosis (CME), moderately inhibits dynamin I (dynI) GTPase activity (IC50 45 μM) and transferrin (Tfn) endocytosis in U2OS cells (IC50 205 μM). Synthesis gave a new class of GTP-competitive dynamin inhibitors, the Sulfonadyns™. The introduction of a terminal cinnamyl moiety greatly enhanced dynI inhibition. Rigid diamine or amide links between the dansyl and cinnamyl moieties were detrimental to dynI inhibition. Compounds with in vitro inhibition of dynI activity <10 μM were tested in-cell for inhibition of CME. These data unveiled a number of compounds, e.g. analogues 33 ((E)-N-(6-{[(3-(4-bromophenyl)-2-propen-1-yl]amino}hexyl)-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide)) and 47 ((E)-N-(3-{[3-(4-bromophenyl)-2-propen-1-yl]amino}propyl)-1-naphthalenesulfonamide)isomers that showed dyn IC50 <4 μM, IC50(CME) <30 μM and IC50(SVE) from 12-265 μM. Both analogues (33 and 47) are at least 10 times more potent that the initial lead, dansylcadaverine (1). Enzyme kinetics revealed these sulfonamide analogues as being GTP competitive inhibitors of dynI. Sulfonadyn-47, the most potent SVE inhibitor observed (IC50(SVE) = 12.3 μM), significantly increased seizure threshold in a 6 Hz mouse psychomotor seizure test at 30 (p = 0.003) and 100 mg kg-1 ip (p < 0.0001), with similar anti-seizure efficacy to the established anti-seizure medication, sodium valproate (400 mg kg-1). The Sulfonadyn™ class of drugs target dynamin and show promise as novel leads for future anti-seizure medications.

Endocytosis gated by emergent properties of membrane-clathrin interactions

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), the major cellular entry pathway, starts when clathrin assembles on the plasma membrane into clathrin-coated pits (CCPs). Two populations of CCPs are detected within the same cell: 'productive' CCPs that invaginate and pinch off, forming clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) [1, 2], and 'abortive' CCPs [3, 4, 5] that prematurely disassemble. The mechanisms of gating between these two populations and their relations to the functions of dozens of early-acting endocytic accessory proteins (EAPs) [5, 6, 7, 8, 9] have remained elusive. Here, we use experimentally-guided modeling to integrate the clathrin machinery and membrane mechanics in a single dynamical system. We show that the split between the two populations is an emergent property of this system, in which a switch between an Open state and a Closed state follows from the competition between the chemical energy of the clathrin basket and the mechanical energy of membrane bending. In silico experiments revealed an abrupt transition between the two states that acutely depends on the strength of the clathrin basket. This critical strength is lowered by membrane-bending EAPs [10, 11, 12]. Thus, CME is poised to be shifted between abortive and productive events by small changes in membrane curvature and/or coat stability. This model clarifies the workings of a putative endocytic checkpoint whose existence was previously proposed based on statistical analyses of the lifetime distributions of CCPs [4, 13]. Overall, a mechanistic framework is established to elucidate the diverse and redundant functions of EAPs in regulating CME progression.

Targeting mitochondrial dynamics proteins for the treatment of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an extensively used chemotherapeutic agent that can cause severe and frequent cardiotoxicity, which limits its clinical application. Although there have been extensive researches on the cardiotoxicity caused by DOX, there is still a lack of effective treatment. It is necessary to understand the molecular mechanism of DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and search for new therapeutic targets which do not sacrifice their anticancer effects. Mitochondria are considered to be the main target of cardiotoxicity caused by DOX. The imbalance of mitochondrial dynamics characterized by increased mitochondrial fission and inhibited mitochondrial fusion is often reported in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, which can result in excessive ROS production, energy metabolism disorders, cell apoptosis, and various other problems. Also, mitochondrial dynamics disorder is related to tumorigenesis. Surprisingly, recent studies show that targeting mitochondrial dynamics proteins such as DRP1 and MFN2 can not only defend against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity but also enhance or not impair the anticancer effect. Herein, we summarize mitochondrial dynamics disorder in DOX-induced cardiac injury. Furthermore, we provide an overview of current pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions targeting proteins involved in mitochondrial dynamics to alleviate cardiac damage caused by DOX.

A centronuclear myopathy-causing mutation in dynamin-2 disrupts neuronal morphology and excitatory synaptic transmission in a murine model of the disease

AIMS

Dynamin-2 is a large GTPase, a member of the dynamin superfamily that regulates membrane remodelling and cytoskeleton dynamics. Mutations in the dynamin-2 gene (DNM2) cause autosomal dominant centronuclear myopathy (CNM), a congenital neuromuscular disorder characterised by progressive weakness and atrophy of the skeletal muscles. Cognitive defects have been reported in some DNM2-linked CNM patients suggesting that these mutations can also affect the central nervous system (CNS). Here we studied how a dynamin-2 CNM-causing mutation influences the CNS function.

METHODS

Heterozygous mice harbouring the p.R465W mutation in the dynamin-2 gene (HTZ), the most common causing autosomal dominant CNM, were used as disease model. We evaluated dendritic arborisation and spine density in hippocampal cultured neurons, analysed excitatory synaptic transmission by electrophysiological field recordings in hippocampal slices, and evaluated cognitive function by performing behavioural tests.

RESULTS

HTZ hippocampal neurons exhibited reduced dendritic arborisation and lower spine density than WT neurons, which was reversed by transfecting an interference RNA against the dynamin-2 mutant allele. Additionally, HTZ mice showed defective hippocampal excitatory synaptic transmission and reduced recognition memory compared to the WT condition.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that the dynamin-2 p.R465W mutation perturbs the synaptic and cognitive function in a CNM mouse model and support the idea that this GTPase plays a key role in regulating neuronal morphology and excitatory synaptic transmission in the hippocampus.

Structural mechanism of mitochondrial membrane remodelling by human OPA1

Distinct morphologies of the mitochondrial network support divergent metabolic and regulatory processes that determine cell function and fate1-3. The mechanochemical GTPase optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) influences the architecture of cristae and catalyses the fusion of the mitochondrial inner membrane4,5. Despite its fundamental importance, the molecular mechanisms by which OPA1 modulates mitochondrial morphology are unclear. Here, using a combination of cellular and structural analyses, we illuminate the molecular mechanisms that are key to OPA1-dependent membrane remodelling and fusion. Human OPA1 embeds itself into cardiolipin-containing membranes through a lipid-binding paddle domain. A conserved loop within the paddle domain inserts deeply into the bilayer, further stabilizing the interactions with cardiolipin-enriched membranes. OPA1 dimerization through the paddle domain promotes the helical assembly of a flexible OPA1 lattice on the membrane, which drives mitochondrial fusion in cells. Moreover, the membrane-bending OPA1 oligomer undergoes conformational changes that pull the membrane-inserting loop out of the outer leaflet and contribute to the mechanics of membrane remodelling. Our findings provide a structural framework for understanding how human OPA1 shapes mitochondrial morphology and show us how human disease mutations compromise OPA1 functions.

Endocytic vesicles act as vehicles for glucose uptake in response to growth factor stimulation

Glycolysis is a fundamental cellular process, yet its regulatory mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that a subset of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1/SLC2A1) co-endocytoses with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor (PDGFR) upon PDGF-stimulation. Furthermore, multiple glycolytic enzymes localize to these endocytosed PDGFR/GLUT1-containing vesicles adjacent to mitochondria. Contrary to current models, which emphasize the importance of glucose transporters on the cell surface, we find that PDGF-stimulated glucose uptake depends on receptor/transporter endocytosis. Our results suggest that growth factors generate glucose-loaded endocytic vesicles that deliver glucose to the glycolytic machinery in proximity to mitochondria, and argue for a new layer of regulation for glycolytic control governed by cellular membrane dynamics.

ATPase activity of DFCP1 controls selective autophagy

Cellular homeostasis is governed by removal of damaged organelles and protein aggregates by selective autophagy mediated by cargo adaptors such as p62/SQSTM1. Autophagosomes can assemble in specialized cup-shaped regions of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) known as omegasomes, which are characterized by the presence of the ER protein DFCP1/ZFYVE1. The function of DFCP1 is unknown, as are the mechanisms of omegasome formation and constriction. Here, we demonstrate that DFCP1 is an ATPase that is activated by membrane binding and dimerizes in an ATP-dependent fashion. Whereas depletion of DFCP1 has a minor effect on bulk autophagic flux, DFCP1 is required to maintain the autophagic flux of p62 under both fed and starved conditions, and this is dependent on its ability to bind and hydrolyse ATP. While DFCP1 mutants defective in ATP binding or hydrolysis localize to forming omegasomes, these omegasomes fail to constrict properly in a size-dependent manner. Consequently, the release of nascent autophagosomes from large omegasomes is markedly delayed. While knockout of DFCP1 does not affect bulk autophagy, it inhibits selective autophagy, including aggrephagy, mitophagy and micronucleophagy. We conclude that DFCP1 mediates ATPase-driven constriction of large omegasomes to release autophagosomes for selective autophagy.