An experimentally based computer search identifies unstructured membrane-binding sites in proteins: application to class I myosins, PAKS, and CARMIL

Myo1e binds anionic phospholipids with high affinity

Myo1e is a single-headed motor protein that has been shown to play roles in clathrin-mediated endocytosis in HeLa cells and podocyte function in the kidney. The myo1e C-terminal tail domain includes a basic region that is required for localization to clathrin-coated vesicles and contains a putative pleckstrin-homology (PH) domain that has been shown to play a role in phospholipid binding in other myosin-I proteins. We used sedimentation assays, stopped-flow fluorescence, and fluorescence microscopy to determine the membrane binding affinities, kinetics, and in vivo localization of fluorescently labeled recombinant myo1e-tail constructs. We found that the myo1e tail binds tightly to large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) containing physiological concentrations of the anionic phospholipids phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P(2)) or phosphatidylserine. The rate of myo1e attachment to LUVs nears the diffusion limit while the calculated rate of detachment from LUVs is slow (k(diss) ≤ 0.4 s(-1)). Mutation of conserved residues in the myo1e PH domain has little effect on lipid binding in vitro or membrane localization in vivo. Soluble inositol phosphate headgroups, such as inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, can compete with PtdIns(4,5)P(2) for binding, but the apparent affinity for the soluble inositol phosphate is substantially lower than that for PtdIns(4,5)P(2). These results suggest that myo1e binds lipids through nonspecific electrostatic interactions rather than a stereospecific protein-phosphoinositide interaction.

Family 6 glycosyltransferases in vertebrates and bacteria: inactivation and horizontal gene transfer may enhance mutualism between vertebrates and bacteria

Glycosyltransferases (GTs) control the synthesis and structures of glycans. Inactivation and intense allelic variation in members of the GT6 family generate species-specific and individual variations in carbohydrate structures, including histo-blood group oligosaccharides, resulting in anti-glycan antibodies that target glycan-decorated pathogens. GT6 genes are ubiquitous in vertebrates but are otherwise rare, existing in a few bacteria, one protozoan, and cyanophages, suggesting lateral gene transfer. Prokaryotic GT6 genes correspond to one exon of vertebrate genes, yet their translated protein sequences are strikingly similar. Bacterial and phage GT6 genes influence the surface chemistry of bacteria, affecting their interactions, including those with vertebrate hosts.

Localization of myosin 1b to actin protrusions requires phosphoinositide binding

Myosin 1b (Myo1b), a class I myosin, is a widely expressed, single-headed, actin-associated molecular motor. Transient kinetic and single-molecule studies indicate that it is kinetically slow and responds to tension. Localization and subcellular fractionation studies indicate that Myo1b associates with the plasma membrane and certain subcellular organelles such as endosomes and lysosomes. Whether Myo1b directly associates with membranes is unknown. We demonstrate here that full-length rat Myo1b binds specifically and with high affinity to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2)) and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP(3)), two phosphoinositides that play important roles in cell signaling. Binding is not Ca(2+)-dependent and does not involve the calmodulin-binding IQ region in the neck domain of Myo1b. Furthermore, the binding site is contained entirely within the C-terminal tail region, which contains a putative pleckstrin homology domain. Single mutations in the putative pleckstrin homology domain abolish binding of the tail domain of Myo1b to PIP(2) and PIP(3) in vitro. These same mutations alter the distribution of Myc-tagged Myo1b at membrane protrusions in HeLa cells where PIP(2) localizes. In addition, we found that motor activity is required for Myo1b localization in filopodia. These results suggest that binding of Myo1b to phosphoinositides plays an important role in vivo by regulating localization to actin-enriched membrane projections.

Leveraging the membrane - cytoskeleton interface with myosin-1

Class 1 myosins are small motor proteins with the ability to simultaneously bind to actin filaments and cellular membranes. Given their ability to generate mechanical force, and their high prevalence in many cell types, these molecules are well positioned to carry out several important biological functions at the interface of membrane and the actin cytoskeleton. Indeed, recent studies implicate these motors in endocytosis, exocytosis, release of extracellular vesicles, and the regulation of tension between membrane and the cytoskeleton. Many class 1 myosins also exhibit a load-dependent mechano-chemical cycle that enables them to maintain tension for long periods of time without hydrolyzing ATP. These properties put myosins-1 in a unique position to regulate dynamic membrane-cytoskeleton interactions and respond to physical forces during these events.