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Mom R, Mocquet V, Auguin D, Réty S. Aquaporin Modulation by Cations, a Review. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2024; 46:7955-7975. [PMID: 39194687 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46080470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) are transmembrane channels initially discovered for their role in water flux facilitation through biological membranes. Over the years, a much more complex and subtle picture of these channels appeared, highlighting many other solutes accommodated by AQPs and a dense regulatory network finely tuning cell membranes' water permeability. At the intersection between several transduction pathways (e.g., cell volume regulation, calcium signaling, potassium cycling, etc.), this wide and ancient protein family is considered an important therapeutic target for cancer treatment and many other pathophysiologies. However, a precise and isoform-specific modulation of these channels function is still challenging. Among the modulators of AQPs functions, cations have been shown to play a significant contribution, starting with mercury being historically associated with the inhibition of AQPs since their discovery. While the comprehension of AQPs modulation by cations has improved, a unifying molecular mechanism integrating all current knowledge is still lacking. In an effort to extract general trends, we reviewed all known modulations of AQPs by cations to capture a first glimpse of this regulatory network. We paid particular attention to the associated molecular mechanisms and pinpointed the residues involved in cation binding and in conformational changes tied up to the modulation of the channel function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Mom
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modelisation de la Cellule, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5239, Inserm, U1293, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allee d'Italie, F-69364 Lyon, France
| | - Vincent Mocquet
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modelisation de la Cellule, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5239, Inserm, U1293, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allee d'Italie, F-69364 Lyon, France
| | - Daniel Auguin
- Laboratoire de Physiologie, Ecologie et Environnement (P2E), UPRES EA 1207/USC INRAE-1328, UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université d'Orléans, F-45067 Orléans, France
| | - Stéphane Réty
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modelisation de la Cellule, Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5239, Inserm, U1293, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 46 allee d'Italie, F-69364 Lyon, France
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Mom R, Réty S, Mocquet V, Auguin D. Deciphering Molecular Mechanisms Involved in the Modulation of Human Aquaporins' Water Permeability by Zinc Cations: A Molecular Dynamics Approach. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2267. [PMID: 38396944 PMCID: PMC10888569 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) constitute a wide family of water channels implicated in all kind of physiological processes. Zinc is the second most abundant trace element in the human body and a few studies have highlighted regulation of AQP0 and AQP4 by zinc. In the present work, we addressed the putative regulation of AQPs by zinc cations in silico through molecular dynamics simulations of human AQP0, AQP2, AQP4, and AQP5. Our results align with other scales of study and several in vitro techniques, hence strengthening the reliability of this regulation by zinc. We also described two distinct putative molecular mechanisms associated with the increase or decrease in AQPs' water permeability after zinc binding. In association with other studies, our work will help deciphering the interaction networks existing between zinc and channel proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Mom
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, ENS de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, INSERM U1293, 46 Allée d’Italie Site Jacques Monod, F-69007 Lyon, France; (S.R.); (V.M.)
- Research Group on Vestibular Pathophysiology, CNRS, Unit GDR2074, F-13331 Marseille, France
| | - Stéphane Réty
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, ENS de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, INSERM U1293, 46 Allée d’Italie Site Jacques Monod, F-69007 Lyon, France; (S.R.); (V.M.)
| | - Vincent Mocquet
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, ENS de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, INSERM U1293, 46 Allée d’Italie Site Jacques Monod, F-69007 Lyon, France; (S.R.); (V.M.)
| | - Daniel Auguin
- Laboratoire de Physiologie, Ecologie et Environnement (P2E), UPRES EA 1207/USC INRAE-1328, UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université d’Orléans, F-45067 Orléans, France
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Kariev AM, Green ME. Water, Protons, and the Gating of Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels. MEMBRANES 2024; 14:37. [PMID: 38392664 PMCID: PMC10890431 DOI: 10.3390/membranes14020037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Ion channels are ubiquitous throughout all forms of life. Potassium channels are even found in viruses. Every cell must communicate with its surroundings, so all cells have them, and excitable cells, in particular, especially nerve cells, depend on the behavior of these channels. Every channel must be open at the appropriate time, and only then, so that each channel opens in response to the stimulus that tells that channel to open. One set of channels, including those in nerve cells, responds to voltage. There is a standard model for the gating of these channels that has a section of the protein moving in response to the voltage. However, there is evidence that protons are moving, rather than protein. Water is critical as part of the gating process, although it is hard to see how this works in the standard model. Here, we review the extensive evidence of the importance of the role of water and protons in gating these channels. Our principal example, but by no means the only example, will be the Kv1.2 channel. Evidence comes from the effects of D2O, from mutations in the voltage sensing domain, as well as in the linker between that domain and the gate, and at the gate itself. There is additional evidence from computations, especially quantum calculations. Structural evidence comes from X-ray studies. The hydration of ions is critical in the transfer of ions in constricted spaces, such as the gate region and the pore of a channel; we will see how the structure of the hydrated ion fits with the structure of the channel. In addition, there is macroscopic evidence from osmotic experiments and streaming current measurements. The combined evidence is discussed in the context of a model that emphasizes the role of protons and water in gating these channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisher M Kariev
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
| | - Michael E Green
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The City College of New York, New York, NY 10031, USA
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Banerjee S, Smith IM, Hengen AC, Stroka KM. Methods for studying mammalian aquaporin biology. Biol Methods Protoc 2023; 8:bpad031. [PMID: 38046463 PMCID: PMC10689382 DOI: 10.1093/biomethods/bpad031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs), transmembrane water-conducting channels, have earned a great deal of scrutiny for their critical physiological roles in healthy and disease cell states, especially in the biomedical field. Numerous methods have been implemented to elucidate the involvement of AQP-mediated water transport and downstream signaling activation in eliciting whole cell, tissue, and organ functional responses. To modulate these responses, other methods have been employed to investigate AQP druggability. This review discusses standard in vitro, in vivo, and in silico methods for studying AQPs, especially for biomedical and mammalian cell biology applications. We also propose some new techniques and approaches for future AQP research to address current gaps in methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shohini Banerjee
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, MD 20742, United States
| | - Ian M Smith
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, MD 20742, United States
| | - Autumn C Hengen
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, MD 20742, United States
| | - Kimberly M Stroka
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, MD 20742, United States
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore MD 21201, United States
- Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, MD 20742, United States
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore MD 21201, United States
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Mom R, Réty S, Mocquet V, Auguin D. In silico pharmacological study of AQP2 inhibition by steroids contextualized to Ménière's disease treatments. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1270092. [PMID: 37928160 PMCID: PMC10620702 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1270092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ménière's disease (MD) is characterized by an abnormal dilatation of the endolymphatic compartment called endolymphatic hydrops and is associated with fluctuating hearing losses and vertigo. Corticosteroid treatment is typically administered for its anti-inflammatory effects to MD patients. However, we recently described for the first time a direct interaction of two corticosteroids (dexamethasone and cortisol) with human AQP2 which strongly inhibited water fluxes. From these initial studies, we proposed an AQPs Corticosteroids Binding Site (ACBS). In the present work, we tested the interaction of 10 molecules associated to the steroid family for this putative ACBS. We observed a wide diversity of affinity and inhibitory potential of these molecules toward AQP2 and discussed the implications for inner ear physiology. Among the tested compounds, cholecalciferol, calcitriol and oestradiol were the most efficient AQP2 water permeability inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Mom
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5239, INSERM U1293, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
- Research Group on Vestibular Pathophysiology, CNRS, Unit GDR2074, Marseille, France
| | - Stéphane Réty
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5239, INSERM U1293, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Vincent Mocquet
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Modélisation de la Cellule, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5239, INSERM U1293, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Daniel Auguin
- Laboratoire de Physiologie, Ecologie et Environnement (P2E), UPRES EA 1207/USC INRAE-1328, UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France
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Groszmann M, De Rosa A, Chen W, Qiu J, McGaughey SA, Byrt CS, Evans JR. A high-throughput yeast approach to characterize aquaporin permeabilities: Profiling the Arabidopsis PIP aquaporin sub-family. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1078220. [PMID: 36760647 PMCID: PMC9907170 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1078220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Engineering membrane transporters to achieve desired functionality is reliant on availability of experimental data informing structure-function relationships and intelligent design. Plant aquaporin (AQP) isoforms are capable of transporting diverse substrates such as signaling molecules, nutrients, metalloids, and gases, as well as water. AQPs can act as multifunctional channels and their transport function is reliant on many factors, with few studies having assessed transport function of specific isoforms for multiple substrates. METHODS High-throughput yeast assays were developed to screen for transport function of plant AQPs, providing a platform for fast data generation and cataloguing of substrate transport profiles. We applied our high-throughput growth-based yeast assays to screen all 13 Arabidopsis PIPs (AtPIPs) for transport of water and several neutral solutes: hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), boric acid (BA), and urea. Sodium (Na+) transport was assessed using elemental analysis techniques. RESULTS All AtPIPs facilitated water and H2O2 transport, although their growth phenotypes varied, and none were candidates for urea transport. For BA and Na+ transport, AtPIP2;2 and AtPIP2;7 were the top candidates, with yeast expressing these isoforms having the most pronounced toxicity response to BA exposure and accumulating the highest amounts of Na+. Linking putative AtPIP isoform substrate transport profiles with phylogenetics and gene expression data, enabled us to align possible substrate preferences with known and hypothesized biological roles of AtPIPs. DISCUSSION This testing framework enables efficient cataloguing of putative transport functionality of diverse AQPs at a scale that can help accelerate our understanding of AQP biology through big data approaches (e.g. association studies). The principles of the individual assays could be further adapted to test additional substrates. Data generated from this framework could inform future testing of AQP physiological roles, and address knowledge gaps in structure-function relationships to improve engineering efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Groszmann
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Annamaria De Rosa
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Weihua Chen
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Jiaen Qiu
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, SA, Australia
| | - Samantha A. McGaughey
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Caitlin S. Byrt
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - John R. Evans
- Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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Cortisol Interaction with Aquaporin-2 Modulates Its Water Permeability: Perspectives for Non-Genomic Effects of Corticosteroids. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021499. [PMID: 36675012 PMCID: PMC9862916 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) are water channels widely distributed in living organisms and involved in many pathophysiologies as well as in cell volume regulations (CVR). In the present study, based on the structural homology existing between mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs), glucocorticoid receptors (GRs), cholesterol consensus motif (CCM) and the extra-cellular vestibules of AQPs, we investigated the binding of corticosteroids on the AQP family through in silico molecular dynamics simulations of AQP2 interactions with cortisol. We propose, for the first time, a putative AQPs corticosteroid binding site (ACBS) and discussed its conservation through structural alignment. Corticosteroids can mediate non-genomic effects; nonetheless, the transduction pathways involved are still misunderstood. Moreover, a growing body of evidence is pointing toward the existence of a novel membrane receptor mediating part of these rapid corticosteroids' effects. Our results suggest that the naturally produced glucocorticoid cortisol inhibits channel water permeability. Based on these results, we propose a detailed description of a putative underlying molecular mechanism. In this process, we also bring new insights on the regulatory function of AQPs extra-cellular loops and on the role of ions in tuning the water permeability. Altogether, this work brings new insights into the non-genomic effects of corticosteroids through the proposition of AQPs as the membrane receptor of this family of regulatory molecules. This original result is the starting point for future investigations to define more in-depth and in vivo the validity of this functional model.
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Verslues PE, Bailey-Serres J, Brodersen C, Buckley TN, Conti L, Christmann A, Dinneny JR, Grill E, Hayes S, Heckman RW, Hsu PK, Juenger TE, Mas P, Munnik T, Nelissen H, Sack L, Schroeder JI, Testerink C, Tyerman SD, Umezawa T, Wigge PA. Burning questions for a warming and changing world: 15 unknowns in plant abiotic stress. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:67-108. [PMID: 36018271 PMCID: PMC9806664 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
We present unresolved questions in plant abiotic stress biology as posed by 15 research groups with expertise spanning eco-physiology to cell and molecular biology. Common themes of these questions include the need to better understand how plants detect water availability, temperature, salinity, and rising carbon dioxide (CO2) levels; how environmental signals interface with endogenous signaling and development (e.g. circadian clock and flowering time); and how this integrated signaling controls downstream responses (e.g. stomatal regulation, proline metabolism, and growth versus defense balance). The plasma membrane comes up frequently as a site of key signaling and transport events (e.g. mechanosensing and lipid-derived signaling, aquaporins). Adaptation to water extremes and rising CO2 affects hydraulic architecture and transpiration, as well as root and shoot growth and morphology, in ways not fully understood. Environmental adaptation involves tradeoffs that limit ecological distribution and crop resilience in the face of changing and increasingly unpredictable environments. Exploration of plant diversity within and among species can help us know which of these tradeoffs represent fundamental limits and which ones can be circumvented by bringing new trait combinations together. Better defining what constitutes beneficial stress resistance in different contexts and making connections between genes and phenotypes, and between laboratory and field observations, are overarching challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia Bailey-Serres
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, Center for Plant Cell Biology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Craig Brodersen
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA
| | - Thomas N Buckley
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Lucio Conti
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Alexander Christmann
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University Munich, Freising-Weihenstephan 85354, Germany
| | - José R Dinneny
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Erwin Grill
- School of Life Sciences, Technical University Munich, Freising-Weihenstephan 85354, Germany
| | - Scott Hayes
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Plant Sciences Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Robert W Heckman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Po-Kai Hsu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Thomas E Juenger
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
| | - Paloma Mas
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, Barcelona 08193, Spain
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Teun Munnik
- Department of Plant Cell Biology, Green Life Sciences Cluster, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam NL-1098XH, The Netherlands
| | - Hilde Nelissen
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent 9052, Belgium
- VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Ghent 9052, Belgium
| | - Lawren Sack
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Julian I Schroeder
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
| | - Christa Testerink
- Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Plant Sciences Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen 6708 PB, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen D Tyerman
- ARC Center Excellence, Plant Energy Biology, School of Agriculture Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5064, Australia
| | - Taishi Umezawa
- Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 6708 PB, Japan
| | - Philip A Wigge
- Leibniz-Institut für Gemüse- und Zierpflanzenbau, Großbeeren 14979, Germany
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam 14476, Germany
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Pluhackova K, Schittny V, Bürkner P, Siligan C, Horner A. Multiple pore lining residues modulate water permeability of GlpF. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4431. [PMID: 36173178 PMCID: PMC9490802 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The water permeability of aquaporins (AQPs) varies by more than an order of magnitude even though the pore structure, geometry, as well as the channel lining residues are highly conserved. However, channel gating by pH, divalent ions or phosphorylation was only shown for a minority of AQPs. Structural and in silico indications of water flux modulation by flexible side chains of channel lining residues have not been experimentally confirmed yet. Hence, the aquaporin "open state" is still considered to be a continuously open pore with water molecules permeating in a single-file fashion. Using protein mutations outside the selectivity filter in the aqua(glycerol)facilitator GlpF of Escherichia coli we, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time, modulate the position of the highly conserved Arg in the selectivity filter. This in turn enhances or reduces the unitary water permeability of GlpF as shown in silico by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and in vitro with purified and reconstituted GlpF. This finding suggests that AQP water permeability can indeed be regulated by lipid bilayer asymmetry and the transmembrane potential. Strikingly, our long-term MD simulations reveal that not only the conserved Arg in the selectivity filter, but the position and dynamics of multiple other pore lining residues modulate water passage through GlpF. This finding is expected to trigger a wealth of future investigations on permeability and regulation of AQPs among others with the aim to tune water permeability for biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristyna Pluhackova
- Stuttgart Center for Simulation Science, Cluster of Excellence EXC 2075University of StuttgartStuttgartGermany
| | - Valentin Schittny
- Department of Biosystems Science and EngineeringEidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) ZurichBaselSwitzerland
| | - Paul‐Christian Bürkner
- Stuttgart Center for Simulation Science, Cluster of Excellence EXC 2075University of StuttgartStuttgartGermany
| | | | - Andreas Horner
- Institute of BiophysicsJohannes Kepler UniversityLinzAustria
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Gössweiner-Mohr N, Siligan C, Pluhackova K, Umlandt L, Koefler S, Trajkovska N, Horner A. The Hidden Intricacies of Aquaporins: Remarkable Details in a Common Structural Scaffold. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2202056. [PMID: 35802902 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202202056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Evolution turned aquaporins (AQPs) into the most efficient facilitators of passive water flow through cell membranes at no expense of solute discrimination. In spite of a plethora of solved AQP structures, many structural details remain hidden. Here, by combining extensive sequence- and structural-based analysis of a unique set of 20 non-redundant high-resolution structures and molecular dynamics simulations of four representatives, key aspects of AQP stability, gating, selectivity, pore geometry, and oligomerization, with a potential impact on channel functionality, are identified. The general view of AQPs possessing a continuous open water pore is challenged and it is depicted that AQPs' selectivity is not exclusively shaped by pore-lining residues but also by the relative arrangement of transmembrane helices. Moreover, this analysis reveals that hydrophobic interactions constitute the main determinant of protein thermal stability. Finally, a numbering scheme of the conserved AQP scaffold is established, facilitating direct comparison of, for example, disease-causing mutations and prediction of potential structural consequences. Additionally, the results pave the way for the design of optimized AQP water channels to be utilized in biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christine Siligan
- Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Gruberstr. 40, Linz, 4020, Austria
| | - Kristyna Pluhackova
- Stuttgart Center for Simulation Science, University of Stuttgart, Cluster of Excellence EXC 2075, Universitätsstr. 32, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Linnea Umlandt
- Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Gruberstr. 40, Linz, 4020, Austria
| | - Sabina Koefler
- Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Gruberstr. 40, Linz, 4020, Austria
| | - Natasha Trajkovska
- Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Gruberstr. 40, Linz, 4020, Austria
| | - Andreas Horner
- Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Gruberstr. 40, Linz, 4020, Austria
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11
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A Perspective for Ménière’s Disease: In Silico Investigations of Dexamethasone as a Direct Modulator of AQP2. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12040511. [PMID: 35454100 PMCID: PMC9028334 DOI: 10.3390/biom12040511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Ménière’s disease is a chronic illness characterized by intermittent episodes of vertigo associated with fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus and aural pressure. This pathology strongly correlates with a dilatation of the fluid compartment of the endolymph, so-called hydrops. Dexamethasone is one of the therapeutic approaches recommended when conventional antivertigo treatments have failed. Several mechanisms of actions have been hypothesized for the mode of action of dexamethasone, such as the anti-inflammatory effect or as a regulator of inner ear water homeostasis. However, none of them have been experimentally confirmed so far. Aquaporins (AQPs) are transmembrane water channels and are hence central in the regulation of transcellular water fluxes. In the present study, we investigated the hypothesis that dexamethasone could impact water fluxes in the inner ear by targeting AQP2. We addressed this question through molecular dynamics simulations approaches and managed to demonstrate a direct interaction between AQP2 and dexamethasone and its significant impact on the channel water permeability. Through compartmentalization of sodium and potassium ions, a significant effect of Na+ upon AQP2 water permeability was highlighted as well. The molecular mechanisms involved in dexamethasone binding and in its regulatory action upon AQP2 function are described.
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12
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Henderson SW, Nourmohammadi S, Ramesh SA, Yool AJ. Aquaporin ion conductance properties defined by membrane environment, protein structure, and cell physiology. Biophys Rev 2022; 14:181-198. [PMID: 35340612 PMCID: PMC8921385 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00925-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) are multifunctional transmembrane channel proteins permeable to water and an expanding array of solutes. AQP-mediated ion channel activity was first observed when purified AQP0 from bovine lens was incorporated into lipid bilayers. Electrophysiological properties of ion-conducting AQPs since discovered in plants, invertebrates, and mammals have been assessed using native, reconstituted, and heterologously expressed channels. Accumulating evidence is defining amino acid residues that govern differential solute permeability through intrasubunit and central pores of AQP tetramers. Rings of charged and hydrophobic residues around pores influence AQP selectivity, and are candidates for further work to define motifs that distinguish ion conduction capability, versus strict water and glycerol permeability. Similarities between AQP ion channels thus far include large single channel conductances and long open times, but differences in ionic selectivity, permeability to divalent cations, and mechanisms of gating (e.g., by voltage, pH, and cyclic nucleotides) are unique to subtypes. Effects of lipid environments in modulating parameters such as single channel amplitude could explain in part the variations in AQP ion channel properties observed across preparations. Physiological roles of the ion-conducting AQP classes span diverse processes including regulation of cell motility, organellar pH, neural development, signaling, and nutrient acquisition. Advances in computational methods can generate testable predictions of AQP structure-function relationships, which combined with innovative high-throughput assays could revolutionize the field in defining essential properties of ion-conducting AQPs, discovering new AQP ion channels, and understanding the effects of AQP interactions with proteins, signaling cascades, and membrane lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam W. Henderson
- School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005 Australia
| | | | - Sunita A. Ramesh
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042 Australia
| | - Andrea J. Yool
- School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005 Australia
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Venisse JS, Õunapuu-Pikas E, Dupont M, Gousset-Dupont A, Saadaoui M, Faize M, Chen S, Chen S, Petel G, Fumanal B, Roeckel-Drevet P, Sellin A, Label P. Genome-Wide Identification, Structure Characterization, and Expression Pattern Profiling of the Aquaporin Gene Family in Betula pendula. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7269. [PMID: 34298887 PMCID: PMC8304918 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Aquaporin water channels (AQPs) constitute a large family of transmembrane proteins present throughout all kingdoms of life. They play key roles in the flux of water and many solutes across the membranes. The AQP diversity, protein features, and biological functions of silver birch are still unknown. A genome analysis of Betula pendula identified 33 putative genes encoding full-length AQP sequences (BpeAQPs). They are grouped into five subfamilies, representing ten plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), eight tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs), eight NOD26-like intrinsic proteins (NIPs), four X intrinsic proteins (XIPs), and three small basic intrinsic proteins (SIPs). The BpeAQP gene structure is conserved within each subfamily, with exon numbers ranging from one to five. The predictions of the aromatic/arginine selectivity filter (ar/R), Froger's positions, specificity-determining positions, and 2D and 3D biochemical properties indicate noticeable transport specificities to various non-aqueous substrates between members and/or subfamilies. Nevertheless, overall, the BpePIPs display mostly hydrophilic ar/R selective filter and lining-pore residues, whereas the BpeTIP, BpeNIP, BpeSIP, and BpeXIP subfamilies mostly contain hydrophobic permeation signatures. Transcriptional expression analyses indicate that 23 BpeAQP genes are transcribed, including five organ-related expressions. Surprisingly, no significant transcriptional expression is monitored in leaves in response to cold stress (6 °C), although interesting trends can be distinguished and will be discussed, notably in relation to the plasticity of this pioneer species, B. pendula. The current study presents the first detailed genome-wide analysis of the AQP gene family in a Betulaceae species, and our results lay a foundation for a better understanding of the specific functions of the BpeAQP genes in the responses of the silver birch trees to cold stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Stéphane Venisse
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; (M.D.); (A.G.-D.); (M.S.); (G.P.); (B.F.); (P.R.-D.)
| | - Eele Õunapuu-Pikas
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 51005 Tartu, Estonia; (E.Õ.-P.); (A.S.)
| | - Maxime Dupont
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; (M.D.); (A.G.-D.); (M.S.); (G.P.); (B.F.); (P.R.-D.)
| | - Aurélie Gousset-Dupont
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; (M.D.); (A.G.-D.); (M.S.); (G.P.); (B.F.); (P.R.-D.)
| | - Mouadh Saadaoui
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; (M.D.); (A.G.-D.); (M.S.); (G.P.); (B.F.); (P.R.-D.)
- National Institute of Agronomy of Tunisia (INAT), Crop Improvement Laboratory, INRAT, Tunis CP 1004, Tunisia
| | - Mohamed Faize
- Laboratory of Plant Biotechnology, Ecology and Ecosystem Valorization, Faculty of Sciences, University Chouaib Doukkali, El Jadida 24000, Morocco;
| | - Song Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China; (S.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Su Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China; (S.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Gilles Petel
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; (M.D.); (A.G.-D.); (M.S.); (G.P.); (B.F.); (P.R.-D.)
| | - Boris Fumanal
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; (M.D.); (A.G.-D.); (M.S.); (G.P.); (B.F.); (P.R.-D.)
| | - Patricia Roeckel-Drevet
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; (M.D.); (A.G.-D.); (M.S.); (G.P.); (B.F.); (P.R.-D.)
| | - Arne Sellin
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, 51005 Tartu, Estonia; (E.Õ.-P.); (A.S.)
| | - Philippe Label
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, PIAF, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; (M.D.); (A.G.-D.); (M.S.); (G.P.); (B.F.); (P.R.-D.)
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Fungal X-Intrinsic Protein Aquaporin from Trichoderma atroviride: Structural and Functional Considerations. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11020338. [PMID: 33672420 PMCID: PMC7927018 DOI: 10.3390/biom11020338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The major intrinsic protein (MIP) superfamily is a key part of the fungal transmembrane transport network. It facilitates the transport of water and low molecular weight solutes across biomembranes. The fungal uncharacterized X-Intrinsic Protein (XIP) subfamily includes the full protein diversity of MIP. Their biological functions still remain fully hypothetical. The aim of this study is still to deepen the diversity and the structure of the XIP subfamily in light of the MIP counterparts—the aquaporins (AQPs) and aquaglyceroporins (AQGPs)—and to describe for the first time their function in the development, biomass accumulation, and mycoparasitic aptitudes of the fungal bioagent Trichoderma atroviride. The fungus-XIP clade, with one member (TriatXIP), is one of the three clades of MIPs that make up the diversity of T. atroviride MIPs, along with the AQPs (three members) and the AQGPs (three members). TriatXIP resembles those of strict aquaporins, predicting water diffusion and possibly other small polar solutes due to particularly wider ar/R constriction with a Lysine substitution at the LE2 position. The XIP loss of function in ∆TriatXIP mutants slightly delays biomass accumulation but does not impact mycoparasitic activities. ∆TriatMIP forms colonies similar to wild type; however, the hyphae are slightly thinner and colonies produce rare chlamydospores in PDA and specific media, most of which are relatively small and exhibit abnormal morphologies. To better understand the molecular causes of these deviant phenotypes, a wide-metabolic survey of the ∆TriatXIPs demonstrates that the delayed growth kinetic, correlated to a decrease in respiration rate, is caused by perturbations in the pentose phosphate pathway. Furthermore, the null expression of the XIP gene strongly impacts the expression of four expressed MIP-encoding genes of T. atroviride, a plausible compensating effect which safeguards the physiological integrity and life cycle of the fungus. This paper offers an overview of the fungal XIP family in the biocontrol agent T. atroviride which will be useful for further functional analysis of this particular MIP subfamily in vegetative growth and the environmental stress response in fungi. Ultimately, these findings have implications for the ecophysiology of Trichoderma spp. in natural, agronomic, and industrial systems.
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