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de Dios-Blázquez L, Cano-Argüelles AL, Pérez-Sánchez R, González-Sánchez M, Oleaga A. First data on cholesterol metabolism in Ornithodoros argasid ticks: Molecular and functional characterization of the N-terminal domain of Niemann-Pick C1 proteins. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102382. [PMID: 39032307 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102382] [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: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Cholesterol is a molecule vital for tick physiology, but ticks cannot synthesize it and rely on dietary cholesterol. Therefore, tick proteins involved in cholesterol absorption and transport, such as the Niemann-Pick type C1 domain-containing (NPC1) proteins, are promising targets for anti-tick vaccine development. The aim of this study was to assess the structure, function, and protective efficacy of the NPC1 orthologues identified previously in the midgut transcriptomes of argasid ticks Ornithodoros erraticus and Ornithodoros moubata. For this purpose, their corresponding cDNA coding sequences were cloned and sequenced, their secondary and 3D structures were predicted, and their function was evaluated through RNAi-mediated gene knockdown and in vitro feeding on blood supplemented with ezetimibe, which inhibits cholesterol binding by NPC1 proteins. Subsequently, the protective efficacy of a recombinant form of NPC1 from O. moubata (rOmNPC1) was tested in a rabbit vaccine trial. While inhibiting cholesterol absorption with ezetimibe resulted in up to 77 % mortality in adult O. moubata, NPC1 gene knockdown and vaccination with rOmNPC1 decreased female reproductive performance in terms of the number and fertility of laid eggs. This study presents the initial molecular and functional insights into NPC1 proteins in soft ticks and supports the hypothesis that disrupting cholesterol metabolism diminishes tick viability and reproduction, rendering Niemann-Pick type C1 domain-containing proteins promising targets for drugs or vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía de Dios-Blázquez
- Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital Universitario la Paz -FIBHULP-, Paseo de la Castellana, 261, 28046, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Laura Cano-Argüelles
- Parasitology, Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, 37008, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ricardo Pérez-Sánchez
- Parasitology, Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, 37008, Salamanca, Spain
| | - María González-Sánchez
- Parasitology, Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology of Salamanca (IRNASA, CSIC), Cordel de Merinas, 40-52, 37008, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Ana Oleaga
- Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital Universitario la Paz -FIBHULP-, Paseo de la Castellana, 261, 28046, Madrid, Spain.
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Jiang S, Zhang W, Xiong Y, Zhang M, Yuan H, Niu Y, Qiao H, Fu H. NPC Intracellular Cholesterol Transporter 1 Regulates Ovarian Maturation and Molting in Female Macrobrachium nipponense. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6049. [PMID: 38892237 PMCID: PMC11172811 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116049] [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: 04/12/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
NPC intracellular cholesterol transporter 1 (NPC1) plays an important role in sterol metabolism and transport processes and has been studied in many vertebrates and some insects, but rarely in crustaceans. In this study, we characterized NPC1 from Macrobrachium nipponense (Mn-NPC1) and evaluated its functions. Its total cDNA length was 4283 bp, encoding for 1344 amino acids. It contained three conserved domains typical of the NPC family (NPC1_N, SSD, and PTC). In contrast to its role in insects, Mn-NPC1 was mainly expressed in the adult female hepatopancreas, with moderate expression in the ovary and heart. No expression was found in the embryo (stages CS-ZS) and only weak expression in the larval stages from hatching to the post-larval stage (L1-PL15). Mn-NPC1 expression was positively correlated with ovarian maturation. In situ hybridization showed that it was mainly located in the cytoplasmic membrane and nucleus of oocytes. A 25-day RNA interference experiment was employed to illustrate the Mn-NPC1 function in ovary maturation. Experimental knockdown of Mn-NPC1 using dsRNA resulted in a marked reduction in the gonadosomatic index and ecdysone content of M. nipponense females. The experimental group showed a significant delay in ovarian maturation and a reduction in the frequency of molting. These results expand our understanding of NPC1 in crustaceans and of the regulatory mechanism of ovarian maturation in M. nipponense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sufei Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China; (S.J.); (W.Z.); (Y.X.)
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China; (M.Z.); (H.Y.); (Y.N.)
| | - Wenyi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China; (S.J.); (W.Z.); (Y.X.)
| | - Yiwei Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China; (S.J.); (W.Z.); (Y.X.)
| | - Mengying Zhang
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China; (M.Z.); (H.Y.); (Y.N.)
| | - Huwei Yuan
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China; (M.Z.); (H.Y.); (Y.N.)
| | - Yunpeng Niu
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China; (M.Z.); (H.Y.); (Y.N.)
| | - Hui Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China; (S.J.); (W.Z.); (Y.X.)
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China; (M.Z.); (H.Y.); (Y.N.)
| | - Hongtuo Fu
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi 214081, China; (S.J.); (W.Z.); (Y.X.)
- Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University, Wuxi 214081, China; (M.Z.); (H.Y.); (Y.N.)
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Frain KM, Dedic E, Nel L, Bohush A, Olesen E, Thaysen K, Wüstner D, Stokes DL, Pedersen BP. Conformational changes in the Niemann-Pick type C1 protein NCR1 drive sterol translocation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315575121. [PMID: 38568972 PMCID: PMC11009665 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315575121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The membrane protein Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1, named NCR1 in yeast) is central to sterol homeostasis in eukaryotes. Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCR1 is localized to the vacuolar membrane, where it is suggested to carry sterols across the protective glycocalyx and deposit them into the vacuolar membrane. However, documentation of a vacuolar glycocalyx in fungi is lacking, and the mechanism for sterol translocation has remained unclear. Here, we provide evidence supporting the presence of a glycocalyx in isolated S. cerevisiae vacuoles and report four cryo-EM structures of NCR1 in two distinct conformations, named tense and relaxed. These two conformations illustrate the movement of sterols through a tunnel formed by the luminal domains, thus bypassing the barrier presented by the glycocalyx. Based on these structures and on comparison with other members of the Resistance-Nodulation-Division (RND) superfamily, we propose a transport model that links changes in the luminal domains with a cycle of protonation and deprotonation within the transmembrane region of the protein. Our model suggests that NPC proteins work by a generalized RND mechanism where the proton motive force drives conformational changes in the transmembrane domains that are allosterically coupled to luminal/extracellular domains to promote sterol transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly M. Frain
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, AarhusC 8000, Denmark
| | - Emil Dedic
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, AarhusC 8000, Denmark
| | - Lynette Nel
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, AarhusC 8000, Denmark
| | - Anastasiia Bohush
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, AarhusC 8000, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, AarhusC 8000, Denmark
| | - Esben Olesen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, AarhusC 8000, Denmark
| | - Katja Thaysen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, OdenseM 5230, Denmark
| | - Daniel Wüstner
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, OdenseM 5230, Denmark
| | - David L. Stokes
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY10016
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Yu H, Wang L, Liu S, Chen X, Wei X, Niu C, Volodymyr V, Song Q, Zhang H. Functional analysis of a NPC1 gene from the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). ARCHIVES OF INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 114:e22048. [PMID: 37602789 DOI: 10.1002/arch.22048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Niemann-Pick C (NPC) disease is a neurodegenerative disorder related to cellular sterol trafficking and mutation of NPC1 gene is the main cause for this disease. The function of NPC1 have been reported in a few insects but rarely studied in hemipterans. In the present study, we investigate the function of NPC1 in a hemipteran pest, the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. It was found that B. tabaci had only one NPC1 homolog (BtNPC1), in contrast to two homologs in many other insects. BtNPC1 was ubiquitously expressed at all developmental stages and body parts of whiteflies, with the highest level in adult abdomen, and the expression of BtNPC1 was induced by cholesterol feeding. To further investigate the function of BtNPC1, leaf-mediated RNA interference experiments were carried out. Results showed that knockdown of BtNPC1 led to reduced survival of whiteflies, as well as reduced fecundity. Moreover, knockdown of BtNPC1 affected the development and metamorphosis of whitefly nymphs. Taken these together, we conclude that BtNPC1 played a crucial role in sterol-related biological processes of B. tabaci and might be used as an insecticide target for development of novel pest management approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yu
- Department of Natural Resources, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Province, China
| | - Liuhao Wang
- Department of Natural Resources, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Province, China
| | - Shunxiao Liu
- Department of Natural Resources, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Province, China
- College of Agrarian Technology and Natural Resources, Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy, Ukraine
| | - Xiaohui Chen
- Department of Natural Resources, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Province, China
| | - Xiaoyu Wei
- Department of Natural Resources, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Province, China
| | - Chenxi Niu
- Department of Natural Resources, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Province, China
| | - Vlasenko Volodymyr
- College of Agrarian Technology and Natural Resources, Sumy National Agrarian University, Sumy, Ukraine
| | - Qisheng Song
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Hongwei Zhang
- Department of Natural Resources, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, Henan Province, China
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Yoon HJ, Jeong J, Kim G, Lee HH, Jang S. The point mutation of the cholesterol trafficking membrane protein NPC1 may affect its proper function in more than a single step: Molecular dynamics simulation study. Comput Biol Chem 2022; 99:107725. [PMID: 35850050 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2022.107725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1) protein is one of the key players of cholesterol trafficking from the lysosome and its function is closely coupled with the Niemann-Pick type C2 (NPC2) protein. The dysfunction of one of these proteins can cause problems in the overall cholesterol homeostasis and leads to a disease, which is called the Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease. The parts of the cholesterol transport mechanism by NPC1 have begun to recently emerge, especially after the full-length NPC1 structure was determined from a cryo-EM study. However, many details about the overall cholesterol trafficking process by NPC1 still remain to be elucidated. Notably, the NPC1 could act as one of the target proteins for the control of infectious diseases due to its role as the virus entry point into the cells as well as for cancer treatment due to the inhibitory effect of tumor growth. A mutation of NPC1 can leads to dysfunctions and understanding this process can provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of the corresponding protein and the therapeutic strategies against the disease that are caused by the mutation. It has been found that patients with the point mutation R518W (or R518Q) on the NPC1 show the accumulation of lipids within the lysosomal lumen. In this paper, we report how the corresponding mutation can affect the cholesterol transport process by NPC1 in the different stages by the molecular dynamics simulations. The simulation results show that the point mutation intervenes at least at two different steps during the cholesterol transport by NPC1 and NPC2 in combination, which includes the association step of NPC2 with the NPC1, the cholesterol transfer step from NPC2 to NPC1-NTD while the cholesterol passage within the NPC1 via a channel is relatively unaffected by R518W mutation. The detailed analysis of the resulting simulation trajectories reveals the important structural features that are essential for the proper functioning of the NPC1 for the cholesterol transport, and it shows how the overall structure, which thereby includes the function, can be affected by a single mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye-Jin Yoon
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, the Republic of Korea
| | - Jian Jeong
- Department of Chemistry, Sejong University, Seoul, the Republic of Korea
| | - Guun Kim
- Department of Physics, Sejong University, Seoul, the Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Ho Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul, the Republic of Korea.
| | - Soonmin Jang
- Department of Chemistry, Sejong University, Seoul, the Republic of Korea.
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