1
|
Ozu M, Galizia L, Alvear-Arias JJ, Fernández M, Caviglia A, Zimmermann R, Guastaferri F, Espinoza-Muñoz N, Sutka M, Sigaut L, Pietrasanta LI, González C, Amodeo G, Garate JA. Mechanosensitive aquaporins. Biophys Rev 2023; 15:497-513. [PMID: 37681084 PMCID: PMC10480384 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01098-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular systems must deal with mechanical forces to satisfy their physiological functions. In this context, proteins with mechanosensitive properties play a crucial role in sensing and responding to environmental changes. The discovery of aquaporins (AQPs) marked a significant breakthrough in the study of water transport. Their transport capacity and regulation features make them key players in cellular processes. To date, few AQPs have been reported to be mechanosensitive. Like mechanosensitive ion channels, AQPs respond to tension changes in the same range. However, unlike ion channels, the aquaporin's transport rate decreases as tension increases, and the molecular features of the mechanism are unknown. Nevertheless, some clues from mechanosensitive ion channels shed light on the AQP-membrane interaction. The GxxxG motif may play a critical role in the water permeation process associated with structural features in AQPs. Consequently, a possible gating mechanism triggered by membrane tension changes would involve a conformational change in the cytoplasmic extreme of the single file region of the water pathway, where glycine and histidine residues from loop B play a key role. In view of their transport capacity and their involvement in relevant processes related to mechanical forces, mechanosensitive AQPs are a fundamental piece of the puzzle for understanding cellular responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Ozu
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Universidad de Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Luciano Galizia
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Universidad de Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan José Alvear-Arias
- Interdisciplinary Center of Neurosciences of Valparaiso, University of Valparaiso, CINV, 2360102 Valparaíso, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Santiago, Chile
| | - Miguel Fernández
- Interdisciplinary Center of Neurosciences of Valparaiso, University of Valparaiso, CINV, 2360102 Valparaíso, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Santiago, Chile
| | - Agustín Caviglia
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Universidad de Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rosario Zimmermann
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Universidad de Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Florencia Guastaferri
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Universidad de Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Present Address: Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET-UNR), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Nicolás Espinoza-Muñoz
- Interdisciplinary Center of Neurosciences of Valparaiso, University of Valparaiso, CINV, 2360102 Valparaíso, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Santiago, Chile
| | - Moira Sutka
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Universidad de Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lorena Sigaut
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Física, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires (IFIBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lía Isabel Pietrasanta
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Física, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Física de Buenos Aires (IFIBA), Universidad de Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carlos González
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136 USA
- Present Address: Molecular Bioscience Department, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Gabriela Amodeo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Universidad de Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - José Antonio Garate
- Interdisciplinary Center of Neurosciences of Valparaiso, University of Valparaiso, CINV, 2360102 Valparaíso, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Arquitectura y Diseño, Universidad San Sebastián, Bellavista, Santiago, Chile
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia y Vida, Universidad San Sebastián, 7750000 Santiago, Chile
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ozu M, Alvear-Arias JJ, Fernandez M, Caviglia A, Peña-Pichicoi A, Carrillo C, Carmona E, Otero-Gonzalez A, Garate JA, Amodeo G, Gonzalez C. Aquaporin Gating: A New Twist to Unravel Permeation through Water Channels. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:12317. [PMID: 36293170 PMCID: PMC9604103 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) are small transmembrane tetrameric proteins that facilitate water, solute and gas exchange. Their presence has been extensively reported in the biological membranes of almost all living organisms. Although their discovery is much more recent than ion transport systems, different biophysical approaches have contributed to confirm that permeation through each monomer is consistent with closed and open states, introducing the term gating mechanism into the field. The study of AQPs in their native membrane or overexpressed in heterologous systems have experimentally demonstrated that water membrane permeability can be reversibly modified in response to specific modulators. For some regulation mechanisms, such as pH changes, evidence for gating is also supported by high-resolution structures of the water channel in different configurations as well as molecular dynamics simulation. Both experimental and simulation approaches sustain that the rearrangement of conserved residues contributes to occlude the cavity of the channel restricting water permeation. Interestingly, specific charged and conserved residues are present in the environment of the pore and, thus, the tetrameric structure can be subjected to alter the positions of these charges to sustain gating. Thus, is it possible to explore whether the displacement of these charges (gating current) leads to conformational changes? To our knowledge, this question has not yet been addressed at all. In this review, we intend to analyze the suitability of this proposal for the first time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Ozu
- Department of Biodiversity and Experimental Biology, Faculty of Exact & Natural Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1053, Argentina
- CONICET—Institute of Biodiversity and Experimental and Applied Biology CONICET (IBBEA), University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1053, Argentina
| | - Juan José Alvear-Arias
- Interdisciplinary Center of Neurosciences of Valparaiso, University of Valparaiso, CINV, Valparaíso 2360102, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Scientific and Technologic Center of Excellence of Science and Life, Santiago 7750000, Chile
| | - Miguel Fernandez
- Interdisciplinary Center of Neurosciences of Valparaiso, University of Valparaiso, CINV, Valparaíso 2360102, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Scientific and Technologic Center of Excellence of Science and Life, Santiago 7750000, Chile
| | - Agustín Caviglia
- CONICET—Institute of Biodiversity and Experimental and Applied Biology CONICET (IBBEA), University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1053, Argentina
| | - Antonio Peña-Pichicoi
- Interdisciplinary Center of Neurosciences of Valparaiso, University of Valparaiso, CINV, Valparaíso 2360102, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Scientific and Technologic Center of Excellence of Science and Life, Santiago 7750000, Chile
| | - Christian Carrillo
- Interdisciplinary Center of Neurosciences of Valparaiso, University of Valparaiso, CINV, Valparaíso 2360102, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Scientific and Technologic Center of Excellence of Science and Life, Santiago 7750000, Chile
| | - Emerson Carmona
- Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics Department and the Center for Membrane Protein Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
| | - Anselmo Otero-Gonzalez
- Center of Protein Study, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, La Habana 10400, Cuba
| | - José Antonio Garate
- Interdisciplinary Center of Neurosciences of Valparaiso, University of Valparaiso, CINV, Valparaíso 2360102, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Scientific and Technologic Center of Excellence of Science and Life, Santiago 7750000, Chile
- Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of San Sebastian, Santiago 8420524, Chile
| | - Gabriela Amodeo
- Department of Biodiversity and Experimental Biology, Faculty of Exact & Natural Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1053, Argentina
- CONICET—Institute of Biodiversity and Experimental and Applied Biology CONICET (IBBEA), University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1053, Argentina
| | - Carlos Gonzalez
- Interdisciplinary Center of Neurosciences of Valparaiso, University of Valparaiso, CINV, Valparaíso 2360102, Chile
- Millennium Nucleus in NanoBioPhysics, Scientific and Technologic Center of Excellence of Science and Life, Santiago 7750000, Chile
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ozu M, Galizia L, Acuña C, Amodeo G. Aquaporins: More Than Functional Monomers in a Tetrameric Arrangement. Cells 2018; 7:E209. [PMID: 30423856 PMCID: PMC6262540 DOI: 10.3390/cells7110209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Revised: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) function as tetrameric structures in which each monomer has its own permeable pathway. The combination of structural biology, molecular dynamics simulations, and experimental approaches has contributed to improve our knowledge of how protein conformational changes can challenge its transport capacity, rapidly altering the membrane permeability. This review is focused on evidence that highlights the functional relationship between the monomers and the tetramer. In this sense, we address AQP permeation capacity as well as regulatory mechanisms that affect the monomer, the tetramer, or tetramers combined in complex structures. We therefore explore: (i) water permeation and recent evidence on ion permeation, including the permeation pathway controversy-each monomer versus the central pore of the tetramer-and (ii) regulatory mechanisms that cannot be attributed to independent monomers. In particular, we discuss channel gating and AQPs that sense membrane tension. For the latter we propose a possible mechanism that includes the monomer (slight changes of pore shape, the number of possible H-bonds between water molecules and pore-lining residues) and the tetramer (interactions among monomers and a positive cooperative effect).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Ozu
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina.
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Universidad de Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428EGA CABA, Argentina.
| | - Luciano Galizia
- Instituto de investigaciones Médicas A. Lanari, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1427ARO, Argentina.
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Laboratorio de Canales Iónicos, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas (IDIM), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1427ARO, Argentina.
| | - Cynthia Acuña
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina.
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Universidad de Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428EGA CABA, Argentina.
| | - Gabriela Amodeo
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina.
- Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Universidad de Buenos Aires y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires C1428EGA CABA, Argentina.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Goldman RP, Jozefkowicz C, Canessa Fortuna A, Sutka M, Alleva K, Ozu M. Tonoplast (BvTIP1;2) and plasma membrane (BvPIP2;1) aquaporins show different mechanosensitive properties. FEBS Lett 2017; 591:1555-1565. [PMID: 28486763 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Previous works proposed that aquaporins behave as mechanosensitive channels. However, principal issues about mechanosensitivity of aquaporins are not known. In this work, we characterized the mechanosensitive properties of the water channels BvTIP1;2 (TIP1) and BvPIP2;1 (PIP2) from red beet (Beta vulgaris). We simultaneously measured the mechanical behavior and the water transport rates during the osmotic response of emptied-out oocytes expressing TIP1 or PIP2. Our results indicate that TIP1 is a mechanosensitive aquaporin, whereas PIP2 is not. We found that a single exponential function between the osmotic permeability coefficient and the volumetric elastic modulus governs the mechanosensitivity of TIP1. Finally, homology modeling analysis indicates that putative residues involved in mechanosensitivity show different quantity and distribution in TIP1 and PIP2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ramiro P Goldman
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica (IFIBIO Houssay), Laboratorio de Biomembranas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cintia Jozefkowicz
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB), Departamento de Fisicomatemática, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agustina Canessa Fortuna
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB), Departamento de Fisicomatemática, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Moira Sutka
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Karina Alleva
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB), Departamento de Fisicomatemática, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcelo Ozu
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica (IFIBIO Houssay), Laboratorio de Biomembranas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Aplicada (IBBEA), Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Booth IR, Miller S, Müller A, Lehtovirta-Morley L. The evolution of bacterial mechanosensitive channels. Cell Calcium 2014; 57:140-50. [PMID: 25591932 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2014.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2014] [Revised: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Mechanosensitive channels are ubiquitous and highly studied. However, the evolution of the bacterial channels remains enigmatic. It can be argued that mechanosensitivity might be a feature of all membrane proteins with some becoming progressively less sensitive to membrane tension over the course of evolution. Bacteria and archaea exhibit two main classes of channels, MscS and MscL. Present day channels suggest that the evolution of MscL may be highly constrained, whereas MscS has undergone elaboration via gene fusion (and potentially gene fission) events to generate a diversity of channel structures. Some of these channel variants are constrained to a small number of genera or species. Some are only found in higher organisms. Only exceptionally have these diverse channels been investigated in any detail. In this review we consider both the processes that might have led to the evolved complexity but also some of the methods exploiting the explosion of genome sequences to understand (and/or track) their distribution. The role of MscS-related channels in calcium-mediated cell biology events is considered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ian R Booth
- School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Samantha Miller
- School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK.
| | - Axel Müller
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Broad Institute, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Laura Lehtovirta-Morley
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Cruikshank Building, University of Aberdeen, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK.
| |
Collapse
|