1
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Barshtein G, Livshits L, Gural A, Arbell D, Barkan R, Pajic-Lijakovic I, Yedgar S. Hemoglobin Binding to the Red Blood Cell (RBC) Membrane Is Associated with Decreased Cell Deformability. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5814. [PMID: 38892001 PMCID: PMC11172562 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115814] [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: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The deformability of red blood cells (RBCs), expressing their ability to change their shape as a function of flow-induced shear stress, allows them to optimize oxygen delivery to the tissues and minimize their resistance to flow, especially in microcirculation. During physiological aging and blood storage, or under external stimulations, RBCs undergo metabolic and structural alterations, one of which is hemoglobin (Hb) redistribution between the cytosol and the membrane. Consequently, part of the Hb may attach to the cell membrane, and although this process is reversible, the increase in membrane-bound Hb (MBHb) can affect the cell's mechanical properties and deformability in particular. In the present study, we examined the correlation between the MBHb levels, determined by mass spectroscopy, and the cell deformability, determined by image analysis. Six hemoglobin subunits were found attached to the RBC membranes. The cell deformability was negatively correlated with the level of four subunits, with a highly significant inter-correlation between them. These data suggest that the decrease in RBC deformability results from Hb redistribution between the cytosol and the cell membrane and the respective Hb interaction with the cell membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory Barshtein
- Department of Biochemistry, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel;
| | - Leonid Livshits
- Red Blood Cell Research Group, Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Veterinary Physiology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland;
| | - Alexander Gural
- Blood Bank, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel;
| | - Dan Arbell
- Pediatric Surgery, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel;
| | - Refael Barkan
- Department of Digital Medical Technologies, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon 5810201, Israel;
| | | | - Saul Yedgar
- Department of Biochemistry, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel;
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2
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Pandia S, Mahapatra A, Chakraborty H. A Coronin 1-Derived Peptide Inhibits Membrane Fusion by Modulating Membrane Organization and Dynamics. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:4986-4995. [PMID: 38739415 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Membrane fusion is considered the first step in the entry of enveloped viruses into the host cell. Several targeted strategies have been implemented to block viral entry by limiting the fusion protein to form a six-helix bundle, which is a prerequisite for fusion. Nonetheless, the development of broad-spectrum fusion inhibitors is essential to combat emerging and re-emerging viral infections. TG-23, a coronin 1, a tryptophan-aspartate-rich phagosomal protein-derived peptide, demonstrated inhibition of fusion between small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) by modulating the membrane's physical properties. However, its inhibitory efficacy reduces with an increasing concentration of membrane cholesterol. The present work aims to develop a fusion inhibitor whose efficacy would be unaltered in the presence of membrane cholesterol. A stretch of the tryptophan-aspartic acid-containing peptide with a similar secondary structure and hydrophobicity profile of TG-23 from coronin 1 was synthesized, and its ability to inhibit SUV-SUV fusion with varying concentrations of membrane cholesterol was evaluated. Our results demonstrate that the GG-21 peptide inhibits fusion irrespective of the cholesterol content of the membrane. We have further evaluated the peptide-induced change in the membrane organization and dynamics utilizing arrays of steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements and correlated these results with their effect on fusion. Interestingly, GG-21 displays inhibitory efficacy in a wide variety of lipid compositions despite having a secondary structure and physical properties similar to those of TG-23. Overall, our results advocate that the secondary structure and physical properties of the peptide may not be sufficient to predict its inhibitory efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swaratmika Pandia
- School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla 768 019, Odisha, India
| | - Amita Mahapatra
- School of Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Jatni, Khurda, Bhubaneswar 752050, Odisha, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Hirak Chakraborty
- School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla 768 019, Odisha, India
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3
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Bisht K, Lomholt MA, Khandelia H. Sensing membrane voltage by reorientation of dipolar transmembrane peptides. Biophys J 2024; 123:584-597. [PMID: 38308436 PMCID: PMC10938080 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.01.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Membrane voltage plays a vital role in the behavior and functions of the lipid bilayer membrane. For instance, it regulates the exchange of molecules across the membrane through transmembrane proteins such as ion channels. In this paper, we study the membrane voltage-sensing mechanism, which entails the reorientation of α-helices with a change in the membrane voltage. We consider a helix having a large electrical macrodipole embedded in a lipid bilayer as a model system. We performed extensive molecular dynamics simulations to study the effect of variation of membrane voltage on the tilt angle of peptides and ascertain the optimal parameters for designing such a voltage-sensing peptide. A theoretical model for the system is also developed to investigate the interplay of competing effects of hydrophobic mismatch and dipole-electric field coupling on the tilt of the peptide and further explore the parameter space. This work opens the possibility for the design and fabrication of artificial dipolar membrane voltage-sensing elements for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konark Bisht
- PHYLIFE: Physical Life Science, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark.
| | - Michael A Lomholt
- PHYLIFE: Physical Life Science, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark
| | - Himanshu Khandelia
- PHYLIFE: Physical Life Science, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark.
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4
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Bu B, Tian Z, Li D, Zhang K, Chen W, Ji B, Diao J. Double-Transmembrane Domain of SNAREs Decelerates the Fusion by Increasing the Protein-Lipid Mismatch. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:168089. [PMID: 37030649 PMCID: PMC10247502 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.168089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
SNARE is the essential mediator of membrane fusion that highly relies on the molecular structure of SNAREs. For instance, the protein syntaxin-1 involved in neuronal SNAREs, has a single transmembrane domain (sTMD) leading to fast fusion, while the syntaxin 17 has a V-shape double TMDs (dTMDs), taking part in the autophagosome maturation. However, it is not clear how the TMD structure influences the fusion process. Here, we demonstrate that the dTMDs significantly reduce fusion rate compared with the sTMD by using an in vitro reconstitution system. Through theoretical analysis, we reveal that the V-shape dTMDs can significantly increase protein-lipid mismatch, thereby raising the energy barrier of the fusion, and that increasing the number of SNAREs can reduce the energy barrier or protein-lipid mismatch. This study provides a physicochemical mechanistic understanding of SNARE-regulated membrane fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Bu
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences, Changzhou University, Changzhou, Jiangsu 213164, China
| | - Zhiqi Tian
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Dechang Li
- Institute of Applied Mechanics, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
| | - Kai Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Cell Biology and Department of Cardiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Baohua Ji
- Institute of Applied Mechanics, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Jiajie Diao
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA.
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5
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Length matters: Functional flip of the short TatA transmembrane helix. Biophys J 2022:S0006-3495(22)03926-1. [PMID: 36523158 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The twin arginine translocase (Tat) exports folded proteins across bacterial membranes. The putative pore-forming or membrane-weakening component (TatAd in B. subtilis) is anchored to the lipid bilayer via an unusually short transmembrane α-helix (TMH), with less than 16 residues. Its tilt angle in different membranes was analyzed under hydrophobic mismatch conditions, using synchrotron radiation circular dichroism and solid-state NMR. Positive mismatch (introduced either by reconstitution in short-chain lipids or by extending the hydrophobic TMH length) increased the helix tilt of the TMH as expected. Negative mismatch (introduced either by reconstitution in long-chain lipids or by shortening the TMH), on the other hand, led to protein aggregation. These data suggest that the TMH of TatA is just about long enough for stable membrane insertion. At the same time, its short length is a crucial factor for successful translocation, as demonstrated here in native membrane vesicles using an in vitro translocation assay. Furthermore, when reconstituted in model membranes with negative spontaneous curvature, the TMH was found to be aligned parallel to the membrane surface. This intrinsic ability of TatA to flip out of the membrane core thus seems to play a key role in its membrane-destabilizing effect during Tat-dependent translocation.
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6
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Sharma GP, Meyer AC, Habeeb S, Karbach M, Müller G. Free-energy landscapes and insertion pathways for peptides in membrane environment. Phys Rev E 2022; 106:014404. [PMID: 35974613 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.106.014404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Free-energy landscapes for short peptides-specifically for variants of the pH low insertion peptide (pHLIP)-in the heterogeneous environment of a lipid bilayer or cell membrane are constructed, taking into account a set of dominant interactions and the conformational preferences of the peptide backbone. Our methodology interprets broken internal H-bonds along the backbone of a polypeptide as statistically interacting quasiparticles, activated from the helix reference state. The favored conformation depends on the local environment (ranging from polar to nonpolar), specifically on the availability of external H-bonds (with H_{2}O molecules or lipid headgroups) to replace internal H-bonds. The dominant side-chain contribution is accounted for by residue-specific transfer free energies between polar and nonpolar environments. The free-energy landscape is sensitive to the level of pH in the aqueous environment surrounding the membrane. For high pH, we identify pathways of descending free energy that suggest a coexistence of membrane-adsorbed peptides with peptides in solution. A drop in pH raises the degree of protonation of negatively charged residues and thus increases the hydrophobicity of peptide segments near the C terminus. For low pH, we identify insertion pathways between the membrane-adsorbed state and a stable trans-membrane state with the C terminus having crossed the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganga P Sharma
- Department of Physics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881, USA
| | - Aaron C Meyer
- Department of Physics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881, USA
| | - Suhail Habeeb
- Department of Physics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881, USA
| | - Michael Karbach
- Fachgruppe Physik, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, D-42097 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Gerhard Müller
- Department of Physics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881, USA
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7
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Kuzmin A, Orekhov P, Astashkin R, Gordeliy V, Gushchin I. Structure and dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein monomer. Proteins 2022; 90:1102-1114. [PMID: 35119706 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Coronaviruses, especially severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), present an ongoing threat to human wellbeing. Consequently, elucidation of molecular determinants of their function and interaction with the host is an important task. Whereas some of the coronaviral proteins are extensively characterized, others remain understudied. Here, we use molecular dynamics simulations to analyze the structure and dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 envelope (E) protein (a viroporin) in the monomeric form. The protein consists of the hydrophobic α-helical transmembrane domain (TMD) and amphiphilic α-helices H2 and H3, connected by flexible linkers. We show that TMD has a preferable orientation in the membrane, while H2 and H3 reside at the membrane surface. Orientation of H2 is strongly influenced by palmitoylation of cysteines Cys40, Cys43, and Cys44. Glycosylation of Asn66 affects the orientation of H3. We also observe that the monomeric E protein both generates and senses the membrane curvature, preferably localizing with the C-terminus at the convex regions of the membrane; the protein in the pentameric form displays these properties as well. Localization to curved regions may be favorable for assembly of the E protein oligomers, whereas induction of curvature may facilitate the budding of the viral particles. The presented results may be helpful for a better understanding of the function of the coronaviral E protein and viroporins in general, and for overcoming the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kuzmin
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Philipp Orekhov
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia.,Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Faculty of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Roman Astashkin
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia.,Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Valentin Gordeliy
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia.,Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France.,Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany.,JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Ivan Gushchin
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
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8
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Kratochvil HT, Newberry RW, Mensa B, Mravic M, DeGrado WF. Spiers Memorial Lecture: Analysis and de novo design of membrane-interactive peptides. Faraday Discuss 2021; 232:9-48. [PMID: 34693965 PMCID: PMC8979563 DOI: 10.1039/d1fd00061f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Membrane-peptide interactions play critical roles in many cellular and organismic functions, including protection from infection, remodeling of membranes, signaling, and ion transport. Peptides interact with membranes in a variety of ways: some associate with membrane surfaces in either intrinsically disordered conformations or well-defined secondary structures. Peptides with sufficient hydrophobicity can also insert vertically as transmembrane monomers, and many associate further into membrane-spanning helical bundles. Indeed, some peptides progress through each of these stages in the process of forming oligomeric bundles. In each case, the structure of the peptide and the membrane represent a delicate balance between peptide-membrane and peptide-peptide interactions. We will review this literature from the perspective of several biologically important systems, including antimicrobial peptides and their mimics, α-synuclein, receptor tyrosine kinases, and ion channels. We also discuss the use of de novo design to construct models to test our understanding of the underlying principles and to provide useful leads for pharmaceutical intervention of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huong T Kratochvil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| | - Robert W Newberry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| | - Bruk Mensa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| | - Marco Mravic
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - William F DeGrado
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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9
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Price JR, Afrose F, Greathouse DV, Koeppe RE. Illuminating Disorder Induced by Glu in a Stable Arg-Anchored Transmembrane Helix. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:20611-20618. [PMID: 34396006 PMCID: PMC8359125 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c02800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Membrane proteins are vital for biological function and are complex to study. Even in model peptide-lipid systems, the combined influence or interaction of pairs of chemical groups still is not well understood. Disordered proteins, whether in solution or near lipid membranes, are an emerging paradigm for the initiation and control of biological function. The disorder can involve molecular orientation as well as molecular folding. This paper reports an astonishing induction of disorder when one Glu residue is introduced into a highly stable 23-residue transmembrane helix. The parent helix is anchored by a single Arg residue, tilted at a well-defined angle with respect to the DOPC bilayer normal and undergoes rapid cone precession. When Glu is introduced two residues away from Arg, with 200° (or 160°) radial separation, the helix properties change radically to exhibit a multiplicity of three or more disordered states. The helix characteristics have been monitored by deuterium (2H) NMR spectroscopy as functions of the pH and lipid bilayer composition. The disordered multistate behavior of the (Glu, Arg)-containing helix varies with the lipid bilayer thickness and pH. The results highlight a fundamental induction of protein multistate properties by a single Glu residue in a lipid membrane environment.
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10
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A photoswitchable helical peptide with light-controllable interface/transmembrane topology in lipidic membranes. iScience 2021; 24:102771. [PMID: 34286233 PMCID: PMC8273423 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The spontaneous insertion of helical transmembrane (TM) polypeptides into lipid bilayers is driven by three sequential equilibria: solution-to-membrane interface (MI) partition, unstructured-to-helical folding, and MI-to-TM helix insertion. A bottleneck for understanding these three steps is the lack of experimental approaches to perturb membrane-bound hydrophobic polypeptides out of equilibrium rapidly and reversibly. Here, we report on a 24-residues-long hydrophobic α-helical polypeptide, covalently coupled to an azobenzene photoswitch (KCALP-azo), which displays a light-controllable TM/MI equilibrium in hydrated lipid bilayers. FTIR spectroscopy reveals that trans KCALP-azo folds as a TM α-helix (TM topology). After trans-to-cis photoisomerization of the azobenzene moiety with UV light (reversed with blue light), the helical structure of KCALP-azo is maintained, but its helix tilt increased from 32 ± 5° to 79 ± 8°, indication of a reversible TM-to-MI transition. Further analysis indicates that this transition is incomplete, with cis KCALP-azo existing in a ∼90% TM and ∼10% MI mixture. We present an α-helical transmembrane peptide modified with a molecular photoswitch The peptide exhibits reversible photocontrol of its membrane topology A fraction moves to the membrane interface with UV and inserts back with blue light This system will be useful to address the molecular mechanism for membrane insertion
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11
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McKay M, Marr KA, Price JR, Greathouse DV, Koeppe RE. Lipid-Dependent Titration of Glutamic Acid at a Bilayer Membrane Interface. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:8488-8494. [PMID: 33817510 PMCID: PMC8015139 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c00276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The ionization properties of protein side chains in lipid-bilayer membranes will differ from the canonical values of side chains exposed to an aqueous solution. While the propensities of positively charged side chains of His, Lys, and Arg to release a proton in lipid membranes have been rather well characterized, the propensity for a negatively charged Glu side chain to receive a proton and achieve the neutral state in a bilayer membrane has been less well characterized. Indeed, the ionization of the glutamic acid side chain has been predicted to depend on its depth of burial in a lipid membrane but has been difficult to verify experimentally. To address the issue, we incorporated an interfacial Glu residue at position 4 of a distinct 23-residue transmembrane helix and used 2H NMR to examine the helix properties as a function of pH. We observe that the helix tilt and azimuthal rotation vary little with pH, but the extent of helix unraveling near residues 3 and 4 changes as the Glu residue E4 titrates. Remarkably, the 2H quadrupolar splitting for the side chain of alanine A3 responds to pH with an apparent pK a of 4.8 in 1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC) and 6.3 in 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC), but is unchanged up to pH 8.0 in 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) in the presence of residue E4. With bilayers composed of alkali-stable ether-linked lipids, the side chain of A3 responds to pH with an apparent pK a of 11.0 in the ether analogue of DOPC. These results suggest that the depth dependence of Glu ionization in lipid-bilayer membranes may be steeper than previously predicted or envisioned.
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12
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Afrose F, Martfeld AN, Greathouse DV, Koeppe RE. Examination of pH dependency and orientation differences of membrane spanning alpha helices carrying a single or pair of buried histidine residues. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1863:183501. [PMID: 33130099 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
We have employed the peptide framework of GWALP23 (acetyl-GGALWLALALALALALALWLAGA-amide) to examine the orientation, dynamics and pH dependence of peptides having buried single or pairs of histidine residues. When residue L8 is substituted to yield GWALP23-H8, acetyl-GGALWLAH8ALALALALALWLAGA-amide, the deuterium NMR spectra of 2H-labeled core alanine residues reveal a helix that occupies a single transmembrane orientation in DLPC, or in DMPC at low pH, yet shows multiple states at higher pH or in bilayers of DOPC. Moreover, a single histidine at position 8 or 16 in the GWALP23 framework is sensitive to pH. Titration points are observed near pH 3.5 for the deprotonation of H8 in lipid bilayers of DLPC or DMPC, and for H16 in DOPC. When residues L8 and L16 both are substituted to yield GWALP23-H8,16, the 2H NMR spectra show, interestingly, no titration dependence from pH 2-8, yet bilayer thickness-dependent orientation differences. The helix with H8 and H16 is found to adopt a transmembrane orientation in thin bilayers of DLPC, a combination of transmembrane and surface orientations in DMPC, and then a complete transition to a surface bound orientation in the thicker DPoPC and DOPC lipid bilayers. In the surface orientations, alanine A7 no longer fits within the core helix. These results along with previous studies with different locations of histidine residues suggest that lipid hydrophobic thickness is a first determinant and pH a second determinant for the helical orientation, along with possible side-chain snorkeling, when the His residues are incorporated into the hydrophobic region of a lipid membrane-associated helix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahmida Afrose
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Ashley N Martfeld
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Denise V Greathouse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Roger E Koeppe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
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13
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McKay MJ, Greathouse DV, Koeppe RE. Flanking aromatic residue competition influences transmembrane peptide helix dynamics. FEBS Lett 2020; 594:4280-4291. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. McKay
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Arkansas Fayetteville AR USA
| | - Denise V. Greathouse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Arkansas Fayetteville AR USA
| | - Roger E. Koeppe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Arkansas Fayetteville AR USA
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14
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Limwongyut J, Nie C, Moreland AS, Bazan GC. Molecular design of antimicrobial conjugated oligoelectrolytes with enhanced selectivity toward bacterial cells. Chem Sci 2020; 11:8138-8144. [PMID: 34123085 PMCID: PMC8163332 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc03679j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of cationic conjugated oligoelectrolytes (COEs) was designed to understand how variations in molecular dimensions impact the relative activity against bacteria and mammalian cells. These COEs kept a consistent distyrylbenzene framework but differed in the length of linker between the core and the cationic site and the length of substitute on the quaternary ammonium functioned group. Their antimicrobial efficacy, mammalian cell cytotoxicity, hemolytic activity, and cell association were determined. We find that hydrophobicity is a factor that controls the degree of COE association to cells, but in vitro efficacy and cytotoxicity depend on more subtle structural features. COE2-3C-C4butyl was found to be the optimal structure with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 4 μg mL−1 against E. coli K12, low cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells and negligible hemolysis of red blood cells, even at 1024 μg mL−1. A time-kill kinetics study of COE2-3C-C4butyl against E. coli K12 demonstrates bactericidal activity. These findings provide the first systematic investigation of how COEs may be modulated to achieve low mammalian cell cytotoxicity with the long-range perspective of finding candidates suitable for developing a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent. A series of cationic conjugated oligoelectrolytes (COEs) was designed to understand how variations in molecular dimensions impact the relative activity against bacteria and mammalian cells.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakkarin Limwongyut
- Center for Polymers and Organic Solids, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Chenyao Nie
- Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National University of Singapore 117543 Singapore
| | - Alex S Moreland
- Center for Polymers and Organic Solids, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
| | - Guillermo C Bazan
- Center for Polymers and Organic Solids, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA .,Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, National University of Singapore 117543 Singapore
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15
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Loschwitz J, Olubiyi OO, Hub JS, Strodel B, Poojari CS. Computer simulations of protein-membrane systems. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 170:273-403. [PMID: 32145948 PMCID: PMC7109768 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The interactions between proteins and membranes play critical roles in signal transduction, cell motility, and transport, and they are involved in many types of diseases. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have greatly contributed to our understanding of protein-membrane interactions, promoted by a dramatic development of MD-related software, increasingly accurate force fields, and available computer power. In this chapter, we present available methods for studying protein-membrane systems with MD simulations, including an overview about the various all-atom and coarse-grained force fields for lipids, and useful software for membrane simulation setup and analysis. A large set of case studies is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Loschwitz
- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Olujide O Olubiyi
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
| | - Jochen S Hub
- Theoretical Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Birgit Strodel
- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Chetan S Poojari
- Theoretical Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
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16
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Comparing Interfacial Trp, Interfacial His and pH Dependence for the Anchoring of Tilted Transmembrane Helical Peptides. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10020273. [PMID: 32053887 PMCID: PMC7072424 DOI: 10.3390/biom10020273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Charged and aromatic amino acid residues, being enriched toward the terminals of membrane-spanning helices in membrane proteins, help to stabilize particular transmembrane orientations. Among them, histidine is aromatic and can be positively charge at low pH. To enable investigations of the underlying protein-lipid interactions, we have examined the effects of single or pairs of interfacial histidine residues using the constructive low-dynamic GWALP23 (acetyl-GG2ALW5LALALALALALALW19LAG22A-amide) peptide framework by incorporating individual or paired histidines at locations 2, 5, 19 or 22. Analysis of helix orientation by means of solid-state 2H NMR spectra of labeled alanine residues reveals marked differences with H2,22 compared to W2,22. Nevertheless, the properties of membrane-spanning H2,22WALP23 helices show little pH dependence and are similar to those having Gly, Arg or Lys at positions 2 and 22. The presence of H5 or H19 influences the helix rotational preference but not the tilt magnitude. H5 affects the helical integrity, as residue 7 unwinds from the core helix; yet once again the helix orientation and dynamic properties show little sensitivity to pH. The overall results reveal that the detailed properties of transmembrane helices depend upon the precise locations of interfacial histidine residues.
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17
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Influence of interfacial tryptophan residues on an arginine-flanked transmembrane helix. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183134. [PMID: 31738898 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.183134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The transmembrane helices of membrane proteins often are flanked by interfacial charged or aromatic residues that potentially help to anchor the membrane-spanning protein. For isolated single-span helices, the interfacial residues may be especially important for stabilizing particular tilted transmembrane orientations. The peptide RWALP23 (acetyl-GR2ALW(LA)6LWLAR22A-amide) has been employed to investigate the interplay between interfacial arginines and tryptophans. Here we replace the tryptophans of RWALP23 with A5 and A19, to investigate arginines alone with respect to helix fraying and orientation in varying lipid bilayers. Deuterated alanines incorporated into the central sequence allow the orientation and stability of the core helix to be assessed by means of solid -state 2H NMR in bilayers of DOPC, DMPC and DLPC. The helix tilt from the bilayer normal is found to increase slightly when R2 and R22 are present, and increases still further when the tryptophans W5 and W19 are replaced by alanines. The extent of helix dynamic averaging remains low in all cases. The preferred helix azimuthal rotation is essentially constant for all of the helices in each of the lipid membranes considered here. The alanines located outside of the core region of the peptide are sensitive to helical integrity. The new alanines, A5 and A19, therefore, provide new information about the length of the core helix and the onset of unraveling of the terminals. Residue A19 remains essentially on the central helix in each lipid membrane, while residues A3, A5 and A21 deviate from the core helix to an extent that depends on the membrane thickness. Differential unraveling of the two ends to expose peptide backbone groups for hydrogen bonding therefore acts together with specific interfacial side chains to stabilize a transmembrane helix.
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18
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Kubyshkin V, Grage SL, Ulrich AS, Budisa N. Bilayer thickness determines the alignment of model polyproline helices in lipid membranes. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:22396-22408. [PMID: 31577299 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp02996f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of protein folds relies fundamentally on the set of secondary structures found in the proteomes. Yet, there also exist intriguing structures and motifs that are underrepresented in natural biopolymeric systems. One example is the polyproline II helix, which is usually considered to have a polar character and therefore does not form membrane spanning sections of membrane proteins. In our work, we have introduced specially designed polyproline II helices into the hydrophobic membrane milieu and used 19F NMR to monitor the helix alignment in oriented lipid bilayers. Our results show that these artificial hydrophobic peptides can adopt several different alignment states. If the helix is shorter than the thickness of the hydrophobic core of the membrane, it is submerged into the bilayer with its long axis parallel to the membrane plane. The polyproline helix adopts a transmembrane alignment when its length exceeds the bilayer thickness. If the peptide length roughly matches the lipid thickness, a coexistence of both states is observed. We thus show that the lipid thickness plays a determining role in the occurrence of a transmembrane polyproline II helix. We also found that the adaptation of polyproline II helices to hydrophobic mismatch is in some notable aspects different from α-helices. Finally, our results prove that the polyproline II helix is a competent structure for the construction of transmembrane peptide segments, despite the fact that no such motif has ever been reported in natural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Kubyshkin
- Institute of Chemistry, Technical University of Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Str. 10, Berlin 10623, Germany and Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Dysart Rd. 144, Winnipeg MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
| | - Stephan L Grage
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), P.O.B. 3640, Karlsruhe 76021, Germany
| | - Anne S Ulrich
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), P.O.B. 3640, Karlsruhe 76021, Germany and Institute of Organic Chemistry, KIT, Fritz-Haber-Weg 6, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Institute of Chemistry, Technical University of Berlin, Müller-Breslau-Str. 10, Berlin 10623, Germany and Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Dysart Rd. 144, Winnipeg MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
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19
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Beyond electrostatics: Antimicrobial peptide selectivity and the influence of cholesterol-mediated fluidity and lipid chain length on protegrin-1 activity. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2019; 1861:182977. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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20
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Lipinski K, McKay MJ, Afrose F, Martfeld AN, Koeppe RE, Greathouse DV. Influence of Lipid Saturation, Hydrophobic Length and Cholesterol on Double-Arginine-Containing Helical Peptides in Bilayer Membranes. Chembiochem 2019; 20:2784-2792. [PMID: 31150136 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201900282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Membrane proteins are essential for many cell processes yet are more difficult to investigate than soluble proteins. Charged residues often contribute significantly to membrane protein function. Model peptides such as GWALP23 (acetyl-GGALW5 LAL8 LALALAL16 ALW19 LAGA-amide) can be used to characterize the influence of specific residues on transmembrane protein domains. We have substituted R8 and R16 in GWALP23 in place of L8 and L16, equidistant from the peptide center, and incorporated specific 2 H-labeled alanine residues within the central sequence for detection by solid-state 2 H NMR spectroscopy. The resulting pattern of [2 H]Ala quadrupolar splitting (Δνq ) magnitudes indicates the core helix for R8,16 GWALP23 is significantly tilted to give a similar transmembrane orientation in thinner bilayers with either saturated C12:0 or C14:0 acyl chains (1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC) or 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC)) or unsaturated C16:1 Δ9 cis acyl chains. In bilayers of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC; C18:1 Δ9 cis) multiple orientations are indicated, whereas in longer, unsaturated 1,2-dieicosenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DEiPC; C20:1 Δ11 cis) bilayers, the R8,16 GWALP23 helix adopts primarily a surface orientation. The inclusion of 10-20 mol % cholesterol in DOPC bilayers drives more of the R8,16 GWALP23 helix population to the membrane surface, thereby allowing both charged arginines access to the interfacial lipid head groups. The results suggest that hydrophobic thickness and cholesterol content are more important than lipid saturation for the arginine peptide dynamics and helix orientation in lipid membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karli Lipinski
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, 119 Chemistry Building, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Matthew J McKay
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, 119 Chemistry Building, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Fahmida Afrose
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, 119 Chemistry Building, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Ashley N Martfeld
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, 119 Chemistry Building, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA.,Present address: Department Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, 311 Research Drive, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Roger E Koeppe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, 119 Chemistry Building, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Denise V Greathouse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, 119 Chemistry Building, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
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21
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McKay MJ, Fu R, Greathouse DV, Koeppe RE. Breaking the Backbone: Central Arginine Residues Induce Membrane Exit and Helix Distortions within a Dynamic Membrane Peptide. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:8034-8047. [PMID: 31483653 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b06034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Transmembrane domains of membrane proteins sometimes contain conserved charged or ionizable residues which may be essential for protein function and regulation. This work examines the molecular interactions of single Arg residues within a highly dynamic transmembrane peptide helix. To this end, we have modified the GW4,20ALP23 (acetyl-GGAW4(AL)7AW20AGA-amide) model peptide framework to incorporate Arg residues near the center of the peptide. Peptide helix formation, orientation and dynamics were analyzed by means of solid-state NMR spectroscopy to monitor specific 2H- or 15N-labeled residues. GW4,20ALP23 itself adopts a tilted orientation within lipid bilayer membranes. Nevertheless, the GW4,20ALP23 helix exhibits moderate to high dynamic averaging of NMR observables, such as 2H quadrupolar splittings or 15N-1H dipolar couplings, due to competition between the interfacial Trp residues on opposing helix faces. Here we examine how the helix dynamics are impacted by the introduction of a single Arg residue at position 12 or 14. Residue R14 restricts the helix to low dynamic averaging and a well-defined tilt that varies inversely with the lipid bilayer thickness. To compensate for the dominance of R14, the competing Trp residues cause partial unwinding of the helix at the C-terminal. By contrast, R12GW4,20ALP23 exits the DOPC bilayer to an interfacial surface-bound location. Interestingly, multiple orientations are exhibited by a single residue, Ala-9. Quadrupolar splittings generated by 2H-labeled residues A3, A5, A7, and A9 do not fit to the α-helical quadrupolar wave plot defined by residues A11, A13, A15, A17, A19, and A21. The discontinuity at residue A9 implicates a helical swivel distortion and an apparent 310-helix involving the N-terminal residues preceding A11. These molecular features suggest that, while arginine residues are prominent factors controlling transmembrane helix dynamics, the influence of interfacial tryptophan residues cannot be ignored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J McKay
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Arkansas , Fayetteville , Arkansas 72701 , United States
| | - Riqiang Fu
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University , Tallahassee , Florida 32310 , United States
| | - Denise V Greathouse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Arkansas , Fayetteville , Arkansas 72701 , United States
| | - Roger E Koeppe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Arkansas , Fayetteville , Arkansas 72701 , United States
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22
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Götz A, Mylonas N, Högel P, Silber M, Heinel H, Menig S, Vogel A, Feyrer H, Huster D, Luy B, Langosch D, Scharnagl C, Muhle-Goll C, Kamp F, Steiner H. Modulating Hinge Flexibility in the APP Transmembrane Domain Alters γ-Secretase Cleavage. Biophys J 2019; 116:2103-2120. [PMID: 31130234 PMCID: PMC6554489 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Intramembrane cleavage of the β-amyloid precursor protein C99 substrate by γ-secretase is implicated in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Biophysical data have suggested that the N-terminal part of the C99 transmembrane domain (TMD) is separated from the C-terminal cleavage domain by a di-glycine hinge. Because the flexibility of this hinge might be critical for γ-secretase cleavage, we mutated one of the glycine residues, G38, to a helix-stabilizing leucine and to a helix-distorting proline. Both mutants impaired γ-secretase cleavage and also altered its cleavage specificity. Circular dichroism, NMR, and backbone amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange measurements as well as molecular dynamics simulations showed that the mutations distinctly altered the intrinsic structural and dynamical properties of the substrate TMD. Although helix destabilization and/or unfolding was not observed at the initial ε-cleavage sites of C99, subtle changes in hinge flexibility were identified that substantially affected helix bending and twisting motions in the entire TMD. These resulted in altered orientation of the distal cleavage domain relative to the N-terminal TMD part. Our data suggest that both enhancing and reducing local helix flexibility of the di-glycine hinge may decrease the occurrence of enzyme-substrate complex conformations required for normal catalysis and that hinge mobility can thus be conducive for productive substrate-enzyme interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Götz
- Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems (E14), Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Nadine Mylonas
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Metabolic Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Philipp Högel
- Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich at the Lehrstuhl Chemie der Biopolymere, Technical University Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Mara Silber
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Hannes Heinel
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simon Menig
- Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems (E14), Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Alexander Vogel
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hannes Feyrer
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Daniel Huster
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Burkhard Luy
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Dieter Langosch
- Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich at the Lehrstuhl Chemie der Biopolymere, Technical University Munich, Freising, Germany
| | - Christina Scharnagl
- Physics of Synthetic Biological Systems (E14), Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany.
| | - Claudia Muhle-Goll
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Institute for Biological Interfaces 4, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Frits Kamp
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Metabolic Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Harald Steiner
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Metabolic Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.
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23
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Afrose F, McKay MJ, Mortazavi A, Suresh Kumar V, Greathouse DV, Koeppe RE. Transmembrane Helix Integrity versus Fraying To Expose Hydrogen Bonds at a Membrane-Water Interface. Biochemistry 2019; 58:633-645. [PMID: 30565458 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b01119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Transmembrane helices dominate the landscape for many membrane proteins. Often flanked by interfacial aromatic residues, these transmembrane helices also contain loops and interhelix segments, which could help in stabilizing a transmembrane orientation. Using 2H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to monitor bilayer-incorporated model GWALP23 family peptides, we address systematically the issue of helix fraying in relation to the dynamics and orientation of highly similar individual transmembrane helices. We inserted aromatic (Phe, Trp, Tyr, and His) or non-aromatic residues (Ala and Gly) into positions 4 and 5 adjacent to a core transmembrane helix to examine the side-chain dependency of the transmembrane orientation, dynamics, and helix integrity (extent and location of unraveling). Incorporation of [2H]alanine labels enables one to assess the helicity of the core sequence and the peptide termini. For most of the helices, we observed substantial unwinding involving at least three residues at both ends. For the unique case of histidine at positions 4 and 5, an extended N-terminal unwinding was observed up to residue 7. For further investigation of the onset of fraying, we employed A4,5GWALP23 with 2H labels at residues 4 and 5 and found that the number of terminal residues involved in the unwinding depends on bilayer thicknesses and helps to govern the helix dynamics. The combined results enable us to compare and contrast the extent of fraying for each related helix, as reflected by the deviation of experimental 2H quadrupolar splitting magnitudes of juxta-terminal alanines A3 and A21 from those represented by an ideal helix geometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahmida Afrose
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Arkansas , Fayetteville , Arkansas 72701 , United States
| | - Matthew J McKay
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Arkansas , Fayetteville , Arkansas 72701 , United States
| | - Armin Mortazavi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Arkansas , Fayetteville , Arkansas 72701 , United States
| | - Vasupradha Suresh Kumar
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Arkansas , Fayetteville , Arkansas 72701 , United States
| | - Denise V Greathouse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Arkansas , Fayetteville , Arkansas 72701 , United States
| | - Roger E Koeppe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , University of Arkansas , Fayetteville , Arkansas 72701 , United States
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24
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Pichler H, Emmerstorfer-Augustin A. Modification of membrane lipid compositions in single-celled organisms – From basics to applications. Methods 2018; 147:50-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2018.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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25
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Zhou C, Chia GWN, Ho JCS, Seviour T, Sailov T, Liedberg B, Kjelleberg S, Hinks J, Bazan GC. Informed Molecular Design of Conjugated Oligoelectrolytes To Increase Cell Affinity and Antimicrobial Activity. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201803103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Zhou
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Singapore
| | - Geraldine W. N. Chia
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School Singapore
- Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) Singapore
| | - James C. S. Ho
- Centre for Biomimetic Sensor ScienceSchool of Materials Science & EngineeringNanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore 639798 Singapore
| | - Thomas Seviour
- Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) Singapore
| | - Talgat Sailov
- Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) Singapore
| | - Bo Liedberg
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School Singapore
- Centre for Biomimetic Sensor ScienceSchool of Materials Science & EngineeringNanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore 639798 Singapore
| | - Staffan Kjelleberg
- Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) Singapore
| | - Jamie Hinks
- Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) Singapore
| | - Guillermo C. Bazan
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Singapore
- Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) Singapore
- Center for Polymers and Organic SolidsDepartments of Chemistry & Biochemistry and MaterialsUniversity of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
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26
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McKay MJ, Martfeld AN, De Angelis AA, Opella SJ, Greathouse DV, Koeppe RE. Control of Transmembrane Helix Dynamics by Interfacial Tryptophan Residues. Biophys J 2018; 114:2617-2629. [PMID: 29874612 PMCID: PMC6129553 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmembrane protein domains often contain interfacial aromatic residues, which may play a role in the insertion and stability of membrane helices. Residues such as Trp or Tyr, therefore, are often found situated at the lipid-water interface. We have examined the extent to which the precise radial locations of interfacial Trp residues may influence peptide helix orientation and dynamics. To address these questions, we have modified the GW5,19ALP23 (acetyl-GGALW5(LA)6LW19LAGA-[ethanol]amide) model peptide framework to relocate the Trp residues. Peptide orientation and dynamics were analyzed by means of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to monitor specific 2H- and 15N-labeled residues. GW5,19ALP23 adopts a defined, tilted orientation within lipid bilayer membranes with minimal evidence of motional averaging of NMR observables, such as 2H quadrupolar or 15N-1H dipolar splittings. Here, we examine how peptide dynamics are impacted by relocating the interfacial Trp (W) residues on both ends and opposing faces of the helix, for example by a 100° rotation on the helical wheel for positions 4 and 20. In contrast to GW5,19ALP23, the modified GW4,20ALP23 helix experiences more extensive motional averaging of the NMR observables in several lipid bilayers of different thickness. Individual and combined Gaussian analyses of the 2H and 15N NMR signals confirm that the extent of dynamic averaging, particularly rotational "slippage" about the helix axis, is strongly coupled to the radial distribution of the interfacial Trp residues as well as the bilayer thickness. Additional 2H labels on alanines A3 and A21 reveal partial fraying of the helix ends. Even within the context of partial unwinding, the locations of particular Trp residues around the helix axis are prominent factors for determining transmembrane helix orientation and dynamics within the lipid membrane environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J McKay
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
| | - Ashley N Martfeld
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
| | - Anna A De Angelis
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Stanley J Opella
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Denise V Greathouse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
| | - Roger E Koeppe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas.
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27
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Strandberg E, Grau-Campistany A, Wadhwani P, Bürck J, Rabanal F, Ulrich AS. Helix Fraying and Lipid-Dependent Structure of a Short Amphipathic Membrane-Bound Peptide Revealed by Solid-State NMR. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:6236-6250. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b02661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Erik Strandberg
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), P.O. Box 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Ariadna Grau-Campistany
- Secció de Química Orgànica, Departament de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Parvesh Wadhwani
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), P.O. Box 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jochen Bürck
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), P.O. Box 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Francesc Rabanal
- Secció de Química Orgànica, Departament de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anne S. Ulrich
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), P.O. Box 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
- KIT, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Fritz-Haber-Weg 6, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
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28
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Zhou C, Chia GWN, Ho JCS, Seviour T, Sailov T, Liedberg B, Kjelleberg S, Hinks J, Bazan GC. Informed Molecular Design of Conjugated Oligoelectrolytes To Increase Cell Affinity and Antimicrobial Activity. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018; 57:8069-8072. [PMID: 29707869 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201803103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Membrane-intercalating conjugated oligoelectrolytes (COEs) are emerging as potential alternatives to conventional, yet increasingly ineffective, antibiotics. Three readily accessible COEs, belonging to an unreported series containing a stilbene core, namely D4, D6, and D8, were designed and synthesized so that the hydrophobicity increases with increasing side-chain length. Decreased aqueous solubility correlates with increased uptake by E. coli. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of D8 is 4 μg mL-1 against both E. coli and E. faecalis, with an effective uptake of 72 %. In contrast, the MIC value of the shortest COE, D4, is 128 μg mL-1 owing to the low cellular uptake of 3 %. These findings demonstrate the application of rational design to generate efficacious antimicrobial COEs that have potential as low-cost antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Zhou
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Singapore
| | - Geraldine W N Chia
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School, Singapore.,Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Singapore
| | - James C S Ho
- Centre for Biomimetic Sensor Science, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Thomas Seviour
- Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Singapore
| | - Talgat Sailov
- Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Singapore
| | - Bo Liedberg
- Interdisciplinary Graduate School, Singapore.,Centre for Biomimetic Sensor Science, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Staffan Kjelleberg
- Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Singapore
| | - Jamie Hinks
- Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Singapore
| | - Guillermo C Bazan
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Singapore.,Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Singapore.,Center for Polymers and Organic Solids, Departments of Chemistry & Biochemistry and Materials, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
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29
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Abstract
The third most abundant polypeptide conformation in nature, the polyproline-II helix, is a polar, extended secondary structure with a local organization stabilized by intercarbonyl interactions within the peptide chain. Here we design a hydrophobic polyproline-II helical peptide based on an oligomeric octahydroindole-2-carboxylic acid scaffold and demonstrate its transmembrane alignment in model lipid bilayers by means of solid-state 19F NMR. As result, we provide a first example of a purely artificial transmembrane peptide with a structural organization that is not based on hydrogen-bonding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Kubyshkin
- Institute of Chemistry , Technical University of Berlin , Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 , Berlin 10623 , Germany
| | - Stephan L Grage
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2) , Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) , P.O.B. 3640, Karlsruhe 76021 , Germany
| | - Jochen Bürck
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2) , Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) , P.O.B. 3640, Karlsruhe 76021 , Germany
| | - Anne S Ulrich
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2) , Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) , P.O.B. 3640, Karlsruhe 76021 , Germany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry , KIT , Fritz-Haber-Weg 6 , Karlsruhe 76131 , Germany
| | - Nediljko Budisa
- Institute of Chemistry , Technical University of Berlin , Müller-Breslau-Strasse 10 , Berlin 10623 , Germany
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30
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Abstract
Various recent developments in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy have enabled an array of new insights regarding the structure, dynamics, and interactions of biomolecules. In the ever more integrated world of structural biology, ssNMR studies provide structural and dynamic information that is complementary to the data accessible by other means. ssNMR enables the study of samples lacking a crystalline lattice, featuring static as well as dynamic disorder, and does so independent of higher-order symmetry. The present study surveys recent applications of biomolecular ssNMR and examines how this technique is increasingly integrated with other structural biology techniques, such as (cryo) electron microscopy, solution-state NMR, and X-ray crystallography. Traditional ssNMR targets include lipid bilayer membranes and membrane proteins in a lipid bilayer environment. Another classic application has been in the area of protein misfolding and aggregation disorders, where ssNMR has provided essential structural data on oligomers and amyloid fibril aggregates. More recently, the application of ssNMR has expanded to a growing array of biological assemblies, ranging from non-amyloid protein aggregates, protein–protein complexes, viral capsids, and many others. Across these areas, multidimensional magic angle spinning (MAS) ssNMR has, in the last decade, revealed three-dimensional structures, including many that had been inaccessible by other structural biology techniques. Equally important insights in structural and molecular biology derive from the ability of MAS ssNMR to probe information beyond comprehensive protein structures, such as dynamics, solvent exposure, protein–protein interfaces, and substrate–enzyme interactions.
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31
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McKay MJ, Afrose F, Koeppe RE, Greathouse DV. Helix formation and stability in membranes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2018; 1860:2108-2117. [PMID: 29447916 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2018.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
In this article we review current understanding of basic principles for the folding of membrane proteins, focusing on the more abundant alpha-helical class. Membrane proteins, vital to many biological functions and implicated in numerous diseases, fold into their active conformations in the complex environment of the cell bilayer membrane. While many membrane proteins rely on the translocon and chaperone proteins to fold correctly, others can achieve their functional form in the absence of any translation apparatus or other aides. Nevertheless, the spontaneous folding process is not well understood at the molecular level. Recent findings suggest that helix fraying and loop formation may be important for overall structure, dynamics and regulation of function. Several types of membrane helices with ionizable amino acids change their topology with pH. Additionally we note that some peptides, including many that are rich in arginine, and a particular analogue of gramicidin, are able passively to translocate across cell membranes. The findings indicate that a final protein structure in a lipid-bilayer membrane is sequence-based, with lipids contributing to stability and regulation. While much progress has been made toward understanding the folding process for alpha-helical membrane proteins, it remains a work in progress. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Emergence of Complex Behavior in Biomembranes edited by Marjorie Longo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J McKay
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Fahmida Afrose
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Roger E Koeppe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Denise V Greathouse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
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32
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Mizuguchi T, Matubayasi N. Free-Energy Analysis of Peptide Binding in Lipid Membrane Using All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulation Combined with Theory of Solutions. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:3219-3229. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b08241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko Mizuguchi
- Institute for Molecular Science, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8585, Japan
- Institute for the Promotion of University Strategy, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Matubayasi
- Division of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
- Elements Strategy Initiative for Catalysts and Batteries, Kyoto University, Katsura, Kyoto 615-8520, Japan
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33
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Grau B, Javanainen M, García-Murria MJ, Kulig W, Vattulainen I, Mingarro I, Martínez-Gil L. The role of hydrophobic matching on transmembrane helix packing in cells. Cell Stress 2017; 1:90-106. [PMID: 31225439 PMCID: PMC6551820 DOI: 10.15698/cst2017.11.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Folding and packing of membrane proteins are highly influenced by the lipidic component of the membrane. Here, we explore how the hydrophobic mismatch (the difference between the hydrophobic span of a transmembrane protein region and the hydrophobic thickness of the lipid membrane around the protein) influences transmembrane helix packing in a cellular environment. Using a ToxRED assay in Escherichia coli and a Bimolecular Fluorescent Complementation approach in human-derived cells complemented by atomistic molecular dynamics simulations we analyzed the dimerization of Glycophorin A derived transmembrane segments. We concluded that, biological membranes can accommodate transmembrane homo-dimers with a wide range of hydrophobic lengths. Hydrophobic mismatch and its effects on dimerization are found to be considerably weaker than those previously observed in model membranes, or under in vitro conditions, indicating that biological membranes (particularly eukaryotic membranes) can adapt to structural deformations through compensatory mechanisms that emerge from their complex structure and composition to alleviate membrane stress. Results based on atomistic simulations support this view, as they revealed that Glycophorin A dimers remain stable, despite of poor hydrophobic match, using mechanisms based on dimer tilting or local membrane thickness perturbations. Furthermore, hetero-dimers with large length disparity between their monomers are also tolerated in cells, and the conclusions that one can draw are essentially similar to those found with homo-dimers. However, large differences between transmembrane helices length hinder the monomer/dimer equilibrium, confirming that, the hydrophobic mismatch has, nonetheless, biologically relevant effects on helix packing in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brayan Grau
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, ERI BioTecMed, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Matti Javanainen
- Laboratory of Physics, Tampere University of Technology, FI-33101 Tampere, Finland.,Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, POB 64, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maria Jesús García-Murria
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, ERI BioTecMed, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Waldemar Kulig
- Laboratory of Physics, Tampere University of Technology, FI-33101 Tampere, Finland.,Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, POB 64, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ilpo Vattulainen
- Laboratory of Physics, Tampere University of Technology, FI-33101 Tampere, Finland.,Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, POB 64, FI-00014 Helsinki, Finland.,MEMPHYS - Centre for Biomembrane Physics
| | - Ismael Mingarro
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, ERI BioTecMed, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Luis Martínez-Gil
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, ERI BioTecMed, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, Spain
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34
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Sandoval-Perez A, Pluhackova K, Böckmann RA. Critical Comparison of Biomembrane Force Fields: Protein-Lipid Interactions at the Membrane Interface. J Chem Theory Comput 2017; 13:2310-2321. [PMID: 28388089 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.7b00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations offer the possibility to study biological processes at high spatial and temporal resolution often not reachable by experiments. Corresponding biomolecular force field parameters have been developed for a wide variety of molecules ranging from inorganic ligands and small organic molecules over proteins and lipids to nucleic acids. Force fields have typically been parametrized and validated on thermodynamic observables and structural characteristics of individual compounds, e.g. of soluble proteins or lipid bilayers. Less strictly, due to the added complexity and missing experimental data to compare to, force fields have hardly been tested on the properties of mixed systems, e.g. on protein-lipid systems. Their selection and combination for mixed systems is further complicated by the partially differing parametrization strategies. Additionally, the presence of other compounds in the system may shift the subtle balance of force field parameters. Here, we assessed the protein-lipid interactions as described in the four atomistic force fields GROMOS54a7, CHARMM36 and the two force field combinations Amber14sb/Slipids and Amber14sb/Lipid14. Four observables were compared, focusing on the membrane-water interface: the conservation of the secondary structure of transmembrane proteins, the positioning of transmembrane peptides relative to the lipid bilayer, the insertion depth of side chains of unfolded peptides absorbed at the membrane interface, and the ability to reproduce experimental insertion energies of Wimley-White peptides at the membrane interface. Significant differences between the force fields were observed that affect e.g. membrane insertion depths and tilting of transmembrane peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Sandoval-Perez
- Computational Biology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg , Staudtstrassre 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Kristyna Pluhackova
- Computational Biology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg , Staudtstrassre 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Rainer A Böckmann
- Computational Biology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg , Staudtstrassre 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
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35
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Rajagopalan V, Greathouse DV, Koeppe RE. Influence of glutamic acid residues and pH on the properties of transmembrane helices. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2017; 1859:484-492. [PMID: 28069412 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Negatively charged side chains are important for the function of particular ion channels and certain other membrane proteins. To investigate the influence of single glutamic acid side chains on helices that span lipid-bilayer membranes, we have employed GWALP23 (acetyl-GGALW5LALALALALALALW19LAGA-amide) as a favorable host peptide framework. We substituted individual Leu residues with Glu residues (L12E or L14E or L16E) and incorporated specific 2H-labeled alanine residues within the core helical region or near the ends of the sequence. Solid-state 2H NMR spectra reveal little change for the core labels in GWALP23-E12, -E14 and -E16 over a pH range of 4 to 12.5, with the spectra being broader for samples in DOPC compared to DLPC bilayers. The spectra for samples with deuterium labels near the helix ends on alanines 3 and 21 show modest pH-dependent changes in the extent of unwinding of the helix terminals in DLPC and DOPC bilayers. The combined results indicate minor overall responses of these transmembrane helices to changes in pH, with the most buried residue E12 showing no pH dependence. While the Glu residues E14 and E16 may have high pKa values in the lipid bilayer environment, it is also possible that a paucity of helix response is masking the pKa values. Interestingly, when E16 is present, spectral changes at high pH report significant local unwinding of the core helix. Our results are consistent with the expectation that buried carboxyl groups aggressively hold their protons and/or waters of hydration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkatesan Rajagopalan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, United States
| | - Denise V Greathouse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, United States
| | - Roger E Koeppe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, United States.
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36
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Marquardt D, Heberle FA, Greathouse DV, Koeppe RE, Standaert RF, Van Oosten BJ, Harroun TA, Kinnun JJ, Williams JA, Wassall SR, Katsaras J. Lipid bilayer thickness determines cholesterol's location in model membranes. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:9417-9428. [PMID: 27801465 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm01777k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Cholesterol is an essential biomolecule of animal cell membranes, and an important precursor for the biosynthesis of certain hormones and vitamins. It is also thought to play a key role in cell signaling processes associated with functional plasma membrane microdomains (domains enriched in cholesterol), commonly referred to as rafts. In all of these diverse biological phenomena, the transverse location of cholesterol in the membrane is almost certainly an important structural feature. Using a combination of neutron scattering and solid-state 2H NMR, we have determined the location and orientation of cholesterol in phosphatidylcholine (PC) model membranes having fatty acids of different lengths and degrees of unsaturation. The data establish that cholesterol reorients rapidly about the bilayer normal in all the membranes studied, but is tilted and forced to span the bilayer midplane in the very thin bilayers. The possibility that cholesterol lies flat in the middle of bilayers, including those made from PC lipids containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), is ruled out. These results support the notion that hydrophobic thickness is the primary determinant of cholesterol's location in membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew Marquardt
- Department of Physics, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada and Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Frederick A Heberle
- The Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA and Joint Institute for Biological Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA and Biology and Soft Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
| | - Denise V Greathouse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, USA
| | - Roger E Koeppe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, USA
| | - Robert F Standaert
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA and Department of Biochemistry and Cellular & Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Brad J Van Oosten
- Department of Physics, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Thad A Harroun
- Department of Physics, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Jacob J Kinnun
- Department of Physics, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA.
| | - Justin A Williams
- Department of Physics, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA.
| | - Stephen R Wassall
- Department of Physics, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA.
| | - John Katsaras
- Department of Physics, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada and The Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA and Biology and Soft Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA. and Shull Wollan Center-a Joint Institute for Neutron Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
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37
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Agrawal H, Liu L, Sharma P. Revisiting the curvature-mediated interactions between proteins in biological membranes. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:8907-8918. [PMID: 27725970 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm01572g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Proteins embedded in soft biological membranes experience a long-range force mediated by elastic curvature deformations. The classical linearized Helfrich-Canham Hamiltonian based derivations reveal the nature of the force between a pair of proteins to be repulsive in the zero-temperature limit and the interaction potential is inversely proportional to the fourth power of the distance separating the inclusions. Such a result is the starting point to understand many-body interactions between proteins in biological membranes and the study of their clustering or, more broadly, self-organization. A key observation regarding this widely quoted result is that any two (mechanically rigid) proteins will experience an identical force. In other words, there is no specificity in the currently employed continuum models that purport to explain protein interactions. In this work we argue that each protein has a unique mechanical signature based on its interaction with the surrounding lipid bilayer membrane and cannot be treated as a non-specific rigid object. We modify the classical Helfrich-Canham theory of curvature elasticity to incorporate protein-membrane specificity, discuss the estimation of the new model parameters via atomistic simulations and re-evaluate the curvature-mediated force between proteins. We find that the incorporation of protein-specificity can reduce the interaction force by several orders of magnitude. Our result may provide at least one plausible reason behind why in some computational and experimental studies, a net attractive force between proteins is in evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himani Agrawal
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, TX, USA
| | - Liping Liu
- Department of Mathematics and Department of Mechanical Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers University, NJ, USA.
| | - Pradeep Sharma
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Physics, University of Houston, TX, USA.
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38
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Thibado JK, Martfeld AN, Greathouse DV, Koeppe RE. Influence of High pH and Cholesterol on Single Arginine-Containing Transmembrane Peptide Helices. Biochemistry 2016; 55:6337-6343. [PMID: 27782382 PMCID: PMC5266483 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
![]()
An essential component
of mammalian cells, cholesterol exerts significant
influence on the physical properties of the cell membrane and in turn
its constituents, including membrane proteins. Although sparse, polar
amino acid residues are highly conserved in membrane proteins and
play pivotal roles in determining specific structural and functional
properties. To improve our understanding of particular polar residues
in the membrane environment, we have examined two specific “guest”
Arg residues within a well-defined and deuterium-labeled “host”
framework provided by the transmembrane helical peptide GWALP23 (acetyl-GGALWLALALALALALALWLAGA-amide).
Solid-state 2H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra
from aligned bilayer membrane samples effectively report changes in
the host helix properties because of the incorporation of the guest
residues. The focus of this work is two-pronged. First, GWALP23-R14
was examined over a pH range of 2–13 in 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) ester- or ether-linked
bilayer membranes. Our findings indicate that the Arg guanidinium
side chain remains charged over this entire range, in agreement with
numerous molecular dynamics simulations. Second, GWALP23-R12 and GWALP23-R14
peptides were characterized in DOPC bilayers with varying cholesterol
content. Our findings suggest that 10 or 20% cholesterol content has
minimal impact on the orientation of the R14 peptide. Although the
NMR signals are broader and weaker in the presence of 20% cholesterol,
the deuterium quadrupolar splittings for [2H]Ala residues
in GWALP23-R14 change very little. Conversely, cholesterol appears
to modulate the multistate behavior of GWALP23-R12 and to favor a
major interfacial state for the helix, bound at the bilayer surface.
These results indicate a conditional sensitivity of a complex multistate
transmembrane Arg-containing peptide helix to the presence of cholesterol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordana K Thibado
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, United States
| | - Ashley N Martfeld
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, United States
| | - Denise V Greathouse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, United States
| | - Roger E Koeppe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, United States
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39
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Martfeld AN, Greathouse DV, Koeppe RE. Ionization Properties of Histidine Residues in the Lipid Bilayer Membrane Environment. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:19146-56. [PMID: 27440045 PMCID: PMC5009283 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m116.738583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Revised: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We address the critically important ionization properties of histidine side chains of membrane proteins, when exposed directly to lipid acyl chains within lipid bilayer membranes. The problem is important for addressing general principles that may underlie membrane protein function. To this end, we have employed a favorable host peptide framework provided by GWALP23 (acetyl-GGALW(5)LALALALALALALW(19)LAGA-amide). We inserted His residues into position 12 or 14 of GWALP23 (replacing either Leu(12) or Leu(14)) and incorporated specific [(2)H]Ala labels within the helical core sequence. Solid-state (2)H NMR spectra report the folding and orientation of the core sequence, revealing marked differences in the histidine-containing transmembrane helix behavior between acidic and neutral pH conditions. At neutral pH, the GWALP23-H12 and GWALP23-H14 helices exhibit well defined tilted transmembrane orientations in dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC)and dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC) bilayer membranes. Under acidic conditions, when His(12) is protonated and charged, the GWALP23-H12 helix exhibits a major population that moves to the DOPC bilayer surface and a minor population that occupies multiple transmembrane states. The response to protonation of His(14) is an increase in helix tilt, but GWALP23-H14 remains in a transmembrane orientation. The results suggest pKa values of less than 3 for His(12) and about 3-5 for His(14) in DOPC membranes. In the thinner DLPC bilayers, with increased water access, the helices are less responsive to changes in pH. The combined results enable us to compare the ionization properties of lipid-exposed His, Lys, and Arg side chains in lipid bilayer membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley N Martfeld
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
| | - Denise V Greathouse
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
| | - Roger E Koeppe
- From the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701
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40
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Shelar A, Bansal M. Helix perturbations in membrane proteins assist in inter-helical interactions and optimal helix positioning in the bilayer. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2016; 1858:2804-2817. [PMID: 27521749 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Transmembrane (TM) helices in integral membrane proteins are primarily α-helical in structure. Here we analyze 1134 TM helices in 90 high resolution membrane proteins and find that apart from the widely prevalent α-helices, TM regions also contain stretches of 310 (3 to 8 residues) and π-helices (5 to 19 residues) with distinct sequence signatures. The various helix perturbations in TM regions comprise of helices with kinked geometry, as well as those with an interspersed 310/π-helical fragment and show high occurrence in a few membrane proteins. Proline is frequently present at sites of these perturbations, but it is neither a necessary nor a sufficient requirement. Helix perturbations are also conserved within a family of membrane proteins despite low sequence identity in the perturbed region. Furthermore, a perturbation influences the geometry of the TM helix, mediates inter-helical interactions within and across protein chains and avoids hydrophobic mismatch of the helix termini with the bilayer. An analysis of π-helices in the TM regions of the heme copper oxidase superfamily shows that interspersed π-helices can vary in length from 6 to 19 amino acids or be entirely absent, depending upon the protein function. The results presented here would be helpful for prediction of 310 and π-helices in TM regions and can assist the computational design of membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Shelar
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, Karnataka, India
| | - Manju Bansal
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, Karnataka, India.
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41
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Park S, Beaven AH, Klauda JB, Im W. How Tolerant are Membrane Simulations with Mismatch in Area per Lipid between Leaflets? J Chem Theory Comput 2016; 11:3466-77. [PMID: 26575780 PMCID: PMC4685941 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.5b00232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
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Difficulties in estimating the correct
number of lipids in each
leaflet of complex bilayer membrane simulation systems make it inevitable
to introduce a mismatch in lipid packing (i.e., area per lipid) and
thus alter the lateral pressure of each leaflet. To investigate potential
impacts of such mismatch on simulation results, we performed molecular
dynamics simulations of saturated and monounsaturated lipid bilayers
with and without gramicidin A or WALP23 at various mismatches by adjusting
the number of lipids in the lower leaflet from no mismatch to a 25%
reduction compared to that in the upper leaflet. All simulations were
stable under the constant pressure barostat, but the mismatch induces
asymmetric lipid packing between the leaflets, so that the upper leaflet
becomes more ordered, and the lower leaflet becomes less ordered.
The mismatch impacts on various bilayer properties are mild up to
5–10% mismatch, and bilayers with fully saturated chains appear
to be more prone to these impacts than those with unsaturated tails.
The nonvanishing leaflet surface tensions and the free energy derivatives
with respect to the bilayer curvature indicate that the bilayer would
be energetically unstable in the presence of mismatch. We propose
a quantitative criterion for allowable mismatch based on the energetics
derived from a continuum elastic model, which grows as a square root
of the number of the lipids in the system. On the basis of this criterion,
we infer that the area per lipid mismatch up to 5% would be tolerable
in various membrane simulations of reasonable all-atom system sizes
(40–160 lipids per leaflet).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jeffery B Klauda
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Biophysics Program, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
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42
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Grage SL, Afonin S, Kara S, Buth G, Ulrich AS. Membrane Thinning and Thickening Induced by Membrane-Active Amphipathic Peptides. Front Cell Dev Biol 2016; 4:65. [PMID: 27595096 PMCID: PMC4999517 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2016.00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane thinning has been discussed as a fundamental mechanism by which antimicrobial peptides can perturb cellular membranes. To understand which factors play a role in this process, we compared several amphipathic peptides with different structures, sizes and functions in their influence on the lipid bilayer thickness. PGLa and magainin 2 from X. laevis were studied as typical representatives of antimicrobial cationic amphipathic α-helices. A 1:1 mixture of these peptides, which is known to possess synergistically enhanced activity, allowed us to evaluate whether and how this synergistic interaction correlates with changes in membrane thickness. Other systems investigated here include the α-helical stress-response peptide TisB from E. coli (which forms membrane-spanning dimers), as well as gramicidin S from A. migulanus (a natural antibiotic), and BP100 (designer-made antimicrobial and cell penetrating peptide). The latter two are very short, with a circular β-pleated and a compact α-helical structure, respectively. Solid-state (2)H-NMR and grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) on oriented phospholipid bilayers were used as complementary techniques to access the hydrophobic thickness as well as the bilayer-bilayer repeat distance including the water layer in between. This way, we found that magainin 2, gramicidin S, and BP100 induced membrane thinning, as expected for amphiphilic peptides residing in the polar/apolar interface of the bilayer. PGLa, on the other hand, decreased the hydrophobic thickness only at very high peptide:lipid ratios, and did not change the bilayer-bilayer repeat distance. TisB even caused an increase in the hydrophobic thickness and repeat distance. When reconstituted as a mixture, PGLa and magainin 2 showed a moderate thinning effect which was less than that of magainin 2 alone, hence their synergistically enhanced activity does not seem to correlate with a modulation of membrane thickness. Overall, the absence of a typical thinning response in the case of PGLa, and the increase in the repeat distance and membrane thickening observed for TisB, demonstrate that the concept of peptide-induced membrane thinning cannot be generalized. Instead, these results suggest that different factors contribute to the resulting changes in membrane thickness, such as the peptide orientation in the bilayer, and/or bilayer adaptation to hydrophobic mismatch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan L Grage
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Biological Interfaces Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Sergii Afonin
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Biological Interfaces Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Sezgin Kara
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Organic Chemistry Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Gernot Buth
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Accelerator Physics and Technology Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Anne S Ulrich
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Biological InterfacesKarlsruhe, Germany; Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Organic ChemistryKarlsruhe, Germany
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43
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Windisch D, Ziegler C, Grage SL, Bürck J, Zeitler M, Gor'kov PL, Ulrich AS. Hydrophobic Mismatch Drives the Interaction of E5 with the Transmembrane Segment of PDGF Receptor. Biophys J 2016; 109:737-49. [PMID: 26287626 PMCID: PMC4547410 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The oncogenic E5 protein from bovine papillomavirus is a short (44 amino acids long) integral membrane protein that forms homodimers. It activates platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) β in a ligand-independent manner by transmembrane helix-helix interactions. The nature of this recognition event remains elusive, as numerous mutations are tolerated in the E5 transmembrane segment, with the exception of one hydrogen-bonding residue. Here, we examined the conformation, stability, and alignment of the E5 protein in fluid lipid membranes of substantially varying bilayer thickness, in both the absence and presence of the PDGFR transmembrane segment. Quantitative synchrotron radiation circular dichroism analysis revealed a very long transmembrane helix for E5 of ∼26 amino acids. Oriented circular dichroism and solid-state 15N-NMR showed that the alignment and stability of this unusually long segment depend critically on the membrane thickness. When reconstituted alone in exceptionally thick DNPC lipid bilayers, the E5 helix was found to be inserted almost upright. In moderately thick bilayers (DErPC and DEiPC), it started to tilt and became slightly deformed, and finally it became aggregated in conventional DOPC, POPC, and DMPC membranes due to hydrophobic mismatch. On the other hand, when E5 was co-reconstituted with the transmembrane segment of PDGFR, it was able to tolerate even the most pronounced mismatch and was stabilized by binding to the receptor, which has the same hydrophobic length. As E5 is known to activate PDGFR within the thin membranes of the Golgi compartment, we suggest that the intrinsic hydrophobic mismatch of these two interaction partners drives them together. They seem to recognize each other by forming a closely packed bundle of mutually aligned transmembrane helices, which is further stabilized by a specific pair of hydrogen-bonding residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Windisch
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Colin Ziegler
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Stephan L Grage
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jochen Bürck
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Marcel Zeitler
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Peter L Gor'kov
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, Florida
| | - Anne S Ulrich
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
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44
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Ackerman DG, Feigenson GW. Effects of Transmembrane α-Helix Length and Concentration on Phase Behavior in Four-Component Lipid Mixtures: A Molecular Dynamics Study. J Phys Chem B 2016; 120:4064-77. [PMID: 27081858 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b00611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We used coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to examine the effects of transmembrane α-helical WALP peptides on the behavior of four-component lipid mixtures. These mixtures contain a high-melting temperature (high-Tm) lipid, a nanodomain-inducing low-Tm lipid, a macrodomain-inducing low-Tm lipid and cholesterol to model the outer leaflet of cell plasma membranes. In a series of simulations, we incrementally replace the nanodomain-inducing low-Tm lipid by the macrodomain-inducing low-Tm lipid and measure how lipid and phase properties are altered by the addition of WALPs of different length. Regardless of the ratio of the two low-Tm lipids, shorter WALPs increase domain size and all WALPs increase domain alignment between the two leaflets. These effects are smallest for the longest WALP tested, and increase with increasing WALP concentration. Thus, our simulations explain the experimental observation that WALPs induce macroscopic domains in otherwise nanodomain-forming lipid-only mixtures (unpublished). Since the cell plasma membrane contains a large fraction of transmembrane proteins, these findings link the behavior of lipid-only model membranes in vitro to phase behavior in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Ackerman
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Gerald W Feigenson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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45
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Grau-Campistany A, Strandberg E, Wadhwani P, Rabanal F, Ulrich AS. Extending the Hydrophobic Mismatch Concept to Amphiphilic Membranolytic Peptides. J Phys Chem Lett 2016; 7:1116-1120. [PMID: 26963560 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.6b00136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A series of nine amphiphilic, pore-forming α-helical KIA peptides (KIAGKIA repeats) with lengths between 14 and 28 residues were studied by solid-state (15)N NMR to determine their alignment in oriented lipid bilayers. In a 2:1 mixture of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) with its corresponding 1-myristoyl-2-hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (lyso-MPC), which has a highly positive spontaneous curvature, the helix tilt angle was found to vary steadily with peptide length. The shortest peptide was aligned transmembrane and upright, while the longer ones successively became tilted away from the membrane normal. This behavior is in agreement with the hydrophobic matching concept, conceived so far only for hydrophobic helices. In 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine, with a negative spontaneous curvature, all KIA peptides remained flat on the bilayer surface, while the cylindrical DMPC lipids permitted a slight tilt. Peptide insertion thus depends critically on the intrinsic lipid curvature, and helix orientation is then fine-tuned by membrane thickness. A refined toroidal pore model is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariadna Grau-Campistany
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) , POB 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
- Departament de Química Orgànica, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona , Barcelona, Spain
| | - Erik Strandberg
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) , POB 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Parvesh Wadhwani
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) , POB 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Francesc Rabanal
- Departament de Química Orgànica, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona , Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anne S Ulrich
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) , POB 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry , KIT , Fritz-Haber-Weg 6, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
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46
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Mortazavi A, Rajagopalan V, Sparks KA, Greathouse DV, Koeppe RE. Juxta-terminal Helix Unwinding as a Stabilizing Factor to Modulate the Dynamics of Transmembrane Helices. Chembiochem 2016; 17:462-5. [PMID: 26749271 PMCID: PMC4820057 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201500656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Transmembrane helices of integral membrane proteins often are flanked by interfacial aromatic residues that can serve as anchors to aid the stabilization of a tilted transmembrane orientation. Yet, physical factors that govern the orientation or dynamic averaging of individual transmembrane helices are not well understood and have not been adequately explained. Using solid-state (2) H NMR spectroscopy to examine lipid bilayer-incorporated model peptides of the GWALP23 (acetyl-GGALW(LA)6 LWLAGA-amide) family, we observed substantial unwinding at the terminals of several tilted helices spanning the membranes of DLPC, DMPC, or DOPC lipid bilayers. The fraying of helix ends might be vital for defining the dynamics and orientations of transmembrane helices in lipid bilayer membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Mortazavi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701, USA
| | - Venkatesan Rajagopalan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701, USA
| | - Kelsey A Sparks
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701, USA
| | - Denise V Greathouse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701, USA
| | - Roger E Koeppe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701, USA.
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47
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Zamora-Carreras H, Strandberg E, Mühlhäuser P, Bürck J, Wadhwani P, Jiménez MÁ, Bruix M, Ulrich AS. Alanine scan and (2)H NMR analysis of the membrane-active peptide BP100 point to a distinct carpet mechanism of action. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2016; 1858:1328-38. [PMID: 26975251 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2016.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The short membrane-active peptide BP100 [KKLFKKILKYL-NH2] is known as an effective antimicrobial and cell penetrating agent. For a functional alanine scan each of the 11 amino acids was replaced with deuterated Ala-d3, one at a time. MIC assays showed that a substitution of Lys did not affect the antimicrobial activity, but it decreased when a hydrophobic residue was replaced. In most cases, a reduction in hydrophobicity led to a decrease in hemolysis, and some peptide analogues had an improved therapeutic index. Circular dichroism showed that BP100 folds as an amphiphilic α-helix in a bilayer. Its alignment was determined from (2)H NMR in oriented membranes of different composition. The azimuthal rotation angle was the same under all conditions, but the average helix tilt angle and the dynamical behavior of the peptide varied in a systematic manner. In POPC/POPG bilayers, with a negative spontaneous curvature, the peptide was found to lie flat on the bilayer surface, and with little wobble. In DMPC/DMPG, with a positive spontaneous curvature, BP100 at higher concentrations became tilted obliquely into the membrane, with the uncharged C-terminus inserted more deeply into the lipid bilayer, experiencing significant fluctuations in tilt angle. In DMPC/DMPG/lyso-MPC, with a pronounced positive spontaneous curvature, the helix tilted even further and became even more mobile. The 11-mer BP100 is obviously too short to form transmembrane pores. We conclude that BP100 operates via a carpet mechanism, whereby the C-terminus gets inserted into the hydrophobic core of the bilayer, which leads to membrane perturbation and induces transient permeability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erik Strandberg
- Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), POB 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Philipp Mühlhäuser
- Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), POB 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jochen Bürck
- Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), POB 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Parvesh Wadhwani
- Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), POB 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - M Ángeles Jiménez
- Instituto de Química Física "Rocasolano", CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Bruix
- Instituto de Química Física "Rocasolano", CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Anne S Ulrich
- Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT), Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), POB 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe, Germany; KIT, Institute of Organic Chemistry and CFN, Fritz-Haber-Weg 6, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
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48
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Cheng X, Jo S, Qi Y, Marassi FM, Im W. Solid-State NMR-Restrained Ensemble Dynamics of a Membrane Protein in Explicit Membranes. Biophys J 2016; 108:1954-62. [PMID: 25902435 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Revised: 02/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Solid-state NMR has been used to determine the structures of membrane proteins in native-like lipid bilayer environments. Most structure calculations based on solid-state NMR observables are performed using simulated annealing with restrained molecular dynamics and an energy function, where all nonbonded interactions are represented by a single, purely repulsive term with no contributions from van der Waals attractive, electrostatic, or solvation energy. To our knowledge, this is the first application of an ensemble dynamics technique performed in explicit membranes that uses experimental solid-state NMR observables to obtain the refined structure of a membrane protein together with information about its dynamics and its interactions with lipids. Using the membrane-bound form of the fd coat protein as a model membrane protein and its experimental solid-state NMR data, we performed restrained ensemble dynamics simulations with different ensemble sizes in explicit membranes. For comparison, a molecular dynamics simulation of fd coat protein was also performed without any restraints. The average orientation of each protein helix is similar to a structure determined by traditional single-conformer approaches. However, their variations are limited in the resulting ensemble of structures with one or two replicas, as they are under the strong influence of solid-state NMR restraints. Although highly consistent with all solid-state NMR observables, the ensembles of more than two replicas show larger orientational variations similar to those observed in the molecular dynamics simulation without restraints. In particular, in these explicit membrane simulations, Lys(40), residing at the C-terminal side of the transmembrane helix, is observed to cause local membrane curvature. Therefore, compared to traditional single-conformer approaches in implicit environments, solid-state NMR restrained ensemble simulations in explicit membranes readily characterize not only protein dynamics but also protein-lipid interactions in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Cheng
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Center for Computational Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
| | - Sunhwan Jo
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Center for Computational Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
| | - Yifei Qi
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Center for Computational Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
| | | | - Wonpil Im
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Center for Computational Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.
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49
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Hinks J, Wang Y, Matysik A, Kraut R, Kjelleberg S, Mu Y, Bazan GC, Wuertz S, Seviour T. Increased Microbial Butanol Tolerance by Exogenous Membrane Insertion Molecules. CHEMSUSCHEM 2015; 8:3718-3726. [PMID: 26404512 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201500194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Butanol is an ideal biofuel, although poor titers lead to high recovery costs by distillation. Fluidization of microbial membranes by butanol is one of the major factors limiting titers in butanol-producing bioprocesses. Starting with the hypothesis that certain membrane insertion molecules would stabilize the lipid bilayer in the presence of butanol, we applied a combination of in vivo and in vitro techniques within an in silico framework to describe a new approach to achieve solvent tolerance in bacteria. Single-molecule tracking of a model supported bilayer showed that COE1-5C, a five-ringed oligo-polyphenylenevinylene conjugated oligoelectrolyte (COE), reduced the diffusion rate of phospholipids in a microbially derived lipid bilayer to a greater extent than three-ringed and four-ringed COEs. Furthermore, COE1-5C treatment increased the specific growth rate of E. coli K12 relative to a control at inhibitory butanol concentrations. Consequently, to confer butanol tolerance to microbes by exogenous means is complementary to genetic modification of strains in industrial bioprocesses, extends the physiological range of microbes to match favorable bioprocess conditions, and is amenable with complex and undefined microbial consortia for biobutanol production. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the π-conjugated aromatic backbone of COE1-5C likely acts as a hydrophobic tether for glycerophospholipid acyl chains by enhancing bilayer integrity in the presence of high butanol concentrations, which thereby counters membrane fluidization. COE1-5C-mitigated E. coli K12 membrane depolarization by butanol is consistent with the hypothesis that improved growth rates in the presence of butanol are a consequence of improved bilayer stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Hinks
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore.
| | - Yaofeng Wang
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Artur Matysik
- Division of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Rachel Kraut
- Division of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Staffan Kjelleberg
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
- Centre for Marine BioInnovation and School of Biotechnology and Bimolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, Australia
| | - Yuguang Mu
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Guillermo C Bazan
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and Materials, Center for Polymers and Organic Solids, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
| | - Stefan Wuertz
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| | - Thomas Seviour
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore.
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50
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Genheden S, Essex JW. A simple and transferable all-atom/coarse-grained hybrid model to study membrane processes. J Chem Theory Comput 2015; 11:4749-59. [PMID: 26574264 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.5b00469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
We present an efficient all-atom/coarse-grained hybrid model and apply it to membrane processes. This model is an extension of the all-atom/ELBA model applied previously to processes in water. Here, we improve the efficiency of the model by implementing a multiple-time step integrator that allows the atoms and the coarse-grained beads to be propagated at different timesteps. Furthermore, we fine-tune the interaction between the atoms and the coarse-grained beads by computing the potential of mean force of amino acid side chain analogs along the membrane normal and comparing to atomistic simulations. The model was independently validated on the calculation of small-molecule partition coefficients. Finally, we apply the model to membrane peptides. We studied the tilt angle of the Walp23 and Kalp23 helices in two different model membranes and the stability of the glycophorin A dimer. The model is efficient, accurate, and straightforward to use, as it does not require any extra interaction particles, layers of atomistic solvent molecules or tabulated potentials, thus offering a novel, simple approach to study membrane processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Genheden
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield , SO17 1BJ, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan W Essex
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Highfield , SO17 1BJ, Southampton, United Kingdom
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