Molecular mechanism of Ca2+-catalyzed fusion of phospholipid micelles

Physiological Calcium Concentrations Slow Dynamics at the Lipid-Water Interface

Phospholipids can interact strongly with ions at physiological concentrations, and these interactions can alter membrane properties. Here, we describe the effects of calcium ions on the dynamics in phospholipid membranes. We used a combination of time-resolved ultrafast two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. We found that millimolar Ca2+ concentrations lead to slower fluctuations in the local environment at the lipid-water interface of membranes with phosphatidylserine. The effect was only observed in bilayers containing anionic phosphatidylserine; membranes composed of only zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine did not experience a slowdown. Local water dynamics were measured using the ester groups as label-free probes and were found to be up to 50% slower with 2.5 mM Ca2+. Molecular dynamics simulations show that Ca2+ primarily binds to the carboxylate group of phosphatidylserines. These findings have implications for apoptotic and diseased cells in which phosphatidylserine is exposed to extracellular calcium and for the biophysical effects of divalent cations on lipid bilayers.

Mechanisms associated with the effects of urea on the micellar structure of sodium dodecyl sulphate in aqueous solutions

We used simulations by Molecular Dynamics to characterize the mechanism whereby the variations in the urea concentration modifies the micellar structure of sodium dodecyl sulfate monomers in water. From a self-assembled micellar system, we observed that increasing urea concentration leads to a decrease in aggregation number. Likewise, when increasing urea concentration, the micelles increase their nonpolar surface exposed to solvent, while the polar surface exposed to solvent decreases. This rearrangement process of SDS micelles in presence of urea is mainly due to the fact that the ions of Na⁺ that stabilize the micellar structure increase its interaction with urea. In this process, the SDS hydrophilic head and Na⁺ ions increases its solvation by urea, destabilizing micellar structure and exponing the hydrophobic core to the solvent.

Protein-protein interactions within photosystem II under photoprotection: the synergy between CP29 minor antenna, subunit S (PsbS) and zeaxanthin at all-atom resolution

The assembly and disassembly of protein complexes within cells are crucial life-sustaining processes. In photosystem II (PSII) of higher plants, there is a delicate yet obscure balance between light harvesting and photo-protection under fluctuating light conditions, that involves protein-protein complexes. Recent breakthroughs in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are combined with new approaches herein to provide structural and energetic insight into such a complex between the CP29 minor antenna and the PSII subunit S (PsbS). The microscopic model involves extensive sampling of bound and dissociated states at atomic resolution in the presence of photo-protective zeaxanthin (Zea), and reveals well defined protein-protein cross-sections. The complex is placed within PSII, and macroscopic connections are emerging (PsbS-CP29-CP24-CP47) along the energy transfer pathways from the antenna to the PSII core. These connections explain macroscopic observations in the literature, while the previously obscured atomic scale details are now revealed. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of the Non-Photochemical Quenching (NPQ) of chlorophyll fluorescence, the down-regulatory mechanism of photosynthesis, that enables the protection of PSII against excess excitation load. Zea is found at the PsbS-CP29 cross-section and a pH-dependent equilibrium between PsbS dimer/monomers and the PsbS-CP29 dissociation/association is identified as the target for engineering tolerant plants with increased crop and biomass yields. Finally, the new MD based approaches can be used to probe protein-protein interactions in general, and the PSII structure provided can initiate large scale molecular simulations of the photosynthetic apparatus, under NPQ conditions.

The ins and outs of Ca2+ in plant endomembrane trafficking

Trafficking of proteins and lipids within the plant endomembrane system is essential to support cellular functions and is subject to rigorous regulation. Despite this seemingly strict regulation, endomembrane trafficking needs to be dynamically adjusted to ever-changing internal and environmental stimuli, while maintaining cellular integrity. Although often overlooked, the versatile second messenger Ca²⁺ is intimately connected to several endomembrane-associated processes. Here, we discuss the impact of electrostatic interactions between Ca²⁺ and anionic phospholipids on endomembrane trafficking, and illustrate the direct role of Ca²⁺ sensing proteins in regulating endomembrane trafficking and membrane integrity preservation. Moreover, we discuss how Ca²⁺ can control protein sorting within the plant endomembrane system. We thus highlight Ca²⁺ signaling as a versatile mechanism by which numerous signals are integrated into plant endomembrane trafficking dynamics.

Modeling the construction of polymeric adsorbent media: effects of counter-ions on ligand immobilization and pore structure

Molecular dynamics modeling and simulations are employed to study the effects of counter-ions on the dynamic spatial density distribution and total loading of immobilized ligands as well as on the pore structure of the resultant ion exchange chromatography adsorbent media. The results show that the porous adsorbent media formed by polymeric chain molecules involve transport mechanisms and steric resistances which cause the charged ligands and counter-ions not to follow stoichiometric distributions so that (i) a gradient in the local nonelectroneutrality occurs, (ii) non-uniform spatial density distributions of immobilized ligands and counter-ions are formed, and (iii) clouds of counter-ions outside the porous structure could be formed. The magnitude of these counter-ion effects depends on several characteristics associated with the size, structure, and valence of the counter-ions. Small spherical counter-ions with large valence encounter the least resistance to enter a porous structure and their effects result in the formation of small gradients in the local nonelectroneutrality, higher ligand loadings, and more uniform spatial density distributions of immobilized ligands, while the formation of exterior counter-ion clouds by these types of counter-ions is minimized. Counter-ions with lower valence charges, significantly larger sizes, and elongated shapes, encounter substantially greater steric resistances in entering a porous structure and lead to the formation of larger gradients in the local nonelectroneutrality, lower ligand loadings, and less uniform spatial density distributions of immobilized ligands, as well as substantial in size exterior counter-ion clouds. The effects of lower counter-ion valence on pore structure, local nonelectroneutrality, spatial ligand density distribution, and exterior counter-ion cloud formation are further enhanced by the increased size and structure of the counter-ion. Thus, the design, construction, and functionality of polymeric porous adsorbent media will significantly depend, for a given desirable ligand to be immobilized and represent the adsorption active sites, on the type of counter-ion that is used during the ligand immobilization process. Therefore, the molecular dynamics modeling and simulation approach presented in this work could contribute positively by representing an engineering science methodology to the design and construction of polymeric porous adsorbent media which could provide high intraparticle mass transfer and adsorption rates for the adsorbate biomolecules of interest which are desired to be separated by an adsorption process.

Multi-step formation of a hemifusion diaphragm for vesicle fusion revealed by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations

Membrane fusion is essential for intracellular trafficking and virus infection, but the molecular mechanisms underlying the fusion process remain poorly understood. In this study, we employed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the membrane fusion mechanism using vesicle models which were pre-bound by inter-vesicle Ca(2+)-lipid clusters to approximate Ca(2+)-catalyzed fusion. Our results show that the formation of the hemifusion diaphragm for vesicle fusion is a multi-step event. This result contrasts with the assumptions made in most continuum models. The neighboring hemifused states are separated by an energy barrier on the energy landscape. The hemifusion diaphragm is much thinner than the planar lipid bilayers. The thinning of the hemifusion diaphragm during its formation results in the opening of a fusion pore for vesicle fusion. This work provides new insights into the formation of the hemifusion diaphragm and thus increases understanding of the molecular mechanism of membrane fusion. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane Structure and Function: Relevance in the Cell's Physiology, Pathology and Therapy.