1
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Gao J, Zhang YW. The Pathway of a Transmembrane Helix Insertion into the Membrane Assisted by Sec61α Channel. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:16454-16462. [PMID: 39046853 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c01776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
The significant inconsistency between the experimental and simulation results of the free energy for the translocon-assisted insertion of the transmembrane helix (TMH) has not been reasonably explained. Understanding the mechanism of TMH insertion through the translocon is the key to solving this problem. In this study, we performed a series of coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations and calculated the potential mean forces (PMFs) for three insertion processes of a hydrophobic TMH. The simulations reveal the pathway of the TMH insertion assisted by a translocon. The results indicate that the TMH contacts the top of the lateral gate first and then inserts down the lateral gate, which agrees with the sliding model. The TMH begins to transfer laterally to the bilayer when it is blocked by the plug and reaches the exit of the lateral gate, where there is a free energy minimum point. We also found that the connecting section between TM2 and TM3 of Sec61α prevented TMH from leaving the lateral gate and directly transitioning to the surface-bound state. These findings provide insight into the mechanism of the insertion of TMH through the translocon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Gao
- School of Grain Science and Technology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center of Grain Bioprocessing, Zhenjiang 212100, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye-Wang Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, People's Republic of China
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2
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Jung M, Zimmermann R. Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Characterizes Client Spectra of Components for Targeting of Membrane Proteins to and Their Insertion into the Membrane of the Human ER. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14166. [PMID: 37762469 PMCID: PMC10532041 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814166] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
To elucidate the redundancy in the components for the targeting of membrane proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and/or their insertion into the ER membrane under physiological conditions, we previously analyzed different human cells by label-free quantitative mass spectrometry. The HeLa and HEK293 cells had been depleted of a certain component by siRNA or CRISPR/Cas9 treatment or were deficient patient fibroblasts and compared to the respective control cells by differential protein abundance analysis. In addition to clients of the SRP and Sec61 complex, we identified membrane protein clients of components of the TRC/GET, SND, and PEX3 pathways for ER targeting, and Sec62, Sec63, TRAM1, and TRAP as putative auxiliary components of the Sec61 complex. Here, a comprehensive evaluation of these previously described differential protein abundance analyses, as well as similar analyses on the Sec61-co-operating EMC and the characteristics of the topogenic sequences of the various membrane protein clients, i.e., the client spectra of the components, are reported. As expected, the analysis characterized membrane protein precursors with cleavable amino-terminal signal peptides or amino-terminal transmembrane helices as predominant clients of SRP, as well as the Sec61 complex, while precursors with more central or even carboxy-terminal ones were found to dominate the client spectra of the SND and TRC/GET pathways for membrane targeting. For membrane protein insertion, the auxiliary Sec61 channel components indeed share the client spectra of the Sec61 complex to a large extent. However, we also detected some unexpected differences, particularly related to EMC, TRAP, and TRAM1. The possible mechanistic implications for membrane protein biogenesis at the human ER are discussed and can be expected to eventually advance our understanding of the mechanisms that are involved in the so-called Sec61-channelopathies, resulting from deficient ER protein import.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Zimmermann
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany;
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3
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Zhu FY, Yang Q, Cao M, Zheng K, Zhang XJ, Shen Q, Cai X, Liu ZQ, Zheng YG. Tuning an efficient Escherichia coli whole-cell catalyst expressing l-pantolactone dehydrogenase for the biosynthesis of d-(-)-pantolactone. J Biotechnol 2023; 367:1-10. [PMID: 36948403 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2023.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
d-(-)-Pantolactone (DPL) is a key intermediate for the production of d-(+)-pantothenate (vitamin B5). Deracemization of d,l-pantolactone (D,L-PL) through oxidizing l-(+)-pantolactone (LPL) to ketopantoyl lactone (KPL) and subsequently reducing KPL to DPL is a promising route for synthesizing DPL. Herein, a newly mined l-pantolactone dehydrogenase from Rhodococcus hoagie (RhoLPLDH) was used for the oxidative dehydrogenation of LPL. To alleviate inclusion bodies formed by membrane-bound RhoLPLDH intracellular expression in E. coli, strategies involving chaperone assistance and decreasing induction temperature were used to achieve RhoLPLDH soluble expression. To enhance its activity, directed evolution and hydrophilicity-based engineering yielded increased catalytic activity and thermostability. 1M LPL was efficiently converted to KPL by engineering strain CM5 co-expressing RhoLPLDHL254I/V241I/I156L/F224Q/N164K and chaperone. A "two stages in one-pot" method was employed in deracemization of 1M D,L-PL with 91.2% yield. These results demonstrated that CM5 catalyst exhibits great potential in enzyme cascade deracemization for the production of DPL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Ying Zhu
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing Yang
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; Beijing Tsingke Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Beijing 100176, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Cao
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Ken Zheng
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Jian Zhang
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Shen
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue Cai
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Liu
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yu-Guo Zheng
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Biomanufacturing of Chiral Chemicals, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Synthesis of Zhejiang Province, College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
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4
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Mai H, Zimmer MH, Miller TF. Exploring PROTAC Cooperativity with Coarse-Grained Alchemical Methods. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:446-455. [PMID: 36607139 PMCID: PMC9869335 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) is a novel drug modality that facilitates the degradation of a target protein by inducing proximity with an E3 ligase. In this work, we present a new computational framework to model the cooperativity between PROTAC-E3 binding and PROTAC-target binding principally through protein-protein interactions (PPIs) induced by the PROTAC. Due to the scarcity and low resolution of experimental measurements, the physical and chemical drivers of these non-native PPIs remain to be elucidated. We develop a coarse-grained (CG) approach to model interactions in the target-PROTAC-E3 complexes, which enables converged thermodynamic estimations using alchemical free energy calculation methods despite an unconventional scale of perturbations. With minimal parametrization, we successfully capture fundamental principles of cooperativity, including the optimality of intermediate PROTAC linker lengths that originates from configurational entropy. We qualitatively characterize the dependency of cooperativity on PROTAC linker lengths and protein charges and shapes. Minimal inclusion of sequence- and conformation-specific features in our current force field, however, limits quantitative modeling to reproduce experimental measurements, but further development of the CG model may allow for efficient computational screening to optimize PROTAC cooperativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanghao Mai
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical
Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California91125, United States
| | - Matthew H. Zimmer
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical
Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California91125, United States
| | - Thomas F. Miller
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical
Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California91125, United States
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5
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Melnyk A, Lang S, Sicking M, Zimmermann R, Jung M. Co-chaperones of the Human Endoplasmic Reticulum: An Update. Subcell Biochem 2023; 101:247-291. [PMID: 36520310 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-14740-1_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
In mammalian cells, the rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) plays central roles in the biogenesis of extracellular plus organellar proteins and in various signal transduction pathways. For these reasons, the ER comprises molecular chaperones, which are involved in import, folding, assembly, export, plus degradation of polypeptides, and signal transduction components, such as calcium channels, calcium pumps, and UPR transducers plus adenine nucleotide carriers/exchangers in the ER membrane. The calcium- and ATP-dependent ER lumenal Hsp70, termed immunoglobulin heavy-chain-binding protein or BiP, is the central player in all these activities and involves up to nine different Hsp40-type co-chaperones, i.e., ER membrane integrated as well as ER lumenal J-domain proteins, termed ERj or ERdj proteins, two nucleotide exchange factors or NEFs (Grp170 and Sil1), and NEF-antagonists, such as MANF. Here we summarize the current knowledge on the ER-resident BiP/ERj chaperone network and focus on the interaction of BiP with the polypeptide-conducting and calcium-permeable Sec61 channel of the ER membrane as an example for BiP action and how its functional cycle is linked to ER protein import and various calcium-dependent signal transduction pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Melnyk
- Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Sven Lang
- Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Mark Sicking
- Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Richard Zimmermann
- Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany.
| | - Martin Jung
- Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
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6
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Lang S, Nguyen D, Bhadra P, Jung M, Helms V, Zimmermann R. Signal Peptide Features Determining the Substrate Specificities of Targeting and Translocation Components in Human ER Protein Import. Front Physiol 2022; 13:833540. [PMID: 35899032 PMCID: PMC9309488 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.833540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In human cells, approximately 30% of all polypeptides enter the secretory pathway at the level of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This process involves cleavable amino-terminal signal peptides (SPs) or more or less amino-terminal transmembrane helices (TMHs), which serve as targeting determinants, at the level of the precursor polypeptides and a multitude of cytosolic and ER proteins, which facilitate their ER import. Alone or in combination SPs and TMHs guarantee the initial ER targeting as well as the subsequent membrane integration or translocation. Cytosolic SRP and SR, its receptor in the ER membrane, mediate cotranslational targeting of most nascent precursor polypeptide chains to the polypeptide-conducting Sec61 complex in the ER membrane. Alternatively, fully-synthesized precursor polypeptides and certain nascent precursor polypeptides are targeted to the ER membrane by either the PEX-, SND-, or TRC-pathway. Although these targeting pathways may have overlapping functions, the question arises how relevant this is under cellular conditions and which features of SPs and precursor polypeptides determine preference for a certain pathway. Irrespective of their targeting pathway(s), most precursor polypeptides are integrated into or translocated across the ER membrane via the Sec61 channel. For some precursor polypeptides specific Sec61 interaction partners have to support the gating of the channel to the open state, again raising the question why and when this is the case. Recent progress shed light on the client spectrum and specificities of some auxiliary components, including Sec62/Sec63, TRAM1 protein, and TRAP. To address the question which precursors use a certain pathway or component in intact human cells, i.e., under conditions of fast translation rates and molecular crowding, in the presence of competing precursors, different targeting organelles, and relevant stoichiometries of the involved components, siRNA-mediated depletion of single targeting or transport components in HeLa cells was combined with label-free quantitative proteomics and differential protein abundance analysis. Here, we present a summary of the experimental approach as well as the resulting differential protein abundance analyses and discuss their mechanistic implications in light of the available structural data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Lang
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Sven Lang, ; Richard Zimmermann,
| | - Duy Nguyen
- Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Pratiti Bhadra
- Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Martin Jung
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Volkhard Helms
- Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Richard Zimmermann
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Sven Lang, ; Richard Zimmermann,
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7
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Mercier E, Wang X, Bögeholz LAK, Wintermeyer W, Rodnina MV. Cotranslational Biogenesis of Membrane Proteins in Bacteria. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:871121. [PMID: 35573737 PMCID: PMC9099147 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.871121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Nascent polypeptides emerging from the ribosome during translation are rapidly scanned and processed by ribosome-associated protein biogenesis factors (RPBs). RPBs cleave the N-terminal formyl and methionine groups, assist cotranslational protein folding, and sort the proteins according to their cellular destination. Ribosomes translating inner-membrane proteins are recognized and targeted to the translocon with the help of the signal recognition particle, SRP, and SRP receptor, FtsY. The growing nascent peptide is then inserted into the phospholipid bilayer at the translocon, an inner-membrane protein complex consisting of SecY, SecE, and SecG. Folding of membrane proteins requires that transmembrane helices (TMs) attain their correct topology, the soluble domains are inserted at the correct (cytoplasmic or periplasmic) side of the membrane, and – for polytopic membrane proteins – the TMs find their interaction partner TMs in the phospholipid bilayer. This review describes the recent progress in understanding how growing nascent peptides are processed and how inner-membrane proteins are targeted to the translocon and find their correct orientation at the membrane, with the focus on biophysical approaches revealing the dynamics of the process. We describe how spontaneous fluctuations of the translocon allow diffusion of TMs into the phospholipid bilayer and argue that the ribosome orchestrates cotranslational targeting not only by providing the binding platform for the RPBs or the translocon, but also by helping the nascent chains to find their correct orientation in the membrane. Finally, we present the auxiliary role of YidC as a chaperone for inner-membrane proteins. We show how biophysical approaches provide new insights into the dynamics of membrane protein biogenesis and raise new questions as to how translation modulates protein folding.
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8
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Tirincsi A, Sicking M, Hadzibeganovic D, Haßdenteufel S, Lang S. The Molecular Biodiversity of Protein Targeting and Protein Transport Related to the Endoplasmic Reticulum. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:143. [PMID: 35008565 PMCID: PMC8745461 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Looking at the variety of the thousands of different polypeptides that have been focused on in the research on the endoplasmic reticulum from the last five decades taught us one humble lesson: no one size fits all. Cells use an impressive array of components to enable the safe transport of protein cargo from the cytosolic ribosomes to the endoplasmic reticulum. Safety during the transit is warranted by the interplay of cytosolic chaperones, membrane receptors, and protein translocases that together form functional networks and serve as protein targeting and translocation routes. While two targeting routes to the endoplasmic reticulum, SRP (signal recognition particle) and GET (guided entry of tail-anchored proteins), prefer targeting determinants at the N- and C-terminus of the cargo polypeptide, respectively, the recently discovered SND (SRP-independent) route seems to preferentially cater for cargos with non-generic targeting signals that are less hydrophobic or more distant from the termini. With an emphasis on targeting routes and protein translocases, we will discuss those functional networks that drive efficient protein topogenesis and shed light on their redundant and dynamic nature in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Tirincsi
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany; (A.T.); (M.S.); (D.H.)
| | - Mark Sicking
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany; (A.T.); (M.S.); (D.H.)
| | - Drazena Hadzibeganovic
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany; (A.T.); (M.S.); (D.H.)
| | - Sarah Haßdenteufel
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Sven Lang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany; (A.T.); (M.S.); (D.H.)
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Bhadra P, Helms V. Molecular Modeling of Signal Peptide Recognition by Eukaryotic Sec Complexes. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10705. [PMID: 34639046 PMCID: PMC8509349 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we review recent molecular modelling and simulation studies of the Sec translocon, the primary component/channel of protein translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and bacterial periplasm, respectively. Our focus is placed on the eukaryotic Sec61, but we also mention modelling studies on prokaryotic SecY since both systems operate in related ways. Cryo-EM structures are now available for different conformational states of the Sec61 complex, ranging from the idle or closed state over an inhibited state with the inhibitor mycolactone bound near the lateral gate, up to a translocating state with bound substrate peptide in the translocation pore. For all these states, computational studies have addressed the conformational dynamics of the translocon with respect to the pore ring, the plug region, and the lateral gate. Also, molecular simulations are addressing mechanistic issues of insertion into the ER membrane vs. translocation into the ER, how signal-peptides are recognised at all in the translocation pore, and how accessory proteins affect the Sec61 conformation in the co- and post-translational pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Volkhard Helms
- Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland Informatics Campus, Saarland University, Postfach 15 11 50, 66041 Saarbruecken, Germany;
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10
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Klein MC, Lerner M, Nguyen D, Pfeffer S, Dudek J, Förster F, Helms V, Lang S, Zimmermann R. TRAM1 protein may support ER protein import by modulating the phospholipid bilayer near the lateral gate of the Sec61-channel. Channels (Austin) 2021; 14:28-44. [PMID: 32013668 PMCID: PMC7039644 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2020.1724759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammalian cells, one-third of all polypeptides is transported into or through the ER-membrane via the Sec61-channel. While the Sec61-complex facilitates the transport of all polypeptides with amino-terminal signal peptides (SP) or SP-equivalent transmembrane helices (TMH), the translocating chain-associated membrane protein (now termed TRAM1) was proposed to support transport of a subset of precursors. To identify possible determinants of TRAM1 substrate specificity, we systematically identified TRAM1-dependent precursors by analyzing cellular protein abundance changes upon TRAM1 depletion in HeLa cells using quantitative label-free proteomics. In contrast to previous analysis after TRAP depletion, SP and TMH analysis of TRAM1 clients did not reveal any distinguishing features that could explain its putative substrate specificity. To further address the TRAM1 mechanism, live-cell calcium imaging was carried out after TRAM1 depletion in HeLa cells. In additional contrast to previous analysis after TRAP depletion, TRAM1 depletion did not affect calcium leakage from the ER. Thus, TRAM1 does not appear to act as SP- or TMH-receptor on the ER-membrane’s cytosolic face and does not appear to affect the open probability of the Sec61-channel. It may rather play a supportive role in protein transport, such as making the phospholipid bilayer conducive for accepting SP and TMH in the vicinity of the lateral gate of the Sec61-channel. Abbreviations: ER, endoplasmic reticulum; OST, oligosaccharyltransferase; RAMP, ribosome-associated membrane protein; SP, signal peptide; SR, SRP-receptor; SRP, signal recognition particle; TMH, signal peptide-equivalent transmembrane helix; TRAM, translocating chain-associated membrane protein; TRAP, translocon-associated protein.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Monika Lerner
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Duy Nguyen
- Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | | | - Johanna Dudek
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Friedrich Förster
- Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Volkhard Helms
- Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Sven Lang
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Richard Zimmermann
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
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11
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Sicking M, Lang S, Bochen F, Roos A, Drenth JPH, Zakaria M, Zimmermann R, Linxweiler M. Complexity and Specificity of Sec61-Channelopathies: Human Diseases Affecting Gating of the Sec61 Complex. Cells 2021; 10:1036. [PMID: 33925740 PMCID: PMC8147068 DOI: 10.3390/cells10051036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of nucleated human cells has crucial functions in protein biogenesis, calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis, and signal transduction. Among the roughly one hundred components, which are involved in protein import and protein folding or assembly, two components stand out: The Sec61 complex and BiP. The Sec61 complex in the ER membrane represents the major entry point for precursor polypeptides into the membrane or lumen of the ER and provides a conduit for Ca2+ ions from the ER lumen to the cytosol. The second component, the Hsp70-type molecular chaperone immunoglobulin heavy chain binding protein, short BiP, plays central roles in protein folding and assembly (hence its name), protein import, cellular Ca2+ homeostasis, and various intracellular signal transduction pathways. For the purpose of this review, we focus on these two components, their relevant allosteric effectors and on the question of how their respective functional cycles are linked in order to reconcile the apparently contradictory features of the ER membrane, selective permeability for precursor polypeptides, and impermeability for Ca2+. The key issues are that the Sec61 complex exists in two conformations: An open and a closed state that are in a dynamic equilibrium with each other, and that BiP contributes to its gating in both directions in cooperation with different co-chaperones. While the open Sec61 complex forms an aqueous polypeptide-conducting- and transiently Ca2+-permeable channel, the closed complex is impermeable even to Ca2+. Therefore, we discuss the human hereditary and tumor diseases that are linked to Sec61 channel gating, termed Sec61-channelopathies, as disturbances of selective polypeptide-impermeability and/or aberrant Ca2+-permeability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Sicking
- Department of Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Saarland University, D-66421 Homburg, Germany;
| | - Sven Lang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Saarland University, D-66421 Homburg, Germany;
| | - Florian Bochen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Saarland University Medical Center, D-66421 Homburg, Germany; (F.B.); (M.L.)
| | - Andreas Roos
- Department of Neuropediatrics, Essen University Hospital, D-45147 Essen, Germany;
| | - Joost P. H. Drenth
- Department of Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands;
| | - Muhammad Zakaria
- Department of Genetics, Hazara University, Mansehra 21300, Pakistan;
| | - Richard Zimmermann
- Department of Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Saarland University, D-66421 Homburg, Germany;
| | - Maximilian Linxweiler
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Saarland University Medical Center, D-66421 Homburg, Germany; (F.B.); (M.L.)
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12
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Bhadra P, Yadhanapudi L, Römisch K, Helms V. How does Sec63 affect the conformation of Sec61 in yeast? PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1008855. [PMID: 33780447 PMCID: PMC8031780 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The Sec complex catalyzes the translocation of proteins of the secretory pathway into the endoplasmic reticulum and the integration of membrane proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Some substrate peptides require the presence and involvement of accessory proteins such as Sec63. Recently, a structure of the Sec complex from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, consisting of the Sec61 channel and the Sec62, Sec63, Sec71 and Sec72 proteins was determined by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Here, we show by co-precipitation that the Sec61 channel subunit Sbh1 is not required for formation of stable Sec63-Sec61 contacts. Molecular dynamics simulations started from the cryo-EM conformation of Sec61 bound to Sec63 and of unbound Sec61 revealed how Sec63 affects the conformation of Sec61 lateral gate, plug, pore region and pore ring diameter via three intermolecular contact regions. Molecular docking of SRP-dependent vs. SRP-independent signal peptide chains into the Sec61 channel showed that the pore regions affected by presence/absence of Sec63 play a crucial role in positioning the signal anchors of SRP-dependent substrates nearby the lateral gate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratiti Bhadra
- Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Saarland, Germany
| | - Lalitha Yadhanapudi
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Saarland, Germany
| | - Karin Römisch
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Saarland, Germany
| | - Volkhard Helms
- Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Saarland, Germany
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13
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Samatova E, Daberger J, Liutkute M, Rodnina MV. Translational Control by Ribosome Pausing in Bacteria: How a Non-uniform Pace of Translation Affects Protein Production and Folding. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:619430. [PMID: 33505387 PMCID: PMC7829197 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.619430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein homeostasis of bacterial cells is maintained by coordinated processes of protein production, folding, and degradation. Translational efficiency of a given mRNA depends on how often the ribosomes initiate synthesis of a new polypeptide and how quickly they read the coding sequence to produce a full-length protein. The pace of ribosomes along the mRNA is not uniform: periods of rapid synthesis are separated by pauses. Here, we summarize recent evidence on how ribosome pausing affects translational efficiency and protein folding. We discuss the factors that slow down translation elongation and affect the quality of the newly synthesized protein. Ribosome pausing emerges as important factor contributing to the regulatory programs that ensure the quality of the proteome and integrate the cellular and environmental cues into regulatory circuits of the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Samatova
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jan Daberger
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marija Liutkute
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marina V Rodnina
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
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14
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Paul S, Ainavarapu SRK, Venkatramani R. Variance of Atomic Coordinates as a Dynamical Metric to Distinguish Proteins and Protein-Protein Interactions in Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:4247-4262. [PMID: 32281802 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c01191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Protein dynamics is a manifestation of the complex trajectories of these biomolecules on a multidimensional rugged potential energy surface (PES) driven by thermal energy. At present, computational methods such as atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations can describe thermal protein conformational changes in fully solvated environments over millisecond timescales. Despite these advances, a quantitative assessment of protein dynamics remains a complicated topic, intricately linked to issues such as sampling convergence and the identification of appropriate reaction coordinates/structural features to describe protein conformational states and motions. Here, we present the cumulative variance of atomic coordinate fluctuations (CVCF) along trajectories as an intuitive PES sensitive metric to assess both the extent of sampling and protein dynamics captured in MD simulations. We first examine the sampling problem in model one- (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) PES to demonstrate that the CVCF when traced as a function of the sampling variable (time in MD simulations) can identify local and global equilibria. Further, even far from global equilibrium, a situation representative of standard MD trajectories of proteins, the CVCF can distinguish different PES and therefore resolve the resultant protein dynamics. We demonstrate the utility of our CVCF analysis by applying it to distinguish the dynamics of structurally homologous proteins from the ubiquitin family (ubiquitin, SUMO1, SUMO2) and ubiquitin protein-protein interactions. Our CVCF analysis reveals that differential side-chain dynamics from the structured part of the protein (the conserved β-grasp fold) present distinct protein PES to distinguish ubiquitin from SUMO isoforms. Upon binding to two functionally distinct protein partners (UBCH5A and UEV), intrinsic ubiquitin dynamics changes to reflect the binding context even though the two proteins have similar binding modes, which lead to negligible (sub-angstrom scale) structural changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjoy Paul
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400005, Maharashtra, India
| | - Sri Rama Koti Ainavarapu
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400005, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ravindra Venkatramani
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400005, Maharashtra, India
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15
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Mercier E, Wintermeyer W, Rodnina MV. Co-translational insertion and topogenesis of bacterial membrane proteins monitored in real time. EMBO J 2020; 39:e104054. [PMID: 32311161 PMCID: PMC7396858 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2019104054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Integral membrane proteins insert into the bacterial inner membrane co‐translationally via the translocon. Transmembrane (TM) segments of nascent proteins adopt their native topological arrangement with the N‐terminus of the first TM (TM1) oriented to the outside (type I) or the inside (type II) of the cell. Here, we study TM1 topogenesis during ongoing translation in a bacterial in vitro system, applying real‐time FRET and protease protection assays. We find that TM1 of the type I protein LepB reaches the translocon immediately upon emerging from the ribosome. In contrast, the type II protein EmrD requires a longer nascent chain before TM1 reaches the translocon and adopts its topology by looping inside the ribosomal peptide exit tunnel. Looping presumably is mediated by interactions between positive charges at the N‐terminus of TM1 and negative charges in the tunnel wall. Early TM1 inversion is abrogated by charge reversal at the N‐terminus. Kinetic analysis also shows that co‐translational membrane insertion of TM1 is intrinsically rapid and rate‐limited by translation. Thus, the ribosome has an important role in membrane protein topogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Mercier
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wintermeyer
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marina V Rodnina
- Department of Physical Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
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16
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Niesen MJM, Zimmer MH, Miller TF. Dynamics of Co-translational Membrane Protein Integration and Translocation via the Sec Translocon. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:5449-5460. [PMID: 32130863 PMCID: PMC7338273 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b07820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
An important aspect of cellular function is the correct targeting and delivery of newly synthesized proteins. Central to this task is the machinery of the Sec translocon, a transmembrane channel that is involved in both the translocation of nascent proteins across cell membranes and the integration of proteins into the membrane. Considerable experimental and computational effort has focused on the Sec translocon and its role in nascent protein biosynthesis, including the correct folding and expression of integral membrane proteins. However, the use of molecular simulation methods to explore Sec-facilitated protein biosynthesis is hindered by the large system sizes and long (i.e., minute) time scales involved. In this work, we describe the development and application of a coarse-grained simulation approach that addresses these challenges and allows for direct comparison with both in vivo and in vitro experiments. The method reproduces a wide range of experimental observations, providing new insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms, predictions for new experiments, and a strategy for the rational enhancement of membrane protein expression levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel J M Niesen
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Matthew H Zimmer
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
| | - Thomas F Miller
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, United States
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17
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Harrington HR, Zimmer MH, Chamness LM, Nash V, Penn WD, Miller TF, Mukhopadhyay S, Schlebach JP. Cotranslational folding stimulates programmed ribosomal frameshifting in the alphavirus structural polyprotein. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:6798-6808. [PMID: 32169904 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses maximize their genetic coding capacity through a variety of biochemical mechanisms, including programmed ribosomal frameshifting (PRF), which facilitates the production of multiple proteins from a single mRNA transcript. PRF is typically stimulated by structural elements within the mRNA that generate mechanical tension between the transcript and ribosome. However, in this work, we show that the forces generated by the cotranslational folding of the nascent polypeptide chain can also enhance PRF. Using an array of biochemical, cellular, and computational techniques, we first demonstrate that the Sindbis virus structural polyprotein forms two competing topological isomers during its biosynthesis at the ribosome-translocon complex. We then show that the formation of one of these topological isomers is linked to PRF. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the translocon-mediated membrane integration of a transmembrane domain upstream from the ribosomal slip site generates a force on the nascent polypeptide chain that scales with observed frameshifting. Together, our results indicate that cotranslational folding of this viral protein generates a tension that stimulates PRF. To our knowledge, this constitutes the first example in which the conformational state of the nascent polypeptide chain has been linked to PRF. These findings raise the possibility that, in addition to RNA-mediated translational recoding, a variety of cotranslational folding or binding events may also stimulate PRF.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew H Zimmer
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
| | - Laura M Chamness
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405
| | - Veronica Nash
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405
| | - Wesley D Penn
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405
| | - Thomas F Miller
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
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18
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Haßdenteufel S, Johnson N, Paton AW, Paton JC, High S, Zimmermann R. Chaperone-Mediated Sec61 Channel Gating during ER Import of Small Precursor Proteins Overcomes Sec61 Inhibitor-Reinforced Energy Barrier. Cell Rep 2019; 23:1373-1386. [PMID: 29719251 PMCID: PMC5946456 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein transport into the mammalian endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is mediated by the heterotrimeric Sec61 channel. The signal recognition particle (SRP) and TRC systems and Sec62 have all been characterized as membrane-targeting components for small presecretory proteins, whereas Sec63 and the lumenal chaperone BiP act as auxiliary translocation components. Here, we report the transport requirements of two natural, small presecretory proteins and engineered variants using semipermeabilized human cells after the depletion of specific ER components. Our results suggest that hSnd2, Sec62, and SRP and TRC receptor each provide alternative targeting pathways for short secretory proteins and define rules of engagement for the actions of Sec63 and BiP during their membrane translocation. We find that the Sec62/Sec63 complex plus BiP can facilitate Sec61 channel opening, thereby allowing precursors that have weak signal peptides or other inhibitory features to translocate. A Sec61 inhibitor can mimic the effect of BiP depletion on Sec61 gating, suggesting that they both act at the same essential membrane translocation step. Small human presecretory proteins use all known targeting routes to the Sec61 complex Their insertion into Sec61 is selectively facilitated by BiP, Sec62, and Sec63 Selectivity is driven by weak signal peptides plus downstream inhibitory features Cyclic heptadepsipeptides phenocopy the effect of BiP depletion on Sec61 gating
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Haßdenteufel
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
| | - Nicholas Johnson
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Adrienne W Paton
- Research Centre for Infectious Disease, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - James C Paton
- Research Centre for Infectious Disease, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Stephen High
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Richard Zimmermann
- Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
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19
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Haßdenteufel S, Nguyen D, Helms V, Lang S, Zimmermann R. ER import of small human presecretory proteins: components and mechanisms. FEBS Lett 2019; 593:2506-2524. [PMID: 31325177 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Protein transport into the mammalian endoplasmic reticulum (ER) used to be seen as strictly cotranslational, that is temporarily and mechanistically coupled to protein synthesis. In the course of the last decades, however, several classes of precursors of soluble and membrane proteins were found to be post-translationally imported into the ER, without any involvement of the ribosome. The first such class to be identified were the small presecretory proteins; tail-anchored membrane proteins followed next. In both classes, the inherent address tag is released from the translating ribosome before the initiation of ER import, as part of the fully synthesized precursor. In small presecretory proteins, the information for ER targeting and -translocation via the polypeptide-conducting Sec61-channel is encoded by a classical N-terminal signal peptide, which is released from the ribsosome before targeting due to the small size of the full-length precursor. Here, we discuss the current state of research on targeting and translocation of small presecretory proteins into the mammalian ER. In closing, we present a unifying hypothesis for ER protein translocation in terms of an energy diagram for Sec61-channel gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Haßdenteufel
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Duy Nguyen
- Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Volkhard Helms
- Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Sven Lang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Richard Zimmermann
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
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20
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Corradi V, Sejdiu BI, Mesa-Galloso H, Abdizadeh H, Noskov SY, Marrink SJ, Tieleman DP. Emerging Diversity in Lipid-Protein Interactions. Chem Rev 2019; 119:5775-5848. [PMID: 30758191 PMCID: PMC6509647 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Membrane lipids interact with proteins in a variety of ways, ranging from providing a stable membrane environment for proteins to being embedded in to detailed roles in complicated and well-regulated protein functions. Experimental and computational advances are converging in a rapidly expanding research area of lipid-protein interactions. Experimentally, the database of high-resolution membrane protein structures is growing, as are capabilities to identify the complex lipid composition of different membranes, to probe the challenging time and length scales of lipid-protein interactions, and to link lipid-protein interactions to protein function in a variety of proteins. Computationally, more accurate membrane models and more powerful computers now enable a detailed look at lipid-protein interactions and increasing overlap with experimental observations for validation and joint interpretation of simulation and experiment. Here we review papers that use computational approaches to study detailed lipid-protein interactions, together with brief experimental and physiological contexts, aiming at comprehensive coverage of simulation papers in the last five years. Overall, a complex picture of lipid-protein interactions emerges, through a range of mechanisms including modulation of the physical properties of the lipid environment, detailed chemical interactions between lipids and proteins, and key functional roles of very specific lipids binding to well-defined binding sites on proteins. Computationally, despite important limitations, molecular dynamics simulations with current computer power and theoretical models are now in an excellent position to answer detailed questions about lipid-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Corradi
- Centre
for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Besian I. Sejdiu
- Centre
for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Haydee Mesa-Galloso
- Centre
for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Haleh Abdizadeh
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute
for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Sergei Yu. Noskov
- Centre
for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Siewert J. Marrink
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute
for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - D. Peter Tieleman
- Centre
for Molecular Simulation and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
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21
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Ziska A, Tatzelt J, Dudek J, Paton AW, Paton JC, Zimmermann R, Haßdenteufel S. The signal peptide plus a cluster of positive charges in prion protein dictate chaperone-mediated Sec61 channel gating. Biol Open 2019; 8:bio.040691. [PMID: 30745438 PMCID: PMC6451349 DOI: 10.1242/bio.040691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The Sec61-complex as a dynamic polypeptide-conducting channel mediates protein transport into the human endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with the help of additional components. ER membrane resident Hsp40-type co-chaperone Sec63 as well as the ER lumenal Hsp70-type chaperone BiP were proposed to facilitate channel opening in a precursor-specific fashion. Here, we report on their rules of engagement in ER import of the prion protein (PrP) by addressing sixteen PrP-related variants which differ in their signal peptides and mature parts, respectively. Transport into the ER of semi-permeabilized human cells was analyzed upon depletion of the components by siRNA- or toxin-treatment. The results are consistent with the view of separate functions of BiP and Sec63 and strongly suggest that the co-chaperone/chaperone-pair facilitates Sec61 channel gating to the open state when precursor polypeptides with weak signal peptides in combination with detrimental features in the adjacent mature part were targeted. Thus, we expand the view of chaperone-mediated Sec61 channel gating by providing a novel example of a polybasic motif that interferes with signal peptide-mediated Sec61 channel gating. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Ziska
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Tatzelt
- Department Biochemistry of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute of Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, Ruhr University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Johanna Dudek
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Adrienne W Paton
- School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, Research Centre for Infectious Disease, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - James C Paton
- School of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, Research Centre for Infectious Disease, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Richard Zimmermann
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Haßdenteufel
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
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22
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Energy landscape underlying spontaneous insertion and folding of an alpha-helical transmembrane protein into a bilayer. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4949. [PMID: 30470737 PMCID: PMC6251876 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07320-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane protein folding mechanisms and rates are notoriously hard to determine. A recent force spectroscopy study of the folding of an α-helical membrane protein, GlpG, showed that the folded state has a very high kinetic stability and a relatively low thermodynamic stability. Here, we simulate the spontaneous insertion and folding of GlpG into a bilayer. An energy landscape analysis of the simulations suggests that GlpG folds via sequential insertion of helical hairpins. The rate-limiting step involves simultaneous insertion and folding of the final helical hairpin. The striking features of GlpG's experimentally measured landscape can therefore be explained by a partially inserted metastable state, which leads us to a reinterpretation of the rates measured by force spectroscopy. Our results are consistent with the helical hairpin hypothesis but call into question the two-stage model of membrane protein folding as a general description of folding mechanisms in the presence of bilayers.
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23
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Niesen MJM, Müller-Lucks A, Hedman R, von Heijne G, Miller TF. Forces on Nascent Polypeptides during Membrane Insertion and Translocation via the Sec Translocon. Biophys J 2018; 115:1885-1894. [PMID: 30366631 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 09/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
During ribosomal translation, nascent polypeptide chains (NCs) undergo a variety of physical processes that determine their fate in the cell. This study utilizes a combination of arrest peptide experiments and coarse-grained molecular dynamics to measure and elucidate the molecular origins of forces that are exerted on NCs during cotranslational membrane insertion and translocation via the Sec translocon. The approach enables deconvolution of force contributions from NC-translocon and NC-ribosome interactions, membrane partitioning, and electrostatic coupling to the membrane potential. In particular, we show that forces due to NC-lipid interactions provide a readout of conformational changes in the Sec translocon, demonstrating that lateral gate opening only occurs when a sufficiently hydrophobic segment of NC residues reaches the translocon. The combination of experiment and theory introduced here provides a detailed picture of the molecular interactions and conformational changes during ribosomal translation that govern protein biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel J M Niesen
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Annika Müller-Lucks
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rickard Hedman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunnar von Heijne
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas F Miller
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California.
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24
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Gumbart JC, Ulmschneider MB, Hazel A, White SH, Ulmschneider JP. Computed Free Energies of Peptide Insertion into Bilayers are Independent of Computational Method. J Membr Biol 2018; 251:345-356. [PMID: 29520628 PMCID: PMC6030508 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-018-0026-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
We show that the free energy of inserting hydrophobic peptides into lipid bilayer membranes from surface-aligned to transmembrane inserted states can be reliably calculated using atomistic models. We use two entirely different computational methods: high temperature spontaneous peptide insertion calculations as well as umbrella sampling potential-of-mean-force (PMF) calculations, both yielding the same energetic profiles. The insertion free energies were calculated using two different protein and lipid force fields (OPLS protein/united-atom lipids and CHARMM36 protein/all-atom lipids) and found to be independent of the simulation parameters. In addition, the free energy of insertion is found to be independent of temperature for both force fields. However, we find major difference in the partitioning kinetics between OPLS and CHARMM36, likely due to the difference in roughness of the underlying free energy surfaces. Our results demonstrate not only a reliable method to calculate insertion free energies for peptides, but also represent a rare case where equilibrium simulations and PMF calculations can be directly compared.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Stephen H White
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jakob P Ulmschneider
- Department of Physics and the Institute of Natural Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
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25
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Gumbart JC. Producing membrane proteins one simulation at a time. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:19546-19547. [PMID: 29175817 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.h117.813469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Integral membrane proteins are studied with a number of structural and biophysical techniques, many requiring protein overexpression to reach sufficient quantities. However, achievement of the overexpression of membrane proteins is not necessarily straightforward, and the mechanisms and factors that influence expression are not clearly understood. A new study has now broken through this uncertainty by demonstrating the capability of coarse-grained simulations of membrane protein insertion to predict protein expression levels in Escherichia coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C Gumbart
- From the Department of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia 30332
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26
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Lang S, Pfeffer S, Lee PH, Cavalié A, Helms V, Förster F, Zimmermann R. An Update on Sec61 Channel Functions, Mechanisms, and Related Diseases. Front Physiol 2017; 8:887. [PMID: 29163222 PMCID: PMC5672155 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of nucleated human cells harbors the protein translocon, which facilitates membrane integration or translocation of almost every newly synthesized polypeptide targeted to organelles of the endo- and exocytotic pathway. The translocon comprises the polypeptide-conducting Sec61 channel and several additional proteins and complexes that are permanently or transiently associated with the heterotrimeric Sec61 complex. This ensemble of proteins facilitates ER targeting of precursor polypeptides, modification of precursor polypeptides in transit through the Sec61 complex, and Sec61 channel gating, i.e., dynamic regulation of the pore forming subunit to mediate precursor transport and calcium efflux. Recently, cryoelectron tomography of translocons in native ER membrane vesicles, derived from human cell lines or patient fibroblasts, and even intact cells has given unprecedented insights into the architecture and dynamics of the native translocon and the Sec61 channel. These structural data are discussed in light of different Sec61 channel activities including ribosome receptor function, membrane insertion, and translocation of newly synthesized polypeptides as well as the putative physiological roles of the Sec61 channel as a passive ER calcium leak channel. Furthermore, the structural insights into the Sec61 channel are incorporated into an overview and update on Sec61 channel-related diseases—the Sec61 channelopathies—and novel therapeutic concepts for their treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Lang
- Competence Center for Molecular Medicine, Saarland University Medical School, Homburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Pfeffer
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Po-Hsien Lee
- Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Adolfo Cavalié
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Volkhard Helms
- Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Friedrich Förster
- Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Richard Zimmermann
- Competence Center for Molecular Medicine, Saarland University Medical School, Homburg, Germany
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27
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Niesen MJM, Marshall SS, Miller TF, Clemons WM. Improving membrane protein expression by optimizing integration efficiency. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:19537-19545. [PMID: 28918393 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.813469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The heterologous overexpression of integral membrane proteins in Escherichia coli often yields insufficient quantities of purifiable protein for applications of interest. The current study leverages a recently demonstrated link between co-translational membrane integration efficiency and protein expression levels to predict protein sequence modifications that improve expression. Membrane integration efficiencies, obtained using a coarse-grained simulation approach, robustly predicted effects on expression of the integral membrane protein TatC for a set of 140 sequence modifications, including loop-swap chimeras and single-residue mutations distributed throughout the protein sequence. Mutations that improve simulated integration efficiency were 4-fold enriched with respect to improved experimentally observed expression levels. Furthermore, the effects of double mutations on both simulated integration efficiency and experimentally observed expression levels were cumulative and largely independent, suggesting that multiple mutations can be introduced to yield higher levels of purifiable protein. This work provides a foundation for a general method for the rational overexpression of integral membrane proteins based on computationally simulated membrane integration efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel J M Niesen
- From the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
| | - Stephen S Marshall
- From the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
| | - Thomas F Miller
- From the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
| | - William M Clemons
- From the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
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28
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Fast Protein Translation Can Promote Co- and Posttranslational Folding of Misfolding-Prone Proteins. Biophys J 2017; 112:1807-1819. [PMID: 28494952 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical kinetic modeling has previously been used to predict that fast-translating codons can enhance cotranslational protein folding by helping to avoid misfolded intermediates. Consistent with this prediction, protein aggregation in yeast and worms was observed to increase when translation was globally slowed down, possibly due to increased cotranslational misfolding. Observation of similar behavior in molecular simulations would confirm predictions from the simpler chemical kinetic model and provide a molecular perspective on cotranslational folding, misfolding, and the impact of translation speed on these processes. All-atom simulations cannot reach the timescales relevant to protein synthesis, and most conventional structure-based coarse-grained models do not allow for nonnative structure formation. Here, we introduce a protocol to incorporate misfolding using the functional forms of publicly available force fields. With this model we create two artificial proteins that are capable of undergoing structural transitions between a native and a misfolded conformation and simulate their synthesis by the ribosome. Consistent with the chemical kinetic predictions, we find that rapid synthesis of misfolding-prone nascent-chain segments increases the fraction of folded proteins by kinetically partitioning more molecules through on-pathway intermediates, decreasing the likelihood of sampling misfolded conformations. Novel to this study, to our knowledge, we observe that differences in protein dynamics, arising from different translation-elongation schedules, can persist long after the nascent protein has been released from the ribosome, and that a sufficient level of energetic frustration is needed for fast-translating codons to be beneficial for folding. These results provide further evidence that fast-translating codons can be as biologically important as pause sites in coordinating cotranslational folding.
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29
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Niesen MJM, Wang CY, Van Lehn RC, Miller TF. Structurally detailed coarse-grained model for Sec-facilitated co-translational protein translocation and membrane integration. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005427. [PMID: 28328943 PMCID: PMC5381951 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
We present a coarse-grained simulation model that is capable of simulating the minute-timescale dynamics of protein translocation and membrane integration via the Sec translocon, while retaining sufficient chemical and structural detail to capture many of the sequence-specific interactions that drive these processes. The model includes accurate geometric representations of the ribosome and Sec translocon, obtained directly from experimental structures, and interactions parameterized from nearly 200 μs of residue-based coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. A protocol for mapping amino-acid sequences to coarse-grained beads enables the direct simulation of trajectories for the co-translational insertion of arbitrary polypeptide sequences into the Sec translocon. The model reproduces experimentally observed features of membrane protein integration, including the efficiency with which polypeptide domains integrate into the membrane, the variation in integration efficiency upon single amino-acid mutations, and the orientation of transmembrane domains. The central advantage of the model is that it connects sequence-level protein features to biological observables and timescales, enabling direct simulation for the mechanistic analysis of co-translational integration and for the engineering of membrane proteins with enhanced membrane integration efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel J. M. Niesen
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Connie Y. Wang
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Reid C. Van Lehn
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Thomas F. Miller
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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30
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Marshall SS, Niesen MJM, Müller A, Tiemann K, Saladi SM, Galimidi RP, Zhang B, Clemons WM, Miller TF. A Link between Integral Membrane Protein Expression and Simulated Integration Efficiency. Cell Rep 2016; 16:2169-2177. [PMID: 27524616 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Integral membrane proteins (IMPs) control the flow of information and nutrients across cell membranes, yet IMP mechanistic studies are hindered by difficulties in expression. We investigate this issue by addressing the connection between IMP sequence and observed expression levels. For homologs of the IMP TatC, observed expression levels vary widely and are affected by small changes in protein sequence. The effect of sequence changes on experimentally observed expression levels strongly correlates with the simulated integration efficiency obtained from coarse-grained modeling, which is directly confirmed using an in vivo assay. Furthermore, mutations that improve the simulated integration efficiency likewise increase the experimentally observed expression levels. Demonstration of these trends in both Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium smegmatis suggests that the results are general to other expression systems. This work suggests that IMP integration is a determinant for successful expression, raising the possibility of controlling IMP expression via rational design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen S Marshall
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Michiel J M Niesen
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Axel Müller
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Katrin Tiemann
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Shyam M Saladi
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Rachel P Galimidi
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - William M Clemons
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Thomas F Miller
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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31
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Zhang B, Zheng W, Papoian GA, Wolynes PG. Exploring the Free Energy Landscape of Nucleosomes. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:8126-33. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b02893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Garegin A. Papoian
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Institute for Physical Science and
Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
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32
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Trovato F, O'Brien EP. Insights into Cotranslational Nascent Protein Behavior from Computer Simulations. Annu Rev Biophys 2016; 45:345-69. [PMID: 27297399 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-070915-094153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Regulation of protein stability and function in vivo begins during protein synthesis, when the ribosome translates a messenger RNA into a nascent polypeptide. Cotranslational processes involving a nascent protein include folding, binding to other macromolecules, enzymatic modification, and secretion through membranes. Experiments have shown that the rate at which the ribosome adds amino acids to the elongating nascent chain influences the efficiency of these processes, with alterations to these rates possibly contributing to diseases, including some types of cancer. In this review, we discuss recent insights into cotranslational processes gained from molecular simulations, how different computational approaches have been combined to understand cotranslational processes at multiple scales, and the new scenarios illuminated by these simulations. We conclude by suggesting interesting questions that computational approaches in this research area can address over the next few years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Trovato
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802;
| | - Edward P O'Brien
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802;
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33
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Gumbart JC, Chipot C. Decrypting protein insertion through the translocon with free-energy calculations. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2016; 1858:1663-71. [PMID: 26896694 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2016.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Protein insertion into a membrane is a complex process involving numerous players. The most prominent of these players is the Sec translocon complex, a conserved protein-conducting channel present in the cytoplasmic membrane of bacteria and the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum in eukaryotes. The last decade has seen tremendous leaps forward in our understanding of how insertion is managed by the translocon and its partners, coming from atomic-detailed structures, innovative experiments, and well-designed simulations. In this review, we discuss how experiments and simulations, hand-in-hand, teased out the secrets of the translocon-facilitated membrane insertion process. In particular, we focus on the role of free-energy calculations in elucidating membrane insertion. Amazingly, despite all its apparent complexity, protein insertion into membranes is primarily driven by simple thermodynamic and kinetic principles. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane proteins edited by J.C. Gumbart and Sergei Noskov.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C Gumbart
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
| | - Christophe Chipot
- Laboratoire International Associé Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, UMR n° 7565, Université de Lorraine, B.P. 70239, 54506 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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34
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Topological constraints and modular structure in the folding and functional motions of GlpG, an intramembrane protease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:2098-103. [PMID: 26858402 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1524027113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigate the folding of GlpG, an intramembrane protease, using perfectly funneled structure-based models that implicitly account for the absence or presence of the membrane. These two models are used to describe, respectively, folding in detergent micelles and folding within a bilayer, which effectively constrains GlpG's topology in unfolded and partially folded states. Structural free-energy landscape analysis shows that although the presence of multiple folding pathways is an intrinsic property of GlpG's modular functional architecture, the large entropic cost of organizing helical bundles in the absence of the constraining bilayer leads to pathways that backtrack (i.e., local unfolding of previously folded substructures is required when moving from the unfolded to the folded state along the minimum free-energy pathway). This backtracking explains the experimental observation of thermodynamically destabilizing mutations that accelerate GlpG's folding in detergent micelles. In contrast, backtracking is absent from the model when folding is constrained within a bilayer, the environment in which GlpG has evolved to fold. We also characterize a near-native state with a highly mobile transmembrane helix 5 (TM5) that is significantly populated under folding conditions when GlpG is embedded in a bilayer. Unbinding of TM5 from the rest of the structure exposes GlpG's active site, consistent with studies of the catalytic mechanism of GlpG that suggest that TM5 serves as a substrate gate to the active site.
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35
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Abstract
A new simulation protocol has revealed unexpected complexity in the folding of membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen H White
- Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, United States
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36
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Kukic P, Kannan A, Dijkstra MJJ, Abeln S, Camilloni C, Vendruscolo M. Mapping the Protein Fold Universe Using the CamTube Force Field in Molecular Dynamics Simulations. PLoS Comput Biol 2015; 11:e1004435. [PMID: 26505754 PMCID: PMC4624779 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been recently shown that the coarse-graining of the structures of polypeptide chains as self-avoiding tubes can provide an effective representation of the conformational space of proteins. In order to fully exploit the opportunities offered by such a ‘tube model’ approach, we present here a strategy to combine it with molecular dynamics simulations. This strategy is based on the incorporation of the ‘CamTube’ force field into the Gromacs molecular dynamics package. By considering the case of a 60-residue polyvaline chain, we show that CamTube molecular dynamics simulations can comprehensively explore the conformational space of proteins. We obtain this result by a 20 μs metadynamics simulation of the polyvaline chain that recapitulates the currently known protein fold universe. We further show that, if residue-specific interaction potentials are added to the CamTube force field, it is possible to fold a protein into a topology close to that of its native state. These results illustrate how the CamTube force field can be used to explore efficiently the universe of protein folds with good accuracy and very limited computational cost. Modelling protein behaviour using computer simulations has progressively emerged in the last 50 years as a powerful strategy in structural and molecular biology. Over this period there has been a continuing interest in pushing the boundaries of this approach in terms of the size of the systems and the timescale of the processes that can be studied. Coarse-grained models offer in principle great opportunities in this context, but it has been extremely challenging to obtain force fields of accuracy comparable to that typical of fully atomistic models. We show here that the representation of protein molecules as self-avoiding tubes within the CamTube model enables the comprehensive, accurate and very fast exploration of the conformational space of proteins in molecular dynamics simulations. We illustrate in particular how the comprehensive mapping of the protein fold universe obtained using the CamTube model offers the possibility of analysing the behaviour of proteins in a wide range of non-native states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Predrag Kukic
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Arvind Kannan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Departments of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Maurits J. J. Dijkstra
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Computer Science, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sanne Abeln
- Department of Computer Science, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Carlo Camilloni
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Michele Vendruscolo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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37
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Structure of the native Sec61 protein-conducting channel. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8403. [PMID: 26411746 PMCID: PMC4598622 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammalian cells, secretory and membrane proteins are translocated across or inserted into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane by the universally conserved protein-conducting channel Sec61, which has been structurally studied in isolated, detergent-solubilized states. Here we structurally and functionally characterize native, non-solubilized ribosome-Sec61 complexes on rough ER vesicles using cryo-electron tomography and ribosome profiling. Surprisingly, the 9-Å resolution subtomogram average reveals Sec61 in a laterally open conformation, even though the channel is not in the process of inserting membrane proteins into the lipid bilayer. In contrast to recent mechanistic models for polypeptide translocation and insertion, our results indicate that the laterally open conformation of Sec61 is the only conformation present in the ribosome-bound translocon complex, independent of its functional state. Consistent with earlier functional studies, our structure suggests that the ribosome alone, even without a nascent chain, is sufficient for lateral opening of Sec61 in a lipid environment. The protein-conducting channel Sec61 is responsible for protein transport and membrane insertion at the endoplasmic reticulum. Here, the authors determine the structure of ribosome-bound Sec61 in a native context, in which it adopts a laterally open conformation, irrespective of its functional state.
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38
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Van Lehn RC, Zhang B, Miller TF. Regulation of multispanning membrane protein topology via post-translational annealing. eLife 2015; 4. [PMID: 26408961 PMCID: PMC4635508 DOI: 10.7554/elife.08697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The canonical mechanism for multispanning membrane protein topogenesis suggests that protein topology is established during cotranslational membrane integration. However, this mechanism is inconsistent with the behavior of EmrE, a dual-topology protein for which the mutation of positively charged loop residues, even close to the C-terminus, leads to dramatic shifts in its topology. We use coarse-grained simulations to investigate the Sec-facilitated membrane integration of EmrE and its mutants on realistic biological timescales. This work reveals a mechanism for regulating membrane-protein topogenesis, in which initially misintegrated configurations of the proteins undergo post-translational annealing to reach fully integrated multispanning topologies. The energetic barriers associated with this post-translational annealing process enforce kinetic pathways that dictate the topology of the fully integrated proteins. The proposed mechanism agrees well with the experimentally observed features of EmrE topogenesis and provides a range of experimentally testable predictions regarding the effect of translocon mutations on membrane protein topogenesis. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08697.001 Proteins are long chains of smaller molecules called amino acids, and are built inside cells by a molecular machine called the ribosome. Many important proteins must be inserted into the membrane that surrounds each cell in order to carry out their role. As these proteins are being built by the ribosome, they thread their way into a membrane-spanning channel (called the translocon) from the inner side of the membrane. Short segments of these integral membrane proteins (called transmembrane domains) then become embedded in the membrane, while other parts of the protein remain on either side of the membrane. For a membrane protein to work properly, the end of each of its transmembrane domains must be on the correct side of the membrane (i.e., the protein must obtain the correct ‘topology’). The conventional model for this process suggests that topology is fixed when the first transmembrane domain of a protein is initially integrated into the membrane, while the ribosome is still building the protein. This model can explain most integral membrane proteins, which only have a single topology. However, it cannot explain the family of membrane proteins that have an almost equal chance of adopting one of two different topologies (so-called ‘dual-topology proteins’). Van Lehn et al. have now used computer modeling to simulate how a bacterial protein called EmrE (which is a dual-topology protein) integrates into the membrane via the translocon. The results reveal that a few transmembrane domains in EmrE do not fully integrate into the membrane while the ribosome is building the protein. Instead, these transmembrane domains slowly integrate after the ribosome has finished its job. These findings contradict the conventional model and suggest that some membrane proteins only become fully integrated after the protein-building process is complete. The next step in this work is to experimentally test predictions from the computer simulations. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08697.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Reid C Van Lehn
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States
| | - Bin Zhang
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States
| | - Thomas F Miller
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States
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39
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Peptide Folding in Translocon-Like Pores. J Membr Biol 2015; 248:407-17. [DOI: 10.1007/s00232-015-9808-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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40
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Nissley DA, O'Brien EP. Timing is everything: unifying codon translation rates and nascent proteome behavior. J Am Chem Soc 2014; 136:17892-8. [PMID: 25486504 DOI: 10.1021/ja510082j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Experiments have demonstrated that changing the rate at which the ribosome translates a codon position in an mRNA molecule's open reading frame can alter the behavior of the newly synthesized protein. That is, codon translation rates can govern nascent proteome behavior. We emphasize that this phenomenon is a manifestation of the nonequilibrium nature of cotranslational processes, and as such, there exist theoretical tools that offer a potential means to quantitatively predict the influence of codon translation rates on the broad spectrum of nascent protein behaviors including cotranslational folding, aggregation, and translocation. We provide a review of the experimental evidence for the impact that codon translation rates can have, followed by a discussion of theoretical methods that can describe this phenomenon. The development and application of these tools are likely to provide fundamental insights into protein maturation and homeostasis, codon usage bias in organisms, the origins of translation related diseases, and new rational design methods for biotechnology and biopharmaceutical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Nissley
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University , University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
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41
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Cymer F, von Heijne G, White SH. Mechanisms of integral membrane protein insertion and folding. J Mol Biol 2014; 427:999-1022. [PMID: 25277655 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2014.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Revised: 09/13/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The biogenesis, folding, and structure of α-helical membrane proteins (MPs) are important to understand because they underlie virtually all physiological processes in cells including key metabolic pathways, such as the respiratory chain and the photosystems, as well as the transport of solutes and signals across membranes. Nearly all MPs require translocons--often referred to as protein-conducting channels--for proper insertion into their target membrane. Remarkable progress toward understanding the structure and functioning of translocons has been made during the past decade. Here, we review and assess this progress critically. All available evidence indicates that MPs are equilibrium structures that achieve their final structural states by folding along thermodynamically controlled pathways. The main challenge for cells is the targeting and membrane insertion of highly hydrophobic amino acid sequences. Targeting and insertion are managed in cells principally by interactions between ribosomes and membrane-embedded translocons. Our review examines the biophysical and biological boundaries of MP insertion and the folding of polytopic MPs in vivo. A theme of the review is the under-appreciated role of basic thermodynamic principles in MP folding and assembly. Thermodynamics not only dictates the final folded structure but also is the driving force for the evolution of the ribosome-translocon system of assembly. We conclude the review with a perspective suggesting a new view of translocon-guided MP insertion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Cymer
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm
| | - Gunnar von Heijne
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm.,Science for Life Laboratory Stockholm University, Box 1031, SE-171 21 Solna, Sweden
| | - Stephen H White
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and the Center for Biomembrane Systems University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 92697
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42
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Wang CY, Miller TF. Allosteric response and substrate sensitivity in peptide binding of the signal recognition particle. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:30868-30879. [PMID: 25237192 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m114.584912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
We characterize the conformational dynamics and substrate selectivity of the signal recognition particle (SRP) using a thermodynamic free energy cycle approach and microsecond timescale molecular dynamics simulations. The SRP is a central component of the co-translational protein targeting machinery that binds to the N-terminal signal peptide (SP) of nascent proteins. We determined the shift in relative conformational stability of the SRP upon substrate binding to quantify allosteric coupling between SRP domains. In particular, for dipeptidyl aminopeptidase, an SP that is recognized by the SRP for co-translational targeting, it is found that substrate binding induces substantial changes in the SRP toward configurations associated with targeting of the nascent protein, and it is found that the changes are modestly enhanced by a mutation that increases the hydrophobicity of the SP. However, for alkaline phosphatase, an SP that is recognized for post-translational targeting, substrate binding induces the reverse change in the SRP conformational distribution away from targeting configurations. Microsecond timescale trajectories reveal the intrinsic flexibility of the SRP conformational landscape and provide insight into recent single molecule studies by illustrating that 10-nm lengthscale changes between FRET pairs occur via the rigid-body movement of SRP domains connected by the flexible linker region. In combination, these results provide direct evidence for the hypothesis that substrate-controlled conformational switching in the SRP provides a mechanism for discriminating between different SPs and for connecting substrate binding to downstream steps in the protein targeting pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connie Y Wang
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91106
| | - Thomas F Miller
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91106.
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Reithinger JH, Yim C, Kim S, Lee H, Kim H. Structural and functional profiling of the lateral gate of the Sec61 translocon. J Biol Chem 2014; 289:15845-55. [PMID: 24753257 PMCID: PMC4140938 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.533794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2013] [Revised: 04/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionarily conserved Sec61 translocon mediates the translocation and membrane insertion of proteins. For the integration of proteins into the membrane, the Sec61 translocon opens laterally to the lipid bilayer. Previous studies suggest that the lateral opening of the channel is mediated by the helices TM2b and TM7 of a pore-forming subunit of the Sec61 translocon. To map key residues in TM2b and TM7 in yeast Sec61 that modulate lateral gating activity, we performed alanine scanning and in vivo site-directed photocross-linking experiments. Alanine scanning identified two groups of critical residues in the lateral gate, one group that leads to defects in the translocation and membrane insertion of proteins and the other group that causes faster translocation and facilitates membrane insertion. Photocross-linking data show that the former group of residues is located at the interface of the lateral gate. Furthermore, different degrees of defects for the membrane insertion of single- and double-spanning membrane proteins were observed depending on whether the mutations were located in TM2b or TM7. These results demonstrate subtle differences in the molecular mechanism of the signal sequence binding/opening of the lateral gate and membrane insertion of a succeeding transmembrane segment in a polytopic membrane protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes H Reithinger
- Center for Biomembrane Research, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Chewon Yim
- From the School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, South Korea and
| | - Sungmin Kim
- From the School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, South Korea and
| | - Hunsang Lee
- From the School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, South Korea and
| | - Hyun Kim
- From the School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747, South Korea and
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Vicatos S, Rychkova A, Mukherjee S, Warshel A. An effective Coarse-grained model for biological simulations: Recent refinements and validations. Proteins 2013; 82:1168-85. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.24482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Spyridon Vicatos
- Department of Chemistry; University of Southern California; Los Angeles California 90089-1062
| | - Anna Rychkova
- Department of Chemistry; University of Southern California; Los Angeles California 90089-1062
| | - Shayantani Mukherjee
- Department of Chemistry; University of Southern California; Los Angeles California 90089-1062
| | - Arieh Warshel
- Department of Chemistry; University of Southern California; Los Angeles California 90089-1062
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Abstract
The Sec61 translocon forms a pore to translocate polypeptide sequences across the membrane and offers a lateral gate for membrane integration of hydrophobic (H) segments. A central constriction of six apolar residues has been shown to form a seal, but also to determine the hydrophobicity threshold for membrane integration: Mutation of these residues in yeast Sec61p to glycines, serines, aspartates, or lysines lowered the hydrophobicity required for integration; mutation to alanines increased it. Whereas four leucines distributed in an oligo-alanine H segment were sufficient for 50% integration, we now find four leucines in the N-terminal half of the H segment to produce significantly more integration than in the C-terminal half, suggesting functional asymmetry within the translocon. Scanning a cluster of three leucines through an oligo-alanine H segment showed high integration levels, except around the position matching that of the hydrophobic constriction in the pore where integration was strongly reduced. Both asymmetry and the position effect of H-segment integration disappeared upon mutation of the constriction residues to glycines or serines, demonstrating that hydrophobicity at this position within the translocon is responsible for the phenomenon. Asymmetry was largely retained, however, when constriction residues were replaced by alanines. These results reflect on the integration mechanism of transmembrane domains and show that membrane insertion of H segments strongly depends not only on their intrinsic hydrophobicity but also on the local conditions in the translocon interior. Thus, the contribution of hydrophobic residues in the H segment is not simply additive and displays cooperativeness depending on their relative position.
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Rychkova A, Warshel A. On the nature of the apparent free energy of inserting amino acids into membrane through the translocon. J Phys Chem B 2013; 117:13748-54. [PMID: 24087983 DOI: 10.1021/jp406925y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The nature of the biological free energy scale (ΔGapp), obtained from translocon mediated insertion studies, has been a major puzzle and the subject of major controversies. Part of the problem has been the complexity of the insertion process that discouraged workers from considering the feasible kinetics schemes and left the possible impression that ΔGapp presents some simple partition. Here we extend and clarify our recent analysis of the insertion problem using well-defined kinetics schemes and a free energy profile. We point out that although the rate constants of some steps are far from being obvious, it is essential to consider explicitly such schemes in order to advance in analyzing the meaning of ΔGapp. It is then shown that under some equilibrium conditions the kinetics scheme leads to a simple formula that allows one to relate ΔGapp to the actual free energy of partitioning between the water, the membrane, and the translocon. Other options are also considered (including limits with irreversible transitions that can be described by linear free energy relationships (LFERs)). It is concluded that it is unlikely that a kinetics plus thermodynamic based analysis can lead to a result that identifies ΔGapp with the partition between the membrane and the translocon. Thus, we argue that unless such analysis is presented, it is unjustified to assume that ΔGapp corresponds to the membrane translocon equilibrium or to some other arbitrary definition. Furthermore, we point out that the presumption that it is sufficient to just calculate the PMF for going from the translocon (TR) to the membrane and then to assume irreversible diffusive motion to water and for further entrance to the membrane is not a valid analysis. Overall, we point out that it is important to try to relate ΔGapp to a well-defined kinetics scheme (regardless of the complication of the system) in order to determine whether the energies of inserting positively charged residues to the membrane are related to the corresponding ΔGapp. It is also suggested that deviations from our simple formula for equilibrium conditions can help in identifying and analyzing kinetics barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rychkova
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University , 365 Lasuen Street, Littlefield Center, MC2069, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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Kudva R, Denks K, Kuhn P, Vogt A, Müller M, Koch HG. Protein translocation across the inner membrane of Gram-negative bacteria: the Sec and Tat dependent protein transport pathways. Res Microbiol 2013; 164:505-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2013.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2012] [Accepted: 03/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Simulating the pulling of stalled elongated peptide from the ribosome by the translocon. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:10195-200. [PMID: 23729811 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1307869110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The nature of the coupling between the stalling of the elongated nascent peptide chain in the ribosome and its insertion through the translocon is analyzed, focusing on the recently discovered biphasic force that overcomes the stalling barrier. The origin of this long-range coupling is explored by coarse-grained simulations that combine the translocon (TR) insertion profile and the effective chemical barrier for the extension of the nascent chain in the ribosome. Our simulation determined that the inserted H segment is unlikely to climb the TR barrier in parallel with the peptide synthesis chemical step and that the nascent chain should first overcome the chemical barriers and move into the ribosome-TR gap region before the insertion into the TR tunnel. Furthermore, the simulations indicate that the coupled TR-chemistry free energy profile accounts for the biphasic force. Apparently, although the overall elongation/insertion process can be depicted as a tug-of-war between the forces of the TR and the ribosome, it is actually a reflection of the combined free-energy landscape. Most importantly, the present study helps to relate the experimental observation of the biphasic force to crucial information about the elusive path and barriers of the TR insertion process.
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Gumbart JC, Teo I, Roux B, Schulten K. Reconciling the roles of kinetic and thermodynamic factors in membrane-protein insertion. J Am Chem Soc 2013; 135:2291-7. [PMID: 23298280 PMCID: PMC3573731 DOI: 10.1021/ja310777k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
For the vast majority of membrane proteins, insertion
into a membrane
is not direct, but rather is catalyzed by a protein-conducting channel,
the translocon. This channel provides a lateral exit into the bilayer
while simultaneously offering a pathway into the aqueous lumen. The
determinants of a nascent protein’s choice between these two
pathways are not comprehensively understood, although both energetic
and kinetic factors have been observed. To elucidate the specific
roles of some of these factors, we have carried out extensive all-atom
molecular dynamics simulations of different nascent transmembrane
segments embedded in a ribosome-bound bacterial translocon, SecY.
Simulations on the μs time scale reveal a spontaneous motion
of the substrate segment into the membrane or back into the channel,
depending on its hydrophobicity. Potential of mean force (PMF) calculations
confirm that the observed motion is the result of local free-energy
differences between channel and membrane. Based on these and other
PMFs, the time-dependent probability of membrane insertion is determined
and is shown to mimic a two-state partition scheme with an apparent
free energy that is compressed relative to the molecular-level PMFs.
It is concluded that insertion kinetics underlies the experimentally
observed thermodynamic partitioning process.
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Affiliation(s)
- James C Gumbart
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30363, USA
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Abstract
The elucidation of the molecular nature of the translocon-assisted protein insertion is a challenging problem due to the complexity of this process. Furthermore, the limited availability of crucial structural information makes it hard to interpret the hints about the insertion mechanism provided by biochemical studies. At present, it is not practical to explore the insertion process by brute force simulation approaches due to the extremely lengthy process and very complex landscape. Thus, this work uses our previously developed coarse-grained model and explores the energetics of the membrane insertion and translocation paths. The trend in the calculated free-energy profiles is verified by evaluating the correlation between the calculated and observed effect of mutations as well as the effect of inverting the signal peptide that reflects the "positive-inside" rule. Furthermore, the effect of the tentative opening induced by the ribosome is found to reduce the kinetic barrier. Significantly, the trend of the forward and backward energy barriers provides a powerful way to analyze key energetics information. Thus, it is concluded that the insertion process is most likely a nonequilibrium process. Moreover, we provided a general formulation for the analysis of the elusive apparent membrane insertion energy, ΔG(app), and conclude that this important parameter is unlikely to correspond to the free-energy difference between the translocon and membrane. Our formulation seems to resolve the controversy about ΔG(app) for Arg.
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