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Chen Y, Gelles JD, Mohammed JN, Chipuk JE. An optimized protocol for expression and purification of monomeric full-length BAX protein for functional interrogations. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1322816. [PMID: 38143925 PMCID: PMC10748421 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1322816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Diverse developmental signals and pro-death stresses converge on the regulation of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. BAX, a proapoptotic BCL-2 effector, directly forms proteolipid pores in the outer mitochondrial membrane to activate the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. BAX is a viable pharmacological target for various human diseases, and increasing efforts have been made to study the molecular regulation of BAX while identifying small molecules selectively targeting BAX. However, generating large quantities of monomeric and functionally competent BAX has been challenging due to its aggregation-prone nature. Additionally, there is a lack of detailed and instructional protocols available for investigators who are not already familiar with recombinant BAX production. Here, we present a comprehensive protocol for expressing, purifying, and storing functional monomeric recombinant BAX protein. We use an intein-chitin binding domain-tagged BAX-expressing construct and employ a two-step chromatography strategy to capture and purify BAX. We also provide examples of standard assays to observe BAX activation, and highlight the best practices for handling and storing BAX to effectively preserve its quality, shelf life, and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyang Chen
- Laboratory of Mitochondrial Biology in Human Health and Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York,NY, United States
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jesse D. Gelles
- Laboratory of Mitochondrial Biology in Human Health and Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York,NY, United States
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jarvier N. Mohammed
- Laboratory of Mitochondrial Biology in Human Health and Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York,NY, United States
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jerry Edward Chipuk
- Laboratory of Mitochondrial Biology in Human Health and Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York,NY, United States
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- The Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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2
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Clifton LA, Wacklin-Knecht HP, Ådén J, Mushtaq AU, Sparrman T, Gröbner G. Creation of distinctive Bax-lipid complexes at mitochondrial membrane surfaces drives pore formation to initiate apoptosis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg7940. [PMID: 37267355 PMCID: PMC10413641 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg7940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Apotosis is an essential process tightly regulated by the Bcl-2 protein family where proapoptotic Bax triggers cell death by perforating the mitochondrial outer membrane. Although intensively studied, the molecular mechanism by which these proteins create apoptotic pores remains elusive. Here, we show that Bax creates pores by extracting lipids from outer mitochondrial membrane mimics by formation of Bax/lipid clusters that are deposited on the membrane surface. Time-resolved neutron reflectometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed two kinetically distinct phases in the pore formation process, both of which were critically dependent on cardiolipin levels. The initially fast adsorption of Bax on the mitochondrial membrane surface is followed by a slower formation of pores and Bax-lipid clusters on the membrane surface. Our findings provide a robust molecular understanding of mitochondrial membrane perforation by cell-killing Bax protein and illuminate the initial phases of programmed cellular death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke A. Clifton
- ISIS Pulsed Neutron and Muon Source, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 OQX, UK
| | - Hanna P. Wacklin-Knecht
- European Spallation Source ERIC, ESS, P.O. Box 176, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Physical Chemistry, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jörgen Ådén
- Department of Chemistry, University of Umeå, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ameeq Ul Mushtaq
- Department of Chemistry, University of Umeå, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Tobias Sparrman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Umeå, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Gerhard Gröbner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Umeå, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden
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3
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Loughran ST, Walls D. Tagging Recombinant Proteins to Enhance Solubility and Aid Purification. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2699:97-123. [PMID: 37646996 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3362-5_7] [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: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Protein fusion technology has had a major impact on the efficient production and purification of individual recombinant proteins. The use of genetically engineered affinity and solubility-enhancing polypeptide "tags" has a long history, and there is a considerable repertoire of these that can be used to address issues related to the expression, stability, solubility, folding, and purification of their fusion partner. In the case of large-scale proteomic studies, the development of purification procedures tailored to individual proteins is not practicable, and affinity tags have become indispensable tools for structural and functional proteomic initiatives that involve the expression of many proteins in parallel. In this chapter, the rationale and applications of a range of established and more recently developed solubility-enhancing and affinity tags is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinéad T Loughran
- Department of Life and Health Sciences, School of Health and Science, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dundalk, Louth, Ireland.
| | - Dermot Walls
- School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
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4
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Sekar G, Singh G, Qin X, Guibao CD, Schwam B, Inde Z, Grace CR, Zhang W, Slavish PJ, Lin W, Chen T, Lee RE, Rankovic Z, Sarosiek K, Moldoveanu T. Small molecule SJ572946 activates BAK to initiate apoptosis. iScience 2022; 25:105064. [PMID: 36147946 PMCID: PMC9485059 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Poration of the outer mitochondrial membrane by the effector BCL-2 proteins BAK and BAX initiates apoptosis. BH3-only initiators BID and BIM trigger conformational changes in BAK and BAX transforming them from globular dormant proteins to oligomers of the apoptotic pores. Small molecules that can directly activate effectors are being sought for applications in cancer treatment. Here, we describe the small molecule SJ572946, discovered in a fragment-based screen that binds to the activation groove of BAK and selectively triggers BAK activation over that of BAX in liposome and mitochondrial permeabilization assays. SJ572946 independently kills BAK-expressing BCL2allKO HCT116 cells revealing on target cellular activity. In combination with apoptotic inducers and BH3 mimetics, SJ572946 kills experimental cancer cell lines. SJ572946 also cooperates with the endogenous BAK activator BID in activating a misfolded BAK mutant substantially impaired in activation. SJ572946 is a proof-of-concept tool for probing BAK-mediated apoptosis in preclinical cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giridhar Sekar
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA,Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Geetika Singh
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA,Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA,Children’s GMP, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Xingping Qin
- John B. Little Center for Radiation Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston,02115 MA, USA,Program in Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, 02115 MA, USA,Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston,02115 MA, USA
| | - Cristina D. Guibao
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Brittany Schwam
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA,Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Zintis Inde
- John B. Little Center for Radiation Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston,02115 MA, USA,Program in Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, 02115 MA, USA,Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston,02115 MA, USA
| | - Christy R. Grace
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Weixing Zhang
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - P. Jake Slavish
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Wenwei Lin
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Taosheng Chen
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Richard E. Lee
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Zoran Rankovic
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Kristopher Sarosiek
- John B. Little Center for Radiation Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston,02115 MA, USA,Program in Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, 02115 MA, USA,Laboratory of Systems Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston,02115 MA, USA
| | - Tudor Moldoveanu
- Department of Structural Biology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA,Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Roeck, AR 72205, USA,Corresponding author
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5
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Reyzov M, Eftimov M, Gancheva S, Todorova M, Zhelyazkova-Savova M, Tzaneva M, Valcheva-Kuzmanova S. Effect of Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice on glucose tolerance, lipid metabolism, and obesity in a rat model of metabolic syndrome. ACTA ALIMENTARIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1556/066.2022.00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a serious health condition. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of polyphenol-rich Aronia melanocarpa fruit juice (AMFJ) on glucose tolerance, triglyceride levels, and adipose tissue in rats with MS induced by high-fat high-fructose (HFHF) diet. Fifty rats were allocated in 5 groups: control, MS, MS+AMFJ2.5, MS+AMFJ5, and MS+AMFJ10. In the course of 10 weeks, the control group was on a regular rat diet while the other groups received HFHF diet. During the experiment, control and MS groups were treated daily orally with distilled water (10.0 mL kg−1) and the other three groups – with AMFJ at doses of 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 mL kg−1, respectively. In MS rats, glucose intolerance, hypertriglyceridemia, visceral obesity, and increased adipocyte size were observed. In AMFJ-treated groups, the serum glucose and triglycerides, as well as visceral fat and adipocyte size decreased significantly and did not differ from those of the control group. AMFJ at doses 2.5 and 5.0 mL kg−1 showed an anti-apoptotic activity in adipocytes, while at the dose of 10 mL kg−1 a pro-apoptotic effect was detected. In conclusion, AMFJ could antagonise most of the negative consequences of HFHF diet on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in a rat MS model.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Reyzov
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University “Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov”, Marin Drinov 55, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria
| | - M. Eftimov
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University “Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov”, Marin Drinov 55, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria
| | - S. Gancheva
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University “Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov”, Marin Drinov 55, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria
| | - M. Todorova
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University “Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov”, Marin Drinov 55, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria
| | - M. Zhelyazkova-Savova
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University “Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov”, Marin Drinov 55, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria
| | - M. Tzaneva
- Department of Basic and Clinical Pathology, Forensic Medicine and Deontology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University “Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov”, Hristo Smirnenski 1, 9010 Varna, Bulgaria
| | - S. Valcheva-Kuzmanova
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University “Prof. Dr. Paraskev Stoyanov”, Marin Drinov 55, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria
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6
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Contribution of Yeast Studies to the Understanding of BCL-2 Family Intracellular Trafficking. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22084086. [PMID: 33920941 PMCID: PMC8071328 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BCL-2 family members are major regulators of apoptotic cell death in mammals. They form an intricate regulatory network that ultimately regulates the release of apoptogenic factors from mitochondria to the cytosol. The ectopic expression of mammalian BCL-2 family members in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which lacks BCL-2 homologs, has been long established as a useful addition to the available models to study their function and regulation. In yeast, individual proteins can be studied independently from the whole interaction network, thus providing insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying their function in a living context. Furthermore, one can take advantage of the powerful tools available in yeast to probe intracellular trafficking processes such as mitochondrial sorting and interactions/exchanges between mitochondria and other compartments, such as the endoplasmic reticulum that are largely conserved between yeast and mammals. Yeast molecular genetics thus allows the investigation of the role of these processes on the dynamic equilibrium of BCL-2 family members between mitochondria and extramitochondrial compartments. Here we propose a model of dynamic regulation of BCL-2 family member localization, based on available evidence from ectopic expression in yeast.
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