1
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He L, McAndrew R, Barbu R, Gifford G, Halacoglu C, Drouin-Allaire C, Weber L, Kristensen LG, Gupta S, Chen Y, Petzold CJ, Allaire M, Li KH, Ralston CY, Gochin M. Structure and Interactions of HIV-1 gp41 CHR-NHR Reverse Hairpin Constructs Reveal Molecular Determinants of Antiviral Activity. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168650. [PMID: 38866091 PMCID: PMC11297672 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Engineered reverse hairpin constructs containing a partial C-heptad repeat (CHR) sequence followed by a short loop and full-length N-heptad repeat (NHR) were previously shown to form trimers in solution and to be nanomolar inhibitors of HIV-1 Env mediated fusion. Their target is the in situ gp41 fusion intermediate, and they have similar potency to other previously reported NHR trimers. However, their design implies that the NHR is partially covered by CHR, which would be expected to limit potency. An exposed hydrophobic pocket in the folded structure may be sufficient to confer the observed potency, or they may exist in a partially unfolded state exposing full length NHR. Here we examined their structure by crystallography, CD and fluorescence, establishing that the proteins are folded hairpins both in crystal form and in solution. We examined unfolding in the milieu of the fusion reaction by conducting experiments in the presence of a membrane mimetic solvent and by engineering a disulfide bond into the structure to prevent partial unfolding. We further examined the role of the hydrophobic pocket, using a hairpin-small molecule adduct that occluded the pocket, as confirmed by X-ray footprinting. The results demonstrated that the NHR region nominally covered by CHR in the engineered constructs and the hydrophobic pocket region that is exposed by design were both essential for nanomolar potency and that interaction with membrane is likely to play a role in promoting the required inhibitor structure. The design concepts can be applied to other Class 1 viral fusion proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li He
- Department of Foundational Biomedical Sciences, Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, 1310 Club Drive, Mare Island, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA
| | - Ryan McAndrew
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Razvan Barbu
- Master of Science in Medical Health Sciences, Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, 1310 Club Drive, Mare Island, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA
| | - Grant Gifford
- Master of Science in Medical Health Sciences, Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, 1310 Club Drive, Mare Island, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA
| | - Cari Halacoglu
- Master of Science in Medical Health Sciences, Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, 1310 Club Drive, Mare Island, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA
| | - Camille Drouin-Allaire
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Lindsey Weber
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Line G Kristensen
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sayan Gupta
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Yan Chen
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Christopher J Petzold
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Marc Allaire
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Divisions, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Kathy H Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, UCSF School of Pharmacy, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Corie Y Ralston
- Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Miriam Gochin
- Department of Foundational Biomedical Sciences, Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine, 1310 Club Drive, Mare Island, Vallejo, CA 94592, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, UCSF School of Pharmacy, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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2
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Li Q, Huang Q, Kang C. Secondary Structures of the Transmembrane Domain of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in Detergent Micelles. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031040. [PMID: 35162961 PMCID: PMC8834715 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 contains a single-span transmembrane (TM) domain and plays roles in receptor binding, viral attachment and viral entry to the host cells. The TM domain of spike protein is critical for viral infectivity. Herein, the TM domain of spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 was reconstituted in detergent micelles and subjected to structural analysis using solution NMR spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that the TM domain of the protein forms a helical structure in detergent micelles. An unstructured linker is identified between the TM helix and heptapeptide repeat 2 region. The linker is due to the proline residue at position 1213. Side chains of the three tryptophan residues preceding to and within the TM helix important for the function of S-protein might adopt multiple conformations which may be critical for their function. The side chain of W1212 was shown to be exposed to solvent and the side chains of residues W1214 and W1217 are buried in micelles. Relaxation study shows that the TM helix is rigid in solution while several residues have exchanges. The secondary structure and dynamics of the TM domain in this study provide insights into the function of the TM domain of spike protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxin Li
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Biomass High Value Utilization, Institute of Biological and Medical Engineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510316, China;
| | - Qiwei Huang
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138670, Singapore;
| | - Congbao Kang
- Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138670, Singapore;
- Correspondence:
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3
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Structure, interactions and membrane topology of HIV gp41 ectodomain sequences. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183274. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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4
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Lin M, Da LT. Refolding Dynamics of gp41 from Pre-fusion to Pre-hairpin States during HIV-1 Entry. J Chem Inf Model 2019; 60:162-174. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.9b00746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mengna Lin
- Key Laboratory of System Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Lin-Tai Da
- Key Laboratory of System Biomedicine (Ministry of Education), Shanghai Center for Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
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5
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Lee M, Morgan CA, Hong M. Fully hydrophobic HIV gp41 adopts a hemifusion-like conformation in phospholipid bilayers. J Biol Chem 2019; 294:14732-14744. [PMID: 31409642 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.009542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The HIV envelope glycoprotein mediates virus entry into target cells by fusing the virus lipid envelope with the cell membrane. This process requires large-scale conformational changes of the fusion protein gp41. Current understanding of the mechanisms with which gp41 induces membrane merger is limited by the fact that the hydrophobic N-terminal fusion peptide (FP) and C-terminal transmembrane domain (TMD) of the protein are challenging to characterize structurally in the lipid bilayer. Here we have expressed a gp41 construct that contains both termini, including the FP, the fusion peptide-proximal region (FPPR), the membrane-proximal external region (MPER), and the TMD. These hydrophobic domains are linked together by a shortened water-soluble ectodomain. We reconstituted this "short NC" gp41 into a virus-mimetic lipid membrane and conducted solid-state NMR experiments to probe the membrane-bound conformation and topology of the protein. 13C chemical shifts indicate that the C-terminal MPER-TMD is predominantly α-helical, whereas the N-terminal FP-FPPR exhibits β-sheet character. Water and lipid 1H polarization transfer to the protein revealed that the TMD is well-inserted into the lipid bilayer, whereas the FPPR and MPER are exposed to the membrane surface. Importantly, correlation signals between the FP-FPPR and the MPER are observed, providing evidence that the ectodomain is sufficiently collapsed to bring the N- and C-terminal hydrophobic domains into close proximity. These results support a hemifusion-like model of the short NC gp41 in which the ectodomain forms a partially folded hairpin that places the FPPR and MPER on the opposing surfaces of two lipid membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myungwoon Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Chloe A Morgan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Mei Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
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6
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Gomes B, Sanna G, Madeddu S, Hollmann A, Santos NC. Combining 25-Hydroxycholesterol with an HIV Fusion Inhibitor Peptide: Interaction with Biomembrane Model Systems and Human Blood Cells. ACS Infect Dis 2019; 5:582-591. [PMID: 30816690 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.8b00321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The fusion between the viral and the target cell membrane is a crucial step in the life cycle of enveloped viruses. The blocking of this process is a well-known therapeutic approach that led to the development of the fusion inhibitor peptide enfuvirtide, clinically used against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1. Despite this significant advance on viral treatment, the appearance of resistance has limited its clinical use. Such a limitation has led to the development of other fusion inhibitor peptides, such as C34, that present the same structural domain as enfuvirtide (heptad repeat sequence) but have different functional domains (pocket-binding domain in the case of C34 and lipid-binding domain in the case of enfuvirtide). Recently, the antiviral properties of 25-hydroxycholesterol were demonstrated, which boosted the interest in this oxysterol. The combination of two distinct antiviral molecules, C34 and 25-hydroxycholesterol, may help to suppress the emergence of resistant viruses. In this work, we characterized the interaction of the C34-25-hydroxycholesterol conjugate with biomembrane model systems and human blood cells. Lipid vesicles and monolayers with defined lipid compositions were used as biomembrane model systems. The conjugate interacts preferentially with membranes rich in sphingomyelin (a lipid enriched in lipid rafts) and presents a poor partition to membranes composed solely of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol. We hypothesize that cholesterol causes a repulsive effect that is overcome in the presence of sphingomyelin. Importantly, the peptide shows a preference for human peripheral blood mononuclear cells relative to erythrocytes, which shows its potential to target CD4+ cells. Antiviral activity results against different wild-type and drug-resistant HIV strains further demonstrated the potential of C34-HC as a good candidate for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Gomes
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon 1649-028, Portugal
| | - Giusepinna Sanna
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Microbiology and Virology, University of Cagliary, Cagliari 09123, Italy
| | - Silvia Madeddu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Microbiology and Virology, University of Cagliary, Cagliari 09123, Italy
| | - Axel Hollmann
- Laboratory of Bioactive Compounds, CIBAAL−University of Santiago del Estero and CONICET, Santiago del Estero, Argentina
- Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, Institute of Basic and Applied Microbiology, University of Quilmes, Bernal B1876BXD, Argentina
| | - Nuno C. Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon 1649-028, Portugal
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7
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Liao SY, Lee M, Hong M. Interplay between membrane curvature and protein conformational equilibrium investigated by solid-state NMR. J Struct Biol 2019; 206:20-28. [PMID: 29501472 PMCID: PMC6119545 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2018.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Many membrane proteins sense and induce membrane curvature for function, but structural information about how proteins modulate their structures to cause membrane curvature is sparse. We review our recent solid-state NMR studies of two virus membrane proteins whose conformational equilibrium is tightly coupled to membrane curvature. The influenza M2 proton channel has a drug-binding site in the transmembrane (TM) pore. Previous chemical shift data indicated that this pore-binding site is lost in an M2 construct that contains the TM domain and a curvature-inducing amphipathic helix. We have now obtained chemical shift perturbation, protein-drug proximity, and drug orientation data that indicate that the pore-binding site is restored when the full cytoplasmic domain is present. This finding indicates that the curvature-inducing amphipathic helix distorts the TM structure to interfere with drug binding, while the cytoplasmic tail attenuates this effect. In the second example, we review our studies of a parainfluenza virus fusion protein that merges the cell membrane and the virus envelope during virus entry. Chemical shifts of two hydrophobic domains of the protein indicate that both domains have membrane-dependent backbone conformations, with the β-strand structure dominating in negative-curvature phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) membranes. 31P NMR spectra and 1H-31P correlation spectra indicate that the β-strand-rich conformation induces saddle-splay curvature to PE membranes and dehydrates them, thus stabilizing the hemifusion state. These results highlight the indispensable role of solid-state NMR to simultaneously determine membrane protein structures and characterize the membrane curvature in which these protein structures exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Y Liao
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Myungwoon Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States
| | - Mei Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States.
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8
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Schroeder S, Kaufman JD, Grunwald M, Walla PJ, Lakomek NA, Wingfield PT. HIV-1 gp41 transmembrane oligomerization monitored by FRET and FCS. FEBS Lett 2018; 592:939-948. [PMID: 29453892 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 01/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The HIV-1 envelope gp120/gp41 trimer mediates viral membrane fusion. After cluster of differentiation-4 recognition, gp120 detaches from the virus, exposing gp41 which triggers fusion. During the fusion process, gp41 may not remain trimeric, which could have functional importance. Here, we probe the reversible association of full length gp41 (minus the cytoplasmic domain) in detergent micelles (with probes attached to transmembrane domain) by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) with a μm dissociation constant. This is compared with other methods. A gp41-targeted fusion inhibitor must interfere with this transition, and monomeric, partially monomeric or trimeric states all present potential binding epitopes. The gp41 self-association is a valid drug target model and FRET, a potential high-throughput assay system, could be used to screen drug libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joshua D Kaufman
- Protein Expression Laboratory, NIAMS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Peter J Walla
- Institute for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Technical University Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Nils-Alexander Lakomek
- Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.,Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences (D-CHAB), ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Paul T Wingfield
- Protein Expression Laboratory, NIAMS, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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9
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Liang S, Ratnayake PU, Keinath C, Jia L, Wolfe R, Ranaweera A, Weliky DP. Efficient Fusion at Neutral pH by Human Immunodeficiency Virus gp41 Trimers Containing the Fusion Peptide and Transmembrane Domains. Biochemistry 2018; 57:1219-1235. [PMID: 29345922 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is membrane-enveloped, and an initial infection step is joining/fusion of viral and cell membranes. This step is catalyzed by gp41, which is a single-pass integral viral membrane protein. The protein contains an ∼170-residue ectodomain located outside the virus that is important for fusion and includes the fusion peptide (FP), N-helix, loop, C-helix, and viral membrane-proximal external region (MPER). The virion initially has noncovalent complexes between three gp41 ectodomains and three gp120 proteins. A gp120 contains ∼500 residues and functions to identify target T-cells and macrophages via binding to specific protein receptors of the target cell membrane. gp120 moves away from the gp41 ectodomain, and the ectodomain is thought to bind to the target cell membrane and mediate membrane fusion. The secondary and tertiary structures of the ectodomain are different in the initial complex with gp120 and the final state without gp120. There is not yet imaging of gp41 during fusion, so the temporal relationship between the gp41 and membrane structures is not known. This study describes biophysical and functional characterization of large gp41 constructs that include the ectodomain and transmembrane domain (TM). Significant fusion is observed of both neutral and anionic vesicles at neutral pH, which reflects the expected conditions of HIV/cell fusion. Fusion is enhanced by the FP, which in HIV/cell fusion likely contacts the host membrane, and the MPER and TM, which respectively interfacially contact and traverse the HIV membrane. Initial contact with vesicles is made by protein trimers that are in a native oligomeric state that reflects the initial complex with gp120 and also is commonly observed for the ectodomain without gp120. Circular dichroism data support helical structure for the N-helix, C-helix, and MPER and nonhelical structure for the FP and loop. Distributions of monomer, trimer, and hexamer states are observed by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), with dependences on solubilizing detergent and construct. These SEC and other data are integrated into a refined working model of HIV/cell fusion that includes dissociation of the ectodomain into gp41 monomers followed by folding into hairpins that appose the two membranes, and subsequent fusion catalysis by trimers and hexamers of hairpins. The monomer and oligomer gp41 states may therefore satisfy dual requirements for HIV entry of membrane apposition and fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Liang
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - P U Ratnayake
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - C Keinath
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - L Jia
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - R Wolfe
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - A Ranaweera
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - D P Weliky
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State University , East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
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10
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Yao H, Lee M, Liao SY, Hong M. Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Investigation of the Structural Topology and Lipid Interactions of a Viral Fusion Protein Chimera Containing the Fusion Peptide and Transmembrane Domain. Biochemistry 2016; 55:6787-6800. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hongwei Yao
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Myungwoon Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Shu-Yu Liao
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Mei Hong
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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11
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Louis JM, Baber JL, Ghirlando R, Aniana A, Bax A, Roche J. Insights into the Conformation of the Membrane Proximal Regions Critical to the Trimerization of the HIV-1 gp41 Ectodomain Bound to Dodecyl Phosphocholine Micelles. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160597. [PMID: 27513582 PMCID: PMC4981318 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The transitioning of the ectodomain of gp41 from a pre-hairpin to a six-helix bundle conformation is a crucial aspect of virus-cell fusion. To gain insight into the intermediary steps of the fusion process we have studied the pH and dodecyl phosphocholine (DPC) micelle dependent trimer association of gp41 by systematic deletion analysis of an optimized construct termed 17-172 (residues 528 to 683 of Env) that spans the fusion peptide proximal region (FPPR) to the membrane proximal external region (MPER) of gp41, by sedimentation velocity and double electron-electron resonance (DEER) EPR spectroscopy. Trimerization at pH 7 requires the presence of both the FPPR and MPER regions. However, at pH 4, the protein completely dissociates to monomers. DEER measurements reveal a partial fraying of the C-terminal MPER residues in the 17-172 trimer while the other regions, including the FPPR, remain compact. In accordance, truncating nine C-terminal MPER residues (675-683) in the 17-172 construct does not shift the trimer-monomer equilibrium significantly. Thus, in the context of the gp41 ectodomain spanning residues 17-172, trimerization is clearly dependent on FPPR and MPER regions even when the terminal residues of MPER unravel. The antibody Z13e1, which spans both the 2F5 and 4E10 epitopes in MPER, binds to 17-172 with a Kd of 1 ± 0.12 μM. Accordingly, individual antibodies 2F5 and 4E10 also recognize the 17-172 trimer/DPC complex. We propose that binding of the C-terminal residues of MPER to the surface of the DPC micelles models a correct positioning of the trimeric transmembrane domain anchored in the viral membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M. Louis
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JL)); (JR)
| | - James L. Baber
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Rodolfo Ghirlando
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Annie Aniana
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ad Bax
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Julien Roche
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JL)); (JR)
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12
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Jiao J, Rebane AA, Ma L, Gao Y, Zhang Y. Kinetically coupled folding of a single HIV-1 glycoprotein 41 complex in viral membrane fusion and inhibition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:E2855-64. [PMID: 26038562 PMCID: PMC4460471 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1424995112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 glycoprotein 41 (gp41) mediates viral entry into host cells by coupling its folding energy to membrane fusion. Gp41 folding is blocked by fusion inhibitors, including the commercial drug T20, to treat HIV/AIDS. However, gp41 folding intermediates, energy, and kinetics are poorly understood. Here, we identified the folding intermediates of a single gp41 trimer-of-hairpins and measured their associated energy and kinetics using high-resolution optical tweezers. We found that folding of gp41 hairpins was energetically independent but kinetically coupled: Each hairpin contributed a folding energy of ∼-23 kBT, but folding of one hairpin successively accelerated the folding rate of the next one by ∼20-fold. Membrane-mimicking micelles slowed down gp41 folding and reduced the stability of the six-helix bundle. However, the stability was restored by cooperative folding of the membrane-proximal external region. Surprisingly, T20 strongly inhibited gp41 folding by actively displacing the C-terminal hairpin strand in a force-dependent manner. The inhibition was abolished by a T20-resistant gp41 mutation. The energetics and kinetics of gp41 folding established by us provides a basis to understand viral membrane fusion, infection, and therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyi Jiao
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511; Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Aleksander A Rebane
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511; Integrated Graduate Program in Physical and Engineering Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511; Department of Physics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Lu Ma
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Ying Gao
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511; National Center for Protein Science Shanghai, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yongli Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511; Nanobiology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, CT 06477
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13
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Chu S, Kaur H, Nemati A, Walsh JD, Partida V, Zhang SQ, Gochin M. Swapped-domain constructs of the glycoprotein-41 ectodomain are potent inhibitors of HIV infection. ACS Chem Biol 2015; 10:1247-57. [PMID: 25646644 DOI: 10.1021/cb501021j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The conformational rearrangement of N- and C-heptad repeats (NHR, CHR) of the HIV-1 glycoprotein-41 (gp41) ectodomain into a trimer of hairpins triggers virus-cell fusion by bringing together membrane-spanning N- and C-terminal domains. Peptides derived from the NHR and CHR inhibit fusion by targeting a prehairpin intermediate state of gp41. Typically, peptides derived from the CHR are low nanomolar inhibitors, whereas peptides derived from the NHR are low micromolar inhibitors. Here, we describe the inhibitory activity of swapped-domain gp41 mimics of the form CHR-loop-NHR, which were designed to form reverse hairpin trimers exposing NHR grooves. We observed low nanomolar inhibition of HIV fusion in constructs that possessed the following properties: an extended NHR C-terminus, an exposed conserved hydrophobic pocket on the NHR, high helical content, and trimer stability. Low nanomolar activity was independent of CHR length. CD studies in membrane mimetic dodecylphosphocholine micelles suggested that bioactivity could be related to the ability of the inhibitors to interact with a membrane-associated prehairpin intermediate. The swapped-domain design resolves the problem of unstable and weakly active NHR peptides and suggests a different mechanism of action from that of CHR peptides in inhibition of HIV-1 fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shidong Chu
- Department
of Basic Sciences, Touro University−California, Vallejo, California 94592, United States
| | - Hardeep Kaur
- Department
of Basic Sciences, Touro University−California, Vallejo, California 94592, United States
| | - Ariana Nemati
- Department
of Basic Sciences, Touro University−California, Vallejo, California 94592, United States
| | - Joseph D. Walsh
- Department
of Basic Sciences, Touro University−California, Vallejo, California 94592, United States
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Vivian Partida
- Department
of Basic Sciences, Touro University−California, Vallejo, California 94592, United States
| | - Shao-Qing Zhang
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19014, United States
| | - Miriam Gochin
- Department
of Basic Sciences, Touro University−California, Vallejo, California 94592, United States
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
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14
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Roche J, Louis JM, Aniana A, Ghirlando R, Bax A. Complete dissociation of the HIV-1 gp41 ectodomain and membrane proximal regions upon phospholipid binding. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2015; 61:235-48. [PMID: 25631354 PMCID: PMC4398632 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-015-9900-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2014] [Accepted: 01/17/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The envelope glycoprotein gp41 mediates the process of membrane fusion that enables entry of the HIV-1 virus into the host cell. Strong lipid affinity of the ectodomain suggests that its heptad repeat regions play an active role in destabilizing membranes by directly binding to the lipid bilayers and thereby lowering the free-energy barrier for membrane fusion. In such a model, immediately following the shedding of gp120, the N-heptad and C-heptad helices dissociate and melt into the host cell and viral membranes, respectively, pulling the destabilized membranes into juxtaposition, ready for fusion. Post-fusion, reaching the final 6-helix bundle (6 HB) conformation then involves competition between intermolecular interactions needed for formation of the symmetric 6 HB trimer and the membrane affinity of gp41's ectodomain, including its membrane-proximal regions. Our solution NMR study of the structural and dynamic properties of three constructs containing the ectodomain of gp41 with and without its membrane-proximal regions suggests that these segments do not form inter-helical interactions until the very late steps of the fusion process. Interactions between the polar termini of the heptad regions, which are not associating with the lipid surface, therefore may constitute the main driving force initiating formation of the final post-fusion states. The absence of significant intermolecular ectodomain interactions in the presence of dodecyl phosphocholine highlights the importance of trimerization of gp41's transmembrane helix to prevent complete dissociation of the trimer during the course of fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Roche
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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15
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Wingfield PT. Overview of the purification of recombinant proteins. CURRENT PROTOCOLS IN PROTEIN SCIENCE 2015; 80:6.1.1-6.1.35. [PMID: 25829302 PMCID: PMC4410719 DOI: 10.1002/0471140864.ps0601s80] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
When the first version of this unit was written in 1995, protein purification of recombinant proteins was based on a variety of standard chromatographic methods and approaches, many of which were described and mentioned throughout Current Protocols in Protein Science. In the interim, there has been a shift toward an almost universal usage of the affinity or fusion tag. This may not be the case for biotechnology manufacture where affinity tags can complicate producing proteins under regulatory conditions. Regardless of the protein expression system, questions are asked as to which and how many affinity tags to use, where to attach them in the protein, and whether to engineer a self-cleavage system or simply leave them on. We will briefly address some of these issues. Also, although this overview focuses on E.coli, protein expression and purification, other commonly used expression systems are mentioned and, apart from cell-breakage methods, protein purification methods and strategies are essentially the same.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul T. Wingfield
- Protein Expression Laboratory, NIAMS - NIH, Building 6B, Room 1B130, 6 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, Tel: 301-594-1313,
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16
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Dai Z, Tao Y, Liu N, Brenowitz MD, Girvin ME, Lai JR. Conditional trimerization and lytic activity of HIV-1 gp41 variants containing the membrane-associated segments. Biochemistry 2015; 54:1589-99. [PMID: 25658332 DOI: 10.1021/bi501376f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Fusion of host and viral membranes is a critical step during infection by membrane-bound viruses. The HIV-1 glycoproteins gp120 (surface subunit) and gp41 (fusion subunit) represent the prototypic system for studying this process; in the prevailing model, the gp41 ectodomain forms a trimeric six-helix bundle that constitutes a critical intermediate and provides the energetic driving force for overcoming barriers associated with membrane fusion. However, most structural studies of gp41 variants have been performed either on ectodomain constructs lacking one or more of the membrane-associated segments (the fusion peptide, FP, the membrane-proximal external region, MPER, and the transmembrane domain, TM) or on variants consisting of these isolated segments alone without the ectodomain. Several recent reports have suggested that the HIV-1 ectodomain, as well as larger construct containing the membrane-bound segments, dissociates from a trimer to a monomer in detergent micelles. Here we compare the properties of a series of gp41 variants to delineate the roles of the ectodomain, FP, and MPER and TM, all in membrane-mimicking environments. We find that these proteins are prone to formation of a monomer in detergent micelles. In one case, we observed exclusive monomer formation at pH 4 but conditional trimerization at pH 7 even at low micromolar (∼5 μM) protein concentrations. Liposome release assays demonstrate that these gp41-related proteins have the capacity to induce content leakage but that this activity is also strongly modulated by pH with much higher activity at pH 4. Circular dichroism, nuclear magnetic resonance, and binding assays with antibodies specific to the MPER provide insight into the structural and functional roles of the FP, MPER, and TM and their effect on structure within the larger context of the fusion subunit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Dai
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine , 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461, United States
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17
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Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies on an HIV gp41 construct reported by Lakomek and colleagues in this issue of Structure have revealed the conformational dynamics of a possible trimeric prehairpin fusion intermediate and its interactions with lipids. Two alternative fusion pathways are compared based on this work and a previous NMR structure of a monomeric lipid-bound gp41 ectodomain construct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas K Tamm
- Center for Membrane Biology and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
| | - Jinwoo Lee
- Center for Membrane Biology and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
| | - Binyong Liang
- Center for Membrane Biology and Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
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