1
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Berhanu S, Majumder S, Müntener T, Whitehouse J, Berner C, Bera AK, Kang A, Liang B, Khan N, Sankaran B, Tamm LK, Brockwell DJ, Hiller S, Radford SE, Baker D, Vorobieva AA. Sculpting conducting nanopore size and shape through de novo protein design. Science 2024; 385:282-288. [PMID: 39024453 DOI: 10.1126/science.adn3796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Transmembrane β-barrels have considerable potential for a broad range of sensing applications. Current engineering approaches for nanopore sensors are limited to naturally occurring channels, which provide suboptimal starting points. By contrast, de novo protein design can in principle create an unlimited number of new nanopores with any desired properties. Here we describe a general approach to designing transmembrane β-barrel pores with different diameters and pore geometries. Nuclear magnetic resonance and crystallographic characterization show that the designs are stably folded with structures resembling those of the design models. The designs have distinct conductances that correlate with their pore diameter, ranging from 110 picosiemens (~0.5 nanometer pore diameter) to 430 picosiemens (~1.1 nanometer pore diameter). Our approach opens the door to the custom design of transmembrane nanopores for sensing and sequencing applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Berhanu
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sagardip Majumder
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - James Whitehouse
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
| | - Carolin Berner
- Structural Biology Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- VUB-VIB Center for Structural Biology, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Asim K Bera
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alex Kang
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Binyong Liang
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics and Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Nasir Khan
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
| | - Banumathi Sankaran
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lukas K Tamm
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics and Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - David J Brockwell
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
| | | | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anastassia A Vorobieva
- Structural Biology Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- VUB-VIB Center for Structural Biology, Brussels, Belgium
- VIB Center for AI and Computational Biology, Belgium
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2
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Berhanu S, Majumder S, Müntener T, Whitehouse J, Berner C, Bera AK, Kang A, Liang B, Khan GN, Sankaran B, Tamm LK, Brockwell DJ, Hiller S, Radford SE, Baker D, Vorobieva AA. Sculpting conducting nanopore size and shape through de novo protein design. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.20.572500. [PMID: 38187764 PMCID: PMC10769293 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.20.572500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Transmembrane β-barrels (TMBs) are widely used for single molecule DNA and RNA sequencing and have considerable potential for a broad range of sensing and sequencing applications. Current engineering approaches for nanopore sensors are limited to naturally occurring channels such as CsgG, which have evolved to carry out functions very different from sensing, and hence provide sub-optimal starting points. In contrast, de novo protein design can in principle create an unlimited number of new nanopores with any desired properties. Here we describe a general approach to the design of transmembrane β-barrel pores with different diameter and pore geometry. NMR and crystallographic characterization shows that the designs are stably folded with structures close to the design models. We report the first examples of de novo designed TMBs with 10, 12 and 14 stranded β-barrels. The designs have distinct conductances that correlate with their pore diameter, ranging from 110 pS (~0.5 nm pore diameter) to 430 pS (~1.1 nm pore diameter), and can be converted into sensitive small-molecule sensors with high signal to noise ratio. The capability to generate on demand β-barrel pores of defined geometry opens up fundamentally new opportunities for custom engineering of sequencing and sensing technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Berhanu
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sagardip Majumder
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - James Whitehouse
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
| | - Carolin Berner
- Structural Biology Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- VUB-VIB Center for Structural Biology, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Asim K. Bera
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alex Kang
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Binyong Liang
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics and Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - G Nasir Khan
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
| | - Banumathi Sankaran
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lukas K. Tamm
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics and Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - David J. Brockwell
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
| | | | - Sheena E. Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, The University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anastassia A. Vorobieva
- Structural Biology Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- VUB-VIB Center for Structural Biology, Brussels, Belgium
- VIB Center for AI and Computational Biology, Belgium
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3
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Machin JM, Kalli AC, Ranson NA, Radford SE. Protein-lipid charge interactions control the folding of outer membrane proteins into asymmetric membranes. Nat Chem 2023; 15:1754-1764. [PMID: 37710048 PMCID: PMC10695831 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-023-01319-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Biological membranes consist of two leaflets of phospholipid molecules that form a bilayer, each leaflet comprising a distinct lipid composition. This asymmetry is created and maintained in vivo by dedicated biochemical pathways, but difficulties in creating stable asymmetric membranes in vitro have restricted our understanding of how bilayer asymmetry modulates the folding, stability and function of membrane proteins. In this study, we used cyclodextrin-mediated lipid exchange to generate liposomes with asymmetric bilayers and characterize the stability and folding kinetics of two bacterial outer membrane proteins (OMPs), OmpA and BamA. We found that excess negative charge in the outer leaflet of a liposome impedes their insertion and folding, while excess negative charge in the inner leaflet accelerates their folding relative to symmetric liposomes with the same membrane composition. Using molecular dynamics, mutational analysis and bioinformatics, we identified a positively charged patch critical for folding and stability. These results rationalize the well-known 'positive-outside' rule of OMPs and suggest insights into the mechanisms that drive OMP folding and assembly in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Machin
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Antreas C Kalli
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
| | - Neil A Ranson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
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4
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Panda A, Brown C, Gupta K. Studying Membrane Protein-Lipid Specificity through Direct Native Mass Spectrometric Analysis from Tunable Proteoliposomes. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2023; 34:1917-1927. [PMID: 37432128 PMCID: PMC10932607 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.3c00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Native mass spectrometry (nMS) has emerged as a key analytical tool to study the organizational states of proteins and their complexes with both endogenous and exogenous ligands. Specifically, for membrane proteins, it provides a key analytical dimension to determine the identity of bound lipids and to decipher their effects on the observed structural assembly. We recently developed an approach to study membrane proteins directly from intact and tunable lipid membranes where both the biophysical properties of the membrane and its lipid compositions can be customized. Extending this, we use our liposome-nMS platform to decipher the lipid specificity of membrane proteins through their multiorganelle trafficking pathways. To demonstrate this, we used VAMP2 and reconstituted it in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi, synaptic vesicle (SV), and plasma membrane (PM) mimicking liposomes. By directly studying VAMP2 from these customized liposomes, we show how the same transmembrane protein can bind to different sets of lipids in different organellar-mimicking membranes. Considering that the cellular trafficking pathway of most eukaryotic integral membrane proteins involves residence in multiple organellar membranes, this study highlights how the lipid-specificity of the same integral membrane protein may change depending on the membrane context. Further, leveraging the capability of the platform to study membrane proteins from liposomes with curated biophysical properties, we show how we can disentangle chemical versus biophysical properties, of individual lipids in regulating membrane protein assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniruddha Panda
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Caroline Brown
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - Kallol Gupta
- Nanobiology Institute, Yale University, West Haven, Connecticut 06516, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
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5
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Ikujuni AP, Budiardjo SJ, Dhar R, Slusky JSG. Detergent headgroups control TolC folding in vitro. Biophys J 2023; 122:1185-1197. [PMID: 36772796 PMCID: PMC10111266 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
TolC is the trimeric outer membrane component of the efflux pump system in Escherichia coli that is responsible for antibiotic efflux from bacterial cells. Overexpression of efflux pumps has been reported to decrease susceptibility to antibiotics in a variety of bacterial pathogens. Reliable production of membrane proteins allows for the biophysical and structural characterization needed to better understand efflux and for the development of therapeutics. Preparation of recombinant protein for biochemical/structural studies often involves the production of proteins as inclusion body aggregates from which active proteins are recovered. Here, we find that the in vitro folding of TolC into its functional trimeric state from inclusion bodies is dependent on the headgroup composition of detergent micelles used. Nonionic detergent favors the formation of functional trimeric TolC, whereas zwitterionic detergents induce the formation of a non-native, oligomeric TolC fold. We also find that nonionic detergents with shorter alkyl lengths facilitate TolC folding. It remains to be seen whether the charges in lipid headgroups have similar effects on membrane insertion and folding in biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - S Jimmy Budiardjo
- Center for Computational Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
| | - Rik Dhar
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
| | - Joanna S G Slusky
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas; Center for Computational Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.
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6
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Devlin T, Marx DC, Roskopf MA, Bubb QR, Plummer AM, Fleming KG. FkpA enhances membrane protein folding using an extensive interaction surface. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4592. [PMID: 36775935 PMCID: PMC10031210 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4592] [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: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
Outer membrane protein (OMP) biogenesis in gram-negative bacteria is managed by a network of periplasmic chaperones that includes SurA, Skp, and FkpA. These chaperones bind unfolded OMPs (uOMPs) in dynamic conformational ensembles to suppress aggregation, facilitate diffusion across the periplasm, and enhance folding. FkpA primarily responds to heat-shock stress, but its mechanism is comparatively understudied. To determine FkpA chaperone function in the context of OMP folding, we monitored the folding of three OMPs and found that FkpA, unlike other periplasmic chaperones, increases the folded yield but decreases the folding rate of OMPs. The results indicate that FkpA behaves as a chaperone and not as a folding catalyst to influence the OMP folding trajectory. Consistent with the folding assay results, FkpA binds all three uOMPs as determined by sedimentation velocity (SV) and photo-crosslinking experiments. We determine the binding affinity between FkpA and uOmpA171 by globally fitting SV titrations and find it to be intermediate between the known affinities of Skp and SurA for uOMP clients. Notably, complex formation steeply depends on the urea concentration, suggesting an extensive binding interface. Initial characterizations of the complex using photo-crosslinking indicate that the binding interface spans the entire FkpA molecule. In contrast to prior findings, folding and binding experiments performed using subdomain constructs of FkpA demonstrate that the full-length chaperone is required for full activity. Together these results support that FkpA has a distinct and direct effect on OMP folding that it achieves by utilizing an extensive chaperone-client interface to tightly bind clients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Devlin
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Dagan C. Marx
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Michaela A. Roskopf
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Quenton R. Bubb
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Ashlee M. Plummer
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Karen G. Fleming
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
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7
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Herwig S, Kleinschmidt JH. The Formation of β-Strand Nine ( β9) in the Folding and Insertion of BamA from an Unfolded Form into Lipid Bilayers. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:247. [PMID: 36837750 PMCID: PMC9964827 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13020247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Transmembrane proteins span lipid bilayer membranes and serve essential functions in all living cells. Membrane-inserted domains are of either α-helical or β-barrel structure. Despite their biological importance, the biophysical mechanisms of the folding and insertion of proteins into membranes are not well understood. While the relative composition of the secondary structure has been examined by circular dichroism spectroscopy in folding studies for several outer membrane proteins, it is currently not known how individual β-strands fold. Here, the folding and insertion of the β-barrel assembly machinery protein A (BamA) from the outer membrane of Escherichia coli into lipid bilayers were investigated, and the formation of strand nine (β9) of BamA was examined. Eight single-cysteine mutants of BamA were overexpressed and isolated in unfolded form in 8 M urea. In each of these mutants, one of the residues of strand β9, from R572 to V579, was replaced by a cysteine and labeled with the fluorophore IAEDANS for site-directed fluorescence spectroscopy. Upon urea-dilution, the mutants folded into the native structure and were inserted into lipid bilayers of dilauroylphosphatidylcholine, similar to wild-type BamA. An aqueous and a membrane-adsorbed folding intermediate of BamA could be identified by strong shifts in the intensity maxima of the IAEDANS fluorescence of the labeled mutants of BamA towards shorter wavelengths, even in the absence of lipid bilayers. The shifts were greatest for membrane-adsorbed mutants and smaller for the inserted, folded mutants or the aqueous intermediates. The spectra of the mutants V573C-, L575C-, G577C-, and V579C-BamA, facing the lipid bilayer, displayed stronger shifts than the spectra recorded for the mutants R572C-, N574C-, T576C-, and K578C-BamA, facing the β-barrel lumen, in both the membrane-adsorbed form and the folded, inserted form. This alternating pattern was neither observed for the IAEDANS spectra of the unfolded forms nor for the water-collapsed forms, indicating that strand β9 forms in a membrane-adsorbed folding intermediate of BamA. The combination of cysteine scanning mutagenesis and site-directed fluorescence labeling is shown to be a valuable tool in examining the local secondary structure formation of transmembrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha Herwig
- Institut für Biologie, FB 10 Mathematik und Naturwissenschaften, Universität Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, D-34132 Kassel, Germany
| | - Jörg H. Kleinschmidt
- Institut für Biologie, FB 10 Mathematik und Naturwissenschaften, Universität Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, D-34132 Kassel, Germany
- Center of Interdisciplinary Nanostructure Science and Technology, Universität Kassel, Heinrich-Plett-Str. 40, D-34132 Kassel, Germany
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8
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Abstract
SignificanceOuter membrane porins play a crucial role in processes as varied as energy production, photosynthesis, and nutrient transport. They act as the gatekeepers between a gram-negative bacterium and its environment. Understanding how these proteins fold and function is important in improving our understanding and control of these processes. Here we use single-molecule methods to help resolve the apparent differences between the fast folding expected on a molecular scale and the slow kinetics observed in ensemble measurements in the laboratory.
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9
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Challenges and approaches to studying pore-forming proteins. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2749-2765. [PMID: 34747994 PMCID: PMC8892993 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Pore-forming proteins (PFPs) are a broad class of molecules that comprise various families, structural folds, and assembly pathways. In nature, PFPs are most often deployed by their host organisms to defend against other organisms. In humans, this is apparent in the immune system, where several immune effectors possess pore-forming activity. Furthermore, applications of PFPs are found in next-generation low-cost DNA sequencing, agricultural crop protection, pest control, and biosensing. The advent of cryoEM has propelled the field forward. Nevertheless, significant challenges and knowledge-gaps remain. Overcoming these challenges is particularly important for the development of custom, purpose-engineered PFPs with novel or desired properties. Emerging single-molecule techniques and methods are helping to address these unanswered questions. Here we review the current challenges, problems, and approaches to studying PFPs.
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10
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Asamoto DK, Kozachenko IA, López-Peña I, Kim JE. Bimolecular quenching of tryptophan fluorescence in a membrane protein: Evolution of local solvation and environment during folding into a bilayer. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2021; 260:119919. [PMID: 34004426 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2021.119919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence spectroscopy, including Stern-Volmer quenching, is a valuable tool for the study of protein dynamics. Changes in protein solvation during the folding reaction of a membrane protein, Outer membrane protein A (OmpA), into lipid bilayers was probed with bimolecular fluorescence quenching with acrylamide quencher. Six single-tryptophan OmpA mutants (W7, W15, W57, W102, W129, and W143) allowed for site-specific investigations at varying locations within the transmembrane β-barrel domain. A sphere-of-action quenching model that combines both static and dynamic components gave rise to Stern-Volmer quenching constants, KD, for OmpA denatured in 8.0 M urea, aggregated in 0.5 M urea, adsorbed onto small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs), and folded in SUVs (t = 6 hrs). The average KD values were KDdenatured(6.4M-1)>KDaggregated5.9M-1>KDadsorbed(1.9M-1)>KDfolded(0.6M-1). With knowledge of the fluorescence lifetimes in the absence of quencher, the bimolecular quenching constants, kq, were derived; the evolution of kq (and therefore KD)during the folding reaction into SUVs (t = 0 hr to t = 6 hrs) revealed desolvation timescales, τdesolv of 41-46 min (W7, W15, W57, W102), 27 min (W129), and 15 min (W143). The evolution of λmax during folding revealed fast and slow components, τenvironmentfast and τenvironmentslow of 7-13 min and 25-84 min, respectively, for all mutants. For the five lipid- facing mutants (W7, W15, W57, W129, and W143), the general trend was τenvironmentfast7-13min<τdesolv15-46min≤τenvironmentslow(25-84min). These results suggest that there is an initial fast step in which there is a large change in polarity to a hydrophobic environment, followed by a slower desolvation process during evolution within the hydrophobic environment. These results complement previous mechanisms of concerted folding and provide insights into site-specific changes in solvation during formation of native β-barrel structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- DeeAnn K Asamoto
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Ivan A Kozachenko
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Ignacio López-Peña
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Judy E Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.
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11
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Diederichs KA, Buchanan SK, Botos I. Building Better Barrels - β-barrel Biogenesis and Insertion in Bacteria and Mitochondria. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:166894. [PMID: 33639212 PMCID: PMC8292188 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.166894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
β-barrel proteins are folded and inserted into outer membranes by multi-subunit protein complexes that are conserved across different types of outer membranes. In Gram-negative bacteria this complex is the barrel-assembly machinery (BAM), in mitochondria it is the sorting and assembly machinery (SAM) complex, and in chloroplasts it is the outer envelope protein Oep80. Mitochondrial β-barrel precursor proteins are translocated from the cytoplasm to the intermembrane space by the translocase of the outer membrane (TOM) complex, and stabilized by molecular chaperones before interaction with the assembly machinery. Outer membrane bacterial BamA interacts with four periplasmic accessory proteins, whereas mitochondrial Sam50 interacts with two cytoplasmic accessory proteins. Despite these major architectural differences between BAM and SAM complexes, their core proteins, BamA and Sam50, seem to function the same way. Based on the new SAM complex structures, we propose that the mitochondrial β-barrel folding mechanism follows the budding model with barrel-switching aiding in the release of new barrels. We also built a new molecular model for Tom22 interacting with Sam37 to identify regions that could mediate TOM-SAM supercomplex formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn A Diederichs
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Susan K Buchanan
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Istvan Botos
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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12
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Vorobieva AA, White P, Liang B, Horne JE, Bera AK, Chow CM, Gerben S, Marx S, Kang A, Stiving AQ, Harvey SR, Marx DC, Khan GN, Fleming KG, Wysocki VH, Brockwell DJ, Tamm LK, Radford SE, Baker D. De novo design of transmembrane β barrels. Science 2021; 371:eabc8182. [PMID: 33602829 PMCID: PMC8064278 DOI: 10.1126/science.abc8182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Transmembrane β-barrel proteins (TMBs) are of great interest for single-molecule analytical technologies because they can spontaneously fold and insert into membranes and form stable pores, but the range of pore properties that can be achieved by repurposing natural TMBs is limited. We leverage the power of de novo computational design coupled with a "hypothesis, design, and test" approach to determine TMB design principles, notably, the importance of negative design to slow β-sheet assembly. We design new eight-stranded TMBs, with no homology to known TMBs, that insert and fold reversibly into synthetic lipid membranes and have nuclear magnetic resonance and x-ray crystal structures very similar to the computational models. These advances should enable the custom design of pores for a wide range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastassia A Vorobieva
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Paul White
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, USA
| | - Binyong Liang
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics and Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Jim E Horne
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, USA
| | - Asim K Bera
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Cameron M Chow
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Stacey Gerben
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sinduja Marx
- Department of Molecular Engineering and Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Alex Kang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Alyssa Q Stiving
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Resource for Native Mass Spectrometry Guided Structural Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Sophie R Harvey
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Resource for Native Mass Spectrometry Guided Structural Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Dagan C Marx
- TC Jenkins Department of Biophysics Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - G Nasir Khan
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, USA
| | - Karen G Fleming
- TC Jenkins Department of Biophysics Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Vicki H Wysocki
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Resource for Native Mass Spectrometry Guided Structural Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - David J Brockwell
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, USA
| | - Lukas K Tamm
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics and Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, USA
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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13
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Horne JE, Brockwell DJ, Radford SE. Role of the lipid bilayer in outer membrane protein folding in Gram-negative bacteria. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:10340-10367. [PMID: 32499369 PMCID: PMC7383365 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev120.011473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
β-Barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) represent the major proteinaceous component of the outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria. These proteins perform key roles in cell structure and morphology, nutrient acquisition, colonization and invasion, and protection against external toxic threats such as antibiotics. To become functional, OMPs must fold and insert into a crowded and asymmetric OM that lacks much freely accessible lipid. This feat is accomplished in the absence of an external energy source and is thought to be driven by the high thermodynamic stability of folded OMPs in the OM. With such a stable fold, the challenge that bacteria face in assembling OMPs into the OM is how to overcome the initial energy barrier of membrane insertion. In this review, we highlight the roles of the lipid environment and the OM in modulating the OMP-folding landscape and discuss the factors that guide folding in vitro and in vivo We particularly focus on the composition, architecture, and physical properties of the OM and how an understanding of the folding properties of OMPs in vitro can help explain the challenges they encounter during folding in vivo Current models of OMP biogenesis in the cellular environment are still in flux, but the stakes for improving the accuracy of these models are high. OMP folding is an essential process in all Gram-negative bacteria, and considering the looming crisis of widespread microbial drug resistance it is an attractive target. To bring down this vital OMP-supported barrier to antibiotics, we must first understand how bacterial cells build it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim E Horne
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David J Brockwell
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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14
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Gupta A, Mahalakshmi R. Reversible folding energetics of Yersinia Ail barrel reveals a hyperfluorescent intermediate. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2019; 1862:183097. [PMID: 31672545 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.183097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Deducing the molecular details of membrane protein folding has lately become an important area of research in biology. Using Ail, an outer membrane protein (OMP) from Yersina pestis as our model, we explore details of β-barrel folding, stability, and unfolding. Ail displays a simple transmembrane β-barrel topology. Here, we find that Ail follows a simple two-state mechanism in its folding and unfolding thermodynamics. Interestingly, Ail displays multi-step folding kinetics. The early kinetic intermediates in the folding pathway populate near the unfolded state (βT ≈ 0.20), and do not display detectable changes in the local environment of the two interface indoles. Interestingly, tryptophans regulate the late events of barrel rearrangement, and Ail thermodynamic stability. We show that W149 → Y/F/A substitution destabilizes Ail by ~0.13-1.7 kcal mol-1, but retains path-independent thermodynamic equilibrium of Ail. In surprising contrast, substituting W42 and retaining W149 shifts the thermodynamic equilibrium to an apparent kinetic retardation of only the unfolding process, which gives rise to an associated increase in scaffold stability by ~0.3-1.1 kcal mol-1. This is accompanied by the formation of an unusual hyperfluorescent state in the unfolding pathway that is more structured, and represents a conformationally dynamic unfolding intermediate with the interface W149 now lipid solvated. The defined role of each tryptophan and poorer folding efficiency of Trp mutants together presents compelling evidence for the importance of interface aromatics in the unique (un)folding pathway of Ail, and offers interesting insight on alternative pathways in generalized OMP assembly and unfolding mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Gupta
- Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal 462066. India
| | - Radhakrishnan Mahalakshmi
- Molecular Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal 462066. India.
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15
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Wu R, Stephenson R, Gichaba A, Noinaj N. The big BAM theory: An open and closed case? BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2019; 1862:183062. [PMID: 31520605 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.183062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) is responsible for the biogenesis of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) into the outer membranes of Gram-negative bacteria. These OMPs have a membrane-embedded domain consisting of a β-barrel fold which can vary from 8 to 36 β-strands, with each serving a diverse role in the cell such as nutrient uptake and virulence. BAM was first identified nearly two decades ago, but only recently has the molecular structure of the full complex been reported. Together with many years of functional characterization, we have a significantly clearer depiction of BAM's structure, the intra-complex interactions, conformational changes that BAM may undergo during OMP biogenesis, and the role chaperones may play. But still, despite advances over the past two decades, the mechanism for BAM-mediated OMP biogenesis remains elusive. Over the years, several theories have been proposed that have varying degrees of support from the literature, but none has of yet been conclusive enough to be widely accepted as the sole mechanism. We will present a brief history of BAM, the recent work on the structures of BAM, and a critical analysis of the current theories for how it may function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runrun Wu
- Markey Center for Structural Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Robert Stephenson
- Markey Center for Structural Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Abigail Gichaba
- Markey Center for Structural Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Nicholas Noinaj
- Markey Center for Structural Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, and the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
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16
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Marinko J, Huang H, Penn WD, Capra JA, Schlebach JP, Sanders CR. Folding and Misfolding of Human Membrane Proteins in Health and Disease: From Single Molecules to Cellular Proteostasis. Chem Rev 2019; 119:5537-5606. [PMID: 30608666 PMCID: PMC6506414 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Advances over the past 25 years have revealed much about how the structural properties of membranes and associated proteins are linked to the thermodynamics and kinetics of membrane protein (MP) folding. At the same time biochemical progress has outlined how cellular proteostasis networks mediate MP folding and manage misfolding in the cell. When combined with results from genomic sequencing, these studies have established paradigms for how MP folding and misfolding are linked to the molecular etiologies of a variety of diseases. This emerging framework has paved the way for the development of a new class of small molecule "pharmacological chaperones" that bind to and stabilize misfolded MP variants, some of which are now in clinical use. In this review, we comprehensively outline current perspectives on the folding and misfolding of integral MPs as well as the mechanisms of cellular MP quality control. Based on these perspectives, we highlight new opportunities for innovations that bridge our molecular understanding of the energetics of MP folding with the nuanced complexity of biological systems. Given the many linkages between MP misfolding and human disease, we also examine some of the exciting opportunities to leverage these advances to address emerging challenges in the development of therapeutics and precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin
T. Marinko
- Department
of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37240, United States
- Center
for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37240, United States
| | - Hui Huang
- Department
of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37240, United States
- Center
for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37240, United States
| | - Wesley D. Penn
- Department
of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - John A. Capra
- Center
for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37240, United States
- Department
of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37245, United States
| | - Jonathan P. Schlebach
- Department
of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Charles R. Sanders
- Department
of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37240, United States
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17
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Ricci DP, Silhavy TJ. Outer Membrane Protein Insertion by the β-barrel Assembly Machine. EcoSal Plus 2019; 8:10.1128/ecosalplus.ESP-0035-2018. [PMID: 30869065 PMCID: PMC6419762 DOI: 10.1128/ecosalplus.esp-0035-2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Like all outer membrane (OM) constituents, integral OM β-barrel proteins in Gram-negative bacteria are synthesized in the cytoplasm and trafficked to the OM, where they are locally assembled into the growing OM by the ubiquitous β-barrel assembly machine (Bam). While the identities and structures of all essential and accessory Bam components have been determined, the basic mechanism of Bam-assisted OM protein integration remains elusive. Here we review mechanistic analyses of OM β-barrel protein folding and Bam dynamics and summarize recent insights that inform a general model for OM protein recognition and assembly by the Bam complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dante P Ricci
- Department of Early Research, Achaogen, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080
| | - Thomas J Silhavy
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544
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18
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Rath P, Sharpe T, Kohl B, Hiller S. Two‐State Folding of the Outer Membrane Protein X into a Lipid Bilayer Membrane. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:2665-2669. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201812321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Parthasarathi Rath
- BiozentrumUniversity of Basel Klingenbergstrasse 70 4056 Basel Switzerland
| | - Timothy Sharpe
- BiozentrumUniversity of Basel Klingenbergstrasse 70 4056 Basel Switzerland
| | - Bastian Kohl
- BiozentrumUniversity of Basel Klingenbergstrasse 70 4056 Basel Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Hiller
- BiozentrumUniversity of Basel Klingenbergstrasse 70 4056 Basel Switzerland
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19
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Rath P, Sharpe T, Kohl B, Hiller S. Two‐State Folding of the Outer Membrane Protein X into a Lipid Bilayer Membrane. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201812321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Parthasarathi Rath
- BiozentrumUniversity of Basel Klingenbergstrasse 70 4056 Basel Switzerland
| | - Timothy Sharpe
- BiozentrumUniversity of Basel Klingenbergstrasse 70 4056 Basel Switzerland
| | - Bastian Kohl
- BiozentrumUniversity of Basel Klingenbergstrasse 70 4056 Basel Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Hiller
- BiozentrumUniversity of Basel Klingenbergstrasse 70 4056 Basel Switzerland
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20
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Schiffrin B, Brockwell DJ, Radford SE. Outer membrane protein folding from an energy landscape perspective. BMC Biol 2017; 15:123. [PMID: 29268734 PMCID: PMC5740924 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-017-0464-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The cell envelope is essential for the survival of Gram-negative bacteria. This specialised membrane is densely packed with outer membrane proteins (OMPs), which perform a variety of functions. How OMPs fold into this crowded environment remains an open question. Here, we review current knowledge about OMP folding mechanisms in vitro and discuss how the need to fold to a stable native state has shaped their folding energy landscapes. We also highlight the role of chaperones and the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) in assisting OMP folding in vivo and discuss proposed mechanisms by which this fascinating machinery may catalyse OMP folding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Schiffrin
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David J Brockwell
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
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21
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Peterson JH, Plummer AM, Fleming KG, Bernstein HD. Selective pressure for rapid membrane integration constrains the sequence of bacterial outer membrane proteins. Mol Microbiol 2017; 106:777-792. [PMID: 28941249 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Almost all bacterial outer membrane proteins (OMPs) contain a β barrel domain that serves as a membrane anchor, but the assembly and quality control of these proteins are poorly understood. Here, we show that the introduction of a single lipid-facing arginine residue near the middle of the β barrel of the Escherichia coli OMPs OmpLA and EspP creates an energy barrier that impedes membrane insertion. Although several unintegrated OmpLA mutants remained insertion-competent, they were slowly degraded by the periplasmic protease DegP. Two EspP mutants were also gradually degraded by DegP but were toxic because they first bound to the Bam complex, an essential heteroligomer that catalyzes the membrane insertion of OMPs. Interestingly, another EspP mutant likewise formed a prolonged, deleterious interaction with the Bam complex but was protected from degradation and eventually inserted into the membrane in a native conformation. The different types of interactions between the EspP mutants and the Bam complex that we observed may correspond to distinct stages in OMP assembly. Our results show that sequences that significantly delay assembly are disfavored not only because unintegrated OMPs are subjected to degradation, but also because OMPs that assemble slowly can form dominant-negative interactions with the Bam complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine H Peterson
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ashlee M Plummer
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Karen G Fleming
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Harris D Bernstein
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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22
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González Flecha FL. Kinetic stability of membrane proteins. Biophys Rev 2017; 9:563-572. [PMID: 28921106 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-017-0324-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Although membrane proteins constitute an important class of biomolecules involved in key cellular processes, study of the thermodynamic and kinetic stability of their structures is far behind that of soluble proteins. It is known that many membrane proteins become unstable when removed by detergent extraction from the lipid environment. In addition, most of them undergo irreversible denaturation, even under mild experimental conditions. This process was found to be associated with partial unfolding of the polypeptide chain exposing hydrophobic regions to water, and it was proposed that the formation of kinetically trapped conformations could be involved. In this review, we will describe some of the efforts toward understanding the irreversible inactivation of membrane proteins. Furthermore, its modulation by phospholipids, ligands, and temperature will be herein discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Luis González Flecha
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Laboratorio de Biofísica Molecular, Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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23
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Schiffrin B, Calabrese AN, Higgins AJ, Humes JR, Ashcroft AE, Kalli AC, Brockwell DJ, Radford SE. Effects of Periplasmic Chaperones and Membrane Thickness on BamA-Catalyzed Outer-Membrane Protein Folding. J Mol Biol 2017; 429:3776-3792. [PMID: 28919234 PMCID: PMC5692476 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2017.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The biogenesis of outer-membrane proteins (OMPs) in gram-negative bacteria involves delivery by periplasmic chaperones to the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM), which catalyzes OMP insertion into the outer membrane. Here, we examine the effects of membrane thickness, the Escherichia coli periplasmic chaperones Skp and SurA, and BamA, the central subunit of the BAM complex, on the folding kinetics of a model OMP (tOmpA) using fluorescence spectroscopy, native mass spectrometry, and molecular dynamics simulations. We show that prefolded BamA promotes the release of tOmpA from Skp despite the nM affinity of the Skp:tOmpA complex. This activity is located in the BamA β-barrel domain, but is greater when full-length BamA is present, indicating that both the β-barrel and polypeptide transport-associated (POTRA) domains are required for maximal activity. By contrast, SurA is unable to release tOmpA from Skp, providing direct evidence against a sequential chaperone model. By varying lipid acyl chain length in synthetic liposomes we show that BamA has a greater catalytic effect on tOmpA folding in thicker bilayers, suggesting that BAM catalysis involves lowering of the kinetic barrier imposed by the hydrophobic thickness of the membrane. Consistent with this, molecular dynamics simulations reveal that increases in membrane thinning/disorder by the transmembrane domain of BamA is greatest in thicker bilayers. Finally, we demonstrate that cross-linking of the BamA barrel does not affect tOmpA folding kinetics in 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) liposomes, suggesting that lateral gating of the BamA barrel and/or hybrid barrel formation is not required, at least for the assembly of a small 8-stranded OMP in vitro. Mechanisms of OMP periplasmic transport and folding by BAM are poorly understood. BamA catalyzes folding by reducing the kinetic barrier imposed by membrane thickness. BamA proteoliposomes promote folding of Skp-bound tOmpA. Lateral gating is not required for BamA-catalyzed folding of tOmpA in DMPC bilayers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Schiffrin
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Antonio N Calabrese
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Anna J Higgins
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Julia R Humes
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Alison E Ashcroft
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Antreas C Kalli
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, University of Leeds, St. James's University Hospital, Wellcome Trust Brenner Building, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK
| | - David J Brockwell
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
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