Single Residue Acts as Gate in OccK Channels

Role of internal loop dynamics in antibiotic permeability of outer membrane porins

Antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative pathogens has been identified as an urgent threat to human health by the World Health Organization. The major challenge with treating infections by these pathogens is developing antibiotics that can traverse the dense bacterial outer membrane (OM) formed by a mesh of lipopolysaccharides. Effective antibiotics permeate through OM porins, which have evolved for nutrient diffusion; however, the conformational states of these porins regulating permeation are still unclear. Here, we used molecular dynamics simulations, free energy calculations, Markov-state modeling, and whole-cell accumulation assays to provide mechanistic insight on how a porin shifts between open and closed states. We provide a mechanism of how Gram-negative bacteria confer resistance to antibiotics.

Gram-negative bacteria pose a serious public health concern due to resistance to many antibiotics, caused by the low permeability of their outer membrane (OM). Effective antibiotics use porins in the OM to reach the interior of the cell; thus, understanding permeation properties of OM porins is instrumental to rationally develop broad-spectrum antibiotics. A functionally important feature of OM porins is undergoing open–closed transitions that modulate their transport properties. To characterize the molecular basis of these transitions, we performed an extensive set of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of Escherichia coli OM porin OmpF. Markov-state analysis revealed that large-scale motion of an internal loop, L3, underlies the transition between energetically stable open and closed states. The conformation of L3 is controlled by H bonds between highly conserved acidic residues on the loop and basic residues on the OmpF β-barrel. Mutation of key residues important for the loop’s conformation shifts the equilibrium between open and closed states and regulates translocation of permeants (ions and antibiotics), as observed in the simulations and validated by our whole-cell accumulation assay. Notably, one mutant system G119D, which we find to favor the closed state, has been reported in clinically resistant bacterial strains. Overall, our accumulated ∼200 µs of simulation data (the wild type and mutants) along with experimental assays suggest the involvement of internal loop dynamics in permeability of OM porins and antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria.

Permeation of Fosfomycin through the Phosphate-Specific Channels OprP and OprO of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen responsible for many nosocomial infections. It is quite resistant to various antibiotics, caused by the absence of general diffusion pores in the outer membrane. Instead, it contains many substrate-specific channels. Among them are the two phosphate- and pyrophosphate-specific porins OprP and OprO. Phosphonic acid antibiotics such as fosfomycin and fosmidomycin seem to be good candidates for using these channels to enter P. aeruginosa bacteria. Here, we investigated the permeation of fosfomycin through OprP and OprO using electrophysiology and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results were compared to those of the fosmidomycin translocation, for which additional MD simulations were performed. In the electrophysiological approach, we noticed a higher binding affinity of fosfomycin than of fosmidomycin to OprP and OprO. In MD simulations, the ladder of arginine residues and the cluster of lysine residues play an important role in the permeation of fosfomycin through the OprP and OprO channels. Molecular details on the permeation of fosfomycin through OprP and OprO channels were derived from MD simulations and compared to those of fosmidomycin translocation. In summary, this study demonstrates that the selectivity of membrane channels can be employed to improve the permeation of antibiotics into Gram-negative bacteria and especially into resistant P. aeruginosa strains.

How to Enter a Bacterium: Bacterial Porins and the Permeation of Antibiotics

Despite tremendous successes in the field of antibiotic discovery seen in the previous century, infectious diseases have remained a leading cause of death. More specifically, pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria have become a global threat due to their extraordinary ability to acquire resistance against any clinically available antibiotic, thus urging for the discovery of novel antibacterial agents. One major challenge is to design new antibiotics molecules able to rapidly penetrate Gram-negative bacteria in order to achieve a lethal intracellular drug accumulation. Protein channels in the outer membrane are known to form an entry route for many antibiotics into bacterial cells. Up until today, there has been a lack of simple experimental techniques to measure the antibiotic uptake and the local concentration in subcellular compartments. Hence, rules for translocation directly into the various Gram-negative bacteria via the outer membrane or via channels have remained elusive, hindering the design of new or the improvement of existing antibiotics. In this review, we will discuss the recent progress, both experimentally as well as computationally, in understanding the structure-function relationship of outer-membrane channels of Gram-negative pathogens, mainly focusing on the transport of antibiotics.

Towards understanding single-channel characteristics of OccK8 purified from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria causes serious health issues worldwide. Bacteria employ several resistance mechanisms to cope with antimicrobials. One of their strategies is to reduce the permeability of antibiotics either through general diffusion porins or substrate-specific channels. In this study, one of the substrate-specific channels from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, OccK8 (also known as OprE), was investigated using single-channel electrophysiology. The study also includes the investigation of permeability properties of several amino acids with different charged groups (i.e. arginine, glycine and glutamic acid) through OccK8. We observed four different conformations of the same OccK8 channel when inserted in lipid bilayers. This is in contrast to previous studies where heterologous expressed OccK8 in E. coli showed only one conformation. We hypothesized that the difference in our study was due to the expression and purification of the native channel from P. aeruginosa. The single-channel uptake characteristics of the porin showed that negatively charged glutamic acid preferentially interacted with the channel while the positively charged arginine molecule showed infrequent interaction with OccK8. The neutral amino acid glycine did not show any interaction at the physiological conditions.

The challenges and applications of nanotechnology against bacterial resistance

Bacterial resistance to the antibiotics develops rapidly and is increasingly serious health concern in the world. It is an insoluble topic due to the multiple resistant mechanisms. The overexpression of relative activities of the efflux pump has proven to be a frequent and important source of bacterial resistance. Efflux transporters in the membrane from the resistant bacteria could play a key role to inhibit the intracellular drug intake and impede the drug activities. However, nanoparticles (NPs), one of the most frequently used encapsulation materials, could increase the intracellular accumulation of the drug and inhibit the transporter activity effectively. The rational and successful application of nanotechnology is a key factor in overcoming bacterial resistance. Furthermore, nanoparticles such as metallic, carbon nanotubes and so on, may prevent the development of drug resistance and be associated with antibiotic agents, inhibiting biofilm formation or increasing the access into the target cell and exterminating the bacteria eventually. In the current study, the mechanisms of bacterial resistance are discussed and summarized. Additionally, the opportunities and challenges in the use of nanoparticles against bacterial resistance are also illuminated. At the same time, the use of nanoparticles to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria is also investigated by coupling natural antimicrobials or other alternatives. In short, we have provided a new perspective for the application of nanoparticles against multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Fosfomycin Permeation through the Outer Membrane Porin OmpF

Fosfomycin is a frequently prescribed drug in the treatment of acute urinary tract infections. It enters the bacterial cytoplasm and inhibits the biosynthesis of peptidoglycans by targeting the MurA enzyme. Despite extensive pharmacological studies and clinical use, the permeability of fosfomycin across the bacterial outer membrane is largely unexplored. Here, we investigate the fosfomycin permeability across the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria by electrophysiology experiments as well as by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations including free-energy and applied-field techniques. Notably, in an electrophysiological zero-current assay as well as in the molecular simulations, we found that fosfomycin can rapidly permeate the abundant Escherichia coli porin OmpF. Furthermore, two triple mutants in the constriction region of the porin have been investigated. The permeation rates through these mutants are slightly lower than that of the wild type but fosfomycin can still permeate. Altogether, this work unravels molecular details of fosfomycin permeation through the outer membrane porin OmpF of E. coli and moreover provides hints for understanding the translocation of phosphonic acid antibiotics through other outer membrane pores.

Identification and characterization of smallest pore-forming protein in the cell wall of pathogenic Corynebacterium urealyticum DSM 7109

Background

Corynebacterium urealyticum, a pathogenic, multidrug resistant member of the mycolata, is known as causative agent of urinary tract infections although it is a bacterium of the skin flora. This pathogenic bacterium shares with the mycolata the property of having an unusual cell envelope composition and architecture, typical for the genus Corynebacterium. The cell wall of members of the mycolata contains channel-forming proteins for the uptake of solutes.

Results

In this study, we provide novel information on the identification and characterization of a pore-forming protein in the cell wall of C. urealyticum DSM 7109. Detergent extracts of whole C. urealyticum cultures formed in lipid bilayer membranes slightly cation-selective pores with a single-channel conductance of 1.75 nS in 1 M KCl. Experiments with different salts and non-electrolytes suggested that the cell wall pore of C. urealyticum is wide and water-filled and has a diameter of about 1.8 nm. Molecular modelling and dynamics has been performed to obtain a model of the pore. For the search of the gene coding for the cell wall pore of C. urealyticum we looked in the known genome of C. urealyticum for a similar chromosomal localization of the porin gene to known porH and porA genes of other Corynebacterium strains. Three genes are located between the genes coding for GroEL2 and polyphosphate kinase (PKK2). Two of the genes (cur_1714 and cur_1715) were expressed in different constructs in C. glutamicum ΔporAΔporH and in porin-deficient BL21 DE3 Omp8 E. coli strains. The results suggested that the gene cur_1714 codes alone for the cell wall channel. The cell wall porin of C. urealyticum termed PorACur was purified to homogeneity using different biochemical methods and had an apparent molecular mass of about 4 kDa on tricine-containing sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).

Conclusions

Biophysical characterization of the purified protein (PorACur) suggested indeed that cur_1714 is the gene coding for the pore-forming protein in C. urealyticum because the protein formed in lipid bilayer experiments the same pores as the detergent extract of whole cells. The study is the first report of a cell wall channel in the pathogenic C. urealyticum.

Understanding antibiotic resistance via outer membrane permeability

Collective antibiotic drug resistance is a global threat, especially with respect to Gram-negative bacteria. The low permeability of the bacterial outer cell wall has been identified as a challenging barrier that prevents a sufficient antibiotic effect to be attained at low doses of the antibiotic. The Gram-negative bacterial cell envelope comprises an outer membrane that delimits the periplasm from the exterior milieu. The crucial mechanisms of antibiotic entry via outer membrane includes general diffusion porins (Omps) responsible for hydrophilic antibiotics and lipid-mediated pathway for hydrophobic antibiotics. The protein and lipid arrangements of the outer membrane have had a strong impact on the understanding of bacteria and their resistance to many types of antibiotics. Thus, one of the current challenges is effective interpretation at the molecular basis of the outer membrane permeability. This review attempts to develop a state of knowledge pertinent to Omps and their effective role in solute influx. Moreover, it aims toward further understanding and exploration of prospects to improve our knowledge of physicochemical limitations that direct the translocation of antibiotics via bacterial outer membrane.

Substitution impact of highly conserved arginine residue at position 75 in GJB1 gene in association with X-linked Charcot-Marie-tooth disease: A computational study

X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1 X (CMTX1) disease is a subtype of Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT), which is mainly caused by mutations in the GJB1 gene. It is also known as connexin 32 (Cx32) that leads to Schwann cell abnormalities and peripheral neuropathy. CMTX1 is considered as the second most common form of CMT disease. The aim of this study is to computationally predict the potential impact of different single amino acid substitutions at position 75 of Cx32, from arginine (R) to proline (P), glutamine (Q) and tryptophan (W). This position is known to be highly conserved among the family of connexin. To understand the structural and functional changes due to these single amino acid substitutions, we employed a homology-modeling technique to build the three-dimensional structure models for the native and mutant proteins. The protein structures were further embedded into a POPC lipid bilayer, inserted into a water box, and subjected to molecular dynamics simulation for 50 ns. Our results show that the mutants R75P, R75Q and R75W display variable structural conformation and dynamic behavior compared to the native protein. Our data proves useful in predicting the potential pathogenicity of the mutant proteins and is expected to serve as a platform for drug discovery for patients with CMT.

Exploring bacterial outer membrane barrier to combat bad bugs

One of the main fundamental mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria comprises an effective change in the membrane permeability to antibiotics. The Gram-negative bacterial complex cell envelope comprises an outer membrane that delimits the periplasm from the exterior environment. The outer membrane contains numerous protein channels, termed as porins or nanopores, which are mainly involved in the influx of hydrophilic compounds, including antibiotics. Bacterial adaptation to reduce influx through these outer membrane proteins (Omps) is one of the crucial mechanisms behind antibiotic resistance. Thus to interpret the molecular basis of the outer membrane permeability is the current challenge. This review attempts to develop a state of knowledge pertinent to Omps and their effective role in antibiotic influx. Further, it aims to study the bacterial response to antibiotic membrane permeability and hopefully provoke a discussion toward understanding and further exploration of prospects to improve our knowledge on physicochemical parameters that direct the translocation of antibiotics through the bacterial membrane protein channels.

Aberrantly Large Single-Channel Conductance of Polyhistidine Arm-Containing Protein Nanopores

There have been only a few studies reporting on the impact of polyhistidine affinity tags on the structure, function, and dynamics of proteins. Because of the relatively short size of the tags, they are often thought to have little or no effect on the conformation or activity of a protein. Here, using membrane protein design and single-molecule electrophysiology, we determined that the presence of a hexahistidine arm at the N-terminus of a truncated FhuA-based protein nanopore, leaving the C-terminus untagged, produces an unusual increase in the unitary conductance to ∼8 nS in 1 M KCl. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest single-channel conductance ever recorded with a monomeric β-barrel outer membrane protein. The hexahistidine arm was captured by an anti-polyhistidine tag monoclonal antibody added to the side of the channel-forming protein addition, but not to the opposite side, documenting that this truncated FhuA-based protein nanopore inserts into a planar lipid bilayer with a preferred orientation. This finding is in agreement with the protein insertion in vivo, in which the large loops face the extracellular side of the membrane. The aberrantly large single-channel conductance, likely induced by a greater cross-sectional area of the pore lumen, along with the vectorial insertion into a lipid membrane, will have profound implications for further developments of engineered protein nanopores.

Nanoscale Ion Pump Derived from a Biological Water Channel

Biological molecular machines perform the work of supporting life at the smallest of scales, including the work of shuttling ions across cell boundaries and against chemical gradients. Systems of artificial channels at the nanoscale can likewise control ionic concentration by way of ionic current rectification, species selectivity, and voltage gating mechanisms. Here, we theoretically show that a voltage-gated, ion species-selective, and rectifying ion channel can be built using the components of a biological water channel aquaporin. Through all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the ionic conductance of a truncated aquaporin channel nonlinearly increases with the bias magnitude, depends on the channel's orientation, and is highly cation specific but only for one polarity of the transmembrane bias. Further, we show that such an unusually complex response of the channel to transmembrane bias arises from mechanical motion of a positively charged gate that blocks cation transport. By combining two truncated aquaporins, we demonstrate a molecular system that pumps ions against their chemical gradients when subject to an alternating transmembrane bias. Our work sets the stage for future biomimicry efforts directed toward reproducing the function of biological ion pumps using synthetic components.