1
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Radler P, Loose M. A dynamic duo: Understanding the roles of FtsZ and FtsA for Escherichia coli cell division through in vitro approaches. Eur J Cell Biol 2024; 103:151380. [PMID: 38218128 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2023.151380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria divide by binary fission. The protein machine responsible for this process is the divisome, a transient assembly of more than 30 proteins in and on the surface of the cytoplasmic membrane. Together, they constrict the cell envelope and remodel the peptidoglycan layer to eventually split the cell into two. For Escherichia coli, most molecular players involved in this process have probably been identified, but obtaining the quantitative information needed for a mechanistic understanding can often not be achieved from experiments in vivo alone. Since the discovery of the Z-ring more than 30 years ago, in vitro reconstitution experiments have been crucial to shed light on molecular processes normally hidden in the complex environment of the living cell. In this review, we summarize how rebuilding the divisome from purified components - or at least parts of it - have been instrumental to obtain the detailed mechanistic understanding of the bacterial cell division machinery that we have today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Radler
- Institute for Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria; University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Wien, Austria.
| | - Martin Loose
- Institute for Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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2
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Cameron TA, Margolin W. Insights into the assembly and regulation of the bacterial divisome. Nat Rev Microbiol 2024; 22:33-45. [PMID: 37524757 PMCID: PMC11102604 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-023-00942-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
The ability to split one cell into two is fundamental to all life, and many bacteria can accomplish this feat several times per hour with high accuracy. Most bacteria call on an ancient homologue of tubulin, called FtsZ, to localize and organize the cell division machinery, the divisome, into a ring-like structure at the cell midpoint. The divisome includes numerous other proteins, often including an actin homologue (FtsA), that interact with each other at the cytoplasmic membrane. Once assembled, the protein complexes that comprise the dynamic divisome coordinate membrane constriction with synthesis of a division septum, but only after overcoming checkpoints mediated by specialized protein-protein interactions. In this Review, we summarize the most recent evidence showing how the divisome proteins of Escherichia coli assemble at the cell midpoint, interact with each other and regulate activation of septum synthesis. We also briefly discuss the potential of divisome proteins as novel antibiotic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd A Cameron
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
| | - William Margolin
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX, USA.
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3
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Tror S, Jeon S, Nguyen HT, Huh E, Shin K. A Self-Regenerating Artificial Cell, that is One Step Closer to Living Cells: Challenges and Perspectives. SMALL METHODS 2023; 7:e2300182. [PMID: 37246263 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Controllable, self-regenerating artificial cells (SRACs) can be a vital advancement in the field of synthetic biology, which seeks to create living cells by recombining various biological molecules in the lab. This represents, more importantly, the first step on a long journey toward creating reproductive cells from rather fragmentary biochemical mimics. However, it is still a difficult task to replicate the complex processes involved in cell regeneration, such as genetic material replication and cell membrane division, in artificially created spaces. This review highlights recent advances in the field of controllable, SRACs and the strategies to achieve the goal of creating such cells. Self-regenerating cells start by replicating DNA and transferring it to a location where proteins can be synthesized. Functional but essential proteins must be synthesized for sustained energy generation and survival needs and function in the same liposomal space. Finally, self-division and repeated cycling lead to autonomous, self-regenerating cells. The pursuit of controllable, SRACs will enable authors to make bold advances in understanding life at the cellular level, ultimately providing an opportunity to use this knowledge to understand the nature of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seangly Tror
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - SeonMin Jeon
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Huong Thanh Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunjin Huh
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwanwoo Shin
- Department of Chemistry and Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Seoul, 04107, Republic of Korea
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4
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Reverte-López M, Gavrilovic S, Merino-Salomón A, Eto H, Yagüe Relimpio A, Rivas G, Schwille P. Protein-Based Patterning to Spatially Functionalize Biomimetic Membranes. SMALL METHODS 2023; 7:e2300173. [PMID: 37350500 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
The bottom-up reconstitution of proteins for their modular engineering into synthetic cellular systems can reveal hidden protein functions in vitro. This is particularly evident for the bacterial Min proteins, a paradigm for self-organizing reaction-diffusion systems that displays an unexpected functionality of potential interest for bioengineering: the directional active transport of any diffusible cargo molecule on membranes. Here, the MinDE protein system is reported as a versatile surface patterning tool for the rational design of synthetically assembled 3D systems. Employing two-photon lithography, microswimmer-like structures coated with tailored lipid bilayers are fabricated and demonstrate that Min proteins can uniformly pattern bioactive molecules on their surface. Moreover, it is shown that the MinDE system can form stationary patterns inside lipid vesicles, which allow the targeting and distinctive clustering of higher-order protein structures on their inner leaflet. Given their facile use and robust function, Min proteins thus constitute a valuable molecular toolkit for spatially patterned functionalization of artificial biosystems like cell mimics and microcarriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Reverte-López
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Svetozar Gavrilovic
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Adrián Merino-Salomón
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Hiromune Eto
- Hubrecht Institute-KNAW (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences), Utrecht, 3584 CT, The Netherlands
| | - Ana Yagüe Relimpio
- Department of Cellular Biophysics, Max Planck for Medical Research, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Germán Rivas
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | - Petra Schwille
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
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5
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Konttinen O, Carmody J, Kurnik M, Johnson KA, Reich N. High fidelity DNA strand-separation is the major specificity determinant in DNA methyltransferase CcrM's catalytic mechanism. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:6883-6898. [PMID: 37326016 PMCID: PMC10359602 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad443] [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: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Strand-separation is emerging as a novel DNA recognition mechanism but the underlying mechanisms and quantitative contribution of strand-separation to fidelity remain obscure. The bacterial DNA adenine methyltransferase, CcrM, recognizes 5'GANTC'3 sequences through a DNA strand-separation mechanism with unusually high selectivity. To explore this novel recognition mechanism, we incorporated Pyrrolo-dC into cognate and noncognate DNA to monitor the kinetics of strand-separation and used tryptophan fluorescence to follow protein conformational changes. Both signals are biphasic and global fitting showed that the faster phase of DNA strand-separation was coincident with the protein conformational transition. Non-cognate sequences did not display strand-separation and methylation was reduced > 300-fold, providing evidence that strand-separation is a major determinant of selectivity. Analysis of an R350A mutant showed that the enzyme conformational step can occur without strand-separation, so the two events are uncoupled. A stabilizing role for the methyl-donor (SAM) is proposed; the cofactor interacts with a critical loop which is inserted between the DNA strands, thereby stabilizing the strand-separated conformation. The results presented here are broadly applicable to the study of other N6-adenine methyltransferases that contain the structural features implicated in strand-separation, which are found widely dispersed across many bacterial phyla, including human and animal pathogens, and some Eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Konttinen
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Jason Carmody
- Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Martin Kurnik
- Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth A Johnson
- Life Sciences Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Norbert Reich
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
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6
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Miller EJ, Phan MD, Shah J, Honerkamp-Smith AR. Passive and reversible area regulation of supported lipid bilayers in response to fluid flow. Biophys J 2023; 122:2242-2255. [PMID: 36639867 PMCID: PMC10257118 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.01.012] [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: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological and model membranes are frequently subjected to fluid shear stress. However, membrane mechanical responses to flow remain incompletely described. This is particularly true of membranes supported on a solid substrate, and the influences of membrane composition and substrate roughness on membrane flow responses remain poorly understood. Here, we combine microfluidics, fluorescence microscopy, and neutron reflectivity to explore how supported lipid bilayer patches respond to controlled shear stress. We demonstrate that lipid membranes undergo a significant, passive, and partially reversible increase in membrane area due to flow. We show that these fluctuations in membrane area can be constrained, but not prevented, by increasing substrate roughness. Similar flow-induced changes to membrane structure may contribute to the ability of living cells to sense and respond to flow.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Minh D Phan
- Large-Scale Structures Group, Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Center for Neutron Science, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
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7
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Xie D, Fu S, Fu D, Chen B, He W, Liang H, Tu Y, Wilson DA, Peng F. Adaptive particle patterning in the presence of active synthetic nanomotors. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:6619-6628. [PMID: 36951243 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr00462g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
For the maintenance of a biological system, spatial organization of material condensates within the cell through the dissipation of energy is crucial. Besides directed transport via microtubules, material arrangement can be achieved via motor protein facilitated adaptive active diffusiophoresis. For example, the distribution of membrane proteins during the cell division of Escherichia coli is affected by the MinD system. Synthetic active motors exhibit the ability to simulate natural motors. Here we propose an active Au-Zn nanomotor driven by water and discovered an interesting adaptive interaction mode of the diffusiophoretic Au-Zn nanomotors with passive condensate particles in different environments. It is found that the attraction/repulsion between the nanomotor and passive particles is adaptive, while an interesting hollow pattern is formed with a negatively charged substrate and a cluster pattern is favored with a positively charged substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dazhi Xie
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Shaoming Fu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Dongmei Fu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Bin Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Weidong He
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Haiying Liang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yingfeng Tu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Daniela A Wilson
- Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Nijmegen, 6525 AJ, The Netherlands
| | - Fei Peng
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
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8
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Kai L, Sonal, Heermann T, Schwille P. Reconstitution of a Reversible Membrane Switch via Prenylation by One-Pot Cell-Free Expression. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 12:108-119. [PMID: 36445320 PMCID: PMC9872162 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Reversible membrane targeting of proteins is one of the key regulators of cellular interaction networks, for example, for signaling and polarization. So-called "membrane switches" are thus highly attractive targets for the design of minimal cells but have so far been tricky to reconstitute in vitro. Here, we introduce cell-free prenylated protein synthesis (CFpPS), which enables the synthesis and membrane targeting of proteins in a single reaction mix including the prenylation machinery. CFpPS can confer membrane affinity to any protein via addition of a 4-peptide motif to its C-terminus and offers robust production of prenylated proteins not only in their soluble forms but also in the direct vicinity of biomimetic membranes. Thus, CFpPS enabled us to reconstitute the prenylated polarity hub Cdc42 and its regulatory protein in vitro, implementing a key membrane switch. We propose CFpPS to be a versatile and effective platform for engineering complex features, such as polarity induction, in synthetic cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Kai
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max
Planck Institute of Biochemistry, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany,School
of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Normal University, Shanghai Road 101, 221116 Xuzhou, P. R. China,. Phone: +86 15852001351
| | - Sonal
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max
Planck Institute of Biochemistry, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany,Biosciences
Division, University College London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT London, U.K.
| | - Tamara Heermann
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max
Planck Institute of Biochemistry, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max
Planck Institute of Biochemistry, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany,. Phone: +49 89 8578 2900
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9
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In vitro assembly, positioning and contraction of a division ring in minimal cells. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6098. [PMID: 36243816 PMCID: PMC9569390 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33679-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Constructing a minimal machinery for autonomous self-division of synthetic cells is a major goal of bottom-up synthetic biology. One paradigm has been the E. coli divisome, with the MinCDE protein system guiding assembly and positioning of a presumably contractile ring based on FtsZ and its membrane adaptor FtsA. Here, we demonstrate the full in vitro reconstitution of this machinery consisting of five proteins within lipid vesicles, allowing to observe the following sequence of events in real time: 1) Assembly of an isotropic filamentous FtsZ network, 2) its condensation into a ring-like structure, along with pole-to-pole mode selection of Min oscillations resulting in equatorial positioning, and 3) onset of ring constriction, deforming the vesicles from spherical shape. Besides demonstrating these essential features, we highlight the importance of decisive experimental factors, such as macromolecular crowding. Our results provide an exceptional showcase of the emergence of cell division in a minimal system, and may represent a step towards developing a synthetic cell.
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10
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Godino E, Doerr A, Danelon C. Min waves without MinC can pattern FtsA-anchored FtsZ filaments on model membranes. Commun Biol 2022; 5:675. [PMID: 35798943 PMCID: PMC9262947 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03640-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the essential proteins that drive bacterial cytokinesis have been identified, the precise mechanisms by which they dynamically interact to enable symmetrical division are largely unknown. In Escherichia coli, cell division begins with the formation of a proto-ring composed of FtsZ and its membrane-tethering proteins FtsA and ZipA. In the broadly proposed molecular scenario for ring positioning, Min waves composed of MinD and MinE distribute the FtsZ-polymerization inhibitor MinC away from mid-cell, where the Z-ring can form. Therefore, MinC is believed to be an essential element connecting the Min and FtsZ subsystems. Here, by combining cell-free protein synthesis with planar lipid membranes and microdroplets, we demonstrate that MinDE drive the formation of dynamic, antiphase patterns of FtsA-anchored FtsZ filaments even in the absence of MinC. These results suggest that Z-ring positioning may be achieved with a more minimal set of proteins than previously envisaged, providing a fresh perspective about synthetic cell division. Cell-free protein synthesis of bacterial cytokinesis factors reveals that MinDE surface waves regulate FtsA-anchored FtsZ filaments in time and space independently of MinC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Godino
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2629HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Anne Doerr
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2629HZ, The Netherlands
| | - Christophe Danelon
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2629HZ, The Netherlands.
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11
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Mishra D, Srinivasan R. Catching a Walker in the Act-DNA Partitioning by ParA Family of Proteins. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:856547. [PMID: 35694299 PMCID: PMC9178275 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.856547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Partitioning the replicated genetic material is a crucial process in the cell cycle program of any life form. In bacteria, many plasmids utilize cytoskeletal proteins that include ParM and TubZ, the ancestors of the eukaryotic actin and tubulin, respectively, to segregate the plasmids into the daughter cells. Another distinct class of cytoskeletal proteins, known as the Walker A type Cytoskeletal ATPases (WACA), is unique to Bacteria and Archaea. ParA, a WACA family protein, is involved in DNA partitioning and is more widespread. A centromere-like sequence parS, in the DNA is bound by ParB, an adaptor protein with CTPase activity to form the segregation complex. The ParA ATPase, interacts with the segregation complex and partitions the DNA into the daughter cells. Furthermore, the Walker A motif-containing ParA superfamily of proteins is associated with a diverse set of functions ranging from DNA segregation to cell division, cell polarity, chemotaxis cluster assembly, cellulose biosynthesis and carboxysome maintenance. Unifying principles underlying the varied range of cellular roles in which the ParA superfamily of proteins function are outlined. Here, we provide an overview of the recent findings on the structure and function of the ParB adaptor protein and review the current models and mechanisms by which the ParA family of proteins function in the partitioning of the replicated DNA into the newly born daughter cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipika Mishra
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Mumbai, India
| | - Ramanujam Srinivasan
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Mumbai, India
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12
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Schwille P, Frohn BP. Hidden protein functions and what they may teach us. Trends Cell Biol 2021; 32:102-109. [PMID: 34654605 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2021.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Bottom-up synthetic biology is a new research field with the goal of constructing living systems from a minimal number of functional components. The key challenges are, first, to identify a necessary canon of functions for a system to be considered alive, and second, to reconstitute these respective modules in vitro. When using proteins as obvious candidates, it appears that not only some of their described physiological functions fail to unfold outside the cellular context, but that completely new and unexpected functions are being observed. We put these insights in the context of other recent findings on protein functionality and discuss their potential role in the emergence and evolution of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Schwille
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Béla P Frohn
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152 Martinsried, Germany
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13
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Merino-Salomón A, Babl L, Schwille P. Self-organized protein patterns: The MinCDE and ParABS systems. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2021; 72:106-115. [PMID: 34399108 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Self-organized protein patterns are of tremendous importance for biological decision-making processes. Protein patterns have been shown to identify the site of future cell division, establish cell polarity, and organize faithful DNA segregation. Intriguingly, several key concepts of pattern formation and regulation apply to a variety of different protein systems. Herein, we explore recent advances in the understanding of two prokaryotic pattern-forming systems: the MinCDE system, positioning the FtsZ ring precisely at the midcell, and the ParABS system, distributing newly synthesized DNA along with the cell. Despite differences in biological functionality, these two systems have remarkably similar molecular components, mechanisms, and strategies to achieve biological robustness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Merino-Salomón
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried, 82152, Germany
| | - Leon Babl
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried, 82152, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried, 82152, Germany.
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14
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Olivi L, Berger M, Creyghton RNP, De Franceschi N, Dekker C, Mulder BM, Claassens NJ, Ten Wolde PR, van der Oost J. Towards a synthetic cell cycle. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4531. [PMID: 34312383 PMCID: PMC8313558 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24772-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent developments in synthetic biology may bring the bottom-up generation of a synthetic cell within reach. A key feature of a living synthetic cell is a functional cell cycle, in which DNA replication and segregation as well as cell growth and division are well integrated. Here, we describe different approaches to recreate these processes in a synthetic cell, based on natural systems and/or synthetic alternatives. Although some individual machineries have recently been established, their integration and control in a synthetic cell cycle remain to be addressed. In this Perspective, we discuss potential paths towards an integrated synthetic cell cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Olivi
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Nicola De Franceschi
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Cees Dekker
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | | | - Nico J Claassens
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - John van der Oost
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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15
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Eto H, Franquelim HG, Heymann M, Schwille P. Membrane-coated 3D architectures for bottom-up synthetic biology. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:5456-5466. [PMID: 34106121 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm00112d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
One of the great challenges of bottom-up synthetic biology is to recreate the cellular geometry and surface functionality required for biological reactions. Of particular interest are lipid membrane interfaces where many protein functions take place. However, cellular 3D geometries are often complex, and custom-shaping stable lipid membranes on relevant spatial scales in the micrometer range has been hard to accomplish reproducibly. Here, we use two-photon direct laser writing to 3D print microenvironments with length scales relevant to cellular processes and reactions. We formed lipid bilayers on the surfaces of these printed structures, and we evaluated multiple combinatorial scenarios, where physiologically relevant membrane compositions were generated on several different polymer surfaces. Functional dynamic protein systems were reconstituted in vitro and their self-organization was observed in response to the 3D geometry. This method proves very useful to template biological membranes with an additional spatial dimension, and thus allows a better understanding of protein function in relation to the complex morphology of cells and organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiromune Eto
- Department for Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152, Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Henri G Franquelim
- Department for Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152, Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Michael Heymann
- Department for Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152, Martinsried, Germany. and Department of Intelligent Biointegrative Systems, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomolecular Systems, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 57, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Department for Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, D-82152, Martinsried, Germany.
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16
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Kretschmer S, Heermann T, Tassinari A, Glock P, Schwille P. Increasing MinD's Membrane Affinity Yields Standing Wave Oscillations and Functional Gradients on Flat Membranes. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:939-949. [PMID: 33881306 PMCID: PMC8155659 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The formation of large-scale patterns through molecular self-organization is a basic principle of life. Accordingly, the engineering of protein patterns and gradients is of prime relevance for synthetic biology. As a paradigm for such pattern formation, the bacterial MinDE protein system is based on self-organization of the ATPase MinD and ATPase-activating protein MinE on lipid membranes. Min patterns can be tightly regulated by tuning physical or biochemical parameters. Among the biochemically engineerable modules, MinD's membrane targeting sequence, despite being a key regulating element, has received little attention. Here we attempt to engineer patterns by modulating the membrane affinity of MinD. Unlike the traveling waves or stationary patterns commonly observed in vitro on flat supported membranes, standing-wave oscillations emerge upon elongating MinD's membrane targeting sequence via rationally guided mutagenesis. These patterns are capable of forming gradients and thereby spatially target co-reconstituted downstream proteins, highlighting their functional potential in designing new life-like systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Kretschmer
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute
of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
- Current
affiliation: Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Tamara Heermann
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute
of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Andrea Tassinari
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute
of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Philipp Glock
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute
of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute
of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
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17
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Litschel T, Kelley CF, Holz D, Adeli Koudehi M, Vogel SK, Burbaum L, Mizuno N, Vavylonis D, Schwille P. Reconstitution of contractile actomyosin rings in vesicles. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2254. [PMID: 33859190 PMCID: PMC8050101 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22422-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the grand challenges of bottom-up synthetic biology is the development of minimal machineries for cell division. The mechanical transformation of large-scale compartments, such as Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs), requires the geometry-specific coordination of active elements, several orders of magnitude larger than the molecular scale. Of all cytoskeletal structures, large-scale actomyosin rings appear to be the most promising cellular elements to accomplish this task. Here, we have adopted advanced encapsulation methods to study bundled actin filaments in GUVs and compare our results with theoretical modeling. By changing few key parameters, actin polymerization can be differentiated to resemble various types of networks in living cells. Importantly, we find membrane binding to be crucial for the robust condensation into a single actin ring in spherical vesicles, as predicted by theoretical considerations. Upon force generation by ATP-driven myosin motors, these ring-like actin structures contract and locally constrict the vesicle, forming furrow-like deformations. On the other hand, cortex-like actin networks are shown to induce and stabilize deformations from spherical shapes. Cytoskeletal networks support and direct cell shape and guide intercellular transport, but relatively little is understood about the self-organization of cytoskeletal components on the scale of an entire cell. Here, authors use an in vitro system and observe the assembly of different types of actin networks and the condensation of membrane-bound actin into single rings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Litschel
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Charlotte F Kelley
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.,Department of Structural Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Danielle Holz
- Department of Physics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, USA
| | | | - Sven K Vogel
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Laura Burbaum
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Naoko Mizuno
- Department of Structural Cell Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Petra Schwille
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.
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18
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Macrini C, Gerhards R, Winklmeier S, Bergmann L, Mader S, Spadaro M, Vural A, Smolle M, Hohlfeld R, Kümpfel T, Lichtenthaler SF, Franquelim HG, Jenne D, Meinl E. Features of MOG required for recognition by patients with MOG antibody-associated disorders. Brain 2021; 144:2375-2389. [PMID: 33704436 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibodies (Abs) to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) define a distinct disease entity. Here we aimed to understand essential structural features of MOG required for recognition by autoantibodies from patients. We produced the N-terminal part of MOG in a conformationally correct form; this domain was insufficient to identify patients with MOG-Abs by ELISA even after site-directed binding. This was neither due to a lack of lipid embedding nor to a missing putative epitope at the C-terminus, which we confirmed to be an intracellular domain. When MOG was displayed on transfected cells, patients with MOG-Abs recognized full-length MOG much better than its N-terminal part with the first hydrophobic domain (p < 0.0001). Even antibodies affinity-purified with the extracellular part of MOG recognized full-length MOG better than the extracellular part of MOG after transfection. The second hydrophobic domain of MOG enhanced the recognition of the extracellular part of MOG by antibodies from patients as seen with truncated variants of MOG. We confirmed the pivotal role of the second hydrophobic domain by fusing the intracellular part of MOG from the evolutionary distant opossum to the human extracellular part; the chimeric construct restored the antibody-binding completely. Further, we found that in contrast to 8-18C5, MOG-Abs from patients bound preferentially as F(ab')2 rather than Fab. It was previously found that bivalent binding of human IgG1, the prominent isotype of MOG-Abs, requires that its target antigen is displayed at a distance of 13-16 nm. We found that, upon transfection, molecules of MOG did not interact so closely to induce a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) signal, indicating that they are more than 6 nm apart. We propose that the intracellular part of MOG holds the monomers apart at a suitable distance for bivalent binding; this could explain why a cell-based assay is needed to identify MOG-Abs. Our finding that MOG-Abs from most patients require bivalent binding has implications for understanding the pathogenesis of MOG-antibody-associated-disorders. Since bivalently bound antibodies have been reported to only poorly bind C1q, we speculate that the pathogenicity of MOG-Abs is mostly mediated by other mechanisms than complement activation. Therefore, therapeutic inhibition of complement activation should be less efficient in MOG-Ab associated disorders than in patients with Abs to aquaporin-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Macrini
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Biomedical Center and University Hospitals, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Munich, Germany
| | - Ramona Gerhards
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Biomedical Center and University Hospitals, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Munich, Germany
| | - Stephan Winklmeier
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Biomedical Center and University Hospitals, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Munich, Germany
| | - Lena Bergmann
- Physiological Chemistry, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 82152 Munich, Germany
| | - Simone Mader
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Biomedical Center and University Hospitals, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Munich, Germany
| | - Melania Spadaro
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Biomedical Center and University Hospitals, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Munich, Germany
| | - Atay Vural
- Department of Neurology, Koc University School of Medicine, 34450 Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Michaela Smolle
- Physiological Chemistry, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 82152 Munich, Germany
- BioPhysics Core Facility, Biomedical Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 82152 Munich, Germany
| | - Reinhard Hohlfeld
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Biomedical Center and University Hospitals, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Munich, Germany
| | - Tania Kümpfel
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Biomedical Center and University Hospitals, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan F Lichtenthaler
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Munich and Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Henri G Franquelim
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Munich, Germany
| | - Dieter Jenne
- Institute of Lung Biology and Disease (ILBD), Comprehensive Pneumology Center (CPC), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Edgar Meinl
- Institute of Clinical Neuroimmunology, Biomedical Center and University Hospitals, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Munich, Germany
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19
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Mass-sensitive particle tracking to elucidate the membrane-associated MinDE reaction cycle. Nat Methods 2021; 18:1239-1246. [PMID: 34608318 PMCID: PMC8490154 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-021-01260-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In spite of their great importance in biology, methods providing access to spontaneous molecular interactions with and on biological membranes have been sparse. The recent advent of mass photometry to quantify mass distributions of unlabeled biomolecules landing on surfaces raised hopes that this approach could be transferred to membranes. Here, by introducing a new interferometric scattering (iSCAT) image processing and analysis strategy adapted to diffusing particles, we enable mass-sensitive particle tracking (MSPT) of single unlabeled biomolecules on a supported lipid bilayer. We applied this approach to the highly nonlinear reaction cycles underlying MinDE protein self-organization. MSPT allowed us to determine the stoichiometry and turnover of individual membrane-bound MinD/MinDE protein complexes and to quantify their size-dependent diffusion. This study demonstrates the potential of MSPT to enhance our quantitative understanding of membrane-associated biological systems.
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20
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Konttinen O, Carmody J, Pathuri S, Anderson K, Zhou X, Reich N. Cell cycle regulated DNA methyltransferase: fluorescent tracking of a DNA strand-separation mechanism and identification of the responsible protein motif. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:11589-11601. [PMID: 33053173 PMCID: PMC7672430 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA adenine methylation by Caulobacter crescentus Cell Cycle Regulated Methyltransferase (CcrM) is an important epigenetic regulator of gene expression. The recent CcrM-DNA cocrystal structure shows the CcrM dimer disrupts four of the five base pairs of the (5'-GANTC-3') recognition site. We developed a fluorescence-based assay by which Pyrrolo-dC tracks the strand separation event. Placement of Pyrrolo-dC within the DNA recognition site results in a fluorescence increase when CcrM binds. Non-cognate sequences display little to no fluorescence changes, showing that strand separation is a specificity determinant. Conserved residues in the C-terminal segment interact with the phospho-sugar backbone of the non-target strand. Replacement of these residues with alanine results in decreased methylation activity and changes in strand separation. The DNA recognition mechanism appears to occur with the Type II M.HinfI DNA methyltransferase and an ortholog of CcrM, BabI, but not with DNA methyltransferases that lack the conserved C-terminal segment. The C-terminal segment is found broadly in N4/N6-adenine DNA methyltransferases, some of which are human pathogens, across three Proteobacteria classes, three other phyla and in Thermoplasma acidophilum, an Archaea. This Pyrrolo-dC strand separation assay should be useful for the study of other enzymes which likely rely on a strand separation mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Konttinen
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
| | - Jason Carmody
- Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
| | - Sarath Pathuri
- Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
| | - Kyle Anderson
- Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
| | - Xiaofeng Zhou
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Norbert Reich
- Biomolecular Science and Engineering, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
- Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93103, USA
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21
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Miller EJ, Ratajczak AM, Anthony AA, Mottau M, Rivera Gonzalez XI, Honerkamp-Smith AR. Divide and conquer: How phase separation contributes to lateral transport and organization of membrane proteins and lipids. Chem Phys Lipids 2020; 233:104985. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2020.104985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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22
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Local and Universal Action: The Paradoxes of Indole Signalling in Bacteria. Trends Microbiol 2020; 28:566-577. [PMID: 32544443 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2020.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Indole is a signalling molecule produced by many bacterial species and involved in intraspecies, interspecies, and interkingdom signalling. Despite the increasing volume of research published in this area, many aspects of indole signalling remain enigmatic. There is disagreement over the mechanism of indole import and export and no clearly defined target through which its effects are exerted. Progress is hindered further by the confused and sometimes contradictory body of indole research literature. We explore the reasons behind this lack of consistency and speculate whether the discovery of a new, pulse mode of indole signalling, together with a move away from the idea of a conventional protein target, might help to overcome these problems and enable the field to move forward.
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23
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Agudo-Canalejo J, Illien P, Golestanian R. Cooperatively enhanced reactivity and "stabilitaxis" of dissociating oligomeric proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:11894-11900. [PMID: 32414931 PMCID: PMC7275728 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1919635117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many functional units in biology, such as enzymes or molecular motors, are composed of several subunits that can reversibly assemble and disassemble. This includes oligomeric proteins composed of several smaller monomers, as well as protein complexes assembled from a few proteins. By studying the generic spatial transport properties of such proteins, we investigate here whether their ability to reversibly associate and dissociate may confer on them a functional advantage with respect to nondissociating proteins. In uniform environments with position-independent association-dissociation, we find that enhanced diffusion in the monomeric state coupled to reassociation into the functional oligomeric form leads to enhanced reactivity with localized targets. In nonuniform environments with position-dependent association-dissociation, caused by, for example, spatial gradients of an inhibiting chemical, we find that dissociating proteins generically tend to accumulate in regions where they are most stable, a process that we term "stabilitaxis."
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Agudo-Canalejo
- Department of Living Matter Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Pierre Illien
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire Physicochimie des Electrolytes et Nanosystèmes Interfaciaux (PHENIX), UMR CNRS 8234, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Ramin Golestanian
- Department of Living Matter Physics, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany;
- Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
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24
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Heermann T, Ramm B, Glaser S, Schwille P. Local Self-Enhancement of MinD Membrane Binding in Min Protein Pattern Formation. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:3191-3204. [PMID: 32199984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The proteins MinD, MinE and MinC are constitutive for the spatiotemporal organization of cell division in Escherichia coli, in particular, for positioning the division machinery at mid-cell. To achieve this function, the ATPase MinD and the ATPase-activating protein MinE undergo coordinated pole-to-pole oscillations and have thus become a paradigm for protein pattern formation in biology. The exact molecular mechanisms enabling MinDE self-organization, and particularly the role of cooperativity in the membrane binding of MinD, thought to be a key requirement, have remained poorly understood. However, for bottom-up synthetic biology aiming at a de novo design of key cellular features, elucidating these mechanisms is of great relevance. By combining in vitro reconstitution with rationally guided mutagenesis of MinD, we found that when bound to membranes, MinD displays new interfaces for multimerization, which are distinct from the canonical MinD dimerization site. We propose that these additional transient interactions contribute to the local self-enhancement of MinD at the membrane, while their relative lability maintains the structural plasticity required for MinDE wave propagation. This could represent a powerful structural regulation feature not reported so far for self-organizing proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Heermann
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Beatrice Ramm
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Samson Glaser
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany.
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25
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Jia H, Schwille P. Bottom-up synthetic biology: reconstitution in space and time. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2019; 60:179-187. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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26
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Ramm B, Heermann T, Schwille P. The E. coli MinCDE system in the regulation of protein patterns and gradients. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:4245-4273. [PMID: 31317204 PMCID: PMC6803595 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03218-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Molecular self-organziation, also regarded as pattern formation, is crucial for the correct distribution of cellular content. The processes leading to spatiotemporal patterns often involve a multitude of molecules interacting in complex networks, so that only very few cellular pattern-forming systems can be regarded as well understood. Due to its compositional simplicity, the Escherichia coli MinCDE system has, thus, become a paradigm for protein pattern formation. This biological reaction diffusion system spatiotemporally positions the division machinery in E. coli and is closely related to ParA-type ATPases involved in most aspects of spatiotemporal organization in bacteria. The ATPase MinD and the ATPase-activating protein MinE self-organize on the membrane as a reaction matrix. In vivo, these two proteins typically oscillate from pole-to-pole, while in vitro they can form a variety of distinct patterns. MinC is a passenger protein supposedly operating as a downstream cue of the system, coupling it to the division machinery. The MinCDE system has helped to extract not only the principles underlying intracellular patterns, but also how they are shaped by cellular boundaries. Moreover, it serves as a model to investigate how patterns can confer information through specific and non-specific interactions with other molecules. Here, we review how the three Min proteins self-organize to form patterns, their response to geometric boundaries, and how these patterns can in turn induce patterns of other molecules, focusing primarily on experimental approaches and developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Ramm
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Tamara Heermann
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.
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27
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De novo synthesized Min proteins drive oscillatory liposome deformation and regulate FtsA-FtsZ cytoskeletal patterns. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4969. [PMID: 31672986 PMCID: PMC6823393 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12932-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The Min biochemical network regulates bacterial cell division and is a prototypical example of self-organizing molecular systems. Cell-free assays relying on purified proteins have shown that MinE and MinD self-organize into surface waves and oscillatory patterns. In the context of developing a synthetic cell from elementary biological modules, harnessing Min oscillations might allow us to implement higher-order cellular functions. To convey hereditary information, the Min system must be encoded in a DNA molecule that can be copied, transcribed, and translated. Here, the MinD and MinE proteins are synthesized de novo from their genes inside liposomes. Dynamic protein patterns and accompanying liposome shape deformation are observed. When integrated with the cytoskeletal proteins FtsA and FtsZ, the synthetic Min system is able to dynamically regulate FtsZ patterns. By enabling genetic control over Min protein self-organization and membrane remodeling, our methodology offers unique opportunities towards directed evolution of bacterial division processes in vitro. The Min biochemical network regulates bacterial cell division and is a prototypical example of self-organizing molecular systems. Here authors synthesize Min proteins from their genes inside liposomes and observe dynamic protein patterns and liposome shape deformation.
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28
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The Bacterial DNA Binding Protein MatP Involved in Linking the Nucleoid Terminal Domain to the Divisome at Midcell Interacts with Lipid Membranes. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.00376-19. [PMID: 31138739 PMCID: PMC6538776 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00376-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The division of an E. coli cell into two daughter cells with equal genomic information and similar size requires duplication and segregation of the chromosome and subsequent scission of the envelope by a protein ring, the Z-ring. MatP is a DNA binding protein that contributes both to the positioning of the Z-ring at midcell and the temporal control of nucleoid segregation. Our integrated in vivo and in vitro analysis provides evidence that MatP can interact with lipid membranes reproducing the phospholipid mixture in the E. coli inner membrane, without concomitant recruitment of the short DNA sequences specifically targeted by MatP. This observation strongly suggests that the membrane may play a role in the regulation of the function and localization of MatP, which could be relevant for the coordination of the two fundamental processes in which this protein participates, nucleoid segregation and cell division. Division ring formation at midcell is controlled by various mechanisms in Escherichia coli, one of them being the linkage between the chromosomal Ter macrodomain and the Z-ring mediated by MatP, a DNA binding protein that organizes this macrodomain and contributes to the prevention of premature chromosome segregation. Here we show that, during cell division, just before splitting the daughter cells, MatP seems to localize close to the cytoplasmic membrane, suggesting that this protein might interact with lipids. To test this hypothesis, we investigated MatP interaction with lipids in vitro. We found that, when encapsulated inside vesicles and microdroplets generated by microfluidics, MatP accumulates at phospholipid bilayers and monolayers matching the lipid composition in the E. coli inner membrane. MatP binding to lipids was independently confirmed using lipid-coated microbeads and biolayer interferometry assays, which suggested that the recognition is mainly hydrophobic. Interaction of MatP with the lipid membranes also occurs in the presence of the DNA sequences specifically targeted by the protein, but there is no evidence of ternary membrane/protein/DNA complexes. We propose that the association of MatP with lipids may modulate its spatiotemporal localization and its recognition of other ligands.
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29
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Kretschmer S, Ganzinger KA, Franquelim HG, Schwille P. Synthetic cell division via membrane-transforming molecular assemblies. BMC Biol 2019; 17:43. [PMID: 31126285 PMCID: PMC6533746 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-019-0665-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproduction, i.e. the ability to produce new individuals from a parent organism, is a hallmark of living matter. Even the simplest forms of reproduction require cell division: attempts to create a designer cell therefore should include a synthetic cell division machinery. In this review, we will illustrate how nature solves this task, describing membrane remodelling processes in general and focusing on bacterial cell division in particular. We discuss recent progress made in their in vitro reconstitution, identify open challenges, and suggest how purely synthetic building blocks could provide an additional and attractive route to creating artificial cell division machineries.
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30
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Hürtgen D, Härtel T, Murray SM, Sourjik V, Schwille P. Functional Modules of Minimal Cell Division for Synthetic Biology. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 3:e1800315. [PMID: 32648714 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.201800315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2018] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cellular reproduction is one of the fundamental hallmarks of life. Therefore, the development of a minimal division machinery capable of proper genome condensation and organization, mid-cell positioning and segregation in space and time, and the final septation process constitute a fundamental challenge for synthetic biology. It is therefore important to be able to engineer such modules for the production of artificial minimal cells. A bottom-up assembly of molecular machines from bulk biochemicals complemented by in vivo experiments as well as computational modelling helps to approach such key cellular processes. Here, minimal functional modules involved in genome segregation and the division machinery and their spatial organization and positioning are reviewed, setting into perspective the design of a minimal cell. Furthermore, the milestones of recent in vitro reconstitution experiments in the context of cell division are discussed and their role in shedding light on fundamental cellular mechanisms that constitute spatiotemporal order is described. Lastly, current challenges in the field of bottom-up synthetic biology as well as possible future developments toward the development of minimal biomimetic systems are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Hürtgen
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (Synmikro), Karl-von-Frisch Straße 16, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Härtel
- Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Seán M Murray
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (Synmikro), Karl-von-Frisch Straße 16, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Victor Sourjik
- Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology and LOEWE Center for Synthetic Microbiology (Synmikro), Karl-von-Frisch Straße 16, 35043, Marburg, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
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Shih YL, Huang LT, Tu YM, Lee BF, Bau YC, Hong CY, Lee HL, Shih YP, Hsu MF, Lu ZX, Chen JS, Chao L. Active Transport of Membrane Components by Self-Organization of the Min Proteins. Biophys J 2019; 116:1469-1482. [PMID: 30979552 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneous distribution of components in the biological membrane is critical in the process of cell polarization. However, little is known about the mechanisms that can generate and maintain the heterogeneous distribution of the membrane components. Here, we report that the propagating wave patterns of the bacterial Min proteins can impose steric pressure on the membrane, resulting in transport and directional accumulation of the component in the membrane. Therefore, the membrane component waves represent transport of the component in the membrane that is caused by the steric pressure gradient induced by the differential levels of binding and dissociation of the Min proteins in the propagating waves on the membrane surface. The diffusivity, majorly influenced by the membrane anchor of the component, and the repulsed ability, majorly influenced by the steric property of the membrane component, determine the differential spatial distribution of the membrane component. Thus, transportation of the membrane component by the Min proteins follows a simple physical principle, which resembles a linear peristaltic pumping process, to selectively segregate and maintain heterogeneous distribution of materials in the membrane. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ling Shih
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Ling-Ting Huang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ming Tu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Bo-Fan Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chiuan Bau
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia Yee Hong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Lin Lee
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yan-Ping Shih
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Min-Feng Hsu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Zheng-Xin Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Szu Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ling Chao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Glock P, Ramm B, Heermann T, Kretschmer S, Schweizer J, Mücksch J, Alagöz G, Schwille P. Stationary Patterns in a Two-Protein Reaction-Diffusion System. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:148-157. [PMID: 30571913 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.8b00415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Patterns formed by reaction-diffusion mechanisms are crucial for the development or sustenance of most organisms in nature. Patterns include dynamic waves, but are more often found as static distributions, such as animal skin patterns. Yet, a simplistic biological model system to reproduce and quantitatively investigate static reaction-diffusion patterns has been missing so far. Here, we demonstrate that the Escherichia coli Min system, known for its oscillatory behavior between the cell poles, is under certain conditions capable of transitioning to quasi-stationary protein distributions on membranes closely resembling Turing patterns. We systematically titrated both proteins, MinD and MinE, and found that removing all purification tags and linkers from the N-terminus of MinE was critical for static patterns to occur. At small bulk heights, dynamic patterns dominate, such as in rod-shaped microcompartments. We see implications of this work for studying pattern formation in general, but also for creating artificial gradients as downstream cues in synthetic biology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Glock
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Beatrice Ramm
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Tamara Heermann
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Simon Kretschmer
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Jakob Schweizer
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Jonas Mücksch
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Gökberk Alagöz
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
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Betaneli V, Mücksch J, Schwille P. Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy to Examine Protein-Lipid Interactions in Membranes. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 2003:415-447. [PMID: 31218628 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9512-7_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is a versatile technique to study membrane dynamics and protein-lipid interactions. It can provide information about diffusion coefficients, concentrations, and molecular interactions of proteins and lipids in the membrane. These parameters allow for the determination of protein partitioning into different lipid environments, the identification of lipid domains, and the detection of lipid-protein complexes on the membrane. During the last decades, FCS studies were successfully performed on model membrane systems as also on living cells, to characterize protein-lipid interactions. Recent developments of the method described here improved quantitative measurements on membranes and decreased the number of potential artifacts. The aim of this chapter is to provide the reader with the necessary information and some practical guidelines to perform FCS studies on artificial and cellular membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Betaneli
- Medical Faculty "Carl Gustav Carus", Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jonas Mücksch
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany.
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Ramm B, Schwille P. In vitro reconstitution of the bacterial cytoskeleton: expected and unexpected new insights. Microb Biotechnol 2019; 12:74-76. [PMID: 30411506 PMCID: PMC6302739 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro reconstitution of bacterial cytoskeletal elements, primarily supposed to reveal detailed mechanistic insights, has been an invaluable source of unexpected new protein functionalities. This may be particularly beneficial in the context of a potential construction of artificial cells from the bottom-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Ramm
- Max Planck Institute of BiochemistryAm Klopferspitz 18D‐82152MartinsriedGermany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Max Planck Institute of BiochemistryAm Klopferspitz 18D‐82152MartinsriedGermany
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Glock P, Schwille P. Switching protein patterns on membranes. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2018.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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