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Serra S, Iannotti V, Ferrante M, Tofiño-Vian M, Baxendale J, Silberberg G, Kohler TP, Hammerschmidt S, Ulijasz AT, Iovino F. The single D380 amino acid substitution increases pneumolysin cytotoxicity toward neuronal cells. iScience 2024; 27:109583. [PMID: 38632998 PMCID: PMC11022043 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109583] [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] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial meningitis, frequently caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), represents a substantial global health threat leading to long-term neurological disorders. This study focused on the cholesterol-binding toxin pneumolysin (PLY) released by pneumococci, specifically examining clinical isolates from patients with meningitis and comparing them to the PLY-reference S. pneumoniae strain D39. Clinical isolates exhibit enhanced PLY release, likely due to a significantly higher expression of the autolysin LytA. Notably, the same single amino acid (aa) D380 substitution in the PLY D4 domain present in all clinical isolates significantly enhances cholesterol binding, pore-forming activity, and cytotoxicity toward SH-SY5Y-derived neuronal cells. Scanning electron microscopy of human neuronal cells and patch clamp electrophysiological recordings on mouse brain slices confirm the enhanced neurotoxicity of the PLY variant carrying the single aa substitution. This study highlights how a single aa modification enormously alters PLY cytotoxic potential, emphasizing the importance of PLY as a major cause of the neurological sequelae associated with pneumococcal meningitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Serra
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vittorio Iannotti
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Joseph Baxendale
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gilad Silberberg
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas P. Kohler
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Sven Hammerschmidt
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Infection Biology, Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Andrew T. Ulijasz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Federico Iovino
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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2
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Rodà F, Picciolini S, Mangolini V, Gualerzi A, Seneci P, Renda A, Sesana S, Re F, Bedoni M. Raman Spectroscopy Characterization of Multi-Functionalized Liposomes as Drug-Delivery Systems for Neurological Disorders. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:699. [PMID: 36839067 PMCID: PMC9962107 DOI: 10.3390/nano13040699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The characterization of nanoparticle-based drug-delivery systems represents a crucial step in achieving a comprehensive overview of their physical, chemical, and biological features and evaluating their efficacy and safety in biological systems. We propose Raman Spectroscopy (RS) for the characterization of liposomes (LPs) to be tested for the control of neuroinflammation and microglial dysfunctions in Glioblastoma multiforme and Alzheimer's disease. Drug-loaded LPs were functionalized to cross the blood-brain barrier and to guarantee localized and controlled drug release. The Raman spectra of each LP component were used to evaluate their contribution in the LP Raman fingerprint. Raman data analysis made it possible to statistically discriminate LPs with different functionalization patterns, showing that each molecular component has an influence in the Raman spectrum of the final LP formulation. Moreover, CLS analysis on Raman data revealed a good level of synthetic reproducibility of the formulations and confirmed their stability within one month from their synthesis, demonstrating the ability of the technique to evaluate the efficacy of LP synthesis using small amount of sample. RS represents a valuable tool for a fast, sensitive and label free biochemical characterization of LPs that could be used for quality control of nanoparticle-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Rodà
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, 20148 Milan, Italy
- Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
| | | | - Valentina Mangolini
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, 20148 Milan, Italy
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, 25121 Brescia, Italy
| | - Alice Gualerzi
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, 20148 Milan, Italy
| | - Pierfausto Seneci
- Chemistry Department, Università Degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Renda
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20854 Vedano al Lambro, Italy
| | - Silvia Sesana
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20854 Vedano al Lambro, Italy
| | - Francesca Re
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20854 Vedano al Lambro, Italy
| | - Marzia Bedoni
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, 20148 Milan, Italy
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3
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Schaefer SL, Hummer G. Sublytic gasdermin-D pores captured in atomistic molecular simulations. eLife 2022; 11:e81432. [PMID: 36374182 PMCID: PMC9699695 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Gasdermin-D (GSDMD) is the ultimate effector of pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death associated with pathogen invasion and inflammation. After proteolytic cleavage by caspases, the GSDMD N-terminal domain (GSDMDNT) assembles on the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane and induces the formation of membrane pores. We use atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to study GSDMDNT monomers, oligomers, and rings in an asymmetric plasma membrane mimetic. We identify distinct interaction motifs of GSDMDNT with phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) and phosphatidylserine (PS) headgroups and describe their conformational dependence. Oligomers are stabilized by shared lipid binding sites between neighboring monomers acting akin to double-sided tape. We show that already small GSDMDNT oligomers support stable, water-filled, and ion-conducting membrane pores bounded by curled beta-sheets. In large-scale simulations, we resolve the process of pore formation from GSDMDNT arcs and lipid efflux from partial rings. We find that high-order GSDMDNT oligomers can crack under the line tension of 86 pN created by an open membrane edge to form the slit pores or closed GSDMDNT rings seen in atomic force microscopy experiments. Our simulations provide a detailed view of key steps in GSDMDNT-induced plasma membrane pore formation, including sublytic pores that explain nonselective ion flux during early pyroptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan L Schaefer
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of BiophysicsFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Gerhard Hummer
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of BiophysicsFrankfurt am MainGermany
- Institute of Biophysics, Goethe University FrankfurtFrankfurt am MainGermany
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4
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Bueno-Alejo C, Santana Vega M, Chaplin AK, Farrow C, Axer A, Burley GA, Dominguez C, Kara H, Paschalis V, Tubasum S, Eperon IC, Clark AW, Hudson AJ. Surface Passivation with a Perfluoroalkane Brush Improves the Precision of Single-Molecule Measurements. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:49604-49616. [PMID: 36306432 PMCID: PMC9650645 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c16647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Single-molecule imaging is invaluable for investigating the heterogeneous behavior and interactions of biological molecules. However, an impediment to precise sampling of single molecules is the irreversible adsorption of components onto the surfaces of cover glasses. This causes continuous changes in the concentrations of different molecules dissolved or suspended in the aqueous phase from the moment a sample is dispensed, which will shift, over time, the position of chemical equilibria between monomeric and multimeric components. Interferometric scattering microscopy (iSCAT) is a technique in the single-molecule toolkit that has the capability to detect unlabeled proteins and protein complexes both as they adsorb onto and desorb from a glass surface. Here, we examine the reversible and irreversible interactions between a number of different proteins and glass via analysis of the adsorption and desorption of protein at the single-molecule level. Furthermore, we present a method for surface passivation that virtually eliminates irreversible adsorption while still ensuring the residence time of molecules on surfaces is sufficient for detection of adsorption by iSCAT. By grafting high-density perfluoroalkane brushes on cover-glass surfaces, we observe approximately equal numbers of adsorption and desorption events for proteins at the measurement surface (±1%). The fluorous-aqueous interface also prevents the kinetic trapping of protein complexes and assists in establishing a thermodynamic equilibrium between monomeric and multimeric components. This surface passivation approach is valuable for in vitro single-molecule experiments using iSCAT microscopy because it allows for continuous monitoring of adsorption and desorption of protein without either a decline in detection events or a change in sample composition due to the irreversible binding of protein to surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos
J. Bueno-Alejo
- School
of Chemistry, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, United Kingdom
- Leicester
Institute of Structural & Chemical Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
| | - Marina Santana Vega
- School
of Engineering, Advanced Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 11 Chapel Lane, Glasgow G11 6EW, United Kingdom
| | - Amanda K. Chaplin
- Leicester
Institute of Structural & Chemical Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
| | - Chloe Farrow
- School
of Chemistry, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, United Kingdom
- Leicester
Institute of Structural & Chemical Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Axer
- Strathclyde
Centre for Molecular Bioscience & Department of Pure & Applied
Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, 295 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G1 1XL, United Kingdom
| | - Glenn A. Burley
- Strathclyde
Centre for Molecular Bioscience & Department of Pure & Applied
Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, 295 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G1 1XL, United Kingdom
| | - Cyril Dominguez
- Leicester
Institute of Structural & Chemical Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
| | - Hesna Kara
- Leicester
Institute of Structural & Chemical Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
| | - Vasileios Paschalis
- Leicester
Institute of Structural & Chemical Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
| | - Sumera Tubasum
- Leicester
Institute of Structural & Chemical Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
| | - Ian C. Eperon
- Leicester
Institute of Structural & Chemical Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
- Department
of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
| | - Alasdair W. Clark
- School
of Engineering, Advanced Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 11 Chapel Lane, Glasgow G11 6EW, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J. Hudson
- School
of Chemistry, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, United Kingdom
- Leicester
Institute of Structural & Chemical Biology, Henry Wellcome Building, University of Leicester, Lancaster Road, Leicester LE1 7HB, United Kingdom
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5
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Ilangumaran Ponmalar I, Sarangi NK, Basu JK, Ayappa KG. Pore Forming Protein Induced Biomembrane Reorganization and Dynamics: A Focused Review. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:737561. [PMID: 34568431 PMCID: PMC8459938 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.737561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pore forming proteins are a broad class of pathogenic proteins secreted by organisms as virulence factors due to their ability to form pores on the target cell membrane. Bacterial pore forming toxins (PFTs) belong to a subclass of pore forming proteins widely implicated in bacterial infections. Although the action of PFTs on target cells have been widely investigated, the underlying membrane response of lipids during membrane binding and pore formation has received less attention. With the advent of superresolution microscopy as well as the ability to carry out molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the large protein membrane assemblies, novel microscopic insights on the pore forming mechanism have emerged over the last decade. In this review, we focus primarily on results collated in our laboratory which probe dynamic lipid reorganization induced in the plasma membrane during various stages of pore formation by two archetypal bacterial PFTs, cytolysin A (ClyA), an α-toxin and listeriolysin O (LLO), a β-toxin. The extent of lipid perturbation is dependent on both the secondary structure of the membrane inserted motifs of pore complex as well as the topological variations of the pore complex. Using confocal and superresolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and MD simulations, lipid diffusion, cholesterol reorganization and deviations from Brownian diffusion are correlated with the oligomeric state of the membrane bound protein as well as the underlying membrane composition. Deviations from free diffusion are typically observed at length scales below ∼130 nm to reveal the presence of local dynamical heterogeneities that emerge at the nanoscale-driven in part by preferential protein binding to cholesterol and domains present in the lipid membrane. Interrogating the lipid dynamics at the nanoscale allows us further differentiate between binding and pore formation of β- and α-PFTs to specific domains in the membrane. The molecular insights gained from the intricate coupling that occurs between proteins and membrane lipids and receptors during pore formation are expected to improve our understanding of the virulent action of PFTs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nirod K. Sarangi
- School of Chemical Science, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jaydeep K. Basu
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - K. Ganapathy Ayappa
- Center for BioSystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
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7
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Nishimoto AT, Rosch JW, Tuomanen EI. Pneumolysin: Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Target. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1543. [PMID: 32714314 PMCID: PMC7343714 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for widespread illness and is a major global health issue for children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised population. Pneumolysin (PLY) is a cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC) and key pneumococcal virulence factor involved in all phases of pneumococcal disease, including transmission, colonization, and infection. In this review we cover the biology and cytolytic function of PLY, its contribution to S. pneumoniae pathogenesis, and its known interactions and effects on the host with regard to tissue damage and immune response. Additionally, we review statins as a therapeutic option for CDC toxicity and PLY toxoid as a vaccine candidate in protein-based vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew T Nishimoto
- Department of Infectious Disease, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Jason W Rosch
- Department of Infectious Disease, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Elaine I Tuomanen
- Department of Infectious Disease, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
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