1
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Ikujuni AP, Dhar R, Cordova A, Bowman AM, Noga S, Slusky JSG. Discovery and Characterization of Two Folded Intermediates for Outer Membrane Protein TolC Biogenesis. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168652. [PMID: 38871177 PMCID: PMC11297670 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
TolC is the outer membrane protein responsible for antibiotic efflux in E. coli. Compared to other outer membrane proteins it has an unusual fold and has been shown to fold independently of commonly used periplasmic chaperones, SurA and Skp. Here we find that the assembly of TolC involves the formation of two folded intermediates using circular dichroism, gel electrophoresis, site-specific disulfide bond formation and radioactive labeling. First the TolC monomer folds, and then TolC assembles into a trimer both in detergent-free buffer and in the presence of detergent micelles. We find that a TolC trimer also forms in the periplasm and is present in the periplasm before it inserts in the outer membrane. The monomeric and trimeric folding intermediates may be used in the future to develop a new approach to antibiotic efflux pump inhibition by targeting the assembly pathway of TolC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayotunde Paul Ikujuni
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Ave, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States
| | - Rik Dhar
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Ave, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States
| | - Andres Cordova
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Ave, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States
| | - Alexander M Bowman
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Ave, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States
| | - Sarah Noga
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Ave, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States
| | - Joanna S G Slusky
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Ave, Lawrence, KS 66045, United States; Computational Biology Program, The University of Kansas, 2030 Becker Dr., Lawrence, KS 66045-7534, United States.
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2
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Devlin T, Fleming KG. A team of chaperones play to win in the bacterial periplasm. Trends Biochem Sci 2024; 49:667-680. [PMID: 38677921 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2024.03.015] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
The survival and virulence of Gram-negative bacteria require proper biogenesis and maintenance of the outer membrane (OM), which is densely packed with β-barrel OM proteins (OMPs). Before reaching the OM, precursor unfolded OMPs (uOMPs) must cross the whole cell envelope. A network of periplasmic chaperones and proteases maintains unfolded but folding-competent conformations of these membrane proteins in the aqueous periplasm while simultaneously preventing off-pathway aggregation. These periplasmic proteins utilize different strategies, including conformational heterogeneity, oligomerization, multivalency, and kinetic partitioning, to perform and regulate their functions. Redundant and unique characteristics of the individual periplasmic players synergize to create a protein quality control team capable responding to changing environmental stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Devlin
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Karen G Fleming
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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3
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Ikujuni AP, Budiardjo SJ, Dhar R, Slusky JSG. Detergent headgroups control TolC folding in vitro. Biophys J 2023; 122:1185-1197. [PMID: 36772796 PMCID: PMC10111266 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
TolC is the trimeric outer membrane component of the efflux pump system in Escherichia coli that is responsible for antibiotic efflux from bacterial cells. Overexpression of efflux pumps has been reported to decrease susceptibility to antibiotics in a variety of bacterial pathogens. Reliable production of membrane proteins allows for the biophysical and structural characterization needed to better understand efflux and for the development of therapeutics. Preparation of recombinant protein for biochemical/structural studies often involves the production of proteins as inclusion body aggregates from which active proteins are recovered. Here, we find that the in vitro folding of TolC into its functional trimeric state from inclusion bodies is dependent on the headgroup composition of detergent micelles used. Nonionic detergent favors the formation of functional trimeric TolC, whereas zwitterionic detergents induce the formation of a non-native, oligomeric TolC fold. We also find that nonionic detergents with shorter alkyl lengths facilitate TolC folding. It remains to be seen whether the charges in lipid headgroups have similar effects on membrane insertion and folding in biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - S Jimmy Budiardjo
- Center for Computational Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
| | - Rik Dhar
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
| | - Joanna S G Slusky
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas; Center for Computational Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.
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4
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Devlin T, Marx DC, Roskopf MA, Bubb QR, Plummer AM, Fleming KG. FkpA enhances membrane protein folding using an extensive interaction surface. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4592. [PMID: 36775935 PMCID: PMC10031210 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
Outer membrane protein (OMP) biogenesis in gram-negative bacteria is managed by a network of periplasmic chaperones that includes SurA, Skp, and FkpA. These chaperones bind unfolded OMPs (uOMPs) in dynamic conformational ensembles to suppress aggregation, facilitate diffusion across the periplasm, and enhance folding. FkpA primarily responds to heat-shock stress, but its mechanism is comparatively understudied. To determine FkpA chaperone function in the context of OMP folding, we monitored the folding of three OMPs and found that FkpA, unlike other periplasmic chaperones, increases the folded yield but decreases the folding rate of OMPs. The results indicate that FkpA behaves as a chaperone and not as a folding catalyst to influence the OMP folding trajectory. Consistent with the folding assay results, FkpA binds all three uOMPs as determined by sedimentation velocity (SV) and photo-crosslinking experiments. We determine the binding affinity between FkpA and uOmpA171 by globally fitting SV titrations and find it to be intermediate between the known affinities of Skp and SurA for uOMP clients. Notably, complex formation steeply depends on the urea concentration, suggesting an extensive binding interface. Initial characterizations of the complex using photo-crosslinking indicate that the binding interface spans the entire FkpA molecule. In contrast to prior findings, folding and binding experiments performed using subdomain constructs of FkpA demonstrate that the full-length chaperone is required for full activity. Together these results support that FkpA has a distinct and direct effect on OMP folding that it achieves by utilizing an extensive chaperone-client interface to tightly bind clients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Devlin
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Dagan C. Marx
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Michaela A. Roskopf
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Quenton R. Bubb
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Ashlee M. Plummer
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Karen G. Fleming
- T.C. Jenkins Department of BiophysicsJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMarylandUSA
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5
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Chaperones Skp and SurA dynamically expand unfolded OmpX and synergistically disassemble oligomeric aggregates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2118919119. [PMID: 35217619 PMCID: PMC8892499 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2118919119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are crucial for the survival of bacteria. The two chaperones 17-kilodalton protein (Skp) and survival factor A (SurA) play key roles in OMP maturation by keeping unfolded OMP proteins soluble in the periplasm. However, their functionalities are incompletely understood. Here, we establish connections between structural and energetic features employed by the two chaperones when interacting with unfolded OmpX. We find that expansion, accompanied with fast polypeptide chain reconfiguration, prevents unfolded OmpX from misfolding and aggregating. Moreover, chaperone interaction with unfolded OmpX is thermodynamically calibrated, allowing for a fine-tuned association of chaperones with OMPs in the adenosine triphosphate-depleted periplasm. We further discovered that Skp and SurA act together as disaggregases and are able to disassemble oligomeric OMP aggregates, revealing remarkable functionalities of this periplasmic chaperone system. Periplasmic chaperones 17-kilodalton protein (Skp) and survival factor A (SurA) are essential players in outer membrane protein (OMP) biogenesis. They prevent unfolded OMPs from misfolding during their passage through the periplasmic space and aid in the disassembly of OMP aggregates under cellular stress conditions. However, functionally important links between interaction mechanisms, structural dynamics, and energetics that underpin both Skp and SurA associations with OMPs have remained largely unresolved. Here, using single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy, we dissect the conformational dynamics and thermodynamics of Skp and SurA binding to unfolded OmpX and explore their disaggregase activities. We show that both chaperones expand unfolded OmpX distinctly and induce microsecond chain reconfigurations in the client OMP structure. We further reveal that Skp and SurA bind their substrate in a fine-tuned thermodynamic process via enthalpy–entropy compensation. Finally, we observed synergistic activity of both chaperones in the disaggregation of oligomeric OmpX aggregates. Our findings provide an intimate view into the multifaceted functionalities of Skp and SurA and the fine-tuned balance between conformational flexibility and underlying energetics in aiding chaperone action during OMP biogenesis.
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6
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The sacrificial adaptor protein Skp functions to remove stalled substrates from the β-barrel assembly machine. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2114997119. [PMID: 34969846 PMCID: PMC8740687 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114997119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The outer membrane (OM) of gram-negative bacteria acts as a robust permeability barrier to enable cell survival in a wide variety of harsh environments. Crucial to OM integrity are β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) that are assembled into the membrane by the broadly conserved β-barrel assembly machine (Bam) complex. Here, we identify specific roles for the periplasmic chaperone Skp in functioning as a sacrificial adaptor protein to remove stalled substrates from the Bam complex, imposing an active quality control mechanism that ensures efficient assembly of nascent OMPs into the OM. This work identifies the molecular mechanism of the Skp/DegP functional relationship and clarifies the long-standing paradox of how substrate release from the high-affinity, long-lived Skp–OMP complex is achieved in vivo. The biogenesis of integral β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in gram-negative bacteria requires transport by molecular chaperones across the aqueous periplasmic space. Owing in part to the extensive functional redundancy within the periplasmic chaperone network, specific roles for molecular chaperones in OMP quality control and assembly have remained largely elusive. Here, by deliberately perturbing the OMP assembly process through use of multiple folding-defective substrates, we have identified a role for the periplasmic chaperone Skp in ensuring efficient folding of OMPs by the β-barrel assembly machine (Bam) complex. We find that β-barrel substrates that fail to integrate into the membrane in a timely manner are removed from the Bam complex by Skp, thereby allowing for clearance of stalled Bam–OMP complexes. Following the displacement of OMPs from the assembly machinery, Skp subsequently serves as a sacrificial adaptor protein to directly facilitate the degradation of defective OMP substrates by the periplasmic protease DegP. We conclude that Skp acts to ensure efficient β-barrel folding by directly mediating the displacement and degradation of assembly-compromised OMP substrates from the Bam complex.
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7
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Troman LA, Collinson I. Pushing the Envelope: The Mysterious Journey Through the Bacterial Secretory Machinery, and Beyond. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:782900. [PMID: 34917061 PMCID: PMC8669966 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.782900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria are contained by an envelope composed of inner and outer-membranes with the peptidoglycan (PG) layer between them. Protein translocation across the inner membrane for secretion, or insertion into the inner membrane is primarily conducted using the highly conserved, hourglass-shaped channel, SecYEG: the core-complex of the Sec translocon. This transport process is facilitated by interactions with ancillary subcomplex SecDF-YajC (secretion) and YidC (insertion) forming the holo-translocon (HTL). This review recaps the transport process across the inner-membrane and then further explores how delivery and folding into the periplasm or outer-membrane is achieved. It seems very unlikely that proteins are jettisoned into the periplasm and left to their own devices. Indeed, chaperones such as SurA, Skp, DegP are known to play a part in protein folding, quality control and, if necessary degradation. YfgM and PpiD, by their association at the periplasmic surface of the Sec machinery, most probably are also involved in some way. Yet, it is not entirely clear how outer-membrane proteins are smuggled past the proteases and across the PG to the barrel-assembly machinery (BAM) and their final destination. Moreover, how can this be achieved, as is thought, without the input of energy? Recently, we proposed that the Sec and BAM translocons interact with one another, and most likely other factors, to provide a conduit to the periplasm and the outer-membrane. As it happens, numerous other specialized proteins secretion systems also form trans-envelope structures for this very purpose. The direct interaction between components across the envelope raises the prospect of energy coupling from the inner membrane for active transport to the outer-membrane. Indeed, this kind of long-range energy coupling through large inter-membrane assemblies occurs for small molecule import (e.g., nutrient import by the Ton complex) and export (e.g., drug efflux by the AcrAB-TolC complex). This review will consider this hypothetical prospect in the context of outer-membrane protein biogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ian Collinson
- School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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8
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Sučec I, Bersch B, Schanda P. How do Chaperones Bind (Partly) Unfolded Client Proteins? Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:762005. [PMID: 34760928 PMCID: PMC8573040 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.762005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular chaperones are central to cellular protein homeostasis. Dynamic disorder is a key feature of the complexes of molecular chaperones and their client proteins, and it facilitates the client release towards a folded state or the handover to downstream components. The dynamic nature also implies that a given chaperone can interact with many different client proteins, based on physico-chemical sequence properties rather than on structural complementarity of their (folded) 3D structure. Yet, the balance between this promiscuity and some degree of client specificity is poorly understood. Here, we review recent atomic-level descriptions of chaperones with client proteins, including chaperones in complex with intrinsically disordered proteins, with membrane-protein precursors, or partially folded client proteins. We focus hereby on chaperone-client interactions that are independent of ATP. The picture emerging from these studies highlights the importance of dynamics in these complexes, whereby several interaction types, not only hydrophobic ones, contribute to the complex formation. We discuss these features of chaperone-client complexes and possible factors that may contribute to this balance of promiscuity and specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Sučec
- CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Beate Bersch
- CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Paul Schanda
- CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France.,Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
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9
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Molecular mechanism of networking among DegP, Skp and SurA in periplasm for biogenesis of outer membrane proteins. Biochem J 2021; 477:2949-2965. [PMID: 32729902 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The biogenesis of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) is an extremely challenging process. In the periplasm of Escherichia coli, a group of quality control factors work together to exercise the safe-guard and quality control of OMPs. DegP, Skp and SurA are the three most prominent ones. Although extensive investigations have been carried out, the molecular mechanism regarding the networking among these proteins remains mostly mysterious. Our group has previously studied the molecular interactions of OMPs with SurA and Skp, using single-molecule detection (SMD). In this work, again using SMD, we studied how OmpC, a representative of OMPs, interacts with DegP, Skp and SurA collectively. Several important discoveries were made. The self-oligomerization of DegP to form hexamer occurs over hundred micromolars. When OmpC is in a monomer state at a low concentration, the OmpC·DegP6 and OmpC·DegP24 complexes form when the DegP concentration is around sub-micromolars and a hundred micromolars, respectively. High OmpC concentration promotes the binding affinity of DegP to OmpC by ∼100 folds. Skp and SurA behave differently when they interact synergistically with DegP in the presence of substrate. DegP can degrade SurA-protected OmpC, but Skp-protected OmpC forms the ternary complex OmpC·(Skp3)n·DegP6 (n = 1,2) to resist the DegP-mediated degradation. Combined with previous results, we were able to depict a comprehensive picture regarding the molecular mechanism of the networking among DegP, Skp and SurA in the periplasm for the OMPs biogenesis under physiological and stressed conditions.
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10
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Marx DC, Plummer AM, Faustino AM, Devlin T, Roskopf MA, Leblanc MJ, Lessen HJ, Amann BT, Fleming PJ, Krueger S, Fried SD, Fleming KG. SurA is a cryptically grooved chaperone that expands unfolded outer membrane proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:28026-28035. [PMID: 33093201 PMCID: PMC7668074 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2008175117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The periplasmic chaperone network ensures the biogenesis of bacterial outer membrane proteins (OMPs) and has recently been identified as a promising target for antibiotics. SurA is the most important member of this network, both due to its genetic interaction with the β-barrel assembly machinery complex as well as its ability to prevent unfolded OMP (uOMP) aggregation. Using only binding energy, the mechanism by which SurA carries out these two functions is not well-understood. Here, we use a combination of photo-crosslinking, mass spectrometry, solution scattering, and molecular modeling techniques to elucidate the key structural features that define how SurA solubilizes uOMPs. Our experimental data support a model in which SurA binds uOMPs in a groove formed between the core and P1 domains. This binding event results in a drastic expansion of the rest of the uOMP, which has many biological implications. Using these experimental data as restraints, we adopted an integrative modeling approach to create a sparse ensemble of models of a SurA•uOMP complex. We validated key structural features of the SurA•uOMP ensemble using independent scattering and chemical crosslinking data. Our data suggest that SurA utilizes three distinct binding modes to interact with uOMPs and that more than one SurA can bind a uOMP at a time. This work demonstrates that SurA operates in a distinct fashion compared to other chaperones in the OMP biogenesis network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagan C Marx
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | - Ashlee M Plummer
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | | | - Taylor Devlin
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | - Michaela A Roskopf
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | - Mathis J Leblanc
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | - Henry J Lessen
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | - Barbara T Amann
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | - Patrick J Fleming
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | - Susan Krueger
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899
| | - Stephen D Fried
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | - Karen G Fleming
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218;
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11
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Mas G, Burmann BM, Sharpe T, Claudi B, Bumann D, Hiller S. Regulation of chaperone function by coupled folding and oligomerization. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/43/eabc5822. [PMID: 33087350 PMCID: PMC7577714 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc5822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The homotrimeric molecular chaperone Skp of Gram-negative bacteria facilitates the transport of outer membrane proteins across the periplasm. It has been unclear how its activity is modulated during its functional cycle. Here, we report an atomic-resolution characterization of the Escherichia coli Skp monomer-trimer transition. We find that the monomeric state of Skp is intrinsically disordered and that formation of the oligomerization interface initiates folding of the α-helical coiled-coil arms via a unique "stapling" mechanism, resulting in the formation of active trimeric Skp. Native client proteins contact all three Skp subunits simultaneously, and accordingly, their binding shifts the Skp population toward the active trimer. This activation mechanism is shown to be essential for Salmonella fitness in a mouse infection model. The coupled mechanism is a unique example of how an ATP-independent chaperone can modulate its activity as a function of the presence of client proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Mas
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Björn M Burmann
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Timothy Sharpe
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Beatrice Claudi
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dirk Bumann
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Hiller
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
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12
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Affinity of Skp to OmpC revealed by single-molecule detection. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14871. [PMID: 32913243 PMCID: PMC7483523 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71608-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are essential to gram-negative bacteria, and molecular chaperones prevent the OMPs from aggregation in the periplasm during the OMPs biogenesis. Skp is one of the molecular chaperones for this purpose. Here, we combined single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to study the affinity and stoichiometric ratio of Skp in its binding with OmpC at the single-molecule level. The half concentration of the Skp self-trimerization (C1/2) was measured to be (2.5 ± 0.7) × 102 nM. Under an Skp concentration far below the C1/2, OmpC could recruit Skp monomers to form OmpC·Skp3. The affinity to form the OmpC·Skp3 complex was determined to be (5.5 ± 0.4) × 102 pM with a Hill coefficient of 1.6 ± 0.2. Under the micromolar concentrations of Skp, the formation of OmpC·(Skp3)2 was confirmed, and the dissociation constant of OmpC·(Skp3)2 was determined to be 1.2 ± 0.4 μM. The precise information will help us to quantitatively depict the role of Skp in the biogenesis of OMPs.
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13
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Molecular mechanism of SurA’s chaperoning function to outer membrane proteins revealed by purification-after-crosslinking single-molecule FRET. Sci China Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11426-020-9758-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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14
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Degp degrades a wide range of substrate proteins in Escherichia coli under stress conditions. Biochem J 2019; 476:3549-3564. [DOI: 10.1042/bcj20190446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
DegP, a periplasmic dual-functional protease and chaperone in Gram-negative bacteria, is critical for bacterial stress resistance, but the precise underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we show that the protease function of DegP is critical for Escherichia coli cells to maintain membrane integrity, particularly under heat shock conditions (42°C). Site-directed photo-cross-linking, mass spectrometry and immunoblotting analyses reveal that both periplasmic proteins (e.g. OppA and MalE) and β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are DegP-interacting proteins and that OppA is degraded by DegP in vitro and in vivo at 42°C. In addition, OmpA and BamA, chimeric β-barrel OMPs containing a soluble periplasmic domain, are bound to DegP in both unfolded and folded forms, whereas only the unfolded forms are degradable by DegP. The presence of folded OmpA as a substrate of DegP is attributed to its periplasmic domain, which is resistant to DegP degradation and even generally protects pure β-barrel OMPs from degradation in an intra-molecular way. Furthermore, a pair of residues (R262 and V328) in the PDZ domain-1 of DegP play important roles for binding unfolded and folded β-barrel OMPs, with R262 being critical. Our study, together with earlier reports, indicates that DegP plays a critical role in protein quality control in the bacterial periplasm by degrading both periplasmic proteins and β-barrel OMPs under stress conditions and likely also by participating in the folding of chimeric β-barrel OMPs. A working model is proposed to illustrate the finely tuned functions of DegP with respect to different substrate proteins.
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15
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Chum AP, Shoemaker SR, Fleming PJ, Fleming KG. Plasticity and transient binding are key ingredients of the periplasmic chaperone network. Protein Sci 2019; 28:1340-1349. [PMID: 31074917 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 05/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
SurA, Skp, FkpA, and DegP constitute a chaperone network that ensures biogenesis of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in Gram-negative bacteria. Both Skp and FkpA are holdases that prevent the self-aggregation of unfolded OMPs, whereas SurA accelerates folding and DegP is a protease. None of these chaperones is essential, and we address here how functional plasticity is manifested in nine known null strains. Using a comprehensive computational model of this network termed OMPBioM, our results suggest that a threshold level of steady state holdase occupancy by chaperones is required, but the cell is agnostic to the specific holdase molecule fulfilling this function. In addition to its foldase activity, SurA moonlights as a holdase when there is no expression of Skp and FkpA. We further interrogate the importance of chaperone-client complex lifetime by conducting simulations using lifetime values for Skp complexes that range in length by six orders of magnitude. This analysis suggests that transient occupancy of durations much shorter than the Escherichia coli doubling time is required. We suggest that fleeting chaperone occupancy facilitates rapid sampling of the periplasmic conditions, which ensures that the cell can be adept at responding to environmental changes. Finally, we calculated the network effects of adding multivalency by computing populations that include two Skp trimers per unfolded OMP. We observe only modest perturbations to the system. Overall, this quantitative framework of chaperone-protein interactions in the periplasm demonstrates robust plasticity due to its dynamic binding and unbinding behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron P Chum
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sophie R Shoemaker
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Patrick J Fleming
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Karen G Fleming
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
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16
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Subunit interactions as mediated by “non-interface” residues in living cells for multiple homo-oligomeric proteins. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 512:100-105. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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17
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Abstract
The biogenesis of periplasmic and outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in Escherichia coli is assisted by a variety of processes that help with their folding and transport to their final destination in the cellular envelope. Chaperones are macromolecules, usually proteins, that facilitate the folding of proteins or prevent their aggregation without becoming part of the protein's final structure. Because chaperones often bind to folding intermediates, they often (but not always) act to slow protein folding. Protein folding catalysts, on the other hand, act to accelerate specific steps in the protein folding pathway, including disulfide bond formation and peptidyl prolyl isomerization. This review is primarily concerned with E. coli and Salmonella periplasmic and cellular envelope chaperones; it also discusses periplasmic proline isomerization.
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18
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Humes JR, Schiffrin B, Calabrese AN, Higgins AJ, Westhead DR, Brockwell DJ, Radford SE. The Role of SurA PPIase Domains in Preventing Aggregation of the Outer-Membrane Proteins tOmpA and OmpT. J Mol Biol 2019; 431:1267-1283. [PMID: 30716334 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2019.01.032] [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: 12/02/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
SurA is a conserved ATP-independent periplasmic chaperone involved in the biogenesis of outer-membrane proteins (OMPs). Escherichia coli SurA has a core domain and two peptidylprolyl isomerase (PPIase) domains, the role(s) of which remain unresolved. Here we show that while SurA homologues in early proteobacteria typically contain one or no PPIase domains, the presence of two PPIase domains is common in SurA in later proteobacteria, implying an evolutionary advantage for this domain architecture. Bioinformatics analysis of >350,000 OMP sequences showed that their length, hydrophobicity and aggregation propensity are similar across the proteobacterial classes, ruling out a simple correlation between SurA domain architecture and these properties of OMP sequences. To investigate the role of the PPIase domains in SurA activity, we deleted one or both PPIase domains from E.coli SurA and investigated the ability of the resulting proteins to bind and prevent the aggregation of tOmpA (19 kDa) and OmpT (33 kDa). The results show that wild-type SurA inhibits the aggregation of both OMPs, as do the cytoplasmic OMP chaperones trigger factor and SecB. However, while the ability of SurA to bind and prevent tOmpA aggregation does not depend on its PPIase domains, deletion of even a single PPIase domain ablates the ability of SurA to prevent OmpT aggregation. The results demonstrate that the core domain of SurA endows its generic chaperone ability, while the presence of PPIase domains enhances its chaperone activity for specific OMPs, suggesting one reason for the conservation of multiple PPIase domains in SurA in proteobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia R Humes
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Bob Schiffrin
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Antonio N Calabrese
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Anna J Higgins
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David R Westhead
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David J Brockwell
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
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19
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Abstract
The periplasm of Gram-negative bacteria contains a specialized chaperone network that facilitates the transport of unfolded membrane proteins to the outer membrane as its primary functional role. The network, involving the chaperones Skp and SurA as key players and potentially additional chaperones, is indispensable for the survival of the cell. Structural descriptions of the apo forms of these molecular chaperones were initially provided by X-ray crystallography. Subsequently, a combination of experimental biophysical methods including solution NMR spectroscopy provided a detailed understanding of full-length chaperone-client complexes . The data showed that conformational changes and dynamic re-organization of the chaperones upon client binding, as well as client dynamics on the chaperone surface are crucial for function. This chapter gives an overview of the structure-function relationship of the dynamic conformational rearrangements that regulate the functional cycles of the periplasmic molecular chaperones Skp and SurA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Mas
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, Basel, 4056, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Thoma
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 9c, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sebastian Hiller
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, Basel, 4056, Switzerland.
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20
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Bibow S, Hiller S. A guide to quantifying membrane protein dynamics in lipids and other native-like environments by solution-state NMR spectroscopy. FEBS J 2018; 286:1610-1623. [PMID: 30133960 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent biochemical and technical developments permit residue-specific solution NMR measurements of membrane protein (MP) dynamics in lipidic and chaperone-bound environments. This is possible by combinations of improved sample preparations with suitable NMR relaxation experiments to correlate protein function to backbone dynamics on timescales from picoseconds to seconds, even for large MP-lipid assemblies above 100 kDa in molecular mass. Here, we introduce the basic concepts of different NMR relaxation experiments, individually sensitive to specific timescales. We discuss the general limitations of detergent environments and highlight the importance for native-like environments when studying MPs. We then review three practical studies of fast- and slow-timescale MP dynamics in lipid environments, as well as in a natively unfolded, chaperone-bound state. These examples illustrate the new avenues solution NMR spectroscopy is taking to investigate MP dynamics in native-like environments with atomic resolution.
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21
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Fu X, Wang Y, Shao H, Ma J, Song X, Zhang M, Chang Z. DegP functions as a critical protease for bacterial acid resistance. FEBS J 2018; 285:3525-3538. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.14627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2017] [Revised: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xinmiao Fu
- Provincial University Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Response and Metabolic Regulation College of Life Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou City Fujian Province China
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research School of Life Sciences Peking University Beijing China
- Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microbiology of Ministry of Education College of Life Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou City Fujian Province China
| | - Yan Wang
- Provincial University Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Response and Metabolic Regulation College of Life Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou City Fujian Province China
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research School of Life Sciences Peking University Beijing China
- Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microbiology of Ministry of Education College of Life Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou City Fujian Province China
| | - Heqi Shao
- Provincial University Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Response and Metabolic Regulation College of Life Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou City Fujian Province China
| | - Jing Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research School of Life Sciences Peking University Beijing China
| | - Xinwen Song
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research School of Life Sciences Peking University Beijing China
| | - Meng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research School of Life Sciences Peking University Beijing China
| | - Zengyi Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research School of Life Sciences Peking University Beijing China
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22
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Mas G, Hiller S. Conformational plasticity of molecular chaperones involved in periplasmic and outer membrane protein folding. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2018; 365:4998852. [DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fny121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Mas
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Hiller
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
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23
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Li G, He C, Bu P, Bi H, Pan S, Sun R, Zhao XS. Single-Molecule Detection Reveals Different Roles of Skp and SurA as Chaperones. ACS Chem Biol 2018. [PMID: 29543429 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Skp and SurA are both periplasmic chaperones involved in the biogenesis of Escherichia coli β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs). It is commonly assumed that SurA plays a major role whereas Skp is a minor factor. However, there is no molecular evidence for whether their roles are redundant. Here, by using different dilution methods, we obtained monodisperse and aggregated forms of OmpC and studied their interactions with Skp and SurA by single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. We found that Skp can dissolve aggregated OmpC while SurA cannot convert aggregated OmpC into the monodisperse form and the conformations of OmpC recognized by the two chaperones as well as their stoichiometries of binding are different. Our study demonstrates the functional distinctions between Skp and SurA. In particular, the role of Skp is not redundant and is probably more significant under stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geng Li
- Department of Chemical Biology, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Biodynamic Optical Imaging Center (BIOPIC), Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chenhui He
- Biodynamic Optical Imaging Center (BIOPIC), Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Peixuan Bu
- Department of Chemical Biology, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Biodynamic Optical Imaging Center (BIOPIC), Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Huimin Bi
- Department of Chemical Biology, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Biodynamic Optical Imaging Center (BIOPIC), Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Sichen Pan
- Department of Chemical Biology, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Biodynamic Optical Imaging Center (BIOPIC), Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ronghua Sun
- Department of Chemical Biology, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Biodynamic Optical Imaging Center (BIOPIC), Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xin Sheng Zhao
- Department of Chemical Biology, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Biodynamic Optical Imaging Center (BIOPIC), Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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24
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Yang J, Dear AJ, Michaels TCT, Dobson CM, Knowles TPJ, Wu S, Perrett S. Direct Observation of Oligomerization by Single Molecule Fluorescence Reveals a Multistep Aggregation Mechanism for the Yeast Prion Protein Ure2. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:2493-2503. [PMID: 29357227 PMCID: PMC5880511 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b10439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
![]()
The self-assembly of polypeptides
into amyloid structures is associated
with a range of increasingly prevalent neurodegenerative diseases
as well as with a select set of functional processes in biology. The
phenomenon of self-assembly results in species with dramatically different
sizes, from small oligomers to large fibrils; however, the kinetic
relationship between these species is challenging to characterize.
In the case of prion aggregates, these structures can self-replicate
and act as infectious agents. Here we use single molecule spectroscopy
to obtain quantitative information on the oligomer populations formed
during aggregation of the yeast prion protein Ure2. Global analysis
of the aggregation kinetics reveals the molecular mechanism underlying
oligomer formation and depletion. Quantitative characterization indicates
that the majority of Ure2 oligomers are relatively short-lived, and
their rate of dissociation is much higher than their rate of conversion
into growing fibrils. We identify an initial metastable oligomer,
which can subsequently convert into a structurally distinct oligomer,
which in turn converts into growing fibrils. We also show that fragmentation
is responsible for the autocatalytic self-replication of Ure2 fibrils,
but that preformed fibrils do not promote oligomer formation, indicating
that secondary nucleation of the type observed for peptides and proteins
associated with neurodegenerative disease does not occur at a significant
rate for Ure2. These results establish a framework for elucidating
the temporal and causal relationship between oligomers and larger
fibrillar species in amyloid forming systems, and provide insights
into why functional amyloid systems are not toxic to their host organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yang
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences , 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Alexander J Dear
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas C T Michaels
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.,Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University , Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Christopher M Dobson
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom
| | - Tuomas P J Knowles
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge , Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1EW, United Kingdom.,Cavendish Laboratory , J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 1HE, United Kingdom
| | - Si Wu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences , 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Sarah Perrett
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, China.,University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences , 19A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
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25
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A Small Periplasmic Protein with a Hydrophobic C-Terminal Residue Enhances DegP Proteolysis as a Suicide Activator. J Bacteriol 2018; 200:JB.00519-17. [PMID: 28947671 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00519-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
DegP is a highly conserved protease that performs regulated proteolysis to selectively remove misfolded proteins in the periplasm of Escherichia coli Binding of misfolded proteins is known to be the main mechanism of DegP activation, but it is unknown whether any native proteins can alter DegP activity. Here, we show that a small periplasmic protein, YjfN, which is highly upregulated by the Cpx envelope stress response, functions as a "suicide activator" for DegP and promotes efficient degradation of misfolded proteins. YjfN readily binds to and is degraded by DegP, for which a hydrophobic C-terminal residue and transient unfolding of YjfN are critical. YjfN also activates DegP in trans while it is being degraded and accelerates degradation of a denatured outer membrane protein, OmpA, that is not easily recognized by DegP. Although YjfN also prevents OmpA aggregation, the trans-activation effect is mainly responsible for efficient OmpA degradation. Overexpression of YjfN enhances the viability of cells in misfolded protein stress that is induced by the presence of a less-active variant of DegP at high temperature. Collectively, we suggest that YjfN can enhance DegP proteolysis for relieving envelope stresses that may generate toxic misfolded proteins.IMPORTANCE Proper degradation of toxic misfolded proteins is essential for bacterial survival. This function is mainly performed by a highly conserved protease, DegP, in the periplasm of Escherichia coli It is known that binding of misfolded proteins is the main mechanism for activating the DegP protease. Here, we find that a small periplasmic protein, YjfN, can be a substrate and an activator of DegP. It is the first example of a native protein showing an ability to directly alter DegP activity. The YjfN-mediated trans activation of DegP promotes efficient degradation of misfolded proteins. Our results suggest that YjfN is a novel "suicide activator" for DegP that enhances DegP proteolysis under misfolded protein stress.
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26
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Schiffrin B, Brockwell DJ, Radford SE. Outer membrane protein folding from an energy landscape perspective. BMC Biol 2017; 15:123. [PMID: 29268734 PMCID: PMC5740924 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-017-0464-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The cell envelope is essential for the survival of Gram-negative bacteria. This specialised membrane is densely packed with outer membrane proteins (OMPs), which perform a variety of functions. How OMPs fold into this crowded environment remains an open question. Here, we review current knowledge about OMP folding mechanisms in vitro and discuss how the need to fold to a stable native state has shaped their folding energy landscapes. We also highlight the role of chaperones and the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) in assisting OMP folding in vivo and discuss proposed mechanisms by which this fascinating machinery may catalyse OMP folding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Schiffrin
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David J Brockwell
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
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27
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Schiffrin B, Calabrese AN, Higgins AJ, Humes JR, Ashcroft AE, Kalli AC, Brockwell DJ, Radford SE. Effects of Periplasmic Chaperones and Membrane Thickness on BamA-Catalyzed Outer-Membrane Protein Folding. J Mol Biol 2017; 429:3776-3792. [PMID: 28919234 PMCID: PMC5692476 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2017.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The biogenesis of outer-membrane proteins (OMPs) in gram-negative bacteria involves delivery by periplasmic chaperones to the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM), which catalyzes OMP insertion into the outer membrane. Here, we examine the effects of membrane thickness, the Escherichia coli periplasmic chaperones Skp and SurA, and BamA, the central subunit of the BAM complex, on the folding kinetics of a model OMP (tOmpA) using fluorescence spectroscopy, native mass spectrometry, and molecular dynamics simulations. We show that prefolded BamA promotes the release of tOmpA from Skp despite the nM affinity of the Skp:tOmpA complex. This activity is located in the BamA β-barrel domain, but is greater when full-length BamA is present, indicating that both the β-barrel and polypeptide transport-associated (POTRA) domains are required for maximal activity. By contrast, SurA is unable to release tOmpA from Skp, providing direct evidence against a sequential chaperone model. By varying lipid acyl chain length in synthetic liposomes we show that BamA has a greater catalytic effect on tOmpA folding in thicker bilayers, suggesting that BAM catalysis involves lowering of the kinetic barrier imposed by the hydrophobic thickness of the membrane. Consistent with this, molecular dynamics simulations reveal that increases in membrane thinning/disorder by the transmembrane domain of BamA is greatest in thicker bilayers. Finally, we demonstrate that cross-linking of the BamA barrel does not affect tOmpA folding kinetics in 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) liposomes, suggesting that lateral gating of the BamA barrel and/or hybrid barrel formation is not required, at least for the assembly of a small 8-stranded OMP in vitro. Mechanisms of OMP periplasmic transport and folding by BAM are poorly understood. BamA catalyzes folding by reducing the kinetic barrier imposed by membrane thickness. BamA proteoliposomes promote folding of Skp-bound tOmpA. Lateral gating is not required for BamA-catalyzed folding of tOmpA in DMPC bilayers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Schiffrin
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Antonio N Calabrese
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Anna J Higgins
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Julia R Humes
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Alison E Ashcroft
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Antreas C Kalli
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology, University of Leeds, St. James's University Hospital, Wellcome Trust Brenner Building, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK
| | - David J Brockwell
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
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28
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Chang Z. The function of the DegP (HtrA) protein: Protease versus chaperone. IUBMB Life 2016; 68:904-907. [PMID: 27670951 DOI: 10.1002/iub.1561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The DegP (or HtrA) is a highly conserved family of proteins functioning in all living organisms. It was initially identified as a protease functioning in the periplasmic space of the Gram-negative bacterial cells. It was later reported to also exhibit chaperone activity and thus has been designated as a bifunctional protein. However, recent studies demonstrated that in living cells it more likely functions only as a protease with hardly detectable chaperone activities. In this review, I will summarize the evidences clarifying that DegP more likely only functions as a protease rather than as a chaperone in cells. © 2016 IUBMB Life, 68(11):904-907, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zengyi Chang
- Center for Protein Science, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Studies, School of Life Sciences, Center for History and Philosophy of Science, Peking University, Beijing, China.
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29
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Dynamic periplasmic chaperone reservoir facilitates biogenesis of outer membrane proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E4794-800. [PMID: 27482090 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1601002113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Outer membrane protein (OMP) biogenesis is critical to bacterial physiology because the cellular envelope is vital to bacterial pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance. The process of OMP biogenesis has been studied in vivo, and each of its components has been studied in isolation in vitro. This work integrates parameters and observations from both in vivo and in vitro experiments into a holistic computational model termed "Outer Membrane Protein Biogenesis Model" (OMPBioM). We use OMPBioM to assess OMP biogenesis mathematically in a global manner. Using deterministic and stochastic methods, we are able to simulate OMP biogenesis under varying genetic conditions, each of which successfully replicates experimental observations. We observe that OMPs have a prolonged lifetime in the periplasm where an unfolded OMP makes, on average, hundreds of short-lived interactions with chaperones before folding into its native state. We find that some periplasmic chaperones function primarily as quality-control factors; this function complements the folding catalysis function of other chaperones. Additionally, the effective rate for the β-barrel assembly machinery complex necessary for physiological folding was found to be higher than has currently been observed in vitro. Overall, we find a finely tuned balance between thermodynamic and kinetic parameters maximizes OMP folding flux and minimizes aggregation and unnecessary degradation. In sum, OMPBioM provides a global view of OMP biogenesis that yields unique insights into this essential pathway.
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30
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Plummer AM, Fleming KG. From Chaperones to the Membrane with a BAM! Trends Biochem Sci 2016; 41:872-882. [PMID: 27450425 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Outer membrane proteins (OMPs) play a central role in the integrity of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Unfolded OMPs (uOMPs) transit across the periplasm, and subsequent folding and assembly are crucial for biogenesis. Chaperones and the essential β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) complex facilitate these processes. In vitro studies suggest that some chaperones sequester uOMPs in internal cavities during their periplasmic transit to prevent deleterious aggregation. Upon reaching the outer membrane, the BAM complex acts catalytically to accelerate uOMP folding. Complementary in vivo experiments have revealed the localization and activity of the BAM complex in living cells. Completing an understanding of OMP biogenesis will require a holistic view of the interplay among the individual components discussed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlee M Plummer
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Karen G Fleming
- Thomas C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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31
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Fleming KG. A combined kinetic push and thermodynamic pull as driving forces for outer membrane protein sorting and folding in bacteria. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 370:rstb.2015.0026. [PMID: 26370938 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro folding studies of outer membrane beta-barrels have been invaluable in revealing the lipid effects on folding rates and efficiencies as well as folding free energies. Here, the biophysical results are summarized, and these kinetic and thermodynamic findings are considered in terms of the requirements for folding in the context of the cellular environment. Because the periplasm lacks an external energy source the only driving forces for sorting and folding available within this compartment are binding or folding free energies and their associated rates. These values define functions for periplasmic chaperones and suggest a biophysical mechanism for the BAM complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen G Fleming
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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32
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Folding outer membrane proteins independently of the β-barrel assembly machinery: an assembly pathway for multimeric complexes? Biochem Soc Trans 2016; 44:845-50. [DOI: 10.1042/bst20160003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Since the discovery of the essential role of the β-barrel assembly machinery (BAM) for the membrane insertion of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) that are unrelated in sequence, members of this universally conserved family dominate discussions on OMP assembly in bacteria, mitochondria and chloroplasts. However, several multimeric bacterial OMPs assemble independently of the catalyzing BAM-component BamA. Recent progress on this alternative pathway is reviewed here, and a model for BAM-independent assembly for multimeric OMPs is proposed in which monomer delivery to the membrane and stable prepore formation are key steps towards productive membrane insertion.
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33
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Calmettes C, Judd A, Moraes TF. Structural Aspects of Bacterial Outer Membrane Protein Assembly. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 883:255-70. [PMID: 26621472 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-23603-2_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria is predominantly populated by β-Barrel proteins and lipid anchored proteins that serve a variety of biological functions. The proper folding and assembly of these proteins is essential for bacterial viability and often plays a critical role in virulence and pathogenesis. The β-barrel assembly machinery (Bam) complex is responsible for the proper assembly of β-barrels into the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, whereas the localization of lipoproteins (Lol) system is required for proper targeting of lipoproteins to the outer membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Calmettes
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, Rm. 5366, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S 1A8.
| | - Andrew Judd
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, Rm. 5366, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S 1A8.
| | - Trevor F Moraes
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, Rm. 5366, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S 1A8.
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34
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Abstract
The β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) are integral membrane proteins that reside in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and perform a diverse range of biological functions. Synthesized in the cytoplasm, OMPs must be transported across the inner membrane and through the periplasmic space before they are assembled in the outer membrane. In Escherichia coli, Skp, SurA and DegP are the most prominent factors identified to guide OMPs across the periplasm and to play the role of quality control. Although extensive genetic and biochemical analyses have revealed many basic functions of these periplasmic proteins, the mechanism of their collaboration in assisting the folding and insertion of OMPs is much less understood. Recently, biophysical approaches have shed light on the identification of the intricate network. In the present review, we summarize recent advances in the characterization of these key factors, with a special emphasis on the multifunctional protein DegP. In addition, we present our proposed model on the periplasmic quality control in biogenesis of OMPs.
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35
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Abstract
Biogenesis of the Gram-negative outer membrane involves the chaperone seventeen kilodalton protein (Skp). A Skp trimer is currently thought to bind its unfolded outer membrane protein (uOMP) substrates. Using sedimentation equilibrium, we discovered that Skp is not an obligate trimer under physiological conditions and that Na(+), Cl(-), Mg(2+), and PO4(3-) ions are not linked to Skp trimerization. These findings suggest that electrostatics play a negligible role in Skp assembly. Our results demonstrate that Skp monomers are populated at biologically relevant concentrations, which raises the idea that kinetic formation of Skp-uOMP complexes likely involves Skp monomer assembly around its substrate. In addition, van't Hoff analysis of Skp self-association does not support a previously proposed coupled folding and trimerization of Skp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifford W. Sandlin
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD 21218
| | - Nathan R. Zaccai
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD 21218
| | - Karen G. Fleming
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD 21218
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36
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Zaccai NR, Sandlin CW, Hoopes JT, Curtis JE, Fleming PJ, Fleming KG, Krueger S. Deuterium Labeling Together with Contrast Variation Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Suggests How Skp Captures and Releases Unfolded Outer Membrane Proteins. Methods Enzymol 2015; 566:159-210. [PMID: 26791979 PMCID: PMC4913355 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2015.06.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In Gram-negative bacteria, the chaperone protein Skp forms specific and stable complexes with membrane proteins while they are transported across the periplasm to the outer membrane. The jellyfish-like architecture of Skp is similar to the eukaryotic and archaeal prefoldins and the mitochondrial Tim chaperones, that is the α-helical "tentacles" extend from a β-strand "body" to create an internal cavity. Contrast variation small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments on Skp alone in solution and bound in two different complexes to unfolded outer membrane proteins (uOMPs), OmpA and OmpW, demonstrate that the helical tentacles of Skp bind their substrate in a clamp-like mechanism in a conformation similar to that previously observed in the apo crystal structure of Skp. Deuteration of the uOMP component combined with contrast variation analysis allowed the shapes of Skp and uOMP as well as the location of uOMP with respect to Skp to be determined in both complexes. This represents unique information that could not be obtained without deuterium labeling of the uOMPs. The data yield the first direct structural evidence that the α-helical Skp tentacles move closer together on binding its substrate and that the structure of Skp is different when binding different uOMPs. This work presents, by example, a tutorial on performing SANS experiments using both deuterium labeling and contrast variation, including SANS theory, sample preparation, data collection, sample quality validation, data analysis, and structure modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan R Zaccai
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Clifford W Sandlin
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - James T Hoopes
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph E Curtis
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA
| | - Patrick J Fleming
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Karen G Fleming
- T.C. Jenkins Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Susan Krueger
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA.
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37
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McMorran LM, Brockwell DJ, Radford SE. Mechanistic studies of the biogenesis and folding of outer membrane proteins in vitro and in vivo: what have we learned to date? Arch Biochem Biophys 2014; 564:265-80. [PMID: 24613287 PMCID: PMC4262575 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2014.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2014] [Revised: 02/16/2014] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Research into the mechanisms by which proteins fold into their native structures has been on-going since the work of Anfinsen in the 1960s. Since that time, the folding mechanisms of small, water-soluble proteins have been well characterised. By contrast, progress in understanding the biogenesis and folding mechanisms of integral membrane proteins has lagged significantly because of the need to create a membrane mimetic environment for folding studies in vitro and the difficulties in finding suitable conditions in which reversible folding can be achieved. Improved knowledge of the factors that promote membrane protein folding and disfavour aggregation now allows studies of folding into lipid bilayers in vitro to be performed. Consequently, mechanistic details and structural information about membrane protein folding are now emerging at an ever increasing pace. Using the panoply of methods developed for studies of the folding of water-soluble proteins. This review summarises current knowledge of the mechanisms of outer membrane protein biogenesis and folding into lipid bilayers in vivo and in vitro and discusses the experimental techniques utilised to gain this information. The emerging knowledge is beginning to allow comparisons to be made between the folding of membrane proteins with current understanding of the mechanisms of folding of water-soluble proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay M McMorran
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - David J Brockwell
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Sheena E Radford
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
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38
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Thermal-triggerd proteinquake leads to disassembly of DegP hexamer as an imperative activation step. Sci Rep 2014; 4:4834. [PMID: 24776652 PMCID: PMC4003476 DOI: 10.1038/srep04834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Escherichia coli DegP has been reported to function both as molecular chaperone and protease for the quality control of outer membrane protein biogenesis. Activation of the inactive DegP hexamers was believed to occur via their disassembly into trimeric units and subsequent reassembly into larger oligomers (12-mers and 24-mers). Here, we analyzed the thermal stability and the unfolding dynamics of the different secondary structure components of the DegP hexamers using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and temperature-jump nanosecond time-resolved IR difference absorbance spectroscopy. We found that the interfacial secondary structure components possess a degreed thermal stability, with the disassembly of the DegP hexamers follows a “proteinquake” manner, such that the fully exposed parts of the interfacial β-sheets serving as the temperature sensor and epicenter to drive the sequential unfolding/disassembly process that finishes within about 134 ns at room temperature.
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39
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Outer membrane β-barrel protein folding is physically controlled by periplasmic lipid head groups and BamA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:5878-83. [PMID: 24715731 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1322473111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Outer membrane β-barrel proteins (OMPs) are crucial for numerous cellular processes in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Despite extensive studies on OMP biogenesis, it is unclear why OMPs require assembly machineries to fold into their native outer membranes, as they are capable of folding quickly and efficiently through an intrinsic folding pathway in vitro. By investigating the folding of several bacterial OMPs using membranes with naturally occurring Escherichia coli lipids, we show that phosphoethanolamine and phosphoglycerol head groups impose a kinetic barrier to OMP folding. The kinetic retardation of OMP folding places a strong negative pressure against spontaneous incorporation of OMPs into inner bacterial membranes, which would dissipate the proton motive force and undoubtedly kill bacteria. We further show that prefolded β-barrel assembly machinery subunit A (BamA), the evolutionarily conserved, central subunit of the BAM complex, accelerates OMP folding by lowering the kinetic barrier imposed by phosphoethanolamine head groups. Our results suggest that OMP assembly machineries are required in vivo to enable physical control over the spontaneously occurring OMP folding reaction in the periplasm. Mechanistic studies further allowed us to derive a model for BamA function, which explains how OMP assembly can be conserved between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
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40
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Ge X, Wang R, Ma J, Liu Y, Ezemaduka AN, Chen PR, Fu X, Chang Z. DegP primarily functions as a protease for the biogenesis of β-barrel outer membrane proteins in the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. FEBS J 2014; 281:1226-40. [PMID: 24373465 DOI: 10.1111/febs.12701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2013] [Revised: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
DegP (also designated as HtrA) and its homologs are found in prokaryotic cells and such eukaryotic organelles as mitochondria and chloroplasts. DegP has been found to be essential for the growth of Gram-negative bacteria under heat shock conditions and arguably considered to possess both protease and chaperone activities. The function of DegP has not been clearly defined. Using genetically incorporated non-natural amino acids as photo-crosslinkers, here we identified the β-barrel outer membrane proteins (OMPs) as the major natural substrates of DegP in Escherichia coli cells. We also demonstrated that DegP primarily functions as a protease, at both low and high temperatures, to eliminate unfolded OMPs, with hardly any appreciable chaperone activity in cells. We also found that the toxic and cell membrane-damaging misfolded OMPs would accumulate in DegP-lacking cells cultured under heat shock conditions. Together, our study defines the primary function of DegP in OMP biogenesis and offers a mechanistic insight into the essentiality of DegP for cell growth under heat shock conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research and School of Life Sciences, Peking University, China
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41
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Identification of FkpA as a key quality control factor for the biogenesis of outer membrane proteins under heat shock conditions. J Bacteriol 2013; 196:672-80. [PMID: 24272780 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01069-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of Gram-negative bacterial cells, as well as the mitochondrion and chloroplast organelles, possess unique and highly stable β-barrel structures. Biogenesis of OMPs in Escherichia coli involves such periplasmic chaperones as SurA and Skp. In this study, we found that the ΔsurA Δskp double-deletion strain of E. coli, although lethal and defective in the biogenesis of OMPs at the normal growth temperature, is viable and effective at the heat shock temperature. We identified FkpA as the multicopy suppressor for the lethal phenotype of the ΔsurA Δskp strain. We also demonstrated that the deletion of fkpA from the ΔsurA cells resulted in only a mild decrease in the levels of folded OMPs at the normal temperature but a severe decrease as well as lethality at the heat shock temperature, whereas the deletion of fkpA from the Δskp cells had no detectable effect on OMP biogenesis at either temperature. These results strongly suggest a functional redundancy between FkpA and SurA for OMP biogenesis under heat shock stress conditions. Mechanistically, we found that FkpA becomes a more efficient chaperone for OMPs under the heat shock condition, with increases in both binding rate and affinity. In light of these observations and earlier reports, we propose a temperature-responsive OMP biogenesis mechanism in which the degrees of functional importance of the three chaperones are such that SurA > Skp > FkpA at the normal temperature but FkpA ≥ SurA > Skp at the heat shock temperature.
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42
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Conformation and dynamics of the periplasmic membrane-protein–chaperone complexes OmpX–Skp and tOmpA–Skp. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2013; 20:1265-72. [DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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43
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McMorran LM, Bartlett AI, Huysmans GHM, Radford SE, Brockwell DJ. Dissecting the effects of periplasmic chaperones on the in vitro folding of the outer membrane protein PagP. J Mol Biol 2013; 425:3178-91. [PMID: 23796519 PMCID: PMC3906610 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2013.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2013] [Revised: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/11/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Although many periplasmic folding factors have been identified, the mechanisms by which they interact with unfolded outer membrane proteins (OMPs) to promote correct folding and membrane insertion remain poorly understood. Here, we have investigated the effect of two chaperones, Skp and SurA, on the folding kinetics of the OMP, PagP. Folding kinetics of PagP into both zwitterionic diC12:0PC (1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) liposomes and negatively charged 80:20 diC12:0PC:diC12:0PG [1,2-dilauroyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol)] liposomes were investigated using a combination of spectroscopic and SDS-PAGE assays. The results indicate that Skp modulates the observed rate of PagP folding in a manner that is dependent on the composition of the membrane and the ionic strength of the buffer used. These data suggest that electrostatic interactions play an important role in Skp-assisted substrate delivery to the membrane. In contrast, SurA showed no effect on the observed folding rates of PagP, consistent with the view that these chaperones act by distinct mechanisms in partially redundant parallel chaperone pathways that facilitate OMP assembly. In addition to delivery of the substrate protein to the membrane, the ability of Skp to prevent OMP aggregation was investigated. The results show that folding and membrane insertion of PagP can be restored, in part, by Skp in conditions that strongly favour PagP aggregation. These results illustrate the utility of in vitro systems for dissecting the complex folding environment encountered by OMPs in the periplasm and demonstrate the key role of Skp in holding aggregation-prone OMPs prior to their direct or indirect delivery to the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay M McMorran
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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44
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Solov'eva TF, Novikova OD, Portnyagina OY. Biogenesis of β-barrel integral proteins of bacterial outer membrane. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2013; 77:1221-36. [PMID: 23240560 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297912110016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria are enveloped by two membranes, the inner (cytoplasmic) (CM) and the outer (OM). The majority of integral outer membrane proteins are arranged in β-barrels of cylindrical shape composed of amphipathic antiparallel β-strands. In bacteria, β-barrel proteins function as water-filled pores, active transporters, enzymes, receptors, and structural proteins. Proteins of bacterial OM are synthesized in the cytoplasm as unfolded polypeptides with an N-terminal sequence that marks them for transport across the CM. Precursors of membrane proteins move through the aqueous medium of the cytosol and periplasm under the protection of chaperones (SecB, Skp, SurA, and DegP), then cross the CM via the Sec system composed of a polypeptide-conducting channel (SecYEG) and ATPase (SecA), the latter providing the energy for the translocation of the pre-protein. Pre-protein folding and incorporation in the OM require the participation of the Bam-complex, probably without the use of energy. This review summarizes current data on the biogenesis of the β-barrel proteins of bacterial OM. Data on the structure of the proteins included in the multicomponent system for delivery of the OM proteins to their destination in the cell and on their complexes with partners, including pre-proteins, are presented. Molecular models constructed on the basis of structural, genetic, and biochemical studies that describe the mechanisms of β-barrel protein assembly by this molecular transport machinery are also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- T F Solov'eva
- Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, 690022, Russia.
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45
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Membrane protein thermodynamic stability may serve as the energy sink for sorting in the periplasm. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:4285-90. [PMID: 23440211 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1212527110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermodynamic stabilities are pivotal for understanding structure-function relationships of proteins, and yet such determinations are rare for membrane proteins. Moreover, the few measurements that are available have been conducted under very different experimental conditions, which compromises a straightforward extraction of physical principles underlying stability differences. Here, we have overcome this obstacle and provided structure-stability comparisons for multiple membrane proteins. This was enabled by measurements of the free energies of folding and the m values for the transmembrane proteins PhoP/PhoQ-activated gene product (PagP) and outer membrane protein W (OmpW) from Escherichia coli. Our data were collected in the same lipid bilayer and buffer system we previously used to determine those parameters for E. coli outer membrane phospholipase A (OmpLA). Biophysically, our results suggest that the stabilities of these proteins are strongly correlated to the water-to-bilayer transfer free energy of the lipid-facing residues in their transmembrane regions. We further discovered that the sensitivities of these membrane proteins to chemical denaturation, as judged by their m values, was consistent with that previously observed for water-soluble proteins having comparable differences in solvent exposure between their folded and unfolded states. From a biological perspective, our findings suggest that the folding free energies for these membrane proteins may be the thermodynamic sink that establishes an energy gradient across the periplasm, thus driving their sorting by chaperones to the outer membranes in living bacteria. Binding free energies of these outer membrane proteins with periplasmic chaperones support this energy sink hypothesis.
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46
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Insights into the function and structural flexibility of the periplasmic molecular chaperone SurA. J Bacteriol 2012; 195:1061-7. [PMID: 23275244 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01143-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
SurA is the primary periplasmic molecular chaperone that facilitates the folding and assembling of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in Gram-negative bacteria. Deletion of the surA gene in Escherichia coli leads to a decrease in outer membrane density and an increase in bacterial drug susceptibility. Here, we conducted mutational studies on SurA to identify residues that are critical for function. One mutant, SurA(V37G), significantly reduced the activity of SurA. Further characterization indicated that SurA(V37G) was structurally similar to, but less stable than, the wild-type protein. The loss of activity in SurA(V37G) could be restored through the introduction of a pair of Cys residues and the subsequent formation of a disulfide bond. Inspired by this success, we created three additional SurA constructs, each containing a disulfide bond at different regions of the protein between two rigid secondary structural elements. The formation of disulfide bond in these mutants has no observable detrimental effect on protein activity, indicating that SurA does not undergo large-scale conformational change while performing its function.
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47
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Lyu ZX, Shao Q, Gao YQ, Zhao XS. Direct observation of the uptake of outer membrane proteins by the periplasmic chaperone Skp. PLoS One 2012; 7:e46068. [PMID: 23049938 PMCID: PMC3458824 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2012] [Accepted: 08/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The transportation of membrane proteins through the aqueous subcellular space is an important and challenging process. Its molecular mechanism and the associated structural change are poorly understood. Periplasmic chaperones, such as Skp in Escherichia coli, play key roles in the transportation and protection of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) in Gram-negative bacteria. The molecular mechanism through which Skp interacts with and protects OMPs remains mysterious. Here, a combined experimental and molecular dynamics simulation study was performed to gain the structural and dynamical information in the process of OMPs and Skp binding. Stopped-flow experiments on site specific mutated and labeled Skp and several OMPs, namely OmpC, the transmembrane domain of OmpA, and OmpF, allowed us to obtain the mechanism of OMP entering the Skp cavity, and molecular dynamics simulations yielded detailed molecular interactions responsible for this process. Both experiment and simulation show that the entrance of OMP into Skp is a highly directional process, which is initiated by the interaction between the N-terminus of OMP and the bottom “tentacle” domain of Skp. The opening of the more flexible tentacle of Skp, the non-specific electrostatic interactions between OMP and Skp, and the constant formation and breaking of salt bridges between Skp and its substrate together allow OMP to enter Skp and gradually “climb” into the Skp cavity in the absence of an external energy supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Xin Lyu
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Department of Chemical Biology, Biodynamic Optical Imaging Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Shao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Qin Gao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (YQG); (XSZ)
| | - Xin Sheng Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, Department of Chemical Biology, Biodynamic Optical Imaging Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (YQG); (XSZ)
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48
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Entzminger KC, Chang C, Myhre RO, McCallum KC, Maynard JA. The Skp chaperone helps fold soluble proteins in vitro by inhibiting aggregation. Biochemistry 2012; 51:4822-34. [PMID: 22650963 DOI: 10.1021/bi300412y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The periplasmic seventeen kilodalton protein (Skp) chaperone has been characterized primarily for its role in outer membrane protein (OMP) biogenesis, during which the jellyfish-like trimeric protein encapsulates partially folded OMPs, protecting them from the aqueous environment until delivery to the BAM outer membrane protein insertion complex. However, Skp is increasingly recognized as a chaperone that also assists in folding soluble proteins in the bacterial periplasm. In this capacity, Skp coexpression increases the active yields of many recombinant proteins and bacterial virulence factors. Using a panel of single-chain antibodies and a single-chain T-cell receptor (collectively termed scFvs) possessing varying stabilities and biophysical characteristics, we performed in vivo expression and in vitro folding and aggregation assays in the presence or absence of Skp. For Skp-sensitive scFvs, the presence of Skp during in vitro refolding assays reduced aggregation but did not alter the observed folding rates, resulting in a higher overall yield of active protein. Of the proteins analyzed, Skp sensitivity in all assays correlated with the presence of folding intermediates, as observed with urea denaturation studies. These results are consistent with Skp acting as a holdase, sequestering partially folded intermediates and thereby preventing aggregation. Because not all soluble proteins are sensitive to Skp coexpression, we hypothesize that the presence of a long-lived protein folding intermediate renders a protein sensitive to Skp. Improved understanding of the bacterial periplasmic protein folding machinery may assist in high-level recombinant protein expression and may help identify novel approaches to block bacterial virulence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C Entzminger
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA
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