1
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Rajasekaran R, Chang CC, Weix EWZ, Galateo TM, Coyle SM. A programmable reaction-diffusion system for spatiotemporal cell signaling circuit design. Cell 2024; 187:345-359.e16. [PMID: 38181787 PMCID: PMC10842744 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.007] [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: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Cells self-organize molecules in space and time to generate complex behaviors, but we lack synthetic strategies for engineering spatiotemporal signaling. We present a programmable reaction-diffusion platform for designing protein oscillations, patterns, and circuits in mammalian cells using two bacterial proteins, MinD and MinE (MinDE). MinDE circuits act like "single-cell radios," emitting frequency-barcoded fluorescence signals that can be spectrally isolated and analyzed using digital signal processing tools. We define how to genetically program these signals and connect their spatiotemporal dynamics to cell biology using engineerable protein-protein interactions. This enabled us to construct sensitive reporter circuits that broadcast endogenous cell signaling dynamics on a frequency-barcoded imaging channel and to build control signal circuits that synthetically pattern activities in the cell, such as protein condensate assembly and actin filamentation. Our work establishes a paradigm for visualizing, probing, and engineering cellular activities at length and timescales critical for biological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohith Rajasekaran
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Integrated Program in Biochemistry Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Chih-Chia Chang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Elliott W Z Weix
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Thomas M Galateo
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Scott M Coyle
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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2
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Rombouts J, Elliott J, Erzberger A. Forceful patterning: theoretical principles of mechanochemical pattern formation. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e57739. [PMID: 37916772 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202357739] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological pattern formation is essential for generating and maintaining spatial structures from the scale of a single cell to tissues and even collections of organisms. Besides biochemical interactions, there is an important role for mechanical and geometrical features in the generation of patterns. We review the theoretical principles underlying different types of mechanochemical pattern formation across spatial scales and levels of biological organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Rombouts
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
- Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jenna Elliott
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Erzberger
- Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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3
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Weyer H, Brauns F, Frey E. Coarsening and wavelength selection far from equilibrium: A unifying framework based on singular perturbation theory. Phys Rev E 2023; 108:064202. [PMID: 38243507 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.108.064202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Intracellular protein patterns are described by (nearly) mass-conserving reaction-diffusion systems. While these patterns initially form out of a homogeneous steady state due to the well-understood Turing instability, no general theory exists for the dynamics of fully nonlinear patterns. We develop a unifying theory for nonlinear wavelength-selection dynamics in (nearly) mass-conserving two-component reaction-diffusion systems independent of the specific mathematical model chosen. Previous work has shown that these systems support an extremely broad band of stable wavelengths, but the mechanism by which a specific wavelength is selected has remained unclear. We show that an interrupted coarsening process selects the wavelength at the threshold to stability. Based on the physical intuition that coarsening is driven by competition for mass and interrupted by weak source terms that break strict mass conservation, we develop a singular perturbation theory for the stability of stationary patterns. The resulting closed-form analytical expressions enable us to quantitatively predict the coarsening dynamics and the final pattern wavelength. We find excellent agreement with numerical results throughout the diffusion- and reaction-limited regimes of the dynamics, including the crossover region. Further, we show how, in these limits, the two-component reaction-diffusion systems map to generalized Cahn-Hilliard and conserved Allen-Cahn dynamics, therefore providing a link to these two fundamental scalar field theories. The systematic understanding of the length-scale dynamics of fully nonlinear patterns in two-component systems provided here builds the basis to reveal the mechanisms underlying wavelength selection in multicomponent systems with potentially several conservation laws.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Weyer
- Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics and Center for NanoScience, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstraße 37, D-80333 München, Germany
| | - Fridtjof Brauns
- Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics and Center for NanoScience, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstraße 37, D-80333 München, Germany
| | - Erwin Frey
- Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics and Center for NanoScience, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstraße 37, D-80333 München, Germany
- Max Planck School Matter to Life, Hofgartenstraße 8, D-80539 Munich, Germany
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4
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Carlquist WC, Cytrynbaum EN. The mechanism of MinD stability modulation by MinE in Min protein dynamics. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011615. [PMID: 37976301 PMCID: PMC10691731 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011615] [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: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The patterns formed both in vivo and in vitro by the Min protein system have attracted much interest because of the complexity of their dynamic interactions given the apparent simplicity of the component parts. Despite both the experimental and theoretical attention paid to this system, the details of the biochemical interactions of MinD and MinE, the proteins responsible for the patterning, are still unclear. For example, no model consistent with the known biochemistry has yet accounted for the observed dual role of MinE in the membrane stability of MinD. Until now, a statistical comparison of models to the time course of Min protein concentrations on the membrane has not been carried out. Such an approach is a powerful way to test existing and novel models that are difficult to test using a purely experimental approach. Here, we extract time series from previously published fluorescence microscopy time lapse images of in vitro experiments and fit two previously described and one novel mathematical model to the data. We find that the novel model, which we call the Asymmetric Activation with Bridged Stability Model, fits the time-course data best. It is also consistent with known biochemistry and explains the dual MinE role via MinE-dependent membrane stability that transitions under the influence of rising MinE to membrane instability with positive feedback. Our results reveal a more complex network of interactions between MinD and MinE underlying Min-system dynamics than previously considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- William C. Carlquist
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Eric N. Cytrynbaum
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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5
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Martínez-Calvo A, Wingreen NS, Datta SS. Pattern formation by bacteria-phage interactions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.19.558479. [PMID: 37786699 PMCID: PMC10541591 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.19.558479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
The interactions between bacteria and phages-viruses that infect bacteria-play critical roles in agriculture, ecology, and medicine; however, how these interactions influence the spatial organization of both bacteria and phages remain largely unexplored. Here, we address this gap in knowledge by developing a theoretical model of motile, proliferating bacteria that aggregate via motility-induced phase separation (MIPS) and encounter phage that infect and lyse the cells. We find that the non-reciprocal predator-prey interactions between phage and bacteria strongly alter spatial organization, in some cases giving rise to a rich array of finite-scale stationary and dynamic patterns in which bacteria and phage coexist. We establish principles describing the onset and characteristics of these diverse behaviors, thereby helping to provide a biophysical basis for understanding pattern formation in bacteria-phage systems, as well as in a broader range of active and living systems with similar predator-prey or other non-reciprocal interactions.
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6
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Impact of Negative Feedbacks on De Novo Pyrimidines Biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054806. [PMID: 36902235 PMCID: PMC10003070 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Earlier studies aimed at investigating the metabolism of endogenous nucleoside triphosphates in synchronous cultures of E. coli cells revealed an auto-oscillatory mode of functioning of the pyrimidine and purine nucleotide biosynthesis system, which the authors associated with the dynamics of cell division. Theoretically, this system has an intrinsic oscillatory potential, since the dynamics of its functioning are controlled through feedback mechanisms. The question of whether the nucleotide biosynthesis system has its own oscillatory circuit is still open. To address this issue, an integral mathematical model of pyrimidine biosynthesis was developed, taking into account all experimentally verified negative feedback in the regulation of enzymatic reactions, the data of which were obtained under in vitro conditions. Analysis of the dynamic modes of the model functioning has shown that in the pyrimidine biosynthesis system, both the steady-state and oscillatory functioning modes can be realized under certain sets of kinetic parameters that fit in the physiological boundaries of the investigated metabolic system. It has been demonstrated that the occurrence of the oscillatory nature of metabolite synthesis depended on the ratio of two parameters: the Hill coefficient, hUMP1-the nonlinearity of the UMP effect on the activity of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase, and the parameter r characterizing the contribution of the noncompetitive mechanism of UTP inhibition to the regulation of the enzymatic reaction of UMP phosphorylation. Thus, it has been theoretically shown that the E. coli pyrimidine biosynthesis system possesses its own oscillatory circuit whose oscillatory potential depends to a significant degree on the mechanism of regulation of UMP kinase activity.
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7
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Cai M, Tugarinov V, Chaitanya Chiliveri S, Huang Y, Schwieters CD, Mizuuchi K, Clore GM. Interaction of the bacterial division regulator MinE with lipid bicelles studied by NMR spectroscopy. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:103037. [PMID: 36806683 PMCID: PMC10031476 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.103037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacterial MinE and MinD division regulatory proteins form a standing wave enabling MinC, which binds MinD, to inhibit FtsZ polymerization everywhere except at the midcell, thereby assuring correct positioning of the cytokinetic septum and even distribution of contents to daughter cells. The MinE dimer undergoes major structural rearrangements between a resting six-stranded state present in the cytoplasm, a membrane-bound state, and a four-stranded active state bound to MinD on the membrane, but it is unclear which MinE motifs interact with the membrane in these different states. Using NMR, we probe the structure and global dynamics of MinE bound to disc-shaped lipid bicelles. In the bicelle-bound state, helix α1 no longer sits on top of the six-stranded β-sheet, losing any contact with the protein core, but interacts directly with the bicelle surface; the structure of the protein core remains unperturbed and also interacts with the bicelle surface via helix α2. Binding may involve a previously identified excited state of free MinE in which helix α1 is disordered, thereby allowing it to target the membrane surface. Helix α1 and the protein core undergo nanosecond rigid body motions of differing amplitudes in the plane of the bicelle surface. Global dynamics on the sub-millisecond time scale between a ground state and a sparsely populated excited state are also observed and may represent a very early intermediate on the transition path between the resting six-stranded and active four-stranded conformations. In summary, our results provide insights into MinE structural rearrangements important during bacterial cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengli Cai
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Vitali Tugarinov
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sai Chaitanya Chiliveri
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ying Huang
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Charles D Schwieters
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA; Computational Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance Core, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kyoshi Mizuuchi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - G Marius Clore
- Laboratory of Chemical Physics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
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8
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Directing Min protein patterns with advective bulk flow. Nat Commun 2023; 14:450. [PMID: 36707506 PMCID: PMC9883515 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35997-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The Min proteins constitute the best-studied model system for pattern formation in cell biology. We theoretically predict and experimentally show that the propagation direction of in vitro Min protein patterns can be controlled by a hydrodynamic flow of the bulk solution. We find downstream propagation of Min wave patterns for low MinE:MinD concentration ratios, upstream propagation for large ratios, but multistability of both propagation directions in between. Whereas downstream propagation can be described by a minimal model that disregards MinE conformational switching, upstream propagation can be reproduced by a reduced switch model, where increased MinD bulk concentrations on the upstream side promote protein attachment. Our study demonstrates that a differential flow, where bulk flow advects protein concentrations in the bulk, but not on the surface, can control surface-pattern propagation. This suggests that flow can be used to probe molecular features and to constrain mathematical models for pattern-forming systems.
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9
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Takada S, Yoshinaga N, Doi N, Fujiwara K. Controlling the Periodicity of a Reaction-Diffusion Wave in Artificial Cells by a Two-Way Energy Supplier. ACS NANO 2022; 16:16853-16861. [PMID: 36214379 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c06756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Reaction-diffusion (RD) waves, which are dynamic self-organization structures generated by nanosize molecules, are a fundamental mechanism from patterning in nano- and micromaterials to spatiotemporal regulations in living cells, such as cell division and motility. Although the periods of RD waves are the critical element for these functions, the development of a system to control their period is challenging because RD waves result from nonlinear physical dynamics under far-from-equilibrium conditions. Here, we developed an artificial cell system with tunable period of an RD-driven wave (Min protein wave), which determines a cell division site plane in living bacterial cells. The developed system is based on our finding that Min waves are generated by energy consumption of either ATP or dATP, and the period of the wave is different between these two energy suppliers. We showed that the Min-wave period was modulated linearly by the mixing ratio of ATP and dATP and that it was also possible to estimate the mixing ratio of ATP and dATP from the period. Our findings illuminated a previously unidentified principle to control the dissipative dynamics of biomolecules and, simultaneously, built an important framework to construct molecular robots with spatiotemporal units.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakura Takada
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Natsuhiko Yoshinaga
- Mathematical Science Group, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 9808577, Japan
- MathAM-OIL, AIST, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Nobuhide Doi
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Kei Fujiwara
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
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10
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Yanagisawa M, Watanabe C, Yoshinaga N, Fujiwara K. Cell-Size Space Regulates the Behavior of Confined Polymers: From Nano- and Micromaterials Science to Biology. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:11811-11827. [PMID: 36125172 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Polymer micromaterials in a liquid or gel phase covered with a surfactant membrane are widely used materials in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and foods. In particular, cell-sized micromaterials of biopolymer solutions covered with a lipid membrane have been studied as artificial cells to understand cells from a physicochemical perspective. The characteristics and phase transitions of polymers confined to a microscopic space often differ from those in bulk systems. The effect that causes this difference is referred to as the cell-size space effect (CSE), but the specific physicochemical factors remain unclear. This study introduces the analysis of CSE on molecular diffusion, nanostructure transition, and phase separation and presents their main factors, i.e., short- and long-range interactions with the membrane surface and small volume (finite element nature). This serves as a guide for determining the dominant factors of CSE. Furthermore, we also introduce other factors of CSE such as spatial closure and the relationships among space size, the characteristic length of periodicity, the structure size, and many others produced by biomolecular assemblies through the analysis of protein reaction-diffusion systems and biochemical reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miho Yanagisawa
- Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Chiho Watanabe
- School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Kagamiyama 1-7-1, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8521, Japan
| | - Natsuhiko Yoshinaga
- Mathematical Science Group, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 9808577, Japan
- MathAM-OIL, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Kei Fujiwara
- Department of Biosciences & Informatics, Keio University, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
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11
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Volante A, Alonso JC, Mizuuchi K. Distinct architectural requirements for the parS centromeric sequence of the pSM19035 plasmid partition machinery. eLife 2022; 11:79480. [PMID: 36062913 PMCID: PMC9499535 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Three-component ParABS partition systems ensure stable inheritance of many bacterial chromosomes and low-copy-number plasmids. ParA localizes to the nucleoid through its ATP-dependent nonspecific DNA-binding activity, whereas centromere-like parS-DNA and ParB form partition complexes that activate ParA-ATPase to drive the system dynamics. The essential parS sequence arrangements vary among ParABS systems, reflecting the architectural diversity of their partition complexes. Here, we focus on the pSM19035 plasmid partition system that uses a ParBpSM of the ribbon-helix-helix (RHH) family. We show that parSpSM with four or more contiguous ParBpSM-binding sequence repeats is required to assemble a stable ParApSM-ParBpSM complex and efficiently activate the ParApSM-ATPase, stimulating complex disassembly. Disruption of the contiguity of the parSpSM sequence array destabilizes the ParApSM-ParBpSM complex and prevents efficient ATPase activation. Our findings reveal the unique architecture of the pSM19035 partition complex and how it interacts with nucleoid-bound ParApSM-ATP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Volante
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, United States
| | - Juan Carlos Alonso
- Department of Microbial Biotechnology, National Center for Biotechnology, Madrid, Spain
| | - Kiyoshi Mizuuchi
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, United States
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12
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Abstract
Self-organized pattern formation is vital for many biological processes. Reaction-diffusion models have advanced our understanding of how biological systems develop spatial structures, starting from homogeneity. However, biological processes inherently involve multiple spatial and temporal scales and transition from one pattern to another over time, rather than progressing from homogeneity to a pattern. To deal with such multiscale systems, coarse-graining methods are needed that allow the dynamics to be reduced to the relevant degrees of freedom at large scales, but without losing information about the patterns at small scales. Here, we present a semiphenomenological approach which exploits mass conservation in pattern formation, and enables reconstruction of information about patterns from the large-scale dynamics. The basic idea is to partition the domain into distinct regions (coarse grain) and determine instantaneous dispersion relations in each region, which ultimately inform about local pattern-forming instabilities. We illustrate our approach by studying the Min system, a paradigmatic model for protein pattern formation. By performing simulations, we first show that the Min system produces multiscale patterns in a spatially heterogeneous geometry. This prediction is confirmed experimentally by in vitro reconstitution of the Min system. Using a recently developed theoretical framework for mass-conserving reaction-diffusion systems, we show that the spatiotemporal evolution of the total protein densities on large scales reliably predicts the pattern-forming dynamics. Our approach provides an alternative and versatile theoretical framework for complex systems where analytical coarse-graining methods are not applicable, and can, in principle, be applied to a wide range of systems with an underlying conservation law.
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13
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Sugawara T, Kaneko K. Chemophoresis engine: A general mechanism of ATPase-driven cargo transport. PLoS Comput Biol 2022; 18:e1010324. [PMID: 35877681 PMCID: PMC9363008 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell polarity regulates the orientation of the cytoskeleton members that directs intracellular transport for cargo-like organelles, using chemical gradients sustained by ATP or GTP hydrolysis. However, how cargo transports are directly mediated by chemical gradients remains unknown. We previously proposed a physical mechanism that enables directed movement of cargos, referred to as chemophoresis. According to the mechanism, a cargo with reaction sites is subjected to a chemophoresis force in the direction of the increased concentration. Based on this, we introduce an extended model, the chemophoresis engine, as a general mechanism of cargo motion, which transforms chemical free energy into directed motion through the catalytic ATP hydrolysis. We applied the engine to plasmid motion in a ParABS system to demonstrate the self-organization system for directed plasmid movement and pattern dynamics of ParA-ATP concentration, thereby explaining plasmid equi-positioning and pole-to-pole oscillation observed in bacterial cells and in vitro experiments. We mathematically show the existence and stability of the plasmid-surfing pattern, which allows the cargo-directed motion through the symmetry-breaking transition of the ParA-ATP spatiotemporal pattern. We also quantitatively demonstrate that the chemophoresis engine can work even under in vivo conditions. Finally, we discuss the chemophoresis engine as one of the general mechanisms of hydrolysis-driven intracellular transport. The formation of organelle/macromolecule patterns depending on chemical concentration under non-equilibrium conditions, first observed during macroscopic morphogenesis, has recently been observed at the intracellular level as well, and its relevance as intracellular morphogen has been demonstrated in the case of bacterial cell division. These studies have discussed how cargos maintain positional information provided by chemical concentration gradients/localization. However, how cargo transports are directly mediated by chemical gradients remains unknown. Based on the previously proposed mechanism of chemotaxis-like behavior of cargos (referred to as chemophoresis), we introduce a chemophoresis engine as a physicochemical mechanism of cargo motion, which transforms chemical free energy to directed motion. The engine is based on the chemophoresis force to make cargoes move in the direction of the increasing ATPase(-ATP) concentration and an enhanced catalytic ATPase hydrolysis at the positions of the cargoes. Applying the engine to ATPase-driven movement of plasmid-DNAs in bacterial cells, we constructed a mathematical model to demonstrate the self-organization for directed plasmid motion and pattern dynamics of ATPase concentration, as is consistent with in vitro and in vivo experiments. We propose that this chemophoresis engine works as a general mechanism of hydrolysis-driven intracellular transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Sugawara
- Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Kunihiko Kaneko
- Center for Complex Systems Biology, Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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14
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Takada S, Yoshinaga N, Doi N, Fujiwara K. Mode selection mechanism in traveling and standing waves revealed by Min wave reconstituted in artificial cells. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm8460. [PMID: 35675408 PMCID: PMC9177070 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm8460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Reaction-diffusion coupling (RDc) generates spatiotemporal patterns, including two dynamic wave modes: traveling and standing waves. Although mode selection plays a substantial role in the spatiotemporal organization of living cell molecules, the mechanism for selecting each wave mode remains elusive. Here, we investigated a wave mode selection mechanism using Min waves reconstituted in artificial cells, emerged by the RDc of MinD and MinE. Our experiments and theoretical analysis revealed that the balance of membrane binding and dissociation from the membrane of MinD determines the mode selection of the Min wave. We successfully demonstrated that the transition of the wave modes can be regulated by controlling this balance and found hysteresis characteristics in the wave mode transition. These findings highlight a previously unidentified role of the balance between activators and inhibitors as a determinant of the mode selection of waves by RDc and depict an unexplored mechanism in intracellular spatiotemporal pattern formations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sakura Takada
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Natsuhiko Yoshinaga
- Mathematical Science Group, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
- MathAM-OIL, AIST, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
- Corresponding author. (N.Y.); (K.F.)
| | - Nobuhide Doi
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Kei Fujiwara
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
- Corresponding author. (N.Y.); (K.F.)
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15
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Mishra D, Srinivasan R. Catching a Walker in the Act-DNA Partitioning by ParA Family of Proteins. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:856547. [PMID: 35694299 PMCID: PMC9178275 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.856547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Partitioning the replicated genetic material is a crucial process in the cell cycle program of any life form. In bacteria, many plasmids utilize cytoskeletal proteins that include ParM and TubZ, the ancestors of the eukaryotic actin and tubulin, respectively, to segregate the plasmids into the daughter cells. Another distinct class of cytoskeletal proteins, known as the Walker A type Cytoskeletal ATPases (WACA), is unique to Bacteria and Archaea. ParA, a WACA family protein, is involved in DNA partitioning and is more widespread. A centromere-like sequence parS, in the DNA is bound by ParB, an adaptor protein with CTPase activity to form the segregation complex. The ParA ATPase, interacts with the segregation complex and partitions the DNA into the daughter cells. Furthermore, the Walker A motif-containing ParA superfamily of proteins is associated with a diverse set of functions ranging from DNA segregation to cell division, cell polarity, chemotaxis cluster assembly, cellulose biosynthesis and carboxysome maintenance. Unifying principles underlying the varied range of cellular roles in which the ParA superfamily of proteins function are outlined. Here, we provide an overview of the recent findings on the structure and function of the ParB adaptor protein and review the current models and mechanisms by which the ParA family of proteins function in the partitioning of the replicated DNA into the newly born daughter cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipika Mishra
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Mumbai, India
| | - Ramanujam Srinivasan
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Mumbai, India
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16
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So M, Stiban J, Ciesielski GL, Hovde SL, Kaguni LS. Implications of Membrane Binding by the Fe-S Cluster-Containing N-Terminal Domain in the Drosophila Mitochondrial Replicative DNA Helicase. Front Genet 2021; 12:790521. [PMID: 34950192 PMCID: PMC8688847 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.790521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that iron-sulfur clusters (ISCs) in DNA replicative proteins sense DNA-mediated charge transfer to modulate nuclear DNA replication. In the mitochondrial DNA replisome, only the replicative DNA helicase (mtDNA helicase) from Drosophila melanogaster (Dm) has been shown to contain an ISC in its N-terminal, primase-like domain (NTD). In this report, we confirm the presence of the ISC and demonstrate the importance of a metal cofactor in the structural stability of the Dm mtDNA helicase. Further, we show that the NTD also serves a role in membrane binding. We demonstrate that the NTD binds to asolectin liposomes, which mimic phospholipid membranes, through electrostatic interactions. Notably, membrane binding is more specific with increasing cardiolipin content, which is characteristically high in the mitochondrial inner membrane (MIM). We suggest that the N-terminal domain of the mtDNA helicase interacts with the MIM to recruit mtDNA and initiate mtDNA replication. Furthermore, Dm NUBPL, the known ISC donor for respiratory complex I and a putative donor for Dm mtDNA helicase, was identified as a peripheral membrane protein that is likely to execute membrane-mediated ISC delivery to its target proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minyoung So
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for Mitochondrial Science and Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Johnny Stiban
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for Mitochondrial Science and Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.,Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Birzeit University, Birzeit, Palestine
| | - Grzegorz L Ciesielski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for Mitochondrial Science and Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.,Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Chemistry, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL, United States
| | - Stacy L Hovde
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for Mitochondrial Science and Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Laurie S Kaguni
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for Mitochondrial Science and Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.,Institute of Biosciences and Medical Technology, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
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17
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Merino-Salomón A, Babl L, Schwille P. Self-organized protein patterns: The MinCDE and ParABS systems. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2021; 72:106-115. [PMID: 34399108 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Self-organized protein patterns are of tremendous importance for biological decision-making processes. Protein patterns have been shown to identify the site of future cell division, establish cell polarity, and organize faithful DNA segregation. Intriguingly, several key concepts of pattern formation and regulation apply to a variety of different protein systems. Herein, we explore recent advances in the understanding of two prokaryotic pattern-forming systems: the MinCDE system, positioning the FtsZ ring precisely at the midcell, and the ParABS system, distributing newly synthesized DNA along with the cell. Despite differences in biological functionality, these two systems have remarkably similar molecular components, mechanisms, and strategies to achieve biological robustness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Merino-Salomón
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried, 82152, Germany
| | - Leon Babl
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried, 82152, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, Martinsried, 82152, Germany.
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18
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Taylor JA, Seol Y, Budhathoki J, Neuman KC, Mizuuchi K. CTP and parS coordinate ParB partition complex dynamics and ParA-ATPase activation for ParABS-mediated DNA partitioning. eLife 2021; 10:65651. [PMID: 34286695 PMCID: PMC8357417 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ParABS partition systems, comprising the centromere-like DNA sequence parS, the parS-binding ParB-CTPase, and the nucleoid-binding ParA-ATPase, ensure faithful segregation of bacterial chromosomes and low-copy-number plasmids. F-plasmid partition complexes containing ParBF and parSF move by generating and following a local concentration gradient of nucleoid-bound ParAF. However, the process through which ParBF activates ParAF-ATPase has not been defined. We studied CTP- and parSF-modulated ParAF-ParBF complex assembly, in which DNA-bound ParAF-ATP dimers are activated for ATP hydrolysis by interacting with two ParBF N-terminal domains. CTP or parSF enhances the ATPase rate without significantly accelerating ParAF-ParBF complex assembly. Together, parSF and CTP accelerate ParAF-ParBF assembly without further significant increase in ATPase rate. Magnetic-tweezers experiments showed that CTP promotes multiple ParBF loading onto parSF-containing DNA, generating condensed partition complex-like assemblies. We propose that ParBF in the partition complex adopts a conformation that enhances ParBF-ParBF and ParAF-ParBF interactions promoting efficient partitioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Taylor
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Yeonee Seol
- Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Jagat Budhathoki
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Keir C Neuman
- Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Kiyoshi Mizuuchi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
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19
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Taylor JA, Seol Y, Budhathoki J, Neuman KC, Mizuuchi K. CTP and parS coordinate ParB partition complex dynamics and ParA-ATPase activation for ParABS-mediated DNA partitioning. eLife 2021; 10:65651. [PMID: 34286695 DOI: 10.1101/2021.01.24.427996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
ParABS partition systems, comprising the centromere-like DNA sequence parS, the parS-binding ParB-CTPase, and the nucleoid-binding ParA-ATPase, ensure faithful segregation of bacterial chromosomes and low-copy-number plasmids. F-plasmid partition complexes containing ParBF and parSF move by generating and following a local concentration gradient of nucleoid-bound ParAF. However, the process through which ParBF activates ParAF-ATPase has not been defined. We studied CTP- and parSF-modulated ParAF-ParBF complex assembly, in which DNA-bound ParAF-ATP dimers are activated for ATP hydrolysis by interacting with two ParBF N-terminal domains. CTP or parSF enhances the ATPase rate without significantly accelerating ParAF-ParBF complex assembly. Together, parSF and CTP accelerate ParAF-ParBF assembly without further significant increase in ATPase rate. Magnetic-tweezers experiments showed that CTP promotes multiple ParBF loading onto parSF-containing DNA, generating condensed partition complex-like assemblies. We propose that ParBF in the partition complex adopts a conformation that enhances ParBF-ParBF and ParAF-ParBF interactions promoting efficient partitioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Taylor
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Yeonee Seol
- Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Jagat Budhathoki
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Keir C Neuman
- Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Kiyoshi Mizuuchi
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
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20
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Bulk-surface coupling identifies the mechanistic connection between Min-protein patterns in vivo and in vitro. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3312. [PMID: 34083526 PMCID: PMC8175580 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23412-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-organisation of Min proteins is responsible for the spatial control of cell division in Escherichia coli, and has been studied both in vivo and in vitro. Intriguingly, the protein patterns observed in these settings differ qualitatively and quantitatively. This puzzling dichotomy has not been resolved to date. Using reconstituted proteins in laterally wide microchambers with a well-controlled height, we experimentally show that the Min protein dynamics on the membrane crucially depend on the micro chamber height due to bulk concentration gradients orthogonal to the membrane. A theoretical analysis shows that in vitro patterns at low microchamber height are driven by the same lateral oscillation mode as pole-to-pole oscillations in vivo. At larger microchamber height, additional vertical oscillation modes set in, marking the transition to a qualitatively different in vitro regime. Our work reveals the qualitatively different mechanisms of mass transport that govern Min protein-patterns for different bulk heights and thus shows that Min patterns in cells are governed by a different mechanism than those in vitro.
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21
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Kretschmer S, Heermann T, Tassinari A, Glock P, Schwille P. Increasing MinD's Membrane Affinity Yields Standing Wave Oscillations and Functional Gradients on Flat Membranes. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:939-949. [PMID: 33881306 PMCID: PMC8155659 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.0c00604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The formation of large-scale patterns through molecular self-organization is a basic principle of life. Accordingly, the engineering of protein patterns and gradients is of prime relevance for synthetic biology. As a paradigm for such pattern formation, the bacterial MinDE protein system is based on self-organization of the ATPase MinD and ATPase-activating protein MinE on lipid membranes. Min patterns can be tightly regulated by tuning physical or biochemical parameters. Among the biochemically engineerable modules, MinD's membrane targeting sequence, despite being a key regulating element, has received little attention. Here we attempt to engineer patterns by modulating the membrane affinity of MinD. Unlike the traveling waves or stationary patterns commonly observed in vitro on flat supported membranes, standing-wave oscillations emerge upon elongating MinD's membrane targeting sequence via rationally guided mutagenesis. These patterns are capable of forming gradients and thereby spatially target co-reconstituted downstream proteins, highlighting their functional potential in designing new life-like systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Kretschmer
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute
of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
- Current
affiliation: Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Tamara Heermann
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute
of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Andrea Tassinari
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute
of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Philipp Glock
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute
of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute
of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
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22
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Abstract
The molecular mechanisms that help to place the division septum in bacteria is of fundamental importance to ensure cell proliferation and maintenance of cell shape and size. The Min protein system, found in many rod-shaped bacteria, is thought to play a major role in division site selection. Division site selection is a vital process to ensure generation of viable offspring. In many rod-shaped bacteria, a dynamic protein system, termed the Min system, acts as a central regulator of division site placement. The Min system is best studied in Escherichia coli, where it shows a remarkable oscillation from pole to pole with a time-averaged density minimum at midcell. Several components of the Min system are conserved in the Gram-positive model organism Bacillus subtilis. However, in B. subtilis, it is commonly believed that the system forms a stationary bipolar gradient from the cell poles to midcell. Here, we show that the Min system of B. subtilis localizes dynamically to active sites of division, often organized in clusters. We provide physical modeling using measured diffusion constants that describe the observed enrichment of the Min system at the septum. Mathematical modeling suggests that the observed localization pattern of Min proteins corresponds to a dynamic equilibrium state. Our data provide evidence for the importance of ongoing septation for the Min dynamics, consistent with a major role of the Min system in controlling active division sites but not cell pole areas.
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23
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Mass-sensitive particle tracking to elucidate the membrane-associated MinDE reaction cycle. Nat Methods 2021; 18:1239-1246. [PMID: 34608318 PMCID: PMC8490154 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-021-01260-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In spite of their great importance in biology, methods providing access to spontaneous molecular interactions with and on biological membranes have been sparse. The recent advent of mass photometry to quantify mass distributions of unlabeled biomolecules landing on surfaces raised hopes that this approach could be transferred to membranes. Here, by introducing a new interferometric scattering (iSCAT) image processing and analysis strategy adapted to diffusing particles, we enable mass-sensitive particle tracking (MSPT) of single unlabeled biomolecules on a supported lipid bilayer. We applied this approach to the highly nonlinear reaction cycles underlying MinDE protein self-organization. MSPT allowed us to determine the stoichiometry and turnover of individual membrane-bound MinD/MinDE protein complexes and to quantify their size-dependent diffusion. This study demonstrates the potential of MSPT to enhance our quantitative understanding of membrane-associated biological systems.
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24
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Heermann T, Franquelim HG, Glock P, Harrington L, Schwille P. Probing Biomolecular Interactions by a Pattern-Forming Peptide-Conjugate Sensor. Bioconjug Chem 2020; 32:172-181. [PMID: 33314917 PMCID: PMC7872319 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
![]()
As a key mechanism
underpinning many biological processes, protein
self-organization has been extensively studied. However, the potential
to apply the distinctive, nonlinear biochemical properties of such
self-organizing systems to biotechnological problems such as the facile
detection and characterization of biomolecular interactions has not
yet been explored. Here, we describe an in vitro assay
in a 96-well plate format that harnesses the emergent behavior of
the Escherichia coli Min system to
provide a readout of biomolecular interactions. Crucial for the development
of our approach is a minimal MinE-derived peptide that stimulates
MinD ATPase activity only when dimerized. We found that this behavior
could be induced via any pair of foreign, mutually binding molecular
entities fused to the minimal MinE peptide. The resulting MinD ATPase
activity and the spatiotemporal nature of the produced protein patterns
quantitatively correlate with the affinity of the fused binding partners,
thereby enabling a highly sensitive assay for biomolecular interactions.
Our assay thus provides a unique means of quantitatively visualizing
biomolecular interactions and may prove useful for the assessment
of domain interactions within protein libraries and for the facile
investigation of potential inhibitors of protein–protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Heermann
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Henri G Franquelim
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Philipp Glock
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Leon Harrington
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
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25
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LaBreck CJ, Trebino CE, Ferreira CN, Morrison JJ, DiBiasio EC, Conti J, Camberg JL. Degradation of MinD oscillator complexes by Escherichia coli ClpXP. J Biol Chem 2020; 296:100162. [PMID: 33288679 PMCID: PMC7857489 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.013866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
MinD is a cell division ATPase in Escherichia coli that oscillates from pole to pole and regulates the spatial position of the cell division machinery. Together with MinC and MinE, the Min system restricts assembly of the FtsZ-ring to midcell, oscillating between the opposite ends of the cell and preventing FtsZ-ring misassembly at the poles. Here, we show that the ATP-dependent bacterial proteasome complex ClpXP degrades MinD in reconstituted degradation reactions in vitro and in vivo through direct recognition of the MinD N-terminal region. MinD degradation is enhanced during stationary phase, suggesting that ClpXP regulates levels of MinD in cells that are not actively dividing. ClpXP is a major regulator of growth phase–dependent proteins, and these results suggest that MinD levels are also controlled during stationary phase. In vitro, MinC and MinD are known to coassemble into linear polymers; therefore, we monitored copolymers assembled in vitro after incubation with ClpXP and observed that ClpXP promotes rapid MinCD copolymer destabilization and direct MinD degradation by ClpXP. The N terminus of MinD, including residue Arg 3, which is near the ATP-binding site in sequence, is critical for degradation by ClpXP. Together, these results demonstrate that ClpXP degradation modifies conformational assemblies of MinD in vitro and depresses Min function in vivo during periods of reduced proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J LaBreck
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Catherine E Trebino
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Colby N Ferreira
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Josiah J Morrison
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Eric C DiBiasio
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Joseph Conti
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Jodi L Camberg
- Department of Cell & Molecular Biology, The University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA.
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26
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Groaz A, Moghimianavval H, Tavella F, Giessen TW, Vecchiarelli AG, Yang Q, Liu AP. Engineering spatiotemporal organization and dynamics in synthetic cells. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2020; 13:e1685. [PMID: 33219745 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Constructing synthetic cells has recently become an appealing area of research. Decades of research in biochemistry and cell biology have amassed detailed part lists of components involved in various cellular processes. Nevertheless, recreating any cellular process in vitro in cell-sized compartments remains ambitious and challenging. Two broad features or principles are key to the development of synthetic cells-compartmentalization and self-organization/spatiotemporal dynamics. In this review article, we discuss the current state of the art and research trends in the engineering of synthetic cell membranes, development of internal compartmentalization, reconstitution of self-organizing dynamics, and integration of activities across scales of space and time. We also identify some research areas that could play a major role in advancing the impact and utility of engineered synthetic cells. This article is categorized under: Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Lipid-Based Structures Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus-Based Structures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Qiong Yang
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Allen P Liu
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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27
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Audible sound-controlled spatiotemporal patterns in out-of-equilibrium systems. Nat Chem 2020; 12:808-813. [PMID: 32778690 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-020-0516-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Naturally occurring spatiotemporal patterns typically have a predictable pattern design and are reproducible over several cycles. However, the patterns obtained from artificially designed out-of-equilibrium chemical oscillating networks (such as the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction for example) are unpredictable and difficult to control spatiotemporally, albeit reproducible over subsequent cycles. Here, we show that it is possible to generate reproducible spatiotemporal patterns in out-of-equilibrium chemical reactions and self-assembling systems in water in the presence of sound waves, which act as a guiding physical stimulus. Audible sound-induced liquid vibrations control the dissolution of atmospheric gases (such as O2 and CO2) in water to generate spatiotemporal chemical patterns in the bulk of the fluid, segregating the solution into spatiotemporal domains having different redox properties or pH values. It further helps us in the organization of transiently formed supramolecular aggregates in a predictable spatiotemporal manner.
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28
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Kohyama S, Fujiwara K, Yoshinaga N, Doi N. Conformational equilibrium of MinE regulates the allowable concentration ranges of a protein wave for cell division. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:11960-11970. [PMID: 32458918 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr00242a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The Min system for determining the cell division position at the center in bacteria has a unique character that uses a protein wave (Min wave) that emerges from its components (MinD and MinE). The Min wave emerges under the coupling of chemical reactions and molecular diffusions of MinDE and appears when the concentrations of MinD and MinE are similar. However, the nanoscale mechanism to determine their concentration ranges has remained elusive. In this study, by using artificial cells as a mimic of cells, we showed that the dominant MinE conformations determined the allowable concentration ranges for the emergence of the Min wave. Furthermore, the deletion of the membrane-binding region of MinE indicated that the region was essential for limiting the concentration ranges to be narrower. These findings illustrate a parameter tuning mechanism underlying complex molecular systems at the nanoscale for spatiotemporal regulation in living cells and show a possibility that the regulation of the equilibrium among molecular conformations can work as a switch for cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunshi Kohyama
- Department of Biosciences & Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan.
| | - Kei Fujiwara
- Department of Biosciences & Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan.
| | - Natsuhiko Yoshinaga
- Mathematical Science Group, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-Ku, Sendai 9808577, Japan and MathAM-OIL, AIST, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
| | - Nobuhide Doi
- Department of Biosciences & Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan.
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29
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Abstract
The cell-free molecular synthesis of biochemical systems is a rapidly growing field of research. Advances in the Human Genome Project, DNA synthesis, and other technologies have allowed the in vitro construction of biochemical systems, termed cell-free biology, to emerge as an exciting domain of bioengineering. Cell-free biology ranges from the molecular to the cell-population scales, using an ever-expanding variety of experimental platforms and toolboxes. In this review, we discuss the ongoing efforts undertaken in the three major classes of cell-free biology methodologies, namely protein-based, nucleic acids–based, and cell-free transcription–translation systems, and provide our perspectives on the current challenges as well as the major goals in each of the subfields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Noireaux
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA
| | - Allen P. Liu
- Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Biophysics, and the Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
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30
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Kohyama S, Fujiwara K, Yoshinaga N, Doi N. Self-organization Assay for Min Proteins of Escherichia coli in Micro-droplets Covered with Lipids. Bio Protoc 2020; 10:e3561. [PMID: 33659532 PMCID: PMC7842281 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.3561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The Min system determines the cell division plane of bacteria. As a cue of spatiotemporal regulation, the Min system uses wave propagation of MinD protein (Min wave). Therefore, the reconstitution of the Min wave in cell-sized closed space will lead to the creation of artificial cells capable of cell division. The Min waves emerge via coupling between the reactions among MinD, MinE, and ATP and the differences in diffusion rate on the cell membrane and in the cytoplasm. Because Min waves appear only under the balanced condition of the reaction-diffusion coupling, special attentions are needed towards several technical points for the reconstitution of Min waves in artificial cells. This protocol describes a technical method for stably generating Min waves in artificial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunshi Kohyama
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Kei Fujiwara
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Natsuhiko Yoshinaga
- Mathematical Science Group, WPI Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.,MathAM-OIL, AIST, Sendai, Japan
| | - Nobuhide Doi
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
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31
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Abstract
Functions of intrinsically disordered proteins do not require structure. Such structure-independent functionality has melted away the classic rigid "lock and key" representation of structure-function relationships in proteins, opening a new page in protein science, where molten keys operate on melted locks and where conformational flexibility and intrinsic disorder, structural plasticity and extreme malleability, multifunctionality and binding promiscuity represent a new-fangled reality. Analysis and understanding of this new reality require novel tools, and some of the techniques elaborated for the examination of intrinsically disordered protein functions are outlined in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA
- Laboratory of New Methods in Biology, Institute for Biological Instrumentation, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Russian Federation
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32
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Probing transient excited states of the bacterial cell division regulator MinE by relaxation dispersion NMR spectroscopy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:25446-25455. [PMID: 31772021 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1915948116] [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] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial MinD and MinE form a standing oscillatory wave which positions the cell division inhibitor MinC, that binds MinD, everywhere on the membrane except at the midpoint of the cell, ensuring midcell positioning of the cytokinetic septum. During this process MinE undergoes fold switching as it interacts with different partners. We explore the exchange dynamics between major and excited states of the MinE dimer in 3 forms using 15N relaxation dispersion NMR: the full-length protein (6-stranded β-sheet sandwiched between 4 helices) representing the resting state; a 10-residue N-terminal deletion (Δ10) mimicking the membrane-binding competent state where the N-terminal helix is detached to interact with membrane; and N-terminal deletions of either 30 (Δ30) or 10 residues with an I24N mutation (Δ10/I24N), in which the β1-strands at the dimer interface are extruded and available to bind MinD, leaving behind a 4-stranded β-sheet. Full-length MinE samples 2 "excited" states: The first is similar to a full-length/Δ10 heterodimer; the second, also sampled by Δ10, is either similar to or well along the pathway toward the 4-stranded β-sheet form. Both Δ30 and Δ10/I24N sample 2 excited species: The first may involve destabilization of the β3- and β3'-strands at the dimer interface; changes in the second are more extensive, involving further disruption of secondary structure, possibly representing an ensemble of states on the pathway toward restoration of the resting state. The quantitative information on MinE conformational dynamics involving these excited states is crucial for understanding the oscillation pattern self-organization by MinD-MinE interaction dynamics on the membrane.
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33
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Glock P, Brauns F, Halatek J, Frey E, Schwille P. Design of biochemical pattern forming systems from minimal motifs. eLife 2019; 8:48646. [PMID: 31767054 PMCID: PMC6922632 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Although molecular self-organization and pattern formation are key features of life, only very few pattern-forming biochemical systems have been identified that can be reconstituted and studied in vitro under defined conditions. A systematic understanding of the underlying mechanisms is often hampered by multiple interactions, conformational flexibility and other complex features of the pattern forming proteins. Because of its compositional simplicity of only two proteins and a membrane, the MinDE system from Escherichia coli has in the past years been invaluable for deciphering the mechanisms of spatiotemporal self-organization in cells. Here, we explored the potential of reducing the complexity of this system even further, by identifying key functional motifs in the effector MinE that could be used to design pattern formation from scratch. In a combined approach of experiment and quantitative modeling, we show that starting from a minimal MinE-MinD interaction motif, pattern formation can be obtained by adding either dimerization or membrane-binding motifs. Moreover, we show that the pathways underlying pattern formation are recruitment-driven cytosolic cycling of MinE and recombination of membrane-bound MinE, and that these differ in their in vivo phenomenology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Glock
- Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Fridtjof Brauns
- Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany.,Center for NanoScience, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany
| | - Jacob Halatek
- Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany.,Center for NanoScience, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany.,Biological Computation Group, Microsoft Research, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Erwin Frey
- Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany.,Center for NanoScience, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany
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34
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Kisner JR, Kuwada NJ. Nucleoid-mediated positioning and transport in bacteria. Curr Genet 2019; 66:279-291. [PMID: 31691024 DOI: 10.1007/s00294-019-01041-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Precise management of the spatiotemporal position of subcellular components is critical to a number of essential processes in the bacterial cell. The bacterial nucleoid is a highly structured yet dynamic object that undergoes significant reorganization during the relatively short cell cycle, e.g. during gene expression, chromosome replication, and segregation. Although the nucleoid takes up a large fraction of the volume of the cell, the mobility of macromolecules within these dense regions is relatively high and recent results suggest that the nucleoid plays an integral role of dynamic localization in a host of seemingly disparate cellular processes. Here, we review a number of recent reports of nucleoid-mediated positioning and transport in the model bacteria Escherichia coli. These results viewed as a whole suggest that the dynamic, cellular-scale structure of the nucleoid may be a key driver of positioning and transport within the cell. This model of a global, default positioning and transport system may help resolve many unanswered questions about the mechanisms of partitioning and segregation in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica R Kisner
- Department of Physics, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA, 98926, USA
| | - Nathan J Kuwada
- Department of Physics, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA, 98926, USA.
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35
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Jamieson-Lane A, Cytrynbaum EN. Timing and shape of stochastic autocatalytic burst formation. CHAOS (WOODBURY, N.Y.) 2019; 29:113122. [PMID: 31779346 DOI: 10.1063/1.5123343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Chemical, physical, and ecological systems passing through a saddle-node bifurcation will, momentarily, find themselves balanced at a semistable steady state. If perturbed by noise, such systems will escape from the zero-steady state, with escape time sensitive to noise. When the model is extended to include space, this leads to different points in space "escaping from zero" at different times, and uniform initial conditions nucleate into sharp peaks spreading randomly across a nearly uniform background, a phenomenon closely resembling nucleation during phase transition. We use Large Deviation Theory to determine burst shape and temporal scaling with respect to noise amplitude. These results give a prototype for a particular form of patternless symmetry breaking in the vicinity of a stability boundary and demonstrate how microscopic noise can lead to macroscopic effects in such a region.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Jamieson-Lane
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Room 121, 1984 Mathematics Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2, Canada
| | - E N Cytrynbaum
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Room 121, 1984 Mathematics Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2, Canada
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36
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Ramm B, Heermann T, Schwille P. The E. coli MinCDE system in the regulation of protein patterns and gradients. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:4245-4273. [PMID: 31317204 PMCID: PMC6803595 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03218-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Molecular self-organziation, also regarded as pattern formation, is crucial for the correct distribution of cellular content. The processes leading to spatiotemporal patterns often involve a multitude of molecules interacting in complex networks, so that only very few cellular pattern-forming systems can be regarded as well understood. Due to its compositional simplicity, the Escherichia coli MinCDE system has, thus, become a paradigm for protein pattern formation. This biological reaction diffusion system spatiotemporally positions the division machinery in E. coli and is closely related to ParA-type ATPases involved in most aspects of spatiotemporal organization in bacteria. The ATPase MinD and the ATPase-activating protein MinE self-organize on the membrane as a reaction matrix. In vivo, these two proteins typically oscillate from pole-to-pole, while in vitro they can form a variety of distinct patterns. MinC is a passenger protein supposedly operating as a downstream cue of the system, coupling it to the division machinery. The MinCDE system has helped to extract not only the principles underlying intracellular patterns, but also how they are shaped by cellular boundaries. Moreover, it serves as a model to investigate how patterns can confer information through specific and non-specific interactions with other molecules. Here, we review how the three Min proteins self-organize to form patterns, their response to geometric boundaries, and how these patterns can in turn induce patterns of other molecules, focusing primarily on experimental approaches and developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Ramm
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Tamara Heermann
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.
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37
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Krishnamurthi VR, Chen J, Wang Y. Silver ions cause oscillation of bacterial length of Escherichia coli. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11745. [PMID: 31409877 PMCID: PMC6692348 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48113-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Silver (Ag) in various forms have recently gained broad interest and been revisited due to their promising antimicrobial effects. Here we report our study on the morphological dynamics of live bacteria when subjected to Ag+ ions. Using time-lapse microscopy, we observed oscillations of cell-length for a large fraction of bacteria exposed to 60 μM of Ag+ ions. In addition, we found that the responses of bacteria to Ag+ ions were heterogeneous. We quantified the oscillations of cell-length with power spectral density, which appeared different from that of bacteria growing in the absence of Ag+ ions. Furthermore, a model similar to the predator-prey argument was developed to understand the observed oscillations of cell-length upon exposure to Ag+ ions. This model not only successfully produced the oscillations but also explained the observed heterogeneity in the bacterial responses to Ag+ ions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jingyi Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA.,Microelectronics-Photonics Graduate Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA. .,Microelectronics-Photonics Graduate Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA. .,Cell and Molecular Biology Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA.
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38
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Tarnopol RL, Bowden S, Hinkle K, Balakrishnan K, Nishii A, Kaczmarek CJ, Pawloski T, Vecchiarelli AG. Lessons from a Minimal Genome: What Are the Essential Organizing Principles of a Cell Built from Scratch? Chembiochem 2019; 20:2535-2545. [DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201900249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L. Tarnopol
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Sierra Bowden
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Kevin Hinkle
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Krithika Balakrishnan
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Akira Nishii
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Caleb J. Kaczmarek
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Tara Pawloski
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Anthony G. Vecchiarelli
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
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39
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Szewczak‐Harris A, Wagstaff J, Löwe J. Cryo-EM structure of the MinCD copolymeric filament from Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 3.1 Å resolution. FEBS Lett 2019; 593:1915-1926. [PMID: 31166018 PMCID: PMC6771821 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Positioning of the division site in many bacterial species relies on the MinCDE system, which prevents the cytokinetic Z-ring from assembling anywhere but the mid-cell, through an oscillatory diffusion-reaction mechanism. MinD dimers bind to membranes and, via their partner MinC, inhibit the polymerization of cell division protein FtsZ into the Z-ring. MinC and MinD form polymeric assemblies in solution and on cell membranes. Here, we report the high-resolution cryo-EM structure of the copolymeric filaments of Pseudomonas aeruginosa MinCD. The filaments consist of three protofilaments made of alternating MinC and MinD dimers. The MinCD protofilaments are almost completely straight and assemble as single protofilaments on lipid membranes, which we also visualized by cryo-EM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej Szewczak‐Harris
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUK
- Present address:
Department of BiochemistryUniversity of CambridgeUK
| | | | - Jan Löwe
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular BiologyCambridgeUK
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40
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Hansen SD, Huang WYC, Lee YK, Bieling P, Christensen SM, Groves JT. Stochastic geometry sensing and polarization in a lipid kinase-phosphatase competitive reaction. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:15013-15022. [PMID: 31278151 PMCID: PMC6660746 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1901744116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Phosphorylation reactions, driven by competing kinases and phosphatases, are central elements of cellular signal transduction. We reconstituted a native eukaryotic lipid kinase-phosphatase reaction that drives the interconversion of phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate [PI(4)P] and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-phosphate [PI(4,5)P2] on membrane surfaces. This system exhibited bistability and formed spatial composition patterns on supported membranes. In smaller confined regions of membrane, rapid diffusion ensures the system remains spatially homogeneous, but the final outcome-a predominantly PI(4)P or PI(4,5)P2 membrane composition-was governed by the size of the reaction environment. In larger confined regions, interplay between the reactions, diffusion, and confinement created a variety of differentially patterned states, including polarization. Experiments and kinetic modeling reveal how these geometric confinement effects arise from a mechanism based on stochastic fluctuations in the copy number of membrane-bound kinases and phosphatases. The underlying requirements for such behavior are unexpectedly simple and likely to occur in natural biological signaling systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott D Hansen
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720;
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403
| | - William Y C Huang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Young Kwang Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Peter Bieling
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | | | - Jay T Groves
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720;
- California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, Berkeley, CA 94720
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41
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Kretschmer S, Ganzinger KA, Franquelim HG, Schwille P. Synthetic cell division via membrane-transforming molecular assemblies. BMC Biol 2019; 17:43. [PMID: 31126285 PMCID: PMC6533746 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-019-0665-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproduction, i.e. the ability to produce new individuals from a parent organism, is a hallmark of living matter. Even the simplest forms of reproduction require cell division: attempts to create a designer cell therefore should include a synthetic cell division machinery. In this review, we will illustrate how nature solves this task, describing membrane remodelling processes in general and focusing on bacterial cell division in particular. We discuss recent progress made in their in vitro reconstitution, identify open challenges, and suggest how purely synthetic building blocks could provide an additional and attractive route to creating artificial cell division machineries.
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42
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Shih YL, Huang LT, Tu YM, Lee BF, Bau YC, Hong CY, Lee HL, Shih YP, Hsu MF, Lu ZX, Chen JS, Chao L. Active Transport of Membrane Components by Self-Organization of the Min Proteins. Biophys J 2019; 116:1469-1482. [PMID: 30979552 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneous distribution of components in the biological membrane is critical in the process of cell polarization. However, little is known about the mechanisms that can generate and maintain the heterogeneous distribution of the membrane components. Here, we report that the propagating wave patterns of the bacterial Min proteins can impose steric pressure on the membrane, resulting in transport and directional accumulation of the component in the membrane. Therefore, the membrane component waves represent transport of the component in the membrane that is caused by the steric pressure gradient induced by the differential levels of binding and dissociation of the Min proteins in the propagating waves on the membrane surface. The diffusivity, majorly influenced by the membrane anchor of the component, and the repulsed ability, majorly influenced by the steric property of the membrane component, determine the differential spatial distribution of the membrane component. Thus, transportation of the membrane component by the Min proteins follows a simple physical principle, which resembles a linear peristaltic pumping process, to selectively segregate and maintain heterogeneous distribution of materials in the membrane. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ling Shih
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Ling-Ting Huang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ming Tu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Bo-Fan Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chiuan Bau
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia Yee Hong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Lin Lee
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yan-Ping Shih
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Min-Feng Hsu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Zheng-Xin Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Szu Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ling Chao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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43
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Halatek J, Brauns F, Frey E. Self-organization principles of intracellular pattern formation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0107. [PMID: 29632261 PMCID: PMC5904295 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynamic patterning of specific proteins is essential for the spatio-temporal regulation of many important intracellular processes in prokaryotes, eukaryotes and multicellular organisms. The emergence of patterns generated by interactions of diffusing proteins is a paradigmatic example for self-organization. In this article, we review quantitative models for intracellular Min protein patterns in Escherichia coli, Cdc42 polarization in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the bipolar PAR protein patterns found in Caenorhabditis elegans. By analysing the molecular processes driving these systems we derive a theoretical perspective on general principles underlying self-organized pattern formation. We argue that intracellular pattern formation is not captured by concepts such as ‘activators’, ‘inhibitors’ or ‘substrate depletion’. Instead, intracellular pattern formation is based on the redistribution of proteins by cytosolic diffusion, and the cycling of proteins between distinct conformational states. Therefore, mass-conserving reaction–diffusion equations provide the most appropriate framework to study intracellular pattern formation. We conclude that directed transport, e.g. cytosolic diffusion along an actively maintained cytosolic gradient, is the key process underlying pattern formation. Thus the basic principle of self-organization is the establishment and maintenance of directed transport by intracellular protein dynamics. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Self-organization in cell biology’.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Halatek
- Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics and Center for NanoScience, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstraße 37, D-80333 München, Germany
| | - F Brauns
- Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics and Center for NanoScience, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstraße 37, D-80333 München, Germany
| | - E Frey
- Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics and Center for NanoScience, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstraße 37, D-80333 München, Germany
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44
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Kretschmer S, Harrington L, Schwille P. Reverse and forward engineering of protein pattern formation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0104. [PMID: 29632258 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0104] [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] [Accepted: 12/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Living systems employ protein pattern formation to regulate important life processes in space and time. Although pattern-forming protein networks have been identified in various prokaryotes and eukaryotes, their systematic experimental characterization is challenging owing to the complex environment of living cells. In turn, cell-free systems are ideally suited for this goal, as they offer defined molecular environments that can be precisely controlled and manipulated. Towards revealing the molecular basis of protein pattern formation, we outline two complementary approaches: the biochemical reverse engineering of reconstituted networks and the de novo design, or forward engineering, of artificial self-organizing systems. We first illustrate the reverse engineering approach by the example of the Escherichia coli Min system, a model system for protein self-organization based on the reversible and energy-dependent interaction of the ATPase MinD and its activating protein MinE with a lipid membrane. By reconstituting MinE mutants impaired in ATPase stimulation, we demonstrate how large-scale Min protein patterns are modulated by MinE activity and concentration. We then provide a perspective on the de novo design of self-organizing protein networks. Tightly integrated reverse and forward engineering approaches will be key to understanding and engineering the intriguing phenomenon of protein pattern formation.This article is part of the theme issue 'Self-organization in cell biology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Kretschmer
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Leon Harrington
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
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45
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Wettmann L, Kruse K. The Min-protein oscillations in Escherichia coli: an example of self-organized cellular protein waves. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0111. [PMID: 29632263 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In the rod-shaped bacterium Escherichia coli, selection of the cell centre as the division site involves pole-to-pole oscillations of the proteins MinC, MinD and MinE. This spatio-temporal pattern emerges from interactions among the Min proteins and with the cytoplasmic membrane. Combining experimental studies in vivo and in vitro together with theoretical analysis has led to a fairly good understanding of Min-protein self-organization. In different geometries, the system can, in addition to standing waves, also produce travelling planar and spiral waves as well as coexisting stable stationary distributions. Today it stands as one of the best-studied examples of cellular self-organization of proteins.This article is part of the theme issue 'Self-organization in cell biology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Wettmann
- Theoretische Physik, Universität des Saarlandes, Postfach 151150, 66041 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Karsten Kruse
- Departments of Biochemistry and Theoretical Physics, NCCR Chemical Biology, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
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Hori Y, Miyazako H. Analysing diffusion and flow-driven instability using semidefinite programming. J R Soc Interface 2019; 16:20180586. [PMID: 30958171 PMCID: PMC6364638 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion and flow-driven instability, or transport-driven instability, is one of the central mechanisms to generate inhomogeneous gradient of concentrations in spatially distributed chemical systems. However, verifying the transport-driven instability of reaction-diffusion-advection systems requires checking the Jacobian eigenvalues of infinitely many Fourier modes, which is computationally intractable. To overcome this limitation, this paper proposes mathematical optimization algorithms that determine the stability/instability of reaction-diffusion-advection systems by finite steps of algebraic calculations. Specifically, the stability/instability analysis of Fourier modes is formulated as a sum-of-squares optimization program, which is a class of convex optimization whose solvers are widely available as software packages. The optimization program is further extended for facile computation of the destabilizing spatial modes. This extension allows for predicting and designing the shape of the concentration gradient without simulating the governing equations. The streamlined analysis process of self-organized pattern formation is demonstrated with a simple illustrative reaction model with diffusion and advection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Hori
- Department of Applied Physics and Physico-Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8522, Japan
| | - Hiroki Miyazako
- Department of Information Physics and Computing, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
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Vendel KJA, Tschirpke S, Shamsi F, Dogterom M, Laan L. Minimal in vitro systems shed light on cell polarity. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:132/4/jcs217554. [PMID: 30700498 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.217554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell polarity - the morphological and functional differentiation of cellular compartments in a directional manner - is required for processes such as orientation of cell division, directed cellular growth and motility. How the interplay of components within the complexity of a cell leads to cell polarity is still heavily debated. In this Review, we focus on one specific aspect of cell polarity: the non-uniform accumulation of proteins on the cell membrane. In cells, this is achieved through reaction-diffusion and/or cytoskeleton-based mechanisms. In reaction-diffusion systems, components are transformed into each other by chemical reactions and are moving through space by diffusion. In cytoskeleton-based processes, cellular components (i.e. proteins) are actively transported by microtubules (MTs) and actin filaments to specific locations in the cell. We examine how minimal systems - in vitro reconstitutions of a particular cellular function with a minimal number of components - are designed, how they contribute to our understanding of cell polarity (i.e. protein accumulation), and how they complement in vivo investigations. We start by discussing the Min protein system from Escherichia coli, which represents a reaction-diffusion system with a well-established minimal system. This is followed by a discussion of MT-based directed transport for cell polarity markers as an example of a cytoskeleton-based mechanism. To conclude, we discuss, as an example, the interplay of reaction-diffusion and cytoskeleton-based mechanisms during polarity establishment in budding yeast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim J A Vendel
- Bionanoscience Department, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft 2600 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Sophie Tschirpke
- Bionanoscience Department, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft 2600 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Fayezeh Shamsi
- Bionanoscience Department, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft 2600 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Marileen Dogterom
- Bionanoscience Department, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft 2600 GA, The Netherlands
| | - Liedewij Laan
- Bionanoscience Department, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft 2600 GA, The Netherlands
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MinC N- and C-Domain Interactions Modulate FtsZ Assembly, Division Site Selection, and MinD-Dependent Oscillation in Escherichia coli. J Bacteriol 2019; 201:JB.00374-18. [PMID: 30455283 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00374-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Min system in Escherichia coli, consisting of MinC, MinD, and MinE proteins, regulates division site selection by preventing assembly of the FtsZ-ring (Z-ring) and exhibits polar oscillation in vivo MinC antagonizes FtsZ polymerization, and in vivo, the cellular location of MinC is controlled by a direct association with MinD at the membrane. To further understand the interactions of MinC with FtsZ and MinD, we performed a mutagenesis screen to identify substitutions in minC that are associated with defects in cell division. We identified amino acids in both the N- and C-domains of MinC that are important for direct interactions with FtsZ and MinD in vitro, as well as mutations that modify the observed in vivo oscillation of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-MinC. Our results indicate that there are two distinct surface-exposed sites on MinC that are important for direct interactions with FtsZ, one at a cleft on the surface of the N-domain and a second on the C-domain that is adjacent to the MinD interaction site. Mutation of either of these sites leads to slower oscillation of GFP-MinC in vivo, although the MinC mutant proteins are still capable of a direct interaction with MinD in phospholipid recruitment assays. Furthermore, we demonstrate that interactions between FtsZ and both sites of MinC identified here are important for assembly of FtsZ-MinC-MinD complexes and that the conserved C-terminal end of FtsZ is not required for MinC-MinD complex formation with GTP-dependent FtsZ polymers.IMPORTANCE Bacterial cell division proceeds through the coordinated assembly of the FtsZ-ring, or Z-ring, at the site of division. Assembly of the Z-ring requires polymerization of FtsZ, which is regulated by several proteins in the cell. In Escherichia coli, the Min system, which contains MinC, MinD, and MinE proteins, exhibits polar oscillation and inhibits the assembly of FtsZ at nonseptal locations. Here, we identify regions on the surface of MinC that are important for contacting FtsZ and destabilizing FtsZ polymers.
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Abstract
Spatial organization is a hallmark of all living systems. Even bacteria, the smallest forms of cellular life, display defined shapes and complex internal organization, showcasing a highly structured genome, cytoskeletal filaments, localized scaffolding structures, dynamic spatial patterns, active transport, and occasionally, intracellular organelles. Spatial order is required for faithful and efficient cellular replication and offers a powerful means for the development of unique biological properties. Here, we discuss organizational features of bacterial cells and highlight how bacteria have evolved diverse spatial mechanisms to overcome challenges cells face as self-replicating entities.
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Glock P, Ramm B, Heermann T, Kretschmer S, Schweizer J, Mücksch J, Alagöz G, Schwille P. Stationary Patterns in a Two-Protein Reaction-Diffusion System. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:148-157. [PMID: 30571913 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.8b00415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Patterns formed by reaction-diffusion mechanisms are crucial for the development or sustenance of most organisms in nature. Patterns include dynamic waves, but are more often found as static distributions, such as animal skin patterns. Yet, a simplistic biological model system to reproduce and quantitatively investigate static reaction-diffusion patterns has been missing so far. Here, we demonstrate that the Escherichia coli Min system, known for its oscillatory behavior between the cell poles, is under certain conditions capable of transitioning to quasi-stationary protein distributions on membranes closely resembling Turing patterns. We systematically titrated both proteins, MinD and MinE, and found that removing all purification tags and linkers from the N-terminus of MinE was critical for static patterns to occur. At small bulk heights, dynamic patterns dominate, such as in rod-shaped microcompartments. We see implications of this work for studying pattern formation in general, but also for creating artificial gradients as downstream cues in synthetic biology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Glock
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Beatrice Ramm
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Tamara Heermann
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Simon Kretschmer
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Jakob Schweizer
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Jonas Mücksch
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Gökberk Alagöz
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max-Planck-Institut für Biochemie, Martinsried 82152, Germany
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