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Ma X, Yi L, Li J, Ma J, Li W, Wang L, Liu C, Li B, Deng N, Kang W, Xue C. Engineering a Self-Assembled Protein Cage for Targeted Dual Functionalization. NANO LETTERS 2024. [PMID: 39017718 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c01693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
Self-assembled protein cages are attractive scaffolds for organizing various proteins of interest (POIs) toward applications in synthetic biology and medical science. However, specifically attaching multiple POIs to a single protein cage remains challenging, resulting in diversity among the functionalized particles. Here, we present the engineering of a self-assembled protein cage, DTMi3ST, capable of independently recruiting two different POIs using SpyCatcher (SC)/SpyTag (ST) and DogCatcher (DC)/DogTag (DT) chemistries, thereby reducing variability between assemblies. Using fluorescent proteins as models, we demonstrate controlled targeting of two different POIs onto DTMi3ST protein cages both in vitro and inside living cells. Furthermore, dual functionalization of the DTMi3ST protein cage with a membrane-targeting peptide and β-galactosidase resulted in the construction of membrane-bound enzyme assemblies in Escherichia coli, leading to a 69.6% enhancement in substrate utilization across the membrane. This versatile protein cage platform provides dual functional nanotools for biological and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Frontiers Science Centre for Smart Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
- Ningbo Institute of Dalian University of Technology, Ningbo 315016, China
| | - Lun Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Frontiers Science Centre for Smart Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
- School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jiani Li
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Frontiers Science Centre for Smart Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Juncai Ma
- School of Life Sciences, Centre for Cell & Developmental Biology and State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Wei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Frontiers Science Centre for Smart Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Lingqin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Frontiers Science Centre for Smart Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Chunxue Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Frontiers Science Centre for Smart Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kennesaw State University, Marietta, Georgia 30060, United States
| | - Ning Deng
- Department of Breast Surgery, Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shenyang 110042, China
| | - Wei Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Frontiers Science Centre for Smart Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
- Ningbo Institute of Dalian University of Technology, Ningbo 315016, China
| | - Chuang Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Frontiers Science Centre for Smart Materials Oriented Chemical Engineering, School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
- Ningbo Institute of Dalian University of Technology, Ningbo 315016, China
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2
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Gavrilović S, Brüggenthies GA, Weck JM, Heuer-Jungemann A, Schwille P. Protein-Assisted Large-Scale Assembly and Differential Patterning of DNA Origami Lattices. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2309680. [PMID: 38229553 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202309680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Nanofabrication has experienced a big boost with the invention of DNA origami, enabling the production and assembly of complex nanoscale structures that may be able to unlock fully new functionalities in biology and beyond. The remarkable precision with which these structures can be designed and produced is, however, not yet matched by their assembly dynamics, which can be extremely slow, particularly when attached to biological templates, such as membranes. Here, the rapid and controlled formation of DNA origami lattices on the scale of hundreds of micrometers in as little as 30 minutes is demonstrated, utilizing active patterning by the E.coli Min protein system, thereby yielding a remarkable improvement over conventional passive diffusion-based assembly methods. Various patterns, including spots, inverse spots, mazes, and meshes can be produced at different scales, tailored through the shape and density of the assembled structures. The differential positioning accomplished by Min-induced diffusiophoresis even allows the introduction of "pseudo-colors", i.e., complex core-shell patterns, by simultaneously patterning different DNA origami species. Beyond the targeted functionalization of biological surfaces, this approach may also be promising for applications in plasmonics, catalysis, and molecular sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetozar Gavrilović
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Johann Moritz Weck
- Research Group DNA Hybridnanomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Amelie Heuer-Jungemann
- Research Group DNA Hybridnanomaterials, 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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3
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Kohyama S, Frohn BP, Babl L, Schwille P. Machine learning-aided design and screening of an emergent protein function in synthetic cells. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2010. [PMID: 38443351 PMCID: PMC10914801 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46203-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Recently, utilization of Machine Learning (ML) has led to astonishing progress in computational protein design, bringing into reach the targeted engineering of proteins for industrial and biomedical applications. However, the design of proteins for emergent functions of core relevance to cells, such as the ability to spatiotemporally self-organize and thereby structure the cellular space, is still extremely challenging. While on the generative side conditional generative models and multi-state design are on the rise, for emergent functions there is a lack of tailored screening methods as typically needed in a protein design project, both computational and experimental. Here we describe a proof-of-principle of how such screening, in silico and in vitro, can be achieved for ML-generated variants of a protein that forms intracellular spatiotemporal patterns. For computational screening we use a structure-based divide-and-conquer approach to find the most promising candidates, while for the subsequent in vitro screening we use synthetic cell-mimics as established by Bottom-Up Synthetic Biology. We then show that the best screened candidate can indeed completely substitute the wildtype gene in Escherichia coli. These results raise great hopes for the next level of synthetic biology, where ML-designed synthetic proteins will be used to engineer cellular functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunshi Kohyama
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, D-82152, Germany
| | - Béla P Frohn
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, D-82152, Germany
| | - Leon Babl
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, D-82152, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried, D-82152, Germany.
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4
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Allgood SC, Su CC, Crooks AL, Meyer CT, Zhou B, Betterton MD, Barbachyn MR, Yu EW, Detweiler CS. Bacterial efflux pump modulators prevent bacterial growth in macrophages and under broth conditions that mimic the host environment. mBio 2023; 14:e0249223. [PMID: 37921493 PMCID: PMC10746280 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02492-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Bacterial efflux pumps are critical for resistance to antibiotics and for virulence. We previously identified small molecules that inhibit efflux pumps (efflux pump modulators, EPMs) and prevent pathogen replication in host cells. Here, we used medicinal chemistry to increase the activity of the EPMs against pathogens in cells into the nanomolar range. We show by cryo-electron microscopy that these EPMs bind an efflux pump subunit. In broth culture, the EPMs increase the potency (activity), but not the efficacy (maximum effect), of antibiotics. We also found that bacterial exposure to the EPMs appear to enable the accumulation of a toxic metabolite that would otherwise be exported by efflux pumps. Thus, inhibitors of bacterial efflux pumps could interfere with infection not only by potentiating antibiotics, but also by allowing toxic waste products to accumulate within bacteria, providing an explanation for why efflux pumps are needed for virulence in the absence of antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samual C. Allgood
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Chih-Chia Su
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Amy L. Crooks
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Christian T. Meyer
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Duet Biosystems, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Antimicrobial Research Consortium (ARC) Labs, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Bojun Zhou
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Meredith D. Betterton
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Edward W. Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Corrella S. Detweiler
- Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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5
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Allgood SC, Su CC, Crooks AL, Meyer CT, Zhou B, Betterton MD, Barbachyn MR, Yu EW, Detweiler CS. Bacterial Efflux Pump Modulators Prevent Bacterial Growth in Macrophages and Under Broth Conditions that Mimic the Host Environment. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.20.558466. [PMID: 37786697 PMCID: PMC10541609 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.20.558466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
New approaches for combatting microbial infections are needed. One strategy for disrupting pathogenesis involves developing compounds that interfere with bacterial virulence. A critical molecular determinant of virulence for Gram-negative bacteria are efflux pumps of the resistance-nodulation-division (RND) family, which includes AcrAB-TolC. We previously identified small molecules that bind AcrB, inhibit AcrAB-TolC, and do not appear to damage membranes. These efflux pump modulators (EPMs) were discovered in an in-cell screening platform called SAFIRE (Screen for Anti-infectives using Fluorescence microscopy of IntracellulaR Enterobacteriaceae). SAFIRE identifies compounds that disrupt the growth of a Gram-negative human pathogen, Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) in macrophages. We used medicinal chemistry to iteratively design ~200 EPM35 analogs and test them for activity in SAFIRE, generating compounds with nanomolar potency. Analogs were demonstrated to bind AcrB in a substrate binding pocket by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Despite having amphipathic structures, the EPM analogs do not disrupt membrane voltage, as monitored by FtsZ localization to the cell septum. The EPM analogs had little effect on bacterial growth in standard Mueller Hinton Broth. However, under broth conditions that mimic the micro-environment of the macrophage phagosome, acrAB is required for growth, the EPM analogs are bacteriostatic, and increase the potency of antibiotics. These data suggest that under macrophage-like conditions the EPM analogs prevent the export of a toxic bacterial metabolite(s) through AcrAB-TolC. Thus, compounds that bind AcrB could disrupt infection by specifically interfering with the export of bacterial toxic metabolites, host defense factors, and/or antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samual C Allgood
- Molecular, Cellular Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Chih-Chia Su
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Amy L Crooks
- Molecular, Cellular Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Christian T Meyer
- Molecular, Cellular Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Duet Biosystems, Nashville, TN, USA
- Antimicrobial Research Consortium (ARC) Labs, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Bojun Zhou
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Meredith D Betterton
- Molecular, Cellular Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Edward W Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Corrella S Detweiler
- Molecular, Cellular Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
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6
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Discovery of endosomalytic cell-penetrating peptides based on bacterial membrane-targeting sequences. Bioorg Chem 2023; 134:106424. [PMID: 36868126 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are prominent scaffolds for drug developments and related research, particularly the endocytic delivery of biomacromolecules. Effective cargo release from endosomes prior to lysosomal degradation is a crucial step, where the rational design and selection of CPPs remains a challenge and calls for deeper mechanistic understandings. Here, we have investigated a strategy of designing CPPs that selectively disrupt endosomal membranes based on bacterial membrane targeting sequences (MTSs). Six synthesized MTS peptides all exhibit cell-penetrating abilities, among which two d-peptides (d-EcMTS and d-TpMTS) are able to escape from endosomes and localize at ER after entering the cell. The utility of this strategy has been demonstrated by the intracellular delivery of green fluorescent protein (GFP). Together, these results suggest that the large pool of bacterial MTSs may be a rich source for the development of novel CPPs.
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7
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Fule L, Halifa R, Fontana C, Sismeiro O, Legendre R, Varet H, Coppée JY, Murray GL, Adler B, Hendrixson DR, Buschiazzo A, Guo S, Liu J, Picardeau M. Role of the major determinant of polar flagellation FlhG in the endoflagella-containing spirochete Leptospira. Mol Microbiol 2021; 116:1392-1406. [PMID: 34657338 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Spirochetes can be distinguished from other bacteria by their spiral-shaped morphology and subpolar periplasmic flagella. This study focused on FlhF and FlhG, which control the spatial and numerical regulation of flagella in many exoflagellated bacteria, in the spirochete Leptospira. In contrast to flhF which seems to be essential in Leptospira, we demonstrated that flhG- mutants in both the saprophyte L. biflexa and the pathogen L. interrogans were less motile than the wild-type strains in gel-like environments but not hyperflagellated as reported previously in other bacteria. Cryo-electron tomography revealed that the distance between the flagellar basal body and the tip of the cell decreased significantly in the flhG- mutant in comparison to wild-type and complemented strains. Additionally, comparative transcriptome analyses of L. biflexa flhG- and wild-type strains showed that FlhG acts as a negative regulator of transcription of some flagellar genes. We found that the L. interrogans flhG- mutant was attenuated for virulence in the hamster model. Cross-species complementation also showed that flhG is not interchangeable between species. Our results indicate that FlhF and FlhG in Leptospira contribute to governing cell motility but our data support the hypothesis that FlhF and FlhG function differently in each bacterial species, including among spirochetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Fule
- Institut Pasteur, Biology of Spirochetes Unit, Paris, France
- Pasteur International Unit, Integrative Microbiology of Zoonotic Agents, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay/Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Ruben Halifa
- Institut Pasteur, Biology of Spirochetes Unit, Paris, France
| | - Celia Fontana
- Boehringer Ingelheim Santé Animale, Saint Priest, France
| | - Odile Sismeiro
- Transcriptome and Epigenome Platform, Biomics, Center for Technological Resources and Research (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Rachel Legendre
- Transcriptome and Epigenome Platform, Biomics, Center for Technological Resources and Research (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Department of Computational Biology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Hugo Varet
- Transcriptome and Epigenome Platform, Biomics, Center for Technological Resources and Research (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Hub, Department of Computational Biology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Yves Coppée
- Transcriptome and Epigenome Platform, Biomics, Center for Technological Resources and Research (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Gerald L Murray
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ben Adler
- Infection and Immunity Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - David R Hendrixson
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Alejandro Buschiazzo
- Pasteur International Unit, Integrative Microbiology of Zoonotic Agents, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay/Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Microbiology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Shuaiqi Guo
- Microbial Sciences Institute & Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Microbial Sciences Institute & Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Mathieu Picardeau
- Institut Pasteur, Biology of Spirochetes Unit, Paris, France
- Pasteur International Unit, Integrative Microbiology of Zoonotic Agents, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay/Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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8
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The Division Defect of a Bacillus subtilis minD noc Double Mutant Can Be Suppressed by Spx-Dependent and Spx-Independent Mechanisms. J Bacteriol 2021; 203:e0024921. [PMID: 34181483 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00249-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
During growth, bacteria increase in size and divide. Division is initiated by the formation of the Z-ring, a ring-like cytoskeletal structure formed by treadmilling protofilaments of the tubulin homolog FtsZ. FtsZ localization is thought to be controlled by the Min and Noc systems, and here we explore why cell division fails at high temperature when the Min and Noc systems are simultaneously mutated. Microfluidic analysis of a minD noc double mutant indicated that FtsZ formed proto-Z-rings at periodic interchromosome locations but that the rings failed to mature and become functional. Extragenic suppressor analysis indicated that a variety of mutations restored high temperature growth to the minD noc double mutant, and while many were likely pleiotropic, others implicated the proteolysis of the transcription factor Spx. Further analysis indicated that a Spx-dependent pathway activated the expression of ZapA, a protein that primarily compensates for the absence of Noc. In addition, an Spx-independent pathway reduced the length of the cytokinetic period, perhaps by increasing divisome activity. Finally, we provide evidence of an as-yet-unidentified protein that is activated by Spx and governs the frequency of polar division and minicell formation. IMPORTANCE Bacteria must properly position the location of the cell division machinery in order to grow, divide, and ensure each daughter cell receives one copy of the chromosome. In Bacillus subtilis, cell division site selection depends on the Min and Noc systems, and while neither is individually essential, cells fail to grow at high temperature when both are mutated. Here, we show that cell division fails in the absence of Min and Noc, due not to a defect in FtsZ localization but rather to a failure in the maturation of the cell division machinery. Suppressor mutations that restored growth were selected, and while some activated the expression of ZapA via the Spx stress response pathway, others appeared to directly enhance divisome activity.
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9
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Multipurpose peptides: The venoms of Amazonian stinging ants contain anthelmintic ponericins with diverse predatory and defensive activities. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 192:114693. [PMID: 34302796 PMCID: PMC10167921 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In the face of increasing drug resistance, the development of new anthelmintics is critical for controlling nematodes that parasitise livestock. Although hymenopteran venom toxins have attracted attention for applications in agriculture and medicine, few studies have explored their potential as anthelmintics. Here we assessed hymenopteran venoms as a possible source of new anthelmintic compounds by screening a panel of ten hymenopteran venoms against Haemonchus contortus, a major pathogenic nematode of ruminants. Using bioassay-guided fractionation coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we identified four novel anthelmintic peptides (ponericins) from the venom of the neotropical ant Neoponera commutata and the previously described ponericin M-PONTX-Na1b from Neoponera apicalis venom. These peptides inhibit H. contortus development with IC50 values of 2.8-5.6 μM. Circular dichroism spectropolarimetry indicated that the ponericins are unstructured in aqueous solution but adopt α-helical conformations in lipid mimetic environments. We show that the ponericins induce non-specific membrane perturbation, which confers broad-spectrum antimicrobial, insecticidal, cytotoxic, hemolytic, and algogenic activities, with activity across all assays typically correlated. We also show for the first time that ponericins induce spontaneous pain behaviour when injected in mice. We propose that the broad-spectrum activity of the ponericins enables them to play both a predatory and defensive role in neoponeran ants, consistent with their high abundance in venom. This study reveals a broader functionality for ponericins than previously assumed, and highlights both the opportunities and challenges in pursuing ant venom peptides as potential therapeutics.
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10
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Feng J, Zhang J, Ma Y, Feng Y, Wang S, Guo N, Wang H, Wang P, Jiménez-Bonilla P, Gu Y, Zhou J, Zhang ZT, Cao M, Jiang D, Wang S, Liu XW, Shao Z, Borovok I, Huang H, Wang Y. Renewable fatty acid ester production in Clostridium. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4368. [PMID: 34272383 PMCID: PMC8285483 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24038-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioproduction of renewable chemicals is considered as an urgent solution for fossil energy crisis. However, despite tremendous efforts, it is still challenging to generate microbial strains that can produce target biochemical to high levels. Here, we report an example of biosynthesis of high-value and easy-recoverable derivatives built upon natural microbial pathways, leading to improvement in bioproduction efficiency. By leveraging pathways in solventogenic clostridia for co-producing acyl-CoAs, acids and alcohols as precursors, through rational screening for host strains and enzymes, systematic metabolic engineering-including elimination of putative prophages, we develop strains that can produce 20.3 g/L butyl acetate and 1.6 g/L butyl butyrate. Techno-economic analysis results suggest the economic competitiveness of our developed bioprocess. Our principles of selecting the most appropriate host for specific bioproduction and engineering microbial chassis to produce high-value and easy-separable end products may be applicable to other bioprocesses. Esters can be used as fuels and specialty chemicals for food flavoring, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Here, the authors systematically engineer clostridia, including discovery and deletion of prophages to increase strain stability, for the production of butyl acetate and butyl butyrate from corn stover at low cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Feng
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.,Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Jie Zhang
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.,Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Yuechao Ma
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.,Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Yiming Feng
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Shangjun Wang
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.,Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Na Guo
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.,Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Haijiao Wang
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.,Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Pixiang Wang
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.,Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Pablo Jiménez-Bonilla
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.,Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.,School of Chemistry, National University (UNA), Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Yanyan Gu
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.,Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Junping Zhou
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.,Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Zhong-Tian Zhang
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.,Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Mingfeng Cao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.,NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Di Jiang
- Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Shuning Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Microbial Technology Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xian-Wei Liu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Zengyi Shao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.,NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Ilya Borovok
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Haibo Huang
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA. .,Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
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11
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Engineering AraC to make it responsive to light instead of arabinose. Nat Chem Biol 2021; 17:817-827. [PMID: 33903769 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00787-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The L-arabinose-responsive AraC and its cognate PBAD promoter underlie one of the most often used chemically inducible prokaryotic gene expression systems in microbiology and synthetic biology. Here, we change the sensing capability of AraC from L-arabinose to blue light, making its dimerization and the resulting PBAD activation light-inducible. We engineer an entire family of blue light-inducible AraC dimers in Escherichia coli (BLADE) to control gene expression in space and time. We show that BLADE can be used with pre-existing L-arabinose-responsive plasmids and strains, enabling optogenetic experiments without the need to clone. Furthermore, we apply BLADE to control, with light, the catabolism of L-arabinose, thus externally steering bacterial growth with a simple transformation step. Our work establishes BLADE as a highly practical and effective optogenetic tool with plug-and-play functionality-features that we hope will accelerate the broader adoption of optogenetics and the realization of its vast potential in microbiology, synthetic biology and biotechnology.
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12
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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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13
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Fu M, Franquelim HG, Kretschmer S, Schwille P. Non‐Equilibrium Large‐Scale Membrane Transformations Driven by MinDE Biochemical Reaction Cycles. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202015184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Meifang Fu
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular Biophysics Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry Am Klopferspitz 18 82152 Martinsried Germany
| | - Henri G. Franquelim
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular Biophysics Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry Am Klopferspitz 18 82152 Martinsried Germany
| | - Simon Kretschmer
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular Biophysics Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry Am Klopferspitz 18 82152 Martinsried Germany
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Science University of California San Francisco San Francisco CA USA
| | - Petra Schwille
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular Biophysics Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry Am Klopferspitz 18 82152 Martinsried Germany
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14
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Fu M, Franquelim HG, Kretschmer S, Schwille P. Non-Equilibrium Large-Scale Membrane Transformations Driven by MinDE Biochemical Reaction Cycles. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:6496-6502. [PMID: 33285025 PMCID: PMC7986748 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202015184] [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: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The MinDE proteins from E. coli have received great attention as a paradigmatic biological pattern-forming system. Recently, it has surfaced that these proteins do not only generate oscillating concentration gradients driven by ATP hydrolysis, but that they can reversibly deform giant vesicles. In order to explore the potential of Min proteins to actually perform mechanical work, we introduce a new model membrane system, flat vesicle stacks on top of a supported lipid bilayer. MinDE oscillations can repeatedly deform these flat vesicles into tubules and promote progressive membrane spreading through membrane adhesion. Dependent on membrane and buffer compositions, Min oscillations further induce robust bud formation. Altogether, we demonstrate that under specific conditions, MinDE self-organization can result in work performed on biomimetic systems and achieve a straightforward mechanochemical coupling between the MinDE biochemical reaction cycle and membrane transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meifang Fu
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular BiophysicsMax Planck Institute of BiochemistryAm Klopferspitz 1882152MartinsriedGermany
| | - Henri G. Franquelim
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular BiophysicsMax Planck Institute of BiochemistryAm Klopferspitz 1882152MartinsriedGermany
| | - Simon Kretschmer
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular BiophysicsMax Planck Institute of BiochemistryAm Klopferspitz 1882152MartinsriedGermany
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic ScienceUniversity of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCAUSA
| | - Petra Schwille
- Dept. Cellular and Molecular BiophysicsMax Planck Institute of BiochemistryAm Klopferspitz 1882152MartinsriedGermany
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15
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De novo design of a reversible phosphorylation-dependent switch for membrane targeting. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1472. [PMID: 33674566 PMCID: PMC7935970 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21622-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Modules that switch protein-protein interactions on and off are essential to develop synthetic biology; for example, to construct orthogonal signaling pathways, to control artificial protein structures dynamically, and for protein localization in cells or protocells. In nature, the E. coli MinCDE system couples nucleotide-dependent switching of MinD dimerization to membrane targeting to trigger spatiotemporal pattern formation. Here we present a de novo peptide-based molecular switch that toggles reversibly between monomer and dimer in response to phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. In combination with other modules, we construct fusion proteins that couple switching to lipid-membrane targeting by: (i) tethering a ‘cargo’ molecule reversibly to a permanent membrane ‘anchor’; and (ii) creating a ‘membrane-avidity switch’ that mimics the MinD system but operates by reversible phosphorylation. These minimal, de novo molecular switches have potential applications for introducing dynamic processes into designed and engineered proteins to augment functions in living cells and add functionality to protocells. The ability to dynamically control protein-protein interactions and localization of proteins is critical in synthetic biological systems. Here the authors develop a peptide-based molecular switch that regulates dimer formation and lipid membrane targeting via reversible phosphorylation.
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16
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Mishra D, Pahujani S, Mitra N, Srivastava A, Srinivasan R. Identification of a Potential Membrane-Targeting Sequence in the C-Terminus of the F Plasmid Segregation Protein SopA. J Membr Biol 2021; 254:243-257. [PMID: 33427942 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-020-00157-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Stable maintenance and partitioning of the 'Fertility' plasmid or the F plasmid in its host Escherichia coli require the function of a ParA superfamily of proteins known as SopA. The mechanism by which SopA mediates plasmid segregation is well studied. SopA is a nucleoid-binding protein and binds DNA in an ATP-dependent but sequence non-specific manner. ATP hydrolysis stimulated by the binding of the SopBC complex mediates the release of SopA from the nucleoid. Cycles of ATP-binding and hydrolysis generate an ATPase gradient that moves the plasmid through a chemophoresis force. Nucleoid binding of SopA thus assumes a central role in its plasmid-partitioning function. However, earlier work also suggests that the F plasmid can be partitioned into anucleate cells, thus implicating nucleoid independent partitioning. Interestingly, SopA is also reported to be associated with the inner membrane of the bacteria. Here, we report the identification of a possible membrane-targeting sequence, a predicted amphipathic helix, at the C-terminus of SopA. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the predicted amphipathic helical motif of SopA has weak affinity for membranes. Moreover, we experimentally show that SopA can associate with bacterial membranes, is detectable in the membrane fractions of bacterial lysates, and is sensitive to the membrane potential. Further, unlike the wild-type SopA, a deletion of the C-terminal 29 amino acids results in the loss of F plasmids from bacterial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipika Mishra
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 752050, India
| | - Sakshi Pahujani
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 752050, India.,Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science-Bangalore, C. V. Raman Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560012, India
| | - Nivedita Mitra
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 752050, India
| | - Anand Srivastava
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science-Bangalore, C. V. Raman Road, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560012, India.
| | - Ramanujam Srinivasan
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Homi Bhabha National Institutes, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 752050, India.
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17
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Hayashi I. The C-terminal region of the plasmid partitioning protein TubY is a tetramer that can bind membranes and DNA. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:17770-17780. [PMID: 33454013 PMCID: PMC7762940 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.014705] [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: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial low-copy-number plasmids require partition (par) systems to ensure their stable inheritance by daughter cells. In general, these systems consist of three components: a centromeric DNA sequence, a centromere-binding protein and a nucleotide hydrolase that polymerizes and functions as a motor. Type III systems, however, segregate plasmids using three proteins: the FtsZ/tubulin-like GTPase TubZ, the centromere-binding protein TubR and the MerR-like transcriptional regulator TubY. Although the TubZ filament is sufficient to transport the TubR-centromere complex in vitro, TubY is still necessary for the stable maintenance of the plasmid. TubY contains an N-terminal DNA-binding helix-turn-helix motif and a C-terminal coiled-coil followed by a cluster of lysine residues. This study determined the crystal structure of the C-terminal domain of TubY from the Bacillus cereus pXO1-like plasmid and showed that it forms a tetrameric parallel four-helix bundle that differs from the typical MerR family proteins with a dimeric anti-parallel coiled-coil. Biochemical analyses revealed that the C-terminal tail with the conserved lysine cluster helps TubY to stably associate with the TubR-centromere complex as well as to nonspecifically bind DNA. Furthermore, this C-terminal tail forms an amphipathic helix in the presence of lipids but must oligomerize to localize the protein to the membrane in vivo. Taken together, these data suggest that TubY is a component of the nucleoprotein complex within the partitioning machinery, and that lipid membranes act as mediators of type III systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikuko Hayashi
- Department of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
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18
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Miller EJ, Ratajczak AM, Anthony AA, Mottau M, Rivera Gonzalez XI, Honerkamp-Smith AR. Divide and conquer: How phase separation contributes to lateral transport and organization of membrane proteins and lipids. Chem Phys Lipids 2020; 233:104985. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2020.104985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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19
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Nußbaum P, Ithurbide S, Walsh JC, Patro M, Delpech F, Rodriguez-Franco M, Curmi PMG, Duggin IG, Quax TEF, Albers SV. An Oscillating MinD Protein Determines the Cellular Positioning of the Motility Machinery in Archaea. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4956-4972.e4. [PMID: 33125862 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
MinD proteins are well studied in rod-shaped bacteria such as E. coli, where they display self-organized pole-to-pole oscillations that are important for correct positioning of the Z-ring at mid-cell for cell division. Archaea also encode proteins belonging to the MinD family, but their functions are unknown. MinD homologous proteins were found to be widespread in Euryarchaeota and form a sister group to the bacterial MinD family, distinct from the ParA and other related ATPase families. We aimed to identify the function of four archaeal MinD proteins in the model archaeon Haloferax volcanii. Deletion of the minD genes did not cause cell division or size defects, and the Z-ring was still correctly positioned. Instead, one of the deletions (ΔminD4) reduced swimming motility and hampered the correct formation of motility machinery at the cell poles. In ΔminD4 cells, there is reduced formation of the motility structure and chemosensory arrays, which are essential for signal transduction. In bacteria, several members of the ParA family can position the motility structure and chemosensory arrays via binding to a landmark protein, and consequently these proteins do not oscillate along the cell axis. However, GFP-MinD4 displayed pole-to-pole oscillation and formed polar patches or foci in H. volcanii. The MinD4 membrane-targeting sequence (MTS), homologous to the bacterial MinD MTS, was essential for the oscillation. Surprisingly, mutant MinD4 proteins failed to form polar patches. Thus, MinD4 from H. volcanii combines traits of different bacterial ParA/MinD proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Nußbaum
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Solenne Ithurbide
- The ithree institute, University of Technology, Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - James C Walsh
- EMBL Australia Node in Single Molecule Science and ARC Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Megha Patro
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Floriane Delpech
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marta Rodriguez-Franco
- Cell Biology, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Paul M G Curmi
- School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Iain G Duggin
- The ithree institute, University of Technology, Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia.
| | - Tessa E F Quax
- Archaeal Virus-Host Interactions, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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20
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An ATP-dependent partner switch links flagellar C-ring assembly with gene expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:20826-20835. [PMID: 32788349 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006470117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial flagella differ in their number and spatial arrangement. In many species, the MinD-type ATPase FlhG (also YlxH/FleN) is central to the numerical control of bacterial flagella, and its deletion in polarly flagellated bacteria typically leads to hyperflagellation. The molecular mechanism underlying this numerical control, however, remains enigmatic. Using the model species Shewanella putrefaciens, we show that FlhG links assembly of the flagellar C ring with the action of the master transcriptional regulator FlrA (named FleQ in other species). While FlrA and the flagellar C-ring protein FliM have an overlapping binding site on FlhG, their binding depends on the ATP-dependent dimerization state of FlhG. FliM interacts with FlhG independent of nucleotide binding, while FlrA exclusively interacts with the ATP-dependent FlhG dimer and stimulates FlhG ATPase activity. Our in vivo analysis of FlhG partner switching between FliM and FlrA reveals its mechanism in the numerical restriction of flagella, in which the transcriptional activity of FlrA is down-regulated through a negative feedback loop. Our study demonstrates another level of regulatory complexity underlying the spationumerical regulation of flagellar biogenesis and implies that flagellar assembly transcriptionally regulates the production of more initial building blocks.
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21
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Abstract
Most bacteria respond to surfaces by biogenesis of intracellular c-di-GMP, which inhibits motility and induces secretion of biofilm-promoting adherence factors. Bacterial cellulose is a widespread biofilm component whose secretion in Gram-negative species requires an inner membrane, c-di-GMP-dependent synthase tandem (BcsAB), an outer membrane porin (BcsC), and various accessory subunits that regulate synthase assembly and function as well as the exopolysaccharide's chemical composition and mechanical properties. We recently showed that in Escherichia coli, most Bcs proteins form a megadalton-sized secretory nanomachine, but the role and structure of individual regulatory components remained enigmatic. Here, we demonstrate that essential-for-secretion BcsR and BcsQ regulate each other's folding and stability and are recruited to the inner membrane via c-di-GMP-sensing BcsE and its intraoperon partner BcsF. Crystallographic and solution-based data show that BcsE's predicted GIL domain is a degenerate receiver-GGDEF domain tandem (BcsEREC*-GGDEF*), where the divergent diguanylate cyclase module binds both dimeric c-di-GMP and BcsQ through mutually independent interfaces. In addition, we reveal that a third N-terminal domain (BcsENTD) determines the protein's homooligomerization and targeting of BcsERQ to the membrane as well as previously unreported interactions with transcription antitermination complex components. Together, the data suggest that BcsE acts on multiple levels to fine-tune bacterial cellulose secretion, from the early stages of secretion system assembly to the maintenance of a membrane-proximal pool of dimeric c-di-GMP for processive synthase activation.IMPORTANCE Bacterial cellulose is a widespread biofilm component that can modulate microbial fitness and virulence both in the environment and infected hosts. Whereas its secretion generally involves an inner membrane c-di-GMP-dependent synthase tandem (BcsAB) across the bacterial domain of life, enterobacteria feature sophisticated Escherichia coli-like Bcs secretion systems, where multiple additional subunits are either required for secretion or contribute to the maximal production of the polysaccharide in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that essential-for-secretion BcsR and BcsQ regulate each other's folding and stability and are recruited to the inner membrane via c-di-GMP-sensing BcsE and its intraoperon partner, BcsF. Crystallographic and functional data reveal that BcsE features unexpected domain architecture and likely acts on multiple levels to fine-tune bacterial cellulose production, from the early stages of secretion system assembly to the maintenence of a membrane-proximal pool of dimeric c-di-GMP for processive synthase activation.
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22
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Palanisamy N, Öztürk MA, Akmeriç EB, Di Ventura B. C-terminal eYFP fusion impairs Escherichia coli MinE function. Open Biol 2020; 10:200010. [PMID: 32456552 PMCID: PMC7276532 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The Escherichia coli Min system plays an important role in the proper placement of the septum ring at mid-cell during cell division. MinE forms a pole-to-pole spatial oscillator with the membrane-bound ATPase MinD, resulting in MinD concentration being the lowest at mid-cell. MinC, the direct inhibitor of the septum initiator protein FtsZ, forms a complex with MinD at the membrane, mirroring its polar gradients. Therefore, MinC-mediated FtsZ inhibition occurs away from mid-cell. Min oscillations are often studied in living cells by time-lapse microscopy using fluorescently labelled Min proteins. Here, we show that, despite permitting oscillations to occur in a range of protein concentrations, the enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (eYFP) C-terminally fused to MinE impairs its function. Combining in vivo, in vitro and in silico approaches, we demonstrate that eYFP compromises the ability of MinE to displace MinC from MinD, to stimulate MinD ATPase activity and to directly bind to the membrane. Moreover, we reveal that MinE-eYFP is prone to aggregation. In silico analyses predict that other fluorescent proteins are also likely to compromise several functionalities of MinE, suggesting that the results presented here are not specific to eYFP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navaneethan Palanisamy
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Centers for Biological Signalling Studies BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Heidelberg Biosciences International Graduate School (HBIGS), University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mehmet Ali Öztürk
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Centers for Biological Signalling Studies BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Emir Bora Akmeriç
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Centers for Biological Signalling Studies BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Barbara Di Ventura
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology II, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.,Centers for Biological Signalling Studies BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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23
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Heermann T, Ramm B, Glaser S, Schwille P. Local Self-Enhancement of MinD Membrane Binding in Min Protein Pattern Formation. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:3191-3204. [PMID: 32199984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The proteins MinD, MinE and MinC are constitutive for the spatiotemporal organization of cell division in Escherichia coli, in particular, for positioning the division machinery at mid-cell. To achieve this function, the ATPase MinD and the ATPase-activating protein MinE undergo coordinated pole-to-pole oscillations and have thus become a paradigm for protein pattern formation in biology. The exact molecular mechanisms enabling MinDE self-organization, and particularly the role of cooperativity in the membrane binding of MinD, thought to be a key requirement, have remained poorly understood. However, for bottom-up synthetic biology aiming at a de novo design of key cellular features, elucidating these mechanisms is of great relevance. By combining in vitro reconstitution with rationally guided mutagenesis of MinD, we found that when bound to membranes, MinD displays new interfaces for multimerization, which are distinct from the canonical MinD dimerization site. We propose that these additional transient interactions contribute to the local self-enhancement of MinD at the membrane, while their relative lability maintains the structural plasticity required for MinDE wave propagation. This could represent a powerful structural regulation feature not reported so far for self-organizing proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Heermann
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Beatrice Ramm
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Samson Glaser
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Planegg, Germany.
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24
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The Min System Disassembles FtsZ Foci and Inhibits Polar Peptidoglycan Remodeling in Bacillus subtilis. mBio 2020; 11:mBio.03197-19. [PMID: 32184253 PMCID: PMC7078482 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03197-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A microfluidic system coupled with fluorescence microscopy is a powerful approach for quantitative analysis of bacterial growth. Here, we measure parameters of growth and dynamic localization of the cell division initiation protein FtsZ in Bacillus subtilis Consistent with previous reports, we found that after division, FtsZ rings remain at the cell poles, and polar FtsZ ring disassembly coincides with rapid Z-ring accumulation at the midcell. In cells mutated for minD, however, the polar FtsZ rings persist indefinitely, suggesting that the primary function of the Min system is in Z-ring disassembly. The inability to recycle FtsZ monomers in the minD mutant results in the simultaneous maintenance of multiple Z-rings that are restricted by competition for newly synthesized FtsZ. Although the parameters of FtsZ dynamics change in the minD mutant, the overall cell division time remains the same, albeit with elongated cells necessary to accumulate a critical threshold amount of FtsZ for promoting medial division. Finally, the minD mutant characteristically produces minicells composed of polar peptidoglycan shown to be inert for remodeling in the wild type. Polar peptidoglycan, however, loses its inert character in the minD mutant, suggesting that the Min system not only is important for recycling FtsZ but also may have a secondary role in the spatiotemporal regulation of peptidoglycan remodeling.IMPORTANCE Many bacteria grow and divide by binary fission in which a mother cell divides into two identical daughter cells. To produce two equally sized daughters, the division machinery, guided by FtsZ, must dynamically localize to the midcell each cell cycle. Here, we quantitatively analyzed FtsZ dynamics during growth and found that the Min system of Bacillus subtilis is essential to disassemble FtsZ rings after division. Moreover, a failure to efficiently recycle FtsZ results in an increase in cell size. Finally, we show that the Min system has an additional role in inhibiting cell wall turnover and contributes to the "inert" property of cell walls at the poles.
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25
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Jena P, Bhattacharya M, Bhattacharjee G, Satpati B, Mukherjee P, Senapati D, Srinivasan R. Bimetallic gold-silver nanoparticles mediate bacterial killing by disrupting the actin cytoskeleton MreB. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:3731-3749. [PMID: 31993609 DOI: 10.1039/c9nr10700b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The actin cytoskeleton is required for the maintenance of the cell shape and viability of bacteria. It remains unknown to which extent nanoparticles (NPs) can orchestrate the mechanical instability by disrupting the cytoskeletal network in bacterial cells. Our work demonstrates that Au-Ag NPs disrupt the bacterial actin cytoskeleton specifically, fluidize the inner membrane and lead to killing of bacterial cells. In this study, we have tried to emphasize on the key parameters important for NP-cell interactions and found that the shape, specific elemental surface localization and enhanced electrostatic interaction developed due to the acquired partial positive charge by silver atoms in the aggregated NPs are some of the major factors contributing towards better NP interactions and subsequent cell death. In vivo studies in bacterial cells showed that the NPs exerted a mild perturbation of the membrane potential. However, its most striking effect was on the actin cytoskeleton MreB resulting in morphological changes in the bacterial cell shape from rods to predominantly spheres. Exposure to NPs resulted in the delocalization of MreB patches from the membrane but not the tubulin homologue FtsZ. Concomitant with the redistribution of MreB localization, a dramatic increase of membrane fluid regions was observed. Our studies reveal for the first time that Au-Ag NPs can mediate bacterial killing and disrupt the actin cytoskeletal functions in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prajna Jena
- Centre for Research in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Calcutta, JD-2, sector -3, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, India.
| | - Maireyee Bhattacharya
- Chemical Sciences Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, HBNI, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata-700064, India.
| | - Gourab Bhattacharjee
- Surface Physics and Materials Science Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, HBNI, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata-700064, India
| | - Biswarup Satpati
- Surface Physics and Materials Science Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, HBNI, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata-700064, India
| | - Prasun Mukherjee
- Centre for Research in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Calcutta, JD-2, sector -3, Salt Lake City, Kolkata, India.
| | - Dulal Senapati
- Chemical Sciences Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, HBNI, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata-700064, India.
| | - Ramanujam Srinivasan
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), HBNI, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 752050, India.
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26
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Henderson LD, Matthews-Palmer TRS, Gulbronson CJ, Ribardo DA, Beeby M, Hendrixson DR. Diversification of Campylobacter jejuni Flagellar C-Ring Composition Impacts Its Structure and Function in Motility, Flagellar Assembly, and Cellular Processes. mBio 2020; 11:e02286-19. [PMID: 31911488 PMCID: PMC6946799 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02286-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [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] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial flagella are reversible rotary motors that rotate external filaments for bacterial propulsion. Some flagellar motors have diversified by recruiting additional components that influence torque and rotation, but little is known about the possible diversification and evolution of core motor components. The mechanistic core of flagella is the cytoplasmic C ring, which functions as a rotor, directional switch, and assembly platform for the flagellar type III secretion system (fT3SS) ATPase. The C ring is composed of a ring of FliG proteins and a helical ring of surface presentation of antigen (SPOA) domains from the switch proteins FliM and one of two usually mutually exclusive paralogs, FliN or FliY. We investigated the composition, architecture, and function of the C ring of Campylobacter jejuni, which encodes FliG, FliM, and both FliY and FliN by a variety of interrogative approaches. We discovered a diversified C. jejuni C ring containing FliG, FliM, and both FliY, which functions as a classical FliN-like protein for flagellar assembly, and FliN, which has neofunctionalized into a structural role. Specific protein interactions drive the formation of a more complex heterooligomeric C. jejuni C-ring structure. We discovered that this complex C ring has additional cellular functions in polarly localizing FlhG for numerical regulation of flagellar biogenesis and spatial regulation of division. Furthermore, mutation of the C. jejuni C ring revealed a T3SS that was less dependent on its ATPase complex for assembly than were other systems. Our results highlight considerable evolved flagellar diversity that impacts motor output, biogenesis, and cellular processes in different species.IMPORTANCE The conserved core of bacterial flagellar motors reflects a shared evolutionary history that preserves the mechanisms essential for flagellar assembly, rotation, and directional switching. In this work, we describe an expanded and diversified set of core components in the Campylobacter jejuni flagellar C ring, the mechanistic core of the motor. Our work provides insight into how usually conserved core components may have diversified by gene duplication, enabling a division of labor of the ancestral protein between the two new proteins, acquisition of new roles in flagellar assembly and motility, and expansion of the function of the flagellum beyond motility, including spatial regulation of cell division and numerical control of flagellar biogenesis in C. jejuni Our results highlight that relatively small changes, such as gene duplications, can have substantial ramifications on the cellular roles of a molecular machine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louie D Henderson
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Connor J Gulbronson
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Deborah A Ribardo
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Morgan Beeby
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David R Hendrixson
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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27
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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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28
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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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29
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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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30
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Altinoglu I, Merrifield CJ, Yamaichi Y. Single molecule super-resolution imaging of bacterial cell pole proteins with high-throughput quantitative analysis pipeline. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6680. [PMID: 31040310 PMCID: PMC6491441 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43051-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria show sophisticated control of their cellular organization, and many bacteria deploy different polar landmark proteins to organize the cell pole. Super-resolution microscopy, such as Photo-Activated Localization Microscopy (PALM), provides the nanoscale localization of molecules and is crucial for better understanding of organization and dynamics in single-molecule. However, analytical tools are not fully available yet, in particular for bacterial cell biology. For example, quantitative and statistical analyses of subcellular localization with multiple cells from multiple fields of view are lacking. Furthermore, brightfield images are not sufficient to get accurate contours of small and low contrast bacterial cells, compared to subpixel presentation of target molecules. Here we describe a novel analytic tool for PALM which integrates precisely drawn cell outlines, of either inner membrane or periplasm, labelled by PALM-compatible fluorescent protein fusions, with molecule data for >10,000 molecules from >100 cells by fitting each cell into an oval arc. In the vibrioid bacterium Vibrio cholerae, the polar anchor HubP constitutes a big polar complex which includes multiple proteins involved in chemotaxis and the flagellum. With this pipeline, HubP is shown to be slightly skewed towards the inner curvature side of the cell, while its interaction partners showed rather loose polar localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ipek Altinoglu
- Department of Genome Biology, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris Sud, Gif sur Yvette, France.,Graduate School of Structure and Dynamics of Living Systems, Univ. Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Christien J Merrifield
- Department of Cell Biology, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris Sud, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Yoshiharu Yamaichi
- Department of Genome Biology, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Univ. Paris Sud, Gif sur Yvette, France.
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31
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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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32
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Barák I, Muchová K, Labajová N. Asymmetric cell division during Bacillus subtilis sporulation. Future Microbiol 2019; 14:353-363. [PMID: 30855188 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2018-0338] [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: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus subtilis is a rod-shaped bacterium which divides precisely at mid-cell during vegetative growth. Unlike Escherichia coli, another model organism used for studying cell division, B. subtilis can also divide asymmetrically during sporulation, the simplest cell differentiation process. The asymmetrically positioned sporulation septum serves as a morphological foundation for establishing differential gene expression in the smaller forespore and larger mother cell. Both vegetative and sporulation septation events are fine-tuned with cell cycle, and placement of both septa are highly precise. We understand in some detail how this is achieved during vegetative growth but have limited information about how the asymmetric septation site is determined during sporulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imrich Barák
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Muchová
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Naďa Labajová
- Department of Microbial Genetics, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
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33
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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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34
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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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35
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Ke L, Cao LJ, Geng MT, Wang CC, Yao Y, Xiao Y, Huang W, Li RM, Min Y, Guo JC. Identification and expression analysis of MinD gene involved in plastid division in cassava. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2018; 83:76-86. [PMID: 30286695 DOI: 10.1080/09168451.2018.1520075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Cassava is a tropical crop known for its starchy root and excellent properties. Considering that starch biosynthesis in the amyloplast is affected by its division, it appears conceivable that the regulation of plastid division plays an important role in starch accumulation. As a member of the Min system genes, MinD participated in the spatial regulation of the position of the plastid division site.In our studies, sequence analysis and phylogenetic analysis showed that MeMinD has been highly conserved during the evolutionary process. Subcellular localisation indicated that MeMinD carries a chloroplast transit peptide and was localised in the chloroplast. Overexpression of MeMinD resulted in division site misplacement and filamentous formation in E. coli, indicating that MeMinD protein was functional across species. MeMinD exhibited different spatial and temporal expression patterns which was highly expressed in the source compared to that in the sink organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Ke
- a Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilisation of Tropical Bioresource , Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University , Haikou , China
| | - Liang-Jing Cao
- b Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology , Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences , Haikou , China
| | - Meng-Ting Geng
- a Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilisation of Tropical Bioresource , Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University , Haikou , China
| | - Cong-Cong Wang
- a Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilisation of Tropical Bioresource , Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University , Haikou , China
| | - Yuan Yao
- b Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology , Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences , Haikou , China
| | - Yu Xiao
- a Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilisation of Tropical Bioresource , Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University , Haikou , China
| | - Wu Huang
- a Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilisation of Tropical Bioresource , Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University , Haikou , China
| | - Rui-Mei Li
- b Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology , Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences , Haikou , China
| | - Yi Min
- a Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilisation of Tropical Bioresource , Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University , Haikou , China
| | - Jian-Chun Guo
- b Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology , Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences , Haikou , China
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36
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The MinDE system is a generic spatial cue for membrane protein distribution in vitro. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3942. [PMID: 30258191 PMCID: PMC6158289 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06310-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The E. coli MinCDE system has become a paradigmatic reaction-diffusion system in biology. The membrane-bound ATPase MinD and ATPase-activating protein MinE oscillate between the cell poles followed by MinC, thus positioning the main division protein FtsZ at midcell. Here we report that these energy-consuming MinDE oscillations may play a role beyond constraining MinC/FtsZ localization. Using an in vitro reconstitution assay, we show that MinDE self-organization can spatially regulate a variety of functionally completely unrelated membrane proteins into patterns and gradients. By concentration waves sweeping over the membrane, they induce a direct net transport of tightly membrane-attached molecules. That the MinDE system can spatiotemporally control a much larger set of proteins than previously known, may constitute a MinC-independent pathway to division site selection and chromosome segregation. Moreover, the here described phenomenon of active transport through a traveling diffusion barrier may point to a general mechanism of spatiotemporal regulation in cells.
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37
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Effects of geometry and topography on Min-protein dynamics. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203050. [PMID: 30161173 PMCID: PMC6117030 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the rod-shaped bacterium Escherichia coli, the center is selected by the Min-proteins as the site of cell division. To this end, the proteins periodically translocate between the two cell poles, where they suppress assembly of the cell division machinery. Ample evidence notably obtained from in vitro reconstitution experiments suggests that the oscillatory pattern results from self-organization of the proteins MinD and MinE in presence of a membrane. A mechanism built on cooperative membrane attachment of MinD and persistent MinD removal from the membrane induced by MinE has been shown to be able to reproduce the observed Min-protein patterns in rod-shaped E. coli and on flat supported lipid bilayers. Here, we report our results of a numerical investigation of patterns generated by this mechanism in various geoemtries. Notably, we consider the dynamics on membrane patches of different forms, on topographically structured lipid bilayers, and in closed geometries of various shapes. We find that all previously described patterns can be reproduced by the mechanism. However, it requires different parameter sets for reproducing the patterns in closed and in open geometries.
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Co-translational Folding Intermediate Dictates Membrane Targeting of the Signal Recognition Particle Receptor. J Mol Biol 2018; 430:1607-1620. [PMID: 29704493 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2018.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Much of our knowledge on the function of proteins is deduced from their mature, folded states. However, it is unknown whether partially synthesized nascent protein segments can execute biological functions during translation and whether their premature folding states matter. A recent observation that a nascent chain performs a distinct function, co-translational targeting in vivo, has been made with the Escherichia coli signal recognition particle receptor FtsY, a major player in the conserved pathway of membrane protein biogenesis. FtsY functions as a membrane-associated entity, but very little is known about the mode of its targeting to the membrane. Here we investigated the underlying structural mechanism of the co-translational FtsY targeting to the membrane. Our results show that helices N2-4, which mediate membrane targeting, form a stable folding intermediate co-translationally that greatly differs from its fold in the mature FtsY. These results thus resolve a long-standing mystery of how the receptor targets the membrane even when deleted of its alleged membrane targeting sequence. The structurally distinct targeting determinant of FtsY exists only co-translationally. Our studies will facilitate further efforts to seek cellular factors required for proper targeting and association of FtsY with the membrane. Moreover, the results offer a hallmark example for how co-translational nascent intermediates may dictate biological functions.
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Furusato T, Horie F, Matsubayashi HT, Amikura K, Kuruma Y, Ueda T. De Novo Synthesis of Basal Bacterial Cell Division Proteins FtsZ, FtsA, and ZipA Inside Giant Vesicles. ACS Synth Biol 2018; 7:953-961. [PMID: 29510621 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.7b00350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cell division is the most dynamic event in the cell cycle. Recently, efforts have been made to reconstruct it using the individual component proteins to obtain a better understanding of the process of self-reproduction of cells. However, such reconstruction studies are frequently hampered by difficulties in preparing membrane-associated proteins. Here we demonstrate a de novo synthesis approach based on a cell-free translation system. Genes for fundamental cell division proteins, FtsZ, FtsA, and ZipA, were expressed inside the lipid compartment of giant vesicles (GVs). The synthesized proteins showed polymerization, membrane localization, and eventually membrane deformation. Notably, we found that this morphological change of the vesicle is forced by only FtsZ and ZipA, which form clusters on the membrane at the vesicle interior. Our cell-free approach provides a platform for studying protein dynamics associated with lipid membrane and paves the way to create a synthetic cell that undergoes self-reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Furusato
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bldg. FSB-401, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Fumihiro Horie
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bldg. FSB-401, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Hideaki T. Matsubayashi
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bldg. FSB-401, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Kazuaki Amikura
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bldg. FSB-401, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
| | - Yutetsu Kuruma
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan
| | - Takuya Ueda
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bldg. FSB-401, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan
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Huang H, Wang P, Bian L, Osawa M, Erickson HP, Chen Y. The cell division protein MinD from Pseudomonas aeruginosa dominates the assembly of the MinC-MinD copolymers. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:7786-7795. [PMID: 29610277 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra117.001513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell division of rod-shaped bacteria requires the Z ring, a ring of FtsZ filaments associated with the inner-membrane wall. The MinCDE proteins help localize the Z ring to the center of the Escherichia coli cell. MinC, which inhibits Z-ring assembly, is a passenger on MinD. Previous studies have shown that MinC-MinD from E. coli and Aquifex aeolicus assemble in vitro into extended filaments with a 1:1 stoichiometry. However, a recent study has raised questions about the function of the MinC-MinD copolymer in vivo, because its assembly appears to require a high concentration of these two proteins and has a long lag time, and its blockade does not affect in vivo activities. Here, we found that MinC and MinD from Pseudomonas aeruginosa coassemble into filaments with a 1:1 stoichiometry. We also found that the minimal concentration of ∼4 μm required for assembly applies only to MinD because above 4 μm MinD, even very low MinC concentrations sustained coassembly. As previously reported, the MinC-MinD coassembly exhibited a long lag of ∼100 s when initiated by ATP. Premixing MinD with ATP eliminated this lag, suggesting that it may be due to slow MinD dimerization following ATP activation. We also discovered that MinC-MinD copolymers quickly bound FtsZ filaments and formed huge bundles. Our results resolve previous questions about the low concentration of MinC and the lag time, insights that may inform future investigations into the exact role of the MinC-MinD copolymer in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Huang
- From the Key Laboratory of Resources Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710069 and
| | - Ping Wang
- the Departments of Anesthesiology and
| | - Li Bian
- From the Key Laboratory of Resources Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710069 and
| | - Masaki Osawa
- Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Harold P Erickson
- Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Yaodong Chen
- From the Key Laboratory of Resources Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710069 and
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Prévost C, Sharp ME, Kory N, Lin Q, Voth GA, Farese RV, Walther TC. Mechanism and Determinants of Amphipathic Helix-Containing Protein Targeting to Lipid Droplets. Dev Cell 2018; 44:73-86.e4. [PMID: 29316443 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2017.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cytosolic lipid droplets (LDs) are the main storage organelles for metabolic energy in most cells. They are unusual organelles that are bounded by a phospholipid monolayer and specific surface proteins, including key enzymes of lipid and energy metabolism. Proteins targeting LDs from the cytoplasm often contain amphipathic helices, but how they bind to LDs is not well understood. Combining computer simulations with experimental studies in vitro and in cells, we uncover a general mechanism for targeting of cytosolic proteins to LDs: large hydrophobic residues of amphipathic helices detect and bind to large, persistent membrane packing defects that are unique to the LD surface. Surprisingly, amphipathic helices with large hydrophobic residues from many different proteins are capable of binding to LDs. This suggests that LD protein composition is additionally determined by mechanisms that selectively prevent proteins from binding LDs, such as macromolecular crowding at the LD surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coline Prévost
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02124, USA
| | - Morris E Sharp
- Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nora Kory
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02124, USA
| | - Qingqing Lin
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02124, USA
| | - Gregory A Voth
- Department of Chemistry, James Franck Institute, and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - Robert V Farese
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02124, USA.
| | - Tobias C Walther
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02124, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Lee MJ, Mantell J, Hodgson L, Alibhai D, Fletcher JM, Brown IR, Frank S, Xue WF, Verkade P, Woolfson DN, Warren MJ. Engineered synthetic scaffolds for organizing proteins within the bacterial cytoplasm. Nat Chem Biol 2017; 14:142-147. [DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.2535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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MinD directly interacting with FtsZ at the H10 helix suggests a model for robust activation of MinC to destabilize FtsZ polymers. Biochem J 2017; 474:3189-3205. [PMID: 28743721 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20170357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cell division in bacteria is a highly controlled and regulated process. FtsZ, a bacterial cytoskeletal protein, forms a ring-like structure known as the Z-ring and recruits more than a dozen other cell division proteins. The Min system oscillates between the poles and inhibits the Z-ring formation at the poles by perturbing FtsZ assembly. This leads to an increase in the FtsZ concentration at the mid-cell and helps in Z-ring positioning. MinC, the effector protein, interferes with Z-ring formation through two different mechanisms mediated by its two domains with the help of MinD. However, the mechanism by which MinD triggers MinC activity is not yet known. We showed that MinD directly interacts with FtsZ with an affinity stronger than the reported MinC-FtsZ interaction. We determined the MinD-binding site of FtsZ using computational, mutational and biochemical analyses. Our study showed that MinD binds to the H10 helix of FtsZ. Single-point mutations at the charged residues in the H10 helix resulted in a decrease in the FtsZ affinity towards MinD. Based on our findings, we propose a novel model for MinCD-FtsZ interaction, where MinD through its direct interaction with FtsZ would trigger MinC activity to inhibit FtsZ functions.
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Antimicrobial peptide cWFW kills by combining lipid phase separation with autolysis. Sci Rep 2017; 7:44332. [PMID: 28276520 PMCID: PMC5343580 DOI: 10.1038/srep44332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The synthetic cyclic hexapeptide cWFW (cyclo(RRRWFW)) has a rapid bactericidal activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Its detailed mode of action has, however, remained elusive. In contrast to most antimicrobial peptides, cWFW neither permeabilizes the membrane nor translocates to the cytoplasm. Using a combination of proteome analysis, fluorescence microscopy, and membrane analysis we show that cWFW instead triggers a rapid reduction of membrane fluidity both in live Bacillus subtilis cells and in model membranes. This immediate activity is accompanied by formation of distinct membrane domains which differ in local membrane fluidity, and which severely disrupts membrane protein organisation by segregating peripheral and integral proteins into domains of different rigidity. These major membrane disturbances cause specific inhibition of cell wall synthesis, and trigger autolysis. This novel antibacterial mode of action holds a low risk to induce bacterial resistance, and provides valuable information for the design of new synthetic antimicrobial peptides.
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Chanchal, Banerjee P, Jain D. ATP-Induced Structural Remodeling in the Antiactivator FleN Enables Formation of the Functional Dimeric Form. Structure 2017; 25:243-252. [PMID: 28065505 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2016.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2016] [Revised: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
FleN, a P loop ATPase is vital for maintaining a monotrichous phenotype in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. FleN exhibits antagonistic activity against FleQ, the master transcriptional regulator of flagellar genes. Crystal structures of FleN in the apo form (1.66 Å) and in complex with β,γ-imidoadenosine 5'-triphosphate (1.55 Å) reveal that it undergoes drastic conformational changes on ATP binding to attain a structure capable of dimerization. Mutations of the residues that stabilize the binding of ATP were defective in their ability to dimerize and do not inhibit ATP hydrolysis by FleQ. Conversely, the catalytic mutant of FleN, was an efficient inhibitor. These observations posit that the dimer is the functional form of FleN and it is nucleotide binding and not hydrolysis by FleN that is necessary to exert an antagonistic effect against FleQ. Our study shows that ATP-induced dimerization may be a strategy to achieve reversible inhibition of FleQ to fine-tune the function of this activator to an optimal level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanchal
- Transcription Regulation Lab, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, 3(rd) Milestone, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India; Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Priyajit Banerjee
- Transcription Regulation Lab, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, 3(rd) Milestone, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India
| | - Deepti Jain
- Transcription Regulation Lab, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, 3(rd) Milestone, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad, Haryana 121001, India.
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Loose M, Zieske K, Schwille P. Reconstitution of Protein Dynamics Involved in Bacterial Cell Division. Subcell Biochem 2017; 84:419-444. [PMID: 28500535 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-53047-5_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Even simple cells like bacteria have precisely regulated cellular anatomies, which allow them to grow, divide and to respond to internal or external cues with high fidelity. How spatial and temporal intracellular organization in prokaryotic cells is achieved and maintained on the basis of locally interacting proteins still remains largely a mystery. Bulk biochemical assays with purified components and in vivo experiments help us to approach key cellular processes from two opposite ends, in terms of minimal and maximal complexity. However, to understand how cellular phenomena emerge, that are more than the sum of their parts, we have to assemble cellular subsystems step by step from the bottom up. Here, we review recent in vitro reconstitution experiments with proteins of the bacterial cell division machinery and illustrate how they help to shed light on fundamental cellular mechanisms that constitute spatiotemporal order and regulate cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Loose
- Institute for Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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47
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Abstract
In bacteria and archaea, the most widespread cell division system is based on the tubulin homologue FtsZ protein, whose filaments form the cytokinetic Z-ring. FtsZ filaments are tethered to the membrane by anchors such as FtsA and SepF and are regulated by accessory proteins. One such set of proteins is responsible for Z-ring's spatiotemporal regulation, essential for the production of two equal-sized daughter cells. Here, we describe how our still partial understanding of the FtsZ-based cell division process has been progressed by visualising near-atomic structures of Z-rings and complexes that control Z-ring positioning in cells, most notably the MinCDE and Noc systems that act by negatively regulating FtsZ filaments. We summarise available data and how they inform mechanistic models for the cell division process.
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48
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Abstract
Protons are utilized for various biological activities such as energy transduction and cell signaling. For construction of the bacterial flagellum, a type III export apparatus utilizes ATP and proton motive force to drive flagellar protein export, but the energy transduction mechanism remains unclear. Here, we have developed a high-resolution pH imaging system to measure local pH differences within living Salmonella enterica cells, especially in close proximity to the cytoplasmic membrane and the export apparatus. The local pH near the membrane was ca. 0.2 pH unit higher than the bulk cytoplasmic pH. However, the local pH near the export apparatus was ca. 0.1 pH unit lower than that near the membrane. This drop of local pH depended on the activities of both transmembrane export components and FliI ATPase. We propose that the export apparatus acts as an H+/protein antiporter to couple ATP hydrolysis with H+ flow to drive protein export. The flagellar type III export apparatus is required for construction of the bacterial flagellum beyond the cellular membranes. The export apparatus consists of a transmembrane export gate and a cytoplasmic ATPase complex. The export apparatus utilizes ATP and proton motive force as the energy source for efficient and rapid protein export during flagellar assembly, but it remains unknown how. In this study, we have developed an in vivo pH imaging system with high spatial and pH resolutions with a pH indicator probe to measure local pH near the export apparatus. We provide direct evidence suggesting that ATP hydrolysis by the ATPase complex and the following rapid protein translocation by the export gate are both linked to efficient proton translocation through the gate.
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Caspi Y, Dekker C. Mapping out Min protein patterns in fully confined fluidic chambers. eLife 2016; 5. [PMID: 27885986 PMCID: PMC5217063 DOI: 10.7554/elife.19271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial Min protein system provides a major model system for studying reaction-diffusion processes in biology. Here we present the first in vitro study of the Min system in fully confined three-dimensional chambers that are lithography-defined, lipid-bilayer coated and isolated through pressure valves. We identify three typical dynamical behaviors that occur dependent on the geometrical chamber parameters: pole-to-pole oscillations, spiral rotations, and traveling waves. We establish the geometrical selection rules and show that, surprisingly, Min-protein spiral rotations govern the larger part of the geometrical phase diagram. Confinement as well as an elevated temperature reduce the characteristic wavelength of the Min patterns, although even for confined chambers with a bacterial-level viscosity, the patterns retain a ~5 times larger wavelength than in vivo. Our results provide an essential experimental base for modeling of intracellular Min gradients in bacterial cell division as well as, more generally, for understanding pattern formation in reaction-diffusion systems. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19271.001 Some proteins can spontaneously organize themselves into ordered patterns within living cells. One widely studied pattern is made in a rod-shaped bacterium called Escherichia coli by a group of proteins called the Min proteins. The pattern formed by the Min proteins allows an E. coli cell to produce two equally sized daughter cells when it divides by ensuring that the division machinery correctly assembles at the center of the parent cell. These proteins move back and forth between the two ends of the parent cell so that the levels of Min proteins are highest at the ends and lowest in the middle. Since the Min proteins act to inhibit the assembly of the cell division machinery, this machinery only assembles in locations where the level of Min proteins is at its lowest, that is, at the middle of the cell. When Min proteins are purified and placed within an artificial compartment that contains a source of chemical energy and is covered by a membrane similar to the membranes that surround cells, they spontaneously form traveling waves on top of the membrane in many directions along to surface. It is not clear how these waves relate to the oscillations seen in E. coli. Caspi and Dekker now analyze the behavior of purified Min proteins inside chambers of various sizes that are fully enclosed by a membrane. The results show that in narrow chambers, Min proteins move back and forth (i.e. oscillate) from one side to the other. However, in wider containers the wave motion is more common. In containers of medium width the Min proteins rotate in a spiral fashion. Caspi and Dekker propose that the spiral rotations are the underlying pattern formed by Min proteins and that the back and forth motion is caused by spirals being cut short. In other words, if a spiral cannot form because the compartment is too small then the back and forth motion emerges. Similarly, Caspi and Dekker propose that the waves emerge in larger containers when multiple spirals come together. These findings suggest that the different patterns that Min proteins form in bacterial cells and artificial compartments arise from different underlying mechanisms. The next step will be to investigate other differences in how the patterns of Min proteins form in E. coli and in artificial compartments. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19271.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaron Caspi
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Cees Dekker
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
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50
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Visco I, Hoege C, Hyman AA, Schwille P. In vitro Reconstitution of a Membrane Switch Mechanism for the Polarity Protein LGL. J Mol Biol 2016; 428:4828-4842. [PMID: 27720986 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2016.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 09/28/2016] [Accepted: 10/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cell polarity arises from a combination of interactions between biological molecules, such as activation, inhibition, and positive or negative feedback between specific polarity units. Activation and inhibition often take place in the form of a membrane binding switch. Lethal giant larvae (LGL), a conserved regulator of cell polarity in animals, was suggested to function as such a switch. LGL localizes to both the cytoplasm and, asymmetrically, the membrane. However, the spatial regulation mechanism of LGL membrane localization has remained unclear. For systematic elucidation, we set out to reconstitute a minimal polarity unit using a model membrane, Caenorhabditis elegans LGL (LGL-1), and atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) supposed to activate the membrane switch. We identified a membrane binding sequence (MBS) in LGL-1 by a screen in vivo, reconstituted LGL-1 membrane binding in vitro, and successfully implemented the membrane switch by aPKC phosphorylation activity, detaching LGL from membranes. Upon membrane binding, LGL-1 MBS folds into an alpha-helix in which three regions can be identified: a positively charged patch, a switch area containing the three aPKC phosphorylation sites, and a hydrophobic area probably buried in the membrane. Phosphorylation by aPKC dramatically reduces the binding affinity of the LGL-1 MBS to negatively charged model membranes, inducing its detachment. Specific residues in the MBS are critical for LGL-1 function in C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Visco
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Carsten Hoege
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Anthony A Hyman
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Petra Schwille
- Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany.
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