Artificially lipid-anchored proteins can elicit clustering-induced intracellular signaling events in Jurkat T-lymphocytes independent of lipid raft association

Cholesterol, Eukaryotic Lipid Domains, and an Evolutionary Perspective of Transmembrane Signaling

Transmembrane signaling is essential for complex life forms. Communication across a bilayer lipid barrier is elaborately organized to convey precision and to fine-tune strength. Looking back, the steps that it has taken to enable this seemingly mundane errand are breathtaking, and with our survivorship bias, Darwinian. While this review is to discuss eukaryotic membranes in biological functions for coherence and theoretical footing, we are obliged to follow the evolution of the biological membrane through time. Such a visit is necessary for our hypothesis that constraints posited on cellular functions are mainly via the biomembrane, and relaxation thereof in favor of a coordinating membrane environment is the molecular basis for the development of highly specialized cellular activities, among them transmembrane signaling. We discuss the obligatory paths that have led to eukaryotic membrane formation, its intrinsic ability to signal, and how it set up the platform for later integration of protein-based receptor activation.

Artificial Palmitoylation of Proteins Controls the Lipid Domain-Selective Anchoring on Biomembranes and the Raft-Dependent Cellular Internalization

Protein palmitoylation, a post-translational modification, is universally observed in eukaryotic cells. The localization of palmitoylated proteins to highly dynamic, sphingolipid- and cholesterol-rich microdomains (called lipid rafts) on the plasma membrane has been shown to play an important role in signal transduction in cells. However, this complex biological system is not yet completely understood. Here, we used a combined approach where an artificial lipidated protein was applied to biomimetic model membranes and plasma membranes in cells to illuminate chemical and physiological properties of the rafts. Using cell-sized giant unilamellar vesicles, we demonstrated the selective partitioning of enhanced green fluorescent protein modified with a C-terminal palmitoyl moiety (EGFP-Pal) into the liquid-ordered phase consisting of saturated phospholipids and cholesterol. Using Jurkat T cells treated with an immunostimulant (concanavalin A), we observed the vesicular transport of EGFP-Pal. Further cellular studies with the treatment of methyl β-cyclodextrin revealed the cholesterol-dependent internalization of EGFP-Pal, which can be explained by a raft-dependent, caveolae-mediated endocytic pathway. The present synthetic approach using artificial and natural membrane systems can be further extended to explore the potential utility of artificially lipidated proteins at biological and artificial interfaces.

Creation of a novel lipid-trehalose derivative showing positive interaction with the cell membrane and verification of its cytoprotective effect during cryopreservation

Cryopreservation is important for enabling long-term cell preservation. However, physical damage due to ice crystal formation and membrane permeation by dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) severely affects cryopreserved cell viability. To ensure cell survival and functional maintenance after cryopreservation, it is important to protect the cell membrane, the most vulnerable cell component, from freeze-thaw damage. This study aimed to create a glycolipid derivative having a positive interaction with the cell membrane and cytoprotective effects. As a result, we synthesized a novel trehalose derivative, oleyl-trehalose (Oleyl-Treh), composed of trehalose and oleyl groups. Its use led to increased viable cell counts when used with DMSO in a non-cytotoxic concentration range (1.6 nM-16 μM). Oleyl-Treh significantly improved viability and liver-specific functions of hepatocytes after cryopreservation, including albumin secretion, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase activity (an indicator of cytochrome P450 family 1 subfamily A member 1 activity), and ammonia metabolism. Oleyl-Treh could localize trehalose to the cell membrane; furthermore, the oleyl group affected cell membrane fluidity and exerted cryoprotective effects. This novel cryoprotective agent, which shows a positive interaction with the cell membrane, provides a unique approach toward cell protection during cryopreservation.

High-speed single-molecule imaging reveals signal transduction by induced transbilayer raft phases

Using single-molecule imaging with enhanced time resolutions down to 5 ms, we found that CD59 cluster rafts and GM1 cluster rafts were stably induced in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane (PM), which triggered the activation of Lyn, H-Ras, and ERK and continually recruited Lyn and H-Ras right beneath them in the inner leaflet with dwell lifetimes <0.1 s. The detection was possible due to the enhanced time resolutions employed here. The recruitment depended on the PM cholesterol and saturated alkyl chains of Lyn and H-Ras, whereas it was blocked by the nonraftophilic transmembrane protein moiety and unsaturated alkyl chains linked to the inner-leaflet molecules. Because GM1 cluster rafts recruited Lyn and H-Ras as efficiently as CD59 cluster rafts, and because the protein moieties of Lyn and H-Ras were not required for the recruitment, we conclude that the transbilayer raft phases induced by the outer-leaflet stabilized rafts recruit lipid-anchored signaling molecules by lateral raft-lipid interactions and thus serve as a key signal transduction platform.

Peptide-based gene delivery vectors

Gene therapy as a strategy for disease treatment requires safe and efficient gene delivery systems that encapsulate nucleic acids and deliver them to effective sites in the cell.

Peptide Amphiphile Micelle Vaccine Size and Charge Influence the Host Antibody Response

Vaccines are one of the best health care advances ever developed, having led to the eradication of smallpox and near eradication of polio and diphtheria. While tremendously successful, traditional vaccines (i.e., whole-killed or live-attenuated) have been associated with some undesirable side effects, including everything from mild injection site inflammation to the autoimmune disease Guillain-Barré syndrome. This has led recent research to focus on developing subunit vaccines (i.e., protein, peptide, or DNA vaccines) since they are inherently safer because they deliver only the bioactive components necessary (i.e., antigens) to produce a protective immune response against the pathogen of interest. However, a major challenge in developing subunit vaccines is overcoming numerous biological barriers to effectively deliver the antigen to the secondary lymphoid organs where adaptive immune responses are orchestrated. Peptide amphiphile micelles are a class of biomaterials that have been shown to possess potent self-adjuvanting vaccine properties, but their optimization capacity and underlying immunostimulatory mechanism are not well understood. The present work investigated the influence of micelle size and charge on the materials' bioactivity, including lymph node accumulation, cell uptake ability, and immunogenicity. The results generated provide considerable insight into how micelles exert their biological effects, yielding a micellar toolbox that can be exploited to either enhance or diminish host immune responses. This exciting development makes peptide amphiphile micelles an attractive candidate for both immune activation and suppression applications.

Determination of the Membrane Environment of CD59 in Living Cells

The organization and dynamics of proteins and lipids in the plasma membrane, and their role in membrane functionality, have been subject of a long-lasting debate. Specifically, it is unclear to what extent membrane proteins are affected by their immediate lipid environment and vice versa. Studies on model membranes and plasma membrane vesicles indicated preferences of proteins for lipid phases characterized by different acyl chain order; however, whether such phases do indeed exist in live cells is still not known. Here, we refine a previously developed micropatterning approach combined with single molecule tracking to quantify the influence of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored (GPI-anchored) protein CD59 on its molecular environment directly in the live cell plasma membrane. We find that locally enriched and immobilized CD59 presents obstacles to the diffusion of fluorescently labeled lipids with a different phase-partitioning behavior independent of cell cholesterol levels and type of lipid. Our results give no evidence for either specific binding of the lipids to CD59 or the existence of nanoscopic ordered membrane regions associated with CD59.

Immunomodulatory vasoactive intestinal peptide amphiphile micelles

Two different vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) amphiphiles have been formulated which readily form micelles of varying shapes. Interestingly, VIP micelle structure has been found to directly correlate to anti-inflammatory behavior providing evidence that these biomaterials can serve as a promising new therapeutic modality.

Incorporation of Artificial Lipid-Anchored Proteins into Cultured Mammalian Cells

Exogenous lipid-anchored proteins can be incorporated into the plasma membranes of living mammalian cells, allowing the chemical structure of the incorporated protein and its lipid anchor to be controlled (and varied) to a much greater degree than is possible for proteins expressed by the cells themselves. This technology offers a variety of potential applications, including incorporating novel and complex protein constructs into cell surfaces and exploring structure-function relationships for biologically important lipid-anchored proteins such as glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins. Here we describe detailed methods for stable incorporation of artificial lipid-anchored proteins into cultured mammalian cells under mild, nonperturbing conditions.

Self-assembling peptide-based building blocks in medical applications

Peptides and peptide-conjugates, comprising natural and synthetic building blocks, are an increasingly popular class of biomaterials. Self-assembled nanostructures based on peptides and peptide-conjugates offer advantages such as precise selectivity and multifunctionality that can address challenges and limitations in the clinic. In this review article, we discuss recent developments in the design and self-assembly of various nanomaterials based on peptides and peptide-conjugates for medical applications, and categorize them into two themes based on the driving forces of molecular self-assembly. First, we present the self-assembled nanostructures driven by the supramolecular interactions between the peptides, with or without the presence of conjugates. The studies where nanoassembly is driven by the interactions between the conjugates of peptide-conjugates are then presented. Particular emphasis is given to in vivo studies focusing on therapeutics, diagnostics, immune modulation and regenerative medicine. Finally, challenges and future perspectives are presented.

With or without rafts? Alternative views on cell membranes

The fundamental mechanisms of protein and lipid organization at the plasma membrane have continued to engage researchers for decades. Among proposed models, one idea has been particularly successful which assumes that sterol-dependent nanoscopic phases of different lipid chain order compartmentalize proteins, thereby modulating protein functionality. This model of membrane rafts has sustainably sparked the fields of membrane biophysics and biology, and shifted membrane lipids into the spotlight of research; by now, rafts have become an integral part of our terminology to describe a variety of cell biological processes. But is the evidence clear enough to continue supporting a theoretical concept which has resisted direct proof by observation for nearly twenty years? In this essay, we revisit findings that gave rise to and substantiated the raft hypothesis, discuss its impact on recent studies, and present alternative mechanisms to account for plasma membrane heterogeneity.

Designing lipids for selective partitioning into liquid ordered membrane domains

Self-organization of lipid molecules into specific membrane phases is key to the development of hierarchical molecular assemblies that mimic cellular structures. While the packing interaction of the lipid tails should provide the major driving force to direct lipid partitioning to ordered or disordered membrane domains, numerous examples show that the headgroup and spacer play important but undefined roles. We report here the development of several new biotinylated lipids that examine the role of spacer chemistry and structure on membrane phase partitioning. The new lipids were prepared with varying lengths of low molecular weight polyethylene glycol (EGn) spacers to examine how spacer hydrophilicity and length influence their partitioning behavior following binding with FITC-labeled streptavidin in liquid ordered (Lo) and liquid disordered (Ld) phase coexisting membranes. Partitioning coefficients (Kp Lo/Ld) of the biotinylated lipids were determined using fluorescence measurements in studies with giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). Compared against DPPE-biotin, DPPE-cap-biotin, and DSPE-PEG2000-biotin lipids, the new dipalmityl-EGn-biotin lipids exhibited markedly enhanced partitioning into liquid ordered domains, achieving Kp of up to 7.3 with a decaethylene glycol spacer (DP-EG10-biotin). We further demonstrated biological relevance of the lipids with selective partitioning to lipid raft-like domains observed in giant plasma membrane vesicles (GPMVs) derived from mammalian cells. Our results found that the spacer group not only plays a pivotal role for designing lipids with phase selectivity but may also influence the structural order of the domain assemblies.

Lck mediates signal transmission from CD59 to the TCR/CD3 pathway in Jurkat T cells

The glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored molecule CD59 has been implicated in the modulation of T cell responses, but the underlying molecular mechanism of CD59 influencing T cell signaling remained unclear. Here we analyzed Jurkat T cells stimulated via anti-CD3ε- or anti-CD59-coated surfaces, using time-resolved single-cell Ca²⁺ imaging as a read-out for stimulation. This analysis revealed a heterogeneous Ca²⁺ response of the cell population in a stimulus-dependent manner. Further analysis of T cell receptor (TCR)/CD3 deficient or overexpressing cells showed that CD59-mediated signaling is strongly dependent on TCR/CD3 surface expression. In protein co-patterning and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments no direct physical interaction was observed between CD59 and CD3 at the plasma membrane upon anti-CD59 stimulation. However, siRNA-mediated protein knock-downs of downstream signaling molecules revealed that the Src family kinase Lck and the adaptor molecule linker of activated T cells (LAT) are essential for both signaling pathways. Furthermore, flow cytometry measurements showed that knock-down of Lck accelerates CD3 re-expression at the cell surface after anti-CD59 stimulation similar to what has been observed upon direct TCR/CD3 stimulation. Finally, physically linking Lck to CD3ζ completely abolished CD59-triggered Ca²⁺ signaling, while signaling was still functional upon direct TCR/CD3 stimulation. Altogether, we demonstrate that Lck mediates signal transmission from CD59 to the TCR/CD3 pathway in Jurkat T cells, and propose that CD59 may act via Lck to modulate T cell responses.

Fluorescent probes for lipid rafts: from model membranes to living cells

Membrane microdomains (rafts) remain one of the controversial issues in biophysics. Fluorescent molecular probes, which make these lipid nanostructures visible through optical techniques, are one of the tools currently used to study lipid rafts. The most common are lipophilic fluorescent probes that partition specifically into liquid ordered or liquid disordered phase. Their partition depends on the lipid composition of a given phase, which complicates their use in cellular membranes. A second class of probes is based on environment-sensitive dyes, which partition into both phases, but stain them by different fluorescence color, intensity, or lifetime. These probes can directly address the properties of each separate phase, but their cellular applications are still limited. The present review focuses on summarizing the current state in the field of developing and applying fluorescent molecular probes to study lipid rafts. We highlight an urgent need to develop new probes, specifically adapted for cell plasma membranes and compatible with modern fluorescence microscopy techniques to push the understanding of membrane microdomains forward.

Proving lipid rafts exist: membrane domains in the prokaryote Borrelia burgdorferi have the same properties as eukaryotic lipid rafts

Lipid rafts in eukaryotic cells are sphingolipid and cholesterol-rich, ordered membrane regions that have been postulated to play roles in many membrane functions, including infection. We previously demonstrated the existence of cholesterol-lipid-rich domains in membranes of the prokaryote, B. burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease [LaRocca et al. (2010) Cell Host & Microbe 8, 331–342]. Here, we show that these prokaryote membrane domains have the hallmarks of eukaryotic lipid rafts, despite lacking sphingolipids. Substitution experiments replacing cholesterol lipids with a set of sterols, ranging from strongly raft-promoting to raft-inhibiting when mixed with eukaryotic sphingolipids, showed that sterols that can support ordered domain formation are both necessary and sufficient for formation of B. burgdorferi membrane domains that can be detected by transmission electron microscopy or in living organisms by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). Raft-supporting sterols were also necessary and sufficient for formation of high amounts of detergent resistant membranes from B. burgdorferi. Furthermore, having saturated acyl chains was required for a biotinylated lipid to associate with the cholesterol-lipid-rich domains in B. burgdorferi, another characteristic identical to that of eukaryotic lipid rafts. Sterols supporting ordered domain formation were also necessary and sufficient to maintain B. burgdorferi membrane integrity, and thus critical to the life of the organism. These findings provide compelling evidence for the existence of lipid rafts and show that the same principles of lipid raft formation apply to prokaryotes and eukaryotes despite marked differences in their lipid compositions.

Specialized domains (“lipid rafts”) rich in specific membrane lipids (sphingolipids and cholesterol) have been proposed to form in the cell membranes of higher organisms, and to be of functional importance. We recently found that domains can be detected in the membranes of the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi. In this report it is shown that, despite a lack of sphingolipids in B. burgdorferi, these domains have all the characteristic properties of lipid rafts, and can be detected in living B. burgdorferi. This shows that true lipid rafts can form in bacteria. In addition, it is shown that sterols having a structure that promotes lipid raft formation are necessary and sufficient for those sterols to maintain B. burgdorferi membrane integrity. This is suggestive of a role for membrane domains in B. burgdorferi membrane integrity. Therefore, interfering with lipid raft formation may have biomedical applications in combatting B. burgdorferi infections.

The non-peptidic part determines the internalization mechanism and intracellular trafficking of peptide amphiphiles

Background

Peptide amphiphiles (PAs) are a class of amphiphilic molecules able to self-assemble into nanomaterials that have shown efficient in vivo targeted delivery. Understanding the interactions of PAs with cells and the mechanisms of their internalization and intracellular trafficking is critical in their further development for therapeutic delivery applications.

Methodology/Principal Findings

PAs of a novel, cell- and tissue-penetrating peptide were synthesized possessing two different lipophilic tail architectures and their interactions with prostate cancer cells were studied in vitro. Cell uptake of peptides was greatly enhanced post-modification. Internalization occurred via lipid-raft mediated endocytosis and was common for the two analogs studied. On the contrary, we identified the non-peptidic part as the determining factor of differences between intracellular trafficking and retention of PAs. PAs composed of di-stearyl lipid tails linked through poly(ethylene glycol) to the peptide exhibited higher exocytosis rates and employed different recycling pathways compared to ones consisting of di-palmitic-coupled peptides. As a result, cell association of the former PAs decreased with time.

Conclusions/Significance

Control over peptide intracellular localization and retention is possible by appropriate modification with synthetic hydrophobic tails. We propose this as a strategy to design improved peptide-based delivery systems.

Microvesicles/exosomes as potential novel biomarkers of metabolic diseases

Biomarkers are of tremendous importance for the prediction, diagnosis, and observation of the therapeutic success of common complex multifactorial metabolic diseases, such as type II diabetes and obesity. However, the predictive power of the traditional biomarkers used (eg, plasma metabolites and cytokines, body parameters) is apparently not sufficient for reliable monitoring of stage-dependent pathogenesis starting with the healthy state via its initiation and development to the established disease and further progression to late clinical outcomes. Moreover, the elucidation of putative considerable differences in the underlying pathogenetic pathways (eg, related to cellular/tissue origin, epigenetic and environmental effects) within the patient population and, consequently, the differentiation between individual options for disease prevention and therapy - hallmarks of personalized medicine - plays only a minor role in the traditional biomarker concept of metabolic diseases. In contrast, multidimensional and interdependent patterns of genetic, epigenetic, and phenotypic markers presumably will add a novel quality to predictive values, provided they can be followed routinely along the complete individual disease pathway with sufficient precision. These requirements may be fulfilled by small membrane vesicles, which are so-called exosomes and microvesicles (EMVs) that are released via two distinct molecular mechanisms from a wide variety of tissue and blood cells into the circulation in response to normal and stress/pathogenic conditions and are equipped with a multitude of transmembrane, soluble and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins, mRNAs, and microRNAs. Based on the currently available data, EMVs seem to reflect the diverse functional and dysfunctional states of the releasing cells and tissues along the complete individual pathogenetic pathways underlying metabolic diseases. A critical step in further validation of EMVs as biomarkers will rely on the identification of unequivocal correlations between critical disease states and specific EMV signatures, which in future may be determined in rapid and convenient fashion using nanoparticle-driven biosensors.

Poly(ethylene glycol)-Lipid-Conjugated Antibodies Enhance Dendritic Cell Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cancer Cells

A simple method for attaching immunoglobulin G (IgG) on the cell surface was successfully developed for enhancing phagocytosis of apoptotic tumor cells (ATCs) by dendritic cells (DCs) ex vivo. By conjugating with a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-lipid, named the biocompatible anchor for the membrane (BAM), arbitrary IgG could be incorporated into the cell membrane. In particular, when IgG-BAM conjugates were prepared at the optimal molar ratio of IgG to BAM (1 to 20), almost all cells were efficiently modified with IgG by treatment with IgG-BAM. This simple method was successfully applied to four types of mammalian cells. Furthermore, treatment of ATCs with the IgG-BAM conjugate increased the phagocytosis ratio of ATCs by DCs two-fold when compared to no treatment. This phagocytosis-enhancing effect was nearly identical to treatment with a tumor-specific IgG. Thus, without employing the tumor-specific IgG, which is difficult to obtain for any tumor cells and is expensive, the present method could opsonize ATC with the use of arbitrary IgG. The results strongly indicate that IgG-BAM treatment represents a promising method for opsonizing ATC with human serum IgG, and that this approach will lead to objective clinical responses in DC vaccines.

Mechanisms for size-dependent protein segregation at immune synapses assessed with molecular rulers

Immunological synapses are specialized intercellular contacts formed by several types of immune cells in contact with target cells or antigen-presenting cells. A late-stage immune synapse is commonly a bulls-eye pattern of immune cell receptor-ligand pairs surrounded by integrin complexes. Based on crystal structures, the intermembrane distance would be ∼15 nm for many immune cell receptor-ligand pairs, but ∼40 nm for integrin-ligand pairs. Close proximity of these two classes of intermembrane bonds would require significant membrane bending and such proteins can segregate according to their size, which may be key for receptor triggering. However, tools available to evaluate the intermembrane organization of the synapse are limited. Here, we present what we believe to be a novel approach to test the importance of size in the intercellular organization of proteins, using live-cell microscopy of a size-series of fluorescently-labeled molecules and quantum dots to act as molecular rulers. Small particles readily colocalized at the synapse with MHC class I bound to its cognate natural killer cell receptor, whereas particles larger than 15 nm were increasingly segregated from this interaction. Combined with modeling of the partitioning of the particles by scaled-particle adsorption theory, these molecular rulers show how membrane-bending elasticity can drive size-dependent exclusion of proteins within immune synapses.

Assembly of cells and vesicles for organ engineering

The development of materials and technologies for the assembly of cells and/or vesicles is a key for the next generation of tissue engineering. Since the introduction of the tissue engineering concept in 1993, various types of scaffolds have been developed for the regeneration of connective tissues in vitro and in vivo. Cartilage, bone and skin have been successfully regenerated in vitro, and these regenerated tissues have been applied clinically. However, organs such as the liver and pancreas constitute numerous cell types, contain small amounts of extracellular matrix, and are highly vascularized. Therefore, organ engineering will require the assembly of cells and/or vesicles. In particular, adhesion between cells/vesicles will be required for regeneration of organs in vitro. This review introduces and discusses the key technologies and materials for the assembly of cells/vesicles for organ regeneration.

Induced albumin secretion from HepG2 spheroids prepared using poly(ethylene glycol) derivative with oleyl groups

We developed a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) derivative with oleyl groups, so-called "cell adhesive", for the promotion of human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell spheroids. Our approach was based on crosslinking of the cell membrane with a cell adhesive via a hydrophobic interaction. A cell adhesive, PEG derivative with hydrophobic oleyl groups at both ends was synthesized and characterized. HepG2 spheroids formed when the adhesive was added to cell suspensions. The size of the spheroids increased with time in culture. In addition, Ammonia elimination of HepG2 spheroid with cell adhesive was 3.4 times higher than that without cell adhesive. Furthermore, albumin secretion from HeG2 spheroids grown with the cell adhesive for 7 days was 3.3 times that from HepG2 spheroids grown without cell adhesive. Fluorescence microscopy showed greater albumin staining in spheroids grown with cell adhesive compared with spheroids grown without adhesive. This cell adhesive may be useful not only for single type of cells but also for multi types of cells to form artificial organs. This cell adhesive will be a key material for liver tissue engineering when it will apply to primary hepatocytes.

Assessment of the roles of ordered lipid microdomains in post-endocytic trafficking of glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins in mammalian fibroblasts

We have used artificial phosphatidylethanolamine-polyethylene glycol (PE-PEG)-anchored proteins, incorporated into living mammalian cells, to evaluate previously proposed roles for ordered lipid 'raft' domains in the post-endocytic trafficking of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins in CHO and BHK cells. In CHO cells, endocytosed PE-PEG protein conjugates colocalized strongly with the internalized GPI-anchored folate receptor, concentrating in the endosomal recycling compartment, regardless of the structure of the hydrocarbon chains of the PE-PEG 'anchor'. However, internalized PE-PEG protein conjugates with long-chain saturated anchors recycled to the plasma membrane at a slow rate comparable to that measured for the GPI-anchored folate receptor, whereas conjugates with short-chain or unsaturated anchors recycled at a faster rate similar to that observed for the transferrin receptor. These findings support the proposal (Mayor et al. Cholesterol-dependent retention of GPI-anchored proteins in endosomes. EMBO J 1998;17:4628-4638) that the slow recycling of GPI proteins in CHO cells rests on their affinity for ordered lipid domains. In BHK cells, internalized PE-PEG protein conjugates with either saturated or unsaturated 'anchors' colocalized strongly with simultaneously endocytosed folate receptor and, like the folate receptor, gradually accumulated in late endosomes/lysosomes. These latter findings do not support previous suggestions that the sorting of GPI proteins to late endosomes in BHK cells depends on their association with lipid rafts.

Internalization of p53(14-29) peptide amphiphiles and subsequent endosomal disruption results in SJSA-1 cell death

In vivo peptide inhibition of tumor suppressor p53 binding to the protein MDM2 is hampered by inefficient delivery of the peptide. Our approach to couple a hydrophobic lipid-like tail on the inhibitory peptide p53(14-29) allowed its intracellular delivery in vitro, in a panel of different cell lines. The constructed chimeric molecules, termed peptide amphiphiles, further self-assembled into supramolecular structures, identified as elongated wormlike micelles. Internalization of peptides occurred following micelle disassembly, partly via clathrin-mediated endocytosis of monomers. Incubation of SJSA-1 cells in hypertonic culture media, aimed to disrupt endocytic vesicles, resulted in peptide amphiphile-mediated cell death. Our results provide the basis for the construction of novel therapeutic supramolecular nanoparticles and suggest hydrophobic modification of peptides as a promising strategy for enhancing delivery of impermeable peptides.

Enhanced insulin secretion of physically crosslinked pancreatic beta-cells by using a poly(ethylene glycol) derivative with oleyl groups

A polymeric crosslinker was developed to promote the formation of cellular spheroids. Our approach was based on the crosslinking of cell membrane using a polymeric crosslinker that worked via hydrophobic interaction. The crosslinker, a poly(ethylene glycol) derivative with oleyl groups as a hydrophobic group at both ends, was synthesized and characterized by gel permeation chromatography and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Cell culture experiments were then performed to confirm spheroid formation. The rat pancreatic islet beta-cell line RIN, which possesses the ability to secrete insulin, was cultured with the crosslinker in a round-bottomed 96-well plate. The formation of a spheroid was achieved when the crosslinker was added to the cell suspension, especially in the absence of serum. The size of the spheroid decreased with time and with increasing crosslinker concentration, and depended on the number of cells plated in each well. The number of cells cultured with crosslinker was almost constant during 7 days and hardly proliferated in crosslinker concentrations of 0-2.5 mg ml(-1), while the number of cells showed a decrease in the 25 mg ml(-1) crosslinker concentration. It was shown that the insulin protein secretion in the spheroid cultured with crosslinker for 1 week was enhanced. The cell adhesion protein E-cadherin mRNA expression of the resulting spheroid was also enhanced. These results indicate that the promoted cell function was due to the cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in the spheroid, suggesting that this polymeric crosslinker was useful for the formation of cell spheroids.

Endocytosis of lipid-anchored proteins: excluding GEECs from the crowd

Endocytosis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-linked proteins via a specific pathway into GPI-enriched early endosomal compartments (GEECs) has been proposed. How sorting into this pathway may take place is unclear. In this issue, Bhagatji et al. (2009. J. Cell Biol. doi:10.1083/jcb.200903102) provide an original mechanism for the sorting of lipid-anchored proteins that involves exclusion of bulky extracellular domains from clathrin-coated pits.

Steric and not structure-specific factors dictate the endocytic mechanism of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins

Diverse glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins enter mammalian cells via the clathrin- and dynamin-independent, Arf1-regulated GPI-enriched early endosomal compartment/clathrin-independent carrier endocytic pathway. To characterize the determinants of GPI protein targeting to this pathway, we have used fluorescence microscopic analyses to compare the internalization of artificial lipid-anchored proteins, endogenous membrane proteins, and membrane lipid markers in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Soluble proteins, anchored to cell-inserted saturated or unsaturated phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)-polyethyleneglycols (PEGs), closely resemble the GPI-anchored folate receptor but differ markedly from the transferrin receptor, membrane lipid markers, and even protein-free PE-PEGs, both in their distribution in peripheral endocytic vesicles and in the manner in which their endocytic uptake responds to manipulations of cellular Arf1 or dynamin activity. These findings suggest that the distinctive endocytic targeting of GPI proteins requires neither biospecific recognition of their GPI anchors nor affinity for ordered-lipid microdomains but is determined by a more fundamental property, the steric bulk of the lipid-anchored protein.

Macroscopic domain formation during cooling in the platelet plasma membrane: an issue of low cholesterol content

There has been ample debate on whether cell membranes can present macroscopic lipid domains as predicted by three-component phase diagrams obtained by fluorescence microscopy. Several groups have argued that membrane proteins and interactions with the cytoskeleton inhibit the formation of large domains. In contrast, some polarizable cells do show large regions with qualitative differences in lipid fluidity. It is important to ask more precisely, based on the current phase diagrams, under what conditions would large domains be expected to form in cells. In this work we study the thermotropic phase behavior of the platelet plasma membrane by FTIR, and compare it to a POPC/Sphingomyelin/Cholesterol model representing the outer leaflet composition. We find that this model closely reflects the platelet phase behavior. Previous work has shown that the platelet plasma membrane presents inhomogeneous distribution of DiI18:0 at 24 degrees C, but not at 37 degrees C, which suggests the formation of macroscopic lipid domains at low temperatures. We show by fluorescence microscopy, and by comparison with published phase diagrams, that the outer leaflet model system enters the macroscopic domain region only at the lower temperature. In addition, the low cholesterol content in platelets ( approximately 15 mol%), appears to be crucial for the formation of large domains during cooling.

Ras acylation, compartmentalization and signaling nanoclusters (Review)

Ras proteins have become paradigms for isoform- and compartment-specific signaling. Recent work has shown that Ras isoforms are differentially distributed within cell surface signaling nanoclusters and on endomembranous compartments. The critical feature regulating Ras protein localization and isoform-specific functions is the C-terminal hypervariable region (HVR). In this review we discuss the differential post-translational modifications and reversible targeting functions of Ras isoform HVR motifs. We describe how compartmentalized Ras signaling has specific functional consequences and how cell surface signaling nanoclusters generate precise signaling outputs.

Interactions of Ras proteins with the plasma membrane and their roles in signaling

The complex dynamic structure of the plasma membrane plays critical roles in cellular signaling; interactions with the membrane lipid milieu, spatial segregation within and between cellular membranes and/or targeting to specific membrane-associated scaffolds are intimately involved in many signal transduction pathways. In this review, we focus on the membrane interactions of Ras proteins. These small GTPases play central roles in the regulation of cell growth and proliferation, and their excessive activation is commonly encountered in human tumors. Ras proteins associate with the membrane continuously via C-terminal lipidation and additional interactions in both their inactive and active forms; this association, as well as the targeting of specific Ras isoforms to plasma membrane microdomains and to intracellular organelles, have recently been implicated in Ras signaling and oncogenic potential. We discuss biochemical and biophysical evidence for the roles of specific domains of Ras proteins in mediating their association with the plasma membrane, and consider the potential effects of lateral segregation and interactions with membrane-associated protein assemblies on the signaling outcomes.

Islet-encapsulation in ultra-thin layer-by-layer membranes of poly(vinyl alcohol) anchored to poly(ethylene glycol)-lipids in the cell membrane

The microencapsulation of islets of Langerhans (islets) in a semipermeable membrane, i.e., the creation of a bioartificial pancreas, has been studied as a safe and simple technique for islet transplantation without the need for immunosuppressive therapy. The total volume of the implant tends to increase after enclosure of the islets in the semipermeable membrane, which limits transplantation sites. Thus, ultra-thin membranes are required for clinical applications. Here, we propose a novel method to encapsulate islets in an ultra-thin membrane of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) anchored to a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-phospholipid conjugate bearing a maleimide group (Mal-PEG-lipids, PEG Mw: 5000) in the cell membranes of islets. When Mal-PEG-lipids were added to an islet suspension, they spontaneously formed a thin layer on cells of the outer layer of islets. The PEG-lipid layer on the islets was covered by a PVA monolayer, and the PVA membrane was further reinforced by using the layer-by-layer method with thiol/disulfide exchange reactions. No practical volume increase in islets was observed after microencapsulation by this method. In addition, encapsulation of the islet surface in PVA membranes did not impair insulin release in response to glucose stimulation.

Dynamic recruitment of phospholipase C gamma at transiently immobilized GPI-anchored receptor clusters induces IP3-Ca2+ signaling: single-molecule tracking study 2

Clusters of CD59, a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored receptor (GPI-AR), with physiological sizes of approximately six CD59 molecules, recruit Gαi2 and Lyn via protein–protein and raft interactions. Lyn is activated probably by the Gαi2 binding in the same CD59 cluster, inducing the CD59 cluster's binding to F-actin, resulting in its immobilization, termed stimulation-induced temporary arrest of lateral diffusion (STALL; with a 0.57-s lifetime, occurring approximately every 2 s). Simultaneous single-molecule tracking of GFP-PLCγ2 and CD59 clusters revealed that PLCγ2 molecules are transiently (median = 0.25 s) recruited from the cytoplasm exclusively at the CD59 clusters undergoing STALL, producing the IP₃–Ca²⁺ signal. Therefore, we propose that the CD59 cluster in STALL may be a key, albeit transient, platform for transducing the extracellular GPI-AR signal to the intracellular IP₃–Ca²⁺ signal, via PLCγ2 recruitment. The prolonged, analogue, bulk IP₃–Ca²⁺ signal, which lasts for more than several minutes, is likely generated by the sum of the short-lived, digital-like IP₃ bursts, each created by the transient recruitment of PLCγ2 molecules to STALLed CD59.

Capture of Target Cell Membrane Components via Trogocytosis Is Triggered by a Selected Set of Surface Molecules on T or B Cells

Key events of T and B cell biology are regulated through direct interaction with APC or target cells. Trogocytosis is a process whereby CD4(+) T, CD8(+) T, and B cells capture their specific membrane-bound Ag through the acquisition of plasma membrane fragments from their cellular targets. With the aim of investigating whether the ability to trigger trogocytosis was a selective property of Ag receptors, we set up an assay that allowed us to test the ability of many different cell surface molecules to trigger trogocytosis. On the basis of the analysis of a series of surface molecules on CD4(+) T, CD8(+) T, and B cells, we conclude that a set of cell type-specific surface determinants, including but not limited to Ag receptors, do trigger trogocytosis. On T cells, these determinants include components of the TCR/CD3 as well as that of coreceptors and of several costimulatory molecules. On B cells, we identified only the BCR and MHC molecules as potentials triggers of trogocytosis. Remarkably, latrunculin, which prevents actin polymerization, impaired trogocytosis by T cells, but not by B cells. This was true even when the same Abs were used to trigger trogocytosis in T or B cells. Altogether, our results indicate that although trogocytosis is performed by all hemopoietic cells tested thus far, both the receptors and the mechanisms involved can differ depending on the lineage of the cell acquiring membrane materials from other cells. This could therefore account for the different biological consequences of Ag capture via trogocytosis proposed for different types of cells.

Clustering of raft-associated proteins in the external membrane leaflet modulates internal leaflet H-ras diffusion and signaling

One of the least-explored aspects of cholesterol-enriched domains (rafts) in cells is the coupling between such domains in the external and internal monolayers and its potential to modulate transbilayer signal transduction. Here, we employed fluorescence recovery after photobleaching to study the effects of antibody-mediated patching of influenza hemagglutinin (HA) proteins [raft-resident wild-type HA and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored HA, or the nonraft mutant HA(2A520)] on the lateral diffusion of internal-leaflet raft and nonraft Ras isoforms (H-Ras and K-Ras, respectively). Our studies demonstrate that the clustering of outer-leaflet or transmembrane raft-associated HA proteins (but not their nonraft mutants) retards the lateral diffusion of H-Ras (but not K-Ras), suggesting stabilized interactions of H-Ras with the clusters of raft-associated HA proteins. These modulations were paralleled by specific effects on the activity of H-Ras but not of the nonraft K-Ras. Thus, clustering raft-associated HA proteins facilitated the early step whereby H-Ras is converted to an activated, GTP-loaded state but inhibited the ensuing step of downstream signaling via the Mek/Erk pathway. We propose a model for the modulation of transbilayer signaling by clustering of raft proteins, where external clustering (antibody or ligand mediated) enhances the association of internal-leaflet proteins with the stabilized clusters, promoting either enhancement or inhibition of signaling.

Encapsulation of islets with ultra-thin polyion complex membrane through poly(ethylene glycol)-phospholipids anchored to cell membrane

The microencapsulation of islets of Langerhans (islets) has been studied as a safe and simple technique for islet transplantation without the need for immuno-suppressive therapy. However, thinner membranes are desired, because the increased total volume of the implant led to limited transplantation sites. Here, we propose a novel method for microencapsulation by polyion complex membrane formation on islets. Amino group-terminated poly(ethylene glycol)-conjugated phospholipids (PEG-lipids, M(w): 5000) spontaneously formed a thin layer on cells existing in the outer layer of islets when they were added to islet suspension. This layer-by-layer membrane could be further formed on the PEG-lipid layer through polyion complex formation between amino groups at the end of PEG chains, sodium alginate and poly(l-lysine). Islets could be microencapsulated by this method without volume increase. Encapsulation of the islet surface with PEG-lipids and polyion complex membranes did not impair the insulin release function in response to glucose stimulation. Our method is promising to encapsulate islets without affecting cell viability or increasing volume.

Phase diagram of stigmasterol-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine mixtures dispersed in excess water

As a simple model of rafts in plant cells, the effect of stigmasterol, one of the predominant sterols in plant plasma membranes, on the phase behavior of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) multilayers has been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and freeze-fracture electron microscopy (FFEM) techniques. A partial phase diagram of the binary system has been constructed. Particularly, the stigmasterol concentrations of the "left endpoint" and "right endpoint" of the three-phase line have been determined using the newly developed linear and nonlinear fitting method. They are 6.2 and 23.7 mol%, respectively. Furthermore, the resemblance and difference of phase diagrams of DPPC/stigmasterol, DPPC/cholesterol, and DPPC/ergosterol have been compared and the efficiency of these sterols in promoting the formation of the liquid-ordered domains (rafts) have also been discussed.

Shedding and uptake of gangliosides and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins

Gangliosides and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins have very different biosynthetic origin, but they have one thing in common: they are both comprised of a relatively large hydrophilic moiety tethered to a membrane by a relatively small lipid tail. Both gangliosides and GPI-anchored proteins can be actively shed from the membrane of one cell and taken up by other cells by insertion of their lipid anchors into the cell membrane. The process of shedding and uptake of gangliosides and GPI-anchored proteins has been independently discovered in several disciplines during the last few decades, but these discoveries were largely ignored by people working in other areas of science. By bringing together results from these, sometimes very distant disciplines, in this review, we give an overview of current knowledge about shedding and uptake of gangliosides and GPI-anchored proteins. Tumor cells and some pathogens apparently misuse this process for their own advantage, but its real physiological functions remain to be discovered.

How principles of domain formation in model membranes may explain ambiguities concerning lipid raft formation in cells

Sphingolipid and cholesterol-rich liquid ordered lipid domains (lipid rafts) have been studied in both eukaryotic cells and model membranes. However, while the coexistence of ordered and disordered liquid phases can now be easily demonstrated in model membranes, the situation in cell membranes remains ambiguous. Unlike the usual situation in model membranes, under most conditions, cell membranes rich in sphingolipid and cholesterol may have a "granular" organization in which the size of ordered and/or disordered domains is extremely small and domains may be of borderline stability. This review attempts to explain the origin of the divergence between of our understanding of rafts in model membranes and in cells, and how the physical properties of model membranes can help explain many of the ambiguities concerning raft formation and properties in cells. How physical principles of ordered domain formation relate to limitations of detergent insolubility and cholesterol depletion methods used to infer the presence of rafts in cells is also discussed. Possible modifications of these techniques that may increase their reliability are considered. It will be necessary to study model membrane systems more closely approximating cell membranes in order gain a complete understanding of raft properties in cells. Very high concentrations of membrane cholesterol and proteins may explain key physical characteristics of domains in cellular membranes, and are the two of the most obvious factors requiring additional study.

Anti–Prostate Stem Cell Antigen Monoclonal Antibody 1G8 Induces Cell Death In vitro and Inhibits Tumor Growth In vivo via a Fc-Independent Mechanism

Prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), a 123-amino acid cell surface glycoprotein, is highly expressed in both local and metastatic prostate cancers as well as in a large proportion of bladder and pancreatic cancers. PSCA overexpression correlates with a high risk of recurrence after primary therapy for prostate cancer. We have reported previously that anti-PSCA monoclonal antibody (mAb) 1G8 inhibits tumor growth, prevents metastasis, and prolongs the survival of mice inoculated with human prostate cancer cell lines and xenografts. The current study was undertaken to elucidate the mechanism of action of anti-PSCA antibody therapy. In particular, we asked whether antitumor activity resulted from recruitment of an immune response or a direct effect on the tumor cell itself. In vitro assays show that both intact 1G8 and F(ab')2 fragments of 1G8 induce prostate cancer cell death. The anti-PSCA antibody-induced cell death is caspase independent and requires antigen cross-linking. These results were confirmed in in vivo models in which both 1G8 and F(ab')2 fragments were able to inhibit prostate tumor formation and growth equally. These results suggest that the anti-PSCA mAb 1G8 acts by a direct, Fc-independent mechanism to inhibit prostate tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo.

Synthetic mimics of mammalian cell surface receptors: prosthetic molecules that augment living cells

Specific receptors on the surface of mammalian cells actively internalize cell-impermeable ligands by receptor-mediated endocytosis. To mimic these internalizing receptors, my laboratory is studying artificial cell surface receptors that comprise N-alkyl derivatives of 3beta-cholesterylamine linked to motifs that bind cell-impermeable ligands. When added to living mammalian cells, these synthetic receptors insert into cellular plasma membranes, project ligand-binding small molecules or peptides from the cell surface, and enable living cells to internalize targeted proteins and other cell-impermeable compounds. These artificial receptors mimic their natural counterparts by rapidly cycling between plasma membranes and intracellular endosomes, associating with proposed cholesterol and sphingolipid-rich lipid raft membrane microdomains, and delivering ligands to late endosomes/lysosomes. This "synthetic receptor targeting" strategy is briefly reviewed here and contrasted with other related cellular delivery systems. Potential applications of artificial cell surface receptors as molecular probes, agents for cellular targeting, tools for drug delivery, and methods for ligand depletion are discussed. The construction of synthetic receptors as prosthetic molecules, designed to seamlessly augment the molecular machinery of living cells, represents an exciting new frontier in the fields of bioorganic chemistry and chemical biology.

The significance of lipid composition for membrane activity: New concepts and ways of assessing function

In the last decade or so, it has been realised that membranes do not just have a lipid-bilayer structure in which proteins are embedded or with which they associate. Structures are dynamic and contain areas of heterogeneity which are vital for their formation. In this review, we discuss some of the ways in which these dynamic and heterogeneous structures have implications during stress and in relation to certain human diseases. A particular stress is that of temperature which may instigate adaptation in poikilotherms or appropriate defensive responses during fever in mammals. Recent data emphasise the role of membranes in sensing temperature changes and in controlling a regulatory loop with chaperone proteins. This loop seems to need the existence of specific membrane microdomains and also includes association of chaperone (heat stress) proteins with the membrane. The role of microdomains is then discussed further in relation to various human pathologies such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. The concept of modifying membrane lipids (lipid therapy) as a means for treating such pathologies is then introduced. Examples are given when such methods have been shown to have benefit. In order to study membrane microheterogeneity in detail and to elucidate possible molecular mechanisms that account for alteration in membrane function, new methods are needed. In the second part of the review, we discuss ultra-sensitive and ultra-resolution imaging techniques. These include atomic force microscopy, single particle tracking, single particle tracing and various modern fluorescence methods. Finally, we deal with computing simulation of membrane systems. Such methods include coarse-grain techniques and Monte Carlo which offer further advances into molecular dynamics. As computational methods advance they will have more application by revealing the very subtle interactions that take place between the lipid and protein components of membranes - and which are so essential to their function.