1
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Bertalan É, Konno M, Del Carmen Marín M, Bagherzadeh R, Nagata T, Brown L, Inoue K, Bondar AN. Hydrogen-Bonding and Hydrophobic Interaction Networks as Structural Determinants of Microbial Rhodopsin Function. J Phys Chem B 2024. [PMID: 39024507 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c02946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Microbial pump rhodopsins are highly versatile light-driven membrane proteins that couple protein conformational dynamics with ion translocation across the cell membranes. Understanding how microbial pump rhodopsins use specific amino acid residues at key functional sites to control ion selectivity and ion pumping direction is of general interest for membrane transporters, and could guide site-directed mutagenesis for optogenetics applications. To enable direct comparisons between proteins with different sequences we implement, for the first time, a unique numbering scheme for the microbial pump rhodopsin residues, NS-mrho. We use NS-mrho to show that distinct microbial pump rhodopsins typically have hydrogen-bond networks that are less conserved than anticipated from the amino acid residue conservation, whereas their hydrophobic interaction networks are largely conserved. To illustrate the role of the hydrogen-bond networks as structural elements that determine the functionality of microbial pump rhodopsins, we performed experiments, atomic-level simulations, and hydrogen bond network analyses on GR, the outward proton pump from Gloeobacter violaceus, and KR2, the outward sodium pump from Krokinobacter eikastus. The experiments indicate that multiple mutations that recover KR2 amino acid residues in GR not only fail to convert it into a sodium pump, but completely inactivate GR by abolishing photoisomerization of the retinal chromophore. This observation could be attributed to the drastically altered hydrogen-bond interaction network identified with simulations and network analyses. Taken together, our findings suggest that functional specificity could be encoded in the collective hydrogen-bond network of microbial pump rhodopsins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éva Bertalan
- Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, RWTH Aachen University, Templergraben 59, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Masae Konno
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwano-ha, Kashiwa 277-8581, Chiba, Japan
| | - María Del Carmen Marín
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwano-ha, Kashiwa 277-8581, Chiba, Japan
| | - Reza Bagherzadeh
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwano-ha, Kashiwa 277-8581, Chiba, Japan
| | - Takashi Nagata
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwano-ha, Kashiwa 277-8581, Chiba, Japan
| | - Leonid Brown
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, 488 Gordon Street, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Keiichi Inoue
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwano-ha, Kashiwa 277-8581, Chiba, Japan
| | - Ana-Nicoleta Bondar
- Institute of Computational Biomedicine, Forschungszentrum Jülich, IAS-5/INM-9, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 5428 Jülich, Germany
- Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, Atomiştilor 405, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
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2
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Lamm GHU, Zabelskii D, Balandin T, Gordeliy V, Wachtveitl J. Calcium-Sensitive Microbial Rhodopsin VirChR1: A Femtosecond to Second Photocycle Study. J Phys Chem Lett 2024; 15:5510-5516. [PMID: 38749015 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.4c00693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Viral rhodopsins are light-gated cation channels representing a novel class of microbial rhodopsins. For viral rhodopsin 1 subfamily members VirChR1 and OLPVR1, channel activity is abolished above a certain calcium concentration. Here we present a calcium-dependent spectroscopic analysis of VirChR1 on the femtosecond to second time scale. Unlike channelrhodopsin-2, VirChR1 possesses two intermediate states P1 and P2 on the ultrafast time scale, similar to J and K in ion-pumping rhodopsins. Subsequently, we observe multifaceted photocycle kinetics with up to seven intermediate states. Calcium predominantly affects the last photocycle steps, including the appearance of additional intermediates P6Ca and P7 representing the blocked channel. Furthermore, the photocycle of the counterion variant D80N is drastically altered, yielding intermediates with different spectra and kinetics compared to those of the wt. These findings demonstrate the central role of the counterion within the defined reaction sequence of microbial rhodopsins that ultimately defines the protein function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerrit H U Lamm
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Taras Balandin
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany
- JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Valentin Gordeliy
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany
- JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany
- University Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institute de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Josef Wachtveitl
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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3
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Saliminasab M, Yamazaki Y, Palmateer A, Harris A, Schubert L, Langner P, Heberle J, Bondar AN, Brown LS. A Proteorhodopsin-Related Photosensor Expands the Repertoire of Structural Motifs Employed by Sensory Rhodopsins. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:7872-7886. [PMID: 37694950 PMCID: PMC10519204 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c04032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Microbial rhodopsins are light-activated retinal-binding membrane proteins that perform a variety of ion transport and photosensory functions. They display several cases of convergent evolution where the same function is present in unrelated or very distant protein groups. Here we report another possible case of such convergent evolution, describing the biophysical properties of a new group of sensory rhodopsins. The first representative of this group was identified in 2004 but none of the members had been expressed and characterized. The well-studied haloarchaeal sensory rhodopsins interacting with methyl-accepting Htr transducers are close relatives of the halobacterial proton pump bacteriorhodopsin. In contrast, the sensory rhodopsins we describe here are relatives of proteobacterial proton pumps, proteorhodopsins, but appear to interact with Htr-like transducers likewise, even though they do not conserve the residues important for the interaction of haloarchaeal sensory rhodopsins with their transducers. The new sensory rhodopsins display many unusual amino acid residues, including those around the retinal chromophore; most strikingly, a tyrosine in place of a carboxyl counterion of the retinal Schiff base on helix C. To characterize their unique sequence motifs, we augment the spectroscopy and biochemistry data by structural modeling of the wild-type and three mutants. Taken together, the experimental data, bioinformatics sequence analyses, and structural modeling suggest that the tyrosine/aspartate complex counterion contributes to a complex water-mediated hydrogen-bonding network that couples the protonated retinal Schiff base to an extracellular carboxylic dyad.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Saliminasab
- Department
of Physics and Biophysics Interdepartmental Group, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Yoichi Yamazaki
- Division
of Materials Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Alyssa Palmateer
- Department
of Physics and Biophysics Interdepartmental Group, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Andrew Harris
- Department
of Physics and Biophysics Interdepartmental Group, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Luiz Schubert
- Experimental
Molecular Biophysics Group, Department of Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Pit Langner
- Experimental
Molecular Biophysics Group, Department of Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Joachim Heberle
- Experimental
Molecular Biophysics Group, Department of Physics, Freie Universität Berlin, D-14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Ana-Nicoleta Bondar
- University
of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Atomiştilor 405, Măgurele 077125, Romania
- Forschungszentrum
Jülich, Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine and Institute
for Advanced Simulations (IAS-5/INM-9), Computational Biomedicine, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
| | - Leonid S. Brown
- Department
of Physics and Biophysics Interdepartmental Group, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
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4
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Singh M, Ito S, Hososhima S, Abe-Yoshizumi R, Tsunoda SP, Inoue K, Kandori H. Light-Driven Chloride and Sulfate Pump with Two Different Transport Modes. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:7123-7134. [PMID: 37552856 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c02116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Ion pumps are membrane proteins that actively translocate ions by using energy. All known pumps bind ions in the resting state, and external energy allows ion transport through protein structural changes. The light-driven sodium-ion pump Krokinobacter eikastus rhodopsin 2 (KR2) is an exceptional case in which ion binding follows the energy input. In this study, we report another case of this unusual transport mode. The NTQ rhodopsin from Alteribacter aurantiacus (AaClR) is a natural light-driven chloride pump, in which the chloride ion binds to the resting state. AaClR is also able to pump sulfate ions, though the pump efficiency is much lower for sulfate ions than for chloride ions. Detailed spectroscopic analysis revealed no binding of the sulfate ion to the resting state of AaClR, indicating that binding of the substrate (sulfate ion) to the resting state is not necessary for active transport. This property of the AaClR sulfate pump is similar to that of the KR2 sodium pump. Photocycle dynamics of the AaClR sulfate pump resemble a non-functional cycle in the absence of anions. Despite this, flash photolysis and difference Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggest transient binding of the sulfate ion to AaClR. The molecular mechanism of this unusual active transport by AaClR is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Singh
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
| | - Shota Ito
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
| | - Shoko Hososhima
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
| | - Rei Abe-Yoshizumi
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
| | - Satoshi P Tsunoda
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
- OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-855, Japan
| | - Keiichi Inoue
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
- OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-855, Japan
| | - Hideki Kandori
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
- OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-855, Japan
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5
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Ohya M, Kikukawa T, Matsuo J, Tsukamoto T, Nagaura R, Fujisawa T, Unno M. Structure and Heterogeneity of Retinal Chromophore in Chloride Pump Rhodopsins Revealed by Raman Optical Activity. J Phys Chem B 2023. [PMID: 37201188 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c01801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Chloride transport by microbial rhodopsins is actively being researched to understand how light energy is converted to drive ion pumping across cell membranes. Chloride pumps have been identified in archaea and eubacteria, and there are similarities and differences in the active site structures between these groups. Thus, it has not been clarified whether a common mechanism underlies the ion pump processes for all chloride-pumping rhodopsins. Here, we applied Raman optical activity (ROA) spectroscopy to two chloride pumps, Nonlabens marinus rhodopsin-3 (NM-R3) and halorhodopsin from the cyanobacterium Mastigocladopsis repens (MrHR). ROA is a vibrational spectroscopy that provides chiral sensitivity, and the sign of ROA signals can reveal twisting of cofactor molecules within proteins. Our ROA analysis revealed that the retinal Schiff base NH group orients toward the C helix and forms a direct hydrogen bond with a nearby chloride ion in NM-R3. In contrast, MrHR is suggested to contain two retinal conformations twisted in opposite directions; one conformation has a hydrogen bond with a chloride ion like NM-R3, while the other forms a hydrogen bond with a water molecule anchored by a G helix residue. These results suggest a general pump mechanism in which the chloride ion is "dragged" by the flipping Schiff base NH group upon photoisomerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaiku Ohya
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan
| | - Takashi Kikukawa
- Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Junpei Matsuo
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan
| | - Takashi Tsukamoto
- Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan
| | - Ryota Nagaura
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan
| | - Tomotsumi Fujisawa
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan
| | - Masashi Unno
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Saga University, Saga 840-8502, Japan
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6
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Astashkin R, Kovalev K, Bukhdruker S, Vaganova S, Kuzmin A, Alekseev A, Balandin T, Zabelskii D, Gushchin I, Royant A, Volkov D, Bourenkov G, Koonin E, Engelhard M, Bamberg E, Gordeliy V. Structural insights into light-driven anion pumping in cyanobacteria. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6460. [PMID: 36309497 PMCID: PMC9617919 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34019-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmembrane ion transport is a key process in living cells. Active transport of ions is carried out by various ion transporters including microbial rhodopsins (MRs). MRs perform diverse functions such as active and passive ion transport, photo-sensing, and others. In particular, MRs can pump various monovalent ions like Na+, K+, Cl-, I-, NO3-. The only characterized MR proposed to pump sulfate in addition to halides belongs to the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 7509 and is named Synechocystis halorhodopsin (SyHR). The structural study of SyHR may help to understand what makes an MR pump divalent ions. Here we present the crystal structure of SyHR in the ground state, the structure of its sulfate-bound form as well as two photoreaction intermediates, the K and O states. These data reveal the molecular origin of the unique properties of the protein (exceptionally strong chloride binding and proposed pumping of divalent anions) and sheds light on the mechanism of anion release and uptake in cyanobacterial halorhodopsins. The unique properties of SyHR highlight its potential as an optogenetics tool and may help engineer different types of anion pumps with applications in optogenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Astashkin
- grid.450307.50000 0001 0944 2786Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Grenoble, France
| | - K. Kovalev
- grid.475756.20000 0004 0444 5410European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg unit c/o DESY, Hamburg, Germany
| | - S. Bukhdruker
- grid.5398.70000 0004 0641 6373European Synchrotron Radiation Facility Grenoble, Grenoble, France ,grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XInstitute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany ,grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XJuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - S. Vaganova
- grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XInstitute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany ,grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XJuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - A. Kuzmin
- grid.18763.3b0000000092721542Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - A. Alekseev
- grid.18763.3b0000000092721542Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - T. Balandin
- grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XInstitute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany ,grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XJuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - D. Zabelskii
- grid.434729.f0000 0004 0590 2900European XFEL GmbH, Schenefeld, Germany
| | - I. Gushchin
- grid.18763.3b0000000092721542Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - A. Royant
- grid.450307.50000 0001 0944 2786Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Grenoble, France ,grid.5398.70000 0004 0641 6373European Synchrotron Radiation Facility Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - D. Volkov
- grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XInstitute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany ,grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XJuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - G. Bourenkov
- grid.475756.20000 0004 0444 5410European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg unit c/o DESY, Hamburg, Germany
| | - E. Koonin
- grid.419234.90000 0004 0604 5429National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - M. Engelhard
- grid.418441.c0000 0004 0491 3333Department Structural Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
| | - E. Bamberg
- grid.419494.50000 0001 1018 9466Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - V. Gordeliy
- grid.450307.50000 0001 0944 2786Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Grenoble, France ,grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XInstitute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany ,grid.8385.60000 0001 2297 375XJuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
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7
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Doi Y, Watanabe J, Nii R, Tsukamoto T, Demura M, Sudo Y, Kikukawa T. Mutations conferring SO 42- pumping ability on the cyanobacterial anion pump rhodopsin and the resultant unique features of the mutant. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16422. [PMID: 36180556 PMCID: PMC9525653 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20784-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane transport proteins can be divided into two types: those that bind substrates in a resting state and those that do not. In this study, we demonstrate that these types can be converted by mutations through a study of two cyanobacterial anion-pumping rhodopsins, Mastigocladopsis repens halorhodopsin (MrHR) and Synechocystis halorhodopsin (SyHR). Anion pump rhodopsins, including MrHR and SyHR, initially bind substrate anions to the protein center and transport them upon illumination. MrHR transports only smaller halide ions, Cl- and Br-, but SyHR also transports SO42-, despite the close sequence similarity to MrHR. We sought a determinant that could confer SO42- pumping ability on MrHR and found that the removal of a negative charge at the anion entrance is a prerequisite for SO42- transport by MrHR. Consistently, the reverse mutation in SyHR significantly weakened SO42- pump activity. Notably, the MrHR and SyHR mutants did not show SO42- induced absorption spectral shifts or changes in the photoreactions, suggesting no bindings of SO42- in their initial states or the bindings to the sites far from the protein centers. In other words, unlike wild-type SyHR, these mutants take up SO42- into their centers after illumination and release it before the ends of the photoreactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhei Doi
- School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Jo Watanabe
- School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Ryota Nii
- School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Takashi Tsukamoto
- School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan.,Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan.,Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Makoto Demura
- School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan.,Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan.,Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Yuki Sudo
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan
| | - Takashi Kikukawa
- School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan. .,Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan. .,Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan.
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8
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Mechanisms of membrane protein crystallization in 'bicelles'. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11109. [PMID: 35773455 PMCID: PMC9246360 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13945-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite remarkable progress, mainly due to the development of LCP and ‘bicelle’ crystallization, lack of structural information remains a bottleneck in membrane protein (MP) research. A major reason is the absence of complete understanding of the mechanism of crystallization. Here we present small-angle scattering studies of the evolution of the “bicelle” crystallization matrix in the course of MP crystal growth. Initially, the matrix corresponds to liquid-like bicelle state. However, after adding the precipitant, the crystallization matrix transforms to jelly-like state. The data suggest that this final phase is composed of interconnected ribbon-like bilayers, where crystals grow. A small amount of multilamellar phase appears, and its volume increases concomitantly with the volume of growing crystals. We suggest that the lamellar phase surrounds the crystals and is critical for crystal growth, which is also common for LCP crystallization. The study discloses mechanisms of “bicelle” MP crystallization and will support rational design of crystallization.
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9
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de Grip WJ, Ganapathy S. Rhodopsins: An Excitingly Versatile Protein Species for Research, Development and Creative Engineering. Front Chem 2022; 10:879609. [PMID: 35815212 PMCID: PMC9257189 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.879609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The first member and eponym of the rhodopsin family was identified in the 1930s as the visual pigment of the rod photoreceptor cell in the animal retina. It was found to be a membrane protein, owing its photosensitivity to the presence of a covalently bound chromophoric group. This group, derived from vitamin A, was appropriately dubbed retinal. In the 1970s a microbial counterpart of this species was discovered in an archaeon, being a membrane protein also harbouring retinal as a chromophore, and named bacteriorhodopsin. Since their discovery a photogenic panorama unfolded, where up to date new members and subspecies with a variety of light-driven functionality have been added to this family. The animal branch, meanwhile categorized as type-2 rhodopsins, turned out to form a large subclass in the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors and are essential to multiple elements of light-dependent animal sensory physiology. The microbial branch, the type-1 rhodopsins, largely function as light-driven ion pumps or channels, but also contain sensory-active and enzyme-sustaining subspecies. In this review we will follow the development of this exciting membrane protein panorama in a representative number of highlights and will present a prospect of their extraordinary future potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem J. de Grip
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Department of Biophysical Organic Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Srividya Ganapathy
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
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10
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Lazaratos M, Siemers M, Brown LS, Bondar AN. Conserved hydrogen-bond motifs of membrane transporters and receptors. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2022; 1864:183896. [PMID: 35217000 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2022.183896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Membrane transporters and receptors often rely on conserved hydrogen bonds to assemble transient paths for ion transfer or long-distance conformational couplings. For transporters and receptors that use proton binding and proton transfer for function, inter-helical hydrogen bonds of titratable protein sidechains that could change protonation are of central interest to formulate hypotheses about reaction mechanisms. Knowledge of hydrogen bonds common at sites of potential interest for proton binding could thus inform and guide studies on functional mechanisms of protonation-coupled membrane proteins. Here we apply graph-theory approaches to identify hydrogen-bond motifs of carboxylate and histidine sidechains in a large data set of static membrane protein structures. We find that carboxylate-hydroxyl hydrogen bonds are present in numerous structures of the dataset, and can be part of more extended H-bond clusters that could be relevant to conformational coupling. Carboxylate-carboxyamide and imidazole-imidazole hydrogen bonds are represented in comparably fewer protein structures of the dataset. Atomistic simulations on two membrane transporters in lipid membranes suggest that many of the hydrogen bond motifs present in static protein structures tend to be robust, and can be part of larger hydrogen-bond clusters that recruit additional hydrogen bonds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michalis Lazaratos
- Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Physics, Theoretical Molecular Biophysics, Arnimallee 14, D14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Malte Siemers
- Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Physics, Theoretical Molecular Biophysics, Arnimallee 14, D14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Leonid S Brown
- University of Guelph, Department of Physics, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Ana-Nicoleta Bondar
- Freie Universität Berlin, Department of Physics, Theoretical Molecular Biophysics, Arnimallee 14, D14195 Berlin, Germany; University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Atomiștilor 405, Măgurele 077125, Romania; Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine and Institute for Advanced Simulations (IAS-5/INM-9), Computational Biomedicine, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany.
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11
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Sephus CD, Fer E, Garcia AK, Adam ZR, Schwieterman EW, Kaçar B. Earliest photic zone niches probed by ancestral microbial rhodopsins. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6582242. [PMID: 35524714 PMCID: PMC9117797 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
For billions of years, life has continuously adapted to dynamic physical conditions near the Earth’s surface. Fossils and other preserved biosignatures in the paleontological record are the most direct evidence for reconstructing the broad historical contours of this adaptive interplay. However, biosignatures dating to Earth’s earliest history are exceedingly rare. Here, we combine phylogenetic inference of primordial rhodopsin proteins with modeled spectral features of the Precambrian Earth environment to reconstruct the paleobiological history of this essential family of photoactive transmembrane proteins. Our results suggest that ancestral microbial rhodopsins likely acted as light-driven proton pumps and were spectrally tuned toward the absorption of green light, which would have enabled their hosts to occupy depths in a water column or biofilm where UV wavelengths were attenuated. Subsequent diversification of rhodopsin functions and peak absorption frequencies was enabled by the expansion of surface ecological niches induced by the accumulation of atmospheric oxygen. Inferred ancestors retain distinct associations between extant functions and peak absorption frequencies. Our findings suggest that novel information encoded by biomolecules can be used as “paleosensors” for conditions of ancient, inhabited niches of host organisms not represented elsewhere in the paleontological record. The coupling of functional diversification and spectral tuning of this taxonomically diverse protein family underscores the utility of rhodopsins as universal testbeds for inferring remotely detectable biosignatures on inhabited planetary bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cathryn D Sephus
- NASA Center for Early Life and Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Evrim Fer
- NASA Center for Early Life and Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.,Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.,Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Amanda K Garcia
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Zachary R Adam
- Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.,Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Edward W Schwieterman
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, USA.,Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Betül Kaçar
- NASA Center for Early Life and Evolution, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.,Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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12
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Chi H, Zhou Q, Tutol JN, Phelps SM, Lee J, Kapadia P, Morcos F, Dodani SC. Coupling a Live Cell Directed Evolution Assay with Coevolutionary Landscapes to Engineer an Improved Fluorescent Rhodopsin Chloride Sensor. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:1627-1638. [PMID: 35389621 PMCID: PMC9184236 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.2c00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of chloride in biology has been accelerated through the application of fluorescent protein-based sensors in living cells. These sensors can be generated and diversified to have a range of properties using laboratory-guided evolution. Recently, we established that the fluorescent proton-pumping rhodopsin wtGR from Gloeobacter violaceus can be converted into a fluorescent sensor for chloride. To unlock this non-natural function, a single point mutation at the Schiff counterion position (D121V) was introduced into wtGR fused to cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) resulting in GR1-CFP. Here, we have integrated coevolutionary analysis with directed evolution to understand how the rhodopsin sequence space can be explored and engineered to improve this starting point. We first show how evolutionary couplings are predictive of functional sites in the rhodopsin family and how a fitness metric based on a sequence can be used to quantify the known proton-pumping activities of GR-CFP variants. Then, we couple this ability to predict potential functional outcomes with a screening and selection assay in live Escherichia coli to reduce the mutational search space of five residues along the proton-pumping pathway in GR1-CFP. This iterative selection process results in GR2-CFP with four additional mutations: E132K, A84K, T125C, and V245I. Finally, bulk and single fluorescence measurements in live E. coli reveal that GR2-CFP is a reversible, ratiometric fluorescent sensor for extracellular chloride with an improved dynamic range. We anticipate that our framework will be applicable to other systems, providing a more efficient methodology to engineer fluorescent protein-based sensors with desired properties.
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13
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Suzuki K, del Carmen Marín M, Konno M, Bagherzadeh R, Murata T, Inoue K. Structural characterization of proton-pumping rhodopsin lacking a cytoplasmic proton donor residue by X-ray crystallography. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101722. [PMID: 35151692 PMCID: PMC8927995 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
DTG/DTS rhodopsin, which was named based on a three-residue motif (DTG or DTS) that is important for its function, is a light-driven proton-pumping microbial rhodopsin using a retinal chromophore. In contrast to other light-driven ion-pumping rhodopsins, DTG/DTS rhodopsin does not have a cytoplasmic proton donor residue, such as Asp, Glu, or Lys. Because of the lack of cytoplasmic proton donor residue, proton directly binds to the retinal chromophore from the cytoplasmic solvent. However, mutational experiments that showed the complicated effects of mutations were not able to clarify the roles played by each residue, and the detail of proton uptake pathway is unclear because of the lack of structural information. To understand the proton transport mechanism of DTG/DTS rhodopsin, here we report the three-dimensional structure of one of the DTG/DTS rhodopsins, PspR from Pseudomonas putida, by X-ray crystallography. We show that the structure of the cytoplasmic side of the protein is significantly different from that of bacteriorhodopsin, the best-characterized proton-pumping rhodopsin, and large cytoplasmic cavities were observed. We propose that these hydrophilic cytoplasmic cavities enable direct proton uptake from the cytoplasmic solvent without the need for a specialized cytoplasmic donor residue. The introduction of carboxylic residues homologous to the cytoplasmic donors in other proton-pumping rhodopsins resulted in higher pumping activity with less pH dependence, suggesting that DTG/DTS rhodopsins are advantageous for producing energy and avoiding intracellular alkalization in soil and plant-associated bacteria.
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14
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Bondar AN. Mechanisms of long-distance allosteric couplings in proton-binding membrane transporters. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2022; 128:199-239. [PMID: 35034719 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2021.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Membrane transporters that use proton binding and proton transfer for function couple local protonation change with changes in protein conformation and water dynamics. Changes of protein conformation might be required to allow transient formation of hydrogen-bond networks that bridge proton donor and acceptor pairs separated by long distances. Inter-helical hydrogen-bond networks adjust rapidly to protonation change, and ensure rapid response of the protein structure and dynamics. Membrane transporters with known three-dimensional structures and proton-binding groups inform on general principles of protonation-coupled protein conformational dynamics. Inter-helical hydrogen bond motifs between proton-binding carboxylate groups and a polar sidechain are observed in unrelated membrane transporters, suggesting common principles of coupling protonation change with protein conformational dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana-Nicoleta Bondar
- University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, Măgurele, Romania; Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Computational Biomedicine, Jülich, Germany.
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15
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Abstract
Microbial rhodopsins are light-sensitive transmembrane proteins, evolutionary adapted by various organisms like archaea, bacteria, simple eukaryote, and viruses to utilize solar energy for their survival. A complete understanding of functional mechanisms of these proteins is not possible without the knowledge of their high-resolution structures, which can be primarily obtained by X-ray crystallography. This technique, however, requires high-quality crystals, growing of which is a great challenge especially in case of membrane proteins. In this chapter, we summarize methods applied for crystallization of microbial rhodopsins with the emphasis on crystallization in lipidic mesophases, also known as in meso approach. In particular, we describe in detail the methods of crystallization using lipidic cubic phase to grow both large crystals optimized for traditional crystallographic data collection and microcrystals for serial crystallography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirill Kovalev
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
- JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University), Dolgoprudny, Russia
- Institute of Crystallography, University of Aachen (RWTH), Aachen, Germany
| | - Roman Astashkin
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Valentin Gordeliy
- Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble, France
| | - Vadim Cherezov
- Bridge Institute, Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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16
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Kikukawa T. Unique Cl - pump rhodopsin with close similarity to H + pump rhodopsin. Biophys Physicobiol 2021; 18:317-326. [PMID: 35087698 PMCID: PMC8756000 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.bppb-v18.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial rhodopsin is a ubiquitous membrane protein in unicellular microorganisms. Similar to animal rhodopsin, this protein consists of seven transmembrane helices and the chromophore retinal. However, unlike animal rhodopsin, microbial rhodopsin acts as not only a photosignal receptor but also a light-activated ion transporter and light-switchable enzyme. In this article, the third Cl- pump microbial rhodopsin will be introduced. The physiological importance of Cl- pumps has not been clarified. Despite this, their mechanisms, especially that of the first Cl- pump halorhodopsin (HR), have been studied to characterize them as model proteins for membrane anion transporters. The third Cl- pump defines a phylogenetic cluster distinct from other microbial rhodopsins. However, this Cl- pump conserves characteristic residues for not only the Cl- pump HR but also the H+ pump bacteriorhodopsin (BR). Reflecting close similarity to BR, the third Cl- pump begins to pump H+ outwardly after single amino acid replacement. This mutation activates several residues that have no roles in the original Cl- pump function but act as important H+ relay residues in the H+ pump mutant. Thus, the third Cl- pump might be the model protein for functional differentiation because this rhodopsin seems to be the Cl- pump occurring immediately after functional differentiation from the BR-type H+ pump.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Kikukawa
- Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060–0810, Japan
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17
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Abstract
Rhodopsins are photoreceptive membrane proteins consisting of a common heptahelical transmembrane architecture that contains a retinal chromophore. Rhodopsin was first discovered in the animal retina in 1876, but a different type of rhodopsin, bacteriorhodopsin, was reported to be present in the cell membrane of an extreme halophilic archaeon, Halobacterium salinarum, 95 years later. Although these findings were made by physiological observation of pigmented tissue and cell bodies, recent progress in genomic and metagenomic analyses has revealed that there are more than 10,000 microbial rhodopsins and 9000 animal rhodopsins with large diversity and tremendous new functionality. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and accompanying poster, we provide an overview of the diversity of functions, structures, color discrimination mechanisms and optogenetic applications of these two rhodopsin families, and will also highlight the third distinctive rhodopsin family, heliorhodopsin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Nagata
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Keiichi Inoue
- The Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan
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18
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Tutol JN, Lee J, Chi H, Faizuddin FN, Abeyrathna SS, Zhou Q, Morcos F, Meloni G, Dodani SC. A single point mutation converts a proton-pumping rhodopsin into a red-shifted, turn-on fluorescent sensor for chloride. Chem Sci 2021; 12:5655-5663. [PMID: 34163777 PMCID: PMC8179538 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc06061e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The visualization of chloride in living cells with fluorescent sensors is linked to our ability to design hosts that can overcome the energetic penalty of desolvation to bind chloride in water. Fluorescent proteins can be used as biological supramolecular hosts to address this fundamental challenge. Here, we showcase the power of protein engineering to convert the fluorescent proton-pumping rhodopsin GR from Gloeobacter violaceus into GR1, a red-shifted, turn-on fluorescent sensor for chloride in detergent micelles and in live Escherichia coli. This non-natural function was unlocked by mutating D121, which serves as the counterion to the protonated retinylidene Schiff base chromophore. Substitution from aspartate to valine at this position (D121V) creates a binding site for chloride. The binding of chloride tunes the pK a of the chromophore towards the protonated, fluorescent state to generate a pH-dependent response. Moreover, ion pumping assays combined with bulk fluorescence and single-cell fluorescence microscopy experiments with E. coli, expressing a GR1 fusion with a cyan fluorescent protein, show that GR1 does not pump ions nor sense membrane potential but instead provides a reversible, ratiometric readout of changes in extracellular chloride at the membrane. This discovery sets the stage to use natural and laboratory-guided evolution to build a family of rhodopsin-based fluorescent chloride sensors with improved properties for cellular applications and learn how proteins can evolve and adapt to bind anions in water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine N Tutol
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
| | - Jessica Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
| | - Hsichuan Chi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
| | - Farah N Faizuddin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
| | - Sameera S Abeyrathna
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
| | - Qin Zhou
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
| | - Faruck Morcos
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
- Department of Bioengineering, The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
| | - Gabriele Meloni
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
| | - Sheel C Dodani
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson TX 75080 USA
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19
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Inoue K. Shining light on rhodopsin selectivity: How do proteins decide whether to transport H+ or Cl–? J Biol Chem 2020; 295:14805-14806. [DOI: 10.1074/jbc.h120.016032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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