1
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Kephart SM, Hom N, Lee KK. Visualizing intermediate stages of viral membrane fusion by cryo-electron tomography. Trends Biochem Sci 2024; 49:916-931. [PMID: 39054240 PMCID: PMC11455608 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2024.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Protein-mediated membrane fusion is the dynamic process where specialized protein machinery undergoes dramatic conformational changes that drive two membrane bilayers together, leading to lipid mixing and opening of a fusion pore between previously separate membrane-bound compartments. Membrane fusion is an essential stage of enveloped virus entry that results in viral genome delivery into host cells. Recent studies applying cryo-electron microscopy techniques in a time-resolved fashion provide unprecedented glimpses into the interaction of viral fusion proteins and membranes, revealing fusion intermediate states from the initiation of fusion to release of the viral genome. In combination with complementary structural, biophysical, and computation modeling approaches, these advances are shedding new light on the mechanics and dynamics of protein-mediated membrane fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally M Kephart
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nancy Hom
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kelly K Lee
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Biological Structure Physics and Design Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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2
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Blasco S, Sukeník L, Vácha R. Nanoparticle induced fusion of lipid membranes. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:10221-10229. [PMID: 38679949 PMCID: PMC11138393 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr00591k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Membrane fusion is crucial for infection of enveloped viruses, cellular transport, and drug delivery via liposomes. Nanoparticles can serve as fusogenic agents facilitating such membrane fusion for direct transmembrane transport. However, the underlying mechanisms of nanoparticle-induced fusion and the ideal properties of such nanoparticles remain largely unknown. Here, we used molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the efficacy of spheroidal nanoparticles with different size, prolateness, and ligand interaction strengths to enhance fusion between vesicles. By systematically varying nanoparticle properties, we identified how each parameter affects the fusion process and determined the optimal parameter range that promotes fusion. These findings provide valuable insights for the design and optimization of fusogenic nanoparticles with potential biotechnological and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofía Blasco
- CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Sukeník
- CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Robert Vácha
- CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
- National Centre for Biomolecular Research, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
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3
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Liu W, Gao T, Li N, Shao S, Liu B. Vesicle fusion and release in neurons under dynamic mechanical equilibrium. iScience 2024; 27:109793. [PMID: 38736547 PMCID: PMC11088343 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Vesicular fusion plays a pivotal role in cellular processes, involving stages like vesicle trafficking, fusion pore formation, content release, and membrane integration or separation. This dynamic process is regulated by a complex interplay of protein assemblies, osmotic forces, and membrane tension, which together maintain a mechanical equilibrium within the cell. Changes in cellular mechanics or external pressures prompt adjustments in this equilibrium, highlighting the system's adaptability. This review delves into the synergy between intracellular proteins, structural components, and external forces in facilitating vesicular fusion and release. It also explores how cells respond to mechanical stress, maintaining equilibrium and offering insights into vesicle fusion mechanisms and the development of neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhao Liu
- Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Shenyang 110042, China
| | - Tianyu Gao
- Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Shenyang 110042, China
| | - Na Li
- Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Shenyang 110042, China
- Faculty of Medicine, Liaoning Key Lab of Integrated Circuit and Biomedical Electronic System, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Shuai Shao
- Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Shenyang 110042, China
- Faculty of Medicine, Liaoning Key Lab of Integrated Circuit and Biomedical Electronic System, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Cancer Hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Shenyang 110042, China
- Faculty of Medicine, Liaoning Key Lab of Integrated Circuit and Biomedical Electronic System, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
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4
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Rizo J, Sari L, Jaczynska K, Rosenmund C, Lin MM. Molecular mechanism underlying SNARE-mediated membrane fusion enlightened by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2321447121. [PMID: 38593076 PMCID: PMC11032479 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321447121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The SNAP receptor (SNARE) proteins syntaxin-1, SNAP-25, and synaptobrevin mediate neurotransmitter release by forming tight SNARE complexes that fuse synaptic vesicles with the plasma membranes in microseconds. Membrane fusion is generally explained by the action of proteins on macroscopic membrane properties such as curvature, elastic modulus, and tension, and a widespread model envisions that the SNARE motifs, juxtamembrane linkers, and C-terminal transmembrane regions of synaptobrevin and syntaxin-1 form continuous helices that act mechanically as semirigid rods, squeezing the membranes together as they assemble ("zipper") from the N to the C termini. However, the mechanism underlying fast SNARE-induced membrane fusion remains unknown. We have used all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to investigate this mechanism. Our results need to be interpreted with caution because of the limited number and length of the simulations, but they suggest a model of membrane fusion that has a natural physicochemical basis, emphasizes local molecular events over general membrane properties, and explains extensive experimental data. In this model, the central event that initiates fast (microsecond scale) membrane fusion occurs when the SNARE helices zipper into the juxtamembrane linkers which, together with the adjacent transmembrane regions, promote encounters of acyl chains from both bilayers at the polar interface. The resulting hydrophobic nucleus rapidly expands into stalk-like structures that gradually progress to form a fusion pore, aided by the SNARE transmembrane regions and without clearly discernible intermediates. The propensity of polyunsaturated lipids to participate in encounters that initiate fusion suggests that these lipids may be important for the high speed of neurotransmitter release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josep Rizo
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Levent Sari
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
- Green Center for Systems Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Klaudia Jaczynska
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
| | - Christian Rosenmund
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin10117, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Berlin10117, Germany
| | - Milo M. Lin
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
- Green Center for Systems Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX75390
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5
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Kang C, Fujioka K, Sun R. Atomistic Insight into the Lipid Nanodomains of Synaptic Vesicles. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:2707-2716. [PMID: 38325816 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c07982] [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: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Membrane curvature, once regarded as a passive consequence of membrane composition and cellular architecture, has been shown to actively modulate various properties of the cellular membrane. These changes could also lead to segregation of the constituents of the membrane, generating nanodomains with precise biological properties. Proteins often linked with neurodegeneration (e.g., tau, alpha-synuclein) exhibit an unintuitive affinity for synaptic vesicles in neurons, which are reported to lack distinct, ordered nanodomains based on their composition. In this study, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations are used to study a full-scale synaptic vesicle of realistic Gaussian curvature and its effect on the membrane dynamics and lipid nanodomain organization. Compelling indicators of nanodomain formation, from the perspective of composition, surface areas per lipid, order parameter, and domain lifetime, are identified in the vesicle membrane, which are absent in a flat bilayer of the same lipid composition. Therefore, our study supports the idea that curvature may induce phase separation in an otherwise fluid, disordered membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Kang
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hawai'i, Ma̅noa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
| | - Kazuumi Fujioka
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hawai'i, Ma̅noa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
| | - Rui Sun
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Hawai'i, Ma̅noa, 2545 McCarthy Mall, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
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6
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Huang-Zhu CA, Sheavly JK, Chew AK, Patel SJ, Van Lehn RC. Ligand Lipophilicity Determines Molecular Mechanisms of Nanoparticle Adsorption to Lipid Bilayers. ACS NANO 2024; 18:6424-6437. [PMID: 38354368 PMCID: PMC11298871 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c11854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The interactions of ligand-functionalized nanoparticles with the cell membrane affect cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, and related behaviors, but relating these interactions to ligand properties remains challenging. In this work, we perform coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to study how the adsorption of ligand-functionalized cationic gold nanoparticles (NPs) to a single-component lipid bilayer (as a model cell membrane) is influenced by ligand end group lipophilicity. A set of 2 nm diameter NPs, each coated with a monolayer of organic ligands that differ only in their end groups, was simulated to mimic NPs recently studied experimentally. Metadynamics calculations were performed to determine key features of the free energy landscape for adsorption as a function of the distance of the NP from the bilayer and the number of NP-lipid contacts. These simulations revealed that NP adsorption is thermodynamically favorable for all NPs due to the extraction of lipids from the bilayer and into the NP monolayer. To resolve ligand-dependent differences in adsorption behavior, string method calculations were performed to compute minimum free energy pathways for adsorption. These calculations revealed a surprising nonmonotonic dependence of the free energy barrier for adsorption on ligand end group lipophilicity. Large free energy barriers are predicted for the least lipophilic end groups because favorable NP-lipid contacts are initiated only through the unfavorable protrusion of lipid tail groups out of the bilayer. The smallest free energy barriers are predicted for end groups of intermediate lipophilicity which promote NP-lipid contacts by intercalating within the bilayer. Unexpectedly, large free energy barriers are also predicted for the most lipophilic end groups which remain sequestered within the ligand monolayer rather than intercalating within the bilayer. These trends are broadly in agreement with past experimental measurements and reveal how subtle variations in ligand lipophilicity dictate adsorption mechanisms and associated kinetics by influencing the interplay of lipid-ligand interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A. Huang-Zhu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
| | - Jonathan K. Sheavly
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
| | - Alex K. Chew
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
| | - Samarthaben J. Patel
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
| | - Reid C. Van Lehn
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
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7
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Jahn R, Cafiso DC, Tamm LK. Mechanisms of SNARE proteins in membrane fusion. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:101-118. [PMID: 37848589 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-023-00668-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) are a family of small conserved eukaryotic proteins that mediate membrane fusion between organelles and with the plasma membrane. SNAREs are directly or indirectly anchored to membranes. Prior to fusion, complementary SNAREs assemble between membranes with the aid of accessory proteins that provide a scaffold to initiate SNARE zippering, pulling the membranes together and mediating fusion. Recent advances have enabled the construction of detailed models describing bilayer transitions and energy barriers along the fusion pathway and have elucidated the structures of SNAREs complexed in various states with regulatory proteins. In this Review, we discuss how these advances are yielding an increasingly detailed picture of the SNARE-mediated fusion pathway, leading from first contact between the membranes via metastable non-bilayer intermediates towards the opening and expansion of a fusion pore. We describe how SNARE proteins assemble into complexes, how this assembly is regulated by accessory proteins and how SNARE complexes overcome the free energy barriers that prevent spontaneous membrane fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reinhard Jahn
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Max-Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - David C Cafiso
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Lukas K Tamm
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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8
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Ntone E, Rosenbaum B, Sridharan S, Willems SBJ, Moultos OA, Vlugt TJH, Meinders MBJ, Sagis LMC, Bitter JH, Nikiforidis CV. The dilatable membrane of oleosomes (lipid droplets) allows their in vitro resizing and triggered release of lipids. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:6355-6367. [PMID: 37577849 PMCID: PMC10445523 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00449j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
It has been reported that lipid droplets (LDs), called oleosomes, have an inherent ability to inflate or shrink when absorbing or fueling lipids in the cells, showing that their phospholipid/protein membrane is dilatable. This property is not that common for membranes stabilizing oil droplets and when well understood, it could be exploited for the design of responsive and metastable droplets. To investigate the nature of the dilatable properties of the oleosomes, we extracted them from rapeseeds to obtain an oil-in-water emulsion. Initially, we added an excess of rapeseed oil in the dispersion and applied high-pressure homogenization, resulting in a stable oil-in-water emulsion, showing the ability of the molecules on the oleosome membrane to rearrange and reach a new equilibrium when more surface was available. To confirm the rearrangement of the phospholipids on the droplet surface, we used molecular dynamics simulations and showed that the fatty acids of the phospholipids are solubilized in the oil core and are homogeneously spread on the liquid-like membrane, avoiding clustering with neighbouring phospholipids. The weak lateral interactions on the oleosome membrane were also confirmed experimentally, using interfacial rheology. Finally, to investigate whether the weak lateral interactions on the oleosome membrane can be used to have a triggered change of conformation by an external force, we placed the oleosomes on a solid hydrophobic surface and found that they destabilise, allowing the oil to leak out, probably due to a reorganisation of the membrane phospholipids after their interaction with the hydrophobic surface. The weak lateral interactions on the LD membrane and their triggered destabilisation present a unique property that can be used for a targeted release in foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Ntone
- Biobased Chemistry and Technology, Wageningen University and Research, Bornse Weilanden 9, PO Box 17, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- TiFN, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Benjamin Rosenbaum
- Engineering Thermodynamics, Process & Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 39, 2628 CB Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Simha Sridharan
- Biobased Chemistry and Technology, Wageningen University and Research, Bornse Weilanden 9, PO Box 17, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- TiFN, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Stan B J Willems
- Laboratory of BioNanoTechnology, Wageningen University and Research, Axis, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Othonas A Moultos
- Engineering Thermodynamics, Process & Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 39, 2628 CB Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Thijs J H Vlugt
- Engineering Thermodynamics, Process & Energy Department, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Leeghwaterstraat 39, 2628 CB Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel B J Meinders
- Food and Biobased Research, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 17, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, The Netherland
| | - Leonard M C Sagis
- Laboratory of Physics and Physical Chemistry of Foods, Wageningen University, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Johannes H Bitter
- Biobased Chemistry and Technology, Wageningen University and Research, Bornse Weilanden 9, PO Box 17, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Constantinos V Nikiforidis
- Biobased Chemistry and Technology, Wageningen University and Research, Bornse Weilanden 9, PO Box 17, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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9
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Beaven AH, Sapp K, Sodt AJ. Simulated dynamic cholesterol redistribution favors membrane fusion pore constriction. Biophys J 2023; 122:2162-2175. [PMID: 36588341 PMCID: PMC10257089 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.12.024] [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: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Endo- and exocytosis proceed through a highly strained membrane fusion pore topology regardless of the aiding protein machinery. The membrane's lipid components bias fusion pores toward expansion or closure, modifying the necessary work done by proteins. Cholesterol, a key component of plasma membranes, promotes both inverted lipid phases with concave leaflets (i.e., negative total curvature, which thins the leaflet) and flat bilayer phases with thick, ordered hydrophobic interiors. We demonstrate by theory and simulation that both leaflets of nascent catenoidal fusion pores have negative total curvature. Furthermore, the hydrophobic core of bilayers with strong negative Gaussian curvature is thinned. Therefore, it is an open question whether cholesterol will be enriched in these regions because of the negative total curvature or depleted because of the membrane thinning. Here, we compare all-atom molecular dynamics simulations (built using a procedure to create specific fusion pore geometries) and theory to understand the underlying reasons for lipid redistribution on fusion pores. Our all-atom molecular dynamics simulations resolve this question by showing that cholesterol is strongly excluded from the thinned neck of fusion and fission pores, revealing that thickness (and/or lipid order) influences cholesterol distributions more than curvature. The results imply that cholesterol exclusion can drive fusion pore closure by creating a small, cholesterol-depleted zone in the neck. This model agrees with literature evidence that membrane reshaping is connected to cholesterol-dependent lateral phase separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H Beaven
- Unit on Membrane Chemical Physics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; Postdoctoral Research Associate Program, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kayla Sapp
- Unit on Membrane Chemical Physics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Alexander J Sodt
- Unit on Membrane Chemical Physics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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10
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Canepa E, Bochicchio D, Brosio G, Silva PHJ, Stellacci F, Dante S, Rossi G, Relini A. Cholesterol-Containing Liposomes Decorated With Au Nanoparticles as Minimal Tunable Fusion Machinery. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2207125. [PMID: 36899445 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202207125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Membrane fusion is essential for the basal functionality of eukaryotic cells. In physiological conditions, fusion events are regulated by a wide range of specialized proteins, operating with finely tuned local lipid composition and ionic environment. Fusogenic proteins, assisted by membrane cholesterol and calcium ions, provide the mechanical energy necessary to achieve vesicle fusion in neuromediator release. Similar cooperative effects must be explored when considering synthetic approaches for controlled membrane fusion. We show that liposomes decorated with amphiphilic Au nanoparticles (AuLips) can act as minimal tunable fusion machinery. AuLips fusion is triggered by divalent ions, while the number of fusion events dramatically changes with, and can be finely tuned by, the liposome cholesterol content. We combine quartz-crystal-microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), fluorescence assays, and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) with molecular dynamics (MD) at coarse-grained (CG) resolution, revealing new mechanistic details on the fusogenic activity of amphiphilic Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) and demonstrating the ability of these synthetic nanomaterials to induce fusion regardless of the divalent ion used (Ca2+ or Mg2+ ). The results provide a novel contribution to developing new artificial fusogenic agents for next-generation biomedical applications that require tight control of the rate of fusion events (e.g., targeted drug delivery).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Canepa
- Department of Physics, University of Genoa, Genoa, 16146, Italy
- Institute of Materials Science & Engineering, EPFL, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | | | - Giorgia Brosio
- Department of Physics, University of Genoa, Genoa, 16146, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Stellacci
- Materials Characterization Facility, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, 16163, Italy
| | - Silvia Dante
- Institute of Materials Science & Engineering, EPFL, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Rossi
- Department of Physics, University of Genoa, Genoa, 16146, Italy
| | - Annalisa Relini
- Department of Physics, University of Genoa, Genoa, 16146, Italy
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11
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Michalski M, Setny P. Two modes of fusogenic action for influenza virus fusion peptide. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011174. [PMID: 37235589 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The entry of influenza virus into the host cell requires fusion of its lipid envelope with the host membrane. It is catalysed by viral hemagglutinin protein, whose fragments called fusion peptides become inserted into the target bilayer and initiate its merging with the viral membrane. Isolated fusion peptides are already capable of inducing lipid mixing between liposomes. Years of studies indicate that upon membrane binding they form bend helical structure whose degree of opening fluctuates between tightly closed hairpin and an extended boomerang. The actual way in which they initiate fusion remains elusive. In this work we employ atomistic simulations of wild type and fusion inactive W14A mutant of influenza fusion peptides confined between two closely apposed lipid bilayers. We characterise peptide induced membrane perturbation and determine the potential of mean force for the formation of the first fusion intermediate, an interbilayer lipid bridge called stalk. Our results demonstrate two routes through which the peptides can lower free energy barrier towards fusion. The first one assumes peptides capability to adopt transmembrane configuration which subsequently promotes the creation of a stalk-hole complex. The second involves surface bound peptide configuration and proceeds owing to its ability to stabilise stalk by fitting into the region of extreme negative membrane curvature resulting from its formation. In both cases, the active peptide conformation corresponds to tight helical hairpin, whereas extended boomerang geometry appears to be unable to provide favourable thermodynamic effect. The latter observation offers plausible explanation for long known inactivity of boomerang-stabilising W14A mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Michalski
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Piotr Setny
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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12
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van Tilburg M, Hilbers PAJ, Markvoort AJ. On the role of membrane embedding, protein rigidity and transmembrane length in lipid membrane fusion. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:1791-1802. [PMID: 36786821 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm01582j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The fusion of biological membranes is ubiquitous in natural processes like exo- and endocytosis, intracellular trafficking and viral entry. Membrane fusion is also utilized in artificial biomimetic fusion systems, e.g. for drug delivery. Both the natural and the biomimetic fusion systems rely on a wide range of (artificial) proteins mediating the fusion process. Although the exact mechanisms of these proteins differ, clear analogies in their general behavior can be observed in bringing the membranes in close proximity and mediating the fusion reaction. In our study, we use molecular dynamics simulations with coarse grained models, mimicking the general behavior of fusion proteins (spikes), to systematically examine the effects of specific characteristics of these proteins on the fusion process. The protein characteristics considered are (i) the type of membrane embedding, i.e., either transmembrane or not, (ii) the rigidity, and (iii) the transmembrane domain (TMD) length. The results show essential differences in fusion pathway between monotopic and transmembrane spikes, in which transmembrane spikes seem to inhibit the formation of hemifusion diaphragms, leading to a faster fusion development. Furthermore, we observed that an increased rigidity and a decreased TMD length both proved to contribute to a faster fusion development. Finally, we show that a single spike may suffice to successfully induce a fusion reaction, provided that the spike is sufficiently rigid and attractive. Not only does this shed light on biological fusion of membranes, it also provides clear design rules for artificial membrane fusion systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco van Tilburg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Computational Biology Group, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands.
| | - Peter A J Hilbers
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Computational Biology Group, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands.
- Institute of Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
| | - Albert J Markvoort
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Computational Biology Group, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands.
- Institute of Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
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13
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Jin T, Coley CW, Alexander-Katz A. Adsorption of Biomimetic Amphiphilic Heteropolymers onto Graphene and Its Derivatives. Macromolecules 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Jin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Connor W. Coley
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Alfredo Alexander-Katz
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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14
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Mao R, Zhang H, Bie L, Liu LN, Gao J. Million-atom molecular dynamics simulations reveal the interfacial interactions and assembly of plant PSII-LHCII supercomplex. RSC Adv 2023; 13:6699-6712. [PMID: 36860540 PMCID: PMC9969236 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra08240c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interface interactions dictate efficient excitation energy transfer from light-harvesting antennas to the photosystem II (PSII) core. In this work, we construct a 1.2 million atom-scale model of plant C2S2-type PSII-LHCII supercomplex and perform microsecond-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to explore the interactions and assembly mechanisms of the sizeable PSII-LHCII supercomplex. We optimize the nonbonding interactions of the PSII-LHCII cryo-EM structure using microsecond-scale MD simulations. Binding free energy calculations with component decompositions reveal that hydrophobic interactions predominantly drive antenna-core association and the antenna-antenna interactions are relatively weak. Despite the positive electrostatic interaction energies, hydrogen bonds and salt bridges mainly provide directional or anchoring forces for interface binding. Analysis of the roles of small intrinsic subunits of PSII suggests that LHCII and CP26 first interact with small intrinsic subunits and then bind to the core proteins, whereas CP29 adopts a one-step binding process to the PSII core without the assistance of other factors. Our study provides insights into the molecular underpinnings of the self-organization and regulation of plant PSII-LHCII. It lays the framework for deciphering the general assembly principles of photosynthetic supercomplexes and possibly other macromolecular structures. The finding also has implications for repurposing photosynthetic systems to enhance photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruichao Mao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University Wuhan 430070 Hubei China
| | - Han Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University Wuhan 430070 Hubei China
| | - Lihua Bie
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University Wuhan 430070 Hubei China
| | - Lu-Ning Liu
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZB UK .,Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China Qingdao 266003 China
| | - Jun Gao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University Wuhan 430070 Hubei China
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15
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Valério M, Mendonça DA, Morais J, Buga CC, Cruz CH, Castanho MA, Melo MN, Soares CM, Veiga AS, Lousa D. Parainfluenza Fusion Peptide Promotes Membrane Fusion by Assembling into Oligomeric Porelike Structures. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:1831-1843. [PMID: 35500279 PMCID: PMC9295702 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Paramyxoviruses are enveloped viruses harboring a negative-sense RNA genome that must enter the host's cells to replicate. In the case of the parainfluenza virus, the cell entry process starts with the recognition and attachment to target receptors, followed by proteolytic cleavage of the fusion glycoprotein (F) protein, exposing the fusion peptide (FP) region. The FP is responsible for binding to the target membrane, and it is believed to play a crucial role in the fusion process, but the mechanism by which the parainfluenza FP (PIFP) promotes membrane fusion is still unclear. To elucidate this matter, we performed biophysical experimentation of the PIFP in membranes, together with coarse grain (CG) and atomistic (AA) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The simulation results led to the pinpointing of the most important PIFP amino acid residues for membrane fusion and show that, at high concentrations, the peptide induces the formation of a water-permeable porelike structure. This structure promotes lipid head intrusion and lipid tail protrusion, which facilitates membrane fusion. Biophysical experimental results validate these findings, showing that, depending on the peptide/lipid ratio, the PIFP can promote fusion and/or membrane leakage. Our work furthers the understanding of the PIFP-induced membrane fusion process, which might help foster development in the field of viral entry inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Valério
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Diogo A. Mendonça
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João Morais
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carolina C. Buga
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carlos H. Cruz
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Miguel A.R.B. Castanho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Manuel N. Melo
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Cláudio M. Soares
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ana Salomé Veiga
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Diana Lousa
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157 Oeiras, Portugal
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16
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Kasson PM. Modeling biomolecular kinetics with large-scale simulation. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 72:95-102. [PMID: 34592698 PMCID: PMC9476681 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2021.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The molecular details of biomolecular kinetics present a challenging estimation problem because the identities of relevant intermediates and the rates of exchange between them must be determined. These can be derived from prior knowledge, but in recent years, great advances have been made in the development and application of methods to systematically determine states and rates using biomolecular simulation. Doing this for biological systems of reasonable complexity requires substantial computational power, and contemporary methods leverage distributed computing or leadership-class computing resources to accomplish this. The result has been substantial insight into pressing contemporary problems, including structural activation of pandemic viruses. Here, we highlight recent developments in both methodology and exciting applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Kasson
- Departments of Molecular Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Box 800886, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Box 256, Uppsala 75105, Sweden.
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17
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Tuerkova A, Kasson PM. Computational methods to study enveloped viral entry. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2527-2537. [PMID: 34783344 PMCID: PMC10184508 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The protein-membrane interactions that mediate viral infection occur via loosely ordered, transient assemblies, creating challenges for high-resolution structure determination. Computational methods and in particular molecular dynamics simulation have thus become important adjuncts for integrating experimental data, developing mechanistic models, and suggesting testable hypotheses regarding viral function. However, the large molecular scales of virus-host interaction also create challenges for detailed molecular simulation. For this reason, continuum membrane models have played a large historical role, although they have become less favored for high-resolution models of protein assemblies and lipid organization. Here, we review recent progress in the field, with an emphasis on the insight that has been gained using a mixture of coarse-grained and atomic-resolution molecular dynamics simulations. Based on successes and challenges to date, we suggest a multiresolution strategy that should yield the best mixture of computational efficiency and physical fidelity. This strategy may facilitate further simulations of viral entry by a broader range of viruses, helping illuminate the diversity of viral entry strategies and the essential common elements that can be targeted for antiviral therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alzbeta Tuerkova
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75124, Sweden
| | - Peter M Kasson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75124, Sweden
- Departments of Molecular Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, U.S.A
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18
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Lousa D, Soares CM. Molecular mechanisms of the influenza fusion peptide: insights from experimental and simulation studies. FEBS Open Bio 2021; 11:3253-3261. [PMID: 34710289 PMCID: PMC8634857 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A key step in infections by enveloped viruses, such as influenza, is the fusion between the viral envelope and the host cell membrane, which allows the virus to insert its genetic material into the host cell and replicate. The influenza virus fusion process is promoted by hemagglutinin (HA), a glycoprotein that contains three identical monomers composed of two polypeptide chains (HA1 and HA2). Early studies on this protein revealed that HA-mediated fusion involves the insertion of the HA2 N-terminal segment into the host membrane and that this segment, known as the fusion peptide, is a key player in the fusion process. This mini-review highlights the main findings that have been obtained by experimental and computational studies on the HA fusion peptide, which give us a glimpse of its mode of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Lousa
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Cláudio M Soares
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
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19
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Mao R, Wang X, Gao J. Bridging Carotenoid-to-Bacteriochlorophyll Energy Transfer of Purple Bacteria LH2 With Temperature Variations: Insights From Conformational Changes. Front Chem 2021; 9:764107. [PMID: 34671594 PMCID: PMC8521103 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.764107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Photosynthesis is a key process for converting light energy into chemical energy and providing food for lives on Earth. Understanding the mechanism for the energy transfers could provide insights into regulating energy transfers in photosynthesis and designing artificial photosynthesis systems. Many efforts have been devoted to exploring the mechanism of temperature variations affecting the excitonic properties of LH2. In this study, we performed all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and quantum mechanics calculations for LH2 complex from purple bacteria along with its membrane environment under three typical temperatures: 270, 300, and 330 K. The structural analysis from validated MD simulations showed that the higher temperature impaired interactions at N-terminus of both α and β polypeptide helices and led to the dissociation of this hetero polypeptide dimer. Rhodopin-β-D-glucosides (RG1) moved centripetally with α polypeptide helices when temperature increased and enlarged their distances with bacteriochlorophylls molecules that have the absorption peak at 850 nm (B850), which resulted in reducing the coupling strengths between RG1 and B850 molecules. The present study reported a cascading mechanism for temperature regulating the energy transfers in LH2 of purple bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruichao Mao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaocong Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jun Gao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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20
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Rogers JR, Espinoza Garcia G, Geissler PL. Membrane hydrophobicity determines the activation free energy of passive lipid transport. Biophys J 2021; 120:3718-3731. [PMID: 34302793 PMCID: PMC8456290 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The collective behavior of lipids with diverse chemical and physical features determines a membrane's thermodynamic properties. Yet, the influence of lipid physicochemical properties on lipid dynamics, in particular interbilayer transport, remains underexplored. Here, we systematically investigate how the activation free energy of passive lipid transport depends on lipid chemistry and membrane phase. Through all-atom molecular dynamics simulations of 11 chemically distinct glycerophospholipids, we determine how lipid acyl chain length, unsaturation, and headgroup influence the free energy barriers for two elementary steps of lipid transport: lipid desorption, which is rate limiting, and lipid insertion into a membrane. Consistent with previous experimental measurements, we find that lipids with longer, saturated acyl chains have increased activation free energies compared to lipids with shorter, unsaturated chains. Lipids with different headgroups exhibit a range of activation free energies; however, no clear trend based solely on chemical structure can be identified, mirroring difficulties in the interpretation of previous experimental results. Compared to liquid-crystalline phase membranes, gel phase membranes exhibit substantially increased free energy barriers. Overall, we find that the activation free energy depends on a lipid's local hydrophobic environment in a membrane and that the free energy barrier for lipid insertion depends on a membrane's interfacial hydrophobicity. Both of these properties can be altered through changes in lipid acyl chain length, lipid headgroup, and membrane phase. Thus, the rate of lipid transport can be tuned through subtle changes in local membrane composition and order, suggesting an unappreciated role for nanoscale membrane domains in regulating cellular lipid dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia R Rogers
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California.
| | | | - Phillip L Geissler
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California; Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California.
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21
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Wei C, Pohorille A. Fast bilayer-micelle fusion mediated by hydrophobic dipeptides. Biophys J 2021; 120:2330-2342. [PMID: 33887225 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand the transition from inanimate matter to life, we studied a process that directly couples simple metabolism to evolution via natural selection, demonstrated experimentally by Adamala and Szostak. In this process, dipeptides synthesized inside precursors of cells promote absorption of fatty acid micelles to vesicles, inducing their preferential growth and division at the expense of other vesicles. The process is explained on the basis of coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, each extending for tens of microseconds, carried out to model fusion between a micelle and a membrane, both made of fatty acids in the absence and presence of hydrophobic dipeptides. In all systems with dipeptides, but not in their absence, fusion events were observed. They involve the formation of a stalk made by hydrophobic chains from the micelle and the membrane, similar to that postulated for vesicle-vesicle fusion. The emergence of a stalk is facilitated by transient clusters of dipeptides, side chains of which form hydrophobic patches at the membrane surface. Committor probability calculations indicate that the size of a patch is a suitable reaction coordinate and allows for identifying the transition state for fusion. Free-energy barrier to fusion is greatly reduced in the presence of dipeptides to only 4-5 kcal/mol, depending on the hydrophobicity of side chains. The mechanism of mediated fusion, which is expected to apply to other small peptides and hydrophobic molecules, provides a robust means by which a nascent metabolism can confer evolutionary advantage to precursors of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyu Wei
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Andrew Pohorille
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California; Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
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22
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Weng J, Yang M, Wang W, Xu X, Tian Z. Revealing Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Lipid Self-Assembly by Markov State Model Analysis. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:21344-21352. [PMID: 33314927 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c09343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Self-assembly is ubiquitous in the realm of biology and has become an elegant bottom-up approach to fabricate new materials. Although molecular dynamics (MD) simulations can complement experiments by providing the missing atomic details, it still remains a grand challenge to reveal the thermodynamic and kinetic information on a self-assembly system. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time that the Markov state model analysis can be used to delineate the variation of free energy during the self-assembly process of a typical amphiphilic lipid dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC). Free energy profiles against the solvent-accessible surface area and the root-mean-square deviation have been derived from extensive MD results of more than five hundred trajectories, which identified a metastable crossing-cylinder (CC) state and a transition state of the distorted bilayer with a free energy barrier of ∼0.02 kJ mol-1 per DPPC lipid, clarifying a long-standing speculation for 20 years that there exists a free energy barrier during lipid self-assembly. Our simulations also unearth two mesophase structures at the early stage of self-assembly, discovering two assembling pathways to the CC state that have never been reported before. Further thermodynamic analysis derives the contributions from the enthalpy and the entropy terms to the free energy, demonstrating the critical role played by the enthalpy-entropy compensation. Our strategy opens the door to quantitatively understand the self-assembly processes in general and provides new opportunities for identifying common thermodynamic and kinetic patterns in different self-assembly systems and inspiring new ideas for experiments. It may also contribute to the refinement of force field parameters of various self-assembly systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwei Weng
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Computational Physical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Maohua Yang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Computational Physical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Wenning Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Computational Physical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xin Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Computational Physical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Zhongqun Tian
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
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23
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The role of fusion peptides in depth-dependent membrane organization and dynamics in promoting membrane fusion. Chem Phys Lipids 2020; 234:105025. [PMID: 33301753 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2020.105025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Membrane fusion is an important event in the life of eukaryotes; occurs in several processes such as endocytosis, exocytosis, cellular trafficking, compartmentalization, import of nutrients and export of waste, vesiculation, inter cellular communication, and fertilization. The enveloped viruses as well utilize fusion between the viral envelope and host cell membrane for infection. The stretch of 20-25 amino acids located at the N-terminus of the fusion protein, known as fusion peptide, plays a decisive role in the fusion process. The stalk model of membrane fusion postulated a common route of bilayer transformation for stalk, transmembrane contact, and pore formation; and fusion peptide is believed to facilitate bilayer transformation to promote membrane fusion. The peptide-induced change in depth-dependent organization and dynamics could provide important information in understanding the role of fusion peptide in membrane fusion. In this review, we have discussed about three depth-dependent properties of the membrane such as rigidity, polarity and heterogeneity, and the impact of fusion peptide on these three membrane properties.
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24
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Lousa D, Pinto ART, Campos SRR, Baptista AM, Veiga AS, Castanho MARB, Soares CM. Effect of pH on the influenza fusion peptide properties unveiled by constant-pH molecular dynamics simulations combined with experiment. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20082. [PMID: 33208852 PMCID: PMC7674464 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77040-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The influenza virus fusion process, whereby the virus fuses its envelope with the host endosome membrane to release the genetic material, takes place in the acidic late endosome environment. Acidification triggers a large conformational change in the fusion protein, hemagglutinin (HA), which enables the insertion of the N-terminal region of the HA2 subunit, known as the fusion peptide, into the membrane of the host endosome. However, the mechanism by which pH modulates the molecular properties of the fusion peptide remains unclear. To answer this question, we performed the first constant-pH molecular dynamics simulations of the influenza fusion peptide in a membrane, extending for 40 µs of aggregated time. The simulations were combined with spectroscopic data, which showed that the peptide is twofold more active in promoting lipid mixing of model membranes at pH 5 than at pH 7.4. The realistic treatment of protonation introduced by the constant-pH molecular dynamics simulations revealed that low pH stabilizes a vertical membrane-spanning conformation and leads to more frequent contacts between the fusion peptide and the lipid headgroups, which may explain the increase in activity. The study also revealed that the N-terminal region is determinant for the peptide’s effect on the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Lousa
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal.
| | - Antónia R T Pinto
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sara R R Campos
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - António M Baptista
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ana S Veiga
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Miguel A R B Castanho
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Professor Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Cláudio M Soares
- ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, 2780-157, Oeiras, Portugal.
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25
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Witkowska A, Spindler S, Mahmoodabadi RG, Sandoghdar V, Jahn R. Differential Diffusional Properties in Loose and Tight Docking Prior to Membrane Fusion. Biophys J 2020; 119:2431-2439. [PMID: 33189687 PMCID: PMC7822739 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.10.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fusion of biological membranes, although mediated by divergent proteins, is believed to follow a common pathway. It proceeds through distinct steps, including docking, merger of proximal leaflets (stalk formation), and formation of a fusion pore. However, the structure of these intermediates is difficult to study because of their short lifetime. Previously, we observed a loosely and tightly docked state preceding leaflet merger using arresting point mutations in SNARE proteins, but the nature of these states remained elusive. Here, we used interferometric scattering (iSCAT) microscopy to monitor diffusion of single vesicles across the surface of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). We observed that the diffusion coefficients of arrested vesicles decreased during progression through the intermediate states. Modeling allowed for predicting the number of tethering SNARE complexes upon loose docking and the size of the interacting membrane patches upon tight docking. These results shed new light on the nature of membrane-membrane interactions immediately before fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Witkowska
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Susann Spindler
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Reza Gholami Mahmoodabadi
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Vahid Sandoghdar
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Erlangen, Germany; Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany; Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Reinhard Jahn
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany; University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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26
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Light-induced lipid mixing implies a causal role of lipid splay in membrane fusion. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183438. [PMID: 32781156 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The fusion of lipid membranes is central to many biological processes and requires substantial structural reorganization of lipids brought about by the action of fusogenic proteins. Previous molecular dynamics simulations have suggested that splayed lipids, whose tails transiently contact the headgroup region of the bilayer, initiate lipid mixing. Here, we explore the lipid splay hypothesis experimentally. We show that the light-induced trans/cis conversion of the azobenzene-based tail of a model lipid molecule enhances the probability by which its own acyl chains, or the acyl chains of the host lipid, transiently contact the lipid headgroup in a liposomal bilayer. At the same time, the trans/cis conversion triggers lipid mixing of sonicated or extruded liposomes, without requiring fusogenic proteins. This establishes a causal relationship between lipid splay and membrane fusion.
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27
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Calcium-triggered fusion of lipid membranes is enabled by amphiphilic nanoparticles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:18470-18476. [PMID: 32690682 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1902597117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipid membrane fusion is an essential process for a number of critical biological functions. The overall process is thermodynamically favorable but faces multiple kinetic barriers along the way. Inspired by nature's engineered proteins such as SNAP receptor [soluble N-ethylmale-imide-sensitive factor-attachment protein receptor (SNARE)] complexes or viral fusogenic proteins that actively promote the development of membrane proximity, nucleation of a stalk, and triggered expansion of the fusion pore, here we introduce a synthetic fusogen that can modulate membrane fusion and equivalently prime lipid membranes for calcium-triggered fusion. Our fusogen consists of a gold nanoparticle functionalized with an amphiphilic monolayer of alkanethiol ligands that had previously been shown to fuse with lipid bilayers. While previous efforts to develop synthetic fusogens have only replicated the initial steps of the fusion cascade, we use molecular simulations and complementary experimental techniques to demonstrate that these nanoparticles can induce the formation of a lipid stalk and also drive its expansion into a fusion pore upon the addition of excess calcium. These results have important implications in general understanding of stimuli-triggered fusion and the development of synthetic fusogens for biomedical applications.
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28
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Rogers JR, Geissler PL. Breakage of Hydrophobic Contacts Limits the Rate of Passive Lipid Exchange between Membranes. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:5884-5898. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c04139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julia R. Rogers
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Phillip L. Geissler
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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29
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Dhara M, Mantero Martinez M, Makke M, Schwarz Y, Mohrmann R, Bruns D. Synergistic actions of v-SNARE transmembrane domains and membrane-curvature modifying lipids in neurotransmitter release. eLife 2020; 9:e55152. [PMID: 32391794 PMCID: PMC7239655 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Vesicle fusion is mediated by assembly of SNARE proteins between opposing membranes. While previous work suggested an active role of SNARE transmembrane domains (TMDs) in promoting membrane merger (Dhara et al., 2016), the underlying mechanism remained elusive. Here, we show that naturally-occurring v-SNARE TMD variants differentially regulate fusion pore dynamics in mouse chromaffin cells, indicating TMD flexibility as a mechanistic determinant that facilitates transmitter release from differentially-sized vesicles. Membrane curvature-promoting phospholipids like lysophosphatidylcholine or oleic acid profoundly alter pore expansion and fully rescue the decelerated fusion kinetics of TMD-rigidifying VAMP2 mutants. Thus, v-SNARE TMDs and phospholipids cooperate in supporting membrane curvature at the fusion pore neck. Oppositely, slowing of pore kinetics by the SNARE-regulator complexin-2 withstands the curvature-driven speeding of fusion, indicating that pore evolution is tightly coupled to progressive SNARE complex formation. Collectively, TMD-mediated support of membrane curvature and SNARE force-generated membrane bending promote fusion pore formation and expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhurima Dhara
- Institute for Physiology, Center of Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland UniversityHomburgGermany
| | - Maria Mantero Martinez
- Institute for Physiology, Center of Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland UniversityHomburgGermany
| | - Mazen Makke
- Institute for Physiology, Center of Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland UniversityHomburgGermany
| | - Yvonne Schwarz
- Institute for Physiology, Center of Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland UniversityHomburgGermany
| | - Ralf Mohrmann
- Institute for Physiology, Otto-von-Guericke UniversityMagdeburgGermany
| | - Dieter Bruns
- Institute for Physiology, Center of Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland UniversityHomburgGermany
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30
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Influenza hemagglutinin drives viral entry via two sequential intramembrane mechanisms. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:7200-7207. [PMID: 32188780 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1914188117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Enveloped viruses enter cells via a process of membrane fusion between the viral envelope and a cellular membrane. For influenza virus, mutational data have shown that the membrane-inserted portions of the hemagglutinin protein play a critical role in achieving fusion. In contrast to the relatively well-understood ectodomain, a predictive mechanistic understanding of the intramembrane mechanisms by which influenza hemagglutinin drives fusion has been elusive. We used molecular dynamics simulations of fusion between a full-length hemagglutinin proteoliposome and a lipid bilayer to analyze these mechanisms. In our simulations, hemagglutinin first acts within the membrane to increase lipid tail protrusion and promote stalk formation and then acts to engage the distal leaflets of each membrane and promote stalk widening, curvature, and eventual fusion. These two sequential mechanisms, one occurring before stalk formation and one after, are consistent with our experimental measurements of single-virus fusion kinetics to liposomes of different sizes. The resulting model also helps explain and integrate previous mutational and biophysical data, particularly the mutational sensitivity of the fusion peptide N terminus and the length sensitivity of the transmembrane domain. We hypothesize that entry by other enveloped viruses may also use sequential processes of acyl tail exposure, followed by membrane curvature and distal leaflet engagement.
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31
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Nguyen TT, Cramb DT. Elucidation of the mechanism and energy barrier for anesthetic triggered membrane fusion in model membranes. CAN J CHEM 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjc-2018-0405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Membrane fusion is vital for cellular function and is generally mediated via fusogenic proteins and peptides. The mechanistic details and subsequently the transition state dynamics of membrane fusion will be dependent on the type of the fusogenic agent. We have previously established the potential of general anesthetics as a new class of fusion triggering agents in model membranes. We employed two-photon excitation fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (TPE-FCCS) to report on vesicle association kinetics and steady-state fluorescence dequenching assays to monitor lipid mixing kinetics. Using halothane to trigger fusion in 110 nm diameter dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) liposomes, we found that lipid rearrangement towards the formation of the fusion stalk was rate limiting. The activation barrier for halothane induced membrane fusion in 110 nm vesicles was found to be ∼40 kJ mol−1. We calculated the enthalpy and entropy of the transition state to be ∼40 kJ mol−1and ∼180 J mol−1K−1, respectively. We have found that the addition of halothane effectively lowers the energy barrier for membrane fusion in less curved vesicles largely due to entropic advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trinh T. Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - David T. Cramb
- Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
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32
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Shaaban A, Dhara M, Frisch W, Harb A, Shaib AH, Becherer U, Bruns D, Mohrmann R. The SNAP-25 linker supports fusion intermediates by local lipid interactions. eLife 2019; 8:41720. [PMID: 30883328 PMCID: PMC6422494 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
SNAP-25 is an essential component of SNARE complexes driving fast Ca2+-dependent exocytosis. Yet, the functional implications of the tandem-like structure of SNAP-25 are unclear. Here, we have investigated the mechanistic role of the acylated “linker” domain that concatenates the two SNARE motifs within SNAP-25. Refuting older concepts of an inert connector, our detailed structure-function analysis in murine chromaffin cells demonstrates that linker motifs play a crucial role in vesicle priming, triggering, and fusion pore expansion. Mechanistically, we identify two synergistic functions of the SNAP-25 linker: First, linker motifs support t-SNARE interactions and accelerate ternary complex assembly. Second, the acylated N-terminal linker segment engages in local lipid interactions that facilitate fusion triggering and pore evolution, putatively establishing a favorable membrane configuration by shielding phospholipid headgroups and affecting curvature. Hence, the linker is a functional part of the fusion complex that promotes secretion by SNARE interactions as well as concerted lipid interplay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Shaaban
- ZHMB, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany.,Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Madhurima Dhara
- Institute for Physiology, Center of Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Walentina Frisch
- Institute for Physiology, Center of Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Ali Harb
- ZHMB, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Ali H Shaib
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ute Becherer
- Institute for Physiology, Center of Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Dieter Bruns
- Institute for Physiology, Center of Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Ralf Mohrmann
- ZHMB, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany.,Institute for Physiology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Science, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
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33
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Santiago R, Reigada R. Interaction modes between nanosized graphene flakes and liposomes: Adsorption, insertion and membrane fusion. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2019; 1863:723-731. [PMID: 30716365 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2019.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the effects of graphene-based nanomaterials on lipid membranes is critical to determine their environmental impact and their efficiency in the biomedical context. Graphene has been reported to favourably interact with biological and model lipid membranes. METHODS We report on a systematic coarse-grained molecular dynamics study of the interaction modes of graphene nanometric flakes with POPC/cholesterol liposome membranes. We have simulated graphene layers with a variety of sizes and oxidation degrees, and we have analyzed the trajectories, the interaction modes, and the energetics of the observed phenomena. RESULTS Three interaction modes are reported. Graphene can be transiently adsorbed onto the liposome membrane and/or inserted in its hydrophobic region. Inserted nanosheets prefer a perpendicular orientation, and tilt in order to maximize the contact with phospholipid tails while avoiding the contact with cholesterol molecules. When placed between two liposomes, graphene facilitates their fusion in a single vesicle. CONCLUSIONS Graphene can be temporary adsorbed on the liposome before insertion. Bilayer curvature has an influence on the orientation of inserted graphene particles. Cholesterol molecules are depleted from the surrounding of graphene particles. Graphene layers may catalyse membrane fusion by bypassing the energy barrier required in stalk formation. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Nanometric graphene layers can be adsorbed/inserted in lipid-based membranes in different manners and affect the cholesterol distribution in the membrane, implying important consequences on the structure and functionality of biological cell membranes, and on the bioaccumulation of graphene in living organisms. The graphene-mediated mechanism opens new possibilities for vesicle fusion in the experimental context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Santiago
- Department de Ciència dels Materials i Química Física and Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional (IQTCUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ramon Reigada
- Department de Ciència dels Materials i Química Física and Institut de Química Teòrica i Computacional (IQTCUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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34
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Jefferys EE, Sansom MSP. Computational Virology: Molecular Simulations of Virus Dynamics and Interactions. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1215:201-233. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-14741-9_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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35
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Kasson PM, Jha S. Adaptive ensemble simulations of biomolecules. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2018; 52:87-94. [PMID: 30265901 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in both theory and computational power have created opportunities to simulate biomolecular processes more efficiently using adaptive ensemble simulations. Ensemble simulations are now widely used to compute a number of individual simulation trajectories and analyze statistics across them. Adaptive ensemble simulations offer a further level of sophistication and flexibility by enabling high-level algorithms to control simulations-based on intermediate results. We review some of the adaptive ensemble algorithms and software infrastructure currently in use and outline where the complexities of implementing adaptive simulation have limited algorithmic innovation to date. We describe an adaptive ensemble API to overcome some of these barriers and more flexibly and simply express adaptive simulation algorithms to help realize the power of this type of simulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Kasson
- Departments of Molecular Physiology and of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States; Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala 75146, Sweden.
| | - Shantenu Jha
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States; Center for Data-Driven Discovery, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11793, United States.
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36
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Hadden JA, Perilla JR. All-atom virus simulations. Curr Opin Virol 2018; 31:82-91. [PMID: 30181049 PMCID: PMC6456034 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2018.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 08/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The constant threat of viral disease can be combated by the development of novel vaccines and therapeutics designed to disrupt key features of virus structure or infection cycle processes. Such development relies on high-resolution characterization of viruses and their dynamical behaviors, which are often challenging to obtain solely by experiment. In response, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations are widely leveraged to study the structural components of viruses, leading to some of the largest simulation endeavors undertaken to date. The present work reviews exemplary all-atom simulation work on viruses, as well as progress toward simulating entire virions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi A Hadden
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States.
| | - Juan R Perilla
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, United States
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37
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Sharma S, Lindau M. The fusion pore, 60 years after the first cartoon. FEBS Lett 2018; 592:3542-3562. [PMID: 29904915 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Neurotransmitter release occurs in the form of quantal events by fusion of secretory vesicles with the plasma membrane, and begins with the formation of a fusion pore that has a conductance similar to that of a large ion channel or gap junction. In this review, we propose mechanisms of fusion pore formation and discuss their implications for fusion pore structure and function. Accumulating evidence indicates a direct role of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive-factor attachment receptor proteins in the opening of fusion pores. Fusion pores are likely neither protein channels nor purely lipid, but are of proteolipidic composition. Future perspectives to gain better insight into the molecular structure of fusion pores are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satyan Sharma
- Laboratory for Nanoscale Cell Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Manfred Lindau
- Laboratory for Nanoscale Cell Biology, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.,School of Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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38
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Scheidt HA, Kolocaj K, Veje Kristensen J, Huster D, Langosch D. Transmembrane Helix Induces Membrane Fusion through Lipid Binding and Splay. J Phys Chem Lett 2018; 9:3181-3186. [PMID: 29799756 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b00859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The fusion of biological membranes may require splayed lipids whose tails transiently visit the headgroup region of the bilayer, a scenario suggested by molecular dynamics simulations. Here, we examined the lipid splay hypothesis experimentally by relating liposome fusion and lipid splay induced by model transmembrane domains (TMDs). Our results reveal that a conformationally flexible transmembrane helix promotes outer leaflet mixing and lipid splay more strongly than a conformationally rigid one. The lipid dependence of basal as well as of TMD-driven lipid mixing and splay suggests that the cone-shaped phosphatidylethanolamine stimulates basal fusion via enhancing lipid splay and that the negatively charged phosphatidylserine inhibits fusion via electrostatic repulsion. Phosphatidylserine also strongly differentiates basal and helix-driven fusion, which is related to its preferred interaction with the conformationally more flexible transmembrane helix. Thus, the contribution of a transmembrane helix to membrane fusion appears to depend on lipid binding, which results in lipid splay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger A Scheidt
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics , Leipzig University , Härtelstrasse 16-18 , 04107 Leipzig , Germany
| | - Katja Kolocaj
- Lehrstuhl für Chemie der Biopolymere , Technische Universität München , Weihenstephaner Berg 3 , 85354 Freising , Germany
- Munich Center For Integrated Protein Science (CIPSM) , Butenandtstrasse 5 , 81377 München , Germany
| | - Julie Veje Kristensen
- Lehrstuhl für Chemie der Biopolymere , Technische Universität München , Weihenstephaner Berg 3 , 85354 Freising , Germany
- Munich Center For Integrated Protein Science (CIPSM) , Butenandtstrasse 5 , 81377 München , Germany
| | - Daniel Huster
- Institute for Medical Physics and Biophysics , Leipzig University , Härtelstrasse 16-18 , 04107 Leipzig , Germany
| | - Dieter Langosch
- Lehrstuhl für Chemie der Biopolymere , Technische Universität München , Weihenstephaner Berg 3 , 85354 Freising , Germany
- Munich Center For Integrated Protein Science (CIPSM) , Butenandtstrasse 5 , 81377 München , Germany
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39
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Olesen K, Awasthi N, Bruhn DS, Pezeshkian W, Khandelia H. Faster Simulations with a 5 fs Time Step for Lipids in the CHARMM Force Field. J Chem Theory Comput 2018; 14:3342-3350. [PMID: 29750867 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.8b00267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The performance of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations is limited by an integration time step of 2 fs, which is needed to resolve the fastest degrees of freedom in the system, namely, the vibration of bonds and angles involving hydrogen atoms. The virtual interaction sites (VIS) method replaces hydrogen atoms by massless virtual interaction sites to eliminate these degrees of freedom while keeping intact nonbonded interactions and the explicit treatment of hydrogen atoms. We have modified the existing VIS algorithm for most lipids in the popular CHARMM36 force field by increasing the hydrogen atom masses at regular intervals in the lipid acyl chains and obtained lipid properties and pore formation free energies in very good agreement with those calculated in simulations without VIS. Our modified VIS scheme enables a 5 fs time step resulting in a significant performance gain for all-atom simulations of membranes. The method has the potential to make longer time and length scales accessible in all-atom simulations of membrane-protein complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Olesen
- MEMPHYS: Center for Biomembrane Physics, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy , University of Southern Denmark , M 5230 Odense , Denmark
| | - Neha Awasthi
- Institute for Microbiology and Genetics , Georg-August-Universität , Justus-von-Liebig Weg 11 , 37077 Göttingen , Germany
| | - Dennis S Bruhn
- MEMPHYS: Center for Biomembrane Physics, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy , University of Southern Denmark , M 5230 Odense , Denmark
| | - Weria Pezeshkian
- MEMPHYS: Center for Biomembrane Physics, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy , University of Southern Denmark , M 5230 Odense , Denmark
| | - Himanshu Khandelia
- MEMPHYS: Center for Biomembrane Physics, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy , University of Southern Denmark , M 5230 Odense , Denmark
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40
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Cortina GA, Hays JM, Kasson PM. Conformational Intermediate That Controls KPC-2 Catalysis and Beta-Lactam Drug Resistance. ACS Catal 2018; 8:2741-2747. [PMID: 30637173 DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.7b03832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The KPC-2 carbapenemase enzyme is responsible for drug resistance in the majority of carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacterial infections in the United States. A better understanding of what permits KPC-2 to hydrolyze carbapenem antibiotics and how this might be inhibited is thus of fundamental interest and great practical importance to development of better anti-infectives. By correlating molecular dynamics simulations with experimental enzyme kinetics, we have identified conformational changes that control KPC-2's ability to hydrolyze carbapenem antibiotics. Related beta-lactamase enzymes can interconvert between catalytically permissive and catalytically nonpermissive forms of an acylenzyme intermediate critical to drug hydrolysis. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we identify a similar equilibrium in KPC-2 and analyze the determinants of this conformational change. Because the conformational dynamics of KPC-2 are complex and sensitive to allosteric changes, we develop an information-theoretic approach to identify key determinants of this change. We measure unbiased estimators of the reaction coordinate between catalytically permissive and nonpermissive states, perform information-theoretic feature selection and, using restrained molecular dynamics simulations, validate the protein conformational changes predicted to control catalytically permissive geometry. We identify two binding-pocket residues that control the conformational transitions between catalytically active and inactive forms of KPC-2. Mutations to one of these residues, Trp105, lower the stability of the catalytically permissive state in simulations and have reduced experimental k cat values that show a strong linear correlation with the simulated catalytically permissive state lifetimes. This understanding can be leveraged to predict the drug resistance of further KPC-2 mutants and help design inhibitors to combat extreme drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Peter M. Kasson
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Box 596, Uppsala 75124, Sweden
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41
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Boonstra S, Blijleven JS, Roos WH, Onck PR, van der Giessen E, van Oijen AM. Hemagglutinin-Mediated Membrane Fusion: A Biophysical Perspective. Annu Rev Biophys 2018; 47:153-173. [PMID: 29494252 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-070317-033018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Influenza hemagglutinin (HA) is a viral membrane protein responsible for the initial steps of the entry of influenza virus into the host cell. It mediates binding of the virus particle to the host-cell membrane and catalyzes fusion of the viral membrane with that of the host. HA is therefore a major target in the development of antiviral strategies. The fusion of two membranes involves high activation barriers and proceeds through several intermediate states. Here, we provide a biophysical description of the membrane fusion process, relating its kinetic and thermodynamic properties to the large conformational changes taking place in HA and placing these in the context of multiple HA proteins working together to mediate fusion. Furthermore, we highlight the role of novel single-particle experiments and computational approaches in understanding the fusion process and their complementarity with other biophysical approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander Boonstra
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands; , , , ,
| | - Jelle S Blijleven
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands; , , , ,
| | - Wouter H Roos
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands; , , , ,
| | - Patrick R Onck
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands; , , , ,
| | - Erik van der Giessen
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands; , , , ,
| | - Antoine M van Oijen
- School of Chemistry; Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health; University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia;
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42
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Lindahl V, Gourdon P, Andersson M, Hess B. Permeability and ammonia selectivity in aquaporin TIP2;1: linking structure to function. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2995. [PMID: 29445244 PMCID: PMC5813003 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21357-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Aquaporin TIP2;1 is a protein channel permeable to both water and ammonia. The structural origin of ammonia selectivity remains obscure, but experiments have revealed that a double mutation renders it impermeable to ammonia without affecting water permeability. Here, we aim to reproduce and explain these observations by performing an extensive mutational study using microsecond long molecular dynamics simulations, applying the two popular force fields CHARMM36 and Amber ff99SB-ILDN. We calculate permeabilities and free energies along the channel axis for ammonia and water. For one force field, the permeability of the double mutant decreases by a factor of 2.5 for water and 4 for ammonia, increasing water selectivity by a factor of 1.6. We attribute this effect to decreased entropy of water in the pore, due to the observed increase in pore-water interactions and narrower pore. Additionally, we observe spontaneous opening and closing of the pore on the cytosolic side, which suggests a gating mechanism for the pore. Our results show that sampling methods and simulation times are sufficient to delineate even subtle effects of mutations on structure and function and to capture important long-timescale events, but also underline the importance of improving models further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viveca Lindahl
- Department of Physics and Swedish e-Science Research Center, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Pontus Gourdon
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Magnus Andersson
- Department of Physics and Swedish e-Science Research Center, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Berk Hess
- Department of Physics and Swedish e-Science Research Center, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
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43
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Liu X, Tian F, Yue T, Zhang X, Zhong C. Pulling force and surface tension drive membrane fusion. J Chem Phys 2017; 147:194703. [PMID: 29166098 DOI: 10.1063/1.4997393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite catalyzed by fusion proteins of quite different molecular architectures, intracellular, viral, and cell-to-cell fusions are found to have the essential common features and the nearly same nature of transition states. The similarity inspires us to find a more general catalysis mechanism for membrane fusion that minimally depends on the specific structures of fusion proteins. In this work, we built a minimal model for membrane fusion, and by using dissipative particle dynamics simulations, we propose a mechanism that the pulling force generated by fusion proteins initiates the fusion process and the membrane tension regulates the subsequent fusion stages. The model shows different features compared to previous computer simulation studies: the pulling force catalyzes membrane fusion through lipid head overcrowding in the contacting region, leading to an increase in the head-head repulsion and/or the unfavorable head-tail contacts from opposing membranes, both of which destabilize the contacting leaflets and thus promote membrane fusion or vesicle rupture. Our simulations produce a variety of shapes and intermediates, closely resembling cases seen experimentally. Our work strongly supports the view that the tight pulling mechanism is a conserved feature of fusion protein-mediated fusion and that the membrane tension plays an essential role in fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Falin Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Tongtao Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, People's Republic of China
| | - Xianren Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Chongli Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
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Dhara M, Mohrmann R, Bruns D. v-SNARE function in chromaffin cells. Pflugers Arch 2017; 470:169-180. [PMID: 28887593 PMCID: PMC5748422 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-017-2066-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Vesicle fusion is elementary for intracellular trafficking and release of signal molecules, thus providing the basis for diverse forms of intercellular communication like hormonal regulation or synaptic transmission. A detailed characterization of the mechanisms underlying exocytosis is key to understand how the nervous system integrates information and generates appropriate responses to stimuli. The machinery for vesicular release employs common molecular players in different model systems including neuronal and neuroendocrine cells, in particular members of the SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors) protein family, Sec1/Munc18-like proteins, and other accessory factors. To achieve temporal precision and speed, excitable cells utilize specialized regulatory proteins like synaptotagmin and complexin, whose interplay putatively synchronizes vesicle fusion and enhances stimulus-secretion coupling. In this review, we aim to highlight recent progress and emerging views on the molecular mechanisms, by which constitutively forming SNAREpins are organized in functional, tightly regulated units for synchronized release. Specifically, we will focus on the role of vesicle associated membrane proteins, also referred to as vesicular SNAREs, in fusion and rapid cargo discharge. We will further discuss the functions of SNARE regulators during exocytosis and focus on chromaffin cell as a model system of choice that allows for detailed structure-function analyses and direct measurements of vesicle fusion under precise control of intracellular [Ca]i.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhurima Dhara
- Molecular Neurophysiology, CIPMM, Medical Faculty, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Ralf Mohrmann
- Zentrum für Human- und Molekularbiologie, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Dieter Bruns
- Molecular Neurophysiology, CIPMM, Medical Faculty, Saarland University, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
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Chakraborty H, Lentz BR, Kombrabail M, Krishnamoorthy G, Chattopadhyay A. Depth-Dependent Membrane Ordering by Hemagglutinin Fusion Peptide Promotes Fusion. J Phys Chem B 2017; 121:1640-1648. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b00684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hirak Chakraborty
- CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India
- School
of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, Jyoti Vihar, Burla, Odisha 768 019, India
| | - Barry R. Lentz
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics and Program in Molecular and Cellular
Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
| | - Mamata Kombrabail
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhaba Road, Mumbai, India
| | - G. Krishnamoorthy
- Department
of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhaba Road, Mumbai, India
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Han J, Pluhackova K, Böckmann RA. The Multifaceted Role of SNARE Proteins in Membrane Fusion. Front Physiol 2017; 8:5. [PMID: 28163686 PMCID: PMC5247469 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Membrane fusion is a key process in all living organisms that contributes to a variety of biological processes including viral infection, cell fertilization, as well as intracellular transport, and neurotransmitter release. In particular, the various membrane-enclosed compartments in eukaryotic cells need to exchange their contents and communicate across membranes. Efficient and controllable fusion of biological membranes is known to be driven by cooperative action of SNARE proteins, which constitute the central components of the eukaryotic fusion machinery responsible for fusion of synaptic vesicles with the plasma membrane. During exocytosis, vesicle-associated v-SNARE (synaptobrevin) and target cell-associated t-SNAREs (syntaxin and SNAP-25) assemble into a core trans-SNARE complex. This complex plays a versatile role at various stages of exocytosis ranging from the priming to fusion pore formation and expansion, finally resulting in the release or exchange of the vesicle content. This review summarizes current knowledge on the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying exocytosis triggered and catalyzed by SNARE proteins. Particular attention is given to the function of the peptidic SNARE membrane anchors and the role of SNARE-lipid interactions in fusion. Moreover, the regulatory mechanisms by synaptic auxiliary proteins in SNARE-driven membrane fusion are briefly outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science CenterXi'an, China; Computational Biology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-NürnbergErlangen, Germany
| | - Kristyna Pluhackova
- Computational Biology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Erlangen, Germany
| | - Rainer A Böckmann
- Computational Biology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Erlangen, Germany
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Rabe M, Aisenbrey C, Pluhackova K, de Wert V, Boyle AL, Bruggeman DF, Kirsch SA, Böckmann RA, Kros A, Raap J, Bechinger B. A Coiled-Coil Peptide Shaping Lipid Bilayers upon Fusion. Biophys J 2016; 111:2162-2175. [PMID: 27851940 PMCID: PMC5113151 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2016.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Revised: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A system based on two designed peptides, namely the cationic peptide K, (KIAALKE)3, and its complementary anionic counterpart called peptide E, (EIAALEK)3, has been used as a minimal model for membrane fusion, inspired by SNARE proteins. Although the fact that docking of separate vesicle populations via the formation of a dimeric E/K coiled-coil complex can be rationalized, the reasons for the peptides promoting fusion of vesicles cannot be fully explained. Therefore it is of significant interest to determine how the peptides aid in overcoming energetic barriers during lipid rearrangements leading to fusion. In this study, investigations of the peptides' interactions with neutral PC/PE/cholesterol membranes by fluorescence spectroscopy show that tryptophan-labeled K∗ binds to the membrane (KK∗ ∼6.2 103 M-1), whereas E∗ remains fully water-solvated. 15N-NMR spectroscopy, depth-dependent fluorescence quenching, CD-spectroscopy experiments, and MD simulations indicate a helix orientation of K∗ parallel to the membrane surface. Solid-state 31P-NMR of oriented lipid membranes was used to study the impact of peptide incorporation on lipid headgroup alignment. The membrane-immersed K∗ is found to locally alter the bilayer curvature, accompanied by a change of headgroup orientation relative to the membrane normal and of the lipid composition in the vicinity of the bound peptide. The NMR results were supported by molecular dynamics simulations, which showed that K reorganizes the membrane composition in its vicinity, induces positive membrane curvature, and enhances the lipid tail protrusion probability. These effects are known to be fusion relevant. The combined results support the hypothesis for a twofold role of K in the mechanism of membrane fusion: 1) to bring opposing membranes into close proximity via coiled-coil formation and 2) to destabilize both membranes thereby promoting fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Rabe
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry - Supramolecular and Biomaterials Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | | | - Kristyna Pluhackova
- Computational Biology, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Vincent de Wert
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry - Supramolecular and Biomaterials Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Aimee L Boyle
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry - Supramolecular and Biomaterials Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Didjay F Bruggeman
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry - Supramolecular and Biomaterials Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sonja A Kirsch
- Computational Biology, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Rainer A Böckmann
- Computational Biology, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alexander Kros
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry - Supramolecular and Biomaterials Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Raap
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry - Supramolecular and Biomaterials Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Burkhard Bechinger
- Université de Strasbourg/CNRS UMR7177, Institut de Chimie, Strasbourg, France.
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Worch R, Krupa J, Filipek A, Szymaniec A, Setny P. Three conserved C-terminal residues of influenza fusion peptide alter its behavior at the membrane interface. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2016; 1861:97-105. [PMID: 27825831 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2016.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 10/24/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The N-terminal fragment of the viral hemagglutinin HA2 subunit is termed a fusion peptide (HAfp). The 23-amino acid peptide (HAfp1-23) contains three C-terminal W21-Y22-G23 residues which are highly conserved among serotypes of influenza A and has been shown to form a tight helical hairpin very distinct from the boomerang structure of HAfp1-20. We studied the effect of peptide length on fusion properties, structural dynamics, and binding to the membrane interface. We developed a novel fusion visualization assay based on FLIM microscopy on giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV). By means of molecular dynamics simulations and spectroscopic measurements, we show that the presence of the three C-terminal W21-Y22-G23 residues promotes the hairpin formation, which orients perpendicularly to the membrane plane and induces more disorder in the surrounding lipids than the less structured HAfp1-20. Moreover, we report cholesterol-enriched domain formation induced exclusively by the longer fusion peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joanna Krupa
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
| | - Alicja Filipek
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
| | - Anna Szymaniec
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
| | - Piotr Setny
- Centre for New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Poland
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Tarafdar PK, Chakraborty H, Bruno MJ, Lentz BR. Phosphatidylserine-Dependent Catalysis of Stalk and Pore Formation by Synaptobrevin JMR-TMD Peptide. Biophys J 2016; 109:1863-72. [PMID: 26536263 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2015.08.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Revised: 08/16/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the importance of a SNARE complex in neurotransmitter release is widely accepted, there exist different views on how the complex promotes fusion. One hypothesis is that the SNARE complex's ability to bring membranes into contact is sufficient for fusion, another points to possible roles of juxtamembrane regions (JMRs) and transmembrane domains (TMDs) in catalyzing lipid rearrangement, and another notes the complex's presumed ability to bend membranes near the point of contact. Here, we performed experiments with highly curved vesicles brought into contact using low concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to investigate the influence of the synaptobrevin (SB) TMD with an attached JMR (SB-JMR-TMD) on the rates of stalk and pore formation during vesicle fusion. SB-JMR-TMD enhanced the rates of stalk and fusion pore (FP) formation in a sharply sigmoidal fashion. We observed an optimal influence at an average of three peptides per vesicle, but only with phosphatidylserine (PS)-containing vesicles. Approximately three SB-JMR-TMDs per vesicle optimally ordered the bilayer interior and excluded water in a similar sigmoidal fashion. The catalytic influences of hexadecane and SB-JMR-TMD on fusion kinetics showed little in common, suggesting different mechanisms. Both kinetic and membrane structure measurements support the hypotheses that SB-JMR-TMD 1) catalyzes initial intermediate formation as a result of its basic JMR disrupting ordered interbilayer water and permitting closer interbilayer approach, and 2) catalyzes pore formation by forming a membrane-spanning complex that increases curvature stress at the circumference of the hemifused diaphragm of the prepore intermediate state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradip K Tarafdar
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Molecular and Cellular Biophysics Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Hirak Chakraborty
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Molecular and Cellular Biophysics Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Michael J Bruno
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Molecular and Cellular Biophysics Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Barry R Lentz
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Molecular and Cellular Biophysics Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
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Visualization and Sequencing of Membrane Remodeling Leading to Influenza Virus Fusion. J Virol 2016; 90:6948-6962. [PMID: 27226364 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00240-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Protein-mediated membrane fusion is an essential step in many fundamental biological events, including enveloped virus infection. The nature of protein and membrane intermediates and the sequence of membrane remodeling during these essential processes remain poorly understood. Here we used cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) to image the interplay between influenza virus and vesicles with a range of lipid compositions. By following the population kinetics of membrane fusion intermediates imaged by cryo-ET, we found that membrane remodeling commenced with the hemagglutinin fusion protein spikes grappling onto the target membrane, followed by localized target membrane dimpling as local clusters of hemagglutinin started to undergo conformational refolding. The local dimples then transitioned to extended, tightly apposed contact zones where the two proximal membrane leaflets were in most cases indistinguishable from each other, suggesting significant dehydration and possible intermingling of the lipid head groups. Increasing the content of fusion-enhancing cholesterol or bis-monoacylglycerophosphate in the target membrane led to an increase in extended contact zone formation. Interestingly, hemifused intermediates were found to be extremely rare in the influenza virus fusion system studied here, most likely reflecting the instability of this state and its rapid conversion to postfusion complexes, which increased in population over time. By tracking the populations of fusion complexes over time, the architecture and sequence of membrane reorganization leading to efficient enveloped virus fusion were thus resolved. IMPORTANCE Enveloped viruses employ specialized surface proteins to mediate fusion of cellular and viral membranes that results in the formation of pores through which the viral genetic material is delivered to the cell. For influenza virus, the trimeric hemagglutinin (HA) glycoprotein spike mediates host cell attachment and membrane fusion. While structures of a subset of conformations and parts of the fusion machinery have been characterized, the nature and sequence of membrane deformations during fusion have largely eluded characterization. Building upon studies that focused on early stages of HA-mediated membrane remodeling, here cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) was used to image the three-dimensional organization of intact influenza virions at different stages of fusion with liposomes, leading all the way to completion of the fusion reaction. By monitoring the evolution of fusion intermediate populations over the course of acid-induced fusion, we identified the progression of membrane reorganization that leads to efficient fusion by an enveloped virus.
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