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Van Dinh Q, Liu J, Dutta P. Effect of Slp4-a on Membrane Bending During Prefusion of Vesicles in Blood-Brain Barrier. J Biomech Eng 2023; 145:011006. [PMID: 35838328 PMCID: PMC9445323 DOI: 10.1115/1.4054985] [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: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Vesicle exocytosis is a promising pathway for brain drug delivery through the blood-brain barrier to treat neurodegenerative diseases. In vesicle exocytosis, the membrane fusion process is initiated by the calcium sensor protein named synaptotagmin-like protein4-a (Slp4-a). Understanding conformational changes of Slp4-a during the prefusion stage of exocytosis will help to develop vesicle-based drug delivery to the brain. In this work, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with a hybrid force field coupling united-atom protein model with MARTINI coarse-grained (CG) solvent to capture the conformational changes of Slp4-a during the prefusion stage. These hybrid coarse-grained simulations are more efficient than all-atom MD simulations and can capture protein interactions and conformational changes. Our simulation results show that the calcium ions play critical roles during the prefusion stage. Only one calcium ion can remain in each calcium-binding pocket of Slp4-a C2 domains. The C2B domain of calcium-unbound Slp4-a remains parallel to the endothelial membrane, while the C2B domain of calcium-bound Slp4-a rotates perpendicular to the endothelial membrane to approach the vesicular membrane. For the calcium-bound case, three Slp4-a proteins can effectively bend lipid membranes at the prefusion stage, which could later trigger lipid stalk between membranes. This work provides a better understanding how C2 domains of Slp4-a operate during vesicle exocytosis from an endothelial cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quyen Van Dinh
- School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-2920
| | - Jin Liu
- School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-2920
| | - Prashanta Dutta
- School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-2920
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Spector C, Mele AR, Wigdahl B, Nonnemacher MR. Genetic variation and function of the HIV-1 Tat protein. Med Microbiol Immunol 2019; 208:131-169. [PMID: 30834965 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-019-00583-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) encodes a transactivator of transcription (Tat) protein, which has several functions that promote viral replication, pathogenesis, and disease. Amino acid variation within Tat has been observed to alter the functional properties of Tat and, depending on the HIV-1 subtype, may produce Tat phenotypes differing from viruses' representative of each subtype and commonly used in in vivo and in vitro experimentation. The molecular properties of Tat allow for distinctive functional activities to be determined such as the subcellular localization and other intracellular and extracellular functional aspects of this important viral protein influenced by variation within the Tat sequence. Once Tat has been transported into the nucleus and becomes engaged in transactivation of the long terminal repeat (LTR), various Tat variants may differ in their capacity to activate viral transcription. Post-translational modification patterns based on these amino acid variations may alter interactions between Tat and host factors, which may positively or negatively affect this process. In addition, the ability of HIV-1 to utilize or not utilize the transactivation response (TAR) element within the LTR, based on genetic variation and cellular phenotype, adds a layer of complexity to the processes that govern Tat-mediated proviral DNA-driven transcription and replication. In contrast, cytoplasmic or extracellular localization of Tat may cause pathogenic effects in the form of altered cell activation, apoptosis, or neurotoxicity. Tat variants have been shown to differentially induce these processes, which may have implications for long-term HIV-1-infected patient care in the antiretroviral therapy era. Future studies concerning genetic variation of Tat with respect to function should focus on variants derived from HIV-1-infected individuals to efficiently guide Tat-targeted therapies and elucidate mechanisms of pathogenesis within the global patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Spector
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245 N 15th St, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anthony R Mele
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245 N 15th St, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brian Wigdahl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245 N 15th St, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Michael R Nonnemacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, 245 N 15th St, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Stolyarova AV, Bazykin GA, Neretina TV, Kondrashov AS. Bursts of amino acid replacements in protein evolution. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:181095. [PMID: 31031994 PMCID: PMC6458383 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Evolution can occur both gradually and through alternating episodes of stasis and rapid changes. However, the prevalence and magnitude of fluctuations of the rate of evolution remain obscure. Detecting a rapid burst of changes requires a detailed record of past evolution, so that events that occurred within a short time interval can be identified. Here, we use the phylogenies of the Baikal Lake amphipods and of Catarrhini, which contain very short internal edges which make this task feasible. We detect six salient bursts of evolution of individual proteins during such short time periods, each involving between six and 38 amino acid substitutions. These bursts were extremely unlikely to have occurred neutrally, and were apparently caused by positive selection. On average, in the course of a time interval required for one synonymous substitution per site, a protein undergoes a strong burst of rapid evolution with probability at least approximately 0.01.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Georgii A. Bazykin
- Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo 143026, Russia
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems (Kharkevich Institute) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 127994, Russia
| | - Tatyana V. Neretina
- White Sea Biological Station, Biological Faculty, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Department of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119234, Russia
| | - Alexey S. Kondrashov
- Department of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119234, Russia
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 830 North University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048, USA
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