1
|
Larsen AH. Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Curved Lipid Membranes. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158098. [PMID: 35897670 PMCID: PMC9331392 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic cells contain membranes with various curvatures, from the near-plane plasma membrane to the highly curved membranes of organelles, vesicles, and membrane protrusions. These curvatures are generated and sustained by curvature-inducing proteins, peptides, and lipids, and describing these mechanisms is an important scientific challenge. In addition to that, some molecules can sense membrane curvature and thereby be trafficked to specific locations. The description of curvature sensing is another fundamental challenge. Curved lipid membranes and their interplay with membrane-associated proteins can be investigated with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Various methods for simulating curved membranes with MD are discussed here, including tools for setting up simulation of vesicles and methods for sustaining membrane curvature. The latter are divided into methods that exploit scaffolding virtual beads, methods that use curvature-inducing molecules, and methods applying virtual forces. The variety of simulation tools allow researcher to closely match the conditions of experimental studies of membrane curvatures.
Collapse
|
2
|
Immadisetty K, Polasa A, Shelton R, Moradi M. Elucidating the molecular basis of spontaneous activation in an engineered mechanosensitive channel. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:2539-2550. [PMID: 35685356 PMCID: PMC9156883 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) detects and responds to changes in the pressure profile of cellular membranes and transduces the mechanical energy into electrical and/or chemical signals. MscL can be activated using ultrasonic or chemical activation methods to improve the absorption of medicines and bioactive compounds into cells. However, re-engineering chemical signals such as pH change can trigger channel activation in MscL. This study elucidates the activation mechanism of an engineered MscL at an atomic level through a combination of equilibrium and non-equilibrium (NE) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Comparing the wild-type (WT) and engineered MscL activation processes suggests that the two systems are likely associated with different active states and different transition pathways. These findings indicate that (1) periplasmic loops play a key role in the activation process of MscL, (2) the loss of various backbone-backbone hydrogen bonds and salt bridge interactions in the engineered MscL channel causes the spontaneous opening of the channel, and (3) the most significant interactions lost during the activation process are between the transmembrane helices 1 and 2 in engineered MscL channel. The orientation-based biasing approach for producing and optimizing an open MscL model used in this work is a promising way to characterize unknown protein functional states and investigate the activation processes in ion channels and transmembrane proteins in general. This work paves the way for a computational framework for engineering more efficient pH-sensing mechanosensitive channels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kalyan Immadisetty
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, United States
| | - Adithya Polasa
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, United States
| | - Reid Shelton
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, United States
| | - Mahmoud Moradi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, United States
- Corresponding author.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Cox CD, Bavi N, Martinac B. Biophysical Principles of Ion-Channel-Mediated Mechanosensory Transduction. Cell Rep 2020; 29:1-12. [PMID: 31577940 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.08.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 06/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent rapid progress in the field of mechanobiology has been driven by novel emerging tools and methodologies and growing interest from different scientific disciplines. Specific progress has been made toward understanding how cell mechanics is linked to intracellular signaling and the regulation of gene expression in response to a variety of mechanical stimuli. There is a direct link between the mechanoreceptors at the cell surface and intracellular biochemical signaling, which in turn controls downstream effector molecules. Among the mechanoreceptors in the cell membrane, mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels are essential for the ultra-rapid (millisecond) transduction of mechanical stimuli into biologically relevant signals. The three decades of research on mechanosensitive channels resulted in the formulation of two basic principles of mechanosensitive channel gating: force-from-lipids and force-from-filament. In this review, we revisit the biophysical principles that underlie the innate force-sensing ability of mechanosensitive channels as contributors to the force-dependent evolution of life forms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles D Cox
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Lowy Packer Building, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Navid Bavi
- Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Boris Martinac
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Lowy Packer Building, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Johnson LR, Battle AR, Martinac B. Remembering Mechanosensitivity of NMDA Receptors. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:533. [PMID: 31866826 PMCID: PMC6906178 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
An increase in post-synaptic Ca2+ conductance through activation of the ionotropic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) and concomitant structural changes are essential for the initiation of long-term potentiation (LTP) and memory formation. Memories can be initiated by coincident events, as occurs in classical conditioning, where the NMDAR can act as a molecular coincidence detector. Binding of glutamate and glycine, together with depolarization of the postsynaptic cell membrane to remove the Mg2+ channel pore block, results in NMDAR opening for Ca2+ conductance. Accumulating evidence has implicated both force-from-lipids and protein tethering mechanisms for mechanosensory transduction in NMDAR, which has been demonstrated by both, membrane stretch and application of amphipathic molecules such as arachidonic acid (AA). The contribution of mechanosensitivity to memory formation and consolidation may be to increase activity of the NMDAR leading to facilitated memory formation. In this review we look back at the progress made toward understanding the physiological and pathological role of NMDA receptor channels in mechanobiology of the nervous system and consider these findings in like of their potential functional implications for memory formation. We examine recent studies identifying mechanisms of both NMDAR and other mechanosensitive channels and discuss functional implications including gain control of NMDA opening probability. Mechanobiology is a rapidly growing area of biology with many important implications for understanding form, function and pathology in the nervous system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luke R Johnson
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia.,Division of Psychology, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS, Australia.,Department of Psychiatry, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States.,School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Andrew R Battle
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Prince Charles Hospital Northside Clinical Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
| | - Boris Martinac
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia.,St. Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Muller MP, Jiang T, Sun C, Lihan M, Pant S, Mahinthichaichan P, Trifan A, Tajkhorshid E. Characterization of Lipid-Protein Interactions and Lipid-Mediated Modulation of Membrane Protein Function through Molecular Simulation. Chem Rev 2019; 119:6086-6161. [PMID: 30978005 PMCID: PMC6506392 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The cellular membrane constitutes one of the most fundamental compartments of a living cell, where key processes such as selective transport of material and exchange of information between the cell and its environment are mediated by proteins that are closely associated with the membrane. The heterogeneity of lipid composition of biological membranes and the effect of lipid molecules on the structure, dynamics, and function of membrane proteins are now widely recognized. Characterization of these functionally important lipid-protein interactions with experimental techniques is however still prohibitively challenging. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations offer a powerful complementary approach with sufficient temporal and spatial resolutions to gain atomic-level structural information and energetics on lipid-protein interactions. In this review, we aim to provide a broad survey of MD simulations focusing on exploring lipid-protein interactions and characterizing lipid-modulated protein structure and dynamics that have been successful in providing novel insight into the mechanism of membrane protein function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie P. Muller
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
- Department of Biochemistry
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology
- College of Medicine
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Tao Jiang
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
- Department of Biochemistry
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Chang Sun
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
- Department of Biochemistry
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Muyun Lihan
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
- Department of Biochemistry
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Shashank Pant
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
- Department of Biochemistry
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Paween Mahinthichaichan
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
- Department of Biochemistry
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Anda Trifan
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
- Department of Biochemistry
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
- Department of Biochemistry
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology
- College of Medicine
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Enkavi G, Javanainen M, Kulig W, Róg T, Vattulainen I. Multiscale Simulations of Biological Membranes: The Challenge To Understand Biological Phenomena in a Living Substance. Chem Rev 2019; 119:5607-5774. [PMID: 30859819 PMCID: PMC6727218 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 173] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Biological
membranes are tricky to investigate. They are complex
in terms of molecular composition and structure, functional
over a wide range of time scales, and characterized
by nonequilibrium conditions. Because of all of these
features, simulations are a great technique to study biomembrane
behavior. A significant part of the functional processes
in biological membranes takes place at the molecular
level; thus computer simulations are the method of
choice to explore how their properties emerge from specific
molecular features and how the interplay among the numerous
molecules gives rise to function over spatial and
time scales larger than the molecular ones. In this
review, we focus on this broad theme. We discuss the current
state-of-the-art of biomembrane simulations that, until
now, have largely focused on a rather narrow picture
of the complexity of the membranes. Given this, we
also discuss the challenges that we should unravel in the
foreseeable future. Numerous features such as the actin-cytoskeleton
network, the glycocalyx network, and nonequilibrium
transport under ATP-driven conditions have so far
received very little attention; however, the potential
of simulations to solve them would be exceptionally high. A
major milestone for this research would be that one day
we could say that computer simulations genuinely research
biological membranes, not just lipid bilayers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giray Enkavi
- Department of Physics , University of Helsinki , P.O. Box 64, FI-00014 Helsinki , Finland
| | - Matti Javanainen
- Department of Physics , University of Helsinki , P.O. Box 64, FI-00014 Helsinki , Finland.,Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences , Flemingovo naḿesti 542/2 , 16610 Prague , Czech Republic.,Computational Physics Laboratory , Tampere University , P.O. Box 692, FI-33014 Tampere , Finland
| | - Waldemar Kulig
- Department of Physics , University of Helsinki , P.O. Box 64, FI-00014 Helsinki , Finland
| | - Tomasz Róg
- Department of Physics , University of Helsinki , P.O. Box 64, FI-00014 Helsinki , Finland.,Computational Physics Laboratory , Tampere University , P.O. Box 692, FI-33014 Tampere , Finland
| | - Ilpo Vattulainen
- Department of Physics , University of Helsinki , P.O. Box 64, FI-00014 Helsinki , Finland.,Computational Physics Laboratory , Tampere University , P.O. Box 692, FI-33014 Tampere , Finland.,MEMPHYS-Center for Biomembrane Physics
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
Computer simulations have become an indispensable tool in studying molecular biological systems. The unmatched spatial and temporal resolution that it offers enables for microscopic-level views into the dynamics and mechanics of biological systems. Recent advances in hardware resources have also opened up to computer simulations the investigation of longer timescale biological processes and larger systems. The study of membrane proteins or peptides especially benefits from simulations due to difficulties related to crystallization of such proteins in a membrane environment. In this chapter, we outline the method of molecular dynamics and how it is applied to simulations that involve a peptide and lipid bilayers. In particular, the simulation of a membrane-curvature sensing peptide is examined, and ways of employing computational simulations to design such peptides are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Armando Jerome de Jesus
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and The BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, UCB 596, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Hang Yin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and The BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, UCB 596, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bavi N, Bavi O, Vossoughi M, Naghdabadi R, Hill AP, Martinac B, Jamali Y. Nanomechanical properties of MscL α helices: A steered molecular dynamics study. Channels (Austin) 2016; 11:209-223. [PMID: 27753526 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2016.1249077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gating of mechanosensitive (MS) channels is driven by a hierarchical cascade of movements and deformations of transmembrane helices in response to bilayer tension. Determining the intrinsic mechanical properties of the individual transmembrane helices is therefore central to understanding the intricacies of the gating mechanism of MS channels. We used a constant-force steered molecular dynamics (SMD) approach to perform unidirectional pulling tests on all the helices of MscL in M. tuberculosis and E. coli homologs. Using this method, we could overcome the issues encountered with the commonly used constant-velocity SMD simulations, such as low mechanical stability of the helix during stretching and high dependency of the elastic properties on the pulling rate. We estimated Young's moduli of the α-helices of MscL to vary between 0.2 and 12.5 GPa with TM2 helix being the stiffest. We also studied the effect of water on the properties of the pore-lining TM1 helix. In the absence of water, this helix exhibited a much stiffer response. By monitoring the number of hydrogen bonds, it appears that water acts like a 'lubricant' (softener) during TM1 helix elongation. These data shed light on another physical aspect underlying hydrophobic gating of MS channels, in particular MscL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N Bavi
- a Division of Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics , Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute , Darlinghurst , NSW , Australia.,b St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine , University of New South Wales , Darlinghurst , NSW , Australia
| | - O Bavi
- c Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology , Tehran , Iran
| | - M Vossoughi
- c Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology , Tehran , Iran.,d Biochemical & Bioenvironmental Research Center (BBRC) , Tehran , Iran
| | - R Naghdabadi
- c Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Sharif University of Technology , Tehran , Iran.,e Department of Mechanical Engineering , Sharif University of Technology , Tehran , Iran
| | - A P Hill
- a Division of Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics , Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute , Darlinghurst , NSW , Australia
| | - B Martinac
- a Division of Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics , Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute , Darlinghurst , NSW , Australia.,b St Vincent's Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine , University of New South Wales , Darlinghurst , NSW , Australia
| | - Y Jamali
- f Department of Mathematics , Tarbiat Modares University , Tehran , Iran.,g Computational Physical Sciences Research Laboratory , School of Nanoscience, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM) , Tehran , Iran
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Cherniavskyi YK, Ramseyer C, Yesylevskyy SO. Interaction of C60 fullerenes with asymmetric and curved lipid membranes: a molecular dynamics study. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2015; 18:278-84. [PMID: 26608905 DOI: 10.1039/c5cp05838d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Interaction of fullerenes with asymmetric and curved DOPC/DOPS bicelles is studied by means of coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. The effects caused by asymmetric lipid composition of the membrane leaflets and the curvature of the membrane are analyzed. It is shown that the aggregates of fullerenes prefer to penetrate into the membrane in the regions of the moderately positive mean curvature. Upon penetration into the hydrophobic core of the membrane fullerenes avoid the regions of the extreme positive or the negative curvature. Fullerenes increase the ordering of lipid tails, which are in direct contact with them, but do not influence other lipids significantly. Our data suggest that the effects of the membrane curvature should be taken into account in the studies concerning permeability of the membranes to fullerenes and fullerene-based drug delivery systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yevhen K Cherniavskyi
- Department of Physics of Biological Systems, Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Prospect Nauky 46, Kiev-28, 03680, Ukraine.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Chi G, Rohde PR, Ridone P, Hankamer B, Martinac B, Landsberg MJ. Functional similarities between heterogeneously and homogenously expressed MscL constructs. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2015; 44:589-98. [PMID: 26233759 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-015-1062-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The mechanosensitive channel of large conductance MscL is a well-characterized mechanically gated non-selective ion channel, which often serves as a prototype mechanosensitive channel for mechanotransduction studies. However, there are some discrepancies between MscL constructs used in these studies, most notably unintended heterogeneous expression from some MscL expression constructs. In this study we investigate the possible cause of this expression pattern, and compare the original non-homogenously expressing constructs with our new homogeneously expressing one to confirm that there is little functional difference between them. In addition, a new MscL construct has been developed with an improved molar extinction coefficient at 280 nm, enabling more accurate protein quantification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gamma Chi
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Sawada Y, Sokabe M. Molecular dynamics study on protein-water interplay in the mechanogating of the bacterial mechanosensitive channel MscL. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2015; 44:531-43. [PMID: 26233760 PMCID: PMC4562998 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-015-1065-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
One of the goals of mechanosensitive channel (MSC) studies is to understand the underlying molecular and biophysical mechanisms of the mechano-gating process from force sensing to gate opening. We focus on the latter process and investigate the role of water in the bacterial MSC MscL, which is activated by membrane tension. We analyze the interplay between water and the gate-constituting amino acids, Leu19-Gly26, through molecular dynamics simulations. To highlight the role of water, specifically hydration of the gate, in MscL gating, we restrain lateral movements of the water molecules along the water-vapor interfaces at the top and bottom of the vapor bubble, plugging the closed gate. The gating behaviors in this model and the normal MscL model, in which water movements are unrestrained, are compared. In the normal model, increased membrane tension breaks the hydrogen bond between Leu19 and Val 23 of the inner helix, exposing the backbone carbonyl oxygen of Leu19 to the water-accessible lumen side of the gate. Associated with this activity, water comes to access the vapor region and stably interacts with the carbonyl oxygen to induce a dewetting to wetting transition that facilitates gate expansion toward channel opening. By contrast, in the water-restrained model, carbonyl oxygen is also exposed, but no further conformational changes occur at the gate. This suggests that gate opening relies on a conformational change initiated by wetting. The penetrated water weakens the hydrophobic interaction between neighboring transmembrane inner helices called the "hydrophobic lock" by wedging into the space between their interacting portions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuyuki Sawada
- Department of Physiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Battle AR, Ridone P, Bavi N, Nakayama Y, Nikolaev YA, Martinac B. Lipid-protein interactions: Lessons learned from stress. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2015; 1848:1744-56. [PMID: 25922225 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2015.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2015] [Revised: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Biological membranes are essential for normal function and regulation of cells, forming a physical barrier between extracellular and intracellular space and cellular compartments. These physical barriers are subject to mechanical stresses. As a consequence, nature has developed proteins that are able to transpose mechanical stimuli into meaningful intracellular signals. These proteins, termed Mechanosensitive (MS) proteins provide a variety of roles in response to these stimuli. In prokaryotes these proteins form transmembrane spanning channels that function as osmotically activated nanovalves to prevent cell lysis by hypoosmotic shock. In eukaryotes, the function of MS proteins is more diverse and includes physiological processes such as touch, pain and hearing. The transmembrane portion of these channels is influenced by the physical properties such as charge, shape, thickness and stiffness of the lipid bilayer surrounding it, as well as the bilayer pressure profile. In this review we provide an overview of the progress to date on advances in our understanding of the intimate biophysical and chemical interactions between the lipid bilayer and mechanosensitive membrane channels, focusing on current progress in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems. These advances are of importance due to the increasing evidence of the role the MS channels play in disease, such as xerocytosis, muscular dystrophy and cardiac hypertrophy. Moreover, insights gained from lipid-protein interactions of MS channels are likely relevant not only to this class of membrane proteins, but other bilayer embedded proteins as well. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Lipid-protein interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A R Battle
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland and School of Pharmacy, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
| | - P Ridone
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - N Bavi
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
| | - Y Nakayama
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Y A Nikolaev
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
| | - B Martinac
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia; St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Chandramouli B, Di Maio D, Mancini G, Barone V, Brancato G. Breaking the hydrophobicity of the MscL pore: insights into a charge-induced gating mechanism. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0120196. [PMID: 25825909 PMCID: PMC4380313 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) is a protein that responds to membrane tension by opening a transient pore during osmotic downshock. Due to its large pore size and functional reconstitution into lipid membranes, MscL has been proposed as a promising artificial nanovalve suitable for biotechnological applications. For example, site-specific mutations and tailored chemical modifications have shown how MscL channel gating can be triggered in the absence of tension by introducing charged residues at the hydrophobic pore level. Recently, engineered MscL proteins responsive to stimuli like pH or light have been reported. Inspired by experiments, we present a thorough computational study aiming at describing, with atomistic detail, the artificial gating mechanism and the molecular transport properties of a light-actuated bacterial MscL channel, in which a charge-induced gating mechanism has been enabled through the selective cleavage of photo-sensitive alkylating agents. Properties such as structural transitions, pore dimension, ion flux and selectivity have been carefully analyzed. Besides, the effects of charge on alternative sites of the channel with respect to those already reported have been addressed. Overall, our results provide useful molecular insights into the structural events accompanying the engineered MscL channel gating and the interplay of electrostatic effects, channel opening and permeation properties. In addition, we describe how the experimentally observed ionic current in a single-subunit charged MscL mutant is obtained through a hydrophobicity breaking mechanism involving an asymmetric inter-subunit motion.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Danilo Di Maio
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), sezione di Pisa, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giordano Mancini
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), sezione di Pisa, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Barone
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), sezione di Pisa, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Brancato
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), sezione di Pisa, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, 56127, Pisa, Italy
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Zhong D, Yang LM, Blount P. Dynamics of protein-protein interactions at the MscL periplasmic-lipid interface. Biophys J 2014; 106:375-81. [PMID: 24461012 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2013] [Revised: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
MscL, the highly conserved bacterial mechanosensitive channel of large conductance, is one of the best studied mechanosensors. It is a homopentameric channel that serves as a biological emergency release valve that prevents cell lysis from acute osmotic stress. We previously showed that the periplasmic region of the protein, particularly a single residue located at the TM1/periplasmic loop interface, F47 of Staphylococcus aureus and I49 of Escherichia coli MscL, plays a major role in both the open dwell time and mechanosensitivity of the channel. Here, we introduced cysteine mutations at these sites and found they formed disulfide bridges that decreased the channel open dwell time. By scanning a likely interacting domain, we also found that these sites could be disulfide trapped by addition of cysteine mutations in other locations within the periplasmic loop of MscL, and this also led to rapid channel kinetics. Together, the data suggest structural rearrangements and protein-protein interactions that occur within this region upon normal gating, and further suggest that locking portions of the channel into a transition state decreases the stability of the open state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dalian Zhong
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Li-Min Yang
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Paul Blount
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Yesylevskyy SO, Kraszewski S, Ramseyer C. Determination of the shape and curvature of nonplanar lipid bilayers that are bent in a single plane in molecular dynamics simulations. J Mol Model 2014; 20:2176. [DOI: 10.1007/s00894-014-2176-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2013] [Accepted: 02/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
16
|
Martinac B, Nomura T, Chi G, Petrov E, Rohde PR, Battle AR, Foo A, Constantine M, Rothnagel R, Carne S, Deplazes E, Cornell B, Cranfield CG, Hankamer B, Landsberg MJ. Bacterial mechanosensitive channels: models for studying mechanosensory transduction. Antioxid Redox Signal 2014; 20:952-69. [PMID: 23834368 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2013.5471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Sensations of touch and hearing are manifestations of mechanical contact and air pressure acting on touch receptors and hair cells of the inner ear, respectively. In bacteria, osmotic pressure exerts a significant mechanical force on their cellular membrane. Bacteria have evolved mechanosensitive (MS) channels to cope with excessive turgor pressure resulting from a hypo-osmotic shock. MS channel opening allows the expulsion of osmolytes and water, thereby restoring normal cellular turgor and preventing cell lysis. RECENT ADVANCES As biological force-sensing systems, MS channels have been identified as the best examples of membrane proteins coupling molecular dynamics to cellular mechanics. The bacterial MS channel of large conductance (MscL) and MS channel of small conductance (MscS) have been subjected to extensive biophysical, biochemical, genetic, and structural analyses. These studies have established MscL and MscS as model systems for mechanosensory transduction. CRITICAL ISSUES In recent years, MS ion channels in mammalian cells have moved into focus of mechanotransduction research, accompanied by an increased awareness of the role they may play in the pathophysiology of diseases, including cardiac hypertrophy, muscular dystrophy, or Xerocytosis. FUTURE DIRECTIONS A recent exciting development includes the molecular identification of Piezo proteins, which function as nonselective cation channels in mechanosensory transduction associated with senses of touch and pain. Since research on Piezo channels is very young, applying lessons learned from studies of bacterial MS channels to establishing the mechanism by which the Piezo channels are mechanically activated remains one of the future challenges toward a better understanding of the role that MS channels play in mechanobiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Boris Martinac
- 1 Molecular Cardiology and Biophysics Division/Mechanosensory Biophysics Laboratory, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute , Darlinghurst, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Bavi O, Vossoughi M, Naghdabadi R, Jamali Y. The effect of local bending on gating of MscL using a representative volume element and finite element simulation. Channels (Austin) 2014; 8:344-9. [PMID: 25478623 PMCID: PMC4203736 DOI: 10.4161/chan.29572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Revised: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many physiological processes such as cell division, endocytosis and exocytosis cause severe local curvature of the cell membrane. Local curvature has been shown experimentally to modulate numerous mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels. In order to quantify the effects of local curvature we introduced a coarse grain representative volume element for the bacterial mechanosensitive ion channel of large conductance (MscL) using continuum elasticity. Our model is designed to be consistent with the channel conformation in the closed and open states to capture its major continuum rheological behavior in response to the local membrane curvature. Herein we show that change in the local curvature of the lipid bilayer can modulate MscL activity considerably by changing both bilayer thickness and lateral pressure profile. Intriguingly, although bending in any direction results in almost the same free-energy cost, inward (cytoplasmic) bending favors channel opening, whereas outward (periplasmic) bending facilitates closing of the narrowest part of the MscL pore. This quantitative study using MscL as a model channel may have wide reaching consequences for the effect of local curvature on the physiological function of other types of prokaryotic and eukaryotic membrane proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Omid Bavi
- Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology; Sharif University of Technology; Tehran, Iran
| | - Manouchehr Vossoughi
- Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology; Sharif University of Technology; Tehran, Iran
- Biochemical & Bioenvironmental Research Center (BBRC); Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Naghdabadi
- Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology; Sharif University of Technology; Tehran, Iran
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology; Tehran, Iran
| | - Yousef Jamali
- Department of Applied Mathematics; School of Mathematical Sciences; Tarbiat Modares University; Tehran, Iran
- Computational Physics Research Laboratory; School of Nano-Science; Institute for research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM); Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Sawada Y, Murase M, Sokabe M. The gating mechanism of the bacterial mechanosensitive channel MscL revealed by molecular dynamics simulations: from tension sensing to channel opening. Channels (Austin) 2013; 6:317-31. [PMID: 23146938 DOI: 10.4161/chan.21895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the ultimate goals of the study on mechanosensitive (MS) channels is to understand the biophysical mechanisms of how the MS channel protein senses forces and how the sensed force induces channel gating. The bacterial MS channel MscL is an ideal subject to reach this goal owing to its resolved 3D protein structure in the closed state on the atomic scale and large amounts of electrophysiological data on its gating kinetics. However, the structural basis of the dynamic process from the closed to open states in MscL is not fully understood. In this study, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on the initial process of MscL opening in response to a tension increase in the lipid bilayer. To identify the tension-sensing site(s) in the channel protein, we calculated interaction energy between membrane lipids and candidate amino acids (AAs) facing the lipids. We found that Phe78 has a conspicuous interaction with the lipids, suggesting that Phe78 is the primary tension sensor of MscL. Increased membrane tension by membrane stretch dragged radially the inner (TM1) and outer (TM2) helices of MscL at Phe78, and the force was transmitted to the pentagon-shaped gate that is formed by the crossing of the neighboring TM1 helices in the inner leaflet of the bilayer. The radial dragging force induced radial sliding of the crossing portions, leading to a gate expansion. Calculated energy for this expansion is comparable to an experimentally estimated energy difference between the closed and the first subconductance state, suggesting that our model simulates the initial step toward the full opening of MscL. The model also successfully mimicked the behaviors of a gain of function mutant (G22N) and a loss of function mutant (F78N), strongly supporting that our MD model did simulate some essential biophysical aspects of the mechano-gating in MscL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yasuyuki Sawada
- Department of Physiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Yoo J, Cui Q. Three-dimensional stress field around a membrane protein: atomistic and coarse-grained simulation analysis of gramicidin A. Biophys J 2013; 104:117-27. [PMID: 23332064 PMCID: PMC3540266 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2012.11.3812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2012] [Revised: 10/29/2012] [Accepted: 11/21/2012] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Using both atomistic and coarse-grained (CG) models, we compute the three-dimensional stress field around a gramicidin A (gA) dimer in lipid bilayers that feature different degrees of negative hydrophobic mismatch. The general trends in the computed stress field are similar at the atomistic and CG levels, supporting the use of the CG model for analyzing the mechanical features of protein/lipid/water interfaces. The calculations reveal that the stress field near the protein-lipid interface exhibits a layered structure with both significant repulsive and attractive regions, with the magnitude of the stress reaching 1000 bar in certain regions. Analysis of density profiles and stress field distributions helps highlight the Trp residues at the protein/membrane/water interface as mechanical anchors, suggesting that similar analysis is useful for identifying tension sensors in other membrane proteins, especially membrane proteins involved in mechanosensation. This work fosters a connection between microscopic and continuum mechanics models for proteins in complex environments and makes it possible to test the validity of assumptions commonly made in continuum mechanics models for membrane mediated processes. For example, using the calculated stress field, we estimate the free energy of membrane deformation induced by the hydrophobic mismatch, and the results for regions beyond the annular lipids are in general consistent with relevant experimental data and previous theoretical estimates using elasticity theory. On the other hand, the assumptions of homogeneous material properties for the membrane and a bilayer thickness at the protein/lipid interface being independent of lipid type (e.g., tail length) appear to be oversimplified, highlighting the importance of annular lipids of membrane proteins. Finally, the stress field analysis makes it clear that the effect of even rather severe hydrophobic mismatch propagates to only about two to three lipid layers, thus putting a limit on the range of cooperativity between membrane proteins in crowded cellular membranes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jejoong Yoo
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Qiang Cui
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
- Department of Chemistry and Theoretical Chemistry Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
de Jesus AJ, Kastelowitz N, Yin H. Changes in lipid density induce membrane curvature. RSC Adv 2013; 3:13622-13625. [PMID: 23930220 DOI: 10.1039/c3ra42332h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Highly curved bilayer lipid membranes make up the shell of many intra- and extracellular compartments, including organelles and vesicles. Using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, we show that increasing the density of lipids in the bilayer membrane can induce the membrane to form a curved shape.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Armando J de Jesus
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, 80303, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Maffeo C, Bhattacharya S, Yoo J, Wells D, Aksimentiev A. Modeling and simulation of ion channels. Chem Rev 2012; 112:6250-84. [PMID: 23035940 PMCID: PMC3633640 DOI: 10.1021/cr3002609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Maffeo
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois, 1110 W. Green St., Urbana, IL
| | - Swati Bhattacharya
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois, 1110 W. Green St., Urbana, IL
| | - Jejoong Yoo
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois, 1110 W. Green St., Urbana, IL
| | - David Wells
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois, 1110 W. Green St., Urbana, IL
| | - Aleksei Aksimentiev
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois, 1110 W. Green St., Urbana, IL
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Deplazes E, Louhivuori M, Jayatilaka D, Marrink SJ, Corry B. Structural investigation of MscL gating using experimental data and coarse grained MD simulations. PLoS Comput Biol 2012; 8:e1002683. [PMID: 23028281 PMCID: PMC3447979 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Accepted: 07/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) has become a model system in which to understand mechanosensation, a process involved in osmoregulation and many other physiological functions. While a high resolution closed state structure is available, details of the open structure and the gating mechanism remain unknown. In this study we combine coarse grained simulations with restraints from EPR and FRET experiments to study the structural changes involved in gating with much greater level of conformational sampling than has previously been possible. We generated a set of plausible open pore structures that agree well with existing open pore structures and gating models. Most interestingly, we found that membrane thinning induces a kink in the upper part of TM1 that causes an outward motion of the periplasmic loop away from the pore centre. This previously unobserved structural change might present a new mechanism of tension sensing and might be related to a functional role in osmoregulation. Cells in biological organisms have to be able to respond to mechanical forces during processes such as touch, hearing, pain sensation and tissue growth. One way this is achieved is through mechanosensitive ion channels, membrane embedded proteins that initiate electrical signalling upon tension within the cell or cell membrane. The malfunction of such channels is also associated with a range of diseases including muscular dystrophy and cardiac arrhythmia. In this manuscript, we study in detail the mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) from bacteria, a model system in which to understand the principles of mechanosensation. Despite many years of investigative work the details of how the protein senses tension in the surrounding membrane remain unknown. By combining structural data from experiments with computer simulation we are able to model the open channel structure of the protein and report previously unobserved structural changes that might present a new mechanism of sensing tension. The methods developed in this paper are not limited to the study of mechanosensitive ion channels and may be useful in understanding the structure and function of other membrane proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evelyne Deplazes
- School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Bonardi F, Nouwen N, Feringa BL, Driessen AJM. Protein conducting channels—mechanisms, structures and applications. MOLECULAR BIOSYSTEMS 2012; 8:709-19. [DOI: 10.1039/c2mb05433g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
|
24
|
Martinac B. Bacterial mechanosensitive channels as a paradigm for mechanosensory transduction. Cell Physiol Biochem 2011; 28:1051-60. [PMID: 22178995 DOI: 10.1159/000335842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/01/2011] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on bacterial mechanosensitive (MS) channels has since their discovery been at the forefront of the MS channel field due to extensive studies of the structure and function of MscL and MscS, two of the several different types of MS channels found in bacteria. Just a few years after these two MS channels were cloned their 3D structure was solved by X-ray crystallography. Today, the repertoire of multidisciplinary approaches used in experimental and theoretical studies following the cloning and crystallographic determination of the MscL and MscS structure has expanded by including electronparamagnetic resonance (EPR) and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) spectroscopy aided by computational modelling employing molecular dynamics as well as Brownian dynamics simulations, which significantly advanced the understanding of structural determinants of the gating and conduction properties of these two MS channels. These extensive multidisciplinary studies of MscL and MscS have greatly contributed to elucidation of the basic physical principles of MS channel gating by mechanical force. This review summarizes briefly the major experimental and conceptual advancements, which helped in establishing MscL and MscS as a major paradigm of mechanosensory transduction in living cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Boris Martinac
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Rui H, Kumar R, Im W. Membrane tension, lipid adaptation, conformational changes, and energetics in MscL gating. Biophys J 2011; 101:671-9. [PMID: 21806935 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2011.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2011] [Revised: 06/12/2011] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aims to explore gating mechanisms of mechanosensitive channels in terms of membrane tension, membrane adaptation, protein conformation, and energetics. The large conductance mechanosensitive channel from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Tb-MscL) is used as a model system; Tb-MscL acts as a safety valve by releasing small osmolytes through the channel opening under extreme hypoosmotic conditions. Based on the assumption that the channel gating involves tilting of the transmembrane (TM) helices, we have performed free energy simulations of Tb-MscL as a function of TM helix tilt angle in a dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer. Based on the change in system dimensions, TM helix tilting is shown to be essentially equivalent to applying an excess surface tension to the membrane, causing channel expansion, lipid adaptation, and membrane thinning. Such equivalence is further corroborated by the observation that the free energy cost of Tb-MscL channel expansion is comparable to the work done by the excess surface tension. Tb-MscL TM helix tilting results in an expanded water-conducting channel of an outer dimension similar to the proposed fully open MscL structure. The free energy decomposition indicates a possible expansion mechanism in which tilting and expanding of TM2 facilitates the iris-like motion of TM1, producing an expanded Tb-MscL.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huan Rui
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Center for Bioinformatics, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Cui H, Lyman E, Voth GA. Mechanism of membrane curvature sensing by amphipathic helix containing proteins. Biophys J 2011; 100:1271-9. [PMID: 21354400 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2011.01.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2010] [Revised: 12/30/2010] [Accepted: 01/19/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
There are several examples of membrane-associated protein domains that target curved membranes. This behavior is believed to have functional significance in a number of essential pathways, such as clathrin-mediated endocytosis, which involve dramatic membrane remodeling and require the recruitment of various cofactors at different stages of the process. This work is motivated in part by recent experiments that demonstrated that the amphipathic N-terminal helix of endophilin (H0) targets curved membranes by binding to hydrophobic lipid bilayer packing defects which increase in number with increasing membrane curvature. Here we use state-of-the-art atomistic simulation to explore the packing defect structure of curved membranes, and the effect of this structure on the folding of H0. We find that not only are packing defects increased in number with increasing membrane curvature, but also that their size distribution depends nontrivially on the curvature, falling off exponentially with a decay constant that depends on the curvature, and crucially that even on highly curved membranes defects large enough to accommodate the hydrophobic face of H0 are never observed. We furthermore find that a percolation model for the defects explains the defect size distribution, which implies that larger defects are formed by coalescence of noninteracting smaller defects. We also use the recently developed metadynamics algorithm to study in detail the effect of such defects on H0 folding. It is found that the comparatively larger defects found on a convex membrane promote H0 folding by several kcal/mol, while the smaller defects found on flat and concave membrane surfaces inhibit folding by kinetically trapping the peptide. Together, these observations suggest H0 folding is a cooperative process in which the folding peptide changes the defect structure relative to an unperturbed membrane.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haosheng Cui
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, James Franck Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Nanomechanics of multiple units in the erythrocyte membrane skeletal network. Ann Biomed Eng 2010; 38:2956-67. [PMID: 20490687 PMCID: PMC2914261 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-010-0040-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2009] [Accepted: 04/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Erythrocytes undergo deformations when they transport O2 and CO2 across the membrane, yet the 3D nanomechanics of the skeletal network remains poorly understood. Expanding from our previous single isolated unit, we now simulate networks consisting of 1–10 concentric rings of repeating units in equibiaxial deformation. The networks are organized with (1) a 3D model for a single unit, (2) a wrap-around mode between Sp and actin protofilament in the intra-unit interaction, and (3) a random inter-unit connectivity. These assumptions permit efficient five-degrees-of-freedom (5DOF) simulations when up to 30 pN of radial forces are applied to the boundary spectrin (Sp) and the center and other units are analyzed. As 6 Sp balance their tensions, hexagonal units become irregular. While actin protofilaments remain tangent to the network, their yaw (Φ) angles change drastically with addition of neighboring units or an Sp unfolding. It is anticipated that during deformation, transmembrane complexes associated with the network move laterally through the lipid bilayer and increase the diffusion of molecules across the membrane. When protofilament/Sp sweeps under the lipid bilayer, they mix up the submembrane concentration gradient. Thus, the nanomechanics of actin protofilaments and Sp may enhance the transport of molecules during erythrocyte deformation.
Collapse
|
28
|
Yoo J, Cui Q. Curvature generation and pressure profile modulation in membrane by lysolipids: insights from coarse-grained simulations. Biophys J 2010; 97:2267-76. [PMID: 19843459 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2009.07.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2009] [Revised: 07/24/2009] [Accepted: 07/28/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although many membrane additives are known to modulate the activities of membrane proteins via perturbing the properties of lipid membrane, the underlying mechanism is often not precisely understood. In this study, we investigate the impact of asymmetrically incorporating single-tailed lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) into a membrane bilayer using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. Using a simple computational protocol designed to approximately mimic a micropipette setting, we show that asymmetric incorporation of LPC can lead to significant curvature in a bilayer. Detailed analysis of geometrical and mechanical properties (pressure profile) of the resulting mound structure indicates that the degree of pressure profile perturbation is determined not by the local curvature per se but by the packing of lipid headgroups (i.e., area-per-lipid). The findings help provide a concrete basis for understanding the activation mechanism of mechanosensitive channels by asymmetric incorporation of LPC into membrane patches in patch-clamp experiments. The calculated local pressure profiles are valuable to the construction of realistic membrane models for the analysis of mechanosensation in a continuum mechanics framework.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jejoong Yoo
- Graduate Program in Biophysics, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Computational Molecular Biomechanics: A Hierarchical Multiscale Framework With Applications to Gating of Mechanosensitive Channels of Large Conductance. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4020-9785-0_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
|
30
|
Toyoda T, Hiramatsu Y, Sasaki T, Nakaoka Y. Thermo-sensitive response based on the membrane fluidity adaptation in Paramecium multimicronucleatum. J Exp Biol 2009; 212:2767-72. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.031278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Relationships between the thermo-sensitive response and membrane lipid fluidity were studied using a ciliated protozoan, Paramecium multimicronucleatum. Paramecium elicits a transient membrane depolarization in response to a cooling stimulus (temperature drop). The depolarization amplitude was largest when the cooling stimulus was started from the culture temperature, whilst when cooling started at a temperature more than 5°C higher or lower than the culture temperature, only a small depolarization was induced. Therefore, the cooling-induced response was dependent on the culture temperature and its sensitivity to the cooling stimulus was highest at the culture temperature. Membrane fluidity measurements of living cells using the fluorescent dye 6-lauroyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene (laurdan) showed that the fluidity measured at the culture temperature was almost constant irrespective of the temperature at which the cells had been cultured and adapted, which is consistent with homeoviscous adaptation. The constant fluidity at the culture temperature quickly decreased within a few seconds of application of the cooling stimulus, and the decreased fluidity gradually readapted to a constant level at the decreased temperature within 1 h. When the constant fluidity at culture temperature was modified by the addition of procaine or benzyl alcohol, the cooling-induced depolarization was completely abolished. These results suggest the possibility that the adaptation of fluidity to a constant level and its quick decrease below the constant level activate cooling-sensitive channels to elicit the transient depolarization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taichi Toyoda
- Biophysical Dynamics Laboratories, Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience,Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Hiramatsu
- Division of Biophysical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science,Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Sasaki
- Biophysical Dynamics Laboratories, Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience,Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
| | - Yasuo Nakaoka
- Biophysical Dynamics Laboratories, Graduate School of Frontier Bioscience,Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
- Division of Biophysical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Science,Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
|
32
|
Marrink SJ, de Vries AH, Tieleman DP. Lipids on the move: simulations of membrane pores, domains, stalks and curves. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2008; 1788:149-68. [PMID: 19013128 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2008.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 369] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2008] [Revised: 10/13/2008] [Accepted: 10/14/2008] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In this review we describe the state-of-the-art of computer simulation studies of lipid membranes. We focus on collective lipid-lipid and lipid-protein interactions that trigger deformations of the natural lamellar membrane state, showing that many important biological processes including self-aggregation of membrane components into domains, the formation of non-lamellar phases, and membrane poration and curving, are now amenable to detailed simulation studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siewert J Marrink
- Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Abstract
Studies of ion channels have for long been dominated by the animalcentric, if not anthropocentric, view of physiology. The structures and activities of ion channels had, however, evolved long before the appearance of complex multicellular organisms on earth. The diversity of ion channels existing in cellular membranes of prokaryotes is a good example. Although at first it may appear as a paradox that most of what we know about the structure of eukaryotic ion channels is based on the structure of bacterial channels, this should not be surprising given the evolutionary relatedness of all living organisms and suitability of microbial cells for structural studies of biological macromolecules in a laboratory environment. Genome sequences of the human as well as various microbial, plant, and animal organisms unambiguously established the evolutionary links, whereas crystallographic studies of the structures of major types of ion channels published over the last decade clearly demonstrated the advantage of using microbes as experimental organisms. The purpose of this review is not only to provide an account of acquired knowledge on microbial ion channels but also to show that the study of microbes and their ion channels may also hold a key to solving unresolved molecular mysteries in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Boris Martinac
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Tang Y, Yoo J, Yethiraj A, Cui Q, Chen X. Mechanosensitive channels: insights from continuum-based simulations. Cell Biochem Biophys 2008; 52:1-18. [PMID: 18787764 PMCID: PMC2651832 DOI: 10.1007/s12013-008-9024-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Mechanotransduction plays an important role in regulating cell functions and it is an active topic of research in biophysics. Despite recent advances in experimental and numerical techniques, the intrinsic multiscale nature imposes tremendous challenges for revealing the working mechanisms of mechanosensitive channels. Recently, a continuum-mechanics-based hierarchical modeling and simulation framework has been established and applied to study the mechanical responses and gating behaviors of a prototypical mechanosensitive channel, the mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) in bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli), from which several putative gating mechanisms have been tested and new insights are deduced. This article reviews these latest findings using the continuum mechanics framework and suggests possible improvements for future simulation studies. This computationally efficient and versatile continuum-mechanics-based protocol is poised to make contributions to the study of a variety of mechanobiology problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuye Tang
- Nanomechanics Research Center, Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Jejoong Yoo
- Theoretical Chemistry Institute, Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Arun Yethiraj
- Theoretical Chemistry Institute, Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Qiang Cui
- Theoretical Chemistry Institute, Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706
| | - Xi Chen
- Nanomechanics Research Center, Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Corry B, Martinac B. Bacterial mechanosensitive channels: Experiment and theory. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2008; 1778:1859-70. [PMID: 17662237 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2007.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2006] [Revised: 06/25/2007] [Accepted: 06/26/2007] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Since their discovery in Escherichia coli some 20 years ago, studies of bacterial mechanosensitive (MS) ion channels have been at the forefront of the MS channel research field. Two major events greatly advanced the research on bacterial MS channels: (i) cloning of MscL and MscS, the MS channels of Large and Small conductance, and (ii) solving their 3D crystal structure. These events enabled further experimental studies employing EPR and FRET spectroscopy in addition to patch clamp and molecular biological techniques that have successfully been used in characterization of the structure and function of bacterial MS channels. In parallel with the experimental studies computational modelling has been applied to elucidate the molecular dynamics of MscL and MscS, which has significantly contributed to our understanding of basic physical principles of the mechanosensory transduction in living organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ben Corry
- School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6008, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Tang Y, Yoo J, Yethiraj A, Cui Q, Chen X. Gating mechanisms of mechanosensitive channels of large conductance, II: systematic study of conformational transitions. Biophys J 2008; 95:581-96. [PMID: 18390625 PMCID: PMC2440447 DOI: 10.1529/biophysj.107.128496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2007] [Accepted: 03/18/2008] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Part II of this study is based on the continuum mechanics-based molecular dynamics-decorated finite element method (MDeFEM) framework established in Part I. In Part II, the gating pathways of Escherichia coli-MscL channels under various basic deformation modes are simulated. Upon equibiaxial tension (which is verified to be the most effective mode for gating), the MDeFEM results agree well with both experiments and all-atom simulations in literature, as well as the analytical continuum models and elastic network models developed in Part I. Different levels of model sophistication and effects of structural motifs are explored in detail, where the importance of mechanical roles of transmembrane helices, cytoplasmic helices, and loops are discussed. The conformation transitions under complex membrane deformations are predicted, including bending, torsion, cooperativity, patch clamp, and indentation. Compared to atom-based molecular dynamics simulations and elastic network models, the MDeFEM framework is unusually well-suited for simulating complex deformations at large length scales. The versatile hierarchical framework can be further applied to simulate the gating transition of other mechanosensitive channels and other biological processes where mechanical perturbation is important.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuye Tang
- Nanomechanics Research Center, Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Yefimov S, van der Giessen E, Onck PR, Marrink SJ. Mechanosensitive membrane channels in action. Biophys J 2008; 94:2994-3002. [PMID: 18192351 PMCID: PMC2275678 DOI: 10.1529/biophysj.107.119966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2007] [Accepted: 10/22/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The tension-driven gating process of MscL from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Tb-MscL, has been addressed at near-atomic detail using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. To perform the simulations, a novel coarse-grained peptide model based on a thermodynamic parameterization of the amino-acid side chains has been applied. Both the wild-type Tb-MscL and its gain-of-function mutant V21D embedded in a solvated lipid bilayer have been studied. To mimic hypoosmotic shock conditions, simulations were performed at increasing levels of membrane tension approaching the rupture threshold of the lipid bilayer. Both the wild-type and the mutant channel are found to undergo significant conformational changes in accordance with an irislike expansion mechanism, reaching a conducting state on a microsecond timescale. The most pronounced expansion of the pore has been observed for the V21D mutant, which is consistent with the experimentally shown gain-of-function phenotype of the V21D mutant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Serge Yefimov
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Department of Applied Physics, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
38
|
Gating of the mechanosensitive channel protein MscL: the interplay of membrane and protein. Biophys J 2008; 94:3497-511. [PMID: 18212020 DOI: 10.1529/biophysj.107.109850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanosensitive channel of large conductance (MscL) belongs to a family of transmembrane channel proteins in bacteria and functions as a safety valve that relieves the turgor pressure produced by osmotic downshock. MscL gating can be triggered solely by stretching of the membrane. This work reports an effort to understand this mechanotransduction by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation on the MscL of mycobacterium tuberculosis embedded in a palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylethanolamine membrane. Equilibrium MD under zero membrane tension produced a more compact protein structure, as measured by its radii of gyration, compared to the crystal structure, in agreement with previous experimental findings. Even under a large applied tension up to 1000 dyn/cm, the MscL lateral dimension largely remained unchanged after up to 20 ns of simulation. A nonequilibrium MD simulation of 3% membrane expansion showed a significant increase in membrane rigidity upon MscL inclusion, which can contribute to efficient mechanotransduction. Direct observation of channel opening was possible only when an explicit lateral bias force was applied to each of the five subunits of MscL in the radially outward direction. Using this force, open structures with a large pore of radius 10 A could be obtained. The channel opening takes place in a stepwise manner and concurrently with the water chain formation across the channel, which occurs without direct involvement of protein hydrophilic residues. The N-terminal S1 helices stabilize the open structure, and the membrane asymmetry (different lipid density on the two leaflets of membrane) promotes channel opening.
Collapse
|
39
|
Kloda A, Petrov E, Meyer GR, Nguyen T, Hurst AC, Hool L, Martinac B. Mechanosensitive channel of large conductance. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2008; 40:164-9. [PMID: 17350877 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2007.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2006] [Revised: 01/23/2007] [Accepted: 02/01/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Microbial cells constitutively express the Large Conductance Mechanosensitive Channel which opens in response to stretch forces in the lipid bilayer. The channel protein forms a homopentamer with each subunit containing two transmembrane regions and gates via the bilayer mechanism evoked by hydrophobic mismatch and changes in the membrane curvature and/or transbilayer pressure profile. During the stationary phase and during osmotic shock the channel protein is up-regulated to prevent cell lysis. Pharmacological potential of MscL may involve discovery of new age antibiotics to combat multiple drug-resistant bacterial strains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kloda
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Debret G, Valadié H, Stadler AM, Etchebest C. New insights of membrane environment effects on MscL channel mechanics from theoretical approaches. Proteins 2007; 71:1183-96. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.21810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
|
41
|
Abstract
AbstractDespite the complexity of ion-channels, MD simulations based on realistic all-atom models have become a powerful technique for providing accurate descriptions of the structure and dynamics of these systems, complementing and reinforcing experimental work. Successful multidisciplinary collaborations, progress in the experimental determination of three-dimensional structures of membrane proteins together with new algorithms for molecular simulations and the increasing speed and availability of supercomputers, have made possible a considerable progress in this area of biophysics. This review aims at highlighting some of the work in the area of potassium channels and molecular dynamics simulations where numerous fundamental questions about the structure, function, folding and dynamics of these systems remain as yet unresolved challenges.
Collapse
|
42
|
Morris CE, Juranka PF. Lipid stress at play: mechanosensitivity of voltage-gated channels. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2007; 59:297-338. [PMID: 25168141 DOI: 10.1016/s1063-5823(06)59011-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Membrane stretch modulates the activity of voltage-gated channels (VGCs). These channels are nearly ubiquitous among eukaryotes and they are present, too, in prokaryotes, so the potential ramifications of VGC mechanosensitivity are diverse. In situ traumatic stretch can irreversibly alter VGC activity with lethal results but that is pathology. This chapter discusses the reversible responses of VGCs to stretch, with the general relation of stretch stimuli to other forms of lipid stress, and briefly, with some irreversible stretch effects (=stretch trauma). A working assumption throughout is that mechanosensitive (MS) VGC motions-that is, motions that respond reversibly to bilayer stretch-are susceptible to other forms of lipid stress, such as the stresses produced when amphiphilic molecules (anesthetics, lipids, alcohols, and lipophilic drugs) are inserted into the bilayer. Insofar as these molecules change the bilayer's lateral pressure profile, they can be termed bilayer mechanical reagents (BMRs). The chapter also discusses the MS VGC behavior against the backdrop of eukaryotic channels more widely accepted as "MS channels"--namely, the transient receptor potential (TRP)-based MS cation channels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine E Morris
- Neuroscience, Ottawa Health Research Institute, Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4E9, Canada
| | - Peter F Juranka
- Neuroscience, Ottawa Health Research Institute, Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4E9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Niemelä PS, Ollila S, Hyvönen MT, Karttunen M, Vattulainen I. Assessing the nature of lipid raft membranes. PLoS Comput Biol 2007; 3:e34. [PMID: 17319738 PMCID: PMC1808021 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.0030034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 231] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2006] [Accepted: 01/05/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The paradigm of biological membranes has recently gone through a major update. Instead of being fluid and homogeneous, recent studies suggest that membranes are characterized by transient domains with varying fluidity. In particular, a number of experimental studies have revealed the existence of highly ordered lateral domains rich in sphingomyelin and cholesterol (CHOL). These domains, called functional lipid rafts, have been suggested to take part in a variety of dynamic cellular processes such as membrane trafficking, signal transduction, and regulation of the activity of membrane proteins. However, despite the proposed importance of these domains, their properties, and even the precise nature of the lipid phases, have remained open issues mainly because the associated short time and length scales have posed a major challenge to experiments. In this work, we employ extensive atom-scale simulations to elucidate the properties of ternary raft mixtures with CHOL, palmitoylsphingomyelin (PSM), and palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine. We simulate two bilayers of 1,024 lipids for 100 ns in the liquid-ordered phase and one system of the same size in the liquid-disordered phase. The studies provide evidence that the presence of PSM and CHOL in raft-like membranes leads to strongly packed and rigid bilayers. We also find that the simulated raft bilayers are characterized by nanoscale lateral heterogeneity, though the slow lateral diffusion renders the interpretation of the observed lateral heterogeneity more difficult. The findings reveal aspects of the role of favored (specific) lipid-lipid interactions within rafts and clarify the prominent role of CHOL in altering the properties of the membrane locally in its neighborhood. Also, we show that the presence of PSM and CHOL in rafts leads to intriguing lateral pressure profiles that are distinctly different from corresponding profiles in nonraft-like membranes. The results propose that the functioning of certain classes of membrane proteins is regulated by changes in the lateral pressure profile, which can be altered by a change in lipid content.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Perttu S Niemelä
- Laboratory of Physics, Helsinki University of Technology, Helsinki, Finland.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
MscL: The Bacterial Mechanosensitive Channel of Large Conductance. MECHANOSENSITIVE ION CHANNELS, PART A 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/s1063-5823(06)58008-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
|
45
|
3.5 Billion Years of Mechanosensory Transduction: Structure and Function of Mechanosensitive Channels in Prokaryotes. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/s1063-5823(06)58002-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
|