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Ha T, Kaiser C, Myong S, Wu B, Xiao J. Next generation single-molecule techniques: Imaging, labeling, and manipulation in vitro and in cellulo. Mol Cell 2022; 82:304-314. [PMID: 35063098 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Owing to their unique abilities to manipulate, label, and image individual molecules in vitro and in cellulo, single-molecule techniques provide previously unattainable access to elementary biological processes. In imaging, single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) and protein-induced fluorescence enhancement in vitro can report on conformational changes and molecular interactions, single-molecule pull-down (SiMPull) can capture and analyze the composition and function of native protein complexes, and single-molecule tracking (SMT) in live cells reveals cellular structures and dynamics. In labeling, the abilities to specifically label genomic loci, mRNA, and nascent polypeptides in cells have uncovered chromosome organization and dynamics, transcription and translation dynamics, and gene expression regulation. In manipulation, optical tweezers, integration of single-molecule fluorescence with force measurements, and single-molecule force probes in live cells have transformed our mechanistic understanding of diverse biological processes, ranging from protein folding, nucleic acids-protein interactions to cell surface receptor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taekjip Ha
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Christian Kaiser
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Sua Myong
- Department of Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Bin Wu
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jie Xiao
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Pei K, Zhang J, Zou T, Liu Z. AimR Adopts Preexisting Dimer Conformations for Specific Target Recognition in Lysis-Lysogeny Decisions of Bacillus Phage phi3T. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11091321. [PMID: 34572534 PMCID: PMC8464984 DOI: 10.3390/biom11091321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
A bacteriophage switches between lytic and lysogenic life cycles. The AimR-AimP-AimX communication system is responsible for phage lysis-lysogeny decisions during the infection of Bacillus subtilis. AimX is a regulator biasing phage lysis, AimR is a transcription factor activating AimX expression, and AimP is an arbitrium peptide that determines phage lysogeny by deactivating AimR. A strain-specific mechanism for the lysis-lysogeny decisions is proposed in SPbeta and phi3T phages. That is, the arbitrium peptide of the SPbeta phage stabilizes the SPbeta AimR (spAimR) dimer, whereas the phi3T-derived peptide disassembles the phi3T AimR (phAimR) dimer into a monomer. Here, we find that phAimR does not undergo dimer-to-monomer conversion upon arbitrium peptide binding. Gel-filtration, static light scattering (SLS) and analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) results show that phAimR is dimeric regardless of the presence of arbitrium peptide. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) reveals that the arbitrium peptide binding makes an extended dimeric conformation. Single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) analysis reveals that the phAimR dimer fluctuates among two distinct conformational states, and each preexisting state is selectively recognized by the arbitrium peptide or the target DNA, respectively. Collectively, our biophysical characterization of the phAimR dynamics underlying specific target recognition provides new mechanistic insights into understanding lysis-lysogeny decisions in Bacillus phage phi3T.
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Abstract
Fluorescence-based single-molecule techniques, mainly including fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET), are able to analyze the conformational dynamics and diversity of biological macromolecules. They have been applied to analysis of the dynamics of membrane proteins, such as membrane receptors and membrane transport proteins, due to their superior ability in resolving spatio-temporal heterogeneity and the demand of trace amounts of analytes. In this review, we first introduced the basic principle involved in FCS and smFRET. Then we summarized the labeling and immobilization strategies of membrane protein molecules, the confocal-based and TIRF-based instrumental configuration, and the data processing methods. The applications to membrane protein dynamics analysis are described in detail with the focus on how to select suitable fluorophores, labeling sites, experimental setup, and analysis methods. In the last part, the remaining challenges to be addressed and further development in this field are also briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyu Yang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, 12465 Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Haiqi Xu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, 12465 Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiayu Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, 12465 Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, 12465 Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Meiping Zhao
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, 12465 Peking University, Beijing, China
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Abstract
During transcription elongation at saturating nucleotide concentrations, RNA polymerase (RNAP) performs ∼50 nucleotide-addition cycles every second. The RNAP active center contains a structural element, termed the trigger loop (TL), that has been suggested, but not previously shown, to open to allow a nucleotide to enter and then to close to hold the nucleotide in each nucleotide-addition cycle. Here, using single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy to monitor distances between a probe incorporated into the TL and a probe incorporated elsewhere in the transcription elongation complex, we show that TL closing and opening occur in solution, define time scales and functional roles of TL closing and opening, and, most crucially, demonstrate that one cycle of TL closing and opening occurs in each nucleotide-addition cycle. The RNA polymerase (RNAP) trigger loop (TL) is a mobile structural element of the RNAP active center that, based on crystal structures, has been proposed to cycle between an “unfolded”/“open” state that allows an NTP substrate to enter the active center and a “folded”/“closed” state that holds the NTP substrate in the active center. Here, by quantifying single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer between a first fluorescent probe in the TL and a second fluorescent probe elsewhere in RNAP or in DNA, we detect and characterize TL closing and opening in solution. We show that the TL closes and opens on the millisecond timescale; we show that TL closing and opening provides a checkpoint for NTP complementarity, NTP ribo/deoxyribo identity, and NTP tri/di/monophosphate identity, and serves as a target for inhibitors; and we show that one cycle of TL closing and opening typically occurs in each nucleotide addition cycle in transcription elongation.
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Lin W, Das K, Degen D, Mazumder A, Duchi D, Wang D, Ebright YW, Ebright RY, Sineva E, Gigliotti M, Srivastava A, Mandal S, Jiang Y, Liu Y, Yin R, Zhang Z, Eng ET, Thomas D, Donadio S, Zhang H, Zhang C, Kapanidis AN, Ebright RH. Structural Basis of Transcription Inhibition by Fidaxomicin (Lipiarmycin A3). Mol Cell 2018; 70:60-71.e15. [PMID: 29606590 PMCID: PMC6205224 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2018.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Fidaxomicin is an antibacterial drug in clinical use for treatment of Clostridium difficile diarrhea. The active ingredient of fidaxomicin, lipiarmycin A3 (Lpm), functions by inhibiting bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP). Here we report a cryo-EM structure of Mycobacterium tuberculosis RNAP holoenzyme in complex with Lpm at 3.5-Å resolution. The structure shows that Lpm binds at the base of the RNAP "clamp." The structure exhibits an open conformation of the RNAP clamp, suggesting that Lpm traps an open-clamp state. Single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments confirm that Lpm traps an open-clamp state and define effects of Lpm on clamp dynamics. We suggest that Lpm inhibits transcription by trapping an open-clamp state, preventing simultaneous interaction with promoter -10 and -35 elements. The results account for the absence of cross-resistance between Lpm and other RNAP inhibitors, account for structure-activity relationships of Lpm derivatives, and enable structure-based design of improved Lpm derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Lin
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Kalyan Das
- Rega Institute and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
| | - David Degen
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Abhishek Mazumder
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Diego Duchi
- Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Dongye Wang
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yon W Ebright
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Richard Y Ebright
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Elena Sineva
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Matthew Gigliotti
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Aashish Srivastava
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Sukhendu Mandal
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yi Jiang
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Yu Liu
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Ruiheng Yin
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Zhening Zhang
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York NY 10027, USA
| | - Edward T Eng
- The National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York NY 10027, USA
| | - Dennis Thomas
- Center for Integrative Proteomics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | | | - Haibo Zhang
- South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
| | - Changsheng Zhang
- South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
| | | | - Richard H Ebright
- Waksman Institute and Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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Daher M, Widom JR, Tay W, Walter NG. Soft Interactions with Model Crowders and Non-canonical Interactions with Cellular Proteins Stabilize RNA Folding. J Mol Biol 2017; 430:509-523. [PMID: 29128594 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2017.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 10/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Living cells contain diverse biopolymers, creating a heterogeneous crowding environment, the impact of which on RNA folding is poorly understood. Here, we have used single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer to monitor tertiary structure formation of the hairpin ribozyme as a model to probe the effects of polyethylene glycol and yeast cell extract as crowding agents. As expected, polyethylene glycol stabilizes the docked, catalytically active state of the ribozyme, in part through excluded volume effects; unexpectedly, we found evidence that it additionally displays soft, non-specific interactions with the ribozyme. Yeast extract has a profound effect on folding at protein concentrations 1000-fold lower than found intracellularly, suggesting the dominance of specific interactions over volume exclusion. Gel shift assays and affinity pull-down followed by mass spectrometry identified numerous non-canonical RNA-binding proteins that stabilize ribozyme folding; the apparent chaperoning activity of these ubiquitous proteins significantly compensates for the low-counterion environment of the cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- May Daher
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1055, USA; Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1055, USA
| | - Julia R Widom
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1055, USA; Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1055, USA
| | - Wendy Tay
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1055, USA; Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1055, USA
| | - Nils G Walter
- Single Molecule Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1055, USA; Center for RNA Biomedicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1055, USA.
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Teng FY, Hou XM, Fan SH, Rety S, Dou SX, Xi XG. Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I can disrupt G-quadruplex structures during DNA replication. FEBS J 2017; 284:4051-4065. [PMID: 28986969 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Non-canonical four-stranded G-quadruplex (G4) DNA structures can form in G-rich sequences that are widely distributed throughout the genome. The presence of G4 structures can impair DNA replication by hindering the progress of replicative polymerases (Pols), and failure to resolve these structures can lead to genetic instability. In the present study, we combined different approaches to address the question of whether and how Escherichia coli Pol I resolves G4 obstacles during DNA replication and/or repair. We found that E. coli Pol I-catalyzed DNA synthesis could be arrested by G4 structures at low protein concentrations and the degree of inhibition was strongly dependent on the stability of the G4 structures. Interestingly, at high protein concentrations, E. coli Pol I was able to overcome some kinds of G4 obstacles without the involvement of other molecules and could achieve complete replication of G4 DNA. Mechanistic studies suggested that multiple Pol I proteins might be implicated in G4 unfolding, and the disruption of G4 structures requires energy derived from dNTP hydrolysis. The present work not only reveals an unrealized function of E. coli Pol I, but also presents a possible mechanism by which G4 structures can be resolved during DNA replication and/or repair in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Yuan Teng
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xi-Miao Hou
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - San-Hong Fan
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Stephane Rety
- Univ Lyon, ENS de Lyon, Univ Claude Bernard, CNRS UMR 5239, INSERM U1210, LBMC, Lyon, France
| | - Shuo-Xing Dou
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xu-Guang Xi
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.,LBPA, Ecole normale supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Université Paris Saclay, Cachan, France
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Weikl TR, Paul F. Conformational selection in protein binding and function. Protein Sci 2014; 23:1508-18. [PMID: 25155241 DOI: 10.1002/pro.2539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Revised: 08/20/2014] [Accepted: 08/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Protein binding and function often involves conformational changes. Advanced nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments indicate that these conformational changes can occur in the absence of ligand molecules (or with bound ligands), and that the ligands may "select" protein conformations for binding (or unbinding). In this review, we argue that this conformational selection requires transition times for ligand binding and unbinding that are small compared to the dwell times of proteins in different conformations, which is plausible for small ligand molecules. Such a separation of timescales leads to a decoupling and temporal ordering of binding/unbinding events and conformational changes. We propose that conformational-selection and induced-change processes (such as induced fit) are two sides of the same coin, because the temporal ordering is reversed in binding and unbinding direction. Conformational-selection processes can be characterized by a conformational excitation that occurs prior to a binding or unbinding event, while induced-change processes exhibit a characteristic conformational relaxation that occurs after a binding or unbinding event. We discuss how the ordering of events can be determined from relaxation rates and effective on- and off-rates determined in mixing experiments, and from the conformational exchange rates measured in advanced NMR or single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments. For larger ligand molecules such as peptides, conformational changes and binding events can be intricately coupled and exhibit aspects of conformational-selection and induced-change processes in both binding and unbinding direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Weikl
- Department of Theory and Bio-Systems, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Science Park Golm, 14424, Potsdam, Germany
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Andreou AZ, Klostermeier D. eIF4B and eIF4G jointly stimulate eIF4A ATPase and unwinding activities by modulation of the eIF4A conformational cycle. J Mol Biol 2013; 426:51-61. [PMID: 24080224 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2013.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2013] [Revised: 08/22/2013] [Accepted: 09/23/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) is a DEAD-box protein that participates in translation initiation. As an ATP-dependent RNA helicase, it is thought to resolve secondary structure elements from the 5'-untranslated region of mRNAs to enable ribosome scanning. The RNA-stimulated ATPase and ATP-dependent helicase activities of eIF4A are enhanced by auxiliary proteins, but the underlying mechanisms are still largely unknown. Here, we have dissected the effect of eIF4B and eIF4G on eIF4A RNA-dependent ATPase- and RNA helicase activities and on eIF4A conformation. We show for the first time that yeast eIF4B, like its mammalian counterpart, can stimulate RNA unwinding by eIF4A, although it does not affect the eIF4A conformation. The eIF4G middle domain enhances this stimulatory effect and promotes the formation of a closed eIF4A conformation in the presence of ATP and RNA. The closed state of eIF4A has been inferred but has not been observed experimentally before. eIF4B and eIF4G jointly stimulate ATP hydrolysis and RNA unwinding by eIF4A and favor the formation of the closed eIF4A conformer. Our results reveal distinct functions of eIF4B and eIF4G in synergistically stimulating the eIF4A helicase activity in the mRNA scanning process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Zoi Andreou
- University of Muenster, Institute for Physical Chemistry, Corrensstrasse 30, D-48149 Muenster, Germany
| | - Dagmar Klostermeier
- University of Muenster, Institute for Physical Chemistry, Corrensstrasse 30, D-48149 Muenster, Germany.
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