Analytical ultracentrifugation sedimentation velocity for the characterization of detergent-solubilized membrane proteins Ca++-ATPase and ExbB

Structural and biophysical analysis of a Haemophilus influenzae tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic (TRAP) transporter

Tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic (TRAP) transporters are secondary-active transporters that receive their substrates via a soluble-binding protein to move bioorganic acids across bacterial or archaeal cell membranes. Recent cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of TRAP transporters provide a broad framework to understand how they work, but the mechanistic details of transport are not yet defined. Here we report the cryo-EM structure of the Haemophilus influenzae N-acetylneuraminate TRAP transporter (HiSiaQM) at 2.99 Å resolution (extending to 2.2 Å at the core), revealing new features. The improved resolution (the previous HiSiaQM structure is 4.7 Å resolution) permits accurate assignment of two Na+ sites and the architecture of the substrate-binding site, consistent with mutagenic and functional data. Moreover, rather than a monomer, the HiSiaQM structure is a homodimer. We observe lipids at the dimer interface, as well as a lipid trapped within the fusion that links the SiaQ and SiaM subunits. We show that the affinity (KD) for the complex between the soluble HiSiaP protein and HiSiaQM is in the micromolar range and that a related SiaP can bind HiSiaQM. This work provides key data that enhances our understanding of the 'elevator-with-an-operator' mechanism of TRAP transporters.

Biophysical Characterization of the Oligomeric States of Recombinant Immunoglobulins Type-M and Their C1q-Binding Kinetics by Biolayer Interferometry

Immunoglobulins type-M (IgMs) are one of the first antibody classes mobilized during immune responses against pathogens and tumor cells. Binding to specific target antigens enables the interaction with the C1 complex which strongly activates the classical complement pathway. This biological function is the basis for the huge therapeutic potential of IgMs. But, due to their high oligomeric complexity, in vitro production, biochemical characterization, and biophysical characterization are challenging. In this study, we present recombinant production of two IgM models (IgM617 and IgM012) in pentameric and hexameric states and the evaluation of their polymer distribution using different biophysical methods (analytical ultracentrifugation, size exclusion chromatography coupled to multi-angle laser light scattering, mass photometry, and transmission electron microscopy). Each IgM construct is defined by a specific expression and purification pattern with different sample quality. Nevertheless, both purified IgMs were able to activate complement in a C1q-dependent manner. More importantly, BioLayer Interferometry (BLI) was used for characterizing the kinetics of C1q binding to recombinant IgMs. We show that recombinant IgMs possess similar C1q-binding properties as IgMs purified from human plasma.

Optimization of Membrane Protein TmrA Purification Procedure Guided by Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Membrane proteins are involved in various cellular processes. However, purification of membrane proteins has long been a challenging task, as membrane protein stability in detergent is the bottleneck for purification and subsequent analyses. Therefore, the optimization of detergent conditions is critical for the preparation of membrane proteins. Here, we utilize analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) to examine the effects of different detergents (OG, Triton X-100, DDM), detergent concentrations, and detergent supplementation on the behavior of membrane protein TmrA. Our results suggest that DDM is more suitable for the purification of TmrA compared with OG and TritonX-100; a high concentration of DDM yields a more homogeneous protein aggregation state; supplementing TmrA purified with a low DDM concentration with DDM maintains the protein homogeneity and aggregation state, and may serve as a practical and cost-effective strategy for membrane protein purification.

Diffusion and capture permits dynamic coupling between treadmilling FtsZ filaments and cell division proteins

Most bacteria accomplish cell division with the help of a dynamic protein complex called the divisome, which spans the cell envelope in the plane of division. Assembly and activation of this machinery is coordinated by the tubulin-related GTPase FtsZ, which was found to form treadmilling filaments on supported bilayers in vitro¹ and in live cells where they circle around the cell division site^2,3. Treadmilling of FtsZ is thought to actively move proteins around the cell thereby distributing peptidoglycan synthesis and coordinating the inward growth of the septum to form the new poles of the daughter cells⁴. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this function are largely unknown. Here, to study how FtsZ polymerization dynamics are coupled to downstream proteins, we reconstituted part of the bacterial cell division machinery using its purified components FtsZ, FtsA and truncated transmembrane proteins essential for cell division. We found that the membrane-bound cytosolic peptides of FtsN and FtsQ co-migrated with treadmilling FtsZ-FtsA filaments, but despite their directed collective behavior, individual peptides showed random motion and transient confinement. Our work suggests that divisome proteins follow treadmilling FtsZ filaments by a diffusion-and-capture mechanism, which can give rise to a moving zone of signaling activity at the division site.

Enhanced oligomerization of full-length RAGE by synergy of the interaction of its domains

The pattern recognition receptor RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end-products) transmits proinflammatory signals in several inflammation-related pathological states, including vascular diseases, cancer, neurodegeneration and diabetes. Its oligomerization is believed to be important in signal transduction, but RAGE oligomeric structures and stoichiometries remain unclear. Different oligomerization modes have been proposed in studies involving different truncated versions of the extracellular parts of RAGE. Here, we provide basic characterization of the oligomerization patterns of full-length RAGE (including the transmembrane (TM) and cytosolic regions) and compare the results with oligomerization modes of its four truncated fragments. For this purpose, we used native mass spectrometry, analytical ultracentrifugation, and size-exclusion chromatography coupled with multi-angle light scattering. Our results confirm known oligomerization tendencies of separate domains and highlight the enhanced oligomerization properties of full-length RAGE. Mutational analyses within the GxxxG motif of the TM region show sensitivity of oligomeric distributions to the TM sequence. Using hydrogen–deuterium exchange, we mapped regions involved in TM-dependent RAGE oligomerization. Our data provide experimental evidence for the major role of the C2 and TM domains in oligomerization, underscoring synergy among different oligomerization contact regions along the RAGE sequence. These results also explain the variability of obtained oligomerization modes in RAGE fragments.

The iron-regulated vacuolar Legionella pneumophila MavN protein is a transition-metal transporter

Legionella pneumophila causes a potentially fatal form of pneumonia by replicating within macrophages in the Legionella-containing vacuole (LCV). Bacterial survival and proliferation within the LCV rely on hundreds of secreted effector proteins comprising high functional redundancy. The vacuolar membrane-localized MavN, hypothesized to support iron transport, is unique among effectors because loss-of-function mutations result in severe intracellular growth defects. We show here an iron starvation response by L. pneumophila after infection of macrophages that was prematurely induced in the absence of MavN, consistent with MavN granting access to limiting cellular iron stores. MavN cysteine accessibilities to a membrane-impermeant label were determined during macrophage infections, revealing a topological pattern supporting multipass membrane transporter models. Mutations to several highly conserved residues that can take part in metal recognition and transport resulted in defective intracellular growth. Purified MavN and mutant derivatives were directly tested for transporter activity after heterologous purification and liposome reconstitution. Proteoliposomes harboring MavN exhibited robust transport of Fe2+, with the severity of defect of most mutants closely mimicking the magnitude of defects during intracellular growth. Surprisingly, MavN was equivalently proficient at transporting Fe2+, Mn2+, Co2+, or Zn2+ Consequently, flooding infected cells with either Mn2+ or Zn2+ allowed collaboration with iron to enhance intracellular growth of L. pneumophila ΔmavN strains, indicating a clear role for MavN in transporting each of these ions. These findings reveal that MavN is a transition-metal-ion transporter that plays a critical role in response to iron limitation during Legionella infection.

Assemblies of lauryl maltose neopentyl glycol (LMNG) and LMNG-solubilized membrane proteins

Laurylmaltose neopentylglycol (LMNG) bears two linked hydrophobic chains of equal length and two hydrophilic maltoside groups. It arouses a strong interest in the field of membrane protein biochemistry, since it was shown to efficiently solubilize and stabilize membrane proteins often better than the commonly used dodecylmaltopyranoside (DDM), and to allow structure determination of some challenging membrane proteins. However, LMNG was described to form large micelles, which could be unfavorable for structural purposes. We thus investigated its auto-assemblies and the association state of different membrane proteins solubilized in LMNG by analytical ultracentrifugation, size exclusion chromatography coupled to light scattering, centrifugation on sucrose gradient and/or small angle scattering. At high concentrations (in the mM range), LMNG forms long rods, and it stabilized the membrane proteins investigated herein, i.e. a bacterial multidrug transporter, BmrA; a prokaryotic analogous of the eukaryotic NADPH oxidases, SpNOX; an E. coli outer membrane transporter, FhuA; and the halobacterial bacteriorhodopsin, bR. BmrA, in the Apo and the vanadate-inhibited forms showed reduced kinetics of limited proteolysis in LMNG compared to DDM. Both SpNOX and BmrA display an increased specific activity in LMNG compared to DDM. The four proteins form LMNG complexes with their usual quaternary structure and with usual amount of bound detergent. No heterogeneous complexes related to the large micelle size of LMNG alone were observed. In conditions where LMNG forms assemblies of large size, FhuA crystals diffracting to 4.0 Å were obtained by vapor diffusion. LMNG large micelle size thus does not preclude membrane protein homogeneity and crystallization.

A Cholesterol Analog Induces an Oligomeric Reorganization of VDAC

The oligomeric organization of the voltage-dependent anion-selective channel (VDAC) and its interactions with hexokinase play integral roles in mitochondrially mediated apoptotic signaling. Various small to large assemblies of VDAC are observed in mitochondrial outer membranes, but they do not predominate in detergent-solubilized VDAC samples. In this study, a cholesterol analog, cholesteryl-hemisuccinate (CHS), was shown to induce the formation of detergent-soluble VDAC multimers. The various oligomeric states of VDAC induced by the addition of CHS were deciphered through an integrated biophysics approach using microscale thermophoresis, analytical ultracentrifugation, and size-exclusion chromatography small angle x-ray scattering. Furthermore, CHS stabilizes the interaction between VDAC and hexokinase (K_d of 27 ± 6 μM), confirming the biological relevance of oligomers generated. Thus, sterols such as cholesterol in higher eukaryotes or ergosterol in fungi may regulate the VDAC oligomeric state and may provide a potential target for the modulation of apoptotic signaling by effecting VDAC-VDAC and VDAC-hexokinase interactions. In addition, the integrated biophysical approach described provides a powerful platform for the study of membrane protein complexes in solution.

Characterisation of sensor kinase by CD spectroscopy: golden rules and tips

This is a review that describes the golden rules and tips on how to characterise the molecular interactions of membrane sensor kinase proteins with ligands using mainly circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. CD spectroscopy is essential for this task as any conformational change observed in the far-UV (secondary structures (α-helix, β-strands, poly-proline of type II, β-turns, irregular and folding) and near-UV regions [local environment of the aromatic side-chains of amino acid residues (Phe, Tyr and Trp) and ligands (drugs) and prosthetic groups (porphyrins, cofactors and coenzymes (FMN, FAD, NAD))] upon ligand addition to the protein can be used to determine qualitatively and quantitatively ligand-binding interactions. Advantages of using CD versus other techniques will be discussed. The difference CD spectra of the protein-ligand mixtures calculated subtracting the spectra of the ligand at various molar ratios can be used to determine the type of conformational changes induced by the ligand in terms of the estimated content of the various elements of protein secondary structure. The highly collimated microbeam and high photon flux of Diamond Light Source B23 beamline for synchrotron radiation circular dichroism (SRCD) enable the use of minimal amount of membrane proteins (7.5 µg for a 0.5 mg/ml solution) for high-throughput screening. Several examples of CD titrations of membrane proteins with a variety of ligands are described herein including the protocol tips that would guide the choice of the appropriate parameters to conduct these titrations by CD/SRCD in the best possible way.

Stoichiometry determination of macromolecular membrane protein complexes

Gaining knowledge of the structural makeup of protein complexes is critical to advance our understanding of their formation and functions. This task is particularly challenging for transmembrane protein complexes, and grows ever more imposing with increasing size of these large macromolecular structures. The last 10 years have seen a steep increase in solved high-resolution membrane protein structures due to both new and improved methods in the field, but still most structures of large transmembrane complexes remain elusive. An important first step towards the structure elucidation of these difficult complexes is the determination of their stoichiometry, which we discuss in this review. Knowing the stoichiometry of complex components not only answers unresolved structural questions and is relevant for understanding the molecular mechanisms of macromolecular machines but also supports further attempts to obtain high-resolution structures by providing constraints for structure calculations.

Human COA3 Is an Oligomeric Highly Flexible Protein in Solution

The assembly of the protein complex of cytochrome c oxidase (COX), which participates in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, requires a large number of accessory proteins (the so-called assembly factors). Human COX assembly factor 3 (hCOA3), also known as MITRAC12 or coiled-coil domain-containing protein 56 (CCDC56), interacts with the first subunit protein of COX to form its catalytic core and promotes its assemblage with the other units. Therefore, hCOA3 is involved in COX biogenesis in humans and can be exploited as a drug target in patients with mitochondrial dysfunctions. However, to be considered a molecular target, its structure and conformational stability must first be elucidated. We have embarked on the description of such features by using spectroscopic and hydrodynamic techniques, in aqueous solution and in the presence of detergents, together with computational methods. Our results show that hCOA3 is an oligomeric protein, forming aggregates of different molecular masses in aqueous solution. Moreover, on the basis of fluorescence and circular dichroism results, the protein has (i) its unique tryptophan partially shielded from solvent and (ii) a relatively high percentage of secondary structure. However, this structure is highly flexible and does not involve hydrogen bonding. Experiments in the presence of detergents suggest a slightly higher content of nonrigid helical structure. Theoretical results, based on studies of the primary structure of the protein, further support the idea that hCOA3 is a disordered protein. We suggest that the flexibility of hCOA3 is crucial for its interaction with other proteins to favor mitochondrial protein translocation and assembly of proteins involved in the respiratory chain.

Probing the conformation of FhaC with small-angle neutron scattering and molecular modeling

Probing the solution structure of membrane proteins represents a formidable challenge, particularly when using small-angle scattering. Detergent molecules often present residual scattering contributions even at their match point in small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements. Here, we studied the conformation of FhaC, the outer-membrane, β-barrel transporter of the Bordetella pertussis filamentous hemagglutinin adhesin. SANS measurements were performed on homogeneous solutions of FhaC solubilized in n-octyl-d17-βD-glucoside and on a variant devoid of the α helix H1, which critically obstructs the FhaC pore, in two solvent conditions corresponding to the match points of the protein and the detergent, respectively. Protein-bound detergent amounted to 142 ± 10 mol/mol as determined by analytical ultracentrifugation. By using molecular modeling and starting from three distinct conformations of FhaC and its variant embedded in lipid bilayers, we generated ensembles of protein-detergent arrangement models with 120-160 detergent molecules. The scattered curves were back-calculated for each model and compared with experimental data. Good fits were obtained for relatively compact, connected detergent belts, which occasionally displayed small detergent-free patches on the outer surface of the β barrel. The combination of SANS and modeling clearly enabled us to infer the solution structure of FhaC, with H1 inside the pore as in the crystal structure. We believe that our strategy of combining explicit atomic detergent modeling with SANS measurements has significant potential for structural studies of other detergent-solubilized membrane proteins.

Calculations and Publication-Quality Illustrations for Analytical Ultracentrifugation Data

The analysis of analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) data has been greatly facilitated by the advances accumulated in recent years. These improvements include refinements in AUC-based binding isotherms, advances in the fitting of both sedimentation velocity (SV) and sedimentation equilibrium (SE) data, and innovations in calculations related to posttranslationally modified proteins and to proteins with a large amount of associated cosolute, e.g., detergents. To capitalize on these advances, the experimenter often must prepare and collate multiple data sets and parameters for subsequent analyses; these tasks can be cumbersome and unclear, especially for new users. Examples are the sorting of concentration-profile scans for SE data, the integration of sedimentation velocity distributions (c(s)) to arrive at weighted-average binding isotherms, and the calculations to determine the oligomeric state of glycoproteins and membrane proteins. The significant organizational and logistical hurdles presented by these approaches are streamlined by the software described herein, called GUSSI. GUSSI also creates publication-quality graphics for documenting and illustrating AUC and other biophysical experiments with minimal effort on the user's part. The program contains three main modules, allowing for plotting and calculations on c(s) distributions, SV signal versus radius data, and general data/fit/residual plots.

Biophysical characterization of the outer membrane polysaccharide export protein and the polysaccharide co-polymerase protein from Xanthomonas campestris

This study investigated the structural and biophysical characteristics of GumB and GumC, two Xanthomonas campestris membrane proteins that are involved in xanthan biosynthesis. Xanthan is an exopolysaccharide that is thought to be a virulence factor that contributes to bacterial in planta growth. It also is one of the most important industrial biopolymers. The first steps of xanthan biosynthesis are well understood, but the polymerization and export mechanisms remain unclear. For this reason, the key proteins must be characterized to better understand these processes. Here we characterized, by biochemical and biophysical techniques, GumB, the outer membrane polysaccharide export protein, and GumC, the polysaccharide co-polymerase protein of the xanthan biosynthesis system. Our results suggested that recombinant GumB is a tetrameric protein in solution. On the other hand, we observed that both native and recombinant GumC present oligomeric conformation consistent with dimers and higher-order oligomers. The transmembrane segments of GumC are required for GumC expression and/or stability. These initial results provide a starting point for additional studies that will clarify the roles of GumB and GumC in the xanthan polymerization and export processes and further elucidate their functions and mechanisms of action.

Detergent quantification in membrane protein samples and its application to crystallization experiments

The structural characterization of membrane proteins remains a challenging field, largely because the use of stabilizing detergents is required. Researchers must first select a suitable detergent for the solubility and stability of their protein during in vitro studies. In addition, an appropriate concentration of detergent in membrane protein samples can be essential for protein solubility, stability, and experimental success. For example, in membrane protein crystallography, detergent concentration in the crystallization drop can be a critical parameter influencing crystal growth. Over the past decade, multiple techniques have been developed for the measurement of detergent concentration using a wide variety of strategies. These methods include colorimetric reactions, which target specific detergent classes, and analytical techniques applicable to a wide variety of detergents. This review will summarize and discuss the available options. It will be a useful resource to those selecting a strategy that best fits their experimental requirements and available instruments.

Two-sided ubiquitin binding of NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO) zinc finger unveiled by a mutation associated with anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia with immunodeficiency syndrome

Hypomorphic mutations in the X-linked human NEMO gene result in various forms of anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia with immunodeficiency. NEMO function is mediated by two distal ubiquitin binding domains located in the regulatory C-terminal domain of the protein: the coiled-coil 2-leucine zipper (CC2-LZ) domain and the zinc finger (ZF) domain. Here, we investigated the effect of the D406V mutation found in the NEMO ZF of an ectodermal dysplasia with immunodeficiency patients. This point mutation does not impair the folding of NEMO ZF or mono-ubiquitin binding but is sufficient to alter NEMO function, as NEMO-deficient fibroblasts and Jurkat T lymphocytes reconstituted with full-length D406V NEMO lead to partial and strong defects in NF-κB activation, respectively. To further characterize the ubiquitin binding properties of NEMO ZF, we employed di-ubiquitin (di-Ub) chains composed of several different linkages (Lys-48, Lys-63, and linear (Met-1-linked)). We showed that the pathogenic mutation preferentially impairs the interaction with Lys-63 and Met-1-linked di-Ub, which correlates with its ubiquitin binding defect in vivo. Furthermore, sedimentation velocity and gel filtration showed that NEMO ZF, like other NEMO related-ZFs, binds mono-Ub and di-Ub with distinct stoichiometries, indicating the presence of a new Ub site within the NEMO ZF. Extensive mutagenesis was then performed on NEMO ZF and characterization of mutants allowed the proposal of a structural model of NEMO ZF in interaction with a Lys-63 di-Ub chain.

Assessing the conformational changes of pb5, the receptor-binding protein of phage T5, upon binding to its Escherichia coli receptor FhuA

Within tailed bacteriophages, interaction of the receptor-binding protein (RBP) with the target cell triggers viral DNA ejection into the host cytoplasm. In the case of phage T5, the RBP pb5 and the receptor FhuA, an outer membrane protein of Escherichia coli, have been identified. Here, we use small angle neutron scattering and electron microscopy to investigate the FhuA-pb5 complex. Specific deuteration of one of the partners allows the complete masking in small angle neutron scattering of the surfactant and unlabeled proteins when the complex is solubilized in the fluorinated surfactant F6-DigluM. Thus, individual structures within a membrane protein complex can be described. The solution structure of FhuA agrees with its crystal structure; that of pb5 shows an elongated shape. Neither displays significant conformational changes upon interaction. The mechanism of signal transduction within phage T5 thus appears different from that of phages binding cell wall saccharides, for which structural information is available.

Small angle neutron scattering for the study of solubilised membrane proteins

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) is a powerful technique for investigating association states and conformational changes of biological macromolecules in solution. SANS is of particular interest for the study of the multi-component systems, as membrane protein complexes, for which in vitro characterisation and structure determination are often difficult. This article details the important physical properties of surfactants in view of small angle neutron scattering studies and the interest to deuterate membrane proteins for contrast variation studies. We present strategies for the production of deuterated membrane proteins and methods for quality control. We then review some studies on membrane proteins, and focus on the strategies to overcome the intrinsic difficulty to eliminate homogeneously the detergent or surfactant signal for solubilised membrane proteins, or that of lipids for membrane proteins inserted in liposomes.

Overview of current methods in sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium analytical ultracentrifugation

Modern computational strategies have allowed for the direct modeling of the sedimentation process of heterogeneous mixtures, resulting in sedimentation velocity (SV) size-distribution analyses with significantly improved detection limits and strongly enhanced resolution. These advances have transformed the practice of SV, rendering it the primary method of choice for most existing applications of analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), such as the study of protein self- and hetero-association, the study of membrane proteins, and applications in biotechnology. New global multisignal modeling and mass conservation approaches in SV and sedimentation equilibrium (SE), in conjunction with the effective-particle framework for interpreting the sedimentation boundary structure of interacting systems, as well as tools for explicit modeling of the reaction/diffusion/sedimentation equations to experimental data, have led to more robust and more powerful strategies for the study of reversible protein interactions and multiprotein complexes. Furthermore, modern mathematical modeling capabilities have allowed for a detailed description of many experimental aspects of the acquired data, thus enabling novel experimental opportunities, with important implications for both sample preparation and data acquisition. The goal of the current unit is to describe the current tools for the study of soluble proteins, detergent-solubilized membrane proteins and their interactions by SV and SE.

A new high-performance thin layer chromatography-based assay of detergents and surfactants commonly used in membrane protein studies

The hydrophobic nature of membrane proteins (MPs) necessitates the use of detergents for their extraction, solubilization and purification. Because the concentration of amphiphiles is crucial in the crystallization process, detergent quantification is essential to routine analysis. Here we describe a quantitative high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method we developed for the detection of small quantities of detergent bound to solubilized MPs. After optimization of aqueous deposit conditions, we show that most detergents widely used in membrane protein crystallography display distinctive mobilities in a mixture of dichloromethane, methanol and acetic acid 32:7.6:0.4 (v/v/v). Migration and derivatization conditions were optimized with n-dodecyl-β-D-maltoside (DDM), the most popular detergent for membrane protein crystallization. A linear calibration curve very well fits our data from 0.1 to 1.6 μg of DDM in water with a limit of detection of 0.05 μg. This limit of detection is the best achieved to date for a routine detergent assay, being not modified by the addition of NaCl, commonly used in protein buffers. With these chromatographic conditions, no prior treatment is required to assess the quantities of detergent bound to purified MPs, thus enabling the quantification of close structure detergents via a single procedure. This HPTLC method, which is fast and requires low sample volume, is fully suitable for routine measurements.

Dissection of pilus tip assembly by the FimD usher monomer

Type 1 pili are representative of a class of bacterial surface structures assembled by the conserved chaperone/usher pathway and used by uropathogenic Escherichia coli to attach to bladder cells during infection. The outer membrane assembly platform-the usher-is critical for the formation of pili, catalysing the polymerisation of pilus subunits and enabling the secretion of the nascent pilus. Despite extensive structural characterisation of the usher, a number of questions about its mechanism remain, notably its oligomerisation state, and how it orchestrates the ordered assembly of pilus subunits. We demonstrate here that the FimD usher is able to catalyse in vitro pilus assembly effectively in its monomeric form. Furthermore, by establishing the kinetics of usher-catalysed reactions between various pilus subunits, we establish a complete kinetic model of tip fibrillum assembly, able to account for the order of subunits in native type 1 pili.

Sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation in hydrogenated and deuterated solvents for the characterization of membrane proteins

This chapter is a step-by-step protocol for setting up, realizing, and analyzing sedimentation velocity experiments in hydrogenated and deuterated solvents, in the context of the characterization of membrane protein, in terms of homogeneity, association state, and amount of bound detergent, based on a real case study of the membrane protein BmrA solubilized in n-Dodecyl-β-D-Maltopyranoside) detergent.

Active detergent-solubilized H+,K+-ATPase is a monomer

The H(+),K(+)-ATPase pumps protons or hydronium ions and is responsible for the acidification of the gastric fluid. It is made up of an α-catalytic and a β-glycosylated subunit. The relation between cation translocation and the organization of the protein in the membrane are not well understood. We describe here how pure and functionally active pig gastric H(+),K(+)-ATPase with an apparent Stokes radius of 6.3 nm can be obtained after solubilization with the non-ionic detergent C(12)E(8), followed by exchange of C(12)E(8) with Tween 20 on a Superose 6 column. Mass spectroscopy indicates that the β-subunit bears an excess mass of 9 kDa attributable to glycosylation. From chemical analysis, there are 0.25 g of phospholipids and around 0.024 g of cholesterol bound per g of protein. Analytical ultracentrifugation shows one main complex, sedimenting at s(20,)(w) = 7.2 ± 0.1 S, together with minor amounts of irreversibly aggregated material. From these data, a buoyant molecular mass is calculated, corresponding to an H(+),K(+)-ATPase α,β-protomer of 147.3 kDa. Complementary sedimentation velocity with deuterated water gives a picture of an α,β-protomer with 0.9-1.4 g/g of bound detergent and lipids and a reasonable frictional ratio of 1.5, corresponding to a Stokes radius of 7.1 nm. An α(2),β(2) dimer is rejected by the data. Light scattering coupled to gel filtration confirms the monomeric state of solubilized H(+),K(+)-ATPase. Thus, α,β H(+),K(+)-ATPase is active at least in detergent and may plausibly function as a monomer, as has been established for other P-type ATPases, Ca(2+)-ATPase and Na(+),K(+)-ATPase.

Oligomeric status and nucleotide binding properties of the plastid ATP/ADP transporter 1: toward a molecular understanding of the transport mechanism

BACKGROUND

Chloroplast ATP/ADP transporters are essential to energy homeostasis in plant cells. However, their molecular mechanism remains poorly understood, primarily due to the difficulty of producing and purifying functional recombinant forms of these transporters.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

In this work, we describe an expression and purification protocol providing good yields and efficient solubilization of NTT1 protein from Arabidopsis thaliana. By biochemical and biophysical analyses, we identified the best detergent for solubilization and purification of functional proteins, LAPAO. Purified NTT1 was found to accumulate as two independent pools of well folded, stable monomers and dimers. ATP and ADP binding properties were determined, and Pi, a co-substrate of ADP, was confirmed to be essential for nucleotide steady-state transport. Nucleotide binding studies and analysis of NTT1 mutants lead us to suggest the existence of two distinct and probably inter-dependent binding sites. Finally, fusion and deletion experiments demonstrated that the C-terminus of NTT1 is not essential for multimerization, but probably plays a regulatory role, controlling the nucleotide exchange rate.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Taken together, these data provide a comprehensive molecular characterization of a chloroplast ATP/ADP transporter.

Density contrast sedimentation velocity for the determination of protein partial-specific volumes

The partial-specific volume of proteins is an important thermodynamic parameter required for the interpretation of data in several biophysical disciplines. Building on recent advances in the use of density variation sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation for the determination of macromolecular partial-specific volumes, we have explored a direct global modeling approach describing the sedimentation boundaries in different solvents with a joint differential sedimentation coefficient distribution. This takes full advantage of the influence of different macromolecular buoyancy on both the spread and the velocity of the sedimentation boundary. It should lend itself well to the study of interacting macromolecules and/or heterogeneous samples in microgram quantities. Model applications to three protein samples studied in either H(2)O, or isotopically enriched H(2) (18)O mixtures, indicate that partial-specific volumes can be determined with a statistical precision of better than 0.5%, provided signal/noise ratios of 50-100 can be achieved in the measurement of the macromolecular sedimentation velocity profiles. The approach is implemented in the global modeling software SEDPHAT.

Advances in the mass spectrometry of membrane proteins: from individual proteins to intact complexes

Rapid advances in structural genomics and in large-scale proteomic projects have yielded vast amounts of data on soluble proteins and their complexes. Despite these advances, progress in studying membrane proteins using mass spectrometry (MS) has been slow. This is due in part to the inherent solubility and dynamic properties of these proteins, but also to their low abundance and the absence of polar side chains in amino acid residues. Considerable progress in overcoming these challenges is, however, now being made for all levels of structural characterization. This progress includes MS studies of the primary structure of membrane proteins, wherein sophisticated enrichment and trapping procedures are allowing multiple posttranslational modifications to be defined through to the secondary structure level in which proteins and peptides have been probed using hydrogen exchange, covalent, or radiolytic labeling methods. Exciting possibilities now exist to go beyond primary and secondary structure to reveal the tertiary and quaternary interactions of soluble and membrane subunits within intact assemblies of more than 700 kDa.

Optimized purification of a heterodimeric ABC transporter in a highly stable form amenable to 2-D crystallization

Optimized protocols for achieving high-yield expression, purification and reconstitution of membrane proteins are required to study their structure and function. We previously reported high-level expression in Escherichia coli of active BmrC and BmrD proteins from Bacillus subtilis, previously named YheI and YheH. These proteins are half-transporters which belong to the ABC (ATP-Binding Cassette) superfamily and associate in vivo to form a functional transporter able to efflux drugs. In this report, high-yield purification and functional reconstitution were achieved for the heterodimer BmrC/BmrD. In contrast to other detergents more efficient for solubilizing the transporter, dodecyl-ß-D-maltoside (DDM) maintained it in a drug-sensitive and vanadate-sensitive ATPase-competent state after purification by affinity chromatography. High amounts of pure proteins were obtained which were shown either by analytical ultracentrifugation or gel filtration to form a monodisperse heterodimer in solution, which was notably stable for more than one month at 4°C. Functional reconstitution using different lipid compositions induced an 8-fold increase of the ATPase activity (k_cat∼5 s⁻¹). We further validated that the quality of the purified BmrC/BmrD heterodimer is suitable for structural analyses, as its reconstitution at high protein densities led to the formation of 2-D crystals. Electron microscopy of negatively stained crystals allowed the calculation of a projection map at 20 Å resolution revealing that BmrC/BmrD might assemble into oligomers in a lipidic environment.

Determination of protein complex stoichiometry through multisignal sedimentation velocity experiments

Determination of the stoichiometry of macromolecular assemblies is fundamental to an understanding of how they function. Many different biophysical methodologies may be used to determine stoichiometry. In the past, both sedimentation equilibrium and sedimentation velocity analytical ultracentrifugation have been employed to determine component stoichiometries. Recently, a method of globally analyzing multisignal sedimentation velocity data was introduced by Schuck and coworkers. This global analysis removes some of the experimental inconveniences and inaccuracies that could occur in the previously used strategies. This method uses spectral differences between the macromolecular components to decompose the well-known c(s) distribution into component distributions c(k)(s); that is, each component k has its own c(k)(s) distribution. Integration of these distributions allows the calculation of the populations of each component in cosedimenting complexes, yielding their stoichiometry. In our laboratories, we have used this method extensively to determine the component stoichiometries of several protein-protein complexes involved in cytoskeletal remodeling, sugar metabolism, and host-pathogen interactions. The overall method is described in detail in this work, as are experimental examples and caveats.

Structure and interactions of fish type III antifreeze protein in solution

It has been suggested that above a critical protein concentration, fish Type III antifreeze protein (AFP III) self-assembles to form micelle-like structures that may play a key role in antifreeze activity. To understand the complex activity of AFP III, a comprehensive description of its association state and structural organization in solution is necessary. We used analytical ultracentrifugation, analytical size-exclusion chromatography, and dynamic light scattering to characterize the interactions and homogeneity of AFP III in solution. Small-angle neutron scattering was used to determine the low-resolution structure in solution. Our results clearly show that at concentrations up to 20 mg mL(-1) and at temperatures of 20 degrees C, 6 degrees C, and 4 degrees C, AFP III is monomeric in solution and adopts a structure compatible with that determined by crystallography. Surface tension measurements show a propensity of AFP III to localize at the air/water interface, but this surface activity is not correlated with any aggregation in the bulk. These results support the hypothesis that each AFP III molecule acts independently of the others, and that specific intermolecular interactions between monomers are not required for binding to ice. The lack of attractive interactions between monomers may be functionally important, allowing for more efficient binding and covering of the ice surface.

Accounting for solvent signal offsets in the analysis of interferometric sedimentation velocity data

Sedimentation velocity (SV) analytical ultracentrifugation has re-emerged as an important tool in the characterization of biological macromolecules and nanoparticles. The computational analysis of the evolution of the macromolecular concentration profile allows the characterization of many hydrodynamic and thermodynamic properties of the macromolecules and their interactions. The Rayleigh interference optical system is often the detection method of choice, for its usually superior data quality and the wide applicability of refractive index sensitive detection. However, the interference optical system is also sensitive to the redistribution of co-solvent molecules, which are not of primary experimental interest. In principle, their contribution can be eliminated by an exact geometric and compositional match of the sample solution and the reference solution, achieving the complete optical subtraction of unwanted buffer signals. Unfortunately, in practice, this can often not be perfectly achieved for various reasons, leading to signal offsets arising from unmatched sedimentation of solvent components. If unrecognized, this can lead to significant misfit, accompanied by significant errors in the macromolecular sedimentation parameters. In the present work, we describe an approach of computationally accounting for signals from sedimenting buffer components through explicitly modeling their redistribution with Lamm equation solutions, implemented in the software SEDFIT. We demonstrate how this can restore the SV analysis to yield a high quality fit of the data and to provide correct macromolecular sedimentation parameters.

Gel chromatography and analytical ultracentrifugation to determine the extent of detergent binding and aggregation, and Stokes radius of membrane proteins using sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase as an example

For structural studies of integral membrane proteins, including their 3D crystallization, the judicious use of detergent for solubilization and purification is required. Detergent binding by the solubilized protein is an important parameter to determine the hydrodynamic properties in terms of size and aggregational (monomeric/oligo(proto)meric) state of the protein. Detergent binding can be measured by gel filtration chromatography under equilibrium conditions and after separation from mixed micelles of solubilized lipid and detergent. Using sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase as an example, we demonstrate in this protocol complete procedures for measurement of detergent binding using (i) radiolabeled n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside (DM) or (ii) from measurements of the increase in refractive index due to the presence of bound detergent on the protein. The latter measurement can also be performed by sedimentation velocity (SV) analysis in the analytical ultracentrifuge which in addition allows determination of the sedimentation coefficient. In combination with estimation of Stokes radius by gel filtration calibration, the molecular mass and asymmetry of the solubilized protein can be calculated. In the proposed protocols, the gel chromatographic procedures require 1 d; SV experiments are performed just after size exclusion. The whole time for these experiments is 24 h. Data analysis of analytical ultracentrifugation requires a couple of days.