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Kokkinakis J, Schuett BS, Millar TJ. Effects on the Human Tear Film of Applying Skin Lipids to the Ocular Surface. Cornea 2023; 42:1562-1571. [PMID: 37506368 DOI: 10.1097/ico.0000000000003345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The effect of skin lipids on the formation and stability of the human tear film was investigated. METHODS Skin swab substances (SSSs) were applied to the eyes of volunteers and studied using fluorescein or with TearView, which records infrared emissivity showing tear film integrity in real time. Results were compared with similar experiments using castor oil, freshly collected meibum, or acetic acid, which simulated the low pH of the skin. RESULTS Fluorescein and TearView results were comparable. TearView showed the natural unaltered tear film over the whole eye, instant changes to the tear film, and meibomian gland activity. Minimal amounts of SSS destroyed the integrity of the film and caused pain. Corneal epithelial damage could be detected. TearView showed that SSS stimulated meibomian gland secretion if applied directly to the posterior eyelid margin. Excess meibum had no effect on the tear film spread or integrity. Castor oil formed floating lenses on the tear film which were spread by a blink but then condensed back toward themselves. There was no pain or surface damage with these oils. CONCLUSIONS SSS contamination of the ocular surface disrupts the tear film, causes stinging, and fluorescein staining of the corneal epithelial cells after a blink. SSS stimulates meibomian gland activity. It is possible that various ocular conditions associated with dry eye, such as blepharitis and ocular rosacea, may compromise a meibomian lipid barrier of the eye lid margin. Skin lipids would then have access to the ocular surface and cause dry eye symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim Kokkinakis
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Eye Practice, Sydney, NSW, Australia; and
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Santhakumari PR, Dhanabalan K, Virani S, Hopf-Jannasch AS, Benoit JB, Chopra G, Subramanian R. Variability in phenylalanine side chain conformations facilitates broad substrate tolerance of fatty acid binding in cockroach milk proteins. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280009. [PMID: 37384723 PMCID: PMC10310036 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Diploptera punctata, also known as the Pacific beetle cockroach, is a viviparous cockroach that gives birth to live offspring and secretes a highly concentrated mixture of glycosylated proteins as a source of nourishment for developing embryos. These proteins are lipocalins that bind to lipids and crystallize in the gut of the embryo. A structure of milk crystals harvested from the embryos showed that the milk-derived crystals were heterogeneous and made of three proteins (called Lili-Mips). We hypothesized that the isoforms of Lili-Mip would display different affinities for fatty acids due to the ability of the pocket to bind multiple acyl chain lengths. We previously reported the structures of Lili-Mip from crystals grown in vivo and recombinantly expressed Lili-Mip2. These structures are similar, and both bind to several fatty acids. This study explores the specificity and affinity of fatty acid binding to recombinantly expressed Lili-Mip 1, 2 & 3. We show that all isoforms can bind to different fatty acids with similar affinities. We also report the thermostability of Lili-Mip is pH dependent, where stability is highest at acidic pH and declines as the pH increases to physiological levels near 7.0. We show that thermostability is an inherent property of the protein, and glycosylation and ligand binding do not change it significantly. Measuring the pH in the embryo's gut lumen and gut cells suggests that the pH in the gut is acidic and the pH inside the gut cells is closer to neutral pH. In various crystal structures (reported here and previously by us), Phe-98 and Phe-100 occupy multiple conformations in the binding pocket. In our earlier work, we had shown that the loops at the entrance could adapt various conformations to change the size of the binding pocket. Here we show Phe-98 and Phe-100 can reorient to stabilize interactions at the bottom of the cavity-and change the volume of the cavity from 510 Å3 to 337 Å3. Together they facilitate the binding of fatty acids of different acyl chain lengths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Partha Radhakrishnan Santhakumari
- Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
- Department of Biological Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India
| | - KanagaVijayan Dhanabalan
- Department of Biological Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Saniya Virani
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
- Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Amber S. Hopf-Jannasch
- Bindley Biosciences Centre, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Joshua B. Benoit
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Gaurav Chopra
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
- Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Ramaswamy Subramanian
- Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
- Department of Biological Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
- Bindley Biosciences Centre, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
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Glasgow BJ. Tear Lipocalin and Lipocalin-Interacting Membrane Receptor. Front Physiol 2021; 12:684211. [PMID: 34489718 PMCID: PMC8417070 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.684211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tear lipocalin is a primate protein that was recognized as a lipocalin from the homology of the primary sequence. The protein is most concentrated in tears and produced by lacrimal glands. Tear lipocalin is also produced in the tongue, pituitary, prostate, and the tracheobronchial tree. Tear lipocalin has been assigned a multitude of functions. The functions of tear lipocalin are inexorably linked to structural characteristics that are often shared by the lipocalin family. These characteristics result in the binding and or transport of a wide range of small hydrophobic molecules. The cavity of tear lipocalin is formed by eight strands (A-H) that are arranged in a β-barrel and are joined by loops between the β-strands. Recently, studies of the solution structure of tear lipocalin have unveiled new structural features such as cation-π interactions, which are extant throughout the lipocalin family. Lipocalin has many unique features that affect ligand specificity. These include a capacious and a flexible cavity with mobile and short overhanging loops. Specific features that confer promiscuity for ligand binding in tear lipocalin will be analyzed. The functions of tear lipocalin include the following: antimicrobial activities, scavenger of toxic and tear disruptive compounds, endonuclease activity, and inhibition of cysteine proteases. In addition, tear lipocalin binds and may modulate lipids in the tears. Such actions support roles as an acceptor for phospholipid transfer protein, heteropolymer formation to alter viscosity, and tear surface interactions. The promiscuous lipid-binding properties of tear lipocalin have created opportunities for its use as a drug carrier. Mutant analogs have been created to bind other molecules such as vascular endothelial growth factor for medicinal use. Tear lipocalin has been touted as a useful biomarker for several diseases including breast cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetic retinopathy, and keratoconus. The functional possibilities of tear lipocalin dramatically expanded when a putative receptor, lipocalin-interacting membrane receptor was identified. However, opposing studies claim that lipocalin-interacting membrane receptor is not specific for lipocalin. A recent study even suggests a different function for the membrane protein. This controversy will be reviewed in light of gene expression data, which suggest that tear lipocalin has a different tissue distribution than the putative receptor. But the data show lipocalin-interacting membrane receptor is expressed on ocular surface epithelium and that a receptor function here would be rational.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben J. Glasgow
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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4
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Abstract
Purpose The structure of tears has been theoretically considered three tiers with lipids at the air interface, aqueous and proteins in the subphase, and anchored mucins on the corneal epithelial surface. While many lipid and protein species have been identified in tears by mass spectrometry, the localization of the major components within the tear film structure remains speculative. The most controversial components are phospholipids. Although surface active, phospholipids have been presumed to be bound entirely to protein in the aqueous portion of tears or reside at the aqueous-lipid interface. Herein, the possibility that phospholipids are adsorbed at the air-surface interface of tears is interrogated. Methods Polarization-modulated Fourier transform infrared reflective absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) was used to study the presence of phosphate signals at the tear surface. In order to constrain the depth of signal detection to the surface, an extreme grazing angle of incident radiation was employed. Nulling ellipsometry was used to confirm the presence of monolayers and surface thicknesses when surface active reagents were added to solutions. Results Surface selection of PM-IRRAS was demonstrated by suppression of water and phosphate signals in buffers with monolayers of oleic acid. Phosphate signals were shown to reflect relative concentrations. Absorption peaks attributable to phospholipids were detected by PM-IRRAS on the human tear film surface and were augmented by the addition of phospholipid. Conclusions The data provide strong evidence that phospholipids are present at the surface of tears.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben J Glasgow
- Departments of Pathology and Ophthalmology, UCLA School of Medicine, Jules Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California, United States
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Habeler M, Redl B. Phage-display reveals interaction of lipocalin allergen Can f 1 with a peptide resembling the antigen binding region of a human γδT-cell receptor. Biol Chem 2021; 402:433-437. [PMID: 33938175 PMCID: PMC10883907 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2020-0185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Although some progress has been achieved in understanding certain aspects of the allergenic mechanism of animal lipocalins, they still remain largely enigmatic. One possibility to unravel this property is to investigate their interaction with components of the immune system. Since these components are highly complex we intended to use a high-throughput technology for this purpose. Therefore, we used phage-display of a random peptide library for panning against the dog allergen Can f 1. By this method we identified a Can f 1 binding peptide corresponding to the antigen-binding site of a putative γδT-cell receptor. Additional biochemical investigations confirmed this interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Habeler
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innrain 80, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Bernhard Redl
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innrain 80, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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Kim JH, Kang JW, Choi MG, Lee KW, Kim JC. Changes in Total Tear Protein and Lipocalin Concentration According to Frequency of Artificial Tear Usage. JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN OPHTHALMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 2019. [DOI: 10.3341/jkos.2019.60.5.414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeong Woo Kang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Min Gyu Choi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Glasgow BJ, Abduragimov AR. Ligand binding complexes in lipocalins: Underestimation of the stoichiometry parameter (n). BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2018; 1866:1001-1007. [PMID: 30037780 PMCID: PMC6481938 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2018] [Revised: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The stoichiometry of a ligand binding reaction to a protein is given by a parameter (n). The value of this parameter may indicate the presence of protein monomer or dimers in the binding complex. Members of the lipocalin superfamily show variation in the stoichiometry of binding to ligands. In some cases the stoichiometry parameter (n) has been variously reported for the same protein as mono- and multimerization of the complex. Prime examples include retinol binding protein, β lactoglobulin and tear lipocalin, also called lipocalin-1(LCN1). Recent work demonstrated the stoichiometric ratio for ceramide:tear lipocalin varied (range n = 0.3-0.75) by several different methods. The structure of ceramide raises the intriguing possibility of a lipocalin dimer complex with each lipocalin molecule attached to one of the two alkyl chains of ceramide. The stoichiometry of the ceramide-tear lipocalin binding complex was explored in detail using size exclusion chromatography and time resolved fluorescence anisotropy. Both methods showed consistent results that tear lipocalin remains monomeric when bound to ceramide. Delipidation experiments suggest the most likely explanation is that the low 'n' values result from prior occupancy of the binding sites by native ligands. Lipocalins such as tear lipocalin that have numerous binding partners are particularly prone to an underestimated apparent stoichiometry parameter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben J Glasgow
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 100 Stein Plaza Rm. BH 623, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
| | - Adil R Abduragimov
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 100 Stein Plaza Rm. BH 623, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
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8
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Main effects of human saliva on flavour perception and the potential contribution to food consumption. Proc Nutr Soc 2018; 77:423-431. [DOI: 10.1017/s0029665118000113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Whole saliva is a mixture composed by the secretions of the major and minor salivary glands and the crevicular fluid, bacteria, cells and food debris. Its properties (flow and composition) are highly intra- and inter-individually dependent and reflect the health status of individuals. Saliva plays a key role in the eating process and on the perception of flavour. Flavour corresponds to the combined effect of taste sensations, aromatics and chemical feeling factors evoked by food in the oral cavity. It is a key determinant of food consumption and intake. This review summarises the evidence about the role of saliva in flavour perception and its potential contribution to food intake. All in all, evidence on the relationships between salivary parameters and both food perception and feeding behaviour is presented. This review emphasises that new studies accounting for the effect of salivary constituents on flavour alterations due to diseases (i.e. cancer, obesity and diabetes) are lacking and are expected in the incoming years.
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Glasgow BJ, Abduragimov AR. Interaction of ceramides and tear lipocalin. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2018; 1863:399-408. [PMID: 29331331 PMCID: PMC5835416 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The distribution of lipids in tears is critical to their function. Lipids in human tears may retard evaporation by forming a surface barrier at the air interface. Lipids complexed with the major lipid binding protein in tears, tear lipocalin, reside in the bulk (aqueous) and may have functions unrelated to the surface. Many new lipids species have been revealed through recent mass spectrometric studies. Their association with lipid binding proteins has not been studied. Squalene, (O-acyl) omega-hydroxy fatty acids (OAHFA) and ceramides are examples. Even well-known lipids such as wax and cholesteryl esters are only presumed to be unbound because extracts of protein fractions of tears were devoid of these lipids. Our purpose was to determine by direct binding assays if the aforementioned lipids can bind tear lipocalin. Lipids were screened for ability to displace DAUDA from tear lipocalin in a fluorescence displacement assay. Di- and tri-glycerides, squalene, OAHFA, wax and cholesterol esters did not displace DAUDA from tear lipocalin. However, ceramides displaced DAUDA. Apparent dissociation constants for ceramide-tear lipocalin complexes using fluorescent analogs were measured consistently in the submicromolar range with 3 methods, linear spectral summation, high speed centrifugal precipitation and standard fluorescence assays. At the relatively small concentrations in tears, all ceramides were complexed to tear lipocalin. The lack of binding of di- and tri-glycerides, squalene, OAHFA, as well as wax and cholesterol esters to tear lipocalin is consonant with residence of these lipids near the air interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben J Glasgow
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 100 Stein Plaza Rm. BH 623, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
| | - Adil R Abduragimov
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 100 Stein Plaza Rm. BH 623, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
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10
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Abstract
The members of the Tear Film Subcommittee reviewed the role of the tear film in dry eye disease (DED). The Subcommittee reviewed biophysical and biochemical aspects of tears and how these change in DED. Clinically, DED is characterized by loss of tear volume, more rapid breakup of the tear film and increased evaporation of tears from the ocular surface. The tear film is composed of many substances including lipids, proteins, mucins and electrolytes. All of these contribute to the integrity of the tear film but exactly how they interact is still an area of active research. Tear film osmolarity increases in DED. Changes to other components such as proteins and mucins can be used as biomarkers for DED. The Subcommittee recommended areas for future research to advance our understanding of the tear film and how this changes with DED. The final report was written after review by all Subcommittee members and the entire TFOS DEWS II membership.
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. Exploring protein solution structure: Second moments of fluorescent spectra report heterogeneity of tryptophan rotamers. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2015; 150:909-920. [PMID: 26119357 PMCID: PMC4550534 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2015.06.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Revised: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Trp fluorescent spectra appear as a log-normal function but are usually analyzed with λmax, full width at half maximum, and the first moment of incomplete spectra. Log-normal analyses have successfully separated fluorescence contributions from some multi-Trp proteins but deviations were observed in single Trp proteins. The possibility that disparate rotamer environments might account for these deviations was explored by moment spectral analysis of single Trp mutants spanning the sequence of tear lipocalin as a model. The analysis required full width Trp spectra. Composite spectra were constructed using log-normal analysis to derive the inaccessible blue edge, and the experimentally obtained spectra for the remainder. First moments of the composite spectra reflected the site-resolved secondary structure. Second moments were most sensitive for spectral deviations. A novel parameter, derived from the difference of the second moments of composite and simulated log-normal spectra correlated with known multiple heterogeneous rotamer conformations. Buried and restricted side chains showed the most heterogeneity. Analyses applied to other proteins further validated the method. The rotamer heterogeneity values could be rationalized by known conformational properties of Trp residues and the distribution of nearby charged groups according to the internal Stark effect. Spectral heterogeneity fits the rotamer model but does not preclude other contributing factors. Spectral moment analysis of full width Trp emission spectra is accessible to most laboratories. The calculations are informative of protein structure and can be adapted to study dynamic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Departments of Pathology and Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University California at Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
| | - Adil R Abduragimov
- Departments of Pathology and Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University California at Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
| | - Ben J Glasgow
- Departments of Pathology and Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University California at Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
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12
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Schiefner A, Skerra A. The menagerie of human lipocalins: a natural protein scaffold for molecular recognition of physiological compounds. Acc Chem Res 2015; 48:976-85. [PMID: 25756749 DOI: 10.1021/ar5003973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
While immunoglobulins are well-known for their characteristic ability to bind macromolecular antigens (i.e., as antibodies during an immune response), the lipocalins constitute a family of proteins whose role is the complexation of small molecules for various physiological processes. In fact, a number of low-molecular-weight substances in multicellular organisms show poor solubility, are prone to chemical decomposition, or play a pathophysiological role and thus require specific binding proteins for transport through body fluids, storage, or sequestration. In many cases, lipocalins are involved in such tasks. Lipocalins are small, usually monomeric proteins with 150-180 residues and diameters of approximately 40 Å, adopting a compact fold that is dominated by a central eight-stranded up-and-down β-barrel. At the amino-terminal end, this core is flanked by a coiled polypeptide segment, while its carboxy-terminal end is followed by an α-helix that leans against the β-barrel as well as an amino acid stretch in a more-or-less extended conformation, which finally is fixed by a disulfide bond. Within the β-barrel, the antiparallel strands (designated A to H) are arranged in a (+1)7 topology and wind around a central axis in a right-handed manner such that part of strand A is hydrogen-bonded to strand H again. Whereas the lower region of the β-barrel is closed by short loops and densely packed hydrophobic side chains, including many aromatic residues, the upper end is usually open to solvent. There, four long loops, each connecting one pair of β-strands, together form the entrance to a cup-shaped cavity. Depending on the individual structure of a lipocalin, and especially on the lengths and amino acid sequences of its four loops, this pocket can accommodate chemical ligands of various sizes and shapes, including lipids, steroids, and other chemical hormones as well as secondary metabolites such as vitamins, cofactors, or odorants. While lipocalins are ubiquitous in all higher organisms, physiologically important members of this family have long been known in the human body, for example with the plasma retinol-binding protein that serves for the transport of vitamin A. This prototypic human lipocalin was the first for which a crystal structure was solved. Notably, several other lipocalins were discovered and assigned to this protein class before the term itself became familiar, which explains their diverse names in the scientific literature. To date, up to 15 distinct members of the lipocalin family have been characterized in humans, and during the last two decades the three-dimensional structures of a dozen major subtypes have been elucidated. This Account presents a comprehensive overview of the human lipocalins, revealing common structural principles but also deviations that explain individual functional features. Taking advantage of modern methods for combinatorial protein design, lipocalins have also been employed as scaffolds for the construction of artifical binding proteins with novel ligand specificities, so-called Anticalins, hence opening perspectives as a new class of biopharmaceuticals for medical therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Schiefner
- Munich Center for Integrated
Protein Science (CIPS-M) and Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, 85350 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
| | - Arne Skerra
- Munich Center for Integrated
Protein Science (CIPS-M) and Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, 85350 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. Double tryptophan exciton probe to gauge proximal side chains in proteins: augmentation at low temperature. J Phys Chem B 2015; 119:3962-8. [PMID: 25693116 DOI: 10.1021/jp512864s] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The circular dichroic (CD) exciton couplet between tryptophans and/or tyrosines offers the potential to probe distances within 10 Å in proteins. The exciton effect has been used with native chromophores in critical positions in a few proteins. Here, site-directed mutagenesis created double tryptophan probes for key sites of a protein (tear lipocalin). For tear lipocalin, the crystal and solution structures are concordant in both apo- and holo-forms. Double tryptophan substitutions were performed at sites that could probe conformation and were likely within 10 Å. Far-UV CD spectra of double Trp mutants were performed with controls that had noninteracting substituted tryptophans. Low temperature (77 K) was tested for augmentation of the exciton signal. Exciton coupling appeared with tryptophan substitutions at positions within loop A-B (28 and 31, 33), between loop A-B (28) and strand G (103 and 105), as well as between the strands B (35) and C (56). The CD exciton couplet signals were amplified 3-5-fold at 77 K. The results were concordant with close distances in crystal and solution structures. The exciton couplets had functional significance and correctly assigned the holo-conformation. The methodology creates an effective probe to identify proximal amino acids in a variety of motifs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Departments of Pathology and Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University California at Los Angeles , Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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Abstract
The interplay of different structures belonging to either the anterior segment of the eye or its accessory visual apparatus, which all share common embryological, anatomical, functional, and physiological features, is discussed. Explanation of such terms, as ocular surface, lacrimal functional unit, and ocular surface system, is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- T N Safonova
- Research Institute of Eye Diseases, 11 A, B, Rossolimo St., Moscow, Russian Federation, 119021
| | - L S Pateyuk
- Research Institute of Eye Diseases, 11 A, B, Rossolimo St., Moscow, Russian Federation, 119021
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. Restoration of structural stability and ligand binding after removal of the conserved disulfide bond in tear lipocalin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2014; 452:1004-8. [PMID: 25223802 PMCID: PMC4219327 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2014.09.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Disulfide bonds play diverse structural and functional roles in proteins. In tear lipocalin (TL), the conserved sole disulfide bond regulates stability and ligand binding. Probing protein structure often involves thiol selective labeling for which removal of the disulfide bonds may be necessary. Loss of the disulfide bond may destabilize the protein so strategies to retain the native state are needed. Several approaches were tested to regain the native conformational state in the disulfide-less protein. These included the addition of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) and the substitution of the Cys residues of disulfide bond with residues that can either form a potential salt bridge or others that can create a hydrophobic interaction. TMAO stabilized the protein relaxed by removal of the disulfide bond. In the disulfide-less mutants of TL, 1.0M TMAO increased the free energy change (ΔG(0)) significantly from 2.1 to 3.8kcal/mol. Moderate recovery was observed for the ligand binding tested with NBD-cholesterol. Because the disulfide bond of TL is solvent exposed, the substitution of the disulfide bond with a potential salt bridge or hydrophobic interaction did not stabilize the protein. This approach should work for buried disulfide bonds. However, for proteins with solvent exposed disulfide bonds, the use of TMAO may be an excellent strategy to restore the native conformational states in disulfide-less analogs of the proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Departments of Pathology and Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University California at Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
| | - Adil R Abduragimov
- Departments of Pathology and Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University California at Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Ben J Glasgow
- Departments of Pathology and Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University California at Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States.
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Satone H, Akahoshi E, Nakamura A, Lee JM, Honda M, Shimasaki Y, Kawabata SI, Kusakabe T, Oshima Y. Expression and functional characterization of recombinant tributyltin-binding protein type 2. J Toxicol Sci 2014; 38:885-90. [PMID: 24213008 DOI: 10.2131/jts.38.885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Tributyltin-binding proteins (TBT-bps) are members of the fish lipocalins that were isolated from the blood of Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) and function in the binding and detoxification of TBT. In this study, we constructed a baculovirus-silkworm expression system and obtained recombinant TBT-bp2 (rTBT-bp2; 31.5 kDa) from the hemolymph of silkworm larvae injected with a recombinant baculovirus containing the TBT-bp2 gene. The binding potential of rTBT-bp2 was investigated and compared to that of the previously available recombinant TBT-bp1 (rTBT-bp1). Both rTBT-bp2 and rTBT-bp1 bound to DAUDA, a typical fluorescent ligand of lipocalins, with dissociation constants of 0.97 and 1.75 µM, respectively. The Hill coefficient value indicated that rTBT-bp2 may have multiple binding sites and strong negative cooperativity. These results suggest that the typical central cavity of lipocalins composed of eight specific β-sheets is conserved in rTBT-bp2, as it is in rTBT-bp1, although rTBT-bp2 has different effects than rTBT-bp1 in TBT binding. In a competition assay, rTBT-bp2 displayed exponential binding affinity to TBT with an inhibition constant of 0.29 µM, demonstrating that TBT binds to the central ligand pocket of rTBT-bp2. However, three fatty acids did not show any affinity to rTBT-bp2. Further studies are required to elucidate the endogenous function of TBT-bps as fish lipocalins and their function in responding to xenobiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hina Satone
- Laboratory of Marine Biochemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo
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17
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Running CA, Mattes RD. Different oral sensitivities to and sensations of short-, medium-, and long-chain fatty acids in humans. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2014; 307:G381-9. [PMID: 24924750 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00181.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Fatty acids that vary in chain length and degree of unsaturation have different effects on metabolism and human health. As evidence for a "taste" of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) accumulates, it may be hypothesized that fatty acid structures will also influence oral sensations. The present study examined oral sensitivity to caproic (C6), lauric (C12), and oleic (C18:1) acids over repeated visits. Analyses were also conducted on textural properties of NEFA emulsions and blank solutions. Oral thresholds for caproic acid were lower compared with oleic acid. Lauric acid thresholds were intermediate but not significantly different from either, likely due to lingering irritating sensations that prevented accurate discrimination. From particle size analysis, larger droplets were observed in blank solutions when mineral oil was used, leading to instability of the emulsion, which was not observed when emulsions contained NEFA or when mineral oil was removed from the blank. Rheological data showed no differences in viscosity among samples except for a slightly higher viscosity with oleic acid concentrations above 58 mM. Thus, texture was unlikely to be the property used to distinguish between the samples. Differences in oral detection and sensation of caproic, lauric, and oleic acids may be due to different properties of the fatty acid alkyl chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cordelia A Running
- Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana; and
| | - Richard D Mattes
- Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
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18
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Tucker RM, Mattes RD, Running CA. Mechanisms and effects of "fat taste" in humans. Biofactors 2014; 40:313-26. [PMID: 24591077 DOI: 10.1002/biof.1162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Evidence supporting a "taste" cue from fat in the oral cavity continues to accrue. The proposed stimuli for fat taste, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), are released from food through hydrolytic rancidity and lipase activity derived from foods or saliva. NEFA must then be released from the food matrix, negotiate the aqueous environment to reach taste cell surfaces, and interact with receptors such as CD36 and GPR120 or diffuse across cell membranes to initiate a taste signal. Knowledge of these processes in non-gustatory tissues should inform understanding of taste responses to NEFA. Additionally, downstream effects of oral triglyceride exposure have been observed in numerous studies. Data specific to effects of NEFA versus triglyceride are scarce, but modified sham feeding trials with triglyceride document cephalic phase responses including elevations in serum lipids and insulin as well as potential, but debated, effects on gut peptides, appetite, and thermogenesis. In this review, we highlight the mechanisms by which NEFA migrate to and interact with taste cells, and then we examine physiological responses to oral fat exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin M Tucker
- Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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19
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Staudinger T, Redl B, Glasgow BJ. Antibacterial activity of rifamycins for M. smegmatis with comparison of oxidation and binding to tear lipocalin. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2014; 1844:750-8. [PMID: 24530503 PMCID: PMC3992280 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2014.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2013] [Revised: 01/28/2014] [Accepted: 02/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A mutant of Mycobacterium smegmatis is a potential class I model substitute for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Because not all of the rifamycins have been tested in this organism, we determined bactericidal profiles for the 6 major rifamycin derivatives. The profiles closely mirrored those established for M. tuberculosis. Rifalazil was confirmed to be the most potent rifamycin. Because the tuberculous granuloma presents a harshly oxidizing environment we explored the effects of oxidation on rifamycins. Mass spectrometry confirmed that three of the six major rifamycins showed autoxidation in the presence of trace metals. Oxidation could be monitored by distinctive changes including isosbestic points in the ultraviolet-visible spectrum. Oxidation of rifamycins abrogated anti-mycobacterial activity in M. smegmatis. Protection from autoxidation was conferred by binding susceptible rifamycins to tear lipocalin, a promiscuous lipophilic protein. Rifalazil was not susceptible to autoxidation but was insoluble in aqueous solution. Solubility was enhanced when complexed to tear lipocalin and was accompanied by a spectral red shift. The positive solvatochromism was consistent with robust molecular interaction and binding. Other rifamycins also formed a complex with lipocalin, albeit to a lesser extent. Protection from oxidation and enhancement of solubility with protein binding may have implications for delivery of select rifamycin derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Staudinger
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 100 Stein Plaza, Rm. B-279, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 100 Stein Plaza, Rm. B-279, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Innrain 80-82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Bernhard Redl
- Division of Molecular Biology, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Innrain 80-82, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ben J Glasgow
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 100 Stein Plaza, Rm. B-279, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, 100 Stein Plaza, Rm. B-279, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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20
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. Probing tertiary structure of proteins using single Trp mutations with circular dichroism at low temperature. J Phys Chem B 2014; 118:986-95. [PMID: 24404774 PMCID: PMC3983331 DOI: 10.1021/jp4120145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Trp is the most spectroscopically
informative aromatic amino acid
of proteins. However, the near-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectrum
of Trp is complicated because the intensity and sign of 1La and 1Lb bands vary independently.
To resolve vibronic structure and gain site-specific information from
complex spectra, deconvolution was combined with cooling and site-directed
tryptophan substitution. Low temperature near-UV CD was used to probe
the local tertiary structure of a loop and α-helix in tear lipocalin.
Upon cooling, the enhancement of the intensities of the near-UV CD
was not uniform, but depends on the position of Trp in the protein
structure. The most enhanced 1Lb band was observed
for Trp at position 124 in the α-helix segment matching the
known increased conformational mobility during ligand binding. Some
aspects of the CD spectra of W28 and W130 were successfully linked
to specific rotamers of Trp previously obtained from fluorescence
lifetime measurements. The discussion was based on a framework that
the magnitude of the energy differences in local conformations governs
the changes in the CD intensities at low temperature. The Trp CD spectral
classification of Strickland was modified to facilitate the recognition
of pseudo peaks. Near-UV CD spectra harbor abundant information about
the conformation of proteins that site directed Trp CD can report.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Departments of Pathology and Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University California at Los Angeles , California 90095, United States
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21
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. Effect of short- and long-range interactions on trp rotamer populations determined by site-directed tryptophan fluorescence of tear lipocalin. PLoS One 2013; 8:e78754. [PMID: 24205305 PMCID: PMC3810256 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2013] [Accepted: 09/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In the lipocalin family, the conserved interaction between the main α-helix and the β-strand H is an ideal model to study protein side chain dynamics. Site-directed tryptophan fluorescence (SDTF) has successfully elucidated tryptophan rotamers at positions along the main alpha helical segment of tear lipocalin (TL). The rotamers assigned by fluorescent lifetimes of Trp residues corroborate the restriction expected based on secondary structure. Steric conflict constrains Trp residues to two (t, g−) of three possible χ1 (t, g−, g+) canonical rotamers. In this study, investigation focused on the interplay between rotamers for a single amino acid position, Trp 130 on the α-helix and amino acids Val 113 and Leu 115 on the H strand, i.e. long range interactions. Trp130 was substituted for Phe by point mutation (F130W). Mutations at positions 113 and 115 with combinations of Gly, Ala, Phe residues alter the rotamer distribution of Trp130. Mutations, which do not distort local structure, retain two rotamers (two lifetimes) populated in varying proportions. Replacement of either long range partner with a small amino acid, V113A or L115A, eliminates the dominance of the t rotamer. However, a mutation that distorts local structure around Trp130 adds a third fluorescence lifetime component. The results indicate that the energetics of long-range interactions with Trp 130 further tune rotamer populations. Diminished interactions, evident in W130G113A115, result in about a 22% increase of α-helix content. The data support a hierarchic model of protein folding. Initially the secondary structure is formed by short-range interactions. TL has non-native α-helix intermediates at this stage. Then, the long-range interactions produce the native fold, in which TL shows α-helix to β-sheet transitions. The SDTF method is a valuable tool to assess long-range interaction energies through rotamer distribution as well as the characterization of low-populated rotameric states of functionally important excited protein states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K. Gasymov
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (OG); (BG)
| | - Adil R. Abduragimov
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Ben J. Glasgow
- Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (OG); (BG)
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22
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. A simple model-free method for direct assessment of fluorescent ligand binding by linear spectral summation. J Fluoresc 2013; 24:231-8. [PMID: 24043458 DOI: 10.1007/s10895-013-1290-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Fluorescent tagged ligands are commonly used to determine binding to proteins. However, bound and free ligand concentrations are not directly determined. Instead the response in a fluorescent ligand titration experiment is considered to be proportional to the extent of binding and, therefore, the maximum value of binding is scaled to the total protein concentration. Here, a simple model-free method is presented to be performed in two steps. In the first step, normalized bound and free spectra of the ligand are determined. In the second step, these spectra are used to fit composite spectra as the sum of individual components or linear spectral summation. Using linear spectral summation, free and bound 1-Anilinonaphthalene-8-Sulfonic Acid (ANS) fluorescent ligand concentrations are directly calculated to determine ANS binding to tear lipocalin (TL), an archetypical ligand binding protein. Error analysis shows that the parameters that determine bound and free ligand concentrations were recovered with high certainty. The linear spectral summation method is feasible when fluorescence intensity is accompanied by a spectral shift upon protein binding. Computer simulations of the experiments of ANS binding to TL indicate that the method is feasible when the fluorescence spectral shift between bound and free forms of the ligand is just 8 nm. Ligands tagged with environmentally sensitive fluorescent dyes, e.g., dansyl chromophore, are particularly suitable for this method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA,
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23
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Lacritin and the tear proteome as natural replacement therapy for dry eye. Exp Eye Res 2013; 117:39-52. [PMID: 23769845 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2013.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2013] [Revised: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 05/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Tear proteins are potential biomarkers, drug targets, and even biotherapeutics. As a biotherapeutic, a recombinant tear protein might physiologically rescue the ocular surface when a deficiency is detected. Such a strategy pays more attention to the natural prosecretory and protective properties of the tear film and seeks to alleviate symptoms by addressing cause, rather than the current palliative, non-specific and temporary approaches. Only a handful of tear proteins appear to be selectively downregulated in dry eye, the most common eye disease. Lacritin and lipocalin-1 are two tear proteins selectively deficient in dry eye. Both proteins influence ocular surface health. Lacritin is a prosecretory mitogen that promotes basal tearing when applied topically. Levels of active monomeric lacritin are negatively regulated by tear tissue transglutaminase, whose expression is elevated in dry eye with ocular surface inflammation. Lipocalin-1 is the master lipid sponge of the ocular surface, without which residual lipids could interfere with epithelial wetting. It also is a carrier for vitamins and steroid hormones, and is a key endonuclease. Accumulation of DNA in tears is thought to be proinflammatory. Functions of these and other tear proteins may be influenced by protein-protein interactions. Here we discuss new advances in lacritin biology and provide an overview on lipocalin-1, and newly identified members of the tear proteome.
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Molecular characterization and functions of fatty acid and retinoid binding protein gene (Ab-far-1) in Aphelenchoides besseyi. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66011. [PMID: 23755297 PMCID: PMC3673936 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2013] [Accepted: 04/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rice white tip nematode, Aphelenchoides besseyi, is a kind of plant parasitic nematodes that cause serious losses in rice and many other crops. Fatty acid and retinoid binding protein (FAR) is a specific protein in nematodes and is related to development, reproduction, infection to the host, and disruption of plant defense reactions, so the inhibition of FAR function is the potential approach to control A. besseyi. The full-length of Ab-far-1 cDNA is 805 bp, including 546 bp of ORF that encodes 181 amino acids. Software analysis revealed that the Ab-FAR-1 was rich in α-helix structure, contained a predicted consensus casein kinase II phosphorylation site and a hydrophobic secretory signal peptide, but did not have glycosylation sites. The Ab-FAR-1 had 52% homology to Gp-FAR-1 protein. The Ab-FAR-1 and Gp-FAR-1 were grouped in the same branch according to the phylogenetic tree. Fluorescence-based ligand binding analysis confirmed that the recombinant Ab-FAR-1 (rAb-FAR-1) bound with the fluorescent analogues 11-((5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl) amino) undecannoic acid (DAUDA), cis-parinaric acid and retinol, but the oleic acid would compete with the binding site. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to assess the expression level of Ab-far-1 at different development stages of A. besseyi, the highest expression was found in the females, followed by eggs, juveniles and males. Using in situ hybridization technique, Ab-far-1 mRNA was present in the hypodermis of juveniles and adults, the ovaries of females and the testes of males. When A. besseyi was treated with Ab-far-1 dsRNA for 48 h, the silencing efficiency of Ab-far-1 was the best and the number of nematodes on the carrot was the least. Thus FAR plays important roles in the development and reproduction of nematodes. This study is useful and helpful to figure out a new way to control the plant parasitic nematodes.
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25
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Yeh PT, Casey R, Glasgow BJ. A novel fluorescent lipid probe for dry eye: retrieval by tear lipocalin in humans. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2013; 54:1398-410. [PMID: 23361507 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.12-10817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE A fluorescent probe was used to identify mucin-depleted areas on the ocular surface and to test the hypothesis that tear lipocalin retrieves lipids from the eyes of normal and dry eye subjects. METHODS Fluorescein-labeled octadecyl ester, FODE, was characterized by mass spectrometry and absorbance spectrophotometry. The use of FODE to define mucin defects was studied with impression membranes under conditions that selectively deplete mucin. The kinetics of FODE removal from the ocular surface were analyzed by sampling tears from control and dry eye patients at various times. The tear protein-FODE complexes were isolated by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatographies, monitored with absorption and fluorescent spectroscopies, and analyzed by gel electrophoresis. Immunoprecipitation verified FODE complexed to tear lipocalin in tears. RESULTS FODE exhibits an isosbestic point at 473 nm, pKa of 7.5, and red shift relative to fluorescein. The low solubility of FODE in buffer is enhanced with 1% Tween 80 and ethanol. FODE adheres to the ocular surface of dry eye patients. FODE produces visible staining at the contact sites of membranes, which correlates with removal of mucin. Despite the fact that tear lipocalin is reduced in dry eye patients, FODE removal follows similar rapid exponential decay functions for all subjects. FODE is bound to tear lipocalin in tears. CONCLUSIONS Tear lipocalin retrieves lipid rapidly from the human ocular surface in mild to moderate dry eye disease and controls. With improvements in solubility, FODE may have potential as a fluorescent probe to identify mucin-depleted areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Ting Yeh
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California-Los Angeles, Jules Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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26
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. Tryptophan rotamer distribution revealed for the α-helix in tear lipocalin by site-directed tryptophan fluorescence. J Phys Chem B 2012; 116:13381-8. [PMID: 23088798 DOI: 10.1021/jp309318r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Rotamer libraries are a valuable tool for protein structure determination, modeling, and design. Site-directed tryptophan fluorescence (SDTF) was used in combination with the rotamer model for the fluorescence intensity decays to solve α-helical conformations of proteins in solution. Single Trp mutations located in an α-helical segment of human tear lipocalin were explored for structure assignment. Along with fluorescence λ(max) values, the rotamer model assignment of fluorescence lifetimes fits the backbone conformation. Typically, Trp fluorescence in proteins shows three lifetimes. However, for the α-helix, two lifetimes assigned to t and g(-) rotamers were satisfactory to describe Trp fluorescence intensity decays. The g(+) rotamer is not feasible in the α-helix due to steric restriction. Trp rotamer distributions obtained by fluorescence were compared with the rotamer library derived from X-ray crystallography data of proteins. The Trp rotamer distributions vary for solvent exposed and buried (tertiary interaction) sites. A new strategy using the rotamer distribution with SDTF (RD-SDTF) removes the limitation of regular SDTF and other labeling techniques, in which site-specific differences, e.g., accessibility, are presumed. The RD-SDTF technique does not rely on environmental differences of side chains and is able to detect α-helical structure where all side chains are exposed to solvent. Potentially, this technique is applicable to various proteins including membrane proteins, which are rich in α-helix motif.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Department of Pathology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
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Faheem S, Kim SH, Nguyen J, Neravetla S, Ball M, Foulks GN, Yappert MC, Borchman D. Wax-tear and meibum protein, wax-β-carotene interactions in vitro using infrared spectroscopy. Exp Eye Res 2012; 100:32-9. [PMID: 22564968 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2012.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2011] [Revised: 04/03/2012] [Accepted: 04/10/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Protein-meibum and terpenoids-meibum lipid interactions could be important in the etiology of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and dry eye symptoms. In the current model studies, attenuated total reflectance (ATR) infrared (IR) spectroscopy was used to determine if the terpenoid β-carotene and the major proteins in tears and meibum affect the hydrocarbon chain conformation and carbonyl environment of wax, an abundant component of meibum. The main finding of these studies is that mucin binding to wax disordered slightly the conformation of the hydrocarbon chains of wax and caused the wax carbonyls to become hydrogen bonded or experience a more hydrophilic environment. Lysozyme and lactoglobulin, two proteins shown to bind to monolayers of meibum, did not have such an effect. Keratin and β-carotene did not affect the fluidity (viscosity) or environment of the carbonyl moieties of wax. Based on these results, tetraterpenoids are not likely to influence the structure of meibum in the meibomian glands. In addition, these findings suggest that it is unlikely that keratin blocks meibomian glands by causing the meibum to become more viscous. Among the tear fluid proteins studied, mucin is the most likely to influence the conformation and carbonyl environment of meibum at the tear film surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samad Faheem
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kentucky Lions Eye Center, University of Louisville, 301 E. Muhammad Ali Blvd., Louisville, KY 40202, USA
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Dean AW, Glasgow BJ. Mass spectrometric identification of phospholipids in human tears and tear lipocalin. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2012; 53:1773-82. [PMID: 22395887 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.11-9419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this article was to identify by mass spectrometry phosphocholine lipids in stimulated human tears and determine the molecules bound to tear lipocalin or other proteins. METHODS Tear proteins were separated isocratically from pooled stimulated human tears by gel filtration fast performance liquid chromatography. Separation of tear lipocalin was confirmed by SDS tricine gradient PAGE. Protein fractions were extracted with chloroform/methanol and analyzed with electrospray ionization MS/MS triple quadrupole mass spectrometry in precursor ion scan mode for select leaving groups. For quantification, integrated ion counts were derived from standard curves of authentic compounds of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylserine. RESULTS Linear approximation was possible from integration of the mass spectrometrically obtained ion peaks at 760 Da for the PC standard. Tears contained 194 ng/mL of the major intact PC (34:2), m/z 758.6. Ten other monoisotopic phosphocholines were found in tears. A peak at 703.3 Da was assigned as a sphingomyelin. Four lysophosphatidylcholines (m/z 490-540) accounted for about 80% of the total integrated ion count. The [M+H](+) compound, m/z 496.3, accounted for 60% of the signal intensity. Only the tear lipocalin-bearing fractions showed phosphocholines (104 ng/mL). Although the intact phospholipids bound to tear lipocalin corresponded precisely in mass and relative signal intensity to that found in tears, we did not identify phosphocholines between m/z 490 and 540 in any of the gel-filtration fractions. CONCLUSIONS Phospholipids, predominantly lysophospholipids, are present in tears. The higher mass intact PCs in tears are native ligands of tear lipocalin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin W Dean
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology, and Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California-Los Angeles, Jules Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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29
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. Cation-π interactions in lipocalins: structural and functional implications. Biochemistry 2012; 51:2991-3002. [PMID: 22439821 DOI: 10.1021/bi3002902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The cation-π interaction impacts protein folding, structural stability, specificity, and molecular recognition. Cation-π interactions have been overlooked in the lipocalin family. To fill this gap, these interactions were analyzed in the 113 crystal and solution structures from the lipocalin family. The cation-π interactions link previously identified structurally conserved regions and reveal new motifs, which are beyond the reach of a sequence alignment algorithm. Functional and structural significance of the interactions were tested experimentally in human tear lipocalin (TL). TL, a prominent and promiscuous lipocalin, has a key role in lipid binding at the ocular surface. Ligand binding modulation through the loop AB at the "open" end of the barrel has been erroneously attributed solely to electrostatic interactions. Data revealed that the interloop cation-π interaction in the pair Phe28-Lys108 contributes significantly to stabilize the holo-conformation of the loop AB. Numerous energetically significant and conserved cation-π interactions were uncovered in TL and throughout the lipocalin family. Cation-π interactions, such as the highly conserved Trp17-Arg118 pair in TL, were educed in low temperature experiments of mutants with Trp to Tyr substitutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Department of Pathology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University California at Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
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30
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. The conserved disulfide bond of human tear lipocalin modulates conformation and lipid binding in a ligand selective manner. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2011; 1814:671-83. [PMID: 21466861 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2011.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2010] [Revised: 02/28/2011] [Accepted: 03/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The primary aim of this study is the elucidation of the mechanism of disulfide induced alteration of ligand binding in human tear lipocalin (TL). Disulfide bonds may act as dynamic scaffolds to regulate conformational changes that alter protein function including receptor-ligand interactions. A single disulfide bond, (Cys61-Cys153), exists in TL that is highly conserved in the lipocalin superfamily. Circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopies were applied to investigate the mechanism by which disulfide bond removal effects protein stability, dynamics and ligand binding properties. Although the secondary structure is not altered by disulfide elimination, TL shows decreased stability against urea denaturation. Free energy change (ΔG(0)) decreases from 4.9±0.2 to 2.1±0.3kcal/mol with removal of the disulfide bond. Furthermore, ligand binding properties of TL without the disulfide vary according to the type of ligand. The binding of a bulky ligand, NBD-cholesterol, has a decreased time constant (from 11.8±0.2 to 3.3s). In contrast, the NBD-labeled phospholipid shows a moderate decrease in the time constant for binding, from 33.2±0.2 to 22.2±0.4s. FRET experiments indicate that the hairpin CD is directly involved in modulation of both ligand binding and flexibility of TL. In TL complexed with palmitic acid (PA-TL), the distance between the residues 62 of strand D and 81 of loop EF is decreased by disulfide bond reduction. Consequently, removal of the disulfide bond boosts flexibility of the protein to reach a CD-EF loop distance (24.3Å, between residues 62 and 81), which is not accessible for the protein with an intact disulfide bond (26.2Å). The results suggest that enhanced flexibility of the protein promotes a faster accommodation of the ligand inside the cavity and an energetically favorable ligand-protein complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Department of Pathology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
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Green-Church KB, Butovich I, Willcox M, Borchman D, Paulsen F, Barabino S, Glasgow BJ. The international workshop on meibomian gland dysfunction: report of the subcommittee on tear film lipids and lipid-protein interactions in health and disease. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2011; 52:1979-93. [PMID: 21450916 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.10-6997d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kari B Green-Church
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1280, USA
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. Excited protein states of human tear lipocalin for low- and high-affinity ligand binding revealed by functional AB loop motion. Biophys Chem 2010; 149:47-57. [PMID: 20439130 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2010.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2010] [Revised: 03/22/2010] [Accepted: 03/28/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Human tear lipocalin (TL), a prominent member of lipocalin family, exhibits functional and structural promiscuity. The plasticity of loop regions modulates entry to the ligand pocket at the "open" end of the eight-stranded beta-barrel. Site-directed multi-distance measurements using fluorescence resonance energy transfer between functional loops register two excited protein states for low- and high-affinity ligand binding. At low pH, the longest loop AB adopts the conformation of the low-affinity excited protein state that matches the crystal structure of holo-TL at pH 8. A "crankshaft" like movement is detected for the loop AB in a low pH transition. At pH 7.3 the holo-protein assumes a high-affinity excited protein state, in which the loop AB is more compact (RMS=3.1A). In the apo-holo transition, the reporter Trp 28 moves about 4.5A that reflects a decrease in distance between Glu27 and Lys108. This interaction fixes the loop AB conformation for the high-affinity mode. No such movement is detected at low pH, where Glu27 is protonated. Data strongly indicate that the protonation state of Glu27 modulates the conformation of the loop AB for high- and low-affinity binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Department of Pathology, University of California at Los Angeles, USA.
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. pH-Dependent conformational changes in tear lipocalin by site-directed tryptophan fluorescence. Biochemistry 2010; 49:582-90. [PMID: 20025287 DOI: 10.1021/bi901435q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Tear lipocalin (TL), a major protein of human tears, binds a broad array of endogenous ligands. pH-dependent ligand binding in TL may have functional implications in tears. Previously, conformational selections of the AB and GH loops have been implicated in ligand binding by site-directed tryptophan fluorescence (SDTF). In this study, SDTF was applied to the AB and GH loops to investigate pH-driven conformational changes relevant to ligand binding. Both loops demonstrate significant but distinct conformational rearrangements over a wide pH range. In the low-pH transition, from 7.3 to 3.0, residues of the GH loop exhibit decreased solvent accessibilities. In acrylamide quenching experiments, the average quenching rate constant (k(q), accessibility parameter) of the residues in the GH loop is decreased approximately 38%, from 2.1 x 10(9) to 1.3 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1). However, despite the significant changes in accessibilities for some residues in the AB loop, the average accessibility per residue remained unchanged (average k(q) = 1.2 M(-1) s(-1)). Accordingly, the low-pH transition induces conformational changes that reshuffle the accessibility profiles of the residues in the AB loop. A significant difference in the titration curves between the holo and apo forms of the W28 mutant suggests that the protonation states of the residues around position 28 modulate conformational switches of the AB loop relevant to ligand binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Department of Pathology, UCLA School of Medicine, Jules Stein Eye Institute, 100 Stein Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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Crow JM, Nelson JD, Remington SG. Human lipocalin-1 association with 3H-testosterone and 3H-estradiol. Curr Eye Res 2010; 34:1042-9. [PMID: 19958123 DOI: 10.3109/02713680903316290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Topical androgens and estrogens have been studied for use in treating ocular conditions such as dry eye. The aim of this study was to identify proteins from normal human tears that associated with exogenously added sex steroid hormones. One of the major proteins in ocular tears is lipocalin-1. It binds a variety of lipids and other hydrophobic molecules and is proposed to function as a carrier protein or a lipid scavenger. METHODS Normal human tears were incubated with (3)H-testosterone or (3)H-estradiol. Labeled tear proteins were separated on a Q Sepharose Fast Flow (QFF) Hi Trap strong anion exchange column with a step gradient of NaCl. (3)H-testosterone or (3)H-estradiol was measured in aliquots of eluted fractions using scintillation counts, and the remainder of each sample was gel electrophoresed and silver stained. In separate experiments, (3)H-steroid-labeled tear proteins were electrophoresed in 15% polyacrylamide gels and excised from the gels. Tritium content of the proteins was measured in a scintillation counter. Immunoblots with antibodies to lipocalin-1 verified the migration of lipocalin-1 in the gels. RESULTS (3)H-steroid labeled tear proteins were found in the 0.15 M NaCl fractions of QFF strong anion exchange columns. 18 kD lipocalin-1 (among other tear proteins) eluted in the 0.15 M NaCl fraction. Excision of labeled tear proteins from 15% polyacrylamide gels indicated that radioactive label was associated with an 18 kD protein. Immunoblots verified that lipocalin-1 migrated as an 18 kD protein. CONCLUSIONS The sex steroid hormones testosterone and estradiol associated with 18 kD lipocalin-1 in human tears.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean M Crow
- Department of Ophthalmology, HealthPartners Medical Group and Clinics, Regions Hospital, 640 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101, USA.
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Identification of functionally diverse lipocalin proteins from sequence information using support vector machine. Amino Acids 2010; 39:777-83. [PMID: 20186553 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-010-0520-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2009] [Accepted: 02/06/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Lipocalins are functionally diverse proteins that are composed of 120-180 amino acid residues. Members of this family have several important biological functions including ligand transport, cryptic coloration, sensory transduction, endonuclease activity, stress response activity in plants, odorant binding, prostaglandin biosynthesis, cellular homeostasis regulation, immunity, immunotherapy and so on. Identification of lipocalins from protein sequence is more challenging due to the poor sequence identity which often falls below the twilight zone. So far, no specific method has been reported to identify lipocalins from primary sequence. In this paper, we report a support vector machine (SVM) approach to predict lipocalins from protein sequence using sequence-derived properties. LipoPred was trained using a dataset consisting of 325 lipocalin proteins and 325 non-lipocalin proteins, and evaluated by an independent set of 140 lipocalin proteins and 21,447 non-lipocalin proteins. LipoPred achieved 88.61% accuracy with 89.26% sensitivity, 85.27% specificity and 0.74 Matthew's correlation coefficient (MCC). When applied on the test dataset, LipoPred achieved 84.25% accuracy with 88.57% sensitivity, 84.22% specificity and MCC of 0.16. LipoPred achieved better performance rate when compared with PSI-BLAST, HMM and SVM-Prot methods. Out of 218 lipocalins, LipoPred correctly predicted 194 proteins including 39 lipocalins that are non-homologous to any protein in the SWISSPROT database. This result shows that LipoPred is potentially useful for predicting the lipocalin proteins that have no sequence homologs in the sequence databases. Further, successful prediction of nine hypothetical lipocalin proteins and five new members of lipocalin family prove that LipoPred can be efficiently used to identify and annotate the new lipocalin proteins from sequence databases. The LipoPred software and dataset are available at http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/home/EPNSugan/index_files/lipopred.htm.
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Borchman D, Foulks GN, Yappert MC, Kakar S, Podoll N, Rychwalski P, Schwietz E. Physical changes in human meibum with age as measured by infrared spectroscopy. Ophthalmic Res 2010; 44:34-42. [PMID: 20160464 PMCID: PMC2918644 DOI: 10.1159/000283606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2009] [Accepted: 11/11/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Both lipids and mucins contribute to the stability of the tear film and lipids may inhibit tears from evaporating. Younger people have lower lipid viscosity, higher lipid volume, and a lower rate of tear evaporation. Since age-related changes in human meibum composition and conformation have never been investigated, as a basis for the study of lipid-associated changes with meibomian gland dysfunction, we used the power of infrared spectroscopy to characterize hydrocarbon chain conformation and packing in meibum from humans without dry eye symptoms in relation to age and sex. Meibum from normal human donors ranging in age from 3 to 88 years was studied. Meibum phase transitions were quantified by fitting them to a 4-parameter 2-state sigmoidal equation. Human meibum order and phase transition temperatures decrease with age and this trend may be attributed to lipid compositional changes. If meibum has the same thermodynamic properties on the surface of the tears as it does on the lid margin, a decrease in lipid-lipid interaction strength with increasing age could decrease the stability of tears since lipid-lipid interactions on the tear surface must be broken for the tear film to break up. This study also serves as a foundation to examine meibum conformational differences in meibum from people with meibomian gland dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Borchman
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of
Louisville, Louisville, Ky., USA
| | - Gary N. Foulks
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of
Louisville, Louisville, Ky., USA
| | - Marta C. Yappert
- Department of Chemistry, University of Louisville, Louisville, Ky.,
USA
| | - Shelly Kakar
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of
Louisville, Louisville, Ky., USA
| | - Nathan Podoll
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of
Louisville, Louisville, Ky., USA
| | - Paul Rychwalski
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of
Louisville, Louisville, Ky., USA
| | - Eric Schwietz
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of
Louisville, Louisville, Ky., USA
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Oshima Y, Sato H, Zaghloul A, Foulks GN, Yappert MC, Borchman D. Characterization of Human Meibum Lipid using Raman Spectroscopy. Curr Eye Res 2009; 34:824-35. [DOI: 10.3109/02713680903122029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. Intracavitary ligand distribution in tear lipocalin by site-directed tryptophan fluorescence. Biochemistry 2009; 48:7219-28. [PMID: 19586017 DOI: 10.1021/bi9005557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Site-directed tryptophan fluorescence has been successfully used to determine the solution structure of tear lipocalin. Here, the technique is extended to measure the binding energy landscape. Single Trp mutants of tear lipocalin are bound to the native ligand and an analogue tagged with a quencher group to both populate and discriminate the excited protein states. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence quenching data reveal the intracavitary state of the ligand. The static components of fluorescence quenching identify the residues where nonfluorescence complexes form. An asymmetric distribution of the ligand within the cavity reflects the complex energy landscape of the excited protein states. These findings suggest that the excited protein states are not unique but consist of many substates. The roughness of the binding energy landscape is about 2.5kBT. The excited protein states originate primarily from conformational selections of loops AB and GH, a portal region. In contrast to static quenching, the dynamic components of fluorescence quenching by the ligand are relevant to both local side chain and ligand dynamics. Apparent bimolecular rate constants for collisional quenching of Trp by the nitroxide moiety are approximately 1 / 5 x 10(12) M(-1) s(-1). Estimations made for effective ligand concentrations establish actual rate constants on the order of 12 x 10(9) M(-1) s(-1). Prior to exit from the cavity of the protein, ligands explore binding sites in nanoseconds. Although microsecond fluctuations are rate-limiting processes in ligand binding for many proteins, accompanying nanosecond motion may be necessary for propagation of ligand binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Department of Pathology, UCLA School of Medicine, Jules Stein Eye Institute, 100 Stein Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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Breustedt DA, Chatwell L, Skerra A. A new crystal form of human tear lipocalin reveals high flexibility in the loop region and induced fit in the ligand cavity. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D: BIOLOGICAL CRYSTALLOGRAPHY 2009; 65:1118-25. [PMID: 19770509 DOI: 10.1107/s0907444909031011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2009] [Accepted: 08/04/2009] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Tear lipocalin (TLC) with the bound artificial ligand 1,4-butanediol has been crystallized in space group P2(1) with four protein molecules in the asymmetric unit and its X-ray structure has been solved at 2.6 A resolution. TLC is a member of the lipocalin family that binds ligands with diverse chemical structures, such as fatty acids, phospholipids and cholesterol as well as microbial siderophores and the antibiotic rifampin. Previous X-ray structural analysis of apo TLC crystallized in space group C2 revealed a rather large bifurcated ligand pocket and a partially disordered loop region at the entrace to the cavity. Analysis of the P2(1) crystal form uncovered major conformational changes (i) in beta-strands B, C and D, (ii) in loops 1, 2 and 4 at the open end of the beta-barrel and (iii) in the extended C-terminal segment, which is attached to the beta-barrel via a disulfide bridge. The structural comparison indicates high conformational plasticity of the loop region as well as of deeper parts of the ligand pocket, thus allowing adaptation to ligands that differ vastly in size and shape. This illustrates a mechanism for promiscuity in ligand recognition which may also be relevant for some other physiologically important members of the lipocalin protein family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Breustedt
- Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science, CIPS-M, and Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, 85350 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
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Tsukamoto S, Yamashita T, Yamada Y, Fujiwara K, Maki K, Kuwajima K, Matsumura Y, Kihara H, Tsuge H, Ikeguchi M. Non-native α-helix formation is not necessary for folding of lipocalin: Comparison of burst-phase folding between tear lipocalin and β-lactoglobulin. Proteins 2009; 76:226-36. [DOI: 10.1002/prot.22340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Tsukamoto S, Fujiwara K, Ikeguchi M. Fatty Acids Bound to Recombinant Tear Lipocalin and Their Role in Structural Stabilization. J Biochem 2009; 146:343-50. [DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvp076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Millar TJ, Mudgil P, Butovich IA, Palaniappan CK. Adsorption of human tear lipocalin to human meibomian lipid films. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2008; 50:140-51. [PMID: 18757516 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.08-2097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Tear lipocalin (Tlc) is a major lipid binding protein in tears and is thought to have an important role in stabilizing the Meibomian lipid layer by transferring lipids to it from the aqueous layer or ocular surface, or by adsorbing to it directly. These possible roles have been investigated in vitro using human Tlc. METHODS Tlc was purified from human tears by size exclusion chromatography followed by ion exchange chromatography. Three additional samples of the Tlc were prepared by lipidation, delipidation, and relipidation. The lipids extracted from the purified Tlc were analyzed by HPLC-MS followed by fragmentation. Adsorption of these different forms of Tlc to a human Meibomian lipid film spread on the surface of an artificial tear buffer in a Langmuir trough were observed by recording changes in the pressure with time (Pi-T profile) and monitoring the appearance of the film microscopically. These results were compared with similar experiments using a bovine Meibomian lipid film. RESULTS The results indicated that Tlc binds slowly to a human Meibomian lipid film compared with lysozyme or lactoferrin, even at 37 degrees C. The adsorption of Tlc to a human Meibomian lipid film was very different from its adsorption to a bovine Meibomian lipid film, indicating the nature of the lipids in the film is critical to the adsorption process. Similarly, the different forms of Tlc had quite distinct adsorption patterns, as indicated both by changes in Pi-T profiles and the microscopic appearance of the films. CONCLUSIONS It was concluded that human Tlc was capable of adsorbing to and penetrating into a Meibomian lipid layer, but this process is very complex and depends on both the types of lipids bound to Tlc and the lipid complement comprising the Meibomian lipid film.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Millar
- School of Natural Sciences, Parramatta Campus, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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Martins P, Gomes F, Vaz W, Moreno M. Binding of phospholipids to β-Lactoglobulin and their transfer to lipid bilayers. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2008; 1778:1308-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2008.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2007] [Revised: 02/21/2008] [Accepted: 02/21/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Mudgil P, Millar TJ. Adsorption of apo- and holo-tear lipocalin to a bovine Meibomian lipid film. Exp Eye Res 2008; 86:622-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2008.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2007] [Revised: 12/24/2007] [Accepted: 01/03/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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45
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. Characterization of fluorescence of ANS-tear lipocalin complex: evidence for multiple-binding modes. Photochem Photobiol 2008; 83:1405-14. [PMID: 18028215 DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-1097.2007.00180.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
ANS is widely used as a probe for locating binding sites of proteins and studying structural changes under various external conditions. However, the nature of ANS-binding sites in proteins and the accompanying changes in fluorescence properties are controversial. We examined the steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence of the ANS-protein complexes for tear lipocalin (TL) and its mutants in order to discern the origin of lifetime components via analysis that included the multiexponential decay and the model-free maximum entropy methods. Fluorescence lifetimes of ANS-TL complexes can be grouped into two species, 14.01-17.42 ns and 2.72-4.37 ns. The log-normal analyses of fluorescence spectral shapes reveal the heterogeneous nature of both long- and short-lifetime species. The constructed time-resolved emission, amplitude (TRES) and area normalized (TRANES), and decay-associated spectra are consistent with a model that includes heterogeneous modes of ANS binding with two separate lifetime components. The two lifetime components are not derived from solvent relaxation, but rather may represent different binding modes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Department of Pathology, UCLA School of Medicine, Jules Stein Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Adam B, Charloteaux B, Beaufays J, Vanhamme L, Godfroid E, Brasseur R, Lins L. Distantly related lipocalins share two conserved clusters of hydrophobic residues: use in homology modeling. BMC STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2008; 8:1. [PMID: 18190694 PMCID: PMC2254393 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6807-8-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2007] [Accepted: 01/11/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Lipocalins are widely distributed in nature and are found in bacteria, plants, arthropoda and vertebra. In hematophagous arthropods, they are implicated in the successful accomplishment of the blood meal, interfering with platelet aggregation, blood coagulation and inflammation and in the transmission of disease parasites such as Trypanosoma cruzi and Borrelia burgdorferi. The pairwise sequence identity is low among this family, often below 30%, despite a well conserved tertiary structure. Under the 30% identity threshold, alignment methods do not correctly assign and align proteins. The only safe way to assign a sequence to that family is by experimental determination. However, these procedures are long and costly and cannot always be applied. A way to circumvent the experimental approach is sequence and structure analyze. To further help in that task, the residues implicated in the stabilisation of the lipocalin fold were determined. This was done by analyzing the conserved interactions for ten lipocalins having a maximum pairwise identity of 28% and various functions. Results It was determined that two hydrophobic clusters of residues are conserved by analysing the ten lipocalin structures and sequences. One cluster is internal to the barrel, involving all strands and the 310 helix. The other is external, involving four strands and the helix lying parallel to the barrel surface. These clusters are also present in RaHBP2, a unusual "outlier" lipocalin from tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus. This information was used to assess assignment of LIR2 a protein from Ixodes ricinus and to build a 3D model that helps to predict function. FTIR data support the lipocalin fold for this protein. Conclusion By sequence and structural analyzes, two conserved clusters of hydrophobic residues in interactions have been identified in lipocalins. Since the residues implicated are not conserved for function, they should provide the minimal subset necessary to confer the lipocalin fold. This information has been used to assign LIR2 to lipocalins and to investigate its structure/function relationship. This study could be applied to other protein families with low pairwise similarity, such as the structurally related fatty acid binding proteins or avidins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoit Adam
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire et Numérique, Faculté Universitaire des Sciences Agronomiques de Gembloux, Gembloux, Belgium.
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. Ligand binding site of tear lipocalin: contribution of a trigonal cluster of charged residues probed by 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid. Biochemistry 2008; 47:1414-24. [PMID: 18179255 DOI: 10.1021/bi701955e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Human tear lipocalin (TL) exhibits diverse functions, most of which are linked to ligand binding. To map the binding site of TL for some amphiphilic ligands, we capitalized on the hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties of 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS). In single Trp mutants, resonance energy transfer from Trp to ANS indicates that the naphthalene group of ANS is proximate to Leu105 in the cavity. Binding energies of TL to ANS and its analogues reveal contributions from electrostatic interactions. The sulfonate group of ANS interacts strongly with the nonconserved intracavitary residue Lys114 and less with neighboring residues His84 and Glu34. This trigonal cluster of residues may play a role in the ligand recognition site for some negatively charged ligands. Because many drugs possess sulfonate groups, the trigonal cluster-sulfonate interaction can also be exploited as a lipocalin-based drug delivery mechanism. The binding of lauric acid and its analogues shows that fatty acids assume heterogeneous orientations in the cavity of TL. Predominantly, the hydrocarbon tail is buried in the cavity of TL and the carboxyl group is oriented toward the mouth. However, TL can also interact, albeit relatively weakly, with fatty acids oriented in the opposite direction. As the major lipid binding protein of tears, the ability to accommodate fatty acids in two opposing orientations may have functional implications for TL. At the aqueous-lipid interface, fatty acids whose carboxyl groups are positioned toward the aqueous phase are available for interaction with TL that could augment stability of the tear film.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Department of Pathology, Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, 100 Stein Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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48
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Glasgow BJ. Site-directed circular dichroism of proteins: 1Lb bands of Trp resolve position-specific features in tear lipocalin. Anal Biochem 2007; 374:386-95. [PMID: 18047823 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2007.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2007] [Revised: 10/31/2007] [Accepted: 11/01/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The absorption spectra of N-acetyl-L-tryptophanamide in various solvents were resolved into the sums of the (1)L(a) and (1)L(b) components. The relative intensities of the 0-0 transitions of the (1)L(b) bands correlate linearly with the solvent polarity values (E(T)(N)). A novel strategy that uses a set of the experimental (1)L(b) bands was employed to resolve the near-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectra of tryptophanyl residues. Resolved spectral parameters from the single-tryptophan mutants of tear lipocalin (TL), F99W and Y87W, corroborate the fluorescence and structural data of TL. Analysis of the (1)L(b) bands of the Trp CD spectra in proteins is a valuable tool to obtain the local features. The dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-like (1)L(b) band of Trp CD spectra may be used as a "fingerprint" to identify the tryptophanyl side chains in situations where the benzene rings of Trp have van der Waals interactions with the side chains of its nearest neighbor. In addition, the signs and intensities of the components hold information about the side chain conformations and dynamics in proteins. Combined with Trp mutagenesis, this method, which we call site-directed circular dichroism, is broadly applicable to various proteins to obtain the position-specific data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Departments of Pathology and Ophthalmology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Gasymov OK, Abduragimov AR, Merschak P, Redl B, Glasgow BJ. Oligomeric state of lipocalin-1 (LCN1) by multiangle laser light scattering and fluorescence anisotropy decay. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2007; 1774:1307-15. [PMID: 17869594 PMCID: PMC2040513 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2007.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2007] [Revised: 07/22/2007] [Accepted: 07/31/2007] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Multiangle laser light scattering and fluorescence anisotropy decay measurements clarified the oligomeric states of native and recombinant tear lipocalin (lipocalin-1, TL). Native TL is monomeric. Recombinant TL (5-68 microM) with or without the histidine tag shows less than 7% dimer formation that is not in equilibrium with the monomeric form. Fluorescence anisotropy decay showed a correlation time of 9-10 ns for TL (10 microM-1 mM). Hydrodynamic calculations based on the crystallographic structure of a monomeric TL mutant closely concur with the observed correlation time. The solution properties calculated with HYDROPRO and SOLPRO programs from the available crystallographic structure of a monomeric TL mutant concur closely with the observed fluorescence anisotropy decay. The resulting model shows that protein topology is the major determinant of rotational correlation time and accounts for deviation from the Stokes-Einstein relation. The data challenge previous gel filtration studies to show that native TL exists predominantly as a monomer in solution rather than as a dimer. Delipidation of TL results in a formation of a complex oligomeric state (up to 25%). These findings are important as the dynamic processes in the tear film are limited by diffusional, translational as well as rotational, properties of the protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oktay K Gasymov
- Department of Pathology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Borchman D, Foulks GN, Yappert MC, Tang D, Ho DV. Spectroscopic evaluation of human tear lipids. Chem Phys Lipids 2007; 147:87-102. [PMID: 17482588 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2007.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2006] [Revised: 03/30/2007] [Accepted: 04/01/2007] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Infrared and fluorescence spectroscopies were applied to characterize the molecular conformational/structure and dynamics of human meibum (ML) and tear lipids (SSL). ML lipids contained more CC and CH3 moieties than SSL. SSL contained OH groups that were not apparent in the spectra of ML. The CO stretching band observed in the infrared spectra of SSL and ML revealed that the CO groups are not involved in hydrogen bonds. Bands due to the polar moieties CO and PO2- did not change significantly with increasing temperature, suggesting that they may not play an appreciable thermodynamic role in the lipid hydrocarbon chain phase transition. Components in tears bind to SSL and exclude water at the water-lipid boundary where the polar headgroups of phospholipids are located. If similar interactions occur in vivo at the tear film lipid-aqueous interface, they would reduce the rate of evaporation. The results provide a foundation for future studies to assess possible differences with age and sex in tears from normal and dry eye subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Borchman
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Louisville, 301 E. Muhammad Ali Blvd., Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
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