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Gupta LK, Molla J, Prabhu AA. Story of Pore-Forming Proteins from Deadly Disease-Causing Agents to Modern Applications with Evolutionary Significance. Mol Biotechnol 2024; 66:1327-1356. [PMID: 37294530 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-00776-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Animal venoms are a complex mixture of highly specialized toxic molecules. Among them, pore-forming proteins (PFPs) or toxins (PFTs) are one of the major disease-causing toxic elements. The ability of the PFPs in defense and toxicity through pore formation on the host cell surface makes them unique among the toxin proteins. These features made them attractive for academic and research purposes for years in the areas of microbiology as well as structural biology. All the PFPs share a common mechanism of action for the attack of host cells and pore formation in which the selected pore-forming motifs of the host cell membrane-bound protein molecules drive to the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane and eventually produces water-filled pores. But surprisingly their sequence similarity is very poor. Their existence can be seen both in a soluble state and also in transmembrane complexes in the cell membrane. PFPs are prevalent toxic factors that are predominately produced by all kingdoms of life such as virulence bacteria, nematodes, fungi, protozoan parasites, frogs, plants, and also from higher organisms. Nowadays, multiple approaches to applications of PFPs have been conducted by researchers both in basic as well as applied biological research. Although PFPs are very devastating for human health nowadays researchers have been successful in making these toxic proteins into therapeutics through the preparation of immunotoxins. We have discussed the structural, and functional mechanism of action, evolutionary significance through dendrogram, domain organization, and practical applications for various approaches. This review aims to emphasize the PFTs to summarize toxic proteins together for basic knowledge as well as to highlight the current challenges, and literature gap along with the perspective of promising biotechnological applications for their future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laxmi Kumari Gupta
- Bioprocess Development Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Warangal, Telangana, 506004, India
| | - Johiruddin Molla
- Ghatal Rabindra Satabarsiki Mahavidyalaya Ghatal, Paschim Medinipur, Ghatal, West Bengal, 721212, India
| | - Ashish A Prabhu
- Bioprocess Development Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Warangal, Telangana, 506004, India.
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2
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Hervis YP, Valle A, Canet L, Rodríguez A, Lanio ME, Alvarez C, Steinhoff HJ, Pazos IF. Cys mutants as tools to study the oligomerization of the pore-forming toxin sticholysin I. Toxicon 2023; 222:106994. [PMID: 36529153 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2022.106994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Sticholysin I (StI) is a water-soluble protein with the ability to bind membranes where it oligomerizes and forms pores leading to cell death. Understanding the assembly property of this protein may be valuable for designing potential biotechnological tools, such as stable or structurally defined nanopores. In order to get insights into the stabilization of StI oligomers by disulfide bonds, we designed and characterized single and double cysteine mutants at the oligomerization interface. The oligomer formation was induced in the presence of lipid membranes and visualized by SDS-PAGE. The contribution of the oligomeric structures to the membrane binding and pore-forming capacities of StI was assessed. Single and double cysteine introduction at the protein-protein oligomerization interface does not considerably affect the conformation and function of the monomeric protein. In the presence of membranes, a cysteine double mutation at positions 15 and 59 favored formation of different size oligomers stabilized by disulfide bonds. The results of this work highlight the relevance of these positions (15 and 59) to be considered for developing biosensors based on nanopores from StI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadira P Hervis
- Center for Protein Studies/Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana, ZIP 10400, Cuba.
| | - Aisel Valle
- Center for Protein Studies/Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana, ZIP 10400, Cuba.
| | - Liem Canet
- Center for Protein Studies/Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana, ZIP 10400, Cuba.
| | | | - Maria E Lanio
- Center for Protein Studies/Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana, ZIP 10400, Cuba.
| | - Carlos Alvarez
- Center for Protein Studies/Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana, ZIP 10400, Cuba.
| | - Heinz J Steinhoff
- Department of Physics, University of Osnabrueck, Osnabrueck, 49069, Germany.
| | - Isabel F Pazos
- Center for Protein Studies/Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, University of Havana, Havana, ZIP 10400, Cuba.
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3
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Mondal AK, Lata K, Singh M, Chatterjee S, Chauhan A, Puravankara S, Chattopadhyay K. Cryo-EM elucidates mechanism of action of bacterial pore-forming toxins. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2022; 1864:184013. [PMID: 35908609 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2022.184013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) rupture plasma membranes and kill target cells. PFTs are secreted as soluble monomers that undergo drastic structural rearrangements upon interacting with the target membrane and generate transmembrane oligomeric pores. A detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the pore-formation process remains unclear due to limited structural insights regarding the transmembrane oligomeric pore states of the PFTs. However, recent advances in the field of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) have led to the high-resolution structure determination of the oligomeric pore forms of diverse PFTs. Here, we discuss the pore-forming mechanisms of various PFTs, specifically the mechanistic details contributed by the cryo-EM-based structural studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anish Kumar Mondal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Manauli, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
| | - Kusum Lata
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Manauli, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
| | - Mahendra Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Manauli, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
| | - Shamaita Chatterjee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Manauli, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
| | - Aakanksha Chauhan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Manauli, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
| | - Sindhoora Puravankara
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Manauli, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
| | - Kausik Chattopadhyay
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Manauli, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India.
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4
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Palacios-Ortega J, Amigot-Sánchez R, García-Montoya C, Gorše A, Heras-Márquez D, García-Linares S, Martínez-del-Pozo Á, Slotte JP. Determination of the boundary lipids of sticholysins using tryptophan quenching. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17328. [PMID: 36243747 PMCID: PMC9569322 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21750-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Sticholysins are α-pore-forming toxins produced by the sea-anemone Stichodactyla helianthus. These toxins exert their activity by forming pores on sphingomyelin-containing membranes. Recognition of sphingomyelin by sticholysins is required to start the process of pore formation. Sphingomyelin recognition is coupled with membrane binding and followed by membrane penetration and oligomerization. Many features of these processes are known. However, the extent of contact with each of the different kinds of lipids present in the membrane has received little attention. To delve into this question, we have used a phosphatidylcholine analogue labeled at one of its acyl chains with a doxyl moiety, a known quencher of tryptophan emission. Here we present evidence for the contact of sticholysins with phosphatidylcholine lipids in the sticholysin oligomer, and for how each sticholysin isotoxin is affected differently by the inclusion of cholesterol in the membrane. Furthermore, using phosphatidylcholine analogs that were labeled at different positions of their structure (acyl chains and headgroup) in combination with a variety of sticholysin mutants, we also investigated the depth of the tryptophan residues of sticholysins in the bilayer. Our results indicate that the position of the tryptophan residues relative to the membrane normal is deeper when cholesterol is absent from the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Palacios-Ortega
- grid.13797.3b0000 0001 2235 8415Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland ,grid.4795.f0000 0001 2157 7667Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Amigot-Sánchez
- grid.4795.f0000 0001 2157 7667Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen García-Montoya
- grid.4795.f0000 0001 2157 7667Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Gorše
- grid.4795.f0000 0001 2157 7667Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Heras-Márquez
- grid.4795.f0000 0001 2157 7667Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara García-Linares
- grid.4795.f0000 0001 2157 7667Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro Martínez-del-Pozo
- grid.4795.f0000 0001 2157 7667Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - J. Peter Slotte
- grid.13797.3b0000 0001 2235 8415Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
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Šolinc G, Švigelj T, Omersa N, Snoj T, Pirc K, Žnidaršič N, Yamaji-Hasegawa A, Kobayashi T, Anderluh G, Podobnik M. Pore-forming moss protein bryoporin is structurally and mechanistically related to actinoporins from evolutionarily distant cnidarians. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102455. [PMID: 36063994 PMCID: PMC9526159 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Pore-forming proteins perforate lipid membranes and consequently affect their integrity and cell fitness. Therefore, it is not surprising that many of these proteins from bacteria, fungi, or certain animals act as toxins. While pore-forming proteins have also been found in plants, there is little information on their molecular structure and mode of action. Bryoporin is a protein from the moss Physcomitrium patens, and its corresponding gene was found to be upregulated by various abiotic stresses, especially dehydration, as well as upon fungal infection. Based on the amino acid sequence, it was suggested that bryoporin was related to the actinoporin family of pore-forming proteins, originally discovered in sea anemones. Here, we provide the first detailed structural and functional analysis of this plant cytolysin. The crystal structure of the monomeric bryoporin is highly similar to those of actinoporins. Our cryo-EM analysis of its pores showed an actinoporin-like octameric structure, thereby revealing a close kinship of proteins from evolutionarily distant organisms. This was further confirmed by our observation of bryoporin's preferential binding to and formation of pores in membranes containing animal sphingolipids, such as sphingomyelin and ceramide phosphoethanolamine; however, its binding affinity was weaker than that of actinoporin equinatoxin II. We determined bryoporin did not bind to major sphingolipids found in fungi or plants, and its membrane-binding and pore-forming activity were enhanced by various sterols. Our results suggest that bryoporin could represent a part of the moss defense arsenal, acting as a pore-forming toxin against membranes of potential animal pathogens, parasites, or predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gašper Šolinc
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tomaž Švigelj
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Neža Omersa
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tina Snoj
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Katja Pirc
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nada Žnidaršič
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 111, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Toshihide Kobayashi
- Lipid Biology Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-1, Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; UMR 7021 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Gregor Anderluh
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marjetka Podobnik
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Sea Anemones, Actinoporins, and Cholesterol. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23158771. [PMID: 35955905 PMCID: PMC9369217 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Spanish or Spanish-speaking scientists represent a remarkably populated group within the scientific community studying pore-forming proteins. Some of these scientists, ourselves included, focus on the study of actinoporins, a fascinating group of metamorphic pore-forming proteins produced within the venom of several sea anemones. These toxic proteins can spontaneously transit from a water-soluble fold to an integral membrane ensemble because they specifically recognize sphingomyelin in the membrane. Once they bind to the bilayer, they subsequently oligomerize into a pore that triggers cell-death by osmotic shock. In addition to sphingomyelin, some actinoporins are especially sensible to some other membrane components such as cholesterol. Our group from Universidad Complutense of Madrid has focused greatly on the role played by sterols in this water–membrane transition, a question which still remains only partially solved and constitutes the main core of the article below.
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7
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Yu W, Xue Z, Zhao X, Zhang R, Liu J, Guo S. Glyphosate-induced GhAG2 is involved in resistance to salt stress in cotton. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2022; 41:1131-1145. [PMID: 35243542 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-022-02844-3] [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: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE The transcription of GhAG2 was strongly enhanced by glyphosate treatment. Overexpression of GhAG2 could improve plant tolerance to salt and salicylic acid stress. Although glyphosate has been widely used as an herbicide over the past decade owing to its high efficacy on weed controls and worldwide commercialization of glyphosate-resistant crops, little is known about the glyphosate-induced responses and transcriptional changes in cotton plants. Here, we report the identification of 26 differentially expressed genes after glyphosate treatment, among which, six highly up-regulated sequences share homology to cotton expressed sequence tags (ESTs) responsive to abiotic stresses. In addition, we cloned GhAG2, a gene whose transcription was strongly enhanced by glyphosate treatment and other abiotic stresses. Transgenic GhAG2 plants showed improved tolerance to salt, and salicylic acid (SA) stress. The results could open the door to exploring the function of the GhAG2 proteins, the glyphosate-induced transcriptional profiles, and the physiological biochemical responses in cotton and other crops. GhAG2 could also be used to improve salt stress tolerance through breeding and biotechnology in crops. Furthermore, these results could provide guidelines to develop a glyphosate-inducible system for controlled expression of targeted genes in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wancong Yu
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tianjin, 300384, China
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Zhaohui Xue
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xianzheng Zhao
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tianjin, 300384, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | - Jiping Liu
- Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | - Sandui Guo
- Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
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8
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Sandoval K, McCormack GP. Actinoporin-like Proteins Are Widely Distributed in the Phylum Porifera. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:md20010074. [PMID: 35049929 PMCID: PMC8778704 DOI: 10.3390/md20010074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Actinoporins are proteinaceous toxins known for their ability to bind to and create pores in cellular membranes. This quality has generated interest in their potential use as new tools, such as therapeutic immunotoxins. Isolated historically from sea anemones, genes encoding for similar actinoporin-like proteins have since been found in a small number of other animal phyla. Sequencing and de novo assembly of Irish Haliclona transcriptomes indicated that sponges also possess similar genes. An exhaustive analysis of publicly available sequencing data from other sponges showed that this is a potentially widespread feature of the Porifera. While many sponge proteins possess a sequence similarity of 27.70–59.06% to actinoporins, they show consistency in predicted structure. One gene copy from H. indistincta has significant sequence similarity to sea anemone actinoporins and possesses conserved residues associated with the fundamental roles of sphingomyelin recognition, membrane attachment, oligomerization, and pore formation, indicating that it may be an actinoporin. Phylogenetic analyses indicate frequent gene duplication, no distinct clade for sponge-derived proteins, and a stronger signal towards actinoporins than similar proteins from other phyla. Overall, this study provides evidence that a diverse array of Porifera represents a novel source of actinoporin-like proteins which may have biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications.
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Challenges and approaches to studying pore-forming proteins. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2749-2765. [PMID: 34747994 PMCID: PMC8892993 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Pore-forming proteins (PFPs) are a broad class of molecules that comprise various families, structural folds, and assembly pathways. In nature, PFPs are most often deployed by their host organisms to defend against other organisms. In humans, this is apparent in the immune system, where several immune effectors possess pore-forming activity. Furthermore, applications of PFPs are found in next-generation low-cost DNA sequencing, agricultural crop protection, pest control, and biosensing. The advent of cryoEM has propelled the field forward. Nevertheless, significant challenges and knowledge-gaps remain. Overcoming these challenges is particularly important for the development of custom, purpose-engineered PFPs with novel or desired properties. Emerging single-molecule techniques and methods are helping to address these unanswered questions. Here we review the current challenges, problems, and approaches to studying PFPs.
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10
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Ker DS, Sha HX, Jonet MA, Hwang JS, Ng CL. Structural and functional analysis of Hydra Actinoporin-Like Toxin 1 (HALT-1). Sci Rep 2021; 11:20649. [PMID: 34667248 PMCID: PMC8526580 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99879-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Actinoporins are a family of α-pore-forming toxins (α-PFTs) that have been identified in sea anemones. Recently, a freshwater Hydra Actinoporin-Like Toxin (HALT) gene family was found in Hydra magnipapillata. Unlike sea anemone actinoporins that use sphingomyelin as their main recognition target, the HALTs proteins may recognise alternative lipid molecules as their target. To unveil the structural insights into lipid preference of HALTs protein as compared to sea anemone actinoporins, we have determined the first crystal structure of actinoporin-like toxin, HALT-1 at 1.43 Å resolution with an acetylated lysine residue K76. Despite the overall structure of HALT-1 sharing a high structural similarity to sea anemone actinoporins, the atomic resolution structure revealed several unique structural features of HALT-1 that may influence the lipid preference and oligomerisation interface. The HALT-1 contains a RAG motif in place of the highly conserved RGD motif found in sea anemone actinoporins. The RAG motif contributed to a sharper β9-β10 turn, which may sway its oligomerisation interface in comparison to sea anemone actinoporins. In the lipid-binding region, the HALT-1 contains a shorter α2 helix and a longer α2-β9 loop due to deletion and subsequently an insertion of five amino acid residues in comparison to the sea anemone actinoporins. Structure comparison and molecular docking analysis further revealed that the HALT-1 lipid-binding site may favour sphingolipids with sulfate or phosphate head group more than the sphingomyelin. The structure of HALT-1 reported here provides a new insight for a better understanding of the evolution and lipid recognition mechanism of actinoporin.
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Affiliation(s)
- De-Sheng Ker
- Institute of Systems Biology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.,York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Hong Xi Sha
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, No. 5, Jalan Universiti, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Anuar Jonet
- Malaysia Genome Institute, National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia, Jalan Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Jung Shan Hwang
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, No. 5, Jalan Universiti, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Chyan Leong Ng
- Institute of Systems Biology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
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11
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Sannigrahi A, Chattopadhyay K. Pore formation by pore forming membrane proteins towards infections. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2021; 128:79-111. [PMID: 35034727 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Over the last 25 years, the biology of membrane proteins, including the PFPs-membranes interactions is seeking attention for the development of successful drug molecules against a number of infectious diseases. Pore forming toxins (PFTs), the largest family of PFPs are considered as a group of virulence factors produced in a large number of pathogenic systems which include streptococcus, pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, group A and B streptococci, Corynebacterium diphtheria and many more. PFTs are generally utilized by the disease causing pathogens to disrupt the host first line of defense i.e. host cell membranes through pore formation strategy. Although, pore formation is the principal mode of action of the PFTs but they can have additional adverse effects on the hosts including immune evasion. Recently, structural investigation of different PFTs have imparted the molecular mechanistic insights into how PFTs get transformed from its inactive state to active toxic state. On the basis of their structural entity, PFTs have been classified in different types and their mode of actions alters in terms of pore formation and corresponding cellular toxicity. Although pathogen genome analysis can identify the probable PFTs depending upon their structural diversity, there are so many PFTs which utilize the local environmental conditions to generate their pore forming ability using a novel strategy which is known as "conformational switch" of a protein. This conformational switch is considered as characteristics of the phase shifting proteins which were often utilized by many pathogenic systems to protect them from the invaders through allosteric communication between distant regions of the protein. In this chapter, we discuss the structure function relationships of PFTs and how activity of PFTs varies with the change in the environmental conditions has been explored. Finally, we demonstrate these structural insights to develop therapeutic potential to treat the infections caused by multidrug resistant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achinta Sannigrahi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
| | - Krishnananda Chattopadhyay
- Structural Biology and Bioinformatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
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12
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Alvarez C, Soto C, Cabezas S, Alvarado-Mesén J, Laborde R, Pazos F, Ros U, Hernández AM, Lanio ME. Panorama of the Intracellular Molecular Concert Orchestrated by Actinoporins, Pore-Forming Toxins from Sea Anemones. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13080567. [PMID: 34437438 PMCID: PMC8402351 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13080567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Actinoporins (APs) are soluble pore-forming proteins secreted by sea anemones that experience conformational changes originating in pores in the membranes that can lead to cell death. The processes involved in the binding and pore-formation of members of this protein family have been deeply examined in recent years; however, the intracellular responses to APs are only beginning to be understood. Unlike pore formers of bacterial origin, whose intracellular impact has been studied in more detail, currently, we only have knowledge of a few poorly integrated elements of the APs’ intracellular action. In this review, we present and discuss an updated landscape of the studies aimed at understanding the intracellular pathways triggered in response to APs attack with particular reference to sticholysin II, the most active isoform produced by the Caribbean Sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus. To achieve this, we first describe the major alterations these cytolysins elicit on simpler cells, such as non-nucleated mammalian erythrocytes, and then onto more complex eukaryotic cells, including tumor cells. This understanding has provided the basis for the development of novel applications of sticholysins such as the construction of immunotoxins directed against undesirable cells, such as tumor cells, and the design of a cancer vaccine platform. These are among the most interesting potential uses for the members of this toxin family that have been carried out in our laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Alvarez
- Centro de Estudio de Proteínas, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Habana (UH) and Laboratorio UH-Centro de Inmunología Molecular, Havana CP 11600, Cuba; (C.S.); (S.C.); (J.A.-M.); (R.L.); (F.P.); (U.R.); (M.E.L.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Carmen Soto
- Centro de Estudio de Proteínas, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Habana (UH) and Laboratorio UH-Centro de Inmunología Molecular, Havana CP 11600, Cuba; (C.S.); (S.C.); (J.A.-M.); (R.L.); (F.P.); (U.R.); (M.E.L.)
| | - Sheila Cabezas
- Centro de Estudio de Proteínas, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Habana (UH) and Laboratorio UH-Centro de Inmunología Molecular, Havana CP 11600, Cuba; (C.S.); (S.C.); (J.A.-M.); (R.L.); (F.P.); (U.R.); (M.E.L.)
| | - Javier Alvarado-Mesén
- Centro de Estudio de Proteínas, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Habana (UH) and Laboratorio UH-Centro de Inmunología Molecular, Havana CP 11600, Cuba; (C.S.); (S.C.); (J.A.-M.); (R.L.); (F.P.); (U.R.); (M.E.L.)
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional, Heredia 40101, Costa Rica
| | - Rady Laborde
- Centro de Estudio de Proteínas, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Habana (UH) and Laboratorio UH-Centro de Inmunología Molecular, Havana CP 11600, Cuba; (C.S.); (S.C.); (J.A.-M.); (R.L.); (F.P.); (U.R.); (M.E.L.)
| | - Fabiola Pazos
- Centro de Estudio de Proteínas, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Habana (UH) and Laboratorio UH-Centro de Inmunología Molecular, Havana CP 11600, Cuba; (C.S.); (S.C.); (J.A.-M.); (R.L.); (F.P.); (U.R.); (M.E.L.)
| | - Uris Ros
- Centro de Estudio de Proteínas, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Habana (UH) and Laboratorio UH-Centro de Inmunología Molecular, Havana CP 11600, Cuba; (C.S.); (S.C.); (J.A.-M.); (R.L.); (F.P.); (U.R.); (M.E.L.)
- Institute for Genetics and Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-strasse 26, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Ana María Hernández
- Immunobiology Division, Molecular Immunology Institute, Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM), Playa, Havana CP 11600, Cuba;
| | - María Eliana Lanio
- Centro de Estudio de Proteínas, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de La Habana (UH) and Laboratorio UH-Centro de Inmunología Molecular, Havana CP 11600, Cuba; (C.S.); (S.C.); (J.A.-M.); (R.L.); (F.P.); (U.R.); (M.E.L.)
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13
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Mondal AK, Chattopadhyay K. Structures and functions of the membrane-damaging pore-forming proteins. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2021; 128:241-288. [PMID: 35034720 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Pore-forming proteins (PFPs) of the diverse life forms have emerged as the potent cell-killing entities owing to their specialized membrane-damaging properties. PFPs have the unique ability to perforate the plasma membranes of their target cells, and they exert this functionality by creating oligomeric pores in the membrane lipid bilayer. Pathogenic bacteria employ PFPs as toxins to execute their virulence mechanisms, whereas in the higher vertebrates PFPs are deployed as the part of the immune system and to generate inflammatory responses. PFPs are the unique dimorphic proteins that are generally synthesized as water-soluble molecules, and transform into membrane-inserted oligomeric pore assemblies upon interacting with the target membranes. In spite of sharing very little sequence similarity, PFPs from diverse organisms display incredible structural similarity. Yet, at the same time, structure-function mechanisms of the PFPs document remarkable versatility. Such notions establish PFPs as the fascinating model system to explore variety of unsolved issues pertaining to the structure-function paradigm of the proteins that interact and act in the membrane environment. In this article, we discuss our current understanding regarding the structural basis of the pore-forming functions of the diverse class of PFPs. We attempt to highlight the similarities and differences in their structures, membrane pore-formation mechanisms, and their implications for the various biological processes, ranging from the bacterial virulence mechanisms to the inflammatory immune response generation in the higher animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anish Kumar Mondal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Kausik Chattopadhyay
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Mohali, Punjab, India.
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14
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Palacios-Ortega J, García-Linares S, Rivera-de-Torre E, Heras-Márquez D, Gavilanes JG, Slotte JP, Martínez-Del-Pozo Á. Structural foundations of sticholysin functionality. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2021; 1869:140696. [PMID: 34246789 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2021.140696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Actinoporins constitute a family of α pore-forming toxins produced by sea anemones. The soluble fold of these proteins consists of a β-sandwich flanked by two α-helices. Actinoporins exert their activity by specifically recognizing sphingomyelin at their target membranes. Once there, they penetrate the membrane with their N-terminal α-helices, a process that leads to the formation of cation-selective pores. These pores kill the target cells by provoking an osmotic shock on them. In this review, we examine the role and relevance of the structural features of actinoporins, down to the residue level. We look at the specific amino acids that play significant roles in the function of actinoporins and their fold. Particular emphasis is given to those residues that display a high degree of conservation across the actinoporin sequences known to date. In light of the latest findings in the field, the membrane requirements for pore formation, the effect of lipid composition, and the process of pore formation are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Palacios-Ortega
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.
| | - Sara García-Linares
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esperanza Rivera-de-Torre
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Diego Heras-Márquez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - José G Gavilanes
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - J Peter Slotte
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Álvaro Martínez-Del-Pozo
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
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15
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Herzberg M, Berglin M, Eliahu S, Bodin L, Agrenius K, Zlotkin A, Svenson J. Efficient Prevention of Marine Biofilm Formation Employing a Surface-Grafted Repellent Marine Peptide. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2021; 4:3360-3373. [PMID: 35014421 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c01672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Creation of surfaces resistant to the formation of microbial biofilms via biomimicry has been heralded as a promising strategy to protect a range of different materials ranging from boat hulls to medical devices and surgical instruments. In our current study, we describe the successful transfer of a highly effective natural marine biofilm inhibitor to the 2D surface format. A series of cyclic peptides inspired by the natural equinatoxin II protein produced by Beadlet anemone (Actinia equine) have been evaluated for their ability to inhibit the formation of a mixed marine microbial consortium on polyamide reverse osmosis membranes. In solution, the peptides are shown to effectively inhibit settlement and biofilm formation in a nontoxic manner down to 1 nM concentrations. In addition, our study also illustrates how the peptides can be applied to disperse already established biofilms. Attachment of a hydrophobic palmitic acid tail generates a peptide suited for strong noncovalent surface interactions and allows the generation of stable noncovalent coatings. These adsorbed peptides remain attached to the surface at significant shear stress and also remain active, effectively preventing the biofilm formation over 24 h. Finally, the covalent attachment of the peptides to an acrylate surface was also evaluated and the prepared coatings display a remarkable ability to prevent surface colonization at surface loadings of 55 ng/cm2 over 48 h. The ability to retain the nontoxic antibiofilm activity, documented in solution, in the covalent 2D-format is unprecedented, and this natural peptide motif displays high potential in several material application areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moshe Herzberg
- The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 84990, Israel
| | - Mattias Berglin
- Department of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås 501 15, Sweden.,Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg SE405 30, Sweden
| | - Sarai Eliahu
- The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 84990, Israel
| | - Lovisa Bodin
- Department of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås 501 15, Sweden
| | - Karin Agrenius
- Department of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås 501 15, Sweden
| | - Amir Zlotkin
- DisperseBio Ltd, 27 Kehilat lvov Street, Tel-Aviv 6972513, Israel
| | - Johan Svenson
- Department of Chemistry and Materials, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Borås 501 15, Sweden
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16
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Crystal structure of RahU, an aegerolysin protein from the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and its interaction with membrane ceramide phosphorylethanolamine. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6572. [PMID: 33753805 PMCID: PMC7985367 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85956-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aegerolysins are proteins produced by bacteria, fungi, plants and protozoa. The most studied fungal aegerolysins share a common property of interacting with membranes enriched with cholesterol in combination with either sphingomyelin or ceramide phosphorylethanolamine (CPE), major sphingolipids in the cell membranes of vertebrates and invertebrates, respectively. However, genome analyses show a particularly high frequency of aegerolysin genes in bacteria, including the pathogenic genera Pseudomonas and Vibrio; these are human pathogens of high clinical relevance and can thrive in a variety of other species. The knowledge on bacterial aegerolysin-lipid interactions is scarce. We show that Pseudomonas aeruginosa aegerolysin RahU interacts with CPE, but not with sphingomyelin-enriched artificial membranes, and that RahU interacts with the insect cell line producing CPE. We report crystal structures of RahU alone and in complex with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris), which, like the phosphorylethanolamine head group of CPE, contains a primary amine. The RahU structures reveal that the two loops proximal to the amino terminus form a cavity that accommodates Tris, and that the flexibility of these two loops is important for this interaction. We show that Tris interferes with CPE-enriched membranes for binding to RahU, implying on the importance of the ligand cavity between the loops and its proximity in RahU membrane interaction. We further support this by studying the interaction of single amino acid substitution mutants of RahU with the CPE-enriched membranes. Our results thus represent a starting point for a better understanding of the role of P. aeruginosa RahU, and possibly other bacterial aegerolysins, in bacterial interactions with other organisms.
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17
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Lipid interactions of an actinoporin pore-forming oligomer. Biophys J 2021; 120:1357-1366. [PMID: 33617834 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The actinoporins are cytolytic toxins produced by sea anemones. Upon encountering a membrane, preferably containing sphingomyelin, they oligomerize and insert their N-terminal helix into the membrane, forming a pore. Whether sphingomyelin is specifically recognized by the protein or simply induces phase coexistence in the membrane has been debated. Here, we perform multi-microsecond molecular dynamics simulations of an octamer of fragaceatoxin C, a member of the actinoporin family, in lipid bilayers containing either pure 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) or a 1:1 mixture of DOPC and palmitoyl sphingomyelin (PSM). The complex is highly stable in both environments, with only slight fraying of the inserted helices near their N-termini. Analyzing the structural parameters of the mixed membrane in the course of the simulation, we see signs of a phase transition for PSM in the inner leaflet of the bilayer. In both leaflets, cross-interactions between lipids of different type decrease over time. Surprisingly, the aromatic loop thought to be responsible for sphingomyelin recognition interacts more with DOPC than PSM by the end of the simulation. These results support the notion that the key membrane property that actinoporins recognize is lipid phase coexistence.
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18
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Caaveiro JMM, Tsumoto K. Molecular basis for the activation of actinoporins by lipids. Methods Enzymol 2021; 649:277-306. [PMID: 33712190 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Actinoporins are a family of homologous pore forming proteins from sea anemones. They are one of the few families of eukaryotic toxins that have been characterized in depth. Actinoporins are activated by lipids in the context of bilayers, especially in cell and in model membranes containing the lipid sphingomyelin. These proteins must undergo conformational changes induced upon interaction with lipids in the membrane, where they form cytotoxic pores causing cell death and lethality. Herein we review a list of procedures and techniques to study this family of toxins, with the goal of elucidating the physicochemical, thermodynamic and structural basis for their activation by lipids. The emerging picture indicates that actinoporins undergo a stepwise process that includes binding to the membrane, oligomerization, and pore formation, in this order. The key transformation from the inactive oligomer to the active pore is catalyzed by sphingomyelin, explaining the key role of this lipid in the function of actinoporins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose M M Caaveiro
- Department of Global Healthcare, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka, Japan.
| | - Kouhei Tsumoto
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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19
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Johnstone BA, Christie MP, Morton CJ, Parker MW. X-ray crystallography shines a light on pore-forming toxins. Methods Enzymol 2021; 649:1-46. [PMID: 33712183 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
A common form of cellular attack by pathogenic bacteria is to secrete pore-forming toxins (PFTs). Capable of forming transmembrane pores in various biological membranes, PFTs have also been identified in a diverse range of other organisms such as sea anemones, earthworms and even mushrooms and trees. The mechanism of pore formation by PFTs is associated with substantial conformational changes in going from the water-soluble to transmembrane states of the protein. The determination of the crystal structures for numerous PFTs has shed much light on our understanding of these proteins. Other than elucidating the atomic structural details of PFTs and the conformational changes that must occur for pore formation, crystal structures have revealed structural homology that has led to the discovery of new PFTs and new PFT families. Here we review some key crystallographic results together with complimentary approaches for studying PFTs. We discuss how these studies have impacted our understanding of PFT function and guided research into biotechnical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bronte A Johnstone
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Michelle P Christie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Craig J Morton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael W Parker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia; St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia.
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20
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Li Y, Li Y, Mengist HM, Shi C, Zhang C, Wang B, Li T, Huang Y, Xu Y, Jin T. Structural Basis of the Pore-Forming Toxin/Membrane Interaction. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:toxins13020128. [PMID: 33572271 PMCID: PMC7914777 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13020128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
With the rapid growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, it is urgent to develop alternative therapeutic strategies. Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) belong to the largest family of virulence factors of many pathogenic bacteria and constitute the most characterized classes of pore-forming proteins (PFPs). Recent studies revealed the structural basis of several PFTs, both as soluble monomers, and transmembrane oligomers. Upon interacting with host cells, the soluble monomer of bacterial PFTs assembles into transmembrane oligomeric complexes that insert into membranes and affect target cell-membrane permeability, leading to diverse cellular responses and outcomes. Herein we have reviewed the structural basis of pore formation and interaction of PFTs with the host cell membrane, which could add valuable contributions in comprehensive understanding of PFTs and searching for novel therapeutic strategies targeting PFTs and interaction with host receptors in the fight of bacterial antibiotic-resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajuan Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; (Y.L.); (C.S.); (B.W.); (T.L.); (Y.H.)
| | - Yuelong Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; (Y.L.); (H.M.M.); (C.Z.)
| | - Hylemariam Mihiretie Mengist
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; (Y.L.); (H.M.M.); (C.Z.)
| | - Cuixiao Shi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; (Y.L.); (C.S.); (B.W.); (T.L.); (Y.H.)
| | - Caiying Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; (Y.L.); (H.M.M.); (C.Z.)
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; (Y.L.); (C.S.); (B.W.); (T.L.); (Y.H.)
| | - Tingting Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; (Y.L.); (C.S.); (B.W.); (T.L.); (Y.H.)
| | - Ying Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; (Y.L.); (C.S.); (B.W.); (T.L.); (Y.H.)
| | - Yuanhong Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China; (Y.L.); (C.S.); (B.W.); (T.L.); (Y.H.)
- Correspondence: (Y.X.); (T.J.); Tel.: +86-13505694447 (Y.X.); +86-17605607323 (T.J.)
| | - Tengchuan Jin
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Laboratory of Structural Immunology, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China; (Y.L.); (H.M.M.); (C.Z.)
- Correspondence: (Y.X.); (T.J.); Tel.: +86-13505694447 (Y.X.); +86-17605607323 (T.J.)
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21
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Palacios-Ortega J, Rivera-de-Torre E, García-Linares S, Gavilanes JG, Martínez-Del-Pozo Á, Slotte JP. Oligomerization of Sticholysins from Förster Resonance Energy Transfer. Biochemistry 2021; 60:314-323. [PMID: 33445865 PMCID: PMC8023573 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
![]()
Sticholysins
are pore-forming toxins produced by sea anemones that
are members of the actinoporin family. They exert their activity by
forming pores on membranes, provided they have sphingomyelin. To assemble
into pores, specific recognition, binding, and oligomerization are
required. While recognition and binding have been extensively studied,
delving into the oligomerization process and the stoichiometry of
the pores has been more difficult. Here, we present evidence that
these toxins are capable of oligomerizing in solution and suggesting
that the interaction of sticholysin II (StnII) with its isoform sticholysin
I (StnI) is stronger than that of StnI with itself. We also show that
the stoichiometry of the final, thermodynamically stable StnI pores
is, at least, heptameric. Furthermore, our results indicate that this
association maintains its oligomerization number when StnII is included,
indicating that the stoichiometry of StnII is also of that order,
and not tetrameric, as previously thought. These results are compatible
with the stoichiometry observed for the crystallized pore of FraC,
another very similar actinoporin produced by a different sea anemone
species. Our results also indicate that the stoichiometry of actinoporin
pores in equilibrium is conserved regardless of the particular composition
of a given pore ensemble, which we have shown for mixed sticholysin
pores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Palacios-Ortega
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland
| | | | - Sara García-Linares
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - José G Gavilanes
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - J Peter Slotte
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Turku, Finland
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22
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Palacios-Ortega J, Rivera-de-Torre E, Gavilanes JG, Slotte JP, Martínez-Del-Pozo Á, García-Linares S. Biophysical approaches to study actinoporin-lipid interactions. Methods Enzymol 2021; 649:307-339. [PMID: 33712191 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2020.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Protein-lipid interactions are crucial events from a biochemical point of view, like the interaction of proteins with the cell plasma membrane, and their study is of great importance. Actinoporins are a very powerful tool to study this kind of interactions, since they are soluble proteins in an aqueous environment, capable of inserting into membranes when they have the adequate composition. In fact, actinoporins have been used to study protein-lipid interactions for many years now. Sometimes it is not possible to use real biological membranes in the experiments, so model membranes need to be used. This article aims to give a thorough description of many of the techniques used to study actinoporin-lipid interactions, using both biological and model membranes: Hemolysis, release of vesicles content, surface plasmon resonance, isothermal titration calorimetry, fluorescence-based measurements, etc. Some of these techniques measure the actinoporins activity and some measure their binding properties. The combination of all the techniques described can offer valuable information about the thermodynamics and the kinetics of the actinoporin-lipid interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Palacios-Ortega
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Esperanza Rivera-de-Torre
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - José G Gavilanes
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - J Peter Slotte
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Sara García-Linares
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain.
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23
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Kvetkina A, Malyarenko O, Pavlenko A, Dyshlovoy S, von Amsberg G, Ermakova S, Leychenko E. Sea Anemone Heteractis crispa Actinoporin Demonstrates In Vitro Anticancer Activities and Prevents HT-29 Colorectal Cancer Cell Migration. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25245979. [PMID: 33348592 PMCID: PMC7766076 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25245979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Actinoporins are the most abundant group of sea anemone cytolytic toxins. Their membranolytic activity is of high interest for the development of novel anticancer drugs. However, to date the activity of actinoporins in malignant cells has been poorly studied. Here, we report on recombinant analog of Hct-S3 (rHct-S3), belonging to the combinatory library of Heteractis crispa actinoporins. rHct-S3 exhibited cytotoxic activity against breast MDA-MB-231 (IC50 = 7.3 µM), colorectal HT-29 (IC50 = 6.8 µM), and melanoma SK-MEL-28 (IC50 = 8.3 µM) cancer cells. The actinoporin effectively prevented epidermal growth factor -induced neoplastic transformation of JB6 Cl41 cells by 34% ± 0.2 and decreased colony formation of HT-29 cells by 47% ± 0.9, MDA-MB-231 cells by 37% ± 1.2, and SK-MEL-28 cells by 34% ± 3.6. Moreover, rHct-S3 decreased proliferation and suppressed migration of colorectal carcinoma cells by 31% ± 5.0 and 99% ± 6.4, respectively. The potent anti-migratory activity was proposed to mediate by decreased matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9 expression. In addition, rHct-S3 induced programmed cell death by cleavage of caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, as well as regulation of Bax and Bcl-2. Our results indicate rHct-S3 to be a promising anticancer drug with a high anti-migratory potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Kvetkina
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok 690022, Russia; (O.M.); (A.P.); (S.E.); (E.L.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-423-231-1168
| | - Olesya Malyarenko
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok 690022, Russia; (O.M.); (A.P.); (S.E.); (E.L.)
| | - Aleksandra Pavlenko
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok 690022, Russia; (O.M.); (A.P.); (S.E.); (E.L.)
| | - Sergey Dyshlovoy
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald-Tumorzentrum, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (S.D.); (G.v.A.)
- Martini-Klinik, Prostate Cancer Center, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
- School of Natural Sciences, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok 690922, Russia
| | - Gunhild von Amsberg
- Department of Oncology, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation with Section Pneumology, Hubertus Wald-Tumorzentrum, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany; (S.D.); (G.v.A.)
- Martini-Klinik, Prostate Cancer Center, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Svetlana Ermakova
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok 690022, Russia; (O.M.); (A.P.); (S.E.); (E.L.)
| | - Elena Leychenko
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok 690022, Russia; (O.M.); (A.P.); (S.E.); (E.L.)
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Pore-forming proteins: From defense factors to endogenous executors of cell death. Chem Phys Lipids 2020; 234:105026. [PMID: 33309552 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2020.105026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Pore-forming proteins (PFPs) and small antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a large family of molecules with the common ability to punch holes in cell membranes to alter their permeability. They play a fundamental role as infectious bacteria's defensive tools against host's immune system and as executors of endogenous machineries of regulated cell death in eukaryotic cells. Despite being highly divergent in primary sequence and 3D structure, specific folds of pore-forming domains have been conserved. In fact, pore formation is considered an ancient mechanism that takes place through a general multistep process involving: membrane partitioning and insertion, oligomerization and pore formation. However, different PFPs and AMPs assemble and form pores following different mechanisms that could end up either in the formation of protein-lined or protein-lipid pores. In this review, we analyze the current findings in the mechanism of action of different PFPs and AMPs that support a wide role of membrane pore formation in nature. We also provide the newest insights into the development of state-of-art techniques that have facilitated the characterization of membrane pores. To understand the physiological role of these peptides/proteins or develop clinical applications, it is essential to uncover the molecular mechanism of how they perforate membranes.
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Functional and Structural Variation among Sticholysins, Pore-Forming Proteins from the Sea Anemone Stichodactyla helianthus. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21238915. [PMID: 33255441 PMCID: PMC7727798 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21238915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Venoms constitute complex mixtures of many different molecules arising from evolution in processes driven by continuous prey-predator interactions. One of the most common compounds in these venomous cocktails are pore-forming proteins, a family of toxins whose activity relies on the disruption of the plasmatic membranes by forming pores. The venom of sea anemones, belonging to the oldest lineage of venomous animals, contains a large amount of a characteristic group of pore-forming proteins known as actinoporins. They bind specifically to sphingomyelin-containing membranes and suffer a conformational metamorphosis that drives them to make pores. This event usually leads cells to death by osmotic shock. Sticholysins are the actinoporins produced by Stichodactyla helianthus. Three different isotoxins are known: Sticholysins I, II, and III. They share very similar amino acid sequence and three-dimensional structure but display different behavior in terms of lytic activity and ability to interact with cholesterol, an important lipid component of vertebrate membranes. In addition, sticholysins can act in synergy when exerting their toxin action. The subtle, but important, molecular nuances that explain their different behavior are described and discussed throughout the text. Improving our knowledge about sticholysins behavior is important for eventually developing them into biotechnological tools.
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Evaluation of different approaches used to study membrane permeabilization by actinoporins on model lipid vesicles. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2020; 1862:183311. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2020.183311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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Rivera-de-Torre E, Palacios-Ortega J, Garb JE, Slotte JP, Gavilanes JG, Martínez-Del-Pozo Á. Structural and functional characterization of sticholysin III: A newly discovered actinoporin within the venom of the sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus. Arch Biochem Biophys 2020; 689:108435. [PMID: 32485153 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2020.108435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Actinoporins are a family of pore-forming toxins produced by sea anemones as part of their venomous cocktail. These proteins remain soluble and stably folded in aqueous solution, but when interacting with sphingomyelin-containing lipid membranes, they become integral oligomeric membrane structures that form a pore permeable to cations, which leads to cell death by osmotic shock. Actinoporins appear as multigenic families within the genome of sea anemones: several genes encoding very similar actinoporins are detected within the same species. The Caribbean Sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus produces three actinoporins (sticholysins I, II and III; StnI, StnII and StnIII) that differ in their toxic potency. For example, StnII is about four-fold more effective than StnI against sheep erythrocytes in causing hemolysis, and both show synergy. However, StnIII, recently discovered in the S. helianthus transcriptome, has not been characterized so far. Here we describe StnIII's spectroscopic and functional properties and show its potential to interact with the other Stns. StnIII seems to maintain the well-preserved fold of all actinoporins, characterized by a high content of β-sheet, but it is significantly less thermostable. Its functional characterization shows that the critical concentration needed to form active pores is higher than for either StnI or StnII, suggesting differences in behavior when oligomerizing on membrane surfaces. Our results show that StnIII is an interesting and unexpected piece in the puzzle of how this Caribbean Sea anemone species modulates its venomous activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esperanza Rivera-de-Torre
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
| | - Juan Palacios-Ortega
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Jessica E Garb
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
| | - J Peter Slotte
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - José G Gavilanes
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro Martínez-Del-Pozo
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
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Ramírez-Carreto S, Miranda-Zaragoza B, Rodríguez-Almazán C. Actinoporins: From the Structure and Function to the Generation of Biotechnological and Therapeutic Tools. Biomolecules 2020; 10:E539. [PMID: 32252469 PMCID: PMC7226409 DOI: 10.3390/biom10040539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Actinoporins (APs) are a family of pore-forming toxins (PFTs) from sea anemones. These biomolecules exhibit the ability to exist as soluble monomers within an aqueous medium or as constitutively open oligomers in biological membranes. Through their conformational plasticity, actinoporins are considered good candidate molecules to be included for the rational design of molecular tools, such as immunotoxins directed against tumor cells and stochastic biosensors based on nanopores to analyze unique DNA or protein molecules. Additionally, the ability of these proteins to bind to sphingomyelin (SM) facilitates their use for the design of molecular probes to identify SM in the cells. The immunomodulatory activity of actinoporins in liposomal formulations for vaccine development has also been evaluated. In this review, we describe the potential of actinoporins for use in the development of molecular tools that could be used for possible medical and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Claudia Rodríguez-Almazán
- Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico; (S.R.-C.); (B.M.-Z.)
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Pore-forming toxins from sea anemones: from protein-membrane interaction to its implications for developing biomedical applications. ADVANCES IN BIOMEMBRANES AND LIPID SELF-ASSEMBLY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.abl.2020.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Kundu N, Verma P, Kumar A, Dhar V, Dutta S, Chattopadhyay K. N-Terminal Region of Vibrio parahemolyticus Thermostable Direct Hemolysin Regulates the Membrane-Damaging Action of the Toxin. Biochemistry 2019; 59:605-614. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Kundu
- Centre for Protein Science, Design and Engineering, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Manauli, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
| | - Pratima Verma
- Centre for Protein Science, Design and Engineering, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Manauli, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
| | - Anil Kumar
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Vinica Dhar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Manauli, Mohali 140306, Punjab India
| | - Somnath Dutta
- Molecular Biophysics Unit, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Kausik Chattopadhyay
- Centre for Protein Science, Design and Engineering, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Sector 81, SAS Nagar, Manauli, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
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31
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Sundberg EL, Deng Y, Burd CG. Syndecan-1 Mediates Sorting of Soluble Lipoprotein Lipase with Sphingomyelin-Rich Membrane in the Golgi Apparatus. Dev Cell 2019; 51:387-398.e4. [PMID: 31543446 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2019.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In the secretory pathway, budding of vesicular transport carriers from the trans-Golgi network (TGN) must coordinate specification of lipid composition with selection of secreted proteins. We elucidate a mechanism of soluble protein cargo sorting into secretory vesicles with a sphingomyelin-rich membrane; the integral membrane proteoglycan Syndecan-1 (SDC1) acts as a sorting receptor, capturing the soluble enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL) during export from the TGN. Sorting of LPL requires bivalent interactions between LPL and SDC1-linked heparan sulfate chains and between LPL and the Golgi membrane. Physical features of the SDC1 transmembrane domain, rather than a specific sequence, confer targeting of SDC1 and bound LPL into the sphingomyelin secretion pathway. This study establishes that physicochemical properties of a protein transmembrane domain that drive lateral heterogeneity of the plasma membrane also operate at the TGN to confer sorting of an integral membrane protein and its ligand within the biosynthetic secretory pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Sundberg
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yongqiang Deng
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Christopher G Burd
- Department of Cell Biology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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32
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Yap WY, Tan KJSX, Hwang JS. Expansion of Hydra actinoporin-like toxin (HALT) gene family: Expression divergence and functional convergence evolved through gene duplication. Toxicon 2019; 170:10-20. [PMID: 31513812 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2019.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Hydra actinoporin-like toxin 1 (HALT-1) was previously shown to cause cytolysis and haemolysis in a number of human cells and has similar functional properties to the actinoporins equinatoxin and sticholysin. In addition to HALT-1, five other HALTs (HALTs 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7) were also isolated from Hydra magnipapillata and expressed as recombinant proteins in this study. We demonstrated that recombinant HALTs have cytolytic activity on HeLa cells but each exhibited a different range of toxicity. All six recombinant HALTs bound to sulfatide, while rHALT-1 and rHALT-3 bound to two additional sphingolipids, lysophosphatidic acid and sphingosine-1-phosphate as indicated by the protein-lipid overlay assay. When either tryptophan133 or tyrosine129 of HALT-1 was mutated, the mutant protein lost binding to sulfatide, lysophosphatidic acid and sphingosine-1-phosphate. As further verification of HALTs' binding to sulfatide, we performed ELISA for each HALT. To determine the cell-type specific gene expression of seven HALTs in Hydra, we searched for individual HALT expression in the single-cell RNA-seq data set of Single Cell Portal. The results showed that HALT-1, 4 and 7 were expressed in differentiating stenoteles. HALT-1 and HALT-6 were expressed in the female germline during oogenesis. HALT-2 was strongly expressed in the gland and mucous cells in the endoderm. Information on HALT-3 and HALT-5 could not be found in the single-cell data set. Our findings show that subfunctionalisation of gene expression following duplication enabled HALTs to become specialized in various cell types of the interstitial cell lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yuen Yap
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, No. 1, Jalan Menara Gading, UCSI Heights Cheras, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Katrina Joan Shu Xian Tan
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, No. 1, Jalan Menara Gading, UCSI Heights Cheras, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Jung Shan Hwang
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Healthcare and Medical Sciences, Sunway University, No. 5 Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
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Hervis YP, Valle A, Dunkel S, Klare JP, Canet L, Lanio ME, Alvarez C, Pazos IF, Steinhoff HJ. Architecture of the pore forming toxin sticholysin I in membranes. J Struct Biol 2019; 208:30-42. [PMID: 31330179 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2019.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Sticholysin I (StI) is a toxin produced by the sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus and belonging to the actinoporins family. Upon binding to sphingomyelin-containing membranes StI forms oligomeric pores, thereby leading to cell death. According to recent controversial experimental evidences, the pore architecture of actinoporins is a debated topic. Here, we investigated the StI topology in membranes by site-directed spin labeling and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results reveal that StI in membrane exhibits an oligomeric architecture with heterogeneous stoichiometry of predominantly eight or nine protomers, according to the available structural models. The StI topology resembles the conic pore structure reported for the actinoporin fragaceatoxin C. Our data show that StI coexists in two membrane-associated conformations, with the N-terminal segment either attached to the protein core or inserted in the membrane forming the pore. This finding suggests a 'pre-pore' to 'pore' transition determined by a conformational change that detaches the N-terminal segment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadira P Hervis
- Center for Protein Studies/Department of Biochemistry, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 e/I y J, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, ZIP 10400, Havana, Cuba.
| | - Aisel Valle
- Center for Protein Studies/Department of Biochemistry, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 e/I y J, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, ZIP 10400, Havana, Cuba.
| | - Sabrina Dunkel
- Department of Physics, University of Osnabrueck, Barbarastr. 7, 49076 Osnabrueck, Germany.
| | - Johann P Klare
- Department of Physics, University of Osnabrueck, Barbarastr. 7, 49076 Osnabrueck, Germany.
| | - Liem Canet
- Center for Protein Studies/Department of Biochemistry, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 e/I y J, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, ZIP 10400, Havana, Cuba.
| | - Maria E Lanio
- Center for Protein Studies/Department of Biochemistry, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 e/I y J, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, ZIP 10400, Havana, Cuba.
| | - Carlos Alvarez
- Center for Protein Studies/Department of Biochemistry, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 e/I y J, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, ZIP 10400, Havana, Cuba.
| | - Isabel F Pazos
- Center for Protein Studies/Department of Biochemistry, University of Havana, Calle 25 #455 e/I y J, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, ZIP 10400, Havana, Cuba.
| | - Heinz-J Steinhoff
- Department of Physics, University of Osnabrueck, Barbarastr. 7, 49076 Osnabrueck, Germany.
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Sannigrahi A, Nandi I, Chall S, Jawed JJ, Halder A, Majumdar S, Karmakar S, Chattopadhyay K. Conformational Switch Driven Membrane Pore Formation by Mycobacterium Secretory Protein MPT63 Induces Macrophage Cell Death. ACS Chem Biol 2019; 14:1601-1610. [PMID: 31241303 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) strains cause cell death of macrophages (Mϕ) inside TB granuloma using a mechanism which is not well understood. Many bacterial systems utilize toxins to induce host cell damage, which occurs along with immune evasion. These toxins often use chameleon sequences to generate an environment-sensitive conformational switch, facilitating the process of infection. The presence of toxins is not yet known for MTB. Here, we show that MTB-secreted immunogenic MPT63 protein undergoes a switch from β-sheet to helix in response to mutational and environmental stresses. MPT63 in its helical form creates pores in both synthetic and Mϕ membranes, while the native β-sheet protein remains inert toward membrane interactions. Using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy, we show further that the helical form undergoes self-association to produce toxic oligomers of different morphology. Trypan blue and flow cytometry analyses reveal that the helical state can be utilized by MTB for killing Mϕ cells. Collectively, our study emphasizes for the first time a toxin-like behavior of MPT63 induced by an environment-dependent conformational switch, resulting in membrane pore formation by toxic oligomers and Mϕ cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Achinta Sannigrahi
- Structural Biology & Bio-Informatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mallick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Indrani Nandi
- Structural Biology & Bio-Informatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mallick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Sayantani Chall
- Structural Biology & Bio-Informatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mallick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
| | | | - Animesh Halder
- Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, 188, Raja S. C. Mallick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Subrata Majumdar
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, Kolkata 700054, India
| | - Sanat Karmakar
- Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, 188, Raja S. C. Mallick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Krishnananda Chattopadhyay
- Structural Biology & Bio-Informatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S. C. Mallick Road, Kolkata 700032, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
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Pore-Forming Proteins from Cnidarians and Arachnids as Potential Biotechnological Tools. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:toxins11060370. [PMID: 31242582 PMCID: PMC6628452 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11060370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal venoms are complex mixtures of highly specialized toxic molecules. Cnidarians and arachnids produce pore-forming proteins (PFPs) directed against the plasma membrane of their target cells. Among PFPs from cnidarians, actinoporins stand out for their small size and molecular simplicity. While native actinoporins require only sphingomyelin for membrane binding, engineered chimeras containing a recognition antibody-derived domain fused to an actinoporin isoform can nonetheless serve as highly specific immunotoxins. Examples of such constructs targeted against malignant cells have been already reported. However, PFPs from arachnid venoms are less well-studied from a structural and functional point of view. Spiders from the Latrodectus genus are professional insect hunters that, as part of their toxic arsenal, produce large PFPs known as latrotoxins. Interestingly, some latrotoxins have been identified as potent and highly-specific insecticides. Given the proteinaceous nature of these toxins, their promising future use as efficient bioinsecticides is discussed throughout this Perspective. Protein engineering and large-scale recombinant production are critical steps for the use of these PFPs as tools to control agriculturally important insect pests. In summary, both families of PFPs, from Cnidaria and Arachnida, appear to be molecules with promising biotechnological applications.
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Gerdol M, Cervelli M, Oliverio M, Modica MV. Piercing Fishes: Porin Expansion and Adaptation to Hematophagy in the Vampire Snail Cumia reticulata. Mol Biol Evol 2019; 35:2654-2668. [PMID: 30099551 PMCID: PMC6231492 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytolytic pore-forming proteins are widespread in living organisms, being mostly involved in both sides of the host-pathogen interaction, either contributing to the innate defense or promoting infection. In venomous organisms, such as spiders, insects, scorpions, and sea anemones, pore-forming proteins are often secreted as key components of the venom. Coluporins are pore-forming proteins recently discovered in the Mediterranean hematophagous snail Cumia reticulata (Colubrariidae), highly expressed in the salivary glands that discharge their secretion at close contact with the host. To understand their putative functional role, we investigated coluporins' molecular diversity and evolutionary patterns. Coluporins is a well-diversified family including at least 30 proteins, with an overall low sequence similarity but sharing a remarkably conserved actinoporin-like predicted structure. Tracking the evolutionary history of the molluscan porin genes revealed a scattered distribution of this family, which is present in some other lineages of predatory gastropods, including venomous conoidean snails. Comparative transcriptomic analyses highlighted the expansion of porin genes as a lineage-specific feature of colubrariids. Coluporins seem to have evolved from a single ancestral porin gene present in the latest common ancestor of all Caenogastropoda, undergoing massive expansion and diversification in this colubrariid lineage through repeated gene duplication events paired with widespread episodic positive selection. As for other parasites, these findings are congruent with a "one-sided arms race," equipping the parasite with multiple variants in order to broaden its host spectrum. Overall, our results pinpoint a crucial adaptive role for coluporins in the evolution of the peculiar trophic ecology of vampire snails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Gerdol
- Department of Life Sciences, Trieste University, Italy
| | | | - Marco Oliverio
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University, Roma, Italy
| | - Maria Vittoria Modica
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy.,UMR5247, University of Montpellier, France
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Palacios-Ortega J, García-Linares S, Rivera-de-Torre E, Gavilanes JG, Martínez-Del-Pozo Á, Slotte JP. Sticholysin, Sphingomyelin, and Cholesterol: A Closer Look at a Tripartite Interaction. Biophys J 2019; 116:2253-2265. [PMID: 31146924 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 05/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Actinoporins are a group of soluble toxic proteins that bind to membranes containing sphingomyelin (SM) and oligomerize to form pores. Sticholysin II (StnII) is a member of the actinoporin family produced by Stichodactyla helianthus. Cholesterol (Chol) is known to enhance the activity of StnII. However, the molecular mechanisms behind this activation have remained obscure, although the activation is not Chol specific but rather sterol specific. To further explore how bilayer lipids affect or are affected by StnII, we have used a multiprobe approach (fluorescent analogs of both Chol and SM) in combination with a series of StnII tryptophan (Trp) mutants to study StnII/bilayer interactions. First, we compared StnII bilayer permeabilization in the presence of Chol or oleoyl-ceramide (OCer). The comparison was done because both Chol and OCer have a 1-hydroxyl, which helps to orient the molecule in the bilayer (although OCer has additional polar functional groups). Both Chol and OCer also have increased affinity for SM, which StnII may recognize. However, our results show that only Chol was able to activate StnII-induced bilayer permeabilization; OCer failed to activate it. To further examine possible Chol/StnII interactions, we measured Förster resonance energy transfer between Trp in StnII and cholestatrienol, a fluorescent analog of Chol. We could show higher Förster resonance energy transfer efficiency between cholestatrienol and Trps in position 100 and 114 of StnII when compared to three other Trp positions further away from the bilayer binding region of StnII. Taken together, our results suggest that StnII was able to attract Chol to its vicinity, maybe by showing affinity for Chol. SM interactions are known to be important for StnII binding to bilayers, and Chol is known to facilitate subsequent permeabilization of the bilayers by StnII. Our results help to better understand the role of these important membrane lipids for the bilayer properties of StnII.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Palacios-Ortega
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Sara García-Linares
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - José G Gavilanes
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - J Peter Slotte
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.
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Ramírez-Carreto S, Pérez-García EI, Salazar-García SI, Bernáldez-Sarabia J, Licea-Navarro A, Rudiño-Piñera E, Pérez-Martínez L, Pedraza-Alva G, Rodríguez-Almazán C. Identification of a pore-forming protein from sea anemone Anthopleura dowii Verrill (1869) venom by mass spectrometry. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2019; 25:e147418. [PMID: 31131002 PMCID: PMC6483413 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-1474-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Pore-forming proteins (PFP) are a class of toxins abundant in the venom of
sea anemones. Owing to their ability to recognize and permeabilize cell
membranes, pore-forming proteins have medical potential in cancer therapy or
as biosensors. In the present study, we showed the partial purification and
sequencing of a pore-forming protein from Anthopleura dowii
Verrill (1869). 17. Methods: Cytolytic activity of A. dowii Verrill (1869) venom was
determined via hemolysis assay in the erythrocytes of four mammals (sheep,
goat, human and rabbit). The cytotoxic activity was analyzed in the human
adherent lung carcinoma epithelial cells (A549) by the cytosolic lactate
dehydrogenase (LDH) assay, and trypan blue staining. The venom was
fractionated via ammonium sulfate precipitation gradient, dialysis, and ion
exchange chromatography. The presence of a pore-forming protein in purified
fractions was evaluated through hemolytic and cytotoxic assays, and the
activity fraction was analyzed using the percent of osmotic protections
after polyethylene glycol (PEG) treatment and mass spectrometry. 18. Results: The amount of protein at which the venom produced 50% hemolysis
(HU50) was determined in hemolysis assays using erythrocytes
from sheep (HU50 = 10.7 ± 0.2 μg), goat (HU50 = 13.2 ±
0.3 μg), rabbit (HU50 = 34.7 ± 0.5 μg), and human
(HU50 = 25.6 ± 0.6 μg). The venom presented a cytotoxic
effect in A549 cells and the protein amount present in the venom responsible
for producing 50% death (IC50) was determined using a trypan blue
cytotoxicity assay (1.84 ± 0.40 μg/mL). The loss of membrane integrity in
the A549 cells caused by the venom was detected by the release of LDH in
proportion to the amount of protein. The venom was fractionated; and the
fraction with hemolytic and cytotoxic activities was analyzed by mass
spectrometry. A pore-forming protein was identified. The cytotoxicity in the
A549 cells produced by the fraction containing the pore-forming protein was
osmotically protected by PEG-3350 Da molecular mass, which corroborated that
the loss of integrity in the plasma membrane was produced via pore
formation. 19. Conclusion: A. dowii Verrill (1869) venom
contains a pore-forming protein suitable for designing new drugs for cancer
therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santos Ramírez-Carreto
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biotecnología, Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Erick I Pérez-García
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biotecnología, Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Sandra I Salazar-García
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biotecnología, Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Johanna Bernáldez-Sarabia
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Baja California, México
| | - Alexei Licea-Navarro
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada, Departamento de Innovación Biomédica, Baja California, México
| | - Enrique Rudiño-Piñera
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biotecnología, Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Leonor Pérez-Martínez
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biotecnología, Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Gustavo Pedraza-Alva
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biotecnología, Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | - Claudia Rodríguez-Almazán
- Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Biotecnología, Departamento de Medicina Molecular y Bioprocesos, Av. Universidad 2001, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
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Hullin-Matsuda F, Murate M, Kobayashi T. Protein probes to visualize sphingomyelin and ceramide phosphoethanolamine. Chem Phys Lipids 2018; 216:132-141. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2018.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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Yap WY, Hwang JS. Response of Cellular Innate Immunity to Cnidarian Pore-Forming Toxins. Molecules 2018; 23:E2537. [PMID: 30287801 PMCID: PMC6222686 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23102537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A group of stable, water-soluble and membrane-bound proteins constitute the pore forming toxins (PFTs) in cnidarians. They interact with membranes to physically alter the membrane structure and permeability, resulting in the formation of pores. These lesions on the plasma membrane causes an imbalance of cellular ionic gradients, resulting in swelling of the cell and eventually its rupture. Of all cnidarian PFTs, actinoporins are by far the best studied subgroup with established knowledge of their molecular structure and their mode of pore-forming action. However, the current view of necrotic action by actinoporins may not be the only mechanism that induces cell death since there is increasing evidence showing that pore-forming toxins can induce either necrosis or apoptosis in a cell-type, receptor and dose-dependent manner. In this review, we focus on the response of the cellular immune system to the cnidarian pore-forming toxins and the signaling pathways that might be involved in these cellular responses. Since PFTs represent potential candidates for targeted toxin therapy for the treatment of numerous cancers, we also address the challenge to overcoming the immunogenicity of these toxins when used as therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yuen Yap
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science and Technology, Sunway University, No. 5 Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan 47500, Malaysia.
| | - Jung Shan Hwang
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Healthcare and Medical Sciences, Sunway University, No. 5 Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan 47500, Malaysia.
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Carretero GPB, Vicente EF, Cilli EM, Alvarez CM, Jenssen H, Schreier S. Dissecting the mechanism of action of actinoporins. Role of the N-terminal amphipathic α-helix in membrane binding and pore activity of sticholysins I and II. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202981. [PMID: 30161192 PMCID: PMC6117003 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Actinoporins sticholysin I and sticholysin II (St I, St II) are proposed to lyse model and biomembranes via toroidal pore formation by their N-terminal domain. Based on the hypothesis that peptide fragments can reproduce the structure and function of this domain, the behavior of peptides containing St I residues 12–31 (StI12-31), St II residues 11–30 (StII11-30), and its TOAC-labeled analogue (N-TOAC-StII11-30) was examined. Molecular modeling showed a good match with experimental structures, indicating amphipathic α-helices in the same regions as in the toxins. CD spectra revealed that the peptides were essentially unstructured in aqueous solution, acquiring α-helical conformation upon interaction with micelles and large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) of variable lipid composition. Fluorescence quenching studies with NBD-containing lipids indicated that N-TOAC-StII11-30’s nitroxide moiety is located in the membranes polar head group region. Pyrene-labeled phospholipid inter-leaflet redistribution suggested that the peptides form toroidal pores, according to the mechanism of action proposed for the toxins. Binding occurred only to negatively charged LUV, indicating the importance of electrostatic interactions; in contrast the peptides bound to both negatively charged and zwitterionic micelles, pointing to a lesser influence of these interactions. In addition, differences between bilayers and micelles in head group packing and in curvature led to differences in peptide-membrane interaction. We propose that the peptides topography in micelles resembles that of the toxins in the toroidal pore. The peptides mimicked the toxins permeabilizing activity, St II peptides being more effective than StI12-31. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that differences in the toxins N-terminal amphipathic α-helix play a role in the difference between St I and St II activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo P. B. Carretero
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Eduardo F. Vicente
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, State University of São Paulo, Tupã, Brazil
| | - Eduardo M. Cilli
- Institute of Chemistry, State University of São Paulo, Araraquara, Brazil
| | | | - Håvard Jenssen
- Department of Science and Environment, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Shirley Schreier
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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O'Hara EP, Caldwell GS, Bythell J. Equistatin and equinatoxin gene expression is influenced by environmental temperature in the sea anemone Actinia equina. Toxicon 2018; 153:12-16. [PMID: 30144458 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
We examined the gene expression levels of equinatoxin and equistatin in the sea anemone Actinia equina, when reared at varying environmental temperatures for five months. Both genes were significantly downregulated at 10 °C compared to 16 °C but showed no significant change at 22 °C. This provides the first evidence of an effect of temperature on gene expression, but with no effect of increasing temperatures such as those predicted due to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily P O'Hara
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Ridley Building, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom. e.p.o'
| | - Gary S Caldwell
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Ridley Building, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom.
| | - John Bythell
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Ridley Building, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom.
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Cloning, purification and characterization of nigrelysin, a novel actinoporin from the sea anemone Anthopleura nigrescens. Biochimie 2018; 156:206-223. [PMID: 30036605 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2018.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Actinoporins constitute a unique class of pore-forming toxins found in sea anemones that being secreted as soluble monomers are able to bind and permeabilize membranes leading to cell death. The interest in these proteins has risen due to their high cytotoxicity that can be properly used to design immunotoxins against tumor cells and antigen-releasing systems to cell cytosol. In this work we describe a novel actinoporin produced by Anthopleura nigrescens, an anemone found in the Central American Pacific Ocean. Here we report the amino acid sequence of an actinoporin as deduced from cDNA obtained from total body RNA. The synthetic DNA sequence encoding for one cytolysin variant was expressed in BL21 Star (DE3) Escherichia coli and the protein purified by chromatography on CM Sephadex C-25 with more than 97% homogeneity as verified by MS-MS and HPLC analyses. This actinoporin comprises 179 amino acid residues, consistent with its observed isotope-averaged molecular mass of 19 661 Da. The toxin lacks Cys and readily permeabilizes erythrocytes, as well as L1210 cells. CD spectroscopy revealed that its secondary structure is dominated by beta structure (58.5%) with 5.5% of α-helix, and 35% of random structure. Moreover, binding experiments to lipidic monolayers and to liposomes, as well as permeabilization studies in vesicles, revealed that the affinity of this toxin for sphingomyelin-containing membranes is quite similar to sticholysin II (StII). Comparison by spectroscopic techniques and modeling the three-dimensional structure of nigrelysin (Ng) showed a high homology with StII but several differences were also detectable. Taken together, these results reinforce the notion that Ng is a novel member of the actinoporin pore-forming toxin (PFT) family with a HA as high as that of StII, the most potent actinoporin so far described, but with peculiar structural characteristics contributing to expand the understanding of the structure-function relationship in this protein family.
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44
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Tsutsui K, Sato T. Identification of the two new, functional actinoporins, CJTOX I and CJTOX II, from the deep-sea anemone Cribrinopsis japonica. Toxicon 2018; 148:40-49. [PMID: 29649486 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Actinoporins are pore-forming proteins found in sea anemones. Although we now have a large collection of data on actinoporins, our knowledge is based heavily on those identified in shallow-water anemones. Because the deep sea differs considerably from shallow waters in hydrostatic pressures, temperatures, and the prey composition, the deep-sea actinoporin may have evolved in unique ways. This study, therefore, aimed to obtain new actinoporins in the deep-sea anemone Cribrinopis japonica (Actiniaria, Actiniidae). An actinoporin-like sequence was identified from the previously established C. japonica RNA-Seq database, and the complete length (663 bp) of the deep-sea actinoporin gene, Cjtox I, was obtained. In addition, a similar gene, Cjtox II (666 bp), was also identified from RNA of actinopharynx. CJTOX I and CJTOX II were similar in their primary structures, but CJTOX I lacked one residue in the middle of the protein. There was also a difference in the gene expression in live animals, where only Cjtox I was expressed in tentacles of C. japonica. In the heterologous expression where BL21 (DE3) strain was retransformed with the plasmid containing either Cjtox I or Cjtox II gene, the supernatants of both cell lysates showed hemolytic activity on the equine erythrocytes. Preincubation of the supernatants with sphingomyelin caused reduced activity, implying that the CJTOX I and II would target sphingomyelin as with other actinoporins. Because of the structures similarity to the known actinoporins and the sphingomyelin-inhibitable hemolytic activity, both CJTOX I and II were concluded to be new actinoporins, which were identified for the first time from a deep-sea anemone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Tsutsui
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0027, Japan
| | - Tomomi Sato
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, 22-2 Seto, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, 236-0027, Japan.
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Leychenko E, Isaeva M, Tkacheva E, Zelepuga E, Kvetkina A, Guzev K, Monastyrnaya M, Kozlovskaya E. Multigene Family of Pore-Forming Toxins from Sea Anemone Heteractis crispa. Mar Drugs 2018; 16:E183. [PMID: 29794988 PMCID: PMC6025637 DOI: 10.3390/md16060183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Sea anemones produce pore-forming toxins, actinoporins, which are interesting as tools for cytoplasmic membranes study, as well as being potential therapeutic agents for cancer therapy. This investigation is devoted to structural and functional study of the Heteractis crispa actinoporins diversity. Here, we described a multigene family consisting of 47 representatives expressed in the sea anemone tentacles as prepropeptide-coding transcripts. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that actinoporin clustering is consistent with the division of sea anemones into superfamilies and families. The transcriptomes of both H. crispa and Heteractis magnifica appear to contain a large repertoire of similar genes representing a rapid expansion of the actinoporin family due to gene duplication and sequence divergence. The presence of the most abundant specific group of actinoporins in H. crispa is the major difference between these species. The functional analysis of six recombinant actinoporins revealed that H. crispa actinoporin grouping was consistent with the different hemolytic activity of their representatives. According to molecular modeling data, we assume that the direction of the N-terminal dipole moment tightly reflects the actinoporins' ability to possess hemolytic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Leychenko
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok 690022, Russia.
- School of Natural Sciences, Far Eastern Federal University, Sukhanova Street 8, Vladivostok 690091, Russia.
| | - Marina Isaeva
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok 690022, Russia.
- School of Natural Sciences, Far Eastern Federal University, Sukhanova Street 8, Vladivostok 690091, Russia.
| | - Ekaterina Tkacheva
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok 690022, Russia.
| | - Elena Zelepuga
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok 690022, Russia.
| | - Aleksandra Kvetkina
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok 690022, Russia.
| | - Konstantin Guzev
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok 690022, Russia.
| | - Margarita Monastyrnaya
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok 690022, Russia.
| | - Emma Kozlovskaya
- G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 159, Pr. 100 let Vladivostoku, Vladivostok 690022, Russia.
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Tanaka K, Caaveiro JMM, Morante K, Tsumoto K. Haemolytic actinoporins interact with carbohydrates using their lipid-binding module. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018. [PMID: 28630155 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) are proteins endowed with metamorphic properties that enable them to stably fold in water solutions as well as in cellular membranes. PFTs produce lytic pores on the plasma membranes of target cells conducive to lesions, playing key roles in the defensive and offensive molecular systems of living organisms. Actinoporins are a family of potent haemolytic toxins produced by sea anemones vigorously studied as a paradigm of α-helical PFTs, in the context of lipid-protein interactions, and in connection with nanopore technologies. We have recently reported that fragaceatoxin C (FraC), an actinoporin, engages biological membranes with a large adhesive motif allowing the simultaneous attachment of up to four lipid molecules prior to pore formation. Since actinoporins also interact with carbohydrates, we sought to understand the molecular and energetic basis of glycan recognition by FraC. By employing structural and biophysical methodologies, we show that FraC engages glycans with low affinity using its lipid-binding module. Contrary to other PFTs requiring separate domains for glycan and lipid recognition, the small single-domain actinoporins economize resources by achieving dual recognition with a single binding module. This mechanism could enhance the recruitment of actinoporins to the surface of target tissues in their marine environment.This article is part of the themed issue 'Membrane pores: from structure and assembly, to medicine and technology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Tanaka
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Jose M M Caaveiro
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Koldo Morante
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Kouhei Tsumoto
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan .,Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.,The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
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Rivera-de-Torre E, Palacios-Ortega J, García-Linares S, Gavilanes JG, Martínez-Del-Pozo Á. One single salt bridge explains the different cytolytic activities shown by actinoporins sticholysin I and II from the venom of Stichodactyla helianthus. Arch Biochem Biophys 2017; 636:79-89. [PMID: 29138096 DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Sticholysins I and II (StnI and StnII), α-pore forming toxins from the sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus, are water-soluble toxic proteins which upon interaction with lipid membranes of specific composition bind to the bilayer, extend and insert their N-terminal α-helix, and become oligomeric integral membrane structures. The result is a pore that leads to cell death by osmotic shock. StnI and StnII show 93% of sequence identity, but also different membrane pore-forming activities. The hydrophobicity profile along the first 18 residues revealed differences which were canceled by substituting StnI amino acids 2 and 9. Accordingly, the StnID9A mutant, and the corresponding StnIE2AD9A variant, showed enhanced hemolytic activity. They also revealed a key role for an exposed salt bridge between Asp9 and Lys68. This interaction is not possible in StnII but appears conserved in the other two well-characterized actinoporins, equinatoxin II and fragaceatoxin C. The StnII mutant A8D showed that this single replacement was enough to transform StnII into a version with impaired pore-forming activity. Overall, the results show the key importance of this salt bridge linking the N-terminal stretch to the β-sandwich core. A conclusion of general application for the understanding of salt bridges role in protein design, folding and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esperanza Rivera-de-Torre
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultades de Química y Biología, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Palacios-Ortega
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultades de Química y Biología, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara García-Linares
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultades de Química y Biología, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - José G Gavilanes
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultades de Química y Biología, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Álvaro Martínez-Del-Pozo
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultades de Química y Biología, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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Palacios-Ortega J, García-Linares S, Rivera-de-Torre E, Gavilanes JG, Martínez-Del-Pozo Á, Slotte JP. Differential Effect of Bilayer Thickness on Sticholysin Activity. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2017; 33:11018-11027. [PMID: 28933861 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b01765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we examined the influence of bilayer thickness on the activity of the actinoporin toxins sticholysin I and II (StnI and StnII) at 25 °C. Bilayer thickness was varied using dimonounsaturated phosphatidylcholine (PC) analogues (with 14:1, 16:1, 18:1, 20:1, and 22:1 acyl chains). In addition, N-14:0-sphingomyelin (SM) was always included because StnI and StnII are SM specific. Cholesterol was also incorporated as indicated. In cholesterol-free large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) the PC:SM molar ratio was 4:1, and when cholesterol was included, the complete molar ratio was 4:1:0.5 (PC:SM:cholesterol, respectively). Stn toxins promote bilayer leakage through pores formed by oligomerized toxin monomers. Initial calcein leakage was moderately dependent on bilayer PC acyl chain length (and thus bilayer thickness), with higher rates observed with di-16:1 and di-18:1 PC bilayers. In the presence of cholesterol, the maximum rates of calcein leakage were observed in di-14:1 and di-16:1 PC bilayers. Using isothermal titration calorimetry to study the Stn-LUV interaction, we observed that the bilayer affinity constant (Ka) peaked with LUVs containing di-18:1 PC, and was lower in shorter and longer PC acyl chain bilayers. The presence of cholesterol increased the binding affinity approximately 30-fold at the optimal bilayer thickness (di-18:1-PC). We conclude that bilayer thickness affects both functional and conformational aspects of Stn membrane binding and pore formation. Moreover, the length of the actinoporins' N-terminal α-helix, which penetrates the membrane to form a functional pore, appears to be optimal for the membrane thickness represented by di-18:1 PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Palacios-Ortega
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Universidad Complutense , Madrid 28040, Spain
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University , 20500 Turku, Finland
| | - Sara García-Linares
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Universidad Complutense , Madrid 28040, Spain
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University , 20500 Turku, Finland
| | | | - José G Gavilanes
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Universidad Complutense , Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - Álvaro Martínez-Del-Pozo
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Universidad Complutense , Madrid 28040, Spain
| | - J Peter Slotte
- Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University , 20500 Turku, Finland
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Biophysical and biochemical strategies to understand membrane binding and pore formation by sticholysins, pore-forming proteins from a sea anemone. Biophys Rev 2017; 9:529-544. [PMID: 28853034 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-017-0316-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Actinoporins constitute a unique class of pore-forming toxins found in sea anemones that are able to bind and oligomerize in membranes, leading to cell swelling, impairment of ionic gradients and, eventually, to cell death. In this review we summarize the knowledge generated from the combination of biochemical and biophysical approaches to the study of sticholysins I and II (Sts, StI/II), two actinoporins largely characterized by the Center of Protein Studies at the University of Havana during the last 20 years. These approaches include strategies for understanding the toxin structure-function relationship, the protein-membrane association process leading to pore formation and the interaction of toxin with cells. The rational combination of experimental and theoretical tools have allowed unraveling, at least partially, of the complex mechanisms involved in toxin-membrane interaction and of the molecular pathways triggered upon this interaction. The study of actinoporins is important not only to gain an understanding of their biological roles in anemone venom but also to investigate basic molecular mechanisms of protein insertion into membranes, protein-lipid interactions and the modulation of protein conformation by lipid binding. A deeper knowledge of the basic molecular mechanisms involved in Sts-cell interaction, as described in this review, will support the current investigations conducted by our group which focus on the design of immunotoxins against tumor cells and antigen-releasing systems to cell cytosol as Sts-based vaccine platforms.
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Bose U, Wang T, Zhao M, Motti CA, Hall MR, Cummins SF. Multiomics analysis of the giant triton snail salivary gland, a crown-of-thorns starfish predator. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6000. [PMID: 28729681 PMCID: PMC5519703 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05974-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The giant triton snail (Charonia tritonis) is one of the few natural predators of the adult Crown-of-Thorns starfish (COTS), a corallivore that has been damaging to many reefs in the Indo-Pacific. Charonia species have large salivary glands (SGs) that are suspected to produce either a venom and/or sulphuric acid which can immobilize their prey and neutralize the intrinsic toxic properties of COTS. To date, there is little information on the types of toxins produced by tritons. In this paper, the predatory behaviour of the C. tritonis is described. Then, the C. tritonis SG, which itself is made up of an anterior lobe (AL) and posterior lobe (PL), was analyzed using an integrated transcriptomics and proteomics approach, to identify putative toxin- and feeding-related proteins. A de novo transcriptome database and in silico protein analysis predicts that ~3800 proteins have features consistent with being secreted. A gland-specific proteomics analysis confirmed the presence of numerous SG-AL and SG-PL proteins, including those with similarity to cysteine-rich venom proteins. Sulfuric acid biosynthesis enzymes were identified, specific to the SG-PL. Our analysis of the C. tritonis SG (AL and PL) has provided a deeper insight into the biomolecular toolkit used for predation and feeding by C. tritonis.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Bose
- Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, Genecology Research Center, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, 4810, Australia
| | - T Wang
- Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, Genecology Research Center, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia
| | - M Zhao
- Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, Genecology Research Center, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia
| | - C A Motti
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, 4810, Australia
| | - M R Hall
- Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Queensland, 4810, Australia
| | - S F Cummins
- Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, Genecology Research Center, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, 4558, Australia.
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