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Kyrychenko A, Ladokhin AS. Fluorescent Probes and Quenchers in Studies of Protein Folding and Protein-Lipid Interactions. CHEM REC 2024; 24:e202300232. [PMID: 37695081 PMCID: PMC11113672 DOI: 10.1002/tcr.202300232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence spectroscopy provides numerous methodological tools for structural and functional studies of biological macromolecules and their complexes. All fluorescence-based approaches require either existence of an intrinsic probe or an introduction of an extrinsic one. Moreover, studies of complex systems often require an additional introduction of a specific quencher molecule acting in combination with a fluorophore to provide structural or thermodynamic information. Here, we review the fundamentals and summarize the latest progress in applications of different classes of fluorescent probes and their specific quenchers, aimed at studies of protein folding and protein-membrane interactions. Specifically, we discuss various environment-sensitive dyes, FRET probes, probes for short-distance measurements, and several probe-quencher pairs for studies of membrane penetration of proteins and peptides. The goals of this review are: (a) to familiarize the readership with the general concept that complex biological systems often require both a probe and a quencher to decipher mechanistic details of functioning and (b) to provide example of the immediate applications of the described methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kyrychenko
- Institute of Chemistry and School of Chemistry, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 4 Svobody sq., Kharkiv, 61022, Ukraine
| | - Alexey S Ladokhin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS, 66160, United States
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Filipe HAL, Moreno MJ, Loura LMS. The Secret Lives of Fluorescent Membrane Probes as Revealed by Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Molecules 2020; 25:E3424. [PMID: 32731549 PMCID: PMC7435664 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25153424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluorescent probes have been employed for more than half a century to study the structure and dynamics of model and biological membranes, using spectroscopic and/or microscopic experimental approaches. While their utilization has led to tremendous progress in our knowledge of membrane biophysics and physiology, in some respects the behavior of bilayer-inserted membrane probes has long remained inscrutable. The location, orientation and interaction of fluorophores with lipid and/or water molecules are often not well known, and they are crucial for understanding what the probe is actually reporting. Moreover, because the probe is an extraneous inclusion, it may perturb the properties of the host membrane system, altering the very properties it is supposed to measure. For these reasons, the need for independent methodologies to assess the behavior of bilayer-inserted fluorescence probes has been recognized for a long time. Because of recent improvements in computational tools, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have become a popular means of obtaining this important information. The present review addresses MD studies of all major classes of fluorescent membrane probes, focusing in the period between 2011 and 2020, during which such work has undergone a dramatic surge in both the number of studies and the variety of probes and properties accessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo A. L. Filipe
- Chemistry Department, Coimbra Chemistry Center, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal;
| | - Maria João Moreno
- Coimbra Chemistry Center and CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal;
| | - Luís M. S. Loura
- Coimbra Chemistry Center and CNC—Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
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3
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Location of TEMPO-PC in Lipid Bilayers: Implications for Fluorescence Quenching. J Membr Biol 2019; 253:73-77. [PMID: 31541260 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-019-00094-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The characterization of the behavior of lipid-attached spin probes in a bilayer is of fundamental importance for correct interpretation of the results of both EPR and fluorescence studies of protein-membrane interactions. The knowledge of the immersion depth of TEMPO spin probe attached to lipid headgroup in TEMPO-PC is critical for the determination of the transverse location of fluorescence probes attached to proteins and peptides. The question of bilayer penetration of TEMPO moiety in TEMPO-PC has recently came into prominence in two studies of interfacial solvation (Cheng et al. in Biophys J 109:330-339, 2015; Lee et al. in Biophys J 111:2481-2491, 2016). Here, we re-examine the arguments on TEMPO penetration using the cross-validation of MD simulations and depth-dependent fluorescence-quenching experiments, which confirms that TEMPO in TEMPO-PC penetrates below the level of phosphate groups. The proper analysis of fluorescence quenching requires the use of Tempo position below the level of phosphate groups; and failure to do so will result in substantial systematic errors in determining the penetration of the labeled site on a membrane protein.
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Vasquez-Montes V, Vargas-Uribe M, Pandey NK, Rodnin MV, Langen R, Ladokhin AS. Lipid-modulation of membrane insertion and refolding of the apoptotic inhibitor Bcl-xL. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2019; 1867:691-700. [PMID: 31004798 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Bcl-xL is a member of the Bcl-2 family of apoptotic regulators, responsible for inhibiting the permeabilization of the mitochondrial outer membrane, and a promising anti-cancer target. Bcl-xL exists in the following conformations, each believed to play a role in the inhibition of apoptosis: (a) a soluble folded conformation, (b) a membrane-anchored (by its C-terminal α8 helix) form, which retains the same fold as in solution and (c) refolded membrane-inserted conformations, for which no structural data are available. Previous studies established that in the cell Bcl-xL exists in a dynamic equilibrium between soluble and membranous states, however, no direct evidence exists in support of either anchored or inserted conformation of the membranous state in vivo. In this in vitro study, we employed a combination of fluorescence and EPR spectroscopy to characterize structural features of the bilayer-inserted conformation of Bcl-xL and the lipid modulation of its membrane insertion transition. Our results indicate that the core hydrophobic helix α6 inserts into the bilayer without adopting a transmembrane orientation. This insertion disrupts the packing of Bcl-xL and releases the regulatory N-terminal BH4 domain (α1) from the rest of the protein structure. Our data demonstrate that both insertion and refolding of Bcl-xL are modulated by lipid composition, which brings the apparent pKa of insertion to the threshold of physiological pH. We hypothesize that conformational rearrangements associated with the bilayer insertion of Bcl-xL result in its switching to a so-called non-canonical mode of apoptotic inhibition. Presented results suggest that the alteration in lipid composition before and during apoptosis can serve as an additional factor regulating the permeabilization of the mitochondrial outer membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Vasquez-Montes
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Mauricio Vargas-Uribe
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Nitin K Pandey
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Mykola V Rodnin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Ralf Langen
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Alexey S Ladokhin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
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Refining Protein Penetration into the Lipid Bilayer Using Fluorescence Quenching and Molecular Dynamics Simulations: The Case of Diphtheria Toxin Translocation Domain. J Membr Biol 2018; 251:379-391. [PMID: 29550876 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-018-0030-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Dynamic disorder of the lipid bilayer presents a challenge for establishing structure-function relationships in membranous systems. The resulting structural heterogeneity is especially evident for peripheral and spontaneously inserting membrane proteins, which are not constrained by the well-defined transmembrane topology and exert their action in the context of intimate interaction with lipids. Here, we propose a concerted approach combining depth-dependent fluorescence quenching with Molecular Dynamics simulation to decipher dynamic interactions of membrane proteins with the lipid bilayers. We apply this approach to characterize membrane-mediated action of the diphtheria toxin translocation domain. First, we use a combination of the steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy to characterize bilayer penetration of the NBD probe selectively attached to different sites of the protein into membranes containing lipid-attached nitroxyl quenching groups. The constructed quenching profiles are analyzed with the Distribution Analysis methodology allowing for accurate determination of transverse distribution of the probe. The results obtained for 12 NBD-labeled single-Cys mutants are consistent with the so-called Open-Channel topology model. The experimentally determined quenching profiles for labeling sites corresponding to L350, N373, and P378 were used as initial constraints for positioning TH8-9 hairpin into the lipid bilayer for Molecular Dynamics simulation. Finally, we used alchemical free energy calculations to characterize protonation of E362 in soluble translocation domain and membrane-inserted conformation of its TH8-9 fragment. Our results indicate that membrane partitioning of the neutral E362 is more favorable energetically (by ~ 6 kcal/mol), but causes stronger perturbation of the bilayer, than the charged E362.
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Kyrychenko A, Rodnin MV, Ghatak C, Ladokhin AS. Joint refinement of FRET measurements using spectroscopic and computational tools. Anal Biochem 2017; 522:1-9. [PMID: 28108168 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2017.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2016] [Revised: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The variability of the orientation factor is a long-standing challenge in converting FRET efficiency measurements into donor-acceptor distances. We propose the use of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to characterize orientation distributions and thus improve the accuracy of distance measurements. Here, we test this approach by comparing experimental and simulated FRET efficiencies for a model donor-acceptor pair of enhanced cyan and enhanced yellow FPs connected by a flexible linker. Several spectroscopic techniques were used to characterize FRET in solution. In addition, a series of atomistic MD simulations of a total length of 1.5 μs were carried out to calculate the distances and the orientation factor in the FRET-pair. The resulting MD-based and experimentally measured FRET efficiency histograms coincided with each other, allowing for direct comparison of distance distributions. Despite the fact that the calculated average orientation factor was close to 2/3, the application of the average κ2 to the entire histogram of FRET efficiencies resulted in a substantial artificial broadening of the calculated distribution of apparent donor-acceptor distances. By combining single pair-FRET measurements with computational tools, we demonstrate that accounting for the donor and acceptor orientation heterogeneity is critical for accurate representation of the donor-acceptor distance distribution from FRET measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kyrychenko
- Institute of Chemistry and School of Chemistry, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 4 Svobody Square, Kharkiv 61022, Ukraine; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160-7421, USA.
| | - Mykola V Rodnin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160-7421, USA
| | - Chiranjib Ghatak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160-7421, USA
| | - Alexey S Ladokhin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160-7421, USA.
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Mayne CG, Arcario MJ, Mahinthichaichan P, Baylon JL, Vermaas JV, Navidpour L, Wen PC, Thangapandian S, Tajkhorshid E. The cellular membrane as a mediator for small molecule interaction with membrane proteins. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2016; 1858:2290-2304. [PMID: 27163493 PMCID: PMC4983535 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2016.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The cellular membrane constitutes the first element that encounters a wide variety of molecular species to which a cell might be exposed. Hosting a large number of structurally and functionally diverse proteins associated with this key metabolic compartment, the membrane not only directly controls the traffic of various molecules in and out of the cell, it also participates in such diverse and important processes as signal transduction and chemical processing of incoming molecular species. In this article, we present a number of cases where details of interaction of small molecular species such as drugs with the membrane, which are often experimentally inaccessible, have been studied using advanced molecular simulation techniques. We have selected systems in which partitioning of the small molecule with the membrane constitutes a key step for its final biological function, often binding to and interacting with a protein associated with the membrane. These examples demonstrate that membrane partitioning is not only important for the overall distribution of drugs and other small molecules into different compartments of the body, it may also play a key role in determining the efficiency and the mode of interaction of the drug with its target protein. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Biosimulations edited by Ilpo Vattulainen and Tomasz Róg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher G Mayne
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States.
| | - Mark J Arcario
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States; College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States.
| | - Paween Mahinthichaichan
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States; Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States.
| | - Javier L Baylon
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States.
| | - Josh V Vermaas
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States.
| | - Latifeh Navidpour
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States.
| | - Po-Chao Wen
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States.
| | - Sundarapandian Thangapandian
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States; Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States.
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States; Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States; College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States.
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Faller R. Molecular modeling of lipid probes and their influence on the membrane. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2016; 1858:2353-2361. [PMID: 26891817 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2016.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
In this review a number of Molecular Dynamics simulation studies are discussed which focus on the understanding of the behavior of lipid probes in biomembranes. Experiments often use specialized probe moieties or molecules to report on the behavior of a membrane and try to gain information on the membrane as a whole from the probe lipids as these probes are the only things an experiment sees. Probes can be used to make NMR, EPR and fluorescence accessible to the membrane and use fluorescent or spin-active moieties for this purpose. Clearly membranes with and without probes are not identical which makes it worthwhile to elucidate the differences between them with detailed atomistic simulations. In almost all cases these differences are confined to the local neighborhood of the probe molecules which are sparsely used and generally present as single molecules. In general, the behavior of the bulk membrane lipids can be qualitatively understood from the probes but in most cases their properties cannot be directly quantitatively deduced from the probe behavior. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Biosimulations edited by Ilpo Vattulainen and Tomasz Róg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Faller
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Kyrychenko A. Using fluorescence for studies of biological membranes: a review. Methods Appl Fluoresc 2015; 3:042003. [DOI: 10.1088/2050-6120/3/4/042003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Kyrychenko A, Freites JA, He J, Tobias DJ, Wimley WC, Ladokhin AS. Structural plasticity in the topology of the membrane-interacting domain of HIV-1 gp41. Biophys J 2014; 106:610-20. [PMID: 24507601 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2013.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2013] [Revised: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 12/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We use a number of computational and experimental approaches to investigate the membrane topology of the membrane-interacting C-terminal domain of the HIV-1 gp41 fusion protein. Several putative transmembrane regions are identified using hydrophobicity analysis based on the Wimley-White scales, including the membrane-proximal external region (MPER). The MPER region is an important target for neutralizing anti-HIV monoclonal antibodies and is believed to have an interfacial topology in the membrane. To assess the possibility of a transmembrane topology of MPER, we examined the membrane interactions of a peptide corresponding to a 22-residue stretch of the MPER sequence (residues 662-683) using fluorescence spectroscopy and oriented circular dichroism. In addition to the previously reported interfacial location, we identify a stable transmembrane conformation of the peptide in synthetic lipid bilayers. All-atom molecular dynamics simulations of the MPER-derived peptide in a lipid bilayer demonstrate a stable helical structure with an average tilt of 24 degrees, with the five tryptophan residues sampling different environments inside the hydrocarbon core of the lipid bilayer, consistent with the observed spectral properties of intrinsic fluorescence. The degree of lipid bilayer penetration obtained by computer simulation was verified using depth-dependent fluorescence quenching of a selectively attached fluorescence probe. Overall, our data indicate that the MPER sequence can have at least two stable conformations in the lipid bilayer, interfacial and transmembrane, and suggest a possibility that external perturbations can switch the topology during physiological functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kyrychenko
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
| | - J Alfredo Freites
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California
| | - Jing He
- Department of Biochemistry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Douglas J Tobias
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California
| | - William C Wimley
- Department of Biochemistry, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Alexey S Ladokhin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas.
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Calibration of Distribution Analysis of the Depth of Membrane Penetration Using Simulations and Depth-Dependent Fluorescence Quenching. J Membr Biol 2014; 248:583-94. [PMID: 25107303 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-014-9709-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Determination of the depth of membrane penetration provides important information for studies of membrane protein folding and protein-lipid interactions. Here, we use a combination of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and depth-dependent fluorescence quenching to calibrate the methodology for extracting quantitative information on membrane penetration. In order to investigate the immersion depth of the fluorescent label in lipid bilayer, we studied 7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD) attached to the lipid headgroup in NBD-PE incorporated into POPC bilayer. The immersion depth of NBD was estimated by measuring steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence quenching with spin-labeled lipids co-incorporated into lipid vesicles. Six different spin-labeled lipids were utilized: one with headgroup-attached Tempo probe (Tempo-PC) and five with acyl chain-labeled n-Doxyl moieties (n-Doxyl-PC where n is a chain labeling position equal to 5, 7, 10, 12, and 14, respectively). The Stern-Volmer analysis revealed that NBD quenching in membranes occurs by both static and dynamic collisional quenching processes. Using the methodology of Distribution Analysis, the immersion depth and the apparent half-width of the transversal distributions of the NBD moiety were estimated to be 14.7 and 6.7 Å, respectively, from the bilayer center. This position is independently validated by atomistic MD simulations of NBD-PE lipids in a POPC bilayer (14.4 Å). In addition, we demonstrate that MD simulations of the transverse overlap integrals between dye and quencher distributions can be used for proper analysis of the depth-dependent quenching profile. Finally, we illustrate the application of this methodology by determining membrane penetration of site selectively labeled mutants of diphtheria toxin T-domain.
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Ladokhin AS. Measuring membrane penetration with depth-dependent fluorescence quenching: distribution analysis is coming of age. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2014; 1838:2289-95. [PMID: 24593994 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2014.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Depth-dependent fluorescence quenching by lipid-attached quenchers (e.g., bromine atoms and doxyl groups) is an important tool for determining the penetration of proteins and peptides into lipid bilayers. Extracting quantitative information and accurate calculations of the depth of the fluorophore are complicated by thermal disorder, resulting in broad distributions of the transverse positions of both quenchers and fluorophores. Twenty-one years ago a methodology called distribution analysis (DA) was introduced, based on the emerging view of the complexity of the transverse organization of lipid bilayer structure. The method is aimed at extracting quantitative information on membrane penetration, such as position and width of fluorophore's distribution along the depth coordinate and its exposure to the lipid phase. Here we review recent progress in refining the DA method and illustrate its applications to protein-membrane interactions. We demonstrate how basic assumptions of the DA approach can be validated using molecular dynamics simulations and how the precision of depth determination is improved by applying a new protocol based on a combination of steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence quenching. Using the example of the MPER fragment of the membrane-spanning domain of the HIV-1 gp41 fusion protein, we illustrate how DA applications and computer simulations can be used together to reveal the molecular organization of a protein-membrane complex. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Interfacially Active Peptides and Proteins. Guest Editors: William C. Wimley and Kalina Hristova.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey S Ladokhin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160-7421, USA.
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Kyrychenko A, Ladokhin AS. Refining membrane penetration by a combination of steady-state and time-resolved depth-dependent fluorescence quenching. Anal Biochem 2013; 446:19-21. [PMID: 24141077 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2013.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Accurate determination of the depth of membrane penetration of a fluorescent probe, attached to a lipid, protein, or other macromolecule of interest, using depth-dependent quenching methodology is complicated by thermal motion in the lipid bilayer. Here, we suggest that a combination of steady-state and time-resolved measurements can be used to generate a static quenching profile that reduces the contribution from transverse diffusion occurring during the excited-state lifetime. This procedure results in narrower quenching profiles, compared with those obtained by traditional measurements, and thus improves precision in determination of the underlying depth distribution of the probe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kyrychenko
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Alexey S Ladokhin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
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14
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Kyrychenko A, Ladokhin AS. Molecular dynamics simulations of depth distribution of spin-labeled phospholipids within lipid bilayer. J Phys Chem B 2013; 117:5875-85. [PMID: 23614631 DOI: 10.1021/jp4026706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Spin-labeled lipids are commonly used as fluorescence quenchers in studies of membrane penetration of dye-labeled proteins and peptides using depth-dependent quenching. Accurate calculations of depth of the fluorophore rely on the use of several spin labels placed in the membrane at various positions. The depth of the quenchers (spin probes) has to be determined independently; however, experimental determination of transverse distributions of spin probe depths is difficult. In this Article, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the membrane behavior and depth distributions of spin-labeled phospholipids in a 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) bilayer. To probe different depths within the bilayer, a series containing five Doxyl-labeled lipids (n-Doxyl PC) has been studied, in which a spin moiety was covalently attached to nth carbon atoms (where n = 5, 7, 10, 12, and 14) of the sn-2 stearoyl chain of the host phospholipid. Our results demonstrate that the chain-attached spin labels are broadly distributed across the model membrane and their environment is characterized by a high degree of mobility and structural heterogeneity. Despite the high thermal disorder, the depth distributions of the Doxyl labels were found to correlate well with their attachment positions, indicating that the distribution of the spin label within the model membrane is dictated by the depth of the nth lipid carbon atom and not by intrinsic properties of the label. In contrast, a much broader and heterogeneous distribution was observed for a headgroup-attached Tempo spin label of Tempo-PC lipids. MD simulations reveal that, due to the hydrophobic nature, a Tempo moiety favors partitioning from the headgroup region deeper into the membrane. Depending on the concentration of Tempo-PC lipids, the probable depth of the Tempo moiety could span a range from 14.4 to 18.2 Å from the membrane center. Comparison of the MD-estimated immersion depths of Tempo and n-Doxyl labels with their suggested experimental depth positions allows us to review critically the possible sources of error in depth-dependent fluorescence quenching studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kyrychenko
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160-7421, USA.
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